It's not that easy to hide a 2000 foot aircraft in Chicago...however, Knight Industries had found a way. The FLAG base in Chicago covered over 4 square miles of Chicago real estate, all owned by Knight Industries. Some of this 'real estate' consisted of ersatz apartment buildings next to the main base that opened up and became a covert hangar for the massive Skybases.

Skybase 1 landed in the empty hangar (Skybase 2 being destroyed and Skybase 3 being at Base Ithaca), and the Skybase's hangar doors opened up to let out the OTAVs and the two cars belonging to Wolf and Angel. The 10 OTAV's took up a circular guard formation around the skybase as Knight and all the members of CF-Alpha debarked from the massive aircraft.

"Through those large double doors up ahead is the main base. I've had my staff prepare quarters for you and your team on the 4th floor." Knight said. "The main operations room and armories are on the 3rd floor, and of course corporate offices are on the 5th."

"Thanks again," Wolf said as he opened up one of his briefcases and handed Knight his jacket that Angel had borrowed. "This you lent to Angel on Skybase 2...it's a little bloodstained...but club soda should get that out." Wolf then reached into his jacket and pulled out the Omni-Falcon. "You'll also want this back...I shot the general with it...it needs to be destroyed."

Knight took the jacket, but waved off Wolf when he tried to hand him the gun. "It does not need to be destroyed."

Wolf stared at Knight as if he was on drugs or something. "Perhaps you didn't hear me, Knight...I shot the general with it...they're going to trace the bullet...it needs to be destroyed."

"I heard you the first time...and I'm still telling you it doesn't need to be destroyed. It just needs to be reset."

Knight took the Omni-Falcon, ejected the .45 clip Wolf had in there, ejected the chambered round...and reloaded the gun.

"What exactly did that do?" Wolf asked.

"Simple," Knight said with a grin. "Every time the gun gets reloaded, the nanites and the shape memory alloy configure in a different way. This means that the grooves left on the bullets will never match up after an Omni-Falcon gets reloaded. In short...the Omni-Falcon is an untraceable firearm."

Wolf was astounded. "So...they won't be able to trace the bullet..." he grinned for a second...then suddenly frowned. "You do realize what could happen if the wrong people get their hands on these weapons...right?"

"Of course." Knight responded. "That's why the Omni-Falcon is only going to be handed out to trustworthy special forces units...such as yours. And if someone...undesirable does get their hands on an Omni-Falcon...we are capable of shutting down the nanites in individual guns to prevent them from being used."

Wolf's expression relaxed. "Well, I guess that takes care of all my questions." he turned back towards his team. "You're all on leave...I need to figure out where we go from here."

Knight nodded. "My people can show them to their quarters."

Wolf and the rest of CF-Alpha followed Knight and some of his soldiers into the base.

***

Mastermind was not happy that his targets had escaped, but he was taking solace in the fact that his brother Coyote had apparently been eliminated at long last, as well as one other piece of good news.

"You say before leaving you found them in the hangar?" Mastermind asked his general in charge of the attack on the LA Base.

"Yes sir, we did. One of them was too badly mauled to be saved...but we got the other one revived."

"Please tell me that you saved the right one."

"Yes. Yes we did."

"Excellent. Bring him to me as soon as possible. I believe we may have mutual interests."

Angel slumped down in his new quarters. Hell of a day. Hell, reason enough to get himself charged for treason.

He pulled the combat knife he'd used out. They could match the hole to the distinctive shape in the blade.

With almost sorrow, he walked over, and put it in a small bag that the FLAG people had supplied him. It simply read, to be destroyed.

He turned back, and saw his computer blinking with an e-mail. Angel walked over and opened it. What he read inside ignited an old spark of anger and sorrow, and turned his quest from killing MM to something else...

Johnson.


"Yes, baby."

Damnit Johnson I thought we worked out those glitches.

"What is thy bidding my master."

I need you to hack into my dearly departed brother's computer. I want all his information.

"Sir, yes sir."

Wolf paced around his new quarters, his mind racing to come up with plans that would get Jade out of prison, followed by another plan to avoid getting himself thrown in Leavenworth for the rest of his life.

How in the hell am I going to accomplish that? I shot the general, no doubt they found his body, and even without being able to trace the gun, the list of people who could have shot him is pretty short. he thought. That brings up another problem...what if the authorities do find us? How long will it be before someone on my own team tells them that I did it?

Wolf immediately shunted that thought out of his mind. No; they'd never do that. Kaitlin wouldn't, for obvious reasons. Wraith and Angel wouldn't because they're just as "guilty" for double teaming the first officer. Also, they don't believe in selling out. As for Corporal Banks...somehow I feel he knows we had no choice in this matter. Hmm...I wonder how well we escaped? Who can I ask that wouldn't be trying to find us...wait.

Wolf grabbed his PDAP, activated its scrambler, and dialed up one of his old friends from MI6. The phone rang twice, then a man with a thick British accent answered.

"Agent Thomas Fleming here."

"Thomas, it's your old buddy Wolf."

There was a pause. "Man...are you in deep shite," Thomas responded. "Apparently you've murdered General Kreish. You're also wanted by some people for conspiracy and mutiny."

"I know...but man that was fast. Who's looking for me?"

"The better question is who isn't looking for you? Almost every agency is trying to find you, save for ours and a couple others."

"Why not yours?"

"Because most of the agents here remember you from 2 years ago, and they don't think your the kind of person who does murder."

"That's right; I don't. He shot at me first."

"Not that that will help you any. General Kreish had a lot of political influence, some of the countries backing him are demanding your head on a pike."

"Well...they ain't getting it." Wolf responded. He suddenly hung up and dialed again. Thomas responded again, a little miffed.

"What was that for?"

"Just in case you are running a trace on this phone that can get past the scrambler." Wolf simply replied. "I can't really afford to completely trust anyone right now...not even you."

Thomas sighed. "Understandable. So what are you going to do now?"

"You know I can't tell you that. But I can tell you I'm not going to let the authorities find me. I have to go now. Remember: This conversation never happened."

"Right."

Wolf hung up.

Well...at least I know who isn't after me. So I can rely on him for information. And at least that's one person I can somewhat trust. I'm going to need a lot of help to make it through the next part of my plans...which is going to be finding some way to get Jade out of prison

Angel burst into Wolf's room. He didn't even open the room. He seriously slammed it open without using the handle. His face was an etched mask of desperation and dismay.

In one breath, he said, "WolfIneedyourhelp."

Wolf put down the gun and said, "Woah. Angel calm down. Tell me what's going on."

In much the same matter as a child that's extremely stressed, Angel recounted. "I was just unloading my stuff and this e-mail comes up. He's telling me where she is, and wants it. I need to go get her but I can't give it to him. And he's threatening to kill her and I can't let her die because I can't and I need to save her and I got to get there and stop him before he starts with the killing again and I need to get her and-"

Wolf slapped Angel. After Angel seemed relatively lucid, and wasn't hyper-ventilating as bad, he asked, "Okay. From the top. Tell me exactly what's happening."

Angel took a deep breath, and answered. "Mastermind sent me an e-mail. It might be a system's beach, so get Beowulf on it. Anyways, he wants me to go to a castle in northern Scotland. And to bring the Aegis program. Now, if I don't give it to him, he's going to kill her."

Angel breath started speeding up. Wolf slapped him again. "Who's her?"

Angel looked at Wolf like it should be obvious. "Andrea. My fiance."

There was an odd pause before Wolf spoke...

OOC: Take it from here Wolfie.

Wolf considered the options for a brief second. On the one hand, it could be a trap. But then again, Wolf knew full well what Angel was going through. Plus, he didn't have any ideas yet as to how to get Jade out of Rikers...

He nodded. "All right...let's go. Get whatever you need and meet me in the hangar. Get everyone else together as well if you think they should come along."

he then grabbed his PDAP and contacted Beowulf. "I need you to track an email that Angel recieved from Mastermind. Try to see where it goes to."

"All right."

Wolf disconnected the phone, then looked up and noticed Angel had already left to gather his stuff.

We'll need to stay hidden...

Wolf then called up Knight. "Knight, I'm taking at least some of the members of CF-Alpha on a mission to Scotland. If you have any state of the art stealth transports I could use, I'd be much obliged."

There was a pause. "I'll see what I can scrounge up." Knight said.

Wolf hung up, and made his way to Kaitlin's room. She opened the door for him. "What's going on? Neil just ran past here at speeds that normal humans should not be traveling at."

"Mastermind's threatening to kill his long-lost fiancee. We're headed to Scotland. Get whatever weaponry you need...because I can tell things are going to get ugly."

Kaitlin nodded. "Got it."

Angel didn't stop to grab Wraith. If Wraith really felt the need to join them, then fine. But Angel was too busy. He quickly loaded up dual SOCOM's with silencers, knives, and a pair of incindiary grenades.

Within the SOCOM's he loaded "inferno" rounds. All it was was basically bullets loaded with a new chemical that explodes from compression. When the bullets hit, a trigger would go off due to the sudden increase in mass and crush the solution.

Each bullet cost as much as an economy class car, but Angel didn't care. He threw his jacket on, and ran as fast as he could to the hangar, only briefly pausing to grab the e-mail.

Within record time, he arrived at the hangar, and immediately started tapping his foot impatiently.

Wolf grabbed a KI-42 from the armory, as well as some clips for it, and some .45 clips for the Omni-Falcon. He also added twin TMP-75s to his arsenal. Grabbing a silencer attachment for the Omni-Falcon before leaving, he threw on his trenchcoat and shades and headed towards the hangar. Along the way, he grabbed his katana from his quarters and attached it to his belt.

Kaitlin ran up alongside him. Wolf could see she had chosen an Onmi-Falcon, a Desert Eagle, and a KBP-360 as her guns. She also was carrying a katana, 2 throwing knives, and 5 shuriken stars.

They entered the hangar, and Wolf could see Angel waiting rather impatiently, but nobody else.

He must not have bothered to get anyone...but again I can't blame him. he thought. He contacted Devin and Wraith by CODEC radio.

"If you two are interested, Angel, Kaitlin and I are headed on an errand of mercy to Scotland. Hurry up if you wanna come with."

He then looked around the hangar. He could see no transports there.

Where the hell is this transport Knight said he'd get for me? he thought.

Then he saw Knight standing to his right, and almost prohetically the FLAG leader answered his question. "The transport is right behind me." Knight said.

Wolf looked at him increduously. "I think your brain has atrophied with age, Michael."

Knight simply walked back about 40 feet, then walked left to right. As he moved, Wolf could see Knight distort and warp, almost as if Wolf was looking at a funhouse mirror reflection.

"What the hell?" Wolf asked as Knight walked up to him, now no longer distorted.

Knight grinned and hit a remote button. Behind him, a large jet materialized out of nowhere. It was matte black, with sharp angular lines resembling those of the late 20th century stealth bombers, while it's shape was similar to that of a Spectre gunship (OOC: Thinking Spectre gunship from C&C Generals: Zero Hour). Wolf guessed the plane to be roughly the same size as the old C-130 Hercules transports.

"This is our latest stealth transport," Knight said. "We simply call it, the Phantom. It has an active camoflauge system, as you saw, and it is also intedectable to all radar systems. It is armed with 8 strategically placed 50 caliber machine guns, as well as 2 Long Range Missile packs and 10 AIM-18 Sidewinder II missiles. It can carry up to 30 passengers, as well as 4 light vehicles. This plane was designed for light strikes, and also as a mobile HQ. Refeuling is no problem, as it runs on fusion power, like that of the OTAVS. It has VTOL cababilities and can travel at speeds of up to Mach 3. Of course, this prototype hasn't been field tested..."

"So you want us to do so." Wolf said with a grin.

Knight nodded, "That's right. Feel free to use it as you see fit."

"All right...I will. Thanks. I guess we'll be going now."

Wraith whistles under his breath. Cloaking devices... nifty. I gotta remember to get a personal unit made...

He then walks towards the plane, throwing his trench coat on as he goes, over a white muscle shirt and a single, simple strap of throwing knives on his waist.

Well, it's not like he had much time to prepare!

(( Oooo, a challenge! =D ))

OOC: All right...Andy is AWOL...and Dante seems to be running silent for now. Well...he can just stow away or something...assuming he ever shows up. But for now...ON WITH THE STORY!!!

BIC: Wolf nodded to Wraith as he saw him approach. "Glad to see you could make it. Hurry up and get on board...Angel's going insane with anxiety."

Everyone boarded the Phantom, and Beowulf assumed operational control of the craft, after he drove Angel's Firebird and Wolf's Trans-Am into the Phantom's spacious cargo bay (OOC: I think driving may be necessary...)

"So Beowulf, how fast do you think you can get us there?" Wolf asked.

"At top speed? I'd say 2 hours."

"Well, what are you waiting for? Hit it!"

"You got it."

The Phantom rose into the air, activated the cloaking device, and flew full-throttle eastward.