To those of you that are reading:

Uh-oh ... Shit's about to get real again ... And if I say so myself, this is one of the most intense chapters so far!

I started writing it last night, and I couldn't stop until I finished. It had me on the edge of my seat while I was writing it. Pretty crazy, right?

There's action, bloodshed, reluctant respect, and a lot of Nikolai's vodka! And it's all for you in today's update of ... "BETWEEN DREAM AND REALITY!"

(... I don't know what's up with me and this "announcer voice" thing ...)

FYI: To whom it may concern: In my mind, Tank is 35ish, Kathleen is 21ish, Richtofen is 38ish, Takeo is 37ish, and Nikolai might be pushing mid-forty.

WickedIntentions: THANK GOODNESS. I hoped that someone else would picture Samantha the way I did! I think she's the perfect blend of creepy and adorable (in the way that only a child can be), and I'm glad it's coming across! And I have it planned out … if I try really hard, I think I can make it within forty! XD … And when this story's done, I have plenty of ideas for others—including many (short?) stories about Tank, Nikolai, and Takeo! I'm so excited to start them…! I love reading your reviews so much. They make me feel like my writing is going somewhere, and I love you for being such an encouragement! :3 *cuddlemuffins* Enjoy this update, my dearest!

Snowstormcat: Awwww she's just a messed-up little kid, no worries. XD … She hates her some Uncle Edward (and really, I can't blame her; he was a little bitch to her and her father … although he definitely had his reasons). Maybe you'll start to like her again in this chapter! c: And I hope you enjoy the update! Thanks for reviewing as always, my lovely!

xxz0eyxx: She is such a cunning little thing, isn't she? I love her so much … X3 … And we've got a fair bit of Nikolai in this update, so I hope you enjoy! He's one of my favorites, so I'm glad you're enjoying my characterization of him! And I love the idea of *anyone* having a heart-to-heart with him; he's so silly and blunt, he's the best person to talk to! :D Und Ze Doctor says: "Oh… vell hello indeed. I can see so much of your skin… … It makes me vant to … slice ….. …. Vait. Vait a minute. Is zhat mein HAT?!" xoxox

NameUnimportant: Hahahaha oh no! Don't be fooled! He's not completely decent … only in some ways. XD … And I certainly hope you continue to be surprised/intrigued by the character development! That's my whole goal in writing this story, after all! C: … *huggles* I do hope you will forgive me for tormenting you with the doctor's fickle ways, and I hope you enjoy this update! Danke for ze review!

snakeyeslover2: It was so fun to write! I'm glad you liked that little bit of fluff. J And I think you're really gonna like this chapter… there's a lot of action and some really awesome moments, and it's a nice long ride! Plenty of Samantha, too … which could be good or bad! XD … Thanks as always for your sweet review, and I hope to hear from you again my dear!

M3D1C101: Hehehe! Yes … Samantha is a manipulative little darling … /brat … /cutiepants … I love her. XD … And I don't care how stretched your reviews are! I love them ALL! *huggles* It's so nice to hear from you, and I can't wait to hear from you again! C:

You guys are simply THE BEST PEOPLE EVER. And I love you. And ... I have no words. I just love you so much. Thank you for reviewing. :')

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The crew makes final preparations, and sets off on the mission of a lifetime. Is this the real beginning of the end?

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Between Dream and Reality
Zwischen Traum und Wirklichkeit

CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE

Area 51
Bereich 51

I was the first one awake.

This was probably due to the fact that I hadn't really slept.

I adjusted my clothes, tucking in the doctor's shirt. Then I fastened on my jacket. Thank god the work uniforms here didn't have swastikas on them. That wouldn't go over well at all. I mean, aside from the fact that we planned on invading a top secret American base in the first place.

When my boots were buckled and my belt was fastened securely around my waist, I left the room, letting Tank sleep a little longer. No point waking him up when I had to get the coordinates first, anyway.

I stepped out into the hall, heading for Samantha's room.

She was asleep when I opened the door, but woke up almost immediately.

"It's early," she mumbled, her voice hoarse.

"Yeah," I agreed, walking into the room. I measured her with my eyes: Smooth pale cheeks, tinted with pink; soft black hair barely brushing her shoulders. She looked like a sweet, innocent little girl. But as she watched me walk across the room, I could see it written in her face. She couldn't be underestimated. Something was off about her; and, on the inside, something was very, very wrong.

It was a fact that made me want to destroy that alien device even more.

I sat down at the foot of her bed. "I hear you know where the M.P.D. is," I said quietly, cutting to the chase.

She looked at me with cunning dark blue eyes. "Uncle Edward told you," she observed.

"Yeah," I said, acknowledging the truth.

She sighed. "I hate him," she murmured. "He's mean. He's a bad person."

My eyes tightened. "Maybe in some ways," I muttered. But even that knowledge couldn't change the way I felt about him.

I could see the mischief flash through her eyes. It was brief, but it was there. "He wants you to hate me, you know," she said quietly. "He wants you to think that I'm the bad one." Her eyes were big and soft. "But he's the one who tried to hurt me," she whispered. "He wanted to kill me."

"I know," I said, holding her gaze. "I know all about him."

"And you still don't think he's bad?" she asked, challenging me.

I folded my hands in my lap, looking at them. "I don't think he's good," I said, thoughtful. "But I don't think he's bad, either. He's a complicated person, with a lot of hatred inside." I looked back up at Samantha, and to my surprise, she looked interested.

"That doesn't bother you?" she asked, curious.

"No," I said, and I meant it.

She was quiet for a moment. "You're not afraid of him?"

I smiled. "No, I'm not."

"But if he has all of that hate in him…" She looked at me, her eyes tense. "Aren't you worried he might hurt you?"

A warm memory flashed through my mind. I could almost feel his lips on my throat.

"I vould never harm you. Bitte, Kazhleen, believe zhat of me."

Shuddering, I closed my eyes. "He'd never hurt me," I whispered.

"But what about other people?" Samantha's voice was cold. "He might hurt them, right?"

I looked at her again, and my lips twitched down. "I don't know," I muttered. I hadn't thought about that. All this time, I'd been focused on his changing attitude toward me. In a way, I'd assumed the change was all-encompassing; that if he changed in one way, it would change his whole attitude. But the more I thought about it, the more I doubted it was true.

"He could hurt you by hurting someone else," said Samantha, her voice quiet.

I frowned. "He wouldn't do it," I murmured. But I wasn't quite sure.

I could feel her eyes on my face, watching my shifting expressions. "You don't know what he might do," she said, and the truth made me shiver. I looked at her suspiciously, thinking of the doctor's warning from the night before.

She couldn't be trusted. Her words were poison.

And I could already feel the venom trickling into my soul.

I wet my lips, ready to change the subject. "Would you tell me the coordinates?" I asked, as gently as I could. "It's really important for me to know them." It sounded weak. I needed more conviction, so I looked at her sincerely, telling the truth. "Fighting that device is the only thing I really want to do," I said, staring into her big blue eyes. "And I feel like I have to do it."

She narrowed her eyes at me. "You shouldn't go, you know," she said darkly. "You're just going to die."

I took a breath. "I don't care if I die," I murmured, and it was true, even though the thought terrified me. I tried to stay calm, to keep focused. "All I need are the coordinates, Samantha," I said. "And if I die, you won't have to worry about me anymore."

She frowned. "But I don't want you to die," she grumbled. "I want you to stay with me."

I sighed, thinking of a bargaining chip. "Will you tell me the coordinates if I promise to take you with me?" I asked.

She thought about it for a moment, crossing her arms. Then she looked at me coyly. "Maybe."

"I can't do a maybe," I said, shaking my head. "It's either yes or no."

Samantha pouted. "If I say no, will you stay with me here?"

"No," I said, my voice firm.

She whined. "This isn't fair," she moaned.

I smiled sadly. "No, life's not very fair," I murmured, looking at her with serious eyes. "You better learn that now, or you've got a rough road ahead of you."

Look at me, I thought. Now I sound just like my mom.

She stared at me, angry and silent.

I stared back.

We sat that way for so long that it shocked me when she finally spoke.

"Fine," she grumbled. "Where's Uncle Edward?"

I was stunned. I tried to hide it. "I can go find him. But only if you promise to tell him the coordinates. The right coordinates."

She frowned at me. "Only if you promise to take me with you," she huffed.

"Okay," I said. I held out my pinky. "Do you know how to pinky swear?"

She rolled her eyes. "Of course," she groaned, exasperated. She held out her tiny pinky.

"Alright," I muttered, serious. "Once we do this, it's a real promise; and if you break it, I'll never trust you again."

A twinge of real fear blinked across her face. It was gone quickly, and she covered it well. But right before she put the mask of indifference back on, I saw it. I grinned. Maybe all of this time spent with Richtofen was starting to pay off.

"Ready?" I asked.

She moved her pinky close to mine. "Yes," she pouted.

Our fingers twined together. My pinky seemed huge compared to hers, so delicate and warm.

"I pinky swear to take you with me," I said, looking at her face.

She stared into my eyes. "I pinky swear to tell Uncle Edward the right coordinates," she mumbled.

We squeezed our pinkies together.

I smiled. "Alright. I'll go find him," I said, getting to my feet. Right before I left the room, I glanced back at her, raising my eyebrows. "Remember what I said about our promise," I muttered, playing the only card in my deck.

She frowned. "I'll remember. I'm not stupid."

I walked out into the hall, closing the door behind me. I really felt like I'd accomplished something.

Quickly, I jogged down the hall to Richtofen's office.

He had to be awake. I doubted he really slept.

Right before I burst in, I remembered my mistake from the day before. Gingerly, I raised my hand and knocked.

"Come in," came his muffled, frustrated voice.

I smiled at the sound of it, opening the door.

He was standing in the middle of the room, decked out from head to toe. He wore a uniform that was completely black; still German-looking, still from the forties, but I couldn't find a single swastika anywhere. His MP40 was strapped around his waist, the Zeus Cannon fastened across his chest, and black leather gloves were pulled over his fingers. But he'd forsaken the military visor, going hatless.

"I thought you weren't coming," I said, surprised.

He looked annoyed. "I said not to expect anyzhing," he hissed, glaring down at me.

I looked up into those ferocious, hateful green eyes and my heart swelled with joy. I bounced up and grabbed his face, kissing him hard on the mouth. He was stiff against my lips, but I didn't care. I was so happy that I almost told him I loved him.

Almost.

He was flustered now, and even more furious. It was fantastic.

"She's ready to tell you the coordinates," I said, smiling so wide my cheeks hurt.

The corners of his mouth twitched down and he took a breath. "Take me to her."

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Tank looked at himself in the mirror, fastening his shirt.

He tucked his dog tags against his chest, under the collar. Then he buttoned up the front over his stomach. Too bad none of these German things fit him right. It was like they were all tall and skinny or short and fat; no one in between.

He shrugged on a tan military coat, one of the few without a swastika. His personal hatred of the symbol was one thing, but he figured wearing it on American soil was a one-way ticket to hell. As if he needed more reasons to hate the Nazis.

Nikolai burst into the room, half-dressed. "I cannot find my vodka," he muttered, panicked.

"What about that whole closet full of it?" Tank asked. "You know where that is, right?"

"I don't want to walk that far," Nikolai grumbled.

Tank scoffed. "What, isn't a Soviet strong enough to take his ass down the hallway?"

Nikolai scowled, leaving the room.

Tank fastened his belt around his waist, securing his M16, strapping the modified version across his back. Bonesuckers aside, he didn't want to fire on friendlies; especially not in the heartland. But if worse came to worst, he'd rather be prepared.

A grim thought crossed his mind. The maggots might've wiped the base out already.

He made a mental note to warn Kitty about that.

He pulled on his boots, and hopped out the door.

Takeo was standing in the hall, his eyes closed. Tank frowned at him.

"Hey, Tak; what are you doing?" he asked, baffled.

Takeo's nose wrinkled. "Hush," he hissed.

Tank stared at him in silence.

After a moment, Takeo opened his eyes, taking a deep breath. Then he turned around and started down the hall. Tank hesitated, wondering if he should follow Tak or wait for Nikolai. He settled on Nikolai. Who knew what state he'd be in after visiting the vodka closet.

As he watched Takeo retreat around a corner, he suddenly noticed the doctor, storming up the hall. Tank frowned, watching him in disgust. Richtofen was wearing all black, without even a swastika to break it up. It made him almost look creepier than before. And as he passed by, Tank realized the doctor was taller than him even without his hat. It thoroughly pissed him off.

"Kazhleen is in Samanzha's room," he spat as he brushed past, completely focused on something else.

Tank scowled at his back. "Thanks, doc," he snarled.

He milled around in the hall, waiting for Nikolai. It seemed like hours passed before he even heard a hint of him. But finally, the unmistakable sound of Nikolai's ugly drunken singing drifted through the air.

"Byelolitsa, kruglalitsa, krasnaya dyevitsa…"

"Nikolai," Tank yelled. "Get the fuck over here."

"Ey, I am coming," grumbled the Russian. "Impatient capitalist."

He stumbled into view, carrying two bottles of vodka. Tank could see another bulging in his pants pocket. He sighed. "Come on," he muttered. "Kitty's in the room with that Samantha girl, and I want to talk to her about the plan."

Nikolai frowned. "I do not want to see that girl," he growled. "She creeps me out."

"Me too," Tank grumbled. "But that's where Kitty is, so that's where I'm going."

They made their way to Samantha's room, opening the door.

Nikolai hesitated in the hallway, his face crumpled. He took a large swig of vodka.

"Don't make me go in there alone," Tank hissed.

"Alright, alright," Nikolai bellowed. He tilted the bottle back one more time, gulping down a big swallow. His eyes clenched shut. Then he made a noise of satisfaction and smacked his lips, sighing. "I am ready now."

They walked inside.

Kitty was sitting at the foot of the bed. It was all made up, and Samantha was sitting beside her, braiding a lock of Kitty's long dark hair. "But my papa said she died when she was a baby," Samantha was saying, focused on the progress of the braid. "So that's why I never had a big sister." She sighed. "Hello, potty mouth," she sang, not even looking up. Then she scowled. "And Russian," she grumbled.

Nikolai grimaced. "I like her less today," he grunted.

"What's up?" Tank asked. "When we headed out?"

Kitty's head was tilted toward Samantha, thanks to the braid. She thought for a moment, looking up at him sideways. "I guess it depends on when the doctor's done setting the coordinates," she said, shrugging. "It shouldn't take too long."

"I'm excited," said Samantha, smiling at Kitty's hair.

Tank frowned. "You're excited? About what?"

Samantha finished the braid, placing it gently across Kitty's shoulder. She patted it down. Then she crossed her legs and looked up at Tank with a triumphant grin. "I'm coming with you," she announced, bouncing. "Isn't that great?"

"Shit," Tank groaned. "You've gotta be kidding me."

"I promised," said Kitty. "And besides, I can't leave her here alone."

"I thought the doc was staying behind," Tank suggested, hopeful. "Can't they just sit in a room and glare at each other?"

Kitty shook her head. "Richtofen's coming with us," she said.

Tank groaned again. "This just keeps getting better," he growled.

"I am glad that Richtofen is coming," declared Nikolai, grinning.

Samantha frowned at him.

"Great," Tank grumbled. He sighed, scratching the back of his head. "I guess I'll go find Tak and bring him in here again, so we can all talk." He looked at Kitty with a hint of defeat. "You're sure the doc's coming?"

"He had the Zeus Cannon strapped to his chest," she said, thoughtful. "I'm pretty sure that's a yes."

Muttering, Tank left the room.

Nikolai shuffled between his feet, glancing at the floor, and then the ceiling.

Kitty smiled. "You have enough vodka?" she asked companionably. Samantha had begun braiding another lock of her hair.

He chuckled. "I think so," he said, the corner of his mouth twitching up in amusement.

"Don't worry," she said reassuringly, and she patted a canteen at her hip. "I've got your backup."

He stared at it. "You have vodka in that?" he asked, astonished.

She nodded. "Just in case you run out. I haven't forgotten the last time that happened."

"Ugh," Nikolai grunted. "Horrible day."

"I thought you were done for," she said. "It was terrifying."

Nikolai squinted at her. "No," he said dismissively, grumbling. "You were not terrified. You think like the others." His voice was mocking, high-pitched. "Oh, Nikolai, look at you with your vodka." He scoffed. His voice lowered back to its normal, gritty tone. "I joke, but I am serious. Without vodka, I am no one."

Kitty looked at him solemnly. "I know," she said. "You need it. I don't think it's funny."

"Hm," he rumbled, thoughtful. "Maybe you are not as filthy as I thought."

She grinned. "Don't tell Tank," she said confidentially, "But I actually like some of the concepts in communism."

Nikolai's dark eyes sparkled. "Kitty," he bellowed approvingly. "Why did you not tell me before?"

"Maybe she didn't like you, either," Samantha muttered under her breath.

"No," hissed Kitty, frowning at her. She pulled her hair away from Samantha's fingers. "I've always liked Nikolai."

He grinned, vindicated, and Samantha pouted.

"Found Tak," called Tank, re-entering the room. Once again, Takeo followed him in, looking bored out of his mind. But when he saw Kitty, he gave a slight bow, and she smiled and bowed her head in return. Samantha perked up at the presence of Takeo, looking at him with bright eyes.

"I like this one," she stated. "He's quiet."

Takeo looked at her coldly.

"Okay," Tank growled, all business. "So we wait for the doc to get the teleporter ready. Once he's done with that, we're off to the secret base, finding the pyramid and fighting our asses off. Anyone want to say anything before we get started?"

"How do we know where the moon thingy is?" Nikolai asked, confused.

Tank looked at Kitty for the answer.

She bit her lip. "I'm not really sure, but if we land around Samantha's coordinates, it should be nearby."

Samantha nodded. "I know I'm right," she said, smug.

"Okay," muttered Tank. "So the girl gave us the coordinates to the bastard, and when we transport, we should be somewhere close to it." He frowned, scratching the stubble along his jawline. "Where could we end up?"

"A roof," Nikolai suggested.

"A field," offered Takeo.

"Ze base vill be underground," muttered the doctor, coming into the room. Everyone stared at him. "Secret facilities operate in places no one vill zhink to look," he grumbled, exasperated. "Secluded in ze countryside, on ze moon, underground." He spoke as if this was completely obvious, looking around at them all with aggravated green eyes.

Tank frowned. "Okay then," he said, blinking. "Guess we're looking for something underground. After all, if the doc says it, it must be true." His voice was dripping with sarcasm. Samantha smiled widely, looking at Tank adoringly. He turned his frown on her.

"Could we end up above ground?" Kitty asked, looking at Richtofen.

He nodded. "It is very likely zhat ve vill not end up in ze precise location of ze device," he murmured. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a handful of tiny objects. "Zhat is vhy I have programmed zhese trackers to return us to Siegfried at my command." He walked slowly around the room, distributing them.

Nikolai turned his around between his thumb and forefinger. "It is so small," he grumbled. "I might lose it."

Richtofen stopped, turned to face Nikolai again, and grabbed his tracker. Forcefully, he pinned it to his scarf, stuffing it securely into his collar. "Zhere," snapped the doctor. "Now it vill shtay vith you to ze death." He moved on, leaving Nikolai to grin and pat his chest.

Takeo pinned his to the center of his shirt. "I wear your mighty technology with pride, Doctor," he murmured.

As Richtofen held one out to Tank, they both grimaced.

Tank positioned his hand far under the doctor's, waiting for him to drop the tracker into it. Frustrated, Richtofen reached out and grabbed Tank's arm, forcing his hand to lift. Tank winced as the doctor's gloved fingers touched his palm, and Richtofen grinned, releasing the tiny device.

"Vhat," he scoffed. "Afraid my touch vill burn you?"

Tank scowled. "Of course not," he snarled.

Last was Kitty. The doctor placed the tracker delicately into the center of her palm. Then he used his own fingers to close hers around it. Tank made a noise of disgust, but Richtofen ignored it, staring into her face. "You are in charge of Samanzha," he said seriously. "If ze time comes for us to leave, you must take hold of her. Ozhervise she vill be left behind."

Kitty nodded, fastening it underneath the collar of her undershirt. She tucked it safely away.

The doctor stepped back, darkening the doorway. "Is everyone ready?" he asked, stiff.

He took the silence as a yes.

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The group of them piled into the teleporter, breathing hard.

Anticipation was thick in the air. Everyone was nervous.

He hated it.

The doctor edged to the back of the crowd, opening the panel of the matter transference device. He glanced at the backs of their heads, considering how much his fate had changed. Weeks ago, he'd been set on his plan to control the moon pyramid device, and leave these imbeciles behind. Now, he was willingly aiding them in a quest to destroy it.

He sighed.

"Prepare yourselves," he grumbled, flipping the switch.

The familiar noise deafened him, and he watched as the light swallowed them up. Samantha reached out to hold onto Kathleen's waist. He narrowed his eyes. What a show. He hoped that Kathleen remembered his words, that she made an effort to resist the little girl's devious charm.

In an instant, they were standing in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by dusty brown landscape.

"Underground," snapped Richtofen, scanning the area for a building. There was nothing nearby, nothing that he could make out. Less than a mile to his left was what appeared to be an airfield; it was the closest thing he could see. He started toward it, and the others followed.

"Where are we going?" Samantha whined, and Kathleen shushed her.

"We landed outside, so we're going to try to get in," she said soothingly. The doctor glanced back to see her pick up the girl and position her on her back. He fought back a wave of rage. This was precisely why he wanted her gone. Now Kathleen was burdened, weighed down by that little brat. In the event of a speedy escape, she'd be left behind; and that was the opposite of what he desired.

"We heading for the airfield?" asked Dempsey, catching up with him.

Richtofen nodded.

Nikolai's vodka bottle sloshed as he took a swig from it in the middle of running.

Takeo snorted in disgust. "Control yourself," he scolded.

Nikolai grunted. "No."

"Pretty soon security's gonna see us," warned Dempsey, his hand poised over his gun.

Eventually, they reached the edge of the airfield, on constant alert. There hadn't been any signs of life so far, but the doctor knew how misleading that could be. He stepped out onto the tarmac, taking in their new surroundings. There were some small hangars, and a multitude of aircraft grounded all around them. It was very chaotic.

Suddenly, the sound of bullets rang out. A precise stream of them plowed into the ground at the doctor's feet. He leapt back, sprinting under the wing of a plane. Wide-eyed, the others followed suit, hiding under whatever they could find.

"Shit," Dempsey hissed. "What do we do?"

"Try to find ze source," Richtofen snapped, peering out from under the wing. Sure enough, there was an aircraft flying overhead, well-armed with missiles and turrets. He squinted up at it, trying to gauge how high it was, and unstrapped his Zeus Cannon.

"Shoot it down," growled Nikolai approvingly.

As the aircraft made another pass, the doctor lunged out, taking aim. The turret focused in on him. He squeezed the trigger of the cannon, and a purplish burst of supersonic air rippled toward the plane. It banked hard, wobbling in the air, and one of the propellers disintegrated, making it careen away.

"Nice," said Dempsey before he could control himself. He looked horrified at his slip-up.

Richtofen didn't care. He waved for the others to follow him, and he made for a hangar.

They scrambled across the tarmac. The hangar was only a short distance away, but if another one of those aircraft showed up, the doctor wasn't sure if they could make it. And all too soon, the ominous sound of chopping wind filled their ears, alerting them to another danger in the sky.

"Quickly," shouted Richtofen, sprinting.

The others huffed, trying to keep up. Dempsey had no trouble, and Takeo was close by, but as he'd suspected, Kathleen and Nikolai were lagging behind. In a moment, he'd made it under the shadow of the hangar, and in another moment, he was ready to breach the wall. He aimed his cannon point-blank and fired, punching a hole in the metal.

He turned around to track the progress of the others. Dempsey leapt past him, through the wall, and Takeo followed. Then Nikolai, after a moment. The bullets were hitting the tarmac again, and Richtofen could see the terror in Kathleen's eyes. He took a breath, calculating the odds. A moment's hesitation could mean the difference between life and death.

As another rain of bullets began hailing down, the doctor lunged forward. He snatched the front of Kathleen's jacket, shoving her behind him. She gasped as she flew through the air, clutching Samantha's legs to her chest. Everything was a blur, moving in slow-motion. Richtofen spun around to leap through the wall. And a bullet caught him in the thigh.

His face twisted but he kept the momentum, thrusting himself into the hangar.

The others stared at the trail of blood he left behind, shockingly red against the metal.

"Shit," muttered Dempsey. "Shit. The doc's hit."

"I can see the blood," growled Nikolai.

Richtofen was ripping off his jacket, tearing it into strips with his teeth and a knife.

Kathleen put Samantha down and took a step towards him, but he shook his head, his eyes fiery. "Find an entrance," he hissed.

The little brat just stood there and stared.

As he wrapped and tied off his leg, the others tore themselves away from the sight, scrambling around for something that looked like a door. It seemed a vain effort until Takeo made a small noise in the corner. "This appears to be a handle," he murmured, kneeling down.

The doctor stumbled over, tightening his tourniquet. "Open it," he snarled.

Takeo obeyed, pulling up the metal latch. It revealed the mouth of a tunnel, with a thin ladder leading underground. Before anyone could make an objection, Richtofen had vaulted inside, and was climbing down with his stiff, bloody leg.

"Fuck," Dempsey groaned, his face filling with reluctant respect. "Now I can't call him a pussy anymore."

They trickled down one by one, lowering themselves into oblivion. No one knew what would be at the bottom of the tunnel. A weapons facility? Research labs? An endless maze of dark, foreboding corridors? But they kept going, pressed on by fear and curiosity.

With a hiss of pain, Richtofen finally felt his numb foot hit the floor. He lurched down off the ladder, stumbling forward into the darkness. Dim lights lined the wall. He frowned at them, leading off into the subterranean distance.

"Vhere are you," he growled, his fierce whisper carrying through the tunnel.

Dempsey stumbled down beside him, grunting at the impact. "Damn," he muttered.

"I'm scared," whined Samantha, a few feet above them.

Kathleen whispered soothing words. "Don't worry, it's just a little bit further."

"Woah," Nikolai bellowed in horror, touching down. He clutched a bottle tightly in one hand. "Almost dropped my vodka."

Takeo was silent as he reached the bottom, coming up beside Dempsey in the darkness. "Shit!" Dempsey shouted, whipping out his M16. He squinted at him. "Takeo?" He groaned. "Fuck. I thought you were a maggot!"

Finally the girls made it down the ladder, joining the rest of them. Samantha was whimpering, clutching Kathleen's neck. Richtofen glared at the child, and though she kept whimpering, she glared back. "Vhere is ze device?" he hissed, looking into Samantha's eyes.

"I don't know," she moaned, pouting. "I think it's that way." She pointed down the tunnel.

"Tell ze truth," warned the doctor, his voice low, "Or else you vill be trapped here as vell."

She whimpered. "It's that way!" she said again, shoving her finger in the same direction.

The group started forward, moving through the darkness. It was cold, and smelled damp, like wet earth. The tunnel itself seemed to be made of concrete. Curious, the doctor removed a glove and touched it, lifting his fingers to his noise. Gritty, moist. Probably cement or some other form of poured material. He replaced the glove on his hand, limping on.

As they moved further and further down the corridor, the light seemed to be getting brighter. And after a while, they could make out more than just each other's silhouettes. The growing light brought a burst of fresh energy to all of them, and they sprinted forward, noticing a glowing archway up ahead.

They stumbled over the threshold, into a giant, concrete warehouse.

Lights hung from the ceiling, illuminating strange, dusty machines and rows upon rows of equipment.

Richtofen moved on, keeping to the edge of the room, looking for anything that might indicate sensitive material. While these objects could be weapons, they looked decisively man-made, and he was reasonably sure the device would not be kept in the open like this.

"There!" shouted Samatha, her tiny voice echoing off the walls.

They turned to look at her.

She was pointing in a slant across the room, toward a large, hanging doorway. All of them caught their breath, staring at it. Then, steeling themselves, they started in that direction. Now Richtofen was lagging behind, so he unstrapped his Zeus Cannon, prepared to fire at any moment.

The lack of personnel was concerning him. Yes, there had been a response above-ground. But why wasn't anyone responding to a breach of the lower levels? It was highly suspicious, cause for alarm either way. The doctor didn't care if it was a trap, or something even worse; he could feel death around him again, and it was a feeling he loathed.

They drew close to the door, and the terror in the air was palpable. Richtofen scanned the room one last time for threatening movement, then he focused all of his energy and lunged toward the doorway. The others parted to let him through, acknowledging the strange air of leadership he had about him. And as he stood there, staring angrily up at the giant sheet of metal, considering how it should be opened, the alarms began to sound.

Red lights flashed around the room. "Security breach, level four," murmured a calm computer voice. "Dispatch personnel. Security breach, level four." Then a siren sounded, and Samantha screamed, pressing her hands to her ears.

"Oh vell," Richtofen sighed. He flipped the Zeus Cannon in front of his body.

Then, pressing it to the door, he fired.

He lurched back with the force of the blow, and Takeo caught him. The metal of the hanging door blew back, too thick to be punched-through; but it was bent up far enough that they could crawl under it. Dempsey leaned over to look into the room, curious.

A bloody hand reached out to grab him.

"Shit," he spat, jumping back. He pulled out a grenade and threw it under.

It exploded. A loud hissing noise came out of the room, gurgling and wet, like drowning snakes.

"I think we found the hellpigs," Nikolai observed, frowning.

Screaming, five tried to crawl through the opening under the door, scrambling over each other. Samantha shrieked at the swarming, undead bodies, clutching to Kathleen's face. "Stop," yelled Kathleen. "I can't see when you do that. You want to get eaten?"

Samantha lowered her hands, still staring in terror.

Richtofen knelt down, aiming the cannon at the opening. He fired. The struggling zombies flew back into the room, and they heard the sickening splat of a dozen bodies. There was a moment of silence. Then a dozen more started moaning and shuffling toward the door.

"That doesn't sound good," muttered Dempsey.

Kathleen looked crestfallen. "But we're so close," she said, her voice strained.

Nikolai bent down and took a few shots with his FN-FAL. Blood splattered on the floor. "We can take them," he said, confident. "With my FN-FAL and the doctor's thunder cannon, we are unstoppable." He grinned back at Richtofen for support.

The doctor was still kneeling on the floor, leaning against his Zeus Cannon. He was staring under the wall with a blank look on his face.

"You do not agree?" asked Nikolai, frowning.

Richtofen slumped forward, crumpling to the ground in a puddle of his own blood.

"No!" Kathleen shrieked, falling to her knees beside him. Samantha climbed down to the floor, her face twisted between pleasure and horror.

Kathleen's hands trembled as she grabbed the collar of his jacket, pulling him up. Takeo helped. The doctor was limp, his head lolling back, but his adam's apple bobbed as he took a shallow breath. "Doctor Richtofen," she gasped. "Can you hear me?"

His eyes were glassy as he tried to open them.

"Damn it," Kathleen hissed, looping her arm around his back. Dempsey and Nikolai knelt by the opening now, shooting the horde as it tried to struggle through. "If you almost die on me again, I'm going to kill you myself," she snapped, shrugging him up against her chest.

He gave a weak grin. "Is zhat so," he mumbled.

"Shit." She pressed her hand against the back of his head, lifting it up, and frowned at his face. "Doctor Edward Richtofen, you listen to me right now," she said, gritting her teeth. "Send us back to Siegfried before you bleed out on the floor."

"Reach into my pocket," he said, his words slurred. He lifted a limp hand to his chest, and it slipped back down.

She opened his breast pocket, and there was a wallet-sized device tucked inside. She pulled it out.

"What do I do now?" she asked, her voice tense.

He took a thick breath, his eyes rolling back. "Hold it to my mouth."

She obliged.

"Abbrechen," he sighed.

And she grabbed Samantha's arm as the light surrounded them.

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Russian: Nikolai is singing a Russian folk-song called "Bright face, round face." The words he sings are "Bright face, round face, fair maiden..."

German: The doctor says "abort" to the device, and it sends them back to Siegfried.

...

...

WELL OH MY GOODNESS.

Are you as wired on this chapter as I am? Because ... I just want to write all day now ... !

SO MUCH ACTION. ... And injury! And excitement! And Nikolai! What was your favorite part? And what's your favorite part of the story so far?

TELL ME ALLLLLLLLL OF YOUR THOUGHTS! ... I love them. They help me know what I'm doing right, and what I need to write more of! :D

Comments, questions, suggestions? Tell me!
ZE DOCTOR VILL LISTEN TO ALL ZE GLORIOUS WORDS...!

Ze Doctor Says: "... Reviews ... are ... ze only ... cure ...."