Jessica sees her opportunity to act and moves in, tackling Elka with a shoulder spear. Funny thing about bathrooms, the non-skid floor is always nothing but...

She gets almost to the kung-fu duo and slips on a wet tile...no worse for wear, but she now has a run in her stockings.

Jakob grimaces in pain and attempts to regain his composure, just as Elka and Martina look at eachother and get the wild notion of clotheslining Jakob with their cuffs. The idea goes awry as they realize that, when standing up, Jakob is at least a full head taller than either of them.

As everyone goes about their activities in the bar...whether that be drinking, carousing, or getting kicked in the head...everyone's text messenger goes off.

Team, your cover at the bar has been compromised. Report to the SUV outside...A

(Edited by Dieter at 1:00 pm on June 26, 2002)

Jessica gets up and attempt to get her bearings while Jakob lays the smacketh down on their candy-asses. He punches Elka with a solid blow to the face and a splatter of blood on the mirror behind her, finishing off his attack with a big elbow to Martina which misses by a mile.

Elka definitely felt Jakob's punch but goes for the oldie, but goodie...neck chop/knee-to-the-groin combo. The chop fails to wind the mighty Jakob and he was ready for the ball-shot this time. As he readies his next attack, Martina unexpectedly goes for his gun-rig, simultaneously yoinking and shooting Jakob's pistol. The shot hits him but fortunately is stopped by his vest.

Jessica, finally coming to her senses, can clearly see that Martina now has full possession of Jakob's silenced pistol.

At this point the bathroom has cleared out leaving the foursome to their fighting.

Jessica goes for try number 2 at tackling Elka. Restrategizing the situation, she goes for a simple bullrush at her, which sends Elka's head and torso backwards, smashing hard into the mirror.

(Math equation: Blunt injury + Shards of sharp glass = negative fun)

With Elka's back cut up all to hell, doubled with the concussion of the blow, she's out for the count. Which leaves only one opponent for Jakob.

He goes for an arm-bar/knee-to-the-solarplexus combo. Jakob's grapple attempt fails as Martina manages to slither out of his grip, but not before she takes a knee to the gut. The blow is solid, but still doesn't prevent her from taking a couple of shots at him. Two shell casings land on the floor as yet another bullet impacts against Jakob's vest with the other richocheting off the faux-marble sinks.

Jessica looks at the struggling couple,

How pathetic...would someone just fall so I can leave?

Checking his pager, Artis grabs the bottle and subtlely exits the establishment. Parked across the street adjacent to The Spy Bar is the Agency SUV. Sitting in the driver's seat is Anja.

She nods over to Artis with the "get over here!" look.

I walk slowly over to the SUV. I take a swig and ask, "I didn't know you cared. Are Elka and Martina joining us later?"

Ask, and ye shall receive.

As Artis asks the out of the ordinary question, something just as strange is seen walking out of the club. Anja has the boldface look of "What the fuck?"

Jakob walks past Artis, bumping him hard (very much on purpose) carrying the two women over his shoulders, then slamming them on the car's hood while fixing a gaze on Artis. He gives Anja the look of "Just start the fucking car."

Walking by the driver's side, Jakob says

"Long story short, these people are liabilities. I'll explain later."

He then takes a headcount....Artis (check), Jessica (check). Gavin comes stumbling out a moment later, but no Harry.

"Fuck..."

Jakob opens up the back gate and dumps the two chicks in the back.

"You two (glaring at Jess and Artis), get in the fucking car and stay there."

He then walks up to Anja.

"I count three, that leaves that other American still inside. I'll go find him."

About 20 minutes later, as the police and EMS show up...Jakob is seen leaving the club alone. Flashing some sort of badge to get past the police line, walks over to the SUV and gets into the front passenger seat. He then looks at Anja.

-I could not find him. Philpott is going to have our asses.
-Well, three out of four is not bad.
-All things considered, I think we did OK.
-So much for the reassignment to Hawaii.
-Yeah, so much for that. Let's go back to the hotel.

"Yeah, God forbid the Hat's out having fun somewhere," I complain. At least the assassin women get better and better looking... Those goons at the airport just didn't do it for me...

"Oh, might I ask just what the hell did I do to deserve huge, blond, and stupid's emnity?"

As Anja peels out of the area, she looks back at Artis through the rear-view mirror.

"Oh, don't mind Jakob, he just gets a bit edgy when he actually has to do his job."

Jakob grimaces as he examines his wounds.

"Screw you, woman...you didn't just take two bullets in the chest."

Anja sighs and rolls her eyes.

"Just suck it up...you big baby. Did they go through your vest...then why are you complaining?!"

"....just drive the car Anja, head for the safehouse in Djurgarden. Our ladies in the back won't be unconscious for much longer."

Anja speeds out of town and out towards what looks like a small cottage built on a peninsula.

One of the two women starts to stir in the back of the SUV. Artis notices this fact and promptly smacks her head into the wheelwell.

Anja pulls into a gravel driveway and parks the car in front of the cottage.

"We should be safe here, but I'm calling in some backup just in case your infamy follows us."

Jakob gets out of the SUV with a roll of duct tape in his hands, binds and gags the women, then carries them through the front door of the cottage. Anja follows closely behing and whips out her phone.

"It's me. The yearlings have been preyed upon again, recommend increasing to Alert Status 3. Understood, will do...(putting away her phone then looking at the team) Alright, let's get inside and try and figure all this crap out. Nightengale is on his way, he should be here in a hour."

Djurgarden Safehouse 2:24am

As Gavin sits watch outside, the outline of a helicopter against the Stockholm skyline can be seen nearing the cottage. Jakob steps outside and speaks to him,

"That should be the boss. Man, this is not going to be fun."

The helicopter lands about 50 yards from the cottage, with three men in suits exiting from the sliding back door. Gavin immediately recognizes Philpott, but the other two are strangers. Philpott walks intently towards the cottage, greeting Jakob and Gavin with his typical good etiquette, then addressing Jakob.

"Let's go inside. I'm very interested to see why you and Anja felt the need to wake me up from a very sound sleep."

Everyone goes inside as one of Philpott's men stays with him and the other goes into the kitchen to put the kettle on. Philpott sits takes off his jacket, sits down at the dining room table, then takes a look around at everyone.

"I'm counting five agents, where is Agent Nighthawk?"

Anja begins to tell Philpott of how/why things went down the way they did, starting with Artis' encounter with the smackhead-ninja to Jakob taking out the trash and why two females lay bound and unconscious on the cottage floor.

Philpott seems level-headed during the entire re-telling of the story, sighing slightly before commenting.

"Indeed. It would seem that trouble seems to find you no matter where I send you. No matter. Jakob and Anja, take our two lady-friends upstairs and question them...see what exactly their plans were for Agent Goose. What can't be explained is how you lost an entire agent. Do any of you (looking at the team) know what may have happened to Agent Nighthawk?"

"No idea, I shadowed Goose for the entire duration of our stay there."

"Last I'd seen, he was off dancing with a woman that we'd met at the hat shop near the hotel. American, skinny, black hair."

Might be in the business, too. She's certainly good-looking enough for it.

((OOC: D'oh, that's right...))

Philpott leans back heavy into his chair, taking a long sip of tea then stirs it for a good 30 seconds.

"Hmmm. And you and Agent Nighthawk didn't feel the need to report such a suspicious person to Anja or Jakob. Nighthawk I could possibly overlook since he obviously was entranced by this temptress, but you Agent Heron, should have been a bit more wary of her coincidental appearance. Come up with a good description of this woman and I'll sense it to the Agency profilers."

About 10 minutes later, Anja comes down the stairs, followed by Jakob...wiping off his hands and face, with Philpott taken a bit aback.

P: What happened?!
A: Things got a bit out of hand.
P: I can see that by the blood Jakob is wiping off him
A: They went crazy sir....just (lip quivering)....crazy
J: She is right sir, the two just starting going nuts. Not in a scared or reactive kind of way...they just...well, went nuts....I...I...I had no choice. Come look for yourself.
A: Yes, please do sir.

Philpott waves them back upstairs, gesturing for the team to accompany him.

Jakob opens the bedroom door, displaying a fairly grisly scene. Philpott stops the procession and looks back at Jessica.

"Dear, you may want to stand outside...I read your last psych-profile."

In the room lays the two battered bodies of the female seductresses, each apparently were handcuffed to the cast-iron headboard of a bed. Both are also double-tapped in the forehead and chest. The wierdest part is that they apparently were willing to rip off their cuffs at the cost of breaking their wrists...their wrists being rubbed raw, bloody, and dislocated. One appears to have wriggled a hand of one of the cuffs while the other looking about ready to free herself as well. At this point, as the chilling scene sinks in, Jakob interrupts the sullen mood.

"...Like I said, I had no choice. God knows what they could have done."

Gavin looks suitably chastised. At least Nighthawk has a better track record on taking care of himself, he thinks.

"Well," he announces to no one in particular, "I wonder when our real vacation starts."

Philpott resumes his normal placid look,

"There will have to be a full toxicology and autopsy done on these two. I've been in the business for 25 years and this is perhaps in the top five of the most bizarre things I've seen on duty. Anja, you know who to call."

Anja pulls out her phone and begins dialing.

Dammit. I hate calling these people...they freak me out.

"Errmmm yes. Albatross here, D7 please. Eh...hello? Hi. I ermm have an incident here that requires immediate attention. Uh, yes...uh, two bod---I mean subjects. Nightengale recommends the full treatment of the subjects. Uh...no...the principles are OK. Great, thanks...I guess. Albatross out."

Anja puts away her phone and addresses Philpott.

"A team from Department 7 should be here in 30 minutes."

(OOC: Assuming Gavin gave Philpott a description of the lady at the hat shop somewhere between then and now)

Philpott's look is of some slight relief, but still in deep thought when his phone rings.

"Nightengale. You do? Excellent. Good work, Nightengale out. (gesturing to the team) If everyone will come downstairs. Anja and Jakob, stay with the bodies until D7 arrives."

Philpott and the team walk downstairs. He plugs his phone into a docking port in the table.

"D3 was able to determine Agent Nighthawk's apparent captor. (shows holographic image) Her name is Hanna Decker, better known as Typhoid Hanna. Her MO is coaxing unsuspecting agents into her lair where her husband (think something on the lines of Stone Cold Steve Austin) Michael Decker uses various torture devices to extract any and all info that they in turn can sell on the open market. According to D3, they have been working out of St.Petersburg, Russia. Mr.Decker's connections as a former enforcer to the local crime syndicate offer them a certain degree of immunity and protection....Questions?"

"Just one. How long will it take to summon a rescue squad and localize them ?"

"It's being plotted out as we speak. I'm putting you three on the next flight to St. Petersburg. As for their location, D3 has their position narrowed down to a 2-block radius of the city. They shouldn't be too hard to find since these Hanna is a terrible creature of habit. Hanna needs her daily sugar fix, so she's usually at the local market every morning."

"Ask the squad to stuff a lemon down her throat for me."