Dry Your Tears

Eighteen

"It's so fucking hot." Adam complained, pulling his shirt from his chest, the condensation causing the fabric to stick to him. 

"Take it off then." John suggested with a wink as he walked past him, away from the jet and towards the waiting car. Elias let out a snort, rolling his eyes but then abruptly stopped walking when he noticed everyone was staring at him. 

"What?" He snapped, wanting to know what was suddenly so interesting about him. 

"You-"

"Laughed." James interrupted Sander, staring at Elias with wide eyes. 

"I  didn't  laugh and even if I did, am I not allowed to?" Elias asked, walking towards the car where John had already placed his things in the trunk and was now leaning against  it, smirking at them, more specifically, at Adam. 

"Of course you are, it's just you haven't in a long time." Sander clarified and Elias rolled his eyes again, dumping his bags in the trunk before stretching, his shirt riding up to reveal the black heart tattooed to his lower abdomen. Adam smiled at it, remembering the day, years ago when he and Elias had gone to get them together, except his  was on his upper arm. 

"I'll be safe my love, I promise. Go be with girls at the base, with all these things going on they must be scared and if anything, base is the safest place to be right now. I have to go now, Amelia, try not to worry, I love you and I'll call as soon as possible." Jonathon descended the stairs, sighing as he approached the others, pocketing his phone. Elias felt a bit of guilt gnaw at his conscience, with all the commotion of the past few months he had completely neglected his duty as a leader, leaving the burden to fall to those around him, more specifically Jonathon. He couldn't imagine how hard it was making sure the men at the base were doing their job, that the girls were protected, all the while helping them find Alexia and Olivia. Elias had decided in that moment that when they finally found Olivia, Jonathon would wholly be compensated for his efforts. When they found Olivia, if they found Olivia. 

"I talked to the pilots, told them to stay in the plane and that plane must stay hidden at all circumstances, we don't know how many drones Marchesi's got flying about, sly bastard. There's enough food and water to last them two weeks, more if they rationed properly. Told them to leave only if we haven't returned after two weeks." He explained to Elias, who nodded in agreement.

"Two weeks?" John asked surprised, "We're planning to stay here for two weeks?"

"No, " Adam answered as everyone started to enter the car, John sliding in next to him. "We need to set up camp and think of plan, that should take about a day or two and if all goes to plan, we'll find what we need and get out, hopefully allowing us to be home or on our way to find Olivia in three days. But, anything can go wrong, which is why we always tell the pilots two weeks, so that in case we get captured but manage to escape, they haven't fucked off and left us stranded." He continued explaining, his mind falling back to the nearly fatal Russia mission, more than a year ago now. Olivia had shown outstanding bravery volunteering to be, well, bait for Volkov and Adam remembered the fear that coursed through both him and Elias' body when Viktor betrayed them and Olivia almost got killed. They had found and saved her in time then and Adam was confident they would do the same again. 

"Well, I ain't aggin' if it means I get to be around ya more." John replied with a shrug, bringing Adam out of his thoughts.

"What?" Adam asked, not quite catching or understanding what he said due to his accent.

"Nothing bab." John chuckled as the car jolted over the rocky pathway, Jonathon driving on rough terrain towards their temporary hideout which was an abandoned villa in the outskirts of Naples.