Gabatrix: The Warrior of Silence

The marine briefly looked around. The other police had adequately closed off the street. However, there were only so many available as this only left a small armed team of three police officers and Lekan that was ready to storm the building. He recognized that two of them were armed with the OSG-5 shotgun fitted with stun rounds and stun grenades. The other had cutting tools and a pistol.

While viable, it didn't seem to please Stone. He turned to look up at the window. His hands would clench back and forth as he showed a state of aggravation and unease. His eye could see a different angle of the hostage-taker. The red outline depicted a person that would walk up the window. Finally, he stopped his pacing. The perpetrator looked at his gun, away from the window, and then stepped up to the windowsill.

Stone crossed his arms as the man pressed a button. The window slid open enough for the perpetrator to show himself. Lekan turned his head away from his tablet as he looked up and saw the man holding his wife hostage.

The hostage-taker appeared to be a man in his mid-thirties. He was well dressed in fine office clothes that Stone took note of. This was not an impoverished area of the continent, but Stone had seen enough to indicate what was a ghetto area or not on Oshun. The dark complexion was commonplace, but the man was almost bald. His eyelids showed strain and exhaustion that Stone could clearly see.

"Hey!" the man yelled out of the window.

"Baraka!" Lekan called out. "Are you Baraka?"

"Yeah......." The man called out as he brandished his pistol. "Don't you dare come up here!"

"Baraka, we are here because we have heard the disturbance that happened in your apartment. Is it just you and your wife?"

"Yeah....." the man replied with some hesitation. He was looking at the scene and was shaking his head.

"Is your wife hurt? Does she need medical attention?"

"No!" he snapped at him. He pulled his pistol as Stone could see the red outline of the gun being aimed inside the home. "She will be, though. The bitch won't stop yelling at me."

Lekan was ascertaining the situation to the best of his abilities. Even the marine was carefully noting everything. It appeared to him that Baraka was irate.

"We are here to have your wife released," Lekan said.

"Fuck no! I can handle this........I can handle this until you showed up!"

"You have demands then? Let us try to talk it out. What is it?"

Stone looked at the team. They were holding positions, but they were too far in the open. Any movement that they made and the husband may simply gun down his wife. Stone, however, was a little bit closer to the front entrance of the apartments. He was bidding his time carefully while he continued to clench his hands to his muscled arm.

"I want all of you to disburse now!" Baraka yelled out. "I....just got in an argument with my wife. It is just a simple stupid argument." An internal commotion was coming through inside the place that caused the man to divert his attention away from Lekan. He screamed at her to shut up.

"We can't leave, and you know that," Lekan explained as he lifted up his hands. "We can try to listen to your demands and try to help you out."

"Shut up!" Baraka screamed at his wife as he aimed the pistol and pulled the trigger. A gunshot could be heard as Stone could hear more screaming inside. The red outline briefly showed a gun going off. His augmented vision allowed him to track the activity.

"Lieutenant," the sniper called out on his tablet. "I was able to see enough of it from here. The suspect fired his pistol, but it wasn't aimed at the hostage."

"Can you see the hostage now?" Lekan asked her.

"Just barely. My scope can briefly track her heat signature from this angle."

"Listen here!" Stone yelled out at the window. The voice was enough to pull Lekan away from his tablet. The hostage-taker turned his head to look directly at the marine.

"Stone!" Lekan's eye went wide. "I have this! Shut your mouth."

"Baraka!" Stone ignored the Lieutenant and pointed his finger at the suspect above him. "Lay down your gun and walk away from this. We have you surrounded. Surrender the hostage and yourself, and we promise a fair trial."

Lekan was not too pleased that Stone was taking over on this part. His lip curled as he tried to let the scene pass. The suspect, however, was not budging.

"I don't want to go to jail!" Baraka replied. "I'm not going to jail over this."

"You know that can't be stopped," the master sergeant continued. "It is the responsibility of the police to protect and restore order."

"What are your demands?" Lekan asked, almost blurting out at Stone. He was doing his best to salvage the discussion.

"I want my job back!" Baraka exclaimed. "I want my fucking job back. Call my boss at Ulrex Industries. Tell him that he made a mistake."

"When did you lose your job?"

"Today......Fucking......today," Baraka tried to say as he pressed the handgrip of his pistol to his forehead. "I didn't......I was going to be promoted, and instead, they laid me off! I can't afford to lose this job. I don't....." he shook his head, unable to finish the sentence.

Stone was well aware of the situation. It was a familiar story and one that could lead to this. Those that didn't work in the tourist industry in this city had few alternatives. The industrial complex that wasn't oriented towards war could barely sustain its growing population. Layoffs and mismanagement happened more and more in the following years. A simple petty dispute with a loved one could set a person off. Even with that said, the marine seemed to show little care. He wasn't thinking about the suspect and was thinking about the hostage. She was simply too buried in the apartment for him to see her present state. He needed to be closer.

"Would us contacting your boss make you feel better?" Lekan tried to appease the suspect.

"Ye.....yes," Baraka replied. "I want to have my job again. That was all that I want. It is all that I had left to support......."

Lekan nodded his head. "I am doing a favor for you. In turn, can you release your wife into our custody?"

Stone already knew the answer as he briefly shook his head. This was not a typical petty dispute. While he might have met what he said, he already pulled the trigger of his pistol twice. The marine could track something in the faint outline of his augmented eye. The suspect, while he had his gun in hand, picked something up. Most likely, he was near a table. His fingers were holding onto something small. There was a pause in his movements as if he was completely distracted from everything in the known world. Baraka then placed the small thing back down before he got closer to the window.

"Yes......yes......I.....need to hear it from my boss, though," the suspect explained. "If I get my job back, then I will let my wife go."

"Alright...." Lekan said as he began to tap his tablet.

"This is pointless," Stone angrily explained to the Lieutenant. He kept his words low to ensure that Baraka couldn't hear. "Even if you get a hold of his boss, he knows he will still go to jail."

"What do you propose?"

"One, you take the shot and take him out right now. The sniper has a good enough vantage point. It might be possible even to shoot his own gun."

"What's stopping him from having another gun, Stone?"

"He could have another gun, but we throw in the stun grenades and storm the location anyway."

"I can do it, sir," the sniper replied in the comms of the tablet. "Next time, he walks up to the window."

Lekan was unimpressed. "No.....we can't risk it."

"Fucking idiot...." Stone remarked.

"What was that?"

"I said you were a fucking idiot. The suspect is clearly distraught right now. He has discharged his firearm twice on two separate occasions. This is a combination of him losing a job and petty squabble that has broken out. Right now, he is making up his mind and at the end of his road. His movements are even suggesting a murder-suicide. If he doesn't get his job back, then he is going to kill her and then himself."

"You are out of line, marine," Lekan finally snapped back at him. "You can't keep your anger issues in check, and it is endangering the life of that woman up there."

"You are going to fucking complain to me right now? Do it after this shit. Right now, your options were extremely limited from the very start. We go in right now, and I put him down. I will do it. Just give me the word."

Lekan looked up at the open window. He could see that Baraka had a look of fear and anger mixed on his face. Even for a man with a dark complexion, it was as if his skin was going to become pale from the emotions that poured out of him. He was no longer emotionally stable.

The Lieutenant, in his heart and mind, almost seemed convinced of the marine's words. He was ready to contact the manager of Ulrex Industries. The news of the company was one that even spilled out on the local media. It was threatening to become bankrupt and was on the verge of doing mass layoffs. Before his finger pressed the call button, his finger hesitated. He knew that everything was going to be a lie from that point forward. Baraka was never going to get his job back and was going to face jail time and psychiatric treatment.

"Baraka!" Lekan called out to him. "I've called your manager. I....let him know of your situation. He says that it was a misunderstanding and that he wants you to come back. Oshun is promising a stimulus package to help support your company. They are rehiring its workers."

It was a lie that was partially effective but not delivered with the best tone. Stone himself did his best not to shake his head in disbelief. Perhaps a bluff was the only way for him to let his wife go, but if it didn't seem convincing enough for him, then it might have been the same for the suspect.

"You did?" Baraka replied as he paused for a little bit. "You managed to get a hold of Kagiso? He told you that I could have my job back?"

"Yes, now will you release your wife for me?"

Baraka's face contorted in anger. "You fucking lied to me! That isn't my manager's name. You made it all up!"

Lekan's bluff failed immediately. The risky rouse of his was utterly dashed, and Stone himself could see it. Caught in a lie, it completely discredited him as the lead negotiator and put him in a weak vantage point against Baraka.

"Listen here!" Stone jumped in as he pointed his finger at the suspect. "I know what it is that you are afraid of, and I put it all up to you right now. You kill your wife, and it will only guarantee that you will go to Dragon's Eye for all of this. You have no hope of winning this. Surrender now, and we will make sure you get the proper help you need."

"No......no......I can't," Baraka explained back to him.

"You are completely outmatched right now. Think of what it is that you are doing and what we have to do in response. You wanted a job to take care of your wife. You care for her, but it can't work out that way if you kill her or yourself."

"It's too late......It's......"

Stone could see that Lekan was angry at him but at a loss as well. He didn't care about the Lieutenant's feelings as he remained focused on the suspect. His attention was instead diverted to the problem at hand.

"We are giving you one chance and only one chance to think this through," Stone sternly told him. "You have a hostage. Surrender yourself right now, and we promise that you will live, your wife will be taken care of, and you won't go to Dragon's Eye."

The marine was different in how he spoke when compared to Lekan. His words had a more direct and even threatening visage to them. It conveyed the message perfectly to him. Even Baraka was the type of man who could see Stone's sheer muscle and strength from above him. If this man came barreling at you, then it meant that you were in deep trouble. He looked like he could rip a tree in half or even arm wrestle a Shal'rein on almost equal ground.

"Stone...." Lekan whispered to him. "This is above me. You are going to get the hostage killed...."

Stone ignored him as the other police officers looked at Lekan and Stone. The intimidation and persona that the marine established were enough to cause a vast majority of officers to look helplessly at the Lieutenant. It was as if Stone was drawing the leadership directly from him. Meanwhile, the marine would simply watch the suspect above.

From his eye, Stone could see that Baraka was withdrawing from the window. He once again put the handgrip of his gun to his temples while cringing. He tapped the button as the window closed behind him and then walked up to his table. He could see the faint red outline as if he was looking at something that was more important than anybody there.

"You just fucked this all up," Lekan mouthed off to Stone.

"Sir, I am still tracking our suspect," the sniper from the opposite roof called on the tablet. "He's stepped away from the window and isn't looking down at you. He is confused and seems to be pacing again. Still can't see his wife."

"Do you have a clear shot?"

"Negative."

"Rifle round is too weak to punch through the wall anyway," Stone countered. "Even a valued trained police officer such as you should know that. He needs to be back at the window if she is going to take him down."

"Alright...." Lekan tried to reassert himself. "In that case, tell the team to get ready and head in. We already have officer Delu and Gero ready at the apartment door. We will get the rest of the team to go and storm in. If we are fast enough, we can save the wife."

"No....." the marine replied as he shook his head. "There is only one way to resolve this. Officer Leredi, if the suspect walks to the window, take the shot and at your discretion."

With that, Stone proceeded to walk into the building. Lekan clenched his fists in anger as he watched the marine continue forth like a one-man army. He called out Stone's name once, but the marine ignored him.

Stone was moving at a hurried pace. He couldn't afford to have Baraka turn to see him missing or heading into the building. The quicker he got this done, the sooner this would be resolved. The main entrance of the apartment slid open. He ran in to see a receptionist that had kept herself hidden in her office. The main lobby was antiquated but pretty, consisting of two large couches. There was a set of stairs and four elevators ready to operate. One of the elevators was wide open as the master sergeant walked into it.

"Second floor," Stone called out to the elevator. Suddenly, the doors of the small lift closed as it began to rise. There was barely any feel to it as his tablet made a gentle beep and vibrated. He knew that the Lieutenant was trying to get a hold of him. A slight elevator song of former Africa and a happy melodic tune accompanied it as it began to rise.

Stone ignored the phone call and instead looked at his holster. The heavy-duty pistol was quite large, even though it looked like an ordinary handgun. Stone was so big that it actually made the gun look smaller than it appeared. He knew that the gun's magazine was full and ready to be used at a moment's notice. He checked his left pocket and made sure that his switchblade survival knife was ready to go if he somehow needed it. He then went and fished out of his pockets two small auditory devices. He proceeded to put the hearing protection snuggly into his ears as he could feel the elevator come to a stop. The slight tug underneath his legs and feet indicated that he reached the floor. He had to ensure that the hearing protection was put on appropriately. This was going to be very loud.

"Fucking civies don't know how to get shit done....." Stone said to himself as the doors opened up. He stepped out to a clean hallway. Multiple entries lined the entire area with a black and blue carpet on the floor. He knew exactly where to go, and it was pretty easy to tell what his destination was.

As he stepped out, he could see the two officers that were by one of the doors. Both of these two he already seemed to know. One named Gero was decked with gear, a police shield, and a pistol. He had his helmet on and was in position. The one behind him was a woman named Delu, a rookie cop that had a pair of plasma cutters, grenades, and shotgun holstered behind her back. Both of them looked at Stone as he approached them.

"Stone...." Delu called out in a whisper.

"Ensure that you have your hearing protection on," Stone responded to both of them.

Almost as soon as they heard that, Gero began to tap his ears. He already had a set of headphones on but was making sure that it was correctly set. Delu gave a confused look but could see what Gero was indicating with his hands. She slapped the cutting tools to her side and was prepared to put her gloved hands to her ears.

"What are you trying to do?" Delu asked him, but Stone walked around them.

The marine was looking at the door and then stepped to the side. His augmented eye activated as the lens was rotating and zooming in on the wall itself. His vision was so incredible that it provided a vague colorless outline of the interior. Stone was looking inside of the apartment where the hostage situation was taking place.

He ignored Delu and simply turned his head slightly. Even with this vision, there were natural obstructions that were in the way. It appeared that denser materials made it hard to see inside exactly. Heavy-duty metal struts between the hallway and the apartment would completely block out the outline, but as he turned his head, he could see it. There were gaps between these struts where Stone observed a red silhouette of a man. Compared to outside, it was much closer and more accessible to see Baraka. He was still brandishing his pistol. At the moment, he was not pointing at her, but he was simply looking at the woman. Stone also spotted the hostage. The woman's heat signature was much easier to track at this range. She was in the corner of the kitchen. She had her arms wrapped around her legs as she was huddled in fear.

There was one bullet hole that Stone could track that was near the woman. It was clear that Baraka was deranged. He would continue to wave his pistol around, aiming the barrel in her vicinity. Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be both the man's and woman's mouths that were moving. They were clearly arguing with each other.

"When I shoot, Delu, you will cut the door. Gero will storm in and secure the hostage," Stone quietly ordered her.

"Aye.......," Delu quietly replied with slight trepidation.

"Ready...." Gero replied as well.

She unlocked the two extensive tools from her hip. Gero was taking a deep breath as he was lifting the shield up. The robust metal slab with a see-through window looked like it could deflect most things shot into it with ease.

Stone unholstered his magnum and lifted it to the wall. He took careful aim at the suspect. The red outline would move but remain stable. Unfortunately, he could see that the pistol was moving around too much. Technically, the marine's gun was aimed directly at the wall. However, the master sergeant was calculating in his head the density of the wall combined with the power that his sidearm had. It didn't take him much to come up with the conclusion that it would be accurate.

There was no hesitation in the marine's face. Cold and calculating, Stone went and aimed the sights of his gun at Baraka's forehead. There were no struts that would absorb the round when it would discharge. He disengaged the safety, and his finger found its way to the trigger. He would only need one shot if this were done correctly.

Suddenly, a powerful explosion occurred from the end of the barrel the moment that he pulled the trigger. The blast of the discharge was insanely loud that echoed through the entire hallway. Even the hearing protection was barely enough to protect Stone's ears from ringing. The recoil was heavy but easily contained by Stone's immense grip and strength. A 50-caliber caseless penetrating AE magnum round was expelled as it quickly punched through the wall.