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Chapter 3 - Bounty Hunter 2: Snake Eyes  by steshu (steshu87@home.com)

Radar's footsteps echoed off of the tiled walls as she walked at a quick
pace through the underground tunnel to one of the Pentagon's secret
entrances.  Built during the Cold War period, tunnels were laid out from
the Pentagon to several secure locations, including the Capitol Building
and the White House, allowing various members of the government secret
access to certain portions of the heavily fortified building.  In recent
years, portions of some of the tunnels were either destroyed or modified
for security reasons.  Still dressed in her dark red and black battle
gear suit, Kristina approached one of the recently modified sections of
the tunnel.  Reaching into a hidden pocket on the left arm of her battle
gear, she pulled out a solid black security card and waved it in front
of a circular sensor in front of her.

"Level access granted," a synthesized voice blurted as the door in front
of her corkscrewed open.

Kristina felt the cold, stale air hit her face as she entered the last
portion of the tunnel.  "Hopefully the air is better circulated in the
building," she thought to herself as she slipped the card back into the
hidden pocket.  As she approached the final door leading to the secured
entrance of the main building, she gave a slight tug to the bill of the
baseball style cap on her head, assuring herself that the SMART
identification shield on the front of the hat would grant her unlimited
access to the sections ahead.

"Identify yourself," suddenly commanded a voice on the intercom above
her.

"SMART officer Kristina Abernathy on approach," she boasted, trying to
sound as confident as she could.

"Identity confirmed.  Please enter and proceed to meeting room 37X for
the status briefing," the voice sounded as the secured door opened
before her.  Kristina stepped out into a brightly lit white hallway,
drawing little attention from the people walking in the hallway.  She
had once walked these hallways as a translator, her job position
limiting her to certain areas of the building.  But now, as second in
command of SMART, the entire complex was open for her inspection.

As she proceeded through the building to the meeting room, she rounded a
corner in one hallway and came upon Kitty and Dana, having just appeared
out of the stairwell from Dana's office.  "What's going on, Kris,"
questioned Kitty as the three of them came together in the hallway.

"We received a transmission from Russia requesting assistance from the
Russian Red Army.  Apparently, someone removed some sort of top secret
project that they were working on, and this General, a General Kourkova,
sent out a satellite distress signal message asking for help.  He kept
saying the world was in danger."

"What part of Russia," Dana asked, as the trio walked briskly down the
hall.

"Some place called Vladstoky, near the Chinese border."

"I don't think I have heard of that place before."

"That's why it is top secret, Dana," Kitty joked as they approached the
meeting room.  Standing just outside of it were two beefy-looking
guards, postures locked at attention, assault weapons in their hands at
the ready.

"Identify yourselves," the guard on the left demanded, a mean snarl
across his face, at the approaching women.

"SMART officers, soldier," Kristina stated.  "Read the logo," she
spouted, making note of the identification on her hat.

"Yeah, I can tell you are," he huffed, "but I don't know about those
two," referring to Kitty and Dana.

"Soldier, my name's Kitty Pryde," Kitty authoritatively replied, looking
him straight in the eye, "and the fate of world could be resting in my
team's hands right now.  I am the head of SMART, and that woman right
there," she barked as she pointed a finger at Dana, "is the team's new
director, Dana Scully.  That should answer you question about us, got
it?"

The attitude of the soldier changed at the mention of Kitty's name.  "My
apologies, ma'am.  I didn't recognize you out of uniform," he squeaked,
realizing now who he was talking to.  "Just doing my job.  Please
proceed."

"Thank you, sir."

As the women entered the room, the second soldier, who had remained at
attention during the whole exchange, leaned over to his fellow guard.
"Dude, remember who those women are," he whispered.  "I heard that Pryde
lady can kick ass like no other person."

"So why didn't you tell me, knucklehead?"

"Payback man," he smirked, "payback.  Now we are even."

****************

The midday sun bore down mercilessly on the bone dry Texas ground that
the two people walked on as they approached the entrance to the Alcohol,
Tobacco, and Firearms headquarters in San Antonio.

"I'm telling you, Ryer, there is a connection between that house fire in
Odessa and the Ramirez brothers.  I just can't put the two together
yet."

"Sure there is, Huber, in your mind."

"I'll run it past the chief, see what he thinks."

"It's your career, Karyn, not mine, you are risking here."

Karyn Huber and Jose Ryer entered into the building, going from the hot
Texas sun into the cool comforts of air conditioning in the single floor
building.  They were returning from an investigation in which several
firearms were found destroyed in a house fire that appeared to be
intentionally set.

"It looks like the chief is in," Karyn stated, taking off the blue
windbreaker with the bold letters "ATF" in bold yellow printing on the
back, and placing it over her desk chair.  "I'll go tell him right now,"
she boasted, adjusting the gun holster strap over her sleeveless tan
mock turtleneck shirt.

"Huber!  Huber," shouted the rotund Chief Neil Jackson from his office.
"Get your butt in here, pronto!"

"See, he likes it already, Jose," she laughed at her partner as he sat
down at his desk.  "What is it, chief," she questioned, entering
Jackson's office.

"Close the door and take a seat, Karyn."

"What's wrong, sir," she stated as she closed the door, puzzled by her
boss's sudden change in demeanor.

"What's wrong?  I'll tell you what's wrong," he mumbled.  "They are
taking away one of my best agents, that's what's wrong."

"I'm not following, sir."

"While you were out, I got this call from a Dana Scully up in DC.  She
stated that you have been selected to be on some sort of high tech team
or something, whatever.  Anyway, you are to report to them right away."

"Sir, I didn't apply to be on any other team.  I'm not sure what you are
talking about."

"Apparently, this Scully woman is with the Defense Department up there,
and they have been keeping an eye on you, or something like that I
suppose.  You've apparently become of object of high distinction to
someone up there.  Anyhow, she advised that there would be someone here
to pick you up this afternoon to take you to DC."

"Sir, I don't know what to say," Huber gasped, unsure about what she had
just heard.

"Well, I just want to say that you have been a valuable agent here with
us, Karyn, and I'm sure we are all going to miss you.  Now, this Scully
woman said that you only need to pack one bag of essential stuff for
now, so you might as well get your things together before they come and
pick you up.  Good luck, Karyn," he stated, rising from his chair,
extending his hand.  "Don't forget us down here, okay?"

"I won't sir, thank you," she replied, giving a firm handshake back to
him.  "Now, I got to break this to Jose.  He's not going to like this."

"I believe that."

Karyn walked slowly out to her desk, unsure about her emotions.  She was
happy to know that someone in Washington had their eye on her, but she
was sad to leave what she had established there in Texas.

"What's wrong with you," Jose joked, looking up from his paperwork.
"Boss reject your idea?"

"Well, we didn't really talk about it.  Instead, he told me that I've
been transferred to Washington."

"Washington?  What the Seattle office?"

"No, DC, the main office.  Apparently, someone in the Defense Department
has been watching me, and now they want me to go up there and join up
with some team."

"That's great, Karyn," Jose replied, trying to sound happy while
controlling the anger of losing his partner at the same time.  "You're
moving on up in this world.  When are you supposed to go?"

"Sometime this afternoon.  Someone is supposed to come and pick me up
here."

"Today!  Well, I want to have a little talk with this person before you
go.  Let them know how important you are to us.  Let them know what they
are taking away from us here."

"You always have to make a point, don't you?"

"Hey," he cracked, "nobody takes away Jose Ryer's partner without
answering some questions first, okay?"

"You're too much, Jose," Karyn laughed, hugging her partner.  "I've got
to go pack.  God, I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too, girl."

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