The Webs We Weave

The Choice

Avery Webber sat on the windowsill, the open window letting in a slight breeze that tickled at her shining chestnut hair. Cars passed down below and two teenagers decided to get violent with eachother on the street, but Avery stayed glued to the spot staring holes into the backpack dormantly resting on the table. It was as if she was sat in a glass box, aware of all the movement and noise around her but still completely absorbed in her thoughts. Detached from the world around her, focussed on one thing: the choice. She could choose to exact revenge on the people she held responsible for the destruction of her world, or, on the other hand, she could choose to continue living in this glass box; detached from all that was around her, understanding but never feeling: lost, empty, hopeless.

She sat thwarted with this inner conflict of wanting revenge and knowing the moral aspect to what she was planning to do. She wasn't an immoral person; she had been raised to know right from wrong, her mother was adament that she raised her children correctly. But as a child it's easy to distinguish between what is right and wrong. As you get older your perspective changes depending on your experiences and you realise that life becomes a series of intricate, complicated webs woven by yourself and others to decide your ultimate fate. Life is no longer a case of black and white answers, it gets messy and claims victims of circumstance. Avery had been a victim of her circumstance ever since she was 7 years old. She knew that if she continued to exist in this glass box state one day it would shatter and she'd have no other way to cope with her miserable existence. No, she wasn't going to let that happen. Revenge was her only option and she really didn't care for the consequences.

Revenge is not something you take lightly, and Avery was certaintly going to make sure that she got the attention of the right people; it was going to go off with a bang. It was almost irresistible when she found out that the next G8 Summit was going to take place in Birmingham, she just knew that was her opportunity. It was ironic wasn't it? The people she held responsible for the deterioration of her life all under one roof in the city where she lived; what a perfect situation. Her plan was to reach the ICC; hide the backpack in the building's ventilation; slip out the back; detonate the backpack. It sounded simple enough; of course that's if you discount the heightened security around the building and the fact that if she did somehow manage to get into the building she'd have to go through checks and scanners, kind of hard to do if you're carrying a bomb. But Avery was no fool, she had managed to get herself a job at the ICC during the G8 Summit and when they did a background check they found nothing out of the ordinary. She found that it was helpful to have friends in high places.

Exasperated she put her head in her hands and exhaled loudly. She couldn't handle all of this dawdling and cowardice; did she want them to pay for what they did to her? Yes she did, and just like that her mind was finally made up.

She jumped up from the windowsill and practically jumped on the backpack; she inspected the wooden box, with 4 sticks of C4, and threatened her doubts back into the depths of her mind. She finally tore her intense stare away from the box, replaced the seal that would project a different image onto the x-ray scanner and carefully zipped the bag up, in doing so her gaze fell on a photograph in a broken frame. As hard as Avery tried, she couldn’t stop the memories from surfacing from the pit they call her subconscious.

“Mum, Mum, Mum!” Avery tugged on her mother's leg, desperately trying to get her attention. Her mother looked down at her and gave her a cheesey grin.

"What is it Avery?" She looked down expectantly at her daughter who beamed up at her with eyes full of happiness and innocence.

"I love you Mummy!" Her mother faked a look of surprise and brought her hands up to her mouth. She then put her hands on her hip and lowered herself to Avery's level, a look of mock dissapointment in her eyes.

"What do you want Avery? You only tell me you love me if you want something and it's awfully cruel to your dear old mother, don't you think?" Avery looked into her green eyes and was the picture of innocence. She shrugged and giggled before running to hide behind the cameraman. Her mother shook her head and laughed. An older girl stood behind her and pretended to be disgusted at her sister's playfullness before tapping her on the shoulder. "Great Avery, now you've got Ophelia following suit!" Their mother looked at Avery and then at Ophelia, "How can I help you my dear?"

"I want to play hide and seek! You, me, Avery, Matty...and then I want...a pony!" Ophelia giggled at the last part of her request, she really had no desire for a pony she just enjoyed fooling around with her mother. Her mother gasped and looked at Matty.

"Well, I never! The cheek of some people! A pony? Whatever could you want a pony for you little monster?" She advanced on Ophelia and began to wage a tickle war against her. Ophelia wriggled and squirmed under her mother's attacks, that didn't relent until Ophelia was squealing for forgiveness. Her mother looked at the cameraman. "Well Matty, what do you think? Up for a game of hide and seek with your favourite girls?" She scooped Ophelia up in her arms, whilst pretending to find her extremely heavy.

"Well, I don't know. It all depends on whether you girls are prepared to be beaten by the master!" Matty looked down at Avery for an answer. She faked shyness and hid behind his other leg, clutching onto his trousers for dear life. He smiled and pretended to search around for her before picking her up in his arms. "Well? Cat got your tongue ladies?"

"It depends on whether you're ready to lose to a 12 year old or not Matty. You may be the master but I can assure you that you're no competition for the Queen of hide and seek." Ophelia looked truimphant as her mother and Avery made heckling noises at Matty. He pretended to be scared, which garnered a laugh from the girls mother.

"You should be scared Matty, my Ophelia is deadly serious!" The mother grinned at him as they put down the girls. Matty gave her a wary look as he noticed a figure moving swiftly towards them. The older girl also noticed the figure and hardened her gaze. The man closed the distance between himself and the group quickly and Avery hid behind Matty's leg again, a safe hiding place from this new visitor in the expensive suit.

“Captain Kelsey Webber, your team has been requested in Afghanistan. You’re being flown out tonight, there will be a de-brief about the op when you arrive.” The figure was straight to the point and met with hostility from the girls and anger from Kelsey and the man. The two girls concentrated bad thoughts towards him to make him know that he wasn't welcome, coming in here and interrupting their fun.

“Why now? Isn’t there a different team you can send in?” Kelsey challenged the figure who seemed shocked that the order had been disputed.

“Sec Def requested your team himself. He seemed to think that it would be met with apprehension, so he told me to say that the offer still stands if you wish to take it. If you don’t remember he told me to refresh your memory," The man paused to make sure his audience were keeping up. Kelsey's face hardened and she felt her entire body being consumed with anger; how dare he, "It will be your last mission then you can transfer to a desk position as an analyst. If you do not comply the offer will vanish and the missions will keep you away from your children more than they already are.”

“Are you blackmailing her? What gives you the right to do so?” Matty came to her defence.

“Second Lieutenant I suggest you remember your place. Sec Def is merely reminding you of what can so easily happen to your team’s life. As the leader of the team I’m just giving her food for thought,” the figure turned back to Kelsey, “what’s it going to be?”

Frustrated, Kelsey looked at the girls; it didn’t surprise her that Sec Def had resorted to blackmail. She didn't want to satisfy Sec Def's ego but she certaintly didn't want to be apart from her beautiful daughters for the rest of her life.

“Okay, fine. We’re going to have to pack first though.” She shot her Second Lieutenant a look to say ‘Don’t defy it’ and gave the girls a smile; her eyes filled with sadness.