"You know, this isn't a very good idea." Kim called over the head set of the helmet. David had borrowed a motorcycle from a friend of his. His bike was known to his father and the entire police force, so taking it wasn't exactly a good idea. This one wasn't as nice, nor was it as stable at high speed, which is where they were right now. The road was very good though, so there was no reason to worry. Or so David kept telling her.
"I know Lee and if you're right and he's still in there, I know exactly where he's gone. We used to play around an old oil rig out in the gulf during our summer vacations. If that's where he's gone, we might be able to catch him without killing him. I'm pretty sure that's where he'll go. If not, I'm completely lost." David answered. After a few hours, he started to slow down, scanning the sides of the road. Kim didn't even see the turn off before he turned the wheel. She thought at first something had happened, but as he swung the bike around she was amazed to see it was an overgrown road. The trail had devolved, but she could tell it was just wide enough for a motorcycle.
"Stop a second." When he did, she slipped off the bike, and knelt in the middle of the road. She pushed the visor on her helmet up, and looked at David. "Someone has been through not too long ago. Let's go." She climbed onto the back and grabbed hold. David accelerated again.
Twenty-five minutes later they arrived at a small sliver of wood stretching out into the ocean. A single boat and motorcycle were held from the water by the elderly pier. David stopped just short of the pier. The weight would have sent both bikes, and the pair of them into the water. Kim stepped off, and started out carefully onto the pier. She reached the motorcycle, and started to reach for it. She stopped suddenly, then turned and raced back down the pier. David had just started down and Kim tackled him. As she hit the ground on top of him, an explosion rocked the pier behind them, disintegrating the motorcycle and boat as well as the pier. After a few moments flaming chunks stopped falling from the sky, and they looked up and at the remains of the pier. David shuddered.
"How did you know?" He asked Kim.
"I saw the bomb. I was going to pull it off so we wouldn't fall through." Kim shook her head. "It must have had a proximity detector or fuse of some kind."
"He was always interested in the special forces, and wanted to try to get into them before he went to drugs. He must have learned how to set one up from that. We'll have to find another boat." David stared out at the oil rig just on the horizon.
---
The ride into town was not long, but the trip to find a boat took far longer than either hoped. They had to decline several offers, because neither wanted to row out and be tired when they arrived. David was ready to go back and take one up when Kim talked a man into letting them borrow his fishing boat. The boat was old,and had a slow leak, but that was solved by bailing it out. Kim manned the steering wheel while David manned the bucket. It wasn't far from the town to the abandoned oil rig, but they approached slowly, scanning the surfaces with binoculars. They knew for a fact that Sam knew they were coming, and he had the advantage of knowing they were coming and time to prepare for them. Coming up to the dock, David moved ahead of Kim and tapped at it with his foot. He stuck a hand under his coat and pulled a gun. Stretching it out infront of him, he stepped carefully onto the pier. Kim followed, and pulled not a gun, but a high tech version of a Taser. Built by Wade and then bought in masse by GJ, the tazer delivered it's voltage from ten feet away with a miniature bolt of lightning. It was sufficient to bring down most humans though slightly larger versions were used by park rangers for protection from animals.
David checked each step carefully as they advanced, while Kim watched the upper levels, expecting death to rain down at any moment. They reached the top without incident. As they did so, a pair of explosions wracked the stairs behind them. David had tested the stairs, but not the supports. The stairs fell away into the ocean sinking down behind them. The weight snapped the mooring line, and the boat began to drift away on the shockwaves of the impact.
"Now we're alone dear brother. I see you brought your girlfriend with you. I'd have preferred you alone, but I suppose that after we've finished, I can have some fun with her." The voice over the loudspeaker made Kim shiver. It was ice cold, and not a pleasant sound.
"Lee? I can help you. Just come out, you're sick, they'll take that into account. We can help you." David called, pleading to the voice.
"Lee's not here. The only one around is Sam. And I'm going to destroy you, then your little friend." The voice made the air seem to shiver. Then... "David?? Get out of here, he'll..." The voice, terrified, and much different than the first was cut short. "Shut up, I thought I killed you already."
"David, come this way, while he's distracted." Kim drug David between two huge storage tanks, and out of sight of the camera. The sounds of indistinct arguing and then fighting came through the speakers and then silence.
"He must be in the control room. We can sneak up on him while he's arguing." David started away, but Kim snatched at his arm.
"No, that's what he wants. It's got to be a trap. It's the only way he'd let you think you know where he is." Kim pulled out the Kimmunicator. "Wade, I need your help. I need..." A rifle round pinged off the side of the storage tank behind them. A bright red spot exploded on David's arm. Kim drug him deeper between the tanks. In the shock of the shot, the Kimmunicator had fallen down through the metal flooring, and was headed towards the water at last sight. Kim led him deeper into the superstructure. Silence fell after a few minutes, and Kim turned towards him. The arm wound was only a grazing hit, and it was bleeding severly. Kim took the handerchief David offered, and wound it around the arm. He winced when she tightened it, but smiled in thanks. "Is there another way to the Control Room? One he doesn't know about?"
"I think there is, but he might know. The Control Room is supposed to be the highest point,so it can see as much as possible. But when they built this one, something didn't go right appearently. There's a series of pipes that run overhead of the building. We should be able to get around any traps he's laid."
"I'll go around that way, but I'll need a distraction. If you can lure him out into the open, I can stun him." Kim suggested.
"Alright. Just don't miss." David smiled, and pulled her close. She kissed him and then turned away. "Kim? Be careful."
"Of course, you do the same. I love you." She disappeared around the corner. David turned back towards the main entrance and flickered his eyes in every direction as he stepped out into the open space. He ducked across the open ground, and up the stairs towards command. He slowed once he was hidden again, and began to check his path more carefully.
---
Kim slowly advanced, watching for traps, and signs of Lee. She wasn't entirely sure where the pipes were, but she knew where the Control Room was. She found the path that took her to the pipes overhead. She could see David from where she was. He couldn't see her. She walked carefully along the pipes approaching the Control Room. The air was chill this far out to sea, and this high in the air. She leveled her tazer at the door of the control room, and waited. Now it was up to David.
