A Reason for Living Part 20
Retribution
Heero and Duo knelt in the dim corridor. A subdued hush proceeded the careful opening of the door that revealed the loading bay. "We must be on the opposite side of where we started." Heero whispered as a hint of smoke drifted to his nose.
Nothing stirred beyond the shadowy portal but Duo was certain if anyone was on the other side they could surly hear his heart hammering. Satisfied that no hostile action was forthcoming, Heero signaled for a prudent advancement. The wary pair inched nearer to the doorframe fully expecting some form of opposition.
Alarmed voices echoed over the bay then the distinct sound of gunning engines overpowered the panicked shouts. Through the thickening haze a blur of motion gave Heero and Duo little warning before the lead truck rolled forward tightening the trip wire.
"HIT THE DECK!" Heero yelled. He pushed Duo down and flattened out beside him.
Side by side Heero and Duo covered their heads and held their breaths awaiting the anticipated explosion. Time stood still. For a split second, one that seemed to go on forever, an eerie silence hung in the air then the entire bay broke loose with a deafening roar.
The detonation was more of an implosion that caused the bay's width to fall in on itself. In the same deadly instant, in the space of a heartbeat, the lead truck burst apart. The reverse explosion spewed metal, glass and fire in all directions. Windscreens and side windows shattered. The heat instantly crystallized the shards into diamond hard missiles.
A thousand razor bits of shrapnel riddled William Hoffman's body as he twitched in the splintered fragment's death throes. His equally perforated front seat passenger also convulsed wildly from the vicious assault. The only saving grace was that death took both "The Fox" and the driver before superheated air seared their skin leaving behind two charred skeletons.
The ravenous firestorm quickly enveloped the second and third trucks. Flames engulfed the cabs. Black smoke poured from ignited tires. The stench of hot metal and burnt flesh mixed with bellows of suffocating gases.
The last truck in line was spared the brunt of the blast but the raging fire would soon claim it, too. A very lucky driver rolled out and managed to scramble through a rupture in the wall seconds before the hellish inferno consumed his vehicle.
Septum tumbled backward through the bay's double doors as though an unseen hand had slammed into his chest. Surrounded by the cooler night air, he sat up in stunned in disbelief. Swearing madly he watched helplessly as the deal of a lifetime went up in flames.
*********
A powerful "whoosh" of dense smoke and hot air surged across the bay covering Heero and Duo with an opaque blanket of swirling fumes. A subsequent explosion violently hurled glass and flaming debris through the door.
"We can't stay here!" Heero screamed above the loud crackling of fire and the whine of fatigued metal. "This way!" he shouted as he pulled Duo to his feet.
Duo took Heero's hand knowing how easily they could become separated in the rapidly decreasing visibility. Staying low under the thick cloud they skirted the wall as closely as they could. But where could they go as they found themselves sandwiched between the wrath of hell and the solid wall? This time, it seemed, both men would have to rely on divine providence if they were going to outrun the Devil's claim.
An iron ladder affixed to the wall could barely be seen through the blinding smoke. Heero wiped his watering eyes and squinted at his and Duo's possible means of escape. "Here." he motioned with his free hand.
The metal rungs reached the ceiling then disappeared into a narrow access shaft. Had divine intervention interposed itself between Heero and Duo and their fiery fate or was the ladder just an alternate path to hell?
"Stay here." Heero instructed. As frightened as Duo was he offered no rebuttal. He had asked Heero to trust him, now it was his turn.
Heero climbed up until his head vanished inside the square opening. He rapidly retreated, forced back by unbearable heat. "There's a hatch," he coughed out his findings, "but its so hot up there I don't know if we can get through."
"I'll try." Duo announced planting his foot on the first rung.
"No...wait." Heero took hold of Duo's jacket, "I'm the strongest, I'll do it." He started up again before Duo could register a protest. Reluctantly all Duo could do was crouch on the floor and pray that Heero would be all right.
Sweat beaded on Heero's forehead stinging his eyes and blurring his vision. Scorching air burned in his lungs, depleting his already limited oxygen supply. Gritting his teeth he put his shoulder against the hatch and concentrated all his physical and mental resources into a single firm push.
The strenuous effort and lack of oxygen sapped his strength. Dots floated over his eyes that the sweat and tears could not wash away. One more try was all Heero had left, if that wasn't enough...he refused the idea and pushed again.
Footsteps on the ladder told Duo that Heero's best attempts had failed. Agent 01 dropped to the floor and collapsed with a labored wheeze. His hair was wet and his face was cover with a thin layer of soot. "It's stuck tight." he informed Duo panting to catch his breath. "We'll have to find another way."
"We can't give up now, we won't." Duo declared rejecting the notion that all hope was lost. Sitting side by side, "another way" was considered and studied but, much to Heero and Duo's chagrin, their figuring was defeated at every turn.
The loading bay had ceased to exist. The choking smoke and rising temperatures came at them like a charging tiger. No, the shaft was their only alternative and their opportunity to use it was deteriorating rapidly.
Then a light shone in Heero's eyes, a small glimmer of hope. The dart pen that had sent both dog and human into a twilight sleep would now carry a more destructive power that would be the bearer of their salvation.
A red-tipped dart was clicked into place. The pen was aimed up the shaft. "Turn away." Heero ordered.
Duo stood as far to the ladder's side as the escalating heat would allow. Heero shielded his face with his free hand from what he hoped would be the complete deterioration of the stubborn hatch.
The red dart found its mark dead center. A muffled report sent dust and small chunks of steel plating raining down the shaft. Before the last bits hit the floor, Heero was climbing again.
Carefully avoiding several ragged-edged, glowing holes Heero centered his shoulder and determined that, this time, he would not fail. Rusted seals along the rim were sluggish to give up their grip. Scraping and grating, they fought back. Appling more pressure, the hatch finally began to lift giving him the encouragement he needed. One concerted push and Heero won.
The hatch popped back striking the roof with a heavy thud. Chilled night air hit Heero's face and chased away the smoke-laced tears. With a sigh of relief he savored the fresh air. However, it was only a moment before the cooler currents began to suck up the heat and smoke. Now the shaft acted like a chimney and would soon refill with dangerous levels of lethal gases.
"Come on!" Heero called down to Duo then poked his head above the hatch to gulp in a lungful of fresh air.
Duo proceeded the smoke up the ladder. Heero knelt on the roof and offered a helping hand. Duo grabbed hold and was fluidly extracted. As soon as Duo's feet clear the rim, Heero slammed the hatch shut cutting off the thick gray, swirling flow.
"Thank you for trusting in me." Heero whispered then placed a kiss on Duo's soot-strained cheek.
"I never doubted you." Duo replied before brushing his lips over Heero's lips.
"Let's get the hell out of here." Heero declared.
Powerful explosions rocked the lodge. Windows blew out releasing trapped pockets of smoke and fire. Flaming fingers clawed up the building's sides. Blistering air currents boiled through ventilation ducts shooting sparks and ignited materials into the scarlet-tinted sky.
A second ladder curved over the roof's edge and down the side. Fortunately there were fewer windows belching out hot, noxious gases but extremely caution still needed to be in force. Heero started down, Duo followed a few steps behind. Their descent was uneventful. Except for two holes in the stone wall that had to be avoided, the rest of their route to freedom went smoothly.
Heero and Duo hit the ground running. When they were a safe distance away they collapsed in the welcome coolness of the dew-drenched grass. Shielding his eyes from the brightness, Duo exhaled a shaky breath. "Look at it burn." he said then drew back in shock as flames shot through the roof where he and Heero had just been.
The sky glowed. An orange aurora arched across the rooftop like a hellish rainbow. Deep red hues washed over the trees and glistened on the wet grass. Smoke funneled in tight tornadic columns from every fire-breathing breach. And even with Duo and Heero's considerable separation from the blaze the intense heat could be keenly felt.
Duo leaned back against Heero's chest. "I hope Wufei, Quatre and Trowa are all right."
Heero wrapped his arms around Duo to allay his fears. "They're safe. Don't ask me to explain it but I know they're all right."
A shudder tingled along Duo's spine. He eased back to gaze into Heero's eyes that perfectly reflected the fire. "Did you know greed is one of the seven deadly sins? Do you suppose that's why not one of Dorothy's thieving team survived?"
"Someone did." Heero hissed straightening sharply.
Duo twisted his head to stare in the same direction as Heero. "What?" he asked searching for what had spurred 01's acute interest.
Silhouetted in the crimson glow, Septum was steadily making his way to a car parked at the road's edge. Ironically the vehicle's isolated location, that had spared it from the fire, placed it within fifty yards of the Range Rover that had delivered Heero and his brothers-in-arms to the lodge.
"Stay here." Heero ordered in a no-nonsense tone. "I mean it this time."
Duo grabbed for Heero's arm but missed as he ran out of reach. "Heero? Wait!"
The Japanese agent neither reacted to Duo's plea nor slowed his pace. A single desire drove Heero on...Septum would not escape his retribution...not this time.
Duo had a good reason to be alarmed. Heero had suddenly come into Duo's life... his heart...and now he was rushing headlong in pursuit of a man with no conscience when it came to killing. A madman skilled in the art of termination.
Duo closed his eyes and prayed that Heero's need to even the score would not cloud his judgment, that 01's oftentimes quick temper would not cause him to take unnecessary chances.
"Amen." Duo whispered as he fought with all the willpower he could muster not to follow Heero.
*********
Septum paused by the car. Watching months of hard work burn away, he shook with rage. Slowly his angry sight fixed on a lone figure emerging from the blinding brightness. Puzzlement etched frown lines on Septum's brow as his eyes strained to project a sure picture for his bewildered mind.
Although Heero's features were clearly defined by the firelight as solid and substantive, it was a ghostly image that moved in the fiery brilliance's backwash.
Unexpectedly, forceful scenes from the past crashed over Septum. The Bolivian jungle, the air saturated with heat, so close he couldn't breath. A seeping stream of blood. An ashen face, a contorted body laying at his feet. Past and present merged. Welige's face, crusted over in a black death mask and the present hauntingly pale countenance combined into a single coalescent picture.
That day in the jungle, a little more than a year ago, Septum had dismissed Heero Yuy from his thoughts. But ever since that fateful day he had experienced the disquiet feeling that something had been left undone...a recurring sense of a soul not put to rest.
Septum shielded his eyes from the fire's glare and told himself that his overloaded mind was playing tricks. "The past is dead." He muttered.
The figure came closer and suddenly Septum fully saw Heero's face. Then, with this enigmatic apparition, the reason for his vexation became all too obvious. Agent 01 was alive! Now Septum saw in Heero's mortal presence his own mortality, a frightening finality to his life.
But the startled vacillation held Septum momentarily in place. He jumped into the car and gunned the engine. Heero leveled the Walther just as the vehicle sped off raising clouds of dust and spewing gravel in its wake.
"Not this time you bastard." Heero growled as he raced for the Range Rover.
*********
"Duo." Wufei called as the cloud of dust swallowed up Septum's speedy departure.
Duo turned to see Wufei, with Quatre and Trowa on heels, running from the forest. "Where's Heero." 05 demanded as the glowing fire painted bands of red over his ebony hair.
"He went after Septum." Duo replied in a tense tone.
"Which way?"
Duo pointed in the direction where had Septum vanished. Before Wufei could make any further inquires a Range Rover skipped up over the bank, bounced on the road and took off in the same direction.
"HEERO!" Duo yelled ever though he knew that 01 couldn't hear him.
Without a moment's pause Wufei caught hold of Duo's arm and began towing him towards the woods. "Come on."
Before Duo had time to register a complaint or question the Lone Dragon's motives the IPB agents and their civilian comrade stepped into an open space in the forest. A helicopter, with a Khushrenada Electronics logo imprinted on the side, sat in the clearing that was barely large enough to accommodate its rotor spread.
Duo stood stunned before the unpredicted discovery. "What in the hell?"
"A helicopter." Quatre answered even though he was certain that Duo could identify the flying machine.
"I know but where did it come from?"
"Zechs Merquise flew it in then disappeared without a word. Later we saw a motorcycle speed from the lodge and, judging by the rider's long, silvery hair, we assumed it was Merquise.
Duo shook his head in sure knowledge that Quatre was right. "It was, I saw him."
Trowa slid back the helicopter's side door and stood aside. "What was Merquise doing here, betraying Khushrenada?"
"No, he was defending Treize." Then in answer to Trowa's perplexed expression Duo added. "I'll explain later."
"No more time for discussions." Wufei declared giving Duo a sturdy shove, "Get in."
Duo and Quatre settled in the rear seating area. Wufei occupied the pilots' seat and Trowa took the "shotgun" position beside the Chinese agent. Wufei put on a interior communications headset. The remaining passengers follow suit.
Duo studied the surrounding forest, first one way then the other. "Can you get us out of here?" he shouted into the headset's microphone as the rotors kicked into motion.
"Of course." Wufei yelled back above the blades whirling howl. Without warning of his impending actions 05 firmly gripped the pitch stick, pulled back and shot the "copter" straight up through the crowded vegetation.
Revolving airfoils battered the encircling trees. Leaves shivered and shook, fluttering violently in the artificial windstorm. The helicopter quivered as strongly as the trembling tree line. Duo squeezed his eyes shut in response to the sudden ascent and mentally considered asking Wufei to land again so he could find his stomach which felt as though it had been left behind. He cringed at the sound of splintering branches and the pelting of dislodged twigs striking the fuselage.
Just as quickly as the bombarding clamor began, it stopped and was replaced by the steady, thump...thump...thump of the rotors. Slowly Duo opened one violet orb at a time and dared to look out the side window.
Above the forest's canopy, the helicopter whipped the dense smoke. The higher altitude provided a frightfully panoramic view of the lodge. Not one part of the stone building had eluded the blaze. Hungry flames boiled, their fiery fingertips spiraled and spiked in every direction. Most of the roof had collapsed allowing the superheated updrafts to shoot fireballs into the sky.
"Merciful saints." Duo muttered at the terrible sight.
Wufei banked sharply to the left angling away from the all-consuming blaze. He pulled in line with the thin dark ribbon of the road and flew off to find Heero.
*********
The steady glow of taillights foiled Septum's vain endeavors to lose Heero in the darkness. The road downhill was narrow, too narrow for the speed that both cars now maintained. Septum fishtailed around a curve. Heero gripped the Range Rover's steering wheel and slid along the gravel grooves left by Septum's tires.
It took only minutes for Heero to catch up and seconds more to close the gap to the retreating vehicle. 01's headlights shone brightly, reflecting back from Septum's rearview mirror.
Heero counted that his driving abilities were better and that if he pushed Septum hard enough that the murderous madman would make a mistake. And, at that point, it didn't much matter to Heero if the mistake proved fatal to his foe.
At the hill's bottom the road widened. Septum took the last curve too fast. Loose gravel and grainy soil spewed from beneath his tires throwing out a pelting spray. His car skidded sideways and that was all the opening that Heero needed.
Coming abreast, Heero jerked the wheel to the right. Sparks erupted as the side doors scraped, bounced apart and hit together again. Septum's hand emerged from the lowered window. His reply to 01's "tagging match" came in the form of a 357 Magnum automatic.
Flooring the accelerator, Heero moved ahead just moments before the Magnum's muzzle spit fire. He continued to put more distance between Septum and himself, but only the distance required to turn about. Suddenly the Rover spun around lengthwise, blocking the road. One way or the other, 01 determined, Septum was going to stop.
Brakes screeched. Heero jumped out the opposite door and braced for the inevitable collision. Once more Lady Luck came down on Heero's side. Septum's car somehow "threaded the needle" slipping between the Rover's front end and the roadside. However, the car soon ran short of enough width and sideswiped several pine trees before plowing into a stout oak.
Septum rolled out the driver's side door then raised above the front fender and fired off two rapid shots. The Walther's answering blast, that struck sparks near Septum's head, cause him to reconsider another shot.
Septum stay low and scrambled for the forest. He had decided that the congestion of trees and thick underbrush would provide decent concealment and a suitable site for an ambush. Another discharge from the 357 covered his withdrawal into the shadowy woods.
At his enemy disappeared into the darkness, Heero cursed hoarsely and threw caution to the wind making a straightway charge into the tree line. Just as he reached the border Septum blended into the forest's black recesses.
Flattening his body against a rough-barked trunk, Heero drew in a smoke-tainted inhalation then let it flow smoothly through his nose. "If it's a game of fox and goose the bastard wants, I'm more than ready to join the hunt."
TBC...
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