Neville sat in an armored SWAT vehicle. He looked at the individuals beside him. Each of them held onto their weapons like their lives depended on it. Which they would, but not right now. Despite the tense mood people were still chatting. Next to Neville sat Tomo and a GIGN member. The commando's face was obscured by a black balaclava.
The man turned his head towards Neville. "I've never heard of INTERPOL's SWAT team before," said the man, "What have you guys done?"
"Nothing," said Neville, "At least not as a team. After the SWAT members were trained and their services were not called upon for almost two years, INTERPOL decided to have them assist local law enforcement officers in arrests. This worked out quite well, so more SWAT members were added over the years to assist police officers in other countries. Due to my successes in arresting dangerous criminals I was pulled from the active members of INTERPOL's SWAT team to become an instructor."
"So this girl here is your student?"
"Yeah, she is," said Neville, "But not only do I train individual members I also decide whether they are qualified to join the team. So if they do well in training I give the thumbs up and they get to look tough in front of a camera. Of course before members can be approved for the team they have to have been in some sort of event where a SWAT team was called in."
"Is that why I'm here?" asked Tomo.
"No," said Neville, "You're here because you said you wanted to come along. But if we both live today, it will help convince me that you are ready to be a SWAT officer."
"What more do I need to do?" asked Tomo.
"We'll just have to wait and see."
The armored van continued on its way. The back of the car was well air conditioned to compensate for how hot the ballistic vests made things. Yet Tomo was still uncomfortable due to how closely the ten of them were packed together.
"Hey Neville?"
"Yes Tomo?"
"Why did you flinch each time I fired the .357?" the wildcat asked.
"Because that gun nearly killed me back in Africa," said Neville, "That was the first time I saw somebody die. Ever since that day I can't stand to see or hear a .357 revolver fire."
"Then why did we practice with it? I mean if you hate it so much why bother teaching it to me?"
"Lots of criminals carry .357s around," said Neville, "It has a reputation for having good stopping power and lots of people use it when they go bear hunting. If you ever ran out of ammo and needed to use an enemy weapon, odds are that you would find a .357 lying about."
"So that's why we practiced with the AKs?"
"Yeah, for that same reason. I just hope these guys don't know that we're coming," Neville said.
"If Team 4 set up the perimeter already, then it won't matter," one of the troopers commented. "Even if these guys do try to drive out of there a TOW missile from the Fennec will stop them in their tracks."
"Can't argue with that," said Neville. He stopped worrying about what was going to happen. He leaned back to nap before they got to the mansion.
"Now tell me," said the Team 4 commander, "Have we established a perimeter?"
"Oui Capitaine!" one of the commandos piped up, "We have a one thousand yard perimeter set up just like you wanted."
"Have you seen anyone try to cross the perimeter?" asked the Team leader.
"Non," the man replied.
"Good," said the Capitaine, "The other commandos will show up shortly I believe. Now I will call in the Fennec." The Capitaine looked at the outer wall, it was almost thirty feet high. A pity that we will smash it down, the Capitaine thought. The masonry is quite excellent.
"We are nearing the mansion now," said the driver, "Get all of your gear ready now, you won't have a chance to do it later."
Neville slammed a clip into his HK 416. Tomo did as well. Just about all of the GIGN officers were loading HK 416s except for one, she was loading an AA 12.
The car suddenly stopped, slamming on the brakes. The doors flew open. Neville and Tomo rushed out along with the rest of the team. Neville backed up against the armored car. He saw two men aiming MP5s at him from on top of the wall. Raising the 416 to his shoulder he fired off two shots. He watched as the men fell backwards. But more of them appeared forcing Neville to duck.
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
Neville saw that the other three teams had also deployed. Six SWAT vehicles had their doors wide open. Neville scanned the wall for hostiles. Two more men with machineguns aimed at his head.
BANG!
BANG!
They were no longer a problem.
Tomo was with two GIGN operatives. Despite her training under Neville, she simply wasn't prepared for this event. The sounds and how quickly events moved along were a little too much for her. She just hoped that she would live through this.
A man up on the wall noticed one of the SWAT officers just sitting there. He fired a burst of 9mm rounds. "This is for Mickey!" he screamed.
The rounds hit Tomo in the chest. The punch that the projectiles made was strong, even though she was wearing ballistic armor. Tomo didn't want to find out how much more the vest could take. She sprayed off a burst of 5.56mm NATOs. The man fell backwards, he didn't get back up.
The GIGN operatives next to Tomo were bagging targets left and right. Their Type IIIA body armor was taking the rounds being fired at them, but like Tomo, they didn't want to find out how much more punishment they could withstand.
"Charges planted!" Neville turned his head towards the source of the sound. Two GIGN operatives sat next to a section of wall. They kept scanning the top of the wall, no one.
"BASTION!" the radio yelled. That was the signal to start the fireworks show. Neville braced himself for the impact.
The high explosives blew a three meter wide hole through the foot thick section of wall. The loudness of the explosion was on the order of several hundred decibels. Neville felt the impact of the shock wave on his chest. The GIGN members rushed through the hole. Neville followed suit.
Tomo had been unprepared for the explosion. When it had gone off she had been trading shots with one of Leroy's hired guns. The blast had made her jump. But luckily it had knocked the man off of a thirty foot drop. He wouldn't be a problem anymore. And a few 5.56mm NATOs helped make sure of that.
Tomo quickly reloaded her HK 416. She turned around to see the huge hole that had been blown through the wall. She ran through the "doorway" that the demolitions members had created. Inside of the inner wall she saw that the situation had turned dire.
The three GIGN teams combined made up approximately sixty individuals. It had taken six armored vehicles to transport them here. Now that the teams were inside of the outer wall they could engage the suspects more easily. Or at least until two machinegun nests had opened up on the second story. They fired off rounds at the GIGN team. Troopers were being torn apart by the sheer strength of the .50 caliber HMGs.
"This is Barracuda," Tomo heard her radio crackle to life. It was the Fennec utility helicopter! "We are launching TOWs in three!"
Tomo looked up just in time to see a streak in the air as the subsonic missiles slammed right into the enemy machinegun positions. With their most heavy weapons destroyed the GIGN team used the opportunity to press their attack on the guards stationed nearby. Those suspects that tried to remain behind cover were torn apart by the Fennec's minigun. Thousands of rounds turned the concrete barricades they had hidden behind into dust.
Tomo saw movement to her left. She turned to see a man with an AK 47 fire at a group of GIGN soldiers. She quickly raised her 416 to her shoulder. Switching to semi automatic she fired off three rounds. The man with the AK fell to the ground, red stains on his chest. Less and less rounds were being fired now. The fighting had started to lull.
After a few more minutes all of the guards were either dead, or had surrendered to GIGN officers. The AS 532 Cougar that had been circling the scene for the past four minutes rushed into the center of the courtyard. Twenty more GIGN commandos jumped out of the machine. The Cougar quickly climbed back up into the sky.
What remained of the four teams decided to call for back up. The heavy machineguns had wiped out half of them. It would be twenty minutes till the replacement officers arrived. And when they do, thought Tomo, we get to go inside the monster's lair.
He sat in his private office. Oak panels lined the room. A small fountain bubbled in one of the corners. And twenty AK 108s sat in wall racks behind him. His favorite M3 sat on his desk.
"So let me get this straight," said Leroy. "Just ten minutes after I get back inside my office, a SWAT team deploys and surrounds the entire area?"
"Ye-yes sir," said a nervous hired gun.
"The security did take care of them right?" asked Leroy, an angry look formed on his face.
"N-no sir," the thug replied.
"Then why aren't you out there fighting?" asked Leroy in a dangerous tone.
"I-I—"
Leroy raised his M3. The thug quickly stopped talking. A twelve gauge will get that kind of reaction out of people.
"I suggest that you go out there, and help the others."
"Ye-yes sir!"
The thug ran off as fast as he could. Leroy sighed. Despite all of the money he had spent on arming these buffoons they couldn't do anything right. At least my personal guard can shoot straight, the crime lord thought to himself. If he had to, Leroy would kill all of them himself.
Tomo watched as several armored cars pulled in through where the gate used to be. It had taken almost an hour for additional GIGN members to show up. These troopers were all heavily armed. The trucks had also brought something else that was welcomed, ammunition.
The time it had taken to breach the wall and subdue the guards had been difficult. Tomo had used up almost six clips of ammunition. Though she hadn't quite sprayed and prayed, she hadn't been too strict on her volume of fire either. She packed a few additional magazines into her tactical vest.
Neville noticed his pupil collecting more magazines. She had used up a lot more ammunition than he had. His HK 416 had only fired twenty rounds during the whole firefight, and he had hit eighteen of Leroy's guards. He detached the magazine inside his assault rifle. Walking towards one of the trucks Neville noticed that Tomo was right beside him.
"What's up?"
Neville didn't answer her. He just kept walking towards the truck. He picked up another magazine and slid it into the weapon.
"Earth to Neville?" Tomo waved her hand in front of his face. Neville didn't say anything. Tomo frowned at the man. "What is your problem?" At that moment Neville removed his ear protection.
"Did you say something?" Neville asked.
Tomo was stunned at first. Then she realized that it was just an act, since she was wearing ear protection. Her anger was enormous. Yet she simply sighed. Shaking her head the wildcat walked away. Neville watched her go. He didn't know what had happened. His earplugs had been wedged too tightly into his ears.
One of the GIGN commandos stood next to a loud speaker. He was waiting to give the go ahead to signal. The announcement that would tell the commandos it was time to smash the door down. Seven men had planted charges on the front door. The front wall would also be breached in two additional places. GIGN commandos were already on the roof, preparing to repel through the windows.
Tomo noticed that Neville was next to her. He was crouched below one of the windows. He was preparing to rush into the house. Tomo thought he had just shown up to pester her with his silence.
"Why won't you talk to me?" the girl asked.
"I couldn't hear you," Neville replied.
"Bullshit," said Tomo, "I'm not gonna buy that crap. I was wearing earplugs when I asked you those questions."
"Well I had them in too deep," said Neville, "I could barely get them out."
"I'll believe that, as soon as you believe that I shot that gun out of someone's hand."
"Come on Tomo," said Neville, "This actually happened."
"So did that," the wildcat responded, "You saw the proof with your own eyes."
"I trained you with the .45 for only three weeks," said Neville, "but he just dropped the weapon. Even I can't shoot a gun out of a person's hand. In fact it is just about impossible."
"I usually get lucky," said Tomo, "That was just proof of my good fortune."
"It didn't happen," said Neville, "You've never been too good a shot before."
"If you two would be so kind," said Henri, "Will you please shut up, so I can hear my team?"
"FIRE IN THE HOLE!"
BOOM!
Neville was glad that he had put his earplugs back in. The front door was gone, as well as the parking garage. The commando teams rushed through the gaps. Guards who lay writhing on the floor were disarmed and moved to the armored vehicles. Enemy weapons were unloaded and moved to separate armored vehicles.
The troopers that were inside the house split up into four teams. Tomo stuck next to Neville and Henri. Her instructor kept his eyes moving around. Every shape could be an enemy. Tomo kept her weapon in front of her. The other officers were behind them.
Plumb, plumb, plumb.
Neville and Tomo stopped. Crouching down they raised their weapons towards the source of the sound. The end of the hallway. The GIGN troopers readied themselves. Over twenty automatic weapons were aimed at towards the sound. Whatever came through the hallway would not live.
"Damn, you hear that explosion?" a voice said.
"Yeah, let's get 'em!"
"Sounds like we've got company," one of the troopers said, "Everyone ready?"
All the GIGN members nodded in unison. Neville gave a thumbs up. Tomo simply stared ahead. Two men came around the corner carrying AK 47s. Twenty five individual assault rifles ended their lives at once.
"What the Hell was that?" a voice screamed.
"Damn it they're dead!"
Several more criminals rushed through the hallway.
BANG!
RATATATATAT!
The bodies of four hired guns lay in the hallway. Two of them had fired at Tomo with their MP5s. The rounds had bounced off of Tomo's body armor. The GIGN commandos took care of the other guards.
"Mademoiselle," said a commando, "you should be more careful. Don't wait like that."
"Thanks," said Tomo, "I'll keep that in mind."
Up ahead the hallway split into two directions. The platoon of twenty five operatives split up. Tomo went one way, and Neville went the other way.
"These guys are too good sir."
"What did you say?" asked Leroy.
"These guys, we can't beat them."
Leroy had had about enough of this guy's attitude. Raising the M3 to his shoulder he fired off a slug. The projectile tore the man's chest apart. His lifeless body fell to the floor. Leroy left his office, walking towards his private library. And it was only a library by nickname. It was filled with magazines.
Neville wandered down the hallway in front of him. He kept his eyes open. Every door that they passed had to be opened and searched. Their thin and flexible fiber optic probes could be slipped beneath the doors. So far they had needed to clear five rooms. Everyone was still tense. These guys had killed four of the operatives already. And only nine of them remained.
Tomo's group had not yet encountered any resistance. They had gone along this hallway for what seemed like hours. Tomo couldn't help dropping her guard a little bit. It was just such a weird experience. Knowing that all around you people were looking for you so that they could kill you, but you never found them. And maybe that's a good thing, Tomo thought to herself, Firefights don't give do overs.
The two teams did not realize that they were both heading towards the same place. But the enemy knew. Soon the two groups would meet up in Leroy's office. When they got there they would then hit the library. Once they did, Leroy and his personal honor guard would make their move.
Tomo and Neville's teams met up outside the door of Leroy's office. They had looked underneath the door using their probes. A dead body and seven heavily armed men were inside.
Two of the GIGN members readied explosives. The team braced themselves against the wall. Tomo gripped her assault rifle tightly with her hands. She was ready to rock and roll.
"FIRE IN THE HOLE!"
The door evaporated from the strength of the explosion. The team rushed in, finishing off the men inside. Tomo unloaded the enemies AKs and UMPs. To the left of the team was a door. The team peered under it. Two men stood with their backs to the door. They held weapons in their hands. Racks of guns lined the entire room around them, as well as concrete barricades. Their enemies had chosen a good place to hide.
"We are out of explosives. So let's do this quietly," said Henri.
Neville opened the door slowly. He sidestepped into the room, quickly getting behind a mass of concrete. The rest of the team moved in. Once everyone was in position, Neville fired.
BANG!
BANG!
The two men fell down. The commandos moved up. Seven of them headed towards a stair case to the upper level. Neville and Tomo stayed on the bottom level. Most of the team started to head up the staircase as well. It seemed as if no one was here. One of the team members stood on the staircase.
BOOM!
A cloud of dust covered the stairway. Henri and Neville turned to the left, Tomo turned to the right. The other GIGN officers ducked behind concrete barricades.
RATATATAT!
The sound of an M60 machinegun filled the air. Two men wielding black AKs appeared on the left. They fired at the largest group of GIGN troopers. One of the commandos fell to the floor, blood pouring out of his head.
BANG!
BANG!
Tomo fired two shots at the men. They fell down. A plume of concrete erupted next to her head. Tomo ducked down. The sound of an AK 47 filled her ears. She had nearly died for the third time today. Her adrenaline was starting to ebb.
Neville saw the man who had almost killed Tomo. He fired a shot straight at the man's head. A puff of red ended the danger he posed. The M60 started firing again.
"We'll smoke you bitches!" one of the criminals yelled.
"You guys won't fuck with us ya hoes!"
"Tomo!" yelled Neville.
"Yeah!"
"Do you see the man with the machinegun?" asked Neville.
"No!" screamed Tomo.
"I do!" yelled a commando, "He's on the second floor!" One of the M60's rounds ripped through the man's body armor. He died with a scream.
"I got one of 'em!" yelled the man with the M60.
"That's the way to do it yeah!" yelled another criminal.
"I'm gonna fuck another one of these guys!" yelled the man with the machinegun.
Tomo saw the man now. She raised the HK to her shoulder. She squeezed off a round. The man with the machinegun ducked. When he popped his head back up, Tomo was ready for him.
"Tango down!" yelled the wildcat, "Do you see any—"
Neville shoved her to the ground as a burst of 5.45s filled the space where her head used to be. The sound of automatic fire filled their ears. Tomo saw another GIGN officer fall down.
Henri saw two of his teammates pinned down by a man with a TAR 21. A quick burst from Henri's HK 416. The enemy was down. Henri looked around the room. He didn't see anymore enemies. He didn't hear anyone firing. There didn't seem to be anyone left but the GIGN members.
"I'm moving up," said Neville, "Cover me!"
The man moved quickly towards the center of the room. Tomo kept her weapon handy, just incase some idiot gunner showed up. Neville kept his back against one of the concrete barricades. He was moving across the room, but he didn't know why.
SMACK!
Neville felt the side of his head deform. The force of the blow sent him to the ground. He opened his eyes up, to see an M3 shotgun in his face. Neville closed his eyes.
BANG!
Blackness.
"ARRGH!"
The scream of pain caused Neville to open his eyes. A man with a bald head lay in front of him, writhing in pain. Part of his right hand was gone. Two GIGN commandos quickly shoved his arms against the concrete floor. Neville saw smoke rise off of the barrel of the M3.
"Guess who."
Neville turned to see Tomo. She gave him a smile, which he returned. The GIGN commandos forced the bald man towards the door. He was struggling against the two soldiers. He screamed and spat, but the men wouldn't let him go. This was the man that they had come for. And he would pay for his crimes.
"Did you really shoot his hand?" asked Neville.
"She sure did," said Henri, "It saved your life. That shot tore away the muscles that would have let him pull the trigger. It seems that you trained her quite well," Henri concluded.
"I just needed some motivation," said Tomo. Neville was certain that in a few more months, she would be a real SWAT trooper.