Hi There,

I hope you are enjoying Renee and Frei’s story. Here is this week’s episode and Renee is in Commander Black mode.

As, always, please excuse the typos.

Big Smiles,

Jody

Renee & Frei

A New Assignment

Act 3b Scene 3

Renee checked her wetsuit was zipped up and pulled on her mask and breathing equipment and tapped its integrated ear piece. “Check signal.”

“Not showing up,” Jessie said in a strained voice. “But I’m still not happy with you doing this… I know I’m not really allowed to say that but I’m not.”

Renee smiled and checked her toolkit was attached to her waist. She had no pistols or dart guns just wire cutters and a knife. “You are allowed to say it. Thank you for being concerned.” She nodded to Aunt Bess who looked as happy as Jessie. “I’m an elite soldier and protection officer. This is my job.”

“I’m with Mousey,” Aunt Bess said and glanced into the cockpit as Stosur flew them to the insertion point. “CIG or not, the chumps are luring us in.”

“Yes,” Renee said and relaxed her shoulders but they were tight like they always were. She sucked at meditation. “But there are children on that floating platform that need to be rescued and Urs needs to do her part with Abby.”

Aunt Bess chewed on her sweet as they lowered behind a line of trees. “I don’t want Icy going in without help neither.” She sighed. “If I could find a wetsuit big enough, I’d do it myself.”

Renee chuckled and attached herself to the winch. “I think that’ll work out as well as trying to find gym wear for Aeron.”

Aunt Bess waved her off but managed a chuckle as she slid open the door. “I see those alert lights flick on and I’m hauling your butt out of the water.”

Renee nodded to Stosur, squeezed Aunt Bess on the shoulder and stepped out of the chopper. She winched down and detached herself feeling her St. Christopher’s warm.

Pucker, Alanna—well Rachel—and Derek were clearly annoyed at finding out Gem was linked to Hartmann. He’d run when he found the scar on the back of his neck but Hartmann’s people were ready and picked him up. Renee wasn’t sure if Hartmann would leave Gem to Theo so he could be on trial or whether she’d find something more punishing for him but Renee was more concerned with Frei.

Derek was in charge of selling off slaves to Kiwi—or Crespo—whichever name he used, he was a chump, as Aeron would say. Rachel was busy trying to retaliate against Frei by placing young slaves on a floating raft on a large lake on the estate. It wasn’t for wildlife and Stosur had told them it was linked to an electric current which switched on when it detected electrical frequency in the water.

Renee checked her wetsuit again. It was designed to prevent electrical current escaping from it. She’d worn them countless times to avoid detection and Jessie had run some basic tests but Renee had never tried using it to avoid being electrocuted before. She checked her earpiece again as she crept through the trees. Her earpiece was like her suit but, again, she’d never tried it in this situation before.

“Black, I do not want you to set off that trap. Your hair is not meant to look like mine,” Frei muttered into her earpiece. “Cut the wires slowly… please.”

“Rescue the slaves in the house and get incriminating evidence on Derek carefully… please,” Renee fired back and eyed the water then tried not to focus on the whimpering of the kids on the platform. They were tied by metal restraints so she couldn’t set off the trap or they’d be hurt too.

She sighed and eased herself into the water, glad this area of Pucker’s estate was dark and that no guards were anywhere near. Derek, Crespo and Pucker would be in the main building. Rachel must be somewhere near ready to ambush any rescue attempt.

“How is the signal, Jessie?” Renee whispered as she ducked underneath.

“Stable, the trap hasn’t registered you.” Jessie was wheezing and crunching frantically.

“Good,” Renee eased into a slow swim, using the goggles to give her limited sight. She would normally have full vision, using ultrasound and heat detection but that emitted signals.

“You’re moving toward something that is on the bottom. It looks like one of the current dispensers,” Jessie said then crunched some more. “You need to swim left an Aeron-width.”

Renee smiled and eased over gently. “I like that measurement.”

“Me too,” Aunt Bess said with a chuckle. “I ain’t heard such a good direction before.” She chuckled harder. “A Lorelei-length.”

Jessie gave a nervous giggle.

Renee felt the water brush back toward her on her right and eased over again to make sure the movement didn’t set off the current dispenser.

“You have another on your left, two Lorelei-lengths right.” Jessie crunched and her voice shivered. “Then you need to straighten up when you’ve swum two Aeron’s and half an Aunt Bess.”

Renee did as instructed, her heart thudding its “assignment” thud in her ears. The water was dark and cold against the suit.

“You have something moving up ahead,” Jessie muttered. “I can’t make it out from the chopper feed.”

“Need me to hang out with the camera?” Aunt Bess asked.

“No,” Frei said sounding calm and unfazed as always. “We want you to keep Rachel focused on you while Renee works. She will guess what you are doing if you come too close.”

“I can’t tell what is moving though, Mom,” Jessie mumbled like she didn’t really want to admit it.

Renee slowed and listened. “Darts. It’s a dart trap firing across several parts of the water.” She focused on the way the water moved. “I think there’s a gap.”

“But if you swim that way, you’ll hit one of the dispensers.” Jessie wheezed harder.

“I’ll adjust.” Renee kept her voice calm but her heart thudded harder as she ducked through the section of water that didn’t ripple.

Zip.

A dart flew by her neck and she turned upward swimming directly.

“Turn right,” Jessie chimed.

Renee did so and felt her foot brush the dispenser. She tensed and shut her eyes.

“You need to head straight forward,” Jessie said and crunched away. “No signal from the trap so far.”

Renee let out a sigh and swam straight on. Now to try and cut free the children and get them off the platform. She breathed out slowly. Guess it would test out her wetsuit.