| From: | Avenger <Avenger@*******.DEMON.CO.UK> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Two go forth |
| Date: | Thu, 26 Feb 1998 02:15:00 +0000 |
>>>>>[The employees arrived on schedule, though more paranoid than I
expected. I am confident that one of them at least understands what it
is they do, however, his assistant leaves something to be desired. The
man is dangerous, not because of his skills, but his complete lack of
fear. He simply doesn't care. I am hoping that this attitude will act
on our behalf, and not endanger the mission as I suspect it might.
Ein_Schuss has achieved some interesting results however, and I believe
that he is more than capable of what he has undertaken. They are
surprisingly easy to buy. Offer them a large sum of money, and they are
happy. Is it not strange how some people will do for money, what others
will not do for faith.
+++++Include: Safehse.vid
A man walks the shadows of a large long abandoned warehouse. A single
light casting a pool of light on a makeshift table with three chairs
around it, papers spread across the centre of the table, and three fat
folders sitting to the side. An open thermos steams next to three
plastic cups.
A light grate as someone shuffles on the dirty floor, and the man turns
towards the entrance. Standing to the side of the partly open door are
two figures, one short, clad in some sort of coverall, a light chem suit
by appearances. The short figure appears more diminutive against the
huge trollish figure next to him, buzz cut hair obvious even against
the faint light from the district lighting in the distance behind them.
The man walks forward, his face still hidden in shadows, even as he
passes the table, hand extended in the universal sign of greeting,
showing an empty weapon hand. "Ein_Schuss, it is most pleasant to meet
you, I must apologise for the necessity, but you will soon understand
why this could not be sent by normal means. And welcome, Twitch, your
reputation precedes you."
The two men walk forward, the dwarf double timing to keep pace with the
long strides of the larger man. Twitch leans forward, peering with
exagerated care, and nudges the smaller man. "Hey, ES, he's a..." The
sentence isn't finished as the shorter man two lays a boot heavily
into Twitch's shin. The big man doesn't flinch, hardly noticing the
hard kick, but looks curiously at the small man, head cocked to one side
in puzzlement.
"A tole ya ta shaddup." The deep baritone of the dwarf is clearly heard
through the face plate of his suit.
"But..." The dwarf raises his foot again, Twitch obediantly clamps his
lips shut, making a zipping motion with his right hand, and muffling his
speech deliberately.
"Yes Twitch. I am a, how do you say? Dandy chomper. I apologise if
this is a surprise to you, I forgot that you weren't overly impressed by
our kind."
Twitch, about to answer, glances at the shorter man, standing with one
foot slightly cocked, and thinks better of it.
"Please gentlemen, I have coffee. Help yourselves and take a seat, this
may take a while." The elf, gestures towards the small table.
"You're alone Cat. D'ya often take these sort o' risks?" Ein_Schuss
drags a chair back, the metal legs grating on the concrete floor.
"No Ein_Schuss, only on rare occassions where a mission is of a
particular sensitivity. It serves no purpose for me to have armed
guards everywhere, that would simply serve to make employees nervous,
and consequently dangerous. I have found over the years that presenting
myself openly like this, is better insurance. I do not pose a threat to
people by myself. I carry no weapons, and offer no potential for
violence. This method has only backfired once, and that was a lesson I
learned quickly. I am far more careful these days." He sits opposite
the two men, his face still in shadow, though a metallic tattoo becomes
evident, reflecting the light in a beautiful pattern of colour. A
striking cobra, with golden eyes decorates the right side of his face.
Twitch leans forward again, further into the pool of light cast on the
table peering at the serpent, the black and silver serpent snaking
around Twitches throat and up across his left cheek a strange
counterpoint to the elf's tattoo. A vicious, and recent, still healing
scar slashes down across Twitch's right eye, cheek and lower jaw. The
already ugly, battered face just took a step towards /f'ugly/. The
short savage buzz cut hair serves only to make the visage even more
aggressive. "Nice." He sits back apparently content with his
inspection.
Ein_Schuss rolls his eyes in his head before pointing at the paperwork.
"So, what's so important that A gotta break with my ways, and come here
to face ya?"
"An assassination Ein_Schuss. Not a normal trigger job, this one will
require skill and subtlety. You are being hired to assassinate a
British Member of Parliament." The elf pauses to let this sink in.
"The man has become a thorn in the side of your employer and he wishes
him erased. The MP, Lord Francis Smitherton-Hancock..."
Ein Schuss breathes deeply, the sudden intake of breath quite distinct
in the quiet warehouse. Twitch looks at the elf, and then at ES, the
Dwarf's reaction even penetrating his thick skull. "Whassat then? Some
sort of senat'a?" Twitch's growl echoes faintly in the empty building,
disturbing the darkness with it's strange undertones. The dwarf mutters
something unintelligible, and Twitch sits back, a strange determination
on his face.
Cat-o-nine continues, unfazed. "Yes, very similar. He is not simply a
politician, the man has interests in the weapons industry and shares in
a cybernetics firm, he is also believed to be a FreeMason, but that will
be explained in the documentation."
He hands two files across, one to Twitch, who opens it, turns it around,
closes it, and sits on it. Ein_Schuss glances through the file, and
places it on the table in front of him. Next to the file, he places a
small electronic notebook. ES shuffles his chair closer to the table,
and picks the digipen from it's housing on the notebook. Glancing again
through the file, he starts to scribble a few notes on his pad, idly
doodling as he scans the sheets. Twitch sits noisily sipping his coffee,
picking his nails, and finally his nose, the temptation to mine for
something interesting obviously too much to allow politer behaviour even
in this environment, bordedom relaxes his face, adding a strange
serenity to the vicious edges and scars.
"It has become necessary that the man is permanently removed from
society. There can be no margin for error here." Cat lifts a small
square object onto the table from what must be a shelf or something next
to his chair. Pressing a stud on the surface, the object begins to glow,
showing a map. The streets wind aimlessly around each other, with
breaks for green areas, and other buildings, a large oblong building
near to a river central on the map. London. "The target follows three
routes to work, he varies the route chosen, but it is always one of
these three." He presses another button, and three streets leading to
the large building light up. "He is normally transported in a Jaguar,
similar to this one," A photograph of an elegant sports saloon, in a
midnight blue, metallic finish. "The car, of course is armoured. There
is sufficient plating on the sides and bottom of the vehicle to stop
most weapons except anti tank. That, obviously is not an option. We
cannot supply, nor can we condone the use of such a weapon. However. A
new rifle, from ILS, a British company, utilises rocket propelled
rounds. A small amount of accuracy is lost, but the power of the weapon
is quite staggering. We can acquire one of these weapons if you are
unable to secure any other method. However, it's use will cause a
greater concentration of security and Intelligence personnel to become
involved in the situation. Something we would prefer to avoid. The
roof we believe is protected against light arms fire, but it may be
possible to get a high velocity round through. Again, not a
satisfactory option. He is escorted by two state vehicles. These
vehicles contain his own security team in the rear vehicle, and a
government assigned squad of bodyguards in the first. Approximately 8
people. They are very well trained, both in evasive driving, and
combat. Dangerous opponents."
Es continues to make notes, as Cat speaks, nodding occassionally.
A thunderous fleshy rattle, rips through the silence of the building,
echoing back and forth between the walls. Twitch fidgets, strangely
embarrassed. "Soydogs." He mumbles defensively. The elf's face
wrinkles slightly, as he wipes at his nose with the back of his fingers.
Ein Schuss, safely encased in his suit, is not subjected to the
indignity of Twitch's flatulence. Though the expression on the dwarf's
face speaks volumes.
With a sideways glance at Twitch, and a light cough, Cat continues.
"Once a week, he takes a walk in the grounds of Westminster. He stands
with an Independant Party who support what the British call 'Clean Air'.
So, once a week he walks around Parliament House to protest the
pollution and smog. During this time he is covered by both his security
and the specialist teams that occupy Westminster Barracks. His
behaviour is not popular, but his personal power means that they humour
him. It is believed, though I am unable to confirm at this time, that
he has astral backup available as well. Whether that is in the form of
a mage, or some creature I do not know, neither do I understand how this
system can help him against mundane attack. I am hoping to have that
information available prior to your arrival in the UK."
Cat pauses to take a sip from his cup. "The only window of opportunity
that we are able to find at the moment, though you may find something
that you can use yourself when on site, is this." Cat presses another
button. A street lights in yellow, the track finishing at a building
which flashes green. "This is his favourite restaurant. He has been
eating here once a week for the last 10 years. He is exposed for
precisely 34 seconds between the car and the entrance to the building.
We have plans and specifications for the building which are included in
your dossiers. We do not think that the building will be penetrable.
So it may well be that your only chance will be between the doors of the
restaurant and the vehicle. This is where the spotter comes in. He
will be in the more exposed, and therefore the most risky position.
Across the street here." Cat points with a slim pen, highlighting
another building. "Is a public house, a bar. The George. It has two
bay windows that overlook the restaurant. If the spotter occupies one
of these windows, they will get a clear view of the entrance, and be
able to warn the shooter when the target is heading to the entrance.
You will need, obviously to practice this a couple of times in order to
get the timing right."
"That's me innit?" Twitch leans forward, peering at the display. "I'm
the spotta in'I?"
"Yes, that is your function Twitch. The reason it will be more
dangerous, is that these seats are very popular with tourists and locals
alike, as they facilitate a clear view of the movie stars and notables
who come in and out of the restaurant. The restaurant is called 'Tres
Chez du Henrique' and is famous across London for it's cuisine. A lot
of wannabees and famous people visit it. So the security is high, the
service excellent, and the guards extremely efficient. Also, the bar is
normally filled with media and papparazzi, along with tourists.
Anything that happens outside, will receive immediate attention. We
believe that the spotter could slip away in that chaos. However, they
will be remembered. Where the seats are popular, it will be necessary
for the spotter to be present early in order to acquire an adequate
position otherwise it will be impossible to guide the shooter
successfully. A few practice sessions, and the length of the visits
will mean that whomever sits in the window seats, will be remembered.
We have a ten day schedule for this, which gives you two attempts at the
target. One of those attempts _must_ be successful. Unless you can
find another point where they can be taken out. On successful
completion, hit this button twice."
Cat places a small transmitter on the table. Twitch reaches for it, but
the small device vanishes into Ein_Schuss' hand. Twitch glares at him,
but remains silent.
"That will warn the extraction teams that you are ready. Proceed to
this point." Again he presses the pen to the display. "There will be a
panel van, a Bedford waiting on the corner there. It's a blue van, with
Cash's Cars & Loans printed on the side. The driver will drive you out
of London. You will be transferred to another vehicle which will take
you south to Poole and deliver you to a trawler moored there. The
trawler will get you out of British territorial waters. If there is any
problem, hit the button three times, and run for cover here." Another
point of light. "This is an entrance to the underground sewer system.
Once in that system, head north for at least a mile. You will be met by
another extraction team, who will escort you out of the sewers and to a
different trawler, which again will get you out of the UK. It's
distincly possible that you will be pursued if there is anything that
gives you away. The level of pursuit depends on how fast you get out of
the area. The FRT's in the UK, have a 90 second response time in
London. Once the shot is taken, you _must_ begin your escape, or you
will be trapped. Don't believe all the hype you get from the shadows
regarding the British Police. You might see men in blue uniforms
walking the streets unarmed, but that is only a tourist thing. The
people who come after you will make Seattle SWAT look like a
kindergarten outing. They operate with government sanction that enables
them to take whatever steps are necessary to catch or kill the
perpetrators. It is because of this that the employer is paying so
highly. The risks are extreme, and any interaction between yourselves
and the security forces will in all probability, result in your deaths.
Again, Ein_Schuss writes on his pad rapidly, the small print almost
impossible to make out, though the occassional larger underlined word
can be recognised as German.
"You will be delivered to England via boat. I have arranged passage for
two from Seattle to New York. From New York, you will be boarding a
cargo vessel to Ireland. On disembarking in Ireland, you will be met at
the harbour and escorted to a small coastal vessel. This will deliver
you to Cardiff in Wales. From there you will be driven to a safe house
in London where you will have fourty eight hours to rest before the
mission schedule comes into effect."
Cat pushes two credsticks across the table. ES and Twitch pick them up,
keying the display at the top of the wedge shaped objects. A low
whistle escapes from Twitch, accompanied by the words "My, hog! Wow."
He peers at the credstick awestruck. A dreamy grin spread across the
ugly visage, making him appear even less pleasant and more predatory.
Ein_Schuss reaches across and shuts Twitch's mouth with an audible
click.
"Ya said dere was two targets." ES pockets the credstick along with the
transmitter.
"Yes. The second one is an industrialist in Germany. Your employer has
attempted to secure the man's employment through a number of means,
including hiring and extraction. Thus far the man has proved most
resilient to all offers. Your employer requires that the man is killed.
He cannot be allowed to continue as he is, and seeing as he refuses to
cooperate to more civilised approaches, something more radical is to be
considered. You will receive details on this hit during your journey
across the English Channel to Rotterdam. From Rotterdam, you will be
taken by unmarked vehicle across the German border. You'll be delivered
to a safe house, where you will have 48 hours to rest before you are
delivered to Munich. Once in Munich, you have again 10 days to scout
the area, acquire the target and decide how best to eliminate him.
This part of your employment also contains considerable danger to
yourselves. The extraction attempt failed, rather dramatically. A
European team from France was used to carry out the mission, but
unfortunately they met resistance that was completely unexpected. It
appears that another team had attempted an extraction a day or two
before. The French team walked into what was essentially a trap. They
were obliterated. This has resulted in increased security surrounding
the mark, and a considerable threat value to your mission. The payment
for these hits might be high, but you will be earning every penny.
"Now, as is standard for employment through me, you will receive a bonus
for each successfully completed portion of this. There will be limited
support available at each location, this will manifest itself in
supplying the required equipment, delivery and extraction. In London
the parameters for the mission are far more restrictive. You are free
to work in your own fashion in Germany. There will be medical services
available should you become injured, but it will only be available if
you can get to one of the extraction points."
Ein_Schuss scribbles hecticly for a moment and then looks up from his
notepad at this point. "We won't accept BuMoNa medical services in
Germany. Dis would endager both of us and the mission. Most other would
prob'ly be OK, but I want to know first, just in case."
Cat makes a note on his own pad. "Fine, we can do that. We cannot pull
you out if you are fighting security, or pursued too closely. The only
thing I will need from you is a list of the equipment you desire to be
made available to you. Whatever you request will have to be left at the
scene, as we cannot guarantee you will be able to safely transport it
across national boundries. Is everything clear?"
Twitch still looking somewhat awestruck mutely nods, handing across a
piece of tattered paper. On unfolding it, Cat reveals some scruffy
writing that looks to have been laboriously picked out with a pencil or
somesuch. The letters look almost as if they have been traced.
Ein_Schuss coughs lightly, clearing his throat. "Yeah, a coupla points
I want cleared up. Da hits. How public can dey be. You know what I
mean, the less publicity limits de options, as does collat'ral damage."
Cat nods, "The UK hit will need to be relatively quiet. The British
populace and Police take a very dim view of injuries to bystanders. The
terrorist organisations in the UK have learned this over the years, and
have an arrangement that allows security forces to evacuate areas prior
to bombs and such like exploding. If this procedure is not followed,
there is an intense and nationwide manhunt instigated. Unlike the UCAS,
British Police do not have any state boundaries, they operate as a
whole. Each division of the force sharing information and manpower. The
hit, if you take it at the restaurant - which has the greatest chance of
success according to my information, must only hit the target.
Confusion caused by random deaths amongst bystanders can be useful in
ensuring escape, but will immediately intensify the search. I would
recommend, unless options are severely limited, that you restrain from
collateral damage as much as possible. We've considered the possibility
of a bomb on the vehicle routes, but we don't know the full extent of
the armour on the bottom of the car. Many British MPs have been killed
over the decades by car bombs - the technology the British use now to
protect their people has progressed considerably. This sort of attack
would stand a chance of failure higher than a timed shot. However, it
is for you to decide the actual method after you've had a chance to
research your target on site."
"OK. And Germany?"
"We have insufficient information to make a reliable judgement, but
again, although the confusion would be useful for you, it may also
result in a more enthusiastic hunt. However, if it reassures you at
all, the customer has no qualms about innocents becoming involved.
Everybody is at risk every day. If not from a bullet, then from a
speeding car. Accidents happen. I believe the British have a
fatalistic attitude that states 'If your time is up, there's nothing you
can do about it.' Something to do with Fate." Cat pours himself
another coffee.
Twitch lights a large hand rolled cigarette. The thick blue smoke
mushrooms towards the ceiling, followed by his eyes. "So, what'cha mean
is, we gets to kill people on the side, at our own risk like. But it
ain't a good idea. Or simply, hit the mark and get outta Dodge, fast."
Cat's eyebrow raises slightly at this startlingly coherent sentence from
Twitch. Ein Schuss grins, "He plays stupid, but he ain't. It works
mostly, people ignore him, and he gets t'hear and see things dat dey
gets careless about. I figure he's got you sorted about now."
Twitch smiles, a dangerous snarl that fails to be friendly. No smile
from that face could ever be friendly.
ES continues, "De extraction," He pages through the notepad rapidly.
"You said it would be a delivery and extraction by boat. Can we trust
de people, or are dey local thugs?"
"The people involved in getting you out of the city can be trusted
implicitly, they have been well paid, and will not betray you. The men
on the boats are local pirates, it would do them no favours to hand you
in. The families and traditions of the UK crime syndicates do not take
to this sort of behaviour as well as American equivelants. There is no
Plea Bargain in British Law. So, if they hand you in, they get
themselves arrested as well, and will suffer as much, if not more at the
hands of the courts. Watch them of course, but you have no need to fear
them." Cat looks meaningfully at Twitch.
"OK, but I'll reserve de right to be trustin'. Now. The money. It's
good, but it doesn't cover all events. We might need ta hire some local
talent to create a disturbance, or for information." Again he browses
through his notes. "Dere's a few places dat we can prob'ly achieve
something by diversion rather than frontal assault. I'd rather not have
ta use my retirement funds ta hire this sort of thing. Now, you no
doubt have factored into dis here payment a number of things, which
means I figure you got room to negotiate."
Cat sits back in his chair, steepling his fingers, a broad grin on his
face. "Ah. My favourite part - the haggling."
<snipped for brevity>
Cat pockets the note from Twitch, and his notepad, rises, holding out
his hand again. "Very well then gentlemen, thank you for being so
patient, and for your cooperation in this. Again, I apologise that we
have had to resort to a meeting such as this, but as I'm sure you
appreciate, there were adequate reasons. You have 24 hours in which to
prepare yourselves and settle whatever business you have before your
flight. Your tickets are contained in the dossiers, you will be flying
an internal cargo flight to New York, so I don't expect too many
difficulties with that. I will arrange to have you're requested
equipment made available to you upon your arrival in London. Good
luck."
ES, and Twitch, looking pleased with themselves stand up. ES shakes
Cat's hand and turns to go. Twitch stands looking at the slim elf, and
eventually holds out a massive paw. "Yor OK Cat, for a elf."
"And you're OK Twitch, for a human." Cat chuckles lightly as he watches
the two mis-matched partners leave.
+++++End Include
They're en-route to the UK. I hope to receive reports of their success
within the week.]<<<<<
-- Cat-o-nine <01:40:12/02-26-59>
