Chapter 18
Ken continued searching the alleyway for the object that would open the secret door. He tried the bricks on the building's facade - wasn't this how most mystery novels opened secret passageways? Either that or books on a bookshelf...
"Think, Eagle, think!" Ken reprimanded himself.
"K'uso!" he yelled and out of frustration he slammed his hand down on the dumpster next to the wall. To his amazement, the secret door opened in front of him.
"Funny how the garbage leads us to the garbage, isn't it?" Ryu quipped. Jinpei let out a laugh, but quickly quieted when Ken's eyes narrowed and he gave Jinpei the Eagle Stare.
"This is no time for joking around, Jinpei," he scolded. "We need to find Joe and Jun!"
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Joe and Jun walked quietly but stealthily down the stairs that were behind the secret panel. Voices could be heard in the distance.
"What do you mean you don't have the microchip?" one of the voices could be heard saying. "Were you not there to back Agents 639 and 692 up?"
"Y-yes, sir," a shaky voice replied.
"Baka! I can't trust any of you! Now I have one agent dead and another on the way to his death! Where the hell is Agent 692?"
"I-I don't know, sir."
The next moment, a shot rang out and echoed throughout the staircase.
Joe and Jun turned to each other. Joe started to draw his left hand in front of his face.
"Joe, you're not in your civvies!" Jun reminded him.
"K'uso! Now what are we supposed to do?"
Jun brought her bracelet to her chin. "Ken? Ken? Can you hear me?"
But only static and silence could be heard on the other end.
Jun turned back to Joe. "I guess without the Condor and the Swan, it's up to Joe and Jun to take care of this." she said.