Chapter Ten - Inside the Black Smoke
#11 of Within Escada
Within Escada - Chapter 10 - Inside the Black Smoke
=======
Douglas Buford Thomason - A 78-year-old Grizzly bear who is the leader of Red Fang, he has headed the organization for over 45 years and is also a co-founder out of a group of three. Being a former agent with the United States government, he would be one of the most experienced of all the employees within RF. His concern for all of his agents is apparent considering the events with Uroso and Veronica.
Alphonse "Steve" Lucas Stevenson - A 44-year-old Arctic fox, he commonly goes by Steve for short. He is a senior operations planner executive and had joined RF a few years when he was fresh out of high school. Specializing in his creativity and organization makes him a vital resource to everyone in the organization.
Karen Elizabeth Stevenson - 41-year-old Arctic fox who is married to Steve. She is a leading intelligence researcher for RF. She had met Steve on day when he used to work within the old headquarters before it was moved and their department was split. She has always been close to Jacob and Mark within RF, but of course had to fight with herself to keep the fact that she needed to fake that she never met them in her life in the regular world for the children's sake.
Xavier - as much information that could be gathered would be that he is the elusive 'silver' fox. The effects of his exposure to black matter have caused an abnormal reaction, giving him a shimmering coat after a few hours. Fulgeamiculosis is the Latin term that is floating around amongst Veronica's captors, the medical leads creating the term from having no idea of what to actually call the shinning fur. Slowly though many have noticed changes in Xavier's behavior, many questioning his mental state.
The Doberman - not much can be said other than the fact that he is the head fur in the underground facility that is holding Veronica captive.
*Warning - Adult Content*
Contains Homosexual Characters and Themes
*******
Jacob continued his conversation as they rode in the taxi to the large glass building in almost dead center in the city. Mark was quietly reading through spreadsheets he had received for what the meeting with the firm was going to be on. The wolf stared at the lion that sat before him as the sunlight of the setting sun pooled inside. The lion's fur was golden brown, varying natural highlights coursing through his mane. The lion had a thick beard and whiskers that he kept well managed, a line of darker fur that carried from the joining of his mane and also grew down his chest. The lupine admired his mate in a suit, of course the fact that Mark refused to ever wear a tie in his life being the only thing he couldn't stand of the look. But, he could understand that a buttoned collar would take away from Mark's luxurious head fur. 'Could you stop staring at me? We're a block away.' Mark said as he held an open notebook to the lupine's face. Jacob had not realized that he had slipped into a trance. He smiled as the taxi came to a stop in front of the building. Mark opened the door and turned to hand the driver payment for the fare from the front passenger window. Jacob continued his conversing to no one as he began to survey the building for its structure and security. Much of what was in the blueprints were correct minus the placement of one of the security cameras, which was off by one foot from what he had read.
Mark led the way up the long pathway to the front doors of the building, holding a door for the lupine to enter. Inside there were hundreds of furs that were finishing their days leaving down a path on the northern end to an underground parking structure and also exiting through the front. The lion grabbed an elevator car that was on its way up for him and Jacob, the two sliding in just in time since the elevator began to ring from being called up. "Sir, I think we will need your undivided attention soon." Mark said as he looked at his watch, rolling the winding rod. "That will be fine Samantha, have that on ready for us in the morning and when me and Mark get back we will get it taken care of. See you in two days and say hello to the kits for me. Goodbye." Jacob finished as he booted his phone out. Mark nodded to him as the elevator car stopped and made its slow easing of the doors to an open position. They walked down the hall of the floor they emerged on and looked for the large double doors to the firm. "Let's be sure to get some dinner after this." Jacob said to Mark as he pushed a small switch on his watch. "Yes sir." The lion replied as he opened the door to the firm.
The small button Jacob had pressed was more than it seemed. Mark had done the same action; their watches scrambled the video of the cameras in the vicinity to cover for them so they could get the job done. Inside the room sat Thomas at a desk that was ruffling through papers on the desk. "Catching up on some work now?" The lupine said as he began to remove his tie once the lion shut the door. "With you two around when do I not have work?" Thomas said as he motioned for the cat. Jacob grinned as he peeled away the suit he wore and retrieved the small black device from earlier. He pushed it lightly and the stuff he had packed in began to appear when he selected them. "We have the next three hours to get this done. Go get my briefcase and bring me my laptop." The swine said as he handed the lion a small sheet of paper. Mark read through it and retrieved the case. Jacob was now wearing more covert clothes; a tactical vest was worn on top. He was busy loading clips on to his person when Mark handed the case to the swine that snorted when the lion surprised him. "Well open it and set up the computer." The pig stated as he found a recess in the desk that had a small switch hidden underneath. Mark opened the case and pulled up a small laptop that was inside with three headsets in a small case accompanying it. He turned each of the small earphones on and handed one to both Jacob and Thomas who slipped them into their ear. Having now found what he was searching for the windows of the office were closed and the lighting came on.
Jacob pulled out a rather large square that he set on a table. He looked carefully at it before he pushed the top of it. It lit up and opened into a small container that held a screen and a place to put a paw. "It's already programmed with the changes it's going to make to you for the disguise. Just set your paw on there and push down." Thomas said as he sat at the desk. Jacob did as he was instructed and waited for something. Nothing happened; only a small clicking sound was heard. The wolf looked around for a second until he was suddenly hit with a surge of electricity that shot through his arm. His fur changed shades and he could feel his body adjusting to its covering form. "That was fast. Only took a second to do." Mark said as he handed Jacob a bottle of water. Jacob felt lightheaded, the urge to vomit building in his stomach. It felt like forever to him as he had been transformed. He walked to a mirror and was nearly surprised as he looked at the fur that stared back him. He had been changed into a much taller, muscular wolf. His coat was now white as snow a small change he somewhat liked. He turned to Mark, who was only chuckling at the new appearance of his mate.
"All right now Jacob, be sure to collect any information you can. We need to find out whatever we can get a hold of so be on the look out." Thomas said as Jacob finished loading himself with handguns and the familiar sliver of titanium. "I will." Jacob said in a toothy grin as he advanced to the door. Thomas only scowled at him as Jacob slipped out the door. Mark activated the laptop and spoke into the headset he had on. "Can you hear me?" He said as he looked over to Thomas. "Loud and clear. How far long is the drop?" The lupine said as he pulled opened the elevator doors with his claws. "It's going to be at least 1500 feet till you hit the bottom of the shaft. You should see the change once you pass into the lower levels." The swine said as he punched a few keys into the laptop and brought up a map of the building. "Copy that." Jacob said as he broke into a sub panel in the elevator and spliced a few wires together. The elevator slowly crept up a few feet till the wolf pulled apart the wires. He the climbed in to the shaft and hooked a cable from his waist on to the bottom of the car. Reaching up to the bottom of the elevator he grabbed another device off of his belt and activated it, the small sliver of metal. In a quick flash it materialized into a heavy pole that he then ran across the underside of the elevator and locked it into the elevators lower break system. "All ready to begin free fall." Jacob said as he checked the makeshift break. "Confirmed, begin mission." Mark said as he checked his watch. The wolf then released the lock on the cable he was tethered to and began his descent. As he descended he could see the lights of the inside of the shaft flash by, he tried to keep count of how far he had gone. Time seemed to creep by even though he was falling very fast.
"300 feet till ground." The swine said as he switched maps on the screen. Jacob readied himself and released the cable from his waist. Landing with the grace of a bird, Jacob touched down to the ground without the slightest rise of dust. He exhaled and looked up into the air and in the blink of an eye the small bar floated in front of him he snatched it up and looked at the access panel that lay before him. "Touchdown, go ahead and reactivate the elevator." He said as he opened the panel. "Mark's on it." The swine said as he punched more keys. Mark stepped out into the hallway and fixed the wires inside the elevator and returned it to its original position within the shaft. Before he closed the wiring cover he stuck a small transceiver on one of the wires. "Okay now Jacob, you need to follow this access carefully until the hallway is next to you. It's going to be about forty feet down to the wall you can remove. Be sure to set the charges while you're at it as well." Thomas said as Mark came back into the room and pushed a few varying keys. "Roger that Thomas." Jacob said as he continued along, setting charges above himself as he crept to the hallowed spot on the wall. "Will you be ready to get down to him if needed?" The swine said as he muted his headset. Mark nodded in agreement as he had finished changing and was pulling on a set of gloves.
Wolfe had dropped Scott and Jessica off at home and was now on his way to do the same with Alex. "Today was so much fun. It was funny when Jessica nailed you on the head with that snowball." The fox said as he grinned at the wolf. "Yeah, she used to play softball when she was in middle school so she's got herself a good arm." Wolfe said as he nodded. Alex smiled as he looked around outside, seeing the small flakes of snow falling to the ground. They could see the city lights from where they were; much of the community making up Shadow Cascade was around the base of a rather large mountain range much higher than that of surrounding cities. The skyline glittered and gleamed as they rounded another corner, Wolfe slowly pulling into a driveway a few houses down from it. "Here we are." Wolfe said as he unlocked the doors. Alex nodded in agreement as he turned around and pulled his backpack from behind his seat. Alex sat the bag in his lap and turned to the lupine with a smile. Wolfe just smiled back and moved to Alex for a kiss, the fox meeting his maw to his mates. They broke apart, unwillingly of course, and waved goodbye. "Love you pup." Alex said as he stepped out of the car. "Love you kit." Wolfe said as he waved once more.
With that Alex waited for the lupine to pull out of the driveway and drive down the street before he went inside. He shook his body and removed his jackets one by one as his mother came down the stairs. "Hey sweetie," she said as she embraced her son, "did you have fun with Wolfe and the others?" "Yeah I did," Alex said as he scratched his head fur, "we went to the mall to shop and have lunch first, then to the park for some fun in the snow." Karen smiled as she saw the light in his eyes, the joy filling her kits heart being comforting. She went into the kitchen with Alex in tow. He sat himself upon the counter as she began to cook a small meal for the two of them. "Where's dad?" Alex said as he handed her a measuring cup from behind him. "Oh, he had a meeting in Dallas that he flew out to this morning. He's going to be back a little later on tonight." She said as she continued to keep herself busy. "Hmm... well at least he's busy." The fox said as he daydreamed upon his perch. 'Hopefully Jacob and Mark aren't too busy.' She thought as she turned on the range.
Jacob pushed on the wall and then pulled it back into the access. He remained silent, the creaking of the metal panel being loud in such an eerie quiet. He slowly stepped onto the ground before him, cement that was highly polished reflecting the lamps above them. It looked like a movie he had seen with Wolfe and Mark. He turned to place the sheet of metal back into place when he heard the sound of a door being opened and a fur coming down the hallway. Quickly, he slid the panel back into place and ran stealthily to the nearest corner and hid behind it. Coming down the hall was a gray fox; he was wearing nothing more than a pair of black slacks and a white collared shirt. He proceeded down the hall as he coughed, soon falling to the ground as he continued to try and free whatever it was that was in his throat. The vulpine finished his fit and stood up, wiping blood from his lower jaw. Jacob stood looking around the corner, his eyes examining the subject before him. The fox turned down the hall and out of the wolf's sight. "How we looking Jacob?" Mark said to the lupine. "We're looking good. So my guess is that I should keep going in the direction of the signs?" He said as he began his slow advance to a nearby directory. "Affirmative, she should be located on the floor above you. There should be a set of stairs down the hall from where you are. Be sure to go into the room two doors from them and grab a uniform." Thomas said as he twirled his thumbs. "Got it." Jacob replied as he walked carefully down the hall, opening the door and finding a locker that he had remembered from a report.
After changing into the uniform that was hanging inside, he walked back into the hall more cordially as he then climbed the stairs. "The door you need to go though is going to require clearance. You'll need to find the someone who will let you in." Mark said as he switched the map on the screen to the current floor that Jacob was on. Now carrying himself more authoritatively, Jacob moved through the hall to a room labeled 'Central Dispatch'. He opened the door after flashing the badge on his jacket over a card reader. Inside there were several computers left unattended with a few furs inside packing up there belonging for the end of the day. "There you are, coming to take over my shift I see." A hare that called out to Jacob from the back of the room said as two other furs slipped past him. "Yep, it's that time again." Jacob said as the rabbit logged out of his profile on the computer before him. The rabbit stepped aside to allow the wolf to take a seat, picking up a clipboard on his desk and signing off. "All set now. See you in the morning." The nameless fur said as he left the room with a nod from the wolf. Jacob was alone; the low hum of computer drives and fans being the only thing heard. He retrieved one of the white lab coats that hung on the nearby wall and put it on. Quickly, he punched in the login and began searching for useful information. He came across a file titled with 'X-462' on it that was cluttered amongst others. "Find anything useful?" The lion said as he sat impatiently. "Looks like we have some info on what has been logged about Veronica. They are planning on one last attempt of getting her to talk after they run some tests." The wolf said as he looked around the room for the nearby printer and sent the top page to it. "Well I would say that they better not get the chance. Get the primary hard drive copied and go get her." The swine said as he looked at the clock on the wall.
It had now been well over an hour. Veronica's location was confirmed, Jacob had found a wealth of information that they could use, and it looked like they may be able to make a fairly clean getaway. Jacob finished the copy of the disk and logged himself on the clipboard as going to do a patrol. He slipped through the door, grabbing the paper from the printer and a clipboard, and began to proceed down the hallway; he recalled the room number that she would be in. He came to the door; finding no key pass he decided to just grab the handle and pull it, locked. "Shit, problem." He said as he quickly continued his 'rounds'. "We're on it." Mark said as he furiously punched the keys. "How is it locked? There should be a key pass on it." Thomas said as he angrily slammed his hoof to the desk. "Got it!" Mark exclaimed as he pulled the swine over before he could get up. Waiting for a response, Jacob came to a door that he believed would be joined to the room where the lupine was. "Don't open that door yet Jacob. Luckily for you the fur you're impersonating has some pretty hefty clearance. Go back down the hall and go through the fifth door on your right. Inside you should be able to get someone who should be able to open that door." Thomas said as he clamped his hoof on Mark's shoulder. Jacob did as he was instructed as he snaked around back to that door and entered. Inside there was a series of desks in cubicles lining the room where there was a lab on the other side. "You need to see if you can find a gray fox. He goes by Xavier Heaven, form what we have here he can get you in there. He should have a corner office." Mark said as he waited for Jacob.
Jacob walked down the rows some more till he came to one side and began to search along for a nameplate with the furs name. He came to the door and knocked on it. "Come in." A fur said from inside the office. Jacob opened the door and stepped inside. It was not an expansive office but it did have plenty of room to move around in. Inside there was a bookcase and a desk, a lamp stood in the corner and there were a few small landscape pictures that seemed generic, a setup to numb the fact that they were underground with no natural lighting. At the desk the lupine heard the furious typing of keys from behind a large laptop he walked to the desk and called upon the fur behind it. "Xavier I need some help. I need to run a scan on the wolf in the medical lab. But I don't have clearance to get in on my own." Jacob said as he tried to focus on the now obvious fox from behind the monitor. Xavier picked up his head from behind the screen and stretched, his coat slowly building of the shimmering affects of his exposure to black matter. Jacob's eyes widened as he stood before whom he thought he wouldn't meet face to face.
Steve came through the door at eleven in the evening, his bag over one arm and his cane helping him move forward. He dropped the bag to the floor and shook out his coat of loose snow. He hung the garments and cane on the hooks and walked into the living room to find a sleeping fox grasping a pillow, Alex had fallen asleep with the television on. Steve just smiled and turned of the television and picked the kit up over his shoulders. Even though he had a bum knee, Steve still had the strength to carry his own son up the stairs to his room. After situating the kit soundly in his bed he walked down the stairs and through to the dining room where Karen sat in front of her laptop and continued typing as she smiled up to him briefly. "How did it go?" She asked as she finished her work. "I think it's going to be okay. We'll know in a few hours what happened." He said as he reached into the refrigerator.
"I have to be back to HQ tomorrow for another briefing, Douglas said they came across something that may be important." The fox said as he fished out a bottle of alcohol. Karen raised her paw into the air, a signal that she too could use some of the liquor that he was getting for himself. Setting a pair of shot glasses upon the table and sitting in the chair perpendicular to her, he popped open the bottle and filled the glasses to the top. They both picked up there glass and tipped hem back into their maws. "So what do we do know that may be important?" Karen asked as she inhaled deeply, taking in the smooth burn of vodka. Steve got up and went back into the room where he set his bag. Coming back into the room he set a folder on the table before her. It had a band of yellow tape wrapped around all of the edges. 'RF - Confidential File' was branded on it along with an insignia and Douglas's signature on a line beneath it. On the upper portion both Steve and Karen's names were printed on it. "I take we are supposed to go over it together." The vulpine said as she poured herself another glass. Steve nodded in agreement as he sat again. They looked at the folder, it's thickness being foreboding.
Deciding that they should get over this, Steve picked up the folder and stuck his claw into the tape, cutting along the entire edge. Inside they found two report, maps and images, and a letter from Douglas. Karen picked up the report and skimmed through the maps while Steve read the letter and tried to understand it.
'RF - Confidential Letter
If you have received this Confidential File than you have been selected for a truly imperative mission. We have found that a Dark Matter Signature Reading (DMSR) has been found in the dessert of Egypt. The DMSR is large enough that we have investigated to find that a group of furs have further worked and possibly perfected on the bonding of dark matter to living tissue. We have a group of sixteen who will be part of a unit that will go in to collect and destroy all of their work. We are awaiting the final word on the de-materialization and it will be ready when this mission is to begin. The sixteen of you, code name Eradicator, will be responsible for completing this task. There is no option for this one; all of you are required for this mission. Inside is a report for each individual as well as a collaboration of pictures and maps. This event will occur in fourteen days from receipt.
Briefing for mission will occur at 2200 Pacific Standard Time, you will receive a full view of mission specs.
Douglas Buford Thomason'
Karen looked to Steve for an answer to this. Setting the reports on the table he poured another glass. "This is going to be the toughest one. Apparently this is said to be their actual headquarters." The fox said as he tipped the glass back into his maw. "Well from what we see from the pictures," Karen said as she picked up one of them, "we don't have much option." She then picked up one of the maps and opened it to full view. "The report has the most of everything. Department 22 is finishing the de-materialization for it's use." Steve said as he filled both of their glasses one more time. They both packed the papers back into the folder and left it upon the table. Raising their glasses, they tapped them against one another's and drank the contents. Steve rose from his seat and took the glasses and bottle back into the kitchen. They remained silent, not saying anything as they made themselves busy. The foxes began to clean up the kitchen, he washing the dishes and she drying them. Once finished, she sighed and went to close up her laptop. Steve walked outside onto the deck and looked across the snowy landscape of their back yard. Karen walked outside soon after and wrapped her arms around him, exchanging looks of concern and hope for themselves and others.
"Well let's go then." The fox said as he stood up from behind the desk and proceeded to the door, soon breaking into a fit of coughing. Jacob was caught off guard, it was as if by pure stroke of luck. He stood now inches away from the fur he didn't think he would meet. Xavier walked down the hall with Jacob, the glistening of his fur gleaming in the light. They went up two sets of stairs and then through an access door. 'I could just end this now.' Jacob thought as they proceeded down a hallway. Through a door marked 'DIRECTOR' they stepped into a large office. The office was well decorated with a large oak desk positioned in the near center of the room. Bookshelves were full of various files and bundles of papers along with a leather couch that had lamps on each end. "Jericho, we need access into the room with the wolf in it. Apparently a scan needs to be ran on her." The fox said as he stood quietly before the desk.
The chair turned to face them, a Doberman sat reading a logged report as he came around and then tossed it to the top of a pile on his desk. "What need's to be ran?" Jericho asked as he looked to the two furs before him. "A complete panel, reactivity to Dekoret, and a blood draw for mapping." Jacob said as he looked at the clipboard. The Doberman sat there, but then rose from his seat. He towered over them as he moved to the door and flagged them to follow. "Well we do need to do all of that. But, you should have ran that when you were last in there." Jericho said as they continued through the corridors. "Uh, sir can I use the bathroom real quick?" Jacob said as they passed a sign marked with a sign stating what it was. "Make it fast." The Doberman said, annoyed but the request. The wolf nodded in agreement and quickly made his way inside.
As soon as he locked the door, he pulled out a pair of glasses and ran his pads along the sides. In his sight passed a keyboard in mid air. "Jacob is trying to say something." Mark said as text began to flow on a new window on the screen. Thomas read along with the lion, both of them being shocked and trying to formulate a plan to give to Jacob. "Jacob, you will need to engage them as soon as you have Veronica read to be evacuated. At this point we can't leave this to you alone." The swine said as he looked to Mark. "I will meet you down there as soon as you give me the signal Jacob. Thomas is going to request an evacuation from HQ." The lion said as he loaded his handgun and slipped it into its holster. 'CONFIRMED. BE PREPARED WHEN YOU GET DOWN HERE CAUSE BOTH OF THEM ARE NOT GOING DOWN EASILY.' Jacob replied as a notification said that he was no longer using the keyboard for input. "Affirmative. I will await your signal." The feline said as he began to pack up Thomas's things. "I will proceed to the roof ad get the evacuation set. You two keep in contact with me as soon as you begin your extraction." The swine said as he pulled out a simple handgun. Mark nodded in agreement as he finished gathering the final items and put them away for Thomas to take. Proceeding into the hallway, the two went to the elevators. Thomas called one to them and then climbed into he car. "You two have one hour and forty minutes left. Get this done fast and efficiently." The swine said as the door closed. Mark just slid over to the next elevator, the same one that Jacob had went down earlier and pulled the doors apart. 'Waiting on you pup.' He said as he pulled the car up and out of his way.
Wolfe closed the front door as he stepped inside his home, the heater kicking on as he took off his coat. He sighed as he reached into his front pocket and pulled out a small ring box. Inside were not one, but two rings. Both of them were identical, only varying in size. He lifted the rings out and examined the small etching on the inside of each. "Wenn alles ewig und für immer duarte. (With everything eternal and forever lasting)" He said as he ran a pad along the inside of one of the rings. Along with the engraving was the letters 'WDE-AKS' following after the quote. The lupine put the rings back into the box and turned to lock and arm the doors. He trotted happily up the stairs and into his room. He set the box into his top dresser drawer and looked around his room as he remembered he needed to clean it up. 'I guess I kind of didn't get around to it.' He thought as he scratched the back of his head and grinned. Before the wolf started his task he walked over to his wall calendar and pulled out a pen. Making a mark on his calendar he smiled and then returned to cleaning up his room.
Jacob left the bathroom, remaining as normal as possible as the two furs looked at him and then led the way. Jericho walked to a door and stopped, he then pulled out a red card and slid it into a slot in the door. It clicked and a symbol flashed on its face as he turned the handle and pushed the door open. Inside were a various number of screens that were on showing various images; vitals, camera shots, and video recording of the room were on them. Just through a pane of glass before him he could see her with wires and cables inside of her. 'Only inches..." The wolf thought as he waited while Xavier began to type on one of the computers. "Supplies are in the access room as usual. Make it quick." Jericho said as he stood by Xavier. Jacob turned for the door on the right side of the room and went through it. On the inside of the room there were plenty of supplies and uniforms to use just to enter the room next to this one. Jacob quickly gathered the supplies to make it seem like he was actually going to do the tests he told the two he was going to do. After slipping into the uniform he stood by the door.
"You got ten minutes to get this done." The Doberman said over a speaker. "Yes sir." The lupine said as he heard a buzzing sound and the sliding of a lock. Jacob waited as the door slid out of the way, 'Five more than I need he thought.' Inside the room he could see Veronica, her face being blank as she continued sleeping from being sedated. He knew he was being watched from beyond the glass that he could not see through. He set the tray he had on the table and reached for a syringe to draw blood. He checked around the room as he stuck the needle into her arm for the best strategy he could come up with to get him and the wolf out of there. "Eight minutes, hurry up." Xavier said to inform the wolf. 'I am just going to have to wing it at this rate.' Jacob thought as he picked up a vial on the tray and a fresh syringe. He filled it and walked back to the lupine as he raised the needle to her IV. He stuck it into it and emptied the syringe of its contents. He waited for a sign from her as he walked back to the table and next grabbed a scanner. He turned it on and held it over her chest as it ran a beam over her chest, obviously being the 'Dekoret' scanner. Veronica began to stir as the injection took its affect on her. She opened her eyes slowly as she was coming off of the effects of the sedatives. Jacob set the scanner back onto the table and walked over to her and touched the fur on her arm, she immediately opened her eyes and looked at the unrecognizable fur that stood over her holding a clipboard. This fur looked into her eyes, no words being exchanged, as he smiled. "One minute. Come on gather your stuff and get out of there." Xavier said as Jericho buzzed the door on the wall to open.
"Sorry guys I think I may need two more minutes." Jacob said as he reached into his coat and threw a charged bomb at the glass where the two furs were. The explosion filled the room as Jacob quickly pulled Veronica's cables and tubes from her then lunging for the door. She screamed as they hit the floor on the opposite side of the doorway. "God damn it Jacob!" Veronica screamed as she shoved the lupine off of her. Jacob quickly picked himself and his fellow companion off of the ground. He handed her a black cube that she opened immediately and unpacked, quickly slipping on the clothes and weapons provided with it. Jacob rotated the bezel on his watch and pushed it in. "Sorry it took us so long," He said as he, in a flash, returned to his original form, "but these guys just don't make it as easy to walk in you know." She picked up a handgun and reached into one of the pockets of the tactical vest she was wearing, throwing a magnet like object to the far door. "Amateur..." She said as the door exploded.
Mark had a hunch when he looked down at his watch and saw that it had a green light on it. The lion leapt down into the elevator shaft. 'Not much left.' Mark said as he could see the ground. He landed on the ground much the same as Jacob did. Looking up to the door that was just inches above him, he extended his claws and torn into the metal of them. The lion mustering none of his strength tore them open like paper. Sirens and lights were already flashing as he entered and soldiers were moving down the halls. One ran to him and began to open fire as he saw the lion looking down the hall to his left. In a flash Mark had dodged and snapped the soldiers gun into two. "Nice try kid." The lion said as he knocked him out and threw him from where he came. "Hey Mark we need an exit over here, we're three floors above you." Jacob said as he fired his gun. "Not a problem, be right there." The lion said as he tightened his gloves.
Mark ran down the hallway to the opposite side and busted through the door to the stairs. He could hear them coming through one of the doors just above, shouting and readying their weapons. The lion ran up to the midway landing where he was greeted by six guards, two who must have been equipped with black matter since they both cast a strange light before them. Mark back flipped as the first two charged at him both firing their weapons at him and then swing the heel of their guns at him. He punched the one to his left square in the jaw, as he reached forward to the next one and picked him up by the belt of his pants and hurled him back into the two others. One of them leapt up onto the railing and swung his legs to kick him, the lion raising his arm to block. Another withdrew a knife and swung wildly, Mark having to duck in the nick of time as he drew in his might and uppercut the fur, sending him into one of the floors above through the steel stairs. Both of the guards equipped with black matter charged at him as the other guard leapt off of the railing and opened fire on the cat. In the blink of an eye, the cat was behind the one who opened fire and kicked him in down toward the others. Both of the black matter's jumped and rebounded and sent flames in the lion's direction. Mark acted quickly and sent a gust of wind back to them before sending his own set of flames upon them. The two were trapped in a firestorm, both screaming as the flames engulfed them.
Mark took advantage of the time and leaped up along the railing to the floor that Jacob and Veronica were on. He burst through the door and quickly turned to where he could see gunfire. "Jacob! Hold on!" The lion exclaimed as he ran into the gunfire and kicked away at four of the ten guards. Jacob and Veronica, who soon leapt out of the hall they were in, pegged off the remainders who were caught off guard. "We need to get down this hall and up! We have twenty till evacuation!" Jacob said as he received the notice from Thomas. Another drove of guards charged to them, full force of bullets and random energies flying toward them as they ducked behind the wall that had now fallen. "Get them!" One of the guards shouted as three of the soldiers ran forward with machine guns and spraying the wall they hid behind. The end of the hallway was only one hundred feet away, an easy feat for them to take care of. Jacob loaded a fresh clip into his gun and rose as soon as the gunfire stopped and shot three rounds toward he opposite end. All three were pegged, as then Mark lunged over the wall with his fists covered in a mysterious, blue glow. Veronica and Jacob followed him as he knocked each of the troops down and tore open the door to the elevator.
"We are going to have to head to the ground," Veronica said as she hit the button to close the doors, "the roof is being blocked from what Thomas said." They slunk immediately to the walls as a spray of gunfire filled into the space where the door was still open. They could feel the elevator rising as it clunked and groaned its way back up. Once they hit the ground floor they ran out as soon two other elevators exploded across form the one they were on. All three of them fell to the open area, now filling with moonlight and fire from the upper floors. They horridly picked one another up and faced toward the elevators being ready for what ever may come next. Looking inside the black smoke they could see two figures, the fox and the Doberman. "Thomas says they are going to make a circled trip and come meet us outside." Mark said as he pulled out one of his handguns from its holster on his hip. They stood as their foes walked slowly toward them, each just stretching lightly as they stood in a fighting stance. "You sure had us fooled there. Very tricky you all are." Jericho said as he looked to Xavier. "Too bad none of you are going to get out of here." Xavier said as he pulled out an all too familiar weapon from behind him. The three said nothing as they waited for someone to make the first move. Fire burning from behind the two furs opposing them was starting to lick its way up the walls and burning anything for fuel.
Mark made the first move as he blasted away his gun to the dog and lunged behind a pillar. He missed by just an inch. Veronica back flipped and dodged the dog's return fire by zigzagging as she kicked up one of the plants that sat in the hall. Jacob quickly pulled out the titanium bar and ran to his left to keep his eye on the fox. He then pulled out one of his guns and slid behind the pillar just nearby. Mark ran forward and lunged to the dog and threw a slew of punches, each being blocked by Jericho as he raised his fist to each punch. Veronica ducked under the reception desk as she fished out bundles of explosives and set them under the desktop. "Veronica, how we looking?" Thomas inquired, the sound of chopper blades in the background. "Not good, we have two that just ambushed us, the fox and the dog." She said as she wired the explosives to a remote detonator. "Shit... Keep me posted, we're bringing in a black falcon but it's delayed an additional twenty minutes." The swine said with much demand. "Roger that." The lupine said as she rose from her hiding place and went to help the lion.
Jacob shot a burst of flames to Xavier, the fox dodging it and lunging at him with his sword. They clashed weapons against one another and swung violently. Jacob leapt onto the wall and kicked up thirty feet before he let loose a thrall of lightning to the ground. The fox was hit, his body cringing from the shock. "Got you." The lupine said as he speared down to the fox dead on. The fox kicked and rolled out of the way as Jacob's blade pierced into the ground. In a split second Jacob fired his gun till the rounds emptied to the fox. "You can't hit me with those, they're much to slow." Xavier laughed as he cut the ground with his sword and caused the cement beneath the floor to erupt where Jacob stood. Jacob flew into the air as he tried to recoil in mid-air from the blast. He looked down and tried to see where the fox had gone, but he had vanished. "Looking for me?" Said Xavier as he stuck the heel of his boot onto the lupine back and kicked hard. Jacob was soon hurled into the air and toward the metal framing that held the glass in place in the expansive hall. But just as he was about to hit it he flipped in the air and rested his foot paws to the metal and kicked off. "Not even." The lupine said as he shot his gun at the fox and hit him on the shoulder and leg.
Mark was now getting around the Dobermans punches and landing blows, the dog yelping every time a direct hit landed. "Mark!" Veronica exclaimed as she stood behind the dog and signaled to the cat. In a flash they both hurled the dog into the reception desk and blasted him with flames. Jacob soon did the same as he kicked and punched the fox toward the same area where Jericho was unwillingly resting. "GO!" Veronica exclaimed as she made a run for the door, the other two following close behind. They shot out the glass and leapt out as Veronica pushed the red button of the detonator. The black falcon flew in and hovered in mid-air in the expansive courtyard as the explosion shattered the glass and enveloped the inside area with flame. The three quickly climbed aboard as the black falcon pulled into the air before they could even shut the door. "Black falcon in flight to HQ ship. Add three to contents." Said the pilot into this headset. "Looks like you three just barely made this one out." Thomas said as he looked back to the center of the city. "Just barely..." Jacob said as he brought his paws to his face and the aircraft made its way to a submarine stationed off of the coast.
A blast filled the room, water raining down upon the flames and shattered glass that lay everywhere. Xavier and Jericho pushed off the heavy stones that had landed on top of the black aura that had shielded them. "Once again they got the upper hand." Jericho said as he dusted his fur off and retrieved a radio from in his pocket. "They don't play fair sir." Xavier said as he began a fit of coughing. "Well next time we should get this whole mess fixed." Jericho uttered as he pressed a few keys on the device. In a flash of white light they were gone, leaving the dwindling flames and the sound of police cruisers coming to the building.
Jacob helped Veronica out of the craft with Mark's help. She was still slightly weak from the sedatives, but had plenty of fight in her. "Douglas, sir!" She and the others saluted as the mighty ursine stood before them. "At ease." He said as he stood in front of the female wolf. Veronica tried to continue standing, but exhaustion took the best of her as she collapsed into the bear's arms. She was in terrible shape; some of the punctures into her skin were bleeding lightly. "I'm just glad to be home..." She said as a gurney was pulled up next to her. They put her onto the gurney and she was wheeled out of the hanger and through to the medical level. Jacob, Mark, and Thomas all stood by and waited for Douglas to address them. "Great work you three," He said as he extended his paws to them, "mission accomplished." "Thank you sir. All for the team." Mark said as he stretched. "Well I think you guys are gonna need some rest. You all need to remember to stop by my office before leaving the facility." The ursine stated as he turned to leave them. "Let's get home." Jacob said as he reached for the lions paw and led the way.
*******
Just a short chapter to continue moving the story along. Keep an eye out for Chapter 11 - Thirteen More Days
=======
All characters, structure, scenario, and plot © 2010, 2013 Wolfe Dimitrivich Escada aka XenialShadow
All artists, music, brand names, company names, slogans, registers, and trademarks are copyright to their respective entities and used only to enhance the story.
The majority of the story is purely fictitious and is not to be taken into account in the event of coincidental reality.
V 1.1