Carla had no tactical reason for leaving her spot, but sitting in a tree for hours on end is pretty damn monotonous, not to mention tough on the legs.

"We gonna take whoever these suckers are down, then?"

"We better. The simple matter is, nobody messes with family. Which, considering the personalities you saw show up at the house, is pretty ironic. Ah well, they started it," Artis babbles.

"If I get to put a decker or two down today, I'll be happy. People better learn that if you wave a baseball bat at god, you get your ass lit up."

Jessica's voice comes back in over the headset radios.

"Goose, please confirm pickup."

"Pickup confirmed. You need anything while I'm out?"

"A few Recon Marines to cover my rear, perhaps. Other than that, just get Osprey here. I'd like to have everybody back at their posts when the excrement impacts the ventilation device."

Mestre Trainstation, 19:00

The Team in position, Ayumi and Jess find the package as indicated by the previous phone call from Liz. Inside are the following contents.

-A Flash Memory Stick
-A cel-phone SIM card.
-A type-written message,

Insert the SIMM card into your phone. On the address book, speed-dial "Travel Agent".

As Jess briefly fumbles with her phone, she considers calling up Nightengale, Harry, anyone, have the phonecall traced, call in another strike team, request police support, ask for tasers or tear gas...

Then she realises that the kid gloves are off.

Having finished the modification, she dials the number.

You could have gotten away with it, Liz. You could have gotten out of it alive. But there's rules, lady, and you've broken them. So don't come cryin' to me when we hurt you. You have nobody to blame but yourself.

(Edited by Gatac at 5:44 pm on Mar. 18, 2004)

The phone number is answer after a few rings, it sounds like Liz.

I will assume this is who it should be. You are to go to the Parco Piraghetto, 2km east of the trainstation. There is tunneled underpass that links up the two sides of the park. Be there in 5 minutes. You may bring one bodyguard and your driver.

*Click*

(Edited by Dieter at 10:24 am on Mar. 24, 2004)

Well, there goes our preparation.

Jess pockets the phone, then waves to Ayumi.

"New location, same assholes. You coming?"

"Fuck yes, Jess. Let's kill some people."

Time to pay off some family debts.

Four Minutes and twenty-seven seconds later...

The Mustang roars into the park and down into a small valley-like area when its lights shine upon the aforementioned underpass.

Two vehicles are seen, one directly in front of the tunneled entrance and the other at opposite end of the underpass. Carla picks out the license plate of SUV, remembering it from the convoy parked in front of the villa. With a small bit of assumption, the Ferrari is no doubt the one that exited the villa grounds early this evening.

Jess stares at the scene, then grabs her case.

"Ayumi, you're with me. Carla, get your SAW and get in firing position. Art...well, prepare some of that 'half speed' for a getaway."

Ayumi and Jess get out of the Mustang as Carla prepares her SAW for some suppressive fire. Artis impatiently waits to unfurl his car's weaponry on the baddies.

Exiting from the passenger-side doors are Ivan (from the front seat) and a burly goonish man. Ivan motions for Ayumi and Jess to come closer.

"Strastwitje, Ivan. I believe you have a package for us."

"Spasibo. Ochen rad chto u tebya vsyo khorosho. In all the excitment that you weren't injured in the earlier incident. Your friend's brother is in back of truck..."

Ivan's paternal mood is unsettling at best. Beads of sweat precipitate on the stout Russian's brow, reflected by the carlights as it trickles down the side of his face.

He gets up close to Jess, whispering in her ear.

Prastite.

Jess nods, then whispers back.

"Ja panemaju. Just keep out of my way."

She turns to Ayumi.

"Check the van."

Finally, she turns to the other man, smiling.

"I believe you see the case I am holding. It is my insurance, my Pandora's Box. When it opens, bad things come out - so let's both play nice, and we won't have to sample it's poison. Tui panimajesch?"

Ivan laughs at Jess' remarks.

"Hahaha! You must have Russian in your blood. Vladimir, show the woman her brother..."

Reluctantly letting her by, Ayumi moves past the goon and towards the back of the Mercedes. The henchman opens the back gate, revealing a battered and beaten Kenji...and a man with drawn SMG arched over the back seat. He fires at Ayumi just as the waiting Ferrari's lights come to life and charges through the underpass heading towards the impending crime scene.

Ayumi takes a rather nasty gunshot to her arm as she tries to dodge out of th hail of bullets.

(Edited by Dieter at 4:56 pm on Mar. 24, 2004)

Jess sidesteps out of Carla's LOS, drops the case onto the ground and draws her MP7, levelling it at Ivan.

"On the ground, now!"

Light 'em up, Falconet.

Jess completely throws Ivan off-guard and seeing how she could have easily cut him down with her weapon, he raises his hands and drops down to his knees.

Carla exits the Mustang, dropping to a prone position with SAW in toe. An eruption of automatic gunfire barks at the Mercedes and Ferrari.

The SAW cuts a swathe of 7.62mm death and destruction as Carla strafes a low trajectory path across the Mercedes. Both run-flat tires exhale compressed air with bullets shredding the aforementioned goon's legs and punching holes into the SUV's armored body.

Twin LMGs unveil themselves from the Mustang's front body, spinning up and sending a heavy stream of tracer marked doom towards the Ferrari. The Italian musclecar lights up with a fury of sparks and sundered metal as it speeds towards Artis...its own guns revealing themselves to the Wheelman.