Operation Hell Gate - Marc Cerasini [85]
A woman's sudden scream was followed by shattering glass. Marine Captain Jessica Schneider bolted out the door and across the street before Tony could stop her.
"Christ, not again," he moaned, racing after her.
By the time she reached the path to the house, the Captain had her .45 drawn. When she reached the entrance, she flattened herself against the wooden door. Tony was still twenty yards away when a figure in black leather lunged at the Captain from the thick bushes flanking the arched entranceway.
The man smashed her against the door and dashed the weapon out of her hand. Still running, Tony spied a flash of steel, saw the eight-inch blade penetrate the Captain's shoulder to the hilt. Despite the horrific wound, she fought back.
Suddenly the door opened inward. Jessica Schneider and her attacker tumbled inside the house, and the door slammed. Without slowing, Tony veered to the right and ran toward the huge picture window. He drew his 9mm, snapped the safety off, and jumped.
Momentum carried him through the glass, but the vertical blinds entangled his feet and Tony landed on his side. He felt more than heard a supersonic crack as a bullet passed over his head, and Tony rolled behind a massive couch. He was in a living room, on a thick cream-colored rug. Near the fireplace, two young Asian men struggled with Mrs. Hensley. In the opposite corner Tony spied the shooter, fired twice. The double-tap splashed the man's brains onto the peach-colored walls.
Still on the floor, Tony twisted around, fired again. One of the men yelped and let go of the woman. He was a clear target now, and Tony pumped a shot into his heart. He flew back against the fireplace and dropped, scarlet staining the virgin carpet.
The last man gripped the woman's long blond hair, held a razor-sharp butterfly knife to her throat. He barked something in Cantonese. Tony's eyes narrowed as he aimed and fired again. The bullet struck the man's knee and he went down. Tony rose and fired a second round into the writhing, screaming man, and his cries abruptly ceased.
Tony bolted past the sobbing woman, kicked open a door. On the other side, Jessica Schneider was still struggling against one assassin. The other lay dead or unconscious in the marble entranceway. Tony grabbed the Asian man by his long black hair, yanked him backward. The assassin lunged. Tony kicked him in the throat. There was a crunch as the Asian's larynx was crushed. Choking, he fell backward, legs kicking as he gasped for air. Tony ignored the dying man, checked Jessica's wounds.
The knife was still buried in her shoulder. She gritted her teeth a she slid it out. There was a lot of blood, but no artery had been pierced. The Captain looked up at Tony through glassy eyes. Her face was pale and beaded with sweat, and Tony feared she was going to pass out.
"Stay with me!" he yelled.
Jessica opened her eyes, focused. Then she grinned sheepishly. "Guess I was too much of a Marine, huh?"
"You'll live. But I'm going to get you to a hospital."
She waved him off. "Take me to the CTU infirmary. This day isn't over yet. You still need me."
Tony offered her a faint smile while he tried to staunch the flow of blood. "Always the cowboy, right Captain?"
"I'm from Texas. It's in the blood."
Tony's eyebrows rose. "So I see."
Mrs. Hensley appeared in the doorway, her blouse ripped, jeans torn, clutching the jamb for support. She had a nasty bruise on the side of her face; otherwise she was nearly as colorless as Captain Schneider.
From the floor the Captain spoke. "Mrs. Hensley? Are you all right?"
Wide green eyes stared at the female Marine. The stunned woman nodded.
Tony stepped up to Mrs. Hensley. "My name is Tony Almeida. I'm an agent from the Counter Terrorist Unit. Do you have any idea why your ex-husband wants you dead?"
* * *
2:07:09 P.M. EDT
CTU Headquarters, Los Angeles
Ryan Chappelle called an emergency video conference with the other regional directors of Counter Terrorist Units across the nation.
"As you