Arata (aka the Neutralizer) and Mehaffey (aka Gunner) followed their newfound ally, an MI-6 agent Douglas Clark (aka Ghost) on the new bypass A54 toward Macclesfield England. The MI-6 agent was driving the 1967 Triumph TR 250 and travelling at a high rate of speed. The Neutralizer’s race prepared ’72 MGB ran smooth and solid based on Steve Skegg’s (aka the Doctor) mechanical touches back at their US base “The Farm”. The TR throttled out and pulled away from the “B” but the Neutralizer accepted the challenge of the big Triumph and hit the gas. The thirsty supercharger immediately kicked in and the MG was right on the Triumph’s bumper in seconds. Arata pulled the “B” into the passing lane and left the TR 250 in the dust. The soldier pulled the MG to the side of the road and waited.

Clark pulled alongside and gave the high sign. “Buxton Rd is our next right gentlemen”. “We will take that up to the Cat & Fiddle Pub which, by the way, is the second highest pub in England”! “We park the cars there with a friendly bloke of mine and continue approx. a mile on foot toward the target….the brick plant”. “We will be travelling through the moors at that point and will encounter stone walls and heather”. “As we get closer, we’re on our tummies”. “Gunner will move right and take up his sniper position and I will move left as closer backup”. “At this point, you Mr. Neutralizer, will be solo for your soft probe of the plant”.

The 3 soldiers approached in a crouch using a pincer-type movement toward the plant. Gunner was the first to reach his designated sniper position and rested his Barett M82 rifle that he affectionately nicknamed “Amy” on a small rock out cropping enabling a 270 degree sweep of the plant. He fixed Amy’s short tripod and adjusted the gun’s sites. Mehaffey then connected the night vision optics to the barrel. At 1000 yards Gunner was a dead shot. The Neutralizer crouched low like a cheetah seeking an impala in the Serengeti. He stopped and did a 360 visual check of everything around him. At 500 yards there was movement around the plant but no smoke from brick making kilns. Odd! At 150 yards the Neutralizer laid flat and waited for dusk.

Evening arrives quickly and quietly on the moors. The purple heather was now covered in dark shadow. In a cloudy sky there was only a quarter moon and around the plant only the dimmest of light……security beacons. The Neutralizer did his weapons check. The Beretta 93R with 14 shot mag he set a tri-burst and fitted in his quick draw shoulder holster. The guns 3-inch silencer in place. The Israeli 44 mag Desert Eagle was snug against his right hip. Slowly the soldier approached the plant. As he came close, he spotted the glow of a cigarette – sentry. The hard guy turned the corner and was gone. Coast clear. Arata aimed the beacon blocker that Dino Perez aka Gadgets, the Farm’s electronic whiz-kid had equipped. A single silent shot covered the beacon in a night black. The Neutralizer opened a side door, no lock…..and just walked in. Scanning the plant floor only produced the scene of a factory shut down. No operating machinery, equipment, ventilation, etc… However, a humming sound audible somewhere in the building. Moving quietly forward the soldier followed the sound. He approached a stairway to a lower level. It was new construction which told Arata he was in the right direction. Tracking the Beretta 93R ahead of him the soldier descended. At the bottom stair the Neutralizer turned to see a chemical operation in full swing. Tanks, tables, large glass cabinets and people in full HazMat gear. Then it all went BLACK!

Only seconds later the Neutralizer jerked awake to a pungent smell. Smelling salts? As he looked around the MI-6 agent (Doug Clark) came into view. To the soldier’s right, 2 hard guys were down for the count to his side. He looked at Clark and said, “where did you come from and what did you do”? The English MI-6 just smiled and said, “They don’t call me the Ghost for nothing”!” Plus, old chap we really must get on with it as your soft probe is about to go hard”.

Oh no! Go hard………”Go hard said my wife Susan”. “Or did you mean blow-hard”? “You had better recover from that dreaming of yours fast and get out to clean the garage you agreed to”. As I slowly rolled out of bed, I thought to myself, “Wow, great dream”. “Can’t wait for the next”.

Next Chapter: Hard Probe

~~Ralph Arata