Rainbow Six: November Sun

29: "PREVENTATIVE MEASURES"

SEPTEMBER 9, 2019
RAINBOW HQ - FIRING RANGE
HEREFORD, ENGLAND

The CQC obstacle course was ready. The sounds of targets being electronically restored sounded throughout the range, a familiar and welcome sound for Ela Bosak - especially first thing in the morning.

The woman pulled her hat snugly over her green hair and rolled her neck slowly this way and that, trying to stretch out the stiffness she felt on the left side. When she was ready, she pulled her FO-12 semi-automatic shotgun to her shoulder, planted her feet, and focused her eyes ahead.

"Ready," she announced.

"Copy that," came the Range Master over the intercom. "CQC Course 4 activated. Countdown commencing in three... two... one..."

Though Ela heard the man's voice, she was focused on the signal lights at the edge of her vision. As the Range Master counted down, the lights illuminated with each count, until at last the green light signifying the time attack dinged to signal her to begin.

The woman moved with lethal precision. Every sprint was calculated. Every sidestep that kicked dust into the air was planned. Every squeeze of the trigger sent a wicked blast reverberating off the concrete walls of the indoor range. Paper targets were shredded by her shotgun's buckshot.

As she neared the end of the course, a surprise target suddenly swung out on a pivot bar, nearly smacking her in the face.

That was new.

In one fluid motion the woman slid to her left, let her shotgun fall idly to the side, drew her dagger with her other hand, and swiped up at the target.

The steel of her blade nearly tore the paper target in two, reducing the target to a fluttering curtain that rippled with the breeze as Ela rushed by.

She braced her shotgun at the ready and sped down the corridor ahead of her, mentally preparing herself for whatever other new surprises Director Six might have had installed.

Suddenly the industrial lighting switched on with a loud echo that sounded through the range. Red lights bathed the course in a crimson glow, and the buzzer sounded over the intercom indicating the course was over.

Ela skidded to a stop. "The hell?" she breathed. She turned on her heel to face the Range Master's booth suspended above the course, and raised her arms out from her sides in demand. What the fuck? she mouthed.

"Course suspended," came the man over the intercom. "Deployment imminent, Bosak. Please report immediately to the Situation Room."

The woman's angry eyes softened in realization. She shouldered her weapon and rushed back the way she had come, annoyed that she had been cut short in what might have been her best timing yet for Course 4.

*          *          *

Harry stood at the front of the briefing room. He had summoned Ela, her sister Zofia, Bandit, Jäger, Blackbeard, Ying and Lesion; as well as IQ, Blitz, Castle, Tachanka, Kapkan, Warden, and Alibi of Team 4.

Harry activated the digital monitor behind him. "Let's begin." He pulled up a mugshot of a rugged man with a thousand-yard stare. "We know this man as Tsar, the leader of the thwarted attacks in Brussels. His real name is Yegor Federov. As with most of his other companions, it seems Yegor's education was paid for in Moscow by an unknown party - and he, as well, was a student at SNO during the Beslan School Siege."

The operators shot knowing glances at one another.

"Belgian authorities just got off the phone with Douglas Lilly." Harry folded his arms. "They seized Federov's phone on-location. Their people ran traces, diagnostics. Long story short, we believe what we saw in Brussels was just part of November Sun's operation."

"Never simple, is it?" quipped Jäger.

Harry shook his head. "Rarely. Now, we have multiple calls to and from an untraceable number. No text. There are, however, numerous emails to what appears to be a shell account created remotely. We have no idea where, or by who, this email was created by. Its creation was routed, then re-routed, by multiple encrypted servers in three different continents. Though we can't know exactly who that recipient is, we now think we have an idea."

Harry pulled up an older photo of a group of teenagers in the street outside a building in Moscow. They were making silly poses and vulgar gestures. "Moscow, 2008. Yegor Federov, AKA Tsar, is there, on the left. The lad with his arm around Yegor is confirmed to be Matvei Federov, his brother." He zoomed in on the image and panned right "Three of the six other boys were in Brussels, and reviewed during our briefing last night. That's Petr Teverdovsky there, on the opposite end."

Blitz whistled lowly. "Gotta hand it to these boys. They know how to hold a grudge."

Harry nodded. "Indeed. Multiple communications between Yegor and that encrypted email hint towards an attack planned for tomorrow, September 10."

The operators shifted in their seats and exchanged knowing glances. "Where?" asked Zofia.

"It's no secret that the Americans, Chinese, and Russians have a summit scheduled in D.C. in the afternoon of September 10." Harry stifled a yawn. "The communications reference the east coast of the United States, and a high profile 'meeting'. It is well within reason to assume the Joint Summit is a potential target."

Alibi rested her chin on an open palm. "What does the summit have to do with the Beslan School Siege, or November Sun?"

"Admittedly, we can't make a connection." Harry brought up a new set of images outlining a large area of downtown Washington D.C. "Despite this, you will all be deployed to the site of the summit in coordination with Presidential security, purely as a preventative measure."

Ela frowned. "So we're not even sure anything will happen?"

"No, Ela." Harry looked at her pointedly. "In light of recent events, we've decided that such a concentration of high value targets in one area, coinciding with a specific date mentioned multiple times in a known terrorist's emails, more than warrants Rainbow's involvement."

The woman sighed. "Sorry, Harry. I know." She grinned. "I just had a really good time attack going at the range."

Harry chuckled. "Team 4 - I'm designating Warden as Team Leader. He has connections with the security staff you'll be working with and is more than familiar with the mission site."

Nods of acknowledgment met Harry's words.

"Now, the summit is being held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in downtown D.C." Harry zoomed in on the area. "Between 7th and 9th Street. The White House is just a few blocks away. "

"No pressure," IQ remarked sarcastically.

"Listen." Harry looked out at his operators solemnly. "The convention center is 2.3 million square feet. It has 77 break-out rooms, a parking garage, the largest ballroom in the region, and three levels not including the basement. The main Exhibit Hall alone is 703,000 square feet."

Castle scratched his stubbled jaw. "How are we supposed to cover that much area? That's impossible."

Director Six smiled. "It is impossible for two squads, yes; but you will only be in charge of security for the meeting site, as well as fall-back and extraction plans in case of emergency."