"We have half a dozen snipers that embedded with some of the Soviet leftovers," the man's face dropped as he suddenly remembered that the leader of them was just a few feet away.
"Well, I want to get angry about that, but that pretty much describes how we were treated by the Russian Federation after the collapse of the Union. Have there been any issues from it," Balalaika knocked the ash from her cigar without even turning her head to consider the officer.
"Negative, most of them are from former Soviet Bloc countries themselves, though not old enough to have served long term in the Red Army, or served post collapse. They have some derisive comments about the weapons they are carrying, but so far they are getting along like soldiers."
Robert Coffey looked up, "Thank you Lieutenant, and please make sure the Japanese men stay away from the Russians, there may be some institutional hatred there due to the Kuril Island Dispute, and I would prefer to not have any friendly fire incidents. They are rarely very friendly. You're dismissed."
They watched as he left, and then turned around to stand back in front of them, "I almost forgot what the point of my report was. We have two hundred men ready to hit this," he paused for a moment as he searched his head for the name of the place, "Rattle Alley. We are just waiting for you to give the word."
"Why are they waiting for me, I told Hallard I wanted that alley, not that I wanted him to get ready to take it. Tell him to pull the trigger the moment you get back to him. Make sure that if they aren't wearing Russian combat gear, you don't shoot them. Otherwise, you don't want to even consider what the consequences could be," Coffey fixed the man with a stare.
"Yes sir. On my way now," it was obvious to everyone in the room that the man's heart had started pounding in his forehead, as he backed out of the room and disappeared.
Chang looked over at the giant, glad that his sunglasses concealed the confusion that was in his eyes, "Well, I guess his imagination is worse than what you were probably considering. What were you going to do?"
"The fuck if I know. I find that I am never as creative as the rumors that run through a room after I pull that. I quit coming up with my own ideas a year ago," he turned his attention back to the map as he moved a nine millimeter cartridge that was representing a point on the frontline, "We aren't moving fast enough. Two blocks in the last hour. How long until you think your men are back on the front," he looked up at Ronnie.
The younger man looked a little bashful, "I have no clue. I have never seen my men act so cowardly before. They are acting like they are scared of a little bloodshed."
"Ronnie, your men, are not hardened soldiers. Yes, they don't have an issue with killing, torturing, and other things that I find very distasteful, but they aren't warfighters. Not like my men, and Chang's. We nearly burned this city to the ground when I first arrived. You Sicilians, never had to face the same thing. It would be a mistake to have them in the thickest fighting then. Better to use them to hold the areas that are seeing the least amount of fighting, and move Mine and Chang's men to areas where they will be more useful," Balalaika took a long draw from the cigar as she looked over the map as well.
Chang grimaced. He and the Russian Mobster had developed a certain level of respect for each other over the years. Considerably more than either the Colombians or Sicilians shared with anyone. He didn't want to consider that this might be some sort of grand scheme for Hotel Moscow to make a power play, but there was always the chance, even if it would be the long game from Hell to set up.
He knew Lagoon Company well, but he hadn't really been around Ethan Haines that much. The idea that there was some Russian officer that wanted him in particular dead, and was willing to bring half the Russian Army into his vendetta was incredulous. It didn't make any sense, just like the fact they were so easily able to have a literal small army suddenly march in to help them.
Of course, this was Roanapur.
The amount of ludicrous things that happened here was something else. So he might just be paranoid, but he started making plans in the back of his head for the worst case scenario. He really hoped that he was wrong, he didn't know how he was going to be able to handle this city without Balalaika around.
"So, Mr. Coffey, you are Mr. Haines father," Chang pressed a little, hoping to find any crack that he could use to see if he was right.
"Yeah. For better or worse," the man replied, his eyes glued on Rattle Alley on the map.
"I have to wonder, how did he end up a mercenary? That isn't a common thing for someone who never served in the military, at least as far as I know."
Coffey took a deep breath, "Because the man that came back from the jungles of Vietnam, wasn't any kind of a man worth knowing. I came back an abusive alcoholic, and did things that I can never forgive myself for. So if you want me to say that I don't know how he could become the man you know, you're wasting your time. Sometimes a monster, can only be made by a worse monster."
Everyone looked up as the door opened and Revy walked in with two other people. One was a little girl, and the other an older woman. Balalaika immediately recognized the woman as Ethan's mother, but not the girl.
"Mrs. Coffey, it is good to see you again, though I wish it was under much better circumstances," Balalaika stood to greet the woman.
"It's good to see you again, too. I really do appreciate the vacation, regardless of the interruption. I had really wanted to go to Japan at some point, but Robert has refused due to some bad memories from his time in the Marine Corps. Is there any word," Delilah Coffey smiled politely, hoping that she was hiding the worry in voice.
"Not in a few hours Delilah, I'm hoping to hear something soon. We already have a push about to kick off. Is this," Coffey motioned to the girl.
His wife nodded, "She is. Hannah, this is my husband Robert, your grandfather."
Chang, Ronnie, and Balalaika all went stone still at the woman's words. Balalaika was the only one that knew that Ethan had a sister, but Robert Coffey would have known if she was his daughter's daughter. That meant.
"This is, Mr. Haines', daughter," Chang managed to get out.
Even Ronnie knew the man well enough to not be able to understand this as reality. Ethan was not, father material. He was a cold blooded, and unapologetic killer. He drank like a fish at times, and spoke like he was in a swearing competition, and wanted first prize. What woman would have spread her legs to give him progeny, and not hated herself enough to have aborted the kid after?
Balalaika managed to recover just enough to speak after several moments, "That's, quite the surprise. I, almost, have trouble imagining Mag as..."
"Calm down Sis, imagine the surprise he had when he found out, and she tried to stick a knife in his left kidney. Long story short, he was fucking a Mossad agent about ten years ago, and daddy didn't like his perfect little Hebrew girl being corrupted by a, uh, what is there word for non Jews again," Revy looked up at the ceiling as she tried to remember.
"Gentile," Delilah said.
"Yeah, gentile. So he set Ethan up by putting a pair of panties in their apartment, when she didn't wear underwear. They break up and he leaves Israel, and three months ago, she got offed. So grandpa sent the twerp after Ethan, because he isn't apparently a nationalist dickhead, and just really hates Ethan in particular," she finished.
Hannah had been quiet until that point, but finally spoke, "You're a major bitch."
Revy stuck her tongue out at the girl, "Cry about it why don't you. Anyways, they kept badgering me to bring them here, bad enough to the point that Dutch said do it so everyone could get some peace. They are all definitely fucking related. Is there any booze, I really need some booze."
Chang pointed to a cabinet in a corner of the room, "Just stay to the point you can still fight if you need to."
This, threw a wrench in the idea that Balalaika was making a power play. Chang was really getting way too damn old for Roanapur. Honestly, he may have always been too damn old for Roanapur.
Ethan was not enthusiastic about the situation they were in now.
It was bad enough when it was just the two of them trying to avoid patrols. It was even worse now that they had a tied up teenage girl in her underwear they were having to deal with. The smart thing would have been to put a bullet in her head, but it seemed like better nature was starting to take hold on him, and the fact that he didn't like the barrel of an AK-74U pressed to his head.
It was severely restricting how they could move. Leaving her behind wasn't an option either. She knew what they looked like. How they were armed. That they had a radio, and Ethan spoke Russian. So they had to take her with them.
The only saving grace was she was cooperative. She must have been one of those girls that had a borderline obsession with her brother, and followed him into the military, and then this shit show. She didn't want to die though, and that was keeping her compliant.
"Mr. Haines, my ankle isn't doing great," Roberta leaned against a wall, obviously favoring her left foot.
Ethan stepped over to her, pulling on the electrical cable that was acting as a leash for the Russian girl, "Let me look. Damnit, you must have rolled it when you slipped in the blood on the stairs earlier. Fuck. We don't have a choice now. We are going to have to find a place to lay low, and hope the lines push past us."
"I was afraid of that. I fear that I have lost much of my capacidad de combate. Do you know of anywhere close," it was obvious that it was hurting her, more than she probably wanted to let on.
Ethan looked around at where they were. It was another resturaunt row, which wasn't that uncommon. It just took him a minute to realize which one it was. He was both happy, and nervous, when he realized.
"We are in fucking Rattle Alley. This is either really good luck, or really fucking bad luck," he said as he stood up.
"Llegar de nuevo," the Colombian woman asked, her breath getting a little lighter as she rested against the wall.
Ethan grimaced, "This place has some good places to eat, but the people here, are a special kind of psycho. This is pretty much the only place in the city that isn't under the purview of outsiders. These people can't be subjugated. I've not actually seen it, but apparently, they have cut out peoples bones, wired them up like a human wind chime, dressed them back up, and hung them from the rooftops. I don't know if they...," a rattling sound suddenly caught their attention.
All three looked up. There hanging above them were three skeletons dressed in Russian uniforms. They were so fresh, the bones were still a slight blood red color. A thud was heard as the girl fainted at the sight.
"Por el amor de Dios y de todo lo santo. (For the love of God and all that is holy.) What kind of savages are they," Roberta had seen a great many things in conflict, but this reawakened fear in her.
"Well, it is only through very strong will, that I haven't shit myself. I was really hoping that was all just an urban legend. I, don't think I am eating around here anytime soon, becuase there is also the rumor they might be cannibals. I really hate this fucking place at times. I really fucking do. Fuck," he looked down at the girl, "Now I have to carry her. This day just keeps getting better."
"Is there anywhere that might be safe, y no llevarnos al mismo destino que estos pobres bastardos. (and not lead us to the same fate as these poor bastards) Me gustaría mucho que mis huesos se quedaran dentro de mi cuerpo (I would very much like my bones to stay inside my body)," Roberta watched a drop of blood fall off the finger of one of the skeletons as she spoke.
"Uh, fuck, yeah. I think there is an abandoned store front a block down. Oh, my fucking lord, there more down the street. At the moment I am not going to complain about dead Russians, but god fucking damn. Shit like this, are why the Spanish Inquisition wanted to go world wide. I think I'm going to fucking hurl," Ethan swallowed hard as he gathered the Russian girl one shoulder, and presented the other for Roberta to hold onto.
"Do you think we are in any danger," Roberta asked, taking small steps as they continued down the street.
"I don't know. I really don't want to know. I don't want to see any of these people. I don't scare easy. I nearly had a chinese special forces soldier nearly cut my throat not too long ago. That didn't scare me. Concerned me, and made me start digging up the shit I regretted, but didn't scare me. This human wind chime bullshit, terrifies me. Oh, now I'm starting to smell rotting meat. Maybe they don't eat them, but we must be passing where they skinned them," any other occasion, the look on Ethan's face would have been comedy gold.
"Señor Haines, creo que la gente nos está mirando. (Mister Haines, I think people are watching us.)"
Ethan looked up. There were the faint images of people watching them from windows of the resturaunts. Some of them he even recognized. They didn't look very friendly at that moment though. He really hoped that they weren't interested in having them join the soldiers that had been there earlier, because they weren't in a good position to fight back at that point.
"Has there been any report on the missing patrol in that area," Bugakov approached the table that several of his subordinates were standing around.
"Da, but..." one started.
"Out with it. What is their status," the Russian giant roared, not fond of having his time wasted right then.
Another individual finally spoke up, "They are, they were, Eto byla reznya (they were massacred.) You, need to see this."
Bugakov stepped up to the table and looked down at the very fresh photographs. At first he wasn't sure what he was looking at. Then he realized that it was an upward angle, looking at hanging skeletons. Skeletons dressed in Russian fatigues.
"Chto eto, vo imya Boga? (What in God's name is this?"
"According to one of the locals that is cooperating with us, that place is known as Gremuchaya alleya. They said that if you were peaceful, it is safe enough, but if you go there with violence as your goal," the woman had to excuse herself to walk to the edge of the water and empty her stomach.
Despite his own orders, Bugakov could only speak his native tongue in that moment due to shock, "Oni delayut to, chego boyalsya by dazhe sam satana. (They do things that even Satan himself would be afraid of.)"