Cowboy Bebop Fan Fiction ❯ Play Me Some More of that Old Blues ❯ Chapter 17 ( Chapter 17 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Chapter 17

The blinking light hurt her eyes.

`Why am I still awake?'

She'd asked herself that countless times in the last two hours… and still had no answer. The asshole, Mathis, had left her about ten minutes ago to `set up for guests'. And, of course, he turned off all the lights in her room… except for this,

(blink)

annoying little,

(blink)

bright red,

(blink)

light!

Faye swore as she tugged at her binds again. They weren't shackles, so she couldn't pick the locks… which she couldn't do anyhow because she was bereft of tools. And it wasn't rope, so she couldn't cut it… as if there were anything sharp in the room anyhow. Instead, out of a desire to keep her from `damaging' herself, Mathis had used a new restraint developed for violent psychiatric patients. It was a rubber-like substance that completely encased her hands and arms up to the elbows. Her feet were left free, but weighted with special boots to prevent escape. As it was, the darkness was so disorienting, she couldn't tell where the door was anyhow.

Frustrated, Faye tried to kick the wall, but could barely lift her foot to do so. Angry tears welled in her eyes, and she had all she could do not to give in. Instead, she buried her fear, imagined her hands around Mathis's throat, and screamed.

As he had countless times throughout the past few days, Spike put his hand to his side and felt for a gun that was no longer there. As before, he came up empty.

Hollis caught the motion. Without a word, he reached into his coat and pulled out a small pistol. Grabbing the barrel, he held it out to Spike.

The younger man stopped short at the sight of the weapon. “Are citizens of Pandora allowed to carry firearms?”

Hollis kept his expression neutral as Spike took the proffered gun. “Not that I've heard, no.”

Nodding, Spike inspected the rounds, then sighted quickly along the barrel. “You don't need to come with me you know. I have a knack for getting into trouble… I can't guarantee this won't end badly.”

Hollis grunted good-naturedly as he pulled a second gun from his coat. “You think I'd let some half-dead ex-bounty hunter go into this with my good pistol all by himself? Besides, I'm kinda curious about what would bring these guys all the way out here.”

Spike nodded as he chambered a round. “I'm sure it'll be interesting.”

Faye sat up at the muffled sound of voices. She swallowed against the sudden lump in her throat as unexpected fear rose within her. She hated not knowing what was going on. Then, unmistakably, she heard Mathis's voice outside her door. Though she knew he was speaking, the thickness of the door prevented her from making out the words. Another voice spoke, and then…

“…ere we are gentlemen… Miss Faye Valentine.”

The sudden wash of light in the room was blinding, and Faye turned her face away with a grimace. Before she could react, a hand grasped her jaw and turned her head around again.

“As you can see, she is in perfect health… not a single scar!”

She tried to bite Mathis's fingers, but he jerked them away quickly. Chuckling, he shot her a dark look.

“She has a bit of a temper, but that shouldn't affect your tests in any way.”

The other voice she'd heard spoke out of the fading glare.

“It's not her temperament I'm concerned with, Mr. Mathis, but her regenerative capabilities. How quickly does she heal from an abrasion, a gash, or a deep wound? How much damage can her body endure before it fails completely?”

Mathis didn't give Faye a single glance as he responded.

“I'll show you.”

Twenty of the armor-clad soldiers stood at attention outside the hanger doors. Hollis ground his teeth at their presumption. “My friend owns this lot, these bastards have no right to impose their control over it!”

Spike crouched next to him on the concrete; they were hidden from view by a stack of wreaked ship parts. “Don't let it blow your cool. These guys are just following orders. The one we want is inside. Is there a way in that doesn't entail a frontal assault?”

Hollis nodded. “We can go in through the side, there's a service door for the maintenance crew. But we'll need a key.”

“It's all taken care of.” Said Spike with a smile.

Five minutes later they were standing next to the locked door. Removing his outer shirt, Spike wrapped the garment around the barrel of his pistol. Hollis started to protest, but Spike acted before he could say anything. There was a muffled shot, and the lock disintegrated. Spike shook out the shirt, noting the holes in the sleeve. “A little bit louder than I'd have liked… and sign of company?”

Hollis snuck to the edge of the building for a quick look. Shaking his head, he ran back. “It's all clear.”

Setting his expression, Spike pushed open the door and slipped inside.

Within the hanger, the lighting was very dim. Allowing a moment for their eyes to adjust, the two men crept around the ships parked there. The stacks of equipment, as well as the many ships made it difficult to locate their targets. Ducking beneath a drooping hose, Spike caught sight of movement about forty feet to the left. Another group of about ten soldiers were standing outside a large ship, weapons in hand.

“Looks like quite a party, wish I was invited.” Muttered Hollis under his breath.

Spike smiled as he observed the group. “Let's crash it!”

Hollis nodded back, a trickle of nervous sweat running down his face. “Guns blazing?”

Spike glanced at his companion, noting the paleness of his complexion. “Are you sure you want to do this? I can handle this alone.”

To his credit, Hollis considered the suggestion. Then, his gaze wandered over to the metal braces encasing Spike's still weakened legs. His lips pulled up in a tight smile. “My wife keeps telling me I need to take it easy.” He chuckled. “One of these days I should listen to her. But not today.”

Nodding once, Spike turned back to the soldiers. “Alright. What I need you to do is circle around to the back, keep an eye on things and make sure I'm covered if this turns ugly… which it probably will.”

Hollis nodded. “That's fine, ok. But I was thinking…”

His words fell silent as the hanger was suddenly filled with the piercing sound of a woman's scream.

As the sound faded, Hollis shook his head. “Good God, what the hell are they doing in there?” Receiving no reply, he glanced over. “Spike?”

The other man's face was frozen, his eyes wide in apparent shock.

“Spike? Hey, what is it?”

Spike's gaze was locked on the ship before them. Without looking at Hollis, he lifted his pistol. “New plan. Gun's blazing.”

Darting from behind their cover, he began firing.