back to Operation Long Bow

http://www.trabel.com/waterloo/waterloo-hougoumont.htm

In the Rocketship Empires dimension, the secretive Long Bow organization has a six or more level-deep base below the old farmhouse, and an airfield nearby. The complex is known to include a number of laboratories, photographic production facilities, power generation equipment, motorpool and hanger, medical facility, a variety of comfortable dormitory and en suite quarters, meeting and classrooms, and a gymnasium.

Ivanov's experience while at Hougoumont, February - March 1934:

Ivanov is able to go into town (Waterloo) and carouse easily. It is a short walk or there are bicycles available. Failing that, for the first few days he is often able to catch a ride with someone leaving the chateau compound.

After the first few days, and having gotten familiar with the few local sporting ladies, he finds things getting a little weird. After some looking around some, he either starts going further afield or stays in and makes himself free with the bottles in the club room.

What he comes to figure out by his third or fourth night out: there are several groups watching the chateau and the surrounding area.

After some stealthy scuttling around he determines that one group is German, one Russian, one British, and one rather Odd. They are trying to not stand out too much, but Ivanov is able to spot them. Assuming he decides to defer his pleasure-seeking for a while longer, he learns that the Germans (about four in total) operate out of a repair garage. The British (a changeable passel of fit-looking folks in their late 20s) out of a travel agency/telegraph office. The couple of Slavs seem to have a small cafe they call home. The Europeans are all staying here in town or nearby Waterloo and seem to have barely enough folks to vary their watches. Only the odd group seems to be watching around the clock; the others move around a lot and generally do not watch very carefully at night.

The Odd group is really odd -- they do not seem to be staying in town -- they observe the chateau entrance and perimeter, while doing a poor job of looking like local labourers. They do not speak to anyone, including each other; they look to be about 5 feet tall with light complexions and dark eyes. They are not staying in town and after some asking around, Ivanov learns they have never (in the 3 weeks or so they have been here) been known to frequent any of the shops either.

Trucks and cars come and go from the Long Bow base fairly regularly. About midway through Our Heroes stay, things change: traffic becomes less frequent and typically now has two or more vehicles traveling together. Once or twice a week a smallish (8 to 12 seats) cargo plane lands on the dirt field maintained by the staff nearby. However, only the rare bigger convoys of more than 3 vehicles generate enough interest to be followed by any of the observers. In those cases, one person stays behind to focus on the front gate while the other(s) follow the convoys in cars. The Odds show no interest in the vehicles coming and going.

Should Ivanov decide to take a meal at the Slavic café, or go in for a drink in the late evening, he will learn that the food is good and hearty, the wine and brandy readily available, and the air is nearly fatally thick from cigarette smoke. Ivanov takes less than a second to place the two men as Chekists (Soviet agents).

Should he also decide to visit the British travel agency, he will learn that the three or four youngish men and a young woman all seem quiet and polite. They give him a couple of looks as though his accent makes them curious but are happy to provide assistance, although it is the young woman that actually provides most of it.