by Laura Day
The other men in the room whirl at the woofing report of the gun. Ryker’s weapon quickly tracks right and he is squeezing off four more rounds, two into the chest of each of the men on the couch as he perceives them to be the greatest threat.
By now the room is in bedlam. Dr. Baker stands in mute shock as Ryker deals death around the room but the other five men that were working with him are a bit more action-oriented. Ryker moves one step forward and takes out another man with double-tap to center of mass, then retreats three steps to the left toward the front of the building to put the office wall between him and the remaining four gunmen as they bring their weapons to bear.
Ryker knows that, also unlike in the movies, sheetrock walls won’t stop bullets, so he drops to the ground, peeking around the corner from his stomach. As expected, the men begin to riddle the interior office wall with bullets well above his head.
Ryker pulls the trigger three more times, dropping another one of the men. He has six rounds left, but he take the brief lull in the action to eject the magazine, letting it fall with a clatter to the floor while pulling a fresh one from his back pocket. Slapping the magazine into the butt of his weapon Ryker waits to pick his next target. Sixteen rounds and three bandits to go.
One of the men begins to move for a better sight line around the corner. The moment he steps clear of the blocking table, Ryker drops him with two shots to the chest. Two bandits left. As the man falls the remaining two men begin to spray and pray. Ryker squints against the flying debris as the men destroy the wall with a long sustained burst of gunfire.
Ryker doesn’t speak Lebanese well, but he knows enough to know that one of the remaining men is calling for backup. “Marines! Listen up!” Ryker says quietly. “I need you to move in, but do not, I repeat, do not enter facility. Bandits are calling for backup. I want them to have a nice surprise when they get here.” he pauses for just a moment. “Fuck! I’m shot!” he says loudly.
While one of the men covers, the other begins to move toward him. Dumbass. They obviously still haven’t figured out for certain where he is. As soon as he has a clear shot, he eliminates the threat with two pulls of the trigger.
***
Ronnie’s heart nearly stops as Ryker cries out about being shot. She looks at Londergan, her eyes wide in fright.
Jason notices her expression of stark fear and smile’s. “Don’t worry. That’s the oldest trick in the book.” Moments later they hear the soft report of Ryker’s gun. “See. If he were really shot, he wouldn’t have let them know. Or at the very least, not so obviously.”
She relaxes only slightly. When Ryker said he was going to kill everyone she didn’t know he meant it. She only now realizes how truly dangerous Ryker is.
Ryker watches the last man wrap his arm around Dr. Baker’s throat and hold his weapon to the doctor’s head. “You fucking American! I will kill him! Do you hear me? I will kill him!”
Ryker stands and steps out from behind the remains of the wall, his weapon pointing unwaveringly toward the man. “Go ahead. I have orders to kill him anyway. Saves me the trouble. But… if you shoot him, you will be dead before he hits the floor. Your call Abdul.”
“No…” Ronnie whispers. She feels light headed and she begins to pant, trying to get her breath.
Corporal Londergan looks at Ronnie. She is pale as a ghost and her breath is coming in short gasps. “Easy there, Doc. Don’t give up on him yet.”
“Ryker said he was going to kill him,” she whispers, unable to catch her breath.
“If Evans was going to shoot him, he would be dead already. Hang tough, okay?” Jason says softly, putting his hand gently on her shoulder in silent show of support and comfort.
***
“Drop your weapon!” the man holding Dr. Baker screams, his eyes wide in fear. He has just watched his one man kill seven armed men in less than thirty seconds.
“Not going to happen. Your only hope… your only hope is to drop that gun right now. Let Dr. Baker go and I won’t kill you.” Ryker knows it’s over.
The Marines outside will keep the goons off of him and he is between the man and door. Now he just needs to get Dr. Baker away from this terrified young man. “Listen to me. Drop your weapon,” he says calmly. “Drop your weapon and I will let you walk out of here.”
“You lie!”
“I’m not lying. I’ll let you walk out. But if you stay, this will end only one way. With your death. Is that what you want? Do you want to die? Here? Today?”
The man looks around wildly. This crazy American, this angel of death, is between him and the only useable door… the large roll-up door behind him, the one that allows trucks in, is locked. He could never get it open in time. But maybe, if Dr. Baker could open it… The man begins to move, edging toward the large door with Dr. Baker in front of him.
Ryker knows it’s a gamble, but squeezes off a single round, shattering one of the laptops sitting on one of the tables just a few feet from the man. “You’re not leaving here with Dr. Baker. I will kill you both first. Consider this your first and final warning.”
The man jumps as the computer explodes beside him. He looks into the American’s face and he sees the truth of his statement. His trainers always told him that the American’s are weak, afraid to fight, but not this American. Suddenly he decides that today isn’t a good day to die after all and pulls his weapon from Dr. Baker’s head, holding it up beside him, his other hand rising to join it in the universal gesture of surrender.
“Dr. Baker. Take his weapon from him,” Ryker says calmly. “Mind the trigger. Then step away. Do not step between myself and him.”
Dr. Julian Baker nearly sags in relief. This was even more terrifying than when the two men had shoved a gun into his ribs, put a bag over his head, and pushed him into a car outside of his home. Mindful of what the man with the pistol said, he steps beside his captor and takes the dangerous looking gun from his hand, then steps farther away from him. “Who are you?”
Ryker relaxes a little. “Petty Officer First Class Ryker Evans, U.S. Navy, at your service Dr. Baker.”
***
Ronnie feels her heart leap as Ryker identifies himself. “Does that mean dad is safe? That he got him?”
“Don’t know. But probably,” Jason says.
Ronnie can’t help it as she begins weeps into her hands in relief.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
“You said you would let me go.”
Ryker’s weapon never wavers. “Move to your left. Step away from Dr. Baker. You’re almost out of here. Don’t do anything stupid now.”
The man nods and begins to slowly move to his left. He and Ryker slowly circle each other, Ryker moving away from the door as the man moves toward it. Ryker keeps his weapon steady on the man as they move. As soon as the man has a clear path to the door he bolts. Ryker lets him go.
“Marines. There is a man coming out. He is unarmed. Bag him. Baker secured! Baker secured!”
Julian hands the AMD 65 he took from his capture to Ryker with obvious distaste. “I thought you said you were letting him go.”
“I did. I didn’t say the Marines waiting outside would, though.”
“Evans!” Hargraves barks in his ear.
“Yes sir.”
“Is the area secure?”
“It is. I was just about to call in the Marines.”
“Is Dr. Baker unharmed?”
“Are you injured, Dr. Baker?” Ryker asks.
“Other than being scared out of my wits, no.”
“Dr. Baker is unharmed, Colonel. We’re going to try to take the goons that should be showing up in support.”
“Very good,” Hargraves says. “Carry on.”
“Team One! Area is secured. Get in here and let’s catch us some more bad guys. Team Two! Move up but hold outside in support. Let’s ruin their day. Londergan! Get your ass up here pronto! I have another Dr. Baker to add to your collection!”
Ryker listens to the orders rippling down the li
ne, then six men come in and setup in various positions out of sight of the door, their weapons drawn and ready.
***
“He’s got him, Doc!” Londergan says, yanking the gear selector into drive. “Let’s go get your dad.”
Ronnie wipes her eyes, trying to dry her tears. It seems she owes Ryker yet another debt of gratitude.
“Toyota 4Runner hauling ass your way!” a voice comes over the radio.
“Londergan! Fall back! Fall Back!” Ryker’s voice commands in her ear. “The goon squad is here! Repeat! Fall Back!”
“Londergan copies!” Jason says as he pulls the SUV off the road. “It’s just going to be a minute longer,” he says looking at Ronnie and smiling.
“Will they be okay?”
“Who? The Marines or the dead guys?” Londergan says with a grin.
She smiles slightly. “The Marines.”
“With eleven Marines and a SEAL waiting in ambush? The bad guys don’t stand a chance.”
***
“Dr. Baker! Come with me!” Ryker says urgently, taking Julian by the arm and steering him to the makeshift bedroom farthest from the door. “Get down flat on the floor and don’t make a sound.”
Julian does as instructed and Ryker joins him, crouching low as he peeks around the open door, his weapon held at ready.
It all goes down without a shot being fired. Four men armed with the same AMD 65 assault rifles that the men holding Dr. Baker were carrying charge into the room. By the time they realize they have rushed into an ambush, six Marine service pistols are pointed at their heads, with four more Marines charging in behind them with assault rifles at the ready. The would-be attackers also decided that today is not a good day to die and immediately surrender, holding their weapons aloft.
Ryker rises and helps Julian to his feet. “Ronnie,” he says softly. “Would you like to see your father?”
“Area secured,” the Marine Sergeant announces as the four men are forced to their knees, facing the wall, as their hands and ankles are trussed with plastic binders. Moments later the last Marine brings the fifth prisoner in, his hands already bound tightly behind his back. He joins his companions on his knees and his ankles are bound as well.
***
“Yes,” Ronnie blubbers, pushing on the tiny button on her ear bud. She can’t believe it. Ryker has done it. He had walked into a hornets nest, alone, and pulled her father out, apparently unharmed.
“Alright Londergan,” Ryker says in Ronnie’s ear. “Bring her up.”
“Yes sir. Londergan rolling,” Jason says, slipping the car into gear. “You okay Doc?” he asks with a big grin.
Ronnie laughs soggily, then sniffs. “I don’t know. I think so. I think I was more scared just now than I was when people were shooting at me.”
“Nothing to worry about now. With a couple of over-strength fire teams on guard, you are as safe as in your mother’s arms.”
Ronnie doesn’t know what Londergan just said, and doesn’t care. Just knowing that the Marines, and especially Ryker, are watching over her father is all she needs to know.
“Where is the virus, Dr. Baker?” Ryker asks as the Marines efficiently go about the task of bundling the prisoners out of the building.
“I think we can dispense with the titles, don’t you? Call me Julian.”
Ryker smiles. “That will certainly make it easier when your daughter arrives.”
“Ronnie is here?”
“She should be in a couple of minutes. She was being kept well back until the facility was secured. Now, the virus. Where is the virus, Julian? Is it here?”
“They have the virus too?” Julian asks, going pale. “I knew they had the data off the computers, but I haven’t seen the virus.”
“Fuck,” Ryker mutters, keying his mic with a touch to his ear. “Colonel Hargraves. I need to speak with you on a secure channel.”
Ryker hears a burst of static, then Hargraves’ voice. “Channel secure.” All their com traffic is encrypted, but now the rest of the fire team can’t hear what he is about to say.
“The virus isn’t here. Julian hasn’t seen it. He didn’t even know it had been taken.”
“Goddammit! We can’t catch a fucking break! Okay, you turn that fucking place inside out. Just because he doesn’t know it’s there doesn’t mean it isn’t.”
“Understood Colonel. But understand, I am standing in what is not much more than a hollow concrete box. There aren’t many places to hide anything in here.”
“Understood. But you turn over every speck of dust in that place.”
“Yes sir. Evans out.”
Ryker had turned his back to the door and the Marines as he spoke quietly to Hargraves. As he turns back toward the entrance he sees Ronnie round the shredded corner of the office, her eyes wide as she surveys the carnage in the building. Ryker and Julian are in the far corner of the building, near his makeshift bed room and it takes her a moment to spot her father. She doesn’t run until the last few feet as her face twists with tears and she flows into her father’s arms.
“Oh, Daddy! I was so scared for you!” Ronnie says as she weeps in her father’s arms.
“I know. Shhhh… I know. It’s alright now,” Julian says, softly, stroking her hair. He looks over Ronnie’s shoulder and smiles at Ryker, tears leaking from his own eyes as he squeezes them tightly shut.
Ryker smiles softly, turns, and walks quietly away, leaving the Drs. Baker to their reunion.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Ryker tasks Londergan and three other Marines with taking the Drs. Baker back to the embassy as soon as they are ready to move. There shouldn’t be any concerns for their safety, but after getting him back, Ryker would be damned if he will allow Julian to be taken again.
Meanwhile the rest of the Marines load all the computers and equipment into the remaining three SUV’s parked outside. That task complete, the prisoners handed off to the CIA for interrogation, and Drs. Bakers safely out of the way, Ryker and the remaining Marines begin to systematically destroy the inside of the building.
Every interior wall is pulled down and minutely inspected. All the furniture is slit and the padding removed. Even the sink and toilet are removed and inspected, along with their drains. Ryker stands in the middle of the room, hot, tired, dirty, and frustrated as hell. Even though Julian has said the virus wasn’t there, he had hoped they would find something. All they have to show for their efforts is a huge pile of debris piled in one corner of the building and a few dead bodies in bags.
“Sergeant. Let’s get the fuck out of here and let the spooks clean this place up. There is nothing here.”
Sergeant Hicks nods and turns to face the men. “Alright Marines. Assholes and elbows. We’re bugging out,” he bellows.
**
“How’s Dr. Baker? Julian Baker?” Ryker asks as he sits down at the table for his debrief.
“He’ll be fine. He’s still in the infirmary. He’s a little dehydrated, and bruised up from some slightly rough handling, but it appears that he was treated reasonably well,” Mr. Spreck says.
“Damn fine work today, Petty Officer,” Colonel Hargraves adds. “In fact, on this entire mission. I am putting you in for your second Achievement Medal. That should go a long ways towards you making Chief.”
“Thank you sir,” Ryker says. He’s happy that the mission was a success, and it is always nice to be recognized for doing a job well, but mostly he just wants to go home and forget about the entire affair.
Spreck clicks on the recorder and Ryker begins to speak.
***
Ninety minutes later Ryker steps out of the debrief. Debriefs go pretty fast when he is the only one involved and nothing goes wrong. It’s too bad they didn’t find the virus, but without one or the other Drs. Baker, there isn’t much anyone can do with it. They may have a leg up on developing a weapon since the virus is alive and stable, but as Ronnie explained early on, removing all the fail-safes built into the virus is no easy task.
“How are you doing, Dr. Baker?” Ryker asks.
“I thought I told you to call me Julian.”
Ryker smiles. “So you did. How are you feeling, Julian?”
