Rock and a Hard Place: Chapter 12
Author's Notes: Well, Loyal fans, the delay in uploading this chapter is unfortunately not anyone else's fault but my own. Sorry to keep you waiting for the climatic conclusion, but they say the best things come to those who wait. And since I feel so guilty about it, I'm going to give you all a two-for-one deal. J So don't stop with just this chapter, keep reading and reviewing straight through. J
Meanwhile, elsewhere on the battlefield Phoenix and Condor teamed up for a little pay back. Condor converted to helicopter mode flying above Piranha, while Phoenix followed its rear.
Rax glanced at his mirrors and noticed the gang up. "What the hell is this a daddy /daughter dance!"
"Didn't you know? He has to approve all my new suitors," Annie teased maliciously as she brought Phoenix a notch closer to Piranha's bumper.
"You want a dance with my daughter, Rax, ya gotta take a little lesson first." Brad fired Condor's laser to Piranha's right, causing Rax to make a left. Then Condor's laser then hit to Pirhana's left, resulting in Rax making a hard right.
"CUT THAT OUT!" Rax shouted annoyed with the cheap shots. And he couldn't escape the family dragnet, because Phoenix matched his every ground move inch for inch and speed for speed.
Annie drove up long side him, "You mess with me! You mess with my whole family, remember that!"
"Oh that's real sweet kid," Rax shouted as he attempted to ram his bike into hers; instead, Annie sped up Phoenix and pulled the knife from her leg strap.
"You're not too good at dancing, I'm afraid I'll have to turn you down. But, here's a gift to remember me by, lover," She then jammed it into his front wheel and drove off snickering.
Piranha's wheel locked up tight, causing the bike to roll over and crash, but Rax managed to jump out just in time to avoid any serious injuries. His fist hit the ground as he notice Phoenix tossing dirt into his direction, "You stupid bitch…you'll pay for that!"
"Do you suppose he takes American Express?" Annie teased through her radio link to Condor.
"Nah, probably VISA," Brad joked back as he brought Condor back down to motorcycle mode. "After all, it's everywhere you want to be."
Annie laughed, then turned serious as she saw that Manta was the only active VENOM vehicle on the battlefield. The purple sports car was doing a fair job harassing Bruce in Rhino, though Roxy seemed to be giving Vanessa a run for her money as well. Annie decided that she wasn't going to miss another opportunity to get revenge on her mother, so she spurred Phoenix in that direction.
"Thanks for the assist, Dad. I think I better go help Roxy with some pest control so Bruce can concentrate on getting that missile airborne."
Brad laughed softly, "I think I better go make sure Dusty hasn't fainted from shock. Gator hasn't moved since Scott attempted to pick Jess up."
"What do we have here?" Mayhem watch from Switchblade as he noticed the passenger in Gator trying to step into a parallel flying Thunderhawk. "Trakker picking up hitch hikers. Better remind him how dangerous that can be." Switchblade turned around to face Thunderhawk, then nose drive to as close to the ground as it could get.
"JESS HURRY UP AND GET IN," Scott shouted as he saw Switchblade heading straight towards him. Sweat poured down his face as he attempted to maintain Thunderhawk's level in the air His mind screamed to move, but any sudden movements would put jess in danger.
"I'm almost there Scott," She replied grasping onto Thunderhawk's passenger seat and used her upper body strength to pull herself up. By time Jess pulled her entire body into the car, Scott could wait no longer to react to his adversary. He pulled the nose of thunderhawk up just barely missing Switchblade, as it passed under him by inches. Jess scrambled to get her seat belt on, yet before she could Switchblade launched a missile causing Scott to take swift evasive actions by making a hard left to avoid it.
"AHHH," Jess screamed as she fell out of the seat and out the door.
"JESSIE!" Dusty halted Gator and watched in horror as he saw his little girl dangling from the open door.
"Hang tight Jess," Scott shouted as he noticed the missile returning for a second round. Scott activated Thunderhhawk heat seeking missile and targeted it on the oncoming one.
"That's exactly what I'm trying to do."
Once the two missiles collided, and the danger was averted now that Brad started to offer attention air support with Condor. Scott tilted Thunderhawk to almost a 90-degree angle on its left side, "LET GO"
Jess aimed her legs for the open door. Once she let go of the door she fell right through the opening and right onto Scott.
He smiled as he turned the car upright again, "You ok?"
Jess looked at him realizing her body was still crushed up against his, "Next time your landing no more airborne stunts like that." She gradually made her way into the passenger seat and secured her seat belt.
Scott then added with some light humor to ease her tension, "I promise just don't tell Annie I had another woman's hands all over me."
Jess laughed lightly, but stop once she heard her worried father over the line.
"Jess you made it in ok? No bumps or bruises." Dusty asked as if she were still an eight-year-old child.
"I'm fine, Dusty, Scott manage to catch me the second time around," She smirked lightly, "Let's get this over and done with before I get air sick. Alright Bruce," Jess radioed as she got settled into Thunderhawk which was gaining altitude again, "I'm all fasten in."
Bruce took one last glance out of Rhino's side mirrors, noting with a satisfied smile that Chameleon and Phoenix were both working together to keep Manta occupied while he concentrated on the task at hand. He quickly activated the heat-seeking missile that Alex had designed, "Target lock. Lets hope this does what it's suppose to." The missile locked onto Switchblade boosters, which were emitting a massive amount of heat. Scott flew Thunderhawk closer to Switchblade waiting for the attack to commence. Once the missile struck, Jess stuck her head out of Thunderhawk's door and focused Thermic right on the blast source. The flames engulfed the entire aircraft chipping away every little bit of the armor.
"AHHHHH," Mayhem screamed with uncertainty, if the plane would still function after such damage. "RETREAT! We can't fight with no armor to protect us!"
Vanessa grumbled irritated, "You mean you…don't you. Curse this how can we ever win a battle if we keep running."
Rax agreed over a silent radio channel, as he threw out Annie's knife and picked his bike up, "Yeah…the old man losing his touch."
"He never had it in the first place," Vanessa reminded.
"If we would of can that stupid daughter of yours, MASK would be on the run," Rax reminded.
"NO SHIT SHIRLOCK!" Vanessa replied irritated, "I pointed that out to him…but he was too ignorant to listen. He's always set on settling an old score with that stupid red camero. When is he going to realize times have changed, that isn't his long time arch rival driving it anymore."
"Sooner or later he's gonna get replaced, the question which one of us is up for promotion," Rax nagged slightly over the radio.
"HA you really think you stand a chance over me!" Vanessa mocked.
"Just you watch me take it from ya, and that daughter of yours better watch her back, " Rax grumbled a warning, "or else someone's gonna put a knife in it one of these days." Rax ended his private conversation and picked Cliff Dagger up in Piranha's sidecar, then joined Manta and the smoking Switchblade escaping the battlefield.
"Should we go after them?" Dusty asked still feeling a rush from battle.
"No we need to secure the depository," Scott reminded, "it's our first priority."
After VENOM retreated, MASK headed towards the depository station. Scott jumped out of thunderhawk nearly forgetting to park, as he landed on the ground. He rushed over to Annie, "You…" He couldn't even finish his sentence because of the mixture of emotions wracking his mind.
"I'm standing and I'm breathing of course I'm ok.." She replied irritated with the fact that he was the third person to ask and wouldn't be the last.
"That was quite a throw you took," Brad reminded shaking his head.
"Can we not talk about it…its already embarrassing."
Roxanne pulled off her mask and glanced over in Annie direction feeling slightly hurt, "What too embarrass that I risk my neck to save you?"
Dusty perked his ears up at the words coming out of Roxanne mouth. He didn't get a good look at the situation while driving around and avoiding enemy fire, but he did get the 3rd person feedback over the radio. It doesn't make any sense, why would she save Annie?
Annie looked down at her feet, wondering how best to express her conflicting emotions. When she felt she had the right words, she somehow managed to look straight into Roxanne's eyes, "No…I…I'm thankful you saved me. I don't think I'd be standing here, if you hadn't been there when you did. I'm embarrassed because I froze and panic, when I saw him headed straight for me."
"Well that is the natural reaction, after being thrown like you were," Roxanne remarked casually.
Annie pulled her mask off also, brushing aside a few stray hairs nervously without replying. Scott correctly interpreted Annie's silence as a delayed reaction to the shock to her system, and pulled her close for a hug, uncaring as to who might be watching.
"You sure you're all right?" He asked softly, nearly right next to her ear.
Annie wrapped her arms around his waist tightly and closed her eyes for a few moments, letting the strength of Scott's embrace wash over her before she replied quietly and somewhat flippantly, "Yeah, you know me, the shock always sets in AFTER the battle."
Scott pulled away and took a moment to look her over to gauge the truth of her statement, before replying, "Okay, then let's finish up and go home." He then walked over to his sister and put a hand on her should, "Good job out there."
Dusty walked up to Roxanne before she followed everybody else into the building, "I swear I don't know how you did it….but…because you did something totally unselfish I'll have the entire team hunting me down if I turn you in."
"So what are you saying? You're not going to rat me out?" She turned to look him in the eye.
"Its put on hold that's all," Dusty took a stab in to ruin the smug look on her face.
Once inside the building the team realized there was nothing left inside. All that remained were tire tracks, garbage, and tiny dust specs left from the metallic ore.
Scott scratched his head, "I though Buddy said they were holding their supply here?"
"I don't think he was lying," Bruce implied running his glove along the floor noticing some metallic pieces on the floor, "They just manage to remove it before we got here."
"Still we should look around for any thing that could have been left behind," Jess reminded as she pulled a plastic bag out and collected some of the metallic ore dust samples.
Roxanne separated herself from the group; after Dusty's little one-on-one she was ready to jump him in front of everybody. She gradually reminded herself that after her good deed, nobody would think twice of her loyalty. Everybody except for Annie, but she'll probably be more persistent to find a motive for her change of heart. She entered a little office off the side of the building. As she walked over towards the desk, she noticed a piece of paper resting in plain view. The paper consisted of invoices to several terrorist organizations and contra world officials. It listed names, addresses, and quantity of ore shipments, but only one name interested her on the list Jon Mayhem. She smirked lightly, "So Miles leaving information on purpose are we, trying to get rid of the competition." Roxanne pulled out her lighter and cigarette. She lit the cigarette and puffed on it lightly as she starred at the paper. Her mind was conflicted with what to do, but she knew what had to be done. She brought the lighter to the paper, lit it on fire, and threw it into the wastebasket.
Annie looked around curiously as she notice Roxanne wasn't with the team. Where did she go? She took off on her own to explore a bit and notice a figure sitting in the little office. As Annie burst into the doors, Roxanne threw her cigarette into the wastebasket still letting it burn in plain view. "What are you doing?"
"Looking for evidence," She pretended to open the desk drawers, "But not really finding anything."
"What are you burning?"
"Oh that," She joked lightly, "I thought you were Scott. I threw my cigarette in there…I didn't think it would go up in flames so fast. I'll put it out before I leave."
Annie looked at her suspiciously. What is she talking about she smokes in front of Scott all the time? The only time she hides it is when Matt's around. Her eyes drifted to the wastebasket, then returned to Roxanne innocently looking face, "Alright then we'll probably be heading out soon." Annie closed the door and slowly headed back to the team. She's burning evidence I just know it. I have to tell Scott. No I can't…he'll think I'm just trying to get her in trouble again. I can't accuse somebody who just saved my life. I'll have to keep this to myself, and when I have enough evidence against her I'll fry her ass.
Annie sighed deeply as she made her way back through the building. She stopped and made a show of following the tire tracks VENOM had left so that she could keep herself from having to face the rest of the team temporarily. If I go back there now, as conflicted as I feel, I'm only going to say something that's going to get me in trouble. The tracks led out of the other side of the building, but became too confused for Annie to follow, even with her Ranger training. She just stood and examined the markings for a few moments before she heard someone come up behind her.
"Anything?" Dusty asked as he laid his hand on her shoulder.
Annie shook her head. "No. I thought maybe one of these tracks might be a little clearer, but there's too many for me to follow. They probably all nearly ran each other over, jockeying for position to get out of here."
"Ahh well," Dusty shrugged, "We didn't find much either."
Silence reigned for a moment before Dusty asked softly, "Why do ya suppose she saved ya, darlin'?"
Annie looked him straight in the eye as she admitted, "I don't know, Dusty…I just don't know."
He paused for a moment before he hugged her tightly. "Don't suppose it should matter, I guess…but I'm glad yer all right. Wouldn't be the same without ya 'round, Annie."
She returned her favorite cowboy's hug emphatically, feeling a bit better with his understanding. "Thanks, Dusty."
"Come on, darlin', I think yer boy's itchin' to get home."
"Me too, Dusty, me too."