0-SA (The Last Ship Series)

Chapter Two: Trapping

"There it is."

"They call this a refuge? The place is ripped to shreds." Raven kicked her foot through the rubble. The woman rubbed the foundation, "How long has it been like this?"

William picked up pieces of ash, looking over the bits that were left, "Not long. After the initial explosion from them shooting the tank when they missed the Irinaut, I'm guessing it was a domino effect. Everything just, went off." He adjusted his goggles.

"If it blew it up why would it come back here?" Raven tilted her head to the side. She started walking down the steps towards the main entrance. Not that doors even mattered at this point. Half of the facility was gone.

"Because there are still some tanks here. They left them on purpose. We're hoping that it draws it in. Sage, you with me. William, go with Raven. Search the perimeter and see what you can salvage, and start setting up traps on the west quarter." Sage and I will take the east. We meet back up here and do the north quarter together." Jacques looked at the opening in the wall for a moment, "William, let me see the recording again."

"Yeah, one second." He reached around into his pack before pulling it out. The male began tapping on the screen before pulling up the recording, "What's the point though? We know this is where it was. No doubt. Look at the place."

Jacques clicked play, watching the cloaked beast go through the hole in the wall, and paused it, the same door way they had came in had the same Join the Fight! poster on the red wall in front of the main entrance, "We leave this way open. It came in this way the first time. We trap it inside with us. Have the nets ready."

"Woah woah, trap it in here with us? Are you saying that right, boss?" Sage crossed her arms to her chest.

"Shouldn't that be the other way around? I mean, look at it. The fucker is huge! He's at least two of me." Raven shook her head.

Sage rolled her head, "Fucking bullshit.."

"Hey! We are on strict orders to bring this thing back ALIVE. You understand that? The traps aren't to be set off until it's inside. Do not kill it. Everyone make sure they're loaded with the the tranquilizer darts. Put it down. You two, get going. Sage, come on."

Raven swallowed. The woman shook her head, "I still don't like this, but Captain's orders." She threw her hand up before starting to walk towards the west quarter of the building, "Come on Will." The girl rubbed her shoulder, "You think we could take these masks off somewhere in here?"

"Negative." William ran up next to her, looking over a map blueprint that he had on his tablet. He looked around as they made their way down the hallway, "The spores are in here. We can't risk it. Last thing we need is more infected." He slid the tablet in his pack, "We'll line the ceiling with the nets and weights. We should be able to run the lines all the way back to the main hall. Jacques has the net gun to. We'll just use this as a second precaution. Grab that chair. We'll start here."

Raven looked at the ceiling then towards the door. The woman pulled the pack off her back, soon pulling out a the tranquilizers and her rows of net. "I'm just glad we won't have to carry these damn weights around much longer. You really think this is a good idea? You know, catching this thing? I mean how are we supposed to drag that thing back to the truck?"

"Not sure. We have the cuffs, and the collars. Hopefully that's enough, but these things are already wild. It's hard to tell if we could even get it to listen to us."

William ran the wires against the lining of the net on one side, while Raven did the other. The two were nearly finished with it.

"Raven, William, come in. We finished up. How's it on your end, over."

Raven picked up the radio, calling back out, "Putting up the last of the line then pulling it back your way, about to head to you. Over." The woman climbed off the chair before grabbing her pack. She looked at their work, "You think those weights will hold up there?"

William shrugged, "Hopefully. We didn't have much to work with as is. As long as it falls when we need it to, we'll be fine." He tossed his bag over his shoulder, "Come on. Let's get back to Jacques and Sage so we can finish up the last quarter."

Raven ran up next to him, groaning a bit, "I can't believe we really have to catch this thing. I don't think I can say that enough." She rubbed the spore dust off her goggles, "You know what sounds good right about now? A bath."

William laughed, shaking his head, "Yeah well, that's going to be a couple days." The male looked towards the end of the hall, where Sage and Jacques were waiting.

"What took you two so long?" Sage tilted her head, "We'll be lucky to get the other hall finished before sun down."

"Hey come on, it's been like five minutes, Sage. Chill out." William shook his head, "Come on. Let's go finish it." William looked at Jacques, "Then what?"

"We wait."