Chapter Nine: A Sniper's Signature
"Snake? Jack?" Otacon asked, his voice coming through the Codec to Snake and Jack as they headed toward the IN-Tech office buildings. Stopping on the sidewalk and stepping into an alley, they put their hands to their ears and buried themselves in the shadows.
"Yea, Otacon," Snake answered. "We're here." Otacon sighed.
"I spoke with some men from the Press Circle, which is in constant conversation with nearly every broadcasting station, radio deck, and paper in the United States. They said that The Manhattan Resident plans to release another Special Edition within the next hour or so to catch up on further investigations and see how the theft in the Middle East is connected with the invasion," Otacon stated.
"Good work," Snake nodded, looking to Jack who seemed anxious to end the conversation and move to the IN-Tech building. "Anything else?"
"I contacted representatives from the UFAC," he said shakily. "They aren't going to let the mission go. They want us to have the Compilation in our possession by five o'clock this afternoon."
"That's when the bulldozer crashes the party?" Snake questioned, and Otacon nodded.
"That's right," he said. "They're willing to give you a little flexibility, and are not restricting your actions with the invasion, but if we fail to complete their mission by five, we're not going to be on their good side."
"It doesn't sound like we are, anyway," Snake commented.
"Now, now, Snake. Just," Otacon paused. "Can you infiltrate the warehouse and retrieve the needed information by five?" Snake was hesitant in answering, and not knowing the time as it was added to the complication of things.
"What's the time?" he asked, and Otacon checked his watch. "Just about 12:50," Otacon assured him, and Snake looked into the shadows around him, searching for some sort of positive answer, but optimism was hard to come by in a situation like his. And seeing as they were all ready scheduled to meet with Formal at the IN-Tech facilities, he didn't see any way of making it to the warehouse in time to transfer the data and escape with their lives.
"I'm sorry, Otacon," he said, sighing. "I don't think we can make it. We're…heading to the IN-Tech building now. Formal contacted us." He could hear the anxiety in Otacon's fitful sigh, and he felt terrible. Somehow, this went beyond canceling a business favor. Otacon seemed hurt by Snake's answer, and that in turn hurt Snake. 'Damn,' he thought.
"I'm coming to Manhattan," Otacon said after nearly a minute of painful silence that dug into Snake like a knife. "I'll make arrangements with the UFAC to try and extend the mission limit, and get in touch with Mei Ling and Naomi."
"Otacon," Snake began, "Manhattan isn't safe now. They could kill you on entry."
Otacon sighed heavily. "Snake, I am coming to Manhattan. Good luck with Formal. As soon as I've arrived, I'll contact you."
"Otacon, I –," Snake began.
"Over and out," Otacon ended, and Snake's head fell. Never…never in his life had he heard Otacon so upset with him. Even Sniper Wolf…it didn't compare. This was less physical, but…he could tell. He could sense Otacon's pain, and it pulled him apart inside. 'I failed him,' Snake thought, and he heard Jack's subtle steps as he moved toward him, setting his hand on Snake's shoulder and looking him in the eye.
"He's coming to Manhattan, Snake," Jack said, laying out the facts for Snake. "We have to take care of our business, and he'll take care of his."
Snake shook his head wildly. "It's not like that," he stopped. "This isn't just Otacon's business. We committed to him. He committed to them. And now, he's getting burned for it…try being on the receiving end sometime."
Snake shrugged off Jack's gentle touch, and stepped out of the alley, turning left and continuing down the sidewalk. Jack sighed and jogged out of the alley, turning once when he heard the trash cans that were piled in the shadows creak and roll this way and that. His heart speeding, he turned out of the darkness and entered the light of day, following Snake with a slower step as to intentionally stay out of his way. There was enough going on in his life to give any other man a heart attack, and Jack didn't even know the half of it.
Still, the walk was a short one, and their silence was quickly displaced when Jack inevitably stopped beside Snake at the foot of the steps reaching up to the doors of IN-Tech. Jack turned and peered through the cloudy glass, trying to make out what was within, but it almost appeared as if they had been intentionally left unclean.
"IN-Tech," Snake smiled. "That's NewTech's rival corporation." Jack turned to him.
"NewTech?" he asked, and Snake nodded subtly.
"NewTech supplies Philanthropy with all of the devices it needs. We've been business partners for the past three years." Snake looked over the building, noticing how tall it was: nearly ten floors. 'Not too bad,' he thought. "They make good cell phones." He laughed lightly.
"Right," Jack turned away, taken with the sky blue windows that stretched the entire height of the IN-Tech office building. Sending one glare to Snake, he cocked his head and lifted his shoulders. "Well, I guess I'm off, eh?" Snake nodded in return.
"I'll wait here and make sure you don't have any unwanted guests," Snake winked and Jack took that as an apology for how Snake had acted moments ago. Jack smiled all that he could and started off to the doors, Snake grabbing him by the arm. "Good luck," Snake said, and Jack nodded before breaking loose and entering the building.
The doors closed quietly, a very faint 'swoosh' noise lingering as it slowly locked in place. Snake sighed and turned to the street, watching the cars fly by. Tired and concerned, he observed the area, looking for something…anything. And there it was. A bench.
Quickly, as to not forfeit it to an old, scrawny homeless man or woman, he took a seat propping his arms on the back, and letting his head dangle back carelessly. "Whew," he exhaled, letting his body lay over the bench like a wet rag doll, affixing itself to the environment. Closing his eyes, he let his ears and his nose hear and smell. Everything seemed different then, and the Manhattan he had seen seconds before seemed to multiply, expanding miles and miles beyond its fixed boundaries. He saw a grand empire, and as cars sped by, their volume set on the top notch, it began to deteriorate. But, as they would fade away, and as the men and women stepped over the sidewalks, the clatter of shoes on the cement played a relaxing tune to which Snake nearly fell asleep to before hearing a voice creep into his ear.
"Snake," it whispered. "Sna-ake," it came again, this time the 'a' being extended. Slowly, his head bent back to its normal position, and he looked ahead as he felt something burning in his forehead. "Snake…I'm watching you." And then he knew what was lying upon his forehead.
A big red dot...a sniper's signature.
"Snake? Jack?" Otacon asked, his voice coming through the Codec to Snake and Jack as they headed toward the IN-Tech office buildings. Stopping on the sidewalk and stepping into an alley, they put their hands to their ears and buried themselves in the shadows.
"Yea, Otacon," Snake answered. "We're here." Otacon sighed.
"I spoke with some men from the Press Circle, which is in constant conversation with nearly every broadcasting station, radio deck, and paper in the United States. They said that The Manhattan Resident plans to release another Special Edition within the next hour or so to catch up on further investigations and see how the theft in the Middle East is connected with the invasion," Otacon stated.
"Good work," Snake nodded, looking to Jack who seemed anxious to end the conversation and move to the IN-Tech building. "Anything else?"
"I contacted representatives from the UFAC," he said shakily. "They aren't going to let the mission go. They want us to have the Compilation in our possession by five o'clock this afternoon."
"That's when the bulldozer crashes the party?" Snake questioned, and Otacon nodded.
"That's right," he said. "They're willing to give you a little flexibility, and are not restricting your actions with the invasion, but if we fail to complete their mission by five, we're not going to be on their good side."
"It doesn't sound like we are, anyway," Snake commented.
"Now, now, Snake. Just," Otacon paused. "Can you infiltrate the warehouse and retrieve the needed information by five?" Snake was hesitant in answering, and not knowing the time as it was added to the complication of things.
"What's the time?" he asked, and Otacon checked his watch. "Just about 12:50," Otacon assured him, and Snake looked into the shadows around him, searching for some sort of positive answer, but optimism was hard to come by in a situation like his. And seeing as they were all ready scheduled to meet with Formal at the IN-Tech facilities, he didn't see any way of making it to the warehouse in time to transfer the data and escape with their lives.
"I'm sorry, Otacon," he said, sighing. "I don't think we can make it. We're…heading to the IN-Tech building now. Formal contacted us." He could hear the anxiety in Otacon's fitful sigh, and he felt terrible. Somehow, this went beyond canceling a business favor. Otacon seemed hurt by Snake's answer, and that in turn hurt Snake. 'Damn,' he thought.
"I'm coming to Manhattan," Otacon said after nearly a minute of painful silence that dug into Snake like a knife. "I'll make arrangements with the UFAC to try and extend the mission limit, and get in touch with Mei Ling and Naomi."
"Otacon," Snake began, "Manhattan isn't safe now. They could kill you on entry."
Otacon sighed heavily. "Snake, I am coming to Manhattan. Good luck with Formal. As soon as I've arrived, I'll contact you."
"Otacon, I –," Snake began.
"Over and out," Otacon ended, and Snake's head fell. Never…never in his life had he heard Otacon so upset with him. Even Sniper Wolf…it didn't compare. This was less physical, but…he could tell. He could sense Otacon's pain, and it pulled him apart inside. 'I failed him,' Snake thought, and he heard Jack's subtle steps as he moved toward him, setting his hand on Snake's shoulder and looking him in the eye.
"He's coming to Manhattan, Snake," Jack said, laying out the facts for Snake. "We have to take care of our business, and he'll take care of his."
Snake shook his head wildly. "It's not like that," he stopped. "This isn't just Otacon's business. We committed to him. He committed to them. And now, he's getting burned for it…try being on the receiving end sometime."
Snake shrugged off Jack's gentle touch, and stepped out of the alley, turning left and continuing down the sidewalk. Jack sighed and jogged out of the alley, turning once when he heard the trash cans that were piled in the shadows creak and roll this way and that. His heart speeding, he turned out of the darkness and entered the light of day, following Snake with a slower step as to intentionally stay out of his way. There was enough going on in his life to give any other man a heart attack, and Jack didn't even know the half of it.
Still, the walk was a short one, and their silence was quickly displaced when Jack inevitably stopped beside Snake at the foot of the steps reaching up to the doors of IN-Tech. Jack turned and peered through the cloudy glass, trying to make out what was within, but it almost appeared as if they had been intentionally left unclean.
"IN-Tech," Snake smiled. "That's NewTech's rival corporation." Jack turned to him.
"NewTech?" he asked, and Snake nodded subtly.
"NewTech supplies Philanthropy with all of the devices it needs. We've been business partners for the past three years." Snake looked over the building, noticing how tall it was: nearly ten floors. 'Not too bad,' he thought. "They make good cell phones." He laughed lightly.
"Right," Jack turned away, taken with the sky blue windows that stretched the entire height of the IN-Tech office building. Sending one glare to Snake, he cocked his head and lifted his shoulders. "Well, I guess I'm off, eh?" Snake nodded in return.
"I'll wait here and make sure you don't have any unwanted guests," Snake winked and Jack took that as an apology for how Snake had acted moments ago. Jack smiled all that he could and started off to the doors, Snake grabbing him by the arm. "Good luck," Snake said, and Jack nodded before breaking loose and entering the building.
The doors closed quietly, a very faint 'swoosh' noise lingering as it slowly locked in place. Snake sighed and turned to the street, watching the cars fly by. Tired and concerned, he observed the area, looking for something…anything. And there it was. A bench.
Quickly, as to not forfeit it to an old, scrawny homeless man or woman, he took a seat propping his arms on the back, and letting his head dangle back carelessly. "Whew," he exhaled, letting his body lay over the bench like a wet rag doll, affixing itself to the environment. Closing his eyes, he let his ears and his nose hear and smell. Everything seemed different then, and the Manhattan he had seen seconds before seemed to multiply, expanding miles and miles beyond its fixed boundaries. He saw a grand empire, and as cars sped by, their volume set on the top notch, it began to deteriorate. But, as they would fade away, and as the men and women stepped over the sidewalks, the clatter of shoes on the cement played a relaxing tune to which Snake nearly fell asleep to before hearing a voice creep into his ear.
"Snake," it whispered. "Sna-ake," it came again, this time the 'a' being extended. Slowly, his head bent back to its normal position, and he looked ahead as he felt something burning in his forehead. "Snake…I'm watching you." And then he knew what was lying upon his forehead.
A big red dot...a sniper's signature.