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Recently, I've been having a little difficulty with The Chronicle of Rallan Volume II, but rest assured, my fans, I shall finish it hopefully soon. Until then, to break my writer's block, I've been writing a spy-thriller sort of fanfic: Balto: Espionage Tactics. Hopefully, I'll be able to complete The Chronicle of Rallan Volume II, but until then, I'll give you Balto: Espionage Tactics, the Prologue!

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This story, its corresponding plotline, and its characters are © 2006 Balto5670. The characters Balto, Jenna, Steele, Nikki, Kaltag, and Star are © 1995 Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment. All Rights Reserved.





Prologue



Washington D.C., December 10, 2004, 2300 hours.

The room was deathly silent for awhile. Two dogs made up the occupation of the room; one sitting on a couch and the other holding a remote for a projector. The dog holding the remote walked in circles around the edges of the room as the projector booted up.

“Alright, listen up Balto,” the man said, “We’ve finally gotten the green light to proceed with the Intrusion Mission.”

“Intrusion Mission? What’s so different about this one? Aren’t all my missions intrusion missions?” the scruffy gray-brown wolfdog asked, leaning back in the couch and staring at the wall.

“Just wait a moment, I’m getting to that,” the dog, a German Shepherd replied, “Tell me, have you ever heard of a dog named Steele?”

The Shepherd pressed a button and a profile photo of a black and white dog appeared on the wall in front of Balto, a serious and angry look on Steele’s face.

“Isn’t he that former military sergeant? The one who was relieved of duty because of the way he handled his unit and then his unit left and joined him?”

“Precisely. Recently, Steele’s been holding a grudge against the US for letting him go. He claims that he was in charge and the way he led shouldn’t matter so long as America won. Apparently, the government thought differently. Now he’s gone and taken his unit and led them in a terrorist-themed assault.”

“Terrorist-themed assault? On what?”

“Have you ever heard of Night Fox Island? It’s a military controlled island off the coast of Alaska. Apparently, they were building a super-weapon up there in the facility based upon that island,” the Shepherd informed, “Steele is now using it as a threat, saying that if the US doesn’t turn over $2,000,000 and allow him to return as a sergeant, then he’ll use the weapon on his own country.”

The dog pressed the button again. A map of Alaska appeared and an island just off the coast was highlighted. Then a picture of a high-security facility flashed onto the wall. Balto sighed and shook his head.

“What is wrong with that dog?”

“We’re not sure, but all we can tell is that he’s leading a platoon of soldiers still loyal to him. He’s taken complete control of the facility and there’s no telling what he’ll do. There are four specific members to his unit to look out for though…”

The German Shepherd pressed the same button and four pictures appeared, one being Steele himself. The dog pulled out a laser pointer and shot the beam onto a tawny looking husky.

“Private First-Class Star, a master at handguns…”

The laser moved over a tan husky, a smirk on the dog’s face.

“Corporal Kaltag, an excellent sharpshooter and hand-to-hand combat master...”

The next picture was of a heavier looking dog, a distasteful look on his face.

“Private Nikki, an explosives expert…”

Finally, the laser settled upon the twisted smile of Steele.

“And Sergeant Steele, an excellent all-around fighter, an expert with any gun and fighting style, and a ruthless and merciless dog…”

The Shepherd sighed and put his laser pointer away, pressing the button on the remote yet again. The four photos vanished and were replaced with a picture of a Talon combat plane.

“We’ll be flying you over Night Fox Island in a combat Talon. It’s silent, so you’ll enter undetected. You’ll jump out and sky-dive about a mile away from the facility and into a small forest on the edge of the island. From there, you’ll need to gain entrance, wipe out those four dogs, and eliminate the super-weapon. Any questions?”

“What’s the reward?”

“Always thinking for benefit, eh Balto? How about the satisfaction of doing your country an excellent service? That and the government will pay your taxes for five years.”

“D*mn… Well, I suppose it’s better than nothing…” Balto muttered and chuckled softly.

“You’ll be outfitted with a handgun, the standard army-issue packs, a communicator so we can speak, a few clips of ammo, and enough rations for a day. That’s all you should need. Should you need anything else, you’ll have to procure-on-site. Remember, this is a stealth mission; you cannot let the enemy know you’re there… So, what do you say?”

The Shepherd pressed a different button and the projector turned off. Balto stood up and glanced at the Shepherd, nodding to him.

“Alright, Colonel McIntyre… Let’s do this…” Balto said determinedly.

Sorry for the double post, but I'm putting part of Chapter 1 up for everyone to enjoy! Maybe this'll attract more people, maybe not, but wither way, to my dedicated fans, part of Chapter 1 is here!

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Chapter 1



December 15, 2004. Above Alaskan airspace, 0600 hours.

A lone Talon combat air unit flew silently above the dark Alaskan sky. Below, the forest was silent. Inside the cockpit, the German Shepherd stood behind the pilots, analyzing every aspect of the mission. He pressed a button for the intercom system and spoke into the microphone.

“Are you doing alright back there, Balto?” Colonel McIntyre asked.

In the back of the plane, Balto sat on one of the benches, a soldier checking his outfit and equipment for any faults. When none were detected, he walked over to the control console and began preparing to open the back for Balto’s departure.

“Are you doing alright back there, Balto?” came the voice of Colonel McIntyre.

“Yeah, I’m fine!” Balto shouted so that the intercom could pick up his voice.

“Excellent. We’ll be approaching your D.O.P. in five minutes.”

“The suspense is killing me…” Balto muttered sarcastically.

Five minutes passed in the blink of an eye. The soldier finished depressurizing the back chamber so Balto could fall without any risks of pressure affects. He turned and pointed to Balto’s oxygen helmet beside him on the bench.

“Put your helmet on. Opening rear hatch now…” the dog said, pressing a button on the console.

As Balto pushed the helmet securely onto his head, the back hatch opened to reveal the Alaskan winter night. He stood up and walked over to the end of the plane, looking over the edge and down at the snow-covered forest. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, mentally preparing himself for the jump.

“All systems are a go!” the dog announced happily.

“Here’s your stop, Balto. Good luck…”

Balto opened his eyes and leaned forward, kicking off and dropping out of the plane. The wind ripped past his body as he rapidly fell down toward the Alaskan forest. In his ear, Balto could hear Colonel McIntyre’s voice.

“Remember, infiltrate the facility, kill the four elite soldiers, and destroy the weapon. Your codename for this mission will be “Wolf.” We’ve already sent a spy there to assist you in your mission. The codename of our mole is “Husky.” Make contact with our mole and your mission will become easier.”

“Will do, Colonel…” Balto replied, a tiny microphone pinned to his shirt collar relaying his voice back into the cockpit.

“Alright, you should hit the ground in three minutes. Before you collide into the snow and dirt at terminal force, press the clip on your harness for the drag chute to slow yourself down.”

“I know what a drag chute does, Colonel.”

“Alright then. Just making sure. Good luck, Wolf. I’ll keep in touch.”

A few minutes later, Balto entered the forest and pulled the chute, slowing his descent dramatically from a free-fall to a slow drift to the snow. As soon as Balto’s boots touched the ground, he unclipped the parachute harness from around his chest and rolled out of it, drawing his pistol and surveying the forest. Everything was calm and clear, a light flurry of snowflakes falling from the black sky.

“Wolf here, I’ve landed successfully… Beginning my approach to the facility…” Balto said to what-seemed-like no one.

Balto walked through the foot-high snow, his boots causing a soft crunching to echo through the silent forest. Everything was quiet… a little too eerily quiet. Balto’s brown and gold eyes scanned all around him as he walked, his gun at the ready, just in case. Despite his suspicions, Balto made it to the outskirts of the facility with no difficulty from anything.

Suspiciously, there were no guards around the iron-mesh fence surrounding the outside of rather large military compound. Balto dove to the snow and army-crawled to the fence. He glanced up and still saw no guards.

“Huh, that’s odd…” Balto whispered.

“What’s odd?” Balto heard in his ear and jumped slightly, realizing he’d forgotten to shut his communicator off.

“There’re no guards around the outside perimeter of the facility. It’s like the whole place is abandoned…” Balto answered, double checking again for any soldiers.

“Probably all wiped out by Steele’s forces. If anything, Steele’s guards will be on the inside. You should have a straight shot inside if there’re no guards. Good luck Wolf.”

Balto switched off the wireless communicator strapped to his shoulder and stood up. He shook the snow off of his dark green drab suit, standard issue for soldiers. Stowing his gun, Balto grabbed onto the mesh and climbed the fence, cutting through the barbed-wire at the top and dropping down onto the other side.

Cautiously, Balto drew out his handgun again and slowly walked through the snow, his boots making a gentle crunch underneath him that seemed to echo in the stillness of the compound. Balto slowly moved his eyes across his surrounding, searching for anyone, anyone at all. Suddenly, a distant engine caught his attention and Balto quickly dashed toward a structure and pressed his back against it, his dark green clothing blending in with the shadows well enough to hide him from the coming people.

From where Balto was, the engine got louder and louder until he realized it wasn’t one, but three motors! As he remained hidden, three snowmobiles pulled up and parked in front of the building Balto was leaning on. Fortunately, they didn’t see him and opened the doors, pulling their vehicles in and walking out, talking amongst themselves. As they pulled off their helmets, Balto saw that they were none other than Nikki, Kaltag, and Star, three of his four targets.

Balto resisted the urge to jump out and attempt to ice them all there and then; a move he knew would spell his doom very quickly. His eyes narrowed as he carried on watching the three dogs, eavesdropping on their conversation as best he could.

“That ride was the most amazing, the most incredible, the most exciting-” Kaltag started, rambling on.

“That ride was the best!” Star cut in, resulting in a blow to his head, courtesy of Kaltag.

“We’d better get back inside before Steele starts getting mad at us for being out so late. It’s already 6:30 in the morning. We’ve been out all night!” Nikki said. The other two nodded and they began to head toward the central structure, still talking between themselves.

“The central structure, huh?” Balto asked himself in a whisper as he watched the trio waltz off, quickly turning on his communicator, “Colonel, I’ve located the major structure of the facility. Beginning my approach now. Over and out.”

Balto turned off his communicator and followed behind the dogs, stepping in their footprints so to avoid anyone thinking there was anyone else there. He reached the main building just as the three closed the door. However, when Balto tried to open the door, it was locked, a cardkey reader at the side of the door. Silently muttering a curse, Balto pounded on the door and walked around the side of the building.

Balto kept his eyes on the ground, looking for another way in. When he spotted a ventilation grate, a smile slowly inched onto his face. Kneeling down, Balto used his knife to unscrew the hinges and pried the hatch open, crawling inside and into the building. Following the ventilation ducts, Balto came into a rather large hangar filled with crates. A few soldiers patrolled around the large storage area and Balto only just caught a glimpse of the trio before they stepped into an elevator and left his trail cold.

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There's a passage of Chapter 1! Hope it keeps everyone hooked and draws more people to this! I'd love to know what everyone thinks of this, so please feel free to leave comments, whether they be good, bad, or neutral. Thank you!

-- Balto5670

Very nice, my friend. Very nice indeed!
I'm a sucker for military fics, esspecially stealth ones.
This kinda reminds me of Splinter Cell. Go Sam Fisher!
Anyway, I'm pretty sure I know who your 'mole' is...but I'll just wait and see.

10/10 so far. Keep it up!
-LWf

Thank you very much LWf! I'm honored and very pleased that you enjoy this fanfiction! Here's the rest of Chapter 1. Let's see if you guessed my mole right...

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“Great… Might as well start by finding a security room or something…” Balto muttered and continued through the shafts.

Along the way, Balto saw a conference room. Just as he was about to pass it, thinking it was insignificant, a voice rang out that froze him in his tracks.

“What was that?” came an angry, husky-toned voice, “The US government still hasn’t given into our demands?!?!”

Balto stopped and glanced down, spotting an average dog, probably a soldier of some standing, and a black and white dog wearing a black combat suit, a furious and evil look on his face. Balto recognized him immediately: Steele.

“No sir… Not yet… We’ve had no word since yesterday,” the dog wearing a formal military suit said, standing firm and still.

“So they really think I won’t turn their own weapon against them do they? They’ll regret making that assumption…” Steele said, turning back to face a screen on the wall and reading over some data Balto couldn’t see, “Prepare the weapon… We’ll see how they cooperate once we wipe out New York City…”

“Sir, do you think that’s wise? Maybe nuking one of the world’s largest cities isn’t the best idea…” the dog said, somewhat uncertainly.

“Corporal, your orders were given. Now execute them!” Steele said, glaring over his shoulder, “I’ll deal with the after-effects, you just need to prep the gun. I’ll pull the trigger, understood?”

“Y-yes, sir…” the dog said submissively before saluting and walking off, leaving Steele.

Balto grinned to himself. Time to complete part of his mission. Just as he reached for his gun, the door opened again and Nikki, Kaltag, and Star walked in with a scientist, a weak-looking Border Collie. They tossed him to the floor and looked up at Steele.

“This one refuses to continue his work, boss…” Nikki explained, causing a sigh to come from Steele, “Even after we let him work to save his skin.”

“He is the most ungrateful, the most self-absorbed, the most selfish-”

“He doesn’t care!” Star said and was once more bopped by Kaltag.

The scientist whimpered and was grabbed by Kaltag. The poor dog was lifted off his feet by the tan husky and held in mid-air. Steele glanced over his shoulder at the dog.

“So, you don’t want to work anymore?” Steele asked calmly, “Why not?”

“B-because I just can’t do it anymore!” the Collie stuttered, “I w-won’t help b-build a w-weapon that will be used to destroy my own c-country!”

“Very well… You don’t have to work anymore…” Steele said, a grin coming over his face, giving Balto a bad feeling, “How about a vacation, doctor?”

“A v-vacation? Really? You m-mean you’ll l-let me go?” the scientist asked, a grin coming across his face, “Oh thank you sir! Where will I be going?”

“Hell,” Steele said coldly and quickly spun around, drawing his handgun he had stowed in a holster on his belt and firing a round at the dog. The Collie gasped, spasmed, and went limp in Kaltag’s grip.

“Whoa!” Nikki said surprised as he inspected the perfect heart-shot on the scientist, “That was a bull’s eye!”

“That was the most accurate, the most dead-on, the most centered-” Kaltag started, shaking the dead dog in his hand.

“You got him!” Star piped in and pulled back as Kaltag went to hit him, only ending up running into the wall and falling to the ground.

“Dispose of his body. But first, show him to the other scientists. Tell them, “This is what’ll happen if they refuse to work.” Then just toss him out into the snow…” Steele said, walking out of the room, the trio following behind him.

“Wow… I guess in-tell was right about Steele’s personality…” Balto whispered and turned on his communicator, “Colonel, are you there?”

“Yes Wolf, I’m here. I’m talking to you from a base on the mainland of Alaska right now, so everyone can hear you. What’s wrong Wolf?”

“I just saw Sergeant Steele. Apparently, the stories are true. He’s cruel to everyone except those other three you told me to take out. I just saw him take out a scientist point-blank for refusing to work on this weapon we were talking about…”

“Yes, that sounds like Steele… Have you seen our other agent yet?”

“No, not yet. The only person here that doesn’t seem completely controlled by Steele is me.”

“Well, if you’re looking, our plan with Husky was to get close to Steele, earn his trust, and then wait for you to show up for you both to wipe him out and quell this treat. Look for someone close to Steele, but not entirely controlled by him.”

“Alright, got it. Wolf out.”

Balto flipped his communicator off and carried on crawling through the vent until a creak caused him to stop. He felt the steel plating beneath him begin to sink and he got a look of surprise. Suddenly, it gave way and Balto came crashing to the oak table in the conference room Steele had been in a moment before. He groaned and rolled to the floor, quickly getting up.

“Hey! What’s with all the noise?” came a voice from the hallway.

Balto gasped softly and glanced around rapidly. He spotted a locker and an up to it, opened it, and closed himself inside. Through the small grates at the top, Balto watched, keeping his breathing as quiet as possible. The door opened and a guard stepped into the conference room, pointing his rifle around. He saw the broken metal panel on the table and glanced up, spotting the open air vent.

“See? I told the mechanic that it needed fixing!” the guard exclaimed, walking over to the locker Balto was in, “I’m gonna grab my cell phone and laugh at that guy’s face!”

The moment, the guard opened the locker, Balto punched him, sending the dog backwards and onto the floor. Balto jumped out and pulled the guard to his feet, punching him again and tossing him across the table and into the wall. The guard exhaled and stopped moving, out cold from Balto’s assault. The wolfdog picked up the soldier and shoved him into the locker, closing it and making sure it was locked before drawing his pistol and walking out of the conference room.

Someone close to Steele… Balto thought as he walked down the hallway. As he rounded a corner, he saw a guard a foot away with his back to him. Quickly drawing his knife, Balto grabbed the guard and held him close, pressing the knife to the dog’s neck.

“Scream and you’re dead…” Balto whispered into the guard’s ear, “Tell me, where’s the Security Room?”

“W-what? W-who are you?” the guard asked, clearly afraid of the agent holding a knife to his throat.

“You’re not the one asking the questions here, I am. Now answer me! Where’s the Security Room?” Balto asked more forcefully, pressing the knife tighter to the dog’s neck.

“Alright, alright! I’ll talk, just don’t kill me!” the guard said and pointed down the hall, “Just at the end of the hall, the door on your right…”

“Thanks,” Balto replied and tightened his grip around the guard’s neck. The guard gasped and spasmed for a moment before going limp, unconscious from lack of oxygen.

Balto opened a nearby utility closet and tossed the guard inside, turning the lock on the door. Slowly, Balto walked down the hallway, stowing his knife and keeping his gun at the ready. He really didn’t want to fire it yet because he didn’t have a suppressor on it and the shot would attract even more guards.

Balto saw the door labeled “Security Room” and grinned. Pushing the door open, Balto saw three guards, two at the consoles and one near him. Before they could react, Balto grabbed the nearby guard and pressed his gun to the dog’s temple.

“Freeze!” Balto said and the other two soldiers stopped moving, “Make any kind of noise or movement and your friend dies. Now, do as I say. Stand up…”

The guards obediently rose to their feet and put their hands up in the air in surrender.

“Open that storage room there…” Balto ordered, motioning to a small storage area at the back of the room. Once more, the guards obeyed.

“Now give me whatever keycards you have! Place them on the table there…” Balto said, pointing to a small coffee table in the center of the room. One of the guards pulled out a light blue card and placed it on the table.

“Now get in that storage room,” said Balto and watched the two move inside. He tossed the third guard in and quickly slammed the door, locking it immediately.

Sighing softly, Balto walked over and picked up the keycard, reading it. It was labeled “Security Level 3.” Tucking it in a pouch on his belt, Balto stowed his handgun and walked over to the consoles, getting to work. First, he shut down all cameras on this floor and a floor labeled “Armory,” then he turned off all alarms on the doors and overrode the old password with a new one so no one could change things back.

“That should leave them in disarray for awhile…” Balto said and turned to walk out when a guard walked in.

“Who’re y-” the soldier started, but was stopped when Balto instinctively drew his gun and put a round in the dog’s chest, sending him to the ground.

“*****, not good…” Balto muttered and quickly jumped over the dead guard.

He quickly ran down the hallway, breathing heavily as he dashed to escape any ensuing guards. Quickly, Balto turned and ran into the bathroom, making his way into one of the stalls and locking it. Outside, several footfalls were heard, made by heavy boots. Balto glanced up and saw another air shaft. Without a second thought, Balto climbed into it and made his way back to the hangar he previously saw.

When Balto arrived in the ventilation above the hangar, the two guards were still there. Balto muttered a few profanities before opening the hatch and lowering himself to the floor. He pressed his back to one of the metal crates and waited for a guard to come by. As soon as one did, Balto slammed the dog’s head into the metal and tossed him to the ground. The other guard was attracted to the noise and as he came to see what was wrong, Balto pushed him to the ground, training his handgun on the soldier’s forehead.

“You look like you know something important…” Balto said, “What level’s the Armory on?”

“Why should I tell you?” the guard spat back, reaching for his pistol stowed in its holster on his leg. Balto saw this and shot the dog in the shoulder, brining forth a cry of pain and causing the soldier to fall back again.

“One more time…” Balto said, pulling the hammer back on his gun, “Where’s the Armory?” The guard hesitated for a moment before sighing dejectedly.

“It’s in the basement… The floor just below us… B1…” the guard told Balto.

“Thank you…” Balto said and pulled the trigger, sending the wounded guard crumpling to the floor.

Balto stowed his gun and pulled out his knife, slowly walking over to the elevator. He pressed the button to call the elevator and waited. As soon as it came, the doors opened and Balto saw yet another guard. Without thinking, Balto pushed the guard into the back wall of the elevator and sliced the knife across the soldier’s neck, killing another soldier.

Balto sighed softly as he wiped the blood off of his knife. He didn’t mean to kill that guard, it just sort of happened so suddenly. But no use crying over it now… Balto thought and pressed the B1 button, sending the elevator into a steady decline. A soft ping marked his arrival and he stepped out into another large room. However, this room had doors on every side of it, marked with a different title.

Grinning Balto walked over to the one marked “Handguns.” Beside it was a keycard reader marked “Security Level 2.” Sliding his superior card through it, Balto heard a ping and the door unlocked. Pushing it open, Balto stepped inside and saw an empty gun rack in front of him. Though the guns were gone, several clips of ammo remained as well as a suppressor. Smiling widely, Balto grabbed the additional ammo and suppressor, quickly fitting it onto his handgun and examining it.

“Finally…” Balto whispered as he fired at a target pinned to the wall, his gun only making a muffled sound as the bullet pierced the center bull’s eye.

Chuckling softly, Balto stepped back outside and saw three guard pointing rifles at him. His face lost its triumphant smile as his mind took in the situation. His grip tightened on his gun as he stared at his new foes.

“Drop your gun and put your hands in the air!” one guard shouted.

Balto looked around for a way out of this scenario. He saw a large metal crate hanging above the guards and smiled. Slowly, Balto raised his hands, his gun still held tightly. As the aim was moved over the pulley holding the crate, Balto fired and pretended it was an accident, faking surprise as his gun went off. The guards began to laugh but were quickly silenced as two tons of steel crushed them.

“Who’s laughing now?” Balto asked and ran back to the elevator, pressing the button.

Balto looked up as the elevator opened and saw Steele, Nikki, Kaltag, and Star standing there. Just as he began to raise his handgun, Steele roundhouse kicked it out of his hands and kicked Balto in the chest, sending the wolfdog flying backwards and down to the concrete floor. The young dog sat up on his elbows and stared at Steele as he got closer, leaping to his feet.

Balto threw punch after punch at Steele, but the ex-military sergeant just expertly blocked every blow, grabbing Balto’s hand at one point and twisting his arm behind his back before kicking him into the crate Balto had shot down. Balto grunted as he hit the metal and fell to the ground again, getting back to his feet and running up to Steele, going to kick the dog in his torso.

Steele grabbed Balto’s leg and chuckled at the wolfdog’s surprised look. He flipped Balto, the agent ending up on his back again. Steele pressed one of his combat boots onto Balto’s chest and began pressing down hard.

“Who are you boy? A child who likes to play hero or a government agent sent on a suicide mission?” Steele asked mockingly as he drove his boot into Balto’s chest.

Balto gasped and groaned as Steele tried to crush him. He grabbed the dog’s boot and flipped Steele, the dog only managing to catch himself and turn his fall into a back flip. Balto got to his feet and saw Steele punch him twice, stumbling backward, but remained standing. Balto glared at Steele, who seemed to be enjoying himself and ran up to him again.

As Balto neared him, he drew his knife and turned his punch into a slash at Steele’s throat. Thought Steele dodged, the knife left a small cut on his muzzle. Steele scoffed and grabbed Balto’s arm, twisting until his enemy dropped the knife before kicking him in the side of his stomach and sending the beaten up wolfdog to the floor again. Balto felt someone grab his shirt and saw the face of Kaltag, who then tossed him into the crate again. Balto fell to the floor and looked up at his attackers, who laughed at his hopelessness.

Just then, the elevator opened again and the four turned to look at the newcomer. Steele seemed to be pleased with the new arrival, which most likely spelled bad news for Balto. As he looked up, Balto saw a beautiful red husky walk up to Steele, wearing a similar uniform that Balto had on, though he couldn’t see clearly due to the haze in his mind. However, she also had a red bandanna tied around her neck. Probably took that uniform from the Armory… he thought and struggled to his feet.

“What’s going on here?” the husky asked, looking from Steele to Balto.

“Nothing Jenna, just taking care of an intruder…” Steele explained giving a smirk to Balto as the scruffy wolfdog stood up, “He’s got spirit and stamina, I’ll give him that, but he has no idea when he should just quit…”

Balto glared at Steele, and then looked back at Jenna. Now that he was standing, his vision wasn’t as blurred and he could see her better. She had a red and white coat that was smooth and shined in the light. Her long red hair fell down to her shoulders. The red part of her fur was on the top of her head, made up her hair, and ran down her back. Her paws, muzzle, neck, and top of her chest were pure white, and Balto guessed that the rest of her front was white as well. She had beautiful amber eyes that seemed to keep him completely stunned and her face was as soft and gentle as silk.

Balto was snapped out of his trance when he felt another blow land on the side of his muzzle, sending him stumbling back into the metal crate again. The four male dogs laughed again, enjoying Balto’s pain.

“Figures you couldn’t beat me…” Steele said viciously, “Half-breeds can only do things halfway…”

At those words, Nikki, Kaltag, and Star began to laugh again. Balto’s blood began to boil and he spun around, whacking Steele in the side of his face with one of his ammo clips. Steele grunted and fell to the concrete, his accomplices quickly shutting up. Despite the pain and blood streaming down his face, Balto stayed on his feet. As Steele got up, Balto dove for his dagger, but Star drew his one of his various handguns, this one a Colt Single Action Army, pulled the hammer back, and shot the dagger away from Balto.

Steele got up and growled angrily. He drew out his pistol and kicked Balto roughly in the side of his stomach. Balto groaned in agony and curled up, trying to avoid the pain. Steele aimed his gun at Balto’s head and growled again.

“Half-breed…” he muttered and tightened his grip on the trigger until Jenna ran up and pushed his hand out of the way, the bullet hitting the concrete only inches away from Balto’s head.

“Stop!” Jenna said suddenly, staring into Steele’s cold blue eyes, “He could become a bargaining chip… He’s worth more alive than he is dead…” Steele thought for a moment, and then holstered his gun again.

“Yeah, you’re right Jenna… Fine, we’ll keep him alive… For now…” Steele said and kicked Balto again, bringing another cry of pain from the beaten wolfdog, “Jenna, you come with me. Nikki, Kaltag, Star, knock this guy out and lock him up. I’ll see to him later…”

“No problem, boss! Star, go ahead,” Nikki said.

Star pulled out a Glock from his belt and placed a sedative in the chamber. He pulled the hammer back and fired it at Balto, the sedative bullet hitting him in his shoulder. Balto moaned again, suddenly feeling very weak and fatigued. Before he knew it, everything went black.

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This ends Chapter 1! Hope everyone liked this! More to come soon!

This is...Wow. That's all I can say.
Keep it up! (Jeez, I should try one of these stories eventually...)
And yes, I guessed correctly. I knew it would have to be Jenna...somehow.

Write on! I'll be on the look out for this one!
-LWf

=] What more can I say. Its wonderfull =]

Here's some more of my fanfic for everyone! This is the beginning of Chapter 2, hope you like it!

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Chapter 2



Balto came around a few hours later. As he slowly opened his eyes, he could barely make out anything distinct. Everything was a vague blur to him right now and his body was so sore. Steadily, everything came back to him and he sat up, rubbing his head and groaning softly. Balto suddenly realized that he was in a cell and reached for his gun- only to find that it was gone, along with the rest of his things. Fortunately, his communicator still remained, seeing as it was safely hidden within his shirt. Balto turned it on and lay back on his bed, staring up at the ceiling.

“This is Wolf… Does anybody read me?” Balto asked no one, his voice going into the small microphone.

“I read you, Wolf. It’s been five hours since our last transmission, what happened? What’s your current mission status?”

“Uhh, I’m a prisoner of war right now… Steele caught me and beat me up. I’m now locked up with nothing but my communicator and the clothes on my back… He’s a skilled fighter and a ruthless warrior… You weren’t kidding when you said he’d be a serious threat… Now I know why…”

“Yes, well, learn from experience, right? Just be careful from now on… Is there anyway you could escape right now?”

“No. None… There’s no ventilation shaft or anything… I guess they thought about that when they decided on which cell to lock me in…”

“Probably… This could be a serious problem, Wolf. If you can’t escape, then we have no hope. You’ll have to figure someway out. I’ll leave that to you. Over and out.”

Balto sighed and shut off his communicator. Slowly, he sat up and looked around his room again, finding no way out other than the door. He groaned with frustration and pounded the bed. He stood up and walked over to the door, leaning gently on it. Suddenly, the door pushed open and Balto fell to the cold, tiled flooring.

“What the- The door was unlocked?” Balto asked, climbing to his feet, “Why’d they leave it open? Are the guards really that stupid?”

Cautiously, Balto walked out and into the guard station the cells were in. He glanced around and saw absolutely no one. Just then, he heard someone walking up behind him.

“Don’t move,” came a female voice Balto recognized as Jenna’s. He felt the barrel of a gun press against his back and froze.

Before anything could happen, Balto spun around and kicked the handgun from her grasp. Jenna looked utterly surprised and when he went to grab her, she took his arm and flipped him to the ground. Balto hit the ground and kicked her legs out from underneath her, sending the crimson husky crashing on top of him. The two locked gazes for a moment before Jenna tried to get back up.

Balto grabbed her by her waist and pulled her back to the floor, holding her down. Jenna kicked him in his stomach and Balto groaned before collapsing to the floor. As Jenna got up, she pulled out another handgun and Balto grabbed the handgun he’d kicked away, both aiming at one another at the same time. Everything seemed to freeze for a moment, and then returned to normal.

“Who are you and why are you here?” Jenna asked, keeping her gun on his face, “This place is death. Who sent you here?”

“The US Government, but that’s none of your business,” Balto snapped back, “I’m going to stop Steele and you’re not gonna stop me. Even if it means killing you…”

“Wait, the US Government?” Jenna asked, confused, “I thought they’d given up…”

“Well, you guessed wrong!” Balto said, raising his voice slightly, his eyes narrowed, “Any last words?”

“No, you don’t understand!” Jenna said quickly, lowering her gun.

Bad move… Balto thought and shot to his feet, grabbing her wrist and twisting. Jenna cried out and dropped her handgun, Balto grabbing it and shoving it into his belt and pressing his gun to her forehead. Jenna gasped as she felt the cold steel of his gun press to her head, closing her eyes.

“You don’t understand…” Jenna started.

“I know you work for Steele and that’s all I need to know to kill you…” Balto replied.

“No, wait! Hear me out! If you don’t believe me, then you can shoot me…” Jenna said quickly, opening her eyes. Balto hesitated, then sighed softly.

“Fine. Start talking. But if you’re lying…” Balto replied and pulled the hammer back on the gun, showing her that he was serious about killing her.

“You’re a government agent, correct?” Jenna asked, “I know all about your mission…”

“How? You’re a spy, aren’t you?” Balto snapped back angrily.

“I thought you said you’d hear me out…” Jenna responded coolly, “I know all about your mission because it’s my mission as well… I’m the other agent; I’m your contact…”

Balto gasped slightly, his eyes widening. Then he realized this may be a trick and growled softly.

“How do I know you’re not lying to me?” Balto asked.

“Would I have left your cell unlocked then? Would I have given you your gun back?” Jenna asked irritated.

Balto glanced at the handgun in his paw. It was his, all right, suppressor and everything.

“Why’d you do that?”

“Because I’m your contact! I’m Husky!”

“Oh yeah? Then what’s my codename?” Balto asked Jenna.

“I don’t know… I wasn’t allowed any contact with Colonel McIntyre during this mission… I was supposed to get close to Steele and get his guard down for you… So I posed as a researcher and he kept me alive to be his girlfriend. He made my mission all too easy, but I’m still working on his trust…” Jenna explained.

“Hmm, fine… I suppose you filled everything I was told… However, if it turns out you were lying to me the whole time, I will kill you…” Balto told her, lowering his gun, “If you really are Husky, then where’s the rest of my stuff?”

“It’s in the Armory. I couldn’t get it all up to you, but I figured that your gun and knife would at least be better than nothing…” Jenna said, getting a nod from Balto.

“Alright, thanks…” Balto replied, taking his knife from her belt and stowing it in its sheath, “By the way, my codename’s Wolf…”

“Nice to meet you Wolf. I’m Husky,” Jenna said with a smile and a soft chuckle, “Well, seeing as you already know my real name, may I know yours?”

“Heh, nice try… I’ll tell you when I can fully trust you…” Balto said, grinning at her, “For now, let’s go get the rest of my stuff, then focus on Steele and his lackeys.”

“Sounds good to me, Wolf. Let’s go,” Jenna said and turned toward the door, only to find five guards standing there.

“Hands up!” one shouted, the rest raising their rifles to them.

Balto and Jenna exchanged a glance, then raised their handguns to the guards, pulling their triggers rapidly, felling three of the guards. The remaining two opened fire as Balto and Jenna took cover behind a desk, the bullets splintering, but not piercing the wood. Balto grinned and looked at Jenna.

“I love a good firefight…” Balto told her and popped up, firing three shots at the guard, striking one twice in his chest. Jenna followed his lead and the last guard dropped.

Just as they were about to stand up, footsteps were heard in the hall and three more guards arrived on the scene, firing at the damaged desk. Balto gritted his teeth and fired off a single shot, missing them all. Jenna fired twice and killed one of them. Balto took another shot and a guard grabbed his throat, screaming for a second before collapsing. Balto pulled out his knife and threw it at the final soldier, striking him in the face.

“Nice throw…” Jenna said, pushing her hair out of her eyes and over her shoulders.

“Thanks. It took a lot of practice…” Balto replied and pulled the knife out of the body, wiping it off before stowing it, “Come on, let’s get my stuff, then find our targets…”

Jenna nodded and stood up, ejecting her empty clip and shoving another magazine into her handgun. Both canines walked down the hallway toward the elevator, casually stepping over the bodies they’d left in their wake. Pressing the button, Balto and Jenna stepped into the elevator and pressed the B1 button. The elevator lurched upward and began to ascend to their chosen floor.

“So how long have you been here?” Balto asked glancing at her.

“About a week or so…” Jenna replied, “It only took me a day to go from researcher to Steele’s girl… He’s surprisingly gentler to me than anyone else… Though I’m sure you haven’t seen his cruelty yet…”

“Actually, I have…” Balto replied, recalling that scientist and his recent beating, “I saw him kill a scientist point-blank for being loyal to his country, and then he beat the living daylights out of me… That guy’s as ruthless as they come…”

“You haven’t seen the half of it…” Jenna said distastefully, “He’s taken the Head of Design’s office for himself. It’s rather large, has a fireplace and loveseat, a large desk, a computer with access to every computer in the facility, it’s pretty much the best room in the building. A couple of days ago, we were cuddling in front of the fire and he had one of his best guards executed just because he walked in on us… But it wasn’t an ordinary execution. He had him hung by his feet and beaten to death by his fellow guards who were shouting “piñata” the whole time!”

“Wait, did you say you and Steele were cuddling?” Balto asked a slight smirk on his face.

“Don’t look too much into it…” Jenna said blandly, “I have no feelings for that *******. He’s a threat to the country and I’ll be glad to see him die. I swear, if he puts his arm around me one more time, I think I’m gonna throw up!”

Balto laughed at Jenna’s words. After a minute, the elevator doors opened to reveal the empty Armory. Jenna led Balto over to a door that read “High-Security Equipment.” Balto looked at the keycard reader and felt his mouth drop open.

“Ah, forget it Jenna. The door requires a Level 9 Security Card!” Balto said, pointing to the reader.

“Where do you think I got your gun from?” Jenna asked with a smirk. She pulled out a keycard and swiped it through the reader, a satisfying ping emitted a moment later.

Jenna opened the door and led Balto inside. Lying out on a metal examination table was Balto’s confiscated equipment. Smiling, Balto grabbed his lost items and equip them once more. Once he was outfitted again, he stowed his handgun and smirked at Jenna.

“How do I look now?” he asked, causing Jenna to laugh.

“Fit for combat. Now let’s go before someone catches us!” she said and opened the door, walking out into the Armory. As soon as she stepped outside, Jenna heard someone approaching her.

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More to come soon!

Awesome Balto! Truly amazing! As I've told you before, you are one of my favorite writers, and your future is destined to be bright. Keep the Chapters coming! I'm anxious!

That's really good Balto.... I'll waiting for it....

Hey! Great to see another portion. (Was that a new chapter?)
Very well thought out dialogue. I like.
Keep up the great work. I want to see this end.

-LWf

Thanks LWf! Always an honor to see great reviews, especially from you. In response to your inquiry, no this wasn't a complete chapter. This was only a fragment of one. I'm working on it right now and plan to have the rest up shortly. Glad you and my other fans are interested in this!

Apologies for the double post, but I've done quite a bit of work of Balto: Espionage Tactics and I have a good amount to post up! I have the rest of Chapter 2 done and part Chapter 3, the rest of Chapter 3 will follow shortly! Enjoy!

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“Hey Jenna…” came the voice of Steele. Jenna gasped and stared at him.

“Oh, hey Steele… You scared me,” she said, closing the door and hearing it lock, Balto now safely trapped inside. Balto saw the door shut and lock in front of him and gasped in surprise, his eyes narrowing. He walked up and pressed his ear to the door so he could hear why Jenna had locked him inside.

“I’ve been looking for you… Say, why were you in that room?” Steele asked. Jenna kept her cool and answered.

“I was making sure all of that agent’s items were accounted for. So far, everything’s there…” Jenna said, playing with her bandanna, “You were looking for me? Why’s that?”

“Why else, Jen?” Steele asked placing a paw around her shoulders, “Why else would I come looking for you?” Jenna fought back a gag and succeeded, forcing a smile as she stared into his malicious blue eyes.

“Hmm, I don’t know… So, you came looking for me because you were lonely?” she asked, playing her part as his girlfriend, no matter how much she hated it.

“You bet… I figured out the perfect way for us to celebrate once the government gives into our demands…” Steele said softly, pulling her closer to him, “It’s a surprise though, I want you to be shocked when you find out what it is…”

“The suspense is killing me…” Jenna said, doing her best to hide the sarcasm in her voice, “So the US hasn’t given into your demands yet? Have you received any reply yet?”

“No, not yet… But trust me Jen, we will soon enough. Now that we have their agent, it’s just a matter of time… About that, I was just about to go check on him.”

“I already did, Steele… He’s still out like a light…” Jenna said softly back, placing a paw on his chest, “You really did a number on him… Now I can see how you’re so strong… Being in the army must’ve done that to you…”

“You’d be surprised, baby… Well, I suppose no sense on checking on him if you just did… No way the fool would wake up that quickly… I’m gonna go check on the weapon’s progress. You know where that is, right?”

“Yeah, I know. See you later, big guy…” Jenna said flirtatiously.

Steele chuckled softly and walked off, taking the elevator back up. Jenna smiled at him as he walked away, then opened the door when he was gone, causing Balto to tumble out on top of her, the two agents hitting the ground. Balto stared down at Jenna, who lay beneath him, and laughed.

“We really need to stop meeting like this…” he replied and got up, offering his hand to help her up.

“Yeah, it’s getting a bit painful…” Jenna replied and took his hand, standing up with his help, “I swear, I’m gonna be sick…”

“Sounded like you really like him, eh Jen?” Balto asked, grinning playfully at her.

“You wanna go back in that room, hot shot?” Jenna asked, grinning back. The two laughed and looked around.

“So, where do we need to head now?” Balto asked, looking back at his teammate.

“Well, from here, we take an indoor bridge across to another complex. That’s where the weapon is being held…” Jenna explained, looking at Balto as she spoke.

“What is this weapon anyway?” Balto asked, wondering what could be so deadly that it could threaten the whole United States from Alaska.

“Not sure… I never got into the area where it was being held… You need Security Level 10 to get into where the weapon is being worked on, so I haven’t the slightest clue…” Jenna replied, wondering the exact same thing.

“Alright, the bridge it is… Hang on; let me report back to Colonel McIntyre first…”








Chapter 3



Balto flipped on his communicator and walked a few steps away from Jenna so he could speak in private. He waited a few seconds to make sure he’d be received by the military’s radio.

“This is Wolf. Can anyone hear me?” Balto whispered into his mini microphone.

“Loud and clear Wolf. What’s your mission status thus far?”

“I’ve successfully escaped and retrieved my lost equipment. I had help from my partner, Husky.”

“Ah, so you two did meet up after all. So, how’re things going for you two?”

“We’re pretty good as a team, but why didn’t you tell me that Husky was a female?”

“She personally asked for gender discretion.”

“Why would she ask for that?”

“Probably because most people would figure female agents wouldn’t be as good as male agents. It’s not all that uncommon, you know. Anyhoo, she asked that her gender not be discussed and that she’d accept any gender for a partner. Turns out, you filled her very vague description perfectly, so you two were partnered up. Any problems with that?”

“Well, no. She’s an excellent gunfighter and fairly good at close-quarters combat, but what if she starts getting attached to the enemy?”

“I wouldn’t worry about that. Wolf, do you know what her first words were once I finished briefing her?”

“No, I can’t say I do.”

“She said “When do I get to shoot him?” I wouldn’t be afraid of her getting too close to him; she’s trained for this kind of stuff.”

“Alright. But first, I want to make sure I’ve got the right girl as my partner… She’s a crimson and cream Husky, right?”

“Right. Hence her codename.”

“Alright. Continuing with the mission now. Wolf out.”

Balto turned off his communicator and sighed softly. He’d never worked with a female partner before and had no idea on how this was going to turn out. As soon as he turned around, he heard the elevator open and out walked Star. He took a quick look at the two and drew out twin Single Action Army revolvers before they could raise their guns. Fortunately, they weren’t trying to raise their guns and instead dove behind cover.

“What’s going on here?” he asked, pointing one gun at Balto’s hiding place and the other at Jenna’s, “Jenna, what are you doing with him? Are you turning traitorous on Steele?”

“Star, I’ve been on America’s side from Day 1!” Jenna shouted back, pulling out her handgun, “I never really was a researcher and I sure as Hell don’t like Steele!”

“I knew it! I knew something was wrong about you!” Star shouted and fired off a round, chipping the concrete pillar Jenna was behind and firing once at the metal crate Balto was behind, “I’ll take you both out and bring your bodies back to Steele! I’ll be promoted and revered as a hero in his eyes! No more hitting Star!”

“Give up Star, it’s two against one!” Balto shouted back.

“While it may be, I’ve got enough handguns to take you two down five times over!” Star said, firing off one more shot from each gun.

“Right…” Balto said to himself, “Private First-Class Star, master of handguns…”

Balto poked his handgun out briefly and fired four random shots, all of them near Star, but all missed. Star laughed and focused his attention on Balto, emptying his SAAs on Balto’s crate. Jenna took this moment and fired, striking Star in his shoulder. Star cried out and dropped his revolvers, pulling out a Glock and firing five shots at Jenna, missing every one.

Balto then popped out and shot, hitting Star in his leg. Star yelped and fell to his knees, pulling out a Beretta as well and shooting at both of them. Balto sighed and shook his head. While he may have more guns, he’s overexcited and wasting ammo like crazy! Balto thought as Star kept firing off bullets one at a time.

“You can’t win! I’ll be the best and Kaltag won’t get to hit me anymore!” he said proudly, still shooting off blanks at his unseen foes.

Balto shook his head again as he heard Star’s guns click empty. He popped out the side of the crate and shot Star in his other shoulder, Jenna doing the same except hitting his other leg. Star fell backwards and dropped his empty guns, quickly pulling out two Smith and Wesson’s. He sat up and fired them off repeatedly, using half of their bullets in a matter of seconds.

“You… can’t… beat… me!” Star said, his words broken by his gunshots.

After a few more seconds, Star went dry. His guns clicked empty and he tossed them to the floor. As he reached around his belt for another gun, he found he had one problem- he had no more guns left. A look of panic spread across Star’s face as Balto and Jenna came out and slowly approached him. Star tried to scurry away, but had nowhere to run to.

“Out of ammo, Star…” Balto said as he finished his approach, “A fatal mistake of a trigger-happy gunslinger like you…”

Star whimpered slightly as Balto and Jenna loomed above him. Balto placed his boot on Star’s chest and held him down as he aimed his handgun at Star’s face. Balto shook his head slowly, his eyes judgmental.

“Game over, Star…” Balto said and pulled the trigger, silencing the dog permanently.

“Think he’s in a better place?” Jenna asked, staring down at the body of Star.

“Better than if he was still with Steele…” Balto murmured, walking over to the elevator and opening it, “Coming?”

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There you go, the remaining part of Chapter 2 and the beginning of Chapter 3! I hope everyone is enjoying my story thus far. I'm really having a great time writing this! Well, back to my writing!

-- Balto5670

One down...uh... That means three to go.
Great.
I tell you, my friend, you keep this up and you'll have an award-winner on your hands. That is, if this site had awards...
I'm still not sure if I trust Jenna. She did ask Balto not to look to far into her and Steele, and I can't help but think that maybe...maybe...
She's hiding something.

Write on.
-LWf

As always Balto, fabulous!

Can't wait for the next part of Chapter 3, and, I have an idea what's going to happen, but I knowing you, I definitely could be wrong!