Chapter Seven: Grand Theft Elf
Len and Legolas stood, looking at a shining line of light that shimmered and swayed with the undulating water it rose from.
"You'd best go quick- tide'll come s-" she was cut off by a gesture from the elf. Soon the unmistakable sound of boots crunching on gravel could be heard behind them. They whirled around, and Len crouched down, catlike, as twin daggers appeared in her hands, silver blades glinting in the bright morning sun.
"Where did those come from?!" Legolas cried, thoroughly unnerved.
She winked, still not taking her eyes off the trees, and whispered, "Hey, if I told, they wouldn't be HIDDEN daggers, now would they?"
Legolas nodded, but, like Len, his eyes were glued to the trees in front of them.
"Approaching humans- they're not tourists. Trying to be quiet." he whispered, voice barely audible. Len nodded. Soon, two black-suited men stepped out from the trees and approached them calmly. They seemed not to notice that Len was holding lethal throwing knives. Legolas wished like seven hells that he hadn't traded in his bow and sword.
"Don't move, unless you want one of these in your gut," Len warned. The answer was the loading click of two very large machine guns.
"Don't move, unless you want hundreds of these in your body," one of them said. Both froze.
"We have reason to believe that you are housing and protecting an alien being."
"What?" she laughed, "Oh, you must mean cousing Gerrald, he's from Switzerland natively, but he's traveled all around the world and didn't even actually grow up there."
"We have documents for his employment that say he's from Costa Rica."
"Ummm. Costa Rica is a really tiny town. in Switzerland. no more than 5 or 6 people in it." she said, quickly losing ground and completely aware (and scared) of doing so.
"That's enough!" One of them tossed a pellet at them, and then all Len remembered was something that smelled good before everything went white.
~*~
Len woke up slowly, the last of the drugged mists still clearing from her head.
"Where am I?" she moaned, then her eyes snapped open with sudden clarity. "Legolas!" Everything came back in a rush. She snatched the phone off of her bedstand and dialed quickly.
"Mel? Mel?! You there?! . Yes, I know it's late, but it's a life and death situation- LITERALLY!"
~*~
Len and Mel stood behind the trees on the border of the government building that rose so high into the dark sky it seemed like it would puncture the clouds. Len was uniformed in a black tank top and shorts, with tall black combat boots that went to her knees. She had a small computer on her wrist- a crude one, but effective enough for a virtual map and a clock. She had a wireless earpiece and mike to communicate back to Mel. Her belt was decked heavily with gadgets, including a small, thin, hollow rod made to be filled and dispensed instantly with the darks soaked in sleeping draft in the small pouch that hung next to it.
"Are you sure you want to do this?"
"Mel, he's from MIDDLE EARTH. He has no idea how to get out of this place that, to him, probably seems like a high-tech butchery."
Mel sighed. "I just wish I could come with, or at least help more."
"You've helped so much you don't even know it! All this equipment'll probably end up saving my sorry little butt!" She laughed wryly. "Besides, I don't know many people who would steal from their own father's company just to help a friend."
"Hey! I didn't steal- I borrowed! And if you don't get this stuff back to me," she poked her, "then YOU'LL be the one who stole!" she said, but was unable to keep a straight face. She enveloped Len in a bear hug. "Just don't get yourself killed, okay?" Len nodded into her shoulder wordlessly. Mel let go, and Len sprinted off into the shadows.
~*~
Len crawled, cold metal chilling her hands and knees where they touched the air duct. The hard steel echoed softly with each carefully light movement. Suddenly, a whirring sound started that sounded like the whole US Air Force was taking off behind her. Her brain raced. They had turned on the fans. "SHIT!" She cursed as she felt her body being peeled away from the metal. "Stinking stupid." her voice faded away as she was flung down the duct by the harsh mechanical wind.
~*~
She landed in something cold. And wet. And gooey. She groaned and winced.
"Am I dead? No.... dead wouldn't hurt this much." she lifted a hand and watched as a gray substance dribbled from it. "And off all of the spots in the gut of the building, I had to land in the one wet spot."
~*~
After wandering around the building (some places accidentally more than once) for three hours, Len found herself on top of a large metal surface rising almost into the shadowy rafters. She was high up, and it was dark in the higher spots. She blended in. Her dark eyes scanned the room. Basically empty, other than some crates marked 'toxic waste'. But there was a door on the opposite wall. Locked. Labeled 'Do Not Enter'. Very suspicious. She picked a tiny black box out of her belt and looked at the fifty-some buttons. After a moment's hesitation, she slammed them all on at once. She went through a series of changes, everything from having her boots turn to rubber ducks to the small bag of orbs on her belt beginning to spontaneously combust. Soon, as each new change came and the previous disappeared, one that would work came up. She hurriedly punched the stop button. Her gloves and boots were lined with suction cups.
"Perfect." She scampered across the ceiling like a gecko before picking the lock. As soon as she was in, she climbed onto a large block covered in lights and buttons. From her perch, she had an ample view of the huge room. It seemed to be a minefield of machinery centered around a small glass box lit with a dim glow. Something told her that the elf she had been searching for was inside. She clicked on the radio.
"Hidden Hawk- Hidden Hawk, come in!"
-Who's hidden hawk?- the voice in the earpiece crackled.
"You are, idiot, and I'm Slinking Panther!"
-Whatever-
"Hidden Hawk, I need the guard shift for the," she checked her wrist computer, "G108 room."
-Kay, Le- Slinking Panther, the shift ends at 10:13 and 3 seconds-
"Okieday. Slinking Panther out."
She settled down for the wait.
~*~
She checked the computer/watch. 10:12. She watched as an armed guard passed beneath her perch. He shone a flashlight around for a moment before shouting out "ALL CLEAR!" and leaving, locking the door behind him. She smiled. Right on time. As soon as the sound of the guard's footsteps had faded away, she jumped off of the machine. And hit the floor. Face first.
"Ow. that was smooth." she picked herself up and quickly made her way to the center of the room.
A/n: TBC! .soon. ie within a week or so. ^^;;;
Len and Legolas stood, looking at a shining line of light that shimmered and swayed with the undulating water it rose from.
"You'd best go quick- tide'll come s-" she was cut off by a gesture from the elf. Soon the unmistakable sound of boots crunching on gravel could be heard behind them. They whirled around, and Len crouched down, catlike, as twin daggers appeared in her hands, silver blades glinting in the bright morning sun.
"Where did those come from?!" Legolas cried, thoroughly unnerved.
She winked, still not taking her eyes off the trees, and whispered, "Hey, if I told, they wouldn't be HIDDEN daggers, now would they?"
Legolas nodded, but, like Len, his eyes were glued to the trees in front of them.
"Approaching humans- they're not tourists. Trying to be quiet." he whispered, voice barely audible. Len nodded. Soon, two black-suited men stepped out from the trees and approached them calmly. They seemed not to notice that Len was holding lethal throwing knives. Legolas wished like seven hells that he hadn't traded in his bow and sword.
"Don't move, unless you want one of these in your gut," Len warned. The answer was the loading click of two very large machine guns.
"Don't move, unless you want hundreds of these in your body," one of them said. Both froze.
"We have reason to believe that you are housing and protecting an alien being."
"What?" she laughed, "Oh, you must mean cousing Gerrald, he's from Switzerland natively, but he's traveled all around the world and didn't even actually grow up there."
"We have documents for his employment that say he's from Costa Rica."
"Ummm. Costa Rica is a really tiny town. in Switzerland. no more than 5 or 6 people in it." she said, quickly losing ground and completely aware (and scared) of doing so.
"That's enough!" One of them tossed a pellet at them, and then all Len remembered was something that smelled good before everything went white.
~*~
Len woke up slowly, the last of the drugged mists still clearing from her head.
"Where am I?" she moaned, then her eyes snapped open with sudden clarity. "Legolas!" Everything came back in a rush. She snatched the phone off of her bedstand and dialed quickly.
"Mel? Mel?! You there?! . Yes, I know it's late, but it's a life and death situation- LITERALLY!"
~*~
Len and Mel stood behind the trees on the border of the government building that rose so high into the dark sky it seemed like it would puncture the clouds. Len was uniformed in a black tank top and shorts, with tall black combat boots that went to her knees. She had a small computer on her wrist- a crude one, but effective enough for a virtual map and a clock. She had a wireless earpiece and mike to communicate back to Mel. Her belt was decked heavily with gadgets, including a small, thin, hollow rod made to be filled and dispensed instantly with the darks soaked in sleeping draft in the small pouch that hung next to it.
"Are you sure you want to do this?"
"Mel, he's from MIDDLE EARTH. He has no idea how to get out of this place that, to him, probably seems like a high-tech butchery."
Mel sighed. "I just wish I could come with, or at least help more."
"You've helped so much you don't even know it! All this equipment'll probably end up saving my sorry little butt!" She laughed wryly. "Besides, I don't know many people who would steal from their own father's company just to help a friend."
"Hey! I didn't steal- I borrowed! And if you don't get this stuff back to me," she poked her, "then YOU'LL be the one who stole!" she said, but was unable to keep a straight face. She enveloped Len in a bear hug. "Just don't get yourself killed, okay?" Len nodded into her shoulder wordlessly. Mel let go, and Len sprinted off into the shadows.
~*~
Len crawled, cold metal chilling her hands and knees where they touched the air duct. The hard steel echoed softly with each carefully light movement. Suddenly, a whirring sound started that sounded like the whole US Air Force was taking off behind her. Her brain raced. They had turned on the fans. "SHIT!" She cursed as she felt her body being peeled away from the metal. "Stinking stupid." her voice faded away as she was flung down the duct by the harsh mechanical wind.
~*~
She landed in something cold. And wet. And gooey. She groaned and winced.
"Am I dead? No.... dead wouldn't hurt this much." she lifted a hand and watched as a gray substance dribbled from it. "And off all of the spots in the gut of the building, I had to land in the one wet spot."
~*~
After wandering around the building (some places accidentally more than once) for three hours, Len found herself on top of a large metal surface rising almost into the shadowy rafters. She was high up, and it was dark in the higher spots. She blended in. Her dark eyes scanned the room. Basically empty, other than some crates marked 'toxic waste'. But there was a door on the opposite wall. Locked. Labeled 'Do Not Enter'. Very suspicious. She picked a tiny black box out of her belt and looked at the fifty-some buttons. After a moment's hesitation, she slammed them all on at once. She went through a series of changes, everything from having her boots turn to rubber ducks to the small bag of orbs on her belt beginning to spontaneously combust. Soon, as each new change came and the previous disappeared, one that would work came up. She hurriedly punched the stop button. Her gloves and boots were lined with suction cups.
"Perfect." She scampered across the ceiling like a gecko before picking the lock. As soon as she was in, she climbed onto a large block covered in lights and buttons. From her perch, she had an ample view of the huge room. It seemed to be a minefield of machinery centered around a small glass box lit with a dim glow. Something told her that the elf she had been searching for was inside. She clicked on the radio.
"Hidden Hawk- Hidden Hawk, come in!"
-Who's hidden hawk?- the voice in the earpiece crackled.
"You are, idiot, and I'm Slinking Panther!"
-Whatever-
"Hidden Hawk, I need the guard shift for the," she checked her wrist computer, "G108 room."
-Kay, Le- Slinking Panther, the shift ends at 10:13 and 3 seconds-
"Okieday. Slinking Panther out."
She settled down for the wait.
~*~
She checked the computer/watch. 10:12. She watched as an armed guard passed beneath her perch. He shone a flashlight around for a moment before shouting out "ALL CLEAR!" and leaving, locking the door behind him. She smiled. Right on time. As soon as the sound of the guard's footsteps had faded away, she jumped off of the machine. And hit the floor. Face first.
"Ow. that was smooth." she picked herself up and quickly made her way to the center of the room.
A/n: TBC! .soon. ie within a week or so. ^^;;;