Chapter 56

Flashback – Ben – Undisclosed location

Jack pointed to a target on the map and suggested, "Okay Banzai, if you want one great target, how about this fuel dump?"

I shook my head, "Jack that's a good target but not a great target. Besides, it's too predictable and with Mira and Ira chasing us, I don't think it's wise to be too predictable."

He nodded his head, "Yeah your right, I hate to think what would happen if they caught us. But man was it fun seeing them on the motorcycles again. I think this damn truck of yours actually scared them."

I replied, "Jack I'm not sure anything scares those two. You missed it but we drove right between them. They were so close I could almost make out their faces under the black masks."

Jack complained, "Damn Banzai, don't you think it was dangerous getting that close to them."

I grinned at Jack, "Hell no, did you forget my Frankentruck is now armored?"

He answered, "Yeah I did forget about that. Hey here's some sort of storage facility, we could go after that."

I looked, thought a bit and answered, "Jack I don't like those either."

Then I pointed to a target and said, "Jack, I have a hell of an idea."

Flashback – Mira and Ira – Undisclosed location

We received yet one more annoying message from Israel demanding we cease and desist our hunt for the harlequins. After cogitation, I constructed the perfect reply. I informed them of our encounter with the new secret weapon (codenamed Baskerville) and elaborated how it decimated four Soviet Hind helicopters then disappeared in the midst of a whirlwind of smoke! I even included a brief and blurry photograph of Baskerville.

I anxiously awaited their reply, removed the omnipresent sand from my undergarments and queried, "Ira, would you please help me remove the remaining vestiges of sand?"

She approached, smiled benignly and scolded, "Mira, if you exercised more care when applying your garments like I do, then you would not suffer this annoyance."

I grinned benignly in return and countered, "Ira I wager a pedicure that you contain a similar quantity of sand in your undergarments. You however, are more proficient at ignoring the granular issue."

She shook her head negatively and responded, "No Mira such would be a sucker's punch wager. Therefore, I will not accept."

The truth was, prior to my Sgt. Blaine experience, the sand in my undergarments failed to annoy me. However, now when I envisioned his magnificent body (which was frequently), my nether regions dampened. Hence the sand became an abrasive annoyance in a delicate location.

When the reply finally arrived, I vociferously agitated, "Ira they have the audacity to question if Baskerville was a mirage and demand more proof."

Ira stated the obvious, "Then Mira, we must provide them with pictures of the decimated helicopters and commence to track the beast."

I agreed, "Certainly Ira. We will accomplish that if Baskerville shows up as we are pursuing the harlequins."

Ira complained, "Mira do not inform me we are ignoring orders again."

I giggled, "Certainly Ira, I will not so inform you then."

Now to exact retribution from the harlequins! Revenge is a saucer best served chilled...

Flashback – Major M – Command and Control

I received a private communique from my Mossad friend and took it in my office. He questioned, "Mike, do you have any experimental vehicles operating in our current TO¹?"

¹ Theater of Operations

I answered, "Ari, why would you ask?"

He complained, "Mike, stop being such an ass. I know you've had your satellites watching the area ever since your men stirred up the hornet's nest. We had a report that something destroyed four Hind helicopters."

I questioned, "I thought you recalled all your operatives?"

There was a pause then he said, "Mike you know I told you we only had the twins in the TO and we tried to recall them."

This was becoming more interesting. I continued to pry loose more information, "What do you mean tried?"

He ignored my question and countered, "Mike let's cut the BS because if what the report says is true and it appears to be from the picture we have, then we might have a bigger problem."

I inquired, "Ari, you have a picture? I'd certainly like to see that."

He offered, "How about this: I'll send you my picture and the report and you send me any information that you have."

I smiled and agreed, "Okay Ari, I will have to declassify the picture and then I will send it to you. Now about your operatives..."

He cut me off, "I don't want to talk about those two!" Then he hung up the phone.

My e-mail dinged, it was from Ari. I looked and there was an attached file titled Baskerville.jpg. I opened it and there was an even blurrier picture of the vehicle we'd seen so it was worthless. I read the sanitized report and immediately realized it was from the Sedankina bitches but also didn't tell me anything we didn't already know.

I sat back in my chair and analyzed the phone conversation. So, the Sedankina bitches weren't listening to Ari anymore. I chuckled and wondered if Sgt. Blaine infected everyone with insubordination. I guess it didn't matter anymore because I wasn't sure they were still alive.

I started the process to declassify the picture (which basically destroys the resolution) then my aide knocked and said, "Sir! Something strange is going on."

I gave him a dirty look and questioned, "Can't you be more specific?"

He shook his head, "It would be better if you come and see for yourself."

I walked out into the main room and immediately determined something was certainly going on...

Flashback – Ira and Mira – Undisclosed location

Mira blatantly ignored the orders to find Baskerville and we proceeded to some storage buildings in hope it would be the harlequins next target. We assumed positions at the top of a dune and waited. Once again Mira's mind wandered and she initiated her infernal sand scribbling...

Then she commenced to squirm and bitterly complained, "To hades with this infernal sand!"

I tried to appease her as I offered, "Mira is my assistance required?"

Mira ignored my attempted ministration and instead caterwauled, "Ira, where are those female salukis? They should have arrived by now."

I suggested the obvious, "Mira, perhaps this is too logical a target for them to consider?"

She snapped, "Ira, this is not as logically dictated a target as the fuel dump and there are no other targets of interest in the vicinity. Now stop being a Richard Cranium and commence to assist me."

Once again I loathed Sgt. Blaine! He infected my sister Mira and she had become as abrasive as the sand that she brayed about. Yes her complaints were annoying, but worse was her disregard for orders since that behavior had commenced to cause problems. So instead of functioning as the finely lubricated precision machine we previously mimicked, Sgt. Blaine's infection represented the sand that abraded the mechanism of our missions.

Again I questioned, "Mira, have you considered our direct orders to find and observe Baskerville?"

Mira gave me a vicious look and muttered, "Ira, stop being a dud of fuddy... "

She was interrupted prior to completion of her comment by the chime of an arriving message. She observed it and stated, "Ira I perceive the harlequins have struck again and it was not these storage buildings as we anticipated."

I queried, "Mira what was the target."

She paced and contemplated her answer, "This is most irrational of them! They attacked a prison. Why would they want to terminate prisoners? Quick Ira, to our motorcycles, we still might be able to intercept them."