Chapter 9: Shadows
Viktor clutched Ira, his daughter, tight as he and the other refugees heard helicopters outside of the Stadium. Viktor comforted his daughter as she continued to cry, terrified. Angelina, Viktor's wife, held their infant son, Andrei, in her arms as he wailed, trying to comfort him. The sounds of the helicopters grew louder and louder as they became closer and closer. Viktor knew that the worst was coming, and, sure enough, an explosion blew open the roof of the field, spewing smoke and dust into the room.
Price forced the main doors of the Stadium open with his Halligan Bar, making an entrance for Bravo, Stalker and One-One teams to enter. Ghost entered first, his CM16 at the ready, and found himself in the lobby of the Stadium, finding two dozen refugees gathered in a cluster. Ghost pointed his weapon at them as the rest of the three teams entered the building. The refugees screamed, causing Ghost to lower his weapon and look around, finding a pool of blood seeping from the middle of the cluster.
"Sir!" Ghost shouted, causing Price to rush over, discovering the blood.
Price rushed towards the crowd, causing them to disperse, revealing Viktor with two bullet wounds in his chest and his daughter and wife trying to save him.
"Step aside." Price ordered, Angelina and Ira complying and Price beginning to apply pressure to the wound. "Kyle! Grab a first aid kit and help me stop the bleeding! Simon, Iskra, take your teams and search the Stadium. Shaffer, Talon, you accompany Ghost and Rogue while Krueger, Gaz and I protect the refugees."
Ghost led Rogue, Talon and Shaffer into the field area of the Stadium, along with Iskra, Charly, Mara and Mills while Gaz returned with the first aid kit. He opened it and grabbed a pack of antiseptic wipes, proceeding to sterilize the wound. After it was sterilized, he grabbed a roll of ACE wrap and proceeded to wrap it around the wound. Once it was wrapped tightly around Viktor's chest, Gaz grabbed a roll of adhesive tape and taped the wrap to Viktor's clothing. With the wounds in Viktor's left kidney dressed, Price stood up and approached Viktor's wife.
"What happened here?" Price asked as Angelina held her son in her arms, uneasy.
Ghost kicked open the double doors on the Stadium's executive level, Rogue, Shaffer and Talon entering the room. The room had multiple bulletin boards and a table with an Israeli Galil placed on it. Rogue grabbed his phone and took pictures of the boards. A computer lay on the table, closed, and Ghost opened it and found that it belonged to Victor Zakhaev. The open window was an inactive countdown timer for fifteen minutes. Rogue looked up and saw an active security camera observing the room, and Rogue now knew that something wasn't right.
"Rogue!" Someone shouted from the doorway, causing Rogue to spin around and aim his M249 SAW at them. "You're early!"
The man had a large goatee, a broad stature and was accompanied by Roze and Velikan, and it was clear who the man was. Marcus "Lerch" Ortega. Lerch wielded an AN-94, Velikan a Stoner 96 with a belt of rounds extending into a backpack.
"What are you doing here, Ortega?" Rogue asked, standing as tall as he could, trying to intimidate Lerch, but only making himself look like an idiot.
"So you're not here for a job." Lerch said, his expression forming into a frown. "Shame. But, you can't win 'em all."
Shaffer, Talon and Ghost all raised their weapons at Shadow Company, and Shadow Company did the same. An AK-47 with a Muzzle Brake attachment pressed against the back of Lerch's head, causing his fellow soldiers to spin around and aim their weapons at the wielder of the Assault Rifle.
"Don't. Move." Alex said, pressing his Lerch's head forward with the AK-47's muzzle.
"It's a pleasure, Alex." Lerch said, dropping his AN-94. "You here to accept that job?"
"When hell freezes over!" Alex said, wrapping his free arm around Lerch's neck and using him as a shield as he entered the room, joining Ghost, Rogue, Talon and Shaffer. "Order your subordinates to surrender, now."
"Stand down." Lurch ordered, causing Roze and Velikan to lower their weapons and Alex to release him.
"Before everyone raises their weapons, I would like to say something." Talon said, getting in between Task Force 141 and Shadow Company. "We may not have common views, skills or morals, but we do have a common enemy. Al-Qatala and Victor Zakhaev. Fighting each other is just wasted energy. So I say that we call a truce. For Armistice."
"You're just saying that because you're Canadian!" Roze said, raising her APC9, only for Lerch to push it down.
"No, he's right. We came here to find Zakhaev, and he's not here. This was a waste of time." Lerch said, picking up his AN-94 and beginning to exit the room.
"Wait! We found his computer." Ghost said, grabbing the computer and opening it, showing it to Lerch.
"It's counting down." Roze said, causing Ghost to turn it around and find the timer ticking down.
14:31. 14:30. 14:29. Ghost set down the computer and motioned for his team to follow him out of the Execs room, which they did, Shaffer grabbing the custom Israeli Galil. Shadow Company followed the 141 out of the room and down the hallway, trying to catch up. When they did, Rogue slowed to a stop and rushed back to the Executives room and grabbed the computer. He entered an app on the computer called 'Find My Device'. He entered 'Connected Devices' and found the location of another computer in the southern edge of the Tavosrk Park. He knew what was there. He knew what was coming.
Rogue rushed back to his team, holding his M249 SAW. He followed them back to the lobby, Viktor aiming his Desert Eagle at Lerch as the small children began to cry at the sight of Shadow Company. Rogue didn't care. He dropped his M249 and rushed through the doors and towards a Little Bird helicopter landed outside of the Stadium and commandeered it as Ghost followed him out.
"Where are you going?" Ghost shouted.
"Bunker 10. I'm gonna abort the nuke." Rogue answered.
"Nuke?!" Ghost said, realizing that Rogue was going alone. "You don't have to do it alone!"
"Get everyone evacuated." End of discussion." Rogue said, lifting the helicopter into the air as Volker and Roach arrived at the Stadium with their Blackhawk helicopter.
Rogue flew the helicopter over the Stadium and to the South-South-West, towards the Park. He flew over the damaged roof of the Stadium, watching as it slowly began to crumble. He flew past the building and over Tavorsk District. He wondered how fast everyone was being evacuated, but he cast the thought aside, he shouldn't get distracted. He passed the city and neared the park. He knew that Victor Zakhaev was in Bunker 10, and he was ready for a fight.