Fullmetal Alchemist: The Way To The Top

Chapter 43: What has to be done

Riza traveled by train to the borders with Amestris. There were no problems with crossing the borders. She didn't think she would come back to her homeland so soon. She would rather stay in Creta, though. Riza walked by the buildings at the borders. There weren't many people living there. The situation between Amestris and Creta had always been unstable. There were only a few farmers, who used the big open space, where no city was around. There was just a small village. Riza walked down the street in that village. The people watched her with unkind looks. They looked very weary. The village was one of the poorest in Amestris. The people walked very easy dressed. Their clothes were mostly of thick fabric. They walked down the street with their bare feet. The children were thin and dirty from the work.

Riza walked down the village, feeling very sorry for the people who lived there. She will have to do something about this situation, when this mission will be over. But now, she had to concentrate on her job. She found a car. It was ready exactly where the Colonel told her. Most likely, Creta had some allies here. It was no wonder, for Amestris obviously didn't spend much money for this part of the land. Sure there were many people, who would do whatever for little money. Riza was sure there were more villages like this in Amestris. They will have to do something about that, as soon as they will have time.

The car was very uncomfortable. It was old and much used. But Riza understood that. She had to stay inconspicuous, for if the officers of Amestris military would spot her, they would kill her right away. Riza started the motor and prepared for the long journey she will have to take. On the way, she stopped in a restaurant in one small town. The citizens had no clue about the military and they didn't know that Riza was considered to be a traitor. They welcomed her with open arms. For a short time, the tension in Riza disappeared. No one asked her, who she was or where she came from. They offered her some food and wished her a pleasant journey. There was  a phone. Riza followed Roy's orders. She didn't call Havoc, though. This was just acting for the Creta's officers, who were there to watch her. Riza had to admit that they were doing their job very well this time. They weren't as suspicious as in Creta. But she had seen a car following her since she left the village at the border. Her instincts were telling her for the whole time that she was being watched. She decided to act as if she didn't know about it.

The people who were watching her could sure see that she was using the phone. They didn't know, whom she had called. Riza used the situation. It would have no sense to call Havoc. It would also be very difficult to find him. She dropped a coin in the telephone. Then she said the telephonist to contact the Central headquarters. She changed her voice hoping that she will not be discovered. Luckily, the phones changed the voice, too. This time, she was very happy for that. After a few minutes, a telephonist in the Central HQ asked, whom she wanted to contact. "Brigadier General Mustang, please." She could hear a few clicks. Then Roy's voice said: "Hello?" Riza never thought she would be so happy to hear just one word. Hearing Roy's voice, even through telephone, always made her very comfortable. She knew she had to act quickly. The longer she would speak, the higher was the chance of being discovered. She said only: "Everything is going according to the plan. I will be where you ordered." Then she hang up. She knew Roy was going to be in the tunnels, too. That made her feel much better.

Riza thanked the people of the small town very much and then continued on her way to Central. She could see the car following her. She thought hard, who could be there. Maybe the Colonel personally, if he didn't feel too important for something like that. He sure didn't send Cate. Riza would know that.

She drove through empty land. In the west, there was not much. The ground was dry and there didn't grow many plants. The richest region was the central part of the country, not only because of the position around the capital city, but also thanks to very good agricultural soil. The way was very bad, too. The car jumped on many bumps but Riza didn't perceive that very much. She thought about what she was going to do on that day.

With a few breaks, she arrived to Central short before the sunset. She parked the car near to the entrance to the underground tunnels. She pulled out the gun she had adapted the other day.

Riza stepped out from the car. There was no one there. The buildings were very old, many of them were empty. Light came from a few windows. There were pieces of the facade rendering on the ground and many spots on the walls, where it fell from. Between the windows of a few opposite houses, clotheslines were. There were a few pieces of clothes with many holes.

Riza saw one woman, who came to the window. She looked at her with fear in her red eyes. Riza tried to give her an encouraging smile. The woman smiled back and went back to her apartment.

Riza walked down the street, until she found the house Roy wrote her about. There were wooden boards pinned on the windows. The door was made up of the same wood. It was as old as the house. Riza hoped it wouldn't break down into pieces when she would touch it. She took a deep breath and opened the door. She found herself in a small room. There was no furniture, except a few sticks and boards which used to be a chair. There were footsteps in the dust on the floor. Riza followed the footsteps. The old wooden floor creaked under her feet.

The next room was a living room. There was a sofa and a few armchairs, which looked to the fireplace. In the corner of the room, a narrow staircase was. There were stairs to the upper floors and to the basement. Riza went down the stairs. She heard nothing but her breath and sound of her steps on the ground. Her legs began to shake. 'Come on!' she said to herself, 'you have to do this. For everyone's sake.'

In the basement, there were a few doors. Riza opened the first one. There was a wine cellar. In the second one, there were many shelves. It used to be a buttery. There were still a few cheese blocks. Riza shut the door. Then she entered the door, which lead to the tunnel. The tunnel looked very similar to the one, where she was on the Promised day. A chill ran down her body when she remembered that day.

From a room about fifteen meters ahead, light escaped. Riza followed the light. Her steps echoed in the tunnel. Riza saw a wall on the end. So Roy did close it. Riza was glad for that. It would be very dangerous for their enemies to find out that there are tunnels under the whole country.

Shivers ran down Riza's body as she came to the room. She felt her heart bump in her head. She began to breathe deeply.

After what seemed like eternity, Riza reached the room. She entered and saw Havoc staying in the middle of the room. She searched the room with her eyes. She could see a small hole in the wall. It looked so natural between the stones, that no one would notice it was there. Riza knew there was the room where Roy was. A part of the stress fell from her when she knew he was there.

Havoc watched Riza. He didn't look nervous at all. 'We all are actors,' Riza thought, 'who never show what they are feeling.' Havoc broke the silence. "Welcome back, Riza." His voice shook a bit. Only enough for the ones who knew him to notice. "Thank you, Jean." There was another silence. "I've got some orders which need to be done." Havoc looked interested. "I have heard you escaped to Creta. Did you join the military there?" Riza nodded. "Yes, I did. There is something I want to do. But to do that, I have to prove my loyalty to the military first." Havoc nodded. "That's understandable. Is that the reason why you are here?" Riza didn't move her face. It slowly changed to a mask. 'Roy and Riza are both the same,' Havoc thought, 'they look like statues when they are nervous.' "Is that proof the reason why you have come to Amestris? Because I don't think there would be a personal reason for you to come back." Havoc could see pain appear in Riza's eyes. He only hoped she would be able to do what she had to. "Yes. I have to prove that there is nothing more what binds me to this country. I can be very useful for Creta. I know a lot about Amestris and about its military. But first they have to make sure that there is no one whom I want to protect. Only then they can be sure that the information is relevant."

Riza pulled out the gun. Havoc's eyes widened. "What are you doing?" Riza held the gun in both hands. She shook. "I am sorry, Jean. I have to do this. It is the only possibility for me to survive." Havoc watched Riza carefully. 'She has to do it quickly. Otherwise she would overthink it and she would never shoot.' He looked at her with a kind look. "A soldier must accept death when it comes and face it. It will be an honor for me to fall under your hands. Do what you have to do." Riza lifted her right hand with the gun. "Aim well." Havoc said. Riza's hand shook. A few tears escaped her eyes. The mask changed into a painful grimace. "I can't." Havoc started to be very nervous, too. "You have to! You said it was the only was for you to survive!" Riza took a few deep breaths. She held her hand stable. She aimed. Then she said with a broken voice: "I am sorry." Riza took the last deep breath to calm down and to make her aim better. Then she pulled the trigger.