The atmosphere was very thick in here, and very hot. Beads of sweat leaked from my brow, plastering my hair to my face. My arms felt numb, aching annoyingly behind me, and my wrists were being pinched by warm metal. Very slowly I lifted my head and opened my eyes, flexing my neck till it made an audible pop. That felt better. I found myself sitting upright in a chair in front of a large metal table, with a blinding light beaming down from the ceiling. Squinting, I looked around warily, observing the surroundings. Other than me and the table, there was nothing in the tiny room but a steel door and a large black mirror to my right. The black mirror gave it all away. This was an interrogation room.
The source of the heat was obviously the intense light, and it certainly didn't help my pounding headache. An after-effect of the drug they gave me, probably. And who was 'they'. I'm being watched right now, so I'll know the answer to that question. The interrogation would begin soon, I guessed.
Straightening my stiff back, I tried to stretch my legs, but discovered that they were chained to the chair. They sure weren't taking any chances. I then began pulling at the cuffs on my wrists, trying to break the metal, but it was amazingly strong. Not even the slightest moan of the metal telling me that it was being stretched. Either hand-cuffs have been improved dramatically, or these people know about my mutation. Sighing in frustration, I gave up and tried to shake the hair out of my eyes. The door then opened, and my eyes shot toward it to see someone enter. I was a little surprised to see a woman, dressed in a formal coat and skirt, with black high heels and thin, clear glasses. She had long black hair pulled back in a tight bun, and a passive, stony expression. Without even sparing me a glance, she sat down in a chair across the table, folding her hands together and resting them on the cold surface. There was a long moment of silence.
"Hello Kyra." Her clear, somewhat deep voice said. I didn't respond, finding an interest in the logos and textures on the motorcycle pants I still wore. No wonder I was so hot.
"My name is Emily. I'm sure you have some questions to ask me."
I looked up, surprised by her words. My assumption was that she would be asking me questions. What about, I wasn't sure.
"What's with the cuffs? Afraid I might go on a killing spree?" I asked sarcastically, for right now I felt like a convict, being chained to a chair with a bright light in my eyes. She didn't seem amused.
"We're fully aware of your abilities, Miss Lucas, and of the motives you would have for assaulting someone to attempt escape."
I chuckled. Motives? Yeah, I've got plenty of reasons to get aggressive, considering you people kidnapped me, whoever you are.
"Who's we? UAC or military?" It was obvious she was one or the other.
"I work for both sectors." She answered coolly.
"Both?"
"UAC and the military have recently formed an alliance, ever since the incident on Mars. The one you and four others witnessed intimately."
I sneered.
"That's a delicate way to put it."
"I'm not here to upset you over a delicate subject."
"Then what are you here for." I said sharply, though she didn't seem intimidated. For a few seconds she paused with a stony expression on her face, not impressed by my hostility.
"Primarily, to make a deal, but I have been asked to answer questions you have for me."
"You want to make a deal with me?" I cocked an eyebrow.
"Yes."
I didn't like the idea once it left her mouth. If UAC wanted a deal, then it was obviously going to cost something big. If they actually were affiliated with the military, then John and I were in trouble. We were AWOL soldiers, and the military wasn't going to let that go. They would put us in prison for the rest of service, which for me was another two years, and John's would be longer since he's been enlisted for longer. His could be up to six or seven years. Whether the military knows we're still alive or not is only a matter of time.
"What's the deal?" I asked.
"It's best if you know the whole story, before we go into that." I nodded and patiently waited for her to continue.
"As you know, there was an Ark in Nevada discovered twenty years ago leading to Mars. Just fifteen years ago something amazing was discovered after an expedition through the mine shafts of Mt. Snowdon in Wales. A large cavern covered in hieroglyphics drawn by those from the ancient civilization on Mars themselves. We built another facility inside the mountain, shutting down all public access. There, further research on the ancient civilization from Mars was conducted."
"After months of research, an archaeologist named Marcus McHenry discovered something in the drawings. They were instructions to a gateway, a gateway deep in Mars' crust below Olduvai. Immediately an undercover operation began, and they found the path to this gateway. The hieroglyphics arching around the gate described a place of evil souls, a place we call Hell. Outside it was another Ark."
I interrupted. "I had been in every corner of that facility. There was never any sign of some pathway going down to this 'Hell's Gate', and no information we found even hinted there ever was one."
"It was a completely separate operation. The only entrance was through another Ark, which we placed in the Snowdon Research Facility. Not even Dr. Carmack and the people working on Olduvai knew about it. It was strictly undercover."
"So what was Carmack's job?"
She straightened herself, her chest swelling as she took in a deep breath. Though she wanted to avoid the subject of Olduvai, it seemed I was insistent.
"To experiment with C24, as you know. Over the years our supervision of his research slacked, and he managed to get a hold of a human specimen. He broke the laws of our sector doing that, and would have been condemned to spend the rest of his life in prison for it."
"He got what he deserved in the end." I said coldly, remembering the fate of the old scientist. "He died the monster he was."
She knew it was best not to answer to that, and quickly re-tracked the subject.
"After years of more research on the hieroglyphics, it was discovered how to activate the Gate. Cutting long story short, they controlled it and began taking demons from the Gate to the facility here on Earth."
I gaped at her in shock. Had they lost their minds? Bringing demons to Earth, endangering it enough to bring it to its doom.
"The creatures were contained and studied, controlled by a chip installed in their brains. Ever since then there have been no problems with keeping them contained."
I began shaking my head with an un-amused smile on my face. I knew where this was going.
"And now things have gone wrong, and you want me to do something about it. I honestly don't know what drives you people to do these amazingly stupid things." I spat, and again she wasn't intimidated.
"A day ago we received a distress call from one of our employees in Snowdon. She reported that there was an outbreak when a flood caused a blackout in the facility. She said she was the only one to escape alive, and that the outbreak was secured inside the mountain. UAC understands that serious action must be taken, and the military has agreed to take part. However, we knew that we needed some very special people. People who had dealt with this kind of thing before. People with some very special abilities."
She paused and I looked at her knowingly.
"How did you know I had the mutation?" I asked lowly.
"The civilians you rescued from Olduvai described the amazing stamina of a female Marine. We knew you had to have been exposed to C24, and your partner, John."
My eyes narrowed suspiciously, and I felt anger rise.
"Where is he?"
"He's fine."
"Where is he?"
"He's in the next room, being briefed on the situation as you are."
"And what about Sam, his sister? She would have been with him."
"She's being taken good care of in our lounge."
Still I kept a suspicious eye on her, finding it hard to believe her. UAC had a habit of being distrustful, and deceitful. It was difficult to detect lies in such a flat voice, and a passive face.
"The military knows you and John are alive, and are condemned to prison for absence without official leave. You are also condemned to prison for the destruction of UAC property."
I grinned. Oh yeah, it seems I did manage to blow their entire facility in Nevada to pieces. There was a long pause, and I looked her in the eye.
"Unless?"
"Unless you return to your military duties as a soldier, and go to the outbreak in Europe. If you go and complete your mission, you and John will have a full pardon from the military, and the charges against you, dropped. You will be granted with an honorable discharge, and never have to return to action again."
"I don't even know what the fucking mission is, and there's a fat chance John and I will be going into that place by ourselves. I'd rather go to prison, personally."
"A squad has already been organized specially for this mission. The best soldiers from all over the world."
"The best? Then you really are taking this seriously?"
"Of course. If any one of these demons breaks into the real world, the outcome would be catastrophic. Dr. Grimm gave us detailed information on how things quickly grew out of control on Olduvai, telling us that these creatures were capable of 'infecting' not only humans, but animals as well. We want the entire Snowdon facility cleansed, and we want you and John to lead the way."
"How many are in this squad you've arranged?"
"Eight."
I had to smile and laugh at that.
"Eight? How many monsters are you expecting us to fight in this place?"
"There were over a hundred specimens, and eighty personnel."
I looked at her like she was insane and scoffed. "For an operation like this, that's no where near enough. Do you have any idea how lethal each and every one of those demons can be? You'll need an army."
"Each and every one of the eight people in that squad is worth an army. If you think the people in your RRTS squad were the best, then you haven't even gotten a taste of the true lethality of a talented soldier. I promise you, these people are the finest you'll ever encounter."
"Yeah, and I'll believe that when I see it."
She paused.
"Does that mean you're considering it?"
I looked down at my pants again and closed my eyes, thinking very hard about this. Olduvai was a complete nightmare, through and through, and I've tried hard to rid my mind of the visual memories still plaguing it. It isn't easy to forget something like that. The gore, the screams, the evil, and the loss. I lost friends there. Good men with good hearts that I cared about. Even Portman, despite how much of an asshole he was, I didn't want him to die like that. No one deserves to die like that. They were brave and honorable men, and they looked after each other, and they looked after me. I don't want more good people to lose their lives against these things, and I know, no matter what, that people will die if they go into Snowdon. It's something that can't be avoided.
But John and I can help prevent it. We've seen it, experienced it, and survived it, so that sure would count for something. These eight soldiers being asked to go into Hell have no idea what they're getting into, and neither did we when we first entered Olduvai. I can't let that happen to them too, knowing that they'll be taken by surprise and not get out alive.
"It's probably best that I talk to John about it." I finally said to her.
"Of course. I'll escort you to the lounge."
With that she stood, reaching into her jacket to pull out some keys. Kneeling down, she unlocked the cuffs around my ankles and took my arm, lifting me out of the chair. I decided it wouldn't be such a good idea to just kick her ass and make a run for it. They found out how to immobilize me with the single shot of a drug, so it's unlikely I'd make it out with John and Sam anyway. She took me out the door and into a shining white hallway, and straight through the door across from us. When I stepped inside, immediately Sam came into view, and she looked at me anxiously, standing from her seat at a couch. The woman unlocked my cuffs, and I gave a gasp of relief as I stretched my arms. She then exited, and I walked toward Sam.
"Are you alright?" She quickly asked me. "What did they do?"
"I'm fine. They had me chained to a chair in one of those interrogation rooms."
"Was John with you?"
"No. She said John was in another room."
"You should have seen him after your phone call. He nearly killed us getting to the house at the speed he drove. Once we stepped in the door two men shot us with tranquilizers, and brought us here."
"She'll bring him in here in a moment."
Just then the door opened again, and we turned. Soon enough he appeared, and I ran to him, wrapping my arms around his waste before he could even see who was in the room. When he discovered that it was me, he quickly hugged me back and practically lifted me off the ground.
"Kyra! Are you alright? Did they hurt you?" He asked anxiously.
"I'm fine." I mumbled into his shoulder, so happy he was ok. He pulled away and touched my face, looking me in the eyes.
"You sure?"
"John, I'm alive aren't I?"
He half smiled and kissed me before noticing that Sam was in the room, whom he treated with the same concerned and anxious attention. Minutes later we were sitting down on the leather couches, discussing what we'd been told. John was given the same history lesson by the man talking to him, and told the stakes. We talked about the deal for almost an hour before we finally came near to a solution. Everything was considered. From the actual amount of danger involved, to the consequences of just letting it go. A thought kept nagging at the back of my head, something about last night when I encountered my brother.
"When they come, remember that it is your responsibility."
Yes, in a way this outbreak was our responsibility. We witnessed and discovered things on Olduvai that could be extremely beneficial when encountering it again. We knew more about fighting demons than anyone else, and we had the mutations. It was a very difficult decision, but there was a lot at stake. If even a single demon got out of that mountain, it could infect people for miles, and chaos would break loose. We could prevent that from happening. After another long hour of debate, we made the decision.
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When I stepped out of the chopper, my feet were met with soft, wet grass. The sky was a dreary grey, dropping a light shower. A thin fog made things look all the more miserable. So this was Wales. I always did view it as a green place that suffered incessant rain, which is a huge change in climate compared to Florida. It was also quite chilly.
Less than two hours after we made our decision, UAC had John and me on a private plane straight to England. They escorted us back to the house to let us pack what we needed. I called Clive, telling him that I would be leaving on an emergency call. When he asked how long, I said I didn't know. It almost broke my heart saying so, not knowing whether I would be back at all, and not being able to tell him the truth. He was a good friend, and I'd miss him. John contacted the school with the same excuse, though they weren't happy about his sudden disappearance. He then sent an email to Destroyer and Duke, explaining briefly what was happening, and that Sam was coming to stay with them. John refused to let her come, despite her protests.
We would meet at a military base in Wales, but from that point on we had no idea what was going to happen. I looked back as John jumped down and met his eyes. He observed our surroundings and heaved a sigh.
"Just as bleak as I thought." He muttered, putting a hand on my back and pushing me forward. The helicopter rose and took off once we were clear of the pad, and I chucked my bag over my shoulder. Ahead of us was a single, large building, headquarters. Once we entered, we were met with a man dressed in uniform, and he asked us to follow him. The building was very active, with officers walking from room to room filled with computers. Each was bordered with clear glass, so we could see what was going on on the inside. There was a large screen on the wall with a full map of what I thought was the Snowdon facility. Before I could study it properly, we were led into a separate room.
Inside it looked exactly like a briefing room. It had a long table with twelve or so chairs placed around it. At the end there was another screen on the wall with the UAC logo currently projected onto it. Sitting around the table were men and women, some dressed as officers, others in regular business suits with UAC name tags on their chests. All their eyes were on us when we entered. The officer left and closed the door behind us, and we were asked to sit by a gruff, commanding voice. When I looked to see who it belonged to, I suddenly came face to face with a general. It was easy to tell by the many-colored bars on his uniform.
Casually John and I took our seats at the far end of the table, resting our bags beside us. There was a short moment of silence amongst the obviously important people, and I was a little uneasy about their stares. Some were imposing, while others curious, particularly by those of UAC. They seemed intent on finding something inhuman about us. I began anxiously rubbing my fingers together with my elbows resting on the table, and glanced at John when he laid a hand on my thigh. He gave me an encouraging look, and visibly I relaxed.
"Welcome Corporal Lucas, Lieutenant Grimm." The same voice said, and both our eyes were fixed on the general.
"Corporal Grimm." John corrected.
"Then congratulations, you've just been promoted. Past records compliment your cool, leadership properties, which I plan on using for this mission."
"You're making me lead these people into Snowdon?" John asked, shocked. "Shouldn't someone who knows them be in charge? I've never even seen these guys."
"Son, they don't even know each other. We took these people from various places all over the world. Some of them aren't even from the same continent. We'll give you three days of bonding time with your men before we send you into the facility."
"Three days? That's no where near eno-"
"Don't question it! We don't have all the time in the world here, lieutenant! From what I understand less than twenty people out of over a hundred made it out of Olduvai alive, and not with mild injuries. This is serious, and the less time we waste the better."
"Sir, I am fully aware of how serious this is! But if I am leading these men straight into Hell then I need to have their respect, faith, and loyalty." John hassled, tapping his hand on the table to stress his point.
"I understand, but you underestimate these men, lieutenant. Not only are they amazing soldiers, but they are good people. They're not stupid, and they know what they're getting into. They will follow your orders without hesitation."
"Oh, so you told them what they were getting into? Everything? About all the death and the gore and the fucking monsters?" He almost spat, and I put a hand on his shoulder to turn him to me.
"Calm down." I whispered, or he was going to get us on bad terms with the general.
"We've told them everything we know, which is very little. We're depending on you to tell them the rest." The general said with an edge in his tone. I sensed he was getting slightly aggravated. John sat back in his chair running a hand across his face, so I took over.
"Sir…" I began with some hesitation, contemplating on how to put this without annoying him further. "This is a very serious situation. We have seen these things and experienced horrors that you haven't even seen in your darkest nightmares. We lost our friends on Olduvai." I hesitated again. "And I lost my brother. We know exactly… how serious this is, and that's why we're here now. John is right; he needs to know these people before going in there, because their lives are in his hands."
The general sighed and leaned forward, placing a hand on the table and staring at it for a moment to think. Then he raised his head and looked at us both.
"Look, we have already briefed them on the mission. We will give schematics and blueprints of the facility, details on every objective. This is not easy for any of us, but we just have to cope."
"Perhaps it's best if we just start from the beginning, sir."
He nodded. "Very well. I am General Hamilton, this is Major Jean, your briefing officer."
A skinny, red-headed man to his left nodded.
"Dr. Blake, head of UAC. Dr. Anderson, his chief advisor. Captain Morrison of the Royal Air Force."
He introduced everyone down the table, before finally stopping and looking back at us.
"Now, Major Jean, if you please." He looked to the man on his left, who nodded and turned in our direction.
"These are the mission files, containing information on your objectives and layouts of the facility." He slid a folder down the table, and John grabbed it, flipping through its contents.
"Your primary objective is to cleanse the facility of any demonic life form, and all who are infected. Also, to retrieve research. The scientists gathered important information on these creatures, so it's crucial that you get as much as you can and bring it back. Your other objective is to rescue any survivors, if there are any at all. Dr. Blake, if you will."
The head of UAC stood.
"Now, there are two primary sectors of the facility." He took the remote sitting by his hand and pressed a button, and a map appeared on the screen. "Here-" A larger portion of the map glowed. "And here. The southern sector, this larger area, is where all the research and containment resides. The northern is where the employees lived. In the case that any of the specimens managed to escape its containment, an automatic security system activates, blocking anything from the southern sector to get into the northern sector with a door. However, the security system failed, and the door didn't close. The lone survivor of the outbreak said she managed to close the door before anything got out."
"Excuse me." I interrupted. "Exactly how strong is this door? I do recall a steel door about twelve inches thick was ripped clean through by one of these things whilst on Olduvai. So it better be pretty damn strong."
"It's three meters thick, made of the hardest steel and diamonds. Virtually indestructible. Nothing will get through it. Now, when you enter the facility at the peak of the mountain, your squad may make yourselves comfortable in the northern sector. It could be your… base of operations, if you please. A safe haven. However, once you pass that door, you're in an immediate danger zone. The door can only be opened and closed with the proper code, which is in the files given to you. Captain Morrison, you may continue."
The UAC man sat, and the Royal Air Force captain stood.
"I'm going to give you a short biography of each soldier in your squad, just so you know what you've got, lieutenant. Our first man is Robert White, 32 years old and known to his comrades as Ohanzee. He's deaf in one ear and specializes in anything that goes boom, pretty much." He said in a thick British accent.
"Then there is Trip Calman, 29, Irishman, goes by his first name, and he's the best technician or engineer you can find in the world. Can fix anything, and break anything."
"Scott Sexton, 25, known as Hawk. Half-black and an amazing athlete, and an even better soldier, with a particular skill in the big guns department. He's never failed a mission and will do anything and everything to keep that record."
"Donovan Kirril, 28, goes by his last name. He's a stealth specialist from Russia, one of the best spies in the world, and a deadly assassin. You'll find him particularly useful when scouting and looking for information, or as a sniper."
"Ian Fox, 27, goes by Curls. He'll be your medical expert. Also a good gunman."
"Joseph Benito, 30, goes by Jitters, and a Mexican. He never talks unless necessary because of a stuttering problem. However, he is particularly skilled at making explosives, of any kind if given the right stuff. You'll find some may be extremely useful."
"Cody Bawek, 35, goes by Caesar. A Welshman in the Royal Navy, and your guide up the mountain. It hasn't been used in years and the path can be treacherous, so he will be leading you to the peak."
"Last, but most certainly not least, is Donna Cruickshank, 25, known as Hukluban or Huk, the Filipino goddess of death."
My eyes widened for a moment there, for the profile almost fitted that of my old Filipino friend, Donna. She joined the Marines, but Cruickshank wasn't her last name. Probably just coincidence.
"She is a modern ninja, pretty much. Very lethal with knives or swords, and an extremely good hacker. If you want something on a computer, she'll get it. Any questions?"
We stayed silent. It sounded like a good team to me, and judging by the look on John's face, he was slightly satisfied. Though he wouldn't admit it. The man nodded and sat back down, and the general spoke again.
"Your team is waiting in a cabin about a mile from Snowdon. You'll be taken there shortly, and three days from now all the supplies you'll need for the mission will be delivered. Weapons, armor, etc. Thank you for your time…" He paused and looked at us seriously. "And thank you for coming. Just step out that door, and an officer will escort you to your car."
John and I glanced at each other, and then we stood, taking our bags. Before I even stepped towards the door, I saluted the general. If I was a soldier again, I might as well act like one. The officer led us to a small black car waiting outside the building, and, throwing our bags into the back, we stepped in and set off.
The seven hour flight to get here and all this activity in one day had me exhausted. I was beat. Within thirty minutes of the drive, I had fallen asleep on John's shoulder. He put his arm around me and kissed my head, before laying his head back to sleep himself. It wasn't as easy for him though. Too much was on his mind. So much responsibility just thrust on his shoulders in so little time. Not only that, but now he was starting to realize just how dangerous this mission could be, and I was a part of it. He'd almost lost me three times during the last disaster, and he wasn't sure if he could do it again.
With a quiet sigh he looked back down at me again, absentmindedly stroking the back of my hand with his thumb. No, he couldn't bear losing me again. It hurt too much the first time, and it would hurt even more now, because he was in love. Now he knew it, and his sister knew it. On the drive home yesterday, from the airport, she asked if he had planned on proposing to me. He had been thinking about it. In fact, just a few days ago he found himself browsing through the jewelry store, looking at rings. But it was just a thought at the time, and a serious thought. Right now, to keep his mind off less appealing things, he thought about it again. And before long, began planning every romantic detail of how he would propose.
