Beach Head and his team spent hours tracking the vipers' routine, waiting for their chance to slip inside. Low Light stood watch from a tree; scanning the compound with his night vision goggles. He slowly crept from his hiding spot down to Beach Head's location. Silently dodging patrols of vipers, he entered Beach Head's encampment, clasping his hand on the ranger's shoulder.
Beach Head tensed for a second. "I heard you coming in," he grumbled, lowering his night vision goggles. "How many did you count?"
"Four different patrols; the group covering the back gate is shooting craps," he lifted his goggles to view the perimeter. "Check out the fencing, 9 o'clock," Low Light pointed. "You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?"
"Yeah," a slow sneer formed over Beach Head's mouth beneath his mask. "You take Dusty, and Mainframe with you. I'll take Alpine, and Bazooka with me."
"I'll get my sights on the vipers outside the back gate." Low Light loaded a full clip into his rifle.
"We'll go in through that hole," Beach Head's eyes locked on the fencing. "Once you take down the vipers, we'll slip inside. You all know the drill. We get the lab. Mainframe, you hack into their systems. We want everything Mindbender's got."
"Move it you yahoos," Beach Head hissed, watching the vipers milling about at the edge of the perimeter, smoking. "Alpine and Bazooka, move your sorry asses, NOW!" He fumed, shoving them through the fence. He rolled his eyes, watching the two men bumble there way to the side of the building. How the hell did these misfits make it pass basic? He silently grumbled, watching the two men whisper between each other. He rushed through the fencing seconds before a searchlight scanned the ground. Tucking and rolling, he braced himself against the wall with the others.
"Bout time you got here ol' pal," Alpine chuckled, offering him a hand up from his crouched position. Beach Head glared back at him, knocking his hand away as he stood up.
"Remind me to set the two of you up for evasive maneuver drills when we get back," he snarled, lifting his radio to his mouth. "Scout 1 to Scout 2, do you copy?" Beach Head waited, "Scout 1..."
"Scout 2 here, I got 4 eggs in a basket," Low Light radioed back, watching Dusty and Mainframe dragging the dead vipers off to the side. "We're unwrapping them now," he chuckled, catching a uniform from Dusty.
"Good work, Scout 2...meet us as planned, Scout 1 out," Beach Head snapped the radio off as he turned to Alpine and Bazooka, fussing over Alpine's latest observation. "If you ladies are through, we've go to meet the others," he harrumphed.
"Geesh, talk about uptight, I was just telling 'zooka here about..."
"You will shut that trap of yours and move," Beach Head grabbed the pair, shoving them forward. They were carefully creeping along the side of the wall, when three vipers stepped into their path.
"Look, zooka, they sent out the welcoming committee," Alpine joked, reaching for his rope. Beach Head yanked the rope from his hands.
"Where the hell were you when we were going over this plan?" Beach Head barked, throwing the rope back into his chest.
"I was..."
"Stow it, Low Light give Bazooka the other uniform. You," he clenched Alpine's vest tightly in his hands, "are going to stay where I can keep an eye on you. Now, let's move ladies..."
*****************
Low Light and Dusty scanned the corridors with the others while Beach Head and Alpine slipped inside the ventilation system.
"See, you needed my expertise on this after all," Alpine chuckled, extending his hand to pull Beach Head up. The two men cautiously crawled along the vents on their stomachs, pausing at the sound of voices. They were above the vipers' locker room. "What's the hold up Beach Head?" Alpine hissed.
"Shh...I want to here this," Beach Head snapped.
"Yeah, well next time you plan on dragging me up here with you, use some Brut man," Alpine grumbled.
"What'd you say?"
"I said this reminds me of the fights on the base. Did you see that Brut kick Falcon's sorry ass?" Alpine fumbled a recovery.
"Yeah," a slow grin formed over Beach Head's face at memory of Falcon sprawled out on the floor of the ring.
Geesh, that was close. Alpine gulped, tugging on his collar. "What are you listening for?"
"Quiet," Beach Head waved his hand behind him. "Listen..."
"I'm telling you I got it," a viper sat on a bench, dangling a chain in his hands.
"Cool, let me see it," another viper reached for it.
"Nah, it nearly cost me a month's pay," the first viper slipped it inside his uniform. "I've got to go...I've got the night watch on the lab."
"That's where you found it, huh?"
"Nah, my girl got it. I just had to sweet talk it out of her." The viper grinned.
"If you sweet talked it out of her, then why did it nearly cost you a month's pay," the second viper countered.
"My CO saw me with it. He was shaking me down for the money when I remembered I had something on him," he sighed, pulling his boots on. "I'll catch you later."
Beach Head watched the viper hurry off and scrambled to follow through the air ducts with Alpine right behind him. "Damn it to hell," Beach Head growled.
"What now?" Alpine hissed, grabbing Beach Head's boot.
"We're at a fork," he grumbled.
"A fork?"
"Yeah, you know a fork in the road. You go right. I'll go left. Use your radio to keep me posted," Beach Head snarled, inching his way along the duct. He peered from his vantage point above the hall and spotted the viper again, pulling out the chain.
"I'm telling you, I was there when they brought her in...I just know how to wait for an opportunity. She was out cold, I tell you. I had her all to myself," he boasted, swinging the chain over his finger. Beach Head saw the metal tags, clicking together. His fists were clenched tightly. That'll be the last Joe souvenir you ever steal.
"Thank God, fresh air at last," Alpine mused, crawling along the duct. "The man needs a shower, whoa...that wasn't right." He stopped at the low humming sounds emanating from a room below the vent's cover. "Jackpot...I found the lab," he grinned, reaching for his radio. "Scout 3 to others, I got the hen house."
"Hen house?" The rest of the team muttered in unison.
"The lab," Bazooka shrugged to the others, popping his gum.
"What are you goin' on 'bout, you yahoo?" Beach Head snapped.
"I got the lab," Alpine hissed.
"You got the nest," Beach Head corrected.
"Nest, hen house, what's the difference?" Alpine rolled his eyes.
"The difference is.... never mind, secure the lab and let them in. I've got something to retrieve," Beach Head growled, following the viper with the tags.
Alpine popped the vent cover, quietly lifting it down. He lowered himself to the floor. Hearing the sounds of others approaching, he scrambled to hide behind a screen.
"Alpine?" Mainframe whispered, bracing himself against a wall. He waved Low Light and Dusty in as he scanned the room with his rifle.
"Man, you guys are a sight for soar...watch it," he jumped back from Mainframe's rifle, raised towards him.
"Quit the chatter, let's get what Doc needs and trash the place," Low Light growled. "Dusty?"
"Yeah, Low Light," Dusty tossed his helmet to the side.
"Check the file cabinets with Alpine. Mainframe, hack into their system, I've got the door."
*******************
Beach Head followed the viper to his post, outside the lab. Backtracking his way to another intersection in the vents, he came upon the vent Alpine used to breech the lab, and dropped down to the floor. "We got company, ladies," he signaled to the door.
"I'll handle it," Low Light reached for a silencer.
"No, he's got something we want. He's got a set of Joe tags," Beach Head sneered, clenching a fist, and pounding it to the open palm of his other hand. "How we doing, Mainframe?" He leaned over the computer specialist's shoulder.
"Almost got it..."
"Alpine...Dusty?"
"Nothing here, Beach Head," Dusty grumbled, dumping a cabinet drawer.
"Wait...I got something here," Alpine waved to the others.
"What is it?" Beach Head snatched the file from his hands. "A medical report on Lady Jaye," he tightened his jaw, scanning the contents. "There's got to be more here," he pushed past Alpine to the file cabinet. "Ailíse McCullen?"
"Isn't McCullen Destro's last name?" Dusty scratched his head.
"Yeah," Beach Head studied the file number on the side. "Mainframe, try pulling these numbers up," he stalked off towards the computer console with the files on the two women. He and the others stood back waiting for Mainframe. "Well?"
"Just a minute, I almost have it.... here," Mainframe grinned, leaning back with his hands folded behind his neck. The others watched a picture of Lady Jaye appear before them on the screen. She was connected to life-support.
"She don't look so good," Bazooka gulped.
"What else does it say?" Beach Head lunged towards the keyboard.
"Hold on..." Mainframe entered more commands.
"Mainframe, what is it?" Dusty watched his face shift emotions, frustration settling in his eyes.
"Damn it ... don't do this to me...not now," Mainframe growled. "Son of a bitch...the whole damn thing's erasing itself."
"Stop it," Beach Head shook his shoulder.
"I can't. It's encrypted." Mainframe threw his hands up. "The whole file's deleting itself."
"What now?" Dusty interrupted.
"Drag that scavenger inside," Beach Head snarled, unsheathing his knife. "Let's see if he knows how to stop this."
Low Light swung the door open, startling the viper. "What are you doing here? I thought I was the only one on guard duty tonight." The viper struggled to gain his composure.
"They ordered me to catch a few rats. I got one cornered but need some help getting it," Low Light smirked, pulling the viper inside.
"Where is ... what the hell's going on here?" The viper panicked at the sight of the trashed files.
"Good question...I figure you got the answers," Beach Head stepped out, grabbing the viper by his uniform and shoving him into a chair. "You've got something that belongs to a friend of ours." He snarled.
"Huh?"
"The tags...give me the tags," he throttled the viper, shaking him violently. "This scumbag has her tags, and I want them."
"Ah...look I didn't touch her. I swear I didn't' touch," he flinched, fumbling for the tags.
"That's not what you told your buddy," Beach Head leaned into his face, snatching the tags up in his hand and tossing them to Dusty.
"It was just talk, I swear. She was out cold. I got them from my girl. She was ordered to remove her uniform and effects," he stammered, trying to pull away from Beach Head's grasp.
"How do we recover the files?" Beach Head placed his knife to the viper's jugular vein.
"I don't know," he gulped, feeling the pressure of the blade cutting into his skin. He felt a warm trickle rolling down his neck.
"Now, I think you do. Don't you, guys?" Beach Head snarled, casting one eye towards his men as he pressed the blade further to his neck.
"Beach Head, it's all gone," Mainframe slammed his fist down on the control panel.
"Alpine, secure those files. Dusty, Mainframe, and Bazooka, torch this place. Low Light and I will watch the hall," Beach Head scowled.
"What about him?" Low Light sneered towards the viper, cowering in his chair.
"We'll leave him for Mindbender," Beach Head shrugged, "Tie him up tight after you get me his uniform."
"You can't do that...he'll...he'll kill me," the viper panicked.
"Yeah, well that'll teach you to collect Joe souvenirs. Now, won't it?" Beach Head caught his shirt and pulled it over his head.
***************
"Beach Head, what have you got?" Hawk greeted the team in the hanger.
"She was definitely held there. We got the lab files on her and Destro's niece. I sent Alpine to Doc with the files. I also got these back," he looked down, placing Lady Jaye's dog tags in Hawk's hand.
"How did you find these?" Hawk clenched them tightly.
Beach Head went on to explain the entire incident as they walked towards Hawk's office.
"Let me inform the others," Hawk paged Duke to his office and ordered his secretary to get Flint the minute his chopper landed. He had sent for Flint when Beach Head radioed mission complete. They were still waiting for him when Doc rushed into the office.
"Hawk, I finished reading the report but it's incomplete," Doc stood flipping pages.
"What can you tell?" Flint rushed into the office a minute later.
"Lady Jaye was found unconscious and barely breathing. Mindbender's report goes on to say that she suffered a major head trauma. He had to wait to see if she would regain consciousness. He transferred her to another lab/hospital setting once she began to wake. It was then he noted that she could not be of any use to the commander. She could not recall anything. When asked her name, the date, etc... she could not supply the answers. Mindbender turned her over to Destro's care for...."
"For what?" Flint snatched the file.
"Reprogramming. They're going to turn her into a COBRA operative, since she was such a worthy adversary. Mindbender lists his plan here with notes that Destro refuses to use any medication stronger than a sedative. He questions his ability to succeed with her and states that he will inform the commander to force Destro to hand her over to guarantee his success. We know Mindbender's drugs could seriously damage her system. I hate to say this but it appears
Destro's protecting her, why?"
"I think I may have the answers to that, or rather Mr. Hart-Burnett does," Scarlett called from the doorway.
Hawk, Flint, Beach Head, and Doc all looked up to see Jason Hart-Burnett enter with Scarlett; immediately noticing the resemblance between Lady Jaye and her father. She had his green eyes.
"This young lady said that my daughter, Alison, was missing, and that Destro was behind it. Is this true?" Jason scowled, his thick Scottish burr, obscuring his speech.
"Excuse me, sir, I'm Hawk. What Scarlett has said is true, but what we need to know is why is Destro protecting her?"
"Not protecting her, stealing her," he slammed his fist on the table.
"Stealing her, why?" Flint stepped forward.
"She's his heir," Jason shook his head, noting the men in the room were shocked. "Alison doesn't know that her mother is Destro's sister. We decided years ago not to tell her too much about
the family and had hoped Destro would leave her alone. I was an Iron Grenadier ordered to protect his sister when Destro's father was still alive." Jason smiled softly, "Amanda, her mother, and I fell in love. The old Laird did not approve of the match so we ran off to Gretna Green. He was furious when he found out, but couldn't do anything. By the time he caught up with us, Alison was on the way. We left Scotland, and changed our last name to Hart-Burnett, my wife's grandmothers' maiden names combined. Amanda and I settled in Martha's Vineyard with her inheritances and income from her own estates. We built a new life, and a larger fortune to protect our daughter. My wife told her brother when her father died that she didn't want him near Alison." He sighed heavily, lowering his gaze to the table, "He's tried over the year's to see her. I honestly didn't believe she was in danger."
"How...can she be his heir?" Hawk stammered, raking his fingers through his hair.
"His title would pass to the next male heir, should he not have a son the title would pass to the next of the bloodline. Alison is next. If Alison were to have a son, that child would be the next Lord
Destro. If Alison does not have a son, the title dies out."
"If COBRA catches on to this they could use her to gain control of MARS," Flint reasoned.
"What has he done to my daughter?" Jason asked.
"She suffered a severe head injury, and doesn't know who she is. She's going by the name Ailíse. Destro has her inside the castle and we can't get to her," Hawk leaned back in his chair, his hands clasped together in front of his chin. "COBRA is also after her, and he's protecting her. From what you're saying, we know why? How do we get to her?"
"Ailíse is the Scottish form of Alison. My wife told them her name when she was born. Amanda knows the passages better than I," Jason settled down into a chair opposite Hawk's desk.
"Passages?" Flint and the others said in unison.
"Yes, passages. I need to speak with Amanda and let her know what's going on," Jason lowered his eyes, gathering his thoughts. "I'd prefer to do this in person, so if one of your people would like to accompany me."
"I'll go," Flint stood, volunteering.
"I had a feeling you would. Jason, Flint is my third in command. He's close to your daughter," Hawk cautiously added, not knowing how much Jason knew about his daughter's personal life.
Hawk left them to go over more Intel reports, hoping to get some idea as to the movements of the Iron Grenadiers. Flint was left to show Jason around while their flight was arranged to take them back to Martha's Vineyard.
"Mr. Hart-Burnett, I can give you a quick tour of the base while our flight is being scheduled," Flint offered.
"Yes, I'd like to see my daughter's room," he studied the young warrant officer.
"Sure, if you'll follow me. Her roommate, Scarlett, should be on duty now," Flint guided him to her quarters. Scarlett had carefully gone through the room since Zarana was in custody, straightening it the way she knew Lady Jaye preferred. Pictures were returned to their proper places, leaving the room as if she never left it.
Jason noticed Flint, hesitating at the door before tapping. "Is anyone in there?" Jason asked, clearing his throat.
"Ah...no sir," Flint pushed the door open, allowing Jason to enter ahead of him. Looking around, Jason noticed his daughter's quarters were not far from what he had expected. He knew she and her roommate had to get along extremely well by the room's appearance. He wandered around, noticing pictures Alison kept out. He paused, seeing their last family picture together taken during her last leave home. Lifting the picture in his hand, tracing his daughter's smile with his fingertips, he allowed his eyes to wander to the other pictures she had, stopping on one in particular. He set the family photo down and walked towards it. He saw laughter and love in her eyes in one picture on her nightstand. It was one of her and Flint taken outside a small café in Paris.
"So, you're the one," Jason chuckled, lifting the picture. He turned towards Flint. "I'm not the least bit surprised. Her mother and I suspected something, or rather someone, was behind Alison's reasons not to come home as much as she used to. She said she would bring you to meet the family soon. I'm only sorry this has to be the reason behind your first visit. I guess all of this comes as a shock to you about Destro." Jason gulped, handing the picture to Flint.
"Yes, it does, but it also makes me more determined to get her out of there. I never knew what I was missing in my life until I met your daughter. She can light up a room with a smile. She has a brilliant mind, and a generous heart. I was the luckiest man in the world the day I met her, and I won't let COBRA or Destro take her away from me. I will get her back." Flint vowed, gently returning the picture to her nightstand.
"That's all I needed to know," Jason smiled, clamping his hand on Flint's shoulder. "Let's go find her mother, and get some answers."
******
Authors note: Destro as Lady Jaye's uncle has been done a few rpgs as well as Ties that Bind by the Bard. Both enjoyable reads and highly recommended. The close, protective and secretive nature of their relationship will be revealed shortly in the coming chapters. I'm attempting to expand on the unknown relationship revealed in Sunbow's Skeleton's in the Closet. Enjoy!
Beach Head tensed for a second. "I heard you coming in," he grumbled, lowering his night vision goggles. "How many did you count?"
"Four different patrols; the group covering the back gate is shooting craps," he lifted his goggles to view the perimeter. "Check out the fencing, 9 o'clock," Low Light pointed. "You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?"
"Yeah," a slow sneer formed over Beach Head's mouth beneath his mask. "You take Dusty, and Mainframe with you. I'll take Alpine, and Bazooka with me."
"I'll get my sights on the vipers outside the back gate." Low Light loaded a full clip into his rifle.
"We'll go in through that hole," Beach Head's eyes locked on the fencing. "Once you take down the vipers, we'll slip inside. You all know the drill. We get the lab. Mainframe, you hack into their systems. We want everything Mindbender's got."
"Move it you yahoos," Beach Head hissed, watching the vipers milling about at the edge of the perimeter, smoking. "Alpine and Bazooka, move your sorry asses, NOW!" He fumed, shoving them through the fence. He rolled his eyes, watching the two men bumble there way to the side of the building. How the hell did these misfits make it pass basic? He silently grumbled, watching the two men whisper between each other. He rushed through the fencing seconds before a searchlight scanned the ground. Tucking and rolling, he braced himself against the wall with the others.
"Bout time you got here ol' pal," Alpine chuckled, offering him a hand up from his crouched position. Beach Head glared back at him, knocking his hand away as he stood up.
"Remind me to set the two of you up for evasive maneuver drills when we get back," he snarled, lifting his radio to his mouth. "Scout 1 to Scout 2, do you copy?" Beach Head waited, "Scout 1..."
"Scout 2 here, I got 4 eggs in a basket," Low Light radioed back, watching Dusty and Mainframe dragging the dead vipers off to the side. "We're unwrapping them now," he chuckled, catching a uniform from Dusty.
"Good work, Scout 2...meet us as planned, Scout 1 out," Beach Head snapped the radio off as he turned to Alpine and Bazooka, fussing over Alpine's latest observation. "If you ladies are through, we've go to meet the others," he harrumphed.
"Geesh, talk about uptight, I was just telling 'zooka here about..."
"You will shut that trap of yours and move," Beach Head grabbed the pair, shoving them forward. They were carefully creeping along the side of the wall, when three vipers stepped into their path.
"Look, zooka, they sent out the welcoming committee," Alpine joked, reaching for his rope. Beach Head yanked the rope from his hands.
"Where the hell were you when we were going over this plan?" Beach Head barked, throwing the rope back into his chest.
"I was..."
"Stow it, Low Light give Bazooka the other uniform. You," he clenched Alpine's vest tightly in his hands, "are going to stay where I can keep an eye on you. Now, let's move ladies..."
*****************
Low Light and Dusty scanned the corridors with the others while Beach Head and Alpine slipped inside the ventilation system.
"See, you needed my expertise on this after all," Alpine chuckled, extending his hand to pull Beach Head up. The two men cautiously crawled along the vents on their stomachs, pausing at the sound of voices. They were above the vipers' locker room. "What's the hold up Beach Head?" Alpine hissed.
"Shh...I want to here this," Beach Head snapped.
"Yeah, well next time you plan on dragging me up here with you, use some Brut man," Alpine grumbled.
"What'd you say?"
"I said this reminds me of the fights on the base. Did you see that Brut kick Falcon's sorry ass?" Alpine fumbled a recovery.
"Yeah," a slow grin formed over Beach Head's face at memory of Falcon sprawled out on the floor of the ring.
Geesh, that was close. Alpine gulped, tugging on his collar. "What are you listening for?"
"Quiet," Beach Head waved his hand behind him. "Listen..."
"I'm telling you I got it," a viper sat on a bench, dangling a chain in his hands.
"Cool, let me see it," another viper reached for it.
"Nah, it nearly cost me a month's pay," the first viper slipped it inside his uniform. "I've got to go...I've got the night watch on the lab."
"That's where you found it, huh?"
"Nah, my girl got it. I just had to sweet talk it out of her." The viper grinned.
"If you sweet talked it out of her, then why did it nearly cost you a month's pay," the second viper countered.
"My CO saw me with it. He was shaking me down for the money when I remembered I had something on him," he sighed, pulling his boots on. "I'll catch you later."
Beach Head watched the viper hurry off and scrambled to follow through the air ducts with Alpine right behind him. "Damn it to hell," Beach Head growled.
"What now?" Alpine hissed, grabbing Beach Head's boot.
"We're at a fork," he grumbled.
"A fork?"
"Yeah, you know a fork in the road. You go right. I'll go left. Use your radio to keep me posted," Beach Head snarled, inching his way along the duct. He peered from his vantage point above the hall and spotted the viper again, pulling out the chain.
"I'm telling you, I was there when they brought her in...I just know how to wait for an opportunity. She was out cold, I tell you. I had her all to myself," he boasted, swinging the chain over his finger. Beach Head saw the metal tags, clicking together. His fists were clenched tightly. That'll be the last Joe souvenir you ever steal.
"Thank God, fresh air at last," Alpine mused, crawling along the duct. "The man needs a shower, whoa...that wasn't right." He stopped at the low humming sounds emanating from a room below the vent's cover. "Jackpot...I found the lab," he grinned, reaching for his radio. "Scout 3 to others, I got the hen house."
"Hen house?" The rest of the team muttered in unison.
"The lab," Bazooka shrugged to the others, popping his gum.
"What are you goin' on 'bout, you yahoo?" Beach Head snapped.
"I got the lab," Alpine hissed.
"You got the nest," Beach Head corrected.
"Nest, hen house, what's the difference?" Alpine rolled his eyes.
"The difference is.... never mind, secure the lab and let them in. I've got something to retrieve," Beach Head growled, following the viper with the tags.
Alpine popped the vent cover, quietly lifting it down. He lowered himself to the floor. Hearing the sounds of others approaching, he scrambled to hide behind a screen.
"Alpine?" Mainframe whispered, bracing himself against a wall. He waved Low Light and Dusty in as he scanned the room with his rifle.
"Man, you guys are a sight for soar...watch it," he jumped back from Mainframe's rifle, raised towards him.
"Quit the chatter, let's get what Doc needs and trash the place," Low Light growled. "Dusty?"
"Yeah, Low Light," Dusty tossed his helmet to the side.
"Check the file cabinets with Alpine. Mainframe, hack into their system, I've got the door."
*******************
Beach Head followed the viper to his post, outside the lab. Backtracking his way to another intersection in the vents, he came upon the vent Alpine used to breech the lab, and dropped down to the floor. "We got company, ladies," he signaled to the door.
"I'll handle it," Low Light reached for a silencer.
"No, he's got something we want. He's got a set of Joe tags," Beach Head sneered, clenching a fist, and pounding it to the open palm of his other hand. "How we doing, Mainframe?" He leaned over the computer specialist's shoulder.
"Almost got it..."
"Alpine...Dusty?"
"Nothing here, Beach Head," Dusty grumbled, dumping a cabinet drawer.
"Wait...I got something here," Alpine waved to the others.
"What is it?" Beach Head snatched the file from his hands. "A medical report on Lady Jaye," he tightened his jaw, scanning the contents. "There's got to be more here," he pushed past Alpine to the file cabinet. "Ailíse McCullen?"
"Isn't McCullen Destro's last name?" Dusty scratched his head.
"Yeah," Beach Head studied the file number on the side. "Mainframe, try pulling these numbers up," he stalked off towards the computer console with the files on the two women. He and the others stood back waiting for Mainframe. "Well?"
"Just a minute, I almost have it.... here," Mainframe grinned, leaning back with his hands folded behind his neck. The others watched a picture of Lady Jaye appear before them on the screen. She was connected to life-support.
"She don't look so good," Bazooka gulped.
"What else does it say?" Beach Head lunged towards the keyboard.
"Hold on..." Mainframe entered more commands.
"Mainframe, what is it?" Dusty watched his face shift emotions, frustration settling in his eyes.
"Damn it ... don't do this to me...not now," Mainframe growled. "Son of a bitch...the whole damn thing's erasing itself."
"Stop it," Beach Head shook his shoulder.
"I can't. It's encrypted." Mainframe threw his hands up. "The whole file's deleting itself."
"What now?" Dusty interrupted.
"Drag that scavenger inside," Beach Head snarled, unsheathing his knife. "Let's see if he knows how to stop this."
Low Light swung the door open, startling the viper. "What are you doing here? I thought I was the only one on guard duty tonight." The viper struggled to gain his composure.
"They ordered me to catch a few rats. I got one cornered but need some help getting it," Low Light smirked, pulling the viper inside.
"Where is ... what the hell's going on here?" The viper panicked at the sight of the trashed files.
"Good question...I figure you got the answers," Beach Head stepped out, grabbing the viper by his uniform and shoving him into a chair. "You've got something that belongs to a friend of ours." He snarled.
"Huh?"
"The tags...give me the tags," he throttled the viper, shaking him violently. "This scumbag has her tags, and I want them."
"Ah...look I didn't touch her. I swear I didn't' touch," he flinched, fumbling for the tags.
"That's not what you told your buddy," Beach Head leaned into his face, snatching the tags up in his hand and tossing them to Dusty.
"It was just talk, I swear. She was out cold. I got them from my girl. She was ordered to remove her uniform and effects," he stammered, trying to pull away from Beach Head's grasp.
"How do we recover the files?" Beach Head placed his knife to the viper's jugular vein.
"I don't know," he gulped, feeling the pressure of the blade cutting into his skin. He felt a warm trickle rolling down his neck.
"Now, I think you do. Don't you, guys?" Beach Head snarled, casting one eye towards his men as he pressed the blade further to his neck.
"Beach Head, it's all gone," Mainframe slammed his fist down on the control panel.
"Alpine, secure those files. Dusty, Mainframe, and Bazooka, torch this place. Low Light and I will watch the hall," Beach Head scowled.
"What about him?" Low Light sneered towards the viper, cowering in his chair.
"We'll leave him for Mindbender," Beach Head shrugged, "Tie him up tight after you get me his uniform."
"You can't do that...he'll...he'll kill me," the viper panicked.
"Yeah, well that'll teach you to collect Joe souvenirs. Now, won't it?" Beach Head caught his shirt and pulled it over his head.
***************
"Beach Head, what have you got?" Hawk greeted the team in the hanger.
"She was definitely held there. We got the lab files on her and Destro's niece. I sent Alpine to Doc with the files. I also got these back," he looked down, placing Lady Jaye's dog tags in Hawk's hand.
"How did you find these?" Hawk clenched them tightly.
Beach Head went on to explain the entire incident as they walked towards Hawk's office.
"Let me inform the others," Hawk paged Duke to his office and ordered his secretary to get Flint the minute his chopper landed. He had sent for Flint when Beach Head radioed mission complete. They were still waiting for him when Doc rushed into the office.
"Hawk, I finished reading the report but it's incomplete," Doc stood flipping pages.
"What can you tell?" Flint rushed into the office a minute later.
"Lady Jaye was found unconscious and barely breathing. Mindbender's report goes on to say that she suffered a major head trauma. He had to wait to see if she would regain consciousness. He transferred her to another lab/hospital setting once she began to wake. It was then he noted that she could not be of any use to the commander. She could not recall anything. When asked her name, the date, etc... she could not supply the answers. Mindbender turned her over to Destro's care for...."
"For what?" Flint snatched the file.
"Reprogramming. They're going to turn her into a COBRA operative, since she was such a worthy adversary. Mindbender lists his plan here with notes that Destro refuses to use any medication stronger than a sedative. He questions his ability to succeed with her and states that he will inform the commander to force Destro to hand her over to guarantee his success. We know Mindbender's drugs could seriously damage her system. I hate to say this but it appears
Destro's protecting her, why?"
"I think I may have the answers to that, or rather Mr. Hart-Burnett does," Scarlett called from the doorway.
Hawk, Flint, Beach Head, and Doc all looked up to see Jason Hart-Burnett enter with Scarlett; immediately noticing the resemblance between Lady Jaye and her father. She had his green eyes.
"This young lady said that my daughter, Alison, was missing, and that Destro was behind it. Is this true?" Jason scowled, his thick Scottish burr, obscuring his speech.
"Excuse me, sir, I'm Hawk. What Scarlett has said is true, but what we need to know is why is Destro protecting her?"
"Not protecting her, stealing her," he slammed his fist on the table.
"Stealing her, why?" Flint stepped forward.
"She's his heir," Jason shook his head, noting the men in the room were shocked. "Alison doesn't know that her mother is Destro's sister. We decided years ago not to tell her too much about
the family and had hoped Destro would leave her alone. I was an Iron Grenadier ordered to protect his sister when Destro's father was still alive." Jason smiled softly, "Amanda, her mother, and I fell in love. The old Laird did not approve of the match so we ran off to Gretna Green. He was furious when he found out, but couldn't do anything. By the time he caught up with us, Alison was on the way. We left Scotland, and changed our last name to Hart-Burnett, my wife's grandmothers' maiden names combined. Amanda and I settled in Martha's Vineyard with her inheritances and income from her own estates. We built a new life, and a larger fortune to protect our daughter. My wife told her brother when her father died that she didn't want him near Alison." He sighed heavily, lowering his gaze to the table, "He's tried over the year's to see her. I honestly didn't believe she was in danger."
"How...can she be his heir?" Hawk stammered, raking his fingers through his hair.
"His title would pass to the next male heir, should he not have a son the title would pass to the next of the bloodline. Alison is next. If Alison were to have a son, that child would be the next Lord
Destro. If Alison does not have a son, the title dies out."
"If COBRA catches on to this they could use her to gain control of MARS," Flint reasoned.
"What has he done to my daughter?" Jason asked.
"She suffered a severe head injury, and doesn't know who she is. She's going by the name Ailíse. Destro has her inside the castle and we can't get to her," Hawk leaned back in his chair, his hands clasped together in front of his chin. "COBRA is also after her, and he's protecting her. From what you're saying, we know why? How do we get to her?"
"Ailíse is the Scottish form of Alison. My wife told them her name when she was born. Amanda knows the passages better than I," Jason settled down into a chair opposite Hawk's desk.
"Passages?" Flint and the others said in unison.
"Yes, passages. I need to speak with Amanda and let her know what's going on," Jason lowered his eyes, gathering his thoughts. "I'd prefer to do this in person, so if one of your people would like to accompany me."
"I'll go," Flint stood, volunteering.
"I had a feeling you would. Jason, Flint is my third in command. He's close to your daughter," Hawk cautiously added, not knowing how much Jason knew about his daughter's personal life.
Hawk left them to go over more Intel reports, hoping to get some idea as to the movements of the Iron Grenadiers. Flint was left to show Jason around while their flight was arranged to take them back to Martha's Vineyard.
"Mr. Hart-Burnett, I can give you a quick tour of the base while our flight is being scheduled," Flint offered.
"Yes, I'd like to see my daughter's room," he studied the young warrant officer.
"Sure, if you'll follow me. Her roommate, Scarlett, should be on duty now," Flint guided him to her quarters. Scarlett had carefully gone through the room since Zarana was in custody, straightening it the way she knew Lady Jaye preferred. Pictures were returned to their proper places, leaving the room as if she never left it.
Jason noticed Flint, hesitating at the door before tapping. "Is anyone in there?" Jason asked, clearing his throat.
"Ah...no sir," Flint pushed the door open, allowing Jason to enter ahead of him. Looking around, Jason noticed his daughter's quarters were not far from what he had expected. He knew she and her roommate had to get along extremely well by the room's appearance. He wandered around, noticing pictures Alison kept out. He paused, seeing their last family picture together taken during her last leave home. Lifting the picture in his hand, tracing his daughter's smile with his fingertips, he allowed his eyes to wander to the other pictures she had, stopping on one in particular. He set the family photo down and walked towards it. He saw laughter and love in her eyes in one picture on her nightstand. It was one of her and Flint taken outside a small café in Paris.
"So, you're the one," Jason chuckled, lifting the picture. He turned towards Flint. "I'm not the least bit surprised. Her mother and I suspected something, or rather someone, was behind Alison's reasons not to come home as much as she used to. She said she would bring you to meet the family soon. I'm only sorry this has to be the reason behind your first visit. I guess all of this comes as a shock to you about Destro." Jason gulped, handing the picture to Flint.
"Yes, it does, but it also makes me more determined to get her out of there. I never knew what I was missing in my life until I met your daughter. She can light up a room with a smile. She has a brilliant mind, and a generous heart. I was the luckiest man in the world the day I met her, and I won't let COBRA or Destro take her away from me. I will get her back." Flint vowed, gently returning the picture to her nightstand.
"That's all I needed to know," Jason smiled, clamping his hand on Flint's shoulder. "Let's go find her mother, and get some answers."
******
Authors note: Destro as Lady Jaye's uncle has been done a few rpgs as well as Ties that Bind by the Bard. Both enjoyable reads and highly recommended. The close, protective and secretive nature of their relationship will be revealed shortly in the coming chapters. I'm attempting to expand on the unknown relationship revealed in Sunbow's Skeleton's in the Closet. Enjoy!
