Bandar Abbas
Disclaimer: Same as before.
---
Airman First Class Vanessa Harris-Patel headed towards the communication center of the Pit. Kumar had the day off, clearing his lean, powerful arm from around her waistline didn't even make him stir. She smiled inwardly at the memory of the last night, no matter that Kumar felt exhausted, he certainly found his second wind when he saw her dressed up in that bikini. She inwardly praised herself for that particular investment. But she was running late. Thankfully she had managed to find parking in spite of all that.
She pulled her BDU cap off her head and headed for her communication intercept station. She sat down and started to compile messages.
"Mainframe. I've got a disturbing intercept here. It's a COBRA radio signal which means only one thing...begin." she said.
"Great job Airman Patel." Mainframe said.
"Harris, actually." Vanessa replied, "I usually use my maiden name at work so that I don't get confused with my husband."
"Oh. Sorry." Mainframe said.
"I'm also noticing some disturbing traffic coming from Iranian territorial. They're calling to scramble some fast boat unit." Vanessa replied.
"Airman Harris, great job. Keep your ears open for any more traffic." Mainframe replied. As he was talking Carl Draper walked into the room.
"Whoa Drape, what's with the civilian getup?" Strickland asked, as he was getting ready to sign for the radio codes for the day, "Ready for your day off already?"
"Nah. I'm about to fly to Virginia today. I'm taking Angela back to Quantico." Draper replied.
"Why are you going with her?" Strickland said.
"Relax Strick I'm not gonna leave the unit. I'm just escorting her because of a supposed threat the Praetorians made against her." Draper replied before making a beeline for the coffee pot.
From her station Vanessa chuckled. "Still on the coffee habit, sergeant?"
"Yeah." Draper replied.
"Are you kidding? The worst thing for Drape was when Beach Head wouldn't let us drink caffeinated beverages when we were first joining G.I. Joe. I'd never been around a grumpier old Jewish guy in my life..." Strickland replied.
"Ah stow it Strickland!" Draper replied as he poured himself a cup and walked out into the hallway.
"Doesn't Angela want any?" Vanessa asked.
"I asked. She said no way. Her taste of coffee at Area 51 was bad enough. And besides B.A.'s Coffee might not be good for the un-initiated." Draper replied.
"Considering when you drank it you didn't sleep for days." Strickland remarked, "I remember when you smuggled it out of the mess hall during Beach Head's six week coffee ban for our Initial Training. We all swore your heart was about to explode."
"I don't have that bad of a coffee habit!" Draper replied.
"Who else do you know who sneaks coffee beans out and chews on them in the field?" Strickland replied.
Draper walked out of the room with an annoyed grumble about smart-assed young airmen to some more than mild laughter from Strickland and Vanessa.
---
Angela sat down in her seat in the 747's aisle. Carl had the window seat. "Hey, take the window seat..." Draper offered.
"It's OK." Angela replied.
"I insist." Draper replied, "A lot of elbow banging from beverage carts happens in the aisle."
Angela swapped seats with him and then the plane began to take off. "So what have you been up to since we went our separate ways?" Draper asked.
"Well. Sorcerer and I managed to take down Praetorian Headquarters. We thought Trelawney died when he was trapped in the building after its self destruct sequence was activated. We were wrong." Angela shivered.
"I guess that's why they want me escorting you back." Draper replied, "And why lifeline insist that Sorcerer stay at the Pit for his treatment."
She checked the newspaper she'd purchased with her cup of coffee and noticed the headline: Iranians To Aggressively Patrol South Arabian Gulf.
"Damn Trelawney." Angela said, "Why he threw his hat in with COBRA and Syndrome's little gang I don't know."
"That's why Hawk tried to argue for you to stay at the Pit earlier, for your own safety." Draper argued.
"I've faced the Praetorians before, Carl. Remember?" Angela replied.
"Vividly. You involved me in the fight ten years ago." Carl replied, "I remember saying I was willing to help you then, even to the point of giving up being a Combat Controller. That resolve is still there. If you want me to I'll put my resignation in on General Hawk's desk..."
"Carl, I see how you're needed by your team. I can't ask you to do that." Angela replied, "Even for me."
Draper nodded. Angela still was able to win that argument even ten years later.
"So what else had you been up to?" Draper asked.
"Well shortly after I regained my identity I became part of the FBI's computer crimes division. I actually enjoy my work." Angela replied.
"So what have you been up to since we were together?" Angela asked.
"That's a long story. First I graduated from Indoc and went through the Combat Control pipeline. I was just checking into the unit when 9/11 went down. Several of my buddies were going to Afghanistan while I was still stuck at Pope AFB. My call came in January 2002 and they sent me to Afghanistan for almost a year. Then I went to Iraq twice over before I got picked to go to this unit." Draper replied.
"That's rough." Angela said before she noticed a ridged white scar on the right side of Draper's neck, "Where did you pick that one up?"
"Afghanistan." Draper replied tersely. Angela knew not to push that one. That was a darker side of Draper she'd not seen in him ten years ago, the young man eager to prove himself at his goal of being a Combat Controller. There wasn't a seemingly haunted air to him.
They weren't kidding about the Combat in Combat Control Technician. Angela thought.
"I'm so sorry." Angela said.
"It's OK, you couldn't have known." Draper replied.
Angela's left arm brushed against his right arm. She smiled slightly noticing he still wore that same beat up brown leather A2 flight jacket he always wore when it was cold.
"Some things never change." Angela quipped.
"Excuse me?" Draper replied.
"I was just talking about that jacket. That's one of the little details I always will remember about you." Angela replied.
Draper smiled back, "It's my lucky jacket."
"It looks like it's been in a war or two." Angela replied.
"It was issued in Vietnam." Draper replied, "And I wore it a lot during my senior year of high school and afterward. It went through a few of my misadventures in college too."
Angela said, "You mean that fight you got into back in 1997?"Angela asked.
"How do you know about that?"Draper asked.
"Sorcerer." Angela asked.
"Why was he curious?" Draper asked.
"When I first met you I asked him to run a background check." Angela replied.
"Do you ask for background checks for all your dates?" Draper asked.
"Those were slightly different times." Angela replied, "I really didn't know who you were beyond what you told me and I couldn't really trust anyone."
"I understand. After the fifth or so time I read your letter." Draper replied.
"You didn't rip it up? I thought you'd tear it up or destroy it." Angela replied.
"Believe me the thought did cross my mind." Draper replied, "But it was all I really had left of you. I couldn't destroy that. I actually have re-read that letter so many times over the years."
Angela felt a stunned silence for a moment before she went to the lavatory. When she came back she noticed Draper was engrossed in a copy of Time Magazine with the headline about the latest Iranian aggression.
She sat down beside him before she started to fall asleep. Carl Draper turned when he felt the pressure of Angela's head against his left shoulder. He lifted the arm rest between them because it was digging into her hip. A stewardess came by and Draper quietly requested a blanket.
As he received the blanket he gently draped it over Angela's shoulders just below her neck. He was rewarded with a slight murmur and a sleepy smile. He smiled to himself, that even after ten years and a break up he still was able to get that reaction out of her.
---
"What does COBRA want with our land?" Walid Al-Baz asked as he smoked a cigarette.
"You know that there is nothing you can get out of me." Zartan said as blood dribbled down his cheeks.
"By Allah your Omnidroids destroyed my home city!" Walid replied and swung a rubber wrapped PVC pipe filled with metal ball bearings into Zartan's rib cage.
The Dreadnok said, "Perhaps you and your Pasdaran brothers should treat me better. Perhaps COBRA will be lenient."
Walid backhanded Zartan angrily, "Never. Every Iranian from the Ayatollah on down will not surrender to your demands jackal!"
"We will crush you! I will crush you!" Zartan said.
"No! You will not grind us down. Like our ancestors the Persians we stand proud and defiant." Walid replied.
"What was the death toll at Bandar Abbas again?" Zartan asked.
Walid kicked Zartan's knee with all the force he could muster. Zartan let out a yell and then laughed defiantly. He was definitely pushing the Iranian interrogator's buttons.
One thing Zartan knew that Walid Al-Baz didn't was that one of them only had a few hours left to live.
---
"Allah Akhbar!" Kasim Ibn-Farahnakian shouted as his Boghammar patrol boat raced towards the Islamabadi firing rounds from the boat's heavy machine guns.
The Islamabadi was riddled with holes down her port and starboard side from two strafing runs of other boats.
It was now his turn to attack. The boat raced forward, it's twin .50 caliber guns blazing into the vessel's prow and hull.
Moshed aimed the RPG-7 at the bridge of the vessel and fired a rocket at the bridge which exploded just below the pilot house.
"La Ilaha Ilah Allah!" came the triumphant shout.
The Islamabdi listed to starboard as two more Iranian fast boats came up her starboard beam firing recoilless rifles and heavy machine guns. The ship began to catch fire as fuel began to ignite from the Iranian tracer and incindiary rounds.
Kasim watched impassively as the massive Pakistani tanker began to roll over as his squadron of small boats raced away. Racing low from the mountains behind Bandar Abbas came an F4 Phantom.
Several sailors on the Iranian Boghammars cheered as the F4 dropped three 500 lb bombs onto the remains of the Pakistani tanker, sinking it to the bottom.
"Allah Akhbar!" came the shouts of triumph.
As the boats raced back towards Bandar Abbas their crews had no idea that they had just killed twenty-one innocent Pakistani mariners and that thousands of Heartless were inbound.
---
Vanessa kept her ears on the suspicious Iranian radio traffic. Someone was already monitoring the Iranians attacking the Islamabadi, but she was thoroughly convinced that the Iranians were destroying the wrong ship. In the background she could hear transmissions from the M/V Al Ejaz as it was docking at the port of Bandar Abbas. Something wasn't right. There was something suspicious about the master of the Al Ejaz and she wasn't certain but the accent of the man was wrong.
"What's wrong?" Mainframe asked as he headed over to where Vanessa sat.
"I'm picking up something from the Motor Vessel Al Ejaz. It's a Pakistani registered tanker pulling into Bandar Abbas, Iran." Vanessa replied.
"Explain." Mainframe said.
"Well, according to her manifest the owner is Abdul Al-Jahr Qaim. The man talking on that circuit does not sound like a Pakistani man in his late 50s." Vanessa replied.
At Mainframe's quizzical look she added, "One or two of Kumar's relatives come from Northern India and he has cousins in Pakistan. I know what Pakistanis sound like."
"I wasn't doubting you, Airman Harris, I just wanted to know how you arrived at that conclusion and..." Mainframe replied.
"Oh my God!" Vanessa exclaimed.
"What?" Mainframe said.
Vanessa turned up a dial patched to a nearby speaker. "COBRA La la la la la la la la!!!!" came the shout.
With that shout all hell broke loose at Bandar Abbas, Iran.
---
The Heartless and Nobodies raced from deep within the hold of the Al Ejaz. The surprised Iranian port guards opened fire with their AK-47 assault rifles.
One of them ran towards a radio and he began to contact his superiors. An Iranian guard outside the building was running backwards as he was shooting wildly at several charging Heartless.
"Back! Get Back! AAAGGHH!!!" he shouted as a fleeing truck smashed into him, spraying gore all over the place.
The Iranian border guard only managed to get a short distress call out before a raking scimitar-like claw from a COBRA-La Heartless ripped him from his left shoulder to his right hip.
One by one the Iranian border guards at the docks were overwhelmed and the Heartless streamed into the city, taking hearts as they streamed into downtown Bandar Abbas at midday. The sky was filled with glowing heart shapes as the Heartless descended like wolves upon lambs.
The fact that Heartless were ravishing the bazaars and shops of downtown was all that Sergeant Rashid Al-Qaim Baz of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps Army knew as he set up his position just forward of his sector. He could see more soldiers below readying positions for a defensive line to contain the plague.
Through his optics Rashid could see a woman with a Shadow Heartless on top of her back. He sighted his Nakhijir rifle, a license built copy of the Russian Dragunov sniper rifle, on the creature and squeezed the trigger. With a loud crack the Shadow Heartless' head literally came apart as the 7.62x54 rimmed cartridge ripped into it.
His wife and six month old son were in the apartment complex where the Heartless were steadily advancing.
"Allah Akhbar!" he shouted as he engaged a Soldier Heartless pursuing a terrified child down an alley. The creature took the round just underneath the rim of its helmet.
Eight rounds in the magazine. Seven more magazines on his kit to reload. The Heartless crashed against the perimeter.
Now the rattle of assault rifles, light and heavy machine guns, and the boom of grenades could be heard. He sighted in on a COBRA-La Heartless before squeezing the trigger. CRACK! The creature fell down five feet from the nearby barricades.
Several more Heartless shook violently as they were caught in a torrent of fire from a PKM machine gun. The gunner was shooting steadily at Heartless that came into range, tearing them to shreds when the manhole cover behind him opened up. Out came two Neoshadow Heartless. Rashid acquired one of the creatures through his optics and squeezed off another round. The creature fell backward into the drainage system, falling on top of it's companion. Another soldier threw a grenade into the sewer tunnel.
"They're into the sewer system!" Rashid passed over his radio headset as he took aim at a Dusk that just twisted the neck of the grenade thrower.
With a loud crack the Dusk's brains splattered against a brick wall. The shooting was steady with screams coming into the air as the Heartless came in behind several units from the sewer tunnels.
A shrieking sound echoed just then and Rashid turned to see something he had not seen when the Heartless attacked Bandar Abbas before. The creature was jet black, with three glowing yellow eyes on an elongated and crested head with fanglike teeth. The creature's head was atop it's long neck which funneled down into a mantis-like body which walked on six legs shaped like the jabbing paws of a praying mantis. The symbol of the Heartless was prominent atop it's head ridge.
Several more of the 3 meter tall creatures were in company with more Heartless. Rashid snapped a shot at the creature before narrowly escaping a massive claw that stabbed into the building.
An Iranian soldier took aim with RPG-7 and squeezed the trigger. The rocket penetrated the Acklay-Heartless' side before the creature turned and with a roar swung another clawed leg that beheaded the RPG shooter.
Over his radio Rashid could hear the troop commander shouting. "Concentrate fire..."
The order was terminated by a shrieking roar and a loud scream. Several soldiers fled only to be picked off by marauding Heartless and Nobodies. Rashid picked off what Heartless and Nobodies he could, all the while dodging the Acklay-Heartless that smashed into any building he happened to fire from.
Another troop commander said. "Concentrate your fire on their bellies!"
Several Iranian riflemen, an RPG gunner and two machine gunners did so, killing one Acklay-Heartless and then another.
"Allah Akhbar!" Came the shout as the Iranians continued their fight over the city of Bandar Abbas.
---
"Ow..." Meghan Travis said as she felt tiny feet kicking inside her swollen abdomen, "I always knew I was gonna be a soccer mom."
Martin Travis smiled as he put his hand on his wife's belly before he kissed it and said jokingly, "Hey you, quit causing Mommy so much pain."
The baby kicked again and moved. "She's gonna be one difficult teenager." Meaghan remarked.
"He better be a black belt in some martial art or a soccer player." Martin joked.
"It's a girl. I'm positive." Meghan said.
"It's a boy. I'm convinced. Daddys know these things." Martin replied.
"Hey, who's pregnant here." Meghan replied.
"I guess we'll find out on the birth date. Like we agreed." Martin replied.
"True." Meghan said, as she smiled.
Martin was about to reply when his cell phone rang. He noticed the number read Ben Randall. "What's going on Master Chief?" Martin said.
After a brief pause Meghan saw her husband's face take that same expression. "Honey. I've just been called to the CSAR Command Center again."
"Be careful." Meghan said.
Martin replied, "I always am, sweetheart. I always am."
---
The aircraft touched down at Baltimore Washington International Airport as Angela yawned lightly as she awoke. She could feel the light airplane blanket just below her neck and knew Carl had put it there.
"You can go back if you want." Angela offered.
"I'll escort you back to your place and catch a cab back." Draper replied.
"If you want you can stay at my place for the night." Angela replied and then realized just what she had said, "On the couch or something..."
"I understand." Draper replied.
"I didn't mean to hurt you." Angela replied.
"I forgave you a long time ago." Draper replied.
Angela gazed at him thoughtfully. "Really?" Angela said.
"Back at Qatar." Draper replied, "And even before then to a point. I just wanted to know why you refused my help all those years ago."
"It would have broken my heart to see you lose your dream just like that." Angela replied.
"I'm just so happy to see you again." Draper replied as they walked into the terminal towards where Angela's red Ford Mustang was parked.
Angela started the car and they drove towards Quantico. "I can't believe all this is happening." Angela began.
"All what?" Draper replied as they listened to the radio.
"First of all this whole conspiracy with the Heartless and this bad guy known as Syndrome we know barely anything about." Angela replied, "And then we've got the Praetorians coming back, probably with me as a target. I know Trelawney hasn't forgotten me. He's probably going to try for me again."
"We don't even know if Trelawney's still alive." Draper replied.
"I'm almost positive he is." Angela replied, "And if he is, I'm a target again."
"Not if I have anything to do with it." Draper replied, "I'll be damned if he harms even a hair on your head."
Angela gave him a look that spoke of both concern and awe. Concern for the fact that he was willing to risk his life. Awe for that same reason.
"Even if it's not Trelawney the Praetorians don't like leaving loose ends." Angela replied.
"You and Sorcerer should be fine." Draper replied, "Sorcerer's still at the Pit recovering, thanks to Lifeline and Lina Chakram. And in your case I'm here as an escort and you've got the FBI nearby, this time not to arrest you."
"This time my identity is under lock and key." Angela replied.
"And your heart as well?" Draper replied.
"Carl, we've only just seen each other after ten years of separation. I don't think now is the best time to try and restart things." Angela replied.
"So you do feel something?" Draper asked. Angela looked back. Those piercing gray eyes of his always seemed to be able to sniff the truth out of her.
"I still feel for you." Angela replied, "It's not just as a friend, but something more. I just don't think we can just pick up where we left off."
"And I'm not asking you to do that." Draper replied, "I'd have to be a lunatic to think we could do that."
Angela knew in her heart there was still love there. She still felt feelings that never entirely faded regarding him, but damn it that had been ten years ago. She wasn't a fugitive on the run any more and he wasn't a raw recruit to Air Force Special Tactics. But the feelings were still there.
Draper felt it inside him. Those feelings for a woman who never entirely left his heart almost ten years ago.
"It's been a while and I'm really confused as well as happy to see you again." Draper replied.
"When you get to be our age there's always things." Angela replied.
"I still care." Draper replied.
"Let's take things slow this time." Angela replied.
"I understand." Draper replied.
---
Reinforcements had shown up to retake the docks of Bandar Abbas. Explosions and fusillades could be heard co-mingling with screams of human and Heartless alike. Block by block, building by building the Iranians were fighting, using tanks and APCs with heavy machine guns and even rockets.
The tactic of shooting the Acklay-Heartless hybrids in the underside with concentrated weapons fire had worked to thin the numbers a bit, but the marauding lesser Heartless and Nobodies below made concentrating fire difficult.
The building shook again and Zartan knew that his liberation was near. Already several of the Iranian guards at the facility had been pressed into defending the Quarantine Zone. They had a marginally higher chance of survival than Zartan's remaining captors were going to.
"See. Your precious city is about to be sacked of more hearts again." Zartan teased.
Walid Al-Baz angrily kicked Zartan in the ribs. Zartan coughed and let out a defiant laugh. The Iranian interrogator's face was a mass of contorted rage as he could hear the fighting outside.
A pall of dark smoke started to fall over various parts of the city of Bandar Abbas. And so were several guards at the facility where Zartan was being held.
Knives and silenced needle guns were stabbed or fired into throats and chests before startled guards even had an instant to react. The Eels moved silently through the facility and the first and only indication Walid Al-Baz had that they were there was when the door was smashed open.
Walid managed to fire a single shot from his 9mm pistol only to catch a needle gun round in the base of his throat. He fell to the ground, grabbing at the steel spine, gasping and spitting blood.
As Zartan was released he walked over to the interrogator, "It seems the death toll of Bandar Abbas was raised by one more soul..."
---
Angela stopped the car outside the house. "You're welcome to come in if you want." Angela offered.
"In a minute, I'm just going to make a phone call." Draper replied.
Angela smiled and went inside the house. Just then she felt the world go dark as a plastic garbage bag was tossed over her head.
"Miss me?" came the voice of Sean Trelawney, "You know what they say, eighty percent of fatal accidents happen in the house."
"Angela?" Came Draper's voice from outside.
"Carl!" Angela tried to scream through the bag only to be struck in the stomach. It let more air out of her lungs faster.
Draper reached into his jacket and extracted the H&K USP 9mm sidearm and crashed through the front door of Angela's house. There were five men in the room. Two of them were holding Angela by her arms and a third was holding a garbage bag over Angela's head while she struggled. One stood guard and a fifth was standing in front of Angela with a foam wrapped PVC pipe stuffed with ball bearings.
With the life of the woman he loved at stake Carl Draper did not hesitate. The guard was first to die when Draper fired three rounds into his chest and neck. The man with the PVC pipe quarter turned only to catch three more rounds to the face from Draper's weapon. Angela threw her head back with the last of her breath, scoring a good solid hit on Trelawney's nose with the back of her head.
One of the assailants closest to Draper let go of Angela only to be shot in the stomach and sternum.
Angela managed to break free of her assailant as she tore the bag off her head and went for her Glock sidearm. The Praetorian knocked Angela to the ground and they wrestled for control of the weapon.
The wounded Praetorian on the floor reached for his weapon, he was close enough to shoot Angela only to catch Draper's size 9.5 hiking boot complete with Vibram sole to the underside of his jaw.
A gunshot rang out. Then two more. Draper turned to see Angela shove the dead Praetorian off her when Trelawney turned to shoot her. Angela fired first, a single round that hit Trelawney in the right bicep. He bellowed and dropped his weapon, running from the house.
Draper turned to help Angela pull the near 190 lbs of dead Praetorian off her chest. "Are you OK?" Draper asked.
Angela sat up and groaned as she held her left side, "Ribs."
Draper checked the three remaining Praetorians, kicking two of them in the ribs before the third reached for his gun again. Draper stomped on the man's hand and aimed his sidearm at his head.
"Try it, fucker and I'll do a nice Bob Villa job to your face." Draper replied.
"We'll get you to the hospital." Draper replied as he took his cell phone out of his pocket with one hand to call the Pit.
The Praetorian looked up at him and Draper said, "Her, not you, asshole."
Angela gave him a warning look.
Angela got to her feet shortly after Duke, Snakeyes and Stalker appeared via the Mass Device. The trio began to police up the scene and got Angela and Draper safely back to the Pit.
---
The Iranians at Bandar Abbas scarcely had time to mourn their dead when another disaster hit. The Pakistanis were enraged at the Iranians' actions in the Persian Gulf, which included the destruction of the Islamabadi.
The death of twenty-seven Pakistani sailors was fresh on the mind of Lieutenant Mohammed Al-Fais as he and forty Pakistani soldiers crossed into Iranian territory. His older brother had been the first mate on the Islamabadi when the Iranians destroyed it. The garrison at Qila Safed had issued an order to attack Iranian outposts along the border at dusk.
Any second now the mortar section would open fire on the Iranian outpost and it would be the job of the infantry company to assault the outpost and flee back into Pakistani territory.
Mohammed Al-Fais' unit was the spearhead of Pakistan's revenge. The other three platoons were infiltrating behind his men towards the Iranian outpost. Al-Fais' men were in position when the mortars began to fire.
Through his field glasses he could see rounds exploding outside the perimeter fence and then slowly walking their way inside. Two Iranian soldiers who were walking out of a building were less than two feet away when a bomb exploded between them.
After the barrage lifted Al-Fais and the rest of the Qila Safed garrison began their assault. The Iranians were firing back intermittently. The surprise was total as the Pakistani soldiers advanced rapidly. There were a few casualties, mostly from the isolated pockets of resistance that remained.
Almost as soon and suddenly as they had appeared the Pakistanis raced across the border back to Qila Safed, back to bunkers and prepared positions to await the expected Iranian counterattacks.
---
"All things considered you got off lucky Agent Bennett," FBI Director Womack said via the video phone in General Hawk's conference room, "biometrics revealed that those four men were known members of a Praetorian erasure squad."
Angela felt goosebumps on her skin, the way she'd felt back in 1998 when her identity was erased and the Praetorians were always after her. But things were different this time, first of all as an FBI member her identity was better protected, second of all she took better precautions at protecting her own identity, and third she had allies at G.I. Joe to help including a fairly protective former lover.
Erasure squads were groups of people who specialized in making people disappear permanently. She knew had she not escaped from jail when her identity was stolen and she was officially Elizabeth Marx, a wanted cyber terrorist, she would have been murdered in prison by just such a squad.
She could see Carl sitting in the room with her, off to one side until Womack spoke. "Sergeant Draper, I thank you for saving the life of one of my best computer experts."
"Just doing my duty sir." Draper replied.
"Anyway, shortly after the three G.I. Joe operatives checked your house they found explosive devices in your basement. Enough to have burned any evidence you were murdered to the ground." Womack said.
"What are my options?" Angela asked.
"I was just getting there." Womack replied, "First off we could move you into the Witness Protection Program. Hide you for a while."
"I hate to say this, Director Womack, but I don't know if the Praetorians haven't infiltrated it." Angela replied.
"If need be, and I have spoken with his superiors, Sergeant Draper could accompany you. He seemed to have done a good job taking care of that Erasure Squad. And you two do have a rather agreeable history together." Womack replied.
Angela slightly reddened that the director brought up their past relationship. "And what's my other option?" Angela asked.
"I've drawn up temporary orders, if you'll accept them, to be G.I. Joe's FBI liaison." Womack replied.
"I like the second option better. The Praetorians would be insane if they attempted to infiltrate this base." Angela replied.
"It's settled then. You'll be working at the Pit as it's new FBI liaison, part of this anti-Praetorian task force that General Hawk has started. Womack out." Womack's face disappeared.
"Any information from the surviving Praetorian." Hawk asked Scarlet
"It would be a little easier to interrogate the guy if someone hadn't kicked him in the jaw so hard that the bone was fractured in two places." Scarlet replied.
"Hey the prick's lucky to be alive." Draper replied as everyone filed out.
Angela and Draper were the only ones left in the room.
"Feeling better?" Draper asked.
"Lifeline said my ribs were just bruised. I should take it easy for a few days." Angela said.
"Where do they have you staying?" Draper asked.
Angela read off an address on base housing.
"Hey." Draper replied, "You're my next door neighbor. If you want me to, I'll help you move in and get settled. Today's my day off anyway."
Angela smiled wanly, "Thank you."
---
"Twenty-five thousand hearts captured at Bandar Abbas. I'd call that a successful operation." COBRA Commander said.
"Strictly small scale." Trelawney replied.
"But we got our operative back." COBRA Commander said.
"With my help." Trelawney replied.
"We could easily have infiltrated Bandar Abbas without your stupid computer virus interference." COBRA Commander said, "And it's hard to believe you weren't able to eliminate a 5'6" brunette with five men..."
"She had help." Trelawney replied, his right arm heavily bandaged from the .40 caliber slug Angela had fired at him.
"Both of you stop your bickering now." Syndrome said, "Both of you pulled off yet another bit of chaos I intended to spread."
"Which was?" Trelawney replied.
"Don't you see, the Iranians and Pakistanis are going to war with another." Syndrome replied as he held up a newspaper whose headline read: Pakistani Garrison Destroys Iranian Border Station.
"The conflict has been escalating." COBRA Commander replied, "More border clashes are occurring along the border with Pakistan and Iran."
"This just in: Iranian Aircraft Bomb Qila Safed." Destro added.
"Perfect." Syndrome replied, "More divisions and chaos."
Bummun Hien, a member of the North Korean Special Forces, stepped forward, "All our operatives are in place."
"Very well." Syndrome said, "Start your terrorist campaign in the South."
The North Korean acknowledged the order as Syndrome said, "Next order of business."
"The attack on the Pit." Trelawney replied, "Of course there is the matter of even infiltrating the virus into the Pit's mainframe. Especially the fact that Angela Bennett survived."
"No thanks to you." COBRA Commander sniped.
"Remotely introducing the virus won't be possible, since they expect the attack." Trelawney replied.
"That's where I can help." General Eddington said, he held up a USB drive.
"Who would place it?" Trelawney replied.
"I have an operative in place." General Eddington replied.
"But why attack the Pit to begin with? Going after Sorcerer and Angela again?" COBRA Commander said.
"We're just gonna distract the Joes for a few hours and also see what their defenses are like." Syndrome said, "We'll use a few Heartless and Nobodies as well as BATS for the operation."
"And what about this insider?" Trelawney asked.
"She's reliable." Eddington replied, "Let's just say she has a vested interest in serving us."
---
CPT Julie Atkins(1) stared at the thumb drive in her right hand. It had arrived via a telegram at a 24-hour diner after she received a phone call. Passing information to Eddington was one thing, but disabling various key systems and firewalls at the Pit? That could kill people.
"I won't do it." she began, as she spoke to the hooded figure outside.
"You agreed to serve us." The Hooded Figure replied.
"I-I can't just possibly kill several of my co-workers." Julie replied.
"Very well. Don't do it." The Hooded Figure replied, "Just turn around, walk away and return to your life. Just remember your boyfriend's heart is forfeit."
"You wouldn't." Julie replied.
"Would I?" The Hooded figure replied, "You agreed to help us in exchange for your boyfriend's heart. Or perhaps you would want to see how Dave continues to live as a Shadow Heartless..."
"OK. I'll do it. Just please don't lose his heart..." Julie replied as she walked away in the falling rain.
---
To Be Continued: Next. The Pit comes under attack.
Atkins is an Air Force Captain who appeared in the fic The Coming of the Foe and is an informer for General Eddington as well as a possible Friends of Humanity member.