Chapter 44
Cameron wasn't looking too happy but it wasn't as though he didn't deserve everything he was getting. "Right," Jack walked over, picking up the only other gun on the way. "Got any ideas?"
Irina glanced at him, doing her best not to let her eyes off her captive. "There are twelve of them, two of us. Six each?" He could hear it in her voice that she didn't think that that was really an option. Neither did he.
Jack shrugged, all the while his mind ticking over, running at a hundred miles a minute, trying to find a way out of their little dilemma. Not to mention, time was running out, eventually someone was going to walk through that door and then there simply wouldn't be any time to formulate a plan.
Irina bit her lip, a habit that was fast becoming something that Jack looked at as being fascinating. But right now, he couldn't let his mind wander. His eyes suddenly lit up and Irina knew, "You know how we're going to get out of this..." She grinned.
He inclined is head as though in acceptance of a great compliment, which, he supposed, it was in a way. Beating Irina to the answer; impressive and he saw that she thought so too. "We take the hostage. Hope to God they don't get a clear shot."
Irina nodded, not the best plan, but the best they were going to come up with. "Do you want the guns or the madman?"
Cameron grunted in protest at her accusation of insanity but he was quickly shut up as she shoved the gun into his ribs hissing at him in warning. "You seem to be getting on well with him. I'll take the guns," Jack answered.
She could feel the hope radiating off Mr Black as he thought over the prospect that they seemed to be offering; they were going to use him, but 'guns' meant that Jack was going to have both, so how were they going to control him? He was in with a chance. Irina only smiled, "Now, Mr Black, I warn you, it is absolutely true that my husband is going to be the only one with a gun, so yes, this may be your best shot to run. However, I must also warn you, that I can easily kill you with the slightest of twists to the neck. So, before you even contemplate trying to get away before we see fit, think about your own health. You of all people must know I am not one to suffer fools."
Jack raised his eyebrows in appreciation at the speech; it had Cameron rethinking his escape-design. "Right," Irina was in charge, Jack wasn't about to argue. "Do you mind grabbing the box?" Jack knew it was a real option to leave it, Irina wasn't just telling him to take it; she was giving him the choice. If he took it, he'd have a Rambaldi artifact, if he left it, he wouldn't. But he knew the Irina would rather he took it. It was amazing that she was even asking him, giving him the choice. It proved one thing, beyond doubt. She wanted him more than she wanted Rambaldi artifacts. It brought a warm glow to him.
But why leave it here when he could so easily take it with them. It was small, sort of like a small jewelry box and he could fit it, with only a little difficulty, into his back pocket. Irina rearranged her arms to get a firm grip around Cameron's throat before throwing the gun in a graceful arc to Jack who was standing near the door, both guns now drawn.
"Bullets?" he asked, remembering that all the bullets had been taken out except one in Irina's weapon. She nodded, lightening her grip on the hostage. He sighed slightly before pulling a handful from his pocket; Jack took them and hurriedly loaded the gun.
"On three?" Irina asked, moving, along with Cameron, over to him.
"Déjà vu." Jack smirked.
Irina grinned back, the familiar adrenaline rush coursing through her. "One..."
"Two..."
"Three..." They burst through the door with the minimum amount of noise possible. Jack stood in front while Irina, not one to be left out, made sure it was plainly obvious that the boss's neck was only seconds from breaking if she felt that need.
Outside it was quiet. Irina knew immediately that, despite sounding like a cliché, it was too quiet. Not even the wildlife seemed to be moving. They were here somewhere. Twelve armed men.
Across the clearing, another four-wheel drive sat, dark green in colour and apparently in good condition. Cautiously, they moved towards it, one step at a time, dragging the difficult man along with them.
The crunch of boot on leaf litter made Irina's head snap around and she saw him just before he saw them, shouting loudly. Jack looked to where the noise was coming from and placed a shot which quickly silenced it. Too late though. A moment later, men were spilling out of the secondary building, guns drawn and aimed at them, a few taking off course shots in an aim to startle them.
Jack took another two men out while Irina continued to haul the ever obnoxious deadweight towards the car. They were still a good fifteen meters off. At the edge of her vision she saw Jack doing his best to get a clear shot in but the opposition had the blatant advantage, not only were there more of them but they were now using the building as cover.
"s***," Jack hit one last man before turning and grabbing Cameron, taking most of his weight and hauling him towards the car. Not too much further. Just as they arrived he felt the searing heat in his right arm and he knew it could only be one thing. Wrenching open the door, he collapsed in, dumping their hostage in the back seat and watching as Irina jumped in front of the wheel.
He pulled the door shut and turned just in time to see Cameron scuttling out the opposite car door, he went to go after him but Irina's hand on his back stopped him short.
Irina, looking to her left, saw a bullet ricochet off the window. It was a bulletproof car. And the keys, she quickly found, were in glove compartment.
She jabbed them into the ignition and felt the car roar into life, next to her, Jack clambered into the front seat. She didn't bother to look at him, not yet, first she had to drive them out of this mess. Flooring it, she felt the tires trying to get a grip and the moment they did, they were off, a hundred kilometers an hour, through rough terrain, doing her best to dodge the scattered trees.
Ten minutes later, there was no sign of another car and Irina slowed to a safer pace. It was then that she realized Jack hadn't said anything since their escape. She glanced over at him and saw the blood-stained seat and the mess of shirt and flesh dripping with the red liquid. "s***."
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Cameron wasn't looking too happy but it wasn't as though he didn't deserve everything he was getting. "Right," Jack walked over, picking up the only other gun on the way. "Got any ideas?"
Irina glanced at him, doing her best not to let her eyes off her captive. "There are twelve of them, two of us. Six each?" He could hear it in her voice that she didn't think that that was really an option. Neither did he.
Jack shrugged, all the while his mind ticking over, running at a hundred miles a minute, trying to find a way out of their little dilemma. Not to mention, time was running out, eventually someone was going to walk through that door and then there simply wouldn't be any time to formulate a plan.
Irina bit her lip, a habit that was fast becoming something that Jack looked at as being fascinating. But right now, he couldn't let his mind wander. His eyes suddenly lit up and Irina knew, "You know how we're going to get out of this..." She grinned.
He inclined is head as though in acceptance of a great compliment, which, he supposed, it was in a way. Beating Irina to the answer; impressive and he saw that she thought so too. "We take the hostage. Hope to God they don't get a clear shot."
Irina nodded, not the best plan, but the best they were going to come up with. "Do you want the guns or the madman?"
Cameron grunted in protest at her accusation of insanity but he was quickly shut up as she shoved the gun into his ribs hissing at him in warning. "You seem to be getting on well with him. I'll take the guns," Jack answered.
She could feel the hope radiating off Mr Black as he thought over the prospect that they seemed to be offering; they were going to use him, but 'guns' meant that Jack was going to have both, so how were they going to control him? He was in with a chance. Irina only smiled, "Now, Mr Black, I warn you, it is absolutely true that my husband is going to be the only one with a gun, so yes, this may be your best shot to run. However, I must also warn you, that I can easily kill you with the slightest of twists to the neck. So, before you even contemplate trying to get away before we see fit, think about your own health. You of all people must know I am not one to suffer fools."
Jack raised his eyebrows in appreciation at the speech; it had Cameron rethinking his escape-design. "Right," Irina was in charge, Jack wasn't about to argue. "Do you mind grabbing the box?" Jack knew it was a real option to leave it, Irina wasn't just telling him to take it; she was giving him the choice. If he took it, he'd have a Rambaldi artifact, if he left it, he wouldn't. But he knew the Irina would rather he took it. It was amazing that she was even asking him, giving him the choice. It proved one thing, beyond doubt. She wanted him more than she wanted Rambaldi artifacts. It brought a warm glow to him.
But why leave it here when he could so easily take it with them. It was small, sort of like a small jewelry box and he could fit it, with only a little difficulty, into his back pocket. Irina rearranged her arms to get a firm grip around Cameron's throat before throwing the gun in a graceful arc to Jack who was standing near the door, both guns now drawn.
"Bullets?" he asked, remembering that all the bullets had been taken out except one in Irina's weapon. She nodded, lightening her grip on the hostage. He sighed slightly before pulling a handful from his pocket; Jack took them and hurriedly loaded the gun.
"On three?" Irina asked, moving, along with Cameron, over to him.
"Déjà vu." Jack smirked.
Irina grinned back, the familiar adrenaline rush coursing through her. "One..."
"Two..."
"Three..." They burst through the door with the minimum amount of noise possible. Jack stood in front while Irina, not one to be left out, made sure it was plainly obvious that the boss's neck was only seconds from breaking if she felt that need.
Outside it was quiet. Irina knew immediately that, despite sounding like a cliché, it was too quiet. Not even the wildlife seemed to be moving. They were here somewhere. Twelve armed men.
Across the clearing, another four-wheel drive sat, dark green in colour and apparently in good condition. Cautiously, they moved towards it, one step at a time, dragging the difficult man along with them.
The crunch of boot on leaf litter made Irina's head snap around and she saw him just before he saw them, shouting loudly. Jack looked to where the noise was coming from and placed a shot which quickly silenced it. Too late though. A moment later, men were spilling out of the secondary building, guns drawn and aimed at them, a few taking off course shots in an aim to startle them.
Jack took another two men out while Irina continued to haul the ever obnoxious deadweight towards the car. They were still a good fifteen meters off. At the edge of her vision she saw Jack doing his best to get a clear shot in but the opposition had the blatant advantage, not only were there more of them but they were now using the building as cover.
"s***," Jack hit one last man before turning and grabbing Cameron, taking most of his weight and hauling him towards the car. Not too much further. Just as they arrived he felt the searing heat in his right arm and he knew it could only be one thing. Wrenching open the door, he collapsed in, dumping their hostage in the back seat and watching as Irina jumped in front of the wheel.
He pulled the door shut and turned just in time to see Cameron scuttling out the opposite car door, he went to go after him but Irina's hand on his back stopped him short.
Irina, looking to her left, saw a bullet ricochet off the window. It was a bulletproof car. And the keys, she quickly found, were in glove compartment.
She jabbed them into the ignition and felt the car roar into life, next to her, Jack clambered into the front seat. She didn't bother to look at him, not yet, first she had to drive them out of this mess. Flooring it, she felt the tires trying to get a grip and the moment they did, they were off, a hundred kilometers an hour, through rough terrain, doing her best to dodge the scattered trees.
Ten minutes later, there was no sign of another car and Irina slowed to a safer pace. It was then that she realized Jack hadn't said anything since their escape. She glanced over at him and saw the blood-stained seat and the mess of shirt and flesh dripping with the red liquid. "s***."
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