Undercover Ops Ch. 12

Undercover Ops: Ch. 12

The door to the Patriarch's office was slightly ajar which forced Cassidy through slightly ahead of her escort. The moment she stepped through she knew something was horribly wrong. Spaced throughout the room were six guards, not counting the two perpetually on the balcony, all at a tense rest. Standing in front of the desk were Matthew, Marisa and Pavel. All stared intently at her. She was about to turn and run when the assistant chief's hand rested on her back, pushing her lightly forward. With a quick exit blocked she would be an easy target for any of the guards. For the moment the best course remained to slip back into her role as 'Cas' until the moment was right. Her guide nodded slightly as her shoulders tensed and she shuffled forward to the center of the room.

"We missed you." The Patriarch began almost informally. "Did you enjoy your bath?"

"M-m-ms. Zuntri offered me her word I could relax for a little while before I entertained anyone else." Cassidy found it hard not to glare at the three so she looked down in what she hoped was a look of contrition. "I'm sorry if I kept you, however I did not hear a call. Have you been waiting long?"

"I think the bitch should kneel before her master."

Her neck tensed slightly at the suggestion before she forced it to relax. Matthew had intentionally emphasized the word to remind her of his two experiences with her. Despite her contempt she followed his suggestion, and sank to her knees, when she noticed the Patriarch's nod of agreement. The guards relaxed visibly, the first concrete evidence that her identity remained secure.

A flare of adrenalin raced through her. Under normal circumstances ten guards and two primaries would be difficult, regardless of their skill level. If they continued to fail to maintain discipline, the odds shifted slightly in her favor. She dropped her head once more, to hide the stifled smirk and hoped the situation would turn further.

Besides, there no longer remained any question of the outcome. Cassidy had come to terms with the damage to her pride, but it hurt slightly anyway. Now three of the worst stood before her, barring completion of her mission. With their deaths the entire Zuntri family would reel in turmoil. A fitting punishment for the attempt at sexual slavery, especially if they lost status and influence among the other houses in the process.

"Bind her arms." Cassidy's head flew up to look in shock at Marisa. "Use those darling chains of yours for once."

Her head swiveled to the assistant chief. He stood behind her, holding heavy manacles in one hand. The blank expression stared back, his head moved left then right once.

"Don't even try it." It was pitched low enough that only she and the three by the desk could hear it. More loudly he responded to Marisa. "Are you sure? I have many forms..."

Marisa cut him off loudly. "You will do as I say! I do not care if they will chafe the bitch. Put them on her or I will have them on you!"

Raised eyebrows were his only reaction before he moved forward to secure her hands. Arms strained against the strong metal links.

"You cannot break those chains, but try as you will. I will have you writhing against them soon enough!"

Tense shoulders suddenly relaxed after a final twitch. Her eyes moved back to glare at Marisa. It was time to put the first lesson Max taught her to use. The other woman surged forward only to be held back by Matthew. At the man's touch she visibly flinched, pulling away from him in fear.

Cassidy watched all of it, but something else caught her attention. Sitting on the desk, previously hidden by the wall of bodies, lay her duffel its contents scattered across the face. Pavel noticed her interest and smiled.

"Yes. That is why you were brought here." He held up her hidden e-pad. "You have some serious explaining to do."

In two steps Marisa was by her side, with the crude knife Max had made for Cassidy's defense to her throat. She almost laughed at the absurdity. Slowly the sadistic woman pressed it harder into the soft flesh.

"We know you were sent here to spy on us. We have seen the data you collected, so why not you save yourself the pain lying and denying it would bring and simply tell us who hired you?"

Cassidy fought hard not to laugh at their ignorance, keeping her voice, she hoped, to a neutral quaver.

"I wasn't hired by anyone except you!"

"Lies! Your coming here was no accident!" Marisa turned to stare at her brother's rage. It was time, the moment Cassidy waited patiently for.

Hands flew apart, shattering metal links as mechanical muscle easily overcame the simple restraints. Max and Cassidy carefully planned for every contingency when they discussed the design for the chips that inhibited her arms. In order to deactivate them they needed to be removed simultaneously. In addition the two built in a failsafe for the event that she needed to deactivate the devices while her hands were bound, held, or otherwise kept from reaching the chips in her shoulders. By grasping her hands together and working her arms outwards, against each other, the chips would automatically disengage. Confined by the manacles, the action simply looked like a vain attempt to break the metal device.

The room froze in shock as Cassidy reached for the knife at her neck. With blinding speed the weapon changed hands from woman to woman. Her other hand came up, wrapped around Marisa's head to grasp her chin. With a single sharp jerk the woman collapsed to the floor dead, her head lolling awkwardly to one side.

Matthew was in motion an instant behind Cassidy. From feet away there was nothing he could do to save the Patriarch's sister but he was determined to subdue the insolent woman, likely exalting in thoughts of his rewards at Cassidy's expense. He saw the reclaimed weapon only as he began to lunge. Hatred flared in his eyes as he reached hands for her neck. The hatred that reflected back from Cassidy suddenly shifted to malicious delight and caused Matthew to falter slightly in his attack.

It was too late, momentum committed him to his course. He moved to block the simple weapon, he accepted its bite on his arm in exchange for his weight as it pressed her to the floor. At the last moment the blade flashed out and down. His eyes widened in terror as he realized his mistake. A moment later he too fell in a heap to the ground. His screams filled the cavernous office as he clutched between his legs, desperate to keep life's blood from pouring forth.

Let the punishment fit the crime!

The piteous noise awoke the guards from their stupor. Even as guns began to raise, she was in motion. Trained eyes followed every action, categorized the men by threat and reaction timing. Out, her hand pointed accusingly at the fastest, the man standing above on the right hand balcony. Already shaken guards froze once again as the guard seemed to topple over the railing from her simple designation.

Weaponless, Cassidy rushed the nearest guard. She was feet away when the first bark of gunfire roared through the room. The bullet flew wide over her head to strike one of the bookshelves as she reached her victim. One hand grabbed the rising barrel of his machine gun and pulled it abruptly across her body. She worked with his momentum, as he brought the weapon up and around, to throw him forward.

As his body shifted past her, her other hand lashed out and caught his neck just beneath his chin. She chastised herself for missing the critical larynx hit, as she punched forward, however enhanced muscles tossed him back. The rapid reversal of an already unstable momentum caused the man to lose his grip on the weapon. She spun away from the disarmed and dazed man, even as he crashed into and through the bookshelves that lined the wall behind him.

Cassidy dove into a sideways roll as bullets began to fly past. Many of the wayward shots ricocheted off of the wall and balcony, but many more found purchase in the unprotected flesh of the guard whose weapon she relieved. She felt no remorse for the man, noting his death only in the calculated odds of potential threats. Her contempt for the remaining gunners grew, however, as she contemplated their callous disregard, or worse tactical ineptitude, in shooting such devastating weapons in the general direction of an ally.

As she dove for cover behind a plush couch she took stock of the remaining room. The man on the opposite balcony began to fire quick bursts to each side and back of the sofa, to keep her pinned. Two of the remaining five guards begun to move around the edges of the room, in order to flank her both left and right.

Pavel dove behind the thick desk at the first sign of trouble, and began to dig through drawers, likely desperate to find some weapon hidden within. Strangely she hadn't seen the assistant security chief from the moment the battle began. Of all the notable actions, that one made her the most nervous. Instinct insisted he remained the single greatest threat and, without knowing his actions, he could turn the battle in an instant though surprise attack.

The balcony gunner had become predictable. Likely he didn't even realize his seemingly random barrage held a pattern but Cassidy quickly discerned it after only the third repetition. It was a possible trap but the length and complexity of the pattern, combined with his disdain for tactical necessity, suggested against it. She chose a moment when the gun would be trained on the far side of her cover and bolted. She heard the careful burst turn into a sustained stream as he reacted to the unexpected motion.

She looked up to see the anticipated flanking guard spot her. His eyes flew wide as he attempted to correct his aim. Her gun barked, throwing a quick burst of metal into the man's shoulder. The weapon fell from his nerveless hand as he clutched his shoulder and slumped to the ground in pain. She darted forward to scoop up the discarded weapon as shots continued to fly around her. To their credit the fire slackened as she neared their newly fallen comrade.

Either they like him more or they're finally learning.

She continued along the wall of the room, which lead to the resumption of fire. She traded the occasional, unaimed, shots back. Within moments the remaining five began to anticipate her course and sped their pursuit. In an instant she dropped into a roll, reversed her momentum, and popped up running a reverse course. She aimed for the balcony and peppered the railing and wall. Discouraged, the gunner dropped back to the relative safety of the wall. More quickly, the remaining four sped their tracking. Once more she dropped at the last second and reversed course. Again the guards raced to catch up. They reacted much faster the second time.

Cassidy shook her head as she ran. She thought, once again, of the practice and experience a rookie team could garner by running assignments for the houses. The four on her level nearly caught her once more before she dropped into a roll. As one they reversed their course, stuttering slightly when their opponent failed to materialize in the expected location. Not only had she anticipated the reaction, but actively courted it. Her dash had been meticulously timed for her dodge to come as she passed behind a solitary ottoman chair. Instead of reversing her momentum she worked with it, rolling away from their reversed traffic.

She came up kneeling on a single knee. Each machine gun instantly sighting on a separate target. Two more of the guards fell in a heap as the final two adjusted their aim. Cassidy was off again. She dove behind the near side of the desk for protection, acutely aware of the, likely, armed Patriarch on the other side and the man on the balcony preparing to assault her from on high. When the barrage failed to materialize immediately she looked up in confusion to discover he had moved. She now had two missing opponents to contend with.

She spun around the side of the desk, sighted one of the two remaining, and shot. She retreated before she could confirm a hit. Chunks flew from the side of the desk, where her head had been moments before. Only one gun fired. She backed directly away from the desk, providing herself with incremental adjustments in aim rather than the drastic ones of closer range. In addition the maneuver placed her under the wraparound balcony, to inhibit the firing positions that guard would be able to fire from.

In the silence, Pavel began to peer above the desk in an attempt to judge her whereabouts. A burst from one of Cassidy's machine guns sent him scurrying back behind cover like a mouse. The gun began to click repeatedly in her hand which prompted her to toss it aside for lack of spare clips. She stopped moving entirely and crouched, for a moment, to reflect.

They clearly have never dealt with IOs before and don't seem to be able to deal with cybernetic limbs.

Her plan formed the instant after her revelation struck.

Cassidy shifted her weight away from her empty hand, clutched the remaining gun tight against her body and pointed only vaguely forward. Her free hand came up quickly before it flowed back down, at half maximum strength, to strike the floor. Kinetic energy transferred instantly to her which launched her into an arc just below the high balcony. As she lifted, the guard, and finally Pavel, became revealed to her.

She noticed the simple pistol in the Patriarch's hand and relegated him to low priority, especially as he cowered, wide eyed, at the sight of her 'leap'. The guard, in contrast, narrowed his eyes in suspicion as he attempted to bring around his gun. His head exploded in a shower of blood and gore as the remainder of her second gun's clip emptied, tracing a path through his suspected whereabouts.

The empty gun left her hand before Cassidy even landed, heavily. Her aim, as she launched herself, proved as true as it was with weapons. Lying by her knee, as she crouched low, was the body of the dead balcony guard. She reached out to slip the unused gun from his hand. At the same time a quick hit rolled the corpse onto his back, to reveal the crude knife that barely protruding from his neck. She clutched the bloody metal in one hand, gun in the other, and scanned the room once more for the missing men.

Time for higher ground.

Knife hand punched down with full force. Cassidy launched high into the air with only a slight arc towards the balcony. Even as she began to clear the second story she realized her mistake. The final guard crouched against the wall, only feet away, with his gun braced for quick reactions at rapid fire. The trigger squeezed as she sailed uncontrolled towards the railing. The single click seemed to echo through her thoughts as she blessed every divine being. The finicky gun jammed.

Feet landed precariously on the outer edge of the balcony. She leaned forward as she tried to simultaneously catch her balance and bring her own gun to bear. The guard reacted far more quickly than she expected, uncoiled at her and swung the useless weapon around like a club. Stock met barrel and Cassidy's gun flew wide, only her enhanced strength allowing her to maintain her grip.

He swung wildly back as she stabbed forward with the knife. He missed her but threw himself backward out of her reach. Favoring security over the quick kill, she vaulted the railing. A moment later a bullet ripped apart the soft wood where she had been as Pavel, in desperation, realized his danger and the last of his guards faced off against a woman who within minutes dispatched what he had considered to be a room full of the deadliest killers.

Out of the corner of her eye she watched as the Zuntri Patriarch began to inch towards the door. Cassidy refused to let the man escape, who would strong arm a helpless woman into sexual slavery for use of his entire family. Green eyes stared icy hatred at the man before her. To his credit the man returned her look with grim determination. He was well over-matched but he refused to forsake his duty. He shifting his grip higher in a vain attempt for greater speed with his heavier weapon. He raised his hands over a shoulder and lunged forward, swinging the gun with all his might. Recovered at her hip, the machine gun barked once and the man fell in his tracks.

Cassidy turned and leapt the railing once more. She landed heavily on the floor below. Slowly she stood, glaring across half the room. She stared down the shaking barrel of Pavel Zuntri's pistol and locked eyes with the man who would have enslaved her.

"Try it and die."

Her tone was cold. Her voice without inflection. The gun quavered more. A feral grin spread across her face as his finger slowly tightened on the trigger.

Knowing the weapon he held far better than the fearful Patriarch she lept to one side just as the trigger reached its breaking point. A single bullet flew past her ear as her gun barked a trilogy in response. The man's eyes flew wide an instant before the trio reached him, caved in his forehead and exploding out the back of his skull. Cassidy watched, content as the man seemed to fold in on himself in slow motion.

She walked over, ignoring Matthew's continued screams, to stand over the body of the former Patriarch. She began to reach down for the e-pad still clutched in his off hand when motion in the corner of the room caused her to spin into a crouch, using the heavy desk for cover. Slowly, hands held far to each side, the assistant security chief moved from the shadows to stand in the middle of the room. She stood equally slowly, lay the knife on the desk before her, and held the gun casually at her side, confident that she could bring it up faster than he could draw an unseen weapon.

"The security remote please?"

Negligently the man brought a hand forward and lightly tossed the device onto the desk before her. Cassidy laughed. The man bluffed her in her room, prompting the slaughter that surrounded her. Sitting on the desk was nothing more than the remote to a simple entertainment system which, when held just right, couldn't be identified as such.

"I know who you are, Cassidy. I want no trouble from you."

"How long have you known?"

She looked around trying to decipher the carnage. The man before her had set the situation up intentionally, but she failed to understand why.

"Your name or your identity?" She glanced up and he shrugged. "I was only able to figure out who you were after you moved in here. However I've known you were an Operator since shortly after you entered the Barrens. It was only a matter of time before someone came looking for the women."

"And why shouldn't I kill you?"

He shrugged. "I was only doing my job." She merely lifted an eyebrow at him as she reached down for the e-pad. "Bringing you here, showing you around, bringing you to this office? All of them my orders."

"And Luna?"

"If I had not had her killed, not only would I have been negligent in my duty, but they would have sent someone else to do it."

For the first time she heard emotion creep into his voice. He was frustrated at having to explain himself and possibly disgusted at what he was about to reveal.

"As it stands it was an execution; quick and painless. Had he," motioning towards the groaning Matthew, "chosen the team she would likely have ended up raped and tortured repeatedly for days before they allowed her to die. She chose her fate when she broke the rules of the Barrens. I simply chose the most humane punishment."

Cassidy hated it, but likely he told the truth. After all, she didn't know the rules in the Barrens. She held up the e-pad to show him.

"So what now?"

As he answered, she turned on the device and punched in her code.

"Now you can free your friends." She looked in confusion at the display before she punched her code once more. "It won't work. That one's a decoy. They couldn't access yours so they intended to bluff and torture you into revealing its contents and the access code."

"Yours is right here."

Cassidy spun in shock, instantly recognizing the voice if not the inflection. Standing by the window, holding an e-pad identical to the one in her own hands, stood Dimitri. His pose was casual but his voice held little more emotion than the other man. Cassidy felt the sudden urge to explain, to apologize for the deception. He held up a hand before she could start.

"I know all about it. In fact I knew long before you did." He motioned to the corpse at her feet. "You see my father was slipping. More and more of our rivals were slipping their spies past him while he lost his. Fortunately Jester and I were able to counter these effects.

"Two months ago we discovered the Altani plan to kidnap IOs, to use in a brothel for very influential clients from the Heights. We let my dear father find out about it on his own, and meanwhile kept an eye out for the investigation we knew would be coming."

Throughout the callous explanation Cassidy's embarrassment slowly transformed to anger.

"You couldn't have told me all of this from the beginning? People are being tortured and raped and have been for a week now, that I could have done something about it if you had simply told me."

She looked between the two and found herself surprised to find Jester ashamed where Dimitri remained unmoved.

"Forget that for a moment. All you had to do was tell me and prove it and I would have torn down your greatest rival brick by brick."

"And will you not now? When the dust settles you will have paved my way to become head of the Zuntri household and crippled my greatest rival." He paused and tossed her the e-pad. "You have everything you need. And to apologize and make amends for your days of service please feel free to take any car you desire. I would offer two but I expect never to see you again. I know your reputation for revenge and will assure that you shall never receive a contract that involves me in any way."

He turned to leave and thought better of it.

"Oh, and you entire wardrobe will be loaded for you into whichever vehicle you choose, having been packed as we spoke. Thank you for your services. You were everything and more than I could have hoped for."

If the last comment held too much innuendo for Cassidy's tastes there was nothing she could do.

Copyright 2006, By Deathlynx