After our last mission we ordered on to R&R, The Lt, Tibbs and myself had started to receive deaths threats. Though I knew they must me after more because they had left their message at my bedside, it read 'See how easy it is' my name was at the top of the note was crossed out.
Lt Demitrie was having other problems, there had been a bombing at one of the local bars and two of our team had been fingered, namely privates Parts and Hessler. They had been spotted leaving about the time of the blast. In Hessler's case the MPs had a video of him buying stash at the bar as well. Tibbs was not happy about the bombing, his local business contacts had undergone a restructuring. The owner of the bar had become his sole supplier and now he had been bombed.
The MP in charge of the investigation was Sergeant Swede, a brute of a man who got results, rumour had it, he and his men raided bars with stun batons and lead pipes.
With the threats looming over us I had set up three roving patrols that were to report in regular. The men were not happy they were on R&R. Parts and Hessler were being interviewed at the MP office and were going to be detained for the night. The next day no unwanted messages had been left for any of us. I decided to go for an early morning jog and was stopped by a lady Sergeant.
Her name was Master Sergeant Claudia de Champaign, she seemed to know a lot about me and made no secret about it. I was wary, what with my recent death threats and now a walking history file. Assassins can take any guise or form, hers was a particularly nice form. She said she had studied my previous tours and looked towards me as a role model. We arranged to meet for dinner that evening, she wanted to go earlier, but I needed enough time to have her records checked over.
When I got back to the barracks I got Private Meurte our intelligence operator to dig up everything on her. Her record was exemplary, she had passed through the ranks quickly and she was a Master Sergeant with an Elite Troop. In one particular strike she and two others were the only ones to return out of fourteen.
Leaving for the mess, I passed Swede's men, little did I know they were about to raid out barracks for more stash. Apparently they suspected more was hidden after only a small amount had been found in Hessler's locker. What had happened was Tibbs had been ordered to search Hessler's locker for the MPs, he had transferred most of it into another bag and disposed of the rest. It would make Hessler look stupid because he would have paid over the odds for the little stash he did get.
Meeting Claudia, turned into a great evening, she had studied well, she knew all about my Tours of Duty. Escorting her back we agreed to meet again soon. I had become to feel at ease with her, if she was the assassin then this would be an easy hit for her, but I knew she wasn't because she wasn't the type to do it on the first date. Unless that was just another ploy to make me feel more comfortable.
On the way back my sixth sense told me I was being watched, scanning the area I was aware of several persons lurking in the shadows. I reached into my jacket pocket and pulled out my headset. Someone spoke 'See How easy it is, you bodged up last the last job, now you will have to make it up with another job'. I agreed, even though it had cost me severely with the C/O and Lt Demitrie, I knew penance would be my only saviour. Since our only lead in this matter had died in hospital, if I could dupe them into giving me another job I might be able to find out who was behind the corruption.
At that moment, a patrol of MPs rounded the corner, Swede was on duty, asking if everything was OK I replied yes, looking past me he yells 'STOP!. He and his men started to give chase to someone. Checking in the next day with Swede they had only managed to see their 'victim' disappearing over the fence. I informed him what had happened the previous evening, thinking that the person they had chased was a possible link to our Teams recent troubles.
He made notes and said that they would look into it, but I could now take Parts and Hessler back to camp, he had finished with them for now. Handing over their release papers at the desk, they were led in, Parts looked uncomfortable, his uniform was still wet, he'll learn to take the uniform off next time.