Chapter 21
Early the next afternoon, Duke called a meeting of all the people involved in the mission to take place in a few hours. Gathering in the comm room, Duke glances around the table. Sitting on his right is Scarlet. Slowing his gaze travels around the table. Next is Snake Eyes and Flint. At the opposite end of the table from him, Duke sees Roadblock and Beach Head. Coming back around the table is Cover Girl and Lady Jaye.
"We don't know if Zartan is going to take the bait or not," starts Duke, as his eyes roam around the table looking at everyone present. "But this mission will go on as planned."
He watches the heads nod of the men and women around the table.
"Scarlett will go in the first jeep, with Roadblock under a tarp in the back. She'll be wearing a headset and will signal the team that she has entered the factory."
"I will tap the mic twice before shutting it off," says Scarlett, letting the team know the planned signal.
"Is it a good idea to turn off the microphone?" asks Cover Girl.
"I'm worried about sound carrying from the mic into a mostly empty factory," says Scarlett, answering the question. "If Zartan is there, we can't afford to tip him off."
Nodding her head, Cover Girl turns her attention back to Duke.
"Once the signal is given, Roadblock will wait five minutes before leaving the jeep and entering the factory. When Scarlett engages Zartan, she will send out a second signal. Roadblock will be first one on scene with back up team soon to follow," says Duke. "Again, we don't want to get too close to Scarlett, in case Zartan is watching. I expect, if he is watching the building, he will enter the building soon after Scarlett does."
"Snake Eyes and I will be outside waiting for the second signal," says Flint. "As soon as you engage, let us know and will be inside that building within moments."
Looking at Flint and Snake Eyes, Scarlett nods her head before turning her attention back to Duke.
"I want to know why he's focused on attacking the women of our team," says Duke. "There has to be a reason. If at all possible, I want him alive. But, if it means stopping him or letting him get away, the team may use lethal force. I want this to end."
With the last word, Duke slams his fist down on the table.
"Understood," replies Scarlett. The others around the table nod their heads.
"Dismissed," says Duke.
Slowly, everyone gets up from the table. Scarlett quickly leaves the room to pick up the headset she will be using for the mission. As she leaves, Duke watches her.
"She can handle it," says Flint.
Turning, Duke notices that, while he was watching Scarlett, Flint moved up beside him.
"Yeah, I've heard that once or twice," replies Duke, nodding his head.
"But it doesn't make it any easier?" asks the other man.
Shaking his head, Duke turns back to look for Scarlett but she has already left the room.
…...
The sun was slowly sinking toward the horizon and shadows were slipping across the ground around the weapons factory. Inside, Zartan waits. Staring out of a window in front of the building from the second floor, he waits to see if Scarlett will show tonight.
After Lady Jaye and Cover Girl left the coffee shop, Zartan also left. Getting back to his base in the swamp, he sent out a message to Cobra Commander about the 'empty' factory. To the public, the weapons factory went bankrupt almost 15 years ago, but that wasn't the case. Instead the factory sold to Cobra and they had been using it ever since to make weapons, like the blade that Zartan himself was so fond of. Of course, now that the Joes knew about it, Cobra would have to abandon it.
Scanning the road leading up to the factory, Zartan notices a green military jeep with a red head in the driver's seat. Smiling, he waits as Scarlett pulls up in front of the factory and turns off the engine.
They must think I am stupid, thinks Zartan. To think I would fall for such an asinine trap as this.
Still, Zartan waits and watches as the woman below gets out of the jeep and heads for the main entrance. Checking his pocket, he pulls out a dart gun.
Time to change the rules of this game, thinks Zartan as he leaves the window to find Scarlett.
…...
Having just pulled up in front of the seemingly empty factory, Scarlett turns off the engine to her jeep.
"Be careful," whispers Roadblock, from beneath the tarp.
Not knowing if Zartan is currently watching her, Scarlett does not respond. Leaving the keys in the jeep, she scans the building and the shadows around the building. Taking a deep breath she enters the building through the main doors in front. Reaching up, she gently taps the microphone near her mouth twice before reaching up to the ear piece and presses the on/off button.
Slipping through the shadows, Scarlett exams her surroundings, while keeping her ears trained for the slightest noise. Leaving the lobby, she enters the first room on her right, which turns out to be an office. She moves quietly, waiting for an attack, but so far nothing.
Maybe he wasn't at the coffee shop, thinks Scarlett.
Deciding the first room is clear, she leaves and walks down the hall toward the back of the factory, where most of the machinery is located. Noting the catwalk around the upper levels around the factory floor, she scans them quickly before returning her attention to the much larger space around her.
Stepping around a large piece of equipment, Scarlett feels a sharp prick to her right shoulder. Gasping, she raises her left hand and checks her shoulder. Finding a dart sticking out of her shoulder, she pulls it out and lets it fall to the floor as a wave of dizziness brings her to her knees. Her head swimming, she raises a hand to turn on the headset.
Attacked from behind, Scarlett's hand is kicked away from her head. A hand grabs the headset from her head and pulls it off. While another hand grabs her hair and jerks her back. Black spots swim in her eyes from the drug that the dart put into her system.
"Did you really think I wouldn't realize it's a set up?" whispers a dark voice.
Tightening his grip, Zartan slams Scarlett's face down onto the floor. Letting go of the hair, Zartan watches as Scarlett relaxes into unconsciousness.