Freedom Fighters

Part Two: Search and Rescue

Armed with only the customary DRF knives, the Tamer rescue force slunk along to the prison camp (for those who refused to allow their minds to be invaded by Wraiths) where Takato was held. Upon reaching the large, gray building Rika quickly dispatched the guard at the back door. Each tamer took on a different floor to speed up the search. None knew that though Takato was in the building, his mind could not be found.

Back at the Hideaway, Ken discovered the Tamer's disappearance. He hurriedly called the DRF Commanders together. Immediately they convened to discuss a course of action.

"We don't know where they went, so we can't follow to help with whatever they do. But we can't stay here, if they're captured the Wraiths'll know where we are," Joe began without preamble.

"Thanks for point out the obvious," Tai commented dryly.

"Where's your great idea, eh genius?" Matt cut in angrily. Tai growled inarticulately.

"Why don't we just perform a raid? That should keep us out of the way long enough," Crystal suggested calmly. Sarlin and Kigan rapidly agreed, and other agreements of varying enthusiasm joined in soon after. All mustered their troops (and the six score of the missing). They were going to save Takato at last!

Jeri dodged another shot from the pistol by ducking behind a crate of foodstuffs. The guard of floor 22 was armed more heavily than any previously. Jeri suspected the most important prisoners were here. The young guard circled around to the other side of the boxes. He unloaded another few rounds at Jeri, but again the girl proved to fast for him. Jeri padded along silently, until she was straight behind him. Hearing her feet when Jeri got within ten feet, the guard whirled on her. Jeri, thinking swiftly, threw her knife into the man's gut, retrieved her knife, and traveled into the hallway connecting the cells. The beige walls pressed in at her, and she had trouble thinking straight. Must be the Wraith mental pressures around here, she realized. Finally she reached Takato's cell. Inside he gazed blankly at the door. Jeri dashed in and hugged him fiercely, crying quietly into his shoulder. "I thought they broke you… Thank heaven you're all right, Takato." Takato looked at her as if she were crazy,

"Who're you? Who's Takato? And why are you bothering me?"

"I'm Jeri, I'm here to break you out. And you're Takato!"

"Jeri? I've never met anyone named Jeri in my life." Jeri grew angry.

"Stop kidding around Takato!"

"Stop calling me Takato. My designation is L2294. Please leave. I have important work to do."

"No you don't! You have to leave with me, now!"

"Go away." Jeri refused. "Now." Jeri didn't budge. "Guards!" Takato yelled. Two guards with handguns walked in shortly, keeping their weapons trained on Jeri. Jeri only stared at Takato helplessly as she was hauled away. Takato went back to staring at the door.

The DRF arrived at the prison quickly thanks to the hover-transports. Inside, they combed every floor individually, finding most opposition eliminated. Eventually, Ken and Yolie, who had been trying to break into the computer systems, succeeded. They discovered Takato's location rapidly and moved onto new data about the Wraiths. Yolie gasped and Ken yelled, "Izzy! You might want to come see this!" Onscreen was a report on two experimental pieces weaponry to be used to catch freedom fighters: handheld and large-scale energy weapons, and mechanized patrol devices to be armed with them. "This is amazing. We have to have this stuff," Izzy breathed.

"My thoughts exactly," Ken concurred.

"Which first?"

"Weapons first. More valuable to both sides."

"Makes sense." Their conversation was interrupted by a loud noise at the other end of the corridor. A squad of twelve guardsmen stomped towards them. Ken detached his PPC from the terminal and sent the data out to the Warnet. The three DRF Commanders dashed away, towards a long staircase. The security personnel opened fire on them and cut down Yolie without asking for surrender. Ken tripped and fell. When Izzy bent to help him up, he groaned, "Run!" an order Izzy obeyed as Ken was shot to death. Izzy narrowly escaped from the bullets by meeting his score of troops, who exacted revenge on the guards. It was a somber moment as Izzy looked down at his friend's bodies, but what they had sacrificed for was invaluable.

Kenta and Henry heard the firefight on floor 22, the floor between them, and climbed or walked down the stairs to discover it's cause. They came upon the fallen guard and Henry confiscated his gun. The pair then found Takato's cell, but he simply called for the guards again. One came but was shot by Henry's new gun. They left Takato in his cell, believing he was under Wraith control and not simply mad. They continued down the corridor and found the holding area with the other guard and Jeri in it. In the firefight that ensued, the guard shot and killed Jeri, killed Kenta (who wasn't fast enough to step behind cover before being shot), and wounded Henry in the leg before being killed. He tried dragging himself along to the stairs but a final guard finished him off in sight of freedom.

The building secured, the DRF realized Takato could not be saved, nor could most of the other captives, as many had been driven insane. They gathered their 30 dead and buried them in a mass grave near the Hideaway. After a brief memorial service, the DRF Commanders convened to discuss the matter of the energy weapons. It was soon decided: They would strike at sunrise.

To be continued in Part Three: Advancing Warfare…