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Post by frankthetriviaman on Oct 8, 2017 22:45:04 GMT -5
After calling in some back up, he waited for a couple trucks to arrive; they took away their own, leaving the Irish and Ripper Syndicate bodies behind.
The local police were shocked when they discovered what had to be the most horrific crime scene in the history of the United Kingdom.
......
Stein had taken refuge in a local Inn, and was quietly keeping an eye on his surroundings. Something had gone terribly wrong- when he tried to return to the agreed upon meeting spot, some of Blade's thugs were already there. He ran off to another inn and had been lying low ever since.
"Something has gone wrong... why haven't I seen any of the others yet?" He thought to himself
......
Marlena had spent hours aimlessly wandering through the woods. It wasn't until she had stumbled upon a road that she finally had some sense of direction, and many hours later, local townsfolk were surprised when a young woman in dirty, disheveled clothes stumbled into town, half awake. It was chance alone, that she happened to wander down the street where Stein was, and he managed to see her from the window of his room.
......
Gunnarson had managed to get his wound under control, then he looked at what he had to work with. He was certain his plan would work- now he just needed to get it into action.
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Post by Toz76 on Oct 12, 2017 23:48:48 GMT -5
Blade, Wilcox, Kross, Müller, Friend, McKibbin, Ruocco, Cambria, Knowles, Byrne, Revinev, and Palepu were having a meeting.
"Where the devil is Fowler?" Blade asked.
"Maybe Gunnarson was able to overpower him. It would not surprise me." Byrne said.
"Damnit, Byrne, you said you could deliver him directly into my hands."
"He's a crafty bastard. Maybe you should have sent more men."
"Well, it doesn't do us much good now. We didn't see Stein at all, which means it's very probable our base has been discovered. We must begin evacuation procedures. I want us ready to leave in 6 hours. Palepu, oversee the plane preparations personally."
And so, the machinations of justice were put in motion.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Oct 13, 2017 0:14:02 GMT -5
Deep within the mine, the five assassins had overheard some of Blade's grunts talking about "evacuation" and then they all nodded.
"All right; time to put our plan in motion. Ready?" Shakes asked.
"Ready" Ironside replied. And with a hefty swing of his pick axe, Ironside began swinging at the point in the shackles that he determined were the weakest. One by one, the assassins were freed from their restraints until at last they were free.
"Hey? What's that? Is someone trying to escape?" A voice said. Some guards then came walking down the area. The assassins hid quietly in the shadows.
They waited as the guards came walking down... right to the point where they knew they would have a chance.
"Now!" Shakes yelled. Before the guards could react, the five assassins plowed their pick axes into the skulls of the guards; they fell down instantly.
"Ok, what do we have to work with? Doesn't look like there's much in the way of firearms, but blades are plenty" Juno observed.
"Yes, they cut off our "dominant arms" but forgot to take one thing into account... a good assassin is good with both hands" Lion grinned as they armed themselves, and disappeared into the shadows.
"spread out if you must, but maintain stealth; its the only way to maintain our advantage" Rawhide said as they parted ways and moved about the mine. For months they had suffered, and now it was payback time.
......
Gunnarson had finally made it to town. But rather than risk going to the Inn, he made his way to the hospital to get his wounds properly treated.
"Oh, another one? We just had a detective come in with gunshot wounds a while ago; critical condition I'm afraid, we don't know if he'll make it" the person at the front desk said.
"What's his name? I think I may know the person" Gunnarson asked.
"Greene, I think." Gunnarson was shocked... he sincerely hoped it wasn't the Greene he was working with.
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Post by Toz76 on Oct 27, 2017 23:48:20 GMT -5
Gunnarson ran up to the room.
"Greene! What happened!"
"Get this man out of here!" Someone yelled in the distance.
"Isn't that Gunnarson?" Someone else asked.
Greene coughed and looked at Gunnarson. "It was Byrne... he's been working for Blade this whole time. That's how they escaped prison so easily I suspect..."
Gunnarson gasped. "Did you find Blade's lair?"
"It wasn't the mine we went too..."
"We went to the wrong one too... I have to go! Stein is alone!"
"Wait..." Greene muttered. "When you get back to London, go to my house. My will is in the drawer by my bed. I want you to make sure it's carried out."
"Greene, you could still pull through. Miss Gadfrey recovered from less."
"No... it's too late for me. Gunnarson, promise me... my son... make sure he... he stays as far away... from this life... the police..."
And Greene fell back down on the bed.
Tears formed in Gunnarson's hand as he looked down at Greene's body.
Suddenly, he felt cuffs around his wrists.
"Breaking into a hospital, trespassing, and losing track of the Chief Of Scotland Yard... you've really done it this time, Swede." Gunnarson recognized the voice of Walton in his ear
Gunnarson didn't resist as he was loaded into the police van and driven back to London.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Oct 28, 2017 0:36:43 GMT -5
Walton had heard everything though, and knew that action had to be taken, fast. With Gunnarson locked up, he turned his attention to the real threats: the Blade Syndicate. Going to the phone, he called Scotland Yard. "My informants were right; they are in Smagdock. Some of the boys are up here, but there's no time to call in reinforcements. Don't worry, I've got this" Walton assured. Then he called another number "yes, listen, I need to know- are any of your officers former army or SAS? Good, have them meet met me at once..." Walton began.
Detective Walton knew that it a situation like this... it was time for Lt. Michael Walton to lead the charge.
......
The Blade Syndicate was between a rock and a hard place. As they tried preparing to move out, they found themselves running into snags at every step. Equipment sabotaged, supplies missing... and grunts disappearing, while prisoners began running amuck.
"Find out what's going on and put an end to it!" Blade ordered.
On the inside, the assassins were taking their revenge. On the outside, the Ripper Underground was moving in, followed not too far behind by the police. Then, as if things couldn't get any worse...
"Sorry for the misunderstanding Mr O'Connor, you enjoy your day" the officer said as he was let go. Some time later, he, his men, and a group of half a dozen cars, including the truck with the phosgene, had met up.
"Lock and load boys, Blade dies today" O'Connor declared as his men loaded up and headed down the road.
As for Stein and Marlena...
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Post by Toz76 on Nov 7, 2017 22:48:40 GMT -5
Were trying to decide their next move.
"Blade is clearly at Smagdock. The question is, how do we get in?" Stein asked.
"I have an idea, but you aren't going to like it." Marlena replied.
*********
O'Connor was furious. A man and a woman were standing in the road, blocking his path.
"Ryan O'Connor of the Irish Mob?" The woman asked.
"How do you know who I am? What do you want?"
"The same thing you do- to take down Blade."
"Very well, get in the back."
"How did you know the Irish Mob were involved?" Stein whispered as the two climbed in.
"Simple. I recognized a few of them wandering around town from mugshots my father brought home." Marlena replied, grinning.
"Good plan, but I hope you know what you're doing when we get in there." Stein warned.
Meanwhile...
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Nov 7, 2017 23:22:54 GMT -5
Gunnarson was in a holding cell in the local police station, in the very town nearby Smagdock Mine. Given that he would have to drive from Scotland to England, some arrangements had to be made since he was effectively traveling between jurisdictions. He was depressed and at an all time low. Where did things go so wrong?, he thought to himself. Then, he thought about something, "Of course! I'll give Niko a call; maybe he's heard something since his ear is always on the ground" he declared to himself.
"You rang?" A voice asked. Gunnarson looked a little bit down the way... to his shock, Niko was in a neighboring cell.
"Niko!? But, how? Aren't you supposed to be in London?" Gunnarson asked, confused.
"Well, yes, but I figured I could help you more up here. Unfortunately, I ended up drinking too much Scotch in a local pub, and next thing I knew, me and a dozen others had wrecked the place. I swear, I didn't mean to, but I never turn down a free drink" Niko finished.
Gunnarson sighed, disappointed. So he decided to turn his attention elsewhere. There wasn't much in his cell though... what he wouldn't give for a newspaper, at least, he thought to himself.
......
(Disregard this half; will not be used until later on)
Elvira ran into the mines; she was determined to find out what the heck was going on in the mines and put an end to it. going down the various corridors, it was clear the situation had degenerated into complete anarchy; many of Blade's grunts were dead, and the prisoners were rioting, looking for exits, or dead themselves.
"What the... who could be responsible for all this?" She thought. Then she heard some familiar clicks, and turned around. There was Shakes and Lion, pointing guns at her with their good arms.
"Well well well... if it isn't the damned traitor that destroyed the assassination business in England overnight" Shakes declared.
"I am going to enjoy every pull of this trigger, Revinev" Lion said as he licked his lips.
"Now now, settle down" Revinev said, realizing that they were still dangerous despite missing limbs.
"Too late" they said, as they prepared to fire.
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Post by Toz76 on Nov 11, 2017 1:41:12 GMT -5
The Boeing 307 Stratoliner was a magnificent aircraft, with room for a crew of 6 and 33 passengers. Blade, of course, only intended to bring himself, his generals (Elvira and Byrne included), and as much valuable equipment as he could muster. So it fell to Palepu and Muller to prepare the plane.
"Fowler still isn't back. We have to assume the worst." Palepu said.
"Such a shame. He was a good guy." Muller sighed.
"Cheer up. He would have wanted us to continue." Palepu replied comfortingly.
Meanwhile, Revinev, Knowles, Ruocco, and Friend were in charge of the defenses. Since it was very clear that something was developing between Elvira and Ruocco, Friend and Knowles decided to pair them up and let them spend some time together while the two men went off to organize the grunts. Blade and Byrne had sequestered themselves in the war room to plan their escape, Kross was carrying McKibbin's stretcher to the plane, and Wilcox and Cambria were deciding what they needed to bring with them. They would be ready to leave in 4 hours.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Nov 11, 2017 2:13:55 GMT -5
And yet, trouble was only half an hour away. From the North, the Ripper Underground was moving in, dozens of well armed criminals, all to eager to take down Blade and claim the bounties that were put on the Syndicate members. Lord Bury was determined to make the Syndicate fall under his control, and if that meant spending a few thousand to encourage his underlings to capture these men, then so be it.
"Remain quiet lads; we take them by surprise, and we'll trap them in the very mines they thought would protect them. A few dozen guys down every entrance, and they'll have no way out" the lead said as everyone following him nodded and kept moving forward.
To the south, Detective Walton was leading a contingent of local police, headed by himself and other former SAS members, against the Blade Syndicate. He knew that this would not be an easy fight, so taking them by surprise was the only option. Abandoning the roads, they headed to Smagdock through the woods, and thanks to a flat terrain, and being closer than from where the rippers were coming from, soon they could see Smagdock in the distance.
"All right, there it is..." Walton said as he took out some binoculars. "Little activity on the outside... perfect. All right, keep quiet and keep your heads down; The ground over there is lower than the rest; we'll advance along that line and sneak up on them before they even know we're here. All right, break into groups; they won't see us coming in smaller groups" Walton directed as everyone began breaking into smaller groups.
But the group closest of all, because they had advanced along a road, was the Irish mob. Having made great time, they actually didn't head for the entrances necessarily. Instead, they sort of went for the back, and from there, headed to the top of the mines. After several minutes of searching, they found exactly what they were looking for. The top on an air vent.
"Set it up, boys! We'll gas them out and shoot the rest. And keep it down, damn it! We may do things loud, but we don't want them knowing we're here yet" Boss O'Connor said as they mob got to work.
"Oy, mind if we take position over there? Don't want anyone sneaking up on us after all" Marlena said, indicating her and Stein.
"Smart thinking; all right, go ahead" O'Connor said as Stein and Marlena went to the position... and out of earshot of everyone else.
"If that gas goes off it'll be just as much of a risk to us as to Blade. We gotta think of something" Stein whispered.
"I know, but what? They don't exactly teach you how to deal with phosgene you know" Marlena replied.
......
Down in the mines, the assassins had managed to take down some grunts... but luck was not on their side. Eventually, the five were re-captured, thanks in large part to Elvira teaching the more experienced grunts how the assassins work, and the five were back where they started.
"Keep an eye on these five; they're tricky" one said, as another was left to watch them. The five sat, grumbling at their misfortune.
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Post by Toz76 on Nov 11, 2017 2:25:55 GMT -5
Half and hour passed, and the Ripper Underground reached the mine. But they met with a problem... they ended up right on top of the Irish mob.
"Oi, you paddies! Eat this!" And a firefight broke out between the two.
As the fight continued, Marlena and Stein made their way to the phosgene.
"What do we do?" Marlena asked.
"Only one option." Stein said, grabbing two gas masks. "Point it at the mob and run."
"Are you crazy?"
"The commotion will allow us to sneak into the mine unnoticed." Stein pointed out.
Marlena hurriedly put the mask on, and the two punctured the can of gas before rolling it down the hill towards the mob and underground.
"Now let's go!" Stein ordered, as he and Marlena squeezed into the surprisingly spacious air vent and into the belly of the beast.
****
For Gunnarson, things were not going as hoped.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Nov 11, 2017 2:31:02 GMT -5
He was just sitting there, wondering if things could possibly get any worse. Just then, an officer came up to him.
"Please follow me, Gunnarson" he said.
"Can I ask why?" Gunnarson inquired.
"Radio broadcast; figured you would want to hear it" the officer said, escorting Gunnarson to a rest area where some officers were sitting. Gunnarson knew he had been sitting in prison for several hours, but he had no idea how much time had really passed.
"It's starting" the officer whispered. Over the radio, Gunnarson heard a familiar voice.
"As commissioner of Scotland Yard, I have had the pleasure of working with Adolf Gunnarson on solving numerous cases, and until late, considered him a good friend. However... I have recently been informed of his latest string of actions, which have included consequences such as the death of one of my own, and my daughter becoming lost in the woods... a second time, if you'll believe that. So, in light of his actions, and at the request of my detectives, I have been left with no choice. I, Davis Gent, Commissioner of Scotland Yard... hereby disavow Adolf Gunnarson, and until the full extent of his actions are understood, he will no longer be welcome at Scotland Yard, or on any ongoing cases"
Gunnarson kept a straight face... but deep inside, he felt a great pain... as if something in his chest was ripped clean out of his body.
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Post by Toz76 on Nov 11, 2017 3:00:42 GMT -5
Gunnarson collapsed back into his seat. Things couldn't possibly get any worse.
"Look at this!" An officer said. "This guy finally grows a conscience."
"I don't think there's enough room in his tiny skull for a conscience. Maybe it needs a few bumps." Said a second officer.
"What's that supposed to mean? If you're thinking of committing assault, might I remind you that that will get you kicked off the force?"
"Please. Police brutality always goes unpunished. Even when it's obvious we've done something wrong, no one wants to "disrespect our heroes". Besides, people already hate you, so we'll probably be praised. Worse case scenario, we'll claim you attacked first and get discharged with a paid retirement."
And with that, the five officers in the room surrounded Gunnarson and began raining blows on the Swede.
But just when Gunnarson was at his lowest, help arrived from a surprising source...
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Nov 11, 2017 3:09:27 GMT -5
Nicko, in a moment of pure insanity, while in his cell, picked the keys off one of the guards and proceeded to quietly unlock the cells of about two dozen inmates total. They made a mad dash out of the holding area, and began causing a ruckus outside the room where Gunnarson was.
"What the?! Get those guys!" One ordered as the other officers abandoned Gunnarson. The confused Swede looked outside to see what the hell was going on... Nicko came up to him briefly. "We got them distracted, mate! You're needed elsewhere, so get going! As far as we're concerned, we saw nothing" Nicko said as he went back to distracting the police.
"I can't believe I'm doing this" Gunnarson muttered to himself, and he went to leave the station.
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Post by Eyes on Nov 11, 2017 10:52:02 GMT -5
While Gunnarson and company were off elsewhere, Hartley had been with his wife night and day waiting for her to wake up. The doctors were worried that she would never wake again... yet wake she did, luckily after a week. Cricket's opening wake brought her eyes in contact with Hartley's. He took a sigh of relief.
About a week later she was given a discharge, but was advised to get plenty of rest, and Hartley decided not to go to work for a few days until he was satisfied that she was alright.
It was about another week after this that, while Hartley was back at work, Cricket made a phone call.
"That's right, it was one of the Dirty Four's men.... Yes, you know of their plans?... Oh really.... Shall I come out of retirement for this, or do you want to handle it yourself?... Right.... Ring me up if you change your mind...."
And so with that wrench into the machine, we return to Gunnarson and his pals as they hope to God that this nightmare ends.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Nov 12, 2017 0:54:52 GMT -5
Gunnarson ran as fast as he could to the Inn where he was initially staying. Explaining that he had gotten lost in the woods, he was willing to pay for more days as an apology for the mishap. The innkeeper accepted and Gunnarson went to his room, and grabbed his car keys... plus additional ammunition for his revolver.
"I hope I am not too late" He said as he drove up towards Smagdock mine.
......
Getting there in great time, he stopped a distance away and could not believe what he was seeing. Off to one side, two groups were having a firefight while a pale yellow cloud steadily expanded around them
"What the... oh no! Phosgene gas no doubt. Then... that must be either the Irish or the Rippers... or both. But then... who is that group?" Gunnarson thought as he exited his car. A safe distance away from the gas, another group was preparing to infiltrate the mines... or perhaps waiting outside.
Gunnarson thought carefully about his next move
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Post by Deleted on Nov 14, 2017 18:54:49 GMT -5
Gunnarson decided to stay away from the poisonous gas and went a different way, until he unexpectedly stumbled upon where the plane was.
"This must be their getaway vehicle, which means there's a way in somewhere."
Meanwhile, Stein and Marlena had popped out in some sort of kitchen, but it was empty at the moment.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Nov 16, 2017 1:10:24 GMT -5
"They really built up this mine... look- there's even running gas" Marlena observed as she turned the stove on.
"And running electricity" Stein said, observing the refrigerator.
"What kind of operation was Blade running here?" Marlena asked. They looked around for anything out of the ordinary, and then Stein happened upon a file on the table.
"Day 243... the plan is exceeding expectations. We will never stop crime in its entirety but we can crush the head of the proverbial snake. We capture key figures and their close associates, turn them into our workforce, and we will become the top crime syndicate in London... even England. Lord Bury and the rippers will always be an issue, and it would be suicide to take him on directly. But a few associates here and there should send a clear message. Even if they outnumber us, being down an arm will make them easy to control..."
Stein kept reading for a while before placing the file in his overcoat. "Not sure how much evidence we'll find in here; at least we'll have this" Stein said.
"Then we really need to keep our heads down. If they've been capturing notorious criminals the past several months.... heaven knows who we'll find down here" Marlena observed.
......
Gunnarson found himself pressed with a hard decision "I can sabotage this plane and have them trapped... but Blade is smarter than then, he probably has a plan B in place; if anything I need to get back to that mine. But sabotaging this plans could very well mean the end of the Blade syndicate... unless this was a decoy the whole time. No, Blade wouldn't waste that much effort just to fool me."
Gunnarson knew he had to come to a decision, fast. Stein and Marlena needed him.
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Post by Toz76 on Nov 16, 2017 1:35:46 GMT -5
The sound of gunfire made up his mind for him. Gunnarson looked up to see two armed men shooting at him. Gunnarson reached for his gun, only to remember it was confiscated during his arrest. Gunnarson almost swore, but caught himself and ran down a tunnel to escape the bullets.
Meanwhile, Stein and Marlena had left the kitchen to find themselves in a hallway. It was well lit, but the walls were bare concrete and the bulbs bare as well. Two armed guards were guarding a door a few meters down, and spotted the intruders immediately, opening fire.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Nov 16, 2017 13:55:22 GMT -5
"You won't get away!" The first shouted, prompting Stein and Marlena to duck into the kitchen once again.
"What do we do?" Marlena asked. Stein thought for a moment, then had an idea. Running over to the stove, he yanked it forward a distance... once he saw the exposed gas line, he ripped it open, to let gas fill the room. But he still needed a timed fuse of some sort... causing a flame right now wouldn't produce the result he wanted. He pulled open some drawers, and then, he found exactly what he was looking for. Taking the knife, he hanged it from a cabinet with some string. Then, he placed the toaster right underneath the knife, plugging it in and turning it on. Finally, with a second knife, he made a tiny cut in the string; not cutting it through completely, but weakening the string.
"We don't want to be around when that knife falls into the toaster; this way Marlena, it's our only chance" Stein said as he and Marlena looked; there was the door they came from, the door that led to the hallway they just saw the grunts in, and the third door, which appears to lead down another hallway.
"This way, hurry!" Marlena said as they bolted down the third door. "Where did you get an idea like that?" Marlena asked, confused.
"When you work unconventional cases, you learn to think in unconventional ways" Stein said as they ran.
The two grunts entered the kitchen, and saw the stove, knife and toaster arrangement.
"What the hell?" The first said. Approaching slowly, it wasn't until they heard the sound of hissing gas from the broken line, that they realized what they did. Then, they saw the string break, and the knife start to fall into the toaster.
"Oh my God!" One screamed, realizing too late what was about to happen...
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Post by Toz76 on Nov 16, 2017 18:47:05 GMT -5
BOOOOOM!
The explosion prompted Elvira and Ruocco to come running, guns at the ready.
Luckily, Stein and Marlena heard their footsteps and chose the only logical escape route- through the door the guards had been watching. They found themselves in what initially appeared to be an unfinished part of the complex, since the mine's rock walls were still visible and the only light came from portable lanterns. Then they heard the clink of pickaxes and the yelling of guards and realized what was really going on.
"I'm going to try to double back and scope the place out." Stein whispered. "You stay here and see if you can't get some of those prisoners on our side."
Marlena nodded, cocked the gun the Mob had given her, and set off.
Deeper in the mines, Shakes and Lion were among the prisoners, under even tighter security after their escape attempt.
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