Alex entered the penthouse cautiously.
"Clear so far" he whispered into his earpiece.
He had his gun raised and he stepped lightly on polished wood surface. His eyes were watchful and alert and his ears strained to hear even the slightest sound.
He entered the living room, it was empty. He saw remnants of a meal on the glass table. He heard a slight cracking sound. He twisted around, pointing his gun at the space behind him.
But there was nobody there. Taking a deep breath and steadying his heart and continued his search.
"No sign of him"
He poked his gun in the master bedroom before sticking his head inside.
Blinding sunlight was streaming in through the windows and for a moment he was blinded. He grunted as finally his eyes readjusted.
Thankfully the room was empty. He was just about to take a step when a voice sounded behind him. Alex thought quickly of saying something into his earpiece but decided against it.
"Put your gun on the floor" said a cold, clipped voice.
Alex felt the muzzle of a gun press into his upper spine. He raised his hands and dropped his gun to the floor in a single movement. He gazed straight ahead staring at the opposite wall.
"If you make any attempt to escape I will kill you"
Alex said nothing, he was visualizing the gun behind him. Then in one sudden whirl of motion he twisted his body around and wrenched the gun from the attackers hands.
Alex let his training take over. He stomped hard on the other guys foot at the same time sinking an elbow into his stomach.
The guy was winded for a few seconds and Alex punched him hard in the face, then the stomach. Alex's head was whipped back as a fist connected with his jaw.
He staggered. He raised his hands to protect his face, he tried to fight back but the man was like a machine, predicting every single one of his moves.
He ducked under a punch and began pummeling the man. He stopped however as an elbow jabbed him sharply in the temple.
He lay sprawled on the floor. The man didn't stop, and kicked Alex in the stomach his boot striking the same places over and over.
Alex felt some of his ribs crack and could barely breath in. Next time the guy tried to kick him, Alex grabbed the foot and twisted hard.
The man yelled in pain. Alex was on him in a second. Alex stood up, wiping his bloody mouth. The other man did so too, groaning.
Then they were really fighting. Their moves were equally matched by the others. Alex was using every bit of combative training he had ever learned but he was getting tired.
His punches were getting slower and his blocks less effective. He winced as a fist hit him in the ribs. Grunting with effort Alex kneed the other man in the groin. The man screamed in rage and pain.
Taking advantage of the distraction Andy looked wildly around the room for his gun. He saw it lying partly visible underneath a large desk.
His thoughts were brought quickly back to reality and the man slammed him painfully into the wall. Alex saw white as his head hit the wall.
The man dropped him and Alex slid down the wall, his back aching terribly. He tried to crawl towards the gun but flopped to the floor after he was kicked again in the stomach.
Alex stood up and was sent stumbling back as the man raised Andy's gun and shot him in the chest, then kicked him powerfully backwards. He crashed into the floor to ceiling windows.
They shattered and Alex fell backwards in a sudden rush of air and glass. They were up about 30 stories up and Alex felt complete terror as he plunged backwards into open air.
At the last second he twisted and managed to grab hold on to something, almost letting go as his hands sank into jagged pieces of glass.
Wincing in twisted agony he held on, blood pouring from the flesh on his hands.
He was glad that he hadn't fallen but the agony in his hands overrode every other sense. He gasped and groaned.
There was glass in his hair and the folds of his clothes, his face had been all over cut with tiny pieces of glass.
He tried to lift himself up but only succeeded in sliding his hands deeper into the peaks. A strangled yell flew from his mouth.
The man loomed about him and Alex finally got a good look at him.
He looked to be Russian with fair hair and a twisted scar stretching his mouth into a disfigured shape. The wind buffeted him and he desperately clung on. He looked up as a raindrop hit him on the head. Thunder sounded in the sky and it started drizzling.
After a couple seconds it started to pour. He breathed deeply trying to not panic.
He looked down, he had never been particularly fond of heights before but now it looked even worse. The people on the ground looked like little pinpricks, Alex feel sheer terror spread throughout his body. He looked up to see a muzzle of a gun pointing at his forehead.
Alex's hair was plastered to his forehead and he blinked rapidly through the never-ending sheets of water.
His hands were slipping and the glass was getting slick with his blood. He gazed into the barrel of the gun, if he was going to die so be it.
He closed his eyes not wanting to see the face of his attacker as he stopped living. A gunshot sounded and Alex gasped audibly.
He hadn't felt anything, he opened his eyes a crack and then fully. The Russian was still standing there but the gun was limp in his hand.
Alex squinted through the rain. In the center of the Russian's forehead was a round hole the size of a bullet.
A drop of blood slid down the man's face and he toppled forwards plunging into the abyss. Alex pressed himself hard to the building as the man's body fell.
He yelled as he hands seared with pain. There was an strong buffet of wind and he almost lost his grip.
"HELP!" he shouted at anyone that could hear. A face appeared above him, it was Eagle. Andy had never been so happy to someone in his whole life.
"Alex! What happened to you? Your earpiece went blank" exclaimed Eagle kneeling down staring at him.
"Eagle my hands" said Alex desperately. Eagle stared down at his hands as if suddenly realizing the bright blood visible, the blood was draining rapidly out of his face.
"Wolf! WOLF!" Eagle shouted standing up.
Eagle looked different, his boyish smirk was gone and he was looking terrified. Another face appeared above Alex, and with relief he noted that it was Wolf.
"Oh my god Alex" Wolf shouted his face draining of color. "Hold on. We'll lift you together. Don't move your hands"
Alex tried to nod but only succeeded in grasping.
"Alright" said Wolf turning to Eagle, "at the same time"
They both gripped one of Alex's arms. They nodded at each other.
"1..2..3" they lifted together and
Alex felt his hands come free of the glass. He tried to grab onto something else in panic but Wolf and Eagle kept lifting and he soon found himself being hauled up into the penthouse.
He laid down exhausted on the floor of the penthouse. He curled into a fetal position his mauled hands in the middle.
He was shaking violently, trembling from head to foot.
"Hey Alex come on let me see" said Wolf crouching down, his hand resting on Alex's shoulder.
"Send backup, penthouse apartment" said Wolf into his earpiece.
"Come on Alex" he soothed gently. Alex didn't feel like arguing even though he was no urge to see his injuries. He unwound his body and started to raise his shaking hands.
"Look away Alex" said Wolf. Alex swallowed and turned away feeling a wave of nausea. He stared at the wall behind them. There was silence for a couple of seconds.
"It's fine Alex" said Wolf thickly "It's not that bad"
Alex turned and looked at his hands, they were covered and dripping in sheer blood. The bones in his palms were visible and Alex turned and threw up all the contents of his stomach and the world turned black.