Bluff
Chapter 6. All in
The pain turned Jubal inward like a sock.
That had not been a small caliber -he had completely emptied his lungs of air and thrown him to the ground- but he knew the vest had stopped the bullet.
A part of his mind then understood that Jones had not cursed: he had ordered him to be shot. Jubal simply had to be thankful he hadn't been hit in the head.
Someone was shouting "Agent down!". Shots were flying in all directions, including some large caliber ones. More shouts, "Sniper!".
"Jubal, answer me, damn it!" demanded Maggie on the other channel, "Shall we proceed!?"
The first spark of strength Jubal was able to regain, the first gulp of air he could get, was to answer Maggie. "Green light! Green light!" he managed to say into the mike, his voice hoarse from shortness of breath, "Go ahead!" He prayed with all his heart that it was not already too late.
·~·~·
It was the sting of panic that allowed Isobel to ignore the revulsion of Coto's body on top of hers.
She scrambled frantically and reached for the cord on the bedside table, but it slipped away. That struggling seemed to please Coto even more, who was demanding her to scream and moaning uncontrollably as he tried to get more contact. He was getting closer and closer to his goal because Isobel could not resist and get the wire at the same time.
But this was really her only chance. From the way Isobel had landed on the bed, the bulb was even more out of reach than the wire. She squirmed desperately... and managed to reach it again. This time she clung to it as if her life depended on it. It surely had. With a hard shove, she jabbed it into Coto's side.
The shock shook them both, but Isobel was expecting it and Coto wasn't. She didn't waste the opportunity: she hit him on the side of the head with both hands joined, as hard as she could, managing to knock him to the ground. Coto tore off the cable, which had burned his shirt and stuck to his skin. He let out a deranged bellow that promised violence. He lunged at her with bloodshot eyes.
·~·~·
Squinting, Jubal saw that Wallace and Scola had sought cover behind some blocks of straw and were trading bullets with Jones and his man, protecting Jubal as best they could. But he was in the open and there were more people shooting. Jones had more men back there. SWATs were returning fire.
Vargas had thrown his body to the ground and was crawling trying to catch up with his side.
Letting out an expletive, Jubal writhed in his pain and managed to retrieve his weapon, which had fallen nearby.
In his ear, Laski's voice, the sniper of his S.W.A.T. team declared, "Franco neutralized," phlegmatically as only a marksman can.
Without that threat hanging over them, Stu and Tiffany moved forward, trying to reach Jubal.
Meanwhile, Vargas was getting away, making progress on elbows and knees; he was moving very nimbly for someone in chains. Jones and his people were doing their best to get closer to help him. Rina's demand echoed in Jubal's skull like a curse. 'Either you bring him with you alive, Jubal, or you bring him dead'.
·~·~·
Coto was coming at her like a projectile. Isobel grabbed the lightbulb and with all the determination she could muster smashed it into his face. He collapsed, clutching his hands to his face amidst screams of pain. Isobel jumped off the bed as fast as she could and rushed for the gun he carried in the waistband of his pants. She was half a second too late: Coto had drawn first. He fired wildly at Isobel, who threw herself to the ground. Blinded by blood and glass, Coto missed.
Suddenly, the door was thrown open, and Bernal stormed into the room, gun in hand. To his misfortune, the crash of the door being kicked down made Coto instinctively shoot in his direction. It killed him on the spot.
With adrenaline saturating her body, Isobel dove for Bernal's gun. Coto wiped the blood from his eyes and managed to aim at her... just as Isobel got to point at him. Both were left with the other's weapon in front of their faces, petrified. The muzzle of Coto's gun looked huge and dark, like a window to the void. An eternal second passed.
Two very quick shots from a semi-automatic weapon snapped Isobel out of her trance. Coto fell dead.
Two SWATs stormed into the room, followed by OA. Isobel's training succeeded in forcing her to lower her weapon immediately rather than shoot them unintentionally. But the movement itself suddenly left her body as it was made of rags. She was glad being on her knees or would have crumpled.
"Isobel! -OA exclaimed. "Are you all right?"
She could not answer. She was panting, struggling to get air back into her lungs. Maggie was already there too, kneeling beside her. All Isobel could do was tremble.
·~·~·
With a desperate growl, Jubal managed to prop himself up on one elbow. He pointed in Vargas' direction. Jubal unsuccessfully ordered him to stop...
But that was still wrong. Jubal was not willing to sell his soul so cheaply. He risked losing a few precious seconds to take all the aim that the shot in his chest and the forced posture allowed him... And he shot Vargas in one leg, in the back of the thigh. He heard him scream, in pain and frustration. Jubal collapsed, gasping.
As Vargas fell, Jones and his men hesitated for a moment, as if uncertain whether to go looking for him. If they did, Jubal knew that lying there he was screwed. He clung to his gun. At least he would make it cost them dearly. He rolled over, but the pain in his chest prevented him from getting on his stomach. He lay on his side and fired in their direction, holding them off as long as he could. Several shots struck very close to his head, raining dirt and shredded grass on him. There he was nothing but a sitting duck, but Jubal returned fire blindly and kept them at bay.
Then he saw Scola, Wallace and two of his SWATs were bearing down on them. Jones and his people first gave ground, then declared open retreat.
~.~.~.~