Chapter Seventeen
The Great Escape
Rinoa's Physical Exam
Selphie's Surprise
Trabia Bound
As the train began to slow during its approach to the D-District Prison Train Station, Irvine arose and, crossing to Rinoa, leaned down and lightly touched the sleeping beauty, who awakened immediately. Wiping the sleep from her eyes, she sat up and asked, "What time is it?"
"A little after seven," he answered.
"Good, we're right on schedule. The guards change shifts at seven so we'll most likely be dealing with guards, who haven't been up long and will be susceptible to persuasion."
Rinoa stood up and directed, "We need to hurry."
Rinoa and Irvine wasted no time exiting the train. As they crossed the Great Plains of Galbadia, Rinoa outlined the specifics of her plan to Irvine. As they were approaching the front gate of the prison, Rinoa ordered, "Let me do all the talking."
There was a small guardhouse connected to the front gate. The guardhouse was nothing more than a squat red-bricked building, no larger than a room. It contained a desk and chair for the guard and a computer that housed a link to the central prison mainframe. There was one window on the door that allowed the guard to monitor approaching traffic.
As Rinoa and Irvine approached the guardhouse, the guard stepped out to challenge them. Rinoa noted with satisfaction he appeared bleary eyed.
Rinoa stepped forward and handed her I.D. over to the guard, while saying "Kyoko Yamashita here to visit William Thompson."
"I need to check this out" the guard replied gruffly and returned to the guardhouse.
It seemed to Rinoa, because of her heightened anxiety, that the guard didn't return for an interminable length of time, but it was actually only a couple of minutes before he reappeared returning her I.D.
"Okay, it checked out" he replied. "I need to search you for weapons and drugs."
Rinoa wasn't surprised to hear this, as she had expected to submit to a salacious patting down by a guard; what she hadn't expected was the guard ordering, "Remove all your clothing."
"What?!" shouted Irvine.
Rinoa, placing her right hand on Irvine's arm and squeezing it hard, leaned over and hissed, "Shut the hell up!"
Rinoa immediately retreated to a secret compartment in her mind, where she searched for the strength she was going to need to survive this ordeal and rescue Squall.
Rinoa betowed a smile upon the guard and slowly began to disrobe. After pulling off her long blue vest, she removed her blouse and then pushed her black shorts down to the ground and stepped out of them. Now only wearing shoes, and a bra and panties, she knelt down and, untying her shoes, pulled them off. Standing back up, Rinoa leaned over slightly while reaching behind her and, unclasped her bra, removing it from her body and then pushed her panties down to the ground and stepped out of them.
Rinoa stepped back from her clothing on the ground and stood totally nude beside Irvine who was outright staring at her with glazed eyes and his mouth agape.
Rinoa made no effort to cover herself and instead stared brazenly at the guard, who was allowing his eyes to run over every inch of her naked form, because she realized the guard would love to see her cowering and simpering and she refused to give him the satisfaction.
"Hmmm, nice," the guard commented as he bent down and gathered up her clothing. While the guard throughly checked her clothing, Rinoa remembered that it was finally this sort of abuse of power that the Galbadian government welded over its own citizens that brought about the final schism between her and her father. She could never accept that he defended this type of behavior and she could never forgive either.
"Okay" the guard said, handing her clothing back. As Rinoa began to breathe a sigh of relief, the guard further ordered, "Step inside the guardhouse. I need to complete the full body cavity search."
Rinoa's mind went completely blank with horror for a second, but as she felt Irvine stirring into action beside her, she turned and gave him the coldest stare she could muster causing him to surrender whatever his intentions were.
Rinoa turned to the guard smiling and answered "Certainly" and allowed herself to be led into the guardhouse. After the guard closed the door, he pulled a curtain down on the window effectively blocking Irvine's view.
Irvine fidgeted outside the guardhouse feeling completely useless.
Fifteen minutes later, the guard opened the guardhouse door and Rinoa stepped out stark naked holding her clothing.
As the guard remained in the guardhouse to contact the next guard inside the prison gate, Rinoa quickly donned her apparel and then went and stood beside Irvine.
Beside her, Irvine whispered, "What happened?"
"The little pervert did a fully body cavity search. The sicko really got off on it."
Rinoa glanced at Irvine, whose mouth was agape in shock and threatened "If you ever breathe a word of this to anyone, I"ll tell Selphie about-." Rinoa leaned over and whispered into Irvine's ear. Irvine flushed bright red and excitedly asked, "How do you know about that?"
Rinoa declined to comment, but instead smiled maliciously at him.
The guard stepped out of the guardhouse and escorted Rinoa to the locked gate. Unlocking the gate, he handed her over to the next guard.
The guard walked Rinoa down a long outside ramp that served as the passageway to the prison proper. At the end of the ramp, they walked down stairs to the fourteenth floor.
"In here" the guard ordered motioning Rinoa to follow him into an office. He closed the door behind them and turned to face her.
"I need to discover if William Thompson is presently eligible to receive visitors," the guard explained and turned toward the central computer. This was the moment Rinoa had been most dreading. She rapidly approached the guard and gripped the back of his head with both hands and slammed his head down as hard as she could onto the computer console. The guard groaned and began to stagger backwards, while Rinoa quickly removed the open handcuffs he had hanging from a belt loop and pulling his arms behind him, manacled him! Before he could begin to alert others by shouting, she slammed his head down on the console again, rendering him unconscious.
Rinoa took her long blue vest and wrapped it around the guard's mouth several times and tightly tied the loose ends to the handcuffs behind him. She checked carefully to be certain she hadn't totally blocked his ability to breathe. She didn't want to kill him! She simply desired to prevent him from warning others. Rinoa briefly regretted the loss of her vest, but was somewhat mollified by the fact she had another one hanging in her closet back at the Garden.
Being a large man and dead weight, it took Rinoa several precious minutes to drag him over to a supply closet and lay him in. Just before shutting the closet door, Rinoa reached down and retrieved his ring of keys.
The hacker in Deling City had provided Rinoa with the location of Squall and Quistis. Since Quistis was in a regular cell, Rinoa hoped to release her first, because she was certain she would require some assistance with the central control arm to ultimately release Squall.
Quistis's cell was located on the eleventh floor and Rinoa prayed she could reach there without encountering too much opposition. Just in case, before her flight down the staircase, she pushed the ring of keys down her shorts and carried her I.D. in her hand. If stopped, she hoped to brazen it out claiming to be a lost visitor. Rinoa began running down the staircase to the thirteenth floor.
Selphie almost became hysterical, when Zone opened the door of Zell's mother's house. "Oh great balls of Ifrit!" she thought.
Being unable to control herself, she snapped, "What in the hell are you doing here?"
Selphie instantly regretted this, as she perceived the hurt expression of Zone as he simpered, "But Selphie, I've come to be with you."
Beside her, Mishima began to giggle. Zell came walking out of the living room and suggested loudly they shut the door and quit putting their business in the street.
Closing the door behind them, Selphie and Mishima stepped into the house. Deciding to avoid the entire issue with Zone at the present time, Selphie turned to Zell and asked "Are Kasumi and Shinji here?"
Zell responded, "Yeah, and it's good you're back. We need to get him to the Garden, as soon as possible, because he isn't getting any better."
Plans were organized quickly for a neighbor to provide transportation for them, Zone included, to the Ragnarok in his truck. A half an hour later, after a brief argument over who was going to pilot, the Ragnarok lifted off the ground bound for Trabia.
When Quistis heard the key being inserted into the cell door, she immediately became terror stricken concerning what it meant. She thought wildly, "Oh great Hyne! I don't know if I can handle it this time!"
She reached out and gently shook Akemi awake, who had fallen asleep on the cell floor. Akemi looked up questioningly and Quistis silently pointed at the cell door that was opening. Quistis struggled to her feet in anticipation of the guards entering the cell and futilely attempted to cover her nudity with her hands, when Rinoa entered the cell.
Quistis gasped in surprise while Akemi arose to her feet and said dryly to Quistis, "Somebody you know?"
After closing the unlocked cell door behind her, Rinoa took two short steps to Quistis and embraced her in a hug. "Are you okay?" asked Rinoa.
Quistis replied, "How did you get in here, Rinoa?"
Rinoa stepped back. "Never mind that. We need to release Squall!"
Suddenly Rinoa realised Quistis was stark naked and she asked puzzled, "Where are your clothes?"
"They destroyed my clothing during interrogation.
"Well, you can't go running around the prison like that" Rinoa replied stating the obvious, while glancing around the cell. Her gaze fell on the woman with the dirty blonde wig, who was seated on the floor against the far wall between two other women. Rinoa began stepping toward her.
The woman observing Rinoa advancing toward her with what appeared to be a mad gleam in her eye struggled to her feet in an attempt to protect herself. Rinoa knocked her back against the wall and proceeded to strip her quickly of her blouse and skirt! As Rinoa turned and handed the outfit to Quistis, the woman regained her feet wearing only a thong and holding her arm across her substantial breasts.
"Uh, Rinoa," Quistis said, "This skirt leaves a lot to be desired."
Rinoa turned and observed Quistis had placed the extremely short skirt on over her extremely long legs leaving Quistis indecently exposed below her waist. Rinoa bit her lip to keep from laughing in her face.
The woman, whose clothes were currently in question, suddenly spoke loudly. "Hey! Give me back my clothes!"
Rinoa whirled and pulled the woman's thong completely off her body, noticing the woman's actual hair color was dark brown. Rinoa threatened in a low deadly tone, "If you make one more sound, I will beat you to the very inch of your life."
The now stark naked inmate stared at Rinoa for a moment and then decided Rinoa was truly insane and capable of anything and sat back down on the cold cell floor. Rinoa handed the thong to Quistis, who quickly pulled it up under her short skirt.
"This isn't a whole lot better," Quistis complained, as her thong was clearly visible.
"So what?" Rinoa questioned. "At least you're completely covered and we're not going to a fashion parade anyway."
Akemi nudged Quistis in the ribs as a not so subtle reminder that she was still there.
Quistis spoke, "Rinoa, this is Akemi. She's a resistance fighter from Winhill and has helped me a great deal, since I first got here."
Rinoa spoke sincerely, "Then I personally am in your debt. Thank you so much for taking such good care of Quistis."
As Akemi slightly bowed, Quistis announced, "She knows where they keep the captured weapons."
"What are we waiting for?" asked Rinoa.
When the three women reached the desired cell on the twelfth floor, they discovered the cell door was locked. Rinoa reached down in her shorts and pulled out the ring of keys and began frantically searching for the proper key.
"Man, you come prepared" Quistis commented.
Rinoa ignored her and finally located the appropriate key and inserted it into the lock of the cell door. As they stepped into the cell, they cast their eyes on a veritable treasure house of weapons. Rinoa observed everything from gunblades to Esthar picks to machineguns.
While Quistis searched for her Save the Queen and Squall's Lion Heart, Rinoa rummaged through crates of weapons searching for something suitable for her and Akemi, who had said she would prefer a handgun. Akemi was busy checking the hallway for guards.
Quistis had just located her's and Squall's weapon and Rinoa had finished fastening the weapon mechanism on her arm to hold a Cardinal, when Akemi shouted "Guards!"
Two guards burst into the cell and, observing what they thought were three escaped prisoners holding weapons, opened fire on Akemi, who caught a burst of bullets in her upper chest.
Quistis screamed "NO!!" and suddenly experienced such adrenaline coursing through her body that, when she brought Save the Queen down on a guard's head, it killed him outright.
Rinoa flew into a rage of her own and advancing quickly on the remaining guard, she eschewed the use of her Cardinal and instead yanked the weapon from the hands of the preoccupied guard, who was watching his partner fall to the ground dead. Rinoa proceeded to thrash him with the butt of his own weapon around his head and shoulders repeatedly, while shouting in frustration, "You idiots! She was unarmed!"
Quistis had meanwhile knelt by Akemi, who was bleeding profusely from her wounds. "I forgot to duck," Akemi whispered.
"Rinoa!" Quistis said urgently, "Leave him! He's unconscious already."
Rinoa whirled and cast several curagas on Akemi, which helped with her pain somewhat but could do nothing for her fatal internal injuries.
"I should have used my limit break" Akemi whispered.
"Boy, you do know a lot about us" Quistis spoke with a gentle smile.
Quistis said, "We have to get you out of here."
Akemi gently shook her head. "You can't escape from here yourselves and take me too. Besides, I'll be dead before you leave this cell."
Tears began to flow freely down Quistis's face, as Akemi reached up with her hand and squeezed Quistis's arm. "You get to Squall and you all get out of here!"
"I can't leave you" Quistis cried.
"Don't be foolish" replied Akemi. "If you're ever in Winhill, please look up that old lady that runs the flower shop. That's my grandmother."
"I will," whispered Quistis, as she perceived the light fade from Akemi's eyes.
Quistis leaned over and gently closed Akemi's eyes. Meanwhile Rinoa had manacled the guard's hands behind his back with his own handcuffs.
Rinoa crossed to Quistis and placing a hand on her shoulder said, "I'm so sorry, Quistis."
Quistis looked up with a tear stained face and replied, "Me too. She would have been a good friend."
Rinoa said, breaking the mood, "We need to hurry! Someone could come to the front gate anytime now and the guard I left tied up would be discovered."
Quistis stood up and asked tersely, "Where to?"
"The arm control room on the floor above us."
The young women fled the cell and started up the staircase. Two minutes later, they were standing in front of the arm control panel.
"Which cell is he in?" Quistis asked.
"25AAA" answered Rinoa.
Quistis imputed the necessary information and then pushed the button that would move Squall's cell out from its present location. After that, she pushed the other button bringing him up to the twelfth floor and deposited his cell down on the prison floor.
"Let's go!" Quistis ordered.
Squall was sitting on his bunk with his head resting in his hands, as he felt the cell begin to move. He had been awake all night in nervous anticipation and had visualized in his mind repeatedly exactly what he was going to do.
He realized the cell had settled onto the prison floor and he stood by the cell door waiting patiently for it to be opened. It seem to him that it took longer for them to open the cell door than it had previously. As the cell door began to open, he tensed his muscles in anticipation of his first move, when suddenly the door opened and Rinoa walked in!
Squall was so startled by this amazing turn of events, he was stunned and unable to speak or move. Rinoa, also feeling too overwhelmed at this point to speak, simply threw herself into his arms and hugged him so hard she was afraid he would break. Squall felt a great sense of relief when he observed Quistis standing behind Rinoa.
Rinoa stepped back from her embrace, kissed him once on the lips and said, "We've got to hurry!"
As she turned to leave the cell, Quistis threw Squall his Lion Heart and he snatched it expertly out of midair.
As Rinoa raced out on the top floor of the D-District Prison, along with Squall and Quistis, she quickly perceived her worst fears had been realized. The guard, who she had sequestered in the closet, was speaking to the leader of a squad of ten Galbadian soldiers, who obviously were preparing to sweep through the prison searching for them.
Just as the soldiers noticed their entrance onto the top floor, Squall yelled to Quistis and Rinoa, "Get ready!"
Rinoa, remembering the indignities she had suffered earlier in the day, thought "I haven't come this far to be stopped now!"
As Squall and Quistis were preparing to spring into attack against practically impossible odds, Rinoa suddenly cast Quezacotl! As the great-feathered bird arose from her, the sky darkened, thunder rumbled loudly and lightning flashed and crashed all over the prison floor. When Quezacotl arose to its greatest height, it then released its true power and lay all twelve of their enemies dying on the prison floor.
As Squall turned and grinned at Rinoa, she urged, "Let's move!"
They raced down the long ramp and through the prison gate, which had been left inexplicitly open when the squad of soldiers had entered. As soon as Irvine noticed them run through the open gate, he raised up his weapon from beneath his long coat and held it on the guard, who had come running out of the guardhouse to discover what all the commotion was.
Irvine glanced at Squall and asked, "How are you?"
Squall answered with a slight grin, "Okay - now."
Irvine then noticed Quistis in her extremely short skirt, which didn't begin to cover the thong she wore underneath and exclaimed with a leer on his face, "Hey Quistis! Nice oufit!"
Quistis blushed deeply and ducked her head greatly embarrassed.
Irvine asked Rinoa, "So what's the grand plan now?"
"I don't know" Rinoa admitted ruefully.
The Galbadian Military Transport Plane landed just outside of D-District Prison. As General Caraway stepped down the ramp from the plane, his mind was in a quandary. He had traveled here solely to rescue Squall and Quistis from the clutches of the President, but had no idea how he was going to accomplish this. He had heard some horrible rumors in the past, concerning the President's interrogation sessions.
So it was with a great sense of relief and amazement, when he was striding toward the front gate of the prison, that he observed the young people in question rushing out. His heart quickened, when he perceived one of them was Rinoa.
Squall hurried to the General and declared, "Well met, General."
General Caraway ordered, "Get on board now!"
He couldn't help but notice Rinoa had skirted around him and appeared to be arguing with Squall, who finally clutched her by the hand and literally dragged her on board.
The General followed them up the ramp and a moment later the Galbadian plane lifted off the ground, destination presently uncertain.