The Empty Emergency Call

Day 15

The Empty Emergency Call

TIME: 7:18 pm

The barracks assault had been completed but with costly casualties. It was clear that their earlier preparations were well founded and probably responsible for the successful outcome. At an empty desk in the HQ building an agent-to agent call came in unanswered.

[7:18 pm] This is Gwenda ... Emergency Call ... We have a problem at my residence

[7:19pm] I repeat Emergency Call ...

[7:20 pm] This Gwenda ... I repeat ... Emergency Call ... Also now joined by CherylM, SandyS, AnneG and DebbieC... Please respond ... we have major problem at the residence

[7:25 pm] This is Gwenda ... emergency call

[7:26 pm] This Gwenda ... I repeat ... Emergency Call ... Also now joined by CherylM, SandyS, AnneG and DebbieC... Please respond ... we have major problem at the residence

TIME: 7:22 pm

Inside Cheryl's office there was no knowledge of the emergency call from Gwenda. Simone and Karin continued their phone conversation.

Simone: "How soon until they reach the gallery?"

Karin: "Simone, Tamara wants you to contact her directly. She is near a phone in the ready room"

Simone: "Okay." I pick up the phone on Cheryl's desk and call the ready room.

Tamara: I answer, breathing slightly heavy. "Simone, this is Tam, we saw the explosions but the gallery glass is still intact and we can't tell what happened exactly."

Simone "Is that a problem? You can still breach it, can't you?"

Tamara: "Yes we can breach the door on this level and prop it open. Does the stair lead directly to the gallery?"

Simone: "Yes, they lead directly to it. There is no door. Currently, we are barricaded in the office. With one badly wounded, I'm not sure how much help we'd be."

Tamara: "Understood, I have three I will send up, two of us will stay in reserve. They will give you the code word 'Tuna' once the gallery is safe."

Simone: "Understood. Any survivors may have been dazed by the explosion, best to take the advantage quickly."

Tamara: "Leave the line open." I set the phone down.

TIME: 7:23 pm

Simone: After less than a minute the silence is broken by three Beretta gun shots, very loud, sounding like right it's outside the office door. I wait in the office and within seconds I hear another cadence of gunfire from the same location. Then it becomes silent.

Laura Sue: I am one of Tamara's team in the main gallery area I approach the Lieutenant's office. I knock on the door. "Tuna!"

Simone: I look over at Katy and motion for her to help remove the barricade against the door.

Katy: I walk over and help Simone.

TIME: 7:24 pm

Simone: Once the barricade is cleared, I lean against the wall and open the door. I peak outside the door with my MAC-10 ready.

Katy: I return to check on Carolyn.

Laura Sue: I stand outside with my MAC-10 at the ready.

Simone: I step out of the office to survey the gallery.

Laura Sue: "Hey!"

Simone: "Is the building clear in its entirety?"

Laura Sue: "Yeah, these were the last."

Simone: "Any wounded?"

Laura Sue: I nod no. "We're all good." I point to a fallen agent sprawled back against Joeann's former desk. "Somehow this one survived the blast."

Heather: I am one of Tamara's operatives, crouched behind the surveillance desk with my weapon at the ready.

Cher Lyn: I am one of Tamara's operatives, standing about half way down the main gallery area. I am reloading my MAC-10.

Laura Sue: I point toward Cher Lyn and speak to Simone. "You can thank Cher, she took her out."

Simone: I feel able to finally relax a bit as I turn in Cher Lyn's direction speaking a bit louder. "Thank you, who knows what could have happened if we opened the door before then." I turn back to Laura Sue. "We'd already been compromised by the time of your breach. But, by then our primary objective had been complete and the primary and secondary targets were already cooling."

Laura Sue: I smile. "Yeah, I've heard you are good."

Simone: "Well, I only accounted for four of our fallen enemies tonight. The bodies of Cheryl and Nicole are in the bathroom of the office's living space." I motion to Laura Sue to walk with me.

Laura Sue: I step alongside Simone. "You got us the floor plan, no telling how many we might have lost coming in blind and all."

Simone: "Katy and Carolyn certainly made good use of them. You'll find many bodies in the locker room." I reach the door of the counter-intel office and open it to reveal the bodies of Lisa and Katrina.

Laura Sue: "Yeah." I look at the bodies. "And you have injuries too?"

Simone: "Yes, Carolyn is badly wounded and Katy has, what looks like, a grazing wound on her arm."

Karin: I call Simone: "Simone, what's your status?"

Simone: I pick up the phone. "The HQ is cleared and I have joined up with one of the breach teams."

Karin: "Very well. I have been in contact with Tamara and they will remain with you for the present time. We need verification of every dead body in the HQ." Rachel's team will leave and resume looking for agents on the streets."

Simone: "But, we would need to fortify the HQ and prepare a defense just in case they attempt to retake it."

Katy: I emerge from the Lieutenant's office door and out into the main gallery.

Simone: I speak into the phone to Karin. "Stand by please."

Katy: I point ahead to the opposite end and speak quietly. "She's not doing good at all. Do you know how to use the elevator?"

Simone: I look at Katy. "I have never used it before, I've just taken the stairs." I go back to the phone. "We need Dr. Julie here, can you tell her to come to the HQ?"

Karin: "Acknowledged, I will send someone to get the Dr."

Katy: I shake my head in a slight negative tilt. "There's no way we can get her down the stairs."

Simone: "Try using the ID to see if that works for it."

Katy: I nod and walk toward the elevator.

Simone: "Carolyn's condition is critical." I look to Laura. "How many are with you?"

Laura Sue: "Four."

Simone: "Have them split up. Have two search the bodies for ID and have the other two block up the agent entrance." I look up and down the gallery again noticing the three dead security police agents killed by the blast. "We'll search the one's here. In case of a counter-attack, we'll want to funnel them into one killzone. That way we'll maintain a tactical advantage despite their numbers."

Laura Sue: "Tamara is our group leader, you need to tell her all this."

Simone: "Where is she?"

Laura Sue: I point downward. "In the ready room, still." I speak to Heather and Cher Lyn. "Y'all go back and group up with Tamara now."

Simone: "Have them relay my message to her."

Laura Sue: "Of course."

Cher Lyn: I smile and nod to Heather. "And we'll see if we can find something to transport Carolyn in the infirmary."

Simone: "Hopefully, it has a litter or a gurney. Dr. Julie well be brought here as soon as possible. "For now, life extending first aid will have to do."

TIME: 7:25 pm

Katy: I have reached the elevator and swipe the fake ID card and PIN. The elevator doors open. I wait for Cher Lyn and Heather. "Okay, this seems to work like the doors."

Simone: "Good, if there isn't anything to carry her with we may need to improvise."