| From: | Paul J. Adam Shadowtk@********.demon.co.uk |
|---|---|
| Subject: | The Storm Gathers (1) |
| Date: | Thu, 3 Jun 1999 23:13:17 +0100 |
>>>>>[TO: All SIGA Personell
Quinn is delirious from painkillers and fatigue. Probably, all of us are. By
the time anyone figures out what the crazy bitch is talking about it won't
matter.
Sitrep - mission achieved. Two KIA, many WIA with some of them critical,
but we won.
We won.
I've collected the footage as best I can. Someone else can decide who gets
cleared to see what. I have other things on my mind right now.
+++++begin video
The ship's deck heaves in a restless motion, as the wind and waves pluck
at her. At least it's not raining... yet.
To the north, the sky is an ominous smoky black, though, and the dying
edge of the day's light has a yellow, bruised feel.
A storm's coming. A _huge_ storm. Even the merely human feel it in their
bones.
The MV _Plausible Deniability_ rides well in the seaway, though. A roll-on
roll-off cargo vessel of fifteen thousand tons deadweight, her boxy hull
and fin stabilisers make her a stiff and steady ship, and let her maintain
twenty knots with only the occasional flurry of spray over the bow.
Stephanie and Griffyn are helping several of the crew strip away a false
deckhouse, revealing a big, twin-rotor cargo helicopter hidden inside.
"Are you sure this is going to work?" Griffyn asks, as they secure one of
the big macroplast side panels: light and flimsy, they flap alarmingly in the
wind until tied down thoroughly.
"Of course." Stephanie sounds absolutely confident. "We know their regular
supply run, we know when it's due, we just replace it with a helicopter
that looks and flies just the same right up to the point where we come
out shooting. Easy peasy. After that we just sit on the roof and make any
bad guys who come along into _dead_ guys while we wait for Mommy and
Auntie Quinn and the others to go in and kill Mr Nasty Doctor, and then if
the helicopter's still all right we fly out in that, otherwise Harley's our
backup extraction, and I'm sure Auntie Quinn has some other sneaky plans
set up as well." She finishes tightening the tiedowns securing her end of
the panel. "So that should be no problem at all."
"What about the real supply run?"
"Oh, it's going to have a Class One mishap in mid-flight." The smaller
shapeshifter chuckles. "Hardly surprising in this weather. Its synchronising
gearbox is going to have a major malfunction, that's always been a weak
spot for the Dragon, and the Doctor's people are _ever_ so shoddy about
their helicopter maintenance."
Griffyn looks startled. "How do you _know_ all that?"
"Something Mommy taught me ever such a long time ago, surprises work
best when you know they're coming but the other guy doesn't. Or like
Auntie Quinn says, never miss a chance to stack the deck."
"There's more going on here than you're admitting to, isn't there." It's a
statement, not a question.
"Of course."
Griffyn presses, "And are you going to tell me?"
"Not yet. It's bad luck. Later, if it all works, you'll see. If not, I'll tell you
then." Stephanie steps back as one of the crewmen checks the lashings.
"Okay. We've got an hour before we lift and I suggest we don't waste it."
+++++end video]<<<<<
-- Captain L R W Lynch <23:11:34/06-03-60>
Strategic Intelligence Gathering Agency
