Okay, guys, finally we're getting to the good part. At least I think that we do… I really, really hope you agree.

You're probably getting tired of reading it every time over and over again, but it's just a fact that needs to be stated every time over and over again: You and your support in the various form blows my mind! You guys are amazing and I am thankful. And since I am running out of words to say this exact thing over and over again, I will just go the usual way of name-dropping. All my love to: mysou13, LillyD11, LachesisBenton, sakura-blossom62, Jessimicah, NorthernLights25, lizb1813, onetreefan, cruzstar, ReaderKas, TygTag, CaRiNeSs, Yelena89 and KillingMEsoftly.

Okay, and now to the (as I hope) good stuff!

13. Going out with a bang

The rain stopped suddenly. One moment it was raining and in the next the sound of raindrops hitting leaves was gone. The unexpected silence was ringing in his ears; the sudden absence of a constant background-noise was deafening. Clouds were still towering in the sky, lighter and darker shades of grey flowing into each other. The sun was nowhere in sight, but at least the constant downpour had ended – and that was something. Oliver had just taken it as a sign that things were looking up.

It was forced optimism, he knew that better than anyone, but he needed to cling to it. He needed to keep thinking that there was some hope left, even though things really didn't look like it.

They had nearly searched the whole damn island. The whole damn island, apart from the wide grass field that he had decided not to explore on that day Felicity had first joined him on his scouting trip – was is really nearly two weeks ago? It seemed wrong that so much time had passed since then, while at the same time it felt like a lifetime ago. So, apart from the field they had nearly explored every last bit of the island. The idea that he had made a wrong decision to not cross the green sea turned his stomach, because then their search would have ended two weeks ago.

And they were searching for something, searching for the reason behind all this. Oliver had to believe that he could finally understand why they had ended up here. Oliver had to believe that there was reason.

He had made them explore the previously blank spot on the map in circles. Starting with a wide one they had narrowed it down. They were nearing the center bit by bit. Until now they had only discovered trees, bushes and creeks. The chances that the thing they were looking for – whatever that was – was in the last few unknown square meters were practically non-existent.

Oliver knew that he should start planning how to enter the camp of the mercenaries. It was a course of action he had wanted to avoid, it was something he had pushed from his mind, because it was just a very dangerous thing to do. Those people seriously outnumbered him and were far better equipped than Oliver who had a gun with exactly 21 bullets and a knife. If he really wanted to go there some serious planning would be necessary. If he did it he needed to do this very smart. Or very aggressively. Those were the two ways he could enter the camp: as quietly as possible or with the biggest bang he could muster.

It was a decision he had to make – tomorrow. He really couldn't bring himself to do that now. Not yet. That was a decision he would make tomorrow after they reached the middle of the south side and ended up empty handed. Today he would force himself to keep a positive attitude and be glad that the rain had stopped. Right now he would go and get them some meat to cook over the fire he didn't know how to get going with the wet wood all around. Right now he would go and concentrate on that, because thinking about anything else wouldn't do any good anyway.

With sure steps he walked ahead. There was a small stream only five minutes away, he knew, they had passed it, before Oliver had decided that it was getting too late. They needed to set camp and get a fire going so that they were done with their rudimental cooking before sunset.

Danger and health issues were battling inside Oliver. He knew perfectly well that keeping a fire going in the darkness was nothing but a well-visible signal that would give away their position. They had gotten away with that once, but Oliver wasn't willing to try his luck a second time. Theoretically.

Practically there was another voice inside him that told him that a safe position wouldn't do them any good if they froze to death. The nights were getting colder and felt even more freezing in their wet clothes that just didn't seem to dry. A fire would provide some warmth they desperately needed. That Felicity desperately needed. She had started sneezing a few hours ago. After all she, they, had been through in the last days with the constant rain, it wasn't surprising. In fact, it was a surprise it had taken so long for the rain to get to her. She was walking around with bare legs and without shoes for days.

Sighing, he tried to push those thoughts away. He needed to focus on the task at hand, which was catching their dinner in this creek. They were living of fish, Oliver knew, but it was the easiest and quickest way to organize them food that had some substance. He didn't have time to look for something else; he didn't want to leave Felicity waiting too long.

Finally, he reached his destination. The stream was slowly flowing past him. Moving quietly and carefully Oliver neared the water. Keeping low, he made sure that he didn't scare any fish away, while he ignored his still badly hurting, bruised ribs. His grip was tight around his knife; silence surrounded him, only disturbed by sounds of the water and the birds. The latter had accompanied them in the last few days. Apparently, birds didn't mind the wetness all around, they had been singing relentlessly even in the rain. Oliver's eyes were fixed on his pray as he brought his hand with the knife up and quickly down. The blade hit the fish perfectly and killed it with one very precise hit. Straightening, he was about to reach for it, when suddenly he stopped dead in his tracks.

A change in the air around him caused the hair on his neck to stand up. Something wasn't right, he knew, he could feel it. Reflexively, he brought his hand to his back where he stored the gun – only to realize that he had followed their well-practiced routine and had given it to Felicity. His eyes scanned his surroundings, which was a never changing scenery of trees. He didn't see anything out of the ordinary, but then he heard something: a twig snapping.

The sound came from the other side of the creek and it spurred Oliver into movement. Not bothering to be quiet, he turned around and started running. He knew that he had made the right decision in the next moment, when a volley of bullets hit the tree he had just disappeared behind.

He heard the familiar German voice behind him. "Hinterher!" it ordered in an aggressive shout.

Oliver ran as fast as he could, zigzagging, while the bullets sprayed around him. He contemplated leading them away from Felicity, but then he suddenly heard a shot from the exact direction where he had left her. His already heavily beating heart hitched in his chest and sped up even more. His whole left side ached, each step he took, each time his foot connected with the ground it sent a shock through his body and pain spread from his ribcage. Each breath he took hurt, but he couldn't let that slow him down; he wouldn't let that slow him down. He ran full speed, jumped over a fallen tree and kept running as soon as his feet touched the ground again. Another volley of shots hit a tree, spraying wood chips. His pursuers were close, he knew, and in the next moment he saw Felicity, who was looking at him with huge eyes. A man lay a few steps away from her, rolling on the ground, holding his leg.

Surprise and relief flooded him simultaneously and mixed inside him until they combined to utter dread. "RUN!" was all he could come up with. He yelled it at her. She followed his order without hesitation while he ran to the wounded mercenary and took the time to pick up his discarded gun. Oliver dared to glance behind himself – and realized that it was a bad, a very bad mistake while he was doing it. He had just caught a glimpse of the leader, when he suddenly felt himself thrown back and around. Agonizing pain spread from his shoulder; his right hand went numb nearly instantly. He had been hit.

Those men would show no mercy, Oliver knew that with absolute certainty. They wouldn't be satisfied with capturing him or immobilizing him, they would kill him. They wouldn't leave it at the bullet that was already in his shoulder, they would put a bullet in his head if he gave them a chance to do so. And Felicity would be next – not to end her life, but to do with her whatever they needed her for.

The latter thought held more horror for Oliver.

The shot connecting with his shoulder threw him off balance, made him stumble, but he caught himself before he fell. Without looking, he pointed the gun he had picked up behind himself. He started running as he pressed the trigger, and now it was him sending a volley of bullets into the air. The yell of pain that hit his ears seconds later told him that he had hit somebody by pure accident. But this time he didn't waste time to glance behind him. Ducking, he ran while bullets sprayed around him.

Felicity was running ahead of him, but he was quickly catching up with her. She had been foolish enough to take the backpack. She should have just left it behind, it did nothing but slow her down. There was nothing useful in there, anyway. Awkwardly, she now jumped over a streamlet. She needed an instant to catch herself, before she continued running. Oliver could see how heavy her steps were. Angry inscrutable yells came from behind him as he now jumped over the water himself without slowing down. Oliver realized that they had stopped shooting now that he had nearly caught up with Felicity. So, they were careful not to hit her. They wanted her alive. Oliver didn't know if this thought calmed him or not.

Her breathing was heavy as he reached her side, her steps were forced and in the next moment she nearly fell when her foot bumped against a protruding root. A yell of pain flew from her lips, but Oliver wouldn't let her stumble or stop. He reached for her just in time, kept her up and on her obviously hurting feet. Holding on to her, he forced her to keep moving. He made her keep up with him, run ahead, past trees, but he could feel that their pursuers were catching up. It was only a matter of time until they caught them, until someone dared to aim at him and put a bullet in his back. He knew they couldn't outrun them, not this time. The third time wasn't a charm for Felicity and him.

His heavy thoughts were dragging him down. The last weeks were catching up with him as he ran past trees, forcing Felicity to keep moving, even though she was now really gasping for air. His right shoulder ached where he had been shot; his left side throbbed in sync with his heavy heartbeat. As much as he tried to ignore it, the pain was there and getting worse and even though Oliver didn't want to he had to accept the reality of this: He couldn't go on much longer.

Suddenly the trees were gone. From one moment to the next he had a clear view of the cloudy sky as they ran onto a clearance. The forest floor was replaced by grass that damped his heavy steps. It grew in a nearly perfect circle that was surrounded by trees. And in the middle of the circle... He was too winded to curse, but his face hardened as he tried to decide if it was good thing or not.

That was what they had been looking for, Oliver knew. That concrete cube overgrown with grass and ivy had been their destination from the beginning.

Letting go of his hand, Felicity took the last steps toward it – toward a rusty metal door leading into this bunker that wasn't more than two times two meters and not even one meter fifty high – and ripped the green mess away. Turning his back to the entrance, Oliver raised the gun again and waited for their pursuers who were now stepping onto the clearing. The leader was grinning broadly. Grey fur was draped across his shoulders, a gigantic wolf-head dangled down his front. The sight made Oliver sick. But the other man seemed very pleased with himself as he looked around and said, "Just the place we have looked for!"

Oliver had a perfect aim at his head – and other than these guys he knew he wouldn't miss. If he pressed the trigger there were two things that could happen: They could panic because they had lost their leader or they could get seriously aggressive because they had lost their leader. Oliver had just decided that that was a risk he was willing to take as long as he could make that smug asshole stop grinning like that, when he heard a loud metallic scratching coming from behind him. Felicity had opened the door, Oliver reasoned and tried to decide whether it was a good idea to enter a bunker that ultimately was nothing but a big trap that – with the right amount of aggressive enthusiasm – could be opened. And those guys just seemed perfectly enthusiastic for any kind of aggression.

"Get in there and we kill your man," the boss addressed Felicity.

To Oliver's horror her reaction to this threat was to step in front of him. Her voice was strong as she said, "If you want to kill him you have to kill me first."

The evil grin of the man draped in wolf's fur didn't waver the slightest bit. "You know we need you alive. But we don't need you unhurt." His grin managed to widen. "Shoot her in the knee."

Before any mercenary could even take aim, Oliver reached for Felicity. Grabbing her around her waist, he lifted her up, turned around and passed the door Felicity had pushed open. He nearly stumbled because there was an unexpected step down right behind the threshold. Still, he had to duck to not bang his head against the ceiling as he let go of Felicity and reached for the big wheel that was on the inside of the door. He pulled the door shut and was already turning the wheel on the inside, locking them in, when the sharp sounds of bullets hitting metal rang his ears. A loud banging sound followed as the locks slid heavily into place. They were safe. And surrounded by complete, impenetrable blackness.