Jake Barry
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Chapter 62
🕑 Added 2024-01-10 16:09:49 +0000 UTCOur group moves at midnight. By now, most people have either gone home and/or are already fast asleep. That means the streets are pretty empty, apart from the occasional drunk stumbling around. The street we are taking is one partially lit by streetlights, being on the less 'nice' side of town. Or so Jeannine tells me. That little bit of light disappears once we turn the corner. Into a dark alley we go, a backstreet that isn't supposed to be used by pedestrians, or anyone, really, but ends up being a shortcut for those aware of it. It's dark, which is ideal for us, since we seriously don't want to be seen.
Jeannine's pace is quick as she makes her way to our destination. Sara is on her left, quietly keeping up with her. She hasn't said a word since we left the apartment. It's pretty uncharacteristic of her. Then again, neither have I. Nor anyone, for that matter. We're all very focused on what we're about to do. I don't think there is anything left to be said, and even if there was, I'd prefer not to be the one who speaks first, you know?
We turn out of the alleyway and arrive at the shop's rear entrance. I assume it's the shop, since I've never seen it myself. In any case, it's an even tighter alleyway behind a large building, of which the pet shop is merely on the ground floor. Judging by the state of the area, it likely goes unused by all but the shopkeeper. The only things back here are a dumpster and the broken, rusty remains of a bicycle.
"The coast is clear. No one's around." Sara whispers, peeking around the corner at the main street. She gives us a thumbs up. "And no cameras, either."
"Is everyone ready?" Jeannine asks us. I hear each person voice their agreement over our earpieces. "Okay. Remember, we only have sixty seconds. After that, things should be easy."
She takes off her backpack and crouches down to look through it. She hands Sara her lockpicking kit and retrieves her can of spraypaint as well, giving it a good shake. Sara gets right to work on the lock, while Jeannine zips the bag closed and puts it back on. We all watch quietly as Sara fiddles with the mechanism using the long, thin metal pieces in her hands. She seems to be struggling until we all hear a click. She stands up, placing a hand on the door handle, but not yet opening it.
"Heads down until you've dealt with the cameras." Sara reminds Jeannine. She nods in response. Then, Sara pulls the door open and the two of them rush inside.
We find ourselves in the dark, dusty backroom, full of boxes and containers. Some are in use, housing animals, while others are empty, repurposed for storage. It seems to be the same one I found myself in, way back when. Jeannine's expression confirms my suspicion. As expected, the alarm does not go off immediately. Jeannine expertly locates the camera in the corner and gives it a good spray. A little too good of a spray, to be honest. At least a third of the can gets used. I guess she's trying to be extra safe. Can't hurt.
While she does that, Sara locates the terminal and gets to work trying combinations. She's already placed Icarus' device down, which seems to be active. A solid green light glows, while another flickers yellow and red. I hope she can guess the right code, but the chances are probably low. From what I gather from their team's mumbling, it's a six-digit pin number. I'm no mathematician but that sounds like a lot of combinations.
"I don't think I'm going to get it in time!" Sara whispers to Icarus.
"That's okay! The device has paired with the security system. All you need to do is aim it, before the call goes through." He reassures her.
"Fifty-seven, fifty-eight, fifty-nine..." Daedalus counts aloud, keeping track of time for them. "Sixty."
We all go silent, praying the alarm doesn't go off. The system is quiet for a moment, then it makes an odd sound, and Sara flinches. She is so on edge, but she is trying her best to do her part. "Please... Please..." She mutters softly. We wait a few more seconds but nothing happens. The only sounds in the room are of our breathing.
"Seems yer good to go." Daedalus confirms, a wave of relief washing over us. "Keep the device steady and we'll be good as gold."
With that out of the way, Jeannine turns her attention to the containers. She moves to the [location] she remembers contained the Lillis, stopping in front of it.
"Hold on, this isn't right." She mumbles to us.
"What do you mean?" Ori asks for the both of us.
"The tank he had you guys in was made of glass, stored in a locker. This is more like a miniature vault, and there are two of them." Jeannine bends over a little for a closer look. She looks from the right, then the left, discovering a small keyhole. "Ah-ha. It seems the tank is inside this thing. We'll need to pick another lock to open the vault door."
"Sara, can you help us out here?" Ori suggests. "Jeannine, you should swap places with her for the time being." They seem hesistant, likely anxious about changing up the plan. I am the same. After going over it so thoroughly, it feels like a mistake to change things up on the fly. Realizing this, Ori becomes more firm. "Ladies, we do not have the luxury of time. We have to be quick about it! Adapt!"
"She's right. Hand me the device."
Jeannine walks over, carefully transferring the device from Sara's hands to hers. She remains still, the blinking lights on the device flashing fast as it works to supress the security system. Sara goes over to the vault and works her magic. Within a minute or so, she cracks the thing open. In perfect sync, the two girls swap back, solving our problem without a hitch. Leave it to Ori and her quick thinking...
Now back to the vault, Jeannine slowly opens it up. She is wary of an alarm, but we quickly learn that it's not that complicated. It's literally just a vault, like the ones you store money and valuables in, but it's housing a tank inside. There are a few other modifications, like an oxygen tank, a small fan, and a strip of LEDs. There are some other things too, but it's anyone's guess as to what they are. The same can be found inside the other vault.
"Oh no." Jeannine gasps.
It takes us a moment to realize the cause of her shock. Behind the transparent, glass walls of the tank are the Lillis. So many of them, we can hardly count. Worse even, they are in an absolutely deplorable state. We can tall, even from this far away. They are hardly moving, despite the appearance of a big, scary Brob in a mask. Once the initial shock fades, Jeannine gets back to work. She inspects the tank, which seems to be sealed tightly from all sides. The only entry we can find is a few slits haphazardly cut into the top of it, likely to allow airflow. They are big enough for Lillis to fall through, but surely that can't be how they got in. Looking directly below it, we see a pile of food crumbs. That explains it.
"The guy must've sealed this thing shut after putting them inside. I don't think it's meant to be opened, unless you smash it." I frown.
"Would we be able to cut the glass?" Ori asks, brainstorming with me.
"No, I'm afraid that isn't possible." Jeannine sighs. "This is the kind of glass that shatters completely if you break a single part of it. I'd be risking the lives inside. Several, if not most, would die."
"I don't suppose we could just take the tank? It doesn't look that heavy?" I suggest, but then I notice how it is bolted to the base of the vault. There is simply no way that could be carried, even with Sara and her combined strength. "Never mind."
"A problem like this needs a Lilli mind. This prison was designed to keep Lillis in and Brobs out. The shopkeeper never accounted for Lillis getting in, nor a Brob assisting them..." Jeannine thinks aloud, trying to come up with an idea. "Ah, maybe if I..." Her hand moves to her head and she plucks a long strand of hair out, holding it close for us to see. "If it ain't broke."
"Don't fix it." I smile, understanding where she is going with this. I turn to Ori and take her by the hand. "Time to go. I hope you're ready."
Jeannine takes off her earring and sets it down on top of the tank. Ori and I open the hatch and step out onto the glass, approaching the slits where food comes through. The hair is then lowered to us, and we grab hold.
"I'm going to lower you in slowly. If anything happens, just yell and I will stop." She tells us, no longer anxious. She's got that confident look in her eyes that tells me she knows what she's doing. Even if she didn't, I'd still do it. I trust her, and so does Ori. "Ready?"
"Here goes." I smile at Ori, encouraging my visibly nervous friend. I understand where she is coming from. The drop from up here is terrifying. A distance of a maybe fifty centimeters on Jeannine's scale, but several hundred meters on ours. It's not that she doesn't trust Jeannine, but that she's worried about maintaining her grip. I do my best to reassure her. "If you slip, I'll catch you. I promise."
"Okay. I trust you, Nick." Ori smiles.
The two of us leap over the edge, falling a short distance before the hair goes taut. Then, Jeannine begins to lower us inside. We touch down shortly after, joining the imprisoned Remnants inside. The first thing that strikes us is the smell. It is so bad that it makes me dizzy. The air is breathable, thankfully, but that's almost trivial compared to what we see next.
Now that we are closer, we can see the state of these people properly. It's...heartbreaking. People are hardly moving, mostly laying on the floor. Other stumble around slowly like zombies. These conditions are even worse than ours were. The fact that someone would do this to others is downright cruel. The rest of what I see is unspeakable. I'm thankful Jeannine's eyes couldn't see the details from her distance. I don't think her heart could have handled it. Ori begins to sob, but quickly wipes her eyes dry. We glance at each other with looks of determination on our faces.
We have a job to do.
Suddenly, a bunch of the Remnants make their way over to us. They are slow, their movements weak and their expressions pained. Soon enough, a crowd has formed around us. Little by little, everyone makes their way over. Those who can't walk are assisted by those who can, until we are surrounded by so many people that I feel claustrophobic. They start the conversation before I even have the chance.
"Who are you two, and why have you come here?" A young woman asks us.
"Why is there a Brob here?!" An older guy points toward Jeannine.
"She let you in! I saw it!" A little boy cries out.
All of a sudden the crowd turns frantic. It seems many of them hadn't noticed Jeannine. It speaks to how exhausted and distraught they are. Now, though, most are wide awake. Fear overtakes them, and they demand answers from us. What starts as questioning turns into interrogation. I get frustrated, but then I remember to consider their point of view. This must be insane to them. They don't know anything but cruelty.
"Listen up!" I yell, silencing them. I look around, making eye contact with as many as I can. "What I'm about to say might sound crazy, but it's the truth. We have no reason to lie to fellow Lillis. Our brethren!"
I give them a moment to calm down, glancing at Ori for reassurance. She nods, and so I proceed with my explanation.
"You have all been captured so that you may be sold to a very rich buyer. I have no clue what they intend to do with you, but it cannot be good. My name is Nick, and this is Orina. We risked our lives to come here to rescue you."
Ori puts a hand on my shoulder, silently asking to cut in. I step back and let her continue.
"The Brob you see beyond the glass is an ally. You might not want to believe it, but there are good Brobs in this world. Jeannine is one of them, and she is one of my closest friends. She is also risking her life, breaking in to this accursed pet shop, to save you from what they're planning for you." She kneels down and puts a hand on the little boy's shoulder, giving him a warm smile. "We were once trapped in this shop, until she came to rescue us. We intend to do the same for you. However, time is of the essence. We cannot sit here arguing for long."
She glances at me, inviting me to jump in.
"We have a plan to get each and every one of you out. Grab on to this strand of hair and our friend will pull you out. It's as simple as that. Once everyone is out, we will take you to our home. A place where Lillis live in peace and even thrive!" As soon as I say that, I am met with looks of skepticism. It's clear they don't believe me. I clench my fists in frustration. I'm not even angry at them. It's aimed at myself for being unable to convey the truth convincingly. I look to Ori, my eyes pleading for her to save this before it's lost. She's standing now, looking away from me into the distance. "Now is not the time to zone out, Ori!"
"Hush, Nick." She silences me, unlike any time before. "We have a more pressing issue."
"More pressing than this?" I throw my arms into the air.
"The device over there is louder than it was before. The fans... They are spinning much faster." She fans her face, slowly breathing in and out. "Do you feel warm?"
I pause, finally noticing the sweat accumulating on my forehead. I wipe it off and stare at it on the back of my hand. "Yeah. I do. I thought it was because of the crowd..."
Ori turns to look beyond the glass. "Jeannie, do you see the device adhered to the side of the tank?"
Jeannine gets in pretty close to look, causing quite a scare down here. "I do. What could it be?"
"It is some sort of temperature regulator, but no ordinary one. I fear we must have triggered one of the shopkeeper's countermeasures. Does the glass feel warm to you?"
"Let me see." Jeannine says, placing a hand on the glass. "Yes, it's awfully warm. Could he have installed this to...?"
"I am afraid so." Ori checks her watch, showing me the temperature has risen by six degrees. She looks back at Jeannine, somewhat desperately. "Jeannie, can you take care of the device?"
Jeannine is already on it before Ori finished her sentence. She reaches for it, carefully, using two fingers to push on its side. It doesn't budge, so she applies a little more pressure. Suddenly, a crack appears on the glass. Jeannine freezes, removing her hand from it before the entire structure can shatter. "I don't think that is an option. I can't see any wires either! It must be running on an internal battery."
The temperature continues to rise, not to the point of becoming life threatening, but definitely too much to be comfortable. It's only going to get worse the longer we stay. Damn that shopkeeper! He'd rather roast us than let us escape. What a monster.
"We need to get out of here, and fast." I tell the girls. "Jeannine, get ready to start pulling people up. Ori, help those who are willing. We're on a time limit here."
The hair goes taut, startling those closest in the crowd and causing them to back away. There are a few who believed me, and once Ori secures them, Jeannine whisks them off into the sky and out of this sweltering deathtrap. The hair then returns to the ground and Ori helps the next group up. The looks of doubt on the Remnants' faces has lessened, but the majority are still frozen in place. I don't think it's our method that scares them, just the uncertainty of it all.
"Guys, I would love nothing more than to sit here and beg you to come along, but we don't have the time. The heat's getting bad, dizzying even, and my Jeannine's also got to run before she's caught. Make up your minds already!" I yell at them, struggling to catch my breath. The temperature is starting to get to me. I know this last push will do it, if I can get the words out. "Take the chance, and maybe get to live, or stay here, and definitely die. It's simple as that!"
No matter how confident I make myself sound, sometimes there's just no convincing people. Thankfully, when no one's sure of what to do, they'll look to others for guidance. Herd mentality, monkey see monkey do, and such. The Remnants at the front of the crowd step forward, which prompts those behind them to do the same, and so on. Soon enough, people are practically pushing each other to try to get on the next 'ride'.
"Thank you Dr. Lam for teaching me that." I whisper, glad that I could apply something I learned in such a way.
The three of us are surprisingly efficient. We manage to get about a hundred people on the strand at a time, and repeat every thirty seconds. That would take a lot longer if not for Jeannine's genius thinking. She plucks two other strands out, slipping them down to us. While she pulls one up, we help people onto the other two. Within a few minutes, we have over three thousand people up and out. However, that is when things go terribly wrong.
"N-Nick..." Ori groans, losing her balance in front of me. "I feel...faint." I catch her just before she hits the ground. She shakes it off and shakily rises to her feet. "I am sorry. I believe I am nearing my limit."
"It's okay! Let's get you out with the next group."
I help her on and watch her leave me behind, mustering the strength to remain on my feet. Truth be told, I am not doing much better, but I refuse to give up now. The crowd has gotten so much smaller! She isn't the only one who has fainted. Thankfully, the Remnants help each other so I don't have to. I can hardly think at this point. The temperature must be forty degrees, maybe even forty five? It's hard to tell the difference. I sniffle, my hand instinctively moving to wipe my nose. I feel a wetness, which I look to see is blood.
"Almost there. Push through..." I mutter to myself.
It takes another minute and a half before the last group is being pulled out. I grab hold of the hair, wiping the sweat from my palms off to gain a better hold. Then, I feel my feet leave the ground. We rise quickly, but not with a jerk that could knock someone off. Jeannine is always careful, always considerate. Despite that, I suddenly feel an overwhelming dizziness overcome me. I blink hard, trying to focus, but I can't. My grip becomes weak, and I slip down a little. My eyes begin to shut and I feel my conciousness fading.
"Dammit. I pushed it too far..."
The next thing I know, I'm falling.
Comments
Haroon
exciting chapter!!!
Jake Barry
One more chapter, then an epilogue. Then…new story! But after a break (I really need it)
G
So it’s one more chapter left or did I miss count?
