The Shadows of Peace - Battle Cries

Chapter XII ~ 21/11/2095

The Octace

20:00

Alexzei

He fired his eighteenth shot at the eighteenth target board. All of them torn from the center. Besides him he heard another series of loud bangs one after the other as Conrad Orlov emptied his magazine on the target board. All hitting bull's eye. But at the Octace every one could do that. Whoever had stained the board anywhere except the center had been stained with dripping blood from fresh wounds. Conrad Orlov would accept only the best from his men.

He took off the ear protection he had worn and as Conrad Orlov did the same, he walked up to him. 

"I'm pleased to see that you haven't turned displeasing," Conrad Orlov spoke to him. 

"I fight only those wars that are mine to win. I'm never displeasing."

"And as I had said the first time we met, I'm never displeased. So we do make a beautiful pair. A deathly pair."

"We sure do sir."

"We've fulfilled the needs of our business. Let's do the same for our guts."

"I'll have to check my list to find if any dish is repeated today. Or I'll be the loser again."

"Oh come on. I know the results already."

"Then let's just focus on our stomachs."

Conrad Orlov gave a small laugh as he lead the way downstairs to the dinner hall.

20:45

Alexzei

The eighteenth floor was not much of a complicated one. A single broad room. With two long tables placed parallely. It resembled the dinner's at the palaces. All the strength of the order, assembled at one place. Socializing. It was very important. But today was even important. Because today these men were going to feed on a very different dessert.

20:55

Dietrich Ziegler

They were nearing the landing zone. From the darkness of the sky, he could barely make out the unlit helipad on top of the eighteen floor building. "Lower, lower," he called to the pilot who was maneuvering the russian made Mil Mi-38. The pilot moved a lever and immediately the chopper began its descent. He signalled to his men and all of them inserted new magazines into their guns. An HK 416 or an MP 7. He himself inserted a new magazine and adjusted the sights on his Brugger and Thomet MP9.

They landed on the helipad and the motors faded. The blades still rotating by the momentum. He tightened the straps on his harness, so did the others. All of them tied their ropes to the railing of the helipad and stood near it. On the opposite side. Downwards he could see a straight fall of eighteen floors, to the ground that would take them up. They just had to wait now.

21:00

Dietrich Zeigler

He heard the voice in his ear. He followed it. He released his grip on the railing, and he jumped. So did the nineteen men with him. He pushed away from the railing and then the air ran into him. A direct free fall, plunging downwards. Until the length of the rope was covered and it pulled them back to the center. Towards the Octace. He straightened his legs as he neared the floor to ceiling glass windows. The rope swung him directly at the transparent wall ahead of him. As he neared, he could see a single long room. With many men inside. Through the glass he could see another glass window opposite to him, being approached by a man swinging on a rope just like him. The timing would be perfect. Just as he had wished.