Chapter 25 – Engaging the enemy
"All Teams. We are go."
As Harry led the team to the side of the building the first of the shots rang out. Jo sent up a silent prayer. As they reached the training facility, Steve placed a wad of C4 against the emergency doors. They all dropped to their knees covering their faces. The doors blew apart. Steve led them in. Wright had been right. It was a gym. A boxing ring stood in the middle with a matted area next to it, a climbing wall at one end and a mezzanine with exercise machines. Harry signalled to Steve and Kate to take the upper floor. They nodded. Steve led the way with Kate watching his back. They climbed the circular staircase and threaded their way through the exercise machines. A loud explosion came from outside. They all flinched.
Harry rolled his eyes. "Ah man! I knew I shouldn't have let Mac take that grenade launcher."
Don's jaw dropped.
Harry led them over to the fire doors and peered through. He was about to push open the door when several figures appeared in the corridor beyond looking around trying to figure what was going on. They spotted Harry and lifted their weapons.
"Whoa! Incoming!" He threw himself against one wall with Don and Jo at the other side. Bullets pelted the door punching out big holes. The fire-fight outside continued. Don and Harry had the same idea at the same time. They stuck the muzzles of their weapons through the holes made by the bullets and fired back. They were rewarded by a scream from the end of the corridor. Harry risked a glance. The fire doors at the other end were swinging closed. The corridor was empty but there was a trail of blood on the the floor. Five doors, three on the left, two on the right, he signalled to Jo and Don.
"Go!"
They raced down the corridor dodging from one doorway to another. The first two rooms on either side were training rooms set out with simple desks and chairs. The third on the left was a kitchen. There was a swing door at the far end. Don positioned himself in the doorway to the kitchen with Harry opposite him on the other side of the corridor. He nodded to Jo and she squeezed past him making her way quietly across the kitchen. She peered through the porthole of the swing door. They were four men at the other side in what appeared to be part dining room, part recreation room. Two were kneeling by the windows concerned with what was happening out front and two were facing the doors that led into the corridor. She realized that there was a fifth man laid on the floor writhing in agony, his hands clamped to his leg. She lifted five fingers.
Harry nodded. "You are surrounded. Lay down your weapons." Harry yelled his voice echoing down the corridor. The fire doors were strafed with bullets.
"I'll take that as a no then," Harry huffed. He tapped his throat mike. "Steve, Kate, positions. Over."
"Upper floor clear. In forward stairwell. Over." Steve's voice crackled in their ears.
"Roger that. Five hostiles in dining room. You take point. On my mark. Over." He looked at Don then at Jo. "Your call," he mouthed. "Last chance. Lay down your weapons," he yelled. More gunfire. They focussed their attention on Jo.
Carefully Jo bobbed up to look through the porthole. All the men were now focussed on the fire doors leading to the corridor but the one nearest the window caught the movement of her head. "Shit!" She dove to one side just as a hail of bullets gouged hunks out of the door.
"Go," yelled Harry.
Steve shot out the glass in the door and Kate lobbed a flash-bang through the hole. They waited till it had gone off and entered. The first man fired blindly but was taken out by Steve. The second managed to swing his weapon around but was taken down immediately by Kate. The two others were eventually able to open their eyes only to discover five guns pointed at them. Harry and Don stood by the fire doors. Kate and Steve by the window and Jo by the kitchen door. Wisely they laid down their weapons and stuck their hands in the air.
Harry nodded in approval. "Team A. Building secure."
In response Wright called out a "Team B. Building secure."
Harry nodded in approval and grinned at Jo. "Is shit some kind of NYPD code word for go?"
Jo and Don chuckled as Steve waved in the local PD to take charge of the men.
Harry touched his throat mike again. "Team A to Lone Wolf. How are you doing buddy? Over."
Their comm's links crackled. The sound of distant gunfire echoed through the open window.
"A … little … busy. … Backup … would be … nice. Over."
They all looked at one another. Harry addressed the local police chief, a solid looking man with a huge ginger moustache. "You guys good to take over here?" He nodded waving to his deputies to secure the room. "What's your position Lone Wolf?"
Silence.
Harry's face took on a worried look. "Mac?"
"I'm in … "
A distant explosion reverberated through the building making the windows rattle. Then silence. Everyone held their breath. Jo thought her heart was going to stop. She closed her eyes. Seconds ticked past and then her earpiece crackled.
"...the Village!"
.
By cutting right he had hoped to draw some of them away from the main buildings thereby giving the others the chance to round up Mason's men. After the initial flurry of gunfire there had been a hesitant lull as Mason, Ryan, Gaunt and the buyers tried to work out what was going on. Mac had kept to the trees until he come across the track that the Jeep and the van had taken to get from the north of the compound back to the main complex. He crossed quickly and plunged into the trees at the other side taking up position behind a large oak. He peered around the massive trunk and listened to the muted sounds of gunfire from the main complex. A few seconds later three figures dashed across the road to his left. Mason and the Gaunt cousins.
He rose intending to follow them when suddenly another figure appeared. A dark-haired, dark-skinned man in dark baggy clothing. The man ground to a halt in the centre of the track. Their eyes met. The man's eyes sparkled with an intensity that left Mac in no doubt of his intentions. Mac moved even before he was aware of having made the decision. He took cover behind the tree as the first bullets struck. Spinning through a full circle he rolled his back against the rough bark and brought his M16 hard against the right hand side of the tree. He pulled the trigger and a volley of shots hit their mark. The man went down but bullets continued to fly as the second man from the van headed towards him. Smarter than his fallen companion he stopped short of the track and fired from a behind a tree. Mac returned fire. The man yelled, an ugly guttural sound.
Mac didn't need to understand the words. He was calling for back-up. Mac let loose with another volley of shots and waited for the return of fire trying to determine the man's exact position. He saw the man raise an arm to an unseen opponent behind. More shouting. He waved his arm telling the others to spread out. Movement deeper in the trees caught Mac's attention. He spotted two more figures; they were trying to go north and circle round him.
Time to go.
He fired another longer volley and turned and headed east. He plunged through the trees as bullets smacked with dull thuds into the bark of the trees behind him. He angled himself a little to north and prayed he would come out in the right spot.
As he ran a voice crackled in his earpiece.
"Team A. Building secure."
A happy confident voice. Harry. Team A were good. Mac smiled to himself. The earpiece crackled again.
"Team B. Building secure."
It sounded as though everything was going to plan. Well everything apart from the three guys chasing him and the fact that he had no idea where Mason and the Gaunt cousins had got to.
"Team A to Lone Wolf. How are you doing buddy? Over."
Harry's voice sounded like they were sitting in a bar making idle conversation. Another volley of bullets followed him, one smacking into a branch that was a little too close for comfort.
Just peachy!
He skidded to a halt and took cover behind one of the wider trees. "A … little … busy …" He turned and fired. "... backup … would be … nice. Over." He kept firing until he ran out of bullets. He yanked the magazine out discarding it and pulled another one from a pouch on his thigh. He rammed it into place, his eyes desperately searching the woods behind him. The man chasing him rose to fire forcing Mac behind the tree. He prepared to fire back.
"What's your position Lone Wolf?"
He opened his mouth to answer but movement caught his eye from his right. He turned to see a second man appear from among a large clump of bushes. His gun was slung across his chest and he had his fists together in a fighting stance.
"Mac?"
Mac squinted as he brought his gun to bear on the second man. "I'm in … " He broke off as he realized what the man had in his hands. He watched as the hands separated. It seemed to happen in slow motion. The man raised his arm as though pitching a ball. All conscious thought ceased. Survival instinct kicked in. Mac pushed himself upright and threw himself as far as he could.
The explosion from the grenade blew him off his feet. He felt himself tumble through the air. A huge mass of dirt, leaves and twigs blasted in all directions. Mac hit the ground hard sending an agonising pain through his partially healed shoulder. He felt himself roll until suddenly he hit something hard and hollow. He lay on his back as dust and dirt showered his face and hands. He was vaguely aware of having dropped his rifle. He blinked. Towering above him was a wall, a roughly built wall made of plywood painted to look like stone.
He knew exactly where he was. Automatically his hand went to the transducer at his throat to make sure it was still in position.
"...the Village," he gasped.
.