by Finian Blake
“Evan is due in at six AM. I want to be sure that everything is up and running. Let’s do a systems check.” Lance typed in the test command and all of the sensors lit up on the screen. He typed in a command to control the sensitivity and three sensors blinked. “We have three coyotes out there. One of them is near a claymore.” Lance typed in a command and the light blinked out as the claymore detonated. “Send out a team and see what we have.”
Edward noted that the defenses were remotely controlled from an independent computer as Suki predicted. He noticed a series of numbers pop up by the spent claymore making it a point to memorize the number. He followed the crew out to the spent claymores. They took fresh units and placed them in the hide against the bank of a dry wash removing the shredded carcass of the coyote raking the scorched soil smooth. The crew ran a wire to a small box with a solar panel on it. There were five other wires attached to the box. Edward followed a different set of wires to another claymore. He did the same thing for all of the leads. One claymore was pointed at each of the hubs in order to stop outside interference. Edward had spent too much time out of body and returned with a crash. Suki came in with the recorder with Cherry and Sarah following with a map. The first words out of his mouth were the code numbers that he had memorized. He finished the debriefing and stumbled back to Susan’s guest cottage.
Edward did not feel the need to knock as he opened the door. Howls of laughter greeted him. There were at least four different voices laughing. He decided to announce himself in case Terri had resurfaced.
“Honey, I’m home. Do we have company?” There was another burst of laughter.
Layla answered, “All of the daughters are here. Yuki, Lynn, Susan and me. They were telling me stories about growing up here.” All four women were sitting on the floor in their workout clothes. They were all drinking wine and there were pillows scattered all over the room. “We were waiting for you to come back. Randy is expecting us at the gym for training in half an hour.” Edward was glad that Terri had not resurfaced.
“I can’t make it. I am completely blown out.” Layla took Edward by the hand and led him to the shower. She stripped him and turned on the water.
“Why did you announce yourself?”
“I thought that Terri might be back. I did not want to walk in on anything awkward.”
“So, you thought that I might be working with a feather.” Layla started to lightly rake Edward’s side with her nails. He started to squirm and laugh. They both fell to the floor. Layla smiled impishly. “I don’t need a feather.” She helped him shower and dress. “We are going up to the gym to do our training. If I have to go, you will go to.”
Edward got into his workout clothes. When he was through Edward went back out into the parlor. All of the girls had their hands behind their backs, and Edward did not like the looks on their faces. He made straight for the door. When he cleared the threshold, all four produced feathers and chased him up the hill waving the feathers high. Edward made it to the gym, and put his back to the door. The girls pounded on the door with their feathers in hand. Ray finally made them disarm, and started the training session. Adam and Noah were no help at all, somehow each exercise ended up four on one. Half way through the session they called a truce, with Layla partnering up with Yuki.
Yuki had the same aggressive style as her mother, and this brought the Terri tendencies out in Layla. Both women were drenched in sweat with a few new bruises at the end of the work out. Edward sat between his sisters Lynn and Susan. Lynn elbowed him in the ribs.
“Layla is a pure handful. Did Terri get into her that much?”
“I’m trying to figure that out. Layla was the geek that everybody picked on, but that dose of Terri fired her up, big time. Your mother and Lynn really love her.” Susan gave him a playful shove.
“We all love her, even Adam and Noah.”
“I did not say that as a figure of speech,” Edward shook his head. “Susan and Lynn really did love her, or should I say Terri.” Both of his sisters got that the ‘oh my god’ look on their faces.
“You mean…? On your honey moon…!” Edward nodded his head. Both women ran over and tackled Layla. Yuki shrieked and they walked out of the gym talking rapidly alternating between laughing and shrieking. Noah and Adam walked over and helped Edward to his feet. Noah asked first.
“What was all that about?”
“I am not sure. You know how women are.”
Adam laughed, “We were raised in the land of women and still don’t know for sure.” The brothers decided to get in a little more time working out feeling that it would be safer than joining the ladies in their state.
Sarah, Suki and Ted poured over plotting the maps, with information that Edward had given them, they all agreed that the sensor system was sophisticated. Sarah noted little bits of information that matched up with the satellite photos. The remote routers matched up with the glow on the infrared photos. They took the glowing spots and listed them as possible routers. They spotted twenty routers. Suki made a guess that with five claymore mines per router that there were one hundred mines in an area of four square miles.
Ted thought a minute, “An anti-material round from a Barrette fifty would take out a router. I wonder if we can mount infrared on the scopes”.
Nadia joined in, “We always used low light technology. We could try that first and go to infrared later. If anybody could make it work it would be you or Suki.” Suki went over the buildings looking for antennas. The road into the complex from the west seemed to be loaded with sensors. There was a high ridge a mile back from the Farm. On the east side there only seemed to be a token number of sensors. The area north east and south rolled heavily and long range sensors would not work well. The routers seemed to be located in high places between gullies and dry washes to keep them out of the way of flash floods. They made out a shopping list for Edward’s next visit. Ted was decidedly skeptical of the intelligence.
“I am not wild about this voodoo intelligence. I would be a lot more comfortable with eyes on information.” Suki sat back and considered the statement.
“They are trying to kill Edward for his skill. Can you imagine having this ability setting up an operation? You could look inside an enemy compound, see their in depth defenses, look at their schedules, accurately picking out the soft spots.” Ted had to acknowledge the advantage if it were true.
“If he can do all that I can see why they want him dead. No operation would be secure and in the wrong hands this could be a disaster.”
Ted decided to change the subject back to his new responsibilities.
“Do I really have a say so in the operations?” Suki put her hand on his arm.
“We hired you to do a job and you have the power to run things. With few exceptions you have absolute control. What is on your mind?”
“We were conducting an experimental program at the base. There were ten women that were training for SAS operations, but after several months of training the general decided to scrub the idea. Five of the ten were exceptional the rest were good but not noteworthy and two of those were medics. I was to give them their traveling orders next week. I would like to pick them up for our jobs. They are competent and could never go back to secondary roles.” Suki shrugged her shoulders and looked Ted in the eye.
“We have one opening for sure. If you think that we could put them to use bring all ten over. Nadia can always use the help for her domestic jobs. Have they been through a driving school?”
“No...”
“Well we will make arrangements ASAP.”
Ted thought that he would have to argue the point. “That’s it? You don’t even want to know their qualifications?”
“We hired you to do a job. If we didn’t trust you, you would not be here. Give Susan the names and she will have you pick them up tomorrow.”
“What about Nadia?”
“She hired her boss. Take her with you to pick them up tomorrow. Just tell her to find a place for them.”
Suki thought for a minute. “Don’t say a word to Edward or Layla. We will put them to the test tomorrow. I will have Susan put the word through tonight.”
Ted decided to push his luck, “This will piss the General off but the man that should replace me as Master Instructor has just become eligible for retirement. Dan is as good as they get but he is not on the General’s good side so he will not get the job. He’s sick of the politics and wants out. Can I get Susan to make the call?”
Suki smiled, “We might as well piss him off just once this way he will only get mad one time. I’ll have Susan deliver the news.”
Ted could not believe Suki’s confidence. “You can just tell Susan what to do?”
Suki smiled, “She gave me the duty and will go with my estimate unless there is something out of line. Nobody is here for political reasons and we respect each other’s talents.”
Suki had Edward and Layla come to her home for an early breakfast, Nadia and Ted were waiting for them. Suki had Nadia describe the general’s office to them and requested the necessary information. Edward and Layla went to separate rooms. After ten minutes they both emerged from their separate rooms. Their stories matched perfectly. They gave Ted all eleven names and noted that the Indian woman Esha was listed as unfit for duty, but would be acceptable. Esha broke her arm in a training accident and she was at the top of Ted’s list. Ted paled when he heard the names, since he had only given them to Susan, and he had not known that Esha was unfit for duty. The instructions on the general’s desk said that they would have 72 hours to accept or refuse the assignment. Susan had the offer classified as ‘beyond secret’, a classification that was seldom used.
Nadia and Ted drove to the base and were shown into General Smyth’s office. Dan and all ten women were sitting outside his office. There was instant recognition when Ted walked past them. He was not surprised to see Esha with a cast on her arm. Nadia gave a polite nod and waited for General Smyth to speak.
“You seem to be back in my troops again.”
“You were going to disband the program anyway,” Ted answered for Nadia. “That was going to be my duty next week, remember.”
The general smiled knowing that Esha was Ted’s favorite, “You passed all ten women as you came in. Esha is listed as unfit for duty. She broke her arm in a training accident. I suppose that I should thank you for taking Dan with you. He was always questioning orders anyway.” Ted smiled at the general and answered immediately.
“We are aware of that. We also know that they have 72 hours to accept the assignment.” General Smyth slammed his hand down on the desk and roared.
“How in the hell did you know that? I was allowed to set the time limit. Who do you have in my office?” Nadia choked back her comment. “Take them and get the hell out of here.” Nadia wasted no time in clearing the door. Ted saluted and left in military fashion. Ted stepped in front of the women. “Ladies please follow me. Dan you are with us too.” The other women made faces when Esha joined them. This could not be much of an assignment if they were taking Esha with her broken arm. After they were seated in the van Nadia pulled out a wand sweeping the van for bugs.
“There will be no conversation until we get to our destination. Am I clear?”
“Crystal,” the answer came in unison.
“Dan you will ride in the car with Ted. He will fill you in on the details as you drive.” Ted gave Dan his briefing on the way to the Inn and by the time they reached Russian Hill, Dan agreed to sign on. Dan had refused to follow the General’s order to wash the women out of the program without sufficient reason. These were the last ten out of fifty that started and they were fully competent.
Nadia drove back to the Inn and pulled in the gate by Russian Hill just behind Ted. They pulled up to the training center and followed Ted into the gym with Nadia leaving Ted to explain the assignment. They were all shocked to find out that the project for which they were training for had been scrubbed. It took Ted two hours to explain what they would be doing. These were career women and did not like the idea of leaving the military. Everybody agreed to consider the assignment when they found out that they would be sent back to their support units next week.
Nadia took over settling the women in their quarters. Ted was floored that she took the secondary assignment so quietly.
“Right now four of you will bunk together in each of the guest cottages. Esha and Paige, you will use my guest room.” Nadia showed the others to the guest cottages on either side of Suki’s home. “You may decide who bunks with whom there are two bed rooms in each cottage. We will get together in the Pub in the court yard at seventeen hundred. I will have a personal escort for each group of four. They will pick you up in thirty minutes. Esha and Paige please come with me.” Nadia carried Esha’s bag up to her guest room. Esha was worried about how her arm would affect her assignment.
“How am I going to do this type of work with a broken Arm?”
“Esha, this is a long term assignment. You will heal and do just fine. You were Ted’s first choice. You will work with me until you are fit and then the rest is up to you.” Nadia indicated the guest room. “Yuki will be here in thirty minutes to show the both of you around. We will meet at the Pub later.”
Nadia found Ted and Dan at Suki’s home. Ted was totally astounded.
“How…?”
“Edward and Layla read the papers on Smyth’s desk.”
“You have two of them that can do this!”
“We don’t have them. They are with us because they choose to be here, and right now we are trying to keep them alive.”
Ted had to admit, “They are two of the most dangerous people that I can imagine.”
“No, the Russians have a few, and the are others scattered around the world. Edward and Layla are the ones that we know about for sure. The NSA wants them dead and the CIA wants their abilities, so we have to keep their talents under wraps. Dan this is an absolute secret. Our little splash with the General may have been too much. I think we need to have him out here and give him a cover story.”
Dan had to ask, “And what story would that be?”
“We are using our business to extend British influence in the Middle East. It’s an oil thing.” Ted smiled at the thought.
“At least it is believable. How do we do that?” Suki leaned back in her chair and put her hands behind her head.
“We invite him out here and give him the short tour. Sidney, Randy and you have served under him at one time or another. We are in fact helping oil sheiks set up their personal security forces so the women will train their harems. Susan used her MI contacts to get you and the others out here. I will invite him out here to have a pleasant week end, and I will see to his entertainment personally. Dan, even though you hate his guts, I would at least like you to be neutral with him.”
Suki looked at the list. There were three Scotts, two Sudanese, one from the midlands, two Chinese, one Indian and one Japanese. She liked the mix because it added to the international flavor. Suki favored diversity which would enhance the range of their operations. The new arrivals would bring the security force up to twenty. That would leave a few at the Inn even with multiple assignments. Suki could go after new business and Nadia could take on more domestic work. She believed that there would be no problem keeping everybody occupied, because they were always using auxiliaries while the others were doing contracts. Dan had Ted’s full confidence and would oversee training on Russian Hill. This would allow the company to do overlapping contracts.
Dan asked Suki, “Aren’t you interested in why the General dismissed me so quickly?”
Suki shook her head no, “I am only interested in Ted’s opinion of you and that seems to be high. If I don’t trust Ted, I have made the wrong decision altogether.”
5.
GETTING IT TOGETHER
Suki thought about her next task which was calming the general down. She picked up the phone and was put straight through to General Smyth. She decided to fly up to t
he base in the helicopter to collect the general. He was reluctant to come at first and became fully enthusiastic when Suki offered a full explanation of their maneuvering. On her return she did a slow turn around the property calling security to lower the Asparagus. The Asparagus were a combination of hydraulic poles and steel cables that would foul any unauthorized helicopter landings when in the up position. General Smyth was very impressed by the tight security especially since it did not look like security. Susan put the general in the Founders Cottage. He was less than impressed by the ancient look of the exteriors of the buildings however his whole attitude improved when he saw how modern the interior was. Suki was just a few years younger than the general. She made it a point to let her skirt ride up when she seated herself in the helicopter. Suki knew how to incite a man and spared no effort to stir the general up. He insisted that she call him Phil. He was an avid rider and upon seeing the stables insisted on inspecting the equestrian property. He was amazed by the two stables, the exercise track, and the steeple chase course which were screened from each other by active orchards. Phil was also impressed by the veterinary stalls in Susan’s personal stable.
“Suki, do you have someone that can do veterinary,” Phil asked.
“Yes Phil, Ernest our stable master was the stable master for the Queen’s Guard before he retired. He retired and moved in here after we promised him a free hand running the operation, so you are not the only general that we have pissed off. He has a cottage on property and keeps his personal mounts in the larger stable as part of his salary.”
“If this place is so wonderful, why have I never heard of it?”
“Phil, this place is at the high end of the high end. Our cottages let out for 2,000 Pounds a night and over the next few days you will find out why. MI also uses our facility for ‘high value guests’ because of our security arrangements.” Suki pointed up at Russian Hill. “Ted will be running our security from up there. We train and equip private security all over the world and we will be using Dan to assist him. As for the women they will be trained as bodyguards for our ‘high value female guests’ who will be requiring close protection for those places that men cannot go.”
