Buddy's Ranch
January 15 2022

Alec rolled out the blue prints on the kitchen table, Zack checked to all the rooms to make sure that Buddy and Mary were asleep "All clear" he came over to the table and looked over the plans "We'll have to move tonight"
"Tonight" Logan sounded surprised
"By the sounds of it they've already got a unit there and Manitcore never does things in halves there will be another unit on the way"
"Tom said they were getting some important documents shouldn't we wait and find out what they are first" Max sat down at the table
Zack shook his head "Too risky, best just to stick to the original objective"
"So what's the plan" Alec rubbed his hands together
"There are five to seven guards on duty at one time, they are most likely to be stationed here" Zack pointed to the gate "here and here" he pointed to several other places on the plans. "The forest backs on to the east boundary of the ranch so we'll be approaching the west side of the building"
"The files we're after are on a stand alone computer probably in one of the seven rooms in the middle of the building, we'll have to check every one" Max slumped back in the chair
"Good ol' Manticore loves to make things easy for us" Alec groaned "What ya got for us Logan?"
Logan dug around in the bag and pulled out a bunch of wires "I've got some comm units they're short range but should do the trick" he handed Max, Alec and Zack a comm unit each "and this" he pulled out a box with a few wires coming out of it "this is where you come in Alec, being technically minded"
Alec took the box and examined "Not bad, optical file transfer on to a memory stick, how'd you get hold of this baby?"
"All you have to do is clip it on to the hard disk wires or plug it into a USB port and the unit does the rest"
"Will it hold all the information?" Max asked
"Easily" Logan flipped open his computer "We should check the comm frequencies before we go"
"How are we going to get to the east boundary?" Max fiddled the earpiece of her unit
"I've got two bikes but we probably should take three" Zack said
"I'll take my bike it's around the back" Alec pushed through the wire door and went out to get his bike
"Lets move out" Zack pushed through the door with Logan and Max close behind

The Club, Shelby
January 15, 2022

Leah was walking past the phones in the foyer when she over heard a woman talking
"Yes sir I'm sure it was her... 452... I didn't see who she was with she was just talking to a guy at the bar... yes sir I understand" she hung up the phone and came around the corner. Leah grabbed her and pulled her into the closest room. Leah pressed two fingers hard against her throat
"I've cut off the circulation to you brain you'll be dead in less than a minute unless you tell me who you're working for"
The woman just shook her head, Leah pressed harder "You're running out of time, is it Manticore?"
The woman shook her head "Then who?" Leah growled
"L-L-Lyd" the woman wheezed then passed out
"Lydecker" Leah left the room and locked the door
"Leah there you are I've been looking for you" Nathan came walking down the hall
"Nath you got to drive me to Buddy's it's really important" she grabbed him by the arm and they raced out to the truck

Buddy's Ranch
January 15 2022

The three bikes raced across the fields fast approaching the forest on the east boundary. They slowed near a clump of trees and wheeled the bikes in the bushes. Logan flipped open his laptop "I'll see if I can pick up the frequency of their comms"
"Lets move out" Zack started off at a jog through the bush
"I'll keep you posted. Oh and Max..." Logan barely got the words out
"I know be careful, you too" Max took off after Zack followed by Alec. They stopped a few meters from the perimeter fence "Logan what have you got for us"
"I've got their frequency and by the sounds of things guards are in pairs one unit are just finishing a perimeter patrol, you should be clear for about thirty seconds before the next unit make their round" Logan's voice came through clearly.
They watched as the pair of guards walked casually past the fence, Zack gave a few hand signals before the three of them ran up to the fence and leapt over it with ease. They jogged over to the building and took cover. They waited for the next unit of guards to go past before making for the door, Max made light work of the lock and they were in. "Ok we're in" Alec whispered quietly into his comm unit.

Logan sat nervously waiting for their reply when he heard Alec's voice come through his ear piece, he opened the plans that he had scanned onto his computer "Go straight and turn down the first corridor on your right Alec take the first door on the left it should be G35" he looked around to make sure the cover was good enough. "Max you take the next door on the right G34, Zack you take G33"

Nathan brought the truck to a halt out side the machinery shed Leah jumped out and ran over to her bike that Zack had been working on. She fiddled with a few pipes and wires and tried to start it, the engine turned over a couple of times but just spluttered and died "Damn it" Leah kicked the tyre
"We can take the truck" Nathan called from the window
"It's too noisy" she shook her head.
There was a loud bang in the barn. Leah ran over, Nathan jumped out of the truck and ran after her. Olly the big black horse pacing his stable and stamped at the door, Leah walked to the door and leant over "A bit restless hey boy". She thought for a moment then smiled, she slid the latch open and slipped into the stable.
"Are you sure about this?" Nathan spoke nervously
"I'll be fine, don't worry just wait here" Leah opened the gate and led Olly through. She jumped up in the saddle and the big horse off at a gallop.

Alec carefully opened the door labelled G35 he looked around but could only see boxes "Nothing, where to now" he closed the door behind him and snuck down the corridor, he could see Zack going from one door to the next on the right so Alec continued on the left checking each room as he went. Max clung to the wall she passed Alec and turned right at the next corridor "This is taking to long Logan, I'm going to the centre" she jogged down the corridor, she could see light peeping out from under a door. She crept up to the door and looked through the small window in the door, there was a technician sitting at the computer typing. "I've found it, room G25, Alec get your ass over here now".
She quietly opened the door but the handle clicked as it closed the technician started to turn in his chair "This is a restricted area..." his sentence was cut off Max covered the last few meters in a blur and the last thing he saw was Max's fist coming straight at him. Max pushed him out of the chair and started looking for the files. Alec and Zack came in a few seconds later, Zack stayed by the door and kept watch. Alec came over and started fiddling with the wires at the back of the computer "I'm going through the USB port 2", Max's hands flew across the keyboard "Files are copying now, estimated two minutes twenty"
"How many files are you copying?" Alec sounded surprised
"All of them"
"We're going to be here all day"
"Guard approaching" Zack stepped beside the door in wait, Max and Alec dove behind the desk. After about a minute Zack relaxed "He's gone". Max crawled out from behind the desk and checked the screen "Almost done, Logan what's the quickest way out of here"

Logan scanned the screen "If you go right out the door, right again at the next corridor and follow the corridor the end door should get you out but you'll be on the south side of the building". Leah slowed the horse to a halt near the bushes where Logan was taking cover and jumped off. She saw the faint glow of Logan's computer and pushed through the bushes. Logan stared intensely at the screen and didn't notice Leah peering over his shoulder. Logan glanced around and something caught his eye "What the hell are you doing here?" he spun around almost loosing his laptop
"Get them out of there they have been compromised" Leah tried to stay calm
"Logan are you ok, what's going on?" Max's voice crackled in his ear
Logan had almost forgotten about Max and the others and quickly turned his attention back to the computer "I'm fine" he covered the mic "Are you sure?"
"Yes, does the name Lydecker ring a bell? One of his operatives was at the club"
"But how..."
"Never mind that just get them out of there!"

Zack, Max and Alec leapt over the perimeter fence clearing the razor wire that circled the top of the fence, behind them sirens started wailing and several units of guards came flooding out of the building. Zack ran through the scrub followed by Alec, Max kept level with Zack about a yard to his left "You've been comprimised" Logan spoke calmly.
Max glanced across at Zack "We're going to head straight for you get the bikes ready" she veered in behind Alec
Two soldiers jumped out from behind a bush and fired their tazers, Max got hit and fell to the ground. Without faltering Zack flipped off the trunk of a tree and landed behind one of the guards, he grabbed the guard's arm and yanked it behind his back breaking it the guard started to yell but was silenced with a swift kick to the head. Zack looked across at Alec who had the other guard on the ground. Max got up and rubbed her head "We better jet", they took off at a run. They were running across a clearing when Alec tripped "Ah" Alec grabbed his ankle, Max ran over to him "What happened?"
"Damn log, I slipped" Alec groaned
"We've got to get you out of here" Max looked around
"Get out of here Max" Alec gave her the memory stick with all the data files
"Wait in those bushes I'll come back for you on the bike" Max helped him over to some thick scrub then ran off after Zack.

Leah bit her lip "Switch frequencies, Lydeckers operation must be seperate from the archive, those guards have stopped at the fenceline"
Logan switched frequencies and his face turned white "What's wrong?" Leah whispered
Logan slammed his laptop closed "We've got to get the bikes ready, they're being followed" he went over to one of the bikes and wheeled it out of the bush. Leah was wheeling the second bike out when Zack came bursting out of the forest closely followed by Max, Leah ran over to him "What happened? Where's Alec?" she watched the treeline waiting for Alec to come running out
"What are you doing here?" Zack said angrily as he climbed onto the bike
"Who cares! Where's Alec?"
"He did his ankle I'm going back for him" Max revved the bike
"On that, I don't think so" Leah ran over to Olly and climbed into the saddle "If you haven't noticed there are logs everywhere in that forest you won't get ten feet on the bike, I'll go"
"Are you crazy, those woods are crawling with trained Manticore operatives" Max looked horrified
Zack just shook his head "You have no idea what you're up against...Zack you know I can do this, I need to do this. Olly knows this country and I can handle anything that those guys throw at me" Leah pleaded, Max and Logan looked at Zack questioningly
"Fine, I'll leave a bike behind for Alec. If you can make it to the gate at the marshes you'll be home" Zack started the bike, Leah raced off towards the forest
"You're sending an ordinary in against Manticore personnel?" Max turned her bike toward the farm and waited for Logan to get on
"She's not an ordinary, she's one of us"
"What?" Max and Logan said in unison
"I'll explain later" Zack took off.