John O'Brien - Takedown

“In a way, yes. For me, it’s all about getting Lynn out, but, it has that side effect for the group. Our sanctuary has been challenged and we need to respond. Look around. There’s a fracture amongst those here that is fueled by fear. You can feel it in the very air. We need to close that and give reason for hope once again…hope that we can survive this thing. There is a decreased energy. It feels like some have lost their hope and it’s just a matter of time before we fall. Survival is a mindset. Yes, skills are important…but, without the mindset that you can survive, you won’t, no matter what skillsets you may possess. Most of everything you do is mental. If you believe, and I mean truly believe, then you will overcome any obstacle in your life. We need something concrete to hold onto. We need to tell ourselves that, no matter what happens, we’ll come out alright in the end. If we are able to get Lynn out, to retrieve that which was taken from us, then that may restore the hope that we can defeat the night runners and survive.”

“Okay. I get that as well. But, isn’t there a converse angle. If you go in and…well…won’t that drive everyone deeper into their fear?” Robert asks.

“That’s why we don’t fail,” I answer.

“So, getting Lynn out is a kind of metaphor.” Robert states.

“In an overall sense, yes. But for me, as I mentioned, it’s all about getting Lynn out.”

“Dad, why did they take her in the first place?” Bri asks.

“You know, I’ve racked my brains and haven’t come up with a plausible answer. I’m puzzled as to why they didn’t press the attack when they were already in, but I can’t think of a single reason. The bottom line is that, if she’s there, I’m going to get her. That’s all I really know,” I answer.

We talk for a while longer, the conversation shifting from topic to topic as most of our chats generally do. We watch crews come and go in the parking lot below. I feel better about the coming night and day. By this time tomorrow, Lynn should be back with us. The very thought brings that butterfly feeling. Off to the side, we catch sight of Drescoll and McCafferty standing together. I feel like an interloper as we watch them in silence. They talk for a while and then wander off hand in hand.

“I don’t know why they are trying to keep that quiet…the whole place knows,” Bri says.

I chuckle. “Yeah, that’s the way it always seems to be in a small community. They’ll be the last to know that we know. Alright, let’s go try to get some rest. It’s a busy night and day coming up.”

With the sun sinking below the horizon, we set up a high orbit offset from the hospital. The higher orbit is so the sound of our engines won’t spook the night runners. We need to ascertain clearly whether they are in the facility in large numbers or whether we’re merely chasing a ghost.

The land settles into darkness. We have both the low light cameras and thermal running. Soon after night falls on the land below, we pick out a white blob emerging from the front of the hospital. We’re too high to be able to pick out individual figures running under the stars, but from the size of the white spot, they are coming out in numbers. The spot fades as the night runners fan out into the darkness. We have our indication that the building does indeed house a large lair.

“Should we engage them and thin them out a little?” Robert asks.

“No. That may make them move tonight and we can’t be certain that Lynn isn’t among them,” I answer.

I have to admit that seeing the numerous night runners emerge makes me want to take them out. We’ll come back during the day after we get Lynn out and knock the place flat. Although I also hate taking out a hospital with all of its medical gear and pharmaceuticals, we can’t pass up an opportunity to take out a large lair.

“We have what we came for. Let’s land, catch some shuteye, and come back before dawn,” I add.

We see the same thing in reverse as we orbit before the first rays of light appear on the eastern horizon. The screen shows white several times as the night runners return in waves from their hunt. The stage is set for the coming day.

Landing as dawn touches the ground, we gather our gear. Robert and I will take the Kiowa while the rest of Red Team drives to the hospital where we will meet up with Taylor and Horace. The rotors spin up, becoming to a blur overhead. Robert lifts the helicopter shakily off the ground which, in my mind, significantly lowers the odds of my making it safely to the roof.

“Are you okay there?” I ask.

“Hey, I said no promises,” he replies.

We steady out as we gain altitude and head toward the Capital Medical Center. I take a few deep breaths to bring back the calm I had the afternoon prior. Drescoll radios that he is on the way to a laager site and will arrive shortly. He’s bringing one of the Strykers that we laagered at the compound in case we need the extra firepower. I check over my gear to ensure that I have everything I need and that it’s taped up to prevent any unwanted noise.

The parking lot comes into view and we find a clear spot to land. Robert eases the Kiowa lower, catching himself several times as we begin to drop quicker than he’d like — or that I’d like for that matter. ‘Settling’ onto the pavement would be a misnomer, but we ‘land’ without doing harm to ourselves or the helicopter. The blades above slow as Robert shuts down. We don’t have to wait too long before the Humvees carrying the three teams arrive. We assemble near the front entrance.

“Gonzalez, you’re in charge of Red Team and the overall ground team leader. Enter into position as we did yesterday and give the appearance that you’re about to go further into the building. Don’t go any farther than the edge of the light, though. Sell it, but don’t go overboard. Under no circumstances are you to enter anywhere there isn’t the cover of light,” I state.

“Hooah,” she replies with a smile. “I couldn’t possible send you off without one of those, sir.”

“You should really go down to one of those open mic places,” I reply. “Horace, take your team and find me some wood for a fire. I’ll need some green leafy branches as well.”

“Will do, sir,” she replies.

“Okay, let’s see what we have,” I say.

I open up and push out to the limits of the facility. I’m immediately overwhelmed by sheer numbers of night runners in all areas of the building. They are in both small and large groups and very much aware of me. I’m stunned by their vast numbers and the calm I had shatters momentarily.

I sense one stronger presence on the highest floor near the center of the structure and zero in for a brief moment, marking that area. I then close back down. I recognize the stronger one as the one who sent the mental image of Lynn. I’m guessing that wherever she is, Lynn won’t be too far away. And, as I thought, they are on the highest floor.

“Well?” Robert asks after I come out of my daze.

“I’m going to need more ammo. Hand me a few of your mags,” I answer.

Robert fumbles with his vest and passes me a few which I add to my pockets.

“How many are in there?” Bri asks.

“A lot,” I respond.

Seeing that many night runners on a screen in the air or on video is much different than sensing them close up like this. I don’t know how the teams in the compound held up seeing that many coming at them. I would have screamed like a little girl and run the other way. I almost rethink my idea about thinning them out some but Lynn is possibly in the midst of them and I’m already here. The plan is sound, although I can hear Lynn snorting at the thought that any of my plans are anywhere close to being sound. I remember her asking me once if I just wrote different parts of ideas down on scraps of paper, tossed them in the air, and then the first three I randomly picked up became a plan.