CAMMIE 4.31pm
Cammie had found a small space in the wall. They had made a hole into the wall into the next room, but there was an older wall and space enough for her to squeeze between the old and new. She had just made it in when the men had entered the room.
They were surprised at the bodies all over the floor. Listening carefully she picked out they were Russian, but why would Russians be operating in Ujdrary? She watched and listened as best she could. The men ransacked the place looking for something, their frustration growing when they couldn't find it after ten minutes.
'Keep looking,' said one of them. A large square build of a man, but shorter than the rest. 'We need to find that hard drive.'
'Sir it's clear whoever killed these cavemen took the hard drive.' Another said, a tall broad shoulder, but slim man. His commanding officer stepped over to him quickly and he took one back.
'I said keep looking.' The taller one backed down and continue to check the sofa.
'Sir we got an alive one here.' Said a third. He was crouched down and Cammie couldn't make out his features through the small slits in the wall.
'You. Hey wake up' said the leader in bad Arabic. The other man translated better. 'Who did this?'
Cammie's attacker moaned through his pain. His one good eye stared at the Russian.
'Hey.' The Russian leader pressed hard against the man's gunshot wound forcing him to experience more pain. 'I said who did this? Where's the hard drive?' The man yelled out in Arabic and the other Russian translated for his commander.
'Inside the power socket in the kitchen. Unscrew it and it's there. He also says a woman did this to him. American. Could be CIA sir. We must tell the general.' The leader stood up and pondered for a moment.
'What did you tell her? Did you talk?' The arab understood without the need of translation. His head shook violently and he mumbled out loud.
'He says he told her nothing.' The commander stared into his good eye.
'He's lying. You know what to do.'
'Yes sir.'
Cammie heard the two gunshots, but didn't flinch. She stayed still and listened to everything. So her suspect had lied. These were probably the men who were going to pick up the laptop and other equipment. She pinched herself for believing that he had nothing else to tell.
She watched as best she could as the commander left the room chatting on a phone. He was too far for her to hear what he was saying or who he was saying it to. All she knew though was that the Russians were in play in today's plot.
She then saw another man enter with a laptop. Her heart sank when she saw it. It was unmistakable that it was the same laptop she gave to Nadia. Her worries were true. Nadia hadn't made it. She held back the tears by shutting her eyes tight.
She opened them again after a few seconds. Her eyes focused on the laptop and she watched the man upload the new code from the hard drive onto it. She had to get that laptop. Whatever was on it would prevent a major attack and bring justice for Nadia if she got it back to the US embassy.
She checked to see if anyone else was in the room before moving. From what she could see and hear there was just that one uploading the code. Cammie risked moving in the confined space. Her first step caused the walls to creak. But the Russian hadn't heard it.
She moved again quietly as she could until she reached the end of the wall. Bending down she crawled back out through the hole and behind the sofa. She peered over it and heard the commander on the phone with someone and the rest of his team surrounding him.
She turned her eyes from them and towards the one on the laptop. Her mind thought of the best way to incapacitate him without alerting the others. Her situation wasn't good. Her wounds prevented her getting the upper hand on such a larger opponent. She did however have the element of surprise.
WOLF 4.43pm
Wolf arrived at the address and saw the other SUV. He spotted one guard at the entrance. He switched his vision again to make out the hostiles inside. Six inside, but what he saw was odd. He could make out five men and one female, but she was sneaking up behind one of them sitting down.
Wolf knew that was the laptop he had to retrieve, but if that was the CIA agent he needed to get it before she got it into the US hands. For now though he watched her closely and the other hostiles. The mysterious agent snuck right up behind her target and struck him with a mighty blow on the temple.
He fell off the chair and must have landed with a thump because the others seem to stir, most likely calling out his name. They hadn't moved into the room though and he watched as the girl grabbed the laptop and made for the window.
He watched her climb down the ladder quickly, but she hadn't seen the guard at the bottom who heard her descent. He saw the others rush into the room to help their fellow man. She wouldn't make it if he didn't help.
Breaking from cover he ran across the street. He saw the startled look on her face when the guard caught her and she raised her hands. Then came a surprised look when the man slumped forward after a few bullets hit him and she saw him.
'Come on we got to move,' Wolf said ignoring her startled expression. He fired a few shots at the balcony when one of the Russians looked over. 'Move I said.' He grabbed her and pulled her for emphasis.
He fired a few more rounds to keep their heads down then chased off after Cammie.
PALACE HOTEL 4.31pm
Macey was knocked over by the blast with so much force she lost the ability to breathe for a few seconds. When the shockwave hit her she was walking away from the main entrance. Thankfully no broken bones had occurred, but others weren't so lucky.
Her ear drums rang that high pitched tune you hear in the movies, only this was worse. She felt completely deaf and what worried her more was when she felt blood in her ear. Steadily getting up she was in a daze, spinning round not knowing where or what she was doing.
It came back slowly to her and the ringing was replaced by an even more horrifying noise. Everywhere she turned she saw the effects of the blast. The scene was chaos and it happened on her watch. She couldn't believe what had happened, she didn't understand what happened.
People screamed all around her. Very few people helped each other, leaving it to the agents and marines to do everything. Everyone ran away from the entrance towards the back and that was when her senses all kicked back in.
'Sergeant, stop those people,' she pointed as they ran to the rear entrance. She couldn't allow everyone to panic and break away. 'Jackson, Jackson…Jackson?'
'Here Macey.' Replied a tattered looking agent helping a young Ujdrary police officer.
'Jackson Pull everyone back inside, get the marines to form a perimeter, agents help the wounded. We need to secure the building. I'll grab the Amba…' she was cut off when gunfire started outside. She watched as a few civilians and two marines dropped dead from multiple gunshots.
'Shit Macey they're shooting at us,' Jackson yelled while ducking down. Macey drew her Sig.
'Return FIRE,' she yelled and the secret service along with the marines fired at the hostile targets now trying to move into the hotel. Macey watched as another agent was gun downed followed by another. 'I'll secure the Prince and Ambassador, you hold this line till Anderson and his team arrives.'
Jackson nodded while reloading a new clip into his service weapon. Macey patted his shoulder then keeping her head low ran for the Ambassador.
ANDERSON
'The hell was that?' asked Doc as they heard the explosion and saw the smoke.
'Shit. Doc step on it.' Anderson said.
'Sir I'm giving it all we're still about two mins out.'
'Doc just drive quicker. Jim man the , Grey, Dan with me.'
There was a unison of 'Yes Sir' and his team made their weapons ready. Anderson stared at the thickening smoke rise high into the air. He hoped to god they weren't late.
PERSIAN GULF 4.45pm
Captain Zachary Goode had been briefed along with his team in flight. He and his men had just finished an eight month tour and were heading back stateside for some leave. However for him and his team things never worked out according to plan. His team specialised in extracting personal from hotspots all over the world and once again they were needed.
This time in a country that has never caused the west any trouble. Ujdrary had always been peaceful compared to its other Arab neighbours. They even helped the west when they invaded Iraq and Afghanistan, now though things were changing.
With the recent election and the Prince pursuing a treaty with the NATO some factions had started to act. Russia and China also announced their disapproval. Ujdrary was close to Russia and China and if the US managed to secure a treaty and build bases they knew the Americans could have an early defence shield. For China the US were right on their doorstep anyway, but Russia definitely feel more pressure.
They had managed to stall the Americans from building their defence shields in Poland, but sooner or later Russia was going to either back up its threats or allow the Americans to build. Russia had openly objected to the treaty and refused to sign it along with its allies. China objected for different reasons, but part of their government saw the benefits in the treaty as Ujdrary was opening up to other countries to help develop it.
So China's goal was to try and make Ujdrary a country welcome to all however the Prince closed down any proposition they made. Now the young Prince and the US were making powerful enemies on dangerous political fronts.
Zach allowed his men to grab some shut eye on the flight to the base. It would take them another fifteen minutes before they landed and his team would be debriefed further on the ground. Zach knew standard procedure was required here, but for covert operations those procedures were thrown out.
His team were given the green light to lead a force of five hundred troops into Ujdrary as soon as Prince Ari was secure along with the Ambassador. From what reports he got the US embassy had evacuated, but lost communications thirty minutes before military and embassy personal evacuated. Reports suggest they are either cut off, hostages or KIA.
The Ambassador was in the Palace Hotel and a British SAS team was on the ground with an unknown CIA operative. Zach sat still as the black hawk made a sharp turn. His thoughts on the mission were disturbed by others. Of a woman he hadn't seen for almost a year.
She had left on another assignment two months prior to his departure. It was the longest he'd known her to be away. She however must have been used to his constant leaving. It had put a strain on things lately and the thoughts of their last conversation haunted him.
Pleasant words weren't shared and he didn't mind she was on another mission to begin with, but then time got longer and with no word he got concerned. When is tour came up it had provided ease to his sleepless nights and he was able to focus is brain power on his assignments and missions.
For the past week however his nights got sleepless again. He didn't know if she was home waiting for him or if she was not. The scenarios of what might happen when he gets home kept him awake. What if he never gets the chance to apologise? What if she isn't there? What if she doesn't want him anymore?
'Captain eta 2 minutes.' The pilot jolted him from his worries and he nodded. There was no need to wake up his men, they only half slept and they awoke when the pilot had spoken. The black hawk made its descent and all Zach's worries disappeared as he focused on the new task at hand.
CAMMIE AND WOLF
'Keep moving,' Wolf called as he provided more cover fire for them. The Russians had chased them for nearly four blocks now. Cammie held the laptop tight and pushed herself on. Her heart was pounding against her chest and her headache returned.
She could feel herself becoming unbalanced and needed a rest. Her body wanted it, she wanted it, but she couldn't stop now so she found what reserve energy she could and kept running. She didn't have time to think of questions and answers for once of who was her mysterious rescuer.
Wolf ran up behind her and directed her down an alley. Bullets smacked off the wall as the just made it. Wolf used the corner of the wall as cover and fired more rounds. He caught one of them in the upper chest and neck with a burst shot then chased off again.
He could sense Cammie wavering, her legs almost buckled had he not caught and steadied her. She was totally spent and he could make out a nasty head wound and on her hand. The strip of towel she had wrapped around it was already bloodied again and dirty.
The heat of the afternoon sun didn't help either. Her dry lips and heavy breathing showed her fatigue. Wolf held her arm and pushed her off into a jog again.
'Come on. I can fix this when we find some place safe.' He said.
'I can't…I need a minute.' She panted.
'Sorry not now lass.' He fired just has another Russian entered the alley. He didn't make it back into cover in time and Cammie noticed a spray of blood before Wolf pushed her off and they crossed the street into a corner shop.
'Why we running? There can't be many left?'
'Lass it ain't just them we're running from.' She looked confused at him then he pointed out onto the street. Cammie held back the word that came to her.
'I know who they are. I've been tracking their movements for months now. I knew they were planning something big.' She knew when to trust her gut.
'Yeah well right now they have us outnumbered and I'm not wasting my ammo on them just yet. Now let me look at your hand.' Cammie held out her hand and winced when he peeled it off. 'That's deep lass, ye should have cleaned it better.'
'I didn't have time,' she responded through clenched teeth then bit back her further response when they heard the door open. They both didn't move and they heard at least three sets of footsteps.
'I'm going to make this quick, but ye are gonna have to be quiet ok lass.' It wasn't a question, but Cammie nodded.
'Ok.'
Wolf removed a gel pack from his aid box attached to his left thigh. He poured sterilised liquid onto the wound first, cleaning it and preventing any bacteria from infecting it. In these countries with only reasonable health care or worse, small wounds could end up killing you easily.
Cammie's eyes shot open and squeezed shut again. She had decided to bit into the collar of her shirt, but it really didn't help much. Wolf was surprised that she didn't make a sound though, but he bet her mid was saying every obscene word ever made and more.
He added the gel which was cold and welcoming in her hand which felt on fire at the moment. The cold gel would help numb and seal the wound for a few hours until stitches were put in. Cammie's eyes opened again and water filled them. She still bit onto her shirt, but her chest had stopped heaving heavily. She watched as Wolf added a dry dressing around the wound then tied it tight.
The footsteps had split up and one set was getting closer. Cammie drew her side arm, but Wolf patted it down shaking his head. Instead he told her to follow him out the back. Cammie went ahead of him when he told her too, but then stopped and shook him.
'The laptop I left it back there.' Wolf looked and saw the terrorist appear where they had moved from. He looked around for a few seconds then stopped when he stood on something. Cammie watched as he knelt down and called to his friends. Wolf nodded to her and they both rounded their new hiding spot and fired simultaneously.
The three terrorists dropped dead and Cammie wasted no time running to grab the evidence they desperately needed. Wolf grabbed the laptop from her hand when she passed him.
'What the hell are you doing?' she yelled. He simply tossed her his MP7.
'Cover me. The laptop is heavy baggage. All we need is the hard drive.' Cammie opened fired and killed two more terrorists before being forced behind cover as many more entered the shop. She popped round again and downed another.
The Russians rammed the shops wall with a large vehicle. Mounted on top was a heavy machine gun. Cammie downed another terrorist then dove behind the wall. She remained flat on her stomach as the bullets destroyed everything.
Unlike the movies there was no cover from a heavy calibre round at such close range. Wolf finally removed the hard drive. He tossed a flash bang and then a frag grenade. He and Cammie crawled for the rear exit as they grenade went off and they heard screams as some of them were caught in the blast.
The exited into the employees parking and both eyed a green Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R.
'I'm driving,' they both said in unison.
Sorry...sorry. I know I said I'd have chapters 9 and 10 finished yesterday but this chapter got really annoying to write because I kept changing how it was going to play out. I had first decided to make Cammie run through the streets and meet Wolf in chapter 10. However I thought that would be dragging the story a bit. I also had to move on with the attack on the Palace Hotel and I also apologise for not letting you know what Bex is doing. Also yes Zach has made his first appearance. Ummm... also Macey character is fun to write. If you have any tips for me please PM me or write it in a review because I haven't read any of the Gallagher series and I don't want to disappoint you all if I'm ruining your favourite characters. Next Chapter might also be as long as this one. Not sure just yet. I hope you enjoy reading this one.
