The Search for Scorpio

The Search for Scorpio

The Search for Scorpio

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 adventure of Hannah Todd. I would strongly recommend you read at least some of "The Bridge," "Badass," "The Auction," "Simon," "Doyle," "Todd's Odds," and, "The Agents," which provide the backstory for 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 writing and your reading experience.

The Search for Scorpio - Part One

Well, the two new captives did not have much to say, but at least they gave me a name as a starting point. And Dieter Rose has hinted that he may have some knowledge that could be useful in our search for this newest bad guy. But it looked like my best lead was the estate in the Pottstown area.

So, once I greeted the kids, who were doing their homework, I went up to The Closet to meet with Herbert, who was running the show with Lizzie's assistance. With the newest threat on the horizon, I wanted an extra set of eyes in The Closet, and who better than Lizzie. Alec was around, so we pulled him into The Closet to keep an eye on things while the four of us; Herb, Duane, Lizzie and I, met in my office.

"Well, Miss Todd," Herb said. "The bumblebee drone is at the front gate of the property and there has been some movement in and out of what I would call a compound."

"A compound?" I asked.

"Yeah. As well as a main building, which is fortress-like, there are several outbuildings. We flew the bumblebee around these buildings before setting it in place by the front gate and found these building to house people and machinery."

"Hmmm. What kind of people and what kind of machinery?"

"The kind you go to war with," Lizzie said. "We have video of some of the rounds that the bumblebee made and it looks like they still have plenty of troops and an armory that still looks about half full. It shows an obvious dent in their supplies from their operation against the Tuttlehill property."

"And the little wasp?"

"We finally got it upstairs to the second floor, and I believe we have found an office of some kind. That's where it's sitting right now, watching the door to the office." Herb said, almost jovially.

"Do we have a count? Any idea how many of their troops are hanging around this compound?"

Herb scratched his chin. "We have a loose count of maybe thirty or so operators. But there has been a lot of in and out at the front gate, which is a substantial barrier. Not to mention the full perimeter fencing."

"Not to mention the fence is electrified, according to the readings the bumblebee took." Lizzie followed. "And they're using a lot of electronics. ASRs, drones and such. They are also patrolling with dogs. Not those shitty cyber mutts, but the real deal."

"Where are they using dogs, Liz?" I asked.

"They've got them at the front gate and doing perimeter watch. The cyber dogs don't have any sense of smell, and that makes the real deal more formidable. We've already defeated cyber dogs and automated security robots, but their senses are no match for living beings. Two-legged or four-legged."

"Why don't we have dogs?" I asked, wondering why I hadn't asked before.

"Actually, Hannah, we have used dogs for perimeter watch, and we've been sending out patrols lately with K-9s that have been trained in any number of ways." Duane said. "In fact, we lost a pooch in the battle for the Tuttlehill property. She had performed heroically in defense of our troops and the client."

"So, we have dog handlers in the company?" I asked.

"Yes, Hannah," Duane said. "We've got half a dozen and five dogs. We're still searching for a good match for one of the handlers. But primo dogs are hard to find these days."

"Well," I said. "I want more dogs. Put out a search, and find me the best. And while you are at it, I want a dog for the kids. Maybe a young one we can train to love and protect the children. I'm sure my Georgie would love to raise a dog. He's so good at growing things."

"That he is," Duane said. "I'll talk to my K-9 guys at RFS and see what we can do about getting a dog for the family."

"Alright, back to business," I said. "Herb, where are we with the wasp drone in Pottstown? I want regular updates as it is our best source of leads."

Then my supercell rang, and it was Avi. I never let it get to the second ring before picking it up.

"Avi, what's up? Tell me something good. I'm here with Duane and Lizzie and Herb. I'm putting you on speaker."

"Well, Miss Todd, the second guy, Payne, gave me more than the first. He said that they generally have a complement of at least fifty at the compound and that most of the mercs that work for Scorpio live at the compound and are unattached to any woman or family. They are well-paid and taken care of. He said that he expected the crew to be a little lighter after the Tuttlehill campaign, but they are always recruiting."

"Recruiting, eh? Looks like it's time for some of our boys to go looking for work."

"Emphasis on the boys. They don't recruit women. Their loss, I guess."

"Big time!" Lizzie called out.

"So, Av, what else did you pick up from our newest prisoners?"

"Well, Willie Thomas - his real name - said that this is the first time he's been with this crew where they failed in their mission. He said he's been part of the crew in three successful kidnappings."

"And... why don't we know about these kidnappings. Are the feds keeping it quiet?"

"Don't know, but he didn't know names, just that all three kidnappings occurred in the Delaware Valley, in Pennsylvania and Jersey."

"Did he say how long he'd been with the outfit and how long ago these kidnappings occurred?"

"Dammit, I didn't ask. But you can rest assured that it didn't happen to any of our people. I'm just leaving the property; do you want me to turn around and ask him?"

"Where are you heading now?"

"I finished for the day and I was heading to Rachel's. I..."

"Don't worry about it, Av. Tomorrow is another day. We'll take another bite of that apple then. Go see your beloved. I know we never give you two enough time together. Go. If anything else comes to mind, let me know. Oh, and Avi."

"Yes, Miss Todd."

"We need to put a meeting together of the A-Team. We have another mission to do. I'll have Herman send out a group message to all. I expect we will be meeting at the usual place in the next day or two. Be mindful that although we are not on high alert, we are on alert. I expect Scorpio will need time to regroup after his massive failure, but let's not assume that will buy us much time."

"Yes, ma'am. I'll be at the house tomorrow, before I head downtown to help out at Recovery."

"Good. I'd like to meet with you, just you and me, so I can pick your brain about next steps."

"I'll be staying in West Chester tonight so I can be at your place early tomorrow. Say eight o'clock?"

"Make it nine, Avi. Sleep in. You've earned it."

*Click*

"So, Herb," I asked. "How has the drone activity been subsequent to the raid at the Tuttlehills?"

"It's been pretty quiet. Now that we know theirmodus operandi,they will be shy about just having their hawks and pigeons hang around the property. We've been extra vigilant and have had someone in the tower day and night looking to spot drones that shouldn't be hanging around. The hard part is keeping tabs on wasp and bumblebee drones. If they are around, we haven't spotted them."

Alec called into the office from The Closet. Something was happening.

"Miss Todd, there's activity around the wasp drone. I'm going to feed it into the videoconference room. Here it comes."

The four of us ran into the videoconference room and turned on the feed that Alec was sending. It sounded like we picked up in the middle of a conversation.

"That's right, boss. Only eight made it back. What do we do now?"

"I'll tell you what we'll do," said a voice that sounded like it was on a speakerphone. "We've got to recruit. Right now. See if your mercs have any friends out there in soldier- of- fortune land. Find a website or three, and let's start hunting for some replacements."

"Yes, sir. I'll get right on it." And we could hear his footsteps on the hardwood floor, and then a door close. Not a slam, just a nice, clear thud when the door closed.

"So, what's the total damages? How many did we lose altogether?" said the voice on the speakerphone.

"Twelve dead, sixteen badly injured and five more captured. Thirty-three gone in all. What the fuck happened?" said a fresh voice. The man had stayed silent until now.

"Thirty-three men! What the fuck am I supposed to do now? I've got business to attend to. How many are left? How many on hand and how many in reserve?"

"We've got thirty-two living on board, and another twenty-six in reserve, living off compound. We can..."

"How many empty beds in the barracks?"

The guys in reserve are all local, we can..."

"I didn't ask that, did I?"

"No, sir. I'm sorry, sir."

"Find out how many billets are available. I want to know that before I shut down for the night. Am I understood, Trevor?"

"Yes, Scorpio. I'll have that in front of you right away."

"And send in Benson."

"He's right outside, sir. I'll get him."

"You do that."

We heard his shoes click-clacking on the floor and the door open, and then shortly thereafter close.

"You wanted to see me, Mr. Scorpio?"

"What the fuck happened out there, Benson? This raid was your baby. You knew the terrain and you knew the tendencies. Yet you failed to meet the objective. Do you know what this extravaganza cost us? When your prey is billionaires it ain't cheap. Where was the fuckin' breakdown? Who's fault is it, Benson? Is it yours?"

"I take full responsibility, sir. It was my team. I built it. I trained it. And I put it into action. It shoulda worked. The plan was sound. I took most of our best guys. The guys who would die for ya wound up mostly dead or badly hurt. And what are we gonna do about the dead? There's..."

"Twelve. I am aware of our losses. It will be taken care of but not by you. You, who are supposed to be a soldier. Ha! Some soldier."

"I'm sorry, boss. I'll do better next time."

"Oh, you'll do alright. But not as a team leader. Your back with the grunts, walking patrols and standing night watch. You're lucky we're hard up for more men or I'd kick you to the curb.Or fuckin kill you!

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Scorpio. What can I do to make it up to you?"

"Find me thirty operators, pronto."

"I can help. I'll make some calls."

"You do that, young man. You let me know if you have any success. I take it personally."

"Thank you, sir. I will, sir."

"Send in my assistant when you go, Benson. Go on, now. Don't let the door hit you in the ass."

Again, the door never had a chance to close before Scorpio's assistant was in the room.

"Yes, Mr. Phibian. How can I help?"

"Just shut me down for the night. In fact, I will be incommunicado for the next twenty-four hours. Keep things moving regarding hiring. Big signing bonuses for anyone bringing in new recruits. That includes you, June. Five big ones to anyone bringing in someone who lasts six months or dies in action."

"I'll do my best, Mr. Phibian."

"Good night, June."

"Good night, Mr. Phibian."

Then I heard the distinct sound of someone sitting on a chair with an umph and a creak and then wheels moving around. Then I heard it again and she got up. She walked out of the room. She closed the door behind her. Silence.

How long did we wait? Ten minutes... twenty... an hour? Nothing. One set of footsteps left that room. Where did Scorpio go? Or is it Mr. Phibian? The speakerphone. That's it. He's not at that office, but he conducts business from there.

The office was lined with books, and they went almost to the ceiling. That is where our little wasps were tucked away. One that was almost drained and its much fuller replacement.

We flew our fresh little drone around the office just to get the lay of the land. All very simple; a desk with a chair and a computer monitor, about four foot in width. The rest of the room was wrapped in bookshelves, and we landed our peppy little drone onto a shelf high up near the ceiling. It would serve as a vantage point for us to hear and see what was going on.

Lizzie was flying the drone in the dark, empty room, and she picked a location that would give us a bug's-eye view of the monitor. We would be able to see Scorpio. Alarm bells went off in my head. Time for me to get a grip.

"Herb, who has the duty in The Closet tomorrow morning?"

"Danny is on as usual, Miss Todd. He's aware of what is going on, and we will have overlapping shifts in the morning so if you wish you can meet with both of us."

"I'll be here too," said Lizzie. "I intend to stick around till Scorpio is reckoned with."

"Good, Liz. Have you cleared it with Jim at Acquisitions?"

"He's got everything under control over there. He's a heck of a manager."

"So I'm finding out. Good. I'm gonna need you up here for a while. I'm calling a meeting of the team in the Greenhouse for tomorrow morning. Herb, get the word out to everyone. Let's meet at ten."

"Yes, ma'am. I'll put out a group text and I'm sure everyone will show. We all know how important our next moves are."

"Good. I want to be awakened if there is any action in that office before our meeting. I also want you to stick around for the ten o'clock meeting, Herb. I know it's past your shift, but..."

"No buts, Miss Todd. I'll be there. It will give Danny and me a chance to coordinate things from The Closet."

"Good. Then I'll leave you to it. Duane, let's hit the sack; we have a big day tomorrow. We'll need our rest."

"I'm right behind you."

No hot tub tonight, but we did make a soft and quiet kind of love. Just because we both wanted to. It wasn't planned, but it just kind of happened. So did pillow talk.

"Duane, do you have any thoughts as to what we should do about the whole Scorpio thing?"

"I have a million thoughts. We'll air them out tomorrow at the meeting. Uppermost on my mind is the fact that they will be recruiting new men and how it could be an in for us to get some first class intel on these guys."

"Yeah. It might be a good time to revisit Anthony's persona of Tony Machiafava. He did such a great job with Peacock, and he is as dependable as any operator we've ever worked with. The Machiafava profile is still active, so if they vet him, they will find a veteran, mercenary and a man who has spent some time in prison. Given their state of desperation right now, I think he will be a shoe-in."

"Who else can we send in? I hate for Anthony to have to go it alone. If they are hiring thirty new operators we can sneak at least two in there. Who do you think is best?"

"I like Archer or Ninja. Maybe we should send all three and see if two stick."

"Let's run it past the team tomorrow. Until then I need to crash."

"Me too. Hold me, Duane."

And he did. All night long.