Ch 13

The Last Chance Garage

The recon team was shocked to see the garage in complete chaos. No one spoke as they started packing up Charleys things. Carbine quietly broke down inside when she found Charleys diary. Not saying anything, she placed it inside her duster's internal breast pocket. This last Christmas, Charley gave Carbine a floor length leather duster. Nowadays full of pride, anytime Carbine went to Earth she made sure to wear it.

Trying to break the tension in the room, Harley decided to speak when Carbine went into the office.

" So, let me get this straight. Charley lived here all by herself working as a mechanic?" Harley asked the rest as she helped pack tools. She was amazed by how simplistic the garage looked. She had never been in a Earth work shop before.

" Yep, Charley girl is the best wrench jockey on the planet. There is nothing she couldn't fix." Throttle said proudly as he loaded the travel trailer.

" Hey Carbine what's wrong?" Lukas saw Carbine come out of the office. She was frozen in shock.

"I just watched the surveillance footage that was recording the night they took her. She didn't fight them. The mess here was made by her..." Carbine was down on a chair. Her eyes glued to the spot where Greasepit grabbed her and backhanded her. Why didn't she fight back?

" Well, the bikes are loaded as much as possible. Why don't we take this load and come back with the rest." Mace felt ackward at the moment. Modo kept hanging back looking sullen. Throttle was being quiet, Lukas the same. Harley was trying her best to make the best out of a bad situation. Mace knew Harley felt horrible for what happened to Charley. Carbine, his coldness was starting to feel badly for the hardened general. Lukas even though Mace just met him seemed like a good whatever he was.

" Right, lets go and hurry back." Carbine said as she climbed on her bike, shaking her head to clear her mind. Without a second thought, the team climbed on their bikes and followed suit.

.

On Mars

Stoker reached the ship bay to meet up with the Major Zerelda Van Wham. His shocked reaction washing over his unmasked face. " I'm going with you." Was all she said as he loaded his bike next to hers. Quickly before he could object she set the coordinates and jumped in with him. Within moments, they were on Earth staring at a very heavily sedated body. Immediately Zerelda ran over to her cousin to check on him. Seeing he was fine, she heard the group of bikes. Stoker wasn't wasting any time waiting on them. He went to stand on the hanger bay ramp as they pulled in.

Carbine, being in the lead was first off her bike. Alarms went off in her head when she saw Zee and Stoker together. Watching the way Stoker's tail twitched she met him halfway and touched antennas with him. Jerking her head back she saw the hardened edge in his look. "Major Zee, war room Now!" Without hesitation a tiny dart sped past Carbine's ear and struck Stoker in the neck. Everyone looked at Stoker dumbfounded then back at Zerelda.

"Tortured by the past a bit little mouse?" Lukas asked Zerelda.

Raising one eyebrow, Zee glared at him at motioned to Carbine to take the lead. Without a word to Lukas, she followed Carbine into the war room, closing the door behind them.

" What is with that mouse and all the sleep darts? " Lukas looked bewildered at Throttle and Modo.

A low growl came from a normally cool and collected Modo as he rubbed his throat. Muttering as he walked over and picked up a limp Stoker. " Dont ask!" was Modo's only reply as he thought to himself how he wished he knew.

The group could hear unpleasant yelling coming from behind closed doors. They all were silently thanking their creators individually that they were not inside the war room.

"Officer Maverick, Commander Throttle come into the War room on the double." Carbine turned around to face her bodyguard and only bestfriend besides Throttle.

The young Major Van Wham looked extremely angry at her superior when the men walked in. Her tail thrashed side to side, as her General started to speak. Luckily for Modo, he was not the one she was angry with this time. " Plans have changed. General Stoker has discovered more crimes of 's than what we first knew of. Our new objective is this, find the evidence we need to convict and execute that freak! We will go for another load from Charleys then use the transporter to go home. Major Van Wham, you will stay behind with the ship for your time off, then be on this mission with Officer Maverick."

In unison Throttle and Modo's objections sounded of as in stereo surround. "I don't need to have your pet here General. I would prefer to be alone with the ship if this is a fact finding mission." Modo felt his fur bristling as he looked Carbine in the eye. Not backing down on this. To him it was absurd that they work together alone with no other mice around. Another reason over two why he didn't want to be alone with her was everything she did, dressed, acted or behaved. To him it was improper and not respectable for the General to suggest this.

" Your both on this mission and might be here on Earth until you are done. It may take days, weeks or months. As your General, I'm asking you first as a friend to do this. I don't want to do this but if you force me to pull rank I will give you direct orders to do this." Carbine cocked her head to the side, but both hands on her hips, and looked him dead set in his eye. " Do you understand me?" came out through her clenched teeth. " Yes mam!" Modo's tail slaughtered the air the way it slashed back and forth. Turning on his heel he walked out of the room and headed towards his bike. Climbing on his bike he turned to see Zerelda looking at him curiously. That was one spooky, freaky woman mouse he thought bitterly. He needed air, firing his darling up, he rolled out towards the scoreboard.

More yelling came from the war room, Zerelda had already left and was going to her bike. Carbine and Throttle was arguing again about trust. " Why can't you let down your defenses long enough to let me in?" Throttle growled. Carbine growled back at him as she sat down putting her head in her hands. " You know why I can't just do that. The last time..." she raised her head to look him in the eyes. Tears were there threatening to fall. It was a small step for Carbine. She never cried anymore since her parents were killed. However, since Charley was kidnapped and attacked, now she was letting it show in front of Throttle. He always knew she had a softer, vulnerable side to her. A side that she refused to allow the public to see. Weakness was her main reason why she would not allow herself to cry. With the weight of authority she carried, knowing the fate of Mars was in every decision she made. She was always afraid to let any person see anything they could exploit as a sign of weakness from her, even Throttle. After she unadvertenly read a page in a friend's diary while her friend was passed out drunk. Carbine had always been scared to allow Throttle any chance to betray her to an enemy. Functioning day to day was her only way of survival while Throttle was on Earth. Until Zerelda came home and made her life bearable again. Sighing, as Zee would say sometimes you gotta roll the dice. Please Throttle don't betray me now, she silently beg. " Where do I begin?" she started as she looked up defeatedly.

" The beginning, or anywhere would be a start." Throttle looked at her hopefully. Maybe she is changing just enough that we can begin again.

" Throttle, a lot has changed since you all came back and all of this it the fan. Stoker's got a lot going on in his head and it goes far back to when the Plutarkians began their invasion. I can't say who the mother is its not my place. But he just found out that he would had been a true father tonight."

"Your joking right? The old time bachelor a father?"

" He was in love with a woman that her father betrayed our race to the Plutarkians. Karbunkle stole the babes and Stoker was going to kill him. I had to have the Major knock him out for his own good."

" Okay that makes sense. Now what is your reason about the Major and Modo."

"Must I really explain?"

"Why yes you do?"

" Really?"

" Carbine! Please!"

"Alright, They need to work things out alone without interference. Also I need as much distance between Modo and Stoker we possible for the time being." As if some one could have flipped a switch the hardened veteran was back. Lukas knocked at the door needing to talk to them.

" Two mice have flipped out and left. And the rest of us are ready to go. If your ready to get the rest of your sister's things." Lukas could feel the anger and fearful vibrations in the air. Before another word could be said Stoker's communicator went off. Bella Maverick was on the other end. Afraid to answer it in front of Throttle and Lukas, Carbine silenced the call to conceal who was on the other line. Giving the others the last minute run all Carbine would say was "Let's go. So we can go home tonight."