Ravi fiddled with his MP5 to pass the time while Kishor worked on the locked door with his lock pick. Sig kept an eye on the rear, making sure nobody got the jump on them. Even though the possibility of an ambush was unlikely, it did not mean it was impossible.
"Damn."
Kishor grunted out of frustration, looking at Ravi and sighed in defeat.
"Sorry, boss. Karina makes it look easy."
"She does." Ravi nodded his head in agreement. "Asgrimur, swap with Draggarh."
"Copy, switching."
In one swift movement, the two changed positions with each other with Sig picking the lock now. Ravi's radio attached to his vest began to crackle to life as a voice spoke.
"Team lead, this is AVEX reporting: Gleda Faralon spotted on the second floor, right side window."
"Status?"
"Going to sleep, sir."
"Keep me updated on her movements."
"Yes, sir."
Click!
Ravi looked at Sig who stood up and switched back to his M4 rifle.
"We're good to go." He simply said.
"All right, open and clear on my mark."
Sig and Kishor backed up against the wall on both sides of the door. Ravi knelt down crouching nearby Sig, gun ready on the door in case there were any surprises behind it.
"Mark!"
Kishor opened the door and Sig rushed through the doorway with Kishor behind him. Ravi moved in last, entering the kitchen space of the house. The two had one hand raised to signify it was clear. Closing the door behind him, Ravi took notice of music playing nearby. At least they still had the element of surprise.
"Awfully loud in this house for only two people." Kishor stated.
"Friends over?" Sig assumed.
"I was thinking more along the lines of accomplices than friends..." Kishor replied.
"Stack up on the next door. Asgrimur, check under it." Ravi ordered, cutting the small conversation short.
"Bringing out the snake cam."
Ravi closed the door behind him as he joined up with the two at the next door where the muffled music was coming from. Sig took out a small device with a fiberscope attached to it. Poking the lens end underneath the door, the hand held tool began to light up, revealing what was on the other side.
"Four contacts." Sig reported.
"Armed?" Ravi asked.
"Can't tell." Sig shrugged his arms.
The music that was playing began to die down as the sound of people talking could be heard.
"Before we go barging in, let's record the conversation. Something useful might come out of it..."
Four men were playing a game of poker around a table.
"I don't like the idea of staying here any more." One man asked, shifting his eyes around the room.
"Relax, Reynold." Another man told 'Reynold', shaking his head at his paranoid friend. " You don't hear the police knocking on the front doorstep, do ya?"
"No...but they're bound to."
"Ah, quit your worrying, mate. It's your turn, by the way; call or fold."
Reynolds took a slight peek under his card and the disappointment showed on his face as he sighed and pushed the cards forward, folding out for the round.
"Hey, you guys remember that woman we nabbed a few years back?"
The other three nodded their heads at Reynold.
"Guess what? She's still alive."
"Are you kidding me?"
"I kid you not." Reynold shook his head. "Even after all these years, she still looks the same as she did the day we took her. Remind me why we raided that house again? I remember not getting much of anything out of that house."
"Eh, call it a bad choice on our part. All we saw in there was a bunch of cartoon books and movies." Someone else answered.
"Well, we didn't get anything money-wise out of it, but we screwed some baby's life over by taking away their mother."
"Oh yeah! I remembered hearing a baby crying, but that bitch was putting on a hell of a struggle to escape."
Reynold sighed. "Man, we are some fucked up individuals."
"You realized that just now after all this time with us, Reynold?"
Boom!
"What the fuck!"
They all jumped up out of their seats, pulling out their concealed handguns, aiming them at the newly blown doorway.
But the only thing they saw come out of the doorway was a blinding flash of light.
"Son of a bitch! My eyes!"
"Move in! Go! Go! Go!"
Ravi, Sig, and Kishor stormed into the room quickly and aimed their weapons at the blinded perps.
"Police, drops your weapons and hit the floor!" Kishor shouted.
"Put your hands up, do it now!" Sig followed immediately after.
"Fuck you, cops!" One of the men shouted, still continuing to rub his eyes with his sleeve.
"Last chance to drop the guns or we'll make you drop them!" Ravi told them, finger on the trigger.
"Ha! I'd like to see you try, asshole!"
"Fine! Have it your way!"
The three pulled out their tasers and proceeded to shock the men, making them cry out in pain from the electrocution. In seconds, they all released their weapons, letting them hit the ground.
"Cuff these clowns, I got you covered." Ravi instructed Sig and Kishor, switching back to his MP5 and keeping the gun traced on the subdued suspects.
The two quickly moved to restrain the men with their plastic handcuffs. Once they were all secured, Ravi decided to report in to HQ.
"TOC, this Team Eleven-Seven. We have four restrained suspects in possession of illegal firearms and apparently accomplices of the main target, over."
"Acknowledged, we'll be ready for them. Proceed on with the mission."
"Understood, over and out."
"Team Lead, this is AVEX reporting: Gleda Faralon just woke up and is exiting her bedroom."
"Does she have a weapon?" He asked.
"A broom, sir."
Kishor snickered. "Typical old lady."
Ravi nodded his head over to the stairway leading upstairs. "Asgrimur, Draggarh, go restrain her."
"Roger that. Draggarh, you lead." Sig said.
"All right. On me."
The two went up the flight of stairs, leaving Ravi with the four men. Swinging his submachine gun to his side, he collected the weapons on the ground, examining them closely.
"You just don't get these kinds of weapons in a regular gun shop..." He said, looking at the group who were quiet...mostly because Sig and Kishor wrapped cloth around their mouth to stop them from yapping.
Ravi piled the illegal sidearms on the table where a poker game had been going on.
"You guys are looking at maybe ten years max for possessing an unregistered gun and maybe more for aiding a serial killer." He chuckled darkly, crossing his arms as he sat down in a chair. "Kiss your youth goodbye."
Standing back up, he walked over to one particular man and pulled down the cloth covering his mouth.
"Reynold, right?"
The man said nothing.
"You can try the tough guy act, but it won't last. Because I have ways of getting the info I need...one way or another."
Ravi helped the man up to his feet and moved him to sit down at the table. Kishor and Sig came down with a restrained old lady with Sig pushing her forward. They took notice of what their leader was doing and the way his posture changed.
"Oh shit, he's in interrogation mode..." Kishor muttered.
"I almost feel bad for the guy..." Sig said.
Putting Gleda alongside the others, they walked over to the table to stand by for any assistance that their leader would need from them.
"Now, I'm just doing my job here. I need you to work with me. If you cooperate with me, I can speak on your behalf to see if we can reduce your sentence."
"And if I don't?"
A devilish grin plastered on Ravi's face.
"You really want to know?" He asked.
Reynold contemplated this for a moment before slowly shaking his head.
"Good. Then let's begin."
Ravi leaned forward onto the table, folding his hands neatly as he stared right back into Reynold's eyes with his intense stare. Needless to say that Reynold became a little unnerved. It was like he was gazing into his soul.
"Now, let's start with something simple; Your conversation, to be more precise."
"I don't know what you're talking about..." Reynolds said, shaking his head.
"Oh, really?"
Sig pulled out a recorder and played the exact same conversation that had happened a few minutes ago prior to their intrusion. Reynold jumped up in surprise when Ravi slammed his fist hard on the table.
"You've got balls to try and lie to my face, but that won't mean shit when you're in prison for twenty plus years for vandalism, theft, and kidnapping! Be straight with me, Reynold! Or I'll tell everyone in the prison you are going to that you're a kiddie fiddler! How long do you think you'll last in there, huh?"
Reynold widened his eyes in fear. Instantly, he gave up his defiant attitude.
"...We've done several robberies in the past before, all in different cities. We were always on the move, so we never really got caught."
"So how did you become involved with Andou Faralon?"
"We were always friends with the guy. We gave him the means to enter the school campus undetected and in return, he allowed us to use his place as a hideout whenever we came by."
"Another girl was recently kidnapped who goes by the name of Ria Cline. Is she still alive?"
There was no words that needed to be said as Ravi already picked up the answer through the silence.
"Moving on, you mentioned another person who you kidnapped years before. Can you give me a name?"
"I only know her first."
"Cough it up, then."
Reynold took a deep breath and then sighed before saying...
"Kanata."
Suddenly, Karina's voice popped up from Ravi's radio.
"Lead, this is Karina. We've managed to secure Andou Faralon. We also found the remains of Ria Cline and have an unidentified female in need of medical attention."
"All right, I'll be there in a few."
"Roger that. Karina, out."
Kishor placed the cloth piece back over Reynold's mouth again as Ravi stood up from the chair.
"Thank you for your cooperation, Mister Reynold. I only have one last request to ask of you: Are you willing to testify against your friends and Faralon for their crimes? This is a yes or no answer."
Reynold nodded his head.
"Good." Ravi looked at Sig and Kishor. "Asgrimur, Draggarh, stay here with these people. I'm heading downstairs."
"Sir!"
Once they were sure Ravi was gone, Sig and Kishor chuckled, shaking their heads.
"It's amazing how he can change personalities so quickly..." Kishor said.
"A leader has to do what's necessary." Sig answered.
"Still...This 'Kanata' person...You don't think she's-?"
"She could be...We'll just have to see..."
This could have been done better. Oh, well. There's always another time for a revision...