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Chapter 18: Death or Death

The news of Maynard being the mole within the Blackburn Syndicate was kept between Rocinante and Aylin for the remainder of the night. They had returned to their ship to find Denise absent, as predicted. While the discovery they'd made was huge, there was still time to discuss it and come up with the best plan of action. Maynard would need to return to headquarters first, and Aylin was confident that he would not be able to beat them to Raven Rock Cove. Muttering something about how they would meet with Denise in the morning, she retired to her bunk with no intention of emerging unless absolutely necessary.

Rocinante was at a loss. She wouldn't even look at him, let alone allow him to apologize. Their trip back had been filled with the most awkward silence he'd ever had to endure. Surely the best thing to do now was to give her some space and hope that everything would be alright the next day.

However, when Aylin strode out to the galley the next morning, it became apparent to him that things were not alright. To any onlooker, her behavior appeared completely ordinary. But he knew her better than most, and he could tell immediately that something was amiss. She refused to meet his eyes, only answered him with short replies and her usual familiarity with him had all but vanished.

When Denise finally swaggered on board, her hair slightly mussed and her dress wrinkled, Aylin nudged Rocinante and rose from the table to go and catch her up on the events of the night before. Their reaction to Maynard being the mole would likely have been the same as Denise's had things not taken an unexpected turn. The Curator was positively bewildered; how could Maynard do such a thing? After all his father had done for the Syndicate! After all the Syndicate had done for him! Sure, Maynard had always been a cantankerous sort, but nobody would ever have questioned his loyalty. The news completely floored her.

The topic eventually shifted to how they would proceed with the discovery. First and foremost, it was decided that the cargo would certainly need to be protected. They would travel to Raven Rock Cove ahead of the time that the ambush could take place and take out the Hive associates before the Syndicate's mission could be sabotaged.

After that...Maynard would be properly dealt with.

Aylin walked out of the room without sparing another glance toward Rocinante, her lips forming a thin line as she tried to force her focus onto the upcoming fight. She made sure that all was in order; weapons, armor, ammunition. Her long sword could stand to be sharper, she thought upon inspection, and made a mental note to take care of that before they arrived at the ambush location.

She eventually found herself leaning over the railing of the ship, watching the current below as her mind drifted elsewhere.

It had been an accident. Aylin knew that even without Rocinante having to tell her. Had he been anyone else—anyone at all—there'd be no excuse in all the world that would make her believe it had truly been an unfortunate mishap…but Rocinante wasn't just anyone else. His clumsiness was on a level all its own. The man was a walking disaster.

But even though she knew that, she still couldn't stop her thoughts from revisiting the incident. The way his lips had felt pressed against hers in that fleeting moment…the memory seemed stuck on repeat in her mind and she couldn't seem to shake it off. This was ridiculous! It hadn't even been a real kiss! But still she couldn't help but wonder what it might have been like if it had been…

No. No, no. Not this again. There were too many obstacles, she reminded herself yet again. There were too many risks. Perhaps she'd made a huge mistake in allowing him to become so close to her.

Aylin cursed under her breath when she heard footsteps approaching from behind, followed by a telltale stumble.

Rocinante cursed audibly as he hit the deck face-first. He'd meant to walk toward her purposefully and confidently, but his inherent clumsiness always spoiled his best laid plans. After picking himself up and dusting off his pants, he moved over to lean against the railing beside her, making sure to keep a safe distance between them.

She didn't even look up to acknowledge his presence. He hated this. But he was not going to stand by and let a huge rift open between them and destroy their friendship just because of another one of his ill-fated fumbles.

"Lin…" He began quietly, but paused to see if she'd answer him.

She didn't, although she had a subtle look on her face that made him wonder just what in the world she was thinking about. Her lips hinted at a frown and her brow was slightly drawn. From his vantage point, he could tell she was troubled.

He put his hand on her shoulder, gently turning her sideways so he could see her face. "Lin, please, why won't you at least look at me? I'm really sorry…you've got to believe me."

Aylin almost reluctantly tilted her head upward to look at him. As she took in the melancholy written all over his face, a sigh escaped her. "I'm not mad," she said after a short pause. "I already told you to stop worrying about it. It was just…a really weird accident. I know that."

She reached up to run a hand through her short hair, realizing how frustrating that must sound to him. There she was, insisting that nothing was wrong when clearly that was not the case. But he would have to accept it, because she couldn't tell him the real reason she was so bothered by the incident.

"Look, there's a lot going on," she added, hoping to steer the topic elsewhere. "We just found out Maynard's been moonlighting for Hive. I never liked the guy myself, but when Blackburn finds out...he's not just going to be kicked out..."

Rocinante shook his head, not buying her explanation in the least. She'd always been very frank with him about her feelings—or lack thereof, in this case—and at that moment she seemed almost anxious. Uneasy. Was it really all because of Maynard? Sure, the betrayal was quite a blow to the syndicate, but he found it odd for her to be this shaken up over it.

"I know there's a lot going on, but I'm not asking you to think about that. I never liked that cranky old bastard that much either, and I don't want to see him suffer the consequences for treachery, but…" He leaned down so that he wasn't towering above her and gently ran one finger through her hair, tucking some stray strands behind her ear. "This is about you…and me. Nothing else. You've never acted like this before...and I say and do a lot of embarrassing things all the time. You can tell me how you're really feeling, Lin. I won't laugh, I promise."

Aylin held back a shiver from his touch, provoking some unbidden thoughts that had her taking a step away from him. "No, Rocinante, look...that's just the thing," she said, willing her face to maintain a stern look. "There is no 'you and me,' alright? I know you want to think that eventually there could be, and maybe it's my own fault for letting you hold on to that hope, but it's just not going to happen." Her brow furrowed as some of her emotion escaped from its barricade. "I've said it so many times; how much longer am I going to have to keep hurting you?"

Rocinante was taken aback; he hadn't expected her to answer like that. It was far more emotional than he'd ever seen her get over a discussion of their relationship. When had he ever expected anything of her? She'd never given him even an inkling of hope. Not once. But even through the constant rejections, he'd tried not to dwell too much on it—his own future was uncertain, after all—and focus on the positive things in life. Simply loving her in the now, unrequited as it were, was the best he could do and he had learned to be alright with that.

"I do nice things for you because I care about you. Because I want to. I don't cry myself to sleep every night over you, Lin, and I'm well aware of your stance on moving our relationship beyond friendship."

Actually, he was a little miffed that she'd bring this up all of a sudden. It wasn't as if he believed she'd suddenly fallen in love with him due to what had so clearly been an accident. She always had loads of excuses and reasons they could never be together, even when he never asked for them.

He continued, "You're the best person I know, yes, and I enjoy spending time with you. I'm so grateful I got to know you. But you are not hurting me. Your excuses don't hurt me. What were they again? Oh, yes, you do rattle them off often enough so that I have them memorized: we're coworkers," he began, ticking them off on his fingers, "you're ten years older than me, you have a child, this is a dangerous business and one of us will probably be killed… So what? None of that matters to me, Lin. The thing that matters to me is YOU."

"I'm eleven years older than you, actually," she corrected him, aggravation bleeding through in her tone. "That's a big difference, and it DOES matter. When I was your age, you were ten! I was raising a child by then. How can you say it doesn't matter to you? Do you even know what it means to have that kind of responsibility? You can't just say things like that so easily!"

Rocinante shook his head in frustration. "It's like you're not listening to me at all! That has nothing to do with what I just said!" He stood up to his full height. "You're telling me everything but what I want to know. You have all these excuses, all these reasons, but NONE of them have anything to do with how you actually FEEL."

He stared down at her for what seemed like an eternity, then his face softened; he knew she found it difficult to express emotions and they clearly weren't going to get anywhere in this kind of standoff.

"Lin…please… You've never once said we can't be together because you don't have feelings for me. That should be the only reason we can't be together. Just tell me you don't have feelings for me and I'll never mention it again."

Aylin froze. Her mouth opened to speak, but no sound came out. For a prolonged moment she found herself staring up at his face, locking eyes with him and seeing every memory they'd made together reflecting back at her; every kind gesture he'd ever done for her; every time he'd been there for her when she'd needed someone to talk to; every time his smile had brightened her day.

The late morning breeze gently tousled her hair. She drew in a breath."You really need me to say it? Fine. I'll say it: I don't have feelings for you," she said slowly, a hollow note in her voice. She looked away after a few beats and turned sharply on her heel, stiffly stalking off toward her bunk.

Rocinante stood there completely frozen watching her retreating figure disappear into the depths of the ship. He felt as if he'd just been punched in the gut. Slowly, he sank down onto the deck, crossing his legs and holding his head in his hands.

He'd skirted around what she said earlier about her giving him hope to hold onto for their future, but she was right. He had hoped for it, more than he'd ever hoped for anything for as long as he could remember. Hope was a luxury for someone like him, and he couldn't help but think he should have known better.

His chest felt tight, his heart constricting with the aftershock of her words.

She hadn't even hesitated.

Things would no doubt be different between them from here on out. It would be difficult for a friendship to survive this level of unrequited love. Rocinante wondered how long it would take before the ache in his heart would go away. It was the first time he'd felt the sting of rejection this terribly.

He almost wished he'd never told her how he felt, but it was too late for that. There was no going back. All he could do now was try to move forward.

.

oOo

.

Raven Rock Cove was quite a bit nicer than they'd imagined it would be. The sparsely populated summer island had a constant breeze wafting in from over the clear blue water. They'd arrived earlier that day to find the weather quite pleasant and then the air had become cooler at night.

There was a sheer cliff right next to the cove, the cove itself boasting several caves that had deep pools with underground passages that led who knows where.

Setting up an ambush point at another ambush point was something else, though they'd managed to get there far ahead of the Hive members. They'd overheard Maynard say he had to get back to HQ, but perhaps he only meant he had to call in at a certain time to cover his tracks for his alibi.

The group still couldn't believe his treachery. He was good, they'd give him that; staying on the bottom rung of the syndicate and not making any noise other than the routine complaining and gruff remarks that had become his trademark. Hell, he'd been a staple within the organization for longer than many members could recall.

Denise elected to stay behind and make some calls from her personal den den mushi, while Aylin and Rocinante scouted a good area to hide their crew. Before arriving, Aylin had seen to it that her squad was well-armed. They were trying to keep the operation as tight and straightforward as possible; get Maynard, stop the transfer and leave the island with everyone intact. The crew they'd brought along with them was small in number, but would be able to supply cover fire and back up if needed. They had no way of knowing how many forces the Hive would send, but that was the reason they'd arrived so early.

She hadn't spoken directly to Rocinante since their tiff earlier, and Rocinante in turn hadn't tried to bring up the subject again. He was slightly more subdued than he normally was, putting a rather unusual amount of focus into weapons preparation as well as scouting and preparing the area for the upcoming ambush. Aylin was just glad that his attention seemed to be on the mission as opposed to dwelling on the discussion that had no doubt caused irreparable damage to their friendship; it was bad enough remembering the way his face had looked earlier that morning and she wasn't keen on seeing that again.

The sun sank below the horizon now, the purple sky turning blue-black as the stars came out one by one.

Aylin paced the area she and Rocinante had deemed acceptable for lying in wait. One of the Raiders who had accompanied them sat high up in a tree nearby, scanning the surrounding sea for any sign of the Hive ship. From the corner of her eye, she noticed Rocinante standing off to the side and having a smoke. Things were eerily quiet; Rocinante had activated "Silent" a while ago, canceling out all the nighttime sounds that would otherwise fill the air. She let out a small sigh, her fingers falling to her hip and fidgeting with a loose piece of grip tape on the hilt of her sword.

They had been waiting for hours and there was still no sign of the enemy ship. Aylin was about to suggest they take another look around when the Raider called down from his perch in the tree.

"The Syndicate's ship is heading toward the bay!"

"What?" Aylin's eyes snapped up to the treed figure. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, no mistaking it."

She shook her head, a frown pulling at her lips. "Then where the hell is the Hive's ship?" Something was wrong. They should have already arrived. She cursed under her breath. "No...unless it wasn't a ship we were supposed to be looking for..." Aylin cast a glance toward her partner. "Rocinante, let's head down to those caves. I bet that's where we'll find our ambush."

Rocinante answered her with a silent nod, his long strides taking him ahead of the group. He was sure to pave the way for the rest of them, holding long branches back, but being careful not to leave a visible trail.

He was concentrating so hard that he didn't even slip or fall once. All-business Rocinante was truly a sight to behold. The group crept quietly along the wall towards the set of caves, keeping to the most shadowed part, completely silent within the bubble.

They noticed light emanating from one of the caves and Rocinante stole all the way to the lip, peering the tiniest fraction inside, but it was empty. Smooth, phosphorescent rocks embedded in the walls were creating a blue glow inside the cave. This cave's pool was thankfully further back from the mouth, saving Rocinante from certain death as he stumbled and landed face first in the dust. Just ahead was a fork of descending tunnels that stretched out ahead of them, also illuminated in blue until they were swallowed by darkness.

"Lin! Did you see this?" He pointed excitedly at the walls and the ceiling of the cave, smiling brightly, and for a moment all the tension from earlier was forgotten. The same blue glow came from the pool of water as well, no doubt holding many wonders itself.

Aylin's eyes traveled up from his prone form to the spectacle he was pointing to, managing a slight nod as she took in the sight. "Yeah...I noticed that this cove is just south of Strohkirch...interesting that it has the same geogra—"

Suddenly the sound of footsteps hushed her and she instinctively shrank back against the wall, motioning for the others to do the same. Whispers echoed throughout the walls of the tunnels ahead, making it difficult to tell which one to watch for movement.

"Shit, we got here just in time," Warren, one of the Raiders, muttered to the rest of the group. He quickly shoved a new clip into his gun, cocking it and aiming it toward the middle of the three entrances.

Aylin gripped the hilt of her sword with both hands, sinking slightly into a ready stance as the sound of boots scuffing gravel came closer.

Moments after the movement was detected further into the tunnels, a throng of bodies burst forth, all wielding weapons and dressed in armored clothing. They strode quickly toward the entrance, talking in low tones amongst one another.

"The Syndicate ship's already here, I got word from the other side," one voice said.

Another replied, "Good. Hurry it up, guys, we ain't got all night to do this!"

Aylin tried to count the group, estimating at least a dozen Hive members. Her own team was outnumbered inside the cave, but they at least had the advantage of being hidden. She waited until the crowd of Hive combatants rounded the corner before signaling for her crew to begin, then she lunged forward and assaulted the Hive members from the side.

There were loud shouts of surprise as her longsword slashed across several bodies, immediately followed by Warren's gunshots. The Hive warriors reacted instantly, several of them leaping out of harm's way to quickly assess the situation.

"Syndicate!" One of them yelled out in a warning to the others. The cave instantly erupted into chaos, filled with the shouting of men and women, the clanging of metal and the scuffing of shoes. Someone was thrown into the pool nearby with a loud 'splash.'

Rocinante moved silently through the chaos, having placed a calm spell on himself. He used his fists, legs and strong arms to take out enemies left and right, then pulled out his pistol to disable a few more. He didn't want to use it too heavily in such an enclosed space to minimize the chance of friendly fire.

After tripping up several more grunts, and nearly tripping himself, he had a thought: how did these people even know that they were Syndicate? It was baffling, actually. The cave was practically pitch dark and it wasn't as if any of the Hive had even SEEN them. So why…? How?

He was unable to ponder on it much longer as an even louder rumbling erupted from the caves. Rocinante gulped as a second enemy squadron emerged from one of the tunnels, pushing a canon. He dissipated the calm spell and scrambled to find his partner in the fray. "LIN!"

A flash of orange caught his eye while he'd been quickly scanning the crowd of combatants. Aylin ducked beneath a swinging blade, dropping onto her back to kick the opponent's abdomen before she leapt back up in one fluid motion to deliver the deciding blow.

Hearing her name, she looked up, her eyes wildly searching the cave until she saw Rocinante in the corner. She didn't stop fighting, rather maneuvered herself closer to him in the midst of exchanging blows with several other Hive grunts.

"They knew it was us!" She said, voicing what he'd just been thinking moments ago as she felled another enemy. "Something's not right, we have to get back outside! We're not getting anywhere stuck in here!"

Rocinante nodded, reaching into his jacket and pulling out two large grenades. "WARREN! KAUFMAN! FALL BACK!" He yelled before yanking the pins out and tossing them as far from his body as they would go.

He grabbed Aylin's arm and hauled her toward the mouth of the cave, breaking into the cool night air as just as the explosions and ensuing screams rocked the cave behind them. Rocinante turned back for the slightest second and saw to his relief that Warren and Kaufman had made it out as well.

But there was no time to regroup and re-plan, as the angry Hive members started getting their bearings and those who were able came staggering out of the mouth. The group continued to put distance between themselves in and the caves when a canon shot was heard from the other side of the cove, echoing off the face of the cliff.

Eyes following the direction of the sound, they saw another burst of light as one of the Hive canons blasted at the ship they had sailed in on, forcing it from its hiding spot among the tall, jagged rocks lining the cove.

"SHIT!" Warren cursed and began running back towards the rocky beach. Their vessel should have been well-concealed, though it seemed that the enemy was far more familiar with the area than the Syndicate.

Rocinante looked torn as he watched Warren's retreating form, wondering if he should follow the man and help. But they'd come in the first place to capture Maynard, and they couldn't let that bastard get away.

Aylin exchanged glances with him and nodded, understanding his feelings. She glanced at the remaining Raider. "Kaufman, go with Warren and make sure no one takes control of the ship. Rocinante and I will stay on course for the interception of the traitor," she said.

Kaufman turned without another word and took off at a dead sprint after Warren as the ship began returning fire.

Thunder rolled in the distance, followed shortly be a spattering of raindrops. With half the party now on their way elsewhere, Aylin and Rocinante quickly took stock of their surroundings. Gunfire in the distance suggested that their backup would more than likely be delayed until the situation was under control. Meanwhile as black smoke billowed out from the caves they had just escaped from, several ash-stained bodies began to emerge, only to find themselves barricaded by the boulders that had fallen in front of the entrance thanks to the explosion.

That should buy them some time, but not much... Aylin glanced at Rocinante, motioning for him to follow her. "Come on, we'd better move. We need to find out where Maynard's Syndicate ship ended up and get there before the Hive does!"

Rocinante's eyes swept over the gloomy coast as they ran along the beach under the cover of darkness, searching for the Syndicate ship that Warren had pointed out earlier. Hive would be making their way over to ambush it... He wondered if any of the crew had noticed signs of combat. Would they decide not to stop at the cove after all? Though he supposed even if they were against it, Maynard would surely override any of their objections.

"There! Just behind those trees!" He suddenly said as they drew nearer to what appeared to be a small inlet shrouded in foliage, spotting the telltale outline of a mast in the darkness.

They slowed in their steps, creeping closer to the low-hanging tree branches. Voices began to drift over, although only half of what was said could be heard clearly; the rain pattering down upon the leaves above them drowned out the rest.

"...don't think this...great place to stop..."

"...think he's that worried...incoming storm!"

"...such a pain in my ass, can't he see someone's having it out on the other side? I freaking..."

"...might call the marines! If we get caught..."

Aylin carefully peered through a gap in the leaves. The Syndicate ship sat in the water about a hundred yards away, occupied by several crew members carrying lanterns which gave the scene a soft orange glow.

"I don't see Maynard anywhere," Rocinante remarked beside her, keeping his voice low. He refrained from putting up a Silent barrier, allowing them to eavesdrop on the crew.

"I don't either, but judging by how pissed off these guys are, he's definitely on board." A low rumble of thunder came from above and she waited for it to pass before speaking again. "It seems he made up an excuse about wanting to wait out the storm..." Aylin debated simply rushing the ship; she could shout a warning to the crew and hope that they all turned against Maynard, though there was no guarantee that they would. She didn't recognize any of the crew, which meant they were likely hired mercenaries with no other affiliation to the Syndicate.

The redhead remained deep in thought, trying to determine whether or not they should continue to keep watch over the ship and, if so, for how much longer.

"Lin…" Rocinante whispered, trying to get her attention.

But then again, it was only a matter of time until the Hive members they'd bombed back in the cave sent something after them...

"Lin!"

Though they probably assumed that the group had all returned to their home ship anyway, and had no idea the two of them were out here. She hoped Warren and Kaufman would be able to keep them away and avoid Syndicate casualties. Denise was on that ship, and she was an immense asset to the organization.

"Lin!" Rocinante nudged her with his elbow, finally gaining her attention. "Look…" He passed her the pair of binoculars he'd been using to get a better look at the ship.

She gazed through them, her eyes taking a second to focus. "What exactly am I looking at?"

Rocinante leaned down closer to her, his voice in her ear, hot breath tickling her neck. "There, the same line as the center mast. Look on the side of the ship."

Despite the involuntary shiver, Aylin managed to clear her head when he pulled back, quickly locating the spot he'd just described. Her mouth pulled into a frown. "Son of a bitch…"

There was Maynard, lowering himself down into a lifeboat waiting below. She had no doubt that he was on his way to meet up with the Hive members. That way the Syndicate ship could be easily overtaken, and he'd escape without a scratch.

She thrust the binoculars back at her partner and pulled out her long sword again. "Hive can't be too far behind us. When they get here, they're going to cause an all-out war..." Her brow furrowed. "We need to get to Maynard before anything else happens."

Rocinante nodded and pulled out his pistol, cocking it back in preparation. "Silent…" He put the bubble around himself and Aylin and concentrated on maintaining it.

They moved quickly toward the shore, where they would lay in wait for the moment that Maynard arrived on land. Ducking behind a cluster of large boulders, they both watched the small lifeboat as it bobbed up and down in the increasingly choppy sea. The force of the brewing storm propelled the boat forward, and it wasn't long before the bottom of the wooden vessel scraped the rocky beach.

Maynard quickly climbed out, withdrawing a duffel bag and slinging it over his shoulder. Moments later, several shots rang out from the ship's location, followed by the shouts of the mercenaries as they responded to the Hive's surprise attack.

Aylin cursed under her breath. She'd always known that Maynard was out for himself, but she'd never quite imagined that he could be so cruel as to lead a ship full of unsuspecting people to their deaths. Sure, they were mercenaries…hired swords and guns who weren't innocent by any means, but she of all people knew that not all of them were deserving of such an untimely demise.

Presently, Maynard was making his way up the beach toward their hiding spot, wearing his usual frown and not even sparing his escape vessel a second glance. He stepped past the group of boulders and Aylin slunk out of the shadows behind him.

The tip of her sword prodded his back. Maynard froze.

"Sacrificing a whole crew just to cover your ass? That's cold, even for you," she said in a low tone, not realizing right away that Rocinante had removed his sound barrier.

Maynard didn't turn around at first. She saw his shoulders shake in the darkness and then heard a mirthless chuckle. "Figures they'd send Wild here to try and stop me. Did you bring your klutzy boyfriend with you, too?"

Aylin growled and without warning she swung her sword in a downward slash. A loud 'clang' range through the air and Maynard was suddenly facing her, blocking her blow with a blade of his own.

He smirked through his thick beard. "You're too late, Wild. It's already done!"

She pushed back against his cutlass. "I don't care about the cargo," she said through clenched teeth. "I'm only here to take you down! You think you're really getting away with this?"

They exchanged several more blows. Maynard let out a raucous laugh. "Getting away with it? What makes you think I ever intended to return to the Syndicate after this?!" He spat at the ground as the two of them fought for the upper hand. "A whole life of dedication and loyalty! And what do I get for my efforts?!"

Rocinante fired a warning shot that went whizzing past Maynard's head. An instant later he was by Aylin's side and growling down at the man, "The Syndicate doesn't owe you shit! You get what you put into it, Maynard, and all I've ever seen you put in is bitching and moaning. You're WRONG for what you're doing. We're not the 'good guys' of the world by any means, but this…sacrificing other lives for the sake of your own gain is just deplorable."

Maynard's face was a mask of irritation. "Shut your mouth, you brat! What would you know about it!? You're just a baby, barely weaned off his mother's tit! You don't know shit about the world!"

Rocinante shook his head sadly as he reloaded his gun, pointing it directly at the man's head. "Don't…" He narrowed his eyes and stepped forward, pushing Maynard back toward the beach where they'd be in full view of everyone nearby.

The rain was slowly growing from a light mist to a miserable drizzle. A clap of thunder rolled in the distance out over the water.

Maynard lowered his weapon, backing up slowly. "You won't shoot me...you're too soft! You owe me, in fact. Heh. Yeah…that's right. You remember the times we spent together? How I trained you up so the Inner Circle could make you into some kind of big shot and leave me on the lowest rung," the older man snarled, determined to find a weakness and regain the advantage.

Rocinante's eyes narrowed. "That was your plan all along, though, wasn't it? Keep your head low and play the part so nobody would ever figure it out, right?" The irony of his own words was not lost on him.

"We can do this one of two ways," Aylin said as she advanced on one side while Rocinante took the other. "I think you know where I'm going with this..."

Maynard scowled. "So, it's be killed by the two of you, or surrender and be mercilessly tortured to death at the hands of Blackburn's personal lackeys? Death or death. Hah!"

A light fog was forming in the wooded regions of the island, leading up to the sheer face of the cliff. Maynard's eyes darted up and down the area before snapping back toward the two associates now creeping up on either side of him. He took several steps backward, holding his cutlass at the ready.

"THERE HE IS! THAT SON OF A BITCH!" A shout came from behind the three of them all of a sudden, followed by several gunshots. They turned immediately to see one of the mercenaries running straight for them, waving twin pistols in the air and firing shots to signal for backup.

"MAYNARD, YOU PIECE OF SHIT, YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!"

Aylin grimaced slightly, her eyes darting between the mercenary and Maynard. "Looks like they figured out you set them up," she remarked.

Maynard stood his ground, a cocky smirk pasted across his face. He spared a brief glance over his shoulder at the oncoming mercenaries, and then he threw himself into action. Diving forward, he rolled across the sand between the two Syndicate members, simultaneously pulling a small pistol from his jacket and firing several shots at his attackers as soon as he hit the ground. The moment he managed to regain his footing was the very moment he took off at a full sprint, heading for the pathway up to the cliff.

"SHIT!" Rocinante whipped around so quickly he nearly stumbled, his eyes wide.

He and Aylin immediately took off after him, watching his form disappear into the fog ahead of them.

"Where the hell does he think he's going?!" Aylin yelled as she and Rocinante headed for the path.

"That wily bastard sure can move fast for an old guy!" Rocinante's long strides easily put him in the lead and he prayed internally to whatever gods might exist that he didn't trip and fall this time. The cliff was steep, but thankfully the pathway looked as if it had been carved there by the many comings and goings of other people.

They heard the distant sound of branches cracking and leaves crunching from up ahead as Maynard continued to evade their pursuit. From behind came the angry shouts of the mercenaries who had joined the chase, and it was more than likely that the Hive raiders weren't too far behind.

"What a damn mess! When I get my hands on that son of a bitch...!" Aylin gritted her teeth as she dashed around a sharp corner of the trail behind Rocinante, just in time to see him go skidding off the path and tumbling head over heels into the thick brush. She followed him without a second thought, hearing him curse under his breath as he quickly scrambled to his feet.

"Don't let me hold us up, keep going!" He urged her, but she was glancing around thoughtfully.

"No, let's head this way instead," she said, nodding at the steep shrubbery-covered hill before them. "We'll get there faster off the trail. Come on!"

Aylin broke into a run again, Rocinante quickly following her as soon as he'd silenced the both of them with a Calm spell as to avoid any tag-alongs. She wondered how Warren and Kaufman had fared in assisting the Syndicate ship fend off their Hive attackers. Hopefully they'd been successful in their endeavors and Denise would be able to send them back-up very soon. They'd be in need of it once they reached the top.

Nothing they ran through made a single sound, even as the branches slapped across their cheeks and sticks snapped beneath their feet. The climb was steeper but swifter nonetheless. Before long they had broken through the clearing at the top, skidding to a stop as they quickly glanced around for any sign of Maynard. The plant life tapered off until there was nothing but a bare stretch of sparse grass, which ended abruptly once it reached the sharp edge of the cliff.

Thunder rumbled loudly above them and a moment later, the rain began coming down harder. Aylin and Rocinante exchanged glances; it seemed that they had arrived at the top ahead of Maynard after all, which would certainly play into their favor. Weapons drawn, they carefully crept toward the trailhead, awaiting the traitor's arrival.

A minute or so later, heaving with exertion, Maynard finally appeared, looking none too pleased at the fact that his pursuers had beaten him.

"Well, well…guess the offer for death or death still stands, does it?" Slowly, he lowered his weapons to the ground, never taking his eyes off the two of them as he did so. He showed them his empty hands as he stood again.

Rocinante removed the Calm spell from himself and Aylin as they both walked over to the man. Rocinante grabbed his pistol while Aylin kicked the cutlass he'd dropped to the side.

"You've screwed over a lot of people," Aylin said as she glowered down at him. "You're going to answer for what you've done!"

"Go ahead and kill me then, what are you waiting for? Rather it be quick by your hand than have those Syndicate assholes torturing me for every last scrap of intel!"

"Who says we're not going to give you the same treatment?" Aylin practically snarled.

Maynard laughed raucously, the sound somewhat muffled by the pouring rain. "You don't have the balls, NEITHER OF YOU. Don't know how you managed to climb up so far without the killing intent the Syndicate prizes so highly. HAH!"

"Trust me, you'd be lucky if we were the ones to kill you." Aylin glared fiercely as she stepped closer to him, pointing her long sword at his throat. It unnerved her how he didn't even look scared, only arrogant and cocky, just like he'd always been.

Unless…

Oh, no.

"Darlings…" A voice came from behind them along with the sound of a gun cocking. "It would be a shame if everyone had to die."

They could almost feel their blood run cold. Rocinante turned around slowly. There was no mistaking that voice.

"Denise…?"

"So sorry, Rocinante, but I don't want you to hurt him. You see, we're on the same side, although I detest him and his deplorable attitude. He doesn't smell very nice, either. But you can't force refinement on a brute." She chuckled in her usual way.

"It's about damn time you decided to show up!" Maynard growled. "Just kill them so we can get out of here, don't you hear the people piling up behind me out for my blood?!"

"Your own fault for being sloppy, isn't it?"

Aylin's face was awash with alarm as the rain beat down on them all, soaking everyone to the bone. She gripped her long sword more tightly, lest she drop it in shock. "You...you played us...! All this time, right under our noses...a Syndicate Curator..." She swallowed, her features contorting into a glower as she drew back her blade. "You conniving fucking bitch. Whatever Blackburn does to him is going to be like a holiday compared to what's going to happen to you!"

She pushed off the ground in an instant, rushing for Denise. The long sword was a blur as it sang through the air. But instead of making contact, Aylin was struck in mid-air. She found herself suddenly hitting the ground and skidding through the mud, her eyes wild in disbelief as she looked up at the source of the blow.

"Well don't look so shocked, darling," Denise said with a smirk, hands on her hips after the devastating kick she'd just delivered. "I abhor getting my hands dirty, of course, but you honestly didn't think I'd gotten this far without knowing how to handle myself, did you?"

Aylin's eyes narrowed as she leapt up again, grabbing her blade to follow up on the first attempt. Swing after vicious swing, Denise evaded every attack until she sank a darkened, heeled shoe into the redhead's ribs.

Coughing, Aylin took a knee, sword still clutched in one hand while the other covered her side. "Haki...?" Rainwater ran in rivulets down her forehead and into her eyes until she was squinting to see. Several gunshots rang out behind her, and it took her a moment to associate the sounds with Rocinante and Maynard.

Further beyond them, dark outlines of bodies began emerging from the trailhead. Mercenaries, Syndicate allies and Hive enemies alike broke into a cacophony of shouts and struggles as they advanced on the group whilst fighting among each other.

Aylin uttered an expletive as she saw the outline belonging to Rocinante being pushed back toward her. They had nowhere to run at this point; it was either into the fray or off the side of the cliff.

It was looked as though the offer for "death or death" had been turned upon the two of them.

Rocinante reached her side shortly, panting from exertion. "Lin…are you alright?" He could just make out blood beginning to seep from her side, even as it was being washed away by the torrential downpour.

"Gentleman!" Denise's voice crooned from up ahead, "I make you an offer of peace, not war! And better yet…I offer you a golden opportunity. Wealth…fame…power. All of it can be yours, darlings! What's the Blackburn Syndicate ever really done for any of you? Nothing but dirty, tedious labor and no real pay-off, that's what! You owe no allegiance to the Blackburn Syndicate! Leave that dog be and come to work for a real organization."

Even as she spoke, much of the fighting was beginning to die down. Her level of influence was truly a sight to behold. Aylin might have been impressed under different circumstances. As it were, the discord between the three groups was their only hope of getting out of there alive, and that hope was dissipating quickly right before her eyes.

Denise continued, encouraged by the fact that she'd succeeded in gaining their interest. "Your first task? Simple: kill those two high-ranking Syndicate members, lest they bring tales of your treachery back home with them…" She smirked, gesturing toward the two who were trapped like rats at the cliff's edge.

Rocinante bit his lip as all three conflicting groups suddenly became one in a single moment. As they began to advance, he found himself glancing between them and Aylin.

He couldn't let her die.

Not here. Not like this. Not while she had a child back home who depended on her. And even though he promised he'd never bring it up again...well, she'd just have to forgive him for one last lie.

The woman stood shakily to her feet, holding her long sword defensively in front of her. She gave Rocinante a sidelong look, a strong resolve in her eyes. "Looks bad, doesn't it? Even if all we can do at this point is try to take as many of these backstabbers with us...then we'll go down fighting!" She declared, her face set in determination as the rain plastered her hair to her forehead.

Rocinante smiled back at her, feeling a sense of peace in that moment. He turned and put his hands on her shoulders, looking down at her with tender eyes.

"At least I will…" He bent closer to her level as she stared back at him in bewilderment. "Lin, I love you."

The sweet smile never left his lips as he pushed her off the sheer face of the cliff, down toward the safety of the water below, just as the amalgamation of mercenaries and black market thugs opened fire.