Chapter 110

A bustling mecca port never sleeps; ships of all shapes and sizes dock, empty their shipment, refilled with return cargo, and slip out into the night. A multi-hulled beast of a ship, Swayer rests dockside, its bridge guarded by a small army of security guards. Overhead, scattered throughout the cranes, are a half-dozen snipers, searching/studying the dockyard.

Cellophane-wrapped pallets of weapons and bales of cash are carried by forklifts into the center of the hull and bolted to the floor. Meanwhile, two dozen high-end, luxury cars enter the hull, each driven into its own reinforced steel crate, the doors sealed shut behind them. 

As the last workers leaves, he shouts into his walkie-talkie. "Fill it up!".

Overhead, a large chute appears, and the Operator presses a button, sending a seemingly endless stream of grain down into the hull, covering the smuggled goods.

Chewing on an unlit cigar, the Sergeant was in his late 40s, enormous, grizzled, salt-and-pepper beard, long, unkempt hair, dressed in denim and leather- studies paperwork at his desk while Herschel paces; a cigarette in one hand, a drink in the other.

"How the fuck long do I have to stay down here? I'm trying to hide your ass", said Herschel.

"Until we are at sea, and even then, your access up top will be limited", said The Sergeant as his phone rings. And he answers it. "Yes?" The Sergeant's face falls, his jaw clenched. "I'll let him know. Proceed as scheduled." The Sergeant hangs up, finds a match, sparks it to flame, and ignites the tip of his cigar, puffing it like an old steam engine. Your brother...

"What about him? is he finally coming to get me" asked Herschel.

"No", said the Sergeant

"Then what is it", asked Herschel scoffing at the Sergeant.

"He's been captured. He's under the MRC's Prison Department now", said the Sergeant.

Herschel is stunned. "What?"

"I told you already. He was c-", the Sergeant is cut off by the intercom which squawks to life, a screaming voice reduced to panicked static. The Sergeant slaps a hand down onto the call button. "What's going on?"

"We're taking bullets, sir!", shouted one of the operators

Several security guards lay dead on the deck bleeding out from single gunshot wounds as the others sprinted for cover. The Operator leans hard against the call button of the intercom.

"Someone's shooting at u-", A round slams into the side of the Operator's head, killing him instantly, his body sinking to the deck.

The Sergeant stands, checks the chamber of his at his side, and heads for the door.

"Until you hear otherwise... stay. You're too weak to deal with an ex-member of Microsoft X's affiliation. Don't worry we'll get you to Kayla once we're done with this bastard", said the Sergeant. The Sergeant exits the cabin and slams the door behind him. Trembling, Herschel latches close the door...and pours himself a tall drink.

A SNIPER searches the yard through his scope, his earpiece overwhelmed by panicked chatter.

"This is Alpha. I don't-", the Sniper mid-sentence was shot in the head.

Across the way, another sniper tumbles off his perch and was shot in the head like the last. Gideon moved through the darkness as he shot another in the head and another.

"Where the fuck is he?", said another Sniper who was shot in the head by Gideon moving even faster in the darkness. The sniper searches, his skin wet with perspiration, hand trembling upon the stock. Another sniper screaming as he falls after being shot.

"Where is he...", The Sniper has found Gideon. But it is too late. The Sniper zoomed through his scope across the yard. Gideon lies on the floor with a sniper rifle to his shoulder. Then Gideon fires. The bullet back up towards the Snipers eye where it enters the Sniper's scope and punches through the back of his head. His body goes limp and slides out of his perch, cartwheeling down to the earth below.

"You low class scum are going to be finished by me today. Every… single… one of you", said Gideon with eye's burning with passion.

Ten heavily armored SUV's bore down on the old building. Gideon shifts position, aims, and fires but the round ricochets off the bulletproof window. Gideon ejects the clip, ejects a round, leans the weapon against the window, and sinks back into the darkness. The parade of SUVs enters the building, their tires screeching to a stop as a swarm of highly trained gunmen emerge, scattering throughout the building. Gideon pries open the doors of an old, wooden, elevator shaft: now an empty cavern disappearing down into darkness.

A pair of gunmen swiftly close in on Gideon who takes a deep breath and jumps. Bullets hitting the doors behind him disappearing down into the darkness. His body SLAPPING against the water as he sinks like a stone. A gunman rounds a corner stepping over the empty duffel bag last seen in Gideon trunk and freezes, his eyes wide. A brick of C-4 is attached to one of the main support beams, the pale red light of the detonator glowing with ominous disdain. He takes a step back, lowering his weapon, and glances about noticing for the first time the red lights of a dozen or more C-4 charges scattered throughout the interior.

"Get Out!", shouted the Gunman.

Gideon lifts his hand to reveal a detonator which he depresses with his thumb. The gunman goes pale at the sight of all those red lights turning green. A series of powerful explosion tear through the building, reducing it to splinters as it collapses upon itself. As debris begins to sink down all around him, Gideon swims as hard as he can. Surfacing when he is safe, gasping for breath. Finding a ladder, Gideon climbs upwards emerging from behind an access panel. Gideon turns towards the ship and moves at a steady pace, eyes roving.

Surrounded by crewmen and security personnel, the Sergeant watches the explosion, his eyes wide.

"My... God.", said the Sergeant

"What do we do?", asked a Crewman

"I-", said the Sergeant before being cut off by gunshots.

The sound of a pistol echoes up past them. "Sergeant... he's coming.", shouted the Crewman.

With his pistol held in both hands -soaked to the bone- Gideon strides towards the boat's entryway, dropping three guards with two perfectly placed shots apiece. He ejects the spent clips, slaps in a replacement, drops to a knee, and fires off six shots at the two gunmen as they round the corner, dead before they hit the ground. Gideon drops his pistol, retrieves a machine gun off a dead guard, unfolds the stock, presses it to his shoulder, and enters the ship. 

With a trembling hand, Herschel pours himself a drink, staring at the door from behind which is heard the sound of sheer, unadulterated chaos: gunfire, screams, and explosions. Then silence.

"Open the door, fuckwit!", said the Sergeant through the door.

Herschel drops his glass and unlatches the door. The Sergeant stumbles into the room, leaning heavy against his desk, pausing to take a swig of whisky, blood trickling down from his forehead, his left arm limp at his side. The Sergeant reloads, reaches into his drawer, finds a pistol, and tosses it to Herschel.

"Do you know how to use that?", asked the Sergeant.

"Yes.", said Herschel looking insulted that he asked if he could use a basic weapon.

"Good. Follow me. And if you shoot me in the back, I'll be the one to fuckin' kill you.", said the Sergeant looking with a serious face.

"Whatever. I'm not a child", said Herschel looking at the Sergeant. 

The Sergeant swings open the door with his pistol in both hands bodies lay everywhere. Gunshots ring out. A number of panicking crewmen flee the ship. Herschel stays close to the Sergeant, his sweaty hands clinging to the pistol. As the Sergeant rounds the corner commotion as he and Gideon collide.

Gideon looks past the Sergeant, his eyes locking onto Herschel who panicking, raises his pistol, and fires hitting past the Sergeant into the lights. The lights started to flicker.

"Herschel really you little bitch!", said the Sergeant knowing Herschel was to skish and weak to hold a gun. 

"I'll leave him to you. That's why my brother is paying you", said Herschel who turns and flees as the Sergeant and Gideon disarm one another.

"Great Teammate", said Gideon with a cunning smirk. "When I'm done with you, he's next".

"We'll see about that dirt boy", said the Sergeant looking in rage.