#sob# this is going to be my last chapter for a month or two as I've got exams coming up... but then I have a whole two months before college starts so I'll be able to finish this then. Oh well. This is my longest chapter yet. Enjoy!
Chapter 9
Tony Kite drove hard and fast through the night streets on Edinburgh. There was no chance of him being stopped by the police – the flames and distant, echoing crackles of gunfire told him that. In the back seat sat Rose: her eyes closed but her hands tightly clenching the revolver to her chest.
"Tony-san, what just happened to us?"
Tony breathed out hard and began to slow down. Elsewhere there was a distant thud and a bright light lit up the night sky from the horizon. An explosion of some sort. Maybe that meant this nightmare had ended.
"I'm sorry Rose, I can't answer that. I don't know."
"Why did ADAM try to hurt you?" No thoughts for her-self – Tony bit his lip in frustration at this. This was the conditioning speaking again. "Why did he kill Eve? Didn't he love her?"
"No Rose. I don't think he did. I think he must have seen something."
He didn't dare mention Jennifer or Thomas.
"What kind of something?"
"Something he didn't like."
"Okay."
Just okay. That was all Rose needed. Once again the conditioning was speaking for her. At least this time it might be helping...
"Rose, we need to visit the Edinburgh safe-house."
"Yes. Will it be safe?"
"Not particularly, but I can't drive in this condition. Or fight. We need to rest, to gather our strength. To contact HQ." The pain from his wounds and the lack of sleep was torturing him – something which Sam seemed to find most amusing.
Run Tony Kite! Get out of the city or you'll be killed! I bet those other two are already dead! You're next, Tony Kite! Run!
That godforsaken laughter...
"Tony-san? What if he comes there?"
"It will be defended, don't worry. And even ADAM can't fight continuously. We'll be okay until morning – we jut have to trust that Paul and Amy are still alive..."
Paul and Amy were still alive. For now at least.
Paul pulled into the chemical works and headed straight for the security gate. They got out of the car.
"Hey! Hey! You! Yeah you! Mr Security! Which of these buildings has the most burning, horrific, melting chemicals in it?"
Paul was pointing at the slightly bemused security guard with his finger and
Amy sighed. Always so to the point. It was one of her brother's qualities. Suddenly she winced at the pain of her back wounds but she didn't mind - it would go away soon. It always went away eventually.
"I'm sorry sir; I'm going to have to ask you to leave."
"Bog off. See this?" Paul took out his ID. "BWC. Answer me. Now"
"Isn't that a civilian corporation? You have no authority."
"Okay then. How about this?"
Paul reached into the car and retrieved the Remington. He pointed it straight at the terrified security officer.
"This proof that we aren't civilians, Mr Authority?"
"That'll do." The man stepped backwards and almost tripped over his chair in fear.
"Good. We need something strong. Something nasty. We've got a bastard to kill, you see."
"Our strongest substance is in building C."
"Thank you for doing your job. I'll speak to your superiors."
He didn't even bother to wait for a reply before they got back in the car.
Well that's one way he can get results... Amy smiled quietly to herself, admiring her brother's 'persuasive' skills. The car drove off in the direction of building C.
"What are you smiling about, missy?" Paul was his usual pleasant self to her again.
"Nothing."
"It doesn't look like nothing. Here we are in this wonderful situation with the Eleven Year Old From Hell breathing down our necks and you're smiling merrily to the freakin' fairies!"
"Sorry sir."
She tried to frown, but despite her wounds couldn't quite make it. Her brother was a wonderful person really, she thought to herself... She burst out in a fit of giggles.
"I said shut it!"
"When?"
"Just then!"
"Okay."
She bit her hand to stifle the laughter that was rising in her despite her situation. The car stopped. To the front of them was a circular building with a domed roof and black tinted windows. No vision inwards, but plenty of vision outwards. She patted her MSG90A1 with the hand not buried inside her mouth. She knew she'd made a good decision to bring a sniper rifle.
"Here we go. Building C. Let's get those night workers out of the building and we can set up our trap."
"Yes sir."
Tony pulled up the car at the safe-house. In happier times this had been used by Fratello on trips out. He remembered Mike and Sarah after they came back from the city saying how wonderful it was to be within walking distance of the castle. What he wouldn't give to have another Fratello up here too. Paul and Amy were good, but he doubted whether they could defeat ADAM alone. If Tony had strict orders to return to HQ then surely Sutherland would have sent another team. Why hadn't he sent Mike? Tony was too tired to dwell on the subject much more. He needed rest, so did Rose. They would head home tomorrow, ADAM be dammed.
"Rose, come on."
They stood by the car for a second. They would have made a terrible sight to any passers by... Bloody, torn, wounded, and covered in dust and cuts – they looked like they had just escaped from a war-zone. Which, of course, they pretty much had. But there were no passers by this late at night. Only a distant roaring sound of a fire from outside the city. They looked at the small apartment building in front of them. They were on the ground floor. Tony stepped up to the black wooden door.
Tony took his key ring out and flicked through to the black handled key. A master key to all Corporation safe-houses. He smiled as he unlocked the door.
"Come on, Rose." He held the door open as the young girl walked into the dark house. Stepping in behind her, he flicked on the lights and shut the door behind him. Then a voice rang out down the corridor.
"Who's there?"
A man wearing a blue dressing-gown was pointing a silenced pistol at two dim shapes by the doorway. He was squinting in the harsh light. Just woke up. Tony smiled and stepped forward, his arms open.
"Don't shoot, I'm with the Corporation."
"Huh?" The man raised a hand to shield his eyes. "Hey, you...you're Tony Kite aren't you?"
"I am."
"My name is James Monroe. I'm the Keeper of this building."
"I'd kinda figured that."
Each safe-house had a permanent Keeper. Someone who made the building look lived in, and to tell any inquirers that the building was full if they wanted accommodation.
"Who's this?"
"Rose, say hello."
She stepped forwards and held out her hand.
"Hello, Mr Monroe. My name is Rose."
Then James Monroe saw the blood and the dust. The cuts and the bruises.
"My God. What happened to you two?"
Tony looked at him seriously.
"We were on operations in this city."
"Yes I was informed. I thought it was a simple job. No need to worry. Especially not for Tony Kite! But apparently not..."
Why does he seem so awed by Tony-san? Rose looked at her handler quizzically.
"There were unexpected complications. One of my closest friends was killed by her Cyborg."
"Oh good lord..."
"He's pursued some of my other colleagues out of the city, but he will be back tomorrow. We have to leave early."
"We should leave now."
"Out of the question. Rose and I are in no condition to travel, and anyway – I think the motorway may be out of order."
Tony motioned to the window where there was an orange glow coming from the direction of the motorway."
"Well...can we not fight the Cyborg tomorrow?"
"He's a new model. The Alpha Male Program."
The mention of The Program going wrong made Monroe's face contort with horror. The Program's Subject was supposed to be invincible...
"So then...you need to rest. I've got a room. You might want to shower you know. You look really bad, Tony Kite."
"And then you turn around and leave. That's right. No, don't power it down you idiot. We need that on. Yes. That's good. Well done. And now run. Yes, RUN. Fast. Because if you don't then you're going to get shot by an eleven year old boy. Oh and tell your boss that the security guard's an idiot!"
Paul was pointing his shotgun towards the few terrified men unfortunate enough to be working through the night in Building C. They turned and began to run. Paul grinned.
"Bye, girls! Well that was fun. Let's get above this thing, then."
He indicated the large cylindrical vat next to him. Amy just beamed broadly and followed him up the metal walkways towards the top of the building.
"And, Amy?"
"Yeah?"
"Stop bloody smiling."
"I'll try."
"I mean it. Don't make me hit you."
"Sorry, sir."
Amy sighed and heaved the large duffle bag full of her weapons up the steps to the top. She glanced at her watch. 2:30 AM. Christ it was late for her to be sniping. What about her beauty sleep?
Amy dropped the weapons bag by a large window on the top floor and kicked the glass out of the window. She sat down and crossed her legs, her tongue sticking out as she set up the rifle and its bipod. Paul leaned over the railings and peered into the vat of liquid beneath him. A strange, unearthly orange colour and bubbling heavily. Amy glanced across at him.
"Sir, get away from the Tango. I don't know what it'll do to you."
"It'll get me away from you inane prattling, that's for sure."
He kicked the small of her back. Not hard, but hard enough to leave a bruise to remember it by.
"Sorry, sir."
"Now concentrate on your job. Can you see him?"
"Not yet sir."
"He'll come. He'll come."
Tony dressed and sat down heavily in a chair in the small room. So tired. His shower had hurt him more than he'd have thought it would. But his wounds weren't serious. Grazes, cuts, bruises mainly. The most serious wound was a small wound on his right leg where ADAM's bullet had clipped him. Nothing serious. He looked at Rose, asleep in the bed on the other side of the room. She'd not even been hurt in the fighting. Just by the smashing, shattered glass. Still, he thought, she's washed the blood off. She looks just like a normal girl there... And she did. He always brought her travel bag whenever they went out on operations. Just in case. Just for times like this.
He thought about how Monroe had reacted to him. True, he had a history in the Corporation. But so had Rose. For two years he and Rose had travelled together. Fought together. Killed together. But even before he met Rose, when he had been with Samantha, he had still achieved some element of infamy within the Corporation. He had been the best. The very best. Long ago, it seemed. But now, was the best outdated? Like his guns? To be passed around as an awed relic?
Of course you are, Tony Kite.
"Not now. I'm trying to rest."
I know you are. Rest then, Tony Kite. Rest. Let your guard down.
"This building is defended."
He heard shuffling below. Crates of weapons being prepared by Monroe in preparation for the journey back. A loud voice. Phone calls to contacts, HQ and the other safe-houses. Preparation.
Ooh it's a bit tense, isn't it? It's like a war has started!
"It has, in a way. ADAM's going to be hard to stop."
Yes. I know he is. Let me help, Tony Kite.
"You don't want to help me."
On the contrary. My actions have always been with your best interests at heart. Would you not be finding this whole situation easier if not for Rose? Would you not be happier? Her death would eventually ease your pain. I have watched and guided your hand now for these past two years. Without me, Tony Kite, you would be dead.
"Maybe I should be."
No. Without you, I would cease to exist. I want you to live, Tony Kite. At least for now.
Tony's eyes closed.
"Sir? He's here."
Amy's voice was a whisper.
"Take him."
The gun fired with a silenced 'pop' and ADAM shook slightly. Then looked up at the smashed window of Building C. A man in a security uniform ran out to meet the boy, completely unaware of his nature. As he got closer he noticed the boy's blood. Amy flinched as there was a rattling sound and the man flew backwards in a spray of his own blood.
ADAM looked up at Building C. Revenge. He would take it tonight! He smiled as he walked into the darkness and vanished from view.
"Where did he go? Amy?"
"I don't know, sir. He stepped into the shadows."
"Goddamn it, stupid girl. He has to come out sometime. Lure him up here when you see him."
"I will."
Tony opened his eyes to see an empty bed in the room in front of him. Outside a brilliant sun shone through the windows. He stood and headed for the doorway to the main room of the apartment.
"Rose?"
He saw her. Oh god how he saw her. Sat down on a small wooden chair in the centre of the room. A single dagger, its handle intricately carved with the figure of a dragon and embedded with rubies, was stabbed into her chest. The blood was drenching the entire floor around the chair. She looked at him, tears filling her eyes.
"Tony-san..."
The bullet blew her head apart in a spray of gore. Tony saw a man stood in the doorway. A man who was busy holstering a Desert Eagle. He wore a dark red leather trenchcoat, a red waistcoat below it, with a red tie. His trousers and smart shoes were also red. On his well formed, handsome face he wore a small pair of dark red round sunglasses. His short hair was spiky and brilliantly white. As white as the shirt below his waistcoat. The stranger looked at Tony with a grin. He spoke.
"Well met, Tony Kite."
Tony felt his heart stop for an instant. The voice was smooth yet deadly, like silk edged with iron. Worse, it was a voice that Tony recognized.
"That's impossible..."
"Apparently not, Tony Kite!"
"This isn't happening!"
"'Fraid so!"
"I'm dreaming."
"'Fraid not!"
"YOU DON'T EVEN EXIST!"
"That's hardly a way to greet your old pal Sam, now is it?"
Tony turned to run but felt a crushing blow on the side of his head. He went clean through the wall in a spray of dust and splinters. Sam had moved from one side of the room and hit him with such speed...such strength...
"Don't worry, Tony Kite. This isn't the end." Sam stepped through the hole Tony had made in the wall. "This, Tony Kite, is your mind. I'm just here to say hello!"
Tony grimaced in pain and felt a warm liquid trickling down the side of his throbbing head.
"Leave me. Leave me in my own bloody mind and don't come back!"
"That's hardly a position to make demands from, is it?"
"Go. Stop this!"
A sadistic grin crossed Sam's face. Only then did Tony realise how similar they both looked. Like brothers...
"Wake up, Tony Kite."
His eyes snapped open.
They weren't his own. He saw himself rise from the seat and walk over to Rose. Saw his own hands reach out and remove the blankets over the bed.
What are you doing? Stop!
"I'm having a bit of fun, Tony Kite."
No!
"Are you trying to tell me you don't want this?"
Of course I don't bloody want this! I love her!
"A man of many moral faces you are, Tony Kite."
Stop.
"No."
Sam's hands caressed Rose's cheek. She was fast asleep. He was going to rape her. And all Tony could do was watch and scream. Trapped within the confines of his own mind. Trapped within the confines of his own...beautiful insanity.
Paul breathed out heavily. Where the hell was this kid?
"Sir?"
"Yeah?"
"He's not coming up is he?"
"He'll come. We can out wait him. Whatever reason he's got for doing this, it's a driving force. He can't sit us out."
"Yes, sir."
A shadow. Amy fired. Nothing.
Damn it! He's moving though. But where?
She sat and observed the darkness, wishing she'd brought a night scope. Paul rested his shotgun over his shoulder and frowned. They waited for another few minutes.
Then there was a rattling sound like that of an old typewriter.
Paul fell backwards from the blasts: his abdomen bleeding from the bullet wounds. He hit the wall and stopped moving.
"Sir!"
Amy spun quickly and fired her rifle - catching ADAM in the right eye. There was a spray of blood but he kept standing. Such a shot would have killed a normal Cyborg. But ADAM was far from normal. He gazed back, his eyeball destroyed, and a vicious red pinprick of light in its place. It was an intense light, blazing furiously.
How did he get here so silently? How did he survive that shot? What the hell can I do?
She threw the rifle at ADAM. He caught it and snapped it over his knee.
That was a mistake.
ADAM threw a punch with his right hand, catching her jaw. It broke. He reached down with his left and took hold of her lower jaw. She bit down, but he either didn't feel pain or ignored it. He tore backwards, tearing her lower jaw clean off. Her tongue was ripped out with it and blood sprayed down the front of her white suit. Then:
Blam!
Ch-chk.
Paul stood and faced ADAM, his gun raised and he was seemingly oblivious to the pain in his abdomen.
Blam!
Ch-chk.
The shot tore off the right side of ADAM's face, exposing the blue metal skull beneath. ADAM was sent backwards, but grasped the railings of the walkway before he could fall.
Blam!
Ch-chk.
ADAM toppled over the edge with a yell.
"NO!"
Tony regained control with a sudden jerk.
No? Well... you certainly have a stronger mind than I though, Tony Kite. But what I don't understand is...you love her. Why not?
"Because I love her. I honour and respect her. I would not do...that."
Very well. For now, Tony Kite, you win. But I'll be watching. I think I'm going to enjoy this next twenty-four hours.
Silence. Peace. Tony covered Rose back up. He looked around and his eyes settled on a piece of paper and a pen lying on the table by the bedside. He looked at it for a moment. Then he made up his mind. This was too dangerous for Rose. He had only one choice.
He finished writing and folded the paper in half. He wrote 'Rose' on it and placed it on the foot of her bed. He turned out the lamp. No movement elsewhere in the building – Monroe was asleep. That was good. He walked over to Rose's sleeping form and kissed her cheek. He took his revolver from the table next to her.
"Goodnight Rose. Sleep well."
He walked out of the room and towards the apartment door, tears welling up in his eyes. He opened the door and the lights from the hallway turned him into a silhouette. But the shadow cast onto the floor looked completely different to Tony's silhouette. Tony had a black suit on. But the shadow seemed to have a floor length coat. Maybe it was just a trick of the light.
"Think happy thoughts."
Tony left the room and shut the door behind him.
Gone.
Paul peered over the edge.
Goddamn it!
ADAM had missed the chemicals. He had landed instead on a walkway half-way down. Paul turned to look at Amy. She was a pitiful sight: blood drenched, and missing her jawbone and tongue. She looked at him with eyes that said;
"Help me."
Paul smashed his gun across her face.
"IDIOT GIRL! You're pathetic! You're supposed to watch for him and lure him into a trap. You fail. You then let him gun me down. Then you try and fight him and wonder why you lose. You look a mess. You always have done. A waste of space."
He brought his gun down again. She caught it with her hand. Enough. She'd had enough. She stood up and looked at him with eyes that now said;
"I'm sorry. I love you, but I'm sorry."
For the second time that night, The Elsa Factor had come into play.
She pushed with all her remaining strength and sent Paul toppling over the railings. Straight into the chemical vat. The orange liquid seemed to do nothing at first. Then he began to scream. He burst into flame as the chemical heat ate away at his clothes, then his skin, then his flesh, then his organs. A burning, blackened skeleton was all that remained within seconds of him hitting the liquid. It was all that remained to sink beneath the surface. Amy dropped to her knees, the pain in both her body and soul now overwhelming. She took her note pad out of her pocket and leafed through it, gazing at the pictures with eyes that said;
"Kill me."
There were footsteps behind her. She turned and saw ADAM. He looked sad.
"You aren't my enemy, Amy. I'm sorry."
She clenched the pictures to her, tightly.
"Do you...want to join him in death?"
She nodded, sending blood from what remained of her jaw over her art. ADAM looked at the pictures in her arms sadly.
"Very well. I apologise, Amy. I wish this weren't so."
She stood tall. He levelled the Uzi at her face. She stared into the barrel unflinchingly. She murmured something, but the look in her eyes was all she needed to express herself. A look that said;
"Thank you."
"Goodbye, Amy."
The Uzi spoke her last rites. She toppled backwards into the chemicals. But, mercifully, she was dead before they began to eat her away.
"I'm sorry."
ADAM turned and walked slowly out of Building C – taking the pistols from the duffle bag with him. Two USP Elites. And plenty of ammo. The rain had begun again. As he left, he cast a single glance back at Building C. There may have been tears in his remaining eye. Or it could have been the raindrops.
Rose awoke. Crying. Nothing special about that. She always cried when she woke up. So to did all the girls of the British Welfare Corporation, or so they said. It must be the conditioning...
Where was Tony-san? Not here. Maybe he was with Mr Monroe. Mr Monroe seemed to know him, anyway. Then she saw a folded slip of paper at the foot of the bed. On it was written a single word. 'Rose'. She shuffled over to it, her heart in her mouth as she began to guess the letter's content.
"Rose,
this is goodbye. I can no longer stay by your side. It's too
dangerous for you. If what I suspect is true, ADAM isn't trying to
hurt you. He wants me. So he can have me. Rose. I want you to be
a big girl for me. Don't cry. Please don't cry. Don't come
after me. If I ever see you again,
then it will mean that this is
over. Everything. But that day may never come. Travel south with James Monroe. To the Blackpool
safe-house. Tell Mr Monroe to contact every safe-house and to gather
all the operatives together at the HQ. I left something, many years
ago, at Blackpool. It's yours now. The Keeper there will be able to
help you. Goodbye, my love. I will love you forever. Be happy."
Rose sat in her pyjamas just looking at the letter. Her pupils dilated. She stood up and walked out of the safe-house without Mr Monroe noticing. The world was a dull blue and sheets of rain fell in the dawn light. She started to run towards the highest point she could see. The castle. She ran: the stones and glass on the streets cutting her feet. The grit got between her toes. But she carried on running. Her pyjamas stuck to her wet body in the rain. She ran up the stairways to the top of the castle walls, overlooking the city. She screamed. So loudly that she thought her lungs would burst with the effort.
"TONY-SAN, I LOVE YOU!"
No answer.
One of the soldiers at the castle turned to look at her, drawn by the sound. She dropped to her knees onto the cold, wet stone as the raindrops bounced off the ground around her. She curled up on her side in the foetal position, her legs drawn up to her chest. So cold. So wet. But it didn't matter as she began to sob.
"Tony-san...where are you?"
But there was no answer. No hug. No soft kiss on the forehead. No tender arms around her. No warm, gentle hand to hold. For the first time since she could remember...she was alone. For the first time since she could remember...there was nothing.
Ah well - I'll update this when I've left school in a month or so. Until then - please, a penny for your thoughts? A review would be very much appreciated.
