Chapter 15

Ocelot was sitting behind his desk looking at his computer screen. It showed two men and a woman talking. It was another of Ocelot's secret cameras, only he had access to them.

"We're almost there Snake. Almost there." Ocelot said with a British accent.

He raised his hand to his head. He began hearing voices in his head.

Get out of my mind Liquid.

"I don't think so" the British accent was more accentuated

This is my body.

"Not anymore Ocelot."

Noooooooooo

"Soon we will fight brother." Ocelot smiled.

Snake didn't found strange that Meryl knew nothing about The Patriots. Sometimes even he wished he had never heard of them.

"Well, you see…"

Raiden began talking. Snake knew they didn't have much time to waste on these matters so he interrupted.

"I'll give you the short version."

Raiden stopped talking.

"By what we know so far it seems that the Patriots are the ones that control the United States."

"Control!" Meryl was surprised

"Yes. In some manner they control what you read, see and hear. They control every aspect of the United States."

"That's impossible." Meryl thought Snake was joking.

"I thought so too. But I've been proven wrong. That tanker incident four years ago was caused by the Patriots. They pinned the oil spill on me and Otacon, and erected the Big Shell."

"That thing that was above Arsenal Gear?" Meryl asked

After the incident at the Federal Hall two years ago. The Patriots made sure the press knew that the incident had been a terrorist action led by former members of the Navy SEAL's special anti-terrorist training squad, "Dead Cell". They fed the public the story that Dead Cell kidnapped President James Johnson and the former President George Sears and that they had a nuclear weapon pointed at New York. The Patriots told the public that Dead Cell pushed the US government into giving them thirty billion dollars. They also said that Dead Cell developed Arsenal Gear and the Metal Gear Ray. In result the story that Dead Cell killed President James Johnson, the corpse of Ex-President George Sears standing beside the statue of George Washington near Federal Hall, the crash of Arsenal Gear into New York and the elimination of the Dead Cell members, brought together the people of the United States leading them to believe anything that the Government said. Soon the United States were stronger than ever before and the Patriots were still just mere fiction.

"Yes. That thing above Arsenal Gear." Snake responded

"The story they gave the public was a lie!" Raiden was a bit exalted.

"I don't believe it!" Meryl bowed her head.

Snake continued.

"After that Otacon and I found who the Patriots were."

"Were?" Meryl was even more confused

"They were already dead. All twelve of them, it had happened about hundred years ago."

Meryl didn't say anything, her face was livid.

"We also found out that one of The Patriots contributed for Philanthropy."

"What!" Meryl looked at Snake

Raiden was hearing this for the first time.

"It surprised me too. After that Otacon and I separated ourselves with the rest of Philanthropy. We were going to destroy anything that had to do with Metal Gear without anyone's help."

Meryl's face was sad.

"Anyway we're not sure that Philanthropy is being controlled by the Patriots."

Meryl took a few seconds to grasp the entire situation, but she knew she couldn't over analyze things. She had mission to accomplish and she couldn't have doubts about it. She pulled herself together.

"What about you." Meryl pointed at Raiden

"He's a long story, a story for which we don't have time. We need to get a move on"

"Where are we going Snake?" Raiden asked

"You two go find Rose."

"What about you?" Meryl asked

"I've got to find Naomi."

"Who?" Raiden asked

"That's another long story" Snake headed for a dead soldier's body and grabbed his radio.

Meryl took Snake's example and forgot all about the Patriots. Once she had the time she would pursue it, but not now.

"The other Enforcer escaped." Raiden blurted out "It was my fault"

"Don't worry. They already know we're here. We just have to keep moving and stay out of the enemy's sight. What's the radio frequency Meryl?"

"It's 140.15"

"Alright, go you two."

Raiden and Meryl headed towards the elevator. Meryl grabbed a balaclava from one of the bodies from the ground. Meryl turned her head to look at Snake.

I won't lose you again Snake.

The elevator doors were still open.

"Where will you go Snake?" Meryl asked

"I'll check out the research floor."

Raiden and Meryl entered the elevator.

"Where are we headed?" Raiden asked

"Well the detention block is on the last floor. Floor -3."

"Where was I before?"

"You were in Floor -2. That's the offices, they have a few detention rooms there, but when I saw the black haired woman the soldiers were taking her to Floor -3"

Raiden hadn't picked up on it before, but Rose's hair wasn't black or at least it wasn't the last time they saw each other. Yet somehow Raiden knew the woman Meryl was talking about was Rose.

"Then let's go. Good luck Snake" Raiden gave a salute to Snake as the doors were closing.

"When you find her go up to Otacon and get out of here, you won't get him on the CODEC because of the storm. Don't wait for me." Snake said as the doors were almost shut.

The doors closed. Raiden didn't have the time to disagree.

I won't leave you here Snake.

Meryl used the square key she got from Steiner and inserted in the slot next to Floor -3.

"Put this on Raiden." She handed Raiden the balaclava she had picked up.

"Don't you need it?"

"No I've got a plan. Put this one on"

Raiden dropped the one he had on his hand and grabbed Meryl's. It had a red square in the front. Meryl was taking off the soldier's uniform.

"I don't understand?"

"That balaclava means you're a ranking officer. You'll take me as your prisoner. This way we can get to the detention block without a sweat."

Raiden was beginning to like Meryl, she was resourceful.

"Nice plan."

Meryl nodded. She turned the little square key and pushed the Floor -3 button. They were going down.

Shadow was walking back and forth. Steiner still hadn't reported in.

What's taking him so long?

Shadow was observing Naomi as she typed fervently on the keyboard.

Yes, hurry.

The drugs were working like a charm.

After a few minutes Shadow's radio came to life

"It is me." the voice on the other side was incredibly sweet

"What is it, Lyla? Has Steiner reported in?"

"Steiner is dead." Lyla conveyed no emotion with her voice.

"What! Impossible, Snake couldn't have defeated him."

"I am looking at him. He is dead." Lyla paused "The man with the blonde hair is looking for a woman."

"What woman?"

"I did not have time to be sure."

"Dammit." Shadow was furious

"I do not know what the other two want."

"Two?"

"Yes, a man and a woman."

Shadow remembered that when he went to pick Dr. Naomi a soldier stood in the floor next to the elevator. He had thought that Snake had shoot him, but now he suspected that maybe it was the woman Lyla was talking about.

"Very good information Lyla. Where are you now?"

"Floor -1. I took the vent that the man used to escape."

"Very good, I want you to go to Floor -3 and guard the other elevator. I've got Vamp guarding him."

"Yes, Shadow."

Shadow tuned the radio to a different frequency.

"Call the men in Floor 0. I want them to secure the Research floor." Shadow was going to play it safe. He couldn't let anything happen now that they were so close.

"Yes sir."

He tuned the radio again.

"Ocelot can you hear me?"

"Yes"

"Snake killed Steiner."

"That doesn't surprise me."

"It seems we have quite a few intruders."

"I've told you that he is not to be trusted."

"Who? Vamp?"

"Yes. Maybe it was him that brought the intruders here."

"That's easy to say without proof."

"I'll get you proof then."

"Very well, but that's not why I called you, I want to come up here and take Dr. Naomi when she's finished her job to Floor -4. I'm going there now."

"Take her to him?"

"Yes."

"Very well."

Ocelot ended the conversation with a smile on his face.