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Evening at The Lab

Alchibah Early Evening A+3 (Day 884)

Compiled from various Logs

Mariana Stuart

Things had really improved when Kurt got back in here. He really was a better Cutter than me and faster. We had this situation under control and it seemed our test case was even going to live. He was not going to out of here anytime soon, but he wasn’t going to leave in a body bag.

Kurt Kellerman over to the coffee pot where I was, “I don’t think they needed us, they really held their own.” he said.
Sally wandered over, “That’s all we were doing, Dr. Wood is good but he ain’t the A-Team. We just could not find the bleeder on that Christopher kid and Kurt comes in. Damn we were ready to close in five minutes.”

I had to ask, “How did Rich get hurt anyway, I thought he was staying up at the caves?”

“He volunteered to escort the sick and wounded down here,” Sally answered. “They got jumped by three Goonie stragglers who hadn’t got the message they were beat.”

I grimaced, “How abut the stragglers?”

Sally grinned, “Rich got em all three on the way down, Then drug himself the rest of the way here. He would not let us touch him till we had checked everyone in the convoy. That kid is Black and Silver material for sure.”

“Oh Great!” I said, “That is so not going to make Andy’s day. He promised Chris’s parents he would try to keep him out of Strike Force. Oh well, you have any other problems?”

Sally plopped in the chair, “Well, we have the prisoners. The Cpl you seemed to have pegged and the one that everyone says seems slow, I checked him over and it’s strange. He appears to be slow but the EEG shows intense activity during the pauses.”

“The Cpl popped an old Mossad recognition code that Andy had taught me. We put him on a loose leash until Andy or preferably Connor can grill him. Let me take a look at the other one!”

Sally led me over to a exam table that had a Goonie private strapped to it. “What’s your name son?” I could feel the lie sliding into place. It was either probe him deep and maybe break that controlled mind or go the old fashioned way. I waved Chris Petersen over, “Would you mind covering this jerk while I search him cause he is lying out his ass.”

Chris pulled out that Kimber in one smooth move and locked into a cold stance, “Just don’t cross my sight line Doc.”

“I may have done this once or twice before Chris.”

I watched the kids eyes as I searched him and he was hiding something. As I continued to shake him down I could feel the worry as I got to the right breast area. Zeroing in it took only a few moments to find the hidden pocket that had the laminated picture in it. “OK kid, what’s this picture got to do with anything and what’s your real name?”

The truth came rolling out at once and I could feel the relief. “My Dad told me never to tell anyone that except the other guy in that picture. That’ll never happen now he’s dead.”

“OK, what’s this picture got to do with it?”

“My Dad is the guy on the left.”

I turned away, and motioned Kurt to follow me calling over my shoulder, “Tie him back up Chris.”

Around the corner I showed the picture to Kurt. He grinned, “Well as I live and breathe, SFC Andrew Stuart slightly potted. Wonder who the girl is?”

“That’s the second thing I want to know. Get Andy on the land line and ask him to come down here. Keep it quiet if you can.”

Andrew Stuart

I had just started thawing out and Tim was just finishing checking out the new gear when the call came in. “Damn, I was just ready to go up to the house; now they want me at the Lab quiet like.”

Tim grinned, “What was it you said, ‘No good deed goes unpunished’, seems like that has come home to roost.”

“Tim, one of these these days; one of these days.” As I reached the door, I heard the laughter peeling behind me. As I reached the Lab I walked in saying, “There had better be a cup of coffee here!”

Mariana was standing in the back corner with a large mug in her hand waving me over.

“Keep it down,” she said, “would you please explain this?”

I took the offered photo and had to grin. “Shit, where did you get this, that’s old Tommy Moore and the Sabra he married.”

Mariana stared, “Sabra, and why is she hanging on you?”

I grinned, “Well, I was single. A Sabra is a native born Israeli. This was ten years before I meet you, it was the night before we went Op-Secure for Second Tehran. She was the waitress and the tab was in my name. Next question and I repeat; where did you get this? Kurt said you had two problems, what’s the second?”

It was Mariana’s turn to grin, “Well, I have the kid who had this photo who claims the guy on the left is his Father. He also claims that his Dad told him to give his true name only to the guy on the right. Funny though he thinks that guy is dead. Second I have a middle eastern looking guy who gave me that old Mossad first level code you gave me.”

“Well, the easy one first. I’ll turn my back and finish this coffee, you bring in the man who passed you the code and let me play it.” With that I went to work on the mug of coffee. It took about three minutes when I heard a scuffling sound behind me, then the voice of Kurt “Colonel” I dropped the mug and spun and in one smooth motion grabbed the guy by the collar and stop cocked the defensive swing.

“Pop Quiz, asshole. Timed count. What sees all, knows all and rules the fracking night? Five, four.” At that point he croaked, “Mossad.” I set him down, “OK kid, I don’t know anything past the second level code. You stay here till our resident expert on the resistance gets here. My XO Ground is the resident guru. Till then, try not to get in trouble. He’s yours CPT.”

“Now Mariana, untie the other kid and let’s see what happens when I take him by surprise.”

Mariana disappeared around the corner and about four minutes later, Sally looked back and waved. I went around the corner with my best Hammer of God look on my face. The kid was setting on the edge of the table and looked up. Then he caught us all off guard.

He jumped up off that table and locked his heels and snapped the best salute I had ever seen a Goonie give.

“Sir, Robert Thomas Stephan Moore reporting, Sir!”

His eyes were as wide as saucers and Mariana was giving me the sign that said he was not lying. “And how did you get that name Maggot?”

“Sir, Robert for Robert Louis Stevenson, Thomas for my Father, Stephan for my Mothers Father and Moore because that’s who I fracking am!”

“Not only that asshole,” I replied, “you are the absolute spiting fracking image of Tommy Moore the week after he graduated Boot. Mariana please record for the Council.” I waited till she signaled ready.

“Kid, here is how it is going to be. We are going straight to Ft. Stuart from here. You will get into civilian clothes ASAP. You will present yourself to my new Intelligence Analyst, as soon as she accepts the job; as her Military Advisor, you will keep your ass low for at least two years. You will blend into the background until everyone trusts you like I do. Understood recruit?”

He snapped even tighter, “Sir, Yes Sir.”

“Mariana, please inform the Council that I personally vouch for him. I owe his Father. Anyone who cares to dispute that is welcome to meet me for Coffee and Pistols at Dawn!” With that I grabbed the kid and drug him out.

Kurt looked at Mariana, “Guess that picture meant a hell of a lot?”

Mariana grinned, “I want to hear that story. It has to be a good one.”

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Colony: Alchibah is a science fiction blog novel.
Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental. Probably.

All Contents (written or photo/artwork) not attributed to other sources is
Copyright (C) 2006 - 2011 by Jeff Soyer. All rights reserved.