Chapter 20

The Kasatka was feeling heavy, but that didn't demote Otacon from his mission. He first had to get hostages to safety and fortunately a call from Snake on the CODEC meant that he was alive and well.

"Snake!! Where were you?" Otacon promptly asked.

"I was a bit shaken up. But I'm fine now. What about you?" Snake replied.

Otacon could see the Manhattan shoreline. "I'm getting there…"

"Good. Hopefully in few minutes one of your transmitters will be activated, so keep an eye out on your computer." Snake said.

"My transmitters…oh right!!" Otacon remembered giving Snake the transmitters in Strut I before they left. "Alright." Otacon replied as he saw the shoreline coming closer.

"That's all, good luck." Snake said and signed off.

Otacon tried to keep the chopper steady as he made its way to the place where he had left so many hours ago. It was obvious that authorities would be there to greet him, but a quick check over the fuel gauge made Otacon realize he could free the hostages and fly away towards the car that he and Snake had brought. "We're almost there." Otacon shouted through the cockpit door. He then flew under Verrazano Bridge and saw the immense landing site from where he had taken off. We're here. The lights on the landing site were more than enough for Otacon to make a safe landing. He made the chopper descend as slowly as he could and was able to put it down rather easily considering it was overweight. "We're here, move out!!" Otacon shouted.

The hostages swiftly opened the cargo door and got out of the helicopter. In the distance Otacon saw the small building that was used for the SEAL's base of operations, a light was on and that meant he didn't have much time.

As the last hostage got out Jennifer got by the side of the cockpit door, Otacon couldn't hear her but he saw her lips moving. She was thanking him for saving their lives.

As the door to the small building opened up Otacon knew he had to get out of there fast. He nodded to Jennifer and began lifting the Kasatka. Several police men and marines got out of the building and pointed their weapons to the hostages. They'll sort everything out…Otacon had other concerns on his head right now. He made his way to the car where he had a better computer than the portable device that was on his coat pocket. He only hoped Snake and Raiden would get the job done.

That takes care of the hostages. Snake thought as he signed off on the CODEC and checked what Olga had left for him. Raiden's equipment was secured in a container, on top of which stood a small key card. Snake took the card and placed it in his equipment. A grin appeared on his face, as he checked his equipment. Otacon's shaver! Snake took out the shaver that he had once thrown away. "Humph." Maybe Olga's right… Snake sat on Raiden's container and turned on the shaver. It took a few minutes to get a complete shave, and it was enough time for Snake to observe the tunnel he was in more thoroughly. Like the generator room in the Strut J the floor in this tunnel was made up of small hexagons that would lit up as soon as someone stepped on them. Also a few streaks of light revolved around the walls with something written on them like 'CAUTION' and 'ASCENDING COLON'. This was indeed a bizarre place. The only normal marking was something written several times along the tunnel 'W-0042'. It was barren and artificial. Cozy place… Snake turned off the shaver and passed his hand over his face. Good.

A door opened revealing a big spacious ghostly blue room. Several men wearing Tengu amour, but not the helmets were sitting by desks. In front of them stood camera feeds, data about the unmanned Ray's, etc.

Olga who was by the entrance walked inside sensing great distress. She knew that if she messed up, the chances of Snake and his partner finding anything were slim to none. She got close to one the computers that monitored GW and got ready to place the device that Snake had given her.

"Hey what are you doing here?" One of man behind her asked as she was about to place the device.

Olga turned and faced the man, but not before noticing what he was doing. A screen showed Solidus and Ocelot looking and talking at Raiden, who was helpless, bound to Ocelot's Torture machine. At that moment she realized she had to do everything to get her child back. "I'm here to check on your progress!!" She replied with a firm tone.

"Wha…" The man was baffled.

"It seems you've been slacking off on your work." She lied with every ounce of her body. "Turn and face the monitors." She spoke out in a commanding way.

"Yes sir…I mean ma'am." The man turned around and faced the monitors.

Without doubts Olga placed the device near a computer, without taking her eyes from the torture room screen. Hopefully…The device attached to the desk and Olga sighed with relief. She quickly ran out of the room and called Snake on the CODEC. "Are you there!?"

"Yeah, it's me." Snake replied.

"It's done. Now it's up to you…" Olga said making her way to the torture room, her work was still unfinished.

"I got it. Don't worry if it's there we'll find it." Snake said.

"I don't care much for empty promises, but I trust you…after I release the boy my work will be almost done. I only hope you and him can handle the facts."

"What do you mean?" Snake asked.

"Like the boy, hopefully you'll know soon enough." Olga signed off as she got to the door of the torture room. Several Arsenal Tengus were taking their positions in guarding another massive warehouse. She faced the door and took a deep breath. Help me father! Olga stepped inside the outer room that led to the torture room. The outer room was lit in manner that everything seemed quite orange. However Solidus was as black as ever as he exited the torture room. "Olga, the troops are ready I presume?" Solidus inquired in his rough manner.

"Yes." Olga said.

"Ocelot is inside. I'll be waiting for him." Solidus walked away.

Olga stepped by the door and heard Ocelot's rough voice. "This situation... I find it very... nostalgic."

"Where am I?" Raiden's voice was also clearly audible.

"Why, inside Arsenal of course." Ocelot replied. "Actually, we're also inside the memory of Shadow Moses…I'll take this back. You don't need this anymore, do you?"

Olga stepped inside, getting herself noted by Ocelot. She saw him putting away an optical disc. The disc Snake took!

"A foul wind is blowing... We shall speak again." Ocelot spoke to Raiden and walked out of the room, but not before glancing at Olga.

Raiden's eyes were filled with hate as he looked at Olga. She turned her back to him and spoke. "Don't move….Stay as you are...We're being monitored by a camera."

A surveillance camera stood just behind where Raiden was strapped.

"What are you up to?" He asked.

"I'm switching over to nanocommunication." Olga replied reaching for her CODEC.

"Mister X...? Ninja...?" Raiden asked.

"Correct... it's me."

"I thought you were the leader of the Russian troops..."

"No. That was just a smoke screen." Olga expression changed. She suffered every time her troops were mentioned.

"A smoke screen?" Raiden inquired.

"I was sent to provide you support."

"Support? Who sent you? The Colonel?"

" No... The Patriots." Olga said straightforwardly.

"What!?"

"I... I deceived my troops... betrayed them..."

"But why?

"My child is... being held hostage by the Patriots…It all started two years ago when I lost my father during the tanker incident. My men and I had nowhere to go... So we joined forces with an illegal Russian organization."

"The Russian Mafia?"

"Something like that. Actually, I learned much later that it was a subordinate organization to the Patriots…" Olga looked at her belly. "I was expecting at the time. When I gave birth to my child, it turned out I was in a hospital run by the Patriots. In the morning... my child was gone. My baby is being kept somewhere in this country."

"Have you even met your child?"

"No. Once a month, they send me a photo of my child via network. I've never even held the child in my own arms..."

"I see..." Raiden replied as if understanding the feeling. "Given your situation, nobody can blame you for what you did."

"That's your opinion... "Olga knew that sooner or later she would pay for what she had done.

"What about Snake? I thought you two were enemies..."

"He wasn't responsible for my father's death. Actually, we owe him our lives." Olga spoke of herself and her child.

"Two years ago, they were responsible for getting us out from the sinking tanker alive..."

"So you were partners since the incident?"

"No. I only found out the truth shortly before this."

"Huh?"

"When I confronted him here..."

"You fought with Snake!? When?"

"Well... It was around the time you were holding hands with that girl."

"Snake..." Raiden had had enough of Snake withholding things from him. "So you joined hands with him to pay back a debt?"

"No. Mutual gain..."

"Mutual Gain?"

"My job was to assist you. If Solidus gets away with Arsenal, your mission is a failure. The Patriots would judge that as failure on my part and terminate my child. Putting it simply, my child's life depends on your success."

"So you did it all for your child. But why would the Patriots want to help me? Are they hoping I'll take Solidus out?"

"No. You're just like me... we're just pawns..."

"Pawns for what purpose?"

"The S3 plan..."

"?" Raiden had no idea what Olga meant.

"You'll figure it out sooner or later…but I wonder if you'll handle the truth? "

"What do you mean?"

"Listen... we haven't got the time for this. Solidus will commence his attack any minute. He's got to be stopped."

"What about the virus?"

After the visit to Arsenal's control room the effect of the virus was not present. "No results so far." Olga replied sensing that could only mean one thing. "I think the Patriots have tampered with the program."

"Will it work?"

"I don't know..."

"Get me out of this thing.

"Not yet. I'll release your restraints after I leave this room." Olga couldn't afford to be seen aiding Raiden and further more she knew that the restraints controls were in the computer in the outer room.

"Where's my gear?"

"Snake's got everything. I couldn't bring it here."

"And where do I find Snake?"

"The passageway ahead heads to a hangar. He'll be waiting there. I gave him a key card for the hangar."

"Does Snake plan to destroy Arsenal Gear?"

"No. Even for Snake, it's impossible to completely destroy this thing. The only option is to stop Solidus and his men."

"What're you going to do?"

"Stay concealed. That's my role. I still can't afford to be discovered."

"Olga, you can't keep this up…they're bound to find you."

"Listen... I'll free you in a little while." Olga got ready for some acting. "Brace yourself." She punched Raiden in the abdomen.

"Ugh!" Raiden blurted out.

Olga left the room and got by the computer, it only took a few seconds for her to disconnect the surveillance camera and open Raiden's restraints, after that she ran to the hangar and reached for her CODEC.

"Snake it's me."

"Olga I've been waiting here enough time. Where's Raiden?" Snake asked.

"He'll be there in a few minutes. After that you just need to go across the hangar and into a circular room, there's a door there that leads to where you want to go…" Olga paused for second. "…I fear I have to warn you about something." She passed by the Arsenal Tengus and headed for the control room.

"Yes?"

"Before this mission I learned that someone very close to the boy is working against him. More precisely his girlfriend, she's a lackey for the Patriots. The boy has to be able to cope with the truth or he'll get himself killed." Olga spoke out with resolve, nothing could happen to Raiden.

"Don't worry he'll stay alive. I'll help him." Snake replied.

"Very well, and by the way that disc you took. It seems Ocelot took it from Raiden. What does it mean?" She asked.

"It means it was a good idea I kept the real one." Snake said.

"Very well…It's not in my being to give thanks, but for once I'll give you mine…thank you Snake…and goodbye." Olga turned off the CODEC and moved away from the hangar. Her sense of duty had been fulfilled. Well, almost.