OR2-EP1: Perun Awakens (16)
Michael McNeil sat with a serious expression as he tuned in to the program at the television, his teammates sitting meticulously on either side of him. Stepan Golivin, the Hetman who has become the new master of Ukraine after the President's flight, had been assassinated the other day (he had already suffered one assassination halfway through the program) while giving a public speech on the square, but fortunately Hetman himself was only injured in the arm and was not seriously hurt. The colorful OUN head quickly decided to issue a sternly worded statement condemning the Ukrainian traitors who tried to trade his life for glory.
"He seems to have mistaken the identity of the perpetrators." McNeil chuckled as he pointed to the television set, "It seems the Russians' risky claim of the attack has successfully distracted these Ukrainians."
It was widely speculated that Hetman's assassin was either from the United States or Russia, and while the media was still extrapolating from a few catch-all rumors, the Russians, who had never been afraid to take the blame, graciously claimed that they had recently carried out a failed assassination attempt on an enemy of the motherland, which had set Hetman on fire. But his anger was pointless; the Russian army had already marched out of the Crimea, Kherson had fallen within days, the Russians on the southern and eastern fronts were pushing straight into Kiev, and Western Ukraine was faltering. The remaining Ukrainian troops tried to resist, their counter-attacks had little effect due to the loss of friendly forces, and many of them retreated in droves towards Kiev. Faced with an overwhelming Russian force, the OUN mobilized their militia for guerrilla warfare, and all they got in return were Russian drones. Traditional tactics were no match for modern technology, and the days when numbers and will alone could determine victory were well and truly over.
In his speech, Stepan Golivin called on all Ukrainians to mobilize against the Russian forces from the east. He said that Ukraine had been the free land of the Rus since ancient times, and that the people here would not easily submit to the rule of the Mongol Empire, the Ottoman Empire, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and the Russian Empire, and would not re-submit to the Russians now. In his opinion, it is the foreign powers that keep knocking the bones out of the land under the guise of friendship that have weakened Ukraine, and by expelling them all, the Ukrainians will have all the resources at their own disposal to deal with the Russkies. The usefulness of his speech is questionable, McNeil has witnessed OUN arresting poor people living on the streets and claiming that these undeserving patsies are the dregs of society brainwashed by a shitty culture and not knowing how to get ahead. The tactic that the poverty rate problem would naturally be solved by simply eliminating the poor altogether dazzled McNeil.
No matter how cynical they may have been about Hetman's speech afterward, it is an indisputable fact that the assassination attempt failed. Although Stepan Golivin was not quick to suspect the Americans, based on his indiscriminate hostility to foreigners alone, it was only a matter of time before the OUN turned on the United States and its allies. It is pointless to lecture people caught up in the frenzy who cannot see the longer-term benefits, and a gun must be put to their heads to bring them to their senses a little. So, when the embassy staff came to chastise them, Captain Shields led the way with a new plan: hijack Hetman and force OUN to submit to NATO.
"Daydreaming." The thin officer wearing glasses commented dismissively on their new scheme, "You can't even assassinate Hetman in a public place, and you have the whimsical idea of storming the presidential palace to hijack him. ... With just a few of you, you'll evaporate with a whimper after falling into the trap. "
He threw the draft onto the table and turned to leave. An arm stopped in front of him and McNeil blocked his way.
"I said, step aside, sir." The thin officer looked at McNeil without humor.
"Even the Russians have to give the prisoners a chance to redeem themselves at the front, and if we mess up again, the big deal is that we die there and spare you the trouble." McNeil coldly gazed at the anxious officer, "Whether the situation ... in Ukraine or NATO has reached a turning point, it is a shame to stand by and do nothing."
A cold sweat broke out on the officer's back. He had been working as a civilian for many years and occasionally came into contact with those soldiers from the front line, and the rough style of these men impressed him every time. Once the violent temper of these GIs kicked in, no matter what the identity of the other party was, nothing could stop them from trying to solve the problem by means of force. These soldiers in front of him were just trying to get a chance to clear their name, and if he cut off their last hope, the broken-hearted ones might beat the culprit to a bloody pulp before going to jail.
"You should follow the rules." He forced himself to calm down, "You don't have the authority to just launch an operation against a foreign head of state until you get permission from your superiors ..."
McNeil bit his lip; he knew what the other man was playing at. These five soldiers were nothing more than tools to be discarded at any time in the eyes of the President and members of Congress, not even counting as statistics that would cause heartache for a long time. He was going to fight for the initiative, to show those pretentious guys what they were worth. Not everything in the world could be done by guys who just sat in an air-conditioned room and gave orders, and without good executives, any plan was just a plan on paper. Using Senator Curtis' connections, perhaps McNeil had a chance to convince the leaders of the United States to agree to their new adventure program. Even conservatives existed in different categories, with some conservatives wanting to focus only on local affairs, while others were strong on maintaining global hegemony. Some senators have gone out on a limb in public saying that they could launch a coup against any country on the globe at any time.
"Okay, then, allow me to talk to Senator Curtis."
Senator Curtis Sr.'s phone number was provided to McNeil by Wyatt Curtis. The old man reminded McNeil of Jacob Herzog, the difference being that Herzog had years of actual governing experience, while Senator Curtis Sr. was a career politician. McNeil despised career politicians, those guys in the GDI council who had nothing to do all day but create fake news would only drag the military down, and sometimes there would even be an embarrassing situation of forcing the Director-general, who had always been in conflict, and the head of the military onto the same page. However, McNeil had to make use of this opportunity, while there was still some gratitude in the other party's heart that could outweigh the benefits, so that the old man could contribute to his plan.
He cautiously framed his phrases, then dialed the number. A few minutes later, McNeil returned to the hall with a triumphant smile and accepted the celebrations of his teammates. The disoriented, skinny officer left the scene in frustration, not really wanting to provide any additional assistance to these restless fellows. However, even Senator Curtis had gotten involved, and it seemed there was no way he could resist the order.
Captain Alfred Shields asked listlessly:
"How did you persuade Senator Curtis?"
"I told him that the worst that could happen was for the Russians to take complete control of the Ukraine, and that no amount of fooling around on our part could lead to anything worse than that." McNeil said shyly, "The OUN is out of control anyway, and instead of hoping that Ukraine will automatically go back to normal and maintain its cooperation with NATO, we should give it a push to make these unconscious guys realize how weak and incompetent they are."
"Good idea. It's just that ... I suspect that there are radicals from neighboring countries behind OUN, since the technology they use actually comes from White Russia." Captain Shields left the corner and walked over to McNeil with a freshly awakened posture, "According to the intel I got from the Marines, that kind of magic is the type of mind control that White Ross is feverishly developing, and I don't know why the OUN has Magicians who have mastered it."
"Belarus?" McNeil got wary, "They're in cahoots with the Russians, why would they be supporting the OUN in the Ukraine?"
"Hell knows, maybe it's business, maybe it's because they're willing to create more excuses for the Russians to intervene in the Ukraine." Captain Shields shook his head, "Come on, who's behind the OUN is none of our business. McNeil, raiding the Presidential Palace completely puts us at risk, the OUN wouldn't make the same mistake they made earlier in a heavily guarded place like that lightly."
"Don't assume that just because your opponents have succeeded in coming to power that they must be brilliant; since the industrial revolution in Britain, being popular or not has ceased to be a major factor in the stability of governance. No unpopular president in our history has ever been imprisoned after being impeached from office." McNeil made a sarcastic reference to many presidents in the history of the United States without a trace of irony, "Sir, the OUN has serious internal conflicts of its own, and if Stepan Golivin dies, his lapdogs will just sell out and fight for his legacy. For such fanatical idealists who live in dreams, the matter of their own death meaning the end of their careers is even more terrifying than mere death. Our goal is to capture Hetman alive and force him to make a statement demanding the intervention of NATO or the United States."
"... You win." Captain Shields flinched, "I agree with the plan, we have to look out for our comrades still left on the Eastern Front, they shouldn't have to wait to die with the Russians and OUN on both sides. Tell us what you think, McNeil."
The OUN militia besieging the embassy had been much less numerous lately, and the OUN seemed to realize after repeated provocations that overly angering the United States could have very serious consequences. They certainly didn't want to challenge two major powers at the same time, and had put aside their hostility toward the United States for the time being, giving the staff inside the embassy a chance to dive in troubled waters. The hostages rescued by McNeil and others were still trapped at the time, and the OUN had banned any craft from leaving Kiev, and if the President hadn't run early, he would have just been shot down by the OUN on the spot. Whenever OUN decides to lift the ban (and that means they've gone completely soft), these hostages who have come back from the dead will have a chance to leave. The staff and military attachés on the embassy side were unanimously and vehemently opposed to McNeil carrying out his plan to kidnap Hetman, fearing that the lawless OUN would go on a killing spree after storming the embassy. After being severely ridiculed by Captain Shields, these guys who didn't want to get out of the way caved in and hid in their rooms, leaving the STARS team members to pick up the right equipment and supplies inside the embassy. Despite the failed assassination attempt on Hetman, they remained heroes in the eyes of many. Many Americans who had referred to Stepan Golivin as a freedom fighter last month immediately changed their epithets to tyrant and pleaded with McNeil to slaughter the criminal who had jeopardized the safety of the citizens of the United States as soon as possible. McNeil wasn't going to listen to them, Stepan Golivin was still useful and the OUN could be a new tool for the United States against the Russkies in the right scenario.
He checked his weapons and ammunition again, took the strange device he had found the last time he had robbed an OUN van with him, and prepared to head out with the group. As arranged on the Embassy's part, they would be going to a nearby mall under the guise of purchasing supplies, after which McNeil and the others would quickly separate from the real purchasing party inside the mall and head off on their mission. This is far away from the Presidential Palace, and it would be impossible for them to pass through the OUN blockade without a sound. The OUN militia guarding the entrance hastily checked everything these embassy workers were carrying, a certain amount of arming was within the OUN's permission, as the OUN feared more serious consequences from out-of-control citizens choosing to attack American diplomats.
When the OUN militia signaled McNeil to submit to the inspection, he unresistingly delivered his firearm to the other man, allowing the other two militiamen to come and frisk him.
"You better behave." The OUN militiaman said in strangely accented curly-tongued English, "Ukraine is ours now, and the Americans are not going to do whatever they want."
"We won't, we've always kept the rules ... The people who create the rules don't voluntarily overrule their own rules so easily." McNeil took the gun with a leathery smile and, dressed as a guard escorting the embassy staff, returned to the car and continued toward the mall. With a shortage of all types of living supplies, especially food, the OUN chose to compromise in the face of reality: they couldn't really follow the nonsense that had been uttered in advance with empty words to confiscate the American Embassy's supplies and distribute them to the citizens, and then the next day the Americans would drop bombs on top of their heads. The car had not yet arrived at the mall, and McNeil had already seen persistent protests on both sides of the road from citizens who found it outrageous that the Yanks would dare to continue their shopping spree when food was scarce, an act that was simply unpardonable and had to be severely punished. The OUN militia maintaining order impatiently told the citizens that they must not clash with the Americans now, but some of them clearly did not believe the rhetoric and intended to attack the convoy on their own, with stones already hitting the vehicles. The fearful drivers and shivering officials looked at the angry citizens out of the corner of their eyes, they dared not look the citizens in the eye, if the citizens went into a rage, they wouldn't mind dragging the ambassador out and hanging him, no amount of status would save the lives of these American diplomats.
The group arrived at the mall under the close watch of the OUN militia and followed a pre-planned route to the designated area to purchase supplies. Prior to the operation McNeil had already investigated the mall's architecture to a tee and had drawn up a plan to escape from the OUN militia's control. Most of the OUN militia didn't have an unbelievably fanatical mind or fighting spirit, they would only perform certain duties, beyond that the details were out of their concern - it wasn't like the OUN would pay extra in salary or supplies.
Michael McNeil greeted the OUN militiamen standing by the shelves in a friendly manner, then walked over to the side escape route as the militiamen watched. A few moments later, he turned around and returned, saying something to the Captain, who was closely followed by an officer. The other officer standing by was arguing with the OUN militia about something, and his insistence on going to the upper floors to carry other goods was seen by the OUN militia as an inch of gain. The OUN's benevolence in continuing to supply these foreigners had been a great favor, and the ungrateful Yankee demanded more. He strode angrily toward the group and was held down by Captain Shields, who had his eye on protecting diplomatic officials.
"Це просто угода, сер."
"Я не думаю, що американці були б чесними з цього приводу. Славна Організація втратить терпіння, іноземце."
"Я знаю. Але є ще одне питання, яке потрібно вирішити. Нам потрібно більше їжі та ресурсів заради більшості американців у буді влі.Гетьман не був би радий, якби знав, що його солдат зловживав їх союзом."
McNeil watched dumbfounded as the Captain returned to the group, and he asked in a whisper:
"What are you talking about?"
"Some symbolic threats, it's a power play." The Captain replied, "If the guy knows what he's doing, he'll find a way to persuade his companions to release us ... to the upper levels."
There was no escaping surveillance by staying on the first floor. With the permission of the OUN militia, the diplomat named some guards to follow him to the upper level to carry supplies. Without a word, McNeil stepped into the line, followed by Captain Shields. The OUN didn't believe that these people could do anything under their close scrutiny, so they didn't arrange for extra men to check out the scene, and routinely asked the two militiamen to take the elevator to their assigned containers to keep watch. The group walking up the stairs had already made their plans, and McNeil was halfway to prying open the blocked escape door on the 3rd floor and entering an area that the OUN had no control over for the time being.
"Move fast and get the security cameras offline." McNeil whispered to the Captain who squeezed through the doorway.
Captain Shields closed the gate and pulled his laptop out of his backpack and quickly got the computer, which had previously remained black, back up and running and began attacking the mall's surveillance network. In the 1940s, civilian surveillance cameras in most countries had a network connection with police departments to assist the police more efficiently in apprehending criminals. This left the door open for Capt. Shields to do his job, and in a repeat of his old trick, he conveniently and quickly got his counterpart's security cameras out of control, and it was impossible for the OUN to realize from the security cameras that they had disappeared. A few minutes later, Sgt. Salas and Corporal Randal climbed up the exterior drainpipe of the bathroom, greeting McNeil and the Captain as they went forward to assist in pulling Tom, who had nearly fallen, up from under the window.
"That was a close one, the OUN had a large number of guards set up down there and we almost got caught." Tom slapped his chest heartily.
"That's not all ..." Corporal Randal wanted to say as Sergeant Salas stopped him with a rather intimidating look. The sergeant, who had a large portion of Mexican blood, walked ahead, clearing the way for the rest of the team behind him, the OUN did their best to make sure that the majority of the citizens stayed in their houses peacefully, the loafers that were wandering around had been caught up with by them lately, thus it was rare that the OUN would dedicate men to guarding the upper portions of a building. The crowd was tense to the point where they feared an OUN militia member would pop up around the corner of the next corridor, and whenever they came to a turn in the road, McNeil went up first to scout out the road before allowing his teammates to follow him.
Still somewhat intimidated by Corporal Randal, Tom eyed McNeil and asked tentatively:
"How do we get out of here?"
"Go out the window and move to another building." McNeil replied without looking back, "Hopefully the OUN militia won't find us halfway there, and if our transfer goes well, we can head towards the Presidential Palace."
"... But if the OUN militia down there realizes that five men are missing ..."
"Don't say such obscure things, they won't notice." Capt. Shields retorted in a no-nonsense manner, "I don't think they're excited about the work, maybe the OUN forgot to pay the members who worked hard a little more."
By the time Tom saw the road McNeil was talking about, he was scared out of his mind. McNeil had launched the rope by one of the windows on the left side of the 8th floor of the mall building towards the opposite side of the building, the distance between the two buildings wasn't that far and McNeil reckoned that he could make it to the other side without any problems in a matter of minutes. I don't know if the OUN was careless or simply didn't consider the possibility of an accident, but the window on the other side was open, and Capt. Shields judged from the view from the window that the room was probably a bathroom.
Tom touched the rope with trembling hands and looked hesitantly at McNeil.
"We're not really going to go over there this way, are we?"
"We've had similar training before, I don't think it's going to be a problem." McNeil took a few dubious steps forward and pushed Tom onto the rope, "Don't delay, we have a very limited number of vacancies available to us, the OUN will be patrolling this area soon, and as soon as they get here before we have a chance to retrieve the rope, we're done for."
Losing all room for bargaining, Tom closed his eyes and pushed on, not believing he'd done it at all until he reached the other side of the building on his hands and knees and managed to crawl into the bathroom - the first time he'd ever put his learned skills to use in a real battle. Looking left and right, the young soldier closed the bathroom door behind him and waited for the others to arrive before joining McNeil in stowing the rope and placing it back inside his backpack.
"Geez, that was scary." Tom palpitated as he continued on with McNeil's assistance, "If I must die in the future, I want to die on the ground, hanging in mid-air is so undignified."
TBC
Chapter Notes:
The appellation White Russia means that Belarus is increasingly seen by many as a part of Russia rather than a country.
Magician mercenaries could become quite dangerous international terrorists.
