Stephen's ears were pinned back and his fangs were bared in a grimaced snarl. He hating having to do this, but he knew the leech was right. The crinos Garou was waist-deep in the fetid water of the swamp, as was Darian. The were-panther suddenly jumped back, almost falling over backwards at the massive splashing just in front of him. He reached down and grabbed something in the murky water.

"Got it!"

The werewolf sloshed forward and reached into the turbulent water at the massive creature. Darian was fighting to keep his grip on the powerful tail as Stephen also grabbed onto it. The two shifters then walked backward out of the water, pulling the huge bull alligator up onto the bank. The reptile was massive for it's species, almost 13 feet in length. Viper and Chigger both backed away from the thrashing monster as Ange watched impassively. She nodded her head once the entire gator was pulled up out of the water.

"Stephen! Grab it's head!"

The wolf let go of the tail and timed his jump to land on the beast's shoulders, gripping the powerful neck. Darian then put his full weight on the gator's back.

"Damn this thing is strong! Hurry up, Ange!"

The gator's jaws were wide open as it swung it's head, trying to get loose from the two crinos werebeasts. They were only glad that alligators weren't nearly as agressive as crocodiles. Ange bit deep into her wrist, opening a large wound, and carefully moved over to the powerful animal, letting the blood drip into the gator's open jaws while avoiding getting bit by them.

"Alright! Close the jaws!"

Stephen released his grip on the gator's neck and covered part of it's face. The gator thrashed and snapped it's jaws. After one such snap, the werewolf grabbed hold of the powerful jaws so they couldn't open again. Ange kneeled down and starred into the reptile's eyes, concentrating.

"Calm down..."

The gator stopped it's thrashing and began to calm. She motioned with her hand for the shifters to move, and they quickly jumped off the beast and moved out of the way. Ange continued to keep eye contact with it.

"You're safe now. I've made you stronger. You will guard this place. Now go."

The alligator then turned, and crawled slowly back into the murky water. Ange stood up and looked back at the two larger shifters, both of them covered in mud and dripping with the putrid swamp water. She just smiled slightly.

"Good job."

.

Four days had passed since the shifters returned to Sarita's Den Relm. There were no more reports of the strange killings, or of Ange & Viper's mutant creations. For a few days at least, things seemed to have calmed down. It was late evening, the sun just beginning to set. Jake and Chance had finished their work for the day and were now relaxing upstairs in the apartment. That's when the alarm went off. Both kats quickly got up and ran for the emergency com on the wall.

"Yes, Miss Briggs?"

"SWAT Kats! There's this giant wolf-creature that just showed up as I was leaving City Hall! I don't know what it is, but it seems to be...AAAGGGHHH!"

"CALLIE?"

There was no response. They both turned and ran quickly down to the hangar. It took less than five minutes before the lift was lowering the Turbokat down to the runway tunnel. They knew it had to be one of Ange's werewolves, most likely Stephen. And that really worried them, but they both felt that there wasn't any time to try and contact Sarita and Nakela. They could only hope that Sawgrass would notice something and report it back to the two female shifters.

Pushing all three thrusters to maximum, they covered the distance to City Hall quickly. Razor checked his scanners.

"Callie's signal is coming from about two miles away, in the subway system!"

"I don't like this! If that overgrown hairball has harmed even a single strand of fur on her..."

"I know, T-Bone. We've just got to hope that she's okay. I'm going in with the cyclotron."

"Be sure to maintain radio contact at all times! Those things are too strong, and I have a bad feeling there's more than just the one."

"Yeah, same here. Just be ready in case we have to make a fast exit!"

"Roger that. Good luck, buddy!"

The large jet flew down low over the street and the bay doors opened. The cyclotron dropped down from the jet, and Razor gunned the engine as soon as the tires hit the pavement. He drove quickly down the stairs of the nearest subway entrance, maneuvering around the many startled kats below. There was no visible train and the signal was coming from down the tunnel. He jumped the bike off of the platform and drove it fast down the rail tunnel.

"T-Bone, can you still read me?"

There was a bit of static.

"Barely. Any sign of her yet?"

"Not yet. But I'm getting close!"

"Just get her and get out of there! We'll find a way to let Sarita know where the beasts are as soon as we've got..."

There was more static, then silence.

"T-Bone? T-Bone!"

Nothing. Then the engine stalled on the cyclotron and it began to skid on the tracks.

"WHOA!"

Razor had to jump off as the bike slid and crashed into the wall at a curve in the tunnel. Two large figures stepped into sight from around the bend. Darian and Stephen, and gripped tightly in the wolf's clawed hands, a terrified Callie.

"Razor!"

"Miss Briggs?"

Razor quickly jumped to his feet and aimed his glovatrix at the shifters. He fired liquid cement at them... or thought he did.

"What the... jammed?"

The massive crinos wolf laughed.

"Foolish kat. By invoking the power of gremlin-spirits, I can prevent any form of technology from working!"

Darian dropped down to all fours and shifted into his chatro form. The black saber-tooth then charged. Razor had seen Sarita fight in the form several times. He timed himself just right, then jumped at the last moment, delivering a spinning round-house kick to the side of the panther's head. It felt almost like kicking a cement block.

The impact sent the panther into the wall, and he shook his head and snarled viciously.

Callie tried to struggle in the werewolf's strong grip.

"Razor! Just get out of here!"

The panther turned to face the kat again, snarling viciously. Razor was getting ready for another kick then everything suddenly went pitch black. He couldn't see anything. In the next instant, something hit him very hard from behind. He was thrown forward onto the ground. The last thing he heard was Callie's scream. Something then hit him in the head, and despite the protective helmet, which probably saved his life, he blacked out from the impact.

.

It had been over half an hour with no contact from Razor. Callie had escaped through the entrance to the subway and T-Bone landed the jet to speak with her. She had told him of the werewolf magically jamming his glovatrix and the cyclotron. That explained why the radio-com wasn't working either. She then told him of how the had wolf released her to attack Razor. Everything had turned pitch black and she heard them knock Razor out and take him prisoner. The wolf said something about a person named Angelida wanting him alive, so she ran before they thought to recapture her too.

After making sure that Callie was safe, he quickly flew the jet toward the park, praying that Sarita would somehow know he was coming. He was right, as he saw the large black raven circling a clearing in the trees that was just big enough to land the Turbokat in. The were-jaguar was already there in sokto form waiting for him.

Once the jet landed and the engines were shut off, T-Bone quickly jumped out and ran over to her.

"Den Relm! Now! I've got to talk to all three of you!"

She nodded and held out her hands, quickly taking him through the Gauntlet, the raven flying through on his own and landing on a branch. As soon as T-Bone found himself once more in the tropical jungle, he looked around for the dragon.

"Where's Nakela?"

"She's coming."

"No, she's here!" The dragon's head became visible through the thick foliage first and she looked down on the pair. "Where's Jake?"

"Stephen and Darian took him! They had apparently captured a friend of ours, Deputy Mayor Briggs, to lure us into a trap! They were down in the subway. Razor went down with the cyclotron to get her, then get out, but they caught him!"

This came as a shock to the dragon. Sarita however, was far more calm and objective.

"What happened to Briggs?"

"She got away while they caught Jake. She said something about Stephen being able to stop any form of technology from working."

Sarita shook her head saddly.

"Jam Technology. It's a werewolf Gift. Damn! I'm sorry, Chance. But I'm afraid he's gone."

"NO! Stephen said something about Ange wanting him alive! I've got to find him!"

Nakela sighed. Now she spoke again, softly.

"I'm sorry, truly. But it may already be too late."

T-Bone turned and glared up at the dragon.

"I don't care! I'm not going to let that blood-sucker take him!"

Sarita stood with her eyes closed, arms folded over her chest.

"I'm going with you."

Nakela gasped at the sokto jaguar.

"You're WHAT? Sar, you know it's already too late!"

She looked up calmly at her friend and lover.

"I know. But, when Ange took me, I thought I was as good as dead. So did you. But they came for me anyway. I owe it to Jake, and to Chance, to at least try."

The dragon shook her head sadly. Balam prided themselves on honor. She knew that Sar felt honor-bound to help, and there was no talking her out of it. T-Bone was also surprised, and grateful.

"Thank you, Sarita."

The jaguar nodded, then closed her eyes again. She reached out with her mind, trying to push for as many miles as she her Gift would let her. She then felt him.

Jake? Can you hear me?

There was no answer. After a moment, she opened her eyes again and looked back at T-Bone.

"He's alive, but unconscious. At least twenty miles from here, toward the south. I'm sure I can find him once we get closer."

"Alright. Let's go."

Sarita took his hands again and they were about to pass back out through the Gauntlet, then Nakela yelled out.

"Sarita!"

She paused and both her and T-Bone looked up at the dragon.

"Bring him back safely. And be careful. Both of you."

The were-jaguar nodded.

"We will."