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*Between Love and Hate*

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Spoilers:           This is the fifth story in my series – if you haven't read any of my work before, you'd be best off going back to read and understand. The first story was Shattered Trusts and Whispered Confessions. The second is Remembering to Forget, the third is Events That Lead To Greatness. The most recent is the fourth story called the Longest Day (which was basically just a wrap up of some confusing things I had to sort out from previous works). This series is set after Hello Goodbye but does reveal spoilers from the rest of the season, as I incorporate it into the story.

Disclaimer:        Ideas are mine based on the brilliant work of the Dark Angel team – so don't sue me! I wish I owned Alec, but I don't. So I have to settle for writing fiction about him.

Authors Note:   Just a general shout out thanks to all the great readers who have been reviewing my work and totally keeping me motivated. If it weren't for you guys I wouldn't be writing this stuff.

                        Have fun and remember to review!

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CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The first two super soldiers went down without too much of a struggle. Alec sent a silent thank-you heavenward as his team his the four bodies in a nearby cell. That had been a successful phase of this mission, probably only because they had the element of surprise playing on their side. That was a mutual feeling, he reflected wryly, remembering the flood of shock, which had ht him when seeing the two soldiers.

They had been only about ten years of age, not even teenagers. But he knew from Manticore that meant nothing. And he and his team hadn't hesitated to take them out – they were the enemy. It was the only way.

The first had gone down without a fight, bullets ripping through his throat, eye and forehead, before he had blinked in recognition. It was the second that had evoked fear within them all, an icy dagger in their hearts. The way she had blurred at them, a speed barely registrable even by their advanced alert eyes. Even scarier had been the way she had continued to prepare to engage, despite the bullet lodged firmly centimetres in her throat. She let out a strangled gurgle and Alec held back a gasp as he prepared to fight.

The young girl had managed to rain several nasty blows on Alec, instantly bruising his right leg, before he was able to grasp her neck powerfully, furiously, driven by a force much greater than fear and adrenaline. He tightened his hold, her windpipe crushed and neck snapped. She crumpled in his grip and he threw her body onto the others, peering around the room cautiously. No one spoke, all members of his unit understanding the necessity for silence. And unnecessary sound could be their downfall.

Pushing a stray strand of hair from his eyes, Alec turned to Ben and the others, signalling to them to continue ahead slowly, taking the right door. They complied and he briefly shut his eyes, praying hard that he was making the right choices here.

That they would all make it out.

Victorious.

Alive.

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Max shifted uncomfortably in her binding leather pants. The ride to this soldier facility had left her remarkably sore and unbelievably hungry. She cocked her head to one side, listening attentively for any sounds of Manticore transgenics or danger. She jumped as she heard a round of bullets emptied in a room close to the wall she was leaning against. Max stopped breathing harder, eyes widening as she saw transgenics nearby issuing men and women in white lab coats into one of the vans they had arrived in. She watched as the six transgenics grinned broadly at one another before taking off into the night.

"Well I guess I better go earn my keep."

She smiled to herself at the thought of the reaction Alec would have if he saw her here. But she couldn't just let him fight this battle. She wanted to be by his side, no matter what.

As she readied herself to enter through the window two stories up, Max heard a sickeningly distinct click. Turning her head, she gulped, staring down the barrel of a scarily close gun.

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It was time to contact the others. They had been inside for two hours now. Time to find out the current situation of events that were on going amongst his men.
Alec adjusted his headset before speaking in a barely audible tone,

"Beta one report."

"40 guards down..."

A barrage of bullets sprayed over the channel into his earpiece

"...Make that 45. We have two injured, but can fare through the mission okay."

"Delta team report."

"10 guards down. 6 soldiers down."

Alec could hear the hesitation in Dew's voice and he cursed, already knowing the answer to his next question,

"Any casualties?"

"I've lost half of my unit. The rest of us are barely mobile."

"Shit. Current position?"

"We're back in our van dressing wounds as best we can."

"You still have a field medic?"

"That'd be me."

"Okay. Bear with me one minute. Gamma One report."

"8 guards down. 9 soldiers eliminated."

"Casualties?"

Lila let out a choked sob, which basically threatened to break Alec's heart in two,

"It's just me and one other. And he doesn't look like he's gonna make it through the next 5 minutes."

"Okay. Crap. Okay. Gamma One, connect and join Delta One. Beta, continue as you were, as shall my unit. Kappa One report."

"We're at the checkpoint. All scientists and six of us - 2 guards down."

"Good work. By my count, there should be another 10 guards and 3 soldiers to go."

"Uh, Alpha One?"

Rayne's voice came out steady, despite her heavy breaths.

"Beta?"

"We've run out of ammunition. Up till now it's been relative smooth sailing, because we were well equipped and took them by surprise. We've been here awhile now and they're bound to be onto us."

Alec punched the wall in anger, chunks of plaster spraying everywhere. Ben placed a reassuring hand on his brother's shoulder,

"We've made it this far. We'll make it okay."

"I hope so."

Alec cleared his throat, his heart racing,

"Beta, you're going to have to ransack the guards you've taken out."

"Understood."

He closed his eyes momentarily, replaying the past events in his mind; a conversation in TC sneaking its way in. and then it was like the greatest weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Springing them open quickly, he cleared his throat again,

"Change of plan. Delta team, you still have all those plastics, chargers and detonators in the van?"

"Affirmative. Alpha One, what did you have in mind?"

"Something Max taught me. Let's have a BBQ."

Lila laughed over the intercom, despite the obvious pain she was in,

"You play with fire, you're gonna get burned."

"It won't be us burning."

Ben grinned at him, white teeth flashing in the dark, green eyes dazzling with excitement,

"I always did love a bonfire."

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To be continued...

Author's Note:

I know, I know, I suck ass. Sorry I took so long to update in comparison with usual standards, but I have so much to do for uni it's not funny. Anyhow, look forward to hearing what you guys think. So review. Please.