by L. M. Vila
Still, McCrae was an artist when it came to special occasions. He wrote the last sentence and signed it at the bottom. It then found home resting in the safe confines of the envelope. McCrae motioned to put the card inside of the bag but suddenly stopped himself. Curiosity was biting at the back of his neck.
He placed the card on his desk and reached into the bag. As the tissue paper flew aside, McCrae pulled out a large and hefty brown box. It was beautifully designed with a lot of Asian characters written on it. A box this magnificent must has a special treasure waiting inside.
Cracking open the lid was more amazing than he thought. Pure mystery poured out of the box. McCrae lifted it slowly. A light shined from within. He’d never seen anything like it. The day’s events suddenly didn’t matter anymore. From within the box, he saw exactly what he wanted to see at that moment. Images of his beautiful wife and son.
Feeling started returning to Michael’s body. His eyes carried the weight of boulders. They couldn’t stay focused much less open. The haze clouded the world before him. A pungent stench of sulfur and carbon stung his nostrils, destroying the once clean taste of air into something foul. That annoying ringing returned, rendering his hearing useless. He stared straight up at a bright light. It called to him. Begging him to come forth.
Michael’s vision started clearing up. This wasn’t his time to die. The bright fluorescent lights in the room stared brilliantly back down at Michael. His mind sharpened as did his hearing. Michael picked himself off his back trying to shake the cobwebs out of his brain. Staff members ran frantically around the office. Many of them screaming, others calling paramedics. The ringing dwindled. Still on his knees, Michael surveyed the room. He stopped as soon as he caught a glimpse of Meryl picking herself up off the ground. The origin of this disaster rested right behind her.
A giant crater filled the spot where Commander McCrae’s office once stood. Memories started to surface. There was an explosion. Fires raged swallowing everything whole. Bodies moved towards it attempting to quell the blaze. Sounds started to take precedence over the ringing, filled with screams and orders being barked. Michael had to regain control of the situation before the chaos consumed him.
He reached out and grabbed Meryl by the shoulder. Small traces of white dust and flaked debris coated her all over but thankfully it was free of blood.
“Are you alright?” Michael raised his voice. His hearing wasn’t at its full capacity.
Meryl nodded, shaking off the excess plaster from her hair.
He stood up, offering assistance to his partner. Michael’s body wasn’t as wracked as his head. Looking around the building, people flocked towards the site of the blast. Rubble had been violently strewn about the entire area. Trying to walk through it without stepping on any was impossible. He maneuvered through the walkway, between the desks and cubicles, and examined the gaping hole that had been destroyed.
Peering inside sent Michael’s stomach spinning through loops. McCrae’s office was revolting mess of its former self. Blood stained the walls where fire hadn’t reached yet. His photographs tarnished forever, blasted with bits of shrapnel. The window had been shattered allowing black pillars of smoke floating outwards into the black sky of Los Angeles. Not a single trace of the Commander could be found. The explosive was extremely efficient. Which led Michael to ask the only important question on his mind.
“Who did this?”
“Izzy!” Meryl jumped to her feet with her weapon drawn and started running. Her body was more resilient than he gave her credit for.
“Meryl!” Shouted Michael hoping his sharp voice would coerce her to stop. Her drive was too strong. Michael motioned to go after her but a startling detail caught his eye. The adjacent wall in McCrae’s office had been blown off, one that connected to Nicole’s. Michael felt terror ripping through his body. He immediately moved next door hoping to invalidate his greatest fear.
Meryl moved through the office cutting past other agents and staff members carrying fire extinguishers. She knew exactly where her target was heading. The back exit was easily the quickest and most inconspicuous way to leave this place. With everyone distracted by residual effects of the explosion, she could make a clean getaway.
Her legs kept moving. Fatigue wasn’t even an issue. Meryl caught a glimpse of flowing brown hair moving through a crowd. On any other day, it would be hard to take your eyes off someone of her beauty. Not today. She moved between individuals as if they weren’t even there.The distance had shortened. She was within safe firing range. Meryl lifted her weapon and shouted.
“Isabella! Stop!”
Surprisingly, she actually obeyed and lifted her arms into the air. Only twenty feet separated Isabella and the exit. Anyone in this situation would feel trapped. She only saw opportunity. Another agent walked by, stopping at the scene. The irony was thick. Isabella had been meaning to pay this one back for his earlier transgression.
Shock was the first thing to come to J.C.’s mind, then confusion. Meryl had drawn a weapon on Isabella of all people. Not knowing what to make of this scene, he approached the woman with her arms raised.
“What’s going on here?”
Isabella struck. She launched an attack and chopped Jason right in his throat. Her body spun behind him, using it as a shield. Next, Isabella dug into his side and pulled out his weapon. A round quickly discharged in the middle of his back. Bullet fragment violently danced through the soft tissues of his organs, leaving them in a mess of their former selves.
Electricity seemed to move slower than Isabella. Meryl watched the unfortunate agent drop to the ground, atrociously screaming. His mind must still be trying to catch up with what had just occurred. Meryl rushed towards him. He was coughing up something vile. Blood was spewing from his back. The bullet entered near his kidney. It looked terribly painful but not fatal unless he got immediate medical attention.
This area drew a new audience thanks to that gunshot. Surrounding bodies asked a serious of questions that seemed muttered and confusing to Meryl’s ears. Isabella was getting away. She had to stop her.
“Take care of him!”
Her words still had the stench of lipstick as Meryl took off running. She wouldn’t let Isabella escape. Not this easily.
Once the office of the Special Agent in Charge now looked like a storage facility for rubble. Michael picked through as much of it as his hands could dig, tossing it aside like a pile of foam building blocks. The world outside the room stood still. This was his only thought, his only goal. He couldn’t bear the weight of seeing harm befall anyone. Especially an innocent like her.
It took seconds for Michael to release the weight of the debris off Nicole’s body. Her eyes were shut, masked by her shiny red hair. Tiny strips of blood trickled down from the top of her head down to the tip of her chin. More crimson fluid stained Nicole’s left arm. Michael knelt down and gently brushed Nicole’s hair aside. Her body was still inhaling oxygen. For now, she lived.
“Wake up, Nicole.”
Her eyes began to twitch. Someone was here. Their warm arms were trying to pull her out of this nightmare. Nicole slowly opened her eyes. Staring back at them was the stern face of Agent Michael Madison. Her heart felt at ease. Unlike everything else.
“Michael.” She reached for him and instantly winced. The pain was excruciating.
“Don’t move.”
Nicole listened. She was helped into a sitting position by Michael. He stood up as soon as he confirmed her comfort and immediate safety. It wasn’t ideal but it’s better than the alternative.
“Stay here,” he said softly. Michael moved to take his leave. Nicole tried to reach out for him but ended up grasping her damaged arm instead.
“Where are you going?”
Silly she should ask. The monsters that have cooked up this tragedy would only continue to run rampant until Michael was dead. This wasn’t about his investigation. It’s about him. Hiring Seika was proof enough. She wouldn’t rest until Michael�
�s heart stopped beating and would go through anything and anyone to prove it. Their reasoning no longer mattered. Michael knew what needed to be done. This is what he was trained for. The violence ends tonight.
With his back exposed, Michael gradually turned his head. Only a fraction of his face was exposed. “To end this.”
She knew exactly what that meant. Panic spread throughout her body. Most people believed Michael was clinically insane to go after the most wanted fugitives in this country all alone. But Nicole knew what he was capable of. That’s one of the main reasons why she recruited him. Even so, it didn’t give him permission to attempt something crazy like that. Not again. Not anymore.
“You can’t go. That’s an order.”
A pitiful attempt. That wouldn’t stop him.
“Then I quit.”
Michael resumed his exit. His body passed through the doorway. One final word passed through Nicole’s lips. It was her last attempt to stop him.
“Why?”
One word truly deserved another. Michael believed in this one more than anything else. It was the one thing humanity had to offer that, when used properly, could bring balance to this disgustingly chaotic world.
“Justice.”
As he left, Michael’s presence could still be felt. He wondered how Nicole was feeling, emotionally that is, after what he said. It was a momentary thought. The mission took over. Several provisions needed to be acquired.
Panic continued. Michael went straight for the elevator. The floors listed would carry him anywhere above his current level. Michael swiped his keycard and it permitted access to another one.
Sub-Level D. The Armory.
Countless amounts of weapons, ammunition, and explosives were safely stored in this area. Normally this place is only accessible by the S.W.A.T. team but the Commander made an exception when their rising star returned. Michael moved out of the elevator as soon it opened where a pair of bulletproof glass doors stood in his way. Sliding his key card parted them. The smell of Cosmoline and WD-40 was strong. Weapons stockpiled here were kept in pristine condition. They were of no interest to Michael. He already had a pair of worthy peace-making pistols strapped to his back.
First, he grabbed a small black duffle bag. Opening a large cabinet in the back displayed the tools necessary to get this particular job done. He filled the bag with seven blocks C4 explosive as well as a remote detonation device.
Heading for the exit, Michael needed one last item to complete his ensemble. There was a large closet nearby, where all of the Kevlar vests, helmets, and riot shields are stored. All the way in the back, hidden from plain sight, was a keepsake from long ago. Michael pulled it out and slung it over his shoulder. The weight of this coat was all too familiar. It was a greater shield than any other piece of armor in that closet. The craftsmanship was superb. No other jacket of its kind existed.
When it was first brought here, repairs were necessary. However, even though they were able to restore the damaged leather areas they did not care to replicate it. A piece of armor of this size was way too strenuous for the average S.W.A.T. member to carry. Especially breaking the hundred pound mark. They didn’t have Michael’s dedication.
The elevator humbly waited for his return. He pressed the button for the first floor. As it ascended, Michael wondered if he should find Meryl. It soon passed. She proved today that she was more than capable to handle that mission alone. And it would only delay his. Michael rarely displayed that amount of faith in a person. Meryl is different. She's very special.
Busy feet marched through the parking lot. Isabella had a good head start but Meryl was catching up fast. With the gun still in the hand, Meryl ran with caution. Even if she couldn’t use her pistol, there was another weapon in her possession that could potentially cause significant damage.
“Stop! Murderer!”
Meryl’s thick declaration would hopefully garner the attention of nearby security officers. What she didn’t account for was a potential counter attack. Suddenly, in the midst of her getaway, Isabella turned and fired a shot at Meryl. The sound of the explosive gunpowder caught her off guard. Meryl dived face first, dodging the bullet and kissing the ground.
Her shoulder burned with a heightened ferocity. Meryl ate so much pavement today she was beginning to think it was a part of an FBI agent’s regular diet. This new spot wasn’t entirely unhelpful. It put Meryl at a brand new vantage point.
Isabella’s legs carried her off to her car. Meryl fired a pair of rounds of her own underneath the bodies of nearby vehicles. The shots bounced off steel frames and in an attempt to rattle Isabella’s cage a little bit. Using this time wisely, Meryl picked herself up and continued the chase.
Escape was drawing near. Only a few cars remained between Isabella and her vehicle. Behind her, the rookie agent closed in. Isabella pushed the button to unlock her door. The handle was in her grasp. She flung it open and with freedom in her hands, she turned and fired another shot from the stolen gun.
The bullet passed wide. Meryl wasn’t going to fall for that trick again. Seeing her target about to get a two-hundred horsepower advantage would end this chase outright. The gap had to be closed and fast. Meryl’s car was twenty spaces in the opposite direction. She had to do something to slow her down.
Hoping inside the car was a reflex move. Isabella’s body glided into the seat and within seconds the engine roared. Meryl’s chance was slowly beginning to escape. She only had one thing in mind. It would be risky but the greater the risk the greater the reward. Her arms lifted with the pistol tightly gripped. The vehicle quickly pulled out of the parking space. Meryl waited. The key here wasn’t the timing. It was the angle.
Fate lined up between her sights. Meryl fired. Traveling with a mighty velocity, the bullet slapped the upper corner of the windshield. Glass shattered. It sprayed fragments all over Isabella. The woman shrieked as she attempted to brush pieces of broken glass from her face and body. It was a damn near miracle. You couldn’t ask for a better outcome.
Meryl rushed to her vehicle. The window of opportunity was short. Her legs carried her with the tenacity of a cheetah. On the way, Meryl checked her weapon. The slide remained cocked signaling the magazine was finished. She instantly tapped the release button and a second later slapped her last cartridge into place. The slide kicked forward and Meryl was ready to go. Just in time too. Her car sat only a few steps away.
Isabella violently peeled out, coating the parking lot in freshly melted rubber. That’s the signal. She was trying to make a last ditch effort to evade Meryl. Luck would not be with her tonight. Meryl decided to forgo the dramatic turn to watch her speed away. She used her time wisely. As one car was taking off, another followed.
The chase began.
Kurtis slammed the door as soon they arrived at this towering monstrosity. It was late, very late. A quick lunch mission turned into a full day’s work. Resting in a comfy bed with a few bottles of vodka sounded divine at this point. Receiving the General’s praise would taste even sweeter.
The first floor of the building was surprisingly quiet. Captain Gale’s mercenary squad was screwing around, as usual. Playing cards, watching television, talking on their phones; typical mindless dribble. For expensive mercenaries, they sure were lazy.
Seika perished the thought of paying any more attention to these armed men. They entered the elevator and Kurtis tapped the button for the top floor. It was the first soft movement he made all day. With their partnership ended, Seika would return home and bid this place a bitter farewell. Michael Madison had perished. There was nothing keeping her here anymore.
Ascension seemed slow. The tension that was growing between them felt thicker than ever. They didn’t have a reason to like each other. It was purely business. Seika had no motivation to bequeath harm or even kill Kurtis. It would be bad for business. Not to mention the two dozen guards downstairs that might give her grief after killing an employee outright.
On the other hand, they no lo
nger had a reason to keep her alive, unless they had additional jobs . Seika was far from reckless. Once she collected her payment she would be gone. But not before planning her escape route on the way up in case the situation turned thick.
The elevator stopped to a pleasing halt. Doors opened and staring back at them were the cherry colored doors of the General’s office. They went straight for it without a second hesitation. Mr. Perry could be seen in the corner of their field of view. He was still working hard even at this late hour. If it weren’t for the immense salary being paid to him, these working conditions could be construed as a tad brutal. Working twenty hours each day, sleeping for two each night was tough but he couldn’t complain. The salary really was that good.
Completely disregarding proper etiquette and protocol, Kurtis kicked open the General’s door. The wooden structures flew open with a mighty force, almost being torn off its massive hinges.
Yegor glared at the being that dared to enter his office in such a rude matter. He was courteously greeted by, what could be considered by most, as the most arrogant looking Russian boy on earth. Kurtis couldn’t hide the baleful grin on his face.
“Thank you for dropping by. Please, come in. Make yourself at home.”
Hiding his sarcasm was difficult, even when speaking English. The General didn’t care to anyways. Keeping up this ruse was especially difficult in front this kind of discourteous behavior. Kurtis continued to carry a smug demeanor. Something he was famous for after a completed assignment. Or so he believed
Kurtis had failed yet again and didn’t even realize it. Not that it mattered anymore. As long as he believes everything had gone well then it would make the following plan all the more easier to pull off. Someone far more reliable than Kurtis was already taking care of his mess. Now it was time for the General to terminate his employee’s services.
