Outland, part 2
#15 of CASINO NIGHTS
Well, it seems we're rapidly approaching the conclusion of this storyline. And it looks like Xander's really in the thick of it now. I hope you all have enjoyed this and will stick around for the conclusion. So anyways, on with the next chapter.
.o.o.o.
**CASINO NIGHTS
"Outland, Part 2"**
.o.o.o.
Xander made his way down the one of the numerous corridors of the station. The wolf knew he had to act fast- before he found himself backed into a corner. But who could he turn to? He didn't even know who he could trust or how far reaching it was.
Suddenly, all the pieces of the puzzle were coming together and it all made sense now... Rex's sudden disappearance, the word 'Nero' in his memo, the hidden cameras... all of it! Not to mention the fact that Ursa had flat out told him that Rex was a voyeur. He recalled what the rabbit had told him.
"...Rex got off on seeing things he wasn't meant to."
And now, it seemed, Rex's attempts to indulge his fetish had unintentionally led him onto the trail of something so dangerous... that it ultimately cost him his life. And to make matters worse, someone had killed off Grace... Just how deep did this go? How many people were involved in this? Who could he even trust at this point?
The wolf turned a corner and stopped. Xander tried to clear his mind to think things over. After a moment, he reached down and removed his PersaCom (Personal Communicator) and quickly dialed a number into it. "...Regina, I have to talk to you about something..."
.o.o.o.
The Ichthillian had just finished her shift and returned to her cabin when her PersaCom had alerted her that someone was calling her. Regina had listened intently as Xander explained what was going on. Normally, the reptilian woman would have been more skeptic... but she could tell just by listening to the wolf that things were serious.
Regina felt a chill run through her as she stood in silence, trying to process what she'd just been told. After a moment, she collected herself enough to utter a curse. "...Good lord... Oh Lahja, this is really bad, Xander." She remarked, running a hand through her black dreadlocks.
"No... No, don't worry about me... You're the one right in the middle of this." Regina spoke into the communicator. "You have to go directly to the GPA with this..." The Ichthillian paused briefly, considering her words with care. "...You should be able to use the computer in your office to send a subspace message to the GPA Outpost."
She shook her head. "Don't worry about that, I'll call Ursa and let her know what's going on." The reptilian woman explained. "I can handle things on this end... Just contact me once you sent the message and we can figure out what to do from there..."
Regina deactivated the communicator and set it down. She exhaled and ran a hand through her dark dreadlocks before dialing in a number...
.o.o.o.
Rick Henderson placed his communicator back inside his jacket. He then turned to face the tall gray fox standing to his right. "Liam, something's just come up that I need to take care of." He explained as he made his way for the door.
He paused and looked over his shoulder. "Keep an eye on things while I'm out... I shouldn't be gone too long." He remarked as he smoothed out his jacket. "I just need to help Logan and Turk take care of something."
Liam nodded. "Yes sir." He replied simply. After the coyote left, the fox turned to a small bank of monitors and activated them. He then reached over and slid a small drawer open. He removed a small pistol from it and slid a clip into it. The fox tucked the firearm into his jacket and sat down.
.o.o.o.
Ursa reached up and loosened her tie. The rabbit was sitting on the edge of the couch, listening intently while Regina explained the situation as best she could to her. The Ichthillian had contacted her, explaining that something serious was going on and she needed to know about it.
"Xander and myself agree that the safest thing to do was contact the authorities." Explained the reptilian woman. The Ichthillian was wearing a pair of trim-fitting black trousers- the legs coming down over the black zip-up boots she had on. She wearing a simple sleeveless white shirt and her dreadlocks were bound up in the back with a red band.
Ursa shook her head. "Oh god... This is insane." She began, resting her hands on her hips. She was wearing a white blouse and a dark grayish-blue skirt. Her long legs were covered in similar dark blue stockings. Her long wavy blond hair was hanging loose down her black and the sides of her face.
She looked up, her blue eyes meeting the keen yellow eyes of the other woman. "I can't believe that Xander is risking his life like this... I mean, if what you're saying is true- than these people might try and kill him as well." She reasoned. "They killed Rex... and Grace... aren't you scared that they might go after Xander... or even us? We should go talk to the Constable and his deputies..."
Regina shook her head. "No... We can't go to the security force because there's a strong chance that some of their people are working for the dealers." She explained in a grave tone. Regina then advanced towards Ursa and looked down at her. "Rex was just as important to me as he was to you and you should know that more than anyone."
Ursa glared at the other woman for a moment. "Of course I know that, dammit!" She exclaimed before composing herself. "These people killed someone who I loved. But I also love you and Xander... and I don't want to loose either of you..."
.o.o.o.
Xander looked up from his monitor just as he heard the sound of his door sliding open. He turned around in time to see Rick looking at him- flanked on both sides by Turk and Logan. The coyote stepped forward and regarded him. "Somehow, I knew you couldn't leave well enough alone."
The two thugs, who already had their guns drawn, grabbed hold of Xander and pulled him up onto his feet while Rick walked over the computer and canceled the message. He then turned back to face the wolf, sighing as he met his gaze. "...I didn't want it to come to this. But I've got no choice now. You've become a danger to the whole operation and I can't allow that go on."
Xander looked at him, seemingly unfazed by his predicament. "What now? Are you going to have me shot?" He asked him in a dark tone. "Or are you going to make it look like an accident, like you did with Grace?" He continued.
Rick shook his head at the wolf. "No... Nothing quite so messy as that." The coyote began. "I'm going to make sure that there aren't any tell-tale clues left in the wake of your death." He replied in a professional tone. "Now come along, it's time I showed you another part of this station..."
.o.o.o.
Regina shook her head as she looked at Ursa. "I have to find out what's going on..." She began in a serious voice. "I'm going to try and find Xander and find out what's happening out there." She informed the other woman calmly.
The blond rabbit shook her head. "No way, I'm coming with you!" She replied. "It's too dangerous right now to go out there looking for him on your own." She reasoned. "We can't even be sure who we can trust right now..."
The Ichthillian shook her head. "No, you can't come with me..." She countered evenly. "Right now, you have to go find somewhere safe to go." She instructed as she approached the rabbit and placed her hands on her shoulders. "I think you can trust Vargas... go to her."
Regina silenced her before she could respond. "Listen, I can take care of myself- I'm Ichthillian, danger's nothing new to my people." She explained calmly. "Right now, you have get somewhere safe and wait for one of us to contact you."
Ursa was silent for a moment, then she finally nodded. She stepped forward and cupped the back of Regina's head gently, brushing it against her dark hair. "Alright... I'll go find Doctor Vargas." She leaned in and kissed her, then pulled back and looked at her. "Just take care of yourself."
Regina looked at her for a moment before nodding. "...You too."
.o.o.o.
The area was dark and metallic with a high domed ceiling. Xander glanaced around as he was lead down a metal walkway, looking down onto rows of machinery and systems. The small ground turned a corner and made their way to the end of the catwalk.
A massive ventilation tube stood before them- a large access panel was visible. Rick gestured towards the hatch and turned to Logan. "The next systems purging is coming..." He explained. "When it's about to come, toss Mr. Emerson into the system... He'll be 'purged' along with anything else that might be in there." The coyote explained.
"Wouldn't it just be easier to shoot him?" Turk asked.
Rick shook his head. "No, I don't want there to be any trace left of him once this over." He replied. "It's a little involved, but this is the best way to do this." The coyote stepped back. "I estimate that the next purge should be coming in less than an hour... However, I can't stick around to see it happen."
The wolf smiled darkly at the last remark. "Not sticking around for the final act?" He asked in a mocking tone. "Somehow, that just doesn't seem like your style." He added.
Logan had Xander sit down on the floor as Rick regarded the wolf. "Whereas you've unfortunately acted just as I suspected you would... even remaining defiant to the very end." He retorted. "No, I'm afraid I'll soon be needed in the Casino."
Rick then turned to Logan. "I'll leave the rest of this to the two of you- I'll be on the promenade level." He went on to explain. "When you've finished here, report back to me at the observation deck of the casino."
.o.o.o.
Regina made her way down the corridor, but stopped when she heard someone calling out to her. She turned around to see a red fox, dressed in jeans and a brown jacket over a white shirt, approach her. "Miss Al-Waqauri," He began, waving to her as he approached. "I'm glad I found you..."
The reptilian woman regarded the man for a moment. "What do you want...?" She asked him in a guarded tone. "And how do you know who I am?" She asked.
He nodded. "I know what's going on..." He began in a low tone. "My name's Orson, I'm a deputy from the station's security force." He explained, holding up his security badge. "I know you're looking for Xander- so am I... And we don't have much time." The fox added.
She watched as he placed his badge back inside his jacket. "What are you talking about- what's going on?" Regina asked, placing her hands on her hips. "You seriously have to slow down and clue me in on what you're talking about."
He nodded. "I'm looking for your friend... I think he's in trouble." He began. "When I tried to locate Xander, I couldn't reach him." He explained. "My DP showed him as being in the ventilation control center of the station."
Regina nodded in agreement. "So he's in the innards of the station? I don't like the sound of that... " She began in a worried tone. "If he's really in danger, then we have to go there and help him." She reasoned.
The fox nodded. "Yes, I think it would be best if you came with me..."
.o.o.o.
The sleek metal door slid open and Mercer cautiously stepped into the darkened control room. He silently drew his gun while the mechanized door slid shut behind him, then slowly made his way inside. The gray wolf looked around, but couldn't see Xander anywhere.
Just then, he heard a noise and glanced over his shoulder to his side. He did this just in time to see a figure (what looked to be a raccoon) wearing dark glasses and a jacket emerge from the shadows- gun drawn and aimed right at him. He swore while instinctively raising his own gun to fire, but the stranger got the first shot off.
The attacker's blast grazed his shoulder and knocked him to the ground- resulting in his own shot blowing out the overhead light and darkening the room. Mercer retreated further back into the space between the two rows of databanks he'd fallen between. The assailant ventured forth, intently following Mercer's retreating figure. He stepped into the shadows where the constable had fallen.
Just as the raccoon looked down, the wolf fired off multiple rounds at him! The blasts all struck him in the chest, splattering blood on the wall as he sent him skidding across the floor. Mercer quickly got back onto his feet. He reached up and felt his raising pulse before he approached the prone figure of the mystery gunman.
The gray wolf kneeled down beside him. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a wallet and removed an ID card. Mercer cursed silently as he recognized the name on the card. He quickly looked to the pistol and recognized the make and model of it. The assassin was one of his own deputies!
"Son of a bitch- it was a setup!" He cursed as he let the ID fall to the floor. The revelation left him filled with a sense of dread and unease as he rose up. His adrenalin began to slow and the Constable winced as a twinge of pain pulsed through his shoulder. He detached his Persa-Com from his belt and turned it on. "That's where they've taken Xander..."
.o.o.o.
Regina pressed a panel to open a sleek metallic set of double doors. She then stepped into a darkened, rounded corridor that led to the ventilation control area. The Ichthillian stopped suddenly and turned around when she heard an audible click behind her...
Orson was standing silent in the doorway. His gun was now drawn and was aimed at her. The reptilian woman was about to say something, but hesitated as he stepped forward, extending his arm as the door slid shut behind him. The fox narrowed his eyes, but his expression remained grim.
To Be Continued...
.o.o.o.
This chapter had even more suspence and action than the last. I hope you guys will stay tuned and keep reading to see how things wrap up in the next chapter. And please feel free to leave me some feedback.
-Seres North