"The target is former chief nuclear scientist Michael Grimes. He has gone missing from his home in Kiev, and intelligence reports courtesy of his wife suggest he has been in communication with NATO. He will be moved to West Berlin, where he will stay in a safehouse as further transportation is arranged to ferry him to the United States," General White lectured to Raven, Sparrow and the ten guardians assembled. "It is of vital importance that he never escapes Berlin."
Tapping on his clicker, the presentation shifted from the portrait of the man to a street overview. "We know that he will be staying in the Plaza hotel before being moved to Tempelhof to board a plane to the Americas. These plans have been delayed by sabotaging the runway, though we only have one week."
He tapped the clicker again. "Due to the short notice, you will be the only team on site. Normally, we would split you up to multiple attack vectors, but this will not be possible for this mission. Because of several construction projects, while there are multiple routes, all will pass through Innsbrucker Street 57, a narrow area."
He tapped his clicker, turning the slide to several pictures of the street. "The buildings were recreated in the old style, meaning they will provide an excellent opportunity for sniper cover."
"Wouldn't a single sniper be enough?" Raven postulated, eliciting mutters of agreement from the others in the room. General White raised a hand for silence.
"While normally true, we need to capture the target alive and retrieve him back to the Union," White explained. "I don't like it, but Moscow's orders."
"What's the plan?" Raven prompted. The General shrugged.
"There isn't one, yet. I'm leaving it up to you, Raven. But before that, let's look at the other parameters."
He clicked a slide, showing a satellite overview with several dots highlighted. "Military units are stationed here, here, here, here, here and here. The target response time for these units is thirty five seconds for deployment. Worst case scenario, they will reach you in one minute fifteen seconds from the distress signal."
One of the guardians let out a low whistle, causing the General to chuckle. "Indeed, quite a pressing challenge. To insert into Berlin, you will zipline in and rendezvous at safehouse Alpha the night before. From there, you'll be provided with vehicles to deploy from. Once you have secured the target, you will head for checkpoint Bravo. The guard there has been paid off to look the other way."
"Won't this cause a diplomatic incident?" Raven queried. General White nodded, looking none too pleased.
"It will, but Moscow is willing to take the heat. If you haven't sensed it already, something is off about this mission, but the Kremlin orders and we obey. Thankfully, we've prepared a replica of the street. You will be drilling in the simulator. Questions?" The room remained silent, and White nodded, before leaving. All in the room turned to him, and he stepped up, clicking back through the slides.
"LIsten up, we're going in blind," Raven explained gravely. "This means, everyone needs to be on points. Sparrow, take the troops and have them drill, gold challenge, three times. I need to figure out how to make a plan from this mess."
She offered a sympathetic smile, before leading the grumbling guardians out to the shooting range, leaving him alone in the room as he read through the mission profile again. Something was off, but he couldn't place his finger on what.
-Break-
The truck backed out of the narrow alleyway, causing the SUV to slam into it.
"Go, go, go," Raven barked to his team, who all leapt out of the van and begin firing at the bewildered security guards. Three were immediately taken down, when the SUV backed out, attempting to flee. "Shoot the tires!"
From across the street, Sparrow led her team forward, catching the convoy guards in a pincer and causing several more to go down, though the SUV had wiggled free and sped off. One of the Guardians cursed, tossing his helmet to the ground in frustration, while the calm voice of Colonel Ysaris' voice boomed over the intercom. "Simulation failed."
"Take ten, everyone," Raven barked, "Sparrow, with me!"
The girl obediently followed while the guardians trooped over to the break area. Leaning over a large map overview of the street, he beckoned Sparrow over. "Thoughts?"
"Your plan...I can't see anything wrong," she sighed, giving him an apologetic glance. "The parameters...they're too strict."
"Tell me something I bloody well don't know," he growled, before giving an apologetic glance. "Sorry, I shouldn't be snapping at you, it's just…"
"Perhaps we're looking at this wrong," she shrugged, waving off his apology with a sympathetic and understanding smile. He gestured for her to explain and she adopted a wry smile. "Remember our talk on alternate pathways?""You think we need to scrap everything and try again?""It can't hurt to try."
-Break-
The team all braced for impact in tense silence. As Raven sucked a breath, the side of the truck dented, and they were thrown to the left side. Quickly recovering, he kicked open the door and leapt onto the street.
"Go! Go! Go!" Raven yelled to his team, shooting a policeman exiting their car. The team poured out of the truck, two immediately shooting down the tires of the lead car, while others moved to immobilize the vehicles at the rear of the convoy. The SUV rammed forward, backwards, forward and backwards again, clearing enough space from its escorts to escape, skidding past the team almost mockingly.
Raven sighed, back to the drawing board.
-Break-
"We need to remove the leeway given by the escorts," Raven rubbed his eyes tiredly, pouring over the plans on his desk. With a yawn, Sparrow climbed off the bed, sitting in his lap and looking over his notes, scribbled as they were.
"So we need to isolate it."
"Two trucks?""Can't hide them easily. I thought about it, but White denied the request," Raven sighed. "Good idea though."
"What if...what if we move the truck out later? Wait until the convoy is partway past before moving it out.""The timing would need to be airtight, but...perhaps with legilimency...it could work," his eyes flashed with triumph as he pulled her into a kiss.
"WIll you come to bed now?" she asked with fond exasperation. He nodded, unable to stifle a yawn, and drawing a melodic laugh from her lips before she let out a girlish squeal when he hoisted her up and carried her bridal style.
-Break-
Across the street, he eyed the convoy, and sent out a legilimency burst just as the first police car passed. The truck slammed into the second police car, causing it to roll over. From the three vehicles, Raven leapt out, ordering, "Move!"
Him and the four guardians began firing precisely at the guards emerging from the vehicle, while the SUV tried to back out. "Felix! Crowbar that door now!"
The guardian nodded, rushing towards the vehicle and latching on his crowbar, prying the door open, only to be immediately shot in the head. "China! Sweeps! Get the damn hostage! Sparrow, where is my suppressive fire?""They've pinned us down! I've lost three in my team already!"
"Damnit," he cursed as the alarm blared, signalling their time had run out. As the individuals got up, Sparrow shot him an apologetic look, while his apocalyptic glare at her team caused them to scamper to the break area.
-Break-
"Again!" he barked at the guardians, who all looked exhausted. He, however, was unwavering. "Until everyone makes every shot, we are not sleeping. If I have to shoot you to keep you awake, I will do so!"
He loaded the targets again and pressed the activation button, causing the metal sheets to move around. "Go! Go! Go!"
The guardians and Sparrow all emerged from their position, running along the track as they fired at the targets, dropping several in the first salvo and the rest in a second salvo. Raven frowned, ending the exercise. "Not acceptable! Maze, you marked the wrong target! Kushin! Your aim was off! Again!"
"Raven, we're all tired. We can continue tomorrow," Sparrow challenged, moving in front and locking gazes with him defiantly. The guardians behind observed the exchange nervously After several moments, he nodded stiffly, and all the guardians scrambled out of the room, weary he would change his mind. After the last one had left, he slumped down, grabbing a chair and sitting on it, burying his hands in his face. "Raven…"
"What the fuck am I supposed to do? I've looked at every angle! We've run the drill hundreds of times! What the fuck does the General expect me to do?" he blurted out, sucking in deep breaths. As she tentatively placed a hand on his shoulder, massaging it and causing the tension to escape, he sighed, slumping. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be taking this out on you."
"You can't do this alone," Sparrow sighed affectionately, cupping his cheek and lifting his head so their gazes met again. "You need to calm down, why don't we work on my occlumency again."
Sighing tiredly, he nodded, thrusting into her mind.
-Break-
Raven and his team of five other guardians perched atop the roof of the building, waiting patiently. Several civilians wandered the streets below, oblivious to the individuals several meters above carrying high powered assault rifles.
A large lorry turned around the corner, moving across the street before turning into a narrow alleyway barely wide enough. A black van sandwiched between two black sedans parked in front of the grocer two buildings left of where the truck had turned inwards.
They waited for several minutes, and from down the street, two police cars, sirens blaring, moved quickly, with a large SUV behind followed by another two police cars. As the convoy moved closer, Raven sent out a legilimency burst to the truck's driver, signalling them to back out.
Just as the first police car passed, the truck backed out, its rear raming the second police car off kilter, causing it to flip over, while the SUV crashed into the side of the truck, Two police officers scrambled out of their vehicles, moving to investigate the damage, when Raven barked, "Fire."
Precise shots echoed from the six sniper rifles, causing all three drivers to slump over dead, having been shot twice each by a high caliber rifle. Panicked cries erupted from the guards, who took cover behind their vehicles, pointing and trying to shoot towards Raven and his team.
At this moment, Sparrow and her five teammates leapt out of their cars, weapons drawn, and began shooting at the guards, whose backs were completely exposed to her firing arc. The snipers turned their attention to the ends of the street, while two of the ground team rushed forward the SUV, carrying crowbars. One pointed a weapon inside, while another pried the door open, yanking out a terrified man and knocking him unconscious.
Several other police vehicles sped in from both sides of the street, but were unable to intervene with the heavy sniper fire they encountered. Meanwhile, Sparrow and her team retreated to their vehicles, tossing the hostage inside a van and speeding off.
An alarm blared, and all the members relaxed, dropping their weapons.
"Forty eight seconds," Colonel Ysaris' voice boomed over the loudspeakers, causing a cheer to erupt from all the members present. Raven and his team descended down the steps of the hollow building, joining Sparrow's six as they proceeded to the debriefing room, where the supervising Colonel gestured for them to sit.
"Excellent work, all. We're twelve seconds under the maximum time. Shots were all on point, I couldn't have asked for a better showing. Pack it up and get some rest, tomorrow, you fly to Berlin."
Looking to Raven, who nodded in acquiescence, the guardians filed out of the room, until only Sparrow and Raven remained. "We did it."
"No, Raven, you did it," she praised. "This was all you."
"Without you I couldn't have done this," he shook his head, patting his lap. She snuggled up tightly against him, purring contentedly as he ran a hand through her hair.
-Break-
"I don't like it sir, two seconds leeway," Raven groused. The General, sitting in his desk, merely hummed in agreement. "The team is not ready."
"No one is ever ready, Raven. But you will have to deploy nonetheless, just as the army fought the Germans in 1941. Tell me, are you confident in your success?""We didn't have time to practice the extraction.""You doubt the driving skills of your team?" the General questioned amusedly. "They are the best agents on hand in that particular field."
"I fear it won't be enough.""Well you'll just have to do your best," the General rubbed his eyes tiredly. "Before you go, let us have a toast."
The man went to his locked cabinet, pouring out a bottle of wine. At his raised eyebrow, the General smiled. "The Germans took it from the French, and we the Germans. A lovely vintage. Fitting to celebrate Yule."
He poured two glasses, passing one to Raven. Tapping their glasses, the General toasted, "To new beginnings."
Raven merely nodded, waiting for the General to down his glass before sipping his own. The General turned, walking back to his desk. Sensing the dismissal, he placed the glass on the desk and left the room.
-Break-
The plane rumbled roughly as they landed on the airstrip in the stormy night. They were quickly ushered off the plane, all equipped in their bodysuits and with rucksacks containing their gear.
They boarded two black vans, which drove them through the deserted night streets of Berlin, until they approached a section of the wall, where several border guards waited. At the sight of his identification, they lowered their weapons, saluting.
"Sir, the ziplines have been prepped. Best of luck. Long live the revolution."
"Long live the revolution," Raven echoed, beckoning for his team to follow the lieutenant up an abandoned office building. From the third floor, they were given a vantage of the wall, which consisted of a large concrete fence and several layers of barbed wire. Dozens of guards patrolled underneath, while snipers perched up atop their watch towers looked down.
"The guards all know not to shoot," the lieutenant assured. Picking up his radio, he conversed in German for several sentences, shaking Raven's hand before leaving the team. He looked out the window, to see that the West Berlin section was deserted, with only a few cars parked on the side of the street. Satisfied no one would notice, he tugged the line, giving a nod to Sparrow when it held firmly.
"Zips," he ordered, himself grabbing one, inspecting it. Flexing it in his hand, he nodded satisfied.
"Check one."
"Check two."
"Check three."
"Check four."
"Check five."
"Check six."
"Check seven."
"Check eight."
"Check nine."
"Check ten."
"Move out," he barked," putting his handle on the zip line and descending down it into West Berlin. As the last guardian managed to land, the line was quickly disconnected and reeled back by an officer in the East. Meanwhile, the team descended down the streets, proceeding to enter two black vans.
The journey to the safehouse was tense, as though any moment they could be caught by the authorities. When the van slowed and finally entered the compound's garage, they all let out a sigh of relief.
Trooping up to their rooms, they stowed their gear and changed into civilian clothing before returning to the communal operations room. As per tradition, Raven pulled out a bottle of wine, eliciting several whistles from the members as he poured half a glass for each member. When all was done, he raised his glass.
"To tomorrow's success," he toasted, echoed by all the members as they downed their drinks. With that out of the way, the agents dispersed, clearly eager to enjoy a night out in West Berlin, a rare luxury. That they had been provided with West German marks was all the more helpful.
Hand in hand, Raven and Sparrow walked along several quiet streets until they reached a bustling Christmas market. Smiling at each other, they wandered inside, Raven purchasing two cups of hot cocoa while Sparrow found a seat at the edge of the small plaza.
After paying the cheerful barlady for the two cups, receiving a wink and a knowing smirk, he walked over to Sparrow, who sat alone underneath a small Christmas tree. Her face lit up with a smile at the sight of him, causing his heart to melt slightly as he passed her the beverage.
"So this is what ordinary life feels like," she mused after they both took a sip of the drink, feeling the warmth trickle down their throats and settling in their stomach. A breeze blew by, causing Sparrow's long hair to ruffle slightly and smack him lightly on the cheek.
"I don't suppose I should be worried about the others getting pissed drunk," he sighed, causing her to chuckle, nudging him with an elbow.
"You're next to a pretty girl whose all yours and all you think about is the mission," she pouted playfully, blowing on the surface of her chocolate and watching the mist float into the air before dissipating. He leaned into her neck, pressing several kisses and nibbling on her skin.
"You'll give me a hickey," she moaned, but not doing anything to deter his motions.
"You love it," he retorted, ceasing his ministrations and settling for taking a sip of his cocoa. The brown nectar was unusually concentrated, a far cry from the swill served within the Union, and his taste buds exploded in pleasure.
The two contented themselves to finish their drinks and return the cups to the barmaid before continuing their explorations of the streets, filled with a celebratory mood and hundreds of individuals drinking, dancing and laughing. Above, Christmas lights of red and green flickered.
"Isn't it beautiful?" she whispered to him softly, as though frightened she would shatter the moment. He hummed in agreement, pointing up ahead to where there was a tall christmas tree erected and hundreds of children holding candles while singing a christmas carol, the sound wafting through the streets.
"If only the union appreciated the need to relax every once in a while," Raven sighed wistfully. Sparrow gave him a contemplative look and he shrugged amusedly. "The party officials certainly do it often enough."
This drew a giggle out of her, and she smacked him lightly on the chest, using it as an excuse to press tighter against his side. He didn't comment, but smiled at the motion, drawing a blush from her cheeks as she defended, "It's cold."
"Then let's not linger out for much longer," he suggested, pointing to a bustling tavern. "Want to grab a bite?"
"Sure. I've always wanted to try schnitzel," she admitted, causing him to chuckle. "Hey! You shouldn't laugh at my dreams."
"It's the simple things," he merely mused, and she nodded in understanding, smiling as he pushed open the door and let her in first, just in time to hear a loud cheer from the drinkers. Walking up to the counter, he ordered, "Two schnitzels, a plate of bratwurst, some stollen and beers.."
"Right away sir," the bartender nodded happily, yelling the order into the kitchen as the two made their way to an unoccupied corner booth. Within minutes, several plates of food were presented to the two, who took turns feeding each other, ignoring the wolf-whistles of the other patrons. Raven took out his wallet, prepared to pay, when the bartender waved it off.
"It's Christmas! For you two lovebirds, it's on the house!" Both smiled, nodding gratefully at the gesture.
"It is hard to imagine such friendly people back home, no?" Sparrow whispered, forking a piece of sausage and feeding it to him. He nodded, biting and swallowing the piece of meat with a pleased hum before returning the gesture.
"I doubt there is a single individual like that back home," he jibed wryly, causing her to snort.
One drink turned into two, which turned into three, and the night slowly drifted away.
Author Note:
Quieter Chapter, so the team have finished drilling for a mission and have entered Berlin. Will the mission go smoothly? You'll have to wait to find out! Welcome to our newest followers and favouriters. Your support means the world to me. For those who haven't yet, please follow, favourite and leave a comment, even if just to say hi like Snowbot! Until next time, toodles!