I own nothing. This story is set in an alternate universe. There will be OOC. You have been warned.
While You Were Sleeping
Chapter Twelve: Infiltration
Shinji looked around the dark forest and raised his binoculars. "This is going to be interesting."
"Yeah," Pierce grunted. "Can you make that shot?"
"We're only about a mile away," Shinji said as he lay down and brought his Type 14's stock to his shoulder. He stared at the strip of nylon lying next to him. His eyes studying the different 14.5mm bullet types strapped inside. Finally he slipped one of the bullets from its loops and laid it in the rifle. He closed the bolt and looked at the radar station through the rifle's massive scope.
"What bullet are you using?" Pierce asked as he lay down next to Shinji and set the spotting scope up on its tripod.
"The SLAP," Shinji said. "I packed a few of them."
"What else do you have?"
"Three more SLAPSs, four AP, four ball, four incendiary, and four tracer rounds," Shinji said. "I tried to pack for any occasion."
"Okay," Pierce said. "Do you think Ryoji knows that we brought a Type 14?"
"I doubt it," Shinji said. "He was probably hoping that we would have to get up close and tear the place down from the inside out."
"Eh," Pierce grunted. "Target is two thousand and eleven meters away and we've got a five kilometer per hour wind coming from the west."
"Roger that," Shinji said as he adjusted the dials on the rifle's scope. He flipped the safety down and wrapped his finger around the trigger. "Piece of cake."
"You'll jinx us," Pierce said.
"Eh," Shinji grunted. The rifle bucked with a crack like thunder. In the scope a hole appeared in the side of the radar's housing unit. The radar screeched to a halt. "Good." He pulled back the bolt and let the spent brass ejected into his hand. He slipped the spent round back into the nylon loops and watched as several men came out of the building.
"Maintenance crew," Pierce said. Shinji nodded and slipped another bullet from its loops. He slipped it into place and closed the bolt. He brought the rifle back to his shoulder and shifted his aim to several barrels against one side of the radar installation. "Are you taking them out?"
"Might buy us some time," Shinji said. The rifle bucked again and a second later the barrels exploded, sending a wave a flaming liquid across the men.
"That should do it," Pierce commented. "That should also blow the lid on the covert part of this mission."
"That ended whenever Bishop was supposed to check in," Shinji said, "an hour ago if Savior SOP hasn't changed."
"That just makes everything more interesting," Pierce said.
"And a bigger pain in the ass," Shinji added.
"Amen."
(:ii:)
"Why wasn't their equipment list made available to me?" Kaji raged.
"You didn't need to know," Misato said. "And I would watch myself if I were you. One might begin to believe that you want them dead." Kaji scowled at her and stormed out of the command center.
"Asshole," Gambit murmured with a smirk. He picked up a headset and slid it on. "Excellent shot Captain."
"It was nothing sir," Shinji's voice said over the room's speakers.
"Of course," Gambit said as he set the headset back down.
"They're making this job look easy," Misato said.
"This is easy," Gambit said. "Or at least this is the easy part."
"You're right," Misato said. She glanced at the man and watched as he scratched his head with both hands. He yawned broadly and stretched his arms above his head. "How did you come to be in the service of NERV?"
"Eh?" Gambit asked.
"You showed up a week after Shinji," Misato said. "Where were you before that?"
"I worked my way around the world," Gambit said with a shrug. "I worked as a mercenary for about fifty organizations in the last ten years."
"When did you become a soldier?" Misato asked.
"I graduated from the Naval Academy a long time ago," Gambit said. "Then I became a Marine office. I served with them until there was no more United States Marine Corps. I came here as a Colonel and joined the Genesis. Then I worked my way up to the Commandant position for them."
"Oh," Misato said.
"What's with the questionnaire?" Gambit asked. "I thought you knew most of this."
"Just trying to make conversation," Misato said.
"Sure," Gambit said as he fished a pair of small, round-framed sunglasses from his pocket and slipped them on. "I have to go talk to some people."
"Okay," Misato said. "I'll buzz you if anything happens."
"Thanks," Gambit said.
(:ii:)
"Damn woman," Gambit growled as he stepped out of the room. 'Way too nosey for her own good. She's lucky to still be alive.'
"Having problems General?" Gambit turned and his eyes narrowed when they fell on Kaji.
"Not at all," he said simply.
"So where are you heading?" Kaji asked.
"I was going to go get some whiskey," Gambit said. "You probably wouldn't know, but the stuff in the enlisted lounge will clear your sinuses faster then a fist to the nose."
"Would you mind some company?"
"Yes I would," Gambit said. 'Little prick is trying to follow me.'
"That's too bad,' Kaji said. "I was heading that way anyway."
"What a coincidence," Gambit said. 'I know what'll fix you.'
"Let's get going," Kaji said.
"After you," Gambit said as he touched the bottle in his pocket.
(:ii:)
"Where the hell is that bum?" Captain Ron Jameson growled as he raised his weapon and fired.
"He'll be here," Lieutenant Caesar Anthony said. The door to the firing range burst open and Ron turned to see an older man walk into the shooting range.
"You're late General."
"Sorry," the older man said. "That prick from Intelligence was following me around."
"What did you do?" Caesar asked. Gambit grinned coldly and tossed a small bottle to him.
"What's that?" Ron asked.
"Roofies," Caesar guessed. Gambit smiled and nodded. "Good old date rape drugs." He unscrewed the lid and upended the bottle. "It's empty."
"It was full ten minutes ago," Gambit said with a smirk.
"You're evil," Ron said as he set down his old Type 3. "But it serves out purpose this time."
"Yeah," Gambit said.
"Is there a reason you have roofies?" Rob asked
"It's not what you would think," Gambit said. "You can find all sorts of uses for these things. So what's with the shooting range?"
"It's the only way we can get ammunition issued to us," Ron said as he patted the massive stack of twenty and thirty-round magazines on the table set up in front of him. "We got your stuff too."
"Thanks," Gambit said. "They just finished off Ryoji's little side mission."
"I wish I could have seen the look on his face when he found out that they were lugging an anti-material rifle around," Caesar said.
"It was priceless," Gambit said.
"Brigadier General Gambit to the command center," someone said over the loud speakers.
"That's me."
"You know your own name," Caesar said. "I'm impressed."
"What was that First Lieutenant?"
"Nothing I'd repeat," Caesar said.
(:ii:)
Misato looked up as Gambit stormed into the command center. "God damned snot nose brat."
"What's wrong General?"
"This and that," Gambit said.
"Have you seen Ryoji anywhere?" Misato asked. Gambit's scowl turned into a grin that bordered on sadistic. "On second thought, I don't want to know."
"Probably not," Gambit said.
"He's still alive, right?" Misato asked.
"Should be," Gambit said. "But I'm not making any guarantees."
"Alright," Misato said. "I'll accept that."
"So what did you call me here for?"
"They've arrived at the HQ," Misato said. Gambit glanced at his watch.
"They must have hustled," he commented. "How far away are they?"
"They're a mile away," Misato said. "They stopped a couple of minutes ago and they're trying to decide on the best course of action."
"I would guess that they're going to sneak into the camp with as little gunfire as possible," Gambit said with a shrug. "They don't want to attract attention to their specific point of entry."
"That's their plan," Maya said.
"Good call," Misato said.
"Genesis tactics," Gambit said with a shrug.
"Isn't it true that Genesis tactics are Saviors tactics?" Misato asked.
"Yes ma'am," Gambit said. "The only way to fight Saviors is to fight like Saviors."
(:ii:)
"How many sentries are there?" Shinji asked as he finished applying the black camouflage paint to his face. Thunder rumbled over head and Shinji frowned as the light drizzle became heavier. 'Good thing this paint is oil based.'
"Ten," Pierce said. He turned to look at Shinji, his face painted with the same diagonal black tiger stripes with varying shades of gray in between. "Most of them have thermal optics. We'll need to make a diversion."
"I have something that may work," Shinji said.
"What did you have in mind?"
"I packed an infrared cracker grenade," Shinji explained with a shrug. "But I don't think that will take all of them."
"Then we'll just have to be selective," Pierce said. Shinji nodded and looked fondly down at his Type 14.
"We'll have to ditch the heavy artillery."
"I figured," Pierce said as he un-slung his Type 408 and laid it down next to the anti-material rifle. He pulled off his duffel bag and began to ferret out .408-caliber ammunition. Then he began to pull magazines from his vest and belt. Finally he slipped the pack back on.
"We'll need to keep this quiet," Shinji said.
"You don't need to tell me that Captain," Pierce said.
"Right," Shinji said with a nod. "Move out."
(:ii:)
Shinji kneeled behind a black armor-plated Humvee and drew the cracker from his vest. He glanced at Pierce and saw the older man nod as he screwed a suppressor onto his SOCOM. Shinji nodded back and pulled the pin. He tossed the grenade over the hood and threw an arm up over the lens of his NVGs. The grenade strobed soundlessly and Pierce burst up. His weapon popped twice and Shinji stood up with his Type 3 ready. Pierce flashed him a hand signal and Shinji nodded. He pulled a tiny M2 SLAM from his vest and attached it to the undercarriage of the Humvee. He grinned and stood up. They moved around the Humvee and Shinji grabbed one of the two downed soldiers by his harness. He dragged the young man into the bushes and kneeled down to set a claymore and trip wire. Pierce dragged the other one over and they quickly moved to the door that the soldiers had been guarding. Pierce kneeled and used his knife to wedge open the keypad's panel while Shinji covered with his Type 3. "Got it," Pierce hissed. Shinji turned and watched as the doors opened.
"Go." Pierce raised his pistol and moved in quickly with Shinji behind him, covering their rear with his rifle.
(:ii:)
"Need. . .armory. . .generators." Maya frowned and pressed his headset against her ear.
"Repeat your last Nagisa."
". . .find armory. . .blow. . .generators." Maya sighed in annoyance. 'This isn't good.'
"Ma'am?"
"What is it?" Misato asked.
"We're loosing audio contact with Pierce and Ikari," Maya said. She glanced at one of the video screeds. "Visual appears to be intact though."
"They're going down an elevator shaft," Gambit said. "This was to be expected." Maya nodded and turned back to the visual screens.
"Get. . .wall," Shinji said. Maya watched as Shinji's camera moved closer to the side of the shaft as an elevator car moved past them.
"Should I tell them?" Maya asked.
"No!" Maya turned and stared at Kaji. "We can't afford to let them know that we're having trouble hearing them."
"Feeling better Lieutenant Colonel?" Gambit asked with a smirk.
"That's Brigadier General," Kaji said through clenched teeth.
"You name could be mud and I still wouldn't give a damn," Gambit said airily.
"The Lieutenant Colonel is right," Misato said.
"Brigadier General," Kaji corrected.
"Yes ma'am," Maya said. "Where are they going?"
"The bottom," Gambit said. "That would be the best place to look for the generator."
"So they're trying to blow out the power?" Shigeru asked.
"Saviors do their best work in the dark," Gambit said. "And yes that is another Savior saying Lieutenant Colonel." Maya smirked as the brown-haired man's jaw shut with an audible click.
(:ii:)
'I'm getting to old for this shit.' Shinji wedged one boot into the opposite side of the elevator door frame. He carefully let go with his hands and dug an optic cable out of his vest. He used his knife to wedge the doors open a little and slipped the cable in. He frowned and held up four fingers for Pierce to see. The older man nodded and Shinji pulled the cable out. He wound it back up and tucked it into his vest. He brought up his Type 3 and switched the fire-selector to full as quietly as he could. He stuck his other boot between the two doors and shoved. "What the hell?" one man demanded.
"Sound an alarm!" another man screamed. Shinji swung around the muzzle of the Type 3 and fired. In a matter of seconds he had gotten off four three-round bursts. He pulled himself out of the shaft and raised his rifle again.
"Clear." Pierce climbed out of the shaft and sighed in relief.
"I'm getting to old for this shit." Shinji nodded and peeked into the elevator shaft. The elevator was overhead.
"Give me a hand," he said as he grabbed one of the bodies and forcibly shoved it into the shaft. Pierce grabbed the next and soon the only evidence was the blood on the floor. Shinji looked at the wall. "The generators are this way."
"How can you. . ." Pierce topped talking when his eyes fell on the signs on the wall. "Oh." He turned and looked at Shinji. "Not a word."
"Of course not," Shinji agreed quickly. He looked around the hallway and frowned.
"No visible security cameras," Pierce said like he had read Shinji's mind.
"Use an EMP." Pierce nodded and pulled a long gray cylinder out of his vest. He pulled the pin and lobbed it down the hallway. Shinji waited for a minute and frowned. "Did it work?"
"To hell if I know," Pierce said with a shrug. "Doc Akagi made the damned thing."
"Is that supposed to reassure or make me more nervous?" Shinji asked.
"Doc Akagi made them," Pierce said with a shrug.
"Oh," Shinji said nervously. "Haven't they field tested these things yet?"
"That was the field test," Pierce said.
"Nagisa?"
"Yeah?" Shinji asked.
"The visual and audio systems just when blank temporarily," Maya said. "They have light EMP shielding."
"So it worked?" Shinji asked.
"Probably," Maya said.
"Good enough for me," Shinji said with a shrug.
"Me too," Pierce said. "After you Captain."
"That would sound a lot nicer if it didn't put me on point," Shinji said dryly.
(:ii:)
"Why wasn't I told that experimental equipment was made available to them?" Gambit sighed and rubbed his temples. 'I thought all those roofies would loosen him up. Of course I also hoped he would up in bed with that big Private that was following Shinji around'
"You didn't need to know," Gambit said. "And if you keep this up I'll have your removed from this center as a distraction."
"Misato!" Kaji spat.
"That's Sub-Commander," Misato snapped. "And I happened to fully agree with the General." Gambit watched as Kaji's jaw dropped. 'What did he think would happen?' Gambit wondered. 'Did he think that he would say her first name and she'd jump at his command?'
End
(:ii:)
Author's notes. Just a few more.