Chapter 13

Shadow was sitting in his office, looking into his computer.

We're almost there.

"I have the Doctor" Steiner was on the other side of Shadow's radio.

"Good I'll pick her up right now" Shadow got up and left the office.

He walked for a few seconds through the corridors then entered an elevator. He pressed the "Floor -1" button. He closed his eyes and concentrated. He opened his eyes when the doors opened. His vision was blurred. He began moving fast, it felt like he was flying just a few inches above the ground. He passed Snake in a doorway. He wouldn't bother with him now. Steiner would handle him. He went deep into the dark room and stopped next to Steiner.

"Here she is."

"Good. We need her to complete the process." Shadow picked Naomi and put her over his shoulder "Be careful with Snake"

"I will."

Shadow headed for the door again. He left the same way. Naomi didn't have time to call out as she couldn't see a thing. Shadow passed only a few inches away from Snake. He entered the elevator and the doors closed.

Steiner will kill him. He has never lost a battle.

Naomi could see again. Shadow pushed the "Research and Development Labs. – Floor 1" button.

Naomi looked at Shadow, his old face was ugly.

"Don't be frightened Doctor. We won't need you for much longer." Shadow grinned.

The elevator doors opened again. Three soldiers stood in the lobby.

"Take her to the lab. Make sure no one interrupts her." Shadow gave one last look at Naomi as the guards grabbed her.

"We shouldn't be doing this." Naomi yelled at him

"Now, now Doctor. Do not fail me." Shadow sounded threatening "You'll finish your job. The drugs will make sure of that."

"No. Please no." she fought the guards.

"Take her, and make sure she gets her dose."

Naomi was dragged by the guards.

Otacon walked for quite some time. The tunnel was getting steeper downwards. He hugged the wall. On the blueprints the tunnel wasn't very visible, but it was clear he had to use the rope at some point. After a few more feet he got to a vertical drop. He pointed the flashlight down but didn't saw the end.

This is it.

He took the rope from his shoulder. He pointed the flashlight in all directions trying to find something to tie the rope to. On his left side there was a strange looking pole. It seemed to go all the way down. He tied the one end of the rope there and threw the other down. He put the flashlight in his coat pocket.

He began going down slowly, using his legs against the wall, he didn't like heights especially those where you can't see the end. He took his time. The pole was still beside him. Then the rope seemed to end.

What the hell.

The rope was very long but it wasn't enough. He looked up and couldn't see the top. He went for the flashlight on his pocket and somehow lost his balance. His legs went off the wall. He grabbed the pole, but it was covered with some kind of oily substance. He slipped. He grabbed the rope but it was escaping from his hands. Then there was no more rope. He began falling. He was still a few feet above the ground. Has he hit the ground he lost his senses.

Meryl was cleaning Snake's bruised face with her balaclava.

Snake took out a few smokes he had in his equipment.

"Meryl, Naomi should be around here" Snake said handing Meryl the SOCOM.

"Naomi!" Meryl hadn't heard that name since Shadow Moses.

"Yes"

"Wasn't she the one tha…"

"Find her!" Snake interrupted

Meryl took her hand out of Snake's face and took the SOCOM. She started looking around the room, as Snake began smoking one of his smokeless cigarettes.

Meryl wandered through the room. It was very big.

"Naomi!" she yelled out.

She didn't find anyone.

"She's not here."

"What?" Snake was puzzled.

He had seen Steiner bringing her to this room. Snake got up and went near Meryl. He took his SOCOM out of her hand and surveyed the room. The SOCOM light was powerful enough to see to the end of the room. And yet there was no sign of Naomi.

Where could she be?

"What are you thinking about Snake?"

"Huh…nothing" Snake asked himself if that thing he had seen coming from the elevator entering the room and then leaving again had something to do with it.

"Maybe there's a secret room around here" Meryl suggested.

"I don't think so." Snake knew Steiner didn't have the time to put her in a secret room.

"She's not here." Snake looked into the dark.

Snake had to found Naomi. He needed a few questions answered.

"We should go Snake." Meryl was on her way out of the room. She picked Steiner's Glock, it didn't had the security measures like the others guns.

"I don't recognize the model." Snake said

"Neither do I, but it's better than this." Meryl threw her machine gun to the floor. Now she had a gun she could use.

She also saw Snake's knife.

"What about your knife Snake?"

"Leave it. Let's go." Snake headed out of the room.

"Wait up Snake" Meryl curved to reach into one of Steiner's pocket. She took out a little square key. "I saw him using it early. It can access all the floors."

Snake nodded and they left the room. Snake sat on a sofa.

"I've got to rest for a while."

"I'm sorry Snake." Meryl sounded regretful

"For what?"

"For leaving."

"Don't worry I forgot all about that."

"I didn't."

After the Shadow Moses incident Snake took Meryl to his house in Alaska. There wasn't much to do there, but at least they were safe. Then one day Snake woke up and found that Meryl was gone. A note on the door said it all.

"My uncle needs me. I don't know when I'll be back. Goodbye Snake."

After that Snake got contacted by Otacon and both created Philanthropy.

"We should talk about it."

Snake got up "Not now. We don't have time."

Snake reached for his ear. He called Raiden but the CODEC gave a "No Response" signal.

"The CODEC doesn't work here if the person you're trying to reach isn't on the same floor as you."

"What?" Snake sounded surprise

"I too have a CODEC. They seem to work that way below Floor 0. Some kind of shielding."

"How did you get a CODEC?"

"From my uncle. You see, I'm here on a mission"

"What mission?"

"To get proofs that a Metal Gear his being hidden on this facility"

"Metal Gear" Snake was surprised. But what Meryl said next shocked Snake.

"Yes, I work with my uncle in an anti-Metal Gear organization known as Philanthropy."

As the elevator doors closed Raiden turned. He had to stay inconspicuous. He headed for the back of the floor and waited. In the next few minutes, the elevator made a few stops. Raiden wondered if Snake would pull himself out of this one. He had to wait. The rest of the soldiers were talking, nothing relevant. Raiden looked towards the oriental woman.

She's the other Enforcer.

Her eyes turned towards Raiden. Raiden was afraid she could read minds, and looked away. After what felt like 15 minutes, Raiden heard a noise.

"Raiden."

It was his radio. He knew the voice on the other side. He picked it up and whispered

"Snake."

The radio spat back.

"How are you doing kid?"

Raiden didn't bother by Snake calling him kid. He was still alive and that's what mattered.

"I'm fine."

"Good. Listen. Stay back and stay down."

The elevator began moving down. The rest of the soldiers made no case of it.

"We're going up."

Raiden readied himself for what was about to happen.