HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT
Chapter 13: Red Force Hunters Take Down
After resting long enough to recover, the pair quickly redressed and hopped onto the cyclotron to return to the Professor's lab quickly. The take down of the Red Force Leader's hunters was about to commence.
While they had been taking down the portal, the Professor, Razor and Dr. Sinian were at Megakat Prison converting a cell. The warden was still confused as to why the Commander wanted these three unlikely people to do this.
Dr. Sinian explained as best she could without revealing too much. She had apparently succeeded because he left them alone with just some guards to finish the work. Razor and the Professor quickly installed the negator in the ceiling out of sight then briefed the guards the warden had picked to handle the security of these very special prisoners. They had made it clear the prisoners would not be here very long and that was what it made it easier for the warden to accept holding them here.
Finished finally, the three quickly made for the Turbokat and soon were on their way back to the Professor's lab.
Razor carefully rolled the jet into the hangar then shut down the engines. Opening the canopy, he also opened the cargo doors so that Hackle and Dr. Sinian could exit.
They found T-Bone and Feral waiting for them.
"How'd it go?" The big tabby asked.
"Perfect. We had a little trouble with the warden but Dr. Sinian was able to get him to cooperate and we trained the guards as well. We're as ready as we can be." Razor reported.
"Okay, then we're ready for the next phase." Feral said grimly. She raised her radio and set it for a specific frequency then she changed her form to her male one before raising the radio to her lips. "This is Feral! Execute Plan Omega! Repeat Execute Plan Omega!" She paused, changed the frequency again. "This is Feral! You are green! Repeat . . . you are green! Execute!" She barked her orders.
"That's it then...there's no going back now. Let's hit the air!" T-Bone said, heading for the jet once more.
"Good luck to you all!" Professor Hackle and Dr. Sinian called out. The three waved an acknowledgement as they boarded the Turbokat.
Moments later they were on their way to confront the enemy. They would act as a central command post in the sky where Feral could keep in contact with her special ops groups yet still remain out of danger from being captured by the hunters. They would also be in a position to swoop down and help any team that ran into trouble.
It took T-Bone only a few minutes to reach the center of the city and take up station keeping high in the stratosphere. This was going to be the hardest thing he and Razor and even Aurora had ever done...wait!
Biting her lip in tension, Aurora listened in on the various teams as she watched Razor's screen while she sat in her cramped seat next to him. He had installed his magic detector to his system and was observing each cluster of hunters. His system showed them as orange blips and the special ops teams were each wearing a tracking device which showed up blue on his scanner. The cargo choppers were green and were presently still parked at Enforcer Headquarters though they were ready to launch the moment they were contacted by their assigned team.
T-Bone was watching on his own monitor as each special ops group closed in on large groups of hunters, boxing them into a certain area and taking them down. They knew when the negators worked when the orange blips flickered out one by one.
It took more than thirty minutes before the first of the teams summoned their chopper. They watched as a green blip took off and headed for the north side of the city. While it was loading another team called for a chopper.
Over the next two hours, each team managed to collect their groups of hunters, ship them off and go hunt some more. By the time T-Bone would have to land to refuel, all but perhaps twenty hunters had been negated and jailed.
Quickly heading to Enforcer Headquarters, Feral authorized a refuel then they were off again. The last twenty hunters had apparently figured out something was going on and was making themselves scarce but because of their magical signature they couldn't hide from the searchers. The ops teams had to be extremely careful since their quarry was now alerted to someone hunting them.
A few team members were struck hard with magic but they persevered and despite losing some fifteen members by magic, they finally took out the last of the hunters and had them shipped to the prison.
"This is Feral, have the commandos harmed by magic collected and taken to Enforcer Headquarters. I will be there to meet them." She told the teams. "Take us back to the flight line T-Bone." She requested.
"Roger!" T-Bone said briskly turning the jet and heading to the Enforcer Tower.
They arrived just ahead of the cargo choppers that arrived in ones and twos. Landing to one side of the Turbokat, they waited for their next orders. Feral jumped down from the Turbokat to the surprise of those watching.
She ignored the looks and strode quickly to the chopper containing the injured commandos. She climbed in and had everyone that wasn't a patient clear out. She quickly looked over each patient and was relieved to find nothing she couldn't handle. She moved to each one and muttered the appropriate spell under her breath.
Finished, she and the now healed patients joined the rest of the commandos as they waited near the choppers. She thanked them for their great work and dismissed them after warning them once more to speak to no one about the mission, not write it up anywhere and to take a couple of days to rest before returning to duty.
She then walked to where the duty office stood frowning in confusion. She told him she was on a special mission and wouldn't be back for several more days and to have Steele remain in command then she turned away and walked briskly back to the Turbokat.
After hopping aboard once more, the canopy closed and the Turbokat smoothly took off and headed once more back to the Professor's home.
They received an enthusiastic greeting from the worried pair that had been waiting anxiously for their safe return.
"Did it go well?" Professor Hackle asked anxiously as soon as the greeting was over.
"Yes. There were some casualties but I was able to remove the magical damage and they are all restored to normal." Feral said with a sigh of relief.
"The hunters are now crowded into the prepared cell." Razor said with satisfaction.
"Now we need to rest and get ready to take this war back to the Red Force Leader." T-Bone said grimly.
Feral sighed and shivered. "You make it sound so easy." She said uneasily, a note of fear creeping into her voice.
"I'm not fool enough to believe that but we really don't have a choice. If we're very lucky, we'll take out the leader and the rest will fall quickly. You did say there were other forces fighting against him?" T-Bone said eyeing her questioningly.
"Well, yes but they are badly outnumbered and I have no idea how many are still out there since I've been away for a very long time." Aurora said worriedly.
"Seems to me, our first action will have to be contacting these factions and telling them we have what they need to defeat the Red Force Leader." Razor said thoughtfully.
"Yes but will your devices work in my world?" Aurora asked tightly.
"I wish you hadn't asked that!" Razor grumbled unhappily. "But you're right. Well how do you propose we find out?" He asked.
Aurora bit her lip in concentration which T-Bone found adorable.
"I don't know." She said unhappily.
"Perhaps we should sleep on this. Maybe tomorrow an idea will come to us." Professor Hackle suggested quietly.
"Yeah, you're right. We're tired and hungry so let's just let it lie for now. We have battle plans to discuss tomorrow too." T-Bone agreed.
"Then if you have no more need of me, I'll be leaving. I have much work to catch up." Dr. Sinian said.
"Unless you come up with something that will help, we thank you for all you've done for us so far, Dr. Sinian." Razor said.
"I was pleased to be of help. I'll let my mind work on your problem and see if it stirs up something until then, good night to you all and good luck if I don't see you until it's over. Please do keep me informed." She requested.
"Of course. Good night doctor." Razor said politely.
The rest waved good night to her and Hackle saw her out.
T-Bone turned to Aurora. "Do you want me to stay?" He asked quietly.
She blushed. "If you want to." She murmured, eyeing him under lowered lashes.
He smiled and wrapped an arm around her waist to draw her closer to him. "I want to." He murmured softly then turned to his partner. "Razor, leave me the cyclotron and I'll see you in the morning, okay buddy?"
"Sure, not a problem. I have a few ideas I want to explore." Razor said easily, waving goodbye and heading for the jet. After ejecting the cyclotron, he taxied out of the hangar and headed home.
The Professor had dinner delivered by robot to the pair as they sat in the living room watching some TV and relaxing before retiring. As for himself, he would be puttering around in his lab working on some ideas of his own.
A few hours later, they lay spooned together on the bed in her borrowed room. T-Bone felt her shiver against him.
"What's wrong love, are you cold?" He asked solicitously.
"No, I'm terrified!" She whispered, burying her head in his chest fur.
"Aw sugar. I know, I'm scared too. But you know, we've both lived a charmed life. I firmly believe we will succeed but its going to be a hairy ride getting there." T-Bone murmured, trying to offer comfort and encouragement.
"I hope so...oh I truly hope so." She moaned.
He hugged her, not having anything more to say that would make her feel better except for his body and arms surrounding her. He hoped that would be enough to help her sleep.
Tomorrow would be a dangerous day.