Team Fortress: Soaked Through

Chapter Thirteen: Release

"Jeez, this place gives me the willies."

   Engineer brushed off a few cobwebs from his hard hat, trying unsuccessfully to brush them off his work gloves. B.L.U Spy daintily picked off the remnants off of Engineer, flicking them to the ground. Engineer gave him a strange look.

   "Uh, thanks."

   "De rien. I don't need you dying on me."

   "Huh?"

   "This building is crawling with black widows and brown recluses. They could still be hanging onto their webs."

   Engineer, along with everyone else within earshot, started furiously brushing their clothes and hair.

   "This place is so disgusting," Ms. Pauling said, retying her bun. "How did your base become this dilapidated?"

   B.L.U Spy started walking forward, bidding the others to follow. "About six months ago, we stopped receiving maintenance crews and supply trucks. At first, we thought it was a communication problem..."

   "Keep on his tail, Heavy!" Soldier ordered.

   Heavy sped up his pace, walking a few paces behind B.L.U Spy, one hand on his gun. B.L.U Spy grimaced, but still continued.

   "We kept asking Ms. Pauling to call Mann Co. to ask about our shipments, but days turned into weeks. We ran out of food on month two. Our ammo is almost gone, and many of our weapons have been lost or destroyed."

   "That sure explains our winning streak," Engineer said, "and your plain odd patterns."

   B.L.U Spy lowered his head. "Luckily, game is common. That's the only reason we didn't starve. Furthermore, our personal accounts have been frozen, so any other food is usually through Ms. Pauling."

   "Maybe your crazy lady is up to something," Heavy grunted.

   "Oui, that was obvious to us. But the reasoning is still unknown. Whatever her plan entails is being funded by the company, although the plot could be right under their noses. All we know is that it involves this."

   B.L.U Spy stopped, pointing to the ground. There were thick wires against each wall, nestling where each corner met. Mountains of duct tape and several brackets held them in place.

   "We have tried to follow them, but our search always ends at the dungeon elevator. Whatever Ms. Pauling is hiding, it must be there."

   Engineer bent down to look at the wires, touching them gingerly with one finger.

   "These here wires," he explained, "are pretty thick. That means that they must have a lotta energy going into one place. This ain't part of any sorta normal construction."

   "Lab?" Heavy asked, remembering all the wires that were always around Medic's laboratory.

   "Naw, even more energy than that. And that's sayin' something. Medic's lab has the most energy out of the entire base: lit containers for specimens, lights that cover the whole ceiling, fridges to keep body parts from goin' bad. Heck, this thing is usin' as much power as our whole base put together."

   "What could possibly be using that much power?" Ms. Pauling mused, giving herself one last spider check.

  "Dunno. Have the wires always been here, Spy?"

   "Pardon?" said both Spies in unison, both of them then looking at each other. The R.E.D Spy sneered, but said nothing else. He hadn't spoken since the argument. B.L.U Spy rubbed the back of his neck.