Chapter 22 – the chain of command
What if, in the escape of '09, Max hadn't escaped with the others? What if Jondy had tried to save her when she fell in the ice, but in the end they both got caught?
…
'13
Max marched down the corridor with the rest of the X-5's, on their way to the mess hall for night meal. They had spent the afternoon in the sparring room, and most of them were worn out, and had various bruises on their bodies. Max and Jondy were at the back of the lines, talking quietly, and didn't hear the TAC leader tell them to stop. Instead, they kept walking, until they were just about to run into Beck and Lara. They managed to stop in time, and stopped talking to try and find out why they were stopped.
At the head of the lines, the Colonel was talking to the TAC leader. Even with her enhanced hearing, Max couldn't make out what they were saying. She waited impatiently, silently tapping her foot on the ground, for the Colonel to say something to them. When he finally did acknowledge the X-5's, it was only with a salute, before he turned around and led them down a side corridor, away from the mess hall.
Beside her, Max heard Jondy grumbling to herself. Instead of saying anything to her, as she usually would, Max tried to hear if any of the others knew what was going on. But the group was silent, but for a few soft grumbles about not going to eat on time.
When the Colonel finally called the group to a halt, they were in one of the classrooms that had been empty for a year or more. The desks and chairs were stacked up against the furthest wall, and the rest of the room was left bare. The Colonel ordered the group to form three lines in front of him, and waited until they had done that before speaking again. Max had managed to get into the front row, and watched his face as he paced along in front of them.
"You have been together for three years now X-5's. In that time, you have become a team, a seam-less, efficient team. There is only one part of that team that is missing. What is that?"
Max looked at the X-5's in the front row out of her peripheral vision. Some faces held a look of confusion for a brief minute, before the soldier mask kicked back in. When no one answered him, the Colonel stopped his pacing, right in front of Max.
"X-5 452. What is this team missing?"
"Sir, I do not know, Sir."
"I think you do 452."
Realization struck Max, and she answered quickly, "Sir, we are missing a leader. Sir."
"Correct."
"Permission to speak, Sir?"
"Granted 598."
"Sir, I was under the impression that myself and 601 were the leaders of the team, Sir."
"You were acting as leaders until such time as I saw fit to appoint the new leader of your team. Understood, 598?"
"Sir yes Sir."
"Now, I have chosen your new leader. You will obey them, and their second-in-command, and will respect them. If I hear of any insubordination, I will see fit to punish the offender myself. Understood?"
"Sir yes Sir."
"Good. X-5's 598, 601, 452 and 494 step forward."
Alec was at the end of the front line, next to Max, and they stepped forward at the same time. From the second row, 598 stepped out to the front, and Sef made his way to the front from the third row.
"X-5's 601 and 598 have been your commanding officers until now. From this moment on, I release you from that position. Your new commanding officer is 452, and your second-in-command 494. X-5 598 and 601, return to your place."
598 sent a quick, glowering look at Max and Alec, before returning to his place. Sef, however, flashed Max a grin, and walked back.
"X-5 452 and 494, you will stay here for debriefing. The rest of you are dismissed. You may return to the mess hall, and once finished, you may return to the barracks for rec. time, until lights out. Your CO and 2IC will meet you there. Dismissed."
Jondy shot Max a grin, before stepping into line beside Blak, and following the rest of the unit out of the room. Once they had gone, the Colonel shut the door, before walking back to where Max and Alec were still at attention.
"At ease, 452, 494. I am only going to keep you here for a little, as you must eat as well. Firstly, I want to congratulate both of you on being good enough to become leaders. You have both earned it. Secondly, I want to talk of your first outside mission.
"The two of you will be going on a data retrieval mission in Portland. You will receive a full briefing before you leave in seven days time. You will have ten days to complete the mission, and return to base. While you are out on the field, you are required to contact base every morning, at 0700, unless otherwise specified. Understood?"
"Sir, yes Sir."
"Good. I want you to spend the next six days training together, so that you know each others style as well as your own. While the rest of your unit is in class, you are permitted to use the seventh sparring room, the gymnasium, and are also permitted to use the firing range. On the sixth day, you will be required to report to TAC leader Benson, who will fill you in on the mission specifics, and fit you out with id, clothing, weapons, equipment and cash. You will leave on the seventh day, at 0400 hours. There will be a car waiting for you outside the barrack, and it is your duty to learn how to drive it, 494, sometime this week. Is that clear?"
"Yes sir."
"Have you any requests for names?"
"Sir?"
"Names, 452, I presume you know what they are?"
"Yes Sir."
"Then why did you question me?"
"I did not understand your meaning Sir. But I understand now."
"Well. Have you any request?"
"Well, sir, I wish to be called Max."
"That's a males name. Pick another."
"Maxie?"
"Maxine."
"Yes Sir."
"And you, 494. What of you?"
"Alec, Sir."
"You will be Allen. I will have TAC leader Benson notified. You are to tell your unit nothing of this, understood?"
"Yes Sir."
"You are dismissed."
Max and Alec marched out of the room, shutting the door behind them. When they reached the turn off for the mess hall, Max stopped.
"Do you really want to eat now Alec?"
"No. But where else can we go?"
"The barracks. We were told to meet everyone there. Why not just go straight there. They might be there already."
"Ok."
…
Seven days later
0350
Max sat on the edge of her bed, silently tapping her foot on the ground. She watched over Jondy, making sure that she was still asleep. If Jondy woke up, Max and Alec would have to give her some sort of reason for where they were going. And while Max told Jondy everything, she couldn't tell her this. Max didn't know why she couldn't tell her, but every time she started to say something to Jondy, something else had come up, and they would have to stop talking. So Max just decided to keep quiet about it, and tell her all about the mission when they got back.
A quiet tapping at the door caught Max's attention, and she turned to see Alec waiting for her. She silently got up and walked to the door, opened it and walked out. Alec closed the door behind her, and they started walking down the corridor together.
"Everything ok Max?" Alec asked after they were out of the X-5's corridors.
"Yeah. Me and Jondy haven't slept in days, so when I said I was going to go to sleep, she went to bed as well. I'm glad I'm good at stealth too, because Jondy's a light sleeper. But what about you, you ok?"
"I'm always ok. And besides, it would take a bomb going of in Nick's ear to wake him up before dawn. He likes his sleep."
"Yeah. Alec?"
"Yeah Maxie?"
"I wish I could have told Jondy that we're leaving. She's going to be really worried."
"I know. But we can't help that."
"I guess. I still wish I had of said something."
"Don't worry about it Max. We can tell all of them about it when we return."
"Yeah, I suppose you're right Alec."
"I'm always right Maxie."
"You are not."
"Prove it."
"What about the time you said the Colonel had a heart attack?"
"A reasonable assumption. Given his state."
"Bull. But what about when you said Gem died on a training mission?"
"I thought she did."
"You were still wrong."
"So?"
"You said you were always right. And that proves that you aren't."
"Oh shut it Maxine."
"Why don't you Allen?"
"You going to take me on?"
"I would."
"Then why not?"
"Because you have to shut up, get in the car, and drive. Or haven't you noticed, Alec, we're here already."
"Oh. Well, what are you waiting for? Get in the car."
"I was waiting for you to unlock it."
"Oh. There, it's unlocked, get in."
"Wait a minute. Aren't we forgetting something?"
"No, what?"
"We're still in our night gear Alec. We need to change. Here, you go behind the car, and change there. Don't look."
"Embarrassed Maxie?"
"No. But you might be."
Alec opened his mouth, but no sound came out. Max shoved a pile of clothes into his arms, and he quickly walked to the other side of the vehicle to change. Once he had finished, he called out to Max.
"You ready?"
"Almost. Give me a second. Okay, I'm done."
Alec walked around the car, and stopped in mid-step. Max was wearing a short blue skirt, and a strapless bright yellow shirt that clung to her skin. She had her arms crossed over her chest, and glared at Alec.
"If you laugh I will kill you."
"I wouldn't laugh at you. Besides, you look good Max."
"You think so?"
"Of course I do. Would I lie to you Maxie?"
"Yes."
"Okay, forget that. But I promise you, you look good."
"So do you Alec." Max replied, taking in the sight of Alec wearing a pair of baggy black shorts, and a loose white shirt.
"I always look good."
"I wouldn't go so far as to say that Alec."
Alec pressed a hand against his heart, and acted hurt. "You cut me deep Max. You cut me deep."
Max tried to keep a straight face, but failed. She burst out laughing, and soon enough, Alec joined her. When they finished laughing, Alec pulled Max to his side and gave her a hug.
"Let's get going, k Maxie?"
"Okay."