Santorini Greece, Thursday

[l1ttle_billy]

Billy stood at the window, looking out at the street while Kyle paced behind him. "I don't get it Billy? How did he find you? What kind of witness protection is this?"

Billy shrugged. "He's a resourceful guy." Then he cocked his head. "Tommy's awake."

"What? How can you tell that?"

"His heart rate and breathing changed. Also he's asking Jinx what's going on."

Now that Kyle was paying attention, he could hear the conversation in Storm Shadow's hospital room, but the rest?

"How'd you do that?"

"I was trained by a blind ninja master."

The pair entered the room with no more conversation. They were there for Storm Shadow, not to swap training stories. Tommy was soon cleared for discharge, and at his insistence they headed for the hotel.

"Here," Jinx handed out fake id's for them all, proclaiming them members of interpol. "Courtesy of the home office." The id's got them past the police line and up to the floor where it had all gone down.

"They built this place well." Billy said. "Two, three explosions and it's still standing." He watched Storm Shadow search the place for any sign of Junko. "Anything?"

"No." Tommy said, his voice pained, but tightly controlled. "I suppose there's a lesson about the Universe in all this. I was determined to have a new life, to start over from scratch."

Billy swallowed. He knew all about that. He'd tried several times for that.

"Now it looks like I got my wish." Tommy's voice caught, and wavered. Silently, Billy placed his hand on his shoulder. Storm Shadow, Tommy was the strongest man Billy knew. He was, Billy knew, one main reason that the son of Cobra Commander had not only stayed sane all these years, but had stayed alive.

"Tommy, I'm so sorry." Kyle said. He for one thought it bizarre to see this once feared Cobra Agent brought so low. "You and I may not know each other very well, but Jinx has filled me in. I want you to know that as long as you're on the straight and narrow, I've got your back. If Junko is alive, we'll find her. I promise."

Billy's eye caught sight of something, and he left his friend's side to start clearing some rubble. "I think I've found something!" He cleared away more of the rubble, revealing a familiar staccato symbol carved into the floor. "Look down here. Do you see it? Tommy, it's a message. Junko wasn't killed. She was taken."

To be continued...