Freedom Fighter

Chapter 25: Planting a bug

`Aiden crept along the wall and slipped around the corner. He ducked behind a bin of bashed baseball bats and removed his phone. He had his suspicions of why the signal came from May Stadium and he didn't like it one bit.

This stadium was abandoned for the last twenty years and all entrances were shut off- all except for the basement which was unlocked and hung on rusty hinges. Down here the walls were soundproof.

That's one of the reasons these traffickers used this place as their base of operations. No one can hear them scream. Aiden tapped into the security cameras; hacking them with stealth and skill.

On his screen he could see exactly what the people in the security room can see. All they saw was an innocent tray of rotting bats; abandoned years ago. He narrowed his eyes and controlled the camera- forcing it to move and angling towards the next one- which he hacked as well.

All down the halls he hacked and surfed the camera's, scoping the place; getting a good idea of where guards were, which doors were locked and which ones he had to move through to get to his target.

First he has to take out the guards in the security room and lock them in the dressing room. It won't be that hard- knock them out and dump them in his little dumping place. He was already in the basement so all he has to do is get in there: boom pow boom- voila!

Home run.

Aiden buried his phone and snooped around the corner. He could make out two people through the window. One was standing against the wall- facing the window and staring at the wall. She had a shaved head and had a Piledriver locked in her grip across her chest.

The other was drumming his fingers against the desk- ear buds drumming soft music. He didn't wear a shirt, but that didn't seem to bother the chick at all; the constant tapping was getting on her nerves.

She kept glaring at him sideways every now and again. There wasn't anyone else in there. If he could get in there- take her out without her firing a single shot he could knock the dude out as well without him even noticing. Or setting off an alarm.

He cracked his knuckles and removed his friction lock 21 inch baton. This was going to be easy. He pushed open the door and stormed in. The woman's eyes went wide and she levelled the barrel at him.

Aiden tackled her to the ground; knocking the gun from her hands. It dropped onto the floor as he took his baton. She struggled and pushed at him as he pinned her to the floor. He put a hand over her mouth to keep her from calling out.

Muffled grunts came from her as they quarrelled. The man kept drumming his fingers and sang off tune- Aiden was thankful that the walls were soundproof- this guy was going to kill him.

He debated whether he should hit her on the head to knock her out. 'I don't hit women.' She raised her head and moved his hand. The woman bit down. Aiden pulled his hand away; shaking it.

"Terrance you idiot!" Aiden brought the baton down on her temple twice. She fell still. Hitting her twice could kill her. He knew it was possible, but the second hit wasn't as firmly placed as the first- so she would be out longer than usual instead of the blow killing her.

The man in the chair didn't turn around. He waved his hand and talked louder than necessary. "JUST CHILL! THIS IS MY JAM, ROX, JUST FRICKIN' CHILL!" Aiden stood up. Terrance looked in the window; seeing a man rise behind him.

He whirled around, but all he saw next was stars and the glow of the universe as his music faded into infinity. Aiden holstered his weapon and put it in his pocket. He looked at the two of them.

They weren't getting up anytime soon. He felt guilty, but pushed it away- they deserved it. These scum bags were part of illegal slavery and they didn't do anything about it. "The cops better appreciate my little present when they find these dead beats."

He pulled at his trench coat. He shoved Terrance out of the chair, his slump body crashing into the floor, and sat - facing the monitors. "Let's plant a little bug to make their system sick enough to visit the 'hospital behind bars.'" His fingers floated fast and across the console as he uploaded the virus from his phone.

"There. Now- at a click of a button all their equipment and communication will crash. An entire empire will burn to ash. Now, where are you...?" Aiden scanned the live feed and filtered it through the profiler.

Police records and shots scanned everyone's facial recognition and threw the results to his phone. Every single person in this place had a file. Even the ones that didn't have a police record- there were other files that the government had on them- all in the system.

Birth certificates. Work references. Medical records. Everything.

His phone beeped twice. "There you are." Aiden enlarged the screen of security camera 47. "Trix Lindsey. Head of this operation. No police record. No records at all. Everything is erased from the system. To the world you're dead- a ghost drifting through and causing terror to children. To all. I've got you now."

Aiden stood and glanced at his phone. She was in the VIP lounge. He took in a deep breath and put away his device. The man on the floor groaned. He kicked the man in the stomach and swiped out the door.

He locked it behind him and broke the handle.

"Time for one of my 'vigilante interferences'."

Aiden ran up the stairs; removing his Spec Ops .1911. Loaded with tranq darts and topped with a silencer. He ducked behind a corroded bench and fired, hitting an armed guard in the neck.

The dude grabbed at it and yelped- before dropping to the floor. Another guard came around the corner- spotted his unconscious comrade and yelled out. He removed a pistol from his belt and looked around while walking forward.

Aiden monitored him carefully. The man bent down and surveyed his buddy. He recoiled and stood up- "Hey, we got a-" He fired and the man dropped on top of the other. He stayed behind the bench for a while.

No one came.

Aiden vaulted over the dilapidated piece of trash and crawled closer to the corner. He peeked around, but saw nothing. With a blow of breath he ran up the stairs, two at a time.

Cold air flowed through the hallways; pale shadows thrown onto the concrete as the midnight moon spread its glow onto the stadium.

It was eerie. Silent. Not even voices echoed down the corridors and through the doors. He didn't see any more guards. Where were they? Only moments ago they were streaming the place- almost scanning- and now...

He stopped and stood straight. Removing his phone, he looked up the blueprints and his position. The lounge was just through the doors up ahead. For the HQ of hybrid trafficking, which spread through the world like pestilence, there weren't many cages around.

There wasn't even a whiff of hybrids.

Where did she keep them all?

"Ladies and Gentleman!" Aiden dodged and rolled behind a trashcan. The voice echoed like a hollow shriek through his ears. "I'd like you to meet Fullmetal, our reigning champion, against Atom- a little junkie we rescued from the streets and brought to glory!"

"Unfortunately, what these two boys forgot was their place! Once a fighter always a fighter! These two thought they could escape and ruin our fine establishment and entertainment! Well it's time to teach them a lesson! What do you think about that?!"

Aiden scanned the corridor. He didn't hear anything except the crackle of static. His eyes landed on an intercom in the corner above the lounge doors.

"Fight!"

His eyes went wide. Hybrids.

He tightened his grip around the hilt of the gun and ran for the door. At the wooden barrier he crouched down and pushed open slowly. He peeked through and saw her sitting there- in a chair staring through the window; flanked with armed guards.

Aiden snuck through and pressed himself against the bar, in the middle of the room, hidden by shadows. There were a couple of people in the room. Most of them wore Rolexes and tuxes.

'Even the higher class of Chicago are spun in between these spiders. These creepy crawlies.'

He crept behind the bar, shooting a man standing there alone and dragging him behind it; placing his immobile body against the island. "Hey," Aiden froze and looked up. "I bet two grand Atom is going to win." He looked around the corner and saw two men addressing Trix.

She stared out the window, through the heads and fists waving erratically in the air, and onto the field. "Let's make this interesting, chief, if Atom wins I'll give you the blackmail I have on you- heck- I'll even toss in a hybrid you can have some fun with when your wife isn't home."

Aiden clenched his jaw. 'Great. Now our police are corrupt as well. Damnit.'

"Deal." The man replied, not even waiting for her to finish. "But if Fulmetal wins I want one of your patrol cars and ten grand." The man stuttered. "Where am I supposed to get ten grand?! Who do you think I am- I can't just get you a patrol car."

Trix shrugged. "I'm offering you a valuable deal here, chief, that blackmail doesn't come cheap... the hybrid I don't really care much about." She waved her hand and picked up her Bloody Merry.

The crowd outside the soundproof glass shot to their feet and pumped their arms in the air- food, beer and spit flying. An explosion from down in the field brightened the dark night. The police officer looked down at the field and smiled.

"Fine- Atom seems to be winning anyway- it's because your other fighter is a pussy- he doesn't even throw a punch."

Trix gave a dry laugh. "There are some hybrids that purr like cats if that's what you're saying. We can get you one. Or if you don't we can just have them fixed- that will cost extra." She put her glass down and stared out the window.

The woman took out her phone and typed a message. "If I win the bet I don't have to pay at all." He couldn't see her face from here, but he was sure she just smiled and lifted her shoulders. "We'll see."

The crowd roared and cheered. The officer's eyes went wide and he ran to the glass- pressing his hands against it. "What happened?! Why is he down?!" Aiden frowned. One moment the man was confident about winning- Trix sends out a message- and now he was losing.

He narrowed his eyes and grabbed his phone. He leered around the bar and checked her out. He pressed his phone and made the connection. Hack successful. Aiden looked up her chat history. 'Shock Atom- he can't win. Do anything. X-X or else.'

She was rigging the game. By torturing the hybrids that are forced to fight or die. He shook his head and put away his phone- his gun griped in his hand. 'This ends now. Scan the RFID card and get out. The cops can handle this. I'm sure if I hack the chief's phone I can flush out all the other crooked bastards serving in Chicago's finest.'

Aiden stood up and levelled his barrel. His first target was the guards.

He pulled the trigger and the dart slammed into the man's shoulder. He dropped like a sack of poop to the ground. Trix jumped up- her drink flying to the carpet- and turned to him. Their eyes met.

"Get him!" She shouted and pointed a finger at him. The bullets rapped off the second man's machine gun and slammed into the fine Cape Chesnutt finish. It chipped the wood and sent splinters splattering everywhere. Aiden fired off a round and ducked.

The man was huge, but his aim sucked. "You should spend less time sucking on steroids and more time in the shooting range, Roid Rage!" He peeked around the corner and found that he shot the officer.

The rich scum fleeted the scene- running out the glass double doors. Trix in tow. 'Great she's getting away.'

The cascade of deadly lead didn't die down and it made him wonder if the little maniac even had a shot limit. Above him the wood started falling apart and scarpering onto the carpet and into his hair.

Finally the shots ceased and the man swore. Aiden took his chance and vaulted over the shredded counter- holstering his gun and ripping free his baton- he kicked the man in the ribs and he fell backwards- crashing into the window- making it crack.

The people outside ripped apart and stared with wide eyes at the damage inside the lounge. He ignored them as he walked forward. The man pulled at the hammer of the gun- trying in vain to reload.

Aiden lifted his baton- the man lifted his gun. He tackled the man around the waist- crashing through the window- sending bullets and glass firing into the air. The crowd dispersed with shouts.

The weapon's muzzle lifted up and ripped holes in the roof. Aiden brought his baton down on the man's skull and he stopped moving. With gloved hands he ripped the weapon from his hands and tossed in behind the broken bar.

He holstered his weapon and got up; his boots crunching the glass. Aiden wiped the splattered material from his leather trench coat and ran. He jumped through the window and shot the double doors open. It was dark, but there was a stairwell- the only way out.

He ran- his feet digging into the carpet.

He didn't bother taking the stairs one floor down- he jumped, hitting the ground rolling. Aiden got up and continued his chase. The pigeon holes up above made the light from the highlighted field flash onto his face like a movie reel moving too fast.

Blocks of beams blinked over his pumping legs and arms.

Aiden took out his phone and looked at the screen. The blinking red dot glared at him. She was right up ahead. But she wasn't moving. He ran faster- removing his gun.

She was waiting for him and he was ready.

He saw her RFID tag as she was running- it was around her neck- on a dog chain- flapping like a talkative person's mouth. It probably escaped from the inside of her jacket as she ran, because she was obviously trying to hide it from sight back in the lounge.

And for obvious reason.

Aiden slowed down and came to a stop. Cloaked in shadows were three figures. Trix and two more. He narrowed his eyes. "Are you too scared to take me on yourself? You must be if you always have goons to do your work for you."

"I've heard of you. The Fox. Chicago's cloaked hero. The vigilante. Rumour has it you were busy tracking down kidnapped girls and slaughtered slaves. Now I find you here. Had a change of heart?"

He flexed his fingers around the hilt of his gun. "When you started globalising your sick industry news reached me faster. Your trafficking days are over Trix."

Even through the shadows he could see her sardonic smirk and the shake of her head. "Oh no. They're only just beginning. Get 'em, boys." Aiden narrowed his eyes. The two silhouettes' head snapped up and their eyes open.

Fluorescent green flowed together as they braided between each other and charged at him. Aiden fired off two rounds- the darts hitting them in the neck and chest. They faltered, but didn't fall down.

Aiden lowered his gun. The two of them, moving in unison, tugged the tranq's from their bodies. They glared at the darts; snapped their heads up at him- growled- and charged again. Unaffected from the shots.

"Shit."

"Aren't Steadlers wonderful? My best hybrid's yet. Mindless soldiers programmed to follow my every command. Very expensive to make."

The hybrids slashed their claws at him and he ducked falling back and dodging. Aiden screamed as their claws nicked through his clothes and scraped his skin. He rounded them and kicked them to the ground.

They tripped over their disordered limbs and fell into the ground- kicking up rocks and dust. Without wasting time he charged at her. Trix stood, unthawed, her hands clasped behind her back.

Aiden was charged into the ground from behind- his head bouncing against the dirt. The Steadlers punched him into the floor and pinned him. He lifted his head. Trix crouched before him, the tag dangling in front of his face.

"Oh how the mighty fall. Tell me, Fox, why did you come here? Was it to free my hybrid friends? Was it to bring me to justice? Or was it to prove that you can get to anyone, anywhere?"

She stood up, his eyes following her every move. "I've heard of your tactics before. You play on the mind- intimidation- to win the fight before it even begun. Well I've got a news flash for you, Fox. I'm hard to intimidate." She came back into his line of sight and lowered again.

"And even harder to beat. I've got an army and now that even the great vigilante can't stop me, I doubt any big hero will show up. The city will be mine. I'll use my power to take back what's mine and no one can ever take it away from me again!"

She snapped her fingers and the two hybrids stood up; griping him under the arms. Aiden slipped his hand into his pocket and gripped his phone. Trix didn't notice- too busy gloating in her villainous monologue way.

Why do bad guys always do that? Explain their plans? Are they stupid or something?

"How poetic will it not be if I turn you into one of my pets? I can use that as a scare tactic- show the world I can take down even the best of heroes." Aiden took a breath and thumbed through his apps.

He knew his phone good enough to find what he wants without needing to look. The system hacks were somewhere in here. An EMP. If these hybrids were anything like robots... He padded his thumb into the screen.

All the lights in the stadium went off- some of the power transformers exploded- sending sparks shooting. The power box behind Trix exploded and she toppled to the ground. 'Oops, wrong one, but a Blackout helps when I'm escaping.'

Moving his thumb a few inches and activated the EMP. The Steadlers on either side of him twitched sporadically and loosened their grip before falling to the floor. 'Great- I found their type of tranquilizer.'

Aiden shot forward and ripped the dog tag from Trix's neck. She struggled onto her hands and knees. When she lifted her head Aiden was gone. Along with her key to creating new hybrids.

"We're so intelligent now that we're too smart to survive. We're so well informed that we lost all sense of meaning. We know the price of everything, but we lost all sense of value. We have everyone under surveillance, but we've lost all sense of shame."

-Bruce Sterling

For Independence Day: 4 Jully

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