Of Terrorists and Territory (& Crumpets)

[Incindre]

Join up with us Sykes, well take pillar one. Silsbury responded and soon Sykes was amongst their ranks.
Lucy led the group of nine people out of the alley and towards the perimeter fence, checking her weapon and maintaining tabs on the other teams through her helmets Heads Up Display.
The gap in the fence was far enough away that they had time to get into the area without being noticed but it soon became clear that they were going to have to charge the pillar to retain the element of surprise.

The gravel gave a rather loud crunch when a boot stood upon it, a serious problem as it would alert the person working on the support to their approach.
She pressed a button and the front of the helmet retracted.
Ok, on three were going to run at the pillar. She said quietly.

This caused a bit of a stir, the Officers were not used to Silsbury making what seemed like a rash decision such as this. Eventually it was agreed on because of the aggregate under their feet.

One, Two... She started but was interrupted.
Wait! On three or three and then go? asked a Constable holding one of the light stands.
On three, Sykes replied its always quicker that way.
Excuse me but are we going to do this or not? Silsbury snapped.

One, two... THREE!

The nine officers sprinted along the gravel towards the shadowed pillar halting but eight meters away from the five figures. They had turned in surprise at the noise and were now encountered with several bright spotlights illuminating their once dark work area and a group of real Bretonian Police starting to encircle them.

Drop your weapon! Sykes yelled at the phony officer who had pulled out a pistol. Distant yelling could be heard from the other pillars which were illuminated also. Drop all tools, put your hands up and take five steps away from the pillar! Silsbury ordered as the ring of BPA was closed and the Constables crouched behind their riot shields training their PPGs at the offending group.

Nathan White sneered, he had finished his work on that pillar and he was not letting his employer down by not using it. He had learned from his prior mistakes and had informed all three of the teams of a contingency plan should something like this happen.
The phony officer drew the attention of the BPA as he made a show of putting his gun down while the other four lifted their hands in the air and walked forward.

One of the Constabless however noticed the small devices that were held in the fingers of the four apparently un-armed engineers. Drop your tools! she screamed, DROP YOUR TOOLS!
NOW! White yelled and the devices were thrown on the ground in front of the ring of BPA. The five terrorists covered their eyes and special foam earplugs expanded completely, sealing their respective orifices on signals from the activated cylinders.

The flash bangs detonated not long before those dropped at the feet of the other two groups did and the Officers were left with ears ringing and blinded eyes, they fell to the ground clutching their faces, completely disorientated.
Six stories up the snipers dropped their weapons to the floor of the balcony and yelled in agony, the light amplifying scopes had brightened the flash of magnesium compound substantially, burning into their retinas like molten steel.

Constable Walden swore repeatedly, his comrades and himself would only be able to see a huge purple-green splodge in their right eyes for hours to come. Walden controlled himself however and through sheer force of will, retrieved his gun and focused on the now fleeing assailants with his left eye (not a comfortable thing to do).

Snipers, open fire! the order crackled through their earpieces.
Walden gritted his teeth and fired at the men fleeing from pillar one.
A .30-callibre bullet whizzed through the rain and slammed into the back of one of the engineers.

The helmets Silsbury and Sykes were wearing dimmed automatically at the sudden flash and the brunt of the noise was stopped by the deactivation of the helmets audio but the first split second made it through unfiltered.
Recovering a good deal faster than their comrades the two sprinted off after the fleeing terrorists. A sniper opened fire overhead and one of their quarries collapsed with a scream.

The body was motionless when they reached the spot, it clutched a submachine gun in a bloodied hand. Silsbury was about to warn the other teams but McArthur got their first.
All units, they now have SMGs!
WE KNOW! Roared one Constable Hansen and the sounds of a fire fight could be heard distinctly through his transmission.
Behind them the stunned Constables were getting to their feet.

Savins what is the status of your team? Silsbury queried as she ran on.
I cant really tell from up here, the reply came some of the red dots have gone out though.
Silsbury widened her HUDs focus area and realized that Savins was still in his Hussar.
Savins... land that ship immediately and get to your team where you should have been five minutes ago, theyre obviously dying! she yelled the last three words.

Sykes swore as they emerged from the end of the alley and observed that the assailants had grouped together to form fifteen men and were now barrelling straight towards the huge glass doors of the Burlington Mall.

Calvert, theyre going into the arcade!
Way ahead of you. The Cambridge Super replied, pulling up the mall camera feeds and examining the buildings 3D wireframe with practiced movements.
Sniper team two, you need to move to the tall building directly west of your position. Team one you are fine as you are. He instructed.

Silsbury contacted the perimeter, Move in to surround the mall and set up a police cordon, it doesnt have many exits and its quite large, if you get there on time well pen them in. Mobile Hussars proceed to this position; you will keep surveillance on each side of the compass.

They heard screams from inside and the sound of weapons discharge. Calvert I need the civilians out of there, the cordon will be able to filter the targets out if they try and leave in the rush but if they stay in the mall well be able to engage without fear of collateral damage. Start a fire alarm, order an evacuation; I dont care how you do it just do it.

Silsbury and Sykes ran through the open doorway into Burlington mall. It was fairly old but it was built expensively, one of the biggest and flashest on New London with a very complex flooring layout. It was said the architect was savaged by his guide dog.
Interestingly enough, the roughly dome shaped building formed a distinct, your side, my side with no mans land in the middle.

They stopped behind some cover, a low wall separating an open cafe from the huge courtyard area in the centre of the building, complete with ornamental fountain, and exotic tree-shrubs.

The dots on her HUD told her that the perimeter was in place, the Hussars were orbiting and the ground teams were just entering the mall now. Shoppers on the upper floors looked down in wonder and those on the bottom floor had thrown themselves to the ground in an effort to escape the rampaging group of terrorists which had made it to the other side.
Calvert, seal the doors on the west side of the building.
With a quick security override Calvert had the mesh guards descending over the glass doors.
Done, he said but this doesnt stop the service doors at the back of the stores, Ill have to look through the function list and see if I can find it.
Copy that Calvert, ring the bell.

A klaxon began to wail and an echoing voice issued from nowhere in particular, Warning: All persons inside are to exit the building immediately on the East side. Repeating over and over.

The shoppers boarded lifts and elevators taking them down from the hive like floor structure to the bottom and then out into the night they went.

Lets see what happens now... Sykes muttered, cradling his weapon protectively.

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Currently Retired

Signs and Portents