Solace & Taproots

2.7

More motion drew Bex's eye back to Ronnie shaking her head. "Jesus, girl. How much did you use?"

The blonde woman stopped her triumphant touchdown dance. "Well, I mean... my boss in 'Logs' always carries on about how 'two is one and one is none', so..." (Her voice shifted deeper for the impersonation, and then back to a giggle.)

Ronnie just shook her head, and Bex reflected on how she didn't know this girl before today, beyond being able to recognize her in passing as a resident... but she was getting to be both unnerved and impressed. Maybe this was why Pat is so into her? In Logistics, she would have worked with Erik enough to at least be able to recognize bricks of explosives and remote detonators... that must have been what Ronnie was on the radio about. She supposed when you worked in Logs, you came fully equipped... something about bringing high explosives to a gunfight.

As their hearing continued to return, and Bex had carefully peeked into the ongoing tunnel for any more surprises, they heard raised voices from the boiler room. Bex thought she could pick out Seb, Branner, and an unknown third. She waved at Pat through the bars for her M4 and passed him the Tavor, checked the under-barrel shotgun and loaded 5.56 magazine's window, and then readied her flex camera again. Meanwhile, Ronnie set down her M249, readying her P90 and a fresh magazine, and stood ready for her at the left side of the short passage leading to the door.

Bex carefully stepped over the IR tripwire for the alarm just in case they'd figured it out, and fished around in the recess left behind by the detonated Claymore mine. The remnants of the control wiring led her fingers back to the hole they ran through, and she snaked the camera into the available space.

Someone she guessed was a Black Tusk officer was arguing with Sebastien, whose hands were cuffed behind him again, at the back of the room. Branner stood closer to the front, an SMG in-hand, looking back and forth between the door and the argument nervously. His armor was nearby, but not on -- maybe Seb had distracted and delayed them when the fighting started? Bex quietly removed the tablet's wristband from her arm, leaving it to dangle by the attached camera, and turned it to show Ronnie. Then, she held up a "wait" gesture to Ronnie, who nodded while Bex shifted to a crouch against the rightmost wall.

Without eyes on the room, it would be a risky entry even if they still had flash bangs — as their first encounter with Seb and Branner demonstrated. But with visibility, she waited for Branner's attention to linger on the argument, nodded sharply, and Ronnie opened the door forcefully. Bex immediately stormed in and sidestepped to the right while Ronnie flowed in and left, laser from the P90 on the officer. To his credit, Seb took a couple of quiet steps so he was off-angle from the firing lines.

Branner's head whipped around, and despite a challenging "FREEZE asshole!" from Bex, his weapon started to rise. She pulled both triggers simultaneously this time, putting three rounds and a side order of buckshot into his chest — and she didn't hurt herself this time! She was improving. Turning to the officer, whose hand was on a pistol butt, but not moving... "How about you?"

The man's heavy brow furrowed and his jaw clenched and worked as he weighed his chances, but she'd clearly made an impression dealing with Branner. Seb tried to nudge his thinking in the smart direction. "Come on, Major. Just walk away..."

"Shut up!" The major's head turned a fraction towards Seb, but his eyes stayed on Bex and Ronnie. "All this for a piece of shit like him? He's a fucking traitor."

Bex curtly half shook her head. "That's debatable."

"All enemies, foreign and domestic," Ronnie added. "Looks like he's wearing the right colors from where I'm standing."

"And, even if he rightly is, he's our traitor, so stand the hell down." Bex's armor and gear creaked as she leaned further into her shooting stance.