Episode 4: Ice Ice Baby
Part 5
“Great! Just great! It is like working with a damn ten-year-old! Nice going, Carter!” Brian yelled over the now-wailing sirens. They blared around them, making almost any other noise inaudible and reminding Nick of a yowling feline in heat. Not the most pleasant noise in the world.
“Oh yeah, like I sneezed on purpose just to fuck you up!” Rolling his eyes, he went to his watch, contacting whoever would answer it first. It seemed Pearl had stepped away for a moment because it was Agent Jay on the other end this time around.
“Jay!”
“Nick?” He blinked at the noise filling his ears as Nick paused to put subtitles on his own watch. A small text screen popped out to capture what the other agent was saying. Amidst the sirens, he would never know what Jay said otherwise. “What in the holy blazing hell is going on over there?!”
Brian grabbed Nick’s arm as chaos ensued around them. Many of the enemy agents were too busy scrambling around to even notice that there were two uninvited guests among them at the moment. “He’s busy screwing up the mission! That’s what!”
Nick shoved him aside with a glare before focusing back on the watch. “We set off the fucking failsafe thingy! Tell me Pearl has the layout of the laser still up! Is there a way to still shut it down?”
Jay started typing rapidly, then shook his head. “No, get your asses out of there before you get blown to penguin shit!” he shouted before the screen shut off.
Nick sighed, wishing the damn thing would shut up. “We’re fucked!” he yelled. “Let’s just get the hell outta here!”
Brian started racing past the minions, punching anyone who blocked his path. Behind him, Nick caught sight of two attractive young women looking around with a smirk and a chuckle to each other. It hit him that they may have been the ones who brought the laser there to begin with. Yet when the two shared a passionate kiss as the lair fell apart around them, all thoughts temporarily fled from his brain.
“They’re not gonna get us! NOT GONNA GET US, GONNA GET US!” the women shouted in Russian accents as they raced off together, lost within the crowd of panicking people.
“Nick! Stop staring at the lesbians and come on!”
And for once, Nick listened to Brian, if only because he knew it would save his ass later.
***
“Sir!” Chris Kirkpatrick called as he came into Dr. Rough’s chamber. The penguins followed, squawking fearfully at all the noise about them.
Dr. Rough turned, his left eye twitching with fury. “You better say something I want to hear, Kirkpatrick.”
“The– the laser is self-destructing!”
A low growl escaped Dr. Rough’s lips as he shoved his minion backward. “I know THAT! Who did it!?”
Drums watched, somewhat amused by his new mentor’s demeanor. K or Jay would never have behaved that way. Before he could dwell on that thought any further, he buried it in the depths of his brain, along with most of his other memories of those who betrayed him.
“We think it’s agents from Himitsu Takana!”
“Damn that Carter!” Dr. Rough whipped out a blade, which gleamed in the light reflected off the mirrored wall of ice as he slid it across his worker’s throat. Blood gushed from the wound, splattering the white walls around them and spreading across the icy floor. The large puddle froze into a crimson patch beneath the body that had slumped pitifully to the ground at Dr. Rough’s feet. He snorted as he kicked it aside, the body skidding across the bloody ice. He had no room for anyone that inferior. He needed a strong team to take down the snobbish and prideful agency called HimTak. And they would fall… Somehow, he would bring them down.
He rubbed his temples, a headache growing from the wailing alarm around them. “Drums, see to it that those important get out and to my ship. I am barricading this door behind me so that the pretty agents make no discoveries.”
“Aight, yo.” Following orders, he headed out, knowing Dr. Rough would be using the escape tunnel below.
When Drums entered the hall, his gaze shifted toward the first floor below him: mayhem had taken over. Anyone near could feel the heat escaping the laser as it ran its doomed countdown. He saw Nick with a new partner, it seemed. He recognized the shrimp as K’s cousin, Officer Littrell of the CIA. Amazing that those two could work together, knowing how Nick was. Yet it didn’t matter now. He could pursue them, risk his life again, have another accident like before. Like his…
But something stopped him. Perhaps it was his instinct to preserve his own life. His remaining eye took one last look before he grabbed a rope and swung down from the upper levels to the ground floor. He let go of the rope and bolted to the nearest exit, where Dr. Rough’s private escape vessel awaited to welcome him. Hearing the familiar yells of his now foe, he upped his speed.
It seemed Nick wouldn’t let him get away that easily. No matter; he could lose him quickly in the icy death trap awaiting them both.
***
Nick was almost outside the false iceberg when he caught sight of Drums once more. It was then that his mind went to autopilot. Nothing else mattered then but capturing his former friend. He picked up his pace, following Drums rather than Brian.
Brian glanced back after slipping out of the iceberg, only to catch Nick in hot pursuit. He yelled for Nick. “Damn it, Nick! Let ‘im go! We got what we need!” But as usual, Nick wouldn’t listen. Brian ran straight to the boat, knowing he would be the one Nick needed as an escape when the laser destroyed anything within its radius. He gunned the engine, following the two from a distance in the water. There was a fury of determination within Carter he hadn’t seen before.
Nick kept up the chase, leaping over a frozen stream he doubted could support his weight, jumping down from steep ledges, trying anything he could to capture his man.
Gunshots rang out, causing Drums to pick up the pace and grab a penguin. Using the animal like a toboggan, he slid down an icy cliffside on its back.
Nick skidded to a stop as his feet reached the edge of the cliff, narrowly escaping a dangerous fall. He screamed with frustration at seeing his nemesis slide away to the FANS boat in the distance.
Brian maneuvered his own boat as close as he could to Nick‘s location. Nick was furious; he shouted curses to the heavens. It was almost as if this was personal. Was it? Brian pulled up to a stop, watching him intently. “Nick, c’mon, it’s too late; he’s gone already. Get on, and let’s go.”
He watched as Nick made his way onto the boat, picking up a dirty rag and flinging it hard against the deck. What was his problem? He was getting way more upset over this than he should be.
Sighing, Brian turned the boat around and started back. “It’s okay, ya know. We’ll get ‘em. Don’t let it bother you.”
Nick said nothing. He flopped down on the seat and stared blankly out at the water, tension radiating from his body.
Brian continued to eye him curiously. “So… what’s that all about?”
Nick inhaled deeply and slowly exhaled, saying nothing. He didn’t want to be bothered, didn’t want to talk about it. He sure as hell didn’t want to talk about it with some guy he hardly knew.
“Ohh, the strong, silent type, huh?” Brian chuckled. “Figures.”
“Just what the hell does that mean?”
“Aww, poor 008’s all upset ‘cause he couldn’t catch the bad guy.”
“Go to hell,” Nick muttered.
“Ya know, you’re just like I expected. Young, naïve. The government would’ve never hired anyone like you.”
“Good thing I don’t work for the government then, isn’t it?” Nick spat.
“It sure is.”
“Look, I don’t give a rat’s ass what you think, okay?”
“You’re in the wrong profession, little boy. Why don’t you leave this up to men to take care of?” Brian teased, trying to get some kind of reaction from him.
Nick looked at him, his eyes cold and empty. “Shut the fuck up. You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. I suggest you keep driving and mind your own fucking business. You got it?”
“He talks big…” Brian had just managed to stop the boat when he saw Nick come barreling over.
Nick clenched his fist around Brian’s shirt and spoke with a startlingly calm and cold voice. “I’ve had just about enough as I’m gonna take from you, you got it? You don’t know shit about me or what you’re talking about. You have no fuckin’ clue about what I’ve been through. This is more to me than just some damn mission, okay? You walk all up in here like this is just another assignment, on your high fuckin’ horse, when you don’t know shit.”
Brian stared at him, clearly stunned.
“Why don’t you do a little research before you go shooting your mouth off about who’s qualified to do what? I’m way more than qualified; I’m the only one who can do this. You’re a government man, right? Why don’t you stick to that instead of sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong? The government has no part in this. This is personal.”
Brian remained perfectly still as Nick slowly released him, staring hard at him for a moment longer before turning and sitting back down. He, too, turned, starting the boat up and taking off, shooting wary glances at the guy sitting next to him. He couldn’t figure Carter out. He acted all cocky, but there was something there, something hidden and painful.
Maybe there was more to the rookie than he’d first thought.
***