Location: Zahni Corporation headquarters, somewhere south of Buenos Aires, Argentina
The rain had stopped but the clouds were still there, as they always seemed to be in this part of the country. A strong, cold wind was blowing across the plains and sent shivers through Kynarus as he stepped out onto the roof of the Zahni Corporation headquarters building. Katherine was just behind him, her eyes scanning the surrounding area for any sign of the enemy.
This part of the roof was taken up by air conditioning units and drainage pipes, creating a sort of maze-like area to traverse through. Some stairs ahead went onto a higher section of the roof and it was here Kynarus could make out the sounds of chopper blades whirring and people shouting, although he couldn't make out what they were saying. Katherine could hear it too and had stopped to listen; trying her best to make out whatever it was that was being said.
Steam wafted out of a grating ahead, shifting as the wind blew. The hum of the climate control units provided a quiet background ambience for the roof, although it was soon drowned out by a distant boom of thunder. Above the dark overcast sky successfully blocked out any view of the sun, making what was only early afternoon into what seemed like evening. It was quiet on the surrounding plains and hills, the yellowing grass blowing with the wind and rattling against one another quietly.
Kynarus looked around the section of roof ahead of them, noticing a door set in the side of the higher up ledge. A walkway went from the door and to the lower section of roof, perhaps leading from another section of the top floor. Kynarus had a feeling that if anyone had followed them they would be coming onto the roof by the stairwell and so he made sure his pistol was gripped tightly in his left hand, preferring to have it ready if anyone did come.
Kynarus took a moment to think abut why Schraeder and Dieter had come up here, most likely leaving on whatever airborne transports were making the noises he could hear. Where they were going was unknown to him but he knew he would have to intercept them before they managed to escape yet again or, at the very least, find out where they were going. He didn't really like the latter option seeing as he was already getting sick of chasing these guys around everywhere, having gone from Talerian to the Citadel chasing Dieter only to end up on Mars and now Earth chasing Schraeder. Things would have to come to an end soon otherwise he'd end up just throwing in the towel. Katherine, on the other hand, seemed a lot more determined than him and was already starting towards the stairs that lead onto the higher section of roof.
Kynarus had the feeling that they wouldn't have been in this position if he had just shot Schraeder before going for Bradley but it had been because of his anger that he had gone for the one who had sold him out first, leaving the main bad guy for later. Of course, he could have easily shifted his aim after shooting Bradley in the back of the head towards Schraeder but by that time all those officers in the conference room had started shooting at him. Perhaps if he had had working kinetic shields he might have been able to shoot Schraeder as well before having gone into cover but unfortunately his armour's shields had conked out back on Mars.
"Wait up Katherine," Kynarus said as she started walking. She stopped and turned around, looking at him with a slightly annoyed expression. She was definitely not in the mood for anymore delays.
"What is it now?" She asked before adding, "Because I really don't think we should delay this any longer…" Katherine was about to go on about why such delays would be disadvantageous to them but she was interrupted by the bark of a rifle from somewhere up ahead. Concrete near her feet erupted into small explosions as bullets impacted the ground near her and she immediately went diving behind an air conditioning unit, falling behind cover as she shifted her gaze to the walkways ahead.
Kynarus saw the rifle flash and looked towards where it had come from, seeing that the door he had noticed only moments before had slid open. Zahni Corporation guards were flowing out of the space beyond the door, taking up position on the ledge ahead and opening fire with their rifles. Kynarus went running behind the nearest climate control unit, a grating in the back of it sending white and warm steam into his face. He rubbed his eyes clear and put his back to the unit, pistol gripped tightly in his left hand as he leaned around the side to see where the guards had positioned themselves. He ducked his head back behind the unit as several rounds tore through the air towards him, pinging against the metal of the unit and blowing chunks out of the concrete near his feet.
As if to complicate matters further the door into the every elevator he and Katherine used slid open, revealing about three armed and ready Corporation guards behind it. Kynarus saw the door open and so had his pistol raised and aimed before the guards inside had the room to run outside, opening fire at the elevator as it opened. Two of the guards inside fell within seconds, blood smearing the walls inside the elevator as the last guard somersaulted out and came up firing his rifle.
Kynarus grunted as the now familiar sensation of a bullet tearing into him occurred yet again, this time just below his left pectoral. He grunted and stumbled backwards only briefly, barely aware of Katherine's concerned shouts. Seconds before the main extent of the pain kicked in Kynarus managed to compose himself long enough to return fire, the guard falling backwards abruptly as part of his head broke away. He fell backwards, his finger still on the trigger of his rifle which in turn sent bullets colliding into the wall behind him and then the floor beneath him. The rifle fell silent when the guard's grip gave way slightly; leaving only the sounds of the other guard's shouts audible in the cool midday air. Above thunder rumbled ominously and Kynarus slumped against the back of the unit, able to feel a strange but painful burning sensation in one half of his chest.
He took the moment to try and compose himself, putting his right hand to the bullet wound and feeling it come back sticky with blood. He swore quietly in turian under his breath, knowing that such bad luck would probably impede his progress immensely. Not only that but he could feel an odd warming sensation slowly making its way from the wound and spreading throughout the inside of his chest. He doubted that was a good sign.
He glanced over at Katherine, seeing that she was too busy to really do anything to help him right now, trying her best to gun down the guards firing at them from the ledge ahead. The shouting he had heard earlier seemed more frantic and angered now, partially drowned out by the sound of the shooting. Whoever it was didn't like the idea that a hostile force was on its way to him but seemed rather content to continue his argument anyway.
Kynarus didn't like his chances with this new wound but knew he would have to continue in this state regardless. He and Katherine were close to Dieter and Schraeder and stopping now would mean that the two Corporation assholes would get away again. Kynarus was rather determined to stop them from escaping for the umpteenth time, realizing that even if he was wounded he would have to continue on as best he could. Summing up his waning strength he rose back onto his feet just as the elevator doors opened again, bringing up another three Corporation guards. None of the three made it out of the elevator, cut down within seconds as Kynarus raised his pistol and began firing at the elevator wildly. They made easy targets cooped up inside such a small space and so he didn't really have to aim too carefully, rather he simply took aim at the elevator and fired away. When those three guards were down, piled on top of one another in a spread-eagled fashion, Kynarus took more careful aim at the elevator's control panel by its doors. It only took a single shot to bust a hole in the panel, sending smoke and sparks flying from the broken controls.
Kynarus ignored the stab of pain in his chest as he leaned around the side of the climate control unit, taking aim at one of the guards on the ledge ahead and firing away. He watched with some satisfaction as the guard fell backwards and disappeared behind the ledge's barrier, never to get back up again. With the brief lull in the firing as the other remaining guards watched with surprise as their buddy fell, Kynarus took the chance to look over at Katherine.
"We have got to get moving!" He shouted, stating the painfully obvious. They both knew that if they waited any longer Schraeder and Dieter would just get away again. This was the last thing either of them wanted and so getting a move on was certainly a recommended action.
Katherine looked at him, her eyes shifting to the bleeding wound at his chest. Kynarus shot her a gaze that more or less told her that she shouldn't worry about it and she looked away, shifting her attention back on the guards firing on them from up ahead. She leaned around the air conditioning unit she was crouched behind and started shooting, taking down another of the guards and inclining the others to keep their heads down.
Kynarus felt a little strange, as if his strength was leaving him. He swallowed something that tasted a little odd and realized it was blood which was definitely not a good sign. He put his right hand to the hole in the armour at the left part of his chest, able to feel that the shot he had caught this time around had penetrated straight through his armour. It had probably been some sort of armour-piercing round but he knew he didn't have too much time to think about the type of bullet he had received; rather he had to get himself moving. He hoped he could keep his energy up enough for him to do so since already he was feeling a bit weak, as if something was sapping away his energy.
Katherine had started moving ahead, firing her pistol at the guards up on the ledge. They stayed behind cover under the fire, allowing her to cover some ground before one of them came back up and started shooting again. Katherine was by then halfway up the stairs and so rolled off of the landing and behind a concrete wall, keeping herself hidden as bullets hammered into the concrete and blew chunks of it away. Kynarus could see the remaining few guards had their attention set on Katherine, thus allowing him a chance to move up even though she was in trouble.
Kynarus took a deep breath and did his best to ignore the throbbing pain in his chest and the warm sensation that went with it. He came running from behind cover, pistol raised with his left hand as he came charging up the metal stairs. There were about three guards up on the next section of the roof and they were all firing at Katherine's position, only just becoming aware of Kynarus seconds before they were shot. Kynarus came racing up the stairs and past Katherine, gunning down the three soldiers with relative ease during this sudden burst of adrenaline. As he came up the top of the stairs he was suddenly aware of the silence of the rooftop, the sound of the wind whistling by and the "whup-whup" of the pair of transport helicopters parked up ahead the only noises audible for the moment. The yelling had stopped as if someone had flicked a switch to turn it off although from what Kynarus could see the person who had been yelling was still alive and standing by one of the large, black and unmarked transport helicopters.
There were two of these helicopters, each with wings fitted with spinning rotor blades which could be used to hover and swivelled to face the front in order to propel the aircraft forwards like an airplane. If memory served Kynarus correctly than these vehicles were usually called "Osprey". There were two of these aircraft and the one closest, about thirty metres ahead and parked on what looked like a helipad, had its door and ramp extended and a familiar figure on crutches standing at the end of the ramp. It was Hermann and he seemed to be preoccupied with talking to whoever was standing in the transport's doorway. Taking a more direct look Kynarus could make out Dieter standing in the Osprey's doorway and he noticed that the human seemed more preoccupied with talking to Hermann than anything else.
Hermann began yelling angrily again and this time around Kynarus could make out most of it quite clearly. What was being said lead him to believe that all was not well within the Corporation's top circle of figures.
"…I've had enough! How many times do I have to say this?" Hermann yelled at the top of his voice, oblivious to the fact that a potentially hostile turian was making his way slowly across the helipad. "I'm staying behind! I can't take this bullshit anymore!"
Dieter didn't seem too interested in whatever point Hermann was trying to make. Instead, his gaze moved to the left a little and it rested on Kynarus who was standing at the other side of the helipad, watching and listening from what seemed like a safe distance.
Kynarus made sure he was close to cover, standing by a large block of concrete which served as the entrance into what looked like the main elevator. The door was shut and there seemed to be no signs of anyone coming up although he decided to keep an eye on it anyway. He tried his best to ignore the ever annoying throbbing pain in his chest as he started moving behind the concrete section, realizing that he would probably need some sort of medical attention soon enough. Such a thing would be hard to get, especially since he was on the roof of the very headquarters of the enemy.
Dieter's face contorted into one of anger when he saw Kynarus and he immediately turned around to look inside the chopper, barking orders at someone inside the chopper. Immediately the spinning rotor blades began to spin much faster, becoming a blur of speed as the Osprey lifted off. Kynarus watched as the ramp retracted, leaving a surprised looking Hermann standing on the helipad. Kynarus heard footsteps behind him and turned around, seeing that Katherine had come up to see what was going on. Kynarus cautioned her to stay in cover as the Osprey took off, hovering several metres above the top of the building.
Dieter was still visible in the open doorway and he seemed to be setting up something on a tripod. He rested a large and long metal shape in the doorway, fixing it to the top of the tripod as he stepped behind it. Kynarus suddenly knew what it was and started running for cover behind the concrete elevator section as the mounted gun opened fire.
Such a weapon could fire several thousand rounds without needing to be reloaded, having been designed for anti-infantry purposes. The gun itself fired so fast it sounded more like a continuous "clipping" sound, leading many to nickname these types of guns "shredders". Dieter seemed to be enjoying himself as he strafed the concrete elevator section with hundreds of rounds, blowing massive chunks out of the concrete and sending clouds of dust floating through the air. Hermann had started hobbling away on his crutches, heading for cover at a slow but desperate pace. Katherine had taken cover below the ledge behind her, preferring to keep her head down rather than try and return fire.
Kynarus stayed low as rounds tore through the concrete close to him, sending concrete dust into his eyes and into his mouth. He coughed and gagged on some of the stuff, trying to compose himself enough in order to return fire. Dieter wasn't letting up on firing the mounted gun, taking advantage of its high magazine size and simply spraying the bullets in the turian's general direction. Meanwhile the other Osprey remained stationary, a man in a Corporation's technician uniform stepping out of it and racing over to the front. Perhaps they were having engine trouble, Kynarus couldn't really tell. He was too busy getting shot at.
He edged his way around the small concrete section, coming around the other side without Dieter noticing. The Osprey the human was in was still hovering several metres above the rooftop as if whoever was piloting it was expecting Dieter to kill the turian. The human failed to notice the turian move around the back of the concrete section and around the other side and instead continued firing at the same place, thinking that Kynarus was still there. Already the metal inside the concrete walls was becoming visible as more and more concrete was blasted away under the intense fire. If things kept up like this Kynarus doubted he would have any cover left to stay behind.
He could see Dieter standing in the side doorway of the Osprey, firing away the mounted gun with a wide grin on his face. Kynarus decided he would try and finally wipe that grin off of the human's face, leaning around the side of the concrete section and taking careful aim with his pistol at Dieter. He fired several shots, some of which went wide and pinged off of the Osprey's armour while one seemed to find its mark, Dieter stumbling back and clutching at his shoulder whilst swearing loudly.
"Let's go! Now!" He shouted at the pilot, shooting Kynarus a rather malevolent scowl as the Osprey started moving. It sped away from the building, leaving Kynarus, Katherine and Hermann alone on the rooftop.
Damn it!
Kynarus angrily punched the nearest section of wall, quickly retracting his right hand in pain when his right fist impacted the concrete section. He swore loudly in his native tongue, realizing that once again Dieter and whoever else was on board that transport aircraft had escaped to only God knew where. It occurred to him then that the other Osprey was still parked on the helipad although it seemed that whatever engine trouble they had been facing had been fixed.
Kynarus recovered from his brief moment of rage and started running towards the parked Osprey. Its rotor blades were beginning to spin faster now and the technician he had seen step out of it earlier was running back for the side door. Inside he could see a few Corporation soldiers, all of which were about to train their weapons on him. Kynarus raised his pistol and started shooting, gunning down the technician as he ran and then shifting his aim towards the Osprey's open doorway and pulling his pistol's trigger as fast as he could. Some of the soldiers fell while a few of them raised their rifles and opened fire, forcing Kynarus to dive onto the ground in order to avoid their volleys of fire. Concrete was blasted away near where Kynarus was lying prone but the turian ignored the close impact of the rounds shot towards him and instead kept firing into the Osprey transport, bullets pinging off of the transport's armour whilst others found their way through the open door. By now the pilot was trying his best to get the vehicle to take off but Kynarus was determined to stop him from doing so, getting back up and starting to sprint straight for the open door. The soldiers inside were mostly all dead and Kynarus only encountered one as he race dup the ramp, catching the soldier by surprise as he connected the butt of his pistol into the human's face before grabbing him and launching him out of the Osprey. The soldier hit the helipad with a heavy thud and didn't get back up, the turian assuming he was effectively neutralized. Kynarus looked around, noticing that Katherine was alive and well and running for the Osprey.
The turian done his best to ignore the pain in his chest and turned towards the passenger section of the large Osprey transport, finding the pilot cowering in his seat in front of the controls and viewport. He looked towards Kynarus with obvious fear and this was enough to make the turian feel a little more confident in his current position.
"Don't shoot!" The pilot raised his arms, shaking uncontrollably. Kynarus only regarded him with indifference, not at all concerned about the pilot and more interested in the information he was able to give him.
"Where's Dieter headed?" Kynarus asked, surprised to hear that his voice sounded strained and weak. He tried to disguise this by putting on a harder edge to his voice but he could see such a thing wasn't necessary, able to tell that the pilot was terrified of him.
"To…to a place called Comodoro Rivadavia…" The pilot gestured towards the computers and panels in front of him. "It's all programmed into the navigation computer…All you have to do is take-off and the aircraft will fly itself there…Just please, let me live! I told you what you wanted to know!"
Kynarus took a look at the controls and figured he could work them without much trouble, especially since the aircraft would be flying itself for most of the trip. With regards to the pilot Kynarus couldn't simply let him go and report where him and Katherine were headed so the turian simply raised his pistol and shot the pilot right between the eyes, spraying blood across the viewport. Kynarus didn't feel any remorse for the killing, having already gotten quickly tired of the Corporation and its seemingly endless amounts of goons. Another dead Zahni Corporation goon wasn't going to get noticed.
Katherine arrived at that instant and climbed aboard, eyeing Kynarus and the dead pilot with some curiosity. Her expression immediately changed to one of concern when she could see that Kynarus was bleeding from an obvious bullet wound to the chest. She stopped behind him and put a hand on his shoulder in an effort to reassure him but Kynarus shook it off, shooting her a sharp look.
"You're hit," Katherine said, "We should try and find some medi-gel…"
"I'll be fine," Kynarus said, frustrated that Katherine seemed more concerned about him than finding Dieter and Schraeder, "just move these bodies out of here so we have room to move around."
"But you'll bleed to death…"
"I'm fine!" Kynarus snapped then and there, raising his voice and almost lunging at the human female. She looked taken aback for a brief moment before moving her attention to the several bodies lying sprawled inside the Osprey transport. Kynarus had the feeling that he had reacted in an unnecessary fashion but he really wasn't in the mood for anymore time wasting, preferring that they both get ready to depart as soon as possible. Katherine had fallen silent and didn't make eye contact with him, simply going about the task of removing the bodies from the transport by rolling them out of the side door.
Kynarus pushed the dead pilot out of his seat, sitting himself down in the pilot's chair only for him to groan quietly as pain shot through his chest. He swallowed blood once more and figured that Katherine's concern for his wounds wasn't unfounded. He figured that without proper medical attention he would slowly bleed out but he knew that proper medical attention would be impossible to get without allowing Dieter and Schraeder to get further away. He was no expert but he assumed he could last for several more hours before his wounds got the better of him but just to be sure of himself he searched the cabinets under the pilot's seat, finding a first aid kit. Inside were an empty tub of medi-gel and several bandages, inclining the turian to slowly remove his chest plating and expose his scaly skin underneath.
While Katherine was removing the bodies of the Corporation goons from the Osprey transport Kynarus was tending to the bullet he had caught in his left pectoral, plugging the bleeding and jagged wound with some absorbent material from the first aid kit before wrapping bandages around his chest and onto the wound itself.
That ought to hold me together for a little while…
Once finished he put back on his chest armour plating and tried to get comfortable in the pilot's seat, glancing behind him and seeing that Katherine had removed all of the bodies. Without any further delay Kynarus turned back to the controls in front of him and found the navigation computer, noticing that the pilot had already keyed in the coordinates for a particular spot further down the coastline of the continent known as South America. It was a safe bet that Dieter and Schraeder were on their way to that very place so Kynarus found the controls to alter the engine power and gripped the control stick, easing the aircraft off of the helipad.
Seconds later the navigation computer kicked in, guiding the aircraft up and away from the building without any further input from the turian. Sitting back in the seat Kynarus glanced back at Katherine who was seated behind him, noticing that she seemed to be in a rather sullen mood. This was understandable since he had snapped at her but he already had enough on his mind and he didn't need Katherine to fret over his physical health. Kynarus was quite confident that he would be fine and was so sure of this fact that he decided to sit back and try and get some rest, closing his eyes as the Osprey began zooming over the rolling plains of Argentina. Katherine, on the other hand, sat in silence and found it very hard to go to sleep.
Kynarus didn't fall asleep himself, instead trying his best to do so but finding it impossible. He opened his eyes and turned to look back at Katherine, trying to manage his best sympathetic expression. She didn't seem too interested in looking at him, instead gazing out of the still pen door at the landscape rushing past below.
"I'm sorry," Kynarus croaked, still surprised at how strained he sounded. Katherine looked up, fixing his eyes on him and simply shrugging.
"Don't be," she said simply, "this whole 'chase-down-Dieter' thing is getting on my nerves too. I'm just worried about you, that's all…I'll understand if you're angry."
There was a brief moment's of silence between the two as they both tried to understand what the other was feeling. Kynarus didn't feel too good but still tried his best to hide this fact, about to turn his attention back to the controls in front of him when Katherine said something that made him feel like banging his head against a wall again.
"I think we left that Hermann guy on the roof," she said, the pair realizing that they had just missed out on a chance to finally get Hermann Holst in particular. Kynarus simply shook his head, realizing that there was no point in turning back now. Besides, according to the navigation computer the region known as "Comodoro Rivadavia" wasn't too far away. No point turning around when they were almost there. For once, Kynarus decided to forget about killing someone in particular and decided to enjoy whatever sights the flight had to officer, which included views of the rolling plains of Argentina which eventually opened into wind-blasted desert.
Once, sometime in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, Comodoro Rivadavia had been a city of growth and expansion. It lay on the coast of the San Jorge Gulf and had once been the most important city of the region, acting as a vital import/export point for natural gas and oil.
That was why Comodoro Rivadavia was more or less deserted now. It had once been a city in an oil boom, growing over time due to its exports of oil and gas. When element zero had been discovered oil became obsolete and so did Comodoro Rivadavia, sending the city into a state of decay and poverty. People left the city in droves and now it was one of the many ghost towns that dotted the South American landscape, most populations having moved to larger cities such as Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro. There were still people in Comodoro, just not very many and those that were here were often the very poor who could not afford to leave.
Comodoro had also been a popular tourist spot but unfortunately those days were long over. Tourists tended to visit the more exotic destinations which mostly consisted of places not on Earth but on far out planets such as Palaven and Elysium. A mostly deserted city as Comodoro was the sort of place where someone could get away with almost anything and do what they wanted without attracting attention. Such a place seemed to have been the ideal location to hide the package and its contents until further notice.
The Osprey transport contained a bunch of some of the best of the Corporation's elite soldiers, kitted out in heavy armour with kinetic barriers. They were seated through the passenger area along with Dieter Sturlmann, Rellin Kia'Shan, Heinrich Walstedt and Herbert von Schraeder. Dieter had bandaged up his shoulder wound and had been sitting quietly for most of the trip, thinking things over and trying to determine why exactly they were coming to this particular dilapidated city. Schraeder had been tight-lipped about the reasons why they were coming here but if Dieter assumed correctly it was because this was where the real package was hidden. How it had ended up here was beyond his knowledge but knowing Schraeder there would be a very good reason why.
Dieter had been sure he had gunned down the turian back at the rooftop but then again he had never actually seen Kynarus Vakarian fall. He had simply assumed that the turian had died in the hail of bullets that he had sent his way, having been glad for a moment back there to have finally gotten rid of that pesky turian. Like everyone else, Dieter hadn't been expecting Kynarus and Katherine to show up still as their usual violent selves. Rather, he and Schraeder had been expecting the loyal, obedient Corporation soldiers that Schraeder had wanted them to be programmed as. Instead the turian and the woman had showed up in the offices and gunned down Bradley, a rather helpful informant that Dieter had located on Mars several days ago.
Dieter still felt some pain in his shoulder but the medi-gel he had applied there had eased the pain considerably. He shifted in his seat, moving his gaze towards the open doorway in the side of the Osprey transport. He could see the distant shapes of the buildings of Comodoro Rivadavia coming to view. They would arrive at their destination in a few more minutes by the look of it.
Dieter had the mounted gun sitting on his lap, having dismounted the gun itself from the tripod after getting shot by Kynarus whom he had thought had been dead. He was hoping he would get to use such an excellent piece of military equipment again soon seeing as there was no doubt that Kynarus and Katherine would try and follow them. To top things off Dieter and the others were pretty certain that Cerberus was on their trail as well, having picked up an incoming chopper before leaving the Zahni Corporation headquarters. Such an occurrence would incline Schraeder to carry out the next part of the scheme faster and probably make mistakes while he was at it.
Dieter hadn't taken too kindly to Schraeder when his former boss had decided to reinstate himself. Dieter had been demoted back down to his second-in-command status, one he had been tired of long before Schraeder had been locked away in prison. This was why Dieter, Heinrich and Rellin along with most of the soldiers were planning to overthrow Schraeder once they had retrieved the package and left Comodoro Rivadavia. Of course, all of them weren't allowed to think about it too much otherwise Schraeder might "sense" what was coming. Instead, Dieter quickly reverted to thinking about the ocean and the rolling waves that were commonly associated with it. He did notice an odd look from Schraeder but otherwise the ageing Corporation boss didn't do much else. Instead, Schraeder returned to his own thoughts as the transport flew over the mostly deserted city below.
Another thing which was currently on Dieter's mind had been Hermann's sudden outburst back at the rooftop. It had been unexpected but something Dieter hadn't been to fazed about and as a result Dieter had been made to deal with it, trying his best to talk some sense into the biotic specialist but instead getting a mouthful of insults. Hermann had seemed desperate, as if there had been something on his mind. Dieter had been quite surprised when Hermann had said he would go and defect to Cerberus but by the time this part of the argument had been reached, Kynarus and Katherine had arrived on the helipad and decided to shot the place up. Dieter had then simply let Hermann yell away, realizing that the young man was too far gone for anyone's help. Dieter did regret leaving Hermann behind on the rooftop and figured that by now Kynarus had probably killed him or taken him captive.
Hermann had been a friend although when it came down to business he had seemed hesitant to really commit his full loyalty to the Corporation. Dieter had always sensed doubt in the young man but had simply let it go, finding Hermann's abilities to far outweigh whatever doubts were felt about him. Hermann had been capable at what he did and as a result had been placed in charge of the small contingent of biotic soldiers in service for the Corporation. Those soldiers were currently in service else where on Earth and Hermann had been assigned to the search for the package, becoming part of Dieter's team. Now that team was all but gone thanks to Kynarus and Katherine. They had killed Kalax, the loyal krogan and then they had killed Klaus, Francis Darian and Hans Berenger. All three of those humans had been good at their jobs and by far some of the most capable people Dieter had ever met. It was a shame that they were all dead but it was more of a shame that Schraeder had taken charge and decided to compensate for the lack of numbers with standard elite soldiers. To Dieter, it just didn't feel the same as it had when he had had a team of people he knew.
Regardless, Dieter knew he would have to work with these most likely incompetent soldiers until he could organize something better. He knew he ought to have more confidence in his own troops but ever since Kynarus and Katherine had had so much luck in killing plenty of Corporation soldiers, Dieter's faith in the Corporation's armed forces had diminished considerably. If they couldn't kill a single turian and that turian's human friend then chances were they would have plenty of trouble when it came to fighting Cerberus when the time came. No doubt Cerberus would try an all-out attack in an effort to remove the Corporation permanently.
Dieter shifted where he sat, looking towards Rellin. The half-synthetic turian returned his gaze with a slight nod; they both knew the plan to remove Schraeder and they were both willing to carry it out once they had found the package.
Finally the Osprey transport was beginning to descend, the shapes of the many tall structures of Comodoro Rivadavia visible in the distance. The whole city was surrounded by rolling desert plains and sat on the very coast of the country, right near the San Jorge Gulf. Waves washed up against the shore and the whole place would have looked appealing if it were not mostly abandoned and dilapidated as well as being in the middle of a raging thunderstorm. Rain was pouring down in sheets and strong winds shook the transport as it descended, inclining some of the soldiers to steady themselves on whatever they could. Dieter simply remained seated in silence, not at all concerned about the turbulence that was shaking the transport. It subsided as the aircraft came to hover half a metre or so off the ground, positioned by a set of deserted metal buildings that had rusted from the rain and become overgrown with weeds.
They had arrived on the outskirts of Comodoro Rivadavia and according to the very little amount of information Schraeder had given them it seemed he was intent on checking out a particular spot on the edges of the city. It was completely unknown to everyone but Schraeder just how the package could have ended up in such an out-of-the-way place but no one was willing to ask questions, preferring to keep their mouths shut as they gathered their gear and started disembarking from the transport.
Dieter was last out, lugging the mounted gun with him under one arm as he followed Rellin and Schraeder out of the transport. By now the elite soldiers had formed a perimeter around the chopper, weapons raised as they searched the area for potential hostiles. Unsurprisingly none were found and the all clear was given, allowing Schraeder to start moving.
They had landed in what looked to have once been a public park. Now it was overgrown and muddy, having become more of a swamp than anything that might have once attracted families and dog owners as a place to rest and hang out. A wooden park bench lay half buried in muddy swamp water several metres off to Dieter's left while the ground underneath them sunk slightly with each step. The rain was still coming down hard and was already making Dieter feel cold so he carefully buttoned up his jacket with one hand while he looked around them at the public park. Heinrich Walstedt was standing to his right and didn't seem too excited about being stuck in a swamp in the middle of the rain.
"Why are we here?" He asked, "There's nothing left here except discarded junk."
Ahead were several metal buildings, having once formed a small cluster of portable offices for the planners that had been involved with the construction of a set of unfinished houses at the edge of the park. Now those offices were overgrown with weeds and creepers while the unfinished wooden frames of the houses had all but fallen down. It seemed the decline of Comodoro Rivadavia had been enough to halt construction works like this in their tracks, providing one of the more negative aspects of discovering the Prothean ruins on Mars. Those ruins may have opened up a new world of technological possibilities for humanity but they had also affected those places that had relied on the old technology, such as oil and petrol. Comodoro Rivadavia had relied on oil for its economy and without that the city was all but nothing.
"What better place to hide something that looks like junk than amongst other junk?" Schraeder said, turning his head to look back at Heinrich. Heinrich simply shrugged, not too interested in whatever point Schraeder was trying to make.
"We're standing in the rain," Heinrich said, stating the obvious, "can't we find some shelter? Perhaps the rain itself will finish soon and then we can start our search…"
"It won't end for hours and you should know that, Heinrich," Dieter said, finally speaking. Heinrich looked at him with a raised eyebrow, perhaps surprised at Dieter's sudden decision to actually talk.
"The weather here in South America isn't too hard to predict," Dieter added, "when it rains it really does rain. And it goes on for hours." He paused for emphasis, gesturing to their surroundings and the sky above. "You obviously haven't spent too much time on Earth, otherwise you would know that weather in South America can get really…wet."
"I don't need to spend time on Earth," Heinrich replied, looking at Dieter with some scorn, "the planet's become such a shithole lately I've decided to try and stay off it as much as I can."
Dieter didn't like it when people insulted Earth, seeing as it was humanity's home-world and thus deserved some measure of respect. He shot Heinrich a warning glance, one that more or less told him what would happen if he talked out of line again. Heinrich got the message and turned around, falling silent and avoiding eye contact with Dieter.
"Where do we go from here?" Rellin asked, looking around and most likely scanning the area with his one artificial eye, "there doesn't appear to be much in the immediate vicinity…"
"Follow me," Schraeder said as he started to make his way across the swampy public park, the ground squishing beneath him with each step. Dieter, Rellin and Heinrich began to follow as well as two of the soldiers, the others staying behind to keep an eye on the Osprey transport. It was then that Dieter noticed that the soldiers accompanying them were carrying shovels and it struck him then that maybe Schraeder was leading them straight to wherever the package was hidden.
They continued through the park and through the pouring rain, Dieter's jacket getting soaked during the walk. He and the others followed Schraeder all the way through the swampy public park, being sure to step over any large puddles of algae and swamp water. Ahead was a wooden fence that had long fallen down, leaving planks of wood protruding from the swampy ground beneath. Behind the fence was what looked to be a church, probably one for one of the older religions of the world such as Christianity or Catholicism. The church's steeple towered high above the park while to the church's right was a car park with a road that winded off into what appeared to be a suburban area of the city. Everything was overgrown while the road was cracked, having not been maintained for years. Schraeder lead them past the boarded up church, passing walls that had rather crude graffiti scrawled all over them. A rusted hulk of a car sat parked in the car park, having seen far better days.
There was a rather large cemetery on the other side of the car park, overgrown with weeds and creepers like the rest of the park. Gravestones stood high and low through the tall green grass, the stones themselves slickened with rainwater and shining in the small amount of sunlight that was making its way through the overcast sky above. Some were taller than others, with intricate statues of angels and crosses while others were simple blocks of stone set low in the ground.
Schraeder halted at the gate into the cemetery abruptly, as if sensing something. Dieter stopped a few metres to his right and watched as Schraeder closed his eyes, either trying to remember where the package was or doing whatever it was that enabled him to sense things far easier than any ordinary person. A minute passed in silence and suddenly Schraeder opened his eyes, pointing towards one of the gravestones with a large stone cross on top of it.
"Dig at that grave," he ordered and the two soldiers with the shovels went running past, stopping at the grave and bringing out their shovels. They began to dig at the soft, muddy dirt while Schraeder approached and watched them go to work.
Dieter figured that the package had been hidden in a grave here by whoever had had it last. He couldn't work out how Schraeder would know its whereabouts but he didn't bother asking since he had the feeling Schraeder wouldn't give him a straight answer.
That was when the familiar sound of an Osprey transport became audible, coming from somewhere distant but increasing in volume as it neared. Dieter and the others looked up and watched with some disdain as the second transport came flying overhead, heading or about the same place the other transport had landed. This was of course expected, seeing as a transport full of soldiers had been assigned to follow them and back them up. However, what got Dieter angry was when the mounted gun in the side doorway opened fire and began sending bullets down into the graveyard, ripping apart gravestones and cutting down one of the soldiers busy digging at the grave Schraeder had pointed out.
Dieter and the others dived onto the muddy ground as the Osprey flew overhead, the gunner turning his attention to the group of soldiers standing guard by the other transport. The mounted gun opened fire again while the soldiers themselves attempted to return fire. Dieter could make out a turian seated behind the mounted gun and it was obvious who it was.
"Kynarus Vakarian…" He said simply as he slowly rose back onto his feet. It was obvious that turian and his human girlfriend weren't going to give up so easily so Dieter decided he would end things here and now. He looked towards Schraeder, who was also standing up and who seemed more concerned about digging at the grave. He went for the dead soldier's dropped shovel and began digging, the surviving soldier getting up and following suit.
Dieter pointed to Heinrich and Rellin, signalling them to follow him.
"Come with me you two," Dieter said as he turned back to start in the direction of the public park, "we're going to finish this."