*from Jeremiah's perspective*
We walk down the hall in silence for the rest of the trip down to the pick-up point. Fontaine Futuristic's?
"Fontaine's?" I mutter aloud. "What the hell are we doing here?" The idea of Fontaine needing a runner for a package was both exciting and worrying. Fontaine must need a deal off his records. And the idea of Fontaine hiding something he needs to deliver just makes this day a new kind of nerve wrecking. I turn around and spy a familiar face. "Atlas! Hey, Atlas! Why the hell are we delivering from here? And what are we delivering?"
Atlas looks as confused as I feel. "I'm not sure, but does it really matter? They're paying well and after this we can hit the big times here in Rapture. Now, would you kindly go sign off that we're taking the package?" He grows tense and walks away in a hurry. I guess Atlas isn't to outright show is worry and concern. Though, I don't think anyone on the team is completely calm or collected about this now.
Things have been bad here before, and I have the feeling that they're about to get a lot worse. I turn back to Aryndel and take her hand. She looks concerned.
"At least we know why this job is paying well. A classified and little informed mission. I have a bad feeling about this." I've never been very good at reassurance.
Her eyes grow wide and she squeezes my hand. "Jer, you have your gun ready, okay?" she whispers, her hand starting to tremble ever so slightly.
"I will," I say. "Let's go sign these papers and get out." I pull gently on her hand. "Don't let go. Oh, and if you see anything off while we're on the way there, let me know as soon as you see it."
She tenses and her eyes reveal the worry she feels. "I won't let go," she promises. "Let's get going."
I approach the burly security guard in the corner; his arms are folded across his chest menacingly and a scowl appears on his face as I come closer. "Are you Mr. Lyons?" he asks, eyeing me warily.
"Yes I am," I reply, trying to put a hint of authority into my voice. "I'm the lead director of this package transfer. Where do I need to sign?"
He hands me a clipboard and a pen. "Sign on the three dotted lines. You will be delivering this pack from Fontaine Futuristic's to the drop off point at Neptune's Bounty. This package must be kept safe and secret. Any tampering with the product will definitely cause your team a living hell to go through from Fontaine Futuristic's. This is your only warning."
I sign the document hurriedly and hand him back the paper, pausing slightly. "Okay, I understand. However, I have one question."
His eyebrows rise. He must not get many inquiries. "And what would that be?"
"Will this package result in attention from splicers?"
The guard looks to his left and right before bending down to speak softly to Aryndel and me. "More than likely."
Aryndel's hand is shaking in my own and her eyes are wide.
"Aryndel, let's get this done fast," I whisper as she silently nods her agreement.
Atlas walks by carrying a box in his arms. He spies me and beckons us to follow him out of Fontaine's Futuristic's. "So where is this going?" he asks, motioning to the box.
"Neptune's Bounty," I reply, hoping he won't say what I know he's going to say. It will only serve to scare Aryndel more.
"Neptune's Bounty?!" Atlas nearly shouts. "A package from Fontaine's? Why? Isn't that where he keeps a smuggling operation?"
Without meaning to, I turn on Atlas suddenly. "Look, I don't care why, but the point is that we drop this package off before splicers come and pick us off, one by one. We just have to go, drop it off, and get the money from the collector. Now let's go."
Aryndel finally speaks up, her voice trembling. "Jer, I'm afraid. Please, let's just go. Now."
"I know. I'm sorry I brought you here." When I say that, I suddenly realize that I'm not just apologizing for bringing her on this mission. I'm sorry I ever convinced her to come down to Rapture with me. Rapture caused her nightmares, her anxiety attacks, and her overall fearful nature to come out. "Let's get on the bathysphere and go down there."
"Don't be sorry. You know we have to do this. One more day," she whispers, pulling my hand gently. "Come on, the sooner we start this the sooner we finish."
"You're right," I admit as the bathysphere door closes. "Let's get this finished."
Atlas turns around and speaks to our group: myself, Aryndel, himself, and two others for protection. Down here, there is significant strength in numbers, also an advantage in a small and focused squad, Hopefully we can keep the numbers and focus on our side. "Hey crew," he calls out, "It's best that we get the guns out now. Best scare them away and avoid an unwanted run in." He pulls out his pistol as I and the other two men do the same. "It's just a short walk to the drop off. Let's make sure we get out safely."
I pull out my pistol and c*** it as Aryndel looks toward me with worry in her eyes. Every day she asks the same question, and I've been waiting for this day as long as I can remember.
"Jer, why can't I have a gun too? I have no way to protect myself if something happens to you."
Atlas looks at me questioningly and I nod. It's time. "Actually," Atlas says, "That's where you're wrong. Jeremiah here has been pulling strings to get you a top-of-the-line pistol. Hell, I've been working on it for a while now. "Here," He reaches for a pistol being offered to him by one of the members of our group. "It has an 18 bullet magazine and can pop off shells deadlier than any other pistol down here. Use it wisely."
Aryndel's jaw drops as he hands her the gun. It suits her, small and pretty, but deadly.
"I had to do some extra jobs late at night in order to get that from the boss. I was going to tell you sooner, but when I agreed to this job, I had the feeling that this would be the time you needed it most. It has a small amount of recoil and pinpoint accuracy."
The bathysphere nears the station close to our drop off point and I squeeze Aryndel's hand in anticipation. "One more day. That's all."
Aryndel's face is a mixture of confusion and shock that worries me until she throws her arms around me in a tight embrace. "Oh Jer," she whispers, "You didn't have to but you did, and I love it and I love you and oh Jer…" She's rambling now but I don't mind. The look of joy on her face is what I was hoping for. The look I hardly see anymore. She pulls away to examine the pistol more carefully, running her fingers up and down it lovingly. "It's beautiful," she murmurs as the bathysphere comes to a stop.
"Anything for you, Aryndel," I promise as the door closes behind us. "Let's move out. Stay close around Atlas. No room for mistakes on this mission."
She grins, cocking the pistol, and nods. "Don't worry bro. I got this."
I laugh. "I know you do."
We quickly make our way down the hall; Atlas leads, followed by Aryndel and myself, with the other two men close behind. The drop off point soon comes into our sight, and I can barely make out a cloaked and hooded figure standing in the shadows. As I approach, the man begins to speak but I cut him off quickly. We have no time left.
"Are you-"
"Mr. Lyons? Yes. Are you The Collector?"
"Of course I am," he replies angrily. "Of course I am. Now before the splicers show up, hurry, hand me the package. I have a secret system to make sure it reaches the proper destination."
Atlas moves in front of Jeremiah, holding his pistol ready. "Before I hand it over to you, we need to know that you really are the collector. See, we've done business with him before, but never like this. So if you want the package, you had better tell us what our last deal was. Quickly."
The figure sighs in exasperation and the fury in his voice is more than evident. "Fine. The last deal we made was an assortment of prototype plasmids that Fontaine has been working on."
Atlas smiles. "Good answer." Then he casually raises his gun and shoots the man in the chest. "But we've never done business with the Collector before."
The sounds of splicers behind us cause me to look up just in time to see four splicers descend from the ceiling, quickly ripping open the two men behind us. "New ADAM! New EVE! New plasmids for us to feed!" they scream as Atlas also turns to look.
"Fire dammit!" Atlas shouts, prompting Aryndel to take aim and fire at the splicer to the far left, killing it instantly, and cocking her pistol again to fire at the other splicer on the left. I fire two shots into the one on the far right as Atlas kills the last one remaining.
"Filthy creatures," I mutter angrily as I turn to examine the two men we lost. "Poor guys. May they have eternal rest." I turn back to Aryndel and Atlas, and notice something strange. "Where the hell is The Colle-"
My words are cut short by a searing pain as the splicer, previously masquerading as The Collector, thrusts a knife between my ribs.
