Rainbow Six: November Sun

57: "NIGHTMARE"

Aurelia frowned, though there was a cheeky spark in her eyes. "Is that a fact?"

"It is."

"Fuck off, Harry."

Harry burst into laughter, and he waved his hands assuringly. "I promise you! Seriously." His tone grew serious. "Somebody once told me that 'self-reflection is one of life's great teachers.' Sound familiar?"

Aurelia rolled her eyes and grinned. "Flattery won't work on me," she jabbed.

"It's not flattery. I assure you." Harry caught her gaze and nodded softly. "You told me that once, and wouldn't you know, it just applied to our conversation here today."

"Well, like I said; it's your unit." Aurelia checked her watch, then looked back to Harry and smiled warmly. "You're too valuable to too many people, and besides... I like you." She stood, and Harry joined her. "So don't fuck it all up by getting yourself killed."

"Heard. Loud and clear." Harry extended his hand. "Thank you, Aurelia."

She shook his hand firmly. "You're very welcome, Harry. Take care, now." Her eyes darted to the files on his desk. "Enjoy the paperwork"

"Very funny."

As quickly as she had entered, former Director Six left, and Harry chuckled to himself before paging his secretary. "Anya?"

"Yes?"

"Please inform Doug and Vince that I want to move up our Nighthaven meeting. I think we it'd be better sooner rather than later."

"Certainly."

"Thank you. Make sure you get some coffee for yourself, yes?"

Anya laughed over the speaker. "Don't have to tell me twice, Harry."

He smiled and ended the call, and then lifted up his phone to send Sledge and Ash a text.

November Sun debriefing at 17:00.

He sent the text and turned his attention back to the work on his desk. Eliza and Seamus would pass the news along and make sure everyone was there on time.

Being in charge had its perks. Delegation was one of many.

*               *               *

Enormous red shards arced up into the night sky, glowing crimson against the stars. Otherworldly howls sounded from afar, and the dilapidated, destroyed buildings in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, were hauntingly quiet.

Finka was alone in the middle of the street. She was staring ahead in horror.

Jäger's helicopter had just gone down. He had tried crawling to her. "Lera!" he was shouting. "Help me!"

But the swarm of alien Roaches closed in. Finka couldn't move a muscle. She gasped as the creatures attacked the man, and the air grew red with bloody mist as Jäger was torn, and sliced, and pulled, and crushed, and his screams sounded as maimed and dismembered as his body.

Tears rolled down her cheeks. She tried to scream, but no sound came out. She raised her weapon, but she could not pull the trigger.

A booming howl erupted from behind her. She was able to turn around now, and she saw the hulking creature lumbering towards her with frightening speed.

A Smasher.

It was enormous. Its muscles rippled against its skin, and its armored exoskeleton glinted in the red glow of nearby alien shards.

Terror gripped Finka when she realized she couldn't move out of the Smasher's path. It careened toward her, kicking up chunks of asphalt with each step. It hit the front of a parked sedan, sending the car spinning into a ruined restaurant.

It let out a guttural roar as it leapt for her. Finka screamed and shut her eyes helplessly.

*               *               *

"Lera! Wake up!"

Lera shot up in bed. Her skin glistened with cold sweat, and her chest was rising and falling with panicked breathing.

"Breathe! Deep breath. In and out. Lera?"

Finka blinked. She blinked once more, and felt a hand gently turn her face to the side.

Natalya was there, her dark eyes wide with concern. "Hey," she urged softly. "Look at me. You were having a nightmare. It's over."

Lera nodded, still too dazed and breathless to say anything. She let out a whoosh of air and collapsed back to the sheets.

Natalya lay beside her, and she eased her head onto the pillow next to Lera's. "You were screaming," she whispered.

Lera nodded. Closed her eyes. Tried to concentrate on breathing.

"You want to talk about it?" Natalya asked softly.

Lera shook her head. She opened her eyes and twisted onto her side to face the other woman. "Sorry," she whispered sheepishly.

Natalya kissed her forehead. "Don't be."

The two women lay in silence, face-to-face with one another before Lera finally slipped an arm around Natalya's waist and traced the dimples in the small of her back.

"Fuck," Lera breathed. "My heart's still hammering."

"I have awful nightmares. I never want to talk about them, either. Better left that way, perhaps."

"Perhaps." Lera smiled and leaned in to kiss her, and Natalya responded eagerly, lightly clutching the curve of Lera's hip with her fingers.

They shared a long moment in each other's embrace before Natalya withdrew. Her smile faded slowly. "Do you think we made a mistake?" she whispered.