by thedoctor
The sun was setting in the west. Long shadows covered the isolated barn. Men in black gear and masks slipped in and out of darkness. Quick, quiet steps took them ever closer to the barn. Hand signals did the job of words as the group split up into two teams. Dirk Bell and Rogers were directed to go to the back, while the other four entered in the front.
A small explosive was put on each of the exits, front and back. A quick bang was the signal for the four men to burst throught the front, guns blazing. Exactly two seconds later, another bang sounded, and the other two men entered. Submachine guns was the choice for the team, except Dirk. He preferred hand guns. They kept accuracy up. What he lost in the amount of ammo fired, he more than made up for with accuracy.
As the gunfire came to a close, several bodies laid on the ground. Some had tried to draw and fire, but never had the chance. Some were wearing lab coats, while others just wore T-shirts and jeans.
"Good job. Let's torch it," said the lieutenant.
Dirk examined the contents of the barn. Tables laid toppled over. "This isn't right," he said as he picked up one of the dead guards' discarded guns. He ejected the clip and inspected it.
"What do you mean?" the lieutenant asked.
"This was a setup, for us and them," he said, nodding at the corpses and throwing the empty clip to the lieutenant. "They were set here to distract us, and probably for us to get them out of the way, too. They look like amateurs to begin with, street punks, if you ask me. From what I've heard, McKnight should have more sense than to hire third-tier help, if he knows we're after him."
Thomas, Meyers, and Jackson began to search the barn themselves. "This shit looks like Kool-Aid," Thomas said, picking up one of the overturned containers. "This does look like a setup."
Machine gun fire rang out as holes appeared in the wooden walls. The men ducked for cover. Bullets invaded from the south wall. For several seconds, the roar deafened the men. It suddenly stopped.
A small canister rolled in through the open door. Before anyone could react, flames jumped from it and spread across the wooden floor. They were upon Meyers in seconds. His sleeve was alive with fire. Panic overtook him as he ran away from the flames. The machine gun cut him down as soon as he exited the door.
"There must be two of 'em out there," the lieutenant said. He held back the emotion that ran through him after seeing one of his men, his friend, shot down.
Dirk found an old push cart they must have used to bring some of this stuff in with. He tossed the body of one of the former guards onto it and took Jackson's grenade launcher. That was the perk of this job: great toys. He shoved the cart out the door. Bullets shredded it to pieces, but Dirk had what he wanted. He knew where the first shooter was. A grenade flew into the trees and exploded. The gunfire stopped.
The men filed out quickly before the other shooter had a chance to reposition. They made a quick retreat into the woods. After a few minutes' hike, they all stopped. Rogers caught up in the rear, looking behind him to see if they were followed.
"Damn it!" Jackson said. "They knew we were coming."
"Looks like Pierce was right," the lieutenant said, breaking a cigar in half and tossing it on the ground. "McKnight is still in the game."