Chapter 20

Tyana checked her watch and glanced around her nervously, awaiting the arrival of her mission companions. They'd all flown in to this destination within the last week and were due where Tyana stood in three minutes exactly. And she knew they'd be there. Timing now was absolutely everything. Next to her Jeff shivered in the cold snow and thoughtfully reached out to her, pulling her into an embrace to warm her. She smiled briefly at it but distractedly pushed him away,

"Not now Jeff." He didn't take it to heart thankfully but he didn't like the next thing that came from her lips, "god, you shouldn't even be waiting with me. I've let you know too much already and if anyone finds out then…" she couldn't bring herself to say it.

"Then what?"

"Nothing, look Jeff I appreciate everything you've done for me but you absolutely have to go now. Seriously"

He suddenly took offence to her bossing him around, "and if I don't want to?"

Her face snapped to glare at his and in a mixture of annoyance, sadness and anxiousness she took it all out on him, "Then you'll get frailing killed so just leave!" she felt like screaming it but if they made too much noise then they'd be dead within a second. The trees they were standing near by the darkening off road track weren't much for cover and if someone knew they were there then that was it. Dead.

"Killed? What the fuck, Ty you serious?"

"Very…Jeff this isn't some little game. Everything I told you last night and everything I couldn't tell you…it's serious. People are gonna want me dead after this and if you don't leave now you'll suffer the same fate"

Jeff's eyes grew wide and with a frantic sense of fear for the woman he was insane about he grabbed her arm and began to drag her back to the car that was barely concealed nearby. She caught him off guard when without a word of protest she simply flipped him onto his back in the snow and with a boot on his chest stared down at him with pleading eyes.

"Jeff, please…just go. I'll be fine. And I promise that--" the soft hum of another car stopped Tyana mid sentence when her head shot up to check it out. It would most likely be the others; and another vehicle was emerging from the horizon. "Frail!" she muttered, pulling Jeff up with ease and slinging him into the trees.

One more glance into her sadly pleading eyes and Jeff knew he had to leave her be, "Ok,"

"Thank you, now stay here until we're gone then get in the car and leave. Ok?" he nodded mutely, the sounds of people quietly getting out of vehicles echoing. Tyana left him then, forever, and silently exited the shelter of the trees to meet her co-freedom fighters. Jeff listened on carefully as he heard a faint sound of whispering and he crept to the closest tree to listen on. There seemed to be about 10 of them, Tyana included, and Jeff watched on a little scared. They whispered on occasion but it seemed whatever they were doing they had planned to perfection. They all began to flood into the woods but not before he noticed them all pull out a selection of guns, Tyana drawing one from her belt. He fought the urge to run and grab it from her before she hurt herself and instead watched her disappear into the woods across the snowy track. He knew he should leave now, after all, he had told her he would.

But instead he followed them, curious and fearful.

Meanwhile Tyana watched her step as she quickly paced through the snow-covered forest. Sounds of the night were setting in but it was a clear night and they could make out their route without the aid of a flashlight or any other attention drawing light. She'd seen every single one of these faces before while they were all collectively in training for this mission but as they moved together through the night they seemed like a flawless pack of wolves, hunting their prey with an efficiency that could have only come with years of experience.

Soon they found the edge of the forest and confronted the high walls of wire with an unnatural seeming ease—the only problem being that they had to make sure not to get caught up in the barbed wire at the top. Tyana jumped down from the crest of cruel blades and landed with a cats grace on the other side, seeking shelter with Marettabella behind a close bolder that looked to be considerately placed there just for that purpose. The two women looked around them, slipping on their night vision goggles to check that the other 8 volunteers were sheltered also. They were. Phase two was ready to begin.

Jeff watched them while he panted from the edge of the forest, waiting for whatever it was they were planning next until he attempted to over come the wall of meshed wire in his path. Suddenly everything seemed like some sort of James bond movie and he began to long for it to be exactly that and for him to be curled up on his couch with a bowl of popcorn in his lap. But he wasn't that lucky; this was reality, a reality his heart had led him to follow. And he had a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach that told him that he might just pay for it.

He caught a glimpse of turquoise, barely able to make Tyana out in the dim light of the moon. Hours seemed to pass while he waited for the strangers to move on but there was nothing he could do but squint to watch them pull out more weapons, various large sheets of paper her assumed to be maps and large machine like glasses.

Tyana adjusted the accuracy of her night vision goggles and zoomed in to observe the guards of the opening to the underground cavern, pacing slowly, machine guns poised. She knew now what Bret said was true; she'd need to use every weapon she could get her hands on. To protect herself and the others she'd have to do as much damage as possible. They needed a clear route to the main chamber…things were just about to take off and she had that thought tattooed on her intelligent mind.

"There's at least 15 guards at the entrance, and God knows if there's some around the outskirts waiting for us" she whispered to Marettabella who nodded and signaled something to one of their companions near by. He nodded and passed the message on. Jeff examined the group sending various hand gestures in each other's direction and it seemed every single member of this 'group' understood. They each knew their next step and it wasn't long before Jeff knew it too. They were heading for the centre of the huge compound, for the large metal guarded centre that was also thickly layered with snow.

They set off a second later, scattering about for affect and that's when Jeff slipped unnoticed from the trees to the wired wall before him, hoping to find somewhere to climb through instead of over. And as if fate were smiling down on him that day he found a narrow slice in the mesh and climbed through, collecting a few scratches from the shapely cut wire. But he didn't feel them sting, the snow had seen to that. He couldn't feel anything. Everything but his heart was numb now.

Tyana's breathing was picking up along with her heart rate and as she ran at a squat her body began to scream out for the simple ways of her brief teens. She ignored it and carried on, hoping to whatever higher forces out there that she would at least survive this phase to make it to the next.

Please…please let me live, she prayed silently when she reached another huge bolder near her destination. She waited for the others to find shelter and then when she knew they had Marettabella gave her the signal to take control. They were all under her command now and she knew exactly what she was doing. Tyana pushed her gun round the side of the large rock and aimed. Then with a skilled shot a guard fell to the ground, landing in a pool of his own blood that continued to seep as more shots began. In no time at all every single guard was on the floor and the group ran across the final part to get inside. Tyana got there first. She slid her gun into her belt. Another joined her and soon they all heaved together to unlock the large entrance.

It was open.

And they all climbed inside.