Chapter Five:

The Darkness Inside

Stone's voice called over the codec, "Jessica? Where in the fuck are you?"

I pressed my finger against my earpiece to make sure I could hear him clearly, and said, "In an elevator leaving the top floor; going to floor two. I've got a hostage."

"SHIT, SHIT, SHIT! DON'T GO THERE!" he screamed.

Every hair on my body stood on end, "Why not?"

"BECAUSE…!"

And then there was silence. In the background of his transmission I could hear loud grenade blasts and more gunfire. Stone then cursed about being shot before disconnecting. I immediately looked over at the young woman I had captured.

"What the hell are they going to do?" I asked firmly.

She looked at me in shock, her blue eyes widening.

"I… I don't know what you're talking about," she stammered.

I grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her, "YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!"

She started to sob, shaking her head no as hard as she could. I released her and started pacing the elevator. What was the facility planning on doing to combat my efforts?

The elevator chimed and the doors opened up. I grabbed the young woman and put my gun up under her jaw. We walked out of the elevator into a long steel hallway. I kept my captive close as we pressed on. We came to a perpendicular corridor. On the wall in front of me was a long window that stretched the length of the wall and around the corners. I looked down inside into a large hangar-type area. Inside were giant mechanized armor pieces; reminded me of Mechwarrior on the PC, although these were on a much smaller scale. Engineers and soldiers walked through the area, preparing them, carrying on maintenance, all under the watchful eye of Dr. Yaegar. She stood on a platform on the other side of the football-sized warehouse.

Dr. Yaegar looked more like a pediatrician than she did a scientist, but I could see the cold hard glare she held to the floor below. My captive whimpered. I flung around. A group of masked guards had accumulated behind us; all had their automatic weapons trained on me. I pulled the girl close in front of me and pressed my back against the wall. More came from either side of the hallway.

"GIVE IT UP, BANNON!" yelled the leader.

I remained silent.

"WE'RE NOT AFRAID TO KILL HER TO GET TO YOU!"

I raised my eyebrows. The girl gasped as they pressed forward a little.

I immediately pushed her away and dropped my gun. I wasn't about to risk an unnecessary life for my gain, other than what I already had. The young girl ran off to the right where she was escorted out by two of the masked guerillas. I held up my hands as two of them raised and stepped forward. I looked into both of their eyes: they widened. I was struck hard in the stomach and punched in the face. The final blow was an uppercut to the left side of my skull which slammed me back into the glass. I slid down to the floor as I lost my grasp on consciousness…

Stone's voice was calling me again.

But this time, it was different.

Instead of the cold, unforgiving chill that it used to be… it was mournful, anxious, and worried. I lied there in the darkness. I remember calling Jonny's name, then Daddy's, finally I just trailed off. My body ached, I knew that much. I don't know how much time elapsed before I finally snapped back to reality.

My eyes hurt, my nose was bleeding as well as my lower lip, and my overall body pain increased dramatically. The first thing I saw was the cold, poured concrete floor that I was sprawled out upon on my back. My codec had been relieved of me, as well as any object that could pose as a weapon. My suit was unzipped halfway, probably because they performed a cavity search while I was out cold.

Jonny's hand stroked my hair. I tried to push myself up to see him but I was too tired. I turned my head and looked up at him. Like me, he had seen better days.

"Hey Jess," he said softly.

I blinked a few times, "…Hey."

"They kicked your ass pretty hard after they took you in."

"Sons… of bitches," I said as I clutched my badly bruised stomach. "Where are we?"

"The holding cells inside the brig. Been here since yesterday."

"Yesterday…? Oh… midnight must've… passed."

"Yeah," Jonny said. "It's about three o'clock in the morning now. This place never sleeps, you know? I've seen tons of staff members and guys with guns wandering around here like another day at the office."

I nodded my head.

"Nice suit," Jonny said.

I managed to halfway smile, "Thanks."

"What happened to you after we got split up? Or does this suit explain it all?"

Jonny seemed to be hinting at something… the way he talked made it sound like he knew already. However, the boy is about as clear as mud on these occasions.

"It's a long story… I don't know if I'm allowed to tell you… yet. What about you…?"

Jonny knelt down and picked me up. He staggered a little bit; his face was a little bruised and I imagined that the rest of his frame was the same way. He laid me down onto the only cot in the room and took a seat beside me. I stroked his torn shirt and felt some scars on his arm.

Jonny took a breath, "Jess, they're making Dad finish up work on a weapon that scares me shitless."

I blinked, "What?"

"It's… nothing like we've ever seen before. It takes a piece of lead and fires it at such a high speed, that it can penetrate just about anything."

Rail gun.

"Remember the movie Eraser with 'ol Schwarzenegger?"

I nodded.

"Same idea. X-ray sighting and everything. To make matters worse, they're planning on mounting it to these armored walking battle tanks they mass produced. Jess, these people are going to play both sides of the field. They intend on starting a mass global war… World War III. Their reasoning is: with peace there are no profits. That's bad."

I rested my head on the beaten pillow, saying, "No shit…"

"They separated us all. Hadji and Dad were taken somewhere ultra-secure. Race is around here somewhere."

"We… need to escape," I whispered.

Jonny nodded, "I know, I know…"

He stroked my face.

"I was so worried about you," I said.

"Me too," Jonny replied.

"What happened when they took you here?"

"They kicked my ass pretty good in front of Dad. Said if he didn't cooperate, I would cease to exist. Dad succumbed to their desires. Then I was thrown in here."

I caressed his arm.

"What about you? What can you tell me about where you've been?"

I shook my head, "Not now… not now… I need to rest."

Jonny agreed, "Yeah, they beat you pretty bad. I believe one of them tried to get your clothes off, but this other guy wouldn't' let him. Don't know why, but I'm glad."

I smiled a little bit. Jonny smiles back.

He leaned down and kissed me gently on the lips.

"Get some sleep. As you've probably guessed, we're not going anywhere anytime soon."

I looked around the small holding cell: four cold walls and a windowed door. My body began preparing itself to drift off into the subconscious. I felt my eyelids getting heavier. Jonny leaned down and we kissed once more.

"I love you," I whispered softly.

"I love you to," he said.

And with that, I drifted off once again into my darkness.

And it was good.

Things were quiet.

Until I was forcefully awakened; a large set of hands were shaking me.

I shot awake and looked up into the face of a hulking research scientist. His identification badge said "H.W. CARPENTER." Carpenter was composed of sandy blonde short hair, intense green eyes, chiseled face, and a body of a brick wall. I immediately looked over and saw Jonny gagged; his wrists were bound when tight rope and was hanging from a giant hook in the ceiling. Next to him was another researcher, a little bit smaller than Carpenter but big enough to overpower any young woman. Namely: me. Before my eyes, my worst nightmare was coming true. Carpenter said, "Wakey, wakey, Princess."

"Fuck you!" I yelled.

He smacked me.

Carpenter turned to his cohort, "Get your ass over here Dwayne! Tie her to the bed."

McGee stepped over. His short black hair and pretty-boy features made it hard to believe that this guy had to resort to something like this in order to get laid. I tried kicking wildly but Carpenter weighed a fucking ton. McGee strapped my wrists to the legs of the bed frame below the mattress. Carpenter scooted back onto the tops of my legs. He reached inside and pulled out a small serum and hypodermic syringe.

My eyes widened, "What… what the hell are you going to do!"

"Relax, dear, just a muscle relaxer," Carpenter said coyly.

I started to curse wildly as McGee tore into the sleeve of my suit with a pair of cutting shears. He ripped off my right sleeve, exposing my arm. Carpenter grabbed it and felt for a vein. Inserting the needle, he flooded my bloodstream with the medication. Almost seconds later, I lost control to fight back. My breathing and heart rate slowed; I was now an easy fuck toy. Carpenter looked up at his friend, "What are you going to do to her first?"

McGee tilted his head to the side, "I think I'll shove my dick down her throat first."

I pleaded with my eyes.

Carpenter massaged my breast, saying, "Don't worry, sweetie. We've also got a treat lined up for your boyfriend over there."

Jonny fought to say something through the rag that was tied around his mouth.

I began to cry.

Both men took pleasure in seeing me helpless.

Bastards.

McGee took the shears and began to snip away at the rest of my suit. Carpenter continued to hold down my legs. My top was gently unzipped and peeled off, exposing half of me to them.

"Mmmm… I like this," McGee said.

He leaned down at began to run his tongue all over my breasts. It was sending chills down my spine, both of excitement and of fear. McGee took my left nipple in his mouth and began to suck wildly, almost like he was expecting something to come out. I could feel a bulge press into my side as he leaned sideways over me. This is just fucking peachy, I thought to myself.

"Take off her pants, Dwayne. I've got my Kodak with me," Carpenter said.

McGee ran his tongue down my stomach until he reached the waistband of my pants. Undoing the button, he pulled them off without a hitch. My boots had apparently been removed by Jonny, so now I was full-fledged nude. I made a vow – as pointless as it was – that I would kill these mother fuckers before I left this place, if ever. They threw what was left of my clothing in the corner. Then, both men removed theirs. Carpenter was ripped and hairy; McGee was not as muscular, per se, and he apparently enjoyed body waxing. McGee stepped up next to my head and grabbed my face, "Listen, you fucking slut, bite it: he dies. Understand?"

I quickly nodded.

He smacked me for no other reason than to show dominance.

"Open up," he commanded.

I barely opened my mouth and closed my eyes, squeezing what few little tears I could generate out to run down my face. McGee shoved his hard-as-a-rock-cock in my mouth, almost to the point where he could touch the back of my throat. He let out a groan; I remained silent. I looked over at Jonny who bowed his head and closed his eyes. McGee spoke, "Look up here!"

I slowly met his eyes. McGee went wild, thrusting faster and harder with each motion. Minutes seemed like hours; would it ever end? Or were we only just beginning?

"Ah… now I'm going to fuck the living daylights out of you," McGee said.

We were just beginning.

He spread my legs rubbed my cunt with his hand. I moistened not by choice, but by sheer reaction. I swallowed and hoped that this guy wouldn't take long. McGee slid his manhood into me; I let out a small reactive moan and tensed up my body. He leaned forward, pushing my legs up with his body. We were now officially missionary, the tried and true. I prayed to God he wouldn't cum inside me. But, knowing my luck…

McGee started out slow, but then proceeded to pound the hell out of my vagina. He got up close and shoved his tongue in my mouth as I continued to moan and sob simultaneously. All through this matter, I could hear the flash and shutter of Carpenter's digital camera; that and his goddamned praise and comments. McGee apparently tied his tubes in a knot that morning – this guy was going to take awhile. I don't know how much time elapsed – an eternity for all I know – before he started to moan. Here it comes, I thought to myself. I closed my eyes and waited for the moment of glory. To my surprise, McGee withdrew from me and sat on my chest once more. Oh no…

McGee stroked his cock wildly as he leaned forward towards my face.

"Open your fucking mouth," he commanded.

I did, and thick loads of cum sprayed forward. It got all over my cheek, lips, and then a major portion in my mouth. The warm, sticky semen rested on my tongue before I swallowed it. The salty aftertaste didn't help my dry mouth one bit. I slowly opened my eyes to McGee who wiped off his dick on my tits. He got off me and walked away towards Carpenter. My pussy dripped with my own cum; saliva did likewise out of my mouth.

"Now it's time for the boy," Carpenter said.

I blinked and looked over at Jonny.

His eyes were wider than a deer's in headlights.

They began to rip off his clothes, twist his nipples and grab his penis. He started to squirm and scream through the gag in his mouth. Carpenter grabbed Jonny's bare ass and spread his cheeks. I could see a savage grin on his face as he began to pound the hell out of Jonny's anus. I cringed as Jonny's muffled wails filled the room. Carpenter thrust hard one last time before removing himself. McGee punched Jonny hard in the stomach; Carpenter hit him one good time in the face. A large bruise began to form around Jonny's right eye; blood was running out both of his nostrils. Together, the two researchers laughed, patted each other on the back, gathered their clothes, and left the room. The heavy steel door slammed shut and the sound of a heavy bar went across it. I continued to weep as the feeling of hopelessness reinforced itself. I cried out on how much pain I was going to inflict upon Carpenter and McGee.

Tears were streaming down Jonny's face. I guess he felt the same way, too.

Together, we shared our pain in silence.

The stickiness of McGee's seed was starting to irritate me.

I tried licking the spots and then rubbing my face on the bed and on my arm. It did little good as I had expected. Jonny was either asleep or had given up. I heard a giant unlatching sound on the door; the heavy bar on the other side was being removed, albeit with a struggle. The steel door was slowly opened and in stepped the young woman I had taken hostage earlier on my romp through the facility. She took one look at Jonny and me and blushed. Turning her head away, she stuttered, "I… I'm sorry."

"It's okay," I managed to say. "Not like I've got much shame left."

Jonny lifted his head and looked at her, his eyes pleading for the obvious desire to be cut down and clothed. The young woman approached me first and began to undo my bounds.

"What's your name?" She asked quietly.

"Jessica," I replied.

"Oh… what about your friend over there?"

"That's Jonny."

She finished getting me unbound. I sat upright and put my legs over the edge of the bed. She set two small stacks of clothes next to me.

"For him and you," she said. "I tried to get the right size."

"That's okay," I reassured her. "We appreciate it."

She smiled and stepped back as I got dressed. Besides a pair of Hanes Her Way undergarments, a black tee shirt that said "I don't know if you're an absolute idiot or complete moron" and blue jeans composed my new uniform. Not exactly tactical, but it would have to do.

"What's your name?" I asked the woman.

"Oh… I'm Lisa," she said. "I don't know if it's good or bad to make your acquaintance."

I shook my head, "It's okay; I know how you feel. Let's get Jonny down."

Lisa produced a small pocket knife and began to saw away at the ropes that bound Jonny's wrists while I removed his gag. Jonny let out a sigh of relief and said, "I hurt…"

I kissed him gently, saying, "I know, sweetie, I know."

Lisa cut through the ropes. Jonny fell to the floor and crashed to his knees. I knelt down beside him as he tried to regain himself. Lisa stepped back and turned around, obviously embarrassed. I helped Jonny up as he got dressed. Lisa had supplied him with a dark green flannel shirt and blue jeans. As Jonny finished buttoning up his shirt, I asked her, "Lisa, how did you know we were down here?"

"A man named Stone handed me those clothes and brought me down here," she said.

"What?" I looked at her in astonishment. "Is he still down here!"

Lisa shook her head, "No… he said something about checking on the others."

"And he failed miserably," a new voice said.

Lisa's eyes widened as far as they would go; Jonny and I looked up into the presence of Dr. Elena Yaegar. On either side were two guards in dark colored suits. The elite squad, I assumed. Dr. Yaegar stepped aside and revealed Stone on his knees, coughing and clutching his shoulder. She grabbed him by what little gray hair he had and threw him forward. Stone landed face first in front of us; a bullet had torn through his shoulder and grazed his abdomen. I dropped to my knees beside him and turned him over. Stone looked up at me with those turquoise eyes, now darker than ever; his weathered face was sullen and a little bloody. I looked back up at Dr. Yaegar. Her pitch-black raven hair and piercing green eyes shot straight through me. She walked over to Lisa who turned around sheepishly and looked up at her employer. Dr. Yaegar slapped Lisa with all the force she could muster. Lisa's glasses flew off her face while she flew into the wall. She slid down to the floor and fell backwards.

Dr. Yaegar turned to me, "Get up."

I stood up, leaving Stone in the care of Jonny.

"Come with me."

I followed Dr. Yaegar out of the door. Jonny stared on while the guards stayed behind.

We walked through the hallways and through a set of heavy doors into another warehouse area. A large clearing was in the center surrounded by palettes of boxes and equipment wrapped in plastic. A catwalk was suspended overhead in which workers and foremen traveled to and from as they did on the floor. I wondered why Dr. Yaegar led me to this place. Then I saw him.

I screamed, "DAD!"

Daddy was being restrained by four hulking guys in suits. Merchant and Gray stood nearby wielding Springfield Armory SMGs. Daddy looked a little beaten; his tank-top was torn and his jeans had blood stains on them. He looked up at me and yelled, "Ponchita…!"

I turned to Dr. Yaegar, who kept a solemn expression.

"We're going to see how good the soldier gene is," she said.

I gasped, "What the hell do you mean?"

Out of the corner of her mouth, Dr. Yaegar smiled.

"We're going to see which one of you is superior. We're doing the armed forces a favor, you see. The data we collect will be used to help program our walking battle droids you looked at from afar. Soon, however, you'll be seeing one up close and personal. Thanks to Dr. Quest, the rail gun project is complete, and we have successfully incorporated it into our bots."

She reached in her lab coat and pulled out a surveillance photo. Dr. Yaegar looked at it briefly before handing it to me. I took it from her: it was Mom.

The bitch spoke, "You look just like Estella, except for your eyes. They're hardened, soldier's eyes like I've never seen before in a female. If you cooperate and go ahead with this little battle, we'll leave her alone. I've already discussed this with Roger over there: he's game. How 'bout you?"

I gripped the photo so hard that it almost tore. I fought hard to hold back the anguish that I wanted to let go. You… fucking bitch… I thought.

I closed my eyes hard, sighing, "Goddammit… Goddammit all to hell…"

Dr. Yaegar smiled, "Very good, dear. Let him go!"

The suits released Daddy's arms and everyone stepped back. Dr. Yaegar turned to me, "You better not disappoint me, Bannon."

I turned and scorned the woman who merely smiled. She turned and walked towards one of the palettes. Dr. Yaegar hopped up on one of them and crossed her legs, making herself comfortable for the show. A crowd gathered on the catwalk and warehouse floor to spectate. I heard Jonny's voice crying out – they had brought him in to bear witness to this event too.

Daddy and I stepped forward. I wiped my eyes, "Daddy… I don't want to."

Daddy shook his head, "I know sweetie. I don't want to either. But we don't have a choice. Don't hold back anything, because I'm not going to… I can't."

"I know."

Daddy and I hugged tightly for a few seconds; he kissed me on the forehead. Once we released each other, Daddy punched me in the stomach with enough force that would make any normal person vomit. He then kneed me in the chin. My teeth clunked together as I fell backwards. Daddy tried stomping me but I quickly rolled out of the way and performed a leg-sweep on him. He fell backwards as I scrambled to pull myself up.

Daddy wasn't down long.

He leapt back up as we took our stances. I threw a punch for his face; he stepped aside, grabbed my arm, and hurled my ass like a Frisbee into a stack of heavy cardboard boxes. I slammed into the side of them and fell face-first into the cement floor. Daddy walked over, grabbed my red hair and pulled me up. He was about to bust my jaw when I kicked him in the crotch. Daddy cringed and grabbed his nuts; I took the opportunity to pull off a spinning roundhouse kick. He slid across the floor a few feet away from me.

As Daddy was pulling himself back up, I ran over and ricocheted off a stack of boxes next to him. I kicked Daddy again in the face, spinning him around and tumbling back to the ground. I scooted back up to my feet as he rolled over and flipped up. From then on, we engaged more violently. For a second there, I forgot this man was my father. Inside all the anger and confusion built up and let out through my limbs. Daddy punched me repeatedly and then threw me through the palettes and into a wall. I came back screaming and shoulder thrusted myself into his abdomen, plowing us both through another stack of boxed supplies. It continued like this for awhile; time wasn't a factor in how hard I fought. Daddy's punches I managed to block and reverse, his kicks I managed to grab and flip him around, and everything else he threw out me seemed futile. I was bettering him at the same techniques that he had taught me growing up. He could see that, too, which probably added to his seemingly desperation to win. Towards the end of the battle, I glanced out of the corner of my eye. A researcher whispered something in Dr. Yaegar's ear. Her eyebrows narrowed and she stormed off quickly, taking Merchant and Gray with her. Daddy was still lying on the ground facing the ceiling. I knelt down beside him and put my hand on his throat into a makeshift chokehold.

"She's gone," I mumbled quietly.

Daddy coughed, "Follow… her, Ponchita. I've… got to play dead… damn I'm tired. You opened up a fifty-five gallon drum of whup ass on me."

I stood up and kicked Daddy in the stomach once more.

He clutched his stomach and curled up. He was motionless, probably holding his breath. I wiped the blood from my mouth and nose and followed where Dr. Yaegar had gone with her goons. I glanced back up at the catwalks and area: people that had betted were now either cashing out or cashing in. There was lots of mumbling, swearing, cheers, and indifference. I had to find Dr. Yaegar, and fast.

That bitch was going to pay.

I ran through a set of double-doors and found myself in a huge laboratory. Cold, stainless steel counters, cabinets, and walls lined the room. It was about the size of a small gymnasium; lots of expensive computers, microscopes, and a particle accelerator occupied the floor. Thankfully, it was unoccupied.

I walked slowly around the counters and cables. Some sections were sectioned off into little offices by glass dividers. I wandered in one and saw my codec lying on the executive-looking desk. It was beeping.

I walked over and inserted the earpiece.

Dr. Quest's voice came over the air, "Who is this…?"

I gasped, "Dr. Quest! It's me, Jessie!"

I could hear him do the same action, "Jessie, thank God! Are you okay?"

"I hurt like hell," I sighed.

"I know… I was watching you battle your dad here on the monitor."

"Monitor? Where the hell are you?"

"Hadji and I have escaped. Dr. Yaegar was just notified. Listen, Jessica, you have to destroy the rail gun. Operation Derail must not fail!"

I stared into space, "…Wait a minute… how the…"

"No time to explain," Dr. Quest interrupted. "They're going to figure out where Hadji is in…"

A loud explosion erupted at the entrance of the lab.

I turned around and saw through a giant hole that now appeared in the wall one of the mechanized armors start blasting the hell out of the arena next door.

"Never mind," Dr. Quest said.

I screamed, "HADJI'S DRIVING THAT DAMN THING!"

"Yes. He's got a codec to. His frequency is 232.12. Mine is 141.80. I've got to go, Jessie. I'm here in the security complex on floor three. They'll be wondering why their dispatch isn't working in a little bit."

"Wait, before you go… where the hell is my stuff?"

"Hold on one second," Dr. Quest said. He came back on, "Contact Hadji. He might know. I've got to go."

Dr. Quest disconnected. I tuned my codec to Hadji's frequency as more explosions rocked the warehouse area outside. Hadji came on, "Yes?"

"HADJI!" I screamed.

I could hear him cringe before replying, "Jessie, it's so good to see you're safe! I'm kind of busy right now, so I will have to call you back."

"Hold it, dammit! I need you to help me! Where's Dad?"

"That I do not know. I saw him limp off down a corridor. These people are a bit angry at me right now."

"No shit," I rolled my eyes. "Listen, get the fuck out of that thing and come to the laboratory nearby."

The giant, twelve-foot-tall Mechwarrior-like armor came to a halt. The front compartment opened up; its pilot, Hadji, hopped out. The bronze colored armor of the walking death on two feet shimmered proudly in the glaring overhead lighting of the warehouse. Bullets were now slamming into the right side of it as Hadji took cover under the giant mechanical legs. I needed to help provide some cover fire. I ran to the back of the lab and busted through the door into a hallway. As luck would have it, there was an M4A1 Carbine. Its owner was as shocked as I was when I leapt off the wall and kicked him as hard as I could across the teeth. The young sentry sailed into the opposite wall and slammed into a framed picture of modern art. It became a modern mess in the floor on top of this motionless body. I picked up the fully automatic rifle and an extra clip; this guy wouldn't need any of these soon. I ran back to the hole in the lab; Hadji had managed to make his way over to a stack of pallets but was still too far for a safe entry into the lab.

"STAY PUT!" I yelled at him. Hadji gave a thumbs up.

I aimed up into the catwalks where small groups of armed guards had gathered. Some researchers had posted themselves around the warehouse floor to offer assistance to them with their small firearms. I cocked the gun and took aim. I squeezed the trigger hard and began to sweep the walkways suspended above. The guards took notice and began to run for cover as a few took hits. One fell over the side and crashed onto the hard concrete floor below. Hadji made his escape into the lab as our enemies took cover, apparently untrained in dealing with a pissed off redhead with a gun. Hadji got behind me as I ejected the empty magazine and replaced it with my only fresh one. He grabbed my arm and pulled me further back into the lab. I managed to get turned around and get a good look at my Indian friend.

Hadji had changed.

Gone was his turban and his usual attire – it was replaced with a dark camouflage garb.

"What the hell is all this?" I asked him.

He shook his head, "I will explain later. Right now, we have to get moving!"

He reached behind his back and produced a Colt .45 Army revolver. He caught me looking at it, "Part of my getup."

"Okay…?"

I shrugged it off as we made our way back to the hallway. My victim was now back on his feet, albeit staggering. Hadji burst through the door, put his gun up to the young man's face, and pulled the trigger. The back of the guy's head exploded all over the wall behind him as his body fell limp and collapsed once again on the floor. I stood there in awe for a second. What the fuck just happened, I pondered. Who the hell is this guy? This isn't Hadji…

Hadji turned, "Let's move, Jessie! We have to find your equipment and Dr. Quest. Does your Codec still work?"

I blinked, "Huh? Oh, yeah… yeah…"

He waved further down the hall, "This way, I believe your items are down this way."

I nodded and followed as we jogged down the tiled hallway. Emergency beacons were flashing every ten feet; a woman's monotone voice kept announcing over the public address system that a full-scale lockdown was in affect. She also announced that the CC Operatives were in search of intruders. Anyone who didn't present proper identification was to be killed, no questions asked. How reassuring this was.

Hadji kept his back against the wall and motioned for me to do the same on the opposite.

"Watch our back," he said.

I nodded and kept glancing behind. It didn't take long before about three uniformed guards appeared out of a doorway just as we reached a perpendicular intersection. A couple of giant pipes ran along the wall saying, "DANGER: LASER." After I fired a few shots at our assailants, Hadji grabbed my arm and threw me out of the way. I slid onto the floor and watched as he fired a couple of shots into a seam of the pipe. He stepped out of the way as a very intense red beam emitted from the passageway. Lots of screaming and the sounds of wet meat hitting the floor came from the previous hallway. Hadji picked me up as we pressed onward. We passed through a giant entryway in the passageway; a giant blast door was waiting in the ceiling. Hadji fumbled with a control panel near it before shooting it, making the heavy cast-iron door quickly descend downward before making a heavy clank into its depression in the floor. He leaned on the big red door marked "FIRE DOOR" and slid down to the floor.

"We can rest for a minute," he said. "The only thing down the hall is an elevator and a flight of stairs. They are probably regrouping and trying to communicate with each other. Thankfully, Dr. Quest has hampered their communications equipment."

"Hadji… what… what is all this? Why are you dressed like that and where in the hell did you learn to fire a gun like that? Much less, how the hell did you know how to pilot one of those things?"

Hadji wiped sweat off his brow and said, "Jessie… I don't know how much our friend Stone has told you. However… right now, Dr. Yaegar believes that there is a member of the La-Li-Lu-Le-Lo here inside the compound… she is not pleased whatsoever."

"Yeah, they said that this person came in with the Quest team… is it Dr. Quest?"

Hadji shook his head, "Nor is it Race or Jonny."

"You mean…"

"Yes," Hadji pulled himself up. "I am Hadji Singh, one of the many La-Li-Lu-Le-Lo."

Shocked, I backed into the wall and looked up at the ceiling.

Finally, I found some words I could use, "How… how long have you been a part of them…?"

Hadji holstered his gun in his rear holster, saying, "It's been quite a number of years now. My father was a member of this organization. However, such as it is, he is not of the living. Therefore, I was the heir to his position. My status was dormant until I was old enough. As you can see, I am no longer waiting in the wings."

"Oh… my God…"

"I am not the only one that is a member, Jessie. I merely said that I was the one Dr. Yaegar was looking for. There is another."

I looked at him and raised my eyebrows.

He shook his head, "I cannot speak for him. He will have to do it himself, if he chooses to do so."

That narrowed down my choices to the obvious three to pick from. And from all the shrouded secrecy that everyone had placed around me, it would prove difficult to find my fellow "coworker." Hadji suddenly withdrew his gun and pointed it at the door to the stairwell farther down the hall. I brought the Carbine up and watched as it slowly opened inward. Stone stumbled out. His shirt was missing, letting me get a full glimpse of the bandages that wrapped his right shoulder and abdomen. He was hurting pretty bad. Hadji holstered his gun and ran to help the beaten old man. I followed.

"God… dammit…" Stone mumbled.

"Are you any more damaged than what you already are?" Hadji asked.

Stone shook his head, "No… Just tired as shit. I've lost a lot of blood. But… I should be okay."

In his hands was a black, sawn-off twelve-gauge pump-action combat shotgun. Hadji pointed to it, "How many shells do you have?"

"Six in this thing. I emptied a box into my pants pocket. Listen: Lisa took Race somewhere safe. She said she's going to evac him. Which I must say, sweetie, you beat the living tee-total shit out of your old man. He's in pretty bad shape, but he'll live. Roger's a tough guy."

I asked, "Where is Dr. Yaegar?"

"I don't know. Hopefully she isn't looking for Race and Lisa. I highly doubt she'll be able to make contact with her outside peers to get to your mom. The La-Li-Lu-Le-Lo is already hiding her, so she's safe as long as there aren't any moles about. Dr. Quest lost contact with me about ten minutes ago because I got in a firefight with a group of angry men with big guns. I hate to say it, but Elena has called out her own personal body guards – those guys in suits – to flush us out. We've got to also make sure they don't make off with the rail gun."

Hadji reached into his uniform's shirt pocket and pulled out a small printed circuit board, saying, "It's useless right now: it won't operate without the acceleration control circuit. The lead will just fall out like an air gun."

"Excellent," Stone said. "All that leaves is to find Dr. Yaegar before she finds the rest, find Dr. Quest, and blow the shit out of this place and everyone else in it."

Hadji pressed his finger into his ear, blocking outside noise from his Codec. He began to talk quietly as Stone reclined against the doorway.

"Stone… do you know where Jonny is," I asked.

Stone looked at me, and said, "We got separated. He was covering my ass. I got caught up with blasting assholes back to whence they came. When I turned around, he was gone. Maybe he's gone to look for Dr. Quest; I don't know."

I thought about calling Stone's bullshit. Stone probably told Jonny to go look for Dr. Yaegar, or to contact the outside operatives.

"The look on your face says that you know otherwise," the old man said. "I imagine Hadji told you."

I nodded.

Stone smiled wryly, "Well, my dear, I know I can't fool a smart young lady. But, to be honest, I really don't know where he went."

I asked, "Does he have a Codec?"

"I found the supply room where they kept your things. Nothing much was left, except that."

"Does he have my frequency?"

"He does. However, something's wrong with the unit: it can't receive calls very clearly. I wasn't able to transmit to him. However, he does have the ability to call us."

"Typical," I sighed.

Stone pulled me close and gave me a hug with his one good arm, the other hung loosely by his side with his shotgun. Hadji got off the Codec, "That was Dr. Quest: we're in trouble."

Stone looked up, "Huh? What're you talking about?"

"The Security Administrators have turned loose Yaegar's bodyguards. They've also got canine units out searching for us."

"Shit," Stone said. He turned to me, "Jessie, you take point since you've got the biggest gun. We'll be right behind you."

I looked into the stairwell, "Where are we going?"

"Down. We're going to finish this."

"We've got to find Daddy and the rest."

"I know, sweetie, I know. I wonder where Lisa is…?"

Almost like it was scripted, Lisa crept slowly down the stairs above us. She leaned over the banister, "I'm right here…"

We all looked up at my former hostage and shield. The flower-patterned skirt and blouse seemed a little out of place in the midst of madness that consumed us. On the floors above us, a door was kicked down and the sounds of viscous attack dogs filled the stairwell.

All hell wasn't breaking loose. It was descending the stairs.

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