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Its been a few years since Shuhrat Kessikbayev, preferably named “Fuze”, was selected to work for six in her Rainbow team and since then he had done countless jobs for the team. Hostile elimination was his talent, able to clear rooms with his clusters and uniquely gifted in dropping enemies without a second thought. People he came across in the field stepped around him with caution, soulless killer, that’s what he was known for in his country and nobody outside of Russia tried to tempt the rumours. It left him without companion within Rainbow even with the SPETSNAZ unit he was distant with his associates, after all he was here to kill enemies of the state not to make friends. Six was fine with how he was, sure it made him difficult while working in team operations but when sent in solo he did his job and did it well so why should Six complain.
But then Six left and Harry took over.
Harry wanted to push the rumours of Fuze’s lack of social bonding, Harry didn’t want a soulless killer he needed a team player. Even so why the fuck would Harry send Fuze on a god damn Hostage situation?! Fine it was meant to be an easy in and out objective, the group that had taken the hostage was obviously not well prepared for a Rainbow team, but the matter still stood Fuze was for hostile elimination not to be some fucking hero.
Even the rest of the team was confused with Fuze’s presence, yet none dumb enough to ask.
“Easy enough we breach in through two teams, IQ and Gridlock go through the garage and secure an exit remove hostiles that could interfere with the extraction while Nomad, Fuze and I push where intel says the hostage is stashed.” Ash briefed pointing to each location on the map between the group, “Fuze will clear the nearby rooms with his clusters, we’ve already droned and confirmed there is no civilians inside. I will enter the room first to clear it and secure the hostage, Nomad will Airjab our exits I don’t want to be followed out once we’ve entered the garage Gridlock will trax behind us to slow anyone while we get her in the vehicle.” Ash looked up to the group waiting for each confirmed nod from the team to show they are clear on the plan then reached for her assault rifle and loading a clip.
“Just like we practiced”
They split up keeping low to the group and moving slow, one shot is all they had to save a life and making too much noise could send the hostage to an early grave. IQ immediately got to work removing any gadgets that could be used as surveillance or a damaging trap. They all approached the house, IQ and Gridlock setting up a breach across the Garage door before pulling back to the broken-down car to wait for the signal. Once the trio team rappelled up to the balcony between the bathroom and construction room, Ash quickly pointing to Fuze for him the set up his cluster on the boarded up window to construction while she set up her own breach on the window to bathroom.
“Ready to breach” Ash called into comms.
“Cluster charge live” Fuze nodded.
“Breach charge ready” Gridlock confirmed.
Simultaneously they all detonated their charge, the explosives echoing through even their protected ears. Screams of confusion filled the house, shouts for someone to cover the door or go get rid of the problem was heard through the ringing. Fuze rushed over behind Ash ready to push in a kill some hostiles, excitement fuelled him it’s been a couple of weeks since he could do some heavy elimination. Suddenly another, uncontrolled explosion went off ahead of him. Enemy C4. A scream of pain. Ash. Fuze charged forward over Ash’s fallen body and into the objective.
Bang.
Bang.
Bang.
Three shots from his pistol and three hostiles eliminated. Risking a glance over his shoulder he saw Nomad crouched and assessing their wounded leader. Fuck, he’d have to deal with the hostage. Where was she? Fuze scanned the room identifying the squirming body, squealing under the makeshift gag as his objective. She looked tired, eyes wide and red with tears staining her cheeks, her dark hair tied back in a messy and dishevelled ponytail. She looked terrified of the monstrous uniformed man in front of her, shaking as he roughly pulled her up close to him. Despite the bruises and obvious trauma that coursed through her body, Fuze took a moment to truly appreciate the beautiful creature he now held.
“Do exactly what I say” Fuze’s heavy Russian accent and broken English demanded. Nomad had pulled Ash up with an arm over her shoulder, helping the American stumble close behind as they made their exit down the main lobby stairs. Behind the main door heavy footed stomps came up to the barricade, Nomad shot out an Airjab for the unlucky fool that rushes through that door then setting off another onto the staircase they took down to the basement.
IQ was waiting at the bottom, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion when she saw Fuze escorting the hostage yet was overcome with concern when she saw Ash bloodied body slumped over Nomad’s shoulder. Shaking the shock from herself IQ reached to take the hostage from Fuze only to be met with Fuze stepping in front and despite the full helmet the glare emitted through how he held his body as a wall between IQ and the trembling woman he held onto. Something ran through his mind not to let go of this woman, no matter what or who stood in the way. IQ relented pulling back to lead them through to the back where they’ve opened an exit.
“Device deployed” Gridlock shouted once everyone had passed and was able to throw down her Trax to slow the hostiles behind them. Allowing them all to run to the extraction vehicle with no more danger.
“Extraction successful, well done team hurry back so we can get Ash to some medics” Harry’s voice came through the comms announcing a job well done. They were all stacked in the back of a van, Ash’s grunts of pain trying to be soothed by IQ’s gentle hands as they caressed through her hair.
Safe.
Fuze tried to pull the woman from her bounds, her wrists red with burns and her mouth free to let out the sobs of relief that was trapped behind the gag. She was beautiful, Fuze couldn’t help noticing, she was exhausted and as the adrenaline from the most traumatic event of her life wore off her features relaxed into a tired expression.
“Cute” Fuze whispered quickly coughing to cover the slip of his tongue. What was he thinking? She was just kept tied up by some terrorist group and he was here thinking how adorable it was when her eyes fluttered shut and how her mouth stayed slighting agape as she regulated her heavy breathing.
Oh yeah, Fuze would be in a lot of trouble if anybody could read his troubling thoughts.
“Well done Shuhrat, I’m happy to see that when Eliza was taken out of action you were able to step up to the challenge despite you thoughts on extraction missions” Harry had said once he returned from receiving his briefing on Ash’s medical report. Harry approached the table where Shuhrat sat silently his eye trained on the mission report in front of him, clipped to the top corner was two pictures one of the team leaders injury to her leg which was luckily minor compared to what could have happened and the other was the hostage. Fuze’s eyes couldn’t leave the picture of the woman, his mind replaying the fear in her eyes when he had entered the room and the relief in her sigh as she relaxed into his side within the van.
“Can I see her?” Fuze finally spoke. Harry raised his eyebrow perplexed by Fuze’s request.
“May I ask why you are interested in seeing an assignment again?” Harry asked no sign of judgement in his questioning.
“I need to know she’s okay” Fuze sighed in defeat. The soulless killer sank into despair over a hostage and her safety. Harry chuckled when realisation hit him.
“Rainbow cannot allow situations to become personal for operators it makes them high risk” Harry said also looking down at the file on the table, Fuze clenched his fist, a frustrated sigh escaped his lips while he pushed himself from the chair. “However …” Harry began “she has asked to see you”