Road Rovers: Reich of Franco

Episode 5: Mission To Moscow

By Gerhard Naudé

Striker, Franco, Norwood, Black, Champion and all others related to the 
KH Military © Gerhard Naudé
All Road Rovers names © Warner Brothers and rightful owners.
Nomad © Robert Baer Jr.

Any question, comments, complaints, feedback or suggestions can be
sent to gnaude_@hotmail.com.

Railyard
Outskirts of Moscow
Union of Soviet Socialists Republics
25 June 1980
10:22 PM:

This is an old but heavily-used railway yard not far from Moscow. Train
buildings, abandoned carriages, fuel tanks, spare rails and crates can
be seen around the yard. Currently it is very busy. An armoured Soviet
missile train is on the tracks, it's engine still bellowing steam from
it's stack. Around the train are dozens of Soviets soldiers wearing the
uniforms of the KGB. Cranes and workers are busy loading crates from 
military trucks into the armoured carriages. Just then a jeep enters
the premises while being saluted by the guarding KGB. The jeep stops 
and a handsome, black-haired Soviet general climbs out. A lieutenant
walks up and salutes to the general. He salutes back and the begin
speaking in Russian.

Lieutenant:"Comrade General. This is an unexpected surprise."

General:"I like making surprise visits to see that things are running
         smoothly. And I trust they are, Lieutenant?"

Lieutenant:"Indeed, Comrade General. We should be ready to transport
            the warheads into Siberia before shipping them off to
            Frazakastan."

General:"Good. Remember: I do not want a word of this to leak out to the
         Kremlin. Otherwise we will tried as traitors and executed."

Lieutenant:"Nothing to fear, Comrade General. These men have sworn an
            oath never to reveal our secrets."

General:"Good. Carry on."

The lieutenant salutes and walks back to the train. The general then
lights a cigarette and climbs back into the jeep. He drives off from
the rail yard.

Gymnasium
EDF Headquarters
1 July
6:01 AM:

This is a normal-looking gymnasium with all the latest exercising machines
and equipment. Various doors lead to the locker rooms, bathrooms and out
of the gym. Mirrors line the walls. Currently, there is no-one here but
Striker, who is busy lifting weights. He is only wearing some blue shorts 
and his boots. Sweat is rolling down his face and chest as he pushes
the weights up and down.

Striker:"121... 122... 123..."

Another agent then walks into the gym and up to Striker. Striker notices
him and stops.

Striker:"Ja?"

Agent:"Sir, High Command has ordered you to report to them in about 15
       minutes."

Striker puts the weights down and sits up.

Striker:"What about?"

Agent:"I don't know. All I know is that you and commander Norwood are
       to go there ASAP."

Striker:"I'm on my way."

The agent nods and leaves. Striker picks up a towel and wipes the sweat 
from him. He then walks off to the locker rooms.

Corridor
6:12 AM:

This a long, well-lit corridor running through the base. Doors and other
corridors lead off from this one. Striker is walking down here, fully
dressed. Norwood then appears from another corridor and joins Striker.

Striker:"Môre, Mark."

Norwood:"Morning, Striker. I'm glad to see you are well alert."

Striker:"I woke up early so that I could exercise for a while."

Norwood:"Don't tire yourself yet. EDF High Command has something 
         important for us."

Striker:"And what is that?"

Norwood:"Usually when agents and their commander, such as you and I
         right now, it concerns a highly important task or mission that
         we must undertake."

Striker looks somewhat surprised at Norwood.

Striker:"You and I?"

Norwood:"Yes. Don't be so surprised. We commanders fortunately don't sit
         around and do paperwork all day."

Striker:"A good thing too. I cannot possibly imagine you with a paunch."

Norwood laughs, causing Striker to smile a bit.

Norwood:"That I have to agree with."

They reach two large wooden doors with a name board above it saying
"EARTH DEFENCE FORCE HIGH COMMAND COUNCIL". On either side of the door 
is an armed agent. When they see Norwood and Striker they salute and 
one of them opens the door. Norwood and Striker enter the room and the 
agent closes the door behind them.

EDF High Command Council Room
6:15 AM:

This is a circular room with horseshoe-shaped table in the middle. At the
end of the table is another square table with two empty chairs. The 
room is darkened with only the tables lit up. Various military generals
and EDF commanders are seated around the large table, with the single
exception of a man who looks Japanese wearing a blue suit and red tie. 
On the tables are glasses of water, notepads, laptops and pencils. 
Striker and Norwood walk from out of the darkness up to the smaller table 
and face the council.

Norwood:"Commander Markus Norwood and Agent Striker reporting, sir."

The man in the suit motions them to sit down.

Man:"Be seated."

Norwood and Striker take their seats at the table. The man looks at
Striker.

Man:"I believe this your first time here in the Council Room, Agent
     Striker?"

Striker:"Ja, Meneer. This is my first time."

Man:"Then let me introduce myself and the Council. I am Toshi Yokomitha,
     representative for the United Nations Secretary General and head of 
     the Earth Defence Force. The generals here represent the permanent
     members of the UN security council as well as several members from
     elected countries."

The others nod their heads in greeting. Striker does the same back.

Toshi:"We have keeping track of your progress via reports coming from
       commander Norwood and I must admit: we are truly impressed."

Striker:"Dankie, Meneer."

Toshi:"Your successes have brought us greater insight into the KH
       Military's theft of warheads than we had before you joined the 
       EDF. We believe we are now close to discovering what Franco's 
       plans are with these warheads."

He nods to one of the commanders, who nods back and pushes a button on
his laptop. Next a holographic image of the USSR appears with several
red arrows running from Eastern Europe to the area around Moscow.

Toshi:"General Sergei Molovich of the Soviet Union will now explain
       to you."

The Russian general speaks up.

Molovich:"Your observations and successes have allowed us to track the
          warhead smuggling trail to somewhere in the vicinity of my
          country's capital. Unfortunately, we are unable to find out
          where these warheads are going."

Striker gives a confused look. Molovich notices this.

Molovich:"I understand your confusion, comrade. You are probably asking
          why my government cannot track the warheads. Well, the answer
          is simple. Vile elements within the military and the KGB are
          being bribed to betray Mother Russia and secretly smuggle
          the warheads through the country undetected."

The hologram disappears.

Molovich:"These vile elements must be uncovered, comrade. If we find
          out who they are, we might uncover what is the ultimate
          destination of the warheads."

Toshi:"That is where you and commander Norwood will come in, Agent 
       Striker. You two have accomplished much in the last few months
       and we couldn't have decided on a better team for this task. You
       two will be sent to the Kremlin in Moscow. There the Soviet
       government will stage a 'special' meeting with the military
       and the KGB. While this is happening you two will sneak around
       in their offices and try to find out who is the guilty party
       among them. If you succeed, we might just be able to find out
       where these warheads are going."

Norwood:"We understand, sir."

Toshi smiles.

Toshi:"Go to Moscow now and find out what Franco is up to. Good luck."

Striker and Norwood nod, get up and leave the room.

Puma Helicopter
En Route To Moscow
Somewhere over Siberia
7:01 AM:

The Puma is flying low over the Siberian countryside. Inside the Puma
are Nomad, Black and several KH soldiers. Nomad is busy talking to
Franco over a communications screen.

Franco:"That mutt Striker is coming to Moscow to foolishly try and find
        out about my nuclear warhead scheme. It is YOUR job to kill him,
        Nomad."

Nomad:"Yes, sir."

Franco:"Remember, if you fail, you die! Understood?"

Nomad gulps, but his face remains expressionless.

Nomad:"Yes, sir."

The screen goes blank. Nomad goes over to Black and sits next to him.

Black:"What is our mission, sir?"

Nomad:"Our mission is to neutralize Striker before he uncovers our
       smuggling trail in Moscow, Captain. That is an order from the
       Supreme General himself."

Black:"Did he offer you a death threat, sir?"

Nomad gives Black a cold stare. Black slumps back into his seat.

Black:"Never mind, sir."

Nomad looks forward. The Puma continues on its course.

Conference Room
The Kremlin
Moscow
Union Of Soviet Socialist Republics
8:30 AM:

This is a well-kept room with a long, polished wooden table and chairs,
paintings of former Soviet leaders like Lenin and Stalin, Soviet banners
and flags and several large windows looking out over the Kremlin
grounds. Seated around the table are the various military, KGB and
intelligense generals, ministers and officers. Seated at the head of
the table is the current Soviet Chief Secretary: Leonid Brezhnef.

Brezhnef:"I am glad you could all attend this meeting, comrades. It
          is about increased funding for your various departments."

The seated members look at each other in surprise, smiling as they
do. Unknown to them, in the next room is Norwood and Striker, watching
them through eyeholes in the walls. Norwood is now also dressed in his
EDF uniform.

Striker:"Looks like the diversion is working, Mark. What is the rest of
         the plan?"

Norwood:"We now go around searching in each of those offices which are
         suspected to be working with the KH Military."

Striker:"What about the soldiers?"

Norwood:"No worries there. They have been called outside for a parade, so
         we won't run the risk of a gunfight with them. Even if we do 
         meet a straggler, you know what to do?"

Striker pats the pocket holding his mind-disruptor. Norwood smiles.

Norwood:"Good. Let's begin the search."

Striker nods and the two of them leave the room. The meeting continues in
the other room.

Corridor
The Kremlin
9:11 AM:

The corridor walls are decorated with paintings and Soviet banners. A red
carpet runs along the length of the corridor. Doors line the corridor at
regular intervals. One of the doors open and Striker walks out. He closes
the door and contacts Norwood over a small hand-held radio.

Striker(into radio):"Mark, I hope your search is more fruitful than mine."

Norwood(over radio):"Sorry, Striker. I have gotten lemons so far and we
       are running out of time. The meeting will soon be over and we will
       have to be out of the Kremlin before we are spotted."

Striker(into radio):"Ai yai yai. I only have a few offices left to search
       before I am done with my side of the Kremlin. I hope these last
       ones hold the answer."

Norwood(into radio):"Same here with me. How knows? When one is searching
        through your pockets for something, it is always the last one that
        has what you are looking for."

Striker(into radio):"I hope you are right, Mark. Out."

He puts the radio away and walks up to an office which has a name on it.
Striker reads the name.

Striker:"General Pasha Ankeyev. Let us see what you are hiding."

He puts his paw on the doorknob, turns it and opens the office. He steps
in and looks straight at the surprised faces of the black-haired general, 
Black and Nomad. Striker is just as surprised to see them.

Ankeyev:"Who are you?"

Black's eyes widen.

Black:"Striker!"

Striker eyes Black coldly.

Striker:"Captain Black."

Nomad wastes no time in getting out a smoke grenade and tossing it at
Striker. Striker quickly runs out of the office as Nomad, Ankeyev and
Black take cover behind the general's desk. The grenade explodes and
Striker throws himself down onto the floor as smoke fills the air.

Office
The Kremlin
9:15 AM:

This is a typical office that is just as well decorated as the conference
room. Norwood is here and has just finished his search.

Norwood:"Nothing. Either our traitor is a cunning man or he is not part
         of the milit..."

Suddenly Norwood hears the sound of the smoke grenade going off. He 
looks to the door, then runs over to the window and looks out. He can 
see Soviet soldiers, who have also heard the explosion, running towards
the Kremlin.

Norwood:"Uh oh. Someone did something rash, and Striker might know who
         it was."

He contacts Striker on his radio.

Corridor:

The corridor is now completely filled with smoke. Striker is lying on
the floor. Behind him one can hear voices.

Ankeyev(from smoke):"This way, comrades! I know a way out!"

Black(from smoke):"What about Striker?"

Nomad(from smoke):"Forget him! The warhead train is our primary concern
     on this mission!"

Running footsteps can be heard going down the corridor away from Striker.
He gets up and runs out of the smoke just as Norwood calls over his
radio.

Norwood(over radio):"Striker, what happened?"

Striker coughs a bit, then answers.

Striker(into radio):"I found the traitor, Mark, and several KH officers
       with him. It's General Pasha Ankeyev. One of the KH officers
       threw a smoke grenade at me. They may try to get to the trains."

Norwood(over radio):"Head back to the garage. We'll go after them in
       the Rhino."

Striker(into radio):"Affirmative."

Striker runs down the corridor.

Southern Gate
The Kremlin
9:22 AM:

The arched gate has a barrier across and two guardhouses. Two guards are
standing here smoking and holding their AK-47's. Suddenly a jeep breaks
through the barrier out of the Kremlin into the busy streets, much to
the two soldiers' surprise.

Soldier 1:"That is comrade Ankeyev's jeep!"

Soldier 2:"We must raise the alarm now!"

Just then they hear the sound of an oncoming engine and look inside the
Kremlin. The Rhino then drives out of the Kremlin grounds into the
street after the jeep.

Streets of Moscow:

Cars are travelling to and fro in the streets while pedestrians walk to
work. Ankeyev's jeep weaves between the traffic, followed closely by
the Rhino. Cars are honking their horns as the two vehicles run in
front of cars and skip red lights. In the jeep Black is driving while
Nomad and Ankeyev look back at the pursuing Rhino.

Ankeyev:"I thought you told me the EDF would not interfere with my
         operations!"

Nomad:"OUR operations, General. I will take care of these fools."

He takes out his M-16 rifle and arms it. Ankeyev's eyes widen.

Ankeyev:"You are not going to fire that weapon in public, comrade?"

Nomad:"Yes, I will."

Ankeyev:"But you could end up killing innocent bystanders!"

Nomad opens his side window and aims the rifle through it at the 
Rhino.

Nomad(cold):"Too bad."

He pulls the trigger and fires several bursts at the Rhino. People in
the street panic and start running. In the Rhino the shots hit the 
armour plates.

Striker:"Computer. Activate shutters."

The Rhino's windows are quickly covered with armour, blocking the shots
from the M-16. The ricocheting bullets fly off in all directions, almost
hitting several civilians.

Norwood:"Fall back a bit, Striker. These bullets will end up killing
         innocents."

Striker:"Reg, Mark."

Striker slows down several cars behind the jeep and the shooting stops.
About that time several Moscow police cars appear on the streets right
behind the Rhino.

Striker:"This is not good."

Norwood:"The police always has to ruin things. Don't worry, though. I
         have a plan."

Norwood takes out a high-tech device that looks like a flare gun.

Striker:"Goeie idea, Mark. A tracking beacon will help us follow the
         jeep and leave the streets."

Norwood:"Bring us closer, but not too close."

Striker:"Reg."

Striker accelerates and brings the Rhino a car's distance from the 
jeep. Norwood holds the device out the window and aiming it at the
jeep. In the jeep Ankeyev points ahead to a traffic circle.

Ankeyev:"Go right!"

Black:"Yes, sir!"

Just as Black begins to turn Norwood fires. As the jeep disappears
behind a truck the tracking beacon attaches itself to the exhaust pipe.
The Rhino heads off to the left, blocked by a large bus, while the
jeep heads right. The wailing police cars follow the Rhino, catching
up to it fast.

Striker:"Lost them."

Norwood:"Yes, but we got them tracked. Now we can follow them and find
         out where they are going. But first, the police."

Striker:"I have a plan."

He sharply turns into an alley just wide enough for a car. The police
cars follow. At the other end of the alley the police cars exit, but
the Rhino is nowhere in sight. The officers are completely baffled.

Officer 1:"What the? Where did they go?"

Officer 2:"They... vanished."

Officer 3:"Impossible! We were right behind them."

While they continue looking around for the Rhino, in the alley the
Rhino appears above the rooftops in flight mode.

Norwood:"Good trick, Striker."

Striker:"Dankie. Which way is the jeep heading?"

Norwood checks the device.

Norwood:"Southwest. Probably towards the rail yards, but head up high so
         that we don't get spotted." 

Striker:"I agree."

He pilots the Rhino after the jeep. In the jeep Ankeyev looks around for
the Rhino, but doesn't see them. He breathes a sigh of relief and looks 
forward again.

Ankeyev:"We lost them. And the police is chasing them instead of us."

Nomad:"Don't feel too secure, General. Agent Striker is more dangerous
       than any agent before him. He won't give up simply because he
       got stuck in traffic."

Ankeyev:"You know this means that you will have to pay me triple for
         this last shipment, plus give me citizenship in the Caribbean
         Islands."

Nomad looks coldly at Ankeyev.

Nomad:"Triple pay? Citizenship? And why, if I may ask?"

Ankeyev:"After this last shipment I will no longer be part of the Soviet
         military, but a traitor sentenced to death. I want the money
         to spend the rest of my life in exile on a Caribbean island,
         soaking up the sun instead of freezing here in Moscow."

Nomad:"We will discuss this AFTER the mission is complete. Not before.
       Things might go as planned, or not."

Ankeyev:"What will happen to me if we fail?"

Nomad:"Simple. You will be my scapegoat when you try to explain your 
       actions before Franco."

Ankeyev gulps, sweat rolling down his face in fear.

Railyard
9:51 AM:

This is the same railyard. Another armoured missile train is here, but
the loading has been finished and the only people around are the KGB
soldiers. Ankeyev's jeep quickly drives into the yard and up to the
train. The lieutenant walks up and salutes as Ankeyev, Nomad and Black
climb out.

Lieutenant:"Welcome, comrades. I'm surprised that you are so early."

Ankeyev:"We are in trouble, comrade. Our secret is out and we must
         move immediately. Is everything ready?"

Lieutenant:"Dah, comrade general. The last of the warheads have been
            loaded onto the train and we are ready to depart for
            Frazakastan."

Ankeyev:"Good. Let's go."

Lieutenant:"Dah, comrade general."

The lieutenant shouts out an order and the soldiers begin to scurry
around. Ankeyev, Nomad, Black and the lieutenant begin walking towards
a passenger carriage.

9:53 AM:

The train engine blows it's whistle and slowly begins to move forward.
Soon it picks up speed and leaves the rail yard eastwards. The Rhino
appears and hovers over the abandoned jeep.

Norwood:"That is his jeep, all right."

Striker sees the smoke coming from the train, taps on Norwood's
shoulder and points at it.

Striker:"He and the officers must have boarded that train."

Norwood looks at the train, then takes out some binoculars and looks
towards it.

Norwood:"It's a Soviet missile train. You're hunch has got to be very
         right, for that is what the Soviets use to move their nukes."

Striker:"Do we follow them, Mark?"

Norwood lowers his binoculars and nods.

Norwood:"Follow them, yes, but keep low and flying along the track. I 
         can guess there are KGB soldiers on that train who will be 
         keeping an eye out and we had better not alert them. In the
         meantime we'll call the Kremlin and try to figure out a plan
         to stop that train dead."

Striker nods and steers the Rhino after the train, flying low along the
train tracks.

Soviet Missile Train
En Route to Arkhangelsk 
10:22 AM:

The train is moving through the farmlands of Russia towards the port of
Arkhangelsk. The armoured train consists of three engines that are almost
completely covered with armour, several passenger carriages (also with 
armour and shutters on the windows), five warhead cargo carraiges (with 
armour), a radar and communications carriage (with a dish, several 
antennae and armour), an open-air carriage with a helicopter on it, a 
caboose (armour again) and three mobile SAM battery carriages (armoured). 
Soldiers can seen at strategic points on the train. Far behind the train,
almost out of sight, is the pursuing Rhino. Striker is busy piloting
while Norwood is busy talking over a radio.

Norwood(into radio):"Yes, comrade Secretary. We understand. We will
       help bring this train to a full stop. Your men can proceed with
       the rest of the plan. Out."

He turns the radio off and puts it away.

Norwood:"We have a plan. The Soviets are gathering their forces along
         the track just before Yaroslavl, the next town on this route.
         They are going to lure the train into a trap and destroy it."

Striker:"Isn't that dangerous? With the warheads on board?"

Norwood:"They say the warheads will be housed in bombproof containers,
         but they will rake the warhead carraiges with small arms fire
         and high-explosives. The rest of the train they will hit with
         everything they got."

Striker:"Where do we come in?"

Norwood:"I'll explain now."

He pushes a button below a screen and a top view of the train from a
satellite appears.

Norwood:"That's the train. It's arranged like this, from the back: the
         caboose, a passenger carriage, a SAM battery carriage, another
         passenger carriage, a radar and communications carriage, a
         passenger carriage, a SAM battery carriage, the five warhead
         carraiges, a SAM battery, a passenger carriage, a flat-bed
         carriage with a helicopter, a passenger carriage and finally
         the three engines."

Striker examines the picture.

Striker:"Quite long, and there must be dozens of KGB soldiers on board."

Norwood:"Yes. The Soviets have asked us to take out the RC carriage, for
         Ankeyev might spot the trap and flee in another direction, and
         the SAMs, to avoid loss of any Soviet helicopters." 

Striker:"What about Ankeyev and the KH officers?"

Norwood:"These orders are from the EDF Council: we must interrogate
         them and find out where the warheads are going before the 
         Soviets bushwhack the train. Once we have done that, we can
         kill them ourselves or let the Soviets do it."

Striker:"Are we both going onto the train?"

Norwood:"No. You are going onto the train while I pilot the Rhino to
         provide heavy support. The thing is that you will have to
         destroy the SAMs to clear the way for me to support you, for
         the Rhino's weapons aren't as fast at firing as a SAM. I'll
         drop you off on the caboose and you will make your way up the 
         train."

Striker:"This is going to be a busy day."

Striker puts the pedal to the metal and the Rhino speeds up to catch
the train. As it gets closer Striker readies his sonic rifle and his
colt revolver. In moments two surprised soldiers on the rear of the
caboose can clearly be seen. They aim their AK-47's at the Rhino.
Striker pushes a button and the Rhino's duel chainguns appear. The
chainguns spool up and fire, killing the two soldiers. Striker pilots
the Rhino up to the caboose, then opens his door.

Striker:"Take over, Mark."

Norwood moves to Striker's seat as Striker climbs out of the Rhino. He
carefully but quickly climbs his way onto the caboose and readies his
sonic rifle. He runs up next to the caboose's rear door while Norwood
pilots the Rhino to right next the caboose. Striker looks through the
door window and sees several soldiers running up to the door. He ducks
back as the soldier opens the door. The soldier steps out and Striker
hits him square in the face with the butt of his sonic rifle. He grabs
him and puts the soldier in front of him. The surprised soldier behind
them opens fire, but shoots the first soldier while Striker fires his
sonic rifle at the soldiers, knocking them to their feet. Once they are 
all down he picks up one of the AK-47's before proceeding. Outside 
Norwood readies the Rhino's chainguns again as more soldiers appear and 
spot the Rhino.

Norwood:"A long time since I've been out on something like this."

He pushes a button and the chainguns fire. He guns down several soldiers 
while the rest take cover, some of them firing back. Their shots bounce 
off the armour plates of the Rhino. In the first passenger carriage (which
looks like a luxurious living room) Ankeyev, Nomad and Black were seated 
drinking some Vodka.

Nomad:"I am surprised to see this luxurious space on a armoured missile 
       train, General."

Ankeyev takes a sip of Vodka before speaking.

Ankeyev:"I prefer to travel in style, comrade. It's not good for my
         health to go in one of those troop train carraiges where you
         have to sit amongst conscripts who stink of cigarette smoke,
         bad breath and not having bathed properly in weeks."

The lieutenant runs into the carriage up to them.

Ankeyev:"What is it now?"

He takes another sip of Vodka.

Lieutenant:"Comrade general! We are under attack!"

Ankeyev spits out the Vodka and looks at the Lieutenant.

Ankeyev:"Who?"

Lieutenant:"A flying black American jeep, comrade!"

Ankeyev:"What? A flying jeep! That is absurd!"

Lieutenant:"It's true, general! It's attacked the three rear carraiges!"

Ankeyev sighs in frustration.

Ankeyev:"Then use your rocket launchers or the SAMs! That is what they 
         are here for, stupid!"

Lieutenant:"Dah, comrade general!"

The lieutenant runs out the carriage.

Black:"A flying black jeep? That sounds like an EDF rhino Humvee."

Nomad looks coldly at Ankeyev.

Nomad:"Looks like your wealth does not buy security, general."

Ankeyev relaxes back, sipping his Vodka again.

Ankeyev:"Don't worry, comrades. We will reach Frazakastan in a matter of
         hours and the EDF agents will be buried in their own jeep's
         wreckage."

Black:"I'll be surprised if we make it to the next town, much less our
       ultimate destination."

Nomad:"I am beginning to think that you are right, Captain."

They both take sips of Vodka. Back at the back Striker has gotten out 
of the caboose and is peering into the passenger carriage. He can see
soldiers smashing open the windows to fire on the Rhino on the left 
side (Striker's left). He then spots one carrying a rocket launcher
who is busy aiming while another puts a rocket into it. 

Striker:"Not so fast."

He kicks the doors open, the sonic rifle in one paw and the AK-47
in the other. Before the other soldiers can react Striker opens fire
with both weapons. Among the first to get killed are those handling
the rocket launcher. The rest try vainly to point and fire at Striker,
but Striker's keen accuracy guns them all down before they can even
pull the trigger. Once Striker stops firing there is not one living
opponent left in the carriage. Striker proceeds forward over the bodies
while above him he can hear the sounds of boots from the soldiers on
the top of the carriage. When he reaches the other end he looks through
the door window at the next carriage. He can see several barrels,
crates and the large SAM missile launcher in the middle. Surrounding
the launcher is a lot of soldiers, who are taking pot shots at the
Rhino. He thinks for a moment, then looks down at a dead soldier's
belt which has several hand grenades attached to it.

Striker:"It is a long shot, but should work."

He radios Norwood.

Striker(into radio):"Mark?"

Norwood(over radio):"Yes, Striker?"

Striker(into radio):"Could you possibly get that missile launcher to 
       fire a missile at you?"

Norwood(over radio):"A single missile? Why?"

Striker explains his plan of attack.

Norwood(into radio):"Not a bad idea. I'll try."

Outside Norwood brings the Rhino in sight of the missile launcher. The
launcher quickly aims at the Rhino, then fires a missile. Norwood waits
as the missile quickly approaches. At the last moment the Rhino flies
sideways and the missile flies past. Norwood flies the Rhino out of
the launcher's sight. Inside the carriage, Striker picks up a grenade
and peers through the window at the launcher again.

Striker:"Perfect."

He pulls the pin and quickly opens the door. He throws the grenade at
the launcher, then closes the door before anyone can see him. The 
grenade lands right into the empty missile tube. After a few short
seconds, the grenade explodes. The blast detonates the other missiles
and the launcher blows apart like an overripe tomato. The blast
causes the barrels to explode as well. The blast catches several
soldiers and throws several others off the train, their uniforms on
fire. The crates and some burning barrels go flying through the air
as well along with debris. Striker quickly opens the door and guns down
any surviving soldiers in sight. The Rhino appears above him.

Norwood(over radio):"Nice shot. This will allow me to further cut down
       the rest of the soldiers while you take out the communications
       carriage and the second SAM."

Striker(into radio):"Copy that, Mark."

The Rhino flies onward and Striker proceeds through the debris and
flames to the next passenger carriage. Back up front Ankeyev, Nomad
and Black are sitting around drinking Vodka. The lieutenant rushes
in and they look at him.

Ankeyev:"I assume you are here to tell us of the good news, comrade
         Lieutenant."

Lieutenant:"Sirs! They have destroyed the rear-most SAM battery carriage 
            and have killed more than half of our soldiers in the space
            of a few minutes!"

Ankeyev is now starting to show the first signs of fear. Nomad is
indifferent and looking at Ankeyev.

Nomad:"It seems your troops are unable to handle this threat."

He looks at Black.

Nomad:"Go and take care of this."

Black:"Yes, sir."

Black gets up and takes out his pistol. Nomad looks at the lieutenant.

Nomad:"Gather as many of your soldiers as possible and have them all
       attack the two agents."

Lieutenant:"What! But comrade Nomad! We soon won't have any soldiers
            left! We are wasting lives here!"

Nomad:"I don't care! Just stop those agents immediately. A massed attack
       should overwhelm them."

The lieutenant is flabbergasted. Black arms his pistol and walks out of
the carriage. The lieutenant looks back and forth, then follows Black.
Back at the rear, Striker has managed to fight his way through the
passenger carriage to the door of the RC carriage. Norwood continues
with heavy support, then spots a large group of soldiers running down
the carriage roofs towards them and radios Striker.

Norwood(into radio):"Be careful, Striker. We have a large number of
       soldiers coming our way."

Striker(over radio):"I copy that, Mark. Just keep them off my fur while
       I destroy the RC carriage and the second SAM."

Norwood(into radio):"I will try my best."

He manoeuvres into position and resumes firing. By the door of the RC
carriage Striker opens the door slightly and tosses two fragmentation
grenades into the RC carriage. The soldiers working inside see them 
and turn to run. The grenades go off, sending shrapnel flying through
the air. Some of the soldiers escape, but the rest are cut down by the
flying shrapnel. Once the blast clears Striker enters just as the 
surviving soldiers head back inside. They are all shot by Striker before
they can even notice him. He looks around at the communications and
radar apparatus. Most of them have been damaged by the shrapnel, but
Striker isn't satisfied.

Striker:"A lot of these equipment can still be fixed or used. Better
         destroy them outright."

He picks up the dead soldier's grenades and proceeds to the other end
of the carriage. He looks through the door. He can see right through the
next carriage (which is a kitchen) to the other side. He cannot see
any soldiers. He walks out and onto the next carriage. He turns around
and gets ready to toss the grenades. About that time Black appears at
the other end of the kitchen carriage and sees Striker pulling the pins 
of the grenades. He quickly takes aim as Striker throws the first
grenade in the RC carriage. He fires and, just as Striker was about to
throw the second grenade, the bullet grazes his grenade arm. He yelps
in pain and drops the grenade. He quickly turns around to fire, but
Black has ducked out of sight. He then remembers the grenades, runs
into the carriage and jumps behind a table. The first grenade goes off
and blows apart the equipment and several holes into the RC carriage. The
second grenade, which has fallen onto the tracks, explodes right under
the RC carriage's rear wheels. The blast blows apart the rear axles and
the carriage's rear leaves the track. The coupling holding the kitchen
and RC carraiges together snaps from the sideway turning of the RC
carriage. The RC carriage turns 90 degrees and falls onto it's side.
The other carraiges behind it slams into it and piles up on one another.
After the caboose smashes into the heap it explodes, setting the whole
pile on fire and sending debris and train axles flying through the air.
Norwood watches the whole scene and whistles.

Norwood:"Striker, you are one mad dog. When you muzzle them, you muzzle
         them good."

Back on the kitchen carriage Striker has gotten up, weapons at the ready. 
He looks around carefully for Black, all the while moving forward towards
the front of the carriage. Halfway he stops and quickly turns around to
see Black standing behind him. Black jumps him before Striker can attack
and forces him to the ground.

Black:"So, we meet again Gerard Vorster."

Striker:"I am no longer that person, Captain Black. I am Striker, Earth
         Defence Force agent."

Black:"Doesn't matter to me, because I'm going to end your meddling 
       right here!"

Black reaches for his pistol, but Striker quickly knees him in the 
groin. He yelps in pain and Striker throws him off, reaching for his
sonic rifle. Black kicks the rifle out of the way, then lands a punch
on Striker's wound. Striker groans in pain as Black gets up and grabs
a cleaver from the kitchen table. Striker gets up, then jumps of out of 
the way of Black's chop with the cleaver. Striker backs up against one
of the open windows with tables on either side. Black lines up for the
attack.

Black:"Time to see how well does dog meat cut!"

He roars in fury and lounges at Striker. Striker remains impassive
until the last moment, then ducks as Black swings the cleaver at him. He
misses and trips over Striker. He flies through the window and out of 
the carriage onto the ground alongside the tracks. He rolls down the
hill until he is mercifully stopped by a thorn bush. Back on the train
Striker gets up and looks out the train.

Striker:"Revenge is sweet."

He grips the wounded arm and takes a cleaning towel from the kitchen. He
wraps it around the wound, then picks up his weapons and proceeds to the
end of the carriage. He looks out at the second SAM and sees most of the
soldiers gathered around it, among them the lieutenant, and taking an
occasional snipe at the Rhino. He radios Norwood.

Striker(into radio):"Mark, we have a problem. Those soldiers are gathered 
       in a large group around the SAM."

Norwood(over radio):"I know. That is a very difficult position they have 
       dug into. It will take some serious luck to remove them without
       getting downed. If it wasn't for the SAM I would get rid of those 
       soldiers for you."

Striker peers out again, looking carefully around. He then notices the
gears that turn the launcher. He calls Norwood again.

Striker(into radio):"Mark, I have another plan. If I can disable the
       rotating gears of the launcher for a short time, would that 
       help?"

Norwood(over radio):"It certainly would. If the launcher doesn't turn
       too fast I can stay stable long enough to fire a powerful sonic
       blast at it."

Striker(into radio):"Then get ready to gain it's attention, Mark."

He goes back into the kitchen, searches around in the cupboards and
finds a steel pan. He goes back to the door and carefully opens the
window. He radios Norwood again.

Striker(into radio):"Go for it, Mark."

Norwood(over radio):"On my way."

Outside the Rhino flies into view of the SAM, but the SAM is faced away. 
It starts turning quickly, but Striker tosses the pan and it lands among
the gears. The pan quickly jams the gears and the SAM stops turning, to
the surprise of the soldiers. The lieutenant sees the obstruction, then
spots Striker.

Lieutenant:"Quick! Kill him!"

The soldiers aim at Striker and fire, but he ducks out of sight. The
lieutenant then tries to remove the pan, but in the Rhino Norwood 
readies the sonic cannon and begins charging it up. On the carraiges
the soldiers start running for the kitchen carriage while the lieutenant
tries furiously and vainly to get the pan out. Just then the Rhino's
sonic cannon fires a powerful sonic blast at the SAM. The blast hits
the launcher and the missiles inside detonate from the powerful blast's
high sound frequency. The SAM launcher is completely engulfed in a
fireball, as is the lieutenant and a large group of his men. The rest
are either thrown off the train by the blast, to the floor or even
onto the track. Striker gets up, surveys the damage, then contacts
Norwood.

Striker(into radio):"Mark, the second SAM is disabled."

Norwood(over radio):"And it seems so is the bulk of their forces. From
       the Rhino's scans I can only pick up stragglers among the war-
       head carraiges. From here it should be much easier, but we are
       running out of time. This train is only a few kilometres from 
       the ambush point, so you had better capture General Ankeyev and
       find out where these warheads are going."

Striker(over radio):"Reg, Mark."

He opens the door and goes over to the next carriage while the Rhino
flies onward, stopping to fire at the odd lone soldier. Striker opens
the door and starts making his way through the warhead carraiges. Along
the way he comes across the body of a dead soldier with a rocket launcher
in his hands. Striker stops, looks at the launcher, then picks it up.

Striker:"This will be most useful in destroying that last battery."

He continues on his way, stopping to fire at the surviving soldiers who
are trying to put up a fight. In the front carriage Ankeyev and Nomad
are still drinking Vodka when a group of soldiers come running past from
the back. Ankeyev looks at them in surprise.

Ankeyev:"What the?"

Nomad grabs one of the soldiers.

Nomad:"Where, if I may ask, are you going?"

Ankeyev:"And where is comrade Black and the lieutenant?"

The soldier stops and quickly turns to them.

Soldier:"We are retreating, sirs! We cannot fight against that flying
         jeep and the dog-man! The lieutenant is dead and comrade Black
         has been thrown off the train!"

He continues running. Ankeyev gets up and angrily points at the soldiers.

Ankeyev:"I order you to go back and stop them!"

The soldiers ignore him and head out the carriage. Nomad gets up and 
takes out his AK-47 rifle. He looks coldly at Ankeyev.

Nomad:"Your troops have failed, Ankeyev."

He walks out to the back of the carriage. Ankeyev watches him go, he is
clearly afraid now. Further back Striker has reached the next SAM
launcher. Unlike the others there are only dead soldiers guarding it.
He takes the rocket launcher, loads it and aims it at the SAM.

Striker:"Last one."

He pulls the trigger and the launcher fires a rocket at the base of the
SAM. The rocket blows apart the base and the launcher falls backwards
onto the carriage, harmless. Striker radios Norwood, dropping the now
useless rocket launcher.

Striker(into radio):"That's it, Mark. The last SAM has been destroyed."

Norwood(over radio):"Great. And the rest of the surviving soldiers have
       fled forward to the engines. You can now just proceed forward to
       Ankeyev's carriage."

Striker(into radio):"Roger, Mark."

He readies his weapons and proceeds forward again, the Rhino following
him. He makes his way through the carriage until he reaches the flat-
bed with the helicopter. He stops and looks at the helicopter.

Striker:"Better sabotage this to prevent our traitor from escaping."

He walks to a panel and opens it. He looks inside and begins to pull
a few wires. Once he is done he closes the panel. Suddenly Norwood
calls out over the radio.

Norwood(over radio):"Striker! Behind you!"

Striker quickly looks behind him and finds Nomad holding the AK-47.

Nomad:"Drop your weapons, Agent Striker."

Striker does as he is told and drops his AK-47 and sonic rifle. He
looks at Nomad's name tag.

Striker:"General Nomad. Leader of the Epsilon Squadron."

Nomad:"That is right. And I did not become general simply by being a
       fool. Having watched my Algerian military master putting down
       rebellions has taught me how to take care of peasants such as 
       you."

Striker:"You are still the enemy, Nomad."

Nomad:"And I do not care. I am battle-hardened and do not care about
       a single, small, pathetic life like yours."

Striker:"Oh? Not even yours?"

They stare coldly at each other. So much that Nomad doesn't notice the
Rhino flying from the one end to the other behind him. At the last 
moment Nomad notices this and quickly passes a glance at the Rhino.
Striker quickly takes out his revolver and shoots Nomad's AK-47 away.
Nomad quickly recovers to find himself at the receiving end of the
revolver.

Striker:"Now, General Nomad. You will tell me where these warheads are
         going and what you intend to do with them."

Nomad:"If I did that it would condemn me to a more terrible fate at
       Franco's paws, so I will not talk. And quite frankly I would
       not care the least if you killed me right now."

Striker pulls back the hammer on his revolver.

Striker:"Is that really so, Nomad?"

Nomad remains stone faced.

Nomad:"I am prepared to die. Better a quick death by a bullet through
       my head than being eaten alive by Franco's piranhas."

Striker:"If that is what you wish."

Striker holds the revolver up higher at Nomad's head, but Nomad still
remains impassive.

Striker:"So, it seems that you won't talk."

Nomad:"Give it up, Striker. I will NEVER talk, nor will I give in to
       a death threat."

Striker presses his finger harder against the trigger, but still does
not fire. Nomad notices this.

Nomad:"Cowardly dog."

He moves forward to pick up Striker's weapons, but Striker immediately
fires upon him. The shots hit Nomad square in the chest and he staggers
backs, holding the wounds with one paw. He stops at the edge of the
flat-bed and looks up at Striker.

Nomad:"I... guess... you... were... not... such... a... "

Striker:"Cowardly dog?"

Nomad nods, then his eyes roll into his head and he falls backwards off
the flat-bed. His now-dead body rolls down the hillside as Striker
watches it go.

Striker:"He was right. He was really battle hardened."

He looks forward just in time to see Ankeyev's ashen face looking at
him through the carriage door's window. He walks forward to the door and
Ankeyev sets off running for the other door. He tries to open it, but
it has been locked.

Ankeyev:"Those cowardly fools! They locked the door!"

He bangs furiously on the door.

Ankeyev:"Open the door! I order you to open the damn door!"

Suddenly a paw taps him on the shoulder, but he ignores it.

Ankeyev:"Not now! I am trying to escape from the dog-man agent!"

Voice(from behind):"Is dit so?"

His eyes widen and he quickly turns around to find himself staring at
Striker, who is holding his revolver at him.

Striker:"General Ankeyev, I presume?"

Ankeyev tries to rush past Striker, but Striker trips him and he falls to
the floor. Striker rolls him over, places his boot on his chest and aims
his revolver at him.

Striker:"Now, you will tell me where these warheads are going and what
         General Franco wants with them."

Ankeyev puts up a defiant face.

Ankeyev:"I am not talking."

Striker looks coldly at him, then aims his revolver at Ankeyev's right
leg and pulls the trigger. Ankeyev screams in pain as the bullets tear
into his flesh. Striker aims the revolver at Ankeyev's head.

Striker:"Either you tell me or you will die now rather than later!"

Ankeyev's face becomes as white as a sheet and he begins to sweat. 

Ankeyev:"The warheads are being taken to the port of Arkhangelsk for
         shipping to the country of Frazakastan!"

Striker:"Is that their final destination?"

Ankeyev:"Dah! It is! I swear!"

Striker:"And what does Franco want to do with these warheads?"

Ankeyev:"He wants the warheads to start a full-scale nuclear war between
         the East and West Bloc called Operation Nuclear Storm! That's 
         all I know!"
 
Striker:"And that is all I need to know."

He takes his boot off Ankeyev's chest, puts the revolver away and starts
walking out to the back of the carriage while calling Norwood.

Striker(into radio):"Reg, Mark. I got the information we need. How far
       is the train from the ambush point?"

Norwood(over radio):"Only two minutes. I will pick you up on the flat-
       bed."

Striker heads out of the carriage, Ankeyev watches with shock.

Ankeyev:"Ambush??? Neyt!"

He gets up and starts limping to the flat-bed. On the flat-bed Striker
climbs back into the driver's seat of the Rhino and Norwood moves back 
into the passenger seat. The Rhino takes off just as Ankeyev appears on 
the flat-bed. Norwood sees him.

Norwood:"Isn't that Ankeyev?"

Striker:"Ja, Mark. Don't worry. He won't get far with a sabotaged
         helicopter."

Norwood:"Serves him right. Let's head back to EDF HQ before the Soviets
         see us."

Striker nods and guides the Rhino into the direction of home. On the
flat-bed Ankeyev has gotten into the helicopter and is smiling smugly.

Ankeyev:"Stupid dog. Now I will be able to escape before this ambush
         gets this train."

He pushes the starter button, but the engine just splutters. Confused,
Ankeyev tries again with the same result. He tries over and over,
becoming angrier with each try. Not far up ahead one can see Russian
soldiers (armed with heavy machine guns and rocket launchers), T-72
tanks and Hokum helicopters lined along the track behind a line of trees. 
The scouts spot the train and signal the others, who get ready as the 
train comes ever closer. On the flat-bed Ankeyev is still furiously 
trying to get the helicopter to start. Suddenly the helicopter's engines 
start up for some unknown reason. He smiles and begins to laugh in 
victory. When he looks off track he stops laughing and gasps in shock as 
he sees a hidden tank. He screams as the tank fires and the shell hits 
the helicopter, exploding it into a fireball. The rest of the ambush 
force open fire. The surviving renegade KGB soldiers are killed in the 
blink of an eye. The warhead carraiges are racked with only small arms 
fire, but the rest of train is hit with everything the force has got. The 
front engine derails and the engine train piles up into a large heap. The 
force continues to fire until only the warhead carraiges are the only 
things left recognisable of the train, the rest having literally been 
pounded to scrap. 

EDF High Command Council Room
4:01 PM:

The council is once again gathered around the table with Striker and
Norwood facing them. Striker has just finished telling the council about 
what Ankeyev had told them.

Toshi:"Are you sure about this 'Nuclear Storm', Agent Striker?"

Striker:"Ja, meneer."

Toshi:"This is very serious. We never suspected that Franco would go 
       so far that as to start an apocalyptic nuclear war like this. 
       And for what purpose."

Striker:"If I may say so, meneer, that Franco is really ever more mad 
         than even his own commanders would accept."

Toshi thinks.

Toshi:"Well, there is no denying that Franco's mad, but I never would
       have guessed that he was this far over the edge."
       
The others around the table murmur and nod their agreement.

Toshi:"He must be stopped from carrying out operation Nuclear Storm."

He looks at Striker.

Toshi:"You have lived up to our expectations, Agent Striker. You and
       Commander Norwood have proven yourself a formidable team. As 
       such, it will be great if you two were to lead the attack on
       Frazakastan to stop Nuclear Storm."

Norwood:"Thank you, sir."

Striker:"Dankie, Meneer."

Toshi:"For now, rest and take a well earned break. We will call upon
       you once we have gather more information about Frazakastan and
       Nuclear Storm. You may leave."

Both Striker and Norwood salute, then leave the room.

Throne Room
7:18 PM:

Franco is sitting in his throne with Champion by his side. Black is
down on the bridge. Franco is clearly angry.

Franco:"Stupid bumbling Ankeyev! Useless pathetic Nomad! Blithering
        blockheads! Both of them!"

He looks at Black.

Franco:"What about those warheads?"

Black:"They... are back in Soviet control, sir."

Franco growls again.

Franco:"Grrr! I feel I could kill someone!"

He looks down at Black with glee. Black realises what is going to
happen to him.

Black(quickly):"Er... sir, I did see both Nomad and Ankeyev get killed
     in a rather... um, gruesome way."

This peaks Franco's interests and he looks on eagerly.

Franco:"What it gratuitous?"

Black:"Yes, sir."

Franco:"Describe. And in perfect detail."

Black begins to describe how Nomad and Ankeyev in graphic detail (which
is not really true) and Franco becomes more and more pleased with each
passing word. When Black is finished he claps his hands and shudders 
with pleasure.

Franco:"Oh yes! Wonderful! Wonderful! What a pity there are no films
        of it, but still. I love it when useless s*** die like that!"

He looks back down at Black.

Franco:"Black!"

Black:"Yes, sir?"

Franco:"You are now Squadron General of Epsilon."

Black smiles.

Black:"Tha..."

Franco:"GET OUT!!!"

Black quickly turns, runs down the bridge and out the door. Franco
continues to enjoy the graphic descriptions he heard.

Restaurant
Sorroco, New Mexico
United States of America
4 July
9:01 PM:

This is a small but well-kept restaurant on a hill overlooking the small
town of Sorroco (see "Reigning Cats And Dogs"). Outside on a patio
seated by a candle-lit table is William and Isabel. Both of them are
well-dressed. They have just finished eating their meal.

Isabel:"Hmmm. That roast chicken tasted really good."

William:"That's why I like this place: they may not be five star, but 
         they know how to make REAL food taste REAL good."

Isabel giggles. A waiter walks up, takes their plates and walks back
into the restaurant. William and Isabel look at each other.

William:"You know, I am happy that you have supported me and my idea
         for the Transdogmafier for a while now."

Isabel:"That is all right, Will. You have a dream, a dream that will
        one day benefit mankind. Someone, somewhere will believe in
        your dream and help make it a reality."

William:"I don't know what I could have done without your support, 
         Isabel. You kept putting up with me ever since we met at high 
         school."

She smiles.

Isabel:"And for one special reason, Will."

William:"What is that?"

She puts her arm around his neck, pulls him closer and gives a long,
passionate kiss. When they break apart William is stunned.

Isabel:"I love you, William Shepherd." 

William tries to something, but fails. Isabel giggles.

Isabel:"A bit fast, wasn't I?"

He gathers up his senses again.

William:"No, not really. It's just that I have had deep feelings for you
         as well, but I didn't think you had the same for me."

Isabel:"You loved me as well?"

William:"Well... yes."

She smiles and hugs him.

Isabel:"Thanks, Love."

He hugs her back.

William:"I love you too, Isabel."

They continue hugging as fireworks explode above them for the fourth of
July celebrations. Striker has won the favour of the council, uncovered
the destination of the nuclear warheads and discovered the plans for
operation Nuclear Storm. But will Striker and Norwood be able to once
again stop Franco? Will they succeed in stopping Nuclear Storm? Or will
Franco's insane plans become a real nightmare?


THE END