Good day, my dear readers! Get ready for a long chapter, it's a hefty one with lots of dialogue. Let me know how I do with the conversations - writing lots of dialogue with so many characters is hard. I always appreciate the feedback! Hope you enjoy :)


(A-POV)

I received the call last night.

Somehow, we'd all managed to find overnight flights to Utah and were now holed up in Cedar City, Gabriel's choice of residence.

I stood leaning over the table, my hands planted on the wooden surface, studying the images atop it. While waiting for the full team to arrive, Gabriel had set up an exhibit of sorts: there were labeled maps adorned with arrows representing paths taken by syndicate members, as well as snapshots of video surveillance taken from multiple states such as Nevada, California, Oregon, and even as far east as Colorado.

God, they were everywhere.

And yet, they'd been nowhere at the same time, so well hidden not even Gabriel had been able to pinpoint their locations until a week ago.

"Why now?" I murmured, my voice slicing through the tension in the air.

"I think the real question," Alex countered, "is why have they now become careless?" I glanced up at him. Alex's arms were crossed in front of his chest, gnawing on his lower lip which was turning red.

"That's a bad habit." I looked back down to the papers.

"Is this really the time, Alestia?" He actually seemed... irked.

I shrugged. "It'll be time when your lip is chapped and bleeding. And then I'll feel it, and it'll be annoying. So please, stop it."

Alex grumbled something I couldn't hear, but thankfully, he stopped.

I looked to Gabriel. "Do we know where they're going?"

"Not exactly. All I can say for certain is that three people are closing in on Western Oregon. And before you ask," he pushed off the wall he'd been leaning on and approached the table. "no, I don't know why."

"Alex makes a good point," Nia piped up from her position on my right. "Gabriel hasn't been able to find them for years. Years, 'Lest. We've followed trails, sure, but never something like this."

Lucas sat at one of the dining room chairs. "Gabe, do we have any idea of where they might be headed?"

Gabriel wordlessly shook his head, and Lucas swore. I watched him as his eyes quickly flashed to the pale blond head of hair seated at his table, so fast I'd barely caught it myself. He sucked in a breath. "If they wanted to be subtle, they might be traveling to a small town somewhere near the western coast."

"But we already know they don't want to be subtle," I said.

Gabriel's gaze met mine. "Exactly. They were en route to separate places, but something changed. They very quickly altered directions without caring about covering their tracks. As Alex mentioned, they're being sloppy. Now, we can expand the search to denser areas of populations."

"Cities?" Nia added.

"Cities." He echoed, confirming her question. "The only large city that far west would be here," he suddenly pointed at one of the maps. "Portland."

"You don't think..." Alex whispered, and we all went silent.

"What?" Nia's eyes narrowed.

"He's not back, is he?" At those words, the air seemingly drained from the room, and everyone tensed.

"It's not Salem," she snapped. "He's dead."

"We don't definitively know that." Alex's tone hardened. "The place might have been burned to the ground, but his body wasn't among the ones we found. Or have you forgotten?"

There was unadulterated rage in Nia's eyes as she barked, "Alestia was almost one of those bodies, Othonos. I remember quite well the events of that night."

Fear struck my heart like an ice-cold arrow, and I nearly snarled at the horrors that awful building once contained, but Gabriel rapidly interrupted. "The chance of his personal activity is slim in this scenario. There are only three people here that I've found, and none of them match his profile. If he is alive, he's not here. So," he eyed both Nia and me, "there's no need to worry."

His words made me pause. I closed my eyes for a moment, then opened them again, sighing as I did. "If there's anyone who doesn't want to admit it, it's me. But," I placed a comforting hand on Nia's shoulder, "we need to be prepared for anything. That includes a magical return on Salem's part. If he is truly alive, at least we won't be caught off guard."

Her jaw tightened. She was as afraid as any of us, that I could see clearly, and I understood. We were strong, our measly group, but we were not invincible. Salem, whether living or dead, reminded us nearly every day. So I kept my hand where it was, not surprised when she shuffled closer.

There were still so many unanswered questions. With this new information, there would be even more. Why Oregon? Why now?

Why, why, why?

It was beginning to drive me insane. We had no comprehensive list of who was still alive, or if they'd somehow recruited more people. We didn't know the breadth of their resources, or how exactly they managed to stay under the radar.

"Why hasn't Ricky popped back in yet?" Lucas asked.

"You know why." I gave him a flat stare. "It hasn't been that long since the last time he gave us intel."

"Yeah, yeah." Lucas rolled his eyes. "He's just never here when we actually need him."

Richard, or as we liked to call him, Ricky, was one of the connections I'd managed to maintain under our precarious circumstances. He'd been a close friend of my father's, and I'd grown up with him always nearby. Though he had retired after my parents' death, Ricky remained a vital contact, one who managed to give us resourceful information I wouldn't normally be able to access.

He often found ways to give us said information without being caught, but like with all things, too much was not a good thing. If too much went missing for even a small window of time, and someone found out, there'd be hell to pay. So, he took breaks, just in case he was being monitored.

"What's the plan, 'Lest?" Lucas asked, gracefully stretching out his long legs and putting his feet on the table. Lucas had the body of a dancer; long, lean, and muscled. All legs and arms, yet seemingly blessed by divinity, a true Adonis. His years of gymnastics served him well, which he'd accomplished in between teachings on computer forensics, data science, and information systems.

He'd needed to maintain a physical outlet, Lucas claimed, if he were to be working with computers, and so he'd been allowed to continue the sport, albeit with some pleading on his part.

Lucas's eyes pierced my own as he waited for an answer.

The truth was, I wasn't sure what to do. There were always risks, yes, and part of being a leader was learning how to weigh the risks against the benefits. But if I weighed wrong, what would happen to these people I called family? How could I risk the one thing that was more precious than jewels and riches: their lives? Should we continue to watch them from afar, or was it time to finally mobilize? How many people would be waiting for us if I chose the latter?

I felt the pressure settling on my shoulders, felt it slowly rip the air from my lungs. It muddied my head, suffocated me, until all I thought about was the possibility that I'd watch them die.

I rubbed my face with my hand. I'd been waiting for this moment for so long, watching with bated breath for signs of their return.

And here it was.

I refused to freeze. I wouldn't sit by and watch it happen, not when I was finally old enough to do something about it.

Never again, I swore to myself. Never again.

I sighed deeply. "I'd like to study their movements for a little while longer. If we find that they're indeed closing in on Portland, I think it's about time we go on a little trip."

-0-0-0-

"Remember," I said, holstering my gun at my side, "we study them. We do not engage unless for defensive purposes. We do not get caught." I looked around as my team prepped their weapons. I'd double-checked the ammo, making sure we had enough for us all were anything unexpected to occur. The familiar weight of my knife pressed against my calf, easing some of the tension I felt.

Sure enough, there'd been confirmation of a presence in Portland. The other two were on their way, most likely entering the city in no more than ten minutes; one by train, one by car. The other was waiting at a local cafe down the road. We five had found an empty rooftop and had bunkered down until the time came to execute our tentative plan. We even had our badges with us, just in case a civilian encounter took place.

Being here, in this city, was risky enough. I wasn't going to take any more chances.

My team and I were dressed casually, so as not to draw attention to ourselves. I'd even straightened my hair, which I'd begrudgingly dedicated multiple hours to achieve. Curly hair was recognizable, and I hoped that straightening it wouldn't make me any more noticeable than I already was.

The plan was to split up. Gabriel would remain on the rooftop to track the car. Nia and I would enter the cafe. Lucas and Alex would be waiting at the train station. We all knew how to track from afar, and hopefully, our plan worked. If anything were to go wrong, we would meet up as quickly as possible at a different location, one deemed safe enough to reconvene.

If all went well, we would meet back on this roof.

Then, we would get out of the city as fast as possible.

"Ready?"

I received four nods in answer.

"Then let's roll." I stood up. "Stick to the plan, got it?"

"Aye aye captain," Alex replied with a grin on his face.

I rolled my eyes and watched in amusement as Lucas snorted. "You've been waiting far too long to say that, haven't you."

"Longer than I'd like to admit, yeah."

"Dumbasses, the both of them," Nia muttered at my side as we both began our journey to the cafe.

"You're telling me," I said, a laugh escaping me.

After about five minutes, we strolled into the cafe, arm in arm, giggling to ourselves at conversations about feigned situations - romantic relationships, exams, work. We were supposed to be playing the roles of students at Lewis and Clark College. Nia even dyed her hair a dark copper after cutting it to her shoulders, claiming she needed the change anyway.

Nia and I ordered coffees and found a table in line of sight with the person we'd tracked here: a woman no older than twenty-two who, to my knowledge, was new to the ranks.

She had fiery red hair and was bouncing her leg, a clear sign of impatience, perhaps even anxiety. Though she betrayed nothing on her face, there were far more subtle indications of her emotions - an occasional glance towards the entry, or tucking a stubborn strand of hair behind her ear as she sipped on her drink.

I continued to have a hushed conversation with my partner when I saw the woman still out of the corner of my eye. I peeked in her direction, and my stomach dropped when I noticed her eyes trained on both of us.

Using the arm facing her, I lifted my hand and rested my cheek in my palm. "React surprised yet receptive," I whispered urgently. I tenderly reached for Nia's hand and brought it to my face, brushing my lips against her knuckles with a small smile as I kept eye contact.

To her credit, Nia blushed, and her mouth, which had opened slightly in awe, turned into a soft smile. She interlaced our fingers and brought them back down to the table, leaning closer. "Is she still looking?" She asked, a smile still planted on her face.

I stole another glance, this time to see she was looking out the window instead. "No, not anymore."

"Nothing like intimacy to make people turn the other way," Nia said with a low chuckle. "That was smooth, by the way. I'll have to pocket that one for my personal use."

I winked in response, and she chuckled again.

After nearly a half hour, the woman still hadn't moved. Nia and I were both on our second drink, and I was beginning to get impatient. She was supposed to have left by now. My phone buzzed in my pocket, and when I pulled it out, I was greeted with a message from Gabriel: Both individuals have been successfully tracked to an airport. Get out now.

"Time to head out." I got up and Nia followed. I waited until we were ten paces away from the building before daring to speak, turning into a secluded alleyway to cut across to the other side.

"She should have left." I shook my head in confusion. "I don't understand why she came to Portland without meeting anybody." Just to make sure, I texted Gabriel back. Meet at the alternative location. Explanations later.

"Are we certain she hasn't already met up with the other two?"

"They weren't even near the city yet. Apparently-"

The words caught in my throat as I felt something press against the back of my head. Two clicks resonated throughout the small area, and my heart began to palpitate. Nia, too, had frozen.

"Don't move, or I'll shoot you both." The voice was flat. Without looking, I knew it was the same woman we'd been watching. "You're lucky I haven't already blown your brains out. Raise your hands."

"We don't want any trouble," I began carefully, but I was swiftly cut off.

"Hands, now!" She barked, pressing the gun more firmly into my head.

"Alright, alright!" We followed her orders, lifting our hands to where she could clearly see them.

With a side-glance at Nia, we made eye contact and I blinked. As quick as lightning, she and I ducked our heads and swiveled, shoving the redhead's arms up so they were pointing skyward. A grunt of surprise came from the woman's throat as both guns were knocked from her grip. I grabbed one of her arms while Nia grabbed the other, wrenching them behind her back.

With a small battle cry, my partner and I ran her into the wall, holding her forcefully against it. "Get off me!" She snarled.

Nia laughed wildly. "What the hell were they thinking, putting you on the field, when you can barely hold people at gunpoint? I knew they needed recruits, but I didn't know they were desperate. I think it's just a little embarrassing, don't you, 'Lest?"

The woman writhed and bucked with all her might, but we only pushed her harder into the wall.

"How did you figure it out?"

The woman looked at me with anger. "What, did you really think that facade would fool anyone, Alestia?" She spat my name with such venom, such malice, that it took me by surprise. I'd never met this woman, didn't even know her name, yet she hated me. "I may not have a lot of training," she bucked again, and I made a low noise in warning, "but I'm not an idiot."

"Debatable," Nia muttered, and I shot her a disapproving look. While I usually appreciated her sarcasm, it wasn't needed at the moment. There were bigger problems at hand.

"What's your name?" I demanded, pressing the side of her head into the brick building.

"Why would I tell you?" The woman laughed breathlessly. "You're the enemy."

"Because I told you to, that's why. And right now, we have the upper hand. You're all alone in the city, with nobody to come and help you. So think through the situation, and stop being so hard-headed!"

"I would listen to her if I were you," Nia added, and the woman finally slackened at the underlying threat behind her words.

"Elena."

"Elena, I am asking you nicely," I murmured in her ear. "Cooperate, and we won't harm you."

"Like I've never heard that one before." Elena sneered.

"I don't know what you've been taught to believe, but we do follow morals, sweetheart." I narrowed my eyes. "Besides, if I wanted you dead, you wouldn't be alive right now. I thought that was explicit given your current circumstance."

Her chest was heaving as she mulled over my words. Finally, after a few seconds of silence, she answered, "Fine. Now if you please, let me go."

Slowly, Nia and I released her, spinning her around so that her back was now to the wall. What Elena beheld in front of her made her nose scrunch in distaste. I stood, my hand resting on the weapon at my side.

Nia already had her gun pulled out and trained on the woman, the safety off. "You move, and I shoot both of your legs, sister." She grinned at the fear that flashed in Elena's eyes. "Not so much fun when you're on the other end, huh?"

Elena elected to stay silent, eyes darting between the two of us.

"How long have you been a syndicate member?" I asked.

"That's what you call us? A 'syndicate'? Really?"

"Oh?" I raised my eyebrows. "And how would you describe it?"

"An organization." There was such confidence in her tone, and if I didn't know any better, I might say she truly believed it.

"Answer my question."

"A few months."

"Why did you come to Portland?"

"I don't know. They don't tell me anything. Part of being new, I guess."

"You're young." I cocked my head to the side, studying her frame. My scrutiny must have made her uncomfortable because she began to fidget. "What are they holding against you?" I asked quietly.

"Holding-" her eyes widened in bewilderment. "Nothing! I'm not being held against my will."

"You really expect me to believe that you," I motioned to her body with my empty hand, my tone dripping with doubt, "someone who is young and lithe, with great potential, joined willingly? I hate to break this to you, but I know how these things go. I have the scars to prove it, remember?"

Elena's mouth dropped. She gaped as if about to speak, but no words came out. Any trace of that guard I saw in the cafe fell, leaving only horror and shock. I blinked a few times.

I hadn't expected that reaction.

"The... scars?" She trailed. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Even Nia stilled at her reaction, observing her with curiosity. "You don't know?" My partner asked, dropping her gun slightly. When she saw that the confusion remained, she gawked. "Oh my god, you really have no idea, do you?"

Elena shook her head silently, apparently still stuck on my admission.

"I'm not a sadist," Elena quietly claimed, "I'm... I'm just a scientist. They said you were withholding a breakthrough that would save thousands." She swallowed thickly. "I'm a firm believer in universal medical access. I just- I thought I was doing the right thing."

I took a step back in astonishment. I could only stare at this woman who was clueless as to what she'd stumbled into. She deserved to know some of the truth. That, and though I hated the idea of admitting it to myself, I so desperately wanted to trust her reaction.

"A few years ago," I began gently, "they killed my parents. Took me and my siblings hostage. They died a week after from hypothermia. Their remains were found huddled together, presumably for warmth. I was starved, beaten, until I was too weak to do anything about it. I had just turned sixteen a month prior."

"No..." Elena's face, which had been ghost white as she listened to my tale, turned a sickly shade of green. "No! That's not true. It's not." She covered her mouth with a hand, looking as if she was about to gag. "I save people!" Elena's piercing cry echoed throughout the deserted alleyway. "I don't hurt them!"

"Why would I make something like that up?" I challenged. "They were my family."

Elena was shaking now, and all I felt was pity. I wasn't lying when I said she had potential, it was clear, plain as day. She was smart, and if she actually was a scientist, she possessed self-discipline and ambition, qualities that carried people far. If what she was telling us was true, it meant that any new recruits weren't being told the truth. While I didn't think it was beneath them to lie... it still unnerved me.

I backed up and dropped my hand from the handle of my gun, confident she wouldn't run now.

"It seems you've made a realization," I announced, sucking in a deep breath to steady myself. "Everything you thought about this... organization you joined, you've learned it was all a lie. You have a decision to make, Elena, and trust me, there is a right and a wrong one." A pause. "You can either continue with your actions, or you can leave."

"I-I don't know if they'll let me."

"With my help, you can."

Nia whipped her head around and whispered furiously, "What the fuck are you thinking?"

I held up a hand and continued. "Get off the grid. Never come in contact with anyone part of that organization again. Dispose of any trackers, and disappear without a trace. You're new, yes, and you don't know anything, which gives you an advantage." I pulled out a pen from my pocket. "Give me your hand. If you need anything at all, call this number."

I proceeded to write a phone number on the back of her hand.

"Whose number is this?" Elena asked.

I glanced up at her. "My own."

Startled, she tried to pull away, but I seized her wrist. "Why," she faltered, "why would you give me your number? I held a gun to the back of your head!"

I paused, sensing Nia's agreement. Though she hadn't spoken again, the silence of her criticism was deafening, but I had no choice but to ignore it. I'd already made my decision. "Because I have faith in you."

I dropped her wrist, and Elena cradled it close to her chest, rubbing it idly. I backed away and started towards the other side of the alley. With one last glance over my shoulder, I saw Nia wiggle her fingers in parting.

"I'm not so sure that was a good idea," my partner muttered when she returned to my side.

"It's a number to a burner phone I bought out of state. Nobody can track it."

Nia was quiet for a moment. "Are you sure she'll make the right decision?"

I glanced sidelong at her. "We'll have to see."

-0-0-0-

"You did what?" Alex nearly jumped out of his skin after I'd finished detailing today's events. The five of us had reconvened and were now sharing what we discovered. It was suggested I go first.

"I know it seems counterintuitive..." I started.

"Yeah, no shit!"

"Okay, just listen, will you?" I rubbed my eyes tiredly. "There is a much larger plot going on than we initially thought. These new recruits, I don't think they fully know what they're supporting. Elena seemed genuinely surprised when I told her what they did to me. That kind of reaction... it can't be faked."

"Of course, it can!" My second shook his head incredulously.

"Do you really think a woman with next to no combative training would have such control over her emotions?" I snapped. "I wasn't the only one to bear witness!"

Everyone looked to Nia, who had crossed her arms over her chest defensively. "If you saw her reaction," she mumbled, "you'd believe it too."

I sighed in relief at her support. "Now that we have that settled, it's time for you to share your experience."

"There's nothing much to share," Lucas shrugged. "We tracked the man from the train station to the airport. A quick check-in with Gabe confirmed the man in the car was also going to the same place. It was a private airport just outside of the city."

"We saw both of them at the airport, but there was another person, someone we didn't know was there," Alex added.

That snagged my attention. Apparently, Gabriel had already been debriefed, because he didn't seem at all surprised to hear about it.

"What do you mean? How did we miss him?"

"Nobody knows. We figure he must be a new member." Alex nodded his chin in Gabriel's direction, which confirmed my previous suspicion.

"What happened at the airport?"

Lucas huffed as he took over for Alex. "The people we were tracking met with this man, who, mind you, we could barely see from our position, handed him a suitcase, and watched him take off on a private plane. Then, they both just... left."

"Do we know anything about the plane?" Nia piped up.

"Nothing. There was absolutely nothing on the plane that we could decipher. And even if we could figure something out, it was a private plane, which means there aren't any records we can access without being knee-deep in shit."

"As much as I'd like to continue this interesting conversation, it should be finished out of the city," Gabriel suggested. He never did like being in one place for too long after a mission. It made him antsy. And if there was one thing Gabriel hated, it was feeling restless. "It's been nearly a day, and now that Elena knows we're here, it's best if we get out as quickly as possible."

"You're right," I said softly. I could hear his unspoken words: just in case she chooses wrong. I had no choice but to assume she would make the right call. I admit, it might have been rash, but I knew good when I saw it; the Autobots were more proof of that, along with Sam and Mikaela. I'd sensed her pure intention, almost as if it had settled like a blanket on my chest.

So I followed that instinct, that faith.

I just hoped I wouldn't be proven wrong.