Chapter 17.

Frozen Ashes.

'We have the perimeter surrounded, shall we move in sir?'

'No, not yet.'

The shadows of the men moved in the dark, quick, efficient. The men surrounded the building, circling it, making sure that the trap was set.

'Hiwatari, are you ready?'

There was silence on the other end of the radio. Then it came to life, crackling loudly.

'All set and in place. Position assumed. Beginning operation Ashes now.'

'Move out!'

Kai sat by a snow hill and listened to the radio transmissions. The men had already began their operation but he was still frozen still. Frozen, yes it was cold.

'We have passed the main gate, sir.'

A pause. He put the receiver closer to his ear, trying to hear the man over the howl of the wind.

'We need a password for the next passage.'

The sergeants voice came through next.

'Alright men, the hackers are on it as we speak. Remain in position, understood?'

The replies came from every man.

'Yes sir!'

'Hiwatari? Understood?'

He stayed silent then grunted in approval and relaxed back into the comfort of the snow. What did it matter now? His whole life seemed pointless, just a mixture of crap entwined with swear words and homosexuality. And what was he doing now? Storming some base like in some Hollywood 'S.W.A.T. to do with' movie. He'd pull out his gun in the last minute, shout 'freeze' and kiss with his true love before the setting sun.

He laughed. Nothing made anymore sense as the anxiety rose inside his chest and a ball began to appear in his throat. He didn't know anything, not anymore.

He was unsure of the future, he couldn't see it before him, not even in his wild imagination. Or maybe he could. He saw himself with Rei. But that image was conjured from the past when they were together. Little boys who knew no better than to kiss each other thinking that one day they would marry and have kids.

He laughed again and suddenly realised that the radio had been screaming out his name for the fifth time.

'HIWATARI LISTEN GOD DAMNIT!'

He struggled to recover his grace.

'What?'-was the only thing he managed to get out of his mouth.

'Never mind you buffoon, I have been the viewer of some bizarre activity here; guards of some sort have passed the area of my location just now.'

'So? Nothing bizarre about that.'

The man on the other end coughed.

'Let me finish. This area seems particularly well guarded. There are approximately thirty two cameras on the doors of Lab 2367AJ. Plus six guards on position and twelve circulating the perimeter.'

Kai rolled his eyes and waited for more information to roll in.

'Hiwatari? We need further command for actions.'

'Don't you have your command from the big wig?'

'Eh…'-there was a pregnant pause-'We are having problems receiving signals from the base'.-he sounded slightly embarrassed.-'The commands had been that if a situation such as we have now should occur, we accept orders from you.'

He chuckled and imagined all the things he could get the men to do.

'Hiwatari?'

'Yes, the men that are on the move, are they by themselves or in groups?'

'Groups of three, sir.'

He thought about it for a minute, then it came to him; a perfect strategy.

'Have five men take each group out, one by one, then proceed to the doors with no less than fifteen armed soldiers.'

There was a 'yes sir' and the radio fell into silence. Kai leaned back and looked to the grey sky. The whole thing seemed like a dream, like he was watching some corny TV show about cops and robbers.

/ I wonder what Tala is doing right now…probably going to school…/

He looked at his watch: 2:20.

/ No, he's probably back already, making himself lunch…for two I bet./

He wanted to be there, in the comfy living room, at the table. He would have given anything to just rewind the past few month, to get back his old life but reality was cruel. Kai had learned that the hard way.

'Sir? We are at the doors, what should we do now?'

'Where are you at again?'

The soldier signed and relayed the precise co-ordinates of his location. Kai quickly noted them and headed for the entrance. His stomach tightened as his nerves tensed. Why was he so anxious? He frowned.

/ Humans are weak, they have too may emotions…far too many./

'Sir.'

He came round the corner and was greeted by the seventeen soldiers, give or take. For some odd reason their perfect formation and strict discipline fascinated Kai as he approached the large metal doors.

'Is it locked?'

The commanding soldier shook his head and backed away from the object of discussion.

'It open freely sir but we dared not look in for we had no such orders.'

Kai swallowed hard and stopped.

'Men, on guard.'

What awaited him behind that door? Would it be Rei, smiling and laughing as he always did, or would it be something else, too horrific even to imagine. He remembered the experiments his grand father had carried out when he still lived with the old man; he remembered hearing the pained screams in the night. Was that Rei's fate too?

He hoped, wished that he was mistaken in his fears and so with that last prayer he stepped forward and pushed hard against the doors into the darkness…

'Amen'