Keep Your Friends Close.... Chapter One

The open top jeep sped along the rutted dirt road, bouncing its two occupants about in their seats. “I did say it was a nice day for a country drive but this isn’t exactly what I had in mind.” The passenger, Lieutenant Diana Prince commented wryly. The bespectacled Military Intelligence Officer found herself in the deepest backwoods as an observer on a large scale Infantry manoeuvres exercise, silently cursing the fact they had been unable to secure a vehicle with a better suspension than their current mode of travel.

Her companion, seemingly oblivious to her discomfort laughed in response. Tall, blonde and strikingly handsome, Major Steve Trevor was in his element as he skilfully steered the speeding jeep over the back roads toward their next rendezvous point. “I know you’re not the outdoors type Diana but even you have to admit that this beats the hell out of being stuck behind a desk all day.”

Diana rolled her eyes, Steve wasn’t one for the administrative side of their job.“At least behind my desk my kidneys don’t take such a pounding.” Diana shot back with a small chuckle. Her response elicited another laugh from her companion. Almost constantly good natured, Steve could have been the poster boy for the entire US Military, at least in Diana’s opinion. Today was no different, dressed in the casual military attire of camouflage pants and a short sleeved camouflage shirt, with the tight sleeves amplifying his arm muscles; he looked like something from a Recruiting Officer’s dream. Diana could only admire him; after all, Steve was the first man she had ever laid eyes on and the only man she had loved.

“I guess we might have seen enough for today.” Steve conceded with an easy grin. “How about we call it quits after we hit the next RV. Sound like a plan?”

“Major Trevor, you read my mind.”

“I thought I might have.” He said smiling as he checked the watch on his left wrist, a Two Tone Rolex Daytona that gleamed in the bright sunlight of the summer afternoon.

“Somewhere you’d rather be? I thought this was better than being desk bound.”  She teased gently, having noted the numerous look at his expensive timepiece  in the last hour. “Something special planned for her tonight?”

“Diana, I couldn’t possibly comm….” His voice trailed off as their jeep rounded a corner to find the road blocked by another jeep and three sheepish looking uniformed figures crowded around it. Their own vehicle came to an easy stop five meters away. “Everything alright?” Steve asked from his seat as he killed the engine.

“Oh….uh, car trouble Sir.” A dark skinned female wearing Corporal stripes replied with salute and a nod to their stricken jeep.

Steve sighed as he stepped out of his jeep, leaving the keys in the ignition. “Can’t have that, can we?” He remarked with another glance at his Rolex. “Pop the hood so we can have a look.”

Diana had followed her fellow Officer from the jeep but hung back, knowing nothing of the mechanical workings of these manmade vehicles. Instead she watched as Steve went to work, “Hmmm… Can’t see much wrong here. You say it just cut out on you?” A male with the rank of Private standing behind Steve nodded in the affirmative and began to point at the engine.

The third of the stranded trio of soldiers drifted away from the group and toward Diana. “Ma’am.” He saluted as he walked past. “Private.” Diana nodded a friendly reply, figuring the man was as mechanically backward as her and did not wish to get in the way.

“You sure you haven’t just run out of gas, Corporal?” Steve gently chided.

“N-no Sir. We made absolutely sure….”

“Relax Corporal. It was a joke.” Trevor replied with a confident smile. Diana admired that about him, he had the common touch no matter who he talked to, from the lowliest Private to a foreign delegate. “Although, I can’t see what the issue is. Is your radio online? Might need to call for pick-up.”

“Have you been stuck here long?” Diana asked, turning her gaze away from where Steve worked and toward the Private who had walked by. She let out a gasp of surprise at what she saw; the Private removing the keys from the ignition of her and Steve’s jeep. “What are you…?” It took a second for the realization that she and Steve were in danger to set in.

“Steve!”

The shouted warning got Trevor’s attention but it was too late, the trap had been sprung.

The handsome Major looked up from under the bonnet in surprise. “Diana? What is….Mmmmmppphhh!!!” The second Private who was standing behind Steve as he worked suddenly shoved a white rag over his nose and mouth, clamping it tight as Steve desperately tried to free himself from his attackers grasp.

In a fair fight Steve would have beat his attacker handily but the chloroform was a great equalizer. Diana could only watch in horror as the drug took effect on Steve almost instantly as he clearly began to weaken. She started toward him but felt a tug at her arm pulling her back. Distracted by the attack on Steve she had completely forgotten about the other Private. “Easy Lady!” He warned as he tried to pin her arms in a restraining hold. Diana had no intentions of taking it easy, with little effort she broke free of his grasp and rammed an upward rising elbow into his face, sending him staggering back with a shout of pain and blood pouring from his nose.

Steve’s arms dropped limply to his side as the Major passed out from the potent drug. Keeping the cloth over his face, the attacker lowered the unconscious Officer to the ground gently. Knowing she needed to act fast Diana started to sprint toward Steve and his attackers but was stopped in her tracks as the female Corporal raised a Machine Pistol at her, letting loose a burst of bullets. Diana dived into the bushes as the hail of fire buzzed by, much too close for comfort.

The bullets had missed but Diana knew that it was no warning shot. These people meant business and were prepared to kill.

“Come out and fight coward!” An angry female voice challenged the hidden Diana.

“Leave her!” Called the man crouched over the unconscious form of Steve. The Amazon offered a silent curse. The bushes in which she had found refuge did not offer enough space to safely transform into Wonder Woman. Even if she could she had no wish to spook the attackers; she had no idea what they were after and if they would hurt Steve if challenged.

Instead, Diana could only watch as the ‘Corporal’ angrily stalked back to where Steve was laid out. “So this is Major Trevor.” She commented looking over the inert form. “Handsome.”

“Yeah. Rich too.” Replied the man with the chloroform rag as he held up Steve’s limp left wrist to show off the Rolex.

“Nice! Gimmee!” The man with the bloody nose spoke up as he rejoined his cohorts before bending down beside Steve and grabbing his watch as if to unclasp it.

“Leave it Baker!” The other man barked a sharp command. “We’re goddamn professionals, not muggers.” The would-be thief rolled his eyes and let go of Steve’s wrist with a childish tut. “You take care of their comms?” The man taking charge asked, ignoring the petulant response.

“Yeah. Their radio set in the jeep is off the net permanently.”

“Good.”

“What about the girl Hanson?”

“What about her? No comms thanks to you and Cortez is just about to take care of her jeep. Right Cortez?”

The woman gave a grim smile in response before raising her machine pistol once more. Taking aim, she fired a long burst at Diana and Steve’s jeep, bullets tearing into the engine, shattering the windows and puncturing the tyres.

“Problem solved.” Hanson offered a humourless smile of his own. “Alright, back in the jeep. I want to be hitting the airfield in less than twenty minutes. By the time we’re airborne the military probably won’t even be aware we have Trevor but I don’t want to leave anything to chance. Cortez and Baker you’re up front. I’ll ride in the back with Major Trevor. Cortez, you drive, Baker give me a hand with him.” He said, nodding down at Steve’s unconscious form
Baker and Cortez nodded their understanding; she hurried to their waiting jeep and started the engine while Baker grabbed Steve’s legs as Hanson lifted him under the arms. Carrying him to the idling jeep and with a degree of care they deposited the unconscious Officer in back seat, arranging him in a sitting position. As soon as he was aboard the jeep roared away with a squeal of tyres.

After a few seconds Diana Prince appeared from her hiding spot in the bushes. She had resisted the urge to change into Wonder Woman and try to rescue Steve. It had been the right move; she now knew where they were taking her man. Time was of the essence; she needed to find a clearing in the foliage and summon her Invisible Plane.

Steve’s life could depend on it.