Hey guys I am happy to say this story is back in business. I really do apologize for the hiatus but it had to be done. Thank you guys for waiting it out You know I love ya'll.
I have one little thing to add though and it goes to a person who reviewed anon as LauraLee. Now if LauraLee is lkaplon, Chimera452Bast, StoryDreamer, Mari83, or zizzy than I apologize for this remark but this is what I have to say in response to her review on my hiatus announcement.
Laura Lee I understand that you were upset that it was on hiatus and I appreciate the thanks, but i do not appreciate the fact that the first time you have ever taken the time to actually review is to tell me that you're angry about me taking a break.
Well that's all I have to say. I made this chapter longer than I normally would have to make up a little for the long break. Hope you enjoy! And don't forget to review I love hearing from you guys!
Liz bounced her knee nervously during the entire flight. As much as she tried to, she just couldn't sit still. She ran over the plan Max had come up with over and over in her head until she was sure she had it memorized completely.
The plan was simple but effective.
Mole and Dix were meeting them at the airport with a surveillance van. Once they reached the facility, Logan and Dix were going to hack into the security system in order to minimize detection and monitor the cameras.
Mole was staying at the van and the other six transgenics were going into the facility in teams of two. Liz wasn't too happy about being paired up with Alec, but she didn't question Max's leadership.
The three teams each had their own point of entry on different sides of the facility, and thanks to the base blueprints Liz had managed to hack into through Manticore's security server, each team knew exactly where they were going in order to accomplish their assigned duties.
Max and Joshua's objective was reaching Jondy's cell and getting her out of the complex safely. Krit and Syl were charged with creating a decent sized diversion on the opposite side of the base. And last but not least, it was Alec and Liz's job to get to the computer mainframe to open Jondy's cell and then provide back up to Max and Joshua.
Both the flight and the drive to the facility were silent. Alec had attempted conversation but had been shushed harshly by both Max and Liz as soon as he had opened his mouth. Everyone was busy contemplating the task before them. Thanks to their Manticore training they were all completely professional; soldiers waiting patiently to spring into action.
On a backwoods road about a mile from the facility the group parked the van and got ready to go.
Liz felt a little silly dressed in her cameo outfit, combat boots, and painted face. Not many of the missions she had done for Eyes Only or for herself over the years involved stealth. Normally she would hit the place hard and be out so fast that she was long gone before they had even known what had just happened. Of course, that didn't mean she wasn't practiced in the art of being undetectable, it just wasn't her style
Once they made sure all their comm gear was working correctly, the transgenic soldiers set out at exactly 5:57am. They moved swiftly and silently through the trees and morning mist toward their target sides of the compound.
At promptly 6:02, Alec and Liz crept up to the fence on the north side of the facility. They made no noise even with the littering of brittle leaves at their feet. In one fluid and practiced motion Alec tossed Liz over the tall fence rimmed with razor wire.
The younger X-5 landed lightly on her feet and moved to a position hidden from the view of the passing guards. Once the patrol had rounded the corner, she signaled Alec and in less than a second he was by her side.
The pair waited for Logan to inform them that the outer alarm was off and the surveillance cameras were looped. Logan's voice crackled in their ear pieces at precisely 6:05 and the two X-5s entered the building and headed to the mainframe computers. After dispatching the single guard and the computer tech with sleeper holds, Liz got to work on the computers while Alec kept watch.
In less than five minutes, Liz set up a general access code (which they had decided upon earlier) and patched Logan and Dix through to the mainframe so they could not only monitor the cameras but the door activity as well.
Getting ready to leave the mainframe room, Alec grabbed the guard's two guns. He checked the bullets, pocketed the extra clips, and threw the extra weapon over to his partner. Liz looked at the piece in disgust and tossed it back to Alec.
"You keep it, I won't use it."
Alec shrugged and tucked the returned weapon under his belt. "Whatever."
With the first part of their assignment completed, Liz and Alec set off to join Max, Joshua, and Jondy.
They were less than halfway there when every alarm in the building suddenly came screeching to life. Alec and Liz ducked around a corner as group of security officers came rushing down the hall chattering on their walkie-talkies.
Once they were out of hearing range Liz whisper yelled into the mic attached to her sleeve. "Logan! What the hell's going on?"
Logan's voice came through the ear piece all broken and static. Something was interfering with their connection. Liz quickly disposed of the faulty equipment once it began squealing in her ear.
"C'mon Alec we have to go find Max and the others something is seriously wrong."
Abandoning their stealth technique for speed, the pair of X-5s raced to the area in the facility that housed the transport holding cells.
In less than a second after they entered the room, the two transgenics assessed the situation and moved to take action. Two soldiers were blocking the exit and had Max, Joshua, and Jondy pinned down behind some storage lockers.
Using the same method they had in the mainframe room, Liz and Alec send the two guards off to dreamland before they even knew what hit them. Liz stuck her head back out into the hall to make sure no reinforcements were headed their way, as Alec relieved the unconscious men of their firearms.
"The hall's clear. Let's move."
Liz's heart leapt when she caught sight of her long lost sister following behind Max and Joshua, but she kept it in check. They still had to get out of here in one piece. Reunions could wait until later. Alec gave the extra weapons to Joshua and Jondy, and the group of five made their way down the hall to the door Alec and Liz entered through.
Alec noticed Max was still wearing her ear piece. "Can you talk to Logan on that thing? Both of ours went dead."
Max shook her head. "Nothing but static."
With Max, Jondy, and Joshua on one side of the steel double doors and Alec and Liz on the other. Alec and Joshua pushed the doors open with guns drawn. Gunfire erupted as soon as they did and it was a miracle neither of them were hit before the group was able to pull the doors shut again.
"Well it looks like we're not getting out of here this way." Alec said with a nervous smirk.
Looking around Liz noticed the security panel on the side of the door. She walked over to it and pulled off the cover. Pulling a small device out of her pocket she looked back at Max.
"Did you grab the walkie-talkie off one of those guards?"
Max handed her sister the communication device. Liz hooked the object from her pocket to the talkie and then plugged the other end into the panel. A few keystrokes later and displayed on the small screen was a map of the facility covered with a bunch of red dots.
"Is that… is that a blueprint of the building with the locations of the security team?" Max questioned, completely in awe of Liz's skills.
"Yeah. This dot is us, these are the guards that were just shooting at us, and this…" She pointed to a dot free area on the screen. "…is our new exit."
"Well you heard the lady. Let's go." Alec said leading the group in the direction Liz had found.
Liz disconnected her device and shoved it and the walkie-talkie into her pocket. "Stay on guard guys. Those dots are only the people with comm. connections."
The exit the young X-5 had found turned out to be through the garage. Unfortunately, the doors were locked and the security code they had set up didn't work on the huge hanger-like doors. So Liz was again hacking into the security panel trying to get the door open, and the others were standing guard at the other doors that led into the garage.
Alec, who was guarding the doorway that led back to the hall they had just come from, yelled over to the young transgenic. "Uh Liz how much longer is that going to take you?"
"I dunno 40 seconds?"
"Well you better make it now, cause we've got company over here!"
Alec ducked back into the garage just in time to avoid the rounds of ammunition that came spilling in from the walkway. Alec returned fire, so that he could retreat to a more tactical position behind a hummer in the garage. The other's that had weapons joined him and kept the soldiers pinned just outside the doorway.
Max hovered just behind her baby sister. "You got it yet?"
"Just about…. There!" Liz hit enter and the garage doors slowly began to slide open.
Max yelled to the others. "C'mon guys move it."
Alec waved back at her. "Go I'll keep them pinned and give you guys a head start!"
Max headed out the door first, then Jondy, and Joshua. Alec was working his way back over to the door, and Liz hovered at the exit waiting for him, ready to close the doors from the other side as soon as he was through.
The young woman's heart stopped when she watched Alec get clipped by a bullet in the shoulder. He screamed and hit the floor grasping at the wound that was spilling blood over the concrete floor. She yelled out the door to the others.
"Joshua! Alec's hit!"
Without waiting Liz raced back into the garage and was at Alec's side. With great difficulty, she pulled him to his feet and they stumbled back behind one of the parked transport vans. As soon as they were behind it Liz stuck her head back out to see just how in trouble they were.
There were at least 4 gunman positioned behind the Hummer Alec was using as cover just seconds ago. Alec sent a few more rounds at them to keep them there. But that was it, after that they were out of bullets.
Then out of nowhere the door to their right swung open and a young guard trained his weapon on the X-5s. Liz looked around frantically trying to find a way out. Her eyes locked on a handgun a few feet to her left and just in front of her.
Without hesitation she dove for it and her only thought was please God let it be loaded. Her hand closed around the gun and the soldier got off a single shot before the bullet Liz fired ended his life.
She kneeled there staring at the body she had just stolen the life from, completely unaware of Joshua finally reaching them or the bullet embedded in her thigh.
Joshua helped Alec to his feet and then went over to Liz. "Kid we gotta move."
Liz's eyes never left the body and she made no effort to move. Joshua looked back at Alec.
"We don't have time for this big guy just grab her and let's go!"
Joshua turned back around and grabbed Liz, threw her over his shoulder, and dashed out of the building after Alec.