Jake Hawkfeild awoke with a gasp to a strange noise coming from downstairs. He climbed out of bed and walked down the hallway to the staircase. He took a left at the bottom to go into the living room. He walked to the computer and checked his E-mail. Spam, and a few letters of condolences from his squad-mates. He walked over to the Tv and turned it on. Nothing but static. He turned it off and walked towards the kitchen. He found that somehow, all his cupboards were open again. He reminded himself that he really needed to make latches for them. He retrieved a burrito and some fruit from the fridge and continued back towards the living room. He tried not to look at the Callander as he walked by. It would only remind him. Next he went outside to the mailbox. An ad for a Bowling alley. Same old shit. He went back inside to the living room. He noticed a chest beside the TV. "This is Her chest, I've never looked inside..." He thought to himself. He walked over to the Piano. "Haven't played this in awhile.."
He tapped on the keys a few times, but it didn't sound much like the Amazing music that She used to play. He noticed a metal tuning rod inside of the piano and grabbed it. It occurred to him that he could use it to fix the Off-tune music box that She had in the Bedroom. He walked upstairs and inserted the metal piece into the box. Now when he played it, the sound was much more pleasant. On the table beside him, he noticed a key. "The basement key.." He thought to himself. He tucked the key into his pocket and went on. He walked into the corner of the room and looked at the cardboard box there. "This is Her stuff, I just...Can't throw it away yet.." He looked at the bathroom, but quickly looked away. He didn't want to go in there. He walked back into the hallway, and tried to open the door at the end. Locked, like always. When he bought the house, he didn't get a key for that door. "Oh well, I can always call a Locksmith later.." He walked back down the stairs and turned towards the Basement door. He unlocked it with the key he found upstairs and walked down. At the bottom he thought he saw something move across the doorway to the basement steps outside, but he thought nothing of it. He looked at the furnace. "It needs something to burn..." He remembered the woodpile.. But the quickest route there was through the door where he had seen the strange shadow. He sucked it up and walked through. However, the outside basement doors wouldn't budge. He walked back upstairs to the house and out through the backyard door in the kitchen. Now he saw why the doors wouldn't budge- a couple of wooden pallets were on top of the doors. He picked up the pallets and tossed them aside. He then walked to the side of the house to the woodpile. He grabbed a log and went through the recently opened exterior doors back to the basement. He shoved the log into the combustion chamber of the furnace and lit it. As he was closing the furnace door, a glint caught his eye on the floor- another key. This one must go to the Attic. He walked back upstairs, but as he was ascending the stairs into the house the door slammed shut. Strangely, he thought he saw what looked like feet walking by the crack under the door. He charged up the stairs, ready to deal with a potential burglar, but no one was there. Perhaps a draft in the house caused the door to shut itself. Next on his agenda was to check out the attic. But it was probably dark up there, and he'd need his flashlight. He walked to the drawer in the hallway, opened it, and retrieved his flashlight. "The flashlight won't work without batteries.. I can find some if I look around." He thought. He looked through the other drawers, but he found nothing but a picture of Him and Frank. He held a rifle and Frank held a bottle of booze. That was the day after his wedding. Frank had given him that antique winchester as a gift. She had taken that picture of them. "Happy memories from another life" he thought wistfully. Speaking of pictures, one sat face down on top of the dresser. He still couldn't look at that one.
He headed back out to the front and went into the garage. On the wall hung his SWAT diploma and a picture of Him, Frank, and Mike. That was taken on his graduation day. He looked at the table. There was a USP in a gunvice. He looked it over. "Something is wrong with the laser sight.." He remembered. Beside the pistol lay some unloaded magazines. He looked at the table on the far wall and found a few batteries for his flashlight. He loaded them and gave the flashlight a quick test. He headed back inside the house and back upstairs to the bedroom. He opened the closet doors and looked up. The trapdoor entrance to the attic was inside the closet. He climbed up the shelves to the trapdoor and unlocked it. He climbed into the attic and switched on his light. Directly in front of him was an old wheelchair. He walked past it and looked at the table. There was a crowbar there, along with a remote that he recognized as the garden house remote. He put the remote in his pocket and picked up the crowbar. He was about to leave when something strange caught his eye. An old piece of paper. It appeared to be an old map of the playground. House, garage, and garden house were all labeled, along with "well" and "playground" in the woods behind the house. Strange, he never knew the property had a well and a playground. He would have to check that later. As he was climbing back down to the bedroom the phone started ringing. He went into the living room to answer it.
"Hey Jake, It's me, Brandon! Look man, I know you're hurting, but you should come down to Mike's pub. Look, man, it sucks, but life goes on, you know? Just come have a drink at Mike's pub, all the guys are here.. We're waiting on you..."
Jake slammed down the receiver. Maybe a few weeks ago he would have taken Brandon's offer, but just... Not now. He went outside to the backyard, but noticed it was getting dark out. The garden house could wait. He walked back upstairs to his bedroom. Before he went in, he looked in the wardrobe outside the door. Nothing but an empty Liquor bottle. "Cops must have left that here. What a way to look for evidence." He thought angrily. Nothing he could do now. He went into his bedroom and made sure the Dreamcatcher was up. He never was superstitious but She seemed to have believed that they worked, so he used it. He wasn't sure why, but somehow it did help to chase his nightmares away. He got into bed and fell asleep.
Jake awoke suddenly again, this time to a sound of wood snapping coming from outside. He got out of bed and walked out in the hallway. He was shocked to find the door at the end of the hallway, normally locked tight, was wide open. Inside, he could see a small table with a lamp on top of it. He walked towards it, but it suddenly slammed shut. He ran up to it and tried the handle, only to find it locked again.
This was getting weird.
He walked down the stairs and towards the basement door. From the table near the basement door where he kept the various tools and keys he found, he retrieved the garden house remote. He walked towards the kitchen's backyard door, stopping suddenly when he thought he saw a human-like shape moving on the other side of the door. He went out to the backyard and saw no one. Maybe he didn't get enough sleep last night. He walked over to the garden house and pressed the button on the remote. There was a buzzing and the rollup garage door opened. Inside the garden house were some tables, cabinets and a lot of cardboard boxes. Most of the boxes were his stuff, not yet unpacked from the move. Some of Her things were in there as well. Additionally, there was a gun cabinet with the Winchester rifle Frank had given him.
"I remember that day like it was yesterday" he thought. He moved some of the boxes in the corner to reveal a vented trapdoor. This led to the Garden house basement. He kept some emergency food supplies down there. The trapdoor couldn't be opened by hand, so he headed back towards the house for the crowbar. As soon as he entered through the backdoor into the kitchen, the lights started flickering erratically and a strange noise like many dogs barking could be heard. He shook it off as faulty power. He'd check it later. He retrieved the crowbar from the table and went back to the garden house. He stuck the crowbar into the vent and pried it open. He then climbed down the ladder into the basement. Hitting the light switch, the basement became illuminated. A table was on one wall with the light above it, while the opposite wall was filled by shelves. The far wall was stacked high with crates of preserved food. Frank had always taught him to prepare for the worst and that's just what he did. She had thought it was a little weird, but agreed it never hurt. He grabbed a set of keys, this one going to the cabinet in the garden house above. He climbed the ladder again and opened the cabinet. Inside was a box of emergency flares and an axe. "I won't need what's in there for now. I think I've done enough for today..." He went inside the house again, and went into the living room. He turned on the TV and sat on the couch before eventually dozing off.
-
"This is-we're coming to you live from third street north. Apparently a group of Armed terrorists have taken control of this old hospital- It appears they are very violent and may have some hostages-Oh SHIT, look out! Damn it, we're under fire! Oh, shit they hit the camera! Get me out of here! Shit! Shit!-"
Jake was shaken awake by the sound of the phone beside him ringing. He shut off the tv he left on last night and picked up the receiver.
"Jake, it's me, Frank. We have a situation. Come down here, ASAP. We're going in."
Jake hung up the phone and got up off the couch. If Frank was calling him, it meant that there was an urgent situation and that people were in danger. He went outside to the garage and went inside. There were his three suitcases which contained his SWAT gear. "Alright, let's get these cases onto the truck."
He picked up the cases and one at a time put them in the back of his old Stake-body truck. "Alright, now I just need my keys, I can't remember where I left them.." He went back inside the house and looked in the living room, finding the truck keys on the mantle of the fireplace. He went outside, started his truck, and drove off towards SWAT HQ.
Jake sat in a Blackhawk helicopter, decked out in full SWAT gear. He cradled a Styer Scout sniper rifle.
"Alright, here's the deal. Apparently terrorists from an unknown organization took control of an old hospital. There are no demands whatsoever. All we know is that they went inside and started this mess. We'll drop you on a parking garage near the hospital. It's just one street away, north. You can see it from the parking garage. When you reach the hospital, get to the building across the street. Get to the top floor and establish a sniping position. Evaluate the situation and wait for further orders." Frank briefed him from the copilot seat. The Blackhawk fanned out over the parking garage and Jake jumped out. He walked to the railing and surveyed the street.
"-Alright. I can see there are civilians on the streets. And remember, i can see everything through your helmet camera. Just get to that building. You'll see a car wreck down there, near the hospital. There's been an accident. I'll radio you when you reach the building. Eagle out.-"
Jake walked to the bottom floor of the parking garage, where an officer stood at the bottom.
"Hey, you're from SWAT, right? I was told to let you know you're supposed to meet up at the apartment building in front of the hospital."
Jake kept moving on the street.
"Take the next left" radioed Frank.
After the left turn, Jake saw the hospital, and the apartment across the street.
Frank radioed in. "Alright, you're here. Just go into that alley to enter the building. Then report to the top floor."
Jake did so. The elevator didn't work, so he took the stairs. About five floors up, an officer standing in front of an apartment door called to him.
"Thank god you heard me! Everyone is so busy with that mess across the street that I have no backup. There's some crazy fuck in there threatening to kill his wife. Could you help me out here? Just boot down the door and make entry. If he surrenders we'll take him in. If not... Well, you know."
Jake got in front of the door. He dug his heel in the ground and kicked down the door, SOCOM at the ready. The perp, a middle aged black man, held a gun to his wife's temple. "I've got nothing to lose man, stay back!" Jake concentrated and let off a shot close to the man's head, stunning him long enough for his wife to get away and the officer to make the arrest.
"Well that was quick and clean! Thanks and good job! You better get moving now, they need you up there." Said the officer. Jake exited the tiny apartment and proceeded up the stairs to a top floor apartment where an angry tenant was arguing with an officer. "I can't believe this shit! You call 911 and you get a bunch of people to come at your place and ruin your furniture! Hey! Don't touch that!"
An officer opened the fridge, causing a liquor bottle to fall out and shatter.
"Aw, shit!" The man indignantly shouted.
"Sorry..." Said the rather sheepish officer.
"Look, you called us, that means you wanted to see us. So shut up and let us do our job!" Said the first cop.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever..."
Jake walked over to the window, where a corporal was standing.
"So you're our sniper, huh? Well this was the best that we could get. They've obscured the windows on the first and third floor with plywood. But if anything happens anywhere else, this is the best spot. We've also got men at the back and side doors. Now that this spot is covered, they have nowhere to go."
Suddenly a door at the top of the hospital and a woman ran out, waving her arms. She ran and cowered behind an AC unit.
"What the- is that a hostage on the roof? Jake, cover her! I think they're after her!" Radioed Frank.
Jake readied his rifle as the terrorists began running out after the woman. He sighted on the nearest man's head and began dropping them.
"Who the fuck is shooting?"
"Will someone explain what is going on?" The squad members radioed in, confused.
Eventually no more terrorists came and the woman ran back inside.
"Oh, fuck this! You have to move in now! Breach and clear the hospital. Jake, you lead the assault. All units will go in at your signal." Said Frank.
Policemen radioed in to ask about the gunfire.
"What the fuck was that?"
"Our sniper. Hostage ran out and they were chasing her. Sniper took out about five guys."
"What? Five guys? By himself?"
"Yeah! Sniper's on his way down now, he's leading the assault!"
Jake walked out of the apartment and into the elevator at the top floor.
"Alright Jake. It is time to storm the hospital. Just take a moment to plan this out. You can enter via the front, the side doors, or the back door. It's up to you. Just remember to give your signal to the other SWAT members, so they know when to breach. Eagle out." Radioed Frank. Jake walked out of the apartment building and into the street. A few SWAT members were in cover behind cars. "Lead the way, sir!" Jake moved into position near the loading bay door. He let out a loud whistle. "Ready?" "Ready!" "Breach!"
Jake and the other SWATs ran into the loading bay, dropping two contacts. Jake kicked down the door, sending the contact behind it flying onto the ground. Jake shot him and then quickly pivoted to shoot the man crouching behind the reception desk. He moved throughout the hospital, eliminating terrorists when he saw them. "First floor clear!" Someone yelled over the radio.
Jake thundered up the stairs and cleared more rooms. The terrorists had erected barricades out of shelves, desks and hospital equipment. Jake vaulted over a metal desk and put a round from his SOCOM through the head of a terrorist. He heard scattered gunfire, then shouting as SWAT ensured the floor was clear. "Second floor, clear!"
With that, Jake charged up the final set of stairs, Shotgun at the ready. He found a set of double doors at the top- the cafeteria. This must be where the hostages were. He waited for his squad to stack up on the door, and then kicked it down. In what seemed like slow motion, Jake and the squad stormed into the room. 6 terrorists crouched behind tables. Jake threw a frag towards the end of the room. It detonated, sending 4 men flying and shattering tables. He pivoted and shot a man as he tried to bring his gun up. His squad had taken care of the others. No SWAT casualties. But where were the hostages? He moved towards another set of blue doors at the far end of the cafeteria. He tried opening them but found them locked. He prepared to kick it down, but he heard a man's voice from inside. "Wait! I'm coming out! I'm not one of them, don't shoot!"
The door opened and a man in civilian clothes walked out. The women he had saved on the roof earlier also sat inside. "Thank you for saving me. Look, if you're looking for the others, you're wasting your time.. They took them somewhere else, i'm not sure where, but they are not in the hospital." The man said.
"Alright, i'll tell my men to search the whole hospital, just to be safe." Radioed the corporal from the apartment.
"The hostages are not in the hospital.. Hmm.. I think i know where they took them... There is an underground sewer system that runs under this hospital.. On the original plans they were going to make stairs, but they couldn't, because of some sewer pipes. So the only way down is through the elevator." Radioed Frank, who had been listening.