The Cup by Alex Lukeman Read Free Book Online
Authors: Alex Lukeman
the car in spite of the heater. The windows had fogged up with condensation.
"He's going to go in there hard," Ronnie said. "Did you see those guys? They're wired to the eyeballs."
"You would be too," Lamont said, "especially if it was your first time going into action."
"You think it's their first time?"
"Most of them look like they're about eighteen," Lamont said. "They don't have the look. You know what I mean?"
"What look?" Selena asked.
"The look that comes after you've been in shit up to your ears with people trying to kill you. You never noticed it in your mirror? "
"There might not be any real trouble," Nick said. "The Swedes are carrying assault rifles. You'd have to be stupid to go against those with pipes and knives or whatever you can find lying around."
"I don't think the people in that building are the brightest bulbs on the Christmas tree," Lamont said.
"There were grenades in one of those cases at the barn," Selena said.
Forsberg had given them a handheld radio. Now it crackled with final comm checks. The two SWAT vehicles would head for the front of the building. A third group was on foot, concealed on the other side of the soccer field behind the center. The plan was for all three units to converge at the same time. Nick and the others had been ordered to stay back until the all clear.
Forsberg's voice came over the radio. "All units, execute."
"Here we go," Lamont said.
The two vehicles moved out in front of them. Nick cursed at the condensation on the windshield and wiped it away, then followed behind. In less than a minute they'd arrived at the refugee center. Men in black tactical gear carrying Heckler and Koch MP5s poured out. They split into three groups and headed for the entrances.
Nick pulled up and parked. They got out of the car.
"Sure wish we had our weapons," Ronnie said.
The doors to the building were locked. Battering rams came out. It took just seconds to smash the locks. There were shouts from inside the building as the men started in.
The sound of a pistol cut through the shouting like a hot knife. There was an answering burst of automatic fire, the unforgettable signature of a three round burst from an AK-47.
"That's torn it," Lamont said.
More gunfire came from the building. Nick heard the familiar sound of the MP5s, the hard bark of a heavy pistol, then two more AKs joining in. Windows shattered in the front of the building. Rounds whistled overhead.
They ducked down behind the car. The sound of an explosion rocked the night air, then another.
"Flash bangs," Lamont said.
There was another, different explosion.
"That was a grenade," Ronnie said. "They've got their hands full in there."
Selena pointed at the end of the building. "Someone's down there."
Three men carrying guns came around the corner and moved in a crouch toward the entrance where Forsberg had gone in. Two of them had pistols. The third cradled an AK. They weren't Swedish.
"I thought the back was covered," Ronnie said.
"Probably came out a side window," Nick said. "If they go in that door, they'll be behind Forsberg's and his team. We have to stop them."
Ronnie nodded in the direction of the building. "They don't know we're here. We can take them."
Nick tugged at the scarred earlobe on his left ear.
"Let's do it. Get their weapons."
The three men were intent on reaching the nearest entrance, twenty feet away. Nick and the others were almost on them when the man carrying the AK saw them coming. He shouted a warning, aimed the rifle at Ronnie and pulled the trigger. Nothing happened. He'd forgotten the safety.
Selena knocked the gun from his hands and beat him to his knees with a flurry of blows, then kicked him hard under the chin. His head snapped back with a sharp crack as his neck broke. He fell to the ground like a puppet with cut strings.
Nick grabbed the second man's pistol as it came up. He wrapped his hand around the slide, grabbed the forearm with his other hand and pushed the gun
"He's going to go in there hard," Ronnie said. "Did you see those guys? They're wired to the eyeballs."
"You would be too," Lamont said, "especially if it was your first time going into action."
"You think it's their first time?"
"Most of them look like they're about eighteen," Lamont said. "They don't have the look. You know what I mean?"
"What look?" Selena asked.
"The look that comes after you've been in shit up to your ears with people trying to kill you. You never noticed it in your mirror? "
"There might not be any real trouble," Nick said. "The Swedes are carrying assault rifles. You'd have to be stupid to go against those with pipes and knives or whatever you can find lying around."
"I don't think the people in that building are the brightest bulbs on the Christmas tree," Lamont said.
"There were grenades in one of those cases at the barn," Selena said.
Forsberg had given them a handheld radio. Now it crackled with final comm checks. The two SWAT vehicles would head for the front of the building. A third group was on foot, concealed on the other side of the soccer field behind the center. The plan was for all three units to converge at the same time. Nick and the others had been ordered to stay back until the all clear.
Forsberg's voice came over the radio. "All units, execute."
"Here we go," Lamont said.
The two vehicles moved out in front of them. Nick cursed at the condensation on the windshield and wiped it away, then followed behind. In less than a minute they'd arrived at the refugee center. Men in black tactical gear carrying Heckler and Koch MP5s poured out. They split into three groups and headed for the entrances.
Nick pulled up and parked. They got out of the car.
"Sure wish we had our weapons," Ronnie said.
The doors to the building were locked. Battering rams came out. It took just seconds to smash the locks. There were shouts from inside the building as the men started in.
The sound of a pistol cut through the shouting like a hot knife. There was an answering burst of automatic fire, the unforgettable signature of a three round burst from an AK-47.
"That's torn it," Lamont said.
More gunfire came from the building. Nick heard the familiar sound of the MP5s, the hard bark of a heavy pistol, then two more AKs joining in. Windows shattered in the front of the building. Rounds whistled overhead.
They ducked down behind the car. The sound of an explosion rocked the night air, then another.
"Flash bangs," Lamont said.
There was another, different explosion.
"That was a grenade," Ronnie said. "They've got their hands full in there."
Selena pointed at the end of the building. "Someone's down there."
Three men carrying guns came around the corner and moved in a crouch toward the entrance where Forsberg had gone in. Two of them had pistols. The third cradled an AK. They weren't Swedish.
"I thought the back was covered," Ronnie said.
"Probably came out a side window," Nick said. "If they go in that door, they'll be behind Forsberg's and his team. We have to stop them."
Ronnie nodded in the direction of the building. "They don't know we're here. We can take them."
Nick tugged at the scarred earlobe on his left ear.
"Let's do it. Get their weapons."
The three men were intent on reaching the nearest entrance, twenty feet away. Nick and the others were almost on them when the man carrying the AK saw them coming. He shouted a warning, aimed the rifle at Ronnie and pulled the trigger. Nothing happened. He'd forgotten the safety.
Selena knocked the gun from his hands and beat him to his knees with a flurry of blows, then kicked him hard under the chin. His head snapped back with a sharp crack as his neck broke. He fell to the ground like a puppet with cut strings.
Nick grabbed the second man's pistol as it came up. He wrapped his hand around the slide, grabbed the forearm with his other hand and pushed the gun
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