Red Hand Days - chapter 6
Title: Red Hand Days
Status: WIP
A/N: Since I'm totally stuck at this point, here's what I have written thus far. It's a bit shorter than the previous chapters, but I don't seem to get over this block any time soon. I have some vague idea where I'm going with this, but no clue how I'm going to get there. Well anyway, here's something. Oh and I really didn't have the energy to proof read this, since I've been fighting with it so much, so there's probably going to be shitty grammar and lots of typos.
6.
Kashim had always had a keen sense of direction. He didn't get lost easily and could navigate his way back to the starting point if nothing else. But in Singapore Kashim had to just step outside the hotel and he was already puzzled. There were so many people, heavy traffic, advertisements, voices and colours that it almost made him sick. Gauron had driven them across the city while Kashim had assembled the handguns and a rifle in the back seat.
Their target would be in a private apartment today. Gauron would go in and do the killing. Kashim would be positioned by the car further back with the rifle and provide cover fire once Gauron would exit the building.
Kashim twisted the silencers to the handguns and went over the conversation he had had with Gauron back at the hotel room.
“And the reason you won't shoot me with that is...?” Gauron had asked while Kashim had handled the rifle at the hotel.
Kashim had lifted his eyes to Gauron and given the subject a quick thought. He could shoot Gauron easily, but then he would be alone in the city. He probably could survive, but getting back to Afghanistan would be difficult. “My passports are with you and I can't speak English or Chinese well enough to cross the border. They would probably arrest me. And at some point Vostrikov would kill me”, Kashim had answered. “Are the local prisons as bad as back home?”
“Worse”, Gauron had said.
Kashim wasn't sure how that was even possible, but he wasn't eager to find out either. He had seen people who got out of prisons and if they still had all of their limbs with them, they were at least half crazy.
“I'm ready”, Kashim informed from the back seat and Gauron nodded. They drove on for another half an hour, before Gauron started to circle one block. He kept eyeing the alleys, balconies and the parked cars.
“I'll leave you there”, Gauron stated and pointed the nearby parking lot. “I will be going in through there and I will come out from there.” He pointed the fire escape on the side of the building. “Shoot anyone coming after me or around that corner.”
“Roger”, Kashim stated, noting the points he had to keep an eye on. “Are there time limits?”
“I should be in and out in under ten minutes. If something goes wrong, leave the gun and return to the hotel, contact Vostrikov from there and he will take over.” He parked the car, it's tail towards the building and left.
Kashim tossed a blanket over himself and laid down. One of the backseats had been taken out to make enough room for Kashim to lie down in the trunk comfortably. He set the rifle up and pushed the tip of the barrel out through a small drilled hole. Above it was another hole for Kashim's scope. Kashim took a relaxed position, his legs on the back seat and his upper torso inside the trunk. Through the scope he could see Gauron make his way towards the building and disappearing inside. Kashim started to count the seconds and moved his sight to the side exit.
Kashim had counted four minutes and thirty seven seconds when he heard the first shot. It wasn't a good sign, since Gauron was supposed to use the silencers. The man had blown his cover. It still didn't mean everything was lost, because it wasn't anything new that Gauron just went ahead and shot everything in sight instead of sneaking around.
The side exit stayed closed. More rounds were shot and Kashim started to count out loud to keep track of the time. At seven minutes eleven seconds it became silent. Kashim could make out police sirens further away. At 9.22 the front door was opened and few men rushed out. As one of them closed the corner in Kashim's sight, he fired. The man fell down and the others pulled their guns out. Since the fire exit was still closed, Kashim took the others out too. Better to be safe than sorry.
Few rounds were shot towards the car and Kashim cursed. Ten minutes had passed and Gauron was still inside. From the look of it, they had failed. Kashim still kept his eyes on the fire exit. He didn't want to make the grave error and leave too early only to leave Gauron in trouble.
The car door was opened and Kashim startled. He was about to make sure it was Gauron, when someone yanked him by the ankles and pulled him out from the trunk. Kashim kicked and fought but as soon as he saw his attackers, he stopped. There were four rifle barrels pointing towards him. Kashim's rifle was still in the trunk. The men were shouting at him maybe in Chinese. Kashim lifted his hands slowly as he tried to think of ways to kill four armed men with his bare hands. It would've been possible in some other place. The police sirens were coming closer and one of the men hit Kashim to the head with the handle of the gun. Kashim let out a grunt as his legs gave out. The hit wasn't enough to make him pass out, but it made him dizzy enough for the men to haul him across the street and inside without a problem.
Two men were supporting Kashim from his armpits as they made their way over some corpses. Kashim tried to see if any of them was Gauron, but they were all too small for that. There were shouts from all around and car engines howling. Kashim was pushed through a door and to stairs leading down just as the police cars drove to the front door.
Kashim walked down the stairs and pressed his palm against his head. There was some blood, but it wasn't a big wound. Nothing to worry about. Kashim glanced around him. In the hot and dusty basement was about twenty heavily armed men. Each one of them was eye-balling Kashim to their best effort. Some of them were bleeding. Gauron wasn't there; dead nor alive.
Getting caught was an option Kashim didn't like. He wasn't looking forward of being questioned or even tortured. He knew he could handle much, but he had limits like everyone else. And with Gauron gone, there wouldn't be anyone coming to the rescue.
Kashim was seated on a chair. No one came close enough to tie him up, but the rifles were pointed at him. The leader of the group stepped forward. He was an Asian man, in his mid forties with a neatly shaved moustaches and a long scar running from his left ear to his chin. The man asked something and lit a cigarette, returning his eyes to Kashim. When Kashim didn't answer, he changed the language to Chinese and then maybe Japanese.
Kashim straightened his back a little, which caused the men around him take a better hold of their rifles. “I speak Pashto, Dari and Russian”, Kashim stated them in Russian, which had become the most comfortable language to him. Gauron spoke Russian to him and Gauron was one of the few people who spoke to him. “Too little English”, he added in English with such a thick accent, he wasn't sure they even understood.
The leader asked something from his men. There were general murmur around and someone left the crowd. The basement was larger than Kashim had expected, expanding underneath the whole block. There must've been several ways out. The leader smoke his cigarette, while Kashim took in his surroundings and noted that there weren't any torturing devices to be seen. That made him a bit more relaxed.
A thin man rushed to them with a rifle and made a small bow to the leader. They spoke few sentences before the newcomer turned to Kashim.
“Who are you?” he spoke Russian with a funny accent, which made him sound like a small child.
Kashim didn't reply. He had no aliases and he wouldn't give out his only name to these people.
“You were with that assassin, Nine Dragons. Are you in his team?”
“Is he dead?” Kashim decided to ask, careful to mask all of his emotions.
The man confirmed the answer from the leader. “Yes.”
Kashim didn't fully buy it, but still he felt a sinking feeling in his chest. He had never liked Gauron, but nevertheless Gauron had always taken care of him. Because of Gauron he had always had a team to provide him food and shelter. Without Gauron Kashim had his freedom, but not much else. It might be that he wouldn't even have his life in a few minutes.
“You are sad”, the man translated as the leader spoke.
Kashim didn't answer. If Gauron was dead, there was nothing to protect anymore. It all came down to Kashim and him alone. Now it was all about his survival. He had to get out, to the hotel, contact Vostrikov and get back to Afghanistan. Once there he could ask Vostrikov, what the team would do. With a little luck he would be welcomed back there. If not, he would have to find another team. “He was my leader”, Kashim replied.
“You don't look old enough to be a soldier.”
“I'm not. I'm a guerilla fighter. I'm part of no army”, Kashim answered.
That seemed to raise some discussion among the men. The leader gave out orders and most of the men left. “If you don't try to run, we will not kill you”, the translator said.
Kashim stayed still as two rifles were kept pointed at his head while a third man walked behind him to tie his hands.
As Kashim twisted his hands into the correct position, Gauron's words about the stupidity of these people came back to Kashim. Either they didn't know anything about tying people up or no one had escaped them before. That was about to change.
The two guards stayed. Kashim took a good 45 minutes to familiarize himself with the basement. Where the lights were, where were the exits, how many men had went into each exit and how many voices he could hear. What kind of weapons there were, what kind of shooters were they, what did they think they knew about Kashim.
Once Kashim was ready and the guards were already at ease, he stood up, holding the rope that had been used to tie his hands. He choked the first guard and used his rifle to shoot the second one. Before the second guard had time to fall down, Kashim was already taking out the lights. When the basement door opened, he was already gone. It was almost too easy.
Kashim had chosen an exit in the north-west corner of the basement. One man had come out of there, but no one else had used it. He didn't meet anyone in the tunnel and surfaced after a short run from a manhole in an alley. The only guard had been sitting on a wooden box, smoking a cigarette. Kashim bashed his face in with the end of the rifle and after tossing the rifle away, jogged into the crowd on the street.
He was located on the other side of the building than Gauron's car. For awhile Kashim kept eyeing the building, trying to make up his mind about getting the rifle. Just as he was about to leave the scene, a black car drove past him and froze Kashim's movements. On the back seat, sitting calmly, was Yeong Lee, their third target, Kashim's primary target. The last one on the list.
It was more about stubbornness and being a perfectionist than it was about being smart. Gauron would have kicked his teeth in, if he had known what Kashim was about to do. But still, as Kashim watched Yeong Lee being driven to the same building he had just escaped from, Kashim turned around and jogged back to the alley.
The guard was still there, unconscious. Kashim rolled his eyes to the sight, walked next to the brick wall and scratched his forehead against the rough surface, just enough to make his head bleed slightly. Then he laid down next to the guard, closed his eyes and waited.
It took several minutes from someone to climb up from the manhole and start to shout. Kashim was kicked to his side, but he kept still. He was carried back into the building, the men sounding very pleased to themselves. Idiots.
Kashim spent hours in the basement with four armed men, now staring at him more concentrated. His hands were cuffed. It was probably supposed to be more difficult to get out from.
The leader of the group came down with few other men. Among them; Yeong Lee. Kashim was careful not to make eye contact to the man.
“You tried to escape”, the translator stated and tried to mimic the accusing tone of the leader. “We said we would kill you.”
It actually made Kashim offended. That they thought him to be so new to this, he wouldn't know how these things went. If they wanted him dead, they would've killed him already. They had some reason to keep him alive and until they got that, Kashim could try to finish off Yeong Lee. Kashim glanced at the leader. Everyone was silent.
“Do you know who I am?” Lee asked and stepped forward. He spoke in fluent Russian too.
Kashim stared at the man. “You all look the same to me”, he muttered.
Lee laughed and squatted down in front of Kashim. “Is it true you are Gauron's son?”
Kashim felt his heart skip a beat. Was that the reason he was still alive? They had contacted the hotel and now they thought...
“You are, aren't you?” Lee continued with a smirk. “No wonder he took you with him.” Lee took out a slim cigarette. “Well he's dead. You knew that, right?”
Kashim nodded slightly.
“Doesn't seem to bother you that much.”
Kashim didn't reply.
“I know what kind of a man he was”, Lee stated with a shrug. “A lot of boys your age hate his guts.”
Kashim couldn't help the horrified expression on his face. How the hell could Lee know things like that about Gauron?
Lee only smiled dryly. “I know I'm right. I know the man. Son or no son.” He breathed out a thick cloud of smoke. “So, what are your plans now? Back to Afghanistan?” he continued when Kashim still didn't answer. “You look like you could be from around here. Who was your mother?” Still no answer from Kashim. Lee walked around a bit and turned back towards Kashim. “This could be your way out, you now. Start a new life. I could use a fast killer like you.”
It sounded way too good to be true, but Kashim took the bait anyway. “I have nothing to go back to.”
“You didn't have a team in Afghanistan?”
Kashim shrugged. “They all hate me. Because of Gauron.”
Lee nodded slowly and smoked silently for awhile. “Then why did you try to run?”
“I don't want to be tortured. Gauron didn't share any information with me.”
Lee let out a short laughter. “That I believe. He has - had - several trust issues. Let him loose”, the man gestured to the guards. There was a moment of nervous silence. “Go on. Let him loose.”
The cuffs were opened and Kashim stood slowly up, rubbing his wrists. He stared at Lee.
“So? Do you want to work for me then? The pay's good and you don't have to do anything difficult. We'll get you a nice room and some food. New clothes. How does that sound?”
Kashim nodded slowly. “Good, I guess. I could eat.”
Lee laughed and rested his arm on Kashim's shoulders, leading them to the stairs. He could've killed the man right there and then, but Kashim was a bit hungry.
Status: WIP
A/N: Since I'm totally stuck at this point, here's what I have written thus far. It's a bit shorter than the previous chapters, but I don't seem to get over this block any time soon. I have some vague idea where I'm going with this, but no clue how I'm going to get there. Well anyway, here's something. Oh and I really didn't have the energy to proof read this, since I've been fighting with it so much, so there's probably going to be shitty grammar and lots of typos.
6.
Kashim had always had a keen sense of direction. He didn't get lost easily and could navigate his way back to the starting point if nothing else. But in Singapore Kashim had to just step outside the hotel and he was already puzzled. There were so many people, heavy traffic, advertisements, voices and colours that it almost made him sick. Gauron had driven them across the city while Kashim had assembled the handguns and a rifle in the back seat.
Their target would be in a private apartment today. Gauron would go in and do the killing. Kashim would be positioned by the car further back with the rifle and provide cover fire once Gauron would exit the building.
Kashim twisted the silencers to the handguns and went over the conversation he had had with Gauron back at the hotel room.
“And the reason you won't shoot me with that is...?” Gauron had asked while Kashim had handled the rifle at the hotel.
Kashim had lifted his eyes to Gauron and given the subject a quick thought. He could shoot Gauron easily, but then he would be alone in the city. He probably could survive, but getting back to Afghanistan would be difficult. “My passports are with you and I can't speak English or Chinese well enough to cross the border. They would probably arrest me. And at some point Vostrikov would kill me”, Kashim had answered. “Are the local prisons as bad as back home?”
“Worse”, Gauron had said.
Kashim wasn't sure how that was even possible, but he wasn't eager to find out either. He had seen people who got out of prisons and if they still had all of their limbs with them, they were at least half crazy.
“I'm ready”, Kashim informed from the back seat and Gauron nodded. They drove on for another half an hour, before Gauron started to circle one block. He kept eyeing the alleys, balconies and the parked cars.
“I'll leave you there”, Gauron stated and pointed the nearby parking lot. “I will be going in through there and I will come out from there.” He pointed the fire escape on the side of the building. “Shoot anyone coming after me or around that corner.”
“Roger”, Kashim stated, noting the points he had to keep an eye on. “Are there time limits?”
“I should be in and out in under ten minutes. If something goes wrong, leave the gun and return to the hotel, contact Vostrikov from there and he will take over.” He parked the car, it's tail towards the building and left.
Kashim tossed a blanket over himself and laid down. One of the backseats had been taken out to make enough room for Kashim to lie down in the trunk comfortably. He set the rifle up and pushed the tip of the barrel out through a small drilled hole. Above it was another hole for Kashim's scope. Kashim took a relaxed position, his legs on the back seat and his upper torso inside the trunk. Through the scope he could see Gauron make his way towards the building and disappearing inside. Kashim started to count the seconds and moved his sight to the side exit.
Kashim had counted four minutes and thirty seven seconds when he heard the first shot. It wasn't a good sign, since Gauron was supposed to use the silencers. The man had blown his cover. It still didn't mean everything was lost, because it wasn't anything new that Gauron just went ahead and shot everything in sight instead of sneaking around.
The side exit stayed closed. More rounds were shot and Kashim started to count out loud to keep track of the time. At seven minutes eleven seconds it became silent. Kashim could make out police sirens further away. At 9.22 the front door was opened and few men rushed out. As one of them closed the corner in Kashim's sight, he fired. The man fell down and the others pulled their guns out. Since the fire exit was still closed, Kashim took the others out too. Better to be safe than sorry.
Few rounds were shot towards the car and Kashim cursed. Ten minutes had passed and Gauron was still inside. From the look of it, they had failed. Kashim still kept his eyes on the fire exit. He didn't want to make the grave error and leave too early only to leave Gauron in trouble.
The car door was opened and Kashim startled. He was about to make sure it was Gauron, when someone yanked him by the ankles and pulled him out from the trunk. Kashim kicked and fought but as soon as he saw his attackers, he stopped. There were four rifle barrels pointing towards him. Kashim's rifle was still in the trunk. The men were shouting at him maybe in Chinese. Kashim lifted his hands slowly as he tried to think of ways to kill four armed men with his bare hands. It would've been possible in some other place. The police sirens were coming closer and one of the men hit Kashim to the head with the handle of the gun. Kashim let out a grunt as his legs gave out. The hit wasn't enough to make him pass out, but it made him dizzy enough for the men to haul him across the street and inside without a problem.
Two men were supporting Kashim from his armpits as they made their way over some corpses. Kashim tried to see if any of them was Gauron, but they were all too small for that. There were shouts from all around and car engines howling. Kashim was pushed through a door and to stairs leading down just as the police cars drove to the front door.
Kashim walked down the stairs and pressed his palm against his head. There was some blood, but it wasn't a big wound. Nothing to worry about. Kashim glanced around him. In the hot and dusty basement was about twenty heavily armed men. Each one of them was eye-balling Kashim to their best effort. Some of them were bleeding. Gauron wasn't there; dead nor alive.
Getting caught was an option Kashim didn't like. He wasn't looking forward of being questioned or even tortured. He knew he could handle much, but he had limits like everyone else. And with Gauron gone, there wouldn't be anyone coming to the rescue.
Kashim was seated on a chair. No one came close enough to tie him up, but the rifles were pointed at him. The leader of the group stepped forward. He was an Asian man, in his mid forties with a neatly shaved moustaches and a long scar running from his left ear to his chin. The man asked something and lit a cigarette, returning his eyes to Kashim. When Kashim didn't answer, he changed the language to Chinese and then maybe Japanese.
Kashim straightened his back a little, which caused the men around him take a better hold of their rifles. “I speak Pashto, Dari and Russian”, Kashim stated them in Russian, which had become the most comfortable language to him. Gauron spoke Russian to him and Gauron was one of the few people who spoke to him. “Too little English”, he added in English with such a thick accent, he wasn't sure they even understood.
The leader asked something from his men. There were general murmur around and someone left the crowd. The basement was larger than Kashim had expected, expanding underneath the whole block. There must've been several ways out. The leader smoke his cigarette, while Kashim took in his surroundings and noted that there weren't any torturing devices to be seen. That made him a bit more relaxed.
A thin man rushed to them with a rifle and made a small bow to the leader. They spoke few sentences before the newcomer turned to Kashim.
“Who are you?” he spoke Russian with a funny accent, which made him sound like a small child.
Kashim didn't reply. He had no aliases and he wouldn't give out his only name to these people.
“You were with that assassin, Nine Dragons. Are you in his team?”
“Is he dead?” Kashim decided to ask, careful to mask all of his emotions.
The man confirmed the answer from the leader. “Yes.”
Kashim didn't fully buy it, but still he felt a sinking feeling in his chest. He had never liked Gauron, but nevertheless Gauron had always taken care of him. Because of Gauron he had always had a team to provide him food and shelter. Without Gauron Kashim had his freedom, but not much else. It might be that he wouldn't even have his life in a few minutes.
“You are sad”, the man translated as the leader spoke.
Kashim didn't answer. If Gauron was dead, there was nothing to protect anymore. It all came down to Kashim and him alone. Now it was all about his survival. He had to get out, to the hotel, contact Vostrikov and get back to Afghanistan. Once there he could ask Vostrikov, what the team would do. With a little luck he would be welcomed back there. If not, he would have to find another team. “He was my leader”, Kashim replied.
“You don't look old enough to be a soldier.”
“I'm not. I'm a guerilla fighter. I'm part of no army”, Kashim answered.
That seemed to raise some discussion among the men. The leader gave out orders and most of the men left. “If you don't try to run, we will not kill you”, the translator said.
Kashim stayed still as two rifles were kept pointed at his head while a third man walked behind him to tie his hands.
As Kashim twisted his hands into the correct position, Gauron's words about the stupidity of these people came back to Kashim. Either they didn't know anything about tying people up or no one had escaped them before. That was about to change.
The two guards stayed. Kashim took a good 45 minutes to familiarize himself with the basement. Where the lights were, where were the exits, how many men had went into each exit and how many voices he could hear. What kind of weapons there were, what kind of shooters were they, what did they think they knew about Kashim.
Once Kashim was ready and the guards were already at ease, he stood up, holding the rope that had been used to tie his hands. He choked the first guard and used his rifle to shoot the second one. Before the second guard had time to fall down, Kashim was already taking out the lights. When the basement door opened, he was already gone. It was almost too easy.
Kashim had chosen an exit in the north-west corner of the basement. One man had come out of there, but no one else had used it. He didn't meet anyone in the tunnel and surfaced after a short run from a manhole in an alley. The only guard had been sitting on a wooden box, smoking a cigarette. Kashim bashed his face in with the end of the rifle and after tossing the rifle away, jogged into the crowd on the street.
He was located on the other side of the building than Gauron's car. For awhile Kashim kept eyeing the building, trying to make up his mind about getting the rifle. Just as he was about to leave the scene, a black car drove past him and froze Kashim's movements. On the back seat, sitting calmly, was Yeong Lee, their third target, Kashim's primary target. The last one on the list.
It was more about stubbornness and being a perfectionist than it was about being smart. Gauron would have kicked his teeth in, if he had known what Kashim was about to do. But still, as Kashim watched Yeong Lee being driven to the same building he had just escaped from, Kashim turned around and jogged back to the alley.
The guard was still there, unconscious. Kashim rolled his eyes to the sight, walked next to the brick wall and scratched his forehead against the rough surface, just enough to make his head bleed slightly. Then he laid down next to the guard, closed his eyes and waited.
It took several minutes from someone to climb up from the manhole and start to shout. Kashim was kicked to his side, but he kept still. He was carried back into the building, the men sounding very pleased to themselves. Idiots.
Kashim spent hours in the basement with four armed men, now staring at him more concentrated. His hands were cuffed. It was probably supposed to be more difficult to get out from.
The leader of the group came down with few other men. Among them; Yeong Lee. Kashim was careful not to make eye contact to the man.
“You tried to escape”, the translator stated and tried to mimic the accusing tone of the leader. “We said we would kill you.”
It actually made Kashim offended. That they thought him to be so new to this, he wouldn't know how these things went. If they wanted him dead, they would've killed him already. They had some reason to keep him alive and until they got that, Kashim could try to finish off Yeong Lee. Kashim glanced at the leader. Everyone was silent.
“Do you know who I am?” Lee asked and stepped forward. He spoke in fluent Russian too.
Kashim stared at the man. “You all look the same to me”, he muttered.
Lee laughed and squatted down in front of Kashim. “Is it true you are Gauron's son?”
Kashim felt his heart skip a beat. Was that the reason he was still alive? They had contacted the hotel and now they thought...
“You are, aren't you?” Lee continued with a smirk. “No wonder he took you with him.” Lee took out a slim cigarette. “Well he's dead. You knew that, right?”
Kashim nodded slightly.
“Doesn't seem to bother you that much.”
Kashim didn't reply.
“I know what kind of a man he was”, Lee stated with a shrug. “A lot of boys your age hate his guts.”
Kashim couldn't help the horrified expression on his face. How the hell could Lee know things like that about Gauron?
Lee only smiled dryly. “I know I'm right. I know the man. Son or no son.” He breathed out a thick cloud of smoke. “So, what are your plans now? Back to Afghanistan?” he continued when Kashim still didn't answer. “You look like you could be from around here. Who was your mother?” Still no answer from Kashim. Lee walked around a bit and turned back towards Kashim. “This could be your way out, you now. Start a new life. I could use a fast killer like you.”
It sounded way too good to be true, but Kashim took the bait anyway. “I have nothing to go back to.”
“You didn't have a team in Afghanistan?”
Kashim shrugged. “They all hate me. Because of Gauron.”
Lee nodded slowly and smoked silently for awhile. “Then why did you try to run?”
“I don't want to be tortured. Gauron didn't share any information with me.”
Lee let out a short laughter. “That I believe. He has - had - several trust issues. Let him loose”, the man gestured to the guards. There was a moment of nervous silence. “Go on. Let him loose.”
The cuffs were opened and Kashim stood slowly up, rubbing his wrists. He stared at Lee.
“So? Do you want to work for me then? The pay's good and you don't have to do anything difficult. We'll get you a nice room and some food. New clothes. How does that sound?”
Kashim nodded slowly. “Good, I guess. I could eat.”
Lee laughed and rested his arm on Kashim's shoulders, leading them to the stairs. He could've killed the man right there and then, but Kashim was a bit hungry.