Scion (39 page)

Even with the wall of men around him, he felt uneasy and decided that Regents Park was just a little too public when Kennedy was on the rampage. A helicopter had been arranged for first thing in the morning. Charles Russell was going to spend some time visiting his various homes around the world. If he kept moving, he’d be harder to kill and at least that way, he wouldn’t be top of the list. Freeman, DuPont or Astor could take the first bullet and draw the fucker out.

As the sun began to rise, Russell could hear the chopper coming in from the East. He grabbed his bag and almost ran towards the back door of the house, the sooner he was out the better. However, before he could reach the door, four members of The Unit’s elite personal protection division blocked his route. Ex US Secret Service or Royal protection officers, the men took their duty as seriously as though the president or the queen herself were their ward. Charles Russell was going nowhere until the chopper was down and ready to leave. They would then rush him across the lawn, covering him with their bodies before bundling him into the chopper and accompanying him wherever he went.

The chopper suddenly appeared as though by magic from the glare of the rising sun on its final approach to the landing pad just metres from the back door of the house. With little or no view from the surrounding parkland, thanks to a high wall that surrounded the rear garden, the protection officers were comfortable with the exit route and were themselves glad of Russell’s decision to get he hell out of dodge.

The first anyone noticed that something was wrong was when one of the protection officers saw a slight change in the landing pattern. The helicopter usually came in slightly further down the wall to allow a slow and easy approach into the pad. However, he initially put it down to speed. Russell wanted to get out quickly and they didn’t have time for fancy flying. However, with this concern, he watched the helicopter more carefully than he would have otherwise and with only seconds to spare, he grabbed Russell by the cuffs and screaming to his colleagues, rushed him to the front of the house.

***

With the plan set and Scott just about to give the go, they heard the helicopter. Scott considered the options, let Russell board and get him as he left with the chance they may miss him. Or ensure he couldn’t get out and kick things off in style.

“Kirk, Kyle take out the chopper pilots,” he said into his small headset.

“Roger.”

“Roger.”

The four K Squad members were spread across the countryside, each having taken up sniper positions to cover the four corners of the house. Kirk and Kyle had the rear while Scott and Jasmin had the front.

Kirk and Kyle lined up their shots and fired. The suppressed 7.62mm SR25 sniper rifles hardly recorded a spit as the bullets tore through the air, straight through the glass of the helicopter,  killing the pilots instantly. The power of the shot left no more than a bullet sized hole in each of the two front windscreens and to the outside world nothing had changed. However, the helicopter now had nobody to spin it around and land on the helipad. It simply kept going and crashed into the back of the house with a loud explosion.

“Now,” said Scott calmly, as the helicopter hit.

All four began to pick off the men surrounding the property, the four semi automatic SR25’s with 25 round magazines clicked away as each islander selected, aimed and shot, always selecting the man nearer the house, working their way forward. It took a few seconds before the guards realised what was happening and very few made it back to the safety of the house. With the numbers dwindling and shots raining in, Scott could almost smell the fear emanating from the house. It was almost time to move. A few more headshots to idiots looking out the window had all but discouraged the activity and offered them a fairly clear run in.

However, just before Scott issued the Go, the sound of two more choppers could be heard approaching.

“I’ve got them in my sights, a couple of Lynx gunships,” announced Jasmin through their headsets.

“Can you take them?”

“Already on it.”

“KK, go.”

Jasmin had dropped the SR25 and moved over to a shoulder mounted Starstreak missile system. As she pressed the trigger, the missile fired and accelerated to Mach 3.5 before releasing its three explosive darts that were guided into its target by laser beam. The  Lynx didn’t stand a chance and with their tight formation, one missile proved more than enough as two darts singled out one while the third flew into the other, killing any hope for those inside the house that they might make it out alive.

Kirk and Kyle were up and moving. While one shot anything that moved in any of the windows, the other rushed forward and covered the other. Continuing this process until both of them were safely tucked up against the wall of the house.

Scott had lost his cover fire as Jasmin dealt with the incoming gunships. Loading a new magazine into his SR25, he ran and fired creating his own suppressing fire and was soon feeling the heat as the defenders threw down their own wall of bullets. Scott dived for cover and threw his body behind one of the bodies that now littered the once immaculate lawn. The body danced in front of Scott as the bullets tore it limb from limb as the defenders zeroed in on Scott.

Jasmine noted the change in noise from short bursts of fire to a continuous onslaught. With the Lynx choppers down, she spun round and spotted Scott just as the body covering him was about to disintegrate. She grabbed the AS50 Accuracy International sniper rifle from the kit bag and quickly brought it bear on the house.

Scott could feel each of the bullets move closer and closer as the body in front of him gave less and less resistance. Kyle and Kirk screamed for him to stay down but were powerless to help as bullets pinged just inches from their feet, pinning them to the wall. As the body gave way, Scott felt the first bullet strike his Kevlar vest. His body kicked as the force of the bullet lifted him off the ground.

Kirk watched as Scott’s body kicked once and could wait no longer. He dived and rolled into the lawn with his finger pressed firmly on his trigger. Kyle could only watch as his twin brother fell to the ground, stopped in his tracks by the hail of bullets that surrounded Scott.

Jasmin felt the world slow as she brought the AS50 to bear and tried desperately to fire quicker as Scott’s body flinched and Kirk’s body stopped in mid air under fire from the house. She spotted the main protagonists and fired the massive 12.7mm bullets straight down their throats. The boom of the AS50 silenced the other weapons instantly as the defenders dived for cover.

Scott was up and moving as the first boom echoed out from the massive rifle, Jasmin was back in action. He sprinted across to the motionless Kirk and dragged his body towards the safety of the house wall. Kyle was beside himself as his brother’s lifeless body was dumped at his feet.

“What the fuck!!!” screamed Jasmin through each of their headsets.

“I’m OK,” replied Scott. “The vest caught the bullet. But I can’t say the same for Kirk, he’s been hit.”

“Badly?”

Scott looked at Kyle who was checking on his brother’s condition before answering.

“Five hits. One in the arm and another in the ass, both through and throughs. Three to his vest. He’ll live!” replied a relieved Kyle, wrapping pressure dressings on each of the two wounds.

Jasmin continued to lay down suppressing fire as a groggy and pained Kirk came round.

“Thanks man,” said Scott.

“Don’t mention it,” replied Kirk through gritted teeth.

“Don’t mention it! What the fuck were you thinking about!” shouted Kyle.

“One of us had to step up and show some balls!” smiled Kirk.

“Prick!” said Kyle dropping his brother’s head. “Let’s go and get these mother fuckers!”

Kyle dropped his SR25 ,pulled his MP5SD from his back and prepared to enter.

“Scott?”

Scott winked at Kirk and grabbed his MP5SD and followed Kyle’s lead

“Jasmin, stay on the perimeter and keep their heads down,” commanded Scott.

“Will do!”

“OK, let’s go.”

With a flashbang grenade announcing his entry, Kyle burst in through the kitchen window, taking two guards down as he came.

Scott opted for a more dramatic entry.

“Jasmin any chance of a high explosive through the door?” asked Scott.

Less than a second later, the front doors were obliterated as the supersonic explosive shell literally blew them off their hinges. Scott followed up with a flashbang and was in the main hallway taking down three disorientated guards before they knew anything about it.

Scott could hear the sirens. The police had got the calls, probably from joggers or dog walkers who had called in on their mobile phones as World War III kicked off within the confines of the park.

“Come on guys, let’s wrap this up quickly,” he said into his headset.

The two seasoned killers worked their way through the house relentlessly. Every now and then the crack of the AS50 could be heard against the small weapons’ fire as Jasmin picked off another guard stupid enough to have given his away position. Walls were as good as tissue paper against her AS50 and more than a few guards lost their lives thinking ducking behind the wall was safe.

With the ground and first floors cleared, only the second floor remained. Three flashbangs were tossed up into the hallway before another three a few seconds later. Only then did they advance. Scott predicted the guys closest to Russell would be the best and would be ready for Flashbangs but they wouldn’t be ready for a second flashbang. Just when they were most alert after the first bang they’d hit them with another. It worked. The two men guarding the stairs took the full brunt of the second flash and were dropped like stones as Scott and Kyle charged up the stairs.

“Russell, come out, you piece of shit!” he screamed. “I’ll spare the rest of your guards if you’ve got the balls to come out.”

Much to his surprise, the door opened and an unarmed man appeared in the hallway.

“I’m Russell,” said the man as he walked out his hands held high.

Scott stopped himself laughing. Russell was a businessman. This guy looked like action man, only a little older, even down to the square-top haircut. He obviously fancied himself as a fighter and probably had a knife or small handgun tucked into the belt of his trousers. Scott lowered the weapon. If they wanted to play he’d play. The sirens were getting closer but it wouldn’t take long.

“OK,” smiled Scott, handing his gun and sidearm to Kyle.

As Scott had expected, Action Man pulled a knife which immediately had Kyle raising his gun. Scott motioned for him to back off, which he did.

Action man lunged exactly as Scott had expected,. He dodged the move and threw a short but powerful punch against the man’s impossibly square chin. Scott could see him buckle and he hadn’t even hit him hard. Typical hard man with glass jaw. The man swivelled quickly and tried to catch Scott with his elbow but Scott had seen it coming and ducking under the elbow avoided the blow.

As the sirens grew even closer, Scott realised play time was over. With the man’s head above him, he shot the palm of his hand up and under the bottom of the man’s nose. The force of the blow sent thousands of slithers of bone cartilage into the man’s brain shredding it as it went. The man’s body slumped to the floor as did the morale of Russell’s remaining guards who unceremoniously pushed the kicking and screaming Russell into the hallway to meet his killers. They quickly shut the door and prayed the offer of sacrifice would appease the attackers.

“Charles Russell?” asked Scott calmly of the man clawing at the door to the room he had just been thrown out of.

Russell didn’t answer, his mind focussed on the safety behind the door.

“Charles Russell?” asked Scott again more loudly.

Russell realised the door wasn’t opening and turned round.

“Whatever you want, however much you want, you can have it!”

“It’s mine anyway,” replied Scott.

Russell fell to his knees.

“Please don’t kill me. Please,” drool fell from his mouth as he cried and begged for his life. Urine soaked his trousers.

“Twenty-five years too late!” exclaimed Scott taking his sidearm back from Kyle and putting a bullet between Russell’s eyes.

“What about them?” asked Kyle pointing to the door behind which the guards cowered.

“Let them be. Come on, let’s go.”

One down, three to go thought Scott, plus the extras of course but they could wait. Transcon were most definitely top of the list.

Chapter 74

“Sorry, did I wake you?” asked the caller.

“Who is this?” asked a dozy but awake Agent Dwight Jennings. It was not every morning somebody phoned at 03.00. Nor every day that half your team was wiped out in the middle of the day in a quiet and safe Washington neighbourhood. Jennings had spent most of the evening at the hospital. Two of his six agents had survived the attack. One, however, was critical with only a 20% chance of survival. The other had suffered only superficial wounds, although two bullet wounds seemed a little more than superficial to Jennings.