Chapter 19

ten days later

Pov detective Joshua Riley

”Sigh…”

This is getting tiresome. We haven’t had any progress after Major Shelia joined us almost two weeks ago. She helped a little to create a profile of this ‘Calla’ but there is nothing much I can do when we have no leads.

This case is driving my partner crazy.

The Interpol approached him last week about a position to become one of their agents but he denied it. They were impressed how integral part he took in bringing one of the Mexican cartels down during his undercover assignment.

But alas, he won’t rest until he has caught our suspect. I don’t know why he is investing so much in to this case. Perhaps because it’s the first case after the undercover assignment and he wants it to be solved.

The Major said something about going back to her other duties if Calla doesn’t surface soon. I can tell from her attitude that she really wants to find her but there isn’t anything to go on and there are much more important things to do for an intelligence officer from J.A.T.F. than going through the same evidence over and over again.

And that is what we have been doing these past ten or so days.

We did investigate a theft where someone fitting Calla’s description hotwired a motorcycle but we couldn’t track where she went through the traffic cams and the bike has not been seen since. There is a chance she left the city.

We put some feelers out to our informants and one of them kind of panned out. We got word that she has been meeting with someone called Mox, but there isn’t anything on him.

Mox belongs to the underworld society from New York but from what we gather, he belongs to the gentlemen thieves and more respectable part of the underworld. Our informants know next to nothing about him and those who does know him doesn’t want to turn on him.

Almost everyone who knows him owes him favors and he himself has never crossed anybody so crossing him would mean the end of their criminal careers.

He has that good of a reputation.

We know Mox is an alias and that’s all we know about him other than that he is active in New York.

I’m fine with this, it’s a little boring to go through repeatedly the same evidence but I’m personally not so invested in this investigation as my partner so I worry about him. The Interpol assignment would help him in his career tremendously but he won’t take it. At least for now.

Pov Calla

Boring…

There hasn’t been any activity in the safehouse. In my time here in my base I have added little things to its defense as I needed something to do.

I also got a motorbike.

Some had just left it on the side of a street so I took it.

When I first started to get interested in those I read the mechanics about them before the actual driving manuals so getting it started without a key wasn’t that hard. I managed to drive it to the parking hall that’s under the building next to mine.

I have practiced driving a little bit, what I could, but I’m not an expert…yet.

I basically drove circles in the parking hall as I didn’t want to take it outside.

The reason I didn’t want to take it outside was because I’ve been watching TV and realized a few things.

I watched some shows about polices and crime solving and turns out, they keep track of vehicles by the plate thingy and by model. Only then I realized that they would probably be on the lookout for the bike.

And another thing is that owning weapons without permit is illegal. Who would have guessed.

My armory would probably be a gold mine for the agency known as ATF.

And then there is the fingerprint thingy. When I touch something with my finger it leaves a print. I never noticed it before but now that I know about it I can actually see on some surfaces how it works. According to the show every person has a unique print.

I guess I’ll have to start wearing gloves when doing an operation. Or I just don’t touch things.

There was one movie I watched that I liked but the end was complete shit.

The movie started with introducing the villain, he was some balding cop going to see his wife. Then the main character, who was this charismatic international thieve and master mind, started his plans. He played cat and mouse with the villain cop who tried to prevent him realize his dreams.

Then at the end, just when the main character, Hans Gruber was about to win he was shot and he fell to his death. It was so disappointing that I shot my TV to pieces. It helped a little to see the cop with a hole on his forehead but then the TV caught fire and I had to drop it down the elevator shaft.

Other than watching movies I have been hanging out a little with Mox. He is… interesting fellow and good company. He helped me get an American I.D. It is a fake of course, but quality work. He left the city a few days ago as he said that he was supposed to stay only for a while to do some business.

Because he met me, he had prolonged his stay for a few days but his so called ‘empire’ needed some tending.

He’s main job description is a fence, meaning he sells stolen stuff forward. But he also assists with heists and cons and works as some kind of fixer. He has a lot of connections so he’s a good liaison to have.

*beepbeepbeep*

As I’m checking the wound on my left arm that has almost healed I hear the alarm go of.

I turn to look at the monitors which survived my fit of rage for the bullshit movie ending and see that someone is in the safehouse.

The lights are turned on in there and the visual is clear as it’s already getting dark.

I quickly run to the eleventh floor, and look through my sniper scope to the building. A man in a suit has entered in it. I see a car pull up by the side of the road below me and see a man leaving the car, also wearing a suit.

He enters the building and I continue to look through my scope. The glass looks like it’s bulletproof so with this caliber I probably won’t be able to pierce it.

I decide not to risk shooting as that would give away my presence if it is bulletproof. I look at the blond man waiting in the safehouse, and then the door opens up. The man who just parked his car came inside. His clean-shaven jaw is angular and his black hair is neatly combed back, only one lock of hair hangs above his green eyes.

I make sure the video and sound records as I grab one of the trackers and head downstairs, intending to plant it in the black haired suit man’s car.

Pov Red

I arrive at the safehouse because one of the operators of our organization said he had something urgent to tell. I enter the safehouse.

“Red, we have a problem” My main operator, Romeo 1 says.

“What is it?” I ask him. It’s been some time since our organization has been threatened. Subject 7xx is still at large but I don’t think this is about her.

“A reporter of the New York Times has been poking around dangerously close at the Brooklyn facilities.” He reveals.

“Well that is a problem. How did he even know where to look? The only security breach we are supposed to have now is 7xx. Could she be involved?” I ask. At the Brooklyn facilities are the series Nine subjects.

“We have no idea but the cameras caught him taking photos of the area. We put surveillance on him and deduced that he is researching for some story. We were about to launch a precautionary hit but he somehow noticed that we were watching him and went to hiding.” He explains it to more detail.

Damn, something must be done, and quickly before he talks to anybody about what he knows.

“Well, locate him and kill him. These are the kind of situations for what we are paying you” I say to him.

“Yes sir” He says.

There isn’t anything I can do about it now. I need to trust my operators to do the job. I don’t want to bring Black or the others in the loop yet. It’s my job to secure the facilities, not theirs, and Black would have my head for this blunder.

I leave the safehouse without another word. I need to get to the Pentagon before anyone starts suspecting my reason for absence. The government is launching a big operation to bring down a terrorist cell in Yemen and I’m expected to be in the situation room for that.

There is also the matter of China considering joining the J.A.T.F. and that is something my organization cannot allow. It would stabilize the east and bring unity to the relations of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and UN.

I go to the elevator to head down to my car.

…

I pull up the car to the gates of pentagon. The security is buffed, more than normal, because of the important operation and the happenings that are taking place in these next few weeks.

Every governmental agency that has something to do with those is on a state of high alert. That is why we have had minimal meetings in our organization, just in case.

As I show my credential to the military police that are on the gate other team starts inspecting my car.

“Credentials checks out” The MP says to the others after scanning my ID-card. I still have to wait for the dogs to sniff my car through for bombs and the MP’s to check for anything that sends signal from my car, aside from my phone.

I wait as the MP’s waives the RF-signal detectors, spectrum analyzers and other detectors around my car.

*beep*

One of the detectors is indicating that its picking up on ongoing transmission

I get out of my car to check it out and it’s true. There is something sending spread spectrum signal from my car!

“Where is it!” I yell at the MP’s

Who has put a bug on my car? Many possibilities run through my mind. The C.I.A.; the J.A.T.F.; the FSB. There are as many possibilities as there are intelligence agencies around the world and then some.

Now I need to inform Black about this. But I cannot do it now.

“Found it sir!” One of the MP’s yells as he takes the bug from under the hull of the car.

I take it to my hands and I recognize it. It’s not a bug but a tracker. I recognize it because it was made by an American defense contractor.

I was handling acquisitions for military in those days, and I remember the model. Our government didn’t buy them as the range were too small but I knew who did.

The J.A.T.F. military academy bought them for training purposes. It didn’t count as a treason for profit for the manufacturers, as America is one of the founding members of J.A.T.F.

7xx! It must be her doing.

The tracker must have been planted outside the safehouse, and 7xx could very well know the locations of a few of them.

“It’s only a tracker. I’ll handle this.” I say to the MP’s as I grab the tracker and start heading for the main building.

I need to backtrace it without being found out by other Pentagon personnel and send our teams to the location to kill her. I won’t disable the tracker yet as that would alarm her that I’m onto her. She could threaten our whole organization.

I won’t make the same mistake of underestimating her like White did.

He only sent five men, I will send all that is available.

Pov Calla

A reporter in New York? I have to find him before they do.

I check the tracker signal and it stopped in Pentagon. Is the group I’m after a part of the American government? The States are a part of the J.A.T.F. if I remember correctly so it feels unlikely but I will keep the possibility in mind though. They could have members in the government, probably in other countries too, but I think they are not a group sanctioned by the government or governments.

I study from the recorded video feed the face of the man who seemed to be in charge, and make sure I remember it in the future. I would love to go after him but the reporter takes priority as he is in a time sensitive situation.

This ‘Red’ on the other hand is alive till I put a bullet in his head, whether it was tomorrow or a year from now. He’s a dead man walking even if he doesn’t know it yet.

I go online and look up New York, where it’s located and its basic street map. Then I check where Brooklyn is and its maps.

As I’m learning information about the two places I hear something from the street level but think nothing of it.

*beepbeepbeep*

My phone sounded the alarm again. Is there someone in the safehouse?

I look at the monitor that shows the safehouse and see that there is nobody there. Why did the alarm go off?

I look at the other monitors and see how the front door of my base has been kicked in, and men in combat gear is coming to the building.

Damn!

I quickly stand up and rush to my weaponry. I take the mp5 and extra clips for it as my main weapon. I grab my pistol with the suppressor and tuck it in my pants. Luckily, I wasn’t wearing the skirt but my college pants and the Omega training shirt with a hoodie as I just went outside to plant the tracker.

I grab extra ammo for the pistol too and look at the monitors again. There are at least two nine men squads inside the building, but there could be more.

How did they find me? There isn’t any indication that they are police on their armors so they must belong to my enemies.

It can’t be a coincidence that they found me shortly after I planted the tracker.

I grab the pad that has the tracker program and disconnect all its connections and turn it off. They shouldn’t be able to track it if I’m not tracking them.

I wish I had added more of the ‘little things’ to my defense as I watch from the monitors the squads that starts to go up the stairs.

There are two sets of stairs in the building that goes all the way to the top but from the tenth floor up I barred one of the stairways on each floor so that they would have to walk across the floor after each stairway to get to the other stairway that can be used.

I used the construction materials that were left here and for good measure I threw most of the office supplies and chairs I found no other use for to block the stairs.

I placed a grenade so that it can be seen but not tampered with as it’s behind all the junk I used to block the stairs. I tied strings to the pins of the grenades and tied the other ends to the office supplies so they would get detonated if someone tried to dig their way through.

Though they won’t do that as the grenade is visible. Their purpose is to scare the invaders from using said stairways.

As the first squad has gotten to the third floor I switch on the lights in the stairway of said floor. Mox moved the light switches of the stairs to the twelfth floor and I replaced the light pulps with partly disassembled grenades so that the electric current detonates the primer, which in turn detonates the grenade itself.

*BOOM*

The first explosion sounds from downstairs and the camera I had there goes dark.

I hope I got most of the squad.

The second squad heads for the other stairway at the other end of the building.

*BOOM*

I switched the light on at the corridor they were using.

I see from one of the cameras that five men survived from the second squad. They are hurt, but they survived.

The camera from the fourth floor shows that three men survived from the first squad. Or at least they were the ones that could continue onwards.

In the stairway, they were more packed so it did more damage.

I don’t have any other grenades hooked into to the electrical system but there are some hooked to tripwires. I just hope they trigger them too.

Two more squads enter the building. How can there be so many?

I see a glint in the corner of my sight and by reflex jump to the side.

*BAM*

The pullet pierces through the window and one of the monitors that showed the stairway.

Fuck.

I have no idea how many snipers there are so I run away from the windows, grabbing the grenade launcher with a six-round drum magazine and head for the stairs.

I must avoid the windows from now on.

And I have a decision to make.

Do I retreat, or do I fight and retreat?

Let’s fight.

Every dead man is one less to come after me in the future.

I reach with my hand from the door to the monitor room and grab the duffel bag that’s laying on the ground.

Most of my weapons were scattered around the room but the RPG and two remaining hand grenades along with the remaining grenades for the launcher are in the duffel bag.

I grab the hand grenades and slide the duffel bag next to the elevator door before heading down the stairs.

I run across the eleventh floor to the stairs leading down to the tenth,

The tenth floor is where I make my stand before retreating.

I make my way through the maze-like floor and stop when I have a visual to the stairs.

I’m kneeling behind a corner, aiming at the stairs with the mp5.

It’s a good weapon for this situation. The small caliber doesn’t give much recoil so I can fire accurately even with automatic fire.

And I need accuracy because it looked like the attackers were wearing body armors.

I can almost hear my heartbeat as I wait. The sound of the approaching men’s steps echoes from the stairs as I start hearing sirens in the distance.

Judging by the footsteps the first three should already be one floor down.

*BOOM*

I hear an explosion about two floors down. I guess they triggered one of the tripwires.

*BRATATA*

I fire a small burst as the first head pops to my vision.

Now it begins, a good old-fashioned firefight.

*BRATATATA**BRATATA*

Two more heads come to my view but this time they were ready and fired as soon as they came.

They missed though as they had no idea where I am. It was just cover fire.

They probably thought I took cover as both of them rushes up the stairs.

*BRATATATA**BRATATA*

I fire two bursts, killing both men.

The trick when firing automatic fire to moving targets is to sweep the weapon horizontally, squeezing the trigger only when the targets are seen through the sights. Not the amateurish way to aim at first then stop the weapons movement before firing.

*clang*

A thrown grenade hits the floor few meters in front of me.

I lunge myself behind the corner.

*BOOM*

I retreat behind the next corner while changing my mag and take aim from there.

*BRATATA*

I shoot the man that comes to view.

He fell to his back but my shots only hit his body armor.

*BAM*

With a singular shot I execute him on the spot, spreading his blood and brain matter in a fan like pattern to the hard floor.

I hear multiple steps coming from the stairway but I have no longer visual to over there.

It must be a whole squad.

I ready the grenade launcher that was hanging from my shoulder by its strap.

Still holding the mp5 by its armguard with my left hand I steady the launcher with my left arm and wait.

*swosh**BOOM*

I shoot at the wall next to the corner when I see the first sign of movement.

*BOOM*

Another trap is triggered.

But this time the noise came from behind me from the stairs.

They triggered one of the grenades that was meant to scare them not using the stairs.

This is bad.

I’m about to get surrounded, and I don’t dare to use my secondary escape route from the window as I don’t know where the snipers are positioned.

I have the home field advantage though, as we are on the tenth floor.

I turn around, not wanting to get in between the two attacking groups.

I head to the corridors that have dead ends and blocked doors, towards the stairs where the grenade was triggered.

I still hear footsteps from behind so I turn around and fire two more grenades.

*swosh*swosh**BO-BOOM*

I didn’t stop moving when I fired and don’t intent to.

I drop the launcher to hang by its strap as I raise the submachine gun.

I don’t lower the weapon as I advance through the corridors, aiming down every corridor I come across, never slowing or letting my guard down.

*BRATATATATATATATA*

four men in a tactical formation came from the direction I’m advancing.

I shot a long burst towards them, only killing the first one as the other three were behind him.

I take cover to the office on my left.

*BRATATATA*

The bullets impact the doorway next to me.

I grab a hand grenade, pull its pin and throw it towards them.

*BOOM*

The explosion sounds and I step to the corridor.

*BTATATA* I fire a small burst to the man left alive, who was still disoriented from the explosion, killing him.

I step back to the office and change my magazine.

*BOOM*

Another tripwire is triggered. The sound came from this floor so they must have gotten more squads in here.

There is only two traps remaining, them being the grenades in the tenth to eleventh, and eleventh to twelfth floor stairs.

I keep moving towards the stairs that leads me to the upper floor, keeping my weapon aimed to the front.

I can see from the windows the blue flashing lights and hear the sirens of the police cars.

It’s time to leave.

As I advance I hear sounds coming from behind, probably survivors from when I used the grenade launcher.

Without stopping or lowering my weapon, I grab my last hand grenade from my pocket with my left hand, pull the pin with my teeth, and swing my arm downwards, throwing it behind me just as I turn the corner.

*BOOM*BRATATATATA*

The grenade explodes behind me as I fire the two men that turned from behind the corner in front of me, just by using my right hand to hold the gun.

I can see the stairs in front of me, at the end of the corridor

I once again raise the grenade launcher.

I intent to make a beeline for the twelfth-floor elevator door, where the duffel bag and the rope for my primary escape route awaits. I intend to grab the sniper from the eleventh floor on my way up, as I don’t want to lose it.

I have three shots left in the grenade launcher mag and one clip left for my mp5. The pistol is a backup and I wish to save its ammo.

Pov Linda

We arrived at the office building few minutes ago where the shooting was reported.

*BOOM*

*BRATATATA**BRATATATA*

The combat sounds come from the inside.

“It’s a fucking warzone!” Joshua screams over the sounds of explosion and fire.

“Our sniper teams spotted other sniper on the roofs” The SWAT team leader says.

“Tell your men to shoot their weapons.” Simmons orders. You can see he used to be a soldier as he isn’t much affected by the situation.

But is Calla in there? How did the attackers found her or did she find them?

*BOOM* The fighting grows tenser inside.

We have already two SWAT teams that have entered the building, and they are encountering heavy resistance.

I never thought I’d see such a battle in the middle of Washington DC.

*BRATATATA*

*BAM**BAM**BAM*

The singular shots came from outside. The SWAT snipers did their job, even though it was very unconventional order for police snipers.

*BOOM*

Yet another explosion. The window shatters in the stairs between floors eleven and twelfth.

She really started a fricking war…

The attackers are now between us and Calla. Although I worry about her, they are between a rock and a hard place so to speak.

They are probably regretting their employment choice right about now.

Personally, no matter how badly I want to get inside, I won’t. My expertise isn’t fighting as I’m an intelligence officer, it is gathering and analyzing intel. I help with commanding the police force for now.

The whole building is surrounded and there is only our snipers on the roof so we have a good chance to capture some of them alive. Perhaps that way we can learn more about their organization but our primary goal is Calla now.

“The resistance is growing smaller. Some of them are starting to surrender.” Comes from the radio

Detective Simmons raises his radio to his lips and presses the ‘talk’ button.

“Take as many alive as you can. Your main target is the suspect Calla. Do not fire at her unless she fires first.

And do not, I repeat, do not under any circumstances corner the target.” He puts emphasis on the last sentence.

And he is right to do so.

If Calla feels threatened, her training takes over.

It’s like cornering a tiger, a very hungry tiger with combat training and automatic weaponry.

His men acknowledge the orders through the radio

*BOOOOOOOM*

“What the fuck!” Simmons yells as we all take cover from the falling glass. Now even he was surprised at the intensity of the explosion.

And so am I

What the fuck was that?!

“A part of the roof exploded!” Joshua yells and we all look up.

He is right. There is thick smoke coming from the roof and all the windows in the twelfth floor shattered.

What happened?! Is Calla Alright?

I’m fighting my instincts to rush to the building. People are yelling over the radios. The police had reached the eleventh floor already when the explosion took place so the shock wave of such an explosion in closed space must have wreaked havoc in their midst.

*BOOM*

As Simmons is trying to get some clarity over the radio about the situation, the garage door of the next building blows up.

*VROOOM* A motorcycle speeds from inside it and as it comes to the street it hits the brakes and slides sideways before stopping.

Everything stands still as the driver with a duffel bag and a grenade launcher with a still smoking barrel looks around.

She looks towards us and I can see Calla’s eyes turning wide inside the helmet as she looks at me.

We stare at each other, for what feels like an eternity but lasts only for a couple seconds. The moment is broken when the policemen outside raise their guns towards her.

“Don’t move!”

Her left eye twitches in annoyance as she turns to look forward and hits the throttle.

*VROOOOOooom*

She speeds towards some of the officers who lunges to the sides to avoid her. She drives from between the two patrol cars blocking the street and disappears behind the next turn.

“Did that just happen?” Joshua states.

Phew, she was alright. The relief washes over me as I listen to the fading sound of the bike I now recognize from the theft report.

“AFTER HER!” Simmons yells as he runs to one of the police cars.

Few minutes earlier

Pov Calla

I had a little resistance when I got to the eleventh but not much, only a few people. I grabbed my sniper and ran to the twelfth. When I reached the twelfth I grabbed my shoulder bag which had my money, ID’s, the pad with the trackers and magazines for my pistol.

I’m now rushing towards the elevator. As I arrive I kick the rope that is by the opened elevator doors down to the shaft.

It is already secured to the top of the shaft and has a handle attached to it that is designed for fast descent, courtesy of Mox.

As I quickly dismantle the sniper and stuff it to the duffel bag and throw it over my shoulder.

As I’m about to jump to the shaft I hear something behind me and rapidly turn.

“You have no idea how much grief you have caused us Calla.” The blond man from the safehouse earlier today says.

I have my mp5 in my hands and he has a pistol. We are both aiming at each other. But I don’t have any bullets left in the magazine, though he doesn’t know that.

He thinks I hold the advantage as I have an automatic weapon.

“Let me introduce myself. I’m Romeo 1, an operative of the Caturix movement. And you are subject 7xx.”

“I’m Calla”

“Ha. You can wear the clothes of a person but you are nothing more than a weapon made for war. And that is the only destiny that awaits you if you live.”

He tells me, probably trying to make me flinch and show an opening.

“You were made to hunt the hunters. As operators has become more integral part of warfare we designed subjects to counter them. You were made to kill operatives! And nothing more.”

I would have shot him already if I had a bullet.

“So, it only makes sense then for me to kill you too.” I say to him.

The things he said bothers me, but I know better to show weakness in front of him. I will have time later to think about his words, the last ones he will ever speak.

“How about we make this a fair fight?” He says, and takes a knife from his back to his left hand.

That suits me well. He still thinks I have the advantage and is trying to provoke me and make this a close quarters fight.

I have no choice but to oblige as I’m out of bullets.

“A fair fight.” I say to him, while taking my own knife to my hand.

He smiles, and releases the magazine of his pistol.

*clatter* it drops to the ground and I do the same for my weapon.

He starts lowering his weapon and I lower mine. I let him lower his first, making him believe I have bullets but the truth is, this weapon is useless right now.

*clatter* We both drop our weapons at the same time to the floor.

He changes his knife to his right hand.

*BOOM*

The tripwire in the stairs to this floor gets triggered, some debris is seen flying in the corner of our vision from the stairs.

His concentration brakes for a fraction of a second and I take the opening.

I throw my knife towards him and jump backwards, without looking if I managed to wound him, to the elevator shaft and grabbing the handle.

I slide down the rope, tightening my grip of the handle as I grow nearer the elevator at the basement level.

The braking mechanism activates when doing that, and it feels like my shoulder is about to rip and dislocate from the sudden slowing.

*thumb* My feet impact’s the elevator roof, denting it. I can feel the pain in my bones, as I lower myself to a kneeling position, grabbing the tail end of the RPG that is sticking out of the duffel bag.

Why the fuck would I fight fair when I have an RPG?

I aim it upwards, making sure that the tail end of it points to the elevators opened ceiling hatch.

Romeo 1 comes to view as he looks down the shaft, intending to jump after me by grabbing the rope.

Our eyes lock, as the reality of the situation register in his brains a look of shock and urgency is visible on his face.

I smile at him as he turns around.

*Swosh**BOOOOOOOM*

With haste, I drop myself down to the elevator through the hatch while pulling the duffel bag with me. The shockwave hits the elevator roof and some of the pressure comes to the elevator, causing my ears to ring.

I stand up from my laying position and stagger out of the elevator.

“Freeze!” A policeman yells from my left as he points a pistol to my temple, just ten centimeters away.

“Put your hands up!” A second one yells from my front.

My ears still ringing and my balance compromised, my instincts take over.

It all happens in a split second as I move my head forward while grabbing the gun aiming at me with my left hand. My right hand grabs my pistol and I aim it at the police in front of me…

*BA-BAM*

…putting two bullets to his chest, and immediately after, I aim at the officer to my left…

*BAM*

…shooting him to his leg.

He starts to fall and loosens the grip on his weapon that I’m holding with my left. I jerk the gun out of his hand and throw it to the side.

I didn’t mean to shoot him.

It all happened too fast.

And now I have killed a policeman.

Linda won’t like this.

Oh, wait. The man I shot to the chest is grunting in pain but still breathing.

Phew, he was wearing a vest.

I grab my duffel bag and walk to him, take his gun and throw it away.

The ringing in my ears starts to cede a little bit and now that I have time, I stop and think.

Why were they down here? My escape route was the old steam vent that is no longer used but perhaps escaping underground three time a row is a little too unoriginal.

Were they here because they anticipated that? If so, there could be more people in the vents or at the places where it would surface.

My eyes fall to the grenade launcher that’s hanging from my shoulder and then to the door that connects this one to the parking hall. I decide to change my plan and hope that my driving skills are good enough.

I run to the door and get to the parking hall. There is my lime green motorcycle waiting for me. I climb on it and start it.

I put the helmet on that came with the bike

*VROMVrooom*

I give it a little throttle before driving it so that in front of me is the garage door.

*Swosh**BOOM*

I use my trustworthy grenade launcher to blast the door open and drive through.

*VROOOM*

I just manage to brake it in time as its rear tire loses its friction and the bike turns sideways, stopping in the middle of the street.

I look around.

I’m surrounded by cops who are looking at me startled and then I spot something.

The red headed woman standing next to the policeman who drove me away from my old apartment.

Linda!

My eyes widen in surprise as I look at her and a smile comes to my face.

“Don’t move!” Someone yells as the policemen takes aim at me.

‘tch’

I can feel my eye twitching in annoyance as the pests interrupt our reunion.

I fight the urge to fire my two remaining grenades to them as I give the bike some throttle…

*VROOOOM*

Barely avoiding the pests and their shitty cars I speed away from the scene.

Fucking pests.