Helmand Province
Laskar Gah City
August 14, 2011
10:25 AM
After enduring two days of exhausting formal questioning by Afghan and British forces under supervision of US, Private Echelon Corporation Commisioner Board decides to return Nate to United States through Kabul. Inside an armored black Volvo S80 driven by a Private Echelon ninja, nate and Shiori are having their trip to Bost Airport in the city to be transported to Kabul then continue their flight to Germany then United States by heavily armored motorcade of two tan ANA (Afghan National Army) Humvee jeeps and two other black armored Toyota Camry with eight ninjas inside them. Nate's car are in the middle, the two Toyota Camry are on its front and back while an ANA jeep is leading the way and another following behind a black toyota camry. Inside the leading jeep, there is Lieutenant James Connery and First Sergeant John Stuart from British 2 SCOT (Second Battalion the Royal Regiment of Scotland) who are supervising and guarding the transfer. Two ninjas in the front seats keeps replying and listening from a radio with other cars. Voices of the ninjas, Afghan soldiers and Lt. James Connery are heard from the radio.
" Watch for the man on the left. Tell him to go away."
" Stay alert."
" This is Lt. Connery. All units turn left."
Breaking the silence, Nate starts to speak to Shiori, " Well, everything's so fast. I don't even know what to say."
" Me too. Today everything seems so fine.. But two days ago.." Says Shiori.
" I know. I hope there will be nothing like that happened again. It was out of our control. We have done everything to guarantee our safety.."
" No.. Please don't talk about that.. I'm still.. I'm still.." She starts sobbing. Actually, she is traumatized. Nate is as well but he hides it under his sometimes stoic facade due to his former ninja training. What happened to them was tremendous and unimaginable in ordinary family. Shiori was able to endure it only because she was a ninja as well. But after two days ago, looks like she's already on her limit. But even if she reached her limit, she would never leave Nate. Unlike seven years earlier, when she was Nate's bodyguard, she now has two heavy burdens, that she is a wife who doesn't want to lose her husband and a mother of two little children who just passed their toddler age. Suddenly, the motorcade stops when it is moving on a narrow street, a strange radio report airs.
" Lieutenant, the road is blocked. There's a traffic jam." Says an Afghan soldier in the first humvee.
" All units, stay alert. Keep moving. Turn left." Orders Lieutenant Connery.
" Lieutenant! RPG team on the right building at 2!" Shouts Sergeant Stuart.
A wheezing sound of rocket launched ends with a blazing of the leading vehicle.
" We're being attacked!!"
" Covering fire!!"
" Lt. Connery! This is car two. Come in! Come in!" Speaks the ninja on the right front passenger seat. His calling goes unanswered.
The last Afghan humvee reports in, " All units!! Retreat! We're pulling ba...." The last car is destroyed by another RPG, trapping the cars in the middle. Civilians running around screaming, coming out from shops and restaurants. Hail of machinegun fires rain the surviving three cars. Seeing his nightmare comes, Nate takes the radio mike taking charge, " All remaining units!! This is Kato! Full speed ahead!!" The three cars speed up on the suddenly empty road since most of the cars on the front traffic jam has escaped from the incident except ones left behind. A flying rocket hits the black Toyota Camry on the front, destroying and throwing it. Nate's car goes below the burning flying car. The two ninjas in the front seat, look at it in disbelief. The radio keeps sounding callings. Several heavy machine gun fires from the front aimed at Nate's car break the front bulletproof windshield on the right side, killing the ninja sitting on the right and wounding the one driving's right arm. As the driver loses control, the car turns left to abandoned sidewalk then rams a Turkish restaurant 'Gallipoli' main door. The car was bashed inside the restaurant rotatingly. It stopped with its front facing the sidewalk. The slide wrecked the restaurant's door, chairs, tables and window glasses.
After Nate and Shiori get out from the car, he opens the car's right front door. He finds the ninja on the right is dead while the driver leans on the chair with blood flows on his face heavily. " Jack! Jack!" Shouts Nate. His calling isn't answered. Suddenly, two armed insurgents surge recklessly inside the restaurant when Nate is trying to get Jack out of the car. Nate and Shiori shoot them. More come but then warded off by the ninjas' rapid fires. The third black Toyota Camry suddenly appears drifting then rams the restaurant's entrance frame. Two ninja, the driver and one seats in the rear passenger seat, both on the left side come out and come to Nate. The driver's head is covered with blood while the another is wounded on right arm.
" Sir! Mam! Are you alright?!" Shouts him.
" We're alright! What's the situation?! What happened to the humvees?"
Sounds of gunfires and blasting rockets echo outside.
" They were destroyed, sir!"
" Hey! Where're the other two?! Aren't you supposed to be four?!" Asks Nate about the other two ninjas inside the car.
" They're dead, sir! It's too dangerous to go back there!" Answers the ninja.
" You! Pull Jack out of my car. And you.." Orders Nate.
An RPG rocket destroyed the ninja's Camry, blasting it. The explosion delivers a punching wave at Nate and its sharpnels kill Ken, the wounded ninja from the third car. Nate's hearing's tingling and his vision blurring. James, the only surviving ninja, is injured by the explosion. " James.. James! They're serious this time!" Shouts Nate.
" Can't move, sir.. I'll hold them.."
" James.. James.. We'll get you out of here, okay?"
" Sir, it's okay.. I'll hold them.."
" Are you sure?"
" I am."
" Alright, see you again.."
After Nate and Shiori walk their way to the restaurant's kitchen to escape from the building through kitchen door, a mixture of men in black and local insurgents are entering the restaurant. They are greeted by James' P90 fires which force them to back down. Meanwhile, Nate's escape is botched when he is about to get out through the kitchen door, he is spotted by a number of insurgents on small street behind the restaurant. Being alarmed that there are armed survivors, the attackers now try to capture the restaurant's base floor. It buys time for Nate and Shiori who now are escaping to the restaurant's flat square rooftop through stairways. Outnumbered and outgunned, James is quickly shot after managed to shoot one insurgent. The attackers overrun the room. They carefully sweep each room and Nate's car looking for hiding survivors. Jack, after briefly realizing that he is already overrun, now conscious, quickly pretends to be dead while waiting for the attackers to leave the restaurant. They leave two in the restaurant room. When Jack sees the two guards are not looking, he slowly fits his P228 sidearm's silencer and unsheates his sword. As one of the insurgent is on the another room, he knocks the car door's frame to get attention of an insurgent, when he is about to check the sound source, he is quickly stabbed. The another insurgent starts calling the already dead one.
" Samad! Samad! Where is he?!"
Again, Jack knocks the car door drawing his attention. Surprised seeing the first insurgent now wallows in blood, he quickly runs toward the restaurant main door and thought he was attacked from outside. When he turns again, he is slashed. On the rooftop, Shiori sees that she is trapped inside chaotic battle only a year after her traumatic Manama Hostage Situation in Bahrain in 2010. This time it is with her husband. On all four sides, gunfires and blasts echo from all corners of the city between attacking insurgents, Afghan soldiers and armed civilians who are protecting their families and properties on buildings, alleys and streets. The battle sends the city into chaos. There is no clear line between friend and foe.
" We have to get out of here and reach the mayor office!"
" Use building tops as bridges to make way." Says Nate.
Fortunately for Nate, they are on a dense population settlement which means the rooftops are not too far from each other. They then leap to the next building and go northward. They are spotted by the men in black and fired. " It's them! Get them!". The two ninjas fight back with their sidearms, the only ranged weapons except shuriken they have. Nate sees a square gasoline can near him, reaches it and throws it in front of him. After warning Shiori, he shoots the can. It explodes and creates a wall of fire and smoke screen giving the ninjas chance to run away. The attackers, briefly loses them but one of them, a tracker, makes an exact guess about their course.
" They must be going that way, commander." Says the man in Persian.
" Everyone! Follow me! Head that way!" Says Gulzar, the commander while pointing north.
On their run, Nate and Shiori kill many insurgents they run into and evade bulk of ones due to their superior firepower and number. They also manage to capture an AKM and an SVD Dragunov as well grenades to add their firepower. With swords, they neutralize several insurgents snipers and machine guns, liberating trapped Afghan ANA units below on streets and small buildings. Unfortunately, friendly Afghan units think that they are insurgents due to their weapons and different uniforms. A dramatic event happens when an insurgent tries to hit Shiori with his AK47 rifle. She manages to evade it. Nate, consumed with anger, dashes at the man and slashes him twice, punches his jaw then, grabs his collar then kicks the man away toward a window behind the insurgent. The insurgent and pieces of broken glass fall in top of a white sedan car in the middle of ANA against insurgent fire fight. Both sides stares at the dead insurgent in surprise. The fall soars ANA morale. It sends all insurgents on the entire block to surrender.
Unfortunately for them, when they are trying to seek help from ANA soldiers who are taking prisoners below. They are mistaken as insurgents and fired. Their burden becomes worse when a tan and green camouflage painted BTR - 80 armored vehicle reinforcement arrive. Following an ANA soldier, the BTR's 14.5mm KPVT machine guns start vomitting at where Nate and Shiori showed up before. " I thought they should have helped us!!" Shouts Shiori. " They thought we were enemies!" Answers Nate. The BTR's heavy machine gun fires breaks through the building's wall. To evade the BTR - 80's line of fire, they ascended to higher levels of the building. To their surprise, on the top floor, they run into three insurgents inside a room separated only with a square wooden table. Nate immediately turns the table upward then kicks it toward the insurgents to screen their sights followed by Nate's full automatic rifle fires toward the table who break through it and kill the three. Another insurgent suddenly comes out through a door on Nate and Shiori's left swinging his saif sword at Nate but stopped by Shiori's tanto dagger throwing. ANA soldiers now start sweeping up the building floors from the base one. Afghan and ISAF (2 SCOTS) soldiers who initially lost control of much of the city except on northern area begins to retake it slowly. Nate and Shiori are on the middle part of the city who are still not retaken. Units of ANA soldiers they encountered were separated units trying to escape northward.
Suddenly, Nate's wireless radio device omits calling, " This is Hawk One calling to Chief. Respond."
" This is Chief. Where are you?!" Asks Nate.
" We're closing in to your whereabout in five minutes. Extraction on the top. Over." Says Hawk One pilot.
A hundred Private Echelon ninjas from bases nearby and ten helicopters are sent into the battle permitted by Afghan and ISAF forces to rescue their CEO. Hawk One, an Mi - 8 helicopter modified specially for Private Echelon CEO is the rescue team spearhead equipped with a beacon locater to spot Nate's beacon signal on micro beacons carried by Nate and Shiori. " We forgot about this beacon, I should have called them earlier!" Says Nate. On their way, they run into a group of four Afghan soldiers. The soldiers immediately point their gun at the ninjas and shout in Pashto in the building corridor, " Drop your weapons!! Drop your weapons!!"
" Don't shoot! We're Americans!" Shouts Nate.
" Don't shoot! Don't shoot!"
" Drop your weapons or we'll shoot!" Nate's explanation is unheard by the panicked and surprised Afghan soldiers who don't know who Nate and Shiori are. " Drop your weapons!" Shouts another soldier. Seeing they have no choice, Nate and Shiori finally relent and when Nate is slowly putting his silver M1911 and his sword after his AK rifles, two insurgents appear on a door behind the soldiers.
" Watch out! Behind you!" Shouts Nate taking back his weapons.
The insurgents start opening fire, killing and wounding the four Afghan soldiers, one of the soldier manages to fire back the insurgent, killing one of them. Nate and Shiori immediately shoot the last insurgent. One of the soldier, the heavily wounded one, a young man, raises his arm signaling Nate that he is asking for help. " Shiori, we can't let him here." The soldier's not able to talk. On his eyes, the regret of thinking that the ninjas were his enemies is seen. " Don't worry. We'll seek help for you." Says Nate.
" Hawk One, this is Chief, Copy."
"This is Hawk One, coming in, Chief."
" We need help immediately. We have one wounded."
" Understood, Chief. Arrival time sixty seconds."
When Nate turns, the young man has died. Nate and Shiori finally reach the building top. A brown Mi - 8 whose machine gunner and ninjas who are the helicopter crews shooting to the right and the left at buildings and streets appear from afar. " Chief. We got a visual of you." Says the pilot while seeing Nate and Shiori in the rooftop.
" Shiori, it's the Hawk One. Let's get out of here.." Says Nate to Shiori. But, when the chopper is right in front of Nate, it is shot twice by RPG and rifle rocket launcher. Its tail is cut and burning. Nate is surprised. " We're hit! I repeat, we're hit!! We're going down! We're going down!" The helicopter rotates burning then crashes a building nearby on its left. " It's shot down!" Screams Shiori in disbelief. A group of men starts firing at the ninjas from another building roof near them. It's the Iranian forces, there are six of them, led by Gulzar, the leader of the men in black. Nate and Shiori fire back but outnumbered and outgunned, they start to retreat.
" Keep firing! Advance!" Orders Gulzar in Persian. The Iranian forces don't charge, they advance in steady walk. Their superior number and firepower are on advantage compared with Nate and Shiori who are armed with only an AKM and an SVD Dragunov. To make it worse, they are now cornered at a square building roof. It is only connected with another rooftop by a small long wooden board which is as a bridge. Only one person may cross. They exchange fire with the advancing Iranian forces.
" Shiori, cross the bridge.. I will hold them.."
" What are you talking about? I won't.. I won't let you.. No.. No.. You can't do this again.." She starts to sob.
" Shiori, listen to me.. Listen to me.. The only way out is for one person only.. Run to the north.. I'll hold them.." Says Nate.
" Wha.. What are you talking about?!! Of course I'm not gonna leave you!!" Screams her.
" There's no time to talk! Run!! Now!!" Says Nate.
" I won't!! I won't!! I don't want to lose you!!!" Screams her.
Now bullets from the pursuers reaches walls and concretes surrounding the ninjas. In disbelief, Shiori is frozen. "How could such thing like this happen?"
" Listen to me!! Listen to me!! It's not time to argue! Run! Now!! I love you.. So, please.. Run!! Tell the kids that I love them!"
" I hate you!! I hate you!!!!" Screams her loudly to Nate while sobbing. Her burden is increased by her traumatic experience in Chechnya and Bahrain in the past. The attackers are closing in, separated with them by yards. Nate is exchanging fire with them. Shiori reluctantly boards then crosses the board. When she has reached the other side. An explosion occurs on the place where Nate is. Shiori in disbelief screams at the top of her voice, " Naaate!!! No!!" Her scream is heard echoing in the reddish sky. Nate is still alive. An attacker's rifle grenade launcher hit a pile of crates near Nate, knocking him. An attacker appears from the smoke on Nate's right, pointing his AK101 at Nate. He suddenly parries the rifle then stabs the man using his sword. Another appear from the right, trying to hit Nate using his saif, which Nate blocks. He manages to ward off the man to the left. But soon he finds himself surrounded by four men pointing their guns at him. When the man who attacked Nate before is about to deliver another strike,he is halted by his leader, Gulzar.
" Hold your fire! I want him alive!" Shouts Gulzar.
" Drop your guns and sword!" Shouts an attacker in English.
Nate then drops his M1911 and his sword. " We meet again, Al - Tous!" Says Gulzar in English.
" What do you want from me?!" Growls Nate.
Suddenly, a gunshot is heard. " Argh! I'm hit!" Shouts an attacker which Nate fought Nate with his sword. His left arm was shot. Shiori is shooting at them from across the rooftop while crying. They fire back at her. Nate, seeing that, rises and tries to capture a rifle from one attacker, " No! Stop!!" After a brief struggle, Nate is stopped, beaten with rifle butt and kicked. He finally surrenders.
" Al - Tous, now I admit your reputation is as what I heard."
Suddenly, one of the attacker reports to Gulzar, " Commander, Afghan and British forces are advancing. This area will soon fall into their hands. I suggest we moving."
" Well then, take him away." Orders Gulzar in Persian to the one who reported.
" Yes, Commander." Replies the man.
Nate, dazed, then sees him takes a rifle then beats Nate's face with it. Everything turns black for Nate. Meanwhile, Shiori runs into a group of Afghan and British 2 SCOTS soldiers. " Stop!Drop your weapons!!" Shout them in Pashto and English. Shiori, weeping and sobbing, throws her sidearm and tanto knife. Seeing her, the soldiers lower their guns, wondering what is happening. She walks past the amazed soldiers. Suddenly, a Scottish sergeant, the leader of the group, moves forward waving his hands to the soldiers on his right and left, " Don't shoot! Don't shoot!" Then he speaks to her, " Ma'am, what is happening? Who are you? Do you see insurgents around here?"
She answers them while sobbing, " They.. They.. Took Nate.."
" Nate? Who is that? Ma'am, I ask you again, what's going on?" Asks the sergeant again. Shiori keeps sobbing without answering. " Tiger One, we have situation here." Reports the sergeant through his radio. At the time, a combined forces of US, British and ANA (Afghan National Army) advance from the north to regain control over the city. Fifty Private Echelon ninjas led by Helmand Branch Chunin Steven Da Silva have been landed with helicopters on the city center to retrieve their missing CEO and Shiori while another fifty have reached the east of the city by columns of modified Didgory armored vehicle.
To be continued
License: Personal use and read only. Further usage requiring permission from author.
Disclaimer: All contents are fiction.
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