Chapter 13

We hadn't considered how long it would take to get to the door in fly morph. It meant that we were already having issues. Jeanne and I dashed as fast as our fly bodies were capable.

Then Tobias came close enough to hear him. ((-see anything!))

((Boss!)) Santorelli called, overlapping Tobias' faint voice. ((Marco can see two guards on camera by the door!))

((I'm coming down!)) Tobias announced.

He was going to duck down close to the block. He was supposed to do that before any guards were there. And we still hadn't found the corner of the building that we needed to turn.

It was too big a risk to take.

((No, Tobias! Get out of there! Don't come down!))

((We can't see you, Jake!)) he replied.

((Don't come down!))

((Jake!)) Jeanne called. ((Just keep going!))

((I'm clear, Jake,)) Tobias informed, his voice growing faint again. ((Heading back up.))

My mind was buzzing almost as much as my morph. ((Sarge, I want reports from Marco. Now!))

A short pause. ((Doors open, boss!))

((Keep the reports coming!)) I ordered, getting frustrated. ((I want to know exactly what's going on!))

The corner! The wall to our left vanished, and that meant we were nearly there! We were just a couple of meters from the door.

((Guards are getting' inside, boss! Door's about to be closed!))

Jeanne and I spent no time congratulating ourselves on finding the corner. We just turned around it and rushed on. We had seconds and not much more.

((Door's closing!))

I saw it! A change in light, a hole in the wall we were zipping across! The direction of the surface we were following changed. But it was moving. The door was closing!

((Get in!)) I yelled to Jeanne. After turning the corner, she had drifted behind. The distance between us alarmed me.

Towards the darkness, I flew, with no care to what lay beyond. The walls were rapidly coming at me from either side. One bad flick of the wings, and I would be crushed.

((Jeanne?! Boss?!)) Santorelli called with alarm.

I zipped into the darkness. A massive gust of air current whipped me forward and then back around. I bounced against the door, but the change of atmosphere around me was evidence enough that I had made it. ((Sarge! I'm in!))

((You made it?)) I heard Jeanne ask. She sounded surprised.

((Yeah. I did…)) I replied, waiting for her to confirm her location.

She did so quickly. ((I'm still outside. The door closed.))

I would have sighed if flies were capable. ((Okay… Looks like I'm moving in on my own.))

((I might be able to find another way in,)) Jeanne suggested.

((We discussed that,)) I pointed out. ((You might find a way in, but you don't know where you'll end up. Not worth the risk.))

((I'll go back around the side of the building,)) she replied.

((Yeah. Head back to the trash cans. You can demorph there if something goes wrong.))

It aggravated me that things had already gone awry, but everybody was still safe, and nobody had been seen. Besides, two of us were heading into the block just in case a situation such as this one arose. The mission was still going ahead.

((Boss,)) Santorelli started again. ((Can you see the guards?))

I was still on the wall when he began asking but was off again when he finished. I found what I assumed to be an item of clothing and dived down for it.

Something rocketed past me! The rush of air sent me tumbling, but I regained composure and latched onto the moving fabric. The arm that had swung past did so again. I walked across the guard's clothing to a safer location. I assumed it was safer, anyway.

((I'm on one of the guards. What does Marco see?))

((He says the guards are movin'. Headin' towards the second door.))

Back on plan, and I could breathe easily again. ((Sarge, I'm on my own here now. I'm counting on you to tell me everything from now on without me asking.))

Maybe he sensed the frustration in my voice, but somebody with his background would have had plenty of experience with frustrated leaders before, and I didn't receive any angered or snarky groans. Despite my worries pre-mission, his discipline was coming through.

((The guard in the control room is keepin' in contact with the guards where you are. Looks like they're about to open the next set of doors.))

((Many staff in here?)) I asked, conscious about my security on the next step of the mission.

He paused, presumably to talk with Marco. ((We can't see the entire facility. Some corners are out of sight of the cameras, but apart from the two guards checkin' up on the Visser, the place seems deserted.))

((Good,)) I commented. ((That makes me feel a little better.))

((Things seem pretty clear out here, too, boss,)) Santorelli stated. ((And we ain't expectin' much activity for about an hour.))

So I waited as the reports came in, all the while looking around with confusing fly eyes as the fabric stretched and bunched around me with the guard's walking.

((They're sortin' out some papers,)) Santorelli mentioned.

I thought it was taking some time. The movement of the guard had slowed. I refused to move, sensing that any slight adjustment in my position could get me swiped away, or worse.

Then the movement began once more.

((Walkin' again. Comin' up to the next door. Looks like they got the papers they need.))

((Lots of papers?))

((… Not easy to tell by the camera. Marco doesn't think they'll be in there too long.))

The movement around me increased further as if the guard was ruffling his clothing. A big fold almost threw me off, but the claws on my six sticky legs held me tight. I was getting increasingly worried.

((Control room guard is just checkin'… Nope, he's openin' the door. The door's openin'!))

I couldn't sense anything from the world around me. The door was too far to affect the air directly around me, and the guard had stopped moving. However, I knew Marco would be reliable. One more door to go after passing through this one, and I would be in the same room as Esplin 9466, an enemy for so long. A strange dread started to come over me.

The guard started to move again. I waited, and waited…

((Sarge!))

((Guards are movin' through, boss!))

I hated the feeling. I despised the fact that I was going to have to repeat myself. ((You need to be telling me about these things! I'm blind as a bat here!))

((Sorry, boss!))

He was a key component, and yet he had to be chastised. Orders were having to be repeated. I expected more from an Army Ranger, and I was growing deeply apprehensive that his inner conflict was clouding his mind.

Or maybe I was overthinking it. Perhaps I was too paranoid about potential mistakes.

Mistakes couldn't be made. Not during this mission. We'd already made one. No. I'd already made one.

((Just keep me updated, Sarge. I could get crushed here with one wrong move.))

He didn't hang around. ((Movin' through the door now, boss! On your way to the Visser's cell.))

((Jake,)) I heard Jeanne speak. Her voice was still clear in my head, so she was close. ((I am back by the storage and the waste disposal. I will stay here.))

((Okay, Jeanne. Stay put. I should be in the room soon. I'll let you know when I demorph. It will be one-way communication at that point. Counting on you for help,)) I replied.

((Second door closed behind you,)) Santorelli pronounced. ((Guards are comin' up to the Visser's door.))

The guard stopped again. It was a sign that we were by the door. On the other side would be the Visser. In a box, but there nonetheless.

((Door is open. The guards are enterin'.))

The clothing ruffled and shifted beneath me, and the world around quickly became darker as we entered our destination. I disengaged from the clothing but did not flap my wings, entirely against the fly's instincts. The fly's instincts were too noisy.

I hit the ground, but my lightweight body simply bounced without damage. I turned back onto my legs and scuttled along till I found a wall.

I couldn't see, but I knew that the Visser was just mere meters away. Maybe he would have the answers to what we were seeking, and it was up to me to get them out of him.

First, though, I needed to demorph.