The Auction

The Auction - A Hannah Todd Story

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events, is purely coincidental. This work is copyrighted by the author. All characters involved in sexual activity are eighteen years of age or older at the time of portrayal.

This is the continuing adventures of Hannah Todd. I would strongly recommend you read at least some of "The Bridge" and "Badass," which provide the backstory for most of the characters in this story. And if you've been reading me, thank you for your continued support. Your comments are priceless, so please leave your wisdom so I might improve my product.

The Auction - Part Ten

By the time the twentieth hit, a lot had happened. The intel coming in from Teetotaler's office and the knowledge and forthrightness of Jim Butler gave me both an encyclopedic insight into Simon's organization and Teetotaler's business of buying and selling.

Butler had agreed to accompany my people to the auction. He'd sell me out in a heartbeat if he could, but he would be going in with a light film of C-4 wrapped around his cock. The detonator would be an all-plastic one that would pass through detectors without effort. Certainly, enough to blow his ass, and the rest of him, to kingdom come. And I had the button.

The original plan was getting turned on its head, but in a good way. The more information we got and the better cooperation we got from all our captives, the more confident we got. I talked to Rhee every day, and Duane and Herman counseled on it constantly. When team members had the duty at my house, it was all we talked about, as I would walk with them along the perimeter and stand with them as they watched, out the windows and in the watchtower. I'd walk through the house with them and spend time with them in my office. They are more than just my protectors; they are the guardians of my soul.

"Dom," I called out to my protector in chief, as he sat and drank his coffee. He was my ride to the Southern Chester County property. It was an old horse farm and it afforded us lots of room to do our thing. "Tell me, my friend, are you ready for this?"

"I'm ready for the real deal. I'm chompin' at the bit to do this auction. I'd love to be on the inside."

"Oh, I'm sorry, my old friend. I want you on the back end. Leading the charge when those garage doors open up. I want you by Duane's side so that I know both of you will come back from this mission. If Rhee's people can work their magic, however, this mission could be in the bag by the time you hit those doors."

"From your lips to God's ears, boss."

"If I could do that, we wouldn't need this mission. And I wouldn't needthis." And I slapped my hip where my Glock sat.

Duane drove me, Dom, Anthony and Alec, and Ronnie drove Caroline, Avi, Hoagie and Ninja.

That was my motorcade. Everyone else met us at the location. There were a lot of cars, all neatly lined up in rows and even more people meandering around. The troops would be bivouacking this evening and breaking camp early to depart for a special location. A surprise for my troops.

At ten a.m. Duane called things to order. There was a sea of people; soldiers, techs, robos, assorted drones and ASRs and even cyberdogs, in anticipation that they would be using them autonomously.

"Alright people. Lots to do and lots to go over. First, let me tell you that there have been lots of changes to the plan, but the core stays intact. We're still going in at twenty-two hundred hours, but we are going to activate their drones first. I also expect to have more people working inside, so we will have to proceed with extra caution. The good news is, before we breach the building, we're gonna let the technology beat up on their bodyguards for a good long time. We've found a new way to identify and filter in the ones we want to attack. We have it on good authority that they are using a specific comm-link unlike our own. We will have the ASRs and drones attack only those with that comm-link's frequency which should minimize civilian deaths and injury. Our cues will be visual. We have it on good authority that they will indeed be wearing black and we will most certainly be wearing Ranger green. But be careful; our inside people will be dressed in street clothes, looking oh so fine."

Which was followed by, "Hoorah!"

"Alright, calm down. At this time, we are certain that the auction will be held in Maryland, toward the western side of the state. So, it won't be like we are schlepping up to New York or Massachusetts. We can also expect it to take place in a pretty rural setting. In that regard, we are getting closer to knowing where the location is. As soon as this information becomes known, you will be notified by secure text message. You will report here when told to, ready to dress for the occasion. As I said, Ranger green is the color of the day. And it's a BYOB event. Bring your own Bodyarmor." There was a chuckle from the whole crowd.

"Bring the weapons of your choice, whatever you are most comfortable with, and plenty of ammo. Your job, for the most part, by the time the drones and ASRs finish picking off the guards, will be to waylay any private bodyguards and kill or capture as many of the Teetotaler guards and personal security guards as you can. We've been given assurances that shipping containers will be inside the venue and that is where we will lock up the baddyguards and the private security that we don't kill. I call them baddyguards, because they are not like us. They have sold their souls to the devil and deserve their due. Those poor girls we are going to rescue are in their positions because these wicked men have pledged their allegiance to evil people who would see all of us dead and these women sold off for a few ounces of gold. Are we better than they are?Fuckin' right we are!Now we focus on being better at what we do than them."

Herman got up as a follow-up to Duane and split the troops into groups, each practicing together what they all do best. Then the techs took over and blew everyone's minds. They demonstrated as they pitted one group of drones against ASRs and drones against drones. They showed how they switched the programming on a drone in a heartbeat and turned it against a drone it had previously been working with. Then, they had a flock of drones go after men on the field who were wearing a specific comm-link. They didn't shoot them, as they were unarmed during maneuvers, but they swarmed individuals, making them feel very uncomfortable.

After the techs gave their show, it was time for Duane to tell. Tell them what was next.

"I want everyone to relax tonight and enjoy sleeping under the stars. Tonight, you are going to eat the best fried chicken and fries you've ever had. With coleslaw made by Miss Todd's personal chef. And tomorrow I have a special treat. It appears that Todd-Bernstein owns some property. It's not a warehouse per-se, but it is a factory that has a warehouse complex within it. The property has been abandoned and for sale for a few years now, and I understand we can get it cheap. Breakfast will be MREs, and we pull up stakes and move on at 09:00 hours. Miss Todd has promised that in the morning, the coffee will be real, hot and served starting 07:00 hours."

Whoevertheyare says that an army marches on its stomach. I say an army moves on coffee. So the urns will be present all day long. And there will be porta-potties.

After communing with the guys for an hour and shaking some hands welcoming those I hadn't met, I took off for home, with my same occupants in Duane's Navigator. Time to be mommy till bedtime, and then to spend just a little time being a slut for my man.

I was feeling pretty good about today. Pretty damned good.

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Wednesday, the twenty-first couldn't have gone better. We all met at the old factory and there on the perimeter was a warehouse. About a hundred and fifty yards from the tree line. Three garage doors on the front side with an entry door between two of them, and entry doors on the back and one side. Inside it was huge. There was an old shipping container in there with the door swung open. The only sticking point was that the garage doors would not open electronically, so we had to open them manually which took time. It initially made our troops get ahead of themselves, so in subsequent attempts we just kept the garage doors open and called out whether they were open or closed.

We broke up half our people into three groups; the bidders, the bodyguards and the private security. They would inhabit the inside, along with our people, who would be calling the shots until our soldiers moved into place. Then we would switch it around and let others play the role of the bad guys, and others would practice as our soldiers. Just getting used to the warehouse was a big plus to these guys, and many of them thanked me at the end of the day for the experience. They hoped we would get another crack at using this complex before the actual raid. I promised it was on the agenda if at all possible.

The next day was the twins' birthday, and we just had a nice family dinner together and shared some of Bertha's delicious seven-layer birthday cake. My favorite. And Duane and I couldn't help but smile at each other. Excessively, as Holly would put it. The babies would never remember this birthday so I chose not to make a big deal of it. Or was it because I was so damned preoccupied? Shame on me. But Aunt Lizzie made certain it was memorialized on video and in photos. But I had a hard time focusing on the birthday. I was on a mission, and the auction was less than a week away.

As Duane and I were getting ready for a dip in the hot tub and a glass of wine, Herb called into me from the Closet. "Miss T. We've got some movement in the office and I think it sounds important. Can you get to either me or the videoconference room?"

"We'll be in the videoconference room in a minute, Herb. Just patch the feed in. And make sure to record it."

We threw our robes on and ran to the videoconference room. As soon as the screen was lit up, there was Teetotaler on the phone. On the phone with Simon, I believed.

"That's right, sir," Teetotaler said to the phone. "The location is firm, and my people are already working on the accommodations inside. No, there will not be any modifications needed. It's a working warehouse we are just renting for a couple of weeks. Yes, the electricity works... That's right; there are two working garage doors and several entry doors. The added bonus is that there are already three open shipping containers on the far side, just where we'd want them... That's right, three. Full size... Yes, it's that big... Uh huh, we can inspect whenever we want. It's already ours... Yep, it will give me lots of time to get set up. I'll be moving girls in starting Tuesday."

And then he gave Simon the coordinates and promised to meet him there on Monday afternoon for an initial inspection. "Did you get that, Duane?" And he picked up the book he had written it into, and there it was; the coordinates of the venue. Time to put it together with Alec, so I called him on his supercell.

"Alec, we have the coordinates for the venue. Can you map it out for me really quick? I want someone down there tomorrow with an Eagle and some wasps. I want to know what they are doing before Simon knows."

"Can I bring the info to you tomorrow? I'll bring maps, photos, the whole deal. I'll call Anthony and we'll see you for an early breakfast if you wish."

"Not too early, Alec. Nine will be fine. I want to get a jog in first, and a shower, then we can meet for breakfast at nine."

"I'll make it so, Miss Todd. You can count on me."

"I always do, Alec."

The next morning I took my jog, and the boys showed up at nine on the dot. They were eager to go.

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Alec and Anthony, my two big Navy SEALs, had wide smiles on their faces when we met for breakfast on Friday. For more than one reason. We were joined by Tish, one of Tripper's techs. Despite her many tattoos and her blue hair, she was a knockout and she really caught Anthony's eye. Tish would be staying with me while the boys went down to Maryland to set the drones and she would be giving me a 101 course on drones and Autonomous Security Robots and dogs. She too was looking forward to the operation which she would be participating in.

"Boys, this is Tish. She's one of Rhee Spanner's people, and you know what that means."

"Yeah," Anthony said. "That she knows her shit. Welcome aboard, Tish."

"Glad to be of assistance. I'm really looking forward to this mission. From what Miss Spanner says, it ought to be a doozy, and we will be leading the way when we take over their drones and ASRs. I don't think we've ever done anything quite like this. Not on this scale. Tripper will be in hog heaven."

"Yeah, I've seen Tripper take over drones before. Quite dramatic."

"Trip's the best. Best in the business. I've learned a lot from him, and some of it I'll teach you today. Is there anything I can do to help you boys?"

"Nah," Alec said. "Just going to fly an Eagle over and land a couple of wasps at the venue to give us eyes on ahead of schedule. We've already learned so much because of Miss Todd; this will be the icing on the cake."

"Yep," I said. "Knowledge is power, and you know how much I like power."

"Yes, ma'am," The boys said.

"Alright, guys. Take your birds and fly and I will see you back here later today. Take your time looking around the area. I want to know what to expect. You know what to look for."

"Yes, ma'am." They said again. And off they went, leaving me in the kitchen with just Tish and Bertha.

"Come up to my office, Tish. I have a ton of questions to ask you and some photography to review."

First, we reviewed the photography I already had. Tish explained even more than Lizzie had. She really had a handle on viewing drones from both the satellite and shots from other drones. Size differential, speed and altitude, differentiating types of drones and their potential for being native versus just passing by. She was a wealth of information. And then we got to the photos Alec had brought with him. Shots of the venue.

Tish had a gift when it came to identifying the technology I was being presented with. She started, though, by identifying the markings on the warehouse, which sat on its own about, she said, approximately one hundred meters from the woods, which surrounded the warehouse. She identified the two garage doors which sat at either end of the front of the building, which she said was very large. Larger than the average warehouse in a rural area. She pointed out the road to the warehouse, which was two lanes, and large enough to allow two trailers to enter and exit at the same time. She said that the Eagle drone my guys would be flying over would give us better perspective and better angles so that we'd be able to see the side of the building as well as its top.

She said that she saw at least two objects that could be ASRs, in front of the building and there were already trucks parked there, probably with automated unloaders to take care of the heavy lifting. Tish also said that if Alec had programmed the Eagle right, we would be able to get good closeup shots.

"I'll be able to tell you what color hats these fellows are wearing if we work the Eagle right. But its main job should be to give us a feel for the geography of the place. Where our people will be going in and setting up for the incursion. Till then, do you want to fly some drones? I brought a couple you can have some fun with."

We went out front to where the newly poured helipad sat, and she demonstrated what a real pro can do with a Hawk drone. She flew it to within inches of the kitchen door and took pictures of Bertha. Then she flew it up and over the house and took pictures of the guys working on the indoor pool house which was under construction. She flew it around and inside the incomplete pool house, taking pictures as she went. Then she brought it back to where we stood and landed it perfectly on the helipad. "Now it's your turn," she said. And she gave me the controller.

She helped me elevate and move forward and then turn and make a fast stop in midair. Then she had me fly it around until I became comfortable with the controls and then we landed it. Perfectly, I might add. Then she told me to take control of an Eagle drone and fly around the property. I flew it over the Farm and around the Greenhouse. I flew it over the house and around the pool house, seeing it only on the screen attached to the controller. Then up around the watchtower, where one of the guards from the assault squad was hanging out and watching over the property. He gave me a thumbs up when it flew by him and stopped right at the window. I was hooked.

We stopped inside to have lunch and to show Bertha the photos we had taken of her. She hated them, but then, she hates to have her picture taken. That didn't stop her from feeding us a couple of Chef Salads with her cheesy bread on the side.

Once lunch was done, I was ready to go out and fly the drone again when I got a call on my supercell. It was Alec. The Eagle was up and would be over the property in a few minutes. He asked if it was okay if he dropped Anthony in the woods outside the warehouse so that he could get a visual up close and personal. I told him that should be done at night and to just lay the wasp drones and get their asses home. "I got a yes, ma'am, and Tish and I went upstairs to the videoconference room to see what the Eagle would find.

While Alec and Anthony laid the wasp drones, Danny, who was in the closet now controlling the Eagle, sent control into the videoconference room so that Tish could maneuver it as it made its first pass over the warehouse.

She knew just where she was going and as we got closer to the venue; she dropped the drone down from five hundred feet down to four hundred to get us a better point of view. At one point she did a quick 360-degree turn around the building to get views from all four sides. Then sent it on its way for a half hour or so, turning it back to do another sweep over the venue and then back into Alec's control so that he could fetch it and bring it home.

During that half hour before the turnaround, we watched as Alec and Anthony flew the little wasp drones into the venue, landing them atop a rafter at the top of the warehouse. They couldn't see us, but we could see them. My boys were great pilots and none of the workers or the baddyguards was any the wiser.

The video from the Eagle had revealed a number of baddyguards walking around minding things. Good, that I didn't send Alec and Anthony in for a closer look. They would still get a feel for the geography, and if they wanted to do a night mission and get a closer look at the venue, I would make sure they were selected to lead the team that did.

In the meantime, Tish and I were feasting on the visuals we were getting from the wasps, sitting up on high rafters and looking down over the entire large room that was the majority of the warehouse. There were indeed two garage doors, one at either end facing the front of the warehouse, with an entry door in the middle and several at the rear of the building. As my captives had surmised and Teetotaler had said, there were three shipping containers, big ones, lined up like ducks in a row.

The Auction Ch. 10

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