3.
Constant whurring of helicopter blades filled everyone's ears as the group set their coordinates to a little remote village known as Lighthouse Point. Gordon recognized the place immediately. When he came through here on his way to Nova Prospekt the place was swarming with Combine, advisors, and gunships. He remembered troops fighting bravely against them, only to meet demise, save about four of them. The lighthouse was their only salvation; now it lay half beaten, half destroyed in a pile of bricks and cinders.
The helicopters landed in stride, one after the other in the shadow of a tall mountain. Radar detection devices were equipped, and stealth technology that Dr. Kleiner brought along proved useful in hiding the fleet. Everyone unloaded the convoy into a couple of small houses nearby. There, Barney's resistance troops met up with Gordon and Alyx's and they shared plans and ideas.
"Gordon, I would like you to meet my next in line, and best officer, Mr. Griffith Anderson. Reminds me a lot of you, he does. Except I don't owe him a beer."
Griffith stepped forward slowly. He was a tall man, with stubble growing on his face. Scars lined his arms where armor was not; everyone could tell he had been through rough times. Griffith shook Gordon, Dr. Kleiner, and Alyx's hands and saluted to the rest of the group.
His voice was deep and raspy, and it carried through the whole house when he said, "It's a pleasure to meet you all. I have heard of you, Mr. Freeman, for quite some time. You're the free man's leader and the captured man's hero. It's because of you that most of us are alive. If it weren't for you, I could have given up a long time ago. I saw my troops slaughtered. Beaten. Killed. What kept me going was the news that someone from the inside had gotten outside, and that the someone that had escaped was starting a movement. I figured I could help in any way, Mr. Freeman... And Ms. Vance, I am dreadfully sorry about your father. I worked with him a few times. He will be missed... but not forgotten." Alyx's hands came forth in a show of gratitude, and Gordon's actions said that he knew this man meant every word he said.
Barney interrupted the silence. "We were just north of the Antlion fields, when I heard that the superportal was about to be destroyed. I told what was left of my troops to come here while I traveled all the way to see you. We needed help, Gordon. We needed it badly. But none of us have ever seen quite a show like that superportal. What you guys did was magical. Great job!" He then turned around to face his troops and briefed them briefly. "Our new objective here is to find a Dr. Judith Mossman. She knows what we wish we knew. It's crucial that we find her, but we have to find her alive. All we know is that she's about 560 miles northeast of White Forest. Our main goal is to find the Borealis and figure out what is on it and what to do with it. We need to ALL band together, guys. I know I haven't been the best leader. But Gordon is a hell of a lot better than I am. I would trust him with anything. Right, Gordon?"
"Yeah, Barney, except for that beer."
After a good night's rest, the team awoke to a bright sunrise over the ocean; something they hadn't seen in years.
Alyx was outside resting on a rock when Gordon woke up. He stepped outside with her.
"Gordon, have you ever seen something this beautiful? Have you ever been taken by something like this?"
"Alyx, I must say... I've seen many a sunrise, but not one quite like this. After the portal was destroyed, something must have happened. It MUST have. I haven't seen clouds in quite some time. I'm so glad it was a success. Eli would be proud, Alyx."
Alyx rested her head on Gordon's shoulder. How could she cope with everything at once? Battles, lives, her father, the labs, the mission... Gordon... Without Gordon she would be near to hopeless. He had helped her through so much...
"Hey, you two! Come give us a hand!" yelled Barney from across the path. The troops were starting to load everything and everyone into the helicopters. "We need to go!"
"Barney's right, Alyx. We can still see the sunrise from the sky. Lets go before we fall behind."
With the troops all loaded and the supplies on board, the air filled with the sound of thirteen helicopters once again. Gordon could still feel some presence in the area, though. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he knew it was still here. Could there be more Combine? Is there a traitor? Was there something left behind?
Gordon looked back on that lighthouse one more time. "See ya, buddy," it seemed to say. "Have a nice fight."