Chapter 29

While the ThunderCats struggled to find Lo-ta, the lynx did his best to stay hidden. Since everyone was supposed to be in quarantine and the only vehicles roaming the streets were ThunderGuard transports, he had to stay low and hide quite a bit. He worked his way from his office toward the hospital. It would be here, that he would make his final stand.

"Why do I have this feeling that we're chasing a whack job and he's leading us around in circles?" One of Colonel Cougara's men, a pumiger by the name of Fer, asked.

"Because we are chasing a whack job and it's quite possible he is leading us around in circles?" His partner, a lion by the name of Leo, smirked from the driver's seat of their transport.

"Guys, I think I got something," a voice from the back seat piped up.

"What is it Tooie?" Leo asked the tiger, using her nickname. Taka, was her real name, and she was the communications officer aboard and was monitoring the nearby cameras for anything suspicious as well as the radio.

"The hospital just had someone walk into the facility holding a large bag of something. Security was going to check him but he bashed the guard with his bag and took off," she explained.

"Lights and sirens! Buckle up!" Leo commanded to the crew which totaled five. Besides Fer, Leo, and Taka, their two weapons experts were a panther by the name of Arta and a liger by the name of Bo. Leo raced toward the hospital which was only a block and a half away. Arta got into his position in his seat and poked a series of buttons, lifting his seat up through the roof of the vehicle to the large gun mounted on the roof.

"All right, everyone out. Fan out and look for him but be careful. He could have the virus on him and he could be ready to inject us with it. Arta will stay with the truck and watch the entrance," Leo ordered.

"We supposed to bring him in alive?" Fer asked.

"Yes but I have my doubts he'll want to get caught. Still set everything to stun. I don't want to be the one explained to King Lion-O why he's dead," Leo said.

"Roger," Taka nodded. She headed inside and was immediately directed to the security office so she could send the team where they needed to go. Reinforcements were on their way as she radioed for back up.

"Ok guys, the hospital entered lock down mode. Our guy is definitely still in the building. I've got motion sensors being tripped on the fifth floor. It's our guy. He's heading toward the neonatal unit," she relayed what she saw on the screens.

"I don't like where his mind is going," Bo said.

"Neither do I. Let's get him," Fer said as they stepped off the elevator. Cautiously the team approached the nurses' desk. Outside they could hear more sirens and knew that back up had arrived.

"Where is the Cat that just walked in here?" Leo whispered to the nurse who was shaking in her seat. She just pointed around the corner. Bo helped her from the desk and got her to head toward the elevator.

"She said that the guy has a blaster and threatened to kill her if she didn't sit there and tell people the unit was off limits," he told the group in a low tone.

"Screw stun. I'm not letting anybody die for this asshole," Fer ordered. The team switched their safeties off and moved in with Taka giving them directions as they went. Then they were right near him. Taka told them to hold their position behind the door to the intensive care unit as the lynx was looking around, as if he'd heard something.

"We can't flash bang him with all those babies in there," Bo pointed out.

"I know," Fer shook his head. Leo radioed to Taka for her to kill the overhead lighting via the building's management system. She complied and Lo-ta swung around toward the door. When he saw no one, he went into his bag when the fire alarm sounded. As the building began evacuating, he knew that they were onto him and he had to move fast. Reaching back into his bag, Lo-ta grabbed the tub of infected lemonade powder.

"He's going for the infected powder tub. Get in there now!" Taka shouted over the radio. The team broke the door down and Fer shouted,

"Put the tub gently down on the floor!"

"You have no idea what you are doing," Lo-ta smirked. His free hand went to the small of his back.

"We need to see your hands! Set the tub down slowly and show us your hands!" Bo ordered.

"I'm afraid I can't do that. You see I know what will happen to me if I do so I'm going to take my chances," Lo-ta said. That's when Leo noticed what the lynx had in his other hand.

"Yes that's a detonator. One push of this button and the container in my hand will explode send the powder inside up into the air and into the ventilation system. Everyone in this room will be infected and everything the ventilation system touches will get a healthy dose of it too. Then there will be no stopping the virus unless the building is destroyed," he smirked.

"Fire will kill the virus so an explosion won't do you much good," Bo spoke up.

"That's why I built the "bomb" with a pressurized air machine," Lo-ta continued to smirk.

"Just set it down and we'll talk. No weapons, no bombs, just us talking," Fer tried to get him to be reasonable.

"I don't fear death boys, so the question is, do you?" Lo-ta asked as his finger went for the button.

To Be Continued…