Chapter Eighteen: A Premeditated Infection
It was startling – the sudden jolt in his chest. All the wind seemed to blast to a halt and the shattering growl of the air against his ears fell silent. And a moment after it had all ceased, he felt the ground beneath him and he turned to Fox who pulled open his trench coat to reveal a small gadget on his belt. 'Z-Force?' Otacon thought to himself, remembering the Dead Drop Snake had been forced to utilize during the infiltration of Hell's Outpost. 'He was right,' he thought, 'that was certainly not comfortable,' but it was a much softer landing than the one Snake had been put through, as the technology had obviously advanced in recent months. Its more compact design was also a noticeable difference.
Not uttering a single word, Fox let go of Otacon and let him find his balance before gesturing his head to the left and speeding into the middle of the street where the cars had stopped – all watching the unbelievable event. Otacon was quick to his feet, but did not attempt to follow, seeing the situation dangerous.
Stopping before an old Explorer, Fox held out his hand, signaling the driver to stop, and even though he wasn't moving at the time Fox surely didn't want him to start as he stood there. To his disapproval, there came a vulgar flip of the finger from within the vehicle. He retaliated by raising his sword into the air, letting it glow in the sunlight.
Then, just seconds later, there came a yelp from within the vehicle as the man quickly threw open the door and spun onto his feet; racing to the opposite side of the street in fear. Otacon hurried over to Fox, a confident sternness in his eyes. With the disruption of an odd silence, there was a series of cries from the West City Bank as soldiers swarmed the sidewalk and began to weave in and out of the halted vehicles, all hesitating to go any closer or to fire their weapons.
Fox turned to them and grinned. "Get in," he said calmly to Otacon. Hesitating, Otacon wretched open the passenger door and hopped inside – immediately strapping himself in with a seat belt. "Give my regards to the Colonel," Fox announced then, and tipped his hand as if to wave.
Taking a seat behind the wheel and closing the all ready ajar door, Fox turned to Otacon and winced as three soldiers moved in front of the vehicle. "There's no other way out of this," he said aloud, and Otacon nodded, slumped down in his seat, and covered his eyes.
Fox put his foot on the gas and the Explorer hesitated, scorching the pavement. Then, it started forward and the three soldiers disappeared. There was a loud 'thump' as they went on, and Otacon cringed as he heard it and felt it, but it was nothing more than an assault rifle. All three soldiers amazingly possessed the sense to move out of the way.
"What are we doing?!" Otacon cried as he sat up in his seat. Just then, everything he had done caught up with him and he was overtaken by the madness of it all. Fox didn't answer for a while. He was too busy maneuvering the vehicle through the mess of cars and trucks that was before them. "You wanted to get to Manhattan," he proclaimed, straightening his collar that stood upward. Otacon looked at him insanely, and braced the edges of his seat. He thought deeply.
"Right," he finally said, putting his hand to his ear. There was a moment of hesitation, and Fox seemed to eye him strangely, but when the noises died away a welcome voice found its way to Otacon.
"Otacon?" it asked, jittery. He smiled.
"Mei Ling," he confirmed. Blinking several times, he ran his hand through his hair and pushed his glasses up his sweaty nose. "I'm initiating Plan B."
"What?" she asked, hurriedly. "Well…why?"
"I'll tell you more later," Otacon replied. "Can you be at Battery Park?"
"What time?"
"Now," he answered. "I'll be there as soon as I can."
"But…aren't you over the bridge?" she seemed concerned, and no doubt she was.
"Don't worry. Just, can you be there?"
There was a moment of silence.
"Yes," she assured him. "Yes, I can be there." Otacon sighed, and nodded to himself.
"Contact Naomi," he requested. "And I'll see you soon?" She nodded.
"Wait!" she cried, just before he was about to end the transmission. "Yes?" he asked, preoccupied.
"What is this about?" Otacon didn't know what to say. He paused.
"I was blind," he muttered, almost oblivious to her presence now. "I was blind…dammit!"
"Otacon?" Mei Ling urged, trying to get more information from him. She was afraid.
"Battery park, Mei Ling," he repeated. "Get there!" And with that, the transmission ended and Fox turned the corner sharply, sending Otacon into the door. Peering over the dashboard, he saw a bridge only a couple of streets away. They were almost there…almost there.
"He will not deploy the 2nd Officer's Unit until the Six Points are on their way," a voice came. It was synthesized…disguised.
Ocelot was in his chair, reclined with his feet on the desk where the Compilation sat. He seemed bored, but with the news the other voice brought, he sat forward and dropped his feet to the floor. Touching his ear as if to sharpen the clarity, he grinned. "He's being stubborn?"
"Cautious," the voice returned again. "It looks like we struck a nerve. Your friend appeared right on cue." Ocelot smiled more maliciously than before, and he reclined a little in satisfaction.
"He took the bait," Ocelot commented. "Good…I'll arrange the Six Points' arrival. No doubt, your boss will see it?"
"No doubt," the synthesized cloak returned.
"Good…it is a disappointment to see that the Apocylai failed. You will have to be more cautious now."
"Yes sir," the voice answered. At that, footsteps began to echo through the cavernous warehouse, and Ocelot turned in his chair to see a shady figure before him. Touching his ear, and turned back to the Compilation. "I have a visitor."
"I will speak with you again, soon?"
"Of course," Ocelot confirmed, and without any proper 'good-bye' he had ended the transmission. He turned back, his grin fading to a discerning frown as he faced the 'visitor.' Only the light that stood over the Compilation remained on, leaving the figure in the shadows.
"Tintern Abbey," the voice called. It was that of a female. Seductive. Not whimsical…but sexy.
"Do you have the package?" he asked, and there was a nod in the darkness as her hand went forward. There was a small box, the size of one that held a pair of earrings, in her hand. Ocelot had one hand ready on his revolver while the other snatched it away from her. "You will have your place beside me," he said as he popped the lid of the box and examined what lay within.
"If you make one false move, Ocelot, I will kill you," Tintern claimed. Ocelot grinned wildly, and set the box on his desk before turning back to the Compilation.
"Dear Tintern, there is no reason to be suspicious of me," he proclaimed. "You will be rewarded for your assistance." There was silence. "Waiting for something else?"
"Of course not," she finally said, and she turned on her heel and heading out of the room.
"Oh, and Tintern," Ocelot called. She stopped. "Is your agent in place?"
"He should be by now," she answered.
"Good," he smiled. "It's like a disease…only intentional. Hah! A premeditated infection." And Tintern was gone, leaving Ocelot to his sanctuary.
It was startling – the sudden jolt in his chest. All the wind seemed to blast to a halt and the shattering growl of the air against his ears fell silent. And a moment after it had all ceased, he felt the ground beneath him and he turned to Fox who pulled open his trench coat to reveal a small gadget on his belt. 'Z-Force?' Otacon thought to himself, remembering the Dead Drop Snake had been forced to utilize during the infiltration of Hell's Outpost. 'He was right,' he thought, 'that was certainly not comfortable,' but it was a much softer landing than the one Snake had been put through, as the technology had obviously advanced in recent months. Its more compact design was also a noticeable difference.
Not uttering a single word, Fox let go of Otacon and let him find his balance before gesturing his head to the left and speeding into the middle of the street where the cars had stopped – all watching the unbelievable event. Otacon was quick to his feet, but did not attempt to follow, seeing the situation dangerous.
Stopping before an old Explorer, Fox held out his hand, signaling the driver to stop, and even though he wasn't moving at the time Fox surely didn't want him to start as he stood there. To his disapproval, there came a vulgar flip of the finger from within the vehicle. He retaliated by raising his sword into the air, letting it glow in the sunlight.
Then, just seconds later, there came a yelp from within the vehicle as the man quickly threw open the door and spun onto his feet; racing to the opposite side of the street in fear. Otacon hurried over to Fox, a confident sternness in his eyes. With the disruption of an odd silence, there was a series of cries from the West City Bank as soldiers swarmed the sidewalk and began to weave in and out of the halted vehicles, all hesitating to go any closer or to fire their weapons.
Fox turned to them and grinned. "Get in," he said calmly to Otacon. Hesitating, Otacon wretched open the passenger door and hopped inside – immediately strapping himself in with a seat belt. "Give my regards to the Colonel," Fox announced then, and tipped his hand as if to wave.
Taking a seat behind the wheel and closing the all ready ajar door, Fox turned to Otacon and winced as three soldiers moved in front of the vehicle. "There's no other way out of this," he said aloud, and Otacon nodded, slumped down in his seat, and covered his eyes.
Fox put his foot on the gas and the Explorer hesitated, scorching the pavement. Then, it started forward and the three soldiers disappeared. There was a loud 'thump' as they went on, and Otacon cringed as he heard it and felt it, but it was nothing more than an assault rifle. All three soldiers amazingly possessed the sense to move out of the way.
"What are we doing?!" Otacon cried as he sat up in his seat. Just then, everything he had done caught up with him and he was overtaken by the madness of it all. Fox didn't answer for a while. He was too busy maneuvering the vehicle through the mess of cars and trucks that was before them. "You wanted to get to Manhattan," he proclaimed, straightening his collar that stood upward. Otacon looked at him insanely, and braced the edges of his seat. He thought deeply.
"Right," he finally said, putting his hand to his ear. There was a moment of hesitation, and Fox seemed to eye him strangely, but when the noises died away a welcome voice found its way to Otacon.
"Otacon?" it asked, jittery. He smiled.
"Mei Ling," he confirmed. Blinking several times, he ran his hand through his hair and pushed his glasses up his sweaty nose. "I'm initiating Plan B."
"What?" she asked, hurriedly. "Well…why?"
"I'll tell you more later," Otacon replied. "Can you be at Battery Park?"
"What time?"
"Now," he answered. "I'll be there as soon as I can."
"But…aren't you over the bridge?" she seemed concerned, and no doubt she was.
"Don't worry. Just, can you be there?"
There was a moment of silence.
"Yes," she assured him. "Yes, I can be there." Otacon sighed, and nodded to himself.
"Contact Naomi," he requested. "And I'll see you soon?" She nodded.
"Wait!" she cried, just before he was about to end the transmission. "Yes?" he asked, preoccupied.
"What is this about?" Otacon didn't know what to say. He paused.
"I was blind," he muttered, almost oblivious to her presence now. "I was blind…dammit!"
"Otacon?" Mei Ling urged, trying to get more information from him. She was afraid.
"Battery park, Mei Ling," he repeated. "Get there!" And with that, the transmission ended and Fox turned the corner sharply, sending Otacon into the door. Peering over the dashboard, he saw a bridge only a couple of streets away. They were almost there…almost there.
"He will not deploy the 2nd Officer's Unit until the Six Points are on their way," a voice came. It was synthesized…disguised.
Ocelot was in his chair, reclined with his feet on the desk where the Compilation sat. He seemed bored, but with the news the other voice brought, he sat forward and dropped his feet to the floor. Touching his ear as if to sharpen the clarity, he grinned. "He's being stubborn?"
"Cautious," the voice returned again. "It looks like we struck a nerve. Your friend appeared right on cue." Ocelot smiled more maliciously than before, and he reclined a little in satisfaction.
"He took the bait," Ocelot commented. "Good…I'll arrange the Six Points' arrival. No doubt, your boss will see it?"
"No doubt," the synthesized cloak returned.
"Good…it is a disappointment to see that the Apocylai failed. You will have to be more cautious now."
"Yes sir," the voice answered. At that, footsteps began to echo through the cavernous warehouse, and Ocelot turned in his chair to see a shady figure before him. Touching his ear, and turned back to the Compilation. "I have a visitor."
"I will speak with you again, soon?"
"Of course," Ocelot confirmed, and without any proper 'good-bye' he had ended the transmission. He turned back, his grin fading to a discerning frown as he faced the 'visitor.' Only the light that stood over the Compilation remained on, leaving the figure in the shadows.
"Tintern Abbey," the voice called. It was that of a female. Seductive. Not whimsical…but sexy.
"Do you have the package?" he asked, and there was a nod in the darkness as her hand went forward. There was a small box, the size of one that held a pair of earrings, in her hand. Ocelot had one hand ready on his revolver while the other snatched it away from her. "You will have your place beside me," he said as he popped the lid of the box and examined what lay within.
"If you make one false move, Ocelot, I will kill you," Tintern claimed. Ocelot grinned wildly, and set the box on his desk before turning back to the Compilation.
"Dear Tintern, there is no reason to be suspicious of me," he proclaimed. "You will be rewarded for your assistance." There was silence. "Waiting for something else?"
"Of course not," she finally said, and she turned on her heel and heading out of the room.
"Oh, and Tintern," Ocelot called. She stopped. "Is your agent in place?"
"He should be by now," she answered.
"Good," he smiled. "It's like a disease…only intentional. Hah! A premeditated infection." And Tintern was gone, leaving Ocelot to his sanctuary.