Missions of the Retrieval Team - The Girl with the Silvery Smile

[Livingston]

Hmmmm A satin shirt to go with my Livingston tartan I'll have to check that out.

[SFCRick]

nice job

[davedove]

Scene 19


Convention Center, Denver, Colorado


As Miss Ritchgarl walked away, I sent out a message. “Ms. Starling, I need you at my location. Meet me over by the west wall.”

I then turned to the to kilted gentlemen with me. “Gentlemen, I need you to come with me.”

“What’s going on?” asked Livingston, as we moved toward the west wall of the room.

“Without going into too much detail, you have both been exposed to a mind-altering drug and you need to be treated.”

“What do you mean?” asked Erisianmonkey. “Nobody gave me any drugs.”

“The drug is airborne. You were exposed just by being in the area.”

“What, how do you know this? What were we exposed to?”

We had reached the west wall and I saw Ms. Starling approaching. “Gentlemen, what I am about to tell you is to be kept in strict confidence between us, agreed? It is a matter of importance to Xmarks.”

Both men gave their agreement, so I continued. “My associates and I are on a mission for the League of Moderators. We know that Miss Ritchgarl is involved in a plot to distribute mind influencing drugs and devices. By just being in her presence, you have been exposed.”

“Oh my God,” exclaimed Livingston. “What’s it going to do to us?”

“Mainly it makes you very susceptible to suggestion. Tell me, what do you think of Miss Ritchgarl’s suggestion about the satin shirts?”

“I think it’s a great idea. They would look great with our kilts.”

“And when did you start feeling this way?”

“Why, when Emma suggested it to us. It seemed like a fabulous idea.”

“Exactly, the drug allowed her suggestion to be accepted by you without question. Don’t worry though, the drug does not do any physical damage.”

Ms. Starling had now joined us. “What do you need me for?” she asked.

“These gentlemen have been exposed to hypnotin. I need you to administer the antidote.”

I turned back to the men. “Ms. Starling is one of my associates. Ms. Starling, this is Livingston and Erisianmonkey from Xmarks.”

“A pleasure to meet you gentlemen, too bad it’s in this situation.” She held up a small bottle. “In this bottle is the antidote to the drug. Like the hypnotin, it can be administered through the air you breathe. Hold the bottle up to your nose and breath deeply. The antidote will take affect shortly.”

Livingston took the bottle first and took a deep breath from it. Apparently, the smell was rather potent, as he grimaced and jerked the bottle away from his face.

“I’m sorry I didn’t warn you about that,” said Ms. Starling, “but it is necessary.”

After Erisianmonkey had also taken the antidote, he gave the bottle back to Ms. Starling.

“Gentlemen,” I said. “Since you are now involved, I am going to ask for your assistance.”

[Livingston]

Just let us know what you need, Mr. Dove and we will be more than happy to assist.

[davedove]

Scene 20


Convention Center, Denver, Colorado


After the main benefit, those of us with the special tickets were invited to remain behind. Miss Ritchgarl also made a point to specially invite everyone who was wearing a kilt to also remain, making good on her previous promise.

Ms. Thrush and I were the only members of my team who had the special tickets, so the remainder of my team left the building to ready our transportation. Livingston and Erisianmonkey were going to accompany Ms. Thrush and me. Ms. Starling had given Livingston the bottle of hypnotin antidote in case it was needed.

Ms. Thrush had formulated a plan and we all thought it was brilliant. She had on the choker that she had received. She explained that if Miss Ritchgarl were wearing her perfume, she would also be subject to the hypnotin. Thus, Ms. Thrush should be able to use the choker to influence her.

We first had to wait for the special session to end. Miss Ritchgarl and her entourage made their way around the room, speaking to everyone. She was probably making comments on different clothing combinations, influencing the minds of everyone she spoke to. Fortunately, after the benefit, that influence would be limited to those people in the room and wouldn’t spread to anyone else.

We stayed behind after most of the other guests had left. Miss Ritchgarl noticed us and came over to speak.

“Oh, I’m so glad you’re here,” she said. “I did so want to speak with you about those kilts.”

Ms. Thrush put her plan into action. “Emma, instead of standing around here, it would be so much better if we could go somewhere else to talk. We could sit down, have a few drinks, and talk all we wanted.”

Either the plan was working or Miss Ritchgarl really did think it was a good idea. “That would be marvelous,” she said. “Let me talk with the ladies on my staff.”

Ms. Thrush was quick to respond to that. “By all means, but they don’t need to come along. It would be so much better if we could speak with you alone.”

“You’re right, I don’t need them.” She stepped away to speak with her staff.

“That seemed to work well,” I told Ms. Thrush.

“Yes,” she answered. “I was afraid that she may have had a filter to block the perfume like we did. I guess she figured she wouldn’t need one.”

That did bother me. Why would Miss Ritchgarl allow herself to be subject to the effects of the perfume? She had to know that she would be subjected to its influence at the benefit.

Miss Ritchgarl returned to us. “Okay, I let the girls off for the rest of the night. Where should we go?”

“Let’s slip out the back way,” Ms. Thrush told her. “That way we can avoid the photographers.”

“Great idea, those paparazzi can be so annoying.”

Of course we didn’t tell her that our team was waiting for us. I had arranged for them to meet us at the hotel across the street.

The maze of hallways in the convention center led us to the delivery area. From there we could make our exit.

As we stepped outside, I was suddenly hit over the head and I fell to the ground. At the same time, Ms. Thrush was shoved backwards into Livingston and Erisian, causing them to fall as well.

As I groggily looked up, I saw Miss Ritchgarl being carried away by a large kilted man dressed all in black, except for two bright red letters on the back of his sweater – BM. Stretched over the top of his head was what looked like a large sporran.

Running alongside this man was another kilted man, this one wearing a black kilt. This one had on no headgear and this allowed his long blond hair to flow freely. They were running towards the open door of a delivery van.

Erisianmonkey was the first one on his feet and he took off after the two men.

The big man almost threw Miss Ritchgarl into the van and jumped in after her.

The blond man had to hesitate briefly before he could enter the van and this allowed Erisianmonkey to catch up to him. Just as the man jumped into the van, Erisianmonkey was able to grab the back of his jacket.

Unfortunately, the blond man simply let the jacket slip off of his shoulders and entered the van, leaving Erisianmonkey holding the jacket.

As the van sped away, the blond man leaned out of the open door and shook a rubber chicken at us. I heard him call out, as he drove away, “NOW YOU WILL NEVER STOP ME!!! I HAVE MY QUEEN AND I WILL RULE!!!!!” His maniacal laughter slowly faded as the van drove away.

[davedove]

Scene 21


Convention Center Delivery Entrance, Denver, Colorado


Ms. Thrush quickly activated her radio. “Thrush to flock, we’re at the delivery entrance. Dove is down. Prey has escaped and we need tracker now.”

She quickly turned to Erisianmonkey and pulled a large plastic bag from her purse. “Hold the jacket away from you and bring it here and put it in this bag.”

After he put the jacket into the bag, she sealed it and handed the bag back to him. “Hang on to this. Ms. Starling will want to examine it.”

She turned back to where Livingston and I were seated on the pavement. Livingston had been doing a quick examination of my head where it had been struck.

“How is it?” she asked.

“I don’t see any broken skin or bleeding, but I imagine he’s going to have quite a bump there,” Livingston answered her.

“How do you feel?” she asked me.

“A bit woozy,” I answered her, “but I should be okay in a little bit. Big Mikey really packs a punch.”

Just then the rest of my associates arrived. Ms. Swan quickly set up her laptop to monitor the tracking device that Ms. Thrush had managed to plant on Miss Ritchgarl.

Ms. Starling came up to us. “So, what happened?”

“It was Grant and his crew,” I answered. “They jumped us and took off with Miss Ritchgarl.”

“So, they’re working together?”

“I don’t think so,” answered Ms. Thrush. “It really didn’t look to me like Emma was going along willingly. She seemed to be struggling when Big Mikey carried her away.”

“This is going to change the mission,” I said. “Let’s head back to the hotel and we can go over the information we have.” I turned to Livingston and Erisianmonkey. “Gentlemen, I would like you to come with us. You may have noticed something that we missed.”

[Wompet]

As the van sped away, the blond man leaned out of the open door and shook a rubber chicken at us. I heard him call out, as he drove away, “NOW YOU WILL NEVER STOP ME!!! I HAVE MY QUEEN AND I WILL RULE!!!!!” His maniacal laughter slowly faded as the van drove away.

So, Emma Ritchgirl looks like a young Sissy Spacek?

Somewhere a large, shaggy dog cocks his head to the side at the thought of Grant's follies, then ambles off to use the jeweled collar he recently obtained in Toronto to get an extra serving of steak ...

[Livingston]

Charles and I will be more than happy to assist. If you need assistance, I have a contact at Ft Carson to get us another team together.

[davedove]

Scene 22


Suite of Rooms at the Rilleenice Convention Hotel in Denver


We had returned to our suite of rooms at the hotel and Ms. Swan had set up her tracking station on her laptop.

“From the convention center,” she was explaining, “They went straight to the airport. From there the signal is basically taking a northeastern route. They’re not following any roads, so I would guess they are airborne.”

“He’s heading back to Canada then,” said Ms. Starling.

“Most likely,” I replied. “He’s probably heading for home, Burlington, Ontario.”

“Doesn’t he expect us to follow him there?”

“Sure, but his megalomania makes him assume we won’t be able to stop him. That doesn’t mean he won’t be prepared though. He’s bound to have extensive security.”

“Security shouldn’t be a problem,” Ms. Raven chimed in.

“Not if it’s only technological,” I chuckled. “But he’s likely to have a number of henchmen as well. Unfortunately, we don’t know how many.”

“Heavy assault?” asked Ms. Hawk.

“That’s the most likely scenario,” I answered. “Ms. Hawk, get on the phone and tell Panache we need his reinforcements.”

I turned to Livingston and Erisianmonkey. “Gentlemen, I would like your assistance. But before you agree, I need you to understand that it will probably be dangerous. My associates and I will handle the main assault, but I would like you to join any reinforcements that the League sends as our reserve.”

“Of course,” they answered together. “Count us in.”

“Thank you, gentlemen. Very well, for the duration of this mission, Livingston, you will be known as Mr. Loon. Erisianmonkey, you will be Mr. Toucan.”

I turned back to my associates. “Ms. Swan, keep track of where Grant is going. Ms. Falcon, get the plane ready. Ms. Wren, we will need clearance to enter Canadian airspace. Ms. Raven, make sure we have the gear necessary for an assault mission. Ms. Stork, see if you can find out who Grant may have working with him. Ms. Starling, make sure our two friends here are outfitted properly.”

Ms. Hawk had finished her phone call. “Panache is sending his team to meet us in Canada. Mr. Splash, Mr. BEEDEE, and Mr. Mender will be making a short stop to pick one other team member in New York.”

“Another team member?” I asked.

“Yes, Panache met him during the Acrylibeast expedition. This team member is rather large and fuzzy.”

I smiled when I heard this. I knew who this other team member would be. “Wompet,” I said through my smile.

[Wompet]

“Yes, Panache met him during the Acrylibeast expedition. This team member is rather large and fuzzy.”

I smiled when I heard this. I knew who this other team member would be. “Wompet,” I said through my smile.

Who, me?




With the naming theme of all the good guys - Dove, Wren, Thrush, Loon(?), Toucan - does this mean I'm going to be a bird-dog?