The Goon Squad

Posted on Sat Nov 26th, 2011 @ 6:54pm by Captain Li Hawke & Commander Oralia Zeferino

Mission: In Our Time of Need
Location: The Promenade, Mostly

Three days, that's all they had.

Frick and Frack, the two goons who had very nearly been successful at abducting the Starbase's very own Chief of Security - who would have succeeded if not for the not-so-well-loved Jackson Banning, sat in a cafe, morosely scanning the crowd, waiting for their target to come along. It was Day 1 and this was Plan A. Frick was rather proud of the idea, since it was his. He was sure this was the only plan they'd need.

Attempt #1, Plan A

Plan A was supposed to be simple.

"Hey, get ready, here she comes, just as usual for her morning coffee," Frick nudged Frack.

Frack grumbled. "He hates us, that's what it is. Maybe we should delegate this one, then take a vacation on Risa." He stopped as Frick nudged him, turning to spy their quarry approaching.

"Think Risa's far enough if the big S doesn't get the prize he wants?" Frick looked away from Oralia as she glanced their way. She waved at ...them? A thrill of panic ran through him, then he saw a woman on the other side of him waving back at the Security Chief. "Let's go, we'll catch her as she leaves," he said and slid out of his chair to head for the door.

"The bottom of a black hole won't be far enough if we screw this up," Frack commented. He rose and followed Frick through the restaurant to the door. "Unless it was today. Today, we might get a reprieve. You see he was actually smiling when he showed up?"

"Yeah," Frick shuddered as they came to a casual stop outside the restaurant. "That smile always weirds me out. And when he comes down off this high? Eh... even when we succeed here, I don't want to face that."

Inside the DunkinDonuts, Oralia was just getting her coffee and chuckling at something the barista said. She turned, waved at her friend in the corner again, and headed for the exit.

"Me either, though between us? I'd love a little taste of what he gets if it's that good. I'd never say so, though, that right there's a death wish." He paused and turned to look into the front window, his back to Oz as she passed.

"Indeed it is," Frick agreed and started after the woman. From a pocket, he pulled a tiny device, one already loaded with his stunningly simple idea. "Get ready to catch, Frack," he muttered and, lifting the straw to his lips, blew hard, aiming for the Chief's back.

It was a perfect shot, one interrupted by a blond woman who was moving fast, until the sedative in the blowdart hit her. She fell, hard, while Oralia Zeferino walked on unmolested.

Frack had moved on slightly ahead, closer to Oz when the blonde passed between them. "Aww, shit." He knew what was coming next and moments later, the blonde collapsed in his arms.

Coming up even with Frack, Frick looked at the woman in his arms. "Okay, what's Plan B?"

"We go home and enjoy dessert?" Frick shrugged, slung the woman over his shoulder and they moved off to the turbolift.

"I like that plan," Frick grinned.

Attempt #2, Plan C

Frick and Frack emerged from Frick's quarters, both with smiles on their faces. The blonde had been carried home, enjoyed and she would eventually awaken a second time outside the mess hall, wondering just what had happened. What she did from there was of no concern to the pair. Today, they had more important things, and people, on their minds.

They found themselves once more on the Promenade. If anything was predictable, it was the Security Chief's love of her coffee. They waited once again for her arrival.

"How can she drink this stuff? It's vile," Frack muttered.

"I don't know...," Frick peered into his cup and shrugged, "With enough sugar and cream, it's okay." Once again, Frick was the first to spy Oralia as she approached the coffee shop. This time, when she waved and said good morning to the woman in the corner, he didn't panic. "This better work," he grumbled at Frack, unsure of the intelligence behind his partner's idea.

"What's the worst that could happen? You go down a side corridor, yell for help, Miss Do-Gooder will rush to your rescue and we jump her. Simple." Frack grinned with satisfaction.

"Okay, you follow; I'm off to get ahead of her," Frick said, standing up as Oz reached the front counter to place her order. He headed out of the restaurant and disappeared into the crowd.

Within moments, Oz had her usual morning coffee and was heading for her office, as usual. She followed the same route she always followed, along the Promenade towards the central bank of turbolifts. Walking along, she sipped her coffee and was nearly to the turbolifts when she heard a shout for help. Pausing, she listened for it again. Just as it came a second time, two security golds came from the opposite direction. At Oralia's signal and order, they dashed toward the call for help. Oz, knowing they'd handle it, continued on.

As Oz approached the lifts, Frack slipped behind her and down the side corridor where Frick waited, shouting for help. They waited around the corner and when they heard running footsteps, jumped out to grab Oz. Instead, they were bowled over by two men in Security gold. All four went down in a tangled heap of cursing and swinging. At the end of the corridor, the turbolift chimed and Oz stepped inside.

As the two Security gold overcame Frick and Frack and started leading the two away to the nearest processing station, Frick glowered at Frack and muttered, "Let me guess, Plan D involves getting bailed out?"

Frack rolled his eyes. "How did you ever guess, genius? Call Lazan."

Attempt #3, Plan E

"Lovely, just lovely," Frick grumped and sipped the hot coffee in front of him. "Ugh... this stuff just gets worse instead of better. Do you get the plan this time?" He looked across the small table at his partner in crime, Frack. He was grumpy not because coffee was such a vile concoction, but because Lazan had let them languish in the 'base's Brig overnight. To add to his troubles, today was their third and last day for their task.

"Yeah, yeah, I got it. I had it all the other times too. Who knew she had such good luck and us such bad? I mean, what the hell else could go wrong? You point you shoot. Simple." It occurred to Frack that he'd said the same thing the previous times too. He hoped this one worked or their asses were in a tight spot they wouldn't get out of this time.

"Yeah, yeah," Frick looked at the small phaser in his hand. "How do we know this is on stun?"

"Are you kidding me?" Reaching over, Frack snatched the phaser and checked the settings, then passed it back. "There. Now it's on stun. You press that big blue button to fire it. Ready? It's about that time." He had a bad feeling about this.

"My back hurts. You'd think with a facility this big, they'd at least have decent bunks in their Brig," Frick whined and looked at the settings on the phaser again. Stun, everything seemed good to go. He looked up in time to see Oralia wave to the woman in the corner. "Almost showtime!", he whispered and hid the phaser away.

Like she did just about every morning, Oz ordered and received a cup of coffee from the barista behind the counter. She then turned and headed out of the shop. This time, however, as soon as she stepped out, two Security gold uniforms appeared and flanked her. Frick, seeing this through the shop's large front window, cursed, "Bodyguards? Oh, unbelievable!"

"Wonder why that is all of a sudden?" Frack rose, leaving his cup on the table untouched. "We're out of time, we may have to take them with us."

"There's two of us, three of them; which one is going to carry himself?" Frick irritably asked, even as he fiddled with the phaser again. Seeming pleased, he grinned at it and said, "Wide beam stun. These Federation folks are creative with their weapons. I like that. C'mon, let's catch up. The turbolift should be a good place to trap 'em."

"Let's do it." Frack picked up the pace as they hurried towards the turbolifts. The chime sounded, indicating that in moments the doors would open. "All we gotta do is get on the lift with them, then get it done. We cart her off, leave them."

"Yeah, yeah," Frick huffed as they caught up as the doors opened and Oz and her two goons entered the turbolift. She turned, saw them, frowned and was about to say something when Frick made his move. He thrust the phaser forward and hit the 'big blue button'. A wide beam shot out, hitting all of the people in the lift, not just Oralia.

A murmur rose as the phaser went off and there was an ominous moment of silence before the alarm sounded. "Now we've done it. Come on!" Frack reached in to grab Oz.

"Oh boy!" Frick pocketed the warm phaser and helped Frack grab the stunned Chief. In the next moment, Frick and Frack, burdened by Oz, disappeared into a Promenade shop, one whose proprietor owed Suresh a few favors.

The proprietor immediately locked the door and flipped the closed sign as the Goon Squad hurried across the shop and through the door leading to the back.

"GO! GO!"

Once they made it through the back door, the shopkeeper locked it, then leaned against the counter to take a breath. Behind the door, Frack shifted his hold on their burden.

"She doesn't look this heavy when she's awake."

"Yeah, maybe it's the uniform," Frick grunted then reached across her and grabbed her commbadge, ripping it from her tunic and tossing it down the corridor.

They went through a door that led to an empty utility corridor. "Take a left, and we'll use the freight lift to get down below."

By the time they'd gotten Oralia into the freight lift and down below to Suresh's suite, Frick bore a bloody scratch on one cheek; Frack wouldn't have the use of his manly bits for a day or three; and the Security Chief had a broken wrist and a burn where Frick had used the phaser a little too close to her. Standing in front of Suresh, Frick shrugged, "How were we to know she'd be that fragile?"

Suresh looked her over, noting the burn. "Easily healed, it won't hurt the price too much. She has been secured?"

"Zip tie cuffs," Frick nodded. "Really, these Federation people? Smart about their toys."

A sly smile crossed Suresh's face. "The toys are often smarter than some people I know." He leaned back in his chair, propping his feet on the table. "You two take shifts guarding her. I don't want her getting away and if she does, it's your asses on the line. Got me?"

Frick and Frack exchanged glares then nodded and answered in unison, "Got it."

"Good. Now think this through with me. You two are guarding the Chief. You two are here, she is somewhere else. What does this mean?" He eyed first one then the other.

Frick got it first: "Oo! No one is watching her!" Frack got it a moment later and ran out of Suresh's office, heading for the room where the Chief was secured. Seeing his partner run away, Frick paused a moment then said, "Scuse me," and followed Frack.

Behind them, Suresh sighed, resisting the urge to bang his forehead on his desk. It was so hard to get good help these days...

********
Frick
Not the Mastermind

Frack
Also Not the Mastermind

Suresh
Soaring Like An Eagle When Surrounded By Turkeys