Don't won Chuck
Meanwhile back in Moldova, Chuck and Stefan followed Twelve out of the house and down the path to the waiting SUV. The men inside the vehicle immediately wondered what was going on so they got out and met them as they walked towards them. But before they could say or do anything Chuck darted all of them dropping them where they stood.
"What the heck? Was that really necessary," yelled Twelve as Chuck just continued on down to the SUV and held the door open for him then waved for him to get in.
"Don't worry they're just tranquilized. Good help is hard to come by these days, isn't it," said Chuck as he closed the door then got in the driver's seat as Stefan got in the passenger seat.
"You realize this is a crazy idea of yours forcing a meeting with One. I don't know what you hope to accomplish but you're liable to get yourselves killed," said Twelve from the back seat.
"Oh, you can believe me when I tell you that I've done crazier," said Chuck as he turned the vehicle around then drove back towards city hall. They drove back up High Street and a few minutes later they pulled up out front.
"Look the sun is starting to come up," said Stefan pointing to the red glow over the top of the hills. "We need to hurry up with this." Chuck nodded as they started to walk up the steps for the building.
"We're here to see One," said Twelve as two guards walked over and blocked their way. "We need to see him right away so please step aside."
"I'm sorry but we've got orders not to let anyone through except his secretary and the prisoner when he arrives. I would try to radio someone but our comms are down right now so you're going to have to come back later."
"You do know who I am?" said Twelve but before he could answer Chuck darted both of them and two more that were standing near the entrance.
"I'm tired of messing around and believe me when I tell you we don't have time for this," said Chuck as he took point running up the steps and busted inside.
"You keep saying you're running out of time and now he said his comms are down. Is there something else going on here that I should know about?"
"Eye on the prize and remember you need that vile," said Stefan as he pushed Twelve along. They were running up the staircase when another guard went sailing over the railing crashing through a table below.
"I hope I'm like that when I get to his age," said Twelve as he looked over the banister at the man sprawled out on the floor below.
"You need to hope you'll make it to his age. Look around you I don't think you've got a very good pension plan. How many people do you know have gotten a gold watch from here? I bet you can't name a one."
"The pay and the perks are good but you're right. This isn't an organization you retire from or if you do you retire from life feet first. That's how One got to be one... a vacancy became available and all his competitors suddenly came down with the same Russian cold."
"Yes, there was a time... before my time mind you that quite a few party chairmen and other succumbed to it. Look out," said Stefan as another guard came sliding by on the marble floor. They had to side step to avoid him.
"I hear from my sources that a new wave of the same bug might be coming through soon," said Twelve. Stefan stopped and looked at him. He wondered why Twelve was telling his this or if he was reading his mind. "I'm telling you this so you'll make sure I get through this. We can talk about compensation later."
"Why are you telling me this and not the Colonel? He's the one with the antidote in his pocket," said Stefan as Chuck came in sight. He tossed one guard over his shoulder stomping back on him then took another out with a spinning heel kick.
"He's all right but I think he sees only linearly while I can see you also see laterally. But we can talk about this again when we're done here."
"Right... when we're done," said Stefan watching Chuck as he marched relentlessly towards his goal. Maybe Twelve wasn't so wrong with his observation.
"Try to keep up," said Chuck as they advanced onwards and upwards until they heard opera being played. At first it was faint but as they got nearer the louder and clearer it became.
"What's that? Italian opera," said Stefan as he listened. "Personally, I prefer Wagner, 'Der Ring Des Nibelungen' especially the fat lady's aria near the end or Mozart's 'Don Giovanni' but this is depressing."
"You mean the Götterdämmerung or Ragnarök to borrow from the Marvel world," said Chuck as he caught his breath. I never knew you were such a music critic Stefan. Personally, I'm more 'a day at the opera' fan myself. That's Leoncavallo's 'Pagliacci' and very fitting too. Come on we've got a door to kick down."
Meanwhile inside the office...
One was sleeping on the sofa the mayor had in his office. He never trusted sleeping in a bed and always wanted to be in reach so the sofa seemed the logical choice. He'd read that was the way Stalin slept so he adopted the same. He liked to listen to opera as he slept to drown out the noise from outside and to distract him from his work. However, this evening that wasn't working for him.
"What the heck is going on out there," said One as he lay on the sofa looking up at the ceiling. He used his remote and turned the volume up. The prison part was coming up with the clown awaiting execution.
"This is my favorite part," said One but the ruckus outside was making it hard for him to hear and he'd almost raised the volume as high as it would go.
"Anymore and I'm going to get distortion. What the heck is going on out there," he said as he tore the covers off and started for the door but before he could reach it one of his guards came flying through landing at his feet.
"If you'd bought that system from the Buy More we would've done a home installation and you wouldn't be getting all that feedback."
"What's the meaning of this? Twelve are you with these people?" said One but before Twelve could answer Chuck darted him and he fell on his face.
"What the crap? I though you said you wanted to talk to him not kill him and he thinks I'm with you. What have you done? I'm so dead right now."
"Think about what you just said, if he's dead then who is he going to tell but unfortunately for your I'm afraid he's not. He's just tranq'd like the other guards before. Now, he's coming with us for a little powwow and if I were you I'd come with us too. I don't think the people around here will be very friendly towards you," said Chuck as he tossed him the vile.
"Why should I do that now that I have this," said Twelve as he down the contents. "Yuck, this is orange water. You lied to me." He said as he tossed the vile on the floor.
"What's going on in here? You've killed him," said a voice behind them. Turning around they found the Secretary standing there with a Glock in his hand pointing at them.
"Not really," said Chuck as he started to moved but the Secretary quickly turned to him. "Don't try anything. Twelve, you're in on this? You just can't admit defeat, could you?"
"Boy are you in for a surprise," said Chuck. "Go ahead and tell him... tell him the people he's waiting for aren't coming."
"That's right," said Twelve. "I heard it myself. Oscar's dead, his men and White have been taken so no one is coming. Even the Major's been taken so we're in the same boat here."
"Yeah, like I'm going to believe you. Weapons on the floor nice and easy then we'll find someone I can leave you with," said the Secretary. "And don't even think about trying anything."
"Colonel, we don't have time for this."
"I know," said Chuck.
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Inside the town's tavern everyone had been rounded up and herded inside. The tavern had been a part of a castle complex that had been destroyed when the local peasants had revolted against their feudal lord. All that was left of it was a one-story structure with chambers below that the owner used to store wines and other temperature sensitive items. However, it was still a tight fit getting everyone squeezed inside.
"Listen... Listen, I know everyone is being a little inconvenienced," said the Mayor as he got up on a table and started addressing the people. "But I can swear to you that this is going to be worth it. When these people leave our city coffers will be full and we'll be able to do those things we've always wanted to do but didn't have enough money," he said but all he got back were groins and some verbal abuse.
"You ask like what do we want... of course you want to know. We can build a new school for our children or a hospital so our people don't have to drive so far to be treated. We might even build an airport to bring tourists in who'll spend money..."
"What fool tourist would want to come to this crap hole," shouted a man. "Look around you. Those men who came here are armed. This isn't some weekend party for businessmen. No, this is an invasion."
That was enough for the Circle's men guarding the crowd to quickly move in on the man and drag him off down to the chambers below.
"Get down from there Claudiu," said the police chief as he pulled him off the table. "Get down and shut up before you get someone else taken away or the people decide to lynch you for getting us in this mess."
"But I didn't," he started to say when the guards came walking back into the room with blood on their clothes.
"Like I said keep your mouth shut and let's hope we can get out of here with our skins still on our backs. But that's looking less and less possible."
"They're not going to hurt us. I have a deal with them and they gave me their word," said Claudiu as the Police Chief gave him a look.
"I don't know whether to be amazed that a political like you would actually take someone's word that they'd do something they'd promised or wonder how stupid a person like you can be."
"Be careful how you talk to me. Remember I'm still the Mayor and I can fire you just like that," he said as he snapped his fingers.
"Well, I wish you had before these people showed up and I would've been long gone leaving you here alone to face the music. However, I have to remind you that mine like yours is an elected position so only the people can turn me out like they're probably going to do to you once we get out of this mess."
"I know their upset but you really don't think they'll ask for a new election, do you? I couldn't have known these people were going to do this after all."
"Right now, I'm not sure any of us are going to get out of this. One of my men saw your friends planting explosives in the chambers below us."
"What does that mean? Why would they do that? This isn't what I agreed to... I know I should talk to someone in charge."
"You'd better keep your voice down if you want to stay alive. I'm not sure what they're planning but I don't think it's going to be for our good."
"You're not making any sense. I think maybe you're the one who's exaggerating. They won't do anything to us. Why would they?"
"Have you ever thought that maybe they think we're loose ends that need to be tied up. But if you want to know for sure go over and ask your new friends what they're up to. Maybe they'll tell you."
"I just might do that," said Claudiu as he started to walk over to one of the guards. But the man looked up at him and Claudiu stopped dead in his tracks. He did an about face and headed back to the Police Chief.
"I think I'll wait. He looked busy and I didn't want to bother him."
"Yeah, he looked really busy cracking his knuckles."
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In the end like it or not Sam had to stay home from school which put her in a foul mood. She locked herself away in her bedroom or as she called it her fortress of solitude. On her door she hung a sign that had a picture of two stick figures one tall and the other short. She drew an 'X' across the tall one.
"I brought you some lunch," said Kat as she knocked on Sam's door. "It's two a peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with the crust trimmed off. Open up and I'll give them to you."
"Go away. I'm not hungry I'm too busy wallowing in my ignorance. What can I do without an education," yelled Sam from inside. "How did you get by?"
"Sam, I'm not doing this with you. When you're hungry and you can act decently you can come out to eat with everyone else."
"I'll raid the dumpsters like a lone wolf," said Sam the she howled. Kat just shook her head then walked back to the kitchen.
"She isn't getting any better, is she? Do you want me to go down and get her out? I could drop a smoke grenade inside then she'll have to come out."
"Funny, and even thought I know you're joking or at least hope you are, Sam would just active the panic room then we'd never get her out."
"Too bad she doesn't have anyone to play with," said Morgan as he started to eat Sam's sandwiches. "If she did she'd have to come out or play inside. You now these could use a little more jelly and less peanut butter."
"That's not a bad idea Morgan," said Alex. "It might put her in a better mood. What was that little boy's name in her class that she got on with? Tobby? Johnny? No, Tommy... yes that was it. School's out now," said Alex as she glanced down at her watch. "Let me go see if I can convince his parents to let him come over for a couple of hours."
"Bribe them if you have too or tranq them. I don't care just do whatever you have to bring that boy back with you."
"You wouldn't happen to have any more," said Morgan as he finished the last bite then washed it down with slurp of grape soda.
"Morgan, you're coming with me," said Alex as she grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him out the door with her.
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With communications down the guards were constantly trying to radio each other but without the relay from the trailer they could only talk to other guards who were nearby. Even then the signal wasn't clear especially through stone walls. It was so bad at the tavern that the guards outside it stop by the front door knock then check on what was going on inside.
"How's it going in there. It's really boring out here," said the one guard to another through the open door.
"It's quiet in here especially now after we took a guy down in the cellar and beat some sense in him. Any word yet when we're going to get communications back on line?"
"I know as much as you do. Hopefully it will be back up soon," said the one then they closed the door and the one guard continued walking his rounds outside of the tavern. Not far away Casey met up with Mary, Anatoly and Viktor.
"What's it look like," said Casey as he walked up to Mary. "Have you found a way inside or do we need to shoot our way in? And have you been picking up weapons for your collection? We can't carry all these."
"Funny, there are two men circling the tavern but I can't tell how many men they've got inside. I saw one at the door just now so we know there's at least one and these weapons are for the civilians inside to protect themselves once we bust them out. We borrowed them when we broke Viktor out of jail."
"There are probably a lot more guards where that one came from," said Casey as he timed the men to see how long it took them to make the walk around. "I'm just saying to control a crowd of hostages the size of what they've got in is at least a four-man job. Good idea about the weapons as long as they don't use them on us. Viktor, you got any idea how many men they've got inside?"
"No, I was put in custody almost as soon as we arrived. The first part was like house arrest which was easy to get out of but then they put me in the jail..."
"Where it wasn't so easy. Look up there what's that on the roof? It looks like a skylight. If one of us could get up there we might be able to see how many guards they've got inside."
"That's not a bad idea. The next time our two guys go around back I'll make a break for it and climb up the drain pipe onto the roof. It should be a piece of cake."
"Maybe twenty years ago but I hate to tell you this you've put on a little weight since then. I don't think that drain pipe is going to hold you. Why don't you leave this to me? I'm the lightest and I can signal back to you how many men are inside as well as their location."
"Casey, I don't mean anything by this but Mary's right. She's lighter than either of us and that drain pipe looks like it's seen better days. The last thing we need to is to tip our hand and let them know we're here."
"For the record this isn't fat but muscle mass that I've put on exercising so don't get any strange ideas. Neither one of you... got it."
"Sure John, whatever you say," said Mary as she patted him on the cheek then ran over to the tavern as the guards disappeared around the corners.
They watched as she started shimmying up drain pipe when halfway up she heard a cracking sound and the pipe began to move away from the wall. She was too far up to go back down so she did the only thing she could do and that was hurry her way up.
"So much for her being the lightest," said John as they looked at the pipe. It had now broken away from the gutter and the wall.
"John, if you'd tried to climb that it would've broken with you not a third of the way up and you would've been sprawled out on your back when the guards came charging."
"Anyone ever tell you that your English is annoyingly good. Well she's up and the drain pipe hasn't fallen yet," said John as he pulled out his two Glocks with suppressors attached. "But one thing is certain she's not going to be coming back down the same way."
"Maybe she doesn't have to," said Anatoly. "We take out the two guards then knock on the door. The guy inside opens we take him out and while we're charging in Mary drops in from the ceiling then we work the crowd."
"I don't know," said John as he thought. "When the shooting starts there could be a mass panic inside and there could be some civilian casualties."
"Better a few civilians then all of them, besides I don't think we're going to have a choice," said Anatoly as he pointed to the one guard who walking around the corner and noticed the loose drain pipe. He walked out far from the tavern to get a better view of the roof but he back up right into Casey.
"And snap we go," John said as he broke the man's neck then letting him drop to the ground at his feet. Anatoly handed him back his Glocks then John ran across the open square as the other guard came walking around the corner. Casey didn't hesitate to take him out.
"Who are you people," said Viktor as he ran across the square to the front of the tavern. "This is insane."
"That's what they told me on my last psych eval," said John. "Now pipe down and keep quiet this is when the fun begins. Anatoly watch our friend," said John as he knocked on the door.
"We should've signaled Mary what we're doing."
"Now where's the fun in that. Besides she'll catch on soon enough," said John as the door opened. "I need a table for four please.