"So where's the other one, sir?", Mark asked their guide. "We didn't bump into her in the lobby."
"Mira? Oh, she's at her 'personal office' in the garage...", Ramirez pointed behind with his right thumb. "...I'm afraid she has her hands full this morning."
"Busy day, I take it?"
"A bit. Our armored car was damaged in that little adventure in Ibiza. Two headlights, a wrecked bumper, some scratches on the paint..."
The small talk among the three men had been going on for a few minutes. Their voices rang as they walked along the drab corridor, lined with a few paintings and pot plants. They'd passed by more than a dozen pencilpushers by now, all minding their own business. The apathy might have something to do with the security clearance pinned on the two foreigners' clothes.
"Ah, right. I read the report.", Mark continued. "You ram-raided The White Pearl, yeah? Quite a flashy entrance you did."
"It was crude, really. We needed a loud distraction. Everyone in the club was either drunk or high as a kite, not to mention the damn disco music..."
The tall Spaniard was referring to the GEO's raid of La Perla Blanca from a couple of nights ago. It made the headlines in Madrid and beyond, even reaching as far as Hereford. Strangely it fell on deaf ears in America, though to be fair, the Yanks wouldn't care much for a random drug bust across the pond. Not while they had their own problems to deal with. Thankfully, Rainbow's band of misfits in that country was kept in the loop. They believed that the recent attacks in US soil were linked to the recent uptick of high-profile crimes in Europe.
As Monika described it, the White Masks might have used foreign criminal ventures to help fund their operations at home. For instance, they dabbled in the international narcotics trade through Leonard Fausse and his European contacts. When they lost their drug money in Spain, they robbed a bank in Los Angeles in a foolish attempt to recoup their losses. And whoever this 'Mohandes' character was, they now had the means to enter into the chemical weapons business as well. Dominic and Mark flew to Spain to see if one particular prisoner would lend credence to this theory.
"...Priego has been a pain. In the meantime, Mira has to work two shifts just to fix the car. But she loves playing mechanic, so she's not complaining."
"I'm impressed you pulled it off.", the German praised. "We probably would use the same tactic, if we'd been there."
"Don't fool yourself, Brunsmeier.", Mark chided. "Hereford will never lend us a rover for that. Let alone an IFV. Tossers..."
"Of course they'll refuse, with that attitude of yours... Maybe that is why the old man sent you here, instead of Jack. Or Fräulein-Skullface."
"You rather have that girl do the talking? Are you mental?!"
Dominic laughed at his companion's little rant. Mark 'Mute' Chandar was always too smart for his own good. A prodigy from the University of Cambridge, the 25-year-old engineer also used to man the wiretaps run by the GCHQ. He was not a 'soldier' per se, but he was seconded to the Special Air Service thanks to his expertise in electronic signal disruption. When Baker and his boys came aboard, they roped Markie along as Team Rainbow's SIGINT tech and intelligence staffer. He had become a lot more hands-on with his job recently, no thanks to Meghan's reassignment to the US.
After climbing down a staircase, the group reached the security gate to the underground holding cells. The place was locked down tight: surveillance cameras, trip alarms, and perhaps more than ten cops packing G36s. Ramirez had a quick chat with the young desk officer, who most certainly wasn't expecting company at so early in the morning, before he turned around to give his visitors a reassuring nod. They crossed the gate without being frisked. Even when the black duffel bag caused the metal detector to sing, the guards didn't stop them on their tracks. Their destination laid just beyond: a grey stainless steel door, among the myriads that ran parallel along the dreary hallway.
YOU ARE READING
Freedom Day
Aksiyon(Originally published in FF.net) After recovering from a botched mission in the Middle East, a new recruit joins Team Rainbow eager for a chance at redemption. But the attack on Bartlett proved that his failure had more consequences than he thought...
