Ela woke that morning feeling more refreshed and optimistic than she had in years. She felt light and quick on her feet, and a warm feeling continued to pervade her chest as she took a shower and changed into some casual clothing. Due to her excessive training the previous evening, she decided she'd put off today's regiment for later in the evening, and decided instead, to go to the mess hall. There, she found a surprising sight. Fuze stood in front of Kade, offering him a handle of Vodka.
"I want to apologize for last night. It was unlike me. I am ashamed." Fuze said. Kade had a confused look on his face.
"Quite a change in demeanor from last night, are you alright, Shuhrat?" he asked in a concerned manner. Fuze began sputtering and muttering, before Kade took the handle of vodka and clapped him on the back,
"Apology accepted, comrade." he said. Tachanka, Jackal, and Lion cheered at this. The group, now including Fuze, had seemingly become fans of Kade overnight after their drinking and card games. Ela walked in, affectionately rubbing Fuze's shoulders.
"I'm proud of you, big guy." she said. The heavyset man blushed,
"Thank you." he said, going back to sit with his spetnaz squad mates. Ela took a seat next to Kade, who was already sitting with Thermite, Doc, and Rook.
"Oh? Do I see a budding romance, Dr. Summers?" Doc asked.
"Oh, damn! You two?!" Thermite said.
"Oh, wow." Rook said in shock. Kade wrapped his arm around her shoulder,
"We are what you could call, 'exploring'." he said. Ela blushed deeply while the men made heckling noises. She removed his arm and playfully punched his shoulder,
"Idiot." she said, going up to the front to find food. She piled a load of eggs on her plate, only for someone else to put bacon on her plate. IQ was standing next to her, a mischievous twinkle in her eye.
"I've heard some rather, interesting news." she said. Ela could feel the heat on her face. At this point, she was going to be a tomato all day.
"Have you, now." Ela said, not looking at her, scooping some pineapple onto her quickly filling plate.
"Mm. vhat's more, I hear you and Kade are dating." IQ said into her ear.
"Dating?!" Ela exclaimed, making everyone zero in on the two women. Ela lowered her voice,
"No! It's not like that...not yet, anyway." she said. IQ's body language reflected incredible excitement,
"Ela! Is zhis your first boyfriend?" she asked excitedly. Ela huffed,
"He's not my boyfriend! But, this is the first time I've been...involved..with a man." she said. IQ squealed,
"Oh, I am so excited, you don't even know!" she said, getting out of range before Ela could kick her. This was not going to be an easy day, she already knew. She sat back down next to Kade, whom was being questioned by his newfound friends.
"So, what countries have you worked in, then?" Doc asked him.
"Well, let's see, over the course of my career, you mean?" he said. Doc nodded. The others listened intently as Kade pondered the thought.
"Nine years of service, would, if I remember correctly, equate to 135 countries." he said. Thermite whistled.
"Damn Doctor, you've been busy." Rook said. Kade laughed,
"Oh, just as much as anyone else, I'd say.". Jackal had also joined them, he leaned forward,
"What about your family? You have one, right?" he asked. Ela froze. She remembered his reaction the last time she had asked him that question.
"Yes, I do. My little brother." he said, his demeanor seeming unchanged. Perhaps I went too far when I asked Ela thought.
"Aw! How old's the little guy?" Mira asked, joining in the conversation as she sat down next to Jackal.
"He's 27. His name is Robert." Kade replied. Ela noticed how short his answers were, she began to feel a prickling anxiety form in her stomach.
"What's he do? He in the service?" Thermite questioned.
"He's a working author." he answered. He shifted uncomfortably. Ela could tell the pervasive questions were starting to be a little much.
"Kade, would you like to take a walk with me?" she said. His features brightened.
"What a lovely idea, Ela!" he exclaimed, taking his and her's empty plates. He gave the other's a slight blow,
" 'Parting is such sweet sorrow', there will be more time for questions, comrades, but for now, a blustery stroll with the beloved must ensue." Kade said. IQ and Valkyrie swooned, making faces at Ela. She stuck her tongue out at them.
"Hey, don't hog this guapo hombre sweetheart!" Mira shouted after them. She only waved off their jeers and taunts, but some part of her felt euphoric that she held the power to separate him from the rest. The two grabbed their coats, then were out the door.
The base was chilly as ever, strong winds blowing up small walls of snow every so often. Recruits rushed around, doing their duties as always. They would occasionally stop and store, or salute if they walked close enough. All was well at Rainbow base. Despite the cold, she felt warm next to Kade. He let out a heavy sigh,
"Thank you for getting us out of there, I thought I would burst." he said. She took his arm in hers, like they did in the movies. He didn't protest. She decided she liked it.
"Mm, you seemed uncomfortable. Also...you can call me by my given name, if you'd like." she said. He grinned,
"Well then, Elzbieta, I'll take full advantage of that." he said. She really wanted to ask him about his family but couldn't tell if he'd even answer her questions. Suddenly, from around a crate, walked Zofia. She had a serious look on her face, not completely unusual for her, but, Ela held a bad feeling when she saw it. The couple stopped in front of her, Kade looking between the two sisters inquisitively.
"So, my little sister, is this what I believe it is?" she asked. Ela held resolutely to Kade's arm,
"..Sort-of." she said. It was then that Zofia's demeanor broke out into pure glee. She rushed forward, embracing the two.
"Ah! I never thought my precious Ela would find love, and this sight fills me with such joy!" Zofia exclaimed. Ela shoved her off,
"What do you mean, 'never find love'?!" she demanded. Kade and Zofia shared a laugh,
"But, if this is for real, I would like to get to know more about you, Dr. Summers." Zofia said. She saw the apprehensive looks on the couple's faces as soon as the words left her mouth and decided to amend her statement.
"Not that it needs to happen right now of course. Just one day, we should sit over a cup of tea, and chat." she said. Kade smiled warmly,
"Zofia, I believe that would be wonderful." he said. With that, they exchanged their farewells. Kade adopted a pensive look as they trod along the base.
"What is it?" she asked him.
"Would you like to train?" he said. Her curiosity was provoked completely. Many of the operators talked about their regiments like it was their magnum opus, and quite frankly, they were. The operators had spent many years of their lives building and tweaking their training patterns until they were perfect for them. Getting to know one's regimen was the equivalent of getting to know the person. She couldn't have said yes quicker.
The Rainbow base's training facility was massive to say the least. It possessed a full length professional indoor track field, along with an olympic sized pool and weight room big enough for an entire army to use. She waited for him outside the men's locker room, preparing herself. Don't stare too much, for the love of god she thought to herself. She felt the muscles under his shirt that night. She knew he was packing. That being said, her expectations were blown out of the water. While, according to his profile his age was 45, his body seemed that of a much younger age. Granted, the greying chest hair she could see from the occasional slips of his sleeveless tank top betrayed his age, but the toned and defined muscles rippled with every step he took. She could also see many tattoos tucked underneath his shirt, but, couldn't definitely make out their shape our patterns. His forearms were covered in tattoos though, and now that she saw them more closely, had many quotes referring to literature, pictures of books and insignias relating to the military.
"Ela? I'm not familiar with this facility, so could you give me the tour, so to speak?" he asked. Shit she swore inwardly. She had definitely been staring.
"Oh..uh, yes, this way." she said, escorting Kade to the weight room. He was immediately at home, doing some light stretching before going to work. As she watched him, she noticed that unlike many operators, he didn't focus on a particular core part of the body. For example, Glaz liked to do lots of exercises with his arms and legs because of his skills, while Montagne focused on his legs, arms, and core in order to embody the shield he held. Kade seemed to focus on every part of his body, large or small, doing many exercises that were familiar to her, and many that weren't. She would ask him about it and he would explain the origin, it was a back and forth that Ela found invigorating and relaxing, he liked it when he told her about things, not lectured her on them.
"Aren't you going to join?" he asked her. She looked down at her outfit, a black t-shirt with a white cardigan, accompanied by blue jeans.
"No, I did this morning's sets yesterday." she assured. He shrugged,
"Fair enough." he said, going back to his work out. She adjusted her hat, the beloved black cap her late father gifted her with. She stared at him thoughtfully,
"Kade, you didn't mention your parents back there, why is that?" she asked. He didn't look at her, in the middle of a mean set of skull crushers.
"Oh? Did I not? Well, not much to say about them. My father's a lobster fisherman, my mother, a school teacher." he said. Ela's curiosity once again flared. She loved the ocean. The sound of the waves, the smell of the salty sea air, nothing to her was better. She began rattling off questions, all of which he answered with measured patience and an openness she hadn't discerned from the mess hall. Then, like all other times, Tachanka and Kapkan entered the gym, immediately strolling over to where the Ela and Kade were situated.
"Ah! Comrade Kade, I have proposition!" Tachanka said heartily. Ela inwardly sighed, it was never good when Alexsandr had a proposition. Kade finally finished his set of skull crushers and got up from the bench.
"What can I help you with, Alexsandr? Victor?" he said, addressing the two spetznaz operators.
"I want to spar, comrade." Kapkan said. Kade and Kapkan had hit it off quite well, Kapkan asking many questions about psychology from Kade during their night of cards and booze. Kade shrugged,
"If you'd like, I would be happy to." he said. Tachanka clapped his hands together which, with the massive paws he had, made a booming sound that echoed throughout the weight room.
"Yes! Little Ela and I will be cheerleaders, yes?" he said. Ela playfully punched him in the arm,
"I think you'll be the only one doing that, princess." she teased. He laughed,
"Speaking of princesses, congratulations on engagement!" he said. She scoffed,
"Oh, shut up, Alex." she said. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and she leaned her head onto his shoulder. He had quickly become a father figure in during her time at Rainbow. No one could replace her biological father, but his endearing charisma and heart and genuine care for her had done well in filling the gap. They were now in what many called the "stretch room", it was essentially a big empty room with mirrors on the wall, with some exercise balls and mats hanging on the wall. Some recruits who had been using the machines had followed them, Kade and Kapkan's spar now had an audience.
"I will be referee! I decide when battle ends! We agree, yes?" Tachanka announced. Kade and Kapkan nodded. Kapkan raised his hands. Kade raised his hands. Kapkan rose his. The two circled eachother. Hunter versus hunter. Ela felt her blood pressure rise. She felt excited. Scared. Euphoric. Chaotic. She had sparred with Kapkan before. She lost in pathetic fashion. Kapkan was an expert. What was Kade? Kapkan made his move, closing the distance, immediately going for a kick to his legs. Kade blocked with his knee, faking a kick to Kapkan's head before delivering a solid punch to his gut. Kapkan staggered for a moment, before regaining his composure. He lunged. He landed a solid hit on Kade's jaw. Kade took the jarring punch like a brick wall, before unleashing a deadly combination of punches to Kapkan's chest. He staggered again, his eyes narrowed, trying to dissect his prey. Kapkan once again closed the distance, this time, getting quick, hurtful hits on Kade's thighs before performing a mean crossover on his jaw. This hurt Kade. He shook his head, his black/blonde-peppered hair covered in sweat. Blood began to run down his nose. This time, Kade closed the distance. His speed was furious, for every strike Kapkan blocked, another got through. The two men beat on each other mercilessly before Tachanka finally let out a loud, piercing whistle. They immediately stopped, Kade extended out his hand,
"You hit like a goddamn grizzly, comrade." he said. Kapkan wiped his mouth of blood,
"Same to you, Kade, you hit like Russian barsuk." he said, taking Kade's hand in a firm handshake. Ela and Tachanka stood stunned, almost no one had gone against Kapkan evenly matched. Ela already knew the base would be on fire once people got a wind of this. Kade finished his workout accompanied with the two Russians, before leaving them to shower at the spire. Ela watched him walk along the path. She was staring. Again. But this time, she didn't care.
It was later that evening, that Ela decided to go to the rec center. She was fresh out of the shower from her work out session, clad in sweatpants and a sweatshirt from GROM. She had been thinking about her observation of Kade in the gym all day. He left no part of his body untouched, he put every single part to use. It reminded her of what his profile said, that if given "all relevant information" he could create the best plan of attack for any situation. Perhaps, his regiment plays in to that? she wondered. Her breath made small clouds in the cold night air as she walked over, the stars, unfortunately, were not out tonight. Her mind couldn't help but wander to the mission taking place the next day. Would his plan be as impervious as the documents she had been studying claim to be? What kind of operator was Kade while on a mission? She could feel the tips of her fingers tingle in an excited apprehension, it had been awhile since she was on a notable mission. She loved the thrill of combat. Although, that didn't make particularly unique, considering just about every operator of Rainbow was the same way. She opened the door to the rec center, only to witness a familiar sight. Another drunken card game was being played, only, this time, with a few new faces. It seemed that Caveira, Lesion, and Frost had taken an interest in the new operator and joined the already sizable crew in a game of progressive. The American operators were in a far corner watching a Tv screen, American football playing on the screen. Somehow, the FBI and SEAL operators had gotten the S.A.S operators heavily invested in the sport. The whole sas crew now had a shared fantasy football pool with the American operators, who, surprisingly consistently lost against the Englishmen. Ash, who had been the only Patriots fan, received back up from her sas comrades who had all taken a liking to Tom Brady, claiming, "He'd make a good Englishman!". Worse, Kade himself was a Patriots fan, making the remaining American operators incredibly outnumbered. They were outfitted in their respective jerseys, glued to the TV screen as the Patriots and the Chargers fought for dominance. "You guys are screwed today!" Valkyrie exclaimed, wearing her charger's jersey with a puffed-out chest. Pulse reclined next to her, an arm around her shoulder, his matching jersey shining from the light of the TV.
"Damn right, Brady's gonna have a bad time today." Pulse said. Sledge waved his hand in dismissal,
"My chap Tommy boy has this game. Rivers is a pansy!" he said. Blackbeard playfully shoved the Scotsman, laughing heartily.
"Ha! Says the guy with a QB that runs like a damn turtle!" he said. Mute sat with them, silently sipping his Budweiser beer, not taking his eyes off the screen. You could guess who came in first in Fantasy Football.
"Well, you should consider that, statistically, Brady has a conceivable advantage." Kade called over. Ash, who was laying comfortably in Thermite's lap, threw her empty beer can at Kade,
"Hey, stay in your lane, Shakespeare!" she said. The whole room erupted in laughter. Ela took a seat next to Kade, Caveira began zipping a new hand of cards around.
"Playing, Ela?" she asked. Ela shook her head, turning to Kade,
"Who's winning?" she said. Kade looked down at his notepad, letting out a low whistle,
"Sure as hell not me." he muttered. In this game of progressive, Lesion was first, with Caveira closing in behind him. Kade was second to last, with, unsurprisingly, Fuze holding up last place.
"So, you two a thing now?" Caveira said, continuing to pass out the cards. Ela suddenly realized that she no longer blushed when someone implied her and Kade in a relationship, if that's what she could call it. Kade rose his Guinness, looking charmingly at Ela,
"To trying new things!" he declared. The click of glasses ensued, then, Tachanka passed her an opened beer.
"Here, little lovestruck maiden!" he teased. She only shook her head as she downed some of the drink.
"Yes, congratulations, Ela and Kade!" Lesion said happily, the beer painting his cheeks rosy pink. His drunkenness, however, didn't prevent him from chewing on his favored toothpick. The cards were dealt.
"What's it this time, Kade?" Frost asked. Kade took his glasses off, the drink clearly getting to him.
"Hm..one set, two runs." he said. The table groaned,
"God damn runs, they're Satan's invention!" Lion bellowed. Fuze only muttered angrily. Runs were his kryptonite.
"What is all this about runs and sets?" Ela asked. Kade looked at her, his face seemed different without glasses. Almost younger, more vibrant.
"Sets are three of the same card regardless of suite, a run is an ordered group of four consecutive cards in the same suite." he explained. Ela nodded slowly, it had been a long time since she'd played card games, but the concept seemed easy enough.
"May I, comrade?!" Tachanka asked Frost, a 7 of clubs shining brightly on the tabletop. Frost looked at him devilishly,
"No can do, Alex." snatching up the card.
"Bah! Capitalist bastard!" Tachanka swore, making the table laugh. Tachanka was perhaps the most animated operator in Rainbow and no matter where he was, he tended to make an impression. Mostly good ones. Mostly. Ela shifted her attention back to Kade, only to find that he was leaning close to Fuze, speaking in a lone tone, pointing at his cards. She smiled. It was nice, seeing a sweet side to Kade. The game continued around the table, many curses, laughs, and compliments were given; but all in the merriment of a friendly atmosphere. The drinks had been going around quite steadily too, which was made all the more clear when the football crew began screaming at the TV.
"That's my boy! Brady!" Sledge cried, standing up, beginning to chant "Brady!". It grew in volume, and before Ela knew it, she was chanting it, and then the whole building took part. She was buzzed, which made her feel good, she was going to have an operation tomorrow, which fired her up, and she was with Kade (sort of), which made her euphoric. He looked up at him, giving him a smile. He looked back, something tender in his eyes. She couldn't help it. She was drunk, she was happy. She placed a kiss on his cheek. The table roared in approval. Zofia, who had just walked in with two bags full of snacks, dropped them at her feet and ran over to them. For the second time that day she embraced them, kissing their heads, "You precious lovebirds!" she exclaimed in mirth. Ela couldn't recall a time in recent memory where she had been this happy. She wanted to hold onto this moment forever. She held onto his hand underneath the table. Perhaps, if she held on long enough, she could make the moment last forever.
OPERATION SWEEP: COMMENCE
She was still thinking about the previous night as they sat in the helicopter, on their way to the White Mask base codenamed point "Easy Money". They sat in the groups they were breaching in, Thermite with Ash, Lion with Finka, IQ with Ela, and Thatcher with Kade. Kade had only a bulletproof vest, gloves, and padding on his legs. Underneath, he still wore his classic button up shirt. He checked his pocket watch, before clicking it closed.
"We're about ten klicks out comrades, any last questions before we touch down!" Kade said over the roaring of the helicopter.
"Yeah, who the hell named the safehouse 'Easy Money'?" Thermite asked while inspecting his assault rifle.
"I did." Ash said, glaring spitefully at Thermite. He shrugged,
"Well, I was just going to say it's a great name, that's all!" he said. She punched him in the shoulder, unable to keep the smile off her lips.
"Oh, did you figure out vhat to do about ze machine you mentioned?" IQ said. Kade nodded,
"Don't worry it'll all be taken care of!" he said. The helicopter's red light turned green and began shrieking insistently. The bay door opened. They were a go. Ela could feel the heat seep through her clothing. The documents hadn't said the location, but wherever they were, it was nothing but sand and rocks for miles; except for the White Mask base of course. They moved together, low to the ground, in a tight unit. Ela could see the structure, an unremarkable three-story concrete building. Typical of the White Mask. They had three guards, two on an elevated watch post while one looked outward behind some sandbags. Kade signaled for them to stop behind a rocky outcropping. He went ahead with his silenced M1911 pistol, creeping below the watch post, his pistol aimed at baddie #3 by the sandbags. He waited. The wind picked up. He shot. The guard fell. The other two didn't notice, talking about something rather intensely it seemed. Kade creeped around. They didn't wait but three seconds before the two guards fell in quick succession. He came out from the watch tower, waving for them to advance.
"EE-D activating in 3!" Lion hissed into their earpieces. They lifted their specialized glasses. Ash and Thermite rappelled up to level A. Finka and Lion headed up the stairs for level C. The scanning begun. Ela and IQ lined up on level B and with practiced precision, IQ laid out the breaching charge. Ela nodded to her. The blast echoed loudly in her ear drums. She stepped into the doorway, her Scorpion biting into the surprised flesh of the first White Mask she saw. She heard screams from the upper and lower levels. The plan was working down to the finest detail, so far. The first half of level B was easy going. Little resistance and no electronic devices allowed Ela and IQ to mow down any White Mask in their path. However, the second half of level B proved to be particularly arduous, just as Kade's documents had predicted. They had dug in towards the end of the level, also deploying multiple electronic traps that IQ couldn't shoot or get an angle on. Ela and IQ stood in opposite doorways, periodically peeking out to return fire. Ela clipped one in the shoulder, she could hear him scream in pain as he went down. She felt a sudden rush. Finka She'd always loved the chaos of combat, but, Finka's nanomachines were something else, to say the least. She threw one of her Grzmot mines towards them. She heard the explosion. She heard explosions upstairs, most likely Ash and Thermite. Both her and IQ whipped around their cover, high on Finka's nanobots and emptied their clips into the stunned foes. Ela took a sigh of relief.
"Scan number two coming, get ready!" Lion yelled in her ear. The scan commenced. There were a lot of tangos incoming from the bowels of level B. IQ saw it too. Ela threw another Grzmot above the door before them, setting a trap if they got too close. IQ was about to radio for Thatcher, but, she didn't have to speak before the operator appeared behind them, his EMP grenade sailing in front of them,
"Lookin' for me, ladies?" he said.
With a flash, all the traps were destroyed. The White Mask surged forward. They were met with three heavy bursts of gunfire. All was still on level B.
"Final scan incoming!" Lion shouted once again. Nothing appeared on level b. The last bursts of gunfire were heard from level C.
"Everyone, clear your level's then report to level D. Thermite, bring the ordnance." Kade ordered. Ela, IQ, and Thatcher were slow and methodical in their search. Nothing of much interest were in the rooms. Desk and tables covered in weapons, ammunition, and other equipment. Ela entered the last room, a dorm room of sorts. There were small, uncomfortable looking bunks with mismatched blankets. Looking closer, she could see pictures of families and letters pinned to the walls. She grimaced. This was the part of combat she didn't like. She heard a rustling behind her. She whipped around, only to find a pistol's barrel staring her hard in the face. A White Mask stood in front of her, motionless, silent. A loud bang made her jump. He fell. IQ ran in, panic in her eyes, before settling on the unharmed Ela. She let out a heavy breath,
"Gott, meine schwester, are you okay Ela?!" she asked breathlessly. Ela nodded slowly, trying to calm her beating heart. Thatcher peaked into the room, glancing at the body on the floor
"With you 'round, can't say she'll be nothin' but fine." Thatcher said. The two-woman chuckled at this, making their way to the basement level.
"How was combat with ze Professor?" IQ asked Thatcher. Ela's listening ears turned to full attention. Thatcher grunted,
"Bloody bastard knows how to fight. Guy's like a fuckin' ice box, reminds me of the bloody grim reaper." he said with a shiver. Ela wasn't sure how to feel about the description. All she could think of was his stone-cold face when he went into "Killer Kade" mode. The troupe made it to Level D, where Ash, Thermite, Lion, and Finka were already waiting. Kade stood in front of an archaic looking machine, several computers ran complex algorithms and hundreds of wires sprung out of the backs of the towers. He was typing furiously on a Macbook laptop, seemingly connected through crude means to the towers, but found himself unable to get in. Ela looked around. White Mask officers lay dead all over the floor. The air smelled strongly of iron and sweat. They wore all white, no mask, and wore white berets with a small red pin clipped to them. The smell was starting to get to her. Thermite and Ash were crouched down by some sort of device, what she assumed was a bomb. They seemed to be rigging it to the towers. Lion and Finka stood guard at the stairs and Kade and Thatcher's entry point respectively. Kade suddenly went around the large stack of towers, dragging out a squirming White Mask officer. He slammed him into a chair covered in blood. He uncovered the young man's mouth. The man, who couldn't have been older than 22, took in deep, gulping breaths. He had tears in his eyes. He didn't look like he belonged with the White Mask.
"Please don't kill me." he begged pitifully. Kade sat across from him, emotionless.
"I won't, if you tell me what I need to know." he said.
"Whatever you want! I'll tell you! Anything!" he said. Kade produced a pen and paper from his breast pocket.
"Listen to me very carefully..." he paused, reaching down the boy's shirt and pulling off his dog tags.
"Conrad." he paused again, leveling his pistol at the kid's head. The kid began sobbing.
"I'm going to untie you. You will move very slowly. Move fast, you die. Move anything but your hands, you die. You're going to write the password for this computer on this piece of paper. You are going to put the pen down very slowly when you're done. Do you understand?" he said. The boy slowly nodded, his lip quivering. Kade cut the zip tie with his combat knife. With shaking hands, the boy began to write. Kade did not once take his eyes off the kid.
"Device planted!" Ash called from across the room. The boy finished, putting the pen down. Kade snatched the pen and paper from him, throwing some zip ties to the table,
"Fasten him to the chair." he ordered. Ela and Thatcher took the zip ties, Ela got his arms, Thatcher his legs. Kade typed in the password. Kade hit enter but did not take his hand off the button.
"IQ." Kade said sharply. She stood at attention, "use your scanner on this computer system." he commanded. She nodded, flipping open her screen. She gasped.
"What is it?" he demanded.
"It's...It's all one big bomb." she said, horrified. Ela's heart began racing. Then, their prisoner began to cackle.
"Hahahaha! My act, so convincing was it not?! You people have no idea-" the prisoner was silenced with three shots to the head from Kade's pistol. Kade holstered his gun, producing a flash drive from his breast pocket.
"Hm, I had a feeling it might be a trap." he said, typing away on the keyboard; without lifting his finger from the enter key.
"Uh, that might have been a good thing to mention to us before we hooked up a big bomb to an even bigger bomb." Thermite said. No one laughed.
"Order's professor, what are they?" Lion said, looking down from the stairwell.
"I'm going to retrieve the information in this computer. You all are to report to the extraction point, I will meet you there." he said.
"I don't think so, professor." Ash said, stepping close to him, "We don't leave our own behind.".
He turned to look at her,
"Well, I'm ordering you to. So, you will. Ela, give me one of your mines, please." he said. Ela walked numbly over to Kade. Would this be the last time she ever saw him? She could feel her heart shattering at the thought of it. She set it next to him, onto the table.
"Promise me you know what you're doing." she said. Kade half smiled, not looking at her as he smashed keys and scanned webpages.
"I haven't let us down so far, have I?" he said. She couldn't argue. Other than this, his planning had been nothing short of perfect. She kissed his cheek for the second time. Although, this time, she felt as if she was saying goodbye; perhaps for the last time. They formed up at Kade and Thatcher's entry point, reluctantly looking back at the man furiously typing away on the laptop. He briefly glanced back,
"Go, I'll be right behind you. Let me know when you're out of range." he said. His focus and deep calm under pressure were incredibly impressive to Ela, but, due to the situation, she didn't reflect on it long.
"You better be there, mate." Thatcher said, motioning for the others to begin filing out of the building. Ela looked back at him one last time. She exited the building. They made it to the extraction point. Kade was not behind them.
"Thunderbird 241, team "Cash Grab" is ready for extraction." Ash said into her earpiece.
"Copy that Ash, headed to your position now." the pilot responded. They all anxiously eyed the horizon.
"Professor, we are at extraction. What's your position?" Ash radioed. Silence.
Ela began nervously fidgeting with her mines. Lion held his cross tightly, murmuring prayer. She could hear Thermite saying Come On like a mantra under his breath. Thatcher fiddled with his combat knife. IQ held tightly onto Ela's hand. Suddenly, there was a gargantuan explosion that rocked the very ground they stood on. They all stood in shock, frantically searching the surrounding area for Kade. A few moments later, Kade appeared over the hill, covered in smoke, but seemed fine otherwise, his SDM-R hanging from his shoulder via its strap. Ela's heart leapt. Thermite whooped and hollered. Lion raised his cross to the heaven's. Once he stood in front of her, she couldn't help but embrace him tightly.
"I always keep my promises." he whispered in her ear, his blackened face grinning when she finally stepped back. She felt as if she could cry, but, she held it in, and instead displayed a fragile smile,
"Yeah? I can't say I dislike a man that keeps his word." she said. Thermite clapped Kade on the back,
"How the hell'd you manage that, Professor?!" he exclaimed. Ela could hear their ride approaching in the distance. Kade tossed Thermite the flash drive, walking towards the lowering helicopter,
"Wouldn't you like to know?".
OPERATION SWEEP: SUCCSESS