Author's Notes: Well, I didn't quite get it posted over the Easter weekend
but I did manage to write it! Sorry to take so long to update. For a while,
I was fighting off a nasty case of writer's block but I'm better now! This
chapter happens to be my first attempt at an action plotline and so some
feedback would be very much appreciated. ^_^
~Salvation (8)~
The muted noises of the helicopter's blades made a strange backdrop for their flight. Below them, Midgar stretched out in an infinite sea of lights with more stars below than could ever be seen above.
Elena had never seen the stars as a child. The harsh lights of the city had always blocked them out. The first time she had come across them had been, almost ironically, on a mission as a Turk. That had been what had finally taken her out of the city and allowed her the chance to look up.
Now, in their black Shin-ra helicopter, Elena couldn't see the stars and so she stopped trying. She looked over at Reno in front of her. He was leaning forward and so his dark red hair was obscuring most of his face. A tiny little thread of smoke drifted up around him. She grinned in bemusement at the bright red 'no smoking' sign above his head. It wasn't as if their pilots were going to stop him.
Rude was sitting beside her, his head resting back against the wall. His eyes were closed but she knew that he wasn't sleeping. Tseng was also mimicking Rude's attitude except that he was leaning forward, his chin resting cupped in his hands.
Elena cast a glance at her watch. It was 11:58. The power would go out in Sector Five at exactly twelve. Judging by her watch, they had almost reached their destination. She would've asked Reno about it - he was the only person she knew who could find exact locations in the slums from overhead – but she knew better than to bother any of them right now. Instead, she leaned back and listened to the dull thwack of the helicopter's spinning blades.
She felt Rude shift beside her and he stood up awkwardly in the confined helicopter's space. Then was a long compartment above of his head and from there he pulled out a thin, suitcase-like container. He popped it open and smoothly fitted the case's contents together to reveal a silver snipper riffle. Suddenly, a section of Midgar's lights blinked out of existence. *Twelve o'clock*, Elena thought grimly to herself. Rude flicked on his night vision goggles and moved to the open entrance of the helicopter. Reno snuffed his cigarette beneath his boot.
Rude took his aim carefully and examined the scene before him.
"Four on the roof," Rude said quietly. Tseng nodded.
"Take the shoot."
In four quick snaps of the trigger, it was over. The security on the rooftop had been neutralized. With that, Rude quickly dissembled the riffle and put it back in its compartment. Elena felt a change in the helicopter's motion and realized that they were just hovering above the building now.
Each of the Turks stood and assembled at the helicopter's open doorway. Neither of the pilots looked over to wish them luck. It would not have been appropriate.
One after another, they hooked themselves to the rappelling line attached to the helicopter's body and slid down the fifteen-foot drop to the roof. Once they had hit the roof, they assembled briefly before setting off in their assigned groups. Reno and Rude reached the edge of the roof and then in a moment were gone, rappelling down to ground level. Elena looked at her watch. 12:01. *Nineteen minutes*, she thought. Then, she and Tseng both headed toward the exterior stairwell that lead into the compound.
Reno looked down at the sheer drop from the roof and felt his pulse quicken. He wasn't frightened though. He jabbed his rappelling line into the concrete side on the building and tugged it twice to make sure that it was secure. Then, he looked over at Rude and grinned.
He threw himself over the edge of the side and fell. He had always loved this. For a moment, it felt like you could fall forever until your line tightened and you bounced off the side of the building, flying again.
It was over far too quickly and Reno thumbed the release on the rappelling line. It sprang off its place at the roof and the device quickly ravelled up to its original compact form. The rope mechanisms were just one of the many marvels that Shin-ra had created especially for its Turks.
When Rude thumped down beside him and had secured his line as well, Reno gestured for quiet and motioned that they had to move around to the back of the building. That was where they were going to make their entrance.
Tseng paused at the foot of the stairwell and listened to the sounds coming from behind the closed door. It lead to the fifth and top level of the compound. The backup generator was located on the fourth and Harraway's office was on the third.
He gestured to Elena to come forward and mimed that he couldn't hear anyone beyond the door. That didn't mean that there wasn't anyone there though. She took a breath and nodded her assent. Quietly, Tseng pushed open the door to the fifth floor only to find the hallway deserted. He looked back at Elena who nodded once and they both made their way down the hallway, their guns at the ready.
Reno paused at the edge of the building. He could hear two men talking. He motioned to Rude to stay low.
"What the fuck's happened?"
"Don't worry. It's just the power. Fucking Reactor's prob'ly on the blitz 'gain."
"Fucking Shin-ra assholes."
"Yeah, well, the Boss's one step up on 'em. The generator'll kick in soon."
"Hey, that think it's them. . . what're they called, AVALANCHE guys again?"
"Na, didn't ya hear? Heard they all died when the Plate fell on 'em. Crash! Pancakes, ha?"
Both of the men chuckled a little. Sensing his opportunity, Reno darted out from his hiding place.
"The fuck?" one yelled.
Two tiny snaps sounded and both men crumbled. Reno walked forward and nudged one of the men in the ribs. It seemed he wasn't quite dead yet. Dispassionately, Reno lowered his gun again, this time hitting the man square in the head. He didn't twitch again.
"Come on, Rude." Reno hissed. They both ran into the compound.
Tseng paused at a door and tried its handle. It opened smoothly. He gestured to Elena to follow him in. The room seemed to be some sort of a storage locker.
"This is as good a place as any," Tseng whispered. Elena nodded. She walked forward to plant their charge and Tseng watched the hallway from the doorway. A tiny series of beeps sounded in the closet as Elena prepped the explosive. Tseng cast a glance at his watch. 12:04.
"Hurry up Elena," he whispered.
"Charge ready," she whispered back. She stashed the explosive in a box of old workers clothes.
"Let's go," she said quietly but Tseng held out his hand to her. She froze.
*How many*, she mimed to him.
He held up four fingers.
Rude stood up from the charge that he had just hidden in a waste paper basket. They were in a small office on the first floor.
"Done," he whispered. Suddenly, he looked up.
"What?" Reno whispered.
Rude held a finger to his lips and then Reno heard it too. Footsteps. And voices.
"That's right, two men dead at the back entrance."
There was a second voice but it was faint and distant. *A walkie- talkie*, Reno thought. The first voice was coming in clearer.
"No, I'm on the first floor. Just checking things out."
Reno and Rude moved soundlessly to the front of the room, Reno taking position behind the door and Rude crouched beside it. The footsteps were coming closer. They paused at the door.
*Shit*, Reno thought, and he readied himself.
"No, I don't know. It's just that. . ."
The man turned the doorknob and pushed open the door. He was shocked to find it slam back at him.
"Fuck!" he swore, dropping his walkie-talkie and fumbling for his gun. Rude was faster. He kicked it away from the man and then brought his hand down on the back of the man's neck. He crumbled in an instant. The two Turks took only long enough to pull the man completely into the room and close the door behind them before they were off to the second floor where their main target, the central computer room, was located.
Tseng's mind raced. He could hear the men coming closer. He considered their surroundings. If they were caught in this storage room, they were as good as dead. They were only about five meters from a junction between their hallway and another one. It was a longer route to reach the stairwell that lead to the fourth floor but they didn't have much choice. Making his decision quickly, he gestured back to Elena. *Follow and covering fire*, he mimed. She nodded.
Suddenly, both Turks darted out of the room, already firing. One of the men screamed and fell, clutching his leg. Elena hurled one of her small explosives at the group. It made a deafening noise and another man screamed. She could hear a man yelling orders but couldn't make out the words. She chased after Tseng, running with all her might.
They rounded the corner to the next hallway and ran down its length. A bullet flew past her head, making plaster fly as it collided with the wall. Swearing, she shot blindly behind her as she ran after Tseng.
There was another hallway coming up on their right and she dove into it after Tseng. She could hear the throbbing sound of gunfire above her. Tseng reached over her and threw something she didn't see. There was the sound of a small explosion and then men coughing. Smoke bomb.
"Come on," Tseng said, pulling Elena roughly to her feet. They ran to the door at the end of their hallway marked 'stairs'.
Reno swore under his breath when he felt the explosion that rocked one of the higher floors.
"So much for stealth," Reno muttered under his breath. He looked over at Rude.
"Come on, we gotta make it to that computer room."
Elena was panting softly when they reached the stairwell. She looked over at Tseng and was shocked to see him clutching his chest in pain. An angry red smear darkened much of his suit. Her eyes widened and she selected a cure materia from her bangle.
"Don't bother," Tseng said through gritted teeth. "The bullet's. . . still in the wound. Magic will only make it worse."
Elena nodded numbly but couldn't quite take her eyes off Tseng's wound. *There's so much blood*, she thought to herself.
Tseng pushed himself up off of the wall and gestured to Elena.
"Come on. We have to find the generator."
Rude held out a tiny glass mirror, barely more wide that his pinkie finger. He squinted at the image presented to him. He had the mirror angled to reveal to him what was waiting for them around the corner. He and Reno were in a hallway that connected to the main hallway that contained the computer matrix. As they had suspected, there were guards waiting for them. Obviously, they had been alerted by the commotion in the upper floors.
Rude snapped his mirror shut and looked back at Reno. He held up three fingers and Reno nodded. They weren't going to be able to take these men by surprise. Suddenly, he grinned. He pulled out a light green materia orb and a faint purple one from his bangle. Rude nodded. Reno edged forward to pass Rude. He needed to be able to see his targets to cast his spell. He closed his eyes, letting his awareness of the magic fill him. When he felt that he had reached the point where the magic fluttered almost tangibly before him, he moved forward in one smooth motion. His eyes took in the three men before him.
"Fire2, All."
In a flash, three raging fires sprang up. One of the men still managed to get off a shot though and Reno had to dodge back behind the cover of his wall. The moment he lost eye contact with his targets, the fires stopped burning.
Feeling slightly dizzy from the spell, Reno looked over at Rude. He could hear a man groaning. Rude nodded.
He stepped out from the protection of the wall offered him. Two blackened lumps remained on the floor but one was still moving slowly. Rude's eyes widened though when he saw two more men coming out from the computer room. He managed one shot before having to duck behind the wall again. In the corner of his eye, he saw one man recoil, clutching his chest. The side of his wall was suddenly pounded by an onslaught of bullets.
Rude turned to Reno only to notice then that his partner was no longer beside him. He frowned and wondered where the other man had gone. Then, the barrage against his hiding spot ceased. Rude waited a moment, but then he heard a familiar voice.
"What're ya waiting for Rude?"
Rude grinned a little as he walked around to meet Reno. Two men lay sprawled at his feet and he had his mag rod in hand.
"Distraction?" Rude asked. Reno grinned and nodded.
". . . You could've said something." Rude added.
"And ruin the surprise?" Reno chuckled. Then, he gestured to the door. "Come on. Let's finish this."
Rude nodded and they both headed into the room.
Elena and Tseng had reached the base of the stairs when they heard a door open above them.
"They followed us!" Elena said in alarm. From their position at the base of the stairs, they couldn't tell how many there were but they knew that they were up there. Tseng's eyes flicked down to his watch. 12:07. They didn't have time for this!
"Come on," he told Elena again and they both ran out onto the fourth floor. Tseng observed the hallway that they had just ran into: it split into a right and left direction. Suddenly though, he realized that he couldn't remember which way to turn from here.
"Left!" Elena cried. Tseng nodded and took off in that direction. As they ran, Elena lobbed something behind her and it sailed through the closing door. Another concussion shook the floor. They ran to the edge of the corridor and then took another left and then ran to another junction that lead them down a corridor to the right. They both skidded to a halt when they saw the two men standing at the end of the hallway. Tseng was the first to move. He snapped off one shot before one of the men had a chance to react. The other was faster though. He pulled off one shot, aimed right at Tseng.
"Barrier!" Elena screamed. To the man's amazement, the bullet that would've cost Tseng his life suddenly shuddered to a stop mid-air and then fell. Tseng moved before the man could overcome his shock and retaliated, letting two shots fly.
Elena suddenly spun around when she heard a noise behind her. She caught the man that had been trying to attack them with a shot in the shoulder. He stumbled backwards but then brought his weapon back up. Tseng's shot finished him and he fell backwards.
Both of them paused, waiting for some sound of pursuit but there was none. Suddenly, Tseng became aware of the pain in his chest again and he clutched his side. When he pulled back his hand, it was black from his own sticky blood.
Without glancing back at Elena, he headed down to the end of the hallway. The generator lay behind that door.
The main computer room consisted of several small workstations, some filling cabinets, a few dead surveillance cameras, and one large screen on the back wall. Reno glided over to a computer terminal and slid into a chair. He could hear Rude prepping their next charge. He pulled out a black box and attached it to the computer's power cord. Suddenly, the terminal whirred to life. Reno pulled out a floppy and rammed it into the computer's diskette drive. A message flashed up on the screen.
"Downloading!" Reno yelled over to Rude. The other man nodded and fiddled with the charge a little more.
"Charge ready," he said. He concealed the bomb beneath one of the workstations.
Reno watched a small bar fill up on the computer's screen. He looked down at his watch. 12:08.
"Come on," he muttered under his breath.
The generator room was mostly empty. A few blank computers huddled around a large, furnace-like apparatus. A few lights blinked on it, signs that the machine was readying itself to begin supplying energy to Harraway's compound. Tseng was fusing with their charge, preparing it to detonate. Elena watched his motions and tried not to wince at how his hands were shaking. Her face was creased in permanent worry though. Tseng's breath was coming in short, ragged gasps. Finally done, he looked up at her, a grim smile painting his face.
"Charge set."
Elena nodded and they both headed moved towards the door. Suddenly, there was a huge bang and then the distinct whirr of bullets.
"Shit!" Elena yelled and she dove back into the cover of the room, firing as she went. "There's gotta be at least six of them. There's not way that we can get out of here!"
She looked back at Tseng. There was sweat pooling on his forward and he was clutching the wound in his chest.
"What're we going to do?"
Tseng didn't respond. Elena yelled again.
"Tseng, what are we going to do?"
This time, his eyes darted around the room, searching for another exit. The door was the only way out though. He swore quietly under his breath. Then, his eyes widened.
"There!" he said, pointing at an exhaust vent on the back wall.
"Are you sure?" Elena asked. Tseng nodded.
"It's the only way out of here."
Elena nodded her consent and pulled out two of her small explosives.
"Got any more smoke bombs?" she asked.
Tseng tossed her one.
"Last one," he cautioned.
"I'll make it count."
Tseng moved off to the back of the room to try and pull of the vent's grate. Elena scurried back to the door again and let off a few rounds for good measure. Then, diving across the doorway, she threw out her two explosives, one in each direction of the hallway. The concussion from their blasts rocked the room and she could hear someone screaming. She tossed out Tseng's smoke bomb to give them some cover and she could hear the men start to cough.
Tseng had succeeded in tearing open the grate and was gesturing to her frantically to come. Elena couldn't hear what he was saying though; her ears were ringing from the force of her own explosions. She stumbled across the room to where Tseng was standing. He clasped his hands together to give her a boost up to the grate. Elena crawled inside and moved inwards. Tseng jumped up and was just barely able to grab the edge of the grate. She heard him hiss in pain again. Elena looked over her shoulder – the grate was far too cramped to turn around in – and saw Tseng pull himself up. He wiggled his way further into the grate as well and motioned Elena forward. That wasn't before she was able to see the black line that he was leaving behind him though.
Elena scrambled along on her elbows and knees. The sharp metal from the vent was digging into her painfully. They had to find some way out of this shaft. Otherwise, if their charge were to blow, they'd still be caught up in the explosive. Elena didn't have time to look at her watch but she felt the seconds ticking by too quickly.
Suddenly, she felt a shift in the air in the ventilation shaft.
"Tseng!" she called. "I think there's a way out."
"Good," he replied from behind her. Elena didn't like the way his voice sounded.
"Tseng?" she asked.
"Don't stop, Elena," Tseng admonished. Elena continued crawling forward. Then, she could see it; a grate that lead into another room.
"Tseng, hurry!" she called back to him.
Struggling forward, she wiggled down to the grate and forced it open. Awkwardly, she half crawled, half fell out of the confined space. She hit the hard concrete floor and winced at the painful impact. Then, she saw Tseng's dark form. He too tumbled free of the vent.
Wincing and panting, Tseng sat up and pulled out his watch. On one side, there was a large red button. He pushed it.
Reno stumbled forward as a huge explosion suddenly rocked the building. He looked at his watch. 12:09. Beneath the time, there was a small flashing message. *Charge detonated*. Reno snorted.
"Yeah, like I needed you to tell me that."
"What?" Rude asked.
"Nothing. Tseng's blown the generator."
A small ping sounded from his computer console.
"And the download's done."
"We're out?" Rude asked.
"Yeah, we gotta go."
Reno snatched the floppy disk and the power supply. Then, both of the men left the room and headed for the stairwell.
Elena coughed. There was a fine sheen of dust in the air. She pushed off a piece of debris that had fallen on her and winced a little when she breathed it. She wasn't hurt badly but she could certainly be very bruised tomorrow morning.
"Tseng?" Elena asked and then coughed again.
"Here," came the reply.
Elena stumbled over to when the voice had come from and shifted away some of the debris that had fallen after the explosion. Tseng was lying against the wall beneath the grate. She could hear a faint rattle in his breathing.
"Tseng?" she asked again. The older Turk nodded wearily. Most of him was covered in a fine grey powder but the wound in his chest was already darkening his clothing again. It just wouldn't stop bleeding.
Elena pulled off her jacket. She grabbed a twisted piece of scrap metal that had fallen from the ceiling and used it to cut her jacket into four large bandages. She helped Tseng lean forward and then tied them around the wound in his chest. He coughed and winced when she did so. Elena looked into his eyes. They looked very glazed.
"Can you stand?" she asked softly.
"I think so," he muttered.
Elena gave him her hand and Tseng hauled himself up slowly. He stumbled once and Elena had to catch him. She let him lean his arm across her shoulders and was shocked by how much weight he had to put on her.
"Tseng?" she asked again. Tseng shook his head wearily.
"This won't work Elena. We only have, what, ten minutes?"
"Nine."
Tseng swore quietly again.
"I'll slow you down too much. You have to finish the mission."
"Like Hell Tseng. If you think I'm just going to leave you here. . ." she trailed off, her threat hanging heavy between them. Tseng chuckled very softly and then hissed at the pain it caused in his chest.
"What do you suggest then, Elena?"
She could hear the sarcasm in his tone but ignored it.
"I think I know where we are," she said. "We must be. . . less than twenty meters from the stairwell. From there, we head to the third floor, kill Harraway, and set our last charge. Then, we leave."
"That's it?" Tseng asked. This time Elena chuckled.
"Yeah, that's it."
Tseng nodded wearily and then pushed himself away from Elena. For a moment, she thought that he was going to fall again but he surprised her and managed to stand by himself.
"Okay. . . let's go."
Reno and Rude hit the pavement at a dead run. Rude turned back and fired three quick shots behind him. He heard one man grunt and fall but there were still two more. Both he and Reno dove behind a parked car and winced as the bullets thudded into their steel barrier.
Both of them had made it to the first floor without incident but when they had been trying to make it out of the building, they had ran into three of Harraway's armed thugs. Now, they were pinned down on a side street in front of the building.
"Any ideas?" Reno yelled over the gunfire.
Rude looked down at his bangle. Magic wouldn't do them much good; there was no way that either of them could maintain eye contact long enough to cast a decent spell. Besides, they were both running purely on adrenaline now and they both knew it. There were only so many times that you could dive away from someone trying to shoot holes in you without showing the strain. Suddenly, Rude's eyes widened and he looked over at Reno. Reno, realizing what his partner was about to attempt, suddenly felt nauseous.
"That is a *bad* idea Rude."
"You have a better one?" he asked. He didn't.
Rude pulled out a brightly glowing green materia orb. It was a nearly mastered fire materia.
"Shit, be careful Rude."
Rude nodded. He slinked down onto his stomach to look where the men who were attacking them were positioned. Then, carefully as he could be, he rolled the materia towards them. The tiny green orb traveled towards the three unsuspecting men. When Rude saw that it was close enough to them, he shot the materia twice. The once flawless orb cracked under the pressure and a bright red light could suddenly be seen within. The men stopped shooting at Reno and Rude and suddenly noticed the tiny no-longer-green materia in front of them. The fracture along the materia's body grew until it cracked audibly. Then, a huge concussion of energy suddenly swept out of it, knocking Reno and Rude both to the ground.
"Shit!" Reno yelled as the incredible explosion rocked the area. Energy that had been forced into the materia's spherical form by an unimaginable amount of pressure was now released in all of its fury to decimate everything that it touched. Then, just as suddenly as the explosion had started, it stopped.
With a sense of trepidation, Reno uncovered his head. He could hear the sound of a broken water pipe pouring its contents into the streets but the bullets were no longer ringing.
"I'll be damned," he muttered. "It fucking worked."
He clapped Rude on the shoulder and his partner looked up at him. Both of them were covered in dust and they both had a few cuts from flying debris but they were otherwise unhurt.
"Let's get out of here," Reno said and Rude nodded. Both men stumbled off into a waiting alleyway. As they went, Reno keyed in a short message on his wristwatch. It was 12:13. He hoped that Elena and Tseng were all right.
Elena looked down at her watch were a tiny message was flashing beneath the time.
"Rude and Reno are out," she said.
"Good," Tseng replied.
They had made it to the stairwell and now had to find their way to Harraway's main office. There, they would be able to finish their mission.
When they made it out onto the hallway on the third floor, Elena was surprised to see how much damage their explosion had caused. Whole support beams seemed to have fallen from the ceiling and there was a fine layer of dust in the air.
"This way," she told Tseng, tugging him along by the sleeve of his jacket. They headed down the right junction of the hallway, and then walked until they came to one of the left. There, they turned again until they reached another junction on the right. Finally, they came face to face with the door to Harraway's office. The exterior looked deserted but Elena had the strong feeling that the man wouldn't be alone on the inside.
"What do you think?" she asked Tseng.
"I think he has some men with him on the inside." Tseng drew a shuddering breath.
"What should we do?" she asked.
"Do you have any of your explosives left?"
"Only one. How many rounds do you have?"
"Two. You?"
"One."
He nodded.
"All right. We move into position, break down the door, use your explosive to create confusion inside, and then we go in and take out as many as we can."
Elena nodded.
"Elena," Tseng said, looking her straight in the face. There was an intensity there that she rarely saw. "No matter what, one of us has to be able to detonate the rest of the charges. Understand?"
She nodded.
"Good."
Tseng checked his ammunition and Elena followed suit. She slipped her remaining explosive into her hand. She nodded when she was ready and both of them headed towards the door at the end of the hallway. They pressed themselves against the far wall and Tseng took aim at the glass of the office door. Two shots shattered the glass and Elena tossed her explosive inside. There was the sound of a large explosion and then suddenly they were both moving towards the entry. Elena rolled out of the way and felt Tseng do so as well but in another direction. In one fluid motion, she was on her feet and running for cover, firing all the way. There were three, no four other men in the room and a fifth lay dead close to the door. Elena dove behind a sofa in the corner of the room. Cotton fluff flew everywhere as it was suddenly beaten by a stream of bullets.
She leaned out and fired back, hitting one of her opponents in the chest. Three more. She heard one man cry out and surmised that Tseng had killed another one. Two more. She tried to move out again but was interceded by another barrage of fire. Another man cried out. Last one. Elena moved out from her shelter and her bullet caught the man in the leg. He fell down and her second shot took him right in the chest. He didn't move again afterwards.
Elena saw Tseng rise up from another corner of the room but he stumbled back to his knees as he did so. Elena crossed the distance between them in an instant. His breath was ragged now and the blood from his wound had completely soaked through her makeshift bandage. Elena raised Tseng's head to make him look at her. His eyes were glazed over from pain.
"Tseng?" she asked quietly, her voice sounding weak to her own ears.
"Harraway," he said through gritted teeth. She nodded.
Standing wearily, she left Tseng on his knees in the rubble. She could hear something coming from behind a huge oak desk cantered in the middle of the room. She kept her weapon at the ready as she moved forward cautiously.
Elena went to the back of the desk and her eyes widened at what she saw. Joseph Harraway, famed and feared throughout all of the slums, had his entire massive girth hidden beneath his desk. He was rocking back and force the way a small child might. His eyes were shut tight but a few tears leaked out from behind his eyelids.
"Please. . . please," he was whispering to himself over and over again.
"Joe Harraway?"
The man whined a little.
"Go away, please go away," he moaned.
"Harraway," Elena said with a strength in her voice that she didn't really feel she possessed. He opened his eyes at looked up at her, tears still sliding down his face. He sniffled loudly. Elena shook her head wearily.
"You should have known better."
The shot rang out hollow in the room and Harraway slumped forward onto the floor, he blood pooling around him.
Elena finally returned her weapon to her holster and walked back over to Tseng. She sat down beside him again. He had his head down and his breath was coming out in faint gasps.
Elena glanced down at her watch again. It was 12:17. There was no way that they would be able to make it all the way down to the first level with Tseng in this condition.
Elena looked around the large office room and frowned, looking at the huge windows that covered the right wall of the office. Harraway had obviously liked the view from the top.
"Tseng. . ." Elena said, nudging him gently. "Come on Tseng, get up. We have to go."
He nodded and tried to pull himself up but failed miserably. Elena felt her heart catch in her chest and she moved forward to help him to his feet. With her half-carrying him, they both moved to the huge windows. For the last time that night, Elena raised her gun. It took four shots before the glass shattered.
"Do you still have you rappelling line?" she asked him. Tseng nodded.
"Do you think you can manage it?" she asked. Tseng frowned.
"I'm. . . not sure."
"You're going to have to try, Tseng." Elena said the words soothingly but also with a commanding tone. Tseng nodded.
She helped him wrap his line around himself and anchor it to the ground. Then, she proceeded to do the same. At the window's edge, Elena paused to contemplate the sheer drop below her. She had never gotten completely used to this.
"Ready?" she asked. Tseng nodded.
"Ready."
Elena pushed off first and then Tseng followed her. It was a huge leap and it seemed to take forever for them to fall back towards the building. Elena hit the side of the building and with a practiced motion sprang back out almost instantly to start falling again. She was further down than Tseng and so was able to see his legs crumble at the impact. Instead of flying back out again, he simply started to drop.
"Tseng!" Elena screamed at him. If he didn't correct his fall he would. . .
"Tseng!" She knew it was foolish but she grabbed her rope, stopping her motion in mid swig. She screamed as the rope burned into her flesh and she was suddenly falling back towards the building at an incredible swig. She hit the building too hard for her legs to compensate and her knees buckled too but she kept a death grip on her rappelling line. She had to time this right.
As Tseng shot down past her, Elena suddenly reached out and . . . grabbed the shoulder of Tseng's jacket. She grunted at the sudden weight and her line shuddered with it.
"Tseng. . ." she said through gritted teeth. His eyes fluttered when he heard her voice and only then did she realize that he had passed out.
"Tseng!" she said again, more forcefully this time. His eyes widened and blinked several times. Then, his hand shot out and grasped hers. They were both dangling two floors above the ground. Elena knew that if she let go of Tseng, he'd be unable to story his own freefall. Gritting her teeth, she slowly let her rope slide through her hand. The material burned and then cut through her hand and she felt the rope growing slick from her own blood but she didn't let go. Slowly, she lowered both herself and Tseng down. After what seemed an eternity, she eventually felt the soft, loving touch of the ground beneath her feet.
She disconnected herself and Tseng from their lines and then placed his arm over her shoulder again. She led him a little bit away from the building and down a back alley. From there, she considered the scene in front of her and then checked her watch. 12:19.
"Right on time," she muttered.
Elena hit the small, red button on the side on her watch.
Reno saw a tiny red light flash in the corner of his watch. He too pushed a red button.
At 12:20, the power in the Sector Five slums returned. Then, in the bright glare of artificial lights, people stood in wonder at what once had been a veritable fortress now reduced to a pitiful smoking ruin.
Overhead and unnoticed, a small inconspicuous black helicopter flew back to the centre of the city.
~~~
Responses: Like I said, I'm really sorry to have taken so long to post. So. . . even though its been so long that you guys probably don't even remember what you said in your last reviews, here's some responses! Hee hee.
Heather Cat: Heh, lock and load indeed. Lots of Turks stuff in this chapter. Did it turn out okay? I glad that you liked the little introspective Elena moment at the start of chapter 7. That came out pretty randomly. I was half-tempted to make it a chapter in itself but I didn't much care for yet another introspective Elena chapter. Missions are much more fun, don't you think Heather Cat? *grins* Super Spy!
Jess Angel: Hmm, you've had similar thoughts about the book analogy? I must admit that it's been done before but, considering how important that stupid little book seems to be for my story, I figured that it was acceptable. Not much Tseng/Elena-ness in this chapter either! Don't worry though; it'll definitely come back. If it's not back by chapter 9, it'll certainly be back in chapter 10. Heh, I wonder if I'll manage to surprise you with what happens? *grins*
~Salvation (8)~
The muted noises of the helicopter's blades made a strange backdrop for their flight. Below them, Midgar stretched out in an infinite sea of lights with more stars below than could ever be seen above.
Elena had never seen the stars as a child. The harsh lights of the city had always blocked them out. The first time she had come across them had been, almost ironically, on a mission as a Turk. That had been what had finally taken her out of the city and allowed her the chance to look up.
Now, in their black Shin-ra helicopter, Elena couldn't see the stars and so she stopped trying. She looked over at Reno in front of her. He was leaning forward and so his dark red hair was obscuring most of his face. A tiny little thread of smoke drifted up around him. She grinned in bemusement at the bright red 'no smoking' sign above his head. It wasn't as if their pilots were going to stop him.
Rude was sitting beside her, his head resting back against the wall. His eyes were closed but she knew that he wasn't sleeping. Tseng was also mimicking Rude's attitude except that he was leaning forward, his chin resting cupped in his hands.
Elena cast a glance at her watch. It was 11:58. The power would go out in Sector Five at exactly twelve. Judging by her watch, they had almost reached their destination. She would've asked Reno about it - he was the only person she knew who could find exact locations in the slums from overhead – but she knew better than to bother any of them right now. Instead, she leaned back and listened to the dull thwack of the helicopter's spinning blades.
She felt Rude shift beside her and he stood up awkwardly in the confined helicopter's space. Then was a long compartment above of his head and from there he pulled out a thin, suitcase-like container. He popped it open and smoothly fitted the case's contents together to reveal a silver snipper riffle. Suddenly, a section of Midgar's lights blinked out of existence. *Twelve o'clock*, Elena thought grimly to herself. Rude flicked on his night vision goggles and moved to the open entrance of the helicopter. Reno snuffed his cigarette beneath his boot.
Rude took his aim carefully and examined the scene before him.
"Four on the roof," Rude said quietly. Tseng nodded.
"Take the shoot."
In four quick snaps of the trigger, it was over. The security on the rooftop had been neutralized. With that, Rude quickly dissembled the riffle and put it back in its compartment. Elena felt a change in the helicopter's motion and realized that they were just hovering above the building now.
Each of the Turks stood and assembled at the helicopter's open doorway. Neither of the pilots looked over to wish them luck. It would not have been appropriate.
One after another, they hooked themselves to the rappelling line attached to the helicopter's body and slid down the fifteen-foot drop to the roof. Once they had hit the roof, they assembled briefly before setting off in their assigned groups. Reno and Rude reached the edge of the roof and then in a moment were gone, rappelling down to ground level. Elena looked at her watch. 12:01. *Nineteen minutes*, she thought. Then, she and Tseng both headed toward the exterior stairwell that lead into the compound.
Reno looked down at the sheer drop from the roof and felt his pulse quicken. He wasn't frightened though. He jabbed his rappelling line into the concrete side on the building and tugged it twice to make sure that it was secure. Then, he looked over at Rude and grinned.
He threw himself over the edge of the side and fell. He had always loved this. For a moment, it felt like you could fall forever until your line tightened and you bounced off the side of the building, flying again.
It was over far too quickly and Reno thumbed the release on the rappelling line. It sprang off its place at the roof and the device quickly ravelled up to its original compact form. The rope mechanisms were just one of the many marvels that Shin-ra had created especially for its Turks.
When Rude thumped down beside him and had secured his line as well, Reno gestured for quiet and motioned that they had to move around to the back of the building. That was where they were going to make their entrance.
Tseng paused at the foot of the stairwell and listened to the sounds coming from behind the closed door. It lead to the fifth and top level of the compound. The backup generator was located on the fourth and Harraway's office was on the third.
He gestured to Elena to come forward and mimed that he couldn't hear anyone beyond the door. That didn't mean that there wasn't anyone there though. She took a breath and nodded her assent. Quietly, Tseng pushed open the door to the fifth floor only to find the hallway deserted. He looked back at Elena who nodded once and they both made their way down the hallway, their guns at the ready.
Reno paused at the edge of the building. He could hear two men talking. He motioned to Rude to stay low.
"What the fuck's happened?"
"Don't worry. It's just the power. Fucking Reactor's prob'ly on the blitz 'gain."
"Fucking Shin-ra assholes."
"Yeah, well, the Boss's one step up on 'em. The generator'll kick in soon."
"Hey, that think it's them. . . what're they called, AVALANCHE guys again?"
"Na, didn't ya hear? Heard they all died when the Plate fell on 'em. Crash! Pancakes, ha?"
Both of the men chuckled a little. Sensing his opportunity, Reno darted out from his hiding place.
"The fuck?" one yelled.
Two tiny snaps sounded and both men crumbled. Reno walked forward and nudged one of the men in the ribs. It seemed he wasn't quite dead yet. Dispassionately, Reno lowered his gun again, this time hitting the man square in the head. He didn't twitch again.
"Come on, Rude." Reno hissed. They both ran into the compound.
Tseng paused at a door and tried its handle. It opened smoothly. He gestured to Elena to follow him in. The room seemed to be some sort of a storage locker.
"This is as good a place as any," Tseng whispered. Elena nodded. She walked forward to plant their charge and Tseng watched the hallway from the doorway. A tiny series of beeps sounded in the closet as Elena prepped the explosive. Tseng cast a glance at his watch. 12:04.
"Hurry up Elena," he whispered.
"Charge ready," she whispered back. She stashed the explosive in a box of old workers clothes.
"Let's go," she said quietly but Tseng held out his hand to her. She froze.
*How many*, she mimed to him.
He held up four fingers.
Rude stood up from the charge that he had just hidden in a waste paper basket. They were in a small office on the first floor.
"Done," he whispered. Suddenly, he looked up.
"What?" Reno whispered.
Rude held a finger to his lips and then Reno heard it too. Footsteps. And voices.
"That's right, two men dead at the back entrance."
There was a second voice but it was faint and distant. *A walkie- talkie*, Reno thought. The first voice was coming in clearer.
"No, I'm on the first floor. Just checking things out."
Reno and Rude moved soundlessly to the front of the room, Reno taking position behind the door and Rude crouched beside it. The footsteps were coming closer. They paused at the door.
*Shit*, Reno thought, and he readied himself.
"No, I don't know. It's just that. . ."
The man turned the doorknob and pushed open the door. He was shocked to find it slam back at him.
"Fuck!" he swore, dropping his walkie-talkie and fumbling for his gun. Rude was faster. He kicked it away from the man and then brought his hand down on the back of the man's neck. He crumbled in an instant. The two Turks took only long enough to pull the man completely into the room and close the door behind them before they were off to the second floor where their main target, the central computer room, was located.
Tseng's mind raced. He could hear the men coming closer. He considered their surroundings. If they were caught in this storage room, they were as good as dead. They were only about five meters from a junction between their hallway and another one. It was a longer route to reach the stairwell that lead to the fourth floor but they didn't have much choice. Making his decision quickly, he gestured back to Elena. *Follow and covering fire*, he mimed. She nodded.
Suddenly, both Turks darted out of the room, already firing. One of the men screamed and fell, clutching his leg. Elena hurled one of her small explosives at the group. It made a deafening noise and another man screamed. She could hear a man yelling orders but couldn't make out the words. She chased after Tseng, running with all her might.
They rounded the corner to the next hallway and ran down its length. A bullet flew past her head, making plaster fly as it collided with the wall. Swearing, she shot blindly behind her as she ran after Tseng.
There was another hallway coming up on their right and she dove into it after Tseng. She could hear the throbbing sound of gunfire above her. Tseng reached over her and threw something she didn't see. There was the sound of a small explosion and then men coughing. Smoke bomb.
"Come on," Tseng said, pulling Elena roughly to her feet. They ran to the door at the end of their hallway marked 'stairs'.
Reno swore under his breath when he felt the explosion that rocked one of the higher floors.
"So much for stealth," Reno muttered under his breath. He looked over at Rude.
"Come on, we gotta make it to that computer room."
Elena was panting softly when they reached the stairwell. She looked over at Tseng and was shocked to see him clutching his chest in pain. An angry red smear darkened much of his suit. Her eyes widened and she selected a cure materia from her bangle.
"Don't bother," Tseng said through gritted teeth. "The bullet's. . . still in the wound. Magic will only make it worse."
Elena nodded numbly but couldn't quite take her eyes off Tseng's wound. *There's so much blood*, she thought to herself.
Tseng pushed himself up off of the wall and gestured to Elena.
"Come on. We have to find the generator."
Rude held out a tiny glass mirror, barely more wide that his pinkie finger. He squinted at the image presented to him. He had the mirror angled to reveal to him what was waiting for them around the corner. He and Reno were in a hallway that connected to the main hallway that contained the computer matrix. As they had suspected, there were guards waiting for them. Obviously, they had been alerted by the commotion in the upper floors.
Rude snapped his mirror shut and looked back at Reno. He held up three fingers and Reno nodded. They weren't going to be able to take these men by surprise. Suddenly, he grinned. He pulled out a light green materia orb and a faint purple one from his bangle. Rude nodded. Reno edged forward to pass Rude. He needed to be able to see his targets to cast his spell. He closed his eyes, letting his awareness of the magic fill him. When he felt that he had reached the point where the magic fluttered almost tangibly before him, he moved forward in one smooth motion. His eyes took in the three men before him.
"Fire2, All."
In a flash, three raging fires sprang up. One of the men still managed to get off a shot though and Reno had to dodge back behind the cover of his wall. The moment he lost eye contact with his targets, the fires stopped burning.
Feeling slightly dizzy from the spell, Reno looked over at Rude. He could hear a man groaning. Rude nodded.
He stepped out from the protection of the wall offered him. Two blackened lumps remained on the floor but one was still moving slowly. Rude's eyes widened though when he saw two more men coming out from the computer room. He managed one shot before having to duck behind the wall again. In the corner of his eye, he saw one man recoil, clutching his chest. The side of his wall was suddenly pounded by an onslaught of bullets.
Rude turned to Reno only to notice then that his partner was no longer beside him. He frowned and wondered where the other man had gone. Then, the barrage against his hiding spot ceased. Rude waited a moment, but then he heard a familiar voice.
"What're ya waiting for Rude?"
Rude grinned a little as he walked around to meet Reno. Two men lay sprawled at his feet and he had his mag rod in hand.
"Distraction?" Rude asked. Reno grinned and nodded.
". . . You could've said something." Rude added.
"And ruin the surprise?" Reno chuckled. Then, he gestured to the door. "Come on. Let's finish this."
Rude nodded and they both headed into the room.
Elena and Tseng had reached the base of the stairs when they heard a door open above them.
"They followed us!" Elena said in alarm. From their position at the base of the stairs, they couldn't tell how many there were but they knew that they were up there. Tseng's eyes flicked down to his watch. 12:07. They didn't have time for this!
"Come on," he told Elena again and they both ran out onto the fourth floor. Tseng observed the hallway that they had just ran into: it split into a right and left direction. Suddenly though, he realized that he couldn't remember which way to turn from here.
"Left!" Elena cried. Tseng nodded and took off in that direction. As they ran, Elena lobbed something behind her and it sailed through the closing door. Another concussion shook the floor. They ran to the edge of the corridor and then took another left and then ran to another junction that lead them down a corridor to the right. They both skidded to a halt when they saw the two men standing at the end of the hallway. Tseng was the first to move. He snapped off one shot before one of the men had a chance to react. The other was faster though. He pulled off one shot, aimed right at Tseng.
"Barrier!" Elena screamed. To the man's amazement, the bullet that would've cost Tseng his life suddenly shuddered to a stop mid-air and then fell. Tseng moved before the man could overcome his shock and retaliated, letting two shots fly.
Elena suddenly spun around when she heard a noise behind her. She caught the man that had been trying to attack them with a shot in the shoulder. He stumbled backwards but then brought his weapon back up. Tseng's shot finished him and he fell backwards.
Both of them paused, waiting for some sound of pursuit but there was none. Suddenly, Tseng became aware of the pain in his chest again and he clutched his side. When he pulled back his hand, it was black from his own sticky blood.
Without glancing back at Elena, he headed down to the end of the hallway. The generator lay behind that door.
The main computer room consisted of several small workstations, some filling cabinets, a few dead surveillance cameras, and one large screen on the back wall. Reno glided over to a computer terminal and slid into a chair. He could hear Rude prepping their next charge. He pulled out a black box and attached it to the computer's power cord. Suddenly, the terminal whirred to life. Reno pulled out a floppy and rammed it into the computer's diskette drive. A message flashed up on the screen.
"Downloading!" Reno yelled over to Rude. The other man nodded and fiddled with the charge a little more.
"Charge ready," he said. He concealed the bomb beneath one of the workstations.
Reno watched a small bar fill up on the computer's screen. He looked down at his watch. 12:08.
"Come on," he muttered under his breath.
The generator room was mostly empty. A few blank computers huddled around a large, furnace-like apparatus. A few lights blinked on it, signs that the machine was readying itself to begin supplying energy to Harraway's compound. Tseng was fusing with their charge, preparing it to detonate. Elena watched his motions and tried not to wince at how his hands were shaking. Her face was creased in permanent worry though. Tseng's breath was coming in short, ragged gasps. Finally done, he looked up at her, a grim smile painting his face.
"Charge set."
Elena nodded and they both headed moved towards the door. Suddenly, there was a huge bang and then the distinct whirr of bullets.
"Shit!" Elena yelled and she dove back into the cover of the room, firing as she went. "There's gotta be at least six of them. There's not way that we can get out of here!"
She looked back at Tseng. There was sweat pooling on his forward and he was clutching the wound in his chest.
"What're we going to do?"
Tseng didn't respond. Elena yelled again.
"Tseng, what are we going to do?"
This time, his eyes darted around the room, searching for another exit. The door was the only way out though. He swore quietly under his breath. Then, his eyes widened.
"There!" he said, pointing at an exhaust vent on the back wall.
"Are you sure?" Elena asked. Tseng nodded.
"It's the only way out of here."
Elena nodded her consent and pulled out two of her small explosives.
"Got any more smoke bombs?" she asked.
Tseng tossed her one.
"Last one," he cautioned.
"I'll make it count."
Tseng moved off to the back of the room to try and pull of the vent's grate. Elena scurried back to the door again and let off a few rounds for good measure. Then, diving across the doorway, she threw out her two explosives, one in each direction of the hallway. The concussion from their blasts rocked the room and she could hear someone screaming. She tossed out Tseng's smoke bomb to give them some cover and she could hear the men start to cough.
Tseng had succeeded in tearing open the grate and was gesturing to her frantically to come. Elena couldn't hear what he was saying though; her ears were ringing from the force of her own explosions. She stumbled across the room to where Tseng was standing. He clasped his hands together to give her a boost up to the grate. Elena crawled inside and moved inwards. Tseng jumped up and was just barely able to grab the edge of the grate. She heard him hiss in pain again. Elena looked over her shoulder – the grate was far too cramped to turn around in – and saw Tseng pull himself up. He wiggled his way further into the grate as well and motioned Elena forward. That wasn't before she was able to see the black line that he was leaving behind him though.
Elena scrambled along on her elbows and knees. The sharp metal from the vent was digging into her painfully. They had to find some way out of this shaft. Otherwise, if their charge were to blow, they'd still be caught up in the explosive. Elena didn't have time to look at her watch but she felt the seconds ticking by too quickly.
Suddenly, she felt a shift in the air in the ventilation shaft.
"Tseng!" she called. "I think there's a way out."
"Good," he replied from behind her. Elena didn't like the way his voice sounded.
"Tseng?" she asked.
"Don't stop, Elena," Tseng admonished. Elena continued crawling forward. Then, she could see it; a grate that lead into another room.
"Tseng, hurry!" she called back to him.
Struggling forward, she wiggled down to the grate and forced it open. Awkwardly, she half crawled, half fell out of the confined space. She hit the hard concrete floor and winced at the painful impact. Then, she saw Tseng's dark form. He too tumbled free of the vent.
Wincing and panting, Tseng sat up and pulled out his watch. On one side, there was a large red button. He pushed it.
Reno stumbled forward as a huge explosion suddenly rocked the building. He looked at his watch. 12:09. Beneath the time, there was a small flashing message. *Charge detonated*. Reno snorted.
"Yeah, like I needed you to tell me that."
"What?" Rude asked.
"Nothing. Tseng's blown the generator."
A small ping sounded from his computer console.
"And the download's done."
"We're out?" Rude asked.
"Yeah, we gotta go."
Reno snatched the floppy disk and the power supply. Then, both of the men left the room and headed for the stairwell.
Elena coughed. There was a fine sheen of dust in the air. She pushed off a piece of debris that had fallen on her and winced a little when she breathed it. She wasn't hurt badly but she could certainly be very bruised tomorrow morning.
"Tseng?" Elena asked and then coughed again.
"Here," came the reply.
Elena stumbled over to when the voice had come from and shifted away some of the debris that had fallen after the explosion. Tseng was lying against the wall beneath the grate. She could hear a faint rattle in his breathing.
"Tseng?" she asked again. The older Turk nodded wearily. Most of him was covered in a fine grey powder but the wound in his chest was already darkening his clothing again. It just wouldn't stop bleeding.
Elena pulled off her jacket. She grabbed a twisted piece of scrap metal that had fallen from the ceiling and used it to cut her jacket into four large bandages. She helped Tseng lean forward and then tied them around the wound in his chest. He coughed and winced when she did so. Elena looked into his eyes. They looked very glazed.
"Can you stand?" she asked softly.
"I think so," he muttered.
Elena gave him her hand and Tseng hauled himself up slowly. He stumbled once and Elena had to catch him. She let him lean his arm across her shoulders and was shocked by how much weight he had to put on her.
"Tseng?" she asked again. Tseng shook his head wearily.
"This won't work Elena. We only have, what, ten minutes?"
"Nine."
Tseng swore quietly again.
"I'll slow you down too much. You have to finish the mission."
"Like Hell Tseng. If you think I'm just going to leave you here. . ." she trailed off, her threat hanging heavy between them. Tseng chuckled very softly and then hissed at the pain it caused in his chest.
"What do you suggest then, Elena?"
She could hear the sarcasm in his tone but ignored it.
"I think I know where we are," she said. "We must be. . . less than twenty meters from the stairwell. From there, we head to the third floor, kill Harraway, and set our last charge. Then, we leave."
"That's it?" Tseng asked. This time Elena chuckled.
"Yeah, that's it."
Tseng nodded wearily and then pushed himself away from Elena. For a moment, she thought that he was going to fall again but he surprised her and managed to stand by himself.
"Okay. . . let's go."
Reno and Rude hit the pavement at a dead run. Rude turned back and fired three quick shots behind him. He heard one man grunt and fall but there were still two more. Both he and Reno dove behind a parked car and winced as the bullets thudded into their steel barrier.
Both of them had made it to the first floor without incident but when they had been trying to make it out of the building, they had ran into three of Harraway's armed thugs. Now, they were pinned down on a side street in front of the building.
"Any ideas?" Reno yelled over the gunfire.
Rude looked down at his bangle. Magic wouldn't do them much good; there was no way that either of them could maintain eye contact long enough to cast a decent spell. Besides, they were both running purely on adrenaline now and they both knew it. There were only so many times that you could dive away from someone trying to shoot holes in you without showing the strain. Suddenly, Rude's eyes widened and he looked over at Reno. Reno, realizing what his partner was about to attempt, suddenly felt nauseous.
"That is a *bad* idea Rude."
"You have a better one?" he asked. He didn't.
Rude pulled out a brightly glowing green materia orb. It was a nearly mastered fire materia.
"Shit, be careful Rude."
Rude nodded. He slinked down onto his stomach to look where the men who were attacking them were positioned. Then, carefully as he could be, he rolled the materia towards them. The tiny green orb traveled towards the three unsuspecting men. When Rude saw that it was close enough to them, he shot the materia twice. The once flawless orb cracked under the pressure and a bright red light could suddenly be seen within. The men stopped shooting at Reno and Rude and suddenly noticed the tiny no-longer-green materia in front of them. The fracture along the materia's body grew until it cracked audibly. Then, a huge concussion of energy suddenly swept out of it, knocking Reno and Rude both to the ground.
"Shit!" Reno yelled as the incredible explosion rocked the area. Energy that had been forced into the materia's spherical form by an unimaginable amount of pressure was now released in all of its fury to decimate everything that it touched. Then, just as suddenly as the explosion had started, it stopped.
With a sense of trepidation, Reno uncovered his head. He could hear the sound of a broken water pipe pouring its contents into the streets but the bullets were no longer ringing.
"I'll be damned," he muttered. "It fucking worked."
He clapped Rude on the shoulder and his partner looked up at him. Both of them were covered in dust and they both had a few cuts from flying debris but they were otherwise unhurt.
"Let's get out of here," Reno said and Rude nodded. Both men stumbled off into a waiting alleyway. As they went, Reno keyed in a short message on his wristwatch. It was 12:13. He hoped that Elena and Tseng were all right.
Elena looked down at her watch were a tiny message was flashing beneath the time.
"Rude and Reno are out," she said.
"Good," Tseng replied.
They had made it to the stairwell and now had to find their way to Harraway's main office. There, they would be able to finish their mission.
When they made it out onto the hallway on the third floor, Elena was surprised to see how much damage their explosion had caused. Whole support beams seemed to have fallen from the ceiling and there was a fine layer of dust in the air.
"This way," she told Tseng, tugging him along by the sleeve of his jacket. They headed down the right junction of the hallway, and then walked until they came to one of the left. There, they turned again until they reached another junction on the right. Finally, they came face to face with the door to Harraway's office. The exterior looked deserted but Elena had the strong feeling that the man wouldn't be alone on the inside.
"What do you think?" she asked Tseng.
"I think he has some men with him on the inside." Tseng drew a shuddering breath.
"What should we do?" she asked.
"Do you have any of your explosives left?"
"Only one. How many rounds do you have?"
"Two. You?"
"One."
He nodded.
"All right. We move into position, break down the door, use your explosive to create confusion inside, and then we go in and take out as many as we can."
Elena nodded.
"Elena," Tseng said, looking her straight in the face. There was an intensity there that she rarely saw. "No matter what, one of us has to be able to detonate the rest of the charges. Understand?"
She nodded.
"Good."
Tseng checked his ammunition and Elena followed suit. She slipped her remaining explosive into her hand. She nodded when she was ready and both of them headed towards the door at the end of the hallway. They pressed themselves against the far wall and Tseng took aim at the glass of the office door. Two shots shattered the glass and Elena tossed her explosive inside. There was the sound of a large explosion and then suddenly they were both moving towards the entry. Elena rolled out of the way and felt Tseng do so as well but in another direction. In one fluid motion, she was on her feet and running for cover, firing all the way. There were three, no four other men in the room and a fifth lay dead close to the door. Elena dove behind a sofa in the corner of the room. Cotton fluff flew everywhere as it was suddenly beaten by a stream of bullets.
She leaned out and fired back, hitting one of her opponents in the chest. Three more. She heard one man cry out and surmised that Tseng had killed another one. Two more. She tried to move out again but was interceded by another barrage of fire. Another man cried out. Last one. Elena moved out from her shelter and her bullet caught the man in the leg. He fell down and her second shot took him right in the chest. He didn't move again afterwards.
Elena saw Tseng rise up from another corner of the room but he stumbled back to his knees as he did so. Elena crossed the distance between them in an instant. His breath was ragged now and the blood from his wound had completely soaked through her makeshift bandage. Elena raised Tseng's head to make him look at her. His eyes were glazed over from pain.
"Tseng?" she asked quietly, her voice sounding weak to her own ears.
"Harraway," he said through gritted teeth. She nodded.
Standing wearily, she left Tseng on his knees in the rubble. She could hear something coming from behind a huge oak desk cantered in the middle of the room. She kept her weapon at the ready as she moved forward cautiously.
Elena went to the back of the desk and her eyes widened at what she saw. Joseph Harraway, famed and feared throughout all of the slums, had his entire massive girth hidden beneath his desk. He was rocking back and force the way a small child might. His eyes were shut tight but a few tears leaked out from behind his eyelids.
"Please. . . please," he was whispering to himself over and over again.
"Joe Harraway?"
The man whined a little.
"Go away, please go away," he moaned.
"Harraway," Elena said with a strength in her voice that she didn't really feel she possessed. He opened his eyes at looked up at her, tears still sliding down his face. He sniffled loudly. Elena shook her head wearily.
"You should have known better."
The shot rang out hollow in the room and Harraway slumped forward onto the floor, he blood pooling around him.
Elena finally returned her weapon to her holster and walked back over to Tseng. She sat down beside him again. He had his head down and his breath was coming out in faint gasps.
Elena glanced down at her watch again. It was 12:17. There was no way that they would be able to make it all the way down to the first level with Tseng in this condition.
Elena looked around the large office room and frowned, looking at the huge windows that covered the right wall of the office. Harraway had obviously liked the view from the top.
"Tseng. . ." Elena said, nudging him gently. "Come on Tseng, get up. We have to go."
He nodded and tried to pull himself up but failed miserably. Elena felt her heart catch in her chest and she moved forward to help him to his feet. With her half-carrying him, they both moved to the huge windows. For the last time that night, Elena raised her gun. It took four shots before the glass shattered.
"Do you still have you rappelling line?" she asked him. Tseng nodded.
"Do you think you can manage it?" she asked. Tseng frowned.
"I'm. . . not sure."
"You're going to have to try, Tseng." Elena said the words soothingly but also with a commanding tone. Tseng nodded.
She helped him wrap his line around himself and anchor it to the ground. Then, she proceeded to do the same. At the window's edge, Elena paused to contemplate the sheer drop below her. She had never gotten completely used to this.
"Ready?" she asked. Tseng nodded.
"Ready."
Elena pushed off first and then Tseng followed her. It was a huge leap and it seemed to take forever for them to fall back towards the building. Elena hit the side of the building and with a practiced motion sprang back out almost instantly to start falling again. She was further down than Tseng and so was able to see his legs crumble at the impact. Instead of flying back out again, he simply started to drop.
"Tseng!" Elena screamed at him. If he didn't correct his fall he would. . .
"Tseng!" She knew it was foolish but she grabbed her rope, stopping her motion in mid swig. She screamed as the rope burned into her flesh and she was suddenly falling back towards the building at an incredible swig. She hit the building too hard for her legs to compensate and her knees buckled too but she kept a death grip on her rappelling line. She had to time this right.
As Tseng shot down past her, Elena suddenly reached out and . . . grabbed the shoulder of Tseng's jacket. She grunted at the sudden weight and her line shuddered with it.
"Tseng. . ." she said through gritted teeth. His eyes fluttered when he heard her voice and only then did she realize that he had passed out.
"Tseng!" she said again, more forcefully this time. His eyes widened and blinked several times. Then, his hand shot out and grasped hers. They were both dangling two floors above the ground. Elena knew that if she let go of Tseng, he'd be unable to story his own freefall. Gritting her teeth, she slowly let her rope slide through her hand. The material burned and then cut through her hand and she felt the rope growing slick from her own blood but she didn't let go. Slowly, she lowered both herself and Tseng down. After what seemed an eternity, she eventually felt the soft, loving touch of the ground beneath her feet.
She disconnected herself and Tseng from their lines and then placed his arm over her shoulder again. She led him a little bit away from the building and down a back alley. From there, she considered the scene in front of her and then checked her watch. 12:19.
"Right on time," she muttered.
Elena hit the small, red button on the side on her watch.
Reno saw a tiny red light flash in the corner of his watch. He too pushed a red button.
At 12:20, the power in the Sector Five slums returned. Then, in the bright glare of artificial lights, people stood in wonder at what once had been a veritable fortress now reduced to a pitiful smoking ruin.
Overhead and unnoticed, a small inconspicuous black helicopter flew back to the centre of the city.
~~~
Responses: Like I said, I'm really sorry to have taken so long to post. So. . . even though its been so long that you guys probably don't even remember what you said in your last reviews, here's some responses! Hee hee.
Heather Cat: Heh, lock and load indeed. Lots of Turks stuff in this chapter. Did it turn out okay? I glad that you liked the little introspective Elena moment at the start of chapter 7. That came out pretty randomly. I was half-tempted to make it a chapter in itself but I didn't much care for yet another introspective Elena chapter. Missions are much more fun, don't you think Heather Cat? *grins* Super Spy!
Jess Angel: Hmm, you've had similar thoughts about the book analogy? I must admit that it's been done before but, considering how important that stupid little book seems to be for my story, I figured that it was acceptable. Not much Tseng/Elena-ness in this chapter either! Don't worry though; it'll definitely come back. If it's not back by chapter 9, it'll certainly be back in chapter 10. Heh, I wonder if I'll manage to surprise you with what happens? *grins*