Mastermind

Chapter 26: Why We Serve

When night fell upon the city of Mercury Heights once again, the atmosphere seemed to be drastically different than usual. The Viper, Dr. Duncan Drevis, The Crawler, and Shocker were all unaccounted for---they were busy liberating the Rusted Citadel overseas---and their absence combined with the recent crime drought had amounted to a more peaceful, relaxed night for all. At least.....for those unaware of the conspiracy operating right under their noses.

After Didi had locked up the police station for the night, she got into her personal vehicle, revved up its engine, and left the parking lot en route to the Mastermind's safehouse, steeling herself for every possible outcome. She had to be ready for anything, from his compliance or defiance, to his agreement or denial, to his hostility or benevolence. To defend herself, she carried multiple tools on her belt: a can of pepper spray, a short-range taser, a long-range taser, a loaded pistol, and a standard baton for melee engagements.

She had already punched in Herman's recovered coordinates into her GPS prior to leaving the station; they pointed to a rather unassuming house that was located off the beaten path.....a place that no one really bothered to visit because no one was sure of who lived there, if anyone.

Okay, 'Mastermind'..... Didi thought to herself as she drove down Mercury Heights's bustling streets, getting closer and closer to the conspiracy head's residence. Let's see what you've got for me.

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The female African-American officer first stopped her car at the entrance of the long dirt road leading up to the safehouse, turning off her headlights, shutting down the engine, and pulling out a pair of binoculars to scope out the house before heading inside. To her surprise, there were no security cameras, motion detectors, or traps to speak of, nor were there any guards or physical defenses stationed in the outer yard.

The safehouse itself was a single-story home made out of stucco and vinyl; ironically, it would have likely drawn less suspicion had it been placed with other houses. The roof was dark brown, and lacked a chimney, suggesting the absence of a fireplace; there were a few windows here and there along the exterior, but all of them were tinted. The white garage door---located to the right of the main entrance---was currently closed, but two black SUVs were positioned next to each other in the driveway.

.....Huh? What? Didi pondered internally. Law enforcement is here already? Oh, wait.....those are probably Mastermind agents. Never mind.

She did one final check of the house from the front to see if there was anything she needed to watch out for, then concluded that the place was safe.....from this angle. Reactivating her vehicle, she drove around to the back of the safehouse and performed the same analysis.

Here, the safehouse's surprisingly well-kept backyard garden was in full view, with beautiful potted plants arranged in carefully thought-out patterns and a stone fountain serving as its centerpiece. A single door served as a means of traveling between the house and the yard, and there were still no surveillance cameras in sight. A few steps from the door, however, she noticed something that could potentially spell a hazard; a doghouse was nearby.....with a sleeping dog in it.

"Darn it....." she muttered to herself. "That mutt's gonna blow my cover if I go in now. Hold on.....where'd I put that tranquilizer gun again.....?"

She eventually located it, leaned out of the driver's side window, and firmly planted a well-aimed dart right between the hound's eyes; because it was already sleeping, the effect wasn't all too visible, but Didi swore she noticed its breathing slow down somewhat. It also didn't make any noises upon the dart's impact with its body, so she figured she was in the clear.