Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Nothing is mine except Lizabella, and I do not profit
Author's Notes: Sorry about the wait, I was stuck on ideas. I don't really
know where this is going, but we will get there some day. Thank you for all
the feedback, it has been a great help!
The sound of the chopper blades filled the air. Lizabella looked up, but could barley make out the dark choppers against the darkening sky. She turned, and walked down the alley, and into the shabby building. Jackson stood inside waiting for her. " They're almost here. Better get everyone outside." " Before we do this, we need to decide who goes and who stays." At this point Liz make out Lex and Terri standing behind him in the crowd. " It's simple, you three go. I'll wait and leave later." Liz said in a matter-of-fact tone. " How? We don't know if there will be a way out later." " I've a Swiss passport on me. I will make one for Stiles, and we will pose as tourists. It's really quite simple. The important thing is we get the informants out." She countered, this time completely shutting down any argument. Jackson seemed hesitant to allow an agent to stay behind, but Liz could tell he knew it was the only way. He nodded, then turned to the group. " Alright, Terri, Lex, put the people in groups of 9. We have three helicopters, so each of us will go on one. We will land on the Carl Vinson, which is waiting off the coast. We will then be transported to DC." Terri looked around nervously " Have we seen Stiles yet?" " No, he should be back within the hour." Liz said before she realized the meaning behind Terri's " He'll be with me, don't worry. He can take care of himself, and if he fails on that account I'll step in." She added with a smile. All of a sudden an idea hit her at lighting speed. Always being a sucker for romance she set her plan into action, " I thought of something, Jackson. Actually two things. I shouldn't be the one to stay. I'm not cleared. I'm simply supposed to hop on a plane and get to DC in one piece. If anything happened, it would lead to more red tape than usual. And since Lex isn't cleared as a field agent, that leaves Terri and you. Second, I can make a pretty decent fake passport, but shouldn't we leave that in the hands of an expert? If they're are looking for us, we don't want a backwards seal to trip us up. So I think Terri should be the one to stay. I makes the most sense." Everyone looked at Liz confused for a moment, before her phony logic started to make sense to them. " I'd be willing to stay, " Terri volunteered. Jackson just nodded, seeming not care any longer and the evacuations started.
It was quiet in the building. The last helicopter had left 15 minutes ago. Terri sat on the steps waiting. She wasn't sure what she was waiting for. Was it for Stiles or for the West African army? It was for who ever arrived first, she decided. She wasn't sure which she was hoping for. Stiles had left shortly after his talk with Lizabella. An hour after he left, it all when to hell. Reports that the Weft African government was aware of their presence had come in, and the decision had been made to order choppers to take them to safety. The problem was Stiles was gone, and they couldn't reach him. So, she sat here and waited. It stuck her as ironic that she was always waiting for him, both literally, and figuratively. It seemed to be the role she was destined to play. The sound of the door opening startled her from her thoughts. She sat tense on the steps as the door opened, and a dark figure entered. " Terri? What are you doing there?" "I'm waiting for you. They're gone." " Who?" " Everyone. They left the country. We were compromised." " Then why the hell are you here? You should have gone." " Someone needed to stay. I was that someone. Take it or leave it, I'm all you have." She said standing up. " Do you want to get out of here, or would you rather wallow in pity that you got stuck with me?" She handed him his passport and a key. " We're a Swiss couple traveling through Africa, I'm a photographer, and you are a free-lance journalist. The key is to our car. I assume you will want to drive?" With that she walked out the door, and Stiles followed in her wake.
The sound of the chopper blades filled the air. Lizabella looked up, but could barley make out the dark choppers against the darkening sky. She turned, and walked down the alley, and into the shabby building. Jackson stood inside waiting for her. " They're almost here. Better get everyone outside." " Before we do this, we need to decide who goes and who stays." At this point Liz make out Lex and Terri standing behind him in the crowd. " It's simple, you three go. I'll wait and leave later." Liz said in a matter-of-fact tone. " How? We don't know if there will be a way out later." " I've a Swiss passport on me. I will make one for Stiles, and we will pose as tourists. It's really quite simple. The important thing is we get the informants out." She countered, this time completely shutting down any argument. Jackson seemed hesitant to allow an agent to stay behind, but Liz could tell he knew it was the only way. He nodded, then turned to the group. " Alright, Terri, Lex, put the people in groups of 9. We have three helicopters, so each of us will go on one. We will land on the Carl Vinson, which is waiting off the coast. We will then be transported to DC." Terri looked around nervously " Have we seen Stiles yet?" " No, he should be back within the hour." Liz said before she realized the meaning behind Terri's " He'll be with me, don't worry. He can take care of himself, and if he fails on that account I'll step in." She added with a smile. All of a sudden an idea hit her at lighting speed. Always being a sucker for romance she set her plan into action, " I thought of something, Jackson. Actually two things. I shouldn't be the one to stay. I'm not cleared. I'm simply supposed to hop on a plane and get to DC in one piece. If anything happened, it would lead to more red tape than usual. And since Lex isn't cleared as a field agent, that leaves Terri and you. Second, I can make a pretty decent fake passport, but shouldn't we leave that in the hands of an expert? If they're are looking for us, we don't want a backwards seal to trip us up. So I think Terri should be the one to stay. I makes the most sense." Everyone looked at Liz confused for a moment, before her phony logic started to make sense to them. " I'd be willing to stay, " Terri volunteered. Jackson just nodded, seeming not care any longer and the evacuations started.
It was quiet in the building. The last helicopter had left 15 minutes ago. Terri sat on the steps waiting. She wasn't sure what she was waiting for. Was it for Stiles or for the West African army? It was for who ever arrived first, she decided. She wasn't sure which she was hoping for. Stiles had left shortly after his talk with Lizabella. An hour after he left, it all when to hell. Reports that the Weft African government was aware of their presence had come in, and the decision had been made to order choppers to take them to safety. The problem was Stiles was gone, and they couldn't reach him. So, she sat here and waited. It stuck her as ironic that she was always waiting for him, both literally, and figuratively. It seemed to be the role she was destined to play. The sound of the door opening startled her from her thoughts. She sat tense on the steps as the door opened, and a dark figure entered. " Terri? What are you doing there?" "I'm waiting for you. They're gone." " Who?" " Everyone. They left the country. We were compromised." " Then why the hell are you here? You should have gone." " Someone needed to stay. I was that someone. Take it or leave it, I'm all you have." She said standing up. " Do you want to get out of here, or would you rather wallow in pity that you got stuck with me?" She handed him his passport and a key. " We're a Swiss couple traveling through Africa, I'm a photographer, and you are a free-lance journalist. The key is to our car. I assume you will want to drive?" With that she walked out the door, and Stiles followed in her wake.
