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Good God, I just realized how far behind my last update was! Prepare for a MAJOR UPDATE!!!
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For thirteen years, Balto stayed at home, playing with Kodi and helping to raise him along with Jenna. When Kodi was seven, Balto told him stories of his adventures of his missions in various countries and regions. Kodi had always been fascinated and imagined going on these missions with his father when he was older.

“Dad, can I talk to you?” Kodi asked, now thirteen years old. Balto smiled at his son and nodded to him, sitting out on a balcony of their house and watching the sun go down.

“Sure thing son… Come and sit with me…” he replied, smiling as Kodi sat beside him, “So what’s up son? What did you want to talk to me about?”

“Dad, I want to be a secret agent- like you…” Kodi said, noting the shocked look his father got from that single sentence. Balto had not expected this at all and it took him completely off-guard.

“An agent? Like me?” he asked, watching the young husky nod vigorously to him, a small smile on his muzzle, “I… I don’t know, Kodiak… It’s not all the glory it may sound like… It’s a lot of hard work and it’s incredibly dangerous… Are you sure you wouldn’t rather be something else when you get older?”

“Nope! I want to be just like you, Dad… You’re a real hero…” Kodi said, resting his head on Balto’s chest, “You’re so cool… I want to fight for America- just like you do…” Balto opened his mouth to try and protest some more, then sighed softly.

“Kodi, are you sure this is what you really, truly want? To become a government agent like I am?” Balto asked.

“Yeah Dad! I don’t care if it’s hard work or if it’s dangerous… I want to be like you and be a hero!” Kodi replied, getting another sigh from Balto. After several moments of silent thinking, Balto finally replied.

“Alright Kodi… I’ll let you try and become a government agent…” Balto said, looking down at the huge smile Kodi now wore, “But remember: this will be very, very hard, so don’t expect it to be easy…”

“I know Dad… I’ll do my best…” Kodi said, hugging Balto affectionately, “Thank Dad…”

“You’re welcome, Kodi…” Balto replied in a soft tone. Without another word being spoken, both father and son watched the sun finish setting. Later that night, Balto paced back and forth in his bedroom, Jenna lying in bed reading a book. She sighed and looked at him.

“Balto, what’s wrong? You’ve been acting like this since dinner…” Jenna said softly, giving him a concerned look, “What happened that’s gotten you in this mood?” Balto sighed and stopped his pacing, looking to Jenna.

“Jenna, Kodi told me that he wants to become an agent like I am… He says he wants to be just like me…” Balto said. Jenna laughed softly.

“Well that’s not much of a surprise!” she said, giving him a small smile, “But what’s so wrong about wanting to be like his father?”

“I don’t want him to become an agent… It’s too dangerous and risky and I don’t want to see him get hurt!” Balto said, shaking his head slowly, “But I don’t want to crush his dreams either… I’m stuck, Jen… What do I do?” Jenna set her book aside and gave Balto a disappointed look.

“Balto, I understand you worrying about our son, but you can’t just tell him no to what he wants to do the most…” Jenna said, then sighed softly, “You know he looks up to you, Balto…” Balto heaved a heavy sigh and sat down on the edge of their bed.

“I know Jen… I know it’s not right to do that to Kodi…” Balto said sadly, “But what do I do then?”

“Let him become an agent if he wants to…” Jenna answered calmly, “You still work there, so be his mentor and teach him everything you know… If after that he still wants to be a government agent, then let him… You can take him on his first mission or two and make sure he stays safe…”

“Alright Jenna, I’ll do that…” Balto said, then smiled slightly, “If Kodi wants to be like me, then I’ll teach him everything I know about being an agent… I’m sure he’ll do fine…”

“I’m sure of it too, Balto…” Jenna said, moving until she was sitting beside her husband, giving him a gentle kiss on his cheek, “But dear, do make sure not too be too hard on the little guy… alright?”

“Don’t worry Jenna… I’ll be sure not to be too hard on him… I know what it’s like to be trained fiercely, so don’t worry about that…” he replied, kissing her back, “Well I’d better get to sleep… I’m gonna begin Kodi’s training as soon as possible…”









Chapter 2




The Pentagon, April 8th 2026, 1100 hours.




A young, twenty year old brick red and white husky stood before Colonel McIntyre, eyes showing slight nervousness as the colonel looked over a few papers in his hands. He sighed softly, looking around the office before looking back to the German Shepherd. Seeming to have reached a decision, McIntyre placed the papers on his desk and looked up at the husky before him, eyes serious.

“Well, your application seems rather… interesting…” Colonel McIntyre stated, glancing down at the papers he’d been previously holding, “So you’re trained in martial arts, correct?”

“Yes sir. I’m a black belt in Tai-Kwon-Do…” the husky answered calmly, nodding to the Shepherd, “I also did kickboxing in high school, sir…”

“And you’re also multi-lingual?”

“Sí, oui, and ja…” the dog before the colonel replied in Spanish, French, and German, smiling slightly.

“Impressive- as well as a great necessity to have when an agent…” McIntyre replied, looking over the husky’s papers again, “And your father’s served with us before, correct?”

“Yes he did and he still is, sir…”

“Yes, I know your father well…” Colonel McIntyre said, glancing up once more before back at the papers, “You’ve been trained by him to handle small arms, heavy arms, as well as basic and advanced land vehicle skills and aquatic vehicles?”

“Yes sir, he taught me all of that… I was never really good with aerial vehicles though…” he admitted with a slightly nervous chuckle, “He also taught me all about stealth, infiltration, hacking, movement techniques, and everything else he knew I’d need to survive if I become an agent…”

“Well, your application is very impressive, as well as your lineage…” Colonel McIntyre said with a grin, stamping the husky’s papers and standing up, holding out his hand, “Welcome to the United States Stealth Agency, Kodiak Harrand…”

“Thank you very much, Colonel McIntyre!” Kodi said with a large smile, shaking the Shepherd’s hand gratefully, “I’ll make sure to not fail, sir! I won’t make you regret this decision!”

“I’m sure you won’t, Kodiak…” McIntyre replied, glancing at someone in the doorframe, grinning and motioning behind Kodi, “And I’d like to show you some others who’d like to congratulate you…” Kodi turned around and saw Balto and Jenna standing in the doorway, smiles of pride on their faces.

“Mom, Dad!” Kodi said happily and walked up to them, hugging them lovingly.

“Congratulations Kodiak!” Jenna said, embracing him back, “I’m so proud of you!”

“I knew you could do it, Kodi!” Balto said cheerfully, smiling widely as he hugged Kodi back, “I always knew you had it in you!”

“It was all thanks to you, Dad…” Kodi replied, beaming at Balto, “I never could have done it without your help… Thanks a lot, Dad!” Colonel McIntyre cleared his throat and held up a manila folder, motioning to Balto and Kodi.

“While I hate to interrupt this joyous moment for you three, but I have something for you, Balto…” he said, placing the folder down on his desk, “We’ve found out where Niju is… After twenty years of searching, the snake finally revealed himself… He’s on an oil rig just off the coast of Venezuela… He’s been stealing the oil for a few days now, but we can’t figure out why…”

“And that’s where I come in, right?” Balto asked, picking up the folder and opening it, beginning to rifle through the documents within, “You want me to go there, find out what he’s up to, and stop him from finishing it, right?”

“Right. Right now, your only mission objective is to find out what he’s up to and stop him from completing his goal, whatever it may be with oil…” Colonel McIntyre finished, looking at Jenna and smiling slightly, “Jenna, your request for entry back into the agency has been sent to processing… Once we get it back with validation from the President or Secretary of Defense, then we may welcome you back into the agency with open arms… We’d be glad to have you back…”

“Thank you, Colonel…” Jenna replied, smiling as she nodded to him, then looked at Balto, giving him a look that said ‘Get your son involved’. Balto finished looking through the folder and nodded to the Shepherd.

“Alright Colonel, I’ll accept this mission… on one condition… I want to take Kodi with me…” he said, getting a surprised look from both McIntyre and Kodi, “It would be a good chance for him to experience what it’s like in the agency and with me there, I’ll be able to keep an eye on him…”

“Approved, Balto… You and Kodi will leave for Venezuela by air tomorrow morning at 0600 hours tomorrow sharp. Dismissed.”

Balto saluted and turned around, walking out with Kodi and Jenna. Almost immediately as soon as they left the colonel’s office, Kodi spoke up.

“Dad, are you sure you want to take me with you on your mission?” Kodi asked, “I mean, I’m still a rookie and I don’t want to be any kind of hindrance to you…” Balto laughed softly and smiled at his son.

“Kodi, you could never be a hindrance to me… I’d be more than happy to take me with you and teach you to use those techniques out on the field…” Balto responded, “Plus it’d be a great chance to see your father in action… Maybe learn a few extra things… Consider this your final test for all you’ve learned…”

“Well, thanks for taking me along with you, Dad…” Kodi replied gratefully, “I’m- a little nervous about this… But I know I’ll do well with you by my side!” Balto smiled widely as the family left the Pentagon behind them. He knew that they had to get home soon. They had a lot of preparations to do.

Once they were back home, Balto took Kodi to their storeroom, unlocking it and leading him inside. Balto grabbed his handgun from the rack and several clips of ammo, putting them in their designated spots on his stealth suit as it hung on the wall. Kodi followed behind his father, watching every movement he made with interest and taking mental notes. Balto then opened up a steel cabinet and handed Kodi a finely-crafted polished wood box. Kodi took it and looked up at Balto.

“What are you giving me this for, Dad?” Kodi asked, shaking the box slightly and listening to the soft rattling within.

“Consider it a gift for getting accepted into the agency, son…” Balto said, closing the cabinet and grabbing his grappling gun, “Go ahead, open it up!” Kodi lifted the latch and raised the cover, gasping slightly at the sight within.

Inside was a brand-new 9mm Beretta 92 handgun, polished, primed, and ready for action. Taking it out and holding it up, Kodi examined every inch of the pistol. The grip had been checkered to make it easier to grip, the clip eject button had been positioned so he wouldn’t accidentally hit it, the thumb safety was slightly larger for easier usage, and the slide had been reinforced and smoothened to make it easier to pull back. Kodi stopped his gaping at his gift to look back to Balto with utter shock on his face.

“Dad… This is… I can’t believe… How did you get this?!” Kodi asked, obviously awestruck by the gun in his hand, “This handgun’s been modified and customized in, like, eight different ways!”

“When you’re a top-ranking government agent, you tend to meet a lot of people…” Balto answered with a smile, “I have a friend who heads a weapons factory… I got him to make me that at a major discount… You’ll need that for tomorrow…”

“Ah, thanks so much, Dad!” Kodi said, holding it up and aiming at the wall, visioning enemy troops before him, “Hey Dad, what do you think is gonna happen while we’re out there?”

“Probably nothing more than standard routine infiltration/assassination missions…” Balto answered, finishing attaching equipment to his stealth suit, “This mission shouldn’t last longer than a half day, a day at the most, so we won’t need to pack many supplies… Oh, by the way son, tomorrow before we get on that plane, we have to meet Colonel McIntyre at the Pentagon… He’s going to give you your standard agent gear…”

“Awesome! This is gonna be so great!” Kodi said, glancing back at the three radios on the table, “Hey, these look pretty cool… What are they?” Balto looked up and pointed to them.

“Those are long-range wireless radio units… Their battery life is five days at the most before they’ll need recharging… They keep us linked to Operation Control and Headquarters while we’re off on missions…” Balto answered, walking over to Kodi, “Each one is labeled. One for me, one for your mother, and one for you…”

“Wow… All this stuff is so cool…” Kodi said, walking around and looking at the various weapons and equipment on the walls and racks, admiring his father’s black stealth suit, “I still can’t believe I’m actually an agent… I can’t thank you enough, Dad!”

“I know Kodi… I’m glad I helped you get what you wanted so much…” Balto replied, leading Kodi back out of the storeroom and locking it up before turning to Kodi, “But remember Kodi: this isn’t a video game or a movie… This is real life, real missions, real guns, and above all, real danger… Don’t get careless or arrogant out there, because one mistake could wind up costing you your life, ok son?”

“Yeah, ok Dad… I understand…” Kodi said, then smiled and saluted Balto, “… or should I call you Agent Balto now?” Balto laughed and rubbed Kodi’s head.

“You can still call me Dad… Don’t worry about calling me ‘Agent Balto’ or ‘sir’…” the wolfdog said before walking off, “Remember to get a good night’s sleep tonight Kodi… That could be a very valuable thing for you, especially on your first mission…”

Kodi nodded and watched his father walk off. His face then broke out into a wide smile as he followed Balto down the hallway, anxious and nervous for tomorrow to come.




The Pentagon, April 9th 2026, 0530 hours.




The sun still had yet to rise over the capital of the United States of America. However, despite the lack of sunlight, activity had already begun to bound about in the Pentagon. Inside the building, a skilled team of dogs sat at many various computer terminals, staring up at a large map of the world. It zoomed into Venezuela, then to a point about 100 miles off the coast. An oil rig could be seen as a vague dot amongst the deep blue of the ocean as Balto, Kodi, and Colonel McIntyre stared at it.

“That is your mission location, Agent Balto and Agent Kodi… It’s a rather large oil rig, 100 miles off the coast of Venezuela…” the colonel explained, “It’s recently been taken over by an unknown group of mercenaries, most likely the exact same group as the ones who were dealing with Niju in the past… They’ve been there for a while now, but no one’s bothered to try and take it back…”

“Why not, sir?” Kodi asked, looking to the dog before back to the large screen on the wall.

“Because the soldiers that are on Niju’s side are well-armed and from the reports we’ve received, they’re also very well trained…” McIntyre explained, “Now Agent Kodi, I have your equipment ready for you… Both of you, come with me…”

McIntyre walked out of the Operations Room and led the two agents down the hallway until they came to a steel-plated door. Punching in a code in the keypad beside it, the door unlocked and Colonel McIntyre walked in, followed by Balto and then Kodi. Inside he handed Kodi a black stealth suit just like Balto’s. The husky took it and gazed down at it for a while.

“That’s your standard operations’ stealth suit… It’s insulated so you’ll stay warm in cold areas and cool in hot areas…” Colonel McIntyre explained, “The belt is designed to hold six clips of 9mm Parabellum handgun bullets. It also comes with this light-weight rucksack, canteen, and a SOAW (Standard Operations Agents Watch). This watch can tell you the temperature, your coordinates, your heart-rate, as well as the time depending on where you are in the world…” Kodi quickly slipped into his suit, smiling as he and Balto now looked nearly identical. Colonel McIntyre handed Kodi a pistol with a small steel claw at the end and a reel at the back of the gun.

“This is your standard grappling pistol…” he stated, handing it to Kodi, “The steel claw can latch onto nearly any surface. It has about 100 yards of steel nylon wire stowed in that reel. Pull the trigger like you normally would to fire it. Once it’s latched onto something, you just pull the trigger to reel yourself in toward it, push the trigger forward to release yourself, and press the button on the side to make the claw release whatever it’s holding onto…” Kodi stowed his grappling gun in his belt and jammed his Beretta handgun into the holster on the belt along with his clips of ammo.

“There you go, Agent Kodiak… You’re now fully outfitted with the standard operations’ equipment… If any mission requires any additional equipment, then we’ll loan it to you or you can use any equipment you own yourself…” the Shepherd stated with a smile, “But for now, it’s time for you two to catch a plane… Good luck agents…” He saluted them before walking out, Balto nodding to Kodi.

“Well Kodi, are you ready to go on your first mission?” Balto asked, laughing softly when Kodi only nodded, still admiring his new equipment, “Alright son, let’s get going then…” The two agents walked out, headed for the plane that would take them south to Venezuela.

I love this! Keep going! I feel almost hungry to read more!

Whee... I love this story...

I love this! I wanna read more!

Man your writing is so good!

I have read everything you've posted on this site so far, and may I say that you are an extremely talented writer! I think yuu could match Rotramel's writing skills. And maybe as you get older and become more experienced, that you could even be greater than him.

Wow... I never knew this fanfic would be so popular! Well, now it's time to add a twist to the plot. I've added a bit of Balto's past, namely his first mission, the reason he became the hardened, military agent he is now. It's mixed in with the current events, but is italicized. Hope you like it!
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Venezuelan airspace, April 9th 2026, 2010 hours.




Despite it being only a few short hours to fly south to Venezuela, the plane had to make several detours along the way. First, the mapping systems shut down and they had to land in Puerto Rico for repairs. After a few hours of that, they had to land in Brazil since they didn’t have as much fuel as they thought they would need. Refueled and ready to go once again, it took the plane about four hours before it found a safe way to avoid the aircraft radars on the oil rig. Now it was only a few short minutes away before everything would begin…

Balto and Kodi sat in the rear section of the plane, suited up with parachutes and their equipment they’d taken and been given. Kodi strummed his fingers nervously on his lap. Despite his eagerness and anxiety to begin his first mission, he was nervous, much more nervous than he’d ever been before in his entire life! Balto tapped Kodi on his arm and gave him a reassuring smile.

“Nervous Kodi?” Kodi only nodded before finally saying,

“Yeah… A bit… Alright, a lot… I just don’t know what to expect from this, you know?” Kodi asked, looking to Balto. Balto’s eyes widened slightly, seeming to recall something from his past.

“Yeah… Yeah, I know what you mean…” Balto replied, mind leaving his body as he saw his first ever mission, clear as day. That was the one mission that changed him from a rookie fighter into the hardened, tough-*ss agent he was today… I was only 22 then… But even though that was over twenty years ago, I can still see it clearly… he thought to himself, I can still remember the fear I felt… The anxiety… The sounds of the gunshots… Watching the guards fall and not believing that I’d been the one who pulled the trigger… That mission changed me forever…




“Balto, you still with me?”

Balto glanced up into the face of the brown wolf who’d been his mentor, smiling to him. The wolf strapped on his leather gloves and patted Balto on the back.

“Don’t be afraid, son… Just take a deep breath and jump forward… Sky-diving’s really not all that hard… Pretty much just falling!” he replied, glancing to the back of the plane as the hatch opened up, “Here’s our stop! Ready?”

“No,” Balto said, his voice younger than now- twenty years younger, “I’m not sure I can do this…”

“Sure you can!” the wolf said, grabbing Balto’s hand and running forward, “’Cause here we go!” Then he jumped, taking Balto along with him as they began to plummet down to the jungle below them.




“Dad, you ok?” Kodi asked, snapping his fingers in front of Balto’s face, “You kinda spaced out… Are you feeling alright, Dad?” Balto blinked a few times, then shook his head and looked at Kodi.

“Yeah… Yeah, I’m alright Kodi…” Balto replied calmly, “Just… having a flashback moment… I’m alright now, thanks…” No sooner had Balto finished speaking, then the intercom came on and the captain’s voice came through.

“We’re only five minutes away from the D.O.P. Opening the rear hatch now…” The back of the plane slowly began to lower until the back wall was now a flat platform, opening up to the black Venezuelan night. Warm air rushed into the plane and Balto nodded to Kodi, both agents standing up and making sure their parachutes were secure. Balto looked to Kodi and gave him a slight smile, Kodi returning the smile to his father.

“Three minutes to D.O.P. Please move to the rear of the plane…” Balto and Kodi did as they were told, both agents stepping out onto the platform. Kodi risked a look over the edge, the crushing black waves seen thousands of feet below. He swallowed hard and whimpered softly, feeling so unnerved all of a sudden. Balto placed his hand on his son’s shoulder and smiled widely.

“Don’t be afraid Kodi… Just take a deep breath and jump forward… It’s all pretty much just falling!” Balto said, feeling like he’d suddenly been hit with déjà vu, but shook it off, “Don’t worry… I’ll be right beside you the whole time…”

“A-alright Dad…” Kodi replied, his voice shaking somewhat, “I trust you…” Below them, an object had begun to come into view. It was the oil rig.

“Now approaching D.O.P. Good luck agents…”

“This is where we get off!” Balto shouted to Kodi, “Alright… On three, we jump, alright?” Kodi nodded slowly, swallowing hard again as he looked down. “One… Two… Three!”

On three, Kodi closed his eyes and he and Balto leaned forward, falling from the plane and plummeting hundreds of feet a second. Kodi slowly opened his eyes again, watching as the sea and oil rig below him slowly became larger as they fell downward faster and faster. Balto smiled and looked over at Kodi.

“Thrill, isn’t it?” he shouted over the sound of the warm air rushing past their bodies as they fell and fell and fell, “I’ll bet you’re enjoying this, huh?”

“Not at all!” Kodi shouted back, “When can we deploy our parachutes?”

“Not yet!” Balto replied, doing a forward spin in midair before righting himself again, watching at the platform below them got larger by the second, “Get ready… Steady… Now!”

Upon hearing his father’s words, Kodi pulled the string on his parachute, Balto pulling his a moment or two later. Both parachutes opened and caught the air, decreasing their rate of falling dramatically, slowing it to a slow, gradual descent. The oil rig was still about 500 feet below them, a few minutes’ float downward.

“Well Kodi, was it as bad as you thought it was gonna be?” Balto asked, grinning at his son. Kodi shook his head slowly.

“Not really… It was actually more of a thrill than complete terror!” Kodi replied, chuckling slightly.

“See, I told you it wasn’t so bad… Now we just slowly fall down to the platform below…” Balto said, relaxing as he slowly drifted downward through the warm, humid air.

After several minutes, the two agents finally touched down on one of the loading/unloading docks on the side of the oil rig. Balto instinctively hit the ground and combat rolled forward, pulling out his handgun and sweeping the nearby area for any enemies. Kodi landed and unhooked his parachute from himself. After Balto had secured the area, he unhooked his parachute and both dogs tossed them over the edge into the black water.

“Alright… We’re on the South Loading Dock… We’ll have to sweep the entire rig if we’re going to find Mr. Suarez… Now remember Kodi, what’s the most important rule of stealth?” Balto asked.

“Leave no trace of your presence. An agent is a shadow. We were never here, we don’t exist…” Kodi answered. Balto smiled widely.

“You’ve learned well… Alright, let’s get moving… Our target could be anywhere here and we’ve only got until sunrise to finish this mission…” Balto said, checking his SOAW, “That gives up approximately 9 hours or so until we have to be out of here, objectives complete or not…”

“Alright Dad… Understood…” Kodi replied, drawing out his handgun and attaching his silencer to the end on it, “Let’s go…”

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OMFG!! You sir are the God of Writing! *Bows*

Balto and Kodi turned on their radios and silently moved toward the door leading inside the oil rig. Kodi pulled the door open and Balto quickly jumped out into the hallway, gun raised and ready to fire. He did a slow sweep across the hallway before nodding to Kodi who followed in behind him. The two of them slowly and quietly made their way down a hall, following a sign marked Control Room.




Balto felt the soft soil beneath his combat boots and sighed heavily. Beside him, the wolf, his mentor, chuckled slightly and detached his parachute from his rucksack.

“Now was that all that bad Balto?” he asked, grinning at him. Balto slowly shook his head.

“No, I thought it would be a lot worse, actually!” he admitted sheepishly, “But I guess all your teaching and encouraging really helped me out… Thanks Brad…”

“No problem Balto…” Brad replied, drawing out his handgun, a Colt M1911A1, and motioning through the jungle, “Now the base is about ten miles north of here… We’d better get moving if we want to get there before nightfall… Not that we’d have many problems… I’m a wolf and you’re half wolf, right?” Balto nodded and drew his Beretta, making sure it was loaded before following Brad through the jungle.

“Yeah… I’m part wolf, part husky… I was teased a lot for being a half-breed…” he admitted softly, gripping his handgun tightly as memories rushed to him. Brad placed a hand on his apprentice’s shoulder and smiled.

“What’s wrong with being half-and-half?” he asked, “You get the best of both worlds, right?” Balto smiled slightly and nodded slowly.

“Yeah… Best of both worlds…”

“That’s the spirit… Now c’mon… We’ve got a long walk ahead of us…” Brad then went off in a sweeping direction while Balto proceeded forward, eyes and ears alert for any enemy soldiers…




Surprisingly, the hallways were completely desolate, not a single guard in sight. Balto and Kodi sidled along the walls nonetheless, eyes dead-set down the farthest ends of the blank white halls. Upon rounding a corner, they found themselves staring at a gray metal door with the words Outer Platform on it. Balto walked around to it and silently opened it, pushing his gun through first then himself, scanning for any enemies. None were in sight, so he walked through and placed his back to the wall, shortly followed by Kodi.

Now outside in the dark night, their stealth suits blended perfectly with their surroundings. They slowly slinked along the railing at the edge of the platform, the sounds of the waves crashing against the side of the oil rig moving in a hypnotic rhythm. As they rounded another corner, they found a huge metal platform area, drums of oil pretty much everywhere and many guards patrolling back and forth through the aisles of barrels. Balto growled softly and looked around, spotting a door on the far side and turned to Kodi.

“Alright Kodi, see that door over there? I’m gonna give you a clear path to the door… Just give me fifteen minutes…” Balto replied, looking up at a window 100 feet above him, “I’ll be right back…”

Before Kodi could ask what Balto had in mind, Balto ran up against the opposite wall, hiding in the shadows. He pulled out his grappling gun and fired it, latching onto the steel wall just above the window. With a slight salute to Kodi, Balto pulled the trigger and shot skyward at a rapid speed. As soon as he was within range of the window, Balto stopped his ascent and swung back and forth for a moment before pressing the button and flying toward the window, smashing through it and pulling out his handgun, holding it up and scanning for enemies.

Balto was now in a bathroom, and from the sounds of things, he was alone. He pressed the button on the radio on his chest.

“Alright Kodi, I’m in… I’ll find a way to create a distraction for you…” Balto said into the microphone on his headset, releasing the button and slowly walking toward the door out of the bathroom.

However, as the wolfdog reached the door and went to open it, he heard bootsteps approaching and quickly ducked behind the way the door would open. As soon as it did, he grabbed the guard who walked inside. The dog gasped sharply and yelped, but was silenced when Balto put his hand over his mouth, his hand around the dog’s chest and his combat knife to the guard’s neck.

“Listen to me, I’m not a rookie to this kind of stuff… I will cut you open unless you stop making noise and start telling me something that’ll interest me… understood?” Balto asked in a low, fierce voice. The dog nodded and Balto let go of his mouth, “Now, where’s Niju Suarez?”

“H-he’s in t-the Oil Processing Area… T-that’s where I last s-saw him…” the soldier said, voice shaking with fear, “P-please don’t kill me!”

“That’s up to me to decide…” Balto replied, pressing his knife harder against the dog’s throat, “Tell me, what’s the name of your group and why are you doing this?”

“I-I don’t know why we’re doing any of this! I’m just a mercenary soldier hired by Mr. Suarez! I don’t know, honestly!” the guard answered, whimpering softly, “H-he calls us the Falcons… I don’t know why. Maybe he just likes falcons!”

“Thanks… You’re free to go now…” Balto replied, letting go of the guard and delivering a swift, powerful strike to the back of the dog’s neck, dropping him to the floor before hiding him in a stall and locking it.

Turning on his heels, Balto replaced his knife in its sheath and pulled out his handgun, walking out into the white hallways and saw a guard a few dozen feet away. Before the mercenary could even raise his gun, Balto pulled the trigger twice, the silenced shots barely making a noise as the bullets hit their target in the chest. The guard shuddered slightly and fell to the ground. Balto ran up to the body and took the FAMAS assault rifle from him, stashing the body in the bathroom like the other one.

Slinging the assault rifle across his shoulder, Balto carried on down the hallways, eyes peeled for any guards. A few moments later, he heard someone approaching from both sides of him. Eyes darting around for a way out, Balto spotted a ventilation grate above him. He jumped up and pulled it off, climbing inside and sealing himself in. Below, he watched as two guards crossed paths before going back to patrolling.

With a soft sigh, Balto crawled his way through the ventilation shafts, looking for a way to create a distraction for Kodi to slip inside as well. After searching, he reached a grate that led outside. Balto kicked it out and climbed out and landed on a steel catwalk outside, 100 feet above the Outer Platform where he’d left Kodi. Balto stowed his Beretta and pulled the FAMAS from across his shoulder, walking to the railing of the catwalk and aiming down below. He fired off several rounds, managing to hit one of the guards and kill him before the others took cover and began to return fire.

Balto ran down the catwalk, firing back blindly at the enemy soldiers below him. During the shooting, Balto hit one of the many barrels of oil, causing a large explosion. Kodi watched and as soon as the explosion happened, he ran forward, heading for the door Balto had pointed out. As he reached the door, it opened up and a single guard spotted Kodi. Kodi kicked the guard’s gun out of his hands and delivered a round-house kick to the dog’s head, knocking him against the wall and watched him crumple to the floor before running in and closing the door.

Once Balto was sure Kodi was safely inside, he ran to the end of the catwalk and pulled open the door, rushing inside. Balto ran down the hallways until he found an elevator. He pressed the button beside it and waited for it to arrive. As soon as the doors opened, Balto pointed his handgun at the emptiness inside. He moved inside and pressed the button for the 1st Floor, watching the doors close and feeling the elevator descend.

Kodi slowly slinked through the hallways, keeping his handgun raised in case anything came out at him. Now that he was able to be seen, without his father beside him, Kodi felt a little bit nervous. However, he kept his wits about him and carried on going until he passed by a row of elevators. As he walked by one, the doors opened and Kodi pointed his pistol and a dog who pointed a similar pistol at him. It was Balto. With a sigh, Kodi lowered his gun and smiled at his father.

“Dad… You gave me a scare there…” Kodi said, “That was a smart idea, shooting at the guards like that Dad… Thanks for helping me inside…”

“Not a problem son… You did well back down there…” Balto said, patting Kodi on the shoulder, “Now come on, we need to find the Oil Processing Area… That’s where Niju was last seen…” Kodi nodded and Balto looked at the directory beside the elevators. The Oil Processing Area was on the 3rd Floor. Balto nodded to Kodi and both agents walked back into the elevator, going up to their selected level.

That was soooooooo awesome Balto5670! I cannot believe what you wrote! i was just soooooo great! Keep it up!

Very nice, my friend.
I'll admit, by the title I thought this would be centered around Kodi being an agent after Balto retires or something, not that they'd work together! Very clever. Balto's kinda getting into the Sam Fisher age range now, huh?

I like the way this is going, and I need more!
Write on!
-LWf

That was unbelievably cool! This just keeps getting better and better! Keep up the good work!

And now for a twist in the plot that'll prove veeeery important later on!
_____________________________________________________________


Once the doors opened once more, Balto and Kodi, guns raised and ready to fire, stepped out into the hallway, each one aiming down the other end of the hall. When they saw the same barrenness as the other halls, Balto nodded to Kodi and followed the markings on the walls to their destination. As they rounded a corner, Balto ran into a guard and stumbled slightly. The guard recovered first and went to shoot Balto, but Kodi reacted faster and pulled his trigger four times, each bullet striking the dog in a different part of his torso. Kodi watched as the guard fell dead to the floor, a shocked look on his face.

“Well done, Kodi…” Balto said, looking from the dead guard to Kodi, giving him a thumbs-up, “First kill… Don’t worry about it though… It was necessary…” Kodi only nodded, still shocked as he looked at the handgun in his slightly trembling hand. Balto patted Kodi on his back before motioning down the hall with his gun.

“Come on, we have to go…” Balto said softly, leading a shell-shocked Kodi onward…




Balto pushed through the large ferns and undergrowth. It had been a few hours since they’d touched down and now it seemed like forever they’d been trekking. Balto checked his SOAW; it had been precisely two hours and eighteen minutes since they’d landed.

“Where the Hell is this place?” Balto asked into the small microphone clipped onto his shirt.

“It should be just a bit farther… In fact Balto, go forward about fifty feet…” Brad said, his voice coming through Balto’s old radio that he wore. Balto pushed forward and through one last large fern until he saw a small military base down in a basin before him, the beige concrete and steel mesh fence standing out from the lush green scenery around it.

“Excellent… I found it Brad… Where are you?” Balto asked, feeling someone tap him on his shoulder and instinctively spun around, pointing his handgun at Brad, “Jeez Brad, you nearly gave me a heart attack!” Brad chuckled and pointed to Balto’s gun.

“You almost made me lose my brains, but there was no harm done there, right?” he asked, chuckling again, “Come on, I can see a break in the guards’ patrol pattern… Follow me…”

Brad led Balto down through the dense jungle until they arrived on the outskirts of the base. Through the wire mesh, Balto could see the guards walking back and forth, M-16’s clutched tightly as they patrolled back and forth around the compound. Brad watched until the guards moved away, leaving a small opening in their patrolling. Brad quickly jumped onto the fence, climbing to the top and using his wire-cutters to snip through the barbed wire at the top before dropping over and hiding behind a stack of crates.

Balto took a deep breath and waited several minutes before the break reappeared again. He then followed Brad’s example, taking his route and climbing over the fence, dropping on the other side and dashing to where Brad was, taking cover next to his mentor. As they hid, a single guard walked by them and caught a quick glimpse of Balto’s jungle camouflage in contrast to the metal crates. He walked over to see what it was and spotted the two agents. Balto noticed him as well and quickly raised his handgun, pulling the trigger and listening to the gunshot echo through his ears and mind, watching the soldier clutch his chest and double-over.

Brad looked over and saw Balto kill the soldier, quickly scrambling over beside Balto and pulling the dead guard out of sight behind the crates. He examined the wound inflicted upon the guard. A direct shot to the dog’s chest. Brad nodded in approval to Balto, impressed with his marksmanship.

“Nice shot Balto… Now let’s try to find a way inside…” he whispered, looking back out over the side of the crates. Balto only stared at his handgun, then to the body, then back to his gun. He still couldn’t believe it. He had actually killed a dog…




The Oil Processing Room wasn’t very far from where Kodi had made his first kill. Just a few minutes down the hall and they found the metal door with the label on it. Balto pulled it open and rushed inside, followed by Kodi, both scanning for enemies. They were on a metal catwalk above huge tankards of oil. A single dog, or more accurately, a wolf, stood on the catwalk a few yards away. As Balto and Kodi got closer, the black and white wolf noticed them and quickly spun around.

“Who the Hell are you two?” he asked furiously, taking a step backward.

“Niju Suarez, I presume…” Balto said, lowering his gun while Kodi kept his on the wolf, “We represent the United States government… We’re here to stop you… Now you can either come quietly or die with a fight…”

Niju, not seeing any way out of this yet, sighed and lowered his arms. He took a few slow strides forward before reaching into his jacket. Balto reacted faster and ran forward, reaching him just as the wolf pulled out a Desert Eagle handgun. Balto kicked it out of his hand, watching it fall into the oil below. Niju then laid punch after punch on Balto, knocking the wolfdog backward. Kodi tried to shoot Niju, but couldn’t pull the trigger. He didn’t want to risk his father’s life.

Balto stumbled backwards and nearly fell, but managed to stay standing. He’s got to have some kind of training… His punches are too strong and finessed to be an amateur fighter’s… he thought to himself, looking up to catch Niju running off down the catwalk to a metal door at the end.

“Get him Kodi!” Balto shouted, dashing off after Niju. Kodi obeyed and fired after the retreating canine, hitting the catwalk and rails around him and throwing sparks up behind the wolf, but never hitting him. Niju pulled the door open and rushed out, shortly followed by Balto. Kodi growled softly and ran off after them, not willing to give up the fight so easily.

Balto ran through the door and found himself outside, on another catwalk on the outer walls of the oil rig. Good God! Balto thought to himself, looking down the catwalk and spotting Niju. He ran off after him, but the wolf stopped and kneed Balto in his stomach. The wolfdog groaned softly in agony and doubled over, falling to the ground. Kodi ran outside and saw what was going on. He raised his handgun and pulled the trigger- only to hear a click of an empty magazine.

Balto grabbed Niju’s leg and pulled, sending him crashing to the catwalk as well. Niju growled and kicked Balto in the head, slowly getting up again. Balto struggled to his feet, but was knocked down when Niju landed a blow on the back of his head. Kodi, unable to watch his father take such a beating, ran up and kicked Niju in his chest. The wolf flew backward, but caught himself in mid-fall, did a back-flip, and landed on his feet. Kodi ran forward again, trying to hit Niju but he blocked every attack.

Niju then dodged and grabbed Kodi’s arm, spinning the husky around and holding him as a shield. Balto got up and pointed his gun at Niju- then gasped sharply as he saw Kodi being held hostage.

“Now, Mr. American Agent, stow the gun or your son dies right here, right now…” Niju threatened, pulling out a dagger and holding it to Kodi’s neck. Balto reluctantly holstered his pistol and raised his hands.

“Alright, it’s done… Now let him go, Niju…” Balto said calmly.

“Come and get him first…” Niju said, hiding the grin he was wearing. It was obvious he had a plan, but Balto was unable to see it. As Balto came forward, Niju’s hand shot forward and grabbed the wolfdog’s dog-tags, pulling them from around his neck. He growled softly; he’d been aiming for the agent’s neck, but had missed only by an inch.

“He’s all yours, Mr. Agent… presuming the ocean doesn’t claim him first!” Niju shouted, tossing Kodi over the edge of the catwalk. The husky screamed as he fell hundreds of feet down into the black, cold ocean waters.

“Kodiak!” Balto shouted, willingly giving up his chance to complete the mission as he jumped off the edge, diving in after Kodi. Niju laughed and ran off down the catwalk. Despite his stealth suit’s insulation, the water was still freezing cold around Balto’s body. God, Kodi fell into this?! Balto thought, swimming underwater toward his son. He grabbed Kodi’s arms and quickly swam up to the surface. A moment later, the two agents broke the surface, Kodi coughing and sputtering.

“D-dad?” he asked, shivering terribly, “I… r-really messes up, huh?”

“Nonsense, Kodi… You didn’t mess anything up…” Balto said, holding his son close to try and warm him up slightly as they bobbed up and down in the water, Balto pressing his radio again, “This is Agent Balto. The mission is a failure. Repeat, the mission is a failure. Requesting immediate extraction. Over…” Balto looked at Kodi. “Don’t worry Kodi… It’s over now… We’ll be home soon…”




Balto slowly and silently closed the metal door behind him. He glanced back forward, following behind Brad as he walked down the hallway. A guard came around the corner and Brad didn’t hesitate; he drew out his knife and shoved it into the soldier’s chest before tossing him into an adjacent room.

“So Brad, aren’t we supposed to be looking for this guy, Commander Baker?” Balto asked, giving the wolf a confused look, “So shouldn’t we be interrogating these guys instead of slaughtering them?” Brad chuckled and glanced back at the young wolfdog.

“Balto, sometimes being rough and vicious gets the mission done faster…” he explained, opening a door and looking in the room before closing it and carrying on his search, “Besides, no one will miss these guys…”

Balto gave his mentor a strange look, not quite sure he approved of his methods. But the government apparently did so, so it wasn’t his place to question Brad. The two continued to walk on, Brad shooting and killing every guard they came across. Balto preferred to try and interrogate them, always getting to answer either because they refused to talk or because Brad killed them while he held them.

Balto sighed as he walked out of yet another empty room. He gave Brad a shrug and shook his head slowly.

“I have absolutely no idea where this Commander Baker guy is!” Balto said, hearing rushing bootsteps coming toward them. Balto and Brad turned and saw four guards approach them and take aim at them.

“Freeze you two! Don’t move or it’s your funeral!” one guard shouted. Balto and Brad exchanged looks before dropping their guns and raising their hands above their heads…




Balto and Kodi continued to gently bob up and down in the water for several minutes. Nearby, a ship’s horn sliced through the serene silence. From the oil rig, a large freighter left, sailing northward until it vanished from sight. Then everything was quiet and calm again for a while. Balto sighed softly, the cold beginning to get to him and Kodi.

“D-dad? A-are we g-gonna d-die?” Kodi asked, giving his father a scared look. Balto slowly shook his head.

“No Kodi… W-we’ll be just f-fine…” Balto replied, his teeth chattering slightly. No sooner had Balto said those words than the roar of a helicopter above them was heard, loud and clear. A searchlight was shone down on the two agents and Balto waved up to it. A rope ladder was thrown down to them and Balto ushered Kodi up it, climbing up after his son did. Inside the helicopter, two American soldiers wrapped blankets around Balto and Kodi.

“Are you two alright?” they asked as the helicopter flew off.

“Yeah…” Balto said softly, beginning to warm up once again, looking over at Kodi who had fallen asleep, his hand reaching for where his dog-tags had previously been, a grim expression settling over his face, “We’re fine……”

This just keeps getting better and better! Talk about exciting! Keep up the excellent work!