Case 4: Masada, Part 1
Disclaimer: Same as before. Can you guess the historical significance of Masada?
~ ~ ~ ~
ACME HQ Parking Lot, 1700, Local Time
24 May 2000: "Hal, I can't believe you managed to throw a bachelor party and get arrested on a Tuesday night." Ivy said.
"You're never gonna let me live this one down, are you Ninja-Girl?" Hal asked.
"Not in a million years, John Bull." Ivy replied.
"I didn't even plan the bloody thing." Hal replied, "And I'm still being blamed for it."
"Hal, you sure have a lot of paperwork to do tonight." Ivy said, noticing the number of folders tucked under his arm.
"So do you, Ivy." Hal replied, "Drunken disorderly conduct always lands one extra paperwork even though I'd not drank nearly as much as the other three wankers with me on last night's fiasco."
"Well, I've got a report on our case in England to work on." Ivy replied.
"And one about Anti-Semitism, it seems." Hal replied, indicating a reference book titled Anti-Semitism in America (1845-1997).
"Jackie asked me to help her out with her case." Ivy replied.
"Are you up for another working dinner tonight?" Hal replied.
'Hell yes.' Ivy thought, "Definitely."
"My place or yours?" Hal asked.
"Yours if you don't mind." Ivy replied.
"Not at all? I'll fix dinner as well." Hal replied.
"You can cook?" Ivy asked.
"I always used to help mum about the kitchen growing up. Plus my French grandmother taught me dozens of her recipes." Hal replied.
"Your grandmother's French?" Ivy asked.
"Oui mademoiselle." Hal replied, "On my mother's side, so I'm a quarter French by birthright."
"Seven o'clock sound good?" Ivy said.
"Seven's just fine. Bring a healthy appetite along." Hal replied.
~ ~ ~ ~
Hal's Apartment, Harbor View, 1900 Local Time
There was a ringing that wasn't the oven. Hal strode over to the door and opened it up. Ivy stood on the other end and Hal suddenly felt self- conscious. Ivy had changed clothes and obviously showered if the smell of that strawberry scented shampoo mixed in with that lilac scent she always wore were any indication. She had also changed into a new pair of jeans and wore a white rain jacket, which she removed and hung on a peg behind his door, revealing the gray cotton blouse she wore underneath.
Hal by contrast was wearing his same jeans from work and his 1999 France World Cup shirt, which had seen many a squadron rugby game. He also had an apron on, which had a British flag motif on it, for obvious reasons.
"Something smells good in here." Ivy said, lightly sniffing the air, thinking, 'And it's not just the food either. That cologne you usually wear smells great.'
"Thank you." Hal replied, thinking, 'And I could easily say some one smells great too. Damn I wish I'd had time to clean up better after the gym.'
"Dinner will be ready about now." Hal replied as his over timer sounded and he went off to the kitchen to collect the meal.
"What's for dinner?" Ivy asked.
"Poullet et poullet frites." Hal replied, "French for roast chicken and fries. It's one of Grandma Helene's famous quickie recipes."
"Hal, it's a working dinner, not a three course meal." Ivy said, "It's alright."
"Yeah, just take your seat at the table, I'll have dinner over there in a bit." Hal replied.
Hal came out with the servings and put them in the midst of the table. He put his apron on a peg on the wall and took the seat across from Ivy.
"So Hal, taking up interior decorating I see." Ivy said.
"I try." Hal replied.
Since he'd moved in Hal's loft apartment started to take on a homier feel. More pictures and decorations were present, the large wall map with the colored pins still visible in his living room. One or two modern art paintings were hanging around in the hallway and living room. A couple plants were near the windows, hung from homemade rigs.
"I figure since I'll be living here for four years I'd best get this place looking somewhat decent." Hal replied.
"It's starting to look like home for you, I'd say." Ivy said, noticing a British Union Jack above his leather sofa.
"Some new furniture I looked into before I'd been assigned here." Hal replied, "Because I knew ahead of time about this assignment I'd had time to move a lot of stuff into storage from my old flat in Hereford."
Ivy noticed another picture next to his couch, where they'd migrated to look over the case file on the coffee table. It was one of a group of men, most of them wearing black fatigues, holding MP-5 sub machineguns with knives strapped to their chests or ankles. The four men standing at the edge held telescope-sighted rifles and wore camouflaged uniforms. One of the four men was Hal and the other was Lucas.
"That's a few of the blokes from the SP team." Hal replied, "One squadron is always on standby in the UK for counter terrorist work. This was from 1997."
There was a picture of Hal and Diane standing underneath that same lantern where he'd kissed Ivy back in Hereford on the television stand. "That one was taken a few weeks before she was killed, back in 1999 before I deployed to Belize." Hal explained.
Hal turned on the television and said, "Sorry, I shouldn't have brought that up, since that was where we...."
"Hal, remember I forgave you for that." Ivy replied, thinking, 'Though I still don't know why you think you ought to apologize. That was a damn good kiss.'
'Great job Olden, open mouth, insert foot. Why the hell did I have to dredge up our last case?' Hal thought, and then said, "About that case, what exactly was it about?"
"Jackie got assigned a case involving somebody throwing rocks and a Molotov cocktail through the windows of a synagogue downtown." Ivy replied.
"Really, should be something we can wrap up in about twenty minutes, maximum." Hal replied.
"The thing she noticed is, they caught the suspects, a couple teenagers of Middle Eastern decent but there was some sort of writing on there. I had Zack look at it and he said it was...." Ivy began.
"HAMAS." Hal replied, looking at one of the photographs. The partially burned bottle had some sort of slogan in Arabic written on it.
"How did you know?" Ivy asked.
"Ivy, I worked with the Israeli Special Forces back in 1998. I know what the HAMAS looks like in Arabic script all too well." Hal replied.
The phone rang just then and Hal picked up, "Olden. Oh, hello Russell, how's it going mate."
"Who's Russell?" Ivy asked.
Hal cupped the receiver and said, "He's my cousin."
Ivy watched as Hal listened to his cousin on the phone for a few minutes, when Hal suddenly said, "You wanker!"
"Yes, I do have a friend in my apartment and she happens to be a lady. You'd best take that comment about clothing and shove it." Hal replied.
Ivy laughed as she saw Hal's face turn beet red as he and his cousin argued over the phone. Whatever Russell was saying was enough to make him blush.
"Oh will you shut up!" Hal replied, "You interrupted nothing of that sort! Otherwise I'd REALLY be livid!"
After a few more minutes Hal said, "Russell, listen mate, this isn't exactly the best time to call, I'm in the midst of something right now. Sure, call back later tonight, we should be done by then."
Hal hung up the phone and saw Ivy grinning at him, "Was someone else supposed to be a guest here that I didn't know about?"
"No." Hal replied, "Only you."
Ivy turned about four shades of red that moment and Hal said, "I meant on business."
'I'm not blushing because I want to beat you senseless, I'd much rather do something else to you to get you senseless.' Ivy thought, then said, "I really didn't want to be interrupting anything. Well, see you tomorrow Hal."
"I'll be seeing you." Hal replied.
~ ~ ~ ~
ACME HQ, 25 May 2000: "Olden?"
Hal heard roll call going in the conference room just as he walked in. 'Bloody Hell, I guess I should never underestimate the effect of a bachelor party on one's system.'
"Wow Hal, this is the earliest you've shown up for roll call all week." Ivy said.
"You should have the record for most late appearances." Zack quipped.
"Better late than never. Or better sober than hung over." Hal replied.
"If I ever touch another drop of alcohol in my life, it'll be too soon." Zack shot back.
"You're a wanker Zack, one step away from being a bloody wanker." Hal replied, as they walked into the bullpen.
"Armando, you're the one that loaded me up on that Jose Cuervo stuff, followed by that bourbon chaser." Zack replied.
"I didn't hear you complaining at the time." Armando snapped back.
"Well you didn't have your fiancé drive you home, tuck you in bed that night..." Zack replied.
"What's wrong with that?" Hal asked.
"I'm not finished." Zack countered, "Then have her hide all the asprin and head ache medicines the next morning when you've had the mother of all hangovers."
"So Ivy?" Tatiana asked, mischievously, "Did anything happen after the bachelor party when you drove Hal home."
"No. He fell asleep in my car on the way to his apartment." Ivy replied, "He's heavier than he looks when you half drag him up three flights of stairs."
"So that's why I fell asleep in my clothes yesterday." Hal replied.
"Speaking of our bachelor party bet, don't you owe me lunch?" Ivy replied.
"Wanker." Hal replied, "You're right. Lunch on me for a whole bloody week."
~ ~ ~ ~
A few hours later, Hal walked into Ivy's office, "Are you ready for lunch?"
"Since its on you, any time, Hal." Ivy replied, "I know a good Thai place you haven't seen yet."
"Sounds good." Hal remarked, "I still remember on incident in Malaya..."
"Oh great, is this one of your crazy stories again?" Ivy asked.
"Yes." Hal replied.
"Save it for lunch, we'll have more time." Ivy remarked, "Just one thing though, the Thai hot pepper sauce is hot."
"Shouldn't it be." Hal remarked.
"Trust me, if you've never had it, you'll be screaming bloody murder." Ivy replied.
"I remember before I got sent to the Jungle Warfare school right after Selection, one of my mates from my old unit gave me a jar of that stuff." Hal replied, "A very large jar. I hated it at first, but then as the weeks in the jungle wore on I had it with everything."
"Well let's not yap all day, lets get going." Ivy replied and they walked into the elevator and went to have lunch.
~ ~ ~ ~
"Have you seen Hal or Ivy anywhere?" Grant Wells asked Tatiana.
"I have Chief." Tatiana replied, "They just left to have lunch."
"Well, as soon as their back, let them know they need to see me. Since you're in charge of admin in the office, be sure to book two plane tickets to Israel, first thing tomorrow." Wells said. He held a file on a henchman of Dr. Maelstrom, Aziz Pharhouz, who had recently been seen operating in the Ramala, in the Occupied Territories.
~ ~ ~ ~
TBC (Just what are Hal and Ivy going to find in Israel? Action, danger, sand, and one of Maelstrom's hechmen.)
Disclaimer: Same as before. Can you guess the historical significance of Masada?
~ ~ ~ ~
ACME HQ Parking Lot, 1700, Local Time
24 May 2000: "Hal, I can't believe you managed to throw a bachelor party and get arrested on a Tuesday night." Ivy said.
"You're never gonna let me live this one down, are you Ninja-Girl?" Hal asked.
"Not in a million years, John Bull." Ivy replied.
"I didn't even plan the bloody thing." Hal replied, "And I'm still being blamed for it."
"Hal, you sure have a lot of paperwork to do tonight." Ivy said, noticing the number of folders tucked under his arm.
"So do you, Ivy." Hal replied, "Drunken disorderly conduct always lands one extra paperwork even though I'd not drank nearly as much as the other three wankers with me on last night's fiasco."
"Well, I've got a report on our case in England to work on." Ivy replied.
"And one about Anti-Semitism, it seems." Hal replied, indicating a reference book titled Anti-Semitism in America (1845-1997).
"Jackie asked me to help her out with her case." Ivy replied.
"Are you up for another working dinner tonight?" Hal replied.
'Hell yes.' Ivy thought, "Definitely."
"My place or yours?" Hal asked.
"Yours if you don't mind." Ivy replied.
"Not at all? I'll fix dinner as well." Hal replied.
"You can cook?" Ivy asked.
"I always used to help mum about the kitchen growing up. Plus my French grandmother taught me dozens of her recipes." Hal replied.
"Your grandmother's French?" Ivy asked.
"Oui mademoiselle." Hal replied, "On my mother's side, so I'm a quarter French by birthright."
"Seven o'clock sound good?" Ivy said.
"Seven's just fine. Bring a healthy appetite along." Hal replied.
~ ~ ~ ~
Hal's Apartment, Harbor View, 1900 Local Time
There was a ringing that wasn't the oven. Hal strode over to the door and opened it up. Ivy stood on the other end and Hal suddenly felt self- conscious. Ivy had changed clothes and obviously showered if the smell of that strawberry scented shampoo mixed in with that lilac scent she always wore were any indication. She had also changed into a new pair of jeans and wore a white rain jacket, which she removed and hung on a peg behind his door, revealing the gray cotton blouse she wore underneath.
Hal by contrast was wearing his same jeans from work and his 1999 France World Cup shirt, which had seen many a squadron rugby game. He also had an apron on, which had a British flag motif on it, for obvious reasons.
"Something smells good in here." Ivy said, lightly sniffing the air, thinking, 'And it's not just the food either. That cologne you usually wear smells great.'
"Thank you." Hal replied, thinking, 'And I could easily say some one smells great too. Damn I wish I'd had time to clean up better after the gym.'
"Dinner will be ready about now." Hal replied as his over timer sounded and he went off to the kitchen to collect the meal.
"What's for dinner?" Ivy asked.
"Poullet et poullet frites." Hal replied, "French for roast chicken and fries. It's one of Grandma Helene's famous quickie recipes."
"Hal, it's a working dinner, not a three course meal." Ivy said, "It's alright."
"Yeah, just take your seat at the table, I'll have dinner over there in a bit." Hal replied.
Hal came out with the servings and put them in the midst of the table. He put his apron on a peg on the wall and took the seat across from Ivy.
"So Hal, taking up interior decorating I see." Ivy said.
"I try." Hal replied.
Since he'd moved in Hal's loft apartment started to take on a homier feel. More pictures and decorations were present, the large wall map with the colored pins still visible in his living room. One or two modern art paintings were hanging around in the hallway and living room. A couple plants were near the windows, hung from homemade rigs.
"I figure since I'll be living here for four years I'd best get this place looking somewhat decent." Hal replied.
"It's starting to look like home for you, I'd say." Ivy said, noticing a British Union Jack above his leather sofa.
"Some new furniture I looked into before I'd been assigned here." Hal replied, "Because I knew ahead of time about this assignment I'd had time to move a lot of stuff into storage from my old flat in Hereford."
Ivy noticed another picture next to his couch, where they'd migrated to look over the case file on the coffee table. It was one of a group of men, most of them wearing black fatigues, holding MP-5 sub machineguns with knives strapped to their chests or ankles. The four men standing at the edge held telescope-sighted rifles and wore camouflaged uniforms. One of the four men was Hal and the other was Lucas.
"That's a few of the blokes from the SP team." Hal replied, "One squadron is always on standby in the UK for counter terrorist work. This was from 1997."
There was a picture of Hal and Diane standing underneath that same lantern where he'd kissed Ivy back in Hereford on the television stand. "That one was taken a few weeks before she was killed, back in 1999 before I deployed to Belize." Hal explained.
Hal turned on the television and said, "Sorry, I shouldn't have brought that up, since that was where we...."
"Hal, remember I forgave you for that." Ivy replied, thinking, 'Though I still don't know why you think you ought to apologize. That was a damn good kiss.'
'Great job Olden, open mouth, insert foot. Why the hell did I have to dredge up our last case?' Hal thought, and then said, "About that case, what exactly was it about?"
"Jackie got assigned a case involving somebody throwing rocks and a Molotov cocktail through the windows of a synagogue downtown." Ivy replied.
"Really, should be something we can wrap up in about twenty minutes, maximum." Hal replied.
"The thing she noticed is, they caught the suspects, a couple teenagers of Middle Eastern decent but there was some sort of writing on there. I had Zack look at it and he said it was...." Ivy began.
"HAMAS." Hal replied, looking at one of the photographs. The partially burned bottle had some sort of slogan in Arabic written on it.
"How did you know?" Ivy asked.
"Ivy, I worked with the Israeli Special Forces back in 1998. I know what the HAMAS looks like in Arabic script all too well." Hal replied.
The phone rang just then and Hal picked up, "Olden. Oh, hello Russell, how's it going mate."
"Who's Russell?" Ivy asked.
Hal cupped the receiver and said, "He's my cousin."
Ivy watched as Hal listened to his cousin on the phone for a few minutes, when Hal suddenly said, "You wanker!"
"Yes, I do have a friend in my apartment and she happens to be a lady. You'd best take that comment about clothing and shove it." Hal replied.
Ivy laughed as she saw Hal's face turn beet red as he and his cousin argued over the phone. Whatever Russell was saying was enough to make him blush.
"Oh will you shut up!" Hal replied, "You interrupted nothing of that sort! Otherwise I'd REALLY be livid!"
After a few more minutes Hal said, "Russell, listen mate, this isn't exactly the best time to call, I'm in the midst of something right now. Sure, call back later tonight, we should be done by then."
Hal hung up the phone and saw Ivy grinning at him, "Was someone else supposed to be a guest here that I didn't know about?"
"No." Hal replied, "Only you."
Ivy turned about four shades of red that moment and Hal said, "I meant on business."
'I'm not blushing because I want to beat you senseless, I'd much rather do something else to you to get you senseless.' Ivy thought, then said, "I really didn't want to be interrupting anything. Well, see you tomorrow Hal."
"I'll be seeing you." Hal replied.
~ ~ ~ ~
ACME HQ, 25 May 2000: "Olden?"
Hal heard roll call going in the conference room just as he walked in. 'Bloody Hell, I guess I should never underestimate the effect of a bachelor party on one's system.'
"Wow Hal, this is the earliest you've shown up for roll call all week." Ivy said.
"You should have the record for most late appearances." Zack quipped.
"Better late than never. Or better sober than hung over." Hal replied.
"If I ever touch another drop of alcohol in my life, it'll be too soon." Zack shot back.
"You're a wanker Zack, one step away from being a bloody wanker." Hal replied, as they walked into the bullpen.
"Armando, you're the one that loaded me up on that Jose Cuervo stuff, followed by that bourbon chaser." Zack replied.
"I didn't hear you complaining at the time." Armando snapped back.
"Well you didn't have your fiancé drive you home, tuck you in bed that night..." Zack replied.
"What's wrong with that?" Hal asked.
"I'm not finished." Zack countered, "Then have her hide all the asprin and head ache medicines the next morning when you've had the mother of all hangovers."
"So Ivy?" Tatiana asked, mischievously, "Did anything happen after the bachelor party when you drove Hal home."
"No. He fell asleep in my car on the way to his apartment." Ivy replied, "He's heavier than he looks when you half drag him up three flights of stairs."
"So that's why I fell asleep in my clothes yesterday." Hal replied.
"Speaking of our bachelor party bet, don't you owe me lunch?" Ivy replied.
"Wanker." Hal replied, "You're right. Lunch on me for a whole bloody week."
~ ~ ~ ~
A few hours later, Hal walked into Ivy's office, "Are you ready for lunch?"
"Since its on you, any time, Hal." Ivy replied, "I know a good Thai place you haven't seen yet."
"Sounds good." Hal remarked, "I still remember on incident in Malaya..."
"Oh great, is this one of your crazy stories again?" Ivy asked.
"Yes." Hal replied.
"Save it for lunch, we'll have more time." Ivy remarked, "Just one thing though, the Thai hot pepper sauce is hot."
"Shouldn't it be." Hal remarked.
"Trust me, if you've never had it, you'll be screaming bloody murder." Ivy replied.
"I remember before I got sent to the Jungle Warfare school right after Selection, one of my mates from my old unit gave me a jar of that stuff." Hal replied, "A very large jar. I hated it at first, but then as the weeks in the jungle wore on I had it with everything."
"Well let's not yap all day, lets get going." Ivy replied and they walked into the elevator and went to have lunch.
~ ~ ~ ~
"Have you seen Hal or Ivy anywhere?" Grant Wells asked Tatiana.
"I have Chief." Tatiana replied, "They just left to have lunch."
"Well, as soon as their back, let them know they need to see me. Since you're in charge of admin in the office, be sure to book two plane tickets to Israel, first thing tomorrow." Wells said. He held a file on a henchman of Dr. Maelstrom, Aziz Pharhouz, who had recently been seen operating in the Ramala, in the Occupied Territories.
~ ~ ~ ~
TBC (Just what are Hal and Ivy going to find in Israel? Action, danger, sand, and one of Maelstrom's hechmen.)