Runner
July 7, 2008 Outside of Galice, Oregon 0915 hours "Listen up," Jordy said gaining everyone's attention. The back of the van was roomy enough for the five agents but when the four teenagers were added it was going to be tight. And the van was nowhere near as corporate as the chopper had been…no leather seats in there. "We'll split up, Bella and Declan take the back, Paige and myself have the front. Set the thermos and we'll see what we got inside." Jordan handed over two little thermo-balls to Bella. On their way to the back they were to drop one and set the other near the back door. Paige and Jordan would bring one to the front and Simon would get the heat signatures of anything alive in the building. "We'll take the typical approach as most likely they're gonna be together. Everyone read the profiles?" They all nodded in response. "Maps?" she directed this question to Paige who nodded again. "Questions?" "The rain's not letting up anytime soon so we should make this quick," Simon said softly. "Easy for you to say hiding in the van," Paige punched his shoulder. "Just, you know, want to be able to get out of here," he rubbed his arm. "That hurt?" she grinned at him. He shrugged, "a little." "Cuz I can make it hurt more if you'd like," she smiled at him. "Uh…thanks," he said leaning away from her. She nodded her head and stood up, well, stood up but had to hunch over inside the van, and grabbed her pack and weapons. "Watch us," she said to him softly but seriously, "don't hesitate to split us up if someone's in trouble." She of course was making a reference to Baz, his death still at the front of her mind, probably the others too, she thought. Or maybe she was the only paranoid obsessive one. Simon nodded his head thoughtfully, "I won't." She bit her lip for a moment, pulled the hoodie over her face, and pushed the van door open and jumped out into the pouring rain. Her rain gear protected her well though she knew any length of time out here and she'd be soaked…the rain was just too heavy and the wind whipped it against the little exposed skin of her face. How the hell did they even manage to land the chopper? At least it wasn't cold, she reminded herself. That would suck ass even more. Unless they were out a long time or got very wet…then they would get cold. The others followed her out immediately grimacing in the pouring rain. The targets hung out in an abandoned one story building that looked to have been a store or warehouse at some time. It lay down a small hill about 500 yards from where their van was parked along a service road. A dirt service road, she noted as she trudged through the heavy mud. "This sucks," she muttered to herself. "Alpha 4 and 5 splitting," Bella came over the comms. "Received 4 and 5," Simon answered. Jordan followed Paige to the front of the building staying just within the tree line. They were blended into the darkness and their only enemy was the flashing lightning. No matter her mind noted, the windows of the building were painted over black, but whether by the previous owners or the foursome they were targeting remained to be seen. Paige tossed one of the thermo-balls towards the front of the building and crouched next to Jordan. "Tac 1, tracer in place in front," Paige said evenly. They waited for Bella to call in hers and then Simon ran his tests. As they had suspected the foursome were together, not moving and surrounded by other blobs of heat, computer equipment of sorts. They were towards the back of the building leaving Paige and Jordan to travel the furthest. "We'll go in first and get into position, will retain radio silence until then," Jordan said nodding to Paige a gesture obvious to the tall blonde. "Why do I always get point?" Paige grinned under her mask at Jordan. The woman shrugged, "you're a bigger target," she said evenly with a hint of humor behind it. "Nice," Paige said standing up, "you're a big target she says, I work out…I don't eat much…" "I've seen you eat," Simon butted in. "Oh, goodie, and it went over comms," Paige said walking quickly to the front of the building entrance. "Yeah, I've seen you eat, too," Bella chimed in. "Anything from you Declan?" Paige asked as she studied the lock on the door and gestured for Jordan's pack. "Nay, I think you have a great arse," he said. Paige shook her head and looked at Jordan, "paybacks a bitch shorty." Jordan just shrugged and rummaged through her bag pulling out two items. They froze the chain and using a small bolt cutter Paige cut through it easily. "Tac 1 we're moving in," Paige said quietly pushing on the door softly. "Received 2 and 3, no change on the heat signatures," Simon replied. Paige slid in gracefully with Jordan following and they shut the door behind them. Their eyes, already adjusted to the dark, noted the small reception area and Paige headed straight for the north corridor. They had obtained blueprints of the interior from public domain records from the last known occupants. Hopefully, Paige thought as she cleared the corridor, they were accurate. She moved steadily north and west towards the back corner of the building. It was the old cafeteria where the foursome had made their makeshift home base and Paige could see the flickering lights of monitors as soon as she turned the last corridor. She crouched and signaled to Jordy who crept up alongside of her and peered down the hallway herself. She nodded and activated her comm, "Alpha 3 to 4 and 5, we're in position, move forward." "Received Alpha 3, 4 and 5 moving," Bella responded. Paige waited as the adrenaline continued to seep into her blood. She did not move a muscle though her body screamed to act, years of training had learned to harbor that energy so that once given the final approval, she would be more than ready to move. "One's on the move coming towards you 3," Simon's voice came over comms. Just as he said it Paige could hear the snickering and shuffling of feet. She sank against the wall inadvertently holding her breath. Jordan did the same. Bathroom, Paige thought, bringing up the blueprints in her head. If the target was heading to the bathroom he would walk right by them and in the dark, and being unsuspecting, would most likely not notice the two figures. But she couldn't tell Jordan that and she placed her arm across Jordan's chest effectively telling her not to move. The Target, still snickering, picked up his pace and almost jogging moved right past them. UltraLaser her mind reported and she looked to Jordy as Bella came over the comms, they were in position just outside the door leading out of the cafeteria. "What do you want to do?" Paige asked her quietly over the open comms. "We'll take out the three, you go get him," she replied quickly. Whether the decision was correct or not didn't matter, what mattered is that as Field Leader, Jordan had made the decision quickly and decisively. There was nothing more dangerous than a Field Leader that hesitated. Seconds of hesitation could kill, Baz being a case in point. "Received," Paige said quietly, for the benefit of the rest of the team and Simon waiting in the van, and she got up moving down the corridor following the Runner. "Move in," Jordan directed. Paige moved quickly and steadily to the bathrooms and just as she turned the hallway she heard him whistling. She slowed taking care where she placed her feet. Even abandoned buildings had various trash and such littering the hallways. They were far enough away from the cafeteria that she couldn't hear the assault taking place, but not far enough that she couldn't hear any gunfire, of which she heard none, which was a good thing. "Alpha 3 to Tac 1, three Targets secure," Jordan said calmly. And not a shot fired Paige added mentally. Paige's Target, Ultra Laser appeared suddenly in front of her. She raised her weapon, "on your knees," she said sharply. "Shit," he muttered and bolted. Paige sighed and rolled her eyes, she hated when they tried to get away. She sprinted down the hallway after him, catching up to him quickly. She wasn't the fastest on the team, but she was quick enough to outsprint a panicking teenager. As he slowed down to make a turn in a hallway she lunged at him, tripping his feet and rolling away from him at the same time. She popped up as she heard a knife blade being flipped open. It took only second for her to kick it from his hand. He stared at her, his eyes wide, as the knife skittered down the hallway. She relaxed her stance and stood up straight putting one hand on her hip, "you don't want to fight me," she said flatly, "I assure you…you will lose...Ultra Laser." "Who are you?" he asked and she detected the slight tremor of fear in his voice. "Back up against the wall," she said smiling at him through the mask, "and I promise I won't hurt you much." He swallowed hard but backed against the wall. "Hands out front," she said stepping towards him. He did as he was told holding his hands out for her. She attached a plastic tie around his wrists as she studied his eyes, a deep brown with a light of mischief in them. It was easy enough to recognize and she was quite sure the three other Targets had that same little light. And quite positive the three other Agents also had that light…once. "Alpha 2 to Alpha 3, Target secure," she said as she intently watched him absorbing what she said. "Bring him to the computer room," Jordan answered. "Received," she said evenly. "C'mon," she said gently, "back to the cafeteria," and she pulled him off the wall shoving him in front of her. He began to walk slowly as his shoulders hung in defeat. She shook her leg before following him, her knee aggravated slightly from the run and tackle. At the same time she rubbed the hard brace that encased her wrist, the dull throb once again back, also from tackling the Target. The brace, she knew, saved it from any damage…didn't mean it didn't hurt though... Return