by Jack Parker
I blinked, though the action was considerably lazy compared to my rapidly beating heart.
I… actually liked him.
I continued to look at Delta with a growing uncertainty.
I've already admitted to myself on how I felt, but what was the chance in him feeling the same way for me? He was my Guardian after all. For all I knew, his concern could have been only because of the Directors' orders.
My heart deflated at the possibility.
"Thank you again, Agent Moore." Came the rich voice of the Guardian.
I smiled slightly. "Don't worry about it. I'm sorry that I was harsh at first." I stopped and hesitated, but continued on. "I'm glad that I could help." I said as I looked at him tenderly.
Something unfamiliar lit up his eyes. He looked like he was about to say something but was interrupted when the line went live.
"Hey boss, we've got some strange activities going on here." Predator stated.
I pushed aside all of my rushing emotions, and focused on the situation. "What is it?"
"Gizmo detected a signal that was set out just a few minutes ago. The room I'm in seems warmer than the rest. This is strange for a supposedly abandoned place."
"Don't go in alone." I said. "Take Agent Elvira with you, and make sure that you two keep an eye out for anything suspicious. It seems like we may not be alone here."
"Roger that. Predator out."
I dropped my hand to my side, and glanced at Delta who was staring at me with intense eyes.
A frown plastered itself on my face.
The Guardian nodded in understanding, and stepped closer to me.
To my surprise, I didn't feel weak admitting to myself that I felt safe in his presence.
A few minutes later, Predator's voice came back on the line. "So far nothing seems out of the ordinary. Elvira used an infra-red scanner and didn't pick anything up. I think we should… Hold on a sec."
My heart skipped a beat as I anticipated Predator's answer.
He came back on a moment later. "Scanner's picking up a hot spot. We're going in to investigate."
"Do you want me to send in Fear or Olsen for back-up?" I asked.
"No, I think Elvira and I can handle this. I'll contact you when we get there."
The line was cut, and I was left there anxiously waiting for his update.
In the meantime, Delta was checking on his mom once more.
I nearly jumped when the comm. line was activated again.
"Boss, Elvira and I arrived at the hot spot. There's definitely a heat trace here, yet whoever was here is gone. We're going to…" A crash-like noise interrupted him as the sound of struggling followed suit.
I panicked. "Predator! What's going on?"
"We... argh!"
My slight hysteria caught Delta's attention for he swiftly turned his head towards mine and gave me a concerned look.
"Predator, answer me!" I exclaimed.
"We're not alone boss!" He yelled. "Elvira went after the guy."
Gizmo then cut into the line. "We've got to get out of here, Agent Moore. The signal is actually broadcasting this location," he stated.
My eyes widened as I took in the news. "Predator, try to help out Elvira!"
"Yes ma'am!" Predator replied before he cut off the line.
"Gizmo, run a scan of the area, and be on stand-by as we'll be up soon," I ordered.
"Roger," he replied.
I then whipped my head to face Delta. "Get her ready, we're leaving." I ordered.
Without any question, Delta immediately did as I instructed.
I took out my signature gun just in case as I waited for Delta to be ready.
Gizmo then accessed the comm. Line. "We've got company." He stated just as the Assassin came in with eyes hard and serious.
Chapter 18: An Unexpected Reunion
I clenched my teeth together. I knew this was a trap.
I sighed loudly as I looked at the Assassin in agitation. "Seems like the lab isn't abandoned after all."
I knew that my behavior was totally immature, but so help me, I'd haunt Fear for the rest of his life if I died because of his arrogance.
Smug bastard didn't react at all. "We've got to get out of here." He said. "Gizmo's scans identified a unit of Phantom agents heading to our position."
"What rank?" I asked, though I dreaded the answer.
Fear gave me a dire look. "It's got to be Assassins and Warriors." He replied.
I felt a vein on my temple throb in irritation.
The Assassin gestured towards the way he came from which pulled me out of my dark thoughts. "If we move now, we can most likely get out before the Phantoms arrive."
I nodded in agreement, and turned to face Delta.
He was already prepared; his mother was placed securely on his back.
Fear looked at the pair in surprise. "Who's she?"
Before Delta could have had any chance to speak, I interrupted. "We'll explain everything once we get the hell out of here."
The Assassin gave me a confused look, but didn't comment.
I glanced at Delta who met my gaze and nodded.
With the confirmation, I gestured to Fear to lead us, and we hurriedly made our back to where we came from.
Waiting at the "entrance" were agents Predator, Elvira, and Olsen.
All three were on high alert; their bodies were tense, ready for any fight that would occur. I noticed some bruises on Elvira's biceps and a nasty scratch on her upper arm.
A brief look of relief came across their faces at my arrival before they went serious once more.
It was then that I noticed a tied-up individual observing the situation quietly.
I narrowed my eyes at the sight. "Is this the person?"
Predator nodded, though he regarded the individual with a hint of recognition. "Yeah, it's her alright. I'm surprised you're still here after all this time." He said to the person.
The woman spat out some blood. "You know as well as I that I have nowhere else to go." She replied hoarsely.
I raised an eyebrow in confusion. How did Predator know this woman?
She looked at me in the eye.
I suppressed the need to shiver as the cold glowing eyes regarded me with slight interest.
She then turned to face Predator again. "I don't mean to be rude, but Phantom agents are coming here to kill you. I would hate for them to slaughter you cruelly."
I narrowed my eyes once more. "That's no thanks to you. You're the one who summoned them here."
The Phantom turned her attention back to me. "It wasn't me." She replied with a bored tone. "This is a Phantom lab after all. You should expect that its security systems are still operational, even in an abandoned facility."
I barely suppressed the need to slap the woman. "Whatever, we're still bringing you into custody."
The Phantom shrugged. "Go ahead. It's not like I have anywhere else to go."
Her uncaring attitude pissed me off.
Fear stepped beside me. "I hate to agree with the enemy, but she's right. We've got to get out of here, now." He hissed.
I immediately went to business mode. "All right, we've got a couple of minutes before the Phantoms show up. We'll go up the ladder one by one in an organized fashion, and rendezvous with Gizmo back in the van. Then it's hasta la vista. Move out!"
Just as I gave the order, a violent rumble shook the entire lab followed by a loud crashing sound.
The other agents and I struggled to maintain our balance as dust and pebbles flew in the air.
Once the tremors stopped, we all stood shakily on our feet.
"What the hell was that?!" Elvira exclaimed.
I glanced at her briefly before I reached for my ear piece. "Gizmo: status report."
"Things are going to hell boss," was his reply. "The Phantoms just detonated a small bomb to seal off your entrance."
"How typical." The tied-up Phantom agent replied.
I ignored her remark. "What do yo
u suggest we do?" I asked as I tried my best to stay calm.
"In the scan I performed, I saw what appeared to be underground tunnels. Fear found one. Each one ends up in various parts of Rome. Sneaky sons of bitches knew just how to take people and not get caught." He commented. "There's a problem though: once you're in the tunnel, there will be no way to have communication unless you're physically with each other."
The last detail worried me greatly. "Alright, we'll go through one of the tunnels and see where it leads us. What's your situation?"
"I was shot on the arm, bloody Phantoms, but otherwise than that I'm alright. I had to move to a safer location. I will meet up with you once you cross the other side."
"Roger that, be careful."
"Always, boss." He replied.
I cut off the line, and looked at the Assassin. "Looks like we won't be going up. Fear, lead the way."
He nodded, and turned around.
He led us to a powered down door. Beside it was a shaft that was covered by numerous cartons of empty containers.
After pushing aside the various cartons, the Assassin got on his knees, and placed his hands on the metal covering.
He pulled it off with a strong yank, and tossed it aside before he faced us. "It's a tight squeeze, but you'll have room to move once you reach the other side. Just keep going forward, and remember to not look back… You do that, and you're as good as dead."
He gestured to Elvira to go first.
The Weapon's Expert hesitated momentarily, but then squeezed through the narrow vent.
Olsen was next to go, and was quickly followed by Delta who had to place his unconscious mother on her belly and pull her by her arms.
I waited for Predator to go in next, but instead I saw him further along the wall setting up something.
"You better be quick Pred; I don't want you dying on my watch.
Predator glanced back at me before he quickly turned back to his work. "I won't take long," he said soberly.
"You're doing the right thing." The Phantom commented quietly.
I turned to face her in surprise. Since when did Phantoms know anything about right and wrong?
Predator merely nodded in her direction, and then he guided both of them through the shaft.
Only the Assassin and I remained.
I was about to go in when a horrible screeching noise erupted, followed by footsteps that got louder.
My heart began to beat fast as I tried to figure out what to do. Fear immediately stood in front of me. "Get out of here, Agent Moore." He said.
I stared at him in shock. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
The Assassin did not answer. Instead he took out his dual blades and hoisted them in a defensive position as the footsteps got even closer.
I didn't think it was physically possible for eyes to be able to widen so much. "Fear, don't try to be a hero and let's go!"
The Assassin just glanced at me, his expression was unreadable due to the shadows that hid his face. "The Phantoms are too quick. They'll slaughter us both at the pace we're going. I'll buy you some time."
I shook my head in disbelief. "Don't be stupid Fear, they'll kill you. We can still make it!" I cried out.
The Assassin's mask wrinkled into a smile as his blue eyes shined with dreadful acceptance. "Tell John that he still owes me a fighting match."
I wanted to laugh, to find some humor in his joke, but I couldn't. I wouldn't allow him to throw his life away just like that. Delta would never forgive me if I allowed his one friend to die here.
I holstered my gun.
With newfound determination, I narrowed my eyes as I roughly pulled Fear by the back of his armor, and pushed him head first into the vent. I winced as he hit it rather hard, but at least that was better than having him in Phantom hands.
The Assassin let out a curse, and attempted to move back.
I kicked his legs, and urged him to go on. "Don't argue with me, Fear. Now move your ass or I will kick it until you move!"
The Assassin grunted in displeasure, yet followed my orders nonetheless.
As soon as he was through, I got on my belly, and took Fear's dual blades.
I began to crawl through when something grabbed a hold of my right leg.
I attempted to kick at my attacker, but the hold just got tighter, and began to pull me towards the source.
I yelped as the tight grip pinched my leg rather painfully. I desperately tried to grab a hold onto something to keep me still.
Something grabbed a hold of my hands.
I looked in front of me and saw Fear trying to pull me back with all of his might. Terror gripped my soul as I imagined myself getting dragged towards the Phantoms…
Luckily, Fear was a hell of a lot stronger than he looked, and managed to pull me all the way through the vent.
We both crashed to the ground, with me lying on top of him.
I was stunned for a moment, and when I looked down Fear was as well.
Abruptly, banging sounds interrupted the tense silence.
I looked over to my right and saw the misshaped shadow of a Phantom trying to kick the door in.
Another one was trying to crawl through the shaft.
Immediately, I quickly got off of Fear, and took out my gun.
I shot the Phantom's head.
He let out a brief cry, before his body relaxed.
At least he would block that one way.
My eyes then widened as I realized that the door was giving way.
Fear and I ran blindly into the darkness, holding onto each other's hands to not venture away from each other.
A crashing sound formed behind us, followed by fast approaching footsteps.
I barely managed to duck my head before a round of bullets scraped the walls around us.
I was beginning to panic when suddenly I was pressed inside a wide indent on the wall.
I didn't even have time to groan as Fear pressed his back against my body, and covered us with some thick cloak.
I consciously made an effort to mute my breathing as our pursuers caught up.
Most of them ran on by, yet one tall figure lingered behind.
By the distinct muscle definition of the arms, I assumed the figure was a male.
He was incredibly close to us that I was able to clearly see his horrific eyes. They scanned the area with cold calculation.
My boot accidently squeaked against the ground.
The blood in my veins turned to ice as the Phantom's gaze rested on our general direction.
He took out a pistol, and shot in the general direction behind me.
I bit my tongue hard to hold back the shout that formed in my throat.
The Phantom agent stepped until he was directly in front of us.
From our crouched position, the Phantom's form looked very intimidating.
Fear quietly grabbed one of his swords, and positioned it upwards.
Understanding his intentions, I aimed my gun upwards, my hands slightly shaking as I was ready to shoot the Phantom's crouch.
I tensed even more when his companions came back. "They're gone," one of them said lowly. "Did any of them come back this way?"
Our stalker turned to face the speaker. "No," he replied.
The first speaker nodded. "The bitch went with them. Let's go."
With that, the newcomers ran back towards the lab.
The figure in front of us gave our direction one last look, before he too disappeared through the narrow darkness.
Fear and I stayed in that position for a few extra minutes to make sure that we were in the clear.
The Assassin then decided that we were safe, and backed off.
I let out a shaky breath, stunned by our close encounter.
I was brought out of my trance by Fear who waved a hand in front of me. "You alright, Agent Moore?" He asked.
I merely nodded.
I then stared at the cloak in his hands. "Is that what I think it is?" I asked in
slight awe.
Fear's mask wrinkled. "Yeah, it's the brand new item from the Seeker market. I borrowed it from Agent Elvira. Hopefully, she won't mind."
I stared at Fear in stunned silence for several moments.
I then shook my head, and turned the other way. "Let's get the hell out of here." I said, and ran forward without waiting for a reply.
Immediately, I heard footsteps behind me as Fear wordlessly followed me.
Eventually I stopped as I allowed us to catch our breaths. I leaned my back against the wall, and breathed heavily as I willed my rapidly beating heart to calm down.
As I looked over at Fear, he was bent forward, and was catching his breath as well.
Sensing that he was being watched, Fear glanced over at me, and let out a sharp laugh. "You're crazy for staying behind. You could have been killed!"
I grinned. "Sounds like someone I know, though he's more of a show off about it than I am."
Fear merely chuckled as his eyes twinkled in amusement. "You're not bad after all."
I felt pleased that the normally moody Assassin found me bearable.
It wasn't until a couple of minutes passed that I decided that it was best to leave.
I stood up. "I think we've had a sufficient break. We better go before the others assume we're dead, or worse, the Phantoms come back."
The Assassin nodded, and stood up as well.
We then continued our walk through the tunnel that seemed to have gone on forever.
Our blind walk went on for a while, but eventually we found our salvation. Meters away was the exit.
I allowed myself to laugh in relief as we finally reached the light at the end of the tunnel.
Chapter 19: Momentous Victory
The tunnel led out to a ditch of sorts.
The need to go on my knees, and kiss the ground overwhelmed me as I smiled wildly at the sight of the sun.
Fear apparently felt the same way: his normally stiff posture was relaxed, and completely at ease with our newly found safety.
"We made it." I exhaled a sigh of relief.
"We sure did." Fear replied.
As I closed my eyes, I subconsciously spread my arms out, and welcomed the much wanted warmth.
After a nice stretch, I placed my arms back at my side, and opened my eyes.