Tim listened to Angel then said "Well now right pleased ta hear Wind bag is safe. Ya tell 'im ta look aftar Morgan and we'll git thar shartly. Tell 'im The Lone Ranger and Tonto har got some unfinished biznus ta attend ta." Tim then grinned at Totem and dropped the phone, grinding under his heel. He then bent down and pick up the GPS / memory chip off the ground and stuck it in his pocket. Tim then walked over to where Totem had tossed his phone, dug it out and repeated the process. "Don' waunt them bastards trackin us or findin' the others." he said as they both continued walking. "What say we giv a yank on R.A.I.D.'s chain?" he said.

Allie was glad Wraith had showed up and couldn't help but beam a little under his praise at her medical skills, which were based more on common sense than actual skill. When he asked about Morgan's mental state and family, she told him what she knew when Mikala came in having taken a day off from the gym to help out.

Introducing herself to Wraith once he and Allie were done talking and explaining what she was and what she could do, she looked up at him. She was tiny compared to his large frame and her head only cam up to his chest, but she gave off a strong air of confidence.

"I can't open my empathy completely when I'm around her because of what I feel coming from the poor girl. She is pulling further and further away from us, withdrawing into herself. I've seen this before and in one so young with her abilties still growing stronger...well....she could very well turn rogue. And, I too, have seen the signs of infection and can sense that there is something more going on with her wounds than meets the eye."

Mikala took a deep breath, letting it out before continuing.

"She has a pure soul, Wraith, a love for life, but she is losing herself drowning in guilt. She blames herself for bringing RAID here and for others getting hurt. I hope we can pull her through this and any help you need I will be glad to give."

Mikala then went to fix something to eat as Allie and Wraith continued to make plans on how to get Morgan to the base safely.

Meanwhile, Morgan had woken after Wraith had left, her body beginning to become feverish with the infection that was setting in from something her father had dipped the nails into. Rising from the bed, she shakily made her way to the window again, her eyes giving off a faded glow as she called to the animals again to aid Tim, weakening herself even more. She didn't get far when she faltered, a sharp pain beginning in her side and legs. Looking down, she saw that she was seeping blood again, but found that she just couldn't find the strength to do anything about it when she collapsed, not having the strength to even stand.

Mikala, having felt the emotion and pain coming from Morgan, dropped the plate holding her toast and looked over at Wraith and Allie.

"Morgan.....she needs us."

Running into the bedroom, she saw Morgan laying on the floor underneath the window. She was conscious and there were red spots on the bandages on her legs and side. She looked up at Mikala, her eyes glazed from the infection that had begun.

"Have...to..help...Tim....keep...him....safe."

Mikala turned to Wraith, worry in her blue eyes.

"What in the hell did that bastard do to her?!'

Laying a hand on Morgan's forehead, Mikey shook her head, letting Wraith that a fever had started.

Jennifer Milan sat at the oversized solid cherry wood desk and stared out the window. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to tell her mind was elsewhere, which was unusual for the level headed executive. The buzz of her interoffice intercom system did little to break her daydreaming. Reaching over lazily and pressing the button, she spoke in a half interested voice.

“Yes?”

“Miss. Milan….Mr. Ortega is here to see you. He said it’s in reference to Monica Chatham.”

This DID get Jennifer’s attention and she spun the executive chair around to face the desk. A curious look was now in place of her far off look a few minutes ago.

“Well then…send him in please.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

“Abby….how many times do I have to tell you…..don’t call me Ma’am….”

Just as the door opened up a middle aged Hispanic looking man walked into Jennifer’s office, Abby’s voice came back on the speaker box.

“Yes, Ma….Miss Milan.”

“Good to see you again, Jorge.”

“Good to see you again as well, Jen….”

Jennifer stood up and walked around the desk to greet the man who gave her a pleasant smile. Gesturing to one of the large chairs in front of her desk, she sat in the one right next to him. She was dressed in a well tailored business suit that hugged her curves perfectly without being overly done. Her chestnut colored hair was, as usual, left long and hung in loose curls down past her shoulders. When she got settled in the chair, there seemed to be a definite twinkle in her brown eyes and the smile she wore was nothing less than beautiful with a hint of conspiracy to it.

“Since you’re here, I’m guessing I was right.”

Jorge Ortega nodded and chuckled softly.

“You couldn’t have nailed it any better.”

“I KNEW his curiosity would get the better of him.”

“What are you going to do now, Jen? Do you think he’ll be able to put two and two together to figure out who you are?”

Jorge had been Jennifer’s best friend since she was a little girl. When her folks passed away, Jorge promised them he would look out for her. When she grew into an adult, she told Jorge she wanted to return to the States, to the home that used to be her parents. Not that the Rain Forest wasn’t home to her anymore but she felt as though she could have done better things with her abilities. Of course it was just about the time she chose to return the Riggs Act was signed into law making her efforts all for naught.

As Jorge sat watching the wheels turn in Jennifer’s pretty head, he knew she was taking a huge risk. While he may not approve of it, he remained silent. He’d learned a long time ago that the minute you tell Jennifer Milan she CAN’T do something; she would go out of her way to prove she could. It was what he both loved about her and feared would be her downfall.

“No. He may be smart, but there are no strings he can follow that will connect Monica to me. Even if he does find that stupid picture of Monica on the internet. For all he knows, Monica is the Amazon, not me. And we’ll make sure it’s kept that way.”

“Are you going to go back to the penthouse like you said you would tonight?”

“You bet his sweet ass I am.”

“And if he’s there?”

Jennifer got up out of the chair and walked over to the window to look down at the busy streets of Chicago. As she watched the people coming and going on the sidewalks, in buses and cars, heard the muffled sirens and let her eyes drift skyward, she seemed to drift off again.

“Then I cross that bridge when I get to it but he won’t be there. She’s the wrong woman for him. Remember? He wouldn’t dare tarnish his polished reputation by coming within a ten yard radius of the Amazon. Unless it was to engage her as an adversary. He’s not ready to do that yet. He’s still trying to figure things out.”

“But what if he IS?”

Jennifer turned to face Jorge then and saw the worry on the man’s face. Her usual smile faded and she walked over to sit down next to him again. Patting his hand, she reassured him she would be fine.

“He won’t hurt me, Jorge. He owes me. He won’t do anything against me until his debt is paid. Once that’s done, then I’m fair game.”

Jorge thought she was being too nonchalant about it but didn’t say anything.

“Just promise me you’ll be careful, Jen. I promised your folks I’d look after you and I intend to make sure that I do.”

“I know, Jorge. And I love you for that. But I AM a grown woman now and I know my limitations. I won’t do anything foolish. I can’t risk getting caught. And neither can he. Now.”

Jennifer looked over at the television screen that kept replaying home video of the tornado that happened last night. Her brows furrowed and she asked Jorge a question as she looked at the screen.

“Tell me something, Jorge. Does that look like something a man like Wraith would let happen?”

Jorge studied the screen for a moment and furrowed his brows, shaking his head.

“I don’t like where this is going, Jen….”

Jennifer turned her head to look at Jorge, her brows still furrowed. Blinking, she turned on that dazzling smile and patted his hand again.

“It was just a question, Jorge….”

“You forget, I know you. You can’t go snooping around looking for clues as to whether Apex is involved or not. It’s too dangerous for you. You almost didn’t survive the last encounter with that man.”

Jennifer’s smile faded then and she looked back at the screen that had switched to a different news story. Standing back up, she walked over to the window again and this time searched the sky as if she were looking for something in particular.

“I know….but I couldn’t let him use those kids as a shield, Jorge. I may be a thief, but I’m no murderer. And those kids needed me to stand up to him for them. It was far better the school bus fell on me once I slowed it’s descent than let it be crushed by the impact with the ground from as high up as he let it go. Besides…who said anything about Apex?”

“You did, only you didn’t actually say his name. But I know that look and I don’t like it.”

Jennifer laughed softly, the sound filling the large office with merriment. Just then, the intercom buzzed once more. Getting up to walk around the desk, Jennifer hit the button.

“Yes, Abby?”

“Your eleven o’clock board meeting, Miss. Milan.”

Jennifer looked over at Jorge and gave an apologetic smile.

“On my way, Abby.”

As she picked up an executive folder, she walked past Jorge, who was standing now, and pecked his cheek affectionately.

“Don’t worry, Jorge. I know what I’m doing.”

Jorge waited until Jennifer was out of the room before he spoke again.

“That’s what terrifies me the most.”

Wraith scooped up Morgan in his arms and whisked her off the floor as if she were a paper doll. "She's burning up!" he exclaimed, feeling the heat radiating off of her, "We have to move now. Angel, give Cowboy a call and tell him we need a diversion." If anyone could create a diversion it was Cowboy, but when Allie cast him a disappointed look explaining that his phone was out of service, Wraith knew that they would have find another way.

After laying the girl back on the bed Wraith followed Allie's directions to her medicine cabinet and returned with some tylenol. He didn't bother asking if she had anything else in her system, since any extra would only assist in helping to temporarily lower her temperature. Gently raising her head he assisted her with a glass water then instructed her to try and remain calm.

Wraith slowly rose. "I don't have the strength to produce another tornado and even if I could it's an option I'll not use again for some time." He informed her and Mikala, then he looked out where Seizure was sitting, but he couldn't bring himself to throw her into a meat grinder a second time. He placed his hands on hips and stood pensively, his eyes focused on the floor as he considered their options. It dawned on him then that they could follow the sewer lines, if (and it was a big IF) RAID wasn't surveilling them.

"May I use your phone?" Wraith asked Allie as he shot out of the room and made a quick call to the base. He wasn't even sure who he got a hold of but it was all the same to him since all he wanted was someone to email the sewer schematics of the Green Street area to Angels home address. He then poked his head back into the room and requested that Angel access her email so that they could review the sewage system.

It didn't take Wraith long to pick their route. "There it is." he said pointing at the screen, "If we enter at this street we can avoid being seen, but we'll have to travel several blocks underground via indirect tunnels, and I can't be sure how easy the trek will be. We can rig up a stretcher and I'll need someone to help me carry the girl. Unless anyone else has a better idea, I'm open to suggestions."



Totem was pleased as well to learn that Wraith was okay. As annoying as the scientist could be, he was still one of them. He looked to Cowboy, his features illuminated by the golden hues of dawn, the determination and exhilaration evident and knew that all hell was about to break loose. Totem then staggered, and grabbed his temple. "It's Morgan again." he gasped, "The spirits of the animals within me can hear her, but she does not speak with words. Speech means nothing to animals and I can only understand that she and the others are going to try and get back to the base."

As Totem deciphered the message to Cowboy his eyes were changing from beast to beast, until he had to shut them tight and force the thoughts from his mind. "Shit!" he growled, "I thought cell phones were a pain in the ass!" Thankfully, though he learned that he could silence the telepathy by embracing his human side.

"So what does it mean?" Asked Totem, "Why would Morgan direct animals like that?"

Morgan couldn't quite understand why everyone was hovering over her, she only knew that someone had turned up the heat. She kept trying to throw the blanket off of her only to have Mikala or Allie cover her back up and shush her when she would weakly argue with them.

At one point, she had a lucid moment and knew that something was seriously wrong with her and she'd heard Allie say that she couldn't get a hold of Tim. This only threw Morgan into a panic and she would connect with various animals, trying to locate him, not knowing that she was advertantly connecting with Totem's spirit animals as well. When she focused onto a hawk at one point, her feverish state bled through unintentionally connecting to Totem's spirit hawk before she slipped back into her feverish state, losing her connection with the raptor.

Then she would chill, breaking out in cold sweats, shivering so hard Mikala and Allie were afraid her bones would shake out of her body. The infection had taken hold hard and quick, and within an a couple of hours of it starting, she was no longer strong enough to connect with anything and there would be a void felt within Totem's spirit animals.

By then, Allie and Mikala had made a stretcher using a blanket stretched tight between two of her long weight lifting poles and were ready whenever Wraith was. Allie had already updated Seizure and Kekoa and asked Seizure to take care of Shawn whether they came with them or not.

Scowling, Grey pulled over onto a deserted street, the meager streetlamps the only hint of gray breaking through the blackness of the middle of the night.

"Is THIS good?" he demanded, turning to frown at their acquired guest. The woman simply smiled, giving him a look that was half amused, half suggestive before she opened the door and leaned over to Grey, taking care to ensure he got a good look at her cleavage.

"Thanks for the ride," she said before nodding at Scavenger and getting out of the car. As soon as she shut the door, Greyson took off, puffing on a cigarette and shaking his head.

"F%*&in' bitches I swear to God..." he mumbled, turning on a hip-hop station and cranking up the volume. Scavenger just said "I hear ya man," before lighting his own cigarette and cracking a window. Glancing at the clock, Grey sighed. The sun would be up soon, the place was still crawling with RAID, and all the good parties would be wrapping up. Nothing better to do than go back and get some sleep. As they drove past an alley, Grey glanced down into the darkness then slammed on the breaks, his eyes wide. As they skidded to a stop, nearly fishtailing, Scavenger dropped his feet from the dashboard and rounded on him, his own eyes widened.

"JESUS F%($IN' CHRIST, GREY!" he cried, "what the f%#$ are you doing?!" Grey was holding his breath, his sharp eyes darting around in the shadows before he slowly got out of the car, his heart pounding as he drew his weapon. No. It couldn't be. That was impossible. As he moved with inhumanly silent steps, Grey crept up against the wall of a pitch dark building, listening to the two sets of soft footsteps as they approached from the alley. As Scavenger got out of the car and opened his mouth, Grey shot him a look of pure death and put a finger to his lips before he could make a sound. Sliding along the wall, Grey kept himself as hidden as he could around the other side of the wall and managed to look down the long, black alley, his meta vision cutting through the shadows and making out two sets of facial features. . . but it was one in particular that caught his eye.

When the face registered with the one in his mind, images of of his own blood splashing against the floor raced back, his insides ached, his ribs all but cracking again as he shifted. His heart pounded as the rage bubbled within him and he grit his teeth as his gray eyes blazed. In his erupting anger, the assassin lost control and before he could stop it, the words poured out of him. "REDNECK! F%*&ER! SON OF A BITCH!" His screams echoed through the empty street, startling even Scavenger. When he finally managed to hold back the rest, he swore voluntarily, knowing full well there was no way the men in the alley wouldn't have heard him. He didn't really care, however. His life was in ruins and the root of it all was strolling casually down an alley in a completely different city. Tossing his cigarette into the street, Grey rounded the corner, gun raised straight at Tim. "YOU!" he screamed, every ounce of bottled up rage exploding from him with an intentional scream. As the two men stopped, Grey's eyes were fiery above gritted teeth as he aimed the gun straight at his head. "Wrangler..." he hissed.

When Grey went ballistic and rounded the corner with his gun drawn at the two strangers, Scavenger stayed hidden. He then leaped into the air and used his molecular transformation ability to become a raven and flew up and over the building to get around behind whoever it was that his buddy had decided to knock off.



When Totem saw the lone gunman round the corner shouting an accusing "YOU!" at Cowboy, he froze. Silently he began to chant the song of the fleet fox to give him speed, but the guy already had them dead bang and it was just a matter of the mugger choosing which one of them to shoot. He thought of going for his knife, but he seriously doubted he would be able to throw it before the wild eyed man pulled his trigger. Totem definitely wasn't expecting to get mugged in an area swarming with cops and he immediately wondered if this guy wasn't after more than just some cash.

___________________________________________

The blue Cordoba slowly meandered through the winding roads of Oakwoods Cemetery and parked at a round about near the northwest corner. The morning light was just beginning to sift through the trees when Slate stepped out of the car and made his way to the grave site of Joanna Keys. As he drew closer to the freshly covered plot he curiously noted the flowers that had been laid before the dark granite headstone. They were fresh and the water in the encapsulating stem fountains were all full which meant that someone had just left them and even more disconcerting was the type of flowers that had been left behind. They were roses, thirteen of them to be precise, twelve blue and the thirteenth one was white, enshrouded by the others. Slate had seen the same arrangement appear in the control room at certain times in the year he had known her, but had never given much thought to the bouquet until that moment.

A man wearing a black trench coat and hat came into view in the distance when he moved out from behind a group of trees. He was walking away and might have just been out for a brisk stroll but Sigma's instincts told him otherwise. He sighed and apologetically shrugged his shoulders at the grave for his brief visit and gave chase.

As Slate pulled up his mask during the pursuit he lost sight of the man in black behind a crypt and as he close in could hear the sound of an engine starting. He sprinted around the corner, hoping to get a good look at the suspect but found himself running head on with the speeding vehicle as it peeled out purposely trying to hit him. Sigma leapt into the air and rolled, his back just grazing the roof of the dark blue sedan as it passed under him. The tail end of the car cleared out of the way as he descended allowing him to land on his feet with enough time to memorize the license plate number as the car sped away.

As the car wove its way through the cemetery, Sigma pulled out his PDA, connected to the Green Street base system and accessed the DMV records. He punched in the Illinois plate and found that it was registered to a one John Brown, and if that wasn't an alias if he ever saw one. Sigma then pulled up a map on the address and decided to pay Mr. Brown a visit, not that he believed he would find anything but because it was the only lead he had.

Tim heard the man shout and swear, he froze glaring at the man "Ah shit." Tim quickly reached over and grabbed Totem, he then concentrated ...... freezing time ..... Tim then reached in his jacket withdrew his two semi automatics slipped one into Totem's hand, shoved him behind a dumpster then Tim dove for the othe side of the alley, hitting the ground and rolling comming up on one knee behind the back of a parked car. Tim then leaned forward and he shouted to Totem "Watch yur ass, I figur this guy ain't alone, I heard two car doors shut." Tim then shouted at the man at the end of the alley. "Look yar hombre why don't ya just put the piece away and mosey along 'fore sumbody gets a belly full a lead." Tim then reached in the pocket of his jacket and removed two clips. He glaced quickly down at them and swore to himself. "Shit." Reached across himself, reached in his other jacket pocket and felt two more clips. "Shit Shit Shit" he swore to himself. Sliping the first two clips back into his pocket, Tim reached behind him and felt his .357 caliber, with a 4" barrel, revolver in his belt holster.

Tim muttered to himself "We git outa this, ya neded ta go shoppin Tim. Thars gots ta be a sportin'oods place round har somewhere."

Sasha sat on top of the old building, watching the happenings down below in the alley. She'd been up here collecting her thoughts after seeing the tornado go rogue the way it did. That had spooked her and she needed to figure out what it was and what if anything, she could do about it.

She watched as the man dressed in black turned into a raven and positioned himself behind the two men in the middle of the alley while the other came at them with gun drawn, neither of the two men knowing that he was there.

Shaking her head, her eyes turned black as she called to the flies in the area, causing them to swarm. She would have called to the hornets and bees, but it was only May and she knew that they were trying to do damage control on there hives before their larvae hatched. So, she used the flies, they could be quite annoying when maneuvered correctly.

She watched as a large swarm of flies split apart, forming two swarms, each with enough flies within to make it look like a large, black cloud about 3 feet wide and 2 feet thick. She mentally maneuvered one swarm to the man with the gun at one of the alley and the other to the raven man at the other end, giving the two pinned down a fighting chance. She just hated it when someone cheated like the raven man did. It just wasn't right.

Laughing, she watched as the two began swatting at the biting flies, unable to do much except swing their arms.

Even Grey's sharp eyes blinked in confusion when the man suddenly disappeared and shouted from behind a parked car a ways away from him. In his anger, he hadn't paused to consider that the man was not only a meta, but Grey had no idea what his abilities were. Before he had time to consider it, however, a swarm of flies descended on him, unyielding, even as he swatted at them.

"What the f%*$... Scav!" he called, but upon squinting through them, found his friend struggling in a similar situation. The other guy with Wrangler must have been a meta... Slamming himself against the wall in hopes of crushing some of the flying irritants, Grey pressed his lips firmly together and turned toward the direction in which Tim's voice had come. Squinting through the swarm, he pointed his gun in the same direction and swiped at the flies again. "Whe..." he spat as a few flies threatened to fill his mouth, "where the f%*& are you, you ... you bastard?!" Grey screamed. He took a quick glance in the other direction looking for the one he figured was controlling the insects but he wanted to keep an eye on the one he knew was closer. Crushing a few flies in his hand, Grey left the other one up to Scavenger and continued to stalk Tim, his gun drawn.

Seeing that things were now more on an even playing field, now that she had drawn attention to the guy that had snuck around to their backs, Sasha stood up, gave a mock salute to the two crouching men down below. She wasn't sure if they saw her or not, but she didn't let it bother her as she sauntered off to the other side of the roof to climb down the fire escape on that side and go steal something to eat, disappearing into the fray of the city.

Totem had no idea what the hell had just happened. Time suddenly seemed to freeze around him and the gunman yet Cowboy continued to move. He pushed a gun into his hand then shoved him behind a dumpster and as he hit the ground time seemed to catch up and he could move once more.

Totem, quickly checked the clip in his gun then cocked it as Cowboy warned him that the gunman may not be alone. He quickly peeked around the dumpster, to check the position of the irate man and was surprised to him flaying away as a cloud of flies descended upon him. "What the hell?!" he exclaimed as he cast Cowboy a confused look. "Didn't think flies got that thick in the city." he mentioned and had a little bit of a laugh at the gunman's expense. Both of the men were then alerted by the slaps and screams of another at the other end of the alley.



Dancing around, flailing his arms about him, was a young man with multi-coloured spiked up hair, dressed in the black leather garb of a punk-rocker. "Jeeeezuuus, %&$*ing Christ!" he screamed, pulling up his collar and darting about in an erratic pattern.

Totem could see that he was plagued as well by a hoard of flies. He aimed his gun, but then lowered it. Seeing that the young man wasn't carrying any weapons and wasn't fairing to well with the insects he didn't have the heart to shoot the sneaky little bugger. In fact he actually felt a little sorry for the punker as he felt that if he had not been plagued by a freak swarm of bugs, they would have had one hell of a fight. With the spirit of the fox within him, Totem was confident that he would have sensed the man's approach and if not, it would have been a good death. Guess either way he'd never know if the black clad villain had any sand as he ran away down the alley, then magically his dark silhouetted form transformed into a raven that flew away into the night.

The raven, Scavenger out flew the swarm of flies but he could still smell them pursuing. He knew someone set the insects on he and Grey and when they found them, they'd pray for death after they were done with them. Circling around, he headed back to the other side of the alley to provide Grey with some support, but he wasn't exactly one for direct confrontation. Exposed, he wasn't as confident since he didn't carry any firearms and as a knife fighter he'd have to wait for the an opportunity to engage in hand to hand combat. The battle seemed to be turning into a gun battle and it wasn't the sort of fight he was any good in.

As Scavenger landed, the flies seemed to finally respond to Grey's flailing and eventually flew off. Spitting on the ground as though concerned one may have found its way into his mouth, he paused, his muscles tensed as he got his bearings and held back some overwhelming tics bubbling within him. His teeth were clenched as he stared in the direction of Tim's voice.

"Get the f%*& out here and fight like a man!" Grey shouted, his voice slightly choked as he tried to speak only voluntary words.

Scavenger transformed and put his back to the wall outside of the alley. "Goddam flies." he cursed, grimacing as he pulled a dead fly from his hair, "I &%$#ing hate bugs!"

A few feet away, Grey stood in the mouth of the alley listening to his partner bitch and complain as he taunted the man he knew as Wrangler to come out and face him in the open.

"The second guys, native." Informed Scavenger in a low voice, "He's probably the one that set flies on us! I think he's some kind of &$#^ing witch doctor or something!"

Scavenger then popped back some 'ecstasy' and pulled out his two gleaming curved blades. "I would have had the other guy if he wouldn't have set those flies on me! I couldn't see shit!" he apologized.

The sun was getting higher and the light was starting to filter into the alley. Even with his dark sun glasses, Scavenger's eyes were beginning to pain him and already his vision was becoming cloudy from all the ultraviolet radiation that was bombarding them. "Better make this fast, Grey. Once that &$#^ing sun is up I can't &$#^ing see a thing!"

Wraith took one end of the stretcher away from Mikala and smiled politely. "This is going to be dangerous." he told her, "Best you stay here." He then looked over at the woman with the telekinetic and telepathic abilities. "Seizure." he called, "You and Kekoa, come with us. I need you to help me carry the stretcher after Angel drops us off and from what I've heard about your friends abilities he can watch our backs. What d'ya say Kekoa? Once we're back at the base I'll be able to keep a closer eye on your wound as well."

Wraith then looked to Flaming Angel. "You need to get us to Fulton Market and Racine, that's where we can enter the sewers, hopefully without being spotted. Remember we can't attract any attention to ourselves and if we are seen and pursued we can't let RAID or the police suspect that we frequent the area." He explained, "Once we're out all you have to do then is get out of the area and wait for our call."