Disclaimer: I don't own anything Numb3rs, it's all property of CBS and whatnot, so don't sue.
Chapter 26: The Job is Done
Mojave took out the final zip disc from the main computer, the last of the data from the computer was successfully extracted. With a satisfied smiled, Mojave pulled out a lovely little grenade and pulled out the pin. He placed the now volatile weapon in front of the monitor and key-board before high-tailing it out of there.
A loud bang behind him told him that the computer wouldn't be up and running, ever again. Mojave quickly headed back the way he'd taken to reach the second floor, now he would go back the way he came and follow his leader's long past footsteps down the tunnel that led to the third floor, Branders and Palmer at his heels as the three of them ran to the redezvous point.
Nighthawk was headed for the same place with Mikaila and Taylor following. The three of them quickly scurried down the ladder that led down to the main tunnel.
No sooner had Nighthawk and his two fellow Operatives set foot on the tunnel floor, Mojave and the two operative barely keeping up with him. With a quick glance, the two other member of the Big Three Unit barreled down the tunnel, with Mikaila Gordon and her unit barely keeping up with them.
The six of them reached the end of the tunnel and eyed the glass pane roof below them. Mojave and Nighthawk climbed down swiftly and both of them dove in through the man-sized hole their leader had left for them.Mikaila and her men quickly follow.
However, all six Operatives stood glued to the spot as their night-vision covered eyes fell on the carnage before them.
" Holy Shit." Swore Palmer.
" Ghost... did all this?" Asked an utterly shocked Taylor.
" Yeah Taylor, it was all him. He ain't the best for no reason." Said Branders, his voice quivering with horrified awe.
Mojave, Nighthawk, and Mikaila remained silent as the led the way down the hall to the holding area. As they walk, they stepped over body after body, Palmer almost falling when his boot slipped on somthing wet and congealed. Palmer swallowed down the small surge of bile that rose from his stomach into his throat as he wordlessly continued onwards with the rest of the group as they neared the steel door.
They all paused when they saw the lone green figure standing infront of the door. Mojave licked his suddenly dry lips before he spoke.
" Ghost you alright man?" He asked somewhat hesitantly.
All he got back was silence and the suddenly, there was a soft metallic shing as Ghost Samuari sword was unsheathed.
The six other Operatives watched in awe as their leader let loose a swift barrage of attackupon the steel door. But, just asquickly as the attack started, it stopped and the sword was again sheathed. They all watched as Ghost took a step to the side, clear from the heavy door as like a felled tree, it slowly fell to the floor.
CLANG...
The sound echoed through the silent halls, a gong that signalled the end of the blood soaked opera of death that had taken place on this floor. When the noise faded, Ghost turned to his fellow Operatives.
" Miki, do you your thing." He Growled.
Mikaila supressed a shiver and obeyed wordlessly, he team following her as she scampered into the holding area. Mojave and Nighthawk hesitantly stepped closer to the leader.
" Heramano, are you alright?" Asked Mojave, his voice conveying his concern.
" I'm okay man, I'll be better once we get out of this Hell-hole." Said Ghost, at last allowing the fatigue to enter his voice.
" Yeah,that sounds real good." Added Nighthawk, who thenhesitantly reached out and placed a hand on Ghost's arm. To his and Mojave's relief, Ghost allowed the contact, he himself reaching out to give Nighthawk's shoulder a brief squeeze before turning and wordlessly walking into the holding area where Mikaila and her team were hard at word disarming the three missiles.
An hour later, all three warheads were disarmed and usless.
" Let's go." Said Ghost as he ledthe way back to the whole in the glass roof. The seven Operatives stepped over bodies and pools of blood. When they reached the hole, the watched as Ghost stood under it with his hands clasped together.
" Mikaila." Ghost gruffly.
With a humorless smirk, Mikaila came forward and accepted the boost up to the only means of escape. With cat-like grace, Mikaila climbed out of the death-pit and then awaited the rest of her Operatives. One by one, Ghost assisted all of his fellow operatives in getting up and out of the hole. When he was the last person still inside the third floor. Ghost took a moment to gaze one final time at what his murderous rage had done, leaving behind a hundred lifeless corpses, all dead by his hand alone.
" Hermano." Came a voice that shook Ghost from his reverie.
He looked up to see two hands outstretched towards him, Mojave and Nighthawk waiting patiently for their leader. With a wan smile behind his mask, Ghost accepted both hands and let his two fellow Operatives help him out of the Death-pit he himself had created.
Without looking back, Ghost climbed up the opening of the tunnel, Mojave and Nighthawk following, Mikaila and her men were already waiting and stood to attention as the Big Three walked past them wordlessly. Mikaila and her men followed as the seven operatives walked in silence back down the tunnel to where their scuba gear was waiting.
They were to leave all of combat gear here in the caves, the clean-up units would get them out when they arrived to erase all trace of terrorist activity.
When they all reached the spot where the hole that led to the Black sea, all seven Operatives set about quickly stripping off their combat gear and putting on their scuba gear once more.
Mikaila stole a glance at Ghost from where she was disarming herself. She watched as Ghost, who had pulled off his mask to reveal a pale and weary face,slowly peeled off his cobat shirt and cargo pants, which were to her chagrin, soaked with blood. With morbid fascination, she took in the sight of Ghost's Adonis-like physic, hued a light pink in places from the blood of his victims, the crimson liquid managing to seep through the fabrict of the combat gear to touch pale,nearly flawless skin.
Mikaila was startled from her staring when Ghost abruptly turned around, his almost black eyes zeroing in on her. They bore holes into her soul once again, Mikaila quickly looked away and went back to getting ready for the swim back to civilization.
Ghost turned back to getting ready, all the while feeling dirty and disgusting, the smell of blood was now a pungent odor in his nostrils and he pulled on his thermal wet-suite. He wanted to be as far away from this place as possible, he wanted to be where the aire was free and breathable, he wanted... to go home, to his oblivious but loving family, his one true redemption.
With a final tug of the zipper, Ghost was in full underwater gear and now waited for the rest of the Operatives to be ready. Ten minutes later, Ghost dove head-first into the hole in the cavern floor, leading the way through the watery path back to the surface.
It was very early in the morning, with the sun just begining to chase away the darkness of the night.
Toby had caught a few minutes of sleep before a particularly large wave rocked the speed boat he was aboard, jarring him awake.
He now waited for the Big Three Unit to sufface.
Ghost propelled himself through the water with the calm and grace of a shark as he made his way up to the dim but every growing light of morning across the surface of the water.
With a final surge, Ghost broke through the surface, the cold sea air greeting him. Beside him, six other mask-clad heads popped up.
Ghost pulled up his diving mask and mouth piece and turned to his fellow operatives as they flooted in the down dark blue waters of the Black Sea. His eyes met those of Mikaila Gordon and her three men.
These four Operative watched in silent awe as the leader of the Big Three bestowed upon them a wan smile before he spoke.
" Good work Gordon. You and your guysdone the CIA proud." Called Ghost before he sent a look to his fellow members of the Big Three, signalling for them to follow him as he swam away towards one of the black Speeders where Toby was anxiously awaiting them.
Mikaila felt her face warm up dispite the cold waters at the plaudits that had been awarded her and her three guys. With a small smile, Mikaila led her team to the second speed boat.
Ghost climbing over the side of the black Speeder and then he and Toby helped Mojave and Nighthawk out of the water.
The three top Operatives of the CIA sat silently as the Speeder roared to life with Toby at the helm, propelling the boat through the waves of the Black Sea, back towards civilizations and their Commander, who would be waiting for them.
Ghost finally let the full wave of exhaustion he had been keeping at bay to finally wash over him, all the while hearing the echoes of the screams of death from every man who's life he'd ended with either a bullet from his gun or a slash of his sword.
The job was done. This job, anyway.