Noble Death
Moving quickly Cat soon got herself to the correct city and went about the long and expensive task of pumping people for information, finally hitting paid dirt when one of her old informants sent her in the direction of Michael Sullivan. A man who owned a nearby pub he was reported to be one of the finest cat burglars and spies of that century though he apparently claimed to be retired. In other words exactly the sort one would want to hire to check out a top secret security system. As useless chit chat wasn't her forte by any stretch of the word Cat got down to the point, finding his button in the fact that there was children involved. Mr. Sullivan had a young daughter of his own and when Cat described what the terrorists planned to do with the innocent, young, and helpless girls who'd been taken he actually paled.
"It's Christmas, Christmas for Christ sakes." Michael groused, rubbing his hands over his face, disgust plain in his voice. A man of average height and weight he had dark auburn hair with silver at the temples, a fit middle aged man with the delicate hands of a classic pianist. He'd made his fortune with what his hands could open and close for him. "What sort of men do such things at this time of year, I ask ya. I can tell you monsters would be a better word from where I'm sitting."
"Exactly. Now I know you're retired but security systems has not now nor will it ever be my thing. They've got a friend of mine and the sisters of one of the best friends I've ever had. I'm going to get them out of there if it kills me and it seems to me you'd be the best one to ask for help even though there's nothing I hate worse. Even if you know nothing about the security in this building a man like you, you'd have kept up with the latest upgrades and such. Odds are very high you'd know how to handle anything that they threw at us." Cat said as she cupped her hands around her drink, too wired to drink. She wanted to force him to help her but that wasn't going to work so she was stuck asking. God but she hated being polite..
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"You're a smart, lass. I'll give ya that." Michael said with a considering look. He had no need or wish to get out of retirement and if he were to get that idea into his head it certainly wouldn't be with some sassy hellion as his partner. He'd always worked alone and that's how he'd liked it and stayed alive this long. But how could he look his own daughter in the eyes, knowing that he'd refused to stand up and help someone that in all likelihood could only be helped by himself. That lives had been at stake, innocent lives and he'd backed down. He'd never taken a life in his entire career, turning his back on this girl and the people she was after to save, well it would be as big a crime. Besides that, this was his chance to do something, however small to get in a punch for Dash. "A while back a friend of mine was visiting me by the name of Dash Jackson. A smart alec ass he was but a good friend as well as a skilled colleague. While he was visiting some men came by and tried to offer me a fair amount of money to come off with them to do some security work for them, the sort you were asking about. I told them no, didn't like the look of them but Dash came forward, offered his services. Always thought he could handle anything, did Dash. So he went off and when he didn't come back after a week and a half I started to worry, my gut saying that he'd gotten over his head with those thugs. Then I get a call from a nearby hospital, saying that Dash was there and shot ta hell. Literally. They'd unloaded at least two dozen bullets into him and by all rights he should've been dead then and there. But Dash, ever the stubborn one was able to drag his sorry ass to a road where some tourist found him, took him to the hospital. He told me on his death bed that he'd been taken to a compound, been told to test the security there. He got through it though it wasn't easy and gave them suggestions to improve it, did quite a bit of it himself. But Dash, being Dash was his usual idiot self and decided to put a hole in the security, one he could slide through easily enough if he ever wanted to make some more money off the place. After he deemed the security as good as he could make it they tried to finish him off, making sure that he could never tell anyone about it I'd imagine. They held him at gun point in front of a pit and then shot him into it. He told me there were a dozen other bodies in it, one of the others he recognized as a fellow thief he'd know years ago. I guess they'd been collecting us for a while to put us like rats through a maze before turning us into human Swiss cheese." Michael said bitterly before meeting her gaze, his eyes sharp and cold. "But I'm better then Dash Jackson ever was and I know exactly what sort of hole he liked to make. I also know where he was found. In his condition..he couldn't have crawled far."
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As it happened Dash had had a cousin who just happened to be a pilot and since they were going to screw with the people who'd killed his cousin he was more then willing to help. And after all, given the low chance of survival and high chances of death and possible torture any normal person would have called them crazy and shown them the door damn fast. The pilot was a smuggler by profession too which meant he was used to getting in and out of places he wasn't supposed to be in. Since things seemed to be going pretty good Cat was becoming more and more convinced that they were going to fail but thoughts of her boys pushed her forward. She couldn't fail, she wouldn't fail them when they needed her the most. Taking a rental car up to the spot where Jackson had been found the two set off to hike into the wilderness, hoping that they would find some clue as to where the snake's lair was hidden. It took two hours of searching before they stumbled upon it having passed it a couple times due to how well it blended in with its surroundings. That and it was smaller then they'd originally thought. But that was to their advantage since it meant less places to search and less people there to cause them problems. Heading back after several hours of surveillance they made more plans and phone calls, got their gear then headed back with the intent this time to not come back empty handed.
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Hiking up to one of the watch towers Cat quickly knocked out the two guards there and hid them in the concealing foliage. Taking their places Cat and Michael waited for the shift change, the new guards too busy complaining about being out in the heat to even give Cat and Michael the once over. They simply assumed that the other guards had paid the two to take the shift since no one in their right mind wanted to be out in this humid weather. Handing over the watch Michael and Cat strolled in, using the two incapacitated guards' passkeys to enter the building without a hitch. No one questioned and for that Cat was thankful. She'd rather save the head bashing until they were inside and out from under prying eyes. Finding their way around they simply kept their ears open, knowing that asking directions would only raise suspicion. Hearing someone named Max bitching about how hot it was in the control room Cat and Michael soundless followed after the man as he tried to juggle two cans of pop in one hand while guzzling down the contents of another. When he was reaching out to open the control room's door Michael grabbed him from behind and bashed the guy's head into a wall before opening a nearby door labeled furnace room. "In this heat, I don't think anyone's going down there for a while." Michael said with a smirk as he threw the man down the stairs, closing it with a slight bang. "Give me those pops and wait here." Taking them from her he pasted on a welcoming smile and opening the door walked in like he was allowed. "Excuse me, I'm just here to drop these off for Max." Michael said as he held them up seeing as he had three armed guards and two techs looking at him wearily, looking like they were just itching to pump him full of hot lead.
"Where the hell is Max?" One of them, a thin, very geeky looking guy wanted to know.
"I don't know. He was looking really pale and sweaty, he passed by me on my way in and asked me to bring these in. I don't know where the hell he was going." Michael said with a shrug. "Oh and I dropped them when I was going for the door, some ass holes weren't watching where they were going. You'll want to let them sit for a minute or two."
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"Oh. Thanks." The tech said, appreciating the fact that the guy would warn them. Most of the tough soldier levels liked to pick on them, like they were such a big deal. Too stupid to realize that without their computer experts they'd be nothing but brainless Neanderthals. the tech thought darkly. "Those are Raul and mine by the way." He added, motioning to the other tech, his manner almost welcoming now.
"Then here you go." Michael said as he walked forward and handed the pops over, his eyes quickly scanning the screens, narrowing in on the only one that interested him. "So those hostages behaving for you guys?"
"Bitchy little hellions." The one named Raul groused bad temperedly as he took his pop from Shawn. "We should have never taken them, especially now with all the other things we need to work on. Killing them will mean Preventers won't stop hunting us until we're all dead."
Whacking Raul upside the head the other tech glared. "Watch your tongue."
"Plus with security like there is here, there isn't much for you to worry about." Michael added kindly.
"Do you really think they'll meet the demands?" Raul demanded to know, running a nervous hand through his thinning hair. "Of course they won't and then we'll have to kill them. All our recent big plans have been ruined by Preventers and that was before we made it personal! And security? Sure the Pyramid system is the best money can buy but that won't help much if they stomped us to pieces with Gundams!"
"You'll watch you're tongue like he said or one of us will cut it out, geek." One of the guard's warned in a harsh tone before turning his eyes to Michael. "You've delivered the pops now get the hell out. You aren't authorized to be in here."
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"Geez, you're welcome." Michael said in an annoyed tone before stomping out to find Cat impatiently waiting. "We have a slight problem. The kid's leg is in a cast."
"Mariemaia's?" Cat demanded to know, her eyes going hard and cold at the idea. If someone had hurt the kid then that someone was coming to hell with her whether the bastard liked it or not.
"Yeah, looks like. She was laying on the cot, the Winner girls were hovering over her." Michael confirmed having seen pictures of each of the hostages so that he could recognize them on sight. "At least they bothered to put it in a cast. My guess is quite a few people around here think this whole thing is crazy. Odds are that even if this fails they might at least let the Une kid go, if only to try and make it less personal with Preventers."
"As if. So you got their location?"
"Yeah, guards at the doors. As soon as we knock the bastards out and use their key to open that door...well then we're in trouble. Apparently we're dealing with the Pyramid system which is what I figured. It's top of the line and as dangerous as a blind man running around in a pyramid. Hence the name." Michael said grimly, getting a bad feeling in his gut. "It's incredibly easy to screw up when you're playing with that thorny bush."
"That's why I got the best." Cat pointed out with a rather cheeky grin.
"Well you better just pray that the lord is listening to our prayers." Michael said as he reached out to tug on the chain around her neck before motioning her over to a keypad which he opened and attaching a small device he took out of his pocket he went to work making sure the speaker system wasn't going to be working any time soon. When the alarms went off the news would have to be passed by mouth which gave them a little extra time. When he was done he gave her a nod then pointed the way they were going. "Now lets move out before someone clues in that there's two extra bodies walking around in here."
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It took some doing and back tracking but they finally managed to make it to the right area and were now approaching the two armed guards, both of whom were built like tanks, Cat thought with an inner sigh. "We're here to see the prisoners." Michael said in his best 'I'm in charge so don't even think of questioning me voice.'
"Forget about it, old man. No one comes in without the brash." One of them sneered even as his eyes narrowed suspiciously before crossing as Cat's foot found it's way to between his legs before she grabbed him by the hair and bashed his head into the steel wall. Michael, being not all that skilled in the area of combat simply pulled out a Tazer on max setting and shocked the other guy into unconsciousness.
Using one of the guard's keys, even as the techs struggled to get the alarm to go off, the two threw the door open with orders to get up and follow them. Since someone had to Michael went over and picking a startled Maia up carefully settled her over his shoulder. "Okay, kiddo?"
"Uhm ya but who the hell are you guys?" Mariemaia wanted to know, trying to see if there was anyone with them she knew. There was something familiar about the girl with this guy but she couldn't place it. "Are you Preventers? Are others here?"
"We're friends of friends." Cat explained, figuring that was the easiest way of putting it. No way any of them would come with her if she explained that she was Maia's friend only when they'd met she'd been in the body of a cat. And really, who could blame them? "Now lets get the hell out of here before they come in shooting."
It wasn't easy since the command center had sealed off all exits and many of the doors but as if God's hand was laying over them protectively they managed to bypass everything that was thrown at them, avoiding most of the soldiers that were sent to round them up. It was damn difficult to get through them without killing them but somehow they managed it, making it to the elevator that would get them to the top where they would be picked up by the helicopter. Everyone crowding in they burst from the doors as soon as they were opened again, running like they were escaping the bowels of hell as they hot footed it towards the rope ladder that was lowering for them. Maia and Michael going up first soon everyone was following, the Winner sisters going last. Then there was only Cat and she simply waved, the pilot taking the signal as he rose up into the air, leaving her there.
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"What the f#k do you think you're doing?" Michael demanded to know as he tried to get around the others to get to the pilot, his face furious. "Why did you leave her? We had time, God Damn IT!"
"She told me that she couldn't come, that there was something she had to do. She gave me an envelope to give to you and a folders to give to the Preventers people to explain things so that they'd know what happened." The pilot said nervously, motioning towards the other seat where there was an envelope with his name and another one with written instructions. "I don't know what they say, I just did what she told me to do. I SWEAR." Taking the one addressed to him Michael quickly read it then swearing said no more as he went back to take his seat.
On the ground Cat was busy shooting soldiers, a smile on her face as she heard the sound of the copter go fainter and fainter. Since she still had a promise to keep she aimed to wound badly instead of kill, her deadly aim her greatest asset. After all, she wouldn't put it past God to suddenly decide to have the copter blow up for breaking her word. Putting down everyone that came onto the roof it wasn't long before they wised up to stop shooting at the helicopter and to aim for her instead. It took five bullets to take her down and when the soldiers crowded around her, they could only stare at the faintly smiling girl, her hand fisted around a cross that hung from a chain on her neck.
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Note: There is two, possibly three chapters left in this fic. Thank you to all those who've been reading from the beginning, I hope I don't disappoint.