Another hour passed. Karma looked at his watch, it read 2:21 p.m. Everyone in the car had less conversation to exchange. Jynx and Leo still made small talk about things they had experienced. But Indigo and Karma didn't speak much. When the talking finally died down, Karma turned on the radio. A little music to ease the mood. Suddenly Indigo said, "What the heck is that?"
Karma looked at her in the rearview mirror and said, "It's Whitney Houston. Don't tell me you're not a fan."
Indigo shook her head, "No, not the music, what is that sound?"
Karma turned the radio off and listened. It was the ringer of the bag phone. Karma looked at Jynx and said, "It is the bag phone. Grab it for me, it's under your seat." Jynx grabbed the bag phone from under her seat and handed it to him. Karma hit the SEND button and said, "Bravo kilo one niner, is this Freeman or Opal?"
Freeman was on the other end, "Hey, are you guys getting close? It's been over 4 hours."
Karma responded, "Negative on that one, Freeman. We are taking a diversion. What is the phone number of that old man in Ostrava?"
Freeman was confused, "I don't know it off the top of my head. There is a book of phone numbers in the bag phone. Why are you going to Ostrava?"
Karma opened the back of the phone and looked at the little black book of phone numbers. Then he said, "We need supplies right now. Guns and stuff. I can't tell you about it right now, but trust me you will approve."
"You had orders to come back to HQ." Freeman's voice twisted as he said that, then he said, "What am I hearing right now? You are hijacking the operation? Did Indigo agree to this?"
"Not at all. We have a plan, and it is really good. However, we can't tell you about it until all the pieces are in place."
Freeman didn't like being left in the dark. He said, "Listen, I am the handler. I make the calls on this stuff. What is going on with you? Did that Hitman knock your brain out? This isn't the time for making up new plans. We have real data here. Data that we can use. We can formulate a better plan than you can think up."
"Trust me it will all make sense when I get the chance to explain it. Karma out." He hung up the phone and looked back to see Indigo's face.
Indigo had to ask, "What the heck is that?"
"It's Freeman's bag phone. A portable phone that only needs power to run. The latest and greatest technology." Karma handed the phone back to Jynx and said, "Freeman threw it in the Land Cruiser so you and Leo could use it in Prague. But you never made it there."
"I like it." Indigo replied, "Finally we got something new and improved to work with."
Leo joined the conversation by saying, "Yeah, I hate to burst your bubble here. But you know that thing is traceable right?" No one said a word. Then Leo added, "Yeah, it is."
Karma looked in the mirror at Leo and said, "Freeman said it is untraceable. No wires and no wiretaps. How could it be traced?"
Leo replied, "You remember the Sputnik satellite the Soviets sent up? Does it make a beep beep beep noise going around the world? Well, they can track its position with that beeping noise. It's just like the ADS-B system that uses a single tone signal. Anything that makes a noise in the upper atmosphere can be tracked."
"ADB system?" Karma looked confused then asked, "Kid, what was your field of expertise before they recruited you to Mirage?"
"I was an Avion Electrician out of Fort Gordon. I fixed the SIG GENS and stuff." Leo looked to Indigo for approval, then he said, "I have told Indigo all about it. She can tell you."
Indigo nodded, "Yes, he is an electrician. I can't prove or disprove that the bag phone is traceable, but I know Leo knows a lot more about electronics than I do. If it were my call, I would believe him."
As Karma continued driving, he rolled down the driver's side window and said, "Jynx if you would?" Karma held out his hand as Jynx passed the bag phone to him. Karma looked in the mirror again and said, "Leo, I hope you're right about this..." Then with one quick action Karma chucked the phone out the window across the road and into the ditch. "…because that was expensive."
Another hour of driving. They passed through Ostrava at 3:30 p.m. Once they were on the other side of town, Karma turned off the main highway and down another road, then onto a dirt road. No one asked any questions. Both Jynx and Leo had no idea where they were going but Indigo didn't question him, so neither did they. Eventually, Karma pulled into the driveway of a large farm. The farm had several buildings including a barn, stables, two or three sheds, and of course a farmhouse. Karma got out and said, "Wait here until I make sure we are still welcome." Karma closed the door and walked toward the farmhouse.
Indigo watched Jynx's reaction. Jynx did not say or do anything. Once Karma was up on the front steps of the house, Indigo asked, "So Jynx, you and Karma have been getting along alright?"
Jynx didn't say anything for a moment then she said, "To be honest, his training sucks and he is kind of an asshole." Indigo made a face at that comment. She started to second guess herself. Jynx looked back to Karma approaching the farmhouse and smiled a little.
Karma shouted, "Joseph!" as he knocked at the front door and waited.
Soon enough the front door opened, and a man shouted, "Hector! You son of a bitch, where have you been?"
Karma and the man hug like they are old friends. The man is wearing a plaid shirt with overalls on. He was a standard looking farmer. The only thing he was missing was the pitchfork. Karma corrected him, "We haven't seen each other in a while. My new call sign has changed, I am Karma now."
"Karma?" Joseph questioned him. "That's a girl's call sign!"
"Wow, thanks Joseph." Karma looked back at the Land Cruiser and said, "I brought some workers with me. Do you need some help around the farm?" Karma waved to the team to come out of the vehicle.
Joseph scratched his head and said, "You know I could always use the help. The electric fence has been down for a week. I don't know how to figure the damn thing out."
Karma turned to the crew and said, "Everyone this is Joseph Newman. Farmer, collector, and all-around amazing guy." Karma turned to Joseph and said, "Joseph, this is my crew, they are at your services. Especially this guy." Karma walked over and put his arm around Leo and said, "This is Leo. He is an electrical genius from Georgia. He specializes in electric fence repair."
Leo did not look too excited. Joseph walked over and looked at him. "Is that so? Alright, hard to look a gift horse in the mouth." Joseph led Leo away as everyone else waited.
Once Joseph and Leo were out of sight Indigo said, "And we never saw him again..."
Karma looked at Indigo and said, "Don't insult the seller, Indigo. We are just here to shop."
Jynx's eyes lit up. Then she said, "What are we shopping for on a farm?"
Within a few seconds Joseph returned and asked, "Okay, now I am pretty sure you didn't come all the way out here to fix my fence. What do you need Hector?"
"Can't we be friends just stopping by to say hi?" Karma smiled then he immediately said, "I'm just messing, I was wondering if you still have your gun collection?"
Joseph led Karma, Jynx, and Indigo down to the barn. The old barn has seen better days. Jynx looked at the old cobwebs hanging for every piece of wood. Joseph unlocked a wooden door, and behind that door was a metal door, and behind that door was a walk-in vault. The room is at least 30ft by 40ft. Wall to wall with guns, new and old. Everything from muskets to 50 cal sniper rifles.
Jynx looked around and said, "Holy shit, did I just die and go to heaven?"
Karma walked around looking at the rifles, then he said, "You finally got the 1873 Springfield? I bet that sets you back a few euros."
"I traded for it. Wasn't a bad deal. So Hector, what are you looking for today? Need something fully automatic or just here for the regular?"
Karma looked at Jynx and Indigo and said, "Ladies take a look around. See if there is anything you like."
Jynx looked at the strange weapon on the table and gasped, "You have an Armsel Striker! This is the revolver shotgun. Ah man, I wish this could be my conceal and carry. Do you have a shooting range set up so we can try some of these out?"
"Out past the hay bales." Joseph smiled at Jynx then looked at Karma and said, "I like her."
Karma nodded at Joseph and said, "I figured you would, she is a gun nut like you. We are just here for some unmarked weapons. The standard... At least four guns with suppressors to match. At least one of them needs to be a Smith and Wesson Model 59."
Joseph shook his head and said, "I am out of 59s."
Karma flipped out for a second, "What? How can you be out of 59s?"
"Sorry Hector, they don't sell like they used to. I can order you one but that will take a few days. If not, there are a lot of other handguns to choose from." Karma was displeased but didn't say anything.
For the next hour, everyone got to test out guns for a bit. Leo even came back from fixing the electric fence and got to fire a few of them. Jynx made sure Karma tested out several guns before he ultimately decided on the Glock as his choice. Indigo got a Beretta for herself and Leo, and Jynx bought a silenced MP5 with the 40 round mags.
Karma made sure they had ammo for each plus he looked over the body armor. Joseph had an impressive collection of police gear. Karma bought a few extra things and four body armors just as a precaution. The grand total was $1500 euros with Karma's good friend discount.
Indigo drove the Land Cruiser down to the barn. Karma and the others loaded up the weapons in the back of the vehicle. Joseph came out to wish them well. Karma gave him a hug and got in the car but as a passenger. Leo got in the front seat next to Indigo. Karma and Jynx took the back seats. Indigo drove off and back toward the main highway. Leo finally confessed, ,"Hey guys, I didn't have the tools to fix his electric fence. Hope he isn't too mad about that."
Karma replied, "It was not about the repair, it was a show of good faith. We were here for the guns, but if that was ALL we were here for Joseph would have been angry. We needed to display our good intentions. You didn't do a great job."
Jynx had to ask, she said, "How exactly do you know him?"
Karma answered her, "He was an officer I knew in the military. Opened the gun store when he got out of the service. He didn't enjoy the laws that the U.S. government added to the buying and selling of firearms, so Freeman hired him to supply us. He built this farm off of our money. We stopped using him for a while, but old military friends are still friends."
When Indigo shook her head in the driver's seat, she responded, "I think what Karma is trying to say is that the old dude is an asset."
Karma defended himself, saying, "Not at all, he is a friend, not an asset. An asset implies that he is expendable."
"You know perfectly well that everyone is expendable in this business Karma." Indigo looked at Jynx in the rearview mirror and said sarcastically, "Is this what Karma has been teaching you? When we get back to HQ you should request a better trainer."
Jynx didn't wait for Karma to defend himself, she said, "Actually, Karma has taught me tricks of the trade while I have been teaching him how to stop being a stick in the mud. It has been going really well."
Indigo laughed, "Sounds like the blind leading the blind to me. I didn't think I would live to see the day a ten year agent needs to be taught anything. Plus, I know from experience that Karma won't ever stop being a stick in the mud. But I give you an A for effort though." With that the car went silent. Karma and Jynx looked at each other. Karma could tell Jynx wanted to say more, but what would it solve?
They passed the border into Ukraine. Karma looked at his watch. It was 5 p.m. They would need to drive through the night to make it to Chernivtsi.
After crossing the border into Ukraine, Indigo said, "This area looks way better than it did the last time we were here. Last time there were countless refugees trying to leave the exclusion zone. Miles and miles of cars. If you had offered to get them out of the country, they would have paid you their life savings... Or more."
Karma replied, "It was a bad time for everyone. Even Joseph had to move away for a bit. The fallout had everyone in Europe running scared."
Jynx surveyed the area as she said, "I saw it in the NEWS, but I didn't know how bad it was. How long will everyone be forced out of their homes?"
Leo smiled and said sarcastically, "Not that long. Most of the radiation blew north into Belarus. So long as the reactor remains sealed away... everyone will be able to move back in less than 300 years." Those words sunk into Jynx's heart. She looked out the window at some of the broken-down cars that still littered the sides of the road. The reality of the situation felt far worse when you saw it firsthand.
Karma picked up his personal bag and said, "We are going to drive through the night. I am going to get some shut eye now." He put the bag on the seat to use as a pillow. The zipper on the bag was in a bad spot. Still, he tried to get as comfortable as he could. Karma opened his eyes to see Indigo was not paying attention. Jynx noticed this as well. In one quick motion, Jynx pushed the bag off the seat and slid her leg under his Karma's head. She waited to see if Leo noticed, then after a few seconds she started running her fingers through his hair.
Karma noted this was way more comfortable. After a long day he was ready for a little rest.
*
Just past 9 p.m. Jynx touched Karma to wake him up. Indigo was getting tired. Karma sat up and stretched his arms. Indigo pulled the car over to a Petrol station to refill it. Once the car was stopped everyone got out. Jynx must have fallen asleep too as she was stretching and wiping sleep out of her eyes. Karma went inside to use the bathroom. As he came out, he handed Jynx some money for whatever food she wanted and bottled water.
Back in the car, Leo and Indigo were still filling up the tank. Indigo hung up the pump and handed Leo money to pay the clerk. Karma got into the driver's seat while Indigo climbed in the seat behind him. The two agents sat in silence as Karma looked over the map. Finally Indigo said, "I saw you two sleeping together in the back seat. Adorable. I should have taken a picture." Karma did not respond. He was tired of this whole conversation. Indigo did not let go. She said, "When Jynx returns to the car do you think she will get in the back with me or sit up front with you?"
Karma blew her off, "Does it matter? I didn't think you were the jealous type."
Indigo quickly replied, "Is she? Would she let me lay my head on her lap? You have no idea how suspicious you two look. If we did go back to HQ, Freeman would have been all over you."
Just then Leo came out of the building and walked over to the Land Cruiser. He got in the back with Indigo. Karma smirked and said, "Leo, we were just talking about this situation. I couldn't help but notice when you returned to the car... you sat in the back rather than up here with me. That makes me REALLY suspicious. You have no idea how suspicious you two look."
Leo was very confused. Indigo just rolled her eyes at him. A few seconds later, Jynx returned to the car, and they drove off.
Karma drove into the night. It was only 10:15 p.m. when Karma noticed Indigo and Leo were both asleep. Maybe Indigo was faking it. He didn't care that much. If she wanted to waste her energy playing games, then that was her business.
Karma looked at Jynx and whispered, "Tired?" Jynx shook her head and checked to see if Indigo was awake. Then she took the rest of her sandwich and handed it to Karma. He ate the sandwich as he drove then he said with his mouthful, "Thanks."
Without looking at him, Jynx whispered, "This sucks. It feels like we have a babysitter."
"Don't worry, I have the solution." Karma said quietly. Jynx waited for him to elaborate but he didn't. Karma just winked at her. The plan was going to have to remain a secret for now.
Karma looked at his watch. It was 5:33 a.m. July 16th. They finally made it to Chernivtsi, Ukraine. Jynx had fallen asleep in the night. Karma was ready to get out of the vehicle. Karma drove downtown to the train station and parked. The sun would not be up for a while. He tapped Leo on the knee and said quietly, "Get out."
Outside the vehicle, Leo asked, "Where are we?"
"Chernivtsi, Ukraine." Karma gave Leo the keys and said, "Go get in the driver seat, and wait for the ladies to wake up. Oh, and don't shoot me when I come back."
Karma walked over to the closest pay phone and called Freeman. It was early. Hopefully, he would answer. Once on the payphone, Karma dialed in and waited. When someone picked up Karma said, "Bravo kilo one niner."
Freeman's voice sounded a bit ragged on the other end. "Jesus Karma, where the hell are you?"
Karma replied, "It's time. We have the location of the Exstrusis Facility. We need money and equipment."
The long pause meant Freeman could not believe what he was hearing. When he finally spoke, all he could say was, "What?! Is this a bad joke?!"
Karma lied the best he could, "This is not a joke, Freeman. Call everyone back to HQ. We have a location. We just need manpower and firepower. We can explain it all on a more secure line. Can you get the ball rolling?"
Freeman happily agreed, "Absolutely. I will make some calls. You're the man, Karma."
Karma hung up the phone and walked over to the car rental store. He felt bad lying to Freeman. But this was all part of the plan. Luckily, the stores around the train station were all open 24 hours. He rented a simple 1982 Dodge Aries. Karma paid cash for three days of rental. This was the last of his cash. Afterward he drove the car back to the Land Cruiser and parked behind them.
Karma could see from the movement through the back window. He got out and walked up to the driver's window to see Indigo mad as hell. She rolled down the window as Karma said, "License and registration please."
Indigo replied, "Karma, why are you scaring the shit out of us like that? We were ready to shoot your ass."
Karma pointed to the Dodge Aries and said, "We needed a second set of wheels for the plan to work. Now that everyone has gotten their 40 winks, it is time for the fun to begin." Karma got into the passenger side of the Land Cruiser and pulled out the map of the city. Indigo turned on the inside lights as Karma held up the map so everyone could see it. "Okay, the most common routes into the city are the airport and the train station. I think we can all agree that Exstrusis Agents probably won't travel by bus."
Everyone was still waking up. No one was ready to argue with him, Karma continued, "Okay, I already placed the call to Freeman, right now he is calling everyone on the planet expecting us to plan a raid on the Exstrusis Facility. If Marx is good, and I mean really really good, she could be here in less than 2 hours. So Jynx and I are going to watch the Train Station, while Indigo and Leo are going to watch the Airport. We work in rotating shifts, 8 hours on 8 hours off. Jynx and I will rent a room at the Cerveny Hotel and call you so we can stay in touch. First team to spot Marx wins. Is everyone ready?"
Indigo had an objection. She said, "Hang on, right there. I understand the logic of the plan, but why are you and Jynx renting a hotel room?"
Karma explained, "We can't all stay at the safe house. The closest safe house, Whiskey 17, is near the airport. There is only one cot there. The team watching at the airport will stay at Whiskey 17, while the other team will rent a cheap hotel room here at the train station."
"Oh hell, no." Indigo disagreed, "I see what you are doing Karma. How about Leo and I will watch the train station while you and Jynx sleep on the cot in Whiskey 17. In the last two days we slept on the floor and in this car. We need a little R and R."
Karma nodded, "That's fine, as long as you maintain the 8-hour shift, I can agree to that. Now. Are there any other problems?"
No one said anything. Karma smiled and said, "Let's get to work." Everyone got out of the Land Cruiser and opened the back. They split the surveillance equipment evenly. Half was put into the back of the Dodge. When it was all done, Karma handed the key to the Dodge to Indigo and pointed, "It is from that rental store over there. You have three days."
Indigo for the first time did not argue. She handed over the keys to the Land Cruiser and said, "Enjoy those cold showers, Karma. When you call us, ask for Samantha's room." Karma smiled at Jynx then watched as Indigo and Leo drove off in the Dodge Aries.
Jynx looked at Karma and said, "Samantha?"
Then Karma said, "I just played her like a fiddle." Karma tossed the keys up in the air and said, "Let's go."
They both climbed back into the Land Cruiser as Jynx asked, "How and what did you do?"
Karma started the vehicle and turned around. The sun was creating an orange haze on the horizon. Karma explained, "I knew she would want a nice hotel room. I just tricked her into taking the harder job. Both the train station and Airport have hotels around them. That's how they get all the business." Jynx smiled, still unsure of the whole situation. Karma started the car and drove over to the airport.
A few minutes later, Karma pulled up into the parking lot of the Hviezda Hotel. Karma looked over at Jynx and said, "This is not Whiskey 17. Obviously, we are not staying at a safe house. I have heard it has a mold problem. On top of that, we need to support Ukrainian business owners. They are going through hard times."
Karma gave Jynx the keys to the Land Cruiser and went inside. He rented a room and made sure that the window faced the airport. He came back out to the vehicle and waved Jynx over to the correct room. She parked the car outside as Karma unlocked the door. As she turned off the engine, Karma was already at the back of the vehicle. He opened the back door and grabbed the body armor and the sack of clothes he bought from Joseph. Jynx tried to grab the rest of the gear, but Karma stopped her. He said, "Only the stuff we need."
"We don't need surveillance equipment?" Jynx asked in a puzzled tone.
"Nope, not just yet. I mean, why unload it and load it back up for no reason." Karma said as he grabbed the file from Operation Rockbreaker. He carried the bag and files into the hotel room with Jynx right behind him. Walking into the hotel room, Karma turned to Jynx and said, "Sorry it is a modest room... not the Plaza. It has a bed and a shower with warm water. All things that the safe house does not have."
Jynx shut the door and said, "Did you hear me complain? I am just happy to be away from prying eyes."
"Thanks for reminding me." Karma walked over to the phone and flipped through the phone book. Karma found the number for the Cerveny Hotel. He was dialing the number and waited for it to ring. As he did he looked at Jynx and said, "Can you do me a favor? Take your clothes off. Trust me." Jynx gave him an undignified grin. Jynx started to slowly remove her jeans.
Naturally, Karma's attention was drawn away from the phone, but someone picked up. Karma said, "Yes, can you transfer me to Samantha's room." As Karma waited for the clerk to transfer him, he watched as Jynx stripped down. She slowly slid her pants off.
The voice on the other line said, "Hello, Samantha's room."
Karma was so distracted by Jynx that he forgot he was on the phone. He quickly said, "Hey Samantha, it's Karma. Get a pen so you can write down the safe house phone number." Karma exchanged phone numbers with Indigo. Jynx never said a word. But she was doing her very best to distract him. She was doing a good job.
Finally, Karma hung up the phone. Jynx never stopped. After getting the pants off she began on her shirt. Karma jumped up and grabbed her. Jynx screamed and giggled as she always did. Karma said, "Sorry, I had to stop you before you took any more clothes off." Karma kissed her and said, "If you had gone any further than that we would have gotten... sidetracked."
"Is that bad?"
"Not at all. But I have some clothes for you to try on first." Karma reached over to the bag of clothes and pulled out a blue uniform. It looked like a police officer uniform with a belt and everything. Karma smiled and said, "Time for some role play."
10 minutes later, Karma stepped outside with his nicest set of clothes on. Jynx wore a blue uniform with the belt and everything. They walked together toward the airport. Jynx looked horrified. Karma asked her, "What's wrong?"
Jynx shook her head and said, "I am pretty sure you can get in a lot of trouble for impersonating an officer of the law."
Karma reassured her, "Relax, you don't have to say anything. It just represents a figure of authority. I will take care of everything else."
They walked across the road together. Inside the airport, Karma walked up to the counter, flashed his fake badge, and said, "Detective Simmons, Interpol. I need to speak to your Airport Security Manager. It is a matter of national security."
Jynx watched as Karma worked his magic. He talked the Airport Security Manager into pulling his best men to look over the file. Then they went bigger. Before she knew it, Karma was standing in a room surrounded by 10 to 15 security officers. Karma pulled the Rockbreaker file and showed everyone Marx's picture. Then he said, "Gentlemen, I know your time is precious, so I won't waste it." Karma held up the picture so everyone could see it. He said, "This woman is the ringleader of an advanced drug trafficking ring that extends from here all the way to Miami, Florida. We know for a fact that she will be coming through your airport today or in the next day or two. I am not asking you to detain her or make an arrest. We just want you to inform us when she arrives, so we can trail her to the rest of her crew. Then we can take down her whole operation and get these criminals off the streets. But I can't do it without your help."
Jynx watched as the entire security team ate it up. They made copies of Marx's picture with the hotel room phone number on it. They handed it out to key personnel around the airport. When it was all said and done, Karma shook the Airport Security Manager's hand and thanked him for the job he was doing. Jynx could not help but smile as she watched it all unfold. All of it was total bullshit from start to finish... It was beautiful.
They left the airport just as they entered. As they were walking back toward the hotel, Jynx waited until they were way out of ear shot. Then she said, "I don't have words... You are so full of shit. How can you walk right now?"
"What are you talking about?" Karma was offset by her comment. "We didn't do anything wrong. Technically, they are helping with an investigation. Plus, they are already here. They work here every day. Might as we get them to keep an eye out for us. Two sets of eyes are better than one. In this case, twenty eyes are that much better."
"I would have to look it up, but I am pretty sure you broke a dozen laws in there, and you did it without breaking a sweat." Jynx wiped some sweat off her neck and said, "I didn't say a single word and I was sweating!"
Karma fished the hotel keys out of his pocket and said, "I like seeing you sweat. Maybe I can get a private showing here in a few minutes?" Jynx watched as he unlocked the hotel room and opened the door. Jynx's undignified grin returned to her face as she said, "I don't know how you feel about women in uniforms. I have heard men absolutely love it."
"Some guys do, I am sure." Karma grabbed her hand as he entered the hotel room. He pulled her in close and kissed her. Then he said, "I prefer what is underneath." With one foot, Karma kicked the door shut. They were overdue some much needed privacy.