Report #3270, Transcript Section #41
(Operation SANDMAN)
©1998-1999 Shane Ivey

KEEPER: Okay. It is past midnight, June 6. Everyone is wired on exhaustion and adrenaline and anxiety, of course.

KEEPER: The FBI agents have just driven away from the formerly Safe House.

KEEPER: Kelley is moving things into the cars. Danforth and Keen are moving the computers and cameras and other electronics.

CABOT: Keeper: If I remember correctly, the rental vehicle I initially came to the safehouse with was a station wagon type. Is that correct? I know I hid my Rover and took a more incognito vehicle.

ROGERS: "OK so we're going fast now I assume because the FBI coverage is gone right?"

KEEPER: That sounds right, Cabot

CABOT: OK, we forgot that when going through our options.

KEEPER: Right, Rogers. As the last of the equipment is piled into the vehicles, the last items are left: your captive and your incapacitated FBI agent.

CABOT: Is the cargo area large enough to accomodate the fed?

KEEPER: Not comfortably, but he can be squeezed into place to keep him out of sight.

ROGERS: "I'll sedate him so he will be no problem for you guys."

CABOT: "JT, I recommend we use my rental for the transport of the packages. Has the vehicle been wired to blow if we encounter insurmountable resistance?"

ROGERS: "Kelly? Can we do that quickly?"

KEEPER: "It shouldn't take too long. It would be faster if we had someone with some real demolitions training."

CABOT: "Give me the stuff, I'll go do it."

ROGERS: "I'll get a reqest in after all we may need someone for that farm."

CABOT: "Don't worry, I think I've got the team covered."

KEEPER: He nods and leads the way to the explosives and wiring.

ROGERS: "OK I'll knock both the packages out when your done."

CABOT: I select a small device, just enough to rupture the gas tank and ignite the spilled fuel, and two remote detonators.

CABOT: While I'm doing this, I remind Danforth and Keen that all of the operatives need to be set up for real-time communications during the moves.

KEEPER: It's routine work. You have a well-crafted explosive device within a few minutes, and everyone is checked for communications.

CABOT: "Make sure our commo frequencies don't spill over onto the det frequency."

KEEPER: Danforth smiles slightly. "So who's driving that bomb, anyway?"

ROGERS: "I'll go with the patients just in case." "Who want's to drive, MrL?"

CABOT: I move outside to the driveway, via the back door and survey the area for unwanted attention.

CABOT: That would be a Spot Hidden and a Listen roll, if you please, Keeper.

KEEPER: It's quiet outside.

KEEPER: Which car did you wire up with the bomb?

ROGERS: The Station Wagon (or whichever one the packages are going in)

CABOT: I take out a mini-mag and, as inconspicuously as possible, crawl under the rear of the rental station wagon to secure the device to the top of the fuel tank.

KEEPER: Done. Kelley comes out the back door and looks your way. "We ready?"

CABOT: "In a minute. Knight, you're a smoker, right? Can you spark one up and just stand out here by the back door and keep an eye on the station wagon till we get it loaded?"

KEEPER: "No problem." He strolls out and smokes, looking aimless.

CABOT: "All right, have both packages been made more 'manageable'?"

ROGERS: "Yep they won't be waking up without chemical help for a good few hours."

CABOT: I grab a few bedsheets and put them by my equipment which I have removed from the rental and brought inside.

CABOT: I then open the case containing my Barrett Light .50 and begin assembling the weapon and attaching the scope.

ROGERS: "Hey Cabot, the drop isn't set for the people, just the samples."

ROGERS: "Let me ring our contact."

ROGERS: Rogers speeddials Meredith.

CABOT: "Whoa, wait a minute. I thought we were unloading all this excess baggage at once. Wasn't it agreed that those liabilities should NOT be brought to the new safehouse?"

ROGERS: "Yeah but that wasif we could set it up I'm trying to do that now."

KEEPER: Rogers, the phone rings; you hear electronic clicks as the signal is routed and rerouted. Then the electronically masked voice: "Yes?"

CABOT: "We can take a little drive with them and hole-up until the safehouse is established and we get the green light. But I'm inclined to go with Kelley on this one - those two (pointing to the back of the safehouse) have no business being associated with our new place."

ROGERS: "How fast can you set up a collection of two people along with the samples drop I arranged?"

ROGERS: "We have a very narrow window of opportunity."

KEEPER: "Our pick-up will be made with an ambulance. Transfer all materials at that time."

ROGERS: "OK thanks, bye."

ROGERS: "OK its all set Cabot the packages don't go to the new safehouse."

CABOT: I withdraw the drop location information from my pocket and review it.

CABOT: "13 191st Street, Manhattan. . ."

CABOT: "What time is the drop scheduled for?"

KEEPER: Kelley says, "She said send email when we're ready to make the drop."

ROGERS: "No set time"

ROGERS: "are we ready now?"

KEEPER: "Not if we want to establish the new safe-house, first."

CABOT: "All right, then the new safe house does have to be established first, our team will just stay busy until that time. Which tech is going with JT and I?"

ROGERS: "That's the first teams job my team will drop the package off then RV at the new safehouse."

ROGERS: "We can do it at the same time."

KEEPER: "That's workable. Cabot, you want three of the team in the wagon with the bodies?"

ROGERS: "I'm with the bodies, so I just need a driver and some armed support."

KEEPER: Kelley says, "We have three vehicles here, plus Knight." He looks the team over. "If we send Cabot and Rogers in the wagon, that leaves... Say, me and Danforth in one Rover, and Lundquist and Keen in the other."

CABOT: "No just two, one "official" guy, that'd be JT at least, and one guy to drive him. I'll take one more with me in the security vehicle. Maybe Knight, since he knows the city."

ROGERS: "Kelly you want to ride shotgun with me?"

CABOT: "I'd like one commo guy on each team in the event we run into technical difficulties."

CABOT: "We lose commo, we lose the ability to know when the drop is on."

KEEPER: "Yeah. All right. Cabot, you take Danforth, then."

KEEPER: "Wait... Cabot, you take Keen to do security on the transfer. Lundquist can take Danforth to set up the safe house."

CABOT: "OK, Connor goes with me in the drop security vehicle."

CABOT: "JT, who you takin' in the bomb-train out there?"

ROGERS: "Ok Kelly's with me and that's it we should be able to handle comms right Kelly?"

KEEPER: "He's taking me. " Kelley grins. "You better have wired that up right."

ROGERS: "If you haven't I'll be haunting you ok!"

CABOT: "Okay, Rogers, you'd better drive, since you know the city, that frees Kelley to handle a detonator and a weapon."

CABOT: "Connor and I will tail in a rover with the other detonator."

ROGERS: "OK and make sure we have a Flamethrower. I'll go and e-mail the boss about the drop then."

CABOT: "Yeah, good idea. You might want one of those with you, too. Hold off on the email. We'll want to check out the drop site prior to initiating the drop."

CABOT: "Besides that gives the other team time to get moved in at the new safe house and us time to handle any delays we might encounter while we're out."

CABOT: I move out to where Knight is. "Mind if I borrow your car for a while?"

ROGERS: "Hey Cabot one min."

CABOT: "I was just thinking, the rover's are too obvious to be associated with the drop. If someone picks them up going to the new safe house, we aren't caught with our dicks in our hands. The same can't be said if we get nabbed with the fed and the raghead."

ROGERS: "If we're going to do this best to go all at once in case the FBI don't stay away."

KEEPER: Knight says, "As long as it'll go on my expense report, you can borrow it all you want."

CABOT: "Hey, at least it doesn't have a bomb strapped to the fuel tank!" I move out to his (Crown Vic, isn't it) car and put the Barrett on the floorboard, a box of shells in the glove compartment, and a pair of binoculars on the seat.

CABOT: "Lastly, did we decide to bug the fed and the raghead in the event we lose them?"

KEEPER: There's barely enough room for the Barrett, even in Knight's Cadillac. Keen follows you and steps gingerly to avoid the rifle at his feet.

ROGERS: "May as well, but the boss might not want us giving her bugged parcels"

CABOT: "Then tell her they're bugged when her people take possession of them. I'm only concerned if we should lose them duringall of this."

CABOT: On second thought, the Barret goes on the backseat with some clothing covering it or something.

ROGERS: "Ok lets do it Danforth set it up." "Now lets get this done shal we?"

CABOT: Commo check!

KEEPER: Danforth fixes bugs on the unconscious Mahmoud and on the hazard-suit wearing fed.

KEEPER: Kelley: "Check."

CABOT: (Sorry guys, I'll never erase the training I had.)

KEEPER: Keen, Danforth, Knight, Lundquist follow suit.

ROGERS: "Check"

CABOT: I do the same. "We're still at risk for parabolic surveillance you said, right Connor?"

KEEPER: Kelley checks his MP5SD and puts it at his feet in the station wagon, under a coat.

KEEPER: Danforth says. "Well, yeah. As long as you're in the open and somebody has a mic set up to train on you."

ROGERS: Rogers Preps his guns and vest.

KEEPER: Danforth says, "If you're in a car and the windows are rolled up, though, your risk is in bugs or laser mikes. But we're clear of bugs, and it's hard to train a laser mike on a car. So we ought to be okay."

ROGERS: "Just don't say anything too stupid in other words."

KEEPER: Danforth shrugs. "Just don't say it out in the open, and don't park someplace where they can train a laser on you."

CABOT: I gather everyone around in a huddle, just prior to departing. OK, we still ahve to worry about OPSEC. The team doing the drop is BLUEBIRD, the packages are the EGG, the drop site is the NEST. If the drop goes off good, the signal to the others will be "THE EGG IS IN THE NEST." (Write this down, JT)

KEEPER: The others listen and nod.

CABOT: The safehouse team is REDROBIN, the safehouse is the BIRDCAGE. If they get to the safehouse and reestablish operations there, the signal to the others is REDROBIN is in the BIRDGAGE."

CABOT: "DO NOT use any names, or location references at any time while we're exposed."

ROGERS: "OK."

KEEPER: "Affirmative."

ROGERS: "I'll e-mail the boss now then."

CABOT: "In the event of a catastropje, hole up. Each team coordinate through your superiors for a rendezvous point. Your cells seem to have adequate security to fulfill that function."

CABOT: "JT, what happens if we get to the site and find people snooping around it? Let's take this as it goes."

CABOT: "The minute we assume everything's going great is the minute we'll hit a snag, trust me."

ROGERS: "Ok but thats a lot of trips out exposing us to the FBI and whoever else may be out there."

KEEPER: Kelley says, "We're carrying sensitive parcels. If somebody's dinking around the drop spot, we back off."

KEEPER: "No confrontations--just drive on and develop a new drop spot."

CABOT: "OK, if everyone's ready, REDROBIN, hit the road and get the BIRDCAGE established. Remember, anyone tailing you is NOT officially sanctioned."

ROGERS: "OK. I'll take the laptop with me that way we can arrange on the fly."

KEEPER: Kelley nods. "Right. BLUEBIRD, let's go."

CABOT: "BLUEBIRD, pack up the EGG, and let's get out of here."

KEEPER: A few minutes later, Mahmoud and the fed are bundled up in the back of the station wagon.

ROGERS: "Kelly, keep an eye on the fed god only knows if that organism can affect the sedative I gave him."

CABOT: As we get situated in the Caddy, I make sure Connor understands how to operate the detonator. I look to the others, if someone calls MIGRATE, get the fuck away from this car, it's going to blow in 15 seconds."

CABOT: "We'll try to pick you up if feasible in the security car."

KEEPER: "Understood." Kelley gets in the driver's seat and starts it up.

ROGERS: "Fine."

KEEPER: Once Rogers is inside, Kelley takes a last glance at the safe house. Then he backs out and hits the road.

KEEPER: Knight gets the keys and heads for one of the Rovers. He waits to follow Lundquist and Danforth as they pile into the other one. Then they, too, drive out of the driveway and away, on a different route than the wagon.

Rogers drives off

CABOT: We (Connor and I) do the same, lagging back from the station wagon a bit.

ROGERS: "I'm going to drive around a bit first Kelly to see if we can spot any tails then head to the dropsite for a look around."

KEEPER: It's creeping up one one o'clock. The weather is hot, stuffy, just a little overcast. You pass the tree-lined suburban neighborhoods surrounding the safehouse first; they give way to more densely-built storefronts, apartment buildings, rowhouses, and more cluttered streets and rackety lots.

CABOT: I look first to tails and Spot Hidden for anyone that might have picked us up in another vehicle.

KEEPER: Kelley nods. He glances over tensely. "No names, BLUEBIRD. "

KEEPER: There's very little traffic out. As your cars change streets and routes, you never spot any cars more than once.

CABOT: I next scan the sidewalks for suspicious-looking persons, those that appear out of the ordinary for this time of night.

KEEPER: Cabot, you spot a helicopter, high up.

KEEPER: Danforth yawns in the seat beside you.

ROGERS: "OK I'm going to head to the dropzone to check it out"

KEEPER: At this time of night, everyone on the street looks suspicious.

CABOT: I put the binoculars to my eyes for a better look at that helicopter."

KEEPER: It drifts by, high overhead. Through the binoculars you see white paint, the Bell Ranger outline of a standard commercial craft. As it banks you spot a TV News logo on the side.

CABOT: I log those facts in my head and divert my attention back to ground-based surveillance.

KEEPER: Rogers, you drive through Queens, alternating main streets with cross-streets. Soon you come to the graveyards--blocks and blocks of them drift by on your right, grassy hills choked with headstones and isolated trees, where elevated train tracks loom over head beside you.

KEEPER: Kelley scans the desolate area quietly. He glances up at the tracks, then under them to residential neighborhoods.

CABOT: As the environment changes, so do my surveillance techniques. Binoculars are used intermittently to scan graveyards and L-tracks, and plain eyesight to pick up vehicular tails.

KEEPER: You pass other cars occasionally... Cabot, you spy a small clutch of people, maybe three of them, huddled at a tree in the graveyards.

KEEPER: Rogers, you hear a muffled THUMP in the wagon, behind you.

CABOT: Into mike, "BLUEBIRD, slow your flight a little." I zero-in on the figures in the graveyard as we slow a bit.

KEEPER: Kelley turns sharply in his seat and glares, lifting the submachine gun with his right hand.

ROGERS: "BLUEBIRD will circle a while."

ROGERS: "What was that?"

KEEPER: Kelley stares at the covered humps in the back. Then: THUMP.

CABOT: Am I able to discern any more by focusing on the figures and increasing the magnification of my binoculars?"

ROGERS: "Should I stop?"

KEEPER: Kelley breathes. "Motherfucker. He's moving."

ROGERS: "BLUEBIRD here we have noise from the package and movement."

KEEPER: Cabot: the figures look like homeless people.

ROGERS: "Will stop and attempt to restrain"

CABOT: "BLUEBIRD copies, secure the EGG."

ROGERS: "Will try not to crack the EGG over."

Rogers pull over into the next quiet spot / alley

KEEPER: Kelley lowers the submachine gun and lifts one of the flamethrowers. He doesn't take his eyes off the shapes in the wagon as he opens his door.

CABOT: To Connor: "Keep an eye on BLUEBIRD." I return my enhanced surveillance on the "homeless people" and guage their reaction to the our stopping.

KEEPER: The fed's bound legs kick again.

ROGERS: Rogers get a Hypodermic with a sedative in it out quickly

CABOT: "BLUEBIRD to REDROBIN, what's your status?"

KEEPER: Kelley watches the bound, hazmat-suited man carefully.

ROGERS: "BLUEBIRD is moving to restrain the EGG, the EGG is the domestic variety."

KEEPER: Kelley keeps watching and waiting.

CABOT: "Roger on the EGG. BLUEBIRD to REDROBIN, I say again, what is your status?"

KEEPER: Cabot, you see a couple of the homeless persons look your way. You can't make out any details.

ROGERS: "OK I'm going to try and sedate him some more cover me."

KEEPER: "REDROBIN is en route. Status is just fine."

CABOT: OK, again, I log that and continue to observe them intermittently with the activity in the other BLUEBIRD vehicle.

CABOT: As I do so, I pull the Barret from the backseat to make use of its sniper scope.

CABOT: How far are we from the designated drop point?

KEEPER: A long way.

CABOT: Juuuusssst checkin'.

KEEPER: Rogers, what are you doing?

ROGERS: I'm moving to try and pump the FBI guy with some more sedative.

KEEPER: Cabot, Danforth leans against his door to leave room for you to bring up the sniper rifle without poking its barrel out the window. Through the green night-sight of the sniper scope you see three disheveled-looking people huddled near a tree, staring your way curiously.

KEEPER: Rogers, are you injecting him through his hazmat suit?

ROGERS: I'm assuming I had an IV line set up in case of this eventuality

ROGERS: Don't want to punture that suit.

CABOT: "If you only knew what you're staring at. . . ." I whisper as I center the cross-hairs on one of their foreheads for practice. I then withdraw the weapon and return it to the back seat.

KEEPER: OK... you inject the sedative into the IV line. Even as you're doing it, the man's legs kick again. His arms thrash once.

ROGERS: What can I see is there anything in the suit with him?

KEEPER: Not that you can see... then you see the IV line swell slightly where it meets the hypodermic needle.

ROGERS: I put full pressure on that Hypo straight away then seal the suit asap

CABOT: I continue to apply surveillance to the environment around us.

KEEPER: It swells further, barely a second passing as you slam the plunger--then the IV line bursts, violently, fluid and blood spraying around your hand and needle.

KEEPER: Kelley hisses, "Fuck," and scrambles backward out of the open door. He lands hard on his side and scrambles around to regain his feet and bring the flamethrower to bear.

ROGERS: "Fuck!" Rogers backs out of the car as fast as he can

CABOT: Upon seeing this, I look to Connor, "Get up there!"

KEEPER: Rogers, you lean against the door, working the handle, You slam the door open and pile out, already feeling an oily moisture creeping around your arm and hand.

CABOT: "BLUEBIRD! Sitrep!"

ROGERS: Rogers closes his mouth and hold his nose closed with his other hand

KEEPER: Overheard from Kelley: [hard, steady, disciplined intakes of breath, ruffling sound of movement]

KEEPER: Silence from Rogers.

ROGERS: Rogers is trying to get out to try and get this stuff off of himself.

CABOT: "Fuck, REDROBIN, we have a problem, will advise."

KEEPER: Rogers, as you pile out of the car and stumble away from it, you see Kelley come around the car, not quite aiming the flamethrower at you.

ROGERS: Where is the stuff can I feel it?

KEEPER: Rogers, you feel the same oily moisture creep along your arm, to your shoulder and chest.

CABOT: I again take out the Barret and, leaning from the window as we approach, scan the open rear of the station wagon. Do I note an unusual signatures with the Starlite scope?

KEEPER: No, Cabot.

CABOT: Are we there yet?

ROGERS: I'm ripping my shirt open and saying to Kelly "Get a lighter or some matches and burn this thing" then closing my mouth again after a quick breath.

KEEPER: Danforth is driving fast to catch up with the station wagon, still a couple of blocks away.

KEEPER: Rogers, the moisture creeps down your chest, across your stomach, over your groin.

ROGERS: I'm switching hands and trying to grab it now

KEEPER: Kelley reaches into his coat pockets hurriedly and fishes out a zippo. He tosses it to you.

ROGERS: "Get the fucking Flamethrower ready"

KEEPER: Then he brings the flamethrower up to aim again.

ROGERS: Rogers cathes the lighteer and tries to fend the thing off with the Zippo

KEEPER: You feel the moisture with your fingers as you grap at it, Rogers. It's liquid, fleshy, warm.

KEEPER: It drifts along your leg, descending.

ROGERS: "I'm going to try and throw it onto the floor using the Zippos to get it off me""

KEEPER: The Cadillac hauls to a stop nearby.

ROGERS: Rogers rips his tousers of as fast as he can

KEEPER: Rogers, you see the stuff melt over your socks and shoes, then the sensation leaves the skin of your leg altogether. You see a puddle along the asphalt, then it darts out from under you toward the gutter.

CABOT: To Connor: "Stay with the car." Pushing the detonator across the seat to him, "And be ready with this." I pull my CZ, unsafety it, and with it in my coat pocket move toward the station wagon.

ROGERS: "Flame the fucking thing now!"

ROGERS: Rogers get out of the way.

KEEPER: Kelley sidesteps to get a shot--"Move!"--and brings the flamethrower around at it.

KEEPER: He looses a stream of liquid fire at the ground. The brightness of it blinds you, and the heat singes the hair on Rogers' legs.

CABOT: If I have a clear avenue around Kelley to the station wagon, I move to it.

KEEPER: You get to the wagon, Cabot.

CABOT: Quickly scanning the front seat for hazards, I remove any incriminating evidence I find from the front of the car, i.e., detonator, weapons, etc.

ROGERS: Rogers is cleaning any where that thing touched him as best as he can.

CABOT: "Where are the specimens?" I ask out loud

KEEPER: Kelley jogs forward and applies a stream of fire to the ground.

KEEPER: Cabot, you see Kelley's guns; the fed and Mahmoud in the back. Then you see the sealed case containing the specimens. It has burst open at the hinges.

CABOT: "Fuck, I grab Kelley's weapons and sling them over my shoulder." I shine my mini-mag on the specimen tray, is it empty?

ROGERS: "Get the EGGs."

KEEPER: You see the vial with the Dreaming Man blood sample; it appears to be intact. The other vial has been burst open.

CABOT: I grab the DM vial and pocket it, as well.

KEEPER: There's another brilliant yellow flash as Kelley torches the pavement again.

CABOT: Walking around to the rear and the others, I survey the area for remnants of Kelley's target.

ROGERS: "Guys I don't think it infected me but no chances ok."

CABOT: "Give me your left hand."

ROGERS: ""You'l have to test me soon"

ROGERS: Rogers holds out his left hand.

KEEPER: You can't make out anything distinct. The pavement is blackened with scorched asphalt and burnt debris.

CABOT: Before JT can protest, I slice his hand with my pocket knife and step back. "Let it drip on the ground, JT. Kelley, bring that torch over here."

ROGERS: "Fuck, you could have use a syringe you bastard."

KEEPER: Kelley steps over, eyes narrow and glancing around. "We still watching the names?"

CABOT: "Sorry, man. No surprises here. Yeah, sorry. Torch the blood."

KEEPER: "Step back." Kelley takes a step back and looses a short burst at the blood on the ground.

KEEPER: "This thing's about tapped," says.

CABOT: "It only takes a little direct heat, turn it down a little for this."

ROGERS: "Great at least I won't be crispy friend chicken if that sample is infected."

KEEPER: He nods after torching it.

KEEPER: The blood on the ground doesn't appear to be doing anything unusual.

CABOT: (you're forgetting the bomb ;-) )

ROGERS: "Someone pass me a bandage."

ROGERS: "And lets get the hell out of here now."

CABOT: I move to the back of the wagon and drag Mahmoud out, repeating the field serum acquistion on him after sterilizing the knife with my zippo.

ROGERS: "Get the Domestic EGG as well he may be clear now."

CABOT: "One at a time."

KEEPER: You draw blood from Mahmoud. He's too heavily doped to react. Kelley burns it with another flash from the flamethrower: No reaction.

CABOT: I gesture for Danforth to come help get the guy over to the Caddy. What's the fed look like now?

KEEPER: His suit is ruptured where the IV line burst. You can barely tell he's breathing.

CABOT: I yank the IV from his arm and toss it to the ground. "That should suffice, fry it, and let's see."

KEEPER: Danforth grunts and drags Mahmoud to the other car.

KEEPER: Kelley burns the bloody IV line. The rubber and plastic melt and give off a smelly black smoke. No reaction from the blood.

CABOT: "Put him in the back seat, this guy's going in the trunk, if he's going at all."

ROGERS: "OK lets get to the BIRDCAGE forget the delivery for now I think."

CABOT: "Well, maybe we can at least see what the long-term physiological effects are of having been exposed." I grab the suit and and gesture for someone to help me relocate the guy to the caddy's trunk.

KEEPER: Kelley tosses the flamethrower into the cadillac and helps Cabot with the fed.

ROGERS: Rogers gets dressed again. And moves to help with the cleanup.

KEEPER: Kelley says, "Let's drive, folks. Immediately."

CABOT: "Negative, we're out here NEST the EGG and that's what we're going to do. As soon as we've got the fed in the trunk, I remove the vial from my pocket, hand Kelley his weapons and JT my jacket, and then move to the wagon to remove the device from the gas tank.

KEEPER: Done, Cabot. It takes a very long couple of minutes.

KEEPER: Kelley says, "We need to move. There's people in these buildings, you know." He nods up at the windows above the alley.

CABOT: I take my zippo, light it, and leave it on the car seat to start burning the car seat. As I return to the caddy, I make one last SPOT HIDDEN to see if there is any residue from that shit that might be useful for analysis.

CABOT: (I also remove the car keys from the ignition and bang on the steering column with the but of my pistol)

KEEPER: The car's a mess, Cabot--there's blood on the seat and the back floorboard.

ROGERS: "Hey I'll drive that car where we're going."

CABOT: Yeah, but I'm looking specifically for remnants of the living shit, perhaps burned residue.

KEEPER: You don't see any of the substance, Cabot.

CABOT: Fuck it, as I walk back to the caddy, I take a scraping of the center of the burned asphalt with my knife, then get in the car.

KEEPER: Kelley: "We leaving it there?"

ROGERS: "No I'll drive it"

KEEPER: "All right. Same teams, then." He gets out and heads to the wagon.

ROGERS: "Let's go."

CABOT: I check my mike, "BLUE BIRD to REDROBIN, the domestic EGG has cracked, the foreign EGG is intact. Proceeding to the NEST. What's your status?"

KEEPER: "REDROBIN is proceeding accoding to plan."

KEEPER: Kelley gets back in the wagon. He opens his duffel bag and replaces the fuel cannister in the flamethrower while Rogers drives.

CABOT: As we drive off, I use the binoculars to check back on our homeless spectators.

KEEPER: They're gone.

CABOT: I scan the rest of the graveyard. Any sign of them having moved to an alternate location?

ROGERS: "BLUEBIRD do you want to continue with laying the EGG?"

CABOT: "Affirmative, let's NEST the EGG and be done with it."

KEEPER: No sign of the spectators at all, Cabot. There's nothing in the graveyard but tombstones and trees.

ROGERS: "Roger that, will start singing then."

ROGERS: Rogers tells Kelly to e-mail the details through and inlude a report on what just happened.

KEEPER: The drive is even more tense. You cross the Manhattan Bridge, lights and struts passing rhythmically overhead. Then the expressway, north along Manhattan, past city lights and highrises.

Rogers whispers to Keeper: FBI guy may make a good recruit if he survives

Rogers whispers to Keeper: rogers tells kelly to flag that in his e-mail

KEEPER: You come off the expressway uptown, driving into the late100-blocks. Approaching 191st Street you drive deep into Harlem, into seedy blocks, now very quiet and still in the dark hour.

CABOT: Are we within walking distance of the drop site now? (I live in the CUN-TRY, don't know about them city-slicker blocks)

KEEPER: Yes. 13 191st Street is one block east of a littered cul-de-sac, where another expressway passes overhead.

CABOT: Does it appear as though I could get access to a rooftop overlooking the drop site from the expressway above?"

ROGERS: "Do we have a reply on the E-Mail yet?"

KEEPER: You see several cars on the side of the street, but there's no traffic. You see nobody around--then you spot one man huddled in a blanket, motionless, against a wall a block from the drop-off.

KEEPER: Kelley shrugs. "I didn't ask for one."

KEEPER: Cabot: there are plenty of fire escapes you could climb up; though they are pretty noisy.

ROGERS: "No problem."

KEEPER: Oh, from the expressway? Sorry, got confused. There's no access to the expressway without scaling one of the big cement and steel support pillars or something.

CABOT: No, I'm actively looking for a route to the rooftops overlooking the drop site that requires the least amount of running around with a large rifle in my hands. I'm talking about coming down off the expressway to a adequate rooftop.

KEEPER: Okay. Quickest access to a roof would be a fire escape, which you'd be climbing with a rifle in your hands, or through one of the buildings.

KEEPER: There are also fire escapes in the alleys, which are less visible to the street. That's about it.

CABOT: Okay. "BLUEBIRD, take a perch in an out of the way place."

ROGERS: "BLUEBIRD is perching."

KEEPER: Kelley secures the flamethrower in his bag and picks up the submachine gun again. He looks it over, tests the laser sight.

ROGERS: Rogers checks his .45s one at a time.

CABOT: When I'm comfortable that we're not being observed, particularly by that guy you mentioned, Keeper (I'm assuming we're out of sight of him now). I get out of the vehicle and approach the others.

KEEPER: He runs a hand through his hair and sighs, stretches his jaw, but his eyes still look alert.

KEEPER: You pull the cars around a corner, out of sight of the guy on 191st street.

CABOT: I gesture for everyone to cover their mikes.

KEEPER: Kelley does so.

ROGERS: Rogers does as well

CABOT: "We're going to take a position on a rooftop. When we're in position, take a driveby and we'll see if anyone pokes their head up."

CABOT: "You'd better do that solo and without the EGGs, leaving the other for ground support and security of the EGGs."

KEEPER: Kelley nods. "I'll stay with the EGGs. " He nods to Rogers. "You take the other car and do the drive-by."

KEEPER: "What about that bum?"

CABOT: "We'll be watching him closely, if he looks like something more, we'll let you know."

ROGERS: "Right I'll do the drive by now then ok?"

KEEPER: "Fair enough. Let's do it."

CABOT: "But it'll take someone moving through the AO to lure him into some type of action if he's more than he seems."

CABOT: "We're heading up now, when I signal, do a dry run through the area. I can't give you support until I'm in a good position."

KEEPER: "Understood."

ROGERS: "Clear."

CABOT: I move back to the caddy, withdraw the Barret and wrap it one of sheets. I then pocket the ammo and hand Connor the binoculars. Checking my sidearm, a nod to a fire escape in a nearby alley. "Let's go."