Operation Countdown

The Seige

Langley, Virginia
0500 Zulu

        The Director of Central Intelligence, DCI, walked from his private garage and was met by his senior bodyguard on shift. The Director, Jonathon Lopez, is a Hispanic; about six feet tall, with average jet black hair which was slicked back and caked with gel. His senior body guard was Christopher Gary, a Yale graduate who had been with the company for about five years. He was never big into field work, but when he was offered the job to be a part of the director's security detail he couldn't resist it, and within a year he was running the show.     
        "Sir," started Gray as he walked up to the DCI, "we have had an interloper enter the building. He knocked out a guard near the rear entrance and then shoved him in a janitor’s closet."
        While continuing to walk under the protection of his bodyguard the DCI asked, "are there any traces of where the interloper is at the moment?"
        "No sir. He only ran into the one guard, an officer Smith, he is fine just a little dazed, we believe that he is a foreign agent, as how he got past of security systems is unknown. We believe that his target is the central computer core, where he will have access to all of our agents, their code names and all of our information on our targets and everything else that we have collected over the years...”
        "What precautions have you taken to protect the core?"
        "We have five agents down there guarding the core."
        "Good, let’s go to the core and supervise the apprehension of this agent."
        "No sir," replied Gary as he ushered the DCI to an elevator, "this man just infiltrated the Central Intelligence Agency, and we cannot afford to put you within his sight. I will take you to your office where no one can reach you; you will be safe there I will then go to the core and give you an update."
          When they entered the elevator both men took out their respective keys and started the elevator to the forty-third floor. When they arrived at the top level the lasers where already turned off when you activate the elevator with the keys it disables all systems and alarms. The bodyguard walked down the hallway and unlocked the DCI’s office and opens the door for him.
        "Sir I will return once we catch the interloper and everything clams down," replied Gary as he shut the door and continued back toward the elevator.
        The DCI walked toward his coffee table and placed his briefcase on it. turning toward his desk he notice that is chair was facing a different direction then when he left it the other day.
        "I suppose there is no use the call for help is there?" asked the DCI to the chair. The intruder looked at him though the refection in the glass and turned around pointing his gun at the DCI.
        "No it wouldn’t Director Lopez," replied the intruder in a calm voice.
        "Am I safe to assume that you are not here for the central computer core?"
        "No I am not my target is pretty obvious... you director."
        "well," started the director as he headed over to the bar, “I guess you are almost done with your mission aren’t you assassin?" the director's hand started to slid across the bar to a hidden panic button, one of many hidden throughout the room. Before the director got close enough to the button there was two small hisses that originate from the assassin's XD 40 as it sent two bullets into the back of the director. The director turned and toward the assassins position and slumped to the ground.
        "Yes my mission is done director," replied the assassin as he unscrewed his silencer and place both his XD 40 and it away.
        A few minutes later a hidden door opened and a short stocky man walked into the office. The man was Raymond Peterson, head of Federal Intelligence and Rouge Eliminators, FIRE, a covert organization whose falls under the jurisdiction of the CIA but answers only to the president of the United States and the Director of the CIA.
        "Brilliant job, Jack I didn’t think that you would ever even make it past the security systems within the building," replied Raymond Peterson as he took a seat behind the desk facing him. Raymond was the best spymaster the CIA had known before taking the job as head of FIRE. The spymaster was somewhere around his fifties and had his hair comb over to the left.
        The assassin was Jack Gardner; FIRE's best one man team operators. Trained by the CIA and recruited right out of the United States Army Rangers, when he served as special liaison to the CIA. He was thirty-two years of age and was vastly fit.
        "I had thought that my major problem would be the security guards. But I only ran into the one and poor old chap got shoved into a closet," said Gardner as he looked over the desk at a very lively and well Director of Intelligence.
        As the Director got up he walked back over to the bar and pulled out three glasses. Bending over he reach into a bottom cabinet and removed a twelve year old bottle of Johnny Walker. As he poured the glasses he picked up the phone.
        "Yes this is the DCI, training exercise has ended, and work is to carry on. Good work people," the director put down the phone and carried the glasses over to his two guess.
        "You are awfully well for a dead man Jonathon," replied the old spymaster as he took his drink.
        The director smiled at the comment as he made his way over to Gardner to give him his glass. Gardner took the glass from the director as he stood up to relinquish the man's rightful seat. Gardner sat down in the chair which sat next to his boss.
        "Johnny Walker... About what ten years old?" asked the assassin while looking at the Director.
        "Very good, save for the age. It’s twelve not ten," said the DCI. "Jack we have a situation which requires someone of your expertise," explained the DCI as he stood up and walked over to the coffee table, and picked up a sealed folder that rested on it. The DCI walked back over to the desk and dropped the folder in front of the assassin. Gardner picked up the folder and broke the seal, and started to flip through the dossier that was compiled before him. "This is you next target, as you are well aware the United States order or approve of assassinations, which is why FIRE was created. Officially the CIA can't do any form of killing, unofficially well that is why we have your outfit. The man you are looking at in that picture is Robert Knight, an international arms dealer who operates out of Russia. That man you are looking at with him is Habib Gulzar a well-known terrorist from the middle east."
        "I know of Mr. Knight, he is known as the Black Hand in the criminal realm. He is very ruthless against those who oppose him or betrays him, but rewards loyalty with whatever one desired. Makes his way by getting hard to acquire items for anyone who pays his prices."
        "That's right Jack," replied the spymaster who had been listening to the conversation while enjoying his drink. "We believe that Habib Gulzar has hired Knight to get something for him. We just can't find out what it is. Your mission is to try to infiltrate Knight's organization, stop whatever Habib is planning and if possible eliminate both men."
        "Sounds simple enough," nodded the assassin. "I will go home and pack, where do I Start?"
        "Knight has most of his operations from Russia, but it has been expected that he has bases in Germany, the Middle East and even Africa. We suggest that you start in Russia, and see where this mission takes you from there."
        "Good luck Jack," said the director as he reached out his hand.
        "Thank you sir," replied the assassin as he took Director Lopez's hand.