If anyone saw them they pretended not to. Jari had been on enough black ops missions despite his recent admission to Alpha to know that most people, when confronted with someone in an Alpha's suit their first instinct was to just pretend they hadn't seen them. Seeing them in the first place was difficult, normally their suits were black with patches of darker gray to break up their shape. They were meant to be shadow suits, but they could turn any color of camouflage needed or even use the colors of the surrounding area to blend itself into the environment. Alpha suits were the pinnacle of personal armor and not even some of the greatest nations in the world had things that could come close to ah Alpha suit. Faceless, matte, masks and a smooth helmet that melted into a full exoskeleton armored more on the front and back the sides open and flexible. Self sealing they took care to filter any foreign contaminate out of the air you breathed and even functioned in allowing you to breathe underwater. There were half a hundred sensors and electronics in the helmet and the suit, all designed to protect you, to give you the edge and make you more lethal than you already were. Looking at one it was obvious and someone walking around in an Alpha suit screamed danger.

Anyone they met averted their eyes and Alpha walked mostly undisturbed down the street, mainly sticking to the edges of the sidewalk. Jari's entire body was vibrating and his suit kept pinging him about his accelerated heart rate. He forced his heart to stop being so fast and he watched the number drop. He was good with the fourth in a way most of Alpha weren't. A noise cracked across comms, though not a word, just a sound and he looked towards who'd done it. Munahid was standing at the far end of the street with Ehan, their swords were out at their sides and Munahid was motioning to Alpha.

All the squads had their own, wordless, sign language, much like a normal military, only it was much finer. Everyone was in IR mode as they moved through Salt Lake City and were reading the obvious heat signature coming from Munahid. Signals meant different things at different temperatures, it was why you couldn't be on Alpha without IR or the one to control your heart rate and thus your temperature. Munahid was telling them go; fast.

Jari didn't think and he and Mira moved together and went around the corner and headed straight, he behind her, giving her cover. They were leading point now, crouched and running. When they rounded the corner Jari saw where they were; the Grand Temple. His eyes narrowed behind his visor but he did nothing out of turn, he just followed Mira. Munahid had signaled them; they were the ones on point this turn. They would lead Alpha up to the steps of the Grand Temple.

The Grand Mormon Temple was at once a religious epicenter of Utah as well as the state building where the president of the church and state lived and held office. The president was no concern to them though. They weren't here for the president. They were here for retrieval and extraction; nothing more. Next time they'd kill the president. Probably. Jari was of the opinion they needed to take a more proactive role in Utah and help them sort out this giant cluster fuck they'd created for themselves. That was for another time though, another discussion of ethics and morals of the Order's intervention in other sovereign countries.

As they got up to the large doors of the Temple he felt more than saw the others fan out behind him and Mira as Mira went up to the door. There was an annoying electronic lock on the front door of the Temple but it was nothing Mira couldn't crack. She'd been training to be tech before the masters had decided she'd get a shot on Alpha and had been pleased by the perfect fit. She crouched by the door and took a set of thin cables out from the back of her neck and with her knife popped open the front face of the lock. Jari looked behind them and without his EV engaged he wouldn't be able to see the rest of Alpha, they were cloaked in natural shadows. With his IR they shone like dark red candles. He looked back at Mira. She was already withdrawing the cables from the box and back into the port in the back of her neck.

"As the Arabs say," Mira's voice said over the comms, standing, her back to Jari, "Open sesame," and she pushed at the door. It swung open on silent hinges. "After you boys," she said and stepped out of the way as the rest of Alpha came forward.

Jari stepped in first, drawing his short sword which was styled after ancient xiphos swords ancient Greeks used during the bronze age, and looked around. He dialed down his heart and turned up his ears until he could barely hear his own heartbeat and was instead listening to all the sounds around him, breathing as slowly as possible. Normally guys like Jari were given to other units, like Charlie, who were spies and loved guys like Jari who could nearly stop their hearts and drop their body temperature dangerously low. But he'd tested well with Alpha, and Altair had liked him. And really that was the only test that mattered. If Altair, A-One, didn't like you, you weren't getting on Alpha.

Jari listened, and while he could hear the whirl of security cameras on inspection with the twelfth EV he knew they weren't looking at them. Jari closed his eyes and stepped further into the Temple letting the echolocation build a picture around him, each footstep showing him more and more.

There was no one here.

He held up his hand and everyone stopped, he signaled them to back up and opened his eyes, facing his unit. 'There's no one here,' Jari signed to them.

'Comms?' Munahid asked.

'Danger seems low,' and he turned on his comm.

"Full status?" Munahid asked, the first word any of he'd spoken since they'd jumped from the heli. "Support," he added so support could chime in if required.

"I see security cameras," Jari said and blinked up a schematic of the Temple and with a few eye flicks had the cameras marked. "No life though."

"Then let's proceed-

"No," Jari said.

"No?" Munahid asked, confused.

"Support," Jari asked.

"Yes, seven?" support said, not the cranky support now, they were in Colorado, and very nice sounding. Not mean at all.

"Did the others come across any resistance when they entered the Temple?" he asked.

"No," she said, "they went in after service."

"So the temple was empty?" he clarified.

"Yes."

Jari looked at Alpha, "They know we're coming. They're waiting for us."

"They can't know we're here," Chris said.

"They sent us that video," Jari's hands became fists and it took him a few seconds to unclench them, "They were baiting us."

"Can't we just go in there and kill them or not?" Kanwai asked, annoyed. "I personally want to knock some Mormon heads for messing with our boys!"

"No, no," Munahid said, "he's right," he nodded at Jari. "You think they're expecting us."

"And have an ambush waiting for us," Jari said.

"And that's your professional opinion?"

"Yes, sir," Jari nodded.

"Support," Munahid asked.

"Yes, six?"

"Where would you approximate the others being held?" he asked.

"Marking your maps," she said and two levels down turned yellow. "According to our data they hold heretics down there."

"Well our boys fit that bill," Ehan said humorlessly.

"Give us a direct route," Munahid said and a line appeared on the map, going down two flights to the holding cells. "What are our options?" and they were few. There was only one way in or out of that part of the Temple. Munahid sighed.

"What are we going to do six?" Sarah asked.

Munahid fingered the grip on his sword before sheathing it. Jari's brows rose. For him to willingly put his sword away while in Utah meant he wouldn't need it. "Three," he said.

"Yes, sir?" Chris asked curiously.

"I'm giving you authorization," and just by his body language, even though Jari couldn't see his face he knew Chris was delighted. "Blow us a fucking path to that cell. Eight, you assist in helping him lay the charges. four, disable the security, seven you'll be helping her with that. Four, five, eight and ten, you're on lookout, inside and out."

"And you sir?" Mira asked.

"I'm going to sit right here and start working on my report I'm going to have to turn in on why I gave authorization for this maniac to use explosives," and Chris laughed and no one was surprised. "Now hop to, I wasn this done in ten minutes," he added.

"Yes, sir," everyone said and then went about their assigned business.

An explosion jolted Altair awake violently. He started and jerked against the bindings holding his arms and legs to the post he was tied to but nothing happened. The others were awake in moments. "What the hell was that?" Haytham asked and Altair opened his ears. The resounding blast was causing echoes and he quickly built up a picture. He promised himself when he got out of this he was training the twelfth until he could do it on perfect command like Jari could. The room was the same, they were all still blindfolded but they'd at least taken Haytham's gag out.

"Party favors," Diyari said, excitement in his voice. "Looks like the Mormons pissed off the wrong guys," Altair shut off the EV.

"Who the hell gave three the authorization?" Haytham said.

"Six, obviously," Altair sighed. "Idiot."

"Why?" Haytham asked, "Anything to get to us."

"Do you know how much paperwork he's going to have to fill out?" Altair asked them. "You don't just let a demoman like three authorization. You know that not even Gamma-Alpha wanted him?" Gamma-Alpha was the first squad of the rather large Gamma unit. They specialized in demolitions and pyrotechnics.

"What?" Haytham sounded surprised.

"Damnit six," Altair grumbled.

"So you didn't want them to rescue us?" Diyari asked.

"There is a reason three is the only guy we've had on Alpha in about fifty years," he rolled his eyes under his blindfold. "If you're good enough to be a demoman on Alpha it's like letting a walking bomb do whatever they want."

"But he's trained," Haytham said.

"This is the guy G-A didn't want," Altair reminded them, "You know why?"

"Why?"

"Too good."

"Too good? How is someone too good?"

"G-A works as a team. Three is a show off-

"Well I could have told you that," Altair could hear the eyeroll in Haytham's voice.

"He's a show off with explosives and does the work of four men without fucking up. He made G-A look bad and didn't listen to orders from G-A-1," Altair said. That had been an interesting conversation with G-A-1 he'd had a few years back because Chris was about to be kicked off G-A and thus all units if someone didn't pick him up. Altair had tried him out and he worked well with them. He also listened to Altair, surprisingly. G-A-1 still hated him for getting Chris' obedience where she hadn't been able to.

"So you let him join Alpha instead?" Haytham asked, slightly exasperated.

"I had it under control," and there was another explosion, this one closer. "He's very good at his job but... a bit reckless. I don't think six really knows what he got himself into. Also," and there was another one, this one sounded even closer and made the room shake, "we're in the Grand Mormon Temple for the God's sake! Six and I are going to get chewed out for this," he sighed.

"I love how you're more worried about paperwork than us getting out of here!" Haytham snapped.

Altair turned his head in Haytham's direction, "Because I never doubted," he said very calmly.

"Yeah well-

"Stop fighting," Diyari cut in. "I lost my damn arm so really I should be the only one complaining about anything here. Now both of your shut up and wait like good damsels in distress," and Altair bit back a few choice words for his medic.

There was another explosion, this was rocking even the ceiling and if he hadn't been tied to a chair Altair would have fallen by the force of the explosions. They waited and there was silence. Then gunfire and despite himself Altair held his breath. He'd been grazed by a few bullets during the ambush that had attacked them before they'd just overloaded the three of them with tasers. Quite an achievement really since their bodies could take nearly twice the amount of volts required to down them than a normal person. Gunfire continued and in the distance than heard yelling. Then silence fell and the silence was suddenly too loud.

In the silence the three of them waited until there were two small bangs as the door was blown off it's hinges. "And THAT'S how you do it!" they heard Chris yell over his external speakers, sounding way too pleased with himself.

As Alpha streamed down the hallway they left dead bodies in their wake. Mira brought up the rear of the unit as they went into the holding cell where the others were. Altair and Haytham were bound standing but Diyari was sitting because of his lack of foot. "Eight, ten, watch the door," Munahid ordered as they entered the little room, it suddenly becoming too crowded with nine grown adults in it.

Mira smiled to herself as Jari broke ranks instantly and went over to where Diyari was tied up and removed his blindfold. Diyari cried tears of joy once Jari made his visor transparent. She tore her eyes away when Jari pressed the clear visor against Diyari's forehead. Munahid was giving orders but she hadn't heard her number so was content to just not get in the way. She did that a lot. She wasn't the best fighter or really the best anything, she just made the electronics work and let the others go ahead of her.

Munahid tore off Altair's blindfold. Their One smiled, "What a sight for sore eyes you are," he said as Munahid cut the ropes so he could stand. Ehan was doing similar things to Haytham and the younger man sagged in relief once he could stand on his own two feet again. "Took you kids long enough to get here," One said, rubbing the feeling back in his wrist. "Anyone hurt?"

"No, sir," Munahid said.

"Good," One said, "Someone find me a fucking pair of pants," and in three seconds One had gone from captive of the Mormons to Alpha-One, the baddest sonuvabitch in the NCC. Despite some scrapes he wasn't very hurt and even his cuts were superficial and already healing, they didn't know how to get through his skin. Mira had to admit it was pretty hot, and not even the fact that he was naked. His power was hot and Mira wished she was a bit older and maybe also a guy, since it was no secret what One's preference was. She wondered how many time he'd given the men of his unit hard ons, or who had them now. She chided herself for that.

"How you fairing one?" Munahid asked him.

"Good. Could even say great. I've had worse experiences during my pilgrimage. Now really where the hell are those pants?"

"I have three getting you some," Munahid said. "Other than Diyari do you need medical attention?"

"I don't," One looked at Haytham, "you alright son?" he asked.

"Yeah dad," Haytham was leaning on Ehan though, looking tired, "I'm fine."

"Good," and then he said, "Someone give me your helmet."

"Seven," Munahid said over comms, the man who hadn't left his place in front of Diyari, or even looked away from him suddenly shot his head up and looked over his shoulder, "Give one your helmet, you don't need it."

"Roger," and Jari popped the seal on his suit and took off his helmet. As he did Christopher came back in and handed One pants. One put them on and then Munahid handed him the helmet. One crammed it onto his head and Mira knew it was a tight fit, then the helmet whirled softly and expanded to fit his head.

"All local comms do you read me?" One asked.

"Roger," came the resounding response.

"Great. Support, get me in contact with our evac," and then he was talking to support inside his helmet and then also probably Egg and Nest. "We have evac in five minutes," One said. "Now," he turned and looked at Jari, "Seven, give me your suit."

Seven turned and blinked at him in confusion, "What?" he asked."

One took off the helmet and threw it at him, "Give me your suit. You won't need it."

"What?" Munahid asked now.

"Me, nine and eleven still have a primary objective; locate the beacon. We found the beacon."

"One you can't be-

"Egg is going to land the heli in front of the Temple in five minutes and in that time we're going to get seven, nine and eleven out there and into it. No, seven, give me your suit," he ordered.

"But sir," Jari started, "you can't think you're up to-

"Boy, do I have to rip it off you or you going to do it?" One demanded and Mira grinned. Yeah, definitely hot when One took charge.

Jari's mouth went thin then he put his helmet on, it whirled and fit back to his head. He was muted as he logged out of the suit and everyone watched as the overlapping ribs that created the armor on his back opened and his movements slowed. Alpha suits were powered to help carry the load of the metal and electronics and unpowered you were slower and less flexible. Jari unlocked the two straps on his arms and then the suit sighed and he stepped out of it. The top fell forward at the waist while the lower half and arms went rigid. Last he took off his helmet and finally stood there barefoot in just his undersuit, a skin tight, black, leotard with implants that gave feedback to sensors in the helmet and also helped for a more snug and comfortable fit in the suit.

"You sure sir?" Jari asked, "I mean you're going to wear a suit naked?"

"I have had worse chaffing in my life," One said and took the helmet from Jari and put it on and stepped into the legs of the Alpha suit. The electronics whirled and Mira opened her ears to not just the higher noises but also to the electronics. She was effectively support on the field and she always found the sound of an Apha suit powering up to be one of the best sounds. It wasn't a sound she could describe really. It was just really pleasant and calming to her, she liked the sound of electronics, it sounded like singing to her. She'd talked to other support about it and they thought it was weird, some techs understood. She wondered in core programmers heard the singing too.

"Calling all local comms and support, you hear me?" One asked as he put his arms into the suit and the back stitched itself back up his spine.

"Roger that, One," Munahid said.

"Good, good," One said and turned on his external speakers. "Now, seven, I'm sure I don't have to tell you to help eleven to the landing zone. Five you help nine."

"I can walk, I can walk," Haytham batted at Ehan when he tried to help. "And I'm fine. Let me come."

"Sorry kid no can do," One said.

"But-

"Not that I wouldn't love your help. It's just there aren't any spare suits and you're actually naked. So you're going to sit this one out and help seven with eleven in the heli. I expect you both to be well behaved and listen to eleven when he tells you what to do."

"You mean between them making out?" Haytham asked.

"I did say I expect you to be well behaved, there are spare clothes in the heli I expect you all to wear pants the entire time," and Diyari was totally mortified, even more so when the others laughed. "Now we have two minutes until the heli lands and we need to be out there to meet them. They'll be landing for ten seconds and then collect us once we're done. Am I understood?" he clarified.

"Yes, sir," Munahid said.

"Good. Alpha, let's move out," and he made a hand signal before stepping out of the room where barely five minutes previous he'd been a prisoner. Mira followed happily between the twins. This was why she loved Alpha.

If this mission didn't give him a headache nothing else would. Altair suppressed a groan when he saw the damage Chris had wrought on the Temple. He was going to get an earful for this and it wasn't even his fault! He was going to be giving Munahid shit duties till the end of time for letting Chris have free reign in the Temple.

The hall leading out of the containment cells was more or less covered in bodies, one of Wooo was missing his pants. Altair didn't worry about that. He was sure the Mormons were preparing for their next strike and he needed to get his two wounded onto the heli and away from here before anything else happened. The explosions seemed to have deterred the Mormons for now though and no one stopped them as they made their way to the grand front of the Temple.

"Support," he said, muting alpha as they went.

"Yes One?" Altair liked their new support, she was very nice, not like the cranky one they'd been riding with for a while for some reason.

"Show me where you guys put my last location before the stoke team was compromised," he said as they left the underbelly of the Temple, walking through a hole in the wall, the heavily enforced door ten feet away and untouched.

"Done," she said and the map was updated. "Also the bureau leader wants to talk to you."

"Patch him through," Altair said and then opened comms to their evac, "Egg what is your ETA?"

"Dropping now, will land in forty five seconds," Egg said.

"I have three passengers for you. I'll call for you when the rest of us need a pick up."

"Roger that Alpha-One," Egg said as Altair motioned for his men to file out the main door which so far was the only one he'd seen opened with something other than explosives. Probably their girl genius Mira.

"Alpha one you are getting on that transport," the bureau leader said.

"No can do sir. Primary objective is still live. I won't be leaving this place until the beacon has been retrieved," and he could see the heli descending from the black sky above them.

"That is a negative Alpha-One. You are getting on that heli-

"No, sir, I'm not. Before we were compromised we located the beacon. It was one of ours." The heli landed to silence over the comm. The heli's back opened and Jari walked up the ramp, carrying Diyari under his knees and back.

"That doesn't matter Alpha-One. You're to return to base."

"Negative," Altair said, watching Haytham board after Jari, looking grumpy. The heli stalled, clearly waiting for something, probably an okay from the bureau leader. "Egg, this is A-one, all are aboard."

"I'm waiting for confirmation from support," Egg said, sounding ill at ease, clearly not wanting to piss either of them off.

"Support this is Alpha-One, you give Blue Jay clearance right now."

"Negative A-One-

"Give me the bureau leader again," Altair ordered. "Alpha will not be leaving Salt Lake City without the beacon. Is that understood?" his voice grew harder as he spoke.

"You get on that heli right now Alpha-One," the bureau leader said sternly.

"The beacon is from the Asian fortress and pregnant. We will not be leaving Salt Lake City without the beacon. You can write me up later if it makes you feel better but you get this heli off the ground right now or when I get back to Colorado I will be writing you up for interference with an Alpha designated mission. In the field only First Class or the Mentor have authority over my decisions," he'd let Blue Jay listen in on this was well. "Now. Blue Jay, you're airborne, we'll call you once we've located the beacon and need extraction. Support keep the bureau leader off the comms I can't have incompetent bureaucrats undermining our primary objective," and then he muted support though he'd get a ping if they contacted him and opened local comms to Alpha. "We're going back in there," he ordered and tugged Jari's short sword out from the sheath on his thigh.

"Yes, sir," came the reply and they waded back into the Temple.

"Support I need a route to the beacon," he ordered.

"Routing," support said and to the side his map lit up with a path. He altered it, changed it, accounting for blown walls and walls that would be blown then clapped his hand across the back of Munahid's helmet and transferred the map to him. He'd spread it to the rest of Alpha.

"Four, up here," Altair ordered and gave the girl an electrically locked door. She popped out her wires and hooked up. "Everyone on thermals, blow any lights you see," Altair said his visor clearing and his eyes took on a red pupil. He didn't need to tell everyone that there were people behind this door, they could all see the thermal reads through the door.

"Clear," Mira said, unhooking from the electrical lock and stepping back. Altair motioned for Sally and Sarah to take point. He loved twins honestly. They were always trained together, even ones as different as Sally and Sarah. The others stepped to the side of the door as the twins took the front and Altair gave them a count of three. Then they shoved the door open and were met by gunfire. Altair's jaw clenched and watched the twins perform a series of acrobatics that would have left a gymnast impressed. Guns were knocked out of hands and Alpha swarmed through the door at the sound of close combat to offer lethal retribution.

The men behind the door were taken care of in about fifteen seconds and then they were moving, everything about them silent and low and they broke every light they came across helping their dark camo blend in and make them invisible. Doors were kicked open, unlocked or walls blown open when the door was difficult. Altair wasn't afraid to use every member of his team to their full potential now and they were like professionals and executed each motion with trained excellence. Every man was put down like the dogs they were with silent precision until they came to the last door.

Altair motioned to the others and Mira came up again. They left a dark, bloody, corridor in their wake to this door and without missing a beat Mira hooked into the electrical lock. The rest of Alpha stood watch over her as she sank into the circuitry. It took her nearly a minute before the lock beeped and she quickly disengaged and they moved around to protect her. Mira was support in an Alpha suit and everyone knew it and knew she wasn't much help in a fight with guns like this fucking Mormons were using.

There were heat signatures behind the door and Altair gave the twins and Ehan the signal they ran the door and Ehan pushed the heavy metal door open enough for the two slight women to slip through. Gunfire and Ehan shoved it open the rest of the way and they rushed in. Altair caught a flailing Mormon by the wrist and snapped it as he brought the leaf shaped blade of the short sword he was using up to cut open the man's throat. There were only four Mormons in here and they were easy picking.

"Support, we're in the room with the beacon," Altair said.

"It should be there," they said.

"Spread out, find the beacon. She's here, somewhere," he ordered and Alpha went in different directions in the large room, every few feet was a door that led to a cell with a mat to sleep on and a bucket to piss in. Better accommodations than what he'd been in not twenty minutes ago.

"Sir!" Chris called over comms, "Found her," and Altair went over to the door he was at. All the doors had a viewing window you could open and look inside. Sure enough there was the woman, she was tiny but had fierce slanted, black, eyes and dirty black hair. She had pushed herself up into a leaning position and the swell of her stomach was very obvious.

"Get this door open," Altair ordered and Chris didn't need to be told twice. As Altair stepped back Chris took out a can, shook it, and then sprayed it on the hinges.

"Five, I need you to come and grab somethin'," Chris said and Ehan came but stood back as Chris pressed a small device the size of a thumb nail into the foam, which was starting to harden, and then he also stepped back. "Fire in the pit," he activated the device. There was a sharp snap as the foam exploded and Ehan was there in a moment to grab the door before it crashed to the ground. He and Chris lowered it to the floor and Altair walked across it into the cell.

"Hello," Altair said.

"Who are you?" she spoke Korean, which luckily was one of the languages Altair spoke. Though it was one of the few languages still around so it made sense he knew it. After the Collapse entire languages became dead as people started to group together to rebuild. The five major languages were English, Chinese, Korean, German and Arabic. Every other language was considered minor or dead, the world unable to sustain so many languages with so few people. It was easier to assimilate into the major ones than fight it. Altair was a bit rusty on his Korean though.

"Alpha-one of North American fortress. Who you?"

"Kappa-six," she said.

"Well Kappa-six, we're here to rescue you."

"About time!" she snapped and Altair chuckled.

In English he said to his men, "Who wants to carry Kappa-six?" he asked.

"I will," Munahid said and came forward, "though I don't speak... that," he added.

"Six, this is Alpha-six," Altair said to Kappa-six in Korean. "He's going to get you up and help you."

"Six and six?" she smiled at him slightly and she looked a lot less dangerous when she smiled, almost pretty.

"Yes," he nodded and to Munahid he said, "She knows," and then he turned away from Munahid and contacted Blue Jay. "Blue Jay this is Alpha-one requesting immediate evac."

"Bit busy A-one," Nest said.

"What's the problem?"

"We got military birds on our six. Give us a few minutes to get rid of them."

"We'll be topside in five."

"Roger," and he cut the connection.

"Everyone ready?" he asked.

"Sir," and there were nods.

"Good, six?" he turned to Munahid and Kappa-six. He'd decided the best idea was just to carry her though she looked a bit insulted that he was, but wasn't complaining either.

"Ready, sir," he nodded.

"Alright, lets get out of here kids," and he led the way out of the big containment room and through the dark halls back up to the Temple proper. They met some instances where the Mormons showed up to fight them but they were cut down quickly. They made it outside the Temple in less than five minutes.

"Blue Jay we're waiting for that evac," Altair said.

"On our way sir. Just had to give the Mormons some parting gifts, if you catch my meaning."

"Roger," he nodded and ordered Alpha into a perimeter around Munahid and himself as well as Kappa-six.

A few moments later the heli landed and they boarded. "We're set for take off," Altair said to Blue Jay.

"Hold on to your butts," Egg said, "we've still got birds inbound and they're wanting grilled Alpha for breakfast."

"Support you got helis inbound?" Altair asked as the back closed and Blue Jay jerked into the air and rose in a quick and smooth line.

"Red Dog and Hell Carrier are inbound Alpha-one," she said.

"Everyone strap in," he ordered as Alpha did so, Munahid helping Kappa-six fit the straps around her stomach without hurting her. Altair sat and strapped in. He was sitting next to Diyari who was awake, if barely. He was clothed now, the long sleeve on his right arm was tied up against his stump. "You okay kid?" he asked the amputee.

"Yeah dad," he swallowed. "I think I lost more blood than I though. Moving me made my body realize I didn't have as much as I needed."

"We'll get you some blood once we're back in Colorado," Altair said.

"We going to make it?"

"Yeah."

"Had some crazy flying earlier," Diyari swallowed again.

"We got military birds on us. Mormons are pissed."

"Oh great, angry Mormons," he laughed weakly.

"Two more helis are inbound. We'll make it," Altair promised.

"Really?"

"I lie to you yet?"

"No, sir," Diyari said.

"I told you," Haytham suddenly said, across from them as the heli suddenly banked hard to the left, "The God like Alpha-one."

Diyari laughed a little, "Yeah," he looked at Altair, "lucky me I got you as my commander then huh?"

"Oh yeah, all luck," Altair ruffled his hair and then grabbed his harness as the heli jerked and barrel rolled. "Support where are Red Dog and Hell Carrier?"

"On top of you," and on cue they heard something explode outside the heli, rocking it. From the cockpit they heard Egg and Nest whoop loudly and took the heli in a sharp about turn and fire a few rockets.

"Alpha this is Blue Jay, we apologize for the rocky flight but we're now past turbulance and our flight will carry on uninterrupted. Thank you for flying with Blue Jay," and Altair chuckled at Nest's antics. Alpha grinned at each other and the fly back to Marcusville was light.

Rauf woke up to a hangover. Not just any hangover a monster of a hangover. It hurt to exist and this was why he didn't drink. He and Malik must have drunken at least half the bottle in shots last night. It had been brutal. His clock was still going off though, telling him he had to get up and get ready for class. He turned it over and went back to sleep for a bit.

He woke on it own about half an hour later and stared at the empty bed beside him. Altair had his own room and sometimes he slept there so it wasn't always occupied, but there was a stark difference between Altair sleeping in his own room and him on a mission. The other side of the bed seemed so far away and he pressed the flat of his palm where Altair's shoulder would be with a frown. At least he'd slept in his own bed and hoped he wasn't too much of a drunk around Malik. That would have been embarrassing.

After staring at the empty bed he sat up, slowly, and got up slowly and went to dress. He didn't have time for a shower now and just pulled on his instructor uniform and left, dialing down his eyes as he did. Normally you would dial your eyes up to see in the dark or in infrared or even to go into classic but you could also dial them down if you were suddenly exposed to bright light. Rauf did that now to save his poor head. He went down to level twenty-nine for a brief, tasteless, breakfast before going down further to level twenty-one where his classroom was.

There were ten classrooms, and ten instructors, one per room, and one class per level. Rauf taught the ninth level of novices everything they needed to know in this level. That included physical training and academics. His students were incredibly well behaved too, as he'd expect from seventeen year olds, a year before their tenth level and two before their pilgrimage. He got to his classroom, a handprint unlocked and opened the door, and he went inside. Rau went to the podium terminal at the side of the class and accessed it, tapping his code into it to unlock it and giving him access. The room shimmered and the white panels shifted until it took on his default look for his classroom, a large garden with a fountain and benches all facing him. He'd designed this garden because he liked his class to be peaceful.

The teenagers started to come in. Each level, and thus each class, was usually less than two dozen and they were all the same age and all had the same birthday but they all couldn't be more different. Rauf knew each of them and knew their strengths. Next year in level ten they'd be working forward towards their placement testing at the end of their level and then allowed on their pilgrimage, when they got back they'd be tested again and between those two tests would be given their assignment where unless outside forces interfered they'd do for the rest of their lives. Rauf had had that happen to him. He'd been put on Delta, D-three, when he'd come back home and been there for a while before he personally requested to be able to fill the spot of an instructor who'd stepped down. That was almost ten years ago now.

His students took their seats on the benches, talking and laughing to each other. Rauf stood at the podium, leaning against it, his eyes still dialed way down. Once the last boy had come in, almost late, Rauf straightened a bit. "Today," he started and looked down at the podium and the classroom interface, "we're going to relax," and he changed the room into a large field full of rolling hill, it was dark and the stars were out.

"Relax?" someone asked.

"Yes," Rauf tapped in a quick code and he saw everyone's eyes light up when a little white ball of light appeared in front of them. Rauf was giving them free reign to manipulate the room however they wished within the set parameters of the room he'd chosen. "Don't tell the other instructors," he added, pressing his finger to his lips. His students nodded quickly and Rauf ejected the tablet that connected to the podium interface so he could have it mobile and sat down on the grass, letting his eyes dial back up. He hadn't checked his messages before coming down here but now he did, boredly.

Beta was getting a new member and three people were leaving Foxtrot to work in other jobs and a few messages from his friends. But he came across a message that made him pause. It was a forwarded message, which wasn't unheard of, but the original sender was surprising; Red Queen. Who the hell did he know that knew the Red Queen? He checked the local sender and his brows rose. Malik? Malik knew the Red Queen. How did he know the Red Queen? He was just support. He frowned and opened the message.

'You asked me to tell you the outcome cause you felt responsible. Well the bad news is that one of them lost their right arm and foot. Good news is that other than that and a few scrapes Alpha made it back to Marcusville. I don't have more information than that I can share. Please don't ask again, I know you're Shaun's friend but the both of us could get in trouble for this. -RQ'

Rauf read the message three more times before he understood it. Malik had asked the Red Queen- the fucking Red Queen, head of the Core Programmers and master of the fortress and all comings and goings of everything- to tell him if Alpha made it safely back to Marcusvilla. Rauf's heart soared then it crashed when he read it again and read the part about the missing limb. Who? Who was missing a limb? It didn't say. His heart hammered in his chest furiously and he made himself calm down. What could he do?

He couldn't do anything. All he could do was feel relief. Be relieved, and wait.