Resurrection

Target Aquired

"Captain Jones, Ma'am, we can't get any closer. You'll have to go on foot the rest of the way." The pilot said, while struggling to keep the Blackhawk steady in the gusting winds.

"How far are we out?"

"Just under five clicks, Ma'am."

"Set us down where you can."

Jones looked out the side window of the helicopter, watching the rising rivers cut great swathes through the desert sands. Forty hours of torrential rainfall had left hundreds of lakes, and probably as many small rivers, vying for dominance as they rushed toward the Nile. The main street in Luxor town sat two metres below the Nile, getting deeper by the minute. Lightning forked, illuminating what remained of the town, several of the men gasped at the destruction.

"Reports from NATO HQ places the anomaly in the El-Saidi region, on the periphery of the storm and conveniently away from the flood zone," Jones revealed, garnering the attention of the men under her command as Blackhawk7 descended. "Latest Intel says he's holed up here." She pointed to the map open on the screen of her tablet. "Brown and Grey: cover the front of the complex from the roof of this building. Green and Black: you have the back from the flats here. He's taken over the penthouse suite. The former occupant is confirmed dead along with several of the staff members. Any remaining staff are hostile, seemingly protective of our target. We must assume they're under his influence. I would prefer we not kill them, but..." She paused, meeting each of their eyes, "but, if you can't incapacitate them, you know what to do." The men nodded. "Red and Gould: you've got my back."

On reaching the town, they spilt up, securing their assigned areas. Once settled, Jones' ear crackled with static before Browns voice came over the implanted comms device. "Brown, Grey ready." Then again with Greens call.

Jones kept her pace slow, allowing her companions to keep up with ease. They entered the building through the back doors, taking the first left turn that, according to the blueprint Jones memorised, led to the service elevator. Scanning the immediate area for heat signatures, she stepped forward into the lift and pressed the button for the top floor.

Darkness came without warning as the power went out, stopping the lift and trapping them between floors Five and Six.

"Looks like we're doing it the hard way," Jones said with a shrug. "Gould, wedge the doors open so the lift doesn't start moving again."

After flipping open the access trap in the roof of the lift, Jones made a foot hold with her hands and boosted first Red then Gould. She passed up the weapons and jumped, easily pushing her way through the hatch. For her, the climb was a walk in the park. For the guys, particularly Gould who was panting heavily by the time they reached the ledge for the fourteenth floor, it was heavy going.

"There's no one in the hall so we can rest for a few minutes," she said, using thermal sight to scan beyond the lift shaft. "I'm picking up two heat signatures across the hall on the left: one male, one heavily pregnant female. Female is lying down and judging by the panting and moans, I'd say her baby isn't far away."

"Our target is the male only right?" Red asked.

"No frickin way I'm taking out a woman and kid." Gould added with a touch of anger to his tone.

She turned to Gould, still using her thermal sight and noticed how hot he appeared compared to Red. "Control your temper Gould, we do what needs to be done," she said.

Gould frowned at her. "My temper is none of your concern."

"It is if it interferes with your performance. Wait," she said, studying him closer. "Are you ill?"

"I'm feeling a little off colour, but it won't interfere when it comes to doing my job."

"Damn it, Gould, if you were feeling unwell why did you ask to join the mission?"

"I was volunteered," he stated. "Like I said, it won't interfere. It's just the start of a cold or something."

"I'll have to report this when we get back."

"It's true what they say then?" he added with disdain.

"And what do they say?"

"That you're a heartless bitch."

"Technically true, Gould, I don't have a heart, nor the human weakness associated with it. That's what makes me good at what I do."

"What in hell are you?"

She smiled. "Does it matter?"

The woman's agonised screams could be heard as soon as they emerged from the lift shaft.

"What the hell is he doing to her?" Red whispered in alarm.

Jones scanned the room. "Watching her have the baby by the look of it. I think she's having problems though. "

"We need to get her out of there," Gould hissed  through clenched teeeth.

"Keep it down," Jones whispered. "They're both in the bedroom, the main living area is clear. I'll short out the control pad for the door. We'll be only a few metres from them, so hand signals only from now on."

Her subordinates nodded in confirmation.

A tiny puff of smoke later and the control pad was history, allowing Red to open the door and the three to slip inside. Jones indicated they should take position on opposite sides of the bedroom door. Jones began counting down with her fingers: three, two, Gould sneezed and hell broke loose.

Tutankhamun sent a gust of air at them, blowing them off their feet to crash into the furniture, their weapons torn from their hands. First to her feet, Jones ran for him, caught him around his middle and propelled him into the wall. The pregnant woman screamed in anger as she struggled to her feet, managing only two steps before she collapsed to the floor when another labour spasm wracked her body.

Red lifted her by placing an arm behind her back and the other under her knees. He carried her to the living room to lay her on the floor behind the sofa, gaining a little protection from the fighting and flying debris swirling around the room. He made it halfway to the bedroom doorway before he fell to his knees, pain and shock firmly etched on his face. A moment later, he fell forward displaying an ornate dagger protruding from his back.

Gould fought against the force holding him pinned against the wall, the exertion causing him to fall foul to fits of coughing. He could only watch in horror as their target and Jones rolled around the floor, each landing what should have been crippling blows to one another.

Suddenly, the target had her by the throat, holding her off the floor. "Yield to me," Tutankhamun demanded. "Join with me and rule this kingdom by my side."

Clawing at his hand, Jones tried to free herself from the powerful grip restricting the flow of oxygen. She could feel herself losing consciousness. The hand holding her captive shook her violently, rousing her for a moment.

"Submit!" he commanded.

"Never," Jones croaked before everything went black.

Gould thrashed frantically against the invisible hold, starting a bout of coughing, so forceful Gould could hardly breathe.

Tutankhamun propelled him against the adjacent wall, laughing when Gould fell to the floor in a heap. His laughter led to coughing, which in turn made his throat burn like Hellfire.