The waterway was swarming with Egyptian troops. They had been anonymously summoned to prevent the escape of terrorists and an unknown hazardous compound. A number of suspicious characters had been shot when they put up a resistance. At the order of top brass, the materials they carried were dropped into the Nile.
The men on the ship William Shouten put up a fierce fight. They had heavy weapons and numerous places to hide. Even as the battle heightened, reports came in that numerous small ships were converging on the area. The armed forces did not have the equipment or manpower needed to intercept or sink all such craft. Aircraft were being scrambled, but it would take a while for them to arrive on the scene.
A number of helicopters tried to pick up small crates and bundles brought out by the combatants. Snipers took down the men. Heavy machine gun fire, and the concentrated firepower of a squad of infantry soldiers took down one copter. The other turned tail and fled.
Just as the small boats neared the container ship, a loud explosion rocked the larger vessel, listing it to one side. More explosions followed, this time from the approaching group of small boats. At first the Egyptian forces thought that the extremist group was trying to sink the ship, to prevent anyone from taking possession of their precious cargo. But that didn’t make any sense, unless the small boats were a rival group.
Smoke trails and missiles streaked away from the superstructure of the ship. But, where were they coming from. There was nothing there. The sun was bright in that direction. The missile must be coming from elsewhere, passing by that point.
Melissa did what she could with her one M9. She didn’t know how much longer she could lay down effective fire without giving away her position. She had no idea how the Army might react. Faced with something they could not see and did not understand, they might assume it was a threat. Also, if anything happened to her ECS, she would be a sitting duck, and there would be a more concrete mystery for the authorities to pursue.
“Urzu 6, Urzu 7, come in. Do you read?”
“We read you, babe. Don’t get your knickers in a not. Before you it, the amazing Kurz Weber will be on the scene. I’ve brought the not-so-amazing Sousuke Sagara with me as comic relief. Ask him about the girl.”
“Cut the crap, Weber. What’s your ETA?”
“I don’t want to tell you….” Kurz’ joking earned him a royal beating. “You didn’t say the magic word.”
“Weber!”
“We are three to five minutes away, Sgt. Major. We need to move warily. There are heavy concentrations of troops on the move. We cannot use the roadway.” Sousuke earned a ringside seat.
“Alright. I’m up to my eyeballs in shit here, boys. You get here in under ten minutes and I’ll buy you each a beer. Kurz, you’ll need to drink it through a straw after they wire your jaw back together.”
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“You see what I’ve been telling you about women, Sousuke?” Kurz switched to a channel that exluded Urzu 2. He hurdled a number of open-backed troop trucks, causing the men to wonder at the strange shadow passing overhead. “They get upset over nothing.”
“I see. How long will beer keep?” Sousuke asked. “Does it taste good through a straw?” The wind of his passage blew the hat off of a startled Egyptian officer.
“Whose side are you on, Sousuke?” Sgt. Weber’s M9 slid on some loose sand, causing it to teeter momentarily to one side. To one observer, it appeared as if a stand of palm trees bent over for no particular reason. “And here I was about to tell you some news I just got in about Kaname….”
Souske’s M9 zigged when it should have zagged. Kurz’ statement had caused the young pilot to jerk his arms involuntarily. A mall hut looked to have collapsed in on itself.
“Kaname?” Sousuke cursed. His voice sounded eager. He needed to stay in control.
“Nope. Not until I know that you are on my side, not Melissa’s.” Kurz’ voice was smug. He was having fun. The city was clearly visible. They would probably win those beers.
“But, the Sgt. Major…” Sousuke leaped over a string of camels, causing them to tug at their ropes, dragging men along the hot sands.
“Doesn’t have time to tell you. I got the word straight from her, while you were busy playing the naïve little soldier. No matter. The information will wait until we sink that ship….. Meet up with our barge….. And head on back up river.” Kurz’ laugh was infuriating. “Of course, it could take longer. We haven’t heard from the team at Deir al-Madinah yet. If we have to head over there to lend a hand, it could be quite a while.”
It was time to play it close now. The fasted way into the city was along the road. They would need to continue at top speed, avoiding the trucks and light armored vehicles heading in the same direction. That was not the reason for Sousuke’s silence.
“Sousuke?” Kurz’ voice carried a hint of impatience.
Sousuke did not reply.
“Sousuke, are you still there?”
“Yes.” That was all that Sousuke said. He may not be as crafty as Sgt. Weber, but he too was learning how to pull on someone’s strings.
“Well? Don’t you want to know? I would think you’d be chomping at the bit!” Kurz sounded gleeful again.
“No.” Sousuke’s Arm Slaves passed a number of slower moving vehicles. He could see plumes of smoke rising into the sky. They were getting close.
“Come on Sousuke, you know you like her, at least a little bit. If you stay away too long, she might find another wreckless destructive indestructible OOC young stud. Now, you wouldn’t want that to happen, would you?” Kurz’ laughter ended when he heard Sousuke’s answer.
“It might be best for her.” Sousuke’s voice was flat.
“I don’t think so, Sousuke. And I have a reason to feel that way. But, since you aren’t eager to find out, I’m not going to tell you.”
“As you wish. It is not a problem.”
“Well, whether you know it not, you got it bad Sousuke. Even the great Kurz Weber has problems with the ladies sometimes. If you don’t get things straight, the stuff inside of you might ruin your effectiveness as a soldier.” Kurz was not being serious, but Sousuke’s answer showed that he had been thinking along those lines already.
“I believe you are correct. It may not matter. I may be reassigned.”
“O, I don’t think so, Sousuke old chum. In any case, I think you need some extensive woman therapy. There are a number of fine brothels in Cairo. I’ll talk to Melissa. She’ll order you to get to know some of the ladies really well.” Kurz chuckled.
Sousuke did not answer. He began to sweat.
“Of course, if you come back to Danaan, Tessa will be waiting for you. If I clue her in, I bet she’d be glad to belly dance for you. Oh yeh!!!” Kurz began humming a famous Arabian burlesque tune.
“That….”
“I’ll do it Sousuke. You know I’ll will. So do you want to know? Better hurry up. We’re almost there. Do you want to know about Kaname, or are you holding out for Tessa and the seven veils?” Now he started whistling.
“You may tell me.” The words came out in a rush. Sousuke gritted his teeth afterwards. He was playing right into his companion’s hands.
“O, ho ho! First we need to talk price. “Will you promise to protect me from the evil Dr. Fu Mao Chu?” Kurz sounded just like a riverboat huckster.
“I cannot. She is my commanding officer.”
“Too bad. If Tessa gets all excited and orders you to kiss her, what are you going to do? What if she takes those veils off first?” Kurz could just picture it. “Oh yeh!!!”
“MY BEER!” Necessity is the mother of invention. “You may have my beer in addition to yours.”
“Deal!” Kurz passed along the news. Mithril had assigned one of its Stateside operatives to New York City. Political pull arranged for a job at Childrens’ Hospital of New York-Presbyterian. Ayame had gotten over her hurdles. It looked as if she was going to be fine.
************************************************
Things went smoothly once Urzu 6 and Urzu 7 reached the scene. The cargo ship took on water quickly, its hull pierced by a large number of missiles. For no visible reason, the containers on top burst into flame, putting off great clouds of black smoke until the fires hissed on contact with the water.
Their target sunk, the three Mithril pilots moved their machines off towards the pick up point. Word had come in from the other team. Their mission had been an unqualified success. It was time for everyone to head home.
Sousuke had been offered a chance to go to New York, to resume his duties as Kaname’s bodyguard there. He declined. It would not feel right for him. He listened with relief---but also some trepidation---when he was told that he would pick up with his Tokyo mission just where he had left off. He would fly back to Japan as soon as the long debriefing was done.
Melissa had ordered Kurz to keep one thing secret from Sousuke. He surprised her---and himself---by maintaining that secrecy. The operative in New York had made himself known to Kaname. She had been very concerned about Sousuke, wanting to know if there was any word on him. Sgt. Major Mao was a firm believed that seeing something for yourself sometimes shows a person more than words might get across. Besides, Sousuke had been moping around altogether too much. He needed a good shock to the system.
The exit meetings went well. The mission as a whole had accomplished everything it could have. But, as it turned out, they had gotten there too late to prevent one catastrophe. Word came in from South Korea. Large numbers of people were sick or dying in Seoul. Someone no doubt snuck out at least one small test shipment earlier. They could only hope that was the only one. Time would tell.
Mithril would send covert information to the South Korean officials. Without knowing what to look for, they would not know to test for Amanitin. As usual, their success in this mission would make its way to the ears of men in power. The coffers would stay full a bit longer. Unfortunate as the poisoning in Seoul was, it would serve as a great example of what could have happened if those facilities hadn’t been shut down permanently. There was no way that the Egyptian Armed forces could have moved in a quickly or stealthily as their forces had. The sovereign forces might have stemmed the flow of the deadly substance, but significant amounts would have reached men who had no compulsion against using it.
The plane ride back to Tokyo was not a pleasant one for Sousuke. He had opened up a lot of painful memories. Though he felt a renewed confidence in the work he did, he still had significant doubts. There was still more thinking to be done. When he dozed off, he dreamed. He saw an image of Anubis. The jackal-headed god was laughing. It threw his heart to the Devourer, then spoke. “I love you, Kashim!” That startled Sousuke straight out of his sleep. Despite that shock, he dozed off again. This time he saw the Sphinx. It had Kaname’s head. She too spoke: “What is a jerk on four legs… a moron on two…. And a big idiot on three?” A great paw came sweeping towards his head. He woke up again.
His dreams were mixing together. His thoughts were tied up in knots. It was still the weekend. There must be some way to get his mind in order again before school. He knew just the thing. Fishing.
********************************************
Sousuke gathered what he needed for his excursion. He would head out to Ookagou, Hachijo-machi. The beach has a unique landscape with a rocky expanse formed by the lava discharged into the sea by the eruption of Mt. Hachijo-Fuji. There is a good view of Hachijo-Kojima across the waters from this beach which is also a popular site for surf fishing.
Just as he was about to head out the door, the bell rang. He set his equipment aside, out of view. Looking out the view port, his breath caught in his throat. It was Kaname. What did she want. Had she come over to order him to stay away from her? There was no box lunch in sight. She held a long wooden staff.
“I know you’re in there, Sousuke. You’d better open up if you know what’s good for you.” Her voice was firm, strong.
Sousuke knew what would happen if he delayed too long. He opened the door.
“Kaname?”
“Yes, Kaname. Do you know anyone else who looks like me? HMMPPFF!!!” Her words briefly reminded Sousuke of the girl in the tunnel. He shook it off. Kaname caught his action, but held her tongue.
“I had word that your sister would be OK. I was glad to hear that.” He bowed his head, finding it hard to speak. Looking down, he noted a flash of gold at Kaname’s wrist. It was the bracelet he had given to her. It was part of the jewelry that she had thrown out into the hall.
“Well, Sousuke?” Kaname began banging the staff against the door frame.
“Kaname?”
“Aren’t you going to invite me in?” Kaname did not sound angry.
“Yes. I am sorry. Please come in.” Sousuke closed the door and asked if Kaname would like anything to drink.
As soon as the door closed, and they were isolated in their own space, Kaname’s face changed. Tears came to her eyes. Her shoulders trembled. She threw herself into Sousuke’s arms and began sobbing. “I’m sorry, Sousuke. So sorry.”
“For what, Kaname?” Sousuke didn’t know what to do. Kaname was not attempting to be affectionate. That would have confused him even more. Still, he did not know what he could do to comfort her.
Kaname backed away and wiped her finger across her eyes. “I said some terrible things, Sousuke. Terrible things.”
“You were upset, Kaname. You were not yourself.” Sousuke felt better. Still, there was a catch in his voice. He had been through too much to have an apology bring him back to where he was before.
“Thank you, Sousuke. Those words… they…they would have been wrong no matter had happened. They would be terrible no matter what task you had at hand.” She looked deeply into Sousuke’s eyes, trying to regain some composure. “I saw the news, Sousuke. About Seoul. Can you tell me---was that the poison you were worried about?”
“Yes,” Sousuke said after a long pause. He could trust Kaname.
“My God. But there won’t be any more?” Kaname’s eyes were intense.
“I hope not. Both facilities were completely destroyed. No one is certain how much they may have taken out before we got there,”
“I see. You are a hero, Sousuke. I never should have said what I did.” The tears came to her eyes again.
“I am not a hero, Kaname. At least, I do not feel heroic. I did what I was trained to do. I did what I was ordered to do. It was what needed to be done.” He went quiet for a moment. His hands twitched. “I have more blood on my hands, Kaname.” He looked away.
“YOU LOOK HERE MISTER!” Kaname’s spunk returned when she saw Sousuke’s mood turn south.
Sousuke looked at Kaname.
“You are a hero to me, Sousuke.” Kaname spoke quietly, almost in a whisper. She took one of his hands. “Your hand looks clean to me.” She patted it and let it go. It was her turn to look down at the floor.
Sousuke didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know what to think. For a moment, the silence grew awkward.
“I wanted to apologize.” Kaname bowed and held out the thick staff. Sousuke took it. It was surprisingly light---it must be hollow.
Melissa had phoned ahead, letting Kaname know when Sousuke would be arriving. It didn't take her long to figure out what gift might mean something to the young soldier.
Sousuke opened the ‘staff.’ It was a fishing rod case. Inside it was a Shimano Surfleader FV carbon composite rod. A nice piece.
“Thank you Kaname. It is well chosen. It will mean a lot to me.”
“Great. Then, when are you going to take me fishing again, Sousuke?” She meant it as a reference to their time together after the Gauron incident. Saying that, she happened to look over and see the gear that Sousuke had placed aside. Her eyes widened.
Kaname smiled. Sousuke came close to smiling.
“Would you like to go to the beach, Kaname?”
“You know a girl’s thoughts always go towards the beach, Sousuke….”
“Affirmative.”
“Will there be anything weird?”
“No.” Sousuke knew this routine.
“Anything dangerous?”
“No.” He thought of a twist to throw in.
Kaname walked up and stared Sousuke in the eyes. “Will Tessa be there?” She had beat him to it.
Sousuke walked over to the phone. He picked up the receiver. “Do you want her to be?” He began dialing at random.
“Don’t you dare!!!” She yelled, laughing.
“It is not a problem.” he put the phone back down.
“Well then, we will need to stop by my place so I can get a few things.” Kaname headed back to the door.
“You look fine as you are. I have an extra set of boots.” Sousuke went to a closet, opened it, and started removing items.
“Sousuke, you do NOT ask a girl to go surf-fishing in an outfit like this!” Kaname spun around once, then posed.
“It looks to have adequate functionality, Kaname….” Sousuke felt proud. He had avoided using the word ‘practical.’
“SOUSUKE!!!” Sousuke did not mind that shout. He was glad he could hear it again.
“As you say, Kaname.”
“Good. We will also need to stop at a bait shop. We will need to find something to catch a whale with. You owe me a whale, Sousuke.” She tossed her hair.
“There may be no whales there.”
“I said a whale, mister. Do I need to get the halisen as well? It might fit in that case.” She made a show of looking at the cases diameter.
“I will see what I can do.”
Kaname smiled.
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END
[FIC] The Scale of Anubis (part 3)
Moderators: KiLlEr, HELLFIRE, Taurec