Disclaimer:
I do not own either of the Mission: Impossible series or any of the characters therein. I receive no compensation or other tangible benefit from this story. I am just a fan who enjoys taking the team out for an adventure every now and then. Please review. :)
Chapter 12
Max and Nicholas pulled up outside of Shebaro's compound. Nicholas reached for the door.
"Yell if there's any trouble," Max cautioned.
"I will," promised Nicholas, knowing Max would be listening to every word.
Nicholas, as Zumari, walked up to the front door and knocked. An armed guard came to answer the door.
"Labon Zumari," Nicholas greeted, mimicking the politician's voice perfectly. "I'd like to speak with the man in charge."
The guard pushed a button on awalkie-talkie and said a few words in his native tongue. Nicholas held his breath. Finally, the request apparently approved, he was permitted to enter.
The guard and one of his friends led Nicholas to an inner chamber. As he walked, he saw no sign of the entourage that Max had described on his trip undercover. Just the two guards - both first lieutenants judging by the red pinstripe. No sign of the other two lieutenants or the rest of the men. They were either down with the prisoners or marching through the city.
In the inner chamber, Nicholas came face to face with the unnamed leader of Shebaro's sympathizers.
"Zumari," he greeted in well-practiced English. "What brings you here to meet with me the day before the election?"
"I hope I'm not too early," replied Nicholas, placing slight emphasis on the word "too." Little did the man know that it was a pre-arranged code word, uttered for Max's benefit.
Only two guards, Max smiled to himself. Not bad odds at all. He waited for his cue.
"I suppose you heard the news," Nicholas said quietly, casting his eyes downward.
"I did," came the reply. "You have my condolences."
"Thank you," replied Nicholas. "Under the circumstances, would it be out of the question to request a little privacy?" he added, indicating the guards.
The leader hesitated for a moment, as if mulling it over. Maybe he didn't see his competition as a threat, maybe he felt sorry because he'd just lost his wife. or maybe he was just curious. Regardless, he eventually nodded to his guards and they exited the inner chamber.
"Much appreciated," Nicholas murmured.
Time to move, Max thought, as he exited the car.
He tried the front door knob and was a little surprised to find it unlocked. He turned it noiselessly and entered. The two guards were standing just outside the inner chamber, not far from their leader, but they appeared to be lost in conversation.
That was their mistake.
Max took them both completely by surprise. Within two minutes he had subdued both men, knocking them unconscious, snapping cuffs on their hands and feet, and whipping gags in both of their mouths.
Now, he just had to wait until the next signal from Nicholas.
"I just wanted to come share with you my sincere apologies," Nicholas was saying. "As you know, I publicly blamed you for my wife's disappearance. I'm sure you heard what really happened," he continued, sounding very much like a grieving widower who was about to lose all composure. "I now know your men had nothing to do with it."
The leader was quiet for a moment, considering his response. "I accept your apology," he replied. "And to that, I will add that obviously you were not hiding her on purpose."
"I'm glad we understand one another," Nicholas responded, extending his right hand toward Zumari's adversary, who accepted the handshake.
Nicholas cleared his throat. He had made nice with the competition and, along with his teammates, had kept Zumari from screwing things up. Now there was only one more thing to find out.
"The election tomorrow," he ventured, choosing his words carefully. "If we are victorious, I am prepared to declare an end to the civil war and bring peace to this country. Are you willing to do the same?"
The short, stocky man looked Nicholas dead in the eye, a cold smirk on his face. "Mister Zumari," he replied. "I have agreed to this election to please people who have more power than I do. But I will never stop trying to take control of Sergozia. My father died for this country. The election means nothing to me," he concluded, with a dismissive wave of his hand.
Both Nicholas and Max, waiting anxiously in the next room, were taken aback by the coldness of the words uttered by the younger Shebaro. Clearly, he had no intentions of stopping the civil war. It was not enough to just "make nice" or win an election. He would have to be put out of power completely, or more people could die.
There was only one way to do it, but first Nicholas had to know the answer to his final question. He took a deep breath and mentally prepared himself for what he anticipated was coming.
"Mister Shebaro," he began, "is it true that you are holding some of our supporters in captivity? Are you planning to let them go?"
The smirk instantly faded from his face; now there was just coldness. "I think you'd better leave now, Mister Zumari, before I change my mind."
Shebaro yelled for his guards, but instead Max came charging in. Nicholas took advantage of Shebaro's surprise by delivering an uppercut which felled the stocky man instantly. Max quickly gagged and snapped cuffs on him as well, as Nicholas ripped off his disguise.
"Not bad," Max grinned, complimenting Nicholas' punch.
"Thanks for the assist," replied his friend with an affectionate back slap.
Max dug the communicator out of his pocket. "Jim."
"How's it going, Max?" came the reply.
"Shebaro's son refused to stop the civil war or turn loose of the captives," Max said succinctly, "but we're about to change his mind."
"Good," replied Jim, recalling the backup plan for just this occasion that the team had discussed earlier. "We're all finished here; Zumari is safely subdued. I'll call the police and have them report to Shebaro's camp."
"I'll be waiting," affirmed Max.
Nicholas grabbed the walkie-talkie that had been lying near the younger Shebaro - the one, he assumed, the man was using to communicate with his other soldiers.
It was a good thing Grant had taught him a few Sergozian words, Nicholas thought. He hadn't needed them to talk to Shebaro, thankfully, but he needed them now.
"Release the prisoners," he said simply, mimicking Shebaro's voice and native tongue perfectly.
Max was awed. Nicholas was good. He'd spoken to Shebaro less than fifteen minutes but had studied his inflections well enough to capture them completely and even translate them to a different language. It was downright uncanny.
Nicholas heard a response from the walkie that he assumed was protest or questioning on the part of the first lieutenant who was speaking. "That's an order," he answered, then anxiously awaited the confirmation.
Finally, Nicholas heard what he recalled was an affirmative reply, and he smiled as Max gave him a thumbs-up.
"You'd better go help out," urged Nicholas. "I'm not exactly dressed the part." He handed Max the wireless mic he'd been wearing, and Max gave him the earpiece. "I don't expect there'll be trouble, but if there is let me know. I'll be waiting in the car."
"Will do," replied Max, as he took off toward the elevator that would take him to the prisoners.
When Max reached the end of the underground tunnel, the other two lieutenants and the rest of the soldiers were already ushering the prisoners out of their cramped room. The soldiers were so busy following what they thought were orders from Shebaro that they barely noticed Max, much less recognized him from before. However, one of the prisoners - a female - seemed to. Her eyes grew wide at the recognition, and Max gave her a wink that went unnoticed by the others. The female captive smiled warmly at her rescuer.
The elevator carrying the prisoners, the lieutenants, and Max - for that was all who could ride at one time - reached the inner chamber. All at once, there was mass confusion. The lieutenants caught sight of their leader and colleagues cuffed and gagged, just as Sergozian police descended upon the compound. In the melee that followed, Max was able to quietly slip out the front door and climb into the car where Nicholas was waiting.
tbc...