Chapter 10
Infiltration
Unlike the tunnel they came out in, this one was clean. The air was surprisingly fresh. A river ran next to them going extremely fast. Sam guessed that this would be how they got into the facility. Well, not her. Her ride would be in a pokeball, which she wasn't much more excited about. She had no idea what it was like inside a pokeball, and she didn't really want to know anytime soon.
Another pulse of jitters passed through her. It seemed the closer she got to actually committing, the more she felt like she had to just leave. She wasn't meant to break in to a secure prison and free shaiyas. Sure, maybe she was supposed to protect shaiyas, but not this way.
The sound of running water grew louder as Braun came to a stop. "This is it." He checked his watch. "Three minutes to jump. Better get set." He pulled out two pokeballs he'd gotten earlier from a store aboveground.
The moment they came into view, Sam stepped back. "I…I can't do this."
They all turned to her. "What?"
She shook her head. "I can't."
"You can't be serious!" Wasser said, almost at the level of a scream. "We spent hours on this. Now you're just going to back out?"
"I… I'm sorry." She turned and started to leave.
But a hand gently clutched her shoulder, stopping her. "Sam…" It was Luca. "If you don't want to do this, we can just walk away. But before you decide, think about something. All of those shaiyas down there are waiting for someone to come save them. Are you just going to turn your back on all of them?"
A series of images popped into her mind: her cage, the halls of shaiyas in cages, the Scizor reaching out to her. She promised she would come back for them. Her mind knew the truth, even though she knew she was terrified. "I have to help them."
Luca gently turned her towards him. "Don't be afraid. I'll be with you every step of the way." He brushed a piece of hair from her face.
She looked further into his eyes. In a flash of realization, she suddenly saw what she had been missing.
He loved her.
"And I love him."
Her mind revolted the instant the thought came. She couldn't love him! She was Feuer's mate.
"I'll see you on the other side."
There was a flash of red light and Luca's body vanished. Before she could move, her own body disintegrated around her and she could feel herself get pulled into an empty space.
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Once the pokeballs containing Sam and Luca were tucked into his belt, Braun pulled off his jacket. He had streamlined his gear kit to fit this type of scenario. He had silent stun grenades, a silenced pistol, and several secret surveillance tools. And of course, his breathing mask.
"Once we're in the water, it will take about two minutes to reach the pump," he told Wasser. "So just relax and enjoy the ride."
Wasser hmphed. "I'm a water shaiya. I live in the water."
Braun's watched beeped twice. "Time to go." He pulled on the thin mask before he stepped off the edge and dropped into the water. It quickly pulled him into the currents and down a dark tube. Wasser would be coming right above him.
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Deep inside the facility, Phil kept an eye on the clock as he went through the appropriate computer operations. Braun wanted limited video surveillance of them, so he would be running video loops again. Nothing major. Aside from that, he could engage alarms to clear their path, but not much else. He would have released the Pokemon himself, but that action was strictly limited to command terminals that even he couldn't hack into without detection.
Two minutes from op. time came quickly. He accessed another portion of the computer mainframe, quickly typing the command and passcode.
"Best of luck, Braun."
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"Sir, we have unauthorized access to Water Maintenance 7."
Roth looked up from his computer. "Who accessed it?"
"Someone on the mainframe. I can't pinpoint the exact location. Cameras show no one in that hall. Should I deploy a security team?"
"No." He twisted over to the radio and turned the dial, tuning it to another security station. "Someone get me a read on where Agent Braun is."
"One moment, sir." He heard a set of keyboard strikes. "Braun is approximately 300 miles away."
"Thank you." He turned the dial back. "Link my computer to all surveillance around that room. And get a trace on whoever unlocked the door."
"Yes, sir."
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It was impossible to tell when they would hit the grate. Braun just had to keep his legs loose and ready the entire ride. Once or twice he felt Wasser brush his head, but he dropped back.
Eventually, they hit the grate hard. Braun tried to cushion it as much as possible, but he could still feel his knee and the metal scream as the weight smashed into it. A moment later, the Buizel crashed into him.
But he couldn't focus on any pain now. He pulled up an arm, which felt like it weighed a ton with the rushing water, and felt along the wall. Just above his head, he found the lock. It was a small wheel. He turned it twice and the door flew open, spilling them onto the floor outside the tube. Wasser rolled and quickly turned, closing and locking the door before more water could escape.
Braun checked the room. It was a small room, lit by only a single bulb. They were completely alone. "Clear."
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The radio crackled again. "I'm reading two life signs, one Pokemon. Wait, make that four."
Roth was watching. The lighting was incredibly bad, but the camera made out just enough for Roth to heighten his suspicions. One of the intruders stood nearly a foot over the others and was dressed in all black. Braun had returned.
"Cancel that trace. Do not deploy any security until I say. Do you understand?"
The man at the other end paused a moment before he answered questioningly, "Yes, sir."
Roth shut off the radio and left the computer as it was. He went through a door into the main lab. About a dozen scientists, the night shift, were working on the mixture that they should have perfected yesterday.
"Everyone out." They all stopped their work and turned. "Leave. Everyone drop what you're doing and leave. Now!" A dozen tools dropped to the counters and they all filed out the door.
"If Braun wants to play a game, we can play."
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Braun eased open the door and peaked into the hall. No one was in site. With a quick wave, they moved out.
The hallways were surprisingly empty, even for the middle of the night. Even a little bit too empty. Phil should have been using video loops, which would keep their presence a secret, but there should have been a few people walking around.
Sam stayed as close to Luca as she could as they moved through the halls. Her mind was completely in half about the body before her. One part of her mind wanted to see him for the rest of her life. He cared for her and she cared for him. He even put her over everyone else. But the other part was completely revolted that she was even considering having feelings for him. Could she have feelings for another with Feuer gone? She still felt loyal to him.
They went through a door and up a series of steps. They still hadn't passed a single soul.
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Phil monitored the screens. The halls were empty. Only a few maintenance workers walked through the halls, but they didn't notice the stealthy group. It was all working out surprisingly well.
"Hello, Phil."
He spun in his chair. Roth stood in the doorway, hands tucked coolly in his pockets, two security guards behind him.
"You have some explaining to do."
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Braun stopped at the corner down the hall from the main lab. Two guards were always stationed outside along with the keypad for security. They would need to be removed.
"Why don't we just go and punch them out?" Wasser asked softly.
"Because we don't want them to know we're here," he answered. Then to himself, he added, "Barbarian." He gave a quick wave to Sam.
She stepped out from around the corner. "Hey guys."
They both turned. "Who are you? You're not authorized to be here!"
She turned and ran. They gave chase. Or one of them did. The other one started to pass them, but saw Braun. He slid to a stop. "Braun? What are you doing here?" He brought up a pistol.
Braun almost swore to himself. He started to rise. "Easy, buddy."
A punch flew in from the side. The guard keeled over, but Wasser quickly grabbed his head and threw him into the wall. "Sometimes you just gotta punch the guy."
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Sam slowed enough for the guard to follow her. She quickly turned a few corners and stopped right next to Luca. Time seemed to slow as his features changed. The colors around her began to fade and the temperature dropped. He was creating a Dimension Sphere.
She let her breath slow. She didn't like putting herself on the line. The only thing that reassured her was knowing that Luca would be on the other end to save her. And he was there for her.
A moment later, the guard ran past. The Dimension Sphere faded and they quickly ran back. They passed a knocked-out guard and ran for the door. Braun and Wasser should already be at the computer terminal.
The door slid open. She stepped through the door and froze, face going slack. They weren't alone.
"Hello, Sam."
A/N: Only one chapter left. Make sure you come back for the season finale!