The Man between my crosshairs (girl X assassin)

Chapter 44/The head of the beast

Zoe's plan was simple and effective. She decided to cut the head off the beast. They would work around to the back of Raven while Mother and Mohab created a diversion in front. Rather than fighting through Raven's associates they would bypass them. Once Raven was dead the associates would evacuate, hired thugs were just that, hired. Zoe took some of Ryder's combat gear including two ice axes and few hand warmers and self-heating gloves. Most significantly was his climbing gear. It was clear from the tactical display that Raven had chosen a very safe point to snipe from. It had clear avenues of attack, but at his back was protected by a sheer vertical rock face. He would also have a spotter with him the protect his back and give him a wider field of view. Zoe knew he would take the weakest member of the team. Now it was a crisis Zoe felt somehow at home. Or perhaps it was the idea that Ryder was alive, everything seemed to be the way it should be. From Ryder's tactical map she knew a route to the backspace which would avoid any of Raven's associates.

She kissed Ryder. 

"You be good up there on your own?" Ryder said looking down on her. 

"Well you only have one pair of climbing axes and Raven's men are trying to mount an attack on the left of the lodge. You should have good fire arc behind them." Zoe said. He kissed her good bye, and moved off.  

Soon she was standing before the rockface. It was then that she realised this was not rock. This was ice which had been sculpted into a near pillar by the savage storms which had swept through the valley while it had frozen and now while it was warming up. They were still in the shadow of the sunrise. The supercooled ice sucked the warmth out of her.

Running a short amount of rope between both ice axes, Zoe jumped up and hurled one ice axe into the pillar of ice above her. She swung on one ice axe and then dug into the ice wall with her other ice axe. Stepping up on the rope stretched beneath both ice axis she pulled the lower ice axe out and then quickly slammed it into the ice above her head. Each movement was added with a verbal thud like a tennis pro delivering a hard backhand. She repeated this a few times until the ice was jagged enough to offer her a foothold. She then climbed up.

It was a very dangerous climb. One slip and she could have fallen to her death. Somehow knowing that Ryder was alive was enough to lift her up as if she was being carried on the wings of an angel. As she climbed she could hear explosions followed by chatter. It looked like mother and Moehab were successfully getting Raven's attention. The closer she got to the summit the quieter Zoe climbed.

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Eventually, she was close enough to peak over the edge on the top of the pillar. To the left was the camouflaged manned drone. Raven would keep that close not wanting anybody else to get the opportunity of leaving him behind. She also noticed to the right was a low pale blue cloud. That was most likely a pool of liquid oxygen or argon which had not yet to got enough heat to boil off. In the middle with is back to her was Raven himself. He had no rear body armour but a combat cyborg doesn't die easy. Next to him, he had a small stack of candle like flares. Zoe wondered what they would be for?

Raven was in Radio contact with his other local thugs.

"How fuck did they get out of the lodge? And where did all the heavy ordnance come from?" Raven shouted while Zoe pulled herself up.

She began to walk stealthily towards Raven's back. As she passed the manned drone she heard a tutting from behind.

"Where you think your going girly?" said a voice.

Zoe froze and turned slowly to her right. There hiding in the drone doorway was someone dressed in winter combat gear. He was pointing a pulse rifle at her.