Notes: ::crickets::
Yeah. I know I disappointed you all. And I'm really sorry. Please understand, though, that I am in a brand new school with a ton of homework, and I haven't really had time to do anything, let alone write. Once I get organized -- then expect more updates. As for the next chapter, I'll try to write it soon, since this is vacation. After that...expect another long wait. Also, please understand that I have NO intention of NOT finishing this fic. I may hit my dry spots, but on the whole I am totally in love with this fic. I don't care how long it takes me -- I'm going to finish it. I've got too many ideas for the ending. Once again, I am indeed very sorry.
Zeitgeist- Interesting idea you have. I was aware that chapter 12 is very different, but I never actually thought that it would disrupt the flow of the story itself. It was my favorite chapter for this reason--it was more freestyle, whereas the other chapters are more under control. But now I'm starting to look at it differently, and I honestly don't know what to make of it. On one hand, I totally understand how this disrupted the flow. On the other, it *was* a dream, and dreams tend to be more freestyle than controlled; if you notice, towards the end, when I switch back to reality, the writing becomes more of my usual style. So honestly, I don't know what to think. I'll consider this more for future reference. At any rate, thank you for your CC - I hope you continue, because this is part of what will make me a better writer. :) And just so you know, I am always going for a professional feel, no matter what I write, for the readers' benefit and for my own.
Oh yeah, just so you guys know, I was in a rush to get this chapter out; therefore it is UNEDITED AND MAY CONTAIN MANY GRAMMATICAL ERRORS AND AWKWARD SENETENCES.
Now...these notes are way too long. Here's the actual story.
THE DEMON WITHIN Chapter Thirteen: The Killing Joke
Days seemed to pass. With every step an unnerving pain stung at the bottom of their feet; and it hurt more than it normally would have, for they had to be careful that they did not slip on the mud. Clinging to each other as they ploughed through the slush, Finn and Olivia wished for the easy grass they had only just lost an hour ago. Finn also wished that the mud was gone because he hated to get his white leather shoes dirty. God, Valmont had *better* replace them when he got back--
A sudden dull ache in his heart made him abort this thought. Valmont. He wondered where Valmont was right now, how he was doing. Probably the same as usual: there wasn't anything exactly thrilling in being possessed by a demon, and Finn guessed from his boss's usual defeated look (which was positively frightening in itself) that the general experience was complete and unalienable misery.
Misery? Finn backtracked in his thinking. Actually, when was Valmont *not* miserable? Years ago, before Valmont had even encountered Shendu-- Valmont had been miserable then, too. His manner showed it. He was always very quiet, considering things in his mind, his expression unreadable. It always made everyone else silent, too, and the atmosphere around him was tense and beckoning. Then Valmont would say something--either an order or an indignant remark that had no significance to the situation at hand--and his voice would be very low and apathetic. His goal seemed to be to become as detached and in control as possible; yet every now and then he went off into a tantrum--even if it was only because of something so small a problem- -taking anyone who witnessed this by surprise. His breaths would be ragged, his hands balled into fists, his eyes squeezed shut as if he might cry. He never did, though, or at least not in front of anyone: "Go," and Finn would leave, shutting the door behind him. Always.
This had happened more and more when Shendu came into the picture. Valmont still had that cold carelessness about him that made him appear to be on top of everything and everyone, but he'd also become far more demanding, and almost everyday he'd have to raise his voice against someone.
Yet he'd never actually broken down. That wasn't Valmont's style.
"Ah! Here we are."
Suddenly Finn was brought back to earth. He became aware that they were no longer trailing through mud, had just stepped on concrete. Everything was still dark, save for Olivia's flashlight, which treaded across the green goo-covered walls (Finn gulped).
"What are you looking for?" he asked.
"It's...this!" Olivia gave a triumphant cry as the light shone on a single red button. She reached out and pushed it.
Some sort of mechanical sound moaned through the rust and dust of the device. It stopped soon, and then Finn heard the squeks and groans of something opening--doors. An elevator, obviously. The light raced over its interior, and Finn could barely make out the black-painted walls, the metal railings complete with various fingerprints, the gum-infested floor. Five squeaking rats suddenly burst forth; they ran past Finn and Olivia, who, after screaming, were now holding onto each other for dear life.
"Oh my god," Finn said loudly, shaking a little. "I am NOT goin' in there- -!"
Also shaking, Olivia slowly separated herself from Finn. She gave him a weak smile. "Don't worry. They don't--er--bite."
Finn bit his lip, jamming his hands into his pockets. Olivia was already cautiously boarding the wretched elevator. There wasn't much else to do. So after being assured that there were no more rats, Finn followed.
Both were suddenly terribly frightened as the doors closed and everything was swathed in blackness.
And their fear only increased as the doors slammed shut, and the elevator made its slow ascend.
They were holding each other again. Finn felt her gasps on his chest, and he knew she was geniunly afraid. Then a horrid thought came to him; he prayed to whatever god in earshot that it wasn't so.
"Olivia," he said, his voice amazingly steady, "where are we going?"
And the answer came quietly: "I don't know." A pause. "Finn, I didn't push any button, it went on its own---"
"Give me your flashlight."
Olivia quickly handed it to him and Finn, after fumbling to get it upright, flashed the light on the ceiling. A camera was set in a corner. "I forgot about that one," Olivia admitted quietly.
As for the ceiling itself, that was painted black too, but Finn could dimly see the outline of the hatchet. "Don't let me fall," he said, and after holding the flashlight between his teeth he leaped with one foot on the railing, his hands pushing up against the hatchet. It opened easily enough, but at the same time he felt himself falling; he caught onto the edges as Olivia held him up by his back and legs. He scrambling upwards, the movement of the elevator making him dizzy, and soon he was lying on the roof. He looked down at Olivia. "Do what I did," he called to her.
She nodded in affirmation and leaped, and quickly Finn grabbed her arms. He pulled her up into his arms and closed the hatchet. The elevator seemed to be going a little faster...
Finn was startled at Olivia's sudden gasp. "They know!" she cried. "They saw with the camera. The elevator will go faster and faster..."
"...and crush us at the top!" Finn finished, horrified.
"We've got to get out of here!" Olivia looked around; but her surroudings were starting to get blurry as the speed of the elevator increased.
Finn grasped the smooth surface of the elevator, and groped his way to the edges of the hatch, which he latched onto for dear life. "Yeah, but how?" he called back.
She didn't have time to reply; the elevator was picking up more speed, and she grasped the nearest thing to her, which happened to be Finn. One arm was tucked under his stomach, and her hand curled onto his back, her fingers gripping his jacket. With her other hand she reached for her pocket. Soon she had her remote out, and rolling on her back, she ordered Finn, "Hold out the flashlight!"
Slowly he turned over slightly and, now holding the flashlight with his hand, shone it on Olivia. She held the remote to it and began to press a series of buttons.
Something was happening. Finn looked around frantically as best he could in the position he was in. Were they moving more...slowly?
Olivia chuckled softly. "Yes! Do I know this thing or what?" she said, admiring her remote.
"Did your uncle or whatever give that to you?" Finn asked as they came to a stop.
She frowned, suddenly, looking at him indignantly. "Grandfather. And yes, he did."
"Okay. Whatever."
Suddenly she took the flashlight from him and, holding it to the remote yet again, pressed more buttons. An indignant creaking sounded loudly just above them; Finn looked up to see one of the doors sliding open, white light shining through.
"We don't have much time; soon they'll know what I did," Olivia said, handing him the flashlight. She looked up to the open door; it wasn't at all high, just a little over her head. "Give me a boost," she said.
With a brief nod, Finn lifted her up onto the floor. It wasn't hard for him to get up there; popping the flashlight between his teeth again, he leaped onto the crude rope that was attached to the elevator, and then jumped onto the floor. His arms caught the edges, and with Olivia holding onto him he hoisted himself up.
He wanted to take a breather for a moment, but Olivia reminded him with a nudge that there was no time. "Come on!" she cried. "They'll be here..."
Reluctantly, but also quickly, he got to his feet. He took in his surroundings: the ceiling was nothing but hot, white lights, the walls were gray, and the floor was checkered with black and white tiles. The corridor stretched not ten feet, where it made a sharp turn to the left.
"We're on the fifth floor; we need to get to the fourth. I have a friend who might be willing to help us," said Olivia, and knelt down near the left wall, where a vent was sited. Grunting the effort, she pulled at the gate, and Finn automatically went to help her. Together they finally pulled it off, and Finn fell back on the floor with the effort.
His teeth were gritted in pain: "Ow."
Olivia put a hand over her mouth to hold back laughter. Finn glared at her. "Oh, shut up," he said.
"But I didn't say a thing!" she cried, her eyes wide and innocent. Finn rolled his eyes.
"Look, let's just get out of here."
With a nod, Olivia crawled into the vent. Finn crawled inside the vent as well, making sure to secure the gate afterwards. As they started moving, Finn noticed his surroundings. Relief surged in his eyes since it was far darker in here as opposed to the blinding lights in the corridors. Nevertheless, a golden light blinked on in front of Olivia, who had turned on her flashlight. It was also far warmer, which made Finn sweat a little in his jacket.
"So," he ventured, "how exaclty are we going to get to the fourth floor? And who's this friend of yours, anyway?"
"There's a hatchet a few yards down that will let us slide down, and we'll land safe and sound in a laundry cart. As for my friend, his name is Glen Lewis, and he's on the board of the Ministry of Love... Oh, I didn't tell you about the Ministry of Love! Well, it basically concerns itself with hate."
Finn raised an eyebrow. "Interesting."
"Indeed it is!" Olivia agreed, oblivious to Finn's sarcasm. "B.B. itself, is, actually, quite interesting. Scary, of course, but interesting as well. It's one of a kind."
"Yeah. That's for sure," Finn said, thinking about the crime organization to which he himself belonged. Things certainly weren't the way they used to be. He wondered when things would ever be that way again, if their adventures in the world of the supernatural would ever end. Truth be told, it was obvious that none of them had any talent nor desire in dealing with demons and magic and the likes. Leave that field to Chan's Uncle.
Suddenly they came to a stop. The tunnel ended, the only thing ahead of them being a gate, which lead to God knows what other catastophies. Finn watched as Olivia fished out her remote from her overalls, pointed at the gate ahead, and clicked. She then pushed open the gate with one hand; after a brief struggle, the gate fell, and they heard it crash onto the ground with a rattle. Very much aware of his relief at the prospect of the ground being relatively close, Finn let out a soft sigh. At least they weren't going to plummet into a bottomless pit. Again.
"I have an idea," Olivia said, her voice trembling slightly. "Grab hold of my ankles. I'm going to try and climb down like that. I'll tell you when."
And at Finn's approval, she crawled a little farther till the upper part of her body was outside of the vent.
"Now!"
Finn grabbed her ankles, his own body supported by his forearms. He inched farther with his forearms until Olivia's ankles were outside the vent. Looking out, he saw that, apparently, the vent was only as tall as Olivia's body. That was a relief for Finn, as thought about how he would get down. He was taller than Olivia, so the fall couldn't be that bad. The fall. Jesus, did he *look* like...like--oh, what was the name of that Chinese Kung Fu superstar who was said to perform his own stunts...?
"Okay, you can let me go now!" Olivia's voice brought him back to earth, and he promptly released her. She fell with a grunt. "Owww..."
"Now you know how it feels," Finn remarked, recalling the feel of her knees budging into his groin. He winced inwardly.
Once Olivia had gotten to her feet, Finn climbed halfway out of the vent. Feeling Olivia's grip on his sides, Finn slid downwith ease. His companion's grip was strong, but her arms were shaking, unaccustomed to his weight. Finally his arms met the ground, and Olivia turned his legs sideways. They crashed to the ground, despite her help. However, it didn't hurt Finn very badly, and he was on his feet in the blink of an eye.
Briefly he acknowledged his surroundings: a narrow staircase. The walls, floor, and ceiling were painted pure white, making it extremely bright, and the white light on each floor didn't help either.
"Ugh," he moaned. "How do you people stand all this brightness?"
Olivia blinked. "What brightness?"
"Never mind." He rubbed his eyes a few times. Suddenly, something dawned on him, and he immediately took out his gun. "We better get the hell out of here," he told her, "before some unexpected visitors come popping out of nowhere."
But Olivia was looking at the stairs winding upward, and Finn heard hurried footsteps coming down. "Too late," she murmured.
"Get out of the way!" Finn cried, but Olivia was apparently frozen with fear. However, she stepped backward and was up against the wall when a huge-muscled man, clad in the essential B.B. uniform, came forward. He raised his hand, obviously about to strike her---
Olivia screamed---
--and a shot rang out.
The Big Brother enforcer fell to the floor at Finn's feet. A puddle of blood formed around his body.
Horrified, Olivia took a step forward and poked the body with her foot. She jumped back immediately. Then she looked at Finn, who was pulling his arm down to his side, the gun still in his hand.
"You killed him, you know," she said quietly.
Having worked for the Dark Hand for almost ten years, guilt merely tapped over Finn's heart at the prospect of killing. Occasionally - such as now, since Olivia pointed out his evil deed - he wondered what it would feel like to get shot, though in all honesty he wasn't very curious. Fortunately for him, he somehow always managed to escape the bullet just in time. He bragged to his fellow employees that it was a gift.
So now, Finn merely shrugged his shoulders. "Let's get out of here."
Reluctantly, Olivia followed him down; Finn stopped one step above the fourth level, not willing to reveal himself behind this door, which had a window. Olivia crept ahead of him. She pulled open the door ever so slightly, and pointed her remote briefly. She signalled that the coast was clear, and, at her lead, they ventured into the fourth floor.
Finn observed that it was the same as all the other floors: narrow and bright. They turned left, where there were two doors on either side of the wall, and a third sited on the wall vertical to them.
"Where do we go?" Finn asked.
They then heard the clank of stiff, slow footsteps, and exchanged worried looks.
"Straight," she whispered, and headed in that direction. Clicking her remote, she easily unlocked the door, and they hurried inside. They sighed, and leaned against the door.
Apparently, they were hiding inside an office - and a *charming* little office, at that! Four grasscloth walls surrounded them and two desks on each side of the room. The desks themselves were made of cedar wood, and they were topped with brand new computers. With them, apparently, came one comfortable-looking swinging chair each. Finn looked down: the carpet was dark red, with an almost purple tint to it. Finn had no idea that some people in Big Brother were accustomed to what appeared to be the closest thing to beauty, given the organisation's fondness of poverty.
Olivia wandered over to right-hand wall. A heavy black door was sited there, and it was slightly open. Silently, Finn crept over to her.
"The Ministry of Love," she informed him. "They're having a meeting."
Finn nodded, and listened to their dim voices carefully:
"...tonight?" asked one voice, which Finn imagined belonged to an old man.
"Yes...tonight...we'll blow the...to pieces..." This came from a strong, authoritive male voice. Finn felt his stomach turn; he was almost sure that the owner of the voice was none other than the legendary O'Brien. "Thorne should have minded his own business."
"Thorne!" Finn whispered to himself. He felt his heart pounding. Not...*Rupert* Thorne?
"Indeed."
"And the two prisoners?" said O'Brien.
"Under control," another voice replied. "...here, in the Ministry of Love...couldn't...information out of them.... now waiting..."
"The two prisoners"? No doubt they were referring to Chow and Ratso. Finn almost felt sick--what were they *doing* to his friends? He hoped they were together, keeping each other calm. Ratso was almost always cheerful anyway...almost. Finn doubted he was now.
The door through which they had entered was now unlocking. Finn and Olivia glanced at each other in alarm; then Olivia, who knew this hideout far better than Finn, raced passed him to another door. Finn followed; they shut this door just as the other one opened. Olivia pulled a cord that lit the lightbulb above them, and Finn discoverd that they were in a storage closet.
However, the door was open slightly, so that the two outsiders could listen to what was going on:
"Sir...an enforcer, dead,...the stairs..."
Olivia shut the door completely. A moment later, they could hear a bunch of footsteps shuffling out. The sound faded, and they let out a sigh of relief.
"Okay," Finn said, clapping his hands. Then he ran his fingers through his hair. "Okay, we need a plan. Do you think we can find Chow and Ratso easily enough?"
"Certainly," Olivia said casually.
"Great!" he clapped his hands again. "First, we'll find them."
Olivia nodded. "Sounds good."
"Olivia," he started, one hand running through his messy hair; the gell was coming off. "Were they talking about...Rupert Thorne?"
"They were."
"Oh no," Finn muttered. "Valmont's there." He looked up at Olivia, who had an eyebrow raised. "We have to follow them--I have to get to Valmont."
"But Chan--"
"You go find him," Finn resolved. "It's probably best, anyway. I mean, Chan wouldn't trust me, they all *know* I'm their enemy. But they don't know you--they might listen to you."
Slowly, Olivia nodded. The light bulb wavered for a moment. They were silent.
Finally, Olivia looked back up at him. "Did you *have* to kill that man?"
Finn rolled his eyes. "Are you *still* upset about that?"
"Of course I am! It's not every day I see a man just outright shoot someone!"
"Would you have preferred me to slit his throat?" Finn returned. Olivia only glared at him. Finn sighed. "He was about to *attack* you! I had to do something."
"But *kill* him?"
With an irritated sigh, Finn shrugged. "What do you want? Have you forgotten that I'm a criminal? Did you think I had this gun by accident? It's a rough game out there. These things happen."
"I'm certain they do," Olivia muttered, folding her arms.
Another spell of silence passed before Finn grunted in frustration.
"Look," he said, "we're just wasting time. Let's find Chow and Ratso!"
And with that, Finn kicked the door open, and they set off.
Yeah. I know I disappointed you all. And I'm really sorry. Please understand, though, that I am in a brand new school with a ton of homework, and I haven't really had time to do anything, let alone write. Once I get organized -- then expect more updates. As for the next chapter, I'll try to write it soon, since this is vacation. After that...expect another long wait. Also, please understand that I have NO intention of NOT finishing this fic. I may hit my dry spots, but on the whole I am totally in love with this fic. I don't care how long it takes me -- I'm going to finish it. I've got too many ideas for the ending. Once again, I am indeed very sorry.
Zeitgeist- Interesting idea you have. I was aware that chapter 12 is very different, but I never actually thought that it would disrupt the flow of the story itself. It was my favorite chapter for this reason--it was more freestyle, whereas the other chapters are more under control. But now I'm starting to look at it differently, and I honestly don't know what to make of it. On one hand, I totally understand how this disrupted the flow. On the other, it *was* a dream, and dreams tend to be more freestyle than controlled; if you notice, towards the end, when I switch back to reality, the writing becomes more of my usual style. So honestly, I don't know what to think. I'll consider this more for future reference. At any rate, thank you for your CC - I hope you continue, because this is part of what will make me a better writer. :) And just so you know, I am always going for a professional feel, no matter what I write, for the readers' benefit and for my own.
Oh yeah, just so you guys know, I was in a rush to get this chapter out; therefore it is UNEDITED AND MAY CONTAIN MANY GRAMMATICAL ERRORS AND AWKWARD SENETENCES.
Now...these notes are way too long. Here's the actual story.
THE DEMON WITHIN Chapter Thirteen: The Killing Joke
Days seemed to pass. With every step an unnerving pain stung at the bottom of their feet; and it hurt more than it normally would have, for they had to be careful that they did not slip on the mud. Clinging to each other as they ploughed through the slush, Finn and Olivia wished for the easy grass they had only just lost an hour ago. Finn also wished that the mud was gone because he hated to get his white leather shoes dirty. God, Valmont had *better* replace them when he got back--
A sudden dull ache in his heart made him abort this thought. Valmont. He wondered where Valmont was right now, how he was doing. Probably the same as usual: there wasn't anything exactly thrilling in being possessed by a demon, and Finn guessed from his boss's usual defeated look (which was positively frightening in itself) that the general experience was complete and unalienable misery.
Misery? Finn backtracked in his thinking. Actually, when was Valmont *not* miserable? Years ago, before Valmont had even encountered Shendu-- Valmont had been miserable then, too. His manner showed it. He was always very quiet, considering things in his mind, his expression unreadable. It always made everyone else silent, too, and the atmosphere around him was tense and beckoning. Then Valmont would say something--either an order or an indignant remark that had no significance to the situation at hand--and his voice would be very low and apathetic. His goal seemed to be to become as detached and in control as possible; yet every now and then he went off into a tantrum--even if it was only because of something so small a problem- -taking anyone who witnessed this by surprise. His breaths would be ragged, his hands balled into fists, his eyes squeezed shut as if he might cry. He never did, though, or at least not in front of anyone: "Go," and Finn would leave, shutting the door behind him. Always.
This had happened more and more when Shendu came into the picture. Valmont still had that cold carelessness about him that made him appear to be on top of everything and everyone, but he'd also become far more demanding, and almost everyday he'd have to raise his voice against someone.
Yet he'd never actually broken down. That wasn't Valmont's style.
"Ah! Here we are."
Suddenly Finn was brought back to earth. He became aware that they were no longer trailing through mud, had just stepped on concrete. Everything was still dark, save for Olivia's flashlight, which treaded across the green goo-covered walls (Finn gulped).
"What are you looking for?" he asked.
"It's...this!" Olivia gave a triumphant cry as the light shone on a single red button. She reached out and pushed it.
Some sort of mechanical sound moaned through the rust and dust of the device. It stopped soon, and then Finn heard the squeks and groans of something opening--doors. An elevator, obviously. The light raced over its interior, and Finn could barely make out the black-painted walls, the metal railings complete with various fingerprints, the gum-infested floor. Five squeaking rats suddenly burst forth; they ran past Finn and Olivia, who, after screaming, were now holding onto each other for dear life.
"Oh my god," Finn said loudly, shaking a little. "I am NOT goin' in there- -!"
Also shaking, Olivia slowly separated herself from Finn. She gave him a weak smile. "Don't worry. They don't--er--bite."
Finn bit his lip, jamming his hands into his pockets. Olivia was already cautiously boarding the wretched elevator. There wasn't much else to do. So after being assured that there were no more rats, Finn followed.
Both were suddenly terribly frightened as the doors closed and everything was swathed in blackness.
And their fear only increased as the doors slammed shut, and the elevator made its slow ascend.
They were holding each other again. Finn felt her gasps on his chest, and he knew she was geniunly afraid. Then a horrid thought came to him; he prayed to whatever god in earshot that it wasn't so.
"Olivia," he said, his voice amazingly steady, "where are we going?"
And the answer came quietly: "I don't know." A pause. "Finn, I didn't push any button, it went on its own---"
"Give me your flashlight."
Olivia quickly handed it to him and Finn, after fumbling to get it upright, flashed the light on the ceiling. A camera was set in a corner. "I forgot about that one," Olivia admitted quietly.
As for the ceiling itself, that was painted black too, but Finn could dimly see the outline of the hatchet. "Don't let me fall," he said, and after holding the flashlight between his teeth he leaped with one foot on the railing, his hands pushing up against the hatchet. It opened easily enough, but at the same time he felt himself falling; he caught onto the edges as Olivia held him up by his back and legs. He scrambling upwards, the movement of the elevator making him dizzy, and soon he was lying on the roof. He looked down at Olivia. "Do what I did," he called to her.
She nodded in affirmation and leaped, and quickly Finn grabbed her arms. He pulled her up into his arms and closed the hatchet. The elevator seemed to be going a little faster...
Finn was startled at Olivia's sudden gasp. "They know!" she cried. "They saw with the camera. The elevator will go faster and faster..."
"...and crush us at the top!" Finn finished, horrified.
"We've got to get out of here!" Olivia looked around; but her surroudings were starting to get blurry as the speed of the elevator increased.
Finn grasped the smooth surface of the elevator, and groped his way to the edges of the hatch, which he latched onto for dear life. "Yeah, but how?" he called back.
She didn't have time to reply; the elevator was picking up more speed, and she grasped the nearest thing to her, which happened to be Finn. One arm was tucked under his stomach, and her hand curled onto his back, her fingers gripping his jacket. With her other hand she reached for her pocket. Soon she had her remote out, and rolling on her back, she ordered Finn, "Hold out the flashlight!"
Slowly he turned over slightly and, now holding the flashlight with his hand, shone it on Olivia. She held the remote to it and began to press a series of buttons.
Something was happening. Finn looked around frantically as best he could in the position he was in. Were they moving more...slowly?
Olivia chuckled softly. "Yes! Do I know this thing or what?" she said, admiring her remote.
"Did your uncle or whatever give that to you?" Finn asked as they came to a stop.
She frowned, suddenly, looking at him indignantly. "Grandfather. And yes, he did."
"Okay. Whatever."
Suddenly she took the flashlight from him and, holding it to the remote yet again, pressed more buttons. An indignant creaking sounded loudly just above them; Finn looked up to see one of the doors sliding open, white light shining through.
"We don't have much time; soon they'll know what I did," Olivia said, handing him the flashlight. She looked up to the open door; it wasn't at all high, just a little over her head. "Give me a boost," she said.
With a brief nod, Finn lifted her up onto the floor. It wasn't hard for him to get up there; popping the flashlight between his teeth again, he leaped onto the crude rope that was attached to the elevator, and then jumped onto the floor. His arms caught the edges, and with Olivia holding onto him he hoisted himself up.
He wanted to take a breather for a moment, but Olivia reminded him with a nudge that there was no time. "Come on!" she cried. "They'll be here..."
Reluctantly, but also quickly, he got to his feet. He took in his surroundings: the ceiling was nothing but hot, white lights, the walls were gray, and the floor was checkered with black and white tiles. The corridor stretched not ten feet, where it made a sharp turn to the left.
"We're on the fifth floor; we need to get to the fourth. I have a friend who might be willing to help us," said Olivia, and knelt down near the left wall, where a vent was sited. Grunting the effort, she pulled at the gate, and Finn automatically went to help her. Together they finally pulled it off, and Finn fell back on the floor with the effort.
His teeth were gritted in pain: "Ow."
Olivia put a hand over her mouth to hold back laughter. Finn glared at her. "Oh, shut up," he said.
"But I didn't say a thing!" she cried, her eyes wide and innocent. Finn rolled his eyes.
"Look, let's just get out of here."
With a nod, Olivia crawled into the vent. Finn crawled inside the vent as well, making sure to secure the gate afterwards. As they started moving, Finn noticed his surroundings. Relief surged in his eyes since it was far darker in here as opposed to the blinding lights in the corridors. Nevertheless, a golden light blinked on in front of Olivia, who had turned on her flashlight. It was also far warmer, which made Finn sweat a little in his jacket.
"So," he ventured, "how exaclty are we going to get to the fourth floor? And who's this friend of yours, anyway?"
"There's a hatchet a few yards down that will let us slide down, and we'll land safe and sound in a laundry cart. As for my friend, his name is Glen Lewis, and he's on the board of the Ministry of Love... Oh, I didn't tell you about the Ministry of Love! Well, it basically concerns itself with hate."
Finn raised an eyebrow. "Interesting."
"Indeed it is!" Olivia agreed, oblivious to Finn's sarcasm. "B.B. itself, is, actually, quite interesting. Scary, of course, but interesting as well. It's one of a kind."
"Yeah. That's for sure," Finn said, thinking about the crime organization to which he himself belonged. Things certainly weren't the way they used to be. He wondered when things would ever be that way again, if their adventures in the world of the supernatural would ever end. Truth be told, it was obvious that none of them had any talent nor desire in dealing with demons and magic and the likes. Leave that field to Chan's Uncle.
Suddenly they came to a stop. The tunnel ended, the only thing ahead of them being a gate, which lead to God knows what other catastophies. Finn watched as Olivia fished out her remote from her overalls, pointed at the gate ahead, and clicked. She then pushed open the gate with one hand; after a brief struggle, the gate fell, and they heard it crash onto the ground with a rattle. Very much aware of his relief at the prospect of the ground being relatively close, Finn let out a soft sigh. At least they weren't going to plummet into a bottomless pit. Again.
"I have an idea," Olivia said, her voice trembling slightly. "Grab hold of my ankles. I'm going to try and climb down like that. I'll tell you when."
And at Finn's approval, she crawled a little farther till the upper part of her body was outside of the vent.
"Now!"
Finn grabbed her ankles, his own body supported by his forearms. He inched farther with his forearms until Olivia's ankles were outside the vent. Looking out, he saw that, apparently, the vent was only as tall as Olivia's body. That was a relief for Finn, as thought about how he would get down. He was taller than Olivia, so the fall couldn't be that bad. The fall. Jesus, did he *look* like...like--oh, what was the name of that Chinese Kung Fu superstar who was said to perform his own stunts...?
"Okay, you can let me go now!" Olivia's voice brought him back to earth, and he promptly released her. She fell with a grunt. "Owww..."
"Now you know how it feels," Finn remarked, recalling the feel of her knees budging into his groin. He winced inwardly.
Once Olivia had gotten to her feet, Finn climbed halfway out of the vent. Feeling Olivia's grip on his sides, Finn slid downwith ease. His companion's grip was strong, but her arms were shaking, unaccustomed to his weight. Finally his arms met the ground, and Olivia turned his legs sideways. They crashed to the ground, despite her help. However, it didn't hurt Finn very badly, and he was on his feet in the blink of an eye.
Briefly he acknowledged his surroundings: a narrow staircase. The walls, floor, and ceiling were painted pure white, making it extremely bright, and the white light on each floor didn't help either.
"Ugh," he moaned. "How do you people stand all this brightness?"
Olivia blinked. "What brightness?"
"Never mind." He rubbed his eyes a few times. Suddenly, something dawned on him, and he immediately took out his gun. "We better get the hell out of here," he told her, "before some unexpected visitors come popping out of nowhere."
But Olivia was looking at the stairs winding upward, and Finn heard hurried footsteps coming down. "Too late," she murmured.
"Get out of the way!" Finn cried, but Olivia was apparently frozen with fear. However, she stepped backward and was up against the wall when a huge-muscled man, clad in the essential B.B. uniform, came forward. He raised his hand, obviously about to strike her---
Olivia screamed---
--and a shot rang out.
The Big Brother enforcer fell to the floor at Finn's feet. A puddle of blood formed around his body.
Horrified, Olivia took a step forward and poked the body with her foot. She jumped back immediately. Then she looked at Finn, who was pulling his arm down to his side, the gun still in his hand.
"You killed him, you know," she said quietly.
Having worked for the Dark Hand for almost ten years, guilt merely tapped over Finn's heart at the prospect of killing. Occasionally - such as now, since Olivia pointed out his evil deed - he wondered what it would feel like to get shot, though in all honesty he wasn't very curious. Fortunately for him, he somehow always managed to escape the bullet just in time. He bragged to his fellow employees that it was a gift.
So now, Finn merely shrugged his shoulders. "Let's get out of here."
Reluctantly, Olivia followed him down; Finn stopped one step above the fourth level, not willing to reveal himself behind this door, which had a window. Olivia crept ahead of him. She pulled open the door ever so slightly, and pointed her remote briefly. She signalled that the coast was clear, and, at her lead, they ventured into the fourth floor.
Finn observed that it was the same as all the other floors: narrow and bright. They turned left, where there were two doors on either side of the wall, and a third sited on the wall vertical to them.
"Where do we go?" Finn asked.
They then heard the clank of stiff, slow footsteps, and exchanged worried looks.
"Straight," she whispered, and headed in that direction. Clicking her remote, she easily unlocked the door, and they hurried inside. They sighed, and leaned against the door.
Apparently, they were hiding inside an office - and a *charming* little office, at that! Four grasscloth walls surrounded them and two desks on each side of the room. The desks themselves were made of cedar wood, and they were topped with brand new computers. With them, apparently, came one comfortable-looking swinging chair each. Finn looked down: the carpet was dark red, with an almost purple tint to it. Finn had no idea that some people in Big Brother were accustomed to what appeared to be the closest thing to beauty, given the organisation's fondness of poverty.
Olivia wandered over to right-hand wall. A heavy black door was sited there, and it was slightly open. Silently, Finn crept over to her.
"The Ministry of Love," she informed him. "They're having a meeting."
Finn nodded, and listened to their dim voices carefully:
"...tonight?" asked one voice, which Finn imagined belonged to an old man.
"Yes...tonight...we'll blow the...to pieces..." This came from a strong, authoritive male voice. Finn felt his stomach turn; he was almost sure that the owner of the voice was none other than the legendary O'Brien. "Thorne should have minded his own business."
"Thorne!" Finn whispered to himself. He felt his heart pounding. Not...*Rupert* Thorne?
"Indeed."
"And the two prisoners?" said O'Brien.
"Under control," another voice replied. "...here, in the Ministry of Love...couldn't...information out of them.... now waiting..."
"The two prisoners"? No doubt they were referring to Chow and Ratso. Finn almost felt sick--what were they *doing* to his friends? He hoped they were together, keeping each other calm. Ratso was almost always cheerful anyway...almost. Finn doubted he was now.
The door through which they had entered was now unlocking. Finn and Olivia glanced at each other in alarm; then Olivia, who knew this hideout far better than Finn, raced passed him to another door. Finn followed; they shut this door just as the other one opened. Olivia pulled a cord that lit the lightbulb above them, and Finn discoverd that they were in a storage closet.
However, the door was open slightly, so that the two outsiders could listen to what was going on:
"Sir...an enforcer, dead,...the stairs..."
Olivia shut the door completely. A moment later, they could hear a bunch of footsteps shuffling out. The sound faded, and they let out a sigh of relief.
"Okay," Finn said, clapping his hands. Then he ran his fingers through his hair. "Okay, we need a plan. Do you think we can find Chow and Ratso easily enough?"
"Certainly," Olivia said casually.
"Great!" he clapped his hands again. "First, we'll find them."
Olivia nodded. "Sounds good."
"Olivia," he started, one hand running through his messy hair; the gell was coming off. "Were they talking about...Rupert Thorne?"
"They were."
"Oh no," Finn muttered. "Valmont's there." He looked up at Olivia, who had an eyebrow raised. "We have to follow them--I have to get to Valmont."
"But Chan--"
"You go find him," Finn resolved. "It's probably best, anyway. I mean, Chan wouldn't trust me, they all *know* I'm their enemy. But they don't know you--they might listen to you."
Slowly, Olivia nodded. The light bulb wavered for a moment. They were silent.
Finally, Olivia looked back up at him. "Did you *have* to kill that man?"
Finn rolled his eyes. "Are you *still* upset about that?"
"Of course I am! It's not every day I see a man just outright shoot someone!"
"Would you have preferred me to slit his throat?" Finn returned. Olivia only glared at him. Finn sighed. "He was about to *attack* you! I had to do something."
"But *kill* him?"
With an irritated sigh, Finn shrugged. "What do you want? Have you forgotten that I'm a criminal? Did you think I had this gun by accident? It's a rough game out there. These things happen."
"I'm certain they do," Olivia muttered, folding her arms.
Another spell of silence passed before Finn grunted in frustration.
"Look," he said, "we're just wasting time. Let's find Chow and Ratso!"
And with that, Finn kicked the door open, and they set off.