Author's Note: This is the second part to Raging Hearts. Most can be read and understood without reading the first part, but reading this earlier work can clarify critical plot points.
Disclaimer: Kim Possible and all characters portrayed and/or implied inside that television animated program belong solely unto Walt Disney Productions.
Seized On All Sides
Chairman Compton's dig did the trick. That was the second time he'd threatened her job. And twice, he'd named Will Du as her successor.
Dr. Director returns unto G.J. boiling mad. She barely gets inside her office and shuts the door.
"Director, I think you should see this," her secretary buzzes over her com. "Tune your TV into or laptop into GNN Live".
Dr. Director didn't feel like booting her computer. She turns on her television turning up the volume hearing, "Hello. I'm Rebecca Langstram with GNN Live. A bizarre story broke early this morning in Middleton, Colorado. In fact, this tragic story so epitomizes our day and times, given recent police shootings, rampant corruption in public office, and public outcry over civil rights violations.
Is it any wonder this story's trending on Yahoo, Google, Bing, and other search engines? Kimberly Anne Possible bravely gave her life saving fellow Global Justice agents and their senior director, Betty Elizabeth Director, known as Dr. Director. How does she repay her sacrifice? Treacherously.
Dr. Charlotte Anne Possible lost both her daughter and husband over corrupt Global Justice agents a little over two years ago. Her nightmare was far from over. She lives inside Albright Terrace, an affluent eastern Middleton neighborhood. A neighbor spotted armed assailants corralling the mourning widow inside her own driveway. She called Middleton PD reporting the incident. Sergeant Detective Alexander Hobble and six units arrived 10-minutes later and attempted to take the suspects into custody, only to be bullied and assaulted by this man".
Her agent's picture and name flash across her screen, "His name's Captain Charles Brannigan. My sources assures me, he's a surveillance specialist with Global Justice's Special Division, operating under Dr. Director's explicit orders. This story takes another farcical twist. I spoke briefly with Dr. Possible inquiring why Global Justice agents corralled her at gunpoint. She refused to say anything, on or off record, about this incident.
Raw terror emanated in this woman's eyes. I was so concerned over her safety, and touched by what she sacrificed for our safety. I spoke with family, friends, even her closest neighbors. It seems, this poor woman's been systematically bullied by this so-called agent. In fact, he's ransacked her home, top to bottom—slicing open antique furniture, emptying dresser drawers, even her unmentionables, on the floor, knocking holes in her floors and walls, allegedly checking for secret passages.
Every answer only sparks new questions, like. When's malicious destruction of private property deemed necessary? Who's Global Justice seeking? Apparently, they think she's harboring someone or something illegal? I contacted Global Justice spokeswoman, Mia Peeples.
She would only say on record, 'We can't understand why Dr. Possible didn't report him sooner. Global Justice knew nothing about, nor did anyone in upper management sanction his actions. My boss, Dr. Director, will take appropriate actions when she learns about what he's done.. Global Justice will make restitution for damage property as well as pain and suffering'.
Maybe I'm a scenic? Miss Peeples wasn't convincing enough. I still felt there was a far deeper truth hiding beneath this story. I spoke with Dr. Possible's closest neighbor, who first met then-newlyweds, James and Anne Possible 20-years ago. Desiree Barton shared the most startling news yet confirming my suspicions. There was more behind this story.
Dr. Emmanuel Weizmann, G.J.'s chief medical examiner for 16 years, signed Kimberly Anne Possible's death certificate. Dr. Director may have even arranged a special commemoration ceremony awarding her fallen agent a star on G.J.'s memorial wall. My sources within G.J. whisper, 'This was purely ceremonial'.
G.J.'s intrepid senior director holds some reservations regarding her agent's reported death. I simply couldn't help but ask, 'What'd she uncover casting doubt over the heroine's reported death? And, if she's really alive, why'd she find it necessary to fake her death? Blogs, chat rooms, and message boards have popped up across the net. Fans debating various scenarios, why she'd fake her death. It seems, general consensus entail, 'Global Justice or maybe its tenacious senior director herself—if this agent was truly acting under orders, as some have suggested—has a personal vendetta against the heroine.
Who'd know better than her childhood best friend? I spoke with International Fashion Designer, Italia Amante, formerly Monique Robinson, Kim Possible's best friend. She spoke boldly on camera saying, 'If my girl's faked her death, she had damn good reasons. Check your records. Global Justice emptied over a 1,000 rounds into my girl's home (while thinking her family was still inside), blew up her partner's home, tried to murder a 5-year old little girl, and moi. Ultimately, when that failed, some spineless coward there told enemy agents where to find her husband's family.
And let's not forget. He, too, died protecting fellow Global Justice agents, who were supposed to be our friends. Yea, right! Truth is, they never released the truth about his death. Official records state, a spider-bot crushed him to death. An independent autopsy proved he was shot thrice in the back with a Glock 17. This unveils three gaping holes in G.J.'s story about my boy's death.
First, he was shot in the back. I can't discount the enemy carrying Glock 17s, too. I can say for sure, secondly, SX-7 was always ahead, never behind, him. Third, my boy was murdered by a 'friend,' not a foe. G.J. knew this, and lied. What competent medical examine misses three gaping bullet holes in a body. No, I'd bet my career, Dr. Weizmann caved under administrative pressure. And I think we all know who's behind this. Like I said, my girl has her reasons'.
Global Justice's legal troubles are only starting, it'd seem. OPM and UN-SSC are probing this startling revelation. This news so outraged the international community. America, Switzerland, and Mindanao, Philippines are filing separate grievances with the U.N.'s International Court of Justice (ICJ). President Jonas Cello of Switzerland took a bolder step petitioning the UN-SSC to disband Global Justice completely".
She couldn't stomach this filth any longer. She mutes the television tossing aside her remote. Dr. Director presses the security button under her desk storming outside her office. And there he was, the cocky Captain Brannigan sitting leisurely without a care waiting to be invited into her office.
"Brannigan, my office now!"
His jovial attitude dissolves immediately. He realizes she'd seen the newscast. He trudges into her office. "Director, let me explain..."
"Explain? What'd be the point? I gave you a simple enough assignment. Watch the suspect's mother without causing waves. Did you do this? No!" She throws her hands up, exacerbated. "You corral her at gunpoint with the whole neighborhood watching, consistently wreck her home, verbally threaten and intimidate a fallen G.J. hero's widowed mother".
"Hero?" He could believe his ears. "You said..."
"We know the truth. She's alive, and gone rogue. Fact is, that doesn't matter right now. We can't prove our theory. The masses still herald their fallen hero. Now they're gunning for our heads over your stupidity. You, therefore, leave me no alternative. Captain Charles Brannigan, you're hereby relieved of duty. Hand over your shield and gun".
"Here, take and shove them up your ass," he slams them on her desk.
Five security agents enter her office about this time. "Please show this man off G.J. property. He's never allowed back inside this building again".
"Yes, Director," three seize him by force.
"You'll regret this, Director," Brannigan threatens her blatantly "You mark my word!"
All three drag him off kicking and screaming every threatening expletive under the sun, shadowed by their two companions, armed with fully automatic Glock 17s.
Project Black Snow
Dr. Director follows them til parallel her door. Will Du observes security dragging away another agent, the 3rd this week. He was curios about the Appropriation Committee's decision. His resolve falters seeing this.
Dr. Director eyes the olive toned, black hair, slender built agent easily discerning what he wanted to ask, "They've given us 30-days, Commander".
He'd spent long hours putting together this case. He takes the committee members' rejection very personal. Pride moved by vexation loosens his tongue. "What? That makes no sense. What about all our evidence?" Agent Du didn't realize his mistake til too late.
Dr. Director nor Deputy Director Ballesteros appreciated him asserting himself as though their equal, our evidence. "We know she's alive," she glares between herself and the deputy director.
Will receives her message loud and clear. Don't ever challenge his superiors' authority, 'We,' again.
"Our evidence speak clearly to us". She gestures between herself and the deputy director driving home her subtle message stronger.
Will knew he'd just been put in his place nicely, given their restlessness lately.
"Those bureaucrats barely heard faint murmurs." She shakes her head contemning, "We only have 30-days. Either we prove she's alive or shut down this op. So, why don't you get your ass back inside G.J.'s CNC and find us something, before I have your badge, too".
"Yes, Ma'am," he scurries away, certain more transpired inside chambers than she's willing to ever discuss with him. She'd already sacked four agents this week. He didn't want to be the 5th.
"Why don't you share what else they said, Betty?"
"Not out here, Eli. Come inside," she shuts her office door engaging its magnetic locks erecting an isolation field around its perimeter. She embellishes the truth a little coercing his support, "Chairman Compton and his cronies blame us over wasting precious G.J. resources".
"Us?" He arches a brow.
"Us," she leaves little doubt. "We've probed Possible's death for two years. And we don't have a shred of solid evidence proving she's alive. You didn't voice a single objection this whole time. Those self-righteous bureaucrats on the Appropriations Committee blame us over, and I quote, wasting G.J.'s dwindling resources. Even Will Du would a more competent director than either of us, Eli".
Deputy Director Ballesteros never liked the conniving ass kisser. He put in the long hours without complaining, always first to volunteer for even the crappiest assignments. And yet, you knew he had ulterior motives behind every carefully calculated move. He'd easily assist the committee bust them and gladly step into their shoes without any regret. "What our next move, Bets?"
Dr. Director despised that childhood nickname. Her brother belied her flaunting his own perceived superiority. She lets it pass this time. He never called her that, unless really pissed off. And that meant he'd taken her bait. "We institute Project Black Snow".
"How will that ever work? Not only would this op be unsanctioned, but that plan depends upon us using WEE and Necros' criminal networks. Both of which we can't do. Possible destroyed them".
"Not technically, she tricked me into doing her dirty work. I believe, Possible learnt about Project Black Snow. Hence, she tricked me into undermining our own contingency. If she'd done it, we'd have our proof she'd faked her death. Me, though, it appeared like a hasty decision gone wrong. Like I said, she's smart and diabolical".
"Whose network do we use in place of theirs, Bets?"
"Jack Hench will serve there, for starters".
He couldn't imagine how. The man despised Global Justice, and everything they represented.
"What about your 5 o'clock shadow? You know he's a straight arrow, by-the-book type of agent. He will never support an unsanctioned op".
"He's expendable, if he gets in our way".
Getting The Ball Rolling
"Are you sure about this, Bets?" He cautions her to reconsider her actions. "There's no turning back, once we venture down this route. It's all or nothing".
"Believe me, Eli, I was never so sure about anything. She's beaten us at every turn. I didn't grasp her endgame til seeing that newscast. She's turned public opinion against us, even coerced a foreign politician into filing notion to disband Global Justice. She's winning, because she doesn't haft to abide by our rules. She's rogue, so I say, let's deal with this traitor by Cold War rules".
"I'm with you," he pledges his support. "What happens when we catch her?"
"She poses too great a risk unto global security roaming free, like she's doing right now".
"Have your forgotten so soon? We've lost her trust. Global Justice was behind attacking her family, even blowing up Stoppable's home and killing his parents. She's sore...".
"I don't care how she feels," Dr. Director shout silencing him. "Either she works under our aegis again or she and everyone she knows perishes".
"Are you issuing an Omega Red order against her, Director?"
"There's no alternative".
"I hope you're prepared for one hell of a fight".
"Her powers, I know," she sighs heavily. "That worries me, too. We saw what Stoppable did unto those aliens. And he restrained himself from using their full potential. She isn't fettered by such moral constraints. Double the agents around her family. They're our only leverage against her..."
"...when the time's right," he cautions her against getting too zealous too quick.
"She's pushed me too far, this time. She's about to learn what it's like to have me as her mortal enemy. Once we find her, that little girl will be our best leverage against Possible and an even more valuable asset, seeing her powers eclipses Possible's". Dr. Director clenches her fists tight cracking her desktop with a single blow.
"How do we get all this started, Betty?"
"It's obvious, we can't rely on G.J.'s support. Like you said, not only is this an unsanctioned op, but she still has her own pipeline throughout our infrastructure. We don't know who we can trust here".
"I thought we destroyed that," he objects such a notion.
"Don't fall into her deception. Remember her little care package, Eli. She exposed SSC Chairman Octavius Franklin as an SX-7 spy. Notice how she did this, though. 'Oops, did my operative neglect to give you my complete list? Oh, well, maybe next time?' Next time, Eli. She taunted us about owing SX-7's network, and over how she tricked us into eliminating her competition. We must, therefore, be ready to recruit operatives outside the agency, but without exposing ourselves".
"How do we go about doing this? And who do we choose?"
"Those idiots on the Appropriations Committee wanted proof. Well, I'm gonna give them so much. They'll be drowning in evidence. How? Through subterfuge. Who? Camille Leon should get our ball rolling leading up to Jack Hench's front door. I'm sure Drakken would love to know. Shego's not only alive, but being held prisoner and mind-controlled by Kim Possible".
"Is she?" He couldn't tell if she was being serious or facetious.
"I believe so, for two reasons," she didn't waver a second. "First, Shego didn't fire up once during Possible's battle with Trinity Rose. Second, Possible relegated her as babysitter. And Shego's fine with this? I don't think so! I've know that temperamental cynic over 20-years. Hell would sooner freeze over than Shego shy away from a fight. Possible's controlling her. I just don't know how. The best part, no one need know we're behind this melee. Jack Hench, Drakken, and whoever else they recruit will finance our dirty work and take the blame, should this come to light".
"Devious and simplistic, I like," Deputy Director Ballesteros despised the idea working outside the law. Such actions violated his civic duties, but he simply couldn't stand idly by, while a rogue agent ruined something he spent his life protecting, Global Justice.
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