The Dark truths of the mind
Chapter One: The Mark
"Wait, stop!" A voice cried in panic, as a black haired woman raced down the office hallway.
"No, stay away from me!" She cried back as she hit a tight corner, slamming into the wall. She cringed in pain but kept running, adrenaline rushed through her veins as she could hear her pursuers getting closer. Her eyes went past her co-workers, finding them rushing at the attacker. Glad for the intrusion, she continued running through the building, trying to find an escape. Faintly, she could hear the man's voice from the halls.
"Calm down! I'm only trying to help you!"
Yeah right, as if she'd believe him. In fact, she wanted nothing to do with him and the other gunslingers.
Her eyes lit up as she spotted an open elevator. Up ahead was a mail cart, which she grabbed and used to blockade the hall behind her. It wasn't much, but it would slow her pursuers down for a bit.
Getting into the elevator, she pressed the button to the first floor. She had to go to the police station, it was only logical. These men were armed and she had no idea who the opposing men in black suits were. She was only grateful that they interfered with her attacker, but it didn't mean she trusted them.
Pressing herself against the elevator wall, she slid down to catch her breath. Running her fingers through her black hair, she could feel sweat damping her temple. She tried to make sense of what was going on. A dream he tells her, this sure didn't feel like one. The man had said that someone was after her, here to steal the information from her head. Of course, she panicked and immediately believed him to be one of the perpetrators. It wasn't her fault really, why would she trust a man she barely knew in the first place?
The elevator slowed to a stop and Ana took a calming breath. As the door opened, she walked out and looked around the pristine building.
There were a few businessmen and women around, going on with their lives. Outside was much more lively and filled with people. She only stood there for a second before running down some nearby steps. "Excuse me, is it alright if I use this phone? It's an emergency," She said to the secretary behind the desk. The woman gave her a polite smile before gesturing her to go ahead. Thanking the woman, she picked up the phone and startling dialing 911. Anxiously, she listened to the beeps.
Then, it was only dial tone.
Her eyes look up and she spotted a man, light haired compared to her last attacker. He raised his hands up in a pacifying gesture. "I'm not here to hurt you, I just want to talk."
She didn't listen, dream or not, he was a stranger.
Letting out a small cry, she backed away when the secretary she'd spoken to had clambered over the desk and attacked the man. There was a loud gunshot and the female body fell to the floor with a thump. Next thing Ana knew, she was being pushed away by hoards of businessmen as they all came to attack the man. She remained shaken, her eyes peering in the direction of the dead secretary. Where was the blood? She didn't remember seeing any.
Confused and scared, she ran out of the building, kicking off her heels as she ran down the street. Many pedestrians gave her odd looks, but said nothing as she headed towards the bridge. It was located within a park, overhanging a canal that connected one area to the other. She thought nothing about its absurdity, believing it was a normal structure like everything else. Running up the steps, she ran across the wooden planks and stopped in the middle, catching her breath. The sound of motors reached her ears and she turned back to see a black motorcycle heading her way. The people around her stopped what they were doing and turned their head towards it in unison. Ana was quick to notice that it wasn't the first time everyone had done it.
Finding it pointless to continue running, Ana looked over the edge of the bridge. The reflection of the trees shown across the water's surface, but rippled strongly as water rushed in a fast pace.
She gripped the support beam tightly. The water, she could hide in the water and let it take her downstream. If she hid long enough, they wouldn't know where she'll pop up. They'll assume, but never know.
It was the only chance she got, and Ana climbed onto the railing. Ignoring the shouts from her pursuers, she jumped.
Her heart leapt.
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Ana's eyelids fluttered as she came too. It took her a moment, her thoughts muddled from sleep. Sitting up, she winced went she felt something dig around in her skin. Looking down, she noted the needle sticking in her veins. Ana found it uncomfortable and pulled it out without a second thought. Her eyes followed the wire and found it connecting to a strange machine within a suitcase. To her, it almost looked like a bomb. Locating other wires, she followed them with her eyes and her gaze landed on the men who she seen in her dreams. Granted, her mind was foggy from the lucid event, but she recognized them.
One of the men let out a groan as he began to stir. In a panic, Ana quickly left the room, finding herself within the halls of a hotel. She ran down the stairs, not bothering to take the slow elevator to the bottom floor. Dashing past a dumbfounded clerk, Ana pushed open the door and stepped outside. She stared around at her surroundings; it seemed she was on the bad side of town. She ran her fingers through her hair and gazed down at the pavement as she made her away down the street, trying to blend in with the crowd. This wasn't a dream; at least, she thought it wasn't. She remembered jumping into a canal in her dream before waking up. The interactions from before were stuck within her mind.
Believing that they may come back for her, Ana entered a nearby antique shop that seemed to be ignored among the block.
"Good evening." A voice croaked, and a rather old man approached the counter. His eyes crinkled merrily at her, greeting her like any customer and making her feel welcomed. "Is there anything I can do for you, miss?" He asked.
She awkwardly smiled, not really in the mood for conversation. "I-I ah…no thank you, I'm just browsing." Ana mumbled, pretending to take a look around the store. There wasn't much to see except for old clocks and strange statues. To the left was a shelf, nailed to a wall to prevent it from falling. Lined within the case were books, some titled and others not. Interested, she walked over and picked out a book, flipping through it, spotting words of philosophy written within.
"You enjoy literature?" It was a start to a small conversation. The owner was still there behind the counter, currently pulling himself onto a stool. Ana looked at him for a second and bashfully turned back to the book. "Yes." She answered simply. Flipping through a few more pages, she then snapped it shut and placed it back to its original position. Once it was secure, she looked over at the senior. "Excuse me, but do you have a bathroom?" She asked.
"Yes, it's in the back, the first door to your right." He responded, motioning to the doorway near the counter.
Ana thanked the man and went to the bathroom. Upon entering it, she went straight to the mirror above the sink. She looked sloppy, her hair was messy and she had dark circles under her eyes. She turned on the faucet and cupped her hands underneath the running water, splashing it against her face a few times.
Once she was done, she shut off the water and began running her hands through her hair. Staring at the mirror in front of her, she began to think about what had happened to her. Stealing information from the mind? It seemed like a farfetched idea. But if the rumors on the net were anything but true, she was lucky enough to have escaped just this once.
Her thoughts went to those men she saw within the hotel room.
While she didn't remember what she dreamt about, Ana knew what the men were after.
She slowly sat down on the bathroom floor, resting her head on her knees as she pulled at her hair. She felt as if her thoughts had hit a brick wall. Taking a deep breath, she got up and dusted off her clothing. She stepped out into the bookstore and the old store clerk a passing nod before departing, blending into the crowd of colors.
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Eames entered the team's recent hideout, looking for a man he knew for sure would be here. His brow rose as he caught sight of someone moving in the back, just beyond the pillars of cement and discarded tables. Upon approaching, his eyes caught sight of blue, or more precisely, Arthur's back. The composed man was tinkering away with the PASIV device, the reason was lost to Eames and he didn't even bother concerning himself over it.
"Arthur?" He called, with a hint of swagger. Eames received no acknowledgement from the man and the Forger let out a sigh. "Now darling, don't you give me the cold shoulder."
The Point Man closed the metal briefcase with a forceful click, apparently finished with whatever he had been doing previously. Looking up, Arthur eyed him with contempt. "What is it Eames? You know I don't have time for your mindless chatter," Arthur said irritably. Eames merely rolled his shoulders at his tense comrade. "Don't have the time? Or, don't have the patience?" he grinned. Arthur said nothing and proceeded to ignore the Forger once more, finding the papers on the desk more interesting.
Eames let him have a few seconds of silence before getting to the point. "You don't think it'll be easy do you?" He had meant their little extraction business. "Honestly, two men aren't enough."
"It was enough for me and Cobb," Arthur stated, rifling through the papers.
Eames placed his hands into his pockets. "He's gone," he said, "Don't tell me you're willing to step into his shoes."
"If I don't, who will?" Arthur looked at Eames, giving the man a once over, "Surely not you."
"I'm flattered that you show so much confidence in me," Eames couldn't help but drawl. Arthur stared at him for a good while before turning away. Sighing, Eames rubbed the back of his neck, thinking about the predicament they were in. After their last mission with Fischer, Cobb had returned home to his kids, retiring from extraction, even then he still kept contact with them.
Ariadne had taken the first flight back home, deciding to continue attending school. Eames had believed that Cobb may also be the reason she decided to leave their group. The man had a weakness for women, and most probably had told her to make something of herself, so that she wouldn't end up regretting it later on like he did.
Next was Yusuf, who had returned to his own country and wanted some time to himself after their near death mission with inception. No one minded his absence, as they were still capable of using regular sedatives for extraction.
Last was Saito, who not only extended his protection to their team, but also helped set up their future extraction needs. Once an enemy, he had now became a valuable asset.
And Eames…well, it's not like he had anything important to attend.
"I didn't peg you as the daring type," Eames snorted, referring back to Arthur juggling responsibilities.
"I'm not," Arthur said as he picked up the briefcase and they proceeded to walk into another room, "if Cobb and I had a choice back then, we wouldn't have done inception". Stopping momentarily, he turned around and looked at Eames. "Personally, I wouldn't continue extracting with just the two of us."
Eames merely shrugged at him. "Find more members."
"That's if I can find someone who won't stab us in the back. For now, I won't risk it."
Arthur gave a slight twitch when his cell phone went off. Taking the cell phone out of his pocket, he took a look at the caller I.D., finding it to be none other than the team's old employer. Figuring it was best not to keep the man waiting, the Point Man answered. Despite the fact that the Japanese man had kept his word after their last mission, Arthur trusted the man just as much as he trusted Eames in winning the lottery.
"Hello Mr. Arthur, it's been a while," Saito said letting out a light chuckle, "I have a job for you."
Immediately, Arthur reached over a table and pulled out a pen. Eames stood nearby; close enough to hear over the phone. Just after the group's arrival to Los Angeles, the two found it difficult establishing themselves into the black market. Much of their contacts had been outside the United States, making it quite easy for them to be found for hire. However, this wasn't a third world country; even Saito had to be careful when it came to contacting them about a job.
"What is it?" Arthur asked.
"There is a company in Russia I wish for you to examine. The CEO, Aleksandr Dmitriev, passed away a few months ago and his daughter, Ana Dmitriev, has taken over the company."
"Let's hope it's not another one of his inception business," Eames muttered, listening over the phone. He wasn't joking about it either. Sure, he may love the thrill of dream sharing, but he wasn't about to risk going to limbo for it.
Arthur gave the Forger an annoyed glare, trying to pay attention to Saito without being distracted by Eames' remarks.
Their employer continued on. "Considering the state of your team, I highly doubt your capability of succeeding. This job will be similar to our last one, with Mr. Fischer. I will pay handsomely, but it's up to you decide whether or not to take it."
…Inception, how he hated that word. Arthur let out a sigh, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he contemplated. With just two people, they would fail the mission. If he took the mission, he would have to find trustful members and avoid the mistake he had with Fischer. Of course, there was also the problem of money. After their last inception, Cobb had kept his word and gave the compensation to Yusuf, leaving none for the others to take with them. As Eames had problems with saving money (considering he gambles way too much), Arthur had used up most of his own finances to help supply the PASIV and the new base they currently were using.
"I'll consider it.," Arthur finally spoke, ignoring Eames catatonic look, "Before I can accept, I'll need more information on Ana Dmitriev. We don't want another Fischer on our hands."
"Very well, I'll see what I can do," Saito said, "And I hope you do your share as well
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Thanks for reading, please review constructive criticism is helpful no insults its very rude and not very mature.