Chapter 23 - Curtis Lawton - Lair
November 17, 3040 2:34 AM
I got to the Gonzalez station at about midnight. Candy's programs worked like a charm. The window she set to disable security was from 12 AM to 12:30 AM and, like clockwork, I walked through the doors without a hint of struggle. Once inside, I turned the security systems off and started to lay the foundations of my final resting place.
I walked around a bit to see what I was working with. The teleport station wasn't too big, but it was roomy enough for me to conceal myself from the view outside. The walls were high and the floor was checkered black and white. Multiple screens hung from floor to ceiling, but they were off when I arrived. Everything was off, the station was in full charge mode.
There was a lot of furniture on the floor: benches, some food stands, ticket counters, and other things. There was also a large metal box with safety signs on it. That must have been the generator that Candy mentioned. Lastly, there were ten or so teleport pods lined up against the wall. I wouldn't be using them, though, maybe just for cover.
After I was done surveying the area, I looked inside my pack to see its contents. A small handheld device was at the bottom, I took it out to observe. It was a transmitter, a wrist mounted one. It wasn't a fancy holo display model, but it was what I needed. Tiago wanted to make sure I sent him a sign when I executed my plan. That way he would know when the deed is done.
I attached it on to my wrist and it fit snuggly. The transmitter had a button in the middle. All I had to do was press it and Tiago would receive a little beep. That was the signal I had to give. After observing it for a few seconds, I continued rummaging through my backpack.
I felt something hard yet light touch my hands. They were the two energy pistols that Ace had swiped from his earlier supply run. I took one out to inspect. It was fully charged and felt light in my hand. I gripped it and got comfortable with my aim. My finger caressed the trigger. I looked at a trash dispenser nearby, pointed my gun at it, and took a shot. A quick light dispersed from the barrel and grazed the side of the unit. I'm not that skilled of a shooter, but my goal isn't to kill, it was to lure them in.
I set the gun aside and dug through the bag again. This time I pulled out a flat disc like object. They were garden mines, compact and precise. It was extremely light and I probably could have tossed it clear across the station if I wanted to. There were a lot of them, at least fifty in my bag.
Tiago's instructions about these were simple. I press the small button to arm them. After they're armed, they'd beep a few times and then stop. There wouldn't be a way to figure out where I placed them after that, no lights, no sounds. I'd have to remember where I put them exactly. If I didn't, I could very well blow myself up. My plan was to lay them around the perimeter and stay clear from it afterwards. I'd be waiting in the center, anyway.
I'm surprised these things were at the supply depot, so I guessed they're not very strong, probably made to scare away small animals in the woods for someone who might need that sort of thing. I highly doubted they would do enough damage to injure a trained operative, but, again, it was just to lure them in.
Those items weren't for me, it was for any possible intruders I might run into. The last thing in the pack was for my use.
I pulled it out, a long metal cylinder custom made by Candy. It was an explosive, the same kind that she had made for Lombardi, only much more powerful. According to Tiago, it could take down this whole station if need be. It worked the same way, clutch the handle, the bomb arms, let go of the handle, the bomb detonates within a few moments.
These were the tools I would use to do my work. Like an artist and his brush, I respected the equipment I was given. I made sure that no resource would go unused, everything was important.
With all the items in hand, I went to work setting the trap. I took the garden mines and walked around the perimeter, arming and tossing mines around like I was sowing seeds in a garden. I concentrated all of them towards the entrance doors that hug three different walls. They were the only way anyone could get in, so when our enemies entered, they'd have a nasty surprise for them.
I then grabbed whatever I could and constructed a fort smack in the middle of the station. Benches, trash dispensers, pieces of wood and metal, anything I could get my hands on became a part of my reinforcement. This was where I planned to hunker down when the enemies came. While they blast their shots, I'd be hiding, waiting for them, drawing them in.
That's what the guns were for. I didn't plan to kill anything. My shot proved I wasn't that great. I wanted to bait them in, like flies. As long as my fort held up, I could stay there until they come close enough for me to make my last move, my master stroke, the reason I was in the Gonzalez station in the first place and not some corpse in a grass field.
The creatures that were after us, they know we were headed to a teleporter. There were only two in Primm, the Li station and the Gonzalez station. The Li station was farther from the depot where they found Lombardi, farther from our hideout. Tiago said, tactically, our pursuers would investigate the Gonzalez station first. Little did they know I'd be waiting for them.
My mission was simple - when they come, I'd draw them in. I'd fire some shots and the mines I placed would go off if they got near them. They'd be stunned and filled with adrenaline, then rush to their target without even thinking twice about what was in store for them. The second I felt like they were within range, I would set off Candy's bomb and it'd be goodbye to our enemies.
Tiago would have the time he needed to make his escape. I'd have my rest and, in doing so, I'd help my family. I've wanted both for a long time. I thought about it, talked about it, and now I could finally do something about it.
Tiago mentioned that I could turn back whenever I wanted to. He shouldn't have wasted his breath. I was only going forward, not backward. Though I had my doubts here and there, though I didn't fully trust Tiago, I was and still am ready to end this. I don't want to live anymore. My encounter with that drunk lion proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that this world would fear me, that I was a monster. Monsters get burned at the stake, I'd rather end my life on my own terms.
Some think suicide is selfish. I think those people don't know what it's like to hate yourself so much that you question your existence. Only then would they know what it's like to want to take your own life.
What I'm doing isn't selfish, what I'm doing is for the family. If anything, it's selfless.
After I had completed the setup of my lair, I heard some noise outside and carefully crept to a window to see who it was. I saw the wolf and gorilla that Ace mentioned, the ones that killed Lombardi. They also were accompanied by an elephant. Tiago was right, they did come. These were the creatures that I would have my revenge on, the ones that I could put an end to so that my brothers, both Oscar and Tiago, won't have to worry about them anymore.
I was ready to take them on, but for some reason they stayed outside. They set up camp and resided there, didn't even bother to come near the doors. I was ready for them, ready to pull the trigger to bring them in, to squeeze the handle of my bomb so it could blast them to pieces, but I had to wait.
I considered drawing them in anyway, but if they weren't coming, I would leave them alone. They couldn't go after the others if they were in my sight. I wanted to buy Tiago as much time as possible and if I acted hastily, the clock would be much shorter. I only saw three of them and I was sure there were more. There was no need to set off the alarms, it might have sped up their actions.
So I waited, and waited, and wait. It's now two and a half hours past midnight, and they're still outside. I wonder if they're ever going to storm the gates. From an obscure position, I'm able to see where they are. Before, they were scattered around on each side, watching the perimeter like guardians. I'm surprised they didn't notice me. It must be hard to see what's inside since they've been hovering aw
ay from the building. But now, they're congregating in the distance. I can faintly see them with their headsets on, talking on a holoscreen to someone. That must be their leader. I wonder where he is right now. Maybe he's observing from a command station, maybe he's looking for the others. I hope they're okay.
I worry about Oscar. This mission is supposed to be for Tiago, but I still think it's to help them all. If Oscar is in danger, then all of this will be in vain. I'm not here to serve the interests of one family member, I'm here to serve the interests of everyone. We've always had a strained relationship, Oscar and I, but I like to think there's a mutual respect through all the cautiousness. Though I hung with Tiago, I hope he never got the wrong impression.
Suddenly, the team breaks apart. Their communicators are off and they start walking towards the station. This is it, their commander must have given them the go. I scamper back to my wall of benches and parts. I have my guns ready, the bomb is by my side. It's time to stop thinking, it's time for action.
If I succeed, I'll be happy because I know I'm going where I belong. And I'll be happy because I know the ones I love will be safe. It's time for this broken soul to find some peace.