Chapter 9

Sustained by Hate: Healing the Rifts

Snow was standing in the darkness. The inky void covered his surroundings and he couldn't make out what may be lurking cloaked in the shadows around him. Somewhere between his confusion and curiosity he realized that he could see his own body, as if his body was the only thing giving off light in the dark that surrounded him.

He tried to remember what had happened but he could only recall his memories of the day Serah told him that she had been made a l'Cie. That was the day everything changed. It was the day Serah's fate was sealed and Snow was forced to quit acting like a child and face the adult reality before him. The woman he loved was either going to end up killing him or die herself.

And before he could make sense of this reality he stood in she appeared before him, like a flickering ghostly image. "Snow, you must wake up." She said softly. "You need to return to reality. Your window for escape is closing."

"Serah! Is that really you?"

She smiled. "Silly, who else would it be?"

"I don't want to wake up Serah, I just want to stay with you." Snow replied.

"You mustn't. You promised me you'd save Cocoon." She whispered.

Snow sighed in defeat. "I couldn't protect you and I couldn't protect Hope either. What makes you think I can save Cocoon?"

She nodded. "Yes, but surviving is the first step to keeping your promise. Now please wake up."

Snow wanted to fight it, but he felt reality pulling him back to consciousness. "Serah I can't do this. I can't continue to run. They're getting closer and when they catch us I won't be able to keep my promise." He began to feel pain snaking its way from his chest throughout his body.

"If you stay here they'll kill you" Serah replied. She placed her ghostly hand on his cheek. "Don't worry. You're being protected. I know you can do this Snow. Find a way to fulfill your focus and we can be together again."

Before he could respond the pain forced him to open his eyes in reality, and he realized he wasn't in a dark void, but in an empty street in Palumpolem. The memories of falling off the cliff at the park came flooding back to him as he wondered how it was possible he survived a fall like that. Serah's words came drifting across his mind "Don't worry, your being protected." Perhaps Serah was watching over them from wherever her consciousness was.

He struggled to move and regretted the action instantly. A sharp pain pierced his left side. He slowly sat up holding back screams of pain as he did so as to not draw attention. Both his ribs and arm had been broken. He saw deep purple bruises and odd lumps on his ribcage where bones had been severed when he lifted his shirt to check the damage. His left shoulder had also been dislocated and he figured his arm was fractured at the least. Getting out of here was going to be near impossible at this rate, but Serah's plea for him to escape gave him the motivation to at least try to get out of this mess.

A soft groan filled the air around him. Snow looked to see Hope's unconscious body lying next to him. He had taken most of the shock from the fall and Hope, using Snow as a cushion managed to escape major injury. He was covered in a few cuts and bruises but nothing seemed contorted or out of place.

Using his good arm Snow tossed Hope over his shoulder and slowly go t to his feet. Even though Hope had just tried to kill him, now was not the time to let him die. He made promises and he intended on keeping them from this point onward. Besides, he refused to be responsible for the death of another member of the Estheim family.

Slowly moving forward focusing only on the next step ahead he limped through the street, not sure exactly of where he was going or how long he could survive but he swore as he walked along the quiet street that he could hear Serah's voice somewhere in the distance cheering him in, beckoning him to take just one more step.

Just as he thought the pain was going to rip his body apart Hope began to stir. "Hey" Snow grunted.

Hope looked around and realized he was being carried over someone's shoulders. For a moment he thought that the army had caught him and they were transporting him someplace for a public execution to take place, but he caught a glimpse of a familiar white overcoat. Snow was carrying him. He remembered confronting Snow with the intention of pushing him off the cliff. Just as he was about to make good on his promise he saw the army helicopter from the corner of his eye fire at the playground. After that, his memory was blank. He figured they must have fallen well over two hundred feet. How they survived was another thing he could add to his list of l'Cie mysteries. "You saved me didn't you? Why? Why did you save me?"

"Because I was asked to keep you safe, by Lightning and by your mother." The pressure Hope's weight was placing on Snow's ribcage was causing him a lot of anguish. He slowly placed Hope to his feet. "I'm sorry. What happened was my entire fault. I put your mother in danger and I let her slip from my grasp. Please let me make this right between us"

Hope looked at Snow in confusion. His hatred for Snow had dissipated and he could hardly find a reason to blame him anymore. Perhaps Vanille was right, talking with Snow allowed his anger to subside and clear his mind. "But you said before that nothing you could do would make things right."

"I say a lot of stupid things Hope." Snow stated. "Most of what I say is useless. I'm not a hero, and I don't think I can protect Cocoon, but I promised some people that I would keep you safe and I intend to keep those promises."

"So everything you've said about saving Serah and protecting Cocoon was a lie?"

"No, not a lie, but an excuse. I used those things as a way to give myself a purpose in life even when what I was really doing was covering up my own guilt. I know you don't like me and you don't have to accept my apology, but I'm at least asking that you think about it. You have every reason to hate me and want me dead, but rifts like this between us will only give the Sanctum more power." Snow whispered.

Hope remained silent as he took in Snow's plead.

Snow pulled out the knife Light had given him. "Here, that's Light's isn't it? I found it next to you where we landed."

"What? I tried to kill you with this. Why are you giving it back to me?"

Snow pressed on. "You know, that knife was a present from Serah to keep her safe. Light really treasures it and if she trusted you with something that important, then you should be the one to carry it."

"Thanks" Hope whispered as he placed the knife in his pocket.

"Let me figure things out first." Snow said. "Let me figure out how to protect Cocoon. If nothing I do can make up for what happened, then I will take any punishment you dish out at me."

Hope stood up. "She's gone Snow. You can take the blame but it won't bring her back. I knew it all along. Vanille tried to tell me but I just wanted someone to be angry at. Now I realize that you aren't the person I should be blaming for this, it's the Sanctum and their twisted sanctum fal'Cie that order them around."

Snow tried to move onward but the pain seared through him making him dizzy. He fell to the ground fighting the urge to vomit.

"Snow what's wrong with your side?" Hope placed his hand on Snow's bruised ribcage and winced when he felt the lumps that were probably bones sticking out at an odd angle. He began to cast his magic to heal when footsteps could be heard echoing through the abandoned street. "They found up that quick?" Hope thought. "There's no way we can escape in this state. We're finished!"

Hope grabbed the knife Lightning had given him and braced himself for the hordes of troops that would probably flood the street. He was ready for a fight, but this time those who deserved to die would feel the blade of the knife, not those who were allies. Two figures ran around the corner and Hope let out a relieved sigh. "Lightning!"

Lightning ran down the street followed by the woman that had escaped the arena with her. Hope vaguely remembered Snow mentioning her name was Fang as they traveled through the abandoned pipes earlier "There you are! We saw the explosion. Are you alright?" Lightning said breathless.

Hope nodded. "I'm fine but Snow's hurt. I don't think my healing will work on injuries like that."

"What happened?"

Hope hesitated. "I…..I tried to get revenge on Snow for my mom…" tears began to flood his eyes. They streamed down his cheeks leaving streaks in their wake.

"Oh, Hope!" She wrapped her arms around him. For once Lightning was showing emotion. "It's okay, everything will be alright."

"Okay people, we need to keep moving" Fang urged. She hoisted Snow onto her shoulder. Hope noted that for a thin looking woman she was built and for her picking up a grown man looked like child's play. "You think he'll be alright."

Lightning grinned. "He's too stubborn to die. Let's get him to your house Hope, then we can see just what that healing magic of yours can do."

The Esthiem residence was tucked on the edge of the residential district towards the top of the cliff. With help from Fang and Lightning, Hope was able to lead the way to his house with ease as the girls took turns helping Snow hobble along behind him. Hope's house could have been considered a small estate by Palumpolem standards. Since the city was built on the cliff houses were packed into small confined areas that gave little space between them. Hope's place however had more land to it. Lightning confirmed this second Hope opened the gate that lead to a quaint courtyard that stood before his house. True, it was a small courtyard with a single tree in the center adorned with a bed of flowers on a patch of grass, but this small piece of land showed that Hope's family had money and were probably well known and respected in the city.

The second thing that Lightning confirmed as being wealthy was the fact that the stairs leading up to the large front door were marble and the door itself was made of a deep cherry glossed oak. The building was made from fine stone and while it wasn't wide, it was tall. As it turned out Hope had kept his family's wealth from his companions.

Hope hesitated in front of the door but when he looked at Lightning she gave an encouraging nod. The sooner they got in the house, the better. She figured that with so many people in a panic that it would be a while before the Sanctum figured out they were hiding in someone's house. After all who would be crazy enough to let the cursed l'Cie roam their dwelling? It was true Hope's face was plastered all over the city, but unless people recognized him as Hope Estheim resident of Palumpolem, the Sanctum wouldn't send PSICOM to crash down the door for at least a few hours. Those few hours were what they needed to escape on the Calvary's ship.

Hope rang the doorbell. A light on the side of the door flashed blue. Hope knew this was the security system showing his father who was standing outside. It was only a matter of seconds before the door flew open and Bartholomew Esthiem emerged from the house in frantic confusion. "Hope!" It seemed he was somewhere between confusion and shock.

Hope tried to look away from his father. He looked the same as Hope remembered. Tall, well dressed and wearing spectacles that sat on the bridge of his nose. What was different was the stubble growing on his face. Upon closer look Hope could see his father's puffy bloodshot eyes. Marks formed under his eyelids and it was then that Hope realized his father hadn't slept in a few days, for he spent most of his time crying his eyes out over his lost family.

Hope bit back tears. "Mom…..mom's gone." was all he could say.

Bartholomew's jaw dropped slightly as he pondered what was going on. It was only days ago that he learned that all of Bodhum was being Purged to Pulse. His wife and son had gone to Bodhum to enjoy the festival for a few days and now he was learning that he was never to see them again because the Sanctum decided they were a threat to Cocoon and tossed them onto a hellish world. It was then that Bartholomew Estheim quit his job working with the Sanctum and spent his days cooped up in his room crying as he looked at photographs of his lost family.

Now miraculously, as if the Maker answered his prayers his son was standing at the front door of his house, bruised and cut up, but alive and still in Cocoon. Bartholomew looked at Hope then averted his gaze to Lighting and Fang who were keeping Snow from collapsing on the ground. "Goodness, why don't you all come in?" he said. He had no idea who these people were, but if they had anything to do with helping his son get home then they were more than welcome in his residence.

Bartholomew Esthiem escorted Lightning, Fang and Snow into the guest bedroom and offered them whatever food he had remaining in the house. Since learning about the Purge he didn't even have the willpower to shop for food. The house would have been a disaster if it weren't for the expensive robotic cleaning equipment that skimmed the rug for dirt on its own. Hope focused on healing Snow's wounds. It took a long time and he was exhausted but Snow eventually began to come around. After Lighting had assured him that Snow would be okay with natural healing from that point on, he joined his father in his study and began to recount the entire story.

"The Sanctum lied" Hope stated as he finished telling his father about what happened to him. "The Purge was a cover-up to massacre everyone who lived in Bodhum."

Bartholomew began to cry again like he had done so much in the past few days.

Hope sat next to his father awkwardly. He had no idea what to say.

"I miss her," Bartholomew said between sobs.

"I….I know. I miss her too." Hope replied.

"But son, I'm grateful you are alive."

Hope cringed. "I'm only alive because the Pulse fal'Cie made me a l'Cie. Listen, once Snow is capable of moving we're leaving. We can't stay here, if they find out you're sheltering l'Cie, they'll kill you too."

"You're my son" Bartholomew said angrily. "I don't care what the Sanctum does. This is your home! I'm not in the league with the Sanctum any longer. Now please, just stay here a little longer."

Hope nodded slowly but began to open up to his father not just about what happened but he began explaining his companions and how great they had been. Like Snow, who had risked his life to save him when he didn't have to; and Lightning who escorted him to Palempolem and kept him safe all the way there Vanille who had proven to be an amazing friend and encouraged him to do what his heart felt was the best choice.

As Hope and his father began to heal the rifts between them Fang paced in the guest room while Lightning kept an eye on Snow to make sure he' wasn't slipping into a coma from the pain he was in. She turned on the television for noise, mostly to drown out Hope's conversation with his father that was taking place down the hall.

"You know," Fang said to Lightning. "Once I can send a transmission through to the Calvary to pick us up, we'll probably have to end up taking Mr. Estheim with us."

"Why?" Lightning questioned.

"It's only a matter of time before the Sanctum realizes that Bartholomew Estheim their ex-employee is the father of the one of the l'Cie they are after. They'll take him in for questioning and maybe even resort to torture for Hope's whereabouts." She stated. "At least we can keep him safe on the Calvary's ship."

"The l'Cie continue their desperate flight and the military has issued an all-out campaign to eliminate them. Searches will begin immediately through houses in the residential district. In the event you must leave your home or your home is to be searched please follow the instructions given on this channel to make it a speedy and efficient process. The sanctum want's nothing more than the threat to be eliminated and for life to resume back to normal. You're cooperation is appreciated." A voice announced from the television.

Fang sighed in frustration. "I need to get in contact with Raynes. They're still on our tail."

Snow groaned as he tried to get up from the bed he was laying in. His shirt had been removed and his chest was covered in gauze that had been wrapped tightly around it. Aside from being stiff and sore, the pain had vanished.

"Lay down!" Lightning commanded. "You'll hurt yourself if you keep moving."

This was the first time since Lake Bresha that Snow had been reunited with Lightning. He vaguely remembered her and Fang arriving before passing out from the pain, and now she sat in a chair next to his bed watching over him like a protective older sister. "I'm sorry" she said.

"Huh? What for?"

"Everything. For not wanting you to marry Serah, for not believing in you and Serah when she told me she was a l'Cie….for leaving you at Lake Bresha to die. Can you forgive me?"

Snow grinned. "I suppose…..only if you tell me your real name though."

Lightning matched his mischievous grin and whispered. "If you want to know that bad, then have Serah tell you when she comes back from crystal stasis."

"Deal."

They were so into their discussion that the three of them didn't even realize Hope had entered the room. "Hey, my dad wants to see you guys. He wants to talk with you."

Lightning nodded. "Sure, but we need to make it quick. Getting out of here fast is going to be our top priority."

Bartholomew Estheim sat in the living area and motioned for Hope's guests to take a seat when they emerged from the guest bedroom. While Hope, Fang and Lightning obeyed Snow got to the floor and bowed before Hope's father.

"The blame is mine sir. I'm so sorry. I couldn't save her" he began immediately.

A look of pain etched across Bartholomew's face. It was the pain of realization that someone who had aided in his wife's death was kneeling before him asking for forgiveness when he swore he'd never forgive anyone who was involved with her death.

Hope put his hand on his father's shoulder. "If it wasn't for Snow here, I would have died a long time ago."

After a moment Bartholomew said in barley a whisper. "Snow, did Nora say anything to you?"

He nodded. "She told me to bring Hope home." Hope nodded in agreement.

Bartholomew was silent but smiled softly. "And that's exactly what you've done. And for that I am greatful."

Snow let out a sigh of relief.

"You know" Bartholomew continued. "Face to face like this it's hard to believe you're dangerous fugitives. But the entire population of Cocoon is scared to death of you Pulse l'Cie and frankly I can't say why. You don't seem any less human than me. I suppose that's the fault of the Sanctum for feeding such fears. From my work in the Sanctum I've come to learn that the Sanctum is being controlled by the fal'Cie that protect Cocoon. The fal'Cie of Cocoon order it, and the Sanctum does as its told. Personally I believe that Pulse and its fal'Cie are harmless and the Cocoon fal'Cie are using the fear of Pulse to control everyone."

"So you believe that the real problem lies in the fal'Cie of Cocoon telling the Sanctum to kill us and not the fal'Cie of Pulse that are bent on destroying Cocoon?" Fang asked.

"It's a bit of both" Bartholomew answered. "If the fal'Cie of both Cocoon and Pulse could get along then maybe the fear of Pulse would dissipate too."

"Then it's simple" Snow stated. "We take down the Sanctum and the fal'Cie of Cocoon lose their puppet. If they don't have anyone to manipulate than the people can live their lives the way they want. We need to shift the power from the fal'Cie of Cocoon's hands back into the peoples."

Bartholomew looked taken aback but slightly impressed at the same time. "Are you sure you've thought that through?" he asked. "The Sanctum is very powerful and have many army divisions protecting them. Sanctum headquarters is located in the most advanced city in Cocoon and I can assure you that if you attack the Sanctum the fal'Cie that control them will lash back. Not only that, but if you do manage to take down the Sanctum people with loathe you even more for destroying the only thing stable in their lives."

Lightning nodded. "I agree. When the government falls apart, the citizens will revolt."

Fang rolled her eyes and sighed. "So what then? We just smile and take a bullet? These people want us dead, and while I care for some people who live here, the longer I stay on Cocoon the more I learn to dislike it."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hope asked.

Lightning whispered "Fang is from Pulse…..and so is Vanille."

Hope was shocked to hear it, but somewhere inside he kind of figured it. Being around Vanille he got a strange vibe from her. It wasn't just because she was so perky and optimistic; it was because she had no fear of Pulse at all. And why should she if she was from Pulse.

"S…So Pulse is a livable place?" Hope stammered.

Fang rolled her eyes again. "It's called Gran Pulse, and yes it's livable. It's filled with cities and villages just like here. We have vast terrains, some filled with rock and grass, others with endless waves of sand. We have oceans, forest, jungles, caves and waterfalls. Gran Pulse is nothing like you've been taught. It's beautiful."

"All the more reason to cut the Sanctum down for telling lies" Snow interjected.

Lightning was barely listening to the conversation. Something was bugging her. It seemed too easy. Somehow all along the way the Sanctum was able to track her and Hope to Palumpolem. Each time they got closer and closer to catching them but they could never quite grasp them. Every fall, they survived; every search, they went undetected. Lightning used to work for the Sanctum in the Defense Corps and she knew that losing sight of fugitives as many times as they had been was unlike the army. PSICOM was supposed to be the Sanctum's trump card; the cream of the crop of soldiers and somehow they still couldn't catch them.

"Its too easy," she whispered.

"Excuse me?" Fang said.

"We never should have come here. I'm sorry Mr. Esthiem, but we have to go. They've been on our tails all along but haven't been able to catch us. Either they're planning something big or we're dealing with the stupidest army in the world, and I really don't think it's the latter." As if someone could answer her the electricity was cut to the house. Darkness shrouded them.

"Get down!" Lightning screamed as she pulled Fang to the floor. Bartholomew grabbed Hope, and he and Snow followed suit. No sooner had they taken cover a mixture of gunshots and shattering glass filled the air as the windows fell to pieces all over the living room floor.

Snow crawled to a window that was now shattered and peeked outside into the courtyard to survey just what it was they were dealing with. The entire courtyard was filled with armed PSICOM troops, and in the air were three rather large helicopters each with cannons extended and ready to fire. "They got the whole army here. They'll take down the whole building."

Fang was desperately trying to get a signal on her cellphone. "I have to get ahold of Raynes! They're jamming the connection."

Hope looked at Lightning, panic was stricken across his face. "This is it isn't it? There's no way to escape this one."

Lightning didn't want to confirm her own fear that they had finally been caught in the net. She weighed her options and found that even if they tried to escape the army probably had soldiers packed in the streets for a good couple of miles around the house. "We need to convince them we aren't a threat" was all she could say, "But even still, I don't think that will work."

Snow grabbed his white overcoat that was draped over the sofa. He put his back against a wall next to an open window and with a swift movement tossed the coat in front of the window and into the view or the army. Snow flinched as the sound of gunfire filled the air once again. "I don't think they're gonna listen sis." He waited until the gunfire ceased and yelled. "Don't shoot! I'll show you what a l'Cie looks like."

"Hold your fire." The voice of Commander Yaag Rosch of the PSICOM division called out. "Come out l'Cie, peacefully and no one innocent will have to die."

Snow motioned for Lightning and the others to stay put hidden in the shadows of the home and slowly walked in front of the windows and into the blinding lights coming from the helicopter spotlights. He squinted as he raised his hands above his head in surrender. "I am a l'Cie. I am flesh and blood like you. I am not a monster, just an ordinary citizen of Cocoon. Why do you think I'd want to destroy Cocoon, it's my home too. I want to protect it just as much as you do. I believe that was the focus I was given."

Whispers filled the courtyard as the soldiers contemplated what Snow had told them. If he really was given the focus to protect Cocoon from a Pulse fal'Cie wouldn't it mean that all this fear and anxiety they felt toward Pulse was pointless? For a moment Snow thought he had gotten through to them, but they refused to lower their weapons.

"You must be Snow Villers" Commander Rosch said softly. "I understand your plight… you do seem human enough to me, however the Pulse threat is not so easily dismissed. From dealing with other l'Cie, both for Pulse and Cocoon it is easy to misinterpret one's given focus. It has been written in the history books for decades that any person cursed as a Pulse l'Cie was given the focus to destroy Cocoon, why should yours be any different? Tell me, do you really believe that you're lives are more important than the millions of lives that you l'Cie are given the task to murder?"

Snow remained silent. He knew there would be no convincing the army. They were too enveloped in their fears to just think for a moment that anything from Pulse wasn't a threat.

"Sadly" Rosch continued. "It has fallen upon me to take care of your execution. You can view your lives as a sacrifice for the greater good of Cocoon."

"Cut the crap!" Snow hollered. "If you want to kill us, then just kill us. Why do other people have to die? Why do you have to murder innocent people just for being near us? Yes I said murder because that's what the Purge was, an excuse to murder."

For a moment Rosch flinched. "Do you think we really want to eliminate our own people? No! But without their sacrifice Cocoon will perish because it will be tainted. Now call out your friends and let us finish this."

The soldiers who were standing closest to Snow readied their weapons waiting for Rosch to give the command. Snow closed his eyes waiting for the end but as he did he heard Serah's voice whisper across his mind "Don't worry, you are being protected."

Suddenly smoke filled the air. Someone had activated a smoke bomb. In their confusion, the soldiers were taken off guard as Snow ran back into the house to take cover unsure of whether the smoke contained poisonous gas. Gunshots could be heard as a few of the soldiers turned on their own men and began to fire.

Chaos erupted in the courtyard as men fell lifeless on the ground, their blood staining the grass. Rosch, unsure of what had just happened looked for an explanation and was met with a soldier pointing a gun at him. No sooner had he realized that traitors were amongst them the soldier fired and Rosch felt the pain rip through his shoulder as he fell to the ground.

Inside the house, Fang was still trying to get a signal but she knew what was going on outside. "The Calvary's here." She stated.

Lightning nodded. "Hope, tie up your dad." She looked at Bartholomew and said "We tied you up, tortured you and forced you to help us, got it?"

"But I want to-"

"No!" Hope yelled. "I was dragged into this mess and it was my fault, not Snow's or Vanille's, it was me. I will not let you get dragged into this." He grabbed rope from a closet and proceeded to tie his father up. "I would love to stay here with you, but there's no place for a l'Cie. I'm going with the others, the Calvary will protect us."

Fang nodded. "We'll send a few Calvary members to become your bodyguards. The Sanctum isn't going to like that you helped us, even if the story goes that we forced you."

Hope continued. "I hate to run out on you like this, but I swear I will survive."

"You aren't running" Bartholomew whispered. "You're growing up. Now make your choices and do what needs to be done."

"You mean complete my focus?"

"Don't worry about that" Bartholomew pressed. "Do what you know is right. Go find the other l'Cie and survive. All of you need to survive."

Hope ran to his father and hugged him. This was the first time in a long while that Hope showed any kind of emotion toward his father. He remembered hating his dad for always being at work and running errands for the Sanctum but now, Hope had healed the rifts between them and he knew he would always have a home to return to. "Thanks dad" he said softly.

"We need to get going" Snow called as he put his coat back on. It was ripped to shreds from the bullets. "The Calvary stole a PSICOM ship and infiltrated them, and now if we don't go soon, our ride is going to leave us."

As if on cue, Cid Raynes' right hand man stepped through one of the broken windows with a grin and said "Hey, Fang. Thought you'd have trouble getting a hold of us so we just followed PSICOM. Those rats led us right to the cheese."

Fang scowled. "Don't get cute, you were almost a little too late."

Once they boarded the Calvary's ship, they were given their own separate room to wash up in but were called immediately to the bridge for a meeting. Cid casually introduced himself and asked how each one of them had been made a l'Cie. After their proper introductions, Fang cut in. "Now where?"

"Sazh and Vanille split up from us in the Vile peaks. They were supposed to go to Nautilus." Lightning answered.

"From what we've tracked, PSICOM has made no large scale movements in that direction, they've moved most of their army toward Palumpolem which tells me that they have no idea that two more l'Cie are on the loose." Raynes added.

"I doubt that" Lightning retorted. "We overheard some troops a while back, said their inside Intel was aware that we split up."

"What inside Intel?"

"Beats me" Lightning replied. "I never heard of any inside Intel when I worked for the Defense Corps at Bodhum."

"Then we best get a move on," Fang interjected. "The sooner we pick those two up, the sooner we can figure out what to do next. We can't sit around and wait for the army to change their mind and go after those two instead of chasing us around."

"Fine" Raines sighed. "To Nautilus then."