After a restful night's sleep, Kess awoke to her alarm feeling more energized than she thought she'd be. She picked up the neatly folded sneaking suit that had been left for her on her bed the day before and laid it out. It wasn't bulky, but was surprisingly heavy. It was some sort of smooth black fabric, with a look and feel between neoprene and spandex. It had textured rubber pads on the shins, knees, chest and abdomen and forearms. It had a zipper running down the front, from the neckline to the crotch, and the rubber padding on the front could be put over the zipper once it was done up and velcroed into place. Kess sat down on the bed and began to pull it on over her legs. It was a little awkward to get into, but after a few moments of grunting and tugging, she finally got it on and fastened up. As she picked up her hairbrush, she heard a knock at the front door. She sprinted over to the door and opened it. Sam was standing there, already dressed and set to go. He looked down at the brush Kess was still holding, then back up at her. "Were you planning to hit me with that?"
Kess laughed. "No." Even though he probably deserves it.
"Good. Then I'll give you this." He handed her a foil-wrapped square packet. Kess took it. It felt quite warm. With curiosity she unwrapped it to reveal a fresh toasted western sandwich.
She smiled at Sam, feeling surprised and a little flattered. "Thank you. I wasn't sure if I'd have time to have something to eat this morning." She took a big bite.
"Well, I was up early so I thought I'd get you something while I was getting my breakfast. Does that fit you ok?" He nodded at her suit.
"Mmm-hmm," She mumbled as she swallowed her mouthful, glancing down at it. "It was a bit of a tight squeeze to get into, but it feels fine now that I have it on."
"You'll find a pair of gloves in one of the waist pockets. Make sure you have them on before insertion. Can't leave any fingerprints."
"No problem," Kess said. She patted her sides and located a small bulge on the right that she guessed were the gloves.
"You ready to go? If you are we could head up to the launchpad now. You can finish that sandwich on the way."
"Yeah, sure," Kess agreed. She decided her hair wasn't that important and tossed the brush onto an end table, then stepped out the door and followed Sam down the hall. She was walking slightly behind him and unconsciously raised her eyebrows as she noticed his backside. His suit was a very similar style to hers, also skin-tight, and his rear end was clearly defined. Whoa, he's got a nice ass! Kess thought. She resisted a devilish urge to pinch it and instead focused on the remainder of her sandwich.
They came upon an elevator and Sam pressed the call button. After a few seconds, the door opened and they stepped in. Sam jabbed the button for the top floor and they waited as the elevator gently lurched and then began to rise.
Kess finished the last bite of her breakfast, balled the foil up and tossed it into a little metal waste receptacle that was on the wall. "That was good," she remarked.
Sam looked over at her, but didn't reply. He just stared at her for a few moments, looking her up and down like he was examining her.
"What?" Kess asked after a moment.
"You nervous?" He asked.
Kess was slightly bewildered. "About what?"
"The mission."
"Oh! No….I think I've psyched myself up for it pretty well." Liar. Truthfully, she was feeling a little anxious.
Sam continued to stare at her for a moment, then stated, "You're nervous."
Kess shook her head, avoiding his eyes. "Really, I'm not."
"You are," Sam reiterated. "You've got your fists all balled up and your arms are rigid. I've spent a lot of years reading people. You can't tell me you're not nervous."
Kess realized that her arms and hands were tensed up and forced herself to relax them. She waited for Sam to begin teasing her about it, but instead he said, "Don't worry about it. If you weren't at least a little anxious, I'd be worried. People who have no fear are dangerous to work with. Once we get in there and get going, you'll lose the jitters."
"Thanks," Kess said appreciatively. This is a nice side of him. I hope he starts acting this way more often.
There was a jolt as the elevator came to a stop, and then the doors slid open. Kess followed Sam out into a small alcove. When she looked around she saw that they were now on the roof, and the large launchpad was to the right, surrounded by a circle of lights so that they could see in the still-blackness of the early morning. The Osprey sat in the center of the pad, not yet running. As they approached it, Will stuck his head out of the doorway.
"Hi there! We're just about ready to go. Grim and Lambert are already on board. Hop in." He disappeared back into the aircraft.
Sam climbed through the hatch, followed by Kess. There was a narrow area they walked down which widened into a larger space. There was a benchlike surface lining each side of the plane, on which Grim and Lambert were seated. There were runner lights overhead and along the sides of the floor, lighting the interior with a sterile white glow.
"Good morning, you two," Lambert greeted them. "I see you're both ready to roll." Sam approached the left wall, where two compact, body-hugging knapsacks were hanging on hooks. He took one down, had a quick look inside, and tossed it over to Kess. The other one he put on.
"Everything you need is in your knapsack, Kess, don't lose it. There's both food and drink rations, a medical kit, a Swiss army knife, and other essentials." Lambert turned around and grabbed a pair of goggles and a balaclava that were in a little pile beside him. "Here you go. Put these on now." He handed them over to Kess. She noticed the balaclava didn't cover the face area, only from the hairline back and the neck as well. As she fitted them over her head, a mechanical growl sounded as Redding fired up the Osprey's engines. The thumpa-thumpa-thumpa of the rotors turning began slowly and then increased in speed. Sam grabbed his own goggles and balaclava which were hanging beside where the backpacks had been, and pulled them on.
The Osprey suddenly floated upwards and Kess stumbled a bit, trying to keep her balance. It finally leveled out and she felt the forward momentum of the plane as they gained speed. Sam tapped her shoulder and she turned around, whereupon he handed her her pistol and Ka-Bar, both in holster and sheath, and already strapped to tough nylon leg holsters with clips on the ends. After a moment of comfusion from Kess as to how they attached, Sam silently pointed out the clips on the thighs of her uniforms. That makes it easier, Kess thought as she clipped the knife to her right leg and the gun to her left. When she stood up, Sam was holding out the little case of shruiken. Kess took it and slid it into one of her side pockets. She then watched as Sam clipped his own knife and pistol onto his legs, and then lifted the SC-20K out of the large metal case on the floor that he had pulled the other weapons out of and slung it over his back. He then lifted out a belt fitted with a series of pouches and straps which held his various modules and LTL devices, and fastened it around his waist. Next he reached into one of the pockets on his side and drew out a little square bundle, nodding at Kess as he did so. Kess realized these were the gloves, and pulled her own out and put them on. They were a very thin but tough material similar to that of her suit, still allowing her some tactile sensation. There were rubberlike textured areas on the palms and fingers to also offer a good grip.
Lambert reached around to his other side and grabbed a couple small objects, handing one to Sam and one to Kess. "This is your PDA device that you'll find the building maps on. It's also linked to your OPSAT. You can upload data onto it via a small USB cable that's hidden inside a little compartment on the back of the device. Grim can also transmit files and other information to you remotely. You just wear it right on your wrist." Kess turned it over and saw the little elastic strap attached to it, and slid it over her hand.
Lambert added, "Your mission objectives will also be listed on your device. These objectives may change throughout the mission, but I'll inform you if they do, so don't worry about suddenly seeing something new on there."
Kess nodded and pressed the ON button. The little screen lit up with a pale green glow.
"How much do you trust me?" Sam suddenly asked her, while hoisting a parachute pack onto his back.
Ha! Kess's brain shouted. "As my teammate, 100," Kess answered. "I have to." Now THAT'S true. I really have no choice but to trust him, if I want to make it through this mission.
"That's fantastic," Sam replied, clipping the pack's support belt around his waist. "Then you won't mind being attached to me for a minute or so."
"I wha…?" Kess asked in confusion.
"Two parachutes would be more bulk to have to worry about," Lambert cut in. "You're light enough that Sam can strap you onto him, and he'll guide the chute on the way down."
"Come on," Sam said, motioning to her.
Kess knew better than to argue, especially since this arrangement was logical, so she walked over to Sam and stood in front of him, her back against his front. Sam's hands came around holding harness cords that were attached to the chute belt. He fastened one around her waist, then slung two more over each of her shoulders, which Kess helped to clip onto the waist strap. He dropped one more strap behind her, and Kess reached down and pulled it up between her legs, clipping it to the center harness. Sam adjusted the straps until she was snug against him, Then nodded to Lambert. Lambert nodded back and then lifted a small walkie-talkie to his mouth and said into it, "Redding, Sam and Kess are prepared. Where are we now?"
Redding's voice came back over the radio, full of static and crackles. "We're approaching New York right now. ETA 10 minutes."
Kess craned her head back. "I hope I'm not causing any discomfort…" she began.
"Psssht," Sam said. "Please. I've had weapons strapped to me that were heavier than you are."
Kess was about to say something sarcastic about exaggerating, but then she realized that he could very well be telling the truth, so she just offered a smile back up at him.
"You alright, Kess?" Lambert asked. Kess gave him a thumbs-up.
"Good. I want to wish you good luck on your first mission with us." Lambert reached over and offered his hand to her. Kess grinned and have it a hearty shake.
"No good luck for me?" Sam muttered.
"Sam, you don't need luck. This is second nature to you." Lambert teasingly admonished.
Sam sighed. "Yeah," he replied wearily.
Grim glanced up from her laptop and grinned at him, then winked at Kess. Redding's voice came over a speaker on the ceiling of the plane. "Arriving in approximately two minutes."
Sam flipped his goggles down over his eyes and stepped forward awkwardly, prompting Kess to walk with him. He reached past her and gripped the handle of the large door on the side of the plane, sliding the heavy slab of metal open. There was a hiss as the airflow penetrated the opening, and then the wind rushed full in their faces. Kess looked out. Signs of daylight were just beginning to show, with the sky having turned from black to indigo blue. Below them the lights of the city glittered.
"Alright, Sam," Lambert called from behind them. Kess felt them suddenly tip forward and her heart gravitated towards her throat as they toppled out of the Osprey and into a freefall. Kess had skydived before, but never attached to anyone. It was a very strange feeling to have the pressure of the air rushing at her from the front, and Sam's 170 pound frame pressing onto her from the back. Sam yanked the ripcord on the chute, and there was a jolt as the chute bloomed out and caught the wind, slowing their fall. Sam grabbed the cords with his hands and steered them towards the top of one building that was larger than the others around it. Kess could barely make it out in the dim twilight, but Sam's night vision allowed him to see the roof's features clearly. As they neared it, Sam turned on his side so as to take any impact off of Kess. With a simultaneous "Oof" from both of them, they landed on the gravelly surface of the roof, the chute billowing down to rest overtop of them.
Chapter 10 Coming soon!
