CHAPTER 33: BREACH
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CODENAME: STYX
NAME: KIMURA RIN
AGENCY: NJC
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I clutched grip of my pistol tightly in one hand and adjusted the strap of the UMP 45* on my back with the other, moving slowly and stealthily amongst the darkness all the while.

The dreadful stench of salt water and sea life clogged my nose and filled my lungs every breath I take. My eyes struggled to see: the darkness and paranoia elongated the shadows and filled my head with hallucinations of the NIS. Behind every building I turn around could be an enemy agent waiting to ambush. Crouched under a cargo box could be a member of the NIS with a sniper rifle ready to kill. Yet…everything is so…still.

The night air is unnerving.

If there were a breeze, if there was movement – anything - I would at least be able to have something to watch out for. Instead, I have nothing but this foreboding still!

It must be worse for Nesoi though, Micky even: both who are much more suited for action and offense than this cautiously slow progression.

A shrill beep, heard only by me, rang in my left ear.

Each and every time the radio intros someone with its double beep, I feel my heart stop.

Did something go wrong?

Did we lose someone?

No – no. I have to stay calm. The radio means that there is at least one of them that’s alive after all: and plus, Nesoi is in my line of sight.

The only person that could be in any danger should be the second head: Micky.

Yes, it’s only my own fear and pessimism that makes the radio a bearer of bad news.

The screech of the radio’s foreboding beep jolted me out of my thoughts.

“Yo, first head, this is the second head,” Micky’s husky voice called in quiet and calm Japanese. “I found a ‘fan’ of ours.”

I paused in my forward procession towards the habour in confusion and ducked behind a metal cargo box to reassess the situation. I pressing my back, and the submachine gun strapped to it, against the wood, resting the pistol in my hand against my chest, and lifted the edge of my shirt with the mouthpiece attached to it closer to my lips.

I whispered back to Micky.

“First head to second head: a fan?”

“Yeah,” he replied, “this chick has been following me for a bit –”

His voice suddenly got cut off by another higher pitched one.

“Will you shut up!” he suddenly hissed.

My heart leapt in response. Someone has been following us around: the NIS? There isn’t any other explanation. I quickly jumped to my feet and checked to ensure that the suppressor* is screwed on tightly to the barrel of my gun. Then I spun around, checked the premises, and then ducked into an alley between two buildings. Here I shall be able to see enemies around the buildings while still having a place to hide. Then, I crouched behind a large black dumpster, cocked my gun in preparation, and attempted to reach the fool of a man again all while taking fleeting glances from behind the dumpster.

“Alright, fine,” Micky’s voice came back: “Aphrodite of the oh-so-amazing NIS has been following us.”

I cursed under my breath.

“Dispose of her,” I commanded, “now. But whatever you do – ”

Another ominous beep rang in my ear. Then silence.

Damn him, he turned the radio off! Micky is the only member armed only with an assault rifle! If that egotistical man shoots her, then our locations shall be completely revealed!

Dammit all! Hades should never have trusted a man like Micky!

No, now is not a time for regrets. We need to make a plan to deal with the current predicament.

“Hault!” I screeched into the radio, “The NIS has arrived.”

Another beep resounded and Micky’s voice returned.

“First, nice quick break to the neck.” He chuckled, “Nice and silent, just how you like it, right? You thought I’d kill so impersonally with a gun when I had captured her in my hands?”

Humph: yeah, ‘just how I like to kill my captives’, as if he were discussing the best way to eat a bowl of cereal.

“First head to company, stop and check the premise; the second head was being followed. When cleared, report back to me and I shall give orders for advancement.” I directed, my eyes darting around the dark, open area.

“Second head, move to protect the heel*.” I commanded, remembering Junsu’s injury and his vulnerability with only two rebels as his side.

Then, I stopped to think.

While I stand here, the Lord watches and judges my every move as does the planet. What am I but the radical woman to stand against a world of condescending glares? But history is written by the winner of the war – and I will win this war.

For all of our sakes.

My eyes lifted to the sky as my breath drew out an icy fog: the temperature dropped at the night dragged on.

I went my eyes to the ground and scanned the region again but then – was that a – no it couldn’t be. For a moment, a shadow seemed to have darted across sky.

I don’t know why but for some reason, I was expecting to see an eagle. But instead I see only the vast expanse of the night.

“Nyx!” cried a muffled voice. Immediately upon reflex, before my mind even registered my actions or who the voice belonged to, my arm lashed out from behind the rubbish bin. My finger drew the trigger back and the quick but silent pulse of air pushed the bullet towards one of the two figures charging towards the alley.

What the hell?

Who?

The NIS?

The first, who saw my darting out from the shadows, sweved violently to right in attempts to dodge and reached for what would likely be a gun strapped to their hoister before aptly falling to the ground with a bullet through the skull.

The aim of my pistol found itself on the second figure that was still wildly running despite his or her partner’s sudden downfall. Concentration seeped into my gun’s trigger: I am not known for an inaccurate shot.

The ring of a bullet echoed in the sky, causing my own shot to go astray.

What?

There is no one here foolish enough to waltz into battle without a silencer and the shot had come from Nesoi’s general direction…

Nesoi! The brat never got over her overconfident ego did she? I should have to beat it out of her if it comes to it, the best agent in the NJC, my best friends as sad as that is, may get us all killed one day.
Two more gun shots.

May the Father watch over her, in the meantime…

My fingers stood ready again on the trigger. Is that another one? The running figure was close now, too close for comfort, but rather than simple mindedly going for the most obvious target, I much rather gain control of any extra variables.

There’s no longer time to play innocent games, whoever I see tonight will never see again.

A soft grunt followed by a collapsing shadow suggests that I had hit my target.

That makes three in all, suggesting the enemy has numbers.

But why rush an enemy from so far without organized formation?

I lowered my head to the neck of my shirt and relayed a quick message everyone concerning my general whereabouts and my situation, all while keeping my eyes drawn to the feminine figure speeding towards my alley.

The girl, she was close enough to tell now, drew closer in a relentless, rhythmic hysteria. Almost out of curiosity I casually shot her shoulder blade.

The girl too collapsed to her knees, but only long enough to gape at the wound in astonishment – apparently she was attempting to get up and keep running.

As much as I applaud the valiant effort, I don’t have time for games.

“Kimura Rin!” A voice cut through my newly created graveyard, an attempt to distract me most likely. And now they know that Kimura Rin is alive and affiliated with the NJC.

The girl, whoever she is, has already risen and is beginning to stumble back on the path which she seems so set on. I raised my gun and took aim at her head.

“Styx!”

My body froze before my finger could release the trigger.
What? How could they have possibly known my alias?

My eyes flitted from my wounded target to the general direction of the call.

Four figures greeted me, four figures with firearms already drawn and ready to go.

The girl, now turning down the path past the right side of the building, took only a second to look behind and access the scene before conclusively grunting a name and continuing on her way.

“Alecto”

She didn’t even spare a glance at me, that means she trusts the four ahead to cover for her. I ducked behind the Dumpster once again.

I returned the pistol to it’s hoister around my hip and pulled the UMP 45 from my back. Quickly, I loaded a new clip in, cocked the gun, and rested the stock on my shoulder.

Lord turn away from what is to befall on us, for there will be blood split tonight.

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* UMP45: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heckler_%26_Koch_UMP
*heel: reference to Achiles Heel (Junsu’s group)
*supressor: A suppressor, sound suppressor, sound moderator, or silencer, is a device attached to or part of the barrel of a firearm which reduces the amount of noise and usually also the amount of muzzle flash generated by firing the weapon.
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~ Always Keep the Faith ~