Tempered Steele

Chapter 3

Hey guys.  After a whole helluva long time...i managed to update this one.  I hope to finish it, so please, vote and comment.  Your feedback will help me do just that.  Also, it's unedited as it reads, so if you notice any mistakes, I'd be glad to fix them as soon as you bring them to my attention.  :D

Sirius:

“Did any of you at least get a shot in?”  Sirius bellowed angrily, pausing midstride in the illuminated passageway.  His entire body shook with rage.  The shrill scream of alarm was driving him mad.  “And would somebody shut the damn system down!”

Min and Joel shook their heads sheepishly. 

“He was too quick.”  Min supplied at the look on Sirius’s face.  Sirius pulled back his hand and slapped him across the back of his head, making him wince.  Joel placed his hand there to protect against the incoming smack, but at the glowering look Sirius threw him, he slowly lowered it and hunched his shoulders offering his head to the boss.  He was rewarded with a stinger just there, making his head bob as well. 

“Let me get this straight.  You have all the hi-tech equipment on hand to track and monitor anything that leaves HQ, including every single folder, and even with the classiest weapons and technology on hand you still missed?  Both of you?”

They nodded in unison and Sirius cursed. 

Joel looked down on the hand held device and paled.  “Err, Boss?”  He ventured as soon as he managed to step away from the man.

“He went off the radar almost as soon as he lifted the files.  And then the alerts on the files blanked out too.  There was no way we could keep track after he took off.”  He held up the palm sized, portable tracking unit to show him what he meant.  Green dots flashed all over the interior of the building, but the red dots were completely gone. 

Sirius’s eyes widened and he yanked the thing from his hand, hitting a few keys on the pad and waiting for it to readjust the readings.  He growled.  When he found that sneaky SOB, he was going to make him pay.  Whoever the hell ‘he’ was!

How dare he prance around on their territory and think he could get away with it?

“Ok, what’s on the list so far?”  Kasha asked, waltzing in with her entourage.

Sirius made a sound of disgust.  “Just files.  We don’t have a face.  Masked friggin’ maniac.  Broke in and helped himself to classified information.  K’zar will be pissed.”

“How did he know where to look?”  She asked, leaning against the glass windows, her shoulder shrugging with the question. 

Sirius shrugged in return.  “No idea.  Someone either filled him in or he’s been scouting us for a while.  Those were Top Secret.  Only a select few know about it.” 

Her hand hovered questioningly before lowering the zipper on her jacket, her eyes narrowed; the cogs in the mind already turning with possibilities-

“Like the fire in the kitchen the other day?  You think the missing cook has anything to do with it?”

Sirius stared at his shoes.  “About that…”

“What?” 

“It’s possible that we may have missed something when hiring the man.  All his records were faked.  We found no trace of him, not even a print.”  He chanced a glance at her, scratching his scruffy chin.  Kasha didn’t look too pleased.