{"id":670,"date":"2019-01-23T21:27:36","date_gmt":"2019-01-23T21:27:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ravensplayland.com\/wpRAVEN\/?p=670"},"modified":"2019-01-23T21:38:57","modified_gmt":"2019-01-23T21:38:57","slug":"no-plan-survives-first-contact-intact","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ravensplayland.com\/wpRAVEN\/2019\/01\/23\/no-plan-survives-first-contact-intact\/","title":{"rendered":"No Plan Survives First Contact Intact"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cNo plan survives first contact intact.\u201d \u00a0 8th<\/sup> Murphy\u2019s Laws of Combat<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWeather man, weather guessers, more like,\u201d the girl shouted over the combination of gunfire and torrential rain. \u00a0 Beside her, her brother growled.<\/p>\n

The two huddled between three shipping containers near the center of the warehouse\u2019s loading zone, at the moment all that protected them from direct fire from three sides. \u00a0 The fourth side, really their only way out, was brightly illuminated by the spot light mounted over the nearby main office of the complex. Only the darkness of their cubby hole and the maddening rain had kept them from direct fire from their attackers.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow can it go to shit in thirty second?\u201d The young man groused.<\/p>\n

That had been exactly how long it had taken.<\/p>\n

The night had been planned by the two for more than a week after they had at last gathered enough information on the site. Everything they\u2019d discovered told them the exchange was scheduled for that night. \u00a0 Half a dozen young girls were going to be traded for five kilos of heroin. They\u2019d come there to stop it.<\/p>\n

Rain had not entered their calculations.<\/p>\n

\u201cI gotta get out of this puddle!\u201d the brother said, needlessly. His sister knew just as well as he what being soaked to the skin would do to his powers. They also knew what the falling rain would do to hers. \u00a0 Both were mutants, he a living lightning bolt, she a living laser, and both were nearly helpless under the current conditions.<\/p>\n

The gunfire had started the moment the pair had landed in the little alcove they now found themselves in. \u00a0 She\u2019d been the one to get them in, however it had been a struggle. Though he was only about average in height, 5\u20199\u201d, he was unusually heavy. \u00a0 He thought it might have something to do with the fact that he could store electrical energy within his body like a battery, but that was just a guess.<\/p>\n

She was exactly the same height but just over half of his bulk and that meant she would be flying at three times her own weight. They figured it was worth the short trip to get them into their current position, one that they had expected to be safe and unobserved. \u00a0 Just as she was dropping down the sky opened and she lost nearly half of her lifting power. They dropped hard the last ten feet. \u00a0 His shoulder bouncing off the shipping container had been like hitting one of those giant gongs from the movies in the 30s.<\/p>\n

Light flooded the loading yard within a second and a series of short machinegun bursts slammed into the container above their head. From inside they heard the terrified screams of the girls they\u2019d come to save. \u00a0 The rain turned to a downpour creating puddles in seconds \u2026 it grounded all of his stored energy out and left him useless. \u00a0 Even if he got dry, it would be too long before he could recharge. They were going to die.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can get my shield up,\u201d his sister said in a whisper.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen you need to get out of here,\u201d he replied. \u00a0 If she could get away, he could die without regret.<\/p>\n

\u201cNO!\u201d she snapped. \u00a0 \u201cI am not going to leave you!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShit!\u201d<\/p>\n

His curse spun her around and she pressed back against the container beside him. \u00a0 He grabbed her and pulled her between the cold steel and his body. Over his shoulder she saw movement on the roof facing their \u2018way out\u2019. \u00a0 A man was sighting down the barrel of an assault rifle.<\/p>\n

The gunman\u2019s head exploded. \u00a0 The gunfire that had been enough to keep their heads down, doubled, then tripled in intensity for only a matter of seconds before stopping completely. Inside the box the shrieks of terror continued unabated.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou kids okay?\u201d A male voiced called from the darkness.<\/p>\n

Neither spoke fearing a trick.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m coming out,\u201d the voice said. \u00a0 \u201cI have my hands in the air.\u201d<\/p>\n

The door of the office opened and a figure stepped out and into the light from the spot. \u00a0 It was a masked man in full combat gear. \u00a0 He looked like US military or something. \u00a0 Slowly he walked towards them, hands up though a brutal looking sub-machine gun hung by a strap over his shoulder.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re here to get those kids out, any objections?\u201d the man said.<\/p>\n

The brother at last found his voice. \u00a0 \u201cThat is why were here too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow\u2019d that work out,\u201d the man said. \u00a0 Both could hear the smile in his word.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah \u2026 not so great,\u201d the brother admitted.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you going to do with them,\u201d the girl asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cReturn them to their families,\u201d the man replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cShrike! \u00a0 Cops in three!\u201d A second male voice called from out of the night.<\/p>\n

The man reached up and pulled down the mask. \u00a0 \u201cYou guys want to hang out here and wait for them?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot really,\u201d the boy said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen let\u2019s move!\u201d the man snapped.<\/p>\n

He ducked around the container, the pair tentatively following, and produced a pair of bolt cutters from the thigh pouch of his fatigues. \u00a0 A quick snap, and the lock parted. \u00a0 He threw open the doors.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverybody okay,\u201d he called in.<\/p>\n

A whimper was his only response. \u00a0 He turned to the girl.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou mind?\u201d he asked. \u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re a lot less scary then the guy in combat gear.\u201d<\/p>\n

The roar of a heavy duty engine heralded the arrival of a trio of black trucks.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re going to have to double up,\u201d the man Shrike said. \u201cWe got room for nine comfortably.\u201d<\/p>\n

The girl had produced a glow that hovered just above her head and illuminated the interior of the box. \u00a0 Six girls, ages about ten to fourteen huddled in the far corner.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe gotta go,\u201d she said gently. \u00a0 \u201cThey might be coming back.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWho … who are you?\u201d asked the girl that appeared to be the oldest.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s Osprey,\u201d the man Shrike said. \u00a0 \u201cWe are going to get you all home but we have to hurry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on,\u201d the oldest girl said. \u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s better than this box.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan you ride with them,\u201d Shrike asked the new Osprey.<\/p>\n

\u201cSure, but if you\u2019re playing us, and I am inside that truck, I can blow the thing up,\u201d she warned.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnderstood,\u201d Shrike said. \u00a0 \u201cYou take the front, they should be able to pile in the back.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to ride with her,\u201d the brother said.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019d have to sit on your lap,\u201d Shrike replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo problem.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGet in, let\u2019s go!\u201d<\/p>\n

Fifteen seconds later, the three vehicles rolled out of the yard, each taking a different direction. \u00a0 The newly proclaimed Osprey watched the driver but the mask hid his features.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho are you guys,\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople who hate gangs that prey on innocent kids,\u201d the man replied with an accent that sounded German.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow many of you are there,\u201d the brother asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cMore then you see,\u201d the man replied.<\/p>\n

He touched the LCD panel on the console and the interior went black as did the headlights. \u00a0 In the rear one of the girls started to cry softly.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry, liebchen,\u201d the man said gently. \u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ll be home by dawn.\u201d<\/p>\n

After a half dozen turns they started down into a blacked out parking garage and rolled to a stop. \u00a0 The brother grabbed the door handle in preparation to getting out but the man\u2019s voice stopped him.<\/p>\n

\u201cToo tight in here to open the doors, relax.\u201d<\/p>\n

There was a shift of weight the told the pair they were going up, like in an elevator. \u00a0 When they stopped, the lights came on to reveal the stainless steel interior of a freight elevator. \u00a0 When the doors rolled up, the driver pulled ahead into a marked space. There were four people waiting, one in the white coat of a doctor.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, now you can get out,\u201d the driver said. \u00a0 He climbed out and opened the rear door on his side.<\/p>\n

Osprey stepped down and did the same on their side.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we\u2019re safe now,\u201d she said to the girls in back.<\/p>\n

By the time the six girls had been helped from the vehicle, the other pair had arrived and total of eight very hard looking men in masks watched silently as the doctor checked each child and talked to them softly. At last, one of the men came over and stood beside brother and sister.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou were very stupid tonight,\u201d he said matter-of-factually. \u201cBut very brave. Would you please join me in the office?\u201d<\/p>\n

The two exchanged glances.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a proposition for you,\u201d the man said, gesturing to a door.<\/p>\n

They had expected some kind of office but instead found themselves in what in the movies might have been called a gentleman\u2019s library complete with shelves of books, the smell of leather and pipe tobacco, and several comfortable looking chairs arrayed before an old fashion oak desk. The man gestured to the chair and walk around behind the desk. \u00a0 He waits for them to settle then sat.<\/p>\n

He skinned back the black Balaklava to reveal a men in his late fifties with black hair going grey and a short grizzled beard. He laid a boxy looking machine pistol on the desk, the muzzle pointed to the side.<\/p>\n

\u201cMutant?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGotta problem with it?\u201d \u00a0 The boy said. It wasn\u2019t the first time either had heard that accusation.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot in the least,\u201d the man replied. \u00a0 \u201cIt explains a great deal. \u00a0 You were intending on freeing the girls?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d the new Osprey replied.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat would you have done with the guys that were holding them if things hadn\u2019t gone south?\u201d<\/p>\n

The brother shrugged. \u00a0 \u201cThey shot first.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you didn\u2019t reply.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe couldn\u2019t, the rain shorted him out,\u201d the girl said.<\/p>\n

\u201cElectrical, okay, what about you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRain does weird things to my \u2026 lasers.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDefuses, refracts,\u201d the man nodded.<\/p>\n

\u201cI could have still hurt them if I had a shot,\u201d the girl told him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho are you guys,\u201d the boy asked. \u00a0 \u201cWhat were you doing there?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWho we are might have to wait a little until we have a few agreements, what we where doing there is the same as you, getting those kids out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cVigilantes.\u201d \u00a0 The boy said.<\/p>\n

The man shrugged. \u00a0 \u201cWe do what is necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLike kill that guy that had the drop on us?\u201d The girl said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe do what is necessary,\u201d the man repeated. \u00a0 \u201cAnd it was eight dead.\u201d<\/p>\n

He appeared to watch them for some reaction. \u00a0 Neither even blinked.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood,\u201d the girl whispered.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe would have done the same thing,\u201d the boy said. \u201cIf necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy name is Henry,\u201d the man said, looking at them expectantly.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlba,\u201d the girl said.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust call me Sparks,\u201d the boy said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cNo plan survives first contact intact.\u201d \u00a0 8th Murphy\u2019s Laws of Combat \u201cWeather man, weather guessers, more like,\u201d the girl shouted over the combination of gunfire and torrential rain. \u00a0 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-670","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ravensplayland.com\/wpRAVEN\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/670","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ravensplayland.com\/wpRAVEN\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ravensplayland.com\/wpRAVEN\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ravensplayland.com\/wpRAVEN\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ravensplayland.com\/wpRAVEN\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=670"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ravensplayland.com\/wpRAVEN\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/670\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":672,"href":"https:\/\/ravensplayland.com\/wpRAVEN\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/670\/revisions\/672"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ravensplayland.com\/wpRAVEN\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=670"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ravensplayland.com\/wpRAVEN\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=670"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ravensplayland.com\/wpRAVEN\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=670"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}