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[talien]

The Training Center was located off State Road 12, on a logging road deep in the Rocky Mountains north of Sonora, California. The terrain was mountainous with dense pine and redwood forests. The agents were positioned on top of a ridge overlooking the facility.

The Bear Flag Republic Training Center was a large compound surrounded by a ten-foot-high, chain-link fence topped with barbed wire. A two-lane paved road led up to a gatehouse, from which an armed security guard checked in visitors and monitored the compound on closed-circuit TV. Guards with dogs made one patrol of the compound every four minutes. Beyond the gate were several buildings of various sizes and a parking lot.

The lot contained a dark green Chevy Suburban (license plate UBER-01) and a black van with license plate AIK 834. In the center of the compound was a large, cylindrical tank approximately 100 feet in diameter and 100 feet high. The road led right up to the tank and encircles it. The other buildings in the compound were the office, the garage, and the barracks.

An unmarked tanker truck stopped at the gatehouse for clearance, then pulled up to the tank, connected a hose to it, and transferred its cargo.

“That’s got to be Sapphire.” Hammer handed off his binoculars to Jim-Bean. “Guppy, think you can override their security cameras? A place out here probably doesn’t have too many wires…”

Guppy tapped a few keys on his cistron. “Yes. It’s wireless all right. I can put in a repeat feed.”

“Do it.” He turned to Jim-Bean. “Jimmy, I need you to provide a distraction.”

Jim-Bean grinned. “No problem.”

“What about me?” asked Archive.

“I want you to go with him,” said Hammer. “One guy by himself will look suspicious—“

“I’d rather not,” said Archive.

“Excuse me?” asked Hammer. “I’m mission leader. You do what I say.”

Archive frowned. “I think I’d be better served hanging back. Jim-Bean’s better at the social engineering stuff than I am.”

Hammer’s expression darkened. “I gave you your Friendly status, but I can take it back—“

Archive cut him off. “Jim-Bean left already.”

Jim-Bean was walking down the road in plain sight of the guard.

Hammer sighed. “Fine. Get back to the car and keep it warm. We’ll need to be ready to bug out here at a moment’s notice.”

Archive seemed satisfied with that. He took off.

“Okay, the feed’s set up,” said Guppy. “You’re clear.”

Hammer, cursing Archive under his breath, ran off down to the fence.