Operation: Apalachin - Log 3
Sep. 7th, 2022 05:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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xp_logsKevin picks up Wanda to deal with Silver Sable International in an unexpected way.
She may have wanted a shower, a drink and a nap, but when Kevin pulled up to collect her from her flight back to New York, he was clear it was time to put her game face on. On the drive over, he updated her on the developments with the Maggia, which is why she'd been called back, and that they were going straight to a meeting with the mercenary group from Symkaria that the Karnelli family had called in to attack the meeting. A meeting that the group didn't know they were about to have, but Kevin seemed casually certain that he'd get a chance to talk.
"Well, it's a good thing that I managed to close up that issue in Europe," Wanda said, pulling out a few items from her bag to help freshen herself up with. She'd make due without a shower but thank goodness for carry on luggage. As Kevin drove, she changed shirts and freshened up. "Thank you for the debrief, much appreciated."
"For a minute, I thought you were going to debrief in here. Just how long was that flight?" Kevin joked, pulling off the highway and into city traffic. "Got to be honest, Maximoff, we need some experienced people around for the next while. This war is going to cause all kinds of headaches for... who knows how long?"
Wanda chuckled as she tossed everything back into her duffle. "Far too long, though thank god I was no longer under cover and could make great use of Emma's generosity and enjoy first class. There was apparently nearly a riot in the back over someone eating from a jar of pickles." She grew serious as she leaned back into the passenger seat. "I'm happy to be back in general, of course, but more so considering the situation. How ugly do you think it could get?
"Dammit. Now I want a pickle." Kevin groused. "It's already ugly and a hair away from all out war. Two families have recruited mercenaries and proxies for the fight, and in these cases, it always spills over tp bystanders. Sp we're going to try and take one of the mercenary groups out of the equation while North's team does the same. That way, at least we can contain the damage to their crews."
She held up her hands. "Sorry, undercover work means no souvenirs, pickles or otherwise. From the sounds of it, I'm surprised it hasn't escalated even further. Sounds like I wrapped up that cult issue just in time. And I am always up for taking out individuals who do not care about waging an open war where innocents can get hurt. What's the current plan for the group that Symkaria called in?"
"We talk to them. I know a little about Silver Sable International. We might be able to help them... make better choices." He said as they turned into a private parking lot that was surrounded by a temporary fence and a parameter made from reinforced troop transport vehicles with the hexagonal white S emblazoned on the side. Two armored and armed men stepped in front of the car, motioning them to leave. Kevin rolled down the window and leaned out. "Tell Silvija Sablinova an old friend needs to talk to her."
"Who?"
"Just send the message back. Trust me, you won't enjoy the consequences of not doing it." Kevin said, settling back in his seat.
The men exchanged glances before one slipped away, while the other one continued to glare at the two of them. Wanda's eyes were half closed and she looked to anyone outside the car as if she was on the verge of taking a quick cat nap. Relaxed as she seemed, she was highly alert, watching the troop transport vehicles and area for trouble. Her powers made the surveillance easier.
Kevin was never one to exaggerate field work details but she was taken a little back by the numbers. This was less a mercenary group and slightly more a small army.
After about ten minutes, she heard the second guard approach and she straightened up in her seat.
"Let's go." The guard motioned to them as they stepped out of the car.
"This is promising. It was fifty-fifty that name would get us shot while in the car." Kevin said quietly to Wanda as they walked into the compound and to a large military style tent set up in the middle. As they stepped in, an attractive silver haired woman in her early 40s straightened up.
"It is fucking impossible." She hissed, her accent Eastern and crisp. "You're dead. We hired one of the men who helped kill you years later to confirm it. You are a corpse, Kevin Sydney."
"It's nice to see you too, Silvija. This is my associate, Wanda Maximoff."
"Pleasure," Wanda said, taking an empty seat, uninvited but with grace as if she had been. "I feel my comrade has been called worse over the years but I sense an interesting backstory here..."
"Backstory? This degen died in 1997. We confirmed it. And now he walks in, 25 years later like nothing happened." She spat, coming up face to face, even if she had to look up and dug a finger into his chest. "Like. Nothing. Happened."
"Silvija-"
"It's just Silver now."
"Silver. We need to talk about business. I heard about Ernest. I'm very sorry. Is Morty here?"
"Uncle retired. It is all me now."
"Then you need to listen to me."
"Do I?" She turned to Wanda. "You are what? His partner? Employee? I should hope not lover. Why should I listen to this ghost?"
Wanda had been listening to the back and forth with a mild expression but it sharpened when Silver turned to her. "You should listen because, ghost or no, Kevin's intel has always been solid. It sounds like there is quite some history here but I recommend you put that to the side." She switched from English to Symkarian. "If stabbing him a little bit will make you feel better, we can work that out but, honestly, it's not worth the effort." She switched back, knowing full well Kevin understood.
She waved a hand around. "This is an impressive setup." Wanda was not lying when she said that - serious money had been poured into the group and it looked well run. "And it sounds like you are the one running the show. So, listen to what we have to say because I can guarantee his intel remains solid."
Wanda shrugged and leaned back. "You don't agree with us by the end of it, there's a very nice bottle of vodka that I got past customs in my bag in the car that I'll forfeit when you kick us out."
Silver gave her a long, judging look but eventually nodded.
"OK, ghost, say what you want to say."
"You need to cancel this contract."
"Why?"
"Because the last time I told your father to cancel a contract, I kept him from accidentally getting into a war with US interests. This has similar implications. No amount is going to be worth being part of the blowback here."
"I honour my contracts, ghost."
"These are not honourable people. And I know you know that because Silvija always did her homework and I'm willing to bet Silver still does."
"And will you cover my losses?"
"I don't have the CIA behind me any more. Like you said, I'm a dead man. This is about more than money."
"What about you? Can you cover what we've already spent deploying here?" She said to Wanda.
"Not fully in the cash that you would have gotten." Wanda caught Kevin's eye quickly and gave a small nod. She leaned forward. "Here's what we can do. We can procure a certain - small - percentage of your losses." She held up a hand at Silver's curse. "I'm not done. We may not have the CIA's budget but we more than make up for that in other ways. Our team will work to minimize and counteract any repercussions to your reputation - by the time we're done, it will look like they broke the contract, not you."
She was going to need to make sure Mr. Ramsey was well stocked in Red Bull.
Silver paused, giving Wanda a long considering look. "Even dead, I'm aware what Sydney can do. If you're similarly talented..." She suddenly turned and walked back to the table covered in papers, maps, and several laptops. "Fifteen percent covers my loss directly to the client. That has to be returned. After that... I write this off as a training exercise. Better for the men's morale. And both of you, both of you owe me work. I know this one can't live without his secrets and his spies. I have need of that. It is a deal?"
Kevin just nodded.
"Good. I have arrangements to make. Good to meet you, Maximoff. And as for you, ghost-" She said. "It's time to disappear."
She may have wanted a shower, a drink and a nap, but when Kevin pulled up to collect her from her flight back to New York, he was clear it was time to put her game face on. On the drive over, he updated her on the developments with the Maggia, which is why she'd been called back, and that they were going straight to a meeting with the mercenary group from Symkaria that the Karnelli family had called in to attack the meeting. A meeting that the group didn't know they were about to have, but Kevin seemed casually certain that he'd get a chance to talk.
"Well, it's a good thing that I managed to close up that issue in Europe," Wanda said, pulling out a few items from her bag to help freshen herself up with. She'd make due without a shower but thank goodness for carry on luggage. As Kevin drove, she changed shirts and freshened up. "Thank you for the debrief, much appreciated."
"For a minute, I thought you were going to debrief in here. Just how long was that flight?" Kevin joked, pulling off the highway and into city traffic. "Got to be honest, Maximoff, we need some experienced people around for the next while. This war is going to cause all kinds of headaches for... who knows how long?"
Wanda chuckled as she tossed everything back into her duffle. "Far too long, though thank god I was no longer under cover and could make great use of Emma's generosity and enjoy first class. There was apparently nearly a riot in the back over someone eating from a jar of pickles." She grew serious as she leaned back into the passenger seat. "I'm happy to be back in general, of course, but more so considering the situation. How ugly do you think it could get?
"Dammit. Now I want a pickle." Kevin groused. "It's already ugly and a hair away from all out war. Two families have recruited mercenaries and proxies for the fight, and in these cases, it always spills over tp bystanders. Sp we're going to try and take one of the mercenary groups out of the equation while North's team does the same. That way, at least we can contain the damage to their crews."
She held up her hands. "Sorry, undercover work means no souvenirs, pickles or otherwise. From the sounds of it, I'm surprised it hasn't escalated even further. Sounds like I wrapped up that cult issue just in time. And I am always up for taking out individuals who do not care about waging an open war where innocents can get hurt. What's the current plan for the group that Symkaria called in?"
"We talk to them. I know a little about Silver Sable International. We might be able to help them... make better choices." He said as they turned into a private parking lot that was surrounded by a temporary fence and a parameter made from reinforced troop transport vehicles with the hexagonal white S emblazoned on the side. Two armored and armed men stepped in front of the car, motioning them to leave. Kevin rolled down the window and leaned out. "Tell Silvija Sablinova an old friend needs to talk to her."
"Who?"
"Just send the message back. Trust me, you won't enjoy the consequences of not doing it." Kevin said, settling back in his seat.
The men exchanged glances before one slipped away, while the other one continued to glare at the two of them. Wanda's eyes were half closed and she looked to anyone outside the car as if she was on the verge of taking a quick cat nap. Relaxed as she seemed, she was highly alert, watching the troop transport vehicles and area for trouble. Her powers made the surveillance easier.
Kevin was never one to exaggerate field work details but she was taken a little back by the numbers. This was less a mercenary group and slightly more a small army.
After about ten minutes, she heard the second guard approach and she straightened up in her seat.
"Let's go." The guard motioned to them as they stepped out of the car.
"This is promising. It was fifty-fifty that name would get us shot while in the car." Kevin said quietly to Wanda as they walked into the compound and to a large military style tent set up in the middle. As they stepped in, an attractive silver haired woman in her early 40s straightened up.
"It is fucking impossible." She hissed, her accent Eastern and crisp. "You're dead. We hired one of the men who helped kill you years later to confirm it. You are a corpse, Kevin Sydney."
"It's nice to see you too, Silvija. This is my associate, Wanda Maximoff."
"Pleasure," Wanda said, taking an empty seat, uninvited but with grace as if she had been. "I feel my comrade has been called worse over the years but I sense an interesting backstory here..."
"Backstory? This degen died in 1997. We confirmed it. And now he walks in, 25 years later like nothing happened." She spat, coming up face to face, even if she had to look up and dug a finger into his chest. "Like. Nothing. Happened."
"Silvija-"
"It's just Silver now."
"Silver. We need to talk about business. I heard about Ernest. I'm very sorry. Is Morty here?"
"Uncle retired. It is all me now."
"Then you need to listen to me."
"Do I?" She turned to Wanda. "You are what? His partner? Employee? I should hope not lover. Why should I listen to this ghost?"
Wanda had been listening to the back and forth with a mild expression but it sharpened when Silver turned to her. "You should listen because, ghost or no, Kevin's intel has always been solid. It sounds like there is quite some history here but I recommend you put that to the side." She switched from English to Symkarian. "If stabbing him a little bit will make you feel better, we can work that out but, honestly, it's not worth the effort." She switched back, knowing full well Kevin understood.
She waved a hand around. "This is an impressive setup." Wanda was not lying when she said that - serious money had been poured into the group and it looked well run. "And it sounds like you are the one running the show. So, listen to what we have to say because I can guarantee his intel remains solid."
Wanda shrugged and leaned back. "You don't agree with us by the end of it, there's a very nice bottle of vodka that I got past customs in my bag in the car that I'll forfeit when you kick us out."
Silver gave her a long, judging look but eventually nodded.
"OK, ghost, say what you want to say."
"You need to cancel this contract."
"Why?"
"Because the last time I told your father to cancel a contract, I kept him from accidentally getting into a war with US interests. This has similar implications. No amount is going to be worth being part of the blowback here."
"I honour my contracts, ghost."
"These are not honourable people. And I know you know that because Silvija always did her homework and I'm willing to bet Silver still does."
"And will you cover my losses?"
"I don't have the CIA behind me any more. Like you said, I'm a dead man. This is about more than money."
"What about you? Can you cover what we've already spent deploying here?" She said to Wanda.
"Not fully in the cash that you would have gotten." Wanda caught Kevin's eye quickly and gave a small nod. She leaned forward. "Here's what we can do. We can procure a certain - small - percentage of your losses." She held up a hand at Silver's curse. "I'm not done. We may not have the CIA's budget but we more than make up for that in other ways. Our team will work to minimize and counteract any repercussions to your reputation - by the time we're done, it will look like they broke the contract, not you."
She was going to need to make sure Mr. Ramsey was well stocked in Red Bull.
Silver paused, giving Wanda a long considering look. "Even dead, I'm aware what Sydney can do. If you're similarly talented..." She suddenly turned and walked back to the table covered in papers, maps, and several laptops. "Fifteen percent covers my loss directly to the client. That has to be returned. After that... I write this off as a training exercise. Better for the men's morale. And both of you, both of you owe me work. I know this one can't live without his secrets and his spies. I have need of that. It is a deal?"
Kevin just nodded.
"Good. I have arrangements to make. Good to meet you, Maximoff. And as for you, ghost-" She said. "It's time to disappear."
