"There has been a change to our plans."
Talon stands inside the command center, facing Prowl on the main screen.
Prowl stands inside the Joint Investigation Unit's new temporary Tactical Operations Center, studying Talon on their main screen. The communication systems in their new base of operation are directly connected to the Polyhexian Cartel's network and make communication between them easy. They no longer need Shift to establish a connection between them - it can be done with a simple push of a button now.
He can see the tension in Talon's wings, and it is worrying that Talon is making contact and not Torment. Talon has been keeping to the background, allowing his heir to take charge of the operation against the Organization.
"It must be serious since you are the one to make contact instead of Torment." He comments. "What has happened?"
"Torrent retaliated on the failed missile attack by sending Torment a vid-file that revealed he is in possession of a high-value hostage."
Prowl reflects on the new information.
"Who?" He asks, his voice grave.
It is never good when there is a hostage, and he begins to understand why Talon suddenly has taken charge. It seems Torrent and Torment's feud has taken a turn for the worse and gotten uglier. It is only natural to put Torment on the sideline to not escalate it further, at least from an enforcer standpoint. Talon's direct involvement can just as well mean a further escalation.
"Her name is Athena. She is Torment's beloved."
Prowl remains silent for a while, his processor quickly assessing the situation with the added new information.
"Now I understand why you have had to step in."
"You don't sound surprised." Talon inquires curiously. "I know for a fact that she worked for your unit for a short period."
"I learned about her and Torment's relationship a few days after your people had saved him from Torrent. The same day Torment learned about my connection to Nacelle." Prowl's optics fill with hostility. "And which you decided to use against me."
Talon grins remorselessly.
"Do I have to remind you that Torment did offer to give Nacelle back to you without any conditions but that your bondmate refused?" He comments, voice full of dark humor and scathing laughter, but the next moment, his voice suddenly becomes gentle in a way Prowl has never heard before. "Nacelle is safe here with us, Prowl. Put your animosity aside and focus on the here and now."
"Fine!" Prowl grinds out angrily, his doorwings slowly lowering as he gets his raging emotions under control. He has to trust Talon on this, and there have been no strong reactions from Nacelle that could indicate that his bondmate is being mistreated.
There is no direct cause for alarm when it comes to his bondmate.
Only the fact that they are being kept separate. But that is mainly Nacelle's choice now.
He may not like it, but Torment's promise has been kept true so far.
"How do you want to approach this new situation?" He asks with a frown, returning his focus to their current situation.
"I have taken the liberty to enlist the aid of some of my enemies to combat the Organization's wide network of undercover agents. It will allow us to focus our full attention on Highline, Torrent and their base of operation."
It shocks Prowl to hear, and he can't entirely hide his reaction, his doorwings rising in alarm.
"What have you told them?"
Talon stares impassively at Prowl with an arched optical ridge as if silently asking him if he genuinely believes he is so moronic to reveal their collaboration to his fiercest enemies.
"I have only told them what is strictly necessary for them to know. I would not even dream of telling them about our alliance - it would only cause hostility and waste time we don't have. What's important is that they will do their part, freeing up the resources we need to do ours." He finally says, voice darkening.
"I need Torrent alive, Talon," Prowl says gravelly, sensing where this is going.
Talon regards him coldly.
"Only if he allows us to take him alive."
Prowl makes a sound reminiscent of a growl.
"We had an agreement. Do not go back on it because of this."
"Or you will do what, director?!" Talon challenges, voice snide and aloof. "You no longer have the authority to perform operations like these on a global scale. What will you do without us to provide the transport, ground forces, air support and firepower?"
Prowl clenches his teeth in anger.
"At least try not to kill him before I can arrest him." He grinds out.
Talon smirks, enjoying the fact he got a rise out of the stoic enforcer.
"I'll try." He says derisively, reluctantly giving the concession to appease the enforcer's sensibilities while knowing there is no chance that Torrent will get out of their confrontation alive.
Prowl moves on in the context of their meeting, knowing that that is all the concession he will get from the Polyhexian leader.
"Shift has a lead on how to identify and locate the whereabouts of Torrent's hacker. She wants to pursue that angle. If she succeeds, we can blind Torrent to what is happening. He won't know we are coming for him before it is too late." He says, glancing briefly to his right, where the hacker sits in deep concentration in front of her screen.
Talon hides his dark pleasure at the unexpected turn of events.
There is nothing better than to hunt unsuspecting prey and watch its desperation when the trap closes around it.
"I have no use for her at the moment. She is free to do as she wants."
Prowl nods in response.
"I assume by the fact that you haven't brought it up that you know where the Organization's base of operation lies?" He adds inquiringly.
"Of course I do," Talon answers, offense clear in his voice. "What kind of leader would I be if I couldn't locate simple criminals like Torrent and his lot?"
"And I sense that I don't want to know how you got that information." Prowl adds stiffly, some of his hostility towards the Polyhexian leader returning.
"Who said I wanted to share it with you in the first place." Talon shoots back.
Prowl sighs, shaking his head.
He has gotten used to communicating with Torment. He and the heir are more on the same wavelength than he and Talon ever will be. He has seen the change in Torment, whereas Talon is set in stone. The Polyhexian leader is the epitome of the criminals Prowl works to combat. The animosity between them constantly lies just under the surface, ready to stick its head out.
That is why it had been a relief when he realized that it was Torment and not Talon he would have to communicate with during their joint effort against Torrent and the Organization.
It is impossible to bend Talon, whereas Torment listens and considers his suggestions. Now that the Senate has dissolved the Joint Investigation Unit, he knows he is the weak part of their alliance, but Torment had still treated him as an equal.
Talon has made it clear that he knows the balance of power is in the cartel's favor and uses that knowledge to push the line. And Prowl can only hope that he won't get sidetracked again. But he needs to be prepared for it to happen. However, what he can do about it if it should happen is still to be seen and is something he will have to figure out should he get in the situation.
Their meeting continues for another half an hour until neither has anything else to say.
"I will contact you when we are ready to attack," Talon says as an endnote. "Be ready."
Prowl nods stiffly.
"We will."
"He is going to be a problem." Topkick comments, stepping up beside Prowl at the main screen inside their temporary Tactical Operations Center when the communication with Talon has ended.
"Yes." Prowl sighs, well-aware of the troubles Talon can cause them if he wants to. "But we are dependent on him."
"Are you still sure you want to go with them alone? We already know that they aren't going to play by the rules. With your permission, I coul-"
Prowl holds up his hand, silencing Topkick's suggestion.
"No subterfuge." He states firmly. "Primus knows that our temporary allies are more skilled at it than we ever will be. If it gets discovered, it can ruin everything, and they still have Nacelle in their possession. We do this by the book."
Topkick nods in acceptance.
"As you will, sir."
"Go and get your team ready. You need to be prepared when Talon contacts us again. I have a feeling we won't get much time before the transports arrive after he has ordered the beginning of the attack."
Topkick steps away from Prowl's side with a respectful nod and leaves the Tactical Operations Center, and Prowl watches him go, his doorwings lowering slightly. Topkick is the officer with the most field experience, having frequently been in battle as the Joint Investigation Unit's assigned Commander. If he is worried, there is a good reason for it, and Prowl would, under normal circumstances, listen to him. But nothing is normal right now, and he can't put Nacelle in danger, not even to save himself.
"Do you have a moment, Prowl?"
Shift's voice is cautious as she walks over to him, and he looks at her.
"I suppose you overheard."
Her gaze is guarded as she stops beside him.
"Yes. I did not know."
"Torment has not been in contact with you?"
She shakes her head in denial.
"He has not responded to my communication requests either."
It is a sudden change of pattern when it comes to Torment, and in the light of the current situation, with his new information about Athena, a cause for deep worry. Because if Torment is incapacitated in any way or form, it leaves Talon free to scheme and make his own plans and incorporate them into theirs, which is something no one wants.
He focuses his attention on Shift.
"You know both Talon and Torment on a personal level. Based on your personal knowledge about them, how would you view this sudden silence from Torment and Talon stepping in to take charge? And what would you expect from Talon in a situation like this? Will he adhere to what has already been agreed to between me and Torment, or will he attempt to sidetrack and play games with us?"
Shift looks at him scathingly.
"You have to do better than that to get me to talk, Prowl. It is actually pathetic for you to even try. You should know that the moment I open my mouth about Talon, even Torment can't save me. I am Torment's closest friend and confidant, and he trusts me not to reveal anything about him that could hurt him."
Prowl could choose to retort that Torment didn't even care to tell Shift that Athena had been kidnapped, but he is above turning this into a futile argument only to hurt Shift. The hacker has shown that her loyalty lies solely with Talon and Torment, and there is nothing he can say or do to sway her.
She is also correct that her life will be forfeit if she reveals the secrets she knows about Talon.
But it was worth trying to get information, and he didn't end up completely empty-handed. He now knows more about Shift motivations and that the hacker possesses sensitive information that can damage the Polyhexian Cartel.
"How far have you gotten on your lead?" He asks to defuse the tenseness.
"That is actually why I approached you. I have managed to triangulate their location."
"Their?"
"Yes. Torrent's hacker is actually a group of hackers that are working together. Their leader is Ember, a mediocre hacker who constantly tries to compete with and beat hackers whose skills greatly exceed his. He wants to make a name for himself and become a legend in the hacking society."
"So, a narcissist like Torrent."
"Indeed." Shift grins. "I have prepared a trap for them, but it is too early to move in and arrest them. If Torrent suddenly can't contact them, he will know something is happening. To arrest them without damage to the evidence on their computer systems, I need to be close by when they trigger my trap. So we will have to move within the next hours to be there in time before Talon commences the attack."
"I'll assign a group of enforcers to assist you. Stormrunner will be in charge, but he will defer to you regarding anything that is hacker-related."
"Yes, sir!" Shift salutes, her bright personality back in place, but Prowl hears low, sinister laughter come from her as she walks away.
He shakes his head as he looks after her.
Shift is confusing and impossible to figure out. One moment she can be vicious, the next friendly as if nothing had happened. But he supposes that that is a consequence of dealing with the underworld. One moment your friend is your friend, and the next, he is an enemy.
It must not be easy for anyone to constantly live in that kind of uncertainty, waiting for when you get stabbed in your back.
His doorwings lower when he remembers Topkick's worry for him. In the light of his reflection on Shift's loyalty to especially Torment, he hopes he isn't wrong to put his trust in Talon. But if he ends up with a shot to his spark, it is because he chose to have a misplaced faith in the honor Talon and Torment so far has shown.
There is nothing he can do about it. He needs them for this operation to succeed.
With a weary sigh, he turns his attention to the request Talon made on behalf of Nacelle. He brings up Hotspot's communications ID as he walks into his makeshift office, dreading the conversation he is about to have, but it has to be done.
Hotspot needs to know what has happened to Athena, and maybe the clinical professor possesses vital information they need.