Rinse [manxman]

Chapter Eight

Dakota and I sat in the small lounge next to the medical wing. We wanted to ensure Sophia was well enough to return to her siblings before we went into action mode for Goss. However, the soft click of boots coming from the hallway made me think that we wouldn't be able to sit around much longer, regardless of Sophia's condition.

Goss entered the room a second later. "Sabriel? Hart?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Has there been any word on Sophia's condition?"

"Not yet," Dakota said, scooting up to sit straight in his chair.

Goss nodded. "Then I'll only ask for one of you to come with me. The other can remain to keep an eye on your daughter... Agent Sabriel, will you come with me?"

"Yes, sir." I stood from the chair at the corner of the room. "Let me know if you hear anything," I said, then followed Goss out of the room.

He led me down a blue hallway that looked over one of the lower level laboratories. We kept walking as he spoke in a low voice.

"Thanks to Agent Lebeaux's safety panels, Qizade wasn't able to strike anything underground. However, they demolished the entire above-ground structure."

I nodded. "Yes, I saw that when Dakota and I arrived."

"Currently, we have a team working to rebuild that portion, but it's just a cover. We have a larger, more skilled team working on the tech we'll need to begin laying siege to Qizade."

"I thought there wouldn't be a way for us to send troops through the mountain pass. The technology required to transport that many troops through—"

"That is true; however, I do not want to engage in a physical war with them. Not for now, at least. I plan to use a psychological and perhaps, a technological approach at first."

I nodded slowly. "Draw them out; make them come to us before getting physical."

"Precisely. Qizade's Director Stanner is easily drawn into my manipulations, so I have no doubt that this plan will succeed."

"What do I need to do during this mission?"

"For now, I want you working with Agent Lebeaux. He's taking the technological approach, so I would like you to work with him to make a bridge to the psychological aspect of this strategy."

"And afterward?"

"Unless the rest of Unit 03 arrives in the next twenty-four hours, I will dispatch those of you in the building to find them." Goss led me onto a glass elevator at the end of the hallway. "Level negative seven."

We descended, passing through the other floors. Most of them were labs and some were other hallways that led to gods knew where. Once we reached our floor, the doors opened to another lab. That one was different from the others. Machinery was scattered everywhere, and the lighting was bright. Metal music blasted through the speakers in the ceiling. Along with it came a formal, velvet voice, followed by a rougher, informal one. A loud crash came from the far corner of the lab, and a string of profanity followed.

"Perhaps next time you will follow the procedures I have provided you."

"Can it, Varik."

"Agent Lebeaux?"

"Shit... Mute." A head appeared behind one of the various computers lining the front of the room. His brown hair was slicked back with grease. His face also had grease and sweat lining it. He looked like he'd gone through hell. "What's going on, Goss?"

"I brought you a lab partner."

"Unless it's battery operated and only speaks when spoken to, I don't want it."