Young Offender, Part 64:
"Well?" Pyunma asked, sitting across from GB at the cafeteria table. Chang wheeled out a huge cart filled with Dim Sum and served them. Junior joined them, too, coming in from a morning walk in the woods.
"Albert was a German fellow. Some sort of musician. The person he corresponds with doesn't seem to have a high level of education. It's as if on some of the papers he's practicing writing simple phrases in German. Sometimes French."
"Gianni?" Pyunma asked. GB nodded.
"More like John Alexander. I don't think he's Italian, like I had thought at first. He was an English speaker of some sort. This Gianni fellow is the biggest part of the mystery. Also, there were two other people they refer to in their letters."
"Were?"
"The letters are pretty old. And when they do correspond with each other, it's rather dismal. They all have the tone as if they were facing a death sentence," GB said somberly, eyes darting for any eavesdroppers.
"What were they doing here?" Junior asked.
"No clue. The woman must have been very ill. I didn't find her writing at all, but both of them seem terribly concerned about her, almost heartsick over what's happening to her and themselves. Also, they grow wary of the boy with them for some reason. It seems he's not kept with them. There was something about his parents. They worked for our current employers."
"Well, what was happening to all of them?" Chang asked, finally sitting after everyone was served their breakfast.
"They refused to put details on paper, whatever it was, was so dark and horrific they wouldn't give it words," GB replied, before popping a dumpling in his mouth. "I want to find out more. I'm thinking I'll just revisit that other dormitory."
"Good idea. We really should find out more about these people," Pyunma said. He tackled his own breakfast as GB left the large, empty cafeteria. "We were all in dire situation when we agreed to become Black Ghost agents so we have over looked things."
GB changed forms to a mouse, but it wasn't long before he came back in his human form, dragged between two guards. Pyunma was disturbed. The British man sputtered smoothing excuses and took his seat at the table across from Pyunma again.
The guards left in a huff. That's when GB turned to the group and said, "It seems they burned all the papers in that room and white washed the walls. Nothing is left. These Black Ghost fellows really hate those four people for some reason."
"They must," Pyunma agreed. "Well, let's all keep our eyes open. I'm sure there are more clues around."
"We're four in number," Junior pointed out ominously.
"Yes, and your number starts with five, rather than one. Very curious," Chang added, just as dower.
"Jet will make you eat that if he catches you," Ivan said, casting a shadow over Albert's shoulder. It made it harder to read the English newsprint. Albert looked over his shoulder where Ivan stood dressed in blue, floral print shorts and and a plain, white tee-shirt.
Albert removed his reading glasses and shook his head at them. Gilmore had offered to correct Albert's vision with new eyes, but Albert declined, not wishing to lose more flesh. One day he'd let Gilmore fix them, but he'd decided to put it off as long as possible. His long distance vision was still sharp as ever. He tossed his glasses in Francoise's big, canvas bag.
"I hope you'll keep quiet. I'm figuring out where we need to go after this little vacation is finished. You don't seem to have an opinion," Albert said, moving over a little on the beach blanket. Ivan flopped down beside him and took the newspaper from Albert.
"Where are Jet and Francoise?" Ivan asked, ignoring Albert's pointed observation. Albert waved his metallic hand towards the surf washing up on Fiji's white sand. "Again?"
"What else have those two done all summer besides play in the water?"
Albert looked towards the ocean again in time to see Jet catch a swell and surf into the shore. Jet dragged his board onto the shore and looked back at the ocean. He shouted, "Come on, Frannie, don't be a chicken!"
Moments later, Francoise caught a wave and glided into shore on her surf board. She was graceful and made it look easy, in Albert's opinion. He was still surprised how she and Jet had picked up this new hobby. They had spent all summer in and out of the ocean. They tried to get Albert and Ivan to participate, but different hobbies took up their time.
Ivan learned quickly how to surf, but got bored and moved on to snorkeling and diving. Albert, on the other hand, had used this vacation to start an ambitious project. He started writing an opera set during the Germanic invasion of the Roman Empire. He took some of the elements of his life since Hilda's death and incorporated them into the libretto. The whole opera was taking a dark turn, so Albert set it aside in favor of sneaking newspapers into their private vacation spot.
Ivan quickly stashed the newspaper under the blanket when Jet and Francoise started to walk over with their surfboards. Albert lay on the lumpy spot as Francoise and Jet joined them on the beach blanket.
Jet shook his wet hair out and then waved a finger at Albert's nose. "Francoise saw that. Hand it over."
"You were saying you want to go to Australia again. I was just scouting it out," Albert said, handing over the sandy newspaper. While Jet took it and scanned the front page, Albert turned to Francoise. "I thought you were on my side."
"You're brooding again. You've been working too hard during this whole vacation." Francoise picked up a towel and patted her damp hair.
"Writing music is a vacation," Albert countered.
Jet tossed aside the paper and sneered. "You want to go back to work, don't you? And you know the kind I mean. Doing some more break ins. " Jet sighed and slowly smiled. "Anyway, I have to find a way to afford that sweet Ducati for your birthday next month."
Albert shot him an exasperated look. "Why is it you want to buy something off your wish list for my birthday?"
"Because Christmas is too far away," Jet whined before getting a mischievous smirk. "Besides, you need a little excitement and danger in your life."
"You bring plenty of excitement and danger into my life, Johnny. I'm still not forgiving of that hijacking fiasco last May," Albert said, reminding Jet of the private charter plane they took control of from a Merchant of Death.
Jet groaned and flopped on his back. "I swear you said five minutes, not three. It's not my fault you jumped out too soon after you bagged the dough and ended up in the ocean. I did fish you out, after all. The ankle biter over there..." Jet hitched his thumb in Ivan's direction, "...didn't exactly show up on time, either. And one other thing... stop calling me Johnny! Ivan don't mind it, but I do!"
Albert chuckled. "How else am I supposed to irritate you? So are we off to Australia?"
Jet raised his head and looked over to Francoise. "The waves are really bitchin' there."
"I've had enough water for now. Maybe something else?" Francoise ventured.
"Hey! Maybe I'll try to get a job," Jet suggested. Albert, Francoise, and Ivan's eyes all snapped around towards Jet. The three of them burst out laughing. Jet sat up and brushed sand off his shoulders, an indigent expression on his face. "I'll show you three. You just watch."
"You haven't had a legitimate job since the early seventies. Why break your streak now?" Albert asked. "Besides, what job would you get?"
"I'll figure something out," Jet said with a determined grit.
Albert chuckled and gave Jet a warm smile. "You always do."
Jet's face flushed and he hopped up to his feet. That still hadn't changed with Jet; he still didn't take compliments well. But Jet certainly had develop more bravado, which Albert had predicted would happen as time passed them by. "Let's grab some dinner and decide where we want to go to next."
Junior's fist slammed into the boulder. It shattered and dust flew into the air. A shrill whistle sounded and he relaxed his battle stance. He looked over to where Chang was digging himself out of the ground. A large, black panther came plodding from the deep forest; it started morphing back into GB.
"Where did 008 go?" GB asked, now used to using their code numbers during training after several months. Junior looked above them and saw Pyunma standing on a tree branch.
Pyunma jumped down with grace and holstered his ray gun. The African cyborg's brow furrowed in confusion. "The exercise is over, but it's too soon?"
"All Double Zero Cyborgs are to report to the war room immediately," a deep voice sounded over the loud speaker attached to the observation tower. Pyunma stalked towards the main Black Ghost base. GB and Chang followed, but Junior hesitated a second. He hated having to go into the cold, sterile base. He jogged and caught up with his cohorts in the hanger bay.
They made their way deep into the base and reached the war room. It was a simple room with a conference table, a podium, and a projection screen. Junior was surprised to see Scar standing behind the podium along with Gaia. What caught his eye was the young, quiet girl, Ann Ember, sitting at the end of the table. She was knitting a dark brown scarf, but her emerald eyes were fastened on all the cyborgs.
"Have a seat, gentlemen," Gaia announced and picked up a remote for the projector embedded in the wall. He lowered the lights and clicked the projector on. "You've been training all summer and your progress as a team has pleased us greatly. We feel it's time to reveal one the more important tasks you'll need to perform for us."
Gaia clicked a button on the remote control. A picture flared on the screen. Junior studied the picture of four people dressed in uniforms very similar to the one he was wearing. Theirs were dark green with deep red scarfs, and the woman's uniform had a pleated skirt. Other than that, the style was identical. This caused a sense of trepidation in the pit of Junior's stomach. A mystery was starting to unravel.
GB had worked all summer on the mystery of people who used to live here; there were barely any clues. Junior had a feeling he was now looking at the people in the letters found that first night they were awakened. Sure enough, he heard GB softly gasp and vigorously rub his hands together under the table.
"Meet your predecessors, the treacherous first generation Double Zero Cyborgs," Gaia said. "Your first priority is to capture them and bring them back for justice."
"Justice?" Pyunma asked. "What crime did they commit?"
"They're unrepentant thieves and murderers," Scar replied. "All of them."
Gaia clicked the remote control and a picture of a graying, middle aged man came into focus. "This is 004. He is, for all intents and purposes, the ring leader of this little band. He was originally a German citizen known for murdering his wife at the Berlin Wall. He also has a record of turning people over to the East Berlin police."
Junior heard a hiss of disapproval from both Chang and Pyunma. GB asked, "What else has he done?"
"Lots of stealing. He's organized the others into a team of thieves. Last May they hijacked a plane from one of our sponsors. Too bad he didn't drown in the ocean that time."
"Out of curiosity, what was his given name?" GB asked.
"Albert Heinrich," Gaia spat out in contempt. He clicked the remote again. A close up of a tall, red headed teenager popped up. "This one, is very dangerous. He's 002. He was a gangster that murdered others in cold blood on the streets of New York, and it's thought that he was even involved in his own parents' murders. He's always in the presence of 004 and a willing accomplice to theft."
"What was his name?" GB asked. Gaia riffled through a file on the podium. He looked up with a suspicious expression.
"He goes by a lot of names. The most popular is Jet Link," Gaia said. GB nodded as Gaia clicked the remote again. "And this one is 003."
"What a looker," GB said. Junior mentally agreed the young woman was very attractive, but she also looked entirely too innocent to be involved in anything shady. GB said with a hand wave, "She doesn't look like a problem."
"Oh, but she is. She travels with those two and helps them commit all sorts of crimes. We even believe she let those two murder her brother when he was going to turn them into the police," Gaia said.
GB shook his head. "A shame such a beauty would cast her lot with fellows like that."
"Indeed," Chang agreed.
"Don't let her looks deceive you. Francoise Arnoul's heart is as rotten and as cold as they come. The three of them have no mercy, limits, or shame," Gaia warned. "They are all unrepentant liars. As a matter of fact, they will lie to you without hesitation. They spout off wild stories about our group of scientists. They've even lied outrageously that we kidnapped them. How absurd, seeing how we gave you all a choice. We only want to help humanity, not harm it. What would it benefit us to have unwilling candidates? We tried to give them second chances in their lives, but they took our gifts and now are using them for evil!"
"You're not to talk to them, just engage them in battle," Scar declared.
"Yes, sir," Pyunma said, glancing around the table. Junior didn't miss the doubt in Pyunma's eyes.
"Now this is Ann; you've seen her around the island. She will accompany you to help with this problem." Gaia clicked the remote and a new picture flared across the screen. It was a younger teenage boy with mismatched eyes: one blue, one brown. "Do not engage this cyborg directly. He's extremely dangerous. He a master psychic; Ann here, can match him and take him into custody."
"What's he doing with them?" Pyunma asked.
"He was persuaded to run away by 003. She knew he could capture them, so she exploited his youthful rebellion against his parents, the Gamos. Ivan Gamo is his name. Now that you've been introduced, we'll tell you how they were altered so you can make a plan of attack."
"Remember, it is utmost to my plans that you bring them under Black Ghost's custody. No verbal engagement. Also, remember all the generosity we've shown you four. We expect a return on our investment in your group," Scar said before leaving the war room. Junior repressed a shudder and looked around at his cohorts. They all wore the same uneasy looks he did.
Gaia cleared his throat and clicked the remote. "Let's start with 002's technical specs."
To be continued.