Chapter 5

Omar Sulaman, you are now in custody of Special Operations Force…

The Wolf was caught finally. Alex was working with a Marine detachment under Sgt. Griggs while they cleared the path for them. It seemed like things would be going in the right direction. David though, was not sure it was clear cut. He was the type to not rest easy until they had the man in a secure location and that wasn't the U.S. Embassy in Urzikstan.

He may have spent ten years with Farah's group where the little victories were like huge wins, but his previous life trained him to not let the victories make him complacent. He was not an analyst like S64, but he was a realist and knew that until they had the Wolf out of country, they still hadn't really won anything. The proof was outside the embassy where he was looking out the window. He could see the crowds by the light of the cars on fire. His eyes narrowed as he studied the scene below while the listening to the Wolf being interrogated.

"2-6, Echo is on the third deck for RV. Be advised, primary entry point is clear, but that window is rapidly closing."

David glanced at Alex as the man relayed the sitrep to extraction. He looked back down and said in a low whisper, "Might be even quicker than that."

Roger. Wheels down in three mikes. 2-6 out.

"You were saying?"

David looked at Alex with a smirk and a raised brow. He turned as Alex announced extraction would be there in three minutes. He adjusted his grip on his rifle.

"In three minutes, my people will be inside. They will kill all of you," the Wolf spat.

Alex huffed at that, "I chose to take you alive. I can still change my mind."

David managed not to roll his eyes at that. Rather he adopted the look that Farah said made him look bored with everything. She knew that it was his observation look. People didn't take him seriously when he had that expression and he ended up learning a lot about the people and situation. Right now, his focus was on the Wolf.

"You have the wrong man."

David thought about it. He was well aware that S64 provided him intel that there were things going on that were related to what he was doing. She even said that things were going to move quickly on this one. It wasn't something to disregard. Thing was, Farah saw most things in black and white which was why she responded as she did, "Lies. Tell them what you've done."

"We did not steal the gas," the Wolf replied as he glanced at Farah.

"Who did?"

"Someone very dangerous."

It sounded like the Wolf was buying time. David couldn't help but think that. He had utilized that method as well. Except he had deliberately gotten himself caught as part of a larger plan. It was what cemented his reputation in his previous life. He couldn't help but ask, "And what is more dangerous than you, or the Butcher?" He leaned in to look at the Wolf.

"Finally, you speak."

"I choose when to do so," David replied. He looked the Wolf square in the eye. "So, tell us where the gas is."

"I wish I knew like I know your reputation," the Wolf replied with a knowing look.

David didn't give anything away. It was always there that someone would figure out who he was and what he had done. He had taken some measures by letting people in up to the point that they knew he had a different name and always hinted that his past was not pretty. The rest was up to them. He looked at the Wolf and replied, "As well as I know yours and the Butcher's."

At that moment, Hadir came in, "The Butcher is outside. They'll burn the city if they have to."

David straightened up and stepped back as the Wolf begged Farah to save herself. He glanced at Alex, "I'll go meet 2-6." He didn't say it, but he sensed things were going to get dicey. He stepped out as Farah looked at the Wolf with disgust and replied to him.

He was barely out the door when he caught the Wolf's last words, "But we are all killers here, no? Just like Aquila."

David felt his throat convulse when he heard his old call sign. There was a reason for that and one that he regretted at times. So, the Wolf managed to get that. It was enough to have him think about who the Wolf was connected to. There were certain individuals that knew Aquila personally and they thought him dead. Others knew by reputation. The fact that the Wolf mentioned it as soon as he left the room… that meant someone knew he was alive. He kept it in check as he heard the alarms go off.

3-1 to 2-6. Shots fired, moving to secure the HVI, will advise.

Copy, 3-1. Bravo's on station. Reposition and prep for evac.

David knew the front was not an option and had started for the roof. He hoofed it up the stairs and avoided going through the offices. He was almost there when he heard an explosion really close. He was by a window and could hear the propellers of a helicopter. It was followed by a rumble, and it felt like the whole building shook.

It was enough to knock him off his feet and he fell back down. He managed to hold onto the railing to keep from really taking a tumble. He grimaced as he righted himself and then looked up and around.

Everything alright S47?

David tapped his earpiece to switch channels. "In one piece," he replied and gave a slight cough.

The embassy is going to be breached. You need to get the extraction team and get the HVI out.

"That was the plan when I started," he said with a slight roll of his eyes. He started going up the stairs. "What are you doing besides checking in?"

Making sure the cogs are still working.

"Right." David had made it to the roof and saw two men getting up. He hesitated slightly.

That's Captain Price and his man Garrick. They're the extraction.

David didn't acknowledge his caller but moved towards the two men. "Captain Price? You alright?" He held his hand out.

Captain Price looked at David. The voice was a memory from ten years ago. Now there was a face to it. "As well as could be. You are?"

"David," David replied. "Just making sure extraction arrives in one piece. Though I can't say much for the transport." He gestured at the downed helicopter.

Price chuckled, amused at the sense of humor David had even though the situation was serious as he called Alex, "Echo 3-1, primary extraction failed. We're down on the roof."

Understood. What's the call Captain?

There is a saferoom in the basement.

David twitched his head when he heard S64 in his ear. He mentioned to Price, "There is the saferoom in the basement. It can hold out once they get him in."

Price nodded and relayed that information to Alex stating that they would be right behind them. He then turned and looked at David and eyed him with a slight narrowed expression. He glanced at Garrick as the man was getting to his feet before looking back at David. "Seem to know a bit."

David shrugged at that, "No more than you."

Price eyed the man but said nothing. He glanced over at Garrick as he got to his feet. "Come on. We need to get to the Wolf."

"Right behind you," David replied as he opened the door.

It was a reassertion of trust since they had met once before but never really face to face. David's view of Price hadn't changed. The man had a knack for survival, and he knew this line of work well. He also knew how to face the shit that came with this line of work; swallowing back the reactions of things that normally would blow your top. David respected the man and would follow his lead.

They made their way down the stairs. It was sprint easily made despite the debris in the stairwells. They had to make it to the saferoom before Al Qatala did. Otherwise, the mission to capture would have been for nothing. David hated being proven right when his instincts told him that they couldn't rest just yet. He stifled a cough from the dust that was hanging in the air from the crashed helicopter. It left an almost permanent dust cloud in the air. It wasn't that much different from fighting in the streets of the city.

"We have to reach the saferoom before Al Qatala does," Price was relaying to Garrick.

"And the embassy personnel?"

David spared a look at Garrick, "Al Qatala is here for the Wolf." He didn't say more. He knew that the Butcher and his men would shoot their way through until they got what they wanted. People would be caught in the crossfire, and they would die. His expression took a hard glint to relay that to the man before he turned to follow Price onto the floor that they entered. "Do what we have to do," he said softly.

"Holy shit!"

David dodged out of the way as the vehicle crashed into the embassy. He landed behind some cubicles since almost immediately gunfire erupted and embassy workers were screaming and running to escape the building. He was on his feet in a crouch and returned fire along with the few Marines that had been there.

"Romeo 3-1, this is Emerald 2-4. Breach! Breach! Our position is compromised!"

David wasted no time and moved up to take out the Al Qatala members that had breached. He moved up with Price while Garrick covered. The gaping hole in the wall told him that there was no way they could barricade and make it difficult. Getting a feeling, David pivoted and saw an Al Qatala member was going to sneak up on them and pulled out his pistol and fired a couple of shots.

"Danger close there, mate," Garrick said once he realized what was going on.

David holstered his pistol and shrugged, "Better that than dead." He cued on his comm, "CIA, AQ's breached. They're inside and heading your way."

Roger that.

They had to keep going and secure the Wolf. David though wanted to tear the Butcher apart. It had been hard walking by the glass and seeing him kill innocent people for not opening the doors. He had seen it before, and it made his blood boil. It also turned him into a cold and calculating man who had no qualms about pulling out the stops when it came to the enemy. Farah had seen that once and the men knew better than to cross him with sensitive subjects.

He showed no mercy when he strode forward into the office where they were holding a worker hostage and demanding the Wolf. He walked in and aimed high and put a round in the head. He said nothing but moved forward just as Garrick took out another. He was aware that at some point he would face questions. It was always the case for people that had just met him and saw that side of him. Price seemed to take it in a stride. Garrick was different. He had a moral sense that really hadn't been tested based on the reaction he observed before.

They pushed forward using the bullet resistant glass for cover. David opted for his pistol since he could maneuver as needed. He stuck with Garrick and covered his flank as they made their way through the maze of offices and cubicles. David paused to reload his pistol as they rounded the corner to where the stairs were that led to the basement. He checked the area once more before following Price and Garrick to the stairs that led to the basement. He switched his gun back to his rifle as Garrick tried the door to find it locked.

"I've got it."

David covered Price with Garrick as the man used his crowbar to pry the door open. It was unexpected when one of the Butcher's men pushed through. He watched as Price took him out with the crowbar. "Not bad," he commented.

"Plenty more," Price replied as he waited for Garrick to take point.

David followed Garrick in. The narrow halls of the basement left little cover if they ended up overwhelmed. It felt like a kill box situation and always made him uneasy. There were a few bodies and Garrick took out one that was injured and tried to shoot at them. Other than that, there was no one else. He wouldn't breathe easy though until they were at the door to the saferoom.

"3-1, we're in the basement."

Rog'. Be advised, we have hostiles outside the saferoom.

"We'll take care of it."

Most of the hostiles are on the floors above, S47. You have some time.

David adjusted his grip on his weapon as he heard the information. He was not going to touch how Jensen's top asset was able to do that, but he wouldn't disregard it either. Experience taught him that and he took a breath as they walked by rows of servers. He narrowed his eyes and he listened for signs of hostiles.

He shook his head when he heard them doing their shouting. Shouting and yelling were all well and good when on a battlefield, but when you want to sneak up on someone… Of course, there was the fact that it was used to flush out what was in hiding. People that were caught in the crossfire were the ones that were scared out of hiding. Following Garrick's lead, he flanked the man to cover him, well aware that Price was watching him and not necessarily in the good way. It was what he would do if the positions were reversed.

They heard two of the Butcher's men shouting at a Marine to open the door. The Marine was refusing to do so. The result was getting a bullet to the head. It was quickly countered with Garrick shooting the terrorists. Payback was a bitch at times. Or was it karma?

"Let 'em know we're here, Sergeant."

David turned to cover just in case. They had cleared a path, but there was the chance that they could get caught by surprise. He held his weapon at the ready while Garrick let Alex know they were at the door. He brought his gun up as the door was buzzed open at the same time Price did his just to make sure that they hadn't been compromised. Not that he thought Farah would allow that. She would fight and make the Butcher's men know that you didn't mess with her men and friends.

It was not to be unexpected that she would take point at the door. David smirked as Price went in first saying, "Farah, still fighting the good fight?"

"Always, Captain."

Price made a sound and gestured at David, "Found something you lost."

"Not lost. Contingency," David said as he stepped in. He looked at Price. "Learned that it always pays to have contingency."

"Came in handy."

Price had moved to get a sitrep from Alex. David followed next to Farah. She didn't waste the moment to asked, "Are you alright?"

"As well as can be."

Farah didn't say anything but looked at David. She gave him a nod and joined the others. David knew that she would ask him more later. While she never showed her feelings in the middle of a fight, she always found the time to ask him afterwards. Right now, they still had the problem of the Wolf and they needed to make an exfil. It was going to be tough since the Butcher was determined to get the Wolf back. He saw that Hadir had his gun on the Wolf. He approached the man and gave a nod. He looked at the prisoner kneeling on the floor.

The Wolf merely looked at him and then gave a knowing smile. It would be awkward if the man mentioned anything else about what he did in the past. It looked like he would say something before he left. David felt a little uneasy, but it seemed that the man wasn't going to risk anything since he had a gun pointed at him and David was more than capable of killing him with his bare hands. David couldn't do anything about it. Instead, he paid attention to the sitrep that Alex was giving Price since their exit relied on it.

"The Ambassador's still inside, sir, he's trapped," Alex said as he got on the comm.

"Okay, keep him on the line. He may be our way out of here," Price patted Alex on the should before turning to Hadir saying, "Hadir, thanks for the assist."

"Our pleasure, sir."

Price glanced at David and David gave him a nod. David adjusted his grip on his rifle and watched as Price address the Wolf, "Omar Sulaman."

"Have we met?"

"Yeah, back when you were on our side."

It was news to Hadir that the Wolf was once a freedom fighter. David watched the man's expression as he answered Hadir's query, "Once fought the good fight. Until he turned the guns on us."

"I still am a freedom fighter," the Wolf growled out. He looked at David with a murderous look as he added, "Unlike some." He stared at him hard as if daring him to say more to give himself away.

David knew that the people in the room were listening. He could rise to the bait and let it all come out or he could say nothing and then probably get a punch to the face from Price and a demand to explain himself. David schooled his features into an impassive expression. It wasn't worth it right now unless it became a problem. He didn't have to look to know that Price was looking at him and probably deciding if he was staring at an ally or a criminal that needed to be taken out.

Luckily Farah eased the tension when she reported, "The Butcher's men are closing on the Ambassador, Captain."

Price stared at David a little while longer, impressed that the man didn't flinch and seemed to ignore the fact that he was under the gun. Price had his fair share of spies and intelligence. It was hit or miss when it came to having a good relationship. To him, David was a bit of a wild card. There was much he didn't know and that was dangerous, yet the man never gave indication he was a threat, and he had proven himself in a fight time and again. Farah trusted him, which also worked in his favor. The man was a mystery, and it was no wonder Jensen tapped him. He figured it was one of his old acquaintance's assets since the man knew about things from unlikely sources and could get it from the horse's mouth.

Getting back to business, Price shifted looked at Garrick, "Rog. Kyle, man these cameras. Direct the Ambassador to safety. We'll need his keycard to open the rear doors. David, stay with. Rest of you, on me."

David said nothing but moved to assume a protective stance to cover the door the rest of the group was exiting. He glanced at Farah as she walked by and muttered a phrase that she knew well in the language that was his native language. She nodded at him as she lifted her gun, ready to lay down fire in case they met any of the Butcher's men. He joked at Alex, "Save some for us, CIA."

David grinned as Alex chuckled while following Price. David had done that to lighten the mood a little, but also for the reason to let the others know that he was legit. He knew they would be thinking about what had gone on when the Wolf looked at him and the things he said. The best he could do was trust on what they knew about him. He watched them leave and adjusted his rifle just as Garrick went to the comm to speak to the ambassador.

David had a good view of the screen and watched while the ambassador tried to be the hero and lock the door only to get spotted and killed. He gave a slight shake of his head as Garrick relayed the situation to Price. There was a time for heroics and a time to play it practical. David always opted for the practical unless he was driven into a corner. Then it was more like the enemy better get the hell out of his way.

"I can lead his assistant to you."

Do it. We need the keycard.

David focused and kept an eye out while Garrick spoke to the assistant and guided her out. It was like one of those maze games where you had to make it to the other side and avoid getting caught. The problem was that for every step you took, the one chasing you could take two. It was gross simplification of tactical prowess, but that was how David saw it as he listened to Garrick give the instructions.

"That's the fucking Butcher."

David stiffened and glanced at the view. He shot a look at Garrick and said, "Stay on track. Just guide her out. Baby steps." He didn't need to remind Garrick that her life was literally in their hands, and they had to be careful about it to get the prize.

It was hair raising when multiple bogeys entered into the next room. David could hear the fear in the woman's voice. He didn't blame her. Most people never signed up for something like this when they went into the diplomatic service. He sympathized. At least Garrick was staying on task and guiding her. He prompted the man with a nod.

It was genius to use the shredder as a distraction to allow the assistant to get to the exit and open the door. The others burst through and took out the Butcher's men in the room. Mission accomplished.

Sergeant, we got her. Let's regroup in the parking lot.

"Roger that, boss."

David looked at Garrick as he picked up his weapon. He gave a nod to the man, "Nice work."

"If only…"

"Don't start that now," David cut him off. "We have a job to do. Plenty of time to think about that later. Right now, the Wolf is our priority." He looked at Garrick with a look showing that he empathized with his thoughts. "As Price said, we'll get the Butcher. Just not now."

Garrick nodded and motioned, "Lead the way, mate."

David nodded and took point to regroup. At that moment, it came on the horn that the embassy had fallen. It was one of those announcements you wanted to be sarcastic with since it was fairly obvious that they had lost the embassy. They were falling back to the ambassador's residence. It was going to be a long night.

A/N: They caught the Wolf, but the Butcher has come to take him back. A long night at the embassy. Stay tuned for more...