Chapter 16

Snake was waiting for the elevator to arrive at Floor -3 so he could use it.

"Attention." His radio was shouting "All men in Floor 0 head for the Research Floor and secure it. I repeat. All men in Floor 0 head for the Research Floor and secure it."

Snake was right. Naomi was on the Research Floor and that meant the strange thing that he had seen before fighting Steiner had something to do with it.

The elevator had stopped. Snake was going for the call button when the elevator began to move again. It seemed to stop on the floor below.

The other Enforcer.

The elevator went down again. After it stopped Snake waited a few seconds before calling it, waiting to see what happened. He pushed the call button. He had his SOCOM ready just in case. The elevator stopped and the doors opened. There was nothing there. He entered and pushed the "Research and Development Labs. – Floor 1" button.

Raiden and Meryl got to Floor -3 without a hitch. As the elevator doors opened Raiden could see that this floor was very different from the others. The walls seemed old unlike the rest of the floors. The corridors were very wide and the ceiling was high. They were a couple of soldiers roaming the place.

"This is it." Meryl was a little apprehensive "I've never been here, so I don't know this place."

Snake should be here. The Soliton radar that Snake used would have come in handy Raiden thought.

"We'll manage." Raiden was optimistic nonetheless.

They turned left to the first corridor. They didn't know where they were going. Meryl was in front of Raiden. He was grabbing her arms to make the impression she was handcuffed. Near a cross in the corridor they stopped, wondering which way they should go.

"Where to?" Raiden asked.

"I have no idea. Maybe…"

"Sir." A soldier had just appeared saluting beside Raiden.

Raiden improvised.

"Carry on trooper."

"Yes sir."

Meryl gave a quick look at Raiden.

"Huh…Can you tell me where the detention block is?" Raiden got the idea.

"Sir, yes sir. You just have to follow the arrows ahead.

Raiden and Meryl looked ahead and felt stupid. A few large arrows painted on the walls were pointing to several locations on this floor.

"Thank you." Raiden walked towards the arrows. "We have to go straight."

"Look." Meryl used her head to point at an arrow.

It said "Elevator" but it pointed the opposite way of the elevator that Raiden and Meryl had used.

"That's weird." Raiden said.

"What do you think it means?"

"I don't know. Anyway we don't have time for this." Raiden's thoughts were all about finding Rose.

The elevator only took a few seconds to reach the Research Floor. Snake was ready in case any soldiers were on the lookout. The Soliton radar took only a few seconds to map out the entire floor. In front of the elevator several boxes were piled up. The left part of the floor had a series of laboratories as did the right side. He noticed a soldier near the opposite of him. He hid himself behind a stack of boxes.

Snake decided to go left. He went slowly watching his step. He could see several rooms. The doors were black iron, with a very small window. He didn't find Naomi in the left part of the Floor. He headed right.

As Lyla left the elevator in Floor -3 she sensed something, a presence of a man.

You again.

Lyla found a soldier and questioned him.

"Have you seen someone walking through here with a woman?"

"Yes ma'am" the soldier was a bit afraid, he was talking to an Enforcer.

"Where were they going?"

"To the detention block ma'am."

Lyla turned her head in the direction of the detention block.

I'll find you.

She began walking.

"Is everything alright ma'am?"

"I am going there too. When Shadow arrives tell him I went hunting for the intruders. Got it?"

"Yes." the soldier saluted as Lyla walked away.

Raiden and Meryl walked for a few minutes. This floor was much bigger that all of the others. Then they reached a double door.

"Detention Block" a sign said above the door.

"This is it"

"Yes. Remember to treat me like a prisoner. You have to make sure you take me directly into the cell."

"Okay." Raiden was apprehensive. "Here we go"

The double door opened, on the right stood a desk and a soldier behind it. On the left another door, this one had a security measure. A security card was needed to open it.

This is it.

"Move it!" Raiden pushed Meryl.

The soldier behind the desk got up.

"May I help you sir?"

"Yes you can. You can start by opening that door so I can lock up this…woman."

Meryl thought Raiden was doing great.

"Sir I haven't received any information about a prisoner."

"Of course you haven't. I've caught her snooping around here just now."

"Oh…huh…this has never happened before."

"Look son." Raiden was roughing up his voice "I'm your ranking officer and if you don't want to spend your vacations in a cell I suggest you let me in so I can put her in one."

The soldier was frightened.

"Very well sir. I'll open it right up."

The soldier left the desk and neared the door. He took out a security card and passed through the card reader near the door. The door unlocked and the soldier opened it up for Meryl and Raiden.

"It's the door on the right at the end of the corridor."

"Thank you." Raiden pushed Meryl again "Good job son."

The soldier locked the door behind them.

"How was that? Do you think he suspects anything?"

"No. That was good." Meryl said "Very convincing"

They headed towards the door at the end of the corridor.

Snake continued to check the Research floor for Naomi. The floor only had three soldiers patrolling. Snake found another room and another door. Snake could see Naomi through the door window. She was sitting on a desk pushing the keys on the keyboard feverishly.

He also saw a man. An old man, his face was full of wrinkles. He was wearing some kind of lab coat. He watched as the man reached for his radio.

"As the backup arrived yet" Snake could hear everything inside the room.

"No sir." Snake also heard the soldier. He was on the other end of the floor near the elevator.

"Dammit. What's taking them so long, try to reach them?"

"Yes sir."

Snake knew they wouldn't respond. They were all dead.

"You seem to become more resistant to the drugs." Shadow replied as Naomi stopped pushing the keys.

"He won't survive." Naomi's voice was calm

"I'll be the judge of that. Just finish the job." Naomi resumed her work.

"Sir, they don't respond." Snake heard the soldier near the elevator.

"Very well, get your men here. I want you to guard her until Ocelot arrives." Snake's face became more alert. Ocelot was coming here.

"Yes sir." the soldiers would arrive near the door soon, Snake had to hide.

Shadow tuned the radio.

"Attention all personnel" Shadow's voice could be heard all across the floor.

Snake looked up and saw speakers. He guessed that all the floors had them.

"This is an emergency. There are intruders in the facility, they maybe be using our own equipment. I want all soldiers to inspect suspicious personnel."

Snake thought about Raiden and Meryl.

The soldiers were getting near the room and Shadow was coming out of it. Snake ducked behind a stack of boxes.

Shadow left the room.

"Guard her with your life."

"Yes sir" the soldiers responded in unison.

Shadow went for the elevator.

Snake watched as the soldiers took their positions, two inside and one just outside the door.

I've got to find a way in.