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Nordic Peril: The Sequel to Gone Missing in Sweden

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I’m unsure if I would trust any of this lot going into a likely firefight- alleged professionals really ought to have better tactical nuance, not to mention be friggin’ well armed!
Yes, it’s difficult to match the skill and daring of true professionals as in @Fossy ‘s Mi6 team
 
Chapter 26. Forest trail near the country home of Åke Persson, Thursday, 22 January, 08:52.

“Shit! Sounds like a war going on up there!” exclaimed Hansson as he and his colleagues quickened their pace, and then broke into a run … or as fast a pace as the deep snow on the trail allowed.

“But, we’re unarmed!” puffed the Chief, who was struggling to keep up with the younger ones. “Maybe we should stop for a breather and talk this over?”

“Stay back, Chief!” Annika called back to him. “Let me and Hansson handle this!”

**********************************


Immediately behind the country home of Åke Persson. Thursday, 22 January, 08:53.

Barbara burst from the back door of the house, stopped briefly to get her bearings, and then set off at a run to reach Gun … who lay face down in the snow, motionless. A spreading pool of blood stained the snow at her side.


5C552B39-7D23-4298-9674-075AE700AFFB.jpeg

High on the slope facing the house, the Syndicate team leader had stopped firing at Johnson … his attention drawn away to the lone figure of Barbara rushing, exposed and vulnerable, to the aid of her fallen friend.

Swinging his gun around, he steadied, drew in his breath, and took careful aim … drawing a bead on the woman’s head.

On the trail only a few meters behind the Syndicate team leader, stood Skogman, taking note of what was about to happen.

There was a brief few moment of indecision.

Skogman looked first down the trail at three onrushing figures … an agile young woman in the lead, followed by a heavy set man several paces behind. The third figure, also a man, lagged a considerable distance further back.

Skogman then diverted his gaze off to one side … at his chosen escape route, which ran away from the trail, downhill and into a dense stand of young evergreen trees that could shield his escape from view.

Finally he returned his gaze to the Team leader, who was touched down, his attention focused on cutting down … perhaps murdering would be more accurate … the unaware and unarmed female figure below.

The decision came to Skogman in a flash. Perhaps it was instinctive. He’d probably never know for sure. But it drove him to action. Reaching for and drawing his handgun from the holster under his left arm, he pivoted, crouched, took aim and emptied the entire magazine into the back of the unsuspecting team leader.

Only then did Skogman turn and flee …down and away to safety amongst the sheltering stand of young evergreens and deep into the forest beyond.

Barbara looked up, startled by the burst of gunfire from the slope above and by the bullet that tore through the sleeve of her baggy sweater.

“Jesus, Barb! Get down!” shouted Åke
from the shelter of the house’s rear entry way.

She heeded his call. Dropping first to hands and knees before crawling the remaining distance to Gun’s side.

“Help!” Barbara called, turning Gun onto her side and placing a finger against her neck to check for a pulse . “Gun’s hurt … looks bad …really bad!”

“Hang on! I’m coming!” shouted Johnson, leaving his cover and starting off on a zig-zagging descent.

“I’m coming too,” called Åke from the back entrance.

“Get me down!” demanded Marina.

Up on the trail, far above, a panting Hansson gasped, “Did you see that?”

“Yeah,” answered Annika. “Someone just shot up that guy all dressed in black, and then fled into those trees.”

“Let him go for now,” advised Hansson. “The shooting seems to have stopped. And that’s Barbara’s voice. Sounds as though Gun’s been shot. Let’s get down to the house … fast!”


**********************************

Daily intelligence briefing at the headquarters of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Forbidden City, Pyongyang. Thursday, 22 January, 16:01 (09:01 in Sweden).

“General Bar, any news of that Syndicate operation in Sollefteå, Sweden?”

“No. Other than a message we received earlier stating that the special ops team was on site and going in. I suspect there will be an update shortly. Possibly before this meeting is concluded.”

“We shall await news then. You are aware, Bar, are you not? That you bear considerable responsibility for the outcome …not only in the eyes of this Commission, but in the estimation of Our Dear Leader himself, who has taken a special interest in the silencing of Colonel Chang … as well as the opportunity to possibly add two new additions to his special collection of western female sex slaves. I do hope, for your sake, and for all who you hold dear, that this turns out well.”

TBC
 
To my loyal fans: there appears to be a glitch on the site tonight. One must refresh the page prior to inserting a “like”, writing anything, or inserting an emoticon. If one doesn’t refresh the page first, nothing happens.

Personal note: I had nothing to do with activating this maddening glitch!!!
 
To my loyal fans: there appears to be a glitch on the site tonight. One must refresh the page prior to inserting a “like”, writing anything, or inserting an emoticon. If one doesn’t refresh the page first, nothing happens.

Personal note: I had nothing to do with activating this maddening glitch!!!
Not happening here at all!!!
 
To my loyal fans: there appears to be a glitch on the site tonight. One must refresh the page prior to inserting a “like”, writing anything, or inserting an emoticon. If one doesn’t refresh the page first, nothing happens.

Personal note: I had nothing to do with activating this maddening glitch!!!
It is still happening for me… :span1:

—————————

Wow Barb, more twists than an alley in London! Who is this mysterious Skogman? And is he working deep cover? And why does he seem better prepared than most of the other good guy “professionals“?

Great imagery from @Madiosi , thank you

Looking forward to Moore.
 
To my loyal fans: there appears to be a glitch on the site tonight. One must refresh the page prior to inserting a “like”, writing anything, or inserting an emoticon. If one doesn’t refresh the page first, nothing happens.

Personal note: I had nothing to do with activating this maddening glitch!!!
Is this a case of "The Lady doth protest too much"?
To be on the safe side, you need to write yourself a painful session at that frozen whipping post.
 
Chapter 27. Kitchen of the country home of Åke Persson, Thursday, 22 January, 09:13.

“My God!! Poor Gun!” wailed a distraught Barbara as she hovered anxiously over the figure of her friend, Gun … laid out and passed out on the hard wood-planked kitchen floor. The badly wounded police woman had been dragged indoors and laid there by Johnson and Åke, with the help of Hansson and Annika … both of whom had arrived on the scene just in time to lend assistance.

The kitchen had instantly become a center of feverish activity. Min-Ji busied herself with cutting away Gun’s bloodstained shirt and bra, using a sharp kitchen knife for lack of anything better. Marina had set a pot of water on the stove to boil, and was scurrying about gathering up clean towels and linen dinner napkins to use as sterile dressings. A thoroughly-winded Chief, who had arrived late to the scene, leaned against the door jamb, panting and staring wide-eyed at a topless and whip-marked Marina as she bustled busily back and forth.

“How bad is it?” asked Barbara as the last of Gun’s uppermost garments had been cut away and removed. “She’s still breathing, right?”

“Yes, it’s a shoulder wound. The bullet passed through and the good news is that nothing vital seems to have been hit. Had it hit her lung she’d have been coughing up a lot of blood by now. Still, there’s reason for concern. There’s already been and continues to be a serious loss of blood at the site of the wound. We desperately need to staunch the bleeding. And she’s going to need proper medical protection as soon as possible,” declared Min-Ji, her professional ‘take charge’ air on display.

“I’ll call Bulldozer,” announced Hansson. “Hopefully he and that chopper aren’t too far away.”

When some of the others looked at him uncomprehendingly, he added, “Bulldozer … he’s the Chief of SÄPO, and is supposed to be well on his way here by now with help.”

“Let’s hope he’s not too far away! Come on Hansson, let’s you and I go back outside and check on those bodies,” urged Annika. “There were three by my count. We should be checking them over to see what we can learn.

“They’ll all have tattoos behind their left ears. You can count on that,” called Barbara after them.

“I’ll go too and lend them some assistance,” announced Johnson.

“Think I’ll stay right where I am ‘and keep an eye on …. uh …. things … ‘till I can catch my breath,” wheezed the Chief as they filed past him on their way out the door.

***************************

On board a Swedish Air Force HKP 9 Messerschmitt Bölkow-Blom helicopter, Thursday, 22 January, 09:20.

“Olson here!” boomed the SÄPO Chief into his cellphone.

“Bulldozer, it’s Bertil Hansson, calling from the Åke Persson house.”

“Hansson? Who?… Ah … 0h yes …got it … Björklund’s boy … right? … What’s going on there?”

“A nasty fire fight” replied Hansson, ignoring the slur. “But It’s over now. Everyone on our side is safe … except for my partner, Detective Sergeant Gun Thorell. She’s been shot and has lost a lot of blood and needs to be evacuated to the nearest hospital trauma center as soon as possible. Where are you? How long before you can get here?”

There was a pause while Bulldozer conferred with the helicopter pilot. Hansson fidgeted, waiting impatiently.

B9DAFC9C-4334-4E78-9316-CFEBD7280BF8.jpeg

“We’re still roughly an hour away,” came the answer at last.

“Hmmmm … that far?”

“Afraid so.”

“Well, see to it that you get here as quickly as possible!”

“Will do. Hold tight there Hansson. Help is on the way.”

“One more thing.”

“What’s that?”

“I think one of the bad guys got away. I saw him running off into the forest.”

“Hmmm …. my people will chase him down. He won’t get far an foot.”

“I think there’s an abandoned vehicle … a new model Volvo SUV … not far off the highway on the lane going into Persson’s place. He might try getting back to it to make an escape.”

“Right, I’ll alert the police in Sollefteå to get someone over there as soon in as possible to place it under armed surveillance.”

*************************

In the forest, some distance to the northwest of the country home of Åke Persson, Thursday, 22 January, 09:57.


Plodding laboriously through deep snow but getting himself well clear of the Persson home, Arne Skogman was deep in thought as he circled around and set off for the main road. He had decided against returning to the Volvo he and the Syndicate team had left abandoned on the lane into Persson’s home. He figured that the authorities, once alerted would be all over the vehicle.

He wasn’t concerned about the SUV being linked to him as he had purchased it almost a year earlier from a shadowy underworld source and kept it hidden in a rented garage for occasional use in undercover operations such as this one. Nonetheless, he was keenly aware that he had been seen with the Syndicate team back at the hotel in Sollefteå, and it was entirely possible that he might be identified, although he had rented the room under a false name and paid the bill in cash. In any case, he thought it prudent to get out of the country. And with regard to that, his only option was Norway. Unfortunately the Norwegian border was hundreds of kilometers away.

But resourcefulness was his middle name, as he liked to jokingly say. And accordingly, he was already plotting, in his mind, how he might get himself to Norway

His plan would be to proceed on foot to begin with, taking care to stay near to but clear of the main roads. Stealing a decent pair of skis would be an early priority. No problem there. He could easily find skis to steal at a farm, as they were often left outdoors unattended. Fortunately, he was an accomplished cross-country skier, and was already appropriately dressed for the cold weather.

It was also fortunate that he had ample cash and several false IDs in his wallet. When he deemed it safe, he would find food to buy and perhaps seek overnight lodging from a farmer. Or, better yet, he would break into and use some city-dweller’s summer cottage. And when he reached Norway, he would likely do the same … find an unattended summer cottage and hole up there until spring.

And what if he were to be caught by the authorities? That, after all was a possibility despite his resourcefulness.

The only answer that came to mind would be to plead for leniency, pointing out the courts that he had, after all, taken it upon himself when the chips were down to shoot the Syndicate team leader in the back. And, in so doing, had undoubtedly prevented a gruesome slaughter from having taken place down at the house. He was certain that the action he taken had been witnessed from the trail and could be corroborated. Yes, it was a good defense and a competent attorney could surely work with it.

TBC
 
Thank goodness for Bulldozer and his chopper! :hmmm: ...

What will happen to Gun? Will she be saved?

And once Markna stops tearing around helping out, the shock will set in and she'll realise just how bloody cold she was chained to that post and how badly she's been whipped... 2 for the hospital methinks!

Still keeping us on edge Barb. Great stuff ...
 
2 for the hospital methinks!
Wait, what? Surely not? It was only a dozen or so, just a light seasoning, surely?

(Stop calling me Shirley, says @Fossy )

By CF standards she doesn’t count as injured at all, she can be given the night to recover on that rack while Barb and Annika take turns on her whipping post, testing each other’s limits… I’m sure Åke would enjoy assisting!
 
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