Chp. 25
"You are sure?" Arkady asked. He'd sent a man to the hospital and had just received a report that the lead NCIS agent, Gibbs, was there which meant that the girls were there.
"Yes, boss. He is just as you described. What do you want me to do?"
"Remain in place and report any changes." Arkady said, hanging up without waiting for a response.
What Sergei Petrovich could not possibly know was that the uniformed officer in the lobby was part of the team guarding his targets upstairs and that he was being watched as well.
000
Max had keyed in on the Russian in black jeans and a faded leather jacket almost from the moment the man walked into the hospital. Like Gibbs, he had a 'gut' that told him what was off about a situation. When he saw the man watching Gibbs, Jackson and Joanne, he figured the guy was just nosy. When he saw him talking on a cellphone, the former Navy Seal's personal meter started sending him signals. Deciding to make a head call, Max went to the restroom and pulled out his cellphone. Dialing Mike Franks' number, it rang twice before it was answered.
"Yeah?"
"We got visitors."
"How many?"
"Just one for now. Russian, somewhere in his forties. Looks to be former Spetsnaz."
"You sure it's just one for now?"
"I doubt it. Where there's one…"
"…there's more."
"Right. Everything good up there?"
"You worked with him. You know how it is."
"Indeed I do. I'll keep you posted if anything changes." Max said, disconnecting the call.
000
Mike decided to wait to tell Jake about the latest development until he could get him alone. Gibbs stepped out of Tony's room and Mike decided to go ahead and fill his protégé in. "Max called. Said we've got a visitor."
"Good guy or bad guy?" Gibbs asked, unfazed.
"Looks like one of Arkady's men."
"How close are they?"
"Max didn't say. But I'd guess you've got about another hour to three hours. Arkady's a snake, but he's smart. He knows that we know the Russians' favorite time to knock on doors was 0400 hours, so he'll probably come earlier. I'm guessing junior means to put all this firepower to actual use."
"He hates it when you call him that."
Mike grinned and reached inside his jacket for a cigarette. "I know, but pissin' him off is about the only perk of this job." Just as he was about to light the cigarette, Mike remembered he was in a hospital, scowled and muttered something about it being another good reason to live in Mexico, and didn't light up.
Mike saw Jake and Morgan turn the corner from one of corridors, undoubtedly returning from placing many lethal devices designed to rip their opposition to shreds. "Max called. Got a visitor downstairs. Looks like one of Arkady's people."
"And where there's one…" Jake started and looked down the hallway.
"There's more." Franks supplied.
"Yeah. Alright everybody in position. We've done everything we can up to this point. Now we wait." Jake said. As they dispersed to their assigned positions, Jake decided to drive his point home. "One more thing. We play this one for keeps. No prisoners." He said this while looking at Gibbs. He knew Mike, Morgan and the rest of his team would follow his lead, but the MCRT would fall in line with Gibbs. Well, except for Ziva.
"No prisoners." Gibbs replied, indicating that he understood.
"Good luck," Jake said, turning and going to Tatiana and Sofia's room. John Morgan and Marcus Small's were in another room further down the hall and Kate, Travis and Dave were in opposite end. Dr. Benoit was with Tatiana and Sofia and Nurse Murcano was with Tony. Abby and McGee had elected to remain with Ziva and the girls. Jackson, Ducky, Mike and Joanne were with Tony, Shannon and Gibbs. Various booby traps had been laid and Jake went over the placement of these devices in his head as he walked to Tatiana and Sofia's room. As he pushed the door open, He hoped that his team had done enough to come out on top.
000
Infiltrations were always difficult, but especially covert infiltrations. Arkady wanted to give himself the maximum advantage, but maintain stealth at the same time and that meant limiting the number of men he took with him. His most trusted lieutenant, Nikolai Puchenko, had been out of contact long enough to conclude that the man had been captured and most likely killed. Sergei was already in position and including himself, Arkady wanted no more than eight men. With the NCIS team and the U.S. Marshal Harrison, Arkady felt his men could overtake them given the superior training of the Spetnaz. But he suspected that the Marshal wasn't a Marshal at all, but a mercenary. But what was one mercenary against eight Spetsnaz?
000
Jake leaned against the wall near the door, his rifle in the low ready position, relying on years of training to remain relaxed but ready himself. Ziva sat in the same chair he'd found her in between the beds, her MP-5 slung across her chest. They remained silent, communicating only with looks. Jake could tell, despite her training and experience, that Ziva was worried. He silently promised her that he would do whatever it took to keep his girls safe, up to and including sacrificing himself, because that was how he saw them now.
Abby sat on the other side of Sofia's bed, unnerved by Jake's calmness and comforted by McGee's presence. She tried to give Ziva what comfort she could because she'd been friends with Ziva long enough to see past the cold Mossad agent exterior to know when the Israeli woman cared about something or someone and Abby knew Ziva cared about these girls and wanted to be there mother.
000
Max was watching the front door when he saw four men dressed in North Face jackets, jeans or pants, and tennis shoes or civilian hiking boots. It wasn't the clothing that set off warnings, but the way they carried themselves. The former Navy Seal watched as the men headed for the elevators and boarded one together. When they were gone, Max's gut told him to abandon covert surveillance and contact his boss.
He raised the radio to his mouth and said casually. "Witch doctor, four hostiles heading your way in the north elevator. Repeat, four hostiles heading your way in the north elevator. Hammerhead coming to you."
A short pause followed, then Jake's voice came back, calm and sure like always. "Roger. Keep your head down."
You too, brother, Max thought as he made is way up the stairwell. He'd removed his MPD uniform cap, and threaded a suppressor on the barrel of his Glock 17 while taking the stairs two at a time. He was on the fourth floor when he felt the first explosion above and heard automatic weapons fire.
000
After Max's communication, Jake pulled the radio off his belt and clicked three times, the predetermined signal that the fireworks were about to start. Jake had briefed the MCRT as best he could on the most likely scenario, but anything was possible. "Abby." He whispered and when she looked up, he pointed to floor next to Sofia's bed and she got down without protest. With McGee's and Dr. Benoit's help, they moved the girls to the floor and moved the beds in from of them to act as shields. It wasn't ideal, but it was the best they had. Tim stayed behind the beds, his shotgun up in a supported, kneeling position. Jake and Ziva moved to the door and prepared to enter the hallway.
Jake knew Ziva didn't want to leave, but it was the only way. They both glanced back and McGee nodded, his expression resolute. Satisfied that the agent knew what was expected of him, Jake pulled the handle, threw open the door and exploded into the hallway. Just as Ziva entered the hallway after him, they both felt and heard the C-4 charges that had been placed on the elevators.
000
Gibbs had copied Jake's fortifications and stayed in place but both he and Mike were itching to join the fight. Shannon was holding Tony in her lap, covering his ears and rocking slightly. During the firefight in Stillwater, he'd been terrified and this time was no different. Joanne was sitting next them, rubbing Tony's back and silently praying that her eldest grandchild made in through this alive. Jackson had demanded to be included in the defense and Gibbs had given his father his NCIS issue Sig Sauer P-228 9mm pistol. To Gibbs surprise and both his and Mike's amusement, Jackson had groused that he would've preferred a .45. All three men waited silently and tensed ever so slightly when they heard the explosion.
000
As Jake and Ziva moved in the direction of the explosion, Morgan and Smalls took up defensive positions on either side of the opposite end of hallway and Dave and Travis did the same as Jake and Ziva moved toward them, with Kate backing them up. When they were all in their proper positions, Jake, Travis, Morgan and Smalls pulled M67 fragmentation grenades from their belts, throwing them around their respective corners, yelling "Frag out." Unfortunately, there were no screams to accompany the explosion. Well, no screams of anyone dying, to be perfectly accurate. There was plenty of screaming, but that was normal on a battlefield. Also, the sprinkler system had apparently been turned on and the fires started by the grenades had triggered them. "MORGAN, HOSE 'EM!" Jake yelled and second later heard the familiar and oddly comforting sounds of the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon. Smalls was firing his G36 as well.
"Boss, moving to the stairwell." Max said.
Yelling to be heard over the gunfire, Jake responded. "Roger, when you reach the stairs turn west!"
"Affirm."
Less than a minute later, Jake felt a hand on his back and moved behind cover, unslinging Max's HK G36 and handed it to him. "How many left, boss?"
"Unknown."
Both men moved back to Jake's position and could hear the enemy gunfire ebbing off. Suddenly, above the gunfire, they heard two pistol shots and turned to Morgan and Smalls position. Jake could see both men had been shot in the head; Smalls through the forehead and Morgan in the back of the head. Ignoring the rage he felt at his brothers in arms meeting such an ignoble fate, the remaining members of Section Eight moved to their fall back positions in the two hospital rooms.
"Comin' in!" Jake yelled at the door of Tony's room, not wanting to risk being shot. Without waiting for an answer, he and Travis pushed through and took up defensive positions in front of Jake's family. Max, Dave and Kate were in Tatiana and Sofia's room in the same positions as Jake and the others. Ziva didn't bother asking where Jake was. There wasn't time for sentiment. They waited for what seemed like hours until Jake's radio crackled. "Sergeant Gibbs, you know what I want. If you wished to spare your truth family, you'll do what is right." Jake figured the man had taken Smalls or Morgan's radio. Well, I'll just add that to his list of transgressions, Jake thought.
Maybe it was the anger he felt to all the innocent's that he'd failed because of Arkady Kobach, maybe it was the physical, mental and emotional exhaustion that he had felt of late, but something inside Jake snapped as he raised the radio to his mouth again to respond. "HOW THE HELL DO YOU KNOW WHAT'S RIGHT, YOU SON OF A BITCH! I'LL SEE YOU IN HELL FIRST!"
As Jake stood and unslung his rifle, Arkady responded for the final time. "I was hoping you would say that, Sergeant."
Shannon couldn't let this happen. She'd lost her son once due to her unwillingness to act and she wouldn't let the chance to act slip by again. "Jake…" but she could bring herself to finish.
Just before reaching the door, he turned and gave the same smart aleck grin he'd used as a kid. "I'll be alright." Looking at Travis and Mike, he said, "Anything comes through that door other than me or our mates, kill it." Both men nodded, then he disappeared before his mother could say more.
000
Jake left his sidearm in its holster and instead pulled the Emerson CQC 7 folding knife he always carried and opened the blade. As if on cue, Arkady appeared with a similar knife in his hand and smiled evilly. "If you would go to these lengths for some whore, I cannot imagine what you would do for your family."
But Jake didn't take the bait and then danced for a minute, until Arkady attacked. Jake easily moved passed and Arkady lost his footing on the soaked floor. But the snake turned just as quickly and brought his knife up. Jake couldn't help himself and grinned. He liked fighting spirit, no matter who had it. Arkady charged him again, and as he passed Jake struck him at the base of skull hard enough that the former Spetsnaz officer saw stars and staggered slightly. Jake exploded and used this to his advantage. He grabbed arkady around the neck and leaned in. "Her name was Irina Orlov." Jake said in a low, controlled voice and began applying pressure to the other man's neck. Arkady struggled, but Jake fed on the rage he'd felt ever since Irina had died in his arms. Slowly, the older man's struggling lessened until finally his passed out. Jake dropped him to the floor and spent a minute catching his breath.
When he was reasonably calm, he looked back to the door of Tony's room. "MIKE!"
Franks' appeared, .45 Kimber 1911 in his hand and walked over.
Half deaf from all the explosions and gunfire, he yelled. "You punch his ticket?!"
Jake shook his head. "It's yours if you want it."
Mike didn't hesitate for a second. He raised the .45 and emptied the mag into Arkady's skull.
000