The Project X series-3. Xx marks the spot

The call.

Phil made a call. First, he called Clive. He checked and double-checked. Then he rang the professor. Phil didn't know what it meant at this stage, but he knew there was a link.

It was always in the back of the Professor's mind. He knew that when he got this call things would change, he'd be back on the radar, and people would meddle. Powerful suits were in control with no idea, and normally their decisions were ruled by greed. He also knew it meant things were going wrong, badly wrong for the person on the other end of the phone, someone he cared for, didn't see often enough, but the bond was there. They went back a long long way together.

He got the call from Phil.

"Professor, Clive gave me a lot of data. Things started leading to different places, but I gotta good lead, we are getting closer, i've found a big well-funded drug gang linked to Colonel Thomas. I think they make him the dirty cash he needs. I'm not sure yet who the top guy is, but I know where we can find them. They're on the radar of the C.S.A (Central Security Agency) according to their director-a Director Langer"

"Stop. Say that name to me again" asked the Professor

"Director Langer" repeated Phil.

"Are there any other names?" asked the Professor

"Yes, Max"

The Professor was silent.

"Thank you, Phil." The professor ended the call before Phil could ask any questions.

Professor Woods didn't keep secrets except this one, he feared how the team would take the news.

The Professor picked up his phone.

"Call Storm," he said to the black shiny device.

Calling Storm it repeated

"Professor..." Storm answered her phone. She listened intently. She kept pacing while on the phone.

"Ok," she ended the call.

Storm got her kit bag. She and the others were always ready for action when required. She made the call to the others and then headed to her black Ford Raptor slinging her kit bag in the rear. She put on her sunglasses and turned on the radio, hey Joe was playing by Jimi Hendrix. Perfect.

Lightning was cleaning her Ducati 848 when she got the call from Storm. She wheeled the machine back into the lock-up. She wheeled the beautiful machine over to the rack, she had quite a collection. She squatted and grabbed the front forks and rear, effortlessly lifting the 370Ib beast onto the rack. She felt today was a Rocket kinda day. She trapped her kit bag onto the back, the engine roared into life and off she went, closing the lock-up with her remote fob over her shoulder.

Inferno was out of the range when she received the call. She had been fully trained in most firearms and reached a top level of marksmanship across the different types of weapons. It wasn't their style but Professor Woods had told them being resistant to bullets, bulletproof is a long way off. It was more of a long-range option.

Blaze was training. It's hard to do when you could lift the whole gym, but she tried to pretend. She loved it when guys would ask what rep she was on or how many she was doing. They would always walk off laughing when she replied, just the 500 I'm taking it easy.

Storm called back the Professor.

"We are all en route to the RV point. Eta 3 hrs."

"Perfect. I've asked Phil & Clive to come as well. It's time they were fully committed to the team" said the Professor.

"How is Phil?" asked the Professor

"I have no idea Prof, Why's that?" quizzed Storm

"Oh, no reason. Safe trip" he ended the call.

Strom adjusted her glasses and cracked a small smile.

Lightning was the first to arrive and she wasn't surprised at all to see the meeting was being held in a disused moonbucks on an old route that saw little traffic after the new inter-route was built. The next to arrive was Phil.

"Nice wheels" said Phil checking out lightnings Triumph Rocket.

"Is that a Brit bike? my old man had a rocket, but the was a BSA, worth about 10K now." Said Phil

"That's cool, yep it's a British bike, it's an import with full UK spec," explained Lightning just as Storm pulled in.

"Your girlfriends here " smiled Lightning.

Phil went bright red and avoided Storm by going to his boot to have a pretend rummage around. All the time he'd been watching Storm through the privacy glass, he liked Storm on every level.

Next to arrive were Inferno & Blaze, they travelled together. Then there was the noise of a helicopter descending. It was the professor and Clive.

"I didn't know Clive could fly! Shouldn't he stick with flight simulators on his PlayStation?" said Blaze

"That's probably where he learnt!" quipped Inferno.

The group all turned their backs to shield themselves from the downdraft and all the inevitable debris which flew up.

The moonbucks looked dilapidated from the outside. But once past the hidden high tech security which Clive had installed it was a smart, clean room, with banks of screens and tech inside. Everyone took a seat.

"Thank you for gathering at short notice. We have a discussion that needs to take place but more importantly, we also have an urgent mission, this mission is linked to our current operation but side tracks." explained the Professor. Nobody would ask questions or interrupt until he finished, that was the level of respect they all had.

"First of all, Phil you were chosen at great length, due to your investigative skills and your integrity. We want you to join us, full-time. It means you will have to leave the police, but I think you'll find our offer of employment of great interest." Professor Woods nodded to Clive who then slid over an envelope.

"Go ahead" encouraged the Professor.

Phil opened the letter, the room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Phil studied the letter, his eyebrows raised. Phil lowered the letter and looked at the Professor. He stood up.

"Sir...it would be an honour" replied Phil.

"I trust you find the package acceptable?" asked Professor Woods

"Very much so, but it's the opportunity" replied Phil.

"We are not above the law, you won't have a badge anymore, and there are only so many strings I can pull and favours I can call in. There are high levels of risk" explained the Professor.

"But now you are on board, welcome. This leads me to our mission. I have a good friend, well two good friends who are in trouble and need our help." The professor started to explain.....