AN: Disclaimers & info in part 1.
AN2: As before, dialogue in is in Russian.
********************************
Darting through the trees, moving silently as possible, they made their way
back toward the farmhouse. Even as they approached, they both could see shadowy
figures surrounding the house, every one of them armed to the teeth.
CD crouched down, trying to come up with a course of action. Next to her,
Harm was surveying the scene, silently assessing the situation unfolding in
front of them. Spotting a small grove of large pine trees closer to the house,
Mercedes tapped Harm on the arm and gestured towards it. The trees would
provide a better hiding place, as well as putting them closer to the action.
Harm nodded, then gestured for Mercedes to stay put. Swiftly and silently,
he sprinted to the trees and ducked behind them, constantly checking to see if
they had been observed.
Nothing. He looked back to where CD was watching him and waiting, and
signaled to her. Following his lead, she too dashed over, running crouched
down and low to the ground as she could before almost diving into position next
to Harm.
Exchanging a worried glance, they noticed even more men surrounding the
house, waiting for the order to move in. CD looked at Harm, the obvious
question in her eyes: What are we going to do?
He shook his head, unable to come up with an immediate course of action but
wracking his brain for some way to get Mac and Webb out of there before the
troops moved in.
And then it was too late, as the men surrounding the old house efficiently
split into teams and charged in.
*********
"You know, Webb," Mac told the now-groaning agent, "She had a point there."
"I do know... the 'point' was the finger she jabbed up behind my ear," he
complained.
Mac rolled her eyes. "Do you try to make yourself everyone's punching bag,
or is it just a talent?"
"Genetics. Although," Clay added sitting up and groaning, "I doubt my
father ever had to deal with anything like the Rabb family."
"Far as I can tell, there is nothing like the Rabb family."
"Isn't that the truth," Webb agreed as Mac helped him to his feet. "And
it's not just these two, from what I understand---"
The rest of Clay's comment was cut off as several men dressed in black
fatigues and loaded for bear with automatic weapons charged into the farmhouse.
Instinctively, he pushed Mac behind him. Marine or no, this wasn't her mess,
and he wasn't about to let her end up a victim of it.
As automatic rifles were leveled at them, one of the men barked out orders.
"Stop were you are and don't move!!
Mac didn't have the time or thought to spare to be irritated with Webb's
protectiveness. Even if she had, she wouldn't have been once she realized what
Webb had done. In using one arm to shove her behind him, he had also passed his
pistol to her. She quickly and as surreptitiously as possible tucked it under
her jacket, even as Webb slowly raised his hands, questioning the men in a
confused tone. "What is going on here? Why are you pointing guns at us?"
The lead figure spoke again. "We know you are American spies and escaped
prisoners. We are--" The man stopped short, instead listening something coming
over the tiny radio earpiece he wore.
A moment later, he turned back to Webb and Mac. "Enough. General
Tikhomirov will arrive shortly to question you himself. Until then, silence."
Tikhomirov. A name Webb knew too well, for too many reasons.
**********
Outside, both Rabbs watched the scene continue to unfold, ignoring the
growing coldness and increasing snowfall. Harm was completely focused on the
farmhouse, ignoring everything else. He one thought and only one thought in his
mind: get Mac out of there.
On the other hand, CD was trying to take in every miniscule aspect of their
surroundings, trying to feel her way through the whole situation... which was
extremely fortunate for them both.
She heard the car approaching before she saw it. The distinctive low bass
rumble of a large Benz sedan reached her ears moments before she saw the twin
beams of the headlights coming up the road to the farm house... and snaking
their way straight for their hiding spot.
"Down!" CD hissed, dragging Harm by his arm into the underbrush of the tree
as she flattened herself to the ground.
"What the...?" Harm saw the car and didn't bother finishing his question.
The lights trailed over the tree but failed to penetrate the darkness beneath
it.
CD let out the breath she'd been holding. "That was too close."
"Yeah," Harm answered, keeping his eyes on the unfolding scene. He
watched the Benz pull to a stop outside the farmhouse. A solitary figure exited
the rear, scanning the scene for a moment before beginning to issue orders. "CD,
can you--?"
"A bit. He looks older, maybe in his 50s or 60s... he's asking
something...how many there are." She bit her lip, straining to hear what was
being said. "I think...."
Her voice trailed off as two figures, hands bound, were drug from the
house. Mac and Webb were forced to their knees in front of the figure, who
appeared to regard them with mild interest. This time, when the man spoke, it
was in English. The crisp winter air carried his voice to where Harm and
Mercedes were hiding.
"Where are Mercedes and Harmon Rabb?" He demanded.
TBC.....
AN2: As before, dialogue in is in Russian.
********************************
Darting through the trees, moving silently as possible, they made their way
back toward the farmhouse. Even as they approached, they both could see shadowy
figures surrounding the house, every one of them armed to the teeth.
CD crouched down, trying to come up with a course of action. Next to her,
Harm was surveying the scene, silently assessing the situation unfolding in
front of them. Spotting a small grove of large pine trees closer to the house,
Mercedes tapped Harm on the arm and gestured towards it. The trees would
provide a better hiding place, as well as putting them closer to the action.
Harm nodded, then gestured for Mercedes to stay put. Swiftly and silently,
he sprinted to the trees and ducked behind them, constantly checking to see if
they had been observed.
Nothing. He looked back to where CD was watching him and waiting, and
signaled to her. Following his lead, she too dashed over, running crouched
down and low to the ground as she could before almost diving into position next
to Harm.
Exchanging a worried glance, they noticed even more men surrounding the
house, waiting for the order to move in. CD looked at Harm, the obvious
question in her eyes: What are we going to do?
He shook his head, unable to come up with an immediate course of action but
wracking his brain for some way to get Mac and Webb out of there before the
troops moved in.
And then it was too late, as the men surrounding the old house efficiently
split into teams and charged in.
*********
"You know, Webb," Mac told the now-groaning agent, "She had a point there."
"I do know... the 'point' was the finger she jabbed up behind my ear," he
complained.
Mac rolled her eyes. "Do you try to make yourself everyone's punching bag,
or is it just a talent?"
"Genetics. Although," Clay added sitting up and groaning, "I doubt my
father ever had to deal with anything like the Rabb family."
"Far as I can tell, there is nothing like the Rabb family."
"Isn't that the truth," Webb agreed as Mac helped him to his feet. "And
it's not just these two, from what I understand---"
The rest of Clay's comment was cut off as several men dressed in black
fatigues and loaded for bear with automatic weapons charged into the farmhouse.
Instinctively, he pushed Mac behind him. Marine or no, this wasn't her mess,
and he wasn't about to let her end up a victim of it.
As automatic rifles were leveled at them, one of the men barked out orders.
"Stop were you are and don't move!!
Mac didn't have the time or thought to spare to be irritated with Webb's
protectiveness. Even if she had, she wouldn't have been once she realized what
Webb had done. In using one arm to shove her behind him, he had also passed his
pistol to her. She quickly and as surreptitiously as possible tucked it under
her jacket, even as Webb slowly raised his hands, questioning the men in a
confused tone. "What is going on here? Why are you pointing guns at us?"
The lead figure spoke again. "We know you are American spies and escaped
prisoners. We are--" The man stopped short, instead listening something coming
over the tiny radio earpiece he wore.
A moment later, he turned back to Webb and Mac. "Enough. General
Tikhomirov will arrive shortly to question you himself. Until then, silence."
Tikhomirov. A name Webb knew too well, for too many reasons.
**********
Outside, both Rabbs watched the scene continue to unfold, ignoring the
growing coldness and increasing snowfall. Harm was completely focused on the
farmhouse, ignoring everything else. He one thought and only one thought in his
mind: get Mac out of there.
On the other hand, CD was trying to take in every miniscule aspect of their
surroundings, trying to feel her way through the whole situation... which was
extremely fortunate for them both.
She heard the car approaching before she saw it. The distinctive low bass
rumble of a large Benz sedan reached her ears moments before she saw the twin
beams of the headlights coming up the road to the farm house... and snaking
their way straight for their hiding spot.
"Down!" CD hissed, dragging Harm by his arm into the underbrush of the tree
as she flattened herself to the ground.
"What the...?" Harm saw the car and didn't bother finishing his question.
The lights trailed over the tree but failed to penetrate the darkness beneath
it.
CD let out the breath she'd been holding. "That was too close."
"Yeah," Harm answered, keeping his eyes on the unfolding scene. He
watched the Benz pull to a stop outside the farmhouse. A solitary figure exited
the rear, scanning the scene for a moment before beginning to issue orders. "CD,
can you--?"
"A bit. He looks older, maybe in his 50s or 60s... he's asking
something...how many there are." She bit her lip, straining to hear what was
being said. "I think...."
Her voice trailed off as two figures, hands bound, were drug from the
house. Mac and Webb were forced to their knees in front of the figure, who
appeared to regard them with mild interest. This time, when the man spoke, it
was in English. The crisp winter air carried his voice to where Harm and
Mercedes were hiding.
"Where are Mercedes and Harmon Rabb?" He demanded.
TBC.....