I walked along the entire length of the room. Until one of the members stopped me.
"Thats far enough Mr. Ingersoll." I nodded. Glowing plaques in front of them stated their names and place on the council. The one that had spoken was called Chairman Braun.
One of the two female members spoke as several spotlights trained on me.
"Is it true, that you went outside of guild orders on your first mission?" her plaque stated that she was called Councilmen Heram.
"Yes."
Chairman Braun was the next to speak.
"Now keep in mind you are a Mercenary, the principles of our order are kept liberally." I nodded.
Heram asked another question. "Matthias, is it also true that your team all agreed to your decision?"
"Isn't that a better question to ask them, Councilmen?"
"Answer the question, Rook." The councilmen on the far left, had dark skin and stern features. A few scars were on his face.
"I know that Veil did not agree, but Commander Caswool calmed her down and we went ahead with it."
"Being new to the Guild, and in a new system of authority. It must've been hard to choose whether or not to defy your Commanders wishes," Braun said before drinking from a glass in front of him.
"Your honor, to be frank, the choice was simple. A child was in danger."
"No one on this council is doubting your reasoning, we just want to know how easy it was for you to go against a commanding officer."
"I honestly didn't feel I was going 'against' her, everyone but Veil didn't feel right just leaving the kid to die." The Councilmen began talking to each-other. I couldn't hear what they were saying.
"Are all councilmen ready to vote?" Braun asked. They all pressed something in front of them and from each seat a ping chimed.
"All votes accounted for. Matthias Ingersoll, you may return to your quarters. Keep in mind that excessive disobedience can look like disloyalty. I have two daughters myself, in your position I would've found it hard to leave knowing a child could die."
"Thank you chairmen." Given the surroundings and their manner, I thought it fit to bow before leaving the chamber. They didn't have anything to say to I guess it was the polite thing to do. The rules of the guild seemed very loose. That led me to believe that as long as you don't kill guild personnel, or betray the trust of the guild, anything went.
I walked out of that room with a lot of pride. I had done the right thing, and the powers that be agreed with my choice. After my hearing I wasn't sure what to do. I spent about an hour in my quarters, on WE-Connect, it was a social networking site. I found out that Kurt had been kicked out of the Earth Defense Corp and planned to meet me up here on Cathedral in a few months. Something about mouthing off to his officers and waving a gun around, he wasnt interested in talking about it. I told him about what happened on my mission, and he agreed with what I did. Part of me thought that no one would disagree with saving a child. I'm sure there are people like that out there. I finished with the G-Net and put on a movie. I figured my day off was going pretty swell, until Veil and Issac burst through my door.
"Wasn't that locked?" I asked bitterly.
"Not anymore. " Issac stated with a smirk.
Veil walked over to me and tore the blanket off me. She then forced me off the love-seat and pushed me in the direction of my closet.
"We got a mission, get used to this. Yeah Ok, its your day off, but not really. Black Halo calls and you answer."
"What the hell? I'm always on call?" I yelled through the shirt I was throwing on.
"Yeah, don't worry, your day off will be rescheduled. It's just not today."
I trudged out of the closet with my armored vest on. I took my pistols and ammo out of the cabinet. As I holstered the pistols I began to ask, "So where are we-"
"Downtown Bangalore. Hostage situation, some psycho, no offence, thinks its the end of the universe and held up a bank to get money, so far his only demand was a personal space craft so he can reach the edge of the universe." Veil interrupted.
"None taken. That would make him a nut, scientists say there is no edge, the idea of the universe is metaphysical, describing space/time. You would just keep going into cold nothingness." I replied. She nodded.
"You combat ready?" Issac asked.
"Yeah, what you think there will be fighting?"
"Heavily armed? Consider hostile? He already shot a hostage."
I nodded before heading out the door, Veil and Issac following behind me.
We went to the space elevator, Dionna and Amye were waiting for us. Both of them were sporting long barrel sniper rifles.
We passed some people that looked like diplomats going into the round elevator, they were in formal attire with flags sewn into their shoulders. Dionna motioned for us to get out of their way. Matters of national concern more important than a hostage situation? Sure I could buy that.
The five of us sat down across from a few other Mercs going down to the surface.
"Where you guys headed?" Dionna asked. The man directly across from her, a tall sculpted man in a cowboy hat answered.
"Its classified, well, Merc's don't do classified, but its a military op, few details were given'." He even sported the Texan accent to go with the hat. "I notice you have a new recruit." He glared my way, as if Id done something. I didn't come to the guild to make enemies. So I extended my hand. He then glared at it causing me to retract . "Matthias Ingersoll," I stumbled over the words.
"Vengram,"he retorted as he tipped his hat. He then turned to Dionna. "We're being sent to Siberia."
"Awfully cold there, your natural environment," the callous tone in her voice could be felt in the air.
"Oh, ha ha, anyway, this here is our stop. Don't be a stranger." He tipped his hat at us as he got up. The elevator came to a slow stop at the shuttle docking port and the other team got off. As the elevator started up again and it dropped below the shuttle docking level and the entire circular seating area filled with light. There were screens on the floor, meant to look like windows. It showed the great hight the space station was at and allowed the occupants to watch their own decent. I was a bit mesmerized by these screens for a while. I felt as though I was being pulled towards the earth, pulled into its embrace. I was yanked out of my trance as I heard Amye's voice.
"It looks like Bangalore is gonna have a storm soon, big one too. Couple of hours at the most."
"We should be done by then," Issac said.
"What makes you think that?" I asked.
"We have you!" he laughed as he slapped my shoulder. What about me was going to make this a quick job? Hostage situations were hardly ever quick to my knowledge.
The elevator began to enter Earths atmosphere. The others began to ready their gear so I followed suit.
"I'm guessing negotiating has already failed?"
Dionna slammed the large caliber magazine into her rifle. It looked as though it could take out an elephant in one shot. "That's why we were called rook. We were told to go in hard and fast."
I could see the city at this point out the windows. There were dark clouds on the horizon. Several areas of the city were full of the red and blue lights of police vehicles.
"There some kind of crime wave or something?" I asked.
Veil answered. "The city has been on high alert for a few days now. IMG teams are being sent in all over the place. Anywhere the police cant be, we get sent in, but don't worry, Black Halo isn't a TG."
Issac nudged me, "means Tour Group, you get sent on Tour, you'll be in a combat zone for weeks, or even months."
The Elevator slowed even more and the windows blackened. They lit up as the lift entered the terminal. White artificial light filled the enclosure. With a thud the elevator coupled to the floor. Being the only other space elevator on the planet, the large room they stepped into was adorned with metallic glimmering trim around the large windows. Blue velvet drapes hung from the tall ceiling. Blue carpet laid out paths to the exits and entrances with polished marble floors underneath.
"The BPD should have a H25 waiting for us." Dionna pointed to the exit on the right side of the terminal. We passed through an archway in front of the exit, it chimed loudly at us. As we entered the hallway Dionna held up a IMG badge with the sword and wings on a gold shield. A black orb lowered from the ceiling and scanned the badge.
"Weapons authorized. Have a pleasant day." A calm mans voice played over the intercom.
"When do I get a badge?" I asked Dionna.
"You don't." We stepped outside, the sky growing darker with the rain clouds looming overhead. In front of us a glossy black Terran military vehicle, retrofitted for police use. A man was in the driver seat already and he rolled down his window.
"Black Halo?"
"Dionna nodded.
"Get in."
We all climbed in. The driver gunned it and the wheels spun. We traveled onto the freeway.
"Sorry to be so informal but we have to brief you in transit." He turned on the siren and the overhead flashers.
"The city has suffered three terrorist attacks in the passed week. BPD forces are spread thin. You will be our sniper and infiltration teams. While you were in the space elevator they killed another hostage."
"They?"
"Oh, right. There are four men in the Bank, two are watching the hostages, the other two are out of sight. The plan is to put two of you on the roofs across the street, take out the two accomplices, then the others take out the leaders in the back at the same time. Hang on."
Our driver, nearly missing the exit had to jump onto the off ramp. We were rattled as the armored vehicle hit the pavement. I could hear sirens in the distance as we took a corner passed a bust bistro. Several police sedans cleared out of our way as we passed a road block. Three cars with their flashers on were outside the bank, parked sporadically. We stopped across from them and Amye and Dionna got out. Looking into my eyes Dionna said, "Impress me." Her and Amye ran into the ally and began climbing the service stairs to the roof. Our driver did a U-Turn and stopped in front of the only other person not in dress blues. The negotiator. As the three of us got out he greeted us with a half smile.
"I wish I had done my job better, he is killing a hostage every hour until we give him what he wants. Its hard to negotiate the impossible. There isn't enough fuel in the galaxy to get you to the edge. "
"Don't worry about it. We got it covered. Minimal civilian casualties, blah, blah, blah." Maybe Issac should've said something instead of Veil, because the smile was wiped right off of the middle aged man's face.
"Matthias, you take point, one big room, the two men in the back, Amye and Dionna got the other two. Go kneel to the left of the sliding door, I will plant the charges on the right." Veil and Issac put on their ear pieces. I had put mine on in the elevator. We snuck up to the door ducking under the bank's windows.
I heard Dionna over the comm. "On my mark. Amye do you have the shot?"
"Afferma... shit I lost it." The rain had begun to fall making their job harder, the wind picked up as well. Amye and Dionna extended the hoods on their scopes.
"Retargeting... got it!" The head of a masked man yelling at frightened patrons appeared in Dionna's scope.
Issac placed an explosive charge on the doors.
"On my mark!" Dionna yelled. "Now!"
The door erupted in a blinding flash. I ran in first, my mind was fighting for control. The bank's window shattered. Wind and rain filled the space. Screaming and gunfire filled my ears. Then, as if I was about to black out, all went silent, time began to blur. This time the darkness was kept at bay, I remained in control. I envisioned the two masked men in the back firing and killing the hostages. I analysed where they were, and where they would be when I pulled the triggers. They were slumped slightly as if to raise their weapons. The floor was drenched with water, I slid in a crouched position as I unholsterd my pistols. The guns in each of my hands fired. I knew their exact positions and each bullet found its place. As their lifeless bodies fell, one of the other masked men raised his rifle at me. I turned to fire on him but his head exploded, spraying blood and gray matter all over my face and torso. The man behind him, still in shock,was blown backward through a wall of glass as a massive sniper round penetrated his chest. My hearing returned. The hostages still screaming, the police ran passed us and tended to them.
"Wow, Rook, that was all you." Issac patted me on the back as I stared at the two deaths I just caused. Was I a murderer? Or a savior? My answer came as a teenage girl came up and hugged me tight. She held onto me as if I was the only thing between her and death itself. An officer pulled her off of me and escorted her out of the building. Ambulances were starting to show up now, the red flashing lights reflecting off of the rain filling the bank.
"We better get going, they will clean this up." I turned and followed them out of the charred entranceway. Dionna met me at the H25.
"Matthias, not bad at all."
LOG END EARTHDATE 2219 January 4th
