State of Siege - Tom Clancy [30]
The young guards never made it. Upon seeing the intruders, they stopped. Then, like any soldier or police officer who had never been in combat, they snapped into the only thing they knew: training mode. From the United Nations security force manual, Vandal knew that in a showdown situation, they would attempt to spread out and present a less concentrated target, take cover if possible, and attempt to disable the enemy. Georgiev and Sazanka didn't give them the chance. Firing their Uzis from the hip, they sliced across the guards' thighs and dropped them virtually where they stood. Guns and radios clattered on the tile floor. As the wounded guards moaned, the two men walked on, firing a second burst into the head of each one. They stopped a few yards from the bodies. Georgiev picked up two of the radios that had skidded across the floor. "Come on," Vandal said and hurried on.
Barone and Downer joined him, and the five men continued forward. Now the only things that stood between them and the Security Council chambers were four dead guards and a blood-slicked floor.
New York, New York Saturday, 7:34 P.m.
All the parents in the correspondents' area heard and felt the crash downstairs. Since there were no windows in the room, they couldn't be sure exactly where or what it was. Paul Hood's first thought was that there had been an explosion. That was also the conclusion of several parents who wanted to go and make sure the children were all right. But Mr. Dillon walked in then. The guard asked everyone to stay where they were and to remain calm.
"I just went across the hall to the Security Council," Dillon said. "The children are fine. Most of the delegates are also there waiting for the secretary-general. Security personnel are on the way to evacuate the kids, the delegates, and then you folks. If you stay calm, everyone will be fine."
"Do you have any idea what happened?" one of the parents asked. "I'm not sure," Mr. Dillon said. "It looks like a van ran through the barrier and into the courtyard. I could see it out the window. But no one knows)"
He was interrupted by several pops from below. It sounded like gunfire. Dillon got on his radio.
"Station Freedom-Seven to base," he said.
There was a lot of yelling and noise. Then someone on the other end said, "There's been a breach, Freedom-Seven. Intruders unknown. Go to Everest-Six, Code Red. Do you have that?" "Everest-Six, Code Red," Dillon said. "I'm on my way." He clicked off the radio and headed toward the door. "I'm going back to the Security Council chambers to wait for the other guards. Please, all of you just stay here. his
"How long until the other guards arrive?" one of the fathers shouted.
"A few minutes," Mr. Dillon replied.
He left. The door shut with a solid click. Except for shouts from somewhere outside the building, everything was quiet. Suddenly, one of the fathers started toward the door. "I'm going to get my daughter," he said.
Hood stepped between the larger man and the door. "Don't," Hood said.
"Why?" the man demanded.
"Because the last thing security, medics, and fire personnel need is people getting in the way," Hood said. "Besides, they called this a code red situation. That probably means there's been a major security breach."
"All the more reason to get our kids out!" one of the other fathers said.
"No," Hood replied. "This is international soil. American laws and niceties don't apply. The guards will probably shoot unidentified personnel."
"How do you know that?"
"I worked for a federal intelligence agency after I left Los Angeles," Hood told them. "I've seen people down for being in the wrong place at the wrong time."
The man's wife came over and took his arm. "Charlie, please. Mr. Hood is right. Let the authorities handle this."
"But our daughter is out there," Charlie said. "So is mine," Hood said. "And getting myself killed isn't going to help her." It hit him just then