Chapter 175(V) -- LFN Storyboard 2

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Date Posted: 04:01:51 08/05/08 Tue
Author: taurus
Author Host/IP: CPE-124-188-6-122.nsw.bigpond.net.au / 124.188.6.122
Subject: Chapter 175(V)
In reply to: taurus2124 's message, "The Rising Dragons ... continued" on 06:16:31 07/06/08 Sun

Chapter 175(V)

Slipping through the night like a shadowy apparition, Michael moved swiftly but quietly towards the monastery building. His night vision goggles made his course easy despite the darkness. Ever alert to the danger that surrounded him he was cognizant that there were still eight guards that were unaccounted for. He saw two move away to the far corner of the grounds to patrol the outskirts of the monastery boundary. It would be a while before they returned. The coast was clear. Keeping his eye on the patrolling guards who were within the perimeter he moved up several steps and into the open courtyard of the monastery. So far he�d had clear passage towards the building but when he heard a guard approach, Michael ducked behind one of the larger than life-size statues with exaggerated features and grotesque expressions that were facing into the quadrangle.

He observed what the man did.

The lone guard stopped to light a cigarette. Leaning his back against one of the statues near where Michael was positioned, he took a long drag before blowing the smoke up into the air. Michael made his move while the man was preoccupied. Creeping up from behind the guard, he grabbed him from behind in a head lock. The cigarette fell from his lips as a small gasp of surprise was muffled when Michael placed his hand over the guard�s mouth. With a flick of his wrists he twisted his neck. The snap of the guard�s bones breaking echoed in the stillness. As his head lolled forward, Michael eased his body down to the ground and placed it behind the statue out of sight while still keeping alert for any other movement.

Michael barely made a sound in the quiet of the night as he ran across the span of empty courtyard space to the next statue watchful for the second guard patrolling this part of the monastery. His vigilance was rewarded when the sound of footsteps echoed on the gravel surface. Taking cover once more Michael was aware that another guard was making his way down some steps into the courtyard. Once again he merged into the shadows and waited for the guard to appear.

Standing just below the steps, the guard shone his flashlight around the quadrangle on a routine check of the courtyard. When the beam of his torch passed over the statue where Michael was hidden, he pulled back deeper into the shadows until the beam traversed onto the next concrete monument. The guard moved further into the quadrangle shining his torch around the area. Suddenly his flashlight honed in on something out of the ordinary on the ground near one of the statues in the distance. Michael�s eyes followed the path of his curiosity. The guard had stumbled across something where the first guard was felled ... it was the man�s smoking cigarette.

Thinking that this was strange, as he knew that his friend always smoked his cigarettes to the butt, he called out his colleague�s name, but he heard no reply. The second guard began to move toward the fallen cigarette to check it out. He called out again. However, as he did so, the guard turned around behind him when he heard the sound of a rock being thrown and shone his flashlight in that direction. �Is that you Chen? ... Where are you?�

Another rock tumbled past his foot.

�Okay ... I get it ... two can play this game!� He shone his light in the direction of the small thrown missile only to have another stone come from the other direction.

Spooked, the guard turned sharply to his left and came face to face with a man clad in black ... Michael Samuelle.

�What ... the ...*#@! How did you get in here?� he mouthed dropping his torch and reaching for his weapon.

�Over the fence ...� Michael replied casually as he sidestepped the guard knocking his weapon from his hand in the process.

The sentry was caught off guard as Michael out manoeuvred him. He turned and charged at him. Sidestepping him once more Michael karate chopped the man, but he retaliated with a blow of his own. A quick flurry of exchanges occurred before the guard pulled a knife from his shoe. With the knife raised, he lunged at Michael who managed to avoid the thrust of his blade. They fought for possession of the knife that the guard was holding but he lost his balance in the scuffle. He lunged once more but Michael grabbed him, twisting the hand holding the knife to the guard�s chest. He tried in vain to avoid the blade piercing his flesh, however, the more he struggled the deeper the blade went until it was embedded in his chest. Blood spilled from the deep cut yet still he continued to fight off his aggressor. Michael, however, was far too strong and sharply twisted the blade up piercing the guard�s heart. With a cry of anguish, he fell lifeless to the ground.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Having made his way across the courtyard, Michael climbed the stairs leading to the entrance door of the monastery. He observed that the guards who were there were nonchalant about their duties. They were both playing a game of Mah-Jong to wile away the hours knowing that the perimeter and grounds were well protected. Any interlopers who had managed to get into this well fortified monastery were either dead or would have been captured without their input. The two appeared to have not a care in the world as they concentrated on their game. Michael bypassed the two guards and slipped to the west side of the building from whence he�d heard the gunshot.

�Michael ... when you are able you�ll need to place a scanner so that I can pin point where Nikita is being held.�

Flattened against the wall, he pulled the scanner from the pocket of his mission suit and attached it to the building. �Done.�

Michael slipped from window to window peering inside to see if Nikita was being held in the rooms. He knew instinctively that the torture room would not be here and was more likely to be in an underground room within the monastery. Nonetheless he continued along the wall looking for an opening into the building.

�Birkoff ... Have you located Nikita yet?�

�No ... but I�ve now got a blueprint scan on the monastery.�

�Okay.�

The computer whiz had worked quickly to use all the sources he had at his disposal. Once Michael had planted the scanner he�d set to work immediately collating the Intel he already had. Birkoff then pulled up a transparent schematic of the monastery on an overhead monitor. He relayed the Intel back to Michael.

�I did an infrared scan of the monastery off our satellite feed as well. It�s built on top of an ancient structure. Over the centuries a system of underground tunnels were built by the monks who lived there.�

�Location?�

�Proceed about fifty metres north of your position there�s a disused tunnel that the monks used there.�

�How do we know the passageways aren't collapsed?�

Birkoff noted the different colour patterns to the various passageways in the schematic on his overhead monitor. �Colour saturation indicates structural density. A blue line traces a pathway through the maze that leads to what I believe is the underground torture chamber.�

�How stable are the configurations?�

�There is no way to be certain but our options are limited. Michael ... There�s a hot spot in the west wing of the building three floors down.�

�That must be it.�

�Yes.�

Armed with the Intel he needed to enter the building, Michael made his way to where the tunnel was located. The door was well camouflaged. It was overgrown with foliage and was nearly unrecognizable as a secret entrance into the monastery. Michael looked back and forth for any triad security guards but this side of the monastery was apparently deserted and although he kept watch for other guards none eventuated. He had clear passage to the tunnel entrance but when he tried to open the door sealing the opening, it was locked. Taking his laser from his hip holster Michael shot the laser bead over the lock in order to cut through its interior mechanisms.

�Michael! There�s two guards on the north rim, coming from behind!�

Although he�d not completely cut through the lock he had damaged it enough for him to enter the tunnel. Michael quickly kicked the door in. The weakened lock couldn't hold against the force of the thrust and gave way. Michael tumbled inside, and just as quickly closed the door behind him and leaned against it.

�I�m in ... which way?�

�The primary tunnel runs directly before you. Follow the tunnel straight ahead. It should veer to the right then there are a set of stairs that descend downwards.�

�Have you got a reading on Nikita?�

"She's down about three floors ... At the first flight of stairs there is a grate covering the entrance.�

�Tunnel access?�

�Through the grate. From there its two hundred meters to the next point.�

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

When Michael reached the stairs he was confronted with a steel frame covering the opening to the stairway. He pulled it off, slipped through the opening and made his way down a short flight of stairs until he came to another landing. Ahead of him was a long and narrow passageway. He ran along it until he was confronted with three tunnels each going in a different direction.

�Which way?�

�Take the far left tunnel ... and keep moving straight.�

These tunnels had not been used for a long while. Cobwebs hung from the ceiling and they were eerily quiet and cold. Moving further through the tunnel Michael�s foot suddenly stumbled across something lying on the ground. As he looked down he jerked back in surprise to see some human skeletal remains dressed in a monk�s robe. The corpse had long since decomposed and judging by the remains he had been there for many, many years. The triad obviously didn�t know about these tunnels which boded well for him. His detection would go unnoticed and he would be able to egress the same way when he�d rescued Nikita. Michael continued on with renewed confidence.

�Twelve meters to your ... right there are another set of stairs.�

Adhering to Birkoff�s instructions explicitly, Michael continued on following the tunnel as it weaved its way through the bowels of the monastery until it came to an abrupt stop when he came to a dead end. All that was in front of him was a brick wall. Michael realized that something was wrong.

� Birkoff ... There's no more tunnel ... there's just walls.�

�It has to be there.�

�Well, its not.�

Birkoff stared at his computerized schematic, trying to figure out the reasons behind the discrepancy between his program and Michael�s information. �Michael, kick the wall.�

One kick and the wall began to collapse. Bricks and crumbling mortar fell onto the ground at his feet. �Got it ... That's it ... Okay.�

Michael kept kicking at the wall until he had opened up a hole that had been sealed over for some time. Pushing at the rubble with his hands, Michael dislodged the bricks opening up a cavity large enough for him to be able to get through. Once on the other side, the tunnel wall zigzagged into the darkness. Michael followed the winding passageway and went deeper into the monastery. Straight ahead of him he could see what appeared to be some kind of air duct and a beam of light filtered through a closed door beneath it. He stopped and pulled out his silencer. Checking the clip, he slid the weapon into position then clicking off the safety switch he held it at the ready.

Reaching out, Michael's hand rested on the doorknob.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Play on text from ... Open Heart and Three Eyed Turtle

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