Chapter 12
Two Months Later
"Your presence here is most unexpected."
"I don't like to announce my visits in advance." the Colonel smirked. He moved smoothly across the room, his linen suit fresh and unwrinkled despite the oppressive heat and humidity for which Hontwal was famous.
"Yet all the same, I am most pleased to see you, Agent White." the Defense Minister smiled thinly, gesturing to a chair directly across from his desk.
"Of course you are, Minister." Red Impulse smirked as he sat down. "I have come for a progress report, to ensure that you are continuing to cooperate with Galactor and provide them with the necessary materials…"
"How interesting that you should bring up that matter, Agent White."
Red Impulse froze. He had been using the alias of Agent White for more than ten years, and never had the Defense Minister's tone been anything other than ingratiating. But now the man seemed hostile… vicious.
"How is that, Minister?" the Colonel asked casually, leaning back in his chair in a show of unconcern.
"Not long ago, I received a communication from Berg Katse." the Defense Minister replied as he reached for a cigar. He did not offer one to his 'guest'. "He requested an increase in our materials shipments, in preparation for the political overthrow of Hontwal."
"And how is this unusual?" Red Impulse asked calmly. "This is the goal toward which you and I have been working for the past decade."
"It wasn't." the Minister shrugged as he lit his cigar. He sat back, puffing a few times before he continued. "What was unusual was that he had never heard of you."
"Berg Katse could hardly be expected to know the name of everyone within the Galactor Organization." Red Impulse replied smoothly. "You and I have been dealing together for years. You know who I am."
"I might have thought so," the Defense Minister grinned widely, "except that not an hour later, Berg Katse contacted me again, informing me that you were no longer a representative of Galactor…"
Red Impulse raised an eyebrow, as if to mock this statement, while the Defense Minister paused.
"And he said that you were to be killed on sight."
The Minister had pulled a pistol from behind his desk, and was now pointing it at the man he knew as 'Agent White'.
"So… anything you care to confess, in order to save your miserable hide?" he gloated.
"No."
Before anyone could blink, Red Impulse had launched himself out of his chair, grabbing the neck of the thug who had thought he was approaching silently from behind and giving it a sharp twist. The man fell in an inelegant heap at the Colonel's feet, even as he delivered a quick chop to the Defense Minister's arm, causing the Hontwal administrator to drop his gun.
An alarm sounded, and the Colonel knew that he did not have much time. Three platoons of crack troops, soldiers he had helped train, were about to descend upon him. So he did the only thing he could do.
Red Impulse ran.
88888
How could he have been so stupid?
Of course, he had known that continuing in his role as Agent White was dangerous, and that he would eventually be discovered. But somehow, deep down, he had desperately hoped that it would be Sosai who learned of his continued work for Galactor, and that the alien entity would be impressed by the level of devotion that he had demonstrated, even during his 'exile'.
But no. Instead, Berg Katse had found him out, and had ordered him killed. The only good news in all of this was that the purple mutant probably didn't even realize who 'Agent White' truly was. Katse was too imbecilic to even associate 'Agent White' with the 'Agent Black' whom he had met nearly a year before.
Yet this change in his status necessitated a new approach to Hontwal. While Red Impulse himself had no special attachment to the place, or its people, he had been working there on Sosai's behalf for so long that he had instinctively wanted to finish the job.
This abrupt end to the Colonel's association with the Hontwal Defense Minister and his political ambitions now gave rise to a new dilemma. The Defense Minister was a bulldog of a man, and Red Impulse knew he would not back down. Having decided that 'Agent White' was a threat, he would be dogging the Colonel's every step, and there was even the risk that the man might discover his true identity.
Such a thing could not be allowed to happen.
Still, it wouldn't be acceptable for him to simply kill the man. Doing such a thing could jeopardize Red Impulse's position with the UN and the ISO. But what if these organizations sanctioned such a move…?
Red Impulse opened a communications channel to Dr. Nambu.
88888
The Condor strode quickly down the hallways of the Crescent Coral Base, moving swiftly toward the meeting room that was his destination. Dr. Nambu had sent out an urgent call for the entire Team to assemble.
He arrived at the same time as Ryu. They sat down in the only two spots remaining, sitting quietly and staring at the floor as they waited for the Doctor to appear. It wasn't long before Nambu made his way into the room.
"Fast!" complimented the Doctor. "Just what I'd expect from you guys. It only took you eighteen minutes to get here." Joe was confused by Nambu's tone. The call had been urgent, but the Doctor's tone was decidedly relaxed.
"It's Galactor, isn't it?" Ken stood up. "Give us our orders! We're ready!"
"Yeah, come on!" Jinpei complained. "I had to stop in the middle of a comic book for this!" Joe rolled his eyes. The Swallow needed to get his priorities straight if he was truly angered by something of this nature.
"Very well, Science Ninja Team." Nambu said, ignoring Jinpei's comment. "I order you to go to the Republic of Hontwal."
"And our objective, Hakase?" Ken asked eagerly.
"For a vacation." Nambu smirked.
There were shocked gasps from around the room. The Condor's mouth fell open. Had he heard the Doctor right? The man who never wanted to let them get too far away from Utoland was sending the entire Team halfway across the world for a vacation?
Something wasn't right.
"I think everyone deserves a vacation, so go have a good time." Nambu said warmly. "And that's an order!"
"Yeah!" Jinpei cried joyfully. "I've been waiting to take a trip! Thanks Hakase!"
"I could use a nice long soak in a hot spring," Ryu said dreamily, "to cure my athlete's foot."
Joe shook his head. Did they truly think this was just a vacation? This wasn't like Dr. Nambu at all. The Condor glanced over at the Eagle. Ken's brow was furrowed, as if he too was uncertain about the Doctor's motives.
"Remember not to let anyone know that you're part of the Science Ninja Team." Nambu admonished them, before they all departed for Hontwal.
Once aboard the God Phoenix, the Condor voiced his concerns aloud.
"What do you think is really going on here?" he asked everyone.
"What do you mean, Joe?" Jinpei laughed. "We get a vacation! After a year of fighting against Galactor! Don't you think we deserve it?"
"Trust Joe to look a gift horse in the mouth!" Ryu snickered.
"I think he has a point." Ken put in. "This isn't like Hakase at all. He's never been too happy with us not living on the Crescent Coral Base. Why should he suddenly want us to go all the way to Hontwal?"
"Do you think there's something wrong with Hakase?" Jun questioned.
"No…" Ken shook his head. "I just think he has some kind of ulterior motive that he's not mentioning to us."
"It wouldn't be the first time." snorted Joe.
"Still, we trust Hakase." the Eagle reminded the Condor with a stern glare. "I think we should do as he says and enjoy ourselves. But we need to ensure that no one knows that the Science Ninja Team is in Hontwal, and we need to stick together."
"Aw, man!" Ryu whined. "I was hoping to find some girls…"
"Not that close together." Joe rolled his eyes. "That's definitely something you can do on your own, Big Guy."
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The God Phoenix landed on the outskirts of Hontwal at a secret ISO installation less than an hour later. After transmuting into their civvies, the members of the Science Ninja Team mixed in with a bunch of researchers on leave and hopped a bus into Kinza City, the capital of Hontwal. The festive, holiday air of the workers infected the team, and gradually they too relaxed and smiled, even laughing as they planned what they wanted to do with their time off.
The following two days were almost unreal, in that they were far distant from what their usual day to day lives were like. The five ninjas swam at the beach, hiked through the surrounding mountains, and enjoyed the local watersports. Ryu chased after girls and spent time in the hot springs, Jinpei whiled away hours on the beach and in the forests searching for wild creatures, and Joe and Jun spent their time engaging in any daredevil sport they could find, preferably one that put them behind the wheel of some land-based vehicle which they could drive with reckless abandon.
Of all of them, only Ken seemed distant. He went along with the others, but seemed to be most interested in quiet contemplation. It wasn't unusual for him to sit unmoving in his chair on the beach for hours, while the others played. They were all concerned, but Joe convinced the other three to give the Eagle the space he needed. Clearly Ken had a lot to work through.
On their third day in Hontwal, Jun finally broke through the Eagle's wall of solitude.
"Come on the boat cruise with us, Ken!" she pleaded. "We're going to see the entire lake area, and it's a beautiful day. You'll have fun."
The Eagle relented, and Jun and Jinpei went off to buy tickets, with strict instructions to the other three to ensure that they met at the dock by noon sharp. The boat would leave without them if they were not on time.
"We will." Joe promised. The Condor knew that he could drag the Eagle there without too much trouble, so all he really had to do was keep an eye on Ryu…
Except that Ryu was gone.
"Damn, where did that guy go?" Joe grumbled.
"Try over there." Ken pointed to a cluster of small restaurants and food markets across the street. "Ryu thinks with his stomach. Why else would he wander off without telling us?"
Acknowledging that Ken was probably right, the two young men began a search of each of the establishments. They finally found Ryu in the last one: a small bakery. The Owl was not only enjoying the cookies and cakes sold there, but also the attentions of the shopgirl.
"So, are you busy tonight?" he asked shyly.
"I get off around six o'clock." she smiled at him.
"Maybe… we could go out to dinner?" Ryu asked.
"That would be nice." the girl giggled.
"He'll see you at six o'clock, then!" Joe called, dragging the Owl out of the shop.
"See you then, Lina!" Ryu called, as Ken and Joe hustled him away.
"You're going to make us late!" Joe growled as soon as they were outside again. "We're supposed to be meeting Jun and Jinpei right now."
"We'll make it." Ryu huffed, running as fast as he could to keep up with his two teammates as they sprinted toward the docks.
Unfortunately, they arrived just in time to see the passenger ramp being lifted up onto the boat. Jun and Jinpei stood on the deck, waving and laughing.
"Told you to be on time, Joe!" Jinpei hooted.
What made this even more annoying was that if Joe had wanted to, he could easily have leapt onto the boat, which only now was pulling away for departure. But they had to maintain their secret identities at all costs, and such a thing would surely be remarked upon.
"I'll show that kid." Joe muttered, looking around. His eyes fell on a watersports kiosk renting sea cycles.
"What do you think?" Joe asked, pointing his thumb over at the kiosk. "I'll bet you we could catch up."
"Looks like fun." Ryu admitted.
"I don't know…" Ken hesitated. "I think I just want to hang out here on the beach."
"Are you sure, Ken?" Ryu asked, concerned.
"Let him be." Joe interrupted. "We need to get busy if we're going to catch up to that boat."
"Okay." Ryu capitulated. "See you in a couple of hours, Ken."
The sea cycles turned out to be very easy to control, and despite their cumbersome appearance were actually quite fast. The renting agent at the kiosk had been surprised to see that they weren't wearing bathing suits, but had been eager enough to take their money. In short order, Joe and Ryu were chasing after the cruise boat, with Jun and Jinpei cheering them on from the rear of the ship.
They rounded a corner, passing the end of a small penninsula. They could all clearly see Ken lounging on a chair near the water, at the edge of a small outdoor café.
"Come on, Ken! This is a blast! Come on!" Ryu called out, but the Eagle did not respond.
"Ryu, just leave him alone." Joe told the Owl. "Come on!"
Ryu shrugged, following after Joe.
But despite what he had said, the Condor kept an eye on the Eagle. From the lake he had a clear view of Ken, and Joe wanted to stay relatively close, in case of trouble.
And sure enough, there was trouble. Not five minutes later, Joe saw Ken facing off with a dozen burly-looking men in ugly brown suits.
"Ryu!" he called to the Owl, and immediately headed for shore. Within a minute, they had reached the edge of the land, and they ran up to Ken's position just as he felled two of them. One man in a white suit ran from the middle of the group, jumping onto a nearby jet ski to flee the scene.
"What's up?" Ryu asked as they reached Ken.
"These guns are ready if you need some backup." Joe offered. He didn't know what was going on, but these men appeared to be angry, and the Condor knew that the Eagle would never have started a fight without good cause.
"Stupid kids!" one of the men shouted angrily. "Mind your own business!"
"What is going on here?"
Everyone turned to see a pair of officers from the Defense Ministry, who had just pulled up on a motorcycle.
"Oh, Captain!" the angry man was suddenly respectful. Joe noted the name 'Daimer' embroidered onto the Captain's uniform.
"Where is the target?" Daimer asked nastily.
"Well, Sir, he got away in a boat," the angry man reported, "because these kids interfered with our plans."
"I work under the Defense Minister of this country!" Daimer announced. "Your actions are inexcusable."
"The Defense Minister, huh?" Ken asked, seemingly unconvinced. "Then who was that guy that just ran off?"
"From Galactor." Daimer replied. "And if it weren't for you, he'd be captured!"
"Galactor?" Ken was taken aback. "He didn't seem like the type that would associate with them!"
"Go after him!" Daimer demanded, and the men bowed respectfully, accepting their orders.
"Yes, Sir!" they cried, before running off. Daimer's motorcycle turned away, riding off and leaving the three ninjas in a cloud of dust.
"Galactor even lurks in a peaceful place like this." Ken muttered.
"I'm just glad that we didn't blow our cover," Ryu noted, "although it's too bad you accidentally helped the wrong side, Ken."
"I don't know." Joe said thoughtfully. "Those guys didn't exactly seem on the up and up either."
"Do you think this is why Hakase sent us here?" Ryu wondered.
"It could be." Ken nodded. "In any case, I'm going to try and find that guy myself."
"Do you want any help?" Joe asked.
"No." Ken shook his head. "I'll be less conspicuous on my own. Contact Dr. Nambu and tell him what happened."
Joe didn't like feeling useless, but he was starting to get used to this tendency of the Eagle's to run off and leave the Condor holding the bag. Reluctantly Joe agreed, feeling irritated as he and Ryu watched Ken head away from the scene.
Fortunately, Dr. Nambu agreed with Joe, and ordered the team to split up and search for the man individually. Ken had already taken the G-1 from the God Phoenix, so Joe, Jinpei, and Jun used their vehicles as well, in civilian form, to canvas the area.
But they did not see Ken again. While the others would congregate in the evening and combine the little information they had managed to gather, the Eagle only reported in via bracelet communications, and his messages were short and sparse.
Once again, it was up to the Condor to hold the Team together.
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It had taken nearly a week, but now the moment had finally arrived. The Science Ninja Team was here in Hontwal, and Ken was off on his own, searching for signs of Galactor. Now all Red Impulse had to do was to convince Ken that his time here over the last decade had been spent working for the UN, instead of for Sosai.
And if the Defense Minister ended up getting caught in the middle of the Colonel's 'convincing', then so much the better.
First, he had let the Minister's goons catch his trail, and he had led them to Ken, allowing the boy to see them coming after him. How simple it had been! He had easily gotten away once Ken had joined in the fight.
The next part of his plan was nearly identical. He would let the Defense Minister's goons see him flying in a plane, and then lead them to Ken. Of course, Ken was unable to help in an aerial battle, as the G-1 had no weapons in either its civilian or transmuted forms.
This time, Red Impulse would be saving the Eagle.
Everything happened exactly as the Colonel had planned it would. The Galactor jets spied Ken's plane and attacked, sending the tiny Cessna into a series of aerobatics. Red Impulse idly noted that his son had improved in his piloting skills since they had last flown together, on the South Island Base.
But it wasn't enough. Without weapons, eventually Ken would be hit; his plane damaged.
Just as he suspected his son was beginning to sweat, Red Impulse flew out of the clouds, firing on the Galactor aircraft and destroying them, easily extricating his son from a sticky situation.
As soon as he was certain that Ken was safe, the Colonel flew off, knowing that his son would be foolhardy enough to follow. It was only a small risk, because if Ken unexpectedly proved to be too intelligent to fall for this trap, Red Impulse could simply stage another meeting, as he had done the day before.
But there was no need. On his scanners he noticed the G-1 transforming, and continuing to follow him. He nearly rolled his eyes in disgust. Was this what Ken thought of as hiding his identity? Months ago he had lectured Nambu about allowing the boy to do such a thing and here he was at it again… Clearly his son wasn't too bright.
He landed his plane in a nearby clearing, just as the evening winds were beginning to pick up. He was flying his usual red jet, but a few small outer plates had been added to disguise the plane so that the Galactor personnel looking for him wouldn't immediately recognize it. Additionally, he was flying dressed as Agent White, because he couldn't be seen by Galactor forces in Hontwal as Red Impulse. At least… not yet.
He opened the canopy of his jet just in time to see the G-1 land less than a hundred meters away. The Eagle got out of the plane and walked a few steps in the Colonel's direction.
"Thanks a lot, for saving me back there!" Ken called out.
At least the brat realized that he should be grateful. But the boy was behaving irresponsibly. He had no idea who was in the plane, and was really opening himself up for anything.
Fortunately it was this kind of simple-minded behavior that fell right into Red Impulse's plans. He initiated the elevation platform rise, appearing before his bewildered son as Agent White.
"But… but you're…"
"Gatchaman, it looks like you've gotten a little carried away." the Colonel laughed.
"Can it, Galactor fiend!" Ken shouted. "I'll take you down!" The boy raised his toy weapon in what he clearly thought was a threatening manner.
"Really? You're going to try to defeat me?" The Colonel could barely keep the laughter out of his voice.
Gatchaman leapt up into the air, throwing his toy boomerang at his father. The Colonel ducked easily, although the weapon did manage to slice off his hat. His reflexes obviously needed work, if this boy could get that close.
The metal bird bounced off the false panel on his red jet, and the Colonel caught it easily on the rebound.
"I thought you were supposed to keep your identity a secret while you were here!" he lectured his son. To demonstrate his superiority, he threw the boomerang back toward Ken, and the weapon sheathed itself as it landed in Gatchaman's holster. It was a fancy enough trick to impress the boy.
Agent White leapt behind his plane, and when he reemerged from behind the jet, he was dressed as Red Impulse. He engaged the release for the disguise plates on his aircraft, and
his signature red jet was revealed to Gatchaman as well.
"So you're Red Impulse!" Clearly his son was a master of stating the obvious.
"That's right." the Colonel smirked. "You know, it's not polite to attack someone right after they save you. I was just returning the favor from yesterday."
"Who were those guys that attacked you?" Ken asked.
"They're the Defense Minister's attack dogs." Red Impulse explained, laying the groundwork for his version of Galactor's presence in Hontwal.
"You mean those guys yesterday were from Galactor?" His son appeared to be confused. Clearly the boy needed everything spelled out for him.
"That's right, Ken." the Colonel said condescendingly. "This entire country has been taken over by Galactor."
"I see!" Ken exclaimed, the lightbulb finally going off in his head. "So that must be why Dr. Nambu sent us here, then!"
"Yes." Red Impulse confirmed. "I asked Dr. Nambu not to tell you I was here. In order to fool your enemies, you must be able to fool your allies." The Colonel winced as he said these words. It would take a pretty gullible man to swallow that line.
"Man! I just knew Hakase was up to something with this vacation stuff!" Ken smirked.
"Still, I'm glad you sought me out, Ken." Red Impulse said as he climbed into his cockpit. "I have important work to do here. Follow me, and I'll explain everything."
"Sure thing, Red Impulse!" Ken cried happily, running back to his G-1 jet.
It occurred to the Colonel that perhaps Kozaburo Nambu had made a poor choice in deciding to make Ken the leader of the Science Ninja Team. The boy was clearly happier following Red Impulse's lead than working on his own. How did Gatchaman ever make it through a mission on his own?
An image of the Condor rose up in Red Impulse's mind, unbidden. He recalled his first meeting with the man after the Blue Hawk had been stolen, and the memory created a slight sense of uneasiness in his mind. He had avoided the Condor ever since, even during the time the Science Ninja Team had spent training on South Island, although the Colonel had made it his business to know a little more about his son's second-in-command. He had gone through Dr. Nambu's file on the boy, and what he had seen had filled him with a healthy respect for Joe Asakura. The Condor was strong, and angry, and wasn't afraid to disobey orders if he didn't agree with them. He simply wouldn't let go of something once he had determined that it was worth pursuing.
Red Impulse had an inkling that the Condor was suspicious about him. After all, the man had seen him installing Sosai's device on the God Phoenix. Ever since, the Colonel had been avoiding the Condor, and doing his best to keep his interaction with the Science Ninja Team limited to his son.
So perhaps it was the Condor's strength that filled in when his son's instincts were insufficient to lead the Science Ninja Team. That was the purpose of a good second officer, after all.
The two jets approached the small cabin in the mountains that had been the Colonel's base of operations for the past week. The sun had just set, but the two pilots had little trouble landing on the high altitude runway in the near darkness, before heading inside.
Just before landing, Ken had transformed back to his civilian attire, and once they entered the house, Red Impulse kept the boy busy building a fire, while he attended to the messages he had received from Masaki in his absence. Once that was completed, he moved to speak with Ken in front of the comforting blaze, preparing to establish his legitimacy here in Hontwal.
"Hontwal's Defense Minister has secretly joined forces with Galactor." Red Impulse explained. "He's hoping to topple the pacifist President and take over the entire country."
"But if he knows, then why isn't the President doing anything about it?" Ken asked.
"There isn't enough evidence to prove it." the Colonel replied, hiding a smirk behind his coffee cup. He should know. After all, he was the one who had ensured that such evidence was impossible to find.
Everything he had told Ken so far was true. Now he simply had to explain his own presence here.
"I've been searching for that evidence for over a decade." he lied. "You see, this has been my life's mission."
A flash of inspiration suddenly occurred to him. Ken didn't know that he was the Colonel's son. But one day, likely soon, Nambu was bound to reveal the secret. Whatever his faults, Ken had reached the age of manhood, and the Doctor was certain to tell him of his true parentage eventually. If Red Impulse could express regret that he had had to leave his family behind, then at that future time, Gatchaman would become more sympathetic to him, should uncomfortable evidence ever come to light. Despite his ineptitude, the leader of the Science Ninja Team would be a valuable character witness if his position with the UN or the ISO were ever in jeopardy.
"It's the whole reason I had to leave my home… my wife… my son!" Red Impulse cried, dramatically slamming his fist onto the mantle above the roaring fire. He tried to make his voice sound as emotional as he could.
"Do you have any ideas about where your son might be now?" Ken asked, cluelessly sipping his coffee. The Colonel would have to lay it on a little more thickly. He turned, crocodile tears in his eyes as he stared at the boy.
"I've let him down." he said, casting his gaze to the ground. He paused for poignancy, then laughed self-deprecatingly.
"Huh! I didn't expect our conversation to take that turn." he said. He had acted out many roles in his life, but this one took the cake. "Ken, my goal is to keep Hontwal beautiful and peaceful forever. I left my only son to save this wonderful country."
"I think I kind of get what you're saying." Ken said, approaching him. "Ever since I've gotten to Hontwal, I've had this weird feeling of nostalgia. It's almost as if I'd been here before." Red Impulse raised an eyebrow in surprise. Could it be that Ken remembered their family trip to Hontwal when he was but three years of age? The Colonel supposed it was possible.
He had pushed Ken far enough for one day.
"I think it's kind of funny that you actually mistook me for Galactor." Red Impulse laughed, changing the subject. "I think we'd better take a break before we get back to work."
He brought out a pair of blankets, and before long father and son had settled themselves down on the couch for a rest. At about three am, Red Impulse awoke. He sat up, taking a moment to stare at his son. In the clear moonlight that was coming through the window, Ken looked just as he remembered: soft, and weak. The boy's resemblance to Sayuri was incredible. Unbidden, images of Ken as a child began to flow through the Colonel's mind.
He recalled his disgust when he had first learned that Sayuri was pregnant, and then his short-lived hope that perhaps he could raise his son to be a credit to him, and of service to Sosai. But that was before he had discovered how useless the boy truly was.
The Colonel remembered playing with his son as Sayuri watched, acting the role of the doting father, so that she wouldn't suspect that her husband wanted nothing more than to leave her and his pathetic offspring to rot.
If Ken was aware of these thoughts, they didn't bother him. Gatchaman slept with a smile on his face, his countenance hardly the terrifying visage Berg Katse claimed it was. Still, given how little promise he had shown as a child, Red Impulse had to admit that in the end, the boy was helping his father by thwarting the Colonel's enemies.
"Ken, you've grown into an amazing young man." he murmured. He had actually managed to salvage some potential and become a threat to Berg Katse. The Colonel supposed that was worth something, at least.
But for now, it was time to go. Red Impulse had to stage a play for Gatchaman, and convince him that they were both working against Galactor in this country.
"Ken! Ken!" he said, shaking the boy. "Listen, Ken, it's time to get up. We've got to get going."
Ken appeared to be in shock at having been woken from his rest.
"Can't you just let me sleep a little longer? Didn't we just go to bed?" he moaned.
"Quit whining like a child!" Red Impulse shouted, ripping the blanket from his son's body. What the hell was this? Clearly Nambu had raised Ken to be as soft and weak as his mother. Mentally, the Colonel revised his earlier statement. Ken was an amazing young man, all right. It was amazing that someone as pathetic as he could actually cause Berg Katse to tremble in his mutant boots.
"Hey!" Ken protested.
"Ken, I'm determined to find the evidence I need tonight!" Red Impulse lectured. But his son's astonished face caused him to change his method of attack.
"Please, I really need your help, Kid."
It nearly choked him to say those words, but they were the truth. Without Gatchaman as a witness, there was no proof to offer the UN that he had been working on their behalf for the past fourteen years, rather than that of Galactor.
"Fine!" Ken groaned. "Since when do you need my help so much?" Red Impulse had to admit that his son had a point. Perhaps he wasn't actually as stupid as he seemed.
"Man! And I was just dreaming about my Dad, too!" the boy whined.
"So do you think you can remember what he looks like?" the Colonel asked mockingly.
"I couldn't really make out his face." Ken admitted. "It was just us, spending time together." That was good at least. If his memories of his father were pleasant ones, it would be even easier for Red Impulse to take advantage of the relationship, should he ever need to do so.
"You couldn't see his face; that's too bad." the Colonel lied. "I guess it's no surprise though. You were separated from him when you were really young."
"Yeah, but I don't hold a grudge against him."
Red Impulse gasped in surprise. This was far easier than he had expected.
"Just like you, you know?" Ken observed. "I'm sure that he must have had a good reason for leaving." Okay, maybe it wasn't that easy. Was there no end to the boy's thick-headedness?
"Otherwise, he would never have left his only son." Ken said, as he moved toward the door. Then he turned, addressing Red Impulse. "Come on! Let's get to the Defense Minister's house!"
The Defense Minister's home was modeled after its owner's occupation. The very picture of impregnable defense, it resembled a small castle, situated on an island in the middle of a rushing river, and accessible only by a stone bridge connecting it to the mainland.
But Red Impulse knew how to get around such measures. He had had years to study this complex, inside and out, and understood the best way to access the residence, taking advantage of the over-confident guards who patrolled the premises. To that end, he insisted that he and Ken put on wetsuits and scuba gear, and they swam three miles through the river to reach the edge of the Defense Minister's island.
Using a grappling hook, the Colonel threw a rope up to the top of the 'battlements', and began climbing. Ken followed close behind. Once he reached the top of the building, Red Impulse quietly climbed onto the roof, behind the back of an unobservant guard.
Unfortunately, his son chose to announce their presence with his clumsiness, his oxygen tank banging against the stone wall.
So much for this being easy.
Hoping to avert potential disaster, the Colonel swung his own oxygen tank around, bashing the guard in the head. The man slumped silently to the ground, before he was able to raise an alarm.
Quickly divesting themselves of their scuba gear, the two infiltrators entered the Defense Minister's home, making their way to the overly extravagant hallway that led to the Minister's office. Thick Roman columns lined the corridor, giving the Colonel and his son ample places to hide.
Ken, however, did not see the advantage of this type of stealth, and instead threw his weapon into the middle of the hallway. When the guards came to investigate, Red Impulse knocked one out in exasperation. His son followed his movements, then cockily threw his weapon at the double doors at the end of the corridor, slicing off the doorknob.
The maneuver was somewhat ostentatious, but at least it got the job done. The Colonel ran down the hallway after the Eagle, bursting through the double doors and into the Defense Minister's office. Ahead of them lay the entrance to a massive vault.
At least, it looked like a vault. Red Impulse knew that behind that door lay an elevator which led to a Galactor base, where the V2 Plan was being completed. The Colonel didn't know exactly what the V2 Plan entailed, but he did know that Sosai had been working on this for some time, and it was for the sake of this Plan that he himself had been assigned to secure the cooperation of Hontwal officials in its completion. Agent White had done his job well, keeping the UN and ISO out of Hontwal, allowing Galactor to work in relative peace and noninterference.
But Agent White was no longer needed, and Red Impulse had to secure his position with the UN. If he could help Gatchaman discover this base, then his reputation would be untarnished, and no questions could be raised about his activities in this country over the past fourteen years.
"There!" Red Impulse pointed at the vault door. "There's got to be some evidence inside! I've snuck in here many times, and made it this far, but it's always ended in failure." He held his breath, waiting for his son to refute this statement. Did Gatchaman truly think him incompetent enough to spend well over a decade attempting to break into this vault, and yet not make any progress whatsoever?
Apparently he did.
"Tonight, you will succeed." Ken promised rashly.
"With your help, I'll get that evidence." Red Impulse flattered the boy. "If we die, we die together." He held out his hand.
His son took the bait and shook hands, smiling broadly in agreement.
Less than a minute later, a powerful explosion blasted through the room. Red Impulse and Gatchaman clung to the ceiling, barely escaping the fiery blast.
Naturally, the noise caused the Defense Minister and his guards to come running. The Colonel tensed, preparing for a fight.
"Report!" the Minister cried, pushing his way to the fore.
Everyone stared at the place where the vault door was located on the wall. As the smoke cleared, it was revealed that the outside of the door was warped, but the extent of the damage was minimal. The vault had clearly not been breached. Red Impulse swore under his breath. It was time for his backup plan.
"So, they've done it?" the Defense Minister asked.
"Yes, Sir!" Daimer, the Captain of the Minister's guards, reported. "We have intruders!"
"Just relax." the Minister laughed. "They can't blow the vault with such meager explosives!" The portly man moved over to where his desk had once stood, rummaging around in the wreckage.
"Ah, yes!" he announced gleefully. "I knew someone was after the evidence, so I installed a hidden camera." He demonstrated by opening his cigar box. Underneath the top layer of cigars was a small video recording device. Red Impulse grinned. In his pocket he had a tape that looked identical to the one inside of that box. But unlike the Minister's tape, the Colonel's tape contained evidence damaging to the Hontwal Defense Minister, and not security footage of intruders to the estate.
"If we watch this, I'm sure the faces of the intruders will be plain as day!" the Minister chortled.
"There's no need to watch it!" Red Impulse shouted, dropping down from the ceiling, his foot extended for an impact thrust. It was time to 'recover' the 'evidence' for Gatchaman.
His boot impacted with the Defense Minister's face, and when the man tumbled to the ground, the Colonel quickly snatched the security tape, while his son was watching.
"It's that red bastard!" Daimer shouted. "Fire!" His men obediently lifted their rifles.
It was at that moment that Ken chose to fly down from the ceiling, landing in the soldiers' midst and causing havoc with his fists and his kicks. Red Impulse had to admit that his son did a fair job fighting off rabble such as this, even if he was still no match for his father's combat skills.
Even as he watched, Ken pulled out his weapon and shouted, throwing it at the Captain. The Defense Minister's toady fell to the floor, while Gatchaman's boomerang cut the chandelier above the remaining guards, knocking them out.
"Deliver this film to the President for me." Red Impulse ordered his son, handing over the tape that he had brought with him. This video contained evidence he knew was damning to the Defense Minister, while the other, useless footage resided in his pocket. "It should be substantial evidence."
Another group of guards arrived and stood in the doorway, firing at the pair of infiltrators.
"Get down!" the Colonel shouted, throwing a grenade at the guards and pulling his son to the floor. Gatchaman had to deliver that evidence to the President, or all was lost.
Once the smoke had cleared, they ran out the door. More guards approached, firing their weapons. Another grenade thrown from the Colonel's hand quickly fixed that.
They dashed toward a tall window at the end of the hallway. The opening overlooked the rushing river, and Ken appeared to be inexplicably stymied by this development.
"We're going to have to jump into the river." Red Impulse told him. "Hurry up Ken!" When his son appeared to be frozen in place, the Colonel encouraged him again.
"I'll go before you!" he cried, leaping smoothly from the sill and into the fast-moving waters beneath. "Follow me!"
Finally, Ken came out onto the window ledge, staring down at his father in the water below. Encouragingly, the Colonel waved to the boy.
"Come on, Ken!"
And yet, his idiot son stood there, unmoving.
"What are you waiting for?" he hollered, desperate to get his son… his evidence… out of the Defense Minister's hands.
Finally, Ken dove off of the ledge, plunging into the river below, and then swimming to his father. Red Impulse laughed in relief, placing a hand on his son's shoulder. Yet the hail of bullets that quickly followed brought the Colonel back to reality.
"We'll have to split up!" he cried. "'Till we meet again!"
Now, he simply had to hope that Gatchaman had enough skill to make it back to safety.
