Chapter 29 - THE FORTRESS ROOFTOP
Inside the vault, six American intelligence analysts sat huddled in the dark, their faces pale, shivering with fear. When the light flooded in and they saw the American flag patches on Company B’s shoulders, two of them collapsed in tears.
"Captain Elena Vance, United States Army," Elena announced. "You're safe. We’re getting you out."
"The hard drives," the chief analyst gasped, clutching a heavy, Pelican-sealed briefcase to his chest. "We saved the communication logs between Rourke and Apex. Everything is here. Every transaction, every assassination order."
"Good," Elena said. "First Sergeant, secure the package. Move the hostages to the primary extraction point on the roof. The Super Stallions are inbound."
They led the analysts up the emergency fire stairs toward the chancellery rooftop. But as Elena kicked open the heavy access door to the roof, an explosion rocked the compound.
*BOOM!*
A heavy rocket-propelled grenade struck the parapet ten feet above them, showering the stairwell in shrapnel and concrete chunks.
Through the pouring rain, Elena saw the problem. Across the street from the embassy, perched inside the ancient stone bell tower of an abandoned colonial church six hundred yards away, an Apex heavy weapons team had set up a .50 caliber anti-materiel sniper rifle.
The heavy rounds—half-inch steel slugs capable of punching through engine blocks—were tearing across the embassy rooftop, chewing the air-conditioning units into shredded scrap.
"They've got the extraction LZ zeroed!" Torres screamed, pulling an analyst back into the stairwell as a .50 caliber round punched through the steel door, cutting clean through the concrete frame. "If the helicopters flare over this roof, that sniper will shoot them out of the sky!"
Torres pulled up his squad’s M110 sniper rifle, but a piece of RPG shrapnel had sheared the precision optic clean off its Picatinny rail. The glass was shattered into spiderwebs.
"Optic is destroyed!" Torres yelled in despair. "I can't engage at six hundred meters through this squall! We're pinned!"
Elena looked out across the roof. The Mediterranean rain was coming down in blinding sheets. The church bell tower was an indistinct dark spire looming through the mist across the plaza, half-hidden by smoke and driving spray. Six hundred meters. In high crosswinds. At night. Without magnification.
Elena wiped the sea spray from her eyes. She reached down and loosened the canvas sling of the M14.
"Torres," Elena said, her voice dropping into a register of terrifying calm. "Hold the door."
"Captain, you can't go out there!" Torres shouted. "That's a fifty-caliber rifle! One hit will rip you in half!"
Elena looked at him, her grey eyes reflecting the lightning flash that tore across the Mediterranean sky.
"My grandfather made this shot at Hill 881," Elena said softly. "With this rifle. With these sights. In worse rain than this."
May you like
She turned, racked the charging handle of the M14 to ensure a clean cartridge was seated, and stepped out onto the open, fire-swept roof.
***
