Chapter 2
Mike had set the computers to keep searching for the identity of the strange ranger who had killed himself in the caves just a few hours earlier. With that done, he decided to go upstairs, where his wife, Lara, along with Maya, and Kroe had just been joined by Diego and Seifer Angelus.
"I really hate to call you like this," Mike tells the two brothers, "Especially knowing what's going on with Davion, but I need some help on this mission, and Lara can't leave Jessica."
"That's why we're here," Seifer reminds his friend, "We are friends, aren't we? What's up?"
"I may have a clue as to the location of your missing friends," Mike begins, then goes on explaining about Black Paper, and the missing hunters. Deigo looks over to Seifer, and then the youngest Angelus brother nods.
"Janus did mention having trouble with the Black Paper organization when we first met," Seifer informs the BlackHawks, "I guess they finally got to him and Hal."
"Apparently," Mike thinks out loud, "and Kroe mentioned several things to me about Anna's being involved with this group, too. Apparently the two are twins,and this guy in their group showed some interest in them. I'm thinking we can use this information to our advantage."
"I know where you're leading this conversation," Kroe replies, "I'll claim to be Anna, and follow Black Paper's men into the caves, and you three will follow us, right?"
"Right," Diego answers, "We'll help you as much as we can. I'm sure we can take them down."
"Then let's get going," Mike tells them, "Kroe, you did get the coordinates of the meeting, right?"
"Of course, 1st room of the caves," Kroe explains, "They'll have a man there to keep the monsters at bay. He must be tough to do that."
"It can be done," Seifer responds, "I've been down there once, and they're not as tough as one would think." That said, the group sets off to accomplish their mission, the downfall of one Black Paper.
It had been two hours, since she had been standing there with Black Paper's men, and Kroe was starting to get a little shaky. She had been able to pass for her sister, to the point of them actually believing her, and now, she was standing there, guarding the man she was trying to bring to justice.
"Looks like Kroe's doing her job well," Seifer thinks out loud, watching from behind a corner, "Wait..they're on the move. Mike?"
"Let's follow them," Mike explains, "When Kroe sees an opening, she'll take down the leader, and we'll deal with his bodyguards." The team of hunters watch the group of criminals head through the door at the far end of the room, leaving behind a solitary sentry, carrying a partisan.
"Leave this guy to me," Seifer smirks, as he lunges at the mercenary. The strange man swipes his partisan at the youngest Angelus, but the HUmar is too fast. He goes airborne, flipping over the rotund merc. Seifer turns around and attacks in a flurry with his twinsaber. In mere moments, the mercenary warrior lay slain at the hand of Seifer. "See?"the young man asks, "Easy. These guys are supposed to be the organization's best, but man are they weak."
"Don't get cocky yet," Mike warns his friend, "We still have a ways to go. I'm tracking Kroe, and they've made it down to the waterfall room in the second level."
"Then their man has cleared us a path then," Diego thinks, "How...thoughtful of them."
Following the path of monster bodies, Mike, Diego and Seifer made their way through the caves, to the waterfall room. They stood at the edges of the door, listening, somewhat, to the muffled conversation, and checking on Kroe, who was still standing there, pretending to be her sister. A few minutes later, the group had walked through, leaving another sentry behind. This time, Diego decided it was his turn for some action. "I'll deal with this guy," the RAmar says, giving his brother and his friend a confident grin, "This guy will be a piece of cake." He pulled his raygun from its holster and walked on in.
This HUmar was carrying a saber, but had a handgun sidearm with him, too. He saw Diego walk up, and decided it best to try his hand with the gun, instead of his saber. He pulls the gun from its holster, aiming at Diego. His shots bounce harmlessly off the young man's arm guard. Diego aims his Raygun at the strange man, and fires one shot, hitting his opponent between the eyes. The hunter falls, and Diego turns around, watching Mike and Seifer enter the room. All three give a nod and follow Mike's lead, as he tracks Kroe even further into the caves, down to the third level.
She had followed the organization down to a room close to the end of the massive cave. She watched as the men talked and talked, not listening to their words, but planning her next move. She watched as the other group turned their backs to Black Paper and his people. That was her cue. With one fluid motion, Kroe activated the daggers that Lara had loaned her, slicing into the flesh of Black Paper and his men. She then bounds off the wall, slicing at the others, leaving them unconscious.
The three young men had followed Kroe's signal up until they heard a commotion coming from the next room. Not knowing what to find, they rushed in, weapons at the ready. They were surprised to see Black Paper and his men, as well as his business associates down on the ground, lying at the feet of Kroe Waynes.
"Good work, Kroe," Mike tells the young HUnewearl, "Now, let's bind them and get them to the authorities. Kroe, can you take them? I want to explore further. Maybe the hunters are in this cave, but not in this room."
"Good idea, Mike," Seifer answers, "Diego, go with her. I'll go with Mike and explore further."
That said, Diego and Kroe take a telepipe up to Pioneer 2. Mike looks to Seifer, who nods back to his friend. Nothing else to say, they walk into the next room, where numerous hunters sit, bound by photon binders, and blindfolded. In the center of the room stands a huge HUcast carrying a dark looking scythe.
"I've been waiting for the men who were able to fight my best sentries and win," says the HUcast, "I am Kireek, the Black Hound, strongest of Black Paper's soldiers."
"Not for long," Mike answers, "Seifer, stay out of this. He's mine." Siefer nods and stands back as Mike draws his Katana from its sheath. "You enjoy causing others pain," Mike says, "Now it's time you feel the fury of the soaring dragon."
Kireek rushes at the blonde haired HUmar, but Mike goes airborne, diving at his android opponent. He delivers an arcing blow which is blocked by the shaft of Kireek's partisan. Kireek tries a swipe of the large blade, but Mike is too fast, evading the unbalanced attack and using the rotation of his evasion for extra force, slicing into Kireek's metal hull. The HUcast buckles as he tries an overhand slash. Mike counters this by attacking with a rising uppercut slash of his own, cutting the head off the scythe. Kireek discards the weapon, jumping backwards to put some distance between himself and Mike. Mike holds his katana parallel to his body, as Kireek shows a pair of Sinow blades molded into his arms. Both opponents rush at each other, but Mike's strike is much too fast, hitting 9 different spots on Kireek's body at almost the exact same time. The HUcast, falls, but drops a telepipe in mid-fall. Kireek disappears from sight, as Mike goes to check on the hunters.
Seifer had already found and untied Janus and Hal, while Mike was fighting Kireek. The friends stood there talking as Mike untied one RAmar, a man with black hair, and a moustache.
"Funny running into you here, Jim," Mike says as the other three walk up, "What does intelligence have to do with Black Paper?"
"I was investigating them," the RAmar explains, "My partner must have gotten word that I was taken captive."
"Partner?" Seifer thinks, "That other ranger who killed himself earlier?"
"Possibly. I heard the android talking to Black Paper about it," the ranger answers, "He knew as much as I do about military black ops. Black Paper wanted that information and couldn't get it out of me. I guess they wanted to blackmail it out of Blaine."
"Blaine?" Janus thinks, "You don't mean Blaine McAllister, do you? He was my neighbor."
"Yeah. He was my partner in intelligence. I'm Captain James Morgan, Pioneer 2 military intel. They were going to kill his wife and son, then sell his daughter into slavery, if Blaine didn't do what they said. I never knew they'd bring him into their organization, too."
"Let's get the others back home," Mike thinks, "Jim, we'll talk later, ok?"
"Ok, Mike," Morgan answers, "I'll gladly answer what you ask."
All that said, The hunters were then returned to their homes, and one case solved by Pioneer 2's hunters.
Epilogue:
Questions Raised
It had been a few days since the battles in the caves against the agents of Black Paper. Mike and Lara were since relieved to find that Jessica had made a full recovery from her illness. They were also surprised to know that Kroe and Anna Waynes decided to move into a home not far from theirs, on the residential ship, Mota. They also still kept in touch with the Angelus brothers, due to the closeness of the friendship between the two families.
It's on this day, that Mike and Lara had gotten together with James Morgan, walking toward Angelus Manor. The knock on the door, met by the butler, Willem. "Master and Mistress BlackHawk, welcome," the older gentleman says, "Won't miss Amelia be joining us today?"
"Amelia's busy with her studies today," Mike answers, "We just need to speak to Seifer and Diego about a previous quest. That's all."
"They're in the library," Willem replies, "This way." The butler lead the trio to the library, where they're met by Seifer and Deigo, as well as Necron and Striker, and Janus and Hal. Cajun, however, was reading somewhere in the tech section.
"Mike, Lara," Diego says as the group approaches, "Fancy seeing you two. And who's this guy?"
"That's James Morgan of Military Intel," Seifer answers, "His partner was that ranger that killed himself before we all went into the caves."
"Oh, you told me. Blaine McAllister, right?"
"Yeah," Janus said, "His widow, Daniella, isn't taking the news all too well. She's got a newborn son, Alexander, to take care of now, alone. And Cherie, their daughter, is in her first year of high school."
"I really feel sorry for them," Hal thinks out loud, "To think that Black Paper was going to kill little Alexander, and Daniella, then sell Cherie. That's awful."
"I'm just glad it's over with," Mike says, "I'm more worried about that 'Black Hound' though. His technique was sloppy, but his strength was incredible. He can only get better."
"That's the least of our worries," Morgan adds in, "I heard reliable information that the government is restarting some really secret project, and is looking for Dr. Osto Hyle. They've also got Professor Mome involved in this project, so we'd better be careful."
"What project," Necron asks, "Anything we'd be able to get info on?"
"I doubt it," Morgan answers, "It's all hush hush, and very secretive. I doubt there's any real documentation on it, except for Tyrell's private journals, and those of Col. Damian Marks. He's very high up in the military's research division."
"Am I the only one that thinks our work has really just begun?" Seifer asks, "If Marks and his cronies are starting up some really hush hush project, have got Mome, a well respected geneticist and researcher, on their side, AND Kireek is still on the loose, This isn't good news."
"I'll keep snooping around," Morgan tells them, "I'll find out all I can about this project, and about Black Paper's involvement. I've heard rumors that there is a connection between the arms dealer and the Principal. So many, as a matter of fact, that it warrants investigation. We've had a plant in his organization since we left Coral. She's feeding us intelligence through a secure channel. We'll get what we need somehow."
"He doesn't suspect your plant?" Necron asks
"That's the beauty of it," Morgan explains, "She doesn't know she's a plant, and the channel is completely untraceable. They think it's just routine maintenance on her computer that's being done. We call this effort 'songbird'."
"Keep us posted, Morgan," Lara tells the ranger, "I'm still worried about whatever this project is, and how it could effect us."