"The time to rise has been engaged" R.E.M. - The Finest Worksong

===============================================================

Scarlett popped her head into the control room, "Hey Dialtone, can you do me a favor?"

Dialtone looked up from the equipment he was tinkering with, "Sure thing Red, whatchoo need?"

"The phone number and address those calls were coming from in Montana?" She smiled easily, hoping he wouldn't delve too deeply into why she was asking for them.

"Sure, I thought you already had that info though," he frowned a little, pulling the information up on another screen and copying it down for her.

She waved her hand dismissively, "I know it's floating around, but instead of trying to hunt everyone down about it, I thought I'd go to the source. I want to run some checks on the address and number, see if I can pull up any useful information for the team to go on.

Dialtone nodded, handing her the slip of paper, "Good luck!"

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Scarlett took a deep breath, picking up the receiver and dialing the number she held in lightly shaking hands.

The phone rang and rang and rang. She began to doubt her assessment of the situation when the phone was picked up and she could hear silence on the other end with vague sounds of nature in the background.

She kept her voice steady as she switched to Japanese, hopefully cutting down on any eavesdroppers, though she knew it could translated if someone was really interested. Hopefully no one would be. She spoke slowly into the phone, awaiting an acknowledgement.

There was a long pause and she thought there would be no response, there was a soft agreement, "Hai."

She closed her eyes and hung up the phone, moving onto the next phase of her plan.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

She knocked on the door and gave a half smile to the woman who opened the door, "Can I come in?"

Cover Girl arched a delicate brow and nodded, moving aside to allow Scarlett into the room, "To what do I owe the pleasure?" She and Scarlett had had a bit of a breakthrough, but they still weren't close.

"I need a favor. I need some help on a mission and you are the only person that I think can do it with me," Scarlett sat down on a chair and looked at Courtney earnestly.

Cover Girl's curiosity was piqued, "Oh really? What do you have in mind? And since when were you organizing missions?"

A sly smile came to Scarlett's face, "Well, let's just say it's not an official mission, ok?" Cover Girl nodded, a grin infecting her face too. "I'm tired of sitting around and waiting for something to happen with Duke. I know you care about him too and are just as frustrated as I am." Courtney nodded, watching the other woman intently as she spoke, "You said Storm Shadow was the one who did it, right?"

A slight frown flitted across Cover Girl's face, "Yesss..." she dragged the sibilance out until she realized she was starting to sound like Cobra Commander and quickly cut herself off. "You're crazy." Realization dawned what Scarlett was intending to do. "Snake Eyes isn't around to protect you anymore!"

"I don't need Snakes to protect me!" Anger flared in Scarlett's tone. "I am fairly capable on my own and I'm not going into this blind. I have a lot of years interaction going into this. I know the history, I know where the weaknesses lie."

Cover Girl remained unconvinced, "But what if you're wrong..."

"Well, I'm fairly certain he wouldn't kill me. His sense of honor wouldn't like that since I'm pregnant," Scarlett grinned, enjoying the evil glare she was receiving from Cover Girl.

"Great, so what is my failsafe protection?"

"I don't know. You expect me to come up with everything in the plan?" Scarlett laughed as Courtney took a swipe at her. "Seriously, I need you as backup and cover. I know him, but I could be wrong, and I don't want to screw it up by myself. Much more fun to screw up in a group."

Now Courtney eyed her suspiciously, "Why are you coming to me? Why not Lady Jaye? I'm not into being cannon fodder."

Shana sighed, "Jaye would tell Flint. It would happen. And then Flint is part of the command, and worse, he's Duke's best friend and will tell him or try and stop us. I don't want anyone to worry. I'll put some security measures in place, but as far as anyone else knows, we're going to a spa."

"Well, I guess there is just one more question I have then..."

Scarlett looked at her expectantly, "And that would be?"

Cover Girl grinned impishly, "Do I get to be Thelma or Louise?"

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Shana rapped her fingernails gently on the Plexiglas of Conrad's cell, giving him a smile as he looked up from his paperwork to her. "I've decided that this is truly just hell. Paperwork. Lots and lots of paperwork," he smiled at his wife, taking in her changing form, even in the couple of days he had been in here. He wanted to be out there with her and experiencing it all with her. That's what he had signed on for, not watching her through glass.

She gave him an optimistic smile, "But just think, when you are out, you will have great emotional blackmail to make Beach and Flint do it all. I miss you." She leaned against the glass, "You know I'd do anything to get you out of there, right?"

He nodded, leaning against the glass next to her, "I do." He turned to look at her more easily, "How's the spud doing?" He traced his hand down the glass to where it rested over her stomach with just a teasing few inches separating them.

"Baking. I don't think I've felt any movement yet. I'm sure soon enough the baby will be using my ribs for a trapeze." She smiled wistfully at him, hating to leave the base, but reminding herself that it was for the best. "I'm going to be sparse for a couple of days." She watched for his reaction and saw the concern spring immediately.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Courtney is going to take me on a little sabbatical. Something about shopping, spa and mud baths?" She wrinkled her nose, trying to skirt around the truth as much as possible.

He laughed and it made her smile to hear that, "Well, that is good. I'm glad you two are getting along better. May I ask what brought this bonding about?"

Shana smiled at him, "Well, there's this guy that we're both pretty fond of. Makes it easy to set aside our differences for him," she winked at him.

Duke gave a mock growl, "Where's that Beach Head? I'm going to kill him for seducing my woman!" Scarlett smiled and he gave her one in return, "Be safe, ok?" She nodded and he sighed, "I just want to hold you again." He leaned against the glass again as she did likewise.

"Soon. I promise."