From No Tomorrow

Infiltrator

Imre's face fell. "Should we contact someone?"

Elzbieta thought for a moment.

"There are telephones in the maintenance closets. We can call security from there."

Without another word, the two bolted off in different directions, only for Imre to turn and follow Elzbieta to a phone console not far from the cafeteria. With fingers like a pianist, she dialed security. The minute she pressed 'call,' a voice came on the line.

"Head of security," a voice declared, "what have you found?"

"Akyta?" recognized Elzbieta. "You're head of security?"

"Who else?" replied Akyta, "now, what have you found? Is it a tall man in black snooping around and disappearing?"

"Um... yes?"          

"We think he's a spy. If you find him, take away his necklace. Shoot him if you have to. We're underwater right now, and we can stay that way for four more hours. We've got until then to catch him."

"Why don't you sound the alarm?" blathered Elzbieta. "We have a disappearing saboteur on board!"

"Trust me, this is easier when no one is panicking," Akyta informed. "I want you to go to the armory and get a gun. Pass the word on to anyone with a steady trigger finger."

"O-okay," Elzbieta complied. "Goodbye."

Putting down the phone, Elzbieta turned to Imre, who had only heard snippets of the conversation, and relayed, "we need to go to the armory."

"It's not far from here," Imre recalled. "Just down one level and a block to the left."

Quickly, Elzbieta followed Imre to the nearest ladder, which he climbed halfway down. From there, he jumped smoothly to the floor below, followed by Elzbieta, who braced herself against the sides and slid down.

At the armory, Elzbieta and Imre both grabbed and hauled open the heavy metal door, then, slipping in, quickly armed themselves with a pair of old-looking pistols.

On their way out, the two ran flat up against a tall figure. Looking up, Elzbieta saw the interloper to be the man in black. Just as he grabbed his necklace, Elzbieta slipped her hand in and tried to yank the amulet off his neck. The chain refused to break. Not relinquishing her grip, Elzbieta held on tight as the device glowed, then emitted a sudden, blinding flash.

Moments later, when Elzbieta opened her eyes, she and the man in black were in some different hallway. Just as this registered, she took powerful punch to the gut from the man in black, which nearly knocked her off balance, but did not break her grip on the necklace.

Wheeling adroitly around behind the man, Elzbieta pulled on the necklace, choking him. When he pulled upward, she let go, causing it to fly off of his head and land on the floor fifteen feet away.