MASK SAGA 5: HARSH REVELATIONS

Chapter 8

"Uh oh."

Cross Country turned the radio down and glared over at Hi-Tech. "What now?"

"That Cobra patrol behind us is stopping..."

"What?!" Cross Country glanced at Wildcat's rearview and side mirrors to see the truth of it. "Of all the gol durned luck...why now?"

"Oh, I don't know," Hi-Tech mused, "maybe they heard all the commotion when you kicked me out of the truck!"

"Shut up a second..."

Cross Country cracked one of Wildcat's windows as two generic Cobra Blue Shirts stepped off their Water Moccasin swamp boat and searched near their position.

"I swore I heard voices over here," said Blue Shirt One.

"Let's move in further we can't have any loose ends while Major Bludd exterminate our rodent problem," added Blue Shirt Two.

Blue Shirt One suddenly looked down, "Hey! Those are tire tracks! There's no land vehicles in this area!"

Both Cobra troopers busted through the reeds hiding Wildcat at the same time Cross Country threw it into reverse and gunned the engine.

"AHHHHHH!" Both troopers screamed as they dove for cover in the swamp muck.

"YO JOE!" Cross Country yelled deliberately.

He backed into the Water Moccasin with Wildcat's bulk before shifting into drive and taking off. The Cobra troopers recovered quickly and called for backup before giving chase.

Hi Tech brought up the map of the swamp Annie had provided and quickly matched it to Cross Country's current course.

"Where are you going?!" He exclaimed, "There's no road here!"

Another Cobra patrol joined the first boat. "Stop those G.I. Joe fools!"

"Kid, you oughta know by now...I make my own road!"

Wildcat's concrete cannons shot a stream of wet gray into the swamp before them, hardening its surface into only a semi-solid mass.

"Apparently you forgot basic chemistry! Concrete isn't going to harden in a swamp environment!"

"It's only gotta be hard enough!" Cross Country saw Hi Tech reaching for the radio. "What are you doin?!"

"Calling for backup! You're going to get us killed!"

"You leave her outta this!"

But it was too late, he already had Annie on the line. "Phoenix, we've been discovered! We've got two Cobra Water Moccasins chasing us down!"

"You stay right where you are!" Cross Country snapped from the airway before Annie could respond. "I got these snakes thinkin' we're on a G.I. Joe mission...they're right where I want 'em!"

Annie gave the disconnected radio a dark look from inside Razorback. "Just who exactly does he think is in charge of this mission?!"

Brad stopped her from reaching for the communication panel. "He's trying to protect you."

"By doing what? Going off half cocked and getting himself and Hi-Tech killed?! Which *I* of course will get the blame for!"

"He knows what he's doing and you know it. It's why you fell for him in the first place."

"Oh, totally NOT fair, Dad..."

The comm panel chirped, interrupting the father/daughter banter. Buddy's voice came through the other end. "Phoenix, Maverick-Contraworld and Cobra have blocked the only way out. We're gonna need another exit strategy quick!"

Annie started to respond but Scott was faster. "Clutch, hang tight, we're on our way."

"That stubborn redneck is getting help whether he wants it or not," Annie muttered under her breath. Over the airway, she acknowledged, "Roger Maverick-we'll give Cross Country a hand with that Cobra Patrol. Freespirit, Powderkeg-help where you can."

Fleets of COBRA water moccasins were stationary in a U-shaped formation all facing the tunnel entrance, to an abandon military research facility that was once used by Doctor Mindbender. In front of that tunnel entrance was in a straight line of ten water moccasins, but the logo on the boat had been change to Contra World.

"Unfreak'n believable those pathetic rats decided to take up residence in our own backyard," Major Bludd quipped as Contra World and Cobra were at a stand off waiting to see who would react first.

"Those units look exactly like our sir," A cobra solider stated in the driver seat of Major Bludd's boat, while letting him handle the main gun.

"No shit…that's why we've been losing patrols. Jon got his ass handed to him by that woman who took all his vehicles so he's stealing from us," Major Bludd replied. "Where the hell is he?" he remarked pulling out his binoculars to his one good eye to look at the enemy's front line. "All I see is that stupid red head…what's his name…."

"Sludge you mean," The solider replied.

"What an insult I was looking for a fight and I just get the soppy seconds," Bludd remarked, "Let's get this over with I always like a good slaughter." Major Bludd raised his voice for every Cobra solider under his command, "Alright men! Let's wipe out all that remains of poor little Contra World FOVEREVER! COBRA!" With that combat cry both Cobra and Contra World were entangled in a battle sending laser and machine gun fire back and forth.

The sound of gun fire was echoing intensely throughout the underground facility.

"That does not sound good," Roxanne looked to Buddy Hawks, after she placed Conner in a carseat in the back of Raven.

"Yeah," Buddy said sensing their chance of escaping this place unscathed at a minimum. "We just need to be ready to leave the moment you brother and dad give us an opening. We're not gonna get a second chance at this."

"That's full scale war going on out there. What exactly are they going to do?" Roxanne stated as she snapped her seat belt on.

"Ye of little faith," Buddy smirked trying to ease the tension, "Your dad and Scott can get pretty creative when it comes to tight jams like this."

From the air, getting Roxanne and Buddy out of the Contra World base looked to be virtually impossible. There were too many players on the battlefield shooting it up and the instance Raven showed itself the vehicle would be Swiss cheese along with its inhabitants. Thunderhawk was flying around the swamp to get a good vantage tactical approach to the problem, while trying to avoid enemy eyesight. Both Matt and Scott Trakker wearing their masks were looking at each for a solution.

"Wish we would have pulled in more agents," Scott said taking a deep breath. "This has gotten uglier when we could have predicted."

"There are a lot of things we could have done differently knowing all the facts ahead of time, but this is the hand we were dealt, and we have family down there that needs our help." Matt calmly stated remaining focus.

"Right. We need to cause some sort of diversion that will allow Raven a chance to escape. Problem is the moment we show ourselves we'll be dragged into their civil war and we can expect both sides to send fire in our direction." Scott added. "I had Cross Country added some smoke bombs to the artillery. Figured those would come in handy."

Matt pulled up a map of the area on the dashboard computer, "If we drop both bombs between Contra World and Cobra that should create large enough white smoke cloud to hinder their view and causing them to fire blindly at each other."

"It's still a risk," Scott reminded, "They won't be focus on the tunnel, but Raven might still get hit in the crossfire."

"It's the best option we got and our interference should cause someone to follow us. Let's radio your sister the plan," Matt stated ending their strategy session.

"If I only had my mask and vehicle," Lester Sludge remarked as he fired a machine gun on top of one of Contra World's water moccasin. "Those cobra punks wouldn't of dare messed with us in the old days. Now they think were laughing stocks all thanks to Vanessa, but I'll show them. I'll take down every last one of them."

"You done giving yourself a pity party?" A muscular Contra World solider asked as he fired his laser riffle at on coming Cobra swamp boats, "Your not even hitting the enemy with the rail gun you even know how to use it?"

"Of course I do! Why do you think Jon put me in charge?" Lester yelled back. Instead of catching the solider reply of 'you are expendable,' he turned this attention to Thunderhawk suddenly flying dead center over the battlefield. "Hey is that?"

"Hmm this is unexpected," Major Bludd remarked looking at Thunderhawk as well. "G.I. Joe was expected...but MASK?"

Both Lester Sludge and Major Bludd pointed to the red flying camero and ordered the units under their command to fire at the flying car. Thunderhawk started swerving though the air attempting to avoid the gun fire coming from both sides of the swamp. Two bombs were release from the bottom of the vehicle and fell straight downwards. The bombs loudly exploded before hitting the water causing a huge cloud of white smoke to cover the battlefield. Mass confusion erupted everywhere. Lasers were still firing like specks of light through the smoke, but nobody could tell who they were firing at. The black corvette sea plane Raven exited the tunnel entrance seeing the backside of Contra World forces facing them. Roxanne and Buddy noticed the opening and with nobody paying attention took a chance to fly over the smoke.

"Give me the sniper rifle," Major Bludd ordered to one of the cobra solider on his boat, "I'll shoot that blasted bird out of the sky." With the sniper rifle in hand he looked through the scope to see the red camero flying away with a second vehicle flying behind a black corvette, "We got two birds of prey but not for long." One shot fired from the gun it hitting the black corvette, this cause the vehicle to leak fuel and the turbo thrusters to loser power. Raven started to lose elevation and could not keep up with Thundrehawk. "One down," Major Bludd chuckled, "Get me air support and send some men over to check out our clipped bird."

"NO!" Scott Trakker cried out as he saw Raven start to drift downward towards the swamp, after taking an unexpected hit. For a moment it had seem the plan had been pulled off and Thunderhawk and Raven were going to ride out into the sunset scott free from Contra World and Cobra, but that is not how events had turned out.

"Roxanne, Buddy are you alright?" Matt Trakker asked hailing them over the com link feeling the same frustration as his son, but no response could be heard. "Communications must be out." Matt said trying to reassure himself.

"I'm going after them," Scott stated turning Thunderhawk around.

"Hold up Scott," Matt said.

"What?"

"Look straight ahead," Scott stop what he was doing and saw what his father was looking at Cobra Fang helicopters and Flight pods were now headed directly towards them.

"Phoenix, Free Sprit, Powder Keg," Scott hailed over the radio," Raven has taken a hit and crash to the ground. The radio is out and we are unable to confirm if everyone is ok. Cobra just unleash their air support. I am going to lead them away, but I need somebody to check on Raven."

"We got it Maverick," Dusty replied first, "I have the vehicle on our radar we'll head right over and check out the situation. Powder Keg over an out."

Once the radio was turned off Jess felt flushed, "But Cross Country and Hi-Tech need our help dad, we can't leave them."

"Their big boy Jess," Dusty reminded pulling the speed boat out of hiding and towards Raven crash site, "They can take care of themselves and if not Annie and Brad will bail them out. Roxy and Buddy need us more and possibly your medical training."

Jess stopped herself from speaking any further. Her father was right she was letting her emotions cloud her judgment. Her hate for Roxanne and love for Hi-Tech was stopping her from realizing the medical situation at hand. She could have three badly injured individual that only she could help. "Go faster dad!"

"We are in the wrong vehicle and you are in the wrong uniform," Annie lamented to her father as she tried to come up with a new strategy. "We need Condor and Hocus Pocus..."

"We've got Razorback, Eclipse, and the element of surprise," Brad replied. He hadn't yet moved Razorback from their hiding spot. He pulled their masks from the back seat. "Come on Annie, you've done this before. This swamp is the Sierra Nevada Mountains and you're coordinating four teams of Rangers. One's down, one's providing air support, one's on the ground engaging the enemy, one is free and clear...what do you do?"

"It works better when I'm in the thick of it," Annie replied, chewing on her lower lip. "I just...react..."

"That's my girl," Brad smirked as Eclipse clicked into place and Razorback roared to life. "One Turner Classic 'make it up as you go along' game plan coming up."

"They're gaining on us!"

Cross Country ignored Hi Tech's commentary and continued filling in a concrete road where there was less than solid ground, with two COBRA Water Moccasins in hot pursuit. The two COBRA soldiers following them took sudden pause as a black cloud enveloped them from behind, obscuring Wildcat from their sight.

"Hey, who turned out the lights?!"

Hi Tech also noticed the oncoming darkness, "I can't see anything back there...since when does Wildcat have a smokescreen?"

"It don't..." Cross Country answered automatically. It only took a moment for his mental gears to click and shift into place. "Damnit, that woman does not LISTEN!"

"Get ready with that MASK of yours Country Boy," Annie's voice crackled over the wire, "As soon as Dad shuts down Eclipse, we're going to take those snakes out with the tide and wave them goodbye!"

"Wave?! What the-?"

"A tidal wave!" Hi-Tech grasped the context immediately, "using Ditcher."

"Whoa, Ditcher digs holes. It don't make waves, and if it did, it ain't strong enough to tip a water moccasin."

"Not at its current strength. Give it here," Hi Tech ordered.

"You ain't supposed to be messin' with the masks, remember?"

"I know. But you heard the boss lady, she said get ready." Hi Tech waggled his fingers. "Hand it over."

Cross Country sighed reluctantly and gave in as Hi Tech pulled out some tools from his belt and got to work.

Brad's voice came over the radio next, "You boys about ready? I can't keep this up forever."

"There!" Hi Tech answered Brad as he passed Cross Country his mask, "We're ready, but even at full strength, you're going to need more power than what Ditcher's got."

"We've got that covered...just wait for the signal."

The signal wasn't long in coming. Razorback appeared beside Wildcat in tank mode the minute the radio connection and Eclipse curtain dropped. Annie was at the battle controls, firing swamp water through Razorback's sand cannons, much to Cross Country's dismay.

"Is she nuts runnin' that water through there like that?!"

"Was that a hypocritical question?" Cross Country shot Hi Tech a quizzical look. "Just trying to point out you're just as crazy for dumping miles of concrete into a swamp...no wonder you two are constantly at each other."

"Shut up."

"How about a little help here?" Annie snapped over the radio. "I've got these guys on the run but not for long if you keep dawdling."

Cross Country looked behind him to see a couple soaked troopers trying to keep control of their boats and spun Wildcat around, poking his head out the window and aiming Ditcher under the boat's pontoons.

"Ditcher, fire!"

A powerhouse wave joined Razorback's sand turned swamp cannons and sent the two enemy vehicles flying back the way they came. Brad turned Razorback back to car mode as the tidal wave died and a soaked Annie stepped out to approach Wildcat. Cross Country got out and slammed the driver's side door, ready to give her a piece of his mind.

"I told you I had it covered! You listen here..."

She was on fire and cut him off with a rough shove to the chest. "No! You listen here! I am in charge of this mission and I don't take orders, I give them! You agreed to that the minute you walked back into that conference room! Now get your ass back in that truck and follow..."

Cross Country grabbed Annie and threw her to the ground as blue laser fire erupted above them. They scooted back to their respective vehicles just in time to see several more Water Moccasins appearing over the horizon as backup.

"Oh shit, we're screwed," Hi Tech blurted.

"Not yet we ain't," Cross Country replied. "Chopper, think it's time we made like wild geese and sent these snakes on a little chase."

"Right behind you," Brad replied.

Roxanne groan after feel like her body had been jerked around like a puppet on a string. The events that unfolded all felt like a bad dream. One minute they were escaping in Raven the next losing altitude. The black corvette splash down violently into the swamp muck and slammed into an old willow tree. Roxanne snapped back into focus as she heard Connor crying in the back seat. She swiftly turned around to see the baby unharmed in his car seat. She felt overcome with relief and smiled, "Sshh it's alright"

"Buddy you alright?" Roxanne then turned her attention to Buddy Hawks in the driver seat and her face turn pale white. A tree branch had penetrated the windshield and lodged itself into Buddy's right shoulder. Blood was oozing down of his uniform and he was unconscious.

"Buddy wake up please," Roxanne's hand lightly tapped his face trying to wake him. She knew they weren't safe it would be only a matter of time before Cobra showed up to arrest them.

Buddy eye's slowly went into focus and stared at Roxanne concern face, "Everyone all right?"

"Yeah, but your not," Roxanne wiped a few stray tears from her face.

"Uhhhh," Buddy winced as he felt the tree branch digging deeper in his body. He then placed both his hands on the tree branch and tried to pull it out of his shoulder. "AHHHHH," he screamed unable to move it. Sweat started to poor down his face and he spoke with a breathless tone, "Run…take Conner and get out of here."

"I'm not leaving you!" Roxanne protested.

"Don't argue with me," Buddy said in a stern voice, "I'll be fine you need to protect our son."

She opened the car door and hopped out in knee high deep swamp murk just as she was about to reaching in and grab Conner from the back seat, two dreadnok swampfire helicopter/boats descended down on their location hovering above the water.

"Lookie what we got here," Buzzard said with such ecstatic in his voice.

"Boss has been want'n to turn this bounty in for sometime, but he probably won't mind if we have a little fun first," Torch said as he fired his blow torch within inches of Roxanne's body.

She could feel the skin on her arm blistering from the heat, but she gritted her teeth ignoring the pain. She needed to lead them away to keep Connor and Buddy safe, "If you want me come'n get me!" She started to run as best she could in the swamp water.

"Where you think your going darling?" Buzzard laughed at how slow she was moving on foot in the swamp. He then hit a button on the console causing a rope net to shoot out and capture Roxanne. The net completely ensnared her and caused her to fall to her knees in thick watery muck."

"Damn it all to hell," Buddy cursed unable to get up and do anything but listen to his wife struggle. If Raven was not out of commission he'd send a missile and blow up both those knuckle heads. He glanced in the rear view mirror at Connor. Roxanne had calmed him earlier, but he could tell the child was flustered and ready to start crying again.

"Is that a baby crying?" Torch asked turning his attention to the black covert readying his blow torch towards the car.

"NO!" Roxanne screamed as her fingers grappled at the net that held her.

Right before the flames from the blow torch reach the car, Gator hydroplane boat burst in from the side.

"THERIMIC FIRE" Jess hollered as she aimed her mask directly on the blow torch reducing the temperatures down to freezing and rendering the weapon useless.

Torch threw the weapon in the water and cursed, "What the hell?"

"BACKLASH FIRE," Dusty shouted. A v-shaped sonic yellow beam slammed into the side Torches's Swampfire pushing the helicopter/boat right into the path of Buzzard's Swampfire. The propellers on both vehicles started to intertwine causing both to crash into the ground.

"What's the big idea?" Buzzard hollered at Torch, as if it was his fault for rending their vehicles immobile.

"It wasn't me damnit," Torch cursed.

"I think you both need to cool those head of yours and watch your language in the present of women and children," Dusty butted into their spat and fired Gator's freeze cannons directly at both Swampfire cockpits. Enough ice encased both Buzzard and Torch up to their mouths keeping them quite and strapped into their seats.

Jess hoped out of Gator and moved over to Roxanne first, who was still knee deep in swamp muck covered with a net. "Don't worry about me," Roxanne stated pulling her knife out of her boot and cutting the rope, "Buddy needs help."

She nodded with acknowledgement and rushed over to Raven's passenger side door. The baby was still screaming and crying in the backseat, while buddy weakly attempting to hush the child as he sat immobile in the front seat. The color was training from his face, and Jess knew it was only a matter of time before he passed out from the pain. There was no telling what sort of infection this sort of wound could lead to.

"You had to go out and get yourself a nice juicy stake," Jess smirked getting into the vehicle and looking at how the tree branch penetrated his shoulder.

"Nice to see you too Jess," Buddy grimace.

"Wee Doggie you look like a pushpin," Dusty remarked as he open the driver side door, "Let's get that out and get going." Just as Dusty was reaching his hand to pull the tree branch, Jess slapped her father hand.

"No dad. Your just gonna make him bleed to death. I can't think," Jess huff, "Here dad. Do what you do best?" Jess picked up baby Connor and placed him into Dusty arms. Of course as she predicted the baby stop crying cooed in Dusty's arms. "As I thought instant baby magnet."

"I am not," Dusty protested back as he started cradling Connor and humming some old fashion country tune.

Jess grinned at her father reaction, but then turned more serious as she examined the branch more closely.

"I could try Penetrator," Buddy suggested.

"That's not gonna remove the branch and could do more damage," Jess replied. She then verbally assessed the situation, "The branch is going to have to stay in your shoulder, until we get to a hospital. Meaning the best course of action is to chop it in half to free you."

"Where you gonna get an ax to do that?" Buddy asked.

"Blunt object would make it worst," She reminded, "But I think I can…uh bear with me might be a tad uncomfortable."

Without giving him all he details she proceeded with her plan, "THERMIC FIRE." Her mask shot a concentrated beam at the tree branch at the midway mark between Buddy and windshield. Smoke was emitting from the branch, but no actual fire could be seen.

Buddy gritted his teeth feeling the heat and making his wound throb with more pain. Bits of grey ash started to fall down in his lap from where Jess was focusing her mask's beam. After two or three minutes the middle section of the branch completely disappeared severing Buddy from the whole tree.

Jess reached her arms into the vehicle and helped Buddy slowly get out of the driver seat one foot at a time. Once he was finally free he leaned up against Raven breathing heavily and trembling with pain.

"We need to stop lolly gagging and get out of here. Buddy looks like he's ready to go into shock at any moment," Jess stated glancing over at her father who was now making funny faces at the baby. Her father gave a 'who me' sort of look with a sheepish smile.

"Don't exaggerate Jess," Buddy replied as if Jess was blowing it out of proportion. His eyes then focus straight ahead, as if a dream unfolded right before his eyes, with a woman approaching him covered in muddy wet clothes. "You're just as cute and adorable as the day you started working in the garage."

Roxanne smiled at the compliment as she rested her hand on his cheek. "And you are feverish," She replied with a voice of reason. "Dusty," She took the baby out of his arms, "He's gonna need help getting into Gator. Let's move it"

"You got it," Dusty replied putting a helpful arm around Buddy.

Zap, zap, zap BOOM! Thunderhawk rattled as blue lasers hit the backside of the vehicle. The red corvette was being tailed in the sky by several Cobra Fang helicopters and flight pods. The lasers mostly left burn marks to Thunderhawk's armor, but it was the occasional missile that was doing the real damage.

"We're running out of counter measures Scott," Matt reminded as he looked at Thunderhawk's artillery inventory on the vehicle central computer screen.

"Yeah I know," Scott said in an almost defeated tone. "Think I'm just getting lucky their a bunch of lousy shots"

Just then Jess Hayes voice cracked over the radio, "The package is picked up. Only one damaged. We're headed out and meet you where plus marks the spot."

"Cryptic," Scott smirk, "Don't remember us agreeing to talk code over the airways."

"Jess probably being cautious in case somebody listening," Matt smiled. "They have our people, but someone injured. They're heading to a hospital."

"Good now we just need to get the rest of our team out of here and leave this shit storm behind," Scott remarked. As Scott swerved Thunderhawk out of the path of another barge of laser fire, he noticed a blue helicopter in his rear view mirror.

"Is that?" Scott said stunned for words.

"It is," Matt said in a dark serious tone, "Switchblade."

"How is that possible? I mean nobody seen Miles Mayhem in years," Scott explained.

"We are at our last bit of rope. VENOM might be using this as a chance to wipe us out for good," Matt said on a serious note.

Switchblade started to morph from Helicopter to a jet. After the transformation two red missile tips started to show at the bottom of the aircraft.

"You might be right dad," Scott said bracing for impact as he saw the two missiles launch from Switchblade towards their direction.