Ghost Protocol: Meet the Civilian

Chapter 8: Disaster

"Kill him!" Moreau ordered in French when she saw the camera in Brandt's eye. Her guards moved swiftly, reaching for their guns but Ethan was quicker. He kicked the coffee table up, taking down two men as Moreau made a run for it while Brandt leapt back.

A guard pulled his gun at Brandt, but he moved swiftly and Kat's jaw dropped as she saw him grab the gun, pulling the slide out sharply and rendering the gun useless while at the same time throwing the slide right into another man's neck and effectively knocking him down. He turned back to the first guard as the man tried to punch him as he tossed his now useless gun, but Brandt grabbed the man's fist and jabbed his elbow sharply into the man's neck.

Kat jumped as the door to their suite opened and she was distracted as Benji ran in, long enough for an elevator to finally stop for Wistrom.

"Damn it!" She swore when she looked back down and saw him entering the elevator.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Benji demanded and she replied urgently: "No time. Wistrom's in the elevator."

"What?" Benji cried as he hurried over, taking over the computer as Kat moved aside for him while she kept her anxious eyes on Moreau's room. Moreau was just slipping out the door as Ethan took out a guard, only to be met by another.

"Moreau's on the move!" Ethan called sharply as he took out the guard before turning to punch another as the man tried to sneak up on him.

"I've got her." Jane growled and Kat paled.

"Jane?" Ethan called, also catching the deadly tone in the woman's voice. "She's an asset! I need her alive! Acknowledge!"

Jane didn't reply and Kat chewed her lip as Ethan punched another man while he repeated sharply: "Acknowledge!"

Kat's hands clenched around her comm tightly as she watched Moreau rapidly trying to get the elevator. Benji stopped any from going to her and they watched Moreau disappear from their sight, heading towards the emergency stairs. Hopefully, or maybe not, Jane would cut her off.

Meanwhile, Benji took the walkie-talkie from Kat, calling to Ethan: "Uh... Ethan, Winstram is in the elevator. I, I can't see Leonid, though."

"He was shot right outside the elevator on our floor." Kat said, switching on her ear comms so that they could all hear her.

Benji glanced at her in surprise, but didn't comment as Ethan called sharply while he kicked more guards down: "Benji, slow him down. Get me an elevator."

Ethan stooped to grab his tracker as Benji stopped Wistrom on the 101st floor, while Kat's eyes widened as she saw Brandt grab a guard's leg as the man tried to kick him in the head, twisting it in a way that made the man scream in pain before he punched the man harshly in the head. The man immediately lost consciousness, and Brandt slowly straightened to see Ethan staring at him with a dark expression.

Brandt paused, his actions catching up to him as he met Ethan's eyes, but before he could say anything Ethan ordered harshly: "Get to Leonid."

He then ran off, heading for the elevator Benji had waiting for him while the techie also simultaneously tried to keep Wistrom from reaching the lobby.

"Benji, I've got a lock on Winstram." Ethan called as he walked into the elevator. "But I can't tell, is he still in the elevator?"

"Winstram's in the elevator, Ethan." Kat replied as Benji typed away at the computer.

"Kat?" Ethan called, and Kat frowned as she heard a slight crackle in his comm. "Ben-i?"

She glanced over at Benji as they heard Ethan breaking up and Benji called while trying to stall Wistrom: "Ethan. Over?"