Note: So I don't know that much about the military and all, though I'm somehow really fascinated by it (not by war but by the military itself), but I tried my best with this. I did some research and I'm sure I might've gotten something wrong but as long as it makes even a little sense, it doesn't matter :) Hope you enjoy this one!

Chapter Thirteen – Ad Undas (To Hell)

-Alex-

Costa Amenas was on the eastern coast of Mexico, almost exactly north and several hours from Mexico City. Its population was very much less than one hundred and from the pictures I'd looked at earlier, it seemed to be lacking in the pleasantness its name boasted. There was almost no vegetation at all, just sand-colored dust and dirt, and bland, colorless buildings. The place was so disregarded that I was sure that even its own inhabitants wouldn't have cared if it had blown up.

There were eight of us total—four were U.S. Navy SEALs, rough, serious-looking men that didn't acknowledge me with any more than a nod. Then it was me, Addie, David, and Ben. Upon meeting the SEALs, I'd gotten a funny sense of déjà vu that made me think back to my Brecon Beacons days. But introductions had been made in a hurry—I couldn't blame them for not making small talk. We were riding in two separate military vehicles: I rode with Ben and two SEALs in a jeep while David and Addie were with the others in a Humvee. Unlike us, they were enclosed in protective armor and carried with them a machine gun perched on top. About seven minutes ago, we'd stepped off the CRRC, an inflatable, rubber boat that stretches fifteen feet long and had allowed us to approach the small town from the waters of the Gulf. Now we were on our way to link up with the Mexican Special Forces that were supposed to assist us when we reached Costa Amenas. Each of us was dressed in heavy gear that consisted of the desert-colored camouflage, assault vest, helmet equipped with night vision and protective goggles, radio communications, protective kneepads, and boots. To my mild surprise, I'd been armed with a 9mm Sig Sauer handgun, combat knife, and a rifle, a Navy SEAL M4; it was specifically designed for CQB, close quarters combat. The thought of any combat within ten feet of me sent my stomach plummeting. Ben had also slipped me a smaller knife with a blade about three inches long, instructing me to keep it in my boot "just in case."

"Still remember your training from back at Brecon Beacons?" he'd asked, clapping me on the shoulder. I hadn't been sure if he was joking.

"Is it too late to go back?" I'd muttered, knowing it would be so much better than what I was about to face.

I used the time to gaze around us as we rolled along. Outside of the vision goggles that lit everything in an eerie green, there wasn't much to see; it was almost two in the morning, Central Daylight Time. The sky was the darkest blue but you couldn't call it black, at least not yet. I wouldn't have been able to see even Ben next to me if it wasn't for the goggles. The only light came from the dim headlights of both vehicles that swept across the ground like watch tower beacons and the silver moon, a bright coin hanging in the sky. It was rather chilly despite the fact that we were surrounded by stretches of desert dotted with green though rather unattractive shrubs. They trolled past us slowly and I felt like I was in one of those absurd car scenes in the films with the fake moving backgrounds.

I laughed at myself and saw Ben glance at me. "Something funny?"

"No. Just a bit hysterical I guess," I replied, and realized that it was true. While David had tried to dissuade Addie from risking her life, I was considering a possibility… one that I continued to have mixed feelings about. Even now I wasn't sure why I'd brought it up, let alone considered it… Was it because it had worked before? Did I really have enough confidence to ensure that the same successful and rather convincing results would happen? I shook the doubtful thoughts from my head. Everyone at the table hadn't thought it was a bad idea after all. It had taken a bit more thinking and planning, but it was certainly a better proposal than handing Addie over. No one wanted that and I knew that she was just as frightened by the idea too. I'd expected her to protest even a little bit but she'd appeared almost… relieved. I wasn't sure what to think of that.

David had managed to gather all of us when Stark escorted Addie to the restroom, minutes before we were due to leave. "Now I know that you've all had this drilled into your heads already," he'd said, "but Addie is our priority. Once Joseph and Margot Daniels are safe, no one else matters. Got that?"

The SEALs had nodded and confirmed their understanding, unlike Ben and me. "What about Alex?" Ben had asked, something close to annoyance coloring his voice.

"Don't worry about me." I had looked from him to David, who was watching me almost expectantly. "Addie is our priority. I can handle myself."

As we got closer and closer to Costa Amenas, the resolve was becoming clearer, hardening in my mind. There was no time to look back or second guess anything; we could only look forward and hope that everything worked out perfectly. I couldn't afford to lose my head on this mission… and I couldn't afford to lose Addie either.

The soldier sitting directly in front of me—Lieutenant Scott?—lifted a hand in a general direction. His low, rough voice spoke clearly into my ear: "I've got a visual." In the Humvee, I could see the other SEALs, along with David and Addie, perking up. I did the same, craning my neck to squint into the green desert.

About thirty yards or so away there was another jeep, sitting quiet and idle in the darkness. I could barely make out the shapes from where we were but as we approached them the vague outlines of the men became clear. One of them was leaning against the door casually and unhitched himself as our vehicles rolled to a gentle stop. "Lieutenant Scott?" He spoke in a normal volume though it sounded oddly loud compared to the silence we'd ridden in during the majority of the trip.

Ben nudged me and I stepped out, trying to be careful with the bulk I had on me. Scott shook hands with the Mexican and they each made brief introductions. There were two other men with Chavez, the leader, and even through the smoggy night, their gazes were piercing. The three of them were as geared up as we were. Everyone gathered around and I was aware of Addie at my shoulder. She was nearly unrecognizable in the combat gear but lack of any gun larger than the Glock was enough for me to identify her. I remembered when she'd insisted on being the only one without a rifle or sniper.

"We've got a couple dump trucks waiting for us down there," Chavez announced, jerking a thumb behind him. In the distance they looked toy-sized, but further away were the cluster of short buildings that made up Costa Amenas. "The town is very small; it'll take less than five minutes to make it to the western end where we need to be," he explained in his lightly accented voice.

"Is there anyone patrolling the area?" the SEALs spotter, Jenkins, questioned.

"We haven't seen anyone at all yet—everyone, if not Mather and his men too, should be asleep at this time."

"We should be anticipating a handful of armed men," Scott explained. "The area is also supposed to be pretty open and if there's any enemy fire, it might be difficult to find cover unless you run like hell is chasing you."

After another minute of brief reviewing, our team of eleven made its way toward the dump trucks. They were going to travel through the little town while concealing us within their metal walls. It may have been past midnight but we were taking any precautions available. The trucks were parked on the dirt road that ran through Costa Amenas and their dark green coats were faded by age and use. Once I stepped within several yards of them, the cloying smell of trash and deterioration hit me. I wrinkled my nose as Ben reached from the bed to hoist me up.

Once the back clanged shut, five of us were immediately engulfed in darkness with the moon as our only source of real light. Then the trucks roared to life and light turbulence shook us while they began to move. I could see the grim faces of the soldiers surrounding me, especially Ben who looked deeply immersed in thought. These men did these kinds of things for a living, dropping their home lives within the hours of a day to serve their country. Hostage rescue, counter-terrorism, reconnaissance—they did it all.

And suddenly I knew how they felt. Though there were our differences, it was the same all over. Just like them, I'd been called by MI6 and thrown into assignments in less than a blink of an eye. I had loved ones that anticipated my return, praying during every minute of my absence that I came home safely. These men had families and friends, people that were in danger of grief and sadness. That was how Addie's family worked too, being completely made up of CIA agents. She'd already lost her brother; did she have to lose her parents too?

The sudden silence woke me from my reverie. We'd made it safely and quickly. The back of the dump truck opened and we filed out one by one, as quiet as we could be. The trucks had stopped just outside of the town; the dark, silent buildings of Costa Amenas were on one side, a quarter of a mile away and opposite them was one lone compound, clearly abandoned. The windows of the small structures were broken through and doors hung ajar, giving into the black empty space. Underneath them was supposed to be a network of tunnels that were used for illegal activity, especially drug-related purposes. The area between the compound and the town was wide open and I knew what Scott had meant by running like hell for cover—depending on where you were, you'd have to choose between the desolate buildings and the town.

Addie came towards me with her eyes even greener in the light of the night vision goggles. The fear and tension was rolling off in waves from her and I wished I could say something, but my throat was closed up. Seeing her afraid sparked a need for me to soothe her and erase the discomfort. But instead I just gave her a nod and she did the same, turning towards the compound. The soldiers had quickly taken positions across the area. Addie and I stood together as planned with Ben and David in front of us, their bodies concealing us partially. "All boots on the ground," Scott's voice whispered in my ear. I was aware of every person around me as if they had a strange aura that pulsated under my skin. I knew two of the men were behind me, hidden somewhere past the trucks and among the town. My heart was thumping against my chest and I could feel my finger on the trigger of the M4 in my hands. Afraid that it would slip, I removed it, half-wondering if I needed it at all.

It seemed like forever standing there, waiting. I could see the red dots of the lasers from the soldiers' guns, moving slowly but anxiously amid the compound. The sound of breathing was faint in my ear but I wasn't sure if it was just mine. And then Boyd, the corpsman of the SEALs, said, "We've got movement." On cue, two people walked out from one of the doors to our right. It was Joseph; his wrists were still tied but the black bag was gone, revealing his worn, beaten face. His captor was a dark-skinned man in a flannel shirt and jeans. He gripped Joseph in one hand while the other held a gun to his head. I heard Addie gasp sharply and saw her step forward. I reached out and took her shoulder, shaking my head infinitesimally when she looked at me.

Scott murmured orders in our ears but I wasn't paying much attention. At the left side of the building, two more were exiting: Margot, who looked too exhausted to be furious, and another unknown man. But then a few more men filed out from behind them. I scanned their faces, looking for the one man responsible for all of this. He appeared last, recognizable by the grey and white hair and heavy rifle in his hands. Regardless of the scruffiness the CIA's photo had portrayed, Mather looked the cleanest, wearing a simple black shirt and cargo pants. It occurred to me that he looked nothing like a torture expert… but I was sure anyone would be able to see it there in his eyes, the eyes that relished others' pain.

"Where is she?" His gruff voice reached us easily. He and the other men had formed a clean line across the area with Margot and Joseph at the heart. Most of them had their guns held up offensively but no one made a move. I counted hastily and found no more than ten of them, creating too small of a margin for the SEALs and Mexican Special Forces… but then again, these were highly trained military. This was probably nothing for them.

"She's right here," David answered, jerking his head towards us. He didn't budge from his position. Margot and Joseph's eyes were flickering between the soldiers nervously.

Mather removed himself from the line, walking down it to see around David. My palms were sweating as he gazed at Addie but I could feel him looking at me too. He seemed to contemplate for a moment and then he signaled to his men. They automatically lowered their guns and Mather watched us expectantly. After a moment I heard Scott say "Stand down" and, hesitantly and one by one, each soldier relaxed from their positions. It was strange that Mather was doing this, not only because he had a taste for violence but it didn't feel right in a situation like this.

"Bring her," he instructed. Instantly the man holding onto Margot shoved her forward.

In response, Addie stepped around David, just as she was supposed to, and I could almost see her shaking as she walked. "Addie?" Margot must have realized what was happening. "Addie, no! What are you—"

"Shut up or she gets a bullet!" Mather shouted, making her clamp her lips shut. "Stop where you are," he ordered Addie. She obeyed. "Your gun," he continued, staring at her.

Ever so slowly, she removed the Glock from her waist, placing it on the ground while keeping her other hand up in a show of no harm. "The vest and the helmet," Mather added flatly. As she proceeded to take them off, I felt the tension from the soldiers around me. My own agitation made me grind my teeth. Were they going to ask her to strip completely down? Addie's blonde head was left unprotected, the strands of hair escaping the tight braid that ran down her neck and disappeared into her jacket.

And then Mather nodded. It was evident that Margot didn't want her daughter doing this—she was shaking her head, silent tears glistening in the moonlight as she walked. But something told me that Addie was only smiling at her, trying to reassure her that everything would be okay. Just as they reached each other halfway across the wide space, Mather raised a hand, indicating Joseph to come forward. It took me a moment to snap out of the apprehension building in my chest and start moving. There was no going back.

Everything happened in the longest instant. Scott had positioned himself directly in front of David and Ben. The second I brushed past him, I almost felt the silent order that he gave: a twitch of his fingers. I heard the quick shots, two of them, as they buried themselves into Addie's back. Even though it shouldn't have been a shock to me, I couldn't stop the absolute horror from flooding into my veins as I watched her collapse, dropping first to her knees and then falling facedown into the dirt.

The air shattered into a million fragments as both sides opened fire.

On instinct I ran, dodging past Addie's motionless figure and the hail of bullets. Mather and his men were retreating into the compound with several soldiers taking after them. I could hear Margot screaming for Addie. I wanted so badly to comfort her and tell her that things would be okay but when I looked back, she and Joseph were being hauled away by two SEALs towards the trucks. I turned away, not wanting my eyes to stray towards the ground when I knew it would distract me, and ducked into a hallway of the compound, small enough to be considered an alley.

Gunshots and yells reverberated around me as I crept, anticipating the moment when I would turn around and find myself looking down the barrel of a gun. Many of these small buildings that made up the compound had once been offices, now long abandoned after the Mexican Special Forces had stepped in after realizing what real "business" its occupants were handling. Most of them were vacant with the lack of furniture and care evident in water stains, the occasional unidentifiable critter, and the smell of decay. I was glad to have the night vision goggles; otherwise I might have been worse off. I weaved in and out of the various rooms and buildings, keeping an eye out for the one target we needed. A small part of me was worrying about Addie but I knew that capturing Mather was the key to saving her.

It took me a moment to gather that something was wrong. Very wrong. I felt secluded, not only physically, but mentally. The surrounding silence was nearly suffocating… and as I stood still and straightened up, it dawned on me: my earpiece wasn't working. No one was shouting orders in my ear though there was definitely some yelling in the distance. In a low voice, I asked for David. When he didn't answer, I tried Ben and Scott. Still greeted by silence, I muttered, "Damn it," and sighed.

As I stepped out into another alley, I was suddenly aware that I wasn't alone. Maybe it was the hairs standing on the back of my neck or the sharp intake of breath that I heard, but the click of a gun and a shaky voice from behind confirmed my suspicion. "Put the gun down! Slowly," it commanded quietly. I stiffened, recognizing the voice.

I did as I was told, running a million different escapes and questions through my head. The fighting seemed to have calmed down; it sounded fainter but not as hectic as it was a few minutes ago. "Don't make any sudden moves… I won't hesitate to kill you." Trying to keep still, I saw in the corner of my eye a man coming around to stand in front of me. I yearned to see his face to confirm his voice, that voice I'd only heard weeks ago. He was dressed in a heavy jacket and jeans. His handgun was pointed at me, inches away from my face. I stared at it. Were his hands shaking?

I could feel him scrutinizing my face, perhaps trying to see past the goggles. Would he shoot me right here if he knew who I was? "Are you Alex Rider?" Samuel Webb demanded. He looked no different since our encounter at Virginia Beach; he was obviously impatient and was sporting a five o' clock shadow but the nervousness was still there. Or maybe it was distress, I wasn't sure.

When I nodded he gripped the gun more tightly. "Do you have any idea how hard it is?" I stared at him, unable to comprehend his words. "Boss almost killed me himself when we found out the CIA knew it was me. I was just doing my job for God's sake!" he spat. "I've got a family that needs the money. But you had to come along, snooping around."

Blinking, I thought to myself that the hypocrisy behind his words was no surprise. He was clearly in a crazed state. "Sorry," I replied in an unapologetic tone. Then I shrugged. "I was just doing my job."

He frowned but seemed to not have heard me. "They came after me but… I managed to escape. Boss gave me a second chance," Webb said almost haughtily, standing a little straighter. He paused and I realized he was waiting for me to answer.

I raised an eyebrow that I knew he couldn't see. "Congratulations. Would you like a cookie?"

The smirk on his lips turned into a grimace, a snarl ripping from his throat. Before he could make a move, I took his arms and twisted just as the gun went off. My foot kicked around his knees, knocking him backwards. The walls of the buildings were close enough together to allow Webb's head to crash into one of them. He slid down to the ground and lay there immobile. I looked down at him, shaking my head at how easy it had been. Not wanting to waste any time, I pocketed the gun, which was another Sig Sauer, and picked up the rifle.

Walking down the alley again, I saw a dark blur hurtle past. I broke into a run, skidding around the corner to find the familiar cargo pants sprinting away from me. Pausing, I looked through the scope of the M4, deciding to hit him in the knee. It would be a lot of pain but it wouldn't kill, only incapacitate—the CIA needed the torture expert alive.

My finger was a millimeter from the trigger when someone threw themselves into Mather's path, blocking him. I heard the clatter of a gun dropping and, as I walked closer, saw that David had his rifle aimed at the man. Mather brought his hands up slowly and I came to a stop several yards behind him, trying to meet David's gaze. "Alex," David said, not relaxing from his position. "Are you all right?"

I breathed, "Yeah," and watched as Mather chuckled. It was a low, deep sound, almost completely at ease. He looked back and forth between us and it shouldn't have surprised me that he wasn't afraid, even when he was cornered.

"Well, isn't this working out perfectly?" he murmured, a strange edge in his tone.

And then David did something that made my blood run cold. At first, he'd been pointing his rifle menacingly at Mather, keeping him rooted to the ground. Now, he swiveled in place until the red laser shooting from it stretched across the space and stopped on my chest, a glaringly bizarre change that had my head spinning. What…?

They both seemed to have sensed my utter confusion, watching me carefully. "Alex," David said in a tight voice, "I don't want to hurt you—"

"I will," Mather put in.

"—but you're gonna have to do as I say." David nodded towards me. "I want everything on the ground."

Feeling numb, I placed the rifle at my feet, mechanically removing the combat knife and Sig Sauer guns. I was shaking and I felt like my knees might give out from underneath me as I stood back up. My mind refused to believe this was happening.

"Can I do the honors?" Mather asked, eyeing me eagerly.

David sighed, still never removing the red laser from where it pierced me. "Knock yourself out. We don't have much time."

Mather was already approaching me, an amused sneer playing across his face. "Actually, I was thinking about him," he said to David. I wanted to protest but my plea was stuck in my throat.

The last thing I saw was his fist flying towards me.

Note: Please please review! :)