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Old 04-06-2017, 05:00 AM   #131
Icelander
 
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Iceland*
Default Feelin' Just Fine All Numb

Dr. Anderson was relieved when he saw Cherry Bell turn her forward stagger into a pirouette when the camo-painted, bare-chested maniac Derek stabbed her in the back. She didn’t appear too badly hurt and got free from Derek’s grasp as she even finished her twirl with her rifle presented toward him. Anderson moved closer to Derek and looked for an opportunity to cut him with his scalpel as Danny O’Toole came running to join them. Aiming for sinews in Derek’s knife arm, Dr. Anderson flicked out his scalpel as Derek stalked closer to Bell, seemingly ignoring everyone else while remaining intent on his original prey.

Derek easily deflected Dr. Anderson’s strike and grabbed for the barrel of Bell’s rifle with his left hand. As he did, he stumbled on an empty bottle on the floor and lost his balance. Bell fired as soon as Derek moved toward her and while her reflexive dodge from his grapple moved the muzzle of her rifle upward during the burst, the first round was fired on target, perfect centre mass with 5.56x45mm FMJ military issue at a range of about three feet.

Anderson and O’Toole are both uncomfortably close to the line of fire and Anderson feels sharp pain from the concussion of the weapon’s discharge on his eardrums, but given that the weapon was not pointed directly at them, perhaps shooting was an acceptable risk. Dr. Anderson is not sure whether a trained soldier would have done so in this situation, but it is not outside the realm of possibility. O’Toole curses loudly at the shooting and dodges further to the side.

Derek fell backward, still holding the knife. As he flops down on the ground without losing his grip on it, Bell fires another burst, this one aimed carefully at his head. Dr. Anderson is left in no doubt that Derek is dead when he sees blood and brains splatter from the back of his head.

Only a few seconds pass before they hear Taylor jump through a window in the library fifty feet down the corridor and he comes rushing up to join them. After ascertaining that everyone is safe and anxiously examining Bell’s cut tactical vest, Taylor and Bell exchange a few words. Dr. Anderson can tell that Bell was scared at her near-death experience and is relieved that Taylor has arrived, but seems angry at herself for feeling that way, which she channels into anger at Taylor for being concerned about her. Bell doesn’t show any reaction to having killed a man, but Dr. Anderson doesn’t consider that unusual, as even if she experienced regret or shock, it is very common in trained soldiers for such emotions to be side-lined during action and only experienced afterward.

Taylor cocked his head as if he’d heard something from the corridor that ends in the front central building and at his gestured command, Dr. Anderson takes cover with Bell as Taylor readies a flashbang while peeking around the corner from the rec center down the corridor. Dr. Anderson uses the time to start ministering to Emma King, still lying on the floor in a faint. He starts by finding something to place under her head as a pillow. Bell appears to interpret the gestures from Taylor and a single significant glance as an order to continue to defend the rear annex. She backs up a few steps to be able to cover the corridor with her rifle, aiming past Taylor’s left shoulder.

Taylor can still hear the conversation on the third floor of the front central building, but vital as that may be, he’s more interested in the man dressed as an SRT guard and holding a precision rifle. Taylor confirms that he is among the guard force when he spots the Manhanock Security tags on his shirt under the tactical vest and even recognises him from the headset he’s wearing as the guard who was lying on top of the main building with a scoped rifle aimed at the barracks earlier.

[the presumed] Dr. Cotton: “Are we agreed, then?”

The man apparently hears or sees something that worries him inside the staff break area, as he jumps to the side to take cover. As soon as he does, Taylor throws the flashbang at the spot where he disappeared and runs after it, hoping to reach the man while he’s still stunned.

Townsend: “Well, for my part, it sounds okay…”

O’Toole also takes cover at Taylor’s command, but after a moment, he apparently feels that he must assert his position as the senior (only) federal law enforcement officer among the people opposing Warden Tyrrell and his mutinous guard force, which probably makes O’Toole the technical on-scene commander in any potential review of events. When O’Toole sees Taylor throw the flashbang ahead and run down the corridor, O’Toole hesitates for a while and then peeks after him.

Townsend: “…but I’ve got to talk to my superiors.”

The corridor is decently lit and O’Toole can see where the flashbang lands around a hundred feet away, but if someone was there, when Taylor threw, he’s gone now, probably taken cover where the corridor narrows as it passes between the two buildings, the front central building of Manhanock Asylum and the rear annex where the rescued hostages are.

Dr. Cotton: “Well, be my guest. We ha…”

An explosion of enormous power drowns out the conversation, which only Taylor had been able to follow at any rate, as the men talking are two windows and a hundred feet away from the rec room. O’Toole can see that Taylor is no more than thirty feet from where the explosion went off and without a pause, keeps running toward the small smoke cloud that formed. Seeing that no one was going to be shooting down the corridor, O’Toole runs after him with baton in one hand and Mace can in the other.

Dr. Cotton: “…amenities here. Talk to anybody you please on the radio.”

Taylor reaches the guard while he is still reeling from a flashbang exploding within five feet of him. Grabbing the rifle, Taylor slams the guard backwards into a wall and then tries to sweep his legs out from under him. Maybe Taylor was too close to the flashbang himself or maybe he just underestimated how tired and hurt he is, as the intended graceful Bando sweep turns into an awkward sprawl as the guard gets free and runs away with his rifle held at port arms. At least momentarily blinded by the explosion, however, the guard runs smack into the wall on the other side of the corridor and staggers backwards.

Cotton: “McRae, give him a dose.”

As O’Toole hurries to catch up, Taylor puts his legs into the air while balanced on his upper back and tries to acrobatically leap to his feet. He seems to be lacking the strength to do so, however, and ends up clumsily on his backside, flailing for balance. If the guard hadn’t been reeling from running into a wall, even a partially blind man would have been able to land a telling blow on Taylor.

Cotton: “Just wait a spell, Mr. Townsend…”

As it is, however, the guard manages to take several steps away from Taylor before can stand up. Once up, Taylor chases down the guard, tackles him and disarms him of his rifle. Taylor avoids an ineffectual punch and attempts to transition to the guard’s rear to establish a choke hold. Even with the guard blinded and mostly defenceless, however, he struggles wildly and Taylor slams into the wall, falling down again.

Cotton: “…the interference will cease in moment.”

O’Toole runs up and sprays the Mace at the guard’s face, sending him into a coughing fit and further damaging his vision. This affords Taylor the opportunity to stand up again, while O’Toole hits the guard in the leg with his baton. Swaying a little, Taylor uses a knee and both arms to secure the arms of the guard. He can hear Townsend introduce himself to the Coast Guard on the radio upstairs, trying to get a signal or reach them. After his run through the corridor, the sounds are very close. Just up the stairs to the side of him and then it seems to be the first office to the right. Taylor hands O’Toole some flexicuffs.

Taylor: “You goin’ to be all right here?”
O’Toole [grunting]: “Where the hell are you going?”
Taylor: “I figure there’s something I need to take care of. Try an’ don’t hurt him none.”

O’Toole nods while he batters the guard’s right arm with his baton and grabs the cuffs from Taylor. Upstairs, Townsend is trying to tell the Coast Guard that some of the guards are willing to negotiate for the freedom of the hostages and that before any assault, they should check with his boss, Director Vani Gujarat of the DHS. Taylor starts to move up the stairs, drawing his M9 pistol into a two-handed firing grip.

As he reaches the third floor, Taylor does a quick sweep for threats. He sees no one and cannot hear anyone closer than the office to his right. There is someone making a scritching sound elsewhere on the floor, probably writing with pencil on paper, but it’s at least fifty feet off. There doesn’t seem to be anyone else on the floor than the six to eight people Taylor can hear breathing in the office to his right and whoever is writing on the other side of the floor.

Someone takes two steps, something small clatters on the floor of the office and there is a gasp, followed by a gurgle and a slowing in the breathing of one of the people. Townsend keeps talking, but now Taylor can hear a dispatcher from the Coast Guard replying, asking for his name.

Taylor tries the doorknob with one hand and on finding it is unlocked, throws open the door, entering with his pistol ahead of him.
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