13.
The
leader of the Launderette had his team lined up at both sides of the doorway.
The clock read at 0231hrs. He tapped his watch to his team. It meant that they
are on the clock there.
Two
of the team tossed in the smoke grenades.
The
laser beams were seen moving in random direction in the Hall, and then the team
moved in. The members were highly trained and moved in formation.
“Clear!”
The calls went out. The team moved forward and it was then the hidden lift
opened up. The roar of the shotgun brought down the member near the lift. He
was stunned but not hurt. He was later when the RN P90 shot him with two short
bursts on the face.
“Contact
on the left. 5 down.” The leader of the attacking team called out. He then felt
the shots on the vest and it hurt like Hell then. The bullets from the Tavar
were penetrating the vest with every additional shot. On the tenth shot, he
fell down clutching the left side of the chest.
“1
down. Find cover.” The second in command called out. He was code named 2.
The
attacking team went for cover but 3 and 8 got the bullets on the back of their
knees when they turned to leave. It was the shotgun dispersed pellets. Glenn
followed through with the double grip on the Taurus at the neck area on 8. He
got through on the third shot at the exposed flesh. It was all he needed but he
wasted five bullets. He reloaded when the returning fire came at him. He was
facing down when he felt the need to turn left. He did and shot the other in
the chest with the Taurus. He felt the recoil to the left shoulder.
“Hold
your position. I am calling in the airborne.” Number 2 called the shots. He was
down to eight if you ignored the one limping. It was a bad start. He heard the
chopper sound above the hotel. He looked at his watch. It was 0245hrs. Nine
minutes and they were fragged down.
“Launderette
Ground, we are rappelling down.” It was Launderette Air, and they arrived by
airborne. It was an eight men team. They got by codes of A1 to A8.
“We
are on the rooftop now.” A1 called out on the comms. “Moving no----”
A1
went down with the scalpel stuck in his left eye. The poison took effect and
hid body went limp. Then the other poison kicked in and his brain was affected.
It took seconds.
“A1
down. We got an ---.” It was A3 who assisted A1 and he was hit by the scalpel
in the left wrist. “I ---”
The
rest of the Airborne took cover. It was not east to make out the person on the
rooftop killing them.
“Chopper,
this is A2. Can we have the search light on here?”
The
helicopter flew back. It turned on the search light on the rooftop at about
fifty feet above the rooftop. It lasted a few seconds before it blew up hit by
the arrow with the explosive tip. It does not take a huge explosive when the
impact was on fuel tanks. The helicopter went down over the cemetery.
“Damn
you!’ A5 stood and leveled the rifle across the area in front of him. He was
hit by the next arrow in the chest and there was not much to pick up on his
remains.
“All
members stand down. A2 called out.” Then A2 counted his losses. He was down to
five members. He had known of one named Tiffany there. She was a fighter.
“Tiffany---
or shall I call you Keiko Sinada for old time sake. You will challenge us with
your fighting skills. We won’t use our guns. Only daggers. Like old times.” A2
was the one that use to spar with Tiffany then. “I am stepping out.”
A2
stepped out and dropped the Colt 14 with the belt holstering the handgun. He
also dropped off his armored vest.
“像旧时一样”. (English translated ‘Like old times’.). The challenge was offered. “They are all trained by me in the old school. 他们都是我在老学校训练的”
The other
seven did the same and stood there with the daggers. It looked like the
Commando knives but it was wider at the blade.
“Katsu
Matsada, I accept your challenge.” The doctor appeared out of the cover. She
had removed the vest and the crossbow. She held in her hands was the double
short swords.
“We will
fight the old way.” The doctor told the other. Two of the attackers rushed at
her. One came in with the low strike at her legs and the other was aiming for
her head. It was a good move and the doctor stepped aside to the left to avoid
the low attacker and with the twist of her body she swung her left sword
downwards to cut the lower attacker in the right side of the neck. In the same
move, she turned her body face up over to the left side to avoid the swinging
upper attack and her right arm went out from below to embed the right-handed
sword into the throat of the attacker. She then did a body turn to straighten
up. It was then another one had charged into her from the right and caused her
to bend backwards avoiding the dagger and her left sword went for the belly.
“You still
have it in you, Sister.” Stanley complimented her. “Your acrobats moves are as
smooth as before.”
“Thank you,
Katsu-san, I still do my callisthenics daily. Even at my age now.” The doctor
told Stanley.
“We are still
the same despite our age. I will fight you now.” Katsu rushed at her with great
strides. Both she and him were trained by the same master although they held an
age difference of ten years. The years of training and sparring made them a
formidable pair then when they learned ‘tantojutsu’ the short blade fighting
technique.
“In the art
of assassination, the weapon must be concealed or you will not get to the
target.” The Master of the art told Keiko then. “Get in close for the dagger is
short but deadly. The areas to hut are covered but vulnerable on the kill.”
It was how
Keiko had to wrestle Katsu many times that most others thought they were like
lovers but Keiko had liked someone from the outside. It caused her banishment
and soon her isolation to the faraway land. She learned to be a surgeon and
knew her skills well.
Katsu had
applied the low strike with the focus on right wrist of Keiko. He reached out
with his left hand to grab her right wrist and moved in with the right hand
holding his dagger at Keiko’s chest. Keiko felt her right hand was trapped and
she moved her body to the right to avoid the oncoming strike by Katsu. When she
moved, her left arm went down in a striking move to deflect the attacking
dagger. She knew that given the strength of her opponent, she was not able to
push him off, so she struck with her left leg on the inner step of Katsu’s
right leg. It unbalanced him and he fell. She then moved back while she tossed
the right hand kaiken at the fallen adversary. The blade struck at Katsu in the
back of the area below the neck. He reached for it but she was already making
her next move.
The revolver
was effective at the shorter range. She aimed at the face and gave Katsu a new
nose opening.
“Master!” The
other six attackers saw their leader was down and rushed to their discarded
guns. Keiko was doing the same for her scalpels. She may not make it in time.
A series of
shots rang out and Keiko was still unhurt. She looked up and saw the seven attackers
were dead on the rooftop. She looked over and saw the shooter who saved her.
“Don 54,
thank you.” The doctor looked at the one she had treated the leg wound. Don
limped over and pulled the doctor up. Keiko stood just below the other lady’s
jaw and she had to look up.
“I was
knocked out like a date rape; which hardly happens to me. And I heard the
shooting and explosions, but I could not move.” Don looked at the doctor.
“You were
sedated for your safety.” The doctor replied. “The Hotel was under attack.”
“I know that.
The Delagi was downstairs. Was it the old man here?” Don asked.
“Youi know
the rules. No names. You can go back to your room or leave. The doors are
opened.” The doctor told Don. “I need to go and see my patients.”
“You can
forget the Chief. She is dead. The old man I think is still sedated.” Don told
the doctor. “And I am leaving. I don’t want to be in any dispute here when they
do raid this place.”
“Thanks, Don.
And do take the lift at the other end. It will take you down. The main lift is
damaged.” The doctor told Don. “And your subscription is on hold but you can
come in anytime.”
“The heck I
will. Do you know the time now?” Don asked.
“0330hrs.
Why?” The doctor asked.
“I hate to
tell you this but I don’t wake up that early since I left the Army. Now I may
not get back to sleep until tonight.” Don had limped away to the entrance to go
down. The doctor followed suit.
Meanwhile
downstairs at the Ground Floor, Glenn was still at it with the nurse with
speaker playing the sog that he liked.
Welcome to the Hotel California
Such a lovely place (such a lovely place)
Such a lovely face
Plenty of room at the Hotel California
Any time of year (any time of year)
You can find it here
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