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Blood.
There was blood everywhere. He saw her body, lying no more than ten feet in front of him. They had destroyed her. She was cut to shreds in an almost ordered fashion, as if the person doing it had done it slowly and precisely, like a painter working on a canvas. It had taken her a long time to die. He remembered her screams as he was held back, forced to watch as they tormented her. Forced to watch and unable to act.
He hung now as he did then, his arms pulled behind his back, staring at the lifeless corpse. Softly at first, but increasing in intensity, he heard even, measured footsteps. They walked towards him, slowly, as if taking their time, relishing in his horror and fear.
He would be next.
The man was near him them, breathing softly on his neck. He ran a rough hand along his face, studying it carefully. In a sudden movement, he felt the cool, metal blade of a knife poised just above his right eye. The man increased the pressure just slightly - not enough to hurt him, but enough to make a thin trickle of his warm, red, sticky blood roll down his face.
"Such pretty eyes," the man murmured, gazing at him with almost perverse longing. "Very nice indeed. Your screams will be just as lovely." The man pressed the blade hard, pulling it down slowly.
James screamed as he lost his eye.
Jessie grabbed her lover and best friend as he thrashed wildly next to her. He curled up in a fetal position and grabbed the right side of his face, sobbing. Jessie felt herself panicking, a feeling she wasn't used to having.
"James! Please wake up! Please!" she cried as she felt tears filling her own eyes. James jerked convulsivly and sat up, his eyes wild as he looked around the dark tent, almost as if he was still in another world. He turned and saw Jessie, on the verge of crying, clutching his arm. His tongue tasted like blood. He looked at Jessie and suddenly grabbed her arms, squeezing them up and down.
"You're alive!" he whispered hoarsely, his expression still haunted. He took Jessie in his arms and pulled her close, feeling her heart thumping hard in her chest. His own heart racing, he held her as tight as he could without hurting her. "Oh, God, Jessie! They made me watch as they killed you, so many times... so many times…"
"It was a nightmare, James," she whispered, reassuring him. "That's all it was. I'm right here." He buried his head in her chest and continued to speak softly.
"They did so many awful things," he choked. "They... Oh, God, and all I could do was watch, watch as they - with the knife and the blood. Oh, God, the blood..."
"It's alright, James," Jessie repeated. "Nothing happened. Everything's fine. Everything's alright." He continued to grip her, holding her close. Slowly, his breathing returned to normal and his heart slowed down. The horrified expression in his eyes eventually faded, leaving only a dead kind of look that Jessie almost found more disturbing. Finally, he sat up and took a deep breath, smoothing his hair.
"Do you want me to go get you some tea?" she asked, starting to stand up. James grabbed her arm and held her where she was.
"Don't leave me," he whispered. He leaned close and kissed her tenderly, wrapping his arms around her waist. After a moment, he broke the kiss and pressed his forehead against hers. "I can't lose you. Not again. Not yet." Jessie held her breath as James pulled her very close to him and began to move his hands up and down her arms and pushed against her in a very familiar gesture.
"No, James. Not like this. Not when you're upset," she said firmly, realizing where this was going.
James looked up at her face and caught her eyes. They were a brilliant sapphire color, somehow managing to sparkle even in the tent's low lighting. He blinked once and spoke carefully, each word containing a bit of his soul - parts of him no one ever saw except for Jessie.
"I need this Jessie," he began quietly. "I need you, tonight. If this plan doesn't go over well, this could be the last time--"
"No," she hissed. "It won't be. Everything will be alright."
"I hope so," he replied. "But if it isn't..."
"If it isn't..." she echoed, leaning forward and resting her head on his shoulder. She let out a slow sigh, her resolve crumbling. In all honesty, what did she have to lose? And she wanted this so bad...
She closed her eyes and reached around his waist, gripping the bottom of his shirt to pull it over his head. She slid her hands up his bare back and rested them on his shoulder blades, pulling him down with her as she lay back on her sleeping bag. James began to kiss her deeply, his soft hair brushing against the side of her face, causing shivers to run up her spine.
"I love you," he whispered as he began to trail kisses down her neck.
"I love you, too" she replied and she felt her back arch involuntarily as he got lower, her eyes closing. "I love you, too."
"You okay, Reece?" asked Jessie, her voice filled with concern. If Reece was sick, it would compromise the whole plan. They didn't have any better windows of opportunity.
"Yeah. I couldn't sleep," she said groggily, rubbing her eyes. She sat down on a fallen log near the middle of their camp. "I guess I'm really stressed about this mission."
"Try to think of it as routine," James offered as he handed her a plate of eggs. "Pretend it's just a training exercise with slightly worse consequences if we fail."
"Those would be some demerits if we got caught," she grumbled.
"Don’t get caught."
They all turned and saw Meowth walk into their camp. On his back were two large packs. Jessie was amazed he could carry it all. Sometimes, the amount of power these pokémon so effortlessly threw around scared her. Meowth carefully rested the bags on the ground and sat down on the log next to Reece.
"Those bags have the stuff in it we need to transport the item?" asked Jessie. Meowth nodded.
"Yep. I went ahead and go two of them, just in case."
"I assume we can't see what's in them, since we're being so secretive about the item and all," James lamented, his eyes glowing with curiosity as he gazed at the bags.
"Touch it and suffer, James," Meowth replied, evenly. James took one last wistful glance at the bag before chuckling and walking back to the fire.
The rest of the day passed uneventfully, which Jessie was thankful for. It was always nice to have a breather before going on a particularly dangerous mission. As late afternoon approached, she felt the stirrings of adrenaline start to grow in her system. She found herself grinning in spite of herself, excitement pumping through her veins. Yes, there was a good possibility that they wouldn't survive this mission. But this was part of the reason she went with James to join Team Rocket, part of the reason she loved being in the bicycle gang, part of the reason she went to that party the night before the exam - she was an adrenaline junkie. And she would be the first to admit it. She got a real kick when Gengiess, Kytty, and Umiko returned from scouting the Defier facility.
"How's it look?" asked Meowth. He was standing near Reece, watching her program something into her laptop.
"Simple," Gengiess replied with a shrug. "It's a class 9 building, just like all the others. These Defiers aren't very creative."
"Still, a class 9 is one of the hardest to break into," Umiko pointed out. "The security system is very refined."
"I can guide you through it," Reece said suddenly. She typed at her computer for a moment then flipped the screen around. Everyone gathered close and saw it was a detailed map of the building, complete with security systems and camera locations. Kytty gave a low whistle and shook her head.
"Dang. You really can find anythang on the Internet," she commented. The others nodded, mute with shock. Finally, Gengiess shook his head.
"Well, right. We should probably eat dinner, go over the plan, and then leave, right Meowth?" he asked. Meowth shook his head.
"We're eating dinner on the road. Right now, we're going over the plan." He stood up and faced the group, which formed a semi-circle around him. "Now, this is how it's going to be..."
Remear missed his kids, especially at times like these when the Solace Inn was empty. He sighed as he fondly remembered their laughing voices as they ran through the halls when they were little. He remembered how he had to fight with them to keep them quiet, which was a real problem when there were guests at the Inn. Of course, the downside of that was when they hit the 'teens and he had to worry when it was too quiet upstairs. He chuckled softly to himself and was about to go to his kitchen when the door to the Inn chimed.
"Coming!" he called, walking out into the lobby. He almost froze in mid-step. Swallowing hard, he forced himself to walk nonchalantly to the front. "How can I help you, gentlemen?" he asked the three men in dark suits who were waiting patiently.
"Where is James Roquet?" the one in front asked.
"James Roquet..." Remear repeated going over to look at the ledger. "No, there is nobody staying here by that name. You must have the wrong hotel," he said with a shrug and a smile. The man in the suit exchanged a glance with the man to his right.
"Tell us now, Mr. Remear," the man said icily. "Don't play dumb. It could be bad for your health."
"I'm sorry, sirs, but I just can't help you," replied the Innkeeper. The man in the front made a hand motion to the man to the left. Suddenly, a gun appeared in the other man's hand and fired straight at Remear. The innkeeper's body slumped against the back wall and lay still. The lead man turned and started to walk out of the inn.
"What should we do with the body, boss?" asked the man on the right. The boss paused and looked around the old, wooden inn.
"Burn it," he said, and walked out.
Jessie looked across the dark field and made quick eye contact with Gengiess, who nodded. Together, they made a beeline for the forest, out of sight of the Defier members. Gengiess got next to her as they ran.
"That should keep 'em busy for a while," he said, continuing to run. He wasn't the least bit out of breath. Jessie grinned and nodded.
"We're coming back, got it Reece?" she said into the small radio transmitter on her collar. She adjusted the earpiece so she could hear the rookie better.
"Got ya, Jess," Reece replied. The young green haired girl began to plug variables into the plan. Pushing her glasses up on her nose, she flipped on a different mike just as Jessie and Gengiess came into view. "Okay guys. Take a left at the next hall." She watched, pleased as they took a right. Who knew who might be listening in? Jessie looked at the computer screen, which was monitoring the progress of the rest of their group.
"I hope this all goes well," she said softly. She looked over at the small pile of pokéballs on the ground next to Reece. Digging through the pile, she pulled out two of them. She held them in front of her and released their contents.
"Arbok! Wheezing! Come on out!" The two ineffectual pokémon materialized. Arbok blinked once and saw her master. She rushed over to Jessie and slipped around her body. "Arr-boku!" she hissed.
"Yes, that's a good girl," Jessie said with a smile. Wheezing looked very distraught. Jessie patted him on the head. "James'll be back soon," she said easily. Wheezing just hung despondently in the air.
"Wheeezing," he moaned. "Wheeezing, wheeze." Jessie smiled.
"No, I don't think so. Just be patient." Gengiess looked at Jessie oddly.
"You can actually understand what it's saying?" he asked doubtfully.
"You've never owned a pokémon before, Gengiess," Jessie explained. "After a while, it becomes intuitive. Wheezing is worried about James. He misses him." Gengiess looked skeptical.
"I always thought they were dumb, trained animals," he said.
"That's funny," Jessie replied with a smile. "Some of them think the same thing about us."
"What is it?" Umiko asked from behind him. James brought his mouth close to the radio transmitter on his collar.
"Reece," he whispered. "There's a fork in the hallway. Which way do we go?" After a few moments of static, her youthful voice came over the airwaves.
"I'm not sure," she said, a little distressed. "It's not on the plans." Meowth sighed,
"We'll have to split up. Umiko, Kytty, you take the left fork, James and I will take the--"
"No Meowth," James said suddenly. "We should take the left fork."
"Why?" asked the cat.
"Because... it feels right," he replied helplessly. "I don't know." Meowth watched him carefully. After a moment, he shrugged.
"Okay, Umiko, Kytty, you take the right. You have a pack?" he asked.
Kytty patted the cloth bag under her arm. "Yep. Sure do." She and Umiko started slinking down the right hallway. "Y'all be careful," she mouthed and with a wave of her hand, they disappeared into the dark passageway.
"Come on. Let's go," Meowth ordered. Together, they went to the left.
She opened a sub-directory and glanced through it. Nothing unusual here, she thought. Suddenly, her computer beeped. Looking back at the tracker, she gasped. "Oh my God," she whispered. Jessie's head snapped up and she immediately went over to Reece, Gengiess on her heels.
"What is it?" she asked. Reece ignored her, typing away franticly. She grabbed the transmitter and turned it on full volume, ignoring the silent cover they had been trying to hold.
"UMIKO! KYTTY! GET OUT OF THERE!! IT'S A TRAP!" she yelled, panic gripping her. "UMIKO! KYTTY! RESPOND!" All they heard was gunfire, followed by static.
"We can't go back, James," he said softly. Reece clicked on his frequency.
"What are you doing, Meowth?" James exclaimed, confused. "That's our only way to communicate with the rest of the group!"
"It doesn't matter anymore, James," Meowth replied. His head cocked to one side and he listened. "They're coming. Both of us will never make it. I'm going to be a decoy. You take the pack and keep going."
"Are you insane?" James asked. "This mission is a bust! We'll try it again next time. Nothing is worth this!"
"Trust me, James," the cat said, sadness in his voice. "You don't know what you're saying. This is the last chance we're going to get to rescue him. Now, keep going!" Meowth took off a run back down the hallway, using the phenomenal speed only a pokémon could have. James stared after him, his chest feeling tight. He took off at a run down the hall, towards the goal.
"That was some chase, ne, Kytty-chan? I thought we were going to bite it for sure." Umiko laughed in relief and ran her fingers through her black, luxurious hair. "We should probably keep going, though. At least those Defiers seem to be lousy shots, ne?"
Kytty didn't say anything for a moment, her eyes still closed. Suddenly, she looked over at Umiko, her face pale in the bright light of the moon. "Get going, Umiko," she said hoarsely. The young Asian woman blinked then walked over to Kytty's side. Her eyes widened and she gasped.
There was a small pool of blood at the base of the tree Kytty was leaning against. Her arm was pressed close to her side, trying to hold in the blood from a terrible gunshot wound. She started to slip to the ground, her eyes rolling to the back of her head.
"No! NO!" Umiko yelled, her eyes going wild with shock. Umiko caught her partner, terrified as Kytty's body fell limp in her arms. "Kytty! NO!!" she screamed, sobbing.
"Ow!" he hissed as he accidentally smacked his hip into a table. On the table, something metal rattled. James reached out with his hands. A cage? Suddenly, he felt something warm and wet on his hands and he pulled them back in shock. Something was in that cage! He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small penlight. While it was the perfect size for picking locks, the amount of light it provided in this large room was practically insignificant. He leaned over and shined it into the cage anyway. Whatever it was, it was furry. With a shrug, he started to walk away.
"Pi-pikato?"
The penlight nearly dropped from James' nerveless fingers. He turned slowly back to the cage and looked in it again, his heart constricting. Oh, God. Please no...
"Pika! Pikato!" the small winged pikachu cried, leaping forward against the front of the cage. It flapped franticly at James, who just stared at it, uncomprehending, or rather, not wanting to comprehend.
"No..." James whispered. Behind him, he heard a sound like someone stirring. Turning, James looked across the room, his eyes having adjusted to the dim lighting. It wasn't an ordinary room. It was a laboratory. James stared blankly at the crumpled figure on the far side of the room, lying on a cold, metal table. He leaned against the table with the cage, his mind making a sudden change from shock to denial to horror in a few seconds. "Oh, God, please no..." he whispered, his voice falling unheard in the dark, cold, emotionless room.
Umiko closed her eyes, trying to control her breathing as she rested in the woods. She looked over at her partner, leaning against a tree, her eyes closed. She almost looked like she was sleeping standing up.
James wiped the blood of the handle of his gun and stepped over the body of the guard that had been in front of the door. Walking into the dark room, his eyes could barely make out anything except for dim outlines. James nearly growled in frustration. How was he supposed to find what he was looking for (whatever that was) when he couldn't see two inches in front of his face? Finding a light switch was out of the question. He would just have to tread softly until his eyes adjusted to the dark.