Chapter 26: A Change Of Plan
"What the hell?" Jake lazily opened his eyes, he could still feel his head stinging but shook it off. He looked out the cockpit, the ship still heading for its original destination.
'Atlas?...'
There was no reply.
Jake's heart started to beat faster but he remained alert.
He looked around and realised there was nobody else on board, even his suit and mask were gone, he was wearing his old Naru school uniform.
'Wait did the ChronoScribe call me again?' Jake thought, his encounter with the ChronoScribe was always fresh in his mind.
'No, it doesn't feel like it. Could it be that girl?' Jake thought he passed out after looking at the girl who appeared to have stared into his soul.
He turned around once again this time he was startled. The girl was uncuffed and wore a simple black dress. Her face looked the same, angry and unafraid, but when Jake looked at her eyes, something was different.
There was fear, vulnerability and hesitation etched deep in her. When she realised Jake had seen through her facade, she trembled before falling to the floor, covering her face to mask her tears.
Jake had realised the moment he saw her here that she was special and knew his only way out was through her.
He woke up and slowly approached her. She tried to move back but struggled to move, fear gripping her heart.
"Hey, hey don't be scared, I'm not going to hurt you." Jake gave a concerned look to the girl and spoke raising his arms slightly.
He squatted down slowly and waited for her, hoping she would show her face. Jake had learned a lot getting Lyra out of her depression when they escaped Naru and with the help of the Atlas, he was calmer than others would have been around the girl.
A few minutes later, the Girl stopped crying, she wiped her face before looking at Jake, this time with curiosity and a certain level of recognition.
Jake was confused but let it go extending his hand to the girl of similar age.
She shifted her eyes to his hand before looking back at him. *sniff* "You promise?" The girl asked Jake.
"I promise, I'm Jake." Jake smiled and greeted the girl. The girl was hesitant but shook his hand "Sera-, Seraphina." The girl spoke her name.
The moment Jake heard her name, he felt something change in him. Like finding something you've been looking for ages for.
Jake felt like he had accomplished a life goal and when he realised what his mission was his heart sank.
'What is happening to me?' Jake was terrified of the uncontrollable emotions he was feeling for the girl he had just met. Even when The Atlas controlled his emotions he didn't feel the helplessness he felt currently.
He looked at Seraphina, who looked more precious to him as she spoke to him "Please help me."
He subconsciously hugged the girl "I promise." He closed his eyes before hearing a familiar voice.
(Jake!, Jake!, can you hear me??)
'Atlas, is it you?' Jake felt relief hearing The Atlas' voice.
(Yes, it's me, what happened are you alright?) Jake could hear the concern in The Atlas' voice.
'I passed out for a few minutes when I looked at the girl I think, no one noticed anything right?'
(Jake, you were out for an hour, I had to control your body for an hour, and for some reason, I couldn't access your consciousness, I tried and tried until I was finally able to get through with you.)
'We will deal with that later, for now, we can't let them take her Atlas.' Jake spoke to the Atlas resolutely.
(Well then we would have a problem, we're in the Hyperlane already.) The Atlas brought Jake the bad news.
'Shit, Jake looked at the display before looking at his sister who was focused.
"Aria." Jake called his sister who quickly turned her head.
"Jake, what is it? You suddenly went quiet, I thought something went wrong." Aria spoke to her brother through the Comms device.
"Change of plans, we can't let them take her." Jake spoke.
"Weren't you the one that said we had to do it, not only for the money and it would be our only way out also you wouldn't risk our lives over that girl's." His sister questioned him.
"I know what I said, but I cannot let them have her, please I'll explain later, so just follow my lead when I say so okay." Jake tried convincing his sister who seemed visibly annoyed.
"Hah, at least you're doing something good now, okay." Aria agreed.
Jake smiled before looking at the others in the back. Seraphina was still handcuffed and bound to the seat however Jake saw the slight smile on her sleeping face and his determination increased.
They passed through the Hyperlane and Wilbur woke up and walked forward. "Pilot, there should be a tanker waiting for us at these coordinates, take us there." Wilbur spoke to Jake who inputted the coordinates into the ship's system.
Jake took the long way round and when the group questioned him, Jake replied with precautions and hiding from scanners, which quickly calmed the agitated mercenaries, however, Jordan didn't like it.
"I have a bad feeling about this William." Jordan spoke to a blonde man in his early 20s.
"Well the boss is alright with it so let's just wait and see." William spoke in a neutral voice not paying much attention to Jordan.
"Hah, what the fuck would you know greenie." Jordan huffed before sitting back, his eyes watching Jake.
'Was this enough time Atlas? We're almost there.' Jake asked, a nervous expression on his face.
(I've done my calculations, Jake, as long as Aria and you follow the plan, it will be perfect timing.)
'Good.' Jake smiled looking at the mercenary squad one final time before heading for the tanker.
"Come in, vessel TL278A, this is Papa Roach over." Jake hailed the tanker but there was no response.
He tried again twice before speaking to Wilbur "They're not responding to our hails."
"It doesn't matter, our mission is to deliver her to the tanker, take us in." Wilbur spoke before Jake headed to the nearest landing pad.
"Listen up boys, the tanker isn't responding to our hails so we're going to have to see what's going on." Wilbur spoke to his men.
"3 of us will head down and the other 3 will stay with the ship. When we secure the perimeter, you 3 will bring the target down. John, Jordan and Bruce stay on the ship. The others with me." William spoke as the ship landed on the pad.
William unlocked the door before disembarking with his men, weapons drawn. The tanker had artificial gravity enabled in its landing pads.
They walked slowly and made it to the door. They knocked but received no answer.
"What the fuck!" Wilbur shouted before ordering one of his men to open the door.
"Ready Aria."
"Ready Jake."
"Doors opened, Jordan, Bruce, John bring her out." Wilbur shouted at his men on the ship.
Jordan and Bruce grabbed Seraphina and made her walk, the drugs they had injected earlier had still not worn off. She stumbled but they disembarked.
John was behind them and before he reached the door he felt a barrel aimed at his skull.
"Hah." He smiled before lifting his hands and dropping his gun.
"Don't move or I'll put a bullet in your head." Jake spoke to John before calling him further inside.
"Aria watch him." Jake spoke as Aria pointed her rifle at John who stood at the back of the ship.
(Now comes the risky part.) The Atlas warned him.
'I know.'
Jake quickly exited the ship hoping to not get the attention of Jordan and Bruce wanting to incapacitate them.
However, Bruce noticed Jake and quickly turned, Jake's vision slowed down.
What's happening.' Jake watched Bruce turn his gun in slow motion.
(I've pumped extra adrenaline and increased brain stimulation, you haven't hit puberty yet so I can't hold this for long. Shoot him in the face and the other in the knee, you've got 3 seconds.) The Atlas spoke.
Wilbur noticed something depart the ship and before he noticed, 2 loud bangs were heard and both his men dropped to the floor.
Bruce landed with a bang as blood poured out of his forehead while Jordan dropped to the floor losing his balance as he was shot in the knee.
Jake quickly kicked his gun away and grabbed Seraphina pointing his gun to her forehead.
"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING PILOT." Wilbur shouted in range as the rest of his men pointed their guns at him.
"PUT THOSE GUNS DOWN UNLESS YOU WANT ME TO BLOW HER BRAINS OUT." Jake shouted back.
"Don't worry, I'll get you out of here." Jake whispered to Seraphina who slowly nodded.
"Why are you doing this?" Wilbur asked as his men lowered their guns.
"Change of plans, if you want her alive, I want 5x the amount we agreed on. And don't try and argue, I know who your client is. You think you could go low-key and give me the short end of the stick? We both know, if you don't deliver her we're both dead." Jake spoke.
'Atlas we don't even know the client is. What am I saying.'
(I've deduced as much from our interaction and information I've seen so far. Anyway he doesn't know that we don't know so let's see how far we can bullshit them.)