Simmons paced anxiously in front of the small armada of vehicles, checking his watch every now and again. What the hell is taking so long?

This opportunity was simply too good to screw up. Not only had the anomaly and Ghost both come out of hiding, but they’d practically advertised their location and made it nearly impossible for his men not to find them. If Ghost managed to take the anomaly and disappear again, he’d never forgive himself for his incompetence. He’d simply hand his badge to the nearest agent and retire right there, in the middle of the twilit Nevada desert.

For the third time in the last ten minutes, he looked down at the radio in his hand and prayed for a call from the team he’d sent after them. He stared at it for a moment, then put it back into his pocket.

“Jackson to Captain Simmons, Jackson to Simmons.”

The radio practically flew back out of his pocket. “This is Simmons. Report.”

“Target has been captured. Moving to rendezvous.”

Simmons grinned excitedly. “Understood.”

He put the walkie away again and punched the air several times. The soldiers nearest him looked at him and took a few steps back, but he didn’t care. It was pretty much mission accomplished at this point. Even if by some miracle Ghost managed to escape them again and get back to the city, there was no way in hell he’d make it back to the Southern district. The anomaly was theirs, and his position in the Cabinet was guaranteed.

His phone slid out of his pocket and he scrolled through his contacts until he found the one belonging to Myles. He’d barely put the device to his ear before the dial tone ended.

“Did you get her?” Myles asked excitedly.

“We got her. It’s in the bag, well and truly.” Simmons responded calmly.

“YES!” he screamed triumphantly. “FUCK YOU GHOST! YOU AIN’T SNEAKY ENOUGH FOR ME!”

“Dude! Easy!” Simmons said loudly, rubbing his ear.

“Sorry, this took way longer than I thought it was going to. I was actually starting to think we wouldn’t be able to pull it off.”

“Seriously man? Why on Earth would you ever think that?”

“I was weak, I’m sorry!” the computer junkie whined.

Simmons chuckled quietly, and Myles continued. “Hey, by the way, you better not go silent in the White House. If you disappear, I swear to God I will hack your Facebook and make you very unpopular.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Simmons said with a smile. “So what are you going to do with all your new funding?”

“Become the single most dangerous man on the planet. Seriously…with all the new hardware I’ll be able to afford now, I’ll be able to start a war while kicking back and drinking a latte.”

“That’s…actually quite disconcerting.”

“Relax, will you? I already have the ability to hack the nuclear arsenal of both the U.S. and Cuba, but you don’t see me using it, do you?”

“You just told me to relax, then told me something that makes me extremely afraid of you.”

“Oh…huh. Whoops.”

There was a long, tense silence between the two friends.

“Myles, don’t ever change.” Simmons said with a smile.

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Myles replied.

Simmons suddenly looked over as four pairs of headlights appeared in the distance. “Hey, here they come. I’ll get back to you.”

“Good luck.” Myles replied before hanging up.

Simmons put the phone back in his pocket and took a position front and center of the small fleet of cars to wait for the smaller party to arrive. He watched the Ghost pull to a stop about thirty feet away, the escort that had brought him here spreading out behind him to form a makeshift blockade, ensuring that he wouldn’t try to make a break for it. The machine gunner kept his LMG trained on the fixer as he got out and walked to the front of his car to lean casually against the hood.

Simmons realized that this was the first time he’d actually seen the Ghost, and thought distantly that the name suited him well. The long black coat and the hat which shaded his eyes, both coupled with the dark gray scarf which hid his face, gave off the vaguest impression that he’d just left his own funeral. As he sat against the hood of his car, Simmons couldn’t help but notice how very unperturbed he seemed, as if nothing they did to him could possibly affect him.

Simmons smiled inwardly at the prospect of showing him just how wrong he was.

He put his hands in his pockets and walked toward the fixer, stopping about ten feet away. The other man simply stared at him, his black eyes scanning him for weakness.

For a long while, both men continued to simply stare each other down, then Simmons decided to break the silence.

“So…you’re the little rascal who’s managed to give my boys the slip twice in a row.”

“And you must be the starchy who’s been making my life so difficult for the past few days.” Ghost replied.

Simmons nodded with a small smile. “Captain Simmons.”

“Ghost, though you probably already knew that.”

“Correct.” He glanced behind the masked man and frowned at the girl in the passenger seat. “Aren’t you going to ask your friend to join us?”

“She’s fine right where she is.” Ghost replied, an implicit warning evident in his tone.

Simmons raised an eyebrow. “Careful now. Don’t forget who’s in control of the situation.”

“Oh, I’m perfectly aware of who’s in control around here.”

He couldn’t help but smile at the other man’s overconfidence. “A gambling man, are we?”

The fixer shook his head. “I hate gambling. Gambling’s for fools with too much money and not enough sense. I prefer games that take actual skill, like chess.”

“I see.” he said, registering the unspoken challenge.

The Ghost continued. “I’d also prefer to know why I’m here.”

Simmons frowned in confusion. “I thought that was obvious.”

“Not really.” The other man gestured toward the dark-haired girl in the car. “I know why she’s here, but what do you need me for, exactly?”

“Well, I could’ve just had you killed, but I didn’t for two reasons. One, that’s not my style. Two, if I’d done that, ET over there would’ve started tossing my men around like water balloons.”

Simmons noticed the other man’s eyes widen slightly, then return to their previous state. He wondered for a moment what that had meant.

“So you know what she is and where she’s from, and you’re still hunting her like a fucking animal?” Ghost asked, interrupting the agent’s thoughts.

“Well, of course. She’s an interdimensional terrorist. Why wouldn’t I?”

For a moment, the Ghost simply stared at him like he’d lost his mind. “How the hell did you come to that conclusion?”

“My commanding officer was part of the organization that had to cover up the last ‘incident’ her people caused. She’s a threat to national security, and he wants her detained so we can figure out how to launch a counterattack and take care of these maniacs once and for all.”

“What exactly did he tell you?”

“Why does that matter?”

“Well, if what you’re saying is true, then I should just hand this chick over to you right now.”

Simmons considered his response for a moment, then shrugged. “You’re familiar with the multiverse theory, correct?”

“Vaguely. I haven’t read much into it, but I know enough to get by.”

“Alright. According to what my boss knows, that theory is mostly true. The difference between the theory and the truth, however, is that we aren’t the only universe capable of creating variant universes. The reason she’s here is because she used the Breach network, which serves as a bridge across dimensional barriers. Before he met-”

“Stop.” Ghost ordered. Simmons complied, slightly annoyed at being interrupted. “How the hell does your boss know all that?”

“He worked for the organization that-”

“Who he worked for doesn’t explain such in-depth knowledge of a subject that still has the world’s greatest minds scratching their heads. I already know about the Breach network from my friend in the car, but she knows what she does because she studied the actual gate.”

Simmons raised an eyebrow at that. “What’re you saying?”

“You know damn well what I’m saying.”

Simmons did, in fact, know what the assassin was saying. He refused to believe it however.

“Maybe he learned about it from the first of these creatures to arrive here.”

“If that ‘creature’ was really a terrorist, do you honestly think they’d give your boss such sensitive information?”

“Sensitive?”

Ghost sighed. “Let’s say you’re right. Your boss had no prior knowledge of the truth about the multiverse theory. Then this magic-wielding terrorist poofs into existence, tells him exactly where he came from, and starts trying to kill people. You tell me how much sense that makes.”

Simmons had to admit that Ghost had a point. One of the most important factors in running a successful terrorist organization was discretion. If you went around singing and broadcasting your location, the whole world would be kicking down your front door in a matter of minutes.

He pushed away the doubts creeping into his mind. There had to be a reasonable explanation for Remus’ secrecy.

“Remus has always had this country’s best interests in mind.”

“So have you.” Ghost countered. “If your interests are the same as his, then why is he lying to you?”

Simmons opened his mouth to retort, then realized he didn’t have one.

“Need some help? Your boss lied to you, which means the guy he killed wasn’t a terrorist. By extension, that means my friend over there isn’t a terrorist. So what does he really want her for? Who’s the real terrorist?”

Simmons suddenly glared at him. “Says the man who’s killed over two hundred innocent civilians in the past three years. What do you want her for, exactly?”

“I’m trying to keep her safe from this city and the government-funded tools your boss sent to capture her.” Ghost replied heatedly.

“You? Keep her safe?” Simmons said with a laugh. “You’re a fixer! A mass murderer for crying out loud! The only reason she’s not dead yet is because no one’s paid you to kill her!”

Ghost’s left eye twitched in response, and he stood up. “And you think you’re any better, captain? Why, because you work for the federal government?”

Simmons took a step forward. “It’s my job to-”

“Your job!?” Ghost repeated, also taking a step closer. “Your job is to follow orders and whack who they tell you to whack without making a fucking scene! You know what the difference is between you and me? Where we get our money!”

They were only about five feet apart now and getting closer.

“I think it’s pretty obvious who the better man is here, don’t you think?” Simmons retorted, still advancing. “Probably the guy who doesn’t have to hide his face behind a scarf like some street rat of a mugger.”

“You mean the guy about to cart an innocent woman off to God-only-knows-where and torture her for information on how to get to her home country and commit genocide on her people?” Ghost spat in return. “Yeah, sounds like a real hero.”

There was a moment’s pause, then Simmons started walking away.

“You know what?” he said calmly. “I don’t even know why I’m having this conversation. I could’ve had you killed and been on my way ten minutes ago.”

“I know why.” Ghost said smugly. “It’s because you know I’m right.”

Simmons stopped moving.

“You’ve spent the last ten minutes trying to get me to say otherwise, but you know I’m right. You know the only terrorist in this situation is you.”

Simmons spun and closed the distance between them in a few strides, grabbing the shorter man by his jacket. “You’re playing a dangerous game, kiddo.” he growled.

“So are you. The difference is I’m winning.”

“Really?” he replied with a smile. “Doesn’t look that way to me.”

“Then I guess you’ve just forgotten what we’re playing.”

Now Simmons was confused. “What are you talking about?”

“You know how you win a game of chess? You take control of the game. You force your opponent to make moves that will benefit you in the end. If you play the game right, by the time he realizes what’s going on…”

Simmons felt the lightest tug inside his jacket and looked down to see Ghost slip his pistol out of its holster and press it into his chest. His eyes widened as he looked back up at the Ghost.

“…it’ll already be too late.”

((((((*******))))))

The captain suddenly reeled from an uppercut before being pulled back, Allen’s arm around his neck and the gun now against his temple. The agents surrounding them suddenly raised their guns to aim at him, but they didn’t dare fire for fear of hitting their leader.

Allen grinned under his mask as he addressed the soldiers surrounding them. “Alright, fellas! Here’s how this is going to work! You’re all going to drop your guns and go sit by that bush over there!” He gestured toward a desert shrub a good distance away, then returned his attention to the soldiers. “Don’t do what I say or try to be a hero, and your commanding officer is a dead man!”

One by one, every one of the armed gunmen tossed their various firearms onto the sandy desert plain, then walked over to the aforementioned shrub and sat down. The Allen watched as every last one did as they were told, turning around to make sure the group that had captured them was also following instructions.

Once the last man had taken his place by the bush, Ghost half-dragged Simmons over to the passenger side of the car and opened the door.

“Get in the back seat.” he told a wide-eyed Twilight. She complied, and he none-too-gently shoved Simmons inside and shut the door. He kept the gun trained on him as he walked around to the other side, got in, and started the car. Then he turned back to Twilight.

“If he moves, set him on fire.”

“I-” Twilight began, then paused at a wink from Allen. “I…thought you wanted him drenched in acid.”

“Either or. Doesn’t really matter.” he replied as he drove out of the circle of cars and headed back for the city.

Desert sand gradually gave way to grass and asphalt the closer they got to Vegas. Twilight did her best impression of a hungry cat as she watched Simmons, who in turn stared at her like some scared rodent.

Finally, after about ten minutes, Allen picked the gun back up and pressed it against the bridge of the captain’s nose, making his eyes cross.

“I’ve got good news and bad news, boss. The bad news is that I can’t risk you and your boys finding out where I live, which means your usefulness has just come to an end.”

Simmons’ face lost all color at those words.

“The good news is that I don’t want to kill you, so I’m just going to ask you to get the hell out of my car.”

The color returned to Simmons face as he waited for Allen to stop the car, then relief was replaced with confusion when he didn’t. “Um…”

“I believe I said get out.” Allen growled as he pressed the gun barrel against the man’s right eye. “Now.”

Simmons opened the door and watched the road fly past his feet for a moment, then turned around to look at him one more time. “Are you sure this isn’t going to-”

Twilight suddenly raised her hand, and he leapt out and rolled to lessen the impact. Allen watched him disappear in his rearview as Twilight slid back into the front seat and shut the door. “Well…that was exciting.”

“I’ll say. Nice acting by the way.”

“Thanks.” she replied, then turned to stare out the window. “So…home then?”

“Not yet.” Allen replied seriously, causing her to turn and raise an eyebrow at him. “The agents we just drove away from couldn’t have been more than a fraction of the whole operation. That captain’s not an idiot. He didn’t want to put all of his eggs in one basket in case we managed to get away.”

“Which means the rest are on their way.” Twilight finished with a sigh. “You don't think you can make it back to the Southern district before they find us?”

“Maybe, but I don’t want to risk someone following me in. That’ll put-”

Suddenly, a maroon sports car shot out of an alleyway to his left, the woman in the passenger seat drawing her pistol and aiming at his rear tire. Allen slammed on the brakes and rammed the other car, sending it careening into a different alleyway before flooring it and heading north.

“Well that was fast!” he said angrily. He looked over at Twilight and saw her gripping her seat tightly. “You might want to get used to that. I’m probably going to have to do that a lot.”

“You’re kidding, right?” she asked in a panic.

“Nope. Sweetheart, you’re in for the ride of your life.”

She stared at him for a moment, then turned as she noticed more cars fall in behind them, one of which happened to be the SUV from earlier.

Suddenly, more than ever, she wished she could just go home.

Author's Note

I think I'm about caught up now.
You remember that gap I told you about a couple chapters ago? I'm about to hit it. So be prepared for a moderate to huge gap between chapters. Sorry.
In the meantime, remember to comment and hit that like button.
Thanks guys!
P.S.-I also request that you show Punished Yamsmos some support, because he's going through some things right now and I think he needs it.