CHAPTER 9: INTO THE PIT
April 8, 2008
U.S. Embassy
Tripoli, Libya
Sam Fisher was able to reach the rooftop of the embassy, and eliminate the terrorists patrolling it. He systematically killed them off, slitting their throats with his K-BAR, and resorting to the shadows until the coast was clear. Sam listened on the dead terrorists' walkie talkies, but didn't understand a lick of what they were speaking. Probably some form of Prussian and Dari languages. Sam spotted an access way on the far side of the rooftop. The access way probably led to the embassy's basement area, which if he reached the basement area, he may be able to take out the terrorists silently, all with their backs to him. Sam's cochlear implant crackled.
"Sam, This is Grimstoddir. That access way your seeing leads to the lobby of the embassy. Stay away from there. Instead, go to the east side of the rooftop, and go down an access ladder. It leads to the embassy's power supply area. We'll lead you through the embassy. Remember, Russian forces are backing you up, and are ready to extract the hostages once you give them the word."
"Roger that, Grim." Sam followed the hacker's instructions, moving to the east, sliding down the ladder, and reaching the power supply area. A terrorist was pacing back and forth spitting orders into his walkie talkie. Sam, at the speed of a cheetah, slashed the man's throat. He then moved through the area until he reached an elevator. "Sam, take the elevator to the second floor." Grimstoddir said. Sam wasn't the conventional type of spy. Taking overt routes like an elevator would give away his position. Instead, Sam, darted to the left, and moved down a set of red-carpeted stairs. Sam could hear the angry and confused shouts of terrorists on the other side of the wall. Sam unshouldered his SCK-120 silenced assault rifle, and peeked from the wall. Sam was astonished to what he saw. The whole second-floor lobby was packed with hostages, sprawled on the floor, eating, sleeping, talking, and half of them afraid because of the terrorists' loud roaring.
Sam had to watch his fire, or he would end up accidentally striking hostages. Sam aimed through the targeting reticle on the rifle's sight, and pulled the four times in quick succession. The four terrorists that were arguing were down. Some of the hostages screamed because the terrorists dropped, but Sam hid back behind the wall. Sam typed on his OPSAT, and sent a message to Opalev.
Opalev was surrounded in a storm of dust. Over thirty fast-attack vehicles, and ten BLOODHOUND helicopters were lined up in columns. Opalev had over seventy Spetsnaz commandos at his hands, and was just waiting for Fisher's order to extract the hostages out. The Third Echelon rescue plan was for Fisher to systematically clear terrorists, and allow the rescue helicopters to get to the rooftops. The hostages had to move up to the rooftops to get extracted. Opalev's cell phone bleeped. Opalev reached into his commando pants pocket and pulled it out. He read the text: Get the choppers on the rooftops. Extract one hundred hostages which are on second-floor lobby. Hurry.
Nadia Florence had to resort to using her newly-found assault rifle. The assault rifle packed a powerful recoil, which caused her shoulder to ache more and more. She killed about fifteen terrorists, while she proceeded up to the second-floor lobby. She had not run into Fouad yet, in which she was grateful, because he would definitely kill her. She didn't know how to use the bulky, heavy weapon. All of her shots were lucky kill shots, and she knew it. The weapon's firing was set to semi-automatic, which reduced lots of sound. Florence did not smoke, but she could sure go for a cigarette right now, to calm her nerves. She turned around blind corners, taking out unsuspecting terrorists with shots to the neck and chest. She felt like a trigger-happy marathon runner. Nadia came to the elevator, but decided to take the stairs up to the second floor. While she moved up, she almost pulled her trigger, but stopped when she saw the man with night-vision goggles, and a suppressed assault rifle.
The two looked at each other for five seconds, but felt like five years. The man had green eyes, sweat-caked face, and looked calm. "I'm from the rescue team. The name is John Hiker, I'm with Delta Force." Sam lied. He had to, so he could protect his identity.
"I'm Nadia Florence, operations coordinator for Delta."
"Good. I'm here to extract the second-lobby hostages..." Sam's voice was drowned out by the sounds of helicopters storming above. "That's the rescue helicopters. Help me get these hostages to the rooftops." Sam said with a calm, but stern voice.
"Okay." Nadia said. Sam and Nadia moved side-by-side up the staircase, and into the large second-floor lobby. The hostages had smiles and had hope in their eyes, as Sam and Nadia were able to get them up to the rooftop. The hostages had to be taken to the helicopter in groups of twenty, to avoid overcrowding on rooftop. The rescue of the second-lobby took fifteen minutes, with no resistance. The four BLOODHOUND helicopters stormed off the rooftop, and disappeared into the night sky.
"Okay, now we have to move to the first floor. Listen, Nadia, I'm going to need you to stay here, and cover this floor." Sam's voice was stern. "Yes, sir." Nadia said. Sam looked at her AK-47.
"You do know how to use that thing, right?" Sam asked.
"Yes." Nadia simply said.
"Good girl. Cover this floor, I'll be back up here with the first-floor groups of hostages."
Sam took two staircases down until he reached the first floor. The embassy first smelled of air-conditioning, and recycled air, but now it smelled of gunpowder, and blood. Fisher scanned the lobby, and he could see the hostages. The problem was there were a few terrorists guarding the hostages, but Sam saw something very horrible. Red blinking lights lined the dark walls behind the hostages. The blinking lights weren't just any lights. They were carefully-wired NWZX-20 Motion Mines. Sam recognized them back in Tbilisi, Georgia used by Nikoladze's men. If the mines detected a swift movement, they would create a shocking explosion, creating a chain reaction, and destroying the embassy, killing everyone.
The five terrorists spoke to the hostages quietly, telling them in English not to move, or "they'll won't see the light of tomorrow." Sam recognized one of the five terrorists: Fouad Zillah. He was armed with only a combat knife, but he had a combat belt full of M60 grenades. The terrorists covered the corners of the room, and Sam had to stay into the shadows and not move, or he would be discovered.
