HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT
Chapter 11: Planning Session
T-Bone flew the jet back to Professor Hackle's hangar. Hackle and Dr. Sinian gave twin sighs of relief as they watched the Turbokat taxi into the hangar. As the doors closed, they heard the engines shut down, the canopy shot back and the three occupants jumped down to the floor.
By the looks on their faces, the waiting pair knew it had been a successful trip.
"How long did the negator effect last?" Professor Hackle asked as they reached him.
"Thirty minutes!" Razor said proudly.
"That's wonderful. So what is the plan?" Hackle asked, pleased at their success so far.
"Well, that's what we need to sit down and discuss." Razor said, his voice going grim as the reality of what they had to do set in.
"Certainly. Let's go to my work room and sit. I'll order drinks." The Professor said with a nod. He limped off to a room that he used to do his design work. There was a large drafting table and a big computer to one side.
Professor Hackle called to one of his robots and ordered drinks for them and another to bring more chairs. Very quickly they were sitting around the table and waiting for Aurora to begin since she knew more about what they faced.
"Alright, first of all, we need to close the portal between worlds while we clean house here." She said drinking her coffee.
"Huh?" T-Bone blurted. "What are you talking about? I thought these guys were just popping in anywhere they pleased." He said in confusion.
"No. Due to the natural laws of the magical world, a rip in the fabric of space and time cannot be done over and over again in different areas. It would have catastrophic consequences. When I was sent here, my master made a small tear and shot me through then sealed it before he died. The Red Leader has opened a magical portal, most likely in his throne room, where he can monitor who goes in and out. It takes a lot of magical strength to hold that open for any real length of time. Since his minions seem to come and go at anytime, I have to assume he leaves it open for convenience rather than shut it down at all. This shows just how powerful he is." She said grimly.
"But you're saying we need to close this off. How would we do it?" Razor asked, frowning.
"There's a spell that can disrupt the portal and cause it to close for a short amount of time. The Red Leader would not be able to call it back up for several hours." She answered.
"But if he's as strong as you say, why wouldn't he be able to just pop it open again in minutes?" Razor asked, confused.
"Again, the laws of nature interfere. A hole that large will have disrupted the continum and it will resist being opened again. He will have to fight it and use an enormous amount of magic to do it. So most powerful mages don't attempt it. It will make him furious but he will wait until he can feel the continum loosen up again to allow the portal to be opened once more." Aurora told him.
"Well, it sounds like that is the best thing to do then. When the portal is closed, we can begin hunting for the hunters he has here." T-Bone said.
"First we have to make more of these detectors and negator weapons." Razor said bluntly.
"That will not be a problem, Razor. I will have my robots build them." The Professor said, confidently.
"How long would that take?" T-Bone asked.
"How many do you need?" Hackle countered.
"There could be as many as two hundred hunters on the planet." Aurora said grimly. "I think this calls for more help. I will enlist my special forces units to the task. I won't tell them about the history of what is going on. The only thing they need to know, is we have a group of magical invaders in our city. They will each be given a detector and negator and I'll have them sent in teams of six to each major section of the city. I'm certain the Red Leader has concentrated them here in Megakat City where I was last seen rather than keep them spread out around the planet. Though his eventual goal is to take over this world, his immediate priority is to capture me."
"Sound reasoning." Razor said, nodding in agreement. "So that means we need to produce at least a hundred weapons. The extras are needed in case of damage or loss."
"Very well. Excuse me while I get my robots to begin production. It should take them no more than a few hours to produce the number we need." Hackle said, rising from his seat and leaving the room.
"Okay, that takes care of the number of weapons and how were going to take the hunters. The next thing is where to put them and keep them on ice until we can send them back." T-Bone said.
"Hmmm, I think the Professor and I could make a room act like a giant negator. I'm not sure where we should put it though." Razor mused thoughtfully.
"I do!" Aurora said. "We have to make special holding cells all the time for special prisoners at Megakat Penitentiary. There's already a fairly large cell constructed to hold rioters in the prison. It's sort of a cooling down tank. Would that work?" She asked.
"Well, storing these guys there would mean hauling them a distance and how would you explain their presence?" Razor asked dubiously.
"I don't have to explain anything more than they are a threat to Megakat City's safety. As for taking them there...I think we need to set up a staging area where the prisoners are collected then ferried to the prison by cargo chopper. My special forces can keep each group covered with a negator. We're guessing around two hundred prisoners, so each unit can control at least twenty prisoners at a time. It will be tricky but doable." Aurora said, setting up the plan in her mind and what she needed to say to brief her officers.
"Yeah, but there's one fly in the ointment to that plan." T-Bone said, shaking his head. "That may work for the first batch that's caught but subsequent ones will get wind of what's going on and use their magic to put a permanent halt to the whole thing." He said worriedly.
"That's the risk we have to take. That's also why I'll have all my teams spread out. It's hoped they can capture their groups quickly enough that word won't spread. It's when we transport them that things could get dicey." Aurora said. "But my special forces are well trained. We should be able to pull this off."
"I see a lot of 'ifs' there but you're right it's the best plan we can come up with." T-Bone nodded.
"I still have one problem with it!" Razor said. "How do you explain the Professor and I setting up that cell to be a giant negator?" He asked skeptically.
"They may think I've lost my mind but no one questions my orders." Aurora said flatly.
"That's certainly handy. Alright, where should the staging area be? I wouldn't suggest the Enforcer building because the increased activity without an omega to show a reason for it might send up a red flag to these guys." Razor said.
There was a long pause as everyone tried to think of a place that would serve their purpose without giving themselves away.
"The penitentiary is located in the desert. We have to move these guys quickly. I say never mind the staging area. Have your big cargo choppers pick up your teams with their prisoners in the largest space they are located. This way the prisoners aren't moved too many places which would increase their chances of escaping. The special forces teams would gather up the hunters in an area they've already chosen for pickup, the chopper would swoop in, pick them all up and carry them to the prison without any additional stops." Razor said slowly as he thought of each step needed to carry out this plan.
"That should work." Aurora said carefully, her mind racing ahead to the logistics of carrying out this plan.
"Alright then, that takes care of the hunters but we still need to close the portal. How will you do that, Aurora?" T-Bone asked.
They were surprised when she blushed suddenly and looked away.
"What's wrong?" T-Bone asked in concern, placing an arm around her.
She turned back to them, though she still looked uncomfortable. "Closing the portal will require a great deal of magic. I'm strong but not that powerful. I will require a burst of strong energy for just a few minutes it takes me to cast the spell."
"Okay, so what's the problem?" T-Bone persisted.
"To create that burst of energy requires a strong emotional outburst. Anger is one form..." She started to explain before T-Bone interrupted.
"I bet sex is another." He smirked. He knew he was right when she blushed even hotter. "Heheh! I think I can handle that and enjoy it too."
Razor rolled his eyes, while Abby Sinian blushed.
"Okay, now that we know what to do, how do we find the portal?" Razor asked, drawing them away from the rather heated looks T-Bone and Aurora were sharing.
"Oh...uh...I can sense it's location. It happens to be in Megakat Park, the more untamed section." Aurora answered.
"Ahh, a perfect spot!" T-Bone grinned wickedly. Aurora felt herself getting hot and looked away quickly.
Professor Hackle chose that moment to return to the room. Razor brought him up to speed.
"Wonderful. I would suggest everyone get some rest. Tomorrow will be an eventful day." He said.
"Before we do let's recap everything to be sure we haven't forgotten anything." Razor said.
"Right. First I need to brief my special forces teams." Aurora said seriously.
"But how are you going to do that when you have to stay hidden?" T-Bone said with a frown.
"I'm going to contact Lt. Commander Justlin over my radio. He's the head of my special forces. I'll have him gather the teams in my conference room and order complete security blackout. I think Dr. Sinian would be the perfect person to take me to headquarters. No one would suspect her and I can disguise myself. We will walk into the building like two civilians making a complaint. Once inside we'll go up to my floor. Only when I'm near my offices will I slip from view and return to my male persona. When I'm done, we leave the same way." Aurora said.
"Sounds like it would work, then what?" Razor said, nodding in agreement to the plan.
"Professor Hackle should use that old pickup of his to deliver the crates of weapons to headquarters. I'll have my Sergeant meet you at the Kingston Avenue entrance to the building. There is a loading zone there, just park and wait. Sergeant Katzski will meet you there. You'll both wait until I've briefed my teams then they will come down and take the weapons from you. Once unloaded, just return home." Aurora told him.
Hackle nodded his understand of the instructions.
"Then Dr. Sinian brings me back here. I'll have instructed my teams to load up and immediately disperse to their assigned areas. As soon as I receive confirmation of their placement, I'll give the order to begin the hunt. While that's going on, T-Bone, you and I will go to the portal entrance using a cyclotron to be less visible. How does that sound?" Aurora asked.
Everyone thought about it a moment or two before all heads nodded.
"Okay, looks like were as ready as we'll ever be so let's hit the hay as the Professor suggested. See you all here tomorrow." T-Bone said getting up to leave.
"What time do you want me here?" Dr. Sinian asked as she too rose to her feet.
"Eight o'clock sharp." Aurora said. Everyone nodded and said their farewells then went off their separate ways.
T-Bone paused before following his partner and pulled Aurora to a private corner of the room.
"Try and get some sleep, babe. Knowing you, you'll let your brain go over every little detail without getting any shut eye. I could stay and keep you company if you'd like?" He asked softly, caressing her cheek.
She shivered from his touch and was very close to saying yes but then sighed and shook her head. "I'd love that but...we need to have our passion at its peak for tomorrow so waiting will make that happen more easily." She said softly.
"Hmmm, I'll say!" He purred, nuzzling her face. He gave her a deep kiss before releasing her. "See you tomorrow doll." He winked then left the room.
She rubbed her cheek and sighed. That tom really knew how to turn her on. She prayed tomorrow would be successful as she made her way to her bedroom.