Jacob sat off to the side, eyes closed and focusing on his breathing. Slower and slower it became, the sounds of Sin starting to bring back memories of his own training
Al'Faar circled Jacob, each armed with two bamboo sticks. Their hands wrapped in leather bindings, his chest bare. She wore white bindings across her chest, her hair tied behind her back in a middle length braid, eyes locked on him. She lashed out with her left, Jacob effortlessly deflecting it. She smiled, launching into a rapid combo to try and throw him off balance. He adjusted his stance, parrying each strike before launching into his own assault. Swinging in a combination of high and low strikes, he pushed her back. Each blow made a resounding crack leading to the clash of steel. The memory faded and began to change. Instead of bamboo sticks, now they each held a short sword, steel reflecting the flickering torchlight around them.
They danced back and forth, swords flashing and flickering in front of them. Each swing sent another clang and shower of sparks as it was parried to the side or deflected.
"You've come a long way in such short time," Al Faar noticed, dodging the next strike and launching into a new attack pattern.
"I've had good teachers," he grinned, matching each strike before launching into a combination of his own.
The memory flashed and changed to Jacob sitting at a desk in the dim library, pouring over multiple texts and scrolls; some in English, some Arabic and some in Ancient Latin. Al'Faar walked paces behind him, observing his studies but not close enough to interrupt him.
The memory flashed again, this time back to the combat grounds, Jacob wearing training gear where Al'Faar wore a simple tunic and breeches. In her hand she held a long, multi headed whip, coiled up but ready. A blindfold was tied across his eyes, completely blocking his vision.
"Focus on your hearing," she instructed, silently moving in a circle around him. "You must be able to find your opponent no matter what."
"So I'm supposed to fight blind?" he asked, moving his head in her direction before facing where she was.
"Apple," she whispered, off to his right. "Arabic, translate."
"Tooth far hatin," he replied butchering the pronunciation.
A resounding crack echoed throughout the room as the ends of the whip met Jacobs skin, a series of red streaks showing on his shoulders. He groaned in pain, spinning to where he thought the whip originated.
"Wrong," she called, continuing to move around him. "Knife."
"Shit,' he grunted, thinking and trying to follow her voice. "Sick kee noon,"
The whip cracked again, splitting across his back as he let out an animalistic grunt, spinning around and lashing out with a kick.
"Wrong again," she sighed, curling the whip back up and moving around silently. "Have those nights in the library taught you nothing?"
He ignored her goading, trying to pinpoint her voice.
"Again!" she called, jumping from the spot she was in to the next. "Pain."
He hesitated, waiting for the crack of the whip this time. Feeling for the vibration in the air, accompanied by the tisking sound she let out softly, he spun to his left. His hand shot up, closing around a section of the whip as it wrapped around his arm. The tip met flesh as he pulled hard towards his body, pulling Al'Faar off her feet and coming crashing towards him. Reaching out with his opposing hand, he found her throat, latching on. His hand, whip still wrapped around it, slammed into her chest twice as he forced her body to the sand.
"Alam," he replied, pronunciation perfect this time.
"That's more like it," she groaned, tapping his arm twice.
The memory flashed again, now Jacob and Nyssa trained, two metal batons in his hands, Nyssa holding her short curved sword out in front of her. Forwards and backwards they danced, the sound of steel on steel ringing throughout the room.
"Your progress is exemplary," she commented, swinging for his head.
He deftly blocked it, pushing it away with one hand while starting to attack with his opposing hand.
With a grin, he began swinging faster, his batons moving faster and swinging in quick strikes. After the first series of attacks, Nyssa began to lose ground, taking multiple steps backwards. Trying to force him back, she swung low, aiming to catch him in the knees. With an elegant spin to the right, he managed to catch her off balance, smacking his first baton into her sword hand. Clattering to the ground, her sword fell from her hand. She reacted quickly, carrying the momentum in an arc and spinning around to push him away with a kick. He jumped backwards, halting his advance for a moment.
"Very good," she admitted through a smile, holding up her own non sword hand. "I believe it's time for you to undergo your first mission."
"As you wish, 'am liljamie," he replied, keeping his batons drawn and ready.
"What do you know of Bialya?" she asked, picking her sword up and sheeting it, the sound of steel scratching against leather echoing in the air.
"War torn region," he answered, following suit and collapsing his batons. "Even though they follow a prime minister, the region is continually overrun by warlords."
"You are exactly correct," she nodded, signaling for him to follow her before turning and walking away. "There is one warlord in particular that has become a major nuisance, Keskin Ahsic Farouq."
"I've heard whispers of this name," he murmured, following her out of the combat grounds and into a hallway, door swinging shut behind them.
"Faruq has become a threat to the subsequent balance," she went on, opening a door to another chamber. "His breed of warmongering and terror is something that my father would have let flourish. We must eliminate and stop him at all costs."
"And you want that of me?" he asked, nodding and following along.
"Not only you," she commented, shutting the door and lifting a curtain to expose an inner chamber with a table and two league members standing by. "You will be joining Al'Faar and Al'Theban."
They each nodded, although the looks on their faces showed their obvious displeasure.
"You will come home successful, or you will not come home," she warned, looking each person in the face. "Is that understood?"
Again, they each nodded firmly.
"Very well," Nyssa went on. "The basics of the plan have already been fortified. Al'Faar, Al'Shahurur, you shall pose as newlyweds…"
Al'Faar bade a tisking sound through her teeth as Al'Theban shot a venomous look at Jacob.
"Is there a problem?" Nyssa asked, turning to look at the two veteran members.
"We have worked effectively together, 'am liljamie," Al'Faar said, nodding to Al'Theban.
"And we are not happy with that decision," Al'Theban added, glaring at Jacob.
"You must keep an eye on Al'Shahurur," Nyssa answered finally. "And you will do as instructed."
"Yes, 'am liljamie," they both grumbled in unison.
"Very well," Nyssa nodded, continuing to lay out the details on the table in front of them. "You will leave in the private jet…"
The memory shifted and changed again.
An all white Leer-jet taxied into the Bialyan runway, the twin engines on its wings slowly winding down as it entered into a private hangar. The engines cut out completely as it rolled to a stop, with the passenger door hissing open. Out stepped Jacob and Al'Faar, both dressed in vacation wear; Jacob in a light white button up shirt and khaki shorts, Al'Faar wearing a very elegant breezy dress, her hair up and braided. A black capped limo driver stood a short ways off, opening the door for them as they came closer.
"Oh, honey! Did you get us a Limo?!" Al'Faar called upon seeing the sign the man held, her enthusiasm coming off as real and her voice completely different than her normal.
"Only the best for you, dahlin'," Jacob replied, toothpick swiveling in his mouth as he leaned down to kiss her forehead.
"Mr and Mrs Howell, I presume?" Came the drivers very tight and proper voice.
"Yes sah!" Jacob replied, the southern drawl in his voice intensifying. "Robert Howell, at your service. This heres my wife, Isobelle."
"Hi there!" she beamed, holding out her left hand with a massively expensive diamond ring on it to the driver.
"A pleasure sir, madam," the driver said, shaking her hand once before nodding to Jacob. "May i take your things?"
"Sure, sure," Jacob laughed, handing over the two bags he carried.
The driver took hold of the bags and no sooner then he touched them, he dropped them on the ground with a metallic clank. His eyes grew wide, scrambling to pick them up.
"The wife loves her toys," Jacob drawled out, giving a wink and a laugh to the driver as Al'Faar ducked inside the limo with a giggle.
Arriving at the hotel, they checked in rather quickly, Al'Faar giggling and laughing playfully along with Jacob as the receptionist clacked away at her keyboard; once or twice she looked up at the couple with longing in her eyes. Being led up to the honeymoon suite, they opened the door. As soon as the door opened, Al'Faar squeaked in delight, running inside and gasping at the size of the room.
"It's so wonderful darling!" she squeaked, jumping around the room as the bellhop drug the cart carrying their luggage inside.
"That's good enough old sport," Jacob drawled out, pulling out a few bills and stuffing them into the bellhop's chest pocket, the denomination facing out. "The missus is getting impatient."
"Come on!" he heard Al'Faar whine from inside the next room.
"Of course, sir," the bellhop nodded, scooting towards the door.
"One more thing," Jacob called, pulling another high denomination bill out of his pocket. "No maid service, we're gonna be a bit…..busy."
"Absolutely," the bellhop smirked, snatching the bill out of Jacob's hands before closing the door behind him; Jacob locking the door and securing the chain.
"Is he gone yet?" she whined, peaking out around the door, her face blushing and a seductive look on her face.
"He's gone," Jacob confirmed, his voice returning to normal.
"Finally," she sighed, opening the door fully and walking out. "That ridiculous accent was unnerving."
"I thought it did the trick," he drawled out, cracking a grin at her.
"Stop, now," she said, scowling at him and picking up her bag off the trolley.
He sighed, shaking his head and grabbed his own bag.
"There's only one bed," he commented, looking into the actual bedroom.
"And I will be taking it," she finished definitely, opening the window to the balcony and letting a cool breeze in. "Al'Theban will be out gathering information for our infiltration, I suggest you rest until we receive it."
Jacob nodded, watching as she angrily walked to the door to the bedroom section and slid the door shut. Sitting down on the couch, he sighed, letting the cool breeze blow though the room. After a few minutes, he could hear the soft scraping of steel on stone.
Maintaining her weapons no doubt, he thought to himself as he looked at his own bag. Removing the top layer of normal clothes, he revealed his league vestments with his weapons below. He moved the Jacket to the side, pulling out two metal batons. With a flick from each hand, he fully extended them, inspecting them for any damage. Satisfied, he collapsed them back down and pulled out his quiver, pulling each arrow out one by one. With a nod to himself, he restored them all, pulling out his bow and standing up. Centering it in his left hand and pulling with his right, he drew back; the bow silently curving backward. After holding for a second, he slowly let the string recenter itself. Fully satisfied that his gear was functional, he laid the bow down and sat in a cross legged stance, facing the open window and enjoying the breeze.
The next morning, Jacob was woken up by a sudden screeching sound. Grabbing his bow and knocking an arrow, he pulled back and aimed towards the sound. As his eyes focused, he found the source of the noise. A messenger bird, possibly a falcon, Jacob couldn't be sure, sat just beyond the curtain on the outside of their balcony.
"Relax," Al'Faar hissed, coming out of the bedroom in another floral flowing sundress, the yellow hue giving a slight contrast to her skin. "It is only Cordle."
He shook his head, slowly lowering his bow and pulling the arrow from it's string, stuffing it back into his quiver. Laying the bow back down, he stood up and stretched, his bones popping as he did so.
"What's that," he asked, nodding to a small roll of what looked like parchment she pulled from the bird's claw.
"Al'Thebans intelligence," she indicated, rolling it out and reading the Arabic script on the pages. "Guard movements, times, possible entry points."
"Will that do for our means?" he asked, looking at the pages and trying to translate.
"It is merely a start," she sighed in irritance, rolling up the pages and picking up a small leather pouch. She opened it, pulled out what looked like some sort of small rodent and tossed it to the bird. He caught it in its beak, tearing it apart with its claws before swallowing it. Waiting for a few minutes until he was finished, she stroked the birds head while whispering to it in Arabic. The bird gave out a small squeak before spreading its wings and diving off the balcony.
"What was that?" he asked, watching as the bird soared off into the sky.
"You need not worry," she hissed, glaring at him in his half dressed state. "Dress yourself, we have arrangements of our own to make."
Jacob looked down at himself, raising his hands.
"But dahlin'," he drawled out, cracking a grin. "It's our honeymoon."
"Listen to me closely," she muttered, learning in menacingly. "I have no interest in this façade other than to cover our mission."
She paused, looking at his mid region.
"Now get dressed dear husband," she went on, her voice switching to the sickeningly sweet and accented tone she had used before. "We have a full day ahead of us."
The day was indeed full, Jacob thought as he laid a stack of photographs on the table in front of him. Spreading them out, he began to pick through them and pull out each one that had a clear view of the Bialyan Citadel. The rest, most of which held a combination of him and Al'Faar faking a happy couple, got pushed to the side.
Al'Faar joined him, unrolling and laying out the information provided by Al'Theban.
"Have you determined a suitable entry point?" she asked, taking a step back and watching him.
"Here, or here," he muttered, moving two pictures forward; one of the main tower and one of a lesser entrance way covered by two ceremonial guards.
"How do you plan on handling the guards?" she asked, indicating the two corelating pictures.
"Tranq darts," he answered, holding up a small leather pouch, a metallic clicking sound coming from it.
"And the security they have running to all open windows or doors?" she asked, reading from the papers.
"The windows would have to be disengaged," he muttered, scratching his chin. "How would i do that?"
"A central control room would have to be occupied," she instructed, pulling out a picture of them kissing, the door marked security in the background. "Then we have established both our entry points."
He nodded in agreement.
"How many in the control room?" He asked.
"An average of four, no more than six," she read off the paper in her hand. "You should be competent enough to handle them."
"Is that praise I hear?" he chuckled, looking at her face.
"Fact, you were trained to handle more," she replied flatly, eyes not leaving her paper.
He snorted, shuffling through the pictures looking for more details.
"Faruq will be traveling with a security detachment," she went on, snatching the pictures away and looking for shots of the hallways. "It would be best to contain them and eliminate them swiftly."
"So look for a smaller corridor," he asked, lining up each picture to gauge.
"Precisely," she agreed, picking up one shot of the tower. "These corridors inside the main tower should suffice."
"Who goes?" he asked, surveying the whole layout.
"Myself," she sighed, looking over the notes again. "They will be armed with a range of machine guns so the closer i engage them, the more beneficial it will be."
"Smaller corridor, close quarters," he muttered, nodding. "Makes sense. What about escape?"
"We should have several options in mind," she admitted, lookin over each picture. "Always have a contingency plan."
"Back down the corridor would be a no go," he admitted. "What does their emergency response look like?"
"At least thirty men, housed within the Citadel itself," she read, scrolling down the paper. "The next closest garrison is over one hundred and can respond within an hour."
"So once that alarm goes off, we have less than an hour to make it out."
"Precisely," she nodded, folding up the notes. "We should eliminate the target and be gone well before that hour has elapsed."
"So then your best escape would be the servant stairs." he observed, showing another picture with a maid coming out of a stairwell.
"And then through the kitchens to the rear of the Citadel," she agreed, nodding. "The sluice gates to the river will work from there."
He nodded, agreeing as he mentally stored the plan.
"What time will Faruq be entering the Citadel?" he asked.
"1800," she replied, picking up the photographs. "You should follow them in shortly after they arrive."
"Too early and they notice the guards," he murmured in agreement. "Too late and the security room sees you move."
"Precisely," she agreed again. "Perhaps you have learned something after all."
"Time will tell," he smirked, picking up the picture of them kissing. "If I didn't know better, I would say you enjoyed this."
She stopped and froze in her tracks, turning to stare at him.
"That will never happen again," she growled at him before turning and walking away.
Later that evening, just after nightfall, both Al'Faar and Jacob crept across the rooftops just outside the Bialyan Citadel perimeter. Communicating in a series of hand signals, they split off; their footsteps barely making a sound. Sticking to the shadows, Jacob crept up to the roof's edge, looking over the wall to see two ceremonial guards standing at the door. A set of headlights broke through the night as Faruq's motorcade drove up and parked. Out stepped Faruq, his black greasy hair slicked back and combed over, buttoning what looked to be an over expensive suit. Jacob squinted in the darkness, counting the multiple guards in his protective detail.
Seems a bit much for just a warlord, he thought to himself, watching as they assembled around him and entered the building. The two ceremonial guards snapped to attention as the security detail moved closer, relaxing as they closed the door.
Time to move, he thought, fishing out two tranq darts from the small leather pouch attached to his league gear. He crept closer, hauling back his arm before flicking both darts at his targets.
The darts whistled through the air, smacking into the guards necks with barely a sound. Within seconds, they both crumpled to the ground unconscious. Moving silently and fast as he could, he dashed forwards, leaping over their crumpled bodies and pulling open the door. Peaking around the frame, he did a quick check inside, mentally marking the cameras and their sweeping pattern. After the first camera swung away from the door, he dashed inside, two more tranq darts in hand. Coming to another corridor, he peaked around, seeing the central security door. Unfortunately there were two more guards posted outside.
What the hell? He mentally frowned, quickly looking up to see if he had enough time to deal with them before the closest camera swung into view. Have to risk it, he groaned, rolling around the corner and dead sprinting towards them and the door. He flung both darts, the first finding its target where the second hit the wall, sticking tip first beside the guards head.
"What the…" the guard questioned out loud, stepping in front of the door and looking at the dart as his partner hit the floor. Jacob continued sprinting, jumping up and raising his knee at the last second. With a thunderous crash, he slammed not only into the guard, but thanks to his momentum, through the door and into the security room where ten more armed guards awaited.
Fuck, he thought to himself as they all turned inward, investigating the sudden noise. Throwing a right cross to the guards face underneath him, he spun to his left, kicking the chair underneath the man to the wall before smashing his face to the floor. One by one, they all started to stand up, raising their submachine guns. Jacob charged at the next closest guard, slamming his shoulder into the man's chest, knocking the wind out of him while striping the weapon from his hands. As the man fell backward, Jacob whipped his weapon at a guard on the opposite side, hitting him in the face with a sickening crunch. The stumbling man reached out, instinctively grabbing his comrade, pulling the man's arm to the side, his weapons swinging away from Jacob. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw one guard get his submachine gun to his shoulder, the safety switching off with an audible click. Moving as fast as he could, Jacob both grabbed one guard by the arm, spinning him around and knocking the stumbling guard across the face. A splatter of blood and teeth hit the wall as the opposing guard pulled the trigger, bullets barraging Jacobs shield in the vest. Tremors shook the man's body as Jacob reached around his arm and pulled the trigger, kicking his shield in the back of the knee and pushing his arm in a sweeping arc, Jacob used the man's weapon to eliminate several of the remaining guards. Their heads rocked back as the bullets passed through their skulls, sending a mist of crimson along with chunks of bone spraying across the wall. Snapping his shields wrist with an elbow strike, Jacob grabbed his head, bending it backwards before twisting it to the side rapidly. With a sickening crunch and a thud, the man's body fell to the floor with a broken neck. Shoving the man's body to the side, Jacob looked up at the monitors covered in blood and viscera.
Perfect, he groaned, finding several screens shorting out with bullet holes through the glass. There's no way someone didn't hear that, he went on inside his head. Looking for any sign of advancing reinforcements and switching off the main security switch. Scanning the last of the working screens, he searched for Faruqs location and hopefully, Al'Faar's.
Al'Faar crouched on the outer perimeter wall, silhouette completely obscured by the shadow of a pillar, watching as Jacob entered the building.
His aim is true, she thought to herself as she watched the darts strike their targets squarely, dropping them. She moved on as soon as he entered the doorway, slinking along the perimeter wall until she came to her second vantage point. Looking up and down the tower, she spotted several windows, mentally selecting the one she planned on using. Dropping down and staying to the shadows, she slipped close to the tower, kneeling down and taking four metal spike-like claws from her belt, tying the two around the toes of her boots while slipping the other two onto her hands. Mentally steadying herself, she reached up and sank each claw into the mortar between the concrete blocks. With a quick pull down, she checked her handhold before pulling herself up and slinking her foot spikes into the wall the same way. As quickly as she dared, she ascended the tower until she had reached the window of her choice. Double checking her foothold quickly, she lifted her hand spikes off and peered inside, finding what looked to be an unused office. With a turn of her hand, she inched closer to the glass, the small hair on her arm standing on end.
What's taking so long, she mentally groaned, the security should be disengaged by now. Frustrated, she moved to pull one of her weapons from her belt before the muffled popping of gunfire made her freeze. She looked down the tower and to the perimeter wall, expecting there to be a mad dash of personnel and the screech of alarm. The next thing she heard was the low thunk of the windows security disengaging and the lock snapping free. Partially confused, she placed the back of her hand close to the glass again, this time nothing happened. Satisfied the security truly was down, she pulled out one of her daggers and slipped the blade beneath the window. Prying it open, she stowed the dagger and pulled her body up into the room. She tumbled forwards, rolling and recovering before quietly pulling the door open. Peaking around the door, she caught full sight of Faruq and his security detail, strolling by at a quickened pace. As they passed, she counted as best she could.
Seventeen, she thought, touching her daggers before counting the throwing knives all throughout her jacket. More than there should be.
"General!" she heard one of the guards speak out, stepping up to Faruq. "We need to get you into protective custody, this could be another attempt on your life."
"Nonsense," Faruq spat, brushing the man away. "There are over a dozen of your men here, how much more can I be protected."
"Please sir," the man pleaded. "The information we were given said…."
"Pah," Faruq laughed. "Your men will do fine. That charlatan spoke false."
Someone has betrayed us, she thought, pulling several knives free and readying them in her left hand.
Shoving the door open and standing up, she burst from the room, catching the last man in the back of the knee with her foot. Wrapping her right arm around his neck and twisting hard, she snapped the man's neck and whipped her left hand full of knives forward. Several men dropped at the same time, a knife protruding from each one's throat. Before they had reacted to the sudden chaos, she had already drawn her daggers and started to assault the remaining men. Crouching low and sweeping across their ankles, she cut clean through both boot and flesh, standing up between them and plunging her daggers into their chests as they wobbled. As they all started to turn, she began working her way forwards through their ranks, cutting them down as she went. The next closest guard turned his head, only to see the glint of light off her dagger as it made a wide sweeping arc across his chest. Blood sprayed through the air in a fine mist, coating both the walls and the remaining men around him. With a gutteral sound and the panicked frenzy of a dying man, the guard reached out for his comrades, giving Al'Faar a perfect opportunity to stab the next man in the spine, severing the spinal cord and adding another body to the floor. The men closest to Faruq began to close ranks, two taking up position behind him as two more stepped in front and raised their rifles.
"Beyifos!" Faruq yelled, pointing at Al'Faar as she worked her way forward. "She is Saman! Shoot her you idiots!"
Ripping her dagger out of her current target's chest, she turned, seeing the two guards' fingers move to squeeze their triggers. Moving faster, she jumped up, grabbed the next closest guard by the neck, kicked out his legs and shielded herself with the man's body. The man cried out to no avail, bullets barraging his body and slamming into his vest. The two shooters emptied their magazines, cursing and fumbling to reload. Al'Faar took the momentary distraction and shoved the body to the side. Drawing her left arm back, she flicked her dagger forwards, spinning it end over end until it sank up to the crossguard in the man's head. His companions all turned and stared in horror, giving Al'Faar the opportunity to dash forward and slash one's throat. Carrying her momentum forward, she rolled to the side and slashed her blade through both of the next guards tendons. The man hit the ground, screaming in terror and pain, weapon dropping to the floor. The final man continued to fumble with a second magazine, fingers frantically pulling at it, before Al'Faar stepped up, knocked the weapon away and stabbed him firmly in the gut. Ripping the blade free with a sickening squelching sound, she turned to face Faruq. He attempted to turn and flee, slipping on the pooling blood and fell to his face. With a terror filled scream, he tried to stand up, comically continuing to slip and fall back to the floor. Al'Faar smirked behind her mask, bending down to retrieve her dagger from the guards head, having to put a foot to hold it down while she wrenched the blade free. Finally getting it out, sending a trail of blood and brain matter flying, she turned around and began walking towards Faruq.
"Keskin Ahsic Faruq," she called out, stepping closer towards him. "You've been deemed a threat to the balance, your warmonging and terror will now cease."
"Is that supposed to scare me?" he laughed, trying to act tough. "All I have done, I did for Bialya."
She laughed, sheathing her twin daggers and drawing a long, thing bladed sword from behind her back.
"Odd," she commented, holding it in a two handed grip and drawing it back to her right side. "Most wouldn't die with a lie upon their lips."
Faruq frowned, his brow furrowing in the center. In one quick, clean motion, she swung the blade across his neck, completely severing his head from his body. With a kick to his chest, she sent the head rolling away from the body, leaning down to wipe the blood from her blade.
Jacob watched Al'Faar move on the monitor in front of him, half in awe at how quickly she dispatched the guards. He saw Faruqs lips move but couldn't determine what he said right before he lost his head. With a frown, movement on another monitor caught his eye. Dozens upon dozens of heavily armed men began to stream through the corridors, setting up positions right outside the corridor Al'Faar was currently in. Looking around the control room, he desperately searched for a way to warn her. Spying a radio on a dead body, he reached for it, undoing the fasteners and pulling it free. Twisting the knob, he turned it on and immediately was assaulted by a barrage of voices.
"Shots fired in the Citadel!" came one, rapidly and rushed.
"All forces to the Citadel!"
"Squad one forming up on entry point, corridor thirty-one!"
"Security one, do you copy?"
Security one has been compromised, squad two form up on Security one."
Well shit, he thought to himself, unslinging his bow and looking for the closest monitor to his position. Finally finding the correct one, he saw several groups forming up outside of the security office.
"Al'Faar, 'ayumkinuk samaei?" He called into the radio, repeating the whole Arabic phrase. أيمكنك سماعي؟
"Who was that?" Someone asked over the radio.
"Who else is on this channel?" another voice asked.
He looked up at the monitors, hoping to see if she had gotten the message. Unfortunately, she didn't seem to have heard it. Instead he watched as she turned, sheathed her sword and walked out of the camera's point of view. Sighing both physically and mentally, he turned to the monitor that showers the hallway outside the security room. Slowly counting the heads, he counted out the arrows in his quiver, taking off the cover he used to secure them.
Not enough, he groaned comparing the two. Searching around the room, he tried to come up with a solution to even the odds. Several sub machine guns littered the floor, with each soldier\guard holding at least two mags a piece on them.
Easily enough ammo, he thought to himself, but they may be wearing heavier armor. Frustrated, he kept searching, eyes eventually catching the sight of two fire extinguishers. Rushing over to them, he ripped them from the wall, checking to see their type. Smiling, he sat them by the door and continued his search. Finding nothing else of use, he grunted, mentally preparing himself for the task at hand.
Grabbing the first extinguisher by the handle, he slid flat towards the door, slowly twisting the handle with his free hand. Peering around the door, he spotted the corridor full of guards. Eyeing where he thought was the most tactical, he slid back to the corner of the wall. With one last stealing breath, he forced the door open wide and flung the extinguisher out.
An audible thunk echoed through the corridor as the canister bounced off a wall and rocketed into the air. Pulling an arrow and itching around the door frame, Jacob drew back and in a split second, loosed the arrow. No sooner than it released, the arrow struck the canister and caused it to explode into a massive cloud of carbon dioxide and metal shrapnel. The guards recoiled from the blast wave, shielding their eyes from the gasses now filling the air and clouding their vision. Pulling another arrow and dashing out from around the door, Jacob knelt down and fired, grabbing a second fire extinguisher as soon as his arrow left his bowstring. Arrow met flesh, as a guard dropped to the ground, blood pooling out from the shaft now embedded in his throat. Jacob rushed forwards, slamming the second extinguisher into the next mans face, crushing his nose and sending blood flying into the air. Slinging his bow as fast as he could, he reached out with his now free hand and stripped the man's knife from his belt, slashing across his throat in the process. Moving through the smoke filled ranks, Jacob continued his bloody rampage, utilizing the extinguisher to momentarily stun and distract while slashing at every vital point he could. By the time he was two-thirds of the way through the mass, the smoke had started to clear, and the confusion dissipated.
Shit, he thought to himself, seeing a second formation starting to move in behind the first. Left with no other option, he threw the last fire extinguisher into the air. Moving as fast as he could, he both pulled an arrow and put distance between himself. Releasing it as he ran, the arrow struck the canister and filled the corridor once again with smoke. Bolting back in the direction of the security room, he dashed past the door and into the next corridor, working his way to a new exit. As he ran, he could hear the scuffle of feet and the clatter of weapons chasing after him.
How the hell am i going to get out of here, he thought to himself.
Al'Faar flicked the last remaining traces of blood off her blade, sheathing it and security it after. For a second, she thought she heard a sudden burst of static and a voice over one of the dead men's radios at her feet, but she couldn't place where it had come from. She turned to head back down the corridor from where she had come from when the door at the end burst open, countless security personnel rushing into the corridor and raising their weapons. Barely reacting in time, she ducked behind a pillar, trying to conceal herself. Unfortunately for her, the security had already spotted her, their weapons clicking off of safety and bullets began to fly. The column she hid behind began to fall apart, bullets ripping through it and whizzing by her as she formulated her next move. Fishing around in her jacket, she pulled out a small sphere wrapped in leather with a wooden cap on the top. Waiting for a lul in gunfire, she knocked the cap off and smoke started to pour from the sphere. Rolling it towards the oncoming troops, smoke began to billow out profusely in smoking plumes. The gunfire ceased as the troops swiftly tried to reload, freezing when they saw the smoke pouring out of the little ball.
"What is that?" one of the soldiers asked out loud.
A thunderous blast answered the man as both shrapnel and smoke suddenly burst forth, rocking the entire corridor. Several of the closest men screamed out in panic and pain, tiny bits of metal sticking out of their exposed skin as the smoke began to cause blisters. Taking the distraction, she sprinted towards the opposite end of the hall, wrenching free the door and bolting inside. What she found inside wasn't much of a better option; inside sat another platoon of security forces, waiting for her with their weapons drawn. Hoping to react faster, she dove to the side, pulling another small explosive from her jacket. The bullets began to fly through the air again, a few finding their way to her, impacting against her jacket. The kevlar in her suit stopped them all, but the resulting impact not only knocked the breath out of her, but would surely leave a bruise.
Sliding behind another pillar, she heard the explosive bounce off the floor and roll further into the room, filling the room with screams and smoke. She peaked around the pillar, seeing the carnage her grenade had caused and grinned, standing up and pulling both her daggers free. Charging at the remaining soldiers, she let loose a ferocious howl, slashing and stabbing her way through the smoke. The first standing guard held his hands to his face, blisters forming on his hands as his face bled profusely, quickly being silenced by a dagger between the ribs. The next fell just as fast, daggers slicing through his throat from behind. One by one they continued to fall until Al'Faar was left standing in a pile of bodies, drenched in blood and sweat. Kneeling down to wipe the gore from her blades, she discovered that several of them carried a block of C4 plastic explosive in their protective vests.
Why would security forces be carrying high explosives, she thought to herself pulling several of the blocks free along with their matching detonators. Planting a few around the room on the pillars and one on the door, she stabbed the detonators into the clay like material. Guessing at how far she had to be, she retreated a good distance, close to a window, fingers on the trigger and counting down. Before she could depress the trigger, the door was flung open by an explosion, setting off the first charge and throwing her out the window.
I am going to die, she thought as she fell, arms flailing out in front of her as the entire tower engulfed in a massive explosion….
Jacob was just rounding a corner when he felt the first explosion.
What the hell was that, he thought, sprinting over to the nearest window and throwing it open. Across the courtyard, he could see smoke billowing out of every open window, the sound of screams coming with it.
She has to be there, he figured, counting the floors and mentally trying to figure out the fastest way to her position. As he stood there, he not only heard but also felt, the second explosion go off. More smoke began to spew forth from another set of windows farther along. Turning around, he headed for the stairs, sprinting full tilt up them, trying to get higher up. By the time he had reached the next floor up, he saw the smoke dissipating. He turned to head further up when the third explosion sent out a shockwave through the building. He froze, looking back out the window and up at the tower. For a second, he couldn't believe what he was seeing; the entire Citadel tower was slanting towards the perimeter wall.
Was that her or...he started to think before he saw something, no, someone falling from a shattered window. Squinting his eyes, he recognized the brown and black checkered patterns of League gear.
Oh shit! He thought, watching the angle she was falling in and searching for something to either open or shatter the glass in front of him. Finding nothing, he drew three arrows, knocking them all at once and losing them at the glass. They pierced easily, leaving the crinkling crunch resounding in the air before he punched through it. Reaching as far out as he could, Jacob managed to snag Al'Faars arm, holding on tight. Her momentum swung her against the building, pulling his arms tight and crushing the glass underneath them. Thankfully the kevlar lining in his jacket prevented his arms from being sliced to ribbons.
"Grab the ledge," he grunted, hauling her up and bracing against the window sill with his leg.
She wordlessly answered, reaching up and pushing with her free hand on the ledge. Working together, they managed to haul her into the building and back to her feet.
"You…" she started, breathing heavily and staring at him in shock.
"Yea, yea," he cut her off with a wave. "Thank me later, we need to get out of her. Our security report was wrong, reinforcements are…"
"Already here," she finished, nodding. "I have noticed. Faruq mentioned someone, we've been betrayed."
"You don't think…" he trailed off, looking down the corridor as the sounds of shouting grew louder.
"We will deal with that after we escape," she replied, shaking her head. "Can you swim?"
"Yes," he groaned, sticking his head out the window and looking for the highest vantage point. "We'll have to jump from the roof."
She nodded in agreement, drawing both her daggers and cracking her neck.
"Are you prepared?" she asked, the shouting down the corridor getting even louder.
"As best i can be," he nodded, drawing an arrow and unslinging his bow.
He drew back, sighting his arrow on a fluorescent light at the corner of the hallway and waited. In no time at all, soldiers began to stream towards them. Jacob loosed the arrow before knocking, resighting quickly and losing a second. The first struck the light, shattering the bulb and shorting out the conduit, causing sparks and glass to fly everywhere. The soldiers hesitated, diving out of the way from the shrapnel, one not being so lucky; the arrow struck him just below the chin and sent him bleeding to the ground. With a grin, Jacob took off back towards the stairs, Al'Faar close behind.
Up the stairs they went, floor by floor turning into a circular blur. When they could go no further, they slammed through the fire door sprinting out onto the roof, the pitch black sky looming up around them. They paused, looking around, eyes barely adjusting to the sudden darkness.
"Which way?" Jacob asked, scanning the roofline for sight of the perimeter.
Before she could answer, rounds began to ricochet off the ground around their feet. Ducking behind the nearest point of cover, Jacob grabbed an arrow, knocked it and signaled to Al'Faar. Standing up for a split second, the gunfire shifted to her position, giving Jacob the opportunity to lean around the air unit and fire at the sound. With a yell of pain, the arrow found it's target, bringing a momentary end to the gunfire.
"Which way?" he called again to Al'Faar, eyes finally adjusting.
"I am not sure," she replied, attempting to stand up but being pushed back down by another volley.
Jacob again knocked an arrow and let fly where he thought it had originated from. Reaching up for another, his hand was met with empty air.
I'm out, he signaled, waving his hands to her and slinging his bow. She attempted to reply but he couldn't make out her hand signals in the dark. He waited for a few seconds, trying to come up with an alternative weapon, finding his pouch empty of even tranq darts. Looking over to her position again, he saw something sparkle before she rolled away from her position and threw something into the air. He could smell the acrid scent of gunpowder burning after a few seconds then saw her bolt towards him.
"Run," she called, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him in a direction.
Before he could answer, something exploded on the rooftop, sending a massive fireball hurtling into the sky. The entire rooftop was suddenly illuminated, showing several soldiers at the opposite end covering their faces from the blast. He ran as fast as his legs could take him, following behind Al'Faar.
"Do you trust me?" she called back as they ran, getting closer and closer to the roofs edge.
"Yes," was all he could reply.
"Jump!" she yelled, hitting the roofs edge, planting a foot and leaping into the darkness.
He followed suit, taking a deep breath, planting his foot and following her. For what seemed like endless seconds, they fell, not knowing to what or where they might land. With a deafening crash and the sudden bite of cold water, they smashed into the surface of the river, plunging it's icy depths.