Chapter 15
AJ threw him a warming glance that went unnoticed because Clay's attention was still on John Douglas, a mid-level office agent that had been deemed too timid for field work. He had however, proved to be a good clerical worker, able to do background research, and analysis. Douglas had been slowly working his way up the office ranks with a steady if uninspiring speed.
The man who had strode through the door however appeared neither timid or steady. He had a swagger and deadly attitude that made him nearly unrecognizable except that Clay had helped to train him.
He approached Tarasov and demanded to see the money. Tarasov in turn insisted on seeing what he was purchasing.
Douglas reached inside the leather jacket he was wearing and Tarasov's body guard immediately brought the gun in his hand up to point it at the agent's head. Raising his other hand to pacify the body guard, Douglas said, "Hey man, cool it! I'm just getting the merchandise out." As he finished speaking his hand reappeared with an envelope in it. He waved it back and forth demanding, "Now, let's see the cash!"
Tarasov nodded at his guard to open the case. He holstered his gun to do so and once Douglas had seen that the money was indeed there, he was in the process of handing over the envelope when a noise from the balcony above distracted everyone.
At that point, several things happened at once:
The hidden gunman on the other side of the room from the balcony was quick to respond. He popped his head up just high enough to get a sight on the area and opened fire.
Douglas exclaimed in surprise and dived for cover, scrambling for something in his pocket.
The guard who had put his gun away, redrew it as he stepped in front of Tarasov and started firing in the direction of the noise as well.
Tarasov crouched down behind his body guard and drew a gun. He didn't open fire however, presumably waiting until he had a clear target.
The other hidden guard had located a set of stairs leading up to the balcony and was on his way to check out what had caused the noise.
AJ had also drawn a weapon. Clay had provided it for him back at the apartment. He was assessing the situation and watching for anyone trying to get out of the building.
Clay too had his gun in his hand, and called out to AJ above the gunfire, "I'm not letting Douglas get away!" as he broke cover and started towards the agent.
The shadowy figure on the balcony had bumped against something in the dark causing the noise everyone had heard, but when the shooting stared, instead of staying behind the relative safety of the crate he was using as a hiding place, he made a fatal mistake. He tried to get back to the window he had crawled through. He didn't make it.
The force of the bullets hitting his body spun him around and he fell over the railing of the balcony. He never felt the impact with the floor however, because he was dead before the fall started.
As Clay was trying to get to Douglas, he was spotted by his target. However, Douglas had been passed over for field agent for more than just his timidity. The shot he took at Clay's oncoming figure whet wild and hit Tarasov's primary body guard in the neck. Both his gun and the briefcase fell from his hands as he clutched his throat and fell to the floor.
Clay's shot however was right on the mark. He wanted Douglas alive and able to stand trial back in the States so he had placed the shot in Douglas' knee. He wouldn't be able to run, but would live to face the music.
A split second after Clay had started after Douglas, AJ had resignedly followed him. Even knowing how impulsive Clay's action was, he couldn't let him try it alone. He was a step and a half behind Clay when the gunman across from the balcony spotted Clay and shot.
To be continued…