Torment of Paradise
Chapter 5
The cold air and snow whipped her in the face as she headed for the building in the back. Running the rest of the way she made it into the hangar, forcing the door open against the wind.
"Jeez...this is brutal. Why the hell did V send me here? Russia of all the bleedin' places on Earth." she muttered going up to the ancient coffee machine and pouring herself a cup.
Wrapping her hands around the cracked barely warm cup, she took a sip of the liquid, making a face at the taste. "Where's a Second Cup when you need one? I need my White Hot." she muttered.
Slowly she made her way into the hangar going to sit on Anansi's cold metal chest. "Well my friend here we are in the pits of Russia...and for what? We've been here almost four months now...and still no orders from V. What the hell is she waiting for?" she took a sip of the awful coffee. "I just want to get out of here. See, I got too used to that beach." she fell silent looking at her Gundam's gleaming blue and black paint. "I got too used to that beach."
She gave a wistful smile thinking back to the night on the sand with Quatre. She should have told him, she felt so bad keeping it from him. She knew he was worried about her as was Duo...but she simply couldn't bring herself to-
"Huh?" her head snapped up hearing a ringing echo go through the hangar; she was the only one here.
Putting down her mug, she slid down off of Anansi silently, taking her gun out from its side holster and cocking it. She moved through the shadows, trying to find the source of the disturbance. Then a clink came from the other side of Anansi, making her slip to the side quickly; now she could see the silhouette of a figure from the side trying to stay hidden.
'Hmph.' She retreated silently, moving around to the other side coming up from behind. Even now she could see the shadow that stirred slightly. Detaching herself from the side of her suit she crept up to the person, placing the muzzle at the back of their head.
"Toss the gun on the ground." a skitter went across the floor. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't blow your head off." she growled; she would much rather be trying to keep warm than dealing with an intruder.
The person froze for a second before trying to kick Jess' feet from under her.
"Ah ah. I asked you a question." she said moving back as she anticipated the person's action. "Now why don't you step into the light here so I can get a good look at the person who's probably out for my head."
She narrowed her gaze as the person started to walk forward, gun moving to the area over the heart if a quick shot was needed. But her gun muzzle dropped slightly in shock as the features of the person came into view as they turned.
"Lara?" she whispered, almost uncertain if what she was seeing was real. "Is...is that really you?"
"Yes..." came the sad sigh. "it's me Jess. It is me. Good old Lara."
Jess frowned slightly at the bitter words. "What the Hell are you doing here?"
"I can ask the same of you...with a Gundam no less."
"Careful..." she raised the muzzle back up training it over her heart. "I'm not quite beyond killing you...especially after what you did to me before."
"It was meant as a joke you know-"
"Trussing me up like a pig and leaving me in the back of a trouncing poultry truck bound to New Jersey is not a joke." she hissed. "You and your clique sisters..." she glared at her even more. "Still doesn't explain why you're here."
"Do you want to truth?" a smirk came to the colourless lips. "As a former sister you are entitled to it."
"Sure...why not...cause at the rate you're going I'm really gonna put you out of your misery."
The smirk vanished abruptly. "I was sent here to kill you."
"Who's orders?"
"Lady Une. Find the Gundam pilot 06 and eliminate." there came a brief pause. "I would have gotten you earlier if it wasn't for those two guys."
"Two guys?"
"A blond by the name of Quatre Raberba Winner, am I not correct? And someone else."
"So?"
"I didn't know you were in the habit of keeping company with traitors...I know that your blond friend is a pilot as well. I should have knocked him off first and then you; saved myself the trouble."
Jess felt her finger itch to pull the trigger; if not for the feelings inside....... "So you're here to kill me, huh?"
Lara nodded her head. "Not that I wanted to...but...someone's life was on the line at the time. Someone important."
"Nice to see that you care for once in your life." she backed up against Anansi and pulled herself up. "But it looks like you've missed you chance."
"Are you so sure? I saw you two at the mall...you seemed pretty attached to him. I could just make life unbearable for you..."
She shot daggers at the girl below her. "To think I called you friend once."
"I still would be too...if not for certain things such as-"
"Can it." she ordered. "I'm not falling for it a second time." the cockpit door opened. "Anything to say before I disappear my 'dear friend'?"
"Watch your back...I will get my mission done even if it takes me the rest of this war." the words were said with a weary resignation.
"How nice. Think I'll be off now if you don't mind." with a mocking bow, she disappeared into the cockpit and activated her Gundam.
Monitors on, she looked down at the still figure of Lara. She did seem pretty sad and she would have liked to go and comfort her as she had once...but then she remembered the painful jolting drive of some nine hundred miles with pecking beaks, gouging claws and irritating feathers. With a resolute face she walked out in to the snow that was now a full fledged blizzard.
"Come on Anansi. Forget V. We operate as we see fit now." she said quietly as they went through the white flakes. The Gundam made a series of beeping noises that made her smile. "Yeah sure we can head to someplace warmer. Maybe the Middle East...we can stop by and see Quatre."
She fell silent now as she headed for the nearest OZ base for a carrier plane; they wouldn't expect someone to try and take a plane in this weather and she willingly run the risk. 'Quatre.' She chewed her lip a bit anxiously; if Lara had been trailing her for so long what was to say that someone wasn't after Quatre right now. Fear clutched at her heart hard as she continued on. 'What are you worried about Jess? He's got forty Maganacs right there with him. Nothing can possibly happen to him. Rashid will see to it; I know he will. Beside if the mall was any indication, he can't go anywhere without one of them going also.' Worries soothed temporarily, she calmed herself down and turned on her heat sensors to find the buildings. 'Quatre will be perfectly fine.'
"Ma'am? Ma'am? Are you all right Ma'am?"
The voice brought her back to reality from her dark dreams. She found herself looking at the concerned face of a steward. "Yes...I'm fine thank you."
She got an unsure look before the man went away, closing the door behind him. She rubbed her face with her hands feeling a bit weary before looking out of the window. The countryside was passing by in a blur of shades of green. She turned away from it, feeling almost disgusted with herself; she'd felt this way ever since seeing Lara again; all the bittersweet hurt came back twice as hard; plus, with the gnawing worry for Quatre and she felt like she was ready to collapse.
"Friggin' bitch." she muttered, not knowing if she truly meant the words.
Lara had been her friend once...her only best friend. Then came the night she thought she was going to die; and then Lara had the nerve, the audacity, to come up to her in school and say that it was all an initiation test. She had lost it that day and went of on a justified rant against her ex-friends. All the other girls hadn't cared...but Lara had seemed so conflicted......as if she didn't know whether to go against the ones she called her 'friends'.
"If she couldn't stick up for her beliefs then..." she shrugged to herself, returning to brooding out of the window. "You have to learn to fight your own battles."
Rising, she went out of the cabin, heading to the bathroom. Pausing for a moment, she changed direction and went for the dining car. Entering she froze for a split second before continuing on; the place was filled with OZ soldiers.
'Just my bleedin' luck. This is just wonderful.' She continued on through the aisle. 'I swear if-'
"Jess!! Over here!!"
Glancing up at the voice, she saw the same person in question sitting at a table with a long blond haired man.
'Zechs Marquise.' Her mind was automatically going through his entire dossier; she researched her people thoroughly. Her feet carried her over reluctantly; it was the polite thing to do. "Lara." she said in a cold voice.
"Imagine meeting you on the same train. Have a seat please."
She looked at the seat Lara gestured to before sitting down tentatively and silently.
"I didn't really get to talk to you last time. How have you been?"
"Good."
"That all? Good?"
There was a true expression in Lara's eyes that made her soften slightly. "Yes. I've been busy with things."
"Such as?"
She raised her guard slightly. "Nothing much. My studies." 'Your move.'
"Really? What are you studying?"
"History." 'Set up a good defense and guard here.'
"Military I hope."
"No."
"Why not? Wouldn't something like that be crucial?"
"If you've studied the history of warfare you'd have realized how futile it really is." she said in a soft voice.
"Warfare history?" Lara looked puzzled. "I was never really good at history; math was more my thing; care to explain it to me?"
"People simply repeat the same things, the same attacks, over again getting absolutely nowhere. That's why she didn't study it Lara." came Zechs quiet voice, filling in the rest of her words. "It's simply repetition that ended in bloodshed."
"That's right." she looked at Zechs carefully. 'The dossier was right. Never ever underestimate him.' "I more study the effects of wars and the historical impact."
"Ah. So what would you say the impact of mobile suits are today? Are we living with repercussions that can still haunt us in the future?" Lara's eyes glimmered with something she couldn't place for a moment; was it triumph? Or was it gloating? "Something that we maybe should or shouldn't let go of?"
"Let me get back to you on that with a clear cut answer." she rose. "I gotta go now. My stop is coming up in a few and I don't want to miss it." she said. "Lara....Lara's friend." she said politely before she turned and made her way out of the car.
Making it back to her empty cabin, she sat down anxiously trying not too worry herself sick. She simply had to leave Anansi to get some replacement parts in the town over...nothing could have happen to her beloved suit...she had hidden it well. But even as the stop came and she didn't get off, the worry didn't end as she saw Zechs and Lara disembark, looking around as they walked. Even as the train pulled out she couldn't stop the strange sense of panic that threatened to overwhelm her. It simply intensified to the point were she thought she was going to be sick. As soon as her stop came she was off like a shot heading straight for Anansi. But when she reached the spot, her stomach went wild, making her turn to retch by a bush; the only thing there was an empty clearing. Anansi was gone.
'Damn you. Damn you.' She gritted her teeth hard as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand; she was getting back her Gundam no matter what the pain or the cost.
A pair of eyes gleamed from the dark shadows. Two soldiers came by talking quietly between themselves; the eyes disappeared until they walked around the corner. Slowly, peering around to check the coast, Jess detached herself from the wall before moving down the hall silently looking for a computer.
'Jackpot.' Entering a room, she saw a row lining the far wall. A few minutes later the monitor casted a soft artificial glow, the tapping of fingers against keys echoing around the room. 'There, hangar fifteen; that's halfway across the bloody compound. They'll pay for taking Anansi from me.' Shutting down the computer, she opened the door, stealing out silently and quickly, heading for outside. Using the trucks as over, she began making her way across, avoiding the guards as they came. She had almost reached her goal when some soldiers came out, heading for her cover. 'Shit...this is not good. Not good at all. Please let them just be having a smoke. Just a smoke and then go back inside...please...please...please!!' she edged as close as her cover could allow to see the soldiers without being seen.
"Man...they're going to be here for awhile." she muttered under her breath as the people settled around the car. Moving with as little noise as possible, she crawled underneath the car, not wanting to be caught if someone happened to come around her side. 'The only good thing here is that I can hear them but they don't know I'm here. Come on; talk and give me information.' She moved closer to the voice to hear better.
"Yeah...I needed that." the voice was followed by the sound of a person exhaling. "Just standing there looking at that hideous suit is enough to drive me nuts. How someone can pilot that Gundam, I have no idea."
'Hideous!! If I wasn't under this truck...' a fist clenched tightly. 'Hideous...ha; probably better than his ugly mug.' She shifted her body, thoroughly disgruntled at the speaker.
"Who gives a damn about the colours? Did you see the parameters for that thing? It's dangerous. A good thing Lara found it and brought it in."
'I knew she was responsible. I knew it. Explains the look on her face. Nice to see she much hasn't changed much; still can't believe she tried to set me up with that guy.' Making a slight face at the memory, she continued to listen.
"Why? What's so dangerous about it?" came a different voice.
"That suit....it's not normal I tell you....almost like it had a mind of its own. Plus the system is something I've never seen before...it looks as if it can enhance abilities greatly...the function just isn't turned on. I'm amazed that the pilot hasn't destroyed OZ already single-handedly. They have the capability to do it."
"You're kidding...right?" but even the tone in the voice said that they believed the words.
"Keep dreaming. That's why they've put such tight security around it; only us and mechanics. They don't want to take any chances."
'Shit...this is just what I needed. This isn't going to be easy.' Her mind was already buzzing with plans and ideas to get in and out in one piece.
"Man...can't they give us more time for a smoke?" a voice complained.
Resting her head against the ground, she saw more boots approaching, making the other ones stand up.
"All right. Break is over. Get back to your posts."
"Yes Ma'am."
Peering out as much as she dared she was greeted by the sight of white stockinged legs. Right behind was Lara's amused face looking right at her. She pulled back immediately, hand going for her gun; she would be caught for sure now.
"Colonel Une...you should be going now if you're to reach the conference in time." came Lara's soft voice.
Boots crunched against gravel as Colonel Une walked to the truck and got in. "I trust that you can handle things here on your own?"
"Yes Ma'am." Lara's voice said the salute obvious.
Jess looked around as the engine started up. 'Looks like I'm going for a ride.' She took hold of the bottom and gripped it tightly, pulling herself off of the ground. The truck started with a rumble before it moved forward, leaving the base. Waiting for the right time, Jess simply detached herself, letting the truck drive off as she rolled to the side.
"Great now I get to go back." she muttered, picking herself up and dusting off the dirt. "I get to walk all the way back." she didn't bother with Lara's silence regarding her; she had bigger fish to fry, so to speak.
Another twenty minutes later, she was slinking around the barbed wire fence heading for hangar fifteen; it was just across the compound. Anansi was so close yet still so far. 'Hang on. I'm not going to let them slice you apart; I'll get you out of there yet.' Waiting until the coast was clear, she went to the back of a building and took out her small wire cutters, easily cutting through the link fence and slipping in through the metal. Pressing herself close to the wall she waited, moving closer and closer to the hangar. 'Man...I hate this part.' She watched as the mechanic drew closer and closer to her spot. Just as he was close enough, she grabbed him, pulling him into the shadows and swiftly knocking him out cold before he could make a sound. Quickly she pulled on the coveralls and took the toolbox, heading right for fifteen. The whole hangar was filled with the sounds of hammering as other mobile suits were repaired; and there at the end like a jewel was Anansi, gleaming pristinely in the lights. 'Just hang on for a few more minutes and I'll have you out of her my friend.'4 Blending in, she started making her way to the end of the hangar.
"Hey you! You there with the dark hair!!"
The voice made her freeze for a split second before she turned around, an innocent look on her face. "Who me?"
"Yes you." the armed soldier ran up to her. "Did you sign in?"
"Yes. In the log right?" she pointed to the wall. "The one there right?" she could only hope her bluff worked long enough to buy her time.
"I haven't seen you here before." the eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"I was just transferred here to look after the suit there." she pointed to Anansi.
"Under who's orders?"
"Lieutenant Lara Barrask." she paused as if thinking. "The Lieutenant and Colonel Une had a long talk with me and they said that I wasn't going to be disturbed in any matter so I could get to work immediately." she gave the soldier a look. "So why are you harassing me? I know security is supposed to be tight but come on..."
"Still...wait here while I check your story." the soldier said, calling over another. "Watch her; if she makes a move towards the Gundam, detain her; with force if necessary."
Jess watched as the man left abruptly, leaving her with a stern faced sentry. 'Wonderful......how long before the fireworks start? Wait for it Jess...wait for it...' Patient and preparing herself, she bided her time waiting out the seemingly long minutes. Then the hangar door opened and it didn't take much to see the company of guards following in the one who left before. 'Here we go.'
"Excuse me, Sir?" she asked sweetly, making the sentry turn; he was greeted by a toolbox smashing into his face.
"You!! Stop!!" the soldiers were running towards her now, guns ready.
Dropping the blunt metal box, she ran towards her Gundam, shoving people aside as she went; not that she had time to apologize like she normally would. Then the gunshots came, making her duck as she ran. Anansi's cockpit door opened as she drew closer, making her redouble her efforts.
"Fuck!!" she hissed as a bullet went searing into her arm; she felt it hit bone.
Still she didn't stop as she made it to her Gundam, climbing up quickly amidst gunshots.
"Jeez!!" another one had sliced into her lower leg; this should be very interesting...her trying to get out with these lovely 'parting gifts'.
The cockpit door closed, barring out the injurious projectiles. The monitors came to life now, as she took hold of the throttles after buckling herself in. 'Now let's get you out of here shall we? Don't think you like it any more than me, do you my friend?' She started making the suit move forward, blinding white hot pain lancing down her arm and up her leg; but she still moved, leaving a small trail of destruction behind her. Then came the mobile suits after her.
"Oh no you don't; over my dead body." she snarled, turning on them, while whipping out her weapons.
Barbed pikes flared up in the night, long and imposing; she wasted no time spearing two suits through the middle and ripping upwards. More came after her, and one by one they met their end until she was surrounded by a sea of mecha parts. 'God......' She still had a long way to go before she could even think of tending her wounds, let alone rest. Slowly she walked off, the night enveloping her and Anansi. 'Why?'