The Mask of Ozymandias: Stealing the Quran

[x-traction.livejournal.com]

Before they steal the Quran, ‘Ro and Marie must first “borrow” a truck.


After a quick breakfast, the rest of the morning had been spent in further planning. Marie had mostly listened while Remy and ‘Ro discussed, debated and fine-tuned their strategy. Finally, it was time to see if their plan would work. As they made their way closer to the compound, Marie felt butterflies in her stomach. This was the first real action she would be participating in since her return to the mansion and the familiar feeling of nerves and excitement were flooding her system.

As they got closer to the compound, Marie went on high alert, trying to blend into the background and see if anyone noticed them. When ‘Ro stopped and gestured at a truck, Marie raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure that thing’ll even make it to the gates?”

"Looks can be deceiving," 'Ro replied, glancing around as unobtrusively as she could. As expected, there was a man carrying a rather large gun loitering nearby, not even trying to hide his purpose. "We need to distract that man and incapacitate him before I can hotwire the truck," she said, tilting her head towards the guard.

“On it,” said Marie with smile and she walked towards the guard. She kept her eyes on the ground and was glad ‘Ro had talked her into wearing local garb to help her look less out of place. As she passed the guard, she swung her hips and glanced at him coyly. Marie then turned into an alley, hoping he would take the bait. Hearing him approach behind her, she smiled and spun around, delivering a punch to the side of his head. She quickly floated up to add a kick, ensuring that he toppled over quickly. Catching him, she carried him further into the alley, removing the clips from his gun.

As soon as 'Ro got the signal from Marie that the coast was clear she set to work, slipping into the driver's seat of the truck and reaching under the dashboard to locate the ignition wires. I have not done this in years, she thought moments before the old engine coughed and turned over, grumbling crossly.

Marie arrived at the side of the truck just in time to see ‘Ro crank the engine. That is indeed a useful trick…maybe Ah should see if ‘Ro can teach me sometime. “How much time do y’ need?”

"Once we have it in a more private location, we will not need long to modify it. We will try and make it as safe as possible for you," she added, glancing over at the girl. "You are sure you are comfortable in doing this?"

Nodding, Marie settled into the truck as ‘Ro drove it to a more secluded area. “Ah can handle this,” she said in her most reassuring voice. “Ah’m gonna have a built in exit, so as soon as Ah get the truck to the compound, Ah’m outta there. They’ll never even see me.”

"Good." Though 'Ro wouldn't be reassured until she saw Marie free and clear of the burning truck, she knew she could trust her to be safe and to do her best.

Rogue creates a distraction

Some time later, as dusk approached the area and darkened the sky, the plan began. 'Ro left Marie and the truck, quickly rising into the sky on air currents she had pulled around her like a blanket. The winds began to grow stronger, whipping through the sparse trees and stirring up the sand into a storm. The locals muttered and retreated into their houses, shutting the doors and shutters against the sudden storm.

The wind whistled beneath Rogue’s feet as she drove the truck towards its final destination. It had taken a bit of work to make the hole the right size – big enough for her to slip out of it, but small enough where it didn’t disrupt the truck’s functioning. Finally reaching the road that lead to the compound, she paused for a moment to give the signal that she was in position. Looking over her shoulder one last time at the blanket loosely covering the explosives in the truck bed, she offered a prayer to whatever deity might be listening that they wouldn’t go off early, and then jammed her foot on the accelerator.

The truck moved faster than Rogue had thought it would be able to and she gave Storm credit for picking it out. As she approached the compound, the guards immediately noticed the truck and signaled for her to slow down. When it was obvious she was not going to, they began firing at the truck while yelling in Arabic.

Bullets hit the windshield and then whizzed by her head. Swerving the truck from side to side, Rogue hoped that the guards wouldn’t hit her or the explosives before she reached her goal. Crashing through the gates, she slipped through the hole in the bottom of the truck, securing the device to keep the accelerator pushed down. Remy had said the generator would be to the left of the house, so she used her strength to pull it in that direction. As soon as she was within ten feet of her target, she gave the truck a final push and released her hold, hitting the ground and rolling into some nearby bushes.

Rogue watched the truck smash into the generator, erupting in a loud boom and becoming engulfed in flames. Instantly, every guard in the nearby vicinity converged on the area. With a satisfied look on her face, she waited for the smoke to spread to cover her flight up and out of the compound. The rest was up to Storm and Gambit.

Remy cuts power to the facility and ‘Ro shows off her special skills.

Remy took a look at the sudden plume of smoke over the compound and plugged in his headset. "Marie, you still alive, petite?"

“Aw shucks Remy, a girl would almost think you cared,” Rogue said. She was surprised to find that she was beginning to enjoy bantering with the Cajun. “Ah’ll stay close in case y’all need me.”

“Cutting city power," Remy touched the casing of the power conduit and pushed a kinetic charge into the lines. The casing flared purple and exploded, the remains sizzling and melting on itself. Anyone who looked at the break later would assume a power surge had fired the conduit. The lights around him went dead. "Dat's done it. Stormy, you're clear."

"Right." 'Ro glanced around – the way was clear, since nearly all the guards had converged on the burning refuse of the truck Marie had been driving. She kept the winds up as she flew in and landed on the roof, which they had decided was the best point of entry for the entire compound. The automated lock on the door would've provided the first challenge, save for the lack of electricity to power it. 'Ro made quick work of it and pushed it open, heading down a long, narrow flight of stairs. Calm.

"I am inside," she murmured into the comms. "Heading to the lower level. The building seems quiet so far."

Remy flipped open his laptop, aware of the time limitations. "De floor alarms are all off-line. Supposed to be guards moving along too, so watch it."

"Copy that," 'Ro replied, rounding the stairwell. One more flight to go. When she had reached the appropriate floor she pushed open the door slowly, peering through the crack there. The hallway seemed empty, though she knew better than to assume things. Slowly she slid a foot through, pausing to listen for any sort of reaction. Hearing none, she continued and soon found herself standing in the hallway, alone.

Orienting herself quickly, 'Ro began to pad along, counting off doors as she passed them. She knew the layout of the building and the location of the Quran and the complicated warren of rooms and locks she would have to go through to get there.

A few short minutes later 'Ro had negotiated her way through the passages to reach the room where the Quran was being held. She was not so optimistic as to think that they would leave such a valuable artifact unguarded and so she was prepared for the shout of surprise that came as she pushed open the door to the inner room. Two men stood there, quickly reaching for their handguns as they took in the unfamiliar woman entering the room. A gust of wind knocked one of them back against the wall as 'Ro quickly lashed out at the other one, her kick connecting with his wrist. He yelped and let go of the gun, which went clattering to the floor only to be kicked away by 'Ro once more. The first guard crumpled against the wall and slid down, unconscious.

Her hand-to-hand needed work, 'Ro thought, as dispatching the second guard took far too long for her tastes. Finally, though, she was able to step over his still body to survey the door that stood between her and her quarry. It seemed simple enough, though she knew that short of Logan's claws little would be able to take it apart. Which is why we use finesse. Pulling a slender tool from her belt kit, she set to work on the lock, which was thankfully complicated enough to keep her mind off the small room she was in. The more she worked, the more her excitement grew, as the old feelings of danger and intrigue began to race through her.

When the door finally opened it revealed a slight passageway set back into the wall, one that most likely was monitored with motion detectors and sensors when the electricity was work. Thank you, Remy. And Marie. As quickly as she could 'Ro made her way to the nook on the end, gazing down at the book before her. It was remarkably well-preserved, truly a gem of an artifact. She felt almost guilty sliding her hand beneath it as the other pulled a scarf from her pocket, winding the delicate fabric around and around until the Quran was protected at least from the worst of the elements. Though apparently you are not safe from me, she thought with a small, triumphant thrill.

"I have it. I am on my way out," she murmured into the comms, and began to retrace her steps towards the roof and freedom.