Thief's Treasure
Chapter Five: Caught
By PasifiKStaR
Author's Note: I know, I know...where was I? I usually update at least every other day or so, right? Midterms, club meetings, projects, and work have been occupying me this week. Maybe this weekend I'll get some stories done! This story is only a few chapters. Maybe nine?
*All Standard Disclaimers Apply - I do not own Final Fantasy or it's characters.
"He has a WHAT!?" Selphie gasped. She sat up straight and looked from Seifer and Squall. "You're joking, right!?...Irvine!? Zell!?" She looked over at the cowboy and the tattooed blond, only to watch as their heads turned away.
"So he has a fiancée..." Quistis whispered.
"What's going on!?" Selphie asked, looking around wildly.
Irvine finally turned to look at her. "Selphie...Squall has an arranged marriage to the daughter of a wealthy family..." he mumbled. "Squall's father is Laguna Loire."
Quistis and Selphie both looked at him in shock. "No..." Quistis shook her head. "That can't be..."
"Oh Hyne..." Selphie said, running her hand down her face as a melancholy frown graced her usually cheerful face.
Quistis closed her eyes tightly. "He has an arranged marriage in order for his family go gain allies..." Quistis concluded. "Why didn't we see this coming...?" She shook her head. "We should've known...why else would a son of a wealthy family go on a trip to find a legendary treasure," she looked at Irvine and Zell who were looking away guiltfully. "He's going to use it as a dowry, isn't he?"
They nodded. "Squall's never met her before," Zell told them quietly. "It's purely a political marriage."
"That doesn't take away from the fact that he has a fiancée while he was seeing Rinoa!" Selphie piped. "Oh, Hyne! I'm going to go check on her!" Jumping up, the petite brunette rushed to the other girl's room.
Seifer was shaking his head as Quistis was sitting up. She turned and glared at him. "Why didn't you tell her!?"
"Both you and I know that she wouldn't have taken my word for it," Seifer reminded Quistis. "She had to hear it from Squall himself."
Quistis bit her lower lip. Seifer had a point. Rinoa would've never believed it had it come from one of them. Squall turned his back to the group and ran his hand through his hair as he leaned over the railing. He closed his eyes tightly. *Rinoa...I'm so sorry...*
Rinoa was curled in the fetal position against Squally-poo. The sun was rising outside her window as she stared at the foot of her bed. She had been in that position all night. The cold wind blew through her open window, carrying in the salt air and the sounds of the gulls as they hovered above.
The ship had stopped moving forward about an hour ago. As it bobbed up and down on the sea, she could hear the sounds of the docks outside. She had heard Seifer get off the boat to deal with docking fees earlier as well.
"We should tell her..." Selphie insisted quietly outside her door.
"She might be sleeping. Just let her rest." Quistis countered softly. Rinoa heard Selphie let out a heavy sigh.
"It's all right," Squall's voice reached her ears and her eyes closed tightly. "Just tell her when she wakes."
"I wish it didn't have to end up like this..." Selphie said with a sniffle. "I thought we were having so much fun, too."
"We were having fun, Selphie," Irvine assured her. "Hey...if you're ever in Esthar again...look us up?"
"Thanks for a great trip, though," Zell smiled weakly. "Take care of...?"
"Yes," Quistis nodded. "Of course. Squall, here's the money-"
"Keep it," Squall stated firmly. "I don't need it."
"But what about the rest of the trip?" Zell asked. "Can you afford that?"
"I'll be fine," Squall spat out. "Good-bye, Quistis. Selphie."
Three sets of footsteps were heard walking away and Rinoa closed her eyes. It was really happening. He was leaving. *Like he wasn't going to leave anyway...he has someone else.* her mind told her. Rinoa took a deep breath and noticed how she was shaking.
Her pillows were damp with tears and now, she found herself unable to shed any more. She could feel him moving farther and farther away.
Squall turned around and looked back at the ship hesitantly. "Having second thoughts?" Irvine said.
"No," Squall stated as he turned back around and walked back towards them. "Let's go."
Zell looked from Squall to the ship and bit his lower lip. Reluctantly, he turned around and ran after Squall and Irvine.
Selphie stood by the edge of the ship and watched the three fleeting figures disappear into the busy port town. Her green eyes closed slowly as she knelt down and leaned against the side of the ship.
Quistis leaned back against the kitchen counter with her glasses off as she rubbed the bridge of her nose. Strong arms wrapped around her waist and she leaned forward to rest her head against a strong chest. "I really thought he was the one..." Quistis whispered quietly. "I thought that she would get better..."
Seifer's arms rose and wrapped around her body tighter. "I know," he whispered quietly. "No wonder you girls ran away," Seifer mumbled as he pressed his head against hers gently. "You would've been in the same position as him."
"Privilege always comes with a price," Quistis mumbled. "Was I wrong in thinking he could help her?"
She tilted her head to look up at him. Her blue eyes seemed to be searching for assurance that she wasn't wrong. That she was right in placing her trust in Squall to heal her friend. Seifer didn't know what to say. He merely nodded. "No," Seifer whispered as he tightened his hold around her. "No, Quisty, you were right."
The door creaked open slowly and she looked inside. Her pale hand ran against the side of the wall, searching for a switch. She turned on the lights and looked around the now vacant room.
Pale sheets were neatly laid out on the bed as two pillows rested at the head of it. Looking behind her to make sure no one was watching, Rinoa stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. She walked towards the bottom bunk and sat on the bed.
Her hands ran along the worn sheets as she laid down and placed her head on the soft white pillows. She closed her eyes and buried her head in the soft material as his scent flooded her senses. For just a few seconds, it was like he was actually there.
*You've hit rock bottom, Rin...* her mind scolded her. Sighing heavily, she sat up and shook her head. *I need to get off this boat...* Standing up quickly, she walked out of the spare cabin and headed upstairs.
She looked at the clock in the narrow hall way. It was just after sunset. She sighed. Suddenly, Seifer's door opened and she ran into someone. "Oh! Rinoa!" a nervous sounding voice gasped. "Uh...what are you doing here?"
Rinoa didn't bat an eye as Quistis looked at her, flushed and looking slightly undone. "I'm going to take a walk on the docks."
"The docks?" Quistis gasped, immediately forgetting about her current state or the way her hair tumbled over her face. "Why? It's late and cold..."
"And dangerous, yes I know," Rinoa sighed. "I'll bring Angelo. I'll be back in a bit. I just need to walk around a bit."
"You're not going to run after puberty boy are you?" a deeper voice asked inside the room.
Quistis turned bright red as Seifer leaned against the door way, directly behind her. He ran his hand through his blond hair as his muscles were proudly bared on his body as he stood there without a shirt on. He frowned as he looked at Rinoa.
"I'm not going to run after him," she snapped aggregated. "I'm just going out to think."
"Let me come with you-" Quistis began, but Rinoa was already walking past them.
"I'll be fine," she shouted. "You two are probably busy anyway..." she mumbled under her breath.
Quistis gulped as Seifer snickered behind her. "I told you were being too loud." he grinned.
Quistis pushed the door in his face and ran up the steps after Rinoa. "Shut up, Seifer!"
Upstairs, Rinoa had called Angelo and told Raijin to tell Selphie and Fujin that she had gone for the walk. The other two girls had previously left to go get ice cream for Selphie's addiction. He merely nodded and said he would as she walked down the plank to the pier with Angelo at her heels.
Quistis reached the deck and looked around. "She already left, ya know!" Raijin said as he leaned over the railing at the top deck.
"Dammit...did she say when she was going to come back?" Quistis shouted. Raijin shook her head. Quistis sighed. *Hyne...please be careful...*
Squall placed some gil on the table. "If you find anyone..." he told the bar tender. The bar tender nodded and took the money as Squall walked back to the table where Zell and Irvine were sitting and waiting for him.
"Anything?" Zell asked. Squall shook his head.
"We'll have to wait and see." Squall mumbled.
"It'll be even harder to get a ship here," Irvine said as he looked around. He lifted up a heavy glass mug and took a drink from it. "Have you seen all the Galbadian soldiers walking around?"
"Galbadian soldiers?" Zell said. He shook his head. "What would they be doing here? There isn't a war or anything."
"Exactly," Irvine agreed. "It's strange. Why would soldiers be wandering around a place like this. There isn't a base anywhere near here and it's not war time. So they technically don't have a reason to be here."
"I highly doubt it's for a vacation." Zell said.
"Soldiers don't vacation wearing combat boots," Irvine mumbled. He put his mug down as he finished off it's contents. "I'm going to go check around."
"We'll wait here for you then," Zell told him. Irvine nodded and stood up. Zell followed him with his eyes and watched as he approached some people casually. "What do you think, Squall?"
Squall wasn't paying attention. He merely stared out into a space, a concentrated look on his face as his hand gripped the handle of the mug tightly. *I hope she'll be all right.*
"Squall?" Zell called out. "Yo? Squall...? Squall!"
"What!?" Squall snapped, turning his head around and shooting Zell a glare.
Zell jerked his head back. "You okay? You zoned out."
"What are you talking about?" the brunette mumbled bitterly.
"What's wrong, man?" Zell asked, concerned. "I asked you what you thought."
"Thought about WHAT?" Squall grumbled.
"All the soldiers around," Zell said. "Weren't you listening?"
*Obviously NO,* the young man thought to himself as he lifted his drink to his lips. He swallowed a good portion of the contents before putting the mug back down. "They're searching for someone."
"Who?" Zell asked. "Do you know?"
"Why ELSE would they be wandering around a city not affiliated with Galbadia?" Squall snapped. *They're searching for Rinoa! Her father must've sent them like her cousin mentioned...*
"Well, yeah, that makes sense..." he mumbled. "But WHO are they searching for?"
"I don't care," Squall grumbled. *Because she never wants to see me again away, so why the hell should give a damn about her?* his mind added. *Maybe the fact that you LOVE her is the reason.*
Before long, Irvine returned to their table and quickly took his seat. He raised his hand to get the attention of a waitress and asked for more drinks. "Apparently, they're searching for someone."
"Squall already said that," Zell said. "He said why else would they be here."
"Yeah," Irvine nodded. "But supposedly they're looking for a famous general's estranged daughter."
"I didn't think that they would be sent out for that sort of reason," Zell mumbled with large eyes. Irvine nodded in agreement. "Did they say who?"
Irvine nodded once more. "General Caraway's daughter," Irvine said. Squall's hand tightened around the mug as his eyes grew colder. "Supposedly, she killed a man and ran away."
Zell's eyes went wide. "So she's on the run?"
"I guess so." Irvine shrugged. The waitress put a mug of beer in front of Irvine and he winked at her as she passed by.
"Think she's dangerous?"
"No idea," Irvine said. "No one here knows how she looks like and the soldiers won't say. It's supposed to be a very hush hush operation."
"She's probably dangerous then," Zell concluded. "But it is kind of strange. Why would they send so many men to get one girl? That's got to mean that she's really dangerous."
"Still," Irvine sighed. "Hate to see a poor girl hunted down like this. The port's crawling with soldiers."
*I should go warn her...* Squall thought to himself.
"If she is here, she probably wouldn't have a chance with all these soldiers here."
Squall's eyes narrowed. *One step outside the ship and she'll be arrested...*
"Whoever she is, she's bound to run into at least a few soldiers."
*I'm going to go!* Squall suddenly stood up and Irvine and Zell looked up at him.
"Squall?" Zell asked.
"Where are you going?" Irvine added.
"I'll see you later." Squall mumbled.
"Do you want us to meet you somewhere?" Zell asked as Squall put some money on the table and pushed his chair back under the table.
"I'll find you." Squall assured them. He moved past the people in the bar and headed out the door. Irvine let out a whistle and looked at his watch.
"Damn, he really held out this time..." Irvine said. He reached into his jacket and took out his wallet. He took out some gil and handed it to Zell. "You win."
"Yes! I told you!" Zell grinned as he took the money and counted it. "What's the official time?"
"Let's see..." Irvine looked at his watch. "We left the boat around seven in the morning... it's now six something...therefore it took less than twelve hours for him to turn tail and go back to Rinoa."
"Told you."
"Yeah yeah..."
Rinoa slowly walked along the pier quietly, lost deep in thought. Angelo walked at her side, wary of their surroundings as his owner stared straight ahead. She had been gone for about an hour.
This particular port city was a smaller version of the one where they had picked up Zell, Irvine, and Squall. It was lined with numerous bars, whore houses, as well as gambling halls, inns, and repair stores. Further away from the docks was a nice area with a few shops and restaurants.
After quite some time of walking, she had finally reached that area. It's streets were lined with lamps as few people walked through it. For the first few minutes, she had just concentrated on getting as far away from the ship as possible. But as soon as she lost sight of the Siren, her thoughts wandered right back to him.
She couldn't help but wonder what he was doing or where he was. She shook her head and tried to clear her thoughts. *I have to get my mind off of this subject...* She quickened her step and heard steps behind her quicken as well.
Rather than pause, she glanced to her side at one of the windows of a store front. Her eyes went wide as she saw two Galbadian soldiers walking right behind her. Her heart began to beat faster and she sped up.
As expected, the soldiers also sped up. One of them lifted up a walkie talkie and spoke into it. Rinoa's mind raced. She knew they were calling for back up. She knew they were following her. She KNEW they were AFTER HER.
Quickly, she turned into a more crowded area on a wharf where small shops were opened and tourists were still visible and wandering around. Angelo was still at her heels as she cut in and out of the groups of people.
Angelo began to bark and Rinoa knew they had stepped their chase up a notch. Their foot steps were now louder and faster. She broke into a wild run down the pier.
"Hey! Watch it!" someone yelled as she shoved past them.
"Sorry!" she shouted over her shoulder as she ran.
"Hey! What's the big deal!"
"Watch where you're going, bastards!" someone else shouted behind her. The soldiers carelessly shoved aside by standers as they ran after Rinoa.
Her heart was pounding in her chest as the people around her turned into mere blurs. A gun shot was heard and the crowds screamed and cleared the way as Rinoa mentally swore. Panic ensued around her as people ran in all directions. The wharf began to shake with the pounding of people running.
She looked behind her. The soldiers were so close. *No...* her mind screamed. *No! I don't want to go back!!*
"Cut her off!" someone shouted behind her.
"Angelo!" Rinoa shouted. She pointed to the edge of the wharf. "Go!" The dog whimpered and Rinoa looked at him as she ran. "Go!!" she ordered tearfully. She was going to be caught.
Angelo barked and ran past Rinoa. He jumped off the edge of the wharf and into the water with a splash. Rinoa slammed into the railing as she looked down to make sure the dog was okay.
"Hold it right here!" a voice yelled behind her.
Angelo's head popped out of the water and he looked up and barked. "Get the others!" Rinoa cried out. The dog barked and began to swim off towards the other side of the docks.
All around her, Rinoa heard the clicks of guns. Closing her eyes, she turned around slowly and was faced with dozens of guns pointed at her. "Rinoa Heartilly Caraway!" one of the soldiers said. "Come with us!"
Squall stood at the start of the pier. He stared at the lit ship that was docked a little bit down from him. The cold ocean air blew in and ruffled the soft brown bangs over his face as he stared at the ship. *How long are you going to stand here and just STARE at it?* his mind screamed.
He let out a heavy sigh. He didn't know how long he had been there, all he knew was that he was finding that he couldn't get himself to move and head towards, let alone board, the ship. He tilted his head back and let out a deep breath.
Squall turned as he heard something running behind him. His eyes went large as he saw the soaking dog running up the pier. *That's Angelo!* his mind yelled.
Angelo skidded to a stop as he turned and looked up a Squall. Whimpering, he turned his head towards the ship and seemed to beckon Squall to follow him. He even went so far as to grab a hold of the man's leg and tug on it.
"Angelo, let go!" Squall snapped.
Letting out a frustrated growl, the dog turned and ran down the rest the dock to the ship. He barked enthusiastically as he ran up the plank. Squall hesitantly made his way forward. He shook his head. *No...forget it...* Turning around, he headed back to the bar. Irvine and Zell were waiting for him.
"Angelo!?" Selphie's voice called. On the ship, Selphie and the others congregated on the deck as the dog arrived. "Why are you wet?"
"He can't talk," Seifer said as he rolled his eyes. "What's the point in asking?"
"Wait," Quistis said in a nervous voice. "Where's Rinoa?"
At that, Angelo let out a bark and then whimpered. Selphie looked up at Quistis with a worried expression on her face. "You don't think that...?"
"Galbadian soldiers." Fujin suddenly said. She had Selphie had seen many of them as they went to get ice cream.
"That's right!" Selphie gasped. "The docks were littered with Galbadian soldiers!"
"WHAT!?" Quistis gasped. "Why didn't you tell us sooner!?"
"I didn't even think about it until we got here!" Selphie exclaimed. "Oh, Hyne! They're after her, aren't they?"
"Why else would they been here?" Quistis shouted. "We're in the freaking boonies of the sea faring world! WHY would Galbadia's soldiers be here?! Especially when there is no war!"
"We have to go find her," Seifer mumbled. "Shit, they could've gotten her by now. Fujin, how many did you see?"
"Too many." Fujin commented. Quistis swore.
"We have to find her," Quistis said. She looked at Raijin and Fujin. "You two stay here and make sure the ship is ready to leave at a moment's notice. Selphie, Seifer, go get ready to go!"
"Angelo?" Fujin asked. Quistis looked at the dog. She nodded.
"We'll bring Angelo with us. He might be able to sniff her out," Quistis said. "Keep the radios on so we can contact you!" She ran to the lower decks after Selphie and Seifer.
She threw her door open and practically ripped off her closet door as she grabbed two whips. She tied one around her waist and the other coiled around her arm. "Ready?" Seifer said as he and Selphie stood at her door with a gun blade and nunchuku.
Quistis removed her glasses and gripped her whip. "Let's go!"
Squall laid in bed, staring up at the wooden ceiling as Zell happily snored in the bed across from him. His mind was lost in thought as his arms cradled his head. They were in a rusty old inn in the far side of the docks.
Outside, through the open window, he could hear the sounds of the fog horn in the distance as the occasional beam of the distant light house hit the walls of the room. His jacket was hung on one of the bed posts, as he laid there.
Every time he closed his eyes, all he saw was Rinoa. Her bright smile, her soft brown eyes, her layered dark tresses. He took a deep breath as his lids closed. *No,* he told himself. *You shouldn't be sorry that you told her. She had a RIGHT to know.*
He had stood at the docks for hours, staring at the ship, wondering what she was doing. If she was missing him as much as he missed her. Her soft lips were always welcoming, filling him with warmth. Squall thought about the first time he saw her. His heart at stopped as he rose from the side of the boat, smiling kindly as water slid down her perfect body.
He admitted it. He missed her. *Hyne...if I could just see her one last time... and just make sure she's all right...*
"Squall!" The door was suddenly thrown open and Squall sat straight up. Irvine looked around the room as he ran in. "Squall-"
"What?" Squall hissed, annoyed. Zell still sleep peacefully in his bed.
"I just saw Selphie," Irvine gasped out. Worry was written over his usually relaxed face. "It's about Rinoa!"
Squall's eyes narrowed. "What about her?"
"The Galbadian soldiers," Irvine gasped. "They're after her for some reason and caught her!"
Squall's eyes went large. Within a second, he was off his bed, grabbing his gun blade, and out the door. *Shit, they got her...*
Irvine looked back at Zell. He was on his stomach, arms sprawled out around his body. "Zell!" Irvine yelled. "Zell!!" Without hesitation, Irvine gripped the thin blanket that covered Zell's body and tore it off of the sleeping figure.
"Wha!?" Zell looked up, still half asleep. He looked completely lost as Irvine let out a heavy sigh. "What's going on!?"
"Rinoa's been kidnapped!"
Downstairs, Squall emerged from the inn, throwing the door open as he came out. The first thing he saw was the petite young woman standing by a lamp post looking worried as a medium sized dog began to bark.
The young woman looked up with emerald green eyes. "Squall!" A look of relief went through her face. "Squall, you have to help us-"
"Where is she!?" Squall asked immediately.
Selphie looked like she was on the verge of tears. "I don't know!" the young woman replied. "I thought Angelo could sniff out his master but he hasn't budged since Irvine ran into the inn!"
"Angelo," Squall mumbled. He looked down at the dog. *Angelo had grabbed my pants earlier...* The realization struck him. "He was trying to tell me Rinoa was kidnapped..."
"What?" Selphie asked, confused. Squall shook his head and knelt down in front of the dog.
"Angelo, WHERE is Rinoa?" Squall asked. "Take me to Rinoa."
The dog barked and took off down the street. Selphie let out a gasp as she watched the dog turn and bark enthusiastically, trying to get them to follow him. "He knows!" Selphie gasped. She tore down after him with Squall right behind her.
"Hey!" Irvine shouted as he watched them running to his left. "Aww...shit... come on, Zell!"
Zell nodded and ran after them. "Why did they take her!?" Zell yelled to Irvine.
The cowboy shrugged. "I don't know!" Irvine replied without looking back. "Selphie just started crying and saying that she's been taken!"
"Rinoa's not a convict is she!?" Zell gasped. Irvine rolled his eyes.
They had reached Selphie and Squall and Selphie shook her head from side to side as she ran. "No!" Selphie shouted. "She's even worse! She was born a Caraway!"
"Caraway!?" Irvine and Zell chorused in surprised.
"Caraway, the military family!?" Zell asked in shock. "They have close ties to Heartilly!"
"Why is a Caraway captaining a ship!?" Irvine asked as they ran.
Selphie bit her lip and mentally debated whether or not to tell them. She looked over shoulder at the other two men. They had come to help them, no questions asked. They deserved to know. Rinoa, she figured, would forgive her if she told.
"Rinoa ran away when she was sixteen!" Selphie shouted. "Quistis and I came with her!"
"How do you guys know Rinoa!?" Zell asked. "You never told us how you three met!"
"Same boarding school!" Selphie said. "Quistis is Quistis Trepe, only child to the Trepe Technologies CEO!"
"Holy...!!! Are you kidding me!?" Zell gasped.
"I kind of saw that one coming!" Irvine shouted. "Look at Quistis! She has blue blood written all over her!"
"What about you, Selphie?" Zell asked.
"My full name is Selphie Tilmitt-"
"Tilmitt the toy giant!?" Irvine gasped. "Since WHEN!?"
"Since I was born!" Selphie giggled slightly. She shook her head. "The Trepes and Tilmitt fortunes are nothing compared to the Caraway family! The three of us were always together and when Rinoa ran away, so did we!"
"Why did she run away?" Zell asked.
Selphie once again sank into a mental debate on whether or not to tell them the reason. "Arranged marriage!" Squall shouted. "She ran away from an arranged marriage!" Selphie looked at him with wonder. Rinoa told him...meaning he probably also knew about...
"Yeah!" Selphie shouted. "She was supposed to marry some old rich guy but she couldn't do it and ran away. She hated his guts!"
"So are they coming to get her to drag her back and be married!?" Zell shouted.
"I don't know!" Selphie admitted. "Her father practically disowned her!"
Squall's eyes went wide as he kept them on the dog running in front of them. "They are coming to get her to be married," Squall said. His eyes narrowed has Selphie ran closer to him to listen. "They found someone else to marry her!"
"What!?" Selphie gasped.
"Hold on, Angelo's slowing down!" Squall stated. The dog in front of them had slowed to a merely walk, as if he were being walked by the people following him.
Just by looking around they realized why. The area was suddenly crawling with Galbadian soldiers. They casually walked around the area. "She has to be near..." Selphie concluded. They looked at the dog, who had sat down and was staring at a the first of a series of five large ship warehouses that were over the water. "There..."
"A ship warehouse?" Irvine said. He shook his head. "How the hell are we going to get in there without being detected?"
"There's bound to be a whole army of soldiers inside." Zell agreed.
"I'll go through a whole army and more to save her..." Squall found himself whispering.
"What'd you say, Squall?" Irvine asked, having not heard from the sounds of people talking all around them.
"Nothing," Squall mumbled. Selphie looked over at him and smiled slightly. She had heard him. "We need a way in..."
Angelo suddenly perked up and turned to his left. With a quiet bark, he headed towards an alley way with the others following behind him. "Now where's the mutt taking us?" Irvine sighed.
"Good boy, Angelo!" a voice was saying as they were inside the alley between two store houses. "Now you know where your mommy is...you're a smart dog, aren't you? Yes, a very smart dog..."
"What the...?" Zell narrowed his eyes. "SEIFER!?"
Immediately the tall blond man stood straight up and looked a bit flustered as he was caught praising the dog. Zell and Irvine snickered as Quistis looked up from where she was sitting, scratching right behind Angelo's ear. "Oh, thank, Hyne, Selphie. You found them!"
"Rin's in that building," Selphie said, pointing out towards the first of the warehouses. "We need to get in. How did you guys find it?"
"We didn't find it exactly," Quistis replied. "We just went to the area where there were the most soldiers."
"I see...do you know how we can get in?" Selphie asked.
"We've been here for a while," Seifer said. "There should be a water system that leads up to the warehouse," he mumbled as he pointed to a man hole. "But that's from the glory days of this particular dock, so they shouldn't be working anyway."
"That means it should be perfectly safe for us to go through," Quistis mumbled. "The big issue will be escaping. I wouldn't be surprised if Rinoa was under close surveillance."
"We'll definitely attract attention leaving..." Zell mumbled.
"We need a distraction," Seifer mumbled. He smirked as he looked at Zell in an almost predatory gaze. "Congratulations, chicken-wuss! You're going to distract them."
"Me!?" Zell nearly screamed. "Why me!?" No one seemed to give him a valid answer.
"Quisty, can you contact Fujin and Raijin and tell us to meet them close by?" Selphie asked casually. "That way we can get on the ship as soon as possible and go."
"Good idea," Quistis nodded. "Once we're out at sea, they won't be able to catch us."
"So it's agreed then?" Irvine asked. "We get in, fight off a few guards, get Rinoa out, Zell makes a distraction, we get her on the boat and that's it?"
"Basically." Selphie nodded.
"All right then," Irvine said. "Seifer, open the man hole!"
Seifer narrowed his green eyes. "Why the hell should I listen to you-"
"Seifer, baby, just lift the damn man hole cover!" Quistis snapped. "Stop arguing and do it!"
Seifer merely smirked. "I love it when you talk like that-"
"Seifer!"
He rolled his eyes and walked over to the man hole on the ground and began to loosen it. Quistis was holding a walkie-talking as Zell kept a look out. "Look at all those soldiers..."
"Fujin, it's me," Quistis said. "We need the Siren here...I'm sending you our location now."
"Affirmative," Fujin stated after a while. "Location received."
"We'll contact you as soon as we're ready to go." Quistis said.
"Understood." The walkie talkie went out and Seifer had managed to move then man hole cover around.
He looked at the group. "Whose first?"
Just like Zell had assumed, the entire warehouse was crawling with Galbadian soldiers walking around with machine guns in their hands. They mentally swore as they looked around. It seemed like a huge docking bay with an area build specifically for holding a ship and loading it.
Above them, walking on metal bridges across the warehouse's expanse, were even more soldiers. In the corner of the room, next to several rows of large wooden crates, was an office. Through the glass windows, several soldiers could be seen, walking with guns in their hands.
Squall's blue eyes peered from behind the bars of the drain on one side of warehouse. They were chest deep in ocean water and Selphie, who was shortest of them had to be carried on Irvine's back.
"She's in the office room," Squall mumbled as his hand tightened around the gun blade. "I can see her unconscious on a chair."
"They probably sedated her," Seifer mumbled. "To avoid her using her magic."
"Caraway will probably send a ship here soon to get her," Quistis mumbled. "Damn, they've had her here for at least a few hours all ready...a ship could come in at any minute."
"We have to get over to her," Selphie agreed. "But how? There are guards everywhere!"
"Irvine," Squall said. "There's a power box over there," Squall said as he pointed to a small metal box next on the wall across from them. "It'll cut the power. It's still night, so there shouldn't be any light source."
"What about a back up generator?" Zell asked.
"It'll still take some time to get it up," Squall said. "Selphie, Zell, you two come with me."
"We'll cover your back." Quistis said. She looked at Seifer, who nodded.
Squall began to loosen the bars that lead to the ware house. "Once you get through, make sure you're under water," Squall said. He looked at Irvine. "Shoot it once we're all under water, got it?"
Irvine nodded as Selphie let go of him and floated in the water. "Good luck."
"Careful, man," Zell said. "They'll beef up the security as soon as the lights go out."
Squall nodded and moved the plate of bars that held them out off the opening. Irvine lifted up his gun, that had been kept dry by being held over his head, and aimed.
Rinoa could see the lights go out through her eye lids. Her entire body couldn't move from the injection they had given her. She couldn't even open her eyes, let alone talk.
But she could hear the panic ensue all around her. *It has to be them!* her mind screamed joyfully as she listened to the people in the room with her order each other to keep an eye out. *Yeah, like they can really see in the dark...*
There was the sound of a door bursting open and grunting. "Grab her!"
*Selphie!* Rinoa's mind registered as she heard her friend's voice shout.
"We'll clear a path!" another voice shouted.
*Zell!?* Rinoa gasped. She felt arms go underneath her body and lift her up. *Then the one carrying me...* She felt familiar arms hold her against a warm body as his scent wafted into her senses. "Squa..."
"Get the doors opens!" the voice that yelled solidified her thoughts as she let out a breath of relief.
In the background, she heard gun shots as he carried her out of their. "Cure!" Selphie shouted.
A wave of energy flowed through Rinoa's body, pushing out some of the poison that had prevented her from acting earlier. Slowly, her eyes opened into small slits. She could feel his leather jacket brush against her cheeks as she looked up at him.
She could barely make out his features in the darkness. "Get her to the pier!" another voice shouted as a whipped crack. "Oh, no you don't!"
*Quistis...*
"Shit, the lights are coming back on!" Seifer's voice sounded. One by one, every other light that was hanging from the ceiling began to flicker on.
"Get the door!" Squall said. A gun shot rang out, and the door's knob flew off.
Rinoa could feel his heart beating quickly has his hold tightened around her. They were still running and she closed her eyes.
Through the haze of gun shots and yelling and alarms, she felt the rush of cool sea wind brush against her as they made it out side. "Oh, crap!" Zell shouted.
"They're so many of them!" Selphie gasped.
"The ships coming!" Quistis shouted.
"We have to get her over there!" Seifer yelled.
Rinoa turned her head tiredly. "Rinoa..." she heard a voice whisper above her. Rinoa swallowed hard as she opened her eyes and saw the rows and rows of Galbadian soldiers waiting them.
In the distance, at the edge of the pier, was the Siren. She could vaguely make out the shape of her beloved dog as he jumped up and down and barked from the edge of the pier. Seifer, Quistis, Selphie, and Zell were at the front line as Irvine stood by Squall and was shooting his gun.
Squall himself couldn't do anything as he held her tightly in his arms. *I have to help them...* her mind said. *I NEED to...* She willed her arm to rise. *Damn!!!* It didn't budge. *Forget it! I don't need my arm!* She looked out at the sea of people in front of them. She let her arm drop to her side and began to summon a fire spell.
A glowing ball of red-yellow light appeared in her hand and with all her strength, she rolled the ball into the crowd. As soon as it slipped through the feet of several rows of soldiers, it exploded into flames, sending the soldiers flying.
"Rinoa!?" Quistis gasped.
"Now's our chance!" Seifer yelled.
They began to run once more as Rinoa summoned yet another fire spell to make way for them again. She rolled it out ahead of them and watched as it blew up. "We're almost there!" Selphie yelled happily as they saw Raijin dropping the plank down.
"Get ready to speed out of here!" Quistis was shouting to Fujin, who was driving the ship.
"Take her!" Squall said.
Rinoa's eyes went wide as she was passed from Squall to Seifer. The blond man said nothing as he took Rinoa from Squall's arms. He looked at once more and caressed her face with his gloved hand as a pained look went over his face.
"Squall..." she whispered breathy.
"Seifer, let's go!" Quistis screamed as she was half way up the plank. Selphie was already on board.
"We'll hold them off!" Irvine shouted. He waved for them to go.
"Irvy, we can make it, come on!"
"Just go!" Squall shouted. "She's more important!"
Rinoa watched with horror as Seifer ordered Raijin to loose the plank and Fujin to turn the boat and go. The wooden plank fell into the water with a heavy splash as the sound of the ship's motor echoed in her ears. The ship began to pull away from the pier, faster and faster.
Left on the pier, fighting off the remainder of the guards were Zell, Irvine, and Squall. He turned around once more and blue eyes met brown ones. One look was worth a thousand words as the ship roared off.
Rinoa was crying as Seifer gently put her down. She stumbled to the side of the ship and looked back at them as they disappeared. Her lips trembled as her hands clung on to the cold railing. "I love you, too..."
Selphie covered her mouth as Quistis turned her head away and buried it against Seifer's chest. The warehouse exploded.