Location: Central London, England

Unit: 22nd Special Air Service, British Army

Date: March 25th, 2021 CE

Sat in the café was an ordinary-looking young man. He looked no older than 25; dressed in a casual hoodie, t-shirt and jeans, the man scrolled through his phone. On the top, it read 'Defence Gateway'. Scrolling through his notifications, he suddenly looked up. The man had black hair with a few stands of his natural brown hidden beneath to match his brown eyes.

Sighing, he switched his phone off, "Nothing today..." turning to his coffee, he picked it up and took a whiff, "Sundays, huh?"

Behind him, he heard a conversation, "Hey, have you heard the rumours?"

The ordinary-looking man listened to the conversation behind him, which was normal procedure for him. Any rumour was of interest to them, no matter how minuscule, this man liked to know before anyone else.

The conversation continued, "Heard what?" a second voice spoke.

The first voice spoke again, "Apparently, Russia has a new fleet, completely revamped."

The ordinary man raised an eyebrow before his eyes widened, this just became fascinating.

The second voice replied, "Bullshit, the Ruskies could barely keep their one aircraft carrier afloat."

The first voice shook his head, "No, I'm serious, several smaller sites are popping off about it before removing the article, social media is going insane, here's the video."

The first voice pulled up a phone, showing a huge fleet, the ordinary man turned his head to get a glance before whispering, "I thought so."

He started to stir his coffee with a small spoon, as he analysed it he sighed, it was already cold. He stood up from the table and went to the till, it was relatively quiet for a Sunday. The man arrived at the till and greeted the Barista, "Can I have another, mine's gone cold already?"

The Barista nodded, "Yes, Mr Mclaw, that will be £2.60."

The ordinary man, named Jonathon Mclaw, stood at the till watching the Barista create his Cappuccino; every day for the past 19 years he had come here, 19 long years, he had watched Baristas come and go as fast as officers through Sandhurst. He sighed again, remembering his time in Sandhurst... 1979.

Mclaw muttered to himself, "Where has all that time gone?"

The Barista looked up watching Mclaw stare into space again, "Are you okay, Mr?"

Mclaw snapped back to reality, "Yeah, just reminiscing."

The Barista chuckled, "College days, I'm guessing?"

Mclaw snickered, "Yeah, college," In reality, Mclaw had never been to college in this world, nor university, but only very few people knew that.

The Barista nodded at Mclaw before placing the coffee on the counter, Mclaw thanked him and went to leave. But as soon as he reached the door he saw it open a fraction, slamming his hand on the door, he avoided another disaster with his drink. Opening it carefully, he looked the guy standing ahead of him up and down.

The one who had attempted to open the door, was armed with a C8 Carbine and a Glock sidearm, it was a soldier. On his head, he wore a ski mask and a set of black goggles covering his eyes. Wearing a plate carrier and holster, he looked at Mclaw.

"If you know what's good for you... move," The soldier said.

Mclaw smiled before stepping aside, "Finally."

The soldier walked in, "Which one of you is a Captain in the British Army?"

Mclaw chuckled, "That would be me."

The soldier turned around to see a huge shadow looming behind Mclaw, it started to consume the soldier and he gulped. Immediately looking down, he spoke, "S-sir, I need you to... uh... come with me."

Mclaw nodded, before exiting the café. Ahead of him sat a black SUV parked on the road, the soldier opened the door and Mclaw jumped in the back seat, "What's happened?"

An older man in the front seat looked in the interior mirror at Mclaw, "There's been an attack, over a hundred deceased, the threat of a nuclear weapon present." The 'old man' Jonathon was talking to was a close friend, but also his superior, a 4-star General. Raiden Kyton. Kyton was an ex-SBS member who raided Argentina during the Falklands War along with Mclaw and a group of other Operators.

Mclaw's eyes widened, shit was kicking off... "Where?"

General Kyton replied, "British Museum, it was a massacre, terrorists still inside, three teams are ready, they go in on your mark. As well MI5 have been hearing chatter about three more nukes."

Mclaw sat back in his seat, pulling a plate carrier, equipped with his gear, he threw it over his head, "You have the key?"

The General spoke, "Here you go!"

He tossed a key into Mclaws hands and Mclaw immediately put it in a lock, twisting he opened the lock revealing a modified M16A2 assault rifle. Pulling it, he checked the safety catch before opening the chamber, slamming it forward he looked up, "Where are the three other bombs?"

Kyton nodded, "Bejing, China. Moscow, Russia and..." He paused looking down, "Wahington DC, USA."

Mclaw nodded, "Are the loyalists getting ready?"

Kyton nodded, "All they need is for you to give the word. Americans are helping, Ruskies are refusing to acknowledge the bomb, and the Chinese are doing the same as the Russians."

Mclaw placed the M16 on his lap, looking up, "Anything else?"

The old man tossed him a balaclava, "Wear this, John."

Mclaw sighed, "Great!"

***

The Black SUV pulled into a side street near the museum. Tents lined the walls as military personnel dressed in MTP gear ran from tent to vehicle transporting gear. Mclaw, the SAS soldier and the old man left the vehicle and entered the tent.

A middle-aged figure stood, watching the drone operators work, he turned back to the tent's entrance, "Gentlemen."

Both soldiers stood there and nodded, "Mr Prime Minister," Kyton said.

"General Kyton, Captain Mclaw, it's a pleasure for you to finally join us," The Prime Minister smiled. The current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom was Oscar Halvard, an ex-member of the 7th Armoured Brigade, 'The Desert Rats' during the peacekeeping missions in Iraq after the Gulf War's end, "The planner is next door."

The two looked at each other, surprised that the planner was let out. Quickly entering a tunnel they came into a second tent next door, they saw a small man drawing on an interactive whiteboard. He had the plans of the British Museum, along with three different coloured lines going through the diagram.

The man was no more than 1.6 metres tall (5.3ft) by Mclaw's estimates, with a set of glasses hooked around his coat he placed down the pen, "What if we go in like this, then meet like this, then all converge here!" He paused, scratching his chin, "NO! That would be too obvious, this has to be hard and fast, through the roof, blow a hole in the tunnels, through the front door! Yes! That's it!"

He turned around to see the two officers standing there smiling, "Sirs!" he saluted them.

Mclaw rolled his eyes, while Kyton returned the salute, speaking, "You are going to enlighten the Captain on the details of the op, Bowell?"

'The planner', named David Bowell, was one of the greatest strategic and tactical minds in the British Army. Being in his mid-40s, he'd planned several of Mclaw's Operations and been the main inspiration for many of Mclaw's insane 'plans'.

He started to explain, the rough position of each group of visible enemies, he described how they'd recorded about an eight-man section patrolling around the ground floor and main hall. Two targets had been seen on the second floor but disappeared, while the other six targets have gone underground into the catacombs and train tunnels below the building. He then revealed something Mclaw had briefly heard once before, "I'm sure you know this already, but there is a hidden lift behind the reading room, it was meant to be used to hold extra museum pieces which couldn't be displayed, but eventually became useless due to the others."

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Mclaw nodded, "So that's where the nuke is?"

Bowell nodded, "Yes Sir... well, where we believe the nuke to be."

Mclaw stepped closer to the map analysing it, "How do we know?"

Bowell stepped closer, clicking a button on the remote, pulling up a video of lifeless carcasses strewn across the floor bleeding what little blood they had left. The once white walls had been stained with blood and bullet holes, but in the middle of the room stood a group of those sixteen responsible all surrounding a metallic object on a cart, as one of them moved away it revealed its cone-like shape.

Mclaw looked again, "A warhead..."

Kyton stepped closer, "We need it taken and put in British hands immediately, can you do it?"

Mclaw scratched his chin, "I'd need a map of the tunnels and..." Mclaw paused, "Give me a few minutes."

Bowell pulled up a map of the hidden floor and Mclaw ran his hands across it analysing the drawn on lines, muttering to himself along the way.

A few minutes passed, and then Mclaw spoke, "We are going in with three teams, I will go in through the roof with mine; we will push to the elevator before I descend, from there on I will be comm silent until I find the nuke..." He looked again at the underground map, "There seems to be a train line next door, there can't be more than a few metres between them."

Bowell nodded, "I've informed the third team that they are entering that way and will be there to back you up if need be."

Mclaw nodded, "I've been keeping an eye on someone recently."

Kyton raised an eyebrow, "You're not saying..."

Mclaw shook his head, "No, I'm not reviving it. This is something new, I've already been collecting several files."

Bowell nodded, "Who is it?"

Mclaw looked at him, "A sergeant. Male. Age 22. Roy Hunt," Mclaw looked at both of them, they'd both heard the name, "He's on this mission correct? If not, get him here, and he will lead the third section into the tunnels, understood."

Bowell nodded, "He's already in that section sir, he volunteered."

Mclaw chuckled, "Exactly what I'd expect," Turning around he went to leave the tent when he paused, "Get the rest ready, the raid begins in half and hour."

***

Mclaw stood on the roof looking through the glass roof of the British Museum, "Seven targets spotted. Eighth unknown."

A voice came in through his earpiece, "Understood, Captain. You have a green light."

Mclaw laid down a sheet on the roof and pushed it into the roof before hooking a cable in; he looked around as the other SAS soldiers did the same. Mclaw breathed in and out, placing his hand on his back, and slowly drawing the handle of a blade he concentrated. Closing his eyes, he spoke, "Let's do this," Opening his eyes he kicked the sheet which smashed straight through the glass. Falling through the air he grabbed his pistol grip again and opened fire as he descended. The rope connecting him to the roof tightened and slowed his descent, bullets immediately dropped several enemies and not a single one connected with any SAS soldiers' bodies.

Mclaw noticed how poor their accuracy was, smiling.

Hitting the ground, all targets were dead. Still keeping their rifles raised another group of SAS soldiers entered the main door behind them and tapped Mclaw on the shoulder.

"ABOVE!" Suddenly, Machine gunfire started to rain down on the SAS soldiers, one cried out in pain, dropping to the floor.

Mclaw steadied his rifle and immediately let out a burst of three shots.

The gunfire stopped and two machine guns fell to the ground.

Mclaw touched his earpiece and spoke gently, "Two of you get the wounded outside, two get up there and clear it! The rest will continue with the mission."

Mclaw towards the back of the main room. It was quiet. Mclaw felt an eery breeze and he stepped around a body. Entering a corridor he waited for a second. The old lift door was open. Their target.

Mclaw looked back to the group of six and nodded before moving down the blood-smeared corridor. Stopping right in front of the door Mclaw looked down the dark elevator shaft. The bottom was invisible.

Mclaw bit his lip in anticipation, this was the part he hated...

Remembering a conversation with Kyton, he smiled, 'And we know I can survive this drop?"

Kyton chuckled, "March 20th 1995."

Mclaw remembered him raising an eyebrow, "Tokyo Subway attack? What about it?"

Kyton replied, "You jumped off a building ten floors up just to catch a terrorist... don't you remember?"

Mclaw tilted his head, "Oh yeah... completely forgot about that, but anyway, can I survive the drop."

Kyton sighed in defeat, "Who knows? Hopefully, you'll break your neck and get out of my hair."

Mclaw remembered chuckling before leaving.

Back in the British Museum, Mclaw flipped his M16 onto his back, locking in several clips. The other SAS soldiers watched all three hallways ready to be attacked at any moment. Nothing came, Mclaw tapped the leader on the shoulder indicating that they should hold position here.

Mclaw took a few steps back from the ledge, drawing his ancient M1911 from a holster, the glorious frame was once again going to see war, as well as a flashbang, he threw the metal cylinder before leaping forward straight down the shaft, going into a pencil jump, he pulled the M1911 closer to his chest. Suddenly his feet hit the cold hard concrete and he heard a snap and immense pain run through his body. He wanted to yell out but knew he shouldn't... the pain will pass like it always has.

He stood there, staring at the ground. He felt his leg healing, slowly the bone welded together and the blood was brought back into his body with the damaged kneecaps healing.

Mclaw looked up, he was back.

Darting forward he fired a single shot from his pistol. The hallway momentarily lit up as several shadows were cast onto the wall.

His eyes widened as saw a bullet whizz past his face, dodging left he flipped off the side of the wall, firing back two of the enemy fell, followed by a third. Then Mclaw heard a clicking. A smirk grew on his face as he looked down the tunnel at the soldier trying to clear a jam from his weapon. Mclaw darted closer till he was no more than an inch from the enemy's face.

He snatched the rifle from the enemy with one hand and lifted the enemy himself up with the other hand. Mclaw grappled onto the enemy's neck pinning him against the wall and slowly watching the air leave his throat.

Then it cracked and popped...

Mclaw let the lifeless body drop to the floor as he shook the blood from his glove.

Turning around he looked down the hallway, and footsteps started to echo in the distance. They were coming from the direction of the train tracks, 'Must be the other section...'

Mclaw walked down the corridor unhooking his rifle from his back, he holstered his pistol. Pulling the M16 into his shoulder he looked down the dark corridor, he saw an eery green light illuminating the room at the end of the corridor. Approaching it he entered the room.

Looking left and right he saw an enemy on each side of him, "For fucks sake."

He went to raise his hands when he lunged left grabbing the barrel of the first rifle and directing it in the way of the second enemy, Mclaw punched straight through the trigger guard slamming the trigger into the pistol grip. Bullets ricochet off the roof before landing all around the struggling soldiers. Knocking the rifle with his left hand he swung his right leg around the back of the guy's neck slamming him into the floor.

Mclaw stepped back and produced his sidearm from its holster. He pointed it at the enemy's temple, as they slowly attempted to climb to their feet. The head exploded into tiny chunks as the pistol's hammer was triggered. The corpse slammed into the ground. The oozing red substance started to seep from what was left of the lower jaw, which was hung on by no more than the thickness of a thread.

Mclaw shrugged, pivoting on his heel, pulling the magazine out and replacing it. He walked towards the glowing green container, "Holy fuck,"

Kneeling, he looked inside revealing a glowing warhead, the same one from the video. While it was mostly made out of a metallic-like shell, it had strips of glass concealing a weird green fluid.

Suddenly, a buzzing started to come from behind him as heard a click before a strong New Zealand accent, "Captain Mclaw... the infamous Reaper, a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Mclaw's eyes widened as he swung his head around; there stood a single enemy combatant dressed in the same clothes as the rest.

Mclaw tilted his head to the side, "Sixteen..."

The final enemy wagged his finger, "Ah ah... it's a dead man's switch!"

Mclaw looked at him and just stared, he wondered what to do... a million scenarios played out in his head. In none of them, he was faster than the button. So he closed his eyes and listened carefully.

Mclaw spoke two words, "One hundred."

The enemy chuckled, "I can detonate this whenever I want! London will burn like DC, Moscow and Bejing already have!"

Mclaw looked up, "What..."

The enemy's grin grew beneath his facemask, "You heard me... Your precious ally's capital is gone... humanity is doomed, dear Captain!"

Mclaw spoke one word this time, "Fifty."

The enemy tilted his head to the left, "First you say Sixteen, then a hundred, now fifty; how exactly are you counting down and to what, may I ask?"

Mclaw smiled, "Well it's better if you ask him..."

The enemy felt a cold breath run down his spine as he saw a hand snatch the detonator, while another grabbed his chin, tearing it off.

Mclaw nodded as he watched another soldier disarm the detonator, "Welcome, Sergeant.."

The Sergeant stood there and handed Mclaw the detonator, "Thank you, Captain, you want to?"

Mclaw tilted his head left and right, "I want to... but I think we should bring him back, where's your unit?"

The Sergeant nodded down the hallway, "Holding down several corridors, guaranteeing an escape."

Mclaw nodded, "Let's get moving then," he grabbed the final enemy combatant by the shoulder as blood trickled out of his where his chin once sat. The enemy still had his tongue holding on by a thread, but didn't bother to speak. Mclaw drew a set of handcuffs from his pocket and yanked both of the enemy's hands into a suitable place for the handcuffs.

Mclaw ran behind the cart, which housed the nuclear weapon, while the Sergeant forced the enemy to his feet, Mclaw pushed the weapon of mass destruction down the corridor.

***

The group exited the sewerage system. The Sergeant went out first, giving several soldiers a hand to climb onto their feet. Mclaw was last out, having the nuclear weapon hoisted over his shoulder he felt the intense pressure push down on him, while he had carried some pretty heavy equipment that normal people wouldn't be able to carry, he'd never carried a nuclear warhead. Grasping the Sergeant's palm, he was pulled to his feet before placing the weapon back on the trolly. He nodded and slung the M16 over his back while still keeping a hand on his 1911. Mclaw pushed the enemy forward into the alleyway as he looked back at the group. Two guards looked at each other before calling a doctor and a member of the Military Police the doctor sat down the enemy soldier on a curb treating his wounds while the MP watched in horror.

Mclaw nodded, "He's one of the enemies, don't forget that, the Sergeant here tore off his jaw and nicked the detonator from him," Mclaw waved the deactivated detonator in front of him before throwing it at the MP, "I've deactivated it, don't worry."

Mclaw gave a mocking two-finger salute and walked into a tent becoming extremely serious, "Everyone except the Generals and PM... get out," he looked around the tent; no one moved, "You heard me! Get. out." Mclaw spoke calmly.

All the drone and camera operators ran out and Mclaw stood there facing General Kyton and the Prime Minister, "So you know, Captain?"

The Sergeant put his hand out, "Know what?"

Mclaw bit his lip, "So it's true?"

Kyton nodded, "Yes... everyone is dead, Bejing and Russia lost most of their government, US government evacuated everyone except the President."

Mclaw stared at him, "Why wasn't he evacuated first?"

Kyton gulped, "He insisted on staying."

Mclaw turned around and slammed a fist on a table, "Fuck!"

The Prime minister turned around and pulled a case from a chair placing it next to where Mclaw's clenched fist hit the table, "This is an attack on British soil... I say we use our final option first."

Mclaw tilted his head, "Against whom?"

The Prime Minister grabbed a remote and switched the large screen on and a message started to play.