Chapter 31
"Right, what's this all about, then?"
"Misato's been kidnapped, Spike," Shinji answered.
"The Council?" Angel asked. Shinji nodded.
"What is your plan?" Illyria asked.
"Right now, I'm just making it up as I go," Shinji replied honestly, "A plan…let me think…Plan 'A': we try to sneak in and break her out quietly without raising any alarms."
"What's plan 'B'?" Spike asked, "Because, honestly, I'm not seein' us sneakin' in anywhere."
"I'll tell you plan 'B' if it comes to it," Shinji answered, "Let's wait until nightfall then get to it."
"Nightfall's not for another thirty minutes," said Angel, "Why don't we take the remaining time to scope out the block for possible entrances and exits?"
"Good idea," Shinji responded, grateful for the additional planning skills, "How're we going to divide things up?"
"Before we get to that, mind tellin' me what's the girl doin' here?" Spike demanded.
Angel opened his mouth to speak, but Shinji was faster.
"She's trying to help me rescue our friend, you git," Shinji said, adding a thick, imitation British accent to his voice. Angel, Shinji and Rei laughed.
"What the hell's so bleedin' funny?!" Spike demanded.
"The fact that he just shut you up in your own vernacular," Rei replied, still giggling.
"I also find it amusing that a non-Englishman managed to silence you using your own accent and dialect," Illyria added evenly.
"Oh, hardy-bloody-har," Spike said sarcastically.
"Okay, kids, let's focus a little bit, here," said Angel, coming back to his full sobriety, "Spike, you and I will cover the sewers. Shinji, you and Rei take the west block of Fourth Avenue, Illyria, you go east. Look for any boarded up doors, windows, or blocked fire escapes that lead to the warehouse address. Spike and I will look for any sewer entrances that might lead to the warehouse. Everyone got that?"
"Clear as vodka," Shinji replied.
"Speakin' o' that," said Spike, "I'm gonna need a belt after we get through with this."
"Let's go," Angel said, passing out walkie-talkie radios to each group. Shinji had taken them off of the dead soldiers at Misato's house.
Angel and Spike pulled up the manhole cover in the street and dropped down into the sewers. Illyria walked off down Fourth Avenue, leaving Shinji and Rei standing together. Shinji looked over at Rei and nodded. The two of them jogged off in the opposite direction.
"Shinji, how is this going to help us?" Rei asked.
"What do you mean?" Shinji asked, looking up at the buildings surrounding the alley that they were in.
"How is roaming the streets like this going to help us get Misato back?" Rei asked impatiently, "We could be infiltrating the warehouse right now! Why are we waiting?!"
"I understand perfectly how you feel, Rei," Shinji answered, "really, I do. Believe me, if I thought that barging headlong into a warehouse full of Council agents who want to kill me would get Misato back, I'd do it without another thought. But right now, strategy is what is called for. If we can find a back door into this warehouse, we can catch those rotten bastards with their pants down! And anyway, isn't the creed of the ninja all about silence, stealth, and invisibility?"
"I'm not a true ninja yet," Rei protested, "I haven't passed the final initiation into the Order. I'm still susceptible to the temptations of emotion and passion."
"Thank goodness," Shinji said, relieved, "Here I was hoping that you hadn't turned into some sort of emotionless, wind-up doll. Hold on a sec--,"
Shinji stopped and looked up at the side of the building.
"Angel?" Shinji said, pressing down the button on his radio, "Angel, come in."
"What is it, Shinji?" Angel's voice replied, slightly garbled from static.
"I've found a fire escape on the side of the warehouse building," said Shinji, "The bottom two levels have been removed; recently from the lack of rust on the bolts lying on the ground. This is definitely the right place."
"Good work," Angel replied. Then, he changed conversations: "Illyria?"
"Yes, Angel?" Illyria responded.
"Any luck?"
"I have found two windows that have been boarded up against the outside," Illyria answered.
"Good job," said Angel, "Stay on it. Spike and I have had no luck down here. All the sewer access points have been welded shut. I think they were expecting any infiltrators to try to come through the sewers."
"It's starting to get dark up here, Angel," Shinji said, "Let's rendezvous back at the overpass and plan our next move."
"Agreed," said Illyria.
"All right," said Angel, "We'll see you there. Angel out."
"Let's go, Rei," said Shinji.
Five minutes later, the group was standing under the Fourth Avenue overpass again. Shinji was beginning to feel anxious and excited. He knew that a confrontation and retribution were near.
"All right," Angel said, "Here's how it's going to work: Rei, you and Illyria will be the first wave. After you get inside, try to do some reconnaissance. Let us know how many guards you find. Spike, you and I will follow up after them. We disable anyone that moves."
"What about me?" Shinji asked, "Why aren't I going in?"
"You're the one they're expecting," said Angel, "If you go in there, they're probably going to have ways of detecting you. It's best for right now if you just hold back and let us handle it."
"There's no way they're going to stop me," Shinji growled resolutely, "They've kidnapped my girlfriend. They're going to pay!"
"Don't get angry," Angel cautioned, "If you start letting your emotions rule your decision-making, you're going to get yourself killed. Stay calm and stay focused, and trust me. I've done this kind of rescue mission dozens of times, I know what I'm doing. Now, let's get up to the roof of the building and look for possible entrances."
Angel and Spike each made a standing jump and cleared the two stories between the ground and the lowest part of the fire escape. Illyria was next, making the jump with almost as much ease as the vampires had. Rei looked at Shinji with worry in her eyes.
"I can't make that jump, Shinji," she said nervously.
"You can't," Shinji replied. Then, he reared back, growled, and transformed into Azrael. He grabbed Rei around the waist, held her tightly, and bounded easily up the two stories to the fire escape. Then, he transformed back and said:
"I can. Now, let's join the rest of the crew."
Moments later, on the roof, Shinji, Rei, and Team Angel all stood around a skylight window. Shinji was quietly stewing about being told to hang back and stay out of danger.
Azrael, why don't they trust me? Shinji whined petulantly.
I believe they do, his werewolf alter-ego responded, They simply wish to keep you safe so that you may be successfully reunited with the woman you love.
But I can help them, Shinji protested, Why won't they listen?
Do not get discouraged, Young One, Azrael replied in a fatherly manner, Your time will come. And when it does, everyone will see how truly great we are. Have patience.
Yes…patience, Shinji agreed reluctantly.
"Did you get that, Shinji?" Angel asked.
"Hmm?" Shinji said, coming out of his inward conversation, "I'm sorry, what?"
"I was just going over the plan to get into the building," Angel said, a little exasperatedly, "The way it's going to work is like this: Rei and Illyria are going to drop through this skylight and start to slowly sweep the top floor. Remember, don't engage the guards unless forced to do so."
"Right," said Rei. Illyria nodded once. Angel continued:
"After the two of you sweep the top floor, Spike and I will drop in, disable whatever guards might be around and move down the next floor. We'll continue to work our way down through the floors in this two by two pattern until we find where they're keeping Misato. As soon as we find her, we're extracting back to the roof and getting the hell out of here."
"Got it," said Shinji sourly.
"We'll be as quick as we can," Rei promised.
As quick as they can, Shinji thought, Right. They might as well take a lifetime. That's what it's going to feel like, cooped up here on this roof.
"Wish us luck," said Rei as she pulled open the skylight. Shinji and Angel nodded. Spike gave them a dashing smile and friendly wink.
The two women dropped through the skylight and landed on the floor about fifteen feet down. Shinji watched anxiously as they split up and began to slowly sweep their way through the top level of the warehouse. Shinji lost sight of the pair, but a few minutes later, there were two clicks that came through the walkie-talkie; the signal they had agreed on for "all clear". Spike's eyes lit up excitedly.
"Let's go, then, Angel," said Spike. Then, he dropped through the skylight. Angel looked over at Shinji and nodded. The teen werewolf returned the nod with as brave a smile as his disappointed features could muster. Angel dropped through the skylight, leaving Shinji alone on the rooftop. Shinji sat for several minutes, listening for the clicks on the radio. After about ten minutes, Shinji had a thought:
Why the hell am I so afraid to go in after them? My senses would warn me about anybody who was close enough to see or hear me. I'm going in.
Shinji dropped through the skylight and became Azrael. He stretched out his senses and let them envelope the room around him. The whole building smelled of stale alcohol. Shinji reasoned that this building must have been a liquor warehouse before it was abandoned. He could hear Rei's heartbeat two floors below him. It was rapid; a combination of adrenaline and fear. Shinji swept through the top two floors, encountering no one and rapidly gaining ground on the first two groups. Shinji's ears detected a snapping sound. Shinji suspected that Angel or Spike had just broken a guard's neck.
Shinji's sensitive nose detected a slight change in the odor of the building. He ducked; just in time to see a dart whiz over his head. Shinji turned around fast to see ten soldiers in full tactical uniform advancing on him. Behind them was the same man Shinji had seen at the airport the day before. He was still wearing a fedora and trench coat, but his scent was unmistakable. It was Rokubungi.
"I want him taken alive," said Rokubungi.
The tac-troops charged Shinji, firing their dart guns. Shinji managed to dodge most of the projectiles, but one stuck into his right bicep. Almost instantly, Shinji felt a wave of nausea and disorientation wash over him.
"Can you feel it yet, Azrael?" Rokubungi asked cruelly, "This tranquilizer was specially formulated by me to knock you out. You should begin to feel its effects right…about…now."
Shinji collapsed to the floor, all the strength draining from his body. He tried to struggle back to his feet, but to no avail. The tranq was in full effect.
Azrael…Shinji thought fadingly, What's…gonna…happen…?
The only answer he received was Rokubungi's triumphant laughter as his eyes slid closed.