Chapter 18: The Trap

“I can certainly tell you about my past. But you must also answer my earlier question.” A strange look flickered in Yan Kong's eyes. “Why exactly did you come to Tidal Prison?”

Zuo Dao figured that if the old fellow was pressing him this hard, he probably already had an answer in mind. Why would anyone deliberately get himself sent to prison, especially Tidal Prison? There were only four possibilities: a death wish, insanity, hiding from someone or some faction outside, or having something to accomplish inside.

The first two could more or less be ruled out. As for the third... if he wasn't even afraid of Blood Owl, who outside could frighten him? With a calculating old fox like Yan Kong, Zuo Dao figured that even if he kept lying to cover his tracks, his story would have to revolve around the fourth possibility.

“You needn't worry or hesitate. Whatever your purpose, I couldn't possibly report you to the guards,” Yan Kong added.

Zuo Dao couldn't be bothered to respond. As the saying went, you could know a man's face without knowing his heart. Besides, what kind of place was this? Could I trust you? You old bastard used to work for the Empire too. Now, by your own account, you've spent so long in the Divine Mist that you've lost all your powers. That makes you 90% less of a threat to the Empire. Do something else to prove your loyalty, and you might actually get released. I have no intention of being your stepping stone to a legitimate release.

“Actually, I can more or less guess without you telling me. You people want to escape?” Seeing that Zuo Dao still wasn't speaking, Yan Kong broke the silence himself with a smile. “You're afraid to say it because you think I'll report you.”

Zuo Dao inwardly exclaimed, You've got every bit of it right!

Outwardly, however, he remained composed. “Not necessarily. What if I came in to assassinate the warden or something?” He casually tossed out an even more outlandish excuse.

Yan Kong said, “Heh heh... Very well. Once you've heard about my past, you'll understand that I no longer have any reason to betray anyone. Because... no matter what I do, I will never be released.”

...

Washington, a Freedom Front outpost.

“Using a nursing home as cover... Brilliant. Tell me, are your other outposts in kindergartens and places like that?” Gu Wen made no effort to watch his tongue as he laid into Gates.

The limousine had entered the nursing home's underground parking garage, taken a few turns, and driven into a freight elevator.

Before long, they arrived at the Freedom Front's secret underground base.

They got out of the car and left the elevator to find metal corridors branching in every direction. All the doors were electronic. Opening them required no ID, but did require an eye scan.

The driver led the way. There were plenty of other men in similar suits in the corridors, most wearing sunglasses and saying nothing. Even when they saw Gates, no one made a point of stopping to greet him.

Mirror Face stayed beside Gu Wen, never relaxing his guard for a moment, in case the fellow suddenly launched a sneak attack and sliced off a few nearby heads.

Gu Wen, however, looked perfectly relaxed, with no apparent intention of fighting anyone. He knew very well that whatever trick he tried, he couldn't beat Mirror Face at this distance. His opponent was faster than the Thread of Truth and could put him out of action before the thread hurt anyone.

The four of them came to a door. It opened to reveal what looked like a meeting room, currently empty.

Gates said to Gu Wen, “Please wait inside by yourself for a little while. From what I know of you, your ability can't destroy harder metals, so please don't waste your energy scratching the meeting room walls or anything like that. Just sit tight for a bit. A few of our senior people and I will be along shortly to talk to you.”

Gu Wen actually did as instructed, taking a few steps through the doorway. “Take care. I won't see you out.”

“Heh heh... Haven't you forgotten something?” Gates smiled and pointed at Gu Wen's wrist. “There are scanners in both the car and the elevator we came down in. I know you're wearing a metal device on your wrist, presumably some kind of portable computer. Playing dumb won't help. Please hand it over. Then I can feel comfortable leaving you alone.”

Gu Wen spread his hands. “Heh... Why do you think... I'm here at this very moment?”

Gu Wen's smile sent a chill through Gates. Suddenly, he smelled a conspiracy. Standing before him was a schemer who always thought at least ten steps further ahead than anyone else. Things couldn't possibly go this smoothly! Yes! Something had to be wrong! What was this kid planning? No... he wasn't planning it. He was already doing it. I'd already fallen for it! When had it happened? Where had things gone wrong?

As Gates stood stunned, before Gu Wen had even finished speaking, the electronic door suddenly shut for no apparent reason, separating Gu Wen from Gates, Mirror Face, and the driver.

In that instant, Gates finally understood. Gu Wen's goal had been to get captured, brought to their outpost, and then left alone in a room. He intended to use the miniature computer on his wrist to hack directly into Matrix from the inside!

Mirror Face also realized he'd been played. The electronic door in front of him probably wouldn't be opening anytime soon.

He slowly turned to look at the driver. The driver's left hand had vanished. In its place, a black, gelatinous substance extended from his suit sleeve. A mass of it covered the scanner's control panel beside the electronic door, disabling it.

Gates belatedly noticed something wrong beside him. He immediately darted back several meters and hit the nearest alarm switch in the corridor, shouting at the driver, “Who the hell are you?!”

Darkwater's shape gradually changed as he returned to his original form, black all over with a blue-green glow in his eyes. He didn't answer Gates's question, merely watched Mirror Face in silence.

“So it's you, you monster.” Mirror Face remembered seeing him once outside Tian Yi's bookshop a month and a half earlier. “Your ability lets you turn into other people...?”

“I merely took the opportunity to ‘devour’ Mr. Gates's driver while the gentleman behind you was feeding pigeons, then quickly dissolved the corpse,” Darkwater replied. “This is not simply transformation. It is possession. Beyond matching his **, I can imitate everything from memories to personality. I have everything he had.”

“Is that so...” Even as Mirror Face spoke, he was already upon Darkwater, the point of his short sword piercing his throat. “I hope you can imitate the strength of the person you devoured too.”

Darkwater actually stepped forward, allowing the short sword and Mirror Face's entire arm to pass through his neck. His neck suddenly became semisolid, leaving only a thin strip at one edge connecting his head to his body.

Once clear of Mirror Face, Darkwater miraculously returned to normal. Turning his head back, he said in a voice devoid of emotion, “Combat ability needs no imitation. It need only be accumulated and strengthened.”