Chapter Twenty-Nine

“This isn’t going to work.” Shido insisted, for the fifth time since he and Rei had left the tube-way tunnels and reached the surface of the research facility.

“That’s what you said about sneaking onto Osaka through the maintenance shafts.” Rei pointed out, chuckling when the other Kitsune growled.

Shido shook his helmeted head in denial. “I still can’t believe how few security cameras are down there! Or how easy they are to see!”

“That’s because they’re empty shells.” Rei grinned as the InSec man scoffed. “Yes they are! They are meant to scare crooks out of using the tunnels. Law enforcement and InSec combined doesn’t have a tenth of the manpower you’d need to actually keep track of that much surveillance after all, and no one trusts autonomous AI’s after the New Zealand incident about fifty years ago.”

Shido winced. The AI administrator of the small, experimental expansion section of the City had gone buggy for some still unknown reason, and had turned on the fire suppression sprayers through out the facility, while simultaneously shutting off the drainage systems and internal transit. By the time an InSec team had breached its automated defenses and overridden the system over a thousand people had been killed in the resulting flooding and building collapses. Since then only the military used artificial intelligence, and only with human oversight.

The two men’s thoughts kept them occupied for the few minutes it took to reach the InSec Medical Services building, where Natalia was most likely being held.

Shido swallowed, seeing dozens of Leo officers, all fingering their weapons as they scanned the streets in front of them. He straightened the helmet of his own set of armor. “This isn’t…”

“Yes it will. Now shut up and watch!” Rei hissed. Then, with his own swallow of fear and nervous adjusting of Leo ballistic plate, he waved to the only man with sergeant chevrons he saw. “Hey? Who’s in charge here?”

The Sergeant responded by waving them to him, while looking over their armor. “That would be me. You boys get dragged out here too?”

“Oh yeah.” Rei nodded, carefully keeping his look around them casual. “Looks like we aren’t the only ones with orders that didn’t come with instructions.”

“Oh yeah, hurry up and do something. Gotta love it.” The Sergeant nodded. He didn’t notice the soft sigh of relief Rei let slip out. “Some stupid drill. Something about simulating what would happen if a Kitsune enhanced flu ripped up those multi-breed teams InSec loves so much.” He shrugged, obviously not bothered by the idea of what a flu that had fought through Kitsune adaption and immune systems could do, even though such an event was why the Undercity and public area’s got misted with anti-pathogenic substances every day. “Put us in charge of their hospital as a ‘low intensity’ test run of new protocols. It’s a low intensity cluster fuck is more like it.”

“No kidding.” Shido agreed.

“Which district do you two come from, anyway?”

“Sydney D-4.” Rei answered.

The sergeant whistled. “No kidding? Shipped you more than a little ways, didn’t they!”

“Yes they did, sorry about getting here late.”

“It’s all good.” The man waved off Shido’s apology. “Say, who is the Captain out at Sydney Four now? I used to be a training officer out that way.”

Rei tried not to show his panic, scrambling to come up with a name on the fly. Shido saved him the trouble. “Jack Morris. He’s a good CO.”

“Morris? That snot nosed little punk?” The sergeant laughed. “I was his partner on his rookie year. He was a good man then, too.”

“So, where do you need us, Sarge?” Rei asked, his heart rate and breathing back to normal.

“The morgue, if you can believe it.”

Rei grimaced with obvious distaste in his voice. “Why down there?”

“The dumb bastards didn’t want to give us codes to their secured building, so they just unlocked the whole ground floor instead! You could just walk in and steal the toilet paper from their store rooms if you wanted to, if you can believe that!” He shook his head at the stupidity that such a decision required. “The upper floors are still secured electronically, of course, but down here, it’s all us with eyes and ears. Our stinking communications aren’t even working with the local channels.”

“Well damn.” Shido commented, since it sounded like the other man wanted to hear something.

“Yeah… but either way, I need someone down there, and you two did show up late.”

“You’ve got a heart of gold, Sarge.” Shido grumbled ruefully.

“Yeah, it coats the lead. Now get on with ya, the receptionist will direct you to where you have to go.”

“Yes sir.”

They were both walking down the hallway, ignored by the people they were passing, only minutes later. “I can not believe this is working.” Shido growled.

“Human nature, one-oh-one. If you have already pissed off your security, they will be disinclined to look deeper into a well supported story.” Rei explained. “The sergeant’s out of his home district, surrounded by a bunch of men he doesn’t know, and who don’t know him. Frankly, we’re just two more potential problems in a barrel of crap he already had.” Rei chuckled. “And the beautiful part is it’s because your bosses thought it’d enhance the security of the building!”

“True, but still…”

They passed through the doors of the morgue, Rei pausing to read a sign reminding visitors that it was illegal to photograph a corpse outside of a funeral service. “Why is InSec so worried about the rights of the dead?” Rei asked softly. Since the Wars of Madness, the dead were treated with a certain reverence by the only society to survive. As a historian had put it “Far more have passed from this world, than still remain on its benighted surface.” After Marigold’s discovery of the dead and dying Siren children in Sydney Central Hospital, however, Rei had assumed that the intelligence bureau was immune to such sympathies.

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“No, we only take pictures during murder investigations. We do still care, Rei. At least, most of us do.” Rei chose not to contradict Shido’s point.

“… She’s to be listed as a fatal miscarriage, so do your best to make her look pretty for whatever funeral they hold.” They heard a male voice speak from around a corner. Shido stopped and carefully peeked around that wall.

Rei, raising an eyebrow at the other man’s stealthy posture, just continued around the corner. “The sergeant outside directed us down here to provide security. Which of you three is in charge here?”

Two orderlies turned and looked at him in surprise as he continued towards them, Shido softly cursing and following on his heels. The third lab coated man, the coroner, raised his hand. “That would be me.”

“Oh good! I just wanted to know where you would like me and my partner here.” The last was said as Rei turned back to gesture at Shido who was still behind him. As he twisted back straight, he brought his fist up in a savage jab which took the first orderly in the nose, shattering it and sending him to the floor in an unconscious pile. Continuing the movement Rei drove his foot into the other orderly’s knee, sending him down where another quick kick with his booted foot to the man’s temple removed that man from consciousness as well.

The coroner began running towards a scarlet button on the wall when the distinctive feedback hum of a sonic stunner initializing brought him up short. “I’d stand still, if I were you.” Shido stated calmly, his gun aimed rock steady at the lab coated man’s head.

Rei continued moving forward, walking around the sheet draped corpse on a gurney between him and the frightened doctor while being careful to stay out of Shido’s line of fire. A quick blow to the back of the man’s head from Rei’s own pistol sent him to the floor with the first two.

“Seriously, have you done this before?” Shido demanded, holstering his gun and hefting one of the orderlies to put him in one of the empty drawers, Rei doing the same with the coroner.

“Not this, exactly, but the basic skills are the same.” Rei admitted. “I’m surprised you haven’t.”

“I’m usually technical support or tactical communications oversight. Natalia is our team’s undercover specialist.”

“Ahh. Don’t feel bad, I’m a geek too.” Rei chuckled as he hefted the third man, considering his ruined nose and his ID picture. Concentrating, he felt the tingling pain of his face shifting into that of his first victim’s unspoiled features. When he looked up he found Shido staring at him.

“How’d you do that so fast?” The other Kitsune demanded.

“Natalia has to have done that in front of you before.” Rei commented dryly.

Shido nodded. “Yeah but she’s… seventh… you’re seventh dan?”

“Guilty.” Rei nodded. “Now get your fifth dan butt in gear, and dupe his buddy already.”

Shido nodded, then seeing something over Rei’s shoulder he went pale. “Shido?” Rei called as the other man pushed past him to the gurney, lifting the sheet off the corpse they had only moments before been fighting around.

“Oh… Oh no…”

Rei stepped back as the other Kitsune sobbed and began cursing while half cradling the dead woman he’d uncovered. Rei swallowed before asking “Is she a friend of yours?”

“Cassidy, my… our sister. She was here to… to breed. She so wanted a child.”

Rei set a hand on the shaking man’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, but we have to move. We can’t help her now. We have to get to Natalia before…”

Shido sighed and rubbed the tears from his eyes as he set the dead woman back down on the gurney. “Before she ends up here too, I know. Give me a minute.”

It took two minutes, but a short time after he finished shifting they stepped out of the elevator on to the Kitsune Breeding Project floor. Rei winced at the heady mix of scents; Passion, lust, fear, and sweat mingling with antiseptic.

Shido, Who’d had a suspicion of what they’d find, had taken the effort to tune down his sense of smell while shifting into the face he now wore. He moved over to the first door to peer through its small window. “Empty.”

Slowly they drifted down the line, most of the rooms unoccupied while a few had a waiting female sitting calmly inside on the small bed, or a pair of Kitsune already engaged. It wasn’t until they were near the end of the long hall that Rei cursed, and pulled open a door.

A woman sat, curled up and shivering in fear. Naked, she was bruised and battered, smelling of sex. She also smelled completely unfamiliar to Rei. “Shido.” He hissed, summoning the other Kitsune.

Shido appeared a moment later, and then cursed. “Captain? Captain! Can you hear me?”

“You know her?”

“Captain Ritsko Mu. She was running the investigation team out of Melbourne last we met. She must have come up on the breeding schedule too.”

Rei nodded grimly. “Same training as Talia?”

“She was a team leader, so I would assume so.” Shido held out his wrist, willing the sweat glands to ooze pheromones. “Come on Captain, you know me. I owe you twenty cred. It’s Shido.” He murmured softly, like he was talking to a frightened child and not a military officer.

“Shido?” She whispered, looking up with what appeared to be hope in her eyes. “I heard you were dead.”

“I got better.”

Rei stood. “There’s only a couple more doors left. You help her, and I’ll check them out.”

“Go.”

The second to last room was another empty one. When he looked through the portal into the last room, Rei’s heart nearly stopped even as his arms were ripping the door open and half off its hinges.

Before Rei could get a good view of Natalia, a fist exploded into his jaw, sending him reeling across the hallway. A man wearing a black jumpsuit, the front zipper most of the way undone, pursued him out of ruined portal.

Rei, quickly shaking off the blow, fired back with his own one two combo of punches, following with a quick snap kick. The punches were easily blocked by the skilled combatant, but the snap kick managed a glancing blow to the man’s hip.

“Who are you?” Snarled the InSec Kitsune as he danced back and regained his balance. Rei could smell Natalia on the man’s skin, and almost could taste the terror carried by her pheromones.

“I’m the knight in shiny freaking armor, and she is mine! You knew she was mine! You could smell that she was taken, and you did this anyway you sick fuck!” Rei snarled as he threw caution aside and waded into the man’s reach. Two savage blows drove into Rei’s side, cracking ribs he was sure, but the enraged man ignored them. Rei’s hands shifted painfully to claws, and took the InSec officer in the throat, sending the man gagging to the tiled floor. He spat on the dying man before turning back to the small room.

Natalia lay naked and catatonic with an IV dripping some chemical into her blood. She was bound by her wrists, ankles, and neck to the bed with restraints sturdy enough to have been designed specifically for Kitsune. Rei almost vomited when he realized metal pins were driven through her limbs to assist in keeping her trapped. Bruises marred her pale hips and arms, and her wrists and ankles were rubbed raw where she’d struggled against the restraints.

“Oh god no…” Rei half sobbed, surging across the room and looking over the restraints. One of his hands reached out of its own accord, caressing her matted red hair. He jerked back as she screamed and started fighting her bonds again, unaware of whom had just touched her.

Closing his eyes, he duplicated Shido’s trick but over his whole body. Once he was sure she could smell him, hearing her struggles begin to calm, he turned and began rifling through the drawers and glass fronted cabinets that lined the room’s walls.

“Rei?”

He heard Natalia’s weak voice call out. He shoved the handful of pre-prepared syringes he’d found into the pocket of his stolen scrubs and came to her. “I’m here.”

“You shouldn’t have come…” She whispered.

“Bah, what’s sneaking into a heavily fortified military complex between us?”

A gasp alerted him to Shido’s arrival. “Check the hall.” Rei ordered him, seeing the other abused woman, wearing Shido’s stolen lab coat, leaning against him for support. Shido’s mouth worked for a few moments then with a nod they were gone.

“This is going to hurt, baby.” Rei said, his hand finding the bed’s restraint controls.

“It did every other time… you at least care.” Natalia said, tears filling her eyes.

Rei closed his own, and pressed the button marked ‘all release’. Her scream of pain caused him to flinch and his heart to wither inside of his chest. Seconds later he injected the antibiotics and pain killers he’d collected into her, and had scooped her into his arms.

“We’re getting out of here, I promise.”

“How?” Natalia asked, shivering against him.

Alarms began blaring, loudspeakers announcing an intruder alert.

“The hard way.” Rei growled. “How else?”