Sword and Shield
Chapter 17: Caught Red Handed
Angel Light 1. n. A unique invention capable of looking through walls and disabling electronics with its beam, rumored to also emit significant cosmic and gamma rays.
27 March 2000, 16:30 hrs
Washington, District of Columbia, United States
White House Situation Room
President Bill Clinton leaned back in the plush arm chair at the end of the cabinet meeting table. Dozens of monitors and cameras for live feed connections sat in the far end of the room on standby. Just days earlier they'd witnessed the battle in Alaska live from the same room. Already many of the men gathered around the table were beginning to regret their course of action.
Mithril had given the army forces a bloody nose and all but destroyed the air force wing they'd been pitted against. The belief in American technical superiority and training had been shattered. Opponents with ECS could turn the tables and fight battles in ways that the line units of the United States simply couldn't counter with their current arsenal of equipment and training.
Now they were discussing obtaining the sources of these great technologies.
"Three whispered in one location under minimal guard, it's not even an option not to make an attempt, not really… Not when we've seen what the inventions two of them created." General John Alexander Gordon said as he glanced down at his clipboard. "Getting them to work for us would be a boon… a fifty percent increase in the number of whispered in our possession."
"How many are currently working for the government General? Six?" President Clinton asked.
"Six are involved in research. A seventh is attached to my agency." The General said. "She's not really the sort of agent we want working at Groom Lake. Her talents lie in other areas."
"I see…" General Bowman Myers, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff shifted uncomfortably. "I was not aware that whispered had talents outside of research."
"She specializes in resonance, using the whispers to detect and identify other whispered candidates." General Gordon answered. "We have a unique opportunity here, and there's no telling how long a window we have before they're guarded or identified by the Japanese government."
General Hugh Shelton leaned over the varnished table, his bulldog face staring at the folders they'd each been presented. "After the bloody nose we got fighting Mithril in Alaska, I think we need more assets for an operation like this."
"Unfortunately that's not possible." Samuel R Berger, the National Security Advisor spoke up as
President Clinton said as he rubbed a temple with his pointer finger. "The restrictions the Japanese have put upon our military forces over the last few hours will make it impossible to shift more assets into place without antagonizing the Japanese."
"So we make do with what we have. Surely two delta teams can handle three children and there one body guard." Secretary of Defense William Cohen said. "Eight elite operatives verses one bodyguard? It seems the odds are already heavily in our favor."
"Perhaps, but their bodyguard isn't exactly a hired brute either." General Gordon said cautiously. "We've identified him as well, and if our list of his service record is even close to correct he could be a major threat to the operatives."
"He's eighteen, maybe nineteen… I bet he'll be in bed with one of the girls when you knock down the door." Cohen said. "He's just a punk kid that got kicked around from one battlefield to another."
President Clinton arched an eyebrow. "The man escaped our base on Okinawa with the AI out of the Laevantein. He survived a nuclear strike. I'd say he's more than just a punk kid."
"Maybe, but even if he was this specially trained operative, it'll be eight against one, ten if the CIA operatives get involved directly." The Secretary of Defense said. "Honestly, I don't see how this plan could go wrong… it's so simple."
"I agree it's simple, Will. But what if the Japanese find out we did this… this whispered: Kaname Chidori… her father is rather well known in the United Nations. It sounds like a terrorist plot to go after her." President Clinton said. "But then the list of things she produced makes it clear she'd be valuable to anyone that can lay their hands on her."
"Mister President, we don't have much time… Does this operation have a go?" General Gordon said.
Bill Clinton stared at the satellite images for a long moment then nodded. "It's a go, how long before it's launched?"
"Probably twenty-four hours, I'll leave final launch and operational command up to the Delta team leader." General Gordon said. "Now, there is one other thing…" He pulled a set of folders from a briefcase and passed them around. "It's something of a related subject. Warbler has produced some disturbing intelligence."
As the folders were passed around each person took a moment to read the abstract before skimming through the file searching for the more important bits of information. Behind his reading glasses the President frowned. "This is disturbing."
"It seems that with Mithril out of the picture people feel more secure using extreme measures." Sandy Berger said as he set the folder down. "…and seeing it as an opportunity to eliminate old enemies."
"I never would have expected Najibullah's regime in Afghanistan to seriously consider the use of such weapons against their fellow Afghans." Bill Clinton stated. "The soviet union is also deploying two newly formed mechanized infantry regiments to afghani…" The president stopped for a long moment and stared at the document. "Field testing of the TZy-100? They're deploying Lambda-driver equipped arm slaves to Afghanistan in addition to chemical weapons?"
"I am afraid so." General Gordon said. "You can see why we're desperate to get our hands on an expert with Lambda driver technology. Plus the Soviet's decision to sell mustard gas to the Afghan regime will allow them to deny such sales... since it's so damn easy to make even in a hell-hole like Afghanistan."
28 March 2000, 06:53 hrs
Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan
MV-22 Osprey Seadancer, Tarmac, Chofu Airport
The air shimmered over a strip of concrete before one of the reserved hangars at Chofu Airport. On the far side of the runway a number of commuter planes sat being serviced as the MV-22 Osprey appeared and settled onto the ground like a large plump bird roosting. Inside Melissa Mao stood in the open cargo door as the craft settled and clambered out onto the tarmac swinging a heavy backpack over her shoulder with practiced ease as Kurz kicked the large equipment pallet down the cargo bed and onto the floor where it landed with a boom.
"Careful jackass, there's explosives in there!" Melissa hissed as she spun toward Kurz. "Are you trying to get us killed?"
"Sorry sis, I wasn't thinking." Kurz said as he clambered down the ramp and shook his head. "We got a truck to load this on, one of those commercial ones maybe?"
"I'll check Kurz, just sit tight." Melissa said as she walked toward the hangar, a slight swagger in her step. Pulling open the side door, she stepped through and immediately froze when she saw the Gulfstream G. IV inside. Carbon scoring lined the plane's aft section and what looked like bits of pine needles coated the bottom the fuselage. "What the hell?"
"Sis?" Kurz perked up from his perch atop the pallet of equipment.
"Come look at this Kurz!" Melissa said as she flicked on a light and put her hands on her hips to survey the plane. "You think this is the plane Sarah flew here?"
"Probably." Kurz said as he wandered over and glanced at the plane. "What the hell sis, did she fly it through the forest or what? There's scratches all along the belly… she's lucky she didn't crash!"
"That girl has more guts than… wait, wasn't Al the one flying the plane?" Mao said suddenly then grinned. "Extreme soldiering… must have learned crazy stunts work from being partnered with Sousuke so long."
"So sis, is the truck here?" Kurz reminded her as he glanced around the hangar.
"If it's here it'll be around the back of the hangar." Melissa said as she started on a trot to the far end of the hangar and banged open a door. Leaning out she caught sight of a large white truck decorated with a blue and green company logo. Smiling slightly she glanced back at Kurz. "It's still here, I'll get it around and we can load up."
"Roger that." Kurz said as he headed back to the pallet of equipment. Already the crew of the Osprey had disembarked and had started doing maintenance on the beast of a plane they had flown to Japan. After a few minutes Melissa drove the Macaroni truck up beside Kurz, kicked open the door and hopped out with the engine idling. Kurz opened the trailer door and clambered inside as Melissa started swinging crates of supplies up into the truck to Kurz who kicked, dragged, or carried the cases of military equipment to the far end of the truck and secured them. When that was done, Kurz stood in the back of the trailer for a moment and glanced around, noticing the scuff marks where his M9 had lain the first few weeks of the mission to guard Chidori. "You think Tessa can get a hold of another Arm Slave?"
"Don't know Kurz, those fuckers are expensive and without the rest of Mithril or those wealthy British fagots backing us cause they're dead… I don't see how." Melissa said with a sigh.
"Couldn't we get hold of a Savage at least?" Kurz said.
"I have no damn idea." Melissa said. "Come on, let's go see Sousuke."
28 March 2000, 09:01 hrs
Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan
Room 404, Mansion K Apartments
Tessa sighed as she rolled out of her sleeping bag and stared up at the ceiling, noticing the lines of sunlight playing across the ceiling from the low-hanging sun. Taking a deep breath she ran a hand through her long platinum blonde hair and glanced over the cluster of sleeping bodies toward the sleeping bag where Sousuke and Kaname laid. With a grin she stood and padded toward the pair, her grey eyes glittering mischievously.
She stopped as she saw the two of them. Kaname was hugging Sousuke tightly, her nose buried in his messy hair. Sousuke seemed relaxed and peaceful in her arms despite the weapons sitting beside the sleeping bag.
They're so cute together… Tessa thought as she bent over them for a moment. Her gut twisted with guilt at the thought of embarrassing them, of trying to break them up. I can't do that to them, Kaname is my friend and so is Sousuke… no matter how much I wish I was more to him. She sighed. They're so cute though… picture perfect. A picture! She grinned suddenly and stood up, glancing around the room for a moment before spotting the soft halo of brown hair around Kyoko.
Carefully she stepped between sleeping students, cursing her own clumsiness as she wobbled on her feet a moment. Then she stood beside Kyoko's sleeping bag and her eyes widened in surprise. Looking down she saw that Kyoko had been turning in her sleep, rolling rather violently during the night and had managed to almost roll atop the bag of her neighbor, bringing her face within centimeters of the Shinji's who was quietly wheezing with each breath.
So cute! Tessa thought as she clasped a hand over her mouth to stifle a burst of giggles. Grinning to herself she leaned down and poked Kyoko in the shoulder. "Kyoko, wake up…"
Kyoko blinked her bright brown eyes for a moment and jerked suddenly as she saw Shinji's face so close to her own. Tessa watched as she took a deep breath to calm herself and rolled away and squinted up at her. "Tessa?"
"You have your camera?" She asked.
"Somewhere…" Kyoko said as she searched around and found the camera beside her along with her glasses. Nodding to herself she picked them up and pulled them on, blinking as her vision clear. "Here it is Tessa." She said as she lifted the pink camera in her hands and sat upright. "You need it for something?"
Tessa leaned down and whispered. "Kaname snuck out of her sleeping bag last night… come see."
Kyoko grinned. "Is it really embarrassing?" She asked as she clambered out of her sleeping bag and stood up.
"It's really kind of sweet too." Tessa said as she led Kyoko to Sousuke's sleeping bag. Then she pointed at the pair and grinned at Tessa. "I thought it was picture worthy."
"Kawaii!" Kyoko said as she took a picture. "You're right… it's really sweet. I heard Kana had been sleeping with him…" She grinned at Tessa. "Sousuke looks so peaceful."
"I know. He's never like that when he's awake." Tessa said as she tried to stifle a giggle. Bending over with her hand over her mouth she caught the side of a sleeping bag and fell with a thud waking up Shiori.
"Hey!" Shiori said as she sat up startled. Looking at Tessa her gaze drifted to Sousuke and Kaname and a wicked smile slipped across her face. She turned to the bag next to her and poked it.
"What's going on?" Maya asked as she rubbed her eyes.
"Kaname is in Sousuke's sleeping bag." Shiori said.
That jolted Maya awake and she stared at the two. "Kawaii… Mizuki needs to see this!" She said.
Tessa stared in horror as each friend woke another and crowded around the sleeping couple, whispering to each other. She stepped back, doing her best to hide behind the other girls as Mizuki stared down at them, her hands on her hips and a scowl on her face.
"I can't believe it." She said in a voice that was barely a whisper. "She's cuddling him, in the same sleeping bag. It's just wrong!" Her voice was almost a snarl at the end as Kyoko stared at the girl horrified. "I'm going to call her parents!"
"What?" Kyoko screeched before getting control of her voice. "No, don't you dare!"
Sagara Sousuke awoke to the sound of whispers. Blinking uncertainly in the morning light that was flooding the apartment he shook his head and realized that another pair of eyes was boring into him from a meter away.
Mizuki Inaba was leering over him, her hands on her hips and an evil looking grin on her face. To either side of her was one of Kaname's friends, to the left was Maya Mukai and to the right was Shiori Kudo.
Sousuke was suddenly very aware of Kaname's arm wrapped around his waist and her chest pressing against his back.
This is bad.
"Leave them alone Mizuki!" Kyoko called out sharply from somewhere behind him. Irritated and partly immobilized he pulled out his polished tactical knife and used it as a mirror to spy over his shoulder.
Kyoko was red faced, clearly angry and maybe even a bit incensed from the look of her. Sousuke couldn't ever remember the bubbly girl this mad at anyone beside himself when she thought he'd hurt Kaname. Shinji was cowering behind her, blushing furiously himself while Tessa stood beside Kyoko trying to look as commanding as she could, it wasn't working.
"How long has this been happening huh?" Mizuki just about hissed as she pointed to Kaname curled up around Sousuke. "How long have you known about this Tokiwa?"
"It doesn't matter." Kyoko said.
"Doesn't it? Your best friend is sharing a bed with a boy, or at least a sleeping bag!" Mizuki growled.
Kyoko scowled as Tessa tried to hold her back, but Kyoko's fists clenched as she marched toward Mizuki easily shaking off the clumsy captain. "When you've been strapped to a bomb or kidnapped, then you can judge them, not before!"
In a low voice Ono-D glanced over at Shinji and added: "I guess that answers whether Inaba has ever gotten any."
"Oh, so you think I'm such a hussy huh!" Mizuki screeched and her face flushed with anger. "What about them!" She pointed down at Sousuke as Kaname's grip tightened and she nuzzled him sleepily.
"You're just jealous!" Ono-D said standing up and facing Mizuki.
"Stop!" Tessa yelled, her voice slipping into a screech. "Leave them alone! None of you understand what they went through."
"Then educate us Captain!" Mizuki hissed and folded her arms in front of her chest. "I watched my school turn into a war-zone because of those two!"
"It's not my story to tell!" Tessa answered. "You want to know, ask them!"
At that moment the door banged with a heavy knock and everyone jumped in surprise. Sousuke tried to pull himself free of Kaname when the door burst open and he froze in surprise as he saw Melissa Mao lower her booted foot and walked inside. She was clad in a black combat pants along with a plain black tank top and an olive drab Mithril uniform jacket tied around her waist. Slowly Melissa surveyed the scene before her gaze came to rest on Sousuke grabbing hold of a pistol with Kaname hiding behind him. Her eyes widened in surprise before twinkling mischievously.
"What the fuck is going on in here?" She bellowed and the other teenagers cowered suddenly.
Kurz's head popped in the door as Sousuke scrambled to his feet and snapped to military attention. Behind him, Kaname stumbled to her feet and pulled on his shoulder as she tried to straighten up. "Lieutenant Mao, a sleepover!"
"I knew that, what's with the yelling?" Melissa barked as the other teenagers began to back away from the woman.
"Miss Inaba was unhappy with the sleeping arrangements of Kaname Chidori and myself." Sousuke said quickly, and sweat began to pour down his brow. What if Melissa doesn't approve… what if?
Behind Mao, Kurz snorted then gave Sousuke a thumbs up.
"The yelling was because you two were sharing a sleeping bag?" Melissa growled. "That's it?"
"Affirmative." Sousuke said.
"Melissa…" Kaname started as she rubbed her head.
"Sergeant, I thought you took non-fraternization seriously!" Melissa said with a scowl as she paced before Sousuke. "Mithril regulations are quite explicit in what is acceptable contact between a Mithril guard and their charge!"
"Melissa!" Kaname gasped.
Sousuke's mouth went dry. No, not after all this… she wouldn't. He could hear Tessa squeak behind him and swallowed thickly. "Perhaps the regulations should change then, or do I need to mention your own violation!"
Melissa froze and glared at him, then smiled softly. "Damn Sousuke, can't I even mess with you?"
"Mess with…" Sousuke started.
"What was your last order from Mithril command?"
"Uh… I was informed of the termination of my contract." Sousuke swallowed thickly again. "Shit."
"That's right Sousuke, you're not Mithril anymore so what do Mithril regs matter?" Melissa said. "So cut the military crap, we're private contractors now… no rank, no bull-shit, no regulations about who you can date or fuck or…"
A gasp went up from the Japanese teenagers and Kaname snorted in amusement.
"What I say… oh shut it you idiots, real mature!" Melissa glared at the teenage friends of Kaname and only seemed to soften her expression when she glanced at Kyoko who still seemed to be on the verge of striking Mizuki. "Now Sousuke, you can start using my fucking first name now… It's Melissa, or Mao-san, or little miss bad-ass. I don't care, just no more Lieutenant Mao. Understood?"
"Yes ma—" Sousuke caught himself and swallowed again. "Yes Melissa."
"Good, now… What the hell is wrong with you?" Melissa barked at the other teenagers. "Can't you let two love-birds sleep?" They cringed and Mizuki seemed to be shaking in fear.
Sousuke glanced at them and felt sweat begin to pour down his face as his cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "Lieutenant Mao, you must understand that Japanese culture…"
"Sousuke! That's not my name." Melissa snorted. "As for Japanese culture… does it matter to either of you?" She asked, glancing between Kaname and Sousuke. "Does it really?"
"Uh…" Sousuke racked his brains for a moment before realizing it had never occurred to him of the cultural implications. The only cultural reference beside the military that he really put any weight in had already grown quite distant with his experience in Japan. He couldn't even picture Kaname in the framework of his afghan upbringing… a burqa wouldn't suit her.
"No." Kaname scowled and blew at her bangs. "I don't care!"
"Affirmative, I had not even thought of it until your friends seemed so upset." Sousuke said.
"We're not upset." Maya said quickly. "It's Mizuki that's—"
"Shut up!" Mizuki shouted and tugged at her hair. "Why does she get everything? She treated Sousuke like crap when he came here and now she's snuggling up to him like he's some sort of teddy bear!"
"He is Bonta-kun!" Kyoko said with a wicked smirk. "He's like a teddy bear, you know?"
I am like a teddy bear? What is a teddy bear anyway? He glanced at Kaname, "Kaname, what exactly is a—"
"American stuffed animal." Kaname said quickly before turning to Mizuki. "Now, what's your problem Mizuki? You want another kiss from Sousuke now, is that it?"
Mizuki turned beet red and Kurz made a wolf whistle. "Damn Sousuke!"
"I can't believe you even like him, he can't kiss worth a—"
Melissa growled. "Enough!" She bellowed. "I thought you were Kaname's friends, and now you're tearing her to shreds because she's finally with the boy that's saved her time after time. What sort of friends does that?"
Mizuki glanced around at them nervously before letting out a sigh. "Fine, I won't complain about it!" She harrumphed and turned toward the bathroom, grabbing her backpack as she went. Then the door slammed shut.
"Baka…" Kyoko hissed to herself.
"Bitch." Kurz said with a shake of his head and ran a hand through his blonde hair. Then he waved Sousuke over and dropped his voice to a whisper. "I've got a present for you, but first we should make sure no nation states are listening in." He kicked a large black box into the entryway and popped it open.
"Bug sweep?" Sousuke asked quietly. "If anyone is on the taps they'll know something is up when we just get quiet."
"Yep, I've got some ideas on that." Kurz said as he pulled what looked like a large flashlight from the box along with a microwave receiver and EM detector. With a shrug he let his voice return to a normal volume. "Our bugs and devices are probably still in place, you remember where you put them Sousuke?"
"Of course." The former mithril sergeant answered instantly.
Maya and Shiori scowled as they heard this. "You bugged the apartment? That's just… rude."
It didn't do any good, Leonard was sitting in the room when I walked her home like he owned the damn place. Sousuke sighed and looked over at the girls. "I wish it hadn't been necessary. Since I'm living here now, I think keeping the bugs would be excessive." He glanced at Kurz and lowered his voice slightly. "Let's remove the Mithril ones as well."
"You sure?" Kurz asked as a somewhat creepy smile slipped across his face.
"Affirmative." Sousuke said as he leveled a glare at Kurz. "Kaname deserves some level of privacy."
"Right, as for keeping them for realizing they've been compromised…" Kurz grinned as he started to relay his plan.
28 March 2000, 09:47 hrs
Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan
Room 201, Tama Tsutsumi Dori Apartments
Wraith sighed and rubbed her eyes. She lay awake and stared up at the ceiling as the morning rays washed through the windows. Slowly she slipped out of bed and padded across the bare wood floor to the bathroom, ignoring the strewn debris of equipment cases, clothes of various sorts, and a number of cosmetic disguise kits.
Once inside she glared at her reflection in the mirror for a long moment, running her hand through the shaggy remnants of the helmet shaped haircut that had been in fashion in her communist homeland, she's simply let her hair grow since she left and now much of it hung over her eyes or pooled around her shoulders. She ran a hand through the wiry hair that framed her face and sighed before striping off the old worn out t-shirt and boxer shorts she'd worn to bed.
She turned on the shower water without looking at the knob and sighed as steam began to build in the small apartment bathroom. I can't be on guard every hour of every day or I'll end up just as useless as sergeant sabotage. She rolled her eyes for a moment before washing herself quickly and stepping out of the bathroom and grabbing a towel. She stopped and scowled as she noticed the small pile of dirty laundry in the hamper beside the sink. I'll need to do laundry soon.
Nodding to herself, she grabbed a pair of underwear and hastily dressed before walking over to the balcony window. There she lit up a cigarette and starred out over the raised highway to the Tama river. With a flick of her wrist, she turned on the microwave receiver for the Mithril bugs and the speakers crackled to life.
"Affirmative… that's all the devices we placed." The sound of Sagara Sousuke's voice echoed in the apartment.
"Breakfast is almost done!" Kaname's voice echoed in the room.
"Excellent, a home cooked meal after all this time! Sweet!" A familiar voice answered and Wraith glanced at the device.
"Kurz has arrived then, and if he's here…" Wraith said to herself.
"Kurz, don't touch Kaname's bum! She doesn't like your perverted damn lecherous…" The rant of invective suddenly ended with a bang that sounded suspiciously like a frying pan connecting with a body.
"Hentai!" Kaname growled.
"Kaname! Don't kill him." Kyoko's voice said with a shout of surprise.
Wraith chuckled and turned back to the view out the balcony. "Yes, they do make a wonderful reality show."
28 March 2000, 09:53 hrs
Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan
Room 404, Mansion K Apartments
Kaname grinned as she lifted the dented aluminum wok from the kitchen counter top. Melissa stood beside her, her eyes twinkling with amusement as she glanced over at the two other Mithril operatives slowly waving their instruments across the wall, Sousuke's brow furrowed in concentration as he listened to the device through a headset.
Beside him Kurz gave the two of them a goofy grin then made a pathetic sounding whimper. "Damn angel, that fucking hurt!"
Kaname grinned wickedly as she watched them work, playing her part in the little drama Kurz had suggested too cover the removal of the listening devices. "Good, hands off!"
"Weber, do not touch Kaname." Sousuke stated coldly as he reached a corner and suddenly stopped, holding the device next to a point in the small section of wall between the corner and the balcony door. He clenched his fist and signaled he'd found a device with his hands.
Kurz nodded and walked over beside him, lifting up the flashlight looking device and holding it toward the point. As he did he continued the act. "Sousuke, buddy, I didn't mean anything by it… When I see a beauty like that, I lose control. Share the wealth man!"
Kaname grinned and picked up the glock 17 pistol with an empty magazine then looked down at the cutting board. Kurz nodded to her and she slammed the glock against the wood with a bang. As she did Kurz thumbed the on switch on the flashlight.
28 March 2000, 09:55 hrs
Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan
Room 201, Tama Tsutsumi Dori Apartments
Wraith winced as the speakers screeched for a moment then crackled and died. Scowling she bent down over the device and began to flip through some switched before picking up the headset and slipping it back on. After a few minutes she through down the headphones in disgust and stood. "Fucking piece of crap."
28 March 2000, 09:56 hrs
Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan
Room 404, Mansion K Apartments
Kaname's mouth dropped open as she watched the drywall disappear in the device's beam revealing a strange metal and plastic disk around the size of a hand anchored to the beam. That is no flashlight. She thought to herself.
"Hmm…" Kurz said as he leaned back, the flashlight pointed at the device and said quietly. "Doesn't look CIA, actually it… it looks like one of ours."
"Transmission cessation confirmed." Sousuke whispered as he lowered his device. "Mithril equipment, it likely is Wraith's then."
"Right, I forgot she'd have her own stuff." Kurz grinned and turned to Kaname and Melissa and winked. Then he raised his voice again. "I'm sorry buddy. I didn't mean anything by that. She's hot, you know!" When Sousuke arched an eyebrow at him Kurz quickly added. "Come on Tessa! Tell him not to kill me!"
Melissa grinned and popped her knuckled dramatically. "He won't, because I will." Then she walked up beside him and kissed Kurz's cheek. When she took a step back she yelled. "What the hell were you thinking?"
"I wasn't! Babe!" Kurz replied automatically as he winced at her voice. After a second he regained his senses and looked up at her with a lopsided grin. "Nee-san, I didn't mean any—"
Kaname cut off his rant by banging her fist on the counter top. She grinned as she saw the two experienced operatives leap into character, or… perhaps a reliving of their prior fights.
Mao bellowed. "What did I tell you Weber? What did I tell you I'd do to you if you started hitting on other girls?" She glanced at Kaname who hit the counter top again with her fist. Her voice got even louder. "You fucker!"
"But babe!" Kurz protested with an enormous grin plastered on his face.
By now Sousuke had moved to the other side of the room and had finished the living area. Scowling slightly he pushed open the door to Kaname's bedroom and walked inside, still searching for other devices.
Melissa was grinning, enjoying the opportunity to yell and scream at Kurz without really being mad at him. She winked at him before beginning a rant of invective that left Kaname and the other girls who heard it blushing madly with embarrassment. "You fucking, two timing bastard, be glad I'm beating the shit out of you instead of letting Sousuke practice his interrogation technique." While Kyoko and Kaname tried desperately to stifle their laughter Mao continued. "Keep your fucking hands, off other people's fucking ass, and stop hitting on Sousuke's girl! Is that understood?"
"Yes babe!" Kurz said with a wink. "I…"
Melissa grinned, but her voice was harsh. "You want to sleep alone from now on?"
Kurz actually gaped at her, seemingly unsettled and unsure if she was kidding anymore. "But, you… you love me!"
"Fucker." Melissa said as she sauntered up to him and poked him in the chest. "Stop fucking around with other girls then!"
Sousuke stepped back into the room and signaled with his hands again. Kurz headed after him into the bedroom with the flashlight grasped in his hands. Kaname and Melissa followed them while Melissa cracked her knuckles again to give the taps something to listen to.
28 March 2000, 10:01 hrs
Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan
Room 509, Lions Mansion Apartments
"Yes babe, I'm really sorry." The CIA operative couldn't keep the smirk off his face as his partner snickered beside him listening to the audio pickups. "Please, I'm sorry!" The man called Kurz seemed to say desperately.
There was a thump and suddenly their headphones screeched with static. Both operatives winced and pulled their headsets off just as the sound died completely. "What the fuck just happened?"
"Maybe they smashed Kurz into the wall hard enough to knock out the pickup." The older operative answered quickly as he ran his hand through his long hair. "We'll have to find a way to replace it."
"Damn, just when it was really getting good." The young blond haired operative said as he scratched his head. "I'll see about doing it next time the apartment's empty…"
Beside the table with the listening equipment their secure fax leapt into action. Glancing at each other they turned to the machine as lines of encrypted text scrolled up.
OP CODENAME: RAPTURE
EQT SPECAL OP – OBJECTIVE MUST BE MARKED BY 20:00 HRS LOCAL FOR DELTA INSERTION POINT – INFRARED STROBE ONLY. AVOID HOSTILE CONTACT IF POSSIBLE. OPERATION LAUNCH 10:00 HRS LOCAL MARCH 29. OBSERVE AND REPORT SUCCESS OR FAILURE.
LANGLEY OUT
The older ethnically Japanese man swore under his breath as he read the transmission then glanced at the younger operative. "Get out an infrared strobe. We need to mark the roof above their apartment." Then he tossed the paper in the shredder beside the printer.
"Right." The younger blond man said as he pulled open the door to a storage room and began digging through the equipment boxes.
28 March 2000, 10:03 hrs
Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan
Room 404, Mansion K Apartments
Kaname growled under her breath as she saw the drywall disappear under the beam of the strange flashlight. Now she could see the wood framing and as Kurz twisted the dial that to disappeared to reveal a rather plain looking plastic device that had been screwed into the opposite side of the wall. It was directly over the headboard of her bed! Damn it, is there no shame? Her mind screamed.
Sousuke leaned forward and squinted at it, careful to avoid the beam. "Looks like a CIA device to me, microwave mirror and covert listening system, very advanced." He whispered to Kurz before lifting up the detector and checking it over. "It's fried, the Angel Light did its job."
Angel Light? Kaname thought to herself.
"What do you think Angel?" Kurz asked her with a wicked little grin.
"Hmm?" Kaname said confused for a moment.
"Well, the Fairy Feather wasn't the only device Sarah managed to concoct from your notes Kaname." Melissa said. "We contacted an inventor in Canada who perfected this thing." She pointed to the flashlight. "Your whispers were the basis for the device."
"What do you mean Melissa?" Kaname said then suddenly turned pale. "I made that? I thought all my talents were with the Lambda driver."
Sousuke raised a finger to his lips and whispered. "Quiet, there may be additional devices. Kurz and I will finish with this."
Kaname let out a sigh and nodded before turning to Melissa and keeping her voice a mere whisper. "I really made that?"
Melissa nodded and squeezed Kaname's shoulder. "It would have been a huge help to Sousuke when we were guarding you. Maybe that's why the whispers went that way."
"So I can control what I… whisper then?" Kaname asked.
"Maybe subconsciously, Tessa has always loved swimming, maybe that's why she made a submarine… or cause her father was a sub driver or something." Melissa shrugged. "Go and ask Tessa, I really don't know."
Kaname nodded. "Maybe later, she's keeping everyone else quiet."
"Sousuke, the shower's right on the other side of this right?" Kurz asked as he stepped up to one of the walls.
"Affirmative." Sousuke said as he lowered the device. "It's clear, I've already swept it. It seems we're clear."
"Okay." Kurz suddenly grinned and lifted the Angel Light to the wall and flicked it on, making the wall in the beam transparent.
Mizuki sighed, her anger slowly abating with the water. Kaname gets everything her way. It's not fair, she got Sousuke. All the boys have some sort of crush on her! It's not—
The tile before her suddenly disappeared and she felt a tingle run across her whole body, like hundreds of pine needles brushing against her skin. Through the hole in the wall she saw Kurz Weber staring at her with a delighted grin.
Mizuki's screams filled the apartment.
Kaname tried, she really did, to look angry and stern at Kurz as Melissa ripped the device from his hands and shut it off. But then Melissa swiped him with the heavy metal case of the light and he rubbed his head and Kaname bent over double and began laughing.
The door to the bathroom opened with a bang and Mizuki rushed out, hastily clad in her day clothes with shampoo suds still in her hair. She grabbed the aluminum bat from the closet beside the bathroom and rushed toward Kurz who was still bent over rubbing his forehead. The metal bat hit the side of his head with a thwack that sent him spinning into the wall as Mizuki rushed after his stunned form screaming 'hentai', 'pervert', 'peeping-tom', and a number of other expletives as she proceeded to beat him into submission.
Kaname's grin faltered and Melissa gaped at the viciousness of Mizuki's assault. As she pulled the bat back for another swing Sousuke rushed forward and tore it from her grasp and tossed it toward Kaname's bed. When Mizuki turned to him, her hands curled into claws and when she started screaming at him instead, Kaname had enough. While Sousuke backed away from her using his hands to fend off her nails and protect his face Kaname took three steps into the living room, picked up her stun gun from where it lain beside Sousuke's pistols and walked back checking its charge.
Melissa was bent over Kurz with a wet towel trying to rouse him back to consciousness as Kaname stepped in and leveled the stun gun at Mizuki who was scratching at Sousuke with her nails. Without so much as a flicker of regret she pulled the trigger and sent a cascade of high voltage into Mizuki, as the stun gun clattered with each electrical discharged.
Mizuki straightened as the darts hit her and the electricity rocketed through her body. Then she collapsed beside Sousuke, her body twitching for a moment before Kaname released the trigger and pulled the two contact diodes from her limp form. As Mizuki blinked and stared up at her Kaname's face hardened into an expression devoid of emotion, just as cold and stoic as Sousuke's tended to be.
"Do not, ever, attack Sousuke!" Kaname yelled at Mizuki before pointing back to the bathroom. "Now go clean up!"
Mizuki looked terrified and tried to scramble upright but couldn't… the shock from the gun still making her muscles limp and unresponsive. As she finally stumbled upright and through the door Sousuke glanced at Kaname and her cold expression melted to one of worry, a look he seemed to be mirroring. "Kaname?"
"How's Kurz?" Kaname asked quietly as she glanced at Melissa still bent over the unconscious form of the sniper.
"I think he's got a concussion… or worse." Melissa said as she examined him. "Damn it!"
"Mizuki seems to be rather short fused today." Sousuke said quietly.
"Kurz was peeping on her." Kaname said just as quietly. "She shouldn't have attacked you though. You were just trying to keep her from killing Kurz."
"I remember how painful it can be to be on the receiving end of a baseball bat." Sousuke said.
"Sorry." Kaname said quietly. "I never went all out like that though!"
"Affirmative…" Sousuke picked up the bat from her bed and grimaced as he noticed a decent sized dent in its aluminum body. "I believe she damaged the bat…" Sousuke sighed and dropped the bat on the bed.
The door to the bathroom opened with another bang and Mizuki ran out clutching her backpack and headed out the door after grabbing hold of her shoes. Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she ran out and slammed the door behind her.
"Bitch…" Kurz groaned from where he lay.
"It's your damn fault… fucking pervert." Melissa said as she helped him up. "Kaname, can you get an ice pack… I'll take him into the living area and lay him on the couch. Sousuke, can you pack up the electronics equipment?"
"Affirmative." Sousuke said as he picked up the Angel Light and blinked at a yellow danger label on the casing. "Kurz… you do know this is a 'radiological device' don't you?"
Melissa snickered. "You sterilized Mizuki! You asshole!"
"If I did, I did the world a favor." Kurz groused as Melissa helped him into the living area. "It's not that damn dangerous! No more than an X-ray the guy said."
Kaname shrugged. "I'll get that ice and my first aid kit."
28 March 2000, 10:21 hrs
Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan
Ground Floor, Lions Mansion Apartments
The older CIA operative watched as one of the teenagers from their target's gang of friends banged open the door to the apartment and ran down the stairs. Shaking his head, the older man watched as she ran from the apartment complex then down the street, tears streaming down her face.
In his ear, his partner's voice whispered through their radio channel. "I wonder what that was about."
"If we had the taps working still, we'd know." He answered as he glanced both ways down the street then strode across into the parking lot that separated the Tigers Mansion Apartments from the Mansion K Apartments. He kept his hands in his pockets as he strode up the stairs to the roof and walked out onto the gravel of the roof material.
"About fifteen feet to your left, the window and balcony right below is the target."
He nodded and felt the gaze of his partner on him with a set of binoculars and walked to the edge of the roof and glanced down finding the balcony. Nodding again he shook his pant leg allowing the infrared strobe and marker to drop out and land amongst the rocks. "Marker placed."
As the operative headed down the stairs from the roof, he heard a door bang open and the squeak of tennis shoes as he reached the landing for the fourth floor. "Mizuki wait! What happened?" The door to the stairs banged open and he froze as two Japanese girls ran inside. He recognized both of them and felt a bead of sweat run down his brow. "Uhh…"
"I knew he was a spy!" The girl with the long red tinted hair said as she lifted a can of pepper spray.
His eyes burned as the aerosol hit him, and he fought to keep them open as he stumbled forward. He felt his foot miss the step and he fell forward. Flashes of pain spiked through his body as he tumbled down the stairs and then hit the wall of the next landing with a crack, and felt his consciousness begin to fade.
"Get Sousuke!" One of the girls called out as the world went black.
28 March 2000, 10:33 hrs
Chofu, Suburbs of Tokyo, Japan
Roof, Lions Mansion Apartments
"Shit!" The blond haired CIA agent cursed as he watched his partner tumble down the outside stairwell of the K Mansion Apartments building. Cursing again, he dropped his binoculars and scrambled down the stairs, drawing a small Glock 28 from his jacket. As he reached the ground floor, he burst through the glass door and ran across the street, his hands wrapped tightly around the pistol.
28 March 2000, 10:34 hrs
Chofu, Surburs of Tokyo, Japan
Room 404, Mansion K Apartments
Sousuke tensed as Shiori slammed open the door to the apartment. "Sousuke! We caught that spy!"
Kaname froze as she was about to set the ice atop Kurz's throbbing head and Melissa's head snapped toward the door from where she sat helping tend Weber. Melissa drew an H&K USP and started toward the door. "Fucking hell!"
Sousuke swept his Glock 17 pistol up and scrambled past Shiori as Melissa followed him, ignoring the fact that he was still in his white pajamas. "Where?"
"Stairwell!" Shiori said as she pointed to the nearest stairwell. "Down a landing!"
"Roger!" Sousuke said as he took off at a run, his gun down in the ready position as he scrambled down the open-air hallway and the stairwell. When he reached the landing, he blinked in surprise as he found the Asian man with long hair that had been stalking them for the last few days.
Maya was standing over him. Her pepper spray can aimed at his face. "This him?"
"Affirmative." Sousuke said as he knelt before the man, reaching out to search his pockets. Then a bang like a storm door slamming open downstairs jolted him into action. "Maya, get back! It could be his partner."
The redhead scrambled away up the stairs and stopped at the next landing where she turned around to watch him.
Sousuke felt his breath quicken as he heard the steps from down the stairs rushing up. He crouched down by the concrete divider, swung his gun around the corner, and leveled his pistol toward the landing below. As the steps approached, he clicked the safety into the ready position and slipped his finger behind the trigger guard.
A blond haired man burst into view. He wore a sky blue jacket over a white t-shirt plus jeans and sneakers and had a Glock 28 in his hand. His blue eyes locked with Sousuke and his mouth opened in surprise as he saw him. Sousuke reacted instantly, centering the pistol on the man and squeezing the trigger.
The bang of the Glock 17 echoed in the tight confines of the concrete stairwell. His ears rang as a bright red spot appeared in blonde man's hip. The operative staggered back. His eyes were wide as he lifted the Glock 28 toward Sousuke. A bullet whizzed past Sousuke's ear and flattened itself against the concrete with a crack. Instinctively he ducked back behind the low barrier of concrete that formed the stairwell's railing.
"Shit!" Melissa yelled as she clambered down the stairwell beside Sousuke. Two more rounds from the Glock 28 hit the concrete before ricocheting around the stairwell buzzing like bees. She dropped into a crouch as bits of concrete dust rained down around her.
Sousuke swung back around the corner and lifted his pistol firing two shots in quick succession just as the man in the jacket fell back behind the stairwell wall. The nine-millimeter splatter rounds fragmented as they hit the wall with a flash, sending bits of the bullet in all directions. The fragments hissed as they cut through the air like shrapnel from a tiny grenade and Sousuke dropped back into cover.
"Son of a bitch." The blond yelled in English before lifting the pistol over the railing and loosing a hail of bullets blind.
Melissa swore as a ricochet buzzed past her. Then swore again as the blond agent stood and took more accurate aim.
He's almost out. Sousuke thought as he swung around the railing, a predatory smile slipping across his face as he saw the Glock 28's slide lock back after one last .380 ACP round buzzed past his ear. Sousuke fired back, loosing two rounds in quick succession. Both rounds struck the man in the center of the chest and he dropped back, bleeding profusely from the wounds. Sousuke lowered his pistol as the Glock 28 dropped from the enemy's hands and clattered to the floor.
"Fuck." Melissa said as she stood up and lowered her pistol.
Sousuke nodded as he stepped toward the body, his pistol still at the ready then kicked away the Glock 28. Then he lowered his hand to the man's neck and felt for a pulse.
There wasn't one.
Sousuke scowled and stepped back from the body, looking back at Melissa. "What do we do now? Surely someone would have called the authorities."
"I have no fucking idea." Melissa growled as Maya leaned over the railing and looked down at the body, a hand over her mouth.