Dying For LA by Ian Jones (top fiction books of all time .txt) 📕

‘You were there? At the goddamn Metro?’

John wandered across to join Reed.

‘Er, yeah. That was kind of how all this started.’

The officer threw the piece of paper back into the car.

‘Well, I’m Lieutenant Oakes. This is my team, and you got to hand over to us now. I’m running the show.’

‘Right. But don’t you want to know anything about who’s in there?’

Oakes glanced at him as he walked toward the van.

‘Yeah, yeah, I got it. Some Russian dude. Gets his kicks firing automatics in train stations. Ain’t the first, won’t be the last.’

He banged hard on the side of the van and then walked back and opened the boot of the car and started unloading some orange plastic bollards which he threw on the ground.

Reed scratched his head.

‘Lieutenant, this is a whole lot bigger than one guy with a gun. We don’t believe Pinsky, the Russian was at the Metro.’

Oakes looked at him then continued throwing more bollards. Reed walked around to the back of the car and loomed over Oakes, who finally stopped and looked up warily.

‘You’re not listening Lieutenant,’ Reed said simply.

Behind them, eight SWAT team members had climbed from the van and were standing watching, clearly wondering what was going on. Oakes slammed the boot shut and leaned heavily on it, avoiding looking at Reed who stood to one side.

‘Fine. Whatever. You guys tell me what’s on your mind then we’ll go do our jobs, ok?’

He beckoned to the team behind who began to slowly walk across.

‘We don’t know how many are in there, and we have no idea what weapons they are holding. They could have an arsenal in there for all we know. You got to understand this is real serious, I ain’t at all sure we should even be standing out here in the street.’ Reed told him, looking around.

‘We know what we’re doing, just leave it to us. They are in one building right? Three floors, lots of windows, nothing we ain’t done before. So just stay out the way and we’ll get it done,’ Oakes replied.

‘It’s four floors. You even seen the building? Checked the perimeter?’ John called out nervously.

Oakes scowled back at him.

‘Like I said, leave it to us.’

He turned and gestured to a SWAT officer that was the closest, who walked over, then he pointed down the road toward the hotel.

‘Ok. Get your ass over there. Eyes on the building. Report back what you see.’

The officer looked at him then down the road where Oakes was pointing.

‘Er … sir? I’ll be kind of exposed,’ the officer stated.

‘Yeah. He fucking will,’ Reed growled, exasperated.

Oakes turned his back.

‘Just do it son, then we can get back. Beer and pizza. Ok?’

The officer took his firearm off his shoulder and held it with both hands across his front then shaking his head, set off down the road.

‘Wait! …’ John started to move and then the shooting started.

Several shots rang out, loud, shocking. John dropped fast to the floor behind the black and white, inching backwards to the front wheel. Then a flurry of firing, different guns, set to automatic, bullets ricocheting off the road and thumping into the vehicles, glass breaking.

Then nothing.

John slowly raised his head. He was safe where he was, behind the engine, cars are just thin steel, a bullet will easily pass right through, although modern vehicles have a lot more stuff in the doors. But nothing would get through the engine. In front of him Reed had thrown himself to the floor and was lying lengthways, wedged under the vehicle.

John could see the van, and several SWAT team officers cowering behind it. He turned his head, there was no sign of Louisa or the corporal, he hoped they had been able to get out the way. The officer who had been sent to watch the building was lying in the road. Head shot. A lot of blood. His gun, a Colt M4 was next to him. Reed moved his head and looked directly at him. John pointed at the gun.

Reed nodded, and stretched out a long, long leg and hooked his foot around the strap, slowly dragging it toward him and then kicking it along to John.

More shots, again from different guns, this time seeming to be aimed toward the van.

John quickly checked the gun and then keeping his head down twisted around so his back was to the wing next to where the windscreen pillar meets the panel. He raised the weapon, which was fitted with a tactical sight and slowly edged it up then peered over the bonnet right next to the pillar, keeping as hidden as possible. He could see now there were people on the bridge, at the opposite end from the building next to the large warehouses. He could see heads ducking up and down. Guns were visible resting on the top of the sides which were steel panels. A rifle and then a head appeared, slowly looking from side to side. It was some distance away but John breathed deeply, aimed and fired. A short burst and the head shot backwards. John ducked down again.

A shout, and then nothing at all.

John slowly moved so he could see the bridge again, he saw a man stand and at the same time a large gun barrel was pushed up and pointed toward him.

‘Machine gun!’ he shouted, shrinking down as small as he could behind the cover, and then heavy rapid fire began, bullets hitting metal and more glass breaking. But it ended quickly, followed by a couple of random shots and then there was silence.

John stayed where he was, waiting then started counting the seconds, but there were no more shots fired. Reed raised his head and looked at him. Carefully he sighted over the bonnet again and checked the bridge.

He couldn’t see anyone at all, but then heard some muted gunfire from somewhere inside a building.

There were no incoming rounds so he moved around the car, using the cover to see if he could