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CAPTURE AUDUN TEAM

From where he stood Lai could see Mokoyis extending attention to Alberto's wound. He could barely pick up the words the injured man uttered, but knew he was calling home. The Russian glanced back at the wall. Obviously the coordinates were wherever Audun was heading next. But the words in Norwegian...He couldn't read them. The only Norwegian Lai could say were variants of three simple, but meaningful words that he was going to say to Einar when he was able to actually get them off his chest and out his mouth. Now that he stood here, thousands of miles from him, Lai was feeling a deep sadness for not being able to say them to Einar previously. All of LOTUS knew, he knew, but he just couldn't say it. At least, he couldn't then. Now, he most likely could (longed to) and once they get back in time and save Einar, he would utter those words over and over to the man he loved so dearly.

He noticed Alberto wasn't bringing the radio over, so quickly yet carefully he made his way back to the man. Lai sheathed the second blade he withdrew, but kept the bloody one in his hand, the knife held sideways so the blood wouldn't drip off. Once with Mokoyis and Alberto again, he looked to the woman with the bandages.

"Do you have any more of those with you Miss Mokoyis? I think it would be best to get this blood cleaned off the blade and keep it with us. See the color? It looks very similar to Einar's and I think there might be a connection." He spoke just as Estrelas' voice screamed over the radio and in his surprise nearly dropped his weapon. He shook the shock off with a toss of his head and held out a portion of the knife's handle to Mokoyis. "Please take this and stay here. I will take Alberto's radio and relay what I found to Shee. Audun has left us another message but we need Einar or Lokiari to translate it."

Once the knife was taken from him he took Alberto's radio with a curt but stressed nod. Lai followed his return steps up to the wall, speaking into the radio. "This is Lai. I have taken over for comrade Alberto to relay a message Audun has left for us. Miss Shee, if Einar is awake or Miss Lokiari is there, I will need one of them to translate. Also, you will need a map and to figure out coordinates because Audun is on the move." He paused, unsure of how to continue. Given what Estrelas had said, he did not want to send the woman into a frenzy by telling her of Eponine's demise. After clearing his throat he pressed the speaking button down again.

"We...We have managed to wound Audun. I was able to get him in the leg with a carving knife. He pulled it out and cast it aside..." He didn't say where it landed. "But I noticed that the color of his blood is very similar to Einar's. I think that there may be a connection and that may aid in the research team's search." His voice was trembling and but he got that somewhat under control.

"Here are the coordinates Audun left us. Ready?" He waited for a moment then proceeded to say them. "54°10′N 15°34′E. 54°10′N 15°34′E" Twice for good measure. "And now for what we need translated, I apologize in advance if I say something wrong...Du har fikk tretten timene igjen. Er du moden til denne?" With that he let go of the speaking button and waited.

Please let them be swift...

"Virulent strains of a virus...." As Johannes was listening to Wraith read the text about viruses and symptoms, he was trying to remember what his Bachillerato* science professor said about viruses and how certain elements can be used to create an antidote -- provided that the virus was not immune to the antidote.

"Viremia?" "Uh, perhaps...if we can isolate the virus...or something that can--" He would have continue suggesting further on if it wasn't for the fact that Estrelas came in and shouted out the same thing he was thinking.


"Na ja, that." said Johannes, "what she said." "We have to see whether this, this virus is immune to anything and whether Einar's immune system can hold it off -- uh, *ahem*" Johannes cleared his voice anxiously and nervously, having realized that maybe he should avoid saying the painfully not-a-real-life situation.



*Grades 11 and 12 in Spain

IN POLAND

The trip to where Audun was headed took him less time then he originally thought it would, the motorbike beneath his bleeding leg actually covering good ground, as as he skidded into the town that had been deserted thanks to air raid sirens blaring for days he both praised and cursed his speed.

It would take those he'd left behind a while to figure out where they needed to go, his only message written in a language he was sure none of them spoke (not even the person closest to Einar, he surmised), and since none of them appeared to have a map on hand the coordinates would give them a little trouble. It's not like Audun needed the time, he wouldn't have minded if they showed up right then and there, but a little break to properly cover his wound was nice.

" . . .Can't believe he knifed me. I'm getting slow."

Audun dismounted the bike moved over against one of the benches set in the area, his trip having ended in a small park located next to what was probably one of the city's many tourist attractions, and he inspected the wound that gaped in his leg. It had not stopped bleeding, even though a good while had passed, and he blamed it all on the after effects of something or another. While it wasn't gushing out like a fountain it was exactly just a little trickle either, though Audun seemed to be no worse from the wear despite how he should have been because of the blood loss.

Maybe it only looked worse than it actually was? He cleaned it up easily, tying a makeshift bandages over it that didn't color right away with his seemingly black blood, and as he stood up to prepare himself for the others arrival he smirked at what there was for him to be offered. Plenty of cover, plenty of things that would make for good triggers.

" . . last stand should be here, if they want to get back to him alive. It would be a last stand for me as well, all things considered. I seriously doubt I'll be left alive after what I've done, many things I'll take to my death, but I can go out with a bang."

A thin chuckle escaped his lips as he pulled a gun from his waistband, one of the two he'd had back in the previous town, and he pulled the cartridge out he reached into his pocket for something else. Fishing out a small charm attached to what looked like a thin rope chain, he shoved it up and inside before ramming the clip back in. The gun would no longer fire now, whatever he'd put in there acting as a block, but that was okay.

Audun only had plans to make four shots anyway, and that was if the others were lucky.

RESEARCH/MEDICAL TEAM

"I guess we don't need a map then, huh, Lokiari." Judging from what Einar had just said, Shee surmised that Kołobrzeg was the name of a town or village or something like that. And it appeared to be what the coordinates referred to. They couldn't be sure without a map, but Shee was sure Rodney had taken his with him, and they'd have to go check in the library again to make sure. They didn't have much time left.

"Lai! The coordinates... we think they're referring to Kołobrzeg. It's what Einar said. We're not sure, because we don't have a map handy, but I'll confirm it momentarily."

She looked over at Lokiari, and although she felt fear seize up her insides at the thought, she decided that Lokiari could manage Einar. She could leave him in her care, and nothing would happen to him. Radio in hand, she spoke into it once more. "I'll check right now."

"Lokiari, I'm going to head over to the library for a moment to check the coordinates. You make sure Einar doesn't do anything too stupid, alright?"

Estrelas had burst in again, but strangely, Wraith didn't feel the least bit bothered. He was in perfect research form, looking over reams of pages, skimming for something that might help them, and Estrelas's remark, far from interrupting his thoughts, was a clear directive that made him shove one pile of books to the side (carefully) and resume searching in the second.

"Immune response... Johannes, look up methods of vaccination. We won't be able to isolate the virus and create a suitable vaccine in time, given how the situation looks at the moment. But I believe we may..." Wraith had just picked up another book, this one aptly titled, "Immunology", and began to rifle through its pages. "We may be able to inject Einar with antibodies that have already been created. But... we need to prevent an immune response to those antibodies so we don't cause further harm. Purification... seems like it will take too long. What else can we do to suppress Einar's immune response, Johannes?"

And then Shee burst in, walking straight over to the large map hung in one end of the library.

"Lai, it is Kołobrzeg! Do... do you know if Audun was shot with the same bullet Einar was? If he was... then Audun's blood would contain antibodies that we could use to try and fight off the virus in Einar's body."

Wraith started. It was beginning to come together. If this Audun did have the antibodies they needed, and they could find someway to suppress Einar's immune response, they'd finally have a solution.

"Shee! Come here."

CAPTURE AUDUN TEAM

"A taunt." He did not speak this over the radio, but in his gut he had a feeling that was what the message was before the words were translated. Thirteen hours...Less because of the several it took to fly to LOTUS, so that would give them less than six hours to find Audun. His gut was clenching, they needed to get to Audun and capture the madman in four, five hours tops to give them an hour or two get to Einar. The blood, it was all in the blood.

The Russian looked to his radio as only silence came through the other end. They must be searching for the place the coordinates line up to. Still, it worried him, now more than ever was time of the essence. Now that he had given them the things the research team needed, he did not stray long by the wall and the pile of arms. It was making him feel very ill and like something was trying to damn him then and there. After clearing his head with a shake he turned to follow the route he had made, a small trail that was sure to be filled with water and washed away as soon as the sky opened up with the heavy rain. Before he could Alberto was at his side with a map.

"Kołobrzeg?" He had once heard that name in passing, it was in Poland, north of here a way, but close enough where the time between here and there wouldn't be great for the plane and the LOTUS team on board. His radio crackled as Shee came over and said the same town and confirmed it. He nodded to Alberto before pressing the button the radio. "We are going to Kołobrzeg Miss Shee, but I do not know if he was shot by the same bullet. The color of his blood is the same as Einar's though; that dark black, so signs are pointing to yes." He let his thumb fall from the button, watching where Alberto tapped. He nodded. "The quickest way from point A to point B is a straight line comrade. Come, let us walk back to the plane, I feel ill standing here and we are wasting precious time."

He made sure Alberto did not see the pile of arms as he made his way down. At the question, his eyes fell to Eponine, still lying in the mud. "Yes comrade...Help me with Miss Eponine, we cannot leave her here." When the two men reached the fallen woman, Lai scooped her into his arms, feeling how cold she had become in such a short time. He bit his lip, shut his eyes and prayed for her, before looking to Alberto. "If there is a place in the back that we can put her, please find such a place. And a blanket to cover her with..." He trailed off, just looking at the light pouring from the plane. They had to stop Audun.

Lai waited for Alberto and Mokoyis to get in before him before going in himself. Eponine's hat had not been disturbed at all, like it was glued onto her head, so the men did not see the bullet wounds. The Russian followed Alberto to where he had found a place to lay the girl down and did just that. He struggled not to shed some tears and instead covered her with a silvery fireproof blanket that Alberto procured. With that, he looked to the Nicaraguan man and gestured to where passengers would be seated. Instead of taking his immediately, he rifled through the crate, amazed to find what he was looking for, some IV bags. He stuffed those into his bag on his hip, reclaimed his bloody knife from Mokoyis before getting some swabs and cleaning it off. He looked at Alberto as he sat down, holding the bloody pad out.

"We will need to bring Audun back to LOTUS with us, dead or alive. See the color? This is his blood when I stabbed him in the leg. Miss Shee said that there are antibodies Audun's blood that may help Einar recover, so we must now aim at bringing him back and getting blood from him into Einar." Dear God he hoped Shee was right. He swallowed. "Dead or alive."

CAPTURE AUDUN TEAM

"Of course." When Lai asked him for help with Eponine's body, he nodded stiffly and took careful note in his head of the Russian's instructions. He watched him scoop the small body into his arms and shook his head as he turned away to grab his discarded bag and gun on the way back (which he tossed aside when he entered order to dig out what was needed).

Luckily he knew how to pack supplies. One of the benches worked well to keep the young girl's body so he pulled a fireproof blanket from the box and waited for Lai to enter. As he ducked inside from the rain and set the girl down, the blanket draped over her body and clung to her wet clothes. Death was always so unreal to Alberto, even as he looked at her.

However Lai wasted no time as he headed towards the supply crate himself. This reminded the Nicaraguan that their time was limited, and while they waited for the others he sat down in one of the empty seats. The rain splattered the windows and rapped against the outside of the plane, and he only hoped that this whole mission wouldn't end up having been in vain. One death was enough.

"Dead or alive..." When Lai said those words, Alberto echoed them back and nodded thoughtfully. He figured as much, although they'd only have trouble if Audun wasn't dead before they took the blood back with them. The blood that had absorbed into the cotton swabs was dark and ill-looking, very reminiscent of Einar's blood back at the Atrium. "Yeah."

He looked across to where he'd set the gun and the remainders of his supplies. His arm was jittery from the cold and stinging badly; he could pull the trigger, but his aim.. that was a different matter.

The plane hummed to life beneath them. "Say, Lai..." Alberto's voice trailed off a little as he absent-mindedly rubbed his wound, keeping his eyes fixed on the floor. "D'you know how to shoot? If not, I'll teach you; I don't think my aim'll be any good."

AT LOTUS

Seeing that Einar was now awake and not sleeping, like what would probably be best for him, he spent most of his time babbling on about something or another involving either Lai, ladders, trees, or a really sick combination of the three. Hopefully all of what he was saying could be blamed on the state his mind was in, trying to hard to deal with the rest of his body and its condition, but some of it he really seemed sincere over.

"Hey. . .when you guys . . .see Audun again?"

A moment of clarity, it seemed.

"Please . . .don't kill him. Just maim him or something, like in the arm or leg, but don't kill him. I don't know what I would-"

And the moment was cut off again as more coughing ensued, the number of spells and spasms increasing with each passing moment. He was only getting worse, even with the blood and the saline drip, and deep down Einar knew he could be prepared to die.

But he was still pissed about how he was going.

"Also. . .when...Lai...gets back, punch him. A lot."