Boilerplate Disclaimer: The various characters from the Kim Possible series are all owned by Disney. All registered trade names property of their respective owners. Cheap shots at celebrities constitute fair usage.
Day 3: Land of the Pharaohs
Kim and Will had planned with Betty Director until late afternoon, and then spent the evening into the early morning hours arguing with each other about what supplies they needed, how to make a decision if they disagreed on a point, who would draft the final report - and how much editing the other would be allowed. From there it degenerated even further into the fact Kim lived with a felon and questions about whether Will could be a decent father. (Not that Will was likely to become a father in the near future. His wife had made it clear she would finish her MBA first. But in the heat of the 'discussion' Kim insisted he should do the world a favor by getting 'fixed' rather than bringing children into the world and generously offered to perform the necessary surgery right then, for free.)
Ron had stretched out on a section of floor in Kim's tiny office and gone to sleep. Kim woke him so they could share a motel room close to headquarters.
"You could have just left me on the floor," he yawned.
"You'll sleep better in a real bed." Kim glanced at her watch, "The girls have been in bed for hours. Is it too late to call Shego?"
"Would you want her to call you before she left the country?"
"Yes."
"Then call her."
"Wha?" Shego answered the phone.
"Love you, you're wonderful. Sorry to leave you with the kids."
"Kim?"
"Someone else leaves you with kids? Just how many kids do you have?"
"Not funny, I was asleep."
Kim's voice turned serious, "I'm sorry to wake you. But Ron and I are leaving the country early tomorrow. I'm not sure when we'll be home."
"We'll miss you."
"Take good care of my girls."
Shego neglected to mention she was leaving the country herself.
Kim didn't sleep well, spending too much of the night thinking of things she should have said to Will.
Ron and a tired Kim were back at Global Justice early the next day.
Since Ron didn't plan on working for the organization he neglected to display the discipline regular agents would have shown to Dr. Director.
"Hey, what's the plan - and why am I here"
Betty reached over and pinched his cheek, "You've been drafted. We need that Ron Factor edge. As the luckiest human being on earth I want you along."
"Can you tell me a little more than Kim gave me," Ron requested.
"Did you hear the news report of a missing Englishman, Leslie Atwood-Long?"
"Not really."
"Well, he claimed he had discovered something in Egypt. A crashed spaceship, if he can be believed. It appears someone believes him."
"But there's a chance it's a hoax, right?"
"It probably is a hoax, but we can't take the risk."
"What I can't figure out," Ron asked, "is why Kim and Will, together."
Betty sighed, "Kim plays nicely with other children. The Egyptians are officially in charge of this and, in theory, we are only there to support them. Some of the highest GJ operatives refused to work under Egyptian command. I'm trusting Kim to maintain cooperation with the Egyptians, motivate our agents, and maybe apply some of her intuition to the search." Betty turned to Kim, "But you don't understand protocols and procedures. This might be the highest profile mission Global Justice will ever tackle. You are green, and I can't have you embarrassing us with a rookie error. Will can provide the areas of expertise you lack. I wish I could put the two of you together in one person."
"So, think you'd love Shego or Monique if she could?" Ron whispered.
Kim ignored him. "Any idea how long this may take? "
"There is no way to know for certain. Hopefully we can establish this is a hoax or find what we're looking for fairly soon. But you will be there for the duration. Will is eager to get started. You may have extremely limited outside contact after you hit Egypt, call anyone you need to now."
At the Russian embassy in Cairo Dmitr briefed the men who would be going into the anomaly with him, as well as their support team. From his own briefing it was apparent the logistics of keeping the group supplied in the field might be the most crucial element. It was certain to limit the size of the force the Egyptian Army and Global Justice could put into the field. Given the circumstances he doubted they would put more than fifty, all told, into the desert. If the Russians could just avoid the Egyptians and Global Justice the edge they held should insure Russia obtained the prize.
Before they boarded the plane Will approached Kim, "Monique informed me that I must apologize to you for all remarks concerning your relationship with Shego, all questions in regard to your intellectual capacity, and the comments in reference to your table manners. I am sorry for anything I said in the heat of anger yesterday." "But your table manners still need work."
"That's okay, Will. I'm really stressed about this mission and shouldn't have taken it out on you. I apologize for calling you an anal-retentive, uptight little⦠um, and those other things I said. And for doubting you'll be a good father someday." "But I thought of some good jokes about how repressed you are that I'm going to tell when you're not around."
"Apology accepted," Will said and the two shook hands.
In Khartoum Quon felt anything but happy. While China possessed considerable political clout in Sudan their power in Egypt was less. While the assistant ambassador to Sudan promised to accompany the group and arrange logistical support Quon found no reassurances in his words. The Party had made many promises to his village over the decades and none had ever been fulfilled. But the ambassador also promised that China possessed an edge which would help them succeed before the Egyptians could locate what they were looking for.
Kim recognized most of the other agents on the flight. A few, like LaTisha Jackson, resented the younger woman being in charge. With the exception of LaTisha and Will, who would have liked to lead the mission by himself, those who knew Kim well didn't mind her joint command and only the newer agents thought her position an error. Then the redhead noticed Agent Haskell, trying to sleep. She assumed he didn't like her command position, but Haskell didn't seem like anything at Global Justice, and was the most disliked man in the organization. Why he stayed on was a mystery to her. She felt more surprise to find her former faculty adviser, Dr. Kemal, on the plane.
"You're going with us?" Kim asked.
He simply rolled his eyes.
"You know what I mean. The fact you're on the plane doesn't mean you're going into the field with us."
"I will be," Mustapha told her. "Most of the Egyptian officers speak decent English, but Betty still thought a GJ translator might prove helpful."
"She warned me no to embarrass Global Justice, can we stay close so you can whisper anything I need to know?"
"I will try," he promised. "But remember, I'm a Turk. You will be dealing with Arabs. I can miss nuances too. For example, I should give you a word of warning. A lot of them don't see themselves as Arabs. They regard themselves as Egyptians. Always call them Egyptians, just to be safe." He smiled at her, "I do not think you will need my help. Nor do I need to wish you luck, you are a very resourceful and capable young woman - you will do well."
"Thanks. Do you have any idea where we're heading?"
"Not really. Mr. Atwood-Long was definitely in Asyut, The British report placed the patrol--"
"Asyut? What patrol? I don't know any of this."
The translator shook his head, "Did Betty give you a dossier to read?"
"Yeah. Haven't a chance to look at it yet."
"You need to read it. Asyut is a good sized town, Mr. Atwood-Long was definitely there. The Egyptians are scouring villages in the area for anyone with more information. Whatever he encountered seems to have been in the muhafazat of Al Bahr al Ahmar."
"The who of what?"
"The government district of the Red Sea, just west of the Gulf of Suez and the Red Sea. Thousands of square kilometers of nothing. I think a capable and resourceful young woman should read her dossier."
"I think you're right. I'll tell Ron not to disturb me. I may try to take a nap while we're in flight too."
"Good idea," Dr. Kemal agreed, reclining his own seat back and closing his eyes.
In the back of the plane 'Jake' Jacobi had produced a pair of dice and had a low stakes game of craps going. Will Du was too busy trying to contact Monique to break up the game and Kim found Ron in the back of the plane. Somehow the old agent had roped Ron in to the game, and Ron was shooting when Kim arrived.
"Hey, KP, it's a great game. Want a turn? I'm up almost fifteen dollars."
"Take the kid with you," Jake growled, "I've never seen anyone so lucky."
"You invite him to play?" Kim demanded.
Jake nodded his head yes. Kim smiled, "He's all yours."
Will watched Kim as she sat down and opened her dossier. He had just finished a long a talk with Monique and felt as happy as he could feel, not knowing how long it would be until he could be with her again. Kim was really an asset to Global Justice, he told himself he simply resented her smug self-confidence given her relative lack of experience. He sighed, and also admitted that he envied the easy camaraderie she had with the other agents, something he lacked despite having worked there much longer.
Part way through the first page Kim realized why Will had raised some of the equipment issues yesterday. He had been right. His detached air of superiority always rankled her and made her want to contradict him. She needed to get over it. Monique told her that under his supercilious demeanor Will was really a loving, tender person. Even if Kim had not seen it herself she believed her friend. Kim also knew that she would never be able to focus on the bureaucratic minutiae that Will thrived on. While she intellectually recognized the importance of procedures and forms she craved action. In fact, Kim realized with a start, she had let her mind wander and tried again to focus on the dossier.
At Lipsky and Load the men loaded one hovercraft and waited impatiently for Joss and Bego. The two had insisted on attending class to say good-bye to friends in case they missed the graduation ceremony.
Wade wasn't sure what to think. He'd not seen Joss in weeks and wasn't sure if fear, or shame, or a longing to see her was the strongest emotion he felt. It would be hard to keep the rules Tim said he had to keep, but he knew he had to.
"Okay, what's going on?" Shego demanded when she reached Donner's office.
"Have a little operation in Egypt, you'll be second in command."
"I work better alone," she grumbled. "I don't like people telling me what to do. What idiot do I have to kiss up to?"
"That would be me."
"You're going on this?"
"Yeah, I'm in charge."
"There's a recipe for disaster."
"This is big," Donner assured her, "and important."
"And you want me? Wait, what do you mean, second in command?"
"This will be a very small, elite unit. We're looking for something in Egypt. If it's there the US wants it."
"I'm still not clear on this."
"Well, officially, the US won't be there. This is strictly covert. There are six men under me, Special Ops pairs. But I suspect most of them respect brute force more than brains. So I want you there as my enforcer."
"Great," Shego whined, "I'm nothing but hired muscle."
"Well, you sure as hell aren't there for your personality. If we find what we're looking for you also get to help with the greatest theft in your life - but you won't be able to tell anyone about it."
Leslie Atwood-Long decided he could live with a little pain. There was a stubborn streak in him which refused to be cowed. Further, they could not inflict too much pain on him if they expected him to guide them in the desert. And, if he should reveal everything he knew, there was a strong chance they might decide they didn't need him any longer. They had to keep him alive, and couldn't damage him too badly, as long as he knew more than his captors. Leslie could definitely live with a little pain.
Wade flew the second hovercraft, with the supplies, while the other five rode in the first craft. Knowing he would see Joss every day was sweet agony. He wondered if he could invent a time machine and go back and stop himself in time to keep the breakup from happening. He should beat himself bloody for what he did.
They landed in Spain and Tim offered to join Wade and give him a rest on the final leg to Egypt.
A high tech firm which did business with Lipsky and Load provided them a secure landing site in Cairo. Bego stayed with the hovercraft to guard them as the others caught as much sleep as they could. While she also required rest she could maintain some awareness during the process, and 'awaken' more easily.
David Donner and Shego were the only two passengers in their small, military aircraft. "Where are the others?" she asked.
"They'll meet us in Cairo or onboard."
"Onboard what? Can you tell me anything about where we're going?"
Donner hesitated for moment, "Hell, may as well be honest with you. I've got no real idea. US Navy has a presence in the Red Sea. You and I land in Cairo, we'll pick up some supplies and maybe some of our group, and then fly out to the Red Sea. We'll infiltrate from there. There's something happening that's supposed to knock out electrical systems. With my luck we'll fly straight into it."
"Sounds wonderful," Shego mused grimly.
"Tell, me about it. But I hear we have an edge in the race to find whatever we're looking for.
The two reached Cairo very late in the day. "I got people to see," he told her. "I advise you to get some sleep."
"Should I go with you? If I'm number two I'd like to know what we're doing."
"No," he told her too quickly. "You don't have clearance."
"I don't have clearance? I'm number two and I don't have clearance?"
He sighed, "Look, this might be huge. I doubt if there are five people who know the whole plan - and I may not even be one of them--"
"Zach may be holding out on you."
"Maybe. With Zach you never know."
"You intelligence guys are fucking nuts, you know that."
"Yeah, well knowledge is power and we're sure as hell not sharing any power we don't have to."
Shego shook her head in disgust, "Great into the desert with six muscle-bound morons and a guy afraid to tell me what time it is."
"Look, I'll tell you whatever I think you need to know. But I--"
"But you think there's a great deal I don't need to know, right?"
He nodded.
"You know, if there's even any talk of hurting anyone from Global Justice those burns I gave you will seem like nothing," she said grimly.
His lips tightened, "No interest in harming anyone from Global Justice or the Egyptian Army. But it's finders keepers if something's there and we can get it first."
Team Possible II, as Jim and Tim preferred to call the Lipsky and Load crew, all climbed into one hovercraft the next morning for a fast reconnaissance. Everyone told Bego to stay behind, but she insisted they needed her. "Besides. if. you. are. in. the. air. and. fly. into. the. anomaly. the. crash. will. kill. you. all. We. will. all. go. together. if. we. go."
"You're a ton of fun, you know that," Jim grumbled.
It turned out that Bego provided them with an insight into the anomaly other groups would miss.
"Oh. my. gosh," she softly exclaimed as they followed the Nile south.
"What?" Drakken demanded.
Joss took Bego's hand, in order to see through the eyes of her metal sister. "Wow!" was all she managed
The rest waited anxiously for more details, but Joss and Bego remained in silent awe of whatever the two of them alone could see. "If we threw you both out of here, right now, the jury would call it justifiable homicide," Jim warned them.
"Give me the controls," Joss ordered Tim. As she slipped into the pilot's chair Bego stood behind her, touching Joss's neck so contact was maintained.
"There. is. like. a. pillar. of. glurplish. light. extending. up. into. the. sky," Bego told the others.
"Glurplish?"
"Definitely glurplish," Joss agreed.
"I. can. see. colors. the. human. eye. can. not. see," she reminded them. "Joss. and. I. have. had. to. name. some. them. This. looks. sort. of. like. glurple."
The surprises weren't over. After they had flown awhile longer Joss suddenly stopped the craft in midair. "What's going on?" Jim asked.
"Think it's the anomaly? Joss asked.
"That. would appear. to. be. a. very. safe. guess."
"Well, we sure as heck got the jump on anyone else," Joss crowed.
