A/N: Thank you for all the hits and to all who took the time to leave me a few words. Your reviews are really the only thing I´m getting for writing.
Betrayal
Chapter 3
Rangers PoV
October 14, 2011 0600 hours
Trenton,NJ
Today started like every other day. I got up at 0400 like usual and worked out for 90 minutes, showered, got dressed and ate breakfast.
I´m standing in front of my staff (minus two men on the monitors and one man on the desk in the lobby) for our usual Friday morning meeting, going over the reports of the night and what is on the agenda for today and the weekend. Rodriguez, the supervisor for the night shift had just started his report as the lights went out. Military training kicked in. The sound of 35 guns and Maglites being drawn echoed through the otherwise silent room.
We are soldiers; we don´t run around like a bunch of headless chicken.
On my sign four teams of two men went out to cover the doors on the roof, ground-floor and the gate to underground-garage. A short look out of the window told us, that at least five blocks were dark too. Seems like it´s normal blackout. We relaxed slightly. The emergency power aggregate should kick in every moment now.
A minute ticked by but still no lights.
I heard a helicopter.
Just as I was about to bark out orders the door to the control-room banged open.
Stun grenades went off and then there was a lot of yelling.
"FREEZE"
"FBI"
"You are under arrest. Drop your weapons. Get on your knees, hands on your head."
None of my men moved.
The most of us were Special Ops we were familiar with stun grenades, the affects won't last long and even blinded and half deaf we can put up on hell of a fight.
"FBI"
"Guns down. NOW"
Seconds to decide.
Do I follow the order or not.
If it´s an ambush by someone of our past, we will die.
But we will go down fighting.
Problem is, it didn´t sound like an ambush, it sounded pretty authentic; especially because I trained the SWAT teams of the Feds. So I made my decision a nanosecond after the second command was made.
"Do it" I ordered my men. "Full cooperation."
"Yes, sir" They thundered understanding what it meant. Don´t resist and shut your traps until I have spoken with Benson our lawyer.
29 guns and Maglites dropped to the ground swiftly followed by us; dropping to our knees, ankles crossed, hands folded on our heads.
My eyesight became clearer by the second. Dawn creped over the horizon and bathed the floor in eerie twilight. I counted ten men surrounding us, decked out in full SWAT gear.
One by one we were stripped of our remaining weapons. In most cases a backup gun and a knife. Some had also stun guns, maze and brass knuckles. Except for Hector who had besides his RangeMan issued SIGSauer P226 .357SIG, 2 Ka-Bar combat knives, 4 throwing knives, 2 sets of throwing stars and 2 butterfly knives. Heaven knows where he packs all of them.
Only when we were all cuffed in hand and leg shackles tied to a chain around our bellies, the lights came back on.
The eight men, who went out to cover the entrances and Binkie who manned the Lobby, were dragged in unconscious but otherwise unharmed as far as I could see. They were either stun gunned or shot with tranquillizer darts. Moments later Ella and Louis were also escorted into the control-room, they too were handcuffed but without foot cuffs. Ella looked a bit pale but with her head held high. She even refused the chair that was silently offered to her kneeling down next to me instead. That´s my Tia for you. She´s a Manoso by birth it takes more than a few Feds to rattle us.
Two more SWAT teams came in and closed in on us. We were covered almost one to one. As much as I was seething with anger I was impressed with how smooth the takedown went. I have never seen; that almost 40 highly trained, armed and dangerous men were apprehended without casualties on either side. Hell I´m willing to bet all I have, that even the 9 unconscious guys didn´t break so much as a fingernail. As soon as this mess is sorted out I´m going to hire whoever planned this gig.
A ripple went through the men and all raised their guns, pointing straight at our hearts.
Well it seems we are about to meet the puppet master.
Two men stepped aside revealing what surely must be a bad dream.
"Babe"
I guess a Manoso can be rattled by a Fed after all.