For the next twenty-four hours, Feral managed to avoid trouble but it was as he was investigating a huge heist of munitions that he got careless.
The morning had been fairly busy with reports and meetings but it was after lunch that things got interesting. It started with an alert on his radio.
"Enforcer One!"
"Feral here!"
"Sir, there's been a major theft uncovered at the Megakat Munitions Plant. Seems someone has managed to steal over forty pounds of weapons, bomb making supplies, and bullets. Enough for a small war." The dispatcher reported.
"They are only now discovering it?" Feral said in disbelief as he got up from his desk and got his coat.
"The robbery was smooth. There had been no sign of entry and the only reason they discovered it was they were filling a request from a security firm, sir" Dispatch told him.
"Wonderful! Tell them I'm on my way, have my chopper readied, have two more to ride shotgun and order CSI to report on the double." Feral ordered.
"Yes sir."
He hurried down the hall to the elevator. As he boarded, he took out his cell phone and speed dialed a number. He barely noted his shadows jumping on with him.
"Felina! Where are you...good...grab your gear and meet me at my chopper in five minutes." He said then shut his phone. "If you think you're going on board my chopper, you'd better think again." He said without looking at the two lions.
"We're supposed to stay by your side, Commander." One of them said tightly.
"I'm fully aware of that but this is a military mission and no civilians are allowed by regulation. You'll have to find your own way there. Besides I have my own troops around me." He said flatly.
The elevator stopped at the flight line and Feral stepped out quickly and hurried across the hangar bay for the flight line. His body guards were stopped by the enforcer guards. Growling in dismay, the pair of lions took the elevator down to the lobby. One of them pulled out their cell and summoned a car.
"Tendaji isn't going to be happy!" One said unhappily to the other.
"That's an understatement. Guarding this Kat is a real pain. Let's hustle if we're to make it cross town to the Munitions Plant. By the Goddess, I hope that arrogant Kat stays safe until we get there." The first speaker said, worriedly.
His partner grunted in unhappy agreement.
Meanwhile, Felina had raced to meet her uncle and jumped on board quickly, cinching her safety harness. Her uncle was flying. It took them fifteen minutes to reach the plant. From the outside everything looked peaceful.
The plant had a high security fence surrounding it and guards posted at its only entrance. Feral landed the chopper within the fence and not far from the main doors. The other choppers with him did the same. A group of six troopers joined him as he jumped to the ground with his niece at his side.
The plant manager was just running up to them as they began to walk toward the entrance.
"Commander Feral, I'm Fredrick Janz, the plant manager." The Kat said when he reached them.
"Tell me what happened and what you've done so far." Feral barked.
As he led them through the secure entrance and to the bunker in question, Janz gave a concise report of what had happened as much as they were able to piece together and what actions they had taken since.
"The bunker has been sealed until your CSI can go over it. Here is the surveillance tape for that area but a small block of time has been erased from it by persons unknown. I hope your forensic people can recover it. This is a list of what's been taken." Janz said handing the items over to Feral who pocketed it for now.
They went and looked over the security measures, the bunker in question, and spoke with the workers.
"This had to be an inside job!" Feral rumbled softly to his niece as they went outside to check the outer perimeter.
"I'll do a computer check on each of the workers...see if anything pops!" Felina said. Her uncle nodded in agreement.
They were walking along the fence line checking for anything obvious. Feral's enforcers were strung out all along the fence as well. As they were reaching the back half of the plant out of a forest that was about a fifty yards from the fence, came some familiar pink creatures. They covered the distance in seconds and swooped over the fence. To everyone's shock, Feral was their target. They surrounded him, sweeping him ungracefully off his feet. He struggled hard but was unable to get free. He could feel their long deadly claws digging into his arms and legs.
Yelling in anger, Felina blasted the fence with her laser and raced after her uncle. She barked into her radio calling for help. Meanwhile the creeplings were quickly out distancing her and the rest of the enforcers, soon disappearing into the forest.
Felina followed but couldn't see them anymore. Growling angrily, she and the enforcers ran back to the plant to get their choppers.
Meanwhile at the military salvage yard, Jake and Chance were replacing an engine in the old lady Kat's car when they heard the alarm over the enforcer band radio they had on a shelf.
"Creeplings making off with Feral?" Jake asked, confused.
"What the heck would Dark Kat want with Feral?" Chance asked at the same time.
"Whatever it is, it won't be good. Let's go, buddy!" Jake said grimly as he and Chance closed their shop and went down to the hangar.
Just minutes later the Turbokat was racing toward the Munitions Plant. Just as they were reaching the area they encountered a squadron of choppers heading for a forest near the plant.
"Tune into their frequency, T-Bone. Let's hear what's going on before we jump in." Razor said.
"Roger!"
A familiar voice spat out of their comms, "...spread out and keep alert. Commander Feral's radio signal is strong enough to follow. Don't loose it!" Felina ordered and received confirmation from the other chopper pilots.
"Well, I guess we'll just follow them unless you can tap into that signal they're following, buddy?" T-Bone said questioningly.
"Working on it!" Razor said distractedly.
The group was halfway across the forest, the signal going steadily northward when it suddenly cut off.
"Keep following this course!" Felina barked, angry and upset at the sudden loss of the signal.
"Well that can't be good, Razor." T-Bone said grimly.
"That's for certain." Razor agreed then spoke through his comm. "Lt. Feral? Razor here!"
"Razor? What are you guys doing here?" She demanded unhappily.
"We caught your call for help. Thought we'd see if we could give you a paw finding your uncle." T-Bone said easily.
"We've lost his radio signal. I don't see how we're going to find him now." Felina said flatly.
"Is he carrying a cell phone, Lieutenant?" Razor asked suddenly.
"Usually...oh...yes the GPS signal from the cell phone but that requires the phone company to tap their lines to locate it. That will take time." Felina said, disheartened.
"True, but you've got nothing else to go on. We can keep to this course while you start the process." Razor told her.
"You're right! Squadron keep this course and keep your eyes on the alert for anything." Felina ordered then turned her attention to her radio while putting her chopper on autopilot.
Meanwhile, Feral was being smacked by branches as the creeplings raced through the trees keeping under the canopy to hide from their pursuers. He couldn't for the life of him figure out why Dark Kat wanted him.
Suddenly the creeplings stopped and dropped to a clearing on the ground. Waiting was a small group of suspicious looking Kats. They were standing next to a pair of all terrain vehicles. The creeplings landed but kept a firm hold on their prisoner.
One of the Kats approached and professionally frisked Feral. His radio, weapon, and coat were taken from him and left on the forest floor. Finished, they took Feral from the creeplings who took off and soon vanished, then pushed him toward one of the vehicles. He was handcuffed to the roll bar and his tie was used to gag him then he was seatbelted in the back seat between two guards. The group loaded up and raced off in a totally new direction.
'Who are these guys," He wondered in dismay. 'At least they didn't find my cell phone hidden in my inner pants pocket. Glad I have a habit of doing that so I won't lose it when I'm racing around.' He thought with a sigh of relief.
The ride was bumpy and long. The forest remained overhead the whole time. He thought he might have heard choppers not far away but that only meant they had tracked his radio and didn't know he was off in another direction now. He just prayed someone was tracking his cell phone.
No one could land where the radio signal was but the SWAT Kats could hover and rappel down to check things out. Razor did so and found Feral's things.
"Afraid you're not going to like this Lieutenant. Whoever they are stripped Feral of his coat, radio and weapon. Fortunately, the cell phone isn't here. There's also tire tracks of some terrain vehicles and at least six individuals here. They went off south east." Razor said over his comm. "Coming back up T-Bone." He warned his partner.
"Roger!"
"The phone company is still looking for my uncle's signal, should have it momentarily they say." Felina reported.
"I suggest we go in the direction of the tracks until we get the signal to firm up the direction." Razor said as he buckled himself in.
"I agree." Felina said with a sigh. "Squadron change course to south east." She ordered and followed behind the Turbokat.
They'd only gone a few miles when Felina got the info she'd needed but it wasn't good.
"Heads up! Commander Feral's cell phone signal is in this direction but its headed toward Megakat City's border. We aren't allowed to pass over without prior permission from the rather rigid local government there. We need to catch up to these guys now!" She told everyone.
"Roger! We'll go on ahead, we're faster anyway! Give us the signal." T-Bone called out.
"Roger! Signal sent! Good hunting!" Felina said, not happy that she couldn't be with them. They would continue on as fast as their choppers would let them.
T-Bone brought all engines to bear and the Turbokat shot away and vanished from view in seconds.
The terrain got more rugged. No way could anyone see them down here as the group kept to all the cover they could. Feral realized they were headed for the border of Lutanza, a very rigid government who still allowed slavery.
His heart stuttered as he realized who had kidnapped him. He was headed for the slave markets in Lutanza. 'And we have to go through extensive paperwork and visas to just enter their country. No way will they allow my enforcers to just pursue me across the border. It would cause a major incident.' He thought in dismay, losing hope the closer they came to the border.
"T-Bone the signal is within twenty miles of the border. We'll overshoot in five minutes, cut back the engines." Razor warned.
"Roger, cutting mega thrusters." T-Bone called out.
Their speed cut dramatically. Razor kept his eyes glued to his scanner, he bit his lip. No matter how fast they were, if they couldn't see the kidnappers they couldn't catch them. The signal was just under them somewhere and if there was time he would have recommended he should go EVA but as he struggled to find the two vehicles they got closer and closer to the border.
"T-Bone do you see anything? The signal is right under us but I can't see anything through that jungle below us." Razor asked anxiously.
"No! I've shifted us from side to side trying to see through the canopy but no dice. Why don't you fire some munitions ahead of them, see if we can cut them off?" T-Bone suggested grimly.
"It's worth a try!" Razor said. "Baby boomers away!" He sang out as two missiles streamed away from the jet.
They struck and blew a big hole in the canopy some distance from the signal.
Below in the kidnappers vehicles, Feral's eyes widened as the area ahead of them blew up. The drivers shouted obscenities while avoiding the attack from above. It was obvious these guys knew this area very well as they found trails a rabbit couldn't negotiate.
"Dammit! It didn't stop them. They know this terrain too well and that makes me suspect slavers!" Razor said grimly. "Let me try again. Mega Blaster...fire!"
A bright flash left the Turbokat and struck the ground less than twenty feet from the kidnappers. They quickly made a dangerous maneuver that nearly over turned them but made it and zoomed ahead once more.
"Double Damn! They are just too good!" Razor snarled.
"Crud! Felina?" T-Bone called out over his comm.
"Yes! Was that you firing munitions?" She asked.
"Yes! We were trying to head them off but no luck. They know this area too well. Razor suspects they may be slavers!" T-Bone shouted.
"I've come to that conclusion myself!" Felina said angrily. "How close are they now?"
"They will pass over in just ten minutes. What do you want us to do, Lieutenant?" Razor asked.
Felina sat silent for a moment. She and her enforcers absolutely could not pass over the border. That would cause an international incident. Unfortunately, though civilian, the SWAT Kats intrusion would be treated the same.
"Can you see them?" She asked instead.
"No! Though we can see their signal well enough, we can't see them! I would have to drop down and see if I could catch them by cyclotron but the terrain is bad for it and I don't know the area as well as they do." Razor said unhappily.
Groaning in defeat and scared for her uncle, Felina made the hardest decision of her life.
"Break off pursuit! Repeat...break off pursuit! We cannot cross this border. It will cause an international incident that could lead to war. That includes you, SWAT Kats." Felina ordered, anguish in her voice.
"Understood, Felina. Sorry!" T-Bone said bitterly as he veered away from the border they were about to cross in mere seconds.
"Yeah, me too, T-Bone!" Felina said equally bitter. 'Oh God! My poor uncle!' She thought in anguish.