Man if it's not the nukes, it's this!
Geez and this is what i pay taxes for?
anyway...not much to say..here you go
and stuff
The Devil Inside
Chapter 23
?Damnit!? Crispin swore as he tried to pull back the hammer of his .45. It took both hands to cock the hammer. One to hold the pistol and the other to grip the slide and pull it back. However, with his wounded shoulder Crispin could barely get his left hand to grip the slide, let alone muster the strength to pull it back. It never occurred to him he might lose the use of his hand.
It was her.
It?s ironic, but you never appreciate something until it?s gone. Crispin never realized how much he depended on his sister until she was gone. But it was true. She was the one who encouraged him. Who believed in him. Without Allie?s support he never would have made it thru MIT?s Gifted Student Program.
She was the strong one.
It was for Allie's sake that he lied about his age and joined the Marine Corps. The best day of his life was seeing her wave at him from the stands during his graduation ceremony from Basic Training. When his true age was discovered and he was discharged, Allie consoled him when it seemed the world betrayed him.
I?m the weak one.
When Mithril approached him. Crispin thought it was the answer to his prayers. He could work and fight as he was trained, and the pay was three times better than anything the Marines offered. The downside was he would be deployed at least forty weeks out of the year. Of course, Allie knew nothing about Mithril. She thought he took a job as an engineer on an oil rig in Indonesia.
She trusted him. She believed in him. But when she needed him?
?ARGH!? Crispin screamed and the hammer slid back on the M1911. Crispin cradled the heavy pistol against his chest and clenched his eyes shut. His breathing was shallow and erratic. But he could hear the scrambling of booted feet climbing up the ravine. ?Soon,? he thought dully. ?Soon it?ll be over.?
It occurred to Crispin he could use the .45 pistol on himself. Save the bastards the trouble of finishing him. It would be so easy and he wanted to do it. The world had nothing for him and he hated it! He hated EVERYTHING!
Most of all, Crispin hated himself. He couldn?t stand the sight of his face in the mirror. The sound of his own voice enraged him. He despised everything about himself. Without Allie he was nothing.
Before his last leave, before Allie was murdered. Crispin had phoned his younger sister. She was glad to hear from him and happy to hear he would be staying for three weeks. She grew upset when he told her he would be delayed by a week. He had just seen the ARX-7 Arbalest and he wanted to tinker with it. The most sophisticated Arm Slave in the world. Perhaps the most devastating weapon system ever designed. It was too much to pass up. He brushed his sister off so he could play with the biggest toy he?d ever seen.
When she needed him. He wasn?t there.
Yes, Crispin Daniels hated the world. But most of all he hated himself. That?s why he didn?t take his own life. Why he waited for Kaname?s kidnappers to close in on him. He refused to give his loathsome self the release he craved. That would be a task for another.
Yours isn?t the only fate that will be decided tomorrow corporal.
Kalinin?s words in the brig of the de Danaan was Crispin?s new mantra. They became his guiding principle. In Kalinin?s file he saw the same thing he had witnessed in the Clyde County Morgue. Young girls. Allie?s age. Their lives destroyed for the profit of others. For the first time since his sister?s death Crispin raged at something other than himself.
He had seen what would happen to Kaname Chidori. Crispin wasn?t there when Allie needed him, and she paid the price. This time, he swore, would be different.
And so he waited patiently as the hunters closed in. Crispin smiled at the thought. They thought he was trapped. That he couldn?t run. He didn?t WANT to run. He was exactly where he needed to be. Every second he delayed these bastards, Kaname was that much safer. Everyone he killed would never hurt her or any other girl again.
Whatever it takes.
That was the promise he and Sousuke had made. Actually, he was grateful to the dark-haired sergeant. Crispin knew that Sousuke would get Kaname to safety. Unlike him, Sousuke was a hero. The sergeant may deny it, might not even like it, but he did what was best for others. Unlike Crispin, the young sergeant understood what was in someone?s best interest and acted accordingly. Sousuke was everything Crispin wished he COULD be.
Crispin was drawn from his musings as the sound of gravel shifting under a boot. He looked up and saw a large figure step around the side of the rock face he leaned against. Crispin snapped his pistol up just as the figure leveled a submachine gun at his chest.
?Give it up pal.? O?Campo growled. Fitz and Marlen were dead because of this son of a bitch. ?It?s over!?
Crispin smiled, the .45 in his hand steady. ?Fuck you!?
The roar of gunfire echoed throughout the ravine.
**
Sousuke leapt up with a yell. He rushed forward and emptied his last magazine into the stalactites Gauron hid behind. The stone formation was decimated by the hail of bullets. One of the bullets smashed into the thick NVGs Gauron wore. As the gap closed between the two Sousuke?s weapon clicked on empty.
Staggering from the painful impact, Gauron tore the ruined goggles off his bruised face with a curse. Gauron raised his own pistol to finish off the enraged Sousuke. However, his pistol was knocked aside when Sousuke hurled his now empty weapon at mercenary, and Gauron's shot impacted at his feet. Before he could raise it back up Sousuke was on top of him.
Sousuke lashed out with his hand and Gauron?s pistol spun into the darkness. The mercenary grunted and knocked Sousuke back with a brutal kick to the side. As the Mithril agent stumbled into the small circle of light provided by the glow stick. Gauron paused. This Mithril agent looked familiar.
?Kashim? Is that you?? Gauron laughed as he recognized the angry young man before him.
Sousuke clenched his jaw and attacked. He feinted with his right foot and struck the mercenary in the cheek with his left fist. Gauron staggered from the powerful blow. To Sousuke?s annoyance the mercenary grinned as blood leaked from his lip.
?This is great!? Gauron wiped the blood from his mouth. ?There?s so much to talk about!? He caught Sousuke?s follow up attack with his hand and head butted the sergeant in retaliation. Sousuke reeled from the blow. ?How?ve you been?? Gauron asked conversationally. He reached out to grab Sousuke by the shoulder.
Sousuke countered and grabbed Gauron?s wrist. Before the mercenary could react Sousuke twisted and threw the mercenary to the ground. As he fell Gauron managed to wrap one of his legs around Sousuke?s knees and dragged the Mithril sergeant down. The two combatants rolled on the ground and Sousuke eventually ended up on top.
?Why aren?t you dead?? Sousuke ground out as he tried to wrap his hands around Gauron?s throat.
?Oh, I had a titanium plate built into my skull.? Gauron grunted and began to push the smaller Sousuke?s hands away from him. With an impressive feat of strength Gauron pushed Sousuke up and off him. Both men faced each other on their knees and tried to strangle the other. ?The shallow angle of the shot didn?t hurt either.? Gauron grinned.
Gauron was a good thirty to forty pounds heavier than Sousuke. That combined with his additional height gave Gauron all the advantages in the grappling contest the two were engaged in. That advantage became obvious when Gauron stood up and flung Sousuke into the nearby cavern wall.
Sousuke gasped when he felt the SPP dig into the small of his back and knock the wind out of him. He slid to the floor dazed
?How?s Kalinin?? Gauron inquired and kicked Sousuke in the ribs. ?It figures an idealistic fool like him would join Mithril.? Gauron smirked as Sousuke coughed violently. It was hard to see in the paltry light, but the mercenary imagined he saw blood on Sousuke?s lips.
?It?s nice chatting with you Kashim but oh the time! You see my employers want me to play around in the girl?s head. It?s like a treasure hunt.? Gauron grinned and kicked Sousuke a second time. His grin turned to surprise when the sergeant trapped his foot between his ribs and arms.
?AH!? With a yell Sousuke shoved upward and sent Gauron stumbling onto his back.
Sousuke jumped to his feet and Gauron did the same. The two squared off and begin to viciously attack, block and counter attack. Each man intent on killing the other. Both were extremely skilled and fast. Both were also injured: Gauron with his nicked arm and bruised face and Sousuke with his torn shoulder.
Yet, as before Gauron was larger and more broad. That meant his blows had more power and he could take more punishment. However, in the tight confines of the underground cavern Sousuke?s smaller size meant he had more room to maneuver and Gauron?s size made it more difficult for the mercenary to land a solid blow and avoid Sousuke?s attacks. Thus they were equally matched.
For almost a minute, they fought. Then Gauron landed a solid blow to Sousuke?s temple. The force of the attack knocked Sousuke off his feet and he landed on his side stunned. His right arm was pinned beneath him and Sousuke no longer had the strength to lift his injured left one.
?Too bad Kashim.? Gauron panted and wiped his mouth. ?I?m being paid a lot of money to deliver that girl to my client. Nothing personal.? Gauron stepped forward to finish the Mithril sergeant off.
?Yeah. Nothing personal.? Sousuke suddenly sat up and jerked his right hand from behind him. In it was the 9mm Special Purpose Pistol the old apothecary insisted he take. He fired three times before Gauron could blink. The mercenary grunted and jerked from the impact. Sousuke kept the pistol trained on Gauron as he stood up. When Gauron did not fall, Sousuke fired three more times. Finally the mercenary fell onto his back with a groan.
Sousuke stood wheezing and holding his side with his left arm. He kept the weapon trained on Gauron until his breathing returned to normal. Once before he thought Gauron was dead. This time Sousuke planned to take no chances. He stepped forward to shoot Gauron in the head (again) when he heard a moan of pain.
?Chidori.? Sousuke suddenly remembered the injured girl. He cautiously stepped past the prone form of Gauron. The mercenary remained perfectly still, and Sousuke could detect no hint of life. Not even Gauron?s chest was moving. The mercenary appeared to have stopped breathing. Once past, Sousuke hurried down the corridor to Kaname.
?W-what??? Kaname whispered when Sousuke came back into view. For some reason she could not sit up. She tried to push herself up anyway as Sousuke crouched before her. ?S-sousuke what?s going on?? Her arms shook and Kaname felt light-headed.
?Chidori.? Sousuke voice trembled slightly as he wrapped his good arm around her shoulder. ?Try to stay still. You?ve been shot.? He leaned Kaname against his chest and ran his hand across her back. He needed to find the entry wound.
?S-shot!? Kaname shook her head weakly. ?H-how is th-that possible?? She didn?t feel like she?d been shot. In fact she felt rather numb. Like she was disconnected from her body. She was vaguely aware his right hand was roving down her back, but Kaname found she didn?t have the strength to care. ?Always knew you were a per-AH!? She hissed in pain.
?I?m sorry Ms. Chidori, but direct pressure to the wound is the best way to stop the bleeding.? Sousuke had found the bullet wound. It was in her left side, just below the ribcage. It appeared to have missed her intestinal track, but Sousuke was unsure if the bullet had hit her kidneys or spleen. If her spleen was ruptured it could lead to Septicemia and poison her blood stream. He pressed his hand down hard on the wound. It was the best he could do in these circumstances.
?I-It?s okay.? Kaname clenched her eyes shut and leaned into Sousuke. They fell silent as Sousuke held her. ?Where?s that creepy guy?? She asked.
?He?s? Sousuke glanced back and could dimly see the still form of Gauron. ?He?s dead.?
?Good.? Kaname sighed. She felt no pity for the mercenary. He had treated her horribly.
Sousuke starred at the girl in his arm. Once again she surprised him. In the dim glow of the chemical light Kaname looked peaceful and ?something else. He knew no word to describe it. However, it was an illusion. Without help, Kaname would die: from blood loss, from Sepsis (infection), or shock. All ready he could feel her heart beat accelerating and sweat was pouring from her body.
?Sousuke?what?s happening?? Kaname began to breath rapidly. ?I-how bad is it?? She had to know what was happening. She clutched at him weakly.
?Chidori.? Sousuke swallowed the lump in his throat. ?You?re going into Hypovolemic Shock.? He pasued and wet his lips. Sousuke never felt so helpless before. The pain of his own injuries were insignificant compared to the pain he felt inside. Gauron?s bullet might not have struck him, but the wound it caused was very real. ?I-I?m sorry I couldn?t keep my promise.? Sousuke leaned his head on top of Kaname?s. ?I?m sorry I couldn?t take you home.?
?I understand.? Kaname whsipered. She felt surprisingly calm. As long as Sousuke was with her everything was all right. They were safe now. ?I?m glad I met you.? She tried to sit up and look him in the face, but she was too weak to move. ?And I don?t have any regrets.?
?Chidori.? Sousuke closed his eyes. He was powerless before the emotions that buffeted him at that moment. He desperately racked his mind for a way to save her, but there was nothing he could do.
?My name.?
?What?? Sousuke?s eyes snapped open. He looked down at the girl in confusion. ?What did you say??
?I-I want you to say my name. My first name.? Kaname said. ?You said it before.?
?I-? Sousuke trailed off and finally nodded. ?I?m sorry Kaname.?
?Thank you.? Kaname murmured. Her breathing felt a lot calmer now, but her arms felt incredibly numb. She was about to ask Sousuke what that meant when she felt him stiffen.
?What is it?? Kaname asked.
?Someone?s coming.? Sousuke leaned over and picked up his 9mm. He held it close and pulled both himself and Kaname behind a small crevice in the rock wall. It wasn?t much, but any cover was better than none. He kicked the chemlight over the edge of the chasm they sat at the top of. The area plunged into complete darkness.
Kaname suppressed a gasp when the darkness swallowed them. It was a disorienting state when uninjured but now it was downright nightmarish. In the dark, Kaname could her what sounded like muffled voices.
Sousuke peered in the direction of the cavern that held the stalactite forest. He could not see anything but sound carried very well in the dark cavern. It was difficult to be sure, but Sousuke could hear men moving thru the stone forest. They would be on top of Sousuke and Kaname in minutes.
?How many?? Kaname asked.
?About six. It?s hard to be sure.? Sousuke hugged Kaname to his chest. ?I won?t let them take you.?
?I know.?
They sat huddled together and waited. Sousuke?s mind ran over possible scenarios. There was no way they could escape. All he could hope was to ikill as many as possible. Firing on them as they rounded the corner was a possible tactic, but Sousuke rejected that plan. He had half a clip remaining, and could not afford to engage in a major firefight.
The best course, he decided was to lay in wait. When they got close he would shoot as many as possible. With surprise, he could get two or three without question. Anymore was doubtful, but they were out of options.
Sousuke and Kaname watched flashlight beams arc around the bend leading toward the cavern. The men made little noise. Only the occasional grunt or creak of a booted sole gave them away. These men moved like professional soldiers.
Or trained killers.
Sousuke hid the pistol behind Kaname and closed his eyes. He bowed his head and waited. After several tense moments he heard the first man round the corner. Sousuke heard the figure pause and then move forward. The lead man was followed by at least two others. They would be spotted soon.
Kaname shivered in Sousuke?s arms and the lead figure gave a soft gasp. Sousuke tightened his grip on the pistol. The figure rushed forward and Sousuke saw the glare of the flashlight thru his closed eyelids.
Sousuke eye?s snapped open and he whipped the pistol up. The figure slid to a stop and raised it?s own rifle. In perfect synchronicity Sousuke?s 9mm pointed right at the soldier?s face just as the soldier jammed the barrel of his own rifle into Sousuke?s. They stood in tableau for several moments until Sousuke?s eyes widened in recognition.
?It?s you.? Sousuke starred wide eyed into the grim face of Kurz Weber.
?Yeah. Good to see you too.? Kurz grunted and then grinned. At an unseen signal both men lowered their weapons. ?Man we?ve been looking all over for you!? Kurz eyes twinkled as he took in the sight of Kaname huddled against Sousuke. ?And here I find you-? He trailed off as his mind registered all the blood.
?Medic!? Kurz yelled behind him. ?We got wounded!? He knelt down next to Sousuke and peered at Kaname worriedly. ?How is she??
?I think she?ll make it if we can get her to a hospital.? Sousuke shifted and placed his pistol on the ground. ?She was shot in the back. The upper left abdominal quadrant.?
?W-who? That voice.? Kaname opened her eyes at what sounded like a familiar voice. She glanced up and amidst the many flashlights saw Kurz?s grinning visage. He looked at lot different than the last time she saw him.
?Yep! It?s me. Kurz Weber at your service.? Kurz made a little flourish.
?So you?re the?second one.? Kaname spoke softly. She felt very weak.
?Second one?? Kurz looked at Sousuke in surprise but was interrupted by the medic?s arrival.
The medic instructed Sousuke to maintain pressure on the girl's wound and quickly gave Kaname an IV. Once done, the medic sat about placing a proper field dressing on the her wound. Six minutes later the medic sat back on his heels and nodded at Sousuke and Kurz. ?She?s stabilized, but we?ve got to get her to the de Danaan.?
?Right.? Kurz stood and radioed Melissa. ?Urzu-2. This is Urzu-6.? He had to repeat himself three times before he got a response.
?Urzu-2 here. Go ahead six.? Melissa?s voice cracked badly over his radio. They were deep in the caverns and the interference to radio signals was bad.
?I have Urzu-7 and Angel.? Kurz radioed. ?I say again. I have Urzu-7 and Angel.?
?Great news Six. Head back on the double.? Melissa ordered.
While Kurz talked two Mithril Marines helped the medic set up a field stretcher and gently lifted Kaname onto it. There was some difficulty. Kaname fought against the Marines lifting her.
?No!? Kaname thrashed against the Marines as they tried to hold her down. ?Let me go!?
?Chidori. It?s alright.? Sousuke was at Kaname?s side immediately. ?These men are here to help. They?re going to take you to a hospital. But you must lay still. You?ll aggravate your injury.?
Kaname stared wide-eyed at Sousuke and then finally relaxed. ?You promise??
?Yes.? Sousuke gripped her hand and allowed himself to smile. ?I promise.?
?You lovebirds done?? Kurz coughed to get their attention. He grinned when Sousuke jerked to his feet. ?Don?t worry. I?m sure you?ll have plenty of time to cuddle later.? Kurz and the marines chuckled.
?Cuddle?? Sousuke starred at Kurz. ?Why would I aggravate her injures like that?? That made no sense to Sousuke.
?I?ll tell you when you?re older!? Kurz laughed and clapped Sousuke on the shoulder. ?Now lets get outta here!?
?Wait!? Sousuke stopped them. ?We can?t leave the body.?
?One step ahead of you pal.? Kurz reassured Sousuke. ?Mao?s got that covered as we speak.? Kurz whistled as he remembered the carnage in the ravine. ?Man you sure did a number on those guys!?
?I?m not talking about the ones in the ravine!? Sousuke snapped. He was in no mood for Kurz?s brevity. ?I?m talking about him! Over there!? He pointed to the spot where he shot Gauron.
?Sousuke.? Kurz turned to the spot his teammate indicated. ?There?s nobody there.?
Sousuke starred at Kurz in disbelief. ?What are you saying? Of course there is!? Sousuke grabbed Kurz? flashlight and shined it on the spot. ?Look right there!? When the light illuminated the spot in question Sousuke felt his blood run cold.
Gauron?s body was gone.
End Chapter 23
The Devil Inside-Glossary of Terms
MCMJ -Mithril Code of Military Justice. Basically the legal code and rules of conduct all Mithril personal are subject to.
CO - Commanding Officer (This is actually used by the US military)
MCF- Mithril Correctional Facility. Most ships and bases have their own brigs or jails, but those are only designed to keep a prisoner for a short period of time. The MCF serves as Mithril?s more permanent jail. It?s used to hold those who are awaiting their hearing or trail, and for those who?ve been sentenced for longer than a month, to a maximum sentence of a year or two.
MDC- Mithril Detention Center - basically prison. This is where Mithril throw's their hard-cases and long terms sentences. It's a great place where you get to spend twelve hours a day making little rocks out of big rocks. Sounds fun doesn't it?
Basically, think of it as Mithril's equivalent to Ft. Lebonworth.
Old Man - just an affectionate way the soldiers of Mithril have of referring to Kalinin. Of course, they'd never address him like that!
LP/OP ?Listing Post and Observation Post.
FARP ?Fuel And Rearming Point. It?s a forward staging area combat-vehicles (such as an Arm-Slave) can use without having to leave the combat zone.
Mikes ?short-hand for minutes.
ETA ?Estimated Time of Arrival
Hawkeye ?Refers to a US radar plane. The Hawkeye usually flies ahead of a US naval task force (among other things) and gathers useful information about the area and reports it back.
AS- Arm Slave. Ya know, those big freaking robots Sousuke and the others pilot.
SRT- Special Response Team. Sousuke, Melissa, and Kurz are member of Mithril?s SRTs. The way I look at it, the Special Response Teams are Mithril?s equivalent of Special Forces. They do many of the same tasks as special forces: Recon. Infiltration. Sabotage. Lightning raids, Hostage rescue, and assorted other tasks.
MOTC ? Mithril?s Officer Training Course. Most military organizations have additional requirements for their officers besides just time in service and demonstrated ability. Most officers under go specific and grueling training and are usually required to have a four year college degree of some kind.
M9- Called the ?Gernsback? it?s the AS used by Mithril. Considered the next generation of AS.
M6- the AS used by the US Military.
RK-92- Soviet era Arm Slave. To quote Sousuke. ?Move you Soviet-made piece of Junk!?
Ninety-six- refers to the ASG 96-B manufactured by Bofors. It?s a 57 mm smooth-bore rifle and part of the M9?s standard armament. It?s the rifle Kurz used in episode five during his duel with Gauron.
NCOIC- Non-Commissioned Officer In Charge. It refers to the highest ranking enlisted person within a unit. In the case of Crispin?s orders it refers to Melissa.
DI ?Drill Instructor. Another way of referring to a Drill Sergeant.
SitRep- Situation Report. Basically a quick run down of what your situation in a field (or combat) environment.
WA2000- very high-quality German sniper rifle. Considered by some to be one of the best in the world. It?s only down side is its weight. (16 lbs) and cost. It?s highly customizable and sleek in design. It seemed appropriate for Kurz to use. Though I think the one he?s actually shown using is a PGS-1(another German rifle). I?m not certain.
Tac-Net- Tactical Network. A radio network set up and used by members of the same unit during tactical (i.e. combat) situations.
HE- High Explosive.
Fifty Cal ? short hand for fifty caliber. Which is the size of a heavy machine gun. A machine gun this large must be mounted on a tripod or vehicle in order to fire it. A fifty caliber round is about six inches long and can tear a man in half, and it can also destroy trucks, light armored vehicles and buildings.
NVGs -- Night Vision Goggles
EOD ? Explosive Ordinance Disposal
FTX ?Field Training Exercise.
Gunny- Short for Gunnery Sergeant. It?s an advanced NCO rank in the United States Marine Corps
Shiwa Statue ?those Lion statues you?ll see in front of temples and important buildings. There supposed to be guardian spirits and they are very prominent in Okinawa.
Klicks- short hand for kilometers
