Meryl's voice broke as she tried to talk. She swallowed a couple times, then tried again. "Kiley?"
"Yes?"
"What… What are you doing here?"
"Isn't it obvious? This is a rescue."
Effie piped up from behind her. "Who's Kiley?"
Anne ignored her, looking in the room for someone. There, back in the corner, she found her. "Hey, Ace. Long time no see."
The woman was curled up on a bench, head buried in her knees. She had grown up, but not grown very large. She might have been taller than Meryl, but if she was, it wasn't by much. It was hard to tell from the way she was huddled in on herself, but she seemed very petite. Anne dropped Meryl's arm and walked over to where Ace sat. "Girl, it's ok. Let's go."
"I'm not a girl," snarled Ace into her legs. She made no move to leave.
Anne was taken aback. "Ok, then, lady. Door's open; let's go."
"Is this a trick?"
"Um. No. No trick."
Ace uncurled, glared at Anne as she stood up, then pushed past her. "Fine. Let's get going then."
Anne scratched the back of her head, puzzled at her reaction. She looked over towards Meryl, but she had already left the room. Shrugging, she followed. Effie was checking over the men on the ground.
"I can't believe you just hit them," she said. "I mean… they were just standing there, doing their jobs, and you knocked them out. Who are these people?"
"Friends of mine." Ace huffed. "From out of town, I think. You guys still from out of town?" she asked.
"Actually, that's rather why we're here," started Meryl. "See, the boys are still a little stuck behind that barrier you put up. Ace and I came here to find you and make you take it down."
Anne stared at Meryl, then at Ace, then back at Meryl. "You're kidding."
"Do we look like we're kidding? I've spent the last four years of my life in the ship with that… that…"
"Watch it," said Ace.
Meryl skipped finding a noun. "…and I want my husband back. Away from his brother."
"You're not serious. They haven't dropped it yet?"
"No, they haven't dropped it yet. Why do you think we came looking for you?"
Anne didn't respond for a moment, trying to comprehend the enormity of what hadn't happened. "Oh. I guess that makes sense," she said finally.
"Of course it does."
"Well… let's get going before their friends show up." Anne gently nudged one of the prone bodies with her toe.
"Just wait a minute!" Effie stood up and stamped her foot. Anne looked at the women around her and felt like a giant. "Where are you going? Who are the boys? Who are these people, and why were they locked up? I'm sure Cassius and Bartholomew had a good reason. I mean… it's their job to look out for the plant. What were these women doing here, anyway?"
"We weren't here," said Meryl with no little degree of asperity. "We were wandering around December, minding our own business, looking for Kiley here, I'll have you know, when your friends attacked us and dragged us here and chucked us in that room."
"That doesn't make any sense. Why would they do that?"
"Because I'm a plant," snarled Ace as she paced around the room. "I want to go now, can we go now? I don't want to be here." She started to walk towards the door and the other three women followed.
"A plant? You're kidding, right?" Effie laughed nervously. "I mean… um. Why did she call you Kiley?"
"It's an old nickname."
"Really? How do you get Kiley from AnneMarie?"
"Long story."
"Why won't you tell me anything? I don't know what's going on."
"Does it look like there's time for explanations?" Anne snapped.
"But…" Effie's voice wavered, and when Anne looked, oh, yes, there was the quivering lip.
"I'll explain things later. Promise."
They reached the hall, Ace still in the lead, Meryl close behind. Anne walked near the back, but Effie lagged too much for her to properly cover the flank.
"What did she mean, that's she a plant?"
"Pretty much what she said. She's a plant."
"What… how… where did you meet her?"
"Long story."
"You seem to have a lot of those," Effie muttered darkly.
"My life has been interesting. Very interesting."
"First I've heard of it."
"I said it's been interesting, not that I like dwelling on it." They walked on a bit, and Effie fell silent.
"Do you know your way out?" Anne called up to Ace.
"Of course I do." Idiot, her tone implied.
Anne kept quiet, not sure how to respond. In all her wildest imaginings of how she would meet them again… this scenario certainly hadn't crossed her mind.
"You!" Anne turned and saw another guard. "It's the plant!" He fumbled with his sidearm, struggling to get it out of his holster. She turned, grabbed Effie, and ran up to Ace and Meryl.
"Let's go, ladies. Trouble back there!"
They all began to run, Effie looking back and seeing who it was. "Josh! What are you doing?"
"Get away from them, Effie! They're dangerous!"
He finally got his gun out of the holster and aimed it at them. Effie had stopped, wrenching her wrist from Anne's grasp, and was pressed up against the wall. Anne tried to grab her again, but gave up after a second. He knew her, so he probably wouldn't shoot her.
"Stop! I'll shoot!" He ran after them, passing Effie by. The women had almost made it around the corner when he pulled the trigger.
Anne felt danger coming and knocked Ace and Meryl to the floor, landing roughly on top of them. The first three bullets went harmlessly overhead, but the next one was aimed at their new position. Time paused, held on the moment. Effie's scream, the echo of the retort in the corridor, the lazily drifting smoke form the barrel of the gun, all were imprinted indelibly on the mind. There was nowhere to run, no way to dodge. Josh's finger tightened on the trigger and he fired again, straight at the three women on the floor.
And Anne caught the bullet, feathers sprouting from her left arm as she tried to protect those who were dear to her.