ANDREW HIGGS

HIS TRUE IDENTITY

Andrew is a career mercenary, approximately fifty years old.  Andrew grew up in a home with an abusive alcoholic stepfather and a weak mother.  He ran away from home at fourteen and supported himself on the streets of Vancouver by panhandling.  One day he saw a "Soldier of Fortune" magazine, which convinced him to become a mercenary.  Years later, while he was in Canada between campaigns, he discovered that his stepfather had killed his mother and one of his two half brothers one night in a drunken rage.  He's fought in Angola, run guns to the Congo and Cuba, and was involved in Desert Storm - where the combined forces "discovered" his skills.  Andrew stepped on a landmine near the end of that campaign and has been left with a permanent limp.  They've hired him on an exclusive contract, with the promise of protection for his wife and family.  Andrew married late in life, and has an Egyptian wife and two teenage children. He's a recovered alcoholic who is taking it "one day at a time".  Andrew's specialty is planning and carrying out covert missions.  He has a genius for assessing a situation and being able to calculate the odds of success.  His survival thus far is a testament to his ingenuity.  He's seen things and done things that keep him awake at night.  Andrew has seen enough battles and killing - what he'd really like to do is retire from the force completely - but he is being held for "ransom" by his employers.  If he doesn't continue to go out when called upon, his many enemies might just find out where his - and other agent's - families are.

HIS COVER

The Andrew Higgs of Cat's Reach is a rather inept fish farmer.  He has a series of floating pens filled with salmon in various stages of development.  He's nondescript, a bit of a dreamer, rather lightweight who outsiders dismiss as being a potential failure.  He spends more time reading newspapers and watching tv than he does looking after the fish, which he pays his children to do.

 
RANDA HIGGS

 HER TRUE IDENTITY 

Randa is in her early forties, and has a doctorate in biology.  She's from a wealthy Egyptian family, involved in the politics of her country.  Her father was killed with Sadat in a terrorist attack.  Randa began her university education in England, where she picked up some very modern views on women's place in society.  Her specialty is genetic engineering.  Andrew is her second husband.  Her first was a love match as a teenager.  He was a Palestinian student who was innocently walking down the street one day and was shot and killed by the Israeli army as they chased someone else.  She later married Andrew and had an absentee marriage for many years while she lived in the Middle East, raised her children and taught at the university.  Her fear for her children became a daily terror five years before after an attempted abduction, aimed at forcing Andrew over to a foreign country's side.  Her mother was killed during the attempt as she tried to prevent the kidnapping.  With none of her family left in her own country, Randa has been a driving force in the development of Cat's Reach, as a safe haven for her family.  Now she's finding that safe havens can also be rather limiting for someone who's travelled the world.  Randa has a fully equipped laboratory in the basement of the lighthouse.

 HER COVER

 Randa is the "earth mother" of Cat's Reach.  She's an environmental activist as much as she can be while maintaining her cover.  Randa looks after her two teenage children, teaching them at home.  She tends to be overprotective of her children - because she knows what's out there - and it totally frustrates them, since they don't know about their parent's covert activities.  She "assists" Andrew in the fish farm, although she makes most of the decisions regarding how and when to harvest the fish, move the fish pens, etc.  Randa likes to cook and makes fabulous middle eastern meals.  She tries hard to give her children a global perspective on the world even though they're confined to a small west coast environment.  Randa coaches all the children of Cat's Reach on their biology lessons.

 

DUKE MALOREY

 HIS TRUE IDENTITY

 Duke is about thirty five years old, tall, broadshouldered and good looking.  He's half black and half Irish, and he's spent most of his adult life in the Marine Corps.  Duke was born in a brothel in New Orleans, the son of a prostitute.  He spent his early childhood in the brothel, then ran away to the Marines at sixteen, lying about his age to get in.  Duke is one of the top weapons experts in North America, even competing in the Olympics as a sharpshooter - but he's run afoul of several weapons cartels.  The agency arranged a convenient accident for Duke, to feign his death; then they moved him to Cat's Reach to start a new life.  He left behind two ex-wives to share his hefty insurance policy.  As long as Duke's existence isn't revealed, his ex-wives are safe - and Duke's safe from them.

 HIS COVER

 Duke is the owner and operator of the tavern, located at the edge of the docks.  He acts as a "sentry", watching for any newcomers that might approach Cat's Reach by boat.  Duke has a concealed steel-lined room under the tavern, which holds an impressive store of the latest in weaponry.  His impressive array of satellite dishes on the tavern roof are used for more than just bringing in HBO - special decoders and horns bring in a variety of "special" programming, which is sent to the war room in the lighthouse.  Duke is a happy go lucky guy with an appreciation of fine whisky.  He's trying to quit smoking but he keeps backsliding. The imposing pub operator is always ready to lend a sympathetic ear, or toss a rowdy customer out into the salt chuck.

 ERIKA VON STRATT

 HER TRUE IDENTITY

 Erika, a German, has an aristocratic background.  Her grandfather was a member of the S.S., and she is very defensive about him, and the effect his subsequent trial had on her family.  They found themselves stripped of their belongings, their identity and their family pride.  She still feels that he got a "bum rap", as he was a soldier in the communications sector who was simply doing his duty to the best of his ability, only to suddenly be seen as an evil criminal.  In her childhood, Erika was kidnapped and sexually abused in an underground hideout for six weeks while her parents tried to arrange a ransom.  This experience has left her with a cold attitude that is only now beginning to crack, due to the presence of her niece.  Erika earned a double degree in chemistry and computer science, then started using her skill to construct small bombs for student protests, particularly for ecological causes.  She was subsequently arrested, but her skill was noted by the German secret service, who recruited her to perform a variety of tasks - some very unpleasant.  One particular job brought down the wrath of a terrorist group, who bombed her car four years ago.  Erika still blames herself that her brother-in-law and sister were killed in the explosion, and her niece was injured.  She now finds herself a single parent to the seven year old girl, Gudrun DeBurgh, who has a learning disability.  Erika has clearance codes for every level and type of computer system, and she's an expert at gaining access to information.

HER COVER

 Erika has developed her talent as a professional photographer, and takes "West Coast" pictures - ships, lighthouses, seal, whales, which are sold in a mainland gallery.  The coldness in her eyes is in direct contrast to the warmth and life of the photos she takes.  Erika has an impressive array of up to the minute computers in her house.  Her cover identity allows her to have a well equipped darkroom, set up for chemical analysis.  In a well-concealed bunker some distance from the community, Erika maintains a large supply of explosives.  The local First Nations band suspect that she's concealing something at the bunker, which is cordoned off as an old mine pit.  Erika helps the children of Cat's Reach with their correspondence chemistry and computer lessons.

RAYMOND MACALLISTER

 HIS TRUE IDENTITY

 Mac is a fiftyish Scotsman raised in the tenements of Glasgow.  He joined the RAF at an early age to escape grinding poverty, and steadily climbed through the ranks.  Mac can fly anything, anytime, anywhere.  He moved to the British Special Forces, where he became a communications specialist, in addition to expanding his training as a pilot and parachutist.  The "War Room" is located in the basement of the lighthouse, where a bank of computers analyze the data compiled by Duke's impressive array of satellite dishes.  This is where the team meets when a new "Purchase Order" comes in.  Mac ran afoul of the IRA when his team eliminated a number of top IRA terrorists.  All the other members of Mac's strike team have been killed, except him.  Mac's elderly mother lives with him in a cottage beside the lighthouse.  She's the reason he's come to Cat's Reach.  She has trouble remembering things that have happened recently, and isn't too good at giving messages, although she loves to take them.

 HIS COVER

 Mac operates the lighthouse, making sure that the lamp is operational and generally keeping a lookout for boats in distress.  His float plane is tied up to the dock, and Mac is the pilot when the members of Cat's Reach leave on mission.  Mac is an amateur writer, and loves to spout prose at the drop of a hat.

TONG YEE

 HIS TRUE IDENTITY

Tong is a 20ish whiz kid who was an expert employee of a major Hong Kong Triad.  His speciality - counterfeiting.  Tong can create any currency in any amount as well as passports and driver's licenses.  He was a major money maker for his bosses until he turned them in to Hong Kong police.  His love of gambling left him with enormous debts - in order to satisfy those debts he turned "states evidence" on his bosses.  Now the Triad would like to find Tong.  Due to the upcoming political changes in Hong Kong, his government has shipped him out to Cat's Reach until the dust settles, and they know what will become of the Triads.  Tong brings with him his widowed mother and young sister, who are having a bit of a problem adjusting to this new culture.  Instead of streets teeming with people, they have a tiny community with wide open spaces.

 

 HIS COVER

 He runs a tiny shop that makes fine quality silk screened teeshirts in oriental patterns, each one with a special meaning (that he's just made up!) Tong tends to look for the main chance, and would leave Cat's Reach if he could find another safe haven for his family.  In the back of his shop are state of the art printing presses, so that he can turn out whatever currency or credentials are needed by the Cat's Reach team.

BENJAMIN ROTH

 HIS TRUE IDENTITY

 Benjamin, an Israeli of about thirty-five, is a legend in his own country, and the newest member of "Cat's Reach".  He's called "The Gherka" for his ability to slip in and out of dangerous situations.  He has earned the heavy price placed on his head by arabic terrorist organizations.  He's very strong and physical - capable of incredible acrobatic feats, since his family was part of a performing troupe in the past.  He's hot tempered and doesn't take any insults from anybody. Ben was raised as part of an acrobatic performing group in Israel.  His father, mother and sisters were killed in a Palestinian terrorist raid that took place during a performance.  Ben was injured by shrapnel and still carries the scars on his arms and chest.  Ben is a master of disguise, and has the uncanny ability to imitate any accent he hears.  Since he's just arrived, he's still trying to ascertain the line of command at Cat's Reach, and he questions authority.  He doesn't think Andrew should be in charge, and there are "sparks" between himself and Randa Higgs.  Ben brings his adopted child to Cat's Reach - a ten year old boy, the son of his best friend and co-worker.  Ben was unable to stop his friend from falling off a building during a raid, and promised to look after his son.

 HIS COVER

 Ben is the local potter.  He has a shed behind his house where he works.  Ben tends to be a bit of a loner, but the boy he's just adopted makes it harder for him to maintain a distance from the rest of the community.

SUPPORTING CHARACTERS

 MARTHA JOHN

 Martha John is the matriarchal head of a First Nations Tribe that is laying claim to Cat's Reach.  Martha and her husband, Russell, have lived with their families in the Queen Charlotte Islands for many years.  Now they've returned to Cat's Reach, with the knowledge that a major logging company is planning to come in and log the pristine island.  She is a wise, elderly woman with an incredible store of knowledge about nature and the world she's lived in for so many years.  Martha remembers their ancient customs and does her best to pass them on, both to her grandchildren and the Cat's Reach children.

 RUSSELL JOHN

 Russell is Martha's husband, and an elder of the First Nation's people on Cat's Reach.  He's an activist for First Nations rights.  He tends to be a bit more hot-headed than his wife, then gets angry with his grandsons when they act the same way.  His people have always had a small reserve on the far side of Cat's Reach, but they'd been away for many years. Suddenly they've appeared on Cat's Reach, claiming not just their reserve, but the whole island.  John's people regard Cat's Reach as their land, and they have taken up residence on the island as "squatters", intending to exert their rights until the government settles their claims.  Russell is suspicious of the people in Cat's Reach.  Russell has “visions” which he sees in the smoke from fires.  Sometimes we as an audience share in his visions, but the other characters on the island think he’s making them up.

 LISA HIGGS

 Andrew and Randa Higg's fifteen year old teenage daughter, she is a whiz with a computer, can win at any computer game, and knows everything about every movie and rock star known to mankind.  Lisa wants to go to the mainland constantly, and can't understand why her parents are so reluctant.  She thinks her parents are totally old, and develops a terrible crush on Ben Roth, which embarrasses him, and horrifies her mother.  Her father has been known to come to her for "unofficial" information gathered via her prowess as a computer hacker. He's alarmed at her sudden adulthood, and even more alarmed at her crush on Ben, who he regards with great suspicion.

STEPHEN HIGGS

Andrew and Randa Higgs's thirteen year old son.  He was in the middle of the hostage taking attempt five years earlier, and saw his grandmother killed. He's become very withdrawn and spends very little time with the other children.  He's very introspective.