Chapter 20: Eck
Arkus had told him to spend the day training, so he work in the gym until he couldn't feel his fingers. By the time he ate and returned home it was already well past dark. He walked inside and saw Arkus in his underwear, washing blue hairs down the kitchen sink.
"Um, what are you doing?" Eck asked.
Arkus turned the water off. "Tidying up. Come on, it's time to start the mission?"
"What mission?"
Arkus tossed him a white robe. "Put that on. It's time I told you why I trained you."
As they walked down the street, Arkus told Eck that he will be a decoy, keeping the zoroark distracted while he kills the Father during the wedding ceremony.
"You'll probably die. Are you alright with that?"
"Yes, but how are they going to think I'm you?"
Arkus turned towards him, his face transformed to match Eck's. He gave Eck a wide grin, showing the gap in his teeth.
"I already fed the police a description of your appearance, during one of my jobs. All that's left is to get their attention. Duck into an alley, and once the shot's fired, go to Lorende and tell her the plan. You can't come back to the apartment, understood?"
They turned onto a major avenue. Even this late at night, a handful of people walked the streets. Two hundred feet down the sidewalk, a zoroark walked towards them. She wore a black dress and carried a leather purse. Eck turned into the nearest alley and watched from around the corner of an old brick building. Arkus kept walking, his white cloak swaying in the gentle autumn breeze. They met under a streetlight, in front of a confectionary. When Arkus stopped, the zoroark stopped also.
The zoroark crossed her arms and said, "Is there something I can help you with?"
"Yes," he said, throwing his cloak aside and drawing his sniper. "You can send my regards to Ath."
Even from that distance, Eck could see the zoroark's eyes widen. She raised her hands and conjured a nebulous shield. A gunshot echoed across the street, and the barrier was smashed to pieces. The zoroark clutched her shoulder and crumpled onto the ground. As she crawled towards the street lamp, she smeared a trail of blood on the pavement.
One pokemon stared in shock. The rest ran. Eck looked to make sure no one was watching him before he ran down the alley. As he jogged back to the apartment, he saw two green lights staring at him from the rooftop of a short, squat brick building. He ran over and climbed the gutter. An agent was waiting for him.
"Ah, good to see you again."
"I am Agent Eighty-One," the woman answered. You spoke with Forty-Six last time." She removed her mask, revealing the same blank, hairless features of the other agent. "I was sent to update the situation, give you your new orders, and deliver the gauntlet to you."
"Arkus has his own plan."
"We are aware. I already told HQ of the situation."
"So, what do you want me to do?"
"We need you to capture him. The gauntlet should be enough for that. Once we capture him, we can make him human again."
The agent held out a shiny black box. Eck took it and opened the lid. Inside was a glove of metal bars, with silver tubes coiled around each finger. A glowing blue crystal protruded from the back of the gauntlet's hand. Eck put on the glove. He went blind for a second and nearly threw up from the tremendous power coursing through his body. When he could see again, he was lying on the ground, staring up at the agent's face.
"We had expected side effects, but we didn't predict such a harsh reaction."
"It's fine," Eck said, straining to sit up. "I can handle it. So, how are you going to make Arkus human again?"
"He has a tremendous power stored in him, too much for a human to handle. If we drain his power, we can reverse the process that made him a pokemon. And with that drained power, we can give all of humanity a small piece of his gift. The pokemon would be no match for us."
"You really mean to eliminate all the pokemon?"
"Yes."
Eck looked down at the glove on his hand. "I can't agree to that. Not yet. Arkus is a pokemon, true, but he still has the same goal as us." Eck raised the gauntlet, conjuring a blue aura around his fist as he declared, "But if he strays from that path, I will see to it that his true purpose is carried out. Humanity will be restored to its rightful place."
"In any event, you should start spreading the word. For humanity's future, Lorende must not be allowed to interfere."
Eck ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know, Lorende has done so much for us."
"Lorende is a pokemon, is she not? Look what has happened already with pokemon in charge. You must persuade the others to follow your orders, not hers."
"My orders?" Eck shook his head and said, "No, I can't, I'm not able to."
"You must. Those powers chose you for a reason, Eck." The agent stepped closer and whispered into his ear. "It's time for humans to lead themselves, and you're the only one that can do it."
The only one that can do it: those words rang through head like the peal of a funeral bell, and he felt his soul vibrate with it. He could feel the power of those words in the ache between his eyes. "Alright, I'll do it, but it would be easier if you went with me."
The agent placed her hand to her ear and listened for a moment before saying, "Yes, I can do that. Let's go."
The guards at Lorie's didn't see the agent. Once he was below ground, Eck looked for Tas. He found him in the dining room, grabbing a late night snack from the pantry.
"Eck? What are you doing here?" Tas asked, tearing a bite out of a loaf of bread. "And who is that?"
Eck looked behind him. The agent was once again visible.
"Gather everyone. We need to talk somewhere private. And don't tell Lorende."
An hour later, every human in the underground shelter was gathered in the dining hall. Once the door was barricaded, Eck stood on a table and spoke.
"It's time you learned the truth. All of it. Lorende has lied to us — she is a pokemon, and she serves only her own interest."
"Lies!" one man shouted. "I don't know what that thing standing behind you has told you, but you can't trust it!"
The agent removed her mask. The crowd gasped when they saw her human face.
"Yes, she is one of us. And Lorende told me herself that she was a pokemon. One touch is all it would take to prove me right. Moreover, she also admitted that Arkus was, at one time, a human, and she turned him into a pokemon. I believe that he remains human on the inside." Eck stomped on the table, and the thud echoed across the hall. "But if his mind was warped along with his body, it falls upon us to carry out his true purpose. We must ensure the salvation of humanity and restore ourselves to our former glory! Now, who's with me?"
The dining hall was silent. No one moved. Then Tas stood and stepped forward.
"Are you sure this is right? Lorende may be a pokemon, but still, without her, we would have nothing."
"That's not true. We have always had each other." Eck stepped down and walked amongst the crowd, touching each one on the shoulder with the gauntlet. A blue spark leapt from him to each person he touched. "We are one in the same, powerless, small, but undaunted! Together, we can achieve anything! Those pokemon, they're nothing more than animals. They don't have a greater sense of purpose. They lack the humanity to understand each other. Why else would they all be so different from each other? We all have the same skin, same eyes, same hair. Our hearts beat as one!" He rushed onto the nearest table and slammed his feet down, cracking the table. "But them? They're as different from each other as the pidgey to the tauros, or the ekans to the ratatta. Without the Father keeping the order, they wouldn't have a society. Do you think such rabble deserves to rule over us, to treat us like vermin while they live in luxury?"
The dining hall rang with a thunderous cry of "No!"
"Do you think they can stand against us?"
"No!"
"Do you even think they're worthy of living, of breathing the same air as we do, of treading the same ground we tread, of drinking the same water and eating the same food?"
"No!"
"Are you all with me?"
"Yes!"
"Will you see the restoration of humanity to its former glory!"
"Yes!"
"Then you know what we must do! In three days, the Father shall be dead, and the pokemon's fragile society will crumble. On that day, we will rise and claim the world taken from us! We will slaughter each and every single pokemon until the streets run red with their tainted blood!"
The dining hall erupted in an enormous cheer, and the humans pounded the tables with their fists. Each one had a manic look in their eyes, their hearts beating in frenzied tandem with the beat of their fists. Once the cheering stopped, they quietly slipped out of the dining hall with fiendish grins on their faces until Eck and the agent were the last two.
"How was that?" Eck asked.
"Impressive. The plan will move along nicely."
Eck pressed a finger into her chest and said, "Remember that I'm the one in charge here. We don't take Arkus unless I say so."
The agent said nothing. Eck turned away, rubbing his aching head as he sought out a bed. He collapsed in his bedroom, his left arm and head at the foot of the bed. The gauntlet was still strapped to his hand, bathing the room in a harsh blue glow.
Chapter 21: Agent 81
"Your report," the voice from her handset demanded.
"The humans are ready. However, the symptoms are setting in much faster than predicted. He cannot be controlled."
"No matter. We'll deal with that when the time comes. Is the next phase ready?"
"Yes sir."
"Good. I'll have a team assemble the Delta Project in the morning. Make sure all the humans are plugged in when we use it. No loose ends, understood?"
"Yes sir."
Chapter 22: Dussell de Baltham
The phone rang just after midnight. Dussell sprang out of bed and answered it.
"Chief!" Fale shouted. "It's Keith, he shot a zoroark!"
"Do you have autopsy results?"
"No, she's alive! They just got her to a hospital, she's still conscious. I'll be there in three minutes!"
The line clicked, and Dussell slammed the phone. As he scrambled to put on his jacket and shoes, Heste turned on a light and lumbered into the kitchen.
"Ugh, what is it now?" Heste asked, rubbing at her eyes.
"Keith shot someone. I'm going to the hospital."
"Alright. I'll go back to bed."
Fale came to a screeching stop in front of his house. Dussell dashed into the front seat, and they sped off towards the hospital. Once they arrived, Dussell raced past the row of glass doors. He flashed his badge at the receptionist and demanded to see the victim. He was taken to her room, and the doctor told him to make it quick.
Though her wound was tightly bandaged, it still bled. Her blood soaked the sheets and dripped onto the floor. Four blood bags dripped into her arms and chest, and a breathing tube snaked down her throat. Though her eyes were hazy, she saw Dussell enter the room.
"I saw him," she hissed past the breathing tube.
Dussell took a notebook and pen from his pocket. "Tell me what he looked like, Kate."
"Human, black hair, scars, broken nose, white robe, large gun."
As he scribbled the description, he realized he had heard it before. He flipped back through his notebook and found the description Alex Bayson had given him.
"Fale, which unit has the ballistics records?"
"Six got this one," the wigglytuff answered.
"Have them sent to sixteen, and have it run a comparison with the Jennings case."
Fale tapped his foot against the doorframe and fidgeted with the tuff of hair on his forehead. Then he snapped his fingers and said, "The eye-witness! It's a perfect match!"
"Let's not jump to conclusions. I need more evidence before I can get anything out of the Board."
"Right sir. We should return to the station."
Fale left the room. Dussell stayed long enough to take Kate's frail hand and say, "Thank you. You have no idea how much that helped us."
"He said to send Ath his regards," she whispered.
"Get some rest. By the time you're better, this will all be over."
The station was buzzing with officers. Some went on patrols, but the rest milled about the office, spinning their chairs and checking their guns. They snapped to attention when Dussell walked in and fired a volley of reports at him.
Fale ran off to the repository and Dussell went into his office with a pile of reports. He sorted through the Jennings file and laid out every scrap of paper he had on Keith. He took out a box of pins and a spool of red thread. He stuck pins threaded together between each point of similarity and labeled them. Within ten minutes, he had an intricate web of thread winding between the papers, but the report on the incident at Nazrick remained untouched. He placed a pin on the CEO's name, but he found nothing to connect it with.
"I'm missing something," he muttered.
Fale knocked on his door and walked in. Sixteen followed behind him.
Calculations confirmed. The bullets were fired by the same gun, with nearly identical muzzle velocity.
"I got the exact numbers on this report," Fale said, handing him a folder. He leaned forward to examine the interlace of thread, and he touched one of the needles."
"You shouldn't do that to your desk, sir."
"Never mind that. I need to make a phone call."
"Right. Good luck sir."
Fale locked the door and closed it behind him. Dussell picked up the phone and made a call.
"I hope this is important," his father said once the line was connected.
"It is. I have a lead on Keith. He's the assassin the Board's been hiring recently. I have confirmation from eyewitnesses and bullet identification."
The other end of the line went silent. Then his father said, "I see. I presume you want his address."
"You do have it, right?"
"Warehouse B17."
Dussell slammed his hand on his desk, knocking aside a few pins. "That's not possible. It was a hideout for petty thieves just a few days ago."
"The address was given to us two days ago. It might be a trap."
"Doesn't matter. It's the only lead we have. Also, do you know why he attack Nazrick?"
"We never asked. And son, nice work."
The line clicked. Dussell gently set the phone on the receiver and walked out of his office. He took a deep breath and shouted, "Listen up! We have a breakthrough on the case. I want twenty of you in squad cars. We're heading to Warehouse B17. Grab the guns and the riot gear. We don't know what's waiting for us, so stay sharp."
Dussell tapped Fale on the shoulder and said, "You're with me." Fale nodded and grabbed his keys. They drove at the rear of the squad of cars. Their sirens were off, and they stealthily slunk through narrow alleys and side streets into the warehouse district.
"So sir, I suppose you and I will be getting promotions soon."
"I don't know. You did blackmail me, remember?"
Fale's hands slipped, and the car swerved before he righted it. "Blackmail? That? I wouldn't call it blackmail, sir, more like a persuasive argument. And besides, think of how much I did for you this past week."
"Fine, I'll overlook it. Try not to be so… persuasive in the future."
They turned into the warehouse district and drove down the B section. Once they were a hundred feet of 17, Dussell doubled over and grabbed his chest. Fale hit the brakes and pulled over.
"What are you doing? Keep going!"
"You're crazy, you know that? Come on, let's get you to a nice soft seat in the grass."
Fale turned around and drove to one of the warehouses. One of the cars in front turned back as well while the others stopped. Fale had Dussell lie down against a warehouse as Officer Kaska approached them.
"Is something wrong?" Kaska asked.
"Chief's not feeling well."
"Let me go Fale," Dussell said, shoving him aside and standing up. "See? I'm fine."
Dussell walked towards Warehouse Seventeen, but he didn't make it ten feet before collapsing again. Fale grabbed him and pulled him back to the grass.
"Sir, just sit here," Fale said. "Kaska, have the others go on. Secure all exits before entering, and don't fire unless attacked."
"On it," Kaska said, dashing back to the parked cars. Dussell tried to follow after them, but Fale held him down.
"Just wait here. They'll be back in a minute with a report, okay?"
"I should be with them."
"Come on Chief, don't hog all the promotions. Let us underlings get some credit once in a while. Besides, you need rest. How much sleep did you get?"
"More than you did, Fale. You've got bags under your eyes."
"It's not my fault you're such a cruel Chief, Chief."
Fale sat down next to Dussell. He stared up at the night sky. It was a moonless, cloudless night, and clusters of stars dimly speckled the pitch black expanse above them.
"What do you think is out there?" Fale asked.
"Out where?"
"In the stars. Do you think we'd ever get up there?"
"What's the point? Everything we need is down here."
"Heh. I suppose so." Fale pressed his shoulder against the warehouse's wall and leaned forward. "Ah, looks like the others are getting back. Let's go."
Dussell leaned on Fale's shoulder as they walked back to their car. Kaska walked up to them, holding a note and a bullet.
"These were found on the warehouse floor, sir. Other than that, it was empty."
Dussell snapped the seal open and read the note.
That zoroark was a warning. If Ath is not dead in two days, I will start killing. Keith.
Dussell's hands shook as he reread the note. Fale peeked around his arms and read as well.
"Damn. I guess we won't be getting any sleep for a few days."
Dussell glared at him and folded the note into his pocket.
"Let's go," he told the officers. "We have work to do."