Chapter 9: A Daring Escape
Jack and Trowa had finished loading their weapons and were in search of the two friendly captives held deep within the fortress. Trowa was obviously in charge, and always went first when investigating new areas. Jack followed silently behind; being Trowa's shadow. Trowa peeked around another corner, and signaled Jack with a sway of the hand. Jack rushed forward and crouched down, aiming his gun in that general direction. Trowa then moved on. "Where do you think they are?" Jack asked. Trowa stood up and brushed himself off and turned towards him. "Honestly I have no idea. I am getting tired of these empty rooms and halls and wish I could find a way out of this damned maze." He snorted. His temper was growing thin, and he had no time for games. Jack nodded, and they continued moving. "Sector E. Huh. We passed Sector D not too long ago, so that must mean we are getting near the top. On the way up, I observed this place has Sectors A through I. We are getting closer to the top." Jack explained. Trowa just nodded. They climbed higher up the stairs, encountering once again empty halls and rooms. Trowa was getting weary of climbing the steps, and sat down to rest for a minute. "I have no idea where we are going." he admitted. Jack placed an arm on his shoulder, and it made Trowa look at him intently. "We can't give up. We have to keep going. The others are counting on us to bring Mel and Heero home. We can't let them down now." Jack encouraged. Trowa smiled a small grin, and he got back up. "Listen, I think I might know where we are. While infiltrating earlier, I noticed that this area connects to a lobby area, and from there it goes up to Sectors H and I. But, there was an elevator on the other side that I had no idea where it led up too. I think that it might be another wing of the building. I suggest we check it out." Jack suggested. "Very well. I think that security should be light, seeing as how we have encountered no one yet. You are leader. Take us there." He said. Jack couldn't be happier. He walked down another silent hall, and once they made another right turn up the stairs, eventually they found that they had reached the lobby area. Jack's eyes darted back and forth. He held his weapon close. He then spotted the elevator nearby. "There, see it?" Jack exclaimed, pointing out the only elevator in the building that wasn't in shambles. Trowa nodded, and they dashed for the elevator. But the area was more strung up than they thought. Jack halted Trowa just before he tripped over a skinny, near-invisible wire. "Look, they have the place rigged. Take a look around and see if you can find more." He ordered, and he stepped over the wire, only to stop himself from tripping over another at level with his head, he bent over and tried to snake through the wires, but they were all over the place. Before he knew it, he was surrounded by small, inconspicuous wires. He didn't dare move, in fear of tripping whatever the wires were connected to. "Hold on." Trowa shouted. He stepped back, and then broke out into a run, and jumped clear over the wires. He landed on the other side, unscathed and graceful. Jack wanted to clap, but he couldn't. "Just a second." Trowa reassured. He searched for a device that would deactivate what looked like plastic explosive tied to wires. It was the oldest trick in the book. Then, upon further inspection, Trowa laughed. "What's so funny? I'm on the verge of being blow to pieces and you think this is funny?" Jack yelled. Trowa pointed to where the wires led, and eventually he saw that they were just tied end on end to nothing. They were connected to poles and the floor and nearby benches just too look as if they didn't want anyone to get inside. Jack sighed, and broke through the wires. He was very angry though. But not all was as it seemed. As soon as Trowa had stopped laughing, he looked closer, and one or two wires really were connected to a type of explosive, or at least a sensor of some sort. "Wait Jack, don't -" It was a useless attempt to warn him. Jack tripped one of the attached wires, and a fiery explosion erupted from his left. He was thrown to his right, and set off the other explosive by moving the wire. His was then tossed to his left again, his skin burning with heat and pieces of debris hitting him. He got up slowly, and Trowa ran to his side, helping him up. "I tried to tell you." he said. Jack responded by moaning at the feeling of being picked up after falling hard on the floor. "Now if not a good time. Come on, we need to get to that elevator." He gasped. Trowa helped him across the fire-ridden floor and hauled him to the elevator, and pushed the button. The elevator came to life and rang as it came to their level. Trowa boarded, with Jack still clutching him, and he pressed the largest number on the panel. The elevator made a slow and creaky ascend and then suddenly stopped. "What's going on?" Jack asked softly, letting go and staggering to his feet, swaying as he managed to hold his own weight. "I don't know. The elevator just stopped. It says we are on floor forty- six, but there are fifty floors. I don't know what's going on." Trowa responded. Jack raised himself up and slipped open the shaft doors. He pulled himself up drearily, and looked around. Everything seemed fine, until he had notice a loose cord on the elevator, about to snap. "We have to get out of here Trowa!" Jack yelled in shock. Trowa was confused, and climbed up to see for himself the problem. "Look.steady now." Jack responded in a paranoid manner. Trowa recognized the weathered cord, and moved about slowly, grabbing one of the ropes that led the top floor, and Jack followed. "Don't move too much or it will snap." Trowa advised. But the cord was becoming looser and looser as they climbed higher. Soon enough, the cord broke. The elevator made a thundering noise as it burst down the shaft, and it clanked against the sides of the walls as it skidded against the metal. Soon it reached the bottom of the shaft and crashed upon itself. The cord that the two men had been holding on to was moving upwards quickly, and they were being dragged up with it. Soon their hands would be crushed by the pulley upwards, and then they would fall down the shaft as the elevator had. Trowa's mind was racing, and he grabbed Jack and jumped off the cord and landed coordinately on the edges of one of the doors. He found something to grasp and held on tightly. Jack was on the verge of falling to his death, but Trowa held on tightly. There was an emergency open button, thankfully, next to where they were standing. Trowa reached over far and pressed it as quickly as he could. The door swung open, and they fell inside the room. There was an eerie silence after the ear-shattering events that had just occurred. They felt uneasy, but then they heard words coming from not too far off. It was booming through the halls, and seemed strong and encouraging. They staggered to their feet, and moved towards the door on the other side of the dark room. The door swung open, and they looked down the left and right. The left led back down the building, and the right took an almost immediate turn to the left, into what seemed like a massive room. The room wasn't empty. It was filled with soldiers.
Jack and Trowa had finished loading their weapons and were in search of the two friendly captives held deep within the fortress. Trowa was obviously in charge, and always went first when investigating new areas. Jack followed silently behind; being Trowa's shadow. Trowa peeked around another corner, and signaled Jack with a sway of the hand. Jack rushed forward and crouched down, aiming his gun in that general direction. Trowa then moved on. "Where do you think they are?" Jack asked. Trowa stood up and brushed himself off and turned towards him. "Honestly I have no idea. I am getting tired of these empty rooms and halls and wish I could find a way out of this damned maze." He snorted. His temper was growing thin, and he had no time for games. Jack nodded, and they continued moving. "Sector E. Huh. We passed Sector D not too long ago, so that must mean we are getting near the top. On the way up, I observed this place has Sectors A through I. We are getting closer to the top." Jack explained. Trowa just nodded. They climbed higher up the stairs, encountering once again empty halls and rooms. Trowa was getting weary of climbing the steps, and sat down to rest for a minute. "I have no idea where we are going." he admitted. Jack placed an arm on his shoulder, and it made Trowa look at him intently. "We can't give up. We have to keep going. The others are counting on us to bring Mel and Heero home. We can't let them down now." Jack encouraged. Trowa smiled a small grin, and he got back up. "Listen, I think I might know where we are. While infiltrating earlier, I noticed that this area connects to a lobby area, and from there it goes up to Sectors H and I. But, there was an elevator on the other side that I had no idea where it led up too. I think that it might be another wing of the building. I suggest we check it out." Jack suggested. "Very well. I think that security should be light, seeing as how we have encountered no one yet. You are leader. Take us there." He said. Jack couldn't be happier. He walked down another silent hall, and once they made another right turn up the stairs, eventually they found that they had reached the lobby area. Jack's eyes darted back and forth. He held his weapon close. He then spotted the elevator nearby. "There, see it?" Jack exclaimed, pointing out the only elevator in the building that wasn't in shambles. Trowa nodded, and they dashed for the elevator. But the area was more strung up than they thought. Jack halted Trowa just before he tripped over a skinny, near-invisible wire. "Look, they have the place rigged. Take a look around and see if you can find more." He ordered, and he stepped over the wire, only to stop himself from tripping over another at level with his head, he bent over and tried to snake through the wires, but they were all over the place. Before he knew it, he was surrounded by small, inconspicuous wires. He didn't dare move, in fear of tripping whatever the wires were connected to. "Hold on." Trowa shouted. He stepped back, and then broke out into a run, and jumped clear over the wires. He landed on the other side, unscathed and graceful. Jack wanted to clap, but he couldn't. "Just a second." Trowa reassured. He searched for a device that would deactivate what looked like plastic explosive tied to wires. It was the oldest trick in the book. Then, upon further inspection, Trowa laughed. "What's so funny? I'm on the verge of being blow to pieces and you think this is funny?" Jack yelled. Trowa pointed to where the wires led, and eventually he saw that they were just tied end on end to nothing. They were connected to poles and the floor and nearby benches just too look as if they didn't want anyone to get inside. Jack sighed, and broke through the wires. He was very angry though. But not all was as it seemed. As soon as Trowa had stopped laughing, he looked closer, and one or two wires really were connected to a type of explosive, or at least a sensor of some sort. "Wait Jack, don't -" It was a useless attempt to warn him. Jack tripped one of the attached wires, and a fiery explosion erupted from his left. He was thrown to his right, and set off the other explosive by moving the wire. His was then tossed to his left again, his skin burning with heat and pieces of debris hitting him. He got up slowly, and Trowa ran to his side, helping him up. "I tried to tell you." he said. Jack responded by moaning at the feeling of being picked up after falling hard on the floor. "Now if not a good time. Come on, we need to get to that elevator." He gasped. Trowa helped him across the fire-ridden floor and hauled him to the elevator, and pushed the button. The elevator came to life and rang as it came to their level. Trowa boarded, with Jack still clutching him, and he pressed the largest number on the panel. The elevator made a slow and creaky ascend and then suddenly stopped. "What's going on?" Jack asked softly, letting go and staggering to his feet, swaying as he managed to hold his own weight. "I don't know. The elevator just stopped. It says we are on floor forty- six, but there are fifty floors. I don't know what's going on." Trowa responded. Jack raised himself up and slipped open the shaft doors. He pulled himself up drearily, and looked around. Everything seemed fine, until he had notice a loose cord on the elevator, about to snap. "We have to get out of here Trowa!" Jack yelled in shock. Trowa was confused, and climbed up to see for himself the problem. "Look.steady now." Jack responded in a paranoid manner. Trowa recognized the weathered cord, and moved about slowly, grabbing one of the ropes that led the top floor, and Jack followed. "Don't move too much or it will snap." Trowa advised. But the cord was becoming looser and looser as they climbed higher. Soon enough, the cord broke. The elevator made a thundering noise as it burst down the shaft, and it clanked against the sides of the walls as it skidded against the metal. Soon it reached the bottom of the shaft and crashed upon itself. The cord that the two men had been holding on to was moving upwards quickly, and they were being dragged up with it. Soon their hands would be crushed by the pulley upwards, and then they would fall down the shaft as the elevator had. Trowa's mind was racing, and he grabbed Jack and jumped off the cord and landed coordinately on the edges of one of the doors. He found something to grasp and held on tightly. Jack was on the verge of falling to his death, but Trowa held on tightly. There was an emergency open button, thankfully, next to where they were standing. Trowa reached over far and pressed it as quickly as he could. The door swung open, and they fell inside the room. There was an eerie silence after the ear-shattering events that had just occurred. They felt uneasy, but then they heard words coming from not too far off. It was booming through the halls, and seemed strong and encouraging. They staggered to their feet, and moved towards the door on the other side of the dark room. The door swung open, and they looked down the left and right. The left led back down the building, and the right took an almost immediate turn to the left, into what seemed like a massive room. The room wasn't empty. It was filled with soldiers.