Sonic Heroes 4
You may be thinking that that last chapter wasn't very action-packed. It gets more. But please review.
Espio turned invisible and circled around the house. All the windows and doors were shut, and he couldn't open any without making noise. There went stealth.
The chameleon flicked his fingers against his horn and pondered. He could get the police involved. As long as he didn't mention who he was working for and what he was doing, Espio could tell the police that the girl was skipping work. The penalty wouldn't be severe, but the girl would be back with her manager and that would be that. He could deal with her how he wanted, and Shadow and Omega wouldn't be involved.
He was going to dismiss the idea. But he decided to go with it. If something went wrong, his name wouldn't be attached. The only risk was it would tip them off. But they already knew. He couldn't lose.
Espio flicked out a cell phone and pressed three numbers.
Nine… one… one…
Inside the house, Shadow and Baton were settling down to lunch. Omega was low on energy, so he was charging up.
"Isn't it nice?" asked Baton, one cheek stuffed with Chinese food as she licked the tips of her chopsticks.
Shadow examined his small take-out box of rice. "Yeah, it's… great…"
"Not the food," she said, playfully poking him. "Just us catching up… you know? It's been hectic, getting me settled in. It must have been hard."
"Oh yeah, it…" Shadow cringed at this. "I mean, no, it was nothing."
She smiled. He could be so awkward sometimes, but she liked that. He was just… Shadow.
Shadow's ear pricked. "I hear something."
Baton listened as well. "Yeah, it sounds like a siren." A thought struck her. "God, do you think they're chasing someone? That always freaked me out, because you didn't know who they were chasing. Like, one of the neighbors or something."
A knock came at the door.
"I'll get it," said Shadow. He stood and walked to the door. He opened the door a crack.
"Police," rasped a hard voice. "Can we come in?"
Shadow blanched. His fingers dug into the edge of the door and his heart thudded in his ears.
"Who is it, honey?" asked Baton casually.
Shadow went with the truth. "The police want something," he called. He could practically hear her flinch. "I'm not sure. Just be calm, OK?" He turned back to the officer. "Sure, you can come in." He opened the door fully and three officers entered.
One policeman, a man with a grey walrus mustache and a bald head, turned to Shadow. "We've received evidence that there's a fugitive located here. Mind if we look?"
"Don't you need a search warrant for that?" asked Shadow, trying to buy them some time. His mind screamed to Baton. Baton, run!
The police chief pulled one out and snapped it closed. "May we?"
"Of course," said Shadow.
As the policemen walked past him, away from the kitchen, he dipped toward Baton.
"Baton, you're in danger. We're gonna have to get out of here," he hissed. Her fingers clamped around her baton.
"Don't fight," he said. "Leave them to me."
Baton ducked out of sight as the policemen returned.
"We found several female hygiene products and other objects typically associated with women," began the police officer. He stopped, as Shadow was stooping toward the rug on which the policemen stood. "Sir?"
Shadow straightened, and yanked the rug. One of the policemen fell over, caught by surprise. The others moved away and began shooting. Shadow held the rug in front of him as a shield and threw it into the air, running from around it to fight.
The fallen policeman got up and locked Shadow in a bear hug from behind. Another policeman whipped out handcuffs. Quick as a flash, Shadow lifted up his legs and kicked outward. The policeman with the handcuffs stumbled. Shadow stomped on the foot of the man who held him, and the hedgehog grabbed the handcuffs away. He could see Baton's shadow, edging toward a door.
Whipping the handcuffs around by their chain, he delivered a crushing blow to the windpipe of one policeman. Jumping over another, he turned and began choking a second. Using the man as a shield against bullets, he waited until only one policeman remained.
Shadow tossed one end of the handcuffs into the air. They hooked onto a large fluorescent light fixture. Shadow swung on the handcuffs and booted the man in the chest just as the light fixture fell from the ceiling. Shadow struck the cop with the light fixture until the man lay still.
Baton heard the struggle and ran out the door. The police didn't see her, but Espio did. Invisible, the chameleon climbed up a tree with the speed of a squirrel and pulled out a pistol with a silencer. As Baton flew low over, he jumped out of the tree and fired point-blank.
He caught the body before it hit the ground and dashed away.
Shadow dashed out the door. He felt the heat of bullets grazing his fur. He fought only what policemen lay in his way. Shadow beat about him with the light fixture and dashed toward Baton. Somehow she was floating. No, something invisible was carrying…
Espio.
The policemen had already laid the explosives. The house was rigged. A cop fingered a small signal broadcaster in his hand. His fingers twitched, and pressed down.
The house exploded, and Omega with it.
Ah, them good old character deaths. Please review!
