Halloween Hacker

"Could it be a piece of Jeremiah's knowledge?" Evie speculated, placing the statuette back in her backpack.

"Maybe. Could also be his knowledge combined with my experience with the game. It might have been time for Jeremiah to know something about the game that he didn't know before. Let's see... you mentioned Keystone earlier, right?"

"Yeah. They're a paramilitary group originating from Jordan," said Evie. "A dangerous lot, they are, but none more so than their leader, Yosef Ahmad. I've had a run-in or two with him in the past. The man is psychotic, a vicious despot hellbent on wiping Israel off the map and more than willing to slaughter anyone who gets in his way. Worse, he has this crazy idea that his ancestors hid some powerful weapon in the area of the Dead Sea that will allow him to achieve his dream."

"Sounds like wild goose to me. If he's chasing after a myth, how much harm can he cause?" Chris replied.

"More than you'd think. He has no comprehension of subtlety; he'd knock an ancient ruin to the ground if he thought it'd bring him what he wanted. For him, there are only two answers to an obstacle in his path: compliance from said obstacle or violence."

As Evie explained all this, Chris still looked around in wonder at the vast expanse of desert around them. The sun was bright, but high enough in the sky that it did little to hamper visibility. But as he looked toward a nearby cliff, he caught sight of something shiny. He only saw it for the briefest of moments, but it caused his instincts and government training to immediately kick in.

"SNIPER!"

In a flash, Chris dove forward and threw Evie to the ground, pinning her underneath his body. A fraction of a second later, a bullet whizzed over their heads and they heard the distinct crack of a sniper rifle split the sky.

"Crikey! What the bloody hell?!" Evie panted.

"Stay down a minute," Chris whispered, not daring even a glance toward the shooter.

"Yeah, sure," she replied, feeing strangely at ease with Chris's body on top of hers, their faces mere inches apart. "How'd you know?"

"Like I said, I work for the U.S. Government. Even if I'm not a field agent, basic threat assessment and firearms training is mandatory for all of us. Seeing something shiny up on a hill means only one thing: sniper."

"Nice," Evie said with a tiny grin. "Shit! Do you hear that?"

"Sounds like a truck headed our way," Chris agreed. "Look, there's a hiding spot. Might be able to slip away, or at least get the jump on them."

They rolled into a nearby ditch with a large slab of rock covering most of it. This gave them some shelter and protection for the moment while they figured out the best way to approach the coming conflict. About fifty feet away, a pair of jeeps pulled to a stop, giving way to eight men appearing to be of Arab descent, all armed with automatic weapons. Their apparent leader spoke into a radio while the rest spread out.

"Repeat," the man said in clear but broken English. "You say target was not hit?"

"Affirmative. Her companion spotted me, I think. They dove to the ground and out of sight before I could down them. No sign since then."

"Understood. Stay on guard, men! She is somewhere around here, and General Ahmad wants her, be it dead or alive. Find her!"

"I will keep you covered from up top."

"Negative. General Ahmad is approaching from the south; shift positions to cover his route from any potential problems. We shall handle things down here."

"Understood. Moving out."

When most individuals hear of a desert, their thoughts immediately go to a vast expanse of sandy dunes, like in Lawrence of Arabia. And while some of the largest deserts, such as the Sahara or the Rub' al Khali, do fit this description, many others are quite different. Israel's Negev Desert, where Chris and Evie now found themselves, is a rocky desert filled with gorges, hills, and outcroppings. This gave Evie and Chris ample cover to plan their counterattack.

As Chris was unarmed, Evie instructed him to remain hidden in the ditch while she poked her head out. After a minute or two, one of the Keystone mercenaries strayed close enough to the ditch that she could slip out and kill him quietly. She first made sure he was far enough away from the others that he would not be missed, then crept toward him with her knife in hand. Once she was upon him, Evie reached around with her left hand to cover his mouth and nose tightly before plunging her knife into the man's throat. He struggled for a moment as his heart beat its last, splattering his clothes with blood, but he made no sound at all. Once he fell limp, Evie dragged his body back to their hiding spot undetected.

"Impressive," Chris whispered.

"When it's life-or-death, do what you have to do," Evie sighed. "Still, I really hate doing that. So messy..."

"We've just gotta survive," Chris nodded.

"Yeah." As Evie began to check the dead thug's body for anything useful, she took the shotgun strapped over his shoulder and tossed it to Chris. "You know how to use this?"

"Remington... nice," Chris said, inspecting the weapon. "Model 887. I have the same one in my apartment back home. Not surprised they'd use this one out in the desert; it can survive and function in almost any climate. Not as popular as the 870 model, but just as good."

"Well, well, not just a lonely hacker after all, eh?" Evie grinned, finding Chris's confidence around firearms comforting, as well as a bit of a turn-on. "Here, he's got a pouch full of ammo, too. Might as well take it; won't do him any good, will it?"

"Agreed," Chris replied, strapping the pouch to his belt. "I'll take his canteen, too. Might need it."

With their guns at the ready, the pair slipped out of the ditch and peered over a boulder to take stock of their situation. Evie's first thought was to avoid further violence and sneak over to the jeeps, but that was dismissed quickly; the men were spread out in such a way that taking a jeep would be impossible. They'd be cut down by a hailstorm of bullets before they could even get it in gear. That left only the direct approach.

Though Evie had already taken one of their men out, the odds were still stacked against her and Chris at seven to two. But Chris pointed out that some of them had bunched up without realizing it, making them easy targets. Evie nodded in silent understanding and motioned for Chris to circle around them in one direction while she went the other. A few moments later, they were both in position.

Evie's palms were sweating with anticipation; she knew this could very well end badly for them, but there was little other choice. They had to take these men out and escape before Yosef got there. Still, she felt good about their odds. She was an excellent shot with her Colt Pythons, and Chris seemed confident as well. After blowing a kiss to the picture of her dad, Evie cocked both of her revolvers and readied herself.

Little did Evie know that Chris was just as nervous. Yes, he had his favorite shotgun, but that didn't change what he knew they were about to do. He had to keep reminding himself this was just a video game. Real as it may seem, these weren't real people, and regardless, they would kill him if he didn't kill them first. Chris took one last look across the way and saw Evie nod.

Popping out from behind a rock, Evie took dead aim at the pair of thugs nearest her, unwisely chatting with each other. Before anyone knew what had happened, each of them had a .357 magnum round in their heads. At the same time, Chris opened fire from the other side of the group and took out two more thugs in quick succession with his shotgun. Just like that, the odds were only three against two. The final three thugs turned and opened fire on the pair with their automatic rifles, but Evie and Chris were already safely behind cover. Even with their greater numbers, the Keystone thugs were not the brightest individuals out there. All three fired until their magazines were empty, resulting in them all having to reload at the same time.

"Eat this, you bastards!"

In a flash, Evie once again popped up from her hiding spot and unloaded her remaining ten rounds on the three men. One of them had the good sense to get behind cover to reload, but the other two were not so lucky. The first thug went down with a bullet in his throat and the other screamed in pain as he took a round to the knee, soon to be dispatched by Chris's shotgun. By then, Evie had to reload, but Chris kept her safe with suppressing fire all the while. With her speed loaders to quickly resupply both her revolvers, it was only a few seconds before Evie was ready to attack again. Just as Chris had to reload, the final thug tried to take aim at him, only to be silenced by Evie's pinpoint shooting. When the smoke cleared, only Evie and Chris remained.

"Nice shooting," Chris grinned as he pushed the last shell into his Remington.

"You're pretty good, too, mate. Thanks for having my back," Evie replied, walking over to him. In a swift motion that surprised Chris, she leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. "Glad you're ok."

"Thanks. Me too," he said, smiling at the touch of her lips. "Uh, should we get going?"

"Right! This way!"

The pair sprinted toward the two jeeps the men had arrived in, intending to take one for themselves. But as they neared the vehicles, two more jeeps arrived with more armed Keystone thugs.

"Shit! What now?!" Chris exclaimed.

"You two! Do not move!" a man shouted from one of the jeeps. "Keep your hands where I can see them or you are both dead!"

With reluctance, Evie holstered her pistols and Chris slung the shotgun shoulder strap over his back. Both placed their hands on their heads as the men surrounded them. After a few tense moments, the men parted to reveal their leader, Yosef Ahmad. He was a tall drink of water by any measure, standing almost 6'6" in height. Though the rest of his men wore standard desert fatigues, Yosef dressed in brown khaki pants and a dark blue dress shirt, complete with a pistol holstered at his hip. His skin was a dark olive shade, and he had a full head of thick black hair, plus a beard and moustache with a few gray hairs in them. Completing his look was a pair of octagonal wire-rimmed glasses that almost appeared delicate. He seemed as unassuming and mild-mannered as could be, were it not for the look of depravity in his eyes. He studied the pair for a second before giving a warm smile and stepping forward.

"Evie Granger... what a pleasant surprise to see you here!" Yosef said, his voice far more high-pitched than Chris had expected.

"Wish I could say the same," Evie grumbled.

"My, my, I did hear quite a lot of shooting a moment ago. I do hope you weren't hurt," Yosef continued, pacing around them in a slow circle.

"No, but more than a few of your men were," Chris smirked.

Without warning, Yosef swung a fierce backhand into Chris's face. "You will speak only when spoken to, occupier!" he growled. Turning back to Evie, he continued, "My deep apologies. I am normally a patient man, but learning that you are traveling with an Israelite has made me... a trifle upset."

At hearing this, Chris realized that Yosef didn't see him as Chris -- he saw him as Jeremiah. For some reason, only Evie could tell something was off.

"All things considered, I like my company a bit better than yours," Evie replied.

"Hmph. So, what brings you to so dangerous a part of the world, Young Miss Granger?"

Bristling a bit at his condescension, she replied, "Just a bit of sightseeing. Nothing to concern yourself with. I'm a big girl, after all."

"Ah, and this explains your weapons, yes?" Yosef said with a cruel grin.

Evie shrugged. "It's an active war zone. One can't be too careful."

"Of course, of course," Yosef nodded, continuing to pace.

"General, shall I relieve them of their weapons?" his lieutenant asked.

"No, that will not be necessary," Yosef waved him off. "Remember that a seasoned adventurer such as Evie Granger travels with weapons to ensure you are focused on them, rather than on what else she may have. Her bag. Search it."

The lieutenant yanked Evie's bag from her shoulder and began to rummage through it, soon finding the cherub statuette.

"General, what do you make of this?"

"Most interesting," Yosef replied, examining the statuette closely. "It seems Wallace found it, after all."

"What did you say?" Evie demanded. "You knew my father?!"

Yosef chuckled. "Indeed. I was the financier for his expedition that unearthed this relic, but he lied to me and said he had found nothing. Foolish man. He should have realized what happens when my partners double-cross me."

Evie blinked twice as the truth of his words sunk in. "No... you did it. You murdered my father, DIDN'T YOU?!"

"Silence," Yosef said calmly, drawing his pistol and pointing it at Evie. "Everything that happened between your father and me was strictly business, never personal. You of all people should understand this."

"You're a fucking monster," Evie seethed, barely managing to restrain herself from strangling Yosef.

"Sticks and stones, Miss Granger," Yosef replied, holstering his gun and turning his attention back to the statuette. "Such intricate markings, yes?"

"Good luck translating it. We won't help you," said Evie.

"And who said I would need any help?" Yosef grinned. "You see, I have taken painstaking efforts to learn as much about the occupiers as I can. My own foolish government has acquiesced to them for too long, but I know that it is my destiny to at last defeat them and drive them from our rightful lands. But to defeat one's enemy, one must know that enemy; Sun Tzu taught the world this. So, under the guise of this 'peace' that has been negotiated, I studied every aspect of Israel I could. Their history, their mythology, even their disgusting language, I learned it all. And with this knowledge, I shall unlock the secret my ancestors left behind in these lands, waiting for a man of destiny to find it and restore my kingdom to its proper place. By my hand, the imbalance created in this world by the scourge Jewish occupation will be righted at last. Ah, but I digress...

"This statuette is quite fascinating, I must say," he continued. "It appears to be an image of a cherub, quite an important symbol in Jewish teachings. And these markings mention... a treasure of the Dead Sea, yes? Oh, how fascinating, indeed. What could this mean? The Dead Sea Scrolls? No, no, that would be too obvious. But these two symbols seem to be kept apart from the rest. Perhaps they have some great significance?"

While Yosef was babbling on, Chris noticed the rest of the men seemed far more relaxed than when they first arrived. They still had their weapons at the ready, of course, but didn't have them pointed directly at him or Evie. It was as if they were mesmerized by every word Yosef spoke. A moment later, something flashed into his mind, perhaps a piece of his memory for how the game was supposed to play out, he reasoned. Knowing he had not a moment to lose, Chris reached a hand over to the thug standing next to him, his back turned to the prisoners for the moment. After securing one of the thug's grenades, Chris slipped his hands behind his back and winked at Evie. The message was clear: get ready to run.

A moment later, Chris pulled the pin on the grenade and, with precision and accuracy he had never displayed in his life, tossed the grenade from behind his back and over the heads of the entire group. As before, the men were too distracted by Yosef to notice his subtle actions, let alone that the grenade had landed underneath one of Yosef's jeeps. Specifically, it landed under the jeep that contained a cache of weapons and explosives. A few seconds later, the resulting explosion was so big that it engulfed every vehicle Keystone had with them.

"Take this, Old Man Yosef!" Evie growled, lunging forward and punching Yosef in the jaw; it felt good, especially after his earlier insult.

The combination of Chris's distraction and Evie's sucker punch gave them exactly the opening they needed. Evie scooped up the statuette and her bag and took off towards a nearby chute of sand and gravel, which she and Chris used to put some distance between them and the Keystone thugs. Two of the men soon appeared behind them to give chase, but the rest remained behind with Yosef. The men fired off their assault rifles to try and end the fleeing pair, but Chris and Evie were too far ahead of them. By the time the men had reached the bottom of the chute, they were met with a barrage of bullets and shotgun shells that left them deader than the Dead Sea itself.

"Come on! This way!" Evie shouted, taking off into the desert.

"Right behind you!" said Chris.

*****

The smell of burned car parts singed Yosef's nostrils as he paced across the area. He had been so close to discovering exactly what he was looking for, but had foolishly underestimated Evie Granger. Now, they were in the wind, having destroyed some of Keystone's supplies in the process.

"General!"

Seeing a scout running up, Yosef turned to meet him. "Did you catch them?"

"No, they escaped. All who gave chase are dead."

With a stoic expression on his face, Yosef drew his pistol and pointed it at the man's head. "Not all... at least, not yet."

The shot from Yosef's pistol echoed across the rocky terrain, yet the rest of his men dared not move, even as their fellow fell to the ground. Only when Yosef gave them an order did they relax.

"Clean him up," Yosef said. "Burn his body with the rest. Let me know when the second convoy is close."

As the men worked, Yosef's lieutenant inquired, "What shall be our next move, General? The prisoners have escaped into the desert."

"Then I suppose it is well that I know where she is going."

*****

Meanwhile, Chris and Evie continued their trek through the Negev, heading northeast towards the Dead Sea. Though they were only a few hours from Mount Sodom, their progress was slow in the harsh conditions of the desert. After a while, a sandstorm began to brew, forcing them to take shelter in a nearby cave.

"Looks clear. No animals to speak of," Evie said. "C'mon in."

"Thanks," Chris replied, taking a seat next to Evie on the ground. "I still can't believe all this is happening," he muttered as he inspected his shotgun.

Evie flashed a grin, beginning to clean and reload her revolvers and ready her speed loaders. "You might not be here by choice, but I can't say you don't belong here," she said. "You handled yourself out there like a pro, mate."

"Government training and a weekly trip to the firing range will do that," Chris chuckled.

Evie hesitated a moment before continuing, "I gotta admit... it's kind of a turn-on."

Chris's eyebrows shot up at this. "What do you mean?"

"Chris, any idiot bogan can go out and shoot at the firing range, but a deadly combat scenario? That's where you learn what someone's really made of. You never once hesitated, you were always in complete control of your weapon, and even now, you're making sure it'll be ready if you have to use it again. Know what I mean?"

"Thanks," Chris said, his face turning red. "It's probably just part of Jeremiah's character you're seeing, to be honest."

"Don't do that to yourself, mate," Evie replied, scooting closer to him. "Jeremiah didn't face a life-or-death situation today, you did. You blasted those thugs, you had my back the whole time. You. Nobody else."

Chris's pulse began to race as he felt Evie place her hand on top of his. Despite the rough conditions of her adventures, her skin was soft and warm. Even he couldn't miss the flirtatious signals she was giving him, but Chris looked away. He knew none of this would end well. Just as he was about to say something, a flash of memory entered his mind.