AUTHOR'S NOTE: Jeffster concludes. Only two more chapters of lockdown before Red Team gets their much-awaited break. Just like the two previous chapters, I'd recommend reading them first before this one if you haven't already. If you want to leave a brief review on them too, you'll help my writing massively with your feedback.
Red Team, Mobility troop, G Squadron, 22 SAS
Callsign: Romeo-One-Zero-Bravo
Red One: Staff Sergeant Chris MacDonald
Red Two: Sergeant Cole Barker
Red Three: Corporal Chuck Bartowski
Red Four: Corporal Daniel 'Big Dan' Thomas
Red Five: Trooper John Murray
Red Six: Trooper Jamie Hughes
Red Seven: Trooper Sarah Walker
Red Eight: Trooper Bryce 'Speedy Gonzales' Larkin
Red Nine: Morgan Grimes, Box 500 (MI5)
Who Dares Wins
Chapter Fifty-Two: Lockdown: Part Thirty-One: Jeffster: Finale
Landmark Hotel
Marylebone
London
Saturday, 22 November, 2007
"Well then, fella, it looks like our work here is done," Big Dan said, turning to Morgan, breaking the eerie silence that had befallen the once booming ballroom.
Morgan nodded, his lips curling up in amusement.
"It looks like we've got happy customers as well, fella, because no one's complaining," Big Dan quipped, nodding down at the disabled Russian inside the bar.
Morgan couldn't help but chuckle at the funny-yet-intimidating SAS soldier's dark sense of humour.
"Right then, fella, let's be off!" Big Dan said, suddenly slapping his hand down onto the bar with force.
However, no sooner than Big Dan's hand contacted the surface of the counter, a loud smashing sound erupted behind Morgan and Dan, freezing them in place.
The sudden crash of shattering glass made Dan, Morgan, and the rest of Red Team whip their heads around just in time to see the twelve-foot aquarium burst, sending water cascading over the bar and soaking everyone in its path, including Big Dan, Morgan, and the unconscious Russian.
As Big Dan turned back to face his teammates, his face turned a bright shade of red with embarrassment. "That wasn't me," he said softly, protesting his innocence.
"I fucking shit meself then! YOU TWAT!" Jamie shouted, his voice shaking with emotion, while his face turned red with rage, believing Big Dan to be the culprit of the aquarium smashing into pieces.
Big Dan was met with the same level of blame from Chris and the remaining members of Red Team, who glared daggers at him, just like Jamie.
Nevertheless, Chris's reaction was the most extreme of them all. He mimicked a choking motion towards Big Dan with one hand while holding his mobile phone with his other. He'd been using the mobile to contact their base of operations before Big Dan had scared the living crap out of him and abruptly paused the action.
With the immediate scare over, Chris continued his before-mentioned action and contacted Red Team's base.
Big Dan turned to face Morgan, suppressing laughter as he met his glance.
"Ah, well, fella, the Russian behind here needed to cool it off anyway!" he said, gesturing to the Russian laid out on the floor with his thumb.
Morgan chuckled as they stepped out of the bar. The pungent smell of salty water from the shattered aquarium filled their nostrils and clung tightly to their soaking-wet clothes as they departed.
They walked over to where their teammates had gathered near Chris's location, their voices in discussion resonating across the muted landscape of the deserted ballroom.
Chris continued to look on in disgust at Big Dan, still making numerous threats with his hand as someone answered the phone on the other end.
"22 Reg," a woman's voice—part of the support team for 22 Regiment SAS—answered the phone.
Chris was still glaring at Big Dan. "Romeo-One-Zero-Bravo, we have contact."
"Hold one, transferring to ops room," the support staff said.
Chris waited until he heard activity again.
A male 22 Regiment member appeared on the transmission. "Ops room."
"Romeo-One-Zero-Bravo in contact," Chris said.
"Location please, Romeo-One-Zero-Bravo!" the operator said with urgency.
Chris finally broke his glance from Big Dan. "Last reported location, over."
"Affirmative, Romeo-One-Zero-Bravo! Sit rep please!" the operator said with increased urgency.
"Disruptive actions of our two primary targets led to them being shot at by two members of the Russian mafia in attendance. Red Four, Seven, and Nine intervened to eliminate the threat to the public and the two targets, but additional armed threats became involved in the engagement, leading to a much larger contact. The threat is neutralised at this present time. Requesting orders. Out," Chris said.
"Affirmative, Romeo-One-Zero-Bravo! Hold one for Gold-One. Out!"
Chris waited in pause for Gold-One—the commanding officer of 22 Regiment's main call sign—until he heard activity again.
"Gold-One to Romeo-One-Zero-Bravo."
Chris gazed around at his teammates now in discussion as his CO arrived on the call. "Romeo-One-Zero-Bravo, go ahead Gold-One."
"What the hell is happening out there, Staff Sergeant?!" Colonel Wood asked with urgency.
"Heavy contact, boss. Multiple fatalities," Chris said.
"Good god!" the Colonel cursed as a brief pause ensued. "Are there any Yankee (friendly) fatalities?"
"Fatalities, not as we have encountered. But casualties, that's affirmative. Requesting immediate orders, boss, because we're sure armed police are closing in on our location and our targets are getting away. They could ditch their transport at any point," Chris stressed.
The Colonel entered brief silence. To the extent, it unsettled the experienced Staff Sergeant because he knew things were time-sensitive and they needed a decision right now.
Chris pushed the issue. "Boss?"
"Armed police are indeed heading to the scene; in huge numbers. Metropolitan Police Command has already given orders to cordon the area and let no one in or out. It will take some time to resolve and clear things up, especially because we do not know if any secondary X-rays are throughout the hotel."
"Our two primary targets have already long since fled, boss. They scarpered as soon as it kicked off and my priorities were to eliminate the active threat. Do we stand fast at the location to secure it and clear things up, or pursue?" Chris asked.
"Good god, Staff Sergeant!" Colonel Wood cursed in scorn. "Your team is the gold ribbon standard of the SAS. How could you walk yourselves into the mother of all cock-ups?"
"Two idiots of an assignment and a wedding full of Russian mobsters with guns, boss, that's how. I defend every action Red Team took to neutralise that threat, but there's no time for that. Do we stay? Or go?"
"We can't have you tied up in a police lockdown that could last as long as an hour…" Colonel Wood said, pausing for the briefest of moments. "Get the hell out of there and leave Box 500 behind to pull the necessary strings! Set up a direct channel to the ops room as soon as you're mobile! Armed police arrival is two and a half minutes!"
"Boss!" Chris shouted with urgency, disconnecting the call.
"HOT EXFILTRATION!" Chris bellowed suddenly, shooting a glance around his team. "Two and a half minutes! Morgan, stay behind and liaise with police on their arrival to clear this mess up!"
Morgan nodded.
Adrenaline reactivated within Chris and intensified with each passing second. "Move it! Move it! Move it!"
With urgency, Chris, Chuck, Dan, Sarah, and John scrambled and made their way out of the ballroom.
Jamie and Cole were about to follow suit.
However, despite their intentions to leave, they halted abruptly and rotated their bodies in response to Bryce's sudden sprinting in the opposite direction right past them.
"What's that pillock doing?!" Cole asked as he and Jamie darted their glance to Bryce as he bolted towards another location.
"He's going to the bar!" Jamie laughed incredulously.
"Hurry up, you pillock!" Cole shouted.
Bryce arrived at the bar, grabbing two of the nearest alcohol bottles he could find before he turned and dashed to rejoin Cole and Jamie, taking no more than a few seconds in total.
Jamie's laughter filled the air as Bryce returned to his position, eager to receive a bottle, which he expected to be his.
However, Bryce's actions quickly extinguished Jamie's joy, and he felt a surge of anger when he saw him pass the alcohol bottle to Cole, not stopping, as he continued running towards the exit of the ballroom.
Cole joined Bryce in making a speedy getaway, leaving Jamie to be hot on their tails, shouting at Bryce as he ran, "Hey! Where's mine, Speedy, you little bastard?! COME HERE!"
Jamie ran after his teammates, watching enviously as they took swigs from the alcohol bottles in their possession and feeling the burn of his lungs as he pushed himself to keep up.
With a burst of speed, Jamie caught up to Cole and overtook him.
As Jamie continued on past, he couldn't help but notice Bryce take a final swig from the bottle before throwing it onto the floor and increasing his pace to escape.
Jamie paused suddenly, now at a walking pace, his eyes fixed on the now discarded bottle of alcohol that still had easily more than three-quarters of its contents.
But Jamie's moment of happiness was short-lived, as Cole shoved him forward and shouted, "Hurry, you pillock!"
With no other option, Jamie kept running toward the exit, feeling the sweat on his forehead and hearing the clatter of Cole's bottle hitting the ground behind him.
The open-air was a welcome relief for Jamie, but his escape was not yet complete, as the sound of many sirens in the distance spurred him to make a final, adrenaline-fuelled sprint to their waiting getaway vehicle.
Jamie burst into the van, his breaths coming out in ragged gasps.
His eyes soon met Bryce's, and his anger surged through him again.
Cole slumped into the van two seconds after Jamie.
Chuck, seeing his teammates enter, turned to face Sarah in the front. "We're clear! Go, go, go!"
With a screech of the tires, Sarah accelerated away from the scene, leaving behind the dust and debris of their hasty escape.
"If you keep being last, laddie!" Chris glared at Cole, "Then we'll get rid of you!"
Jamie shifted his glare between Cole and Bryce. "He's only last because that gobshite and Speedy Gonzales got alcohol from the bar!"
"WHAT?!" Chris screamed out in an explosive burst of decibels that jumped everyone out of their skins.
"Fucking hell, Chris, I shit meself then!" Big Dan complained.
Chris's agitation grew, making a sharp gesture for Big Dan to shut up.
As Sarah sped away in the driver's seat, Chris turned his attention to Cole and Bryce, expertly grabbing hold of them in the moving vehicle.
"I DEMAND AN EXPLANATION, LADDIES!" Chris roared into their faces.
"Jamie's only pissed off and blabbing his mouth because Bryce didn't get any for him, which he expected," Cole said, unprepared to allow just him and Bryce to take the blame despite their moment of improper conduct.
In a moment of anger, Chris turned his glare onto Jamie, holding them all responsible for their completely unprofessional conduct.
"IF ANY OF YOU PULL A STUNT LIKE THAT AGAIN, YOU'RE OUT!" Chris warned, exploding in anger. "I'LL HAVE YOU SENT BACK TO YOUR PARENT REGIMENTS IN DISGRACE SO FUCKING QUICKLY THAT NONE OF YOU WILL KNOW WHAT'S HIT YOU AND I HAVE A GOOD MIND TO HIT YOU!"
Chuck and Sarah sat nervously in the front seats, sharing a glance as their team leader reprimanded their teammates for their inappropriate behaviour. Neither of them had heard Chris go that hard on anyone before, and Chuck had served with Chris for three years.
Nevertheless, Chris's scornful reprimand was deserved as Chuck, Big Dan, and John Murray exchanged a solemn glance, acknowledging that the moment called for silence.
Chris's outburst subsided, and he stomped towards the front of the van. The sound of his body hitting the floor shook the van as he threw himself down, still seething with anger. He grabbed hold of the laptop with tracking information of Jeff's van, yanking it onto his person. From there, he studied the information. "They're still mobile. Keep heading straight. I'll tell you when to turn."
Sarah continued driving the surveillance vehicle. "Will do."
-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-
Sarah pulled Red Team's surveillance to a stop as activity picked up in Jeff's van.
"We need to lie low for a few days, Jeffrey!" Lester said in panic. "I think we crashed the wrong people!"
Jeff nodded. "They were close to shooting me, Lester."
Lester shrieked in fear. "Big Mike will kill us if he finds out what happened."
Jeff shot Lester a concerned look. "We need to stop the activism before we lose our jobs, Lester."
"Agreed, Jeffrey!" Lester continued to panic. "We'll park up here for the night, lie low for a few days, then purchase more trackers from Ronald and try to find the Prime Minister's daughter before Big Mike fires us again!"
Jeff and Lester moved to climb into the rear of the van.
Chuck glanced at his teammates in the rear. "Well, at least all of this shit we're now in because of the hotel has enabled them to get on with their jobs, thus revealing that it was them with the trackers all along. It looks like we're in the endgame now."
Everyone nodded.
Chris waited for a minute, listening to the sounds of Jeff and Lester settling down. Feeling confident it was safe to exit the van, he stormed out, his anger towards Bryce, Cole, and Jamie still burning inside the Scotsman.
Once Chris shut the door to the van with force after him, Red Team turned to look at each other.
"I'm disappointed in you, Cole," Chuck said as he burnt a sharp glance at Cole, shaking his head at him, clearly not impressed by his best friend's conduct. "Jamie, I could have understood. And certainly Speedy Gonzales. But I expected better from you."
"I thought it was an idea at the time. But it wasn't. We would have got away with though it if he didn't blab his mouth off," Cole said, pointing at Jamie.
"Stop making excuses because I don't want to hear them. I had all of you on my back for bailing from the base when I did, which was dumb. But what the three of you did in there was way more unprofessional! We're on an assignment, for fuck's sake! It's not a game nor a party! Grow up!" Chuck said in scorn, glancing distastefully at Cole before finally looking at Bryce and Jamie.
Bryce sighed. "We only did what Dan did as well, but no one's on his back."
"The difference is, I didn't nearly compromise the op, fella," Big Dan said.
Sarah, however, was unamused by Big Dan's reply. She looked at him and scoffed. "There is no difference. What all four of you did was completely unprofessional! You can't chastise them for doing the same thing you did. Only Chuck, John, Chris, and I can hold our heads high."
Chuck nodded. "Agreed."
"Aye," John Murray said, nodding. "There's a time and place for the craic (fun), and it wasnae there."
"You're only saying that 'cause you didn't get any, fella," Big Dan said back.
"Ya wee tosser!" John Murray hissed back.
Jamie, Dan, John, Bryce, and Cole shared muted laughter.
However, Chuck and Sarah turned to face each other in the front, unamused.
"I hope you know I'd never do anything like what those four did," Chuck said softly, his eyes never leaving his lover's.
"I know," Sarah said, nodding, holding his gaze. "Neither would I."
Chuck nodded.
While in the van's rear, Jamie looked around his teammates and said, "I don't know who to kill first! Him!" he said, pointing at Cole before he changed his pointing to Bryce, "Or him!"
The teammates in the rear shared additional muted laughter as Chuck and Sarah engaged in a conversation, not taking part in events.
"I'm not a fucking bartender!" Bryce shouted, laughing. "I picked up the only two bottles near and didn't have time for anything more."
"No, you just suited yourself and left us out of it!" Jamie shouted, pointing at Bryce.
"Who Dares Wins, fella," Big Dan said. "You didn't dare, but Speedy did. I'm impressed."
Jamie glared at Cole, changing his pointing to him instead. "Neither did he! Yet he comes out of it smelling of roses!"
"Smelling of whiskey more like, fella," Big Dan quipped suddenly.
Everyone except Chuck, Sarah, and Jamie snorted at the reply.
Cole continued the exchange. "And that's because Speedy likes me, but not you."
Jamie continued his finger jabbing in Cole's direction. "I am going to kill you, Cole!"
"So how was Morgan, then?" John Murray asked, changing the topic.
Every teammate in the van stopped their activities to glance at Big Dan in wait for his answer.
Big Dan, glancing around at his teammates, said, "He was great, fella, top-notch. You all should have seen him. He was blasting everyone from behind the bar like James Bond and egging them all on for a good scrap. He loved it!"
Approving laughter erupted amongst the seven teammates as Jamie said, "He's becoming one of us!"
"Becoming?" Cole asked, glancing at Jamie. "He already is one of us, Jamie!"
The laughter intensified.
"Did he slot any of them?" John Murray asked.
"Oh yeah, fella," Big Dan said, nodding in exaggeration. "He got ten of them easily, fella."
"He's having us on!" Jamie chuckled.
"Ask him yourself when he gets back, fella," Big Dan said.
"Aye. We will do!" John Murray said back.
The unit shared additional laughter for a moment until Chris arrived back and reentered the vehicle, the laughter ceasing as he did so.
They shared a glance with their team leader until he said, "Good job everyone, despite some of your conduct. Sarah, Chuck, John, you've impressed me and didn't put a foot wrong. The rest of you need a quiet while in reflection of your conduct, so let's unwind and get some kip and hope these idiots lead us to where we need to be so we can get out of here."
Everyone nodded as Chris moved to return to his position close to the front of the van.
A moment passed until Big Dan looked at Chuck in the front. "Stick the radio on, fella."
Chuck gave a quick nod, then turned to reach over to switch on the radio.
Red Team paused in silence for a few minutes, with the radio playing its feed until the host returned with a message.
This is BBC Radio One with the news at ten-thirty. A major incident has been declared at the Landmark Hotel in London after a gunbattle unfolded less than an hour ago. We do not have word yet as to the persons responsible, but what we do know is that the entire area has been cordoned off, with a massive police and emergency service presence in the area. Members of the public are strongly advised to avoid the area….
-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-
The next day
North London
Sunday, 23 November, 2007
11:00 hours (11am)
You've tuned in to BBC Radio 5 Live, and it's exactly eleven o'clock. The Metropolitan Police just released a statement in the last few moments. It was a brief statement, but it provided an update on the major incident at the Landmark Hotel, where a notable police presence remains. The Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police stated that last night's events resulted from a covert police surveillance operation aimed at members with concrete links to criminal activities within the Russian mafia. With over two hundred guests in attendance, a wedding reception was abruptly interrupted when two journalists from News Now Media Corporation crashed the event, leading to a rapid escalation of events. The reporters' activism sparked anger among the wedding guests, escalating into a chaotic gun battle that endangered members of the public, prompting the undercover police surveillance unit to step in and intervene. The Commissioner expressed his gratitude to the police unit for their swift intervention, which prevented any further loss of life besides the eight gangsters killed in the engagement.
"Not bad," Chris said, nodding in approval of Morgan's spin on events.
"Yeah, he's done well there, fella," Big Dan agreed.
Everyone nodded.
However, in Jeff's van, the two occupants of that vehicle had much different reactions to the news broadcast.
"We are so dead, Lester!" Jeff shouted in horror.
Lester shrieked in dread and fear. "What are we going to do, Jeffrey?!"
"I don't know, Lester. Maybe we should flee and make for France."
Lester raised a hand to his chin for a long moment in consideration. "I could never survive on baguettes and croissants, Jeffrey! No, we will stand and fight for what we believe in! Jeffster will not run!"
Red Team shared laughter over Lester's remarks.
One hour later
Morgan returned to a hero's welcome as he entered inside Red Team's van.
"Here he is!" Cole said, pointing at Morgan. "The main man!"
Morgan chuckled as he received Red Team's warm welcome. "Thanks, guys, but I didn't really do that much!"
"Nonsense, fella!" Big Dan said as he joined a few of his team in moving to pat Morgan. "You did a good job in there, and with your spin on things after."
"He's right," Chris said from the front seat, nodding at Morgan with respect. "Well done."
Morgan suppressed laughter. "It was mostly all Big Dan. I was just doing my part."
Big Dan quickly led the rebukes that erupted. "Not at all, fella! You were in the trenches with me!"
John Murray looked at Morgan with pride. "Aye. We heard you took out a few of them and were eager for a good scrap."
Morgan chuckled in reply to the Scot. "It was fun!"
Red Team shared the laughter as Jamie moved to pat Morgan. "You did well, mate!"
"You guys should have seen Big Dan!" Morgan said, glancing around Red Team, still chuckling. "He hit one of those mobsters with a whiskey bottle and I winced from seeing it! He will have a sore head today!"
The laughter intensified as Big Dan said, "It was a good night of bartending. I'm sure he was happy to receive that full bottle of whiskey on the house from us when I smashed it over his head, fella!"
"Yeah, and it wasn't the only soaking he got from you because you smashed the tank all over him as well!" Jamie said back.
Jamie's comment increased the laughter, but Chris shot a sharp glance at Jamie. "Don't remind me of that, laddie!"
"Yeah, keep your mouth shut this time, Jamie, fella," Big Dan teased, turning his attention back to Morgan. "We'll have to do it again sometime! It was fun."
Morgan nodded, suppressing laughter.
"Your takedown of that henchman who went for you was extremely impressive as well, Sarah. Good job," Big Dan said, nodding at his teammate.
"Thanks," Sarah said with a smile. "Thanks for having my back, too."
"I'll always have it. I can assure you of that, Sarah."
Sarah held her smile.
Red Team soon settled once the warm spirits calmed.
Thirty minutes later
Red Team observed as Lester answered a call after the third try of the caller.
"Hi, Big Mike!" Lester said squeamishly.
"YOU PAIR OF HALFWITS!" Red Team heard the caller scream suddenly, his tone identical to the one Chris used last night.
The caller's screams caused all of Red Team to snort in sync, while in Jeff's van, Jeff and Lester jumped out of their skins, with Lester proceeding to drop the phone out of his hand.
Lester, gaining the courage to pick up the phone again, picked it up as Big Mike continued, "I SAID NO TO YOUR POPULATION CONTROL STORY, YOU DOPED UP MORONS!"
"I like him already!" Cole chuckled.
Red Team shared the amusement with Cole.
"YOU'RE FIRED!" Big Mike roared, his tone loud enough for all of Red Team to hear, despite the call not being on loudspeaker.
"But Big Mike!" Lester protested, his tone becoming increasingly erratic. "It was just a side project! We are still trying to get the Prime Minister's daughter's location and then we will monitor her illicit drug-taking activities!"
"AFTER ALL THE TROUBLE YOU HAVE CAUSED ME, YOU'RE STILL FIRED!" Big Mike screamed. "GET ME THAT STORY IN THE NEXT TWO DAYS IF YOU WANT TO BE HIRED! AND I'M THE BIGGEST FOOL FOR GIVING YOU YOUR HUNDREDTH CHANCE! BUT IT WILL BE THE LAST ONE!"
And with that, Big Mike disconnected the call.
Red Team erupted in howling laughter at everything they'd heard in Big Mike's tirade, including Chris—usually the composed one—as Lester shrieked in complete and utter fear.
"We need to find her quick, Lester," Jeff said with concern. "I don't want to be out of a job."
"Neither do we, but we will be as well if you gobshites get us into any more trouble!" Jamie laughed.
Red Team's laughter intensified over Jamie's remark.
-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-
North London
Monday, 24 November, 2007
16:00 hours
Jamie and Cole watched on from their positions in the front seat of Red Team's van as Jeff and Lester departed Jeff's van at a meeting place where Jeff and Lester would purchase trackers from their seller.
After Big Mike's call to Lester yesterday, the pair contacted a guy called Ronald, an associate of Jeff's, to purchase the trackers.
Ronald had told them to arrive at this remote location today at 16:00 hours to purchase them.
During the conversation, Red Team also overheard Lester trying to persuade Ronald to give them the contact details of the seller directly, so Red Team knew Ronald was only a middleman for the supplier of the trackers, which they deemed to be Irish Republican Army associates.
Jamie, holding advanced surveillance equipment, zoomed in on Jeff and Lester as they walked toward a man standing in wait outside his car.
Standing behind Jamie and Cole, Chris too clutched a camera with a massive lens.
The three teammates waited in pause as the meeting took place, with Jamie and Chris taking pictures extensively for a few minutes until they observed as Lester handed over cash, and in return, the unidentified male—though assumed to be Ronald—handed over four tracking devices.
"Right, we've got them!" Chris said, taking a picture of the exchange, as well as Jamie.
Excitement erupted in Red Team's van, knowing the end was nigh of a long and stressful month of living in lockdown for nothing.
Cole's eyes lit up as he rubbed his hands together and declared with enthusiasm. "Right, that's our job done! Time to sod off back to Hereford, get pissed, sleep in our own beds, and let Box 500 continue the rest, building up the lengthy picture of who this guy knows!"
The excitement intensified over Cole's remarks as Red Team's van got loud, but Chris interrupted the elation. "Not yet, laddies and lassies!"
Groans erupted all around Red Team's van.
"What is it now?" John Murray asked, sighing in dejection.
"Command wants eyes on them until they have located and moved on the PM's daughter. They have concerns that those two idiots could compromise her security. And so do I," Chris said, continuing to survey Jeff and Lester through his camera lens as they returned to Jeff's van.
The discontent in Red Team's van continued to build as Chuck lamented, "This op is eternal. We'll all be old and grey before it's over!"
"Yeah, and I'll have a fucking heart attack long before that very soon, mate!" Jamie complained, shaking his head as he observed Jeff and Lester reenter Jeff's van.
Snorts erupted over Jamie's remark while Chris rebuked it. "Quit whining, laddie!"
-O-o-O-o-O-o-O-
Central London
Tuesday, 25 November, 2007
20:00 hours
"I have located her, Jeffrey!" Lester shouted, his eyes glued to the laptop in his possession. "Using social media, I've been following her activities for a while. She has just posted that she's heading to a nightclub with some friends in Mayfair and she has taken a photograph of her entering a limousine! We must head to the Cuckoo Club!"
"Shall we take the boob cam, Lester?" Jeff asked excitedly.
Lester raised a hand to his chin, furrowing his brow for a moment, before he said, "No, Jeffrey! This reporting is far too important! We need to take it seriously to get hired by Big Mike again. We will wait outside the venue, bugging the limo with a tracking device, and follow her as she departs!"
Jeff nodded as the best friends climbed into the front seats, with Jeff soon setting his van in motion.
One hour later
Red Team entered a street housing the Cuckoo Club soon after Jeff's van and they parked up in wait.
From there, Chuck and Chris, now in charge of the surveillance equipment, set up shop in wait for activity.
Chuck and Chris soon observed Jeff and Lester depart Jeff's van, with Lester armed with a tracking device.
In the open street, under the night sky, Chuck and Chris kept a watchful eye as Jeff and Lester sneaked up to the occupied limousine, with the driver in the front seat.
Once they arrived, Lester crouched down to place the tracking device under the limo, with Chuck and Chris taking additional pictures as he did so for further evidence against them.
"Sneaky bastards," Chuck said, shaking his head, unimpressed. "These two have pissed away a month of our time, kept us from seeing our families, from enjoying our lives, and living under a state of constant threat and tension for nothing."
"What are they doing, fella?" Big Dan asked.
"Lester just planted a tracker under the limo," Sarah said, seething, from the driver's seat, her only line of sight being that of her natural vision.
"Bastards!" Cole hissed with venom.
"I'm going to murder them and pull out their eyes!" Jamie fumed in anger. "They've pissed us around like idiots when it was always them! And our personal lives have all gone to shit because of it!"
"Join the queue, laddie!" Chris said back. "But we'll deal with them soon. First, let's complete the assignment."
Everyone nodded, attempting to regain their composure, remaining stationary as Jeff and Lester returned to Jeff's van.
One hour later
The situation was unchanged, with Red Team in their van observing the nightclub exit, the limousine, and Jeff's van.
A moment passed until Chuck suddenly noted activity as two women exited the nightclub arm in arm.
"I don't believe it!" Chuck said incredulously, glancing through his camera lens at who had just exited the club in disbelief.
Everyone except Chris—who was holding the other surveillance equipment—turned to look at Chuck.
"What is it?" Big Dan asked.
Chuck was about to answer, but before he could say anything, Chris said, "Carina Miller."
"What, that MI6 agent who was interested in you a while back, Chuck?" Cole asked in disbelief, soon emitting a rowdy chuckle.
"Yeah…" Chuck said simply. "She's just come out with Amy Monroe. I recognise her too, from some pictures of the PM that most of the country has surely seen."
Everyone—but Sarah especially—snapped their glance to Chuck in query.
Chuck simply sighed. After everything that had transpired this past month, nothing shocked or surprised him anymore…
"Fucking hell! Just what else can be thrown at us?!" Jamie laughed, shaking his head.
"I don't know anymore, Jamie," Cole said, shaking his head. "What's she doing with the PM's daughter?"
Nobody had an answer for that either as they all entered thought.
However, something immediately disturbed their thoughts as they heard a sudden screeching of tires behind their position in their van as a fast-moving car entered the street.
"They're driving fast!" Bryce remarked.
"Yeah, they are," Chuck said, nodding, putting down his surveillance camera as a high-speed Audi A4 entered his natural sight from the right.
The sound of screeching tires transfixed Chuck, Sarah, and Chris as the Audi careened towards the limousine, and then slammed on its brakes.
Chris—who had seen enough to know something was going down—shouted, "We might have something kicking off! Let's get out there, laddies!"
The doors of the Red Team's van flew open as they hurriedly scrambled out to investigate the situation.
The bustling street was alive with noise and movement when the team—minus Morgan—took off towards the limo. They dodged past people and vehicles, weaving their way through as their eyes fixed on their target as they sprang into action, adrenaline now pumping through all eight of their veins.
The two men arrived at the limo, where they attempted to forcefully gain entry into the vehicle which Amy and Carina had taken refuge in, but the limo couldn't flee because the Audi had blocked off its path.
The sound of Red Team's running footsteps and busy nightlife echoed through the street as Red Team made a beeline for the limo, knowing that the two men from the Audi meant trouble.
Chris, as team leader, decided he couldn't wait any longer and let out a piercing scream in warning, determined to take immediate action as he drew his sidearm, "BRITISH ARMY! YOU TWO AT THE LIMO! DO NOT MOVE!"
The two men stopped dead in their tracks, their bodies rigid over the warning as they snapped to face Red Team, quickly approaching from twenty yards away.
Without a second thought, the two men spun around and made a beeline for their vehicle, disregarding the warning entirely.
With the warning ignored, John Murray and Sarah sprang into action, drawing their weapons and firing in quick succession as the two men dashed into the vehicle, waiting with its engine running as the driver of the Audi raced away.
"HOLD YOUR FIRE!" Chris barked quickly, determining there was no way for them to stop the vehicle without risking danger to members of the public on the crowded street.
Sarah and John Murray stopped firing as soon as given the order.
Red Team continued towards the limo as the high-powered Audi sped out of sight, arriving at Jeff's van where they stopped when Chris turned to his team and said, "I WANT THOSE TWO IN PLASTICUFFS AND IN CUSTODY! IT ENDS HERE!"
Jeff and Lester had no chance to resist as Jamie and Big Dan shoved their way into the van, overpowering them with brute force. They dragged them out onto the street, where they were quickly subdued with plasticuffs and held in place on the pavement by Jamie and Dan stamping on them.
"YOU LITTLE SHITE!" Jamie shouted down at Lester, whom he was stamping on harshly.
The rest of Red Team, meanwhile, continued on to the limousine containing Amy and Carina, snorting at Jamie's remarks as they arrived at the limo...
AUTHOR'S NOTE: And that's a wrap on Jeffster, folks! Just one chapter left of Lockdown! Next chapter, Red Team receives a new assignment from command to protect Amy at all costs until they uncover the truth behind the attempted attack on her. But with Amy AND Carina both on board, things are bound to get interesting. Haha!
FOOTNOTES: I wish to extend my appreciation for the feedback last chapter. I really appreciate it! If you could kindly leave a brief comment with your feedback on the chapter once again today, I'd like that a lot too :)