Lordt, The Splinter Cell Chronicles. “Shhhh”

I had taken my time to check that the coast was clear. I went high, my partner low.

We were ghosts.

I had my night vision goggles on, but it was difficult to see due to the rain. Still, it was better than nothing.

The mission was simple, we had to find and capture an enemy dictator so that he could be brought to justice. The application, however, was a little more complicated.

The building we were to infiltrate was little more than a nightclub with residence above, but it had many windows and dozens of eyes. Our intelligence told us that our man could be located on the top floor and that the men inside would be packing heat.

Stealth was out only hope; In and out, no noise, no mess.

And that’s when the fun began.

As I mentioned before, my partner went low and I could just make out his form against the blackness of the night as he scaled a small fence. I had gone high to scope the joint and then planned on connecting back up with him again once my surveillance was complete.

As I reached the top of the block opposite the club my eyes fixed on the windows to ascertain any movement and perhaps even point of entry. I moved slowly, but surely until I came to a stop.

It was then I shat.

I could hear a variety of alarms and shouting coming from the building.

Struggling to figure out what had alerted the guards my first thought was to immediately blame my partner, who must have bungled into a trap.

It turns out I was wrong as an angry voice through my earpiece informed me that I had come to rest in front of a neon sign in full view of the street and building opposite.

My bad.

Thoughts ran through my mind as I imagined the menacing silhouette I must have offered, rifle on my back, balaclava over my head. There was no doubt they were on to us by now.

I expected gunfire, but the enemy sat tight, presumably brisling with adrenaline as they watched me.

I had to get off the building, and quickly.

As I descended I misplaced a foot and fell into a stack of wooden crates, bringing more attention to my whereabouts. I panicked and ran straight for my partner and scampered over the fence.

He looked horrified as I joined back up with him and whispered. “If you have any grenades on you I’m leaving now”.

“I didn’t bring any” I lied.

We approached the door to the club and listened. All was quiet, but they had to know we were out here. As my partner readied a small surveillance optic I removed my goggles and kicked in the door, sub machine gun at the ready.

Nothing.

I looked down at my partner who crouched in disbelief, optic positioned where the bottom on the door once was. He sighed, putting away the optic and we entered with caution.

Ground level; The bar.

“Now careful” my partner suggested. This irritated me. I’m always careful.

As I casually strode through the bar I realised that my partner was on all fours.

Oops.

I looked around, finished a shot that was hastily left on the counter and crouched down with him, hoping he hadn’t noticed. He never mentioned.

We reached another door and my partner took the lead. He cracked it open and found a guard inside. I took it upon myself to switch the light off and in seconds the guard lay unconscious on the floor. I turned the light back on to see my partner dusting off his hands. I nodded and fired a round into the guard’s chest before moving up the staircase.

“Jesus” is all that came through my earpiece.

Next on the menu were two jokers that thought it was a good idea to try and spot us on the surveillance cameras. They were so engrossed that my partner and I were half way down the corridor before even of them hit the floor.

Slick.

Top floor and we expected trouble. My partners slipped the optic under the door. Our mark was inside along with two guards. There also seemed to be a back exit which we had no time to double back and secure. We were going to have to be quick, but also careful as we needed our mark alive. No exactly my specialty.

Feeling confident, I whispered to my partner “I’ve got this”.

“You take the guard on the right, I’ll get the left, then we’ve got the bastard” he replied, pulling out his silenced pistol.

I nodded and pulled out my sub machine gun. All I got was a roll of the eyes in response.

I suppose at this point my greatest concern was pumping our mark and perhaps even my partner full of lead. As it turned out, none of this came to fruition as I booted the door open and stitched a dotted line of bullets around my guard.

I won’t doubt that the man I shot at had filled his pants, but it made no difference as before I could reload a new clip my partner had stabbed him in the throat with his knife.

There was a moment and then we realised our mark had bailed out the back door.

Shit.

The race was on and my odds were on the grenade I had just produced.

Sadly, I had to rethink my strategy as my partner was already down the staircase after the mark.

Shortly after the fading footsteps down the stairwell stopped and I heard a gargled choke followed by my partner’s unmistakable baritone. “Shhhh” echoed up the stairwell.

I looked around and noticed a wells stocked liquor cabinet.

“Might as well” I said, helping myself.

Job done.

 

~ Lordt