Disclaimer: Still don't own anything.
Chapter Twenty-Five"Where is he?" Rinoa asked after climbing the fifth flight of stairs, "How're we supposed to go on like this? We don't even know where the exit is! It could be fifteen floors up and where the hell would we be then?"
"Tired of climbing?" Squall asked as he trudged up past her. His legs were beginning to ache as well but being the prideful man that he was starting to be, he kept his mouth shut. He was slightly aggravated with the technician and was ready to launch a full assault of swears at his unreliability when they would meet again. Of course he ignored the fact that it would be a question of 'if they would meet again'. He was being too optimistic.
"Yes." She breathed, only loud enough for him to hear. Her father would probably have rolled his eyes and added a smart comment. A put-down was the last thing she needed. Her abdomen was beginning to cramp in pain at the cut and she was worried that it had started to bleed again.
"I say we break into that air duct right now." Squall pointed right above them. "Rinoa can have a look around to approximate our location."
"Fine." Caraway stopped his trajectory up the stairs and pointed to his daughter and then his son-in-law. "I trust you two'll take care of it."
"Oh yeah, because you know … I'm chunky." Rinoa drawled sarcastically. She didn't seem to take the fact that her father had insulted her about her weight. It was wounding and she had vowed to make him pay one of these days. If there was 'one of these days'.
Rinoa got up onto Squall's shoulders and pulled out the grid that obstructed the vent. She clambered up into the duct and crawled on her hands and knees. "Aw, for Christ's salty sake." She mumbled, as the vent seemed to shrink, "If I get stuck … actually, let's not think about that." She thought as she inched her way through.
She peeped down an opening but didn't have time to fully examine. Something caught her ear, "You'll see, you big bully, when my parents get here they'll beat the crap out of you! DON'T TOUCH MY SISTER!"
"Listen kid, if ya don't shut up I might have to wipe the floor with you're dead, lifeless body. So shut your hole!"
"Shut my hole? So then I don't think you want me to do this … AHHHHHH!" Alessandro kept screaming and screaming, taking in short breaths.
"SHUT UP!" A loud bang followed and Rinoa froze.
***
Zell's limp body was sprawled out in the ally near the van. A trickle of blood dripped from the corner of his mouth. He didn't move at all.
Four men dressed in dark denim jeans and jackets explored the contents of the van. One was hacking his way through Zell's prized computer while another listened to the radio conversation that was going on between the four traitors that were inside the agency.
"They're in the staircase … they're confused on where to go." The husky, olive-skinned trainee declared, "If they keep running around like chickens without a head we could probably go and nail 'em all. Come on, let's just off them all and get promotions."
"No." The commander of the group replied as he leafed through some documents that the enemy technician had left lying around, "Seifer wants to kill Leonheart painfully and slowly … while he feels his way up Heartilly."
This procured several cruel laughs from the men in the van,
"He's got it good, don't he? Gives the
orders, gets the chicks while we're busting our asses on laying out the trap
and make sure they blindly fall in." One of them said and finally he heaved his
way out of the SUV, "Forget it, I'm reporting back to our royal ass and then
I'm going to enjoy myself at some bar drinking myself silly."
"Amen, bro." The rest followed suite.
When they had steered clear of the vehicle, a cough came from the seeming corpse in the ally. Zell heaved himself to his feet with the arm that wasn't broken. He grunted and limped his way to the van and embarked. He coughed up some blood and groaned in pain. He dislodged a pistol from under the seat of the SUV.
Without waiting for another moment, Zell trudged back into the ally and followed the footsteps that the group of four traitors had followed short hours ago.
***
It was minutes before Rinoa dared to move. She ignored Squall's voice calling her on the static-filled radio. Tears stung her fearful eyes as she began to crawl again in the directions in which the voices had emerged from. Only when she got fairly close to the exit of the duct that she was able to hear slight sniffling but other than that it was complete silence.
"Oh God … oh God … please no. Please no." She thought miserably as she prepared to jump down,
smashing her way through the grid blocking the room from the air vent. The guard heard some noise and looked
around. Sudden anger overcame her as
she saw him. She used to know him … he
used to be friends with Squall … they had gone out for drinks together once,
"Up here, asshole!" She yelled and kicked through the grid, smashing her foot
on his forehead. He backed away
surprised and he drifted into an unconscious world.
"Mommy!" Riana cried out helplessly, tied to a chair. Tears streaked her young, chubby cheeks, "Mommy, Alex is hurt!"
"I know, I know." Rinoa was panicking at this point. She had seen bullet wounds before on her father, her mother, her husband. She had even suffered them herself however seeing one on her child took away the experience she had acquired on them. "Oh God … Alex …"
The boy was crying from pain but whimpered in relief at the sight of his mother. Comfort had come to him. The wound in his arm didn't seem to hurt as much, though the burning hole still stung as nothing he had felt before, "Ok, ok …" Rinoa mumbled incoherently, "Ok!" She seized herself just before she was about to blackout. Rinoa untied Alex and then Riana from the chairs. Rinoa cradled her son into her arms and spoke softly, "It'll be ok … I promise." Ignoring the fact that she was ready to break down into uncontrollable sobs, she observed the wound.
"Mommy …" Riana tried to warn; however it was too late. Rinoa felt a shadow over them.
"Up here, bitch." The guard hissed vehemently as he aimed a gun.
Rinoa did not dare to move. Any mistake on her part would take toll on her children and she had enough to be forgiven by them. She breathed deeply, unable to disregard Alex's violent shaking and his sobs. "Please don't shoot." The plea escaped her lips.
"Oh come on!" There was a snide laugh, "I wouldn't do that …
Almasy says he's still got use for you.
I can only guess what that 'use' is.
Your little hubby, however, isn't going to have your luck."
"I thought you used to be friends." Rinoa replied as coolly as the fierce
emotions stirred within her.
"I thought you and Quistis used to be friends." The guard laughed, "These last few years have proved us otherwise."
"She's dead." The guard was silent and Rinoa could picture the shocked expression on his face, "I don't like to keep close with those who are gone …"
"You killed her."
"You could say that." Rinoa stated bluntly, "I killed her seven years ago."
"Yeah … that's true, you did." Cain, the guard, accused, "You're the one who completely ruined her … it's all your fault, because of your goddamn mistake-"
"That's right, my mistake. It was my weakness, my stupidity, my feelings that killed her. My son, however, had nothing to do with it!" She snapped, refusing to face Cain.
"Cause and effect, sweetheart. Cause and effect." Cain drawled out, "Your mistake takes its toll on your kids and it's still your fault and it will always be your fault. Your past, your mistakes will continue to haunt you for the rest of your goddamn-" A loud smacking sound was heard and Rinoa heard Cain's body hit the floor.
"You goddamn listen and reply when I'm talking to you on the radio! Don't ever do that to me again!" She felt like crying in relief as the familiar voice washed over her like warm, shower water. "Now what-" Squall cut short as he saw his kids. His gratefulness for their safety was reduced when he spotted Alex, "Holy shit."
He kneeled down towards his injured boy and looked over the wound. Squall kept his composure, unlike Rinoa who was whimpering softly as though she was in more pain than her son, "We're going to finish up this business and then we're gonna get the Hell out of here. Really far away …" Squall concluded briefly.
"Where're my parents?" Rinoa asked numbly, her eyes unable to leave her weak son.
"Exploring more of the floor … Zell still hasn't replied. We're taking him to the infirmary." Squall picked him up off the floor in his arms and walked over the guard's body and out into the hallway. Rinoa scooped up Riana and carried her out as well.
"What floor are we on?" Rinoa asked, worriedly. She used to know this building like the back of her hand however the years and the present panic made her memory vanish in thin air.
"Probably the 20th floor. The infirmary is east of the elevator, down a hall way." Squall replied and headed west. Their journey wasn't obstructed with enemies so their trajectory went along smoothly. Rinoa sighed in relief when they found the elevator. They began to head east, down a corridor and soon came upon two, white double doors. Squall pushed his way through, "Heal him, now." Were his only words to the surprised Dr. Kadowaki.
"Oh my goodness …" She leaped away from Agent Leonheat who only glared at her, "You aren't supposed to be here!"
Rinoa cut in before Squall, "You're right and we'd like to leave as soon as possible. Just please-"
"We go where we want to, lady! Just do what we say-"
"And we'll leave here as soon as he's better!" Rinoa yelled over Squall's voice. Her husband glared at her and she ignored him. "Just please …"
Dr. Kadowaki looked at Rinoa sadly. 'Such a lovely young lady, back then and even now. So young … I wonder if … I wonder if she'll ever get to be truly happy.' Thought the doctor sympathetically, "Take him into the operation room. I believe the bullet is still in the wound. We'll have him stitched up in no time."
"Thank you." Rinoa breathed in relief, "Thank you so much."
Sabam: Some of you are lazy sons of bitches and I will soon go on strike. Review or not, I don't give anymore. If I don't feel like it, I won't update next week.