Under My Skin

Under My Skin - Part 6

Rachel looked over her latest data from Louis's test and then rubbed her tired eyes. In a room underground with the bunkers, she sat with Retten's equipment that had been confiscated from the Freewill Compound. She and Cetz were the only ones with keycards to the room. Tables were littered with the twisted wires and panels from the room that had caused Louis's curious ability to shrink. But no matter what she did, she could not make heads or tails of them.

The smell of coffee drew her attention away from the equipment.

Cetz held up two mugs. "Figured you could use a pick me up."

"That and more," she said as she accepted a mug. She remembered Will's comment that she should switch to tea instead of coffee so she didn't get run down so easily. "If you're down here then all must be quiet upstairs."

"Haven't heard a peep from Louis or Will, so no news it good news. Kore's weapons depot might be massive, but he is an idiot when it comes to thorough security." Cetz took a seat next to the Med Tech. "How's it going with Louis's tests?"

"I'm finding out more things about his ability, but I still have no clue as to how Retten managed to do it to him. The files you gave me were helpful, but it's the missing file that's the key to all this."

Cetz nodded as he sipped his cup. "File 391. We should consider the information lost."

"Unless we can get Retten alive and talking," said Rachel hopefully.

"And that leads to my next question. How goes it with the transmitter?"

Cetz was referring to the tracker Rachel had cut out of Will's body in his last mission. The tracker had been broadcasting not only to the men chasing Will, but to Retten as well. Louis, who would have foamed at the mouth for a chance to get back at that man, had been kept out of the loop, as had everyone else. It had been the best lead to Retten's next hideout, an old townhouse, but it had been abandoned for hours, along with the receiver.

"Now that Grant has it deactivated he's been looking through the components, trying to find out the manufacturer, but he's been coming up empty. I've had Finance Tech dig through the rent on the townhouse. Cash for all payments, but they're going through the serial numbers and other connections." Rachel waved her hand to Retten's broken machine. "I haven't found any connections in this stuff between Retten and Watch One yet, but we still have Doctor Massaru looking through staff pictures and audio clips."

"You still reporting that he has a severe infection?"

"Yes, and Massaru is playing the part of the suffering patient well. He'll continue to have poor health until we can find out who's the leak."

"And let's hope Will and Louis will come back with some damning evidence from Kore's weapon's depot."

Rachel finished her cooling coffee in a single gulp. "Are you going to tell them about the leak when they get back?"

"I should. It certainly won't make their day any better. But they're walking around in an uncharted cave full of weapons for madmen and looking for a deadly virus. How much worse can their day get?"

***

William uncurled, rising from the floor mostly unhurt save a few deep bruises. He blinked the dust out of his eyes, waiting for the air to settle and searched for the flashlight he had dropped. A bright yellow light came from the air sensor. He had managed to keep his mask on during the cave in, but his breath was still labored. The last image in his mind was that of Louis looking up, the rare sight of terror on his face, and it twisted in Will's gut. Finding the flashlight, he pointed it at the pile of rubble that separated him from the virus chamber, and Louis.

He tore at the rocks with his gloved hands. "Louis! Louis, can you hear me?"

There was no response on the SkySprechts.

After a minute of digging he heard a shaky gasp through the communicator.

"Will!" whimpered Louis.

"Louis! Are you okay?"

Louis' voice was frail, so unlike the demanding voice Will was used to. "I take it back; this is a worse place to be."