Head-Quarters

Mission Briefing

Chapter 2 – Mission Briefing

Our mission was, in short, to root out the spies that HQ believed to be in the main airbase-training program in the US state of Nevada before they could start any trouble.  We were afraid that they’d try to take over the base, and turn it over to the AAA side.  “No loyalties” my arse; HQ was obviously on the side of the NEA.  I didn’t buy into what White said about our mission being about, “keeping the war on even footing.”

The war we were about to plunge into was between the AAA and the NEA.  No one really knew how it began, but the numerous uprisings against Western powers in the last twenty years certainly didn’t help matters any.  The NEA, and alliance between the US and the majority of Western Europe, was formed in response to the insurrections, and common opinion says that the AAA had been fueling the uprisings all along.  I don’t deal much with the politics’ side of things, but James expects that it’s been simmering under the surface for far longer than we thought, and we’ve all just been too blind to realize it.

I think it’s all retarded really, and if I weren’t so afraid of being labeled a pacifist, I’d leave this earth right now and never associate with humans who have their heads stuck so far up their arses ever again. 

But, alas, I can’t do that.  And that’s why I’m cramped in the back of an ancient overseas 787 jet, diagonal from a grumbling Maddie; all the while cursing White, who was too cheap to buy all of us first class tickets.  Only Nero got a seat up there.  If you’ve seen the poor kid try to fold himself into a standard sized plane seat, you’d understand why I don’t grudge him the ticket.

+++++

James had made all the arrangements, and sure enough, a cab waited to pick us up at the airport and drive us to a cheap motel near the airbase.  Not so near as to put us in the way, but close enough to run to Maddie’s aid if a problem arose.

“We are going to get a different room, right?”  I moaned as my eyes took in the single, dirty bed and sagging couch.  I didn’t even want to check the bathroom.  Assuming it had a bathroom.

“Works for me,” Nero shrugged and threw his duffle bag onto the couch.  Maddie cackled from the doorway, where she was leaning and watching my horror with almost sadistic enjoyment.

I scowled.  “Hey, I hear them dorms at camp air force aren’t so sweet either,” I growled in a vain attempt to get some sympathy, or at least empathy… not that there’s much of a difference between the two.  Needless to say, even if there is a difference, I got neither.          

Nero already had his mobile out.  “James said to call in ASAP!”  He said defensively in response to my dubious look.  He quickly typed in a code and whispered a password, and immediately the side Codey’s head appeared on the tiny screen.

I leaned over the back of the couch to watch over my partner’s shoulder.  When I coughed discreetly, Codey noticed us and picked up his mobile phone from its resting place beside his keyboard.  “We didn’t expect you in so soon,” he said coolly. “Must have been a nice quick flight.”

“If you call 7 hours short, then sure, it was nice,” I scowled.  I never understood how after nearly a century since the invention of the plane, humans still hadn’t found a better way to travel then in an uncomfortable metal tube with wings.

Maddie walked over and leaned next to me.  “So, what exactly are we supposed to be doing here?  White wasn’t particularly vocal on the matter, aside from ‘blending’, ‘observing’, and ‘getting a firmer grip on this war’.”

Codey made quick shushing motions to the phone.

“We need a secure line,” James elaborated from somewhere off the screen.  Codey ignored him and finished typing on his computer before he turned his full attention to our picture on his videophone.

“Okay, we’re definitely secure.  James, if you’ll give the briefing?”

He passed the camera to James, who took it gingerly, adjusting it to give us a clear view of his face.  “Maddie, you’ve obviously been enrolled in the school, but what are you going to do there?  Your main task is to be Sarah and Nero’s way inside.  You’re their alibi.  That doesn’t mean you can slack off in your classes,” he ginned as she poked her tongue out, “but really your first priority is to recce the area and keep your team up to date.  Find all possible entrances and exits, and keep them informed.  But be careful not to arouse suspicion.  The NEA may be our allies,” he didn’t even look abashed as he confirmed my suspicions, “but technically what we’re doing is against so many rules that it makes my teeth ache.  And not just local infringements; we’re talking war crimes.  We get caught, and the whole world is after our throats.”

“But no pressure, dear, really.”

James ignored the interruption.  “Sarah, I can tell you’re sitting there wondering why the hell you’re even there in the first place.  Well, remember those reports that Code and I spent all night mulling over?  Those were files.  AAA files.”  He glanced at Codey.  “They.  Have.  Our.  Plans.  Someone, somewhere, is smuggling them information, and I need you to sniff them out.”

+++++

I sighed in relief as we stepped into the blissfully air conditioned lobby of the air base and escaped the cruel Nevada sun.  But sweating in a crisp navy dress-suit and stiletto heels was all part of the spy gig.

I adjusted my faux glasses on my nose, looking sternly at Nero.  Wearing sweats, a cap turned backwards, and a scowl, he played the part of a bored teenager perfectly.

See, part of Maddie’s cover was that she needed a past.  A background.  The military tends to do background checks before enrolling students, and since HQ doesn’t leave files on their spies lying around, she might have been found lacking.  But, thanks to Codey, as far as their files were concerned, Miss Madeline Thelps, aged 17, previously graduated nearly top in her class in physics, and was now applying for a place in their aero engineering class. Her foster brother ‘Neal’, and step-mother (yours truly) were escorting her from their home in London.

She left to be interviewed by one of the teachers, leaving Nero and I free rein of the campus.  I eyed the doors for a promising looking hallway.  The best way to get information on the place was to start poking around ourselves, after all.  Gesturing to Nero that he was to follow, I stepped passed the receptionist to walk into one of the corridors.

“Excuse me ma’am, but would you like a guided tour of the campus?”

I was about to politely decline, until I realized it hadn’t been a request.  Of course they wouldn’t let people roam their halls unsupervised; I would have thought less of their security if they did. That thought didn’t stop me from groaning inside as a professor came to walk us through the labyrinth of the school.

Nero wasn’t quite as adept at hiding his dismay, but at least it added to his character.