"What have we got here, Spirit?" Beach Head asked, crossing the park to where Spirit knelt, examining the ground. Hit & Run and Mainframe stood to one side, observing. Getting no response, Beach Head spoke again.
"Ah said..." Spirit raised a hand to silence the Ranger. Moving forwards slowly, the shaman ran his hand across the grass.
"What is it?" Hit & Run asked, looking over Spirit's shoulder.
"Blood."
"Bluud? Whose bluud." Beach Head asked.
Spirit continued forward in a low crouch, not answering. His hands traced the ground as he moved. The other three Joes followed at a distance...
Spirit stood and turned.
"Well?" Beach Head asked impatiently.
"A man staggered down those stairs." Spirit pointed over towards the steps. "He was injured badly, more than likely could barely stand. He came this way..."
"And?" Hit & Run asked
"He was not alone. Someone was helping him. They came over here..." Spirit crossed the park and stopped at the entrance of an alley. Kneeling, he ran his hand across a crimson smear on the wall and smelled the powder than came off on his fingers.
"Blood. The man leaned here and slid down the wall. The person helping him went over there and retrieved a vehicle. They loaded the injured man in and drove away." Standing, he turned back to the trio of Joes.
"Shockwave survived. So did Black Cat."
"How do you know? I mean, all I see is a bunch of blood on a wall and the grass and some muddy footprints." Hit & Run said.
"As much as Ah'd hate to say, Spirit, I might have ta agree with tha boy." Beach Head added. "Sounds like ghostly mumbo jumbo."
"It is nothing but pure tracking, my friends." Spirit replied. "Coming down the steps are several black footprints, left because of carbon on the shoes of the injured. There are also several bloody handprints, the handprint obviously belonging to a man. The soft ground contains several footprints. A woman walked through it. Her prints were deeper and beside a set of prints belonging to a man. The female's prints were deeper on the one side, while it appears the male's were shallower and on the side of the female that were deeper."
"Huh?" Hit & Run asked.
"It means tha woman was supporting tha man." Beach Head said.
"And I'll bet if we ran some of the blood..." Mainframe spoke.
"It would match Shockwave's blood in his file." Hit & Run spoke, nodding his understanding.
"How do ya know tha woman who helped'im out is Cat?' Beach Head asked. "Couldn't ita been one of tha goons?"
"Doubtful, my friend." Spirit examined a black stain on the sidewalk. "If it was an enemy who had Shockwave, would they not have rendered him unconscious and dragged him? Even injured, I doubt Shockwave would go along willingly. There'd have been a struggle."
"And signs of it." Beach Head finished.
"Yes."
A cry from overhead caused Mainframe and Hit & Run to duck as Beach Head started to draw his sidearm. Spirit held up his arm and a magnificent eagle descended from the sky, and with one final flap of its wings, perched on Spirit's arm and folded its wings. The eagle cried twice more, Spirit nodding to the bird.
"Damn, that bird spooks me sum times." Beach Head muttered.
"Freedom has found the trail left by the car."
"Spook mumbo jumbo?" Hit & Run asked.
"A trail of oil the car was leaking." Spirit replied. "I told brother Freedom to follow it."
"And?"
"He will lead us along the trail."
Something chirped on Mainframe's belt. Pulling a cell phone and opening it, Mainframe spoke.
"Go ahead."
"Mainframe, what's the word?" Flint asked.
"Spirit thinks that Shock and Cat are alive."
"Confirmation from the coroner?"
"Pathologist won't know who was up there for days. Maybe weeks, Flint."
"Okay...Okay." Flint though for a second. "The three of you go with Spirit, see what you can dig up."
"Copy, Flint, will do."
"Well, 'puter boy?" Beach Head asked.
"Flint wants us to follow Spirit's lead and find our missing campers."
"Okay. Spirit, let's move."
"Yes, let us find our missing friends."
"Ah said..." Spirit raised a hand to silence the Ranger. Moving forwards slowly, the shaman ran his hand across the grass.
"What is it?" Hit & Run asked, looking over Spirit's shoulder.
"Blood."
"Bluud? Whose bluud." Beach Head asked.
Spirit continued forward in a low crouch, not answering. His hands traced the ground as he moved. The other three Joes followed at a distance...
Spirit stood and turned.
"Well?" Beach Head asked impatiently.
"A man staggered down those stairs." Spirit pointed over towards the steps. "He was injured badly, more than likely could barely stand. He came this way..."
"And?" Hit & Run asked
"He was not alone. Someone was helping him. They came over here..." Spirit crossed the park and stopped at the entrance of an alley. Kneeling, he ran his hand across a crimson smear on the wall and smelled the powder than came off on his fingers.
"Blood. The man leaned here and slid down the wall. The person helping him went over there and retrieved a vehicle. They loaded the injured man in and drove away." Standing, he turned back to the trio of Joes.
"Shockwave survived. So did Black Cat."
"How do you know? I mean, all I see is a bunch of blood on a wall and the grass and some muddy footprints." Hit & Run said.
"As much as Ah'd hate to say, Spirit, I might have ta agree with tha boy." Beach Head added. "Sounds like ghostly mumbo jumbo."
"It is nothing but pure tracking, my friends." Spirit replied. "Coming down the steps are several black footprints, left because of carbon on the shoes of the injured. There are also several bloody handprints, the handprint obviously belonging to a man. The soft ground contains several footprints. A woman walked through it. Her prints were deeper and beside a set of prints belonging to a man. The female's prints were deeper on the one side, while it appears the male's were shallower and on the side of the female that were deeper."
"Huh?" Hit & Run asked.
"It means tha woman was supporting tha man." Beach Head said.
"And I'll bet if we ran some of the blood..." Mainframe spoke.
"It would match Shockwave's blood in his file." Hit & Run spoke, nodding his understanding.
"How do ya know tha woman who helped'im out is Cat?' Beach Head asked. "Couldn't ita been one of tha goons?"
"Doubtful, my friend." Spirit examined a black stain on the sidewalk. "If it was an enemy who had Shockwave, would they not have rendered him unconscious and dragged him? Even injured, I doubt Shockwave would go along willingly. There'd have been a struggle."
"And signs of it." Beach Head finished.
"Yes."
A cry from overhead caused Mainframe and Hit & Run to duck as Beach Head started to draw his sidearm. Spirit held up his arm and a magnificent eagle descended from the sky, and with one final flap of its wings, perched on Spirit's arm and folded its wings. The eagle cried twice more, Spirit nodding to the bird.
"Damn, that bird spooks me sum times." Beach Head muttered.
"Freedom has found the trail left by the car."
"Spook mumbo jumbo?" Hit & Run asked.
"A trail of oil the car was leaking." Spirit replied. "I told brother Freedom to follow it."
"And?"
"He will lead us along the trail."
Something chirped on Mainframe's belt. Pulling a cell phone and opening it, Mainframe spoke.
"Go ahead."
"Mainframe, what's the word?" Flint asked.
"Spirit thinks that Shock and Cat are alive."
"Confirmation from the coroner?"
"Pathologist won't know who was up there for days. Maybe weeks, Flint."
"Okay...Okay." Flint though for a second. "The three of you go with Spirit, see what you can dig up."
"Copy, Flint, will do."
"Well, 'puter boy?" Beach Head asked.
"Flint wants us to follow Spirit's lead and find our missing campers."
"Okay. Spirit, let's move."
"Yes, let us find our missing friends."
