Chapter 29
Slowly, I flickered open my eyes, glancing around.
My room.
Huh.
Closing my eyes again, I willed myself to go back to sleep.
It didn't really work.
In fact, scratch that, it didn't work AT ALL.
So, resisting the urge to swear quite colourfully in numerous amounts of languages, I slowly sat up, wondering what to do.
Last night had been... Different... To say the least. After I had rather pitifully poured my hearth out to Snake, he still refused to let go, instead, continuing to hold me close and rub my back softly. It was... Strange... And weird... But in a nice kind of way...
And somehow, I had managed to fall asleep, and only faintly remembered the medic slowly stand up and half-carry me to my room.
I was still in the same clothes as yesterday, and they were slightly... Well... Bloody... For lack of a better word.
My run-in with Scorpia hadn't seen me out the best.
And god damn it, did my stomach hurt.
Slowly, I stood up, waiting for the dizziness to pass, hesitating for a moment, before wandering out into the hall. Time to face the music.
Running my hand through my hair, I silently crept downstairs, skipping the bottom step as per usual. I didn't want anyone to know I was up. Not yet.
But my solitude was short lived as I heard voices in the kitchen once I got closer. Slightly angry voices. Tense voices. Between two different people.
Should I leave?
Go away for a while?
Come back another time?
But before I could decide, the door was flung open and Snake stood there, abruptly stopping when he saw me.
His features immediately softened out, "... Oh. Cub. Your up?".
I smiled slightly, "Looks like it".
He smirked, "Yes. It does, doesn't it?".
He walked back into the kitchen and I slowly followed him, noticing Wolf in the corner, arms crossed, angry expression, and frowning deep in thought.
He didn't even seem to notice me.
I walked around the kitchen in a daze, automatically making something to eat for breakfast while my mind focused on other things.
Like why the two SAS soldiers had been arguing.
Sitting down at the table with a bowl of cereal, I quickly ate it, barely tasting the food.
I seriously wanted to be on my own right now.
I had to think.
Standing back up a few minutes later, I washed and put away the bowl, trying to ignore both men's gaze which had both been focused on me since I entered the room. It was unnerving. Disturbing. Strange... Yet I still wanted to know why.
My mind flashed back to last night.
That could be what they were arguing about.
Snake could have told Wolf what had happened, and now he was angry at me.
Well... Only one way to find out I guess.
Pausing at the door, I turned back around to face the Medic, "Snake... About last night-".
"It's fine" he interrupted.
I shook my head, "No. Seriously. I'm sorry. It should never have happened and you shouldn't have been stuck with me like that and... And... And... I... I'm...".
"Cub" he snapped quietly, "It's ok. Promise".
"Snake. Please. Hear me out" I continued, "What happened... What I let happen... Was... Well... Stup-".
I was cut off by a loud ring and I glanced up.
There it was again.
A ringing noise.
As if caused by a phone or a computer or th- the phone.
I snapped my head towards it as it rang again, the other two doing the same.
Slowly, Wolf turned back to me, "... Expecting a call?".
"No" I whispered.
"... The bank?" Snake suggested but I shot my head, "They only use secured lines. Such as my mobile".
"Any... Friend?" He asked again.
I frowned, "Just Tom... And he's currently asleep upstairs.
The phone rang again.
And it was only Wolf who dared to ask.
"Family?".
I froze for a split second before abruptly walking over to it and hitting the speaker, "Hello?".
The single deadly voice echoed through out the room, "Ah, Alex. You're still alive I see?".
Both Snake, and Wolf, tensed up.
"Unless we're both dead and they've got phones in hell, then yea" I replied and he laughed softly, "Still got the humour I see. I thought my men would have shook it out of you, but then again... They seem to have disappeared... Any idea on what might have happened to them?".
"Yea. Two dead. One bleeding to death" I relied flatly, "Though he's probably dead by now as well so... Basically, I killed all your men. So sorry".
If he noticed the sarcasm in my words, he didn't mention it.
"All dead? My, my, my, you HAVE been busy. haven't you?" He replied, "Well... Not to worry. We have many more men at our disposal".
I smirked, "Jeasus man, you're really slipping, aren't you?".
I could almost hear him frown, "Whatever do you mean?".
"We have many more men. You said 'We'. Yet earlier on, you said 'I' and 'My'", I replied, "Who are you working for Ash? You're obviously not in this alone".
I tried to ignore how the other two flinched when I called him by his name.
Ash, on the other hand, merely laughed, "We really did train you well didn't we?".
I immediately tensed up, memories flashing through my mind at a hundred miles an hour.
Memories of Scorpa.
Memories of the training.
And memories of the torture.
Always... Always the torture.
"Alex? You still there?" He asked and I quickly shook my self out of it, "Unforcently, yes".
He laughed once again, "Oh cheer up, would you? I got a little message for you to deliver".
"To who?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.
"To your new... Guardians... I know they're listening. We've got eyes all over the place. And right now, it's a full unit... Well... Minus the over-energetic one of course" he replied and I smirked, "Eagle? I could get him if you like. I'm sure he'd have LOADS to say to you".
"I sure he would" Ash continued, "But I just want you to tell him... Well... Not everyone can be reclaimed. Especially not the toy maker. Not when there's a bomb in his play pen. And not when his play pen, is out of the SAS's area. And when it goes off, over a hundred men and women will be destroyed. So sorry".
I froze, "... Where's the bomb Ash?".
"In the toy makers workshop. You've got exactly one hour starting... Now" He replied, "Oh, and Alex? Don't try to be the hero, I'd simply hate for you to get hurt".
Then the line went dead.
I stared at the phone.
There was a bomb.
Scorpia had placed a bomb.
ASH had placed a bomb.
A bomb that would kill hundreds of people.
A bomb that I had to stop.
"Did he just... Was that... It..." Snake trailed off.
I slowly put back the phone, "... That was Ash. My Godfather. And yes, he's still with Scorpia. And yes, he was serious".
Wolf frowned, "He was serious? But that means...".
"There's a bomb" Snake whispered and I nodded, "There's a bomb. That's going to kill hundreds of men and women".
Wolf frown deepened, "But I thought... That... He... He doesn't want to kill people".
I sighed, "He has no problem with killing people... He just has a problem with killing me".
"... There's a bomb" Snake muttered again.
I nodded, "There's a bomb. And I have to find some way to stop it".
Wolf sharply looked up, "No".
I paused, "... What?".
"YOU" He growled, "Are not going to stop it... WE are going to stop it".
I stared at him.
We?
As in me and him?
Or as in him and the other soldiers?
Shaking my head, I glanced back at the phone, "I don't even know where it is".
"The toymaker" Snake said suddenly, "He said it's with the toymaker... In his playpen... And that the SAS wouldn't be able to stop it".
"The toymaker" Wolf muttered, before looking up at me, "The game is for you to play, so... You know any toymaker?".
Toymaker... Toymaker...
"Cub" he snapped, "Do you, or do you not, know a toymaker?".
I ignored him, an idea swirling around in my head as I slowly found a piece of paper and a pen.
Sitting down at the table, I picked up the biro and slowly wrote down Ash's clues.
In the Toymakers playpen.
Not everyone could be reclaimed.
Out of SAS's area.
Hundreds of men and women would be destroyed.
I was consciously aware of both Snake and Wolf warily walking over to me, reading over the list as I slowly began changing things.
"What are you doing?" Snake asked quietly and I frowned, "Something's not right...".
"What do you mean?" He asked again.
"I mean... The way Ash said it" I muttered, reaching up and circling certain words, "The way he said 'playpen' instead of workshop... 'Reclaimed' instead of saved... Out of SAS 'area' instead of out of SAS hands... And 'destroyed' instead of killed... Something doesn't add up".
"Maybe it's the way he speaks?" The Medic suggested but I shook my head, "I spent nearly two months with the guy. Day and night. 24/7... He has a much more redefined way of speaking...".
"So what's so special about these four words?" Wolf finished and I nodded, "Exactly... Workshop. Saved. Hands. And killed... They mean something...".
"Like what?" Snake asked.
"They could mean anything" Wolf agreed.
I stared at the four words... They had to mean something, surely... Maybe if I put them back in their sentences...
I picked up the pen again and began writing.
In the Toymakers workshop.
Not everyone could be saved.
Out of SAS's hands.
Hundreds of men and women would be killed.
Nothing.
I had nothing.
Not a fucking thing.
And then it hit me.
"Toymakers workshop" I muttered, "Out of the SAS's hands... Over a hundred people...".
"Cub?" Snake asked warily but I was already standing, spinning around to face them, "The bombs at MI6".
They stared at me, "... What?".
"The bomb. Is at. MI6" I repeated, "It's in their headquarters. Royal and General. It's in the basement... In Smithers workshop".
Wolf frowned, "... How the fuck did you figure that out?".
"Think about it" I replied, "The Toymaker is Smithers. Gadgets. Toys. They mean the same thing... Then there's the fact there's over a hundred people in that building... And also the fact that the SAS is... Well... Not the most popular there. It's at MI6".
"And if you're wrong?" Snake asked but I was already heading towards the door, "If I'm wrong... Then we got 43 minutes to find the real location".
