Chapter 10: Logistics
"So they've camped out about ten kilometers from your borders?" Xander peered closer at the maps that were spread out on the table. He traced the highlighted path on the main topographic map of the northern border region of Faerie territory in their home dimension. It was only a small segment of the border; testament to the size of the territory that they controlled. The fact that there were security issues that required more than the routine border patrols however, meant that control was less than total. As powerful as the Faerie were, they had become rather isolated and stagnate over the millennia when they had pulled back the majority of their ranks into only a few planes of existence. Magic had ruled, and the role of soldiers and warriors relegated to the backwaters. It was troubling. "This is the main route through the mountains?"
Richard looked at what the human had been looking at. "Yes. The only one accessible at the current time. It's an updated map with the most current rock formations. The yearly snowstorms are still upon us in the North. They managed to hide their presence in their chosen stronghold until a short while ago. The past raids along the other borderlines were just cover to move their soldiers and arms into position. Still, it will be a couple of months before they would be able to move. We need to get ready for them."
"The storms last that long?" Xander asked, pulling a couple of sheets of paper from the side of the table. He checked the average snowfall levels in the territory over the last couple weeks. They were still going strong.
The Faerie warrior shook his head. "Not exactly. The storms will abate in some time, but the temperatures will stay extremely cold until springtime. The snow gets packed and turns to ice. There is no way though the mountain passes until the Melt. Once the flood dies down, then we can expect to see movement inward."
"Which buys us some time," Xander stated. He pulled a map with a smaller scale that showed the northern territory as it was in relation to the central areas of the Faerie kingdom. "So exactly what are you asking me?"
"We need support to fortify our Northern position," Richard explained. He sat down at the table, next to Xander's position. He had taken a small apartment in New York City to work out of in order to accomplish his mission. Nothing too strenuous, and nothing that should require any physicality. While he was certainly an accomplished fighter, his rank meant that he had to be able to lead. And plan. "Our rangers and the majority of our forces are already utilized in combating raiding parties in the East and against pirates along the Western coast. We have sent what soldiers we could to start preparing positions, but it will be too little too late if that is all we have to rely on."
"Great," Xander replied, still looking at the map. He analyzed the markings that indicated fortification and strongholds that had been built along the mountains to protect against such eventualities. There were quite a few of them. But, over time the tide of battle had shifted elsewhere, and many of those bases had fallen into disrepair. Half of those indicated had already been scouted and had been determined to be useless in any coming campaign. What could be salvaged had been, and moved to the ones closest to the main enemy force. "What do you have going up there? And, what exactly do you need?"
"Three mixed battalions will be stationed along the front, along with the current forces we have stationed here," Richard pointed out the locations that they would be deployed in. "They're enroute now, picking up additional members and supplies along the way. Their first task will be to repair any stations that can be fixed. Secondly, they will send out scouts to see if we can determine exactly how large of an attack force is out there. Third, if an attack does come, we need to be prepared to repel it. And fourth, we need to find out exactly who is responsible for such an action. It is only a few months away from the Congress. The Melt will have occurred prior to it. A perfect time for a show of force prior to the meeting. It is too close to be a coincidence."
"And, you need support troops," Xander said. He pointed at the map at some of the less fortified positions to the flanks of the main rock mountain that held the main fortress. Caer something. He couldn't actually read the Faerie language. "Here, here, and here. You block that pass off, and you won't need another base on the left. Still, that's probably a couple of companies then at least. Cover these blind spots. And make sure that these three other passes are blocked off from enemy access. Smart. But, let's face it. If this is a real push, then my support troops aren't going to be all that much help. Especially if there's more forces than you imagine. You're talking border protection, if you're only looking for fighters on the ground, not defense against a real invasion. So, this is really about something else. Too."
"Correct." Richard nodded. "Border protection if push comes to shove. But, it is also a show of force of our own. Defense, along with foreign allies to demonstrate a combined front. Hopefully the show of force is enough to deter them from actually attack. Saber rattling, as you humans would say. Now, the ideal situation is to have them all in place in three months time at least. That'll give them a month to get used to the field. It'll take a month to travel the underground tunnels to that location."
"No faster way?" Xander asked, trying to run the calculations in his head. Time moved differently in their respective dimensions. As it did in many of the different dimensions in existence. The realm of Faerie and Earth were fairly close together time wise, but it still made the exact timing something of a chore to figure. By his calculation, he had until summer his time to move his forces into place. Hopefully. It wasn't an exact ratio all the time. "You know, it would be easier if you didn't calculate everything according to your frame of reference."
Richard shrugged. "I factored in as much time above ground as possible. The problem is that one you get closer to the mountains, you'll have to take the tunnels. It's the only way through during this time of year."
Xander rubbed a hand over his face. It had been a long couple of days. The hard drive had made it out okay and Fallon and some of the others in their computer section were ripping it apart. It had been encrypted, but was already providing data. Too bad none of it seemed to be much help to them. There wasn't much on Kestrel but for some details on his last assignment. Most of it he already knew. Still, there was background, which could be of help if they could determine when he had been recruited. And where. As it was, most of the useful information on the drive was simply on the guns that were running around Africa in various areas. Helpful to the military and the Agency and their operations in the area, but not to his own organization.
The cell phones they had pulled off the men hadn't helped either. The SIMM cards hadn't had any saved numbers, and there were no numbers in the lists of calls made, received, or missed. The easy stuff was a dead end. The harder part would be to find out where the phones came from. That would take longer. Wasn't his part of the mission though. That was one for the tech guys.
He worked his neck back and forth, trying to loosen it up. "Okay, so we need to up training on two companies worth of slayers, maybe a couple of wizards. They need to know the rules of your world in terms of what weapons will work, magic, and so on. That's going to take some time, but I already have some people working on it, so it really just comes down to the details to refine what they're doing now."
"So, it's doable then," Richard asked. He understood Xander's concerns. The rules of nature could vary on different worlds. Nothing could be taken for granted. Luckily for them both the atmosphere and gravity were fairly equivalent.
"I'll have to step it up," Xander replied cautiously. "But, I think it's doable. I'll need detailed layouts and all the information on what we can expect. Everything. I need to know what kind of abilities the enemy has, and what we have on our side."
"You'll get it," Richard stated. "Anything else?"
Xander considered. He knew some of what was out there in the Faerie kingdom, even if he had never been there himself. In some ways it read like a fantasy novel. The nature of the dimension meant that the majority of technology didn't work. Not just electronics. Even the laws of physics didn't seem to work as they did on Earth; probably why time went wonky. Guns didn't work, yet they functioned purely on chemical reactions. Why they didn't function was not yet known completely. It was theorized that the presence of certain metals, like iron, wreaked havoc on the natural order of things in that dimension. But, that didn't explain everything. Like why stuff like life still managed to pop up, even if chemistry in some cases didn't function.
So that meant no guns. They had crossbows with some kind of magically enchanted bolts. Better than the medieval ones in pure design at any rate. Still, swords and spears and the like where common. Magic managed to improve them somewhat, but it didn't keep them from effectively being just melee weapons.
No tanks. No jets. Everything pretty much had its biological equivalent. Some type of heavily scaled elephant thing for tanks. Gryphons for jets. They may not be as good as their metal cousins, but sometimes one had to make do with the hand one was dealt.
Battle magic existed. But, there were issues with using it on any sort of wide scale. As it was, sustained use was extremely tiring and limited to a fairly select number of people. From what Richard had told him, most of those capable had long since taken on less martial pursuits.
"I'll be frank," Xander turned to the Faerie. "None of these girls have ever seen war. I mean, real war. A couple of battles, but they always had home to go to. There were no fronts. No supply lines. They aren't prepared for this, and I can only do so much to get them ready. You can't treat them like frontline troops. They aren't soldiers."
Richard considered it. He knew that Xander had had them trained as much as he could. But, in function they did not operate as regular infantry did. As he had done in the past. "Then what did you have in mind?"
"Scouts. Marksmen. Strike teams," Xander threw out. "Look, they may be able to function as the equivalent of some type of special ops teams and do the guard duty and base defense, but the simple truth is that unless we're talking some significant investments, they won't be trained up for a war in your dimension in the relatively quick time we have."
"It doesn't take that long for a single soldier to go through what you call boot camp," Richard replied.
"Maybe so, but these aren't exactly normal circumstances. And, we've been training them for patrols. Missions against specific targets. Even the long term assignments they could expect are not what we're facing here," Xander said. The Faerie was right, but that assumed that they'd be operating in a world that they understood. As much as the slayers knew about other worlds and magic and such, it was nothing compared to actually being on an extended deployment over there. With all the fear, excitement, danger, boredom, drudgery, and occasional boredom it entailed. And, that didn't even really consider the laws that applied in the Faerie realm. "This'll end up being training for them too. Don't forget that."
Richard leaned back and considered it. "You're right."
"I guess that's it for now. Give me what you have when you have it. I'll talk to you later." Xander stood up, his cell phone ringing.
He picked it up and listened to the call. It was Dawn, from back in Cleveland. Evidently something had come up that Faith had requested his input on. From the tone, he could tell that there had been some disagreement on whether or not to bring him in. He could suspect a few people that would disagree.
"Look, just set up a time, and I'll come down. Maybe I can run it with my people, and see what's what," Xander said, breaking into Dawn's extended sentence. "Do you have anything you can send me? No, they're still writing it up? Trying to figure it all out? Okay, just make it soon then."
Xander said his goodbyes and put his phone away. He started walking towards the door to the apartment but turned around. "It was good seeing you again. And, I'm glad that we're on the same side of things for this."
Richard stood up and nodded. "Likewise."
"But, you know," Xander spoke, still looking at the Faerie. "I'm not actually some great military genius when it comes to large scale battle plans. And, uh, you probably should really have someone else look at this before you, you know, commit yourself firmly to any of this."
Richard just looked at him, and then nodded. "I understand. I'll let you know as soon as I have anything."
"Thanks," Xander said, turning around to leave.
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He had managed to catch a flight out to Cleveland pretty quick. Dawn had wanted to meet as soon as possible, and it had only been a couple of days from when he had met up with Richard. Xander hadn't had the best reaction when he had walked back in. Some of them were obviously glad to see him, but some of slayers, a disturbing number actually, looked at him with distrust. Evidently, his actions hadn't ingratiated him with all of the slayers as he had wanted. His own were all still on his side, as well as the ones that they had turned to his side. However, the ones that had been wary or were downright hostile to him were pretty adamant about their feelings. Evidently, Buffy coming back had had a bigger reaction than he had previously anticipated.
She had a way of controlling things and making people bend to her way. That was proving difficult.
"So, tell it to me straight. From the beginning," Xander said, leaning back into his chair. He had gotten there early to get some take on the situation before it could be run through the Watchers. Straight from the slayer's mouth as it was. It had been smart to bring Abby along with him. Some slayer loyalty had to have an effect on the others.
He uncapped a pen and put it onto his notepad. "Tell me a story."
"Okay. We heard that someone was running some cargo through the city. Demon muscle maybe backing things up, so we figured it might have deeper repercussions," Satsu said, as asked. "So we investigated. And, we hit them at a warehouse…"
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Earlier…
Satsu fired her silenced MP5. From her hidden position between two stacks of crates, she was able to hit three of the stocky demons in the head before they reacted with some semblance of intelligence. The magically silenced reports didn't help them figure out where the fire was coming from. So they shot at random.
The slayer ducked down behind some large wooden crates, as wild return fire came from a few human looking guys and the remaining demons dove for cover.
The team leader triggered her mike. "Leah, flank left, Shannon, right. Go now."
She felt rather than saw as her wingmen, or women, started to advance behind cover, carefully advancing and firing their own weapons. Satsu weaved through more crates, making her way to the office that the head of the operation was currently hiding in. He had moved quickly inside once the first bodies had fallen.
Bodies fell as accurate shots from her and her fellow slayers systematically wiped out the remaining henchmen.
"Come on out, Cheese," Satsu yelled out. She raked some fire across the back office of the dirty warehouse, the glass falling heavily into the room. "Your men are dead, you got no way out."
She looked around carefully, and made her way against a forklift that was used in their business. Most of the place had been haphazardly set up, with plenty of cover to hide behind.
"You got anything, Rowena," Satsu whispered into her com gear. She didn't need to look behind her to know that Rowena was currently in the rafters with a long rifle. She had been tasked with overwatch, and had taken out any of targets of opportunity during the initial attack.
"Nothing," Rowena replied, never taking her eye off of her sights. She didn't use a mate to watch her back in this case. Her spatial awareness and enhanced senses made it unnecessary. "Must be behind a desk or something. Going to thermal."
Rowena pulled a small pocket scope with her left hand, the rifle steady on her left leg before her. She took a quick scan of the office with it, noticing the cooler signs of the furniture and normal office equipment. She saw her target cowering behind a file cabinet.
She calculated the destination and her current line of fire, and determined that if need be, she could make the shot, even without visually sighting the rifle. She whispered again, "back corner. File cabinet."
"Roger that," Satsu said, crouching down behind a stack of iron boxes right before the office. She took out her near empty magazine and replaced it with a fresh one. The slayer glanced to her left and her right, making sure that the other slayers were in support positions with ready weapons. Nods in return and they were ready to move. Satsu triggered her mike again. "We're going for the capture. Rowena, watch for the flash. The rest, move with me."
Satsu pulled a flashbang from her belt and pulled the pin with her teeth. She braced herself and tossed it into the office, as close to the back corner as possible. She prepared herself to rush the room as soon as the three seconds to detonation were up.
The flashbang blew, but as Satsu rose to move in the office blew out. The sheet metal clad wall was no much for the thing that erupted from it. She stared at the hulking figure before her. Nothing like the skinny human looking fellow that they had prepared for. Evidently, their main target was not so human.
The lycanthrope howled once and started to run towards them. Satsu saw the werewolf react to rifle shots to the joints from Rowena as she sent some shots of her own at its head. It fell once, growling in agony. "Fall back. Fall back."
Satsu backed up, firing as she did. She watched as the wolf started to rise to its feet despite the other fire. She came to a stop a number of yards away from the slightly injured werewolf and came up with a plan. The slayer dropped her main weapon and pulled the katana that she had had sheathed to her back "Everyone, cover me. My signal. Get ready for it."
The slayer took a step back, going around some crates and made sure she had enough space to move. The werewolf had risen to its knees, and was shaking its head. "Go loud."
Shots from the three slayers still wielding guns pelted the werewolf. Technically speaking it wouldn't be enough to kill the lycanthrope. Not unless there was tremendous blood loss. Not a guarantee, unless helped along.
The bullets hit their mark in specific locations. Joints, especially large on such a beast. And the head. The eyes in particular. While it had enhanced smelling and hearing for hunting, it need its eyes to actually be able to take down an enemy. As most things did actually.
"Hold fire," Satsu said, as he started for the beast. She didn't think about why the monster had been able to shift its form in the day. All she cared about was to carefully move in as she swung her sword. Its magically enhanced edge cut clean through bone and the werewolf's head fell to the floor, away from its bleeding body.
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"Okay," Xander said. He was fairly impressed by the work. Nobody good got hurt, and all the bad guys went down with minimal risk. That wasn't precisely what he needed though. "That was some good work, Satsu. But, what's he been running? Dawn didn't tell me much, of well, much."
"Weapons mainly. Light arms. Some esoteric stuff that Linda's checking out, but that's not the interesting thing," Satsu replied. She leaned in closer in her chair next to Xander. Abby was beside her, looking proud. "We found some papers in the office. There's a shipment on a, uh, ship headed here."
"What's it carrying?" Xander asked.
"Something called Vernor Alstonvirus." Giles said, as he entered the conference room. Buffy, Faith, and Dawn followed behind. Only two of them seemed at all pleased to see the one-eyed man. And Faith, only kind of.
"Virus," Xander stated, standing up. He walked over and shook Giles' hand. Dawn hugged him, while Buffy just looked on. She didn't do anything directly antagonistic, but it was hardly friendly. Faith at least tossed him a friendly smile. "On a boat. That's not good. How have you guys been?"
"As well as can be expected, Xander," Giles replied, as he grasped Xander's hand. He did so stiffly, not expecting the greeting. Or Dawn's response. Buffy's was expected, given the amount of time that the slayer still spent on criticizing Xander. He partially agreed with some of the statements, though he was increasingly being forced to recognize the young man's thorough and extremely successful methods as that.
Xander retook his seat while the others took seats on the other side of the table. He didn't exactly feel the warmth. He waited until they had pulled out the paperwork and turned on their equipment before speaking, "so, virus. Where's this ship docking?"
"L.A. Harbor," Dawn put in, bringing up a file on her laptop. "In one and a half weeks. It's coming in on the Autumn Venture."
"Shit," Xander muttered under his breath. He wrote down the details on his notepad. "Worldport LA. Busiest port in the US. Okay, do we know where the ship is registered out of?"
"I thought you might ask that," Dawn read off of a file that she had brought up on her computer. "It sails under a Hong Kong flag. It's got a maximum capacity of 5,000 TEU's, whatever that means, and a crew of 12. Berthing for 24."
"That's not exactly light weight. The biggest ships can only do less than three times that," Xander remarked, looking at the young woman. She looked good. Professional even. She had certainly taken to her new profession. "It was already on its way here before you found out about it, so right now I am wondering what you're asking here. You seem to have this situation pretty locked down, and well. So why do you need my help again?"
"I'm wondering that myself," Buffy spoke for the first time during the meeting, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Like you said, the ship's already out at sea," Dawn ignored her sister's comment. "We couldn't stop it at its origin, and it's too risky to stop it once it reaches LA. Like you said, it's the busiest port in the world. Even if the virus is let loose at the harbor, there's going to be a whole lot of people killed."
"Right," Xander said, dropping his pen on the table. He had taken some notes during Satsu's retelling as well as some additional notes on Dawn's breakdown on the target. He leaned back and crossed his arms. "You need to stop it in transit. And, you're not exactly sure how you should go about doing it. That about it?"
Xander waited for a confirmation nod from the watcher in training. "Okay. Virus. Tell me about it."
"It's like magical Ebola," Giles said, looking at his own report. It had been printed out from one of their databases. He wasn't as adept with computers as Dawn, but he was able to use them, after some nagging from the young woman. "It was used in some past conflicts, but nothing in recent history. It was discovered…"
Xander sat straight up in his chair and raised a hand. His ears perked up that. If there was one thing he had learned about when he had been in Africa. It had been Ebola. He'd tangled with it being used as a weapon before. Seen its effects first hand, though it had never gotten reported anywhere. It was not something he wanted to go through again. "I don't need to know that. Ebola. Ebola, you said? It's like Ebola? Ebola's got a short incubation period. But, it's lethal. No spread. What exactly are we talking about here? End of the world bad? Tokyo subway bad? Terrorism or a viable tactical weapon as part of a war?"
"Longer incubation period. And, it takes a longer time to become lethal," Giles skipped to the important parts. "There's no cure, and its mystical nature means that its structure keeps changing. There's no treatment. It's always lethal, but it takes time and is easily transmittable once it works its way through a human body. Airborne. And fluid transmission."
"Hell of a weapon," Xander said. He didn't have to think about the implications. "Do we know if there's a buyer?"
"No," Dawn stated, checking her computer. "The papers recovered from the warehouse indicate that it was found in an abandoned temple in China and purchased by Chester "Cheese" Barrowman. Lucky find. The sellers didn't know what they had. It was to be brought here for safekeeping until he was able to secure a buyer. Well, not anymore."
"Why not pose as Cheese's men?" Xander asked, brainstorming aloud. "Intercept it as it comes through the port."
"The way that he works, we couldn't pretend to be his people," Satsu replied. They had done some recon on the subject prior to the attack. It didn't tell them everything, such as his other than human nature, but it did bear some fruit. "And, again, it's too big a risk since we don't know exactly how he had planned to get it through shipping. We couldn't find that out from what we got from his warehouse. And, we can't push harder since we had to cover up his death."
That was one of the decisions that had been made once they had started looking into the warehouse. With the leader and all his men dead, there was nobody to inform the boat crew of what was going on if no bodies or statements were made that he was dead. As far as the world was concerned, he was simply keeping quiet, at least until he stopped making meets.
"Okay. So it's dangerous, and presumably he's got a lot of it." Xander said. Stopping it in transit also meant that they had a lesser risk of an accidental release in a crowded area. It was smart.
"Most of the cargo on that ship are really just shipping containers of the virus," Dawn interjected.
"Okay," Xander replied, looking at the watcher in training. "So, I am still wondering. Why am I here? What is it about this virus that prevents you from just blasting it with magic or something?"
"Unfortunately, it's immune to those types of magicks," Giles answered. "We need to introduce a stabilizing agent into the containers that house the virus. That can't be added through magical means. And, an explosive or other such device would actually strengthen the virus. It would spread in a manner that it would not be able to ordinarily. That's partly why it makes an ideal weapon."
"Which means you guys want to hit the ship in person," Xander said, directing his gaze toward the lead Watcher. "Okay. So, still in the dark here."
Giles traded a glance with Dawn before turning back to Xander. "It was decided that we needed your input. Faith, suggested it as we were drawing up plans for an attack."
Xander turned to look at the slayer. "What's your suggestion?"
"Well, we basically hammered out that we'd need helicopters to fly a team out there," Faith said. She'd been the one to suggest the plan; one that was pretty much agreed upon. It was the details that were hanging things up. And, she knew enough to know that she didn't know enough to be able to plan and carry out an operation involving taking over a ship by dropping out of a helicopter. "But, I think we have some problems with exactly how to do it."
"It's a good plan, I don't see why we need to have him looking at it," Buffy said, fairly petulantly. She had already started work on finalizing the details of it. Including picking the team that would go with her. It would be an ideal assignment for having her own team practice, and show the rest of the slayers that she still had it and should be the one leading the fight.
"What kind of helicopter are you planning on using?" Xander asked Faith. He ignored the other slayer's statement. On the one hand, she was obviously trying to help, but hardly in the best way possible. Best of intentions, but carry through was the issue. Unfortunately, that was the case with many things.
"We have access to a Bell 204," Faith responded, glancing at the other slayer. "Robin's got a pilot's license now. It can be in LA in time."
"Right. Civilian Huey. That's what, 300 nautical mile limit." Xander did the calculations in his head. "Factor in roundtrip, payload, mission time, safety factor, you're looking at maybe hitting it a hundred miles or so from where you take off. Giles, what kind of range are we looking at if the cargo blows and the virus is released that close to shore?"
"Uh, the capacity for transmission through air is relatively small. It'll die out before it reaches land," Giles replied, reviewing his files.
"Okay. What about through the water?" Xander asked, mentally reviewing the methods of transmission possible. It was something only tangentially touched upon in his research. The weaponization of viruses and diseases wasn't generally considered a viable tactic in his own personal war. While it wasn't unknown, as this case was proving, it also wasn't something that he would necessarily personally be working on. "Anything else?"
"That's the problem. It can survive in water for up to 24 hours. And, it isn't limited to only airborne and fluid transmission in humans. In fact, my research indicates that it can infect certain other creatures. It may not be intended to kill marine life, but it can infect them." Giles put down his paperwork and looked Xander in the eye. "That could be even more of a problem. This virus was engineered to kill humans, not animals. The lethality there is nowhere near as absolute. And, once an animal is infected it can be transmitted through ingestion."
"Fish. Poisoned fish. The day keeps on getting better." Xander said, his mind going to that old Joker plan. If only it had stayed in the pages of comic books. "Okay. Okay. What's the weather supposed to be like when you plan on making the strike?"
"There's supposed to be a storm coming in. We thought it could help cover our approach," Faith answered. "We can help that along with a little magic if need be."
"Do we know what kind of sensors the ship has?" Xander asked. He considered the use of magic. It didn't directly effect the cargo, so it should be okay. Giles didn't object at any rate. Disruption spells on the ship's sensors might be risky considering how close they would be to the cargo. Too risky. "If it's running illegal goods, it might not have the standard civilian package. Same thing with armaments."
"It was decided that they wouldn't have anything we needed to worry about." Faith cast a quick look at Buffy.
Xander nodded, slowly. The plan so far was rather haphazard. It wasn't bad, but it was nowhere near detailed enough to cover the bases. "Okay. Okay. It's not bad. It's workable. I can definitely see it working. Good job, but we need to detail the sucker. Okay, let's do this right. Let's start with the objective. Let me see the plans for the ship."
"Uh, we don't have that." Dawn pulled out the only details that they had on the ship from a folder she had brought with her. She slid the stapled papers across the table to the man. "Yet. We have someone working on it."
Xander pulled the papers closer and looked through them. It was just the basic details that a net search on the subject would provide. As well as the promo material that a potential buyer would receive if he was in the market for a cargo ship. "Okay, I'll have someone look at this and see if we can expand it too. Work up how to go through the ship. The most important thing right now is to figure out to get our forces down there without being seen."
"Simple, we use rope under cover of the storm. Move in fast, before they have a chance to react." Buffy stated, trying to contribute. She had already played through the thing in her mind. A team of slayers rope down on the ship and make its way through the ship to the virus. They would render the virus inert and then go out the same way that they came in. Simple.
Xander schooled his features and made sure not to react. Buffy was mixing the intention of what they were doing with the actual methodology. She did have a tendency to see the goals without trying to come up with working solutions to achieve them. As if she could get the end result through sheer force of will. It made her strong and sure, but it also blinded her when her first plan didn't work.
He looked at the gathered people in the room. Satsu. Abby. Dawn. Faith. Giles. Buffy. In truth, they all had experience in different areas. Some of it directly related to battle, and some more related to the logistical help that was always required with conducting a battle or mission such as this. The key was to have the proper mix of input from the planning part as well as the part that carried out the plans. "Okay. Let's imagine the worst case scenario. Quick deployment. From a helicopter. Onto a ship. In rough seas."
From the expressions of most, it looked like the Watchers' Council personnel didn't quite get it. Xander smiled at them. "That means Ranger style. Now, everyone raise your hand if you're fast-rope qualified."
He raised his right hand and looked at the rest of them. Abby raised her hand also. As did Satsu, having completed the training only a week ago. No practical experience.
No one else at the table raised their hands.
"Now. Do the rest of you even know what it means?" Xander said. He knew that it sounded arrogant, but it had to be said. It was easy enough to imagine a scenario where you come out on top. Making it a reality was another thing entirely. The end result was just that. Everything came before it. With the proper amount of planning. Doing otherwise was foolhardy and downright dangerous.
The rest didn't say anything.
Xander took a breath and held it for a moment before letting it out through his nose. "This is what I'm thinking. Use descenders to rappel, or fast-rope if necessary, a team to the ship. I have men that are qualified for it. We can have a witch on the chopper to determine how many people are on board, maybe. The weather clouds their sensors, or we cast a masking spell on the chopper itself. A small strike team goes in with submachine guns and takes out everyone onboard. Introduce the stabilizer to the containers. Neutralize the virus. And then set scuttling charges and exfil on the helicopter after blowing the ship up. There are details, but that's the gist of it."
Buffy considered what he had just said. It sounded pretty much like her own plan. Mostly. Just with more words. And guns. "And the crew?"
"Crew's expendable." Xander responded quickly. He raised a hand as his old friend seemed ready to protest his flippant remark. "I know. I know, I'd like to grab a prisoner to figure out how the virus was able to be smuggled through Hong Kong customs too. However, I think that given the danger that this weapon poses and not knowing what those sailors might do if confronted, that we'd best concentrate on the primary objective. Destroying the virus before it can kill anybody. Anyone have a problem with that?"
Buffy looked at Giles with a beseeching look in her eyes. Giles just ignored her. "I believe you're right, Xander. Good work."
Xander nodded, satisfied that at least the head Watcher was listening to him. There was also the matter of having Americans attack a ship under a foreign flag and essentially commit piracy. They would have needed to kill everyone on board and destroy the ship anyways. Just to cover their tracks. They didn't need to know that though.
"There is one thing though," Giles continued. "It will take much precision to be able to neutralize the virus. There's only a couple of people here that can do it. And there's not enough time to train someone to do it right the first time. Your people will need to bring along a passenger."
"Right." Xander ran it through his head again. He thought about what would be needed to mount an operation of the scale, while simultaneously keep his cover. At this point, it was actually wearing a bit thin. He was actually somewhat surprised that Buffy or Giles hadn't figured out that he was directly working for the government. Maybe their past experiences with the Initiative made her think that that was impossible. "We might have to rig a descender for one at the very least. Okay. It adds some time, but might not be a deal breaker. Look, I got things to do. And, I might be able to get you a better chopper. Sikorsky maybe or something. My betters have a S-92 that we should be able to use for this. That would add a lot more time and room if things don't go peachy. Dawn, I need what you have on this, as much as possible. On Cheese and anybody that we can expect on that ship. Also, the details of the ship's specs. Sensor packages. Ranges, etc. Giles, I need to know everything about that virus. We'll need to come up with NBC gear or something most likely. I want to know that ASAP, so we can get it prepped before we move on this. You have my e-mail, so just encrypt your files and send it through to me when you got something."
Xander looked as most of the others looked at him without speaking. Surprise was clearly evident. He wondered if they mistook his confidence and attitude for arrogance. At least, he hoped it was confidence. The Level 6 agent grinned at them again. "I didn't spend all this time sleeping you know. This is the way things go people. It's the 21st century. You all need to start acting like it."
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"This is great stuff," Mira said, putting down the rough story that Ray had finished only an hour ago. "Throw in that sketch that the Egyptian police have just finished compiling and we have our front page story. Get it done quick and it may even go out for the Friday edition."
"Glad you liked it." Ray leaned back in his chair. Pleased with himself. It was the first piece on what he hoped would be a series that would eventually lead to fame and fortune. Well, fame at any rate. "So we good for Friday's paper?"
"Definitely, if everything gets verified and checks out," the editor answered. She looked at the other reporter that had contributed to the story. "So how was it?"
"Good," Alex said. She had been the one to come up with using some of the background that they had figured out in order to establish a timeline. Instead of making the whole story about his recent activities, they had decided to start at the beginning. Or at least as much of the beginning as they knew to the story that was One-Eyed Jack. It bought them time while they tried to piece together how the latest reports out of Cairo fit into the Jack puzzle.
While much of the story was supposition and rumor, there was enough fact mixed in to make it actual news. The way it was structured made the mythos and the very uncertain nature of the mercenary a part of the story itself. "Ray has been a great teacher. And, I've learned a lot. I think the story is best work we've ever done."
That was something of an overstatement considering that the young reporter hadn't actually published that much.
"Good." Mira said, turning back towards the old journalist. "Get to work on your verifications. Make sure that everything checks out. This will be big. I don't want any surprises. And start thinking about your next piece. The public will undoubtedly be asking for more."
"Yes, m'am," Ray said, standing up. It wasn't exactly hosannas, and, closer to faint praise. But, he'd take it.
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"Scott's team. A Sikorsky. And, we have to take one of them along," Lampkin rubbed his chin as he read over the report that Xander had submitted for the next mission. The resources that would have to be allocated were astounding. At least, from what the Watchers' Council had figured. "The danger level on this, are you sure that they've accurately presented the level of risk?"
Xander nodded. "I trust the people that came up with this. The danger on this is real. Now, what's it going to be?"
Lampkin looked at the report again, before putting it down on his desk. "There have been concerns about our activities. Egypt was not clean. Our sources say that they managed to get some eyewitness reports and that there was some video from a tourist that was on site. People, meaning our betters, are getting worried."
"I saw the shots. The police sketches look nothing like me. Like us." Xander defended his team. He knew that that reporter was still running around. He was working on his stories and was getting closer to something that could be printed. Of course, without authorization he was reluctant to act.
"Be that as it may, the people upstairs are still getting anxious. They don't like the publicity," the assistant director said. "I'm authorizing this mission. We're in charge. Not them. And, I want you up there if Cindy has to be there to provide magical support for this."
"Yes, sir." Xander nodded.
"If the person that the watchers are sending learns to much, or becomes too much of a liability…," Lampkin spoke carefully. He made sure he had the young agent's attention. "You're ordered to execute them. Leave the body with the ship when it sinks. Do you understand?"
Xander nodded again. "Yes, sir."
"I mean it, Xander," Lampkin stated firmly. "The president has decided in his infinite glory that this organization will eventually go public. As such, we cannot simply blow shit up anymore without repercussions. The PATRIOT Act still has its limits. This is the way that the wind on the Hill is blowing. I know you have a tendency to act as you see fit. And, truthfully, you're usually right. But, these are your orders. There's no room for interpretation. If need be, or if ordered, you will execute him."
"Yes, sir," Xander repeated himself, with equal firmness in his voice.
"And, one more thing," Lampkin added. "The reporter. We're not allowed to sanction anymore. Evidently, assassinations on American citizens is frowned upon under the current administration's thinking. Today, anyway. I guess he's thinking about elections next year."
"So, what happens if he prints something about me?" Xander asked.
"He's not to be touched." Lampkin looked his agent in the eye. "I mean it Xander. I'm sure you can have someone take him out. Even make it look like an accident, but don't. Trust me, you do not want to take on the president on this. Nobody knows who you are yet. You're still seen as a mercenary. Let the story build, and make sure you keep your head down. Get me?"
"Yes, sir," Xander nodded.
"Look, I don't like it any more than you do. This here is hard time for us if we get caught doing anything illegal. And that's only if he's being lenient. We could get executed for treason if we act without authorization." Lampkin didn't know if Xander was actually agreeing to follow orders or not anymore. "I mean it. Keep your identity a secret and we'll do our best to make sure that this doesn't get out. Within the confines of our current orders. That's the best we can do."
Xander sighed. "Yes, sir."
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Xander watched as Vi finished getting ready for dinner. She was currently putting on a pair of earrings in the bedroom, looking at the mirror that was mounted on the wall above the dresser.
They had a lot more space than they had in his old place, even though it was still an apartment. A larger TV. A larger bed. A dresser for him and one for her. A mirror too, so she could make herself presentable.
"Do you ever wonder about how things would have been," Xander said, looking at her back. He was seated on the bed, already ready to go out. The various operations that he had going on were in their planning stages needed work done by others to set up. It was still a day job for the time being. "How things could have been?"
"What do you mean?" Vi asked, turning around, having finished.
He looked at her. She looked good, as she almost always did. Little makeup, not that she needed it. "I mean, if we'd never met. Or at least, never did this. And you were just a relatively normal girl in college."
The slayer looked at him, concern on her face. She shook her head and spoke, "no. Never. I would never even be in college if it wasn't for you. What's this about?"
"I don't know, it's just, you're young and in college," Xander said, hesitantly. "I mean, you should be out partying and having fun and stuff. Or so I imagine is what goes on in your typical college environment. I don't imagine that American Pie 2 is the best indicator. Not, doing this you know?"
"Doing what?" Vi walked closer to the bed and sat down on it, next to Xander. She put, pushed his legs further on to the bed and moved in closer. Her arms went around his neck, and she puller herself close. "Hanging out with my boyfriend?"
"Vi, I mean, you ever think that maybe you'd be better off with someone else?" Xander asked, tensing a bit at her touch. In truth, he wasn't all that good at being properly romantic. What he knew from experience, he mostly got from a lifetime of friendship with girls that didn't do the whole typical romance thing. And therefore, from movies. Lots of movies. John Cusack had game. Anya, his longest relationship prior, hadn't exactly been normal. Even trying to do the normal things ended up strange given her experience. So he really wasn't the suave type. He could do sincere, and that was about it.
Vi had lived a pretty sheltered existence. Not as bad as Kendra, but it did show when they were together. Her innocence, her sensitivity, her kindness. Xander wasn't sure exactly what had been different between what Vi had gone through versus Kendra, but he knew that whatever watcher had raised her, it had been at least somewhat broader in experience than what Kendra had gone through.
He knew that a lot of what he did for her was all a bunch of clichés, but it didn't mean that his feelings weren't there. And, Vi loved the stuff, having no real experience of them prior to their relationship. So he did it. It felt mechanical though. Like it was all done by rote. The analytical part of his mind telling his body what to do more effectively be Vi's boyfriend. To anticipate and carry out what she wanted and needed.
It didn't mean he didn't love her though. He did that. He definitely did that.
"Never," Vi stated, taking his face in her hands. "If you had never been there, and I had been called, then who knows what would have happened. Without the training you helped provide. I do know that I'd be in a much worse place without you, even if I had never been called. Never been a potential."
"I don't know," Xander said, blinking hard. "It's just, I worry about you. I worry about letting you down. And, something happening to you because I wasn't quick enough. Or smart enough. Or good enough."
"You don't think I feel the same way about you?" Vi smiled briefly. It was heartbreaking how he felt at times. How much he loved her and felt that he didn't deserve her. "You are a good man. And a good friend. The things you've done for us. For me. The things you've sacrificed. No matter happens, I know that I'm better off here with you, than anywhere else. No matter what happens."
Xander nodded encouragingly.
"I know how you see me," Vi continued, wanting to voice some of her own concerns. She knew that she loved him. And that he loved her. But, there was a part of her that didn't know if she should be the one that he was with. "Sometimes I just don't know if I can live up to that image you have of me."
"Don't worry." Xander returned the smile. While she had been something of a lifeline for him in the past, she had become much more than that. Much more than a sympathetic ear. There was more than that, more than a physical attraction. She had so much light and life, strength and kindness to her that it had been impossible not to fall for her. "You do. You do."
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Author's Note: It had occurred to me that the relationship between them ended up being a bit sappy. I wanted there to be a reason for it, aside from not really being able to write dialogue that didn't end up sounding hackneyed to me. I hope it turned out okay.
And, I did bring back Buffy, and tried to keep my loathing of her to a minimum. Hopefully it didn't descend to purely bashing her character.
That said, no reviews for the last chapter? That makes me a bit blue.