Chapter 11

No Escape

Vincent stared at the screen as the security video continued its static-filled playback.

Lucretia.

Just when he thought he'd finally laid his past to rest, that he'd finally found a measure of peace, there she stood once more, vibrant and alive. Was there any part of his life she would not affect? Her fingerprints marked every aspect. Her shadow walked beside his. After discovering the depths of Lucretia's involvement in his transformation, Vincent had visited her in the crystal cave where she and his father had discovered the nascent Chaos. He'd gone to say goodbye, to let go of her image which had driven, tortured, and sustained him for so long. He'd left the cave looking to the future rather than dwelling on the past for the first time.

But it seemed the past was not ready to let him go.

The security feed had suffered some damage; only a few blurred images of Lucretia and Hikari hurrying through passages showed through the static. Then the image stabilized with a view looking down a long, tunnel-like hallway. There were no windows and everything appeared made of corrugated metal. The two women fled away from the camera. Lucretia was still half-supporting Hikari as she staggered along, presumably towards freedom.

Suddenly, a hatch slid down from the roof of the tunnel, sealing the exit. Lucretia entered a code on the door's panel once, twice, then slammed her palm on the keys. But it had effect; the way remained shut. Lucretia turned back the way they came, her eyes darting around the hall, seeking another way out. She paused, seeing something outside the camera's range of vision and she took a step back. She pushed Hikari behind her, shielding her from whatever was coming. Lucretia flung her arms out in denial, or perhaps an appeal…and the video dissolved into static.

Shelke reappeared, her face solemn. "That is all I could find," she said softly.

Vincent was only vaguely aware of Cloud speaking with Shelke. He felt numb, the kind of numbness that comes from utter exhaustion.

So Lucretia was involved in the experiments performed on Hikari. There was a span of five years between his father Grimoire's death and Lucretia's assignment to Hojo's staff. During that time, she'd apparently taken part in the experiments on Hikari, tried to help her escape, and had her memory wiped. After rejoining Shinra, she began work on Jenova and Vincent had been assigned to protect her and the other scientists in Project S. And he knew how well that had gone. How did you manage to get mixed up in so many sad stories, Lucretia? Vincent wondered.

A light touch on his arm drew him back to the present. The others were looking at him with concern. "Vincent?" Tifa asked hesitantly.

"I'm fine," he said. He refocused on Shelke. "Thanks for the intel, Shelke. If you find anything else, let us know."

Shelke nodded and ended the call. Barret's vid-screen went blank, leaving them in the dark. Everything suddenly felt too enclosed and Vincent strode from the room. But before he could get far, a small form careened into his legs.

"Is Hikari in there with you?" Marlene asked, her voice high and frantic.

"No," said Vincent. "Isn't she playing hide and seek with you?"

"That's what we thought," said Marlene. "Denzel and I hid and waited and waited, but she never came to find us, so we came out and started looking, but we can't find her anywhere…"


She runs light-footed over the roofs, leaving the place of laughter and safety behind. Easy to watch the pacing of the red cat, to wait until he passed to leapt from one roof to the next. Still, crouching, waiting to hear if he heard. But she is careful and quiet and the cat does not hear. So she jumps from roof to roof until she is far away. She is not lost; she remembers how the huddle of buildings looked from above on the maps, the streets winding through like threads. She knows where she is, where she is going. The others do not. He does not. Hopefully the bad mens will not either. She shivers and runs faster.


This time Vincent checked the abandoned warehouses first. There was no sign of a struggle, so either Hikari had sensed something and bolted, or her mysterious attackers had found a way to spirit her away from underneath their noses. But despite several long, frustrating hours, Vincent found no trace of Hikari. Worry clawed at his insides.

His phone rang, piercing the silence of the dead buildings. It was Tifa. "I don't think Hikari's in Edge anymore," she said.

Vincent tensed. "Why? Where is she?"

"One of the shopkeepers near the perimeter said he saw Hikari get into a supply truck heading towards Kalm."

"They're sure it was Hikari?"

"She's pretty distinct, Vincent."

"And she just….got in?"

"No obvious signs of force. But…why would Hikari leave like this? She doesn't know anything about the outside world."

Tifa's words echoed his own fears. "I'm on my way," he said, hung up, and started to run towards the coastal road.

Cloud caught up to him on his bike a few miles outside Edge. "I normally don't pick up hitchhikers," Cloud said as he pulled up beside Vincent.

"Jokes, Cloud?" asked Vincent with a slight shake of his head. "Not your normal style."

"Tifa says I need a new way to deal with stress. Apparently being broody is too annoying." Cloud sobered. "Any sign?"

Vincent swung up onto the bike behind Cloud. "Nothing but tire tracks, and they're fresh."

"Tifa says that was the last truck of the day." He glanced at the slowly darkening sky. "I don't know if we can catch them before nightfall. We lost a lot of time."

"Just drive," Vincent snapped in an unusual display of anger. Cloud raised an eyebrow, but made no comment. Instead, he gunned the engine and sped down the road after their quarry.

The tire tracks did not divert from their course. The only turnoff was a smaller road that led towards the harbor, but the tracks continued past it with no sign of stopping. There were no bushes or trees nearby to provide concealment for a body, and no footprints, so Vincent and Cloud moved on.

It wasn't until the moon was high in the night sky that they caught up to the truck. Vincent saw its taillights ahead and nudged Cloud, who nodded. Cloud revved the engine and the bike shot forward. The driver didn't notice them over the rattle of his own vehicle until Cloud pulled up beside him. Vincent drew his three-muzzled gun, Cerberus, and aimed it at the driver's head. There was no sign of Hikari in the passenger seat.

"Pull over. Now!" Vincent demanded. The driver, white as a sheet, slowly braked until both truck and bike were idling. "Turn it off and drop the keys," Vincent ordered.

The driver complied, sweat on his face gleaming in the glare of Cloud's headlights. Cloud opened the driver's door and told him to get out while Vincent covered him. The driver was a nondescript fellow, stocky, with a neatly trimmed, albeit bushy, mustache. His clothes were the simple grey and brown of working coveralls. A quick pat-down revealed nothing more dangerous than a utility knife. Satisfied that the driver wasn't going to pull anything, Cloud went around the side to check the rest of the truck.

"What do you want?" the driver finally stammered, his eyes wide and afraid.

"The girl," Vincent growled. "Where is she?"

The driver swallowed hard, his eyes darting from side to side. "W-What girl? What are you talking about?"

Cloud reappeared and shook his head. "Truck's empty," he said.

Vincent's hand tightened on the trigger. "Where. Is. She?" he ground out.

"I-I don't-"

Vincent lunged, grabbing the man by his collar and hoisting him into the air. The man kicked, but froze when he felt the cool metal of the gun pressed against his chin. "If you don't tell me what I want to know in the next ten seconds, I will kill you," Vincent said, his voice trembling with barely suppressed violence. He shoved the gun tighter against the man's face. "One…"

"Wait!" the man wailed. "She was here! But she's gone! She just wanted a ride out of town. Said there were bad people looking for her. I just gave her a ride, that's all, I swear!"

"Where is she now?" Vincent growled.

"I don't know! She told me to keep going and then jumped out of the truck when we were passing the turnoff for the harbor! Last I saw, she was running that way!" The man was shaking. "There! I've told you everything I know! P-Please, please don't kill me!"

For a split second, Vincent hesitated. Then Cloud's hand closed on his arm. "Let's go," Cloud said softly.

Vincent lowered the man to the ground, then turned and strode back to the bike. He heard Cloud murmur something to the man, reassuring him perhaps. Maybe apologizing. Why hadn't he checked at the harbor? Because you thought she'd been kidnapped. Not that she'd left. He wasn't sure why the second prospect made him feel more upset.

Footsteps crunched in the dirt behind him. He could feel Cloud's eyes on him. Vincent dreaded the inevitable questions or platitudes. But Cloud didn't say anything. After a moment, he mounted the bike and idled the engine while Vincent climbed up behind him. Then Cloud swung around and roared back towards the harbor turnoff.


She's never seen the sea. For a moment she forgets her purpose, lost in the rhythm of the tides. But the bite of hunger wakes her from the dance of wind and water. She is not safe here.

She tries to be small and meek, nonthreatening and eager to help. It is not hard. She goes to the place where the boats are tied. A large one squats on the water, broad and slow, ungainly. She comes near and listens to make sure it is right. Then she follows the other people, mimicking their movements, to be one of them. Just another little person in a big, wide world.

At first the man does not let her on. He wants money, which she does not have. But she knows how to clean plates and cups and so he finally nods and lets her walk onto the swaying wood. He will watch her, she knows. But she does not mind.

She is used to being watched.


Although it was dawn when they reached the harbor, the skies were dark with storm clouds. The winds, heavy with salt, wiped in from the sea, making Vincent's cloak flap like great red wings. The harbor was small, boasting only three docks, one of which was used for the ferry between Midgar and the Northern Continent. Cloud checked with the dock master while Vincent made a sweep of the docks. He met Cloud at the pier just as the first drops of rain started to patter onto the wooden planks. They ducked under an awning to compare notes.

"She's not here," Vincent said shortly.

"Not anymore." Cloud's voice was tired and frustrated. Neither of them had slept for over twenty-four hours. That was nothing to Vincent, but the strain was starting to wear on Cloud. "The dock master remembers a woman matching Hikari's description board the ferry for the Northern Continent yesterday."

"Then we'll follow on the next ferry."

"That might be a while. The storm coming in is a nasty one. None of the ships are leaving, and the ferry's been ordered to stay at the Northern port rather than risk a return voyage."

"How long until the storm lifts?" asked Vincent.

Cloud shrugged. "Can't tell. It could blow over in a few hours, or it might be a day or more. And I called Cid; he says the barometer's off the charts and there's no way he can take the Shera through something like this. So, it looks like we'll be bunking here tonight."

"No." Vincent strode out into the rain.

Cloud hurried to catch up. "What do you mean? Vincent!"

Vincent's sense of dread was growing. He wasn't sure why, but each moment they delayed increased his fears for Hikari. If we wait until tomorrow it will be too late. "I'm going to see about a boat," Vincent replied.

"Vincent, no one is going to agree to go out in that, not for all the gil on the continent." Cloud gestured to the waterfront. The waves were choppy and foam-flecked, the sky was dark with boiling storm clouds, and lightning flashed far out to sea.

"They won't have to."

A short time later, Vincent was seated on a small skimmer bobbing beside the dock. The lack of permission from the owner, or a pair of keys, did not stop Vincent from hot-wiring it. Cloud stood on the dock, looking dubious. "Vincent, this is crazy. We can't just take that. And do you know how to pilot a boat? Do you even know how to swim?"

"Yes," said Vincent absently, checking the various dials to make sure he had enough fuel and the engine was running smoothly. "In the Turks, you never knew what you might encounter. Best to be prepared for everything." He looked up, scarlet eyes meeting Cloud's blue-green ones with equal determination. "I'm going after her, Cloud. Follow me once the storm subsides. I'll call as soon as I find anything."

Cloud nodded reluctantly. The skimmer only held one, and Cloud recognized that stubborn look in Vincent's eyes. "Good luck," he said. "And be careful."

Vincent nodded and kicked the skimmer into gear. The engine whined as he deftly spun the small craft to face the north and plunged into the onrushing storm.