Canada's Elite

[Lt Storm]

Chapter 26

A few blocks away in a hotel room Anaconda watches the old factory building burn. A scared Rattlesnake and one Serpent Guard sit on the bed. Ana’s hair cut shoulder length now with a black mask hiding her mouth, and wearing her new uniform, navy blue shirt and pants, a red vest with black Kevlar armour, red knee pads and gloves and black boots with red trim. “The Joe’sss essscaped the building.”
“Too bad.” Rattlesnake remarks.
“For you.” Anaconda snarls at the scientist. “Our men, save one, did not make it out.”
“Pity. I guess we’ll have to call in for more.”
“No.” Anaconda motions for them to follow her out. “We rendezvous with the team in Chatham; the Joe’sss will be heading their nexsst.” They head down the hall towards the stairwell, bypassing the elevators.
“How do you know?”
“I left them a clue. Ssstorm will die in hisss home town.”
“I thought we were just destroying my underground lab?” Rattlesnake asks following Anaconda down the stairs.
“We did, Archaic wasss transssported to another location.”
“What?”
“Major Fear wantsss them asss far away from our new home asss posssible. He found it fitting to have Ssstorm’sss lassst ssstand to be in hisss home town.” They three exit into the back parking lot where a black Hummer sits.
“So the three of us are supposed to eliminate all those Joe’s?”
“No, only one.” Anaconda says nodding for the trooper to drive as she and Rattlesnake climb into the back.
“So why does Major Fear have such a hard-on for Lt Storm anyway?”
“Lieutenant Colonel.”
“What?” Rattlesnake looks at Anaconda puzzled.
“It isss Lt Colonel Ssstorm now.”
“See that is what I mean, Fear knows everything about that man, why?”
“They go back, further than what the Lieutenant Colonel realizesss.”
“Like what, he’s his biological father?”
Anaconda laughs, a laugh that makes Rattlesnake cringe at his work. Like hearing snakes laugh if they could. “No, nothing like that. Apparently he onssse told a ssstory to a woman, he sssaid it wasss mainly a true account, ssshe thought he wasss lying.”
“He wasn’t?”
“Not entirely.”
“What was this story?”
“He won’t tell.”
Rattlesnake huffs as he crosses his arms. “That man has too many secrets.”
“And you do not?” Anaconda lowers her snake like eyes at him, placing her hand on her mask.
“Mine were exposed.”
“Not all.”
The scientist glares at Anaconda wondering what she knows. He does have many secrets, ones that their leader is on to but has not yet discovered. Those the Major does know about are being decimated by his own surgical hands. He looks out the window contemplating his fate.

High above the clouds in a Globemaster the Canada’s Elite field team gets some rest. Afterburner looks for Storm, finding him sleeping in the cockpit behind the pilot. She kneels down next to him gently shaking his arm. “Hey sleepy head.”
“Huh?” Storm blinks his eyes open rubbing them gently. “Are we there yet?”
Afterburner laughs giving him a kiss on the forehead. “Almost. You wanted me to wake you so you could address the team. They are all in the mobile base.”
“Oh right.” Storm gets up from his seat and heads to the rear compartment where their vehicles are tightly strapped down. The two head into the mobile base where Hightower is sitting at the computer working away, the rest of the team all crowded inside either in a chair or sitting on the floor. “What’s the four-one-one?”
Hightower spins his wheel chair around to face Storm. “The blood on the newspaper clipping is Archaic’s, other than that there is little to go on.”
“We need to figure out where they are holding Archaic.”
Night Spotter sits with Archaic’s vest in his hands looking it over with his imaging goggles. “I wish I was more help but I’m coming up with nothing.”
“Cobra must have a base there, somewhere.” Fallout says.
“Yeah, but where? We cleaned them up awhile ago*. All our home towns were supposed to be wiped.” Target adds. (*Referring to the sweeping they did after WWIII)
“Apparently we either didn’t get them all or Major Fear has been working hard to establish new ones.” Storm looks at the computer screen which has a map of his home town.

Not far behind on a private jet Anaconda, Rattlesnake and the last guard sit in silence not having much to say to each other, which annoys Rattlesnake. He hates silence unless he is working. “Guardsman, what is your name?”
“I do not have one Sir.”
“Stuff that bull, you had one what was it?” He asks again a bit annoyed. “Clements, Dodger Clements.”
“Dodger? That is an odd name.”
“My dad was a fan of the Dodgers team Sir.”
“I see. What is your specialty?”
“I’ve been trained in all standard issue firearms, basic military combat, and explosives.”
“Excellent, so you are useful after all. Isn’t that the one thing we lack, a good explosives expert?”
“Major Fear isss an exsspert in that field.” Anaconda informs Rattlesnake.
“Yes, but do you see him now?” Rattlesnake turns to the guardsman. “You do well here and I will see to it that you are made a full fledge member of the Serpent Squad.”
“Yes Sir.” The guardsman says with excitement to his voice.
Anaconda crosses her arms and huffs, amused at the fact that Rattlesnake thinks he has any kind of pull with Major Fear.
“I’m sure Anaconda will be more than happy to back me on this.” The scientist grins at her.
“We’ll sssee.” She hisses.
The pilot’s voice comes over the speaker. “We have to circle the airport; they have a large military plane that is making a landing.”
“The Joe’s no doubt, excellent.” Rattlesnake smiles.

Aboard the Globemaster the Joe team change into civilian clothes as the plane taxi’s to a stop. “Alright, the General has arranged for some civilian transportation for us. Target, Dragon, Navy, you are with me. Afterburner, Night Spotter, High Tower, you three will go to the building where the newspaper offices are now. Check the place out while we go to the old building site. We have six hours of daylight left let’s make good use of them.”
“Yes Sir.” The team all chimes.
“Fallout, you know what you are to do.”
Fallout nods as he heads to the Dragonhawk helicopter.
“What about our vehicles?” Hightower asks.
“We leave them aboard the Globemaster; there will be a local regimen here to guard the plane. I doubt Cobra will try anything; they’ll want to remain as low key as we do. We’ll come back for them later.” Storm says as he lowers the loading ramp. They are greeted by one of the employees at the airport and led to their rental cars. Storm stops dead for a moment looking at a red Dodge SX 2.0.
“Sir? You okay?” Night Spotter asks.
“Yeah, no I’m fine it’s just, that’s the first car I ever bought, exact right down to the afterburner tail lights and rear spoiler.”
“I take it we are taking the black sedan then.” Afterburner smiles. “Turner, can you give Tim a hand getting in?”
“Yes ma’am.” Night Spotter nods.
“So what are we looking for?”
“Anything.” Storm answers. “Whatever might give us a clue as to Matthew’s whereabouts, and pray we find him alive.” He looks up seeing the private jet that the three Serpent Squad members are aboard coming in for a landing. “And with as little notice as possible.”



Fourth Street, Chatham Ontario, the old site of the local newspaper.
“They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.” Target jokes.
“Very funny, there was supposed to be condos going up here.” Storm grunts taking out a pair of goggles that Night Spotter gave them. “Take a look around see if you can find anything. We’re being lead on a scavenger hunt for some reason, they may have planted clues for us to find.”
“Like that one?” Navy points to a Cobra emblem attached to neighbouring building.
“Yes, like that one.” Storm heads over followed by the others, Target and Dragon taking a look around for anyone suspicious. Storm cycles through the different settings on the goggles. “There’s something under it.”
Navy takes the goggles from Storm as they are handed to her and looks it over. “I don’t see anything connected. It’s just a sticker with what looks like a USB driver under it.” She pulls out a knife from her pocket and cuts around where the driver is, removing it. “How are we going to read this?”
“Easy.” Storm walks over to the car pressing the trunk button on the remote lock popping it open. He lifts the trunk revealing a duffle bag inside and unzips it. Inside are several standard issue military firearms and a small mini laptop. Storm removes the laptop and opens it up turning the power on. It requests a password and Storm types in his SN gaining access. Navy hands him the USB that he inserts into one of the drives.
“How did you know that stuff was in here?” Navy asks.
“I’m psychic.” He jokes. “The General told me.”
“Oh.” Navy says feeling kind of dumb she asked. “So, what do we have?”
“Coded messages, we’ll need Hightower to decipher them.”
“Which building are they in?” Dragon asks.
“That one.” Storm points towards a main intersection with traffic lights and the local downtown mall. “The one on the corner adjacent from the mall.”
“Oh, the one with someone on the roof? Target adds.
“What?”
Navy grabs a pair of binoculars out from the duffle bag and peers through them. “It’s Rattlesnake...and...oh my god...he’s waving.”
Storm grabs a pair of Sig22m pistols from the bag. “Everyone gear up and let’s go.” Storm places a com device in his ear activating it. “Julie, do you copy?”
“Yes.” She responds quietly.
“Rattlesnake is on the roof, we’re on our way, armed.”
“Armed?”
“Did you not check the trunk?”
“I...didn’t think we’d encounter opposition.” She replies
“Wait for us.” Storm says a bit disappointed that Afterburner used such poor judgement.

Up on the roof of the office building Anaconda hisses at Rattlesnake. “What are you doing?”
“Just waving at some friends.” He answers flipping up a small microscope that is attached to his glasses, which also works well as a magnifying glass.. “We should have company very soon.”
“Maybe sooner than you think.” The blonde guardsman responds over the Serpent Squads com link. Downstairs he stands with his gun pointed at the three Joes. “I have some guests who will be joining us.” He ushers them to the stairwell pulling Hightower from his wheelchair, kicking it aside and pressing the gun hard into his side. “Try anything stupid and the cripple here dies. Oh, and drop your com devices.” The guardsman orders.
Afterburner frowns as she removes the device from her ear, dropping it to the floor. “Where are you taking us?”
“To the roof you dumb slut, where else?”
“Hey!” Night Spotter snaps as the guardsman forces his gun harder into Hightower.
“You have something to say?”
“...No.” He growls looking back at Afterburner, not happy with the Cobra’s choice of words towards her.
“Everyone in, let’s go, no more stalling.” The guardsman orders them.

On the street Storm and his team make their way down the sidewalks, having overheard what has just happened. Navy glances at Storm, who she can tell is pissed off. “You okay?”
“She screwed up.”
“None of us expected a confrontation.”
“Always expect the unexpected. We are vulnerable here, our enemies know that. They don’t have the same reservations we do about public exposure. It was stupid.”
Target grabs Storm’s arm stopping him. “Hey, calm down. Everyone messes up, what we need to do is focus on saving them without anyone getting harmed.”
“He’s right.” Dragon adds. “I know she’s your girlfriend and you are worried about her, but that is no reason to come down on her.”
“You’re right; I shouldn’t expect everyone to be as paranoid as I am.”
“I didn’t mean that Sir.”
Navy shakes her head and smiles at Dragon. “He’s making fun of himself.”
“Oh.”
“Come on.” Storm smirks continuing on towards the office building.

Rattlesnake greets the three Joe’s motioning for them all to stand near the north edge of the building. “Welcome, it is nice to meet some of you in person. We never really had a chance to back at our Boothia headquarters, when you destroyed my creation.”
“What’s he talking about?” Night Spotter whispers to Afterburner.
“I am talking about one of the greatest genetic creations to ever grace the face of this planet.” Rattlesnakes boasts.
“An abomination is what it was, a disgusting perverted...” Afterburner mocks.
Rattlesnake pounces on Afterburner gripping her by the neck and thrusting her towards the ledge. “Nothing about my work is perverted!”
“Rattlesssnake, ssstand down!” Anaconda shouts. “Now.”
The scientist looks back at his teammate, and then glares back at Afterburner letting her go and stepping back. “Sorry, I am very passionate about my work.” He says straightening his black and red trimmed jacket.
Hightower looks up at Afterburner who is rubbing her neck. “What is up with that woman’s voice?” He whispers.
“I don’t know, she looks like Anaconda but something is different about her.”
“Ssstop your whissspering.” Anaconda snaps.
“You really aren’t going to make us jump from here? This building isn’t tall enough to kill us.” Night Spotter says looking over the edge, seeing Storm and the others enter the building.
“No, but it will injure you, badly.” The guardsman replies.

Below the rest of the team enter the stairwell, cautiously scanning for traps as they ascend, Navy taking the lead. “You do realize they will be waiting for us when we get up there.”
“Yes I know.” Storm replies.
“So what’s the plan?” Target asks.
“There isn’t one. We just go up there and let happen what happens.”
“Sounds like fun.” Dragon adds.
“I’m just glad you didn’t make us carry Hightower’s wheelchair.” Target jokes.
“What good would that have done, he can’t ride it down.” Storm says. “Besides, guess who just offered to carry him down.” He smirks.
“Dammit.”
“Shh.” Navy whispers as they get closer to the roof access. She nods at Storm who nods back, switching the safety off on his guns, the rest copying his actions. Navy uses her finger to countdown from three as they burst through the door. “Free...ze...?” They look around only seeing their three teammates tied together on the ledge, a box duct taped to Afterburner’s hands.
“Where are the Cobra’s?” Dragon asks.
“There.” Target points to three objects in the sky escaping on jet packs.
“Julie...what are you holding?” Storm inquires.
“I...I’m not sure, it’s not ticking or anything.”
“Oh my god, like bombs tick anymore, that’s just for drama on TV.” Navy says checking the box over. “It looks like...a jack in the box.” Navy reaches for the handle as it begins to turn.
“NO WAIT!” Storm shouts.



“Dragon, Target, help us pull them from the ledge.” Storm orders as the four pick the three of them up and sit them safely on the roof, the jack in the box still chiming away.
“Oh god...is this going to...is it a bomb?” Afterburner asks.
“I...I don’t know.” Navy says nervously, trying to cut the tape from Afterburner’s hands without cutting her teammate.
“How much longer?” Storm inquires.
“I don’t...” Navy pauses as the music stops then lurches back as the box springs open. Afterburner lets out a bit of a scream turning her head away and closing her eyes. She exhales realizing she is still in one piece and slowly looks back at the box, a gross puppet likeness of Golobulus springing about.
“What the hell is that?” Night Spotter inquires.
“A reminder of something we fought and destroyed.” Storm says looking over the puppet. He glances at Afterburner giving her a smile. “You okay?”
“Yeah.”
“Good.” Storm looks back at Dragon and Target who are snickering. “What do the two of you find so funny.”
“It’s just a toy.” Dragon replies.
“Have to admit it is kind of funny since everyone thought it was a bomb.” Target adds.
“It isn’t funny.” Storm says sternly. “Not funny at all.”
“Yes Sir.” The two young Joe’s say in unison.
“Untie Hightower and the two of you get him downstairs to his wheelchair.”
“Yes Sir.” Both say, Dragon taking Navy’s knife and cut their teammates free.
“It’s holding something.” Storm realizes taking a piece of folded up paper from the puppets hands and opens it up.
“What does it say?” Navy asks helping Night Spotter free.
“You two drop me and I’ll beat your asses.” Hightower says as Target and Dragon head down the stairwell with him.
“It has an address written on it, but it makes no sense. Four, One, One, Three, Tecumseh Park. That’s not the address of the park.” Storm looks out over the city towards the park.
“Wait...its four, one, thirteen, d, a, m.” Night Spotter says. “A numeric alpha code.”
“The dam that is in the park.” Storm adds.
“There’s a dam in this little town?” Navy remarks.
“City Navy, Chatham is classed as a city. And yes there is. It controls the flow of water into the river.”
“Okay, so what does the jack in the box have to do with any of that?” Afterburner asks, trying not to scream as she pulls the duct tape from her hands. “I am so going to tape Rattlesnakes mouth shut when next we meet, see how he likes it.”
Storm gives Afterburner a smile knowing she’ll do just that. “He’s calling us a bunch of fools.” Storm drops the box to the ground and stomps on the puppet. “They have led us on a wild goose chase. Let’s get to the dam.”

Several blocks away, the three Cobra Serpent Squad members streak across the sky getting looks from below.
“What now?” The guardsman asks.
“We make one last stop. I have a lab here that we must destroy.” Rattlesnake replies, a hint of despair to his voice.
“You don’t sssound happy about that.”
“No I am not Anaconda.” He grunts.

Tecumseh Park, Navy, Night Spotter and Lt Storm examine the small control station for the dam. The rest of the team all take point around the park watching for enemy troops.
Night Spotter taps on the door getting an odd look from Storm. “What? Someone could be in there.”
“No one comes here except for maintenance.”
“I don’t see anything suspicious, looks clean. Door is locked though and it seems like someone was recently here.” Navy points to drag marks on the concrete that lead under the door.
“Well, let’s see what is inside.” Night Spotter says pulling a set of lock picks from his pocket. Within seconds he has the locks popped and the door open.
“Oh my god.” Navy gasps.
Storm rushes in to Archaic, who is lying motionless on the floor. He taps the com device in his ear. “Base do you read me?”
“Loud and clear boss, go ahead.” Feedback’s voice responds.
“We need Medic here ASAP, we found Matthew.”
“She’s already en route. I sent her and Dust Off when the other three got captured. I was afraid they might have been injured.” General Phoenix’s voice relays. “How is he?”
Storm carefully checks Archaic’s pulse. “He’s alive, badly beaten.” He looks around the room. “Not sure how long ago, there is no signs of blood or a struggle on premise. This was done somewhere else...wait...” Storm notices a piece of paper sticking out of Archaic’s back pocket.
“Another note?” Navy comments. “What is this, high school?” She rolls her eyes as she exits the building to fetch Target.
Storm unfolds it to find another address.
“What do you make of it?” Night Spotter inquires.
“I’m not sure, I doubt Archaic wrote it.”
“Do we check it out?”
“No, not you.” General Phoenix says over their com. “Night Spotter is to return to headquarters with Medic, Dust Off, Fallout and Afterburner.”
“What?”
“I’m sorry Lieutenant Colonel but after her slip up earlier I want her back her for evaluation. Fallout is not a member of your field team; I want him back at base.”
“What evaluation? She made a simple mistake. Night Spotter says, I need him on my team and Fallout is out on a recon mission.”
“We are not going to discuss this. They are both to return to base, end of discussion.” Phoenix snaps. “Over and out.”
Target looks at Storm as he enters the building seeing the anger on his face. “Sir?”
“Do what you can for Archaic until Medic gets here.” Storm says exiting the station to give Target more room. He heads through the park to find Hightower who is in the center garden near the pond. “I need you to check this address out, I know the street just not the exact location.” Storm says handing him the piece of paper he retrieved from Archaic’s pocket.
“I can’t, when that Cobra scum bag kicked over my wheel chair he damaged my systems.” Hightower shakes his loose monitor and taps the cracked screen. “Even the remote system is out, that’s why I’ve been wheeling myself around.”
“Then you head back to the airport and use the mobile base computer.” Storm looks off in the distance at Afterburner who is looking right back at him with a sorry expression on her face. “I’ll have Afterburner take you. Get your chair fixed up and find out what you can about this address. Contact Fallout, tell him once he is done that he is to head back to base.”
“What about Night Spotter?”
“He stays, I don’t give a sh!t what she says, she’s leaving us a man down. I’m keeping our new recruit to make up for it.
“Yes Sir.” Hightower smirks.



Cobra Serpent Squad Headquarters, Major Fear stands in the center of the command center looking around at his troops. Each of them working on something different, either monitoring Anaconda and her team, security for the base, activity from other secret locations, working on recruitment, or several other on going projects. Lt Graves enters and walks up next to Major Fear.
“I see you are walking much better.”
“Yes, I am. The doctors have said I am fully healed and ready for battle.” Graves informs his commander, appreciative over the interest in his well being.
“Good.”
“Sir, we have communication from Anaconda.” A trooper interrupts.
“Excellent, right on time. Go ahead Anaconda.”
“The package hasss been delivered and we are at the lassst fasssility.”
“What of the Joe’s?”
“I exssspect them sshhortly.”
“Keep an eye on Rattlesnake, I don’t want him sneaking anything off, everything gets destroyed in that place, understood?”
“Underssstood. Anaconda out.”
Fear looks over at Graves who has an uneasy expression on his face. “Something bothering you?”
“No, just...her voice now. It creeps me out.”
“Yes, the hissing does take some getting used to.”
“She’s like a female Cobra Commander.” Grave’s remarks.
Fear chuckles. “Yes, that she does.”

The Joe team pulls up in their QA-ATV and RHINO to an old factory building. They exit their vehicles dressed in full battle gear.
“Someone needs to trim the weeds.” Navy remarks.
“The factory closed down several years ago and part of it was converted into a hall which didn’t last long and has sat empty since.” Storm explains. “The building records show no basement, and only one floor throughout the entire structure. Part of it was torn down when the factory closed.”
“Looks like someone still takes care of it though.” Target points out noting the boarded up windows and fresh paint, where there is more than likely graffiti under.
“It was purchased a while back, more than likely by a Cobra subsidiary.”
“So what’s the plan?” Night Spotter asks.
“We blow the doors off the place and arrest whoever is inside.” Storm says.
“I like that idea.” Navy smiles.
“Have Target assist you in checking for explosives, Night Spotter, Red Dragon you two are with me.” Storm says as he heads towards the building.
“I’m reading four heat signatures and one faint one. They seem to be in the center of the building.” Spotter informs his commander.
“So we just going to knock first?” Dragon jokes.
“Nope.” Storm grabs a small rocket launcher hanging from his back and takes aim.
Dragon looks over at Night Spotter. “I like it when he’s in this kind of mood.”

At the RHINO Navy retrieves a device that she may need hearing the explosion from Storm’s rocket launcher. Target looks over with a worried expression on his face.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, Navy.”
“Spill it or I set some C4 in your mouth.”
“I don’t like it when Storm goes all Batman on us.”
Navy laughs and shakes her head. “You geek.”
“You get what I mean though? He gets way too serious and almost darker.”
“His girlfriend was forced to go back to base to get chewed out by our new General, and we found Archaic beaten so badly he’s in a coma.” Navy heads towards the building with Target following her. “He’s pissed off and I don’t blame him.”

Inside the Cobra team feel the blast of the main doors being blown off. Rattlesnake looks over at Anaconda who has already ushered the new member of their team out, who they had recently met up with. “He’sss going to head off the team. Thisss, thisss getsss dessstroyed.” Anaconda says referring to the body in the vat.”
“Why?”
“Becaussse we were ordered too.” Anaconda hisses at the scientist. She arms the explosives they had already set around the room.
“We already levelled that facility.”
“None of your...exssperimentsss are to live.”
Dodger leans over to Rattlesnake. “Her eyes...”
“Yes I know full well her eyes are different, it is a result of the DNA...”
“No, not that. Even with them altered, don’t you see it?”
Rattlesnake watches Anaconda as she works making eye contact with her. “Yes I see what you mean. She looks as though she has a death wish.”

Outside of the makeshift lab the three Joe’s rush in taking cover behind support pillars.
“WELCOME G.I.JOE’S!!” A voice booms. “Welcome to your death.”
“Drop your weapons; there is no way any of you are leaving here alive.” Storm shouts.
“What makes you think we want to?”
“You snakes are cowards! You talk tough but run away when the going gets rough.” Storm taps his com, lowering his voice. “Spotter, you have a visual on this guy?”
“Yes Sir...he...he looks like Archaic.” Spotter replies.
“What?”
“Sending you a visual.” He taps a few buttons on his more advanced goggles transmitting the image to Storm’s goggles. “Sir?”
Storm taps another button on his com device that links him to the headquarters. “Storm to base, do you read me?”
“Yes Sir, loud and clear.” Feedback responds.
“Spotter is going to send you and image of a new Cobra agent; I want you to run an I.D on him.”
“Roger.”
Storm looks over at Night Spotter giving him a nod, then tosses a smoke grenade out into the room. “I’m giving us cover; I want a spray of fire to force him back into the lab.”
“Happy to.” Dragon replies, ready for when Storm gives him the word.
“Upload sent.” Spotter relays to Storm.
“Good, smoke is up.”
“This won’t help you Joe’s, I don’t care what I hit.” The Cobra shouts.
“Neither do we!” With that the three Joe’s fill the smoke with gun fire.
The Cobra Agent ducks down scurrying for cover. “I like you Joe’s!” He laughs firing back as he heads back to the lab. “COBRA!” He shouts.

“What the hell is going on out there?” Rattlesnake panics. “We need to get out of here, now.”
“We will.” Anaconda sneers. “Trooper, go aid our trigger happy friend.”
“Yes ma’am.” The trooper heads towards the doorway, taking cover and firing at the Joe’s. “Dune, where are you?”
“Right here.” The Cobra says ducking behind the door. “These guys want us dead.” The new agent dressed in navy blue pants with a navy bandana around his head and orange tinted goggles. A harness is strapped to his bare chest with a small backpack attached to it. His hair a burnt orange in colour with well tanned skin.
“After what you did to your brother, I don’t blame them.”
“Then this should be fun.” Dune grins. “Wonder who will win?”



Outside the old factory, Navy tunes the device she retrieved from the RHINO, Target paces back and forth hearing the gunfire inside. “What are you doing?” He asks with his weapon ready.
“Checking for a transmission signal for a remote detonation. With us here I doubt the Cobra’s will risk using a timer and not getting out in time. If I can find that signal I can jam it.”
“Cool, you got it yet?”
“No.” Navy says with a frown. “It’s starting to worry me.”

Inside the Joe’s continue their showdown with the Serpent Squad Cobra Agents.
“This is getting us nowhere.” Storm grunts placing his two Sigs into their holsters on the back of his belt and arming his rocket launcher.
“Are you crazy, you’ll bring the building down on us.” Spotter says.
“This rocket launcher also has a grenade launcher.”
“Like that’s any better?” Dragon gawks.
“They are smoke grenades, just cover me.”
“Right.”
Storm moves out from behind his pillar to take aim at the lab, Spotter and Dragon firing at the entry way to keep the two Cobra’s from firing back. Storm fires two smoke grenades at the windows of the lab, and then ducks back behind the pillar putting on his respirator. The other two Joe’s following his lead.

“Oh my god...” Rattlesnake panics. “Grenades!”
“Thossse are sssmoke grenadesss you moron.” Anaconda hisses. “Let’sss get out of here, you mussst have an emergensscy exssit.”
“Yes.” Rattlesnake coughs as the smoke begins to fill the room.
“Come on you two.” Anaconda orders.
“Just one last thing.” The trooper pulls a grenade from his backpack and lobs it at the Joe’s. It trails smoke behind it like a tail as it comes out from the cloud hitting the floor and bounces.
“Son of a...” Storm grunts noticing Dragon diving for the grenade. “NO!” He watches as the young man scoops up the explosive, moving fluidly as he tosses it out a nearby window and ducks for cover. The grenade explodes sending shards of glass inside from the blast and dust from the wall and parts of loose drywall from the ceiling.

“No...” Target gasps running towards the sound of the explosion.
“Wait...that was...” Navy sighs. “From outside. Dammit kid.” She groans as Target keeps running.
Target races inside the building finding the other three in one piece and unharmed. “I...I heard an explosion.”
“Yes you did.” Storm says coldly. “Dragon here nearly lost his arm tossing an enemy grenade out the window.”
“I had lots of time.” Dragon boasts.
“You didn’t know that. Come on, they stopped firing back.” Storm heads for the lab with the three close behind. They take cover just outside the lab, smoke still billowing out.
“I don’t hear anything.”
“I know Spotter, that’s what worries me.”
“Should we tell them to come out with their hands up, Sir?” Target suggests talking through his pulled up collar to filter the smoke.

The four Serpent Squad agents exit the building coughing from the small amount of smoke they inhaled. Rattlesnake hits a remote device that destabilizes a light reflecting camo tarp that is covering a small passenger helicopter.
“Ingenious device.” Dune comments.
“Thank you. You two remove the tarp and let’s get out of here before the Joe’s spot us.” He says to Dune and the trooper.
“Oncsse we are in the air I’ll detonate the explosssivesss.” Anaconda activates the device, arming the bombs.
“FREEZE!” Navy shouts firing at the Cobra’s, and taking cover from the side of the factory.
“Trooper, pin her down!” Rattlesnake orders.

Inside the Joe team hears the gunfire from outside.
“Navy, where are you?” Storm says over their com link.
“I’m pinned at the southeast corner of the building. They have a helicopter.”
“Hold tight we’re on our way.”
“You better hurry; they are boarding it and ready to fly.”
“Dragon, keep breaking windows, get the smoke out of here. Target, Spotter, follow me.” Storm orders racing out of the lab and pulling off his respirator.

“Sssay goodbye to your teammatesss, Navy.” Anaconda hisses with glee, hanging out of the helicopter to show the remote detonator in her hand.
“NO!!” Navy screams revealing herself and dropping her weapon. “I surrender, take me.”
“HA! Kill four Joe’sss or take one? Eazzy choissse” Anaconda laughs as she presses the button, her laughter quickly ceasing. “What?”
Navy grins glancing down at the jammer on her belt. She slides her foot under her rifle flipping it up into the air, catching it and firing at the helicopter.
“Get usss out of here Rattlesssnake.” Anaconda says ducking back inside as the trooper and Dune fire back at Navy.
“GET OUT OF THE HELICOPTER!!” Storm shouts coming around the other side of the building with Target and Spotter, joining Navy. Storm nods to Target who takes aim and fires at the helicopters rudders. “Get out now or we blow it with you four in it!”
“I’d rather die G.I.Joe!” Anaconda shouts back.
“Are you nuts?” Rattlesnake snaps at her shutting the helicopter down.
“NO!” Anaconda fights with Rattlesnake trying to restart the helicopter. “We will not sssurrender .”
“We have no choice.”
“LAST CHANCE! Get out now or I blow you all straight to hell.” Storm says locking on to the helicopter with his rocket launcher.
“We’ve lost, if we surrender we at least have a chance to escape or get rescued.” The Trooper says to Anaconda.
The female Cobra glares at the three men and gives in. “Fine.” She scowls exiting the helicopter with her hands in the air.
“Now that’s a good girl.” Storm smiles.
“Sir, you might want to get in here.” Dragon relays over their com link.

Inside the lab Storm and Target join Dragon who has found something on one of the computers. “This one still works looks like they were trying to erase all the data.”
“You mean copy?” Target says to the young Joe.
“No, erase it.”
“Wait.” Storm pulls the note that they got off Archaic from his pocket. “One of them left this for us; they wanted us to stop this lab from being destroyed.” He looks at the computer as Dragon scrolls through files that make no sense. He taps his com device, “Hightower, where are you?”
“Pulling up outside in the mobile base.”
“Get in here, we need your expertise.”
“Roger that.”
Storm walks over to the large vat that has been disconnected, the fluid inside cloudy and murky.
“Whatever is in there it’s probably dead now.” Target says. “That fluid looks like water from the river.”
“I still want to know what...or who it is.” Storm walks around the unit locating a pump and filtration unit. “You’re right; it is water from the river. Someone bypassed the filtration device allowing contaminates into the system.”
Hightower wheels himself in. “What’s this?”
“That’s what we want to know.” Storm points to the computer where Dragon is at. “See what you can make of it.”
“Will do.” Hightower looks at Dragon who moves aside letting him do the work. “This looks pretty simple should have it cracked...now.”
“How’d you do that?” Dragon asks.
“Sir...you’ll want to see this.” Hightower calls over to him.
Storm walks over looking at the information on the screen, then back at the vat. “Destroy all of it, burn it all if you have to just keep it controlled.” He grunts heading out of the lab.
“What is it?” Target asks looking at the computer screen. “The Serpentor Project?”