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Act XXVII: Waz Real; Was Knot

It took me some extra time to track down and dig up Count Renzo Goddard's remains, but once I had them secured into a traveling container, we were once again on our way up the coast. Guilmont and Capricorn were pleased to be getting out of Los Angeles, as was I. I hope I never have to go there again. Too dangerous. Gods, I hate guns! An A34 isn't a gun.

Fortunately, it didn't take me long to drive to San Francisco. When we arrived, I immediately made a stop at my old digs where I had started my adventures. Upon walking inside, I could tell that we weren't alone here. The odor of beer was in the air. That only meant one thing. Shane.

"Where are you, Sheridan?"

Almost immediately, I heard the loud response.

"Never call me Sheridan! I am..."

That's when Shane actually saw who it was.

"Jansen! You almost made me hurt you! Are you still on vacation?"

I grinned.

"Yes, but this is my last stop before I head on up to Xim's Complex and resume active duty. How are things? Why are you here rather than being in Rocky Falls, Missouri?"

Shane took a drink of his beer, then winked at me.

"I needed some time away from Dominic Vanlyone and the White Stag."

I irked. If Shane was leaving the territory, then Dominic must've been in something deep again.

"Well, we won't dwell on that, Shane. I'd like you to meet Guilmont and Capricorn. They both recently joined Chess, under my guidance."

Shane grinned. "Capricorn, I know all too well. Last I heard, he was dating your sister. Then, Jo returned to Rocky Falls alone and seemed even more angry at Cassander Vulcan."

I laughed.

"I wonder why?"

Shane also laughed.

"So, you're the one who put Jo on the warpath! Now, we know!"

I winked, this time.

"And knowing is half the battle! G.I. Shane!!!"

We both laughed!

"In your dreams! I am a Marine!"

That provoked some more laughter. Man, it was good having Shane around. I treated Shane and the others to a night out at a local bar, where I footed the bill for everything they drank. Okay, I also footed the bill for everything they broke, too. Two big drunken lugs who both knew Jo... They don't need a Chess agent; they needed a baby sitter.

Once I had everyone back at the apartment, I returned into the night to locate and visit some clanly friends. This was San Francisco and I always tried to retain my contacts whenever possible. And I always did it for Xim.

The next morning, Guilmont, Capricorn and I packed up the car and bid our goodbyes to the still sleeping Shanester. He'd forgive us for sneaking out on him and hopefully, he'd also forgive me for taking all of the clothing out of the apartment, save for a pink tutu, which I had placed on him the night before.

We were soon driving up the coast once again.

---

She gasped and laughed!

"You left Shane with only a pink tutu?! Oh god!"

---

Some hours later, we made a pit stop at Huxley's shop. Guilmont and Capricorn needed to use the restroom. Yes, beer does that to you. My timing was seconds away from a major faux paus, as I just missed running into Dominic by about two minutes. Reed was pleased to see me, but he was glad I hadn't entered the shop any earlier or Dominic and I would've met at that second.

"Blimey, mate! Yer twin, Dominic, is quite the pawful! Yas about ran into 'im!"

I paled at that.

"He was just here? Damned! I need to get out of the United States, then. He and I being together is not a wise idea, just yet."

Reed grinned and winked.

"Aye, 'e and Whitey are about as bad as they come."

I grinned back at Reed.

"How's Dominic getting here so quickly? I thought I was the only one who could teleport."

Reed then took me into the back of the apothecary and around a corner, pointing at a Stonehenge like stone archway.

"Kavan Keefe, a unicorn prince of the 'idden Realm, gave Dominic the power to make those things. It's a magical gateway to connect point A to point B, permanently. Dominic 'as a ton of these things."

I hummed.

"This can be dangerous, then. I'll need to report this to my employer, Danath Gaul, immediately. By the way, Reed... are you needing any special supplies from Germany? I have a need to travel there after I leave here and it could be beneficial and save you some time if I picked up any deliveries while I was there."

Reed hummed for awhile. Then, he led me into his storage rooms doing a quick inventory.

"Ah need German were-boar 'oof-clippings, about two cases, Ah'd say. Ah'll need a quart of Nessie tears from Scotland... and Ah'll need an Eden Root. The Wazriens can provide you with that."

I nodded my head making notations in my PDA about the requests.

"You got it, Reed. I'll do my best and see you when I return."

Reed hugged me, then let me go. Reed was an overgrown stud who'd make some she-roo very happy someday. I gathered my friends and we set off for the Xim Complex.

When we arrived at the Xim Complex, Danath Gaul was there waiting on me. That was highly unusual because it usually meant that something major had come up. We greeted each other, then I gave my extensive report. Afterwards, some of the elites took Guilmont and Capricorn to be fitted for Pawn outfits. Then, it was just Danath and I. And Danath had a very serious look on his face. More serious than usual.

"Jansen, are you ready to tango with another of Chess' enemies?"

I arched an eye to that statement.

"We have other enemies? I suppose I am ready. Working has got to be a better vacation than vacationing has been. What's the mission?"

Danath Gaul had to smile at that. Then he got serious again.

"Psi and Chess have jointly kept this information from you because we weren't sure if you were ready for it or not. But after these last few things you've been through, I'd say that you're ready to know about these things. Psi and Chess, jointly, have a collective arch foe organization called Skam. That stands for Search and Kill Alien Monsters. Their agents dress up like Psi and Chess agents, then go looking for the same thing we look for... only when they find what they are looking for, they kill and/or destroy them."

I growled fiercely.

"That explains why many of the creatures and beings I came across were so afraid of Chess!"

Danath Gaul nodded his head.

"That is indeed the reason, Jansen. We've had elites trying to locate Skam's headquarters and operatives for years but they have had no luck. But they've never done things the Tanner way, either. I think it's time for a Tanner perspective on this case. Now, I know you have other obligations to the weres and to Reed and to the Count but I can't be everywhere. Jansen... because you have your own base and Psi has even agreed that when you're around, things get done right... Jansen, what I am trying to say..."

I was surprised that Danath was tongue tied for a change. This surprised me.

"Spit it out, Danath. What are you trying to say?"

Danath turned away for a moment, staring at the Chess organization's logo on the wall. Then, Danath turned to me once again.

"Jansen... I can't be everywhere at once. It just can't be done. I want you to become Chess Master. My partner. Publicly, I'd be retiring; stepping down. Publicly, you'd be taking my place; the ultimate promotion. The truth would be that Chess is expanding to cover more of the world. With you in charge of the organization and me as your information adviser and mission specialist... Jansen... I need your help to put a stop to Skam's activities. The creatures and beings you've encountered trust you. They deserve better protection. What do you say?"

I smiled, a tear leaking from my eye.

"Jesse..."

Danath sighed and smiled as he remembered Jesse "the outlaw" Vanya.

"I wish he were still here."

I smiled, placing an arm around Danath, hugging him.

"Well, if I'm your partner then I think you've earned something special. Let's head into the kitchen so I can make us some dinner and while I am doing that, I'll tell you about the Bermuda Triangle and the world of Atlantis."

Danath arched an eye at that and followed me into the kitchen. While I prepared dinner, I told Danath all about what Krystal and I had discovered there and what the two of us decided should be kept secret. Danath smiled. He was impressed by that. Danath helped me prepare a few dishes. Then, the table was set and we dined on our meals.

I then affixed an eye on Danath.

"Danath, I want you to contact Psi and see if their leader will give Krystal the same deal you're giving me. Access to Europe as the Psi leader's partner. There will be times when I'll need Krystal's help and when the two of us are together things happen. Plus, she interests me..."

Danath grinned.

"Falling in love, are you? Yes, Krystal Silverly is quite the agent. I'll have a talk with Marla and see what we can work out."

I smiled.

"In the meantime, I'll take care of Count Renzo Goddard in Germany. Then, I will begin collecting the supplies that Reed needs. While I am doing that, I will also be inquiring around about Skam... the Tanner way. Someone is bound to be able to give me the information we need."

Danath grinned.

"After I am done with Marla, I'll pretend to return to Athens to pack up my gear. Then, I'll go undercover and track down some leads that I have come across and I'll keep in touch with you... oh boy... damn..."

I arched an eye.

"What's the problem now?"

Danath lifted a gaze at me. It wasn't a pretty one.

"Dominic."

I cussed.

"Right... Dominic... If I publicly become the leader of Chess, he'll know about me. Then, I'll have to explain it all to him. Well... I guess it's time I went and confronted Dominic about the truth. But first, I'll need to track down Josh Savage, Jr. He's been looking for me ever since my sister Leia hired him to track me down. He almost caught me once, but since then, I've not heard hide nor hair of him. I have a feeling he's in trouble and it's my fault."

Danath hummed.

"If this Josh Savage, Jr. is in trouble... a trouble that Chess is keyed toward handling, then you definitely need to go save him. I'll contact our contacts and see about locating Josh that way. You handle your business in Europe. We'll rendezvous in Athens and compare notes. We have our orders. Anything else?"

I grinned.

"One more thing. For Dominic's benefit, I will wear the White Bishop uniform. Later, after he's had a chance to get used to the idea that he's not me... I'll tell him that I'm your partner."

Danath and I finished our dinner, then Danath departed... god style... Well, he is a Norse god. I, in the meantime, retrieved Count Renzo Goddard's bones and teleported to Baron Gott'schlecht's Germany in the Black Forest via the wolf magic.

I was very surprised to arrive in the middle of a sword battle between two factions of Black Forest wolves. Being that I didn't want to be slain, I pulled out my Chess issue dog whistle and blew it.

That stopped the fight right there!

I then announced, quite loudly.

"I am Jansen Tanner! The new Chess Master of the Chess organization! Why are you fighting?"

The two factions pulled back as the officer leaders of the two sides approached me.

The first wore the barony colors of Gott'schlecht's Guardians.

"An assassin tried to kill the Baron. An assassin who wore 'their' banner."

The second wore the colors of the Transylvania-Moravian Scions.

"A vandal wearing the colors of the Baron's Guardians attacked and torched our homes. We tracked him to here and they suddenly ambushed and attacked us."

I growled.

"You fools! Can't you see that you've been tricked?! The assassin and the vandal... one in the same foe! And you fell for it! Stop this fighting at once! Or do you want me to do things... the Tanner way?"

Evidently word has traveled far and wide about what a Tanner can do. They lowered their swords, slowly. I then continued.

"Come, let us see to the Baron. If he needs healing, I can at least provide that. But I am not going to let his people and allies degrade into humans. You two come with me. The rest of you... make camp... and if I hear any fighting... I'll make sure my sisters spank every one of you. Understand?"

I took the two leaders with me. God, I hated senseless fighting... Guns were worse but this was just plain stupid. Now, I had to deal with someone getting the wolves to fight. That wasn't high on my list of fun things to do.

Eventually, the three of us stood in the Baron's bedroom. The doctor, a sheep-like humanoid, looked to us, then to the Baron again.

"He'll live. The weapon was poisoned but it wasn't a strong enough poison to kill him. Whoever did this couldn't have known that it takes magic to kill the Baron. I must go now."

After the doctor left, Baron Gott'schlecht smiled at me.

"Ah, Jansen Tanner. You always show up when I think about you the most. You are like a son to me. You have heard what was attempted. By now, I assume you know more than I."

I allowed the leader of the Transylvania-Moravian Scions to present his case to the Baron, then I explained what I suspected had happened. The two occurrences were timed too closely together.

Gott'schlecht nodded his head.

"I would have to agree with you, Jansen. It was too coincidental. As a good leader, I will make any restitution to the Transylvania-Moravian wolves and to their families. Had I truly ordered such a strike, the Scions would not have lived to come here, if you know what I mean..."

Evidently, the leader of the Scions figured it out pretty fast what the Baron meant. He lowered his head, feeling ashamed that he'd allowed himself to be so easily tricked. He took out his sword and started to kill himself. Well, he started to. I stopped him.

"Are you mad? If you do that here, your brethren will think I led you into a trap and had you killed! If you want to destroy yourself over a simple mistake that you will not allow to happen again, do so in front of your troops! But don't you dare soil the baron's floors with your blood! A war of wolves will not be allowed!"

The Scion looked at me, then at the leader of the Guardians.

"This one is more wolf than all of us. I would follow him. Very well, my blood will not flow, Jansen Tanner, under the condition that you become our Baron. The Scions would obey you."

I irked. This was completely unexpected. It was also getting out of paw, I mean, hand.

"I will be your Baron, but remember you this: I am a Chess Master and track a dangerous group of foes called Skam. Their goal is to wipe out all non human monsters while pretending to be Chess or Psi agents. If you know about any such people, it is to be reported to either me, Danath Gaul, Krystal Silverly or Marla Borva. No one else who wears Psi or Chess uniforms are to receive this information. Now come, we must make my being a Baron official. Plus, I need to bury a German count from the 1600s, as I had promised his ghost."

The Guardian leader led me to the lord's cemetery and indicated the plots reserved for the 1600s. I smiled when I saw the empty plot. It was already night here, as I unpacked Count Renzo Goddard's bones and a shovel. As I was digging, the two wolf leaders moved away from me. I soon saw why... The apparition of Renzo Goddard was sitting there, looking down into the hole I was digging. I grinned up at him.

"Like I promised, Renzo. German soil."

Renzo grinned back.

"Your word is golden, Jansen. I am very happy. Before I vanish for the last time, I want you to have something. I know you will find it useful. Of my powers as an apparition... I bequeath to you the ability to become intangible, at will. I know you will not abuse this power. Just promise me that you will smash and crush Skam, once and for all."

I grinned up at Renzo, crossing my heart with my hand.

"I promise that Skam will be smashed and crushed."

Renzo smiled, as he gave me his powers. Then, Renzo was simply gone. That shocked me more than his appearance. But I had kept my end of the bargain. I had brought Count Renzo Goddard home. Little did I know what awaited me at my next three stops on Reed's shopping trip.

After I carefully placed Renzo's bones to rest and refilled the hole, I went with the Scion leader to his group, where the Baron offer made to me was retold. I was again surprised that all of the Scions agreed to follow me. Afterwards, a ceremony was held, as Baron Gott'schlecht first knighted me as a paladin of the Black Forest, then bequeathed the mantle of a Baron's title upon me, to allow me to choose where ever I chose to be a Baron. I agreed to be the Scion's Baron, publicly, but swore that my allegiance to Gott'schlecht would never die.

---

Joe ShadowWing began setting the table with loads of food and drink. Joe was a good cook.

"How's it going, love? Has Jansen slain any IRS men yet?"

She laughed!

"That's not what he does, Joe! Jansen just became the Chess Master and has now been knighted and made a baron of a kingdom of werewolves. And now, he's going off to collect herbal ingredients for his werekangaroo friend in California. And he's also hunting down some kooks called Skam. And, he's going to have to rescue Josh Savage, Jr. from some sort of danger."

Joe grinned.

"Dinner is ready, love.

She went over and had dinner with Joe, but as soon as dessert had been finished, she immediately headed back over and looked to see what was next in the agent history.

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