Missions of the Retrieval Team - Kiltmen Down

[Pleater]

I'd bet that a copy of the Mata Hari Institute of Culinary Excellence's top secret Volume Nine, Desserts, has somehow fallen into the hands of whoever is supplying those puddings!!

Thank goodness there has been no sign of tidbits from 'The Joy of Snacks' or we'd really be in trouble.

Oh - hang on - weren't appetisers mentioned as being enjoyed before Ms Hawk gave the signal?

Lets just hope it wasn't the Celery Surprise with Creamy Dip.

[davedove]

Will Mr. Dove die?
Will Dirka rescue her husband?
Are the members of the Retrieval Team destined to be slaves?
Will Ivana's plot succeed?
Will the Chair Mangler destroy more furniture?

Stay tuned for the answer to these and other questions.

[davedove]

Scene 34


Private manor owned by Globo-Fashion


There are times when time seems to slow down. When you are about to die is one of those times.

I swear I could see the bullet leave the pistol and streak across the room towards me. My muscles seemed to be frozen as I watched the bullet close the distance to my chest.

Unlike the old saying, I did not see my life pass before my eyes. Instead, all I could see was the current moment. All I could think was that this was the last moment of my life.

I did not feel the bullet pierce my chest though. Just as I thought my life was over, something pushed me aside. I hit the floor and time returned to normal.

I heard Ms. Starling’s voice call out, “Circle defense, now!”

I looked over to where I had been standing. There, lying face down on the floor was Dirka, her shoulder bloody.

I quickly moved to her side. She was bleeding heavily from the wound in her shoulder. I ripped cloth from my shirt and applied it to the wound in an attempt to stop the bleeding.

When my associates fight in concert, it is an amazing sight to behold. They had formed a circle about the men we had rescued. Between the weapons Ms. Hawk had brought and those we had earlier taken from the guards, each of the women was armed.

There is an advantage to being surrounded. My associates were able to shoot outward at anything that moved. Those shooting at us had to take care not to miss and shoot one of their comrades on the opposite side.

There were about thirty gunmen against my five associates. The gunmen never stood a chance.

The hours that my associates had spent on firing ranges and situational exercises had paid off. Each shot seemed to strike one of the gunmen firing at us. My associates had worked together so often, it was almost as if they could read each other’s mind. By forming the circle, each woman could fire in her own zone and cover the woman on either side.

It seemed to be only a few minutes before the firing stopped. I looked up to see all five of my associates unharmed. They maintained their guard, and each woman reported her zone clear.

I returned my attention to Dirka. The bleeding was under control and I bandaged the wound. The bullet had passed completely through her shoulder, yet had not struck any bone. Her shoulder would certainly be painful for a while, but she should easily recover.

I quickly checked the men we were protecting. Miraculously, none of them had been struck in the firefight.

My associates quickly checked the room. They had shot twenty-seven gunmen. Ivana, however, was nowhere to be found. Apparently, she had slipped away during the firefight.

Drawn by the sounds of the firefight, my other two associates burst into the room with guns drawn. The four men who had helped us followed closely behind.

Ms. Starling quickly updated them on the situation. Ms. Falcon let us know that she had found a truck large enough to carry all of us.

“Hold up on that,” I told her. “We need to contact Mike and let him know about the people downstairs.”

I noticed that Dirka was stirring. I returned to her side.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“Yes, I’m fine, thanks to you. Why did you do that?”

“I needed you to get my husband out of here.”

“Well, don’t worry; we’re going to get him out of here. You too. You took a nasty shot to the shoulder, but you’re going to be fine.”

[davedove]

Commercial Break


Checkout counter of a retail store


A tall, bearded, kilt-wearing man stands at the counter along with a beautiful woman with golden blond hair. On the counter are several bags.

The scene zooms in to the card the man is giving to the clerk. It is a credit card and the name on the card is ‘Alexander Dove.’

The clerk gives the card back and they finish the transaction. The man and woman take the bags from the counter and turn to face the audience.

The man speaks to the audience. “I’m Mr. Dove of the Retrieval Team. If you have a business like I do, you know that you often have to purchase supplies before you are paid for your services.”

The scene changes to the counter of another store. The same man is at the counter, along with a tall woman with red hair. Several boxes are on the counter.

The scene zooms in on the card again. This time it reads ‘Thomas Dove.’

He again speaks to the audience. “To solve this problem, I use the ScotCard from X Marks the Scot.”

The scene changes to another store. This time the man is with an attractive woman with oriental features.

The scene zooms again and this time the card reads ‘Marcus Dove.’

He again speaks with the audience. “The ScotCard lets you get the supplies you need and delay the payment until you get paid.”

The scene changes to the same man. This time he is standing with all three of the women, along with four others. All are carrying weapons and other gear, obviously ready for action.

The man speaks. “The ScotCard – it lets your company do its job.”

[davedove]

Scene 35


Grand Dining Room, Great Hall of X Marks the Scot


The Moderators were having a dinner to thank us for the rescue of the missing members. Mike, Colin, and Nelson were there, as well as David, who had recently returned from his expedition. Panache and Todd were not there, however.

Mike had called my associates forward to stand before the crowd and was making a presentation.

He spoke to the assembled crowd. “In recognition for your assistance to the League, Ms. Starling, Ms. Thrush, Ms. Falcon, Ms. Hawk, Ms. Raven, Ms. Swan, Ms. Stork, you are hereby granted honorary membership to X Marks the Scot. This membership is effective the day your employment was secured for this case and grants you the right to receive all awards as though you were a full member.”

He went down the line and presented the X Marks badge to each of the women.

He returned to his place and continued speaking. “I would now like Mr. Dove, Dirka Skene, The Chef, The Carpenter, The Green Glove, and The Chair Mangler to join these ladies.”

The six of us moved forward to stand with my associates. Dirka’s arm was bandaged and in a sling from her wound.

Mike continued. “In recognition for your service to the League, and the commitment and courage you displayed, you are hereby awarded the Bronze Saltire.” He then moved down the line and pinned the medal on each person’s chest, shaking our hands and thanking us individually.

He continued, “I would like everyone present to give these people a round of applause.”

The entire room erupted in applause. When it died down, Mike addressed us. “Again, thank you all. You may all now return to your seats, with the exception of Dirka.”

We returned to our seats. Dirka remained standing, although she looked confused.

Mike again addressed the room. “During the course of the rescue, Dirka suffered a wound from our foes. Although nobody ever wants to receive this award, Dirka is hereby awarded the Golden Thistle is recognition of wounds suffered by hostile forces.”

Mike moved to pin this medal on Dirka and everyone applauded.

Mike faced the audience. “Because of the hardships they suffered, the Golden Thistle is also awarded to Riverkilt, Hamish, Graham, Andrew Breecher, and Celtic Menace. Unfortunately, they are still recovering and were unable to attend this evening.”

Everyone again applauded.

Mike continued. “We have one more award to be presented this evening.” He retrieved a certificate from the podium. “Mr. Dove, please step forward.”

I stepped forward and Mike handed me a box. I moved to Dirka’s side, opposite Mike.

Mike read from the certificate. “To all assembled, let it be known that during the mission to rescue our members from the forces of Globo-Fashion, Mr. Dove was subjected to a threat to his life. With no regard for her own safety, Dirka Skeen placed herself between Mr. Dove and the threat, taking the bullet meant for him, and risking her own life in the process. Her actions saved the life of the leader of the mission and a valued member of X Marks. In recognition for her actions, Dirka Skene is hereby awarded the Wreath of Distinguished Service.”

Dirka definitely looked surprised as Mike handed me the certificate and took the medal from the box I held. Mike hung the ribbon of the medal around her neck, and then shook her hand. He stepped back and I handed her the certificate, then shook her hand. I gave her a small wink that no one else could see, and then stepped back to her side.

Everyone in the room stood and applauded.

[davedove]

Scene 36


Executive Officer’s Office, Great Hall of X Marks the Scot



Mike had asked me to join him in his office. As I entered, he asked me to close the door and have a seat.

“Thanks for coming,” he said. “First, I again want to thank you and your team for your assistance. The reimbursement for your expenses has been deposited in your account.”

“We were glad to do it, Mike. What’s going to happen to Robert?”

“We’ve got him in custody right now. Although he did betray us, it’s obvious he was being manipulated.”

“Were the other victims taken care of?”

“Yes, we were able to determine their identities and place them in their local hospitals. Their families were notified anonymously. They think that the victims were victims of gang violence.”

“Gang violence? Why not tell them the truth?”

“We can’t. As much as I despise fashion, the industry does employ thousands of people. Not to mention the thousands employed to support the industry – caterers, cleaning staff, transportation, and others. If we reveal the conspiracy now, the whole industry may collapse and all those people will be out of work. Think what that would do to the economy.”

“But you can’t just let this pass!”

“We have no intention of doing so. We are monitoring all the known personnel of Globo-Fashion to try and stop their plans.”

“What about Ivana?”

“No word on her yet. We are assuming that her associates are hiding her for now. I suspect we will be seeing her soon though. You can’t just have the President of a major corporation disappear. They will probably establish some cover story like she was at a private spa or something.”

“And her operations.”

“Everything she had at the estate has been stripped out. David seemed very interested in the reeducation procedure.”

“I can imagine.”

“Yes,” he chuckled. “He was like a kid with a new toy. Anyway, I have to ask you something.”

“Of course, what is it?”

“Can we call on the services of your team again? We may need your help in the field.”

“Of course, you know how to get in touch with us.”

[davedove]

Scene 37


Infirmary, Great Hall of X Marks the Scot


I had come to the infirmary, looking for Dirka. As I came to the room where her husband was being treated, I found her seated by his bed. The X Marks Chaplain, Prestor John, was speaking quietly with her.

The Chaplain nodded to me, acknowledging my presence, and I stepped back to let them finish.

He quickly finished. “Just let me know if you need anything,” he told her as he rose to leave.

“Thank you,” she answered.

As the Chaplain left the room, I stopped him briefly. “How is she?” I asked.

“She seems to be doing quite well, considering her husband’s condition.”

“Thanks, is it all right if I talk with her?”

“Of course, in fact she’s been asking questions about you. I’ll leave you alone now, but I’ll be around if you need anything.” He left the room to go visit the other patients.

I grabbed a chair to sit beside Dirka. “What did the doctors say?” I asked her.

“They say it will probably be some time before he’s fully recovered, although he may regain consciousness any day. Apparently he was used as an initial test subject for their reeducation process. There are a lot of different drugs still in his system.”

“So he is going to recover?”

“Yes, the doctors are quite confident of that. Now that you’re here, I need to tell you something. I want to help.”

“Help with what?”

“Your team, I know that you were talking with Mike about Globo-Fashion and its partners. I want to help you stop them.”

“Oddly enough, my associates were suggesting much the same thing. Before I extend the offer though, I have to ask one thing. What is your motive? We do what we do to help others, not to exact vengeance.”

“I’m not going to lie. I do want revenge for what they’ve done to my husband, but that’s not my primary motive. I want to keep them from doing this to anyone else. I can’t let them continue their plans.”

“That’s the kind of answer I was looking for.” I rose and extended my hand for a handshake.

She rose and took my hand.

“Welcome to the team,” I told her.

[davedove]

Scene 38


Small office


All of my associates, except for Ms. Swan, were enjoying the scenic mountains from the comfort of the outdoor hot tub at our chalet in Colorado.

I found Ms. Swan working diligently in the office. She had many maps of South Carolina, as well as several satellite pictures scattered about the room.

“What are you working on?” I asked her.

“You know we’ve been working on finding the location of the Great Hall for some time now. I took the time we traveled from the airport and intersected that with the mountains of South Carolina. Unfortunately, that still left hundreds of mountains to search.”

“So you still don’t have it?”

“I probably wouldn’t, if it hadn’t been for something Ms. Starling said. I was working very hard to find out where the Great Hall was located, but not having much luck. She suggested I try to eliminate where it wasn’t.”

“How did you do that?”

“I thought about what Mike said about the security field and it inspired me to look at the satellite photos of the area. Of course, I couldn’t find anything on the most recent ones, so I decided to look at older images.”

“Did that work?”

“Look at this photo.”

“I don’t see anything.”

“No you don’t. That is the most recent image of the area. Now look at this image of the same area, taken a few years ago.” She used her laser pointer to point at the image. “See right here. That building is not on the current image.”

“Maybe it was torn down?”

“I checked. This is no record of any building ever being on that mountain. And the building is too large to be a small house or anything like that. I blew up the image. See the outline of the building. It matches the outline of the Great Hall.”

“So you found it?”

“Yes, we found it.”

[davedove]

Closing Scene


Ballroom in Southern California


My associates and I had accepted invitations to a formal kilted gala. I had, of course, dressed quite traditionally in my formal kilt outfit, although it now included a miniature version of the Bronze Saltire that I had been awarded, as well as the medals I had earned from my short time in the United States Army.

The dresses my associates wore, however, were anything but traditional. Although the dresses were formal, and indeed did maintain their modesty, the dresses revealed enough that they were probably more appropriate for an establishment where the dancing involved poles.

Dirka, now known as Ms. Wren, still sported the bandages and sling from her wound, but she somehow managed to coordinate it with her attire in such a way that it was barely noticeable.

Many members of our forum were in attendance and they gathered in groups, talking. One group seemed engrossed in a conversation about military box pleats. I recognized many of this group as kilt makers.

A tall flame haired woman seemed to receive a fair bit of attention as different men danced with her. She seemed quite adept at the various Latin dances.

Across the room I spotted my old rival, Panache. He carried on a conversation with a man seated beside him, but also seemed to keep a close watch on the flame haired woman.

Just then, my associates pulled me to the dance floor to lead them in a conga line. We had great fun leading the line, encouraging others to grab the end of the line and join us. Panache spotted me at the head of the line, so I directed the line past him. I waved and gave him a sly grin as I passed.

I chuckled to myself. Apparently, Panache was taking a leave of absence from the Great Hall so that Mike could cool down a bit after Panache’s unauthorized mission.

After the song ended, my associates and I returned to our seats for another drink. In keeping with the Latin theme, I ordered another mojito.

The music stopped as a disturbance arose on the dance floor. It seemed that Panache had decided to attack the curly headed gentleman that had been dancing with his flame haired wife. Panache seemed determined to remove this gentleman’s curly locks with what appeared to be sheep shears.

I noticed something though that everyone else seemed to miss. I quickly signaled the band to play a rumba and made my way across the dance floor.

A certain flame haired woman needed a new dance partner.

[davedove]

Commercial Break


A library


An attractive, dark haired woman is reading a book at a desk. She finishes the last page of the book, closes it and looks at the audience.

“Hi, I’m Ms. Wren, the newest member of the Retrieval Team. I hope you’ve enjoyed this story. I know I did.”

“If you would like to read more stories, be sure to check out X Marks the Scot, an on line forum for kilt wearers.”

“You can find this story there, as well as stories by other authors who are also members of the forum.”

“Enjoy the forum and the stories. I’ll see you again for the next adventure of The Retrieval Team.”