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Entry tags:
The Company
On August 25, we had Bonnie ("Xiang Wen," a.k.a. "Wu Xie Zhi" and "Dot"), Marc ("Anabel Windsor," a.k.a. "Abigail Wilson" and "Vicky"), and Torsten ("Qoqa Ramazanova," a.k.a. "Zoya Petrovna Sidorova").
Time: Saturday, July 26, 2014 (late afternoon).
Place: Mazatlán, Mexico.
Last Event: Getting armed and (more) dangerous.
On returning to their hideout with a dozen black-market AKMs, the Agents' first order of business is to make sure their guns will shoot when needed. Wen, Lev, and Klas start work immediately. They strip down all 12 rifles and assemble seven reliable weapons from the parts. They also check the magazines and identify 24 that look trustworthy. While this is going on, Qoqa "cleans" interior components and even individual rounds of ammo, so that if the group has to ditch the AKs, a quick wipe-down is all that's needed to allay her paranoia.
With that done, the next order of business is to check in on a secure phone and learn where the Company has deposited their high-tech equipment. Chaturvedi reveals that the gear is stashed in an 18-wheeler hidden in the brush alongside a road to the north. He assures his team that the rig is locked, professionally concealed beneath a camouflage net, with its ignition system pulled. Still, it seems unnecessarily risky to the Agents. As soon as their handler provides them with GPS coordinates, they drive off in their cars, rifles stowed under the seats.
Klas drives the lead vehicle, navigating to the GPS fix provided by Chaturvedi. Paul follows close behind. The other five peer into the darkness on all sides, hands never far from their weapons' hiding places. Upon reaching the supposed location of the equipment drop, nobody can see anything – it's the night of the new moon and there are no settlements or even road lights nearby. Whoever hid the truck certainly knew how to pick a good spot for it.
As Wen and Klas have famously good night vision, they're chosen to plunge into the brush and search for the concealed vehicle. The others stay with the cars, lights out, ready to rush in – guns blazing, if need be – if there's trouble. However, the only difficulty proves to be finding the rig! Klas stumbles upon it eventually, however, mostly thanks to having its exact coordinates. He and Wen are impressed at the quality of the camouflage job – the Company clearly has "friends" in Mexico.
Examination of the vehicle reveals it to be a standard tractor attached to an intermodal container trailer. The container is secured with a heavy, industrial-grade lock. The cab proves to be locked as well. Wen takes a good look around for booby traps, but none are evident. Klas and Wen then call in the rest of the team to help them search for concealed keys. When nobody finds anything, Wen pulls out her secure phone and asks Chaturvedi for further instructions. Chaturvedi tells Wen where the key to the cab is: concealed as a rivet.
Tractor key in hand, the Agents unlock the cab and search for the key to the container. This, too, proves elusive. A somewhat annoyed Wen calls Chaturvedi again and asks him about this. Chaturvedi reveals that the missing key is hidden in the gearshift, under a removable cap. After Klas digs this out, the whole team heads to the back of the trailer.
The trailer proves to have interior lighting, which Qoqa flicks on. This reveals a portable-shop-in-a-shipping-container setup with workbenches, cabinets, and what looks to be a clothing locker with body armor hanging in it. Paul spots the vehicle's ignition components sitting on one of the benches. He hands them to Jili, the group's current mechanic. She says she can reinstall the parts easily enough and goes off to do so, with Paul watching her back.
As Jili works, the other five examine the trailer's contents in more detail. Most of the space is split evenly between an electronics lab and a mobile surgery. The container also boasts a small fridge, an airplane-style lavatory, and high-efficiency HVAC systems, though it's clearly set up as a workspace more than as accommodations. A bank of batteries and a small-but-powerful diesel-electric generator provide electricity for all the hardware. It looks as if there are inputs for external power, too.
When Jili returns from her task under the hood, the others have her examine the power systems. She confirms that the tractor can charge the batteries when underway, and that these and the generator can operate in tandem or independently. Poking around some, she finds a high-capacity solar recharger intended to be deployed on the roof of the trailer and plugged into the grid as well. After some discussion, the Agents agree that the truck would be the ideal hub for a mobile base camp.
Klas, Paul, and Wen get the job of taking the more-sensible of the group's two cars back to Mazatlán to fetch their remaining gear, such as it is. While they're away, Jili and Qoqa inventory the electronics and medical equipment, respectively. Lev takes a rifle, hides in the bushes nearby, and keeps watch. Anabel simply rests in the cab of the big rig.
It's the wee hours of Sunday, July 27 when Wen, Paul, and Klas return. They report no difficulty in stealing into the group's base in town, removing their possessions, and sneaking out again – all undetected, as far as they could tell. The Agents stow their gear in the rolling workshop and decide to camp out in their vehicles for the night. They post watches, but that proves unnecessary; it's very quiet out here.
Come morning, Jili and Qoqa start work on the development of a miniature tracking device to be disguised as an IUD, for Anabel to wear inside her on her upcoming solo mission. Klas and Wen drive off to buy camping gear, food, and other necessities for the team. Anabel tethers her fancy phone to one of the workshop computers, gets online, and starts boning up on regional news and events so that she can believably pose as a local. Lev and Paul find shady place to hide with AKMs and provide security. When Wen and Klas return in the afternoon, they enlist Paul and Lev to help them set up a defensible camp.
The travails of Qoqa and Jili take several days to bear fruit – their initial efforts are decidedly Cronenbergian, and Anabel wants nothing to do with them! By week's end (Saturday, August 2), though, they have a more sensible working model. It amounts to an ultra-miniaturized cellular tracking beacon that Anabel can remove and use to signal her allies. Qoqa kicks out everybody else and puts the device inside Anabel. Anabel isn't thrilled with this, but it's all part of the job . . .
The beacon's main limitations are battery life and antenna size, so it requires skilled deployment, not merely flicking a power switch. Moreover, Anabel will have to remove it herself without the aid of Qoqa's fancy medical gear. Consequently, both Jili and Qoqa recommend taking a day to let Anabel familiarize herself with pulling the thing out and setting it up, so that she won't have difficulty with it in the field. The others agree, Anabel most of all.
By Monday, August 4, Anabel is confident that she can use the gizmo, so it's time for the group to begin the next phase of their operation. Jili rigs the more ordinary of the team's two cars with a power adapter and an extended antenna compatible with their special phones, the idea being that this vehicle will tail Anabel as closely as is practical, listening for her signal. Meanwhile, Anabel dresses up in a manner consistent with a female Mexican gangster, dons her lockpick jewelry, and conceals cash and a loaded AKM in the lowrider. Once both cars are ready, Anabel sets out for town. Paul follows at a safe distance, with Wen hidden in the back, monitoring her phone; both Agents have rifles and money hidden nearby as well.
The other four pile into the big rig. Klas takes the wheel while Lev rides shotgun – or in this case, assault rifle: Qoqa expertly hides two AKMs in the cab for the two men to use in the event of trouble. Jili, Qoqa, and the majority of the team's gear ride in the trailer. Jili fires up the high-powered monitoring equipment there, which should be able to pick up Anabel's signal from a considerable distance. This is important, as an 18-wheel truck isn't exactly subtle, and Klas will have to hang back out of sight of Paul and Wen, and even further from Anabel.
Upon reaching Mazatlán, Anabel buys a big knife as a backup weapon, plus a couple of cell phones to use as "burners." Once she's ready, she uses one of her phones to check in with Jili. Jili relays the signal to her teammates, who unanimously agree that it's time to get serious. With that, Jili sends the prepared data transmission to the Company's enemies, using the frequency and call signs obtained in Greece . . .
Time: Saturday, July 26, 2014 (late afternoon).
Place: Mazatlán, Mexico.
Last Event: Getting armed and (more) dangerous.
On returning to their hideout with a dozen black-market AKMs, the Agents' first order of business is to make sure their guns will shoot when needed. Wen, Lev, and Klas start work immediately. They strip down all 12 rifles and assemble seven reliable weapons from the parts. They also check the magazines and identify 24 that look trustworthy. While this is going on, Qoqa "cleans" interior components and even individual rounds of ammo, so that if the group has to ditch the AKs, a quick wipe-down is all that's needed to allay her paranoia.
With that done, the next order of business is to check in on a secure phone and learn where the Company has deposited their high-tech equipment. Chaturvedi reveals that the gear is stashed in an 18-wheeler hidden in the brush alongside a road to the north. He assures his team that the rig is locked, professionally concealed beneath a camouflage net, with its ignition system pulled. Still, it seems unnecessarily risky to the Agents. As soon as their handler provides them with GPS coordinates, they drive off in their cars, rifles stowed under the seats.
Klas drives the lead vehicle, navigating to the GPS fix provided by Chaturvedi. Paul follows close behind. The other five peer into the darkness on all sides, hands never far from their weapons' hiding places. Upon reaching the supposed location of the equipment drop, nobody can see anything – it's the night of the new moon and there are no settlements or even road lights nearby. Whoever hid the truck certainly knew how to pick a good spot for it.
As Wen and Klas have famously good night vision, they're chosen to plunge into the brush and search for the concealed vehicle. The others stay with the cars, lights out, ready to rush in – guns blazing, if need be – if there's trouble. However, the only difficulty proves to be finding the rig! Klas stumbles upon it eventually, however, mostly thanks to having its exact coordinates. He and Wen are impressed at the quality of the camouflage job – the Company clearly has "friends" in Mexico.
Examination of the vehicle reveals it to be a standard tractor attached to an intermodal container trailer. The container is secured with a heavy, industrial-grade lock. The cab proves to be locked as well. Wen takes a good look around for booby traps, but none are evident. Klas and Wen then call in the rest of the team to help them search for concealed keys. When nobody finds anything, Wen pulls out her secure phone and asks Chaturvedi for further instructions. Chaturvedi tells Wen where the key to the cab is: concealed as a rivet.
Tractor key in hand, the Agents unlock the cab and search for the key to the container. This, too, proves elusive. A somewhat annoyed Wen calls Chaturvedi again and asks him about this. Chaturvedi reveals that the missing key is hidden in the gearshift, under a removable cap. After Klas digs this out, the whole team heads to the back of the trailer.
The trailer proves to have interior lighting, which Qoqa flicks on. This reveals a portable-shop-in-a-shipping-container setup with workbenches, cabinets, and what looks to be a clothing locker with body armor hanging in it. Paul spots the vehicle's ignition components sitting on one of the benches. He hands them to Jili, the group's current mechanic. She says she can reinstall the parts easily enough and goes off to do so, with Paul watching her back.
As Jili works, the other five examine the trailer's contents in more detail. Most of the space is split evenly between an electronics lab and a mobile surgery. The container also boasts a small fridge, an airplane-style lavatory, and high-efficiency HVAC systems, though it's clearly set up as a workspace more than as accommodations. A bank of batteries and a small-but-powerful diesel-electric generator provide electricity for all the hardware. It looks as if there are inputs for external power, too.
When Jili returns from her task under the hood, the others have her examine the power systems. She confirms that the tractor can charge the batteries when underway, and that these and the generator can operate in tandem or independently. Poking around some, she finds a high-capacity solar recharger intended to be deployed on the roof of the trailer and plugged into the grid as well. After some discussion, the Agents agree that the truck would be the ideal hub for a mobile base camp.
Klas, Paul, and Wen get the job of taking the more-sensible of the group's two cars back to Mazatlán to fetch their remaining gear, such as it is. While they're away, Jili and Qoqa inventory the electronics and medical equipment, respectively. Lev takes a rifle, hides in the bushes nearby, and keeps watch. Anabel simply rests in the cab of the big rig.
It's the wee hours of Sunday, July 27 when Wen, Paul, and Klas return. They report no difficulty in stealing into the group's base in town, removing their possessions, and sneaking out again – all undetected, as far as they could tell. The Agents stow their gear in the rolling workshop and decide to camp out in their vehicles for the night. They post watches, but that proves unnecessary; it's very quiet out here.
Come morning, Jili and Qoqa start work on the development of a miniature tracking device to be disguised as an IUD, for Anabel to wear inside her on her upcoming solo mission. Klas and Wen drive off to buy camping gear, food, and other necessities for the team. Anabel tethers her fancy phone to one of the workshop computers, gets online, and starts boning up on regional news and events so that she can believably pose as a local. Lev and Paul find shady place to hide with AKMs and provide security. When Wen and Klas return in the afternoon, they enlist Paul and Lev to help them set up a defensible camp.
The travails of Qoqa and Jili take several days to bear fruit – their initial efforts are decidedly Cronenbergian, and Anabel wants nothing to do with them! By week's end (Saturday, August 2), though, they have a more sensible working model. It amounts to an ultra-miniaturized cellular tracking beacon that Anabel can remove and use to signal her allies. Qoqa kicks out everybody else and puts the device inside Anabel. Anabel isn't thrilled with this, but it's all part of the job . . .
The beacon's main limitations are battery life and antenna size, so it requires skilled deployment, not merely flicking a power switch. Moreover, Anabel will have to remove it herself without the aid of Qoqa's fancy medical gear. Consequently, both Jili and Qoqa recommend taking a day to let Anabel familiarize herself with pulling the thing out and setting it up, so that she won't have difficulty with it in the field. The others agree, Anabel most of all.
By Monday, August 4, Anabel is confident that she can use the gizmo, so it's time for the group to begin the next phase of their operation. Jili rigs the more ordinary of the team's two cars with a power adapter and an extended antenna compatible with their special phones, the idea being that this vehicle will tail Anabel as closely as is practical, listening for her signal. Meanwhile, Anabel dresses up in a manner consistent with a female Mexican gangster, dons her lockpick jewelry, and conceals cash and a loaded AKM in the lowrider. Once both cars are ready, Anabel sets out for town. Paul follows at a safe distance, with Wen hidden in the back, monitoring her phone; both Agents have rifles and money hidden nearby as well.
The other four pile into the big rig. Klas takes the wheel while Lev rides shotgun – or in this case, assault rifle: Qoqa expertly hides two AKMs in the cab for the two men to use in the event of trouble. Jili, Qoqa, and the majority of the team's gear ride in the trailer. Jili fires up the high-powered monitoring equipment there, which should be able to pick up Anabel's signal from a considerable distance. This is important, as an 18-wheel truck isn't exactly subtle, and Klas will have to hang back out of sight of Paul and Wen, and even further from Anabel.
Upon reaching Mazatlán, Anabel buys a big knife as a backup weapon, plus a couple of cell phones to use as "burners." Once she's ready, she uses one of her phones to check in with Jili. Jili relays the signal to her teammates, who unanimously agree that it's time to get serious. With that, Jili sends the prepared data transmission to the Company's enemies, using the frequency and call signs obtained in Greece . . .