Still not mine...
Chapter 11...
I was awakened by the soft pop of an elf appearing in my room. I dislodged a small foot from my kidneys, opened my eyes and came face to face with Zoe who was smiling at me and holding a large mug of tea.
"Good morning Master Alex, it being six o'clock." I nodded and smiled my thanks at the little elf, who beamed at me and then popped out of the room.
I sat up and cast a glance over to my principal who had at some time during the night climbed into bed with me. Currently she was sprawled over three quarters of the queen sized mattress causing me to shake my head. How can someone so small, take up so much friggin room? I grumbled to myself, finished the tea in several large swallows and moved towards my wardrobe.
I grab my uniform and head into the bathroom to begin my morning routine. Thirty minutes later, after calling Zoe and informing her of where I was going to be. I am heading down towards the back entrance to the manor where I had parked the hummer last night.
As I drove the mile or so to the base, I started going over the agenda for the all hands meeting I had called for later on this morning. I was going to be laying out the plan for the next two or so years and I needed to get it firmly set in my mind before I presented it to everyone else.
A few minutes later I had arrived at the front of the admin building and I headed inside. As I was about to enter Mercury – the opps room in case some of you have forgotten, I suddenly remembered that I had an office and sleeping quarters here, and if that was the case, then all of my stuff that I had in Afghanistan would be there.
Score.
Saying that I took the stairs up to the second floor and through my PA's office and headed to my office that looked out east over the flight line and instead of desert, it looked towards the fields on the other side of the Potter boundary fence. The Irish Sea was visible only a short distance away to my left. I noticed a few heads bobbing in the early morning light and realised that a few of the braver souls were having a swim in the bay.
Idiots. The friggin sun wasn't even up properly. Way to friggin cold.
I walk through the office and into my bedroom sighing in relief when I see my Note 2 and Ipad on the bedside table.
I know that the internet hasn't been invented yet and obviously smart phone are years away, but honestly, I need my music. One really friggin weird thing is that the Fates have made it so everything that came to this dimension worked the same as it did in our old world.
Go figure. We have mobile phone and satellite radio coverage. Email and plasma TV's. The kicker is that we are the only ones with this technology, so we can only email others in the unit. But that is ok. We don't know anyone else here yet, but the guys who were used to looking at internet porn will be humped for a few years.
Whoops. Did I just say that?
Sorry.
That reminds me.
No not porn, get your minds out of the gutter.
Fuck yeah, will be investing in Apple and Samsung before we head to the island. I know it's probably unethical, but bugger it. This will make up for the fact that I can't watch a Tri Nations or a World Cup Rugby Union match without knowing who one for the next twenty odd years.
Hmmm. Might lay a few bets on the outcome of those as well…
Thank god I'm in the Northern hemisphere. They have a different competition so I won't go totally out of my friggin mind.
I grab my note 2 and take it into my office and set it up in its doc next to my computer. I turn it on and once it was ready, I flicked the music player on random, turned the volume up as loud as it would go, sat back in my swivel chair, closed my eyes and relaxed as the heavy double kick of Fear Factory's Self Bias Resistor echoed through my office.
Hmmm happy place.
After a few minutes I open my eyes and flick on my computer. Once it had loaded, I spent the next hour typing out an operations order for the unit that included my plans for the next two years.
This was just the first draft that I would present to the unit this morning, and in keeping with a policy that I had implemented when I took over the unit eighteen months earlier, it would be posted on the main notice board with a few blank sheets of A3 paper around it for everyone to have the opportunity to add to or suggest changes to it.
At the end of the week, it was taken down and my command team and I would go through all of the suggested amendments and either incorporate or discard them. Once we were happy with the second draft, another all hands meeting was called and we spent a few hours going through the finished opps order.
To the best of my knowledge, I was the only Commanding Officer to ever do this. I did it for the simple reason that I am far from omnipotent and I fuck things up occasionally, I also know that I am not the only one who has ideas and opinions.
Once I had finished, I glanced at the clock on my screen and noticed that it was approaching quarter to eight. I smiled as I realised that I would have plenty of time for a run and another shower before the meeting at 0900.
I emailed the order to Mercury and stood up and walked through the adjourning door and into my bedroom and changed into my work out gear. I grabbed my headphones and headed back into my office. Grabbing my note from its dock, I plugged the headphones in and headed out into the crisp morning air to begin my run.
###
"Attention on deck." My Squadron XO and the Operations Officer Major Lukas Piper called out to the assembled unit as I walked into the room. I moved up to the stage and nodded to everyone.
"As you were people." I called and I organised my notes on the lectern while I waited for everyone to take their seats and settle down. "Ok you lot" I began as I stepped away from the lectern and started pacing the stage. There were fifty eight pairs of eyes watching me – one of the Medics was in the hospital keeping an eye on the Potters.
I glanced up to the right of the stage to the large portrait and I noticed that it was full as well with the former heads of the Potter household listening in as well. I nodded to them and turned my attention back to the troops.
Just as I was about to begin, the doors to the briefing room opened and the three Potters closely followed by the medic entered. I called the room to attention and everyone jumped to their feet. Cody popped in and conjured three seats just beside the door for her Master and Mistresses, then popped out.
James just waved at me to ignore them and continue. I nodded at him and once the Potters were seated I motioned everyone back to their seats and just as I was about to begin for the second time, there was a shimmering in the air next to the Potters and the tree Fates appeared.
This time I didn't have to say anything as the entire room jumped to their feet and stood at attention as I turned to the three immortals and bowed to them. "My Ladies, Lord and Lady Potter, good morning." I winked at Imogen as I returned upright and she smiled and waved shyly at me.
I turned back to face my unit. "Okay, for the third time, let's get this done." There were few chuckles from the room. I resumed my pacing and started my brief. "Ok you have been here for a few days and we are all settled. We managed to pull the Potters out of Azkaban with no loses or injuries to anyone, so well done people."
I paused as they applauded themselves.
"Now today is all about what the fuck we are going." I stopped as I realised what I had just said. "Sorry Imogen, Lady Potter." There was a wave of laughter as Lily smiled and waved off my apology.
"Sware Jar Alex." Imogen piped up from her spot in between her parents and once again laughter erupted from the assembled soldiers.
I swept the room with my version of stink eye. "If I have to so you the rest of you lot." I told them and the laughter stopped to be replaced with nods of agreement.
"Ok let's try this again." I continued with my briefing. "Today is all about the next twelve or so months. I have spoken to Lord and Lady Potter about this plan and they are in agreeance with me on this. However the usual rules for ops orders are in effect and it will be on the wall for a week."
I spent the next three hours telling my team about the Hogwarts attendance law that Dumbles had passed and how we were going to take the twelve month grace period to get Imogen healthy and the Potters as a family reacquainted with each other. I turned to Lord Potter and he gave me a nod of agreement.
I told them about the Potters owning the hotel on Bora Bora and that we would be taking them there for a year. I got rid of the sad faces when I told them that everyone would be rotating through for at least a week a time for the duration to assist with the protection detail.
That as you could imagine cheered everyone up. I had just guaranteed everyone an all expenses paid holiday to one of the best places on the planet for at least a week. I then went on to explain my plan to create two new teams to provide security for the Minister of Magic so that it would allow us to keep on top of what was happening in the magical would.
I reiterated to them, that while we had all read the books, and seen the movies, there were still differences between them and this reality and so we needed the heads up if we were going to succeed in over throwing both Dumbledore and Voldemort.
I noticed a raised hand and I nodded to one of the aircraft maintainers who was a self confessed Potter nut back in our home dimension. "Boss what about Umbridge? There is no way in hell she will allow us into the ministry to protect Fudge."
I nodded at her question and turned to Mitch. He nodded at me and I smiled and gave him a thumbs up.
"As of last night, there is no longer an issue there." I paused to make sure that everyone got the PG 13 message. There were a series of nods and smiles from the room. Allison smiled and sat back in her seat and I continued on.
"Team one will continue to protect the Potters. We will be broken down into three sub teams protecting one person each. Myself and Corporal Ben-Asher will be Imogen's principal team." I paused and made eye contact with Keila. She nodded and smiled brightly at me.
"Staff Sergeant Mitchell and Corporal Byers will be looking after Lord Potter, which leaves Sergeant Smith and Corporal Corcoran will be looking after Lady Potter." My team mates gave me thumbs up to show they understood.
I then detailed out the new team two and team three assignments and promoted the soldiers I had selected to be promoted to Lieutenant to act as the Team Leaders of the new teams. I then detailed the senior Sergeants in each squad as the 2 I/C.
The twelve selected personnel beamed at me. There was a round of applause from the assembled soldiers to congratulate the new promotions. I nodded at them as a group and turned to the other six who had not been selected for ministry duties.
"I haven't forgotten you lot either. You will be known as Team four and will be our tactical support. From now on we are going to be constantly on the go, if we have a contact, it will be your job to get to us as soon as possible."
"We can all now apparate, so you will be able to support us properly. You will also be the deployment team for hostage rescue. As such you will increase your training in fast rope insertions and in the kill house." As before, I promoted a new team leader and 2 I/C causing more applause.
I paused to take a breath and the newly formed team four beamed at me. Before I could continue Clotho drifted up to the stage.
"Good morning ladies and gentlemen." She looked around at everyone. "The reason that we have come here this morning is to inform you that your presence in this dimension is now known by the head of UNICRATT."
She stopped as a wave of shocked murmuring swept the auditorium. She held up a hand and there was instant silence. "General Emerson is a squib who was disowned and kicked out of his family when he did not receive his Hogwarts letter on his eleventh birthday. He was sent to an orphanage and ran away from there when he was fifteen and subsequently joined the Army. "
That revelation caused a few grumbles amongst the boys and girls. One of the things that my people hated was bullying and or discrimination. I could see that I was going to have to remind everyone that this mentality – whilst abhorrent – was the preeminent mind set of most of the Ministry of Magic. They were going to have to remember to ignore what they saw for the time being, knowing that eventually it would be dealt with.
She ignored the mutterings and continued.
"He will not interfere with how you operate here, however." Here she turned to face me. "If you need more equipment or personnel, he will be able to assist you." I nodded my acknowledgement to her and she turned to face the still shocked faces before her.
"In this dimension, there is only one UNTAC unit and they are attached directly to the UN Headquarters in New York. Their job is to protect the delegates or their weapons inspection teams when they go into a hostile country. Your team are going to be the European arm of this service."
She paused to allow this knowledge to sink in.
"We appeared before him and explained your mission in this dimension. He is keen to visit here eventually to meet with all of you. But now you officially have cover for your existence in this dimension, so you can continue to wear your uniforms without fear of discovery."
"The story that is being circulated is that Holy Head is going to be the base for a new United Nations anti-terrorism force that will operate throughout the UK and some parts of Europe if required."
"Do not forget, you may actually be called upon for a real emergency." She told the room sternly.
This caused the newly minted Team four to puff up slightly now that they knew for a fact that they will be involved, not just a reserve force.
"The Potter lands were chosen to host the force, as Lord Charlus Potter was a patron of the UN and offered the land for the trial."
I looked at the portrait in surprise and said Lord Potter smirked at me from the timber frame.
She went on about how the non-magicals of the UK would accept this, the local shop owners of Holy Head would benefit from the increase in patronage from the soldiers, as well as it gave them a military presence in the area that they had never had. The fact that it was a UN hostage rescue team added to the mystique.
The revelation did give me a fair bit of relief. The intervention of the Fates with regards to General Emerson made or existence here in this dimension legitimate as far as the non magical world was concerned. It would only have been a matter of time before the existence of a Black Hawk and a paramilitary force on the moors of Holy Head drew unwanted attention and we would have been exposed.
Not too many civilian companies can afford a highly modified Blackhawk.
I tuned back into what Clotho was saying as she turned back to me. "If General Emerson gives you more personnel, you are to call for one of us when they arrive and we will brief them on what you and your people are trying to achieve."
If they agree, they will be granted similar abilities to what you all were given before you arrived in this dimension. Because of this, it would be advisable to gather the people you need in groups rather than individuals, as this makes the explanation and acceptance process easy on the selected people."
"And if they refuse?" I ask and she nods.
"If a person decides that they do not wish to join with us, their memories will be altered so that they forget about meeting any of us and will go back to the lives they were fated to live from when their Threads were spun out."
I smiled and thanked her as she turned to her sisters. "It is time for us to go. Be well." And with that the three of them faded from sight.
Once they had disappeared, I gave everyone a few minutes to process what they had just learnt. While I was waiting, I walked over to Lord and Lady Potter and asked if there was anything that they wanted to address with regards to us setting up shop on a half a square kilometre of their land.
I smiled and said good morning to Imogen who was sitting in between her parents. She jumped up and gave me a hug, then returned to her seat.
Lord Potter stood up. "I believe that we have a few words for your troops Alex." He said. I gestured and the three of them followed me up onto the stage. As soon as I looked up, the room became quiet. I turned to Lord Potter and he stepped forward and cleared his throat.
"On behalf of Imogen, Lily and myself, I would like to express my gratitude and thanks to all of you for saving my family and allowing us to reunite. The Potter family are in your debt until such time as you move onto your next dimension."
His voice was strong and carried to the corners of the room. There was a flash of light and Lady Potter stepped forward to explain that the light was magic excepting the Pledge that her husband had just made.
James went on to tell us that they fully supported my plan to undermine the British Ministry of Magic and abolish the pure blood dogma. After having being under the 'care'."
He used the air quote marks which caused a bit of sniggering from his audience.
"Of the supposed Leader of the Light, I want to bury the mother fucker for what he did to my family." Here he paused to take a breath and made eye contact with several of the troops before continuing. "With the help of everyone in this room, I intend to do just that."
A surge of applause came from the assembled soldiers at Lord Potter's words. He held up his hands to quiet them down and after a few seconds the room was quiet again. "As far as wages go, I have decided to pay you double what you were earning in your old dimension. Although you are still technically working for the United Nations, as far as my family and I are concerned, you now work for the Potters."
Another surge of applause greeted this announcement. If I had to be honest, I had heard from a few of the department heads that several of their soldiers had asked them about how they would pay for things here. Lord Potter's speech had alleviated that concern.
"I will leave you now to Commander Jacobs." He told the crowd, once they had settled down. I believe that we will be heading to the Ministry in the next two days to convince the Minister of the necessity to take on extra security after what happened to his Senior Undersecretary."
"In between that and when we head to the island, I plan to meet up with all of you individually. I like to know the names of the people that I have working for me." With that, he guided his family off the stage and towards the door.
"On your feet." The RSM bellowed. Once the Potters had left the room he waved for everyone to retake their seats.
"Ok people." I said once everyone was settled again. "I want to see the Command team and the new team leaders in my office at 1400. We have to sort out the next couple of days." I paused and looked around. "Any questions?" I pause before continuing. "Ok bugger off you lot. Team one, I need you to stick around for a minute."
I sat down on the edge of the stage while everyone left the room. One by one, the five remaining members of Team one came up and sat in the front row. Once they were assembled I made eye contact with each of them and began to give them their orders.
"Lord Potter has pretty much told me that he doesn't want us following him around the manor or grounds twenty – four seven." I paused to take a breath. "After talking to the former Lord Potter, he explained that now that there is a sitting Lord Potter in residence the wards are pretty much impossible to breach from a magical attack."
There were nods from my five team mates.
"The ability to apparate that the Fates have given us lets us go anywhere we want in seconds, and wards do not stop us. Also, if we are holding someone, then they will go where ever we do. What I proposed to Lord Potter and he agreed, is that he cast a combination tracking, monitoring and emergency port key charm on a piece of jewellery that the three of them will wear at all times."
"The tracking charm will allow us to apparate directly to them if they are trouble. We just have to concentrate of finding them and magic will do the rest. The port key charm is dual activated. Either a password or if the wearer is knocked unconscious will set it off and deposit them straight into the back corner of Mercury. Another feature is that if one port key is activated, all three will fire."
"When they leave the manor grounds, we will be with them. When Imogen goes to Hogwarts next year, Keila and I will be accompanying her and we will be staying there all year. You guys." I nodded at the other four team members. "Will be wherever your principals go. Once the threat has been dealt with, we will re-evaluate the security requirement."
They nodded at me and there was a few seconds of silence as they contemplated their jobs for the next year or so.
After a few minutes Mitch spoke up. "Boss, what clothing and weapons load out?" he asked softly.
I answered straight away as I had already given this issue quite a bit of thought. "If they are going magical, then full tactical. We want to scare the fuck out of everyone and to make them think twice about taking a shot at either yourselves or your principals."
"I they are going non- magical, then just civvies. Concealed side arms and radios only." The two sub teams that were going to be looking at the adult Potters nodded and I turned to Ben-Asher. "Sorry kiddo, we get shafted. We are going to be pretty much full tactical the entire time."
Keila just smiled her usual heart stopping smile at me. "No worries Boss." She looked at the rest of the team then smirked before continuing. "Can we wear our face masks?"
This question caused the other team members including me to laugh. A few months ago, Keila had gone and purchased the six of us face masks that fitted under our goggles and covered our entire lower face, and wrapped around to our necks. They provided great protection from the almost constant dust that blew through out Afghanistan.
They were covered with the lower face of a skeleton and I have to admit, they looked pretty friggin cool. But more importantly, they also usually made hostage takers pause and take a second look to make sure that they are not really seeing ghosts.
That few seconds of hesitation, that they spent gaping stupidly at us, gave us an advantage as while they were fucking around trying to tell themselves that they were not really seeing what was right in front of them, we took that opportunity to double tap the bastards.
One thing that we did find out though is that while adults got the shit scared out of them when they saw us coming towards them, kids on the other hand thought they looked fucking awesome and loved them.
This is the exact image that I wanted Keila and I to portray when we went to Hogwarts. We wanted the kids to trust us, but we also wanted the adults to be cautious.
"Of course we will be wearing them." I told her with a smile. "At least for the first few days." I turned to the other four. "This includes you lot as well." I told them and they nodded. "Ok for now, we'll just keep doing what we are doing. I want you all to spend time getting to know your principals." I finished off closing my note book and standing up. They followed suit and as a group we left the auditorium and headed to the galley for lunch.
Unlike normal military bases, we did not separate by ranks to eat. We all ate in a communal dining room, and relaxed in an all ranks mess that had enough lounge chairs and seats to fit all of us and quite a number of guests as well.
Once I had completed my ham and salad roll and a glass of OJ – thank god for the elves, we didn't have any chefs with us in the sandpit. We always ate at the base mess hall. I looked at my watch and saw that it was 1330. I had half an hour before I had the meeting with the command team.
I took the opportunity to head up to my office and work on the mountain of paperwork that seemed to come with a military organisation. I could not believe that the friggin paper work followed me into the new dimension. And now that we were here officially, that paperwork was going to continue.
Before I knew it, there was a knock on my door. I looked up and saw the head of Regimental Sargent Major Tim Blackwell. The RSM is the senior non-commissioned officer in a unit. He is basically the chief ass kicker and mover and shaker. He answers to no one in the unit other than the Commanding Officer.
Tim was also the guy that took me under his wing when I first joined the SAS. When I was asked to transfer to UNICRATT, I asked my recruiter if Tim could be considered. He was, and the rest is history. When I was given command of Team four, I asked Tim if he would become my RSM and he accepted.
I waved them in and they took their seats at the conference table that was situated in the corner of my office. Once they were seated I spent the next two hours laying out the fine details of what I expected of them for the next fourteen months. I had given the troops a broad overview. Now I took the time to give the commanders the exacting details that they needed to carry out the objectives that I had laid out. It was up to them to meet with their individual departments and teams to go over this fine detail with them.
Basically, we were going to let first year play out however it would. We knew from the books that the philosopher's stone should be in the castle this year. With no Imogen Potter in the castle, the supposed Leader of the Light would have to come up with another way to stop Voldemort from gaining the stone. We also had a pretty good idea that Malfoy would put the Diary into Ginny Weasly's cauldron next summer. If the students started becoming petrified, then we could start to act to cut Dumbledore off at the throat.
Once we were sure that the diary was in play, we would then be free to take out Malfoy. If necessary, we would wipe out the entire Malfoy line. We would not allow Death Eaters to gain a toe hold in magical Britain.
All of the potential bloodletting that we discussed was purely speculation. Yes we had a list of targets that we felt needed to be taken out, however, this list needed to be confirmed with The Fates.
They would not allow us to take someone out until it was their time.
We were going to use Lord Potter to start putting pressure on the Minister to act. If Fudge tried to bluster and say that there was nothing happening at the school, we could use the fact that Lord Potter was getting this information direct from either his daughter or her protection detail, should be enough to force – plus some gentle persuasion from The Fates - the incompetent dick head to listen to James.
He expected that he may have to make some 'contributions' to the ministers campaign fund, but he would keep records of conversations and accounts of the bribes that he had paid so that when it was finally time to topple the government, if necessary Lord Potter could use his records as evidence to assist the DMLE to build a case against the minister.
Lord Potter did not know it yet, but I had the idea to have him run for the next Minister of Magic. According to the books, when fudge was kicked out of government, Scrimgeour took over and he was almost as fucking bad as his predecessor.
That just gave me a thought. I turned to the XO and the RSM who happened to be sitting next to each other. "Put a working group together filled with people who were Potter nuts in our dimension. I want every bit of knowledge about the magical world that they can remember from both the books and the movies."
"Concentrate more on the books as they came were in existence first, and the movies had bits chopped out of them to make them into a ninety minute feature." I paused and took a mouthful of coke.
"Saying that, do not discount the movies. We need intel and even if only two or three things from each book actually end up happening, it will give us a guide on what to expect. This will be especially true when Ben-Asher and I take Imogen to Hogwarts next year."
Both men nodded at me. And I continued. "I want a weekly briefing from this group. Get them to work on it chronologically. Things that according to the books happen in book seven do not really concern me right now. I need info on what is could possibly happen in the next two years."
"Yes Boss." The RSM said. "I'll put a few lads and lass's on it.
"Ok, make sure Allison is on it. From memory she is the worst of the bunch." They laughed at that. Allison was a very capable aircraft tech. She was even more capable of making Harry Potter costumes for Halloween.
"She may not be too good Boss." Someone quipped. She is pretty cut up that the Boy who Lived is actually a girl. Laughter resounded around the table and I looked down at my notes to see that we had covered everything.
"I'm done. Anything from the floor?" I asked once the laughing had stopped. Everyone shook their heads and I stood up. "Let's call it a day. Secure your departments. If anyone wants to check out the local area I'm ok with it. Sign out the busses to do a town run. Leave to expire at 0730 tomorrow morning."
"Yes Boss." Was the reply and they stood up and started to file out of the office. Once I was alone, I went back to my desk and grabbed my desk phone and punched in a number.
"Team one Head Minion speaking." Came the thick Texan accent over the phone.
"Pfft yeah right." I scoffed. "Head Minion my ass."
"What can I do for ya Boss?" he asked me.
"Last night?" I asked in Reply.
"No problems." He said. "Jason popped us straight into her bedroom around 0300, single knife to the heart." He paused and I heard him taking a slurp of his ever present coffee before he continued. "We were originally going to do it with a shot through her bedroom window, but we decided that a bullet hole in the middle of her forehead would raise too many questions with us suddenly appearing on the scene carrying fire arms."
I kick myself for not thinking of that. This one act alone justified to myself why I leave opps plans on the wall for a week for everyone to have some input into.
"We decided that a knife to the heart would make more of a statement and could be taken as a direct threat to the life of the Minister. Well at least that is what we thought Lord Potter could use to help sell your plan to the Minister when they go to meet him in a few days."
"Good job Mitch." I told him. "Give Tom a well done from me as well" I say into the phone.
"Yes Sir." He says hanging up the phone.
I checked my computer. I had a few emails from the opps room and another from the maintenance team informing me about the status of the Blackhawk and its ancillary bits and pieces. I fired off a few replies and decided to call it a day and head up to the Manor to catch up with my principal.
Thanks for reading…