Chapter 13
"You have a green light to take down Fredericks."
Nathan nodded uselessly, his eyes automatically roaming the room, looking for Fredericks. Forcing himself to look past Fredericks, to flick his gaze over him, to not give the man any reason to suspect him
Not now, not this close to the end.
He saw Ashley, still maintaining her cover, still serving food and coffee to the unsuspecting patrons of the Hotel. She glanced up, her eyes mirroring the trip his had just taken. Nathan waited until she looked at him, then jerked his head towards Fredericks and nodded. Keeping the movement small and precise.
He started to walk towards Fredericks' table. Slipping his hands inside the Regan Hotel waistcoat he was wearing. Feeling the reassuring weight, pressure of his pistol, holstered against his side.
Ashley moved in from the other side of the room. Slipping through the knots of people and tables.
"Excuse me, miss?"
She ignored the speaker. Her eyes focused on Fredericks' table, her pistol pressing against the small of her back, covered by her Regan Hotel uniform.
Almost there, now. So close. She could almost smell his aftershave, almost taste the remnants of their coffee.
His friend, his accomplice looked up, looked at her, his smile almost faltering, just for an instant. Then it returned, brighter for its brief absence, as he leaned back in his chair, leering at the pretty waitress.
She managed to smile, knowing only that she had to. Her skin crawled as she imagined his hands on her, touching her.
Nathan saw Fredericks' friend, accomplice look up, focus on Ashley. Saw him stare at her, his mouth opening.
"Shit."
He tried to pick his pace up, move as quick as he could through the room. Dimly he heard people call out, trying to attract his attention. He ignored them, all of his attention focused on Ashley and the impending confrontation.
If he had made her, if he even suspected she was with CTU...
He saw Ashley smile back at the man, and then Fredericks drew him back into a conversation. Nathan released the breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding.
He saw Fredericks move, heard Ashley shout from across the room.
"Nathan! He's got a gun!"
The Regan Hotel dissolved into chaos.
xxxXXXxxx
Time slowed down.
He heard van der Meldes footsteps, crunching against spent cartridges and broken glass on the deserted road. Heard groans of pain from injured members of the Delta Team.
His arms, starting to ache.
He felt the gun barrel, still warm from the shot that had killed Jeffers press into the back of his skull.
"I don't want to die. Not here. Not like this."
For a second, Tom wondered if he had spoken his thoughts aloud.
"I don't want to spend the rest of my life in a South African jail. If they get me back there, I'm a dead man."
Time slowed again. Trying not to look for the attackers he knew were coming to finish the job. Trying not to look for his reinforcements (they were coming, he knew they were coming. Michelle had promised him and she kept her promises) Just trying to keep van der Melde talking, trying to buy himself some time. "Tell me what you do want."
"I want to disappear. Out of Fredericks' reach. Out of Cronje's reach."
Conscious of the gun against the back of his head, Tom nodded carefully. "I think I can arrange that."
xxxXXXxxx
"Delta Base, we're approximately five minutes from Delta One."
"Copy that."
The van bounced across an uneven part of the highway, picking up speed as it hurtled towards the scene. Inside, the Delta Team checked weapons and equipment. None of them needed to be told that their friends were fighting and dying.
"Delta Four, we have movement west of Delta One's location. They're moving towards Delta One."
"Shit." The Delta Leader clicked off his radio. "Hurry up. Tom's running out of time." He drummed his fingers briefly on the dashboard and then clicked the radio on again. "ASU One, this is Delta Four."
"Go ahead Delta Four."
"CTU reports movement west of Delta One's location. I need you to scout the area. Give Tom some cover, buy us sometime to get there."
"Copy that Delta Four."
The helicopter swept away from the vehicles, hurrying towards the scene, swiftly leaving them behind, flying low across the terrain, small clouds of dust kicked up by its rotating blades.
He looked over his shoulder at the men, dressed in black, the CTU logo emblazoned on their uniforms.
"Get ready."
He was answered by the sound of weapons snapping into firing positions.
In the distance, they heard the sound of small arms fire.
He glanced at the driver and opened his mouth to bark another order.
The van accelerated before he could say a word, the sound of gunfire growing steadily louder.
xxxXXXxxx
"He's agreed to everything?"
"Yes. Everything that you wanted."
Natasha couldn't quite believe what Michael Jarode was telling her. Couldn't believe that Brad had given up so easily, so quickly. Couldn't believe that all her plans, all her carefully laid plans, all her hopes and ambitions were disappearing like smoke on the morning air.
"Natasha?"
She became aware that she had been quiet for far too long, and found her voice from some where. "What did you have to give? To get him to take Almeida off probation."
"Nothing." She could almost imagine Jarode's shrug. "Just continue to support him."
His words hit her hard. This was why Hammonds had given in, had backed off Almeida. It was an easy exchange to make, easing up to safeguard his own future.
And Natasha had been turned into a sacrificial pawn.
"Thank you sir. I'm sure that will be a great relief to Michelle Dessler."
She hung up and sank back behind her desk. Thinking through the wreckage of her plans. Wondering if there was any thing she could do to salvage it.
"Ms Grey." Her secretary's voice snapped through her concentration.
"What is it?"
"Brad Hammond is here to see you."
Already? She hadn't expected him to be here so soon. She smiled bitterly. Obviously there were quite a few things she hadn't expected him to do. "Send him in, please." She scrubbed her hands through her hair, hoping that she didn't look too defeated.
She still had cards to play. Still had allies, still had favours to call in.
Hammond wouldn't find it so easy to get rid of her.
He walked in without knocking and she sprang to her feet, like a child caught misbehaving. Hastily schooling her features into her usual calm professional expression.
His sudden vicious victorious grin told her that he had seen more than she had wanted him to.
Her expression hardened into a frown.
She wasn't going anywhere.
xxxXXXxxx
The bodyguard sprang to his feet, his chair landing with a crash on the floor behind him. Tugging his pistol free from its holster.
Pushing Cronje onto the floor behind him, stepping across in front of Cronje.
Ignoring the chaos and the shouts breaking out, erupting inside the Regan Hotel. Aiming at Fredericks. Following his movements smoothly with the barrel of the gun.
Shots rang out in the Regan Hotel.
And then the screaming started.
xxxXXXxxx
Tom heard footsteps drawing closer.
"I can help. I can help you disappear."
"How." Van der Melde didn't seem to be in any hurry, the gun pressed into the back of Tom's skull.
Tom risked another look.
Closer.
"All we want is Fredericks. I don't give a fuck about Cronje or exchanging you. Just help us get Fredericks and I promise you, you can slide off the face of the earth as far as CTU is concerned."
He hoped Michelle would help him keep that promise.
The boots drew closer.
He played his last card. Hoping it was an ace. "You don't want a man like Fredericks on your trail."
The boots drew closer.
Almost at the bullet ridden vans. Tom squeezed his eyes shut. Waiting for, praying for an answer. Waiting for, dreading the click that would tell him it was the wrong one.
"Okay."
It seemed to take an eternity for van der Melde to take the gun away, an eternity that brought Fredericks men closer and closer.
Van der Melde moved, attracting the attention of the approaching figures.
And then the shooting started.
xxxXXXxxx
"Damnit!"
Cronje's bodyguard stepped forward, trying to shield his charge, his gun aimed at Fredericks table.
Straight into Nathan's line of fire.
He ducked around, trying to find an angel, an angle to get Fredericks with a clear shot.
He saw the bodyguard fire, at the same time as Fredericks and his man fired. Saw William Cronje, safe under the table.
Heard three (no four) sharp cracks, terrifyingly loud in the now silent hotel.
He saw the bodyguard stagger backwards. Hit in the chest and shoulder, blood soaking into his previously pristine shirt. Saw both the bodyguard and the other man at Fredericks' table fall.
Heard the screaming start at the sight of blood oozing out onto the floor.
Fredericks fired again, firing again and again at the table where Cronje was hiding.
Nathan ducked for cover as bullets ricochet around the Regan Hotel.
xxxXXXxxx
"Shots fired in the Regan Hotel! I repeat shots fired in the Regan Hotel!"
Michelle turned quickly to Tony. "Send Delta Five in. Tell them..."
He hesitated. "Tell them what?"
"Tell them if they have a clear shot on Fredericks, they're to take it."