Sound of the Storm Ch. 3
By Matt Lawson

Despite her determination, by midday she was anything but cool and collected. Repetition of the same questions, the same exhaustive examination of minor points that left the major ones untouched, the endless repeating of her past, especially the bits that she hated – all combined to render her frustrated and angry.

In total, there were ten of them. On her side, Colonel Wolfman, Captain Guile of the USAF, and Captain Dallas of the Navy SEALS team that flew in to get others of her kind out, although they didn’t expect her to be there. On the other, six senior members of the British Security and Police forces, including SIS, the Security Service, once known solely as MI5, and the regular police force. Most of them showed no signs of friendliness. How could they towards a former Shadowloo member, an assassin of the very organization they were now dedicated to wiping off the earth, along with their terrorists and their drugs. Not for the first time, Cammy wished that Chun Li was here, and not in some d*mn undercover operation as she had been told before the meeting.

Only one of the opposing team seemed to show any signs of compassion, Sir Basil Charleston, C, the elderly but still robust and formidable head of the Secret Intelligence Service, also known as Military Intelligence Department 6 (MI6). He sat at the head of the table, steepling his fingers as he listened to Cammy’s story over and over again.

“Do you have earwax or something?” she finally snapped. “We’ve been here three hours. How many different ways do you want me to tell the same conclusion. I’m not under Shadowloo’s control anymore. I’m out of that life for good. I’m also out of patience. How long does it take you to make up your mind?”

“This isn’t as simple as you seem to believe,” one of the members told her quietly. “Look at it from our perspective. You freely admit to being a former assassin of Shadowloo.”

“I was a brainwashed assassin. I had no control over mysel…”

“Exactly,” he interrupted her before she was allowed to finish. “You were under Shadowloo control. From the report of the SEALS mission, you were also under their control when you were captured again in Hong Kong, is that not right Captain Dallas?”

“She was under mind control when we confronted her, yes,” Dallas responded. Before the man could speak again however, he continued. “However, I must point out that after only a few minutes, she fully recovered and started fighting for our side. Now, compare a few minutes to eight or ten years.”

In her mind, Cammy smiled. Great, one point to me.

“Yes, but look what happened during those eight to ten years. We have an official total of two hundred and seventeen murders worldwide caused by Shadowloo, and that’s not counting disappearances where the bodies have not been found yet. We’ve lost villages in third-world countries as a result of Shadowloo activities. In addition, at least thirty-two of those murders are political assassinations, the last one being our own Minister of Defense, Albert Sellers, in Hong Kong, by the very person who is standing before us now.”

Cammy glared at him. She really wanted to hit this guy.

“Look,” Charleston spoke for the first time, “It’s not as if we think this is your fault. We have known about Shadowloo’s brainwashing activities for over a year now. It’s just that because of your past experiences, if you were captured it would be far easier for them to brainwash you all over again and obtain any and all classified information you might hold. It’s too much of a risk.”

Cammy glanced towards Guile. He was not actually a member of the board of enquiry, so he had kept silent throughout the questioning. Not that he could do anything to help her. At this point it didn’t matter. She was tired of playing the game.

She listened in silence as the other members voiced their own opinions. Then Charleston stood up.

“I believe we have enough information on which to base a determination. Miss White, would you mind waiting outside, please?”

Trembling with frustration, she turned to leave the room.

“You had them eating out of your hand, kiddo.” Guile spoke as they waited, trying to cheer her up. She was grateful for the attempt, even as it failed, but there was no reason to take her anger out on him.

“They had their minds made up before I even went in there. I’ve wasted an entire morning. They should’ve had scripts printed up for everyone to read from, including me. Would’ve been easier just to recite what they wanted to hear instead of trying to remember everything. She glanced at him. “You know what I think?”

“I can imagine.” He put a cup under an office drinks machine.

“They think I’m a headcase.”

“You are a headcase,” he told her cheerfully. “Coffee or Tea?”

She didn’t grin, but she didn’t sneer at him either. “Tea, please.”

“She’s a spirited girl, isn’t she?”

“She’s too much of a risk, Bas.”

“I know, but we should be able to do something for her. She wants to fight Shadowloo? The more the merrier, I say?”

“But what she wants to do is out of the question. If she gets captured, what then?”

“There has to be something we can do for her…”

“There is.”

All eyes turned to Colonel Wolfman, who had been silent until now.

“Captain Guile, Captain Dallas and myself had a discussion before this meeting. We agreed that Shadowloo was an increasing threat to security, not only to ourselves, but also to our American and European allies. If anything, this problem is likely to grow, since under the previous world situation, before the collapse of the Soviet Union, the major nation states placed firm limits on terrorist activity - these limits enforced by controlled access to weapons, funding, training, and safe-havens.”

“It seems likely,” Dallas continued, “that the current world situation will invert the previous ‘understanding’ enjoyed by the major countries. The price of support, weapons, training and safe-havens might well become actual terrorist activity, not the ideological purity previously demanded by sponsoring nation states. And if Bison knows this, then we are dealing with one smart sunnuvab*tch who knows how to take an advantage.”

Wolfman continued the speech. We decided that the most obvious solution to this increasing problem will be a new European counter-terrorist team. I propose the code-name Excaliber. We also decided that the organisation be based here in the Untied Kingdom.”

He withdrew several memos from an envelope and passed each one to the six members, each one detailing the reasons and attributes to his proposed unit.

“The team will consist of several highly professional SAS members, as well as soldiers from GSG9 and GIGN. I would be the Six, for team leader I would recommend Captain Peter Covington. He’s a very highly experienced SAS officer.”

“Executive officer?” Charleston asked.

“Edward Keegan, sir.” Wolfman replied. It was no surprise to Charleston. Keegan had been a major in the Special Air Service before being permanantly seconded to the SIS. He and Wolfman were friends for quite some time.

“Wait a minute, wait a minute,” the MI5 chief spoke up. “What has all of this got to do with Cammy White?”

“Sir, I would like Miss White to be a field operative of Excaliber…”

“Out of the question…”

“Hold on John, let Colonel Wolfman continue.” Charleston interrupted, intrigued by Wolfman’s recent proposal.

“Miss White has some excellent skills, from what Captain Dallas told us. The abilities taught to her from Shadowloo training, can be used against them.”

“You’re forgetting something, Colonel. You said that this ‘Excaliber’ unit, which I agree would be beneficial to our anti-terrorism security, will consist primarily of SAS personnel. We have not had a female member of the SAS before, what makes you think that your men would like one now. And besides, she has not had the necessary training to become an SAS officer. The SAS officers who make the grade go through months of training before they become SAS. She hasn’t even been through Selection training yet.”

“She will receive that training beforehand.”

“And what about capture? The SAS is a unit whose members have a significantly high chance of being captured…”

Wolfman raised his hand. “Sir, Excaliber is not a war-field scouting and assault assignment. It primarily deals with defusing terrorist situations involving hostage situations. The chances of capture are minimal.”

“Even so, all SAS members have to undergo Joint Services Interrogation Unit training. How do you think Miss White would be able to even survive that?”

Wolfman nodded. It was true, JSIU training was vital in SAS training and involved 24-hour realistic interrogation scenarios with fear-inducing methods, such as white sound and wearing pillow-cases soaked with water. Shadowloo was unlikely to stand by the Geneva convention should they capture anyone. Due to Cammy’s past, there was a danger that the training could cause her to break down. She would have to be notified about that in due course.

“We shall have to see how she fairs. But in all honesty, I believe that she would be a key element in Excaliber. Her knowledge of Shadowloo techniques would be invaluable. And she also has shown promise of her fighting ability.”

“I’m not sure if we should do this…”

“Sir,” Dallas spoke up. “I have seen Cammy in action. She had no prior training apart from what she learned as a Shadowloo operative, and even then she was still suffering from amnesia. She still performed as if she was one of us. She deserves a chance.”

“Agreed.” Charleston said. “I’ll personally forward this assignment for Miss White, on three conditions. First, she receives all the necessary training for her to be an effective member of this unit. Secondly, she does not unnecessarily put herself in any danger until I am satisfied she can handle herself in any assignment. And finally, you will take special care for her, won’t you?”

“Yes, C. She fights under me, that goes without saying.” Wolfman replied, his expression of satisfaction hidden.

“All those who agree to Colonel Wolfman’s suggestion?”

Several hands were raised. Charleston didn’t need to ask the next question for the obvious reason. He pressed a button on the phone.”

“Miss Kerrigan, could you please invite Miss White back in?”

“Due to your past traumatic experiences, and the high risk involved with the job, this board must deny your request to join MI6.”

Cammy stood still, her fists clenched, her teeth firmly pressing against themselves in anger, though her lips would not open to show them.

“However…”

Her head raised at this word. However? Does that mean something?

“We realize your potential strengths and abilities, as well as your knowledge of Shadowloo techniques. It has therefore been decided that you will become part of a new anti-Shadowloo counter-terrorist group called Excaliber, headed by Colonel Wolfman, who will be your commander. You will receive proper SAS training during your time with Excaliber, and will be involved with several highly trained intelligence officers from several international units, including SAS. I must warn you however that the training demands great physical and mental endurance, including realistic interrogation training. Do you wish to continue, despite this?”

Was he kidding? This was her chance to pay Shadowloo back for all they had done to her.

“I will take the risk, sir.”

“Very well then. Good luck. This session is closed.”

At that, the various members rose and departed, leaving Cammy, Wolfman, Guile and Dallas behind.

“Congratulations, kid.” Guile said, smiling.

“I can’t believe it. I thought I wasn’t going to get a chance.”

“You’ll get your chance, alright. As long as you prove it to me, you’ll get your chance.” Wolfman said, also smiling.

“Yes, sir. I won’t let you down.”

“Welcome aboard, Private. I’ll take you down to HQ tomorrow morning seven a.m. sharp. Don’t be late. Dismissed.”

Cammy saluted to Wolfman in the American style. She then realised she had made her first mistake as Wolfman returned the salute in the British style, waving his hand and placing it to his forehead with his palm facing her. She quickly twisted her wrist so that her hand was facing the same way.

What an odd salute they have over here, Guile thought as Cammy walked out of the door, almost ecstatic.