Chapter 9
Jake was sitting in his room. At his desk, lost in thought. Thoughts like:
What has happened to Simon? Is he okay? Can he successfully complete his mission? Can he draw up another plan to assassinate the General? Can he follow his heart?
He was bothered. He was getting agitated. He felt like too much responsibility was crushing him. There was no clue from the General that would give Jake the end of the rope to follow:
· What should I do? I've hit a dead end and have no ideas.
(Knock. Knock. Knock)
Someone knocked.
· Come in.
The door opened and Liz entered. Jake was happy. It seemed the only person who could calm him down right now, just by being there, was Liz.
Liz said innocently:
· Can I sit down?
Jake said quietly:
· Yes.
Liz came forward and sat on the chair opposite Jake:
· Are you okay?
Jake said:
· Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. Just a bit preoccupied.
Liz said:
· Do you need help?
Jake said with a smile:
· No, thank you.
Liz smiled and said:
· Okay, but if you do, I'm here.
She got up and moved towards the door.
Jake didn't want to say anything, but his heart couldn't bear it and he said:
· No. Wait!
Liz stopped and Jake said:
· Can you sit with me?
Liz came forward and sat back down on the chair without hesitation.
Liz said with beautiful words:
· I came to listen.
Jake's heart trembled. He knew her. Maybe Liz was interested in him too:
· To tell you the truth... I... don't know what to do. Right now I don't know what condition Simon is in and I don't know if he's okay. I couldn't contact him. Alex had found some gibberish that he said he could get great information from by decrypting it, but he also said he can't. Now I'm stuck here with a large group waiting for me. I... don't know what to do...
Liz just listened. After Jake finished speaking, she said quietly:
· But a feeling tells me you know it will be alright. Right?
Jake looked at Liz and said:
· How?
Liz said:
· I don't know. But you know what's important? That we have you. More importantly, we believe in you.
Jake said:
· That's exactly the problem. This faith everyone has is bothering me. I'm letting them down.
Liz said:
· Exactly. Everyone believes in you and you are their hope. But one question. Do you believe in yourself?
Jake stared into Liz's blue eyes. Why didn't he have an answer?
Why did he have one:
· No.
Liz said:
· Right. Maybe that's your pain!
Jake said nothing. Was it true or not?
Liz said:
· The Ghost team couldn't get anything done before we arrived. But with our arrival and your leadership, look how far we've come. True, we couldn't assassinate the General, but we managed to find out about the air attack on the Ghost base on the front line. We reported it. I don't know, but maybe that saved Commander Simon's life. We can also find the General's location.
Jake was silent. Then he said with a smile:
· Thank you, Liz. Thanks for coming to see me.
Liz said:
· You're welcome. That's called the glass being half full.
Jake looked at Liz with a smile. His heart was beating for Liz.
Jake said:
· Anyway. I'll solve it.
Liz said:
· I know.
Jake said:
· Well, tell me, you.... what do you want to do after we get back?
Liz said:
· Ummmm. I don't know. To tell you the truth, as you know, I don't have a family.
Jake said:
· Yeah, you mentioned the orphanage.
Liz said:
· Yeah. Well, I .......
Liz didn't speak.It seemed she had no plans. Nothing to say.
Jake said:
· You don't have any plans, right?
Liz lowered her head. As if she was embarrassed.
Jake said kindly:
· Look at me. Why are you embarrassed?
Liz looked at Jake and Jake said:
· I promised you we'd go jet skiing together, remember?
Liz's face seemed to light up and she said with happiness and excitement:
· Really, sir? You still stand by your word?
Jake said:
· Of course. Why wouldn't I?
Liz was very happy. Excitement rippled in her sea-like eyes. Her cheeks were red. Liz said:
· Thank you, sir. I didn't think you'd remember that.
Jake said:
· No, I don't forget my promises. Can you come?
Liz said:
· I guess besides you, I don't have any plans.
Suddenly the door opened. It was Mack.
Jake said:
· What do you think about knocking before you come in from now on?
Mack said breathlessly:
· Sir, Alex has managed to decrypt those numbers.
Jake rose from his chair:
· Really?
· Yes, sir. Come on, everyone is waiting for you.
××××
Everyone had gathered. Jake, Liz, and Mack joined them. Alex was sitting at the desk. When Jake arrived, Alex said:
· Sir, I found it! I managed to!
Jake, his eyes wide with surprise and very happy, said:
· Well, what did you manage to get from it?
Alex turned to the computer screen and Jake also focused on the screen:
· Look, sir. All these scattered numbers and shapes were a code, a very long and heavily encrypted code. But this code is used everywhere. The only reason it took so long to decrypt was because it was so long.
Now why is it long?Because it's a weekly schedule! This is General Sensrif's weekly schedule! Now with this, we know where the General is at any given hour!
Jake, who couldn't believe it and was stunned, slowly turned his head towards Alex and said:
· You're amazing, Alex.
Alex, who looked exhausted, said with a smile:
· Thank you, sir.
Jake said:
· Go get some rest. From now on, you're with us.
Then he turned to Will and said:
· Arrange a meeting with all the captains and personnel.
Will said:
· Yes, sir. What are you planning to do, sir?
Jake said:
· I want to have a little chat with our hostage.
×××××
Simon and Caesar came down from above the cave. John was sitting at the cave entrance. The soldiers were gradually starting their work, and some of them were changing shifts.
Seeing Simon and Caesar, John stood up and went towards them:
· Commander, you're back. Where were you all night?
Simon said:
· How beautiful this forest is. Oh, by the way, this area is safe.
John turned to Caesar and said:
· Caesar, were you able to find Captain Victor?
Caesar said:
· Yes, I was.
Simon said:
· Now go to the command post and organize and prepare the equipment for a rescue operation. Go, time is gold.
John left and Simon reached the cave entrance and saw Patrick standing with Max, talking.
Simon and Caesar reached them.
Seeing Simon, Patrick said:
· Oh... Commander, you're back.
Simon said:
· What are you two doing?
Max said:
· We... sir, we.... uhhh....
Simon said seriously:
· Go attend to your duties. Quickly.
Max left and Patrick followed, but Simon said:
· Patrick!
Patrick turned back and Simon said to him:
· Go inform the men about a meeting. At the back of the cave. Prepare the equipment and items for the meeting. Tell them to be ready within an hour. Understood?
Patrick said:
· Yes, sir.
And left.
×××××
The wind blew through the trees. The sky was cloudy. The sunlight tried to show itself from behind the clouds, but the black, merciless clouds wouldn't allow it. What was the use? Everyone knew the sun never stays behind the clouds forever.
Simon stood up. They were standing next to a helicopter in a non-standard, wooden hangar covered with tin and leaves/branches for camouflage, inspecting the helicopter for the future. Maintenance engineers were working on the helicopter, performing related tasks.
John was standing next to Simon.
John said:
· This is the only helicopter I managed to bring.
Simon said:
· You know what? I think you're pretty amazing. How were you able to bring this here during that bombardment?
John said:
· When you told me to find a safe place, I found this place. It needed a lot of things. We started building and brought vehicles and ammunition. When we were building the helicopter hangar, we couldn't bring the helicopter before it was built, so we loaded this helicopter, which was at the base, onto a truck and prepared it for transport at any time.
When the base was attacked,we brought it by truck to a place where it could take off, and then we were able to bring it here by air.
After the fighter was destroyed,we were able to take off. If it weren't for Michael, this wouldn't be here either.
John was sad but standing strong.
Simon put a hand on John's shoulder and said:
· Don't worry, friend. We will get revenge. Revenge for all the blood.
××××
Simon and John went to the back of the cave together. Everyone was gathered.
Captain Caesar and Leo,several officers. Simon and John sat on the wooden chairs behind the wooden table and Simon said:
· Well done, everyone. Well... we... took a heavy blow. We lost our main base. Captain Victor was taken hostage. And... we lost Captain Michael...
But we must come back.We must show that the Atlas and Ghost force is more dangerous than that. We must show that when you strike a blow, you must expect a blow in return.
We will plan step by step,and by advancing with that plan, we will bring victory back to our names.
Now listen carefully to what I say.Captain Victor is still alive. He is waiting and knows that we are coming to rescue him, and we are coming.
Simon looked at Caesar and said:
· Caesar, explain.
Caesar stood up and placed a large map of the area on the table:
· Okay, look. This is our burned base. Currently, we are here, and this is the enemy's headquarters. The country of Greenland has managed to capture this part of Sensrif's territory.
(The country of Greenland has lost a lot of territory on a farther front but has managed to capture some near its own front,close to Ruritania's border.)
As I said,the enemy headquarters is here. They took Captain Victor here. They currently plan to take him inside Sensrif's territory. All this area is mountainous, and the only road from this headquarters to Sensrif's territory is this road that we currently control. The transfer is scheduled for this very evening at dusk.
John asked:
· What if they try to take the Captain by air?
Caesar said:
· This headquarters has no runway at all, and because there are high mountains for kilometers, a helicopter can't come here either. That's called fuel range limitation. Another reason is that the weather conditions are very bad. Right now, mountain fog has set in. Could a helicopter fly in this?
Simon said:
· This is our only chance. Since we control the road, we must rescue Victor. But we have a time limit. If we take too long and he enters Sensrif's territory, there's no way left.
×××××
They sat facing each other. No words were exchanged. Jack kept drinking from the water bottle. Finally, Jack said:
· I was sleeping. Why did you bring me here? What do you want?
Jake said:
· You said the General changes his location every 20 hours, right?
Jack said:
· Right.
Jake said:
· Then I told you if we draw up a plan to assassinate him, he wouldn't know.
Jack said:
· I said no one knows. Maybe a mis...
Jake interrupted him:
· Maybe a missile is on its way here..... We found his location.
Jack laughed and said:
· You really want to kill him.
And then laughed again and said:
· Well, where is it?
Jake said:
· The San Rafio Tower.
Jack's laugh grew louder and he said:
· San Mario. Oh my God, you're insane.
Jake said:
· Why?
Jack said:
· That place is so heavily guarded that not even an ant can get in. And you want to go assassinate the General. Even... even assuming that's the case, and you succeed. How are you going to escape? Even if you could escape, how are you going to get out of the border? Whatever you do, you'll die.
Jake said:
· What if we manage to kill him?
Jack said:
· You can't.
Jake said:
· Well, I'm here for something else. I want to know what things are in that building.
Jack said:
· If I say I don't know, you won't believe me, so I'll tell you the truth. I can't say.
Jake said:
· Well, thank you. But I'll also tell you the truth. I can't let you say nothing. We need that information.
Jake said:
· I'm sorry.
Jake said:
· Okay. He stood up, took out his handgun, and
(Click)
Shot Jack in the knee.
Jack screamed. He felt a terrible pain throughout his being.
Jake brought his mouth close to Jack's ear and said quietly:
· Hurry up, the night is young!
Jack said:
· I can't tell you and I won't. I'm no use to you. It's better if you kill me.
Jake said:
· No, it's no fun that way.
(Click)
Another shot in Jack's other knee.Jack just moaned in pain.
Jake said:
· Tell me everything you know.
Jack didn't speak.
Jake took an electric shock device from his belt and started torturing Jack with it.
It seized Jack's entire being.He was exhausted from the intense pain.
Jake said:
· Sorry, I knew talking wouldn't get the information out. This is the only way.
Jack said:
· Okay, okay, I'll talk.
Jake removed the shock device from Jack's body and Jack said:
· Well, that place is full of cameras and motion sensors controlled by artificial intelligence.
Jake said:
· You mean no human is involved?
Jack said:
· No, it's all computerized and with AI.
Jake said:
· That's a lie!
He hit him in the face with the butt of his rifle and shocked him again.
After enduring a lot of pain, Jack said:
· Okay, okay, finish it.
Jake removed the shock device again and Jack said:
· Yes, humans are involved.
Jake said:
· On which floor does the General have his meeting, and on which floor is the control room?
Jack said:
· The control room is on floor 50, and the meeting is on floor 85.
Jake said:
· In the office?
Jack answered:
· In the General's office.
Jake said:
· How many guards does he have?
Jack said:
· I don't know. It's not clear.
Jake said:
· How many guards are on each floor?
Jack said:
· It's not clear. I don't have supernatural knowledge.
Jake grabbed Jack's head.
Boom boom boom boom boom
The whole table was covered in blood. Jake said:
· Talk.
Jack said in a strained voice:
· Between... floors... 45 and 90 have the most guards.
Jake looked into Jack's eyes. He took a breath and went out.
Outside the room,Will and Mack were standing.
Will said:
· Sir, everyone is waiting for you.
Jake said:
· Will.... postpone the meeting a little.
Will said:
· Yes, sir. But why are you torturing him?
Mack said:
· Sir, this mission is the final mission. Jack is also a burnt-out pawn now. Whether we kill him or not makes no difference because the Sensrif forces will kill him as soon as he's released.
Jake thought for a moment:
· You're right, he is a burnt-out pawn, but we know nothing about that place. It's very heavily guarded. When we know nothing, how are we supposed to go there? He has to talk.
Will said:
· Hasn't he said anything so far?
Jake said:
· He has, but they weren't key things.
Mack said:
· We can put together what he says to reach a key answer.
Jake looked at Mack and said:
· Yeah, yeah, that's good. I'll come in an hour. Hold the meeting in one hour.
Will and Mack left and Jake went back inside.
Jack was sitting there, bloody. He had written some things with a pen and paper that were on the table.
Jake inspected him from head to toe and said:
· Jack, do you have a family?
Jack said:
· I have no one.
Jake said:
· If you die, who will cry for you?
Jack didn't speak. Silence filled the room. Jake went forward and sat on the chair. He didn't speak. He waited. Waited for Jack's answer.
About 5 minutes later, Jack said with a slight sob:
· I had a wife and a child. A daughter. They left me. They hate me. I don't know if they'd be sad if I died or not. My wife, I don't think so, but I'd really like my daughter to come see me.
Jake said:
· Well, why don't you go see her?
Jack said:
· I'm afraid..... I'm afraid they'll reject me.
Jake said:
· Why did they leave you?
Jack said:
· Because of my work. I was never home, and when I came home, I was so tired I paid no attention to them. I rejected my wife... I rejected my daughter..... I had become like a robot. I wasn't a husband to my wife or a father to my daughter. I thought they needed a good life and I only saw money as fulfilling that need, but the issue was beyond money. They wanted my affection, which I didn't give.
Jake said:
· Why didn't you quit your job for them?
Jack said:
· I wanted to, but because I was close to the General, they didn't let me. I insisted, but they threatened to kill my family.
Jake said:
· You're a burnt-out pawn, Jack. You really have no one. You're alone.
A few tears rolled down Jack's cheeks and he shook his head.
Jake said:
· What do you want to do, Jack?
Jack thought for a moment and said:
· I don't know.
Jake said:
· I can help you.
Jack said:
· You can't.
Jake said:
· You have no way out. At least try this way.
Jack said:
· Well, what should I do?
Jake said:
· Tell me something. A weakness. A way for us to carry out our operation. To be able to enter the building.
Jack said:
· If I tell you and you use it, then they'll find out I betrayed them. They'll kill my family.
Jake said:
· I'll get them across the border that same day. I'll take you to them. I'll help you, Jack.
Jack said:
· You're an enemy.
Jake said:
· No, you choose who your enemy is.
Jack lowered his head.
About 4 minutes later he said:
· The building is controlled by AI and humans only supervise. The only places where AI isn't involved are the building's secret escape routes for emergencies, which have no guards. Most people working in the building don't even know these routes exist. You can enter the building. Through those routes. The routes are staircases and become corridors on the floors. The entire route passes above the actual floor itself.
Jake said:
· What do you mean?
Jack said:
· It means when you enter the secret route, you first find a staircase. After going up, you reach the first floor, but not the floor itself. Between floor one and two there's an empty space. You only have access to floor one through this space, and for floor two you have to go to the space between floor two and three.
Jake said:
· Well, continue.
Jack swallowed his bloody sob and said:
· The meeting is held on the 80th floor in the General's office. That floor has a secret route to that room which is for the General himself. You can use that route to go assassinate him. But there's an issue here.
Jake said: What is it?
Jack said:
· The issue is a defense system that activates after the assassination, if you manage to do it, it's very likely to activate.
Jake said:
· Well, what is it?
Jack said:
· After the assassination, the cameras identify you. Then the AI itself realizes the assassination. It realizes you've infiltrated and managed to do something. So it starts sounding the alarm. All the guards will be after you.
Jake said:
· Well, we'll go back the same way then.
Jack said:
· No, they've thought of that. The AI activates a mechanism that even it doesn't know what it is. It's simply been given to activate during alarms. This mechanism releases a lethal gas into the secret routes. You can't go back the way you came.
Jake said:
· We'll wear masks.
Jack said:
· It's a special gas. Only Sensrif has its filter. Your masks can't filter that gas.
Jake said:
· There's no way to escape?
Jack said:
· No.
Jake said:
· Thank you, Jack. I stand by my word. I'll get your family across the border. I'll take you to them myself.
Jack said:
· No, it's not necessary. They have a good life here. Exactly what I want for them.
Jake said:
· But you said they'd kill them?
Jack said:
· If I'm alive, they'll kill them. When you carry out your operation, I don't know if they'll do anything to them, but they'll label my child. They'll say her father was a traitor.
Jack was crying. The sound of his sobs upset Jake.
Jack said:
· Kill me. I don't want anymore.... I'm done, Jake..... I've tasted everything now. Kill me. Set me free, I beg you.
Jake said:
· What about your family? You can go back to them!
Jack said:
· If I'm alive, wherever I am, they'll find me. Even in the most protected place, they'll launch their missiles to kill me.
Then he looked into Jake's eyes and with tearful eyes said:
· Give this paper to them. Go tell them how much I love them. Tell them to go. Wherever. Go somewhere no one can find them.
Jake stood up. He wanted to leave when Jack said in a crying voice:
· Walker, please, kill me. This way my family is safer. I beg you, let me be a father and a husband to them for at least the last time.
Jake turned back and with a grim face took out his weapon and aimed. Jack's eyes were full of tears, washing his bloody face. Jake pressed his finger slightly on the trigger when Jack said:
· Tell them I love them so much.
(Click)
Jake went out. Mack entered the room and saw the scene through the glass:
· Sir...?
Jake said sadly:
· Now I know what to do.
×××××
Everyone was present at the meeting. Jake was sitting and thinking. He was staring at the hologram of the city's large tower. All the details about the building, from the external view to the things they knew, were visible.
Finally, Jake broke the silence and said:
· This is the last mission we will carry out. After this mission, we are finished in Sensrif. Gather all the documents. Gather all the equipment. Before this operation, the spy nest must no longer exist. The soldiers, captains, and commanders participating in this operation should know that after this operation, we exit directly across the border. Staying within these borders after this major operation is like suicide. That is, if we manage to escape alive.
Everyone was stressed. Worried about the final boss. They looked at each other. Some were anxious, some determined.
Jake said:
· We split into two groups. The strike team and the escape team. Alpha 001 and Bravo 002. Group Alpha 001 goes to the building on top of this mountain. This is a half-finished building that only has a few guards. From here, Group Alpha 001 goes to the top of the building and uses wing suits and parachutes to reach the top of the tower. From there, they enter the secret corridor and head towards the General's room. After the assassination, we must get ourselves to the river through the soldiers and guards. Team Bravo 002 enters here. When Team Alpha is getting close to the river, Team Bravo enters and must extract Team Alpha from the scene. They'll be after us, and most likely the number of soldiers in Team Alpha will decrease. So Team Bravo must be ready for defense and escape. This river enters the forest. It goes all the way to near the border, then twists and turns towards western Sensrif. But we can't escape with the river's current. We have to get lost in the forest. This is where Team Charlie 003 comes in. They pick us up and take us to the rest of the Ghost and Atlas team. Outside Sensrif's border.
Jake pointed with his finger to a spot on the map where the river comes close to the road.
· Here.
Will said:
· Here is where we join Team Charlie?
Jake said:
· No. The enemy one hundred percent expects us to exit the river here. They'll set a trap for us.
Jake pointed further ahead on the map and said:
· Here. We exit the river here.
Joe and Steve looked at each other. Joe was about to say something when Liz said:
· That's rocky and deep in the forest. How are we supposed to get from there to Team Charlie?
Steve said:
· Exactly, I was going to say that.
Jake said:
· Exactly, that's what will save our lives. We have to get lost in this forest and the rocks. Then we join Team Charlie and exit the border.
Silence fell over the meeting. Perhaps from worry. Perhaps from deep thought, or perhaps from fear.
Mack said:
· Sir, all this happens if we can escape from the tower. Because of the secret route, we know the assassination is certain. But escaping from there is not! How can we increase the probability of escaping from that place to have the least casualties or even be able to return alive?
Joe said:
· We can use the secret route again.
Jake said:
· We can't use the secret route. After the General's assassination, the tower's AI detects the intrusion and automatically releases lethal gases inside the secret routes. Jack said our masks can't stop that gas.
Liz said:
· What if we can't get out of there alive?
Jake said:
· It doesn't matter. What matters is that we carried out the assassination.
After a few minutes of silence, Jake said:
· I will take command of Team Alpha 001. Liz will take command of Team Bravo.
Team Alpha consists of me,Mack Millan, Will, and Steve, plus 5 other soldiers.
Team Bravo consists of Liz,Joe, and several soldiers for defense until we can disappear.
For Team Charlie,Will, you choose someone yourself. Will and Mack Millan will handle the operation logistics, and Joe and Steve will handle the arrangements for border exit.
You can go.
Everyone got up from their chairs and left the room. Jake said:
· Liz. Wait.
Liz stopped and after the room emptied, Jake said:
· I want you to come somewhere with me. Can you?
Liz said:
· Yes, sir. Definitely. But when are we going?
Jake said:
· Now.
---
Jake and Liz were driving in the car. No words were spoken. Liz didn't know where they were going.
Liz asked cautiously:
· Sir... where are we going?
Jake didn't answer. After 30 seconds he said:
· You can't get out of the car now. I just wanted you to come with me.
They arrived. In front of a house. A relatively beautiful and warm house. In a beautiful, green neighborhood. Jake looked at the house opposite from inside the car. Liz said:
· Sir, what are we doing here?
Jake got out of the car without saying anything and went towards the house.
He was stressed.He felt he was doing this for his own conscience. He didn't know what reaction to expect. Whatever it was, he was considered a murderer to this family.
He reached the front door.Raised his hand and rang the bell. Through the glass door he could see inside, just a hallway. Suddenly a girl who looked about 15 or 16 years old appeared, and after seeing Jake, she came forward and opened the door.
The girl said:
· Hello... excuse me, you are?
Jake,with a slight pause, raised his head and said:
· Is your mother home, miss?
The girl looked Jake up and down and said:
· What do you want, sir?
Jake said:
· I want to say something. Tell her to come.
The girl looked at Jake again and left. After 1 minute, a woman entered the hallway and came close to Jake:
· Hello, sir. Did you need me?
Jake said:
· Are you the wife of Jack Redfield?
The woman, who became a bit serious, said with a particular expression:
· Who are you?
Jake, realizing he had come to the right place, said:
· I've come on behalf of your husband. He's been killed.
The woman covered her mouth with her hands. The girl was watching curiously from the other end of the hallway.
Jake continued:
· Your husband told me to tell you that the government will come for you soon. Leave this house. You need to go to a safe place.
The woman, who had heard all this at once, couldn't digest it.
Jake said:
· He gave me this paper to deliver to you.
The woman took the bloody paper from Jake's hand and stared at it.
Jake said:
· He loved you and your daughter very much and was very sorry for his actions. Grant his last wish and listen to him and leave this place.
And Jake left.
He got in the car.Liz didn't speak. He started the car and they drove off.
They were near the nest.No words were spoken. They continued in silence until finally Jake broke the silence:
· He asked me to deliver that letter to his family.
Liz said:
· It could have been a trap.
Jake said:
· No. It wasn't. I'm sure of it.
Liz said:
· He was the enemy. You could have ignored it.
Jake said:
"I had him.But for the first time, in the eyes of my enemy... I saw a human being inside them. I saw regret in his eyes. I don't know, it somehow became a duty for me... Or maybe I was wrong."
Liz said:
"It's not always that one makes decisions based on logic.Sometimes the heart takes priority."
Jake said:
"What if that decision is wrong?"
Liz said:
"Well,does it matter?"
Jake didn't speak. It was as if Liz's words had reached deep into his heart. He understood them.
Jake said:
"Thank you,Liz. If you weren't here, perhaps this mission would have been harder for me. You made it easier for me."
Liz said:
"I will do anything I can for you,sir."
Jake fell silent. It was strange for him. Until now, his mind and heart had been in turmoil, but this girl had erased all that chaos. She gave Jake a good feeling. A feeling of safety. Peace.