LOL. I think this is turning into a Joe miniseries! (Or maybe what I should be saying is, "oh no!") Thanks to everyone still following along. I love reading all the reviews, appreciate all the encouragement. Thank you!
Usual Disclaimers Apply: I do not own GI Joe, Hasbro, Marvel, or any affiliation.
"Finally."
Flint couldn't contain his grin; it kept slipping out at the most inopportune times—a curve of the mouth, a tilted corner of the lips, a crinkling around the eyes.
Lady Jaye had warned him. She had told him not to be overconfident. But he couldn't control his enthusiasm.
"It'll be a piece of cake," he insisted, wearing that same ridiculous grin.
And he really believed it would be.
Flint had been up most of the night, reviewing Intel with Lady Jaye and discussing ideas—well, mostly discussing ideas. There was a lot of arguing, too. But despite their differences of opinion, they had managed to put the finishing touches on a plan just before dawn. Afterwards, they had crashed in his room, snatching a few hours of much needed sleep. Now, it was morning. They would be leaving for Washington DC within the hour. Shipwreck and Gung Ho would round out their team.
Flint turned the mission over in his mind, double and triple checking to see that he hadn't missed anything. The break in and release of the Joes in prison had gone off without a hitch, rebuilding his confidence. But he still felt the need to prove himself, to be the soldier and leader he knew he was. This new mission was a chance to do just that: to test his courage, to shake off the rust, to get back into the action. He had no doubt he would be successful. He had to be—because more than anything, Flint just wanted to put the past behind him and move forward.
"No one said you have to keep the circumstances somebody else gives you," he muttered to himself.
"What was that, Flint?" Lady Jaye turned to him, expectant.
Grinning lopsidedly, he ran a hand through his hair. "Just something I read once. Something that's stuck with me over the years." He took a breath. "No one said you have to keep the circumstances somebody else gives you," he repeated. "Amy Tan said it."
Flint spotted the jeep they'd requisitioned. He pointed and they began heading toward it. Skystrikers, their first choice, had been out of the question due to unavailability.
Lady Jaye nodded thoughtfully. "I know the name. I've read some of her books."
"That doesn't surprise me." He teased.
"Flint, I'll have you know—" A hand flew to her hips.
"Easy, Lady Jaye," he laughed, raising both hands. "This mission just reminded me of it," he said simply.
"Oh." She relaxed into a smile. "How so?"
"I guess I'm just fed up with all the sneaking around and hiding we've been doing," he told her. "I'm tired of running and not being able to fight back. Tired of living like this and knowing that tomorrow will be the same. It's time to throw a wrench into Destro and the Baroness's plans, to give some well-deserved payback to Cobra." That incorrigible lip curved upward again, and this time, he didn't fight it. "It's time to 'change my circumstances' like she says, and take back my life—" He clenched a fist. "And my future."
"Your future?" Lady Jaye turned toward him slowly, her brown eyes studying him. "What exactly do you see as your future, Flint?" she asked paused. How could he explain that he wanted things to be the way they were before. For him to be who was before.
"I suppose it's the same as everyone else," he began slowly. "A future where I can walk outside without worrying about being seen or shot at. A future where I can wake up each day with purpose. A future where I can do good. Make a difference. Fight for what is right."
"Is that all?"
Missing the challenge in her voice he blundered ahead. "I suppose there is one more thing." He admitted with a laugh. "I definitely don't want to be stuck inside four walls again—at least not until I am an old, old man."
She stared at him, hurt, and the laughter froze on his lips.
"What?" he asked, confused by her expression.
Her hurt quickly morphed into anger. "I guess I'm not important enough to be a part of that future, huh?" She turned, fuming, and walked away.
He frowned. "What do you mean?" Then, his eyes widening, he ran after her. "Allie! Allie, wait! You know that's not what I meant." He caught up with her and grabbed her by the arm.
She shook him off. "Forget it, Flint. We have a mission to run." She headed to the jeep and threw her gear in the back before climbing into the seat next to Gung Ho. Then, crossing her arms over her chest, she stared straight ahead.
"Looks like you messed that one up, ol' Buddy." Shipwreck said, elbowing Flint. "Listen," he whispered loudly. "I've got loads of experience with the babes. Take it from the Shipster. Apologize to her. She's reasonable; she'll forgive you. And if she doesn't—" He gave Lady Jaye a wink before hopping into the shotgun seat. "I'm always available." He grinned.
Lady Jaye shot him a glare and he gulped audibly. "Or not."
Gung Ho slid over, putting as much space between himself and Lady Jaye as he could. "Can we go, now?" he asked.
"Yeah, sure." Flint was rounding the vehicle. He had won the toss for who would take the first leg of drive. Frowning, he slid into the driver's seat and started the engine. "Apologize. For what? What did I say?" He wondered aloud.
Gung Ho and Shipwreck exchanged glances. It was going to be a long drive.
"Spirit, we've got one."
"Understood, Wild Bill." Spirit stepped on the accelerator and steered the VAMP onto the road. Dust kicked up in a cloud behind him.
A small one engine plane was seen climbing above the trees: a crop duster.
Spirit followed it from the ground. Wild Bill kept a visual from the air, his helicopter trailing at a distance so as not to be seen. It was the same black, unmarked helicopter that he had flown for the prison escape mission.
"Crop dusting at sunset." Wild Bill shook his head. "Does that strike anyone else as being a might suspicious?" he asked.
"Indeed," Spirit said.
The US 9th Circuit served a population of over 60,000,000. According to Lady Jaye's Intel and Mainframe's program, members concentrated along the central west coast were demonstrating unusual behaviors—behaviors that were beginning to spread into adjacent circuits, with effects being felt all the way to the Federal Circuit in Washington DC.
Wild Bill and Spirit had been chasing rumors up and down the state of California. They all pointed back to this small airport. They'd been watching for anything "suspicious" for days. It looked like they found it.
"Hoo-wee that wind's a blowing—" Wild Bill said cheerfully, riding the gusts like a seagull. The pilot of the crop duster controlled his small plane similarly, skimming the currents to keep it in the air. Both pilots demonstrated remarkable skill.
"This might be of interest to you, Spirit," Wild Bill said. "I just ran the flight path of our friend, here, through navigations. At the current speed and direction, our pilot should be hitting San Francisco in about 45 minutes."
"Right where the headquarters for the 9th Circuit is located—"
"Yup," Wild Bill drawled. "I'd say we're about to land ourselves smack dab in a nest of vipers."
"I'll contact the Joes and request reinforcements."
"Tell 'em to hurry or they're gonna miss the party."
"Understood."
Spirit left the backroad and veered onto the freeway. He gave the VAMP more gas to keep the small plane in sight. The yellow-green areas of farmland and orchards quickly gave way to salt-flat areas of sand. Then, the road merged with others before becoming a long, lit, bridge that stretched over the shadowy, white-capped waters of the bay. Spirit barely saw them as he sped across the bridge, weaving in and out of cars. He trailed the plane, keeping it in sight, until a line of vehicles in front of him forced him to a crawl.
Then, the plane disappeared.
Spirit gripped the steering wheel tightly and frowned. "Wild Bill, I'm caught in traffic," he said. "I've lost visual."
"I still got 'im in my sights." Bill assured him, smoothly turning his helicopter. "Once you get going again, just keep following that freeway north."
"Will do." Spirit nodded grimly.
Far up ahead, traffic was beginning to move. Spirit waited his turn and then merged onto the main highway.
"Changing lanes, now," Spirit said.
He worked his way over to the far-left lane as quickly as he could. Cars there were already beginning to thin and pull away. Slipping between a sportscar and a van, he stepped on the gas.
"I'm clear. What's your current position, Wild Bill?"
"I've got a San Francisco skyline just coming into view. Hoo Wee!" he exclaimed. "It's almost *as pretty as a west Texas gal."
The wind was still blowing and the sky darkening. As Spirit drove, the city lights Wild Bill had mentioned emerged from the darkness and grew steadily. He continued for about fifteen minutes before Wild Bill's urgent voice broke the silence.
"Spirit, our pilot's slowing down and turning a 180. Looks like he's heading back. Gonna make myself scarce for a while."
"Acknowledged. Any guesses why the pilot is turning before reaching San Francisco?" he asked. "Is the wind increasing?"
"Not so's I'd notice," Bill said, his voice thoughtful. "It's a blowing off the Pacific and running up the coast just the same as before."
"Then why—"
"By golly, that's it!" Wild Bill let out a whoop. "The missing piece."
"What is it?" Spirit asked.
"That pilot's using the wind." Bill said excitedly. "That's how they're spreading it."
"The mind control drug?"
"Sure as shooting. They're dropping that drug with the crop duster and letting the wind do their dirty work."
Spirit was silent, imaging all the implications. "Wild Bill, I think it might be a good idea to put on those air filters Airtight provided," he said slowly.
"Already done. No telling what them chemicals he's spreading might do to a body. Don't wanna find out, neither."
"Good." Spirit sounded relieved. He slipped his on, too. "I'm going to head back to the airfield. I'll inform the Joes to meet us there. Stay with the crop duster. Let me know if there are any changes in his flight plan."
"Just like a fly to honey. Yo Joe!"
"Yo Joe!" Spirit took the next offramp and headed back in the direction he had come.
He heard the whine of an engine before he saw it. The crop duster was returning through the darkness. Spirit watched it line up to make a landing run just as Wild Bill, piloting the helicopter, burst through the trees just behind it.
"Yee Haw!" Wild Bill shouted.
The pilot of the small plane, catching sight of the larger helicopter, lifted his plane back into the air. Then, he turned it around and faced Wild Bill, head on.
"Wild Bill, we need that plane to make a safe landing. We have to find out what it was carrying—and spraying over San Francisco," Spirit said, watching from the ground.
"Shouldn't be a problem. I'll make sure she's set down nice and easy."
Wild Bill fired a volley of warning shots over the small plane trying to coax it down. The small plane turned sharply and out of range. Then, it circled and came up behind Wild Bill.
"Hoo Wee, that ain't no regular pilot," Wild Bill said. His eyes widened as he glanced at his warning screen. "That ain't no regular crop duster, either. He's arming missiles." Bill pulled up just as the pilot of the crop duster fired. The missiles shot underneath, missing by a fraction. A line of trees beyond the runway burst into flames.
"That was a close one." Wild Bill grimaced, glancing over his shoulder.
The crop duster was riding Bill's tail, again.
"You might be good. But I'm better." Wild Bill yanked on the throttle and the helicopter stopped midair. The crop duster passed over him.
"Like being in a bull fight," he chuckled.
The small plane launched more missiles. Wild Bill pulled up just in time and the missiles passed underneath. More trees along the runway exploded.
"That's it." He growled, taking in the burning. Gripping his controls tight, he turned the helicopter to face the small plane. Then, pulling on the throttle, he flew straight at it. His machine gun fired, peppering the wings with holes. Smoke streams immediately began to trail from behind, and the plane lost altitude. Wild Bill skimmed a few more shots across the top, forcing the plane to land. It hit the ground hard and rolled to a bumpy stop. Then, the canopy opened. A familiar red-clad figure scrambled out.
Wild Weasel.
"The game's not over, yet, G.I. Joe." Wild Weasel raised his gun and began shooting at Bill's helicopter as it landed.
Stop," Spirit shouted. "Put down your weapon and turn around."
Wild Weasel hissed before dropping his gun and turning.
Wild Bill came running up, gun in hand, looking all around. "Where's Doctor Mindbender?"
"I don't know." Spirit said. "I was apprehending this one."
"Get him secured. Then, join me at the hanger."
Spirit nodded. He was already tying Wild Weasel's wrists.
"Haven't you Joes learned yet that you will never win?" Wild Weasel sneered.
"That remains to be seen." Spirit pulled the ropes tight.
Wild Bill approached the opening of the hanger cautiously and peeked inside. He waited for Spirit to take position on the other side. Then, he nodded.
"Yo Joe!" They rushed inside.
"Don't shoot. Don't shoot! He made us—"
Three white-coated lab assistants were inside. None of them were Mindbender.
"Put your hands up where we can see them." Spirit motioned.
Wild Bill opened his com. "Hawk, we need that support ASAP. We've got a lab and prisoners, including Wild—" But he never finished his sentence.
"Yo Joe!" came the cry. Airtight and Mainframe rushed into the hanger flanked by Gung Ho and Dusty. Doc came last.
"Are we glad to see you!" Wild Bill whooped. "Talk about being in the nick of time."
"Not quite. Two trouble bubbles escaped out the back." Gung Ho thumbed. "One of them looked like Mindbender." He frowned.
"But, we grabbed this one." Dusty nodded toward a bound Wild Weasel. "Figured it was better than letting him slip away."
"Good thinking."
Doc was on the com with headquarters. Snapping it shut, he turned. "Ok men. Looks like we'll have to save the small talk for later. Airtight, let's see what they've got cooking in those test tubes. Mainframe, get into their computers. I want everything you can find. The rest of you, get those prisoners secured and loaded up. We have an estimated ten minutes before the local law enforcement shows up. That means we leave here in nine."
"Yo Joe."
Everyone scattered, setting to work immediately.
*Wild Bill's quote comes from from Sunbow's Where the Reptiles Roam. Can you place it?
The air fight between Wild Bill and Wild Weasel is inspired by Larry Hama's Shake Down, RAH. A fun one to check out if you haven't read it, yet. My story doesn't give it justice.