Rainbow Six: November Sun

11: "GOING DARK"

Valkyrie was standing and leaning into the embassy wall behind Montagne, who already had his shield ready. "Guardian, this is Valkyrie. You got me? Over."

"Guardian Actual copies," came Kate Harvell.

"Can you patch the embassy surveillance cams to my feed, ASAP?"

"Give me twenty seconds."

"Roger." Valkyrie crouched in Montagne's shadow. "I'm on cams," she announced. "Looks like they've already moved the hostages into the front lobby."

"Bossman still hasn't left that office," said Twitch. "He's Llooking distressed. Pacing around, muttering some shit I can't make out."

Ash looked across the street to the HQ tent, where Harry was standing with Lt. Col. Maes and other members of the DSU. "Whatever is about to go down in that lobby isn't good. That DSU commander better hurry the fuck up."

"I've got eyes on the lobby." Valkyrie's fingers moved quickly on her tablet screen. She expanded the camera feed to the embassy lobby and minimized multiple other surveillance feeds on the first and second floors. "Six Actual, recommend action soon."

"What do you see?"

"I have at least ten hostiles onscreen in the lobby. Three dozen hostages, maybe more. Please be advised: don't know how much time we have. Tangos look impatient. Over."

"Understood," came Harry. "Sit tight. Six, out."

The Rainbow operators shifted uncomfortably in their positions, and Ash muttered her discontent with the Belgian politics in play.

*          *          *

Nøkk was already on the roof, and she detached her rappelling harness before letting it fall at her feet. She jogged for the rooftop emergency access stairwell, her steps light upon the concrete, and deactivated her HEL cloaking device to conserve more battery for maneuvers once she was inside.

She slowed to a stop near the heavy door. Perhaps someone had left it unlocked? The woman tried to ease it open.

No such luck, but worth the try.

"I'm at the rooftop access - requesting permission for soft breach."

"Negative," said Ash. "Be advised, Teams 1 and 2 still holding position as ordered. Repeat, we are not cleared for breach."

Everyone's earpieces crackled. "All elements, this is Six Actual. Go to secure channel Alpha."

All Rainbow members present, including Acevedo up in her helicopter, switched radio channels immediately.

Harry's voice was low. "Listen up: I still haven't heard anything about the media withdrawing from the scene. I don't know if they will. Now, we've already been cleared to take action. There's a lot of scared people inside that embassy, and we don't know how much time they have left. Copy that?"

Ash and Sledge confirmed.

"Nøkk, you're up," continued Harry. "See if you can get down to their leader and subdue him. From what I can tell, the men in the lobby are waiting for his orders. If you can get to him and cut him off from the others, that might buy time for our hostages. Copy?"

"Message received," Nøkk replied.

"Ash, hold your team at current position." They all heard Harry cough over the radio. "Sorry. Sledge, take Team Two around the corner to the east side of the building and await orders."

"Roger that," Sledge responded. He, Valkyrie, Lion, Rook, and Doc moved swiftly to comply.

"I want to avoid a hard breach into the lobby if possible. Too many variables." Harry paused. "If it comes to it, be ready. You all know what to do. I leave the rest to you. Six, out."

*          *          *

Nøkk enjoyed lockpicking. There was something therapeutic about it for her, and she practiced quite often on-base. The skill was occasionally invaluable in the field, and as she worked two picks together into the lock of the rooftop access door, the woman smiled.

Bandit was always giving her shit about picking locks as a hobby. She looked forward to returning to base and rubbing this one in his face.

"One thing at a time," she murmured. Seconds later, the final two pins of the lock clicked aside, and Nøkk readied her suppressed SMG before easing the door open.

"I'm inside," she whispered.

"Nøkk, you've got a three-story stairwell," came Kate Harvell, "and it winds downward to a basement level. Target tango is on the second floor. We'll keep you updated."

"Copy that. Thanks, Guardian."

"Bossman hasn't moved," Twitch informed. "He's set his weapon down. Looks like he's texting someone."

"Moving." Nøkk gently closed the door behind her. "Please keep radio chatter to a minimum. I'll keep you posted. Going dark."

The woman prowled down the stairwell, gun ready and senses sharp. She was careful to keep her steps light upon the concrete stairs, and she reached the second floor without incident.

Nøkk knelt to the second story access and produced a fiber-optic snake cam from her pack. She slipped the cable carefully under the door and checked the lens to scope out the other side.

The coast was clear. Through the camera, she saw open cubicles and offices spread out across the room beyond the closed door. Dozens of potential hiding places for hostiles, but they were all likely down on the first floor, in the lobby as ordered.

Her drone could not fit under the doorway, so Nøkk cracked the door open just enough to set her drone down on the floor inside before closing it again.

"Drone out." She knelt on one knee and watched her tablet's screen as she steered it through the second floor offices of the embassy. "Workspaces are deserted. Computers are still on. Signs of struggle here and there. No bodies, thankfully. No sign of hostiles."

"Copy that," Ash responded.

Satisfied that the large room beyond the door was clear, Nøkk stowed her tablet, stood, and readied her weapon. "Entering second floor offices. Activating HEL."