Chapter 11
Lost Soul
The following day at the Athha Residence, a taxicab pulled away from the main gate while a man wearing a blue baseball cap, a brown trench coat; the collar was raised to hide his face. He was holding a briefcase in his hand paged for the guard. The guard arrived at the gate and before he could tell the man to leave the premises. He recognized the face of the man before him after the man removed the large black sunglasses he was wearing. He promptly allowed him inside.
Inside the Athha household, Athrun was sitting in the kitchen enjoying a bagel while reading the newspaper. He heard the doorbell ring followed by the sound of one of the servants making his way to the door. A few moments later the servant led the man wearing the baseball cap into the kitchen where Athrun turned his head and noticed the person.
"Excuse me sir, but this young man wanted to see you." The servant explained as the man next to him removed his sunglasses and took off the baseball cap he was wearing.
"Kira!" Athrun exclaimed.
"Athrun, is Cagalli here?"
"Yeah, she is in her room up stairs."
At that moment Mwu and Shinn walked in "Kira, why are you here? No one told us you were coming." Mwu asked, as Shinn seemed just as curious.
"I know that was the idea; we think there may be a spy within the PLANTs reporting to the mastermind behind these attacks so I discretely departed for Orb on the fastest shuttle. We finally have a lead on the ones who are truly responsible for the attacks on Orb and the Armory One incident."
"Serious!" Shinn said as he began to bear a hopeful expression.
"Yeah" Kira answered as he drew a folder from his trench coat filled with papers. "Take a look at this." He laid them out on top of the counter and watched as Mwu, Shinn and Athrun began looking through them. Several minutes passed as the trio of men were reading them. Athrun's eyes went wide as his skin began to turn pale.
"Wraith Division? My father created a secret unit from children soldiers?"
"Looks that way, and judging by what the reports state they were originally created to conduct the most secret of covert operations and act as a means for the PLANTs to fight back the Alliance if they had ever taken over the PLANTs by organizing resistance cells to take back the PLANTs." Mwu noted as he continued reading the information.
"So far we managed to discover some truth to these reports, but Lacus is up at the PLANTs trying to learn more. I am also here because the reports have revealed the location of a hidden weapons Research and Development lab on one of the small northwest islands of the Orb Union. I am going to investigate it and see if it exists and if it does find out who controls it. We suspect its Haka who controls that weapons lab."
"Haka?" Athrun remarked, but as he thought about it…right now he did seem to be a likely suspect because of his recent actions and his sudden withdrawal of support for Cagalli.
"I am hoping I could find evidence that could link him with recent events."
As the two continued their discussion, neither one of them knew that thanks to a well planted bug in the room, someone inside a small windowless room on Onogoro Island was listening in on the whole conversation. Strife was listening to every word being exchanged, as he was a little surprised that Kira and Lacus had discovered the existence of Wraith Division and Haka's weapon lab on one of the smaller islands of the Orb Union.
"Its nothing I have ever heard of, but if the lab is really there then that might help give us some answers." Mwu commented as Shinn offered some input.
"Somehow I doubt Cagalli knows anything about it either, but what makes you sure its there?"
"I don't know for sure, but it's all we have to go on so it's worth checking out."
"I'll go with you." Athrun offered.
"We'll all come along too." Shinn announced.
"No…we it should only require three or two of us to go, if too many of us go along then we might draw attention to ourselves." Mwu advised.
"I am coming, and none of you can say no." Cagalli declared as she walked into the room after overhearing the conversation. "If Haka is in any way responsible for what happened then I want to be there to see the evidence for myself so I can personally see to it that he burns for what he has done."
"Actually that might work, if you Athrun and Kira go along then we can cover for you three by saying that you two decided to take Cagalli out for a night to help her recuperate from recent events." Mwu pointed out.
"That'll work, and I know a place at one of the beaches that rent out small boats. It should work as a means to take us over to the island in question." Athrun added.
"Then its settled, guess you three are playing spy tonight." Mwu commented with a grin, but at the same time, Strife had listened in on the whole conversation and their plans to infiltrate the island tonight, he was smiling as well. He pulled out a cell phone and dialed a number.
"Queen, it's me…it seems we have a leak somewhere. Kira, Athrun and their friends know about Wraith Division, or at least a small faction about it. They even know about the island where Haka is preparing that special Murasame."
"I see" Queen answered with an electronically altered voice "Are they planning to infiltrate the island?"
"Yes…Athrun, Cagalli and Kira are going to the island tonight to investigate it. Shall I stop them?"
"No…I got a better idea, let the trio make it to the island and then wait for them to find the facility before going after them. I have special instructions for you Strife. I want them carried out to the letter got it?"
"Yes Queen, go ahead I am listening."
Later that night around eight thirty, the trio had managed to sneak away from the Athha mansion and make their way to one of the small beaches on the northern end of the main island to rent a small four-person motorboat. It wasn't anything fancy, but it should be adequate enough to take them to and from the island.
For the occasion, Athrun, Kira and Cagalli were wearing black long sleeve turtleneck sweaters with black jeans and running shoes with black snowcaps on their heads suitable for the task ahead of them. They were each armed with a pistol for self-defense just in case they were spotted by the lab's security. The boat ride took about one hour and thirty minutes to reach the island and find a good place to hide the boat until they were done. They trio were standing on the beach as Athrun and Kira took the safeties off their weapons while Cagalli did the same.
"Ok, we'll head west through those trees and after twenty minutes or so we should come out at a small cove where the lab should be located." Kira explained as Athrun and Cagalli nodded their heads in agreement before the group began their trek through the small forest. Meanwhile at the same time back at the Athha mansion, Lunamaria and her sister had walked into the kitchen to look for something to snack on.
At the same time Mwu, Murrue and Shinn were all gathered in the living room watching a soap opera Murrue insisted they watch which unknown to her was boring the heck out of the two men. A few minutes later the Hawke sisters let out a scream followed by the sound of three gunshots. The three gathered in front of the TV got up and ran into the kitchen with guns drawn.
"What happened?" Shinn shouted.
Both sisters, apparently freaked out about something were shouting, "kill it kill it kill it!" The repeated as Lunamaria was scanning the room with her handgun drawn.
"There it is!" Lunamaria shouted as she fired off another round striking a glass jar full of flower. When the white cloud of powered cleared, the group saw what freaked the sisters out.
"A rat! Are you nuts it's just a bloody rat?" Shinn shouted, as he couldn't believe that Lunamaria and Meyrin would get worked up over a rat, especially Lunamaria since she was trying to shoot it. But the rat is lucky since Lunamaria wasn't very good with handguns. The rat tried to make a run for a hole in the wall made by one of Lunamaria's shots, but Lunamaria took another shot and fired the gun again before Mwu could stop her.
The bullet ricocheted and struck the lamp hanging on the ceiling above them. The lamp shattered and broken glass fell to the ground in front of the sisters along with a small black object. Mwu quickly seized the weapon from Lunamaria and began shouting her at.
"The money to repair these damages will be coming out of your pay!"
Shinn noticed the black object and picked up and began explaining it, the object looked like a microchip with a black casing making it as big as his finger tip with a small microphone built into it. "Hey what is this?" Shinn asked as Murrue walked up to the young adult to look at the object. Murrue realized what the object was causing the blood from her face to be drained out.
"Mwu…the kitchen was bugged. There was a bug hidden in the lamp hanging on the ceiling." Murrue pointed out as Mwu including Shinn were now worried because if this bug had been placed since earlier this afternoon then that would mean that whoever was listening in would know what Athrun, Cagalli and Kira would be doing tonight.
Meanwhile minutes later near the edge of the forest: Kira, Cagalli and Athrun were coming close to a clearing through the forest that led to the cove where the trio should have a good view of what was ahead, but unbeknownst to the group, a mechanical woodpecker positioned on a tree near by focused its red eye upon them. Inside a security room, Strife was sitting on a chair watching Athrun, Cagalli and Kira. With a smile he brought a radio to him and spoke into it.
"Captain: have patrol group seven perform its usual sweep of area 21 east." Namely the area where Kira and friends were in, Strife didn't mention them.
"Yes sir."
Strife continued his watch of Kira, Athrun and Cagalli while the trio was approaching some shrubs, but they were stopped when Athrun stepped in front of the group, brought his arms up and told his two companions "Stop!"
"What is it Athrun?" Cagalli asked him.
Athrun drew a small flashlight from his pocket before he carefully moved aside the shrub ahead up to the shine the light on something behind it. On the ground was a claymore mine with the letters reading "This side towards the enemy" Athrun gestured for Kira and Cagalli to go around.
"You two better yet me take point ok."
"Sure Athrun." Kira agreed as the two allowed Athrun to lead them.
Roughly at that very moment up at the PLANTs, Ezalia was sitting at the table with other inmates enjoying dinner. Suddenly some kind of disagreement up at the serving area began to place. Ezalia didn't pay much attention, but figured she should finish her meal quickly since she had a good feeling what would happen next.
Moments later, after finishing her meal, as she anticipated, the prisoner up at the serving table started a fist fight between her and one of the men serving food, and before long guards and other prisoners joined in creating a riot mixed with a food fight since the other prisoners took this as a moment to release some aggression on fellow inmates or guards in the room.
She retreated under the table for a few moments as silverware, plates and various objects and food were being thrown around the room. She crawled under the table until she reached the end and got back up her feet, but used a thrown metal plate as a shield to block incoming objects. Suddenly she felt something entering her back where her heart would be. She took one hand and touched the area in question; when she brought it back to look at it…it was covered in blood…her blood.
The stab wound struck her heart and went through her spine, and within seconds without a sound Ezalia fell forward and landed face first on the ground. She died moments later and a bloody kitchen knife was left behind as the riot continued. Back on the island, Kira, Athrun and Cagalli reached the cove. They were on top of a cliff that provided a bird eye's view of the cove where they saw a small dock capable of handing small transport vessels. Athrun and Kira were using binoculars to get a closer look at the port while Cagalli was using a digital camera to observe the port herself while looking for something to take pictures of to use against Haka. From where they were they saw Orb soldiers patrolling the dock while men wearing the worker uniform of Morgenroete employees were seen unloading crates from a fishing boat that had arrived a short time ago to deliver new equipment.
"Damn…that is quite a set-up. It looks like the rest of the facility is kept underground below the island." Athrun commented as he tried to get a close up on the crates being unloaded.
"I can't believe I was never told about anything of this." Cagalli noted.
"I am concerned about what kind of weapons they have been developing here?" Kira added.
"Well" Athrun stopped short when he saw something "Oh shit…Cagalli did you get a picture of that crate that was just unloaded?"
"Yeah I did, and I don't want to believe what I just saw." Cagalli said as she was reviewing the picture she had taken of one of the crates the soldiers had unloaded.
"Nuclear Warheads. What the hell are they planning now? Attacking Orb with a Destroy wasn't enough." Kira remarked as he grew angry, but in the back of his mind he could hear Rau Le Creuset laughing at him.
"Are they planning a nuclear attack on the PLANTs, the Atlantic Federation, or Eurasia?" Cagalli asked, as the possibility of her own country using nuclear weapons against another was unthinkable on the most horrifying scale. Athrun didn't even want to begin to think what the masterminds behind recent events were planning now, but they had to do something to stop it. They could only hope the photos they have would be enough.
"I think I got what we need to blow this whole thing wide open, lets get out of here before anyone notices us." Cagalli suggested as she put the camera away.
As the trio prepared to leave the area, they heard voice in the trees ahead along with the sounds of dogs barking. The sounds were growing louder as the approaching footsteps of men in the distance drew closer. "We're getting closer; whatever has the dogs going nuts is just up ahead. Arm your weapon and get ready to call HQ if we find any intruders."
"Not good!" Athrun whispered to Kira as he drew his handgun. "Ok…here is the plan…Kira you stay with Cagalli and we'll scatter and head back towards the boat to throw off our pursuers."
"Do they know we're here?" Cagalli asked when suddenly an alarm at the base was sounded and on top of a tree branch a mechanical squirrel was screaming out a horrible mechanical screeching sound that alerted the guards in the area to their location.
"Shit they do now!" Athrun shouted, "Run for the boat!" Athrun shouted as he and Kira along with Cagalli took off in two different directions. The sound of dogs barking was heard as it seemed that the dogs have gone after Kira and Cagalli while a trio of sentries patrolling the area had decided to go after Athrun when one of them spotted him.
The chase was on.
Kira and Cagalli hurried through the forest as fast as their legs could carry them while right behind them four Doberman guard dogs were coming straight for them barking and growling as they chased off the two. Cagalli brought out her gun and fired several shots behind her hoping to ward the animals away, but it was no good. They kept coming with one of the animals closing in fast on Cagalli.
At that moment, Athrun was running through bushes as he tried to evade his pursuers, but just when he thought he had gotten away from them he ran into another group of sentries who began chasing him. Athrun took cover behind a tree to escape the stream of bullets as the Orb Soldiers fired their rifles in an attempt to stop Athrun from escaping them. The former ZAFT pilot poked his head from the behind the tree he began shooting back at the sentries.
He managed to hit one in the chest with one of his shots, but the others took cover behind trees or hid behind some shrubs. The situation wasn't looking good for Athrun, as he was concerned as to how Cagalli and Kira were faring. "There he is!" A voice shouted as Athrun looked and saw two more sentries coming at him from the left with their guns aimed at him.
"Damn it!" Athrun shouted as he lunged forward to avoid the gunfire, as he quickly got back up to his feet and started running again.
Meanwhile Kira shot and killed one of the pursuing hounds chasing them when one of them bit Cagalli on the leg and ripped a part of her jeans off. Kira and Cagalli managed to kill the other Dobermans that were after them, but the sound of several more guard dogs were coming after them judging by the barking heard in the distance.
"I hope Athrun made it to the boat."
Kira heard some gunfire in the distance as he answered "Same here."
Minutes later Kira and Cagalli arrived at the beach and were troubled that they didn't find Athrun, but two had no time to waste since those guard attacks were getting closer and were left with very few opinions. Kira and Cagalli moved the boat from its hiding place and pushed it into the water and launched it back into the ocean. The two cleared the shore just in time as the guard dogs emerged from the trees.
The hounds tried to swim across the water to reach them, but once the twins placed enough distance between them and the dogs they retreated back to the beach. "Where's Athrun!" Cagalli shouted as she frantically scanned the shoreline for any signs of him.
"I don't know!" Kira answered as he drew out his binoculars again and used the night vision feature in an effort to locate Athrun. On the top of a twenty-foot cliff, Kira saw someone running towards the edge, he zoomed in to see who it was and sure enough it was Athrun. However, Kira zoomed in just in time to see Athrun get shot in the right shoulder and through his left knee cap right before taking a third shot in his left shoulder. Kira could only watch frozen in horror as Athrun staggered forward and fell off the cliff and landed in the violent ocean waves below. "Athrun!"
Without saying a word to Cagalli, Kira started up the motor and hurried over to where Athrun had fallen into the ocean. Cagalli became worried sick, but when the two arrived on site all they found was a considerable amount of blood on the water's surface marking where Athrun had fallen. Kira was about to dive into the water to search for his friend after he failed to come back up to the surface, but he was stopped when the sentries on the cliff above began shooting at them.
Forcing himself on, Kira took the boat and speeded away from the island as tears began streaming down his face while Cagalli was frantically shouting at him with tears in her eyes begging him to go back for Athrun. As the island disappeared into the distance behind them, Kira was barely able to force the words out of his mouth.
"Athrun is gone."
A/N: sorry if this chapter seemed rushed, but I have itching to finish if off for someone time to I can do the chapter I have been looking forward to doing.
