Lacey slipped out of the shop and onto the roof. It was broad
daylight on a Sunday, so every one would be at church, or so she
suspected. The streets she knew would be guarded by the Turks,
who were probably looking for her and Gea, so Lacey decided to
stay low, and move swiftly. Lacey thought as she moved from roof
to roof. "I can't believe she is my sister! After all this
time, I didn't know any of my family existed......Just lucky I
guess."
Lacey finally reached the edge of the town when a sight shocked
her. It was the biggest Shin-Ra building she had ever seen.
Lacey just sat there wondering how in the world she was going to
find Kristin. The building was at least 40 stories high, and well
guarded. Lacey shook her head and gazed up, when she caught the
sight of a window, that had been open. So, bracing herself, Lacey
jumped to the building and gripped to the wall. Then she brought
out some of the gloves she had used in Soldier.
"I can't believe I am saying this, but thank you Rufus."
she said, as she slipped on the spiked gloves, and boots that had
been used for years of climbing.
Lacey was about 30 stories up when she got to the open window.
She slowly peered in, and saw what looked like a lab. The door
opened at the end of the room, causing Lacey to duck so fast, she
almost lost her footing. Lacey steadied herself again, and calmed
her nerves. "Great, a lab. Just where I want to be!"
she mumbled as memories of Hojo's experiments ran through her
mind.
Lacey involuntarily shuddered, then listened to Hojo who started
to talk. "HHHmm a dash of this and a drop of that..... ahh
perfect. Designed just for her. Hmm, I will nail her through
Kristin's cell when she tries to swoop in for the rescue. Boy is
she in for a surprise" Hojo snickered. He then turned and
loaded a bunch of darts into a large gun.
Those were apparently meant for me, Lacey thought. Ugh,
I must be careful, I don't want to end up in another tank, or
anywhere near Rufus's arms, ugh!
Lacey waited for Hojo to leave, then crept into the lab,
carefully mapping her position as she continued on.
Kristin shivered within her cell. Her body was wracked with cold
and pain from yet another of Rufus's beatings. "I don't
think I'm gonna make it out of here." she said softly.
Kristin was just about to drift off into unconsciousness when she
heard a small plea in her head. "Please mummy, hold on,
Lacey is coming for you, mummy please come back to me!"
Kristin looked around for her daughter, knowing she would not be
there. "Yes, honey I will hold on, but hurry." The
vision, and voice of Kristin's daughter faded, and Kristin was
yet again alone.
The darkness enveloped Rufus as he walked into his private
quarters. He was not going to sleep, just simply waiting for
Lacey's arrival, no doubt she would come by night. Rufus sat on
his bed and grabbed a book from his night stand. "Another
clue to our unraveling mystery," he said as he opened the
cover.
The first page was a well drawn map of the city of the ancients.
"Soon this world will be ours, darling." Rufus said as
he blew out the light of a small flamed candle, and was swallowed
by the never ending black he called his home.
Gea sat patiently in her little hideaway, waiting for Lacey
and her mother to return. It had only been 4 hours, but it still
seemed longer. She was about to curl up, and sleep again, when
she heard a rustling from the store.
"Gea, come here, I need your help getting your mother up
there, she is very heavy." said a voice Gea recognized as
Lacey's.
"I'll be right there," Gea shouted as she began to
climb down toward the voice that called her beckoningly.
Lacey had finally reached the cell level, and she walked up to
each door looking for the right one. When she found Kristin, she
lay curled in a fetal position, near the window. Only the stars
and moon provided light, and even that was very small. Lacey
crept over to the cell door and picked the lock.
Lacey carefully searched around for a sign of Hojo and his new
improved 'Dart Gun', but he was nowhere to be seen. Lacey
carefully advanced over to Kristin, her nerves on end. She knelt
down to Kristin, brushing away the stray hairs on her face.
"Kristin, Kristin? Are you OK? I have come to get you out of
here." Lacey whispered into Kristin's ear.
Kristin appeared to stir and opened her eyes. "L...Lacey is
that you?"
Lacey nodded, and looked for a way out, there was no way Kristin
could walk all the way through the lab again. When she looked to
the window, Lacey lit a small fire to warm Kristin, and made her
way toward the window. Lacey took out her shacrum, and sliced the
open bars on the window. Slowly she set down the bars and threw a
rope out of the window, tying it to the nearest notch. Lacey then
walked over to get Kristin when she heard footsteps.
Quickly, Lacey again took out her spiked gloves and boots and
placed them on Kristin. Then Lacey wrote out directions to Gea's
position.
"Gotcha now" declared Hojo and Rufus at once as they
thrust open the cell door. When the door swung open the light
revealed a deserted room. Rufus ran to the broken window,
noticing the rope. Lacey was halfway down when Rufus brought
Tseng to the window with a prize. "You want me to kill your
niece to live Saber Wolf?" Rufus shouted down the window.
Lacey stopped what she was doing and looked up to see a Turks
dagger blade to Gea's throat. "You wouldn't Rufus, and you
know it." Lacey shouted.
Rufus smirked at the challenge. "No I wouldn't, but Tseng
here would."
Lacey nodded, she wouldn't escape this time. She looked up with a
glimmer in her eye. "I will stay if you let my sister go,
you have my word." Lacey shouted, and choked on her last
words.
Rufus nodded in agreement. "Drop her down there, she will be
safe. That is my word."
Lacey slowly allowed Kristin to the ground and Kristin stopped as
she looked back at Lacey. It was all her fault. "Will you be
OK? Can you survive this?" Kristin asked with a pleading
look in her eyes.
Lacey nodded, "I have survived much worse than this, and I
will tell you when I see you next. Don't worry Gea will get out,
even if I don't, now go, to the place I have written on the sheet.
They can't touch you there."
Kristin nodded and ran off. Blue Soldiers came and grabbed Lacey,
she did not struggle one bit.
After all, she gave Rufus her word, and he kept his, so she must
keep hers.