Invisible Liaison
part three
by mardel

I just borrowed them for the story.

Bobby and Eberts were tied securely but separately. They had been thrown into
the back of a panel truck and moved with the rifles and other equipment when
the gun runners boogied to a new location.

Bobby was laying on his side when he came to.

"Eberts? Hey Eberts buddy are you still with me?" Bobby nudged the only part
of Ebert's body he could reach at the moment, his back.
He heard a groan and was relieved that his temporary partner was still alive.

"Eberts hey man talk to me." Bobby urged, prodding with his head backwards
into the younger man's prone form.

"What happened?" Eberts groaned again. " Hobbes are you hurt?"

"No, just my head? They knocked us out and threw us in here. I'd guess we've
been out for at least an hour maybe more."

"My hands are tied behind me, but I think I may have a way for us to free
ourselves." Eberts explained.

"You have a secret blade hidden in your boot? Like Mission Impossible."
Bobby laughed, "What you think your freaking McGuyver?"

"Yes, I do, that is have a knife in my shoe. I wanted to be prepared for any
eventuality. I think you can make use of the blade as you termed it, if you
will move towards my feet." Eberts ignored Bobby's snide remarks.

Bobby grunted as he wiggled his way towards Ebert's feet. Ebert's knocked
his feet together twice and the small blade slide out of the side of his
left shoe. It took Bobby only a few seconds to cut through his bonds.

"I'll never cut you down again Ebert's this little trick might just save or
hides." Bobby rubbed his wrists a second then helped removed the
shoe and sliced Ebert's free.

"Thank you." Ebert's took the shoe from Bobby and put it back on his foot.

"It's been four hours since we checked in they probably know we've been
compromised." Bobby checked his watch, his cell phone was gone and his
gun of course.

"Yes, it's dark outside. If this cell is reacting to our finding their stash of
weapons by moving them to a new location, we are probably headed
towards the east. There was a known contact in Arizona. We may be being
moved there with the weapons."

"You don't have any other secret spy tools on you do you?" Bobby asked
hoping Eberts did because other than jumping from a moving truck or
attempting to climb into the cab and take out the driver he didn't have
any ideas.

"Nothing that would be of use to us now." Ebert's looked apologetic.

"I was afraid of that." Bobby moved towards the rear of the truck and opened
the door. They were traveling past landscape that looked like desert. On what
looked like a highway. But there didn't seem to be much traffic. Bobby briefly
considered jumping from the moving truck. But he knew first hand how painful
the experience could be, he was saving that for last choice options.

"I believe we could surprise the driver if we climbed onto the roof of the truck
and simultaneously entered the cab from both sides." Eberts offered as a plan.

"Yeah I was thinking I could try to jump the driver, if he's alone up there I might
have a chance of getting the drop on him."

" The probability of there being only one man in the cab of the truck is slim.
We will both have to attempt to, get the drop on them."

"You think you're ready for this?" Bobby wasn't sure Eberts was experienced
enough in field work for a plan this bold.

"Yes, I believe I'm ready." He clenched his jaw and nodded.

"I'm behind you buddy. Let's do it." Bobby slapped Eberts on the shoulder
and moved to climb out the back of the truck.

Bobby balanced on the rear step of the panel truck and lifted himself up on to
the wide flat roof, that was the easy part. He braced himself in the wind and
waited for Eberts to join him.

Eberts was able to also hoist himself to the roof of the moving truck. He
exchanged a determined look with Bobby and nodded. They moved towards
the cab, Bobby was relieved to see that the window on his side was down
to allow for the evening breeze to cool the driver. That would make his
job much easier. He looked over to see how his partner was doing.
Eberts was almost into position, one hand holding onto the roof with a
death grip as he checked over the side of the truck at his target.

Bobby nodded they would go on three. He reached through the open widow
of the cab and cold cocked the driver, then grabbed the wheel.
Eberts opened the passenger door and with his best right cross hit the man.
Bobby was steering through the window as best he could while Eberts, yanked
the passenger out the open side door and climbed inside. He took the wheel,
as the truck began to slow. Bobby's first strike had been hard enough to make
the drive slump unconscious in his seat.

"Good work man, now help me get this guy out of the truck." Bobby said
while still holding on from the outside. Eberts stopped the truck and Bobby
opened the door. They pulled the driver out and checked him for weapons.
Bobby was thrilled to find his forty-five in the man's holster.

"I'll just take this back pal, you won't be needing it."

"Perhaps we should go back and check the other man. He could have a cell
phone or something useful on him."

"Good idea, we need to let the Fatman know we are still among the living."

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

Alex was driving she was passing cars on the right the left, it didn't matter as
long as she could pass them. They needed to reach Arizona as soon as possible.

Darien was sitting beside her in the car, his face stern, he was clearly worried
about Bobby and Eberts. He knew the chance that they were unharmed was
slim.
" What's the plane once we get to the airfield?"

"We're going to stop and make contact with the local sheriffs department."

Darien made a face, the local cops rarely if ever treated government agents
with an respect. They often were openly hostile.

"I know it can't be helped, we have to have some back up. There could be a
dozen men in this cell. The file on them listed at least eight men as part of
the ring that smuggles guns to terrorist groups."

"You want me to go in first and find Bobby and Eberts, right?"

"Yes, you locate them and free them. Then I'll come in with the cavalry and
finish things off. If we can manage to surprise them it shouldn't be difficult."
Alex was speaking with more confidence than she had. She didn't like having
to depend on local cops for her back up. She wasn't convinced that Eberts
and Hobbes would even be alive to rescue.

"I'm going to have to stop soon and make a call to the sheriff's department.
The cell phone doesn't have a signal out here in the middle of the desert.
Could you fill the car with gas while I put in the call?"

"Yeah, sure." Darien was puzzled by her request, she acted like it would be
a big deal for him to gas up the car.

Alex pulled into the next gas station they came to and walked towards the small
building that had signs all over it advertising cigarettes, beer and cold drinks.
Darien admired the view as she walked away, then climbed out of the car and
stretched. He unscrewed the gas cap and grabbed the nozzle from the pump.
He was idly looking around the station which was empty except for them
and the attendant. He finished filling the car with gas and went in search
of Alex. It shouldn't have taken long to check in with the police.

Darien found her just inside the station building. She was standing beside the
phone, her face pale as he'd ever seen it. Darien got a terrible feeling in the
pit of his stomach.

"Oh, crap what's wrong?" he touched her arm and scanned her face for clues.

"Darien I'm so sorry. I checked in with the Official. He said they had word
that two men were found in the desert east of here. One was dead and one
was seriously hurt."

Darien paled, "He didn't say who was … which one was?" he couldn't even
say the word.

"No, the description given by the local police that found them was sketchy."
Alex wanted to comfort him, but she wasn't sure what to say. How to ease
the pain that his best friend in the world might be dead. She moved towards
him a step, then hesitated. But Darien engulfed her in his arms and closed
his eyes. Holding her might be the only thing that kept him for screaming.
Alex wrapped her arms around his lean waist and rubbed his back. She
could feel the cords of tension layered over his spine.

"You don't know it's Bobby, it might not even be them. It was incomplete
information." she tried to give him a ray of hope.

Darien held her tightly, he'd lost his brother, Allianora and now his Partner.
No he shouldn't think like that. Bobby was tough, he had to think positive.
" I know, can't we get more information?"

"The Official said he would call the cell phone as soon as he knew anything.
But we are to proceed to the air field."

"But you said the phone wasn't working out here?" Darien wasn't sure he
wanted to leave a working phone.

"The closer we get to El Centro the better the cell towers there will pick up
the signal." Alex as still holding on to his side but had eased back a little
to look into his eyes.

"Then let's go," he pulled money out of pocket and handed it to the man
who was staring wide eyed at the two of them.

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

Bobby was driving the truck they had taken from the terrorists. But they were
in the middle of now where and with out a cell phone. They were un aware
that their co-workers though them dead.

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

"I don't believe this, Ebert's leaves for one little mission and I can't get anything
done around here." the Official slammed the phone down. He'd been attempting
to make contact with the hospital the man was being treated in for more
information. The description the police had passed on to him was of two men.
One in his thirties one older, balding, dark hair and eyes, weight average. The
younger man with brown hair and blue eyes, average build.

Claire rushed into his office. "What's this I hear about them being found?"

"It not confirmed yet. Two men were found one hurt the other worse. But
I can't get conformation of their identities."

Claire sat down in the nearest chair. Her face gone white. It couldn't be
true she couldn't have lost Bobby so soon after growing to love him.
She reached for the slip of paper on the Officials desk and read the brief
description. She swallowed and took a deep breath. It wasn't Bobby or Eberts
she was sure. While she loved him dearly Bobby couldn't not be described as
balding. He was mostly bald, period. Eberts was more blond than brown haired
and she wouldn't have described his build as average.

"It's not them."

"What do you mean?" The Official questioned her, looking hopeful himself.

"It's not them, Bobby isn't balding he's bald. Ebert's doesn't have brown
hair it's blond, rather like mine. Bobby's build isn't average, a cop would
call him slight or short or something else."

"You're right. I was ready to accept this report as being about our agents."
He stood, and walked to the door he opened it and yelled, "Simmons get in here
now!"

end part three