| From: | Mike Broadwater <neon@******.BACKBONE.OLEMISS.EDU> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | The Hunted, part 6 |
| Date: | Tue, 22 Oct 1996 02:38:56 -0500 |
>>>>>[Here's my final report. I turned over Byrnes to the SIGA agents.
All of
their ID was correct. So was the payment.
+++++Begin Video 102057.00:13:24.GMT
The picture is dark and blurred. In green letters at the bottom, the time and
date appear. They blink and are replaced by the words "Ultra sound rendering.
Tactical Computer engaged." The blur clears but doesn't lighten. Apparently
there was a hand in the way of the screen. The ultra sound imaging overlaps the
picture, and it is possible to make out a neatly manicured lawn beyond a wrought
iron gate and fence. In the middle of the yard is a three story Brownstone.
The house sits at the top of a slight rise, with lights projecting around and
towards it, like a gem on display. From what the imaging shows, there isn't
much in the way of cover between fence and front door.
The picture moves to the side of a large brick pillar separating pieces of
fence. The pillar is about 3.5 meters tall, rising about a half meter above the
rest of the fence. For the next several seconds the image goes black again.
Then, the picture returns, this time the view seems to be from the top of the
pillar. The picture moves and it is now within the fence. The barrel of the
gun swings into view, as the view point slowly starts to move forward. All is
silent, and everything remains dark, except the house. The moon isn't out and
the sky is covered with clouds, making it nearly starless. The person with the
camera has moved their way towards the house and close to the garage. There it
stops and waits, hugging the wall. The microphone picks up the person as he
takes three long, deep breaths. The gun barrel moves out of view to be replace
by a smaller pistol. Suddenly, the garage door starts to go up, lighting the
area inside and around the portal. The view blurs as it goes around the corner.
Before things steady, the gun coughs twice and two men slump down, both near the
door.
Quickly, the man moves towards the bodies and moves them out of the way. He
sets them on their stomachs and ties their ankles and wrists together with
plastic strips. The men are well dressed, both in suits. Checking their
pockets, the man finds little. All that is taken is their sidearms and a mag
lock key.
The man opens the nearby door and slips inside, closing the door behind him
silently. A man with his back to the door speaks is a language you don't
understand. A hand reaches out and yanks the man and his chair backwards. The
barrel of a pistol at the mans neck. "Don't move and you don't die. How many
guards?"
The man replies in accented English "Eight. Myself, the two who just stepped
outside, and five more."
"Where?"
"Two with the lady, one at the front door, one at the top of each stair."
"You'll live another day."
The man steps back, and shoots the man in the back of the neck. A small dart is
visible as he begins to slump forward. The man grabs him and sets him up in his
chair.
The man begins to move his way silently through the house. As he leaves the
entryway, the mike picks up something that sounds like "I should've had a
fucking shotgun for this."
As he begins to turn a corner into a hallway, he bumps into a guard who was
turning into the room. The bodyguard moves back and begins to yell for alarm as
he brings his gun into line. But he isn't fast enough. He only has time to
yell part of his warning before he too is knocked out by a cough from the gun.
"Frag. Time to bite the bullet." The man switches the narcoject for a rifle.
He starts walking through the house. As he nears the stairs, you can see a
small desk where the other guard must have been sitting. Before the man can
begin to start up the stairs, the screen blinks and a large WARNING sign blinks
on it. Then, words begin to scroll by. As far as you can make out, the tac.
comp has decided that there is a 95% chance that the first step will set off a
alarm or a trap. Apparently, the step is a different height and thermographics
show that it is of different material than the others. The man steps over the
stair and slowly around the corner. As he does, several shots hit the corner of
the stairs.
"Frag." Quickly the man spins around the corner and fires off several short
bursts. He spins back behind the slim protection of the plaster wall, but there
isn't any return fire. Slowly peeking around the corner, the image shows that
the two men have been plastered against the wall, one is still moaning slightly.
The person runs up the stairs, and to the next flight, planting a "mercy" shot
in the head of the still moaning guard. At the sound of the gunshot, another
rain of indiscriminant metal death is fired down from above. This time, the man
takes a grenade of his belt, yanks the pin and tosses it up the stairs. He
looks back around the corner to see the scorched remains and the cracked and
shattered plaster off the walls. Stronger material lay underneath, and is the
only reason the staircase is still standing.
"Frag."
The man races up the stairs and finds the bodies of the last three guards. He
moves by towards the only door in the hall. The blast doesn't seem to have done
anything to the door. The man begins to check the bodies for a key for the lock
on the door. After a short search, he comes up with the small piece of almost
indestructible plastic. He then snicks it into place and opens the door.
As the door opens, the sound of a gun is heard and the screen jumps.
"Frag." The man looks at his assaulter. It's a woman. Young, attractive, and
very upset. She's dressed in pair of jeans and a t-shirt. The offending weapon
looks to be a Colt American gripped in both her hands. Quickly looking down,
the man looks at where he was shot. About half way up the torso on the left
side. There isn't any blood showing, so the bullet was apparently stopped by
the underlying armor.
The woman speaks. "You make one move, and I'll shot again. Only this time, in
the head."
The man just shakes his head. "Woman, if you want to fight me, you're going to
need to fight someone who can move like this." With that, he's covered the 5
meters or so to her, grabbed her wrist, and with a sharp snap, disarmed her.
From the sound the wrist made when he did it, you're pretty sure the wrist is
broken. The woman falls down, holding her wrist. The man kicks the gun out of
his way.
"In accordance with UCAS law and pre-arranged extradition treaties, I arrest you
on the charge of distributing a controlled toxin."
The woman just looks up at him. She says only one thing.
"Frag."
+++++End Video 102057.00:13:24.GMT
And that's about all there was. I grabbed a car, holed up at the safe house,
and waited for your agents. They took the woman and gave me the rest of the
payment. Any debriefing you have is going to have to wait. I'm just firing
this off. I'm meeting Quinn in about 20 minutes for that field training. I'll
see you and Jason when I hit home ground again. We can reminisce over a few
beers, eh?]<<<<<
-- Blade <06:00:00/10-22-57>
