VANITY CASE
By Russell Iles
TEAM TRIDENT Part Four

            
                                   © 2002




Inside the factory Vanity and Sterling were heading quietly down the first
floor corridor towards the main office, right Sterling said Vanity quietly,
the office door is straight ahead, you go on to the door and listen to find
out who's inside, while I contact Eva.

Eva's wrist communicator began to flash, Eva it's Vanity, Sterling and I
are about to enter the office, where are you, I'm at the perimeter fence,
replied Eva, and I've set the explosives, they will go off in exactly
eleven minutes, good work Eva, said Vanity, now move to an area where you
can observe the main building entrance and watch for any activity after
Sterling and I go in, you never know someone may get away and try to
escape, if they do they're yours, do you have any knockout darts left, yes
replied Eva, I did not need to use them, But I will use them on anyone
coming through that exit, good girl, said Vanity over and out.

Sterling, said Vanity quietly, can you hear anyone inside the office, yes
said Sterling, it sounds like there are four people inside, three men and a
woman and the woman seems to be in charge, right said Vanity load your
knockout darts and get ready to go in, suddenly they could hear a loud
whirling sound from above, Vanity's communicator began to flash, Vanity
it's Eva, there's an helicopter about to land in the factory grounds, ok
replied Vanity, we can hear it, that must be their leaders way out, Eva
when the helicopter lands use a knockout dart to disable the pilot, but be
careful, On my way, replied Eva, over and out.

Ok Sterling said Vanity, we have to move fast, on the count of three we go
in, one, two, three, Sterling kicks open the door and rush's into the
office, Vanity follows closely behind, Sterling shoots a dart at a man to
his left, the man falls to the floor unconscious, Vanity fires at another
man straight ahead, her dart hits him high up on the leg and he keels over,
a third man attacks Sterling with an iron bar and a fourth man rush's at
Vanity and grabs her by the throat, a furious struggle takes place, seeing
her chance the woman and a fifth man run out through the doorway and into
the corridor.

Vanity is pushed up against the wall by her attacker, she breaks his grip
and throws him to the floor, she then knocks him out with a forceful blow
to the neck, Sterling wrestles the iron bar from his assailant and uses it
to knock him out, Sterling I thought you said there were only four people
in here, I'm sorry Vanity, replied Sterling, but I only heard the four
voices, never mind, said Vanity, lets get after the woman and the other
man.

Eva meanwhile watches from cover as the helicopter lands, using her
miniature binoculars she checks to see how many crew are aboard, she only
observes one man, the pilot, Eva moves in closer, she realises that she
won't be able to use her knockout darts as the down draft from the still
spinning rotor blades would affect her aim, the cockpit door opens and the
pilot steps out and moves to the side of the helicopter, where he opens the
sliding rear passenger compartment door and climbs inside, Eva quickly and
silently moves up to the side of the helicopter, there she crouches next to
the cockpit door, she moves slowly to the passenger compartment door and
climbs inside, the pilot spots her and draws his gun, Eva's reaction is
instant, she kicks the gun from his hand, and in one movement she grabs the
man and throws him out of the door onto the ground, Eva casually steps out
of the door and waits for the pilot to get to his feet, who the hell are
you, shouts the pilot, you don't need to know, replied Eva, 'but I will put
a stop to your plans' she said confidently, well we'll see about that
snarls the pilot, he then attacks Eva and by grabbing her hair he pins her
to the side of the helicopter, Eva wriggles and twists herself free from
his grasp and by wrapping a leg tightly around his she wrestles the man to
the ground, under the still spinning blades of the helicopter Eva and the
man engage in a few minutes of furious struggle as they grapple with each
other while rolling across the ground, each trying to gain the upper hand,
but the man is no match for Eva and her devastating grappling skills, the
agile Eva skilfully manoeuvres herself into position and wraps herself with
a python like grip tightly around the exhausted man from behind and rolls
him onto his side, she then renders him unconscious by tightly wrapping an
arm around his throat and inflicting on him one of her many inescapable
sleeper holds, without having broken sweat Eva nimbly gets to her feet,
that was fun, she smiled to herself, as she brushes the grass from her
leathers, she then manages to drag the mans unconscious body out of sight,
she then straightens her hair and makes her way to the cockpit door and
coolly climbs inside to switch off the engine and wait for the others to
arrive.

Vanity Case and Sterling pursue the fleeing woman and man along the
corridor and down the stairs into the ground floor factory area, the man
draws a revolver, turns around and fires at Vanity and Sterling, they both
dive for cover behind some machinery, lets split up, says Vanity, I'll go
left and you go to the right, Sterling moves silently toward the exit, he
sees the man going through the exit covering the woman as they make their
way outside Vanity and Sterling give chase, the man turns and fires wildly
as they run across the grass to the awaiting helicopter, Vanity and
Sterling following their every move.

Suddenly they hear a loud boom, that must be the explosive device going
off, said Sterling, yes said Vanity, the chemicals are taken care of, now
lets round up these two, the man and the woman reach the waiting
helicopter, as the man reaches for the door it flies open and out from the
cockpit jumps Eva, she kicks the gun from his hand and fires a dart into
his neck, knocking him out instantly, the woman runs toward the car parking
area, Vanity gives chase, the woman draws a pistol and aims at Vanity,
Vanity dives through the air bringing the woman to the ground, Vanity pins
the woman face down and binds her hands, so who are you asked Vanity, I'm
not saying anything to you, replied the woman, fair enough replies Vanity,
but you will talk I can guarantee it.

Vanity then tells Sterling to contact SID, tell them that we have destroyed
the chemicals and rounded up the gang, also tell them to send in the
authorities to arrest the gang members and take them away, the authorities
arrive and take into custody all the gang members, most of whom were still
unconscious, except for the woman, who was taken away by SID officers to be
questioned.

Eva, Sterling, well done said Vanity, you both did me proud, we destroyed
the chemicals and arrested all the gangs members, now lets make sure every
future mission is as successful as this one, Team Trident made their way
back to their motorcycles, right team lets go home said Vanity, I will
contact you both tomorrow after I have spoken with SID, and let you know
who this woman was behind the Dark Rain organisation, Team Trident mounted
their motorcycles and sped off into the night.

The next day SID contacted Vanity, Vanity this is colonel Bentley, hello
colonel, how are you, replied Vanity, I'm very well, said colonel Bentley,
especially after you and Team Trident did such an excellent job, very well
done, Thank you colonel, said Vanity, have you any news for me on the woman
behind Dark Rain, yes said the colonel, you know that man you asked about
yesterday, Carlisle Chadwick, well he died mysteriously four years ago and
it turns out this woman was his wife, but she had many affairs and fell in
with a criminal sort, she met this underworld chap called Darius Cain, and
she became besotted with him, between them they arranged to have her
wealthy husband killed and she inherited all his money about fifteen
million, she ploughed the money into Cain's criminal organisation, then
about a year ago Cain died and the woman Celia Chadwick, that's her name
took over the organisation, one of the organisations head men became her
lover, they wanted more money to fuel their terror regime, so they came up
with the idea of contaminating the water supplies and holding the
government to ransom, A very nasty little network if I may say so, said the
colonel, yes said Vanity, but we've put a stop to them now, did you use the
truth serum on her, of course, said Bentley, she wouldn't stop talking,
still she won't be seeing the light of day again, thanks again Vanity,
speak to you soon, bye' bye colonel, replied Vanity, Vanity case then
contacted Eva and Sterling and explained to them what the colonel had told
her, A couple of hours later a large bouquet of flowers were delivered to
Vanity's home, inside the card read, to the best boss ever, we are training
hard and looking forward to our next mission, Eva & Sterling, Vanity smiled
and thought, those two are irreplaceable.


                                  The end.

                             © Russell Iles 2002