GREETINGS AND WELCOME TO THE FIRST CHAPTER OF UNDER SIEGE! THANK YOU ALL FOR GIVING ME THE KICK IN THE PANTS TO WRITE A SEQUEL! AND WITHOUT FURTHER ADO! I GIVE YOU, THE SEQUEL!
The thunder rolled and lightning flashed, illuminated the grimy alleyway he was running down. He was back in Paris and he was running to Holley's rescue. His heart was pounding in his chest, his mind conjuring up horrid images of what may be happening to Holley in Sterling Lassiter's clutches. The rain was blinding and made it hard to see as his footfalls pounded on the wet pavement. The alleyway seemed to extend on longer then he had remembered and he lost track of where the secret entrance was. Suddenly a scream pierced the night, louder then the crack of thunder. A cold chill danced down Finn's spine and he froze for a split second, heart catching in his throat.
"Holley," he whispered becoming frantic. He felt along the brick wall for the secret entrance. Wiping his dripping hair from his face, he slid the panel aside and pushed the button. As the secret entrance slid open, Finn darted inside. Holley's screams echoed down the hallway as he ran.
"Finn!" came her cry again. He voice became louder but he wasn't moving. Where was she?
"Finn!" His eyes flew open and he tumbled off his office chair and landed on the floor. His hand flew toward the pistol he kept at his side. Flicking the safety off, he jumped up and pointed the gun at Sterling, horrified to find that it was Holley instead. Suddenly, he noticed that the surroundings were familiar. He was standing in the main office area of C.H.R.O.M.E. Several other agents in the room had turned their attention from their work and were focused on the scene in front of them, ready to assist if the situation became violent. Night had fallen early because of a thunderstorm that had moved in and the rain was pounding the building, the thunder making the windows shake.
"Finn, are you okay?" Holley asked gently, her eyes wide with concern. Realizing that he still held his pistol, he dropped the weapon on the floor like it was burning his hands and sank down into his chair once again, resting his head in his hands. As Holley walked over to the dropped weapon, he worked on collecting himself.
It was a dream. Holley is fine. Sterling has been arrested. You're okay. He reassured himself. He wiped his brow on his shirtsleeve and took a deep breath. His heart was pounding. Suddenly, he felt a light touch on his shoulder and he jumped.
"That must've been some dream Finn." Holley perched herself on the corner of his desk, "I've never seen you act like that before."
"It was some dream all right." He forced a shaky smile.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"Not particularly. It was just a stupid nightmare." He said for his own benefit as well as hers.
"Here's your gun back and I put the safety back on." She smiled at him.
She hopped off his desk and headed toward the coffee station at the front of the room. While she was gone, Finn turned back to his paperwork still trying to slow his racing heart.
"Here," Holley set his travel mug full of hot tea on his desk, "Just the way you like it." She took a sip from her mug that she had also filled with tea.
"Thanks. I really needed it."
Holley smiled at him, sitting back down at her desk.
Finn once again stared at his computer screen. The numbers jumbled and seemed to dance on the screen. He rubbed his eyes for a few moments before refocusing on his work. When his condition didn't change, he announced to Holley he was going to take a walk to clear his head.
"Do you want me to come with you?" she asked softly.
"Nah, I'm fine. Just a little to much work." He smiled he picked up his mug and left the office area.
Meandering down the near vacant halls, Finn smiled at several friends and fellow agents as they hurried past. He walked past the infirmary, weapons lab and was approaching the locker rooms when a faint jingle was heard. Sid came out of the men's locker room wearing a pair of grease spattered blue jeans and red long-sleeved shirt he had pulled up to his elbows. What caused Finn to raise an eyebrow was that he was wearing his Christmas reindeer slippers with bells on the antlers.
"Sid I hate to break it to you but Christmas was over about seven months ago."
"I know that Finn. But some moron set my shoes on fire when I accidently stepped in a petrol spill. How? Don't ask. The only other pair of shoes I had was these. You know something? C.H.R.O.M.E should stop putting the interns- no, anyone, with low IQs in the airfield. They should send them somewhere harmless, like the mail room!"
Finn laughed. A real, genuine laugh that banished all feelings of unease left from his nightmare. Feeling once again like the Finn McMissile that could take on the world he said, "Sid why don't you come and take a walk with me? Then we can see Holley later,"
"Sure!" and they started down the west hallway.
They were passing Nathan's office when another agent burst out, "Did you hear?" she gushed, "Sterling Lassiter is going to be staying here at the C.H.R.O.M.E!"
"Really?!" Finn stopped dead in his tracks, "Who told you that?"
"No one but Nathan himself! It seems that Sterling is a little too much for other prisons to handle."
"Julie!" came Nathan's voice from inside the office, "I thought I told you not to tell anyone!"
"But weren't you going to tell Finn and Sid? Isn't that why they are here?"
"No. I didn't send for them but I was going to tell them. But don't tell anyone else!"
"I won't sir!" she promised before scampering away, undoubtedly to tell her closet friend the news.
"McMissile, Taylor, won't you come in?" Nathan inquired.
The two exchanged a glace and entered the director's office. After sitting down at his desk, the two listened to what he had to say.
"As you know already, Sterling is going to be staying here at C.H.R.O.M.E. He was being held at another prison but after enlisting his whole cellblock to help him with a jailbreak and nearly killing two guards in the process, we've been asked to take him until arrangements can be made at a prison with more security."
"When is he going to come?" Sid looked excited at having such an unruly criminal staying at C.H.R.O.M.E.
"Sid. Try not to look so excited." Finn said dryly.
"Sorry." Sid put on his most serious face that only made Nathan and Finn laugh.
After Nathan recovered, he said, "He will be arriving the day after tomorrow."
"McMissile. You and Shiftwell won't be receiving any overseas missions during this time so you will have to plenty of time to catch up on your paperwork. Which, by the way, you are about two weeks behind in."
"I'm sorry sir. I'm working on catching up right now." Finn apologized. As they got up to leave, Nathan chuckled and said, "Merry Christmas Sid."
Irritated, Sid left the room in a huff and brooded over his situation as they started back toward the main office room. He sent glares at anyone who dared to smirk at his shoes and continued to stomp down the hall, which only made the bells on his slippers ring louder.
By the time they reached the offices, Finn was to the point of bursting with laughter. Seeing Sid in a rare moment of anger was like seeing the moon turn purple. Holley looked up from her work at the sound of jingling bells and stifled a laugh.
"Hi Sid!" She tried desperately to suppress her laughter. Finn moved to sit down in his chair when Sid suddenly cut in front of him and plunked himself down and propped his feet on the corner of the desk.
Rolling his eyes, Finn sat on Holley's desk and swung his legs absently, thinking about the arrival of Sterling. The thunderstorm from earlier had quieted and only the rain remained, now a gentle shower that made rivers down the windows as the raindrops made their way toward the ground.
Just then, there was a snicker from the agent across the aisle.
"Nice slippers Sid!"
"Keep it up!" Sid announced to the whole room, "And I might just send the flame-throwing intern your way! Think of all the damage he could do to your paper work! And besides, think about who's flying you to your next mission." He looked directly at the agent.
He apologized quickly and turned back his computer. In the moment of silence that followed, Sid's pager let out a beep. Pulling it out of his pocket, Sid glaced at the screen.
"Wooo hoooo! My Sister's here!"
"Your sister?" Holley cocked her head.
"Yeah, I asked her to bring me an extra pair of shoes. See ya!"
Sid jumped up and ran toward the door.
Seeing that his chair was vacated, Finn hopped off the desk and sat down, resting his chin in one hand.
"You know something Finn? If we didn't have Sid to keep us entertained I think we'd all go crazy!"
When Finn didn't answer or even acknowledge her Holley tapped him on his arm, jerking him of his reverie.
"Finn? Is something wrong? Today you've been almost," she paused, "Moody."
"I guess I'm just a little distracted. Sterling is going to be incarcerated here for a few days."
"What?! Did you just say Sterling's going to be coming here?"
He nodded silently.
"So why are you worried?"
"I don't know. I think he's setting up for another game, and I don't know if I can cope with it this time. Paris still haunts me."
"Is that what your dream was about?" she asked gently.
When he avoided her gaze and didn't respond to her question, Holley took his answer as a yes. She laid her hand overtop of his, "I know you Finn. If something happens, you can handle it."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," he smiled at her gratefully.
"You're welcome." She picked up her travel mug and held it out, "To paperwork?"
"To paperwork," Fin raised his mug and the two steel containers made a hollow clunk as they met.
Taking a sip of his tea, Finn reluctantly focused on the task at hand.
I hope you enjoyed the first chapter and thanks for taking the time to read this! Oh, and if you could leave a review, I'd be very appreciative!