Toxic Tides - Part 3

Previously: Toxic Tides - Part 2

Leon was still sitting with his back against the cold wall of his cell, his legs slightly bent because his ribs would at least somewhat tolerate that position. His hand slipped into his pants pocket, and he felt something that Izzy had apparently overlooked during his search… a small, pressed piece of a biochemically modified herb. He’d been carrying it around for so long that it was probably no longer as effective as it had been at first, but it would do. It didn’t heal broken bones in a matter of minutes,  it merely helped the body process injuries faster… and push the pain a little further into the background. Leon grimaced as he chewed it... the stuff tasted about as healthy as it looked, then he waited again, listening to the ship, the engines, the water against the hull, until the vibration suddenly changed... just for a little moment. The ship slowed down, shifted course slightly, and shortly afterward resumed its original motion.

Edwards’ signal.

Leon opened his eyes, and from that moment on, nothing else mattered. No thoughts of what had happened between them, no Izzy, and no pain.. at least none that was important enough to stop him. His mind worked through the plan, exactly in the order they’d discussed it. He pulled out Edward’s smartphone, used it to unlock the cell, and disappeared down one of the maintenance corridors. Two decks up lay the pirate’s first hiding spot. A pistol, several magazines, and a knife… Edward had really thought of everything, or maybe he’d simply hidden weapons in too many places. On the small display, he accessed the ship’s systems and brought up the route. They were already directly in front of the destination port, about to dock so he didn’t have much time left. “Showtime...” He continued moving toward the outside, slowly and hugging the ship’s superstructure. On a ship like this, it was nearly impossible to hide, every passageway eventually led to an open area, and every misstep echoed off the metal. When two crew members came toward him, Leon stopped behind a corner and let them pass. He pulled the first one back from behind until his body went limp; he struck the second one on the temple before he even realized what was happening ,he caught him before he could hit the floor with a thud. Both men were tied up, gagged, and stashed behind a maintenance panel. Not exactly comfortable… but they were alive. Leon had other problems to worry about right now.

A jolt ran through the hull, they had docked. Suddenly, voices rang out everywhere, footsteps moved across the deck, and orders were being relayed. The crew was busy now… yet Leon couldn’t just stroll down the gangway. He tucked the gun into the back of his waistband, climbed over the railing, and finally hung outside the ship, just a few meters below the men preparing for the handover. His ribs, of course, thought this was a brilliant idea... he gritted his teeth and waited until the footsteps receded, then let himself slide into the water. The cold hit him harder than expected, and for a moment he could barely breathe, but he stayed close to the hull and swam alongside the ship until he could pull himself out of the water at a shallow spot. There, he sat behind some rusty metal beams for a moment and looked around. That part of the harbor seemed empty… a short distance away stood several armored trucks, their engines running, though all their headlights were off. A light was on in a small warehouse, and Leon counted about twenty armed men. Some were standing in front of the building; others were moving around inside among the crates. Inside the warehouse, two men in suits were also waiting; one of them looked familiar to Leon. He had grown thinner, his face gaunt, and his hair was now almost entirely gray. It took Leon a few seconds for the picture to come together in his mind… Frederic Downing. Leon stared at him for a moment.

“Downing… guess prison food really did wonders for your complexion.” That guy was a  former Umbrella scientist whom Leon had assumed was behind bars. He had clearly grown old… but unfortunately, he wasn’t any less dangerous, and apparently, someone had made sure he could roam free again.. or maybe he’d never really disappeared, as Leon had been told back then. It wasn’t yet clear whether Downing was the mastermind or just a pawn overseeing the whole operation… but at least this information was a good starting point… they could use it to piece together the big picture. Leon found a safe spot from which he could survey everything closely; so far, everything seemed structured… routine. He narrowed his eyes to make out who was moving around on the ship, and eventually he spotted Edward, who was leaving the ship right behind Izzy. He looked strong… self-assured, and yet something about this scene felt off… Izzy was in front, the captain in back… this didn’t add up, and yet, ironically, it was probably exactly what Izzy had intended… because now the secret and the betrayal would automatically be revealed.  The agent took a deep breath, from now on, things were going to get more precarious than ever. Edward would now officially learn what was going on here… and Leon had to make sure that the dangerous cargo was destroyed before it even reached the trucks.

@Edward Teach (Blackbeard) <3