The Greatest Enigma

7. Plane

"Thanks Jarvis" E siad as he closed the cockpit door. We land in about three hours so how's everyone doing?"

"We're fine thank you" Wolfsbane told him politely.

"Speak for yourself...". Roulette muttered. He beating Cypher at a card game and looked confused as to why he was on a plane, "Is anyone gonna tell me what the hell is going on!?". Now E also looked confused.

"We told you"

"You told me we were flying to Africa"

"Well, there you go then problem solved" E looked pleased with himself. Roulette's jaw dropped open as E turned at sat down next to Wolfsbane. Roulette looked around pleadingly. Wolfsbane smiled at him. Finally Cypher put him out of his misery.

"We are going to recruit someone else for the team. Some violent guy who ran away to Africa".

"Any advances on "violent guy who ran away to Africa"?" Roulette looked around again. Jack was snoozing in the seat in front, his battered bowler hat covering his face.

"Relax Roulette. I was going to give everyone a proper breifing now anyway. Gather round guys". E called.Cypher got out a small stick and poked Jack's arm with the tip.

"YOW!", Jack jumped up with a start and the elecrtic shock. His instict to leap to safety make him bang his head in the low-ceilinged plane. Roulette gave Cypher a high five. Everybody gathered round the large, central table on the cramped aircraft. The was a small plastic folder on the table with a few sheets of A4 paper in. E slid the first sheet out and passed it around. Jack looked at the picture at the top of the page.

"Who is this guy?" he asked gesturing to the page now in Roulette's hands. Cypher was leaning on his shoulder looking aswell.

"His name is Dagger Mc. Grin", E began, "It was a stage name and it stuck"

"A stage name?" Wolfsbane asked

"That's right. He was in the cirus ten years back. He and his brother had this knife throwing act they did together. Dagger often caught knives in his mouth for the finale. His mother was very proud of her two brave sons. One day she came to watch one of their performances. Near the end of the show, during the knife-catching climax, she smiled at him from the front row. Distracted, he missed the knife. Unfortunatly, it did not miss him". E paused as Wolfsbane got hold of the paper. She gasped at the profile, "It carved on his face a permanent smile..."

"That's horrible!" Wolfsbane cried.

"Yes", E agreed, "Outraged at his frightening appearance, Dagger fled the circus with only his favourite knife. His family were distraught. His brother also left the circus and went to live with his their mother. They were both found dead two weeks later, stabbed in the heart and the brain, with a permanent smile als ocarved into their faces.

"How could he do that?" Wolfsbane gasped in horror.

"With a knife?" Jack suggested. Wolfsbane rolled her eyes and went back to looking horrified.

"Anyway, nothing was ever proved but I can say that I'm 99% sure that Dagger was behind those deaths".

"Of course he was", Roulette cried, "What other kind of maniac would run around cutting a grin into their family's faces?!?" Cypher rubbed Roulette's arm and murmered something to him.

E waited patienly for him to calm down. Then he shrugged.

"Stranger things have happened, and do with alarming regularity"

"But why do we even need an ally as crazy as this guy?!?"

The floor of the plane suddenly seemed very intresting as everybody looked down. Roulette had just asked the question that everybody was thinking but thaat they were all too scared to ask.

"Oh look. Gum" murmered Jack as E continued to contemplate his answer.

"Because", he paused again, "I'll agree that it is a risk but it is a risk that I am willing to take. WHen we do eventually track down Enigma, there is a 97% chance that he will resist capture. I need to be properly prepared in the event that we have to...deal with him..." E finished darkly. Spring-Heeled Jack cleared his throat loudly.

"I am well aware of your capabilities Jack", E didn't look at him when he spoke, "However, I like to be careful. I'd like Dagger to aid you.

"I can take 'im" Jack insisted.

E smiled at him.

"Of course you can"