Chapter 5; Solid Snake.
Snake felt the ropes give as the last few strands broke when he tugged his hands away and pulled the remainder off his wrists, now rubbed red raw from the friction. But they were the least of his worries.
"I think I can squeeze in easily." Snake thought looking up to an air duct. He took the bed frame and dragged it closer to where the grate was to give him a step up. It was fixed from inside so all he had to do was push upwards making sure that when the grille came away it didn't fall about inside the vent. The noise would resonate through the whole ventilation system and could be enough to bring Liquid back here.
Snake reached up and pulled himself into the gap carefully, arms stinging fiercely while he did. Once he was inside, he replaced the grate and got down onto his belly. The only way was forward, behind him was a dead end.
"This place... yuck!" Snake thought to himself. He'd only been in for a few seconds and already he was covered head to toe in dust and dirt. Clearly, by the state of these air vents and the cell he'd just broken out of, nobody had been in this area for some time. Snake was just beginning to notice the burning in his back and arms where they'd touched the pipe. He had no idea of how long he'd been gone stuck in unconscious limbo, maybe hours. Still that didn't matter to Snake as he crawled forwards.
"I just want to get the hell out of here." Snake thought firmly as he came up to the first exit. He glanced in but could see nothing except for bare shelves, some cleaning equipment in the corner and not much else. The next one further along yielded very much the same. All Snake could do was carry on round the bend and into a T-junction and took the left turning, moving further away from where he had originally started from. A minutes worth of crawling rewarded Snake with just one more exit.
"All this way for one? Meryl's got to be here." Snake thought as he inched forward to peep in. He didn't have high hopes, for all Snake knew, Meryl could have been in a totally different area and her screams could have easily been a trick from Liquid.
"Wait a second..." Snake said to himself and looked from the other side of the grille so he could see the other side of the room.
There she was. Lying curled up on her side, back against the wall sleeping, trying to forget what was going on around her.
Snake said nothing as he went about prising the metal away to let him in. There was no telling when Liquid would find out that he was gone and Snake had to work quickly. Eventually the grate came away in his hands and Snake slipped out, holding the edge of the duct and put his feet out first and dropped down to the floor gritting his teeth while he did, landing on his shot leg, swearing under his breath in pain. He turned round and knelt next to Meryl, still sound asleep.
"...Meryl..." he whispered softly shaking her shoulder. Her eyes snapped open and her fist came up, flying right for Snake's face. Snake didn't have time to react and couldn't believe what was happening. Meryl's unexpected blow knocked Snake off balance and he fell back from where he was kneeling.
"Wow!" Snake thought lying flat on his back and put a hand to his face, his nose bled a little. Meryl shuffled to her feet, gasped and walked to his side.
"Oh! Snake!! Snake, I'm so sorry...I really didn't mean to. I..." Meryl apologised as Snake sat up again.
"Let me guess. Mistook me for Liquid?" Snake smiled. Meryl flushed a faint pink from where she sat in front of him.
"Ummm...yeah." She giggled.
"It's okay, but that was some punch." Snake said and got to his feet.
"It's just nice to see you again and know you're okay, Snake." Meryl said gratefully as he took her into his arms.
"I wanted to get here earlier. I wish I had." Snake added forlornly, looking away.
"But that wasn't your fault. Don't feel bad about that. Snake, you can't be around to help all the time. For anyone." Meryl said soothingly. "It was... it was..." she began slowly. "Oh...Liquid was still mad at me for shooting him earlier." Meryl explained at last.
"I know I had to... to get away but... I wish I hadn't." She said softly. Snake frowned.
"What do you mean? Meryl you did what you thought was necessary. He was holding you hostage. What does he expect?" Snake said with a shake of his head.
"I know, but he..." Meryl's voice died away. "...he... Snake..." and her face into his chest. Snake was about to ask her something but the feeling of Meryl's warm tears as they ran down him told him not to.
The sleeves on Meryl's blouse had ridden up to reveal her forearms.
"What the?" Snake muttered under his breath when he saw the red marks dotted all over her arms as if someone had dug their nails in to stop her from fighting back effectively. He took another glance.
"No... this isn't my imagination, is it?" Snake thought, Meryl still huddled up in his hold.
The scars were still there when he looked.
"...Meryl..." Snake sighed as he ran his fingers through her red hair, rocking her to and fro to try and set her mind at rest.
"No, he couldn't have..." Snake thought reminded of when he'd heard her crying out and then Liquid. Snake could barely bring himself to imagine what he'd done to Meryl.
"Torture; probably, almost certainly. Assault; likely. But..." Snake shut his eyes and held Meryl tighter. "but...not rape... surely?"
Snake looked back to Meryl. "But that wasn't your fault." Snake played back in his mind.
"But it is. This whole thing is because of me. Why did you have to get dragged into all of this, Meryl?" Snake thought wretchedly. He knew that he wasn't all to blame, but still the guilt he felt overrode that knowledge.
"Was that the 'shame' you talked about the last time?" Snake pondered as he twisted a strand of her hair round his finger into a tight curl and let it spring back into place. The admiration he felt for her spirit came back, that inner forte she kept veiled, just about broken, Snake guessed.
Snake felt ill; a real deep loathing for the man who was supposed to be his brother and twin linked by genes, the heart of what made them, them. Before, Snake had seen him as the enemy, the one who had to be killed because his orders deemed it so. Snake had not really hated him, maybe slightly in the last few fights, against REX and in the fist fight, but never this much. This time Snake wanted him to die. No question about it.
"I have to kill Liquid. If it isn't to find peace and escape from here, it's to forget that this happened and make sure it never does again."
Liquid didn't feel like visiting Snake right away and went back to his quarters set aside for FOX-HOUND when they'd been enlisted in to the project. Of course that had been before anybody had any idea of what Liquid had planned to hijack the island and Metal Gear REX. They'd been posted on Shadow Moses weeks in advance to the test launch, and Liquid had taken with him a few items. Little mementoes he'd gathered from the many successful missions he'd been on after his release from Iraq. The odd spent bullet case from various weapons down to a pair of beaten dog tags bearing his name. But Liquid didn't recognise that name. It meant nothing to him, that person had died years ago and in his place was this person wracked with hate, angry at the world and two people; his father Big Boss and his twin brother Solid Snake.
"What's this?" Liquid said. "I don't remember ever having this..." and from the heap of souvenirs he'd tipped out onto the floor, picked out a combat knife still in its original sheath. He had a look at it, a crisp swishing when he removed the blade from the case. It was a broad blade, the metal bright and absolutely immaculate, unsullied with blood, pure with no deaths to its tally. The back edge was serrated, the cutting edge keen enough to split hairs on. Liquid held it up to get a better look at it. Deadly grace in its form.
Liquid couldn't remember how he had come across the weapon. Maybe a gift from another mercenary, long lost, but maybe this was a sign. Perhaps things were taking a turn for the better for him. It gave Liquid a little more confidence and belief in himself after it had been reduced to nothing after what he'd been preached as a boy.
"Well, well, well." He smiled. "I think it's time to get your first and only kill. A baptism in Solid Snake's blood." And put it back into the case before attaching it to a loop on his belt. Liquid couldn't think of anybody else worthy of sharing the honour of being killed with the same weapon he'd use to kill Snake. And why should he? It would only stain the memory to use it again on a lesser enemy.
He left the room and headed back towards the derelict corridors, crossing over a wide walled in area much like the snow field that he had crashed the Hind-D near and through another heliport. There were containers stacked up all round. Beyond that another blast furnace, far bigger than the one closest to the snowfield. It was a multi-leveled facility with numerous walkways and platforms; this was where to Liquid's knowledge the parts for REX had been made. This was however not of interest to him right now and he made his way down back to where he'd imprisoned Snake just next door.
Liquid took the bunch of keys from his pocket and searched through for the one he needed, methodically tried a few before he found the right one and unlocked the door.
"Hello..." he began and then the grin faded from his face. Snake was nowhere to be seen Liquid wasn't interested in how Snake had escaped. He'd escaped and that was what mattered right now.
"What!? GONE!! He can't!" Liquid growled to himself. He stood still for a moment. It was quite obvious where Snake had made a bee-line for.
"Meryl." Liquid thought furrowing his brow in irritation before he dashed back to where he'd left her, SOCOM in his hand. Returning back there, he hastily unlocked the door and walked in. Sure enough his brother was there with Meryl in his arms, her face hidden from him.
"Well something went right for a change." Liquid thought listening to Meryl's abating sobs. Snake looked up. Liquid saw something in his brother's eyes he had not seen before; real enmity for him.
Snake saw Liquid lower the gun and return it to his holster. Snake watched not sure what to make of this gesture.
"So," Liquid began. "you clearly didn't like being alone."
"I guess you could say that and I didn't like to think that you were tormenting Meryl." Snake growled and hugged Meryl a little tighter arms wrapped round her compassionately. He was loath to say exactly what he meant, and was sure that Liquid was smart enough to work it out for himself. Liquid chuckled.
"I think you know that it was a little more than torment. Snake, you've gone soft like everything else in this world." He drawled scornfully.
"Just like any other human being, Liquid, I value my life and of those I care about." Snake replied calmly. Liquid glowered at him disparagingly.
"Human we are not, Snake. You didn't hesitate to kill my comrades or the soldiers under my command how can that be human? Or are you a killer with a conscience? I thought that was what they were trying to avoid that in the project."
"It's always back to that." Snake sighed. He was tired with hearing how they'd been brought to existence. "I don't care if my genes say this or that about me. I can make choices for myself without referring back to them for guidance as to what I should do like some religious book. It's called 'living' Liquid, try it some time." Snake answered firmly.
"I'll be true to my heritage, unlike you Snake who seems to be ungrateful with what you've been gifted with and renegades against what is our destiny. To bring this world back from it's knees and restore it to what it used to be, fighting, and at war where people like us have a part to play in shaping the future. You don't deserve to live for that reason or live to get a share when I realise our fathers dream. I can't begin that until you die." Snake smiled.
"And how do you plan on doing that, all by yourself? FOX-HOUND is gone and so are your Genome soldiers." Snake asked. Liquid folded his arms and Snake was sure that Liquid pouted like a spoilt child while he did so.
"I have contacts..." he retorted. Snake laughed.
"So you say." He said with a shrug of his shoulders. "But you can't get my life so easily." Snake paused. He'd had an idea on how he could get him and Meryl out of this alive. It was a big gamble, but he'd made such wagers before.
"Plan? All I know is that I'll fight Liquid and try to kill him. Not much of a plan!" Snake thought before speaking. He looked up and began to put forth his plan.
"If you want it so badly you're going to have to fight me for it." Snake stated plainly. Meryl looked up at him.
"What!?" Liquid choked in bewilderment. "You're asking that we fight to the death?!" he chuckled. "Snake, you're in no state to fight let alone survive."
"Snake...don't..." Meryl whispered to him. Snake looked at her. Yes, he was injured far more than his brother, but Snake had to. It went against his nature to simply put his hands in the air and surrender without trying to fight. And fighting Liquid seemed to be the only chance Snake had right now of killing him.
"Meryl, I've been up against enemies a hundred times better armed and won. I can't give myself and you up just like that...it's just throwing away all that I had fought for before." Snake answered and looked round to where Liquid had been.
"Hey! Where'd he go?" and looked up the corridor to catch a glimpse of Liquid as he ran away. Meryl clung onto him trying to passively stop him from going after Liquid. She eventually let go after realising that Snake's mind was made up.
"Come on. It looks like that its now or never." Snake said to himself. Meryl followed, walking slowly. She tried to hide the fact that she was against him fighting, but smiled anyway.
Snake opened the door and the wave of heat hit him from the blast furnace. He walked in and almost right away felt the effects of the temperature, breaking into a sweat. Snake was not sure if it was down to the heat or his slight anxiety. The furnace was dimly lit and unnatural shadows cast all over the place with the luminous glow from the molten metal in the pit in the centre of the furnace lighting everything with an orangey light. Snake climbed the stairs, limping a little. First level there was nothing. Second and Liquid stood in the middle of a wide platform leading off to the other side of the furnace across a walkway spanning the pit to more stairs leading higher upwards.
Liquid stood there steadily and he threw aside his coat, grinned and took off his gloves to fight.
"Well?" he began and put a hand on his hip. "This is what you wanted Snake..."
Snake took a fleeting glance at Meryl while she waited down at the ground level.
"I wonder, did those scientists ever think that someday this would happen, a fight between us?" he thought.
"One last look..." and his eyes flicked in their sockets to see Meryl. "Last? Who said it would be? I can't die here. I won't!"
Snake looked back at Liquid, flexed his fingers a few times before clenching them into fists at his sides.
At last, they were more or less on equal terms, but there was one thing that divided them; their genes. Liquid believed himself to be the lesser of the two. It was this weakness which he had no control over and his brothers strength which frustrated him to the point where he just had to kill his brother. There was no doubt in his mind, just the single thought and the twisted, blackened loathing embedded in his heart which seemed to flicker into life whenever he even just heard the name Solid Snake. Killing, destroying him so that nothing remained would at least bring Liquid Snake some peace.
"At least then I can be counted as the strongest when he dies." Liquid thought coldly.
There was silence while the pair regarded the negative copy before them. A quiet battle ran on between them as they stared at each other, searching for a possible fault in their enemy before the fight commenced.
Liquid looked at the figure before him. Bandaged and battered. There was no way Snake could survive, but if this was what he wanted then so be it.
"Well, are you ready?!" Liquid shouted. Snake said nothing, continued to stare right at him before running towards him with startling pace for somebody who'd been shot only a few hours ago. They circled round a few times before Snake decided to strike the first of many blows. Snake changed direction, pulled back his right arm, and let it fly forwards. Liquid saw it coming but it still caught him on the cheek. Liquid shifted, swayed to his left, and retaliated with a punch into Snake's face. Snake tried to counterattack but Liquid batted it aside and returned with another punch to his face. Snake stumbled but regained his balance and came back with two punches, landing one into his gut. Liquid caught Snake's hand and twisted his arm round behind his back and pushed him forwards into the wall.
Burning ripped through his left arm. Snake ground his teeth together before deciding to wrench away from Liquid even though it meant more pain. Snake got out of the lock and kicked out to knock Liquid in the ribs. That hurt him.
"You...!" Liquid snarled putting a hand to his side before he sprang forward hammering into Snake with punches driving him back. Snake managed to fend them off but was let down by his injuries and his guard diminished under the hail of punches. It only took two solid punches into his face to send him stumbling back.
"Now's my chance..."Liquid thought seeing that Snake had left his leg exposed. And kicked out digging the toe of his boot into Snakes thigh, right on into the wound. Snake shouted out eyes screwed up and his face flushed, breaking into a new sweat. Snake still stood but his face told Liquid that it had hurt him badly.
"What's wrong?" Liquid goaded, grinning. Snake looked up.
Snake felt the adrenaline take hold and flew forward punching into his brother's face. Liquid stepped back paused for a second a hand to his face. Liquid recoiled, and then leapt forward. Snake clamped his eyes shut as the punches landed and felt blood surge out of his nose. Second punch, a salty taste in his mouth as his jaws were snapped together with the blow and he bit his tongue. A third punch and he was down. His injuries were beginning to hold him back. Liquid laughed behind him as he struggled to his knees only to feel a stabbing in his back. Snake gagged, the wind knocked out of him, spat the blood out of his mouth. He got to his feet again and faced Liquid.
"Still want to fight?" Liquid asked with a grin. Snake rushed forward and Liquid blocked the punches, one got into the ribs he'd fractured, crunched inside him.
"THAT'S IT!" he roared and lashed out at Snake. Snake fell back putting too much weight on his weak leg to get away from him. Liquid pulled him up round his neck and slammed him into a metal girder which stood in the corner of the platform to help support it.
The metal rushed towards him, Snake moved to put his arms up in front of his face. Liquid picked him up again and shoved him harshly into the girder again. He slipped down; breathing hard, to the floor, forceful stabbing in his side as Liquid kicked him when he was down, interrupting his effort to breathe again.
Liquid backed off, stood with his arms folded watching as Snake battled to his knees, blood running from his nose and down his face. He stood up as tall as he could, regaining that fighting stance. Liquid couldn't believe that Snake was not going to concede defeat. He ran along the walkway to the other side of the facility, Snake shambled after him and then broke into a sprint. Liquid was not ready for Snake's attack and found himself running backwards while Snake smashed his knuckles into his face while he ran. Liquid stepped aside when they came near a wall, Snake had no time to pull back his fist and it crunched into the concrete.
"What the!" Snake thought shaking his left hand. The skin over his knuckles had split open but nothing was broken. Liquid stood behind him laughing, blood and sweat stuck his hair to his face, still grinning back where he stood in a corner.
"Big mistake!" Snake shouted as he charged forwards and shoved Liquid into the railings. Hands wrapped round each others throats. Snake looked over Liquid's shoulder. A platform below. The vision was blacked out when Liquid struck a low blow, bringing his knee up sharply between Snake's legs. Snake couldn't shout, partly out of sheer shock and indignation and bit his bottom lip to stop himself from crying out, screwing his eyes up while he did and felt his face burn red. That had hurt far more than any other punch Liquid had thrown. His eyes opened again, surprised that his hands were still round his twins throat, who tried to laugh through the choke hold.
"Hope Meryl didn't see that." Snake thought digging his fingers into Liquid's neck looking to block off his jugular.
"HEY!" Snake shouted out his voice strangled as Liquid heaved him up over the rails. A manic look in Liquid's eyes while he lifted Snake up. Snake hung on hoping to pull him down. He put one foot under where the rail and platform met and pulled back dragging his brother over before loosing his footing. Liquid was pulled down with him. Snake didn't realise what had happened until he saw Liquid falling too and looked down to the ground rushing up.
"!" Snake thought and pulled his arms over his head before landing with a sickening cracking noise.
Liquid got up, he was relatively unharmed after landing on Snake, lying on the concrete on his side. Snake lay there fighting with himself to get up.
"Where's my gun?" he thought looking round reaching down to his side. No SOCOM? The USP was gone too. Snake battled to his knees.
Snake looked up from where he lay. Liquid had lost the guns he had and couldn't find them. Instead he put a hand behind his back and in the light Snake saw a shiny metal object in Liquid's hand. Snake scrambled to his feet as quickly as his body would let him and faced Liquid as he walked towards him. Suddenly Liquid rushed up to him. Snake stepped aside to avoid him but failed to turn round swiftly enough to face Liquid. Muscles tightened round his throat, Snake had never imagined this happening, somebody with the bravado to use that move on him.
"Liquid must really want me dead..." Snake thought as he put up his hands to ease the grip off. The hold constricted even more. Snake rasped, no air could get into his lungs. He tried hitting back into Liquid with his elbow. Nothing happened. The hold round his neck persisted.
"What the..." Snake thought, when he saw the blade come up. He couldn't start to panic, not now. Mind raced. If he did he'd die. Throwing Liquid over his shoulder was risky and might bring it to a swift end, but Snake tried anyway. Liquid flew forward and let go.
"Two can play that game!" Snake shouted charging forward and attacked while Liquid found his feet. Punching into his brother's ribs over and over again. Liquid gasped with each strike, unable to defend himself, unarmed now. Snake couldn't stop. For this moment he'd lost all control. He didn't care that Liquid was screaming to stop, not after what he'd done and said. Snake carried on until something caved in underneath his knuckles.
Liquid hollered out loud, an overwhelming stabbing in his chest. He tried to suck in air but instead wheezed painfully, bent double, his arms wrapped round himself to squeeze the pain out. He couldn't believe it; the fracture had given up and broken, puncturing his lung. Snake stood back. Liquid couldn't speak to express his fury and lurched forward.
Snake stepped back from Liquid as he fell to the floor. He was still alive, but not for much longer, he'd eventually die from his injury; the pain or loss of blood would kill Liquid. Snake's foot hit something. He bent down to pick it up.
"My USP?" he whispered and looked over to his brother staring back. Snake turned and cocked the hand gun.
"You'd point a weapon at your own..." Liquid began, his voice laboured and indiscernible as he repeated those words he'd said to Snake once before. Snake didn't give him time to say the last word. He raised his right arm to level the gun with Liquid and shot once.
"...brother?" Snake finished. "I didn't think you were even though we have the same father. How could you be after what you've done?" Snake breathed and returned the USP to his holster. Snake was fixed to the spot.
Snake failed to notice the sound as Meryl stormed along the walkway above, calling out for him, he continued to stare down at where Liquid lay dead.
"...Snake...?" Meryl asked quietly as she carefully approached him and put a hand on his shoulder. He turned round to face her, a blank expression on his face as he walked away and hobbled up to the stairs to sit down. His whole body had been drained of every ounce of energy he had and Snake wasn't sure what to think. He rested his arms on his bent knees and lay his pounding head on them. Meryl sat next to him and handed him the rest of his sneaking suit.
They didn't speak for a while and then Meryl piped up.
"I should have helped..." she apologised. Snake looked up.
"No...it's okay...I should be saying sorry for getting you into this mess." He replied quietly. Meryl gazed back at him, an apprehensive look on her face.
"I'm not sure about you though. You sure that you're alright?" Snake looked down at the floor. He should have felt something, but then could only feel happy that the nightmare was over, light remorse for killing his kith and kin and ecstatic with his victory, a horrible confusion spliced with the pain from his battered body. He'd won. He was alive. Meryl was alive. But something still nagged at him.
"This is Zanzibar all over..." Snake said. "Now they're all dead, my whole 'family' because of me..." and shook his head.
"You mean Big Boss and Liquid?" Snake nodded. "You think he's... dead?" Meryl asked nodding towards Liquid's body.
"I sure hope so." Snake said walking up to stand next to where Liquid lay. He had to be dead. Nobody could survive being shot in the head like that.
"Then again, you can never tell with Liquid." Snake thought. "I shot him down in the Hind, destroyed REX with him in it, knocked him off to his death, shot him with a machine gun while we escaped, he survived the crash and FoxDie... now this. I doubt it. But then if he does have nine lives he only has two left..." Snake thought and readied the USP before firing two rounds into Liquid's back, more blood rose up and out onto the floor. Snake took no pleasure in doing it and turned round when he was done. He looked back to see Meryl there.
"Why do I do this?" Snake wondered questioning why he put himself through all of the fighting. Then again, this fight had been for a different purpose. It wasn't just a simple hollow order he had been given to carry out somebody's dirty work or to save the world and a million people who would never know what happened to threaten their existence. The person he had saved knew what he'd done and put himself through to get them back and why he did it. It didn't feel so bad to know that his efforts and the things he'd done, good and bad weren't wasted.
Meryl smiled and held up his sneaking suit. Snake took it from her and pulled it on looking and feeling a little better.
"C'mon I've seen enough of this place." Snake eventually said to her.
"I've seen enough of him too." Snake thought as he scanned the blast furnace for a way out. He found the exit on the fourth level and began to climb the stairs. Meryl followed.
Snake raised a hand to shade his eyes, Meryl held his other hand, their fingers interlocked. Snake looked down at their clasped hands, wondered why it was that before he had never let anybody get close to him, to know him aside from the legend, portraying him as a killer through and through. Perhaps it had been because of hiding away from the people who'd caused so much hurt before; moreover he'd run away from himself to get away from what had happened in Zanzibar, to forget that he was one of Big Boss's sons.
"Snake?" Meryl asked waving a hand in front of his face. His mind had been wandering again. Snake smiled and turned round to face her, held her in a tight hug.
"C'mon, you wanna go home now?" she asked with a smile.
"Home?" Snake thought. "She's calling it 'home'?" A signal that Meryl wanted to be with him and in his life.
"It won't be for much longer though." Snake said to her. Meryl looked up a frown on her brow.
"What?"
"Now would be a good time to move away from Twin Lakes and go somewhere else." Snake paused. "It would have happened sooner or later, and we can't stay there forever."
"We are supposed to be dead too." Meryl laughed. Snake smiled.
"I feel like a change too." He sighed. "Everything has turned right round, full circle, since the mission. Since meeting you, so why not change scenery?" Snake added slowly, thinking of what to say. The home he had in Twin Lakes had been bystander to many a sad day when he had hidden himself away with his bleak outlook for. Why blight what he had now with memories like that?
Meryl looked up at him, smiled again. He reached down, a hand on her cheek, held her closer for a warm kiss, reminding himself again why he was so prepared to jeopardise all for her. Meryl pulled back from him an impish smile on her face.
"Later okay?" she grinned saying what Snake had said to her a day ago that first morning. Snake laughed to himself.
"Better find that snow mobile then." He answered and they walked away to search for a way back there.
It was so much like before the last time they'd left the island behind. Snake hauled the snow mobile from where he'd parked it and looked over to Meryl where she stood.
"Your turn." He said gesturing to the seat. Meryl stared back.
"Me?" she asked. Snake nodded with a smile. "Sure?" Meryl added.
"Of course." Snake insisted and sat down, let Meryl sit in front of him and put his arms round her waist.
"Any excuse..." Meryl sighed with a smile looking back over her shoulder at him and started the engine up.
Now the Last Word...
Snake felt the ropes give as the last few strands broke when he tugged his hands away and pulled the remainder off his wrists, now rubbed red raw from the friction. But they were the least of his worries.
"I think I can squeeze in easily." Snake thought looking up to an air duct. He took the bed frame and dragged it closer to where the grate was to give him a step up. It was fixed from inside so all he had to do was push upwards making sure that when the grille came away it didn't fall about inside the vent. The noise would resonate through the whole ventilation system and could be enough to bring Liquid back here.
Snake reached up and pulled himself into the gap carefully, arms stinging fiercely while he did. Once he was inside, he replaced the grate and got down onto his belly. The only way was forward, behind him was a dead end.
"This place... yuck!" Snake thought to himself. He'd only been in for a few seconds and already he was covered head to toe in dust and dirt. Clearly, by the state of these air vents and the cell he'd just broken out of, nobody had been in this area for some time. Snake was just beginning to notice the burning in his back and arms where they'd touched the pipe. He had no idea of how long he'd been gone stuck in unconscious limbo, maybe hours. Still that didn't matter to Snake as he crawled forwards.
"I just want to get the hell out of here." Snake thought firmly as he came up to the first exit. He glanced in but could see nothing except for bare shelves, some cleaning equipment in the corner and not much else. The next one further along yielded very much the same. All Snake could do was carry on round the bend and into a T-junction and took the left turning, moving further away from where he had originally started from. A minutes worth of crawling rewarded Snake with just one more exit.
"All this way for one? Meryl's got to be here." Snake thought as he inched forward to peep in. He didn't have high hopes, for all Snake knew, Meryl could have been in a totally different area and her screams could have easily been a trick from Liquid.
"Wait a second..." Snake said to himself and looked from the other side of the grille so he could see the other side of the room.
There she was. Lying curled up on her side, back against the wall sleeping, trying to forget what was going on around her.
Snake said nothing as he went about prising the metal away to let him in. There was no telling when Liquid would find out that he was gone and Snake had to work quickly. Eventually the grate came away in his hands and Snake slipped out, holding the edge of the duct and put his feet out first and dropped down to the floor gritting his teeth while he did, landing on his shot leg, swearing under his breath in pain. He turned round and knelt next to Meryl, still sound asleep.
"...Meryl..." he whispered softly shaking her shoulder. Her eyes snapped open and her fist came up, flying right for Snake's face. Snake didn't have time to react and couldn't believe what was happening. Meryl's unexpected blow knocked Snake off balance and he fell back from where he was kneeling.
"Wow!" Snake thought lying flat on his back and put a hand to his face, his nose bled a little. Meryl shuffled to her feet, gasped and walked to his side.
"Oh! Snake!! Snake, I'm so sorry...I really didn't mean to. I..." Meryl apologised as Snake sat up again.
"Let me guess. Mistook me for Liquid?" Snake smiled. Meryl flushed a faint pink from where she sat in front of him.
"Ummm...yeah." She giggled.
"It's okay, but that was some punch." Snake said and got to his feet.
"It's just nice to see you again and know you're okay, Snake." Meryl said gratefully as he took her into his arms.
"I wanted to get here earlier. I wish I had." Snake added forlornly, looking away.
"But that wasn't your fault. Don't feel bad about that. Snake, you can't be around to help all the time. For anyone." Meryl said soothingly. "It was... it was..." she began slowly. "Oh...Liquid was still mad at me for shooting him earlier." Meryl explained at last.
"I know I had to... to get away but... I wish I hadn't." She said softly. Snake frowned.
"What do you mean? Meryl you did what you thought was necessary. He was holding you hostage. What does he expect?" Snake said with a shake of his head.
"I know, but he..." Meryl's voice died away. "...he... Snake..." and her face into his chest. Snake was about to ask her something but the feeling of Meryl's warm tears as they ran down him told him not to.
The sleeves on Meryl's blouse had ridden up to reveal her forearms.
"What the?" Snake muttered under his breath when he saw the red marks dotted all over her arms as if someone had dug their nails in to stop her from fighting back effectively. He took another glance.
"No... this isn't my imagination, is it?" Snake thought, Meryl still huddled up in his hold.
The scars were still there when he looked.
"...Meryl..." Snake sighed as he ran his fingers through her red hair, rocking her to and fro to try and set her mind at rest.
"No, he couldn't have..." Snake thought reminded of when he'd heard her crying out and then Liquid. Snake could barely bring himself to imagine what he'd done to Meryl.
"Torture; probably, almost certainly. Assault; likely. But..." Snake shut his eyes and held Meryl tighter. "but...not rape... surely?"
Snake looked back to Meryl. "But that wasn't your fault." Snake played back in his mind.
"But it is. This whole thing is because of me. Why did you have to get dragged into all of this, Meryl?" Snake thought wretchedly. He knew that he wasn't all to blame, but still the guilt he felt overrode that knowledge.
"Was that the 'shame' you talked about the last time?" Snake pondered as he twisted a strand of her hair round his finger into a tight curl and let it spring back into place. The admiration he felt for her spirit came back, that inner forte she kept veiled, just about broken, Snake guessed.
Snake felt ill; a real deep loathing for the man who was supposed to be his brother and twin linked by genes, the heart of what made them, them. Before, Snake had seen him as the enemy, the one who had to be killed because his orders deemed it so. Snake had not really hated him, maybe slightly in the last few fights, against REX and in the fist fight, but never this much. This time Snake wanted him to die. No question about it.
"I have to kill Liquid. If it isn't to find peace and escape from here, it's to forget that this happened and make sure it never does again."
Liquid didn't feel like visiting Snake right away and went back to his quarters set aside for FOX-HOUND when they'd been enlisted in to the project. Of course that had been before anybody had any idea of what Liquid had planned to hijack the island and Metal Gear REX. They'd been posted on Shadow Moses weeks in advance to the test launch, and Liquid had taken with him a few items. Little mementoes he'd gathered from the many successful missions he'd been on after his release from Iraq. The odd spent bullet case from various weapons down to a pair of beaten dog tags bearing his name. But Liquid didn't recognise that name. It meant nothing to him, that person had died years ago and in his place was this person wracked with hate, angry at the world and two people; his father Big Boss and his twin brother Solid Snake.
"What's this?" Liquid said. "I don't remember ever having this..." and from the heap of souvenirs he'd tipped out onto the floor, picked out a combat knife still in its original sheath. He had a look at it, a crisp swishing when he removed the blade from the case. It was a broad blade, the metal bright and absolutely immaculate, unsullied with blood, pure with no deaths to its tally. The back edge was serrated, the cutting edge keen enough to split hairs on. Liquid held it up to get a better look at it. Deadly grace in its form.
Liquid couldn't remember how he had come across the weapon. Maybe a gift from another mercenary, long lost, but maybe this was a sign. Perhaps things were taking a turn for the better for him. It gave Liquid a little more confidence and belief in himself after it had been reduced to nothing after what he'd been preached as a boy.
"Well, well, well." He smiled. "I think it's time to get your first and only kill. A baptism in Solid Snake's blood." And put it back into the case before attaching it to a loop on his belt. Liquid couldn't think of anybody else worthy of sharing the honour of being killed with the same weapon he'd use to kill Snake. And why should he? It would only stain the memory to use it again on a lesser enemy.
He left the room and headed back towards the derelict corridors, crossing over a wide walled in area much like the snow field that he had crashed the Hind-D near and through another heliport. There were containers stacked up all round. Beyond that another blast furnace, far bigger than the one closest to the snowfield. It was a multi-leveled facility with numerous walkways and platforms; this was where to Liquid's knowledge the parts for REX had been made. This was however not of interest to him right now and he made his way down back to where he'd imprisoned Snake just next door.
Liquid took the bunch of keys from his pocket and searched through for the one he needed, methodically tried a few before he found the right one and unlocked the door.
"Hello..." he began and then the grin faded from his face. Snake was nowhere to be seen Liquid wasn't interested in how Snake had escaped. He'd escaped and that was what mattered right now.
"What!? GONE!! He can't!" Liquid growled to himself. He stood still for a moment. It was quite obvious where Snake had made a bee-line for.
"Meryl." Liquid thought furrowing his brow in irritation before he dashed back to where he'd left her, SOCOM in his hand. Returning back there, he hastily unlocked the door and walked in. Sure enough his brother was there with Meryl in his arms, her face hidden from him.
"Well something went right for a change." Liquid thought listening to Meryl's abating sobs. Snake looked up. Liquid saw something in his brother's eyes he had not seen before; real enmity for him.
Snake saw Liquid lower the gun and return it to his holster. Snake watched not sure what to make of this gesture.
"So," Liquid began. "you clearly didn't like being alone."
"I guess you could say that and I didn't like to think that you were tormenting Meryl." Snake growled and hugged Meryl a little tighter arms wrapped round her compassionately. He was loath to say exactly what he meant, and was sure that Liquid was smart enough to work it out for himself. Liquid chuckled.
"I think you know that it was a little more than torment. Snake, you've gone soft like everything else in this world." He drawled scornfully.
"Just like any other human being, Liquid, I value my life and of those I care about." Snake replied calmly. Liquid glowered at him disparagingly.
"Human we are not, Snake. You didn't hesitate to kill my comrades or the soldiers under my command how can that be human? Or are you a killer with a conscience? I thought that was what they were trying to avoid that in the project."
"It's always back to that." Snake sighed. He was tired with hearing how they'd been brought to existence. "I don't care if my genes say this or that about me. I can make choices for myself without referring back to them for guidance as to what I should do like some religious book. It's called 'living' Liquid, try it some time." Snake answered firmly.
"I'll be true to my heritage, unlike you Snake who seems to be ungrateful with what you've been gifted with and renegades against what is our destiny. To bring this world back from it's knees and restore it to what it used to be, fighting, and at war where people like us have a part to play in shaping the future. You don't deserve to live for that reason or live to get a share when I realise our fathers dream. I can't begin that until you die." Snake smiled.
"And how do you plan on doing that, all by yourself? FOX-HOUND is gone and so are your Genome soldiers." Snake asked. Liquid folded his arms and Snake was sure that Liquid pouted like a spoilt child while he did so.
"I have contacts..." he retorted. Snake laughed.
"So you say." He said with a shrug of his shoulders. "But you can't get my life so easily." Snake paused. He'd had an idea on how he could get him and Meryl out of this alive. It was a big gamble, but he'd made such wagers before.
"Plan? All I know is that I'll fight Liquid and try to kill him. Not much of a plan!" Snake thought before speaking. He looked up and began to put forth his plan.
"If you want it so badly you're going to have to fight me for it." Snake stated plainly. Meryl looked up at him.
"What!?" Liquid choked in bewilderment. "You're asking that we fight to the death?!" he chuckled. "Snake, you're in no state to fight let alone survive."
"Snake...don't..." Meryl whispered to him. Snake looked at her. Yes, he was injured far more than his brother, but Snake had to. It went against his nature to simply put his hands in the air and surrender without trying to fight. And fighting Liquid seemed to be the only chance Snake had right now of killing him.
"Meryl, I've been up against enemies a hundred times better armed and won. I can't give myself and you up just like that...it's just throwing away all that I had fought for before." Snake answered and looked round to where Liquid had been.
"Hey! Where'd he go?" and looked up the corridor to catch a glimpse of Liquid as he ran away. Meryl clung onto him trying to passively stop him from going after Liquid. She eventually let go after realising that Snake's mind was made up.
"Come on. It looks like that its now or never." Snake said to himself. Meryl followed, walking slowly. She tried to hide the fact that she was against him fighting, but smiled anyway.
Snake opened the door and the wave of heat hit him from the blast furnace. He walked in and almost right away felt the effects of the temperature, breaking into a sweat. Snake was not sure if it was down to the heat or his slight anxiety. The furnace was dimly lit and unnatural shadows cast all over the place with the luminous glow from the molten metal in the pit in the centre of the furnace lighting everything with an orangey light. Snake climbed the stairs, limping a little. First level there was nothing. Second and Liquid stood in the middle of a wide platform leading off to the other side of the furnace across a walkway spanning the pit to more stairs leading higher upwards.
Liquid stood there steadily and he threw aside his coat, grinned and took off his gloves to fight.
"Well?" he began and put a hand on his hip. "This is what you wanted Snake..."
Snake took a fleeting glance at Meryl while she waited down at the ground level.
"I wonder, did those scientists ever think that someday this would happen, a fight between us?" he thought.
"One last look..." and his eyes flicked in their sockets to see Meryl. "Last? Who said it would be? I can't die here. I won't!"
Snake looked back at Liquid, flexed his fingers a few times before clenching them into fists at his sides.
At last, they were more or less on equal terms, but there was one thing that divided them; their genes. Liquid believed himself to be the lesser of the two. It was this weakness which he had no control over and his brothers strength which frustrated him to the point where he just had to kill his brother. There was no doubt in his mind, just the single thought and the twisted, blackened loathing embedded in his heart which seemed to flicker into life whenever he even just heard the name Solid Snake. Killing, destroying him so that nothing remained would at least bring Liquid Snake some peace.
"At least then I can be counted as the strongest when he dies." Liquid thought coldly.
There was silence while the pair regarded the negative copy before them. A quiet battle ran on between them as they stared at each other, searching for a possible fault in their enemy before the fight commenced.
Liquid looked at the figure before him. Bandaged and battered. There was no way Snake could survive, but if this was what he wanted then so be it.
"Well, are you ready?!" Liquid shouted. Snake said nothing, continued to stare right at him before running towards him with startling pace for somebody who'd been shot only a few hours ago. They circled round a few times before Snake decided to strike the first of many blows. Snake changed direction, pulled back his right arm, and let it fly forwards. Liquid saw it coming but it still caught him on the cheek. Liquid shifted, swayed to his left, and retaliated with a punch into Snake's face. Snake tried to counterattack but Liquid batted it aside and returned with another punch to his face. Snake stumbled but regained his balance and came back with two punches, landing one into his gut. Liquid caught Snake's hand and twisted his arm round behind his back and pushed him forwards into the wall.
Burning ripped through his left arm. Snake ground his teeth together before deciding to wrench away from Liquid even though it meant more pain. Snake got out of the lock and kicked out to knock Liquid in the ribs. That hurt him.
"You...!" Liquid snarled putting a hand to his side before he sprang forward hammering into Snake with punches driving him back. Snake managed to fend them off but was let down by his injuries and his guard diminished under the hail of punches. It only took two solid punches into his face to send him stumbling back.
"Now's my chance..."Liquid thought seeing that Snake had left his leg exposed. And kicked out digging the toe of his boot into Snakes thigh, right on into the wound. Snake shouted out eyes screwed up and his face flushed, breaking into a new sweat. Snake still stood but his face told Liquid that it had hurt him badly.
"What's wrong?" Liquid goaded, grinning. Snake looked up.
Snake felt the adrenaline take hold and flew forward punching into his brother's face. Liquid stepped back paused for a second a hand to his face. Liquid recoiled, and then leapt forward. Snake clamped his eyes shut as the punches landed and felt blood surge out of his nose. Second punch, a salty taste in his mouth as his jaws were snapped together with the blow and he bit his tongue. A third punch and he was down. His injuries were beginning to hold him back. Liquid laughed behind him as he struggled to his knees only to feel a stabbing in his back. Snake gagged, the wind knocked out of him, spat the blood out of his mouth. He got to his feet again and faced Liquid.
"Still want to fight?" Liquid asked with a grin. Snake rushed forward and Liquid blocked the punches, one got into the ribs he'd fractured, crunched inside him.
"THAT'S IT!" he roared and lashed out at Snake. Snake fell back putting too much weight on his weak leg to get away from him. Liquid pulled him up round his neck and slammed him into a metal girder which stood in the corner of the platform to help support it.
The metal rushed towards him, Snake moved to put his arms up in front of his face. Liquid picked him up again and shoved him harshly into the girder again. He slipped down; breathing hard, to the floor, forceful stabbing in his side as Liquid kicked him when he was down, interrupting his effort to breathe again.
Liquid backed off, stood with his arms folded watching as Snake battled to his knees, blood running from his nose and down his face. He stood up as tall as he could, regaining that fighting stance. Liquid couldn't believe that Snake was not going to concede defeat. He ran along the walkway to the other side of the facility, Snake shambled after him and then broke into a sprint. Liquid was not ready for Snake's attack and found himself running backwards while Snake smashed his knuckles into his face while he ran. Liquid stepped aside when they came near a wall, Snake had no time to pull back his fist and it crunched into the concrete.
"What the!" Snake thought shaking his left hand. The skin over his knuckles had split open but nothing was broken. Liquid stood behind him laughing, blood and sweat stuck his hair to his face, still grinning back where he stood in a corner.
"Big mistake!" Snake shouted as he charged forwards and shoved Liquid into the railings. Hands wrapped round each others throats. Snake looked over Liquid's shoulder. A platform below. The vision was blacked out when Liquid struck a low blow, bringing his knee up sharply between Snake's legs. Snake couldn't shout, partly out of sheer shock and indignation and bit his bottom lip to stop himself from crying out, screwing his eyes up while he did and felt his face burn red. That had hurt far more than any other punch Liquid had thrown. His eyes opened again, surprised that his hands were still round his twins throat, who tried to laugh through the choke hold.
"Hope Meryl didn't see that." Snake thought digging his fingers into Liquid's neck looking to block off his jugular.
"HEY!" Snake shouted out his voice strangled as Liquid heaved him up over the rails. A manic look in Liquid's eyes while he lifted Snake up. Snake hung on hoping to pull him down. He put one foot under where the rail and platform met and pulled back dragging his brother over before loosing his footing. Liquid was pulled down with him. Snake didn't realise what had happened until he saw Liquid falling too and looked down to the ground rushing up.
"!" Snake thought and pulled his arms over his head before landing with a sickening cracking noise.
Liquid got up, he was relatively unharmed after landing on Snake, lying on the concrete on his side. Snake lay there fighting with himself to get up.
"Where's my gun?" he thought looking round reaching down to his side. No SOCOM? The USP was gone too. Snake battled to his knees.
Snake looked up from where he lay. Liquid had lost the guns he had and couldn't find them. Instead he put a hand behind his back and in the light Snake saw a shiny metal object in Liquid's hand. Snake scrambled to his feet as quickly as his body would let him and faced Liquid as he walked towards him. Suddenly Liquid rushed up to him. Snake stepped aside to avoid him but failed to turn round swiftly enough to face Liquid. Muscles tightened round his throat, Snake had never imagined this happening, somebody with the bravado to use that move on him.
"Liquid must really want me dead..." Snake thought as he put up his hands to ease the grip off. The hold constricted even more. Snake rasped, no air could get into his lungs. He tried hitting back into Liquid with his elbow. Nothing happened. The hold round his neck persisted.
"What the..." Snake thought, when he saw the blade come up. He couldn't start to panic, not now. Mind raced. If he did he'd die. Throwing Liquid over his shoulder was risky and might bring it to a swift end, but Snake tried anyway. Liquid flew forward and let go.
"Two can play that game!" Snake shouted charging forward and attacked while Liquid found his feet. Punching into his brother's ribs over and over again. Liquid gasped with each strike, unable to defend himself, unarmed now. Snake couldn't stop. For this moment he'd lost all control. He didn't care that Liquid was screaming to stop, not after what he'd done and said. Snake carried on until something caved in underneath his knuckles.
Liquid hollered out loud, an overwhelming stabbing in his chest. He tried to suck in air but instead wheezed painfully, bent double, his arms wrapped round himself to squeeze the pain out. He couldn't believe it; the fracture had given up and broken, puncturing his lung. Snake stood back. Liquid couldn't speak to express his fury and lurched forward.
Snake stepped back from Liquid as he fell to the floor. He was still alive, but not for much longer, he'd eventually die from his injury; the pain or loss of blood would kill Liquid. Snake's foot hit something. He bent down to pick it up.
"My USP?" he whispered and looked over to his brother staring back. Snake turned and cocked the hand gun.
"You'd point a weapon at your own..." Liquid began, his voice laboured and indiscernible as he repeated those words he'd said to Snake once before. Snake didn't give him time to say the last word. He raised his right arm to level the gun with Liquid and shot once.
"...brother?" Snake finished. "I didn't think you were even though we have the same father. How could you be after what you've done?" Snake breathed and returned the USP to his holster. Snake was fixed to the spot.
Snake failed to notice the sound as Meryl stormed along the walkway above, calling out for him, he continued to stare down at where Liquid lay dead.
"...Snake...?" Meryl asked quietly as she carefully approached him and put a hand on his shoulder. He turned round to face her, a blank expression on his face as he walked away and hobbled up to the stairs to sit down. His whole body had been drained of every ounce of energy he had and Snake wasn't sure what to think. He rested his arms on his bent knees and lay his pounding head on them. Meryl sat next to him and handed him the rest of his sneaking suit.
They didn't speak for a while and then Meryl piped up.
"I should have helped..." she apologised. Snake looked up.
"No...it's okay...I should be saying sorry for getting you into this mess." He replied quietly. Meryl gazed back at him, an apprehensive look on her face.
"I'm not sure about you though. You sure that you're alright?" Snake looked down at the floor. He should have felt something, but then could only feel happy that the nightmare was over, light remorse for killing his kith and kin and ecstatic with his victory, a horrible confusion spliced with the pain from his battered body. He'd won. He was alive. Meryl was alive. But something still nagged at him.
"This is Zanzibar all over..." Snake said. "Now they're all dead, my whole 'family' because of me..." and shook his head.
"You mean Big Boss and Liquid?" Snake nodded. "You think he's... dead?" Meryl asked nodding towards Liquid's body.
"I sure hope so." Snake said walking up to stand next to where Liquid lay. He had to be dead. Nobody could survive being shot in the head like that.
"Then again, you can never tell with Liquid." Snake thought. "I shot him down in the Hind, destroyed REX with him in it, knocked him off to his death, shot him with a machine gun while we escaped, he survived the crash and FoxDie... now this. I doubt it. But then if he does have nine lives he only has two left..." Snake thought and readied the USP before firing two rounds into Liquid's back, more blood rose up and out onto the floor. Snake took no pleasure in doing it and turned round when he was done. He looked back to see Meryl there.
"Why do I do this?" Snake wondered questioning why he put himself through all of the fighting. Then again, this fight had been for a different purpose. It wasn't just a simple hollow order he had been given to carry out somebody's dirty work or to save the world and a million people who would never know what happened to threaten their existence. The person he had saved knew what he'd done and put himself through to get them back and why he did it. It didn't feel so bad to know that his efforts and the things he'd done, good and bad weren't wasted.
Meryl smiled and held up his sneaking suit. Snake took it from her and pulled it on looking and feeling a little better.
"C'mon I've seen enough of this place." Snake eventually said to her.
"I've seen enough of him too." Snake thought as he scanned the blast furnace for a way out. He found the exit on the fourth level and began to climb the stairs. Meryl followed.
Snake raised a hand to shade his eyes, Meryl held his other hand, their fingers interlocked. Snake looked down at their clasped hands, wondered why it was that before he had never let anybody get close to him, to know him aside from the legend, portraying him as a killer through and through. Perhaps it had been because of hiding away from the people who'd caused so much hurt before; moreover he'd run away from himself to get away from what had happened in Zanzibar, to forget that he was one of Big Boss's sons.
"Snake?" Meryl asked waving a hand in front of his face. His mind had been wandering again. Snake smiled and turned round to face her, held her in a tight hug.
"C'mon, you wanna go home now?" she asked with a smile.
"Home?" Snake thought. "She's calling it 'home'?" A signal that Meryl wanted to be with him and in his life.
"It won't be for much longer though." Snake said to her. Meryl looked up a frown on her brow.
"What?"
"Now would be a good time to move away from Twin Lakes and go somewhere else." Snake paused. "It would have happened sooner or later, and we can't stay there forever."
"We are supposed to be dead too." Meryl laughed. Snake smiled.
"I feel like a change too." He sighed. "Everything has turned right round, full circle, since the mission. Since meeting you, so why not change scenery?" Snake added slowly, thinking of what to say. The home he had in Twin Lakes had been bystander to many a sad day when he had hidden himself away with his bleak outlook for. Why blight what he had now with memories like that?
Meryl looked up at him, smiled again. He reached down, a hand on her cheek, held her closer for a warm kiss, reminding himself again why he was so prepared to jeopardise all for her. Meryl pulled back from him an impish smile on her face.
"Later okay?" she grinned saying what Snake had said to her a day ago that first morning. Snake laughed to himself.
"Better find that snow mobile then." He answered and they walked away to search for a way back there.
It was so much like before the last time they'd left the island behind. Snake hauled the snow mobile from where he'd parked it and looked over to Meryl where she stood.
"Your turn." He said gesturing to the seat. Meryl stared back.
"Me?" she asked. Snake nodded with a smile. "Sure?" Meryl added.
"Of course." Snake insisted and sat down, let Meryl sit in front of him and put his arms round her waist.
"Any excuse..." Meryl sighed with a smile looking back over her shoulder at him and started the engine up.
Now the Last Word...
