The Snowman

The Great Escape

The plan was a long shot, but it wasn't the first longshot we've taken, and hopefully, it wouldn't be our last either. The miles to the airfield seemed to drag on and on, I needed this to work. It was the only way we had a shot of getting out of this mess, especially Rachel. I didn't want to part ways with her, but in order to keep her safe I had to, so it wasn't that difficult of a debate in my mind. However, all that being said, I liked her company, I haven't had company in a very long time, well not since that last time that... thought's of my last failure began to put cracks in my confident attitude toward this escape. I shook my head as if I could literally shake off the negative emotions. The exit I needed to take to get to the supposedly abandoned airstrip came up fast and that allowed me to focus on what was ahead, not the dreadful past. I slowed way down through the curvy, practically offroad path that weaved its way through the forest. Snow was still falling and everything around was covered in white. After anothing sharp right corner I saw the red lights of a plane tarmac ahead in the distance, and two brake lights seemingly small from this distance. I quickly turned off all my lights, and sat there in the silence staring intently at the vehicle that held a very special passenger. I wondered how the conversation was going there. I knew how she spoke to me, but I had no idea how she acted when I wasn't around. Being at the mercy of some stranger is never a pleasant time either. Maybe, I could just run up to the vehicle and grab her. It was a very tempting thought, but an equally stupid one. If I did that she would never be free, she'd be stuck running with me for the rest of her life. Which with how things have been going probably wouldn't be that long. No, I needed to stick to my original plan. She could have a relatively normal life back again.

I pulled myself out of the car, my body reminded me of all the damage it had been dealt recently. Fighting past the discomfort of moving, I opened the trunk. Depending on what was in here would determine how the next part would go. Thankfully, I could go with plan A, as I expected there was a disassembled sniper in the back. I quickly put all the pieces together and posted up on the hood of the car looking through the scope just as the doors of Rose's Audi.

Once again I was looking at Rachel through a sniper's sights. A single man stood in front of the jet. Rose said something over to Rachel and although up to this point, Ms. Andersen didn't seem to be resisting, now she was hesitating. This infuriated me even more, she had lied to her all the way here. Probably telling her this was what needed to happen for her safety. It took everything in me not to pull the trigger on Rose, but I couldn't, for this to work the hand off needed to go without any issues. The two began walking towards the man in a black overcoat and bowler hat, his hands covered by black leather gloves folded in front of him. Rached stopped moving and shook her head, her resolve was met by a pistol to the face pointed by Rose, gesturing her to move forwards. Again my trigger finger itched to just pull back slightly. They had just about reached him, when Rose dug a burner phone out of her jacket pocket and pressed it to her ear. Then her head jerked suddenly in my direction. Simultaneously, a vehicle came flying down the road behind me. I picked up the sniper and turned around quickly firing three shots into where the driver should be, the first didn't go through but the next two did and the car kept careening into a tree off the side of the road. I looked down the scope again seeing the dazed and bloodied passenger trying to get out. I fired again, ending his struggle. Turning back downrange to the airfield, there was a shootout going on between the man and Rose, who was now back behind an open door of the vehicle. I found Rachel, slowly moving away from the scene. I tried to line up the shot on Rose to end this, plan A was out the door now and the door she was hiding behind was partially blocking my shot, but if i aimed for the outer part of the frame the bullet and or shrapnel would find it's intended home. It had to be a perfect shot though.

My concentration was broken by the sound of another vehicle coming from behind. I squeezed the trigger, but she had ducked away from my line of sight. I flinched my aim down. I wasn't confident that the shot would hit its mark, but I didn't have time to worry about it, because that vehicle was right on top of me now. I went to turn around, but it must have been too late.

I awoke to the sound of an airplane passing overhead. The fog in my brain cleared and along with mental clarity came even more pain then I was feeling before. I forced myself over on my chest to see the runway. It was empty. I was relieved to know that she was safe, the plan had worked. My moment of relief was fleeting as I adjusted to my new predicament. My entire body was hurting, especially my head, there was glass, pieces of debris, and blood mixed in with the snow that I was lying in. The rifle was out of view now having been launched with me, away from the Audi when the attackers rammed the back of it. Turning my head back to the roadway, I realized I had at least four weapons trained on me, at least ones I could see, and a very familiar vehicle was rapidly approaching from down the road. Coming up from the tarmac was a very angry looking ex-partner of mine, whose simple drop off had been royally screwed up. The Russians were probably pissed by this time as well, being sent to the wrong airfield out in the middle of a different nowhere. Thankfully Blackburn still had his in, with a certain air traffic controller. Of course, things didn't go exactly to plan, as Rose and the other operators here had been tipped off much too soon. Nevertheless, they had escaped and were alive, which if I didn't think of something fast I probably wouldn't be. Through the pain and my world spinning I managed to get to my feet. My accomplishment was met with everyone's weapons being raised to greet me. The approaching vehicle briefly struggled to stop in the snow, but its deep tread tires quickly won the friction battle. The door swung open forcefully and she closed it and the distance between us with just as much ferocity, having no regard for her safety even though I had a pistol in my hand. In her mind she thought had control of this situation. This would be the only advantage I would have, well that and the fact if they were going to kill me I'd be dead already. No, they needed me alive so they could get to Rachel, and make this deal with a devil.

"What the fuck was that!" She yelled in my face. A had a deja vu moment as we never did get along on our previous mission either. It took everything I had to straighten myself up and look her dead in the eyes.

"That was, completing my mission." I said firmly. Now her sidearm was raised to match the others surrounding me. Starring the barrel of a gun never gets old, and not in a good way, however, the extra shot of adrenaline was very helpful.

"Where is she going?!" she took a small step in my direction, she was just about close enough. Her rage clouded her judgment. It was one of the reasons I didn't like working with her. I moved my finger onto the trigger and depressed it slightly. She was too distracted trying to kill me with her stare to notice.

"I have no idea." I lied calmly. "That was part of the plan," I paused and smirked just slightly, "Safer that way, you know?" I mocked. Her eyes widened in fury, and she walked right into my trap. Quite literally, as her anger propelled her forward just one more step and that was close enough to strike. She was about to say something else, and I took that as my que to strike. In one swift, fluid movement. I jerked my wrist up, fully depressing the trigger, as the weapon delivered the bullet, I side stepped my body, ducking my torso out of her gun's line of sight as I reached with my other hand to grab her wrist. The bullet I had fired cut through her shin, taking some calf muscle with it as well. She took a shot that went over my shoulder, as I wrapped my arm around her neck and positioned myself behind her using her as a shield against the other weapons pointed at me. I was able to rip the gun out of her hand and I tighten my forearm on her throat. I pressed it to her temple as I back peddled, the others moved closer, but with a little shake from the gun they stopped. Rose tried to resist, but she had little strength with only one leg to stand on.

"That was almost too easy, you still haven't learned." The pressure I was putting on her neck had just about rendered her unconscious. I made it to the car, "Catch me if you can." I taunted before shoving her forward as I opened the door. The bullets started coming my way as soon as my ass hit the seat. I floored it, it took a second for the tires to grab, but they did and I was launched up the hill. The bullet resistant glass held strong as I flew by the men and made my way back onto the main road.

There was really no plan now for once in a long time I had no real direction to go. All I know is that I need to stay running to keep them all distracted from trying to track down Rachel. Then eventually disappear, myself. Though the adrenaline and pain were still there I felt myself floating away mentally. As my speed steadily increased, the full weight of the silence weighed on me, and I couldn't help but notice the empty seat next to me.