Short Stories

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STORIES CONVERGE Rescue Mission Part I

Ruby ambled the van along the country dirt road. They would be spotted immediately by the occupants of the house at the remote location, and they had to look like they weren’t in a hurry. It was unknown how close they’d be able to come to the house with the utility logo emblazed on the side of the van, but the earlier phone call made by Shadoe impersonating the utility switchboard announcing emergency line repair might buy them more time. Connecting the call through the land line and registering it in the phone log of the utility company was perhaps an unnecessary touch, but it was unknown how thorough or suspicious these targets were.

Besides, it gave Shadoe some time to play around in the phone log and see just who they had been in contact with lately, and to also plant some incriminating data on their logs when it was all said and done. At least that was the excuse Shadoe gave them to spend precious time tinkering around in the electronic database of the local utility. He also gleaned some other useful information there as well, such as wire transactions and some passwords to accounts that would help offset the cost of this little excursion. Shadoe was happy.

Chaz, on the other hand, simply ground his teeth. And ground them for hours. It had been a long time in the van getting to this remote location, and Chaz had field stripped and cleaned and adjusted his guns as many times as could not be counted. Their marks were holding a small child, in a dark basement, and making the child make money for them. It was intolerable, and they had to pay. He kept on urging Ruby to make the van go faster, to “work her magic” on cars like she was able, to get the best performance, response and effort out of any vehicle. No matter how many times Ruby would explain this was not the time for speed, but for looking casual, Chaz would voice his objection to the course of action they were taking. Chaz growled again that speed and stealth should have been the plan, come in at night, but he was overruled by Shadoe and Ruby who agreed that hiding in plain sight would be most advantageous in this remote location, with nothing but farm fields for miles around. Deep down, he knew they were right, but it didn’t keep him from grousing, anyway.

Bruinski sat and rocked in the back of the van, thinking about the poor human cub locked away in the dark with walls all around. Every now and then he let out a soft and mournful “ook” as he thought about how miserable the Human cub must be. For most of the trip he just rocked back and forth, his depression sinking deeper and deeper, his “ook” softer and more sorrowful. He had motion sickness from the car, too, not being used to its particular vibration and pitch and roll. Different than a ship.

Every now and then he panted with his tongue out and let out low grunts and shifted uncomfortably in the van. He ended up laying out on the floor on the carpet and had fallen asleep for most of the trip, but now that they were in the final approach, he was awake and ready to go.

“Com check,” Shadoe called out, and each one in turn tested audio input and output of their micro communications system. “Okay, everybody got your stuff together? 3…2…1… let’s jam…”

“Turn that infernal music off!” Chaz screamed into his mike

Shadoe giggled a little bit as lively music blared into everyone’s miniature earpiece. “Helps me get into the rhythm, Chaz-boy. Can’t you feel it?” Shadoe began drumming on the armrests.”

“Turn it off, or by The Sacred Stones I’ll see to it you never dance again!” Chaz chambered a round into his pistol to demonstrate his serious intent.

“I ain’t playin’ “The Stones” but if you make a request, I can put it on the play-list. --Criminey, all right, you really know how to hurt a guy, Chaz-man.” Shadoe grinned. “Okay, music off on Chaz’ earpiece.” Shadoe gave a mental command and the digital feed from the hardware surgically placed in his head ceased broadcasting to Chaz’ ear receptor.

Ruby put a hand on Shadoe’s arm to still his drumming. “And could you at least turn mine down a bit, too? I may have to sweet talk someone soon and I don’t want the competition in my ear. Do you mind?”

Shadoe rolled his eyes, “I suppose not. Say, what are the chances of me getting your sweet voice recorded, eh Ruby? We could even do a duet if you were shy about doing a solo.”

“Perhaps we can talk about that later,” Ruby replied.

“Over drinks?” Shadoe began drumming his hands on the armrests again.

“Sure. I choose the place.”

“Oh, you’re so expensive, though.”

“But worth it. Can I bring a date?”

“You bring a date and I pay? Oh, you are vicious, woman; heartless and cruel. Who’s the lucky guy?” Shadoe stopped drumming and adjusted his sunglasses.

“No one in particular. But one can be found.”

“Heartbreaker. You leave a trail of broken men in your wake. Luckily I’m immune to your charms.”

“You just don’t like sharing the spotlight, Shadoe-boy.”

“Humph. Not likely. Okay everyone’s got a cam on, I’m patching you in, now.” Shadoe plugged in the small wire that came out the back of the earpiece of the dark glasses into a small jack point installed in the soft spot behind his earlobe. He gave another mental command, and the hookup from his headwear fed into the display screen on his glasses. Four screens appeared in a small cluster in the upper right hand corner. With another mental command he flitted through the readouts and checked the images.

“Chaz nod your head. Good. Bruinski, shake your head. That’s, that’s fine Bruinski, you don’t have to do it so vigorously, you’ll give me a headache. Ruby, shake your…er, where did you put your camera, anyway? You wouldn’t let me put it on you.”

“And for good reason. Earring.”

“Okay, well, shake your groove thang and let’s see your readout. Perfect. Okay, boys and girls, we’ve got an extraction to do, we’re the white knights and some little kid needs to be rescued. Let’s lock and load.”

And the music changed to Wagner “Valkyries” with a lively techno-beat mixed in.

They pulled in just before the house, then turned up and backed up the last part of the long driveway, slow and steady as if this was one stop of hundreds before of a utility service van in a rural area. At the house, all shades were drawn and the windows were tinted dark, but the crew could feel the eyes upon them. They were outfitted with jumpsuits, Ruby’s just a size smaller which made it stretch tight everywhere. Shadoe called her a “walking misdirection. Or standing a one. Heck, a breathing misdirection.”

But misdirection was needed if they were to get their Target out of the house safely.

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