by Sara Schoen
“Thanks for the offer, but Sandstorm wants it dismantled. That means we are digging in for a fight. So I hope everyone here is okay with that because once this thing starts, there’s no turning back.”
“I’m fine with a fight, but who is Sandstorm?” Camo questioned. “I’ve never even heard of him before. Is he a new agent?”
“He’s the agent who called in to Sharp Shooter when I was in his office. He alerted us that Harley plans on coming after CIRA when this trade ends. We don’t know how much he knows about CIRA, but either way I don’t like it.” Night Stripe crouched down beside me to look over the building blueprints, repeating the path for herself so she could plot it out when it came time. “I’ve never met him. Sharp Shooter says he’s been undercover for a while in the Middle East so I’m not surprised we haven’t heard of him. Luckily, I’ve had no reason to be in the Middle East yet. I’m sure one day I will, but hey, I did say I wanted to see the world.” She let out a breathy laugh before continuing to chart her way through the crowd and into the building once everyone was taken care of.
“He’s been undercover for almost eight years, so about a year since I was recruited and maybe even a little prior to that. So I’m going to ask you guys to stay out here just in case. He doesn’t know you and I don’t want to run the risk of him attacking any of you by accident before I have a chance to explain who you are. So you guys stay out here and handle everyone coming out of that building, including whatever the failsafe is. I’ll rush in before the whole thing starts, then you guys will break off into teams and we will meet up again when it’s over.”
“I’d like to stay with Night Stripe if possible,” Rum stated, rejoining the group. “If they’re worried about finding both of us then we can buy you more time to do whatever you need while taking out as many people as possible. You will draw less attention without any of us coming after you, and if we can keep the attention on the outside it will only help you and Sandstorm.”
“I agree. So, Camo, I think you should be on the opposite side of the clearing from Night Stripe and Rum. I want you to draw everyone in separate directions, then once Siren and Renegade finish up in the helicopter they’ll join you to provide backup. Only a few should head in your direction, and that way you can start picking off people who go after those two. Let them do the distracting and you guys just stick to eliminating anyone who isn’t an agent.”
“Sounds good. When should we move into position?” Renegade questioned, raising a thick eyebrow.
“Patrols usually start within the hour,” Rum stated, pointing to the sun rise. “So we should spread out now and be prepared to fight. Stick to the trees—we’ve been hiding there and have gone unnoticed. Once the helicopter lands, let Spit Fire slip in so she has an easier time. Immediately after she’s in, Renegade and Siren take over the chopper and end as many people as possible in the first wave. Night Stripe and I can distract them, but if there’s too many then one of us is going to get caught up in a fight. It’s inevitable and I don’t want to be fighting twelve to one odds.”
We all nodded in understanding before breaking away from the group and taking a few moments to collect ourselves. Night Stripe got up and moved toward Renegade. Camo went to Siren and Rum, most likely to coordinate more accurately than I had done. I glanced around at my friends and then toward the compound, silently hoping we would all make it through this. The plan seems perfect, at least on paper, but nothing in real life ever works out exactly as planned. This was going to be hell—a final battle to end the long waging war between CIRA and the Cardoza Cartel. When it was over, there was a possibility that I may never see these guys again. I wondered if that’s what they were thinking too, but I knew we all agreed that it was now or never. We wouldn’t let them target CIRA. We had to fight to save our home, and all of the agents who lived there.
Chapter 24
The goodbyes lasted a little longer than they should have, so I was forced to call an end to them. In the distance the blades of the chopper sounded, slowly approaching our location. Night Stripe and Renegade hugged once more before he tried to turn his back and block our view of him giving her a short kiss. She turned a soft shade of red, blushing from embarrassment, which made him laugh before they parted ways. They looked torn between leaving each other and completing this mission. The severity of what we were doing must have finally set in. I turned away to give them a private moment and found Camo hugging Siren with tears in her eyes. It’s as if everyone was saying a final good bye. What had we gotten ourselves into when no one in the group believed we would make it through?
“Okay guys, the helicopter is coming into view. That means it’s time to get into positions!” Rum called down from the trees, effectively breaking up the goodbyes and sending everyone scattering off to join their assigned teams.
Rum leapt down and joined Night Stripe where they shared a brief moment before Night Stripe nodded and took off toward the left side of the compound. Rum waved to Siren and Renegade before she nodded in my direction and followed after her protégé. My gaze shifted to Renegade and Siren, who were waiting patiently in the center, as the helicopter inched its way closer to us. They would run to the chopper once it landed, then start the slaughter. When they ran out of ammo on the guns attached the chopper, they’d meet Camo on the right hand side, and finally join Night Stripe and Rum when they met in the middle of the clearing. I knew they wouldn’t wait outside, especially since Night Stripe had already began planning her way inside, but I hoped they would approach Sandstorm with some caution. I couldn’t be sure how he’d react, and if I wasn’t there to stop him then I didn’t want them to meet. Hopefully he’d see Siren and Rum with them and would connect the dots, but I’d rather be safe than sorry.
“I’ll see you guys soon. Remember, don’t let any of them escape. I don’t want to have to do this again.”
Siren nodded before she stepped forward and pulled me into a bone-crushing hug. I embraced her for a short time, but pulled away as the beating of the helicopter blades sounded directly overhead. She held onto my arm for a moment, preventing me from heading to my position, and pulled me back. “Be safe, Spit Fire. Do whatever has to be done to end these guys for good, but please be safe. I don’t want to lose anymore friends.”
“I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me. Just keep thinking that if we eliminate the leaders and future leaders, then we eliminate the cartel as a whole and can finally move on with our lives. If we stick to the plan, this can all be over today.”
“Then let’s get started,” she said with a determined smile curving her lips. She slapped my shoulder lightly before pushing me away. “Get moving. You should be inside before that thing lands. Sandstorm said he’d be waiting for you, but even if he’s not you should find a way inside before the failsafe activates. I’m not looking forward to whatever it is, but it will surely be directed at us so you should get out of the line of fire as fast as you can.”
“I’m on it. If anything happens you have enough back up now to handle it. Talk to each other and make sure as many people as possible make it through this.”
“Did you forget who I am?” she asked with a cocky tone. “I’ll lead this team to victory and we’ll be inside that building before you and Sandstorm even start killing upper level leaders. Don’t worry about us, just worry about yourself.”
I nodded, stepping away from her slowly. Even as she waved me off, I could see the strong exterior she had put up slowly crumbling. She wanted to desperately believe what she said, but I could see in her eyes that even she knew it was unlikely. We needed an army, but we only had a team. A small glimmer of determination made it through the finality of her gaze, as if she was silently saying a final good bye. They’d get rid of the first wave easy, but then they’d be overrun. That’s the part I was worried about.
“Go!” she ordered, breaking me from my thoughts. “We don’t have all day. Stop worrying about us. It won’t do either of us any good.” She seemed to be fighting back tears
. I wonder how much she actually believed what she said. If I had to guess it would be that she didn’t believe a single word of it.
I didn’t make her tell me again, honestly I don’t think she could have handled it. Renegade seemed to be struggling with separation from the team as well, but in his usual stoic manner since he wouldn’t question many orders. Though the fear in his eyes remained prevalent. I swallowed my own fear before taking off toward the back of the compound as Sandstorm had directed. My steps were heavy with dread, blood was rushing in my ears, but the only thoughts in my head now were about Harley. He’ll be surprised by the attack, and I’ll finally get the revenge I desperately wanted.
From the trees I could watch the helicopter slowly lower toward the ground, but I couldn’t see any of the other agents. By now, Siren and Renegade would be moving toward wherever the helicopter would land and prepare to jump out once it settled. Renegade seemed to think the helicopter would come to a full stop before the cartel members boarded. I couldn’t understand why because it didn’t improve safety, but he’d know the best out of all of us. I’m sure he had coordinated a few of these, or at least watched them happen. Once he was sure, he’d order Siren forward and the first step of the plan would begin in a matter of seconds. Images of a possible battle raced through my head, and each ended with them injured or worse. I shook my head to get rid of those thoughts as I picked up the pace. I needed to get into position before the first shot went off.
The helicopter was hovering just above the ground as I vanished behind the compound. Creeping around the building, I could hear voices, but no commands had been given yet. There were conversations, which I slowly began to pick up as the beating of the blades slowly came to a stop, then there was silence on both sides. CIRA agents wouldn’t move until they had to, and Harley’s followers would wait for an order. There wouldn’t be an in-between, which turned this into a waiting game before the cat pounced.
I knew they were waiting because they still had a patrol out there. I’m sure Harley was waiting for them to report back before sending out the prospective leaders, but it wouldn’t do him any good. We weren’t about to be caught now. It would have been easier to take out the patrol, but if they didn’t report back Harley would know something was wrong. We couldn’t take that risk, so for now I could only assume the agents were waiting patiently for the patrol to pass before leaping into action, if they hadn’t already. Either way, soon the patrol would give the all clear, and pull the trigger to our firefight.
“Sandstorm?” I whispered as I rounded the corner of our rendezvous. We were supposed to meet around here before the firefight started, but no answer came. I tried not to worry and jump to thoughts of him being captured or our plan somehow being exposed as I crept into the building to look for him. Waiting outside would have drawn attention if anyone walked by, and I didn’t want to risk screwing up when we were so close, but once inside I was greeted by darkness and a surprising lack of personnel.
Harley must have them all set up somewhere else, no wonder Sandstorm chose to meet here, I thought as I made my way through the building. Sandstorm wasn’t anywhere to be seen, but I didn’t venture from our chosen building or into the other levels. For now, I could only assume he hadn’t slipped away yet. He would wait for the right moment and find me when he could. If I moved too far then we’d waste valuable time. So instead of wandering further, I peeked out one of the windows at the front of the compound just in time to see Renegade and Siren dash through the trees and dart toward the helicopter. They hadn’t made it far from the tree line when I heard an order given through the intercom.
“Head out.”
I recognized Harley’s voice, though it didn’t come from anywhere near me. I assumed he was safely tucked away in his office, hiding just in case anything happened and putting his men at risk rather than himself. He’s a coward. He uses people and hides behind them until they’re useless to him. I shook my head in disgust. Did I expect anything different from him? He wouldn’t change, and now he’d never get the chance. I was done giving second chances.
A crowd of men stepped out from the building beside mine and hurried through the compound’s clearing. They were accompanied by armed guards on all sides and a few seemed to have protective vests on. Even when they didn’t expect an attack they were ready for one. Too bad this is the side you guys picked. You could have lived a little longer, I thought as I caught sight of Siren’s blonde hair through the glass of the helicopter. They have no idea what’s about to hit them. At least I thought they didn’t, but as the thought crossed my mind, the crowd stopped. They were a few feet from the chopper when I heard the command to return to the building. Everyone turned around, sprinting toward the doorway, but Renegade and Siren wasted no time taking control of the guns and opening fire.
A few members tried to scatter and find cover, but most froze stiff when they saw Siren and Renegade. They must not have expected to run into CIRA agents so soon, or even at all. They were terrified, and soon they would all be dead. A few tried to fight back, but Renegade covered Siren as best as he could. I saw cartel members go down, but didn’t see Siren or Renegade react to an injury. I wanted to help, to give them a better chance, but I didn’t want to give away my position so I stayed hidden for now. I didn’t want to get in the line of fire by accident.
I could hear orders being called left and right, but couldn’t make them out. Panic remained the overall tone, a few cries of pain and pleading, then a few seconds of silence. I didn’t have time to wonder what the orders had been because not a moment later I heard a loud explosion nearby. I glanced out the window again to see the building on the furthest side of the compound go up in smoke, followed by rubble and debris falling to the ground. I didn’t have time to process what it was before another explosion went off in the building next door.
Oh shit. The failsafe was being activated, and it was worse than I could’ve imagined. They were blowing up their own headquarters, and I was right in the middle of it.
Chapter 25
The ground shook as another explosion rippled through the compound and destroyed the remains of the crumbling building. Smoke filled the sky as it billowed out around the debris and it only got worse when the next building went up in a burst of flames and concrete. Fires erupted from the explosions, causing the smoke to transition into an ominous black cloud, and were slowly spreading into the compound as cartel members rushed to fight the threat and to escape the burning buildings. Shots fired rapidly from the helicopter, but came to a sudden stop. I glanced over to see Siren away from the gun, and Renegade turning to the one in the back to eliminate a few more cartel members. Most were on the ground, dead or dying, but more were rushing out of the building every second.
Another explosion went off, this time closer to the helicopter. The gun shots stopped momentarily, filling me with panic as chaos ensued. Cartel members fought back, taking aim on Siren and Renegade. More came out and flooded out of the compound, unknowing that there were agents in the shadows to separate their attention. I heard Siren cry out before the dust settled. I couldn’t see her, but she sounded like she needed help. I took a few steps outside, wanting to help her, before I was stopped.
“What are you doing, Spit Fire?” a voice asked, breaking me out of my thoughts. A hand roughly grabbed me and forcefully spun me around. Rum’s auburn eyes stared directly into mine, fear and anger had taken them over. Where was her usual confidence? “You are supposed to be in there. You can’t be here! Get inside and do your job!”
I nodded before shaking myself mentally to clear my head. “I don’t know what came over me.”
“I get that you want to help, but we have this handled. Find Sandstorm, then find Harley and kill him. I’m not losing anyone because of this, and you’re going to be the one to get rid of him! We will handle this.”
I opened my mouth to speak, but was cut off by Renegade calling for us. I barely had time to register the order, “take cover”, his words meshed tog
ether in my mind. I couldn’t make them out clearly in time, even ‘grenade’ and ‘bomb’ didn’t get through to me until after the fact. Thankfully, Rum understood. She rammed into me, shoving me aside just before another explosion went off. The blast flung me backwards a couple of feet and onto my back, but the blast hadn’t been as powerful as the others. The damage to my body was minimal, though my head hit the ground hard and I was sure to have a raging headache later. I didn’t have any other injuries. I had gotten lucky. As I got up and looked for Rum, I saw she wasn’t as lucky.
I could see blood seeping through her shirt. She wasn’t moving and her eyes were shut tight. She didn’t even look conscious. Is she alive? I wondered, my heart hammering in my chest. “Rum? Rum, are you okay?” She didn’t answer or react to my call. The cartel members were still busy dealing with Renegade and Siren, but once the ammo ran out their attention would turn elsewhere. What had I caused?
Another charge went off, this time a lot less powerful than the others. They were getting weaker, but more directed. I glanced around to see the inside of the building still intact, but the equipment destroyed. They didn’t want to destroy the place, only to make it so we wouldn’t find anything if they should escape. I wouldn’t let that happen though. I allowed myself one last look at Rum, trying to fight the emotions welling up inside of me at the sight of her motionless body.
“Spit Fire, we have to go. They’re setting up to blow up the offices. We have to trap them before they all escape,” Sandstorm called as he rushed me from behind. His hand gripped my bicep and pulled me into the building, away from Rum and the growing firefight outside.
