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

[davedove]

Scene 30

Secret Headquarters of the KLF

“What do you mean?” David asked me.

“We have a device,” I answered, “That will lead us right to him. On our world, each member of the League has a small transmitter on his person that sends out a continual, unique signal. This signal can be tracked anywhere on Earth through the satellite system.”

“Only one problem,” Grant said. “We don’t have access to the satellite system.”

“We’re not going to use it,” I told him. “The device we have will track his signal. It only works over a few miles, so we will need to get nearby to get a clear signal. But I figure we can get a decent signal if we position a team near the main gate at Broad River. This team can scan all the busses and pinpoint which one David is on.”

“Excellent,” said David. “That team can pinpoint the bus and then relay the information to everyone else who can then converge on that bus’s route. We hit the bus and disable their escort.”

“Right,” I told them. “I recommend that Ms. Raven, since she is familiar with the instrument, be placed in the team that scans the busses, along with two or three others for support. Ms. Hawk and I will be on the main team that will get our David out of the bus. We’ll also need other teams to disable the escorts and serve to block the bus. I leave that to you, since they will be your people.”


“Okay, we’ll have Mike and Diane go with you. They’re used to working together. And I think one more.” He looked around the room and nodded to a longhaired man. His arms were bare and covered with tattoos. “Michael, you go with them as well.”

He turned to Julie and Greg. “You two will be in the support vehicle. You job is to stop the bus and provide cover fire to the extraction team.”

He continued by assigning two people to work with Ms. Raven and formed two other teams of four people. The job of each of the other two teams was to neutralize the police escorts.

“Okay, you’ve all got your assignments,” he said. “Get your teams geared up and ready to go. We leave as soon as it gets dark. We want to be there and in position before dawn. The busses are due to pull out at eight, tomorrow morning. Since we don’t know which route will be taken, familiarize yourselves with each route and develop a plan for each. And get what rest you can; it will probably be a long night.”

[Freedomlover]

No. I like it. Especially if it is spiced up with entrails.

[KiltedSkeleton]

I'll take one of those. Does the remote come with her?

[davedove]

Scene 31

Secret Headquarters of the KLF

As the meeting broke up, I walked over to the man that David had identified for my team. “Michael, right?” I asked, extending my hand.

“Right,” he answered, shaking my hand. I examined his tattoos. Each of his arms was covered with tattoos. I also saw tattoos peeking out from the edges of his shirt. They all seemed to be of bees over a honeycomb.

“Impressive,” I said.

“Thanks,” he replied. “They’re symbolic.”

“Of what?”

“I was imprisoned because I couldn’t keep up with the fashion changes and the KLF rescued me. I swore my allegiance to them. I also decided that I would never fit into Ivana’s perfect image and that I would cover myself in tattoos to make sure of it. There’s no way that Ivana would ever let this many tattoos become part of her image; it’s too permanent.”

“But how is that symbolic?”

He pointed to the bees on one arm. “Each bee represents a person, one that I helped free from Ivana’s fashion tyranny. I chose bees to represent how we freed them from the hive mind of fashion obedience.”

I looked at his arms. “There are so many.”

“Too many,” he said. “For every one we have rescued, there are thousands more.”

“But you’re doing everything you can,” I protested.

“Maybe, but it just doesn’t feel like it’s enough. For every person we liberate, we lose two from our forces, and every month more and more people are imprisoned. We may win battles, like when you were rescued, but I fear we’re losing the war.”

“You’re not thinking of giving up?”

“No, I will keep fighting to the end, but I’m afraid it won’t be the end we’re fighting for.”

I looked around the room. Every face I saw was not the face of a soldier certain of victory. Every person I saw looked weary, exhausted from their efforts. Each looked like the last soldier of a lost cause; someone who knew he couldn’t win but was determined to fight to the end.

I had to find some way to give these people hope.

[Freedomlover]

Lose something valuable to you and don't know who can help?

Call the Retrieval Team at 1-***-GETRBAK and we'll get it back for you.

Of all the things I have ever lost I miss my mind the most. Can the Retrieval Team help?

[SexyButler]

I am out of the shower now, right?

[Birddog]

I am out of the shower now, right?

If your not, your gonna shrivel like a prune!

[michaelbeeman]

Oh my. Looks like I may get another bee before the story is finished.....

[davedove]

Scene 32

Secret Headquarters of the KLF

The teams all examined the different routes that the inside source had provided.

“The trick,” I explained, “Is to find where on the route is the most remote and least likely to have policemen posted nearby. We want to have the least resistance possible for our escape attempt.”

“For Route A,” Ms. Raven stated, “the bus and its escorts will pass through this valley here.” She pointed to the map. “If you’ll notice this small strip here, there are no side roads. The nearest intersections, where the police assistance is likely to be located, are at least twenty miles away. Even if the escorts get off a radio call, it will still take time for assistance to arrive.”

“But we will still need to get away,” I said. “A lack of side roads means fewer escape routes.”

“True,” she said. “That’s just a good location. There aren’t any perfect ones.”

“Fair enough, what about the other routes?”

“For Route B,” Mike responded, pointing to the map, “We will have to hit the bus somewhere in this area. Anywhere else is too heavily populated.”

“Okay, how about Route C?” I asked.

“Route C passes through this area,” answered Greg, circling an area with his finger. “There are several small towns in the area, but none with a population of over three hundred, so it’s not heavily settled. Plus, there are a number of small, country roads that run through it, so we have lots of options for escape.”

“Great, now where do we set our staging area?” I asked.

Julie looked at the map and pointed. “Here,” she said. “It is about equally distant to all the assault areas with reasonable roads. If we wait there, we can react to the instructions from Ms. Raven the quickest.”

“Good,” I said. “We have our assault areas. Ms. Raven, your team will stake out the prison with the directional unit. As soon as you determine which bus he is on, watch that bus until you can determine its route and let us know. The routes separate within a mile of the prison, so you should have that information quickly. Follow the bus and its escorts at a reasonable distance and be ready to serve as backup.” I looked around at the assembled group. “Any questions?”

No one spoke up.

“Good,” I said. “Everyone get your gear together and try to get a little rest. We leave as soon as it gets dark.”

[davedove]

Scene 33

Secret Headquarters of the KLF

I found Ms. Hawk and Ms. Raven in the KLF’s armory.

“They’re terribly short of arms and ammunition,” Ms. Hawk told me.

I nodded. “I’m afraid they may be fighting a losing battle,” I answered. “They probably have to steal most of their equipment. Since they are all wanted by the law, they can’t very well walk into the local discount store and pick up what they need.”

“What do you think they’re doing to David?” asked Ms. Raven.

“I don’t know, but it won’t be pleasant for him,” I told her. “The local sheriff only slapped me around a little, but he didn’t seem to have any inhibitions about doing that. I can only imagine what sorts of things this world’s FBI can do to someone who’s locked up in a high security prison.”

“I know of a lot of harsher methods they could use,” said Ms. Hawk. “David may resist for a little while, but he will soon tell them anything they want to hear.”

“Which is why we’ve got to get him now,” I said. “This will be our best chance to rescue him so we can get him home. So what kind of choices do we have here?” I asked.

“They have a large number of handguns, but they use a variety of calibers, what you would expect when they don’t have a regular source,” Ms. Hawk answered. “Additionally, several submachine guns and a few assault rifles. They do have enough ammo on hand for each of us to carry a full load.”

“Okay, grab what you want,” I told them. “Then go get some rest. It’s going to be a long night. I’ve got a couple of things to do, and then I’m going to do the same. I’ll see you this evening.”