Missions of the Retrieval Team - Kilts in a Cage

[Jock Scot]

Dave, I still have that special locater transmitter in my shoe that alerts my friends at USASOC. Should I activate it?

May I enquire, does one get into serious bother if one uses their initiative in your outfit?

[Livingston]

May I enquire, does one get into serious bother if one uses their initiative in your outfit?

Oops did I say that out loud? I was supposed to have turned that in.

[The F-H.C.A.G.]

So...they think that by separating my husband from me, they can make him more biddable!? What planet are they from?! Idiots!

Be well,

[Jock Scot]

Oops did I say that out loud? I was supposed to have turned that in.

I have a feeling that lots of things don't get handed in. No matter who's army you are in.

[davedove]

Scene 16

Factory Compound of General Ricos

The large man drove his fist into my stomach, causing me to slump over against my restraints. He stepped back and let General Ricos step close to me. The General placed the end of his riding crop under my chin and used it to raise my head to face him.

“Come now, Mr. Dove,” he said. “Let us have an end to these lies. We both know that you are not a mere tourist, so why do insist on claiming you are?”

The General had ordered his men to take me inside for questioning. Apparently, the General’s idea of questioning was to have one of his men beat the answers out of me.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I gasped. “I told you; I was on a cruise, trying to have a nice vacation when your thugs kidnapped us.”

“Mr. Dove, you disappoint me.” He stepped back and barked an order to the large man. The man again stepped forward and hit me.

“You know, Mr. Dove, the Corporal can do this all day and he has no qualms about doing you permanent damage.”

The General was right. If this lasted much longer, I would not be able to hold out and the Corporal had a sadistic gleam in his eye that showed he might even enjoy hurting or even killing me. Plus, I was only human and I would, sooner or later, reach my breaking point.

Fortunately, I had another option. Years ago I had spent some time in a Himalayan temple and had learned some things from the priests there. Along with their martial arts, they had taught me several techniques to control my body. One of these techniques is to place myself into a trance of sorts.

I couldn’t just slip into this trance, though. That would look too suspicious. Fortunately, I had other skills to use. So, while the Corporal had been beating me, I had been acting as though each blow affected me more that it really did.

When the Corporal stepped back, I slumped against my restraints, as though the strength was leaving my body. I wanted them to think I had reached my limit.

“Well, Mr. Dove,” said the General, “Why are you here?”

It was time to put my plan into motion. I spoke as though I was a broken man. “Okay,” I gasped, barely audible. “I was hired, by the authorities, to find out what you were doing.”

“That’s better. Who hired you?”

My gasping was all a ruse. In actuality, my breathing was very controlled as I began the procedures to enter the trance.

“The Mexican government,” I lied.

“What do they know about my operations?” he asked. I could tell he was a bit worried.

“I don’t know.”

The General responded with anger. “Tell me!” he commanded as he slapped me across the face, snapping my head to the side.

My preparations were complete and I let myself slip into the trance. My body completely relaxed, as though I had lost consciousness. However, although my body was limp, I was still completely aware of my environment.

I heard the General speaking to the Corporal in Spanish. “Too bad, he was just starting to talk. Take him back to the barracks. He is no good to us like this.”

The corporal moved behind me and untied my bonds, causing me to fall to the floor. I heard the door open and two men came over to my and picked me up. Supporting me on their shoulders, they carried me from the room.

[davedove]

Scene 17

Factory Compound of General Ricos

The guards carried my limp body back to the barracks. Although in my current state I could not take any physical actions, I was completely aware of my surroundings. With my eyes closed, I couldn’t see where I was going, but I listened to everything. I was also able to count the steps the guards took as they carried me. It wasn’t precise, but I was able to make an estimate of the distance I was carried.

The guards stopped and I heard someone working a lock, then a door opening. One of the guards called out “Get away from door!”

The guards carrying me tossed me forward and I landed on a wooden floor.

I heard the door being closed and locked, and then suddenly movement in the room. Someone’s hands began moving over me as the person examined my condition. I surmised that the guards had left, so I began the process of exiting the trance.

“How is he?” I heard a voice ask. I recognized it as Panache’s.

“It looks like they worked him over pretty well. There are lots of bruises and minor cuts, but luckily I don’t see any major damage.” This man’s voice sounded familiar, but I couldn’t place who it was.

I came out of the trance just as the man’s hand pressed on a sore spot.

I winced in pain. “It is a bit tender though,” I told the man.

My eyes fluttered open and I glanced up at the man. I saw that it was the man known as Macdoc. “Sorry,” he said to me.

I took the hand he offered and he helped me rise to sit on one of the bunks.

“Thanks,” I told him.

Most of the other men gathered around me. I noticed that a few others were standing looking out small windows set in the wall. We were in a large open room filled with bunks.

“What happened?” Jaime asked me.

“Well,” I said, “the General recognized me. I can only assume that since he’s involved with Globo-Fashion, that he received my description from them. It shouldn’t be any surprise that I’m on their list. I guess he decided that he needed to get some information from me, which apparently means beating me until I talk.”

“And did you?” I could tell that Jaime was worried I may have said too much.

“Nothing important. From what I could tell, he was surprised to see me here. I think he really was just trying to kidnap tourists. I basically hinted that I was a plant from the Mexican government.”

“Nothing else?”

“No, I managed to fool him into thinking I had passed out.”

“How did you manage that?” asked Macdoc. “It doesn’t take much to determine that someone is faking.”

“Well, I’ve picked up a bit of acting. When you’ve got a master con artist on your team, you tend to learn a bit. Plus, let’s just say that I have certain … techniques that make the task a lot more realistic.”

“What kind of techniques?”

“Remind me when we get out of here and I’ll tell you.”

I turned back to Panache. “What’s our situation?”

“Not good,” he answered. “As you can see, we’re locked in the barracks here. They’ve stripped us of everything except our base clothing. Our sporrans, belts, even our shoelaces were taken.”

“Inside the building here we have only these bare bunks,” he continued. He pointed to one end of the room. “Behind that panel is our toilet, which consists of a simple hole leading to a pit under the building. The only windows are those few you see high on the wall. They’re only big enough to let in a little light and to see a little bit of the grounds outside.”

“Have you seen anything outside?” I asked.

“First of all, they have removed the busses we came in. They drove them away into the wilderness. The soldiers who took them away returned about an hour later without them.”

“What else?”

“We can see the building where they are keeping the women, but there is another problem.”

“What’s that?” I could see the concern on Jaime’s face.

“A few moments after they put the women in their barracks, we saw them leading the children away. They marched them out of our field of view and we don’t know where they were taken.”