A blanket of snow outside muffled all sound, creating a feeling of nocturnal content. Scott slept, Ms. Simmons having long since left for home. A soft silence punctuated only the occasional whir of the mansion's heating system. The house should be peaceful.

But not for Matt.

Another long night of frustration loomed ahead. A pile of crystal shards filled a special waste bucket, the proof of several failed trials that night alone. Matt added to the pile of failure with another dustbin of broken crystals.

"I'm just about ready for the next go-around. When are they going to get to the game scores?" Alex carefully fitted a crystal into the path of the recharging beam. A television cast colors against the wall as the low drone of the newscast underlay the sounds of the continued equipment testing.

Matt returned to the mainframe as it readied another file. Alex placed one of the mask battery packs under the crystal and locked it into place just as the sports announcer came on. Closing the lid of the clear protective case, he sat down at the computer for the final adjustments while keeping an eye on the small television sitting on a corner of the workbench.

"Rugby isn't a very popular sport in the US, Alex," Matt said with amusement over the sound of the TV announcer's voice.

"Your loss," Alex said as the crystal moved a little to the right as the computer took over the final adjustments.

Matt typed in a command and waited for the mainframe to respond. A moment later the same annoying error greeted him. Both he and Alex had been after it for days, and still it wouldn't work. Not a good thing, considering the system was supposed to help coordinate the masks and provide part of the processing power.

The television image changed from a baseball image back to the tall blond sports announcer. "And now for you international sports fans, the scores are in from England, and we've seen quite an upset."

"About bloody time," Alex muttered as he straightened up. "Better be for my team. They're due."

"Light rain at the beginning of the match… wait… what?" the announcer faltered, looking to the side at someone off-camera.

The camera angle suddenly switched back to the anchorman. "We break with a live report. A group of masked men are in the process of attacking several buildings in downtown Denver. First reports are of an armed conflict with Denver police. We now go to our on-the-ground camera crew."

The image on the television again changed, showing a middle-aged man in a tan trench coat, with the collar pulled all the way up his neck. The cold snowy winter air blew through his hair as he moved in front of the camera, half turned forward it as he walked. "This is Roger Smith, on the scene here in downtown Denver, Colorado. Amazing as it might seem, our city is currently under attack by an unknown group. Two police vehicles have been rendered useless… good lord, there's another one! Keep the camera running!"

Matt stopped his work and came to stand behind Alex. The camera zoomed in to a close-up view of a police car. White snow softly filtered down on it, only to instantly melt. The red and white lights on top continued to blink, but the left corner of the vehicle looked as though it had melted away. Metal, bumper, tire and all.

Matt whispered the words, "The stolen acid prototype."

With the ability for precise control of the miracle substance. Just the kind of thing to help in rescue operations after earthquakes, or after a mine collapse, or to gain entry to crushed vehicles or collapsed structures.. Able to get through any barrier to affect rescue.

Only, it wasn't being used in that context now. Miles Mayhem had turned it into a deadly weapon.

"Central Bank could be one of the possible objectives in this area, as tomorrow the paychecks for several military bases coincide with several large businesses in the area. The businesses along Jewelry Row could be another potential target. At this point it is all conjecture until someone can get closer to action. Hugh, see if you can get a shot around the corner of the building. The police have cordoned off the area and all local buildings are in lock-down. The police have asked that everyone stay away from the area. However, the police clearly do not have that situation under control. As you can see, most of their vehicles are now useless."

"The police won't stand a chance against that mask. The acid can eat through tank armor," Alex said with disgust.

"Mayhem might be after the bank, but I can think of two research facilities in the vicinity that might be a bigger attraction," Matt said turning to the energizer, his stomach in a knot of frustration. He'd always known it would be just a matter of time, and now here it was. Only, they weren't ready, despite all the work. Matt muted the television. "Try the beam again, Alex."

Alex sighed, letting the sound signal his personal thoughts on the odds of it working, but keyed up the computer. The loud hum of the energizer powering up filled the room. A second later a bright yellow light shot out of the energizer array and down into the crystal. For a moment, the crystal glowed and pulsed.

With a deafening bang the crystal exploded, the shards hitting the protective plexiglass safety shield with small thuds and pings. The energy disappeared in a shower of quickly extinguished sparks.

Alex shook his head. "We just don't have the right crystal. Don't have the shape or purity down. I know we are on the right track, but who knows how long it will take to create one. Don't suppose you have another one ready?"

"No. Next batch won't be ready for another twelve hours."

"Well, unless you have a secret crystal stashed away somewhere, we are well and truly stuck fender high in the mud," Alex said with disgust.

Matt blinked, his mind suddenly racing. A stashed crystal? Why hadn't he thought of it before? The shape, color, purity, all of it was similar to the original crystal that had worked at the beginning of the program!

Without a word, he shot of out of the room. He went up a level and ran down the hall, skidding to a stop in front of the door of the library. The door banged against the wall in his haste to get inside. Matt grabbed a small wood and metal display case from off a shelf also holding several rare first edition 17-century manuscripts. With the treasure in hand, he rushed back to the basement room.

Matt pushed tools out of the way as he set the display box out on the workbench. As he began loosening the screws along the base, Alex studied it. "Isn't that the crystal your Father was given..."

"It is. And it's nearly flawless."

"And priceless, for more reasons than one." Alex looked back at the recharging unit, and then shrugged. "If you're willing to risk it, I'll set up for another test."

"Father was told to use it to help humanity. Maybe this is that moment." A stretch, to be sure. How could a jungle tribe possibly think their most valuable treasure would be needed for something like this? Lord, there was no guarantee it would work, anyway.

Alex cleaned up the mess from the shattered crystal and reset the system while Matt removed the top of the display case. He reached in and pulled the clear crystal from the ring that kept it upright in mid-air. The crystal felt cool to the touch, the sides smooth and angular.

One of his Father's priceless treasures from his years exploring the world. The unique treasure of a tribe that had entrusted him with it in thanks for saving the life of the chief's only son.

And he was about to risk it. Possibly consigning it to a shattered pile of useless fragments.

He glanced at the muted television. One of the camera crews showed an image from an upper window of a nearby building. Through the snow could be seen a street littered with disabled vehicles, police and swat teams trying to move slowly forward, only to duck and cover at repeated blasts of plasma laser fire. At that pace, Mayhem's gang could take all the time it wanted and be on their way once they had their goal in hand. No one currently on the ground stood a chance of stopping them.

Whether it be money, research, information, or anything else, Matt wanted to see that Mayhem didn't leave with it.

Decision made and confirmed, he handed the crystal to Alex and watched him position it.

"Please work," Matt nearly prayed.

"Here goes nothing," Alex said, closing the cover and retreating to the computer.

A few taps and he stood up, both men watching the energizer closely as the now-familiar hum filled the room.

The energy beam flashed down into the crystal in one solid pulse. The crystal pulsed yellow and white, and then grew even brighter. Matt held himself rigid, waiting for the inevitable explosion.

But the glow from inside the crystal only grew. And grew.

Would the plexiglass withstand a bigger explosion?

A bright flash of light burst out of the crystal accompanied by a low thrum, Down it shot into the battery unit. The battery unit glowed briefly with the same colors. Excess energy roiled off the surface of the battery, filling the plexiglass enclosure with an unearthly bright glow. Slowly the colors faded until both objects were their normal color and luminosity.

In the silence afterwards Matt and Alex looked at each other. The next second they were moving: Alex to the computer, where he brought up the readouts and Matt to the charging unit itself.

Alex whooped. "I'm seeing a perfect spike!"

Matt attached two leads to the battery and then read off the readings. He could barely believe the numbers. "We have a full charge, Completely full!"

"Now if the charge will only remain for more than a few uses," Alex said as he studied the computer screen.

"We'll have to risk it. I'll install this battery. Set up another go and see if the crystal will work on another."

By the time Matt attached the battery unit into the back of a gray and white mask, the crystal had survived one more charging session. They now had two powered-up masks. Which was all they needed for now.

"Now to nail Mayhem," Matt said with a bitter smile.

Alex double-checked the computer readings, even as he asked, "How are we going to get there, Matt? The roads are covered in ice and snow, the attack area cordoned off. Denver isn't exactly just around the corner by car."

Matt froze. Then he gritted his teeth to keep from saying something he knew he would regret. With Scott ever curious to know what his father was up to, he didn't want to slip up only to find Scott behind him and teach Scott a brand-new word.

"The only way we'll get into the city heart at this point is by air. That means helicopter," Matt said.

In ten minutes Ms. Simpson was on her way back to the house to stay the night. Alex loaded the masks into the helicopter now kept ready inside the small hanger past the tennis courts. Matt joined him the moment Ms. Simpson walked through the door. With the helicopter pulled out to the pad, Matt climbed in and started powering up the systems.

"Not a pleasant bit of weather for a flight. The ceiling is 1300 feet and falling," Alex quipped as he strapped himself in.

With the rotors winding up Matt waited until he slipped on the headset to answer. "We'll have to give Mayhem a good scolding about the weather he choose to pull a heist in."

The small helicopter slowly lifted up from the ground. A gust of wind hit them as they cleared the trees, forcing Matt to compensate. Increasing their altitude he turned the nose towards Denver, pushing the craft to its top speed.

When they reached the outskirts of Denver the ceiling lowered several hundred feet. Wisps of clouds and sheets of snow streaked past them. With forward visibility becoming worse, Matt turned his attention straight down, locked onto one of the major highways entering the city. The transponder was shut down, and he kept the radio tuned into flight control but didn't announce himself. He heard other crafts being diverted from the city. Which meant no incoming jet traffic. It would make their flight just that little more safe. If flying in such a snow storm could ever be called safe. If he kept in the clouds but low enough to be under radar, no one need know they were even in the vicinity.

Alex tuned the other radio into the police channel. "Mayhem hit the bank. An alarm from a vault just sounded."

"Let's hope he takes his time carrying the money out. We're getting close. There's the Boulevard," Matt said, quickly pointing before returning the hand to the flight controls.

"Any idea where we're going to land?"

"The Trakker Westwind Electronics building. I can't think of any building closer with a landing pad and it's the only place I can land where I won't be questioned," Matt said.

"Still some blocks away," Alex warned.

The helicopter fish-tailed in a gust of wind. Matt quickly adjusted, keeping the little craft on course. "We don't have a choice. This bird can't land just anywhere in this kind of wind. In the downtown area the streets are too narrow."

He didn't need a map to keep track of the grid of roads down below. The shapes of the buildings told him where they were. He knew exactly when to start coming down as they neared the Trakker Westwind building. Right on cue, the lights of the helipad appeared, taking up one entire side of the roof. On the other side was the small hanger and the room where the pilots could lounge while waiting for the next flight, along with the elevator that descended into the building.

It took two tries before Matt solidly landed the helicopter on the helipad. A startled security guard rushed out to greet them as the rotors wound down.

"Sir? What are you doing flying in a night like this?"

Matt jumped out of the helicopter and then reached back for one of the boxes. "An emergency. If there's no room in the hangar, make sure she's strapped down tight. The wind is forecasted to get worse."

"Yes Sir!"

The elevator moved devastatingly slow to the level of his office. Unlocking a storage room, he grabbed a long white lab coat a few sizes too big and pulled it over his sheepskin coat before continuing to his office.

"They'll still be a way off," Alex warned as he followed Matt's example.

"Maybe we'll get lucky." Matt set the box he still carried on his desk. Taking off the lid, he took the mask out and covered it with yet another lab coat. Rapped up, it looked like a bundle of cloth.

Now time to see if they could do anything about Mayhem. Or if this was instead of a fevered bad dream, the ultimate big mistake.

Exiting the building, they began running towards the center of the business district. Turning down the main road leading into the heart of downtown Matt could already see flashing lights further down the road.

The flashing lights briefly eclipsed. The lights then violently moved to the side to be replaced by strong bright white headlights. As the headlights grew steadily brighter, hulking black forms began to materialize around them.

"By Jove, they're coming straight at us!" Alex exclaimed as they came to a sliding stop on the icy sidewalk.

Matt yanked the covering lab coat from the mask and placed it on his head. The discarded white coat fluttered down, and he used a foot to lodge it into the side of a snow berm outside an office building. The mask settled over his head and curved around the front and back of his shoulders. He felt the mid-neck area move against his skin, with the internal mask air system kicking in. The filtration system warmed the cold outside the air before circulating it around his face.

He could feel the power held by the mask. It vibrated not only over his head and shoulders, but also over his body. Odd. This wasn't even one of the masks, such as the one Alex wore, designed to make direct use of a body-wide effect. Maybe it could do more than the original designers thought.

But, time to focus on the task at hand.

The display inside compensated for the low-light conditions, making the streets appear as if in full daylight. The energy readings still read full. All systems operational. Readings on both sides of the display gave information about the situation and status of his surroundings in precise detail. The targeting system followed everything that moved, even the snow before the internal computer decided that it wasn't a threat.

Matt took a deep breath, willing himself calm, looking down the street to face the coming threat. "Let them come. It's payback time."

He waited until the approaching vehicle cleared a row of decorated lampposts. The mask targeting system locked onto the lead vehicle of the three bearing down at them at a reckless speed.

The targeting systems flashed, three circles converging all at once. "Spectrum, fire!"

Matt felt the energy course through his mask on all sides of his head. The images in front of him warped and waved in the display as the mask emitted a strong focused pulse of energy.

The windows of the lead vehicle shattered as the front grill cracked in half. The vehicle skidded, catching a patch of ice. It swerved to the other side of the street, smashing into a storefront. An explosion of glass flew over the hood and top of the black vehicle as it careened to a stop half inside and half outside the building.

Laser fire erupted from the next vehicle. Matt and Alex hit the ground, the laser fire hitting the building behind them. The vehicle shot by them and then skidded into a turn to come back at them as the other took a position on the other side to continue the blanket of fire.

"The vehicles themselves are armed!" Alex rolled himself up from the icy sidewalk and into the dubious shelter of a sidewalk mailbox. "Rather unsporting."

"And the driver is looking to end our careers before we've even begun," Matt quipped as they dove out of the way again.

The mailbox exploded into a cloud of metal fragments, Alex moving away at the last moment. In his haste to move his feet slipped out from under him, slamming down onto the ice.

And the vehicle bearing down on him show any signs of slowing down.

Matt found himself taking cover as the driver of the stationary vehicle turned its laser turret in his direction. Pinned down behind a low rock decorative wall, Matt watched helplessly as the vehicle came down on Alex.

Why wasn't Alex moving? Matt poked his head up and fired the Spectrum mask lasers at the vehicle, but the shot went wide. "Alex, move!"

Still Alex stayed still, kneeling on the ice on one knee, watching the vehicle bear down on him. In desperation Matt lunged forward over the wall. A shower of laser fire greeted him. Matt flung himself back behind the rock wall, chips of rock and concrete peppering his body.

"Jackrabbit, on!"

The edges of Alex's mask lit up, cycling in a rotating pattern. The next moment Alex sprang into the air, up and over the hood of the vehicle as it ran over the place Alex had just been. The driver in the vehicle looked up at Alex's floating body instinctively. The driver looked down again just in time to see the corner of a brick building fill his vision.

Matt came up to a crouch, returning fire with the one remaining operational vehicle as it took aim at Alex. He managed to knock out the front window and one of the headlights. Not good enough. He was playing it too safe. At his mental command, the mask prepared to fire a stronger beam. One that would surely drain a majority, if not all, of the mask's battery pack.

"Viper, on!"

Matt's blood froze at the voice as well as the command. A vice clamped down round his ribs, pushing him backwards against the building. The rocks of his former hiding place suddenly sizzled and steamed, quickly dissolving away in a wash of red fluid.

"Sorry about that, old boy!" Alex shouted, letting go of a grip that was sure to leave a few bruises around Matt's chest.

Another bright stream of red shot out in their direction. They both ducked again, retreating along the building.

No mistaking the broad shoulders and slight paunch of Miles Mayhem as he rounded the back of the crashed vehicle, firing at them again as he headed for the other crashed vehicle.

"Just standing there? Don't scare me like that again!" Matt said angrily.

"Only had one chance to make it work," Alex said, as unfazed as normal.

Glass from a store display melted, setting off the store alarm, making Matt thankful for the noise dampers of the masks. Mayhem kept up his assault along with the protecting vehicle still firing in their direction.

"How much acid can that mask hold?" Alex asked as they retreated around the corner of the building.

"Wouldn't matter. We don't know how much he used before this," Matt said.

A horrified scream echoed through the street, making Matt's blood run cold. With the mask's help, he managed to pinpoint the direction of the sound.

Mayhem pranced around the sidewalk and edge of the road, slipping and sliding on the ice and snow. A small stream of red fluid flowed out from the nozzle in the top center of the mask. It caught the buttons at the top of his belly, causing them to foam and smoke.

Mayhem grasped the edges of the mask, trying to pull it off his head. The mask finally came free and he violently threw it away from him. The mask exploded in a cloud of red acid that had Mayhem frantically running away from. Right into the path of the one remaining working vehicle.

Mayhem bounced off the edge of the fender. A hulking man from the passenger side rushed out, grabbed him, and helped him into the back of the vehicle.

Matt and Alex ducked, weapon fire from the upper turret hitting the outer concrete facing of the building they'd taken shelter behind. The vehicle revved its engine before racing past them. Matt tried to fire another pulse at the fleeing vehicle, but it missed and did nothing more than make the vehicle fishtail on the road as it sped away. Red tail lights faded in the snow as the vehicle increased its speed before taking a screeching turn down a side street.

They stepped out onto the sidewalk.

Alex looked at the two crashed vehicles and the damage to the surrounding buildings. "Not the perfect rout."

"One vehicle escaped out of three. Not bad, considering we were on foot," Matt added, noting the mangled back-end of the vehicle sticking out of the next building. A man groggily fell out of one of the doors, and then lay still in the snow.

Matt walked up to the remains of the viper mask. Only a few pieces remained intact, including the acid reservoir. A small black case nearby caught his eye.

Matt reached down and picked it up. He instantly recognized the company emblem stamped into the side of the metal. He looked down the street where Miles Mayhem had escaped. He'd been right, Mayhem had been after battery technology. A short distance away several computer discs lay scattered in the snow.

"Looks like we were a successful in keeping him away from a new technology. Less for him to sell on the black-market." And less for him to use personally, such as with the masks he stole.

"Matt, I still have a strong charge."

Matt froze. He quickly looked down in the lower left-hand corner of his mask display. Not trusting the icon, he used his eyes and a mental trigger to bring up a detailed menu. The detailed information confirmed the reading. The power level held steady at 85 percent.

85 percent? After so much use? And to think he'd been trying to conserve power. He should have used a stronger attack!

Matt started grinning. "We did it, old man. We did it!"

"My mask is also now picking up sirens," Alex said, looking down the street. "It may be time to make a hasty retreat."

With a sigh, Matt agreed. He looked back at the slowly moving bodies in the two crashed vehicles. One lifted his head to show a cracked front visor. That mask would be out of commission and not a danger to anyone. Time to let the police do their job.

He dropped the case back into the snow, rubbing his gloves clean of snow. He quickly returned to the spot where he'd stashed the extra lab coat, wrapping it once again around the removed mask.

Within fifteen minutes they were back at the Trakker Westwind building. Once they were in Matt's private office, Matt poured them both a stiff drink.

"All in all, that could have gone much worse. Better, yes, but much worse," Alex said as they toasted each other.

"Yes, Jackrabbit could have failed at the last moment and you could now be roadkill," Matt said as he collapsed into his chair. He took another sip of the alcohol, enjoying the way it dripped fire down the back of his throat. "If we're going to do this again, we have to fix the transportation problem. Build some of the ideas Bruce has been work on. We might have been able to stop Mayhem's escape."

"Considering that Mayhem is making up for his masks limitations by designing vehicles with weapons, I would say we have a bigger problem than just transportation. The vehicles need to be an extension of the masks themselves." Alex settled into one of the plush guest chairs, continuing to sip at his drink.

"Already factored into the designs. We also have the advantage of working power packs and charging system. Mayhem doesn't," Matt said with a grin as he looked up at the holes in the acoustical ceiling tiles.

"One big obstacle to the program solved," Alex agreed.

Matt nodded. "We have a good chance at this. A chance of stopping him, if we can get all our assets built and deployed."

Matt jumped when the phone on his desk rang. He read the caller ID, the big 'private' in the lower part of the screen telling him the call was coming through his private encrypted business line. He glanced at Alex for a moment before slowly picking it up.

"Hello?"

A second later Matt clicked on the phone speaker. Alex raised an eyebrow at the voice that filled the room.

"...knew it had to be you the moment the description came through. You're the only other one I know who has access to that kind of technology," came Duane Kennedy's voice.

"With Mayhem, I doubt that will remain the case for long," Matt automatically said. "If there's a profit to be made with the technology, you can be sure we will see more out there."

"And you somehow survived confronting him."

Matt frowned at the tone. "Mayhem wasn't going to stop just because the PNA doesn't view him as a threat. The police failed to even slow him down. Swat and their armor piercing rounds useless. Someone had to try to stop him. By the way, we believe he might have been injured in the conflict. One vehicle out of the three escaped with him inside."

"I'll have the local hospitals checked. You are insane."

"Are you calling to put me under arrest, Duane? Or just to chastise?" Matt asked simply.

Duane muttered something not understandable before saying, "I'll be in Denver on Thursday and we'll talk. In the meantime stay out of trouble."

The phone connection clicked off, and Matt raised his eyebrows at Alex.

"For those in the know, it wasn't a hard assumption to make," Alex admitted.

"Fortunately for us tonight, those who are in the know I can count on one hand, no thanks to all the murders. Until this settles out it might be best if you not associate with me."

Alex scowled at him. "I don't accept that. I'm in this of my own freewill. Now that we have an energizer that works, I'll start fine-tuning the masks. There are a lot of improvements we can easily make. Not just to the energy efficiency, but the the mask abilities and internal systems and controls. Mayhem could strike at any point in time. We best be ready for it."

"Do you hear what you are saying?"

"That I'm ready to stand up and fight? I didn't survive the war only to see everything I fought for be destroyed by a money and power hungry imbecile like Mayhem. When he strikes again, I intend to be ready," Alex said in dead seriousness. "What is your intention?"

Matt glanced out the large plate glass window at the snow falling, the glow from the street lamps below filtering up to create the sensation of a snowy cocoon. "I think I made my final decision the moment I asked Ms. Malcomb to collect the mask prototypes. Someone has to do this."

"Then it's settled. My assistant will continue looking after my shop while we work. This is more important."

Matt looked at Alex's reflection in the glass to find him looking back at him in the same reflection. Matt knew he should stop this. It would be dangerous, if not potentially deadly, work. Mayhem wouldn't be brought into law enforcement custody to stand trial for his crimes easily. He should do this alone.

But he was a smart enough businessman to know that it didn't work that way. He couldn't do this alone. Not if he wanted to have any measure of a chance for success.

Who better to work with than a man who was known as a genius in several fields? Who has genius-level in several more that no one knew about?

Matt nodded, accepting that for better or for worse, he had a team member for his new project. A project to take down Miles Mayhem and those with him. "Then it sounds like we have some serious planning to do."

~x~~x~~x~

Miles lay in agony, each breath a painful exercise. Pain radiated out from his ribs to spike through his body. An arm and a leg hung from a pulley system over the bed, pillows on all sides supporting him and keeping him still. An IV stand held three different bags, each dripping slowly into tube that led to his one good arm. Despite the drugs, the pain continued to rip through him.

If he tried hard, he could dredge up the partial memory of Dagger dragging him into the vehicle. The plane ride that surely followed remained a complete blank. His fevered eyes looked up at the ceiling of the simple room.

A nurse with dark hair bustled in, quickly checked him over including looking under the bandaging covering the chemical burns on his chest and stomach, and then bustled out. From the hallway filtered a language he felt too tired to translate.

But, another part of his mind continued to work furiously. The masks, the vehicles. They could be so much more. Somewhere from the snatches of recent memories he knew most of his team were gone. Arrested or dead. The victims of two unexpected attackers who had come out of nowhere to foil is well-laid out plan.

Only two. They should have been easily neutralized.

He needed new people. People with real skills and the ability to use their brains, not just ambitious thugs off the street. People who could think on their feet and who would have been up to the unexpected changes to their plan of operation.

And then he would get his true revenge against these new adversaries.

~x~~x~~x~

"Thank you for meeting with me," Duane Kennedy said as Matt led the way to his home office.

"It's good to see you. You don't come out this way very often. Are you sure you wouldn't like to go out for dinner?" Matt swept a few of Scott's toys off the couch, putting them on a corner of his desk.

"No, I have another meeting tonight that will most likely last well into the night. Besides, what we have to talk about is rather, well, sensitive. Knowing you, this office will be secure."

Duane settled on the couch, setting his briefcase down at his feet. Matt poured them both a cup of coffee before settling himself in one of the nearby armchairs.

Duane took one sip of the coffee before looking over at Matt as sternly as any father about to reprimand a child. "You took a big gamble out there."

"And what will be the repercussions?" Matt asked, doing his best not to tense up and stay relaxed.

Duane looked around the room while considering his words. "For the moment, nothing."

An unexpected answer, but one that Matt couldn't help but be relieved to hear. His shoulders eased, a movement immediately caught by Duane who frowned.

"Do you know how easily it could have gone a different way?"

Matt balanced the coffee cup on his knee. "It could have gone badly in many ways. Perhaps deadly. Not just for me, but for the law enforcement on the ground."

Duane sighed and shook his head. "With the support of my superiors we have let it slip out that the group that confronted the attackers was affiliated with the PNA."

Matt blinked. "Interesting choice."

"We had to say something to ease concerns not only of the public, but also of various companies. HTC Industries were also hit in the attack. A very precise hit, with blueprints to a new battery technology taken. It appears they were later recovered from the crash scene. They won't say exactly what design they nearly lost."

"But Mayhem didn't get away with anything from the company?"

"No, not that we know of."

Matt had to work hard not to smile. In the past week the crystal continued to charge the battery packs, showing no sign of stress. Now he knew they remained ahead of Mayhem in one area. "I expected you to come in with legal threats, but it almost sounds like you are saying thank you without actually saying the words."

"Don't get cocky." Duane took another sip of coffee before chuckling to himself. "A few minutes into the attack, the state Governor was on the phone to Washington demanding a full military response. I believe the words "Oh, you sent someone" were heard just before he hung up. That's when my department was called with a demand to explain. We decided it was better for it to be believed that we were aware of the threat and had people in place to interfere if needed."

"And the PNA gets the approval and thanks of local government and law enforcement."

"That's politics for you. You should know that a good chunk of the stolen money was never recovered. It's too bad you weren't able to get all of the group including Mayhem."

Matt relaxed a little more. So far so good on the prospect of no arrest. "We were a little outnumbered and without proper vehicles."

"Yes, I know. After the mess Mayhem left behind the local authorities were calmed only by the news that someone had the technology to stand up to the attackers." Duane sat back, one hand tapping at the arm of the couch and looked at Matt. "You probably are already aware that Mayhem couldn't be found in any hospital in the region. However, we do know he's alive. And we learned of something new. A few weeks before the attack Mayhem made a deal with the ICN."

Matt sat straight up in his chair as Duane continued, "From what little we know, it's a simple arrangement. The ICN buys special technology from him and they don't interfere with his activities in exchange for first chance at purchase. They have also granted him refuge in any of the affiliated countries."

"Giving technology to the exact same governments that are already a threat to us," Matt bit out. Everyone knew the peace treaty from the war was brittle. Sounded like it was more so than he thought.

"More than that. Mayhem has also agreed to 'listen' to any proposals the ICN might make for future, shall we say, activities. In other words, Mayhem has been given a yes/no privilege of participation on future ICN military maneuvers. This mostly likely means Mayhem would have access to all their military hardware and perhaps their soldiers."

"If there is a drop of money in it to be made, he'll agree to the project," Matt muttered. So much for the talk going well. Mayhem had indeed been busy recently. And it had all made him that much more of a powerful threat.

"That is exactly what we believe, as well."

"How did you find this out? The ICN has been very tight-lipped after they were forced into a peace agreement," Matt asked.

"Mayhem is hard at work building his own organization. A few weeks ago he approached one of our undercover agents with an offer of hire."

"A person would be a fool to work with him," Matt said.

Duane adjusted his glasses before taking a drink of coffee, "Honestly, Matt, I don't think Mayhem will have any trouble recruiting. This world is in the midst of an economic slump. He pays well. His people are usually loyal because of it."

"We've had slumps before. This one will pass, as well."

"It's difficult to make a living, even if you are well-educated, hardworking, and honest. Many people are disillusioned. For some, it's easier not to even try. Why not walk the easy path?"

Matt gave himself a self-depreciating smile. "Emily said that for all my big heart, sometimes I just thought 'rich'. I have a feeling you are heading towards something specific with all this?"

Duane nodded. "With his power source problem Mayhem's masks are too limited to do a tremendous amount of damage. However, we both know him. He has grand ambitions. He now has contacts, resources, and thanks to the bank heist, a starting payroll. He's a threat now, but it won't be long before he is a major threat to large communities, and possibly even countries. You saw he is now adapting vehicles with weaponry. You know, as I do, that with his resources the balance of firepower will tip drastically in his favor."

"I would say it changed today. And with all the contacts he has around the world, it's unlikely traditional PNA law enforcement can affect that capture," Matt summarized.

"Exactly. I'm also running into a problem from within the PNA as to the exact threat level Mayhem poses. Since he is not actively working for the ICN, but as only an outside affiliate, he is viewed as a pest. A pest causing some banks and research firms with ineffective security to lose money, but nothing that threatens national or planetary interests. I could not convince my superiors to put together a specific PNA team to deal with him. Right now, all the focus is on the ICN itself. Law enforcement is pretty much on their own. But, they did agree that perhaps having some group, somewhere, watching him that could also respond to a rising crisis would be a good idea."

"Somewhere? As in, not the PNA itself?"

"Limited PNA liability and risk. If something goes wrong, no one loses their career." Matt snorted, and Duane smiled wanly before continuing, "If the threat is real, the PNA gets credit for being pro-active. What can I say, politics is a dirty business."

"And this is where I come in?"

"You have the perfect cover with the Trakker Foundation and world-wide business interests. Mayhem would never suspect you with the lifestyle you have led, or will continue to live as a businessman." Mentally Matt bristled at part of the comment, even though he knew it was true. Duane continued, "But I know you have the experience and resources for something like this. I would be your contact within the PNA. I can bring you intelligence and help you coordinate between officials, law enforcement, and militaries. You investigate and counter specific Mayhem-caused threats. Not being a part of the PNA would have advantages. No one sitting at a desk making the big decisions for you. Anonymity, able to move freely, no one looking over your shoulder. Developing the team, the specific technology, leading it, that would be all up to you."

Matt drained the last of the coffee before setting the cup on a side table. "Including financing, I'm sure."

"It was the best I could do. If you can make it happen, the PNA has pledged its full support, including liaising with government, police and military forces around the world and running interference against legal and civil property damage. All I'm asking is that you think about it." Duane fished a big file out of his briefcase and handed it to Matt. "Here is information that might help you make a decision, including an idea for a base. I found a very interesting location on a piece of property you own."

Matt took the folder and opened it. The bound papers inside were divided into section. He flipped to the one that said, "Locations." He didn't have to go further than the very first page. "Boulder Mountain? Wait, I know this place."

"A former cold war facility. Your father had it bricked up when a few too many kids thought it would make a nice hide-out," Duane said, trying not to smile.

But Matt didn't even try to hide his grin at the memories. "Yeah, I was always getting into stuff I shouldn't. This was a really interesting place. Several chambers, old doors that would seal them off."

"Built in the Cold War as a secret shelter and storage area for the military. Your Father later bought the property to protect the habitat of the local subspecies of mountain goats. A piece of lost history. Not a bad place for a possible base."

Matt looked up from flipping through the file to Duane, who was again adjusting the glasses on his nose. "Give me a few days to think about it."

Duane smiled in a way that told Matt that Duane was already sure of his answer. "Sure, no problem. Call me by secure line as soon as you can."

To Be Continued…