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.
Home Court Uncertainty
Kim, Shego, and Hanna watched everything unfold, up til the last second, when their home court viewer goes dead.
"Our synthodrone spies are gone. We no longer have eyes inside their operation. What's our move now, Princess?"
"Annie, initiate Omega Kiprotocols," she orders the A.I.
"Princess, what's Omega Kai?"
"A last resort protocol designed to protect our families," Kim drops her head sighing heavily. She'd never simply sit on the sidelines, while others put their lives on the line, for those she loves.
Shego senses her mounting trepidation, "You're sending both of our clans into the field, aren't you, Princess?"
"Oh, Shego," she sobs lightly on the green woman's shoulder, "it's the only way. We can't be seen in the field, or our families don't stand a chance. They could potentially perish anyway. I know it's shallow and selfish. I've lost so much. I can't stand the thought of losing you, too".
"Why would you lose me?'
"Shego, I'm not stupid," the redhead lifts her head staring into her partner's concerned eyes. "You rave about how much you loathe your brothers, even calling them idiots. Well, Hego mostly, but you get my point. Let them get hurt, and they could, before this op's over, will you blame me?"
Shego didn't answer right away.
That told Kim everything she needed to know. She presses her next point, "What about your baby brothers, Wego? They meant as much to you as Jim and Tim to me".
Shego still didn't respond right away. She'd be lying, if she acted like she hadn't considered this, but always shoved it in the back of her mind. She didn't like thinking about her brothers getting hurt or even possibly mortally wounded. "We'll cross that bridge if we get there, Princess".
"I appreciate your honesty, Emmy," Kim rises up and leaves the media room.
Back inside the Doomvee.
"Not that I'm ungrateful over you rescuing us, but what do you really expect from us, Drakken?" Stillwater mirrors his cellmate's confusion.
"I want information, Gentlemen. That's all".
"Information?" Gemini scoffs the notion, embittered. "Wise up, Man! We've been incarcerated over 2-year, our criminal networks destroyed, and our allies want us dead at all costs. What useful information could we possible know that'd merit you going through so much trouble to break us out, Doctor?"
"You know your networks better than anyone else," he starts but didn't get to finish.
"Didn't you hear what the man just said, Doctor?" Stillwater shares Gemini's contempt. He felt, this blue idiot enjoyed mocking them. "Our networks no longer exist".
"Oh, the physical pipeline may no longer exist," he explains his logic. "The people were simply moved around a bit. Kim Possible rebuilt your pipeline".
"We believe, that's how she's avoided detection this long," Brannigan backs him up.
Gemini and Stillwater entertain that possibility, gritting their teeth.
"I think we all agree regarding our first course of business," Gemini leaves the rest up for open interpretation.
"Yea," his cellmate extrapolates what he meant to insinuate, "we teach Kim Possible the true cost of crossing SX-7"
"...WEE," Gemini extols his former organization. He vowed long ago, if he ever escaped again, he'd built it bigger and more formidable than ever. No one would ever destroy his creation again.
"...she killed My Shego," Dr. Drakken hoists his clenched fists high above his head.
His partners ignore his offhanded remark. Each knew, he cared about the fiery green bitch. Father or love, no one was really sure. Even his cousin, Motor Ed, wouldn't dare ask that.
Blood Message
The sun beamed high amidst the blotted sky. Temperatures loomed in the low 50s. Anne Possible exited MMC around 11:00 a.m. Sunlight blared straight into her eyes, temporarily blinding her. She snaps her head back squinting til the spots cleared. The older redhead makes her way down the front walk yawning. Her mind was a million miles away, exhausted over completing a 26-hour operation.
A side road ran parallel the hospital's ER, and a major intersection its front. Anne didn't pay her monthly parking fee, and lost her front door spot. She takes a shortcut trudging across the manicured lawn towards her 2008 Chevrolet Uplander.
Preoccupied, she only cared about getting home before falling asleep behind the wheel. She didn't spot the black 2013 Honda CR-V with tinted windows idling two intersections down. Nor did she hear the driver throw his vehicle into drive, jamming the accelerator. Gears squealing and tires smoking as the CR-V merged with traffic picking up speed sharply.
A nurse spots the passenger window slowly roll down. A masked assailant leans outside clutching an assault rifle. "Dr. Possible, look out," the nurse screams, before diving for cover.
The woman's voice didn't even register on Anne's mind. She presses her key chain auto-unlock button. What she didn't know? Doing so started a digital 3-minute timer. Automatic rounds shatter car windows several spots down grilling their fiberglass bodies with bullet holes. Car alarms start to blare. Horns honking and lights flashing on and off.
A stray round nicks a 2002 Mercury Cougar's fuel line. Luckily, the vehicle had sat there so long. The engine was cold as ice. Gasoline leaked down the block, pooling beneath the vehicle. Another slug ricochets off the pavement igniting the gaseous fluid. A fiery miasma sweeps beneath several vehicles, slowly heating up the gas tanks.
Anne turns groggily, taking multiple hits throughout her upper and lower body. The older redhead loses consciousness, collapsing. Her body didn't have time to hit the pavement. Three cars explode with such fore. The concussive blast catapults the grievously injured woman over three rows of vehicles. She lands face down, sprawled over the hospital's manicured lawn.
His guns click empty. 20-round clip spent. The lone gunman scatters nearly forty photos over the parking lot and Main Street. Kim's picture plastered with red bulls'-eyes. He climbs back inside, rolling up the passenger window. The CR-V speeds away, skids around the next corner, and vanishes from all eyewitnesses' sight. Two Acura MD-X SUVs and three Mazda 3 Sedans fall in behind the assailant vehicle closing fast.
Meanwhile, rippling explosions cascade over the hospital parking lot. Each blast hurls a new make and model vehicle into the next inflicting variable undercarriage and body damage, and amplifying the yield of destruction and growing closer unto the hospital's entrance with each successive detonation. A mountainous inferno engulfs the parking lot. Over 30 burned out shells consumed in under 20 seconds. The concussive wave shatters every window on the northern side facing the intersection.
Spreading Like Wild Fire
Will Du pretty much camped inside G.J.'s CNC now. He'd rather be inside here, than facing either of his temperamental bosses. Something was off with them. He didn't have time to ponder what.
"Eagle's Nest, this is Ram's Horn. Do you copy?"
Negative publicity didn't curb G.J. surveilling Dr. Charlotte Anne Possible, code named Mercury Fox. Dr. Director simply promoted a special division replacement, Colonel Emile Delano, over Brannigan's team, now code named Ram's Horn.
"Kirby here, come back".
"Eagle's Nest, Mercury Fox is down. I repeat Mercury Fox is down, maybe dead".
Will hears horns honking, people screaming in terror, even brakes squealing, accompanied closely by fully automatic gunshots. "Colonel, I'm Commander William Eli Du, liaison and SAIC under Dr. Director. What the hell's going on there?"
"Sir, everything happened so fast. We barely had time to respond. Mercury Fox exited the hospital. A 2013 Honda CR-V shimmered into view racing down Lincoln. The passenger leaned outside the window opening fire. Mercury Fox took repeated rounds, mere seconds before rippling explosions engulfed the hospital's parking lot and catapulted her over several rows of vehicles and onto the front lawn. We're in high speed pursuit on Carmichael..." His partner takes a sharp right under heavy gunfire. Various caliber FMJ rounds pelt their vehicle's next-generation composite-nanopolymer armor plating even chipping it windshield in several places.
"Colonel, give me something..."
Piercing silence was his only reply.
"Kirby, lock onto that vehicle's GPS. Have Middleton PD intercept and back up our agents in distress".
"Yes, Sir".
"Colonel, give me something," he tries to raise his field team again.
"Sorry, Commander. The CR-V crossed the medium, took the Middleton Mall exit, and merged with on-coming I-10 traffic. Even now we're headed towards Go City, 150 mph (or 241.40-km/h) and accelerating".
"Colonel, we have a shooter perched atop the Furley Overpass billboard". The report comes a little too late. A high powered gunshot rings out over the distance. A FMJ round shatters the CR-V's front windshield. The driver slumps over dead. The CR-V veers off the interstate and up the bridge's embankment, ramming into its arched abutment underneath.
The stalled vehicle tumbles down the embankment and straight into on-coming traffic. A Ram 350 truck veers off the interstate, clipping the CR-V's rear, while sending the CR-V spinning into the next lane. The driver of an 18-wheeler hauling cars spots the vehicle in her lane. She slams on brakes, trying to miss the stalled vehicle. Her trailer starts to slide sideways rapidly catching up with the tractor.
The 18-wheeler driver loses control over jackknifing her rig. The tractor slides across the interstate. Her trailer, meanwhile, snaps loose, tumbles over the cab and ahead, rapidly scattering its payload all over the highway. Drivers slam on brakes, laying on their horns, little good it did, as vehicles into both directions skid uncontrollably into one vehicle after another grid-locking I-10 within seconds.
"Unit #3, do you have the shooter in custody?" Colonel Delano shouts into a spare radio.
"Hastings here, Sir. The shooter eluded capture, but left a calling card".
"What kind of calling card, Hastings?" Will Du interrupts the colonel.
"Commander, whoever carried out this assassination, left behind four mementos: (1) Kim Possible's photo plastered with a red bull's eye, (2) Kal-Tec RFB Bullpup Assault Rifle, (3) 47-mm, 150-grain, Flat Base T-65 casing with steel jacket and lead core, and (4) Captain Charles Brannigan's Special Division badge dipped in blood".
"Whose blood?"
"I dare not speculate until the lab boys confirm, Commander".
Embers Upon The Wind
"You suspect, Brannigan shot Mercury Fox, and Stormy Albatross executed him". Kim was code named Stormy Albatross.
Stormy, because of her volatile temper lately, and Albatross, since she'd hindered their probe into her death at every turn over the last two years.
"That'd be my preliminary guess, Commander, if I had to make one," Hastings voices his opinion with some reluctance. The director fired three agents over expressing hasty opinions, this week alone. His name may be Hastings, very close to hasty. He didn't desire to share their fate. He enjoyed his job.
"Colonel, leave two agents to lock down that scene spearheading Middleton P.D.'s investigation into this shooting. I want that shooter's identity within 24-hours. The rest..."
"Colonel, Mercury Fox's alive, but critical. Doctors rushed her into emergency surgery".
Colonel Delano knew the burning question, "Where was she shot, Agent Graves?"
"She took multiple .308, 150-grain FMJ casings, Colonel: two in her right leg, one in her lower abdomen, one in her chest, two in her right arm, and one grazed her neck but didn't nick any vital arteries. She does have glass shards and other shrapnel buried up and down her body".
"What are her chances?"
"Dr. Christina Vittori gives her less than 20% chance of surviving the operation, even then she'll need a blood transfusion. At least, she doesn't require a rare blood type, like Rh-negative".
"Colonel, get back there and secure that hospital. Don't let anyone near her. She's G.J.'s material witness in an up-coming case".
"Copy that, Commander".
Will Du knew his duty, but dreaded what must be done next. Commander Du exits CNC and rushes towards his mentor's office. The door stood ajar. Will Du eases inside opening his mouth, only to be greeted with, "Save it, Commander. I already know".
"How'd you find out so quickly, Director?"
Dr. Director smirks over the sycophant's bubbling confusion. She didn't say a single word, only turned on her television, "Hello. My name's Ciara O'Farrel with GNN Live, reporting live on behalf of my colleague and late friend, Rebecca Langstram, murdered mere days ago over exposing Global Justice's Senior Director, Betty Elizabeth Director's involvement in harassing a grieving widow and mother over the last two years.
It'd seem, Rebecca wasn't their only target. Middleton's own Dr. Charlotte Anne Possible was next on G.J.'s list. How could I possibly insinuate something so atrocious about such a beloved agency as Global Justice. Seen here, traffic cams show a black Honda CR-V idling, and sped up about the time Dr. Possible exited the hospital.
Pediatrics nurse, Evelyn Mayfield, stated on camera, 'The passenger leaned outside his window, firing. Automatic rounds shattered several vehicle's windows roundabout Dr. Possible's car. I screamed, 'Dr. Possible, watch out!' I even pointed towards the suspicious vehicle. I guess, she was so grieved by the loss of her husband and daughter, as well as being so bullied by Global Justice lately.
She didn't hear me, or simply locked out the world. I know I would in her shoes. It'd be the only way I could possibly cope. Doing so left her mentally, physically, and emotionally drained. Anyway, she didn't hear me and ended up taking multiple rounds up and down her body. Cars started to explode around the parking lot catapulting Dr. Possible over several rows of cars and into the middle of MMC's lawn, just outside CCU'.
In related news, the gunman and his getaway driver didn't get far. We spoke with Clyde Owens, Community Relations Officer with Middleton P.D. He'd only say on record, 'The gunman was shot by federal officials, while trying to elude capture'. It'd seem, this statement isn't completely accurate. But, what should we really expect after learning who's really behind this chaos.
Olivia Childs with Colorado State Patrol sets us straight sharing, 'Global Justice agents were in high speed pursuit down I-10 heading towards Go City, when a high powered shot rang out over the distance killing the getaway driver. The CR-V ran up the bridge's underbelly slamming into the arched abutment, and tumbled back down the incline and into an on-coming 18-wheeler.
The driver slammed on brakes but lost control jackknifing her rig. Vehicles coming and going, every make and model crashed into the capsized tractor and its trailer, including its cargo, grid-locking I-10 within 30-seconds, leaving six dead and thirteen wounded. Global Justice promptly took over the I-10 accident, and locked down the hospital as well, where Dr. Possible sustained multiple GSWs and is being treated even now.
This reporter also learnt, whoever took out the gunman left behind four mementos; clues, if you will, explaining why he/she did this. And they are: (1) Kim Possible's photo plastered with a red bull's eye, (2) Kal-Tec RFB Bullpup Assault Rifle, (3) 47-mm, 150-grain, Flat Base T-65 casing with steel jacket and lead core, similar to the ones used to shoot Dr. Possible, and (4) the suspected shooter, one Captain Charles Brannigan's Global Justice Special Division badge dipped in blood".
Rippling Speculation
"I personally commissioned Colonel Delano to secure the interstate and hospital. How could she possibly know about the shooter's mementos?"
"Grow up, Commander! It's her! Possible's behind this!"
"Do you really think she's capable of shooting her own mother, Director?"
Dr. Director discerns him questioning Kim Possible's guilt, and starting to question her leadership. She softens her tone needing all the friends she could get right now conciliating, "Capable? Yes. Guilty? No".
"I'm confused then, Ma'am," he scratches his head. "What was her involvement in all this?"
"Quite simple, Commander. Did you hear Stillwater and Gemini escaped Darkwaters?"
"I've been inside CNC for 2-days straight and haven't heard anything about their escape, Director".
"I'm not surprised," Dr. Director sips her Pepsi, easing her queasy stomach. "The Russian Ministry of Justice is keeping a tight wrap on this news".
"When'd they escape?"
"36 hours ago," she deadpans.
"About the time someone attempts to kill Dr. Possible," Will deduces.
"Now you're catching on," Dr. Director extrapolates. "I don't doubt, Kim Possible took over my brother and Stillwater's criminal networks, but missed certain assets along the way. These same assets set their differences aside and tried but failed in locating the elusive redhead. Hence, they recruited Drakken and Motor Ed to spring their bosses, Gemini and Stillwater.
Russian Emergency Services monitored a freak storm blindsiding Big Diomede Island. Russian GRU retasked its Tre-Gar-5 military satellite piercing the interference. What they saw turned their blood cold. Darkwaters lays in ruin, every prison employee and prisoner dead, well, except Stillwater and Gemini. Tre-Gar-5 monitored them getting inside a modified Doomvee. That said, I believe, they hit Dr. Possible..."
"...trying to draw her daughter, their primary target, back into the open," Will deduces the logic.
"It'd seem, they succeeded," she agrees.
"How so?"
"C'mon, Commander," she bitches over his ineptitude, sometimes. "Their assassin hits her mother and seemingly escaped, only to be shot dead less than 10-minutes later...with the same caliber and grain of round, near the same location, and on the same stretch of I-10 as Gama Rose's death in her best friend's Volkswagen Beetle two years earlier.
You said it then, Agent Possible favored that caliber and grain during basic and advanced level G.J. field training. Her x'ed out photo warns her enemies. She knows who's behind hurting her mom. The rifle and 150-grain T-65 FMJ casing marks them all as dead men. Captain Brannigan's badge dipped in Stoppale's blood..."
"Stoppable's blood, Ma'am?"
Betty stammers a bit over his interruption, not to mention questioning her authority. She realizes its implication, and knew, she'd messed up big time. She didn't mean to reveal that much this soon. "I'm merely speculating there, Commander. Of course, we won't know for sure til the lab confirms".
"I understand, Director".
Dr. Director nods, but discerns his lingering doubts. She'd haft to watch him closer than ever now, but knew how she could keep him occupied elsewhere revealing, "Camille Leon attests, Brannigan joined Drakken during that prison break. I believe, he's one of the dead men inside that CR-V".
"Oh, hell," Will Du slaps his forehead setting aside his doubts about his mentor, just as she'd had planned all along.
"C'mon, Commander," she grabs her .45 nudging him.
"Where are we headed, Director?"
"The hospital," she replies curtly. "I believe we can get some solid answers there".
Trouble In The Den
Jack Hench was a cautious man. Some would argue to a fault. Every word and move meticulously planned, while considering every imaginable contingency, no matter how improbable. That was how he'd stayed in business and escaped prosecution this long. All under him knew one thing. The man couldn't tolerate wild cards. He marked them as liabilities slatted for immediate termination.
He caught the same newscast. Reporter Ciara O'Farrel didn't learn, but luckily had enough sense not to air one little tidbit. A contact revealed, the Kal-Tec RFB Bullpup's stock was engraved with his company's logo. If she'd gone live with that, it could've undermined three major deals costing his company millions, including losing countless clients' trust and loyalties.
Hench set up his colleagues inside a new lair. One, Drakken had never used and G.J. didn't know a damn thing about. He storms inside, pure rage invigorating each new step. "Which of you geniuses is responsible? Or are all you this incompetent?"
"What are you blathering about now, Hench?" Drakken contends, getting in the man's face.
"This, you Idiot," Hench backhands Drakken, brings up The Denver Post's webpage, and throws his Tablet-PC beside the downed man.
Drakken rubs his sore jaw. He knew better than attack the man. He grabs the Tablet-PC, eyeing today's headline, which'd upset the cagey entrepreneur, 'Local Doctor Shot In Brazen Drive-By Outside Middleton Medical Center Hospital'. His companions caught the same headline.
"You can't think we're behind this," Stillwater repugns the man's suspicions.
"Think? Yes. Know for sure? Sadly, no. If I did, I wouldn't hesitate one second in executing the lot of you or the single imbecile, who'd dare endanger my operation with over petty revenge".
'Execute,' Gemini grabs his neck, missing his guards. He despised being at someone else's mercy, especially someone as cagey as Hench. The man hated liabilities, and could do some drastic things when backed into a corner. "We didn't do this".
"Didn't do this?" Hench snorts with condescending laughter. "Stillwater and you vowed revenge against Kim Possible. Gemini, you even boasted how revenge best starts closest home. And you can't get much closer or personal than gunning down your adversary's mother".
Gemini knew Hench. He'd dealt with the man nearly twenty years. He was cautious but equally ruthless as well. He never went anywhere without armed guards, who were no doubt lurking in the shadows, and waiting on his decision. They probably had assault rifles trained upon them at this very moment. One word and it'd be curtains for them all.
"Hench," he tries to assuage the man's wrath, "we'd never act so reckless. It'd only serve to expose you, and ourselves. In fact, we were just debating what actions to take against the redhead when you arrived. We haven't agreed what should be done yet".
"Is this true?"
"Yea," Drakken nods.
"It's true," Stillwater backs up his colleagues' story.
Hench made his living reading people. He discerns them being honest as they knew how. That still didn't mean they weren't lying about something he couldn't ignore. Everyone there was a criminal to some degree or another. The bloody badge takes on new light, just then. "Where's Brannigan?"
"The three-meat lasagna didn't agree with him. He went upstairs to lie down," Drakken explains his chief of security's absence.
"Did he exhibit any irritation over your indecision delaying him taking actions against Possible?"
Drakken goes to answer, "NO".
Gemini and Stillwater knew, he'd execute them over the slightest deception, declaring, "Extremely irritated.
"It seems, Gentlemen, your colleague faked his illness and took matters into his own hands".
"Do you mean he gunned down the doctor?" Gemini reads between the lines.
Hench nods, not saying a word.
"Where is he?" Stillwater asks, about to propose, 'We should celebrate?'
Jack Hench cinches that suggestion, "He's dead!"
"How?"
"My G.J. sources suspect, he succeeded in drawing out Kim Possible. And she killed him over his troubles".
"Who're your sources?" Drakken couldn't imagine any snitch being reliable.
"These," Hench taps into the hospital surveillance, eyeing the ER waiting room.
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