MI High is coming to an end. What is going to be the future for the team ? Is there a future for the team ? Will everyone go their separate ways or will they stay together ?
Okay so it hasn't been a whole week between updates. I've been busy, so no promises for the next update.
Just how bad was it ?
Dan lay back on his pillow. He wondered what tomorrow would bring. What a mess ! Sighing, he decided it could wait, closed his eyes and let himself drift off to sleep.
Dan leant against the door frame of the safe house, getting his breath back. It was only a short walk from the street, but he was shattered. He pressed the entry button, but there was just an angry kind of beep. Oh what ? "Come on ! You know who it is," complained Dan. He stared at the keypad again. His right eye was a little swollen. Surely the machine could still recognise him. No. Sighing, Dan pulled out his phone and called Tom's number. "Hey Tom ! The house won't let me in. Can you open the door please ?" asked Dan grumpily.
At last the door opened, to show a concerned looking Tom. Dan hastily pushed himself off the door frame and tried to stand up straight. This only nudged his bruised ribs and made him wince involuntarily. Tom tried to help him, but Dan shook his head and walked to the lift. "Erm, this is Agent Morgan," called out Tom.
Dan was scanned and the electronic voice stated, "Agent Morgan identified. Some damage."
Dan made a small smile. Yeah, that about covered it. Some damage ! He and Tom got into the lift in silence.
"Debrief's at 3pm," said Tom nervously. "You could probably have a rest before they get here," he suggested.
Dan was going to protest, but as the lift doors opened he felt another wave of fatigue washing over him. Keri burst out of her room and walked over to him. She didn't look too hot either. Dan stared at her in concern. There was a bruise on her chin. He hated seeing her hurt. Keri wrapped her arms around Dan and hugged him gently. He responded gratefully, smelling the scent of her hair. She was Okay. Once they reluctantly let go of one another, Aneisha stepped up and gave him a much shorter hug.
"Do you want a drink ?" asked Tom.
Dan nodded. "Yeah, thanks. I think I'll go ..." he pointed to his room.
"I'll bring one for you," promised Tom, scuttling off to the kitchen.
Dan sat on his bed and stared at his shoes. He needed to take them off, but that meant leaning down, and he really couldn't face it. He was still staring at his shoes when Tom bustled in with a glass of water.
"Here drink this. I'll get your shoes off for you," said Tom. Dan was too tired to complain so he let Tom pull off his shoes. "You need to get plenty of rest," said Tom.
"I thought Aneisha was the doctor," said Dan quietly.
Tom shifted uneasily. "Yeah, well you don't need to be a doctor to see you're feeling rough," he mumbled. "Do you want me to help you with your clothes ?" he asked doubtfully.
"Nah. I'm good," said Dan. He put the glass down and rolled over on to the bed. It felt good. "Thanks," he muttered. He was asleep before Tom had closed the bedroom door.
Dan woke to someone stroking his face. He opened one eye and looked up. Keri was sitting, smiling down at him. "Hey sleepy. They're here," she said.
"Who ?" Dan whispered, before clearing his throat.
"Our supervisors. For the debrief," Keri reminded him.
"Oh yeah," Dan said, pushing himself upright on the bed. The dizziness had gone. He was starving though. "Do you think they would mind if I ate a sandwich ?" he asked her.
"Tom's made you something," said Keri. "And it's not spaghetti bolognese," she said straight-faced.
Dan laughed. "Good ! That's my dinner ! I still can't make anything else," he said. He leant across and kissed Keri on the lips.
She looked surprised, but pleased. "What was that for ?" she asked.
"That's for being you, and for, well being alive and all of that," Dan closed on a mumble.
Keri gave him a much longer kiss. "And likewise," she said softly, touching his forehead with hers.
"How bad was it ?" Dan asked quietly.
Keri sighed and frowned. "Without the supervisors, we would all be dead," she said simply.
Dan nodded. "Come on then. Let's face the music," he said, pushing himself up off the bed and leading Keri out of his room.
The four instructors were sitting across one sofa and an armchair. Dan and Keri joined Tom on the other sofa while Aneisha took the second armchair. Tom put a burger on a plate in front of Dan.
"Do you mind ?" he asked the supervisors. They shook their heads and smiled.
"Thanks Tom," said Dan. He noticed that Tom had made it just how he liked it, with nothing added. He realised just how hungry he was once he started eating and it wasn't long before he was finished. He realised then that nobody had yet spoken. "Sorry," he mumbled, polishing off the last few crumbs. "That was great Tom, thanks," he said, putting the plate back on the table.
"How are you feeling Dan ?" asked Agent Bertolli.
"Glad we're not all dead," said Dan softly.
There was a moment's silence before Agent Hunter spoke, "Well let's get started. First our analysis of the mission information," he said.
"Lousy ?" asked the Professor.
"Highly inaccurate," corrected Agent Bertolli. "We did check it and it appeared on the surface to be correct. We checked again after the mission and that was when we realised how flimsy the basis of the intel was. Poor !" she complained.
"Action ?" asked Agent Hunter.
"Double check on source and circumstance," snapped the Professor.
"Agreed," said Agent Hunter, taking notes on his laptop.
"And a bollocking to Mission Sourcing," added the Professor.
"I'll leave that to you Oz," said Agent Hunter.
"My pleasure," agreed the Professor.
"Preparation ?" asked Agent Hunter. He looked at the team and they all shuffled nervously.
"Inadequate ?" suggested Aneisha. The others nodded glumly.
"We were totally outnumbered. We should have had some sort of weapons," Dan said, looking down.
"By the time the proximity detectors went off, we were looking them in the eyes," added Keri.
"Action ?" asked Agent Hunter.
"I think I need to learn how to use a gun," said Dan very quietly.
"You all need to learn how to use a range of weapons," said the Professor calmly. "Your opponents will not hesitate."
The silence was broken after a moment by Agent McManus. "I think there should also be more active external support. We can't afford to simply monitor. We could have intervened sooner once we realised the potential number of hostiles."
"Agreed," said the Professor. Agent Hunter nodded and made a note. "So, finally, mission execution ?"
"We tried to hold them off, but there were too many," said Dan. He looked haunted.
Keri slipped her hand into his. "We were outnumbered Dan. It's not your fault," she said.
"No it wasn't Dan's fault that he was overwhelmed," said the Professor. "Keri you were able to remain upright with the assistance of Aneisha," he pointed out. There was a silence.
"Um, I think what you're trying to say is that I should have come out to help fight rather than hiding in the computer room," said Tom hoarsely.
"You were working the computer," said Dan.
"I was watching the computer working," Tom corrected him. "I didn't need to. I knew how long it was going to take. It was written on the screen. The truth is that I hid because I don't know how to fight and I was scared of what would happen if I tried to fight." Tom looked down in shame.
"Thankyou Tom," said Agent Hunter, making a note on his laptop.
"But it's not just about Tom," protested Dan.
"No it isn't Dan, but Tom needs to make a decision," said Agent Hunter. "He can either be a Field Agent and learn how to defend himself and his team mates, or he can become a back office technical agent. There is no shame in that if you don't feel able to take on the full responsibilities of a Field Agent, Tom" said Agent Hunter.
Tom looked at Dan, then Keri and Aneisha. "You could all have been killed," he said. He looked like he was ready to cry. "I can't let that happen." Aneisha reached across and squeezed Tom's hand sympathetically. Tom took a deep breath. "Right, Dan hates guns. If he's ready to learn how to use guns, then I'm going to learn how to fight. If I don't get good enough, then you make me a technical geek thingy," he said determinedly.
"Agreed," said Agent Hunter. "Training starts on Monday. You will receive your instructions," he said, snapping his laptop shut.
"Thankyou all of you for your honesty," said Agent Bertolli. "Accepting your mistakes is the first step to learning and improving. I am proud of you all for what you have decided today. Very proud," she added with a smile.
"Lovely sentiment," said the Professor. "Unfortunately I think you're boring them Bertie." He nodded at Dan whose head had slumped back and was fast asleep.
Keri looked at Dan fondly. "He's got a short attention span when he's been beaten to a pulp," she said. The Professor gave her a quick grin.
"Right, we'll leave you in peace. I would say you should get plenty of rest, but I can see some of you have already got to work on that," said Agent MacManus dryly. "We'll see you on Monday.
They left, and the room went quiet, apart from the steady, noisy breathing of Dan.
"I'm so sorry," whispered Tom.
Keri and Aneisha glanced at one another. Keri stood up and Aneisha took her place. Taking Tom's hand in hers, she spoke to him gently. "Tom, you've never been a fighter. We all know that. You're getting way out of your comfort zone and if you don't want to do this we all understand. If you want a back office job, that's fine," she told him.
"I don't," said Tom firmly. "I want to stay with you guys. You're my friends and I don't want to lose you," he said. "And Dan's hopeless with a computer. You guys need me," he said more confidently.
Dan woke up with a snort and looked around in alarm. "What ? Did I miss something ? Where'd they go ?" he asked in quick succession.
"Tom's going to learn to fight," said Aneisha proudly.
"Wow ! Great !" said Dan happily.
"And you're going to learn to use computers," added Tom.
"Oh," said Dan a lot less happily.
"Just kidding !" laughed Tom. "They didn't say anything about computers," he said.
