Missions of the Retrieval Team - A Kilt By Any Other Name

[Birddog]

Phew! They are not heading this way.

Careful, Jock. We all know that Dave loves plot twists! Just look at poor Greg!

[Livingston]

Careful, Jock. We all know that Dave loves plot twists! Just look at poor Greg!

Wait a minute!! That wasn't me, that was in the alternate reality that Dave is visiting. And the Dave from over there has been dead over a year now.

I'm very much alive and kicking here in this reality.

[starbkjrus]

Wait a minute!! That wasn't me, that was in the alternate reality that Dave is visiting. And the Dave from over there has been dead over a year now.

I'm very much alive and kicking here in this reality.

That's right -- Don't throw him on the cart yet! There is at least one more act to go.

(Have we seen the flying cow yet? )

[davedove]

Scene 44

Franklin, North Carolina

We pulled into the small town of Franklin late in the afternoon. We had all changed back into the current fashion so that we could blend into the populace. Michael stopped the van in a parking lot behind a row of shops.

“Wait here,” Mike said as he climbed out of the van.

He quickly went around to the front of the buildings and disappeared from sight. After several minutes, a door opened in the back of one of the buildings and Mike waived us over. Michael and I carried Greg’s body as the ladies helped David into the building.

Meanwhile, two men dressed in overalls ran out to the van and climbed in. The van was started and soon pulled out of the lot.

“Where are they going?” I asked.

“The van is now identifiable,” Mike answered. “They’re taking it away from town to dispose of it.”

We all went through the door and up some stairs. We came out into a store where many books and other items with a Scottish theme were displayed.

“This way,” Mike said and guided us to some stairs leading to the basement.

When we got to the bottom of the stairs, we found ourselves in a small museum on Highland dress. There to greet us was a tall, bearded man wearing a box-pleated kilt. I knew him well from my world. His name was Matt Newsome.

“Follow me,” Matt told us. He led us to the side of the museum to a display on early highland dress. He pulled the display to the side and pressed on the wall. A panel in the wall turned away from him, revealing a room beyond.

“In here,” Matt said to us.

We filed into the room and found it was set up as an emergency shelter. “I’ll be back this evening,” Matt said to us and then left, closing the door behind him.

The ladies helped David to a cot and he reclined gratefully. Michael and I gently placed Greg’s body on the floor.

“What is this place?” I asked Mike.

“A safe house,” he answered. “Matt is a long-time friend of the people at X Marks and supports our cause.”

“And the law lets him wear a kilt? I thought that was the symbol of a terrorist group.”

“He can only wear it as part of his job as the curator of the museum. The law leaves him alone as long as he only wears it here or while commuting to and from work.”

“And nobody from town has any suspicions?”

“The whole town is in on it. There are a lot of independently minded people in this region. They don’t like the fashion laws any more than we do. Oh, they wear the fashions so they can go about their lives, but they have no love for the ones pushing those laws. Even the local police turn a blind eye most of the time.”

“A whole town of sympathizers, and the government doesn’t suspect.”

“They may suspect, but they haven’t been able to trace anything here. That’s why they took the van. Those two guys will drive it to the next county and wreck it off a hill out of sight. They’ll catch a ride from the car that will follow them and come back. Hopefully, by the time the van is discovered, we will be long gone.”

“How long do we stay here? We’ve got to get home.”

“I suspect that Matt will arrange a ride for us in the morning. Until then, we sit tight.”

[Southern Breeze]

I finally got this read. Two thumbs up, keep it coming.

BTW, is this how M.I.B ( Men In Blackwatch )got it's start?