Fullmetal Alchemist: The Way To The Top

Chapter 29: Rescue

"Major, there is a call for you." Major Armstrong turned around to face the officer, who was running with the phone. He took the telephone receiver. "Armstrong speaking." "Major, the General, Captain and Lieutenant got missing. I tried to contact them, but I couldn't." The Major looked at the phone. "What?! Alright, I will come to you.End." He turned to his group. "We are going to the west gate now. There are some changes. We will leave the city through the west gate. Now, let's go. But still, be careful and do not underestimate the enemy."

The Major lead his group to the gate. They continued looking around and searching for snipers. He tried to be fast, but he didn't underestimate the safety of his men. He concluded it was not a good idea to go through the city in the night. He called Fuery and then waited for the morning. On the next day, he continued on his way to the gate. He tried to go as fast as possible again, but they didn't reach the gate before late evening. Then they went back to the camp. The Major headed to the tent of the leading officer immediately. There he found Fuery sitting in front of the radio. When the Major entered, he jumped on his feet and saluted. "Major Armstrong, Sir." The Major walked through the tent. "Warrant Officer, what exactly happened?" Fuery started explaining: "I spoke to the Captain. She said, that two groups came to her. At first, it went good, but then her group began to struggle. I lost contact with her, when she was in the middle of the sentence. Something similar happened to the General and to the Lieutenant, too. Both of them were attacked by groups of enemies. As far as I know, the enemy didn't try to fight with everyone in their groups. They went only for the leaders." The Major nodded, lost in his thoughts. "And what happened to the rest of their groups?" "Most of them are alright, Sir. The enemy was obviously very well organized. I think that they used the fact that they were always in front of the group. Based on what the officers told me, they were taken very quickly. Their guards weren't fast enough. I am sure they are alive."

"We have to find them. Do you have any ideas, where they could be?" Fuery shook his head. "No, Sir. Now, I am trying to listen to their communication. But they use some uncommon frequency." The Major walked to the map. "I think we have to search here." He showed on the least destroyed part of the city. "I am sure the enemy knows that we are going to come. They are hiding at some place, which they can defend." Fuery thought about it. "Are we going to sneak in there?" "That is the question. There is a higher chance of finding them, if we sneak into their base. But if we take all the soldiers, we could even defeat the enemy. And then, a small group would have a smaller chance of success, if they got captured." Fuery nodded and returned to the radio, leaving the Major in his thoughts. After a few minutes, he said happily: "I found their frequency." The Major came closer. Fuery pushed some buttons and voices came from the radio. He removed his headphones and listened to the voices.

"They are away." "Do you think they have given up?" "I don't think so. They would never leave their leaders behind. Tell the guard to be very careful. They will come to pick the prisoners up. We have to be ready." "Alright, I will guard it here more carefully. But I don't think they could come to our fortress." "Don't be so sure. The soldiers out there are the best of the current military." "Is that much? I thought the military hasn't been very good since we left." "They are less organized but still dangerous."

Fuery whispered: "They have fear of us." The Major smiled. "That's good. They have a very good reason for fear." "Have you figured out, what we will do, Sir?" The Major shook his head. "Not yet. We have to find out, where they are, then we can do some plans. Listen on. I am sure they will tell us something useful."

"How are the prisoners?" "They are very stubborn. We have found out before, that the only way to make Mustang speak leads through his subordinates. You wouldn't believe, how protective is that idiot of them." Laughter echoed on the both ends of the telephone. "Have they made him speak yet?" "No. That's the surprising thing. I think that his two dearest subordinates have got a few bones broken yet. But it showed no effect. Maybe if we kill them, he will finally speak." "I don't think so. If you kill them, that will be the end of hoping for some information for us. He wouldn't tell you anything anymore. Maybe a little change of the place would be good. Maybe he would be more talkative in some depressing place." "Actually, they are in the worst room of the old prison we could find." Fuery and the Major listened more carefully. "It is under the ground. There is no light. And they are chained to the wall. I can hardly imagine anything worse." "Yes, me too. We..." "Wait a minute. The other phone is ringing." There was silence for a while. "There is a bad turn. Mustang escaped. The guards found out just a while ago." "Escaped?! How?" "It seems that the woman broke her finger to get one hand free. Then she took a gun from one of the guards. She shot the guards and then she shot the cuffs on Mustang's hands and legs. An empty gun was found under her. She was punished immediately. They don't want to kill her, though. She could be still useful. As far as we know, those two are the closest to Mustang. They could know something."