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

[davedove]

Scene 60

X Marks Mountain

We watched as the three men disappeared up the mountain amidst the gunfire.

“Okay,” I told my associates, “as soon as the portal appears, get David through it and I’ll follow you.”

The minutes passed slowly as gunfire continued to rain on our position. As we waited, another vehicle joined the other two and even more agents were firing at us.

From behind we all heard the hum as the portal flashed into existence.

“Go!” I yelled to my associates.

They quickly helped David to his feet and moved towards the portal. I rose to follow them, and moved backwards, covering our escape.

We had only moved a few feet when Ms. Raven gave a cry and fell to the ground. I glanced her way and saw that she had taken a shot to her thigh. Blood was pumping from the wound.

“Keep going!” I yelled to Ms. Hawk. “Get David through!”

I knelt at Ms. Raven’s side to help her.

“You too,” she told me. “I’ll cover your escape.”

“No,” I told her. “I’m not leaving you behind.”

I clamped my hand over her wound to apply pressure and stop the bleeding. If I didn’t, she would soon bleed to death. We lay as close to the ground as we could to avoid the incoming gunfire.

As we lay there, the agents began to move closer, sensing that we couldn’t put up much of a fight. I quickly tied off Ms. Raven’s wound.

The agents had enough men that they were able to keep us pinned down. They continued to advance on our position.

Then shots came from behind us and struck several agents. Ms. Hawk dove to join us.

“What are you doing here?” I demanded. “I ordered you to get David through the gate!”

“I followed those orders!” she shot back. “And now I’ve come back to help you.”

“Well, now you’re in the same predicament we are, but thanks. You could have been home safe, now you’re stuck with us.”

“It’s not over, the portal is still open,” she told me.

Ms. Raven and I looked back in surprise. Ms. Hawk was right; the portal was still open after all this time, glowing with a blue light. How was that possible?

But how could we get through the hail of gunfire when one of us was wounded.

The answer came when bursts of gunfire came from the side of the mountain, causing the agents to take cover. Looking up, I saw that Mike and Michael had returned to help us.

“Get out of here!” Mike yelled to us.

“Take Raven and go!” I said to Ms. Hawk. “I’ll cover you and follow right behind.”

Ms. Hawk helped Ms. Raven to her feet and they headed towards the portal. I began firing behind me and followed them.

As we moved, a stray bullet struck my shoe. I was uninjured but it knocked me to the ground.

I looked up to see my two associates pass through the portal. But then, the portal began to flicker, as if something was wrong.

The agents also saw my associates pass through the portal. “They’re escaping! Follow them!” Several of them made for the portal.

I couldn’t let them pass through the portal. “We’ve got to stop them!” I yelled to the two Mikes.

They nodded and increased their firing towards the agents. The agents returned fire on them, but at least they weren’t headed for the portal any longer.

As I watched, both men of the KLF were hit. Michael lay motionless on the ground, but Mike staggered back to his feet. He was bleeding from several wounds.

He saw me looking and smiled. I could tell what he had in mind.

“Go home!” he yelled and began running towards the agents, firing as he went. Several more rounds peppered his chest and he shook in mid-air before falling to the ground.

I knew he was drawing their fire away from me and I couldn’t waste his final act. I pushed myself up from the ground and dove for the flickering portal.

[davedove]

Commercial Break

A Scottish Apparel Store

A tall bearded man walks up to a counter and pulls out a white dress sporran. The fur of the sporran shimmers with an iridescent glow.

“Isn’t this a beautiful sporran?” the man asks. “It’s made from the fur of the Greater Acrylibeast. It’s very rare and very expensive. To get the fur, one must journey far into the Arctic and face great dangers.”

He pulls out another sporran that appears identical to the first. “This one is beautiful too, isn’t it? What if I told you that this one cost less than one one-hundreth the cost of the first one? How, you might ask.”

“Simple, this sporran is an Acrylifaux Sporran, made of synthetic fur developed by Freelander Industries. It shines just like the real fur, but you don’t have to risk your life to get it. Only a trained fur expert can tell the difference.”

“So, go ahead and get an Acrylifaux Sporran and impress your friends.”

He winks at the audience.

“Only you need to know it’s not the real thing.”

[Standard]

Hadn't the time to read the storyline the past week. WOW what a week it's been. I'm sitting on the edge of my seat.

[davedove]

Scene 61

David’s Laboratory, Great Hall of X Marks the Scot

My passage through the portal was different this time. A burning sensation traveled over my skin as I passed through. Then I felt the impact of the floor as I hit.

“He’s through!” a woman yelled.

“He’s on fire!” yelled another.

I then found myself covered with a heavy blanket as someone covered me to smother the flames.

The man had me wrapped tightly in the blanket so I couldn’t move.

“That’s good, thanks,” I told him.

“Are you sure?” Arlen asked, letting me up.

“Yeah, I’m good, just a little scorched; thanks again.”

Arlen helped me up and I looked around. Jerry and Ms. Starling were at the control console, working with fire extinguishers to put out the fire there.

Jamie and Ms. Stork were tending to David, who they had seated nearby. Ms. Hawk and Todd were helping Ms. Raven. Mike was yelling into the intercom for a medical team.

“Here,” said Dee, walking up to me. “You might need this.” He handed me a large t-shirt.

“Thanks, Dee.”

“And welcome back.”

I quickly stripped off my scorched shirt and pulled on the t-shirt. I saw that they finally had the fire on the control console extinguished.

I quickly went to Ms. Raven and Ms. Hawk. “Is everyone okay?”

“She’ll be fine,” said Ms. Hawk. “Your bandage stopped the bleeding.”

“Thanks for staying with me,” said Ms. Raven.

I took her hand. “Don’t mention it; we’re a team,” I said, smiling at her.

“The medical team is on the way,” said Todd. He looked at me. “You did well.”

I went over to where they were tending to David. He looked up when I approached.

“Thank you,” he said.

“Anytime,” I answered.

Jamie turned to me and extended his hand. “Welcome home,” he said.

“Thanks,” I said, shaking his hand.

I nodded to David. “He’s been drugged. I suspect with some of the same drugs that Ivana used.”

“I’ll tell the medical team,” Jamie said.

I looked around. We had gone through the portal, retrieved David, and returned with the team intact.

Mission accomplished.