{"id":272,"date":"2014-12-30T04:44:27","date_gmt":"2014-12-30T04:44:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/?page_id=272"},"modified":"2021-11-01T18:15:19","modified_gmt":"2021-11-01T23:15:19","slug":"part3","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/episodes\/episode4\/part3\/","title":{"rendered":"Part 3"},"content":{"rendered":"

Episode 4: \u00a0Ice Ice Baby<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Part 3<\/strong><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

The rest of the drive went pretty smoothly for both agents. Nick focused on the road, and Brian tried to ignore his snide comments, focusing on the arid lands and his Blackberry. When Nick finally came to a halt in front of the CIA branch located in LA, it was the CIA officer\u2019s turn to brag. Brian smiled with pride when he noticed Nick staring up at the big, creamy white building. \u201cWelcome to the CIA, Agent 008.\u201d He got out of the car and started walking towards it, leaving the surprised agent behind.<\/p>\n

No matter how much he despised the American government and all of its departments, Nick had to admire the architecture as he walked inside the agency\u2019s building. Like Pearl said, we\u2019re working towards the same goal with different ideas,<\/em> he reminded himself as he followed Brian through the main hall.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is our memorial wall on your left. Every star represents an officer who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country,\u201d Brian said, showing the white wall with 87 stars on it. Nick glanced at the inscription above it, which read, \u201cIn honor of those members of the Central Intelligence Agency who gave their lives in the service of their country.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

What about the innocent lives it took?<\/em> Nick thought, almost unable to hold his tongue from saying it out loud. Gritting his teeth, his mind went back to that day, the day when his hatred towards the U.S. government had started\u2026<\/p>\n

No, now was not a good time to start dwelling on the past. He couldn\u2019t do it, not when they still had a lot to do with the stolen weapon. \u201cMove on, Littrell,\u201d he snapped. \u201cWe don\u2019t have time to honor your great, glorious past.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brian glared at him, his jaw clenching as his hands balled into fists. \u201cLook, you sorry ass of an agent,\u201d he said, taking a step toward Nick. \u201cWe are on my turf now.\u201d Nick was a head taller than him, but Brian didn\u2019t back down. \u201cYou better cooperate, or I call this mission off. I guess you wouldn\u2019t want to be labeled a failure again, now would you? I don\u2019t care what got stuck up your ass by the government before, but I can\u2019t say I enjoy your presence either. So we can get on with it, or you can walk back to your shiny car, for all I care.\u201d<\/p>\n

A flash of anger and hatred passed through Nick\u2019s eyes during Brian\u2019s speech. Though he wanted Brian to meet his fist more than anything at the moment, he kept his desire to himself, knowing full well that they wouldn\u2019t get anywhere if they went on with this. \u201cFine,\u201d he said, even calmer than he imagined he would be. \u201cNow show me where this cryptographer of yours is.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sighing, Brian turned around and continued walking. He didn\u2019t say a word until they reached the cryptographer\u2019s office. Through the glass doors, Nick could only see a woman with dark hair working behind a computer with many screens.<\/p>\n

\u201cI already informed her that we were coming,\u201d Brian said, his eyes softening when he saw her. \u201cI better go inside and let her know we\u2019re here. Mind staying here for a sec?\u201d<\/p>\n

Shaking his head, Nick watched Brian go through the glass doors and touch the woman\u2019s shoulder. The woman looked up, beaming when she saw who it was. She got up to hug Brian, giving Nick a full view of her face.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, well, aren\u2019t you a work of art?\u201d he murmured as a smile spread across his face. Maybe it wasn\u2019t a bad idea at all to work with the CIA. She wasn\u2019t actually what he\u2019d go for, normally; with her long, dark hair and big, green eyes, she had a totally different look than the blonde women he preferred. Suddenly, he noticed the way her hands moved, her fingers forming different shapes as she smiled at Brian. He was smiling back, his own hands waving around as he spoke to her in\u2026 \u201cSign language? What the hell? Why are they using sign language?\u201d<\/p>\n

Before he had any time to process what was going on, they came out of the office and approached him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, Agent 008, let me introduce you to our very talented cryptographer, Ashavari Desai, also known as Opal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smiling broadly, Opal shook Nick\u2019s hand and let it go again to make more gestures with her hands.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe says, \u2018It\u2019s very nice to meet you,\u2019\u201d Brian translated, grinning from ear to ear. His small plan to make fun of Nick was going incredibly well. Oh, what he wouldn\u2019t give to record the stupid look on Nick\u2019s face. Noticing Opal continuing to sign, he quickly added, \u201cOh, and she says that she is very pleased to work with you to decode the weapon.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Nick remained baffled, he never missed the opportunity with a new woman. He gently took Opal\u2019s small hand and brought it to his lips, trying not to break eye contact. With a flash of his ever-charming smile, he spoke carefully, making sure she could read his lips. \u201cPleasure is all mine, milady.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brian rolled his eyes at Nick\u2019s Romeo routine. Fighting to keep a straight face, he made a mental note to take Opal out to dinner for agreeing to do this.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s get going, shall we?\u201d Brian motioned to go inside the office, adding a couple of weak hand movements just to make sure Nick wouldn\u2019t get suspicious. Opal smiled broadly and nodded. Her big, green eyes showed how much fun she was having at Nick\u2019s expense.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe likes me,\u201d Nick stated, staring at Opal\u2019s ass as he and Brian followed her inside. He heard Brian scoff, indicating that he thought otherwise. \u201cWhy didn\u2019t you tell me she was deaf?\u201d Nick asked as Opal sat back down at her desk. The stolen weapon was the last thing on his mind now.<\/p>\n

\u201cHearing impaired, we polite people call it, Carter,\u201d Brian retorted. The game was fun, but it was starting to bother him that Nick was actually paying so much attention to her. She was Opal, for God\u2019s sake. His<\/em> Opal. Desperate to change the subject, he cleared his throat. \u201cI believe Opal can hack into the Russian system quickly and will be able to tell us what this weapon is all about.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMan, you got yourself a winner here. Never knew the CIA was employing such babes.\u201d Nick grinned, not showing one sign of interest in their mission. \u201cHow do you learn this sign language stuff, by the way? Can she read lips?\u201d After glancing at the woman who showed no sign of understanding, he looked back at Brian. \u201cWell, she can kiss my lips instead of reading, but–\u201d<\/p>\n

Brian had had enough. \u201cLook, man<\/em>, she won\u2019t be interested in you, take my word. She knows better than to date stupid agents.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHa, I can sense she doesn\u2019t give you the time of day, but who can blame her, eh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, shut up, you two.\u201d The female voice that came from the desk startled Nick. Suddenly — as quickly as the red color was spreading across his face — he realized how they had fooled him.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh yeah, man, we got you bad.\u201d Brian\u2019s annoying laugh was topped off with a high-five from Opal.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry, Agent Carter, but I just couldn\u2019t resist the urge,\u201d Opal said sheepishly. \u201cBut I\u2019ll take your words about me as compliments. So, thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her smile was contagious. \u201cYou\u2019re welcome, Opal,\u201d Nick said with a small smile, still not able to shake off his embarrassment. \u201cAnd call me 00Carter, please. Or Nick.\u201d His tone was still flirty. I think I hang out with Diamond too much,<\/em> he thought when he noticed it.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t you learn from experience, or are you too stupid to notice she doesn\u2019t give a damn about you–\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGuys!\u201d They turned their attention back to Opal, who looked between two screens and simultaneously typed on the keyboard. For the next couple of seconds, the only sound was the aggressive click of the keys. When she spoke again, only three words left her lips: \u201cOh my God.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat? What\u2019s wrong? What\u2019d you find out about the weapon?\u201d Nick bombarded her with questions, his eyes darting from one screen to the other to understand the complicated text. After a few more keystrokes, a blueprint of the weapon popped up on one of her screens.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom what I can understand, this weapon is some type of a laser,\u201d Opal informed them as she deciphered the notes written in Russian in the blueprint\u2019s margins. \u201cA type of laser that melts ice, huge amounts of ice. Like icebergs and polar ice caps. And\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd? There\u2019s more?\u201d Brian questioned, confused by the information he\u2019d just learned. What could it possibly be for?<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd it can evaporate large amounts of water, like entire oceans, if it\u2019s used with the right kind of power source. But in order to do that, you need a high amount of energy, and I have no idea where you can get it. Almost close to impossible, when you consider the fact that such evaporation would cause climate changes, not to mention the death of thousands of species. It would basically bring the end of the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s like playing with the world\u2019s buttons,\u201d Nick said slowly. The ocean was a passion of his; he loved being out on the water whenever he could.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat would someone want with a weapon like that?\u201d Brian folded his arms across his chest grimly. This situation was far worse than he expected. And how could he succeed in this mission with this highly incapable Himitsu Takana agent?<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, that\u2019s what you two are going to figure out,\u201d Opal stated, handing the printouts to the agents. \u201cI think you\u2019ve got yourself one hell of a mission.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both men glanced at each other. Didn\u2019t they know it.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

\u201cAntarctica?!\u201d Nick screeched. \u201cShitballs\u2026 she has got<\/em> to be fucking kidding.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShitballs?\u201d repeated Brian in amusement, momentarily forgetting his dislike for his new \u201cpartner.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick didn\u2019t even crack a smile. His eyes, steely and serious, were still fixed on his wristwatch, which Brian had learned was not a watch at all — in fact, it appeared to do everything but<\/em> tell time. At the moment, he had used it to get in touch with Pearl back at the HimTak headquarters; she cross-checked the plans for the weapon Opal had decoded, trying to uncover any information about its existence or whereabouts.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019d she say?\u201d Brian asked, wondering what Antarctica had to do with the stolen Russian weapon.<\/p>\n

Nick\u2019s eyes scanned the text message again. \u201cA few things. She hacked the Russian system again and found classified surveillance photos of a ship that left a Russian port on the night the weapon went missing. It was flying the Russian flag and looked like a military ship, which is probably how it managed to depart without too many questions. But on closer inspection, the ship didn\u2019t belong to the military.\u201d He pressed a few buttons on his watch, then held his wrist out to Brian, tilting it so he could see the image he had pulled up in the tiny window.<\/p>\n

Brian squinted. \u201cWhat are those letters on the side? Just some kind of identification?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPearl says it\u2019s not. The letters are t.A.T.u. No idea what that means.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brian nodded. \u201cSo\u2026 where does Antarctica come in? Is that where the ship went?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPearl dug a little deeper and intercepted a report from the New Zealand navy. Their Defence Force has been tracking an unidentified ship they picked up on radar. It was headed towards Len- Lenin… god damn it, hang on.\u201d Nick fiddled with his watch some more, returning to the text Pearl had sent. \u201cLenin\u2026 grad\u2026 skaya?\u201d he sounded out awkwardly. \u201cLeningradskaya. It\u2019s a Russian territory on the coast of Antarctica.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut why would the ship be going to Russian territory? If it\u2019s carrying the weapon they stole from the Russian government, you\u2019d think they\u2019d want to avoid Russian territory.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe doesn\u2019t think the ship went there at all. But the New Zealanders would assume that\u2019s where it was heading since it was flying the Russian flag. That\u2019s the only Russian territory in that part of the continent. But they don\u2019t know about the stolen weapon. We\u2019re the only ones who have all the information and can put it together,\u201d Nick explained.<\/p>\n

Brian nodded slowly, the wheels in his mind turning, processing all the information so far. \u201cAntarctica\u2026\u201d he murmured. \u201cIt makes sense, doesn\u2019t it? Remember what Opal said — this laser could be powerful enough to melt ice\u2026 \u2018huge amounts of ice.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018Like icebergs and polar ice caps,\u2019\u201d Nick added. \u201cRight. And if they\u2019ve taken it to Antarctica, it sounds like that\u2019s exactly what they want to use it for.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHard to believe they transported that huge weapon all the way to Antarctica without being caught. I wonder why they didn\u2019t go to the Arctic instead. It\u2019s much closer to Russia,\u201d contemplated Brian, frowning.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, duh — \u2018cause it\u2019s much closer. If you steal something, do you hang right around the corner with it? Hell no! You run like hell and get it as far away as you can. In this case, the other end of the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brian arched an eyebrow. \u201cShoplift much as a kid?\u201d He smirked. He was only teasing, but Nick\u2019s face reddened.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo!\u201d he shot back defensively. \u201cIt\u2019s just common sense.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRight. So\u2026 the weapon\u2019s most likely somewhere in Antarctica.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYep. And guess where we get to go to try and track it down?\u201d<\/p>\n

Now Brian understood. \u201cShitballs.\u201d<\/p>\n

A fleeting smile passed over Nick\u2019s face, quickly transforming into a scowl. \u201cGod damn, are they fucking insane? They want us to go to Antarctica? How are we s\u2019posed to get there? How are we s\u2019posed to find the damn thing once we get there? Antarctica\u2019s the fucking South Pole! It\u2019s fucking freezing there!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t like the cold, do you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you kidding? Hell no! I grew up in Florida! I live in the middle of a fucking desert, for God\u2019s sake! You think I like the cold?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, look on the bright side — it\u2019ll be a nice change of scenery for you,\u201d Brian replied pleasantly. He was uncomfortable with all of Nick\u2019s swearing and taking the Lord\u2019s name in vain, though he\u2019d certainly heard worse from the people he dealt with. He didn\u2019t dare comment on that — he wasn\u2019t that<\/em> righteous — but it amused him to see the look of disgust on Nick\u2019s face when he combated the man\u2019s rage with pure positivity. Passive payback, Brian liked to call it.<\/p>\n

\u201cScenery\u2026 psh. What is there in Antarctica besides ice and snow? And\u2026 and fucking penguins!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPerfect place to smuggle a stolen, top-secret, ice-melting laser, huh?\u201d Brian grinned.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou better stop smiling like that, or I\u2019m gonna push you off an iceberg when we get there. You\u2019re creeping me out,\u201d Nick fumed.<\/p>\n

Brian continued to smile. Nick may have gotten the better of him with that car of his, but now Brian knew just how to push his buttons. Not exactly top secret information, the way Nick showed all of his emotions on his face, but Brian coveted it anyway. Now whenever Nick started trashing the government, Brian could do what he did best: annoy the hell out of him.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

The bickering continued over the next two days, as the unlikely partners geared up for their South Pole mission. Armed with weapons, supplies, and information, they boarded a plane to Argentina. At first, they decided it was best to ignore each other for the long flight, but the sniping soon picked back up again. It carried over to the helicopter that took them from Cape Horn to McMurdo Station, a science research center owned by the U.S. and situated on the southern tip of Ross Island, off the coast of Antarctica.<\/p>\n

They spent the next few days scouting the area, talking to the scientists and few residents who lived in McMurdo and venturing outside its borders on their own, on the lookout for any suspicious findings. At first, there was nothing, and then, little by little, the missing pieces started to come together. Several people reported seeing a ship in the distance, whose vague description led Brian and Nick to believe it could be the same one from the surveillance photos. A scientist remarked that his party had noticed strange behavior from some of the penguins who lived on the Ross ice shelf on a recent expedition.<\/p>\n

Nick sent the reports back to Pearl, who worked from the HimTak headquarters to get them as much information as possible. Soon, they had satellite photos taken over the last few days. They scoured the satellite images, looking for anything that appeared out of the ordinary. The good thing about Antarctica was that anything not made of snow or ice stood out in a world of white.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook at this,\u201d Brian said, attracting Nick\u2019s attention to the laptop computer he had brought. \u201cThis looks like an iceberg or something, right off the coast of the ice shelf. But what\u2019s this dark spot next to it? Could it be a ship?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick squinted over his shoulder at the blurry image on the screen. A slow smile spread across his face. \u201cCould be.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf it is, it\u2019s pretty darn close to that berg. Why would it sail so close?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, didn\u2019t they see Titanic<\/em>?\u201d Nick chuckled.<\/p>\n

Brian smiled but didn\u2019t laugh. \u201cIt\u2019s hard to tell in a still picture, but maybe it wasn\u2019t moving. Maybe it was docked there. But why would a ship try to dock at an iceberg?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick\u2019s own grin grew even wider. \u201cBecause it\u2019s not really an iceberg.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Part 4<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Episode 4: \u00a0Ice Ice Baby Part 3   The rest of the drive went pretty smoothly for both agents. Nick focused on the road, and Brian tried to ignore his snide comments, focusing on the arid lands and his Blackberry. When Nick finally came to a halt in front of\u2026<\/p>\n

Read more<\/span><\/i><\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":128,"menu_order":3,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"templates\/template-onecolumn.php","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-272","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/P5xaHX-4o","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/272","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=272"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/272\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":852,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/272\/revisions\/852"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/128"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=272"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}