Stefani glanced around uncomfortably as Ripp continued to sit idly with a glazed over expression. After a moment of sitting, she suddenly snapped to, and peered at Stefani expectantly.
“Well? Are we going to do this or what?”
Stefani gave Ripp a weak thumbs up, dropping her head so she would not be forced to look her in the eyes. She did not intend to force Ripp to tell her about her most awkward sexual encounter, but she could not deny that it was on her mind when she was singing. The problem she had was that in her opinion, it was not at the forefront, and was definitely not what she intended. What at least gave her some relief was that it seemed Ripp had no recollection of what she had just told Stefani which made it easier to move past. Stefani told her it was a success, and quickly moved on to the next phase of their plan.
Ripp was convinced there would be records of the handling of her father’s case somewhere, but likely under the highest level of encryption. She had mentioned it would be easier if they knew someone with Telepathy that could be trusted, but even then, it was mandatory to undergo intense training to fend against psychic attack once a certain rank was reached. It would cause the entire structure of the military to crumble if all the darkest secrets were easily accessible by even a mediocre Telepath.
Stefani knew that Ripp’s father was falsely imprisoned, due to be executed without trial, but she did not have all the particulars as to what caused this situation to occur. She worried that it would be insensitive of her to ask, but she knew Ripp well enough to be aware she was not intentionally withholding information, it was just that he was focused on other things. For whatever reason, she could not shake the feeling that there were other ways to approach the situation, but she needed more information.
“Sophia, I know this may be difficult for you, but why exactly is your father the only viable suspect? I know you mentioned his abilities, but I do not see how they connect to the crime.”
“Long story short, the four people directly above my father have been killed, leaving only the very head of the army. This would mean my father would immediately become the second highest ranking officer. The reason why he is held responsible is because the victims were found crushed inside a pitfall twenty meters deep into the ground. It took days to dig them out, and it was clear only the most powerful of Terrakinetics could do such a thing. They had a particularly difficult time separating the individual remnants.”
Stefani shakes her head to dispel her confusion and disbelief. “How did they find them in the first place? This is not the type of thing you just stumble across! That is extremely specific! Also, why would your dad be stupid enough to do it in a manner that would lead directly back to him?”
Ripp jumps from the table, throwing her hands up in exclamation. “That is exactly my point! Even though they were reduced to a pulp, based on what I have found, they were missing for only a day or two. How no one finds it odd they would go missing for only a short amount of time, and someone magically figures out the exact location where they are all buried, what seems like instantly, stinks to high hell. This is a setup through and through. I plan to find the bastards who thought it was a good idea to involve my dad.”
Stefani had been so consumed with being of assistance to Ripp, that she was just coming to terms with what would need to be done. “Wait, Sophia… You mentioned a military base. Isn’t that kinda… treason or something? Is what we are doing illegal?!”
Ripp eyes Stefani with gape-mouthed disbelief. “Of course it is illegal! We are breaking into and stealing from the very entity assigned to protect our country! If it were something smiled upon, I wouldn’t need help to do it! I could just walk up and ask for what I want!”
“I… I guess… I mean… I knew there would be some risk involved, but I didn’t think it would include breaking the law! What if we get caught, or do something bad we didn’t intend?! What would happen to us then?!”
Ripp releases the deep breath she had been holding, attempting to find a way to explain the situation in a way Stefani could understand. “Think of it like a mission! You are tasked to do all manner of crazy, morally questionable things on those, but they are usually for some greater good.”
“I’ve never done those before. I don’t need the money, and I don’t have anything to prove, so why would I? If I had never come to Sophangence, I would have never even considered such a thing occurred outside of movies. I’m not comfortable with this Sophia.”
Ripp wanted to protest. She wanted to scream at Stefani for not understanding the stakes and not being willing to act. She wanted force Stefani to help her, but she put all of it aside because she knew that it would be one of the most abusive and toxic things she could ever do to Stefani. Stefani was empathetic, and she was willing to help, but everyone had a line. It would be extremely self-centered to presume Stefani could simply act according to her desires as if they were her own.
“You are right. I should have detailed everything clearly and asked if you were comfortable before just diving in and assuming everything. It was just so nice to have someone other than my mom to talk to about all of this, especially since she is super on edge and being watched from all angles as a possible accomplice. Thanks for listening. I’ll send you back home.”
Stefani could see how lost Ripp was, and the pain it was causing her. Putting aside her own reservations, she responded to Ripp with a smile. “I said I was uncomfortable with it, I never said I wouldn’t do it. I’m uncomfortable with bras sometimes. I’m uncomfortable with how my music turns out sometimes. That doesn’t mean I don’t work with the situation. I’m here to do whatever I can.”
Stefani’s words brightened Ripp’s disposition, as she was no fool, she refused to let an opportunity pass by. She quickly brought out the fatigues she had and set them to getting prepared for their work. Between them being oversized for Ripp, and Stefani having lost so much weight, they were snug, but functional on her. Stefani grumbled about putting her hair in a bun, but did it anyway, the two of them departing the moment Stefani met Ripp’s seal of approval.
Though Ripp had never been to this particular installation, with the blueprints and her vast knowledge of the army, the two of them found it easy to reach their destination. They found themselves passing countless men as they made their way to the area where the officer they were looking for should be located. Other than the occasional ogle, they were practically invisible as they moved about. So many stories about the treatment of women in the military were dismissed as overly sensitive women misconstruing the events, but since graduating and becoming an investigator, Ripp had far more examples than she cared to count.
When their target had been spotted, a grey haired older man with a face full of soft features unlike most men in the military she knew, Ripp immediately gave Stefani a quick briefing of the plan. “Alright. I’m going to grab his attention, hopefully my identity will be enough to hold his attention long enough for you to put the whammy on him.”
Stefani’s look of uncertainty was more than enough of an explanation, but she decided to speak anyway. “That sounds risky, just because he would probably take note of the random behind him singing. I didn’t bring any instruments with me, but once again that would just make us stand out more. Lastly, but most importantly, doing that will probably catch you up in it too. I still can’t make my abilities targeted toward one specific person.”
“Don’t worry about all that! As long as you can get your spell on him, you don’t need me. Just get him to take you to his computer and show us anything relating to my dad’s case.”
Stefani was still worried, but nodded, indicating she was ready for action. Just before they could reach the man, he took off at a clip. The two women were worried he had noticed them, but thought it odd he would run rather than confront him. Doing their best to keep up with him, they found his route led them to the men’s restroom. Taking advantage of the situation, Stefani had an idea which would keep Ripp from getting caught in her influence.
&nb
sp; “Since he might be in there for a while, I think I know how we can handle this. If you make me a microphone, you can plug your ears while I work on getting him under my control. If there are others in the restroom, I doubt it will matter much.”
“Microphone?”
“Basically, you make a small portal for me that connects nearby to the target, so that I can use my powers at a safe distance.”
Ripp appears impressed, then opens a small window into the restroom. Because it was so small, there was not much that could be seen, but it appeared to be empty with the exception of the man whom they had been tracking. Stefani gave the signal for Ripp to plug her ears and had just begun to sing, when Ripp stopped her.
“Shouldn’t we like… wait until he is done or something? You said it was hard to control them right? What if he just gets off the can, ass still shitty and tries to do what you asked?”
Stefani’s body stiffened at the thought, since she knew Ripp’s understanding of her powers were lacking, but her ability to envision possible scenarios was still top notch. “That is so gross, and very possible. What will we do then?”
“I can open another portal with a view of him and I guess we be creepy and watch him take a shit. We can try our plan when he is about done.”
Stefani grimaced at the thought, but then came up with one of her own. “Or, we could do it in phases, and I could start by making him finish up, then come out and be complaint until he gets further direction!”
Ripp seemed to like Stefani’s plan much more, taking no care to inquire if Stefani would even be capable of such. Ripp plugged her ears again which was Stefani’s cue to sing. Though the sound was extremely muffled and barely audible, there was something she noticed that caused her to stop Stefani once again.
“You need to put your face through the portal or else the sound won’t get through. No idea why, but sound doesn’t pass through it, even though it is directly connected.”
Stefani was puzzled, but did not want to waste time. She did as she was told, singing until the man exited the restroom and stood in a slight trance just outside the door. Once both women realized what had occurred, they shot one another cheerful glances, then proceeded to the next portion of their plan. Not wanting to take any chances, Stefani sang again, this time clearing her mind of anything that was not related to their goal. Once the man started moving, she stopped, and the two of them followed the man back to his office, doing their best to remain inconspicuous in their pursuit.
Safely tucked away in the man’s office, having used a portal to get around the assistant and various other workers nearby. They waited patiently as he brought up the files on Ripp’s father. Together they poured over the sparce information, all of it being information Ripp already knew. Smashing her hand on the desk in anger, little regard for their cover, Ripp did her best to contain her mounting frustration.
“This is bullshit! I’ve looked everywhere and still nothing! How slimy can this shit be if they are keeping it this much under wraps?!”
Stefani could only feel for Ripp as she watched her friend struggle with various emotions. She was not sure if it would prove effective, but she had another idea which could only leave them in the same state even in the worst case scenario. Signaling Ripp to plug her ears again, Stefani began to sing, this time with a much different intent in mind. Before she knew it, the entranced man began speaking to no one in particular.
“This information is highly classified. Even I know very little about the details. This has been done to limit any tampering of the most sensitive incident in the history of the military. The only place with information would be the black site Jestorg, along with their commander. Because of the information housed there, it is the most secure facility we have, with anyone being shot on sight.”
Ripp had Stefani extract further information about the site’s location, personnel, and protocols. Once they were done, they took a moment to regroup, calling Ripp’s mother to ask if she knew anything about the black site. When her mother informed them it was only a myth, it confirmed what they had learned about its containment. As fatigues would do nothing for them in the way of infiltration, they changed clothes again, this time into dark colors that were a slim fit. Stefani also suggested masks of some sort given how tight the security was said to be.
The first thing Ripp noticed when they arrived was size of the site. It was expected to be small considering it did not exist according to official records, but the number of forces in relation to its size was absurd. If she was not already aware of the secrets the place likely held, the dozen protectors that were visible were a clear indication. She also kicked the ground because she found the building was protected against Transporters. Never in her life had she encountered so many places designed to keep her out, in such a short span of time.
With her powers out of play, the only option they had was a direct approach. Her problem lay in that these were the most elite the army had to offer. She was under no impression that she and Stefani were any match for even a third of their number, nevertheless their full squad. This was only factoring their training. There was a very high likelihood all of these people were Quintessences as well, which made them doubly dangerous. Ripp began to chew at her lip, trying her best to figure out a plan. When she was at a loss, she finally explained all she had thought about, and told Stefani that it looked as if it were an impossible task.
Stefani seemed completely nonplussed by the information, and in fact seemed relieved. “Is that all? We just need to get past all these people? That should be no problem, I can knock them all out in one song.”
Ripp brightened, but then immediately lost hope again. “Stef, how do you plan on doing that? I know you’ve got some pipes on you, but even with this small area, it is still far too big for you to reach everyone. If even one person is still up while everyone else drops, it is going to be a problem.”
“That’s where you come in. You just need to make my microphone big enough cover the entire area.”
Ripp’s eyes narrowed as she looked at Stefani. “By ‘microphone’ you mean you want me to make a portal big enough to cover this entire area. Are you nuts? That is impossible!”
“You won’t know unless you try!”
Ripp was confused by Stefani’s cheerful optimism, but something about it made her trust Stefani even more. With a strain, she opened the biggest portal she could muster over the area, doing her best to balance the distance from the ground so she could prevent the soldiers from noticing, but also properly project the sound. The drain on her was substantial, and the portal was not enough to cover even 1/8th of the area she would have liked. In an attempt to reduce the strain, she was able to shrink the end that connected to Stefani, but even then, it was still a struggle. She motioned to Stefani to hurry up the process, as she was not sure how long she could hold out.
Stefani stuck her face through the window and began to sing, but Ripp could hear nothing coming from her. They realized in the last instance that Ripp did not need to plug her ears because the portal functioned as a natural isolator, but considering this time the intent was to be amplified, she expected to hear at least some pieces of the song. The strain on Ripp had become too much, and she had to pull Stefani back before the portal snapped shut causing an untimely end for her. Panting under the strain, Ripp began to spiral under the possible result of her failure. Stefani could sense Ripp’s darkening mood, and swiftly proposed another plan.
“I think we need some more backup.”
“Stef! We can’t take these guys! Even if we could, starting a fight is the last thing we want! If the one place that can free my dad gets attacked, there is no way any information we obtain will be considered! We’ll have to think of another way.”
“You taught me not to give up so easily. I am pretty sure I know how to have our cake and eat it too. Just give me a few minutes.”
Since she had no other options, Ripp decided to trust Stefani, and whatever it was she had planned. After five m
inutes of fielding questions and explaining the situation, with a quick transmission of coordinates, help had arrived. A wide eyed Ripp watched as the giant of a man came strolling out of a vibrantly colored portal the color of flames.
“Ripp, long time no see. Sorry to hear about your dad. I’m happy to help.”
“Since when are you a Transporter?!”
“Oh, I’ve been one since before your graduated. It was thanks to you I was able to make it happen. That being said, this is the least I can do.”
Ripp stood dumbfounded as her two juniors busily discussed the best way to make her plan a success. After a moment, Stefani looks to Ripp, waving her hands to get her attention.
“And to be clear we don’t know exactly where we will find the information?”
“No. Which is what makes this so-”
“Okay so everyone has to go.”
Anaar nods in agreement. “Yes, and we will need enough time to search. The problem is less the people, and more the surveillance. We are going to leave a footprint no matter what. If only there was a way to scrub the footage… I’ll be right back.”
Anaar disappears through a portal, leaving Ripp once again confused while Stefani seemed to be preparing herself for something. Once Anaar had returned, he gave the two women a roguish smile.
“Okay, I think I’m ready. Luckily there are not many people inside. I’ll make sure we get them too.”
“What do you mean get them too? What are you two doing?!”
“Ready Stefani?”
Stefani gives a cheerful thumbs up as she clears her throat. A small red disc appeared before Stefani, which Ripp recognized was a portal. She was about to tell Anaar they had already tried and failed, but then she saw the massive portal that blotted out the sky like nothing. The deafening sound of Stefani’s voice buffeted Ripp, and then suddenly there was silence. When she opened her eyes, she realized she was covered by red dome of energy with Anaar standing next to her, smiling at Stefani like a proud parent.
Revelations (Song of Sophangence Book 4) Page 48
