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"Any idea what kind of sensors we're dealing with?" Theo asked, as the hover landed in a copse of trees.

"I didn't see anything through the hover's passive sensors, but the range on this is only five hundred meters."

I looked at Tucker, who wore a sleeker version of his armor. "I'd be working with access to the network, hovers don't need to see all that far. Cass is using the avoidance system for more than it's meant.

"And you're blind, so you can't help." I looked down at myself. My armor even sleeker than Tucker's, just a sheet of fabric hugging my body.

"Once we're outside I'll be able to tell more. I do have access to a full sensor suit, but because it's part of this belt, its range is also minimal. One 'K' is about as much as we can hope for."

"I'm guessing now isn't the right time to point out your reliance on your implant caused this situation."

"No, it's the perfect time." Tucker pushed the hover's door open. "Just nothing I can do about it."

The air was hot, humid and heavy. I didn't recognize the trees, their leaves were small with a silver sheen to them, the bark seemed to drip water. "Cass do you have control of the belt?"

"Yes, you don't have to worry about Tucker getting you naked in the middle of a fight."

I watched the other tiger strode to the edge of the trees. "I'm not worried about that." The clown was gone, he was all soldier now. "I am concerned that he'll take your control away and prevent me from doing what needs to be done."

"Nothing we can do about that; I'd suggest not worrying about it."

I followed Tucker. Looking out from the trees, the island was a lush green hills, glimmering in the sunlight. Along the beach were more copses of trees, some only three of four, others looked like they were small forests.

"The signal indicates the official landing platform is five kilometers inland."

Tucker looked up. "Nothing."

"We're still inside their interference dome."

"No surveillance. It doesn't make sense for them to leave the beach unwatched. There's nothing stopping a traveler from coming here."

"Other than it being in the middle of nowhere." Tucker pointed out.

"You still don't leave something like this wide open. These Anarchists have no problem using technology, so they should have passive sensors at the very least, but those would have to line the beach and I'd be able to scan for their electronics this close."

"So they're over confident." Theo said, not feeling it. "How are you guys at genetic engineering?"

"Not my field, why?"

I indicated the grass. "We use a strain of grass, back home, for high security areas, that has all the roots connected and they send signals to a security command."

"Is that it?"

"Not my field either. I only know about them because they were mentioned in my intro to security class. My group wasn't the one picked to find a way around it. I don't remember what they came up with."

"You haven't seen levels of technology from the group on Mars that would allow that level of manipulation," Cass said.

"Can't assume every faction sticks to the same level," Tucker said.

"But I think we can assume this is only one faction," Theo said. "Regardless of what technology they're comfortable with, enough Independents are happy not causing trouble we can say they are all peaceful. I can't see the Anarchists pulling from all of them."

"Then we move and deal with what happens." Tucker walked out of the trees.

Theo followed him. "Cass can you give something a little more armor like, I feel naked right now."

The fabric thickened and stiffened. It didn't impede my motion, but there was a fraction of a second delay as it responded to my body moving. I did not want to be in control during a fight.

After just over five hundred meters, the grass became peppered with stones. Some large enough to be boulders. Tucker stopped before a group of three boulders with smaller stones around them. He crouched.

I bit back my first comment. This Tucker wouldn't stop just to pickup a rock. "What's wrong?"

Tucker stepped away holding on of them. "This," he pointed to the electronics removing the stone revealed. "Is an active sensor, except it's turned off."

"It failed?"

"Possibly, but if there's one there are others. The only way they all fail is if someone shut them down purposefully."

"This now feels like a trap," Cass said.

"Which means they know we're coming," Theo added.

"But why not stop us?" Tucker asked.

"If this was a Bondo movie, it would be so the villain can gloat about how it let us come so we wouldn't expect the trap," Cass said.

"This isn't a movie," Tucker replied. "The opposition doesn't make this kind of tactical mistake."

"We can't fall back, we either keep going this way, or find another route, but we have to get to the base."

Tucker returned the stone to its place. "We keep going. Just remain on your guard. Cass, I'm giving you access to the armor's weapons. Use them with care."

"Yes, sir," Cass replied.

Tucker proceeded forward without a comment.

* * * * *

The base was disappointing. One low building next to a landing platform. A well worn path in the grass led to a beach where unpowered boats were moored.

"Someone didn't hired the architect from the evil architect's conglomerate," Cass commented. "There should be a volcano here, or at least a mountain with the access only reachable after a treacherous climb to the top."

Tucker didn't respond. His mood had not improved during the approach, after finding three more sensor array shut off.

"Tuck? You okay?" Theo asked.

"I'm fine," he replied. "Our best access is the door to the side. The building is too small for the kind of operation we're dealing with. The rest will be underground. That's probably the hangar and maintenance bay."

"I'm not detecting any sensors," Cass said.

"Yeah," Tucker replied darkly.

"Are we just walking up to it?" Theo asked. "If I was alone, I'd wear something casual and play the lost tourist."

Tucker glared at Theo.

"More like we'd have spent days accumulated data," Cass said, "then replaced one of the henchmen."

Tucker roll his eyes and headed for the door.

"I'm not detected any security on it," Cass said as we stood before it.

"It's there, but like the sensors it's turned off," Tucker said.

"That's a mechanical lock," Theo pointed out.

"That's not going to stop me."

"Mind if I try it first?" Theo said.

Tucker thought about it, then stepped aside.

Theo took hold of the knob and turned it to get a sense of how little play it had and froze when it turned completely. He looked at Tucker and mouthed 'unlocked'. The tiger's expression darkened. The helmet formed over Theo and Tucker's heads, then Tucker nodded.

Theo pulled the door open and stood aside.

No weapon's fire, no explosion, no--

"There's someone fifteen meters in," Cass said, "seated on a crate." The wireframe formed in Theo's sight.

"Well," someone inside said. "You going to waste anymore time and stay out there or you planning on coming in and getting your job done?"

Before Theo could workout what that was about, Tucker had a nasty looking gun in his hand and went in, growling.

"Whoa," the kangaroo said, hands up. "Put that down, I'm on your side."

"I doubt that," Tucker said, his voice digitized.

Theo stepped next to Tucker, drawing the kangaroo's gaze. "Two of you? That wasn't part of the brief she sent me. Look, put the gun down. I'm your contact."

"Not a chance, Paco."

"How?" the kangaroo stared at the two of them. "Please tell me you're not one of them."

"Considering the number of 'them' you've pissed off," Tucker said. "You can take for granted I am one of them."

'Private link to Tucker,' Theo finger coded.

"Done."

"Tuck, it sounds like he's on our side, like he said. I'm pretty sure I know which 'she' he is referring too."

"You have no idea who that guy is," Tucker replied, not bothering to say it on the private link. "Isn't that right Paco? Kidnapping, assassination, corporate theft, black mail. I'm probably forgetting a lot of nasty stuff you do."

"Like rescue?" the kangaroo said. "Well, attempted rescue, since a mule kept me from finishing that job." His gaze settled on Theo. "I'm guessing it was you in that cell. Your friend's too big."

"That was no rescue," Tucker said, "you were going to take him to Vanguard."

"No, I was under order to help--"

"You're lying," Theo said. "About that part at least. If you had orders then from our common acquaintance, you'd have made contact before he showed up." He nodded to Tucker, and Paco's face fell.

"You were..."

"I should have let Brick pound your skull in," Tucker growled, his helmet melting away.

"Well fuck," Paco said.

"Say goodbye, Paco," Tucker said, "For good this time."

"Before he shoots me, I'm the one with the accesses to the rest of the base."

"Tuck, he's on our side," Theo said.

"He's on no one side but his own. If he's here then all this is definitely a trap."

"Not really," Paco said. "My instructions were to infiltrate this group and make sure you could get in." He nodded to Theo. "She never mentioned a second operative, but knowing Tucker he didn't give you any choice. I'm just surprised you were able to convince you to help instead of taking you back to your cell."

Theo looked at Tucker in time to see the surprise, then it was gone, but some of the tension left his body.

"Tuck, you can lower the gun, he's here to help us carry out the mission."

"Before there's any misunderstanding," Paco said, "my involvement ends once I hand you the passcard to the elevator there. I am not sticking around for the light show, especially not with him here. Things have a tendency to explode in his vicinity."

"Hand it over," Tucker said.

"Not until I have your word you're letting me go, Tuck."

"You are not escaping this time."

"Would it help change your mind if I told you, you're down to under an hour before your world ends?"

"What do you mean?" Theo asked.

"You're cutting it extra close, I was expecting you here a few days ago. They're doing the final preparation to release the big bad AI."

"And you care why?" Tucker asked.

"Tuck, we need to get down there now."

"I don't," Paco replied. "Unlike you, I'm not wired to this world. Once I have your word, I'm giving you the card and getting in my shuttle over there. I'm going to go to my ship and wait for the dust to settle. I do hope you guys stop it, but I don't need you to. There's always work for a man with my skill set."

"If I kill you, you don't get anything."

The kangaroo shrugged. "Tucker, you're angry about something I did before you were born, maybe it's time you let it go?"

"You almost killed Brack."

"Tucker, we don't have the time!"

"Your friend's right. If you're willing to sacrifice your world for the sake of revenge, go ahead. But I know you Colonel Orr, duty before sex, right?"

Theo stared at the tiger, almost calling it in question, but there had been no mention of sex since getting out of the hover.

"Fine," Tucker snapped, the gun dissolving back in to the armor. "You better, because once I'm done with this I am going to hunt you down."

The kangaroo grinned. "It's your time to waste." He pulled a card and laid it on the crate before jumping down. "That's going to open the elevator, and the internal security thinks it's yesterday, so long as no one reports you, you'll be able to move about freely. I wish you luck." He turned and headed for the hovers in the hangar.

"I'm not going to stop you," Theo said, stepping away from the shaking tiger.

Tucker shook himself. "I don't shoot people in the back." He took the card off the crate. "No matter how much they deserve it."

"Did he really do that to Brack?" Theo followed Tucker to the elevator.

"Yes."

Theo looked back. The kangaroo was in a hover, running it through some sort of startup sequence. 'Free agent?' he coded.

"Possibly, but if he was, he shouldn't have known about Anderson, and he specifically said 'she' as a way of telling you he knew who gave you the mission."

The elevator door opened and he entered after Tucker, turning in time to see the hover lift off. He knew his job wasn't always nice, but if that Paco knew Anderson, that meant he was the product of the same system Theo came from, and he didn't know how he felt about that.