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Chapter 3

Hood had to abandon her original plans. She had intended to build four gun turrets instead of the two they just made, but now there was no time. She would have to settle with having two custom made machine guns instead.

The group worked throughout the night. They couldn't take any rests now that their lives were on the line. They had no sense of time inside the cave, but every precious second meant the difference between life and death. The weapon they were building didn't have to be perfect just as long as it helped them escape. However, Hood had another mission in mind. A more personal one.

At dawn the next day they were ready.

Hood and Belle put up a large sheet of metal that stood in the way of the camera. Then together they carried Hood's rig unit over. It was crude but it would work, at least until they were able to make their escape. However, they had work fast. There was no doubt that the Scotsman was watching and it wouldn't take long for him to get suspicious and send men over.

The device was attached to an electronic pulley and lifted up while Hood stood still, hidden behind the shield. After it was brought level behind her back Hood put on a leather jacket, some thick gloves, and a neck brace to help protect herself. She didn't know if they would really help but they would soon find out. Then the device was placed on through a belt and shoulder straps. Once it was secure Belle and her father did a last minute check to make sure everything was in place.

"Go over it again one last time," said MacAleese.

Unknown to the terrorists, when they had dragged Hood through the cave she had counted the number of steps and memorized the directions taken that led to the cave entrance. The last thing they needed was running into a dead end and becoming trapped.

"Forty-one steps straight ahead until you come to another door, then sixteen steps after that," she repeated for the hundredth time, "Then take the right on the fork, go thirty-three steps, turn right again and you're there."

Right after they finished there was banging on the door before the slit was yanked opened.

"MacAleese! Hood!" came an angry voice, "What's going on in there?!"

"Answer them," she hissed, "Try to stall."

"Why are you blocking the camera?! Where's Hood?!"

"We're putting the missile together!" MacAleese yelled back.

"Show yourself, Hood!"

"I'm a bit busy right now!" she yelled over her shoulder, "Just hold on!"

"Show yourself right now or we're coming in!"

"She said hold on!" yelled Belle.

But no matter what they the said the guards weren't convinced and eventually they unlocked the doors. However, they were in for a nasty surprise. A makeshift bomb using two propane tanks had been placed on the door, rigged to blow the moment it opened. When it did, the two terrorists were greeted with a huge fireball before they were blasted away and were knocked unconscious.

"How did that go?" Hood asked afterward.

MacAleese, who had taken cover, looked out through the wide open doors that were now destroyed thanks to the blast.

"Oh, my God. It worked."

"I knew it would," Hood grinned briefly before turning grim, "Hurry now. It won't long take for reinforcements arrived. Put the cube in and don't forget the other one."

MacAleese quickly finished installing the crude armor that protect her chest and legs while Belle snatched one of the cubes and pushed it inside the belt buckle before putting the other one in her pocket as Hood instructed her earlier. Right away the device started powering up. A cable connected to a laptop displayed a progress bar as the power up sequence was initialized.

"It's going," MacAleese was sweating in both fear and anticipation, "Slowly but surely."

"Check my weapons," Hood told Belle.

Just then they heard the sound of angry voices approaching.

"They're coming!" Belle gasped.

"Keep calm," Hood reminded her, "We'll be out of this soon."

The terrorists were getting closer. And closer.

"Wait until I tell you the coast is clear before you follow me out. How are we doing, Professor?"

MacAleese didn't answer at first.

"There's not enough time," he said slowly, "We need more time!"

When he turned Hood saw the look on his face and she immediately knew what he was planning to do.

"Hey," he said before she could speak, "I'm going buy some time."

He smiled at her before he moved.

"Wait, Professor! Stick to the plan!"

"Dad!" Belle screamed, "Where are you going?!"

"Stay with her!" MacAleese strictly instructed as he snatched up one of the terrorist's rifles and disappeared. Soon they heard the sounds of machine gun fire and men yelling and screaming.

"Dad!" Belle made a move to go after him, but Hood stopped her.

"Stay here, Belle! I need you with me! Come, put my helmet on."

Realizing there was nothing she could do to help her father Belle picked up the steel helmet and placed it on Hood's head. Hood's eyes locked on the little laptop screen and saw that the power sequence was just over halfway done and seemed to be progressing no further.

"Damn it!" she cursed, "Come on!"

The gunfire continued for several moments. Then everything went silent.

Belle went pale, "Oh, no..."

Just then the device finished powering and Hood was able to move freely. Because of the immense draw of power, the cave went dark.

"Take cover," she ordered, "And don't come out until I tell you."

Belle did what she was told and hid herself safely out of harm's way while Hood moved over to a spot where it was dark and had a clear view of the entrance. She didn't have to wait long and four terrorists arrived. She was disappointed that neither of the leaders had come, for she was hoping for the chance to take them out.

The four men approached cautiously, holding their automatic in front of them. Then one broke off and entered the room while the rest stayed behind. The lights were weak and flickering, making it difficult for him to see. He went deeper inside, his eyes and his rifle snapping back and forth. It appeared that no one was in the room. Then he turned and saw a strange blue light. It was the last thing he saw before Hood shot him dead.

The other three reacted by firing blindly into the workshop, but none the bullets hit their targets. They did however, take out of the light, leaving the room totally dark. Silence reigned again, only disturbed by the sound of their heavy breathing. Just when they thought it was safe they saw a blue light approaching before they were greeted with machine gun fire. They never stood a chance and were immediately cut down.

It was then Hood made her way outside for first time in several days. The rig unit was working nicely. Better than she expected. The mysterious power cube was making operate virtually on its own and she could hardly feel the weight.

Her hands held up two custom made machine guns with flamethrowers underneath attached the unit's lower arms. Above her shoulders were two gun turrets, each supporting a single cannon using custom made shells and was capable of reloading itself after each shot. Hood's body was also covered in armor from head to toe. Since it was designed for a frontal assault, she had no protection for her back.

The power cube apparently made it easier for her to move. She would definitely have to do some research on this mysterious object when she got back. Right now though she had to focus on them making their escape.

"Come on, Belle!" she called over her shoulder.

She kept her eyes forward as she heard the girl come up behind before pointing to the ground, "Pick up one of their guns and watch my back."

Belle picked up one of the rifles, "I don't how to use these."

"Now's a good time to learn. Just point and shoot, and make the safety's off. I'll clear the way. Stay behind me and make sure we're not flanked."

With that she started marching forward down the corridor, Belle staying close behind and watching their rear. Twice they encounter a single terrorist, charging straight at them with guns blazing before Hood knocked them aside and they continued on their way.

Eventually they came to the second pair of steel doors. The terrorists shut it close and took defensive positions, hoping the door would stop her advance.

It didn't.

Standing a safe distance away Hood aimed her cannons and fired. The impact sent the doors right off their hinges, one them falling right on top of a terrorist and killing him instantly. The rest ran for their lives as Hood and Belle came through the opening.

A handful more tried to stop but were quickly dealt with while the rest ran out of the cave. Fortunately they were never flanked. Finally they reached the entrance and the first thing they saw was MacAleese lying on top a pile of sacks and coughing out blood.

"Dad!" Belle started to move around Hood.

"Watch out!" he yelled weakly.

From the corner of her eye Hood saw the Scotsman aim a grenade launcher at them. Reacting quickly she pushed Belle back as he pulled the trigger. The grenade narrowly missed them and impacted against the cave wall. Belle screamed as pieces of rock showered over them. Feeling the anger rushing through her veins Hood aimed her left cannon at the Scotsman and fired. It struck the wall behind him, the blast knocking the terrorist knock off his feet. The explosion caused several large rocks to fall on him and it partially blocked the cave. Luckily there was still enough room to make it out.

Belle immediately ran to her father's side. Dropping her rifle she picked up one of his hands.

"Dad!" she gasped as Hood stepped closer, "Oh, God. Hang in there! You're going to be okay! Stay with me please!"

The professor's entire chest was covered in blood and there were numerous bullet holes. Blood trickled from his mouth as his breathing became more and more ragged. Hood knew right that he wasn't going to make it. He was already dying.

MacAleese smiled at her, "I'm sorry, Miss Hood. I couldn't hold them."

She smiled back, "You did more than enough, Professor."

"Dad..." Belle began to cry, "No."

He turned to her as she lifted his hand to her cheek. With the last of his strength his fingers caressed her cheek.

"Belle..." he smiled at her, "I am so proud of you. I love you very much. Be sure to live a happy life for me."

The girl shook her head as she sobbed.

The professor turned back to Hood, "Take... take care... of my daughter," he coughed a few times, "She... she has no one else. Promise me."

"I will," Hood bowed her head, "Thank you for everything, Professor."

He nodded before looking at them both.

"Don't waste it. Don't waste your life."

He gasped three more times... and went still. Belle gasped and touched his head. She called out to him but there was no answer. He was gone. With a cry she cradled his head in her arms and wept. Hood looked away, fighting back her own tears.

Corey MacAleese, Professor of Queen's College in Belfast, had died saving their lives. She wouldn't let his death be in vain. Outside she heard someone commanding what was left of the terrorists to surround the entrance. She turned back to Belle and touched her shoulder.

"Belle... we have to go. We can't stay here," the girl refused to move, "Please, Belle. There's nothing more we can do for him. Don't let his sacrifice go to waste."

Reluctantly the girl released him and bobbed her head. Wiping away her tears, she placed her father's hands on his chest and said goodbye before she picked up her rifle and followed Hood out.

A dozen men stood twenty feet away from the cave entrance as Hood came out, their guns pointed right at her. For a moment they stood in awe at the strange sight she presented with her rig unit.

Hood took that moment to scan the area. The Irishman was nowhere to be seen, and she couldn't recall encountering him during her assault through the cave. Which meant that either he had already made his escape and left his men behind or the Scotsman had already sent him on a mission.

Then someone gave the order to fire and everyone unloaded their rifles. The bullets bounced harmlessly off her armor and she stood her ground. Belle stayed inside the cave, safe from the gunfire and waiting for Hood to clear the way.

Once the terrorists emptied their weapons Hood stared them down and said, "My turn," and unleashed her flamethrowers.

Half of the men screamed in agony as they were engulfed in flames while the rest ran for their lives. Hood then started moving forward, aiming her flamethrowers at the arsenals of weapons.

At Hood's signal Belle followed her out and she was greeted with an inferno. Everything was now on fire.

Ahead of them what remained of the terrorists was shooting whatever they had left. Things soon began to explode around them.

Belle, fearing that they would die in the in the chaos, ran up to Hood.

"Hood!" she yelled as loud as she could, "We should go! Now!"

"Not yet!" Hood yelled back.

There was some weapons left. She had to destroy every single one so they can never be used. She saw a terrorist up on a hill mount a fifty caliber machine gun and she quickly disposed of him with a shot from her cannons.

"Hood!" she heard Belle coughing violently, "Please! We're going to die!"

By the now whoever was left had already fled. Enough was enough.

"Come here, Belle!"

Dropping her weapon Belle came to her side and she wrapped her arm tightly around her. Then from her arm she flipped a switch and pushed a button. A self made rocket on her back ignited and launched the two of them in the air.

"Hold on tight!" she said as the ground bellow them exploded.

She pushed another button and the arms of the rig unit fell off, significantly reducing the weight and allowing them to sour higher and faster. When the rocket finally exhausted its fuel she reached to her side and pulled a cord. A parachute shot out and slowed their descent. A breeze carried the pair away from the mountains.

"Do you recognize where we are?" Hood asked as they scanned the land below them.

Belle shook her head before her eyes lighted up, "I think I see some campers over there."

Hood looked over to where she pointed and saw some tents and a few motor homes and trailers parked near a river. With her hands she tried to direct the parachute in that direction.

"Let's see if we can get closer before we land. Let's hope they're not terrorists."

It was difficult with the breeze but she managed to get close enough to where the campers bellow began to point at them. Then she cursed when she saw they were about to land on a rocky hill.

"Hang on," she warned, "This is gonna be a rough landing."

Belle nodded and tightened her grip. The instant they landed Hood lost her balance, feeling her ankle twist. She gasped in pain as she fell on her back. Thankfully the rocket kept her from being injured. She slid down the hill a little before coming to a stop.

"Miss Hood!" Belle ran to her side after having been knocked from her embrace on impact, "Are you alright?"

Hood tried to sit up, wincing in pain, "I think my ankle is twisted and my wrist sprained, but I'm okay. Help me get this thing off."

With Belle's help she took off what was left of the rig unit before they started taking off what remained of Hood's armor. Belle then saw saw a young couple running up to them. As soon as Hood explained who she was they immediately called the police.

"We made it," Belle sobbed, "I can't believe we made it. But... Dad..."

Hugging her legs the girl's head fell to her knees and she began to cry. Hood reached over and rubbed her back.

"He knew what he was doing, Belle. He saved our lives."

She looked over at the discarded rig unit. With her other hand she reached over to the belt buckle and pulled the mysterious power cube.

"Along with this," she silently whispered.

Two days later Patience arrived by helicopter at the hospital roof in Edinburgh.

When she received word from her superiors that her friend had been found she couldn't believe it. For the last two weeks the British Army and their allies had been combing the entire desert of the Middle East trying to find her, only to learn she had been held captive in Scotland the entire time. How they could have made such a blunder was unacceptable, and Patience wasn't the only one who was mentally kicking herself for not considering the possibility.

As soon as the helicopter landed she yanked opened the door, jumped out and ran inside. A nurse directed her to Hood's room. She found her lying on a bed with a teenage girl by her side. Her left foot was raised a little and her right arm was in sling. Other than that, she looked perfectly fine. As soon as Hood saw her she beamed.

"Finally a familiar face."

Laughing, almost crying with joy, Patience went over and hugged her tightly.

"I thought you were dead! Who am I going to complain to if you were?"

Hood laughed heartily, "Maybe you'll finally find a boyfriend, then you can complain to him."

Patience scoffed at the idea hugged her again, "Next time you ride with me. Okay? No more going off by yourself."

"Will do," her friend patted her arm.

She looked at the girl with silver hair, "Who is this?"

Hood introduced her as Belle MacAleese and how she helped her escape at the cost of Belle's father sacrificing himself.

"I'm very sorry for your loss," Patience reached over and shook the girl's hand, "Thank you for helping my friend."

The girl nodded, still saddened by her father's death.

"Well, since we're now on the subject," Patience pulled up a chair and sat, "Tell me everything that happened, Samantha. Right from the start."

An hour later two platoons of the British Army headed to the hideout to see if there was anything or anyone left. Belle left with Patience after volunteering to show where the cave was. When they arrived all they found were destroyed weapons, munitions, and dead bodies.

However, there was no sign of Joseph Grieg.

Whatever terrorists remained they were already long gone. Inside the cave they found the professor right where he had been left. In the haste to escape the workshop had been left as it was. Besides from that there was little else the Army found that could identify who exactly the terrorist group were.

Hood was happy to hear that she had destroyed all of the weapons taken from her company, but she was far from satisfied. The Irishman was still out there and if the Joseph himself had survived he would be out for revenge. She had to be very careful from now on. If those terrorists were using her weapons chances were they had another stash of them hidden somewhere.

Someone in her company was giving away her weapons. Of that she was absolutely certain. She had to find out who it was before things got out of hand followed by a great number of innocent people being killed. Hood Industries was the pride of British military might and she not about to let her father's legacy be smeared by cowards.

However, finding the person responsible was not going to be an easy task. Whoever it was would be clearly going to great lengths to cover their tracks. The more time Hood spent looking for the traitor the more time that person had to sell more weapons. If only there was a way to stall that person.

Then an idea struck her.

After thinking it over she found that it was the best coarse of action given the situation she was in. It would be controversial and it could cost her the company, but that was a price she was willing to pay. In the meantime she had to create a countermeasure for when her weapons fell into the wrong hands. She already had a project in mind and she planned to start working on it the moment she returned home.

The next day she was released from the hospital, escorted by Patience. Her ankle had healed enough that she was able to walk around. However, her arm had to remain in its sling for another day or two.

Instead of taking the plane to London Hood decided to go to Belfast to attend the Professor MacAleese's funeral. She had paid for it after all. He had no other living relatives, but many people came. Friends, fellow teachers, students, and former students. All had gathered to say goodbye to Corey MacAleese, beloved professor at Queen's College in Belfast. When the service was over Hood went over to Belle and hugged her.

"What will you do now?" she asked.

The poor girl shrugged, "I don't know just yet. I do intend to finish college. Dad would never forgive me if I didn't, but he was paying for everything."

"You don't have a scholarship?" Hood was surprised.

"No," Belle shook her head and sighed, "Now that he's gone I'll have to find a job. On top of that I'll have to find a place to live. I don't relish the idea of living in one of those cheap, ugly apartments."

Hood thought over before she placed her hand and Belle's shoulder.

"I have a better idea. Why don't you come to Dover and live at my place?"

The girl blinked several times, "What?"

"It's only an hour away from London by train. You can attend your classes just like you did before and you won't have to pay any rent."

Belle could only stare at her, "Miss Hood, you're asking too much. You've already paid for my Dad's funeral. Why would you go this far for me?"

"I promised your father I would take care of you, and that's what I intend to do."

Belle shook her head, "I can't let you do this. It's too much."

"I want to," Hood said firmly, "I don't want to see you having to live off the streets. You deserve better than that."

"I don't want to impose or burden you."

She squeezed the girl's shoulder, "You won't. Your father gave his life to save us. I owe him for that. As someone who admired him greatly, it's the least I could do. Besides, I got a feeling I'm going to be staying at home a lot more than usual. It's only me, my driver, and occasionally my secretary. It gets pretty lonely in there. I could use the company. Furthermore, I'm going to be working on a project I like you to be a part of. I meant what I said back in the cave. You really are a good assistant, and you know your stuff. In fact, I'd be happy to take you as my protege if you like. I could teach you a great deal, and you can my workshop."

Belle's eyes went completely wide, "Y-You mean that? You really mean that?"

Hood nodded, "I do. You got great potential, Belle. I don't want to see it go to waste."

Several moments passed as Belle thought it over.

"I suppose you're not going to take 'No' for an answer?" she asked.

"Nope."

Her lips started to rise, "And I guess have no choice in the matter?"

"You do not," Hood grinned.

"Well..." the girl shrugged, "I never did like the city anyway. If it's really okay with you, then I accept."

"Excellent!" Hood slapped her shoulder before pulling out a card, "This is my secretary's number. When you're ready give him a call and he'll take care the rest."

"I'll do that. Thank you, Miss Hood."

Hood smiled, "And you can call me Samantha. I won't object."

After leaving Belle behind and under police protection Hood finally returned to England. At her request no reporters was present. The last thing she wanted was to be hounded with questions about her recent experience.

The RAF plane carrying her and Patience landed at Gatwick Airport and rolled to the spot where Lance Holland and Henry stood beside the Rolls Royce waiting. They were the first thing Hood saw when she came out. She smiled at them as Patience helped her down the stepladder. Her smiled disappeared the moment she saw the stretcher being rolled out towards her.

"Are you mad?" she looked at Patience in disgust, "Get rid of that. I don't need it."

At Patience's signal the paramedics rolled the stretcher back to their ambulance. When their feet reached the tarmac she released Hood and watched as her friend made her way over to Lance.

"Hmm," she looked him in the eye, "You're eyes look red. A few tears from your long lost boss?"

He grinned sarcastically, "Tears of joy really. I hate job hunting."

At that she chuckled, "Yeah, well... vacation's over. Let's go," she suddenly turned to Patience and whispered, "I want you to come to my place this evening. It's urgent and I need to talk to you in private."

She left her friend standing there mystified by her unusual request.

"Where to, Miss Hood?" Henry asked when they were all inside the car.

"Take us to the hos-" Lance started to say before Hood interrupted him with a sharp, "No."

He looked at her, "No? You need to-"

"I don't need to go to the hospital."

His boss was speaking in a tone he had never heard before. He was then stunned to see that her beautiful face had been replaced with anger and contempt. He almost didn't recognize her.

"My Lady..." he said slowly, "The doctor has to take a look at you-"

"I've been in captivity for two weeks and spent another lying in a hospital bed. I'm done with that. There are two things I want right now. First, I want some fish and chips. Then I want you to call for a press conference."

His jaw dropped, "A press conference? What the devil for?"

She didn't answer, "Henry, drive. Fish and chips first."

On the way to the fast food restaurant Lance tried to get her to explain why she suddenly wanted a press conference right after her return but she refused to answer. In the end he had no choice but to do what she asked.

An half an hour later they arrived at the Hood Industries building in London, where a crowd of reporters had gathered at the entrance to welcome her.

"Look at this!" Patricia Royal exclaimed among the cheering crowd as she opened the door. Hood got out, wiping her lips with a napkin as Patricia hugged her, "Welcome back, Sammy!"

"Hi, Patty," she hugged her back.

"I thought we were meeting at the hospital."

"I'm fine," Hood insisted for the tenth time, "Is everyone here?"

"Yeah, it's all set up," Patricia led her inside, "You got some fish and chips! Save any for me?"

"Sorry, I was really hungry."

Lance followed them inside and when they reached the conference hall they found more members of the press along with the board of Hood Industries waiting for them. The crowd cheered and applauded as Hood made her through to the stage. He watched her quietly, happy to see that his boss had returned, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right with her.

"Mr. Holland?"

He blinked at the sound of an American accent and turned to see a shorter man somewhere in his thirties standing there in a black suit and tie.

"Yes? Can I help you?" Lance tried to keep his eyes on his boss.

"Can I speak to you for a moment?" the man asked.

"I'm not part of the press conference, but it's about to begin right now."

"I'm not a reporter. I'm Agent Arthur Davis from Azur Lane."

Lance frowned, "Azur Lane? Never heard of it."

"Not surprising," Agent Davis handed him a card, "We're more of a worldwide organization rather than a specific government agency."

He looked at the card and saw a blue hexagon with a white anchor and two warplanes on each side.

"We've already been approached by both MI6 and Interpol," he stuck the card into his portfolio.

"We're a separate group with a more specific focus," Agent Davis explained, "I know this may seem like bad timing but we need to debrief Miss Hood about the circumstances of her escape."

Lance was only half listening, "I'll put something in the books. Will that do?"

The man nodded, "Thank you."

He disappear into the crowd, leaving Lance more confused than before. Azur Lane? What the hell was that?

"Hey, Lance!"

He turned to see Lieutenant Wales running up to him.

"What's going on?" she saw Hood was getting up on the stage, "She's hasn't been back for an hour and already she's calling for a press conference?"

Lance could only shrug, "I'm just as mystified as you are. She wouldn't say anything to me. All I can say is that she's really angry right now."

At that moment Patience was able to get a good look at her friend.

"You're right," she stared in disbelief, "I can see it in her eyes. I don't think I've ever seen her like that before."

Patricia asked for everyone to quiet down before handing the podium over to Hood.

"Good afternoon," she cleared her throat, "I know all of you are very curious about what happened to me up in Scotland. To be frank I really don't want to talk about it, but I sort of have to in way. There's is... something I want to say before I make an announcement."

Everyone was now mystified, wondering why their favorite British icon was behaving so differently.

She took a few breaths before she continued.

"It's good to see you all, and I'm happy for your support," her eyes became distant, "I never got to say goodbye to my father. In these... past few weeks I have learned a great deal. I now find myself burdened with a ton of questions. Questions I wish I could ask him. About how he felt about what this company did, if he was ever conflicted or ever had doubts. Or perhaps he was every inch the man we remembered him to be," her breathing became heavy, "I saw Royal Marines, our very own brave men and women, murdered before my very eyes. Killed by the very same weapons I created to help defend and protect them. On top of that, I realized that I've become a part of system that takes zero accountability."

The room had gone dead silent, the only sound being the cameras clicking.

"This whole time... I have been naive. I started this whole thing simply because I wanted to bring world peace, and yet all this time I've approached it in a carefree and irresponsible manner. All of you have noticed it, some of you have even criticized me for it, and I didn't care. My eyes have now been opened. I've realize that I can offer more to the world than just blowing things up by making things that blow up. That is why... that today I am announcing that I will be shutting down the weapons manufacturing division of Hood Industries, effective immediately."

The whole room erupted into chaos, reporters immediately demanding to know why Hood would make such a decision. Lance, Patience, and the board members stared at her in disbelief. Patricia herself was in shock before she moved to take the podium from Hood, but she wasn't finished yet.

"Until such a time as I can decide what the future of this company will be, one that I am comfortable with and is consistent with the highest good for both the Kingdom and the world, it will remain shut downed. Thank you."

She left without another word, ignoring all of the reporters bombarding her with questions.

"What we should take away from this is that Samantha's back!" Patricia spoke into the mic, "And she's healthier than ever!"

But no one was paying attention to her. Even if they had, no one would have believed that Samantha Hood was healthier than ever.

"What in God's name has gotten into her?" said a speechless Patience.

Lance couldn't answer. He was beginning to really wonder if this was really the same Samantha Hood everyone knew and loved.

It took a very long time to calm the press down enough for Patricia to try and explain things. Since Hood hadn't informed her about her plans before she made the announcement she had very little to go on. All she could say was that the company would have internal discussion and they would get back to them with a follow up.

After the reporters had finally been herded out the door she faced a very angry board of directors. When she learned that Hood was still here and at the factory she had to convince them to let her handle it. They were already in hot water, the last thing they needed was a full blown scandal.

Commandeering one of the company's golf carts she made her way over to the factory, where she found Henry leaning against the Rolls Royce smoking a cigarette.

"Where is she?"

He pointed at the security doors, "In there. I don't think she's moved even once from her spot."

Yanking out her security card she swiped it through the panel and went inside. She found Hood standing before the full-scale display model of the Jericho missile, her free hand gripping the guardrail tightly. She didn't look at Patricia as she walked in, but she was aware of her presence. The older woman came to her right side a short distance away, catching the look of contempt in Hood's eyes as she looked at the model.

"Well..." she heaved a huge sigh, "That... certainly went well."

Hood wasn't the least bit fazed, "What's the matter? Did I just paint a huge target on my back?"

"Your back? What about mine?" Patricia went over to Hood's left, who still wouldn't look at her, "Do you have any idea on what the over-under on the stock drop is going to be come tomorrow?"

"Hmm... optimistically? Forty points."

"At the very least," she came back over Hood's right, but she still wouldn't look at her, "Samantha, what is going on? What was that all about? Because right now there's a very angry board of directors who are about ready to storm in here demanding answers."

"I'm sure they are," Hood sighed heavily, "I just don't want a body count to be our only legacy."

Patricia bit down a groan. She hated it when people talked like this. Keeping a lid on her growing impatience she placed an arm on Hood's shoulders.

"Samantha, listen to me. You can't control who dies out there and who doesn't. It' not up to you. As for us, we're a weapons manufacturer. This is what we do, and this is the risk we take. You think you're the only one in the industry who doesn't share the same concerns? No one wants to their weapons end up in the wrong hands. That's why we train our troops to destroy them when they have to retreat so the enemy can't use them. That's why we, the company, create countermeasures to make that sure that doesn't happen. That's what we should be doing right now. Not shutting down the weapons department."

Hood didn't answer. She just kept looking at the display model.

"Look, I understand what you're going through. You feel responsible for the death of those Marines, but you need to remember that that's what they signed up for. It could happen, even here at home. I'm former Army. I'm just as pissed as you are. I want to get the bastards who did it too, but what you're doing is completely irrational and unfair. Just because a little terrorist group got a handful of our guns-"

"They didn't have a handful of our guns, Patty!" Hood finally looked at her, eyes filled with intense fury, "You weren't there! You didn't see what I saw. They had an entire arsenal of weapons! Three rows of them as long as this room! All marked with Hood Industries!"

Patricia blinked in confusion, "An entire arsenal?"

"Yes. They had everything, Patty. Guns, ammo, grenades, rockets, missiles! You name it, they had it! The only thing they didn't have..." she pointed, "was the Jericho. That's why they kidnapped me, so I can build them one."

She turned away and went silent again. Patricia stood there for a while before she spoke.

"You think what you saw was bad? Before I came to Hood Industries I served five years in the Army as a sniper. I did three tours in the Middle East, two in Afghanistan and one in Iraq. I saw some really messed up things over there. On both sides. What you saw up in Scotland was horrible, no one will deny that, but that's nothing compared to what I saw down in the Middle East. I joined this company with the same goal as you, to bring peace to the world. I want to make sure that our troops have the best weapons available to defeat the enemy. Now you've taken that away from them. To me, that is unacceptable."

She saw Hood bite her lip before saying, "I don't how you can talk so casually like this. I don't know how you can live like this."

"Because I'm soldier at heart, and so is Ollie. We didn't grow up the way you did. We weren't born in a rich family. We both learned long time ago to take the world as it is, not for what we wish it to be. That's the reality, Sammy. You learned that the hard way."

Hood didn't answer, but she could see the conflict going inside her head.

"Samantha, I've known you since you were a little girl. When your mom left I took care of you. When your dad died I made sure you were doing okay. You've done incredible things since you took over this company, but I've never known you to get so emotional over something like this. Let alone make a decision based on that. Don't let what happened in Scotland get to you. You're better than this, Sammy. I know you are."

"I'm not doing this just for me."

"Yes, you are," Patricia said more firmly and gestured to the factory, "Forget about the board, what about all the people who work here? Especially the engineers and scientists? How do you think they feel after what you said back there? You think you built the Jericho all by yourself? Sure, it was your idea but it was they who put it together. They sacrificed sleep to put in the extra hours needed to make it work. Now you're basically telling them that they should be ashamed of themselves for doing their jobs? This is how you thank them for all their hard work? You may as well had said they're all fired, because I'm sure half of them are seriously thinking about quitting and going somewhere else."

Hood banged her fist on the guardrail, "I haven't forgotten about them, Patty. I'm grateful for all the work they do. I just think... that we're not doing a good enough job. I feel that we can do better by doing something else."

"Like what?" Patricia crossed her arms, "And please don't tell me we're going to start 'Saving The World!' by making electric cars. I like my Jaguar and I wanna keep it."

Hood's lips raised a little, "No, but you're not far off."

She blinked, "Sorry?"

Her business partner took a breath before she looked at her and said, "I think we should take another look at alternative energy."

Her jaw dropped, and for moment she had difficulty processing her words.

"Alternative energy?!" she had to turn away, "You must be joking! Do you know what happened the last time Hood Industries pursued that? Your father nearly drove the company bankrupt!"

"That was thirty years ago," Hood reminded.

"Yeah, and nothing has really changed since then!" Patricia started pacing, "Alternative energy. There's no future in that! Even the companies who are involved know it. They just go along with it just to get both the environmentalists and the government off their back. Come on, Samantha! Be serious here."

"I'm actually dead serious."

Patricia spun back around and stared hard into Hood's eyes, "Well, I hope you have something in mind, because I'm not so convinced. And neither will the board once I tell them."

"I do have something," Hood motioned for her to come closer.

When they were less than a foot apart she reached into her pocket and pulled out a shaped cube the size of her palm. Patricia's eyes went wide when it started to glow.

"What is that?" he annoyance from early on had completely vanished.

"I'm not entirely sure. I found this in Scotland during the weapons demo. It's what helped me escape."

"Does it always glow like that?" she reached out to touch it but Hood pulled it back.

"Only when I'm holding it. Why? I have no idea. All I can say is that it's a power source, made of some element I've never seen before. Think of what this could in the energy business? If I'm right, this alone could power entire cities, maybe even entire areas. Maybe we can even create a defensive weapon with this?"

Patricia studied the cube before she began to nod, realizing the potential here.

"Okay, let's have our scientists look at-"

"No."

"No?" her annoyance instantly returned, "Why the devil not?"

"I don't want this falling in the wrong hands. For the time being I want to keep it to myself. When I have a good idea of what exactly this is and what it can do, I'll build some kind of prototype and show it to the board. After that, I'll hand it over."

Patricia frowned and bit her lip, but she knew Hood well enough that once she made up her mind nothing would deter her from it.

"Alright," she conceded, "We're do it your way, but listen to me Sammy. We're a team, and there's nothing we can't do as long we work together. Together."

"I know," she smiled, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you ahead of time, but if I had-"

"Just listen to me. No more of this 'Shoot first and ask questions later' silliness, okay? I'm going to have to handle things from here on out. If we're going to do this we're going to have to take a lot of heat and we're going to have to take a hit in the stock market. In the meantime, I want you to lay low for a while. Stay at home until things have cooled down a bit. Since you got that cube you'll have plenty to do to occupy your time. In fact, maybe you should concentrate more on your fashion design. You still haven't made that dress I asked for."

"I still have your poor excuse of a drawing," Hood grinned, "I'll get around to it."

"Just promise me you're not going to do anything else to endanger the company. The last thing we need is this whole thing blowing up in our faces. How do you think your dad would feel if he was here right now?"

Hood shrugged nonchalantly, "Disappointed as always."

"Except he would have a good reason to be. I'm serious, Samantha."

"Don't worry. I promise."