6

The moon was still pale, but it was higher in the sky than before. Raiden, who crouched behind a wall, hiding, looked at his watch. It was now 10:37pm. Soren had started down the path, heading toward the north building. Both of them could hear a gun being loaded.

"Stop right there!"

Soren stalled. "Enough, Wolf. Let me through. I've buisness with Scar." The sniper still aimed at him. "Do I have to let Shalashaska know you prohibit members of S-4?"

She lowered her rifle. "Get moving. Snake's on his way here. I missed the first time I saw him. I don't plan on missing the second."

He had reached the other end and climbed up a metal ladder. Sniper Wolf gave him a suspicious look.

"I thought you said you had to meet with Scar." She backed away from him. "Soren... What are you doing?" He drew his G-18 pistol. "Soren, what the hell!?"

He had gone through a whole clip in less than five seconds.

"T...trai...tor. He'll kill...you for this..." Several bullets had entered her head and neck. She was dead within seconds.

Meanwhile, Raiden was still hiding behind a wall. In his view, the door he faced slid open.

"Raiden!"

"Snake! What the hell happened to you!? You're covered in blood."

There was a whistle from the north building, and then shouting. "C'mon! Let's go! There'll be guards in the area soon, and I don't know how I'm gonna talk my way out of how Sniper Wolf wound up with bullets in her head and neck!" Soren whistled again. "Move, Raiden!"

Snake sighed. "How do I get dragged into these things...? I'm supposed to be retired."

Once inside, Soren placed the G-18 in its holster and drew his rifle. Snake and Raiden both had their SOCOMs drawn. There were only two guards in the entrance, which were easily eliminated. They took the door on their left and then one on the right, and then straight. Three more guards had bee killed.

"Hold on." Snake had stopped in the middle of the hall.

Soren glared at him. "What? Only a set of stairs and one hall until we get to the solitary cells." He quickly glanced at Raiden and then back to Snake. "Don't trust me? I've been betrayed by my own organization, and I'm not in the mood to betray my allies. Just...bear with me 'til we get the woman out and then get back to the southern building."

Snake grunted. "Fine, but I have some questions that need to be answered. Got it?" Raiden sighed.

Soren had told the truth. They had gone down a set of stairs and through a hall. Soren went through the door alone, scouting out the situation. Inside, Revolver Ocelot was talking to Scar, mentioning SIN's development.

"The Vulcan's finally been installed. Not much else has met completion, except for the main body. Tell me, what do they plan to do with SIN once it's been completed and tested?"

"You don't need to know."

"What about Scyth?" Scar had taken note of Soren's presence. "...and Satora, as well as him?" He pointed at Soren.

"As I said, comrade, you don't need to know, and neither do they."

Soren had little idea about what was happening or what they were talking about. His mind was blank.

Scar's back faced Ocelot. "Very well...keep your secrets. We'll all find out eventually." Ocelot had left, and Scar stood facing the door. "Soren, I know you've betrayed us. I won't stop you or tell anyone, but someone will find out. When they do, you'll wind up dead. This, I can promise." Once the scarred commander had left out the same door as Ocelot, Snake and Raiden entered the room.

"She's got to be in one of the cells. Let me see if I can open the locks."

Snake stood guard while Raiden peered into the cells through the small windows. "Rayne!"

She was in the last cell he looked into. Lying on the small bed, she waslaying on her right side, cradling her left near the ribs. She appeared to be asleep, but Raiden had a feeling that she was in a vast amount of pain.

"Soren, hurry and get this door open!"

"Gimme some time. I'm not good at cracking codes like this. Raiden see if it's unlocked..."

He tugged on the door, but it didn't budge. "No use." Snake grunted. "What? What's up?"

"Have either of you heard of 'keys'?" He picked up something that had been lying on a desk. Snake tossed it to Raiden, grinning. "Try using those."

Raiden fumbled, but managed to catch them. Forcing one key into the slot, the door didn't open. The same thing happened with the second key. "One more key to go..." Once the last key was in the slot, Raiden tugged on the handle. The door was unlocked, but it wouldn't move.

Snake was doing something with one of the computers. "It seems like he wanted us to find Rayne... Why?"

"That's just how Aaron is..."

"Who?"

Soren typed in something. "Never mind." Raiden was still tugging on the door. "Uh, brainiac?" Raiden's head whipped around. "Try pushing the door instead of pulling."

"What!?" He pushed on the door. "Well...Look at that."

Soren rushed in, shoving Raiden to the ground. Snake followed him, and then Raiden came in. Soren called her name twice, but she only moaned. Moving her hands, he placed a hand just below her ribs and pressed down. She moaned and cringed. Soren moved the bottom of her halter a bit, revealing a large, dark bruise where he had pressed down. "At least she isn't dead..."

She opened her eyes. "Who...ngh...Who are you!? I'll tell... you anything. Just don't...just don't drug me with something else..."

"Rayne!"

She struggled to sit up. Her left side was almost completely immobile, while her right side twitched. "Snake...what's going on?' She was still numb and drowsy. "And since when are there... two 'Raidens'?" She coughed a few times. "I must be halucinating again..."

Soren stood, holding out a hand. "There aren't two 'Raidens'. My name is Soren."

She took his hand and stood. "You belong...to S-4. Fourth in command..."

"Yes." He caught her before she fell to the ground. "Your legs are still numb, right? Can you walk?"

There was a sound coming from the next room. "Hate to break up the tea party, but we should move. Enemy soldiers will be in the area soon, and I'm not looking forward to meeting Ocelot today."

Rayne looked across the room at a steel container. "My left side is weaker than my right, and no." Head turned to Snake. "He's right... Move first, talk later. Snake, all of the gear that was taken from me should be in there." She looked at Raiden and Soren. "Let me arm myself before we leave. That way, we won't have to bring it with us, and I won't have to come back here later."

Snake brought it closer to her, and Raiden unlocked it. She sat down on a chair and began arming herself with her guns. Rayne tied her hair back, again, and pulled her gloves and armbands on.

Soren stared at her, helping her stand again. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah." She sighed.

They headed for the door, but Soren stopped. There was a ringing in his ear.

"Soren?" Raiden was confused.

140.44 to 140.93

"Soren, where are you?"

"This isn't a good time... It it important?"

"Answer the question!"

Soren gasped. "Just about to leave solitary. Why is this important, anyway?"

"Shalashaska is on his way there. Soren, he knows that you've gone against S-4. If he finds you or any of your new allies, all of you will be dead. Get to the south building as soon as you can. If possible, take the underground path to avoid detection."

"We would, but Rayne wouldn't be able to get down the ladder. Scar...bro...can't you distract him or something?"

"I would if I could, but I don't think that he'd buy it, and neither would Liquid. Soren, the best thing I can tell you to do is hide. Stay out of sight, that's your only option now. And be careful. The guards are on high alert. I don't want to lose the only family that I've got left. Know this: I don't support what you're doing, but I won't stop you." He whispered three words. "Be safe, brother."

-codec off-

Rayne, Snake, and Raiden stared at him. "Anything wrong?"

Soren glanced at the ground and then the ceiling. "The underground path... That's our way out of here." He turned down the hall on his right. Snake was able to keep up, but Raiden struggled because of Rayne. Both of them still had to make the turn, and he wouldn't leave her.

"I'll say it again... Go ahead...and I'll catch up. Face it, Raiden. I'm slowing down all three of you." She leaned against a wall.

"Look... Damon doesn't even know that this has happened. "He kneeled down, his back facing toward her. "If you think walking is slow, then get on my back."

"What? I'll be fine, just go ahead and I'll catch up to you."

He glared at her. "Just get on."

There was shouting coming from the end of the hall. "Raiden, Rayne, move it! We don't have time on our side!"

She sighed and mumbled a few words. "How do I get into these situations?" Rayne climbed onto Raiden's back, resting her head on his shoulder. "Hm."

They moved closer to Soren, who had just swiped an ID card. "Giving 'piggy back rides,' Raiden?" He entered a five digit code and the door slid open. An 'emergancy escape' hatch was off to the right, and a stairway to the left. Soren opened the hatch and began to climb down the ladder.

"Let's go."