Out Think, Out Smart, Out Gas
Part 4
A Get Smart Fan Fiction
By Resurgent-class
Big wave and hello out to everyone here at Part 4! Seriously don't know how it got out of control (no pun intended) like this! Lol But better planning is in order for future fan-fics definitely. And to help in that, I hope you'll keep reading and sending those reviews! Thanks everyone!
Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN ANY GET SMART ORIGINAL SERIES CHARACTERS
CHAPTER 1
"…We're gonna dieWe're gonna dieWe're gonna-die!We're gonna-dieWe're gonna die!…" Max whimpered incessantly, lips peeled back, bearing his teeth, eyes popping in horror as the interior of the trailer and the Land Rover he and 99 hid in were completely illuminated in blinding light, robbing them of the safety of darkness.
"Hayler!"
The flaxen haired KAOS agent stopped pulling on the door and looked quizzically over with arched eyebrows at the other semi to see the trailer's rear double doors completely opened and Specchi standing on the ramp.
"We-a already-a moved our things hya!"
"Gut! Gut!" Hayler nodded shoving the door shut with a resounding clang that echoed through the inside of the trailer.
"See, I told you nothing bad was going to happen!" Max shrugged at 99 who breathed in relief even as she rolled her eyes sideways at him in the gloom.
As the men behind him jumped off the ramp to head to the other vehicle, Hayler also jumped off and hammered his gloved fist on the side of the trailer shouting.
"Mikhail! Yuri! Cloze zer ramp!"
Inside the cab of the tractor unit, the driver and the passenger, both with thick black and red beards and hair heard the shout. The passenger with the red beard stuck his right hand out the window and gave a thumbs up while the black bearded driver flipped switch on the dashboard.
The ramp hummed and whined as it's leading edge rose off the floor and continued rising until the entire ramp touched the rear doors, covering them completely.
At the Northern end of the barn, 2 KAOS one lean and broad shouldered with dark brown hair and another taller and barrel chested with light brown hair in a buzz cut and neatly trimmed full beard, walked the large double doors open.
Lorenc now stood at the top of the ramp of the box trailer on the right. As the men ran up the ramp with their automatic weapons and into the box trailer, he hollered relentlessly at them.
"C'MOOOOOONNNN! MOVE IT! MOVE IT! PICK UP THOSE BOOTS YOU USELESS SHITS! MY GRANDMOTHER WITH ARTHERITIS AND ONE LEG MOVES FASTER THAN ALL YOU MAMA BOYS AND SISSIES! WHAT'S THE MATTER?!—" Lorenc's small dark glittering eyes brimmed with vindictive delight at his authority and power as he stared down each of them as they ran by while pouring on the verbal abuse and insults, his huge mouth barely closing at all. "—YOU ALL NEED YOUR MOTHERS DA HOLD YOUR HAND?! IS THAT IT?! IS THAT IT?! YOU ALL WANNA GO BACK HOME TO YOUR MAMAS AND CRY INTO HER APRON SOMEMORE?! MOVE IIIIIIIIIT!"
At the office, SS-19 emerged, having changed from her black dress into a form fitting black jumpsuit with the legs tucked into knee high, black leather boots. A utility belt with her Luger hugged her lean waist and in place of the cartwheel hat, she now wore only a black silk draped turban on her head from which hung the black veil. She held two gray plastic cylinders each one about a foot long, in one of her gloved hands. Holding the office door open, she called to the Hungarian KAOS agent manning the sensors.
"Lacza! Ideje, hogy menjen."
The KAOS agent at the console immediately slapped several switches on the controls and a loud bam echoed through the entire barn as all the lights went off, plunging the interior into complete darkness save the light form the opened doors. With his submachine gun in one hand, he jogged out of the office and headed towards the rear of the right side semi.
"Once they load up the other truck completely, it's our chance!" Max declared as he and 99 got out of the Land Rover and put their ears to the right wall of their trailer to listen.
SS-19 hopped down from Mikhail and Yuri's tractor unit cab and as she climbed onto the other one, pulling herself up to the window with the one cylinder left in her gloved hand, she called to the Northern door beckoning with her free hand.
"Yakovlevich! Baidukov!"
Both KAOS agents ran from the door towards the other semi. The floor of the trailer reverberated through Max and 99's feet and boots and up their legs as the massive diesel engine roared to life, like a monster that had slumbered for too long and now rejoiced at it's awakening.
Yakovlevich and Baidukov dashed up the ramp past Lorenc who roared with relentless malice and abusive delight at them.
"WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH YOU TWO PISS HEADS?! YOU THINK YOU'RE SPECIAL OR SOMETHING?! HUH?! HUH?! DID YOU JUST LOOK AT ME?! I'M TALKING TO YOU! YOU WITH THE STINKING DIAPER AROUND YOUR KNEES! DID YOU LOOK AT ME BOY?!"
With his roar echoing now inside the confines of the trailer, Lorenc finally joined them and pulled one side of the trailer's double door shut.
SS-19 hopped down from the cab and walked in front of the two semis, looking left and right to ensure there was no one left behind. Then she turned and walked swiftly down the length of the semi between the two vehicles. As she reached the end, she slapped a gloved hand on the side of the trailer calling out.
"Leoni! Ireson!"
Inside the cab, Ireson in the driver's seat with a gray beard and hair started up the engine while in the passenger seat, Leoni, the French KAOS agent who had been arguing with Hayler earlier, now with a blond beard and hair, flipped a switch. Even as the ramp started to rise, SS-19 hopped onto it and disappeared into the trailer pulling the remaining side of the double door shut with more than enough time to spare before the ramp rose completely over them.
"Now!" Max declared and they both ran to the head of the trailer.
Max jumped grabbing the ladder and began climbing up towards the hatch in the ceiling.
Both semi's engines purred loudly as Yuri and Leoni both exited their tractor unit's cabs and ran over to the open doors of the barn. Mikhail and Ireson both stepped down onto the clutch of their vehicles and both W900s moved forward towards the barn doors in unison.
Max's shoes slipped off the rung on the ladder due to the violent lurching of the Kenworths and he was left dangling by his hands twelve feet up in the air. 99 a few rungs beneath him cried out as she saw him hanging precariously.
"Max! Be careful!" she yelled, her entire body shaking as she struggled to hang on as the Kenworths rolled towards the entrance.
Max struggling, managed to pull himself up and get his feet back on the rungs and as the trailer shook and bounced, he continued his climb and finally reached the hatch.
"Just a second!" Max yelled down to 99 as he struggled with the lock on the hatch.
It took him a few seconds but he finally got it opened and he pushed it up, sticking his head up through it.
Max found himself looking in the direction of the Kenworth's passage—just as both tractor units passed through the barn door.
Max's eyes popped as he saw the top of the barn door hurtling towards him. Risking premature decapitation, he took the time to yank the hatch back down as he dropped down his head back inside just as the trailer passed through the door with barely an inch to spare between the top of the door and the roof of the trailer.
Inside the trailer, Max was half clinging and half squatting on the ladder as their world shook as though an earthquake was tearing down their building. 99 hooked an arm round a rung and hung on, afraid to try to climb the 4-5 rungs back to the trailer floor as the violent jerks of the trailer threatened to throw her off at any moment.
As both semi's trailers finally cleared the barn entrance, Leoni and Yuri both ran out pulling their side of the large double doors together as they did until both sides met. They slammed the external bolt on and swiftly padlocked it before making a dash after the departing trailers which were still maintaining a sufficiently low speed for them both to catch up. Leoni and Yuri managed to jump onto the steps of their respective tractor units and pulled themselves in.
Once their co-drivers were securely inside the cab, Mikhail and Ireson stepped down on the gas pedals sending the two Kenworth semis surging forward with greater power, their heavy suspensions and all terrain tires handling the ground effortlessly.
Ireson's red Kenworth tractor unit pulled ahead of the dull matte gray one driven by the black bearded Mikhail when they were about 50 feet from the dirt road though the Russian KAOS agent did not slacken his vehicle's speed.
Ireson's W900 reached the dirt road and made a right turn onto it. It was followed a second or two later by Mikhails tractor unit, swinging smoothly onto the road, it's box trailer curving smoothly as it followed before straightening quickly, matching the tractor's course.
"Aaaaarrrghhh!" both Max and 99 yelled as the momentum of the turn caused them to swing on the ladder to their left.
99's boots slipped off the rungs and she was left clinging by her gloved hands while her booted feet dangled 4 to 5 feet off the trailer floor. Further up near the roof of the trailer, Max swung to the left, both feet flying off the rungs and he was left handing by his left hand alone.
Both Kenworths arrowed down the dirt road with Mikhail's tractor unit just 3 to 4 car lengths behind the rear bumper of Ireson's box trailer.
Inside Mikhail's box trailer, Max finally managed to grab the ladder rungs with both hands and get his footing along with 99. The gyrations of the trailer was steadier now and although their hands and feet still vibrated on the rungs, they could hold on without too much problem.
"Ninety-Nine!" Max called back down. "We must be on that dirt road! But I think they're going too fast for us to jump, even if we get out! Let's get back down first!"
"Right Max!" 99 called back at him and they both descended the ladder.
As they stood on the vibrating floor of the trailer, resting with their backs against the right wall, 99 noted.
"They should be headed for Copper Road that leads to the highway."
"And they're in—a hurry!" Max noted from the pace.
The W900s kept tearing down the dirt road spewing snow and soil as they moved. Max and 99 noted the road had a number of turns and windings which the drivers took with exceptional skill and no reduction in speed, nearly tossing them badly a few times till they realized it was safest to get back inside the second Land Rover where they had been earlier.
Soon in the darkness ahead, lights could be seen moving perpendicular to them in both directions. Leoni lifted a walkie-talkie and mashed the PTT, talking through his blond beard.
"Jäger Two to Jäger Le commandant. Copper Road, en vue. Turning in twenty secoons."
Inside the trailer of Ireson and Leoni's tractor unit, SS-19 stood with her back against the second of two Land Rovers, the first being dark green and the second a matt brown in colour. The men were lounging on the floor along both walls of the trailer, sitting on sleeping bags which they have laid out.
SS-19 held her walkie-talkie in her right gloved hand but the men in the trailer with her did not hear what Leoni had reported. There was an audio jack inserted into the communication device and the wire snaked upwards over the rise of SS-19's breasts and her chest outlined by the snug fit of her black jumpsuit and continued onwards under the hem of her veil where hidden from view, the IEM was fitted inside her ear canal where Leoni's report filtered through. SS-19 lifted the walkie-talkie and spoke.
"Acknowledge."
Reaching the meandering two way Copper road, Ireson pulled the large steering wheel clockwise, executing a right turn onto it, joining the sparse traffic.
Inside the Land Rover, Max and 99 felt themselves tilting to the left.
"Copper Road." Max noted.
The two Kenworths purred smoothly along the winding road with headlights of vehicles arrowing by in the opposite direction on the road to the left of the driver's side.
Somewhere further ahead, on a small side trail joining Copper Road in the direction of the highway, Ancaster sat in a black 1965 Ford Mustang. He held a pair of high powered binoculars to his eyes. Via the amplified field of vision of the binoculars, he watched the various cars, pick-ups and other vehicles cruising up and down the winding road.
The ex-CONTROL agent sat up as something caught his attention, his fingers adjusting the focus on the binoculars expertly. He could see the lead red Kenworth W900 now, long before they could catch sight of him. Sweeping downwards with the binoculars, he noted the license plates and chuckled to himself.
Then placing the binoculars on the passenger seat alongside another device, he started up the car's engine and drove the Mustang onto the road smoothly. He turned right, fusing flawlessly into the flow of the traffic.
The traffic was not that heavy making it easy for Ancaster to see the incoming Kenworth's in his rear view mirror. They were cruising relatively fast and many cars made way for them. As he watched, the two W900s closed in behind him to about 2 car lengths and their radiator grills began filling his rear view mirror. Accordingly, he veered off to the right smoothly allowing the first Kenworth to pass. Expertly, he moved to the extreme right of the road so he could see up into the cab of the lead W900 as it moved by while his fedora brim made it impossible for the KAOS agents to see his features, even if they did recognize him.
After the first W900 passed, the second one followed suit and as he did with the lead W900, Ancaster easily noted the license plates, the drivers in them and the company logos painted on the sides of their trailers. Then keeping them in view, he dropped a few more car lengths back to avoid suspicion, allowing other vehicles to get in between him and his quarries, smirking to himself all the while at the ease with which his next payday was coming.
Max and 99 seated inside the stationery pale gray Land Rover could feel the Kenworth negotiating the gentle meanderings of Copper Road.
"Max, do you think they'll slow down when they get to the highway?" 99 enquired as they rocked gently along with the secured Land Rover.
"The way these guys are driving, I really doubt it. And we're too far from our car now da follow em." Max shook his head. "But we'll get to Denver before ten at this rate."
"On the bright side, we'll be able to keep the Chief updated right to the point we arrive in Denver." 99 pointed out.
"That's right." Max nodded in the dim light. "And worst comes to worst, we'll sabotage this truck and it'll effectively disrupt their plans."
"Even if it means revealing ourselves and resulting in our horrific, painful deaths." 99 nodded.
Max opened his mouth to confirm but froze for a moment, mouth still opened. Then he lifted a finger and said.
"On second thought—the Chief has worked really hard to set up a trap and it would just be WRONG if we let it go da waste! So it's better if we just stay put."
As the W900s negotiated the final curve in Copper road, an almost unbroken length of moving lights appeared in the distance.
Leoni raised his walkie-talkie and spoke through his blond beard and his voice filtered through the IEM inside SS-19s ear canal.
"Jäger Two to Jäger Le commandant. Trois minute to zee highway."
SS-19 in the trailer spoke into her walkie-talkie.
"Understood. Are zhere many cars behind us?"
Leoni glanced over at the side mirror at the headlights of cars behind them.
"Absolument. Several huv been with us zince we veached Copper Road. Vut I cannot tell eh, which one for certain, iz following us."
"Understood." SS-19 answered. "Proceed upon veaching highvay."
As cars gave way to them, the fork in the road leading to the highway came into view. Ancaster applied some gas pushing the 1965 Mustang forward and smoothly overtook a station wagon in front of him to get within 3 car lengths of the dull matte gray W900. He kept to the side so he could keep both of the W900s in view.
His eyes squinted in response as the red W900 suddenly surged forward smoothly leaving it's following dull matte gray companion behind. As Ancaster watched, the lead semi followed the most direct fork at the end of Copper road, cut across the south/south east bound lane of the highway before turning left onto the north bound lane beyond it. The ex-CONTROL agent's glittering eyes watched the red W900 put on more power as it surged north. His eyes narrowed as the gray tractor unit ahead of him, instead of following it's companion, turned into the right hand fork in Copper road and turned right into the south/south east bound lane of the highway.
Ancaster had both vehicles in his sight as his mind calculated the odds and scenarios even as he smirked and chuckled dryly to himself.
"Toupees, fake beards, new license plates and now THIS. You have a LOT to learn from the grown-ups little girl!—When in doubt, follow the LEADER."
With that, the Mustang arrived at the fork and Ancaster drove across the south east bound lane of the highway and turned smoothly onto the northbound lane, keeping SS-19's W900 within 4 car lengths in front of him.
99 looked up inside the Land Rover.
"Max?" she wondered. "Isn't…isn't Denver northeast of here?"
"I think so. Why?"
"I could have sworn we've turned right, which is…I think south."
"Long as we're on Colorado State Highway Ninety-One it's ok." Max shrugged nonchalantly with one hand on the Land Rover's steering wheel. "They can turn back onto the I-Seventy anytime they like. They're probably just making sure they're not followed."
Ireson shifted through the gears as the windshield wipers dashed aside the snow. His focused eyes saw what was ahead and he pulled the steering wheel clockwise executing a smooth veering onto another fork on CO-91 which veered them further North.
Ancaster's Mustang sped along and he effortlessly made the same turn and he saw the semi put on more speed as it's course straightened.
"In a hurry da get to the I-Seventy huh." Ancaster smirked. "Just like I thought. The Denver mint."
The red tractor unit continued travelling down CO-91 in it's own direction as snow kept pouring down onto the state highway. Yuri raised his walkie-talkie as Mikhail drove on almost without blinking.
"Jäger Four to Jäger Leader. We are twenty minut to E-D-Forty execution."
SS-19's voice filtered through the walkie-talkie.
"Priznannyy, Jäger Four. Inform me vunce eet ees complete."
Max sighed in the dark as the Land Rover jerked and rocked to the rhythm of the trailer as it cruised along.
"I suppose we'd better tell the Chief what's going on. I'm not looking forward to this."
"You're afraid he'll be disappointed in us?" 99 asked, her head tilting to cause her hair to slide over the shoulder of her parka and the blue of her eyes to somehow catch the minute light inside the trailer.
"No, my shoe still feels like a block of ice." Max grimaced rubbing his ear.
"Max, your T-Thirty-Seven." 99 suggested.
"Oh that's right." Max noted lifting his left wrist. "Lemme get the earpiece."
"Oh here Max! I have one for my compact phone and it comes with double ear pieces." 99 suggested rummaging in her leather handbag.
Max plugged the audio jack into his Wrist Communicator T-37 and pushed one of the IEMs into his ear while 99 used the other one.
"This is Eighty-Six calling CONTROL. This is Eighty-Six calling CONTROL. Come in CONTROL. Yes, patch me through to the Chief."
Inside the Denver Mint's command and control centre, surrounded by Mint Police still manning their consoles and CCTV readouts diligently, the Chief heard the beeping from his own T-37 and put the already jacked in-ear monitor into his ear canal.
"This is the Chief! Max! What happened?!" the Chief exclaimed, finger on the in-ear monitor as he spoke. "I expected to hear from you over an HOUR ago!"
"Yes right." Max replied. "Uuuuh, sorry bout' that Chief. We ran into electronic surveillance and it took us a bit longer da infiltrate the hideout. But we did it!"
"Good! Good! What's the situation now?" the Chief spoke with some relief.
"KAOS is on their way as we speak!" Max declared.
"What? Hinkel said the heist was timed for ten pm! They're going to be early." The Chief noted looking at the time. "Something must have caused them to move up their timetable. Do you have them in sight? The traffic is bad at this time, so don't lose them."
99 sighed at what the Chief said as Max looked about their surroundings his own finger pressed to his IEM.
"Eeeeeh…well Chief. I can promise you that is NOT going to happen."
"Well done! Now this is…" the Chief stopped himself and frowned. "Max? WHAT do you mean by that? What's that noise in the background?"
"Uuuuuhhh…"
Years of experience caused the Chief to close his eyes and bow his head, stating.
"Don't tell me—you're INSIDE one of the Kenworth trucks."
"Okay Chief, I won't." Max promised.
"But you ARE aren't you?" the Chief murmured in dismay, shaking his bowed head.
"Eeeeehhhh…."
"What happened Max?!" the Chief asked at a complete loss.
"It's a long story involving how bathrooms doors and trailer doors having the same locking mechanisms. You see…"
"I change my mind, I DON'T want to hear it!" the Chief declared. "Have you been discovered? Are you prisoners?"
"No Chief, we're fine! They have no idea we're tagging along with them right to Denver!" Max assured.
Taking a deep breath, the Chief gathered his focus once more.
"Alright! Since you're there, you might as well give us the tactical assessment. What are we dealing with?"
"S-S-Nineteen has replenished her robbery unit. We counted about seventeen, eighteen men with her now moving with these two trucks." Max reported. "That's not including their advance team of Gerd, Kerstine and an unknown number of KAOS agents who were already enroute to Denver beginning as early as ummm…half past five."
"We're watching everyone who comes into the Mint. They won't be able to get past us." The Chief assured. "What about firepower? Equipment."
"Handguns and automatic weapons." Max confirmed. "A mixture of Walther M-P-Ls, F-Ones, Beretta M-Twelves and a few MP Forties. They have their modified hazmat suits and G-P-5 masks of course. We don't see any tanks containing Super Sleep, at least inside our truck but it's likely with the advance team, like the museum."
"Understood." The Chief nodded. "Vehicles?"
"Chief, Ninety-Nine here." 99 put in. "If they've made modifications to the semi's it's not visually apparent. They've got two Land Rovers in this truck. They likely have at least another pair in the other."
"Of course." The Chief thought. "There won't be any room for them in the trailers once they load it with bullions. But Land Rovers? Off-road vehicles."
"That's right Chief." Max nodded "Together with these off-road capable semis, I'm thinking after the heist, their escape route takes them east towards the mountains."
"Where they'll likely have some form of airlift awaiting them." The Chief deduced. "Max, where is your location now?"
"Uh, we're on state highway Ninety-One." Max stated. "We're headed south for now but SS-Nineteen is paranoid or maybe KAOS got wind of Ancaster so she's doing some form of loop to confuse possible tails."
"It would make sense." The Chief noted pulling a pad from his pocket and a pen. "Look. I'll have the State Patrol keep watch over the trucks and intervene only as a last resort. If they have Super Sleep with them, it's better we confront them here at the mint where we're prepared with the antidote. Give me the descriptions of the two trucks."
"Well Chief, she's kept the original paint job for the tractor units. SS-Nineteen and her men are inside the red one and we're in the gray. But she's changed the license plates as we figured. The gray one has California plates, SAM-Five-Seven-Two. The red one has New Jersey plates, R-Y-Z-Three-Five-Six. You gat that Chief?"
"Yes." The Chief scribbled. "What about the trailers? Any company logos on them?"
"Oh yeah." Max nodded. "They've changed that too. When they purchased them from Buckman's Autos they were plain but now the gray tractor unit's trailer is painted blue with yellow letters on it that reads Universal Furnishings & Fixings. The red unit has an orange trailer with purple and red letters, spelling out Melnick's Home Entertainment & Electronics."
The Chief scribbled it down quickly into his note pad, noting.
"I'll get the descriptions to the C-S-P as well as our men here..." The Chief paused and frowning at the pad. "Universal Furnishings and Melnick's Home Entertainment?"
"Yes Chief, I was disappointed too." Max pouted. "I was hoping da get my next colour TV from Melnick's. Now I'm wondering if it's a KAOS front. But then, long as they give a great bargain and five year warranty…"
"That's NOT the point Max!"
"Is something wrong Chief?" 99 queried, leaning towards the T-37 on Max's wrist.
"Well…" the Chief looked up continuing to frown as his mind worked through the analysis. "These two companies ARE based in New Jersey and California but their market in Colorado is limited. They couldn't have more than a dozen trucks in the state at any time. You'd think they'd pick companies which are more commonplace here. Pine & Cedar's Home Furnishings, Jupiter Electronics, Blue Mist Home Steaks & Barbeque, Henry's Fishing and Camping Supplies…they're huge in Colorado with large fleets of delivery trucks based in Denver, Jefferson, Boulder and Eagle County areas alone. Universal Furnishings and Melnick's Home Entertainment's logos would be easy to spot on the roads here.—Anyway, KAOS may have made a slip to our advantage."
"I hope so too cause my current TVs' really on the fritz. Dean Martin looks like he's got a powdered wig on." Max declared.
99 sensing that the Chief at the other end was already pinching the bridge of his nose to ease his migraine quickly asked.
"What else do you want us to do Chief?"
"Well." The Chief said as he lowered his fingers from the bridge of his nose. "Is there any way you can monitor where you are?"
"Well, there's a hatch in the roof of the trailer here." Max replied looking up out the Land Rover's windshield. "But we've almost killed ourselves trying to reach it while the trucks are moving. And we have no idea where the other truck is at any time. If they're anywhere but in front of us, the drivers could spot us if we stick our heads out."
"Alright then. Stay hidden for now." The Chief decided. "We have the jump on KAOS this time so let's maintain the advantage. Contact me again if anything else happens."
"Right Chief." Max nodded.
Ireson's boot remained firmly pressed on the accelerator maintaining a constant speed for the red W900 tractor unit as it continued down the I-70 with the glittering Tenmile Creek running alongside to their right. Leoni next to him pointed ahead as they came upon another W900 semi.
"Oi sey it." Ireson nodded pulling the steering wheel to the left.
Their red tractor unit veered smoothly to the right and with a gentle nudge of the accelerator, they overtook the Kenworth in front of them which hauled a white box trailer with black and red wordings "JUPITER ELECTRONICS CORP." on it.
Before they went even 200 feet, they came upon the rear of another box trailer being pulled by another Kenworth semi and Ireson easily negotiated it, passing it on it's right. The fanciful advertisement poster on the side of this Kenworth's trailer flashed by depicting a cheerful cartoon fisherman decked out in hip-waders and outdoor wear, hoisting a huge fish from the river on a rod and in bright blue and green letterings under the fish stating "HENRY'S FISHING & CAMPING SUPPLIES".
Ancaster's glinting eyes remained unwavering and locked on the license plate on the rear bumper of the KAOS's semi's box trailer and the trailer's distinctive orange sides with the purple and red letters for "Melnicks Home Entertainment & Electronics". He veered his Mustang away from another semi that appeared behind him to his right, putting on a burst of speed to get away from it so he did not get trapped behind it. Ahead, he could see the KAOS semi bypassing another semi, this one a needlenose, Peterbilt 281 tractor unit hauling a box trailer with the green and brown wordings of "PINE & CEDAR's HOME FURNISHINGS" on it, surrounded by cartoon pictures of comfortable sofas, armchairs, recliners etc. Ancaster kept within 4 car lengths of his quarry but realized there was another red W900 tractor unit behind him honking to pass. Scowling at the minor annoyance, he veered to the right allowing the massive vehicle to pull past him on his left, the black and red wordings on it's trailer spelling "JUPITER ELECTRONICS CORP." flashing by as it did. Fortunately, it did not affect his view as this semi moved ahead quickly and the KAOS semi allowed it to pass.
"It's goin to be a bit crowded from ere' on." Ireson's cockney accent emitted from his beard as they began negotiating a curve to the right.
"Juzzer make zure we don't go SPLAT beeterveen two big tlucks oui?" Leoni grumbled.
"Oi can andle' tis big boy in me SLEEP yana?" Ireson nodded as he negotiated the turn and over took another red W900 tractor unit for Jupiter Electronics on their left.
"Pas de sommeil! Pas de sommeil!" Leoni exclaimed leaning to his right as the W900 took the turn a little too fast for his liking. "You going to get us killlt you stupide anglais!"
"Wassy!" Ireson laughed as he turned the steering wheel counter-clockwise to steer past a metallic grey Peterbilt 281 hauling a double trailer for "BLUE MIST HOME STEAKS & BARBEQUE" in red, brown and yellow letterings.
"Merde!" Leoni cursed as the letterings flashed by in a blur of red, yellow and brown on his side even as they continued to negotiate the turn in the road.
Ancaster chuckled to himself as his black Mustang sped along the curve veering past cars, vans and other semi-trailers to keep himself within range of his quarry.
"Yeah right!" he muttered satisfactorily under his breath. "Increasing speed. That'll work nice against a two time winner of the Lamont Cranston Award for Shadowing."
Ireson's red W900 finished the curve but due to the meandering nature of the I-70 at this juncture, he immediately started on another curve, even longer and towards the left. The number of semis increased further and he had to veer past one almost every 100 feet.
"Jäger Two to Jäger Le commandant!" Leoni sputtered into his walkie-talkie through his beard as the speed pushed him back into his seat. "We yar DEUX minute from za tunnel!"
"Compris Jäger Two." SS-19's smooth voice filtered over the walkie-talkie's speaker. "Essayez de rester à environ quatre à cinq longueurs de voiture du véhicule le plus proche."
"Anglais! Stay four to five cars from nearest vehicle!" Leoni repeated at Ireson before mashing the PTT and shoving it towards him.
"Got you guv'nor!" Ireson yelled at the proferred walkie-talkie.
Ancaster's eyes squinted even further as he veered out from behind another red W900 tractor unit, this one belonging to Pine & Cedar's Home Furnishings and saw what laid ahead. Starting about 200 to 300 feet before the road entered the apex of it's curve, a tunnel began due to an enormous hill off to the right side of I-70 at this point which had to be tunnelled through. The tunnel covered the entire main curve and continued for another 200 to 300 feet before ending. His target was less than 50 feet from it now and there were already several semis ahead of it entering the tunnel, disappearing into the darkness. He could just barely make out the movement of lights from the head and tail beams of the vehicles already inside.
"Not even close!" Ancaster sneered, making his rich gray goatee and connecting moustache expand.
As he expected, his quarry suddenly put on a surge of power and moved on ahead, leaving a cloud of exhaust and snow in it's wake as it veered past another red W900 belonging to Blue Mist Home Steaks & Barbeque, to plunge into the darkness, reducing it's form to the glow of it's rapidly fading tail lights.
Ancaster stepped down on his accelerator and the Mustang powered forward effortlessly. He veered past and overtook two other gray and black tractor units and whipped past the Blue Mist Home Steaks W900 just as everything went black for a second.
The world suddenly transformed into hundreds of yellow and red glows, from head lights and tail lights respectively. Ancaster could barely make out the position of his quarry. Reaching over the passenger seat, he grabbed the device lying next to the binoculars; a long CONTROL-modified night-vision scope which he 'liberated' just before his dismissal right from under the Chief's nose. The memory of this made Ancaster smile even as he looked through the night-scope as he drove. His vision was plunged into a green world spotted with blazing novas of vehicle lights. Most agents would not dare use it in such conditions which risked temporary blindness or worse. But Ancaster scoffed at such amateurs as he drove with one hand and kept looking carefully through the scope, simply closing his eye if a blaze of a headlight flared without compromising his vision.
With expert timing, he spotted the KAOS W900 again and noted it's position. With that, Ancaster tossed the night-scope aside blinking away the after image and he veered to the right past the glowing red rear lights of another semi and over took it and various cars to maintain his range.
"Procéder." Came the command from the walkie-talkie in Leonie's hand.
"Right Don!" Ireson confirmed and his right hand slapped a white button on a separate control panel installed near the bottom edge of the dashboard.
Under the chasis of the tractor unit, there were two ellipsoidal tanks specially installed, positioned in between the last set of wheels near the rear bumper. Each of these tanks had 2 rear-pointing nozzles which immediately responded to the white button by belching out matching snow coloured smoke.
The white cloud spread out underneath the tractor trailer behind and began billowing out to the sides and backwards like a wall of mist surging in from the sea. Almost every driver in whatever vehicle in the tunnel began leaning on their horns so hard the blaring almost overrode the engines in the enclosed tunnel. Vehicle after vehicle of all sizes found their entire windshield view filled with the billowing white fog.
Ancaster saw the incoming cloud and smirked.
"Getting desperate huh?"
He simply leaned on the accelerator and plunged right into the cloud, causing a hole to swirl into existence from his vehicles passage though it closed almost immediately behind him. Ireson inside the red W900 was already flicking a black switch on the control panel. Instantly, a precise humming began which could only be heard by those inside the cab. On the sides and front end of their box trailer, something began lowering from the top edges. Unseen to any observer, there were thin black cylinders built into the top edges, the exact lengths of the sides and the width of the front end of the trailer. From these cylinders, a thin film like material began unrolling itself. The leading edge was a thin metal rod, guided at it's tips by special unseen grooves at the vertical edges of the sides and front ends of the trailer. The film like sheet continued lowering until it reached the bottom edge of the sides and the front end of the box trailers, completely covering up the existing orange background and purple and red letters, spelling out Melnick's Home Entertainment & Electronics that had decorated the sides and the front end of the trailer.
Ireson's box trailer display had been transformed into a white background with the black and red wordings "JUPITER ELECTRONICS CORP." on it, as was the front end which had the word "Electronics" within a swirling ribbon like graphic.
At the same time, the license plates at both front and rear bumpers of the tractor unit and the rear bumper of the box trailer, flipped forward to reveal it was actually installed on a rolling rectangular mechanized block. The plates reading "N.J RYZ – 356" now rolled underneath to be replaced by the next face of the rectangular block which read "GAA-427 Colorado".
The interior of the cabin was a flurry of movement as well as Ireson and Leoni whipped off their zipped up black leather jackets to reveal different light coloured wind breakers underneath over heavy red or black turtle necks with Ireson expertly manipulating the wheel with just one hand as he removed his jacket.
They yanked off their toupees and fake beards as well, tossing them all onto the floor, Leoni revealing a buzz cut and neat honed dark brown stubble over his chin, upper lip and sides of his square jawed face while Ireson sported a centre parting cut of ginger hair, a clean shaven hard cheek boned face with narrow jaws and a hooked nose. As Leoni slapped off the smoke screen and disappeared through the curtain into the sleeper cab behind their seats, Ireson finished his get up by slipping a pair of black aviator glasses on over his gray eyes while pushing down on the accelerator to put distance between him and the dissipating whirl of the smoke screen.
"Jäger Two to Jäger Le commandant." Ireson could hear Leoni reporting from behind the curtain. "E-D-Forty executed."
"Gut. Tell Ireson, ce devrait être le premier véhicule à travers la fumée."
Leoni repeated the instruction in English to Ireson.
"Goddit Don!" Ireson yelled over his shoulder as he turned the steering wheel continuing on the curve inside the tunnel, almost half way through and managed to overtake another W900.
In his side mirror, just as SS-19 predicted, Ireson saw their tracker burst out from the wall of smoke behind them, at least 2 to 3 seconds before any other vehicles of any size came through. The vehicle continued to gain and close the space between them, dissipating white smoke trying in vain to cling onto it.
"Got im'!" Ireson reported shouting back at the walkie-talkie which Leoni was holding towards him from the curtained section of the sleeper cab. "Black Mustang! An e's combing fast!"
"Gut. Jäger Two. Dis à Jäger Vun, observez discrètement. Reste calme." Was SS-19's instruction
Ancaster took only 2-3 seconds to clear the smoke screen grinning to himself.
"Not good enough."
He poured on the power of the Mustang to bring him within range again of his quarry as they came into the last 200 meters of the tunnel, the apex of the curve behind them. The semi-circular patch of light at the end of the tunnel grew larger by the second as Ancaster remained focused on his target. It didn't take long before light flooded their world again as his target emerged still four car lengths ahead of him so that a few seconds later, he was also in the light of day.
"Well, Thaddeus." Ancaster chuckled dryly to himself as he pulled an IEM from within his sleeve, jacked into his own "liberated" Wrist Communicator T-37 and fitting it into his ear. "Time da pay…"
Ancaster cut himself off as he blinked and narrowed his eyes at his target.
For it was not his target.
The license plates were different. He scowled realizing he must have misjudged the position of the vehicle in the tunnel and he veered to the left, realizing it was the vehicle ahead.
Only it wasn't.
Ancaster sat up in his seat, the belt feeling tight against his big chest for once. The W900 in front of this one bore different plates AND belonged to Jupiter Electronics Corp. Growling, he floored the gas and sped right up next to the tractor unit, surveying both trucks closely. The one he had initially thought was the target but had the wrong license plate belonged to the Blue mist home steaks though it's lone driver did have a beard but no black leather jacket. The Jupiter Electronics Corp. W900 had 2 drivers, but one was a white haired man in his 50ties and the other was much younger in his 30ties but none of them were bearded.
Ancaster gritted his teeth as he yanked the IEM of the T-37 from his ear as he swung his head to his left to look at another red W900 pulling up next to him on this side. This was also from Jupiter Electronics and as he increased speed to pull ahead and look in his rear view mirror at the windshield, he saw it only had one driver as well with red centre parting hair and sunglasses.
The ex-CONTROL agent's fedora brim spun clockwise and counter-clockwise surveying the I-70 before him and the numerous semi-tractor trailers in front of him. He slammed the gear stick and stepped on the accelerator, surging forward to weave past almost each semi-trailer before him. He saw another one with a rear folding ramp but the license plate was still wrong. He moved up to the side anyway to check and realized it was again from Jupiter Electronics and the lone driver was a fat man with bouncing jowls that shook to the rhythm of his vehicle. Ancaster swung his head about so hard his neck started clicking as the fury built inside him.
As he kept passing the semis, he saw more Jupiter Electronics vehicles, the happy fisherman and camping supplies whatever they called themselves, the Blue steaks and barbeque thingy…Ancaster had stopped carrying what they were really called. All he cared about was that there was no sign of any orange box trailer with the words Melnick's Home Entertainment & Electronics on it in garish purple and red.
"AAAAARRRRRRGGGGHHHH!" Ancaster hollered, throwing back his fedora topped head and pounding his fist on the steering wheel so hard he could feel it starting to whobble on the column.
A few hundred feet after the tunnel ended, both roads of the I-70 were joined by a smaller road which veered outwards from the two parallel roads of the I-70. The two roads still followed the I-70 but moved further and further from them before veering back in several hundred feet later to merge back into the two main roads again. At the point where these two smaller roads were the furthest from I-70, the interstate extended over a gulch while the 2 smaller roads at it's side followed the gradient of the land to move through the valley. It was here that County Road 1220 came winding in from the right and travelled along the floor of the gulch to cut across both of these smaller roads at this point, underneath the I-70 forming a T-junction on either side of the interstate.
As Ireson watched, the black Mustang rocketed straight on via I-70 over the gulch and onwards.
"Es tearin on right to Denver!" Ireson reported.
"Gut. Proceed."
Upon reaching the smaller road that branched out to the right, Ireson turned their W900 into it with 2 other Jupiter Electronics semis in front of him and a few others behind him. He had to apply the airbrakes due to the gradient.
The men inside the trailer jerked with the braking as they tried to continue their poker game.
"Sumasshedshiy anglichanin! Wat he doing?!" the broad shouldered, dark brown haired Baidukov seated with his back against the wall of the trailer exclaimed as he kept getting tossed sideways with the repeated braking.
"Pazzo L'inglese can't do anyding right!" the burly Specchi grumbled as he tossed one card down.
"Mould in their brains from all that rain in England." Drapikowski shrugged.
Reaching the T-junction in the gulch itself on the right of the I-70, Ireson slowed to let the semis in front of him execute their move before himself, pulling the large wheel counter-clockwise, to turn left onto County Road 1220 itself in the valley floor.
The near right angle turn titled the angle of the box trailer as the KAOS agent hauled it into alignment behind the tractor unit. The W900 travelled along 1220 for just a few hundred feet till it reached the other t-junction and Ireson yanked the steering column counter-clockwise again to turn left onto the smaller road which headed in the opposite direction.
"Zat őrült bolond eez going to TIP us ovar!" Lacza yelled as he was tossed backwards off his butt on the floor of the trailer.
"If we go over I'm gonna plant my boot so far UP his ass it'll become his permanent CHAIR!" Lorenc growled as he himself slammed sideways against the trailer wall.
Hayler braced his gloved hands on the floor and the wall as the trailer kept jerking and shaking before raising a gloved finger to ask.
"Uuuuh, mein Führer! Are…are vee TURNING around?"
SS-19 standing as steady and unmoving as an ebony colonnade despite the tumbling and jerking of the trailer, emitted a reply through her veil which left the fabric unmoved.
"Ja. Vee ver being followed."
All the men turned towards her, gaping and eyes wide.
"CONTROL found us?!" Drapikowski exclaimed
"Nein." SS-19's calm reply was accompanied by a minor shake of her head which rustled the silk veil against the cloth of her jumpsuit. "Sumsing more unpredictable. Eet ees of little concern. Just a minor counter-manoeuvre to augment E-D-Forty. Vee have eluded zhem for now. Owver mission eez a go."
The dull matte gray Kenworth W900 rolled smoothly out from a tunnel on it's course with a swirl of dissipating white smoke pursuing it. Only now, the blue and yellow advertisement of Universal Furnishings & Fixings has now been replaced with the cartoon furniture encircled green and brown wordings of "PINE & CEDAR's HOME FURNISHINGS" on it. It's license plates of SAM-Five-Seven-Two had now been replaced by "GAA-653 Colorado".
Mikhail and Yuri had also discarded their toupees and beards and Mikhail now alone in the cab driving displayed his curly strawberry blond hair atop a narrow forehead and intense gray eyes over a narrow face and jaw. Yuri was now sitting comfortably behind the curtain of the sleeper section of their cab, his light brown hair trimmed in a crew cut above a sloping forehead.
As Yuri tossed aside his black leather jacket and adjusted the lighter Pine & Cedar's Home Furnishing's uniform windbreaker which he and Mikhail now wore, he spoke into his walkie-talkie.
"Jäger Four to Jäger Leader. E-D-Forty compleat!"
The red W900 continued to cruise swiftly along the highway as forested hills and plains flashed by on either side with Ireson effortlessly bypassing various cars and other semis along the picturesque route.
Inside the trailer, SS-19 seemingly standing in exactly the same spot all this time, lifted her walkie-talkie to her veil as the Russian KAOS agent's report filtered through the IEM in her ear.
"Jäger Leader. Acknowledge. Any problems? Over."
"Jäger Four to Jäger Leader." Yuri replied as he peered in the side mirror. "Net. No wan we kan tell. You wan us slow down? Wait for you? Over."
"No." SS-19 answered. "Proceed as planned."
"Da, Jäger Leader."