Missions of the Retrieval Team - A Kilt By Any Other Name

[davedove]

Scene 34

Secret Headquarters of the KLF

I found both David and Grant in the briefing area, examining the maps.

“I’m glad I found you both together,” I said to them.

“What is it?” David asked.

“We don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow morning, so I would like to ask you guys for a favor.”

“Sure,” said Grant. “What is it?”

“The portal from my world is being opened every morning at six. We already missed it this morning and we will miss it again tomorrow. I want you to do something.”

“What?” asked David.

“If we don’t come back tomorrow, I want you to see if you can get a message to them. Write up a small explanation and be at the base of the mountain near the rock formation that’s right beside the field road. When the portal appears, see if you can toss your message through. The portal is only open for a few seconds, so you may have to determine its location one day and deliver the message the next.”

“And it will go through the portal?” asked David.

“I don’t know. We don’t know if things can go back through in the other direction. All you can do is try. If it doesn’t work, there’s nothing more you can do.”

“Of course we’ll do it,” said Grant.

[AnimalK]

Great story, davedove!!

[davedove]

Scene 35

Secret Headquarters of the KLF

I had borrowed a notebook computer and I was working with it when I heard a knock on the door of my room.

“Yes,” I called out.

The door came open a little and Diane stuck her head through. “Can I come in?” she asked.

“Of course.” I saved my completed work and pulled out the flash drive, putting it in my sporran.

“What are you working on?” she asked.

I continued to shut down the computer. “Just a little project for later. What can I do for you?”

She sat down on my bed. “I wanted to apologize, for this morning.”

I waved my hand in dismissal. “No apology necessary, you didn’t know the truth.”

“But it must have been so embarrassing for you. I know it is for me.”

“I’ll admit I was a bit surprised when you woke me up the way you did.” She blushed when I said this. “But you thought I was someone else. Let’s put that behind us, okay?”

She nodded in agreement. As she sat there staring at the floor, I knew she had something else to say.

“Is there something on your mind?” I asked her.

She started speaking softly. “I know he wasn’t the best man, but I loved him. And I know he wasn’t faithful. I even know what he did with Julie, after we were married. She never told me, but I knew.”

“Then why did you stay with him?”

“Because I really did care for him. Plus, in case you couldn’t figure it out, we really are a small community here. I didn’t have a lot of options. And I guess a part of me thought I could change him.”

“Men like that seldom change.”

She nodded and looked up at me. “But you seem so much different. How can you look so much like him, but be so different?”

“Who knows? Maybe at one time, when we were younger, we were the same. I don’t know what events shaped his life, what choices he made, that led him to the life he led.”

She shook her head a little. “I may never completely understand this alternate worlds thing. Well, I really just wanted to apologize for this morning. I’ll let you get back to what you were doing.” She got to her feet and started for the door. “I’ll see you this evening.”

“Thank you for helping us, Diane.”

She nodded in acknowledgement and stepped out the door, closing it behind her.

[davedove]

Scene 36

In the Panel Van

We all assembled in the vehicle area shortly before sunset. David and Grant were giving everyone their last minute instructions.

We were taking five different vehicles of different types. Mr. Raven’s team was in a small economy car, as were Julie and Greg. The other two teams were in larger cars and had several rifles among them. They would have to stop the police escorts if we were to have any chance of saving David.

My team was again in the van. Since we didn’t know what condition David would be in, we stocked an aid kit with a variety of medical treatments.

Grant was speaking. “I know this man you are going to rescue isn’t really one of our own, but he is a kindred spirit. And if the FBI wants him, that should be more than enough reason for you to rescue him. Move quickly and strike fast, but try not to draw any other attention to yourself. You all have bounties on you because of your affiliation with the KLF, so private citizens can’t be trusted. David?”

David added, “I just want to reinforce what Grant has said and to say be careful. This is a dangerous life you lead, but the loss of any one of you would be tragic. Good luck and move out.”

Our vehicles left the underground complex, with Ms. Raven’s team in the lead. As we drove down the field road, we began to increase the interval between the vehicles, so that it wouldn’t appear we were a group.

We would be taking slightly different routes, again to disguise the nature of our operation. Ms. Raven would continue down the road to Broad River while the rest of us would rendezvous at the staging area just before dawn. Our arrival times would be staggered over a two-hour period.

Michael was driving our van with Mike riding shotgun. Diane was riding in the back with Ms. Hawk and me.

We had several hours to kill, so I decided to strike up a conversation. “So, Mike, how did you get involved with all this?”

“I joined up back when X Marks was just a group working to make kilt wearing more acceptable to society at large. Once the whole Department of Aesthetic Affairs stuff started, I helped as a political activist.”

“So you have been with it almost from the beginning?”

“Yeah, basically. Then suddenly we were labeled as criminals, and then terrorists. I’m a wanted man, you know. If you were to go into the post office, you could very well find my picture there. They keep up surveillance on my home. I haven’t been there for over two years. I can’t even see my family without being captured.”

“I’m sorry if I brought up painful thoughts,” I told him.

“Don’t be. I’ve learned to deal with it. I do occasionally get to see them, just not very often and always in secret.” He paused a while and stared out the window. “The last time I saw my wife, the last time I even had a chance to speak with her, was five months ago.”

“How does she deal with it?”

“The best she can. Do you know that they watch her all the time, just in case I try to contact her? But she deals with it because she thinks I’m doing the right thing.” He sat silent for several moments before speaking again. “I just wish I knew for sure that I was.”

[davedove]

Scene 37

Staging area in South Carolina

We had all arrived at the staging area, a small picnic stop along the road, throughout the hours after midnight.

As dawn approached, we all changed into the KLF operational clothes: A dark camouflage kilt, with a black sweater and watch cap. We had not yet tied the bandannas around our face, as we didn’t want to drive down the road with masks on. We would mask ourselves just before the assault.

We made sure our weapons were ready and waited for the communication from Ms. Raven.

Just as the sky was starting to brighten, Ms. Raven sent us a short message, “Raven, in position.” This meant she had positioned her team where they could observe the departure of the busses and she was waiting for them to move.

I looked at my watch. The busses weren’t scheduled to depart until seven, so we had about an hour to wait.

Just before seven another message came through. “Signal acquired,” came Ms. Raven’s voice.

That meant she now had a track on David’s signal. This meant that they had taken him out of the buildings, where the signal would have been blocked, and were moving him towards the busses.

“Roger, signal acquired,” I replied.

After a few minutes she spoke again, “Gate open.”

“Roger, gate open.”

“Bus 1 out,” she said. After a few moments, she spoke again, “Bus 1, negative signal.” This meant that David’s signal was not coming from the first bus.

“Roger, Bus 1, negative.”

“Bus 2 out. Positive signal, I say again, Bus 2, positive signal.”

“Roger, Bus 2 is positive.”

David’s signal was coming from the second bus, meaning he was on it. Now we just needed to know which route that bus was taking. We could ignore the other two.

“Bus 2, Route C. I say again, Bus 2 Route C.”

“Roger, Bus 2, Route C. Raven, return to nest. Dove out.”

David’s bus was traveling on the route we had designated as C. Ms. Raven had completed her task and I had instructed her to return to headquarters.

I quickly told all the teams which route was being used and they headed out in their vehicles. Climbing into the van, I closed the door behind me.

“Let’s go,” I told Michael.

[Livingston]

Here we go folks. It's going to get wild shortly......

[Splash_4]

Hey Greg, do you have your kevlar on?

[Livingston]

Hey Greg, do you have your kevlar on?

I won't go ANYWHERE without it any more!! It's just been way too dangerous! I've traded in all my wool kilts, kilt hose, shirts etc for kevlar items.m

[Jock Scot]

Well then Mr. Livingston, just where would you like your next bullet hole? I suppose we could even take bets!

[Livingston]

Well then Mr. Livingston, just where would you like your next bullet hole? I suppose we could even take bets!

Ummm....hmmm...... The brim of my hat since it is not an appropriate one to wear with a kilt? And ONLY the hat please!