ONE BOMB TOO MANY
Chapter 1
Author's Notes: I'd like to say "thank you" to everyone on this site who has the guts to put up their work. You're the reason I'm trying myself and built up some nerve, so please don't slaughter me. Thanks for reading! Other than myself, you guys will be the first to read this story. Let me know if you want more chapters or if I should give it up. As you all know, I own no rights to the Swat Kats and bla... bla... bla, you get the picture. I make no money off this Fanfic, so don't sue. This is my first story ever. I didn't even write anything while in school. Why I'm starting now or even passed English class, who knows.
EDIT NOTE: This is being reposted to correct errors. Hope you like the improvement. Ulyferal helped by being my beta for this.Thank you soooooo much Ulyferal!
In the beginning...Megakat History Museum...
T-Bone and Razor sat with their backs against the wall while the footsteps drew closer. After running in the back door of the museum they had ducked into a back stairway trying to elude their angry pursuers. They blocked the door and hit the ground when shots were fired through it. They both knew they needed better cover but didn't know how many were out there pinning them down
T-Bone's heart pounded so loud and fast it made the ringing in his ears unbearable as he lay on the floor keeping his head down. Razor was laying not far from him as bullets tore through the door and hit the wall above their heads.
Keeping as flat to the floor as he could, T-Bone watched each bullet hit the wall across from them, wondering if the next bullet would go right through his neck. He listened and watched as he counted the number of hits. Four...miss...five...six...seven...miss...eight...nine... .ten... ...eleven...twelve... He swallowed hard as he waited for the shooting to stop. He kept his eyes on the wall and Razor. He didn't know what was worse, waiting for a bullet to hit him or Razor.
"Keep your head down, buddy!" He shouted to his partner.
"No shit!" Razor snarled back.
The firing stopped. They tried to listen for their attackers but the ringing in their ears had deafened them. Razor shifted to the left five or so inches and looked out one of the bullet holes. He saw they would only have a few minutes to get away. He grabbed T-Bone's arm, tugging him to his feet then began running toward the stairs. There was an unspoken trust between them. One could say charge and the other pulls out the afterburners, or a MasterCard, depending on the situation. As they raced up the stairs, they heard the door below them slam open.
"There they are... Halt...!" A harsh voice shouted.
More bullets chased them up the stairs. They reached another door and charged it, breaking the lock and rushing in. It turned out to be a small storeroom with another exit at its other end. They ran to the other door where Razor use his glove-a-trix to break the lock. The door opened onto a small hall in the museum proper. There were two long hallways and, a little ways away, was another set of stairs.
As a dozen or so armed and pissed-off Kats were pouring out the door Razor had broken, the hunted pair were already racing up the next set of stairs just out of the pursuers sight. They climbed quickly and quietly. Nearly to the top, they noticed the shadows. They froze instantly.
Coming toward the top of the stairs were a large crowd of high schoolers on a field trip. They were effectively blocking the vigilantes escape route. The situation couldn't have been worse. Enforcers had the whole museum surrounded and heading their way were the school Kats. They had to do something and quick.
Razor looked T-Bone in the eyes and said, "If we can get to those buses unnoticed, we'll be home free. I hate to use kittens as a cover but I don't feel like dying today. Turn your g-suit inside out and stuff the top into the pants...ditch the rest."
T-Bone grimaced unhappily but started to strip as the kittens above them began to reach the stairs heading for the emergency exit just below where the pair were standing. They hurriedly dropped their masks, helmets, and glove-a-trix over the stair railing to the floor below.
Moments later, the kittens came piling down in a frightened herd, though the teachers were trying to control them, the panicked kittens rushed past the pair nearly knocking them over. No one gave them a second look.
Razor grabbed a hat off one of the kittens and pulled it on then quickly joined the throng flying down the stairs. Behind him, T-Bone managed to stay close behind a 'green giant' look alike. Any big and tall kitten who could help him disappear was his friend right now.
'Copper!' He thought to himself. 'I taste copper.. no.. iron. I'm bleeding. Why do I taste blood. Where else am I bleeding. As if I didn't stick out enough, blood will really get me noticed besides wearing a grease covered nasty white T-shirt. Crud! What I wouldn't give for my glove-a-trix about now. Where is Razor, is he hurt? I don't see him. Almost there...almost outside...don't look...damn it!... where is he? I really hate the taste of blood.' He continued his internal monologue as he headed toward the buses, his eyes constantly looking about.
As the kittens poured down the stairs, the searching enforcers were forced to halt their hunt and help the frightened students out the nearby exit and to their buses. The Commander had joined his troops and searched the kittens as they passed him but missed identifying the bold pair as they slipped out under their noses.
"Check the buses before they go. Not one leaves until we find them." He ordered.
The two greyhounds filled up while the volunteers called role. All the kittens were on the right bus. The extra riders said nothing. They had been lucky there were extra seats still open or they would have been caught immediately.
"Who are you?" A curious kitten asked as Jake and Chance found seats at the back of the bus.
"I'm Bobby's dad," Jake said quickly.
"Bobby who?" The teen persisted.
"The Bobby on the other bus." Jake growled then ignored the kitten as he sighed with relief and sunk into the seat beside his friend, glad to be alive.
"Who's he?" The runt asked as he pointed to Chance.
"Bobby's Mom." Jake said flippantly daring the twerp to say anything else. Luckily the kitten's attention was drawn to the front of the bus by an enforcer climbing aboard and looking around.
Chance and Jake turned their heads away and looked out the window hoping the enforcer wouldn't look at them to closely. Before the enforcer could move down the aisle to check everyone out his radio spat out an urgent message.
"Attention all units, we have suspects. A car on the run going towards the south exit. Might be the SWAT Kats, all units respond!"
"Get this bus out of here now!" The enforcer ordered as he headed back out the door. He didn't have to tell the driver twice. She was on the move just as fast as the enforcer could fly off that bus.
'We made it' Jake thought to himself, knowing the ride was not over yet. Giving a little smirk to the twenty question kitten next to them.
"Can you believe the Swat Kats killed those enforcers? I wonder if they'll catch 'em?" The kitten said excitedly. Chance just looked away, hoping the stupid kitten would go away if he ignored him.
As the SWAT Kats made their escape, the Deputy Mayor was trying to calm Mayor Manx on the phone.
"I' m watching it now Mayor! I called you, remember!... Yes, I'll handle it...Yes, you should be here for this, the press is going to slaughter us... I said, the press are going to be here soon...Yes, it is...OK, I'll see you soon." Calico Briggs said then hung up the phone without ever taking her eyes off the TV.
"Now what have you guys got yourself into. Please say it wasn't you," she said worriedly out loud. 'Maybe it was an accident.' She thought. Her face felt cold, sad and exhausted. She could only guess how her friends felt. She was afraid for them, not knowing if what the news blasted was anywhere close to the truth or not but she knew anything she did to try and help them would land her in jail too. If they did do all those horrible things, for whatever reason, it would be hard to forgive them.
By the time night had fallen, the press conference, meetings and the terrible day had finally come to an end. Callie was looking forward to getting some much needed sleep.
"I am soo not looking forward to the morning." She moaned aloud as she noted the time on the clock on her desk reading 10:00 p.m. Sighing, she grabbed her purse, locked her office and made her way home.
She groaned in relief as she took off her shoes and turned to lock the door of her apartment. Padding tirededly to her bedroom, she tossed her shoes near her closet. She changed her clothes to her favorite robe then, thinking to get something to drink, she walked toward her kitchen when she caught something out of the corner of her eye through the window. Her adrenaline skyrocketed as she jumped to the window and looked out.
'Something white went by, I know it,' she thought anxiously as she peered through the window, a face peered back at her. "AHHHH!" She screamed in shock then flung the window open and shouted, "What the hell are you doing here!"
"I'm sorry!" Razor said placatingly as he stood on her fire escape. He was messed up. He was wearing only a T-shirt and what looked like the bottom of his G-suit. His helmet was missing and the mask looked like it was once part of a black T-shirt. It was too dark to tell. She had to admit to herself, though, he was really hot in that thin tee.
"Can I borrow your car? I'll give it back." Razor pleaded with her.
"What! Why? Where is T-Bone. Are you guys ok?" She asked in concern.
"Please. I need to get him home. He's hurt and can't make it any further. Our hangar is too far away in his condition. We've been walking since this afternoon and only managed to make it here." He explained tirededly.
Callie was unsure what to do or think and a bit concerned that he knew where she lived. 'This whole day has been a nightmare.' She thought fearfully then shook herself angrily, 'What am I doing? These two have risk their lives to save mine dozens of times. They ask for one thing and I ask why? I can't give them my car though.' She thought anxiously then asked aloud, "Where is he?"
"Down there." He pointed below him in the ally.
She knew this would only end badly but said, "Bring him up."
"Ummm, are you sure?" Razor asked hesitantly.
"Screw it, why not." She told him, sighing in resignation.
Razor climbed down and disappeared for some ten minutes then reappeared with T-Bone. He helped his partner climb up the ladder then up the stairs slowly until they reached her window again. She helped him climb into the room.
"Take him in there," she gestured toward a door. She led the way. Going to her closet, she grabbed a thick throw and placed it on her bed to prevent her silk coverlet and cream sheets from getting bloody.
Razor helped T-Bone lay down on the bed. Callie went to her bathroom for her first aid kit, returning she handed it to Razor. She watched as the cinnamon tom treated his partner's injuries.
T-Bone's lip was split open and his leg torn. The wound wasn't deep but it was bleeding quite a bit. Razor cleansed the wound with antiseptic and wrapped it with a bandage
"Could I get some ice to put on this? It will ease the swelling." Razor asked as he closed the kit and handed it back to her.
"Sure, be back in a minute." She said quietly, taking the kit, leaving for her kitchen. Grabbing a ziplock bag from her cupboard, she filled it with ice and returned to the bedroom, handing it to Razor.
He smiled his thanks then placed it on T-Bone's right calf. Callie studied the supine tom...all of him. His upper arms were heavily muscled as was his chest and legs. He was one very powerful looking tom. Glancing at Razor, she amended, both of them were. Both toms were very attractive.
She had soo many questions to ask them but decided to wait. The big tom was exhausted, barely able to keep his eyes open. Only then did she realize that her first impression of a t-shirt covering their eyes had been the correct one. She really needed to take Razor aside and demand some answers.
She looked at them both more closely. 'Neither tom had been shot... bruised, cut and bleeding... ...yes...but obviously no enforcer had got close enough to do more damage. They'd fought... ..suffered some punches.' She thought musingly.
'I'd better get some towels. Razor needs a shower before I jump all over him with questions. Mmmmm... Razor... shower. Stop it Callie! This is no one you should get mixed up with. But then again...,' her straying thoughts were interrupted by T-Bone suddenly speaking.
"I thought I'd pulled a muscle when we began running for like, an hour. When your adrenaline is up, you don't feel much till you calm down." He said explaining his injury then said, "This is a really nice place you have here." He said trying to set her at ease.
"Thanks T-Bone, you should get some sleep and stop eye raping my bedroom. It's nearly midnight. I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted." She said in amusement. His trademark devilish grin spread across his face and he chuckled softly. In an innocent voice he said, "Goodnight Ms. Briggs."
"Don't you two leave until it gets dark again. I don't want to be an accessory to anything here. The phone is in the kitchen if you need it, Sleep well...Oh, and um T-Bone...don't bleed on my floor. Nothing gets blood out of white carpet." She said inanely then slipped out of the room quickly followed by Razor. He closed the door and followed Callie to her kitchen.
"Hot tea?" She asked softly.
"No thanks Ms. Briggs"
"Razor, stop calling me Ms. Briggs. I'm not a customer of yours or something." She scolded him.
"Sure...Callie" He said shyly and gave her a cute little 'I called you Callie' smile.
'Now's a good time, I guess,' she thought. "Let me show you where the shower is. You smell like a gym sock sprayed with old spice." She said flippantly.
"Hu! That bad, huh? Sorry about that. " He said blushing with embarrassment. Still, they didn't move as they looked at each other while she sipped her tea, neither knowing when to look away or how. She finally broke the tableau by setting her cup down and leading him back down the hall.
He couldn't take his eyes off her swaying form wrapped in it's white and pink robe. 'She was one beautiful she-kat,' he thought appreciatively.
"What happened to you two?" She suddenly demanded as they stopped outside the bathroom and she turned to look him in the eyes which she could actually see for the first time. They were amber in color. He looked defeated and stressed as he leaned against the wall.
"I was really worried about you. The news said you guys were cornered and open fired upon. They said you killed four enforcers. But that's not you...right?" She persisted, needing to know the answer but afraid of what it would be. " Please say that's not what happened!" She begged.
"We didn't kill anyone Callie, at least not directly. We were following some suspicious guys to the museum. As we watched them, they proceeded to place explosives at a rear exit door. That's when we jumped them. There were six of them and T-Bone was injured during the fight. The noise alerted some enforcers patrolling the area. We left them to take care of the four on the ground then T-Bone and I chased after two others trying to escape and hadn't told the enforcers of the bomb. They were cuffing the four we'd left when they were all killed by the bomb. We didn't know it had been set to blow. I thought they hadn't had time when we jumped them. T-Bone and I raced back to help but it was too late. We were found with eight bodies at our feet when the enforcers back up arrived. One very upset enforcer fired on us. We ran inside for cover..." He choked to a halt, his eyes dull with anguish. He was visibly upset.
Callie moved forward and hugged him tightly, "It wasn't your fault, don't worry, we'll get this sorted out." She felt him shiver, pulling back a bit to look at his face, she asked "Hey, you ok?"
"...Nooo! I almost died. I'm always in some position where I almost die. One day, I won't be so lucky and someone will take better aim...and...," he shuddered to a halt unable to continue.
"Are you saying you want to quit?" She asked in surprise.
"No...I have nothing else, being a Swat Kat is the only thing in my life I have to look forward to and it's going to kill me someday." He said bitterly then suddenly he was laughing hysterically, Hahahaha...wooo..." He managed to stop. "Crud! I don't know why I'm laughing...I'm a mess and way too tired...the shower should help calm me. Thanks Ms...um Callie"
She just stood there stunned for a moment then shook herself. "You're welcome, just leave your clothes by the door. I'll run them through the washer for you. I'll bring you a t-shirt and sweats to sleep in. While I sleep in the guest room, you can have the couch." She said realizing he was too tired to question any further tonight.
"Where would I be without you, Callie." Razor said with a small grateful smile.
"Walking home," She said bluntly.
"Uh... yeah!" He said lowering his eyes and blushing a bit.
"I'll put them in the dryer before I leave for work. There's food in the fridge. I don't think I have to tell you to stay out of sight and don't answer the door or phone." She said half questioning beginning to wobble half asleep as she handed him a towel.
"We'll be careful, Callie," he said softly taking the towel from her.
She nodded at him and hesitated a moment longer. 'Now would be a perfect time to kiss you, but if it went further, I'd fall asleep on you. That always seems to piss guys off.' She thought blearily as she gently touched his face then turned and continued down the hall.
She slipped into her room and grabbed some things she'd need in the morning while T-Bone slept behind her. Going to her dresser she pawed around the bottom drawer and found some of the things former boyfriends had left behind. Slipping back out, she left the sweats and t-shirt outside the bathroom door then grabbed a blanket and pillow from a hall closet and left them on the couch. Finally done with her guest duties, she trudged to the guest room, put her things on a chair, pulled the covers down and slipped in between the sheets and crashed. Unfortunately, her sleep was too disturbed to be considered restful.
Her last thought as sleep closed over her was, "I'm so going to lose my job for this. Eight Kats dead and one of the suspects is in my shower."
Noon time the following day...
T-Bone had been really stiff when he woke around lunchtime. He managed to get up and make it to the bathroom. The shower beckoned so he removed the bandage then stepped in and let the hot water soothe his sores and wash the blood out of his fur. He knew Callie had gone to work so he felt safe walking around in a towel.
Going out to the living room, he found Razor sleeping on the couch. Leaving him alone, T-Bone moved on to the kitchen. He found the washer and saw that Razor's clothes were in the dryer. He shoved his clothes in the washer and turned it on.
He went to the kitchen to find something to eat. He took his meal out to the living room and found his partner getting up.
"Hey how's the leg, buddy?" Razor asked rubbing his head and yawning.
"It's stiff but not bleeding, thanks. Your clothes are in the dryer. I'm washing mine now." T-Bone told him as he sat down next to his friend.
"Yeah, Callie told me, thanks." Razor responded.
T-Bone grabbed the remote and began flipping through the channels trying to find something to watch that would take their minds off their troubles. Going to the menu he noted a cool movie coming on.
"Let's watch a movie. How about 'Eight heads in a duffel bag'?" T-Bone asked.
"Could you be anymore tacky? We are not watching that movie, pick something else." Razor grumbled in annoyance.
T-Bone could not think of a more appropriate movie, "Hey, Jake, maybe it would give us a few pointers"
"Damn it, that's not funny"
"Oh, Did you see it already? I heard it was hilarious."
"No, that's not what I meant...ahh crud...just skip it. I'm gonna make me a grilled cheese sandwich." He grumbled getting up.
"And popcorn?"
"...No" Razor snapped as left the room for the kitchen and found a note on the fridge. 'Hey guys, Hope you got more sleep than me. My cell is 846...' As he read on he thought of last night and looked forward to seeing her soon, not only for her help in this mess, but simply because, he liked being near her. Her presence made him feel good.
'Maybe I should call her. She might pick up some takeout. She's such a good friend to help us out like this. I can see why T-Bone wants her so bad.' He thought as he looked into the fridge, "Hmm... out of cheese. Drat! Takeout it is!' He thought with a sigh as he closed the fridge and found the phone. He dialed her number and waited for her voice.
At city hall...
"Ms. Briggs, your Swat Kats bombed an unlocked door!" Commander Feral snapped at Callie who felt she needed to be at the scene when the Commander went to investigate. Of course, Feral was very pissed and he actually had a right to be but not against the SWAT Kats but she couldn't tell him that. "What a couple of morons." Feral ground out in disgust.
"Did you view the security cameras yet?" Callie asked.
"We just collected them and we'll check them out back at headquarters. We also found something just as good, at the bottom of the stairway is their outfits. Masks and all. Which means on one of those tapes is the face of the SWAT Kats! I'll finally have those two in my paws at last and ..." His gloating was interrupted by Callie's cell phone.
"Hold on Commander, I need to take this... Deputy Mayor Calico Briggs speaking, "...oh...uhh.. now's not a good time. I'll take lunch soon and I'll get a pizza. What's that in the background? Are you watching 'Eight heads in a duffel bag'? That's so wrong! I cannot believe... Oh, I love that part...ok, I'll be there in about thirty-five minutes, and honey, we need to talk. See you soon."
"Ms. Briggs, I didn't know you were dating anyone." Feral asked in surprise.
"It's not really any of your business, Commander." Callie said a bit miffed at him.
Feral snorted in annoyance. They may not always get along but they did respect one another and he did worry about her safety. It was, after all, his job to, so he asked, "Do you carry a gun?"
"That was random. Why? Should I?" She asked puzzled.
"If the SWAT Kats try to contact you, it might not be pretty. They're a bit off their rocket, even more so then Hollywood. Nothing is more dangerous then a desperate psycho." Feral warned.
"I'm sure they're in hiding, why would they need me?" She asked innocently.
"Take this but I want it back. It's a 9 mm. Light and easy to shoot for petite fems. Go to the range and get some lessons. You might need it." Feral told her handing her a slim, light-weight gun.
"I'm touched, I think." She said dubiously, holding the gun uneasily in her small paws. It may be small but it's certainly heavy. 'The boys are going to love this, Feral's handing out guns in hope I'll shoot them.' She thought sardonically but aloud she said, "Thanks Commander. I'll see you after lunch."
"Hide!" T-Bone and Razor dove for cover when Callie's door suddenly burst open.
"Hot hot hot hot!... Guys?" She called out, setting the burning hot pizza box on the table and closing the door. Her apartment was beautiful. When you first walked in, the kitchen was to her right with a full bathroom and a hall to her spare bed room and laundry room. Straight ahead was a huge living room with the far wall similar to a wall found in a sunroom with a view. Two Swat Kats behind a soft white couch and her master bed and bath were to her right. "I come in peace... Get over here and eat" She smirked in amusement.
"Everything go well today?" T-Bone asked as he limped a little around the couch and came toward her. His injury still hurt like hell. He looked her over as he thought, 'I'd like to come home to that everyday, That's one hot little pizza.'
"I have some good news and some... no sorry, just bad news." Callie said flatly.
"Good morning to you too honey!" T-Bone said flippantly trying for to humor her.
"Sorry T-Bone, but this is going to be a tough one to get around. Did you guys throw your gear down the stairs?" She asked seriously.
Razor kinda had that, 'Oh Shit' look on his face. "Were we seen? Everyone seemed to ignore us. No one on the greyhound even noticed us get on or off."
"What greyhound, you never said anything about a bus. If you guys want me to help, I need as much information as you can give me." She demanded, her paws on her hips.
T-Bone looked nervous. "Do they know who we are?"
"No, not yet." Callie said grimly.
They were all silent for several awkward moments after that. Not wanting to discuss it on an empty stomach they tacitly agreed to not discuss it until later. They sat down in the kitchen and nearly inhaled their food then T-Bone hobbled out to the living room while Razor helped Callie with the dishes. They stood side by side at the sink washing the dishes quickly so that Callie could leave for work again.
"Will you call and give us updates?" Razor asked cautiously a sad look in his eyes as if he thought she might say no.
"Yeah, if I hear anything. I'll be late getting in. Don't wait up for me, keep the news on and try not to get yourself sick over this." She told him quietly.
He walked her to the door and put her purse on her arm.
"What do you have in here, rocks?" He said in surprise at the weight of it.
"Feral wants me to learn how to shoot this thing, so he made me borrow it."She opened her purse to reveal the 9 mm. She was expecting some nasty remark about Feral but was surprised to see a half smile on his face.
"I'll show you. When you get home tonight, I'll make you the best shot in MKC. Well, the second best. I'll also tell you everything that had happened yesterday." He promised.
"I'll hold you to that, Razor. I'm so happy tomorrow is Sunday. I need to catch up on my sleep, badly." She said smiling and waved good-bye.
'She has a pretty smile' Razor thought wistfully.