Duel on Zen

Chapter V



The current question: How did William Hale shoot Raynor and block Kerrigan's shot? You'll find out soon enough =)

***

Something didn't seem right to James Raynor. He just felt as if something was going to happen. Jim needed to get out of this building. He pulled a cigarette out of his shirt pocket.

"I'm going to step out for a minute," Raynor said while standing up.

"You better be careful. Hale could be watching," Kerrigan replied.

Raynor nodded and picked up his rifle. Perhaps it was just paranoia, but he needed to observe his surroundings from the ground. Raynor began stepping down the stairs while Kerrigan observed the city from the tallest building on Zen.

***

As much as he hated to admit it, this was William Hale's worse mission in his entire career. He should have gotten Kerrigan right when he had arrived. Things were going terribly wrong, and he had not foreseen himself climbing this building. Sweat began to cover his face as he neared the top window. If this didn't go right, it was all over.

He struggled to keep himself from letting out any kind of strong breathing. The pack was making this climb much harder. William was on the fifth floor window when he heard someone below. He looked down and saw complete darkness, with the exception of a lit cigarette. William cursed in his mind yet again.

The person below didn't seem to notice him. The man was instead looking to his left and right. Where had this man come from? William would have climbed into the window out of sight, but Kerrigan could most likely hear all that was going on inside the building. That was an assumption of course, but William wasn't taking any chances to be noticed by her. He had no choice but to continue and try to get up before the man below decided to look up.

William began to climb slower this time.

***

Raynor sighed. He was just being paranoid. Raynor didn't see or hear anyone. Actually, he couldn't see anyone if they had been there. The night was far too dark, and there was no moon to shine. Only the stars, and they didn't seem to be of much help. The fighting also seemed to have stopped for the first time since the Confederacy had arrived. It could mean victory or defeat was near.

Jim looked up to observe the stars. He remembered doing the same while in battle, when they were able to finally set up camp and sleep. How he had always looked up at the stars. He sighed again and took the cigarette out of his mouth. Before he could throw it down he noticed something on the building he had just come from. Something was on the side. He could just barely make out the outline of a human. Who.?

He lifted his rifle and aimed at the person's back. It couldn't have been William Hale. That man would never risk this much to kill someone, but it was best to not take chances. However this man was, he didn't work for Mengsk. He pulled the trigger and fired, landing a direct hit. The man grunted and fell through the window from the force of the shot. Jim ran inside.

***

Kerrigan heard the shot behind her. She ran to the opposite window and saw Raynor running inside. She was confused, and started running down the stairs to meet up with him.

***

William was on his feet again in no time. The shot had hit him directly in the center of his pack, making a large hole. Fortunately, the thick pack and the items inside had stopped the shell. Unfortunately, the radio was destroyed, and the one that shot him along with Kerrigan and Raynor were on their way to take him out.

Not good, he thought. Not good at all. William could hear running footsteps above and below him. Getting out of here was the only option, and he decided to try to overpower the man below him and get the hell out of there. Outrunning Kerrigan would be impossible, but he had a different plan. William removed his now worthless pack so that he could run quicker without the weight. He began running down the stairs.

William could feel the adrenaline rush and he would go halfway down a staircase and jump the rest, landing on his feet. On the third floor he ran into the man while at the top of the staircase. James Raynor. The both stopped and lifted their rifles. William was faster, and caught Raynor halfway in the process. His rifle aimed between the eyes of the ex- Confederate. Raynor was halfway up the stairs.

For the first time in his life, James Raynor saw anger in the eyes of William Hale. Kerrigan was getting closer.

"It's over now," Raynor said.

"Yes, it is indeed over for you," William replied.

Kerrigan was only a floor above. To hell with Raynor, William thought and leaped at him.

The two rolled down the stairs losing their rifles. Kerrigan appeared at the top of the staircase where William had been just seconds before. She could see the two were fighting.

***

The fall had stunned Raynor, and William took the advantage. The Confederate sniper rammed his fists into Raynor's face several times. Blood spilled, but somehow Raynor managed to swing back, and he landed a shot right in the left side of William's head and followed with a tackle. The two rolled onto the floor attempting to kill each other with their bare hands. Kerrigan couldn't get a clear shot without hitting Raynor.

William took two more hits to his jaw before throwing Raynor off. However, Raynor came back at him. Everyone in that room knew that Raynor was persistent. The two fought until they were close to the staircase leading to the second floor. They were back on their feet again and William landed a punch to Raynor's stomach. Raynor followed with another punch to William's face, causing him to fly backwards and roll down the staircase.

"Move!" Kerrigan shouted at Raynor.

He did so, and she ran to the edge of the staircase. William Hale was gone. She ran down the staircase after him. Jim fell to the ground.

***

His vision was blurred and he could barely move, but William Hale had managed to get on his feet again after that horrible fall and attempt to flee again. Things had indeed gone terribly wrong. This had never happened before. He lifted his hand to his head. It was throbbing like hell. When he dropped his hand he saw it was covered in blood. Raynor had done a number on him. Bastard, he thought.

William finally arrived on the first floor and was immediately out the door. The darkness was his only chance of escape. He ran into the street and was almost to the building in front of him when he heard the C- 10 Canister Rifle shoot behind him. It was a sound he recognized every time he heard it. William felt the shell hit him in the back and he was forced to the ground. He struggled to move.

"Stay still," Kerrigan ordered.

William sighed and turned his head to face the woman.

"You..shot.me," he mumbled.

"Not shit," she said.

He spit out blood and said, "What're going to do with me?"

"You're worth more alive," Kerrigan said.

William chuckled. "Yes."

He struggled with every word. His jaw was broke, and so were other bones in his body.

"The news will hear about this, I'll be ruined," William said.

"What a shame," Kerrigan said, thinking of what to do with him next. She couldn't move him in his current state.

William laughed. It was the most horrible laugh Kerrigan had ever heard in her life.

"Just a bad day," William said, and smiled. His teeth were covered in blood. James Raynor had managed to knock out three of them.

"Seems so," Kerrigan replied.

"Yes."

William closed his eyes. The pain was too much for him to take. Ten seconds later First Sergeant William Hale died on Zen.