章節 44: Cracking the Warehouse
"What took you so long to return?!" Ayukawa's eyes flashed with impatience as he confronted Lyon.
"Phew! I had to move cautiously, avoiding any prying eyes among the soldiers!" Lyon wiped sweat from his brow.
Vermilion, ever the mediator, chimed in, "Ayukawa, you're too harsh on Lyon..."
"This isn't harsh at all! Now, what did you manage to gather from those bumbling soldiers?!"
"I extracted some information from them without raising suspicion. We're in luck, I can tell they're in the warehouse..."
"What's inside the warehouse besides the hostages?"
"I'm in the dark on that. Even the patrolling soldiers couldn't enter. All they knew was that two individuals are held inside by Lieutenant Dialla."
Ayukawa's thoughts raced. "So, we can assume that there might be nobody else inside."
Lyon nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it's likely. Those soldiers don't seem to have a clue. They're unwittingly assisting in a crime."
"No reason to pity them! They are just a bunch of ignorant fools! Did they mention the exact location of the hostages within the warehouse?!"
"No, they had no idea."
"Useless imbeciles! Vermilion, I can't go with you to infiltrate the warehouse with so many soldiers patrolling. But Lieutenant Dialla is likely keeping his operation a well-guarded secret."
"Understood. So you think there might be nobody inside except the hostages."
"Yep. Hey, you! Lyon, you displayed some impressive acting skills to fool those soldiers earlier. How about you give it another shot and see if you can sneak inside with Vermilion?! It might be easier for you than for me!"
Lyon hesitated, considering the challenges. "Sneak inside...? But they've sealed the front entrance gate, and I only spotted a small backdoor with soldiers standing right in front of it. How can I get past the guards?"
"Locked?! I thought we could enter through the front gate, but if that's not an option... let me think..."
"Besides, are you certain that Vermilion's abilities can get her into the warehouse undetected? Even if she's invisible, she still has to open the backdoor. Won't that attract the guards' attention?" Lyon expressed concern.
"Don't worry, Lyon. The door I open is in my parallel space, so it won't affect the real-world door at all."
"Can you unlock the door inside your parallel space?"
"Yes, I can handle that. I've done it before, unless, of course, the door is physically locked in the real world then..."
"Sounds confusing to me... But I'll trust you. Just make sure you don't get caught by those soldiers."
"Rest assured. This mission is well within my abilities." Vermilion's eyes sparkled with determination.
"If the door is locked... You can't unlock the door within your parallel space?"
"If it's locked in the real world, it'll be the same in my parallel space."
Ayukawa chimed in, offering a solution, "Even if it's locked, I don't think it's a big deal for us."
"Ayukawa, do you already have a plan?"
"Simple, just use your power. If the door isn't locked, proceed as planned. If it's locked, you'll need to do some extra work and steal the key from those guarding in front of the door. The key must be held by one of them."
"Stealing? This will be my first time trying something like that..." Vermilion hesitated for a moment.
"There's no other choice unless your power allows you to fly, then you could sneak in through the roof!"
"Sorry, I can't fly with my power. Let me take a final break before I attempt this."
"Take your time, get a deep breath. We'll wait."
Vermilion nodded and took a moment to collect herself. "Alright."
"Remember! Once you spot them, return here immediately."
"Got it!"
With determination, Vermilion activated her power, slipping into her parallel space. She moved gracefully past the patrolling soldiers, her invisibility concealing her. However, as she approached the backdoor, her heart raced. Four soldiers stood directly in front of the door and beside it. A single mistake could be fatal.
Vermilion attempted to open the door within her parallel space, but it was locked, as she had expected. She had to focus on stealing the key from one of the soldiers without being noticed. She needed to deactivate her power momentarily to perform the theft and then quickly reactivate it to remain hidden.
Standing in front of the backdoor, she paused her parallel space, conserving her energy while assessing the soldiers. Unfortunately, she couldn't identify the key holder. Panic began to creep in as she struggled to come up with a plan.
'Oh no, I can't find the key... What should I do? Should I head back to the group or keep searching for the key holder? If I return empty-handed, will Ayukawa berate me? What would Ayukawa do in this situation?' Vermilion's mind raced with uncertainty.
Her attention shifted to the door itself, examining the rusty and dilapidated state of the abandoned warehouse's entrance. An idea began to form in her mind.
'The door... it looks weaker than me. Perhaps I could deliver a powerful kick and force it open! But I must ensure the door is within my parallel space before I attempt to break it.' Vermilion started to plot her strategy in her mind.
Vermilion maintained her parallel space, keeping the door within its range. She confirmed her preparations, gathering all her strength in her right foot. With a swift, powerful kick, the door disintegrated in an instant. She hurried inside and deactivated her power, finding the interior empty.
Remarkably, the door in the real world remained intact, and the guarding soldiers remained oblivious to the breach. The door within her parallel space, however, had been permanently destroyed.
Vermilion, her heart still racing, whispered to herself, "What a heart-stopping moment! I almost drained all my energy... I could have died if I failed to open the door just now..."
She took a brief respite, collecting her thoughts before delving deeper into the warehouse. The interior was a labyrinth of small rooms separated by thick cardboard, and Vermilion intended to investigate each of them.
Using her walkie-talkie, Vermilion informed Rosseaulyn, "Rosseaulyn? I've infiltrated the warehouse. It's quite dark in here, but we suspect they must be held inside."
"Great job, Ms. Yeleona! Please find out their location and inform me immediately!"
"Alright."
"Are you alone inside the warehouse?"
"Yes."
"Please proceed carefully. Remember, these are armed soldiers!"
"Understood, but don't worry. It seems there's nobody inside..."
"Stay alert."
"I will. I should also inform Ayukawa... Hello? Ayukawa? I've just..."
"Great to know you're inside already. Have you found them?" Ayukawa interrupted.
"I haven't found them yet. I need to catch my breath for a moment... I'll find them."
"Sure, don't do anything stupid while I'm not with you."
"I won't. Alright, let me think... Where should I start looking for them... I guess I'll begin with this room."
Vermilion methodically checked room after room in the dark, foul-smelling warehouse, most of which were filled with rusty oil barrels. The noxious odor made her increasingly uncomfortable, urging her to quicken her pace. She longed to leave this unpleasant place as soon as possible.
After inspecting each room without finding any sign of the captives, Vermilion surveyed the warehouse and noticed a peculiar pile of woods obstructing a passageway. She carefully removed the obstacles, ensuring no noise was made. Entering the dim, dank passage, she arrived in a room bathed in a faint red glow from a signal light.
In this dim light, Vermilion's heart skipped a beat as she discovered two bound and gagged figures sprawled on the floor. One of them seemed to be a child, both of them tightly bound with ropes and their faces obscured by black cloths. Vermilion swiftly removed the cloths and began to untie their hands.
"Hey, are you two alright?!"
"Hmm... Who are you..." The woman responded in a weak voice.
"I'm Vermilion. Are you Geena?"
"Yes..."
"Great! Hey, Rosseaulyn! I've found them! Did you hear me?! No response... No signal?" Vermilion tried to contact Rosseaulyn, but received no response.
"Rosseaulyn...? Finally... She found us... Vermilion..."
"Yes, I'm here!"
"Please save my daughter - Cathie. She's been unconscious since this morning..." The woman pleaded.
"Oh my... Let me check on her!"
"We haven't had food or water... for two days... I'm afraid my daughter... is dehydrated..."
"She does look dehydrated..."
"Are you here to save both of us?"
Vermilion hesitated momentarily. "Actually... I'm here to confirm your location. Rosseaulyn is the one who will rescue both of you."
Geena's voice quivered, "I see... But could you save my daughter first... Her life is in danger..."
"I..." Vermilion struggled to answer.
"Please... I beg you..." Geena implored.
"Sure, leave it to me. I promise to save her first and inform Rosseaulyn to rescue you immediately!"
"Thank you... By the way, where is Raynolds...?"
Vermilion's heart sank. She couldn't bring herself to reveal the grim truth about Captain Raynolds, as reported in the news.
"I see... He is no longer with us anymore... forever..."
"But none of us believe he's truly gone. He might return someday." Vermilion offered consolation,.
"Perhaps... right now, my daughter is the only one still with me... I'm relying on you..."
"I will take her with me right now! Please hang on! We will rescue you at once!"
"Great..."
Vermilion used the climbing rope to secure Cathie on her back and quickly made her way back to rendezvous with Ayukawa and Lyon. She activated her power and rushed through the area, past numerous soldiers. The strain of carrying Cathie and running while maintaining her power became excruciatingly painful on her face.
When she was almost there, her energy ran out entirely, causing her to fall to the ground. Her power deactivated, and her presence suddenly became visible again. Ayukawa, noticing Vermilion and Cathie's sudden appearance, acted swiftly to hide them behind some bushes before the soldiers could spot them.
However, Ayukawa's injured leg flared with pain, slowing her down significantly as she attempted to move them to safety. The situation worsened when a patrolling soldier from a distance spotted their silhouettes and immediately gave chase. Ayukawa pushed through the pain, moving quickly to hide behind the bushes with Lyon, keeping out of sight.
"Hey, did you really see someone run here just now?" A soldier asked the one who had spotted them.
"Yeah, I'm sure I saw a silhouette carrying two people!"
"But we don't see anyone here at all! Who could move so fast while carrying two people? It's nighttime. Are you sure you didn't see a ghost instead of living people?" Another soldier chimed in.
"Ghost?! Oh my... I can't stand this duty here anymore!" the soldier declared and ran away.
"Hey, coward! Where are you going? Come back! Hey!" The remaining soldiers followed him, leaving the scene.
"They've gone..." Ayukawa observed.
"What happened to them? Why did they suddenly appear and pass out?"
"It's obvious. One ran out of energy, and the other seems dehydrated."
"This must be Cathie! But where's Geena?"
"She must still be inside. There's no way Vermilion could have taken both of them with her. Judging by this little girl's condition, I can only assume her mother is in a dehydrated state as well."
"I'll fetch them some water from the river back there."
"Go quickly! I'll take care of them."
"Sure!"
"Hey! Take this walkie-talkie and inform Rosseaulyn!"
"I got it! Lieutenant?!"
"Lyon? Have you all found them?!"
"Yeah! And Vermilion managed to save Cathie as well!"
Rosseaulyn breathed a sigh of relief, "Good job! How about Ms. Geena?"
"We haven't located her, and right now, Vermilion and Cathie have gone completely unconscious. We don't know Geena's exact location in the warehouse."
Rosseaulyn's voice filled with worry, "This is bad..."
"The worst part is that Cathie's condition looks life-threatening. We're worried about Geena too."
"Oh my... This is worse..."
"Do you think you can still save Geena in time?"
"I don't think so... I couldn't believe they never feed them any food and water at all! Let me quickly think of another way..." Rosseaulyn sounded frustrated.
"Lieutenant, you must be quick! We don't have much time judging from the current situation!"
"I know! How can I save Geena... Wrghhh!"
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