Unsuspected Suspect PT 2

"No doubt about it" Horatio whispered back.

"As clear as day..." MacKenzie added.

"Bam... even if it is Carolina, we can't risk being seen by her... not after the shit she's been through... not after what we did" Horatio said as he ran out into the open space between their factory and the facility entrance. 

"ey... targets are around vehicles... got a clear shot for trackers... one on each vehicle should do it" The Scott said as he fired subsonic trackers onto the underside of each vehicle. "Not a single blighter noticed... You're clear M..." MacKenzie whispered over coms.

"Good to hear Lou..." Horatio replied as he darted across to the break in the wall that Carolina and the Reds and Blues emerged from.

"... see he didny notice that time" MacKenzie whispered over privet coms to Sara.

"alright, alright... I'll give ye your bleedin money when we next get some leave" Sara replied.

"Keep your voice down Bam..." Horatio said as he got to the door. "Carolina's on the quad... those sim troopers have the jeeps... wait... what's that glow... no wait it can't be" Horatio took a few more peeks out at the bickering group.

"Easy boss... don't get spotted... what is it?" MacKenzie said as he looked over the position.

"I think she has the Alpha... but he was destroyed... Epsilon, it's gotta be the missing Epsilon unit, fuck me, this is going to be a long briefing when we get back..." Horatio added as he went back to the concealed door. "Alright Bam... you're up first..." He signalled to the former freelancer to cross over. 

"It's been a while since you've called me that" She whispered as she darted across.

"Shut it... and watch your corners... MacKenzie, I want you on overwatch until we get this door open, then you get your ass down here." Horatio walked up to the door and pulled out a circular plate of metal and clipped it to the door. "Dead lock is in place... any news Mac?" 

"Carolina waited around for a bit... looked like she was talking to her AI... or to herself, either one works... I think she's got the feeling that she's being watched, I donny think we're the only guys out here boss" MacKenzie Said as he slowly shuffled himself across a walkway for a better view.

"If there were other players out in the field, command would have told us..." 

"You don't sound so sure mate"

"After all the shit I've heard about Maine... I don't know what to be sure about." Horatio turned back to the door.

"Ey... deadbolt worked... it's unlocked but it's a wee stiff" Sara said as she pulled the lock breaker off the door.

"Never send a gal to do a lads fuckin job" MacKenzie chuckled over the radio.

"Oi... when you get down here... my boot will be right up your arse" Sara snapped back. Horatio walked up to the door and pulled it open, sliding one of his arms into the gap and using his cybernetic strength to pry open the heavy doors. "Mac... get your arse down here..." Horatio flicked his helmet lights on and raised his rifle up to scout out the entrance. "Looks just like all the others... round the corner should be the training grounds..." MacKenzie slowly crept in behind them.

"Alright, Carolina finally buggered off... trackers are still goin strong" MacKenzie said as he caught his breath.

"Come on... lets get in and out ASAP" Horatio took the lead and slowly walked through the hallway and down a ramp.

"Is it just me or can ye hear something?" Sara asked.

"Nope... Not a bloody thing" MacKenzie replied

"Exactly... life support is off... not a single hum of a machine." The group entered a large training arena, filled with crates and containers, all full of old simulation equipment from the projects prime. 

"Over there... the teleporters... second from the right, it's gotta be." Horatio said as he wondered towards the green spiral of light.

"You sure boss" MacKenzie questioned.

"Only one way to find out" Horatio said as he slowly walked through the teleporter. As he emerged onto the other side he stopped dead in his tracks. "What the hell?" Horatio stood looking around in an ice cold room, the floor littered with bullet casings and black corpses. The other two shortly followed him through.

"Boss what is i.... oh" MacKenzie stopped dead.

"That's a lot of bodies... but not a single drop of blood..." Sara slowly walked between the two and up to a body on the floor. "Black freelancer gear... Never seen em before... wait" She slowly pulled the helmet off of the body and stood back in shock. "Its a feckin machine" Horatio walked over to another body and pulled the helmet off, same result. 

"What... so we have a room full of dead freelancer robots... christ those sim troops put up a fight... boss over there... if this is the same as the others... his office should be right through there" MacKenzie said as he walked towards the other side of the hell. As they got towards the other side they could here a faint murmuring coming from the room. 

"Think he has guests?" Sara said jokingly.

"Hah... I don't think...." Horatio could finish, a very sudden, definite sound echoed through the walls.

"Fuck was that a magnum... Bam get the breaker on" Horatio recognised that sound immediately, standard issue magnum pistol.

"Already on it... Give us a few" 

"We don't have a few" Horatio waited impatiently at the door.

"Just a few more seconds and Ahaa, Bingo" Sara celebrated. Michigan placed his fingers under the door and pulled it upwards, as it went over the head he could see what had taken place inside the room. As he walked in, blood dripped from the ceiling and the spray that had settled on the floor made the surface slippery. In an tall backed armchair, he could see the arms of the occupant hung lifelessly over the sides. 

"Fucking christ..." Horatio said as he walked round to identify the remains. "FUCK... "

"It's him... isn't it" MacKenzie said as he slumped against a wall. Horatio pried the pistol from his hands and examined it. As he turned it over to look at the serial number he stopped. Under the code was a small symbol, etched into the surface, a small W.

"...Washington?" Horatio said in surprise.

"How do you know?" Sara asked.

"Only one way to find out..." Horatio scanned the number and ran it through the database. "Last known owner of this pistol was, surprise surprise Agent Washington... what the hell is he doing here"

"The loony's dead" MacKenzie commented.

"I know... I read the official reports... fuck it's the sim troopers... it's 'Those' Sim troopers, the ones that Florida was with... they were given the Alpha to disguise, thrown into the arse end of the universe... blue and yellow stripes..." Horatio looked up at the computer monitor, all the time it still played, he took aim with the pistol and fired a single shot. 

"I canny believe that cutie with the stripes was wash... last I heard he was going grey." Sara added as she left the room.

"Sara... radio it in, tell them to send in clean up crews, tell them Primary suspect is dead, suicide."

"Yes sir... boy are they goin to be pissed."

"So what the fuck are we goin to do?" MacKenzie said as he left the room.

"We're going after Carolina... something tells me Wash is staying with those sims... shouldn't be to hard to find him..." Horatio said as he took one last look into the room "It was an honour sir"