"...you can bet your ass we're going to make them pay in blood for pissing me off."

A little self-centered, but I agree with the sentiment entirely, Eggs.

"Weren't there supposed to be two of you?"

Gavin froze for a split second. Hearing the question, his heart had leaped to Tara. And yes, there were supposed to be two... but he had to move on quickly.

"Volkov is keeping an eye on them. If they move, we'll know where they go."

As Billy and Charlie climbed into the car, Gavin began driving and speaking.

"There were about a dozen at the airport. Fewer now, based on my last check in with Volkov. He'll give you the fuller picture when we arrive. We'll save questions for then. For now... the two of you could sleep as much as you can. If you can. I'll let you know when we'ere there."

_______

Gavin wasn't sure how much Billy and Charlie had slept on the drive, but he suspected it wasn't much. Addie  was obviously important to Billy. Charlie, based on what Billy had said, also might have sort of vested interest here. No, Addie was a good kid, and Gavin would do almost anything to rescue her... but he didn't feel the sort of cold, paralyzing chill that he would have felt if Brigitte was surrounded by hostage-takers. Kids were always a wild variable for shit like this, and he was glad it was one they didn't have to account for.

The three story grey building was still in the distance as Gavin parked the car and led Billy and Charlie up the fire escape. They crawled on their stomachs toward the lip of the building, just to be safe. Volkov was there with a pair of binoculars. 

"What's the situation?" hissed Gavin and Billy simultaneously. Volkov didn't turn toward them as he spoke. 

"Seven left. Three men on roof with rifles. Two walking around outside ground floor- they rotate with the two more who are inside. Maybe one more at most- the man from the plane. And before you ask, the woman is... well, I haven't seen her. But I haven't seen anything bad with her either - perhaps she is sleeping."

Volkov shrugged, then handed the binoculars toward Billy as at least one shade on the building seemed to be opened up.

As Billy looked through windows, Gavin spoke quietly.

"If it were me, I'd leave one or two up of us up here with the rifle we brought. I'd try to get two inside the building before the snipers take any shots, though. Infiltrate, maybe take down one of the guards quietly in a way the snipers won't see- then we hit them all at once. While our sniper or snipers open fire, we have a couple guys ready to kick in the door, neutralize any threats, and get Addie."

"I can get at least one quietly," said Volkov. "Get inside building without anyone noticing. Might be able to get them all myself, but no reason to... roll dice. Good with knife."

Volkov grinned, and Billy- despite his other distractions- found himself staring at the man's face. He could see the resemblance to Gavin, but he could also see somewhat into the past: something closer to the pure weapon Gavin had been in his younger days. 

Billy and Charlie both nodded and Charlie patted at his own briefcase.

"We've got a rifle ourselves as well, so Charlie is going to stay up here too, that puts two on the roof with rifles, and two inside."

He then shook his head.

"I'm not great at quiet though. I'm big, and brutish. Wife calls me a bull. So I'm thinking best thing I can do is cause a distraction for you while these two neutralize everything they can from the outside. Gonna suck, cause I'll probably take some fire, but I'm sure I'll be fine. From the looks of things there's a garage that you can get through easy if I make a big enough scene at the front door. That will give us a chance to block off the car from them getting to for an escape too."

He looked each of the men in the eyes one at a time.

"What do you guys think?"

Gavin frowned. 

"Normally, I love distractions when hitting a larger group... but distractions with a hostage... not so much. We don't need to send you charging in to get shot somewhere just to draw attention."

He sighed.

"Still, it's going to be damned hard to take down these guys outside without the snipers noticing. We've got to get to Addie as fast as we can."

Gavin's sky blue eyes narrowed.

"Ideally, I'd like to send three of us inside. But the more sniper coverage, the better. I've been using a rifle since I was six. Volkov do you-?"

Volkov shook his head.

"Okay then," continued Gavin, "Charlie and I will stay up here with the rifles. Billy and Volkov on the ground. Charlie and I will handle the distractions; you two focus on Addie. If you can take down one guard quietly on your way in, great. We'll hold off and let you get as close as you can. If not, we'll open fire and draw their attention while you get inside and up the stairs toward the second floor where Addie is being held."

Gavin looked back at Billy.

"That's how I'd do it, at least. Give us a chance of getting someone inside and close to Addie before the shit hits the fan."

Billy nodded.

"I don't know how good I'm gonna be at pretty much any of this."

Billy looked around the building again, no fire escape. Luck was running short for him it would seem.

"Alright, I'll follow your lead Volkov we go in and I do my best to stay quiet and out of the way until someone spots us, or until we find Addie. She's priority one. We get her out into the car and Charlie you can take off with her then."

He looked to Gavin.

"Don't you go getting shot though, you guys are pretty badly exposed up here, keep your head down, your daughter would never forgive me or Addie if anything were to happen to you."

He looked at Volkov then and nodded toward the fire escape.

"I still think it's best if we go in through the garage personally, cuts off their escape if we go that way. What do you think?"

Volkov nodded at Billy about the garage as he handed Gavin the rifle. Gavin and Charlie began quietly arranging themselves on the rooftop, sliding away from each other so they both couldn't fit in the same scope. By the time they'd settled into their positions, Gavin could see Volkov and Billy silently approaching the treeline. Gavin made eye contact with Volkov and nodded. Gavin waved at Charlie to hide himself, and a birdlike whistle from Gavin hopefully drew the attention of the enemy snipers. 

When Volkov saw the snipers' heads jerk towards Gavin's whistle, he ran towards the building with Billy standing several steps behind him. Volkov had spent his entire life with a single purpose: to be honed into a weapon that could destroy his mother's enemies. After his mother's death, he retained all of his skill and none of his purpose. He moved like a big cat- undeniably powerful, but graceful and silent as he approached the guard from behind. 

With only a slight reconfiguration of his long, leaping strides, Volkov sprinted past the guard and a gleaming knife flicked out to slice the man's throat open. The guard's hands raised instinctively to block the arterial spray; his eyes turned up toward the roof as if begging for help. He couldn't speak, of course, and before he could think to do anything else Billy hit him like a freight train, driving into and lifting him, barely slowing down. Reaching the building, Billy slammed the guard into the concrete wall- but he might have already died by then. 

In the roughly six seconds of action, the two infiltrators had killed the guard and removed him from sight. As they moved into the garage, Volkov frowned and whispered.

"If we were just trying to kill them, I'd prefer that we get the other guard outside. When he makes it to this side of the building, he'll raise the alarm. But with a hostage..."

Volkov shrugged.

"Let's just get in there and get her, use the element of surprise while we still have it? You look like you're up for running through a door."

The Russian grinned as he wiped off his knife and returned it to his belt, removing his pistol from its holster.

Billy nodded.

"Yeah, except we're supposed to be sneaky here."

He reached the garage door and made the attempt to turn the knob, it turned freely. It was a wonder how few people bothered to lock an interior door. As the door slowly slipped open, Billy himself slowly slipped inside. He kept low, and quiet as he could, not that he was good at either of those things. Lucky for him and probably also for Volkov, the area within seemed to be more of a storage room than anything else. Boxes piled high on tables gave the right cover to keep from being seen just yet.

Billy turned and closed the door quietly as Volkov made his way inside, and Billy pulled out his own knife. He then looked to Volkov with a silent question. If there was one thing that Billy knew, Volkov was going to be in charge right up until sneaky and quiet was no longer the plan.

Of course he thought one question to himself. "If I were a set of stairs, where would I be?" That would get them to Addie Gavin said, second floor. After that they could do whatever they wanted.

A radio was softly playing.  The sound beckoned Volkov forward until at last, he and Billy were at the base of a set of stairs.  The lowest level had been fairly unoccupied but two floors were above them and allegedly half a dozen men might yet be inside. 

Up to the second floor, they crept.  Despite his size, Billy found safe places to put his feet and the stairs didn't complain beneath his weight.  The air was filled with an acidic vinegar-like smell that caused both men's noses to itch slightly.  

Volkov paused and peeked around the corner in a wide-open space littered with dusty workbenches and equipment.  A work floor of an old textile factory; his assumption made outside seemed to have been correct.  Near the center of the room was a space that had been cleared out of the relics of the old business and a sofa and three chairs sat together near a radio which was currently playing a swing tune.  Most of these items on the tables had not been used in some time by the look of dust upon them. 

Along either way were doors that went into small smaller rooms, perhaps once they were office spaces but considering the personal effects thrown in the middle of all these workbenches, one might assume they were living spaces.  Four doors on the left side of the room.  Four were on the right.  At the far end of the room was a set of stairs went up to the third floor.

On the couch, a man lounged with his head on a throw pillow and his feet elevated on the far end.  He was reading a newspaper.  His guns in their holster lay on a coffee table beside him.  A second man was pouring coffee from an urn into a mug.  His guns were on him though they were snapped into place and might not be readied very quickly unless he was skilled in such things.  A third man was seated in a chair and appeared unarmed.  He was tapping his foot to the music and appeared to be relaxing. 

Volkov gave a nod for Billy to step up to the corner and look, he fell back a moment, watching down the stairs to make sure they didn't get surprised from behind. 

Volkov's voice was a low rumble far beneath the sounds from the third floor or the radio playing.  "We could hold until we see the one we know took her... or clean up these three and address the problems as they appear.  Search the rooms.  Get her out.  Decide if we're hunting down the boss or not."

Billy peered into the room and watched as the men sat idly, paying little attention to their surroundings.

"How do you mean, clean up?"

He brandished his knife in one hand and looked to the doorway.

"They won't be fast to get their guns, but we won't be fast enough to get them all without one of them getting a gun either. How good are you at throwing a knife? If you can take out the guy who has his guns on him, and then get to the guy with his guns on the table, I'll give you my knife. The guy with the coffee and no guns? Him I can take out without a knife, and without noise. We are trying to be quiet after all."

Volkov considered Billy for a moment, his blue eyes weighing and measuring his brother-in-law.  Finally, he nodded, put away his gun and took the offered knife. 

"I'm decent,"  he said with a smirk that was eerily similar to Gavin's, though his eyes held very little of his father's natural warmth.

The two of them hesitated only a moment before entering the room with all the silence and alacrity they could manage.  Volkov narrowed his eyes and threw the knife as they moved.  It lodging solidly into the man wearing his guns.  This was how the other two became aware they were not alone.  Volkov vaulted over a table and then the sofa to reach the man who had been reading the newspaper but was now scrambling for his guns.  

Volkov pinned his target to the floor, struggled only a moment to pull his own knife and with minimal noise the second man went still beneath him, laying in a pool of his own hot blood.  Looking up he caught sight of Billy lifting the third man off the ground, strangling the smaller Frenchman.  It was a slow way to go, painful if his windpipe was being crushed as Volkov assumed it was.

Then Volkov saw motion out of the corner of his eye.  Instinct kicked in.  He pulled his gun and turned towards it.  Volkov hadn't failed many times in his life, not at something like this.  So, he was startled slightly when he saw a man leveling a gun at Billy... a man with Billy's knife still stuck in him, right where Volkov had thrown it.  It was like something out of a horror motion-picture show.  There was blood all down the front of the dying man, but his gun was held impossibly steady.  Volkov only a split second to decide what he was going to do about it.

He pulled the trigger half a heartbeat before the other man could.  Two gunshots rang out nearly simultaneously.  Volkov struck true on the same target for the second time that day, sending him instantly dead to the floor.  Turning his head quickly towards his Brother-in-Law he watched Billy drop coffee-guy who had taken the bullet for him.  There wasn't time for much else beyond scrambling for cover as Billy and Volkov heard feet thundering down the stairs from the third floor.   

The rest of the men in this building now knew that they weren't alone and what they hoped to be a mission-based on stealth and surprise had just evolved into a shootout.  Volkov only hoped that with them having to come down the stairs, a single pinch point, he and Billy still had something of an upper hand.

Garnier had just given Addie some aspirin and a large cup of water.  He had even put another cool compress on her face.  She looked horrible but despite her suffering, she was lovely.  He found himself increasingly amused at the idea of having her stay here, with him, in Paris.  If he could help her kick this habit perhaps she'd be grateful to him and once she learned of their plan to be a hub for North American heroin... that he'd be rich beyond her wildest dreams, what woman wouldn't want him then?

Gently he stroked her hair, sitting on the edge of the bed where she was curled in a fetal position.  He was about to speak when he heard a commotion outside the door.  He glanced at it, wondering what the hell the guys were doing out there when... 

Gunshots.

Garnier ducked down and pulled out his gun.  Sliding off the bed he positioned himself to the right of the door so that when it came open he'd be prepared to take out whatever fucking American decided to walk in first.  He knew that Mastrosimone was going to be a fucking problem, and losing Callemin to him was one thing... but this?  Coming to their HQ and shooting shit up... well, the gloves were off now.  He'd bury the man for this shit!

From his place atop the building across the way, Charlie could see men moving on the third floor the second they heard gunshots.  Lining up his first shot, Charlie took out the first one he could see.  It didn't appear to be a gangster, nor even a Frenchman.

"Turks?"  Charlie mused out loud as he ejected the shell casing his shell and attempting to line up the next shot.

When she had been left in the room alone, the depression overwhelmed and consumed her.  She cursed Garnier for not being beside her like he had promised her.  She wanted to die.  She even considered reaching for the gun that was strapped to her leg.  She could release herself from this hell that she was in and the thought of it sang invitingly to her.  Had she been left alone for much longer she just might have done it.  For her sake she was not left alone for long. 

Garnier came back and when she saw him coming through the door her heart leaped.  The emotion surprised and confused her.  Was she starting to have feelings for this man?  Despite the manipulations and actions this man had done, there had also been moments he had shown her so much tenderness.  Like he was doing right now.

He offered her the glass of water and the pill.  When she start to shake her head no, he clarified it to her.  "It is just an aspirin," he assured her.  "Go on.  It will help take the edge off your pain." He helped her sit up enough to drink some of the water to allow her to swallow the pill.  He even encouraged her to drink a few more sips to help with the dehydration she was experiencing.  When she laid back down he smiled at her and her eyes never left him.  

Taking the glass and the wet cloth she had been using as a compress, he went to the dresser.  Sitting the glass down he took the cloth and moved back to the wash stand.  Pouring some water into the basin, he dipped the cloth into the water and then rung it out.  Returning to the edge of the bed he replaced the compress on her forehead.

"Thank you," Addie told him.

He gently stroked her hair and was about to speak when they both heard a commotion followed by a gunshot.  

Garnier's actions confirmed to her that this was not normal.  They had come for her.  Gavin, Volkov... possibly even Billy and Charlie.

"No, please Garnier," she called out as she as she tried to sit up.  She was to weak though to get out of the bed.  "Please don't do this."

Charlie had kept his rifle trained on the building, but Gavin's attention was on the three snipers on the roof. As soon as the gunshots rang out, Gavin dropped the sniper that was closest to them, sending the back of his skull flying towards the other two rooftop snipers. Gavin managed to drop a second one quickly, but the third one had reached cover and started tracking Gavin before the older man could get a shot off.

Ducking down and hearing a rifle crack, Gavin shook his head at Charlie, who was saying something about Turks.

"One thing at a time, huh?! A little help?!"

Gavin held up his briefcase and grimaced as it was shot out of his hand. Charlie, taking advantage, quickly raised up to a shooting position and eliminated the third sniper. Gavin winked at him. 

"Now what the hell were you saying? Let's keep up here, be ready to shoot through windows, keep an eye on the exits/entrances... we'll probably be more help up here, at least in the next few minutes."