* ● ● Unknown Location, Buenos Aires, Argentina, SAU
“What?!” Sam’s interjection was only one of dozens of others across the channel. “Are you hearing this, Emilia!? Was Enrai in any way aware of this move?!”
“No way this is happening.” Kaylen’s voice carried much more of a frantic tone despite her attempt to stay calm. “I think the bastard is about to out every fucking one of us.”
“Out us…” Sam paused to think before it hit, striking a similar chord of panic within. “What the hell is he expecting on accomplishing- he’s about to be the biggest target of even his own people! Is he suicidal?! No way this ends up focused on us, right?!” She then immediately thought to reach out to her father but quickly pulled back, swallowing the fact she couldn’t reach anyone outside of their communications umbrella. “Where the fuck are you going with this,” she seethed to herself off of the channel, looking back at the news feed projecting from her watch while pondering the absence of comments from both Enrai and Rex.
.
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* ● ● Palermo District, Buenos Aires, Argentina, SAU
[What, now?!] one Brazilian representative from a different table shouted in disgust. [You think this is a game? What do you take us for?] He then quickly held his tongue, not due to the gavel’s attempt to bring order back to the assembly, but from the calm, confident smirk that arose from his fellow representative standing at the table next to him. [Santos? What are you looking like that for?]
Isaiah struggled just a bit less to keep his composure, noting the desired effect was slowly taking its course, noting a reaffirming stare Orsi sent back towards the representative identified as Santos.
[Permission to speak, Mr. Chairman,] the representative smugly spoke as confusion began to quickly set in throughout the chamber. After the nod, he turned to continue: [I am Bishop’s organizer used to arrange every cross-border materials and personnel exchange with Brazil and Colombia. I worked with Reaper here many times and will gladly provide my testimony and any reports necessary to support his claims.]
[I am the most recent handler for la Familia Rocha in Bogota. I know his voice very, very well,] another representative added as he stood up from one of Colombia’s tables.
[Enough!] The chairman scolded as he continued restoring order. [Regardless of these admissions, as real or absurd- or even as incriminating as they may be, the testimony of Mr. Knight has not been concluded.] He then impatiently turned to Isaiah. [If you may please wrap up your remarks.]
“I only need to make one last statement,” Isaiah continued, straightening his collar, taking in one last deep breath. “The Underground will surface across the world. We may be found responsible for many demonstrations and riots across the globe this past year, but it was for the sake of preventing further isolation from each other as nations of Earth. I will allow my mentor Mr. Orsi to explain the foundational principles the Underground stands behind, but I am coming to the surface not just to reveal myself and my identity as a member, but I will also bring to the surface things that will put Hexa International in the light it needs to be put into, and those pieces were all compiled by myself; hence I must be present in the real so as to testify appropriately. Thank you.” He let out a heavy but subdued sigh, hoping Orsi would quickly take over.
[Does the assembly have questions for Mr. Knight?] the Chairman asked before one table’s light quickly went off. [Yes, Representative, you have the floor,] he spoke to one of Brazil’s other representatives.
[Mr. Knight,] the representative began with a suspicious tone. [If you are indeed this… Reaper character… do you realize this equates to you admitting to being a murderer and a felon wanted by multiple nations?]
“I am no murderer,” Isaiah quickly replied to several shocked reactions, both from those who seemed to be in his support and those not. “As I stated, I have submitted documentation to prove many things, and in that, you’ll see I have never taken a single life.
[Fairly preposterous of a remark if I may say,] the representative scoffed. [You owe the SAU many a dollar from the damages you incurred, especially the wreck you caused in Bogota!] He then looked towards the assembly with heightened anger. [This is the man who set off an EMP of all things in the middle of a major metropolitan city for God’s sake! Why are we sitting here listening to an obviously scheming mad man?!]
“That was Hexa’s doing,” Isaiah calmly replied with a motion toward the assembly. “Everyone can check what I provided. The construction of the EMP emitting device was found to be of Sumerian construction encoded with language only used by their Navy… A Navy that has links in that package shown putting them and Hexa in the same bed since years ago.”
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* ● ● Unknown Location, Buenos Aires, Argentina, SAU
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Sam was now beyond panicking, having gone completely livid as she continued listening to her brother’s accusations, hardly aware of her team’s reactions going on all the while. It was like she felt his knife blade driving through her flesh all over again, looking at his eyes that bear down on her; she could sense the glare coming from him that bespoke his self-proclaimed superiority over her and it burned even deeper down than before. She knew that he knew how much he roped her into this new scheme and how much of a fall she was about to be forced to take. It was only a matter of time before she found out how much it was going to hurt.
Biting down and clenching her fists for a moment, she chose to avoid causing a ruckus and switched off her watch display, letting out a long, difficult breath through her nostrils. Her left knee was rocking back and forth violently while her right hand began fidgeting at the same pace.
“Why are we still sitting here?!” She fumed under her breath, paying no attention still to her radio chatter.
“We’ve found Angel’s specific whereabouts,” Rex’s voice suddenly joined in as Sam’s focus snapped over in an instant. “Heed no attention to Reaper’s comments. He’s gone rogue, as has Bishop. We must move quickly before they initiate their plan which we still have yet to confirm what all it entails.”
Sam’s face lit up with renewed anxiousness and vigor mixed with a conflicting sense of guilt at the relief she felt coming from words spoken by Rex of all people. She quickly sat up straight and listened in intently, knowing an official word from Enrai, or at least from Kaylen, would be the next thing to wait for.
[Remus has received your coordinates and will share with my team,] Enrai’s digitally altered voice joined back in, much more easily recognized now by Sam. [I am sending a briefing model as we speak, follow along carefully.] Sam wasted no time opening up her watch’s display once more, catching the hologram stream notification. [This is the location where Angel is being held,] he continued as a map of Palermo zoomed in on a highlighted high-rise at the corner of a busy intersection. [Here, on the twelfth floor of the TC Building on the corner of September 11th 1888 and Federico Lacroze.]
That… That’s a residential building…
[We will scramble three teams: Team one will be on the ground, led by Remus. They will set up the perimeter around the building so that Team two, led by Eryx, can infiltrate and extract the target.]
[It’s been a while since my last extraction,] Eryx briefly but enthusiastically joined in.
[Team three, you will be guided from satellite recon through Emilia’s lead. Your coordinates will be sent to you before leaving the umbrella.]
That’s me…
[Pay close attention and do not deviate from the given courses of action. Time is of the absolute essence here- we must move while their leaders are tied up under public watch.]
Sam’s anger had subsided and reverted back to a sickening tension as her mother recaptured most of her conscious thought. Mom, hang on. We’re coming. Whatever this is, we’re going to make this work.
“Again,” Rex rejoined in on the briefing. “Give no thought to Reaper’s current status nor his actions and focus on getting our target out alive. There is much to gain from having her capabilities closer to our side given these circumstances.”
Yeah, probably just use her for information, but that’s better than letting her get killed like a dog.
Sam tightened her shoulder harnesses once more, pacing her breaths before reaching for her helmet. She knew she couldn’t let her nerves ruin this one. The ones close to her that she lost weighed heavily on her, but this is one she’d never forgive herself for if her inability to speak out or move first reared its ugly head again.
She locked her visor in as she blocked out what she could, everything but the moving map coordinate lines in front of her eyes.
No, not this time. To hell with anyone or anything else out there for now.
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* ● ● Inside an MBI Cockpit, Unknown Location, Argentina, SAU
The inside of a full-sized mech was far roomier than that of any LTAC variant, and the main screen was at the front of the pilot, covering much of the interior panel. A pair of rotational-joint control sticks mounted to a more complex slider rail system was attached to a control console that led up to the base of the main display screen, and to the pilot’s left and right were smaller side view displays along with heftier cushioning and sturdier restraints.
A helmet connected to an oxygen line was well-fastened to the pilot’s head, and through the mostly clear visor it was evident the pilot was Adrian Liotta.
[I heard,] he spoke to someone over the line through his helmet communications, referencing the ongoing audio stream live from the SAU Assembly. [And I’ve been ready.]
He nervously tapped the side of the right control stick’s rail, eyeing the right corner of the mostly blacked out display panel, paying focus to the red light flickering near the launch status indicator.
His eye then twitched the second it changed to pre-launch check. [There. Check for the evacuation notices. This means we’re minutes away from go.] He then took in a long, deep breath, leaning back and letting the fiery discourse between the SAU representatives fill in the continued waiting period.
[You think we haven’t already received agreements for pardons from the President?] Orsi scoffed loudly as evident from the audio stream. [This isn’t a coup, this is a motion for a vote! This is a democratic organization, is it not?]
[I hope to hell he knows what he’s doing,] Adrian mumbled to himself. [Hard to believe he was Bishop all along, but makes sense now. Hell, makes me more confident this will work.]
[And if we don’t get it, the people outside will burn down this building right where we stand,] Orsi continued with resolve. Adrian remembered the massive gathering outside the assembly hall, imagining their change in tone based on the unfolding events. And as the tedious minutes passed, it crossed his mind enough times to quickly check in on the situation at the Assembly Hall. He flicked through his control panel commands, pulling up the view outside the main entrance before swiftly closing it all out, almost as if he knew there was a chance he was being watched.
Good.
He felt a bit of relief seeing a well-organized picket line, easily numbering in the thousands.
It’s just a matter of time before this whole thing swings our way.
[B-One, this is Capital Watch,] a voice over the line came in. [Confirmed the evacuation notice request was received by the ground zero team. Sky Watch has you approximately two minutes ‘til.]
[Copy-]
[Wait,] the voice interrupted. [Hold, B-One.]
That’s not good. What could even possibly cause a hold-up?
He flicked his channel over to the usual frequency he used to communicate with his own crew, listening in regardless of the chances he’d be caught. His brow wrinkled in a confused frown as he took in the bits and pieces of information he heard.
LTAC’s already on the move? They weren’t supposed to move until after I gave the green light. No… I bet good money that those LTACs are not ours…
He switched back to the previous line and barked: [Capital Watch, this is B-One. Put me on the line with Sky Watch, now!]