Thanks for the reviews. Sorry for my absence.
"Something good?" Claire asked peeking through her fingers at the pair standing by the door.
"Potentially a solution to our problem but I wanted you to have a look before we done anything," Carlos answered her.
"What's the problem?" Alice asked looking between them curiously.
When neither of them answered straight away she glanced at K-mart who, unlike the other two, was staring straight at her. Between the three of them they gave her an unspoken answer. One she didn't like.
"Did you know they were doing this?" Alice turned to Claire who was avoiding eye contact and asked. "Who am I kidding of course you knew, well you better go see what they found then eh?" Alice said as she began to push Claire towards the door. "Come on get out I need some sleep before my big day tomorrow." Alice finished as Claire hopped out the hummer.
"Alice ju-" Alice slammed the door shut cutting Claire off mid sentence and then watched as the three walked away towards the truck.
"I should go back," Claire suddenly mumbled half way to the truck turning on her heel.
"You'll be back soon enough as long as you hurry up," Carlos said grabbing her shoulder and spinning her back around.
"Right so what did you find?" Claire asked as they arrived back at the truck.
"You and Alice in the back of the hummer making out," K-mart smirked dodging a smack on the arm aimed at her from Claire.
"You know that's not what I meant," She said climbing in after Carlos and followed by K-mart. Carlos had climbed to the far side and K-mart went over Claire onto the bed back to her position from earlier.
"Well here we have it," Carlos said handing Claire what appeared to be a set of blueprints.
"Have what exactly?" Claire asked as she manoeuvred the sheet round trying to work out what she was looking at.
"It was right at the bottom of the box he must not have known it was there now we have the advantage cause we'll know where everything is and he'll have no idea what's hit him," Carlos said as K-mart smiled widely in agreement from behind him.
"And there's an arms room just inside that door so if we're lucky we'll be able to pick up plenty fire power on our way in," K-mart added sounding proud of herself Claire guessed she had found the prints.
"We need to show Alice work out a plan," Claire said opening the door when she was on the ground she looked up to see K-mart about to follow. "Can you give me ten minutes then come over?" She asked shyly.
"Course off you go," It was Carlos who answered shouting out from within.
Heading across the sand towards the hummer Claire heard as the truck door shut behind her indicating K-marts retreat. She had no idea what she was going to say knowing that Alice was not happy with her was not a pleasant thought. Claire was happily surprised when she reached for the door handle to find it open she had expected it to be locked. Opening the door and looking in her heart melted at the sight before her, Alice was curled up on the back seat sound asleep. Climbing in quietly she pulled the door over gently so it wouldn't slam and then slid in behind Alice her arm quickly running round her waist.
"Claire?" Claire snapped her arm back feeling her face warm up.
"Sorry I thought you were asleep," She said in reply.
"I was," Alice returned in a whisper as she rolled over wrapping her arm around the redheads waist and pulling her in closer.
"Does this mean I'm forgiven?" Claire asked a small smirk on her face.
"No it means I'm tired and don't want to fight," Alice replied.
Claire waited for around five minutes before interrupting the silence that had fallen over them. She didn't want to talk but knew she had to so reluctantly pulled her arm back that she had draped over Alice.
"As much as I love this I have something to show you," Claire said while she ran a hand through Alice's hair.
"Why couldn't you just leave it be?" Alice said pulling away from Claire as she sat up. "I've accepted it so why can't you?"
"Because I don't want to lose you especially not now," Claire replied as she sat up laying a hand on Alice's arm only to have her flinch away.
"You can't save everyone," Alice said bitterly.
"Neither can you," Claire snapped back.
"Well out with it then what's this genius plan that'll save my life then," Alice said watching Claire expectantly.
Claire didn't bother to answer with words but instead just handed over the sheets in her hand. She watched on closely as Alice took them but there was no change in her expression as she scanned them, no hint of hope or happiness just nothing. She took a couple of minutes looking over it in some detail before she lay it down between them and her eyes connected with Claire's.
"There's no way this was a mistake he's too smart for that it's probably a fake and if it's not he'll have a trap waiting for you. Your not going," This was all said without a tint of emotion and a completely straight face as she looked into Claire's eyes refusing to break contact.
"What if it's not? What if he mucked up and we don't do anything about it? You can't expect me to watch you walk to your death I won't do it," Claire said her voice breaking slightly as she tried to stay as neutral as Alice was.
"It's not your choice to make," Alice said simply as the door behind her opened and Carlos appeared K-mart close behind him.
"We ready to talk tactics then?"