Two days later
Wednesday
The safehouse
"Guys! We have a problem... A stalker... He has appeared each evening for the past two nights," Marty said. "Dead on eight-forty, each evening!"
"Well, we'll just have to set up a surprise for him, tonight!" I said.
That evening
The safehouse
We were all ready and in combat suits for eight that evening. Marty and Abby would stay in the briefing room and lock the armoured door.
Shadow and Hit Girl would be ready inside the side door, while Kick-Ass would step out and grab the stalker, the moment that he reappeared.
..._...
Dead on eight-forty, Marty called that the stalker was there, standing by the side door. I was already outside, hiding in the darkness.
"Go!" I snarled.
I moved forward and grabbed the stalker, with one hand across his mouth, before the side door clicked open and I dragged the stalker inside. The stalker seemed familiar, close up. I dragged him onto the mat and threw him down.
"Ouch!" Curtis yelled.
"Curtis, you little rat!" Shadow exclaimed.
"What ya gonna do, bitch!" Curtis retorted.
"Kick you so damn hard..." Shadow started, angrily.
"I know your shadow-y little secret!" Curtis interrupted, with a smug look on his face.
"And who are you going to tell!" I snarled, viciously. "Before I rip your tongue out!"
Curtis tried to back away, but Hit Girl suddenly appeared behind him. I think the combat suits scared him, as I was sure that he knew who we really were.
"I'm sorry Hit Girl, I won't tell. I promise," Curtis said quickly.
The boy was actually starting to cry.
I stood Curtis up, he was shaking and I looked at Chloe.
"Do I look like I care?"
"You can't hate him that much?
"Can't I!"
"You're okay Curtis, don't worry!" Mindy said, pulling off her mask and smiling down at the boy, before glaring at Chloe.
"It's really dangerous out there at night, Curtis," I said. "Not very clever!"
"I got a cab. I wanted to see where the evil bitch was going, each night!" Curtis explained.
"Well, I know where the evil bitch is going with you!" Shadow said, advancing towards Curtis, who hid behind Mindy.
"Enough!" Mindy called out. "Leave him alone!"
"Okay!" Chloe said, reluctantly, pulling off her mask.
"You look really cool, you know!" Curtis said, smiling up at Chloe.
"Thanks, rat!" Chloe said, with a forced smile.
"Abby, Marty, you can come out now," I called.
"You tell anyone, you even dream or think about us, I will kill you!" Mindy said, seriously and Curtis looked like he was going to cry again.
"I would never do anything that would hurt my Chloe, never!" Curtis said, hugging Chloe, who seemed a bit lost for words.
"Can I, please, set Eisenhower on him, just once?" Chloe begged.
"No, evil bitch, you can't!" Mindy laughed.
I was really pissed off.
Curtis had no fucking right following me. Abby was bad enough, but that's two people I've led to Dave and Mindy! Only four days ago, Dave and Mindy said they trusted me and I do this to them! I was really feeling low, right now.
I was sitting in the Kitchen, while Dave and Mindy had a quiet chat with Curtis, in the briefing room. I felt sick, I really did, I wouldn't blame Dave or Mindy, if they kicked me out of Fusion!
I heard voices on the stairs and a smiling Curtis appeared, behind him was a smiling Dave.
"Chloe, Mindy wants ya!" Dave said, smiling.
I got up and headed downstairs, with my mask in my hand.
..._...
Mindy was in the briefing room and she turned as I came in. She had a big smile on her face, which vanished as soon as she saw me.
"Mat, move!" Mindy ordered.
I turned and walked over to the mat, Mindy followed.
"What's up with your face, Chloe?" Mindy asked.
"I just feel bad about Curtis following me; that's two people I've led to you now!" I said, weakly.
Mindy slapped me.
"What the fuck!" I exclaimed.
Mindy slapped me again, harder.
"Act like a bitch, get slapped like a bitch!" Mindy snarled. "Remember!"
Chloe looked horror struck.
"Get your fucking mask on, bitch!" I growled.
I ran over to the armoury and grabbed two training bō-staffs. When I returned Chloe had her mask on, but she still looked uncomfortable. I threw a staff at her, before pulling my own mask on.
I prodded her with the bō-staff.
"Fight me, Chloe, before I slap you stupid!" I growled.
"I let you down, Mindy," Chloe said.
"For fuck's sake, Shadow! If I winged like a bitch, every time I let Dave down..." I said in an exasperated tone.
"But..." Chloe started.
I had had enough! I moved forward and swung the bō-staff hard, at Shadow's head, but seconds before it hit, another bō-staff intercepted my bō-staff. This time Shadow's lip had curled. She pushed back on the bō-staff, hard and I let her push me back. Chloe was actually rather good with the bō-staff, which annoyed me a bit! Mind you, the bō-staff was very much like the Jō that she usually used. She will just need to learn how to use the blades... To kill.
We continued sparring for another few minutes. I had inserted a few flips, into my fight to avoid Shadow's bō-staff and noticed that Shadow had copied my movements, to avoid my bō-staff! She was getting too good, so I flipped Shadow onto her back, with my bō-staff. I noticed that we had attracted an appreciative audience, Dave, Marty, Abby and Curtis. Curtis was wide eyed and looked amazed. I pulled Shadow to her feet and she pulled off her mask. She had an enormous grin on her face.
"Thanks, Mindy!" Chloe said, as I pulled off my mask.
"That was totally wicked!" Curtis blurted out, causing Chloe to blush.
"You enjoyed that, did you?" I asked.
"Chloe is awesome! Not as good as you, but then nobody is!" Curtis said and this time I felt myself blushing!
"You're so sweet, Curtis!" I replied.
"Like fuck he is!" Chloe said, laughing and giving Curtis a hug, making him blush.
"Damn! You slap hard, Mindy!" Chloe said, rubbing her jaw.
"Don't I know it!" Dave quipped, getting a glare from me.
Two days later
Friday evening
The safehouse
We geared up, ready for a night of fun.
Abby and Marty, were in the briefing room, getting their kit ready. Dave, Chloe and I, were in the armoury putting on our combat suits. Eisenhower was dozing on the mat, beside Beast. Tonight I took along my bō-staff, as did Chloe. This was so that I could show her how to use the weapon, in combat. I retained my Tanto and one Katana. For transport, we covered the blades of both bō-staffs, to protect each other and the interior of Beast.
For tonight we were heading out to a part of Chicago that was well known for various illegal activities. We had only been out once, since the 'week of hell' and needed some good working up, on the job, so to speak. We had met up with Fellowes and Murphy; Fellowes had recovered from his leg wound and was fully fit again. We also learnt that The Archer had never made it into custody. He apparently vanished on the way back to the nearest District! This was no surprise to anyone, as he had killed thirteen people, including three Police Officers. It was nice to know that he was now dead! It was also useful to know that the Chicago PD, had it's own internal justice!
We drove out and headed towards the northern part of central Chicago. It was after ten o'clock and fully dark, when we parked Beast in a secluded alley. Shadow and I, removed the covers from our bō-staffs and we started our patrol. Kick-Ass, had Eisenhower on her leash.
Our first catch of the night, walked straight into us and made the mistake of attacking, with what looked like a large machete. I executed a perfect sideways stab, with my bō-staff, piercing the man through the chest. I pulled back the blade and let the man fall to the ground, dead.
"That was smooth!" Shadow commented.
Kick-Ass picked up the machete and examined it.
"Fresh blood; somebody just died!" He growled, angrily.
Eisenhower was sniffing in the direction that the man had come from. So we headed in that direction, following Eisenhower. After we had walked about two hundred yards, we found a body. It was a young woman and most of her clothes had been ripped off and there was blood everywhere from multiple wounds, which seemed to match the machete. I had no sympathy for the dead man, but I called Battle Guy and advised him of the situation, I suggested he make an anonymous call to the Police, with the location of both bodies.
We moved on.
..._...
About forty minutes later, we hit pay dirt!
There was a pair of alleyways that intersect, about halfway down. They cross perpendicular to each other and the crossing is the private refuge of a certain drug dealer. Everybody knows to keep away from these two alleys. The Police generally keep away, because it would be a kill zone. However I rarely turn down a challenge, although in hindsight, maybe I should have walked away!
We scouted out the cross-section. There were twelve men visible, of which two looked to be 'bosses', the rest were just hired help, although one or two may be runners. Naturally they all looked to be armed!
"Battle Guy, we have twelve targets, we are engaging!" I called.
"Battle Guy copies twelve targets and Fusion engaging!"
"Shadow, you stay with me!" I cautioned.
"What about me?" Kick-Ass asked.
"You're big enough to look after yourself!" I replied.
"Oh well, I suppose I get a bitch and so does Shadow!" Kick-Ass retorted, patting Eisenhower.
I heard a laugh from Shadow, but I had to smile as it broke the tension. Well done, Dave!
The plan was for Kick-Ass and Eisenhower to advance from the south, where there was only one watchdog. Shadow and myself would advance from the east. We hoped to remove the first three watchdogs, without alerting the other watchdogs. We all moved together. Shadow and I, advanced forward, our bō-staff blades ready to quickly and cleanly remove the two watchdogs. We both stabbed together, the blades severing the men's hearts in two, killing them. We removed our blades, letting the dead men sink to the floor of the darkened alley. It was just after midnight and now Saturday morning.
"Hit Girl and Shadow have two down!" I reported.
A second later.
"Kick-Ass has one down!"
It seemed that the watchdogs were guarding the northern and western alleys more, than the other two. We now had a direct line to the two 'bosses'. There were two SUVs in the alley and the 'bosses' were beside one, in the cross-section. The other SUV was parked in the northern alley. So far, nobody had noticed the deaths of three watchdogs.
"Kick-Ass, Hit Girl and Shadow are ready to move on the 'bosses'," I called.
"Go!" Kick-Ass ordered.
I moved forward and came up behind the first boss and pushed him against the wall, with a hand over his mouth and a blade of my bō-staff to his throat.
"Not a sound!" I growled. The man nodded.
I saw Kick-Ass place a Ko-Wakizashi to the throat of the other boss and heard his growl, "Not a sound!"
Shadow covered my back, while I watched both bosses. We pushed them down, behind the SUVs and bound their hands with plastic ties. Surprisingly nobody had noticed the 'bosses' vanishing from sight, yet! Eisenhower stood guard over both 'bosses', who seemed very afraid of the large dog, in battle armour.
Then all hell broke loose! Somebody must have spotted us, from vantage point. A voice suddenly shouted through the darkness.
"Get them, you idle bastards!"
The remaining six watchdogs all advanced on the SUV, that we were hiding behind. This was not good, I saw Kick-Ass pull out his Glock and I nodded, in response, slinging my bō-staff onto my back and drawing both of my pistols. Shadow did the same, slinging her bō-staff and she drew her pistol. I saw Shadow's eyes looking worried and smiled.
"Don't worry Shadow, all will be fine!"
The firing started.
I started firing at the watchdogs, none of which seemed to be wearing body armour.
This if course helped, as I watched the 9-millimetre bullets ripping onto my targets. I saw a runner being taken down, by a bullet from Shadow and I watched as all of the watchdogs collapsed, either dead or dying, onto the cold concrete of the alley floor. Silence descended on the alley and I could hear sirens in the distance. I reported in to Battle Guy, that the targets were down.
We searched the alley and SUVs, recovering a large amount of cash. We left any drugs that we had found. With a large holdall, full of cash, we headed back towards Beast. The two 'bosses' had received injuries, during the battle and died. None of their wounds had been inflicted by us, but all were from bullets fired by the watchdogs!
..._...
We were only a hundred yards from Beast, when we heard men approaching.
We were being chased!
We all started running, fast!
We got to Beast, I threw the hold-all full of cash into the back and Eisenhower jumped in beside it. Shadow climbed into the back seat and just as Hit Girl and I were climbing in, four men burst into our alley and started shooting. Hit Girl pulled her door shut, I started Beast, put it into gear and accelerated away. Several rounds impacted the rear door.