Jack's POV
I slid on the bulletproof vest I had just taken out of my closet. I patted the armor to make sure that it could withstand the force of a small caliber bullet. The vest, though, was only there to ease my mind. It won't stop anyone from sending a round through my head or any other part of my body. Plus it doesn't help knowing that body armor can break only after the force of a few bullets, and that's assuming if I can withstand the force of a bullet being spread all over my body.
I waved my hand over the area where I had been shot a few days ago. The welt had decreased in its size and it looked like it was starting to heal. I took a few deep breaths as I readied myself for the long night ahead. People are going to die tonight, and I'm worried that one of those people will be the ones that I care for; I'm worried that one of those people will also be myself.
A knock resonated over from my door. I walked over to it and opened it up. I saw Amber standing there. "We're ready to go when you are," she said.
"Alright, let's not waste any more time," I said.
We walked downstairs, and I saw all of my friends dressed in a dark garb. Dakota checked each of her clips to make sure they're completely filled with ammo. Domino looked down at his sniper rifle and made sure that its sight is zeroed in. Spyro and Stealth Elf were talking about the night we have ahead of us.
"Let's get going," I said.
We took Dakota's car as we drove to the abandoned building in Pasadena. Everyone was silent most of the trip. This is different than the missions that we had been through before. We usually arrived somewhere and the Dultras had unexpectedly come out of nowhere; we had no time to be worried. But now we know we will be attacked, and we don't know what the Dultras are going to do. Agitation is weighing on my mind.
"Jack, I'm gonna pull over when we get to the street of the abandoned building, and I want you to take my car and hide it somewhere. Give us about a half-hour to get set up," said Dakota as we were only a few minutes from our destination.
"You have 15 minutes. I have to be in that building at exactly 9:00," I said as I looked at the clock on Dakota's radio.
"Oh yeah, I nearly forgot," she said. There seemed to be anxiety weighing in her voice.
"It's fine. Just remember the plan. I'm counting on everyone in here," I said as I added another layer of tension on everyone.
A few more minutes went by as we passed the streets of the crowded city at night. The streets that I had searched just today remained crowded as they were this morning. Soon we finally reached the street that the building is on. I noticed the block had a roadblock; no doubt meant to make sure that my private visit stayed private. All of the street lights passed the roadblock were out, and no one seemed to be on the street. It's very hard to make out anything. As we got closer, Dakota turned off the lights to her car and put it in park.
Dakota, Amber, Domino, Spyro, and I got out of the car. I walked around to the driver's side door.
"So are you ready for this?" asked Amber.
"Yeah, listen, before you go in, I want to apologize to you. I know I don't show it enough, but I know I don't thank you enough for everything you have done for me. Back at the hanger, I shouldn't have thrown my anger at you. My problems with Spyro were my own, and I shouldn't have dragged it in with you," I said in a sorrow filled tone.
"Listen Jack, I wasn't mad at you, but this is a fight that we're in together. I just wanted you to remember that we have to make decisions together, but yeah, I'm sorry about what I said. It was a bit of a low blow, but I wasn't sure how else I could get your attention," she said.
"Yeah, I just wanted to say something before we go in; I needed to know that you and I are okay," I said.
"Why?"
"You know why, Amber," I said as I looked at her with seriousness in my face. There's a possibility that either one of us, or both of us, might not make it out alive. This is a different mission than the missions we usually face. At least when the Dultras ambush us, we usually see where they are. When we attack them, we can control the situation and all of its variables. But with very little info and with so little manpower, there's a very good chance we might die. Hopefully, though, we can finally answer all of the questions the Dultras have been leaving us. If we can't get these questions answered, then we will certainly die.
"You can still back out of this; no one's forcing you to go in," said Amber as we looked into each other's eyes.
"No one is, but I have to do this."
"Do you have your cell phone?"
"Yeah."
"Keep it on. If anything, anything at all, goes wrong, call me. We'll extract you a second later. It'll be better for all of us if we don't have to wait for the chaos to start."
"Will do."
"Jack, Amber, we have to hurry up," stated Dakota as she handed Amber her weapon from the trunk.
"Stay safe, Jack," said Amber as she walked off with Dakota, Domino, and Spyro.
"You too, Amber," I said as I watched her walk off down the dark, deserted street.
I got into the driver's seat of Dakota's car and slammed the door shut. Stealth Elf climbed over from the backseats and into the front. "You okay?" she asked.
"I'm fine; I just want to get this night over with," I said. I drove the car down a few blocks until I found an empty, dark alleyway. I parked the car in the alley, and turned it off.
"Stealth Elf, make sure you stick to the shadows. I'm going to have to make it look like I came alone, so I can't risk the Dultras getting a glimpse of you," I stated.
"It was already implied, you don't have to remind me," she responded.
"Alright, I'm counting on you," I said.
I checked the time on my phone and waited for about five minutes to leave. The two of us sat in silence in the dark alley. My mind was racing with all the possible ways the Dultras could attack, and me figuring out a way to repel each of the possible attacks. As soon as the five minutes were up, we got out of the car and exited the alley. One minute Stealth Elf had been sitting next to me, and the next she had disappeared into the shadows behind me. I didn't dare to try and look for her.
I started my slow walk down the street toward the building. I passed the roadblock signs and examined the roadwork. A massive three-foot deep hole stretched the width of the road. I looked down into the hole and noticed waterlines. It'd be nearly impossible for a car to make it through here. I glanced down to the other side of the street and noticed another roadblock with its own accompanying hole. I continued my slow pace to the building; I wondered if anyone was watching, or if there was anyone here who wasn't a Dultra, Eagle Force member, or a Skylander.
I finally reached the building I was looking for. From what Amber had told me about the apartment complex, it's only four stories tall and only holds a few apartments on each level. I looked inside the double glass doors. I couldn't see or make out anything inside. I assessed the items that I had. I have my cell phone, the keys to Dakota's car, and the key to the building. If I have to, I may be able to use Dakota's keys as a makeshift weapon, although I doubt their effectiveness.
I continually looked at the time on my phone. It's 8:59 P.M. Amber, Dakota, Domino, and Spyro should be in their respective positions; ready to come in and fight the Dultras at a moment's notice. Even though I know Stealth Elf is right behind me, I still felt alone and vulnerable.
I watched the seconds tick away on the clock on my phone. I stuck the key into the lock and waited for the last seconds to go by. As soon as the clock struck 9:00, I immediately turned the key and unlocked the door. I entered into the building. The only source of light in the entire room came from my phone. I stuck out like a sore thumb.
I pulled the key out of the lock, entered into the building, and let the door slowly swing to a close so I could give Stealth Elf enough time to enter. The room had an eerie vibe to it. Directly in front of me looked like a doorman's desk with a note on top of it. It directed me to go to the third floor. It was written in the same handwriting that had been used to write my name on the manila envelope I had received earlier today. I looked over to my left and saw a row of two elevators. With no weapons, taking the staircase would be just as dangerous as taking the elevator, even with Stealth Elf protecting me.
I walked over and pressed the button that would take me up. A few seconds later the left elevator opened, and I got inside. I pressed the button that would take me to the third floor. The doors slid to a close, and I felt the elevator start to rise. I hid behind the control panel so I won't be fully exposed when the elevator reaches its destination. The doors finally opened, but there wasn't a hail of gunfire coming toward me. I peered around the cover, and saw a deserted hallway.
I stepped out and assessed my surroundings. Four doors inhabited the entire hallway: two on the left and two on the right. A giant spray-painted arrow pointed for me to continue down the hallway. I reluctantly followed its directions. I slowly made my way down the hall and came upon a door with a spray-painted "X" on it. I turned the doorknob and pushed the door in. I stared through the entryway; the room appeared to be empty.
The moment I stepped through the threshold, a man grabbed ahold of my shoulders. I felt myself being thrown to the wall. His face is masked, and he's wielding a knife. He attempted to imbed the knife into my chest, but I grabbed ahold of the man's arm before he stabbed me. I noticed down at the man's side is a gun. He attempted to push himself toward me. As he inched his way toward me, my arm made its way to the gun. I slid his Beretta M9 out of his holster and pressed the gun down against his thigh. I pulled the trigger, and I heard the bullet slice through his leg. The attacker immediately stopped struggling, and I kicked him off of me. I heard a large thud resonate from the floor as the attacker landed on his back. I aimed the gun at his head and was about to pull the trigger until another man walked into the room. I immediately swung my arm over to his head.
"I see you've met our doorman," he said with little regard to the Dultra's condition.
"Who the fuck are you?!" I demanded. I examined the man a little more. With the lack of light, the only things I could notice are his enormous height, and the fact that he's unarmed.
I waited for Stealth Elf to come and attack, but she held her breath. I don't know why she didn't help me during my fight with the Dultra, but as I think about it, the whole fight only lasted about ten seconds. There might not have been enough time for her to help. As for the man standing in front of me, so far he doesn't pose much of a threat. But that can change in a heartbeat.
"I don't think that matters right now," he said.
"Well I say it does, asshole."
"The longer you brandish that weapon and sling your bravado, the longer it'll take you to retrieve that meteorite you've been looking for."
"Well you could at least tell me why is it you even want to give me the meteorite in the first place?"
"It's very impolite for a guest to question the good intentions of their host."
"It's also very impolite for the host to try to fucking kill their guest."
"If I wanted you dead, you would have been killed a long time ago," declared the Dultra. His sinister voice made my skin crawl. I continue to keep my aim on the Dultras head.
"Then why have you let me live?"
"For the moment, you're more useful alive."
"Why?"
"That's information you don't need to know."
I continued to stare down at him. His expression remained neutral despite the fact that I'm aiming a gun at his face.
"So do you want the meteorite?" he asked.
"I do, so give it up."
"Follow me then, and you'll get it," he stated. I squinted my eyes over to him; I can't tell what he's going to do. He directed me over to the room he came out of. "You first," I ordered. I very carefully followed him over to the room. When I reached the threshold, I eyed the entire room. It appeared to be a small den. One large window inhabited the left side of the back wall leaving the rest of it empty. No furniture was in here except for a table resting in the far right corner of the room. I cautiously entered into the room with him. I turned my body to the right and watched him walk over to the back corner of the room.
He picked up something off the top of the table and turned to address me. "Here's what you've been searching for," he said as he brandished the statuette of Voodood.
"Thanks, now toss it over to me," I demanded. He threw the meteorite over to me, and I caught it in my free left hand and put it away. The Dultra seemed to have a contended expression on his face. With the exception of the Dultra who jumped me, this whole thing went by way too smoothly. I kept my aim toward the Dultra as I turned my head toward the exit.
All of the sudden, a large bullet shattered through the large window and landed on the wall next to the doorway; I jumped back in sheer panic. I immediately swung my arm over to the window and saw a large bullet hole in the glass. I could barely make out the sniper sitting over on the other building Domino's supposed to be at.
"I can assure you that he did not miss," stated the Dultra in the room with me. I quickly turned my head over to him while keeping my gun pointed out the window. "If you move again, an ex-Special Forces sniper located only about 50 meters from here will shoot you with his Barret M107 .50 caliber sniper rifle equipped with a high-powered scope," said the Dultra with a grin rising from his face. Weapons like that were made to destroy the engine blocks in cars and kill people from a mile away. If a bullet from that gun were able to hit me in any part of my body, I'll lose a limb at best, and that's assuming I'd be able to survive the massive blood loss. And at the distance he's at with his kind of training, he won't miss.
I attempted to aim my pistol as best as I could at the sniper, but it's very hard to make him out in the darkness. "It's almost laughable for you to think that you can hit him from this distance," said the Dultra.
"Shut up, you piece of shit."
"You'd be dead before you could hear the gunshot," he continued to taunt. I hate it, but he's right. The sniper is at the very tip of my gun's range, and his bullets will be a lot faster than my own.
I moved my aim from the sniper over to the Dultra in the room. "Call him off," I demanded as he stared down the end of my weapon.
"Even if I wanted to, I have no way of communication," he said.
"Use my phone."
"He doesn't have one on him."
My eyes jumped at his last statement. He knew he was going to end up in this situation; he knew I would walk into this trap. Everything from the second I walked into this building had been meticulously planned so I would be in this spot right here.
Thinking back on it, I find it strange how the Dultra who attacked me used a knife instead of his gun; he must've been ordered to. This Dultra must've known that I would spot the gun and would use it to fend off the attacker. He wanted me to gain control of it. He knew the gun would lull me into a false sense of security. Since I thought I was safe, the Dultra knew I would walk behind him into this room and watch him pick up the meteorite. All the while I would never know that he had been holding an invisible gun to my head until it was too late. This Dultra made sure that he didn't have any type of communication on him. That way he'd be of no use as leverage. I walked right into his trap. If Stealth Elf attempts to save me, the sniper would have killed me before any fighting could have started. If the sniper sees me shoot the Dultra, then he'll just quickly kill me as well.
I heard an alert of a text message on my phone. I continued to stare at the Dultra keeping me hostage. "Go ahead, take a look," he gleefully said. His sinister, devilish smile still resided on his face. I kept my gun in my left hand aimed at him while my right hand went to my pocket to retrieve my phone. I pulled it out, and when I saw the message from Amber on its screen, my face went pale. I frantically unlocked the phone to get a closer look at the picture to make sure my eyes weren't deceiving me. I nearly dropped to the floor when one of my worst fears was confirmed. I saw Amber and Dakota each sitting in chairs with both of their arms handcuffed to the armrests; they've been captured. All of their guns and gear had been taken from them. My breathing started to intensify. They're alive, but they won't be for long. I couldn't make out where the room is, but it couldn't be far.
"I'm going to fucking kill you!" I angrily, and fearfully, declared.
"There you go again with your bravado. Oh, and don't worry. I know about your friend, Domino, and the purple dragon. We've made sure to properly prepare for them," stated the Dultra. If it weren't for Dakota and Amber being captured, I would've been surprised that this person knew about Spyro, but I didn't care. The one person he didn't mention, though, was Stealth Elf.
I moved my eyes to the doorway and saw Stealth Elf heavily shadowed by the darkness, but couldn't be seen by the Dultra. She had been watching this whole ordeal very observantly. I very slightly nodded my head for her to go and save Amber and Dakota; she seemed to have understood the signal, and nodded her head in return. She quickly faded into her invisibility and quietly fled the room.
