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<blockquote data-quote="talien" data-source="post: 5069313" data-attributes="member: 3285">Unit 23: PrologueCHICAGO, IL--Chicago police and SWAT swarmed the checkpoint, boxing in a perimeter around the warehouse where the White Shadows were supposedly storing rare artifacts and crates filled with Coca Loco.&quot;You sure it's in there?&quot; asked Jim-Bean, peering through binoculars at their target, a warehouse.Hammer glared at him. &quot;You're girlfriend gave us the info—&quot;&quot;She's not my girlfriend,&quot; snapped Jim-Bean.&nbsp; &quot;She's…&quot;&quot;Oh, I'm sorry.&nbsp; Is &quot;mother of your children&quot; better?&quot; asked Hammer sarcastically.Jim-Bean muttered something under his breath.&nbsp; &quot;I don't like this,&quot; said Hammer.&nbsp; &quot;Sprague's pushing us to come up with results too fast.&nbsp; This isn't how we should be running this op.&quot;&quot;You mean we should call in the Jericho Jets?&quot; asked Jim-Bean hopefully.Hammer rolled his eyes.&nbsp; &quot;No.&nbsp; I mean satellite scans, heat signatures…we're going in blind.&quot;Jim-Bean put the binoculars down and looked out at the mass of police. &quot;Blind, maybe.&nbsp; But definitely not alone.&quot;Hammer tapped his comm. earpiece.&nbsp; &quot;Team One, confirm.&quot; He turned back to Jim-Bean.&nbsp; &quot;All this for a stupid book.&quot;&quot;And drugs,&quot; said Jim-Bean.&nbsp; &quot;A $#!+ton of drugs.&quot;Hammer got an acknowledgment back from Team One.&nbsp; &quot;Team Two, report.&quot; &quot;Sprague's not the type to care about a silly book,&quot; said Jim-Bean.&quot;Yeah, it's not his style.&nbsp; But then, when you have a fourteen-foot tall four-armed pregnant woman in custody, it's hard to ignore certain facts. Team Three, report.&quot;&quot;Such as the fact that we're chasing after a Portuguese translation of some Chinese book that nobody remembers? I bet the translation isn't even accurate.&quot; &quot;Right,&quot; said Jim-Bean.&nbsp; &quot;I think that's why he's in such a rush.&nbsp; He just wants to get this over with and go back to busting Commies or whatever it is he does to justify his job.&quot;&quot;Our jobs,&quot; corrected Hammer.&nbsp; &quot;Okay people, we are go.&quot; He addressed all three teams of police connected to his comm. &quot;On my mark: Three, two, one.&nbsp; Now!&quot;SWAT teams stormed the warehouse, pulling up in armored vehicles.&nbsp; All the entrances were covered with automatic weapons and snipers.&nbsp; Tear gas blasted through windows and from skylights.Hammer and Jim-Bean advanced, pistols at the ready.&nbsp; &quot;Blow it!&quot; shouted Hammer.SWAT team members affixed plastique to the warehouse door and gave the all clear signal.&nbsp; They ducked down behind impromptu barriers and vehicles.The door exploded with a thundering crash, groaning outward as it clattered to the ground.&quot;Go, go, go!&quot; shouted Hammer.&nbsp; The SWAT teams filtered through, gas masks on, weapons at the ready.&nbsp; They reported back.&nbsp; &quot;Zone One, clear.&quot;Jim-Bean looked around.&nbsp; &quot;Where is everybody?&quot; The warehouse had been ransacked.&nbsp; &quot;Shouldn't there be lots of screaming and Tcho-Tchos running everywhere?&quot;&quot;Zone Two, clear!&quot;Hammer swore as he bent down to inspect a crate that had been hastily pried open.&nbsp; &quot;I knew it.&nbsp; I knew we should have scoped this place out first.&quot;&quot;Zone Three, clear!&quot;&quot;Son of a BITCH!&quot; Hammer kicked one of the empty crates, hard enough to cause the lid skittering across the floor.&nbsp; It smeared a trail of blood behind it.Jim-Bean hunched down to peer inside.&nbsp; &quot;Looks like they ambushed them, took the goods, then stuffed them in the crates.&quot;Hammer paced, trying to control his temper.&nbsp; &quot;So someone got to them before we did.&quot; He swabbed the bloodstain with one finger.&nbsp; &quot;This is recent.&nbsp; We must have just missed them.&nbsp; Jimmy?&nbsp; Find out where they went.&quot;Jim-Bean put one palm in the smear of blood and closed his eyes. After concentrating for a moment, he stood up.&nbsp; &quot;The Satan's Sadists gang hit the warehouse. They were looking for drugs but ended up with a bunch of artifacts instead. They're planning to sell it at an auction.&quot;&quot;When?&nbsp; Where?&quot; demanded Hammer.Jim-Bean shook his head.&nbsp; His psychic images were only snapshots of what took place at the scene, like a hidden video camera.&nbsp; If they didn't say something out loud, he didn't experience it in his vision. &quot;I'm calling in Archive, I don't care what Sprague thinks.&quot; Sprague had intentionally shut Archive out of the op because he was a &quot;civilian.&quot; Hammer selected Archive's cistron from his own and rang him up.Archive clicked onto the comm. &quot;Don't tell me,&quot; he said, &quot;the place is cleaned out.&quot;&quot;Yes, we think there's an—&quot;&quot;Auction.&nbsp; I know.&quot;Hammer arched an eyebrow.&nbsp; &quot;How did you know that?&quot;There was the sound of typing on the other end of the line.&nbsp; &quot;Because I know where it's taking place.&quot;&quot;When did you find this out?&quot; snarled Hammer.&quot;Just a few minutes ago.&nbsp; I tried to get through to you but I wasn't authorized. Get this: Sprague has another team embedded there already.&nbsp; Looks like he was covering all his bases.&quot;&quot;Who?&quot;</blockquote>

[QUOTE="talien, post: 5069313, member: 3285"] [b]Unit 23: Prologue[/b] CHICAGO, IL--Chicago police and SWAT swarmed the checkpoint, boxing in a perimeter around the warehouse where the White Shadows were supposedly storing rare artifacts and crates filled with Coca Loco. "You sure it's in there?" asked Jim-Bean, peering through binoculars at their target, a warehouse. Hammer glared at him. "You're girlfriend gave us the info—" "She's not my girlfriend," snapped Jim-Bean. "She's…" "Oh, I'm sorry. Is "mother of your children" better?" asked Hammer sarcastically. Jim-Bean muttered something under his breath. "I don't like this," said Hammer. "Sprague's pushing us to come up with results too fast. This isn't how we should be running this op." "You mean we should call in the Jericho Jets?" asked Jim-Bean hopefully. Hammer rolled his eyes. "No. I mean satellite scans, heat signatures…we're going in blind." Jim-Bean put the binoculars down and looked out at the mass of police. "Blind, maybe. But definitely not alone." Hammer tapped his comm. earpiece. "Team One, confirm." He turned back to Jim-Bean. "All this for a stupid book." "And drugs," said Jim-Bean. "A $#!+ton of drugs." Hammer got an acknowledgment back from Team One. "Team Two, report." "Sprague's not the type to care about a silly book," said Jim-Bean. "Yeah, it's not his style. But then, when you have a fourteen-foot tall four-armed pregnant woman in custody, it's hard to ignore certain facts. Team Three, report." "Such as the fact that we're chasing after a Portuguese translation of some Chinese book that nobody remembers? I bet the translation isn't even accurate." "Right," said Jim-Bean. "I think that's why he's in such a rush. He just wants to get this over with and go back to busting Commies or whatever it is he does to justify his job." "Our jobs," corrected Hammer. "Okay people, we are go." He addressed all three teams of police connected to his comm. "On my mark: Three, two, one. Now!" SWAT teams stormed the warehouse, pulling up in armored vehicles. All the entrances were covered with automatic weapons and snipers. Tear gas blasted through windows and from skylights. Hammer and Jim-Bean advanced, pistols at the ready. "Blow it!" shouted Hammer. SWAT team members affixed plastique to the warehouse door and gave the all clear signal. They ducked down behind impromptu barriers and vehicles. The door exploded with a thundering crash, groaning outward as it clattered to the ground. "Go, go, go!" shouted Hammer. The SWAT teams filtered through, gas masks on, weapons at the ready. They reported back. "Zone One, clear." Jim-Bean looked around. "Where is everybody?" The warehouse had been ransacked. "Shouldn't there be lots of screaming and Tcho-Tchos running everywhere?" "Zone Two, clear!" Hammer swore as he bent down to inspect a crate that had been hastily pried open. "I knew it. I knew we should have scoped this place out first." "Zone Three, clear!" "Son of a BITCH!" Hammer kicked one of the empty crates, hard enough to cause the lid skittering across the floor. It smeared a trail of blood behind it. Jim-Bean hunched down to peer inside. "Looks like they ambushed them, took the goods, then stuffed them in the crates." Hammer paced, trying to control his temper. "So someone got to them before we did." He swabbed the bloodstain with one finger. "This is recent. We must have just missed them. Jimmy? Find out where they went." Jim-Bean put one palm in the smear of blood and closed his eyes. After concentrating for a moment, he stood up. "The Satan's Sadists gang hit the warehouse. They were looking for drugs but ended up with a bunch of artifacts instead. They're planning to sell it at an auction." "When? Where?" demanded Hammer. Jim-Bean shook his head. His psychic images were only snapshots of what took place at the scene, like a hidden video camera. If they didn't say something out loud, he didn't experience it in his vision. "I'm calling in Archive, I don't care what Sprague thinks." Sprague had intentionally shut Archive out of the op because he was a "civilian." Hammer selected Archive's cistron from his own and rang him up. Archive clicked onto the comm. "Don't tell me," he said, "the place is cleaned out." "Yes, we think there's an—" "Auction. I know." Hammer arched an eyebrow. "How did you know that?" There was the sound of typing on the other end of the line. "Because I know where it's taking place." "When did you find this out?" snarled Hammer. "Just a few minutes ago. I tried to get through to you but I wasn't authorized. Get this: Sprague has another team embedded there already. Looks like he was covering all his bases." "Who?" [/QUOTE]

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