James the Less – Falling Down
William stood up and clicked for a new slide on the screen in front of everyone in the Ops Center.
"This is Mossad Arif, self-appointed general in the Somalian Liberation Army, the SLA. We've picked up an encrypted message that he is meeting a high-ranking officer with the KGB for a transfer of critical information concerning nuclear weapons in Kazakhstan. The meeting is set in Boston for Friday the 3rd. We're not certain who he's meeting, but intelligence suggests that it may be this man."
The picture changed again.
"We have no other information on this man except that his name is Alex and he's been in the country for several years. He's been tied surreptitiously to several KGB agents, but we've never had enough proof to kick him out of the country."
Again the slide changed to a aerial diagram of Boston Harbor.
"The meeting will be here during the USS Constitution Turn Around at the Boston Harbor Fest. Dar, you'll be there keeping it all under surveillance. We've got the cooperation of the US Navy for your surveillance. The meeting point is located here, and will be swarming with people." A close up of the wharf area appeared on the screen and William pointed out several key locations.
"The difficult part of this job will to keep tabs on Mossad and Alex in the crowd. Remember, we're looking to gather information only. We will not be detaining anyone, just getting pictures and audio. I will be here at Ops keeping an eye on you." He looked pointedly at Dar. "This is your first solo mission and I know that you are more than ready."
Darwin Langston sat up a bit straighter and nodded his head, the lump in his throat preventing him from responding.
"Do you have any questions, Agent Langston?"
"Not at this time."
"Good. Check in with Op Tech for the hardware required. If you have any questions before you leave, please don't hesitate to ask."
"Thank you Agent Vaughn, I will keep that in mind."
The rest of the occupants of the room exited, leaving Dar flipping through the file over and over again as if to memorize every detail.
William stood outside the room watching his young protégée and hoped that he had been right to assign this mission to him.
***
"Delivery for Mr. Stanislav." Irina walked into the hospital room carrying a bouquet of flowers and had to bite her tongue at the sight of Alex Khasinau in a blue flowered hospital gown.
"Thank you. Please put them on the window sill." Irina did so, then peaked out the door and gently closed it.
"How's the hospital food?" Irina's eyebrow rose as she sat in the visitor's chair. Khasinau swore softly in Russian and tried to sit up a bit taller.
"How did you manage to get double pneumonia?"
"I am at a loss on how I contracted this, but since I will be confined to the hospital for a few more days, I need your help." He motioned for Irina to get the manila folder sitting on the nightstand.
"I figured as much when I got your message." She leaned back while Alex detailed the mission to Boston. She flipped through the file as he spoke of the exchange with the representative of SLA.
"Mossad is not the kindest of men and, I hate to say, has a very low opinion of your entire gender in particular. I have sent a message via channels to inform him that you will attend the meeting in my stead. I hope that he remains civil to you. You will be giving him the information contained in this folder in exchange for a roll of film containing troop movement schedules, aerial photographs and a list of informants. You will place this information in a replica of The USS Constitution and his information will be encased in a toy drum, which he will give you."
"Will the exchange be a brush pass or will it be more involved?"
"That depends on Mossad. Sometimes he like to engage in his version of hanging with friends, so be prepared."
"Lucky me."
***
The video feeds were being checked for the third time as Dar settled into position in the third floor window of the old warehouse on the northwest side of the wharf.
"Mariner, this is Deckhand, do you read?"
"Deckhand, we receive you loud and clear. What is the status?"
"The crowds are beginning to really fill in the area. No sign of our two friends. How's the audio?"
"Perfect. We're getting a very crisp signal. How's the visual coverage?
"I have almost total coverage using the two video cameras. The only blind spot is near the southwest corner of the plaza and I'm keeping an eye on that area instead."
"Deckhand, just remember to keep a low profile. You don't want to be made again." William chuckled lightly, knowing that he had reprimanded Dar for becoming too exposed during a training mission. He heard Dar snicker in response; it had turned into a joke between them.
Silence returned and everyone went into surveillance mode.
Irina clutched her bag, which contained a model of the ship, and surveyed the crowd from her vantage spot overlooking the festivities. She had already spotted the CIA operative in the warehouse; such a fresh faced young kid. She hoped that he was there only to observe.
She had yet to spot Mossad, but she was early as usual. She always liked to get a complete lay of the land and determine several exit strategies out before the actual meeting.
Mossad stood on the fringe and studied the crowd. The myriad of people in the crowd amazed and repelled Mossad. America was so corrupt and tolerant and he was certain that they would pay for their arrogance. His friend Alex was nowhere to be found and Mossad began to worry that the exchange would not take place. His associates were counting on the information that he would be receiving from the KGB and they, in turn, had appeared eager to get the surveillance data and weapons supplies.
Irina started through the crowd, weaving in and out of the masses. She carried the replica of the ship in a paper bag and kept switching the bag between her hands. Her eyes flitted around the crowd looking for the toy drum. She spotted her contact and slowly migrated that way.
"Excuse me," she tapped Mossad on the shoulder, "where did you get that drum? My son would love one."
Mossad turned around and glared at this impertinent woman.
"I do not care about you or your son, madam. Please bother someone else, I have no time for you." He turned around and continued to assess the crowd.
She swore at him in a mixture of Russian and his own language. "You ignorant pig."
She started to walk away, ready to throw the whole mission away and incur Alex' wrath.
Dar ran to the next window over and jockeyed for a better view of the person that had approached Mossad. It was a woman and he aimed the parabolic microphone toward their location. He was awarded with a flurry of angry words in several languages. Dar did not understand a word, but felt himself blush with the implied tone. He pulled out his camera and attached the telescopic lens, hoping to get a picture of the woman.
Mossad's head whipped around in response to the barrage of obscenities and noticed the bow of the ship poking out of the woman's bag.
"Deckhand, are you getting the exchange?"
"Yes. I'm trying to get a picture of the woman that approached Mossad. I think that she was sent in Alex' place."
"We need a picture of her. If she was sent in Alex's place, she must be very important. The KGB is very eager for this information."
"Right."
Mossad grabbed the woman's arm to stop her retreat and pointed toward the bag. "Where is your husband?"
"He's unfortunately detained at the hospital."
"I'm sorry to hear that, I miss seeing my old friend."
"Yes, he sends his regrets."
Dar kept the camera trained on the woman, snapping pictures automatically. The woman's face remained obscured, either by movements of the other people in the crowd, by shadows or by her hair. The camera whined, indicating that a new roll was needed. Dar fumbled for another roll of film, dipped the microphone away from the pair and was rewarded with a harsh reminder from Agent Vaughn. Dar readjusted the microphone and loaded the film into the camera. He frantically searched the crowd to find his target again and resumed taking pictures.
"I see that you bought a model of the ship. May I look at it?" Mossad eyed the bag hungrily and his fingers twitched in anticipation.
"I would like to see the drum, if you please." Irina schooled her expression to hide her eagerness and she pulled her hair back away from her face.
Dar watched the movement happen in slow motion and was startled by the view of her face that he almost forgot to click the shutter.
Irina felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise and she whipped around and looked at the warehouse and directly at Dar. He ducked back into the shadows as soon as he realized that she had looked at him. Her eyes narrowed and she quickly turned her back to the surveillance. She handed Mossad the bag and he placed the drum into her hands.
Irina nodded and without even inspecting the drum, she walked away from Mossad.
With a nod of his head, Mossad's men moved toward the warehouse that had caught Irina's attention. Irina disappeared into the crowd, swallowed by the red, white and blue swirling bodies.
Dar searched through the telescopic lens, sifted through the blurry faces and swore as he lost them both.
"Mariner, I've lost them both. They disappeared into the crowd. But I got a picture of them both."
"Did the exchange take place?"
"Yes. I got it all on tape and film."
"Good job Deckhand. Wrap it up and head back to port."
Dar began to rewind the tape and dismantle the microphone, not noticing the two men enter the first floor of the building.
Irina took the stairs to the third floor two at a time, hoping to give the agent some warning. She came up behind him and held up her gun.
"I would suggest that you take cover right now," she whispered, "Mossad's men are on their way up." Dar's head whipped around and saw the gun trained on him and his hand automatically went to his shoulder holster.
"I am not here to hurt you, my young CIA friend, but to give you a warning. Please do not make me defend myself." Irina inwardly sighed.
Dar's hand relaxed and dropped to his side. Irina heard the door at the southern stairwell creak and ran for cover. Dar, startled, took a few seconds more to find shelter as bullets began ricocheting off the steel beams. He slunk behind the crates that he had his equipment propped on and whispered frantically into the microphone.
"Under fire, requesting immediate backup."
"Hold on Dar, I've got people on their way." Agent Vaughn barked orders to the crew in the relay truck and had another agent notify the local police.
Irina began to return fire, aiming to maim Mossad's men. The bullets whizzed past the first man's head and he dropped and rolled to the right behind a concrete column. The second man dove to the north behind a large packing crate. Dar pulled his gun and aimed in the direction of the most gunfire.
The crate absorbed several bullets in return and his hand shot around the side and plugged several shots into the concrete above the man's head.
Irina crawled toward Dar, using several crates and a desk as cover. This young agent was not prepared to defend himself against Mossad's well-armed men. Her head snapped back behind the desk as the buzz of a bullet went by. She swore to herself in Russian.
Mossad's men were slowly navigating the perimeter of the room, using the columns and furniture scattered about, trying to trap Dar and Irina between them. Irina shot several rounds at the upended table near the southern windows; she was rewarded by a small moan. She had hit one of them, but not mortally as he returned fire in her direction.
She reached a crate near Dar and caught his attention.
"Back up?" she mouthed. A bullet hit the parabolic microphone on the top of the crate and pieces of plastic and metal rained around her.
"On the way" Dar responded, getting a shot or two off in the interim.
Dar could hear Agent Vaughn cursing and barking orders in his earpiece, between pleading with him to stay down and informing him reinforcements were on the way.
Another piece of equipment exploded and Dar looked in horror as film flew like confetti around him. He tried to grab it instinctively, knowing that the pictures were crucial and was not aware of the man coming up behind him. Irina caught the movement out of the corner of her eye, dropped and shot just over Dar's shoulder. At the same instant, Dar moved to the right to get the remains of the camera.
Slowly he looked down to the hole in his shirt and back to Irina as the blood blossomed red against white. Irina took a second shot and Mossad's man dropped like a rag doll. Sirens wailed up the alley and Irina touched the boy's cheek.
"I'm sorry," she whispered in Russian. She picked up Dar's gun and shooting both her gun and Dar's simultaneously at Mossad's remaining man, she ran toward the nearest stairwell and exit.
William stood up and clicked for a new slide on the screen in front of everyone in the Ops Center.
"This is Mossad Arif, self-appointed general in the Somalian Liberation Army, the SLA. We've picked up an encrypted message that he is meeting a high-ranking officer with the KGB for a transfer of critical information concerning nuclear weapons in Kazakhstan. The meeting is set in Boston for Friday the 3rd. We're not certain who he's meeting, but intelligence suggests that it may be this man."
The picture changed again.
"We have no other information on this man except that his name is Alex and he's been in the country for several years. He's been tied surreptitiously to several KGB agents, but we've never had enough proof to kick him out of the country."
Again the slide changed to a aerial diagram of Boston Harbor.
"The meeting will be here during the USS Constitution Turn Around at the Boston Harbor Fest. Dar, you'll be there keeping it all under surveillance. We've got the cooperation of the US Navy for your surveillance. The meeting point is located here, and will be swarming with people." A close up of the wharf area appeared on the screen and William pointed out several key locations.
"The difficult part of this job will to keep tabs on Mossad and Alex in the crowd. Remember, we're looking to gather information only. We will not be detaining anyone, just getting pictures and audio. I will be here at Ops keeping an eye on you." He looked pointedly at Dar. "This is your first solo mission and I know that you are more than ready."
Darwin Langston sat up a bit straighter and nodded his head, the lump in his throat preventing him from responding.
"Do you have any questions, Agent Langston?"
"Not at this time."
"Good. Check in with Op Tech for the hardware required. If you have any questions before you leave, please don't hesitate to ask."
"Thank you Agent Vaughn, I will keep that in mind."
The rest of the occupants of the room exited, leaving Dar flipping through the file over and over again as if to memorize every detail.
William stood outside the room watching his young protégée and hoped that he had been right to assign this mission to him.
***
"Delivery for Mr. Stanislav." Irina walked into the hospital room carrying a bouquet of flowers and had to bite her tongue at the sight of Alex Khasinau in a blue flowered hospital gown.
"Thank you. Please put them on the window sill." Irina did so, then peaked out the door and gently closed it.
"How's the hospital food?" Irina's eyebrow rose as she sat in the visitor's chair. Khasinau swore softly in Russian and tried to sit up a bit taller.
"How did you manage to get double pneumonia?"
"I am at a loss on how I contracted this, but since I will be confined to the hospital for a few more days, I need your help." He motioned for Irina to get the manila folder sitting on the nightstand.
"I figured as much when I got your message." She leaned back while Alex detailed the mission to Boston. She flipped through the file as he spoke of the exchange with the representative of SLA.
"Mossad is not the kindest of men and, I hate to say, has a very low opinion of your entire gender in particular. I have sent a message via channels to inform him that you will attend the meeting in my stead. I hope that he remains civil to you. You will be giving him the information contained in this folder in exchange for a roll of film containing troop movement schedules, aerial photographs and a list of informants. You will place this information in a replica of The USS Constitution and his information will be encased in a toy drum, which he will give you."
"Will the exchange be a brush pass or will it be more involved?"
"That depends on Mossad. Sometimes he like to engage in his version of hanging with friends, so be prepared."
"Lucky me."
***
The video feeds were being checked for the third time as Dar settled into position in the third floor window of the old warehouse on the northwest side of the wharf.
"Mariner, this is Deckhand, do you read?"
"Deckhand, we receive you loud and clear. What is the status?"
"The crowds are beginning to really fill in the area. No sign of our two friends. How's the audio?"
"Perfect. We're getting a very crisp signal. How's the visual coverage?
"I have almost total coverage using the two video cameras. The only blind spot is near the southwest corner of the plaza and I'm keeping an eye on that area instead."
"Deckhand, just remember to keep a low profile. You don't want to be made again." William chuckled lightly, knowing that he had reprimanded Dar for becoming too exposed during a training mission. He heard Dar snicker in response; it had turned into a joke between them.
Silence returned and everyone went into surveillance mode.
Irina clutched her bag, which contained a model of the ship, and surveyed the crowd from her vantage spot overlooking the festivities. She had already spotted the CIA operative in the warehouse; such a fresh faced young kid. She hoped that he was there only to observe.
She had yet to spot Mossad, but she was early as usual. She always liked to get a complete lay of the land and determine several exit strategies out before the actual meeting.
Mossad stood on the fringe and studied the crowd. The myriad of people in the crowd amazed and repelled Mossad. America was so corrupt and tolerant and he was certain that they would pay for their arrogance. His friend Alex was nowhere to be found and Mossad began to worry that the exchange would not take place. His associates were counting on the information that he would be receiving from the KGB and they, in turn, had appeared eager to get the surveillance data and weapons supplies.
Irina started through the crowd, weaving in and out of the masses. She carried the replica of the ship in a paper bag and kept switching the bag between her hands. Her eyes flitted around the crowd looking for the toy drum. She spotted her contact and slowly migrated that way.
"Excuse me," she tapped Mossad on the shoulder, "where did you get that drum? My son would love one."
Mossad turned around and glared at this impertinent woman.
"I do not care about you or your son, madam. Please bother someone else, I have no time for you." He turned around and continued to assess the crowd.
She swore at him in a mixture of Russian and his own language. "You ignorant pig."
She started to walk away, ready to throw the whole mission away and incur Alex' wrath.
Dar ran to the next window over and jockeyed for a better view of the person that had approached Mossad. It was a woman and he aimed the parabolic microphone toward their location. He was awarded with a flurry of angry words in several languages. Dar did not understand a word, but felt himself blush with the implied tone. He pulled out his camera and attached the telescopic lens, hoping to get a picture of the woman.
Mossad's head whipped around in response to the barrage of obscenities and noticed the bow of the ship poking out of the woman's bag.
"Deckhand, are you getting the exchange?"
"Yes. I'm trying to get a picture of the woman that approached Mossad. I think that she was sent in Alex' place."
"We need a picture of her. If she was sent in Alex's place, she must be very important. The KGB is very eager for this information."
"Right."
Mossad grabbed the woman's arm to stop her retreat and pointed toward the bag. "Where is your husband?"
"He's unfortunately detained at the hospital."
"I'm sorry to hear that, I miss seeing my old friend."
"Yes, he sends his regrets."
Dar kept the camera trained on the woman, snapping pictures automatically. The woman's face remained obscured, either by movements of the other people in the crowd, by shadows or by her hair. The camera whined, indicating that a new roll was needed. Dar fumbled for another roll of film, dipped the microphone away from the pair and was rewarded with a harsh reminder from Agent Vaughn. Dar readjusted the microphone and loaded the film into the camera. He frantically searched the crowd to find his target again and resumed taking pictures.
"I see that you bought a model of the ship. May I look at it?" Mossad eyed the bag hungrily and his fingers twitched in anticipation.
"I would like to see the drum, if you please." Irina schooled her expression to hide her eagerness and she pulled her hair back away from her face.
Dar watched the movement happen in slow motion and was startled by the view of her face that he almost forgot to click the shutter.
Irina felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise and she whipped around and looked at the warehouse and directly at Dar. He ducked back into the shadows as soon as he realized that she had looked at him. Her eyes narrowed and she quickly turned her back to the surveillance. She handed Mossad the bag and he placed the drum into her hands.
Irina nodded and without even inspecting the drum, she walked away from Mossad.
With a nod of his head, Mossad's men moved toward the warehouse that had caught Irina's attention. Irina disappeared into the crowd, swallowed by the red, white and blue swirling bodies.
Dar searched through the telescopic lens, sifted through the blurry faces and swore as he lost them both.
"Mariner, I've lost them both. They disappeared into the crowd. But I got a picture of them both."
"Did the exchange take place?"
"Yes. I got it all on tape and film."
"Good job Deckhand. Wrap it up and head back to port."
Dar began to rewind the tape and dismantle the microphone, not noticing the two men enter the first floor of the building.
Irina took the stairs to the third floor two at a time, hoping to give the agent some warning. She came up behind him and held up her gun.
"I would suggest that you take cover right now," she whispered, "Mossad's men are on their way up." Dar's head whipped around and saw the gun trained on him and his hand automatically went to his shoulder holster.
"I am not here to hurt you, my young CIA friend, but to give you a warning. Please do not make me defend myself." Irina inwardly sighed.
Dar's hand relaxed and dropped to his side. Irina heard the door at the southern stairwell creak and ran for cover. Dar, startled, took a few seconds more to find shelter as bullets began ricocheting off the steel beams. He slunk behind the crates that he had his equipment propped on and whispered frantically into the microphone.
"Under fire, requesting immediate backup."
"Hold on Dar, I've got people on their way." Agent Vaughn barked orders to the crew in the relay truck and had another agent notify the local police.
Irina began to return fire, aiming to maim Mossad's men. The bullets whizzed past the first man's head and he dropped and rolled to the right behind a concrete column. The second man dove to the north behind a large packing crate. Dar pulled his gun and aimed in the direction of the most gunfire.
The crate absorbed several bullets in return and his hand shot around the side and plugged several shots into the concrete above the man's head.
Irina crawled toward Dar, using several crates and a desk as cover. This young agent was not prepared to defend himself against Mossad's well-armed men. Her head snapped back behind the desk as the buzz of a bullet went by. She swore to herself in Russian.
Mossad's men were slowly navigating the perimeter of the room, using the columns and furniture scattered about, trying to trap Dar and Irina between them. Irina shot several rounds at the upended table near the southern windows; she was rewarded by a small moan. She had hit one of them, but not mortally as he returned fire in her direction.
She reached a crate near Dar and caught his attention.
"Back up?" she mouthed. A bullet hit the parabolic microphone on the top of the crate and pieces of plastic and metal rained around her.
"On the way" Dar responded, getting a shot or two off in the interim.
Dar could hear Agent Vaughn cursing and barking orders in his earpiece, between pleading with him to stay down and informing him reinforcements were on the way.
Another piece of equipment exploded and Dar looked in horror as film flew like confetti around him. He tried to grab it instinctively, knowing that the pictures were crucial and was not aware of the man coming up behind him. Irina caught the movement out of the corner of her eye, dropped and shot just over Dar's shoulder. At the same instant, Dar moved to the right to get the remains of the camera.
Slowly he looked down to the hole in his shirt and back to Irina as the blood blossomed red against white. Irina took a second shot and Mossad's man dropped like a rag doll. Sirens wailed up the alley and Irina touched the boy's cheek.
"I'm sorry," she whispered in Russian. She picked up Dar's gun and shooting both her gun and Dar's simultaneously at Mossad's remaining man, she ran toward the nearest stairwell and exit.