The Fox and the Sloth
Chapter 6

Ron was concerned. Okay, he was more than concerned, he was climbing the walls. Kim had not sent the private signal confirming that she was okay and in the safe house. They had set up the idea of the code up just before she had left as just a little more insurance. Now he knew something was wrong. He had tried to check with his contacts but no one could be found. Then he received word that Anna had been found dead, the safe house had been ransacked and Kim was nowhere to be found. This could only mean one thing. They were blown and Kim had been captured or killed. His first thought had been to locate Kim as soon as he could but Covington nixed the idea. First, no body had been found up to that point so they could only hope that Kim was alive. Second, if she was captured then their cover had been blown. To go rushing in would not be a good idea without another plan of action. Third, if she was captured and still alive they would be questioning her. While she was a good agent, a person could only hold out for so long.

That last reason almost caused Ron to leave right then in order to get to Kim before something bad happened. There had nearly been a fight but Covington had laid it all out on the line. While Kim was important, the mission was of greater importance. Then he had looked Ron straight in the eye and asked what would Kim tell him to do.

That had stopped the argument from going any further. Ron had gathered up Rufus and set up his entrance to the area. If the other side knew that Kim was coming there was a good bet that they knew when and where he was supposed to land. The first thing they would have to do is find a new way for him to get in. The area where Kim landed and the area where he was supposed to land would be covered. A plan was quickly brought together. Since they were expecting him by air they would send in a dummy mission and literally send in a dummy on schedule and to the scheduled place. That would at least keep them busy until the dummy was found. As all that happened he would go in by water.

There was no doubt as to the target of the mission. It would be Brotherson's estate on the cliffs overlooking the sea. Intelligence on the people wanting to buy the bomb had provided a date at the estate where the handover of the money and the device would take place. Wade had made a check of the area and located a sea cave beneath Brotherson's estate. This would give him a spot to land and make his way up to the estate. While Brotherson had increased his security it still could be defeated from the inside. The inside access would be provided by one naked mole rat by the name of Rufus. Ron and Rufus would land under the estate and while Ron waited Rufus would get into the estate and insert a device that would give Wade access to Brotherson's systems.

Ron checked his Kimmunicator that was attached to his wrist. He and Rufus were nestled up in the cave under Brotherson's estate and were waiting for a plane to drop the dummy on the spot where he was supposed to land according to the original plan. The dummy was actually one of Drakken's old synthodrones. It would look like him and act like him but would not be him. Wade and Ron hoped that the distraction would cause enough problems at the estate so that Rufus and later Ron could get in. Ron checked the time and nodded to Rufus.

"You're on little buddy. Get in there, stick the thing in Brotherson's computer and then find her."

Rufus gave Ron a salute and scampered out of the cave and up the cliff toward the house. Ron thought that he should not have a problem getting in. The security was set up to keep people out not rats so he should be able to get in without a problem. Later, after Wade gained control of the security system then he should be able to get in. Then it would be time for payback. He hefted the new weapon that Dr. Director had delivered to them. Both of them had practiced with their own and the others weapons. Both weapons were set to recognize only their physical parameters. If anyone else tried to use it, well, that would be the last time they would use anything. Ron settled back against the wall of the cave and waited for the call from Wade. He looked up like he was gazing through the rock toward Kim.

"I'll be there soon KP. Hang in there."

Kim lay on the floor of the room they had tossed her in some interminable time before. Her hands were handcuffed behind her back and shackles were around her ankles. She had no idea what time it was or even what day it was. The light in her room never went off and her questioners came in at odd times. At first Brotherson had just asked questions of which she didn't answer. Then they proceeded to beat her senseless. Sometimes strapped to a chair other times they hung her up by her wrists. It had been going on for who knows how long. Now the door opened again and Brotherson stood outside the door with a number of his goons.

"Ahh, I see that you plan to be difficult and not answer my questions. Before we proceed any further allow me to meet one of your compatriots who has been a guest of mine before you came. It was he that gave us the information that enabled us to be able to greet you. He was just a uncooperative as you, but we were able to convince him to speak to us and give us the answers that we desired. "

The man behind Brotherson stepped from behind him and walked toward Kim. Her heart caught in the throat for a moment. She knew someone had to have told them about the mission but she didn't know who it could have been. Only a very few people knew that she and Ron were coming and she knew that Anna was already dead. The man picked up Kim and dragged her to her feet, her ankle shackles clinking. Another guard grabbed her other arm and they dragged her from the room and down the hall. They took a couple of turns before they came to another door. The door opened and they pulled her into the room. She gazed into the room a bruised and puffy face. One of her eyes was blackened and half closed but she could still see. What she saw sickened her. A man sat in a chair in the middle of the room. It was Bahadur.

Bahadur sat strapped to a chair in the center of the room. The front of his shirt darkened from a tarry like substance, his breaths came in a hiccup like fashion. His eyes were open but the corneas were clouded pure white. He gasped for breath for a few more moments before he started to retch and gag. He suddenly vomited up a thick tarry like substance that spilled down his front and puddled on the floor. Her captor pushed her closer. The smell of blood came to her nostrils. As she got closer she could tell he had been beaten and some type of hot object had be pressed against skin is places.

Kim forced back the bile that rose in her throat from the smell. Bahadur had fouled himself sometime during is questioning. He started to gag again and brought up even more black liquid. Her captor held her close as Brotherson spoke.

"Yes, he was quite uncooperative but we were able to show him the error of his ways. You may notice his eyes. We placed drops of bleach into each of his eyes and let that settle for a little while. As he was still uncooperative we forced him to drink a solution of water, detergent and drain cleaner. The liquid started to eat away the lining of his stomach and intestines almost immediately. You can imagine the pain that would cause. We made a deal with him. He would tell us what we wanted and we would put him out of his misery."

Kim watched as Bahadur continued to struggle for breath. There was no telling how long he had been like this. She glanced over to glare at Brotherson.

"Why don't you put him out of his misery? Or don't you keep your word? Maybe you get your jollies watching a man suffer or you just wanted me to see what is in store for me?"

Brotherson remained calm as his face saddened somewhat.

"Oh I keep my word. There is no doubt about that. Yes, I did keep him here and alive until you had seen him, mainly to show you the futility of not giving me what I want."

Brotherson nodded to one of the guards standing in the room. The man drew his pistol and fired a single shot into Bahadur's head. Blood and brains spattered onto the floor in front of Kim. Bahadur sagged down into his chair and ceased breathing. Brotherson waited for a few seconds as she stared to the man who had been her friend. Brotherson clapped his hands and two guards stepped forward to grab Kim by each arm. They turned her to face him.

"I have no intention to using the same procedure on you. While it is very successful, it does take a rather long time, time that I do not have to get my answers. I have something else for you. Besides it would be a shame to ruin those pretty eyes that way. The other procedure ruins the body and I have plans for yours."

Brotherson nodded and the guards pulled Kim out of the room.

Rufus slowly made his way up the side of the cliff and searched for a way into the mansion. It didn't take him a long time to find a hole that he could use to find his way in. He looked around and took a few quick sniffs. He could tell that there were at least three guards in the area. One had Chinese for lunch while the other had had a pastrami with rye with a dollop of brown mustard. Rufus crawled along one of the cable runs pausing every so often to listen and smell. He saw what he was looking for quickly. The computer cable runs coming together. When he followed them he would be able to find the main computer.

He followed the main cable run until they entered a medium sized room near the bottom of the complex. He stopped just at point where the cables ran out of the wall and into the room and into the banks of computers. No one was in the room. Stealthily, he crawled out of the wall and headed for his target. Wade had shown him a number of pictures of what to look for. Approaching what appeared to be the main computer and it's server he removed the special USB unit from the little pack his was carrying. Quickly he plugged it into the computer and pressed the control that would connect it to the computer and signal Wade to start to work. He was rewarded with a quiet beep and the lights of the connection began to blink rapidly. Rufus grinned as he scampered back into the wall.

Baghel, the leader of the group of men glanced at his watch. His mentor Habari had given him this mission when he begged for the honor of capturing the man that had caused his mentor and friend a great deal of problems. Hopefully, this mission would go as smoothly as the one had where they captured the red-headed wench. If almost made him sick to his stomach to think that a woman had done what she had done. There were no doubt she had taken an active part in the destruction of the warehouse and the assassination of Habari's brother.

It had been a great pleasure of his to capture the traitor that had been assisting the couple. Then he had captured and beaten the wench that ran that store and had assisted the agents before. It had been his honor to beat the woman before slitting her throat. Then all they had to do was to wait for the first agent to land. He himself had coldcocked the hussy. It would have been nice to have a little personal entertainment with her but his orders had been quite clear. He had picked up her limp body and transferred her into Habari's hands. Hopefully, he would have a chance to join in on the fun later.

Right now they were waiting for the man to arrive. He would be arriving by parachute on the small meadow that was below him on the side of the ridge. His instructions were to capture him if possible, but a dead body would be just as good. He checked his watch and then signaled the men that were with him that it was time. He turned on the radio that they had taken from the home of the traitor. The tortured man and told them everything about the procedure for him to arrive. Coded signals would be exchanged between the man who was arriving and the radio he was holding. If the signals were not sent then the man would know that the area was compromised and not land. It was at that moment that his radio beeped and the first signal arrived. He quickly sent the all clear signal and waited.

Baghel didn't have long to wait. The man next to him slapped him on the arms and pointed into the air above the meadow. He could barely make out the slim figure hanging from the parachute shroud lines as it dropped from the sky. The man smiled right on time. He pulled the shawl around his face and started walking toward the figure as he gathered the chute around him. The man carried the radio with him so when the figure turned to look at him he would assume it was the man that was expecting him. The man turned his back to him as he gathered his equipment. Baghel slipped the club from his sleeve and smashed it onto the back of the agent's head. The man fell to the ground with a thud.

The guards dragged Kim down the basement hall while Brotherson and Habari followed behind. They approached a door at the end of a hall. The first guard opened the door and walked in a small room. The other guards pulled Kim into the room while the first turned on the lights. Kim could see another door on the far wall. The guard opened that door and stood to the side. The other guards carried Kim into the room. She saw an unusual room with a chair in the middle. The chair was heavy wood with straps. The walls had conical and wedge shaped foam pieces coming from them. The guards strapped Kim to the chair and left the room. Brotherson spoke from behind her.

"This is a new idea of mine. I have used this room when answers but I desire the body afterward to be in good condition. The mind might be mush, but the body will be okay. You don't need the mind for what we have planned. You see young lady this is an Anechoic Chamber. The walls, ceiling and floor literally absorb all sound. You see, the human mind desires, covets stimulation. In this room there will be little of the above. You will be aware of any noise, even the beating of your own heart, the actual sound of the air moving in and out of your lungs. The lack of stimulus does wonders on the mind. Most of the prior residents of the room have had hallucinations after 30 or so minutes. A few hours or more their minds were gone. Now I shall leave you here for a few minutes and then return for a few more questions. I am sure by then you will be craving any noise and will be willing to do anything to have more. Goodbye for now."

There was a pause.

"Oh, also. There is no light within here, at least none that a human can see. We do have to keep a watch on you. So you shall be without light and noise. If you want it back then you shall answer my questions."

Kim heard the door shut and then the lights went out. She struggled to hear anything until she realized that she could hear herself breathing. She could not see anything. This was not good. Torture and beatings they had been trained to resist. But this, there was no way to face this.

"Henry, please help me."

Jason, Brett, Danny, Macon and the rest of their Special Forces team sat back in the room where they were waiting for their briefing. The Mr. Brannigan had spoken to them before to prepare them for this meeting. All he would say was that they were going to be part of a multi-national strike force to try and stop the sale of a nuclear weapon. He didn't say just who that was going to be but from their commander's action and Mr. Brannigan's actions they were not exactly pleased with the other side. The door opened and a tall ruddy faced man walked into the room. Behind him a group of tough looking and lean men walked in. They wore Russian military uniforms. Jason and Brett exchanged glances, this was getting interesting.

The man who walked in walked over to the man they knew as Brannigan.

"Well, we are here. Shall we get started? Do you wish to make the introductions or shall I?"

Brannigan nodded to him.

"I'll do it."

Brannigan stood and motioned for the new arrivals to take a seat. The men took the seats on the other side of the table from Jason and his team. Brannigan spoke as they sat down.

"Gentlemen, my name is Mr. Brannigan. Mr. Krashtinov and I will be overseeing this operation. There is one more counterpart of ours that is part of this operation; however he will not present at this time. Representing the U.S. is Lt. Jason Kirby and his team. They are members of the U.S. Special Forces."

Brannigan motioned of Jason and his men to stand. Jason nodded to his men and they all stood for a few moments as Brannigan continued.

"Lt. Kirby and his men have been operating in this area and are also familiar with the third team that is a part of this operation."

Brannigan motioned for Jason and his men to sit and motioned for the other men to stand. The other men stood and stood at ease as Brannigan continued.

"This is Lt. Yakov Demenok and his team. They are representing the Russian Federation in this operation. They are members of the Speznaz. They are members of this operation as they are familiar with the type of weapon that is a part of this operation." Brannigan nodded to Demenok as he and his men took a seat. He then continued. "There is a third part of this operation. They are a two person team operating out of the UK. They are not UK nationals and at this point their nationality is unknown." Jason watched the eyebrows of the opposite team widen and narrow at the same time. Brannigan continued. "This team is familiar with both of the men that are targets of this operation. They are also familiar with the mansion as they have infiltrated it before. They are also familiar with the weapon in question and have handled one before." Yakov was about to say something when Krashtinov shook his head. Yakov settled down and nodded for Brannigan to continue.

"Gentlemen, we are facing a difficult problem. A nuclear device has been stolen from the Russian government stockpile. A known weapons dealer is responsible. He is planning to sell it to a Mr. Habari, a known terrorist. We think they plan to use it on a U.S. military base to destabilize the area. You gentlemen have been called it to assist in a strike on the dealer's residence where he is currently holding the weapon. Our Mr. Habari is also in attendance to make the final payment and to acquire the device. The two of them will infiltrate at separate times in order to approach the mansion from two different directions. You will be dropped into the area immediately afterwards and will standby in case you are needed. My counterpart will now continue the briefing."

Kim struggled uselessly against the straps that bound her to the chair. Her heart was racing and her breaths came in gasps. The hallucinations had started some time ago. Apparitions appeared and disappeared in the darkness as sounds seem to come from nowhere. But she knew that was nothing there. Her body was trying to make something out of the nothing that was out there. She started to hear her heartbeat soon after she was left alone. Then it was as if every breath sounded like a gale.

All her training had been for questions after question. She had been trained to deal with the pain of physical torture. She had also been trained against the mind games that had been played before. She and Ron had even gone through a several week program of escape/evasion/questioning. Some of the things the instructors had done to them had been pretty bad. But this was above and beyond what had been done to them. She didn't know how much longer she could take this. Just before she was getting ready to lose it the lights came on and the door opened. The guards came into the room and started to unstrap her. They quickly handcuffed her hands behind her back and dragged her from the room.

The guards dragged her down another hall to another room. They hauled her into the room and dropped her into a chair in the middle of the room. They strapped her in and stood to the side. Brotherson's man was standing there along with Habari and another man. There were also a number of other guards in the room. Brotherson sat in another chair along the wall beside her. There was an empty chair in front of her.

"Well my dear, I thought we might add a little extra spice to our conversation. Unless you wish to go back to your little room."

Kim's heart rate started to go up and she had no doubt that the expression on her face told him all he needed to know. A thin little smile spread across his face.

"Ah, I see that the thought of going back to my little playroom is not something that you would wish to do. We shall see. First I believe a little reunion is in store."

Her eyes went wide when more guards came into the room from the other end. They were dragging a man between them. Kim moaned as she recognized the figure. The guards tossed Ron into the chair and quickly tied him to it. He has really disheveled and she could tell he had taken quite a beating. Her voice croaked out.

"Henry?"

Brotherson smiled.

"Well, what a fine little reunion. It's a shame that pitiful Dr. Drakken and his lovely assistant Shego are not here. We could have quite a reunion."

Brotherson paused of a moment.

"Now we shall be start again. I shall ask a question and you will answer. At the first refusal to answer my questions, my men will break your companion's legs. At the second refusal to answer my questions, they will break his arms. At the third refusal I fear that I might lose my patience with you and have my men shoot your companion right in front of you. Then you will be return to your room where you will stay until you brain turns to mush. Now I will repeat my questions. Who sent you?"

Kim pressed her lips together and shook her head. Brotherson sighed and nodded. Two of the men stepped forward with what appeared to be iron rods. With two quick blows they struck Ron's legs. Kim swore she heard the bones snap. Brotherson asked again.

"I have an idea of who you are but how did you get here and why?"

Kim closed her eyes and shook her head. She knew what she had to do even though it broke her heart and soul to do it. Brotherson sighed again.

"Don't bother. Shoot him and make sure she watches. Then place her back in the room."

Kim snapped her eyes open with fear. Ron stared into her eyes and smiled.

"It's okay KP. I am going to be with Erik."

Kim thought for a moment. "What? Eric? Why would he say….?"

The guard standing next to Ron pulled his pistol from his holster and shot Ron in the head. A bright green fountain of liquid poured out of the hole. The men in the room started to shout in several different languages as the thing they thought was Ron shriveled in the chair. Then there was a loud boom and the room shook hard enough for dust to settle from the ceiling. A smile crossed Kim's face as alarms started to sound. The men in the room started screaming at each other and over their radios. Kim had no doubt what was going on. Ron was here.

The Kimmunicator on Ron's LBE buzzed. He tapped the switch on his body armor and Wade's image appeared in the screen on his visor.

"Rufus is in. I've take control of the security system and have loaded fake video into cameras two and five. You should be able to get in through the door that we planned. Also, dummy Ron's drop went on schedule and as planned. The chip shows that he got a blow to the back of the head and he dropped as planned. He is being transported as we speak and will arrive in about a couple of hours. I have located Karen by checking a number of security cameras. She hasn't broke yet. They have done some pretty nasty things to her but so far she is okay. I'll keep you posted. Move out and I'll monitor. Watch for roving patrols. I have a drone over you so I should be able to give you a heads up."

Ron nodded as he spoke.

"Acknowledged and on the move. If they hurt her, really hurt her, I'll kill'em."

Wade didn't say anything as Ron cut the link.

Covington watched the feed from the drone on one of the screens before him. He sat in a communications room deep within the HMS Glowworm. The other screens showed biometric readouts from Ron as well as a feed from the camera on his visor. They would be able see everything live. Nearby were the USS Ramage and the Revnostnyy from the Russian navy. All were linked together. Covington had watched Ron leave and make his way toward shore. His counterparts were on their ships. Their units were already on the ground around the estate. They were the backup. If the Fox and Sloth failed then the other teams would go in. It had been decided that there was no way they would allow the bomb to be delivered into the hands of the terrorist. If the two teams could not get to the bomb then the three frigates would fire their missles. If the teams were unable to stop the handover of the bomb, a missile strike would cauterize the area.

Covington glanced down at the two files that lay beside him on the table. They bore the names of Red Fox and Pink Sloth. If all went as he hoped, the world would never know what happened. The two teams from the U.S. and Russia would receive the credit for stopping the bomb and the Fox and the Sloth would remain in obscurity. While the offer was on the table for them to do otherwise he expected them to remain hidden. They had made new lives together and their new lives would not fit into their old lives. If they came out of the hidden world they would be placing their families in danger. Enemies old and new would not have any qualms about blowing up a building if they could get at one of the family members.

There was a soft beep and a notice appeared on one of the screens. Covington looked up to see that dot that was Ron at the edge of the building. He was going in.

The President sat back in his chair in the Situation Room deep beneath the White House. Around him were the Secretary of State, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a number of the Joint Chiefs, the head of the NSA, the head of the CIA and the Vice-President. They all were glued to the screens in front of them as the live feeds showed the estate from a predator drone flying high above. The head of the CIA stepped over to the President and handed him a folder. On the cover were the words "BLUE FOX and PINK SLOTH".

"Mr. President, I believe you need to see this."

The President turned to him.

"Can't it wait?"

The CIA head shook his head.

"No Sir. This file has a direct bearing on what is happening at this moment."

The President nodded as he opened the file and began to read. Soon the expression on his face changed and he concentrated even more on what he was reading. He moved to a more upright position as he continued to read. After a few moments he turned to the CIA head.

"Who knows about this?"

The CIA head looked him in the eye.

"Very, very few people sir."

The President went back to reading before he closed the file and sat back rubbing his temple with one hand.

"Dear God!"

The VP turned to his chief.

"Sir?"

Ron leaned against the side of the building. There was a door just around the corner from where he was standing. Wade had the alarms already disconnected and the cameras inside showed Wade that there were no guards on that hall. Just as Ron took a step a figure stepped from around the corner in front of him. Ron snapped up his mag-gun pulled the trigger. The sound was not much louder than shaver but the effect on the guard was nothing less that gruesome. The weapon was set to fire at 600 per minute so by the time Ron had pulled the trigger good he had already fired 10 or more rounds. The 40 cal. full metal jacket bullets cut the guard in half before he could utter a sound. Ron pulled the body into some bushes before he made his way to the door. He tried the door handle and it opened easily.

Quickly he stepped through the door and closed it behind him. It appeared that he was at the end of a short darkened hall with a couple of doors on each side of the hall. At the end of the hall was a wall showing the intersection of the hall to the next. Wade's voice came over his earpiece.

"Okay. You are in a short hallway with a couple of maintenance rooms to your right and storage rooms to your left. The intersection in front of you leads to more storage room and access to the main part of the mansion. Kim is being held in a room one floor above you on the other end of the home. The weapon is located on the same level as you in the center of the building. You might be really interested in the last room on the right."

Ron tapped the com button on his LBG twice to signify that he had heard Wade and he was ready for the rest of their plan. He stepped down the hall and checked the door that Wade had mentioned. Yellow lines crossed the door and the word "Ammunition, Small Arms" was written in yellow letters. A smile crossed his face as he glanced back to the door he passed. The door was painted red and the yellow lettering said "Oils and Solvents". He made quick work of the lock to the ammo room and entered. He set a number of thermite charges with timers in the room and went to the solvent room to do the same. Before he left either room he used a special can of spray epoxy on the sprinklers in each of the rooms so they would not work. Wade disabled the fire and smoke alarms on that level.

Stepping back into the hall he moved down the hall to the intersection of the two halls. Wade's voice came to him again.

"Alright make a right and move down the hall. At the first left take the left and move down the hall. There are guards in front of the door where the weapon is stored. You will have to take out the guards and get to the weapon."

Ron acknowledged by the double tap again before he glanced around the corner of the hall. There were three guards standing about. They didn't seem to be very concerned about security as their weapons lay against the wall near them. He could hear what they were saying.

"Big Daddy is working her over right now. She won't last long, nobody can take that. I would love to get hold of that one. I helped that other guy bring her in. Talk about a body? This babe had one. I got a couple of real good feels while we brought her in."

Ron gritted his teeth and aimed his weapon. The red laser dot settled on the side of the head of the guard who had just spoken. Pulling the trigger the weapon hummed to life. The man's head exploded in a mass of torn flesh, bone and gristle. The other guards barely had time to scream before he turned the mag-gun on them. Both bodies did a dance as the bullets ripped them apart. All were dead before the bodies hit the floor. Ron scuttled up the hall until he reached the door that they were standing at.

Kneeling in front of the door he pulled the card that Wade had given him. A thin wire was attached to the card and plugged into the computer that Ron wore on his back. With a swipe the card hacked the security codes and opened the door. Ron pushed the heavy door open and looked inside the room. A heavy box sat on a table in front of him. He remembered the same box from years before as the same as the one they had attempted to disarm. He slipped into the room and almost cursed out loud. The box was empty. There was a shout behind him and he spun to see another guard trying to pull his AK-47 from his shoulder yelling into his radio. Ron aimed and fired within a split second shredding the guard before he could fire. An alarm started to sound as Ron ran to the door. He keyed his radio.

"Trouble big time! A guard spotted me. The bomb is not in the room so start looking. Give me a location on Karen."

A map of the house appeared in the monocle screen over Ron's left eye.

"Okay, how do I get there without running into a lot of happy campers?"

A line appeared on the map as Wade started talking.

"Go back down the hall where the ammo is to the second door on your right. It is a utility closet. There is a maintenance tube in the room. The main thing is that all the pipe lines and electrical lines for the mansion run through this tube. It just happens to pass right by the room where she is. Set off your surprise after you are in the tubeway. The fire and explosions will cover you. Seal the tube behind you with a foam bomb so the smoke and fire don't get to you. Don't worry about the explosions. The tube goes through solid concrete and rock."

Ron ran back down the hall where he had just come from. He quickly entered the room where Wade had directed him. He climbed the pipe clustered against the wall and over into the pipe alley. It was a tight fit but he was able to get in. After crawling a few feet he pulled another special gift from Wade. They called it a foam bomb. It's use was to seal a hallway or door behind them to keep someone from following them. It would work perfect now to keep the fire and smoke away from him. He pulled the pin from the grenade and tossed it behind him. Within a few seconds thick foam started to expand in the narrow tube. Just before it sealed completely he pressed the button that would override the timers and detonate the charges he had left behind. The tube shook from the concussion of the explosions. Turning back in front of him, he turned on the infrared light on his head set and pulled the vision goggles down over his eyes. The inside of the tube appeared before his eyes as he started to crawl.

"I'm coming KP. I am coming."

Well, another chapter of the Fox and the Sloth down. I hope that you enjoyed it. Still a bit of story to come. Hang in there.

This is the Captain
Roger and out
Right hand salute.