Rover Strike: Vanguard

Episode 4: False Flag

By Gerhard Naudé

All Rover Strike names © Gerhard Naudé
All Road Rovers names © Warner Brothers and rightful owners
Thorn, Riane, Casa Lupo Residents © Kristen Coughlan

Any question, comments, complaints, feedback or suggestions can be 
sent to gnaude_@hotmail.com.

Casa Lupo
Somewhere Near Bolzano
Northern Italy
23 June
09:03 AM:

It is a clear day over Italy and the wolves of Casa Lupo have gathered
at the edge of the village. The KH outpost nearby is now finished with
the KH flag flying over it. KH troopers are assembled outside in an
orderly fashion. Thorn is at the head of the village group, standing
with Barclay, Erisa and Thorn's daughter Raine. She is a female wolf
with brown and grey fur mix and light red eyes.

Erisa:"You got to admit. They look as if they know to be professional."

Barclay:"They do put up a good pomp and ceremony. I just wish they'd do
         it somewhere else. Far away from here."

Thorn:"I'm sure many here would share your sentiment, Barclay. But we're
       stuck with them for now. Best we can hope for is as little trouble
       as possible."

Barclay and Erisa nod somberly as they keep watching. At the outpost,
General Stalker, accompanied by Trigger and Warren and surrounded by
Lambda Troopers, addresses the outpost troopers.

Stalker:"Troopers, today you will be taking up your posts in one of our
         latest bulkwards against the looming threat that is the Vanguard.
         They pose the greatest threat to the KH Military since the Earth 
         Defence Force. Fitting, since the Vanguard is mostly made up of
         former EDF agents. And they're back, bigger and stronger than
         even the Road Rovers themselves. But we're back as well, and even
         bigger and stronger than we were under Franco."

The comment gets a number of approving nods from the troopers. Stalker
continues.

Stalker:"So now I ask you to take up your duties in this outpost and stand
         against the looming threat that is the Vanguard. Remember our
         goals and dreams, and do not let our old enemies fool you in their
         new guise. For the KH Military!"

Troopers:"For the KH Military!"

Stalker:"Dismissed!"

The crowd of troopers head into the new outpost. Stalker, Trigger, Warren
and the Lambda Troopers turn around and walk towards the Casa Lupo vil-
lagers. The villagers are less enthusiastic than the troopers were. Thorn
folds his arms as Stalker approaches.

Stalker:"Still angry at us, Thorn?"

Thorn:"You can say that, yes. Nice ceremony, I'll admit. But I'm still not
       impressed with this whole idea of an outpost here."

Warren:"You must be getting on in your old age, Thorn. Have you forgotten
        about the EDF? The Vanguard is just them with a new name."

Thorn:"I haven't forgotten about the EDF, Warren. I handled them before
       and I'm confident we can handle the Vanguar. And without your help."

Trigger:"That's a foolish position to take, Thorn."

Thorn:"Really, Trigger?"

Stalker:"Enough. We can at least tolerate one another. Our common enemy 
         is the Vanguard. Keep that in mind."

Just then Barclay comes up to Thorn and pats his shoulder to get the 
older wolf's attention.

Barclay:"Thorn, we got a visitor from the Italian government. He wants
         to speak with you."

Thorn:"Tell him to meet me in my cabin and..."

Barclay:"No, he wants to meet you now. And he has friends with him."

Barclay turns and points. Standing nearby is an Italian man in a buiness
suit. With him are several large men in suits, visibly armed. Thorn
approaches the man while Stalker and the others watch.

Thorn:"Can I help you?"

Gman:"You the leader?"

Thorn:"Yes?"

The Gman holds out a manila folder and speaks in a very audible voice.

Gman:"Here are your orders from the Italian government. You are to
      vacate these premises immediately."

There is a gasp from the villagers. Thorn's eyes widen. He grabs the
folder, opens it and takes out the paper inside. The wolf quickly scans
the document before looking back at the Gman.

Thorn:"This is crazy! We have an agreement with the Italian government!"

Gman:"Had an agreement. The government has voted to terminate the agree-
      ment with immediate effect."

Thorn:"On who's orders?"

Gman:"It was a democratic majority decision."

Thorn:"Rubbish! This is preposterous!"

Gman:"That's the decision taken. I'm just delivering the message. I can
      say that you have a week to appeal the decision."

Thorn:"A week? That's absurb! It's not enough time."

Gman:"Not my concern. If you got an issue you can take up with my
      government. But for now consider yourselves on notice."

Before Thorn can protest any further the man turns around and leaves with
the two suits following him. Stalker walks up to Thorn.

Stalker:"Trouble?"

Thorn:"The Italian government wants us to vacate Casa Lupo in a week's
       time."

Thorn holds out the paper to Stalker, who takes it and reads through it.

Stalker:"You had an agreement with the government?"

Thorn:"Yes. Casa Lupo is our sanctuary and the Italians agreed to give us
       the land without any conditions except not to cause trouble. They
       have even provided us with trade opportunities and legal protection
       at times."

Stalker:"All of which, according to this, has been nullified."

Raine speaks up for the first time.

Raine:"Its all a lie, father."

Thorn looks at his daughter.

Thorn:"You listened to what he said?"

Raine nods, wiggling her wolf ears.

Raine:"Every word, father. That human was telling nothing but lies that
       his superiors told him to tell us."

Trigger looks sceptically at Raine.

Trigger:"And how can you be so sure?"

Raine glances at Trigger.

Raine:"That's my power. I can detect when a person is telling lies and
       why."

Trigger:"That so? So what did that human not tell us?"

Raine:"The agreement has not been terminated yet, but a large bunch of
       politicians have already decided to do so without approval from
       the president or the government per se. They hope this notice
       will make us leave without double-checking with the government.
       Beyond what that human knows, I cannot give the real reason for
       this."

Thorn:"It's a shock, that I can tell."

Warren:"One word: Vanguard. Italian politicians have proven time and again
        of being lazy, corrupt and easy to manipulate. I will bet all my
        fur that the Vanguard bribed them to do this to Casa Lupo."

Thorn:"Impossible!"

Trigger:"Not impossible, Thorn. The Vanguard is behind this."

Stalker:"Are you going to do as the Italians say, Thorn."

Thorn scoffs and folds his arms defiantly.

Thorn:"Of course not! We're staying right where we are. Right everyone?"

The wolves of Casa Lupo all bark and howl in support of Thorn. Stalker
nods.

Stalker:"Glad to see some of the old fire still in you, Thorn. The KH
         Military stands by your decision, though it will probably make
         the Vanguard very angry."

Thorn:"Good. They deserve to be made angry. And we'll be here, ready to
       make them even angrier."

Warren grins.

Warren:"Always up for a fight. Just like the good old days."

Thorn simply nods.

Kitchen
Road Rover Headquarters
State of New Mexico
United States of America
24 June
07:24 AM:

The kitchen of RRHQ is sleek and sophisticated with all the latest modern
appliances and utilities along with some devices suited to the unique
tastes of the Road Rovers. At the moment Shag is once again working as
head chef, wearing a chef's hat and apron while stirring the contents of
a big pot of food. Helping him is Sleek, who is also wearing an apron
while putting the finishing touches to a tray of simple food.

Sleek:"Some additional boiled vegetables, please?"

Shag:"Rha!"

Shag scoops up a good helping of boiled vegetables out of one pot while
Sleek holds up the tray. Shag plops the vegetables onto it. Shag mumbles
something that makes Sleek giggle.

Sleek:"You're right, Shag. Andropov probably never ate a more healthy meal
       in his life."

Shag:"Rha!"

Jaco comes walking into the kitchen.

Jaco:"Morning everyone."

Sleek:"Hey there, Jaco! You slept a little better last night?"

Jaco:"I did manage to sleep a full seven hours, at least."

Sleek:"Still concerned about the lost crate?"

Jaco:"Yeah, I guess so. All of the Rovers look at me as if I'm the one 
      who had something to do with it."

Sleek:"But the Master put you in the clear."

Jaco:"He did, but it seems to everyone here I'm guilty anyway."

Sleek:"Oh don't worry. I still think you're not guilty at all."

Jaco:"Thanks for that. I hear we need to give that new prisoner we brought
      in his breakfast."

Sleek nods and holds out the tray of food.

Sleek:"That's right! Shag and I prepared the meal, so now you can go and
       deliver it to that Andropov guy."

Jaco takes the tray and looks at the food on it.

Jaco:"This doesn't look any different from what Shag prepares for the rest
      of us."

Shag instantly turns towards Jaco and growls, startling Jaco. Sleek giggles.

Sleek:"Whoops. Shouldn't have said that aloud."

Jaco:"I'll go and deliver this now."

Jaco quickly leaves the kitchen. Shag is fuming while Sleek pats his big
shoulders.

Sleek:"Easy big guy. I'm sure he doesn't mean it. Let's get breakfast
       ready for the others."

Shag nods but grumply mumbles to himself as he and Sleek get to work on
the morning's meals.

Detention Cells
Road Rover Headquarters
07:40 AM:

This is a circular room with several holding cells. The walls and floor
are made of strong metals, while the cell bars are actually beams of
energy. Each cell has a bed and a single wash basin. Currently all but
one cell is empty. Mikhail Andropov is inside a cell, wearing a bright
yellow jumpsuit with purple arrows on them. Two cano-sapien guards are
on duty on either side of his cell. Jaco comes into the detention room.

Guard:"You're bringing the prisoner's breakfast?"

Jaco:"Yes."

Guard:"All right. We'll deactivate the bars."

The guard presses a code on a keypad. Seconds later the beams switch off.
Andropov stands up as Jaco approaches, the two guards standing directly
behind him.

Jaco:"Here's your breakfast."

Andropov:"Can I get some fine wine with it at least?"

Jaco:"Ha! From where I'm looking you have a 5-star meal. Now take it."

Andropov grumbles and takes the tray. Jaco steps back out of the cell and
the guards switch on the beams again.

Guard:"Thank you."

Jaco:"Ja, ja."

Jaco leaves the room while the guards take up their usual positions next
to Andropov's cell. Andropov sits down on the bed with the tray on his
lap.

Andropov:"Bah. Reminds me of Soviet army swill."

Guard:"Then you should have no trouble eating it."

The guards chuckle and turn their attention away from Andropov. Andropov
picks up the plastic utensils, which are wrapped in a paper cloth. He
removes the cloth, then stops when he notices something written on it.

Andropov(to himself):"What is this?"

Checking to make sure the guards aren't looking, he begins to read the
message on the napkin.

Andropov(reading):"Hidden in the food is a means for you to escape and
        on this napkin is a guide out of here."

Andropov blinks, then digs around in his food with the fork. He finds
the means mentioned, then grins.

Andropov(to himself):"Five-star meal indeed."

He checks the guards again to make sure they aren't paying too much
attention to him. He starts to eat some of the food while digging out
a few more items hidden in them. A short time later he stands up with
his tray now empty. He walks up to the bars, holding the tray with one
hand.

Andropov:"I'm done."

The guards turn to him, one of them reaching for the tray. The guard
takes the tray with both paws. Suddenly Andropov pulls out a small
plastic pistol and fires it at the guard. The surprised guard is hit
in the forehead with a dart and immediately drops to the floor. The
other guard quickly tries to raise the alarm, but Andropov fires a
second dart into the cano-sapien's neck. The guard gives a gasp and
then collapses to the floor.

Andropov:"Thank you for the hospitality, but it is time for me to depart, 
          dah?"

Andropov reaches for the keypad and types in the code he reads off the
napkin. The bars deactivate, allowing him to get out. He runs for the
exit, checking to make sure the coast is clear before making a break for
it. A short time later a pair of voices can be heard outside.

Blitz:"How many times do you think I will bite his tooshie before he
       talks?"

Exile:"Serious, Weird Boy. You need cutting down."

Blitz:"Bah, you're just jealous of my interrogation techni..."

Exile and Blitz enter the room and stop immediately when they see the two
guards on the floor and Andropov's empty cell. Their eyes widen.

Blitz:"Auchtung lieber! He's escaped!"

Exile:"We must get alarm lifted up!"

The two of them quickly rush out to go and raise the alarm.

Briefing Room
Road Rover Headquarters
12:00 PM:

The Master is up on the balcony with all the Rovers currently in RRHQ
standing below. There is an air of concern in the room.

Master:"So no sign of Andropov in the area?"

Hunter:"No sign, Master. He must have hitched a ride with a passing trucker
        or motorist to the nearest town."

Master:"Get every Rover you can muster to the nearest towns as fast as
        possible. I'll alert local authorities about Andropov. Any clues 
        as to how he broke out?"

Phoenix:"We searched his cell and found a dart gun along with a small 
         note. Both of them seemed to have been hidden in his breakfast."

Master:"Who was assigned to provide Andropov's breakfast?"

Colleen:"Jaco and Sleek were on breakfast detail for Andropov this 
         morning, I think."

The Master looks at Jaco and Sleek.

Master:"Is this true?"

Sleek:"That's right, Master. I helped Shag make the breakfast and Jaco
       delivered it to him."

Before Jaco can say anything Blitz jumps out and points at Jaco.

Blitz:"It's got to be him! He's never liked us cano-sapiens, yah!"

Exile:"I have to agree with Weird Boy. Jaco has not changes at allski."

A number of the other Rovers growl in agreement. Jaco is startled and
angered by this.

Jaco:"This is ridiculous! I did not help him escape! You can't just
      blame me without proof!"

Blitz:"Oh, we got proof! Remember all those anti-mutants things you
       took part in, yah?"

Jaco walks up to Blitz, fists balled.

Jaco:"How dare you!"

Blitz yelps in fear, but Striker quickly steps between them.

Striker:"Blitz, enough! Jaco, calm down. Asseblief."

Jaco:"But you heard this idiot! He thinks I helped Andropov escape!
      Blatant lies, all of it!"

Master:"Striker is right, Jaco. Do try and relax. You're right, there is
        no proof yet that you are guilty. Throwing wild accusations 
        around will not help."

Jaco calms down, but he still gets suspicious looks from many of the
Rovers.

Master:"But I believe it is now clear that we have a spy in our midsts.
        Most likely working for the Vanguard. We will need to step up
        our security measures and our vigilance as well. You must all
        keep your eyes, ears..."

Hunter:"And noses."

Master:"... and noses open for anything suspect. Meanwhile I'll begin
        working on some new rules to try and plug potential leaks and
        help root out the spy. That is all for now. Dismissed, Rovers."

The crowd of Rovers disperses while the Master heads back into his
quarters. Jaco turns to Striker.

Jaco(Afrikaans):"This is absurd! What makes you all think I'm guilty?"

Striker(Afrikaans):"Calm down, Jaco. Nobody, especially not myself, has
       blamed you for the crime."

Jaco(Afrikaans):"But you all saw the looks they gave me! I'm guilty as
    charged in their eyes! After all I've done for you people!"

Striker(Afrikaans):"Jaco, Blitz is making false accusations simply
       because of your past actions. That in no way makes you guilty.
       I can vouch for you."

Jaco(Afrikaans):"Thanks, but I still feel isolated."

Striker(Afrikaans):"Do you have clue as to who might have helped An-
       dropov to escape?"

Jaco shakes his head in frustration.

Jaco(Afrikaans):"No idea so far."

Striker(Afrikaans):"Ah, okay. Stay alert for anything suspicious and
       let me or the Master know if you sight something out of the or-
       dinary."

Jaco(Afrikaans):"Okay, I will."

Striker smiles and pats Jaco on the shoulder before leaving with the
other members of his team. Sleek comes walking up to him and puts an
arm around him.

Sleek:"Hey buddy. I'm with you as well. The others have no right to call
       you a crook."

Jaco:"I appreciate your support."

Sleek:"Yeah, that's right. Come, let's go and get a milkshake or two. You
       look like you need."

Jaco nods as he and Sleek leave the briefing room.

Laboratory
Vanguard Complex
Unknown Location
At That Moment:

For once Hawkins isn't inside his special chamber, but rather standing on
a nearby scale. Wires run from pads attached to parts of his body to a
nearby monitoring machine. Scientists around him are examining him and
checking his vitals. While they do this, Hawkins is talking to Thomason.

Hawkins:"Has Andropov been successfully extracted?"

Thomason:"Absolutely. He manages to get out with no sign of the Rovers
          when we picked him up at the landing zone."

Hawkins grins with satisfaction.

Hawkins:"Ha! Those fools. Fleabag has done another good job for us. We
         just need to make sure Andropov doesn't get caught again. Good
         thing he kept his mouth shut long enough for Fleabag to get him
         out."

Thomason:"We've taken Andropov to a safe house in Europe. The Rovers will
          not find anytime soon."

Hawkins:"Excellent, so our finances is in no danger of being compromised."

Thomason:"Vanderberg checked and double checked everything. Our accounts
          are secure."

Hawkins:"Good. So now we can focus on the big one: Operation Tonkin. What
         is the latest on that?"

Thomason:"All is going well. We got the troops and equipment in place, 
          now we just need to wait."

Hawkins:"And the media? I want Macmillan to have good ammo at UN."

Thomason:"They will be there to shine a good spotlight on events."

Hawkins rubs his hands together.

Hawkins:"Excellent. Its' all coming together now."

Scientist:"Please hold still, sir. I need to finish this scan."

Hawkins nods and stands ramrod straight to allow the scientist to finish 
his work.

Casa Lupo
Somewhere Near Bolzano
Northern Italy
13:03 PM:

Columns of smoke are rising from the houses in the village, indicating
that most of the residents are at home. Most of the KH troopers are at
their outpost barracks. As such, only two individuals are walking out-
side. Stalker and Trigger are following one of the paths criss-crossing
the village.

Stalker:"So its this way?"

Trigger:"Yes, brother. I confirmed it with Thorn and had a look at the
         house yesterday. She lives there."

Stalker nods and takes a deep breath.

Stalker:"Very well."

Trigger:"There's something you should know about her mate, brother. He
         has certain tastes in music."

Stalker:"Oh, is he a music lover?"

Trigger:"Er... he actually makes music."

Stalker:"A singer. That's promising."

Trigger(to himself):"Yes... promising."

The two of them keep walking until reach their destination: a larger than
average wooden cabin at the edge of the village. Stalker and Trigger go
up to the front door. Stalker knocks a few times and then waits for a
bit.

Stalker:"You sure they're home?"

Trigger:"Yes, they should be."

Stalker knocks again, this time a little harder. Trigger then notices
something in one of the windows and gestures to it.

Trigger:"I just saw someone at the window."

Stalker:"Seems some of the residents are still suspicious of us."

Stalker knocks for a third time, almost banging on the door. He keeps at
it until someone finally answers. The door swings open, revealing a
female wolf-sapien with markings very similar to that of Tosca. Her
t-shirt is bulging at the tummy, indicating that she is pregnant. Stal-
ker smiles at her, bowing his head in greeting.

Stalker:"Sebine, I assume?"

Sebine frowns.

Sebine:"Yes. What do you want?"

Stalker:"My name is..."

Sebine(interrupting):"I know you, and I don't want to hear any more from
      you."

She begins to close the door, but Stalker quickly uses his one foot and
paws to keep the door from closing. He forces the door open again.

Stalker:"Look, we've barely had the chance to greet properly. Can we at
         least try and be civil about this?"

Sebine:"Why should we? You've brought nothing but trouble here."

Trigger:"She has your combatitive temper at least, brother."

Stalker frowns at his brother before looking back at Sebine.

Stalker:"Please? Can we talk for at least for a few minutes?"

Sebine frowns at Stalker, then finally sighs and opens the door again.

Sebine:"Fine."

Stalker smiles with relief.

Stalker:"Excellent. I just want to have this chance to talk to my
         daughter. How have you been?"

Sebine:"Its a real stretch to call me 'daughter', but fine. I'm doing
        all right."

Stalker:"Glad to hear it. I see you seem to be pregnant."

Sebine nods, rubbing her round belly.

Sebine:"Yes. I'm already five months in, probably a pair of pups on the
        way."

Stalker:"Wonderful! I'm sure you will be a good mother. And on that
         subject, what about your mate?"

Sebine:"He's here. Name is Quil."

Stalker:"Ah! Thorn told me a little about him. I hear he a musician, so
         I would love to meet him."

Trigger:"Er... brother, there is something about that..."

Sebine interrupts when she turns around and calls for her mate.

Sebine:"Quil! Can you come over here?"

Voice:"Coming Sebine!"

A minute later Quil appears. He has a spiked mohawk on his head, multiple 
piercings in his ears, a t-shirt with a crude slogan on it, denim jeans
and sneakers. Stalker's mouth falls over when he sees Quil. Quil frowns
back at Stalker.

Quil:"Sebine, who is this?"

Sebine:"This is my father and uncle, Stalker and Trigger respectively."

Stalker looks quickly at Trigger.

Stalker:"You said he was a musician!"

Trigger:"He is. Sort of at least. He's a punk rock musician."

Stalker is aghast as his gaze slowly turns back to Quil.

Stalker:"A punk? My daughter is mated... TO A PUNK!"

Quil:"Got a problem with that?"

Stalker:"Problem? You can bet your tail I got a problem with that! What 
         are you doing with my daughter?!"

Sebine:"I married him, that's what I did."

Stalker:"A punk? You can't be serious! Just look at him! The way he's
         dressed just tells you everything that you need to know about
         him!"

Sebine grins and puts an arm around Quil, who does the exact same thing.

Sebine:"Yeah. It tells me that he's a good mate and will be a good father
        for my pups."

Stalker shakes his head, folding his arms.

Stalker:"No, I forbid it Sebine."

Sebine stops grinning and frowns at her father.

Sebine:"You can't forbid me, father. Quil and I are mated, plus I'm the
        drummer in his band."

Stalker's eyes nearly jump out of his skull.

Stalker:"What! You actually HELP him make that garbage you call music?!"

Quil:"It is music, and we have thousands of fans who like that sort of
      music. Better get with the times, grandpa."

Stalker growls and balls his fists.

Stalker:"Why you..."

Trigger quickly sees things going downhill and steps in front of Stalker.

Trigger:"Brother, calm down! This is Thorn's son here."

Stalker:"His son! This little punk can't possibly be his son! He would
         not have approved of this!"

Quil:"My father totally supports me what I do, grandpa. You can ask him
      yourself."

Trigger:"I spoke to Thorn when I found out about this, brother! He is not
         joking. So just relax and calm down!"

Stalker glares at Quil, but does as Trigger tells him and steps back a
bit.

Stalker:"Fine, but he is a bad influence on my daughter and I definitely
         will not let that simply pass!"

Sebine:"Give it a rest, father. Quil and I are married and having pups,
        and that's that. Close the door, Quil."

Quil:"My pleasure."

Quil slams the door shut. Trigger quickly leads a furious Stalker away 
from the house.

Trigger:"Deep breaths, brother. Deep breathes."

Stalker snarls but does as he is told. A few seconds later has calmed
down a bit. He looks back at the house, then back at Trigger.

Stalker:"How in the world did Thorn allow his son to become... that
         thing? I always thought Thorn was better than that."

Trigger:"I talked to him. Seems that his past experience under the 
         Vanguard has impaired his judgement a bit. So considering
         that it is not surprising his son ended up like this."

Stalker:"That's bad enough, but what is worse is that my daughter is
         now married to that creature."

Trigger:"Nothing we can do about that for now, brother. We need this
         village and getting into a fight with Quil will only cause
         friction. Plus, he isn't called Quil for nothing."

Stalker thinks about it and sighs in exasperation.

Stalker:"Fine. But I will not drop it so easily. I will deal with this
         matter later."

Trigger:"Come. Let's go back and inspect the outpost, shall we?"

Stalker sighs again and nods, following his brother while glancing back
at Sebine and Quil's house.

Gulf Star
Gulf of Mexico
25 June
15:01 PM:

The Gulf Star is a large oil tanker with a blue hull and white super-
structure. On the decks a few crewmembers are busy doing checks and
errands. In the distance one can make out some of the oil rigs that dot
the gulf. Upon on the bridge the captain is checking the horizon with
his binoculars while his first mate is checking the controls.

Captain:"How are we looking, Mister Cole?"

First Mate:"All's well, captain. All systems fully operational, cargo
            secure and the tanker's on course. We'll be at Baytown on
            schedule."

Captain:"Excellent. Call up Baytown and find out if our dock will be
         ready for our arrival."

First Mate:"Aye, captain."

The first mate picks up the phone and dials the number for Baytown. He
frowns and tries the number again. A few seconds later he puts the phone
down, picks it up and dials the number again. The captain notices this.

Captain:"Something wrong?"

First Mate:"I have no tone here. Our signal is completely dead."

Captain:"What?"

The captain comes over, takes the phone and checks the computer terminal
it is hooked up to. He frowns when he sees the screen.

Captain:"Strange. We cannot receive any kind of signals. Not even internet
         or satellite signals."

First Mate:"Maybe we had a malfunction?"

Captain:"I hope not, but you'd better get our technicians on it right 
         away. I don't want to reach Baytown and find out we missed an
         imporant message or two."

First Mate:"Aye aye, captain."

The first mate goes to the intercom to summon the technician while the
captain fiddles with the radio. Unbeknownst to them, attached to the
belly of the tanker with a powerful magnet is an electronic box that
is completely black except for the blinking blue light on it. Up on the
deck a pair of workers are busy checking the hatches.

Worker 1:"Everything secure there?"

Worker 2:"Just got to secure the lock on this one and we can go to the
          galley for a drink."

Suddenly a shadow falls over them.

Worker 1:"Hey! What the...?"

The two of them look up and gasp. Flying low over the tanker is Parvo's
Bulldog Ship, its rear hatch open. As it passes, cano-mutants jump down
onto the deck and threaten the workers with their guns. The workers put
up their hands with no resistance. From the bridge the captain and the
first mate watch with wide eyes at the approaching Bulldog Ship. The
ship lands in front of the bridge, disgorging many more cano-mutants.
The captain frantically tries to use the radio.

Captain:"Come on! Work, d*** you!"

First Mate:"Signal flares, captain?"

Captain:"Yes! Right away! Hurry man!"

The first mate rushes to a cabinet, opens it and takes out a flare gun
and some cartriges. He then runs to the door that leads to the deck
outside, only to have Groomer appear and snatch the flare gun from him.

Groomer:"Sorry. It's not New Year's Eve yet."

She shoves the first mate back and comes inside, followed by Parvo and
three armed cano-mutants. The captain is in shock.

Captain:"Who are you and what are you doing on my ship?!"

Parvo marches up to the captain, grabs the phone with his mechanical
hand and crushes it.

Parvo:"I'm General Parvo, and I am hereby commandeering this tanker of
       yours. Now you and your crew better behave yourselves or else my
       cano-mutants will teach you a lesson."

The cano-mutants growl at the captain and first mate. Parvo turns to
the mutants while jerking his thumb at the two.

Parvo:"Get them rounded up with the others."

The cano-mutants nod and take the captain, his first mate and the other
bridge crewmembers out. Parvo looks out the window over the tanker.

Parvo:"That went pretty smoothly. The tanker is ours and the Coast Guard
       are none the wiser."

Groomer:"Our mystery contacts proved very reliable."

Parvo:"And very profitable too. The technology they provided us as an
       initial payment can help me create a brand new army of cano-mutants
       that are even better than this lot."

Groomer:"But they didn't give us much, General."

Parvo:"No, but it was a good incentive. Now we just need to deliver this
       tanker to the destination, set it on fire right by the Baytown
       refinery and get out and collect the rest of our payment."

Groomer:"That would make a nice display. But I wonder why they want us to
         do that?"

Parvo shrugs dismissively.

Parvo:"Who cares? As long as I get what I want. Groomer! Let's get this
       tanker secured and on course."

Groomer:"Yes, General!"

Parvo and the Groomer get to work while the cano-mutants secure the whole
tanker as it sails on towards Baytown.

Trailer Truck
EZ Stop Motel
Baytown City Limits
United States of America
At That Moment:

This is a cheap, u-shaped motel located by the side of a main road near
Baytown. The neon sign out front has a few letters that have burnt out
and there only a few cars parked in the lot. Parked next to the motel is
a silver truck with matching trailer with the logo for a soft drink
company on the sides. Inside the trailer, however, there isn't any cargos
of soft drinks. Instead, a large group of cano-sapiens of various breeds
are seated here around a lamp and a map. The map shows the Baytown Refinery.
The cano-sapiens are all armed with standard-issue US weapons but are
dressed in Road Rover uniforms. The leader of this team is Hounder, also
wearing the RR uniform.

Hounder:"Okay, I got the signal from command. Parvo has taken control of
         Gulf Star as expected and is on his way to Baytown. Now we will
         wait until the tanker has docked and Parvo's forces have gotten
         off the ship. Once they do, we move in. Everyone got their
         orders and targets?"

Hounder looks around. All the cano-sapiens nod their heads.

Hounder:"Excellent boys. Once the action starts we move in the for the
         counter attack. And be sure to put up a good show for the cameras:
         the news choppers will arrive quickly once things start getting
         interesting. We are to make sure this gets seen clearly. Do you
         all understand that?"

Again his fellow sapiens nod their heads.

Hounder:"Good. Check your weapons and gear one more time: we're moving
         out."

Hounder bangs on the side of the trailer. Outside, a single human dressed
in overalls and trucker cap sits up from where has been relaxing. He
walks over to the truck cab, climbs in and starts the engine. A minute
later the trailer truck departs the motel and drives on to Baytown.

Baytown Refinery
Baytown
United States of America
17:49 PM:

The Baytown Refinery is a large, sprawling complex with extensive miles
of piping running to the many chemical processing units located all over
the area and the huge oil tank farm. Next to the complex are the docks
for oil tankers to stop. The Gulf Star is pulling up to an available
dock with the aid of a tug and some workers on shore, all of them not
aware of what is going on deck. On the deck, Parvo is addressing his
squads of armed cano-mutants.

Parvo:"All right, my cano-mutants! You all know what to do, right?"

The cano-mutants nod and growl. Parvo rubs his hands together in glee.

Parvo:"Excellent! Groomer, give the signal!"

Groomer nods, takes out a large dog whistle and blows on it. While there
is no audible sound that Parvo or Groomer can hear, the cano-mutants do
hear it. They rush to the side of the tanker and drop the rappel ropes
that were fitted to the sides earlier. On the docks the workers are
startled when they see the mutants climb down the ropes in great numbers.
Panic then ensues when some of the mutants still on the tanker open fire
on them. The workers drop everything and flee the scene, some of them
abandoning their tanker trucks and company pickups. The mutants take over
these vehicles and use them to drive out into the complex. Parvo watches
from the tanker with Groomer by his side.

Parvo:"There, everything is in place now. And by the time the Road Rovers
       find out what's happened we'll be long gone and this refinery will
       be nothing but a field of fire."

Groomer:"We've certainly pulled this one off nicely, didn't we my General?"

Groomer strokes Parvo's helmet, making him shiver with delight.

Parvo:"Oh yes, we did Groomer."

Meanwhile, on a highway that passes by the refinery, Hounder's trailer truck
is heading towards the complex. Hounder, who is now seated in the trailer
with the driver, is scanning the Gulf Star with binoculars.

Hounder:"Great. Parvo's on schedule."

Driver:"We go now?"

Hounder lowers his binoculars and nods.

Hounder:"Let's go."

Driver:"Right."

The driver starts to guide the truck onto a route to the refinery. The
truck makes its way to one of the gates of the refinery complex. There
workers are fleeing the refinery. A security guard sees the truck coming
and tries to wave it down.

Security:"Hey, stop! Go back, there's a security situation here! HEY!"

The guard jumps out of the way as the truck barrels through the open gate
into the refinery. Once in the complex the trailer truck pulls up into
a parking lot near the refinery offices. Hounder jumps out of the cabin
while the trailer doors swing open and dozens of cano-sapiens jump out.
They form up in a neat formation before Hounder.

Hounder:"Everyone armed and ready?"

Canos:"Yes, sir!"

Hounder:"Good! Let's move out!"

Just then one of the managers of the refinery comes running out to the
cano-sapiens.

Manager:"Hey! You're the Road Rovers, right?"

Hounder:"That's right, sir."

Manager:"Oh thank God! I thought I recognized the uniforms. The refinery
         is under attack!"

Hounder:"Don't worry, sir. We can handle it."

Manager:"Thank you! And try and keep the refinery intact. We cannot
         afford any damage."

Hounder:"We'll be very careful."

Some of the cano-sapiens snicker at that comment. Hounder points to the
gate where workers continue to flee out.

Hounder:"Just make sure you get everyone out and tell the police to
         secure the area around the refinery. Leave the situation to us."

Manager:"Sure! And thanks!"

The manager runs off. Hounder and his cano-sapiens split up into teams
and head out into the refinery proper. In one part of the refinery a pair
of Parvo's cano-mutants are busy using pickaxes to bash holes in one of
the main pipelines. Unrefined oil gushes out of the holes and form big
puddles of crude.

Pipe Mutant 1:"Ha ha! This is fun!"

Pipe Mutant 2:"Yeah! Breaking stuff is always fun!"

A whistle gets their attention, making and turn around looking for the
source. Standing behind them is a pair of the pseudo-Rovers: a Great Dane
and a Poodle. Both of them are carrying flamethrowers on their backs.

Pipe Mutant 1:"The Road Rovers!"

Poodle:"That's us! Now, its time to burn!"

The two pseudo-Rovers aim their flamethrowers at the growing pool of oil
and fire jets of flames at it. The cano-mutants' eyes go wide when they
see the oil catch fire and that they are standing in the oil. They yelp
and flee, dropping their tools as the flames rush towards the leaking
pipes. The mutants managed to escape just as the flames run up the
gushers and to the pipes. Seconds later sections of the pipe explode
into huge fireballs, triggering a firestorm as the oil floods out into
the flames. The two pseudo-Rovers stand back and look at the damage.

Great Dane:"Now that's impressive pyrotechnics."

Poodle:"Yeah, and we got an audience too."

The poodle points to a big steel pole with a cluster of cameras fixed to
the top.

Great Dane:"I hope our audience saw this."

Poodle:"They should have, and if not those cameras are recording the
        whole thing anyway. Come on, we need to move."

Great Dane:"Right."

The two pseudo-Rovers quickly leave the scene of the ruptured and burning 
oil pipe. From the tanker Parvo and Groomer see the explosion.

Parvo:"What! I gave no order to start explosions! Who's the dunderhead
       responsible?!"

Groomer takes out some binoculars and looks around the refinery. She looks
at the fire, but can't see anything past the flames and billowing smoke.

Parvo:"See anything?"

Groomer:"Just flames and smoke... wait, I see something!"

She focuses on the tank farm, where three of their cano-mutants are busy
using forklifts to punch holes into the sides of the tanks. Big gushes
of refined oil flow out of the holes.

Voice:"Oi! Look over here!"

The cano-mutants stop and look. Standing a fair distance away are three
more pseudo-Rovers: a whippet, a doberman and a spaniel. All three of
them are armed with missle launchers, though they seem to be pointing
their weapons more towards the oil tank farm rather than the mutants.

Whippet:"Let's play catch!"

Spaniel:"Yeah, catch this!"

The pseudo-Rovers fire their missiles. The cano-mutants yelp and flee
on the forklifts. The missiles, however, don't even get near them and
instead slam into three oil tanks. The explosions blast great big holes
into the oil tanks, causing a flood of burning oil to spew out. Groomer
sees this with alarm.

Groomer:"It's the Road Rovers!"

Parvo:"What! Impossible!"

Parvo grabs the binoculars from Groomer and looks at the pseudo-Rovers.

Parvo:"It can't be! How did they get here so quickly?!"

Before Parvo can even think up a reaction to the attack, more explosions
rock the refinery complex. His cano-mutants come fleeing back to the
tanker with more pseudo-Rovers in pursuit. Leading the pseudo-Rovers is
Hounder. Parvo drops the binoculars and turns to Groomer, pointing to
his Bulldog Ship.

Parvo:"Get the ship ready! We're getting out of here!"

Groomer:"Aye, General!"

While Groomer rushes to the ship, Parvo pulls out a blaster and signals
to his cano-mutants on the tanker.

Parvo:"Keep the Rovers away from the tanker!"

Parvo and the cano-mutants rush to the railings and open fire on the
pseudo-Rovers. The Rovers take cover and return fire, some of them using
their special powers. Hounder uses his power to create a buzzsaw blade
of energy. He flings the blade like a frisbee at the tanker. Parvo sees
the blade spinning towards him and drops down flat on the floor. However,
the blade flies low and slices into the hull itself. The blade creates
a shower of sparks as it rips a large gash into the tanker in a line
from near the top down to the waterline. Oil starts to spill out of the
tanker while water rushes in as well. Hounder tosses more blades, cut-
ting and slicing big tears into the tanker. Parvo watches with alarm.

Parvo:"Retreat! Retreat!"

Parvo and his cano-mutants run for the Bulldog Ship just as several
explosions rip through the tanker. Fires erupt everywhere and the tanker
starts to list in the harbour from the water rushing into the holes. The
Bulldog Ship manages to get off the deck in time and flies away. Back
at the refinery Hounder and the pseudo-Rovers watch with satisfaction.

Hounder:"Good job, everyone! Now let's get to the dust-off point and
         make an exit before the media show up. Let's roll!"

Hounder and the pseudo-Rovers run alongside the dock towards the zone
where a Vanguard Condor is waiting for them. They get onboard and the
helicopter takes off, leaving behind the refinery now engulfed in
several massive oil fires.

Elexis & Tanarus' Room
Residential Quarters
Road Rover Headquarters
United States of America
19:22 PM:

Tanarus and Elexis have just finished showering and have put on their
eveningwear. Tanarus watches his mate dress and grins, sneaking up behind
her and putting his arms around her. She giggles.

Elexis:"Oh hey you."

Tanarus:"And how's my lady and her litter?"

Elexis rubs her swollen tummy.

Elexis:"Still kicking here. Just one more month and we'll soon be hearing
        the sound of little paws."

Tanarus:"I look forward to that."

Elexis:"Including the dirty diapers, whimpers in the middle of the night
        and torn carpets?"

Tanarus cringes a bit, but still nods.

Tanarus:"That... too."

A second later there is a knock on the door.

Elexis:"That must be Colleen bringing Chester for us."

Tanarus:"I'll open it."

Tanarus walks over to the door, unlocks it and pulls it open.

Tanarus:"Ah, Col..."

Instead of Colleen, Tanarus finds Striker and Phoenix standing here. 
Striker is holding Firefly in his arms and Phoenix is holding Chester.
The two pups are playfully pawing at each other. Tanarus is startled.

Tanarus:"Striker, Phoenix. What a surprise."

Elexis perks up and looks in alarm towards the front door.

Striker:"Goeie naand, Tanarus. Can we come in?"

Tanarus:"E... yes, come in."

Tanarus steps aside to let the couple enter their quarters. Elexis
stands up as Phoenix brings Chester to her. She takes the pup from her
and puts him on the bed. Striker sets Firefly down on the bed as well
so they can continue playing.

Elexis:"Phoenix, Striker. What are you two doing here?"

Striker:"We need to talk. Specifically about Chester here."

Tanarus and Elexis look at each other and then back at Striker and
Phoenix.

Tanarus:"What's wrong?"

Phoenix:"Who's pup is that? Chester doesn't belong to any of the couples
         around here. We checked up on that."

Tanarus sighs and looks at Elexis. Elexis sighs and shakes her head.

Elexis:"We'd better explain or else we'll only have trouble."

Tanarus:"Right."

Tanarus looks back at Striker.

Tanarus:"Striker, Chester is the pup of Jude and Nesta."

Striker:"Who are they?"

Tanarus hesitates before answering.

Tanarus:"Jude is the son of General Stalker."

Phoenix gasps and Striker's eyes go wide with surprise.

Phoenix:"Stalker has a son?"

Striker:"Tanarus! Are you mad?!"

Tanarus:"Calm down, Striker! Let me explain. Jude is Stalker's son, yes,
         but he's not part of the KH Military. He has never even 
         met his father."
       
Striker:"And how long have you known about him?"

Tanarus:"I discovered him and Stalker's other family members..."

Striker:"Wait. OTHER family members?"

Tanarus cringes.

Tanarus:"I... I didn't want to tell you right away."

Striker opens his muzzle, but Phoenix elbows him to keep him from talking.

Phoenix:"Let Tanarus finish first, Strikie."

Tanarus:"Thank you, Phoenix. As I said, I discovered Stalker's family 
         after we returned back to Earth. They had all been living in a
         isolated colonies of former KH troops who were left behind back 
         in the 80s. The biggest discovery was of Tosca, Stalker's mate,
         who is in a coma."

Striker(shocked):"A mate. She was Stalker's mate?!"

Elexis:"It was more complicated than that. Tosca was my nanny who took
        care of me when I was young. She also took care of Tanarus and
        Ciro, her own son from her late first mate. She and Stalker were 
        very close, but things got... complicated due to the actions of one 
        of General Franco's scientists."

Tanarus:"The result was that Tosca was getting pregnant twice. Blake was 
         born when Dr. Cutler spiked some drinks at a reception. She was a 
         few weeks pregnant when she and Blake were foraging and got captured 
         by an Earth Defence Force squad led by Earl Hawkins."

Striker:"Hawkins? Rerig?"

Phoenix:"That same ex-EDF agent we rescued Firefly from?"

Tanarus:"Yup, that Hawkins. He and his squad had been capturing wolf-
         sapiens for their own secret experiments."

Striker:"I've heard rumours about such things, but I never heard any-
         thing official about it. Did Mark know?"

Tanarus:"Yes, he did. Let me explain. Hawkins had a big laboratory where
         they were testing a new kind of neurotoxin that was supposed to
         allow him to control sapiens. He called it Hallucin-Venom."

Striker frowns.

Striker:"I remember that. The EDF used to use it during interrogations to
         get the truth from prisoners during its early days. It would
         alter the memories of the victim without him or her realising
         it. But it caused hallucinations, pain and even death if given in 
         large doses. Mark had it banned when he took charge."

Elexis nods.

Elexis:"You're right. The neurotoxin didn't usually work, with some rather 
        nasty side effects on top of those you mentioned. Tosca was one 
        of those who got injected with it, and it resulted in losing a large 
        part of her memory. According to Blake, all her time with the KH 
        Military is gone. Even the memories of Stalker, us and her sons Ciro 
        and Blake. But just after that happened she gave birth to her 
        five remaining pups. Jude was one of them. The others were Barbatus, 
        Sebine, Jinx and River."

Phoenix:"What happened next?"

Tanarus:"Norwood caught wind of what Hawkins was doing and stepped in. He
         had the laboratory seized, the wolf-sapiens rescued and taken
         into protective custody and Hawkins reprimanded. All the wolves
         either went to live in isolated hovels or enclaves protected by
         the EDF and later the United Nations."

Elexis:"Hawkins managed to hide Jinx and River from Mark and continue his
        experiments in secret. Jinx escaped and was later found by Stalker.
        Stalker is not aware of the others. River works for the Vanguard."

Striker:"And where do you two come in?"

Tanarus:"Blake tracked us down because when wanted us to be guests at his
         wedding to his mate Allison. He told me about how Tosca was attacked 
         and put in a coma afterwards. I offered to have Elexis help take 
         care of her and he agreed. We later contacted Mark about it and 
         he agreed to help keep it secret."

Elexis:"Blake and Jude have been hunting the Vanguard for years. Blake was
         the one that saved Corsair from Vanguard's thugs."

Striker:"Why didn't you tell us about this earlier?"

Elexis:"Because we promised Blake not to. He wanted to keep his mother and
        siblings safe after what Hawkins had done to them."

Suddenly there is a knock on the door. Corsair's voice can be heard from
the otherside.

Corsair:"Boss! You guys in there?"

Striker looks at the door.

Striker:"We're rather busy here, David."

Corsair:"Boss, we got big problems. You'd better come to the briefing room
         ASAP."

Striker:"How bad is it?"

Corsair:"Very bad. The Professor told me to fetch you guys."

The Rovers all look at each other.

Elexis:"I think we'd better do as he says."

Striker:"We'll discuss this later. Elexis, will you stay behind and look
         after the pups?"

Elexis nods and goes to the bed. Striker looks at Tanarus.

Striker:"We'll finish this talk later. Kom."

Tanarus nods. Striker leads him and Phoenix out where they join Corsair. 
As they walk to the briefing room Striker moves alongside the human.

Striker:"Wat is it, David?"

Corsair:"We're on the news, and its not looking good at all."

They all eventually come to the briefing room where the other Rovers and
the Master are already gathered. On the main briefing screen a live news
report from NBC News is on the air. It shows footage from a helicopter
hovering over the Baytown Refinery. The refinery is utterly ablaze with
firefighters and firetrucks fighting the many fires while news choppers
circle over the area. The tanker is lying on its side in the harbour,
where the water is black with oil while boats and helicopters rescue the
crew from it. Striker, Phoenix and Tanarus watch as the anchor and the
reporter on the helicopter talk.

Anchor(on screen):"Just how extensive are the fires there?"

Reporter(on screen):"As you can see, much of the refinery is completely
        engulfed in flames. I'd say close to a quarter of it now on fire.
        You can see firefighters scrambling to keep the inferno from
        spreading to rest of the refinery. I count at least several dozen
        firetrucks in my field of view here. And the smoke is immense!
        Clouds of smoke are billowing in the sky and can be seen for
        miles."

Anchor(on screen):"Certainly a terrible aftermath of this battle."

Phoenix:"Battle? What battle?"

Striker looks at the Master.

Striker:"Professor, what's going on here?"

Master:"The Baytown Refinery in Texas was attacked by Parvo and cano-
        mutants a while ago. They were driven off, but not without serious
        damage to the refinery."

Tanarus:"Driven of? By whom?"

Colleen points to the screen.

Colleen:"There's your answer, guv."

They look back at the screen. The news is now showing footage of the battle
that had taken place earlier and was captured by security cameras. They
show the pseudo-Rovers fighting Parvo's cano-mutants but causing damage
to the refinery.

Anchor(on screen):"This is security footage NBC managed to obtain earlier
      showing the battle that had been taking place earlier at Baytown. As
      you can see the Road Rovers were fighting what appears to have been
      saboteurs, but were recklessly damaging the refinery in the process.
      You might say they caused more damage than the saboteurs."

Phoenix(shocked):"We did that?!"

Master:"No, we did not. Whoever those Rovers were, they were not ours."

Tanarus:"But they're wearing our uniforms!"

Master:"That's what worries me. They look too authentic to be fakes. I
        fear that the uniforms they are wearing are the ones were recently
        lost."

Many of the Rovers cast accusing glances at Jaco.

Jaco:"Haai! You can't look at me like that! I'm innocent!"

Master:"I agree. Now is not the time to point fingers here. What matters
        now is dealing with the fallout of what has happened at Baytown.
        No doubt that this story will soon be on all major news networks
        and internet social media."

Hunter:"This is not going to make us look good, Master."

The Master sighs.

Master:"Absolutely not."

They all keep watching the news, shocked by the images being televised
around the world.

Laboratory
Vanguard Complex
Unknown Location
At That Moment:

Hawkins is back inside his special chamber, watching the same news report
on a screen built into the chamber. He has a satisfied look on his face.

Hawkins:"Excellent. Hounder and his troops did their jobs well. Time for
         a few calls."

Hawkins puts on a headset and dials a number on a keypad in his chamber.
The phone doesn't ring long.

Hawkins(into phone):"MacMillian?... Hawkins here. You watching the news?...
       Impressive display, isn't it?... You've been in contact with the
       US State Department?... Oh, you got through to the White House? 
       What a bonus... Ah, wonderful! You be sure to bring that to the
       United Nations... Two days from now? That's good news. Be sure to
       rub it in Norwood's face... Good, thanks. Goodbye."

He switches the com off, but immediately dials another number. This time
the phone takes a while before being answered.

Hawkins(into phone):"You took your time, Vanderberg... Excuses, as always.
       Listen up! You and Commander Marconi still holding position in
       Rome?... Okay. Wait two more days and then execute the operation.
       The world's attention should be focused on other matters during that
       time to bother us... Good, and don't waste time gaming again! You
       got that?... Good, goodbye."

He turns off the com and makes another call. This call is also slow to
answer, but Hawkins isn't bothered this time.

Hawkins(into phone):"Ah, my friend... Yes, its Hawkins again. You still
       remember our deal?... Good. I got some instructions for you and you
       had better not screw them up or else. You savvy?... Good. Here's
       what you need to do."

Hawkins continues giving his instructions over the phone. Some scientists
come over and check and his chamber.

Elexis & Tanarus' Room
Residential Quarters
Road Rover Headquarters
United States of America
19:47 PM:

Tanarus is back in his room with Elexis. Chester and Firefly are still on
the bed, playfully tossing a stuffed toy back and forth. Tanarus has just
told Elexis what had happened on the news. She is shocked.

Elexis:"How is that possible?!"

Tanarus:"We suspect that the uniforms they used are the ones Jaco and Sleek
         lost a while back. We're investigating how they got hold of it."

Elexis:"A leak? Or a mole?"

Tanarus:"I wouldn't exclude those possibilities."

Elexis sits down on the bed, rubbing her face with her paws.

Elexis:"My God. This is not going to be good. The publicity from this will
        be horrible."

Tanarus sighs.

Tanarus:"I know. And this comes on top of Striker and Phoenix finding out
         the truth about little Chester here and Blake's personal mission.
         This is becoming too much."

Just then a cellphone rings nearby, getting the couple's attention. Elexis
looks at the phone.

Elexis:"It's mine."

She gets up, picks it up and checks the caller first. Her eyes widen when
she sees the name on the cellphone's screen.

Elexis(into phone):"Hi Roz. Elexis here... What! When?... Who were they?...
      Riptide's sure of that?... No demands?... O-okay, I'll try and find
      help. Thank you."

Elexis shuts off her phone. Tanarus looks at her with concern.

Tanarus:"What's wrong?"

Elexis looks at Tanarus.

Elexis:"St. Dyphna's Hospital was attacked a few hours by the Vanguard.
        They took Tosca."

Tanarus is shocked.

Tanarus:"What! How?"

Elexis:"Roz says the Vanguard completely overwhelmed them. Luckily no
        one was killed, but Riptide was injured. He recognised some of
        the Vanguard attackers."

Tanarus groans and covers hid face.

Tanarus:"My God. Just when you think it can't get any worse, it does."

Elexis goes over and hugs her mate. He hugs her back.

Elexis:"What are we going to do?"

Tanarus:"I... I have no idea. I'm just too shocked right now."

Elexis:"Me too."

The two of them keep hugging. The pups look curiously at the couple for
a few seconds before they resume playing. Events are moving fast and
the Road Rovers are getting left behind. What will be the aftermath of
the Baytown Refinery attack? What are Hawkins and the Vanguard going to
do next? And who is working for the Vanguard from within the Road Rovers?


THE END