"Ahh, my useless Mad Dog" Don Karnage's words echoed in Mad Dog's ears, "...are you ready to come back to the skies we love? Yes? No?"

Mad Dog sat in his old room aboard the Iron Vulture thinking back to all the days he spent in prison. For some strange reason, he wanted to be back in his cell then be stuck on board the Iron Vulture where the nightmares of pain and sadness would come back to haunt him. There was a feeling of regret in taking the job to be a mole inside his Captain's crew, but at the same time he wanted to do this.

His thoughts were interrupted by a knocking at his door. Mad Dog quickly hurried over to the door, but chose to find out who was on the other side. "Who's there?" he asked, and the voice of his best friend/crew mate, Dumptruck answered.

"It's me Mad Dog," he answered, "can I come in?" Now Mad Dog had indeed missed his good friend, so he opened the door for him. Dumptruck smiled as he stepped into the room.

"Been a long time since we got busted by that little rat, Kit!" the great Dane said with a smirk.

Mad Dog wanted to slap him for that; and he really did want to. But, that would only lead to trouble. So he played along. "Yeah, that little son of a bitch really screwed us good."

Dumptruck nodded in agreement. "That brat doesn't know how good a pirates life can be," he laughed, and Mad Dog felt sick to his stomach at what he heard next. "Karnage should have just beat that kid to death instead of just scaring him."

Before Mad Dog could talk, Karnage burst into the room. He looked at Dumptruck and smiled, "You're are correct, my big dumb goon," he said, but turning to Mad Dog he frowned. "I think there are some things we have to clear up first, before we start our first party as free men."

"A party?" Dumptruck asked. He loved parties. "Will there be cake? Ice Cream? Even some dancing girls?"

Karnage head shot up in surprise. Guess prison can do some things to a man. "Yes, there will be cake, ice cream, but no dancing girls." Dumptruck hung his head in shame. "But I, Don Karnage will take everyone out for some good old pirate fun," he added.

Hearing this Mad Dog tried to find out if this "pirate fun" was a raid that might happen within flying range of Cape Suzette. "So what are we going after? One of Khan's cargo planes, a cargo ship or just some random sap dumb enough to fly in our skies?" he asked, trying hard not to arouse his Captain's suspicions, but Karnage just looked at him. "Do I have something on my face?" Mad Dog asked running his hand over his face.

Without saying a thing, Dumptruck picked up a steel pipe, and hit Mad Dog as he turned around. All he saw was the pipe coming at him before everything went black.

A hour went by before Mad Dog woke up. Looking around, he saw that his hands and feet were tied down.

"What... is... going on?" he asked out loud, but no one answered. Then the sound of metal hinges were heard squeaking as light filled the room.

"I have just a few questions that need to be answered Mad Dog," Karnage said frowning. Behind him was Hacksaw. "Hacksaw please get yourself ready." the Captain said with a childish smile as he took a seat next to Mad Dog.

Hacksaw smiled happily. "Yes captain. Right away."

Mad Dog was scared and confused. Did Karnage know that he was a mole for government and what was Hacksaw going to do to him. "Wait! If there are questions to be answered all you have to do is ask," Mad Dog exclaimed as he tried to struggle against his bonds.

Karnage looked at him, but showed no sign of changing his mind. "You're right. All I have to do is ask, but..." he looked at the weasel with a cruel smile. "you will be taught a lesson for trying to help that filthy pest, Kit. Am I right, Matthew?"

Matthew's eyes widened with fear as Hacksaw drew closer to him with his home made tools of torture. Karnage knew his real name so that meant he probably knew he was a mole.

Outside the torture chamber, Dumptruck waited for Don Karnage with Gibber and Ratchet. They didn't have to wait long. Karnage stepped out of the torture chamber and turned to Gibber. "Gibber," Karnage addressed his quiet little goon, "if you want to make yourself useful, go through our victims stuff to see if he is a spy."

Gibber nodded and ran off. Then the screaming began. Mad Dog screamed as his body was being exposed to a pain worse then being hit with the cane.

"What about Mad Dog?" Ratchet asked with some concern.

"He will be allowed to live if he is proven to be not a sneaky spy," Karnage answered. "But," he added with unmistakable finality, "if he is a spy, then I will cut his heart out."

"You can't just kill him if he is a spy," Ratchet argued. "I won't stand for it."

"Perhaps you think I'm no longer suited to be Captain," Karnage said sarcastically.

"Nope, you're a good Captain," Ratchet lied, smiling like he was okay with Karnage's dark ways.

"Good," Karnage continued, adding a veiled threat. "It would be unfortunate if I had to send Hacksaw and Hal over to your sister's house." Ratchet suddenly turned pale. Would his captain send his goons out to hurt his sister if he told the truth? He didn't want to find out, so, like any smart man he just walked away.

Ten minutes later, Matthew was dragged out of torture chamber by Hal, and taken to the brig and was just left there on the cold steel floor. His fur was burned up, his eyes were blood shot, and his breathing was very faint. Most of the crew that passed him just ignored what had happened to him. But two didn't ignore it.

Dumptruck was still friends with Mad Dog and didn't want him to die. Ratchet may have not been his friend, but he had respect for the weasel. And for the rest of the day, the two of them stayed by his side.

For two days Mad Dog was treated with very poor medical care, but at least he didn't have to worry about Karnage killing him, because Gibber found nothing to prove he was a spy. I guess God really does care about me. Mad Dog thought to himself with a smile.

It wouldn't be long before Karnage would announce his plan to the whole crew. So, Mad Dog got ready to set his plan into action. When he was finally allowed to leave the brig, Mad Dog went back to his room. And what do you think he found? All his books and clothes were thrown all over the room.

"Gibber! Don't touch my stuff again!" he shouted across the hall to where Gibber stood. The other pirates stuck their heads out of their rooms to see what got Mad Dog all riled up. They were pretty upset when they found out it was over just a bunch of books.

"Shut up, Mad Dog," Hacksaw said standing in the hall with his pants down and playboy magazine in his hand. "Some of us are trying to have a nice time."

"Yeah, keep it down," Hal growled going back into his room. The other pirates also gave him some heat for disturbing their peace.

Mad Dog sighed in disbelief. This day couldn't get any worse, it could only get better, so he locked himself behind his door and laid down on his bed. The Bible he had brought with him was laying in a heap of trash and he quickly picked it up and began to read from it. He started in the new testament, in the book of James chapter one and read until he reached chapter four. And in the middle of reading, Karnage just entered his room without knocking.

Mad Dog put down his Bible. "How did you get in here without-"

"With a key," Karnage said cutting him off. "After all, my grandfather drew the blueprints for this ship."

"Tell me something I don't know," Mad Dog muttered under his breath. Karnage cocked his head. "What did you say, Mad Dog?" he asked.

Mad Dog quickly shrugged and said, "Never mind."

"Whatever, just make sure to join everyone in the mess hall. I have the big plan to share with everyone." then the Captain turned and left, leaving Mad Dog alone.

Meanwhile, at the docks of Higher for Hire, Wildcat was busy trying to work on the Sea Duck's wing flaps, and as he worked, Rebecca von Bruinwald, the wife of Baloo von Bruinwald the 13th skipped into her office. Her son, Christopher Baloo Cloudkicker von Bruinwald or Kit for short sat at her desk.

"Kit-I am the happiest businesswoman in the whole world," she said, as Kit smiled on instinct. "We finally put Higher for Hire back in the black."

Now Kit didn't know what his mother was talking about. "The black, mom?"

"It's a business term, Kit!" she replied, and continued, "It means that Higher for Hire is out of debt."

Kit was over joyed to hear that, and he smiled. As Rebecca hung her coat up, she looked over at Kit. "So-While I was out paying the bills, how did things go here in the office?" she asked.

"Nothing but smooth flying, mom," Kit replied, as he picked up some papers on her desk. "And here are your phone messages," he added. Rebecca took them and looked them over. She was amazed by how good he was in handling the office; and he was better then his dad, Baloo.

Outside Wildcat was still trying to fix the wing flaps and then looked over his shoulder and saw Baloo coming back with Molly. "Well, looks like Baloo and Mollycat is back from shopping," he said going back to his work.

When Baloo and Molly entered the office, Rebecca was embraced by her husband's strong arms and he kissed her as he held her. Kit and Molly just looked the other way and smiled. Life could never be better. They both had a good home, a mother and father who loved them, and with jobs pouring in, they didn't have to worry about money problems.

But problem some times comes when you a least suspect them. And the Bruinwald family was about to have some...Real soon.