The Company: Kay

Execution: Kay

"I hope everything is in order officer,” Jonine smiled.

"Yes, Miss. Have a safe journey.”

The officer turned and walked to his car. He drove off, leaving the others smiling.

"Get back in here, Jonine. The van won't drive itself,” Kain grumbled from the front.

Jonine sighed, shut the door and walked back around to the front. She got in and started driving away.

We arrived back at HQ about ten minutes late because of driving at human speed.

We parked in the underground car park that you enter on the road one along from HQ, but still meets up with it. We got out first, while Kain made a call to one of the offices above us to send down guards.

Jonine drove up with Kain and all the Slayers, while we all crowded around the lifts. We could only send four in a lift, and there were two lifts. All twenty crowded around the lifts. There were the eight of us who survived from fighting, and then the extra twelve people who had come to help. Scarlett, Tarni, Carsel and me all went up in one of the lifts. We were told through Carsel’s Contacter that we needed to all meet in the training room we’d practiced in.

When everyone was sat down we waited for Kain to come into the room, congratulate us in his usual grumpy tone, express a small amount of sorrow over the loss of Lancas, and then tell us that this was what came with the job. People die, and people move on.

After a half hour there was still no sign of Kain and Jonine. Hanagin decided, because he was leader of the mission, that something had happened. He took Callum, Yana, Garran, Carsel and Jarlim with him to go and investigate.

Garran kept reporting back to me through the Contacter every five minutes. They were heading to Kain’s office first, and then going to check out the cells.

After about twenty minutes everyone was concerned. We’d been back for about an hour, and Kain still hadn’t appeared.

The last report Garran sent that was understandable was they were just heading down to check out the cells because Kain’s office was empty.

We’d all started chatting among ourselves. Erin came to sit by us, instead of waiting at the door for Callum.

She smiled at me as she sat down.

“Kay, we haven’t spoken for a while.”

“Doing missions doesn’t help that,” I said, smiling.

“Agreed, but you know they need me, just like they need your genius technological skill.”

“True. How’d you get out of Intensive Care so quick?” I asked, eager to know the answer.

“Good behaviour,” Erin smiled.

“No, seriously,” I said.

“They decided I was okay enough to come lend a hand. You guys did okay without me."

“Would have been quicker if you’d have come."

“Maybe, maybe not,” she said, trying to convince me we didn’t need her.

“Lancas would be here if you had of come,” I said in a sad tone.

“Maybe. We can’t be sure,” she said, looking sad.

“He’d of had a better chance.”

“Again, maybe, but we can’t be sure.”

“I suppose,” I said, deciding she was going to keep repeating herself.

“You do know that I don’t make everything better?” Erin asked.

“Yeah." She knew I looked up to her as a hero.

“I can’t. If I could I’d probably not be around now, and lived the life I was meant to at home with my parents and Katina.” Sadness lit her face as she mentioned her parents and sister.

“You still miss her."

“Yeah, but I had to leave. I couldn’t stick around with my father accusing me, or him just being the way he was,” Erin said, getting an angry gleam in her eye.

“I get what you mean,” I said, hoping she’d change the subject.

She looked at the door anxiously.

“How do you think they’re doing?” She asked.

I could tell she was worried about the situation in general. But the fact that Callum wasn’t with her made it worse. They had a deep connection. No one else had it on the same level at the company. They’d always been working together, especially as they both started the same day.

“I don’t know. But I hope they’re okay,” I said, starting to worry more than I should.

I had no need to worry. We had some of our best people going to find out what was happening. We’d all be fine.

There was still a part of my mind that was nagging me that something had happened. Something big, but I had no idea what.

A few minutes later we got the first report that wasn’t understandable.

We waited for half an hour.

“Okay, I’m going after them,” Erin said, standing up.

“Why? I’m sure they’ll be back soon,” I said.

“Kay, they should be back by now. Something’s happened, so I’m going to find out what.”

“No, just sit down."

“Don’t worry; I won’t go on my own. I’ll take back up."

“No, just sit down."

We got another report that we couldn’t understand.

“Ten minutes. If they’re not back I’m going after them. Okay?”

“Fine,” I said.

She sat back down and in those ten minutes we had seven new reports. Problem was they were quieter, and even more impossible to understand.

She stood up, but this time I didn’t try and stop her.

“Tarni, Pete, Lanly and Michael come with me,” Erin said, heading towards the door.

“I’m coming as well,” I said, following the others towards the door.

Erin studied me for a few moments before agreeing. We all walked down the corridor, none of us expecting what we’d later find.