Wicked Games
Chapter 2
Michael, dressed in the black mission clothing blended in with the shadows next to the mansion walls, making him virtually invisible. He quietly spoke into the com unit in his ear, "Team 1 report."
Nikita's husky voice answered. "Michael we've done a sweep of the entire place, other than a few guards, it's empty. The only thing remotely out of place seems to have been some kind of fight and a lot of blood, but no bodies. Whatever happened, it looks like Suba was surprised. We're in the dining room and whatever happened interrupted his meal. My team is on the way to the computer room now. I'll report back in as soon as the downlood is complete. Team 1 out."
Slightly puzzled, but no time to reflect Michael queried Team's 2 and 3. They also reported no sign of Suba and little hostile resistance. Instructing both teams to set their charges, Michael allowed himself to relax a little. With his back against the wall, holly bush to one side he continued to scan the compound. His senses remained on full alert as he monitored the progress of the teams inside the mansion. Still, the sound coming from the other side of the holly bush to his left didn't register at first. Gradually, a faint whisper caused him to slowly turn his head in the direction it came from. Sensing no danger, he listened to nearly inaudible words.
"It hurts so bad." A deep breath followed by a gasp of pain, and a woman's weak voice continued. "I don't want to die like this...I'm not ready to die."
Curious, Michael waited while a figure dressed in black much like himself staggered away from the stone wall and stepped onto the grass dragging a sword!
As incongruous as this picture was Michael, with his lightening fast reflexes moved away from his position against the wall and raised his weapon prepared to shoot. The woman, becoming aware of his presence turned and attempted to lift the heavy sword but cried out in pain instead.
Unable to defend herself, she looked at Michael in defeat. Her body swaying back and forth, fists tightly grasped around the hilt of her sword; she looked up at the tall figure dressed from head to toe in midnight black. Here was death, she knew it. The last vestiges of strength drained from her body as blackness engulfed her mind. Without a sound she crumpled in a heap on the frozen ground.
For a second Michael stared at the woman lying at his feet, before he crouched down and removed his thin leather glove to fell her neck for a pulse. His fingers felt like hot coals compared to the icy chill of her skin, but he felt a faint, and thready beat. Straightening out her body on the frozen ground he began to search her for weapons, noting that other than a black hoody and black cargo pants, she wasn't dressed for the weather. As he moved his hands from legs to waist he encountered a viscous, sticky fluid. His nostrils flaired as he recognized the unmistakable scent of b lood. Oozing from a slash in her hoody was blood. Michael pulled up the hem and gasped when he found a 6" gash below her ribcage. Knowing she must have lost a lot of blood already, he reached into his mission pack for a field dressing kit. Ripping the kit open he took thick pads and applied a pressure dressing to the open wound. As he pressed down he elicited a deep moan followed by a soft cry as he deftly secured the dressing with tape. After he pulled the material of her hoody down to cover the woman's shivering body, Michael stood up and removed his down mission coat to wrap her in. As he crouched down to lift her body up to cover it, he noticed her eyes wide open, starring at him. He couldn't decide what expression he saw there as their gazes locked.
Her lips parted and her teeth were chattering with the cold and blood loss. With a voice he could barely make out she said, "I tried to kill him, I tried...but he was too strong for me."
"Kill who?" Michael asked.
"Suba." With that she looked away as tears rolled down her cheeks, "and now I'll die. He won't stop until I'm dead. I should have listened to Duncan."
At a loss as to the meaning of what the woman was saying, all Michael knew was to take her into Section for answers. Right he needed to get back on track and continue the mission. Keying his comlink, "Birkoff, I have an anomaly."
Birkoff irritated with Michael for not answering his frantic calls earlier shouted at Michael, "what the hell is going on? You're off your mark by seven and a half minutes. Michael, get your s**t together before Operations climbs your a$$ again. What's going on?"
"I'll be bringing the anomally in. Just have MedBay ready for one critical."
"Hey, are you crazy, Nikita and the other teams have already reported in. Suba's not on site. Cancel the hostile, blow the place and get back in. You're already off profile enough without bringing in collateral."
In a cold voice Michael replied, "just do it Birkoff." Then he switched to channel B. "Nikita report."
"Michael, still no sign of Suba and there's a problem with the computer download. The whole system has been wiped, it's empty. Nothing I'm doing is working. What do you want me to do?"
"Set your charges and get to your egress point, I need you to bring to van to the northeast corner of the wall. Have Davenport waiting for me. I'll need some help getting a package over it and in the van."
"Michael, are you okay?" Nikita asked as a cold chill of fear touched her heart."
"Yes, Kita, I'm okay, but my package isn't, have the med kit ready with an IV set up and thermal blankets ready. I'm on my way in." With that Michael gathered 'his package' up in his arms, but stopped as he felt her hand grasp his shoulder.
"My sword" she whispered, "please." Honoring her request Michael picked it up while balancing her against his chest then began the trek across the compound to the wall.
Davenport and Mowen were waiting for him with the canvas stretcher ready to assist their team leader without question. With economy of motion Michael transferred his burden to Davenport's strong arms, then vaulted over the 5 foot wall. Giving the sword to Mowen, he helped Davenport place McKinsey on the stretcher as gently as possible then the three made their way to the van, where Nikita had the back doors open. Sliding the stretcher in on the metal floor, Mowen, sword in hand climbed in beside it. Michael and Davenport jumped in the side door, slamming it shut just as the charges the teams had set ignited turning night into day. The van rocked with the concussive blast of displaced air. Once the violent motion had stopped Michael slammed his hand against the driver's seat yelling go; and the van hu rtled off into the night
With instructions to Mowen and Nikita to start IV's and wrap the 'package' in thermal blankets, after checking to see if his field dressing was holding or needed re-inforcing...Michael opened a link to Section immediately regretting doing so as Operations irate voice came over the intercom..
"Michael, what the hell do you think you are doing? You broke profile, disobeyed direct orders and now you are bringing back a critically wounded hostile and not Suba. To top it off, your girlfriend can't even do something as simple as download computer files!"
Michael closed his eyes and wearily leaned his head back onto his seat as he waited for Operations to finish ranting and raving as his team nervously eyed him. Finally, with one last threat Operations was spent..
"Tell me? Why I shouldn't cancel all of you as soon as you get here, or at the least put you in abeyance?"
Michael opened his eyes, looked at his team, asking with his eyes for them to trust him. Knowing them well, he saw their faith and taking a deep breath said, "Sir, Suba was gone before we arrived. The team found evidence of fighting in the house and the files were wiped. They were impossible to retrieve. "Letting out his breath he continued. "I believe the 'package' I am bringing in will shed some light on our questions once she is medically stable. Please have MedBay standing by for one critical. We will arrive in two hours." His update completed Michael shut off the com link and looked down at the woman. "Please," he thought, "let me be right." Leaning back in his seat, he closed his eyes, he needed to rest before he faced Operations.