Rainbow Six: Bloodlines

"HOTEL CEUTA" - Chapter 1

PART ONE: "HOTEL CEUTA"

- CHAPTER 1 -

FEBRUARY 18, 2018

CEUTA, SPAIN

     Ryad "Jackal" Ramírez stared out the dark tinted windows of the unmarked SUV as it sped west, down Avenue Compañía de Mar. It had been nearly two years since he had last stepped foot in his hometown of Ceuta.

     His childhood stared back at at him through sunlit reflections in the window as they passed the casino near Mediterraneo Marine Park. Crystalline blue ocean beckoned through the glass.

     Ash, Thermite, and IQ accompanied him in the back of the SUV.

     "Two minutes," informed Ying from the driver's seat.

     "Roger that." Ash tugged at the bill of her hat. "Six, ETA two minutes. Blue Team is right behind us."

     "Affirmative. I've informed the police that you'll be there shortly. Meet their officer in charge and go from there."

     Ash nodded. "Understood. Hostiles make their demands yet?"

     "No. The hotel is still under lockdown. Police have it surrounded, but the phones have been silent. No ransom demands. Nothing."

     Jackal shifted in his seat and craned his neck backward to look out the rear window. Another unmarked black SUV was close behind, carrying Mira, Rook, Doc, and Glaz.

     His phone buzzed softly with a new text message from Mira.

     Estás bien?

     Jackal sighed inwardly as he put his phone away, not bothering to reply. He didn't like when Elena worried about him.

     Their small mobile detail sped on. The beautiful Marina de Ceuta could be seen up ahead to the right. The windows didn't have to be down for Ryad to be able to smell the sweet, familiar breeze off the bay shores.

     Just over a minute later they arrived at the target building: the Hotel Ceuta, in the midst of various shops and markets near the marina. Police vehicles and personnel were everywhere, having created a perimeter around the hotel's entirety. Traffic had been diverted. Local counter-terrorism teams were ready, and Jackal could see the clear frustration in their eyes at having to wait for a foreign-led team to take point for the operation.

     "We're here, boys and girls," Ying declared, stopping near an ambulance and police cruiser. "Let's do it."

     The two Rainbow teams exited their vehicles quickly. Nervous civilians watched from afar. Ryad took a funny sort of satisfaction in seeing the curious faces of some of the the police staring at the Eyenox III tracking device fastened to his helmet.

     "Hola!" called a man wearing dress pants and a bulletproof vest over a business shirt. "I'm Captain Vivas. Over here, please."

     Ash shook the man's hand. Quick introductions were made. The Rainbow operators convened around the hood of a police car, where the captain's men had spread out a blueprint of the hotel.

    The feeling suddenly sank into Ryad's chest: something wasn't right.

     While his team hastily discussed a plan with the police, Jackal gazed around. Mountains in the distance were misty against the endless blue sky. The handful of fluffy white clouds above seemed to move much too quickly. Everything around him sounded far away. Fuzzy. The air was thick, weighed down by itself.