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WolfsMate
Member
since 2000-01-14
Posts 121
New York

0 posted 2000-05-19 08:24 PM


" Team Falcon" a robotics voice came over the pager. Damn I thought. I had just gotten into the bath! It never fails just when I think I have a few moments to myself the pager goes off. Picking up the phone I call the office. "Raven checking in" I said to the empty space on the other end of the line. "Your team is to assemble at base 2 immediately, you'll be briefed there." The line went dead. No time for a leisurely bath now, I showered and dressed, grabbed my bag and off I was.  


I arrived before everyone else. It must be something bad. We had been promised at least a two-day break in the action. I entered the foyer; to anyone entering the building in error it looks like a typical business office. I flashed my security pass at the receptionist and entered the elevator. Unlike most elevators this one goes nowhere. The back door opens into the center. A long harshly lit corridor with multiple doors. None are marked.


I made my way down the corridor to base 2. The door looked like all the other doors, but having spent so much time here I knew exactly where I was headed. I stepped inside the conference. "Hello Raven. Sorry to have to call you out but this is important" Devlin Burke was one of the top-level military personnel on this site. He spearheaded the entire operations. No one knew more about covert and espionage operations then he.


"So tell me. Do you have a camera placed in my house or what? Every time I think of taking a bath the pager goes off. Do you plan it this way?" I asked. The door opened and the rest of the team walked in. " Now there's a site I would like to see. You in a towel or better yet in nothing at all."  Sean said. Sean was tall good looking and every woman's fantasy. Every woman except me. I knew him too well. He was more like a brother. I could always count on him to be there when I needed him most. Sean was known as the Hawk. His area of expertise was explosives. If it could be exploded he was your man.


Next there was Brian. Brian was a typical Irishman, round face carrot red hair and friendly. He was best know for his ability to be in places and not been seen. His code name was wolf. Brain was everyone's friend. It was always best to stay on his good side. He was deadly when angry and it never took much to get him going. Brent was always trying to see how far he could push him before his famous Irish temper was lost.


Brent was the newest member of the group and probably the most eager. He could be anyone he wanted to be. We often teased him on how good he looked in heels and a dress. Disguises where his specialty. Brett was The Fox. Black hair blue eyed and the devils own smile. A lady charmer for sure.


Then there's me, Sarah Edgerly. Code-name Raven. I lead this group for the British government. If there is a sensitive matter that needs attention we're the ones they call. In other words we're spies. My specialty is Psychology and Pharmacology.


"OK now! Settled down the lot of you. There is a lot we need to cover and very little time until you need to get started." Devlin was agitated today. He was fidgeting. Not at all his usual calm self. " What's this about Dev? We were promised some time off."  "Sorry Raven, but we have a lost child to find."  What? You called us for a missing child?" Sean was confused. "Since when do we get involved in missing children? Brett asked.  " This child is the daughter of the Prime Minister. She was talking to her friends about running away. But I think there's more." Devlin passed the girl picture around.


"She's 16 about 5' 4" tall and about 115lbs." I was looking at a picture of a young girl, blonde hair blue eyes, the same as every other girl her age. Karen was her name. " What were her reasons for running away?" I asked. It seemed this girl would have everything she could ever want, money influence and power. "Her father didn't like the company she'd been keeping. She been seen about with Gerry Rinaldi and his group."


Gerry Rinaldi was the son of one of the biggest drug kings in the UK His father was known for the selling of women and reported to have his own harem. But this was all speculation. No one could be found to testify against him. And the ones would did try were found dead before any questions could be asked. I could see why the Prime Minister didn't want his daughter involved with him. He was a dangerous man.


" There has been no ransom demand, and no contact from the girl. The odd part about this is Gerry is just as concerned. He appears to have no idea about the girls whereabouts either." Now I knew why Dev was upset. This could be a simple runaway or a much more complicated kidnapping. Rinaldi's connections in the government were high. He was not a man to cross. What would he want with Karen, had the Prime Minister gotten to close to his dealings or was it just coincidence.


The first place we needed to start was with Karen's room. Brett and I headed to the Prime Ministers house while Sean and Brian went to see some of Karen's friends. We had little to nothing to go on and needed any help we could get. The newspapers knew nothing and it was to be kept that way. The last thing we needed was ever crazy in England messing this up.


In Karen's room we found nothing. The typical teenage room, walls covered with rock stars and movie actors. A teddy bear was on the bed and clothes all about the room. Under the bed was a box of letters from Gerry and some of her friends. I took those to read later hoping they might give us a clue to what had happened.


Sean and Brian where have no better luck, according to her friends she had talked of running away from time to time. She was well liked in school, not into the drug scene and a funny person to be around. She had had no personality changes and was planning on going to the party of one of the other girls this weekend. They searched her locker and found a note asking her to meet someone after school on the date of her disappearance. There was no signature and none of the other students recognized the handwriting.


We were to meet back at my home later that night. I arrived home and went in search of Chen. Chen had raised me, taught me all I would ever need to know, about life and how to defend myself. I found him in the garden. He loved being able to putter in the dirt and make things grow. "Chen I have a problem" He sat back on his heals and waited for me to explain. After I told him all that had gone on he sat and thought over what I had just told him. " You know where she is, don’t you."  I nodded. I knew Rinaldi had taken the girl. He was the only possible answer, although I had nothing other than gut instinct to go on.


We discussed the alternatives but none of them seemed possible. Now, to convince my team that I was right with no proof. I sat and read the letters from Karen's room. I noted that the tone of the letters from Gerry had changed over the past several weeks. It seemed as if he was concerned over her parent's dislike of the situation and was willing to back off their relationship. There was the invitation to the weekend party that she was to go to and various other friendly notes, nothing out of the ordinary.


Sean was the first to arrive, closely follow by Brian and Brett. I have never been comfortable around most men but these men were different. They knew all my secrets as I knew theirs. We counted on each other to always be there. We were more than just a team, we were family. " Let's get right to it. I know where she is." They knew where I was going with this. " And what proof do you have? You know we can't just walk in there with nothing to back us up." Sean was always the voice of reason.


"Just gut instinct Sean, nothing more." I knew this wasn't enough. But what more could we do? We went over everything we had which wasn't much. "OK I know we have nothing, but I also know I'm right. So what do you want to do? Shall we wait or do we go in and hope we find her? " I looked at each of their faces. " We go of course!" Ah Brett my savior, always read and eager.


We made plans for that very night. Looking at blueprints for the Rinaldi estate we planned to go in through the basement at the rear of the estate. Rinaldi had bought the estate from an impoverished Earl. We all had been in the house at one time or another, so we knew the lay out of the insides. Once we were in the rest would be easy. There was a ten-foot stone wall surrounding the property, and I was sure armed guard on the inside.

We were ready. Dressed in total black we set out for the Rinaldi estate. Picking four points on the wall we each went our separate ways. The plan was to gain entrance into the house and each of us had a separate wing to search. No one was to be in the house more than one hour before we were to meet up again. Chen as always would be waiting in the car for our return.


I was able to enter the basement without being detected, or at least I hoped so. No alarms had gone off and I had seen no one. The house was quiet. I made my way through the cellar to the stairs. Luckily the stairs didn't creak Cautiously I turned the doorknob and inched the door open. The hallway was clear. There was a light under a door down the corridor. I made my way silently towards it. At the door I listened for any sounds. Nothing.


Slowly and quietly I gained access to the third floor. At the top of the stairs was only one door. I listen for any sounds and heard nothing. There came a strange odor from the room. I knew instantly what it was. Some things never leave your memory no matter how hard you try to forget. Opium, very distinct in its scent. I pushed the door in. It looked like a scene out of Arabian nights. Silk hangs and pillows all about the room. There had to be 15 girls in various states of dress. All drugged, asleep on the bedding.


Strange, there were no guards about. I had gained access to this room too easily. I closed the door behind me and went in search of Karen. She was my main objective. I knew I would get all of them out but I had to find her first. My stomach rolled at the scent of opium. God I hated that smell!  Memories flooded my mind, another time another young girl, another whorehouse. Get a grip Raven! I mentally shook myself. Looking at each face wondering if there was a family somewhere wondering where their little girl was. Or was she sold into this life.


Chained to the wall dressed in a white satin gown was Karen. Bruises about her face and neck told the only story I needed to know. She wasn't there willingly. I tried to shake her awake to no avail. She was heavily drugged. I was going to need a lot of help here. " Hawk…I found her. Over" I spoke into the radio. " Raven come in. Where? Over" the reply was sweet music. "Attic. 14 others all drugged. Request backup immediately. Over"


" On my way. Over" I opened the windows to clear the air in the room. The locks on the chains proved to be very ineffective in my able hands and soon I had Karen resting on the floor. There were abrasions on her wrists from the cuffs; those would heal in time, but what of those wounds one could not see. Would they heal? Would she be able to forget?  I went about trying to find something to cover the girls with, a sheet here or a robe there, anything. I noticed some of the girls bore deep bruises and cuts. Not an easy time of it had they had. Soon it would be over for them.


Sean Brian and Brett had arrived. We decided to get the girls out one at a time by the window. We devised a sling and lower them out. Chen had gotten back up to the estate and the girls where soon out of harms way. Now came the hard part. Brett and Brian would take the girls to the nearest hospital while Sean and I went in search of Rinaldi. The house was oddly quiet. We had been able to get everyone out and no alarm had gone off.


We made our way down to the main floor. A search of the rooms showed nothing. No one was here. Why would Rinaldi leave the house like this? It made no sense. There was a fire in the fireplace in the study. I walked over to the desk and there was a note on it. All it said was Welcome. " Sean get out, get out now!" I screamed. Just as we ran for the door an explosion rocked the house.  We were knocked to the floor, the ceiling caving in on us. Fire surrounded us.


Digging our way through the debris we managed to get to one of the windows and get out. Cut and bruised we sat back and watched the house burn. " Well you were right. But why set the house of fire? What was his plan?"  I shook my head. I didn't know. But I knew we would be hearing more from Rinaldi and soon. The fire engines had started to arrive and soon the blaze was under control.


The stories the girls related the next day went from horror to outright torture. All had been promised a wonderful life, clothes riches beyond their imaginations. All thought they were going to be models or actresses. None had any idea what lay in store for them. Rape and abuse at the hands of their tormentors. Physically they all would recover but the mental aspect would take years of counseling to correct.


As for my team, well we would get our time off. Eventually!






 "You never have to worry...Never fear for I am near"

© Copyright 2000 Lee Lewis - All Rights Reserved
MagnoliaBlue
Member
since 2000-05-12
Posts 367

1 posted 2000-05-19 09:11 PM


Good read WolfsMate!

Just for ****s and giggles  ...why don't you check out this website...
http://www.cyberageadventures.com


MagnoliaBlue



 

Dawn Eclipse
Senior Member
since 2000-01-31
Posts 637
The Horsehead Nebula
2 posted 2000-05-20 10:49 AM


Wonderful addition to your story!  I am really enjoying your plot line with your character.     Hope to see more from you really soon.

 "Even a fool knows you can't touch the stars, but it doesn't stop a wise man from trying."
Harry Anderson, "Night Court"

*Cassandra Roseen*

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