Allen1

We have been experimenting with variations on ‘reincarnation technology’ in our game. One of our old Medtech PCs has been working on a “cyberbrain” for many game years. Our GMs finally allowed him to perfect it and it immediately became illegal everywhere in the world. It is now being studied as are the only two (living?) subjects of the procedure. Of course, this PC is richer than shit as he has sold the rights to a coalition of major corporations. The problem with the procedure is that your consciousness must be pulled out of your mind and stored via a modified Soul Killer program and stored as your physical brain structures are stripped to their basic scaffolding and crystalized. Your brain engrams (or whatever) are reloaded into the now crystalized pathways and continue to function. Well, that is the pseudo-science of it. With an accurate map of the new structure for the occasional repair, this brain is functionally immortal. As our Doc Freeman likes to say, “Can’t those idiots see, I have conquered Death itself?”

 

Here in lies the rub. You have to die to live forever, so are you actually you, or some new scientific creation? In our current timeline the ‘legal’opinion is that you are NOT who you were, but something new and ineligible to inherit from yourself. No PC, not even its creator, wishes to try for a ‘cyberbrain’ just yet. Its complexity and ungodly expense has kept even the rich and jaded from trying it. We will have to come to a decision on its legality eventually.

 

One group (or rather two that work together) in our world has perfected cloning and memory transfer, but they are not telling anyone. Their ‘Cortical Stack’ is called ‘Nanite Angels’ which keep a record similar to the stack and preserves the mind’s contents for a few hours after death. Brain destruction puts a monkey wrench in this though. A second (implant) device we call the ‘Cylon Implant’ (or ET, Phone Home) will collect the nanite data via a modified Soulkiller and attempt to transmit the data (via cell or radio transmission) to a host computer. Then with stored DNA a new body is grown and you can be downloaded. It doesn’t always work and if you die violently, you often come back with some mental problems. A person with the ‘Cylon Implant’ can activate before death, but that will kill you for sure. Just hope they grow you a new body. The Republic of Mars can do it, but only does it quietly to save people it can’t afford to lose on their world. The biogenetic Collective has it and clones its valuable dead operatives sometimes. Both these organizations realize the danger to the human social fabric cloning with full memories would bring. The government of Mars keeps it secret so as to not let that genie out of the bottle. The Collective just doesn’t want humans to live any longer than they already do. Still, neither group has mastered copying the mind. The complex system that allows thought and memory can be preserved and transferred, just not copied and downloaded into multiple other bodies. Also, the new body has to be a near genetic duplicate for the mind transfer to work. You can tweak the DNA a little bit but that increases the cost exponentially.

 

Reincarnation technologies really do cross over from cyberpunk to transhumanism but that is the direction that technology seems to be heading. As to making this available to your average cyberpunk, just watch the film, The Sixth Day. Your players will get sloppy since you will remove the fear of death. Tread carefully with this kind of tech. It is NOT just another interesting concept, but one that will change your game completely if you are not careful.

 

I personally thing Brazil is far to powerful to come under the sway of a "Corporate-War". I know, I used to live there. I just don't see the Brazilians falling for the whole "Corporate in control" thing. Their egos are far too big for that. Brazil is a huge country with enough people, natural resources and wealth to prevent Corporate entanglements such that would result in the loss of a large city. Revolutions, yes, I can see Rio being destroyed in a Revolution, but not in the 4th Corporate-War.

 

On this I agree with you wholeheartedly, but in our campaign we have accepted most of the canon of the Fourth Corporate War and incorported it into our timeline. We have justified it (in our tiny little minds) by having had Arasaka bought a local security corporation (Amazonian Security) and getting in the back door that way. The fighting there was fueled by many factions: Arasaka vs Militech, Brazil vs Columbia and Brazilian vs Columbian Cartels.

 

In our Brazil in 2045, Corporations have power, but they are firmly on the government's "leash". While some corporate "security" is permitted, there are NO corpoprate armies. Many major megacorps (including Arasaka and Militech) are banned from the country. Brazil in our campaign is becoming a major power and does not kow tow to either the EU or the United States. Good "corporate citizens" are welcome, but only if they play by the rules and don't try to rape the country financially or politically.

 

From what I have gathered from Destacado, operating under this kind of system is going to present some interesting challenges for our group. We have had a peek at the laws governing weapons and armor there, and even for those with corporate permits it doesn't leave you much. Yes, you can always ignore the law, but the Brazilian police are not stupid or lazy (very much like in real life). Oh, there are all the huge toys that solos have come to love, but its the cops that have them, not you!

 

Hopefully, we will be continuing our session posts when we get to Rio. Our Brazil will not be some "banana republic" but a rising power in the world (much like it is today).

 

Well, Destecado and I have discussed this for inclusion in our campaign starting when our group shifts its HQ to Rio de Janeiro. Our Rio has been rebuilt after the Forth Corporate War and the city is being made as a shining example of man’s increasing technological achievements. (They never learn!)

 

While looking at the write-ups for the Pacesetter Heart and the Overdrive Heart, the only danger is running it too long. Even then it is not a “stroke” you get but just a1d6 damage and halving your BOD stat for a few minutes. Admittedly, in the right (or rather wrong) circumstances that could be fatal.

 

I like the idea that this new experimental piece of cyberware would be a byproduct of a device that had other indented usages. Since it wasn’t intended as a “brain booster”, its use as such would not have been thoroughly tested. This would be “cutting edge” technology, and the “cutting” part might be done on your brain! I also like malek77’s ideas on possible consequences. Yes, indeed. This could be very entertaining. Well, as long as it’s not your character that is pissing him/herself while swearing up a storm on a stealth op!

 

I have suggestions on two types of “consequences”; one from general use and another from using it twice within an hour.

 

Normal Use

 

Use more than once in an Hour

 

 

The surgery code would be Major at least. You would need a neural processor to use it. EMP shielding would protect the implant from being shorted out, but would not help your brain’s susceptibility to the -2 stun from any static discharge weapons.

 

Well, I put this forward as a place to start the discussion. It is a little chart heavy, but we are talking about an experimental piece of cyberware.

 

 

Well, as you can see, I have given this thread a new title more fitting to what we are doing. We outgrew (or were thrown out of) Atlantic City, dropped the “Shameless” portion of the campaign (while retaining some of the kids, who are almost grown up now}. We are considering the current Port Royal, Jamaica setting as our “Season Two”. If you have read Destacado’s new posts about Rio de Janeiro in Cyber Countries, then you know we will be heading there as part of our “Season Three”.

 

SnowCrystal will be taking up the GM’s chair next and will be sending us to the “Land Down Under” after a brief interlude as Kyle and Cat move on a few clues they have gleaned about Kyle’s Burn Notice. Time marches on in our Campaign World and international tensions continue to grow between the United States, the EU and the Republic of Mars. The mystery of how the 1980’s American arms shipment of weapons bound for Israel that was “lost at sea” ended up sixty years later in the hands of Islamic rebels is a plot thread that will become important later.

 

Characters from our previous campaigns will reappear as time goes on. The multitude of plot threads that have been woven by our various GMs will slowly form a pattern that our players can recognize (hopefully) and guide them to affect the greater issues in the world at large. Or maybe not. As long as we have fun, that’s what counts!

 

So without further ado, here is our latest World News:

 

 

 

World News Service – Flash!

 

 

 

Today the EU Fleet completed its orbital maneuver, officially ending its first successful military action. The carrier flagship, EUS Charlemagne, escorted by the cruisers EUS Aachen and EUS Madrid and the civilian transport ships, Barcelona and Zweiker were greeted personally by EU President Claude Fountaine, the man who saw them off from three and a half years ago. The official celebration was marred by a cyber-terrorist attack by Europe 3000 as their netrunners seized control of the large video screen behind the podium just as President Fountaine began his remarks. The terrorists showed videos purporting to be from the colony on Mercury just after the explosion that, according to official EU sources, had caused only minor damage. Although the pirate broadcast only lasted twenty seven seconds, the scenes of destruction were extensive and horrific. In the few scenes that were shown reporters counted at least 37 bodies, which is more than five times the number reported killed by the government.

 

The EU President announced the expedition commander’s promotion to the rank of full Admiral. Admiral Rolf was also awarded the Croix de Guerre and the Pour le Mérite by the Presidents of France and Germany. At least a dozen of the command officers also received high ranking decorations. The scheduled news conference was abruptly cancelled without explanation ten before it was scheduled to begin. Both the European and world press cried foul at this sudden change of plans. Instead, Admiral Rolf was interviewed by Heinz Keitel, the press secretary for the European Space Agency. The admiral did confirm that the EUS Orleans will leave for Mercury within three months along with an unnamed civilian transport ship to relieve the EUS Madrid which remained in Mercury orbit. All requests to interview Admiral Rolf or his staff have been refused explaining that the men and women deserved a rest and also of security concerns.

 

Demonstrations broke out in several European capitals condemning the entire expedition and the enormous expense of building and maintaining the fleet. A spokeswoman for the EU military dismissed the objections of the protestors with the statement, “As long as the illegal government on Mars and the hooligan administration of the United States continue in their plans to dominate the solar system, we must maintain a strong and vigilant presence in the dark.”

 

At a Pentagon press conference today Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Marine General Pershing, dismissed the celebrations as mere political propaganda with the statement: “I see no reason to celebrate or even acknowledge a victory over four civilian shuttles with hastily improvised weapons by the largest space armada ever assembled. But the EU has never had any luck in fighting any kind of legitimate warship.”

 

When asked about the EU’s overwhelming superiority in space, General Pershing replied the new United States warship, U.S.S. Ronald Reagan, scheduled for launch late this summer, will put his country on a more equal footing with the Euros. The giant American warship will be larger than the European Charlemagne class carriers and will rival the new Chinese space carrier, Long March, which is scheduled for completion two years from now. Discontent in the United States has been growing over the enormous expenditure for this giant vessel. The government has dismissed its critics as just tools of the EU cabal that is trying to dominate the high ground.

 

In related news, the Martian Space Navy denied that its ship the M.S.S. Deimos will be diverted to the planet Mercury. They report it is on final approach to their home planet where it is scheduled for a major overhaul this year.

 

Here is the conclusion of the Runaway Heir. Next we shall again rotate GMs and be on our way to the land downunder for a mission of political graft and intrigue. Hope you stay with us!

 

 

Episode 29: Wow, I Didn’t See That Coming! Part 2 of 2

 

 

Half of the Team races for the border of Mauretania to meet up with their C-23 transport to jump ahead of the convoy carrying Doc Freeman’s “business party” and the group’s “paycheck”: Ernest Krieger. If the Azawad Islamic forces ransom the young heir back to his grandfather before they can “rescue” him, then it’s no money for the Team! Since the group has spent almost 150,000 euro on the job already, that would be a disaster. Alliances are made. Duplicity is uncovered. Sides are changed. People are maimed. The ending is unexpected.

 

Background

 

Otto Krieger, president and CEO of the Vienna Credit Bank, is dying of degenerative brain cancer. His grandson and heir, a young man with a history of mental illness, has run off with his teenage girlfriend, the daughter of two imprisoned Europe 3000 terrorists, and plans to turn the venerable institution into a progressive and socially responsible institution whose primary concern will be to help the “people.” The Team has six weeks to find the heir and return him to his grandfather (and the institution that was treating him). The fee is enormous and the perks are luxurious.

 

Dramatis Personae

 

The client du jour:

 

Otto Krieger: He is the 82 yo President and CEO of the Vienna Credit Bank, a major Euro investment banking house. He sits on the Euro Bank board of directors. The man is dying of degenerative brain cancer. His grandson and heir, Ernest Krieger, has run away with his teenaged girlfriend and is off his meds. The old man wants him back.

 

The Team

 

Allison Cole: 16 yo kleptomaniac sex pot and one of Cat Fisher’s best friends from Atlantic City High School. She just graduated from that school and followed her friend to Jamaica when she became a suspect in a recent heist in Atlantic City. Perhaps not yet “world class”, her skills as a Prowler are formidable.

 

Cat Fisher: Officially she is Sam Fisher and the late Maria Ortiz’s 18 yo daughter. In actuality she is a full memory clone of late Caitlin Jones, the original biogenetic assassin construct built by the now defunct Bio Works Corporation. This is known only to Kyle Vaduva. Some on the Team know she used to be Dominique Vadim, a Caitlin clone, but that person is also “known to be dead” for some six years now.

 

Doc Freeman: Former professor at UNLV, former assistant coroner and (formally) disgraced cyber researcher. He is the inventor of the “cyberbrain” with which he claims to have cured death itself. Although courts around the world are now looking into ramifications of his work, Disney Corporation has honored their agreements with the man and he is now rich beyond his wildest dreams. The Team bases out of his Morgan’s Harbor Hotel which he operates in cooperation with the Disney Corporation’s Port Royal Historical Theme Park and Museum.

 

Kyle Vaduva: Former C.I.A. agent now burned by the agency over incidents that he did not commit. He is now reunited with his lover from the Romanian Operation, who he now learns is the full memory clone of the late infamous bio-genetic assassin, Caitlin Jones.

 

Natasha Kerensky: She is a thirty year old ex-Spetznaz soldier who realized her gender and lack of important military contacts made her rising above her current rank (lieutenant) an unlikely possibility. She has now gone into the private sector.

 

Nip Lacey: 15 yo girl with neon green hair, has amnesia. She was adopted by Tyne Lacey 4 years ago. She is a NET savant, classmate of Allison Cole’s, and the other of Cat Fisher’s best friends from high school.

 

Fred: ferret and imaginary friend of Nip’s.

 

Randy Shugart III: He is the 28 yo grandson of CMH winner, Randall Shugart of Blackhawk Down fame. He is himself an eight year veteran of Delta Force and has recently been maneuvered out of the military.

 

Roger Blackmore: Is a 28 yo former British SAS commando and demolitions expert. He was forced out of the service under a cloud of accusations of weapon’s smuggling.

 

William Eller: This is a cover alias for Thomas Rifkin, an operative for the Consortium, a group of powerful and wealth business and political leaders who cooperate to “make things go their way”. Thomas/Max/William is a 10% owner of the Morgan’s Harbor Hotel.

 

Zahra Baudin: She is a 29 yo veteran of the JDF (Jamaican Defense Forces). Born of a Jamaican mother and a Haitian father, she is a trained “intrusion” expert.

 

 

The NPCs

 

Dr. Mohan Bagvarti: A former drug researcher for Island Pharmaceuticals in Trinidad now running a small clinic/hospital in Lethem, Guyana. He has treated Ernest Krieger.

 

Dong Chen: A Chinese businessman in town to redesign the city power grid. One of the “Timbuktu 12”.

 

Dragoslav Cesic: Leader of the Serbia Hit Team, the “Baker’s Dozen”. He was a man with a price on his head.

 

Daniela Gaspard: The 16 yo girlfriend of Ernest Krieger and daughter of two imprisoned Europe 3000 terrorists. She has run off with the young heir.

 

Ernest Krieger: The 17 yo grandson of Otto Krieger and target of the Team’s search. He has a history of mental problems and is off his meds. The young man has run away with his girlfriend, Daniela Gaspard.

 

Gretchen Von Freiburg: Ernest’s maternal great aunt.

 

Karim Samake: A man in his late twenties, and a veteran of Mali’s 33rd Parachute Infantry Regiment. He is Daniela Gaspard’s cousin.

 

Iman Dr. Malik Samake: Currently teaching at the Islamic Center of Trinidad and is Daniela Gaspard’s great, great uncle.

 

Lt. Colonel Daouda Sisoko: A jovial, heavy set man and commander of Mali’s 5th Military District.

 

Magda Berchtold: The 38 yo third wife of aging patriarch, Otto Krieger and sister of Count Johan Berchtold, the Hungarian Foreign Minister and one of that country’s wealthiest men.

 

Major Bangizwe Van Dorn: A South African mercenary officer in the employ of Nicole “Nikki” Alexander.

 

Nicole “Nikki” Alexander: Publically, an extremely wealthy South African business woman and philanthropist. Privately, a world class jewel thief and cold-blooded assassin who has risen to membership in the Consortium. She is that group’s “hit dog”.

 

Otto Krieger: Our client is the 82 yo President and CEO of the Vienna Credit Bank, a major Euro investment banking house.

 

Paul Blaize: A French painter working in Mali. His family is rich so he is also one of the “Timbuktu 12”.

 

Paul de Fleurs: An import/export agent from Bamako and a member of the French Secret Service (DSGE)

 

Robert Simmons: a US trade attaché and C.I.A. agent.

 

Robert & Margret Gilford: A Petrochem executive and his wife here with their three children: Johnny (17), Leslie (15), and Sally (11). Five of the “Timbuktu 12”.

 

Senator Thomas “Roy” de Chartier: Senior US Senator from Norcal and member of the Consortium.

 

Shannon Wilson: A 20 yo American student and budding journalist. Another of the “Timbuktu 12”.

 

 

The Action

 

Friday, November 25, 2044

 

As the Team’s BTR-40 approaches the border with Mauretania, Cat uses the vehicle’s radio to call the C-23 Sherpa in Dakar. She sends them a coded message and coordinates. On a stretch of hard pack desert, the plane lands and the Team is picked up at 4 am. The air crew is surprised when they are told to fly north.

 

For the first time in days, everyone gets to hear unfiltered news from the outside world. It seems someone has smacked a beehive. In brief, this is what they hear.

 

 

 

 

 

Kyle sighs, “I’ll probably be blamed for this too.”

 

“Cheer up,” responds the pilot. “Your passport says you were in Dakar at the time.”

 

The flight engineer adds, “Yeah, we were all at the beach, drinking beer and chasing girls.” He then looks at Cat with a slightly worried expression. “OK, maybe not chasing girls.”

 

For the Team, it is back to business. They shed their local clothes and put on their combat gear. Cat gets on the com to her contacts and requests some satellite time. Suddenly Cat cuts the com line and starts screaming and swearing.

 

“Those fucking goddamn money grubbing asshole dimwits!” she yells. The Team is startled by her outburst. “They want cash in advance! They know I am on a plane flying across the Sahara trying to save my Team and they think my credit is too thin!”

 

“We have the money, right?” asks Roger.

 

“Oh, yes, but I don’t have a credit transfer device on me at the moment, do you?” Cat replies.

 

“Just give them a bank routing number,” suggests Kyle.

 

“No,” says Cat. “They want it by NET device transfer only. There is less chance of having it traced that way.”

 

The Team sits and stews for a few minutes. Then Nip perks up. “Wasn’t there a credit transfer device attached to one of the e-books we took off the Baker’s Dozen in Venezuela?”

 

Yes, indeed, there was and they open the compartment where they had hidden that loot. Sure enough, there was one just as Nip remembered. Kyle crosswires it into the communications system and Cat attempts the transfer. Nothing.

 

Nip takes the device, pulls out her tech scanner and examines the transfer device. Not only is it working, but the e-book itself is also in perfect condition. Still, it does not work. Others examine and try it, but still it will not function. For fifteen minutes they try, but nothing seems to work. Finally, Nip jacks in and decides to check the operating program of the transfer attachment itself. She is confused. This isn’t really a program that runs the device.

 

The young NET runner examines the code, but it doesn’t make sense. She finally displays it on a monitor. Kyle and Cat recognize this as a ledger — complete financial records of the Baker’s Dozen, the Serbian hit team that dogged this investigation from the start. Most of the accounts were empty. It seems that Dragoslav Cesic, that Team’s leader, had just made a large purchase: a 194 foot luxury yacht. Technically, the ship was owned by a shell corporation, and all the information to prove ownership of that company was here in the e-book. Even following this purchase, the accounts held slightly over 70 thousand euro.

 

Daniela looks at the captured gear, picks up a small box and opens it. “These look like back up chips, I think,” she says. Yes, they are, and a backup operating chip for the credit transfer device is in there.

 

Kyle is perusing the ledger and asks Nip to bring up the last major payment to the Baker’s Dozen. There is a large transfer from the Budapest office of the Vienna Credit Bank!

 

“Well, that looks like a smoking gun to me,” says Randy.

 

“OK, that’s it,” snaps Kyle. “They lied to us from the beginning, they double booked the job and they tried to have us killed. These people are going down!”

 

The whole team murmurs in agreement. Even for Roger this is no longer about money, mostly.

 

Finally Cat says, “Well, let’s let the Baker’s Dozen pay for our satellite time.”

 

The transfer device is fired up and seven hours of surveillance is booked for tomorrow afternoon and early evening. During that time, the convoy bearing Ernest and the rest of the Team should reach the area just south of the salt mining center of Taoudenni.

 

Cat plots out a route over the border with the pilot and they plan for a low level jump just before dawn. Karim comes to her and says, “I will go with you.”

 

Cat looks at him and replies, “We are going to parachute into the desert, do a forced march of about 15 miles and fight.”

 

Karim stares right back at her. “I served ten years in the Army of Mali, eight years of it in the 33rd Parachute Regiment. I spent years living in this region. You may speak a little Tuareg, but none of you are much good with it. It is the language of my people, and you will fool no one.”

 

Cat studies him for a second and tosses the ex-soldier a parachute. They dig up some combat gear for him (William’s) and get him a radio.

 

Roger hands him a rifle and starts to say, “This is....”

 

“A British Royal Enfield Ordinance twin magazine, 7.5mm, variable velocity, liquid propellant assault rifle,” continues Karim as he examines the magazines. “It carries 90 rounds in two 45 round clips. Ah, reaper rounds, very good.”

 

“Right,” replies Roger. “Well, you know your weapons.”

 

At about 6:15 am, the back doors of the C-23 open and they prepare for a low altitude jump. Randy is only on his feet due to his endorphin/surge chip. Kyle, Randy, Roger, Cat, Natasha, Nip and Karim jump into Mali about 14 miles west from the track to Taoudenni. It is a seven hour march to that track. Nip launches the Bumblebee remote every so often to check the way ahead. A few hours after noon they see a road block with an M-60 tank, an M-113 APC (both under cammo netting but with weapons free), a small communications tent and about 17 men on guard. The Team hunkers down to observe.

 

The guards are not too watchful. No one passes through this checkpoint all day. Finally satellite surveillance informs the Team that a convoy matching the description they gave is about an hour south of their position moving north. There is no other activity in the area. The Team deploys. Randy takes aim at the sole man on top of the turret. Cat moves up close to the rear of the tank where the rest of the crew is lounging around. Kyle slips up to the communications tent and lines up his shot so he will not damage the radio equipment. Roger and Natasha set up crossfire on the camp site where most of the Tuareg soldiers are lounging about. Karim aims at the two on the flimsy barrier that lies across the road. Nip refuels the Bumblebee and flies high cover.

 

Nip finishes checking the surrounding area for more enemies (none), and then the Team attacks. A brief firefight ensues. The Team quickly moves in and cleans up the mess. Nip sends her remote to check on the convoy; between her and the satellite they get the following picture. The convoy is led by a BTR-40 with soldiers in the back. The second vehicle is a deuce and a half with its canvas flaps up and filled with soldiers. Six more of these trucks follow with their flaps down. Of these six other trucks, numbers two and three each have eight thermo signatures in the back. The team believes these vehicles hold the hostages. Behind the sixth is a fuel truck, and at the rear is another deuce and a half with its canvas up filled with soldiers. The Team makes its plans.

 

Karim and Kyle dress as Tuaregs and man the barrier. They have donned the least damaged clothes. Natasha wraps herself up and tries to hide the bloodstains as she sets up on the .50 cal of the M-113. Roger picks a spot and half buries himself in the sand roughly where the trucks with the hostages will stop. Randy positions himself hidden on a dune overlooking the rear of the column. He has the Team’s 2 light LAWs and his M-21 EBR. Cat settles down in the gunner’s position in the tank, points the barrel to where she feels the first truck containing the troops will stop, and loads a 105mm HE round.

 

Soon the convoy comes into sight and pulls up to the barrier. Karim walks forward with an M-16 slung casually. Smiling and talking, he walks up to the driver of the BTR-40 who opens his side armor flap to speak. Still smiling, Karim pulls his semi-automatic pistol and shoots the driver and his partner. His other hand lobs a grenade in the back of that vehicle as he hits the ground. When Karim touches down, Cat fires the 105mm gun and the truck carrying the troops disintegrates. Randy fires his first LAW and the last truck in line explodes. He then tosses the empty tube aside, picks up the other and fires on the fuel truck. The fireball destroys that vehicle and the trucks both in front and behind it.

 

Inside two of the trucks is the “Timbuktu 12”. The men are shackled to the truck, but the women are not. The two guarding the men are cut down by Roger as he comes out of the sand like some desert Jinn dealing death to the unwary. In the women’ truck, Zahra sees the guards look out the back. She strikes immediately. They are armed with M-16s. She has only herself and a good knowledge of Arasaka-Te. Zahra keeps in close so they can’t use their weapons on her. She disarms each of them, and takes one down. Roger comes and finishes off the other. The remaining Tuareg who jump from the vehicles are met by fire from Natasha on the .50 cal. Those who escape that are shot down by Nip as she swoops in for the kill with her SMG armed Bumblebee. Randy does the surgical work with his M-21 EBR. It is over in less than a minute.

 

Karim immediately looks for Ernest. The two embrace and Ernest asks about Daniela. Karim assures him she is safe and these people can be trusted. The hostages are released and very grateful, but there is little time for celebration. The explosion of the fuel truck was certainly heard in Taoudenni. Robert Gilford gets out of his truck and blinks like some blinded owl. His gaze finally sees the M-60.

 

“Damn, an M-60A3, I haven’t seen one of them since the Nomad – Texas Border War,” he remarks.

 

The Team looks at each other. “Can you drive it?” asks Cat.

 

“Hell yes, pretty lady,” Gilford replies.

 

“Want a job?” adds Kyle.

 

The Texan smiles, goes over and settles down in the driver’s compartment.

 

Roger looks at all the others and says, “What do we do with all these people?”

 

“Take them with us,” Randy replies. The Team murmurs its assent.

 

The former “Timbuktu 12” get their things out of the trucks. Shannon Wilson puts on some glasses and plugs them into her neck plugs. Roger walks up to her and knocks her out cold with a single punch. Everybody jumps up.

 

“Hey, she might have a camera in those glasses and take our picture,” explains Roger.

 

“Heaven forbid that someone might identify us as the ‘heroes’ who rescued the ‘Timbuktu 12’,” Doc Freeman mutters under his breath.

 

The glasses are examined and yes, they are smartgoggle mirror shades. They contain anti-dazzle and image enhancement. A now angry Shannon is revived and gets no apology (or her glasses back) from Roger. The Brit will soon learn the wrath of an angry media.

 

“We need to move out now,” Kyle says. They clean the bodies out of the BTR-40 and get it ready to move. “We will take the tank, the M-113 and the BTR-40,” declares Cat.

 

“Wait,” says William, “We should take a working deuce and a half. We can use it for a diversion if necessary and load it with spare fuel in any case.”

 

“Do we have enough drivers?” Natasha asks.

 

“I’ll drive the truck,” declares William.

 

Dong Chen pipes up, “I can drive the M-113.”

 

“The BTR-40 is a piece of cake,” Kyle says.

 

The Team’s makeshift armored column rides off into the west and the Mauritanian border. In the lead is Robert Gilford driving the M-60 with Cat in the gunner’s chair, teaching Roger the loading procedures and former lieutenant Natasha Kerensky of the Spetznaz riding in the open hatch of the cupola. Dong Chen drives the M-113, and inside rides Nip (patched into her remote), the rest of the Gilford family, Shannon Wilson, Zahra Baudin, Allison Cole, Ernest and Daniela. Doc Freeman rides on top behind the .50 cal. Kyle takes the wheel of the BTR-40 with Karim at the 12.7mm machine gun and Randy on lookout. William brings up the rear (at a good distance) with the fuel laden truck.

 

There is a pursuit, but the team still has satellite time and that lets them avoid the hue and cry that follows. They drive until they cross the unmarked border before they rest just after midnight.

 

***

 

 

Saturday, November 26, 2044

 

A little after 1 am, the column stops to rest and refuel. They post a watch and everyone gets to stretch their legs. Shannon is everywhere talking to everyone — everyone except Roger that is. Most everyone talks with her. William speaks but says little. Kyle is polite and makes sure she spells his name right. A little good publicity attached to his name always helps. Cat avoids her like the plague and goes to check out the vehicles. Doc Freeman grants her an interview and tries to set her straight on his research.

 

Nip also wants to have her name spelled correctly. “Do you have my name right?” she asks Shannon.

 

“Let’s see, hit me with it,” Shannon replies.

 

“It’s Vodka Nip Duchess Fairbanks Nefertiti Pontiac Alexandra Wal-Mart Frank Kerosene Nenopopulse Lacey,” Nip says matter of factly.

 

“Got it!” the media replies.

 

Surprisingly, Shannon and Nip bond instantly. The two seem to speak the same language and that is slightly frightening. Leslie and Sally Gilford open up as the various people relax. Ernest and Daniela are back together and it is clear that they love each other very much. Ernest is well-spoken and intelligent. He is not at all what they were led to expect.

 

Allison also found someone to amuse her. Paul Blaize the artist starts to draw her sitting on the sand dunes in the moonlight. She finds his French accent so very appealing. Now here is a man worth committing “Dina” with!

 

Cat finishes checking out the front wheel assembly of the deuce and a half. The brakes needs to be cleaned and adjusted so she takes it out and sits in her combat pants and t-shirt on a long rock. Suddenly Johnny Gilford sits down beside her and says, “Hi!”

 

Cat just stares at him for a second and resumes cleaning.

 

“What are you doing?” he asks.

 

“Fixing the brakes,” she replies.

 

Johnny looks at the part and says, “That rubber gasket is out of alignment.”

 

“Where?” demands Cat.

 

“There.” The young man leans in towards her and points.

 

Cat looks closely, then says, “Hey, you’re right.” She turns to him and finds that he is very close to her face now. She pulls her head back and asks, “Are you hitting on me?”

 

“No,” Johnny says quickly, but adds, “Well, maybe...if that’s all right?”

 

Cat beams a smile at him. “Oh, this is so cute.”

 

A short distance away, Kyle and Bob Gilford watch the scene.

 

“That Cat is a mighty fine looking young lady,” Bob observes. “Those two would make a cute couple. Is she your daughter?”

 

“No,” replies Kyle. “She is my girlfriend.”

 

“Oh!” responds Bob. “Johnny! Time you get to bed, boy!”

 

By 2:30 am, the C-23 had been called and the column was on the move again. They meet the plane at 7 am, by 7:30 they are airborne. Randy shuts off his endorphin surge chip and passes right out. He will be unconscious for almost the next two days. Again they get to listen to the latest news and it is not good.

 

 

 

 

 

As they begin their flight, the Team sits with Ernest and comes completely clean on why they are there. Needless to say, the young man is a bit shaken. Kyle looks at the nervous Ernest and tells him, “There is no way in hell we are turning you over to them. This is no longer about the money.”

 

Even Roger nods in agreement. It is unanimous; the Team decides to “screw the contract”. They tell the pilot that he must change course at the last minute and divert to Banjul International Airport in the Republic of the Gambia instead of landing at Dakar.

 

Ernest and Daniela look at the Team in amazement. Ernest thinks for a moment before speaking. “Look, I have no money now, but soon the bank will be mine. I promise you that I will pay you ten times what my grandfather and Magda promised. One year after I get control of the bank, I will pay your Team 1,000,000 eb a year for five years.”

 

The surprised Team members look at each other.

 

William produces a pen and asks, “Anyone have a piece of paper?”

 

The pilot sends back a scrap piece of paper and William jots down the terms. He then asks Ernest, “Do you have any money at all on you?”

 

Ernest thinks for a moment and then pulls a small folded bill out of his sock. He hands it to William and says, “Make the total 5,000,020 eb,” as he hands the 20 eb note to William.

 

William signs the “contract” and hands it to Ernest, who signs also.

 

“There,” William comments, “Now it is all official.”

 

This “contract” will never stand up in court, but the Team believes (correctly) that Ernest will honor it anyway.

 

Cat says to the group, “The Berchtolds will try to crush us. We need friends, powerful friends who can play on their level.”

 

William says, “I may know someone like that.” William goes to the rear of the plane and makes a call. He has the private number of Senator “Roy” de Chartier, the senior US Senator from Norcal and a member of the Consortium.

 

The senator answers the phone with, “This had better be good.” A plaintive female voice in the background is asking where he is going.

 

“Yes, sir, I believe this is, and it can’t wait,” replies William. He then goes into the tale of Ernest, his grandfather, Magda and the Berchtolds. When he finishes there is a brief silence.

 

“You were right to call,” says the Senator. “I have to make a few myself now. I will have something by the time you touch down in The Gambia.”

 

A little after 12:30 pm, the C-23 comes into Banjul International Airport in The Gambia. They taxi towards a private hanger. The plane stops outside and the flight engineer opens the rear door ramp. William steps down the ramp; his foot finally touches the tarmac. Suddenly, a dozen troops pour out from behind vehicles and surround the plane. The Team grabs their arms. Kyle, Cat and Karim walk out in full combat gear and stand around the casually dressed William. They recognize these people immediately. It is the marine detachment from the Horthy! Their commander steps forward.

 

“Good job, everyone,” he says. “We’ll take him from here.”

 

“Ernest isn’t going anywhere with you,” Kyle responds.

 

The Hungarian commander laughs. “Please, you have already lost your fee with this little treason. Don’t lose your lives and those of everyone in the plane too.”

 

Now, from around the corner of the hanger, a small black man in a blue uniform with a blue beret runs up between the two groups with a pistol drawn.

 

“All right! Everybody put down your guns, you are all under arrest!” he shouts.

 

“Who the hell do you think you are?” the Hungarian asks.

 

“I am Sergeant Jato Mendy of the Gambian police service and you are all my prisoners,” the little man shouts. William starts to put his weapon down and Kyle, Karim and Cat (the only Team members outside the aircraft) slowly follow suit.

 

The Hungarian rolls his eyes and shoots Sergeant Mendy right in the heart. The marine officer’s head explodes before the police officer hits the ground. His second in command turns his rifle towards the roof sniper, but before he can shoot a half dozen 7.62 rounds tear through his body. Besides the sniper, there are three more Gambian police officers each armed with a FN-FAL assault rifle. Behind the Hungarians, a truck screeches to a halt and soldiers bubble out the back. The Hungarians put down their weapon (along with the rest of the Team). The sounds of multiple sirens are heard approaching in the distance.

 

More police and a couple of men in suits arrive quickly. The police go over to Sergeant Mendy and help him sit up. They pull a damaged flak vest out from under his baggy police shirt. He is bruised but still alive. The Hungarians and all of the Team that is dressed in cammo (including Karim Samake) and William are on their knees with their hands behind their heads.

 

One of the suits looks around and asks, “Where is William Eller?”

 

“That would be me,” says William, rising.

 

“Ah, I am pleased to make your acquaintance. I am Kemo Sohna, your attorney,” the man says. The lawyer turns to the police captain and asks, “Why are my clients under arrest?”

 

“They shot a police officer and are carrying illegal weapons,” the captain responds.

 

Now that he has his wind back, Sergeant Mendy tells his captain that it was not the Team that shot him but the other group. “These people here (the Team) put down their weapons when ordered.”

 

“Oh,” the captain replies, “Well, there is still the matter of the illegal weapons.”

 

“We have permits,” adds William, “and corporate immunity granted in the Commonwealth of Nations.” William produces his paperwork. In fact, the Team has all their permits on the plane. They are quickly released while the Hungarians are led away in handcuffs.

 

“A villa on the beach in Bakau is ready for you,” continues Kemo Sohna. “We have a court date this coming Monday, so we have much work to do to prepare. For tonight, however, you must rest.”

 

“Wait,” Roger says, “On the beach? The Horthy is off the coast; they’ll fire on the house or send in their marines.”

 

Kyle looks at the trucks carrying the Hungarians to jail. “No,” he says, “I think their marines will be a little busy.”

 

One of the military officers standing by adds, “We are well aware of the position of the Horthy. One of our fast attack naval vessels is being dispatched to shadow it. They have been warned.”

 

“We have a few others we brought out with us,” says William.

 

Kemo Sohna looks at the parade of people exiting the plane. “Who are they?”

 

“The Timbuktu 12,” replies William.

 

“The Timbuktu 12 here!” asks the police commander excitedly. “I must notify my superiors and the press.”

 

“The press!” Shannon cries. “Yes, I am with the press and I have a story to file!”

 

The “Timbuktu 12” are offered rooms in the finest hotel in Banjul. There will be a news conference there. The Team, Ernest, Daniela and Karim just want to go to their villa and sleep. When they get there, William looks and finds an armored panic room in the basement. He sets it up as a “honeymoon suite” for Ernest and Daniela. The police post some officers at the gate to keep away the curious. The Team settles down for a well-deserved sleep.

 

***

 

 

Sunday, November 27, 2044

 

For the first time in four days, the Team gets a peaceful night’s rest. By 10 am, Kemo Sohna, their new attorney, arrives with his assistants to prepare for the hearing tomorrow. He, Ernest and Doc Freeman closet themselves in the study and look through the mountain of evidence they have on Ernest’s supposed mental illness. The Doc conducts an “official” psychological interview and prepares documentation for the court. Early in the afternoon, the sound of multiple trucks pulling up outside is heard. Over a hundred heavily armed combat troops pour out of the vehicles and surround the house.

 

Kyle watches them fan out, but his initial fears pass as he recognizes that they are not positioning themselves to assault the house, but rather to defend it. The fact that the four policemen at the gate are not concerned confirms that this is not an attack. The troop commander, a tall, ramrod straight, ebony skinned officer comes to the front door and asks, “I am looking for a William Eller.”

 

William walks up to him and says, “I am William Eller.”

 

The officer snaps him a crisp salute and replies, “I am Major Bangizwe Van Dorn. Ms. Nicole Alexander sends her compliments. We will be taking over your security for the local police.”

 

“Thank you, Major,” relies William. “Please carry on.”

 

Karim is looking at the uniforms and says to William, “It seems you do have powerful friends. These South African mercenaries are feared throughout this land.”

 

The Team watches as the mercs deploy around the grounds. A large prime mover pulls a trailer onto the back lawn facing the sea. Its drive wheels tear up the ground. Well, there goes the deposit! The trailer is unhitched and the side panels taken off to reveal a radar controlled 20mm Vulcan gun. It is quickly brought on line and pointed out to sea. William had been quite thorough in his report on the S.S. Admiral Horthy’s capabilities.

 

Randy finally awakes and finds himself in a soft bed with an ocean breeze blowing through the open window. Natasha checks his bandages and catches him up on the events of the past two days. The ex-Delta Force sniper relaxes. With the South Africans covering security, he feels he can concentrate on recovering from his wounds. Finally, the Team has a quiet day to rest. Tomorrow will be another story.

 

***

 

 

Monday, November 28, 2044

 

The Team heads to the courthouse in the morning under the watchful eye of their new mercenary protectors. Gambian officials insist that the troops return to the seaside villa, but may come back at the end of the day to escort Ernest and the Team back home. Otto Krieger, his wife Magda and two burly bodyguards are there. The two glare at Ernest and the Team. Yes, they have made some powerful enemies here. An older European lady with her bodyguard enters just before the session begins. If Otto and Magda displayed any dislike of the Team that is nothing to the frosty hostile glare they give this woman. That attitude is returned in full measure to the two. Ernest turns and sees the woman. He breaks out in a huge smile. That woman turns and sees Ernest. The anger in her face relaxes as she beams back at Ernest. The affection in her eyes for the young man is easy to see even for the most cybered up of the Team. This is Gretchen Von Freiburg, Ernest’s great aunt. Shortly after the proceedings begin, Iman Dr. Malik Samake, Daniela Gaspard’s great, great uncle arrives with Dr. Mohan Bagvarti. Dr. Bagvarti goes to the attorney tables and hands Kemo Sohna a thick file. A look of worry briefly crosses Magda’s face.

 

The proceedings are generally pretty boring as most legal confrontations are. As the morning wears on, Doc Freeman keeps looking at Otto Krieger. He has studied that man’s medical file very thoroughly. The Doc watches his breathing motion, his posture, eyes and skin tone. More and more he feels something is not right. It has been bothering him ever since he first read the file and told the party that he was amazed the old man was even alive. As noon approaches, he realizes that Otto Krieger is a borg! The more he looks, the more sure he is. The Doc quietly turns and tells Kyle who is sitting next to him. Slowly the Team passes this bit of information among themselves. Unfortunately there is no way to get near him with his two very watchful bodyguards.

 

Kyle catches Cat slowly removing the heel of her shoe. Yes, he knows about the non-metallic blade she carries there. The biogen turns to Zahra sitting next to her and says, “When we break for lunch, keep your eye on me. When I nod, you scream.” Zahra agrees.

 

The court session breaks for lunch and Cat moves towards the door. As Otto and his party get near, she nods to Zahra who lets loose a bloodcurdling scream. That distracts one bodyguard, but the other immediately turns to Cat. These men are experienced and nobody’s fool. Unfortunately for the bodyguard, he is not prepared for her enhanced biogenetic reflexes. She strikes at Otto Krieger’s head with a slashing attack and hits!

 

The courtroom explodes in an uproar. Cat immediately drops the knife, drops to her knees with her hands raised just in time to get slammed to the floor by the bodyguard. By now no one is really looking at Cat. A large strip of pseudo flesh is hanging from Otto’s face and a few sparks flare off his exposed metallic and plastic head.

 

Someone exclaims, “Oh my God, he is a cyborg!”

 

“My grandfather isn’t a cyborg!” shouts Ernest.

 

Even his own bodyguards are looking at “Otto” in amazement. It is obvious even they didn’t know. William watches Magda during all of this. He reads her initial reaction well, which is basically, “Oh, shit, we’re busted!” It only lasts a brief second and then she is acting all surprised like everyone else.

 

The Judge is on his feet, pointing at “Otto” and shouting, “Bailiff, detain that thing!”

 

At first it seems like the cyborg will let himself be taken, but when the bailiff gets close he hits the officer in the head with his fist, killing him instantly. Like a shot “Otto” is off and runs straight for and through the large second story window. The Team tries to follow, but the mayhem in the court blocks them. About ten seconds after “Otto” goes through the window, the mixed sounds of automatic and heavy weapon weapons fire is heard from the plaza outside the courtroom building. When the Team reaches a window, they see the “Otto” borg down and surrounded by an MI-5 Strike Team!

 

(GM Note: The borg would have gotten away, but Kyle back in Episode 27 used his Trinidad police and MI-5 connections to tie together the murder of Dr. Elsa Warren, the attempted abduction of Iman Dr. Malik Samake, and the shoot outs in Guyana. As Roger Blackmore was told at the airport interrogation in Bucharest, Romania (Episode 28) by an MI-6 operative, this mission had attracted the attention of Commonwealth Military Intelligence, which put their own team on this case.)

 

Magda tries to leave with her bodyguards, but is stopped by the Gambian police. The judge finds that Ernest is sane and orders Magda Berchtold detained. The judge also makes a temporary appointment of Gretchen Von Freiburg as Ernest’s guardian and turns the whole affair over to Interpol and the Austrian authorities.

 

By 5pm Magda posts a 1,000,000 eb bond and flees to the Horthy with the now released marines aboard that ship’s AV-11 (which is how the marines beat the Team’s slow and pokey C-23 to the Gambia). Ernest, his family, the Team and their new friends hold a celebration at the seaside villa. When they arrive back there, they find Major Bangizwe Van Dorn talking with a beautiful blonde thirty-something woman. Her fame or rather infamy, precede her. It is Nicole “Nikki” Alexander. Her warm engaging smile covers up her ruthless and dangerous personality. In the Edgerunner world she is known to be as fiercely loyal to those who work for her as she is cruel and brutal to her enemies. Kyle fades into the background upon seeing her. He had been involved in a C.I.A. operation a few years ago that had almost frustrated one of her operations. He is not exactly sure which list of hers he is on. William goes right up to see her and she greets him warmly.

 

“William,” she says, “It is good to see you again. Everything worked out well in court, I hear?”

 

“Yes, thank you,” he replies. Then Nikki notices Gretchen Von Freiburg and the two smile at each other.

 

“Gretchen!” Nikki exclaims, “It is so good to see you again.”

 

“Nikki,” she responds, “Thank you so much for coming. I want you to meet my grandnephew, Ernest, and his wife, Daniela.”

 

“I would love to,” Nikki replies, “But then we have just a little business to discuss before we celebrate this lovely family reunion.”

 

“Of course,” says Gretchen.

 

The two women chat pleasantly as they walk away. The Team watches the two women as they leave, but the vision of two great white sharks circling and eyeing each other comes to their minds. Paul Blaize, Robert Gilford and his family come to the fete along with Shannon Wilson. Several Gambian officials and military officers are in attendance with their wives. The festivities are bright and gay until about 8 pm. Then a siren starts to wail. The crowd turns as the Vulcan gun activates and scans the skies. The mercenary guards shout that everyone take cover as the gun locks and begins to fire at a fiery light approaching the villa quickly from the sea. The Horthy’s missile is destroyed before it can strike, but some shrapnel hits the grounds of the villa. Fortunately, no one is injured. A few of the Gambian military men are on their cell phones instantly. Gretchen and Nikki quickly start to calm everyone down, and the party continues. Still, some keep their eyes seaward.

 

Towards the end of the evening, Nikki asks to speak to the Team. All come except Kyle and Cat, who can’t be found and Allison, who has taken a long walk on the beach with Paul Blaize, the artist.

 

“You all gave up your fee to save the life of this young man and his wife,” she begins. “That is very unusual in this world and speaks well of you. They say ‘Virtue is its Own Reward’, but I have rarely found that to be true. However, I do believe that ‘character’ is very important and that should be rewarded. You will find that 500,000 eb has been deposited to your Team’s account. Call it a token of my thanks and appreciation.”

 

The evening ends. The Team learns that the villa is theirs for the week and their C-23 Sherpa’s airport fees are covered. Ernest, Daniela, Karim and the Team part company. Soon they are all heading home to a well-deserved rest.

 

 

Postscript:

 

Over the next few months, the following things happen. Otto Krieger’s body is found in his Austrian country house. He died of natural causes just before his blow up with Ernest in Paris. Magda Berchtold is ordered arrested, but flees to Croatia and is given political asylum. The Austrian courts ratify the Gambian judge’s decision to appoint Gretchen Von Freiburg as not only Ernest’s guardian but also of his sister, Eva. Gretchen appoints Nicole Alexander CEO of the Vienna Credit Bank and the South African immediately brings Ernest in on its operations. She starts to fund some of his “special projects” (along with a few of her own). The new CEO has the bank run an audit and finds a number of questionable loans made to the Berchtold Family. More than a few of these are already in default, but not acted on. Nikki has the bank call the loans immediately. Count Berchtold has to sell his yacht, the S.S. Admiral Miklos Horthy. The ensuing scandal forces him to resign as Foreign Minister. It is not enough. Two months after that, the Austrian government falls and is forced to call new elections. At first Gretchen is not overly pleased with Daniela as her grandnephew’s wife, but the girl soon wins her over. Two months after the Team returns from Africa they are informed that Ernest and Daniela are expecting their first child.

 

In Mali, the French discard all pretenses and commit the 2nd Foreign (Legion) Parachute Regiment in toto, their carrier battle group and support and transport services. Malian troops rally and the two armies shatter the forces of the “new” Islamic Republic of Azawad. The Islamic rebels are driven back into the northern deserts and their newly acquired armor forces are destroyed. Most of the pilots of Mali’s air force that were poisoned at the Annual Air Force Banquet on the night of Tuesday, November 22 recover. (William had commented the following day about where the Malian Air Force was as the Islamists took over Timbuktu.) Suspicion first fell on Mariata Sisoko, the hostess of the dinner, but she was found dead of the same poison the very next day. The commander of the 5th Military Region, Lt. Colonel Daouda Sisoko, is found dead in his crashed command helicopter. All the bodies are badly burned and identification has to be done by dental records. In Timbuktu, Paul de Fleurs, import/export agent from Bamako (and member of the DSGE, French Secret Service) along with US trade attaché (and C.I.A. agent), Robert Simmons, work together to help Malian and French forces drive the rebels from Timbuktu. Their cooperation mollifies the French government and the already bad relations with the United States do not get any worse over this.

 

Cat puts together all the information they collected about the Azawad rebels and their allies, the serial numbers of the American equipment that was there, all the pictures Ivanka took and puts them in a file. She sends it all to “Uncle” Nathan, her father’s best friend and the deputy director of Clandestine Services for the C.I.A. She also drops one of the M-16s off at the American Embassy in the Gambia to be sent to Nathan. It is discovered that all these arms were part of a shipment destined for Israel back in 1984. The vessel was “lost at sea” and no trace of the weapons was ever found until now.

 

Roger Blackmore and Natasha Kerensky take their pay and the promise of Ernest’s reward and leave the Team. Their trip on the Niger as a couple has blossomed into a real relationship. They want to move on and seek their fortune together. This Team’s unwillingness to take on any wet work they consider a “missed opportunity” for money!

 

Shannon Wilson turns out to be a talented and insightful media. Her stories on the “Timbuktu 12” and the Team’s adventure in Mali are picked up around the world (with a +1 Reputation for everyone). Almost every member of the Team is painted in a heroic light. The one notable exception is Roger Blackmore. Hell hath no fury like a media punched in the face! The Brit was wrong about a camera in her smart goggles; it was in her cybereye. She had a modified chipware socket that did not hold skill chips, but did hold hours and hours of digital memory for her cameras. Shannon also turns out to be a fairly competent researcher. Roger comes across as a cyberpsycho, weapons dealing criminal! Well, even bad publicity is better than no publicity at all!

 

 

Next: Episode 30: The Chickens Come Home to Roost

 

OK, I guess I am getting very verbose. I ended up dividing our last session (Episode 28) into two parts because I reached the end of the post length limit. Well Episode 29 (which ends this mission) was even longer, so I will post them separately to begin with.

 

 

 

Episode 29: Wow, I Didn’t See That Coming! Part 1 of 2

 

 

Doc Freeman’s whole “business party” is held for ransom except for underage (crazy) Nip, and Randy Shugart III is now denounced as the killer of Judge Ibrahim Sisoko (and spawn of the “Murderer of Mogadishu”). I guess one person’s hero is another’s villain. Kyle and Cat get more than they bargained for and are branded “Heroes of the Islamic Revolution,” and Roger and Natasha become Daniela’s friends. Strange alliances are made. Bombings and jail breaks are committed. The Team must now not only save Ernest but also themselves!

 

Background

 

Otto Krieger, president and CEO of the Vienna Credit Bank, is dying of degenerative brain cancer. His grandson and heir, a young man with a history of mental illness, has run off with his teenage girlfriend, the daughter of two imprisoned Europe 3000 terrorists, and plans to turn the venerable institution into a progressive and socially responsible institution whose primary concern will be to help the “people.” The Team has six weeks to find the heir and return him to his grandfather (and the institution that was treating him). The fee is enormous and the perks are luxurious.

 

Dramatis Personae

 

The client du jour:

 

Otto Krieger: He is the 82 yo President and CEO of the Vienna Credit Bank, a major Euro investment banking house. He sits on the Euro Bank board of directors. The man is dying of degenerative brain cancer. His grandson and heir, Ernest Krieger, has run away with his teenaged girlfriend and is off his meds. The old man wants him back.

 

The Team

 

Allison Cole: 16 yo kleptomaniac sex pot and one of Cat Fisher’s best friends from Atlantic City High School. She just graduated from that school and followed her friend to Jamaica when she became a suspect in a recent heist in Atlantic City. Perhaps not yet “world class”, her skills as a Prowler are formidable.

 

Cat Fisher: Officially she is Sam Fisher and the late Maria Ortiz’s 18 yo daughter. In actuality she is a full memory clone of late Caitlin Jones, the original biogenetic assassin construct built by the now defunct Bio Works Corporation. This is known only to Kyle Vaduva. Some on the Team know she used to be Dominique Vadim, a Caitlin clone, but that person is also “known to be dead” for some six years now.

 

Doc Freeman: Former professor at UNLV, former assistant coroner and (formally) disgraced cyber researcher. He is the inventor of the “cyberbrain” with which he claims to have cured death itself. Although courts around the world are now looking into ramifications of his work, Disney Corporation has honored their agreements with the man and he is now rich beyond his wildest dreams. The Team bases out of his Morgan’s Harbor Hotel which he operates in cooperation with the Disney Corporation’s Port Royal Historical Theme Park and Museum.

 

Kyle Vaduva: Former C.I.A. agent now burned by the agency over incidents that he did not commit. He is now reunited with his lover from the Romanian Operation, who he now learns is the full memory clone of the late infamous bio-genetic assassin, Caitlin Jones.

 

Natasha Kerensky: She is a thirty year old ex-Spetznaz soldier who realized her gender and lack of important military contacts made her rising above her current rank (lieutenant) an unlikely possibility. She has now gone into the private sector.

 

Nip Lacey: 15 yo girl with neon green hair, has amnesia. She was adopted by Tyne Lacey 4 years ago. She is a NET savant, classmate of Allison Cole’s, and the other of Cat Fisher’s best friends from high school.

 

Fred: ferret and imaginary friend of Nip’s.

 

Randy Shugart III: He is the 28 yo grandson of CMH winner, Randall Shugart of Blackhawk Down fame. He is himself an eight year veteran of Delta Force and has recently been maneuvered out of the military.

 

Roger Blackmore: Is a 28 yo former British SAS commando and demolitions expert. He was forced out of the service under a cloud of accusations of weapon’s smuggling.

 

William Eller: This is a cover alias for Thomas Rifkin, an operative for the Consortium, a group of powerful and wealth business and political leaders who cooperate to “make things go their way”. Thomas/Max/William is a 10% owner of the Morgan’s Harbor Hotel.

 

Zahra Baudin: She is a 29 yo veteran of the JDF (Jamaican Defense Forces). Born of a Jamaican mother and a Haitian father, she is a trained “intrusion” expert.

 

 

The NPCs

 

Abdou: A Tuareg rebel leader and officer in the Azawad National Liberation Front (AFLN).

 

Dong Chen: A Chinese engineer in town to redesign the city power grid.

 

Daniela Gaspard: The 16 yo girlfriend of Ernest Krieger and daughter of two imprisoned Europe 3000 terrorists. She has run off with the young heir.

 

Ernest Krieger: The 17 yo grandson of Otto Krieger and target of the Team’s search. He has a history of mental problems and is off his meds. The young man has run away with his girlfriend, Daniela Gaspard.

 

Hakim Shihab: An Indonesian Islamist fighter with the AFLN.

 

Hassan Brazid: An Egyptian Islamist fighter with the AFLN.

 

Judge Ibrahim Sisoko: He is a tall thin man and chief judge of the civil courts in Timbuktu, Mali.

 

Karim Samake: A man in his late twenties, and a veteran of Mali’s 33rd Parachute Infantry Regiment. He is Daniela Gaspard’s cousin.

 

Lt. Colonel Daouda Sisoko: A jovial, heavy set man and commander of Mali’s 5th Military District.

 

Magda Berchtold: The 38 yo third wife of aging patriarch, Otto Krieger and sister of Count Johan Berchtold, the Hungarian Foreign Minister and one of that country’s wealthiest men.

 

Nafissa Kieta: A Muslim women of Timbuktu who works with the local court.

 

Otto Krieger: Our client is the 82 yo President and CEO of the Vienna Credit Bank, a major Euro investment banking house.

 

Paul Blaize: A French painter working in Mali. His family is rich.

 

Paul de Fleurs: An import/export agent from Bamako and a member of the French Secret Service (DSGE).

 

Robert Simmons: a US trade attaché and C.I.A. agent.

 

Robert & Margret Gilford: A Petrochem executive and his wife here with their three children: Johnny (17), Leslie (15), and Sally (11).

 

Salif Toure: A lawyer from Timbuktu, Mali experienced in both civil and Sharia law.

 

Shannon Wilson: A 20 yo American student and budding journalist.

 

 

The Action

 

Wednesday, 23 November 2044

 

Cat and Kyle spend the early hours of the morning preparing for their “Jihad”. The Tuareg warriors are not at all pleased that a woman is going to be fighting with them. When Kyle leaves the room to talk with Abdou, a couple of the Tuaregs and Hakim Shihab, one of the “foreign fighters” from Indonesia, approach Cat. One speaks kind words while Hakim starts to play with her sandy blonde hair. Hassan Brazid, an Egyptian and another of the “foreign fighters” comes to Cat’s defense. It seems for a minute that there might be violence, but Kyle returns and all the situation relaxes a bit.

 

A few of the waiting Tuareg start to duel with their Tabokas — a sword used across the Western Sahara and among ethnic groups such as the Tuareg. It usually measures about one meter. Takoba blades have several notable features, including three or more hand-ground fuller grooves and a rounded point. Since the Tuareg have an aversion to touching iron, the Takoba's handle, like many iron implements, is covered in bronze or other material. It is very similar to the blade that Kyle normally wields. Perhaps it is one of the swordsman’s form that makes Kyle’s face grimace as he watches two of the warriors spar, but it is noticed and the Tuareg warrior turns to Kyle angrily and says, “One who is not a warrior has nothing to say to one who is!”

 

“Is that a challenge?” asks Kyle.

 

A Taboka is given to Kyle and the two square off.

 

“Shall this be to first blood or to the death?” Kyle inquires.

 

“First blood,” Abdou adds quickly before the other warrior can speak.

 

Kyle defends himself as he takes the measure of his opponent. The man is good, but only that. Kyle disarms him. He lets him retrieve his weapon. Kyle allows the man one attack. Then he quickly cuts him on the cheek and disarms him again. Two more Tuareg warriors leap into the area. This insult to their cousin cannot be borne. Kyle quickly does the same to them both. No one else challenges Kyle. In fact, the murmur of approval sweeps through the assembled Tuaregs.

 

Everything settles down, and soon an old woman comes up and asks Kyle, “Are you imúšaɣ?”

 

It seems that Kyle’s Tuareg +3 chip does not help him with this word. He turns to Abdou.

 

“She is asking if you are truly a warrior,” says Abdou.

 

“Yes,” Kyle responds, “Among my own people.”

 

The old woman nods and shuffles away, but soon comes back with an object wrapped in cloth. She speaks, “My family has lived in the Sahara for as long as the sand has blown. We have fought for what is right and good since before the words of the Prophet brought us out of darkness. Allah, in his mercy, threw down from Heaven this sword to my ancestors to help the weak and punish the wicked. Now only I am left. When I die there will be no one. This despair has gnawed at my soul till now. Allah has sent you. I ask you if you will take this sword, defend the helpless and bring justice to this world.”

 

“I will,” replies Kyle. Abdou directs the others and they surround Kyle. As some chant, they wrap a blue tagelmust reverently around Kyle’s head. He repeats words he barely understands until Abdou stands next to him and asks if another will stand with him.

 

The first man that Kyle “marked” now steps forward and replies, “I will stand with my brother.”

 

The old woman smiles and places the scabbard around Kyle’s waist. He draws the blade. It is surprisingly light yet strong. The old woman gives him a sharpening stone and says, “Keep the blade sharp with this and it will never fail you.”

 

Most objections to Kyle and Cat’s presence melt away. Before dawn everyone moves out to their appointed positions. The diversionary attack on the airport draws off the reaction force which is soon crushed by the Islamist’s M-60 tanks. Those tanks reinforced by APCs strike at the government’s military fort at the edge of the city. That is the signal for the assault on the government house.

 

Kyle, Cat and the rest of the assault force open fire on the troops defending the government house. Abdou and a number of warriors notice Cat firing only single rounds, but each one hits its target square in the forehead. Abdou smiles, perhaps Allah has indeed sent her? Finally, fire from the government house ceases and the Tuareg sweep forward with the cry, “Allah Akbar!” on their lips. Kyle and Cat charge with the rest.

 

Hakim, the Indonesian, bursts through the main door first. As he starts across the front hall he is knocked to the ground. A Malian policeman with a baton stands over him, but Hakim has a pistol hidden on his person and his hand is now wrapped around the grip. The policeman is hit from behind by Cat with the butt of her now empty M-16 and it is the officer who now hits the floor. Cat yanks out a Colt Model 1911 and kills Hakim’s assailant. Moving inside, Kyle pulls his sword and goes hand to hand with some of the defenders. His tagelmust comes off as he has not yet mastered wearing it. It gives the media who is with the Islamic fighters a face to put to this action. Kyle cuts down a couple of more defenders hand to hand. The scene of Goren and Ivanka (Kyle and Cat) arm in arm with sword and rifle raised shouting glory to Allah in the now captured government house surrounded by celebrating Islamic warriors is flashed round a startled and incredulous world.

 

Zahra, Allison and Nip are brought to the city jail and put in a large holding cell with four other white women and three native Malians. One woman has her arms around two girls who are obviously her daughters. They look about 11 and 15 years old. The children are frightened. Another woman appears to be in her early twenties and seems more curious than scared. As they look at the three local women, they realize one of them is Daniela.

 

Zahra decides it’s time to get to know Daniela, but doesn’t want to be too obvious so she starts with, “Oh my god, did you see all of those tanks?”

 

That elicits no response from Daniela, but the two young girls whimper. Her mother comforts them. Zahra apologizes for frightening them.

 

“It’s all right honey,” the woman responds with a Texas drawl. “I am Margret Gilford and these are my daughters Leslie and Sally. I am here with my husband.”

 

“What is he doing here?” asks Zahra.

 

“Robert works for Petrochem. He was looking for that Black Gold, Texas Tea,” the older woman laughs, “but there is nothing here but sand and salt. What are you doing here, dear?”

 

“Oh, I am a bodyguard for Doc Freeman,” Zahra replies.

 

“Dr. Gordon Freeman?” Margret asks with a hint of worry in her voice.

 

“Why yes,” says Zahra.

 

“Oh,” Margret responds flatly. She has obviously heard of the Doc.

 

“Wow, you work for the infamous Doc Freeman?” the other young American woman asks brightly.

 

“Well, I don’t know about infamous,” says Zahra.

 

Margret lets loose a short sigh.

 

“Not infamous!” the girl continues excitedly. “They say he carried on experiments with Romanian death row prisoners while perfecting his cyberbrain. He kept them in cages like animals in the basement of his building in Bucharest. They say you could hear their screams and moans from the lobby there and he turned their brains to crystal while they lived!”

 

“Please!” whispers Margret. The two look at the woman and see that her two daughters are now even more terrified than before.

 

“Sorry,” the young woman says.

 

“So, who are you?” asks Zahra.

 

“Oh, my name is Shannon Wilson,” the girl begins. “I was going to school for journalism, but my parents ran out of money. We have a friend of the family, Uncle George, who works for NET 54 and he got me this assignment to do a piece on the Tuareg people here and that should make me enough money to finish college, and then I want...”

 

And on and on she talks for forty-five minutes without a stop. By the time she reaches the end everyone in the cell who could understand English knew more about Shannon Wilson than they ever wanted to.

 

There follow a few minutes of blessed silence. The three Malian women had not responded to anything Shannon said so Zahra decided to try French. She catches their eye and says, “Bad Luck.”

 

Two of the women nod.

 

“So what have you been charged with?” Zahra asks.

 

The first woman gestures to her companion and says, “They say we are prostitutes.”

 

Daniela says nothing.

 

Zahra turns to Daniela, “Are you here alone?”

 

Daniela answers suspiciously, “Why do you ask?”

 

“Just curious,” is Zahra’s reply.

 

“No,” answers Daniela curtly.

 

Zahra then turns to Shannon and asks about the Tuareg people. As the Jamaican expected, Shannon began to talk a blue streak about everything Tuareg. During this monologue, the guards come and take two of the local women out of the cell. They do not return. Finally the guards come for Nip.

 

The young girl is vibrating with fear as she is brought into a room with three women. The male guards try to loiter, but they are driven out by the three there. One of the women turns to Nip, smiles and says, “Are you a virgin, my dear?”

 

“What?” replies Nip. The woman repeats the question. “Oh, yeah, I guess,” says Nip.

 

The three women talk among themselves and then the spokeswoman asks, “I am afraid we will have to examine you. Please lie down here.”

 

Nip does but her eyes narrow as she says, “If I feel anything I don’t like, I’m going to kick.”

 

The woman smiles and tells her, “As well you should.”

 

Nip relaxes as the woman’s touch is gentle and her voice reassuring. Yes, Nip is a virgin. The woman talks to her and translates the other women’s questions. The woman tells Nip her name is Nafissa Kieta and she works for the courts here. They talk with her for a while and Nip thoroughly confuses them, but Nafissa takes a shine to her. Then they all go into the court room.

 

Nip cannot follow what is going on, and soon she is led away. Nafissa tells her that everything is fine and the new government has promised to contact her family and arrange for her return to her mother in America. Until then she is released into Nafissa’s care. Nip will go home and stay with Nafissa’s family until then. For now Nip is put in a room and given something to eat. Nafissa insists that Nip not be put back in a cell. In the evening after court, she takes Nip back to the hotel to get her things. The young girl’s clothes, tools and her beloved cyberdeck are there. Nafissa takes Nip to her home where she meets the other children. No, they cannot understand a word each other says, but the kids see the deck and the games. They pull out their own electronic games (antiques as far as Nip is concerned, but fun nonetheless). They begin to play and, as young people generally do, they find common ground to have fun.

 

Back at the women’s cell, the guards come for Daniela, and the girl is taken away. She does not return. Soon, they come for Allison. She is brought into a room and is asked the question, “Are you a virgin?”

 

All the talk of stonings and heads being cut off proves too much for Allison. She melts down in a puddle of tears. No, she is not a virgin. She confesses she was raped by her uncle a few years ago. Up to this time Allison had never been able to talk about it, not even to her best friend, Cat. The truth has a way of shining through sometimes. The three women questioning her move to console her. Still, she is brought before the judge. Allison sits there not being able to understand as a man and the three women argue in front of the judge. The judge asks a few questions of the man, who seems to be acting like a prosecutor. The judge then upbraids him. Another man says something to the judge and the jurist dismisses everyone.

 

Allison asks Nafissa what just happened. Nafissa replies, “The judge has found you innocent of ‘Dina’, and in fact he has ordered all of the foreign women they have brought in be declared not guilty. These rebels think they can use the law for their own ends. Sharia is the law of Allah, the just and merciful, not a tool to be twisted for political ends!”

 

“Then I am going to be released?” asks Allison.

 

“No,” Nafissa replies, “I think the new government is going to ransom you back to the people you work for.”

 

“Oh,” says a disappointed Allison. She is then returned to her cell.

 

William, Randy and Doc Freeman are brought to a male holding cell. Inside is a middle aged white man, with a teenaged boy whom he shares a familial resemblance with, a white man in his early thirties, two local men, an Asian looking man and Ernest Krieger. The middle-aged man introduces himself with his Texas twang. He is Robert Guilford from Petrochem and the young man is his son, 17 yo Johnny.

 

The guards come in and take the two local men away.

 

The thirty-something looking man introduces himself as Paul Blaize, he is a Frenchman. He is an artist who came to paint in the solitude of the Sahara. Now, he supposes he will be ransomed back to his (rich) parents.

 

A few of them jump as the report of a firing squad is heard outside.

 

The oriental man introduces himself as Dong Chen. He is, or rather was, here to redesign the city lighting grid.

 

Ernest gives his name (his real one), but little else.

 

The Team members decide they have little to lose at this point. So they go over and introduce themselves to Ernest. When he hears Doc Freeman’s name spoken, the young man’s eyes widen a little in fear. Obviously he has heard of him.

 

Doc Freeman extends his hand to Ernest, who takes it, and says, “I’ve enjoyed reading all of your medical and psychiatric reports.”

 

Ernest tries to jerk his hand back but Doc grips it tight with his cybernetically enhanced strength for a few more pumps before releasing him.

 

Randy then lays out the entire Team mission to Ernest. The young man is astonished and more than a little afraid.

 

“Dr. Morin had a lot of bad things to say about you,” adds Doc Freeman, “But Dr. Bagvarti thinks you’re actually OK.”

 

“Look, Ernest,” continues Randy, “We actually think this whole thing is a set up by your step grandmother, Magda.”

 

At the mention of her name, Ernest’s eyes flare. “That lying bitch is behind all of our family’s trouble. My grandfather hasn’t been the same since he started seeing her,” rants Ernest. “She hit on my grandfather at my father’s own funeral. I couldn’t believe she even had the nerve to show up after my father died scuba diving off that damn boat of theirs.”

 

“The Admiral Miklos Horthy?” asks William.

 

“Yes,” Ernest spits out.

 

“Well,” Randy says, “they have hired people to kill us and lied right from the start. As far as I am concerned our contract is null and void.” He looks right into Ernest’s eyes. “She isn’t going to get her hands on you or Daniela.”

 

At this point an important looking official enters the cell with a group of burly guards.

 

The official speaks, “Where is Randall Shugart III?”

 

Randy steps forward.

 

“Spawn of the Murderer of Mogadishu; you are under arrest for murder of Judge Ibrahim Sisoko!” the Tuareg cries, “Take him.” Randy is led away

 

William asks Ernest if he found the book he was looking for in the library. Ernest says yes and proceeds to tell William about the holy man Adama Samake and the cave he found to the north. He also explains the Greek writing found there and the old man’s suspicion that there was a cave behind the wall. The information is interesting, but getting to know Ernest is the true prize.

 

Randy is brought to the “secure wing” and thrown in a cell.

 

The ex-Delta Force sniper spits on the floor of his cell and demands, “Can I see the charges?”

 

The official answers, “Of course, at your trial, which is right before your execution.” The man starts to leave, but stops and turns around with his own question. “Now that you have been charged, would you like to see someone from your embassy?”

 

“Yes, I would,” says Randy.

 

“Well, he is right in the cell over there!” The man laughs as he leaves.

 

In the other cell is the man that Doc Freeman’s group thought was following them in Bamako.

 

“So you killed a judge?” asks the man.

 

“No, and who the hell are you?” demands Randy.

 

“I am Robert Simmons, the trade attaché with the American embassy in Bamako,”

Bob replies.

 

Randy rolls his eyes. “A trade attaché, of course.”

 

(GM Note: Robert Simmons, a C.I.A. agent, was sent to find Kyle Vaduva and see what he was up to since the ex-spy is a “known associate” of Doc Freeman and his party.)

 

The banter is broken up by the sound of arguing outside in French. Eventually, a man of mixed race is brought in with a bag over his head and put in the cell next to Robert. After the bag is pulled off, he complains loudly he is only a businessman. As they are left alone he and Robert Simmons look at each other and laugh. The two obviously know each other.

 

“Well, well, Paul,” Simmons says, “Who would have thought we would be sharing a cell together?”

 

(GM Note: Paul de Fleur, also a member of the French Secret Service (DSGE), is the man Roger and Natasha saw on the boat trip down the Niger River to Timbuktu, who seemed to be interested in the couple’s doings. He was actually looking for Goren Kovac and Ivanka Balalov and thought that Richard Stone and Irina (Rokovic) Stone (Roger and Natasha) might be those two. Good thing Roger didn’t waylay him and lock him in the closet!)

 

“I should not be in here with you. I must find a better class of jail next time,” Paul muses. The Frenchman then looks at Randy and says, “What are you in here for?”

 

By now Randy is in no mood and says, “Paul, I hope they shoot you first!”

 

Both Bob and Paul laugh. The three sit quietly for a while.

 

Finally Randy speaks, “I’d sure like to know where the rebels got all these American weapons.”

 

“Well,” Bob responds, “It was the French, to frame us.”

 

Paul glares at Bob, who finally admits, “Oh come on, I’m just kidding.”

 

Again the three sit in silence, but something is clearly bothering Paul. Finally he blurts out, “If you and your government hadn’t supplied these Islamist rebels we wouldn’t be in this mess!”

 

Robert Simmons gives Paul a long look and finally says, “Yeah? Then why am I here in jail with you?”

 

After a moment, Paul replies, “Good point.”

 

Outside in the hall the three hear a group of people coming. Randy and his fellow prisoners have visitors. It is four of the “foreign fighters”: Hakim Shihab, the Indonesian, Hassan Brazid, the Egyptian, Ivanka Balakov, the Bulgarian, and Goren Kovac, the Bosnian. The three feel like animals on display at the zoo. The four fighters speak in broken Arabic. It seems they are looking forward to the three’s executions. As they start to leave, Ivanka approaches Randy’s cell and says, “He doesn’t look too tough.”

 

Randy, not recognizing her, moves to the front of his cell. He is calculating how much time he would need to snap her neck. Ivanka spits in his face. As Randy spits back, he feels a small object hit his leg. The sandy blonde haired girl easily side-steps his spittle. He recognizes the move and is glad he didn’t get the chance to break her neck. Ivanka laughs in his face as she tells him in broken Arabic, “I shall look forward to attending your execution.” The “zoo visitors” then leave.

 

“Amore,” Paul muses. He looks at Randy and says, “I think she is in love with you, mon ami.”

 

Randy waits a few minutes, then looks on the floor and sees one of the Team’s ear buds. He slips it on, but there is no one on the air. Randy waits.

 

Kyle and Cat are given rooms along with the other foreign Islamist fighters at the Hotel Bouctou. The press wants to see them, especially the dashing Bosnian with the sword and the young and beautiful Bulgarian girl with the deadly eye. The two are quickly becoming the “media’s darlings” much to Hakim’s growing displeasure. Cat asks for and receives a camera and starts to play the “tourist”. Abdou comes up to the four and says, “You have all done well. Now, think on whether you want to do more. There is much to be done and you should choose the path you would like next. May Allah guide you.”

 

Meanwhile, in the Hotel Bouctou’s dining room, Roger and Natasha settle down for a good meal. To their surprise they see Daniela and her cousin, Karim, also having dinner at the hotel. The Brit and Russian go over to her table to talk. The two are curious why she was released.

 

“Oh,” Daniela replies, “Ernest and I were married a couple of months ago in a Muslim ceremony in Europe. I showed them our marriage certificate and that was that. They wouldn’t let Ernest go however. I think they plan to ransom him back to his grandfather.”

 

Both Roger and Natasha immediately know what that means. If the grandfather ransoms the boy, then it is NO payday for the Team. Roger looks at Daniela and says, “We will do everything in our power to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

 

Daniela is relieved and starts to look with even greater favor on the two. Of course, Roger doesn’t mean exactly what she thinks he means.

 

Roger continues, “We need to talk privately. Can we go to your room?”

 

Daniela says, “I don’t think that would be proper. We should meet in Karim’s room, say a half hour after we finish dinner?”

 

They all agree and finish their meal together talking on other subjects. This will give Roger time to go pick up the hidden ear bud that was left for him so his group can open communications with the rest of the Team.

 

Kyle and Cat return to their room and Cat dives into the shattered and almost abandoned Timbuktu NET. There she finds Nip wandering around. The young girl is ecstatic to see her friend. Nip has already put her ear bud in and is monitoring it in the NET. She hears Randy say, “Hello, anyone there?”

 

Through Nip, all three can now communicate. Soon, Roger’s voice is heard.

 

Roger quickly informs them of the upcoming meeting with Daniela and Karim. Cat tells him that she and Kyle will be there and Nip can attend via radio. Cat drops out of the NET and informs Kyle. Karim’s room is just down the hall from them. The two decide to risk the short walk and activate their cybernetic “disguise feature”. Over the next minute or so, their faces slowly shift to their own. They do not change back anything else. The process for the face is painful enough.

 

Roger and Natasha arrive in Karim’s room first. Roger tells Daniela that the Team was originally hired by Otto Krieger to bring Ernest home. Karim’s wired reflexes spring into action and Roger is staring down the business end of a semi-automatic pistol.

 

“Look,” Roger says, “We are not bad people.” Roger thinks for a moment and adds, “Most of the time anyway.” Roger and Natasha have been talking since dinner and are both slowly coming around to realizing that their contract with Otto Krieger is a bust anyway they look at it.

 

Soon all gather in Karim’s room either in person or by radio. They sweep the room for bugs (finding none of the electronic type). It is not lost on Daniela that this Team has offered to break their contract and help her and Ernest. Well, that is what Roger implied, but he is actually lying. He still intends to hand Ernest over for the payday, but even he is having second thoughts.

 

Daniela tells them, “We don’t have any real money, but soon Ernest will come into his inheritance and I know he will make this up to you.

 

On the radio Nip’s voice comes through, “See, Roger, it pays to be the good guys.”

 

All agree that they must leave Timbuktu as quickly as possible. Daniela insists on coming with them. Karim it seems had spent ten years in the Army of Mali and is an experienced soldier. He is also half Tuareg (on his mother’s side) and spent years in the desert. His help will be invaluable. They decide to procure a vehicle (Cat & Kyle have been asked what they want by the rebels and they will now request a vehicle to take the fight to the enemies with), and a radio (and hopefully a satellite uplink). Tomorrow night, they will enter the prison, break out the Team (and Ernest). Then they will run for the border with Mauretania. The Team will call in their C-23, which will fly in and pick them up.

 

“I can go around tomorrow and gather some local clothing for everyone else,” offers Daniela. “I don’t know everyone’s size so I’ll get more than we need just in case.”

 

“Getting in the prison shall be easy,” observes Karim. “Getting out will be the problem.”

 

Cat smiles and tells them not to worry. She has acquired a quantity of the old C-4 and some detonator equipment. She and Roger can take care of breaching the wall of the secure wing of the prison. There should even be enough left for some “distraction” bombs.

 

Everyone returns to their rooms. Kyle and Cat again resume the faces of Goren and Ivanka. That night Cat makes some bombs, and Roger makes the “wall buster” to break out of the “secure wing” of the prison. The two realize they have no way to coordinate the explosions. There were radio detonators with the gear, but no radio with the proper channels to set them off.

 

Nip asks, “Do they show up in the NET as remotes?” Why yes, it seems they do. “Well, I am less than 350 meters from the prison. I will stay on the radio and in the NET. I can blow them from here if you can set them up right.”

 

Kyle comes in and uses his “crosswire skill” to rig the detonators. This should work — once anyways and once is good enough. Tomorrow will be a busy day!

 

***

 

 

Thursday, November 24, 2044

 

In the morning, Cat and Kyle go to see Abdou and ask to be able to lead a vehicle patrol. He brings them past all the working vehicles to a BTR-40 that was knocked out at the airport yesterday. He tells them, “If you can fix it, you can use it.”

 

Cat gets right on it. The front wheel assembly is slightly damaged. She works till noon when an airstrike hits the military fort. Kyle sees the bombs hit the fort and rushes back to see if Cat is all right. She is, and things begin to go their way. The rebels want to move the vehicles and Cat talks them into moving her BTR-40 to the jail area. She gets it parked right near the outside wall of the secure detention area. Kyle walks around and casually plants some of the bombs Cat made the previous night around the jail building.

 

About 1 pm Cat and Kyle must attend a meeting at the hotel with the other two foreign fighters who took part in the attack on the government house. They get there to find themselves the center of a major news conference. The four stand there as the new Islamic Republic of Azawad declares Timbuktu as its capital. However, the world press wants to know everything about Goren Kovac and Ivanka Balakov.

 

Hakim Shihab is not pleased. The Islamist media that captured the assault on government house also shot Cat killing the policeman who had knocked the Indonesian down. Hakim has a high opinion of himself and is quick to let others know it. The Tuareg here had heard altogether too much from him about his skill and deeds as a warrior of the Jihad. Apparently no one had told Hakim about the sin of pride. Now the Islamist Tuareg warriors tease him unmercifully about being saved by a “woman”. Hakim begins to feel that his own contribution is not well appreciated, and he wants something else here as well. Hakim must regain control and erase this “stain” on his honor. Cat catches him staring at her. She has seen a man look at her like that before, and it makes her nervous.

 

A reception follows. Kyle and Cat listen for any news. The two find out that Doc Freeman’s group along with Ernest and the others have been moved by truck to the salt mining oasis of Taoudenni and the cave system they have up there. The column will arrive tomorrow evening. This puts a snag in their rescue plans.

 

Cat returns to work and has the BTR-40 up and running by 6 pm. During this time two more airstrikes by some of Mali’s MiG- 21s hit the city with uncanny accuracy. These Malian pilots are good. (Well, they are French pilots actually, but that is hard to tell from the ground.) Just before 6pm the fuel supply at the airport is hit. The fireball can be seen from the city.

 

The breakout plan is simple. Cat will stay close to their vehicle by the outside wall of the secure jail area while Natasha stands guard keeping watch that no one enters that area from the outside. At 8 pm Kyle and Roger will enter the jail, go to the secure wing and release Randy. Nip will set off the distraction explosions. Roger will set off the “wall buster” charge and blow the back wall of the jail. Then they will all jump in the BTR-40, drive through the city to pick up Nip and head to the hotel. As they near the hotel, they will pick up Daniela and Karim, then veer away from the city and head to Mauretania.

 

All proceeds according to plan; Cat makes a final check of their vehicle’s front axle assembly as the sounds of bombs hit the outskirts of the city. Cat hears Natasha (or someone she thinks is Natasha) approach the BTR-40 as explosions rumble across the city. Cat feels someone grab her leg and yank her out from under the BTR-40. A body lands on top of her, and pins her right leg under her painfully. There in her face is Hakim. He came through the prison and avoided Natasha. He whispers in Ivanka’s ear, “Now, no one is around, little girl. Humiliate me, will you? No, there are only two things women are good for. Raising a family like a good Muslim woman should, or comforting a man’s needs.”

 

She feels the cold sharp edge of a knife against her throat. His other hand pulls open her afetek (a loose shirt worn by women in Mali). Cat closes her eyes and fights back the visions from her stay in the Russian prison. She tells herself she must not panic. As Hakim paws at her body, she removes the heel of her shoe and withdraws the steel-hard plastic blade she keeps there. Hakim’s hands have worked their way down to her skirt. He needs both hands now. Confident in his control he tosses his knife aside, but a few seconds later, his smile of triumph disappears from his face. He coughs twice and blood spurts out. Cat twists the blade in his neck cutting both bone and tissue. She watches as the light in his eyes fades out, and then pushes his still body off her.

 

Cat pulls her afetek around her and trembles in the desert night air. She fights back the howling demons of her past. The body of Hakim laying there snaps her out of her dark mindscape. The biogen pulls the corpse over to a crate by the vehicle that had contained parts to fix the BTR-40. The crate is small but Cat’s rage finds an outlet as she uses her enhanced cyber strength to break her attacker’s bones. She makes him fit! Now the crate becomes Hakim’s coffin. She quietly throws sand over the large blood stain and cleans herself up as best she can. Soon Natasha, dressed as a Tuareg warrior, comes to her.

 

“We are good so far. I checked the perimeter and no one is out back here with us,” Natasha reports. At the sound of Natasha’s Russian accent, Cat turns to her with fear written on her face. The Russian looks at Cat and asks, “Are you all right?”

 

Cat seems to snap out of it and replies, “Yes, of course, the vehicle is ready. Let’s load the tools aboard in case we need to make repairs on the road.” From inside the vehicle, Cat pulls out a couple of flak vests she acquired from the rebel supply room. She puts on one under her clothes and gives Natasha the other.

 

At the front door of the jail, two men dressed as Tuareg warriors enter. Speaking the day’s password, they are not challenged. Kyle and Roger then proceed to the secure wing. Outside the door, there is only one guard. There is no need for more. Scores of soldiers are between here and the closest exit. The guard says to the two approaching him, “I am sorry, my brothers, but it is forbidden to be here.”

 

Kyle responds with, “I know.” In a flash, his blade is out and he plunges it deep in the man’s heart. The guard has no key, so Kyle picks the lock. They drag the corpse into the cell area. Roger goes right to the outside wall and begins to set the charges. Randy, Bob and Paul see two Tuareg warriors enter. One goes to the outside wall and another stands by Randy’s cell.

 

“Get up, you lazy bastard,” Kyle says. “This is a jailbreak!”

 

Robert Simmons is on his feet. “Randy, you can’t leave us here.”

 

“I really do like Americans,” Paul adds.

 

Randy turns to Kyle. “We have two more to go.”

 

Kyle shrugs, makes sure his tagelmust is covering his face and opens the cells of the other two.

 

Roger comes back from the wall where he just set his charge and takes cover. The others follow suit. “Nip, are you ready for round one?”

 

“Yuppers!” Nip responds over the radio.

 

“OK, let her rip!” Roger tells her.

 

“Durka, durka, Mohammad, Jihad!” shouts Nip. Over the next ten seconds, three explosions rock the neighborhood.

 

“Fire in the hole,” says Roger and the back wall of the cell area is blown out. “Round two, Nip,” Roger calls out.

 

The next explosion goes off right by the front door of the jail and the last explodes near the side door that the prison guards use. By now though, the prisoners are out the hole and dive into the back of the BTR-40. Cat hits the gas and the APC roars towards the gate. Confusion reigns everywhere. Most believe the prison is under air assault so the gate guards wave the vehicle right through. They speed down a side street and then stop. Nip runs out of an alley in all her colorful cybergoth freakiness and is pulled into the APC. They then head off again.

 

Nip looks at the two startled spies and with a big smile says, “Hi!”

 

The Team then races for the city’s edge. The two agents see where they are heading and ask, “Are you leaving the city?”

 

The Team looks at them like they have three heads or something. “Yes!” is the universal reply.

 

“Let us off here then, we can’t leave,” says Robert. Paul nods in assent.

 

Roger pounds on the cab and Cat comes screeching to halt. The two, now dressed in native garb that Daniela had acquired, get out. Cat calls to them to wait. She gets out and gives each a Colt Model 1911 with an extra clip and two grenades. The two thank the Team and melt into the night.

 

At the city’s edge, the APC is waved right through a checkpoint and heads to the Hotel Bouctou. They stop a hundred meters short of that building where Daniela and Karim are waiting for them. As the two climb in, everyone sees a large cruise missile come flying across the desert and hit the hotel. One whole wing of that structure is engulfed in a fireball. The shockwave rocks the team’s vehicle.

 

Cat, who is driving, looks at the carnage and turns to Kyle sitting next to her. “That hit our room!” she says. Kyle looks again and yes, their rooms and that of the other “foreign fighters” are no more. They continue around the city and head north on the road there.

 

About a half hour north of the city, Cat sees a figure appear on a dune close to the road and fire a rifle-mounted 40mm grenade at the vehicle. A second gunner whom she didn’t see fires another grenade on her right flank. She swerves violently — but the first grenade strikes the lower front of her APC. The blast jerks the vehicle to the right and off the road. The second grenade flies over the top of the BTR and hits a dune on the left side of the road. The APC comes to a stop.

 

Natasha is at the 12.7 mm machine gun on the pintle mount and keeps her footing. She sees her assailant on top of the dune and cuts him in half with her weapon. Nip pops up to fire and William, Roger and Randy jump out of the back. A SAW opens up from their rear and sprays the area at the top of the vehicle. Nip is hit and drops down. The other three escape injury and take cover. Natasha takes a couple of hits in the back and is glad she put on the flak vest!

 

William, Roger and Randy return fire and hit, but their shots roll off the armor of their assailants. Cat bails out of the driver side and the SAW fires on her. The arm hit is painful, but her flak vest absorbs most of the two torso hits. She levels her M-16 at her shadowy attacker and puts a shot right between his eyes. The attacker on the right side fires at Randy and hits him hard. The ex-Delta Force sniper turns on his endorphin/surge chip to keep on his feet. Natasha jumps out of the back onto the hood. She keeps one hand on the machinegun and as her feet hit the hood, she grasps the other handle. The 12.7mm roars and shoots the last attacker down.

 

Cat looks at the damage to the front wheel assembly; it is easily fixable. Natasha bandages up the wounded. Kyle goes up the dunes on the right and looks out across the desert. Randy goes up and checks the dunes on the left. They turn over the bodies of their attackers. They bear the patches of the Reconnaissance & Support Company of the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment of the French Foreign Legion. Oh great!

 

Randy sees something else. It seems the 40mm grenade fired from their right flank hit a member of the Legion stationed on their left. He looks at the remains. There is a French FR-F6 sniper rifle lying in the sand. Randy has always wanted one, so he picks it up. On the right flank, Kyle sees four figures coming across the dunes towards them a couple of hundred meters out. He tells the Team and lies down. Randy heads there and looks over the dune. A bullet strikes the sand at his feet. The advancing soldiers drop out of sight. By now Cat has the wheel fixed and the two sprint for the APC. The advancing legionnaires see nothing but a cloud of dust on the horizon when they reach the ambush point. The Team takes their vehicle off road and heads due west. By early morning, they should be in Mauretania.

 

 

 

Next: Episode 29: Wow! I Didn’t See That Coming! (Part 2 of 2)

 

Episode 28: And Then Something Very Unexpected Happened - Part 2

 

 

Sunday, 20 November 2044 (4 Days behind Quarry)

 

Doc Freeman, Allison, Nip, Zahra, William and Randy are still in Bamako, Mali. There they finish up their meetings with officials regarding foreign investment in Mali. They notice a white man who seems to show up in the background everywhere they go. Perhaps he is trailing them? They decide to do nothing yet, but all are now aware and watch him.

 

On the Niger River, Natasha and Roger notice a male Frenchman of mixed race on the boat who is taking more than a normal interest in them. They take note and continue to “build their cover.” It seems they have drawn quite a pleasant assignment.

 

Cat and Kyle are taken from their safe house in Mogadishu and brought to a small airstrip outside the city. There they are put on a rickety private plane and fly from Mogadishu to Faya-Largeau, Chad. Cat appears to be more nervous than normal. Kyle asks what the problem is.

 

“I am listening to the engine and it’s on its last legs,” the biogen replies. “And as you can see this crate has only one engine!”

 

Well, the plane makes it, lands at the small airport where a group of Tuareg warriors in blue tagelmusts (an often blue turban-veil popular among those people) herd them to a tumble down building near the air strip. The guards do not seem particularly well disposed towards the two Team members.

 

The Team’s C-23 Sherpa finally arrives in Dakar, Senegal and waits.

 

***

 

 

Monday, 21 November 2044 (5 Days behind Quarry)

 

Doc Freeman, Allison, Nip, Zahra, William and Randy fly to Timbuktu in the early morning on an Air Mali flight. The airport is a single runway affair a few kilometers outside the city. A large cab/van is there to take them to the Hotel Bouctou. During the ride north to the city, they see a couple of hundred infantry troops heading out east into the desert. The cabbie laughs and says some of the infantry battalion defending the city is undergoing maneuvers in the desert; better them than him. As they are getting out of the cab at the front of the hotel, Randy sees Ernest, Daniela and a bodyguard get into a taxi right in front of them.

 

(GM Note: Poor Randy, he was, “ah, ah, ah….” But there was little he could do as his car/van was full.)

 

The management of the Hotel Bouctou has a full day of activities planned for Doc Freeman’s party. This is, after all, an important “business deal”. Still, Nip finds time to break into the hotel’s reservation computer and find Ernest and Daniela’s room number. She also discovers that a Karim Samake of Bamako, Mali is in the room next door to the couple and those rooms have connecting doors.

 

Cat and Kyle fly on a cargo plane from Faya-Largeau to Timbuktu. They arrive a little after noon. On the plane they are given local clothing to blend in. As the plane sits on the ground, twelve Tuareg nomads walk up to the plane. Fourteen “nomads” walk away from it. A truck takes them to the Hotel Colombe Two. There they are to wait for a call to deliver their “package”.

 

On the Niger River, Roger is getting more curious (and bothered) by their French shadow. He looks for an opportunity to get in the man’s room so he can waylay him when he returns. The plan is to leave him unconscious and tied up in his closet. The boat’s next stop will be a day up river. It is daylight, however, and the chance to slip unnoticed into that stateroom does not come about. Natasha and Roger arrive by boat late in the day and take a cab to Hotel Colombe One.

 

Well, the Team has its first meeting in its virtual conference room. Doc Freeman has finished studying the last psychological report on Ernest from the Budapest Psychiatric Hospital. The Doc’s conclusions are startling. Doc Freeman feels that the first two listed tests are flawed, the Mental Status Examination is nowhere near accepted clinical guidelines, and the brain scan seems wrong. Furthermore, Nip compares the attached brain scans to the others they have and confirms that the brain scan is NOT that of Ernest Krieger. The background information is even thinner than the Halberstadt report and diagnostically incomplete. The interview was too brief and terminated by a supposed outburst by Ernest which seems uncharacteristic of him as Doc Freeman now has a good handle on the young man’s problems. Dr. Morin’s recommendation for hospitalization is wildly premature, the drug regimen proscribed is archaic, and his suggestion of a frontal lobotomy is barbaric. Upon reviewing this document, Doc Freeman can only conclude that this is the worst evaluation he has ever seen. It is based on spurious data and tests of questionable validity. To the layman it appears complete and scholarly, but it wouldn’t pass any competent medical review.

 

Some members of the Team had been having second thoughts about this mission, and now they begin to speak up.

 

Randy comes right out and speaks his mind. “I think this Magda hired the Serbs to clean up after her. I don’t trust her. Ernest doesn’t seem to be the nut we were told about. I think we are on the wrong side here. Zahra is right. We shouldn’t be making an enemy of Ernest. Soon he will be a powerful and influential man. Do we want him for an enemy?”

 

Kyle adds, “I am tired of being on the wrong side, but we really have no proof that we are being lied to. We work for Otto not Magda. I don’t think the man would do anything to hurt his only grandson. Still, if we find proof that we are being double dealed here, then maybe we should change sides.”

 

“No, no,” injects Roger. “I am here for the money. Who cares about the other stuff? We grab the kid, turn him over, and get paid!”

 

“Well, we should probably talk to Ernest first,” adds William.

 

“If we do that,” Allison remarks, “he might just run away.”

 

“Oh Jesus,” says Roger, “If he does that, I say just put a bullet in the kid and drop him on the deck of the Horthy. That will get us another 50,000 eb at least.”

 

“That is not going to happen!” insists Randy. “No one is killing the kid!”

 

Finally Cat intervenes, “OK, maybe we haven’t been told everything, but that is the nature of our business. Killing him is out of the question. We have spent more than 100,000 eb on this mission already. Yes, we have to talk with him, but after we have him in custody.”

 

“So what should we do?” asks Nip.

 

“We are the legal representatives of Ernest’s guardian, we have a valid order of commitment and enough evidence to back it up,” continues Cat. “I say we get a lawyer, grease a few palms if necessary and have Ernest detained by the authorities here. The court will take a few days at least and we can talk with him then.”

 

Everyone agrees this is a good course of action.

 

Tomorrow’s plan is made. Doc Freeman, Allison, Nip and Zahra would continue with the tour of the city and negotiations with the hotel. William and Randy will get a lawyer, go to the authorities to have their commitment order served and Ernest detained. Natasha and Roger should go to the Djinguereber Mosque and see what they can. Cat and Kyle will have to wait for their call to get rid of their “package”.

 

***

 

 

Tuesday, 22 November 2044

 

Doc Freeman, Allison, Nip and Zahra get the full tour of the hotel and the major sights of the city. The management pulls out all the stops to make their pitch for an investment by Doc Freeman.

 

Meanwhile, William and Randy find a lawyer, Salif Tourel. They explain the situation and give him their various orders and paperwork. Salif takes their case and they pay him 10,000 eb up front. Half of that sum is for part of his fee, the other half is for “expenses”. The lawyer suggests they go at once to the Palace of Justice where 1000 eb gets them to see the chief Judge Ibrahim Sisoko. The judge listens to their story, looks at their documentation and says this case could have international repercussions. He sends them to see Lt. Colonel Daouda Sisoko, the commander of the 5th Military Region. Judge Sisoko makes a quick call and tells them that the commander can see them immediately.

 

They all go to the military fort and are brought inside. Randy looks out and it seems an armored force is getting ready to move out. Four old T-54/55 tanks are out of their garages and being prepared in a readying area. They are brought in to see the commander. Lt. Colonel Daouda Sisoko is a more heavy set man than the reed thin judge. The military officer is jovial and friendly. He listens sympathetically to William as he makes his case to “help” the young man get the treatment he needs. Again, William hears the story about Mali being a poor country and how it is hard to get things done, but the commander has a solution. For 10,000 eb he could guarantee a swift arrest today, a quick decision from the local court tomorrow, and they could be on their way out of the country by Thursday. A stack of crisp 100 eb notes appears on the Colonel’s desk. The officer opens his desk drawer and slides the money into it with his riding crop. The commander of the 5th Military Region thanks them and the interview is over.

 

Natasha and Roger go to the Djinguereber Mosque. They are greeted with great courtesy, and meet with various members of the university there. The two are shown around, but there are many places that women are not allowed to go. Natasha is shown to the women’s area while Roger continues the tour in the restricted areas. There are about a half a dozen local women there talking amongst themselves. Natasha realizes that one of them is Daniela! The Russian keeps her cool and starts talking with all the women there. Her language skills are chipped, but that just seems to amuse (and set at ease) the other women there. Finally, she starts talking with Daniela.

 

“I am here with my husband,” she tells Natasha. “He is looking for a book written by my great, great grandfather.”

 

Natasha doesn’t push for information, but concentrates on bonding with the girl.

 

Roger inquires about their famous library and is brought there. As he looks around, he sees Ernest at a desk reading a bound manuscript. He walks over and introduces himself. The two hit it off! Ernest is impressed that Roger is a writer and is easily coaxed into telling the Brit what he is doing here. He shows Roger the manuscript he is reading. It is the writings of a Muslim holy man, Adama Samake. In it he writes of finding a cave in some hills just north of the salt mining area and oasis of Taoudenni in the north of the country. There was a carving on the wall there. He shows Roger the hand drawn illustration in the book:

 

“||” (I can't get this thing to type Greek letters so it should read: "Omega || Alpha")

 

“Imagine that,” says Ernest excitedly, “Greek letters written in a cave where they have no right to be. And there is more. Iman Adama Samake writes here that he believes there is a cave behind that wall. This could be a huge find!”

 

The two talk at length and learn that each is there with their “wives.” Finally Roger says, “You know, we should all get together sometime.”

 

“That would be wonderful,” replies Ernest. “Why don’t you and Irina (Natasha) have dinner with us tonight? We are staying at the Hotel Bouctou and they have a wonderful kitchen.”

 

Of course, Roger accepts and the two part company. He and Natasha return to their hotel. They are in the home stretch now.

 

Kyle and Cat are lounging around in their room waiting. Kyle looks at his girlfriend sprawled out on the bed and says, “Hey, we have nothing else to do but wait. Why waste a perfectly good bed?”

 

Cat just looks at him and rattles the handcuff on her wrist attached to the “package”.

 

“We can work around that,” Kyle says.

 

Cat stretches seductively on the bed, “I don’t know, it will be so hard to get my clothes off with this thing on my wrist. I might need some help.”

 

Kyle has always been a “helpful” sort. The two work up quite a sweat and annoy a few neighbors.

 

Late in the afternoon Goren Kovac’s “phone” rings. The voice on the other end says, “The sword of Saladin”. He tells the two to come downstairs. A small van is waiting for them. They put on their clothes quickly and go down to the waiting vehicle. The driver introduces himself as Abdou. He drives them deep into the city and the van pulls into a building. There the two are blindfolded and led through several courtyards. Finally, they walk upstairs and then their blindfolds are removed. They are in a large room with a number of Tuareg nomads. There they wait.

 

Just before sunset a car pulls into the alley below. Two men get out, one is tall and thin, the other more heavy set, but they both bear a familial resemblance. The bigger man tells the other to stay with the car, “In case this is a trap.” The large man comes upstairs. There is a muffled conversation in the other room and Goren and Ivanka (Kyle and Cat) are summoned. Abdou produces a key and removes the handcuffs. Cat is told to put her thumb on the lock. Abdou and the heavy set man follow suit and the case opens. Inside are 10 stacks of 100 eb notes (100,000 eb). The new owner looks under the cash and Cat and Kyle see stacks of bank bearer bonds. There must be millions there! He then sets all the locks to himself and closes it.

 

Abdou says to the man, “Now, it is time for you to live up to your bargain.”

 

The heavy set man pulls out his cell phone, hits speed dial and says, “Operation Desert Wind is a go.” He then turns to leave. As he reaches the door, he stops, turns and holding up the case smiles and with a smarmy tone says, “Allah Akbar.”

 

A few of the others in the room repeat that phrase but without much enthusiasm. After he closes the door, more than one Tuareg spits on the ground and curses. They obviously don’t like him.

 

Abdou now is beaming. He comes up to the Kyle and Cat and says, “Good news my brother and sister! Your request to us when you first volunteered for this assignment has been approved by the elders. Tomorrow you will join us in our Jihad to cleanse the land of the evil and corruption that plague it. As the sun rises, we will strike and take this holy city back from those who sell it to the infidels!”

 

As he speaks he leads the two to a door and opens it. Inside is a very large room filled with M-16 assault rifles, M-60 and M2 machine guns, grenades, C-4, ammunition and crates of military supplies.

 

Abdou continues, “You will stay with us tonight and pray. In the morning it shall be a new day for us in many ways. Come, take what weapons you need. Blood will flow with the red dawn! Allah Akbar!”

 

From the nearby rooms comes the enthusiastic reply, “Allah Akbar!”

 

And from both Kyle and Cat’s lips also comes the cry, “Allah Akbar!’

 

However, going through Cat’s mind is, “I have to have a word with the people that got us these IDs when…err….if we get back.”

 

As they are getting ready for dinner, Randy looks outside and sees 4 T-54/55 tanks escorting over a dozen BTR-40 APCs heading out north into the desert. Later Doc Freeman, Allison, Nip, Zahra, William and Randy come down for dinner that evening and are surprised to see Ernest and Daniela having dinner, talking and laughing with another European couple (Roger and Natasha as Richard and Irina Knowles), but the Team doesn’t know who they are). About half way through their meal, two officials and a group of policeman enter the dining room and surround Ernest’s table.

 

“Ernest Krieger,” starts the official, “I have an order here to detain you pending a hearing tomorrow. You must come with us.”

 

The second more traditionally dressed official steps forward and says, “Ernest Krieger and Daniela Gaspard. You have both been living in this hotel under the false pretenses of being married. You both will be charged with the crime of Dina.”

 

As the young couple is led away by the police, Roger asks, “What is Dina?”

 

Their waiter replies, “Unlawful sexual intercourse.”

 

Roger looks at the waiter, “Don’t they cut your head off for that?”

 

“Oh no,” says their waiter pleasantly, “They are stoned to death for that, but nobody has done that for ... almost a year.”

 

At the Team’s nightly NET meeting, Roger is raging. “We had them in our grasp. A quick invite upstairs, a knock on the head and we would have been on the road again with our payday in hand. Now they are going to kill him!”

 

William responds, “No, Ernest is bought and paid for. We will be granted custody tomorrow, drop him off on the Horthy, and be on the beach in Jamaica 500,000 eb richer by the weekend.”

 

Roger is not so sure.

 

Most of the Team is a little concerned that Kyle and Cat did not come to this meeting. They are probably delivering their “package” now. Everyone turns in for the evening.

 

Well, almost everyone. Kyle and Cat arm themselves with some grenades, M-16 assault rifles and a couple of Colt Model 1911s. Cat pokes around and finds some old C-4, and a selection of detonators. She secrets them away and an extra couple of Colt .45s in her now empty large cloth bag. Although the elders have given their blessing for them to participate in the attack, many of the Tuareg warriors remain opposed to Cat, as a woman, fighting with them. They will accept it but they insist that she not wear the blue tagelmust, as it is for males only. She is given a tasuwart (the Tuareg head piece for women) instead. There are four other “foreign fighters”, who have come inspired by the Voice of the Desert. They will all be on the front lines tomorrow in the main assault on the government house. Tonight is for prayer and meditation.

 

***

 

 

Wednesday, 23 November 2044

 

As the sun starts to illuminate the desert with pre-dawn light, the solos awaken to the sound of gunfire far off in the distance. Randy goes to the roof of their suite and looks south. The gunfire is coming from the airport. The sound of outgoing mortar fire from the military fort awakens the rest of the Team. An inquiry to the hotel desk reveals that Tuareg rebels are attacking the airport. Everyone is told not to worry; the military has the situation under control.

 

The sun is rising. From the fort, four Type 60 light tanks (Chinese) along with fourteen BTR-40 APCs filled with infantry move out in formation toward the airport. Many of the now awake guests come onto the hotel roof and watch the vehicles head out to relieve the airport. Cannon fire announces the commencement of the battle.

 

For Randy, however, the volume of fire is much more than what four tanks would make. Multiple columns of black smoke appear in the distance. Soon, only four of the BTR-40s come screaming back to the military fort. Then begins the unmistakable sound of artillery fire and it is hitting the fort in Timbuktu. Roger, Natasha, Randy, William, Zahra and Doc Freeman recognize the sound of 105mm artillery. Soon it is joined by mortars, and finally the sounds of multiple large firefights erupt in the city behind them. To the ex-military, the distinctive sounds of the AK-74 and the M-16 tell them two different rifles are being used in this fight. The guests begin to get nervous.

 

William tries to make a call on his cell, but there is no reception. Another guest tries the landline, but that is down too. In fact all TV and radio is out or being jammed. William heads to his room and dives into in his cast iron bathtub. He suggests others do the same. They do not. This hotel has drawn no fire at all. Then out of the desert, many armored vehicles approach the city. At first the guests think these the troops that left yesterday evening, but what comes into view are eight M-60 MBTs and eighteen M-113 APCs. Three aging T-34/85s roll out from the fort to oppose them, but are quickly destroyed by the massive M-60s. The enemy armor then storms the fort. The fighting there is over in twenty minutes.

 

At about 10 am the people at Hotel Bouctou see an M-60 leading four M-113 APCs across the desert towards them. The few troops at the hotel melt away. The Jihadists have a list. They round up a few of the African guests and all of the non-African ones. This group is told they are all being “detained” by the “new government” as their “status” is examined. Doc Freeman, Allison, Nip, Zahra, William and Randy are taken away with all the others.

 

At Hotel Colombe One, the same scene (minus the tank) occurs, but Roger and Natasha are the only Europeans there. At the jail, the two are given a brief interview and their credentials are checked. To their surprise, they are not put in a cell, but brought to another room and asked to wait. After a couple of hours, a man comes in and questions them on their business in Timbuktu. They explain about their book project on historic mosques of the world, and they even show him the picture of the two of them in front of the Great Mosque in Constanta. The interviewer engages them in a small discussion on the Koran — which their chips help the two avoid making fools of themselves. The fact that they are writers seems to cause their interrogator to warm to them. The official hands them two new identity cards and informs them that better rooms are now available at the Hotel Bouctou. He will arrange for them to be moved there at no additional expense. He ends with, “And I hope you will write well of us. We shall restore this holy city back to the faithful.”

 

Roger and Natasha are then driven to Hotel Bouctou, which is a huge step up. Finally video service is partially restored. Well, they can get one channel, a Jihadist news report. The first story is the announcement of the Declaration of Independence of the new Islamic Republic of Azawad. This “new” country composes all of northern Mali and much of both banks of the Niger River east of Timbuktu. The report goes on to tell of heavy fighting in the city of Gao in the east by the new republic’s Azawad National Liberation Front or AFLN. There is a video report showing a government gunboat coming down river from Bamako towards Kabara, Timbuktu’s river port. Two bunkered 105mm rebel guns begin to fire on the boat. The Malian navy craft tries to turn and flee, but it is hit several times and sunk. The rebels now have the river blockaded. The news then turns to events in this city. Well, they get to see a video of the storming of the government house. It seems that this militant group is fairly media savvy! However, Roger and Natasha are not prepared for the scene of victorious attackers celebrating in the main hall of that building. Kyle and Cat are among the Jihadists in the “uniforms” of the AFLN celebrating wildly with the rest. Was this part of the plan?

 

 

Next: Episode 29: Wow! I Didn’t See That Coming!

 

Episode 28: And Then Something Very Unexpected Happened (Part 1)

 

 

 

The Team gets their revenge on the Serbian Team that has been dogging their investigation by pouring buckets of bullets into them. Ernest and Daniela are in Timbuktu. The Team heads to the country of Mali in pursuit of their quarry in three groups. Cat’s contacts come up with two clean temporary IDs and two that have “a small problem.” Officials are bribed and their quarry is swept up. All that is left is the flight home and cash the paycheck. Then something very unexpected happens!

 

Background

 

Otto Krieger, president and CEO of the Vienna Credit Bank, is dying of degenerative brain cancer. His grandson and heir, a young man with a history of mental illness, has run off with his teenage girlfriend, the daughter of two imprisoned Europe 3000 terrorists, and plans to turn the venerable institution into a progressive and socially responsible institution whose primary concern will be to help the “people.” The Team has six weeks to find the heir and return him to his grandfather (and the institution that was treating him). The fee is enormous and the perks are luxurious.

 

Dramatis Personae

 

The client du jour:

 

Otto Krieger: He is the 82 yo President and CEO of the Vienna Credit Bank, a major Euro investment banking house. He sits on the Euro Bank board of directors. The man is dying of degenerative brain cancer. His grandson and heir, Ernest Krieger, has run away with his teenaged girlfriend and is off his meds. The old man wants him back.

 

The Team

 

Allison Cole: 16 yo kleptomaniac sex pot and one of Cat Fisher’s best friends from Atlantic City High School. She just graduated from that school and followed her friend to Jamaica when she became a suspect in a recent heist in Atlantic City. Perhaps not yet “world class”, her skills as a Prowler are formidable.

 

Cat Fisher: Officially she is Sam Fisher and the late Maria Ortiz’s 18 yo daughter. In actuality she is a full memory clone of late Caitlin Jones, the original biogenetic assassin construct built by the now defunct BioWorks Corporation. This is known only to Kyle Vaduva. Some on the Team know she used to be Dominique Vadim, a Caitlin clone, but that person is also “known to be dead” for some six years now.

 

Doc Freeman: Former professor at UNLV, former assistant coroner and (formally) disgraced cyber researcher. He is the inventor of the “cyberbrain” with which he claims to have cured death itself. Although courts around the world are now looking into ramifications of his work, Disney Corporation has honored their agreements with the man and he is now rich beyond his wildest dreams. The Team bases out of his Morgan’s Harbor Hotel which he operates in cooperation with the Disney Corporation’s Port Royal Historical Theme Park and Museum.

 

Kyle Vaduva: Former C.I.A. agent now burned by the agency over incidents that he did not commit. He is now reunited with his lover from the Romanian Operation, whom he now learns is the full memory clone of the late infamous bio-genetic assassin, Caitlin Jones.

 

Natasha Kerensky: She is a thirty year old ex-Spetznaz soldier who realized her gender and lack of important military contacts made her rising above her current rank (lieutenant) an unlikely possibility. She has now gone into the private sector.

 

Nip Lacey: 15 yo girl with neon green hair, has amnesia. She was adopted by Tyne Lacey 4 years ago. She is a NET savant, classmate of Allison Cole’s, and the other of Cat Fisher’s best friends from high school.

 

Fred: ferret and imaginary friend of Nip’s.

 

Randy Shugart III: He is the 28 yo grandson of CMH winner, Randall Shugart of Blackhawk Down fame. He is himself an eight year veteran of Delta Force and has recently been maneuvered out of the military.

 

Roger Blackmore: Is a 28 yo former British SAS commando and demolitions expert. He was forced out of the service under a cloud of accusations of weapon’s smuggling.

 

William Eller: This is a cover alias for Thomas Rifkin, an operative for the Consortium, a group of powerful and wealth business and political leaders who cooperate to “make things go their way”. Thomas/Max/William is a 10% owner of the Morgan’s Harbor Hotel.

 

Zahra Baudin: She is a 29 yo veteran of the JDF (Jamaican Defense Forces). Born of a Jamaican mother and a Haitian father, she is a trained “intrusion” expert.

 

 

The NPCs

 

Abdou: A Tuareg rebel leader and officer in the Azawad National Liberation Front (AFLN).

 

Captain Istavan Vadas: Captain of the super yacht, SS Admiral Miklos Horthy. He is also a reserve officer in the Hungarian Navy. He likes young women; very young women.

 

Dragoslav Cesic: Leader of the Serbia Hit Team, the “Baker’s Dozen”. He is a man with a price on his head.

 

Daniela Gaspard: The 16 yo girlfriend of Ernest Krieger and daughter of two imprisoned Europe 3000 terrorists. She has run off with the young heir.

 

Ernest Krieger: The 17 yo grandson of Otto Krieger and target of the Team’s search. He has a history of mental problems and is off his meds. The young man has run away with his girlfriend, Daniela Gaspard.

 

Magda Berchtold: The 38 yo third wife of aging patriarch, Otto Krieger and sister of Count Johan Berchtold, the Hungarian Foreign Minister and one of that country’s wealthiest men.

 

Karim Samake: A man in his late twenties from Mali. He is probably a relative of Daniela Gaspard.

 

Judge Ibrahim Sisoko: He is a tall thin man and chief judge of the civil courts in Timbuktu, Mali.

 

Lt. Colonel Daouda Sisoko: A jovial, heavy set man and commander of Mali’s 5th Military District.

 

Michael Szekere: A young 20 yo steward on the SS Admiral Miklos Horthy who will bend over backwards (and any other position you would like) to make the female Team members “comfortable”.

 

Otto Krieger: Our client is the 82 yo President and CEO of the Vienna Credit Bank, a major Euro investment banking house.

 

Petar Grol: A member of the “Baker’s Dozen” wanted by Interpol for murder.

 

Salif Tourel: A lawyer from Timbuktu, Mali experienced in both civil and Sharia law.

 

 

The Action

 

Wednesday, 16 November 2044 (3 Days behind Quarry)

 

Most of the Team rests that night, but Nip uses a sleep inducer to spend more time in the NET. With the help of Guyanese law enforcement’s NET access, she follows Ernest and Daniela as they fled Guyana. As the Team wakes with the new day, Nip locates the two runaways. They landed in Bamako, Mali about three hours ago. It is clear they are on their way to Timbuktu, Mali.

 

The morning brings a new communication from Istvan Vadas, captain of the super yacht, SS Admiral Miklos Horthy. He appears deeply disturbed and embarrassed. His investigation has uncovered a mole in his crew. After a little prodding he reveals that one of the ship’s stewards, Michael Szekere, has been communicating with a Serbian hit team. (This man is also the Team’s #1 suspect.) The people on the Horthy discovered this by a detailed search of outgoing transmissions. It seems the young steward has been piggy backing his transmissions on the regular channels the ship uses daily. His methods are very sophisticated.

 

The captain does have some encouraging news. They have not only identified the hit team, but they have located their safe house. It is a house removed from the only village on a small island in the Orinoco delta in Venezuela. That is very close. The Captain has spoken to his superiors and he can offer the Team support if they wish to “dispose” of these troublesome people. The Serb team is expecting an update from Michael by 6am tomorrow morning. They have that window to strike in. The Horthy can bring them in and get them out. The ship cannot fire on Venezuelan national territory, but most anything short of that they will do. Captain Vadas is not pleased about this betrayal, and is taking this personally. He is sending the steward on a run to Trinidad for more supplies, which is one of his regular jobs so he will not be suspicious.

 

The Hungarians have also investigated this Serbian team. It is called “Пекарски Дозен” or the “Baker’s Dozen”. They have small dossiers on ten of the thirteen members with pictures. Also, three of these men have prices on their heads. One Petar Grol, a Serb, is wanted by Interpol for the murder of an Italian businessman and is worth 3000 euro alive. A Croatian, Luka Subic Zrinski, is wanted for questioning for a series of bombings in the Czech Republic. The Czechs are offering 2000 eb for his return, alive. The leader of the team, a Serb named Dragoslav Cesic, is wanted in Romania for crimes during the recent Transylvanian War. They are offering the equivalent of 5000 euro for his return. The Romanians are less fussy about his condition. (William is aware that the Consortium, whom he has worked with for many years, is offering 50,000 euro for Dragoslav, and they are just fine with dead.)

 

Cat calls her contacts and orders four alternate IDs. They are for two males and two females. She requests that they be East European and Muslim. Also, she would like to see if a letter of introduction could be arranged from a mosque to get access to the library at the Djinguereber Mosque of the Sankore Madrasah in Timbuktu, Mali. Her contacts are not sure they can come up with all of this in the 24 hours she wishes. They will do their best but warn her to have her “checkbook” ready. This is going to be expensive!

 

Doc Freeman’s business managers contact the Hotel Bouctou in Timbuktu (the finest in that city) to inquire if they would be interested in selling or working on a mutual partnership. They are willing to talk, so travel arrangements are made.

 

The Team finishes up with the Guyanese authorities and Commonwealth MI-5. They mount up in their flying craft and head out to sea to rendezvous with the S.S. Admiral Mikos Horthy off the coast. The Horthy moves towards the Orinoco delta and the Serbian safe house. Cat sends Allison in a spinner to pick up Randy in Trinidad. He will be sufficiently recovered to participate in the strike.

 

Captain Vadas opens the bridge and the Command and Control center of the ship to the Team. This dispels any doubts as to the true nature of this ship. The Horthy is a warship with the thin veneer of a civilian pleasure yacht laid over it. The Team rests and gets ready for tonight’s mission. Cat will direct the operation from the C&C and Nip will direct NET operations from the cyber-command station. This makes it necessary to install the Team’s custom tactical display on the Horthy’s mainframe. Nip writes a program to erase it (and all copies) when the operation is over. She is quite sure that her counterpart on the Horthy’s crew will have been told to secure a copy.

 

The Serbian safe house is on a peninsula sticking into the Atlantic Ocean. It is a mile from the nearest house and two miles from the closest (and only) village on the island. The plan is simple: move in, take them out and if they capture any of the people with a reward on their heads, so much the better. William informs the Team about the “other” reward on Dragoslav Cesic.

 

About 11 pm the stern of the Horthy opens up and two zodiac-like craft manned by the ship’s marines bring the Team silently to the island. Allison brings Randy in aboard the Sportspinner and drops him on a hill about 450 meters from the house. He has both his M-21 EBR and his Barrett M-90. Allison then pulls off and waits on station. Nip moves in with her SMG armed Bumblebee remote. Now it has a silencer/suppressor on it so it will be a bit harder to spot when it fires. Randy finds a position where he can cover the back of the house, its whole right side and most of the left side.

 

The safe house has two buildings. The main house is a one story bungalow with a “widow’s walk” on the roof. The “two car” garage/workshop is about 15 meters from the main house on its right side. Three cyber dogs walk the perimeter on the two sides and back of the house. The remotes find a man with an assault rifle on the roof walkway, and two others heavily armed outside by the front door. There is also a back door, but no one at it. In the front left quadrant of the house, four heat signatures are moving around. The back right quadrant of the house has two more. The garage contains two additional heat signatures. The plan is simple. Kill them all!

 

Kyle, William, Natasha and Roger will approach the front of the house. Doc Freeman and Zahra will approach the right side by the garage. Zahra will prepare to take down the cyberdog on that side and Doc Freeman will fire an M-79 grenade launcher into the garage. Nip will line up on the cyberdog on the left side of the house and Randy will take aim on the roof sniper. In the target house all that is heard is the sound of music on a radio.

 

On Cat’s signal, Natasha and Roger charge the front door. The two guards there turn to them and are hit in the head by fire from William and Kyle. Randy drops the roof guard. Both Nip and Zahra drop their cyberdogs. The silenced shots do not alert those inside. The cyberdog at the rear of the house detects Zahra and turns towards her. Randy shuts him right down. Kyle and William join the charge.

 

Inside the cottage, the front door explodes off the hinges as Randy comes thru and steps to the side. Natasha comes in with her SAW at ready. The Russian ex-Spetznaz officer opens fire on three of the four starting on the left. The first two are cut to ribbons, but she misses the last. Roger fires on two on the right, which includes the one Natasha missed. He hits and kills both. Doc Freeman fires his M-79 grenade launcher thru the garage window and lays the round right on the two thermal signatures. Roger then discovers the door to the right back quadrant of the house and kicks that door down. Two people are scrambling out of bed and one has retrieved a pistol. He cuts both naked figures down. William and Kyle enter and sweep the rest of the house with Natasha. The Doc drops a second grenade on the figures in the garage, just to be sure. Zahra then enters the garage. One of the dead is male and one is female. Beyond that it would take a forensics team to tell who they were.

 

Nip sees a car in the distance come to a screeching halt, turn around and head for town. Randy brings his weapon around but the car is now behind a hill. Cat sends Nip in pursuit. Back at the cottage, the Team does not find any of the enemy with a reward on them. Also, they have two dead Venezuelan women and the two dead Venezuelan dog handlers. Cat tells them to bag the four Venezuelans and do what they can to clean up those four’s DNA. The rest of the bodies are put in a pile outside and Doc Freeman lays two white phosphorus grenades on the pile with any combustible material they can find. They take all the electronics and any papers they find. Cat limits any other looting to one item each.

 

Nip follows the car into town and it heads for the docks. There she sees Petar Grol and Dragoslav Cesic get out and talk to some people by a large boat.

 

“I’ve got them,” cries Nip. “Can I fire?”

 

Cat turns and looks to Captain Istavan Vadas who shakes his head.

 

“No,” Cat answers, “The fire will technically be coming from this ship and they are on Venezuelan soil.

 

“But they are getting on the boat and heading out to sea!” wails Nip.

 

On hearing that, Captain Vadas smiles and tells Cat to have Nip pull back and just keep them under surveillance. Cat does so and immediately orders the Team to withdraw. The captain then turns to the crew and, in Hungarian, orders, “Prepare for surface action!”

 

All along the sides of the Horthy the four large hidden sponson turrets deploy their Militech 7 barrel 20mm gatling cannons and smaller doors open to expose ten 7.62 miniguns also along the sides. On the foredeck a turreted rapid fire 4 inch naval gun rises into position. The anti-aircraft systems deploy. The zodiacs return to the ship and then the Horthy begins to surge through the waves in pursuit of its prey. The ECM operators on the ship keep the fleeing smuggler’s boat blind to the approaching danger.

 

At about 900 meters the Horthy turns her port side to the other craft. The 20mm guns start firing. They quickly get hits and the smuggler’s boat starts to slow. Three high explosive rounds from the main gun then blow the vessel to matchsticks! Nip takes her remote over the wreckage. It is flaming debris with a few body parts. Captain Vadas cannot afford to remain in the area any longer so the remote is retrieved and the ship heads back out to sea.

 

The captain has the crew stand down after they are well out of Venezuelan waters. Nip and her opposite number now have to shut down the system. The Hungarian launches his program to capture Nip’s files as Nip activates her shutdown. With Fred cheering from Nip’s shoulder, the battle programs derezz. The Hungarians get nothing. The officer in the chair next to Nip turns to her, smiles and nods to acknowledge her victory. Nip smiles back sweetly.

 

Cat makes sure Doc Freeman autopsies the four dead Venezuelans and removes any incriminating bullets and other forensic evidence. He then supervises the cremation of the bodies in the ship’s arc furnace.

 

The Serbs’ computer is not very helpful. It contains records of the other team’s travel research and such, but nothing they don’t already have. Oh, yes, there is quite a porn collection on it! The GPS reader, bug tracker, three assorted e-books, radios and satellite uplink are put with the Team’s other gear.

 

The Team is ready for bed, but Cat tells them to pack everything and mount up in their flying crafts. She tells Captain Vadas that they have tracked Ernest to West Africa and the Team will be flying there tomorrow. She wants him to bring the Horthy to Africa and take station off Dakar, Senegal. The Captain is surprised, but agrees. The Team loads their gear, heads to Trinidad and their safe house. Now they are allowed to rest.

 

***

 

 

Thursday, 17 November 2044 (1 Day behind Quarry)

 

The Team’s C-23 Sherpa leaves that morning from Jamaica and arrives in Trinidad later in the day. The two spinners are flown back to Jamaica and the Sherpa takes the AV-3 Jaguar back there also.

 

Cat’s contacts call back and tell her that they were able to put together two temporary IDs for a pair of male and female European Muslims. This couple is writing a book about historic mosques of the world. A call to the publisher will confirm this. Well, for two weeks anyway until the real publisher’s representative gets back from vacation. They also will have a letter of introduction from the great mosque in Constanta, Romania. That may not matter because in a week these IDs will start to “decay”. The cost is 5X normal or 20,000 eb (for both).

 

For the other two IDs, they have come up with two real people who “no longer need them.” These two people were actually going to Timbuktu. They were couriers on their way to Grozny, Chechnya to take a “package” to that city in Mali. Two members of the Team will have to impersonate the two and make the delivery. After that they will be free to work their own case. At least this cost is somewhat normal (2000 eb each).

 

It will be difficult operating in Mali. There the Team’s corporate immunity is not recognized. Still, Mali authorities do issue pistol permits for Randy and Zahra in their role as bodyguards.

 

The Team formulates its plan. Doc Freeman, Allison, Nip, Zahra, Randy and William will be themselves. They will be in Mali to look into “expanding opportunities” in the hotel business. Roger Blackmore and Natasha Kerensky will become the married couple Richard Knowles, an English Muslim convert, and Irina (Rokavic) Knowles, a Chechen expatriate. They will be doing the book on historic mosques. Kyle and Cat will become the couriers Goren Kovac, a Bosnian Muslim, and Ivanka Balakov, a Bulgarian Muslim. They will all rendezvous in Timbuktu, then secure Ernest Krieger and return him to his family. Cat gets local language chips for Timbuktu (French, Bambara, Tuareg and Arabic all at +3) for the whole Team.

 

At this meeting, Zahra makes two points. First, “If Ernest is declared incompetent or dies, who benefits?” Second, “Otto Krieger will die very soon and then Ernest will inherit. Do we really want to make an enemy of Ernest?” This gets the Team to thinking. Cat asks Nip to investigate the first point, and also to do some research on the late Dr. Elsa Warren.

 

Nip orders a Microtech Virtual Reality BBS, and has it delivered before her plane leaves. She will program a virtual conference room in it. Then, Doc Freeman, Allison, Nip, Zahra, William and Randy fly to Dakar, Senegal. There they will get a hotel for the night.

 

During the flight, Doc Freeman gets to study Dr. Mohan Bagvarti’s file on Ernest Krieger. Since it is a file that is part of a study, it does not have the extensive psychological testing as the others, but it is scholarly and complete. Dr. Bagvarti has a completely different diagnosis. Ernest Krieger does have psychological issues. He is impulsive and prone to anxiety attacks probably brought on by the early death of his mother and psychological abandonment by his father. With proper counseling he could overcome these problems and will grow out of the worst of it with age. The drug Dr. Bagvarti and Dr. Elsa Warren were working on was designed to take the edge off his anxiety while leaving him clear. Also included was the notation that Ernest is dyslexic.

 

On the flight Nip looks into the Vienna Credit Bank and the question of who will benefit if Ernest is declared incompetent of dead. She cannot find this information so she asks William to authorize a 10,000 eb payment to Infocomp. William deems this worthy and the payment is made. It seems the bank is controlled by a trust; control of the trust devolves thru the family like an old aristocratic title. The eldest male child inherits. If there is no male heir, then the eldest female can. If no other heir is available going back two generations, then the widow of the last director of the trust may inherit, and that would be Magda Berchtold. Ernest’s death would not let Magda inherit since Ernest has a younger sister. If Ernest is declared incompetent, then a guardian would be appointed. The trust document stipulates that a close family member related by blood or marriage should be given precedence. That would probably be Magda.

 

Cat, Kyle, Natasha and Roger fly to Bucharest, Romania to pick up new IDs. Their cover story is that they have just had a traumatic experience (the gunfight in Lethem) and this has given Kyle a sense of his own mortality. He is here to visit the graves of his family. The others are his friends and are here to support him in his “time of need.” Well, they are all immediately detained on arrival. The four are left waiting in a room for almost forty minutes. Finally, a uniformed senior Romanian security official comes in. He seems rather amused.

 

“I have worked security at this airport for over twelve years.” He begins, “And ten of those as security chief. Every week or so a flagged passport comes across my desk and that person’s embassy will want to speak with them. Today, we have set a record. I get four flagged passports on just one flight.”

 

The security chief pauses for a reaction, but there is none. That tells him something too.

 

The official continues (in Romanian), “Kyle Vaduva, Welcome to your family’s homeland. Your current difficulties with your government are not unknown to us. In fact an American Embassy official is here to see you.”

 

“Do I have to talk with him?” inquires Kyle.

 

“If you want to enter Romania, yes,” is the reply. Kyle nods.

 

Then in English; “Catherine Ortiz, or is it Fisher?” asks the officer. “You are traveling on a Paraguayan passport, but there is an American embassy official to speak to you also. Now, since you are not traveling on an American passport, you don’t have to speak with them.”

 

Cat tells him that she has a dual nationality and will certainly speak with the official.

 

Now the man turns to Natasha and says (in Russian), “Ah, my dear, it seems your embassy would like to speak to you too.”

 

Kerensky nods.

 

The uniformed security man now turns to Roger. “Ah, but Mr. Blackmore you are the big winner today! Not only did your embassy send someone, but Commonwealth MI-6 actually sent an official over, but alas they will all have to wait because Interpol wants to see you first.”

 

(GM Note: The “what the fuck” look on that player’s face was classic!)

 

Each team member is brought to a separate interview room. A self-important young man in a suit comes in to speak to Kyle. He shows him his C.I.A. credentials and gets right to the point.

 

“I know who and what you are, Vaduva. Now, what are you doing in Romania?

 

Kyle looks at him and with a straight face says, “Visiting the graves of my ancestors.”

 

The agent slaps his palm down on the table, “Don’t give me that shit! You are a traitor and a criminal. Either you cooperate or you are finished.”

 

Kyle thinks for a minute and calmly replies, “You know you can just go fuck yourself!”

 

The operative is on his feet, but masters his anger. “Well, you aren’t going to see shit. We will make sure that you are not allowed to enter Romania. In fact, we will have you deported back to the good old USA and we can have this chat there.” The man starts to walk out.

 

Kyle reaches for the most diplomatic response he can muster, “Bite me!”

 

Cat’s interview goes a bit better. She repeats the “party line” about visiting Kyle’s family graves, and the embassy official prods her for more information. Cat just stops him.

 

“Look you have asked your questions and I have answered them. I am NOT traveling on an American passport and therefore not under your jurisdiction in any way. You obviously know who I am, so let’s just get to it. There is no threat you can make that will change why I am here. Don’t bother threatening me with action against my father; he still has a lot of friends in the agency. That could end up going very badly for you. As for me, my mother’s family and friends are not without influence. So, I think we are done here.”

 

The American official looks into her eyes and realizes that this is useless. He thanks her for her time and leaves.

 

A colorless bureaucrat comes to see Natasha. He identifies himself as being with the GRU, Russian military intelligence. He also asks what she is doing in Romania and she dutifully replies that she is visiting the graves of Kyle’s family and providing “emotional support” for her friend in time of need.

 

“Of course you are,” replies the officer. “The problem is that we are concerned when an ex-Spetznaz officer is working with a burned C.I.A. agent and a disgraced ex-SAS operative. If what you say is true, then all is fine. If not, then you should remember your loyalty to the motherland. It would be in your best interests to keep us informed about your current activities.”

 

Natasha says she will and the embassy “official” leaves.

 

Two men walk into Roger’s interview room and they look pissed. They identify themselves as Interpol. One is from Directorate 1 — Counter Terrorism and the other from Directorate 2 — Counter Espionage. This can’t be good. They start the interview by asking him what he is doing in Romania. Like the others he spouts the “party line”. The two seem to accept that, or they are really interested in something else. Finally, they spread six photographs: four men and two women, in front of Roger. They demand he tell all he knows about them and where these people are. He looks at the six pictures.

 

Roger carefully examines the photos but has no idea who they are, so he says, “I have never seen these people before in my life.”

 

“Bullshit!” is the response from the two. Apparently that was the wrong answer. The two spend the next hour berating Roger. They drag up the fact that he left the SAS under the cloud of suspicion involving illegal weapons dealing, and the “questionable” company he is now keeping. Still, Roger (really) has no idea who these people are. The more he denies it, the more they don’t believe him.

 

“All right, if that’s the way you want to play it, so be it,” the D-1 official finally says. “When we bring them down, we will make sure there is a cell right next to them for you.” The two then leave.

 

Next, the first British “embassy” official enters. He identifies himself as MI-6. It seems that MI-5 has briefed them on the recent doings in the Caribbean and Guyana. He has a simple question. “Are you here in Romania about these current troubles?”

 

Roger assures him that he is only here to lend support to his friend, Kyle, in his time of need. The MI-6 agent seems skeptical, but accepts his explanation.

 

The ex-SAS trooper’s next “embassy official” is exactly that. Roger realizes that the man is actually here to help him get through border control. So the Brit asks, “Can you get me out of here?”

 

The man says he will do what he can, and in five minutes Roger is brought back to the main waiting area and the rest of the Team. The airport security chief comes in soon afterwards with a piece of paper.

 

“Mr. Vaduva,” he starts, “I have here an official request by the American government to deny you entrance to Romania and deport you back to the United States.” He pauses, and then tears the paper in half. “We do not take orders from the United States. Welcome to Romania, all. I hope you enjoy your stay. Because of this incident, I am sure that my country’s other security services will bekeeping a close eye on you. Also, it seems that all of your own governments will be doing the same.”

 

The Team’s passports are stamped and they catch a cab into the city. There is quite the trail of vehicles and remotes following them.

 

Kyle remarks, “I guess we should head to the cemetery first and make the visit.” The Team goes to the graveyard. Cat seems actually moved by the experience. They all then head to their hotel. They triple check themselves and their gear for tracking devices and find none. It is time to lose their multiple tails. This doesn’t prove overly difficult as both Kyle and Cat spent years living in this city. The first attempt loses all but one tail. He is quickly identified and the team then loses him too. They meet their contacts and are brought to a warehouse. There they are given their new identities and have time to work on their disguises and voices. This is somewhat easier for Kyle and Cat since they have a high tech disguise feature. Fortunately, Roger and Natasha already resemble their new IDs.

 

Roger now realizes that the new identities of Kyle and Cat are two of the people that Interpol is looking for! At first he considers not mentioning it, but then thinks, “Oh my God, no, I have to tell them.”

 

Well, the two lovers think. It’s not like we have never been hunted before. They now must be extra careful.

 

Roger and Natasha are taken to Constanta overnight. There will be a quick photo op at the mosque tomorrow and then off to Mali. Kyle and Cat study the interrogation films of Goren Kovac and Ivanka Balakov and the collected research on their drab existence. Although Cat doesn’t seem to be bothered (she did after all spend a year being tortured in a Russian psychiatric prison), Kyle is disturbed by the casual brutality of the Collective interrogators. In the morning it will be on to Grozny.

 

***

 

 

Friday, 18 November 2044 (2 Days behind Quarry)

 

Doc Freeman, Allison, Nip, Zahra, William and Randy fly from Dakar to Bamako, Mali. On the flight Doc Freeman starts to translate (with the help of a translator program on his E-book) and study the most recent report on Ernest Krieger from the Budapest Psychiatric Hospital. Upon arrival, they take a series of rooms in the finest hotel in the city. The Team checks to make sure their appointments are set for tomorrow. There are officials to talk to and forms to fill out to begin the process of foreign investment in a hotel in Mali. Their cover must be solid.

 

Nip works on her next assignment and researches all she can find on Dr. Elsa Warren, who was murdered in Grenada by the Serbians. This information helps the Team understand the complexities of the interrelationships of some of the people involved in Ernest’s life.

 

 

 

 

 

Natasha and Roger (as Richard Knowles and Irina (Rokavic) Knowles) take off from Constanta, Romania to Athens, Greece and their various connecting flights to Bamako, Mali.

 

Cat and Kyle (as Ivanka Balakov and Goren Kovac) fly to Grozny, Chechnya via “Air Wallachia”. This small freight company is run by Martian Ministry of Communications Special Branch as a front in cooperation with the Collective. On the flight, one of the crew comes up to Cat. The crewman used to work for her when she (as Ileana Morel) was the Balkan Station Chief here before the Transylvanian War. He tells her the “truth” about the IDs they are using. The two were captured snooping around their hanger at the airport in Bucharest. The Collective thought they were spying on them, but it turns out they were just trying to get to Grozny to complete their courier assignment. Well, they interrogated them and put them on ice. The crewman tells the two to be careful.

 

Back in Jamaica, the C-23 Sherpa puts on its external tanks and begins the long fight to Dakar, Senegal. The Team does not want to be totally dependent on the Horthy for their exit.

 

***

 

 

Saturday, 19 November 2044 (3 Days behind Quarry)

 

Doc Freeman, Allison, Nip, Zahra, William and Randy are in Bamako, Mali. There they have a few meetings with some minor officials regarding foreign investment in Mali. It is all friendly and business-like except for the last. There the deputy minister for economic development informs them that it will probably take weeks for the proper permits to go through.

 

“We are a poor country”, the deputy minister explains. “It takes much to get things done quickly.”

 

At this point, William takes over the negotiations and arranges (with 10,000 eb cash) to get the permits by tomorrow evening at the latest.

 

(GM Note: Excellent negotiations by William and a killer Streetdeal roll reduced this “fee” from 20,000 eb!)

 

Later that night, Randy slips away from the hotel and goes to a storage locker with power that Nip had rented earlier in the day on the NET. He puts the Microtech Virtual Reality BBS in there and activates its NET connection. The Team’s virtual meeting room is now ready.

 

Natasha and Roger arrive in Bamako, Mali. There are three ways to get to Timbuktu. You can take your life in your hands and drive the terrible roads there. Of course you can fly Air Mali (which Doc Freeman’s group will do). Or, you can take the two day trip down river to Timbuktu by boat. The young “married couple” is booked to take the river route — they sit back and enjoy the trip, which is spectacular.

 

In their cozy cabin that night, Roger turns to Natasha and says, “Hey, not much to do here at night, and we are supposed to be married, so…..”

 

Off fly the clothes and into the sack they leap. It is time to work on their “cover story”!

 

In Grozny, Cat and Kyle meet their contact and are brought to a warehouse. There a man asks, “Who has the gun?”

 

A Glock 17 (Bosnian Army issue) was with Goren Kovac’s belongings so Kyle raises his hand.

 

Their contact turns to Cat and says, “OK, then you, Ivanka, get the case.” The man produces a large, high security courier’s briefcase and handcuffs it to her left arm. There are three thumbprint scanners on the case. “Put your thumb on the center pad.” She does and the case is now keyed to her. They provide some (very) baggy clothes of North African origin for her. The long sleeves cover the handcuffs and a heavy cloth satchel that she will carry hides the case.

 

“Goren,” the man continues, “Here is your cell phone. When you get to Timbuktu, the two of you will go to the Hotel Colombe Two and wait for your call. The password will be the Sword of Saladin. May Allah protect you both.”

 

The two are driven to the airport and smuggled onto a cargo flight to Mogadishu, Somalia. When they arrive they are greeted by some very serious people, who take them to a safe house in the slums surrounding the rising new metropolis that is becoming Mogadishu. There they are left for the night.

 

During that night Kyle hears Cat purring softly. In her half-awake state she is cuddling the case. Occasionally she sniffs and scratches it. Finally, she notices Kyle looking at her and says to him, “I can’t help it. It’s in my nature.”

 

Kyle admits he is curious too, but this appears to be more than a simple delivery. It is best to not wonder about its contents and just make the delivery so they can get on with their true mission. Cat sighs and agrees with him. The two go to sleep.

 

***

 

 

WOW! I can't post the whole thing! So, this is part 1, Part 2 will follow immediately!

 

 

BUZZ! Not really good news, Norton still has Datafortress 2020 as a red "x" site as per my last post. Cisco backs the warning up if I try to access it.

Episode 27: Who Are Those Guys?

 

 

The Team continues to investigate the five phone numbers they have that Ernest Krieger called. They discover that Daniela has family in the area, there are boosters in Trinidad and someone keeps trying to “bug” them. It seems they are not the only ones looking for the two run away lovers. Has the job been double booked? Is there another player they don’t know about? Before the end, bullets start to fly!

 

Background

 

Otto Krieger, president and CEO of the Vienna Credit Bank, is dying of degenerative brain cancer. His grandson and heir, a young man with a history of mental illness, has run off with his teenage girlfriend, the daughter of two imprisoned Europe 3000 terrorists, and plans to turn the venerable institution into a progressive and socially responsible institution whose primary concern will be to help the “people.” The Tem has six weeks to find the heir and return him to his grandfather (and the institution that was treating him). The fee is enormous and the perks are luxurious.

 

Dramatis Personae

 

The client du jour:

 

Otto Krieger: He is the 82 yo President and CEO of the Vienna Credit Bank, a major Euro investment banking house. He sits on the EuroBank board of directors. The man is dying of degenerative brain cancer. His grandson and heir, Ernest Krieger, has run away with his teenaged girlfriend and is off his meds. The old man wants him back.

 

The Team

 

Allison Cole: 16 yo kleptomaniac sex pot and one of Cat Fisher’s best friends from Atlantic City High School. She just graduated from that school and followed her friend to Jamaica when she became a suspect in a recent heist in Atlantic City. Perhaps not yet “world class”, her skills as a Prowler are formidable.

 

Cat Fisher: Officially she is Sam Fisher and the late Maria Ortiz’s 18 yo daughter. In actuality she is a full memory clone of late Caitlin Jones, the original biogentic assassin construct built by the now defunct BioWorks Corporation. This is known only to Kyle Vaduva. Some on the Team know she used to be Dominique Vadim, a Caitlin clone, but that person is also “known to be dead” for some six years now.

 

Doc Freeman: Former professor at UNLV, former assistant coroner and (formally) disgraced cyber researcher. He is the inventor of the “cyberbrain” with which he claims to have cured death itself. Although courts around the world are now looking into ramifications of his work, Disney Corporation has honored their agreements with the man and he is now rich beyond his wildest dreams. The Team bases out of his Morgan’s Harbor Hotel which he operates in cooperation with the Disney Corporation’s Port Royal Historical Theme Park and Museum.

 

Kyle Vaduva: Former C.I.A. agent now burned by the agency over incidents that he did not commit. He is now reunited with his lover from the Romanian Operation, who he now learns is the full memory clone of the late infamous bio-genetic assassin, Caitlin Jones.

 

Natasha Kerensky: She is a thirty year old ex-Spetznaz soldier who realized her gender and lack of important military contacts made her rising above her current rank (lieutenant) an unlikely possibility. She has now gone into the private sector.

 

Nip Lacey: 15 yo girl with neon green hair, has amnesia. She was adopted by Tyne Lacey 4 years ago. She is a NET savant, classmate of Allison Cole’s, and the other of Cat Fisher’s best friends from high school.

 

Fred: ferret and imaginary friend of Nip’s.

 

Randy Shugart III: He is the 28 yo grandson of CMH winner, Randall Shugart of Blackhawk Down fame. He is himself an eight year veteran of Delta Force and has recently been maneuvered out of the military.

 

Roger Blackmore: Is a 28 yo former British SAS commando and demolitions expert. He was forced out of the service under a cloud of accusations of weapon’s smuggling.

 

William Eller: This is a cover alias for Thomas Rifkin, an operative for the Consortium, a group of powerful and wealth business and political leaders who cooperate to “make things go their way”. Thomas/Max/William is a 10% owner of the Morgan’s Harbor Hotel.

 

Zahra Baudin: She is a 29 yo veteran of the JDF (Jamaican Defense Forces). Born of a Jamaican mother and a Haitian father, she is a trained “intrusion” expert.

 

 

The NPCs

 

Arthur Lewis: He is the president of Island Pharmaceuticals of Trinidad.

 

Captain Istvan Vadas: Captain of the super yacht, SS Admiral Miklos Horthy. He is also a reserve officer in the Hungarian Navy. He likes young women; very young women.

 

Daniela Gaspard: The 16 yo girlfriend of Ernest Krieger and daughter of two imprisoned Europe 3000 terrorists. She has run off with the young heir.

 

Ernest Krieger: The 17 yo grandson of Otto Krieger and target of the Team’s search. He has a history of mental problems and is off his meds. The young man has run away with his girlfriend, Daniela Gaspard.

 

Magda Berchtold: The 38 yo third wife of aging patriarch Otto Krieger, and sister of Count Johan Berchtold, the Hungarian Foreign Minister and one of that country’s wealthiest men.

 

Iman Dr. Malik Samake: Currently teaching at the Islamic Center of Trinidad and is Daniela Gaspard’s great, great uncle.

 

Michael Szekere: A young 20 yo steward on the SS Admiral Miklos Horthy who will bend over backwards (and any other position you would like) to make the female Team members “comfortable”.

 

Dr. Mohan Bagvarti: A former drug researcher for Island Pharmaceuticals in Trinidad now running a small clinic/hospital in Lethem, Guyana.

 

Otto Krieger: Our client is the 82 yo President and CEO of the Vienna Credit Bank, a major Euro investment banking house.

 

 

The Action

 

Tuesday, 15 November 2044 (8 Days behind Quarry)

 

Cat calls an 8 am morning meeting and makes daily assignments.

 

Allison is to fly out to the S.S. Admiral Miklos Horthy and pick up a sample of Ernest’s and Daniela’s clothes (they have their scent on the items).

 

Team 1: Kyle, Roger and Natasha go to the Islamic Center in the morning and see what they can see. They are to spend most of the day there. Kyle decides he will try to get a Knowledge: Islam +3 chip so he can at least hold an intelligent conversation on the subject. Cat thinks this is an excellent idea and gets two more for Roger and Natasha. Kyle also buys three Arabic +3 chips and distributes them to Team 1.

 

Team 2: It will take a few hours to arrange, but the people at Island Pharmaceuticals will see Dr. Freeman. The president of the company, Arthur Lewis, has been called and told that Doc Freeman is looking for some investment opportunities. The company is eager to talk with the doctor. He will bring William, Randy, Zahra and Allison with him.

 

Allison flies out to the S.S. Admiral Miklos Horthy in one of the spinners. There she is greeted by Michael Szekere, one of the ship’s stewards and “friend” of Zahra. He brings Allison to where the clothes are being stored and peppers her with questions about Zahra. While there is quite the bustle of activity on the ship, it seems that many on the all-male crew find some time to pass her in the narrow corridor. These men need a shore leave! Allison is only curious where the captain is. Well, he is hiding…er…busy right now. Michael walks Allison back to the spinner and reminds her, “Tell Zahra I said hi!” Allison returns to Trinidad to accompany Team 2 to Island Pharmaceuticals.

 

Team 1 goes out and gets their chips, then heads over to the Islamic Center. It is a sprawling complex with a mosque, a madrasah, a child care center, a health center, library and performance/movie hall. The three spend hours walking through the beautiful landscaped grounds. The do notice that there are heavily armed guards posted discreetly around the center. Security is tight, but the mood of the center is one of relaxed contemplation.

 

Team 2 gets to Island Pharmaceuticals and parks their rented limo in the parking lot. Inside, Mr. Arthur Lewis and his staff are waiting. The Team is brought around the security scanners. The president tells them they were the subject of a cyber-attack this morning and the security system is not back up completely yet. He assures Doc Freeman that this is not a usual occurrence and nothing was stolen. The party gets the full tour of the facility. William asks all the right questions and keeps the tour going well and friendly. Finally as they all assemble in a conference room, William inquires about the number of empty laboratories. They are informed that cash flow issues have forced them to close a few research lines, but they could all be reopened quickly if they had an infusion of cash.

 

A discussion of the closed research lines brings up the subject of psychiatric drugs. Arthur Lewis comments that, “One was very promising. In fact one of the test subjects was here about 5 days ago looking for Dr. Mohan Bagvarti, the chief researcher. The young man said he was doing very well. Unfortunately, Dr. Bagvarti has returned to run his hospital in Lethem, Guyana. A few more questions convinces the Team that this was probably Ernest.

 

William and Doc Freeman arrange for the financial people to meet so they can have a look at the books. The group leaves and returns to their vehicle. At this point Doc Freeman is seriously considering investing in this company. They are discussing just this as they close the doors of their limousine. Randy starts the car and looks ahead just in time to see the condensation trail of a light LAW’s warhead out from some bushes across the street towards them. It crashes right into the front of their car and explodes. The limo is lifted up in the air and thrown back a few feet, but they are all alive. Cat had rented them an armored limousine.

 

Still, flames are pouring out of the engine compartment so Randy, the driver, bails out of his seat with his Colt AMT in hand. From the other front seat, Zahra also exits the vehicle with her Armalite in hand. Doc Freeman gets his weapon ready but remains inside the car with Allison. William jumps across the back seat and gets out the driver’s side. Randy and William see two boosters charging up on the driver’s side each with a pair of cyberlimbs. They are about 25 meters away. Randy and Zahra both see two more boosters coming at the front of their vehicle about 19 meters away. These two are also wielding handguns, but seem bent on getting close enough to use their cyberlimbs. For Zahra they are not the problem. On the passenger side, two boosters are less than 10 meters away and howl as they charge. They are bent on tearing the solo to pieces. Zahra shoots the closest and he falls to stun/shock. The second fires his handgun, hitting and slightly wounding the Jamaican. The booster then pulls a mono-katana from his back sheath and closes for the kill.

 

On the driver’s side, William is now regretting his earlier decision of: “I don’t need to bring a gun, I am a businessman.” He dives right back into the limo before any others can get out. Randy levels his Colt AMT at the closest booster coming from the front and fires two (called) shots to the head. He misses both times.

 

(GM Note: Randy’s player is the same as Sam Fisher’s. Since Sam ended up doing five years in a Federal prison for Extortion after Episode 22, he needed a new character, hence Randy. Sam is one of the oldest and most experienced characters in our campaign. It seems for this instant our player forgot that Randy is a new character, and while he has good skills, he is not Sam, who could have made the shot.)

 

Both Randy and Zahra use the armored doors for cover and that stops a lot of the incoming fire. Zahra now concentrates fire on the katana wielding booster. She wounds him and those wounds injure him enough so he misses with his sword stroke. Randy fires again at the booster closing from the front and this time does not try to call the shot. He hits both times and actually lands a random head shot! That gives him one down also! One of the boosters charging from that side throws a grenade at the car, but misses by a mile. Some poor schmuck’s car is wrecked. William looks for the sun roof’s emergency release mechanism.

 

By now the remaining booster charging from the front reaches Zahra on the passenger side with his own mono katana now drawn. She wisely moves a step or two towards the rear of the burning vehicle. This keeps that booster just out of melee range for this round at least. Now at point blank range with the other katana wielding booster, Zahra goes for the called shot head and drops the metal man. Randy now has to deal with the two coming at his side of the car. They are very close now. The first booster gets a called head shot, which drops him. The second booster he just fires to hit. As luck would have it the ex-Delta Force sniper hits a lightly armored spot. The ganger falls to a failed stun/shock roll and expires soon after. Meanwhile in the car, William finds the sun roof emergency release and pulls it. It looks like he preparing to use it as a bullet shield.

 

Zahra puts two rounds the booster who is now coming around the door at her. She drops him, barely. Her troubles are not yet over. The first booster that failed his stun/shock roll is now getting up! Since Randy has disposed of the boosters on his side he steps back to the rear door and opens it to get his charges to safety. Unfortunately he has forgotten the one booster that had fired the light LAW. (GM Note: I was very clear about where the shot had come from. The attacker had positioned himself to be able to fire his missile and then cover the driver’s side passenger door. William had not been shot when he jumped out because the booster was changing weapons. As Randy steps out from the protection of the front armored door, the remaining booster sprays him up with a Bushmaster SMG. Randy is blown right into Mortal! The three inside the car see Randy get hit and decide NOT to accept his invitation to get out on that side. Randy then falls back into cover behind the car door.

 

Zahra prepares to finish off the last booster, but she is out of ammunition. The booster is not a complete fool. He turns and runs. By now security from Island Pharmaceuticals is pouring out of the building. The remaining attackers are in full retreat. The Team is rushed inside the facility and doctors begin treating the wounded. Arthur Lewis, the president of the company, constantly apologizes. This sort of thing has never happened before. The police are there quickly and take reports. At first the Team suspects that this company may have been involved in the attack, but their actions allay those fears. In the end, the Team believes (correctly) that they had nothing to do with this attack.

 

Finally, a new vehicle is procured and the Team leaves Island Pharmaceuticals. As they leave the building, they walk through the now operational Scanway. The alarms go off. They quickly identify Allison as the cause of the alarm. A search of her person discovers a small sophisticated listening device planted on the outside of her clothes. The Team puts it in a box to muffle its transmitter and takes it with them.

 

Meanwhile, at the Islamic Center, the other three have gotten a good feel for the place. While reading some announcements posted there, they see a lecture coming up by Iman Dr. Malik Samake of Mali. All three recognize the last name as the maiden name of Daniela Gaspard’s mother, who was also from Mali. They inquire and learn that Iman Samake is serving as a teacher in residence at the Center as part of an exchange program. He lives on the grounds and is having “office hours” right now. They head over to see him. Kyle decides that having all three of them walk in may be a little much. Roger, who is rather intimidating, will remain outside, but close in case of trouble. Kyle and Natasha will go inside and meet with the Iman.

In the outer office, his secretary tells them that the Iman is meeting with someone else right now and the young man sitting over there is next. If they would like to wait they can see him then. Kyle thanks the secretary and he and Natasha sit and wait.

 

After about forty-five minutes the two are admitted to the inner office. The Iman is a tall thin black man but his features are not totally black African. He is part Tuareg. The Iman is in his seventies but his eyes still sparkle with life and vitality. Kyle sizes him up and decides a direct and truthful approach would probably be best. He tells the Iman that they are looking for Ernest Krieger and are acting as agents of his family. The young man has serious mental problems and although he might care for Daniela she could get hurt due to his deteriorating mental condition. The old man listens politely and attentively. When Kyle finishes the Iman replies, “Yes, they said someone like you would come.”

 

“Then you have seen them?” asks Kyle.

 

“Of course,” is the reply.

 

“Will you help us?”

 

“No”, says the Iman. “I do not believe you have their best interests at heart.”

 

“Our concern is that Ernest gets the help he needs,” continues Kyle.

 

The old man sits in thought for moment and continues, “Among other things, I have a doctorate in psychology from the Sorbonne in Paris. I have talked with Ernest at great length, and while he may have some issues he needs to work on, I think he is quite sane and a fine young man. His only drawback is he is not a Muslim, but that is all right. I can tell he loves my great grandniece very much and she will bring him around. At any rate, I don’t know where they are now, and I wouldn’t tell you if I did.”

 

Kyle looks into the old man’s eyes and knows that further arguing will be useless. The Iman’s words, however, make Kyle think. He loves his great grandniece and obviously likes young Ernest. Kyle thanks the Iman for his time and gives him his card with his phone number. The Iman walks the two to the door of his outer office.

 

“I cannot wish you luck in your endeavor,” says Dr. Samake, “but may Allah watch over you and keep you from harm.”

 

Kyle and Natasha retrieve Roger, who has been followed very discreetly by the Center’s security, and head to the car. That is when they get the call telling them of the booster attack. The three head back to the safe house.

 

Once back together the Team has a meeting. The first thing Cat does is order a complete security sweep of the house, the gear, the Team and the vehicles. All results are triple checked! A tracker is found on the spinner that Allison flew out to the ship in. The young girl is immediately quizzed on who had access to her and the spinner. Of course, the steward, Michael Szekere, comes right to the top of the list. He had been very “helpful and friendly” to Allison this morning. The two bugs are given to Kyle for him to study later. Now, a decision has to be made. The Team believes that Ernest’s next move will be to contact Dr. Mohan Bagvarti in Guyana. Out to the spinners and AV the Team goes. All except for Randy who is laid up for a couple of days with some bullet holes in him. The rest load up and fly south towards Letham, Guyana. Zahra is not 100% but in her lightly wounded state she is still combat effective.

 

Nip “phones” ahead and rents a bungalow at the Savannah Inn for the Team. She also makes contact with Guyana border control in Letham and arranges for the Team’s arrival. Since Guyana is another Commonwealth country, this is a mere formality. A large SUV (old but serviceable) is waiting for them at the airport. Letham is a small town on the Brazilian border in the west of Guyana. It has a mixed population: descendants of Indians (from India), black Africans and Native Americans. The country has a very heterogeneous population.

 

Allison is tasked to fly in the sport spinner over the town, first to watch over Cat, Kyle, Doc Freeman and William as they drive to the hospital to see Dr. Bagvarti. After that she is to fly to the Doctor’s home and check it out from the air. Roger, Natasha, Zahra and Nip take the SUV and head over to the Savannah Inn to check in to their bungalow. They get to the hotel and start to unpack. The girls bring in one load each. Natasha and Zahra then start to get the place in order. Nip hops into the NET (OK it is small and pathetic here). This leaves Roger to unload the rest of the vehicle. On his last trip to the car (to pick up the two spare long weapons: an Opium Streetsweeper SMG and an Enfield LPN assault rifle), Roger sees a serious-looking East European man walking from another vehicle to the bungalow next door. This man is staring at Roger and appears to be disturbed by his presence. Then it occurs to Roger that the bugs they found in the mansion in Grenada came from Serbia, in Eastern Europe. The Brit reaches his car as the other man reaches his bungalow and goes through the door. Roger picks up the gun cases and heads towards his cabin. He is about half way back when a burst from an AK-74 comes out of the window and tears into him. Roger bolts for the door and makes it inside, wounded, but still alive.

 

Meanwhile at the hospital, the remaining Team members enter and see the nurse in the waiting room. This is more like a clinic rather than a full hospital, but it is all Letham has. They ask to speak to Dr. Bagvarti and tell the nurse/receptionist that it is important. Kyle, William, Doc Freeman go into the doctor’s office. Cat remains in the waiting room. Kyle gets right to the point and tells the doctor that they are there representing Ernest Krieger’s family and they need to find the young man and get him to a place where he can be helped. The doctor seems a little troubled by this and thinks for a minute before he responds.

 

“I am sorry,” the doctor says, “but Ernest Krieger is my patient. I really can’t discuss him or his condition.”

 

Kyle presses, “We have an order here from a Hungarian court committing Ernest Krieger and we are the legal representatives of his family,” as he hands the document to the doctor.

 

The doctor looks at it and replies, “It looks very impressive, but I don’t read Hungarian. I do not doubt your word about this, but you might have noticed when you arrived: there is a Guyanese flag flying here, not a Hungarian one. I suggest you go to our local courts here pursue this matter.”

 

“We may do that,” continues Kyle, “but we are afraid that he might hurt himself or someone else before the court is able to act. Our only concern is for the young man’s safety and that of the young lady he is traveling with.

 

At this point Doc Freeman starts to quote the report from the Halberstadt Institute. It is clear that Dr. Bagvarti has heard of Doc Freeman but that isn’t always a good thing considering the man’s reputation. Dr. Bagvarti finally tells them, “I can tell you this without breaching medical ethics. If I thought Ernest Krieger was in any way a danger to himself or others, I would be legally bound to report and act on it. I do not feel that way. No, I am sorry, but I will have to ask you gentleman to leave now.”

 

The three get up to leave, but Kyle says in parting, “I am sorry you feel this way. I must warn you that we are not the only people looking for Ernest. The next people who come may not be so polite.”

 

(GM Note: The player phrased this last remark in such a way as to not sound personally threatening but rather as a concerned warning. Dr. Bagvarti took it in that spirit.)

 

The three leave the office and head out. As Kyle is about to turn the corner to the waiting room he hears Cat on the com saying, “Kyle…”

 

Kyle comes around the corner and sees two men have just entered the waiting room and all the patients seem very nervous. One has a cowl and faceplate and is looking off to the side where Cat had been sitting. The second is another serious East European man who obviously recognizes Kyle. Everyone goes for their weapons!

 

Kyle draws his pistol with one hand and his mono short sword in the other. Kyle puts a shot in the face of the heavily cybered opponent, but his 9mm round just washes off. The second attacker shoots Kyle but his armor absorbs most of it. Kyle responds by cutting the man’s arm off. Three rapid 11mm shots hit cowl man in the head as Cat walks across the room towards the attackers. This is quickly followed by a blast from her .44 Bulldog. The shots rock his world, but he doesn’t go down. Doc Freeman and William hear the door at the end of the corridor behind them getting smashed in. They turn to see another white man standing there with an H&K MP-2013 SMG; he empties his weapon into both Team members.

 

(GM Note: I had been rolling pretty badly all night as GM, but now I rolled a 10 on both shots and put 16 rounds into each character. This will eventually do the group well as William was standing near the receptionist, and when he turned to face his attackers he blocked the shots from hitting the woman. She interpreted this as William “throwing himself” in front of the bullets to save her. The armor of both PCs helps reduce most of the damage to impact, but it still tears them up.)

 

William especially is badly wounded and falls to the ground of his own volition. Doc Freeman yanks both his handgun and tranq gun out and fires. The attacker’s armor turns the damage. At this point Dr. Bagvarti steps out of his door to see what is happening.

 

In the waiting room, Kyle swings again and removes the other arm of his opponent. Cat continues closing with three more 11mm shots to the head of the metal man followed by the roar of her bulldog. The last shot takes him down. It is not over as the sound of an SMG is heard at the front of the building. Cat finally made it to the door and can now be seen by the man at the car. Her armor turns most of the damage to impact, but still she rolls out of the door critically injured.

 

In the back, the SMG gunner steps out of sight. Another man steps up with his Dai Lung Streetmaster and fires twice at Doc Freeman. One round hits and damages him slightly. On the ground William considers shooting, but in his position he might hit the researcher so he refrains.

 

Back in the waiting room, both Kyle and Cat unload at the lone gunman on the front lawn and cut him down. In the back corridor Doc Freeman fires first. His tranq gun scores another hit and drops the gunman in the doorway. At this moment, the SMG gunner steps back in the door with a fresh clip. He has Dr. Bagvarti, Doc Freeman and William dead bang. He pulls the trigger and “click”. (GM Note: Back to crappy rolling, I rolled a botch/weapon jam). The gunner steps back out of sight. Dr. Bagvarti finally gets out of the line of fire.

 

By now the sirens are approaching and the Team is in no condition to run. The last attacker has fled. Well, if you are going to get shot, a hospital is the best place to be.

 

Back at the Savannah Inn, Roger has reached the safety of the bungalow and the Team arms up. Zahra moves to a front bedroom window at the corner closest to the building where the fire had come from. She sees scatter grenades start to obscure the front of the enemy’s cabin. Nip pulls out her rifle and sets up to watch their own front door. Roger and Natasha move out the back and in a bounding overwatch head to their enemy’s back door. Roger kicks the door in and they enter. The sound of a vehicle speeding away is heard at the front of the bungalow. There is no one in the main room where Roger and Natasha are, but it is filled with the other team’s gear and equipment. Unfortunately there is a stack of C-6 on the table with a small box on top with a rapidly flashing red LED light. As they look, the light is flashing faster and faster. The two look at each other and run! The explosion blows out most of the interior walls and all the windows. Zahra is lifted off her feet and back across the room, but has only some minor stun damage. No one is getting their deposits back on these bungalows.

 

At the hospital, Dr. Bagvarti suddenly remembers something, “My wife, she is at my house. Could she be in danger?” Kyle gets on the com and tells Allison to swoop down and pick her up. Dr. Bagvarti calls his wife and she jumps into the spinner when it lands. Allison brings her to the clinic.

 

Kyle sees one of the enemy’s coms and listens in. He recognizes the language as Serbo-Croatian, but he doesn’t speak it. He hands the device to Cat, who is chipped for it. She listens and says, “They think we ambushed them, and they have called a withdrawal.” As the girl listens further she turns and tells the party, “They think they have been betrayed.” Then the line goes dead as the Serbs realize that the Team might have one of their radios. With her high level of Linguistics (from the University of Bucharest), Cat tells the team she recognized Serbian, Bosnian and Croatian accents.

 

The entire Team is taken into custody, but the doctor tells the police that the group saved his life and probably the lives of his patients. The receptionist sings praises about William’s “bravery” in taking the bullets that surely would have killed her. The police start to treat the group as victims and not “perps”. The police search for the Serbs, but they escape. They do have the one that Doc Freeman dropped with a sleep round. He is detained by the police.

 

In the next couple of hours two important things happen. Dr. Bagvarti comes to the Team ashen face, and asks to speak to Kyle, William and Doc Freeman privately.

 

“I just called my research associate, Dr. Elsa Warren, in Grenada. She was the one who brought Ernest to me. Elsa’s brother Gerhart was a friend of Ernest.” The doctor is almost in tears. “She was murdered two days ago. Not just murdered, but tortured to death.”

 

The Team is stunned. Dr. Bagvarti is clearly devastated.

 

The doctor then says, “I cannot break medical confidentiality, but I can ask if you, Dr. Freeman, would give me a consult on this case.”

 

Of course, Doc Freeman agrees, so Dr. Bagvarti goes into his assessment. He does not believe that Ernest is mentally ill as others do, but he clearly has emotional issues. He believes it stems mostly from the death of his mother and the subsequent emotional abandonment by his father. The young man was on a clinical trial of his new experimental drug designed for young people. The drug is meant to help level violent mood swings that youth are often plagued by anyway. This drug is not a maintenance drug, but is only meant to be used until the teenage brain matures. The doctor feels that Ernest’s previous drug regimens are antiquated and were not doing him any good.

 

“Unfortunately, I was not able to complete the trials,” the doctor adds. He then stops speaking and thinks for a minute before continuing. “This is my file on Ernest Krieger, but I cannot let you see it. But, pardon me, my stomach is a little upset. Please wait here while I go to the bathroom. I should be only about five minutes.” With that Dr. Bagvarti stands and walks out of the room. The three party members look at each other and photograph the file. When the doctor returns, he asks them if they have what they need. They do and thank him.

 

Kyle gets a phone call that evening. It is Iman Dr. Malik Samake. It seems there was an attempt to “extract” him as the Center closed for the day. While the attempt failed, one of the Center’s security people was killed. It is clear to him that this is connected to his great grandniece.

 

“I am taking a chance trusting you, but I hope you are the good man I feel you are,” the Iman says. “Daniela and Ernest asked about a book written by my father, a Mali holy man named Adama Samake. I once told Daniela about this manuscript, which describes the girl’s great great grandfather’s meditations in the desert. It resides in one of the restricted stacks at the Djinguereber Mosque, which is part of the Sankore Madrasah in Timbuktu, Mali. I hope this can help you. All I ask is that you try to make sure no harm comes to Daniela.”

 

Kyle promises to do his best. Then he makes two calls. The first is to his friend Lieutenant Maurice LeGran from the Trinidad and Tobago Police’s Special Branch. Kyle tells him about the shootout in Guyana and the murder of Dr. Elsa Warren in Grenada. This he connects to the attempted kidnapping of Iman Samake in Trinidad. Maurice thanks him and asks for the name of the investigating officer in Guyana. Kyle gives it to him and tells his friend that he will let the chief know to expect his call. The second phone call goes to the Grenada Constabulary. He identifies himself and gives them the information on the shoot-out, the attempted kidnapping and how it might relate to their murder investigation. Kyle also supplies the Grenadine authorities with the names of the current investigators working the Trinidad and Guyanese cases. The final stroke is to speak again to the local police and inform them of the possible connections in these cases.

 

That night Kyle has a chance to look at the two “bugs” they found earlier today. They turn out to be of Hungarian manufacture. Everyone on the Team now begins to look at the Hungarian crew of the S.S. Admiral Miklos Horthy in a different light. This “evidence” of their collusion is thin and circumstantial in the extreme. The decision is made to inform Captain Vadas that the bugs were found on the spinner and Allison, but that they may have been picked up somewhere else. We are only informing them on the off chance that someone might try to compromise their ship too. The Hungarian captain is surprised by this news and promises a thorough investigation to see if the bugs originated on his ship.

 

By now, the Team is longer considered foreign “troublemakers” by the local authorities. In fact they are considered as allies. Dr. Bagvarti again comes to them. He is now aware of attempted kidnapping in Trinidad (from the local police chief). He gives the Team one more clue: two names, Karl and Claudine Ebert. These are the names that Ernest and Daniela are traveling under. He tells them they flew out two days ago in the morning, but he really doesn’t know where. Kyle thanks him, and immediately puts Nip to work searching for those names on airline passenger lists. The local police give Nip a level of access that speeds her search. The rest of the Team rests and heals their wounds.

 

 

Next: Episode 28: And Then Something Very Unexpected Happened

 

any chance you coul paste the detailed report?

 

 

Is this what you wanted?

 

 

Hope this helps!

 

Datafortress 2020 is an awesome site! It needs to be back up.

 

When I attempt to connect to the Datafortress2020 web site, I get a screen that states:

 

"Account Suspended!"

 

What happened?

 

Somehow the site got hit for 2 gig of bandwidth use in one day, not sure how thats remotely possible, but it will be back up the first

 

 

Well, I have an up to date Norton Anti-virus protection and everytime I try to access Datafortress 2020 I get the following screens:

 

 

 

I have mentioned this before. Maybe this has something to do with the your problem? If this is some kind of Trojan, it could be sucking up your bandwidth. If not the fact that Norton is discouraging people all over the world from visiting you website might be a bit of concern to you.

 

I know a lot of people that refuse to go there because of this. FYI anyway

 

Episode 26: Persistence Pays Off

 

 

The Team starts their search for Ernest Krieger, elusive Euro banking heir, and his girlfriend who have been sighted on the island of Grenada. Our group has its morning meeting and finds that “other people” are listening. They put a tracker on Friedrick Van Schoonhoven’s car. Zahra goes “undercover”, but lands in a mess. Randy and his trusty M-21 EBR gets her out. The picture they have leads them to the island of Tobago where they have a “friendly” conversation with one of Ernest’s old school chums. From him they get five phone numbers and a trail that leads them to Trinidad.

 

Background

 

Otto Krieger, president and CEO of the Vienna Credit Bank, is dying of degenerative brain cancer. His grandson and heir, a young man with a history of mental illness, has run off with his teenage girlfriend, the daughter of two imprisoned Europe 3000 terrorists, and plans to turn the venerable institution into a progressive and socially responsible institution whose primary concern will be to help the “people.” The Team has six weeks to find the heir and return him to his grandfather (and the institution that was treating him). The fee is enormous and the perks are luxurious.

 

Dramatis Personae

 

The client du jour:

 

Otto Krieger: He is the 82 yo President and CEO of the Vienna Credit Bank, a major Euro investment banking house. He sits on the EuroBank board of directors. The man is dying of degenerative brain cancer. His grandson and heir, Ernest Krieger, has run away with his teenaged girlfriend and is off his meds. The old man wants him back.

 

The Team

 

Allison Cole: 16 yo kleptomaniac sex pot and one of Cat Fisher’s best friends from Atlantic City High School. She just graduated from that school and followed her friend to Jamaica when she became a suspect in a recent heist in Atlantic City. Perhaps not yet “world class”, her skills as a Prowler are formidable.

 

Cat Fisher: Officially she is Sam Fisher and the late Maria Ortiz’s 18 yo daughter. In actuality she is a full memory clone of late Caitlin Jones, the original biogentic assassin construct built by the now defunct BioWorks Corporation. This is known only to Kyle Vaduva. Some on the Team know she used to be Dominique Vadim, a Caitlin clone, but that person is also “known to be dead” for some six years now.

 

Doc Freeman: Former professor at UNLV, former assistant coroner and (formally) disgraced cyber researcher. He is the inventor of the “cyberbrain” with which he claims to have cured death itself. Although courts around the world are now looking into ramifications of his work, Disney Corporation has honored their agreements with the man and he is now rich beyond his wildest dreams. The Team bases out of his Morgan’s Harbor Hotel which he operates in cooperation with the Disney Corporation’s Port Royal Historical Theme Park and Museum.

 

Kyle Vaduva: Former C.I.A. agent now burned by the agency over incidents that he did not commit. He is now reunited with his lover from the Romanian Operation, who he now learns is the full memory clone of the late infamous bio-genetic assassin, Caitlin Jones.

 

Natasha Kerensky: She is a thirty year old ex-Spetznaz soldier who realized her gender and lack of important military contacts made her rising above her current rank (lieutenant) an unlikely possibility. She has now gone into the private sector.

 

Nip Lacey: 15 yo girl with neon green hair, has amnesia. She was adopted by Tyne Lacey 4 years ago. She is a NET savant, classmate of Allison Cole’s, and the other of Cat Fisher’s best friends from high school.

 

Fred: ferret and imaginary friend of Nip’s.

 

Randy Shugart III: He is the 28 yo grandson of CMH winner, Randall Shugart of Blackhawk Down fame. He is himself an eight year veteran of Delta Force and has recently been maneuvered out of the military.

 

Roger Blackmore: Is a 28 yo former British SAS commando and demolitions expert. He was forced out of the service under a cloud of accusations of weapon’s smuggling.

 

William Eller: This is a cover alias for Thomas Rifkin, an operative for the Consortium, a group of powerful and wealth business and political leaders who cooperate to “make things go their way”. Thomas, Max, William is a 10% owner of the Morgan’s Harbor Hotel.

 

Zahra Baudin: She is a 29 yo veteran of the JDF (Jamaican Defense Forces). Born of a Jamaican mother and a Haitian father, she is a trained “intrusion” expert.

 

 

The NPCs

 

Captain Istvan Vadas: Captain of the super yacht, SS Admiral Miklos Horthy. He is also a reserve officer in the Hungarian Navy. He likes young women; very young women.

 

“Captain” Mitch: He is an aging deep sea fishing captain operating in Grenada, who runs a small “people smuggling” business on the side. He and his wife, Rochelle, have lived on the island for years and are considered “locals”. Unknown to the party he is also a “retired” C.I.A. agent. He is well aware of Kyle’s “burn notice”.

 

Daniela Gaspard: The 16 yo girlfriend of Ernest Krieger and daughter of two imprisoned Europe 3000 terrorists. She has run off with the young heir.

 

Diego Salazar: A fixer operating in Grenada. The man is known to be able to “arrange” transportation of the island, identification issues and “safe” houses. He can often be found at the Music Room, a bar in Grenada.

 

Ernest Krieger: The 17 yo grandson of Otto Krieger and target of the Team’s search. He has a history of mental problems and is off his meds. The young man has run away with his girlfriend, Daniela Gaspard.

 

Friedrick Van Schoonhoven: A 21yo European Goldenchild, who knows Ernest Krieger.

 

Magda Berchtold: The 38 yo third wife of aging patriarch, Otto Krieger and sister of Count Johan Berchtold, the Hungarian Foreign Minister and one of that country’s wealthiest men.

 

Otto Krieger: Our client is the 82 yo President and CEO of the Vienna Credit Bank, a major Euro investment banking house.

 

“Uncle Billy” (William) Titcombe: A very well-known Caribbean fixer based out of Trinidad. He is also a retired station chief and deputy director for the C.I.A. He has his finger on the pulse of the area. Behind that “grandfatherly” appearance is a tough, dangerous character honed by over eighty years of life experience on this planet.

 

 

The Action

 

Sunday, 13 November 2044 (15 Days behind their Quarry)

 

At 6 am Cat has her morning meeting. Just before they begin, she has Kyle and Zahra run a bug sweep of the meeting room and yes, the room is bugged. They talk to the house staff, who seems genuinely shocked. The butler immediately calls their security service and asks the Team to sweep the whole house (before and after their “professional” sweep). The group finds the front hall, meeting room, outside by the front door, the parking spaces and AV pad under surveillance. The normal professionals find another camera at the mansion’s front gate recording (and transmitting) pictures of all who enter or leave, when they conduct their own sweep. A cursory examination of the devices reveals that they are custom made.

 

Finally, with more security in place, the Team has their meeting. First, Nip checks if any more villas are available at the Maca Bana. No, all are rented. It is decided that William and Allison will go to Zanzibar’s at 1pm when it opens. They will sit at the private booth that Friedrick Van Schoonhoven sat at and see what happens. Later, the two will have a “tiff” and William will leave. This will make Allison “available” for Friedrick. Kyle will sneak onto the Maca Bana grounds and plant a tracker on Friedrick’s car. Roger and Natasha will be close by in another car to follow him with the tracer. Kyle will then return to the mansion and study the captured listening devices to learn what he can about them. Zahra will head out to the Lime again and pretend she is moving to the area to learn what she can about the neighborhood and the apartment that was the last known “home” of the target. Randy is sent to a spot on a hill overlooking the Lime and will cover Zahra should she get into trouble. Nip will do NET research on Ernest Krieger’s parents. Cat will compare the photo they have to pictures of recent events at the Maurice Bishop Convention and Sports Complex to narrow down the date that the picture was taken. Doc Freeman will start translating and studying Ernest Krieger’s psychiatric reports. With assignments made, the Team heads out for the day. Before any vehicles leave Nip and Cat take out the GPS trackers from the two rental vehicles, but keep them so they read that the cars are still at the mansion.

 

The initial plans go well and Kyle plants the tracer on the Dutch heir’s car. Kyle then returns to the mansion and disassembles the devices. He discovers the parts are made in Serbia.

 

12:30 PM

Friedrick Van Schoonhoven leaves the Maca Bana Villas and heads out. Randy and Natasha follow. At 12:50 pm the car stops at the front gate of a large mansion where it is screened for bugs. Our two operatives just kept driving on as they realize that the tracker will soon be found. The car enters the residence. There is some sort of function going on.

 

(GM Note: This is the Governor General’s residence. The young lady who was with the heir last night was Lady Leslie Tyler, daughter of Lord Thomas Tyler, the Earl of Pembroke and Governor General of Grenada. Lady Leslie Tyler and Friedrick Van Schoonhoven are old friends, but she does not know Ernest. Good thing they didn’t try to just pay her like a common whore to leave Zanzibar’s last night, which they had considered.)

 

After 1 PM

At Zanzibar’s Allison and William take the booth. While there, they see a carving that has been filled in very recently. It reads like this: “ || ”. It takes about 10 minutes for someone to shoo them away. They ask politely who the table is reserved for. The reply is Lady Leslie Tyler. Yes, that carving was done by a young German almost two weeks ago on Halloween. Yes, Lady Leslie Tyler and Friedrick Van Schoonhoven were also here. There was a young woman of mixed race with them also.

 

1:15 PM

Zahra has managed to slip into the neighborhood of the Lime and begin her investigation. Her story is she is moving from Jamaica to here. She allays the suspicious elements easily and gets a feel for the area. Finally she learns that the apartment they are interested in belongs to a Diego Salazar, a fixer who (among other things) provides safe houses for people who need such things. This man likes to hang at the Music Room, a club south of St. George.

 

Zahra decides to push it and asks, “Any problems with the ‘white bread’ around here?”

 

That seems to change the mood. The people she is talking to get evasive. Then a couple of SUVs, small trucks and a limo pull up to the safe house in question. Some very “serious” looking men start to load boxes from the house to the trucks. As Zahra watches she sees one of the neighborhood kids walk up to the well-dressed man who stepped out of the limo and speak with him briefly. The two then look across the street at Zahra. She decides it’s time to leave. Good thing too as there is a pursuit.

 

Zahra calls to Randy who prepares a reception. By now Zahra is running across an open field behind the Lime. The first of her pursuers comes around the corner of the last building and levels a pistol at the fleeing solo. Randy fires for the weapons arm. He hits but the damage is so great that the pursuer dies. The rest of the “hue and cry” comes around that corner and stop short. They make off with their friend’s body and Zahra escapes. Roger and Natasha are sent to pick them up since their tailing assignment is now a bust. The four return to the mansion.

 

1:50 PM

Cat identifies the function in the picture they were given by their client. It is the first of the four “Go Grenada” festivals to boost local businesses. The third is occurring today, but will close at 6 pm. She also identifies the man with the glasses on the left side of the shot looking at the couple as Terrence Wharton, the Facilities Director of the Maurice Bishop Convention and Sports Complex. Kyle, Randy, Natasha and Roger head down to the complex to see what they can. The five spread out at the festival. They locate Terrence Wharton, show him the picture and with a little financial incentive he has something to say.

 

“Oh, yes, I remember them now,” says Terrence, “They were a nice young couple.” Unfortunately, he hadn’t talked to him, but Ramon, the young man running the picture taking concessions did. The facilities director leads them to the Ramon, who is indeed running the photography concession there. Ramon’s/i] memory proves a little hazy until it is jogged by a stack of crisp new Commonwealth Pound notes.

 

“A yes, such a nice young couple,” Ramon remembers. “They wanted to go deep sea fishing so I sent them to the Livingston Dock on the north side of St. George. There are three deep sea fishing charter boats, and my cousin, Tomas, owns the lunch shack there.”

 

Kyle thanks them and the four Team members head to the Livingston Dock. Randy stays off the dock but positions himself to back up the other three. At the end of the pier are three deep sea fishing boats. The question is which one is the right one. Kyle goes up to Tomas at the lunch shack.

 

Tomas asks,” What can I get you, sir?”

 

Kyle shows him the picture of the two teenagers and asks if he has seen them. Tomas gives it a glance and says, “I am sorry, but we get a lot of people thru here. Are you sure you and your friends don’t want something to eat?”

 

Kyle orders food for everyone and leaves an extravagant tip. Tomas then takes another look at the picture. “Wait, I think I do remember them. It was around the beginning of the month, they wanted to charter a fishing trip. I sent them to Captain Mitch there.” The young man points to the boat straight ahead with a white man in his late sixties swabbing the deck.

 

Kyle, Roger and Natasha head over to talk to Captain Mitch. The old man greets them and Kyle again shows him the picture. The old man looks at it for a minute, shakes his head and says, “No, I don’t believe I ever met them.”

 

Kyle replies, “Tomas over there says he sent them to you at the beginning of the month about a fishing charter.”

 

“He did?” Mitch replies. The old man shouts over his shoulder, “Rochelle! Would you bring me my glasses!”

 

An older woman exits the cabin and brings her husband his spectacles. She looks at the picture also. “Isn’t that the nice young couple you took out fishing a couple of weeks ago?”

 

Mitch puts on his glasses and looks again. “Yes, I think it is them. Nice pair of kids.” At that Rochelle nods in agreement and shuffles back inside the cabin.

 

“Do you remember where and when you took them,” asks Kyle.

 

“Yes,” Mitch replies, “It was Wednesday, November 2nd we went north and fished through the Grenadines. We got back about 8:30 pm that night.”

 

“Did they say anything?” asks Kyle.

 

“Sure, they talked a lot,” Mitch replies.

 

“What did they say?” continues Kyle.

 

“I don’t know,” says Mitch.

 

“How can you not know?” asks Roger.

 

“French,” replies Mitch.

 

“They talked about the French?” inquires Roger.

 

“No, they talked in French,” answers Mitch. “I don’t speak French.”

 

Kyle sighs. “Do you have a record of the trip?”

 

“Sure,” says Mitch, “Right here.” And he taps the side of his head.

 

The two solos have been checking out his boat, which appears to have all of the state of the art equipment. There are also several cameras looking at the dock. The three thank the Captain and head home to the mansion. They have gained three days on their quarry.

 

Back at the mansion, Cat and Nip go into the NET and head towards the Livingston Dock. They are quickly able to find the security cameras, and the records of the past two weeks are still in the cache. On Wednesday, November 2nd they see Captain Mitch, Ernest and Daniela board the boat in the morning and leave. They fast forward to that evening and at about 8:40 pm Mitch returns with his boat alone/u].

 

Two operations are immediately planned. Kyle, Cat, Randy and Zahra will go back to the Livingston Dock tonight, break into Mitch’s boat and look for clues. William will go to the Music Room and look for Diego Salazar and Roger and Natasha will back him up. Allison will continue the stake out of Zanzibars’. Diego Salazar does not show up and there is nothing much happening at Zanzibars’. The boat burglary is easy. They find that the boat has a GPS. Cat taps into it and Nip runs the device for the travel information for November 2nd. It seems that the information was downloaded to another site on November 3rd and the record here erased. Nip is able to get the IP address and realizes it is located within a mile or so, but can’t narrow it down any more. The computer the information was downloaded to is currently off line. The Team withdraws. Tomorrow is another day.

 

Nip does have some information on Ernest Krieger’s parents. She also feels that someone has been “sanitizing” information on the Krieger family on the NET. As the Team already knows, Ernest’s mother died in childbirth when the young man’s sister was born.

 

Manfred Krieger

Library Search Results

 

Manfred Krieger was born on March 20, 1992 in Salzburg, Austria. Manfred lived the life of an idle Eurocrat. He did have access to the family trust so he could afford his lifestyle. In 2025 he met Christina von Freiburg and fell in love. They were married the following year, and in 2027 they had a son, Ernest.

 

Then in 2030 his beloved wife died and his world fell apart. He packed his son off to boarding school and arranged for his maid aunt Gretchen to care for his daughter until she was old enough for boarding school. Manfred buried his grief by “jet setting” around the world with the rich and useless. In 2037 he died after a diving accident in the Arabian Sea.

 

***

 

 

Monday, 14 November 2044 (12 Days behind Quarry)

 

In the morning the Team waits and at 8:12 am the target computer comes on line. It is Mitch and Rochelle’s computer. It is a simple matter for Nip to extract the route information and plot it on a map. Mitch’s route for November 2nd has him heading southeast from Jamaica and going to the island of Tobago. The boat went to the public dock in the capital of Scarborough, waited for ten minutes and then moved to a fuel dock at a local marina. Twenty five minutes after that the boat started its return trip to Grenada.

 

Kyle turns to the group and tells everyone to pack, they are flying to Tobago right now. Nip is told to pull up maps and some local info to help the Team get around the island. William and Allison are recalled. The Team is airborne within the hour. A brief 45 minute flight time passes and they arrive at the Scarborough Airport and go through customs. With their Commonwealth residency cards, Disney IDs and the fact they are coming from a Commonwealth country (Grenada) makes the check in a brief formality. Kyle, Cat, William and Doc Freeman take the Jag to the public docks. William takes a copy of their picture to the line of cabs at the first dock where the commercial boats land, and Kyle takes his copy of the picture to the cabbies lined up at the dock where the private vessels land. William comes up empty, but Kyle finds the cabbie who drove the two when they arrived. A hundred Commonwealth pounds even gets the address he took them to.

 

Kyle dispatches Allison and Randy in the sport spinner to check out the house immediately. The rest of the Team heads over to stake out the place. It is a one floor bungalow with no neighbors nearby. IR and Thermo scans find four people in the house. From their listening devices (courtesy of Nip), they are sure that their targets are not there. Still, Kyle decides on the direct approach. Nip interdicts the phone lines. They jam the cell phones. The Team puts on masks, surrounds the house and knocks on the front door. Cat knocks the person who answers the door out cold, runs into the living room, guns drawn shouting, “Nobody move or I’ll kill you where you stand!” There is no resistance. One of the young men actually pees himself. The four immediately beg for their lives.

 

Before Kyle begins his interrogation he makes his cell phone ring and then “answers it.”

 

“Yes sir, we are there now. (pause) No, the two aren’t here. (pause) I am trying to determine if the others here are helpful witnesses or loose ends that need to be dealt with. (pause) Yes, sir, I will call you back when I have determined that.” Kyle then hangs up his phone.

 

Well, the four young people are not brave or foolish. “Cooperation” is their middle name. Bob, whose parents own the house, went to school with Ernest. “He (Ernest) came two weeks ago to visit with his girlfriend. He left last Monday (November 7th) for Trinidad, and no, I don’t know where. I swear I don’t know what he is up to and we have nothing to do with it.” Bob blurts out, “I don’t even like him that much.”

 

Through all the whining it is apparent that these kids don’t know too much. The masks, Kyle’s demeanor and Cat playing with her mono knives have the four singing all they know. The only thing that catches the Team’s attention was that Ernest made five calls just before he left last Monday on Bob’s house phone. Kyle looks at the expensive computerized phone system and has a hunch. He places a tap on it letting Nip into the memory. She pulls five phone numbers. Kyle gives each “prisoner” 500 pounds cash and to Bob he gives 1500.

 

“Now”, Kyle explains, “No one was ever here, you never saw us and you won’t contact Ernest. We will know if you do, and if that happens we will have to come back for you and…..” Well, there is no further need of an explanation. The four young people agree no one was ever there. Nip leaves a remote on the roof to listen to the conversation after the Team leaves. Yes, the four look at the money in their hands and decide that they do not want to ever see the Team again so they say nothing.

 

The Team flies to Trinidad. William gets on the phone and in ten minutes he has arranged a safe house there for the group. The safe house is a mansion on top of a hill overlooking Port of Spain. There they settle in and Nip is set to researching the five phone numbers they have. She soon learns the following:

 

Phone Numbers:

 

With Nip ready to track the call, Kyle calls the first number and a voice answers with just, “Hello?”

 

Kyle’s response was not what was anticipated and the phone hangs up. There is no answer after that and Nip reports that the phone was immediately shut off. Nip was able to trace the location to a couple of blocks down in the harbor district. William then calls phone number four and it goes to the Internet Phone Company’s voice mail server. William leaves an angry message for “Mike” and hangs up. Hopefully it will be taken as a wrong number.

 

Cat calls Captain Istvan Vadas of the S.S. Admiral Horthy and tells them that they have moved on to Trinidad. Captain Vadas says he will haul up anchor and get underway immediately for there. For the evening the Team divides into three groups. Doc Freeman and Allison will stay at the safe house and work on the psychiatric reports. Roger, Natasha, and Zahra will head down to the harbor area where Nip will try to guide them as close to the location of phone number one as she can. William, Randy, Kyle and Cat will head down to “Harry’s” and see what that place is about.

 

Roger, Natasha, and Zahra drive around the harbor directed by Nip. It is all warehouses and businesses, but there is one bar. Roger goes in, sits down, pulls out a big wad of cash. He looks around and realizes he is the only white man in the place. Roger then makes a comment about hoping he won’t get “mugged”. The regulars notice him enter but mostly just ignore him. There are a few people at a back table that take an interest. Roger has a drink and waits. Nobody bothers him. The man has Beta Tuff Bone and level two Grafted muscle on top of advanced muscle and bone lace. He looks like a “brick”. No one is going to try to screw with him, really now. A little while later Zahra comes in. She looks around and walks over and sits with Roger. They both realize this isn’t going well. A man from the back table gets up and leaves out the front. Roger gets up and follows him out only to find that his target is waiting just outside the door. Roger continues on towards the car. The man starts to follow at a discreet distance. At this point Zahra leaves the bar and starts to follow also. Roger gets in the car with Natasha. The man slows as he walks by and looks at the two in the car. The man gives them a smile (click, click goes the camera in the cybereye). The man continues by the car then turns to look over his shoulder (click, click as he looks at the license plate), and continues on. Zahra gets to the car and all three decide to leave before this gets any worse.

 

At “Harry’s” Kyle and Cat walk in first followed a couple of minutes later by William and Randy. As Kyle surveys the room he sees someone he recognizes at a back table. It is William “Uncle Billy” Titcombe. The man served with the C.I.A. for over thirty five years. He had been a station chief at several locations around the world and ended up as a deputy director. He “retired” to become the most influential fixer in the southern Caribbean basin. Now Uncle Billy was looking right at them, smiling, and waving them over. The two head over as the fixer’s “associates” let them pass.

 

“Well, well, who would have thought this morning that the agency’s number one burned spy would be walking through my door tonight. And you,” the old spook continues turning to Cat, “I have heard about you. Your dad was a friend of mine. I am sorry about his recent troubles. There is probably more to that story than I have heard, but I won’t pry. Sit, sit, what brings you to Trinidad?”

 

The two sit as Kyle begins, “Well, we are here on a job. We are looking for two people and hoped you might be able to help us.” He then hands the old fixer a picture of the two kids.

 

Uncle Billy takes the photo, looks at it and smiles. “Oh yes, nice young couple, I remember them. It’s funny, they said someone like you would come.”

 

“Could you tell us what they wanted or where they went?” inquired Kyle.

 

“I could,” replies Uncle Billy, “but I won’t. I can tell you that we did some business together, I won’t deny that. As far as what that was or where they are that’s confidential.”

 

“There is nothing we could do or give you to change your mind?” asks Kyle.

 

“Now, what would that do for my reputation?” replies Uncle Billy.

 

“Look,” presses Kyle, “The young man has serious mental problems. He is off his meds and his life may depend on us finding him.”

 

“He seemed fine to me,” answers Uncle Billy. “Nice try, but I can’t help you.”

 

Kyle nods and thanks him for his time, the two get up. As they leave Uncle Billy adds, “Catherine, my condolences on your mother’s death. I respected her a lot.”

 

Cat is surprised by this but responds with a “Thank you.” The two head to another table. After about ten minutes William heads over also to have a talk with Uncle Billy. The guards make no attempt to impede him. It seems William’s reputation precedes him.

 

“Well, it’s big night here,” Uncle Billy says as William approaches. “Who are we today? Max, Bob, Dave?”

 

“William Ellers”, is the reply.

 

“I remember that one too. How have you been?” asks Uncle Billy. “I hope you are not here to ask where those two young kids are too?”

 

“No, I understand your position. I just want to know that if we do find them this isn’t going to disturb any plans or operations you have going?” asks William.

 

Uncle Billy shakes his head, “No, our business is complete. I won’t wish you any luck though. I like those kids. I hope they get away.”

 

The two speak for another ten minutes about mutual friends before William excuses himself. The Team soon returns to their safe house. Doc Freeman has translated and studied the psychiatric report from the Halberstadt Institute on Ernest Krieger. He tells the Team it pretty much confirms what Otto Krieger has said about his grandson. The report is well documented and professional. The young man needs serious help. For now, however, that will have to wait for tomorrow.

 

 

Next: Episode 27: Who Are Those Guys?

 

Ah yes, President David Whindam. I was amused when he became president in Cybergeneration. What a wonderfully slimy villian. He was a fixture in our early Night City campaigns and befriended a couple of the PCs. Most of the party just wanted to get him alone and put two behind his ear. So, when I was looking to go beyond the Fourth Corporate War I needed a figure to hang national politics on. Hey, if he was good enough for Cybergeneration, then he was good enough for us!

 

Our David Whindam matured from just a greedy corporate to a power hungry politician who would stop at nothing to get his way. He is also NOT stupid. In out world the Carbon Plague happened, but it didn't transform children into little anime superbeings. It just killed you. Under his administration the CDC came up with a cure and he distributed it around the world for free! Not the actions of a power hungry villian you say? Well, it got him a Noble Prize and made him invincible at the polls. David is also in his fifth term as President (he served out the remaining 22 months of his assassinated predecessor's term and has been elected four more times). Look for his support to be waning in the next few years, but he has no intention of giving up power!

 

Well, we are on to Season Two of our campaign. The last two episodes were basically single adventures to allow the Team to work out systems and the characters to get to know each other and their abilities. Now we go on to a (probably) five episode mission. This is not a job that can be solved with firepower, although the occassional application of it will prove helpful here and there. At this point we have actually completed four of the episodes and hope to finish up this Saturday. Its been fun and we hope you all enjoy it too!

 

 

 

Episode 25: The Runaway Heir

 

 

The Team boards the mega yacht S.S. Admiral Miklos Horthy, which will be their H.Q. as they search for an elusive Euro banking heir and his girlfriend who have been sighted on the island of Grenada. Nip does a great set of NET researches and gives the Team a lot of information to use. Zahra makes friends with Michael, a steward on the yacht, who helps “fluff up” her pillow at night. Allison attracts the captain’s gaze, but frightens him off eventually. The Team starts to run down leads on the island and discovers a missing friend of their target. Unfortunately he is wrapped in security.

 

Background

 

Otto Krieger, president and CEO of the Vienna Credit Bank, is dying of degenerative brain cancer. His grandson and heir, a young man with a history of mental illness, has run off with his teenage girlfriend, the daughter of two imprisoned Europe 3000 terrorists, and plans to turn the venerable bank into a progressive and socially responsible institution whose primary concern will be to help the “people.” The Team has six weeks to find the heir and return him to his grandfather (and the institution that was treating him). The fee is enormous and the perks are luxurious.

 

Dramatis Personae

 

The client du jour:

 

Otto Krieger: He is the 82 yo President and CEO of the Vienna Credit Bank, a major Euro investment banking house. He sits on the EuroBank board of directors. The man is dying of degenerative brain cancer. His grandson and heir, Ernest Krieger, has run away with his teenaged girlfriend and is off his meds. The old man wants him back.

 

The Team

 

Allison Cole: 16 yo kleptomaniac sex pot and one of Cat Fisher’s best friends from Atlantic City High School. She just graduated from that school and followed her friend to Jamaica when she became a suspect in a recent heist in Atlantic City. Perhaps not yet “world class”, her skills as a Prowler are formidable.

 

Cat Fisher: Officially she is Sam Fisher and the late Maria Ortiz’s 18 yo daughter. In actuality she is a full memory clone of late Caitlin Jones, the original biogentic assassin construct built by the now defunct BioWorks Corporation. This is known only to Kyle Vaduva. Some on the Team know she used to be Dominique Vadim, a Caitlin clone, but that person is also “known to be dead” for some six years now.

 

Doc Freeman: Former professor at UNLV, former assistant coroner and (formally) disgraced cyber researcher. He is the inventor of the “cyberbrain” with which he claims to have cured death itself. Although courts around the world are now looking into ramifications of his work, Disney Corporation has honored their agreements with the man and he is now rich beyond his wildest dreams. The Team bases out of his Morgan’s Harbor Hotel which he operates in cooperation with the Disney Corporation’s Port Royal Historical Theme Park and Museum.

 

Kyle Vaduva: Former C.I.A. agent now burned by the agency over incidents that he did not commit. He is now reunited with his lover from the Romanian Operation, who he now learns is the full memory clone of the late infamous bio-genetic assassin, Caitlin Jones.

 

Natasha Kerensky: She is a thirty year old ex-Spetznaz soldier who realized her gender and lack of important military contacts made her rising above her current rank (lieutenant) an unlikely possibility. She has now gone into the private sector.

 

Nip Lacey: 15 yo girl with neon green hair, has amnesia. She was adopted by Tyne Lacey 4 years ago. She is a NET savant, classmate of Allison Cole’s, and the other of Cat Fisher’s best friends from high school.

 

Fred: ferret and imaginary friend of Nip’s.

 

Randy Shugart III: He is the 28 yo grandson of CMH winner, Randall Shugart of Blackhawk Down fame. He is himself an eight year veteran of Delta Force and has recently been maneuvered out of the military.

 

Roger Blackmore: Is a 28 yo former British SAS commando and demolitions expert. He was forced out of the service under a cloud of accusations of weapon’s smuggling.

 

William Eller: This is a cover alias for Thomas Rifkin, an operative for the Consortium, a group of powerful and wealth business and political leaders who cooperate to “make things go their way”. Thomas/Max/William is a 10% owner of the Morgan’s Harbor Hotel.

 

Zahra Baudin: She is a 29 yo veteran of the JDF (Jamaican Defense Forces). Born of a Jamaican mother and a Haitian father, she is a trained “intrusion” expert.

 

 

The NPCs

 

Captain Istvan Vadas: Captain of the super yacht, SS Admiral Miklos Horthy. He is also a reserve officer in the Hungarian Navy. He likes young women; very young women.

 

Daniela Gaspard: The 16 yo girlfriend of Ernest Krieger and daughter of two imprisoned Europe 3000 terrorists. She has run off with the young heir.

 

Ernest Krieger: The 17 yo grandson of Otto Krieger and target of the Team’s search. He has a history of mental problems and is off his meds. The young man has run away with his girlfriend, Daniela Gaspard.

 

Friedrick Van Schoonhoven: A 21 yo European Goldenchild who knows Ernest Krieger.

 

Michael Szekere: A young 20 yo steward on the SS Admiral Miklos Horthy who will bend over backwards (and any other position you would like) to make the female Team members “comfortable”.

 

Magda Berchtold: The 38 yo third wife of aging patriarch Otto Krieger, and sister of Count Johan Berchtold, the Hungarian Foreign Minister and one of that country’s wealthiest men.

 

Otto Krieger: Our client is the 82 yo President and CEO of the Vienna Credit Bank, a major Euro investment banking house.

 

 

The Action

 

Wednesday, 9 November 2044

 

The Team load up in their small air fleet (an AV-3, Crystar Falcon Spinnercoupe and an Avanti Sportspinner) and head out to sea to rendezvous with the mega yacht S.S. Admiral Miklos Horthy, a 110 meter long vessel the size of a navel frigate. The crafts land on the ship and fill its small hanger. All are seen to their new quarters on the ship. Allison in particular is astounded by the luxurious furnishings of her stateroom. Her fingers start to twitch and she moves anything portable and of value in her room out of sight. The Team is then summoned to the main salon to meet their employers.

 

The client, the aging patriarch 82 year old Otto Krieger, is waiting with his third wife, Magda Berchtold 38, sister of Count Johan Berchtold, the Hungarian Foreign Minister and one of that country’s wealthiest men. The count owns the yacht, the SS Admiral Miklos Horthy, which the Team is on.

 

The old man explains that seventeen year old Ernest Krieger has suffered from a history of mental illness for a number of years. It is documented and the Team is provided with a psychological study (written in German) by Doctor Karl Schroder of the Halberstadt Institute in Vienna done when Ernest was fifteen. There is also a follow-up study by Dr. Emil Morin of the Budapest Psychiatric Hospital (written in Hungarian) dated six months ago. The Team is also given an order from a Hungarian court committing young Ernest to the Budapest Psychiatric Hospital. They are also given a letter from the Vienna Credit Bank naming the Team as acting on their behalf. (This does not grant the Team any sort of corporate immunity. It just asks whomever to help the Team with their mission.)

 

The Team has six weeks to find the young man. They will be paid 50,000 eb up front to help cover expenses. If they discover the boy is dead and can prove it, they will get another 50,000 eb. If they can produce the body, then the fee goes up to an additional 150,000 eb. If they bring him in alive, they will get 450,000 eb more (for a total of 500,000 eb). If at the end of six weeks they have not found him, the contract may be extended by Herr Krieger solely at his discretion.

 

Ernest and Daniela’s last known location was the island of Grenada eleven days ago (Saturday, October 29). He had rented a car the day before in his own name and had gotten a parking ticket on that Saturday at a club called Zanzibar’s. The rental car was returned by an unknown male on Monday morning. The Team is also given some pictures of the couple, but one is special. It is of the two in a large building and there is some sort of celebration going on around them. This picture was taken in Grenada. The grandparents have no idea why the couple would be on Grenada and do not know anyone that the two young people could possibly be visiting.

 

Otto has procured a mansion for the Team to operate out of in Grenada. It is on the south shore and has a private AV pad. The ship will head to Grenada at flank speed. Tomorrow the Team can use the communications center on the ship to commence their research. On Friday morning the Team will launch in their AV and spinners for the then short hop to Grenada.

 

A ship’s officer brings out a secure case and opens it. The old man remarks that it contains thirty thousand Euro and thirty thousand Commonwealth Pounds as per agreed. Otto Krieger then asks the Team if they have any questions.

 

Randy asks, “What about the girlfriend, Daniela? Do you want her too, or….” The ex-Delta Force sniper makes a quick cutting motion with his finger.

 

As old man Krieger ponders this for a few seconds, his wife, Magda, turns to her husband with a disturbed look and says something brief is Hungarian. Otto Krieger quickly tells the Team that they do not want the girl, but she is NOT to be harmed.

 

(GM Note: Both Kyle and Cat speak some Hungarian and tells the party later that Magda said, “For God Sakes, she’s only 16 years old!”)

 

The old man then reflects, “Well, she does have a gun.”

 

Magda says to the Team in very broken English, “Very small, .22….hard skin, no hurt.”

 

“It is a 5mm,” Otto adds, “It probably couldn’t even puncture the lightest skinweave.”

 

Zahra inquires about the boy’s parents. This obviously hits a painful memory with the old man. The Team is informed that his parents passed away some time ago. The client and his wife apologize for not knowing a lot about their grandson’s life, but they explain that he spent a lot of time at boarding school as his father wished. The old man regrets this.

 

Nip looks at the meager information on the young man and listens to the old couple. She then botches her human perception roll and thinks she has the whole situation scoped out.

 

Doc Freeman inquires as to the old man’s deteriorating brain condition. Otto Krieger smiles and says he is well aware of Doc Freeman’s work. His deterioration is too far along for a cyberbrain transplant. Still, Doc Freeman offers to examine him.

 

“Thank you for your kind offer, but I have looked into this and I don’t want any more false hopes. I have been poked and prodded now for years and I have had enough. I will have my medical file sent to you, and you can take a look for yourself.”

 

The old couple retires for the evening and the Team settles in and prepares for the search. Doc Freeman receives Otto Krieger’s medical file.

 

***

 

 

Thursday, 10 November 2044 (12 Days behind their Quarry)

 

As the ship slices thru the waves heading southeast, Nip (now an ATTR 9 fifteen yo Cyber-Goth) lays out on the deck catching some rays while jacked in to her deck. She spends the day learning all things about Daniela Gaspard. By the end of the day she had this summary:

 

 

 

Cat, who prefers the comfort of her bed to run the NET from, starts looking into Ernest Krieger. By the end of the day she had this summary:

 

 

 

Doc Freeman begins to translate and study the large medical file of Otto Krieger. It will take him a good two days to make sense of it.

 

The clients leave early in the day so the rest of the Team enjoys the attractions of this luxury vessel. Zahra in particular noticed the “attractions” of one of the stewards, a Michael Szekere.

 

The Captain, Istvan Vadas, takes particular interest in young Allison. It seems that the voyage is heading for an episode of the “Love Boat”, but Allison brazenly gooses the Captain in front of his officers. This scares the old pervert away, for now.

 

After a brief meeting in the evening, Allison is the first to walk away from the table. Like a gentleman, William stands as she leaves to which Kyle responds with, “I only thought you stood when a lady leaves the room.”

 

There is much snickering, but the night isn’t a total loss. Cat decides all work and no play makes her a dull kitty, and besides, there is a Jacuzzi in her and Kyle’s suite. Oh, yes, and Zahra has her pillows “fluffed” by the helpful steward, Michael.

 

***

 

 

Friday, 11 November, 2044 (13 Days behind their Quarry)

 

About an hour before dawn, the solos awake as they feel the ship start to maneuver violently. The rest of the Team awakes as the sound of heavy gunfire is heard. As they spill out into the corridor, a crewman tells them to return to their cabins. They do, but look out the port holes. Several smaller vessels surround their ship, but all are damaged. The sound of multiple 20mm gatling cannons reverberate thru the ship as one of the smaller pirate vessels disintegrates. They now hear the sound of larger cannon. The solos think it is about a 4 inch (100mm) gun. As the Horthy moves hard to starboard, they see the largest enemy vessel yet. It has a few fires on it. Then the 4 inch gun starts firing and that larger vessel is ripped apart by explosions. Soon the firing stops and the sea around them is filled with burning wreckage and wailing men. It seems the Horthy is something akin to a “Q ship”.

 

They are let on the aft deck about ten minutes later. The ship has some superficial damage. The crew suffered three lightly wounded. The entire ship’s company is flush with victory. An officer comes to the Team and points out the last fleeing pirate vessel in the distance. “Just watch,” he says.

 

Flame and smoke erupt with a roar from right behind the Horthy’s bridge. The team watches as a large missile launches, arches over the ship and heads towards the fleeing buccaneer. It strikes amidships and the target vessel is engulfed by a fireball. They never had a chance.

 

Breakfast this morning is very upbeat. Many of the ship’s officers appear in dress whites. The Team notices that most of the uniforms are Hungarian Navy issue (yes, they have a navy, who else patrols the Danube and such). It seems most, if not all the officers here are in the naval reserve. There is much toasting as the officers revel in their victory (slaughter) of the pirates.

 

The captain informs the group that after launching the Team’s air vehicles, he will be heading to the bay at the north end of Ronde Island in the Grenadines to repair the cosmetic damage from this morning’s attack. Communication protocols are established and the Team launches in their AV and spinners for the trip to Grenada.

 

An hour later the Team touches down at their new mansion on the southern tip of Lance Aux Epines in Grenada. As per arrangement, a couple of local officials are waiting to rubber stamp the Team’s passports and permits. They are going from one Commonwealth country to another and the wealth that has hired them for the job has smoothed the way with the local government. Also waiting for them is a rented sedan and SUV. Everyone is told to settle in and there will be a meeting in the early afternoon.

 

At the meeting Cat again makes the assignments. Roger, Natasha and Zahra will go to St. George and Granville to search for the location where the picture they have of the two teenagers was taken. William and Allison will go to the Club Zanzibar and check it out. Cat will watch them by flying remote. Kyle and Randy will go the car rental office and see what they can find. Nip will begin researching the group People for Freedom and Justice that Ernest and Jean Gaspard, Daniela’s brother, used to belong to.

 

Club Zanzibar is in the hills outside St. George. Most of the club is open to the sky and it is a combination dance club, rave and social happening. All social classes come here and violence is strictly forbidden. Even the island’s organized crime figures recognize that Zanzibar’s is neutral ground. William and Allison don’t find anything directly useful, but get a good feel for the place and begin to work on their cover story. He is a middle aged businessman and Allison is his young, bored mistress.

 

(GM Note: Club Zanzibar is the creation of Destecado and served as the central watering hole for the group in our Grenada Campaign (2022). None of these characters participated in that campaign so it was all new. It would make a great addition to any campaign and I hope that Destecado will someday post it here. Hint, hint.)

 

Kyle and Randy try to get information about Ernest’s car rental, but hit a brick wall getting any further information. They call on Nip, who runs the rental office computer and pulls copies of all the relevant paperwork. There is one new piece of information. The car was delivered to an apartment in the Lime, a residential area south of the capital of St. George that is now known as a crime area. They plan to check it out that night.

 

Roger and Natasha discover where the picture was taken. It was at the Maurice Bishop Convention and Sports Complex. As to when was taken and by who, they do not discover.

 

At the meeting that evening, the Team compares its findings for the day. Nip has finished her research on the People for Freedom and Justice. Her work is complete with dates and photographs:

 

 

 

While going over Nip’s report both Allison and William stop at one picture. Allison points to the picture of Friedrick Van Scoonhoven and says, “He was at Zanzibar’s this afternoon.” The two remember him. He was sitting at what they assumed was a private booth overlooking the dance floor. He was with a well-dressed, elegant young black woman. They had at least two bodyguards.

 

The team decides that Zanzibar’s needs more coverage. Allison and William will move into another hotel and continue their charade of the middle-aged businessman and his mistress. This might be a way to approach Van Scoonhoven when they see him next. Tomorrow night there will be a major event at Zanzibar’s. A popular island band will be playing and a number of dance contests will be held sponsored by local businesses. The Team decides to put most of tomorrow’s efforts there. However, Zahra will go in the morning to the Maurice Bishop Convention and Sports Complex and try to find out when the picture was taken.

 

For the rest of tonight Zahra, Kyle and Cat will go to the Lime and check out the address where the car was delivered to Ernest two weeks ago. Nip will fly high cover with a remote, and Randy will be standing by with a spinner to get the Team out. Kyle and Zahra move on the house and Cat hangs back to cover them. The building has two apartments. One is upstairs and the other is downstairs.

 

As the Team moves in, they notice figures with long guns on the roof of a couple of nearby buildings. Their coverage does not seem very coordinated. The two check out the first floor, but there is only armed males inside packaging what looks like some kind of (illegal) drugs. They get a peek into every room and see nothing that would lead them to believe their targets are here. Kyle moves and climbs the outside of the building to check the apartment above. It is apparent that it is just a local family that lives there.

 

As Kyle is finishing his second story job, a shot rings out and hits the side of that building right by Kyle’s arm. He has been spotted. The ex-spy drops to the ground and starts to run. Zahra, who is still hidden, also pulls back. Heavily armed men boil out of several houses. Cat throws a smoke grenade to cover their retreat. This stops most of the pursuers. A few continue after the Team, so Cat tosses a flash-bang grenade at them. That finally stops the pursuit. The three fall back to Randy and the spinner. The Team pulls out successfully.

 

***

 

 

Saturday, 12 November, 2044 (14 Days behind their Quarry)

 

In the morning Zahra heads down to the Maurice Bishop Convention and Sports Complex. There she tries to get more information about when the picture was taken. The people in the ticket booths are less than helpful. They don’t know and don’t care. Undaunted, Zahra gets a few minutes with the manager of the facility. Well, he doesn’t want to be here on Saturday, and Zahra starts asking him questions on when this picture could have been taken. Here a hefty bribe (or even not so hefty) might have brought him around or at least his interest. Instead, he tells her he is a busy man and she should check out their website and look at the pictures posted there to figure it out.

 

So, all prepare for the big stake out at Zanzibar’s. The entire Team is there in small groups except for Nip, who is flying remotes from the mansion to the south. Their targets do not show up all afternoon, but the group is patient. Finally, in the early evening Friedrick Van Scoonhoven shows up with the same elegant young woman as the previous night. He also has two bodyguards in tow. The Team tries to work up several plans to approach him, but none are viable. Kyle thinks about approaching him directly, paying off his female escort to make herself scarce, and working him that way. They decide he will probably just tell Ernest they are after him. Zahra tries to catch one of the guard’s eye. It sort of works. He comes over and tries to surreptitiously pick her pocket. Zahra notices that he gets her wallet, the guard notices her noticing his action, so he bends down and makes like he is picking it up off the ground to return it to her. Of course it flips open and he gets a look at her name. The bodyguard smiles and says, “I believe you dropped this.”

 

Zahra does not want to make a scene so she thanks him. No one is fooled.

 

Around midnight Friedrick Van Scoonhoven and his “date” leave with their bodyguards. She goes with her bodyguard in a limo and he and his bodyguard in a sports car. The Team has only one remote up, so Nip follows Van Scoonhoven. He stops at the Maca Bana Villas, an executive class hotel near the Team’s mansion.

 

The Team heads home and settles down for the night. Progress is slow, but tomorrow may bring something new. Doc Freeman finishes studying Otto Krieger’s medical file. Yes, he is too far gone for a cyberbrain transplant. In fact, that he is alive at all is a miracle. The man should be checking out any day.

 

 

Next: Episode 26: Persistence Pays Off

 

 

 

 

World News Service – Flash

 

 

 

History was made in the United States of America as Noble Prize winner, David Whindam, was elected to a fourth term as President tying Franklin D. Roosevelt for that honor. The day was divided between wild celebrations by the President’s supporters and demonstrations against what the President’s opponents call his creeping dictatorship. In Washington and business circles Whindam’s reelection has soothed jittery nerves that the pro-business administration would be ousted and the democratic liberal administration of his opponent, Senator Joseph Kennedy III of Massachusetts installed in its place. Senator Kennedy called President Whindam to congratulate him on his victory.

 

Around the country Senator Kennedy’s supporters were not as gracious as rioting broke out in a small number of cities as cries of “dictatorship” and “fraud” was heard. There have actually been few reports of electoral fraud among the neutral poll watchers, and international observers have called the election relatively “Fair and open.” President Whindam brushed off the demonstrators as “sore losers”, but promised that he would serve as “everyone’s President”, even to those who oppose him.”

 

Messages of congratulations poured in from leaders around the world. President Whindham promised that his administration would continue to work for world peace and understanding. “The world is now too small to let our petty disputes bring it to the edge of destruction.” In the spirit of greated toleratio and understanding the President announced the appointment of Marine General Pershing as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. General Pershing is the first full conversion cyborg to be accorded that honor. Conservative Christiam and Islamic religious group have expressed "concern" over this.

 

Episode 24: Not As Advertised!

 

The Team goes to Bolivia to retrieve two “stolen” children from their “Drug Lord” father and return them to their mother. The mother is insistent that the Team does NOT harm the man. He is the father of her children after all. Their intelligence looks good, but the situation is not as expected. There is a lot of fighting and the Team must run for their lives as their extract goes awry. They end up rescuing more than they bargained for!

 

Background

 

For their first “big job” the Team is hired by the custodial parent (the mother) in an international divorce case. The father, a sitting Bolivian senator from a family with a history in the drug trade, has taken the two children he had with the mother back to Bolivia and refuses to return them. The United States State Department can do nothing so the mother decides on a little direct action of her own.

 

Dramatis Personae

 

The client du jour:

 

Collette Sabatini: The American ex-wife of Bolivian Senator Enrico Sabatini. Collette won custody of their two children Julia, aged 10, and Raymond, aged 8, but her ex-husband had them kidnapped and taken to an old family plantation in the hills of southern Bolivia. One of Collette’s security guards was killed in that incident.

 

The Team

 

Allison Cole: 16 yo kleptomaniac sex pot and one of Cat Fisher’s best friends from Atlantic City High School. She just graduated from that school and followed her friend to Jamaica when she became a suspect in a recent heist in Atlantic City. Perhaps not yet “world class”, her skills as a Prowler are formidable.

 

Cat Fisher: Officially she is Sam Fisher and the late Maria Ortiz’s 18 yo daughter. In actuality she is a full memory clone of late Caitlin Jones, the original biogentic assassin construct built by the now defunct BioWorks Corporation. This is known only to Kyle Vaduva. Some on the Team know she used to be Dominique Vadim, a Caitlin clone, but that person is also “known to be dead” for some six years now.

 

Doc Freeman: Former professor at UNLV, former assistant coroner and (formally) disgraced cyber researcher. He is the inventor of the “cyberbrain” with which he claims to have cured death itself. Although courts around the world are now looking into ramifications of his work, Disney Corporation has honored their agreements with the man and he is now rich beyond his wildest dreams. The Team bases out of his Morgan’s Harbor Hotel which he operates in cooperation with the Disney Corporation’s Port Royal Historical Theme Park and Museum.

 

Kyle Vaduva: Former C.I.A. agent now burned by the agency over incidents that he did not commit. He is now reunited with his lover from the Romanian Operation, whom he now learns is the full memory clone of the late infamous bio-genetic assassin, Caitlin Jones.

 

Nip Lacey: 15 yo girl with neon green hair, has amnesia. She was adopted by Tyne Lacey 4 years ago. She is a NET savant, classmate of Allison Cole’s, and the other of Cat Fisher’s best friends from high school.

 

Fred: ferret and “imaginary” friend of Nip’s.

 

Randy Shugart III: He is the 28 yo grandson of CMH winner, Randall Shugart of Blackhawk Down fame. He is himself an eight year veteran of Delta Force and has recently been maneuvered out of the military.

 

Roger Blackmore: Is a 28 yo former British SAS commando and demolitions expert. He was forced out of the service under a cloud of accusations of weapon’s smuggling.

 

William Eller: This is a cover alias for Thomas Rifkin, an operative for the Consortium, a group of powerful and wealthy business and political leaders who cooperate to “make things go their way”. Thomas/Max/William is a 10% owner of the Morgan’s Harbor Hotel.

 

Zahra Baudin: She is a 29 yo veteran of the JDF (Jamaican Defense Forces). Born of a Jamaican mother and a Haitian father, she is a trained “intrusion” expert.

 

 

The NPCs

 

Senator Enrico Sabatini: former husband of the client and scion of the Sabatini Drug Cartel. The Senator claims he has nothing to do with the drug business and actively opposes it. He was appointed to his senate seat almost two years ago after the death of his uncle Senator Manuel Sabatini, who was the reputed drug boss of the cartel. Enrico has been defeated by a challenger from his own party for the upcoming election for the senate seat. Enrico then surprised everyone by supporting his former rival and not running as an independent for the seat.

 

Cordila Estefan: This woman is the Sabatini governess. She is married to Raoul Estefan, the caretaker, and the two live in the children’s house on the estate. She is devoted to the children and the Team is under specific orders not to harm her. She and her husband are basically non-combatants, but she will defend the children.

 

The Action

 

Thursday, 8 September 2044

 

The Team meets and hears the plan. Their plane departs Jamaica at 9:00 am EDT tomorrow for flight to northern Paraguay. There will be a HALO insertion of Team into Bolivia at 11:00pm AST. They will head overland to the mansion which is in the hills on National Road 4. The Team will be in position by 2 am to watch house. They will spend Saturday day examining perimeter, watching the target and preparing strike. On Sunday, September 11 at about 1 am a truck with delivery to airport will drive by the guard post. This is the Team’s exit vehicle. As soon as the truck is positioned down National Highway 4 about 20 minutes later, the Team will strike. They will quietly move on the compound and take the children from the “Children’s House” on the grounds. They then will head to the truck and go to the airport in Robore which is 45 miles away. It will take an hour and a half. If they have NOT killed any garrison members then it is smooth sailing. They lift off aboard a Mexair Maria and jump out over Paraguay.

 

If they have killed some security troops at the mansion, then the airport may be overrun with soldiers and they must go around Robore and head to a back-up extraction point. If they do not make the back-up extraction point in time, then the Team will be running for the border with Paraguay.

 

Allison suggests they bring two IR ponchos to wrap the children up in, and bring some lollipops for them. She also puts forth that she can handle a gun, or even a heavy weapon. This draws a quiet but snide comment from Randy. Roger requests an Opium Streetsweeper 12mm SMG with an underbarrel 25mm grenade launcher (the company standard SMG) instead of his usual rifle. William tells the Team that he has bought two battlegloves and a pair of Rostovic Wrist Racates for fire support and requests a first aid kit. Cat thinks the kits are a really good idea and has one issued to every team member.

 

With their plans set, the Team gets ready for the mission.

 

***

 

 

Friday, 9 September 2044

 

At 9:00 am EDT the plane departs from Jamaica for the flight to northern Paraguay. The trip is uneventful, and at 11:00pm AST they perform their HALO insertion into Bolivia. The target is the center of a field about 100 meters wide on the back side of the mountain across the National Road 4 from the Sabatini Plantation. Most hit their marks right on the spot, but Nip drifts and lands a few meters from the tree line (and certain disaster). The Team rallies and moves out.

 

***

 

 

Saturday, 10 September 2044

 

Early Morning (dark):

 

By 2 am the Team is in position to watch the house. Cat sends Randy and Zahra to sneak up to the southern edge of the outer perimeter of estate to 1) clip into security system and 2) let Randy locate sniper positions. The camp is set up by the others and Doc Freeman’s gun position is prepared. The 30mm Essence is set up in a gun pit on a hill 420 meters from the main gate across the road. A natural cover is built over the length of the weapon which narrows its field of fire to the gate house. This will also conceal the huge muzzle flash from all but the gate house and anyone on that visual line of sight.

 

Randy and Zahra cross the highway unnoticed. A car is seen coming south and is stopped at the entrance of compound. This civilian car is diverted into the compound and escorted by the patrolling security vehicle. This is not unusual as the militia checks out strangers driving in the area and often solicits bribes from travelers that the troops feel can afford it.

 

Zahra searches the plantation perimeter looking for its electronic frontier and finds it. As she is attempting to splice in a tap for Nip to ride in on, Randy is on overwatch. The patrol vehicle and the civilian vehicle the Team saw earlier pull up behind the barracks. Some militia troops come out of the barracks. There the occupants of the civilian vehicle (a couple and their two young teenaged daughters) are pulled out. The two girls are dragged into the barracks as the parents are pushed towards the trees. Randy watches as the two parents plead for their lives and then are shot by a ragged makeshift firing squad. The two bodies are brought to the tree line and are tossed in. Their fading thermographic signatures disappear as there is some kind of low point in the terrain there. Randy reports this immediately.

 

Cat asks if the drones are ready to launch, and Allison has just finished with that. Cat tells Nip to drop into the security system as soon as Zahra has finished her tap. The biogen then drops into the NET and launches a Bell Mini-bee. A close examination of the grounds by the drone finds dead bodies here and there. Behind the main house, a corpse of a woman is hanging by her neck, or rather most of her body is. She has been partially dismembered. There is a communication antenna near the main house and it has been destroyed. This close examination reveals that there has been some kind of fire fight recently.

 

By now Zahra has installed the tap on the system (outer) and Nip has no problem running it. This system is crippled and all communication circuits (except for local security) are gone. Most of the security cameras are off line except for a few at the back of the estate, the front guard house and the NET security room. In that room, two soldiers are playing cards and the netrunner is dead on the floor with a bullet in his head and his brains on the back wall. Most of the security equipment appears to have been damaged in the fire fight. Nip easily takes over what is left of the system.

 

When Kyle hears these reports, he orders the Team to prepare for an immediate strike. They will hit the children’s house first and hope they are not too late. Cat, Kyle, William and Roger Blackmore move across the road and up to the perimeter as Zahra and Nip complete the neutralization of the electronic defenses. Randy spies a good sniper location that covers the approaches to the rear of both the Main and Children’s houses.

 

The strike team crosses the outer perimeter, and Randy moves to the tree in the orchard he has selected for his sniper position. Cat, Kyle, William, Zahra and Roger Blackmore penetrate the inner perimeter and move to children’s house. There they find one of the guard dogs shot to pieces close to the front door. Cat moves to the barracks to cover them. Zahra checks the door for alarms and finds none. Kyle runs his mini-camera on a snake under the door and looks around. He finds the last guard dog dead on the first floor just inside the door. Roger opens the door and enters the darkened children’s house at the head of the Team.

 

Just inside the door we have our first Awareness/Notice botch and Roger steps on a cat (probably attracted by the camera snake that was shoved under that door). The ex-SAS trooper puts down his weapon and strangles the cat. Kyle is horrified. Upstairs, a male voice is heard in Spanish. He is promising to kill that cat once and for all. Kyle sees a naked man with a cyberarm and buzz saw hand, a bottle of booze in the other hand and an embarrassingly large hard on appear at the top of the stairs. Kyle puts two silenced shots right between his eyes. Kyle and Roger move upstairs quickly and Zahra and William sweep the (empty) downstairs.

 

Upstairs in the sitting area hangs the dead mutilated corpse of Raoul Estefan, the caretaker. In the master bedroom is his wife, Cordila Estefan, the children’s nanny. She is naked, tied to the bed and has been ravaged. Kyle cuts her free and convinces her that they are there to help. She tells them that the militia has revolted and gone insane. She begs them to rescue the three children. She tells them that Pietro, the bodyguard, got the children to the safe room in the basement of the main house. The kids are safe, but not for long. They move the nanny to a closet and help her hide after giving her some medical treatment.

 

Kyle, Roger, Zahra and William move to the main house and Cat prepares to move on the barracks herself. Nip is now out of the NET and has launched the Team’s spytech Bumblebee with is carrying a 12mm SMG loaded with anti-personnel rounds. Doc Freeman and Allison have finished his gunpit and the Doc starts taking aim at the guard on top of the gatehouse manning the SAW emplaced there. Randy keeps his eyes open for the patrolling Hummer and the ground patrol that is supposed to be out.

 

The four man strike team moves up to the back of the main house from the south. The front of the house is located on the top of a rise so the front door is at ground level (as normal), but at the rear it is the basement that is on ground level. They look into the basement guest suite and sitting room but only see some light coming from the next room. The Team moves north along the basement wall which is at ground level in the back of the mansion. In the billiards room they will see Enrico Sabatini, the ex-husband, hung from the ceiling in a “stress position” being tortured by a man in flak vest, pants and a nylon helmet with 4 soldiers sitting around watching. He wants to know where the “cash stash” is. (There isn’t one here actually, but they do not believe Enrico.)

 

Randy and Kyle slide under the main window to check out the next room. In the family room there are also two more soldiers in the kitchen area, but they are on opposite sides of the room from each other. The Team briefly considers firing through the windows but realizes that it is armor glass. Zahra and William move up to the family room and they discover the double doors are unlocked.

 

Three Team members come through the door quickly and surprise the two groups. William and Kyle cut down the two men in the kitchen area. Roger steps into the archway between the family room and the billiards room and cuts loose with his 25mm underbarrel grenade launcher. He fires two ten gauge slugs at the head of the heavily armored militiaman. The first misses, but the second blows the torturer’s brains all over the room. The Team quickly sweeps into the billiards room and cuts down the militiamen as they go for their weapons. The battle is on.

 

Out of the hall to the left of the stairs up, three troops pour out. There is another brief firefight and the Team takes some hits but drops the attackers. Zahra moves into that hall and sees a safe door (the safe room) and some equipment to crack the door. A grenade then comes through the other door to that hall and washes over the Jamaican solo. The Team responds with grenades back, then rushes and kills (the remaining) two men on the level.

 

Roger meanwhile has taken down the Senator’s body and has gotten him out of the line of fire. As the Team is securing the level, William hears people on the stairwell. He fires a couple of 30mm grenades from the wrist racate and impacts them on the back wall of the landing. Unknown to the party, this first blast goes up the stairs and sends four troops into critical and one officer to serious. This stops the first attempt to retake the basement.

 

Outside, Doc Freeman has by now his maximum pluses to hit for careful aim, when the grenades announced the start of the fight. He looses a 30mm round at the SAW gunner on top of the guardhouse, and misses (a botch!). The guards do not see the first shot although they certainly hear it. Doc again fires and blows the SAW gunner right out of his perch. The three remaining men at the gate start firing with their FN-FALs, but they are at extended range and score no hits. The Essence barks again and the soldier at the gate post dies from having his leg torn from his body and sent flying into the grass across the road. The remaining two guards then run out of sight behind the armored gatehouse!

 

Randy is watching the back of the complex and catches sight of a soldier coming out the window of the barracks where Cat had gone. It clearly isn’t her and he is armed. It is a corpse that reaches the ground outside that window. A turn or two later, the ex-Delta Force sniper thinks he sees people (or a single person) intermittently through the trees. He tracks him through his instincts and the occasional sighting. His first shots knock the militiaman out of cover. The last hits him in the head. Randy then waits but thinks he hears something off in the distance by the guardhouse.

 

Back on the hill, Doc gets a shot or two off at the remaining men, but can’t get a hit. Then he hears an odd sound followed by a short whistle and an explosion about forty meters in front of him. The enemy has a mortar! Doc turns to Allison and says, “Time to move.” As they finish breaking down the weapon, another shell wizzes overhead and lands twenty meters behind them. The next round lands right beside the gunpit, but Allison and Doc Freeman are already running down the backside of the hill to the small camp where Nip is running the remotes. For the next 30 seconds eight 60mm mortar rounds plaster the top of the hill.

 

Nip has been crisscrossing the estate keeping everyone informed of enemy positions. On the Team’s video imager, she had upgraded the combat programs Cat had given her and she keeps a real time map of the estate and all enemy movements. It is only Nip who sees a man moving through the trees towards the main house. She puts this target on Randy’s map. The sniper gets another Awareness/Notice roll and now identifies his target (unknown to Randy this is the enemy sniper). The M-21 EBR turns the enemy off like a switch.

 

As for Nip, at about this time she sees the SAW armed Hummer racing from the back of the grounds towards the main house. She alerts Randy and brings the Bumblebee in closer. Randy gets a good shot on the gunner from his flank. The first shot is wide, but the second hits. His armor absorbs most of it and he swings the turret around and fires back. At first Randy is astounded that the gunner could have spotted him, but it becomes quickly clear that he is just firing wildly into the trees. Still, the gun shield is now facing him so he has no shot.

 

Nip thinks, “This is just like a video game!” She swoops behind the gunner, lines up her shot and fills him full of 12mm holes. “Whee, 10 points!” she cries! The girl continues to follow the Hummer.

 

In the main house, Kyle tries to coax the children into opening the door, but it is most likely that Pietro will have none of it. William keeps peppering the stairway with his 30mm grenades. The militia would roll a few of their own downstairs, but the Team is now well “dug in”. Then the Hummer comes screaming up to the back and cuts off the strike team’s retreat. Three men jump out, and Nip shreds one of them. The remaining two turn and one spots the remote. A burst from his FN-FAL destroys it! These two then take cover. William fires one of the two Team’s light LAWs and manages to shoot right through the vehicle and have it burst four meters behind it!

 

(GM Note: Sometimes I just hate the Maximum Metal vehicle rules! But I have to admit it was funny.)

 

Cat gets on the com and tells Randy to move and take out the gate house, but it is clear that it would take him too long to get there safely. She goes herself, now that the barracks has been “cleared”. The biogen reports that she was able to save one of the girls from the car earlier. The other had already been killed.

 

Inside the mansion the Team is starting to get worried. Finally, there is a four man rush down the stairs by the guards. A 30mm grenade drops one and wounds the others. Zahra catches the militia officer with defilade fire and cuts him down. The remaining two guards wound William but he takes them down. Roger steps into the open door to draw fire from the two remaining men outside and is lit up. This identifies where the two are and William detects the glow of their IR signatures just behind the lip of the rise at the rear of the house. His 30mm grenades take care of those two.

 

By now, the Senator has come around and told Kyle how to get into the safe room. Inside they find three frightened children and a dead Pietro. The third child is Enrico Sabitini’s older daughter, Consuelo, aged 14 by a previous marriage.

 

The Team quickly gathers some vehicles. A BMW 2040 in the barracks garage is equipped with a water cannon in its turret. They take the SAW equipped Hummer and a four wheel drive camper (the South American equivalent of the Armadillo). Cat brings the surviving teenaged girl from the barracks and they load everyone up. The senator asks if they have neutralized the garrison in the nearby village of Laguna. Cat has Nip fly the Bell Mini-bee there quickly.

 

When she arrives over the village, there is quite a sight. Over 50 men are getting in a series of trucks, jeeps, home-made armored cars and one Marder IFV (wheeled version) with 20 mm cannon, LATGM and VSAM. They are almost ready to move out.

 

Cat orders her column to hit the road. At the children’s house they spot Cordila Estefan. They stop and pick her up. Yes, she very much wants to get out of here too. The three Team vehicles hit National Road 4 and head southwest. Cat contacts her people in Paraguay for an extraction, but Bolivia has closed its airspace and is patrolling the Brazilian and Paraguayan border with jet fighters. Surprisingly the Bolivian Army is taking no action. The Team must drive to Paraguay.

 

Just after Dawn:

 

As soon as the Team gets out of the hills they head due south to the border. Cat again contacts her people and no they still can’t make it. In fact, they inform the Team that their satellites show the pursuing column is right behind them and catching up. Nip activates her deck and detects an active remote in each vehicle. When she tries to turn them off they just turn back on so she can only suppress one.

 

The Team looks at their map and sees an old bridge up ahead over a gulch. It seems to be the best place to make the now inevitable stand. Nip gets out and quickly looks for the Lo-jack on the Hummer. She takes it out with its signal still transmitting. Kyle uses Cat’s cyberdeck and locates the remote on the motor home. He just smashes it.

 

By now Roger has the six kilos of home-made plastique and the explosives kit out of the vehicle. He and Cat head under the bridge and get to work on the charges. Roger calculates that he has enough explosives to bring the bridge down only if the Marder is on it when it blows. They will have to time this right. Randy moves the Hummer behind the rise and sets up with his M-21 EBR and the last light LAW at the crest of the hill overlooking the bridge. The remaining 2 vehicles with the rest of the Team and their “packages” continue south with the Lo-jack transmitters still operational.

 

The enemy column appears with a home-made open top armored vehicle in the lead, followed by the Marder and about eight other vehicles. The pursuing militia drive right over the bridge. Roger hits the detonator, and the charges go off. The bridge sways as the lead vehicle makes it across. The Marder falls into the gulch along with one then two of the following vehicles. Randy pulls out the light LAW and moves to look down into the open top vehicle. He lays the warhead right in the opening. That armored car explodes and rolls to a stop.

 

A fire fight erupts immediately, but the Team now heads out. They jump in the Hummer and join the retreat. The Hummer quickly catches up to the other two and they stop to get rid of the rest of the Lo-jacks. In two hours they are over the border and in Paraguay. There they are picked up by an AV and flown to a Collective base where the senator and his children’s nanny are treated. At about 6 pm the Team lifts off for Jamaica in their C-23 Sherpa.

 

***

 

 

Sunday, September 11, 2044

 

The C-23 touches down in Jamaica’s Manley Airport at 11 am. There are soldiers, police and diplomats waiting. Collette Sabatini, the client, is there with passports, lawyers and a check. The Bolivian consul is there and asks Senator Enrico Sabatini what happened. The senator claims that the Team is working for him! He is effusive in his praise and thankful that they saved him and his children. Consuelo Sabatini hangs back at the airport until her ex-step mother sees her and goes to her. Collette Sabatini welcomes her ex-step daughter and wraps her arms around her. Apparently she actually does care deeply for the girl.

 

***

 

 

Postscript:

 

It seems also that the Senator is a man of honor and gratitude. The Senator matches his wife’s fee to the Team for a total of 600,000 eb. As it turns out the Senator was not aware of the magnitude of his Uncle Manuel's operation. The uncle had turned to the manufacture of synthetic drugs. Senator Enrico Sabitini had tried to close the operation down quietly, but the Militia, whose livelyhood depended on this trade decided that Enrico had to go. The militia had taken to sampling their own wares so their take over quickly got bloody and out of hand. Also, more good news, Bolivia will not press charges. In fact, the Team get a letter of thanks from the Bolivian government.

 

 

Next: Episode 25: The Runaway Heir

 

Lets face it, besides the incredible reflex score a borg can have, what makes it so difficult for a fleshie to beat a borg in hand to hand combat is the armor these metallic men(or women) have. Well, a high level martial artist with the key attack "Break" can seriously hurt a borg, as long as the martial artist can avoid getting pounded into a bloody paste. According to page 142 of PacRim Sourcebook, Armor (SP) does not reduce the damage of this attack even for full borgs. Therefore it is possible for a fleshie martial artist to defeat a full borg. StrayCatalyst refers to this in his post here, but a careful reading of the rules in PacRim Sourcebook will tell you that "Unless you are a full borg, armor does not work against throw damage." So a "throw" is not going to hurt a full borg very much, if at all. For an unarmed hand to hand attack only "Break" is really very effective. That being said, I really wouldn't want to try it with one of may characters. Still, it is an interesting tactic.

Episode 23: An Easy Security Job

 

While waiting on their first big job, the Team does a favor for the wife of a Disney executive and backs up a small security force at a corporate contract signing at the wife’s friend’s mansion. It is an easy job where not much could go wrong. Of course, it all goes to hell!

 

Background

 

The new Team is almost assembled. Cat Fisher, Kyle Vaduva and Doc Freeman along with William, a highly respected operative of the Consortium have put together a (hopefully) world class edgerunner team to 1) track down the people who have burned Kyle from his C.I.A. career and 2) make a “shitload” of money in the process. William has not yet arrived in Port Royal, Jamaica, the Team’s new home and Kyle is in Trinidad gathering some intelligence on his case when an “unofficial” request for help comes in from the wife of a local high level Disney corporate. One of the wife’s friends is married to the owner of a small corporation operating out of St Vincent and the Grenadines.

 

This friend, Christy Morse, is worried that something is not right with an impending buyout of her husband’s company. She wants some people to back up her husband’s security at the signing of the buyout agreement, which is to occur this coming weekend at the couple’s mansion in the Grenadines. The problem is that her husband’s security chief, Claude Villiers, feels this is totally unnecessary. Still, the wife has gotten her way, to a point. The Team has been asked to forgo their usual six figure minimum by the Disney executive’s wife and just “keep an eye” on the coming transaction. The Team agrees as long as nothing goes too wrong. Christy tells them, “I am sure everything will be fine. Your Team can have the use of the mansion for the week after the signing and may use the boats at the dock.”

 

 

Dramatis Personae

 

The client du jour:

 

Mrs. Christy Morse: The wife of Justin Morse, owner of Morse Communications, who is selling his company to a consortium of Caribbean businesspeople. She has “a bad feeling” about the upcoming contract signing. Her husband has allowed her to get additional security people for the signing as long as they stay out of Claude Villiers’, the security chief, way.

 

The Team

 

Allison Cole: 16 yo kleptomaniac sex pot and one of Cat Fisher’s best friends from Atlantic City High School. She just graduated from that school and followed her friend to Jamaica when she became a suspect in a recent heist in Atlantic City. Perhaps not yet “world class”, her skills as a Prowler are formidable.

 

Cat Fisher: Officially she is Sam Fisher and the late Maria Ortiz’s 18 yo daughter. In actuality she is a full memory clone of late Caitlin Jones, a biogenetic construct built as an assassin by the now defunct BioWorks Corporation. This is known only to Kyle Vaduva. Some on the Team know she used to be Dominique Vadim, a Caitlin and an agent for the Mars Ministry of Communications Special Branch, but that person is also “known to be dead” for some six years now.

 

Doc Freeman: Former professor at UNLV, former assistant coroner and (formally) disgraced cyber researcher. He is the inventor of the “cyberbrain” with which he claims to have cured death itself. Although courts around the world are now looking into ramifications of his work, Disney Corporation has honored their agreements with the man and he is now rich beyond his wildest dreams. The Team bases out of his Morgan’s Harbor Hotel which he operates in cooperation with the Disney Corporation’s Port Royal Historical Theme Park and Museum.

 

Nip Lacey: 15 yo girl with neon green hair, has amnesia. She was adopted by Tyne Lacey 4 years ago. She is a NET savant, classmate of Allison Cole’s, and the other of Cat Fisher’s best friends from high school.

 

Fred: ferret and imaginary friend of Nip’s.

 

Randy Shugart III: He is the 28 yo grandson of CMH winner, Randall Shugart of Blackhawk Down fame. He is himself an eight year veteran of Delta Force and has recently been maneuvered out of the military.

 

Roger Blackmore: Is a 28 yo former British SAS commando and demolitions expert. He was forced out of the service under a cloud of accusations of weapons smuggling.

 

Zahra Baudin: She is a 29 yo veteran of the JDF (Jamaican Defense Forces). Born of a Jamaican mother and a Haitian father, she is a trained “intrusion” expert.

 

The NPCs

 

“Bibi” Morse: Justin and Christy’s spoiled 14 yo daughter who would rather be anyplace in the world but at her parent’s “boring” mansion for the weekend.

 

Claude Villiers: An older well-known and respected French solo, who is chief of security for Morse Communications. He is planning to retire after the contract signing.

 

Danny Johnson: A 22 yo “geek” netrunner in charge of NET security for Morse Communications. He will be running NET security for the meeting.

 

Donald Thompson: A chief negotiator of the group buying Morse Communications.

 

Gerald Beckwith III: The lead attorney of the group buying Morse Communications.

 

Justin Morse: Husband of the “client” and owner of Morse Communications, who is selling his company to a consortium of Caribbean businesspeople.

 

 

The Action

 

Wednesday, 13 July 2044

 

Cat calls a meeting of the Team. She apologizes for the meager contract, but explains this is a “favor” (OK, a 20,000 eb favor) for an important Disney official. No one has to go, but there will be a small “honorarium” for the job. Of course, they do get to play in the mansion for a week after the signing so all assembled agree to go. They view the plans for the site of the meeting, but Claude Villiers has included NONE of the security details. They will have to be briefed on scene. Departure will be tomorrow morning aboard the Team’s C-23 Sherpa.

 

***

 

 

Thursday, 14 July 2044

 

At 9 am the Team lifts off from Norman Manley International Airport for the five hour flight. About 1 pm the plane lands at La Pompe Airport where a van and a car are waiting to take them the two and a half miles to the estate just south of St. Hilaire. About 100 meters SSW from the main gate is the main house. The front of the mansion faces west to the water about 50 meters away with a dock and a couple of boats. The drive comes around the north end of the house to the front door. Waiting on the porch is Claude Villiers, the security chief. His English is very good and he greets the Team courteously but coolly. They enter the foyer and are led straight back to the Grand Room where Justin and Christy Morse are waiting for them.

 

“I am so glad you have come,” Christy says. “It will make me feel so much better about tomorrow morning’s ‘business’.”

 

“We really don’t expect any problems, but Christy’s concerns are important to me,” adds her husband. “Serena, our housekeeper, will show you to your rooms, and then Claude will go over the security arrangements with you.”

 

At that Claude gives a slight cough.

 

“Yes, Claude?” Justin asks.

 

“I am sorry, but I thought we had agreed that the security details would remain confidential until after breakfast tomorrow?”

 

“Yes, quite right, but I think you should probably show them around, have them meet young Danny and get a feel for the place,” replies the client’s husband.

 

“Excellent idea, sir, I will see to it immediately.”

 

Justin Morse continues, “We will be heading out tonight for dinner and drinks with some friends, and will see you in the morning then.”

 

With an imperious gesture Claude directs the Team back out to the foyer where Serena shows them to their rooms. Zahra and Allison get the bedroom in the basement. Nip and Cat take the first floor bedroom, which will serve as the Team’s HQ. The men are all housed in the front right bedroom on the second floor. They then meet Danny, the netrunner, who is a twenty something geeky little nerd, who should pay more attention to his complexion. Danny seems a little nervous around the group, but relaxes as he meets Nip. The two seem to share a love for video games (no surprise there), but Claude nixes any gameplay for Danny.

 

The Team settles in and checks out the mansion, but they are denied access to the master suite, the daughter Bibi’s room and, of course Claude’s room. Nip is disappointed when Claude also denies her access to the security computer room. That will have to wait until tomorrow. Nip starts to refer to Claude as “Frenchie”. The name sticks and the Team begins to use it. Well, not to his face anyway.

 

Nip is wandering around on the second floor when she hears the sound of a familiar video game coming from one of the bedrooms. Curiously she opens the door and sees another teenaged girl (“Bibi” Morse) playing on a video game console.

 

Being an extremely friendly person (with little recognition of personal boundaries) Nip walks in and says, “Hi, would you like to play?”

 

Bibi turns to Nip and almost shouts, “Who the fuck are you? Claude!”

 

“I thought you might want someone to play your video with,” replies Nip.

 

Bibi gets up and crosses the floor towards Nip staring at her multi-colored hair and eccentric clothing as Claude enters the room. “Why the fuck would I want to game with a freak like you?” Then as Nip turns to see Claude, Bibi spits on the young netrunner and shouts, “Get out of my room!”

 

For an instant Nip is stunned, but then she spits right back at the spoiled little rich girl. Unfortunately, Claude chooses that moment to step between the warring kids and the spittle lands right on the solo’s expensive dress shirt. The room goes immediately silent. Claude looks down at his shirt, then over and down to little Nip and says, “You should leave now.” Nip quickly turns on her heels and leaves. There is some muttering under her breath about Bibi’s rudeness as she walks down the corridor. Claude just sighs and thinks, “Only two more days, two days (to retirement).”

 

Just after dinner about an hour before the sun goes down, Cat is sunning herself by the beach as Allison and Nip play in the water. Claude comes up and informs her that everyone must be inside by sunset.

 

Cat tries to make peace. “I know you were not in favor of us being here, but I would hope that at least we could give each other a little professional respect.”

 

“Professional respect?” mulls the French solo. “May I speak plainly?”

 

“Of course,” Cat replies.

 

“I am a twenty year veteran of the French Army, and I spent sixteen of those years in the Brigade des Forces Spéciales Terre. I have worked in the private sector for almost another twenty five years and I believe I have established a good reputation.”

 

“Yes, I looked into you, and it is an honor to be working with someone of your stature,” Cat says.

 

“I inquired into you too.” Claude looks at Cat and a hint of disgust crosses his face. “So, you come here with an ex-Delta Force sniper, a former SAS commando drummed out of the service for weapons smuggling, a Jamaican street rat with barely any military training, a doctor who makes Dr. Mengele seem like a saint, this Allison, is she someone’s plaything? Oh, and Nip, whatever she is. If I had my way I wouldn’t let her near a pocket calculator. And you, the rich, spoiled daughter of some South American secret police official and a criminal felon American father. What does he have—three years left on his sentence? Your Team does not inspire any confidence in me. This is serious business and not for a rich, spoiled teenaged girl with little to no training.” Claude lets loose a rueful snicker. “You want my respect? Come back to me in twenty years when you have earned it!” With that the French solo turns on his heels and stalks away. Cat sits there stunned. This is not going to be a fun job.

 

***

 

 

Friday, 15 July 2044

 

Morning

 

After breakfast the Team is finally briefed on the security procedures. It seems that Claude had provided only for himself and Danny to be on hand. This signing is just a formality and all the negotiations had gone fairly well. There had been no major hang ups or disputes. Danny, in the NET security room, has a 360 degree view of all approaches to the house.

 

The other side will arrive in one to two cars around noon. Donald Thompson, the chief negotiator for the group buying Morse Communications, and Gerald Beckwith III, the lead attorney of that group, will enter the premises with no more than two guards. They would also be allowed to bring two other security people who would remain with the vehicle(s) outside.

 

Claude feels that they will probably bring only half of the security force they had been allowed. Mr. Morse and his two guests will then go to the living room for a brief “social interlude”. After this the three and the security detail will enter the library where the signing would take place. Afterwards the group will retire to the back porch for drinks and a catered lunch.

 

Claude assigns the whole Team to wait in the guest bedroom on the first floor and watch the proceedings from a monitor station he had set up in the large closet of that room. “Danny wanted to do the set up, but I have done it personally,” continues the French solo.

 

As he studies the map, Randy points to some hills about a half a kilometer away to the northeast and asks, “What if they put some sniper up here and picked off Mr. Morse on the back porch?”

 

Claude looks at Randy for a second before replying, “Why kill him after the signing? They already have the company.”

 

Zahra points out that they could send in divers from the west and strike from 50 meters away.

 

With increasing annoyance Claude retorts, “Yes, and they could launch an AV assault or perhaps orbital bombardment.”

 

There is silence.

 

Finally, Cat asks, “I would like Nip to be in the NET security room. It would be prudent to have two sets of eyes there rather than one.”

 

Claude considers this for a moment and then looks to Danny who just shrugs his shoulders. “She will be only an observer; Danny will be running the show.”

 

“Of course,” replies Cat.

 

“There is one more thing,” Randy adds. “We should have sniper coverage on the second floor not only to watch the approaches, but have them covered from the start.”

 

Claude looks at the map and nods his head.

 

Cat turns to her former Delta Force operative and says, “Randy take charge of that and you and Doc Freeman set your positions to cover all the approaches you can. Also, I would like to have Allison be with Bibi and Mrs. Morse upstairs while the signing is taking place.”

 

Claude looks dubiously at Allison but says. “All right, she could be useful doing that. Now, if there are no other suggestions, everyone should check out their posts and get ready.”

 

Everyone gets ready for the coming meeting. Nip is given little to do since Danny feels like he has things covered. Well, that left Nip just checking the camera coverage. Funny thing is that she notices a gap in the coverage and points it out over the com link. Claude comes to check it out and yes, sure enough, there is a hole in the surveillance. The French solo gives Danny a withering stare and has the Team redirect the cameras to cover the gap.

 

Noon

 

About 11:50 am two cars appear at the main gate. One is a non-descript sedan and the other is a Limousine. The limo pulls down the drive and the sedan does not enter the property. Outside the main door, Claude waits as Donald Thompson, the chief negotiator, and Gerald Beckwith III, the lead attorney of the group buying Morse Communications, exit the vehicle with two well-dressed security men and approach the main door. Two other security people also exit the limo, but they wait by the car.

 

Claude greets the visitors and brings all four into the living room to meet Justin Morse. There the group chats for a while. Cat, Zahra and Roger watch the proceedings from the closet of the first floor bedroom. Finally the group retires to the library for the signing. Donald Thompson and Justin Morse sit opposite each other at the desk. Justin signs the documents and slides them over to Donald, who looks at them briefly, reaches into his coat, pulls out an Armalite 44 and blows Justin Morse’s brains all over the back wall of the library. At this point a lot of things happen.

 

In the basement NET security room, Nip notices that Danny seems a little nervous. What she didn’t notice was that Danny had switched on a pre-prepared program that looped the exterior cameras to cover the rest of the hit team running across the lawn to the house from the main gate and the two other assassins getting out of the limo in front. Their job is to kill everyone else in the house.

 

Danny draws his 9mm but Nip is not surprised and pulls her two paintball pistols loaded with knock out drugs (sleep). Danny rolls a “1”, but it is just a miss. Nip looses a pair of 3 round bursts and hits with three shots. Danny staggers but is still up. Danny fires twice more and hits both times. Nip’s armor holds up and stops the rounds. Nip remembers she is studying Gun-Fu and fires 4 more sleep rounds into Danny. The geek drops his 9mm and his eyes roll up to the back of his head as he falls to the floor.

 

In the first floor guest bedroom, the cry goes out over the com, “It’s a hit!” Roger charges into the library with his assault rifle, followed by Cat with both her Enfield Spitfires ready. Zahra remembers the two other men outside. She runs out the other door thru the living room towards the front door to stop the men outside from coming in. In the library, Claude quick draws his 14 mm Malorian Arms 3516 and shoots Donald Thompson right in the head. The corporate’s head rocks back, but he just smiles as torn up metal and plastic pokes through the hole left by the large 14mm bullet. BORG!

 

The Gemini turns his gun on Claude and he puts a fatal round in the center of the French solo’s head. Now his retirement is permanent. At this moment Roger comes through the door and pours hordes of 7.5mm flechette rounds from his Enfield LPN-1 into the two enemy security guards. Cat follows and puts four more 12mm rounds into the Gemini’s head. Cat is using SAS anti-personnel rounds which tear into the borg’s workings. This disables the cyborg’s head and blinds it. The cyborg swings and fires wildly, but concentrated fire by both Roger and Cat bring him down. On the floor, Gerald Beckwith III raises his hands in surrender. Roger considers briefly just blowing him away, but wisely refrains.

 

Upstairs, Randy tells Doc Freeman to go to the west side of the house and shoot the guards by the cars. Randy himself heads to the stairs and takes position at the second floor landing looking down on the front door. Zahra has now reached the door between the living room and the foyer and makes ready to receive the charge. Upstairs, Doc Freeman sees one of the security/hitmen heading towards the front door. He fires his Essence and the window explodes out as the round is preceded by a large gout of flame. The charging solo is blown almost clean in half. Allison gets Christy and Bibi Morse into a closet, pulls her Sternmeyer 35 and sits on her charges, literally!

 

In the front hall, the outside doors are kicked in by the two charging solos. Randy puts two 7.62 rounds in the first one’s head, and Zahra puts a burst of 7.5 flechette rounds into the second. Both go right down. The last enemy steps through the door. With his right hand he cuts loose a burst from his SMG at Randy, but misses. The solo’s left cyberarm then levels at Zahra and bathes her with a flamethrower. Now on fire, the woman screams and runs for the kitchen. Randy wins initiative and drops the last enemy in the front hall with his M-21 EBR.

 

As Zahra is putting out the flames, she looks out the back window and sees two more attackers on the back porch leveling weapons at her. The Jamaican drops behind the heavily reinforced sink as the two rake the room with automatic weapons fire. The last two attackers now enter the house. Roger, who has heard the fighting in the kitchen, enters and cuts one of the men down. Both Zahra and Cat kill the last man.

 

Doc Freeman is sent to watch the gate with his 30mm Essence and the Team calls the police. Well, the lines are “down” and the radio/cell service is jammed. Since the “enemy” controls the main gate, Cat tells everyone to get ready to leave by boat. They tie up both Gerald Beckwith III and Danny and load them into the boat. Just as they are about ready to leave, a police car arrives at the front gate with another “civilian” vehicle. The Team’s hope of rescue vanishes as the police step back and let the two vehicles move on the house. Doc Freeman blows out the engines on both vehicles before they get half way down the driveway. Then the doctor heads for the boat.

 

The distance to the airport is about two miles across the water. As they approach the airport, the Team spies a police car racing for the airport. Doc Freeman looks at the distance and judges the waves. He doesn’t think he can make the shot so he hands the Essence over to Randy. The sniper takes careful aim and puts a round right in the engine block. The police car slows to a halt.

 

“Great!” Doc Freeman sighs, “Now, I have a round from my gun wedged in a police car. It won’t take much of a forensics search to pin this on me.”

 

“I don’t know,” replies Randy. “There won’t be much left of the round after going through the car.”

 

At the airport dock the Team rushes to their plane and starts it up. Then an airport official comes up and tells Cat that the police are on their way and she cannot take off. He turns to an airport worker and tells him to move the fuel truck to block the runway. Cat cold cocks the official and tells the worker to forget the fuel truck and help get his boss inside. She “suggests” he take a long break after that. The employee agrees. The C-23 heads down the runway and lifts off. Ten minutes later the tower orders them to return to the airport, but the Team does not hear the order due to “atmospheric interference.”

 

Cat gives Christy Morse access to the radio on the flight back to Jamaica. When the Team and their rescuees arrives, Morse Security and the company lawyers are waiting. The executive’s widow tells the Team not to worry about the “police car”. Christy is one tough woman who is very skilled in the corporate battlefield. Danny cracks like an egg and implicates the group buying Morse Communications. After a little “persuasion” by Christy’s people, Gerald Beckwith III confesses and the Commonwealth and St Vincent authorities start to pick up the plotters. The corrupt police who were involved “confess” to avoid the death penalty. Already people are dropping out of office windows over this botched take over. Christy authorizes a 100,000 eb payment for the Team, and there is no legal blowback from the firefight. In fact the Team comes out well and their reputation is starting to be made.

 

 

Next: Episode 24: Not as Advertised

 

What is happening with the Team (and, yes, one has been forged here) has no effect on the greater questions and decisions that affect the world situation. Still, it is the background and perhaps foreshadows where the campaigns are headed. Kyle and Cat drop off the grid for almost two years. In that time the two prepare (along with Doc Freeman) to find the people that “burned” the former C.I.A. spy. Kyle now has a copy of his burn file. It contains highly edited but damning “evidence” about his various “treasons, murders” and “other crimes”. There is a cover letter signed by a LawDiv deputy director of intelligence with twelve specific cases cited. Some of these cases occurred “in game”. The main problem is the file is marked “Top Secret” so even having it is a crime. Oh, well, such is Cyberpunk.

When we resume play in 2044 a number of things have happened in the world. Here they are:


Timeline

2042:
June: The EU space docks at the L-2 point are finished being overhauled. Construction commences on the EUS Bismarck, a large battlecruiser. President Whindham condemns the hypocrisy of the EU as it continues to forge ahead with its military space program.

September: In the EU space docks at the L-2 point construction starts on a second space vessel: a new deep space exploration vessel, the Vasco de Gama.


2043:

February: The EU Fleet arrives off the planet Mercury and brushes aside a few haphazardly armed robotic shuttles. Vice Admiral Ernst Rolf is promoted to full admiral in honor of this “victory”.

March: The EU launches an invasion of the planet and overrun the now abandoned main base. Sweeps of the surface of Mercury find no trace of the rebel cyborgs.

May: A bomb rocks the main base on Mercury and cripples all EU ground operations. Casualties are enormous, but the true number is kept from the public. The base is repaired and a ground force is left in a defensive posture.

August: The EUS Charlemagne and the EUS Aachen leave Mercury orbit to return to Earth.


2044:

January: “Citizen’s Groups” around the United States gather a petition to have the Senate ban President Whindham from running for a fourth term.

March: A petition with 1.3 million signatures is presented to the Senate and rejected after a week’s debate. The Citizen Group Petition Committee gets a local Federal Judge to declare President Whindham ineligible to run again for President again. The case goes right to the Supreme Court.

May: Supreme Court rules that President Whindham may run for President again.

July: Of much lesser historical note: Kyle Vaduva and Catherine Fisher turn on phones in their own name in Port Royal, Jamaica. This is a message to those who burned Kyle and that is : Game On!

World News Service – Flash

 

Amid great fanfare the Russian Federation finally launched its new space cruiser, Potemkin, after years of delays due to technical problems. Russian President Ilya Tetiukov along with several members of his cabinet was on hand for the launching which was blessed by the Russian Orthodox Patriarch of Moscow. The giant vessel dwarfs the American Agamemnon class warships, and is about 10% larger than the EU Strasbourg class cruisers. This gives the Russian Rocket Corps three large warships, but still no fighter carrier.

 

The launching of the Potemkin brought condemnation of the EU government which charged the Russian Federation with attempting to militarize the space race. That charge was met with world-wide derision as the EU itself continues its space armaments race. American President David Whindham congratulated the Russians on the launching and called for increased cooperation between the two countries to counter the growing strength of “other” space faring powers that are becoming a “threat” to the peaceful exploration of the solar system. The EU responded by condemning the American President as a “dangerous warmongering cowboy” and used his statement as a justification for their own build-up of space forces. Speaking for the Commonwealth Queen Victoria II called on all sides to tone down their rhetoric and meet to peacefully to resolve the issue.

 

In the last Episode (Buckets of Bullets for a Very Cyberpunk Christmas) there is a non-standard heavy weapon mentioned called the “Essence”. Dr. Freeman uses it to blow two gangers in metal gear away with a single round each and then later shoots through a light pole and kills the ganger hiding behind it. OK, and he cripples the drive train on a van that tried to escape too. Well, it is PC designed weapon so here is a little more info on it.

As a rule we do not allow PCs to design new weapons unless done under “game” situations. Over the years we have learned that having PCs use the rules to come up with new and more powerful weapons generally leads to an “arms race” that can quickly unbalance the game. However, what is the point of having a highly trained weaponsmith character that cannot use his/her skills to their fullest extent? After all, the rule book says that a Weaponsmith level 8 skill can allow the player to make custom weapons. Our GMs got together and decided that a Lvl 8 skill should be able to “make” something new. Any design “breakthroughs” are limited to one per skill level (starting at 8) so even the most successful designer can only “tweak” the rules three times. It was decided that other skills would also be needed to do more than mix and match improvements according to the existing rules. A weaponsmith character generally needs a descent Education and Knowledge skill. Also, he/she needs a Metallurgy skill and a Chemistry skill (for ammunition mostly) of 5 to 6 (one of them has to be a 6). In addition it takes a “super” majority of the GMs to approve it, and game years to design and test it. A significant number of the prototypes and research must be done in game. This leads the would be designers to try to get the “solos” to fire these experimental weapons in combat. Most of the time the weapons work, but sometimes the firer suffers a “catastrophic” failure with “explosive results”. See Episode 4, Post 10, C.I.A. Blues for the results of Charlie’s live combat test of his experimental laser pistol.



As to just creating a new character with the necessary skills our “roll up” rules generally do not give you enough points to do this. You can get close, but you need a campaign or two to actually get good enough to do it. (And usually it takes longer) Over the years we have been playing only two players have gone this route. Yes, we have other weaponsmith characters but only two have gotten good enough to make something “new”. Nip’s player has a nomad gunsmith named Charlie Bibbleodoc which was played for years. The character is “retired” for the most part and has become rather wealthy. Still, he continues to travel with his Nomad family while his small weapons factory (Boss Arms) is located in an old town near Las Vegas that has become a Nomad gathering place and base. It is he that “invented” the “Essence”, which is named after the character’s NPC sister.

This “Essence” is based on the Barrett-Arasaka Light 20. It is a 30mm weapon firing a smaller (.45 caliber fin stabilized penetrator round, I believe) sabot round. It does 6d10 AP damage with no reduction in damage after armor. The ET version which Dr. Freeman uses does 9d10 damage. This in itself is not any “new breakthrough”, but the recoil mechanism is. This mechanism reduces the BOD minimum of the weapon by 30% (rounded to the nearest whole number) so instead of the BOD 9 minimum (for the ET version) you only need a BOD 6. The standard 30mm version reduces a BOD 6 minimum to a BOD 4. Yes the weapon is expensive, but it does quite the “hurt dance” on a cyborg. Of course, Charlie got about one year’s worth of sales before the government classified it as for “military and police use only”. Still, he does brisk sales to various world governments, police organizations and corporations. Oh yes, and various Snake Nation Nomad groups always seem to have them to defend their convoys. Charlie has licensed the recoil system to other corporations for which he is handsomely paid. Also, he is now entrusted with a number of DARPA projects which gives him and his Family government protection. Dr. Freeman got his weapon in Romania during our campaign there, and has a corporate permit from the Disney Corporation. Below is a picture (found by its creator on the internet) which we use for the “Essence” and its stats.

OK, so I am reading this thread and I see Cybernetic Jesus’ post, and I wonder: Who the hell is “Nucky Thompson” and why is my GM so excited that she wants to put his descendant in?” Well, I let my fingers do the typing and started consulting Google. Wow, silly me for not giving Boardwalk Empire a look see on HBO. The character is based on a real life American original: Enoch “Nucky” L. Johnson, New Jersey Republican political leader, Atlantic County Sherriff and one of the most successful and flamboyant gangsters of the first half of the twentieth century. He “ruled” Atlantic City and the surrounding south Jersey area from about 1910 till his imprisonment on income tax evasion in 1941. This man was a contemporary and every bit the equal of Al Capone, Meyer Lansky, “Lucky” Luciano and the other criminal titans of Prohibition America. The major difference being that “Nucky” was a peace officer then political leader. He was the man in charge of law enforcement. This was a perfect example of having “the fox guard the hen house”. Below are two links to a brief biography of the man and a comparison of the real “Nucky” to Boardwalk Empire’s fictional “Nucky Thompson” (played brilliantly by Steve Buscemi).

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enoch_L._Johnson

 

http://galloway.patch.com/articles/differe...ionalized-namee

 

Although “Nucky” lived in the first half of the twentieth century, his story could so easily be updated to the “cyberpunk” era. The man had “Style” which he was known for and the “Substance” also. The post-World War I era was a time of rapidly expanding technology after the major “dislocation” that followed the war (commercial radio, airlines, mass production and an abandonment of the old social order.

 

Well, our GM, SnowCrystal, has been happily plotting. We understand he will be making an appearance soon as perhaps our next episode (number 17) as (maybe) County Prosecutor for Atlantic County. Yes, we have only posted up to Episode 12 because everyone gets a chance to read and review the posts before they are posted. It has been a real “Cyberpunk Christmas!” So, thank you, Cybernetic Jesus for your input, although we (the players) may end up cursing your name for it!

 

 

World News Service – Flash

In scattered voting across the old State of New Jersey voters overwhelmingly approved a call for a constitutional convention to attempt to resurrect the moribund state government. Federal legislation approved last spring cleared its last legal hurtle in the Supreme Court and has freed any new state government in New Jersey from the debts that collapsed the last government. Mayor Terrence Kwame of Trenton, the old state capital, hailed the vote as the next logical step in bringing this area of the country back into the mainstream of American life.

 

“If we don’t get our act together then we will surely soon be devoured by either New York or Pennsylvania like the Hudson River Cities were,” the Mayor commented at his news conference. His honor was referring to the joining of the former New Jersey cities on the Hudson to the recently created Federal District of the Hudson which replaced the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. This act paved the way for the official debt cancellation of New Jersey.

 

This will be the third attempt to revive the old state government. The two previous attempts failed after much violence ended the lives of many of the previous people involved. Unlike these previous attempts, this has the support of not only the mayors of the major cities involved, but also has strong corporate support this time. President Whindham has strongly endorsed this new movement. The convention is scheduled to meet in the end of May or beginning of June in the old capital complex in Trenton.

 

 

{This may or may not impact on this adventure}

 

 

 

 

World News Service – Flash

 

Declaring that all attempts at a peaceful solution have failed due to the intransigence of the cyborgs on Mercury, President Claude Fountaine of the EU ordered newly promoted Vice Admiral Ernst Rolf to bring the rebellious colony to heel. Admiral Rolf accepted his orders in a ceremony aboard his flagship the space carrier, EUS Charlemagne in Earth orbit. The giant carrier will be escorted by the cruisers EUS Aachen and EUS Madrid. Three other unarmed vessels will round out the fleet. Trained marines and ACPA troopers will be on board the EUS Tellier, a large military supply and control vessel. The civilian transport ships, Barcelona and Zweiker, will serve as auxiliary supply vessels. The civilian ships are almost entirely robotic.

The new government of Mercury has condemned the EU’s action and sworn that they will resist any attempt to forcibly occupy the colony that they have built. They accuse the EU of not negotiating in good faith and claim that forcing military action was the EU’s plan all along. They have called on cyborgs on Earth to strike at the EU in any way they can. The small number of cyborgs remaining in the EU has not warmed to Mercury’s call to action, but Interpol has taken a number of politically active cyborgs into “protective custody”. Sentient Rights advocates have criticized these actions.

The trip is expected to take two years and most of the crew and troops will remain in cyro-sleep for the duration. The EU has pledged to continue negotiating, but most consider this just a political ploy. The Republic of Mars has announced the appointment of an ambassador to Mercury, and a cyborg from Mars has been given Mercurian citizenship and will serve as Mercury’s ambassador to the Red Planet. The EU has declared this an act of war, but stopped short of calling for hostilities since the United States has granted the rebels on Mercury “belligerent status”. The Commonwealth of Nations is also considering such a move. EU diplomats around the world are scurrying to talk various nations out of just such an action.

 

 

{Another major event in the Meta Plot of our campaign world}

 

 

All around the PCs the world continues on its way as people, countries and corporations go about their daily business. Sometimes the "news of the day" is typical, but sometimes it heralds a major (or potentially major) event in our world's history. Ocassionally, we will publish them here.

 

 

World News Service – Flash!

 

The European Space Agency has confirmed that transmissions from their colony on the planet, Mercury announcing a coup against the current EU administration are true. This revolt has been brewing ever since the secret EU plan to continue the colonization of this innermost planet for primarily non-cyborg humans was exposed by the Metal Society. It had been the hope of that Society to found a world that would be their own, and would eventually gain membership to the European Union. Cyborgs from many nations of the world joined in this effort and were paid a mere pittance for their services in anticipation of a home for themselves and acceptance as a viable off shoot of humanity. The exposure of the secret plans of the EU showed that the Euros never intended to fulfill their end of the agreement and used the cyborg colonists as a cheap labor force to push forward their own agenda of space colonization.

 

Transmissions picked up in the last 24 hours have announced that the rebel cyborgs have declared their independence and formed the Dominion of Mercury. Their new ruling body calls itself the Secretariat, and its leader is Secretary General Samantha Meyers, a former Night City Fire Department Brimstone cyborg, who gained notoriety in the initial clean-up after the fall of the Arasaka Tower in that city at the end of the Fourth Corporate War. After saving a small child from the rubble of that building, the child’s mother attacked the Brimstone, calling it an inhuman monster. Ms. Meyers, a decorated firefighter with ten years of conspicuous service, including pulling the late, famous rocker, Johnny Silverhand, from a burning building, put the child down and walked away from the scene convinced that most normal humans would never accept cyborgs. A number of other cyborgs at that location followed her example and withdrew from the scene. From that incident the idea of a cyborg home world was born.

 

The governments of Earth have made no official statements as yet, calling this an internal EU problem. However, The Martian Republic has recognized the new Dominion of Mercury’s independence and announced plans to send an ambassador there. The EU has denounced this action and reminded the government of Mars that they are still technically at war. Any support for an independent Mercury could endanger the fragile truce that has existed for the past 15 years.