Topic: Playin' With Fire

Jack Wise

Date: 2017-11-21 03:13 EST
There was a slight pop, followed by a pinhole of light. That pinhole grew into a tear. The tear into a split, and from that opening a man stepped out into the empty warehouse and looked right, then left, making sure the intel had been correct. The place was as empty as promised. "Command, this is Trace, I'm in position. Send the others." "Copy, Trace. Relaying location and setting the perimeter. Your house is about to get loud." The man shook his head. Things were always too loud. In a matter of seconds, the warehouse was coming to life with new rifts and equipment filling the space. Voices shouted in different languages, competing with others doing the same thing, and that was ordering their people how to go about the set up they'd all done before.

Trailers filled with equipment, everything from weaponry to computer banks started to come to life as they connected to the building's power supply.

"Command, FOB is coming online now." "Copy, Trace. We are following progress." There was some static through the earpiece, the sound of breathing digitized. "Sorry for the delay, Trace. Programs are connecting, and we are getting sit-op online." "Why the delay, this time?" Trace ran his hand over his dark, bald head. He hated set up. His specialty was the hunt, but someone found out he was deadly efficient with set up, and as with any Government work, if they find out you're good at something they want you doing it every time. Saves time and training, is what they always claim.

"Patience, Trace. It could be the distance, the weather. Any number of unknown factors." "Bullsh....You're already running the programs searching for her." "Confirmed, Trace. We merely want success this time." "I would have had her last time if you hadn't sent out the idiot brigade." "Trace, you forget your place. Primary is our Op, not your vendetta." "Command, Trace out. The FOB is operational. Time is of the essence. Expect my report filed in the AM." Trace reached up and jerked the comm from his neck and tossed it onto a desk just as it appeared beside him. "Handy." He murmured. He turned on his heel and headed for the exact spot he knew his trailer would be just as it appeared. They were getting better at placement. A dark hand reached out and pushed the code to unlock the door to allow entry. The screen on his desk was flashing red. He knew that Command had more to say, and he knew that he didn't want to hear it. The steel door to his weapon case opened, and he geared up. Tac-vest with the ammo and tranq darts. Sidearm, knife, and a new addition to his kit, fire retardant. He wasn't sure how much more powerful the Primary had become.

"Trace, we know you're there. Scan indicates it." Command's voice came through the speakers near his screen. "Primary is still being tracked as on the move. We may need to follow up with Delta."

"Is Delta still sifting through the ashes of the last place?" "Confirmed." "Let them do their job, while I do mine." "She is asking for you." Trace stopped in his preparation that had gotten his attention. "God, what does she want?" "Command is uncertain, but before the op, she wants you in her office, personally." Trace grit his teeth. "Affirmative." "Repeat, Trace?" "Tell her; I'll be there." "Roger."

Jack Wise

Date: 2017-11-21 03:18 EST
If she was involved, things had gone from FUBAR to Shitstorm.

Trace hated dealing with that woman. The rest of his gear shoved into a canvas bag, and he exited his trailer. As expected, his vehicle was waiting. They were getting good at this setup thing. He locked the trailer and set his alarm. A few long strides put him behind the car, and he threw the canvas bag into the narrow trunk before slamming the lid down.

The driver's door opened with a push of the key fob, and he slid inside. The sound of the engine roared over the rest of the noise in the FOB and people turned to look, only to see taillights and the smoke that started to boil off of the tires as they spun on the polished concrete. They knew the Hunter by his reputation. They knew to stay out of his way. They knew the way he left their new FOB; he wasn't happy.

Jack Wise

Date: 2017-11-21 03:20 EST
Operational Command HQ. Immaculately painted nails drummed on the glass top of the desk. Pictures were flashing past, just under the surface. The fire was hot enough to burn any traces of their target. Metal pipes had been reduced to slag, as had the appliances in the kitchen. The aluminum had pooled then cooled among the charred remains, masonry, and rock on the outside of the house had become misshapen and scorched.

"A fire like this is impossible to plan." "But, here it is. The fire burned so hotly it melted every bit of metal to slag in the Primary's residence. The neighbor's homes still have delicate flowers in pristine flowerbeds. How far apart are those homes, Delta Lead" Ten feet' Less?" "Outer wall to outer wall, Nine-eight, Ma"am." "Who the hell builds homes that close together" That's why I could never be a suburbanite, Delta Lead." "Yes, Ma"am." "Is there any indication that Primary did this damage?" "No Ma"am. This fire was the work of a professional. Not even an arson could have made this fire. It was planned to bring this place and this place alone down." "Do you think the Secondary helped the Primary set this up?" "Ma"am, I'm not certain. From what we've seen on the footage, and heard from witnesses. He is getting better with his ability and in other things. He could have done this, but my guess is it's beyond him, and he used some of the stolen funds to make this happen."

Jack Wise

Date: 2017-11-27 07:14 EST
There was a knock at her door, followed by a buzz on her phone told her that the hunter had arrived. "Delta Lead, I've got someone here that I need to see. If you find anything, even a gum wrapper that survived this fire, I want to hear about it." "Yes, Ma"am. Delta Lead, Out." She ended the call and walked to the door. "Hello, John." She purred at the dark-skinned man. "How are things?" She stepped back to allow his entry into her plush office. "Any new leads?" "You know damned good and well how things are, and that there are no leads. Why am I here, Ma"am?" "John, you know you don't have to be formal with me." Her fingers danced along the back of his neck as she walked past to sit behind her desk again. She tried not to laugh when she saw how stiff he was standing. He was older but still as handsome as the day she'd met him. "Sit down, John." He did.

"Again, why am I here?" He asked. "Do you not enjoy seeing me, John?" She cooed. "You can answer honestly." Nearly black eyes focused on her face then. "Ma"am. Every moment spent here is a moment the target can move further from us." "That hurts my feelings, John." Her bottom lip stuck out, and she made a beautiful pout. "After all we've been through." "There have been many ops, Ma"am." He knew that's not what she was talking about. There had been a few days in Rio, a beach and shared accommodations. "You know that's not what I mean, John." "A long time ago. A lot of time has passed, Ma"am." "You remember my name, John?" "Ma"am. Time is of the essence. If I am merely here to play your games, I've got no time for it." He moved to stand. "They were held up at a location in the Suburbs." "Sit down, John." Her voice went from flirt to command. "Your intel is days old." She spun the pictures on her desk screen to face his side. "This is the home they were in." Trace leaned forward and looked at the pictures as they clicked past. "This was where Primary had set up his base of operation. This residence is where he took her to after destroying our facility." She spoke and watched as he set his jaw. "I told you that we needed more than a skeleton crew of hired operators to watch the primary. She is the highest priority, and our best chance at the capture of the Primary Target." The woman's painted lips curled into a smile as she watched his eyes narrow. The hunter was ready for the hunt. "Have you seen the video of the men you hired?" Trace lifted his eyes to her again. She had to give it to the man; he was a hard read. "Which one?" "This one," She said as she tapped a few of the keys on her desk, and the images of the burned home switched to a video. "I like these new security cameras. I mean look at the clarity in which it shows this blond haired fellow waltzing right into our secret facility and, well, what do you call it when he melts a man from the inside out?"

Trace watched as two of his men tried feebly to fight off the younger man. "The Primary," He said. "He has a new look." "He has far more control, and even direct control of his ability," She replied. "Somewhere between wrecking our facilities and looking for her, he's getting better. See the way he controls the flame now" It's impressive," She said as she leaned back still watching the security tape. "You're enjoying this. Your plan for a secret superweapon is going to be your downfall. The Secondary is compromised, she has been since the beginning." He finally lifted his gaze from the video to the woman across from him. "We needed a male." "You know the process didn't work with anyone else, John. You were there, overseeing everything. Watching as every subject after subject went mad." "I was the one that took them down if they didn't do it themselves." He corrected. She waved a hand dismissively. "What now" I mean since your intel is outdated and all." She was back to her flirty ways as she leaned toward him, allowing ample view of her impressive cleavage. "Now, Candace," he finally said her name. "Stop summoning me for stupid shit, and let me do my fucking job.?

Jack Wise

Date: 2017-11-27 07:22 EST
Jack couldn't sleep. His thoughts were dark and on the things that he'd done to save her. He knew that they would have more steps to take to be free indeed. The people hunting them wouldn't stop. The soft sigh from the woman beside him brought him back to the bed they shared. He turned his head just slightly to watch her as she slept. Flame red hair framed her face, and he smiled just a bit. Jack didn't want to wake her, but he knew that sleep wasn't going to be his for a while longer.

Carefully he slid from the bed and walked out of the bedroom, gently pulling the door closed behind him as he exited. The new place was dark. But, he'd walked the floors enough to have a feel of the room, and knew the placement of the furniture. So, without so much as a stubbed toe, he made his way to the couch and reached to his right to turn on the small lamp there beside it. He pulled a file from the end table's drawer and began to flip through it.

The folder held a few more locations that he never checked, but since he had Cass now, it wasn't necessary. The guy he had bought the information from said they were keeping other people in at least one of the places though, and that seemed to eat at him. He thought if someone were like him, and going through the things that he and Cass had endured; they deserved a chance to be free as well.

The aerial photos showed that most of their operation centers seemed empty, but sprung to life overnight. The places Jack had visited, he'd met light resistance. Even where he found Cass was minimal for someone they'd deemed so necessary. Things were adding up, but slowly and Jack's patience was wearing thin, where stuff concerning this unknown entity was.

Jack leaned over to the left and picked up the burner phone from the opposite end table. He pushed the speed dial button and waited.

Jack Wise

Date: 2017-11-27 07:27 EST
"You know what time it is?"

"You think I care?" Jack said quietly. "Something ain't adding up here."

"You're tellin" me, Friend. You've been making a damn mess outta shit." He sighed into the phone. "Look, can we meet up tomorrow" My wife's starting to ask questions."

"What do you mean I'm making a mess?" Jack asked. He knew what he'd been doing, but wondered if there was something else he should be watching out for.

"The way you went in and got her out. They've got a high level looking for you now. Word around my little campfire is that once he's on ya, he doesn't stop."

"Is he fireproof?"

"Look, tomorrow, I'll have new information for you. Things that maybe you've forgotten." The other man said in an apparent attempt to hang up the phone.

"What I've forgotten?" Jack was confused. He hadn't forgotten anything, as far as he knew.

"Mental block" PTSD' It's whatever you wanna call it, Man. You gotta get a refresher on who and what you two are."

"Wait, what?" Jack's confusion only compounded. "Hello?? The line had gone silent. It was no matter; he knew where the meeting would take place.

Jack walked back to the bedroom and slid back into bed with more questions than answers. Cass pushed her bare back into his side, seeking his warmth. Instead, Jack rolled to his side, facing her and slipped his arm around her. She would be attending this meeting with him if he had his say. And he hoped that he did.