Freedom Day

Chapter 12 - "Code Black"

"Alpha-Three, permission denied..."

"Valkyrie, give us five minutes and we can sweep for survivors...", Ethan tried to argue. "...We gotta move now before our window closes!"

"Not my call, I'm sorry. This one came straight from the top... Treadway just barged into the Ops room; he saw the whole thing."

"...Fuck."

A heavy sigh. The explosion at the Compound was an unexpected development. The leaking chemical weapon only made the day worse. But another problem was about to join the pile. Director Robert Treadway of Homeland Security. Ethan never knew the man personally, but his acerbic reputation with the men and women of Rainbow preceded him. If he was about to be involved in calling the shots, then this operation had truly reared its ugly head. One could only imagine the scene at Bragg right now. A pissed-off suit with eyeglasses slamming the door open, demanding answers from the first person he came across. A whole lot of shouting and bickering. It gave no justice to the people who just lost their lives on the other side of the country.

The siege of the White Masks' stronghold was still underway. This was not the proper time for a sparring match between two supposed-allies. There were more pressing matters to attend to, like the raging inferno and the outbreak of a chemical weapon in the outskirts of Redmond. Whatever kind of explosive material the terrorists had stored in the basement, it was also laced with the distinctive yellowish toxins that they also used in Bartlett University almost two weeks ago. The poisonous cloud spread unopposed, threatening to close off an area the size of a city block. Rainbow's intelligence officer said that CBRN and rescue units were en route. But if she would be having a hard time coordinating with them all, now that she's saddled with 'protocol' and 'rules of engagement'.

Every fiber of Ethan's being was telling him to act, defy orders one more time. Somehow, he felt that Meghan was of the same mind, but she had no choice other than to deny him his request. Her next words were rather reluctant.

"All Blue Force callsigns are to disengage...", she continued. "...That includes JSOC and us. Hold position and await further instructions, how copy?"

They sounded more like Treadway's orders. So much for this being the FBI's show.

"Alpha-One here, requesting update on our ROE...", Miles spoke over the radio. "...We're gettin' medevac requests all across the board; Tac Teams are down or have their hands full, over."

"Maintain eyes on the building, Castle. DHS is assuming operational control. They said to... W-Wait, hold on..."

The pause was unexpected. There was a quick burst of static and abrupt ruffling of wires, seemingly sounding like Meghan had just pulled her headset away. The radio came to life again after a couple seconds of silence. Surprisingly, there was a different person speaking on the other line.

A woman. A commanding one.

"Team. This is Six..."

The firm, authoritative voice stopped Alpha Team in their tracks. Blindsided by the boss lady's sudden message, Emma turned to her partner- green eyes behind the tinted gas mask lenses looked visibly concerned. The other soldier, with his grey ones, met her gaze in silent contemplation. He bid her not to worry, but his gut told him otherwise. Some deep shit was bound to happen, now that they got the veritable supreme commander's attention. In just a heartbeat, the mission had gone awry, a handful of good men were snuffed out, and Rainbow's supposedly minor role was suddenly overturned. There was only one outcome. He briefly imagined their boss's anxiety, bubbling beneath that poker face of hers.

"...You guys have a better view down there than any of us over here... so I ought to make sure you all know what you're asking for."

Miles, the designated team leader, quickly stepped up.