- infie
Recap: (Friday)
Andrei readied the pole to release the lock, and nodded at 529, who promptly positioned himself under the cage. Andrei popped the lock, and 494 tumbled bonelessly into 529's waiting arms.
(Saturday, 1100 hrs)
529 was shaking with fatigue. He had been awake for more than forty hours straight, the last fourteen of them on his feet, and the previous six with his injured ribs forming a wide, thick ring of fire around his torso. Still, he stood at the head of 494's table and bathed his flushed, feverish face with a damp, cool cloth. 494 flinched away from the touch and moaned. The cloth came away tinted pink with the tinges of blood evident in 494's sweat, and 529's face tightened at the sight. He dipped the cloth in a bucket of the astringent liquid that they had doused 494 with before taking him out of his cage, and ran the cloth as gently as possible down the long lines of his friend's back. 494 was chained to the metal table, on his stomach, all five restraints in place. So far, his convulsions had tested their strength to the limits, and 529 feared that the worst was still to come. He saw the telltale tensing of 494's muscles, and got ready.
An instant later, 494 rolled his head and violently vomited blood. He convulsed, seizing, his body writhing against the restraints that held him down, eyes leaking blood stained tears. 529 stood back and let the fit pass, cursing. Slowly, too slowly, 494's body relaxed except for occasional weak twitches, and 529 returned to his side. He braced his legs against his exhaustion and began to bathe 494 again. He worked his way down to 494's feet, then started back up, watched by amused guards. He didn't care; if anything he did gave 494 any relief at all, then they could point and request show tunes for all the attention he'd give them. {Except maybe that Manatov asshole. } 529 thought balefully to himself, remembering the look of hateful satisfaction on the guard's face when he'd pressed the button on the cage remote. {Him I'd give all the attention he deserves.} He felt himself go cold and black inside, and knew that if he'd looked in the mirror his eyes would reflect the same pitiless emptiness 494 so often wore to look upon the world. 529 bared that look at the guards, and they stopped smiling.
529 got a shock as he reached his patient's head; 494's eyes were open. Wide open, pain filled, and worst of all: lucid. 529 bit back a blurt of sympathy and took 494's hand in his. "You're awake." he said instead. 494 blinked weakly.
"Yeah. It's one of the perks." his voice was rusty, vocal cords rough with strain. "I'd rather not be."
He closed his eyes and turned his head away."Was it this bad last time?" 529 asked quietly.
"No." 494 licked dry cracked lips, and 529 immediately provided a water-soaked cloth for him to suck on. "No. Last time it wasn't this bad." He groaned and curled against the restraints. "Last time I wasn't locked up."
529 leaned close, mouth almost against 494's ear. "I could fix that." He moved back so he could see 494's face.
"No." 494 sounded reluctant. "We have to stay a while longer. Right now I'd be a liability."
529 bit his lip. "How long?"
"It'll break tomorrow. I'll need a while to get back some strength." 494's eyes hardened in his drawn, pale face. His next words came out with an icy cold rage. "Then we can make all the mess we want."
529 nodded curtly. "I understand."
"Good." 494 swallowed painfully as his body began to cramp again. "Saleh?"
529 leaned close. "Yes, sir?"
"I don't want to be awake for this." 494's voice was level, empty, but his eyes... his eyes said everything his training wouldn't let him express aloud.
529 nodded again, slowly, then ran his disinfectant cloth over 494's chest, moving up to his neck. As he reached the carotids he leaned, very carefully. 494 blinked his gratitude, then let his eyelids flutter shut as blessed unconsciousness claimed him. 529 eased up, and moved to begin the endless cycle of washing down 494's body, covered again in blood-tinged sweat already.
"So. You two are... uh.. like that, eh?" one of the guards, Georgi, asked with a laugh, waggling his hand suggestively. 529 just rolled his eyes and conentrated on his task.
"No, Georgi. They're brothers." Andrei spoke up from his position, leaning in the doorway. To 529's shock, his accent was American. "Closer than brothers, sometimes." He tilted his head with an undefineable expression on his face, examining 529 minutely. He ran a hand along his jaw, scratching idly. His next words were so faint that 529 was sure he was the only one who heard them. "Sometimes further." Andrei straightened, strode into the room to look down at 494 impassivley. "He's doing well. Surprisingly well. His exposure to Orono must have given him more protection than Ashkovich anticipated."
"You call this well?" 529 asked bitterly.
"Oh, yes." The muscles in Andrei's jaw bunched. "I was here for the testing phases. This is a mild case."
"Oh." 529 was finding it difficult to think around the fatigue weighing against his mind. Andrei looked at him assessingly.
"Get some sleep." he ordered. "I'll wake you if he needs you."
529 eyed him suspiciously. "Thanks." he said slowly.
"Don't thank me. You'll notice I'm not offering to help." As Andrei turned and made his way to one of the comfortable chairs the guards used, 529 stared fixedly at the back of his neck left bare by his short cut black hair.
It was blank.
529 shrugged, his suspicions allayed for the moment. He gave 494's face one last swipe with the towel, then moved away to his own table. He collapsed onto it, exhaustion finally taking its toll. He closed his eyes, and moments later was asleep.
511 was puzzled, and he didn't like it one bit. They could have dealt with 494's debility, could have gotten him out, but he'd refused. There had to be something more going on, and obviously 494 had it figured out, damn him. "Fuck!" For the first time in days, 511 vented his frustration aloud. He looked at the headset cradled in his hands angrily. "Couldn't you at least talk in your sleep?" He could hear the strain in his voice, and concentrated fixedly on controlling his breathing. "Fuck!" It wasn't working. Time to share his mood a little. He flipped to the satellite.
"Hot Zone to Base." He was proud of how even his voice sounded.
[Go, Zone] The Manticore operator didn't sound impressed.
"I need some intel, Base" A wicked smile crossed his lips. {Let's get the bastards at home working for me for a change.}
[Copy that, Zone. Go.]
"There is an American running the show here. I want to know who he is. He seems to be calling himself Andrei." he paused, knowing the next tidbit would get their attention. "He's the one who shot six."
[Copy, Zone.]
"While you're at it, there's another name I want you to look up. Manatov."
[Got it, Zone.] Abruptly Lydecker came on the comm. [What is the status of unit six?]
"He is unconscious, sir."
[Unconscious? That's not within the profile.] Lydecker sounded concerned.
{About time, asshole} For a moment, 511 was tempted, very tempted, to yank Lydecker's chain. The moment passed; live missions were not the time to fuck around. {When I get back, on the other hand...} "He, uh, had some assistance, sir. It isn't related to the illness."
[I didn't think Ashkovich was that compassionate.]
"It surprised me, too, sir." 511 knew some of the sarcasm leaked into his tone and winced. Lydecker ignored it.
[Base, out.]
(Saturday, 2000 hrs)
Ashkovich woke 529 by the simple expedient of pushing him off his table. He landed with an "oof", rolling automatically back to his feet. His injured ribs complained, but the pain was mild compared to the hot pokers of only hours before. The sleep had done him a world of good, and 529 was actually starting to feel like a super soldier again instead of a wet noodle. Well, maybe an ordinary soldier. Super soldier could wait another day. He glared at Ashkovich, who just stared back at him, unmoved.
"494 needs a transfusion. You're up."
529 shot a furious look at Andrei, who raised his hands defensively. "Hey, he looks the same to me."
Ashkovich growled impatiently. "He should not be unconscious. He should be awake! And, he's been losing a lot of blood." he gestured to 494's blood slicked skin. "He needs a boost, yes?"
529 was aleady extending his arm. Ashkovich indicated a nearby chair. "Sit, please."
The extraction only took a few minutes, then Ashkovich handed 529 the needle and motioned for him to set up the IV. 529 gave him a frown, but moved to comply. He inserted the needle into the back of 494's hand, then quickly and competently set up the IV rack. He rolled the bubble between his fingers, and watched the thick red blood begin to stream into 494's veins. He picked up his cloth, wet with disinfectant, and began to wipe 494 down again. His patient's skin felt cooler under his hands this time, and 529 began to hope that it would all shake out the way that 494 had predicted. He leaned over, pretending to check 494's carotid pulse. "Tomorrow." he whispered to 494. "Tomorrow you'll wake up. Monday, we're outta here."
511 rubbed his hands together gleefully. His waiting was almost at an end. {Thank god. I don't know about the rest of them, but I was definitely not designed to sit on my hands like this.} He stood and began to pace. The satellite set beeped at him.
"Go, Base."
[We have your information, Zone.]
"Copy that. Go, Base." Finally, things were starting to come together.
[American male; Andrei. No information.]
"Copy that." Well, fuck. Maybe not.
[Male, Manatov, Sergei. Brother, Sasha Ivan, deceased in the Balkan war. Sasha was an infiltration point for Mission X5226/494-887. Theatre, Bucharest, 2011. X5494 was the sole survivor.]
511 nodded, frowning. This matched Ashkovich's information. "What do you have on Sergei?" Lydecker came on.
[Psych case. He spent the last six years in and out of war veteran hospitals. He, uh.] Lydecker paused. [He was the one who found the bodies. In Bucharest.]
"I see." 2011? Christ, they had him in the field early. "Is there anything else?"
[The man is a sadist.] Lydecker sounded grim. [What have you got for me?]
"We will be green Monday."
[Have you identified available assets?]
"I've found some items that could be useful. Nearby. Thirty minute lead time will be sufficient."
[Good. Be ready. Base out.]