"You can't fight hatred with hatred and expect anyone to listen to you. You can only try to lessen it with humor, wit, truth and commonsense. If that doesn't work, run like hell..." ― Shannon L. Alder
The Fighter
I was relieved to have Jack back with us. Disappointed and saddened about Daisy and Ben, and feeling guilty at having to drag Jack back into the chaos, but feeling calmer and more secure with him near us.
He spent some time with Tilly and we all had food, de-stressing and filling him in on our 'new cold-leads' as Tilly called them. (What she really meant was 'colleagues'.)
Jack was still confused as to why MI5 was here, and to be honest, I felt the same.
I wasn't entirely trusting of them, and I didn't know where I stood now that the official channels were involved.
"All I'm saying is that we had a good thing going before the goon squad showed up." Darren mumbled to me in the hallway, peering along towards the kitchen where the agents were with the rest of the 'awake team'.
Beth had just left with Tilly for another safe-house, Tilly fast asleep in the back-seat of her car, Beth emotional at having to leave us all. Jack was currently in the shower after a huge argument with me and our dad, him absolutely refusing to go with Beth.
"I know that, but what can we do? They're here now. What would you suggest?" I whispered back, rubbing the back of my neck.
"We could just do away with them and go back to how things used to be." He said eagerly.
"Do away with them?" I repeated, freezing as I looked at him in shock. "You can't be serious?" He nodded eagerly and I shook my head. "You're bloody dense."
"She's not wrong," Jason said, stepping out of the living room to bat his brother over the back of the head. "We're not offing British agents you fool. We're already wanted enough by them."
"You are," Darren hissed, scowling at Jason as he rubbed his head. "Leave me out of it."
Jason and I looked at each other, shook our heads and walked off, leaving Darren alone with his thoughts.
"So how's planning going?" Adam asked as we entered the kitchen.
Spencer passed me a cup of tea and I frowned at Adam in confusion, wrapping my arm around Spencer lovingly.
"Planning to off us?" Adam guessed, looking Darren dead in the eye.
I choked on my tea and Jason sniggered whilst Darren looked completely and utterly shocked.
We all shared laughter at Darren's expense.
"You mentioned the head of your department was coming over?" Spencer asked Adam and Fiona.
"That's right," Fiona nodded. "They should be here by the morning."
"The rest of our team are joining us, we should be expecting all four of them."
"Four more folks?" Darren whistled.
"Where will they all sleep?" Jack asked, coming into the kitchen wearing clean clothes whilst rubbing his hair with a towel.
"We'll make the female bunk in with you, kid." Darren said, elbowing Jack in the side gently.
"I'm sure Daisy would love that." Jack mumbled, walking behind the kitchen counter.
"About that..." I said, turning to Darren with an innocent expression.
"Oh what now?" He groaned, folding his arms.
"I need you to find Kieran. We have no idea where he is or what he's up to. But we need him to come back for the kids."
"You mean the idiots who tried to abduct your brother?"
I rolled my eyes at his bluntness.
"They're damaged and they're acting out of grief and anger. They've lost their only support network and they're lost. Kieran really helped them, and whether it's right or wrong, he's Thomas' father. He belongs with him."
"He belongs with you and Spencer, you're his godparents." My dad said, scowling at us.
"Dad, it's too dangerous for even Tilly to be around right now, we can't run the risk of Thomas getting caught up in this. If Kieran can take custody of the kids, that keeps them out of trouble."
My dad's frown deepened but he didn't say anything in response.
The Spy
I'd been on some pretty rough missions in my time, and I'd dealt with some pretty shady characters. But this, this was a whole other ball game.
I wasn't quite sure who was who or what was what, but we were all living in some huge warehouse with camp-beds and sleeping-bags. We were all given black clothes and standard hand-guns, all of our personal belongings stripped back so we were basic clones of one another.
I missed Mel and her family, I missed Jason and his, I missed the normality of the FBI and the BAU and the days where our worst fear was an Unsub.
This... This was so much more.
We were dealing with Unsubs, but there were too many to count and the killings were too random and mass to even begin to decipher.
I guess I didn't really know what I was getting myself into...
At first, it was fine, standardised meal-times, basic food and water. They moved our camp-beds every evening so we didn't befriend our neighbours. We had time-tables of what to do and when to do it. When to shower, when to eat, when to exercise, when to practice shooting, when to shop, when to cook, when to clean.
I was wondering why I was voluntarily here, how this could be the workings of a terrorist cell.
And then, on day three, it all changed.
We were awoken in the dead of night by yelling and guns firing blanks, two unknown females and a male.
Everyone started screaming and I immediately dropped to the concrete floor next to my camp-bed, my gun already cocked and trained on the three individuals about twenty feet from me, their guns trained at the ceiling as they grinned maniacally at us.
The lights were blinding from above as everyone sleepily came to terms with what was happening.
A moment later, heels on the concrete outside the doorway echoed their way to us, before Kate Joyner appeared next to the three individuals.
Immediately my heart lurched and I dropped flat to the ground, panic and terror overwhelming me.
If she recognised me, it was game over.
"Well, well, well, you are the chosen bunch," Her voice called out, and my breath hitched in my throat.
Chosen for what?
"I must say, I was expecting more... Not numbers, but... Just more," She sighed and my nails clawed at the concrete.
"Thank you for being here, and for being so dedicated to the cause,"
There was a cause?
"Your training will now begin, and if you're not successful, I want to thank you for giving us your time thus far. But do not be disheartened, for we can use you in other ways," She gave a short chuckle and I wondered what the fuck was going on.
"I wanted to come and introduce myself as your boss, my name is Katherine," I almost choked. "And those of you who make it through training, will be working very closely with me." She gave a wicked smile before her heels echoed on the way out.
"Up, everyone up!" The man began shouting and everyone began scrambling to their feet.
"Get up!" One of the women demanded, grabbing me by the back of my vest-top and yanking me to my feet.
I winced but didn't say anything as they proceeded through the hall to the opposite doorway, dragging people to their feet as they went.
They then led us through into the open room we'd been using as a makeshift dinner-hall where they split us into groups of four. There were around fifty of us, so this took some time.
Meanwhile, we each stood shivering and jogging on the spot to keep warm, the freezing warehouse even colder in the dead of night.
"What are we doing?" The girl I was paired with looked at me with large eyes, scared and curious all at the same time.
"I have no idea." I whispered before the man shot his gun at the ceiling, sending us all ducking and squealing again.
"You're each going to take turns to battle," He yelled and I almost laughed. 'Battle', who were these people?
"This will begin the process of weeding out those of you who aren't strong enough to make it to the next stage of our cause."
Again with the 'cause'?
"What does that mean, battle?" The girl whispered and I shrugged, watching carefully as the two women began leading multiple groups of two into separate rooms.
"Where are they taking us?" She asked again.
"I have no idea, could you please stop asking questions, I know just as much as you do." I felt a little guilty for snapping at the nervous girl, but her incessant questions were beginning to bug me, and were doing nothing for my own nerves.
She looked apologetically at me before silencing and we followed suit as the second woman led us into a separate hall from the other.
Inside this hall, she instructed us to split into two rows; one member of each partner in one row on one side of the room, and the other partner in another row on the opposite side of the room.
She then walked around the room and retrieved our guns, setting one in the centre of the room, between the two lines.
"Can you tell us what's happening?" One of the men asked impatiently.
"All in good time, cherub," She smiled and winked at him and I sighed, this was going to be a long night.
Eventually, she stood in the centre of the room.
"I want you to kill each other," She said with a manic grin, her eyes sparkling in the brightly lit room.
Suddenly, a murmur of repulsion rippled throughout the room and my stomach dropped.
"Enough," She shouted, and held up a silencing hand. "I want each of you to kill the person we have partnered you with. Nobody else, just your partner. You can do this in any way you want to, but you have one gun between you to help. I would suggest you get there fast, or else you might not be around to choose another method..."
She smirked and immediately the man who had called out earlier darted forwards.
Without blinking she reached up and shot him in the chest, causing his partner to yell out and the surrounding women to squeal in disgust as he dropped to the ground, dead.
"I didn't tell you to start. So don't anger me by disobeying me," She said through gritted teeth.
Everyone was eerily still, a few whimpering and a few stunned into paralysed silence.
The woman was staring down at the man in angered disgust.
A moment later, she raised her gun and shot without looking and screams erupted before a woman fell to the floor in a bloody heap, dead now too.
"I hate odd numbers..." The woman shuddered before looking back up with a grin.
"Okay, you two, pair up..." She waved at the man's partner and the woman's partner, both of whom appeared to be numb with fear and shock.
"Move the bodies over there first..." She said, waving towards one of the corners.
Numbly, they both did as they were told, and dragged the bodies weakly into the corner, a few people beginning to sob.
"Oh be quiet, you volunteered to be here," The woman snapped, looking angry and deranged all at the same time.
"Okay," She grinned as the pair returned to their respective rows. "On the count of three, you will begin." She said, focusing her attention on her watch.
I licked my lips and looked at my partner who was nervously crying.
I knew it would take me approximately three seconds to reach the gun, and a further two to accurately shoot her. But I didn't want to do that. Anything but to kill another innocent life...
"BEGIN!" The woman yelled.
Some people darted, some people stayed put. Some shots cracked through the air, some screams pierced the room as some fought to get to the gun.
A couple of people misfired and hit other partners.
Mine began sobbing as we both looked at each other, neither of us moving.
Eventually, I took a step forward, and then she plunged forwards towards the gun.
I got there first and knocked it from her grip, detaining her against me, my forearm trapped against her throat, suffocating her.
I decided this method would give me more time to think.
From this position, on the ground, I could see how many people had already lost their lives.
Including the two bodies in the corner, a further nine bodies lay bleeding or dead on the ground, their murderers sat rocking back and forth or paralysed or sobbing.
All whilst the manic woman stood grinning, watching the terror unfold.
In a split second I'd picked up the gun and shot, hitting her perfectly in the throat.
"STOP!" I hollered, and everyone turned to realise the ringleader was dead in a bloodied heap on the ground.
"It's over." I choked, locking the gun and throwing it on the ground.
Everyone was silent for a couple of moments before one man called out,
"But what happens when they get back in here? They're going to kill us all for letting you do that!"
"No they won't," I said calmly. "I'll take responsibility. It's me they'll kill."
No one argued with me and instead, we all sat in silence. Cold, numb, silence.
I was trying to find a way of making a plan to escape.
I wondered what I'd tell Melanie and Spencer.
I wondered why I was even here in the first place.
What did I hope to achieve? Infiltrating the Cell all on my own? Jason was right, it was a suicide mission.
Just as Jason entered my thoughts, the door opened and the other man and woman appeared, looking curious.
"Why's everything so silent in here..." The man trailed off and the woman yelled, running forward to her dead friend.
"What happened?" She cried as she dropped by her side.
Nobody answered.
"Who killed her?" The man demanded.
Everyone blinked at each other and I gulped before getting to my feet.
"I did." I said calmly.
"You!" The woman lurched for me and grabbed me by my hair. "Why?" She demanded, shaking me.
"I figured it was best to sacrifice one for the greater good." I winced, trying to free her hands from my hair.
Suddenly she stopped and let me go, and as I turned to her, she was grinning at the man.
"I think we've found our advocate." She smiled and I frowned in confusion.
"Well done," He smiled at me and I gulped.
What I did was a good thing?
"You, come with us," He said, gesturing me forwards. "The rest of you, pile the bodies in the corner, clean up and get some rest."
The woman pushed me gently and I staggered forwards before fumbling the rest of the way, feeling sick and terrified in case they took me to Kate.
"Clean up," The man instructed. "Number?" He asked and I retorted my number. "We'll pack your things and you'll meet us out the front of the warehouse, understand?" He asked and I nodded.
I staggered to the communal showers where clean clothes were folded and waiting for me.
In the shower, I cleaned and sobbed, curled in a ball with soap burning my eyes as I sobbed and sobbed and hyperventilated and sobbed.
I felt weak and confused and trapped in an infinite loop of blood, sweat and tears.
Once finished, I towel dried my hair and dressed in the clean, dark clothes as before.
I then told myself I was strong and brave and courageous and tried to believe it.
I didn't quite know who was fooling as I strode through the warehouse and out front to where a dark car was awaiting.
I held my breath and prepared to die, expecting Kate Joyner to be inside the car when I opened the door and slid inside.
"Well done, three five four." The man greeted me from the driver's seat and I was relieved to see that I was the only one in the back of the car, the woman up front in shotgun.
"Thank you." I said, inclining my head in a nod.
"You're army?" The woman asked as the man drove off.
"Yes ma'am." I nodded.
"And Texan?"
"Fifth-generation." I lied.
"So that's where the ruthlessness comes from." The man smirked and I mirrored it.
"No offence, but what's going on?" I asked, worried in case they shot me for asking a question.
"We have to ensure people are dedicated to the cause before we move into the next phase," The man explained. "Those who are prepared to kill to survive are one thing, but those who are prepared to sacrifice for the greater good are the advocates we need."
"Need for what?" I asked, my confusion and innocence the only honest thing since I'd arrived at that godforsaken warehouse.
"The cause," The woman grinned. "The presidential campaign," She said excitedly like a child on Christmas Eve. "Overthrowing Robinson and ensuring Knavs wins the election."
There was a pause.
My mind whirred, trying to gather thoughts in order to ascertain an appropriate response.
I mean... we'd known that this was the endgame but... to hear it out loud... well, it was rather preposterous to say the least.
"So I assume we're attacking the White House?" I guessed, trying to remain level-headed.
"Well duh." The woman laughed, looking at the man.
"So I'm now a part of the team attacking the White House?" I said, forcing my tone to appear excited. I forced a smile on my face and swallowed bile.
"Hole in one! She's got it, John." He laughed and I forced a chuckle too, my mind flapping back and forth, wondering if I'd survive if I threw myself out of the car just now, wondering if they'd have been stupid enough to have the doors unlocked.
"And what about Jacobs?" I asked curiously, wondering how the hopeful-President fit into all of this.
"Well that's why we're attacking the White House," The man said, looking at me in his rearview mirror. "Polls state that Jacobs is winning the election. If we attack the White House and kill Robinson, they'll have to stop the election from moving forward.
"We'll rid our great country of the worst abomination in its history, and we'll hopefully rewrite history at the same time by ensuring a re-vote for our great Knavs."
I was stunned into silence.
Literally, the lack of brain cells was astounding me to the point where I could not fathom words.
"Well?" The woman prodded. "What do you think?" She asked excitedly.
"I'm struggling to take it all in..." I admitted. "I mean..." I cleared my throat. "I'm just so overwhelmed that you've chosen me to be on such an important team."
"Of course," The man said seriously, meeting my eyes calmly. "We'd be crazy not to have you on board."
"Your dedication is admirable." The woman agreed and I smiled, dipping my head in thanks.
"You should try to rest," The man said. "We have a long drive ahead of us."
I was thankful he said that.
Not so I could sleep, but so I could close my eyes in pretence of sleep, and focus on the twists and turns and distance we were travelling.
Although, I had a pretty good idea of where we were headed.
The Father
I was concerned for Jack, being so close to the action, but I was also concerned for Melanie.
She looked so exhausted and worried, holding onto Spencer when she could or generally trying to look after everybody but herself.
I knew that Tilly and Beth were safe elsewhere, and I had abandoned begging Jack to join them.
Darren had tracked Kieran within a couple of days, and Spencer had comforted Mel as the three of us had watched Kieran drive off with the three kids in his car, all of them so consumed by their reunion that they hadn't seen us watching.
Jack was relieved and after much persuasion, Melanie and I had agreed that Darren could take him to see Naomi briefly.
I wasn't impressed that Jack hadn't felt comfortable enough to speak with me about his girlfriend, and I felt dad-guilt at not being there to support him.
It felt like things were ramping up in the house, as MI5's presence brought an urgency to our agenda that we hadn't felt before.
They had inside agents infiltrating the Cell, and we had yet to tell them about Emily, who hadn't made contact since the day after she'd left.
We hadn't heard from the rest of our team who had abandoned ship so disappointingly, and all of us wanted this entire ordeal to be over with so we could move on.
"The latest poll stated Jacobs was in the lead. I think he may have done it." I smiled in relief, throwing the morning paper down onto the dining table.
"I wouldn't be too sure, dad, this is exactly what the Cell wanted." Melanie sighed worriedly, raking her hands through her cropped hair which was growing exceedingly well.
"I thought they wanted Knavs in power?" Spencer frowned in confusion and Mel nodded.
"Our theory is that they want Jacobs to be ahead in the polls so they can take out Robinson and have a re-vote." Harry Pearce explained.
He was a man after my own heart, older than the others and the Unit Chief of Section D within MI5. He was short and bald with a large belly and the wisest of English accents. He was polite and intelligent and full of dark humour.
He and I got along very well and respected each other equally. Both professionally and personally.
"And when you say 'take out', you don't mean food do you?" Darren joked, his face a little paler than before.
"No, we mean the permanent kind of take-out." Harry nodded and Darren gulped audibly.
"But... why?" Jason groaned, rubbing at his stubbled jaw.
"Political statement," I shrugged. "Robinson is our first black president. We made history as a country by electing him. He is everything Knavs is entirely against. Knavs is a businessman and wants this old-school American. Robinson and Jacobs are his biggest threats and he wants them eliminated." I explained.
"But what you've said is right," Melanie nodded emphatically. "Knavs is a businessman, why he's involving himself in politics is beyond me."
"It's beyond all of us," Adam said calmly. "But we have to remember that these people are terrorists, no matter what their agenda. Their beliefs don't have to make sense to us."
We all nodded and fell into silence.
"So what's our agenda?" Spencer asked after a while.
"We have to protect the president, that's a given," He shrugged. "But, Knavs, Jacobs, the Cell? We can't do it all."
"You're right," Mel nodded, sighing as she covered his hand with her own. "We can't do it all, but by protecting Robinson, that is doing it all. Their agenda will crumble and their organisation will disintegrate if we ensure they cannot get to Robinson."
"If we're going to do that then we have to move now," I said simply, nodding to the newspaper. "The final ballots are counted in three days' time and the announcement is on Monday. The Cell will move soon to avoid the final announcement being made."
"You're right, Aaron," Harry said in his wonderfully polite accent. "I think we should move tomorrow, get to the White House before any other attack can happen."
"And if it does?" Fiona asked worriedly.
"We have to divide our resources accordingly," Harry said sourly. "With the majority sticking to the plan."
"Which is...?" Adam prodded.
"Protect the President." Melanie shrugged.
"At all costs." I echoed.