Amid the rapidly decreasing number of other possibilities, this had seemed to be the best choice. They had scurried back into the complex quietly and carefully, making their way to the small office that had once belonged to the medical staff.
It made sense that a permanent base such as this would need to provide basic care and treatment to it's stranded employees. Of all the protected power supplies within the complex, the doctor's room was fortunately included and functioning on the protected circuits of the emergency generator. No radio or other means of contacting help, though. Much to Scott's chagrin.
And then there was Eva. Back in character as Mishka, insisting on maintaining her cover and speaking to Ustin in a language she knew that Scott didn't understand. John had reassured him that she was only keeping the Russian scientist up to date. But then John didn't know who she really was. And Scott had yet found the chance to explain.
It was making an already short-tempered Scott more than a little paranoid. And wondering why she couldn't reveal herself to this seemingly harmless Ustin fellow was not helping. But then he had to concede that Ustin was somewhat in the dark as to who these two strange Americans actually were. Not that he seemed all that bothered.
Scott watched Ustin and Eva talking quietly, animatedly together and nodding in agreement at whatever it was. It annoyed him further; she should be watching the door, not keeping up appearances. A groan beside him then pulled his attention back to his brother and he turned to look at him.
John seemed a little better. They had found an emergency pack in one of the store cupboards and had quickly set to work. There was a small cylinder of oxygen in the bag and the gentle flow within the mask had brought a hint of pink to his lips. There were also bags of plasma expanders and one was now running into him through the IV line, replacing blood volume and beginning to bring a steadier rhythm to his pulse.
It had been a while since Scott had administered this type of emergency medicine. It was usually Virgil that leapt in to undertake the gory, fiddly stuff and Scott had missed the vein several times before the IV catheter had finally slid into place. John had been his usual patient self but Scott would somehow have much rather that his brother had shouted at him. Quiet was John. But quiet in these circumstances was also bad.
"What are they babbling about?" Scott asked softly, trying to distract himself from the growing dread that his brother's improvement could change course at any time and the apparent internal bleeding was going to need far more than he could offer here. And fast.
John opened his eyes and the cloud of a sigh washed against the clear mask over his mouth. "He says he knows how to … to turn off the EM device." He listened to the conversation for a moment and turned to Scott. "They're planning how."
Scott frowned in concern and clambered onto his hands and knees, edging across the room and keeping well under the wide windows above them. "No way!" He whispered angrily.
Eva turned to him warily.
"I'm not letting you two go out there." He expanded.
"Is safe." Ustin countered quietly, "Mishka and I - "
"No." Scott repeated sternly.
Eva watched him for a moment and then nodded in understanding. "Then you go."
Scott's frown grew.
"We must turn off." Eva urged softly, in the broken English that now suddenly seemed so obviously fake. "Ustin know how. Need protection."
Scott held her gaze and tried to read her calm expression. What was this? A trap?
Eva nodded in earnest, "I stay with John."
Scott glanced towards the weary form of his brother huddled amid layers of blankets and his heart sank.
"I look after him."
Scott was lost. He looked back at her and watched her nod again, her eyes desperately trying to convey her sincerity.
"Scott …" John called softly.
Scott hurried back to him and began to protest as John pulled the oxygen mask from his face.
"No one can get in … not if that thing is active." John urged wearily, his voice not that much clearer outside the plastic.
"Yeah, but …" Scott searched for the right words, "How do we know we can trust them?"
John looked into his brother's worried face and seemed to understand that there was something he could not tell him. "Then you … you have to go … I'll be fine." He managed a small smile but was too tired to hold back the fear that crossed his face.
Leave John or let Eva go. Scott paused there, unsure. Either way meant trusting her. And then suddenly he thought of an alternative. He took the gun from the waist of his trousers and placed it in John's lap.
John looked down and groaned in dismay. Too weak to argue but too stubborn to not at least try, he shook his head.
"I don't trust her." Scott whispered, glancing behind them and noting in relief that Eva's attention was elsewhere.
"But …" John urged faintly, looking back up at his brother with renewed fear. "What … what about you?"
"I'll be fine. There's plenty more where that one came from." Scott smiled thinly and gently forced the mask back over his brother's nose and mouth. "And besides," he tugged at the collar of his lab coat and his smile grew. "I think I make a pretty convincing science geek."
"Till you open your mouth." John retorted, amusement pulling at the edges of the oxygen mask.
"Funny guy." Scott jeered softly.
"Yeah?" John enthused, brightening suddenly, "I'll be here all week." He gave a small laugh and then tensed in pain, his eyes closing tightly.
Scott watched his brother sink back against the cabinet and desperately wished there was something more he could give him. The precious find of the morphine vials in the medicine cupboard had sparked a heated discussion between them all but Scott had eventually won, administering a small, tentative dose that would not sedate his brother's already struggling systems. And it had worked. A little.
"We go. Now."
Scott turned and saw Ustin crouching eagerly beside the open door.
"Go." John agreed quietly.
Scott looked back and was aware of John sliding the gun under the blankets that wrapped him, his arm then resting back over his abdomen to conceal it. John gave him a small nod of reassurance and Scott swallowed hard, shooting Eva a warning glare as he followed Ustin.
John watched them crawl carefully from the room and soon disappear from sight. If they were careful – and lucky – the guards would not suspect anything. They might even help them deactivate the machine.
"Hey …"
John watched his remaining companion edging across the floor towards him. She had concern in her eyes and an apparent weariness sitting on her shoulders that he could well understand. He recalled how she had sat with him in his cell and how she had tried to protect him, comfort him. But Scott's warning had been clear. John felt the shape of the gun resting beneath his blankets and what little adrenaline that remained in his exhausted body stirred inside him.
"So … John …"
John's eyes were heavy and he was far from the right mood for talking but he turned to her and tried to stay alert as she neared him. It was completely hopeless. If she made some sort of a move against him, there was no way he could be fast enough to react. He probably couldn't hold the gun. Let alone … He closed his eyes at the thought and shuddered involuntarily, pain shooting through his side.
"I'm sorry."
John opened his eyes again and turned to the sorrowful face that watched him in concern. And then he slowly recognised, with growing dread, the lack of inflection on her American-English words.
"Yeah …" She smiled thinly, seeing the confusion in his pale face. "There's something I need to tell you."
The dim lighting of the emergency generators was hard on his eyes as Scott peered through the seemingly endless corridors of the complex. It had taken a while to try and convince Ustin that they should creep about carefully and that the current situation was extremely dangerous. It was hard enough to tell him that his employers were not completely trustworthy and even harder still in a foreign language. But Ustin had eventually got the idea – mainly thanks to their brief stop at the weapons locker - and he kept safely behind Scott as they made their way back to the centre of the main building.
Voices from within the hive of laboratories told Scott that the guards had finished their search and had evidently decided to either try themselves to turn the machine off or were there to guard it. He didn't fancy the idea of dealing with them whatever the case and sighed in annoyance as he watched the few that were acting as sentries at the door to the machine.
Ustin tapped Scott's shoulder and then urgently signed his eagerness to get on with their objective.
Scott shook his head and put a finger to his lips, watching the scientist throw his hands skyward in exasperation. It amused Scott that some things were just universally obvious and he smiled as he turned back to look at the guarded room, a plan beginning to form in his mind.
And then it happened. With a speed that could only indicate military expertise and the dull squeaking of silenced weapons, the sentries were down and the room surrounded.
They had appeared from almost nowhere. It was impressive to behold but somewhat unnerving for Scott and his overly excitable companion.
"Freeze."
The command was stern and loud. Scott obeyed instantly; relieved as he noticed Ustin doing the same and both of them raised their hands in a gesture of surrender.
"Move!"
Scott turned cautiously, seeing the anonymous black combat gear and heavy weaponry of the man that had expertly crept up on them. The semi-automatic was waved again in an urgent request for them to move towards the centre of the complex and he quickly complied.
"Sir, I've got two civilian personnel." The soldier called out into the complex, his radio of apparently no use because of the EM pulse. "Heading your way now, sir."
There was no reply but suddenly there were more of them in the corridor and filing out from the centre of the complex. Scott's heart was now racing; not only were these guys carrying some serious arsenal but the one herding him and Ustin along the corridor was English. Very English.
There were at least ten of them. All dressed in undistinguishable black and all kitted with an equal share of expensive paraphernalia. Scott watched the few that tracked their approach and was all too aware of the guns pointing straight at them.
"You." One of the other soldiers stepped forward and identified Scott. "Why are you here? Why didn't you evacuate with the others?"
Scott paused in uncertainty. He hadn't quite prepared himself for this.
"Lieutenant!"
The apparent lead soldier glanced back to one of his colleagues and the younger man hurried forward, quickly translating his CO's questions into Kazakh.
"It's okay!" Scott offered quickly, "I'm an American." The soldiers watched him in uncertainty, their body language still showing a formidable alertness. "I … there wasn't room in the trucks. I was hiding in my lab and … I heard the guards come back and - "
"Did you turn that thing on?" The lead soldier demanded.
"No." Scott shrugged and nodded towards a somewhat confused Ustin. "But he can turn it off."
The soldier nodded slowly and turned to look towards the inner room.
"Yes!" Ustin seemed to suddenly catch on. "I turn off for you. No?" He stepped forward warily; smiling broadly in what he hoped conveyed reassurance. "Please. I help you. I turn off machine. Cars come here. We go home. Yes?"
The soldier nodded in agreement and stepped out of Ustin's path. He ordered two of his men to guard the excited scientist and then turned his attention back to Scott.
"So …" Scott decided to chance lowering his now aching arms and smiled thinly. "Who are you guys?"
"Considering my obvious advantage," The soldier replied curtly, glancing down at his armed rifle. "I think I will ask the questions."
"Sure." Scott conceded, his smile fading.
"Well? Who are you?"
"I'm …" Scott sighed and figured he may as well take a chance. "I'm undercover. I came here to investigate the place and kinda got caught up in the crossfire. If I could, I would radio in and prove - "
"What?" The soldier's demeanour suddenly relaxed and he lowered his weapon. "CIA or International Rescue?"
"Um … International Rescue."
"Ma'am!" The soldier called up towards the office in the upper level.
Scott looked up as the reply rang out and his heart leapt into his throat. He watched as more military personnel emerged from the office above them and one of them was then galloping down the stairs towards them.
There was no doubting it. The trademark blonde was tucked neatly inside a black woollen beanie but it was her.
Scott gave a soft chuckle of delight and stepped forward, unable to stop the wide grin that spread across his face. "God, I thought I'd never be so pleased to - "
He was silenced by her slamming into him and the sudden and firm grip of her arms about his waist as she forgot all protocol and hugged him tightly.
"Oh thank god!" Penny murmured.
Scott slipped his arms around her and could feel her trembling against him.
"God, I didn't know what to think!" Penny groaned into his chest. "I just …" She gave him a brief, even tighter squeeze and then released her hold. "I am glad you are alright." Penny offered a little more sternly and stepped back from him, straightening her black jumpsuit.
"I'm fine." Scott confirmed, "But Jo – my partner is hurt."
All remnants of Penny's smile left her face. "Where is he?"
"In the medical lab." Scott nodded behind him.
"Janson!" Penny called quickly, one of the men responding instantly and hurrying over to them. "Come with us." She ordered. "Williams, stay here."
The soldier who had once seemed to be the commanding officer, nodded politely. "One of the scientists is attempting deactivation."
"Good." Penny sighed in relief. "Get him whatever he needs."
"Ma'am." Williams affirmed.
Penny turned back to Scott and took his arm. "Let's go."
Scott led her back along the corridor at a quick pace and smiled fondly down at her. "I can't believe you're really here."
"It took some doing, believe me!" Penny chuckled softly. "I've pulled lots of strings and called in my last favours." She shrugged slightly, "I don't like to be in the red when it comes to most of them but … I guess you're worth it."
Scott's smile grew.
"I thought we'd lost you." Penny continued quietly. "When I saw you taken I - " She groaned and shook her head to rid herself of the memory.
"The Hood was here."
"What!" Penny urged.
"He was working with these guys but got in the way and they had him prisoner." Scott smiled sheepishly. "I had no choice but to … Pen, he helped us out and … and I let him go free."
Penny made no reply. She looked down at the floor that rushed beneath their swiftly marching feet and was silent.
Scott regarded her concerned face for a moment and nodded sombrely. "Pen, this whole shit is a hell of a lot more complicated than we thought." He watched her look up at him with intrigue and dread and suddenly he blurted out Eva's revelations into an abridged version of the past few hours.
Penny nodded thoughtfully.
"Don't tell me you knew …!" Scott husked.
"No." Penny took a deep breath and her frown deepened. They paused at the end of the long central corridor and checked the area before turning the corner and continuing their fast pace through the building. "Not for sure. Someone's trying to set us up, that's all I know for certain."
"Pen, the CIA knows all about us!"
"I guessed they might."
Scott groaned in dismay. "And the mole?"
Penny shrugged and sighed heavily. "I don't know. The CIA gained Intel on us when the Hood was taken into custody in London – along with all of his possessions."
"Transom!" Scott exclaimed suddenly.
"Yes. The device she used to gain entry to the Island. I don't know how but the CIA got to it first."
"Shit!"
"Precisely."
Scott then seemed to remember the soldier trailing them and nodded towards him.
"Royal Marines." Penny smiled proudly.
"Wo! Serious favours." Scott enthused and then indicated the next junction and the med lab beyond.
"Only the best for my bo - " Penny gasped as a sudden shot rang through the complex. She looked towards Scott but he was already in flight, racing towards the med lab and the origin of the noise.
tbc …