Striking back against Kruck

[Prokhorov]

Prokhorov came into the office and sat down. "All right, sir, I've got my report."

Liutenant Gordon cleared aside his paperwork. "Let's hear it."

"Okay, the barracks were blown up by Kruck and his goons. They also lost whatever guns and weapons weren't in the arsenal. He had eleven men with him, and they went roughly east in air speeders. That means they could be anywhere from twenty to sixty miles away."

"That lines up with the clue about his hideout being 45 miles east-southeast of here," the liutenant said. "I think we may need a few squadrons from another oupost. Number 13 is the closest to there. I'll call them."

"Wait a minute... " Prokhorov said, "why do you need more army? They have only twelve men that we know of, and we have 243 in the army we have here! What we really need is Special Weapons and Tactics, or something like that."

"Maybe so," the liutenant mused. "I'll call the General."

[Kruck]

"Yeah, cya tomorrow boss" the last of Kruck's men left the hideout as Kruck nodded at him. Putting his hand on his leg, Kruck sighed.

Darn it! Why can't I think of a simple plan involving evil, destruction, and doom?!

He slammed his fist on the wooden oak table in front of him. After about another half an hour of thinking he stormed into hhis kitchen and opened the refrigorator. Picking up a coke from the top shelf, he popped it open and drank it all in one swig. He crumpled it into his hands and threw it into the trash can thatn was placed nearby.

Wait! I've got it! he rubbed his hands together in anticipation. Can't wait to tell the men in the morning....But for now, bedtime!

He strode over to his bed, and slipped into it. Turning off the lights, he was soon fast asleep.

[Prokhorov]

Prokhorov rolled over, groaned, and sat up. The red digits told him 6:56. He wasn't late.

He recalled the events of yesterday. Chaotic and weird. That's right... the barracks. I guess the army got temporary shelter. What was that other thing... oh yes, that weird girl. Prokhorov reached over and picked up the bracelet, looking at the end beads carefully.

A moment later he got out of bed and dug around in the bottom drawer until he came up with a little double-sided rivet. He fitted it in.

Nope... too wide.

He searched until he found a smaller one and snapped it into the end of the bead. It worked. Prokhorov snapped the other end of the string in too.

Then he got dressed, ate, and left.#nosmileys

[Kruck]

kruck woke up to a bright morning,a nd walked sleepily into his kitchen, pouring some milk and cereal into a bowl. Sitting down at his table, he munched slowly on his cereal, pondering what kind of terror he woudl wreak toda ;Dy.

[Prokhorov]

"You've got high-priority mail, Prokhorov," the liutenant told him soon after he arrived. "I didn't read it."

"Thanks." Prokhorov sat down at his workstation and pulled up his inbox.

Pyotr, I don't know if you remember me, the message began, but I really need to talk to you. I know you're a detective working to overthrow Kruk - at least, last I heard you were still in Vallitar - and I have some information that could be very important to you.

I need you to meet me in Aquaiss in a few days. If you can be there, send a message to kaigammaray on the GMS server. You understand.

Please let me know. It's extremely important.

Gamaliel

Prokhorov sat back. "That's really weird," he said aloud.

"What?" Liutenant Gordon came over.

"Look at this message." Prokhorov maximized it on the screen.

The liutenant read it. "Hmm. Do you know who Gamaliel is?"

"No, I- wait a minute, I think he's the physics teacher at the training school I attended before I came to Valitar."

"Where was that?"

"Stiza. Nemethor."

"You mean the oasis?"

"Yeah."

The liutenant studied the message again. "He's blocked his return address, but he tells you - in a roundabout way - what it is, in the message."

"And he misspelled Kruck, Valitar, and Aqualiss."

"What does that have to do with it?"

"It looks like he was afraid his email would be scanned by some machine looking for key words, which would then show them to something to read."

"Maybe you're right."

"Also, he didn't use my last name, but he used his."

"What's his first name?"

"Kai. Kai Gamaliel. The original genius and physics teacher. It lines up with the "gammaray" in his address. Gamaliel would do something like that."

"So you think he's got something?"

"I'm sure of it." Prokhorov created a new message and started typing.

"Well, I'll certainly check it out. Oh, Liutenant... If that girl who was here yesterday comes in asking about a bracelet, I've got it."

"Okay. I'll give you leave to check this out. It could be important."

Prokhorov sat with his hands on the keyboard.

Why in the world would he want to meet in Aqualiss?

[Dominia]

I love the morning...

She walked through town trying to remember where the police headquarters was.

This way...no wait.. the other way.

She stared straight in front of her.

Da!!! It's right in front of me! I need some coffee.

She walked into the station. Her eyes wandered in front of her.

There he is!

She stepped over to his desk,

"Hi, Morning" she smiled. "I came back like you said. Did you get it fixed?"

[Prokhorov]

Prokhorov looked up, slightly flustered.

"Oh. Hello. Yes, I fixed it." He handed her the bracelet.

His mind, however, was more focused on the email. Suddenly a thought came to him.

Maybe the underwater aspect provides some sort of security from something... maybe the same reason he was cautious about his word choice in the email.

Yes. I'll definitely meet him there.

[Dominia]

Shimmer looked at the bracelet. Then she smiled.

Ok, so it's fixed, something's got to happen.

"Thanks a lot."

She started to walk away, but then stopped.

"Umm ... if you're not too busy do you want to go get something to drink maybe?"

[Prokhorov]

Aarggh. Great idea, but... wrong time. Oh well...

So far his email read:

Hello, Prof, this is Pyotr. I'd be glad to meet you in Aqcualiss. Could you give me a time and place? It sounds like you

Prokhorov pushed his chair away from the desk.

"Sure," he said, standing up.

[Dominia]

Great!

"So where do you want to go?I'v been her for only a little while and I don't no were everything is?"

((Should we make a new thread?))

[Prokhorov]

(((Yeah. I started a new thread for this.)))

[Prokhorov]

Prokhorov stepped into the office that afternoon after sending the email and reading the intelligence reports the Captain had sent.

"Liutenant," he said. "I'm going down into the swamplands now."

"Are you connected?" he asked.

"Yes."

"And you're, um, uhh... no one will see you?"

"No. That's taken care of."

"Remember, Prokhorov, don't rely too heavily on it. A spy whose only power is invisibility is no spy at all. A spy who knows how to be a spy will go far. If he can be invisible he will go still father. But it serves you. You don't serve it. Understood?"

"Yes, sir."

Prokhorov left the building, leaving his speeder in the parking lot. Walking, he took the main route over the rim on the south side.

He was heading for Kruck's hideout.