Chapter Four: The Meeting

Angel called for a meet at the city's south end Wharf, a grimy and rundown part of town that overlooked the ocean. Julie-Su didn't trust her employer, but she needed this to end tonight.

Knuckles walked up to Amy. "Thanks for doing this, Ames."

"Not a problem. I missed fighting bad guys with you, Knux."

The Pink Hedgehog hugged Knuckles, which got Julie's attention.

"Does everyone know their roles & responsibilities?" She asked, putting on her jacket.

"That is a definitive yes."

"Yep."

"Roger."

"I'm ready," Knuckles said as he put on his spiked gloves. "Just point me in the right direction and stay clear."

Amy, Vector and Espio also put on their combat gear and waited by the door, while AJ looked up from his cellphone screen.

"I get why you don't want me coming along, but come on! I wanna be in there kicking some ass! These pricks want me, they can come get me!"

"We can't let Angel get you."

"And you're just a kid, AJ. These are grown men who wanna kill us, see what I'm getting at? Just stay here and wait for our word."

The teenage echidna growled quietly and headed back to the guest room.

Julie looked at Vector. "You sure he'll be fine here?"

"Oh, definitely. He's got Mortal Kombat and a fridge full of food, what more does a douchebag like him need? He'll be alright."

Julie opened the front door and stepped out first. "Lets go see Angel."

Julie and Knuckles led the way across town, casually looking around for anyone trying to follow them. Amy, Vector and Espio stayed behind, trying not to look like they were all together.

"What do ya think he's got waiting out there for us?" Knuckles asked.

"Can't say, but I know it won't be a straight exchange." Julie answered. Angel's a sneaky bastard, he'll do anything to get his way. He needs AJ for Serena's plan but something tells me he's got his own agenda..."

"Any ideas?"

"I know he doesn't want me around so I bet he'll be hoping I don't make it back to Serena."

Knuckles looked over his shoulder. "I think we both know why he wants me there."

Julie looked at the ground and sighed. "Yeah..."

The Echidnas reached the Wharf and headed inside the designated warehouse Angel called the meeting at.

Amy hid behind a large gate. "I'm at the front."

Vector took cover by the entrance. "I got the door."

Espio turned invisible to camouflage himself and climbed to the warehouse roof. "In position, ready to move."

Julie pressed on her earpiece Comm. "Stay sharp, it'll get ugly fast."

The instant they entered the warehouse the door was slammed shut, and Knuckles pulled Julie to the ground. A loud shotgun was fired off and shells hit inches where they were just standing. They ducked behind a metal grate and waited for the shots to stop, but the shooter was using a fully automatic shotgun so the bullets kept coming.

Knuckles tore off his jacket and threw it outwards to get the shooters' attention, then ran in the opposite direction. Knuckles knocked the shotgun out of Sleuth Dogg's hands and elbowed him in the head three times before the massive Hitman kicked him backwards.

Vector and Amy broke through the front door and ran to help Knuckles, while Julie picked up the shotgun. She struggled to hold the heavy gun but was able to stop the fight.

"Stop right there, asshole!" She ordered.

Dogg pulled out two more pistols and looked at the group. "…there was only supposed to be one of you little shits."

"We don't play that game, murderer." Vector said.

"I know you, you're that detective."

"And I know you've fifty killed men and women for your boss, Dogg. How is Maggie, by the way?"

"She's still breathing, so I'd say she's doing just fine."

"Where's Angel?!" Julie demanded.

"Who?"

"Don't play stupid, I know he sent you here! Where is he?"

Dogg sniffed around the air for a moment "...aw, motherfu-"

All of the warehouse's doors and windows were broken in and over thirty individuals dressed in dark clothes entered with baseball bats, metal pipes or crowbars.

The group was completely surrounded.

"What the hell?" Amy said.

"What is this?" Julie asked.

"It's called taking care of loose ends." a male voice called from the shadows.

Dogg growled as his friend Simian joined the setup, brandishing a handgun.

"Sim, you piece 'a shit."

Simian laughed. "Eh, you gotta admit this was pretty elaborate, D."

Julie looked at both. "Who are you dickheads?!"

Knuckles put his arms down. "Sargent Simian, ex-military turned drug runner. You killed my uncle ten years ago."

Simian's smile dropped. "He most likely let himself get killed, Knux. But back to the matter at hand... drop your guns."

Julie and Dogg aimed their guns at the giant warthog and his smile returned.

"Okay, have it your way."

Simian quickly sidestepped and fired at Julie so Knuckles dove in the way, taking a bullet to the bicep. Just as more bullets were off, Espio threw a Morningstar out and smashed all the lights.

"Split up!" Knuckles shouted while covering his wounded arm, guiding Julie over to Vector.

"Get her outta here, now!"

"What?! Where are you going?!"

The Echidna was gone before Julie got an answer so she left with Vector out the back.

"Guys! Where are you? I can't see anything!" Amy shouted.

She felt someone grab her right hand so she tried to punch but her left hand was caught.

"Come with me." a male voice said.

"Espio?"

The Chameleon didn't answer, only guided Amy through the carnage. He fought off Simian's thugs as they climbed up a metal staircase and helped the pink hedgehog to an open window. They jumped off the second storey balcony, rolled as they hit the ground and escaped the wharf.

Sleuth Dogg could hardly see in the dark so he wasn't prepared when the thugs attacked. They pummel him for a moment, then Simian himself grabbed ahold of Dogg.

"Did ya really think Maggie was gonna let you retire, you old fuck?! She been tryin' to get rid of you for years, now!"

"Did YOU think you could kill me with all these pussies?"

"The Chambers' don't give a shit about you! Maggie's gonna make your head into an ashtray when you're dead!"

Simian aimed his gun and popped a few shots off, striking Dogg in the shoulder and collarbone. He growled in pain and used his claw to swipe at the warthog.

Knuckles ripped through the crowd and ran at Dogg, picked him up and used him as a battering ram while they pushed through the thugs. They were both bashed with weapons but Dogg and Knux didn't feel it as they pushed through. They broke through a metal wall and landed on the ground outside, letting in some light into the warehouse.

They fought for control on the ground, then Simian shot at them from inside.

"You wanna fight me? We gotta ditch that fat fuck or we'll be dead before we can settle this."

Knuckles snarled at this, then helped Dogg up and they ran toward a fence that led to a bike path. They quickly hopped the fence and raced up the grassy hill, still wet with rain dew.

Simian looked out. "Where are they?!"

"Ah shit, they escaped!"

"All of 'em?!"

"Yeah!"

"Argh!.. find 'em! Bring me Dogg at the very least! We can't go back without his body"

"Right away, boss!"

At the very same moment, AJ made a bowl of cereal to eat in Vector's kitchen. He heard doors slamming from outside the building so he looked out the nearest window.

Two unmarked police cruisers flanked the front of the building.

He called Julie's cellphone and she picked up. "What is it, AJ?"

"Did you guys call in reinforcements to pick me up?" He asked.

"What? No, what's going on over there?"

"Shit... I think I got made-"

The front door was kicked open and three officers ran in with guns drawn. AJ ducked behind the kitchen counter and grabbed a baseball bat but was tackled before he could swing his weapon.

The first officer looked over "Reject! Get over here and help, you lazy asshole!"

Mighty the Armadillo quickly ran over to help his superior officer restrain the teenage echidna. AJ tried to fight off the cops but the three of them were too much to handle. They slapped a pair of handcuffs on his wrists and dragged him out of the apartment.

As Mighty grabbed the door handle, the second leading officer stopped him, threw a lighter inside and both watched Vectors' apartment go up in flames.

"Trust me, M; we gotta destroy this."

AJ fought with the lead officer as they went down the stairs, so he was thrown down the rest of the stairwell violently.

"OWW! What the fuc-"

"Stop resisting, kid!"

"I ain't doing shit, you god damn- OW FUCK!"

M watched his superior officers use unnecessary force on the teenager, questioning this as he came down the stairwell.

The leading officer looked at him. "What're you standing around for? Drive, asshole!"

M jumped into the driver's seat and started the engine while AJ was thrown into the backseat. The lead cop sat directly behind Mighty, while his partner sat in the passenger seat.

The armadillo watched as four cops from the 2nd cruiser jumped out and began taping off the crime scene.

"Back to the station, sir?" M asked.

"What'd I tell ya earlier? We're going out to the west side first, idiot! Now drive!"

M looked in the rear view mirror and saw AJ bleeding from his nose and mouth, making the whole experience unnerving.

"Why aren't we taking him back to be processed?"

The lead cop let out an annoyed sigh and pointed his gun at M's head. A massive BOOM rocked the entire city, allowing M to dive out of the cruiser and roll into some bushes. He didn't wait for them to stop and he sprinted back downtown.

What the fuck is going on? He thought.

He stuck to the backstreets and avoided eye contact with everyone out tonight. He just learned his superior officers were corrupt and he narrowly avoided being shot in the head, so he assumed the police had him on high alert.

Knuckles and Sleuth Dogg reached an abandoned construction site and stopped here to catch their breath. Still reeling from the explosion, Knuckles called Julie to see if she made it out alright. Once she answered, he hung up and called Amy, who said the same.

The echidna ripped off a piece off his long sleeve shirt and tied it around the bullet wound on his right arm.

Dogg looked at him. "They set me up, just so you know."

"The guys who ordered you to kill us or your friends?"

"Maggie Bloodmoon, that bitch... I knew this wasn't about letting me retire."

Knuckles faced off with him. "Funny you should say that, me and my ex girlfriend were supposed to meet this Angel guy and instead we get shot at by you. Care to explain?"

"Look, Bloodmoon gave me this job and I told her to find someone else. She offered my freedom so I took it. But she told me to cap some corrupt SWAT Officer, not you... My old friend Simian shows up to snuff me out but that all went to shit... now they're looking for all of us."

Knuckles took a moment to think about this, while Dogg leaned against a wall "I haven't heard of this Angel fella. These guys want to kill me just as much as they want to kill you, that's all I know. If you don't believe me then fine, bring it on... but I'm getting my hands on Bloodmoon and Simian either way."

The echidna looked at the ground. "So, your boss Bloodmoon is working with Angel, and they set up this meeting to kill us both... that wasn't a great idea on their end... now I have to get this son of a bitch."

"You're telling me, pal..."

There was a moment of silence between the duo, both still breathing heavily from running, then Dogg finally asked the question.

"...so what happens here? Between us?"

"They sent us into a trap, I think it's only fair we get them back."

Dogg extended his hand. "A truce, then?"

Knuckles shook his hand. "Just this once, Dogg. After that, we're done."

"Of course."

The echidna stretched his wounded arm out to get blood flowing again, while the hitman looked through his pockets to see what he had.

Knuckles looked at Dogg. "Your boss, Bloodmoon, she'd be able to get me to Angel... what do you say we work together to run this evil bitch down?"

Dogg grinned. "I was hoping you'd make the offer, first."