Disclaimer: Don't own Zoids. Get off my back. R&R please.

A Risky Rescue

Part 16

(Samantha)

I sat in front of my computer, wanting to get some work done but I just couldn't. Every time my fingers would rest on the keys they would type out the same sentence, 'Cameron must die.' I kept switching positions trying to find a way to get some work done. I changed position for about the millionth time. Again I typed out the sentence. "My flippin' heck! I just can't get any work done!" I growled under my breath as I deleted my last attempt to do some work. "Then take a break and come get something to eat." I jumped at the voice and immediately threw a previously concealed dagger at who was speaking to me. I watched its path. It amazingly swerved just in time to avoid hitting its mark. I looked up to see Brett breathing heavily. "Your throws are hard to stop. You've been training. Don't do that!" I looked at the floor and mumbled an apology to Brett as I went over and picked up my dagger. Turning to look directly at him I concealed the dagger in my braided hair. "Calm down a little. We'll get your brother back. I promise." I looked up to see Killian standing behind Brett. "I know." I wanted to say but the words stuck in my throat. I just shook my head instead and walked past the two. What are you doing? Go back and talk to them. You know you can't save Nathan on your own. Maybe they've got some good ideas for a rescue. I hated the voice that always tried to boss me around. It sounded too much like my cousin. At this point, I really didn't care on what was done, just as long as we got him back. I turned a corner and stopped. Pulling the blue bandana from my left arm I stared at it. A little drop of water hit it. I'm crying. I thought in amazement. I thought I got this out of my system when Naomi got away the other day. I guess once the initial weep hits, you can't stop. I thought of my older brother and saw his smiling face in my mind's eye. More tears trailed down my cheeks. I closed my eyes and slid to the floor. I don't know how long I sat there. After a while a hand gently wiped the tears away from my eyes. Looking up I saw Killian kneeling in front of me. Concern shown in his eyes. "I'll be okay." I tried to say but again the words wouldn't pass my lips. He just nodded. ~* I know you will. *~ I lurched backwards and hit my head on the wall. "How did you do that?" I asked rubbing the bump that had already started to surface. "Do what?" "You read my thoughts and then spoke to me in my mind." "I did?" I could only nod. "Cool!" I glared at him. "You read my mind again and I'll kick you in the shin." I said as he helped me to stand up. "I don't doubt that." He pulled me into a tight hug. I just wanted to stand in his warm embrace forever. It had been hundreds of years since I last stood with him like this. Yet another tear spilled from my eye. I brushed it away impatiently when he let go. "Is something wrong?" He asked. I smiled and laughed lightly at the look on his face. "I'm just fine." I replied. "Just hungry, when's lunch?" "Good question. Let's go find Jamie and ask." With that we both turned and walked down the hall. (A/N: Now we know that all Kerodayvanians are always hungry. Maybe that explains the reason for Brett stealing all of Leana's food.)

*Later that Day*

We all sat in one of Harry's many living rooms. Nakuru sat with her eyes downcast, Harry and Doc. were pacing, Brett had fallen asleep about an hour ago and was snoring slightly, Leana sat in a chair opposite of Nakuru, Jamie was plotting out plans that had been devised on a computer in a nearby room and Killian and I sat curled up next to each other on a couch. Many ideas on the rescue of my brother had been put forth but we couldn't agree on one so we had had Jamie put the plans into the computer to find out which one was most likely to succeed. Jamie came walking in with the results of the plans. "All these plans are risky." He stated flatly. "And there's a chance that you won't succeed and there's also the chance that somebody might not come out alive." "I don't care." I remarked. "All I want to do is find my brother and kick Cameron's sorry ass into the ground." "If that's the way you feel I suggest that you go with Leo-" he paused, "Killian's plan. It's the least risky and the most likely to succeed." "It's settled then." Brett said. "We leave in the morning." "Go and get some sleep." Doc. told us. I stood up and walked out of the room with Brontie, Dawson and Killian on my heels. When Killian and I's paths separated he wished me goodnight and kissed me gently. He slowly walked down the corridor with Brontie on his heels. Looking down the corridor to my room I felt an ever- present need to go out and do something. I knew that there would be no sleep for me this night. I could only hope that the night would be kind and be short.

*The Next Morning*

Stepping out of my room I realized that I was probably the only one up. Impatient to get started on the attempt at rescuing my bro. I walked to the hanger to do a tune up on the CommandFox, hoping to pass the time a little faster. Nearing the hanger I heard soft humming. I new the tune vaguely, it was one that Nathan and Nakuru would often sing. I poked my head around the corner and saw Nakuru sitting on top of the CommandFox. "Morning!" I called up to her. "Hey, you ready for this?" She yelled down. "As ready as I'll ever be." Nakuru jumped down and walked towards me. "Then let's go get that son of a bitch." She said evilly. A demonic grin crossed my face as we went to wake up the others to so we could get started.

*Two Hours Later*

Killian, Nakuru, Brett, and I stood outside of the enemy's hanger. "Let's get him." Nakuru growled. Brett stepped around the corner with the rest of us right behind him. "Cameron! Come out and show your sorry ass!" I challenged under my breath. "Sorry, but the boss is busy. But I'm sure you can wait a while. He's been expecting you." We spun and stared down the barrels of about twenty guns. "Well, so much for sneaking up unnoticed." Killian murmured. The soldiers turned us around and ordered us to put our hands on our heads. We were marched down countless hallways. Finally the soldiers split up with five to each of us. They took us to separate prison cells down different corridors. Before throwing me into the cell, the soldiers took every last one of my thirty-four daggers. There I sat alone for three hours waiting by the door for the baka to show his ugly face. Finally, keys grated in the lock and as I stood poised to strike my enemy down a bright light burst through the bars in the window of the door. There was some kind of power in the light that sent me sprawling into the far wall. "Nice try Korin, but you'll have to try harder than that." I sat up and glared at the enemy. A young girl stood next to him. Her eyes were completely blank. I looked at her for a moment and realized that under that uniform was someone I knew. My eyes narrowed as I struggled to get to my feet. "Sit down!" Cameron ordered and I was knocked onto the floor. My left shoulder started to throb. I had a feeling that it was broken or at least dislocated. "What do you want?" I growled. "You will find out in good time." His eyes caught mine. The world around me started to go blurry. "NO!" I shouted and jerked my head to the side. "You resist." He seemed astounded. "Well, duh! Why would I want to become one of your stupid mindless drones?" "Your brother tried to resist me. As did Nakuru, but in the end I gained control." He ignored my question and tried again to gain eye contact with me. I shut my eyes tight and covered them with my hands. "A plague on all Korins and their stiff necks." He growled at me at last, giving up. "And a plague on you and all your soldiers." I replied. He turned and left motioning the young soldier to follow him. Hmm. How to get out? How to get out? I wondered as I looked around me. The only opening was the small bars in the door. No help there, I thought as I kept up my search for possible solutions. Keys again jingled in the door after about an hour. I immediately sunk back into the shadows on the far side of the room. The door opened. What felt like countless moments went by when the person actually stepped into the room. "Hey, Korin!" A female voice whispered into the gloom. I slowly stood up and started to silently sneak out the open door behind her. I almost made it but at the last second she turned around and saw me. She grabbed my collar and pulled me forward. Resting a hand over my mouth. "Shh. I don't have much time." She whispered as she took her hand from my mouth. "Who are you?" I asked the girl that had accompanied Cameron an hour earlier. "My name is Rhiannon Blaire. I'm going to try to get you, your friends and your brother out of here." I realized that she had gained a little normal light into her eyes. She noticed that I was favoring my left arm and was constantly rubbing my shoulder. She reached out a hand and twisted her fingers. My shoulder popped painfully back into place. She's a healer. I thought. Brett will be happy. He said his wife was a healer. Although I never caught what her name was. "But why?" I whispered wondering what reasons she had for helping me, I mean, she could have gone after Brett first. I followed her as she went trotting down the many halls of the enemy's fortress. "Cameron has become careless. I've gained some control back on my mind. He no longer holds total power over me." We turned down more and more corridors. "It pains me to see fellow Kerodayvanians under his power." We turned another corner and she opened an empty cell. "Hide in here." "Rhiannon!" The yell was faint and far away from us but I could tell who it was and where it came from. "Shit!" She growled. "I didn't expect him to try to gain power over you again that soon. Don't make a sound. I'll try and get some of the others in here before the day is out so you don't go crazy on your own. Any special requests?" "My brother." I replied. "Get him here and I can give him his normal mind back. With one Korin, Cameron stands a chance. But with two, he's in deep shit." "Alright. I'll do my best." "Rhiannon!" The yell was repeated, this time closer. "Stay in here." With that Rhiannon shut the door but didn't lock it. She turned on her heels and sprinted off in the direction that we had come. I listened intently to the conversation that was being shouted. "The damn Tortel escaped! Sound the alarm!" This astounded me. Brett's free? I thought. There's another ounce of hope. "Right away sir!" "I want a search of every single room, every hall, and every ventilation shaft! He can't have gotten far!" "Right away sir! I'm on it sir!" "When you've finished that, come find me. We'll see if we can't loosen Nathan's stubborn tongue." "Yes sir!" Hours passed and the only bit I saw of Rhiannon was when she was personally searching this hallway. She opened the door, looked from side to side and smiled at me. "Nothing here." She said blankly to the soldier that was accompanying her. I sat in the darkness waiting for any sound. Finally I heard hushed whispering. The door opened slightly. "Quick in here." Rhiannon hissed. She and Killian stepped in. "Samantha!" Killian said happily and caught me in a hug. "Samantha, Brett's free. I don't know where he went or where he would go." "He probably headed back to the Hover Cargo." Killian said still clinging to me. "I doubt it." Killian looked at me, trying to figure out what I meant. "Has he seen you?" I asked Rhiannon. "Only for a moment. Oh, and I can't get to your brother. Cameron stationed guards on his cell." She replied. "He won't have left. He'll have recognized you in an instant. He's been thinking you were dead. He won't leave now, not until you're out of here." "Damn right I won't." Rhiannon spun and looked into Brett's eyes. "Told you." I said calmly. "Get in here." Rhiannon growled and spun him into the room. "What were you thinking?" She cuffed him soundly around the ears. "A daring rescue attempt?" He suggested. "What did you do to your hair?" She growled and cuffed him again. "Dyed it. Why are you working for the enemy?" "I'm asking the questions here!" This time she smacked him. "Rhiannon!" "Dang him!" She growled. "Who did he just figure out?" "Only one way to find out. Get going." I shoved her out the door. "One question," we turned and looked at Brett, "did you miss me?" He asked Rhiannon with a big cheesy grin. Rhiannon rolled her eyes and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Brett, if you move I will personally gut you like a fish." She finally shut the door and went rushing in the direction of the yell. "You might as well sit down and take a load off. We'll probably be here for a while." Killian said as he plopped himself down next to me. There was a growling noise and Brett and I jumped. "I'm hungry," Killian said sheepishly as he patted his stomach. Brett and I fell over. When I had regained some of my composure I looked at Killian. "You're worse than we are!" I growled to him. Minutes passed and soon turned to hours. Brett and Killian were asleep but for some reason whenever I tried to lie down I would spring up and reach for a dagger that wasn't there. I waited. I waited until what time I guessed would be dawn. Still there was no sign of Rhiannon. "She'll get him out." I spun and looked up at Killian standing behind me. "I know you worry but she'll get him out, one way or another." He sat down next to me and I rested my head against his shoulder. We sat there for three hours more until the door opened a crack. "He's dead." Rhiannon said quietly without looking up from the floor as she let Nakuru inside behind her. Killian and I looked at each other questioningly. "Your brother is dead." A tear hit the flagstones. "Impossible," I muttered. "There is no way that Cameron killed him." "It's true." She murmured. "I heard making up some story to the ZBC. He said that he had been killed in a Zoid accident." I looked back at Brett who had woken up. The two of us scowled, faced the door, and walked into the hall. "He will not survive." I growled. "Brett, I need about thirty-four daggers, four dirks, a glaive, and a pistol." (A/N: Not many know what a dirk is. It is a knife too long to be called a dagger and too short to be called a sword. Not many know what a glaive is either. It is a pole arm about five to seven feet long (depending on the height of the wielder) with a two to three feet of curved sharpened steel on the end.) "How long do you want that glaive?" Brett asked as he started to form the requested blades. "I'd say about six feet eight inches." He handed me the requested weapons. I slid them into the sheathes that I already wore. I carried the glaive at an angle in front of me. "Let's go hunt." I growled as the two of us started into a jog. The other three trailed behind us. Cameron had a date with two pissed executioners.