Rainbow Six: Bloodlines

"TRUE DARK" - Chapter 11

(Image by Lemon100 at DeviantArt.com)

     Ela and Zofia Bosak blazed through the night in the countryside north of Adrian's safehouse. Leaves cracked beneath their boots. Tall shrubs whipped at their trousers and kneepads, and the cool February air washed over their faces as they ran.

     "Don't go too fast," Zofia managed between breaths. "Watch for an ambush!"

     Ela snorted. "Not my first hunt, Zofia." She found it more difficult than she had anticipated to keep an eye on the tracks through Jackal's Eyenox Scanner, and simultaneously watch her footing in the dark of night.

     "This is Pereira," came Caveira's voice in their earpieces. "We've touched down two miles to the northeast. Going dark. Holler if you need us. I'll check in periodically. Watch your asses - it's a circus back there at the house, so authorities are probably going to be sweeping the countryside right behind you."

     "Received," Zofia said softly. "No visual yet. Pursuing north. I'm seeing lights up ahead on a mountain."

     "Confirmed," Dokkaebi replied. Zofia could hear her fingers tapping at the keys of her laptop. "That's Mount Hacho. Are the tracks leading directly to it?"

     "Affirmative."

     Dokkaebi was silent for a moment. More keystrokes sounded off over the radio. "That's not good. Fortaleza Del Monte Hacho is up there. It's a Spanish Army base. They've probably been alerted to the firefight back at the house. They could be converging on you any moment now. Surprised they haven't already."

     "Ryad would know what's up there," Ela breathed. She took cover behind some thick foliage and gazed up at the lights on the mountain. "Why would they go straight for a military installation?"

     "Because they know we wouldn't want to follow them," answered Caveira hastily. "Ela, Zofia, head east immediately for evac."

     Ela's mouth dropped open. "Say again?"

     "Head east. Meet us halfway. We're taking off now. We can't chance a straight-up confrontation with Spanish military."

     The Bosaks looked at each other hesitantly. Zofia frowned and shook her head, wordlessly urging compliance from her sister.

     "We're right there," Ela tried. "Obviously they wouldn't go right up the mountain to the base, would they? Let me track them."

     "Negative. Get your asses moving. Sorry, Ela. We'll get another shot. Pereira, out."

     Ela growled and stared up at the looming shadow in the night. The lights on top of Mount Hacho taunted her.

     "Elżbieta," whispered Zofia. "Let's go."

     The younger Bosak stood with a sigh. Ryad and Elena's tracks were still cool according to the scanner, meaning they had made it north with impressive speed... and were probably still a great distance ahead.

     The report of helicopter blades sliced through the night, bounding off the nearby mountain. The noise snapped Ela to action, and she followed Zofia as the pair jogged east to meet the rest of their team for air evac.

     "Cutting east," informed Zofia as she leapt across a shallow trench. "We hear you."

     "Say again?"

     "We hear you coming. We're en route for evac."

     "Negative!" hissed Caveira, uncharacteristically anxious. "We're not in the air. Amelia is having trouble with the engine. Repeat: that's not us!"