(MD1, 5:15pm, A black van parked near the Knight's Rest Motel)
- "Eagle, this is Dumbo. I think I've heard something that might interest you: Agent Reed has a girlfriend, a woman named Emily Hanson, who works for the Department of Justice. Apparently she is missing after a plane crash over Israel."
- "Excellent! Keep monitoring their activities."
- "Will do. Dumbo out."
The man, referred to as Eagle, pushed a button on the intercom.
- "Tiner, run a background check on a woman named Emily Hanson. You should be able to pull a copy of her personnel file from Justice. Also get in touch with our operatives in the Middle East and see if they know anything about a plane crash over Israel."
- "I'll get right on it, Sir."
Paul Kenner had been with the National Security Agency (NSA) for so many years, he knew this procedure by heart. A person in love often had a soft spot that could be exploited. Perhaps Agent Reed was the weak link in the chain, that would enable them to get their hands on the device.
****************
(MD1, 5:25pm, Knight's Rest Motel)
>"I don't suppose anyone knows someone we can trust at the local field >office or Boston PD," Leo asked, searching the other faces in the room.
- "Actually, I do," Martin said, "DeShawn Fredricks and I used to play football together in college. I dated his sister for a couple of months back then. By a strange coincidence, I ran into his mother in D.C. the other day. She told me he had just made Lieutenant, here in Boston."
- "Do you think he can help us?" Leo asked.
- "I don't see why not. Just put the note in an evidence bag, and I will run it by him, first thing in the morning. By the way Tom, I got something you might want to borrow. One moment..."
Martin went over to the other room and re-appeared half a minute later with a leather briefcase.
"Here, the device will be protected in this for the time being. I usually keep my laptop in this, but I think the device is more valuable. The briefcase is lined with enough Durasteel and kevlar to stop a machine gun at point blank range."
Tom placed the device in the briefcase, and secured it with some nylon straps.
- "Aren't you afraid someone will steel your laptop, now that it it out of it's case," Jim asked Martin.
- "Not really. I've handcuffed it to the radiator and the alarm system makes sure no one tampers with it. The system could be quite a shock, literally speaking. Some of the keys are connected to a capasitor, strong enough to deliver an electric shock, that will render a grown man unconscious. Believe me, it's not a nice experience."
Had Martin told them there and then, that he was an alien, they wouldn't have been more baffled than they were now. Both Vanessa and Zenya looked at eachother and figured: "Boys will be boys, no matter what."
- "Tom," Jordan said, "You and Jim are about the same size. Why don't you change clothes? I don't feel comfortable splitting up in more than two teams, so team Alpha will consist of myself, Vanessa, Leo and Jim, posing as Tom. Zenya - you and Martin will take Tom somewhere safe to eat. Just make sure you are outside Pizzeria Uno, as back-ups, at 7 o'clock sharp."
- "OK, Chief," Zenya replied.
- "Be careful as you step outside," Martin added. "This place looks eerily like the motel where Dr. King, one of the bravest men who have ever lived, was shot."
- "Funny," Vanessa said, "I didn't picture you as an 'equal-rights-kind-of-guy'."
- "Sure I am! I even wrote a term paper on human rights theories in Law School. It covered more than two dozen theories, from Plato, via Locke and Hobbes, to Dworkin and Nozick."
- "Easy, I didn't mean to offend you."
- "None taken. Sorry about the strong reaction." Martin smiled at Vanessa. Had it not been for the whole business with Emily stressing him out, he wouldn't have reacted as strongly as he did.
---------------
Team Alpha didn't have any trouble getting out to the car. As they headed towards Natic, a gray Ford slipped in three cars behind them.
Martin placed their car another three cars behind the Ford, while Zenya dialed the number to Jordan's cell phone.
- "This is Bravo. You have a suspicious looking gray Ford three cars behind you."
- "I see it. Is anyone following you?"
- "Don't think so. Perhaps the bad guys are running a bit short on cars. We'll keep our eyes open. Over and out."
-------------
Martin pulled up to a small Italian restaurant only two blocks away from the Pizzeria Uno. They got in and made their orders. During the meal, Martin started thinking of Emily again. Zenya noticed it immeditely:
- "Perhaps it helps if you talk about it."
- "Huh? Am I that obvious? I think you're right, though."
Martin started telling Zenya how he had met Emily at an IRS office party a couple of months ago. He had trouble opening up at first, but after a while, he was all worked up. Zenya and Tom listened as Martin told them the whole story of him and Emily, and why she had to fly to Israel. Just as he finished talking, his cell phone rang:
- "Agent Reed. This is Randall Quinn. I have good news and bad news: The good news is that Ms. Hanson is alive and well, all things considered. The bad news is that she is being held hostage by a Palestinian terrorist group called the Hamas."
- "I have heard of them. Have they made any demands yet?"
- "They want two of their leaders released from an American prison and another seven members released from Israeli prisons. I'm flying over tonight to see if I can work out a deal. It looks promising though! The Israeli are willing to release all but one of the prisoners."
- "And our Government?"
- "The case is sitting on the President's desk as we speak. I'll keep you posted. Bye."
A big smile spread across Martin's face. He knew God would protect Emily. Zenya hugged and congratulated him, as they walked out from the restaurant.
The three of them were a bit early in arriving at the Pizzeria Uno. There was no sight of the other car yet.
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[NRPG] - Next post will be more plot oriented, I promise.
Kind Regards,
Krister Persson
SA-1 Martin Reed, Team Zulu, The X-Files PBeM RPG (XFRPG).
"Proceed boldly and with stealth" - Sally Solomon (3rd Rock from the Sun).
Reese McKenzie and Selena Morgan, Inexplicable in Scotland PBeM.
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Check out my homepage at: http://www.algonet.se/~kris_mia/
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