From: timk@tdkcs.waterloo.on.ca (Timothy D. Kuehn)
Subject: "The Rest of the Story" (was Re: A Dream For You)
Date: Wed, 7 Dec 1994 21:27:13 GMT

In article <D0Cx6x.40v@maunakea.Data-IO.COM> li@Data-IO.COM (Phyllis Rostykus) writes:
>Dedicated to Mark, and actually kinda for him, for getting my writing
>flowing again.
>
>This isn't polished for publication, it's just for the fun of posting
>something fun and intense that popped into my head one dark, Seattle winter
>night.  I hate the fact that it's pitch black at 4pm, and still dark when I
>get up... except for dreams like these...
>
>On with the stories,
>Phyllis

After I read this story, I thought to myself how well this'd make a decent
foundation to write a further short-story around. So I did. And then sent
it to Phyllis, who has since informed me that it doesn't quite fit in with
what she was thinking of in either the pre or post-part of the story.
(Seems I'm addicted to these "Big Team" type stories with all sorts of
characters running around and lots of stuff happening, while her idea
was something a bit more subtle.)

But it's neat, and she didn't mind as long as I posted the appropriate
disclaimers (ie, *I* wrote this w/out consultation with her, all errors,
etc. are mine)

SOOOO --- consider this as something that's taken place in an alternate
parallel universe, since doubtless she'll take -her- story in whatever
direction she see fit. And you'll have to wait and see what she comes
up with!


But for now, enough administrivia. Enjoy!
Tim Kuehn
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

>Dedicated to Mark, and actually kinda for him, for getting my writing
>flowing again.

And to both Phyllis (and apparently indirectly) Mark, for giving
me something to write around and try to wake up my rusting literary
skills. :-) All quoted text is Phyliss's, anything unquoted is my
humble addition to her efforts. (I hope she doesn't mind me doing
this too much. :)

>This isn't polished for publication, it's just for the fun of posting
>something fun and intense that popped into my head one dark, Seattle winter
>night.  I hate the fact that it's pitch black at 4pm, and still dark when I
>get up... except for dreams like these...

Well, it's not pitch black here, but with all the doors and windows
closed in my basement 'lab', it would seem that way.

>On with the stories,
>Phyllis
>--------------
>Background 'just know it' information was that you'd been off on a
>mission, a nasty one that had cost us friends and while you had finished
>off the mission, it had hurt.  I was there to pick you up to bring you to
>HQ.  'There' being the SeaTac airport...
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

And part of what follows is "The Rest Of The Story."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

The SecFor leader keyed her mic.  "All units, report in." In sequence the
units reported, "GoldGreenIndigoOrange."

Red One checked her timepiece. If the information Praxis'd told her with
his dying breath was correct, the 'Company' would show up in the next hour
or so. Unbidden, a tear came to her eye which she quickly brushed away.
There would be plenty of time for grieving later.

			*	*	*

The Company's arrival was announced by alarm klaxons shrilling within
the compound. Senses hightened, she resisted the urge to join the search
for the intruders and held her position. Now that the perimeter had been
breached, it was all the more important to remain at their posts and keep
their unbidden visitors from getting away.

			*	*	*

Inside the complex, the four remaining Company agents were scrambling
through its back halls, desperate for a way out. They were running out
of both C-4 and agents, which meant that if they didn't make it out of
the building soon they'd be trapped in the high-security section they'd
been chased into.

			*	*	*

	"Indigo one, report!" said Red One.

	"Indigo one, clear."

			*	*	*

A lucky happenstance in a high-ranking officer's room yielded both an
updated complex map and some additional firepower, which in turn gave
the Company agents additional hope they'd make it home alive.

A door here, a hallway there, and all that seperated them from the motor
pool was two lone sentries. Swift hand signals were exchanged, and they
deployed. Each sentry was targeted by two Company agents. Then, as one,
they fired. Both sentries crumpled to the ground in silence.

			*	*	*

	"Orange one, report!"

Silence.

	"Orange one, report!"

Silently cursing, Red One mashed the hummvee's accellerator while the TOW
gunner and Red Three and Four snapped off the safeties on their respective
weapons while Red One ordered Green squad to the motor pool.

			*	*	*

Having cleared the sentries the Company team fanned out in search of an
appropriate vehicle to get away in. In short order a armored personnel
carrier with the door open was their choice. The agents swiftly clambered
aboard, only to discover that there was no key in the ignition. Without
hesitation Company Four bent down and reached behind the control panel to
hotwire the vehicle. As she did so the other agents took up defensive
positions in the vehicle's windows.

			*	*	*

Green squad had just arrived at the motor pool when they heard the APC
engine roar. Quickly they darted into the building and fired where their
only APC was always parked, and had the satisfaction of seeing one enemy
agent crumple under assault. The body slowly fell toward the ground as the
vehicle lurched forward, and then further out as the APC headed through the
compound. Someone inside the vehicle managed to return fire and force Green
squad to cover, which was fine for them as a approaching hummvee was already
converging on the departing APC.

			*	*	*

Having driven the enemy under cover for the time being, Company Two
grabbed the wounded squad leader's shirt and pulled, but to no avail.
As bullets zipped past, the squad leader's body continued slipping out
the door, and despite Company Two's frantic efforts, Company One fell
completely out as the APC took a heavy lurch over the uneven ground.

			*	*	*

Red One's TOW gunner set the night sights on the fleeing APC's rear armor
panel and pulled the trigger. The bright flash of launch was almost
immediately followed by that of detonation as the rocket took out the top
left-rear quarter of the APC. The APC veared sharply to the right and Red
One couldn't help but admire the way the driver managed to keep the severely
damaged vehicle from flipping completely out of control.

			*	*	*

The rocket's detonation chewed Company Three to small pieces and sent body
parts splattering around the insides of the APC. It also threw Company Two
backwards into the front seat where he spent the next few moments trying to
extricate himself as the APC bucked and rocked while Company Four valiantly
struggled against the now rebellous controls.

			*	*	*

Red One signalled her TOW gunner to cease fire. The APC wouldn't be going
anywhere fast in that condition, and if they could take some live prisoners,
all the better. In the back, Red Three and Four took up positions to cover
the fleeing APC.

			*	*	*

The grim look on Company Four's face told Company Two that the APC wasn't
going to last too much longer. Looking around for a defensible position,
he spotted what looked like an abandoned building through the woods. One
signal to the driver was all it took to alter course for the structure.

Resisting the urge to gag over the gore left by Company Three's remains,
Company Two then scrounged around in the back of the APC and found some
rocket-propelled grenades. While there were only two of them, they might
prove sufficent in the balance. He had unpacked them and was making his
way back to the front of the APC when the engine died and the vehicle
lurched to a halt.

Without a word between them, Company Four jumped out of the vehicle and
disappeared into the darkened structure while Company Two stayed behind
in the APC.
			*	*	*

As she had expected, Red One saw the APC stop clear of the abandoned
operations center. Then somebody jump out and headed into it's darkened
structure as their hummvee approached. As she slowed in approaching the
APC and building, Red Three and Four cleared the vehicle and took up
covering positions next to it.

			*	*	*

Inside the APC, Company Two's static-filled earpiece went silent, then
back to static again. Company Four was in position and ready. Company Two
broke static in response, and moments later a streak of flame pierced the
evening darkness as a RPG streaked from the building and impacted on the
slowing hummvee's windshield. Company Two's RPG followed a moment later and
impacted on the vehicle's front.

			*	*	*

Red One could remember almost stopping near the old ops center when a
streak of flame appeared from the building, and then nothingness. Oddly
enough, there seemed to be voices off in the distance.

	"No movement out here," said a male voice.

	"Cover me," replied a female voice.

Dully, Red One felt around for her personal sidearm while she struggled
to open her eyes. One eye refused to respond, while the other could barely
discern anything other than stars. She had barely managed to bring the
sidearm to her chest when the stars were blotted out by a dark void. With
her last surge of waning energy, Red One tilted the pistol in the direction
of the void and fired.

			*	*	*

Company Two was looking through the hole where the hummvee's windshield
had been, first at the darkened form in the driver's seat, then at the
mangled remains of the TOW gunner in the back when the pistol shot rang
out. As Company Four crumpled behind the far side of the hummvee, Company
Two made sure the bodies behind the driver's seat and the TOW gunner's
were dead just to make sure of no other surprises. Quickly traversing the
hummvee, Company Two made his way to Company Four. Her shirt was soaked
in dark blood, and she was already coughing up blood from a lung wound.

	"I'm done for," wheezed Company Four. "You've got to get the
	information back to HQ. Leave me here."

	"Like hell I will," replied Company Two as he moved to pick
	her up. "We're leaving here together."

	"No," replied Company Four as she coughed up more blood and
	weakly struggled against Company Two's grip. With a ragged
	voice she continued "You *have* to get back with the info,
	*cough* or all this will be for nothing."

Even though Company Four's logic was irrefutable, there was still a part
of Company Two which didn't want to abandon a long-time partner and friend
to death alone on such a dark night. But if she was to go, it wasn't going
to be alone.  Working swiftly, Company Two dismounted the TOW launcher from
the hummvee and brought it to the ground. After setting Company Four against
the hummvee's flattened wheel, he loaded the launcher, then pressed the unit
into her feebled hands. Finally the far off sound of approaching hummvees
combined with Company Four's feebled pleas of "Please, go" convinced him it
was time to leave, and reluctantly he faded into the dark woods.

			*	*	*

Five minutes later Company Two was making his way through the darkened woods
to the pickup point when he heard the muted sound of ripping air followed by
a dull 'thud' followed by an answering ripping sound and 'thud', then finally
small arms fire.

	"Goodbye," whispered Company Two with a stifled sob.

			*	*	*

In another location, darkened forms met around a solid wooden table.
	
	"Are you sure of this?" asked one voice.

	"We have confirmed a Company infiltration from the appropriate
	sources," replied another voice. "Apparently only one member
	of the infiltration team survived, and is presently headed back
	home. Our opponent has learned about this and has dispatched a
	hit squad to take him out. We haven't been able to ascertain the
	time or location of where they intend to make the hit."

Silence permeated the room. The, the first voice spoke again.

	"Make sure he gets home alive. Take whatever measures are
	necessary to assist him, but do not, under any circumstances,
	reveal our involvement. With luck and a little assistance,
	maybe the Company'll do the work for us in this matter."

	"Dismissed."

			*	*	*

On the flight home, Company Two barely remembered evading the enemy
troops in the woods, or making the pickup point and being helevac'd
out by the silenced chopper.

	<<Six in, one out,>> thought Company Two to himself.
	<<This information had better be worth it.>>

			*	*	*

>I waited for you at the gate, my back against one of the concrete pillars
>that lined the hallway.  I watched the holiday flow of folks with a
>friendly smile, but I was still watching them, watching the flows, seeing
>the solitary ones and marking them, automatically.  It wasn't conscious, it
>just was as natural as breathing and felt just as necessary.  Some big guy
>smiled back at me, only seeing a pretty girl with long, muscular legs in
>black leggings and a low cut, blue leather jacket.  I wondered idly what
>he would think if I showed him what was under the jacket.  I broke eye
>contact before he turned towards me.  He kept going.
>
>Folks started coming off the plane.  I spotted you well down the walkway.
>You looked like nothing more than a scruffy, smallish man with long, dark
>blond hair and a goatee. You looked exhausted, though.  The tails of your
>trench didn't fly worth a darn.  Your shoulders were slumped a bit, and
>your stance was tired and from it I could also tell that you had, somehow,
>persuaded airport security to let you keep your piece.  I laughed softly,
>kinda admiring and amused; but then I thought another beat and realized
>something, somewhere was still bothering you, tickling some sense of yours
>that you might need it.  I shook my head.  Looked like you hadn't on the
>flight, but always better to work with those feelings than not.

			*	*	*

Fireclaw One and Two had barely gotten the assigment in enough time to
make it to the airport before the target's airplane arrived. With careful
precision they had silently assembled their gear, then without a word driven
to the airport. Before leaving their vehicle they checked their weapons to
make sure everything was as it should be. Niether one had to mention that
in a crowded place like SeaTac it was a suicide run, so they both wanted
their last assignment to keep their unblemished record intact.

Carefully the duo tried to appear like any other harried tourist as they
made their way for the arrival gate. As they approached Fireclaw Two spotted
their quarry, and wordlessly tapped Fireclaw One on the arm. By silent
consent the duo slowed in order to give themselves more time to plan their
move, during which their target met and embraced a female in a blue leather
jacket.

			*	*	*

>You spotted me.  A feeling ran through me, a feeling that warmed me
>through, as your face lit up on seeing me.  I saw something similar soften
>your eyes.  I smiled and half impatiently walked forward to hug you.  You
>dropped your bags and came to me and buried your face in my shoulder...
>and we hugged close and *tight*.  We automatically compensated for where
>our pieces hung. We were both shaking slightly.
>
>You started crying, softly.  While I really wanted to just hold you and
>comfort you, we were directly in the stream of off-loading people and my
>back felt terribly exposed.  I tugged you gently in the direction of one
>of the short sections of wall in front of the floor to ceiling windows.
>You nodded, let go, and picked up your bags, still crying silently, and we
>moved to the other side of the short wall.

			*	*	*

When the target and his woman disappeared behind one of those short walls
randomly sprinkled around larger airports, Fireclaw team's plan was decided
for them. When one looked at the other, the only exchange they had was when
one said "left" and the other said "right, thirty seconds" after which they
parted company and made their way to opposite sides of the wall.

			*	*	*

>I tugged at your hand and said, softly, "Sit down..."
>
>You sat and I sat kinda around you.  My left leg supporting your back, my
>right under your knees and I pulled you close to me.  You put your right
>arm inside, against my front, and you curled up and started just crying
>softly on my left shoulder.  I held you close and kissed you on your hair
>and watched the bright reflections in the glass opposite me.  The rain was
>falling outside, a misting curtain under the spot lights lighting the
>unloading of the plane.
>
>Slowly, the storm of your tears passed.  You sniffled and gave me a wry
>grin as I pulled out a couple of crumpled but clean tissues from the
>pocket of my blue leather jacket.

			*	*	*

Fireclaw One consulted his timepiece. 28...29...30 seconds had passed.
With practiced smoothness Fireclaw One pulled out his pistol and moved
around the corner of the wall, hands holding the pistol fully extended
in a cup and saucer hold, and fired targeting chest height.

			*	*	*

>The blurred arc of a barrel to the left.  I turned.  You moved as well,
>but instead of trying to turn around, you placed your body so that it was
>cover for mine and ducked your head to protect your hearing and clear my
>line of sight.  Luckily, he hadn't made a pass to see where we were.  He
>assumed we were standing.  He fired, first, over our heads.
>
>I took him in the middle of the chest, in no mood to play.

			*	*	*

On hearing the second report after Fireclaw One's shot, Fireclaw Two knew
that Fireclaw One had failed, and that he would have to finish the job.
With the same professionalism of Fireclaw One he moved low around the
corner, aimed, and fired where he was certain that if he didn't hit
something vital, it would at least disable the target long enough so he
could finish the job.

			*	*	*

>I caught the
>blur out of the corner of my eye and met your eyes straight on as your
>head came up and you were drawing as I ducked my head and moved the small
>angle to give you cover.  I wished that I'd at least been able to tell you
>that I loved you when the bullet hit me in the back... and spattered you
>with my blood.
>
>Nothing showed on your face as you finished the draw and fired before my
>body could fall against yours.  It had that completely blank look, the
>mask of concentration.  You braced well for when I fell against you,
>keeping your arm free.  That's about when I started hearing screaming and
>an alarm or two.  When no further targets appeared you put the 9mm on
>the ground next to you.  You then supported my upper body and helped me
>lie back 'cause my stomach muscles weren't working.  You checked the
>wound.  When your face didn't change I knew it was bad.
>
>The bullet was through my right side.  My whole side was just numb.  The
>exit hole was far nastier than the entrance, of course, and I started
>getting shocky.  You put your trench over me to help keep me warm and
>kissed me.  I tried kissing back but didn't know if you even felt it
>because I was shaking so hard.
>
>Security came.  Your Agency badge got them scrambling.  An ambulance team
>showed up.  Things kinda blurred for me when they started putting needles
>and tubes into me.  Everything flared with pain when they picked me up and
>it felt like they pitched me onto the gurney.  Your slender hand slipped
>into mine and I held on.  I remember the lights going by at regular
>intervals.  I think I closed my eyes then 'cause the only link to the rest
>of the world was through your hand.  Like usual, I shut everything down to
>shut out the pain, but I worked to keep that link with you.
>
>They must have given us some trouble at the security gate or something,
>'cause I heard you just laying into someone or someones at one point and
>we were stopped.  I wasn't thinking too clearly, but I really remember the
>low level, non-verbal feeling and strange sorrow that rage always took you
>further from me.  So I squeezed your hand, lightly.  I heard your voice
>break and you squeezed back, and maybe something on your face convinced
>whomever you were talking to or something, 'cause we started moving
>again... fast.
>
>Sirens and flashing lights and bumps that made me gasp and then cough
>something thin and salty sweet into my mouth.  I was also having some
>trouble breathing, like asthma but worse.  Through it all, the cool, hard
>touch of your slender hand in mine, and, occasionally the soft touch of
>your lips on my fingers.  You spoke about who the couple had been, loose
>ends from your mission that were now tied up with finality.  You cursed
>yourself for not having watched your back more closely.  I just closed my
>hand, hard, on yours at that point and you stopped cursing yourself.
>
>The ambulance stopped.  The clash of the doors opening, and another jolt
>that made me hang onto your hand as they pulled the gurney out of the
>ambulance.  Soft voices, the sharp scent of antiseptic and a rush of
>brightnesses seen as slightly brighter reds behind my eyelids... and then
>the agony of being moved from the gurney to a table, where I just *held*
>onto you for dear life...
>
>Your hand started to leave mine.  I think I was slightly ashamed when I
>cried out, but you stayed.  I struggled to open my eyes, and finally got a
>look at the operating theater.  It was the familiar Company operating
>theater and I relaxed, security here was good.  One more thing.  I kept my
>eyes open until I met yours.
>
>"You're gonna make it." you said to me, fiercely.
>
>I tried to nod and saw your eyes lighten again.  I managed to quirk the
>corner of my lip up, and you kissed the quirk gently.
>
>"Now, go to sleep and let 'em patch you?" you said and I closed my eyes
>and relaxed.  You said a soft heh that made me want to smile at you again,
>but I didn't have the energy.  I never felt your hand leave mine.
>
>When I woke up in the convalescence room, you were holding my hand.  You
>also had your head and arms on my bed, against my left side, and were
>deeply asleep, still in your coat and the clothes I had seen you come off
>the plane in.
>
>For a moment, with your face relaxed and soft with sleep, you looked like
>a little boy, one hand clutching the top blanket against your cheek.  You
>must have had a chance to wash up 'cause I didn't see any blood on your
>face anymore.  Then your eyes opened.  I am never entirely used to seeing
>the startling grey-blue of your eyes, especially when they're completely
>focused on me.  It made my breath catch even a bit more than the bandages
>and stitches made it catch.  I grinned back at you, around the tube in my
>mouth.
>
>First things first.  The most unoriginal words in the world, funny how
>they're sometimes so important to say.  I squeezed your hand and around
>the tube, I said softly, "Lub eew."
>
>You laughed softly and started crying again.  Carefully you let go of my
>hand, leaned over me and hugged me gently, "Love you, too."
>
>-----
>Copyright 1994 by Phyllis L. Rostykus.  Permission granted for distribution
>via the usual Usenet channels and for archival.  All other rights reserved.
>--
>Liralen Li           | "Looking down on empty streets, all she can see are
>li@inigo.Data-IO.com |  the dreams all made solid, are the dreams made real."
>aka Phyllis Rostykus |  - "Mercy Street" by Peter Gabriel