The Evil Within-The Final Showdown

Into The Woods

I was about to step out into the clearing when the sight of two uniformed guards at the entrance of the imposing building sent me fleeing behind the safety of a tree. My lack of competence today was going to lead me into trouble. In my amazement of finding Mobius, I had completely overlooked the obvious silver-uniformed guards at the entrance. Thankfully, they didn't seem to have spotted the stupid, incompetent detective turned fugitive. The strange, futuristic helmets they wore would certainly be a hindrance to their sight. From my vantage point, I was able to determine the building's layout. To call it huge was an understatement. It sprawled  across a grassy plain with an imposing height that reached just below the tree line. It was constructed entirely out of white marble with two elaborate spires reaching to the sky. It lacked any other form of decoration for the sake of appearing discreet. Windowless and virtually not a single door save for the front entrance in sight, this formidable structure was going to be a problem to infiltrate. My first step was to remove the guards from their post. Easing the shotgun from its straps, I reloaded it and aimed at one of the guards with shaking hands.

I immediately identified my first problem. There was no way this simple shotgun was going to have a long enough range to achieve a headshot. This was no sniper rifle. Their helmet would be resilient against a shotgun shell anyway. I was contemplating taking a shot at the guard's chest when it dawned on me. What was I doing? Was I actually considering killing somebody? Looking at the shotgun as if it were a poisonous snake, I strapped it to my back again. I was not going to kill anybody. It seemed like such a clear plan. Go in, rescue Joseph and then leave. But it wasn't going to be as simple as it sounded in my head. I had to initiate a more stealthy approach. Picking up a stone, I crouched and walked soundlessly across the edge of the forest, obscured by foliage. I aimed the stone carefully and with a deep breath, threw it across the plain. As expected, the guards' heads snapped to the source of the sound and in their distraction, I broke out into what I hoped was a quiet sprint to the side of the building. The grass muffled the sound of my rushed footsteps so I was able to escape to the safety provided at the side of the building. Peering around the corner, I heard muttered words pass between the two guards as they returned to their posts, their heads moving as they searched for the rock-thrower. The sun had already risen enough for my shape to cast a shadow. I had to act now.

Retrieving my shotgun from my back, I thought about smacking them hard with the butt of it. Their helmets were going to be a problem though. I just had to achieve a clean hard whack and hope to put them in a sleeper hold. I stepped out from the side of the building and before either could react, I attacked the closest one with the shotgun. The guard fell on his back from the hit while the other poised to shoot me. Suddenly, the guard seemed to stiffen.

"Wait, I know you," the guard's voice was muffled behind his helmet. "You're supposed to be dead!"

I took his moment of distraction as a window of opportunity and I hit him with the shotgun. The guard yelped in pain and fell to his knees. I knocked him unconscious with a second hit. Meanwhile, the first guard was already scrambling to his feet. The sleeper hold was out of the question.

"Don't think you know how to use that, buddy," he teased, trying to aim his gun.

I roundhouse kicked the gun out of his hands and proceeded to hit him with the shotgun. It seemed to be effective as the guard crumpled to the ground.

"You should be thankful that I spared your life," I told his unconscious form.

I picked up the two small handguns belonging to the guards and strapped one to each hip. Despite I was operating on a no-kill rule, they may have to be used if the situation grew dire. I was about to enter the building when I realised I was on the brink of making another stupid mistake. Every person employed at this facility probably knew what I looked like since the Ruvik case was such a high-profile one. My eyes fell to the unconscious men and an idea slipped inside my head. In less than five minutes, I was dressed in one of the guards' uniforms. Trying to fit the shotgun under the uniform was difficult as it seemed to be constructed of hardened materials with few soft points. After another minute of struggling, I had it under the uniform and put the helmet on. I averted my eyes away from the half naked man I had left on the ground and entered the building.