CHAPTER 2

Harry and Jack ran out of the back door. Jack carried a weapon for once. It was a small pistol called the Deliverer. The Deliverer, Jack’s prized weapon of choice, is a low caliber, very accurate weapon. They ran down the alley behind Harry’s house. Harry carried his “things bag.” It contained miscellaneous computer supplies, tools, and his computer of course. Harry’s weapon is a handmade stunner which is non lethal, but paralyzing. It is hidden in a watch so it is easily concealable. In order to activate the device, simply press down the time changer knob and the stunner will shock the closest target.

They ran into the street and began to walk amongst the crowd. The city that they lived in is called Milwaukee, one of the biggest places in all of America. They continued on their way to the location of the Rouge Headquarters nicknamed the Catacombs after the tunnels in the French State in Greater Europe. They entered through the secret entrance which is geniously hidden in plain sight. They moved through the tunnels of the underground labyrinth. Jack had it memorized: Straight, right, straight, left, through the low ceiling zone, and a turn right to the wall with the loose bricks. Then Harry stepped forwards and knocked three times, then eight times, then one time. The door clicked open revealing the Rouge Headquarters.

The Rouge Headquarters consisted of one large open space, a small room directly to the left of the entrance, and an escape passage out the far right corner. In the middle of the big room, a large circular table stands. It has maps, charts, and lots of scratches from years of use. The edges of the big room had all sorts of odds and ends. From storage racks for food and water, to the bathrooms which had only a curtain for privacy. The left wing, as Jack calls the left side room, is all housing and living space. The Escape tunnel has a small cooking room in it with a very complex ventilation system. The newest members work on sanitation and cooking. The older members are communication and navigation people. Everyone else just helps when they can. All of the members of the Rogues are family, so they are always looking out for one another.

“Jack! You have put the entire city on alert! What the heck were you thinking?” A voice shouted.

“Phantom! Nice to see you too,” Jack said. Phantom, leader of the Rogues. She is a determined person and founder of the Rogues. She will do anything to keep the Rouges alive, even if that means killing someone in the group. She is tall, has broad shoulders, brown hair, a jacket with about a million pockets and an out-of-place nose. People say she got her nose from beating a robocop bare-handed. Her most defining feature is her scar. She has a scar that runs behind her left eye and down her cheek. It ends at her jawline. No one knows how she got that. Last time someone asked, they had to clean the toilets for a month.

“Well, I’m glad you’re still in one piece too, but you still have some explaining to do,” Phantom replied

“So you know how you sent me and Harry out to get a file from the city?” Jack asked.

“Yes, go on.”

“Well, that file was in the Mayor’s office.”

“I don’t like where this is going.”

“So I was not going to fail the mission and decided to break into the Mayor’s office and steal the file.”

“So let me get this straight: You broke into the Mayor’s office, stole a file, and then got caught, jeopardizing the security of our organization?”

“Well, when you put it that way, it does not sound that good…”

“You fool! I could cast you out now and end your career and life! But I won’t for one reason alone. you have the most information we have ever had access to so I guess we need you alive for now.”

“Wait what? I get to live?”

“For now. Harry, give the file to David over it the Tech Corner,” Phantom ordered. “Jack, you and me are going to go with and see what David deciphers.” We walked over to David, the other tech guy. David is a genius. Give him five minutes and he can crack just about anything. David would be in the field but is paralized from the waist down. He is not exactly… in shape. Or if was was in shape, he would be a bit of an ovel. He has black slicked back hair and a friendly face with piercing green eyes as well as an Australian accent.

“Whatcha got for me this time ‘arry?” David asked.

“Documents from the Mayor’s office. Didn’t you hear Phantom’s rant to Jack about it?” Harry asked him.

“No, I was busy makin’ some last minute adjustments to the decryptin’ program,” David replied.

“David, plug this in,” Phantom said as she handed him the hard drive. This is it, the moment they all had been waiting for. One of the Mayor’s biggest secrets was on this hard drive and they were about to find out. “Well, what does it say?” asked Phantom once the machine flashed green.

“Well, it says something you’re not gonna like,” David said.