Chapter Fifteen: A Distant Adversary
"You want to shoot me," Jack said, toying with the soldier. He was the deadliest of all. He wasn't there under the 'control' of the Patriots, nor was he working for anyone, truly. He had joined Philosophy for his own gain, not for anyone else's, and he was innocent. Completely innocent. Nothing like Revolver Ocelot, who was cold and cruel, but still full of the misfortunes and stress of life. He had a gun put in his hand, and he was told to pull the trigger. There's no doubt a man under pressure and in need of money would fire that gun. The only true question would be 'how much would it take?' Every man has his breaking point, and Jack was trying to find it.
"Shuddap!" the soldier cried. The black ski mask helped nothing. It only made him more handicapped. He was unable to see with it on. Yes, his sight was clear, but his mind was not. It was like a net, trapping all of his feelings inside. Quickly, he pulled it off of his face and dropped it to the floor, putting his hand back on his gun. It was a UMP 450, and equipped on its end was a suppressor.
"With that suppressor," Jack began, "no one would ever have to know you killed me. You could hoot me and get away with it." Jack started walking toward the soldier who began to take slow steps backward. Eventually, he stopped, and as Jack continued, he pushed the UMP at him, shoving it in his face, showing him the truth of the situation. Jack stopped.
"I don't shoot for you!" the soldier yelled, pushing Jack in the chest with the end of the suppressor. "I don't halt for you! I shoot if I like! You are in my hands! Mine!" The soldier slowly reached one of his hands down to his beltline to retrieve his radio. Gripping it cautiously, he drew it to his mouth and held down the switch on its side. "Potential radical on fourth floor! Another heading for the roof!"
Jack looked at his feet. "Better now than never," he said and the soldier looked at him, puzzled. Suddenly, Jack pulled his Hammerli 280 from its holster, wrapped his other hand 'round the UMP's suppressor and jerked it from the man's grip. The Hammerli was level with the soldier's face, and he stood there in shock, the radio still in his hand, and his thumb still tightly pressing the button on its side.
Jack fit the UMP under his arm and held out his free hand pulling his thumb away, signaling for the soldier to release his own from the radio. He did just that, and then held it out for Jack who snatched it up, quickly. "You see," Jack started, "you don't want to die. And that's why you're going to help undo what your just did. Got it?" The soldier nodded nervously and listened. "Now, I'm going to give this back to you, and you're going to tell your friends that you didn't find us. You're going to tell them we were two hostages and we were trying to get away. Then, you tell them you killed us. Got it?" The soldier nodded in agreement and Jack cautiously handed him the radio again.
Watching Jack as if for some sort of emotional support, he pushed down on the button on the radio's side and slowly spoke into it. "F…false alarm. Just…two hostages. I k…killed them," he said and then let go of the button, dropping the radio to the floor. It aroused a clatter when it hit the floor, and Snake began to descend the cable. Jack heard him and turned.
"No, don't worry," he said. "Give me just one second." Just then, before he had turned, he heard a thump. The soldier was on his back, blood seeping from his neck, and a knife tightly gripped in his right hand. Jack took one look and then turned away, quickly. "Didn't think ya had it in ya," he said and then began to walk away, dropping the UMP behind him.
He saw Snake start back of the cable, and quickly holstered his Hammerli as he approached the shattered window of a wall. His walk was different. Not far from his unusual half-skip, half-run style, but it was more hard, less loose. It was sad, and determined. How terrible one's life must be if one was willing to take it…he was hurt by the revelation, but not struck down. He wasn't out of the game yet.
"I'm up," Snake said and Jack tugged the cable to make sure it was secure. Then, he grabbed a hold of it and began to climb. Snake was lying on his stomach, just up against the lip of the roof. He heard a buzz in his ear and quickly put his fingers to it.
"Yea?" he asked, knowing that it would be Otacon.
"I see you." It wasn't Otacon. The voice was squeaky and shrill. It was the same he had heard after encountering Little Mary for the first time. Snake thought to move, but did not, realizing the possible danger of his situation. "Ah ah ah, Snake. Don't try and stand. Someone else could be watching."
"Who are you?" Snake asked, but the answer was no different than the last.
"I cannot tell you that for now, Snake, but please don't try anything stupid. There are others out on the prowl tonight, and I should hate to think what they might do if they spotter you…" the voice returned. Then, just as soon as the conversation had commenced, it closed.
"Damn!" Snake waited, accessing Otacon's familiar frequency. He waited and then a short beep sounded. Otacon was connected.
"Snake! Are you in position?" Otacon asked, urgently. A hand reached over the lip of the roof and Snake turned on his side to help Jack over it. His body fell onto the roof beside him and he snuck down behind the lip, staring at Snake as he spoke.
"Yea," he said. "We're ready."
"We?" Otacon asked quizzically.
"Jack and I. We're both here."
"So you met up with him again?" Otacon asked, confirming Jack's name to Farrel who seemed rather surprised. "Is it safe for us to land there?"
"I was just contacted by that guy I spoke to earlier. I don't think it's ever safe for you to land here, but now is as good a time as ever," Snake said.
"Take us in!" Otacon yelled to the pilot of the helicopter. "We're coming. Give us some cover…if we need it." Snake nodded even though Otacon had no way of knowing, and then looked to Jack.
"Be ready for any surprises," Snake said as the sound of the chopper began to fill their ears. Jack nodded and looked to untie his FAMAS from the cable that dangled down to the floor below. "Don't take that," Snake said. "We might need to go back down that way." Jack sighed and pulled forth his small Hammerli, brandishing it in the darkness.
"Then I guess I'll just use this," he said, almost as if he had a choice. The sound of the chopper grew louder still, and Snake pulled forth his SOCOM, holding his hand out for Jack who set a magazine in his open palm. He let the spent clip slide out, and inserted the other in its place.
Before they knew it, the chopper was nearly over top of them. Snake hit his fist on the rooftop, realizing he had left his NVG's a floor below. Jack looked up at him and pulled a pair of Thermal Goggles from his waist, holding them out for Snake. "This is the last time I lend you something of mine. You're on your own from here on out," Jack said, jokingly, and Snake grabbed the Thermals, strapping them tightly around his face. He looked up and could see Otacon looking out of the doorway of the chopper, waving ever so slightly.
Then, the chopper was down, and both Jack and Snake were on their feet. There was but one door on the helicopter, and unfortunately, it opened on the other side, making Snake and Jack run around to it. It also presented another problem…
Snake went around the chopper and smiled when he saw Otacon step down on the rooftop, his white jacket on and his glasses as loose and annoying as ever. His hair was messy but shiny even in the darkness of the night, and he looked as if he had spent many long hours thinking. Nothing but thinking. "It's good to see you," Snake said, and he shook Otacon's hand firmly.
"You too," his friend chuckled, turning to help Farrel out of the chopper. As he stepped toward the three of them, he seemed to stumble and Snake's head whipped around to what lay behind them. The Spire stood just in their direction, and when he turned back to Farrel he saw something bleeding from his chest.
They had all heard it. It was a gunshot. And then, there was another. This one was not placed in Farrel's chest though, but had instead found its way to his forehead. The impact threw him against the back wall of the chopper and the look on his face was terrible. It was wretched and saddened. None of them had immediately turned to help him down, and he in turn was shot. He had died.
"Get down!" Snake yelled, and he and Otacon dodged around the helicopter, a bullet just missing them. Jack did the same, but went around the other side, the back rudder emitting loud whooshing sounds in his ear. He too was afraid. Afraid and devastated. The three were alert, but Snake was the only one in the condition to fight. Otacon was too upset, too stained by the event to do anything. It had happened so fast, and even Snake, who knew hardly anything of Farrel, felt somewhat hurt by it…somewhat affected.
"He…we…" Otacon tried to speak, but could not. Jack didn't say anything. They just waited, but they heard a faint noise trying to sound over the helicopter. The pilot was knocking on his window with his fist, waving his hand upward. He was leaving them, and if they did not retreat to another location quickly, they would have no cover.
"Otacon, follow Jack. We've got a distant adversary. He'll get you out of the line of fire," Snake said, turning back to Otacon who looked at him with eyes full of sadness. Snake shot a glance to Jack and waved him off. "Go!" Jack quickly stood and led Otacon to the cable as the helicopter began to pull away. Snake watched them go, and then looked in the direction of the Spire as the helicopter retreated.
He looked back again, and Otacon had disappeared over the side of the building. The helicopter had gone, and so had his only other friends. He stood there, uncovered and naked to the world…to his enemy. The distant adversary watched…
Something sounded in his ear. "Peek–a–boo," the voice reached out. "I see you…"
"You want to shoot me," Jack said, toying with the soldier. He was the deadliest of all. He wasn't there under the 'control' of the Patriots, nor was he working for anyone, truly. He had joined Philosophy for his own gain, not for anyone else's, and he was innocent. Completely innocent. Nothing like Revolver Ocelot, who was cold and cruel, but still full of the misfortunes and stress of life. He had a gun put in his hand, and he was told to pull the trigger. There's no doubt a man under pressure and in need of money would fire that gun. The only true question would be 'how much would it take?' Every man has his breaking point, and Jack was trying to find it.
"Shuddap!" the soldier cried. The black ski mask helped nothing. It only made him more handicapped. He was unable to see with it on. Yes, his sight was clear, but his mind was not. It was like a net, trapping all of his feelings inside. Quickly, he pulled it off of his face and dropped it to the floor, putting his hand back on his gun. It was a UMP 450, and equipped on its end was a suppressor.
"With that suppressor," Jack began, "no one would ever have to know you killed me. You could hoot me and get away with it." Jack started walking toward the soldier who began to take slow steps backward. Eventually, he stopped, and as Jack continued, he pushed the UMP at him, shoving it in his face, showing him the truth of the situation. Jack stopped.
"I don't shoot for you!" the soldier yelled, pushing Jack in the chest with the end of the suppressor. "I don't halt for you! I shoot if I like! You are in my hands! Mine!" The soldier slowly reached one of his hands down to his beltline to retrieve his radio. Gripping it cautiously, he drew it to his mouth and held down the switch on its side. "Potential radical on fourth floor! Another heading for the roof!"
Jack looked at his feet. "Better now than never," he said and the soldier looked at him, puzzled. Suddenly, Jack pulled his Hammerli 280 from its holster, wrapped his other hand 'round the UMP's suppressor and jerked it from the man's grip. The Hammerli was level with the soldier's face, and he stood there in shock, the radio still in his hand, and his thumb still tightly pressing the button on its side.
Jack fit the UMP under his arm and held out his free hand pulling his thumb away, signaling for the soldier to release his own from the radio. He did just that, and then held it out for Jack who snatched it up, quickly. "You see," Jack started, "you don't want to die. And that's why you're going to help undo what your just did. Got it?" The soldier nodded nervously and listened. "Now, I'm going to give this back to you, and you're going to tell your friends that you didn't find us. You're going to tell them we were two hostages and we were trying to get away. Then, you tell them you killed us. Got it?" The soldier nodded in agreement and Jack cautiously handed him the radio again.
Watching Jack as if for some sort of emotional support, he pushed down on the button on the radio's side and slowly spoke into it. "F…false alarm. Just…two hostages. I k…killed them," he said and then let go of the button, dropping the radio to the floor. It aroused a clatter when it hit the floor, and Snake began to descend the cable. Jack heard him and turned.
"No, don't worry," he said. "Give me just one second." Just then, before he had turned, he heard a thump. The soldier was on his back, blood seeping from his neck, and a knife tightly gripped in his right hand. Jack took one look and then turned away, quickly. "Didn't think ya had it in ya," he said and then began to walk away, dropping the UMP behind him.
He saw Snake start back of the cable, and quickly holstered his Hammerli as he approached the shattered window of a wall. His walk was different. Not far from his unusual half-skip, half-run style, but it was more hard, less loose. It was sad, and determined. How terrible one's life must be if one was willing to take it…he was hurt by the revelation, but not struck down. He wasn't out of the game yet.
"I'm up," Snake said and Jack tugged the cable to make sure it was secure. Then, he grabbed a hold of it and began to climb. Snake was lying on his stomach, just up against the lip of the roof. He heard a buzz in his ear and quickly put his fingers to it.
"Yea?" he asked, knowing that it would be Otacon.
"I see you." It wasn't Otacon. The voice was squeaky and shrill. It was the same he had heard after encountering Little Mary for the first time. Snake thought to move, but did not, realizing the possible danger of his situation. "Ah ah ah, Snake. Don't try and stand. Someone else could be watching."
"Who are you?" Snake asked, but the answer was no different than the last.
"I cannot tell you that for now, Snake, but please don't try anything stupid. There are others out on the prowl tonight, and I should hate to think what they might do if they spotter you…" the voice returned. Then, just as soon as the conversation had commenced, it closed.
"Damn!" Snake waited, accessing Otacon's familiar frequency. He waited and then a short beep sounded. Otacon was connected.
"Snake! Are you in position?" Otacon asked, urgently. A hand reached over the lip of the roof and Snake turned on his side to help Jack over it. His body fell onto the roof beside him and he snuck down behind the lip, staring at Snake as he spoke.
"Yea," he said. "We're ready."
"We?" Otacon asked quizzically.
"Jack and I. We're both here."
"So you met up with him again?" Otacon asked, confirming Jack's name to Farrel who seemed rather surprised. "Is it safe for us to land there?"
"I was just contacted by that guy I spoke to earlier. I don't think it's ever safe for you to land here, but now is as good a time as ever," Snake said.
"Take us in!" Otacon yelled to the pilot of the helicopter. "We're coming. Give us some cover…if we need it." Snake nodded even though Otacon had no way of knowing, and then looked to Jack.
"Be ready for any surprises," Snake said as the sound of the chopper began to fill their ears. Jack nodded and looked to untie his FAMAS from the cable that dangled down to the floor below. "Don't take that," Snake said. "We might need to go back down that way." Jack sighed and pulled forth his small Hammerli, brandishing it in the darkness.
"Then I guess I'll just use this," he said, almost as if he had a choice. The sound of the chopper grew louder still, and Snake pulled forth his SOCOM, holding his hand out for Jack who set a magazine in his open palm. He let the spent clip slide out, and inserted the other in its place.
Before they knew it, the chopper was nearly over top of them. Snake hit his fist on the rooftop, realizing he had left his NVG's a floor below. Jack looked up at him and pulled a pair of Thermal Goggles from his waist, holding them out for Snake. "This is the last time I lend you something of mine. You're on your own from here on out," Jack said, jokingly, and Snake grabbed the Thermals, strapping them tightly around his face. He looked up and could see Otacon looking out of the doorway of the chopper, waving ever so slightly.
Then, the chopper was down, and both Jack and Snake were on their feet. There was but one door on the helicopter, and unfortunately, it opened on the other side, making Snake and Jack run around to it. It also presented another problem…
Snake went around the chopper and smiled when he saw Otacon step down on the rooftop, his white jacket on and his glasses as loose and annoying as ever. His hair was messy but shiny even in the darkness of the night, and he looked as if he had spent many long hours thinking. Nothing but thinking. "It's good to see you," Snake said, and he shook Otacon's hand firmly.
"You too," his friend chuckled, turning to help Farrel out of the chopper. As he stepped toward the three of them, he seemed to stumble and Snake's head whipped around to what lay behind them. The Spire stood just in their direction, and when he turned back to Farrel he saw something bleeding from his chest.
They had all heard it. It was a gunshot. And then, there was another. This one was not placed in Farrel's chest though, but had instead found its way to his forehead. The impact threw him against the back wall of the chopper and the look on his face was terrible. It was wretched and saddened. None of them had immediately turned to help him down, and he in turn was shot. He had died.
"Get down!" Snake yelled, and he and Otacon dodged around the helicopter, a bullet just missing them. Jack did the same, but went around the other side, the back rudder emitting loud whooshing sounds in his ear. He too was afraid. Afraid and devastated. The three were alert, but Snake was the only one in the condition to fight. Otacon was too upset, too stained by the event to do anything. It had happened so fast, and even Snake, who knew hardly anything of Farrel, felt somewhat hurt by it…somewhat affected.
"He…we…" Otacon tried to speak, but could not. Jack didn't say anything. They just waited, but they heard a faint noise trying to sound over the helicopter. The pilot was knocking on his window with his fist, waving his hand upward. He was leaving them, and if they did not retreat to another location quickly, they would have no cover.
"Otacon, follow Jack. We've got a distant adversary. He'll get you out of the line of fire," Snake said, turning back to Otacon who looked at him with eyes full of sadness. Snake shot a glance to Jack and waved him off. "Go!" Jack quickly stood and led Otacon to the cable as the helicopter began to pull away. Snake watched them go, and then looked in the direction of the Spire as the helicopter retreated.
He looked back again, and Otacon had disappeared over the side of the building. The helicopter had gone, and so had his only other friends. He stood there, uncovered and naked to the world…to his enemy. The distant adversary watched…
Something sounded in his ear. "Peek–a–boo," the voice reached out. "I see you…"