Originally written under my nic: Murdock's Doc
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As Murdock tried to come to terms with what he had been told Martin barreled in. Snapping to attention, Murdock greeted him. "Captain Murdock reporting as ordered sir." He said crisply. "LtCol Shipton said you wanted to see me after I returned from patrol."
Martin snarled as he moved past the pilot and took his seat behind his desk. "I've been asked to supply a pilot for a special operation insertion." He said flatly, not willing to share the fact that it had not been a request but rather a direct order. "Since you're suppose to be such a hot shot pilot, you're going." His expression betrayed his words. It was clear that the selection had been made based on who Martin felt was the most expendable.
"Thank you sir, I appreciate your vote of confidence in my flying abilities." Murdock said with a touch of overblown formality that hinted at sarcasm.
Martin glared at him with undisguised hatred. "You have five minutes to report to the air field Captain, now get the hell out of my office."
Murdock left the Headquarters at a run, pausing long enough to grab a private and order him to inform LtCol Shipton of the mission he was heading out on. As an afterthought, Murdock told the private to inform Shipton that he could ask Col Martin about the details if needed.
A few hours after the mission to drop off a Special Forces team deep into North Vietnam territory had left, the crew of Jolly Green 24 stepped into a native bar, that the American's had come to affectionately call the Tiger's Pissing Hole.
"God Damn, Shipton looked like he was going to shit nails after he found out Martin had sent our Captain off on a mission." Lt. Long commented as he pushed open the door to the bar.
"Martin's got it in for Murdock, and to be honest I'm not so sure I like the idea of crewing for him." Trombetta said with the sense to sound a bit guilty for sharing his opinion. "I mean I'm getting short, and nothing personal, but I wanna make it home in one piece."
Colonel "Hannibal" Smith, listened to the crew of the chopper that had pulled him and his guys out earlier in the week, and for a moment his distaste for what he heard could be read on his face.
"Trombetta's got a point Lieutenant, I mean look at the mission we flew earlier this week." Wendel added as he followed the rest of the crew towards a table. "Since when do we fly an extraction solo. I mean really, why do we have to be fucked if Martin doesn't like our pilot."
Long sat down hard on the stool beside the table, "Shipton said that he would take care of it." He defended, "Murdock's new and we owe it to him to at least stand by him long enough to give him and Shipton a chance to work it out with Martin."
"Yeah, but if we get downed before they make happy with each other, we're still fucked." Trombetta complained.
When Wendel sat down he looked from both Long and Trombetta, "Maybe we should wait and see if Murdock makes it back from this mission before we really start worrying about our own asses."
Colonel Smith continued to watch the Jolly Green crew, firmly masking the anger he felt after overhearing their conversation. To him, leadership meant several things, but most importantly, it meant taking care of the troops. The thought of a CO intentionally placing one of their men in danger sickened him. Standing up he headed out the door. This wasn't any of his business, but then again that never stopped him before. Somebody needed to remind this Martin character of his obligations, and Smith decided that someone was going to be him.
Captain Murdock tailed the other two choppers send on the insertion, wondering how he was going to be able to fake a believable crash at the coordinates that were rapidly approaching. Before he could consider the issue any further, green tracer fire shot up from the trees below.
"Evasive maneuvers," screamed the radio from one of the other choppers up ahead.
Running on instinct alone, Murdock cut the stick to the right and angled the blades to gain altitude. Before he could get the chopper up out of range he heard the tell-tail sounds of ammunition plucking at the fuselage and felt the chopper jerk. A quick glance back confirmed what he had heard. Smoke trailed from the tail of his bird. "Mayday, Mayday, I've been hit." He called out over his radio. The stick jerked out of his hand and he had to lunge for it to maintain control. The chopper jerked again and he lost control over his tail rotors.
"Can you get to a clearing for pick up?" Was the response over the radio.
"Negative," Murdock called back, "I've lost my tail so I can't turn." The helicopter seemed to choke and dip down towards the treetops. "I'm going down in the bushes." He called out as the chopper lost altitude.
As he fought to controls, Murdock noticed that the tracers had gotten thick and their aim was concentrated on the two other choppers in the formations. It almost seemed as if they were being chased away. "It's getting thick, we got to pull out." Came the confirmation over the radio, "Keep your beacon on and hide till we can bring in reinforcements. We'll try to stay with ya till you're down."
Murdock gulped down the fear that was rising in his throat. "Thanks guys." He responded back as he fought to control his crash. In the back of his mind, he wondered if this was a set up to cover the mission he had been assigned to. Then again, he wondered if this was the reason that he had been told so few details of the mission.
Back in Da Nang, another surprise attach of a sort was about to occur. It was night and the attacker moved intently towards his target. Armed with anger, Lieutenant Colonel Smith slammed open the door to Jolly Green Headquarters, startling Colonel Martin as he bent over his desk reading.
"Who the hell are you?" Martin asked in anger.
Smith crossed the distance from the door to the Colonel's desk in a few steps. "I went to buy a damn good pilot a beer tonight for saving my unit's ass this week." The Army LtCol spit out in disgust, "And I come to find out that a scum bag sent him out on another mission."
Understanding flashed across Martin's face, and that quickly turned to a scowl. "Where I send my men is none of your damn business Lieutenant Colonel."
Smith placed his hands on the Colonel's desk and leaned closer, "Anytime I hear troops talking about their CO setting up one of their own, I make it my business." He narrowed his eyes and glared at Martin. "Word has it that you've got a thing against Captain Murdock."
"Rumor's, nothing more." Martin said defensively as he backed away slightly in his chair.
"How long has the kid been here?" Smith asked remembering that the Captain's crew had said he was new. When Martin didn't respond, Smith repeated loudly as he slapped his hands against the desktop, "How long?"
Martin glared at Smith. "Get the fuck out of here before I bring security to escort you to the brig," he threatened.
"Fine," Smith said standing up, "Hide behind military protocol. I can play that game just as well."
"Get the Fu." Martin started to shout as he stood up.
"NO!" Hannibal snapped out in anger as he raised a gloved hand up to point a finger only inches from Martin's nose. "You won't explain yourself to me, then by damn you'll explain it to your CO! I'll take my questions and concerns to your General, and then we can both find out what he thinks of a dirt bag that sets up his own men." Deep down Smith wanted to knock the answers out of Martin, but the Army had very clear guidance over one officer breaking another officer's jaw even if he deserved it.
Followed by Martin's shouts, Smith stormed out of the Jolly Green Headquarters and headed for the base Headquarters. For the moment, he had confidence in the military chain of command.
"Colonel!" Yelled out a big black Sergeant while he ran to catch up.
Smith paused long enough for the Sergeant to catch up. He smiled as he watched Bosco Barracus steaming towards him like a bull. He was slower than most in his unit, but what he lacked in speed he more than made up for in bulk, intelligence and creativity. "Where you able to find anything out BA?" Smith asked as the Sergeant reached his side.
"Dat crazy pilot you sent me ta find out about, he ain't commin back." BA said puffing slightly. "Da choppers came back and they said he been shot down. Said they lost contact with him when he hit the jungle."
As news of a chopper being shot down spread through Da Nang, the pilot stumbled away from the mangled bird. Glancing back at the chopper Murdock kicked at a downed branch and slipped off his helmet. "Such a waste." He grumbled as he rubbed the back of his head. Although his left arm ached from being hitting something on the way down, the pilot was more disturbed by the wasteful loss of a perfectly good helicopter.
Rubbing his head to clear the fog from his mind he took one last look at the mangled chopper then turned and headed into the jungle. Although he didn't have a map, Murdock was reasonably sure he was heading towards the rendezvous point. This was one of those times where he was thankful for his internal compass.
Back at Da Nang, Lieutenant Colonel Smith stepped out of the Base Headquarters with a satisfied gleam in his eye. The Captain may not have been able to prevent the circumstances that had resulted in his chopper being shot down, but at least there would be justice. The General had been furious to hear what Smith had to say, and he had immediately sent an aide for Murdock's crew and the other officer's in the unit. If hisinvestigation confirmed what Smith had told him, the General intended to have Colonel Martin brought up on charges.
"They still ain't heard anything back at the airfield Colonel." BA said as he stepped away from the building to join the Colonel. "General gonna do anything?" He asked doubtfully. From his own experiences he put little trust in officers.
Smith nodded, "He's begun an investigation."
BA snorted, and smashed a bulky fist into the palm of his left hand. "What that gonna do, choppers already crashed. Pilot's already dead for all we know."
Smith pulled a cigar from the pocket of his fatigues, bit down on the tip then spit it out. Waving the cigar as he spoke, he said, "We have no way to know if he survived or not, but we still had an obligation to report what we knew." He gave the Sergeant a somber look, "We've got to trust the senior officers to do the right thing. And they will."
BA nodded and scowled as the Colonel lit his cigar. "Man that stinks." He muttered under his breath as he waved the smoke away from his nose. He snorted gruffly and stomped off to return to the temporary hooch the team had been given till they could transfer back to their own base the next day.
All pilots take a jungle survival course at some point in their flight training, during which they learn to evade capture, avoid traps, find water, and make food out of everything and anything possible. As Murdock moved silently though the jungle, he vaguely remembered dining on live crunchy insects, and gathering water from the heavy morning dew that had collected on the leaves. The bugs hadn't been great, and he had been able to deal with it better than most, but the constant thirst had been hard to cope with. Stopping, the pilot took a moment to scan the area, watching for movement, and listening for any indication of movement around him. As he scanned the area, he noted an abundance of insects, 'I guess I won't starve if I don't find this contact I'm suppose to meet.' He thought bitterly.
Resuming his walk, Murdock remembered another portion on the training, whichcaused him to shiver involuntarily. The worst of it had been the portion of the course that had concentrated on surviving capture. His own experience was something he would never forget. He had been tucked under some heavy brush, asleep for the night when they came for him. From nowhere, hands had grabbed his feet and he had been dragged through the night to a waiting box.
The flashes of shadowed images, the pounding shouts of victorious captors, the smell dirt and vegetation, and the taste of fear all remained fresh in his mind. He supposed that the memories had remained so fresh in his mind because he had spend the next three days locked in a steel box, left to think of nothing more than his capture.
After his three days were up, he had been released to go though the debriefing portion of the training. After being checked out and cleared by a doctor, a psychologist, and his instructors he had been given a passing grade. Later, after talking to several others that had been through the course, he realized that the box had been the most important part of the test. Anyone that developed claustrophobia or flipped out, ended up losing their flight status out since the box was a favorite tool used by the enemy on captured pilots.
The sound of breaking limbs and movement nearby stopped the pilot in his tracks, and brought his full attention to the present. Dropping to the ground, he dragged himself under a patch of heavy brush. 'I hope this is where I'm suppose to meet my contact,' he thought desperately to himself as he crouched further into hiding. The sound of movement continued, and as the sound drew nearer Murdock held his breath.
Suddenly the sound stopped. "You're late", whispered a voice from above him.
Murdock's head emerged from the brush and he found a shadow staring down at him. "Did you shoot me down?" He hissed out the first thing that came to his mind.
"No," the shadow whispered. "The company made the arrangements."
"They damn near killed me." Murdock snapped back in a low voice as he stood up. To him the voice sounded feminine, but in a whisper it was hard to tell.
"We have to move," the voice whispered. "NVA have been looking for you since your chopper was reported as down."
Murdock groaned and thought, 'Can it get much worse'. "Right behind you," he whispered aloud.
Less than a half-hour later Murdock followed his contact, which he had learned was a woman, to a dirt road cut through the jungle. She stopped and pulled a pack from her back. "We're in Laos now," she whispered as she pulled several items out of the pack and shoved them towards the Pilot. "Put these on."
Taking the clothes passed to him, Murdock took a moment to look at the woman. She was petite and from what he could see in the soft moonlight, she had beautiful almond shaped eyes. "Are you Vietnamese?" He asked.
She paused and glanced up to look at the Pilot. "I'm an American." She said with a hint of pride, "From Chinese descent." She added to explain her delicate Asian features. "Now hurry, we have to be going if we're going to meet the chopper that's coming to pick us up."
Murdock nodded and began to pull the rough homespun tunic over his shoulder. He winced slightly when the motion pulled on the injury to on his arm, but his contact seemed to be more interested in watching the road. 'I'll have to get this arm looked at before long.' He thought to himself as he pulled on the rest of his disguise.
"We need to walk north along this road till we come to a clearing on the other side. A helicopter will be there shortly to pick us up." She said stepping out onto the road, "Keep to the shadows and we should be fine."
After a half-hour of traveling in silence along the dirt road, they came to a clearing large enough for a chopper. The woman pointed to nearby brush and started for it without looking back. Once they were both safely hidden in the brush, Murdock whispered, "So what should I call ya? Contact seems so impersonal."
Without looking at her companion, the woman whispered back, "My name is Valerie Chung."
Murdock smiled at her, "Well hello Valerie, my name is H.M. but you can call me Murdock."
"H.M?" She whispered, "What does that stand for?"
The Pilot opened his mouth to explain that his name was in fact H.M. and that stood for nothing other than H.M. but the sound of a chopper nearing the clearing cut him off. "Looks like our ride is here."
Before the small helicopter landed and both Murdock and Valerie were on the run. Less than a second after hopping on board, the small craft went airborne again. No one spoke during the short hop which only added to the mystery of the mission. Less than 20 minutes later, the chopper landed at what looked like an ancient abandoned temple.
Valerie and Murdock exited the chopper they looked over the eerie setting. Behind them, the chopper lifted off and was gone before either agent could change their mind. "So where too from here?" Murdock asked as he continued to look around. "This place is creepy." He said under his breath.
Valerie shrugged her shoulders, "I'm not sure. Someone was suppose to meet us when we landed. We're suppose to get our props and background here before going on to the next leg of the journey."
Frowning, Murdock stepped closer to the temple. "Maybe they're inside."
Looking suspiciously at the temple and noting the excessive amount of snake like things in the shadows, Valerie said, "No, I think we should stay here."
A clicking noise caught both of their attention and they turned to what they thought was they source. Murdock and Valerie both jumped back when the pillar suddenly opened and a dim light shown from it's interior.
"Cool, this is kinda like that new TV show 'Get Smart'" Murdock said with a boyish amusement as he stepped closer to take a peek inside. Turning back he smiled, "It's an elevator or sort of an elevator. Come on lets go and see where this takes us."
Valerie shook her head in disbelief as she watched the Pilot step inside the pillar. She hesitated only a moment before following the Pilot into the mysterious pillar. As soon as she entered the pillar door closed and they felt themselves descending. "This is not exactly what I expected." She admitted. Turning to poke Murdock in the chest. "If this leads us to a pit of snakes, I am not planning to forgive you. Got that?"
Murdock looked at her curiously, "No snakes, got it." Looking around the bare walls of the elevator as it descended, he commented "One thing I'm learning about this CIA stuff is to expect the unexpected."
Expecting the unexpected offered little preparation for what they found when the pillar elevator reached it's destination. "Well I'll be . . ." Murdock stuttered as he stepped out of the elevator and did a quick scan of the busy complex.
"Ditto" Valerie whispered as she stepped out beside him.
Both agents' were so absorbed by the sights before them, that they didn't notice the suit clad figure approaching them until he spoke. "Able nine? Shadow twelve?
Ms. Chung turned quickly, "Reporting as ordered." She responded.
"Ah . . . Shadow twelve reporting as ordered too." Murdock said with a grin as he held out the hand on his uninjured arm to introduce himself, "Name's H.M. Murdock."
The somber man glanced at Murdock's hand then promptly ignored it. "We have little time. If you will follow me we can complete your preparations and proceed with the insertion." With that he turned and began to walk away.
Murdock pulled his hand back and shrugged as Valerie followed the mysterious man. "Guess I missed the rudeness course in my training." He commented to empty space as he followed the two people.
The next few hours followed in a whirl, as clothing was issued, photos were taken, and personal information was droned into their heads. Murdock learned he was to assume the name of Aleksei Izvekov and Valerie was to pose as his Chinese wife Tsung. The personal information that they had been given seemed incomplete but neither questioned their vague backgrounds since it was suppose to be a quick in and out mission.
Once outfitted and filled in on their background, Murdock's injured arm was looked at in order to assure that it would not hamper the mission. The Captain stared in awe as the CIA doctor duck taped his arm to provide support to the injury. The Doctor noticed the Captain's dumbfounded look and explained, "This is something that you would have onboard your chopper." He said holding up the roll of duck tape. "It's strong enough to offer support for the injury, and it's unlikely that you'd have to explain the unusual bandaging since this has been seen before." After finishing the taping, the Doctor covered the tape with gauze. "You were issued long sleeve shirts so this will remain out of sight. Once you complete the mission discard the guaze and smear a little dirt over the arm to give the appearance of a field situation."
"You've done this before haven't you?" Murdock asked as he flexed his arm to test the mobility.
The doctor shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not at liberty to say." He said as he cleaned up the primitive materials that he had used to patch up his patient.
"Gottcha." Murdock said giving the doctor a thumbs up.
As Murdock stood up, Valerie entered the infirmary. "Our transportation is waiting." She said in a hurried voice. "Are you all done?"
H.M. rolled down his shirtsleeve and buttoned the cuff. "All patched up." He confirmed, "I guess we'd better get this show on the road."
As the two agents for the CIA made their way through the isolated jungles north to Phongsali, the closest major city near the Chinese boarder, a meeting was taking place in DaNang to discuss a Commanding Officer's actions.
"Colonel Martin, I've spoken with a number of individuals within your command and I have not liked what I've heard." General Brown said staring at the papers he was shuffling in front of him.
"Sir, I . . " Martin interrupted.
Brown looked up from the paperwork. "You what? Have an explanation?" The balding General said leaning back in his chair. "Please, I'd like to hear it." The General said sarcastically, "Tell me why a pilot in country for less than two weeks has been sent on mission reserved for experienced field pilots. One without back up, and another a special operations insertion. All this without full indoctrination and in-theater familiarization." He rested his elbows on the arms of his chair and clasped his hands together. "Yes, I'd like to hear your explanation."
"General Brown, this pilot came from the Air Force's most elite flying squadron. I think it was reasonable to expect him to be familiar with all matters covered during . . . "
Brown slapped his hands on his desk. "Captain Murdock came from a God Damn public relations squadron! What the hell kind of ass backwards reason were you using Martin!" Brown pushed his chair away from the desk and stood up and began pacing. "Exactly how the hell do you think I felt having a Green Beret Colonel come in here and remind me of the responsibilities of a Commanding Officer." The General stopped and glared at Martin. "And to make matters worse, he was right!"
"I . . " Martin tried to explain.
"Shut up Martin!" Brown snapped, "Just shut up!"
Martin's face turned red as Brown came around to the front of the desk to stand less than a foot in front of him.
"Your ass is going to be flying off my flag pole if this pilot doesn't make it back, do you hear me Martin?" Brown yelled, "Hell, your ass just might be flying off my flag pole if he does!"
"Yes sir." Martin said in a whisper.
The General placed his hands on his hips and stared at the floor in disgust. "I've heard the scuttle about your little whinny bull shit about the Thunderbirds Martin." Brown said flatly. "And I'm not impressed."
"Sir, that has nothing to do with it." Martin defended.
"BULL SHIT!" The General spat back. "You get you petty ego bruised and now you take it out on a kid that you should be thanking god to get in your squadron."
Martin shifted uncomfortably and avoided looking into the General's face.
There was a pregnant silence that followed the General's explanation while Martin waited for Brown to speak again. He couldn't accept that he had done anything wrong. It had been his intent to teach the know-it-all primadonna a lesson, and that was a perfectly acceptable action for a CO to take.
Brown snorted in disgust. "In accordance with my rights as Commanding Officer, as outlined in Article 15 of the UCMJ, you are immediately reduced in rank to Lieutenant Colonel." Brown said firmly. "Your record will be documented with violations of Art. 81. Conspiracy, Article 93 Cruelty and maltreatment, Article 98 Noncompliance with procedural rules, Article 133 Conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman, and Article 134. General article. It is your right to appeal these charges by request of Court Martial proceedings."
'That God Damned Thunderbird screws up and I'm being punished.' Martin thought to himself. 'He's going to pay!' He repeated in his mind over and over.
A glorious sunset welcomed a Russian Antonov AN-24 passenger plane into the sky as its twin Ivchenko AI-24 engines lifted the plane gracefully lifted the plane off the runway of the small airport just outside Phongsali.
As the plane leveled out and headed north, the pilot and his co-pilot spoke softly to each other so not to disturb the distinguished passengers they were transporting. Both aviators were minor support members of the KGB who had been assigned to the backward country of Laos to aid Russian operations in the Southeast Asia region. Most of their work had been boring transport runs that were nothing more than personnel exchanges. It had been an exciting honor when Aleksei Izvekov and his wife had shown up that afternoon with orders to be flown to the Chinese City of Siamo in the Yun Nan province. The orders had been issued directly from the Kremlin and carried the highest level of security that either of the pilot's had ever encountered.
In the back of the plane, Murdock and Valerie relaxed in their seats as being the sole passengers on a plane that carried 44 to 52 people was perfectly normal.
"I don't believe they bought it." Murdock whispered in amazement.
"Speak Russian." Valerie whispered back in Russian.
"Izvinite (Excuse me)" Murdock replied quickly.
Valerie smiled and took his hand in hers and whispered in Russian, "The pilot's are curious about us."
Murdock lifted Valerie's hand and kissed a knuckle, "Noticed." He responded with ease. "We need to discuss our plans once we land."
Valerie nodded and smiled. "Which is easily done while giving the appearance of normal husband and wife affection."
By the time the plane landed in Siamo, the aviators were sure that Izvekov and his wife were the perfect couple. Both pilots assumed that the couple's duties to Mother Russia gave them little time to enjoy each other's company so they made no attempt to disturb them.
When the plane landed, it was met by a Chinese army platoon headed up by an officer looked so angry that it appeared as if he had been kicked in the balls. When the door to the plane opened, the Chinese officer stepped forward.
Murdock stepped into the hatchway and paused to glance over the troops that had obviously been scrambled to meet the unexpected arrival by Russians. Biting down the nervousness he felt, Murdock gazed at the troops with bored disinterest. Taking his time, the Captain finally let his gaze rest of the officer. "As a gesture of friendship between our great countries, I will not inform the Kremlin of the lacking reception." Murdock said in an arrogant tone as he stepped off the plane. "But then I do have a great tolerance for my wife's people." He glanced up at the plane and Valerie made her appearance as if on cue.
Stepping down from the plane in smooth fluid motion, Valerie moved to stand beside Murdock. With a soft nod of her head to acknowledge the Chinese Officer, Valerie spoke in Chinese. "Please forgive my husband Major, as you are well aware Russian Defense representatives can be so arrogant." She smiled at Murdock, the perfect picture of a devoted wife. "May I introduce Aleksei Izvekov, defense analyst of Soviet Union foreign policy agency."
"We have received no notification and there is no authorization for a visit from the Soviet Union." The Major said gruffly, with less confidence than he had only moments before the passengers had stepped off the plane. "I can not permit . . "
Murdock laughed, "The great Soviet Union decides to investigate the possibility of helping its neighbor prevent the American's attempt to spread its government into Southeast Asia and you speak of permitting me. HA!" He turned to Valerie, "Tsung, it appears we are not welcome."
"We have been sent to speak with Sung Lau Cho and I am sure that this temporary mix up will be resolved." Valerie said with a shrug.
The Chinese Major had the sense to look uncomfortable at the mention of Cho's name.
Murdock shook his head and ranted, "It is the same as the Cuban incident my dear, The American's continue to use their influence to keep the rightful government of a country from accepting the superior Communist policy."
Valerie patted Murdock's arm, "Aleksei, it will not be the same as Cuba."
The Major's confusion grew as his confidence declined. "You will be escorted to visitor quarters, but I must confirm the purpose of your presence in our country before you can move freely."
The suite of rooms they were placed in was small and bare. When the guards closed the door to leave them alone, both Murdock and Valerie began searching the room.
"This will look well in my report." Murdock said out loud just in case they were being monitored.
"It is a step above a prison my darling," Valerie said following Murdock's lead. "But still, it is as you said they would do. Their security measures are adequate." Under the edge of a communist motivational picture Valerie found a small microphone. Waving her hands to get Murdock's attention she pointed to the device.
Nodding an acknowledgment that he understood, Murdock continued to speak. "I am however disappointed that they were not aware of our visit before got off the plane. The KGB would have known."
"Please my love, I do not wish to argue about the differences between my people and yours. Our goals are the same." Valerie said with a smile.
Murdock laughed, "My dear Tsung, I always enjoy our discussions."
Valerie snorted, "Ah yes, was it not our last discussion that you informed me that Russians invented rice?"
Murdock laughed again, enjoying the act they were putting on for the listening devices. "Still you doubt it."
Several buildings away, the Chinese Major reported to General Cho's office. "The Russian, Aleksei Izvekov and his wife Tsung Lee both have been confirmed by Moscow General. The intent of the visit is to inspect the supply line to North Vietnam to determine if the Soviet Union can be of assistance in our efforts."
"The Soviet's initially ignored my request for assistance." Cho said with a raised brow. "Have they indicated any knowledge of who I am?"
"No General, but the opportunity to discuss the matter did not present itself." The Major said nervously. The North Vietnamese General made him more nervous than an entire division of Russians ever could. The man that had been recently caught had been the first in China to experience the full level of cruelty that Cho was capable of. "What do you wish me to do?"
"Escort them on a tour of our operations." Cho said quickly, "But watch them. The first hint that they are not who they claim to be, and they will be mine to deal with."
The Major bowed, "As you wish General."
Bright and early the next morning, the Chinese Major greeted the Izvekov's and escorted them to breakfast. "Please forgive the inhospitable treatment you received yesterday," Major Che said apologetically, "But I am sure you understand the need for security."
"Da (Yes)" Murdock said as he sipped the thick coffee that had been placed before him. "We understand. In fact you would have received similar treatment if our circumstances were reversed."
"But your KGB would have known of our visit long before our arrival." Major Che said smugly, knowing fully what the Russian couple had discussed the night before.
Murdock aka Aleksei Izvekov laughed. "True, we would have known."
Valerie gave Murdock a knowing smile. At least the mystery of who had been listening on the other end of the microphones had been solved.
"So we review your operation today, correct?" Murdock said moving the conversation in the direction that would accomplish their mission. "We have little time and must return to Moscow tomorrow with my report."
Che nodded, "I understand." He glanced from Aleksei to Tsung, "We can begin after our meal."
Murdock nodded approvingly, but Valerie interrupted, "Major, if you will forgive me, I have no interest in my husband's duties to the Soviet Union. If possible I would like to take advantage of Siamo's shopping district." She smiled softly at Murdock, just as any wife would. "I hope you'll understand that Moscow offers very little in the line of silks that are so readily available in my home country."
Major Che raised his brows, thrown off by the unexpected change in plans. "It was my understanding that you would both be reviewing . . ."
Murdock cut Che off with a raised hand, "My wife is not an official representative of my Government. To be honest she would not understand most of what we will be looking at." Murdock grinned when Valerie's eyes narrowed a bit. "It would be faster for us both if she entertained herself elsewhere."
At the end of breakfast, Valerie, aka Tsung Izvekov headed towards the shops in the center of Siamo while Murdock, aka Aleksei Izvekov was taken to the military warehouses containing the operation center of the North Vietnam supply line.
Murdock's tour covered information the CIA already knew so he found himself listening to the explanations and information with detached interest. During this phase of their mission, Valerie had the task of contacting the members of the information line outside the operations center in order to reestablishing the communications chain. Once that was accomplished, Murdock was to contact the members within the operations center to give them the name of the contact on the outside.
Suddenly the hairs of the back of Murdock's neck stood up and the feeling that he was being watched tingled in the back of his mind. While feigning interest in what Major Che was saying, the part time CIA Agent glanced around to see if he could find the cause of the suspicions he now had. Out of the corner of his eye he caught movement from the window of an office located high above the warehouse floor.
In the center of Siamo, Valerie went from one vendor stand to the next, haggling prices for their wares while keeping a keen eye on the level of interest her escorts were showing. She had to give them credit for their attention to duty but was grateful after they began to loose interest in her shopping after a few hours.
"I am looking for silk in the color similar to the blue in the American's flag." Valerie began asking vendor's when she stopped to inspect the fabrics at various booths. "Would you know where I can find some?"
Finally after asking nearly every fabric shop in the Market Square, she received a response. "Yes, I can show you if you wish." An old man replied to her inquiry. "My wife has made it into a dress, and I am sure it will fit you."
"May I see it?" Valerie asked spying a glance at her bored escorts. When the shopkeeper gave Valerie the dress, she inspected it carefully and held it up in front of her. "I will have to try it on before I decide if I want to buy it."
"There is a small area in the back of our shop where you can try the dress on." The Shopkeeper said pointing to the back corner of his shop. "If this dress does not please you, then we do have others that may suit your taste."
Stepping into the dressing room, Valerie found a small woman waiting for her. "You must leave." The woman whispered frantically. "It is not safe now. All communications must be silent."
"We've been sent to reestablish communications." Valerie said in an equally whispered tone.
"No!" The small woman snapped in a hushed voice. "General Cho has captured our contacts within the warehouse already, and he is searching for the rest of us. We are all in danger and can not risk activating the network."
"Do you mean Sung Lau Cho?" Valerie asked.
"No, you do not understand. Sung Lau Cho is not who we thought he was." The small woman said as she wrung her hands. "He is a North Vietnamese General, not Cho, but Sung Chao. He and his brother are murderer's who are using this war in Vietnam as a means to advance their positions and for the pleasure of causing others pain. They are devil's."
Valerie's jaw dropped open slightly. "He was reported dead." She insisted.
"The man who posed as Sung Lau Cho in this operation was his assistant." The woman whispered nervously, "The supply line is going strong and we have only been able to make only minor inconveniences for them. We have been duped into believing what they wanted us to believe. Even the Chinese do not know the full extent of the operation that is going on here."
"Explain." Valerie said urgently.
"As we reported, supplies are being sent to aid the North Vietnamese cause." The woman whispered nervously, "But we've discovered that supplies are also being sent to South Vietnam."
"What kind of supplies?" Valerie asked with concern. Till now they had been concerned about the northern army but if militants were being armed behind friendly lines then the rules of war were about to change.
"The north is receiving rations and weapons." The small woman said, confirming reports that their network had already sent out. "But mass quantities of drugs are being sent south."
Valerie looked confused. "Drugs? No weapons?"
"The drugs are the weapons." The woman explained impatiently, "Drugs that are available cheap and in quantity to American's."
"Oh my god." Valerie hissed under her breath. The CIA had noted, with passing interest, the increased availability of cocaine and marijuana, but they had concentrated on the weapons that had begun to cross the border.
"Chao arrived about a week ago and when he assumed the management of the supply operations one of our agents who worked in the warehouses as a janitor overheard Chao bragging about destroying the American's from within as well as with weapons." The woman's face pinched as she thought about the information that had passed through the network. "The information was passed but within hours our agent as well as others within the warehouse were captured. We shut the network down immediately to avoid drawing attention."
Valerie paled. Chao's interrogation techniques were well known within the CIA.
"You must leave quickly." The woman advised.
In the warehouse, Murdock noted that there was a portion of the building that had been avoided during the tour. "That area . . " he said pointing towards the area in question. "What is there?"
"It is of no concern." Major Che said quickly, "Come, let me show you our transportation . . . " Before he could continue, Murdock brazenly waltzed to the section that Che had avoided. A few feet from the stockpile of boxes he heard the distinctive sound of weapons being primed. Instinctually he stopped.
"You were informed that this section is of no concern to you." Major Che said flatly as he moved through the wall of guards who had appeared from out of nowhere. "This is Cho's private project, and I must ask you to back away from it."
Murdock turned to face Che, with narrowed eyes and an appearance of being angered. "How dare you!" Murdock snapped in the thickest Russian accent he could muster. "Your people ask for our assistance yet you attempt to hide things from us." He said with disgust.
As Murdock ranted a few Russian insults, A guard rushed over and whispered something in Che's ear. Che nodded and turned to glare at Murdock, "I have been informed that we no longer need or desire assistance from the Soviet Union Comrade Izvekov."
Taken by surprise, opened and closed his mouth a couple times. Before he could respond, something impacted heavily against the back of his head, plunging him into darkness.
The small Chinese woman grabbed the dress that Valerie had been given to try on, and before questions could be asked, the woman ripped the sleeve. "Tell my husband that it was poorly made," she insisted as she shoved the dress back into the agents hands. "Then go before you draw attention to us."
"But, the orders . . . " Valerie began.
"I said go," The Chinese woman spat out impatiently, "tell them we will send messages again when it is safe." The Chinese woman frantically said as she began pushing Valerie to the door.
Valerie slipped out of the small changing room with a frown on her face. Without looking she knew that her escorts were watching her, expecting something. As an agent Valerie prided herself of her ability to think on her feet but the information that she had been given turned the situation and their mission on edge.
"You like?" The shopkeeper asked expectantly.
Valerie's frown deepened as she looked down at the torn garment in her hands. "No." She said flatly while tossing the dress in a heap on the counter. "It was poorly made and ripped when I tried to put it on." She added with enough disgust in her voice to make the part she was playing believable.
The shopkeeper's face flushed with embarrassment. "I can fix it," he offered quickly. His words and actions played the part expected of him, but his eyes told a different story.
Raising her head till she looked down her nose at the old man. "You honestly don't expect me to find damaged merchandise of any interest. Pedal it to someone of lesser standing." Turning smartly on her heels, Valerie stormed out of the shop. As she passed her escorts, she muttered a few well-chosen insults under her breath about quality. The act seemed to fool the escorts who glanced at each other and rolled their eyes as they followed the Russian's wife.
The return to consciousness came slowly. Before Murdock could get past the throbbing in his head and focus his strength to open his eyes, he heard what sounded like a couple of tomcats hissing and snarling at each other. 'No, not a cat fight,' he thought to himself as he drifted in the state of confusion that was semi- consciousness, 'somebody fightin' in Chinese.' The pounding in his head made it difficult to focus and he could only make out part of what was being said, but it was enough to give him an idea of where he was.
"Can not afford . . . Soviet Union." One voice shouted.
". . . of no concern . . ." Another responded back.
". . . drugs . . . international incident." The first voice argued.
"Kill . . . . accident . . . reasonable explanation." The second voice said coldly.
"Can not . . . . it would cause suspicions." The first voice said urgently.
"There are ways . . . . appearance of . . . . from accident." The second man suggested.
An involuntary moan escaped Murdock's mouth as his body betrayed its return to wakefulness. The sound ended the conversation between the Chinese, and Murdock forced himself to keep his eyes closed. Without seeing he could feel the presence of two men gathering over him, and he hoped they would go away once they grew tired of waiting for him to wake. 'Play possum." He thought to himself, but that only served to increase the feeling of panic rising in his throat as he reminded himself that possums had a way of playing dead in the bright lights of oncoming traffic.
Instinct told him that his time was running out and he began to mentally prepare himself for the worst case scenario. 'How do you prepare to be shot?' The pilot wondered when he realized that the worst possible thing that could happen would involve a bullet. He could imagine beads of sweat forming on his brow as he acknowledged the fact that he had only one thing he could do if the worst case scenario were to happen. Die.
'Think Russian," Murdock began to repeat in his head over and over. During his short training he had been told over and over to stay in character when on assignment. 'Think Russian, Speak Russian, be Russian.' With his eyes closed he relied on the sounds of movement around him, and he heard the rustling of clothing standing near his shoulder. 'Don't be afraid,' he reminded himself.
The thought barely had time to cross his mind when a hand roughly grabbed him by the collar and dragged him upright. "Open your eyes," an Asian voice spat out in barely recognizable Russian.
"Argh, speak Chinese. It is less painful to the ear than your butchered attempts at Russian." Murdock complained weakly in Russian. 'That was stupid.' He thought to himself the moment the words left his mouth.
His reward was immediate and painful as a Chinese fist impacted against his stomach. "Arrogant Russian Bastard!" The man shouted in Chinese.
Murdock groaned, opened his eyes, and fought the nausea that followed the assault. "I am a Russian that reminds you that you strike at the Soviet Union when you strike at me." Murdock snapped out, hoping he looked as brave as his words had been. Wasn't this supposed to be easy? Wasn't the Chinese and the Russians supposed to be buddies?
The Asian man narrowed his eyes in contempt and shoved Murdock to the ground. When he stepped back to kick at the fallen man, Major Che stepped forward. "He is right." Che said in Vietnamese.
Murdock looked up in genuine surprise and quickly surmised that neither suspected he could understand. Fortunately the man who had been treating him so rough had caught the look of confusion and attributed it to a confirmation that it was safe to speak in Vietnamese.
"The Russians do not belong here, this is not their concern!" Cho spat out in Vietnamese, "They are as corrupt as the Americans."
"This is true." Che agreed. "But even though my Government has turning a blind eye to the full extent of this operation, they will not allow us to interfere with the precarious alliance we have with the Russians." Che's expression reflected concern. "Izvekov saw the shipment, but I do not believe that he is aware of what is in it."
Cho narrowed his eyes, "Are you willing to risk everything on his ignorance?"
Momentarily forgotten, Murdock felt as if he were a child sitting in the Principal's office while the adults talked about him, around him, but never to him. Whatever they were talking about, it was important, real important. He had been shown weapons, ammunition, rations, what could be worse than that?
"No." Che answered with a touch of regret. "We can not risk his reporting even a suspicion of something more than what is already known."
A smile spread across Cho's face. "Bring his wife. We will see what they know before we arrange the accident."
Che nodded, turned and left, and as he closed the door, Murdock got a feeling in the pit of his stomach that things had just gone from bad to worse.
In DaNang, Colonel Hannibal Smith roughly stuffed the last of his belongings into his pack. He and his team were heading back to their own base. He had hoped to stick around long enough to find out the young pilot that had gone down in the bush, but it was if he had disappeared. Search parties had gone out on a regular basis. The kid's chopper had been found but there had been no sign of the pilot.
"Hannibal?" Asked a voice from behind him.
Smith didn't look up and he didn't turn around. "Yeah BA, I'm coming."
"Lieutenant Hanes wants to know if he should just stay since he's suppose to turn right around and come back to catch his ride home." BA said breaking into the Colonel's thoughts. "He say he don't want nothin he left back at base."
Hannibal sighed. He had gotten so absorbed in the situation with the pilot that he hadn't even thought about his departing supply officer. "Tell him that I'll stop at the HQ to release him from the unit before the rest of us leave."
"You got us a new Sup O yet?" BA asked.
Hannibal shook his head. "Not yet."
BA nodded. He had heard the scuttle about the reorganization of the special ops teams and although the Colonel hadn't said, the bulky mechanic was guessing that this had something to do with the delay in selecting the new officer.
Continuing with the appearance of shopping, Valerie poked though Siamo's shops long after she had made contact with the woman from the Chinese network. Under the guise of shopping she had the time to think about what she had been told. They had thought that the communications link had been severed due to the loss of an agent. Instead, those in the network were laying low because of the dangers presented by Cho's appearance.
Valerie found herself grow cold with the thought that the Chinese were supplying drugs to the South. 'The bastards!' She thought to herself. This war was being fought like no other and the men drawn into the country were having to face a hell that soldiers had never had to face before.
Many things were occurring that would push a strong man to the release offered by drugs. Unlike wars in the past, this one never clearly defined the enemy. The North sent women, children and old people into the American's midst armed with bombs and rifles. How many men lost their minds from the guilt of having to shoot a child or an old woman before they took out an entire unit with a suicide bomb? Day in and day out, American soldiers looked into the faces of people, who acted as if they were friends, wondering which one was going to suddenly turn deadly.
For those that made it home, there was another nightmare to face. Even in the country of their birth, American's who served their country found their uniform to be the focus of hate. How many came home to be accused of being baby killers, murderers, and devils. After serving they return home to be spit on and be the target of volley's of garbage being thrown. No other war welcomed its soldier's home in the way that the Vietnam Vets were being welcomed.
Yes, there was a market for cheap drugs, and she and Murdock needed to withdraw and pass the information along. Just thinking about it was giving Valerie a royal headache. Reaching the decision that they had to withdraw, Valerie turned and headed towards her escorts to inform then that she was done. Before she took a step in their direction she saw four heavily armed soldiers heading towards them. 'Shit!' She thought as she quickly glanced around for an escape route.
Turning to head back into the shop she had just visited she slammed roughly into Major Che.
.
.
In the warehouse, Murdock passed his time recovering from the blow to his head. Thankfully Cho had followed Che out and he had been left alone. Murdock quickly decided that they had probably left him to contemplate his future. It took him only a few seconds to realize that he had his hands and feet tied. He pulled against his bonds and was curious to find that them loose. Shivering slightly, Murdock remembered the look in Cho's eyes. 'He probably wants me to try and escape so he has a good excuse to beat the stuffin out of me.'
Squirming around, the pilot loosened the bonds further, but decided it best to leave them on. Shifting around to find a comfortable spot, Murdock laid on the floor with his eyes closed. Right now he needed to get his head together in order to figure out a way to get out of the mess he was in. He thought briefly about his partner and wondered how she would react when they came for her. Shrugging slightly, he figured that it wouldn't be long till he found out. As much as he didn't like the idea of her capture he was hoping that her greater experience in the field would turn the current situation around.
'What exactly was the situation,' he wondered. From the bits and pieces that he had heard when he had first come around, he assumed that he had stumbled into a shipment of drugs. There had to be something about the drugs that had caused them to turn on him the way they did, so he guessed that they were not the kind of drugs that helped people. Unfortunately, all the guessing in the world wasn't going to help. What he did know had so many holes in it that it made no sense at all. 'Some secret agent you are.' Murdock thought to himself.
After twenty minutes left with his thoughts, Murdock still had no answers. At least he wouldn't be alone long. Only moments ago he had heard the sound of nearby shouting.
Major Che was growing frustrated with Tsung Izvekov. From the moment they had picked her up in the shopping square she had begun shouting, and she hadn't shut up. She had accused him of being a traitor to their people and the Communist way. She had told him, quite loudly, that she had spent years defending their people in the Soviet Union and he had with a single action proved the Russians right. By the time they reached the warehouse, Che had hoped that she would have run out of steam, but she had disappointed him.
When the Major opened the door to the office that the Russian was locked in, he was greeted by a hearty laughter.
"Shut up Aleksei!" Valerie shouted in Russian.
"Did I not tell you my love." Murdock aka Aleksei responded. "No, you convinced me that the Chinese would welcome us."
"I said shut up Aleksei!" Valerie responded in disgust. "What did you do, did you insult them? Did you try to convince them that they are nothing without the Soviet Union? I can not and will not believe that my people are foolish as pigs!"
Major Che took that moment to push the Russian's wife into the room and retreat by closing the door. "Let him listen to her for a while." He commented to his men as he locked the door.
The two guards left outside the room, listened with interest to the argument that was taking place inside. The feisty little woman who had a short time ago directed her hostilities on them was now laying into her husband with gusto. Both suspected that it would be a while until the Major returned with Cho since he had taken the blunt of the woman's insults.
Inside, Valerie continued to shout as she helped Murdock free himself. "If I hear one word about the superiority of the great Soviet Union, I'll scream!" Then she added in a whisper, "Keep shouting, it'll throw them off."
"You said the Chinese were honorable, and devoted to the cause." Murdock shouted. "I stumbled into a shipment of drugs." He whispered.
"It must have been you!" Valerie shouted as she helped him to his feet. "I was told that they have drugs that are being shipped south to be sold to American's." She added in a whisper.
"I did nothing! They turned on me like a pack of wild dogs!" Murdock said as he followed Valerie as she began to search for a way out. He reached out and took her arm to get her full attention, "Che and his buddy Cho are planning an accident for us. They don't want to take a chance of the Soviet's finding out about the drugs." He whispered.
Valerie looked up at him and opened her mouth to tell him about Cho when she spotted a possible escape. "Give me a hand." She whispered as she pulled away from him and headed towards what looked like an access panel in the ceiling.
Valerie stopped under the ceiling panel and looked up at it intensely. "I think we've just found our way out." She whispered.
Getting through the access panel was a little complicated. They needed to get up without noise and without leaving behind a trail. After putting their heads together, they decided to that Murdock would be the fist to go up. Together they moved boxes and furniture around until the pilot could hoist himself through the hole.
Once Murdock was safely up, Valerie moved everything back where they foundit then stood under the hole. Murdock leaned down, stretched his hand out to his partner and waited for her to jump. "Come on baby, now or never." He whispered down to her as she stooped down.
Valerie's leap into the air seemed to go in slow motion as she pushed herself upwards, targeting on Murdock's hand. Just as she felt herself falling back down towards the floor the Captain stretched a bit further. When their hands touched there was a soft slap of flesh against flesh and a silent grunt of exertion as Murdock pulled her through the hole.
Once the panel was replaced and they were securely hidden in the ceiling both agents paused to rest. With the panel closed, they were safely concealed in darkness. "You ever consider a career in basketball?" Murdock asked softly, breaking the silence that had consumed them since escaping the room below.
Valerie replied with a soft chuckle, "Yeah, right women in basketball, what planet do you live on." She replied sarcastically.
"So what's the plan?" Murdock whispered.
"We wait." She said softly, "It's quiet down there and somebody's going to get curious soon, or Che is going to visit. Either way everybody in this place is going to start looking for us." She sighed, trying to relax. "We're safe up here for the time being."
"Somebody's going to figure out where we went sooner or later." Murdock whispered in objection. "It's pretty obvious."
In the dark, Valerie shook her head, "That's why spying is so successful, most people miss the obvious."
"You majored in philosophy didn't you?" Murdock guessed softly.
Valerie paused, surprised. "How did you know?" She whispered.
Before he could answer, shouting from below caused them both to hold their breaths. Their absence had been discovered and a guard was shouting, alerting everyone.
Activity down below increased within seconds after the alert was sounded. First Major Che arrived, followed by General Cho and then a squad of soldiers. The object of the search listened intently as Che directed the search to cover the roads and the airport. The activity level remained at a high level when Major Che left to coordinate his search at the airport. Cho remained at the warehouse and directed the search of the grounds to begin in the room that the prisoners had escaped from.
Both Valerie and Murdock cringed as the sounds of the search below them echoed through the rafters. Boxes and furniture alike were being tossed about in an attempt to find some clue as to how the Russian and his wife had escaped. To add to the tension, Cho shouted threats at the guards to entice them to search harder, and to find a clue. For what seemed like hours, Valerie and Murdock laid between the rafters of the ceiling waiting for their chance to move.
Patience was a virtue. After silence in the room below, and absence of sound coming from the warehouse beyond for over twenty minutes, the two agent's began to move. Valerie moved towards the access panel and gently lifted it enough to peer into the room below.
"They really did a number on the room." Valerie whispered when she decided that it was clear to speak.
"Guess we spoiled their plans." Murdock whispered back as he moved closer to the panel. "What do we do now? They got the Airport covered and the roads. Even if we get out of this warehouse there's no way out."
In the sliver of light that was shining up through the slightly opened panel, Valerie's head could be seen shaking. "You've got to learn to be adaptable Murdock. Roads and Air aren't the only means of travel."
"Oh sure, let's just hop a canoe and paddle." Murdock whispered back sarcastically.
Valerie's teeth showed brightly in the limited light as she smiled. "Close." She whispered with a hint of amusement. "We get to the Lancang River, go down river, then make our way across the border to Luang Nam-Tha in Laos."
"In case you didn't know, I'm in the Air Force." Murdock whispered in annoyance, "We don't do the fishy things."
"Then adapt." Valerie hissed back, "Think flying fish."
After slipping back down into the room that they had escaped from, Valerie and Murdock took some time to survey the activity in the warehouse. Most of what was happening was beyond the pilot, and he was surprising himself on how well he was keeping up. "There sure don't cover this in spy school." The Captain commented as he noted that there appeared to be a pattern to the comings and goings of the guards pacing through the warehouse.
"Most agents spend a few years behind the desk or backing up field agents before they actually get into something like this." Valerie whispered as she noted each of the guard's positions in relationship to the exit. "When I was partnered with you, I was told you were a hot shot genius or something."
"Damn." Murdock hissed as he watched Major Che and Cho enter the warehouse. "The bad guys are back."
Panic began to set in as they watched Che and Cho head for the stairs that would lead to their location. As the two men started up the stairs, Valerie grabbed Murdock and the two of them pressed themselves against the wall beside the hinged side of the door.
When the door swung open, Murdock reached out for the doorknob as it arched towards them. He had two purposes, one to keep the door from slamming into their faces and second he wanted to discourage the door from being closed when Che and Cho entered. Thankfully the two senior officers were intent on their conversation to take notice of the door.
"The hole in the floor was found during our search." Cho said in a conceited tone. "Once I located their means of escape I sent the search outward."
"I had no idea this hole existed General," Che replied. "It was very cleaver of you to think to search for the method of their escape."
Cho snorted in self-satisfaction.
"I have placed a detail at the airport," Che informed his superior, "It is the likely direction that they will head."
"I want this matter settled before Lieutenant Thang arrives to transport our special shipment south." Cho said stiffly. "If he has any suspicions that there is a problem, then he, Major Huang and Colonel Muntag will back out."
"The Russian's will not interfere General." Che promised.
Murdock held his breath as he sensed the two Asians turn and head back towards the door. Closing his eyes he waited to be discovered. Nothing in his life had prepared him for the fear of discovery that he was facing now. Images of what would happen once recaptured flashed before his eyes, one after the other more painful than the last.
"If all goes as planed Major, the American's will be helplessly addicted within a month's time." Cho boasted as he passed through the doorway. "Victory will be ours."
After the door closed, the Agents remained in place for several seconds, listening to the sound of footsteps on each step. Valerie was the first to move. She reached out and grabbed Murdocks hand and dragged him towards the area in the room that Cho had indicated when talking about the hole in the floor. "They gave us a way out." She whispered flatly, "It would be rude of us not to take it."
Part 11
The first stop for Smith after returning to base was to see Colonel Morrison. The visit was two fold, first to check back in and report the results of their last mission, and second it was to discuss the reorganization that had been proposed before he left. The first issue was a formality, since he had sent Morrison a message detailing the results of the mission once he had gotten to DaNang.
When he entered Morrison's office, Smith stood at attention to wait for the Colonel to acknowledge him. There was an uneasy professionalism between the two officers. Neither liked the other, but both were professional enough to manage to work together. There were, however, times when Morrison took advantage of his rank to let Smith know where he stood in the working arrangement, and this was one of them. Smith on the other hand, used these minor indications of dislike to his advantage. Each and every time Morrison played his game of "I'm in charge", Smith would respond with utmost professionalism and military bearing. In the end Smith won the game every time, Morrison would always be the one to falter.
This time the wait was short, and after only a few minutes Morrison spoke. "Congratulations on the success of your mission Smith." He said without looking up.
"Thank you sir." Smith replied stiffly. "I'll pass the congratulations on to my men."
"You coddle your men Smith." Morrison stated as fact.
"I prefer to call it building teamwork, sir." Hannibal replied with a hint of a grin.
"Whatever." Morrison said shuffling paperwork on his desk. "I've received word back from the higher ups regarding your request to stay with your unit when the reorganization takes place with the special operations teams."
"And?" Smith said with interest.
"Your request has been granted." Morrison grumbled. "It seems that your success rate warrant's keeping you in the field."
"That's good to hear, sir." Smith replied with a larger grin.
"Effective immediately our special operations units will be divided into A-Teams made up of 4 to 6 men. A Captain will lead all teams but yours."
"I've already decided on the members of my team Colonel." Smith informed him, "All members except for my supply officer."
"I'm sure you have Smith." Morrison muttered under his breath as he shuffled through his paperwork and lifted a folder for Smith to see. "With your reputation of selecting the dregs of the Army for your units, I've pulled a list of potential candidates for your supply position." Morrison tossed the folder on the edge of his desk. "I'm sure you'll find the appropriate criminal element you need on that list."
"Thank you sir, I'll review the list immediately." Hannibal added cheerfully. Smith knew what Morrison was trying to do by pre-selecting the men. Smith grinned. His men were unique, creative, and had just needed a chance to be respected for their talents in order to weld them into a team.
Morrison watched Smith pick up the folder. "You will inform me when you've made your selection?"
"Of course Colonel," Smith responded as he flipped through the list, noting that most of the men compiled were destine for prison. 'When someone hands you broken eggs you make an omelet.' He thought to himself. "If permitted I'd like to go down to the brig to interview each of the candidates." Smith said with a twinkle in his eye.
Morrison looked at him, momentarily shocked into silence. He hadn't told Smith where the men were located. "Of course." He finally said.
"This is crazy," Murdock hissed as they slipped out of the warehouse just before dawn.
Valerie glanced over at her partner, "Shut up or we'll get caught."
Together they raced away from the building and dived into the tall grass beyond the reach of the lights that offered security for the building. After pausing a moment, Valerie began to crawl south, using the grass for cover. Murdock wondered what Valerie's plan was, but figured following her was his only choice.
The Captain heard the water before he saw it and after crawling for a few more moments, he noticed that the ground was becoming moist. Hurrying forward, he tapped on Valerie's ankle. When she turned back, he pointed to the direction of the water. She nodded and crawled back to him. "They should have a boat of some sort around here." She whispered.
"And if they don't?" Murdock whispered back.
"We slip into the water and drift south until we find one." She replied in a hushed whisper.
"This gig is already pretty hot." Murdock said softly, "I say we slip into the water and avoid pushing our luck."
Valerie paused to consider Murdock's suggestion, and finally agreed that he had a point. "Okay."
Murdock nodded and started moving through the thickening grass to the waters edge. When the soil gave way to shallow water, the two agents heard shouting from the bank of the river north of them. "Run," Valerie snarled as she rose up from her hands and knees.
Right about the time the adrenaline began flow through both agents preparing them to cope with the danger they were in, they heard the sound of rifle fire. Murdock reached out and grabbed Valerie's wrist as they stumbled through the deepening water. When Valerie tripped into the water, Murdock dragged her along, and she in turn did the same for him.
The shouts from behind them grew closer, which urged Murdock and Valerie to move faster. "We're dead." Murdock called out as the bullets plucked at the water around them.
"Not yet!" Valerie gasped out, "Keep going!"
When the water reached Murdock's waist, the flow of the water pulled on their clothing, forcing them south as they pushed further towards the center of the river. "Time to swim!" Murdock called as he dived in, taking Valerie with him.
Underwater and at the mercy of the current, Murdock struggled to keep his grip on Valerie. 'I'm in over my head,' the pilot's mind reminded him.
After reviewing each potential candidate suggested by Morrison, Hannibal had been able to make his decision, sight unseen. Unwittingly, Morrison had in fact provided an opportunity to select an individual with special forces training that did in fact hold all the criteria Smith looked for when recruiting for his elite teams. Unlike his fellow commanders, Smith looked or the unique. He needed men who could think outside the box of regulations and standard army thinking and make the impossible possible. Over the years, Smith had discovered that his ideal of a perfect soldier often found themselves at odds with the rest of the Army. Smiling to himself, Smith picked up the folder containing the information on the individual he had selected, then headed out of his hooch towards the brig.
Entering the brig with an air of authority, Smith headed straight for the Sergeant behind the only desk in the building. The young man looked up, then stood respectfully and snapped to attention. "Sir, what can I do for you?" He said quickly.
"At ease soldier," Smith said, "I'm here to see one or more of your prisoners."
The Sergeant nodded, then turned around to pull a key ring from the wall. "What's his name sir?"
Smith pulled the folder he had tucked under his arm and opened it. "Peck, Lieutenant Templeton Peck." The Colonel noticed the sudden stiffening of the Sergeants posture. "Something wrong soldier?"
"No sir," The Sergeant responded quickly, "We've just had a few problems with Peck. Nothing major, just annoying little things."
"Such as?" Smith asked with curiosity.
The Sergeant looked uncomfortable, and reached up to nervously scratch the back of his head. "He slips out sometimes," the man finally said, then added quickly, "But he always comes back."
Hannibal couldn't help the smile that appeared on his face. "He comes back, huh?"
"That's right sir," the Sergeant confirmed.
"His file says that he's in for theft." The Colonel said glancing at the information sheet on Peck, "Does he say what he's out doing when he checks himself out of the brig?"
"Mostly to get coffee sir," the Sergeant explained with embarrassment, "He says the coffee here is like mud."
"Well does it?" Hannibal asked with a deadpan expression.
"Does it what, sir?" the Sergeant asked uncomfortably in confusion.
"Does the coffee taste like mud?" Hannibal asked with a glimmer in his eyes.
The Sergeant looked at the floor, "Yes sir, it does."
Hannibal chuckled, "Take me to him, Sergeant."
Ltcol Smith followed the young man through a door, then down a hallway, until finally arriving in front of an empty cell. Smith raised an eyebrow, "I guess he's out for coffee."
Several miles down river from Cho's supply warehouse, two weary agents pulled themselves up onto dry land. Murdock and Valerie took turns coughing up the water that they had swallowed during their narrow escape.
"You okay?" Murdock asked between coughs.
Valerie coughed a few times, "No I'm not," she snapped.
Immediately alert, Murdock edged closer to his partner, "What's wrong?" He asked between coughs. "Did you get hit?"
"I'm cold, wet, and totally, completely pissed off." she growled while pounding a fist into the ground. "Intelligence really screwed up on this one."
Murdock chuckled weakly as he relaxed, "Better pissed off then shot." The pilot rolled over on his back and took a deep breath, "I don't believe we made it out of there."
Valerie mimicked Murdock and took a deep breath when she rolled over to rest on her back, "It's not over yet. We still have to get back to report."
"Any plans one how we're going to do that?" Murdock asked with a sign that indicated that he wasn't entirely pleased with thoughts of rushing back into a mission mindset so soon.
"Maybe," Valerie said softly, "A couple miles south there's a small fishing village and we should be able to lift a boat to get us down the river into Laos. There should be someone waiting for us once we cross the border.
Murdock yawned and admitted, "Sounds better than walking."
Valerie reach out and slapped Murdock's arm. "Come on, we have to get going. We need to be in position if we want to get a chance to borrow a boat."
Murdock frowned as he rolled over on his belly and pushed himself onto his feet, "Fine by me."
A few hours and several miles later, Valerie and Murdock crouched down to watch movement along the shore of the fishing village, Valerie had spoken of earlier. Those little boats won't get us too far." Murdock observed.
"Damn it, this is not what was suppose to be here." Valerie cursed.
"Intel again?" Murdock asked.
Valerie nodded tightly.
"Well," Murdock said slowly, "We could swipe one of these smaller boats and make our way down river and look for something faster."
"Yeah," Valerie agreed, "I guess that's our only choice. I guess we should get a little rest and wait until after dark to go, maybe if we're real lucky something bigger will come in after a day of fishing."
Murdock snorted, "At what point in this little mission have we been lucky?"
Valerie gave the pilot a hostile glare, "Just shut up, okay Murdock, just shut up."