Chapter 3. Assassin's Bible; A Good Plan Ensures a Good Job. A Bad Plan Ensures A Severe Headache and a Lack Of Certain Privileges. Breathing for Example.
Kirika squatted down outside the main gates of the Hellsing manor, like her partner she was pressed against a wall, hiding in the shadows to avoid being detected by the guard that was outside. The man was tired, cold and bored, and after only a few minutes he had stopped patrolling entirely in favour of sitting in his small hut. They sat still like that for perhaps twenty minutes before Mireille deemed it safe to proceed.
Crouching they quietly made their way past his small hut and through the smaller pedestrian gate next to the main one. Kirika kept her Beretta sighted on the man at all times lest he stir, but he sat still throughout, sipping his coffee and watching the small television.
They sprinted across the open ground of the compound, stopping at the main entrance to the barracks. This was the crucial part of the plan Kirika realised as Mireille stealthily entered. If this went wrong… There was a small tinkle followed by the sound of gas leaking, Mireille crept back out and firmly closed the door behind her.
"Let's go. We can't be sure the gas will keep them asleep all night." Kirika nodded and they both set off again, continuing that crouched run that would ruin most people's backs. Their training kept them supple, able to continue in the uncomfortable position with ease.
It was the work of but a second for Mireille to spring the lock on the main doors, a moment later and they were inside. Mireille crouching and covering one side and Kirika in the same position covering the other. As if they both naturally fitted into that position, and perhaps in some subconscious way they did.
"Kirika?" Mireille questioned, Kirika made a sound of recognition. "You know the plan?" Mireille asked needlessly. Kirika didn't even bother answering that. "Alright,… Kirika… don't die..-" She sounded like she wanted to say more, but before Kirika could question her she was gone, sprinting across the marbled floor and through the door that led down into the basement.
Dammit, she was going to say something. Kirika thought to herself frustrated, before she too sprang into action, heading instead up the stairs towards the main office. "Don't you die either Mireille. I couldn't live if you did." That was what Kirika wanted to say, but why couldn't she say it to Mireille?
In a small closed room on the main floor of the compound a Hellsing operative sat with his feet up on the monitors, silently drinking a steaming cup of cocoa. It was cold, damned cold, and his shift was over in just one more hour. Sighing to himself he gave the monitors a cursory glance, his hand holding the drink froze. Two monitors were down, basement one and four. Layouts of the camera positions in the basement flashed through his mind, the maps long memorised. The next one on the trail would be camera three. He watched it. A flicker of a figure and it went dead.
Captain Pip Bernadette swore angrily as he heard the high pitched siren's call spread throughout the barracks. The room was flashing red with the alarm light in each room, casting eerie shadows on the walls. Eerie however had long since lost the ability to frighten him, the everyday horrors of working at Hellsing, and being on first name terms with Alucard now holding that honour.
Throwing himself out of bed he struggled quickly into some combat trousers and pulled a t-shirt over his head. Grabbing a pistol he rammed it through the belt holding his trousers up and quickly stuffed his pockets with clips for it. Turning back he swiftly tied his eye patch over his missing eye and kicked his door open.
His shouts however fell mostly on deaf ears. The pulsating red light showed the gas spreading through the chamber easily. Already almost everyone had succumbed to it, even though the alarm was frying his ears, everyone else was still in bed. Rushing back into his room he grabbed his gasmask, a souvenir from a war long past, and slapped it over his mouth.
As he looked around he realised others had noticed the gas before it could reach them and donned masks, all told he had about six men.
"Right Lads!" He shouted through the mask, "Letz go!"
Seras heard the first shot before even the siren started. For a moment she couldn't be sure what it was. Was some rookie training? Was Alucard testing his guns? Had Integra finally had enough of his irritating quips? But the alarm siren sounding throughout the compound soon dispelled her doubts. Looking around frantically she searched for a weapon, the massive figure of the Harkonnen loomed in the corner of her room. No way! She thought to herself, Integra would go batty if I used that indoors. And I'd be just as likely to bring the roof down. Promising after this she'd have Walter make her a pistol Seras unbolted her door and ran outside.
Straight into a running blonde woman.
Mireille didn't see the heavy metal door swing open until it was too late, the girl she recognised from the previous day came hurtling out and straight into Mireille. They collided heavily, Mireille going sprawling even as the girl was trampled down.
As fast as Mireille recovered, the girl was quicker, with a speed to rival Kirika she leapt from the floor and knocked Mireille's gun arm aside before she could shoot. Mireille gasped as her stomach was struck with incredible force, enough to send her flying backwards. Luckily she had kept hold of her gun.
BANG-BANG!
Two shots exploded from her P99 even as she flew through the air, both took her target in the chest, knocking the small blonde backwards with incredible force. She was left sprawling on the floor as blood slowly seeped out of two holes in her chest.
Sighing sadly at the pathetic sight before her Mireille ran on, shooting another camera out as she passed it, still heading deeper into the basement.
Kirika heard the sounds of feet clapping against the marble floor of the main hall. She opened her eyes slowly and silently ran further down the corridor. She could still hear them, five to eight people, they were heading up the stairs where she had gone. Evidently they were more disciplined than Mireille had bargained for. Instead of following the obvious trail into the basement they were remembering orders and defending the head. This was the only way to and away from the main office after all.
Letting out a quiet breath she mumbled a prayer for them. The sounds of feet approaching were getting nearer. Suddenly they stopped, one set approached further on. Kirika wasn't pleased. They were good, they had sensed the danger and sent one to scout. They were very good.
Pressing the hard metal of the Beretta against her forehead she focused on controlling her breathing, and excluding all sound but for that of the approaching man's footsteps. Seven, six, five feet away from her hiding place behind the corner of a turn in the corridor. Four, three…
She registered surprise on the man's face as she fell out from her cover less than two feet away from him, before he could even shout a warning three bullets ripped into his chest and four more screamed down the corridor. Pulling herself back into cover she released her empty clip and snapped another one into place. From the sounds of it her hopeful shots hadn't managed to get anyone else. She could hear someone barking orders as men rushed to open doors or knock things down to use as makeshift cover.
Spinning out of cover Kirika took a moment to note where each person was before she let fire on the more open opponents. Bullets whizzed by her as she shot three of her own towards one man standing behind a door. However she was thwarted by the sound of bullets screaming off metal, announcing that the door was not made of the cheap wood she had expected, but reinforced with steel.
Staying behind cover she let them use up some more rounds before she showed herself again, this time simply to fire a screening cover to stop anyone from advancing. She needed time to think this through. Sitting back against the wall Kirika contemplated what this could mean. If the soldiers were attacking her did that mean Mireille was wasting her time downstairs? Or was it a sign that they had men down there.
Deciding to break silence Kirika pressed the small button on her collar, connected to a small speaker below her mouth she spoke into it in Japanese.
"Mireille. They are not following you. I'm pinned on the second floor corridor." She let go of the button and let out a long sigh.
"Alright, I'll start backtracking. You finish the job and I'll hit them from behind. Good luck." Kirika nodded and readied herself to break. A loud high pitched sound followed by chips of wood being blown away near her head announced that they had brought a sharpshooter with them. Great.
Kirika threw herself from the wall and charged down the corridor away from them, with any luck they would take some time before investigating her position. She could hope anyway.
"Pip!" A female voice called. Pip didn't even bother to turn knowing who it was, he stood out of cover and took aim with his colt, focusing on the wall where the assassin's head should be. Pulling the trigger he shot whilst breathing out. The shot was good, smashing through the wood where he had aimed. However there was no sound of a body hitting the ground.
"Shit. Hey Seras. Give uz an 'and here." He shouted, the young officer was beside him in an instant pressed into the cover next to him. She had a pistol from one of his men in her hand and was putting more clips into her pockets. Pip noticed two holes in her clothing, both on her left breast, the cloth around it was covered with dried blood.
"Who Got you?" He asked. She looked down at her exposed skin for a moment before deciding there was nothing she could do about it.
"There's another one in the basement. Tall blonde and very accurate." Pip smiled despite himself, listening for any sounds he motioned his men forwards. These were his men, of the wild geese, they obeyed his command instantly, abandoning cover and racing to the end of the corridor. Pip and Seras were a moment behind.
"Right. You all hold 'ere, don't let him past. Me an' officer Seras will go ahead." He caught the affirmatives as they took up positions of strategical importance in the corridor.
"Pip. Stay behind me, I'll go ahead." Seras warned him quietly as they rushed forwards. As ordered Pip fell back slightly and let the vampire take the lead.
"Worried for my safety?" He asked teasingly, "I'm touched." Seras snarled at him and he laughed.
"You're touched in the head, now shut up." She replied angrily. "French pillock." Pulling her gun out she cocked it and switched off the safety as they slowed their sprint forwards.
"I can sense someone… But I can't hear them, or smell them. No sweat or fear to go by. Strange." Pip edged forwards, he didn't need vampiric abilities to know they were being watched, he could feel it just as much. It was the tingling in his back, the screaming in his mind, and the intense desire to find some cover. His instincts were strong. Seras walked ahead as Pip checked everywhere for hidden enemies.
"Someone's near, very- Ackk-" Pip span around at Seras' choked off cry. His trained eye took in all the detail in one split second. Seras was falling, her head twisted at an unnatural angle, a small body had fallen to the floor and raised it's gun, even as Pip's instincts responded throwing himself to the side and snapping shots off at the figure. The shots went wide but forced the assassin to retreat behind cover.
Angrily Pip smashed another clip into his Colt before throwing himself out of cover and blasting away at the cover he knew the figure to be behind. It was now or never, Sir Integra's door was scant metres away, if he didn't stop him…
Pip's foot bumped into Seras' recumbent form and he squatted down behind an open door, dragging her form behind it. Quickly reloading his gun he looked around the corner. The door was open. SHIT!
She's not going to thank me for this… Pip thought even as he grasped Seras' head between his hands and twisted violently. Bone snapped again as the head realigned with the rest of her body. Searching her clothing he found what he was after, a small metal whiskey container he knew not to hold whiskey, (He had teasingly stole it from her and taken a swig a few days ago). Unscrewing the cap he held it to her lips.
Mireille was tired and angry. Nothing had gone to plan. The guards hadn't followed her into the basement, the enemy had Kirika pinned down. And now she was lost. It had seemed such an easy concept, just follow her original trail, but in the dark dank basement with it's flickering dim lights and colourless walls she soon realised that she had stepped into a maze.
Even now with two directions to choose from she didn't know which to take. She could just imagine the scolding she would receive later from Kirika. She refused to think that there might not be a later with Kirika. No, she would survive this, like any other job they would survive, take the pay and get back to a semblance of normal life again.
Walking down another dank corridor she slowed her steps before rounding the next corner. She could feel that someone was there. She was sure of it. Her instincts had been honed to razor sharpness in her life as an assassin, and she could tell that someone awaited her round the corner. Releasing her half-empty clip Mireille snapped another full one into her Walther P99. Sixteen shots in the clip, one chambered. More than enough to deal with any guards.
She rounded the corner.
Perhaps fifty metres ahead of her was a sight that almost made her laugh. A royal looking high backed chair with plush red felt on it sat next to a small table with a bottle of red wine on it. Sitting in the chair with his legs crossed was the badly dressed bodyguard their information had spied.
"It's about time." He remarked in a deep and amused voice. "My master requires that you be taken alive. But that doesn't mean we can't have some fun now does it?" Mireille leaned close to the wall, edging forwards without appearing to, she sighted her gun on his head.
"It just means that I can't use my guns." He went on, opening his jacket and showing her the empty holsters. Mireille did laugh then.
"You're very confident. But from my point of view, the odds all seem in my favour." She replied, wondering why she was talking to him at all.
"Ahh yes, one half of Noir. One of the maidens. How truly frightening." Mireille swore inwardly, so they knew. How did they know. That meant they knew about Kirika too. "And the reason the odds seem in your favour. Is because you are only looking from your point of view." Mireille fired.
The bullet was a perfect shot, taking him low in the forehead, smashing his glasses and knocking his head back. His wide brimmed hat floated to the floor. Mireille shook her head for a moment before turning around. This was obviously the wrong way.
"Leaving so soon?" Mireille froze on the spot.
Okay, this chapter was very short, but for some reason I decided to split up a perfectly sized single chapter into two small ones. Don't ask me why, I'm just stupid. Also, the reason there is no paragraphing is because my computer was beig irritating. Sorry, I'll do better in future.