Chapter 16, art of deception 5

(Callie)

Her comm buzzed, and Callie's heart lept in her chest from the sudden sensation on her skin. Peering from a partially opened door, Callie watched and waited. A man in a blue oil stained maintenance uniform rode an electric hover cart down the hall. The machine hummed softly as it passed through the hall at a sedate pace. From the size of the cart, she guessed two could pass each other side by side. Callie let out a sigh as the minutes dragged on. She peered out and before long, a figure rounded the corner. His familiar short black hair was immediately recognizable. His bright eyes scanned the hallway, roving his surroundings cautiously.

Callie waited until he passed before slipping out of her hiding spot into the hallway behind him. She placed her finger against Warren's neck and in as deep of a voice as her throat would allow said.

" Freeze, hands up and give me your crowns." Warren froze as Callie pressed her finger to his neck. His skin was warm though his thin jacket and she could feel his pulse quicken.

Warren slowly turned, his face a stony mask. His eyes widened as he caught Callie's profile. His body relaxed slightly as he took a step away to allow for at least an arm's length between them.

" Damit Callie, you scared the shit out of me." said Warren. Callie held up her makeshift finger gun, miming shooting him.

" You need to pay more attention to your surroundings. I hear you can get mugged in these corridors." Said Callie, unable to hide a smile.

Warren rolled his eyes. Leaning on his heals, Warren slipped his hands in his pockets casually.

"How have you been, Callie? You look tired?" Asked Warren, his eyes taking her mussed hair and sweat-soaked shirt.

"I'm alright, I just got done losing some over enthusiastic pursuers." Said Callie, waving one dismissive hand.

" Are you sure you lost them? If your new friends are still following, your cover is going to get blown." Said Warren, concern breaking through his calm facade.

" I lost them. It's been two hours of running down this labyrinth. If they find me now, we are as unlucky as a woman finding love with Villus." Said Callie.

" Hah, good one. That would be a downright disaster." Said Warren.

" Soo, what are we up against?" asked Callie, changing the subject.

" Four soldiers, at least. They are held up on the fourth floor of the Gorgon MACK. It's a seven story hotel." Said Warren.

"Alright, and there is only one prisoner in there?" Asked Callie.

" Yeah, they have the entire floor rented out. The doors to the stairs are barred, but there is a gap underneath, just big enough to slide a small drone. From what I could see, there are two standing guard at the elevator and two more further in the room. And not to mention the patrols. I had to slip up the stairs and peer into the room with a tiny camera." Said Warren, his face fell. "I glimpsed bloody bandages in a laundry cart outside one door."

" Do you think they are torturing the prisoner for information?" Asked Callie, a knot forming in her chest.

Warren grimaced, his body tensing.

" Yeah, I think we need to bring a stretcher in case our friend can't Carrie themselves out." Said Warren.

Callie nodded her head, anger welling in her chest.

This whole thing was making her angry. First Villus torchering one of the Devali and now the Devali doing the same to the Secari.

"And what if it's Jerry or Meris, instead of Peyton?" Asked Callie.

" I don't know. I don't trust Jerry as far as I can throw him. And I trust Meris even less, but this is the only chance we will get. There are only two days before the trial. Not to mention once we free the prisoner, I am betting they will move the others." Said Warren, his face a mask of concern.

Callie reached out and placed one hand on Warren's shoulder. He flinched at the touch, but didn't pull away.

" If we have to go to the capitol to save him from the dungeons of the emperor, then we will." Said Callie.

Warren grinned.

" That would be interesting. But let's not get too hasty, I'm not that crazy." Said Warren.

Callie smiled at Warren, shaking her head at her long-time friend in bemusement.

" Let's go, I have a little surprise for you."said Warren.

They dashed along the hallway, their soft soled boots echoing slightly down the halls.

"Ahh, here it is. This hallway leads to an elevator of the Gorgan Mack. Warren glanced down either side of the hallway and then crouched in front of a maintenance closet. He held out his hand and shards of metal flowed up his wrist into a palm sized device. His comm activated without light or sound and within seconds the biometric lock sealing the door shut clicked to open.

" Ladies first." Said Warren, bowing theatrically.

Callie stepped inside the small room. There was one of those janitors hover carts taking up most of the corner and shelves of tools next to it. A waist high cloths basket took up the center of the room. Callie walked over and peered inside.

" How did you get these?" Asked Callie, pulling a hard shelled navy combat chest piece from the hamper. The black armour had Velcro on the outer shell for displaying rank and medals, but for now, it was bare.

" While you were out pissing off Villus, I was meeting with a shady arms dealer. That woman could get you pretty much anything. For an exorbitant price, of course. Callie whistled softly, admiring the small spiderweb cracks throughout the black armour. These lines in the armour were a special material that conducted the art, enhancing the artist wearing the armour, and the armour itself.

"And that's not all." Said Warren, pulling two older model pulse rifles from the bottom of the hamper.. Callie whistled softly, taking the burst fire 308 and leaning it against the wall.

" I'm glad we have these. I hate wearing those masks." Said Callie, pulling the armour out piece by piece.

" I dont know, it's a lot harder to blend into the crowd and escape dressed in this eyesore." said Warren, pulling on his armoured pants.

They dressed, putting the hard shelled armour over their regular clothes. She strapped a bandolier over her chest and slid five extra clips of heavy armour piercing rounds into the straps. Callie moved around, stretching to get a feel for the armours range of movement.

The only complaint was her pistol was chafing uncomfortably under her armpit. That couldn't be helped tho. The holster was recognizable, as well as her 223. Besides, using a 308 burst fire pulse rifle was a definite upgrade. She pulled her scrunchy from her hair, then slid into her helmet. The helmet's visor lit up as her comm connected with the suits' circuits. She tapped through the settings and toggled the visor to one way. The transparent glass darkened and Callie turned. Warren, too, was fully dressed, ready for battle. The navy hard shelled suit was dark black, covering the body head to toe in armour that could stop a few high caliber bullets. Adorning the dark black chest plate was a golden raven. Warren rested his pulse rifle on his shoulder and tapped his fingers in the air.

Callie's comm rang.

" Testing, testing." Said Warren, his voice right in Callie's ears, through her new helmet.

" Your voice is loud and clear." Said Callie, snapping her tinted visor closed with a click.

" Alright good, let's goo." said Warren.

Callie glanced, looking for something to make their armour distinctive. All she found were paint cans. There were three varieties, red, blue and white. She chose the white paint, as it stood out the most against the dark black armour.

" Wait, I have an idea." Said Callie. She picked up the paint can and approached Warren. She used the brush to paint an x on his chest.

" That's a good idea. We don't want to get confused and shoot each other." Said Warren.

Warren took the brush and painted on her back. He then painted a flower on her chest, keeping a straight face.

" Why a flower?" Asked Callie.

"You know, because you are tall, dark-haired and beautiful." Said Warren, smiling like an idiot.

" You found someone cute, didn't you? You only practice pickup lines on me when you have found someone you like." Said Callie, narrowing her eyes.

" We are forgetting our nametags." said Warren quickly changing the subject.

Callie rolled her eyes. Warren was always such a tight-lipped guy when it came to people he liked.

Warren knocked his gloved knuckles on his dark chest plate with a resounding clunk, like metal on hard plastic. Small conductive lines ran through the armour, allowing an artist to enhance the armour with their own protective barrier. This art enhancing tech was the pride of the Zrixian army, and the dread of the empire's enemies. Callie grinned at the thought, tonight she would use the empire's armour against them.

" Here, take this. I'm private, Sara, you can be Henley." Said Callie, sticking a single star patch to her chest plate.

Warren pressed out into the hall, walking as though he owned the place. Callie followed, her weapon held casually against her chest. She flipped the ACOG sight up, locking it in place and pulled back her weapon's slide to chamber a live round.

Her gun was light, lacking a flashlight, surpressor, as well as an Under Barrel Grenade Launcher. She held one hand on the fore grip and the other on the handle, her finger resting behind the trigger guard. Callie wondered if she could get a fully loaded model 308 from this arms dealer?

She took in a deep breath. They were finally moving forwards. After tonight, they would have one of the Secari back from the empire.

According to her comm, they only had a five-minute walk to the elevator.

" Careful, last time I almost got caught by a patrol." Said Warren.

" Do we engage?" Asked Callie, distancing herself from her anger, resentment, and fear. This was what she trained for.

" Not unless absolutely necessary. I couldn't find any suppressors for these pulse rifles on such short notice, so we were going in loud and fast. If we start a fight in the basement, we are going to meet an ambush up top." Said Warren.

After several minutes of walking. The sound of heavy boots on Allium echoed down the hall. Callie glanced down at the white rose on her chest, defacing the golden raven of the empire. An idea came to her.

" Follow my lead." Said Callie, taking Warren's armoured hand in hers and leaning against him like two lovers on a walk.

They kept walking hand in hand while Callie leaned her head on Warren's shoulder. She reasoned that soldiers on night duty got bored. And after days of guarding a hall with nothing happening, they might sneak away to relieve stress and boredom.

Two soldiers clad in the same black armour and bearing their own pulse rifles saunter around the corner.

"Private! What's going on here? Why are you covered in paint?" Asked the Sargent stepping forwards.

Callie quickly stepped away from Warren, straightening and releasing his hand.

Callie snapped off a salute, bringing a closed fist over the emblem of a raven on her chest in unison with Warren.

" Sir!" they shouted, as though they had practiced for weeks.

" Private Henley, private Sara, I ask again, why are you two covered in paint?" Asked the sergeant, his face turning red with anger. His face shield rose, and spittle flew from his lips as he spoke.

" I thought I saw something enter a janitor's closet. We searched thoroughly, and I stumbled. A can of paint spilled on us, sir." Said Callie, slapping off another crisp salute, paint smearing on the back of her gloved fist.

"And what do you have to say? Do you stand by your partner's story, private?" Asked the Sargent practically yelling, sticking his face inches from Warren's helmet, his Zrixian coming out deep and menacing. Spittle spattered Warren's tinted visor, flying from the angry, Sergents lips.

" Yes, sir." Shouted Warren saluting.

" Since you two like inspecting closets so much, you are going to spend the next three hours checking every closet within a quarter mile of the Gorgan Mack." shouted the Sergent.

" But sir, we are off duty in twenty minutes." Said Warren, standing ramrod straight.

" Did that sound like a request, soldier? I didn't ask for you opinion, that is an order. You two are going upstairs to clean up that paint, and then you will come down here and search every nook and cranny for the next three hours. Or so help me. I will tear off your heads and feed them to you. Am I understood?" shouted the Sergent.

" Sir yes sir." They shouted saluting. Callie held her body rigid and her hand in a salute until the Sergent and a private rounded the corner.

After the two soldiers left, Warren and Callie walked in silence, allowing distance between them and the patrol.

" Nice one. You even had me fooled for a second." Said Warren. Two soldiers waited in front of the elevator, their faces marred by wide grins. Callie scratched the back of her helmet to show her embarrassment.

" You guys heard that?" asked Callie, walking between them and pressing the up arrow on the side panel of the elevator.

" Haven't heard the serg yell like that since Brandon and Michelle were caught in the laundry room." Said the soldier on the right.

" Really? Paint fell on you? That's the best you could come up with?" Asked the soldier on the left eying the white rose on Callie's chest dubiously.

"Ya, well you try coming up with a good lie when the serg is yelling in your face." said Warren, chuckling.

" True that. He sure has a temper. You best hurry up to get that armour clean before he gets angrier," said the man on the right.

" I would avoid the eighth floor. The captain is up there. She might be less lenient than the serg." said the guard on the left.

" Thanks for the warning. We will stop and clean up on a lower floor." said Callie.

The elevator chimed, and the doors swung open. Callie and Warren walked inside. Warren press floor eight and the elevator doors closed and Callie felt a slight rocking as it rose.

" No more messing around. We go in guns blazing. I sweep left you sweep right." Said Warren, pulling his rifle to his shoulder. Callie raised her rifle, looking through her ACOG site. The green laser reticle shone, and Callie took in deep breaths. Her heart beat slowed as she calmed herself. Four guards, and the captain, she would take them out quick and ruthless, like they had trained for.

With a happy ping, the door opened. Warren stepped forwards his gun panning left. Callie followed a heartbeat later, sweeping right. Her green reticle found the side of a soldier's black helmeted head just as he turned. She squeezed the trigger. Her rifle kicked in her hands, belching flames and three spent cartridge flew clear. The wall behind the solders head spattering with blood and gunk as his head exploded from the burst of three rounds. At near point blank range, the armour penetrating rounds of the pulse rifle tore through the armour and into grey brain matter. Her helmet muffled the two bursts of both her rifle and Warrens, but she knew the soldiers downstairs would hear and be on their way.

She panned her rifle left. From the corner of her eye, she watched Warren's target collapse to the ground. Her sight found two guards at the end of the hall. They raised their rifles, but Callie and Warren were too fast. They had practiced this drill so many times together that Callie's body knew what to do. Her rifle an extension of her body, she simply moved. She squeezed the trigger, her reticle on the right solders face plate. Warren's gun belched fire, and both soldiers fell, their venerable face plates shattered.

" Move!" Said Callie, leading the way. Her body hummed with the thrill of battle. Her reservoir slowly drained as she used her art to strengthen her armour. They cleared the floor quickly, leaving the room guarded by the dead soldiers for last.

" Watch the elevator. I will free the prisoner." Said Callie. She approached the door, her boots squishing as she stepped in thick red blood. She kicked the door hard. The fake wooden door broke inwards with the heavy blow of her art enhanced kick.

They handcuffed a naked young woman on a chair in the center of the room. Behind her was a soldier holding a gun to the back of Meris' head. Callie scanned the room, searching for any other threats. Meris glanced at Callie, confused, while the woman behind her glared. Callie's anger leaked through her cold detachment as she took in the mangled body of Meris.

" Drop the gun or I shoot her." Said the woman.

The interrogator holding Meris hostage was dressing in workers' overalls. That was clearly to keep blood from spattering her skin. Callie shuddered as she took in the bruised and battered body of young meris. She was fifteen, or sixteen, with a mess of brown hair and pain filled blue eyes.

They riddled her naked body with burns and more than a few bruises on her arms and legs. Her toes oozed blood, leaking from where the nails were removed.

Meris blinked rapidly, shaking her head to clear her vision.

" Who be there?" Asked Meris, her Etrian coming out as though spoken by a drunken sailor. The young Secari must be drugged, Callie thought.

" It's me." She replied, using her native Etrian. She didn't want to talk in Zrixian, as the camera in the far wall was sure to catch everything that happened. In fact, Callie was going to make sure the camera got this interrogator's death in full view.

"Do you need help in there?" asked Warren.

"No, I got this, you watch the door to the elevator." said Callie. She could hear Warren moving behind her.

The Devali woman behind Meris clutched the torchered woman's hair hard. Meris yelped from the pain.

" What are you saying?" Asked the Devali woman.

"Incoming, the elevator is coming up. Those guards are going to be here any second." said Warren, his calm voice in Callie's helmet. Warren's gun cracked behind them, breaking the uneasy stalemate.

Tears sprung to Merise eye's, as the Devali woman leaned forward, her gun resting against the side of Merises head. With a burst of strength, Meris pushed the chair backwards, slamming the Devali woman's face with the back of her head. The woman's nose crunched, and the pistol went off with a deafening bang.

Terror crossed the Devali woman's face, as she realized her only source of leverage against the killers in dark armour was now dead in front of her. Callie aimed for the woman's hand holding the pistol that took Merise's life and squeezed off a burst from her 308.