The little intel they had suggested that there were both hostages and terrorists on the roof which meant their approach and deployment had to be quick and ruthless in order to minimize the chance of the terrorists killing any further hostages or warning their comrades on the seventy-fourth floor.
In order to achieve this, Hot Rod had killed all the SAFVe’s lights and let the shuttle drop rapidly in a vertical approach until they reached the optimal height from which the team could be lowered onto the top of Fed Plaza.
Four men stayed back on the SAFVe, scanning the roof with their rifles to immediately eliminate any terrorists while the eight remaining team members, including Mech and Gavin repelled downwards.
The LT of course didn’t entirely rely on the overwatch as she glided towards the roof. With her compactly-designed assault rifle at the ready, she was prepared to take out any enemy she could find. Experience told her that the insertion part of this mission was one of the trickiest. One mistake here, one opponent overlooked and their precious element of surprise was ruined.
The entire team touched down at about the same time and instantly formed a circle in order to cover every angle.
The first thing Mech realized was that she was unable to contact anyone using her comms. She would have to use visual and verbal prompts to lead her team.
The second thing she had noticed was the fact that nobody had fired a single shot yet, meaning neither anyone in her insertion team nor the overhead cover guys had made contact with the enemy.
“It’s too quiet,” whispered Gavin who knelt just a few feet next to the LT, continuously scanning his sector for movement that wasn’t there.
Mech raised her arm into the air, made a fist and then pulled it down again. It was a sign to Hot Rod, letting her know to say in position for as long as she could. The cover would come in useful if the enemy was hiding somewhere on the roof. Time however, she realized, was not in their favor. Starfleet would be making its move soon, no doubt making every attempt to get the unauthorized MSD vessel out of the closed air space.
“Two teams. Sweep the roof,” she said and thanks to their training didn’t have to elaborate further. Everyone already knew which team they would belong to and which way to head for.
Mech, Gavin, Panettiere and Hickson slowly approached what appeared to be the main building access.
“Movement,” Gavin said when he spotted the door being opened and immediately went back onto one knee and ready to take out whoever emerged.
The rest of the team followed suit.
“I thought you’d never get here,” a familiar and deep voice exclaimed just before a mountain of a man appeared in the doorframe.
“Jesus Christ, Tank,” said Gavin as he lowered his rifle and began to stand, fully mindful that he had almost blasted away a fellow team-member. “How about a heads up next time, huh?”
“Sorry rook, but I figured it be safer in here. Didn’t want our guys to mistake me as a bad guy when you came racing out of the sky. With no comms and all.”
Mech nodded and stood also. “Wise precaution. What do we got?”
Before he could answer, Jackson Slade appeared and pushed himself passed the huge Tank in order to address the team leader. “Routine hostage situation. Approximately seventeen well-armed tangos minus three and located on the seventy-fourth floor. Somewhere between forty to fifty hostages. We’ve got three hostages secured and lost one.”
The LT acknowledged with a sharp nod. “Let’s get the three hostages out of here now and then proceed to seventy-four.”
It took Tank less than a minute to round up the two women and one man who were all shaken up but not enough to not be extremely grateful to still be alive, considering that they had been chosen to be sacrificed first.
The team secured them to the smart-ropes still dangling from the SAFVe above and they were quickly and safely whisked up into the hovering shuttle. Seeing no more immediate need for Hot Rod to remain stationary, she gave the pilot the signal to disengage.
“Contrary to Slade’s report, there isn’t much routine about this operation,” said Tank as he led the team down into the building. He directed them to two unconscious bodies which appeared to belong to the terrorists.
“My God,” said Gavin when he realized that one of them had the skin of his face pulled off. But instead of bone and muscle, the man’s skull was made out of gleaming synthetic materials. “Another full-body android.”
“They all are,” said Slade.
“That changes things,” said Mech and then went on to answer Tank and Slade’s asking expressions. “Based on what we have found at Half Moon Bay we have to assume that the entire building may have been wired with tri-cobalt explosives. If the hostage takers are androids, it stands to reason that they are considered expandable and that blowing up the building is more than just a contingency plan.”
Slade nodded in agreement. “Our first priority has to be to get the rest of the hostages out of the building. And we probably don’t have much time. They may decide to light the fuse the moment they suspect that we have breached the building.”
Mech didn’t say anything as she considered her options.
Tank noticed the inappropriate introspection. “Teamwork, LT, remember?”
She gave him a little smile. “You know me, never has been my strong point.”
“What are you thinking?” he asked.
“I’m thinking that if these guys are androids I may be able to hack into their cybernetic brains to find out what’s going on here.”
But Slade didn’t appear to like the idea. “We already know what’s going on. These guys are Nyuchiban terrorist trying to make a political statement by killing hostages. We need to take them out before this escalates.”
“I’m not convinced that that’s all there is.”
“So say you’re right,” said Gavin. “We still need to clear those hostages before these guys get a chance to burry us all. That’s gotta be the priority, right?”
Mech nodded slowly. “It is. But the moment they make us we may already be doomed. All it takes is one command to trigger this thing. No, we need another strategy to get close without them knowing it.”
At that Tank smirked. “I think I know a way. Tell me, LT, how do you feel about joining a party?”
*
*
“It’s a shuttle, ma’am, and it just deployed a strike team on the roof,” said the ensign who had been tasked to monitor the airspace around Fed Plaza.
This news had immediately captured the full attention of everyone assembled in the runabout cum command center but none more so than Admiral Tessier. “I didn’t give authorization for a strike team to enter through the roof. Whose shuttle is it?”
The ensign shook his head. “Not one of ours, ma’am.”
“It’s mine,” said Masamune.
The Starfleet admiral whipped around to face the MSD chief. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she barked.
But he failed to be intimidated. Instead he carefully placed both his hands on top of his ivory cane and returned her intense stare. “I saw an opportunity and I took it. Besides, I told you I already have people on the inside. I was not about to leave them there without backup.”
Captain Whren, the Andorian security officer, quickly jumped into the fray as well. “You’ve just crossed a line, Masamune. This is a Starfleet operation you are interfering with now. You are in violation of an executive, presidential order. Once we’re done with you, you’ll never operate within the Federation again.”
The chief threw him a quick sidelong glance. “My operation precedes your presidential order. We were following an ongoing investigation which so happens to have led us directly to Fed Plaza. It also means, Captain, that we are much more qualified for this mission as we actually have an idea of what is happening here.”
“It’s a hostage crisis,” he shot back. “What else is there to know?”
General Schneider from the UEDA rose from his chair. “Mister Masamune, you could have at least given us the professional courtesy of a heads-up that you were planning this.”
The chief nodded, acceding the point. “I would have loved to. However I already knew what Starfleet’s reaction would have been and I couldn’t risk that.”
“You are such an arrogant, little ““
“Thank you, Captain,” said Tessier, cutting Whren off before facing Masamune again. “I want your people out of there and your shuttle to pull back, now.”
“That would be difficult with communications down.”
Tessier’s fuming eyes gave away her frustration which she managed to keep mostly contained in front of the assembled officers. “Then we’ll have it removed for you,” she said and then focused on the Andorian. “Captain, have that shuttle escorted out of the airspace and then prepare our own strike team. Perhaps we can use this unsanctioned assault as a distraction for our own infiltration.”
“And what if they resist?” said Whren, shooting Masamune an annoyed look.
“Then you take appropriate actions,” the admiral shot back.