by: iluvaqt@hotmail.com
QT's notes: I'm still here, at least I think. :P Nobody reminded me about this fic. I've got too many WIPs to keep up with, not to mention that elusive Cable Hack Episode 1.01 that's still in Ep Outline stage. I hope there's someone still interested in this...
Part 10: Blood Ties
Sam approached the main facility entrance. She'd driven furiously in attempt to beat time, taking out three checkpoints gates along the way, she was amazed at the battering the old Chev had withstood. Pushing 100 miles per hour, she'd made it back in under 15 minutes.
It didn't take a genius to know why Renfro had called, or why she was desperately needed back at the base. Over the Director's voice, she'd heard the sound of burning in the background, the screams barely audible to a human ear, ringing loud and clear in hers. She'd made a pact - only one - that severed all other ties, all other alliances and transcended all duty. She would always protect her family.
Desperate and hopeful, she carelessly threw open all barricades in her way, the roof had already begun to cave in and flames licked the walls. The heat and stench of burning flesh scorched her nostrils. Keeping as low as possible, she continued running towards the barracks.
Max followed the girl, she watched as the woman kicked open the chained door and run straight into the burning building. Tearing her shirt and wetting it at the drinking fountains, she tied the wet rag over her nose and mouth, and she charged in after her.
Sam reached the end of the hall and tried kicking in the door. X6s were frantically banging on the other side. She kicked again, but the metal door wouldn't budge. Looking around there wasn't anything she could use to force it open. She gave them a desperate look before remembering the real reason she'd come back. She had to find Will.
After the escape of '09, all the X5s had been hauled into PSYOPs for evaluation. They feared the clones of Deck's X5-series the most. For a long time, they were separated, placed into different units temporarily until the Director was sure that they wouldn't try to band together to escape. That took 9 long, torturous months to achieve. It wasn't just the re-indoctrination that had been bad, but - the isolation - the disconnection from the others. It hadn't been the same when they were reunited. There were blank looks, no sign of recognition. Only one person shared the same memories as she did. Will. He was strong, a great leader. They'd never break his spirit. But then they didn't have to - in the end - Fate did.
Passing the main atrium, Max realized she'd lost her. Not knowing what the girl was looking for, she had no idea which direction she would have taken. She was about to go left when she heard a soft groan come from the passage to her far right. Hurrying, she found that the roof had caved in, and partly buried under splintered beams and plaster was a man.
"Sam?" Croan queried. He blinked, trying to clear the fog from his eyes. She looked different, something about her eyes spoke more compassion and curiosity that had never been there before.
Max didn't reply, she looked up it the gaping hole above them, the night sky was just showing through. There was a deep rumble and harsh cracking sound. More of the building must have collapsed, she thought as the floor shook and the walls trembled. "If I don't move you now, you might never get out of here. If I lift it, can you crawl out?" His leg was firmly pinned beneath a solid long beam. She was taking a risk thinking she'd be able to hold it, let alone lift it but considering the circumstances they didn't have a lot of time to speculate about other options.
"It's bad, Sam. Just go, you won't make it trying to lug me outta here. If Renfro finds you, you're dead. Get out of here."
"Why are you protecting us?" Max asked. Obviously he was Manticore, but he was treating Sam - who must be her twin – as though she was a colleague or a friend. Not a pawn.
He reached into his breast pocket and pulled something out. Reached toward her with his uninjured arm, he held out the small metal case. "Give this to Colonel Lydecker. You can contact him through D.C.'s Op contact, Borgs. Now get out of here."
Max gave him one last look before running back the way she came. If she didn't find her twin soon, they both wouldn't get out of Manticore alive. Until she found out whether her twin was working for the right side, she had no intention of passing on the contents of the case to Lydecker.
Zack didn't follow Max, he went around to the side of the building that wasn't yet ablaze and on the verge of collapse. There was no risk of the walls caving, yet. He was more concerned over the roof. Making his way towards the fire escape, he ran up the stairs two at a time. He had to get to the twin before Max did. He wanted the truth.
Sam reached the infirmary and luckily the door was partly open. A beam had fallen against it and pushed it open, just enough for someone to climb and squeeze through. Most of the doors in the building were electronically controlled with magnetic locks. Once the power got cut, it was almost impossible to get a door open, unless you blasted it off its hinges.
She tried all the doors in the room, but they were all firmly sealed shut. Last she'd heard was that Will was being kept in isolation in one of the infirmary's adjoining rooms. She was about to start looking for something she could use as a battering ram, when she noticed that a viewing window's shield was slightly parted. The power cut must have shorted some of the control circuits. Pushing the shield apart, she looked into the room behind the viewing glass. It was empty, with the exception of a few monitors and a tiny bunk. Thinking it was just another room and she'd never find Will, she sagged against the wall in despair. Then she saw it, the little silver plastic star lying just beside the tussled blanket.
Someone had moved him, why and where? She given him that star the last time she'd seen him. And that had been just before they'd taken him away. Will had always had seizures worse than any of the others in their unit. She knew the Major had tried to hide it from the Director at first, but it got so bad that Will had collapsed in the middle of a escape and evade exercise. She'd carried him into deep cover and waited. She'd been completely torn in two. There was no way she could abandon the mission. The objective was to capture their target flag and escape to the designated checkpoint. If the team got caught, or the flag was lost, it was game over. She'd waited until it had started to grow dark. They had until dawn to reach their checkpoint. The cover of darkness had been their advantage. It had taken many stops and a few close calls, but they'd made it to the checkpoint. By that time, Will had been barely conscious. Later that morning, TAC soldiers had taken Will away.
Afraid of what might've happened to him, Sam had crept out of the barracks that night in search of him. She'd seen him on that shiny table, so still. Hiding in the shadows she'd overheard the doctors talking.
"Nothing better than solid piece of muscle. Brain's scrambled better than my morning breakfast."
"The serotonin levels are way down. It's a wonder he's still alive."
"Even though he's not responding, we won't know how bad the damage is till we get the PSYOPs evaluation."
She'd been there the day that Major Croan had read the report. Will was nothing more than a breathing database. She knew that even though they were worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, they were all expendable. It's why they had been designed. Thinking quickly, she gave her commanding officer a very good reason to keep Will alive. Just because he was reclusive, unresponsive and agitated, didn't mean that he was brain dead. What if he was an autistic savant? He'd suffered brain extensive brain trauma, but before that he'd been an extremely gifted assassin and one of the top of the X5 series. Working overseas in Russia as a spy, she'd studied a man's research on a correcting autism through genetic manipulation. But she knew suggesting genetic correction would be sealing Will's termination. They weren't about to spend more money on a defective prototype when it was easier just to whip up another. Her theory had been enough to convince the Director to keep Will alive.
Now as she looked into his tiny empty cell, she wondered if it would've been better to keep her mouth shut. When the vials and jars started exploding behind her, she knew it was time to get out fast. The heat was causing the chemicals to ignite. She'd be no good to Will if she burned alive. He was still here - she could feel him - she just had to find him.
She climbed out of the infirmary and over the rubble that littered the hall. Sam was about to turn around when a voice gave her a commanding order.
"Don't move!"
Sam stood dead still. He was back. And from the sounds of it, he wasn't too happy. Too her left she heard boot steps approaching and before they could round the corner, she reached for the rifle nose and grabbed the TAC solider. The movements were all lightening fast and before anyone knew it, she had a human shield. "Get back."
Zack wasn't fazed in the slightest, nor did he budge. "You think I care if you shoot him? You think I care if I have to kill him first?"
Tightening her grip on the man's throat, she hissed at him. "Where is he? And don't ask who. You all know, the human prodigy, the one you keep locked up like a lab rat! Where is he?"
When the man struggled to answer, she pushed hard, bruising a pressure point at the base of his neck. "Where?"
"Bunk house, you'll never…"
His words were cut short when she threw him into Zack. Both men knocked off balance, she took her escape, scrambling over the smoldering debris and making for the exit.
