Chapter Thirty-Seven
Endgame
The next day was greeted the rosy color of dawn across the purple expanse of sky. For once, there were no clouds, but Tobias Jackson knew well enough that there was going to be a rainstorm later in the afternoon, preceded in the morning by clouds. The sky now was going to be covered once again in an hour or so. Tobias didn't care; in fact he liked that because the sun would only expose the soldiers who wanted to remain hidden in the forest borders surrounding the old barracks.
He sighed. He never got nervous before an operation; in general, he was usually experiencing the adrenaline growing in his systems. In the past, Tobias had participated in many operations, and even conducted five on his own. He grimaced when he remembered how four of those ended; one ended in temporary arrest, two ended in complete and dismal failure, and the fourth failed to launch because of infighting amongst the participants. Perhaps he was only anxious now because there were six, giant, aliens in the ranks along with a ragtag team of army soldiers and a squadron that kept shrinking. Tobias shook his head to clear out the negative thoughts; four 318th pilots had volunteered to fill in the gaps in the 401st squadron to keep it at the standard sixteen, the army soldiers had their work cut out for them, and Lennox was going to help him with the aliens.
Tobias didn't want to offend the aliens any further than he already had.
"Still here?"
Tobias turned to face the newcomer, and then smiled tiredly as Tom Wilson joined him on the rooftop. The pair overlooked the fields neighboring Andrews for a few silent moments, and then Tobias admitted, "I couldn't sleep last night. Had a nightmare that I died in combat before I could tell Lucy how much I loved her."
Tom snorted unsympathetically. "Then join me in retirement after all this. Hand in the slip, and then skedaddle off to the church with her," he said, leaning on his cane. He was still wearing his civilian clothing; he would have to go get prepped soon. "After all this blows over, I'm going to hand in my resignation and move to Nepal."
"I don't think the Nepal government will appreciate accepting a fugitive as an immigrant, especially if the United States goes global with your wanted poster," Tobias teased.
Tom scowled. "Then I'll drop off the map completely," he snapped crossly.
Tobias grinned at the response, but sobered when a thought occurred to him. "Just as a FYI, I told Starscream yesterday morning that Lynch was to be kept alive. I'm going to tell him before we set out that Lynch is a reserved target for the strike team."
Tom scrunched his face in disapproval. "In other words, we're going to offer a juicy opportunity to defy orders. Just cause Lynch is a reserved target isn't going to stop Starscream from trying anyway," the ex-sergeant pointed out.
"True, but if we compromised Preston, he'll be too distracted with her to worry about targeting Lynch. You've already seen it at Area 51 when her jet went kaput. We tested Starscream the night we arrived, the night of the ambush," Tobias said. "Remember the sniper we paid to specifically target her then? His shot was dead on… would've gotten her head if Starscream hadn't reacted. Then you gave away her physical description to Barricade and said she was the mastermind who sent him down Devil's Run when we both knew it was really Aliskevicz. I think that Starscream left Andrews to personally interfere."
"Yeah, I did the talking, you did the observing. I hated doing that," Tom grumbled loud enough for Tobias to hear. "I just remember that the sniper had a ridiculous price."
"I thought we hired one of our guys," Tobias asked, puzzled.
Tom scowled. "If you remember, everyone charges hush money in case the job goes down the tubes," he snapped. "So how are you going to distract Starscream later today?"
"I have an idea, but it's going to be tricky getting into contact," Tobias replied.
"Huh. Do what you will, but if the captain dies, I will personally hunt you down and kill you myself," Tom warned, and Tobias nodded, knowing that despite the bad leg, Tom was still very capable of murder. He checked his watch, and then said, "Give this to Preston. It should help the convoy leader out." Tobias accepted the folded sheet of paper, and tucked it away into a pocket. Tom waited until Tobias was finished, and then said; "Sasquatch's package arrived last night, so here it is. The paralysis toxin has already been removed."
Tobias gingerly accepted the black case from Tom as though he was accepting a live bomb. Although it was the most ordinary and plain case ever to be manufactured in the United States, its contents were enough to get Tobias thrown into prison for life, death, and for the duration of human existence. Whatever the option, Tobias knew that if caught red-handed, he would never see the light of day ever again.
"I already told you about what each bottle does. Repeat the information to the medic. Tell what's-her-name to only concern herself with the bottles that are actually in there, not with what's missing," Tom instructed, watching Tobias carefully.
"For your information, her name is Rose Connelly, and you just don't like doctors in general. But if it's any comfort, she doesn't like me at all," Tobias assured him.
Tom narrowed his eyes, but did not deny the accusation. "Did Lynch get the bait?" he asked.
"When he was coherent, I asked Collins if he saw the guard personally take the fake note from the captain, and he said yes. The captain had no idea that she did what you wanted her to do," Tobias said. "We're just lucky she didn't read it and increase our chances of messing up."
"Are you kidding? We're lucky that he didn't actually take it to Keller; the secretary is returning later this afternoon, so I think this party is going to be over by noon," Tom said, glancing back out to the horizon. "How did you get the Decepticons to cooperate with the Autobots?" he asked finally.
Tobias shrugged. "Got the courage when Ari knocked them around a bit, and took them aside at the end. Told them that if the humans eliminated the Autobots, then they were the next to go," he said. He frowned, and then added, "If you ask me, Starscream and Barricade have been a little too compliant lately."
"How'd you convince Ironhide?"
"Just reiterated Ari's point about the apparent lack of maturity," Tobias answered, remembering Ari's brief temper flash the night before. Good chance she'd forgotten all about it by now.
"Nice. Speaking of maturity, I'm going to introduce Luigi to Optimus Prime after all this. The idiot is convinced that Optimus is the physical manifestation of some ancestral curse come back to haunt him for his past sins," Tom said, turning to leave.
"In that case, you probably shouldn't say anything. Get rid of a Mission City crime-lord that way," Tobias said jokingly. "See you later Tom."
Tom scowled. "The dunce was more useful to us as a crime-lord," he grumbled as he finally limped away. "You can kid around about it because you don't have to put up with him 24/7. I don't even have a damned rifle or the authorization to properly deal with the problem."
Tobias waited until Tom's footsteps finally faded away before he too went back indoors, albeit slowly. He hadn't been lying when he told Tom that Rose disliked him, and she had very good reason to do so. It all started when he met Ratchet for the first time. After Starscream had gone into recharge the first night at Andrews after the ambush, Tobias had slipped out of the military base to convene with Tom in the capital. Since he was vehicle-less and wasn't aware of the small fleet at Andrews available for employee use, he tried to hijack the first vehicle to come his way on the road. Walking all the way to the capital wasn't appealing at midnight or so. Rose did not take to the sudden invasion kindly, and it was understandable that she reacted in self-defense. The altercation ended with Tobias lying on his back in the middle of the road with the business end of a small handgun aimed directly between his eyes. Tom of course found the whole story entertaining, and got a couple of good laughs from Tobias's ending of the story. Ever since then though, Tobias was now smart enough to stay on Rose's good side, but she seemed to retain some general dislike of him.
When he entered the parking garage, he stopped. Rose was sitting on the top of the Hummer's hood, a worn book open in her hands. She was leaning on Ratchet's chest, and he appeared to be reading over her shoulder. Judging from the small frown on Rose's face, this was apparently an exercise to soothe pre-operation jitters. Feeling like an intruder, Tobias carefully backed out of the garage so that he would not make any noise and be noticed.
So he forgot about the ultra-sensitive sensors that were common amongst the Autobots. "What is it that you need Tobias?" Ratchet asked calmly when Tobias was on the threshold. Tobias had never heard the medic raise his voice for anything, but for some odd reason, Ironhide warned him not to aggravate the Autobot medic too much
Tobias shuffled in grinning sheepishly as Rose slid off the hood and tucked the book away. "I've just got two items that you're going to want for today," he said as Rose approached him. He smiled tentatively as she stopped in front of him, and then un-zippered the case to reveal the contents.
"What are those?" Rose asked, carefully taking the case from to examine the two small bottles better.
"One is a substance of questionable legality and the other is pilfered medicine that had been under high security up to about now," Tobias answered. "The green bottle is Samara's medicine, and the blue bottle is the antidote to a paralysis toxin. You do not need to worry about the toxin."
"What about the missing three?" she asked, gesturing to the three empty slots in the cushion.
Despite Tom's orders to keep that information hush-hush, Tobias felt that Rose deserved a response… especially with an Autobot sitting about five feet behind her, listening carefully. Besides, one of the standing orders that took precedent over Tom's authority was never to deliberately withhold information from the Autobots or any of their allies. "Um, okay," Tobias said, racking through his memory for what the last three bottles were. "One of the three bottles was taken out by Tom, the second was given to you in the white packet, and the third was taken out by the head doctor at Area 51. I don't remember what their functions were."
That last part was a small lie. Tobias knew that the bottle Tom took was the toxin itself, and that the second and third bottles were opposites of each other. Rose studied the two bottles in the case and then asked, "These are to be injected no doubt?"
"I would offer to have a strike team to back you up, but I don't want to insult Ratchet," Tobias said.
"I am certainly capable of protecting Miss Connelly from any perceived outside threats," the Hummer rumbled, and Tobias wasn't sure if Ratchet was miffed or not.
"Especially when said threats think they can just use whatever vehicle has the misfortune of crossing their path," Rose said, zippering the case closed. Tobias winced at the discreet reminder of their first meeting, but Rose continued speaking as though she hadn't seen it. "Thank you Tobias for giving me the case," she said, looking up at him. "Any other instructions?"
"Yes. You'll be entering with the convoy, but when the fighting breaks out, sneak around back and enter through that way. The entrance should be big enough to handle Ratchet in vehicle mode, and then the hall with Samara's room should be big enough to tolerate the robot mode. Seeing that this is an abandoned army barracks, the floors are reinforced with steel and cement," Tobias said. "Good luck Connelly, and maybe afterwards we can patch up the issues between us."
"Perhaps," she replied, tucking the case away. "Good luck then I suppose."
Tobias nodded, and then walked back into the main base.
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"Is the armor plating underneath really necessary? It makes you look fatter than usual."
Alexis stopped pinning her hair up and glared at Ari. "Didn't your parents ever teach you the phrase, 'If you've got nothing nice to say, then don't say it at all'?" she asked irritably. She paused, and then asked, "Are you ready to go? We're leaving in an hour."
"Yeah, I'm ready to go. You know, if I followed that piece of advice, I'd be pretty quiet," Ari said, flopping down back into bed. "You know those two teens from yesterday? Turns out the boy Sam has this unhealthy attachment to the Camaro. I guess I would too if I didn't have auto insurance either."
"How do I look?" Alexis asked after finishing the small bun that was the requested hairstyle. She was wearing an unmarked black uniform that had kilt-like attachment around the pant legs, an apparently bulletproof covering. The top was any standard business suit, and Alexis hated it. Underneath the clothing however, she wore the same armor that the army soldiers were wearing, which was a light armor-weave suit with plates covering the critical parts of her body. The only indication of the armor underneath was the boots, which were actually a part of her Air Force pilot uniform.
Ari peeked over the edge of the bunk and studied Alexis's uniform critically. She shrugged. "I'm a little prejudiced against government employees and their lack of fashion, but I guess you look the part," she finally said. She grinned and said, "But I bet Stryker will think you look pretty… you've practically got him wrapped around your little finger. I'm just waiting for the kissing part; that'll be an awesome addition to the scrapbook I'm working on for the two of you. Just don't tell Stryker though… I want my book to survive to see the end of this week."
"Sure thing," Alexis said, checking her appearance in the mirror one last time. She completed the outfit by slipping a small firearm into the holster that was underneath the waistband of the pants. The holster itself was attached to the armor underneath. Ari was right; the armor underneath the business apparel did make her figure look bulkier than normal. It was worth the discomfort though, especially when the armor saved her life.
"Come on Ari," she finally said. She leaned down and picked up the headset that would connect her to Starscream. When Ari wasn't looking, she slipped the headset into her jacket pocket. She picked up her jacket and slung it over her arm as Ari climbed down from the top bunk. Alexis left the room, but soon heard the pitter-patter of Ari's footsteps behind her.
The two women headed first to the med wing to wish Tyler good-bye and Ari promised to see him later. Riley was fast asleep, but Tyler was unusually quiet and ashen-faced. He only managed a weak nod in greeting when Ari came by his bedside, but no coherent words. He looked extremely worn out.
After the med wing, the two women headed down to the parking garage, entering a great hubbub of activity. Four vehicles were lined up at the entrance, Barricade taking the lead, Optimus bringing up the rear. Soldiers were making the last-minute preparations, and two were carrying a dangerous-looking weapon into the trailer that was attached to the truck cab.
Predictably, Starscream and Tobias were at the center of all the activity. Starscream was reviewing the plan of action that was written on two sheets of paper while Tobias was delivering last-minute orders. As the women approached, Tobias turned and grinned when he saw them. "Told you that you would look nice," he said, winking. "By the way, good idea with the armor plates." He frowned, and then suggested, "You might want to take the captain's insignia off ma'am, just in case someone identifies you as the leader."
"Keep the leader alive at all costs," Ari hissed in Alexis's ear as Alexis reluctantly took the insignia off its position on the uniform she'd been wearing. She nudged Starscream's ankle with her foot to get his attention.
"What is it?" he asked quietly, evidently concerned. He took her shoulder and pulled her away from Ari and Tobias. Catching on, Tobias asked Ari a few questions for clarification on her knowledge of her role, something that would involve a few in-depth answers.
Alexis looked down at his soft tone, gathered her courage and sincerity, looked up at him, and then ordered, "Hold out your hand." Starscream frowned but complied. "Give me one reason to doubt you and regret this decision, one complaint from a pilot under your command, and I will mark you and Barricade as double agents," she warned as she dropped the captain's insignia into his open palm. "I will not step in when Ironhide hears that it is okay to tear you both to pieces, and yes, I know about him."
Starscream offered her a half-smile and said, "Remember what I said about needing to be a little more trusting? I'm not going to stab you in the back Captain, especially when I stand to lose something from that." With that he leaned forward and kissed her lightly and quickly. He was still smiling in a coy manner when he straightened.
"Foul play!" Ari howled from behind him. Alexis flushed as Ari whirled on Tobias and shrieked, "You freaking distracted me on purpose just to let them kiss when I was standing right here!" Her voice carried throughout the hangar, and a few sniggers echoed around the hangar at Ari's dismay and Tobias's trickery. "Damn it Tobias, I'm going to kill you when you interfere in my life like that again!" Ari half-screamed. "Do you know how long I've been waiting for that?"
"Obviously very long," Tobias answered, grinning now. "All right Ari, I won't distract you the next time Davis and Preston need a private moment or two."
"How do you stand her?" Starscream hissed to her.
Alexis shrugged. "You kind of have to get used to it," she answered.
Starscream merely grunted and then turned on his heel and walked away towards the other assembling pilots. Alexis meanwhile snatched Tobias's collar and pulled him off to a quiet corner. "How is General Farthingale not going to catch onto all this?" she asked.
"Relax. He had a party last night here and he's going to wake up around noon with one of the worst hangovers in his life. Call it a hunch," Tobias said, winking again. "Here are a few loose ends that you don't need to worry about. The yellow Camaro was used to sneak ahead and scope out the terrain. Lynch is expecting us to show up later this afternoon, so we're going to surprise him this morning. Now do you want to ride in the GMC or the cruiser? Lennox will keep you company in the truck, the cop will be in the cruiser. Your call," Tobias explained.
"I'll take my chances with the GMC. Do I have to go now?" she asked.
Tobias nodded. "We need to seize the time slot presented to us. Keller will be back later today," he said.
"Okay. Good luck then Tobias. Don't give Stryker such a hard time," she said, and Tobias saluted respectfully.
Alexis turned and began to walk towards the GMC, but was intercepted by Ari. The two women stared at each other, and then Ari pulled her in for a hug. "This is going to be the first mission where not only do I not have Tyler, but I don't have you either." Ari mumbled, all bravado gone now.
Alexis laughed and pulled away. "Just be nice to Stryker and you shouldn't have a problem," she gently told Ari.
"Preston! We got to get a move-on; it's going to be a semi-long drive!" Tobias shouted from where he was standing by Optimus.
"Good luck!" Ari shouted as Alexis began to walk away.
"You're going to need it more!" Alexis shouted back, and then climbed into the passenger side of the GMC truck. All around her the soldiers had picked up on the warning and were now scurrying around to get in their proper places. The pilots were getting ready to fly out at a moment's notice while the last few strike team members climbed into the small trailer behind Optimus. The person who was in the security room keyed in the override code to open the parking garage gates, and then they were off.
The GMC began moving as soon as Barricade did. Alexis glanced at Lennox, who wasn't even pretending to drive the truck. Instead, he was looking through several maps he had to have pilfered from the base. Reminded of its existence, Alexis pulled the folded paper out and unfolded it. To her surprise, it was a hand-drawn map that was simple yet complex enough to detail the route. There were little time blocks for each section of the route, and even the ETA was scribbled in the corner.
"Will, try this," she said quietly, handing the written map over to Lennox.
He took the paper and studied it carefully. "Who wrote it?" he finally asked, looking up at her.
"I don't know, Tobias gave it to me this morning," she said quietly. She was quiet for a moment, and then asked, "Doesn't it look odd to a traveler when it doesn't look like you're driving?"
Lennox grinned and said, "True, but Ironhide hates it when his movement is restricted. It doesn't make it any easier that Sarah still doesn't know, and she drives him like an actual automobile. I just keep a loose grip on the wheel when we're in a crowded area. Otherwise, I keep my hands off, and he doesn't mess around with the heater or air conditioner."
"You should tell Sarah soon; the longer you put it off, the harder the task is going to be," Alexis said knowingly.
"I know. She was pretty mad that I wasn't going to tell her about what happened in Qatar or Mission City. For Ironhide's sake I try not to argue with her too much when she's on the driveway with us and armed with the car keys," Lennox said, grimacing at a memory. "Of course, that doesn't stop the boys on our street. For them, new cars are usually an invitation for keying. Never saw the kids again come near us."
"Ouch," Alexis murmured. "Okay, one of two things is going to happen today. One, Lynch caves in and peacefully surrenders and we all go home happy." As though the truck heard her, a sound of disagreement came through the speakers, and she sighed. "Ironhide, I said that was a possibility, I didn't say that was going to happen. The other possibility is that Lynch is stubborn and we have to charge in. Ironhide, do you think Optimus can get inside the building so that the strike team can sneak off?"
"Are you doubting him?" Ironhide's voice asked from the truck speakers, and Lennox winced.
Alexis released a breath through her teeth and said, "No Ironhide, I'm not doubting your leader. I was just wondering really if he would be kind enough to do that."
Ironhide was silent for a few minutes, and Alexis wondered if he had even heard the last sentence. The radio knob turned on by itself and soon soft country music began playing. Lennox didn't react but said, "He's relaying the message Alexis, don't fret." He looked at her and said, "You realize that Tobias had you take the captain's insignia off so that you couldn't be identified right? He mentioned that Lynch was told that the captain was the leader of the operation, so Lynch will be aiming to kill the captain."
"Lynch doesn't know what I look like, so that means…" Alexis began slowly.
"He'll probably target whoever has the insignia if you gave it to anyone," Lennox finished. "Lucky for us that he won't know about the switch-up."
Alexis wondered if Lynch was really as stupid as they were all assuming.
Soon enough they came upon a gravel road, the sky cloudy again. Barricade had done something to the gate, because he was waiting off to the side beyond it, and there was a smoking hole in the middle of the gate big enough to allow a vehicle through. Ironhide pulled over to the left opposite from Barricade, and the Hummer became parallel with Barricade while Optimus took the available space. The four vehicles were lined up facing the barracks, which appeared ordinary and run-down on the outside. If the amount of firepower was anything to go by however, Alexis suspected that appearances were deceiving, and the building was reinforced from the interior.
Alexis slipped the small headset on, and then climbed out as Lennox did and walked forward towards the structure, the five holograms appearing behind them. Rose appeared at Alexis's side and kept pace with her. The strike team would remain concealed until the last minute. The silence was broken only by the crunch of their footsteps on the gravel.
"That's quite far enough thank you."
Alexis stopped, and looked up onto a balcony nearest to them. Lynch stood there, flanked by guards. Her heart constricted in sorrow when she recognized Tom on Lynch's right side, leaning on his cane. He was wielding a rifle, and Alexis knew that soldiers on their side would not hesitate to have him shot in the combat, and he would not be shown mercy if any if captured. She couldn't believe however that the accusations against him had been true after all.
Lynch on the other hand seemed unimpressed at the sight of three humans and four holograms standing before him. He was wearing machine gun ammunition strung on thick leather, crossing in front of his chest in a similar manner to the revolutionaries of the early 1900s. "So this is what the president sends to negotiate, five Autobots and three humans. How pathetic," he said, observing each member in the party.
"It appears that this human has yet to observe the appearance of the Decepticons," Ironhide muttered to Lennox.
"Plus, he probably knew that there were five Autobots total, but didn't know names or what happened to Jazz," Lennox muttered back. "Communication amongst the ranks is usually a little faulty."
Unaware of the discussion below, Lynch continued with his speech. "There really is no need to negotiate anything ladies and gentlemen," he said, leaning on the balcony railing. "I was clear and firm when I said, 'all or nothing'. So why the president would feel the need to send humans… and a few crutches on a pointless mission is beyond me."
Rose stepped forward. "Allow us then to provide any necessary medical attention," she shouted, and scowled slightly when Lynch smirked at her. They watched as Lynch said something to Tom, who merely shrugged.
"Sorry ma'am, but no can do. If we let you in, what's to say the rest of you won't follow?" Lynch replied, and Tom frowned slightly and looked at Lynch as though to say, 'that wasn't what I meant'. Lynch leaned forward and said, "So, I am going to assume that the president has decided to accept all conditions and the Autobots will be going back to wherever the hell they came from."
"I don't think that part is negotiable," Lennox muttered while grabbing the bottom of Ironhide's holographic shirt to prevent the enraged Autobot from taking out Lynch on his own. "See if you can't reach a compromise."
"Lynch, how about you come down here under the white flag and we can work out a compromise," Alexis shouted. "Standard rules apply."
Lynch seemed to observe the Autobots and Decepticon, sizing them up. "No thank you, I plan on going to bed tonight with all my limbs attached," he finally called down. "I refuse to negotiate with you any further. If you remain on my property, I will have you forcibly removed." With those last few words, he turned on his heel and vanished from the balcony, Tom and a few other close associates in tow.
"I'm guessing that's my cue to call in the air reinforcements?" Alexis asked, glancing at Lennox.
Before he could answer, they all heard the sound of plates sliding back and locking into place behind them. "Incoming!" Ironhide thundered, bringing his large hands down in front of the humans as the holograms abruptly vanished from sight. Just as he did so, the ground beneath the humans rocked just as the first barrage of the morning ripped through the air.
"Yes, that would be your cue," Lennox said as he pulled out a rifle. Alexis snatched his penknife and used it to cut a long slit down the front of the business suit. She was now grateful for the armor underneath. She wiggled out of the confining cotton fabric of her negotiator's costume and braced herself for when Ironhide released them.
"Starscream!" she shouted into the mouthpiece.
"Yes? Do you wish for us now?"he asked, although she could detect a hint of smugness in his voice.
"Yes! Get here right away!" Alexis shouted, and then refocused as Ironhide deemed it safe enough to raise his hands. The second he did, both Lennox and Alexis jumped forward, running for the nearest entrance. With the roar of engines the eighteen-wheeler reappeared from the garage and transformed while in motion. Taking the invitation, Ironhide abandoned his post behind the humans and threw the first attack to the barracks walls. The whole structure shook slightly, but held.
Alexis glanced briefly to the side to see Ratchet pause long enough for Rose to climb into the driver's side. They had their own separate mission, and she was sure they would succeed.
Stupefied by the barracks' resistance to the first attack, Ironhide used two cannons to smash down the walls the second time. Again, the walls shuddered, but held. Even when Barricade slammed into it with Ironhide, the only damage was a hairline crack. A loud roar of fury echoed around the clearing as the staccato sound of the sabot rounds began, although whether it was Barricade or Ironhide Alexis couldn't tell. She turned briefly to see Ironhide and Optimus swiftly transform and head for the parking garage while Barricade kept the humans distracted.
Gunfire erupted from both sides as soldiers appeared to back the Autobots up and Lynch's men challenged the intruders. Alexis, sticking close to Lennox, fired a shot to shatter a bottom-level window. Lennox covered her back as she squeezed herself through the window to get inside.
"You coming?" she asked when Lennox hesitated.
"No. Epps will meet up with you inside. Hurry," Lennox ordered, and she didn't stick around to argue.
She darted up the rickety stairs, tapping the headset as she went. "Starscream, where are you?" she demanded as she ran.
"Relax, we are almost there… no need for the impatience," he replied smoothly. He seemed to be too calm…
"Did you kill Ari while I had my back turned or something?" she demanded. "You're taking this awfully calmly."
"That's because I need to be alive to plan my next maneuver in the grand scheme of things," he replied nonchalantly. "Aliskevicz is alive and well, trust me. She is itching for a fight, as I am."
The gunshot near her ear brought her back to reality. She ducked as another bullet grazed her head. She fired back blindly, only stopping when there was no returning fire. Further investigation revealed that she had grievously injured one of Lynch's men, a man who had attempted to catch her off guard. She hesitated, and then pulled out the reflective medical tape from the armor's pocket. Usually, the soldiers who used the armor used the tape to identify one of their own who needed medical attention on the battlefield. She had no prejudice against them just because they were the enemy, but she knew others would. She yanked off a piece of tape and wrapped it around the man's wrist before moving on.
Alexis yelped as wood suddenly shot up in front of her, a sudden geyser. She heard a whirring sound, and momentarily stared down at the mouth of Ironhide's cannon.
"Sorry," the giant apologized, and the cannon retracted. "Figured it would be easier to attack from the inside out."
"It's okay Ironhide… no one told me about that. Keep it up," she said, stepping around the destruction and continued on, leaving the Autobots to their own work. She knew they could easily make their way up to the floors where Lynch was hiding. Lynch was in for a nasty surprise.
Where the hell were Starscream and the squadron?
Meanwhile, the Camaro, or Bumblebee as his comrades knew him, led Ratchet into the wide and musty corridors on the first floor. His sensors alerted him to the destruction that Ironhide and Optimus were making within the interior near the front, and he was careful to avoid that. The plan was for chaos to be everywhere, so the human target would not know which way to turn.
The problem with the humans running all over the place was that it would be hard to distinguish one human from the rest. That was where Ratchet came in. Ratchet's goal was not the leader like everyone else but in fact the human youngling that had been forcibly removed from her parents, the two adult humans caring for her. As a medic, his sensors were sensitive enough to pick up on one heat signature out of thousands, or one signal out of hundreds.
A small pack of five enemy soldiers turned the corner at the end of the corridor, and Bumblebee slowed. The humans had a general tendency to fire at anything that appeared to threaten them, and that included fast moving vehicles.
"Dude, check this out. A '07 Camaro and a Search & Rescue. Today is our lucky day… raid the ambulance and see if there is any decent food to eat. I'm sick of rations," the leader, the biggest one of the group, ordered.
His companions at least were smarter. "I don't know man, ain't that supposed to be an Autobot or something?" his partner asked nervously.
"Yeah, I won't get within five feet of that thing even if you ordered me," a third agreed.
Bumblebee didn't have time to waste like they did. He accelerated towards them, Ratchet close behind. The humans panicked and broke ranks, scattering and putting their personal safety at risk. One fainted right where he stood, two tucked tail and ran back around the corner and back to the safety of the upper floors, the fourth was brave enough to run by the vehicles and run for the safety of the downstairs, all while the fifth ran around in a few circles, apparently undecided over his course of action. Once he appeared to commit to one, he abruptly changed his mind and went for another course of action. Finally he did the stupid option and tried to jump over Bumblebee. Reacting on pure instinct, Bumblebee transformed to catch the flying human. He succeeded, but the human panicked even more. Before Ratchet could end the confrontation, the fifth soldier finally fainted from fear.
"I hope we find the female in question soon. The less humans we have to get through, the better," Ratchet grumbled, and Bumblebee transformed back into his vehicle form. "That male we spoke with had better hold to his words, or, as the humans say, we are going to be in a spot of trouble."
Several extensive floors above the Autobots, it was quiet except for the occasional shake or muffled explosion. Other than that, the only sound breaking the silence was the steady taps of Tom's cane as he walked towards Samara's room. He didn't bother tapping the door, just opened it. Inside, Samara was in the corner, crying to herself while her three guards kept her surrounded, rifles out.
His patience running thin, he snapped, "You three, get out. Lynch needs you." When they didn't immediately respond, Tom raised the rifle warningly and snarled, "Get… out."
Samara stopped crying long enough to watch her three bodyguards scamper out as fast as their legs could carry them. Tom gestured for her to come with him, and she tripped as she quickly obeyed. "It's okay kiddo. You're going to meet a crabby doctor and his nice friend and they're going to take you home okay?" he said, offering his good hand to her. She hesitated, and then carefully accepted it.
They were halfway down the hall when they ran into trouble. "Where do you think you're taking her?" Lynch demanded from behind Tom. "Where are you going?"
"Home Ross. The kid needs to go home. I'm sick of being ordered around by you and sick of pretending that I like it," Tom said, turning around and discreetly pushing Samara behind him.
Lynch stared at him, stunned. "I am ordering you to remain here," he snarled.
"Ever hear the phrase, 'keep your friends close but your enemies closer'? I never worked for you Lynch, and it was just coincidental that I happened to be near the general when she died. If anything, I only used your ignorance to my advantage. I did not kill General Stanton, someone else did," Tom snapped. "Your precious agents 24 and 25 set me up as the assassin in a last-ditch attempt to get me arrested so I couldn't continue to be a threat to you." Tom leaned back on the cane and said, "I'm going home, I'm getting the kid home, and you won't stop me."
"Really? That's too bad Tom. I thought we had something," Lynch said sadly. "Of course, this can only mean that you might have lied to me about the identity of the 401st captain. Who is it Tom? Who is the unlucky sap who will die today?"
Tom smirked. "The funny part was when you swallowed the lie whole," he said, and turned around to face Samara to usher her along quickly.
Pchoww!
Samara screamed and jumped back three feet as Tom stumbled. He dropped the cane and reached for the rifle that was on his back. Gritting his teeth against the pain in his midsection, Tom turned on his heel and aimed dead on to Lynch's heart with the rifle. Panicking, Lynch reloaded the small pistol and aimed again.
Lynch needn't have worried. The pain in his middle and the sudden flare-up from his leg compromised Tom's aim and the shot went wide, showering sparks down from one of the metallic supports. Tom stumbled and finally collapsed without the need of a second shot from Lynch. His thoughts were somewhat scrambled, but he managed to remember to play dead so Lynch would have no further excuse to shoot him.
Samara provided the distraction by turning and running around the corner, gunshots following her. She whimpered as she took the steps two at a time, searching desperately for the doctor that her 'rescuer' promised.
Tom meanwhile waited until Lynch had left. The idiot forgot to ensure that Tom was dead… but Tom wasn't complaining. He pulled out the small walkie-talkie and contacted the other collaborator. "Lynch… got away. The girl… is on the loose. Tell the men to take it easy with the triggers," he wheezed out. Then he put the walkie-talkie down and curled up in an attempt to contain the pain in his midsection. His leg was a lost cause years ago.
He tensed briefly when he heard the roar of engines overhead, but knew instinctively that the damned cavalry finally arrived, and the main event was about to get underway.
Tom Wilson blacked out curled up on the floor, wishing for the first time in years for an end.
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The strike team moved with fluid motions, dangerous as a pack of hunting predators approaching the prey. Gunfire from the other soldiers and the thunder from the Autobots echoed all around of they moved to the south room, the one entrance to the escape routes from the base. If their target escaped, then the game would only continue, but the leader preferred that it all ended today, especially before Keller returned to shut things down for good.
The leader paused to check the watch. It was 8:47 a.m.; only forty-seven minutes had passed since the battle began. That meant there were only three hours and thirteen minutes left to wrap this all up before Keller came back from the southwest to shut all operations down.
The soldiers behind the leader paused, waiting for further instructions. The leader made a few hand gestures, and then turned to watch the two snipers as the other five scattered to keep a look out.
The snipers were the crucial element to ending the confrontation. Despite that however, one sniper would ensure that it was the strike team that got Lynch, and the other would ensure that Lynch himself went down. Both were lethal and deadly, and the leader knew that there was no chance of failure from these two. The leader knew the trainer personally, and the trainer himself promised that these two would succeed in their presented tasks.
One sniper loaded two tranquilizer darts, a weapon generally reserved for large animals, into the modified weapon he carried. His partner, who would be the man who watch the sniper's back, checked to make sure the sabot rounds were in place and ready to go. The other sniper checked to make sure the two vials of paralysis toxin were secured and ready to go. The leader didn't doubt the sniper's skill and knew that both snipers would hit the target with the first shot, but it didn't hurt to have a backup just in case something went wrong and they missed.
The first line of attack against Lynch had failed. Now it was time for the second wave.
Both snipers were ready. The leader signaled for them to go their separate ways, and watched as the two pairs vanished, the sniper and the man to protect their back. Then, at the indication of another signal, the eight remaining soldiers vanished into the depths of the barracks.
The leader smiled, although the helmet prevented anyone else from seeing the smirk. The enemy didn't know it, but they were just getting warmed up. Once the outer wall was destroyed, then the real fun would begin.
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A/N: As the leader of the strike team put it, things are just getting warmed up. My intent with this chapter was basically to set up the front lines for each group, which will be further expanded on in the next chapter. I can say that the next chapter will include but will not be limited to: an irritated Ironhide, squabbling soldiers, and a critical mistake. I hope this chapter has met your expectations. :)