>CLARKSBURG, WV >JUL.19.2019 >ZERO HOUR.../// The television set’s light played heavy on the angles of Avery’s slack face. He let go a snore and the rise of his chest made the remote slide off of him and clatter to the ground as he jolted awake, flailing for his pistol before he calmed himself. “Fuck me…” Shoulders heaving with shuddering breath as he sat in silence. He sat up, looking at the television. The news channels were still talking about the violent kidnapping of Gregory Carlisle, the deaths of his guards and his daughter. His wife was sobbing uncontrollably on the screen, the muted TV making it a bit more distanced from reality. “Shit.” He switched the channel to something else, Dragonball. He let go a chuckle as he settled back on the couch, the change in channels being a change in mood for him. “I know this show.” Dave’s voice came from near the back door; a little bit of alone-time had more or less recentered his mood and he felt ready to join the others without worrying about saying something he’d regret. He pulled the door shut behind him and walked over to the couch, poking at the dip in his lip with the tip of his tongue. “This is that Dragon Ball, right? My boy used to watch this. Had all the little action figures and stuff.” He smiled, as he did whenever his son was mentioned. “Hell yeah,” Avery chuckled, looking at Dave, “I had all the seasons and shit. Used to watch them with my team in Africa.” A few seconds passed as Avery upped the volume a couple notches, “Were you ever in?” “In, like...In the military?” Dave shook his head. “Nah...I uh… I never served. Learned everythin’ back when I was growin’ up.” “No shit?” Avery turned around on the couch to look at Dave, “Like a hitman or something? Lotta SOF dudes running around, how’d they get you?” “My Old Man is kinda the Arkansas version of bin Laden,” Dave said, focusing on the TV rather than meeting Avery’s eyes. He figured the younger man would hear the stories one way or the other. “Kind of a [i]Sovereign Citizen[/i] boogieman. Former Marine Recon, back in ‘Nam. Anyway, I went to basic training instead of school as a kid.” “Damn.” Avery said, quietly turning back to the TV. The anime went on in their silence for a few beats, neither of them talking to each other. Finally, Avery turned back around, “How, though? You know, they get military dudes and Feds and stuff. How’d you get picked up?” “Oh.” Dave shrugged. “Found one of them slabs on my mountain. Had a body on it. I ran my mouth, then some prick named Bob showed up with a briefcase of cash, and… Well, you know. Program shit.” [hr] Laine was sitting at the dining table with her laptop, eavesdropping on the news, the growing horror about the firefight becoming more clear. Not that Carlisle had been sympathetic, he was a piece of garbage that preyed on children. He had information though, to bigger monsters that needed to be taken down. But his kids at least had been innocent, maybe the wife too. She turned her focus on her laptop, trying not to let her mind wander down the dark alleys of memory. Laine had known a man like Carlisle once, or at least the potential to be one, she did not stick around to find out. Once the blaring cartoon came on, she shook out of the recollection of the photographer’s studio and what happened there. She put the earbuds in, drowning out the shrieks of Dragonball-Z with Sisters of Mercy. Laine worked on refining the rough draft of her profile for the unsub, going back over autopsy reports and forensics. Pari had her own laptop out, lost in her work with her own headphones on, expensive Beats from the look of them. The FBI agents were in their own worlds, working the case from opposite ends. The sound of footsteps on hardwood came from the short hallway leading to the bedrooms. A moment later, Ava poked her head out with a grin, her hair falling down her back in damp waves. “I thought I heard Dragon Ball! Hell yeah, I’m going to hang out with you guys.” She said, stepping out of the hallway, dressed in a pair of comfortable pajama pants and loose grey shirt. A cartoon fox with glasses was printed on the front with the words ‘Oh for fox sake’ beneath it. She had her laptop tucked under her arm and her phone in hand as she passed by Dave to sit down. She glanced up at him and paused for a moment to give him an inquisitive smile. “Hey, are you okay?” Dave brightened visibly when Ava appeared. He smiled at her reassuringly. “Yeah, I’m good, sugar. Been kind of a weird day, is all. I’ll tell ya about it later.” He nodded at her laptop. “You joinin’ the other brains, or you gonna watch cartoons with us?” Her smile grew more relaxed and natural hearing that reassurance and seeing his own smile. “Cartoons with you guys. No contest.” She said, making her way over to the recliner and sitting herself down in it. “Only thing that would be better than Dragon Ball would be watching the Last Airbender.” She chuckled, folding her legs up on the recliner, putting her laptop on her legs and opening it; her phone resting on the arm next to her. Dave circled the couch and sat down beside Avery, picking the side closest to the recliner. “I know that show, too,” he said proudly. “It’s the kung fu one, with the magic and stuff. That’s another one Mal used to watch. Hell, he still might, and just don’t talk about it anymore. But now he’s kinda gettin’ to that age where it’s all sports and stuff.” “Shit, I remember that.” Avery smiled at the both of them, looking over from his quiet attention on whatever over the top fight had been going on in the show, “Soccer for me. What about you guys?” Dave shrugged. “I liked demolitions trainin’?” He grinned. “But no, I didn’t play sports. Just did combatives and shit with my brother. And the older recruits.” Avery’s eyes widened with his grin, “You got to blow shit up as a kid? Man, I would’ve loved that!” He looked to Ava and smiled, “I think you’d be a soccer girl. Or cheer?” Ava stopped fiddling with her laptop to shoot a confused look over at Dave. At Avery’s question however, she blinked and shifted her gaze over to the young Army Vet. “Uuuh, I was more of an indoor kid.” She answered with a shrug and a sheepish smile. “I mostly played video games when I wasn’t busy with school.” Dave briefly thought back to playing games of ‘Bull in the Ring’ with the other recruits, fending off attacks from multiple angles. His father had been a big believer in full-contact training. “It was alright,” he said, shrugging. “I got pretty good at it. Kept me in shape.” “I’ve always been kinda skinny. Even after Selection and everything, I was a string bean.” Avery chuckled, getting up from his seat and heading for the kitchen. He opened the door of the fridge and returned with a beer in hand, glancing at Pari and then Laine. “What are you guys doing?” Laine glanced up at the kid, popping out one of the earbuds, "What's up?" When he repeated the question, Laine sighed and stretched her arms over her head. "Running in mental circles, to be honest. I'm doing a comparison of skeletal injuries of the last four victims. A friend of mine at CJIS sent me some three-dimensional models to look over." On the screen was a group of detailed models of human pelvis, four of them, divided into quadrants that she could manipulate simultaneously with the mouse. "I could use one of those beers." “Sure thing!” Avery smiled, leaving for a moment to fetch another beer. He handed it to Laine and took a peek at the screen of her laptop, “So what’s that for-“ A knock at the door made his eyebrow quirk and he looked to Dave, already fully kitted for a war and found himself lacking. “The boys can’t be back already…” Ava leaned around the recliner to look at the door, glancing over at Avery and then Dave. Her heart started to beat a little faster and her stomach did a flip as her mind raced back to the night of the shooting. “Maybe, it’s one of the neighbors?” She suggested, her voice growing softer than usual. Dave rose to his feet, taking a few steps to put himself between Ava and the door. His AK and vest sat against the wall and he crossed quickly to them, slinging the vest on and picking up his rifle. After a quick brass check he clacked off the safety, pulled the stock tight into his shoulder, and centered his red-dot on the door. “Avery, your call. We gonna answer it, or just let ‘em think nobody’s home?” He asked. Avery had not been this focused since his time in Africa. He swallowed down a nervous mouthful of spit and nodded at Ava, “Hand me my gun.” When he got it in his hands he looked at Dave, “Dude, the lights are on and the TV’s going…” Avery shrugged, going for the door and hiding the pistol behind his back, “Flash!” He listened for the answer to the challenge word and heard nothing. “Fuck.” He said, “We need to check the perimeter.” The knock made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, anything unexpected was bad. She slapped her laptop closed and stood up, shaking Pari out of her concentration. "I'm going to the bedroom, come with me," Laine said, then turned looking around for Ava. "Ava..." Laine hissed, moving quickly to the living room. "Come with me, now." She grabbed for her hand, listening to the men speak quietly and Laine said to Dave, "We're going to hide out, I have my gun. Do what you need to do." Ava shut her laptop and shoved her phone into her pajama pocket before going with the pull of Laine’s hand. Her hands were trembling softly, her palms sweaty and clammy but she held onto Laine’s hand tight as she glanced nervously at the door. The color had seemingly drained from her face, leaving it as white as a sheet as the shooting back at the cabin played out in the back of her mind. Dave’s mind spun for a moment and he took a steadying breath. “Alright you guys get in there an’ get low. Hear that, sugar? We’re gonna be fine, but you go keep your head down. Avery, fuckin’...Try an’ find a window. Get an angle. See if you can get a peek at what we’re dealin’ with. Shit pops off I’m just gonna let rip through that door, but I don’t wanna do that if I don’t have to.” He walked to the couch, taking a low stance behind it. It wouldn’t stop a bullet, but he could at least drop and get concealment if things started going south. Laine pulled Ava along, hustling her towards the bedroom. "It'll be alright," she muttered, more to herself than Ava. Pari was already inside, laying prone, almost under her bunk. Laine grabbed her shoulder holster and pulled her Glock, double-checking the chambered round. She took the extra magazine and tucked it into her pocket of her black jeans. When she picked up the Kevlar vest and the helmet marked with the bold white letters "FBI" she paused. Laine looked at Ava and said, "Get up, real quick." Ava jumped as Laine spoke to her, snapping her out of the partial daze she had found herself in. She pushed herself up off the floor, her eyes darting around as she sniffed loudly at the air. “Do...do you smell wires burning?” She asked Laine in a whisper. “Like...ozone and something metallic is burning?” "What?" Laine asked as she put the kevlar soft vest over Ava's head, strapping her in. "What smell...ozone?" A prickle of recognition crawled across her scalp. Michael. The Russians. "Stay here, if you have a gun, keep it ready." Laine made for the bedroom door, "And stay down." Avery was busy checking the windows, taking quick scans outside of each one before returning to Dave’s side, “Fucking nothing, dude.” Again, the knocks at the door, getting more frantic as they went on. Avery looked sidelong at Dave before he stalked towards the door, his eye going over the peep-hole. “Nothing.” He swallowed again, fingers creeping towards the deadbolt and sliding it back, looking over his shoulder at Dave. He turned the knob and swung it open. Nothing. “Don’t shoot!” Came a voice from the other side, a vague accent tinging the words. “Don’t shoot, please!” A hand first, then a man came into view, holding a pistol to his own temple and he stuck his hand out just as he spotted Dave behind a couch, “Stop! I’m a dead man already and if you do not listen to what I say, I will kill myself and leave you to deal with the mess!” A few moments stretched on as Avery looked between the stranger and Dave. The stranger spoke again, “Something is coming, and we must stop it before it comes through!” He looked between Avery and Dave, dropping his backpack and retrieving salt from it, welcoming himself inside with his gun to his head again, “Good, we must begin, is anyone else here?” Avery’s eyes went about the room as the hairs on the back of his neck began to stand on end. The room chilled with the Stranger’s arrival and there was the smell of burning wires. “You smell that?” The Stranger asked, eyes wide as he was busy making a circle of the salt around himself, big enough to fit a few more, “That’s it, it’s close. Is there anyone else here?” Avery looked to Dave, his tongue not moving and looking to the other man to hopefully answer. “Fuckin’...What?” Dave looked from the Stranger to Avery and back. “What do you mean, somethin’s comin’?” He watched the man draw his circle with mounting alarm; the sudden stink of an electrical fire raised the hairs on his arms and he held his aim on the newcomer. “Who are you, man? How’d you even...What the fuck is this about?” “Just get inside!” The Stranger yelled, Avery not wasting time in following him. Laine came out of the bedroom, her gun drawn and stared at the man. "What's going on, is he Russian?" “Fuck if I know!” Dave said sharply. “Look man, we’re gonna be more likely to listen if you put that fuckin’ gun down.” "What's he doing with the salt, that's occult..." Laine trailed off, the smell was stronger and anxiety gripped her. Something Donnelley said about New York nagged at her but her focus was on the stranger. "Sir, please. Put the gun down and tell us what's happening." The Stranger threw his gun to the ground, not caring where it landed. He shook his finger at Dave and his own gun, “Your guns may kill me, but they will not kill what’s coming.” He smiled nervously, “Now, please-“ The lights flickered and the television went to static as an ungodly howl resonated through the room, Avery feeling it in his chest as if it came from right next to him as he let go a weak whimper from his lips, “What the fuck is it?” The lights went out without warning, “Something from hell.” The Stranger said, voice quivering as he took Avery by the shoulder, “Get inside and steel yourselves!” “Fuck it,” Dave spat. “Get in the goddamn circle. Ava! Pari! Get the fuck in here [i]right goddamn now![/i]” He headed down the hall towards the spare bedroom, shouting. His heart was pounding, his hand slick on the grip of his rifle; he knew that howl. He’d spent a day and a night hiding from it. “Fuckin’ move it, get out here! Get over there with the others!” Laine moved quickly, glancing back as Dave passed her to gather the other two. The howl made her knees tremble and her mind scrambled to make reasoning of it but there was none. She stepped inside the circle, any silliness she might have felt gone with the very real fear gripping her chest. She still held her gun despite the stranger's dismissal of their usefulness. There was a thump from the bedroom before Ava came stumbling out of the doorway, her glasses absent as she rubbed, practically clawing at her eyes. She shook her head as she ran into the hallway, crying out with a shaking and rough voice, “Stop! Stop! What is this!? Make it stop! Make it stop!” Dave caught her as she staggered past. He was now uttering a steady stream of profanity and minor blasphemies, but he let his rifle dangle and picked her up, crushing her to his chest. “C’mon, c’mon,” he said, carrying her bodily down the hallway back towards the group. Pari passed them up and he gave her a one-handed shove of encouragement. “Right over there, c’mon, with the weird guy. Avery, that dude does anythin’ stupid, shoot his ass, I kinda got my hands full!” He hauled Ava into the circle with the others, squeezing her tight. “Relax, sugar,” he said, his voice rough with tension. “Just relax.” The Stranger was already handing out sheets of paper, the first going to Avery, “Read this and keep your eyes closed, it cannot touch us if we are in the circle but it will not go away if we do not read! Loud!” As if whatever was coming had sucked the air from the room, all went quiet and still. No breeze, no drafts from the door or sounds even from their own hearts. Everything deathly silent until a rumble of thunder rattled everything in the room, a glass breaking on the floor from its fall, “Read!” The Stranger began in earnest, chanting the bizarre incarnation of whatever unknown language graced the pages. The longer it went on, the less reality seemed to grip the world. The lights flickered and shadows danced along the walls, demented voices slithered from the quiet, “Close your eyes if you must!” A terrifying roar and howl came from the air before something coalesced from thin air, a shape, and then a form, and then movement like ripples in the air until it revealed itself in all its horror and rot. The thing stalked on all fours, biting at the air around them, staring into them with ghostlights set in deep pits in its skull. Flesh hung ragged from its limbs as it moved without tendons. The Stranger stared back unmoved and only spoke the words louder through gritted teeth though his eyes grew bloodshot and his lips trickled red. Dave caught a glimpse of the thing and then looked away, holding tightly to Ava. He focused on the paper the Stranger had given him, mumbling his way through the words a few times before he managed to get them sounded out, listening to the others for clues to pronunciation. He squeezed Ava and leaned against Laine, seeking comfort in physical contact as he shouted the strange syllables written on the page. Laine took the paper, staring at the writing and began to recite the words though they were alien on her tongue. She could sense it close, the sound of it snapping and growling, it was a physical threat just feet away. Only a sprinkle of goddamn sodium chloride and a stranger's advice stood between them. Ava kept her hands over her eyes, her fingernails digging into the delicate skin of her eyelids as the flashes of visions of a half decayed and sinewy Hellhound continued to play across the darkness of her shut eyes. She leaned into Dave, breathing heavily and using him as a focus, an anchor point. The warmth of his body, the faint scent of his cologne and the strength of his arm around her was grounding, a spot of guiding hearth of fire in the darkness and madness trying to overtake her mind. She gritted her teeth through the images of empty eye sockets, lit from within with sickly unnatural spectral light. She heard the other’s voices around her, chanting together as one and listened intently to the words they were saying. Then, looking into those hollow sockets with her mind’s eye, she started to chant with them. The temptation to look up at the creature was strong but Laine forced herself to resist, looking instead at the paper. Repeating the words over and over, entering a sort of trance that a Catholic might experience saying the rosary. The words flowed in rhythm with the others, she first had heard Pari's distinct accent and Dave's drawl but now they spoke as one. The litany rose and fell as Laine remembered Donnelley's voice, the conviction. [I]It looked right at me, it was real.[/I] This thing was no doubt looking at them, she could feel its malice. As their chanting carried on, things only grew more chaotic. The beast thrashed about the room, knocking head-sized holes in the wall and overturning furniture in its rage and frustration. Chinks in its corporeal form began to rip away at its flesh and bone as it howled, charging and biting, but every time stopped in thin air at the edges of the salt circle as if it were a wall of iron. The Stranger’s voice grew louder and louder until he was shrieking the incantation and the beast fell away, yelping. Gradually, pieces of it turned to dust that floated away on an unnatural wind until nothing was left of it but the ghostlights. They lingered, letting go one last rumbling growl before fading to nothingness. Of a sudden, the Stranger clutched at his chest and coughed up a fine spray of red. What at first sounded like sobs rendered into laughter the louder they grew until the Stranger crawled to a couch that hadn’t been overturned to sit on it, weakly laughing with a grin as strong as ever. “Yes!” He raised his hands to the air and let loose a string of Russian curses before he began to rummage around in his backpack, bringing out a bottle of vodka that he uncapped and flicked the plastic cap away into a corner of the room. After a hearty gulp, he set it on the table, putting his feet up and sighing like a man who had gotten through yet another hard day’s work, “Thank you, my friends, very much. Now that you have helped me, perhaps I owe you some things in return.” He smiled at them all one by one, “First, I am a Russian agent,” he said nonchalantly with a shrug as if he’d introduced himself as a plumber, his accent making a little more sense, he smiled all the wider and held his arms out, “Let us put some cards on the table, Da?” “What,” Avery put his trembling hand down and let his paper flutter to the ground, “the fuck…” The paper still gripped between her fingers, Laine finally dragged her gaze from it and faced the dark-haired stranger. "What the...what was that?" She asked, dazed for a moment and stepped back, gathering her thoughts. Laine could taste blood and reached up, rubbing the back of her hand against her mouth, leaving a bright red smear. Wiping it on her jeans, she tasted blood again, "What the hell?" She shot a look at the Russian, also bloody mouthed, and rubbed her hand across her lips. "You brought that here, how did you know where..." Laine caught herself, then looked at the others in various states of bewilderment. How the hell did this man find them in Clarksburg, it had been a last minute change after Charleston had been compromised. Ava trembled against Dave, tasting blood on her tongue as she tried to catch her breath. Her throat felt raw and rough, as though she had been screaming for hours. The stinging from the scratches over her eyes was a dull note of pain against the adrenaline rushing through her body. “The Hound.” She whispered, her voice croaking with roughness. “It was the Hound. I didn’t look but I saw it. I saw it.” "Shh, you're okay sugar," Dave rasped. He carried her to the recliner and sat her down, then stood there beside her, hovering protectively. "That-" he broke off to gag and then spit a sludge of dip and blood onto the ground at his feet. After a few more harsh coughs he shook himself. "That's the thing from the mountain. The thing that killed my team. I know that sound." He spat again, grimaced, and then dug out his can, snapping it a few times. “How did I know?” He chuckled, which erupted into a coughing fit of blood before he wiped his mouth again and took another swig, “I am Russian agent. I come from GRU-SV8, we are like you. Hunting what horrors are from beyond. But our countries, they are not friends.” He frowned, before he replaced his smile and nudged the vodka in their direction, “But, hopefully, we can be.” Dave looked around at the others, then sighed. He looked at Avery, remembering how the younger man had automatically delegated the authority to him. “Fuck it.” He reached out and took a good pull from the bottle, fighting back a gag as he choked down the mix of liquor and blood. When he’d finished he shivered and offered it back. “We really need to teach y’all how to make liquor, cuz I can’t drink this paint thinner all night.” Laine frowned at what the Russian told her. A similar group like them but from Russia and the Russian mob was pulling supernatural strings in West Virginia. Maybe but it did not explain how he knew about the Safehouse. She stepped out of the circle and said, "I think we need to all sit down and catch our breath. I should call the boss." Laine reached for her phone and hesitated. Her instinct was to reach out for Donnelley, to pull him back to make them safe but he was probably deep into snatching Jay. He might have his phone turned off but if he did not then be another worry while his focus was on the dangerous job. Instead, she tapped Foster's contact and called him. As she waited, she looked at the Russian, giving him a controlled smile. Ava eventually caught her breath, her body still shook and her skin was drenched in a cold sweat, but she wasn’t hyperventilating and felt like she could focus her surroundings. She slowly lowered her hands from her eyes and looked over at the strange man that had brought Hell to their doorstep. She could only dimly make out his shape in the darkness without her glasses, the only illumination in the house coming from the faint orange light of the streetlamp outside and Laine’s cell phone. She didn’t say anything, just watched him as she reached into her pocket and pulled out her own phone. She turned on the flashlight and pointed it over at the stranger so they could see him better. Pari used her phone to light her way to the kitchen, searching for flashlights or candles in the drawers. Dave glanced down at Ava with a reassuring smile, reaching over and giving her shoulder a quick squeeze. “So,” he said, looking at the stranger. “I think maybe some names are in order. An’ maybe you tellin’ us how you knew that shit was comin’. And…” He paused and frowned. “Man, we got a lot to cover, let’s start with names. I’m Dave.” “Dave,” The Stranger let it roll off his tongue as if trying it out, while he held his hand out for a shake. He smiled all the wider, almost seeming excited to be with someone else for a while, “My name is Renko.” Ava straightened in her seat, her eyes focusing on the fuzzy image of their new ‘friend’ in shock. “Huh, Queen was right.” She muttered to herself. At least they didn’t have to go to the trouble of finding him now, but...How did he find them? “Hello?” Foster’s groggy voice came over the other line of Laine’s phone. “Laine?” “We have an unexpected visitor,” Laine said, as the others were introducing themselves. She paused, the name triggering instant recognition. “Renko, he says he is with the Russian version of our team. He was followed by..uh...something. Something dangerous but it went away.” “The GRU?” It sounded as if Foster sat up in a hurry, “Who- What does he want? What do you mean?” “He said GRU-SV8, he calls himself Renko which is a name mentioned in the intel that has been gathered. I don’t know what he wants except he arrived here with a gun to his own head and was followed by ....something. I don’t know what it was except it was kept away by salt and some strange sort of prayer or chant he had us recite. I plan on speaking to him now, but you might want to come down here,” Laine said, eyeing the man the whole time. “We lost power, too. This place is compromised.” “Then move,” Foster said, “move and tell me where. Keep him talking, but don’t tell him anything sensitive.” “Right,” she said, mind already racing to possible places. “I’ll call you later.” Laine disconnected the phone once he ended the call and looked at the group, their features cast in sharp ugly shadows created by the flashlights. Pari had returned with two small flashlights and a first aid kit found in the bathroom. “Boss says we’re moving locations tonight, pack your things,” Laine said, tucking her phone against her palm and then took a few steps over to the Russian. “Renko,” Laine turned to him, meeting his dark gaze in the low light. “We’re going to be moving but let’s have a quick chat. How did you find our location? I think that if we’re going to establish a working relationship we need to get a few things in the open. Second, what the fuck was that [i]thing[/i] and will it come back?” “For me. That was the fourth time it has happened in three years. I was working a case on the Tadjbegskye Bratva,” He said, sighing, “I am surveilling you. The GRU wants Intelligence on active Delta Green teams. You are one.” “The Old Man would shit if he knew he’d been right about the fuckin’ Russians,” Dave grumbled. “Er...No offense, hoss.” He gave Renko a tight, apologetic smile, then turned to Ava. “You okay, sugar? Sure, you’re doin’ fine. Listen, we gotta get packed, you and Pari go grab y’alls bags. Okay?” He threw a glance at Avery. “For fuck’s sake, man, get your rifle an’ vest. We gotta boogie an’ us two are on security detail. Renko...Sorry, bud, but uh...Just keep bein’ cool, okay? An’ leave that gun on the ground. We got plenty of guns on us an’ I really don’t wanna have to shoot you. You seem pretty cool.” Ava looked up at Dave and glanced over at Renko for a moment, still unsettled by what just happened but trying to focus on the present. She looked away as she stood up from the chair, reaching out to grab Dave’s arm. “You should...probably search him for any electronics and confiscate them.” She said softly before releasing him to head for the women’s bunkroom, using the flashlight of her phone to light the way and carefully stepping her bare feet around the debris on the floor. “I am a spy. I understand.” Renko shrugged at Dave, “I think you all are pretty cool too. I like all of you, you saved my life.” “Yeah, well, I feel like that’s mutual, bud,” Dave said. “You got any electronics on ya? Phone, anything like that where we might get traced?” “If I wanted to bring the GRU here, I would not have knocked.” Renko smiled before he stood, brushing himself off and holding his arms out, “Search, please.” Laine glanced at Dave, the silent question hanging between them. “I know how, it’s part of the training. Unless you…” She made a gesture of patting down then shrugged, waiting for Dave to make the call as he had suggested it. “Oh, uh...I’ve got...You know.” Dave hefted his AK. “Prob’ly better if you do it and I cover ya.” Laine nodded then faced Renko, going through the pat down method taught at the FBI Academy, running her hands along his arms and neck, under his arms and along his torso and belt. She glanced at him but continued, going down his legs and up to his groin and then the ankles. Standing up, she shook her head, “Nothing I could find.” Taking a couple of steps back, she glanced at Renko wryly, “If you have anything tucked into an orifice that’ll be your secret to keep. I’m Laine, I suppose it’s polite to give you my name now.” “Don’t worry,” he shrugged, “We stay just friends. I want to be trusted, because I need friends too. We all need some from time to time, yes?” “I can tell you where the Sheriff of Blackriver’s cousin is.” Renko smiled. “The first gift of my friendship.” Laine nodded, the tension that was ever-present when UMBRA was activated, about who you could and could not trust or speak openly with was only alleviated by having the trust of the team. His mention of the cousin made her look sharply at him, a gut feeling she recognized going off inside of her. “Tell me about this cousin,” she said, tucking her laptop under her arm, “We have to go but I need to know about him.” She held off asking the direct questions about the cousin, instead letting Renko fill in the space with his information without coloring it with her suspicions. “He is in Charleston. He parties, has many friends in the Bratva, secures the deals between his family and Nikolai’s.” Renko showed his first hint of anything negative as he frowned, “Nikolai is a stain on Russia, him and all his kind. I will lose no sleep if and when he dies.” “We have a goal that is the same. You want to find Nikolai, I want him dead.” Renko shrugged, “I too must go. Do not worry about talking to me again, I will know where to find you.” He winked and trod off towards the still-open door. “Hold on,” Laine called out, “You’re not going to just take off like that. What if that thing comes back?” “Then I’ll come back with it. I told you, they want me.” Renko smiled before turning back for the door. Dave shifted his gaze from Renko to Laine. Bratva, spies, occult bullshit...All of this was well outside his usual area of responsibility. He was a demo guy, and not even a professionally trained one. “Look, just let him go, Laine,” he said. “We ain’t keepin’ him around if he doesn’t wanna stay, short of tyin’ him up. Let’s just get movin’. We gotta leave. I wanna take my truck, we can load the bags an’ shit in the bed. Probably best if we have two vehicles, anyway.” Laine sighed deeply, "Right, I'm not going to detain him against his will." She watched Renko leave and said, "Stay safe." Laine turned away, then back to Dave, "We'll need to pack up for the other guys. I'll get Donnelley's gear if you and Avery want to get the others." Once she turned in the hall and entered the women's bedroom, the other two packing what little they had unpacked. "We'll need to box up some of the food and the mugs of course so wherever we go we don't start from nothing," Laine said, looking at Pari as she finished clasping her designer suitcase closed. "I'll take care of it, the Prius has surprising trunk space," Pari said, dragging her suitcase behind her as she left the room. Laine grabbed her duffel bag and tucked her cellphone in chin to use the light as she tossed her clothes into the bag. Zipping her laptop into its carrying case she looked over at Ava, "How are you holding up?" Ava was sitting on her bed, her glasses retrieved and back on her face as she mechanically went through the motions of folding her clothes up and putting them in her duffle bag. She looked over at Laine, angry red scratch marks over her eyes now visible from the light of Laine’s phone. She opened her mouth to answer, then closed it a moment later as a croaking sound came out. She took in a deep breath and just shook her head, looking down as she zipped up her duffle bag. "Ava?" Laine put the laptop case down and moved closer, shining the bright light at Ava’s face. The bright red scratches stood out starkly on her fair skin. “You scratched yourself, what happened?” Lowering the light so as not to continue blinding her, Laine sat beside Ava, looking at her intently. She was still strapped into the blue FBI vest over her pajamas and at the moment it shook Laine just how futile the gesture had been. They had all been so damn frail in the presence of whatever that was, Laine had not looked but sensed the creature and heard its unearthly howls. Ava looked up at her, tears shining in her eyes. “I saw it.” She whispered, her voice soft and hoarse. “Before it came, I saw it in my head and heard it, clear as day. I didn’t look at it, but I still saw it.” She shuddered and wrapped her arms around herself. “I thought I was going crazy...Maybe I did go crazy, I started scratching my eyes because some part of me thought that would make it go away.” Laine raised her brows slightly, her green eyes peering curiously at Ava as she explained. “I didn’t look either but I didn’t see it in my head. How long before it arrived did you see and hear it in your head? What did you feel?” Ava squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. “I-I don’t want to talk about it.” She said, her voice cracking as she took in another series of deep breaths. Her hands started to shake again and she gripped her arms tighter to try to still them. “I-It...I can’t. Not right now.” “Alright,” Laine murmured, putting a light hand on her shoulder, brushing back her wild curls. “We don’t need to talk about it now. Take deep breaths, Ava, nice and slow.” Laine inhaled deep and let the breath out slowly, the same deep breathing exercises taught to her a long time ago by a therapist. “Deep breath, count to ten and release. It’s what I do when I’ve seen too much.” Ava nodded before following Laine’s instructions, taking in deep, shaky breaths and holding it for a moment then breathing it out. She repeated the exercise until it felt like she wasn’t about to fall to pieces. She could at least hold it together for a little longer. “Okay.” She said as she released her last breath. “I’m okay-ish now.” She looked up at Laine and tried to give her a thankful smile. “Thank you, Laine.” Laine gave her shoulder a brief rub, patting the Kevlar. “Anytime. And okay-ish is good. It’s been a night and it’s not over yet. Look, whatever it was, it’s gone. It’s gone and Renko who trailed it in here is gone, too. But Foster told me we need to move locations, I need your help finding some motel we can hole up in, again. I’m going to call Donnelley, he needs to know what’s going on.” “I’ll see what I can find,” Ava said with a frown. “This is the second time I’ve been in a Safe House for two days and we had to bug out to a motel. I hope this doesn’t become a pattern.” She said, reaching over and knocking her knuckles against the wood of her nightstand. Laine nodded and muttered as she took out her phone, scrolling through her contacts, “It makes me wonder how these are actually ‘safe’.” "I need a cigarette," she said as she tapped his contact and the call started. “We’re a little busy.” Came Donnelley’s voice from her phone’s speaker. "Yeah? Well, we had Renko from GRU drop by for a quick visit. Brought a fucking....thing from Hell with him and we're breaking camp, other than that it's been a quiet night," Laine said, her tension unleashing now that she didn't have to keep her compsure so tight. “What?” Donnelley said, the shortness in his voice masking the confusion. Somewhere behind him, a scream could before it was muffled again. “GRU? Russian? What did he say?” "That he wanted to be friends, that we saved his life and the same Bratva we're after is after him," Laine said, ignoring the scream. "He gave me information on a cousin of the Sheriff, he's in Charleston. We're leaving the house, GRU has us under surveillance." "But that thing... Jesus fuck, Donnelley," she said, her husky voice cracking slightly. "He used a damn salt ring to keep it away." “It works.” Donnelley said, an image of him shrugging along with the statement, “Listen, you need to be careful with this. I don’t know why he exposed himself if he has you under surveillance, but he wants something.” Donnelley sighed hard, “Keep him friendly. Don’t tell him more than you need to. Get every piece of information from him that you can. Sooner or later, he’s goin’ to ask for somethin’.” He said, “I want to know what it is. We’ll talk when we get back.” "He's gone," Laine snapped, "And so are we, I'll let you know where we end up." “Do that.” Donnelley said, the sound of him toying with his phone apparent, “Who the fuck said you could talk?-“ and the call ended. Laine looked at her phone, then jammed it in her back pocket before glancing at Ava, "Let me know once you get the motel arranged." She went down the hallway and to the room marked "Men" and opened the door. Inside it was tidy but with a scent of tobacco and it reminded her. She dug out her pack of Djarums and lit one, not caring anymore about smoking inside now. Laine had almost felt settled in and they were on the run again. She found his duffel bag and opened drawers, looking to see if he had put anything away for a prolonged stay. As she put away jeans and t-shirts, boxer briefs and socks she found a small leather book. It was an old fashioned photo book with plastic sleeves and about the size of her hand. Laine flipped through it, the first photo of a young, unscarred Donnelley cradling an infant beside an attractive woman with blonde hair. His ex and his daughter, the next few pictures featuring a growing girl riding a tricycle and going trick or treating in a cowgirl outfit and Donnelley dressed like a cowboy. Laine smiled slightly and turned the page. An older Tilly, beaming between her parents with a soccer trophy in her hands. Then it ended and the photos were of him and other men in military gear, unknown faces until the last two photos. Scarred Donnelley and the tattooed man Queen, smiling unabashed drunken grins with drinks in hand. The last photos was a team picture with grim faced Ghost hulking in the center, flanked by Donnelley and an unknown man with Polynesian features. She put it in the duffel bag, sliding it into a pocket where she found a couple of issues of Hustler and Swank and a three pack of condoms. That gave her a moments pause but she had no time to think about it. Laine left them there and finished packing, taking the bag with hers over her shoulders. [hr] Ava watched Laine leave the room and glanced around at the darkness and quiet of the bedroom. Her skin started to crawl sitting in the room alone, the shadows and stillness of the room starting to feel oppressive and she stood. She had pulled on her Uggs so her feet wouldn’t be cut up and she gathered up her duffle bag, her laptop bag and the stuffed cat Laine had gotten her. She crushed it against her chest as she left the room, making her way to the living room to be close to another person. She entered into the room and paused. In the dim light provided by the candles Pari had lit, she saw Avery standing in the center of the room, staring into space. She swallowed, her brow furrowing in concern as she set her things on the non-destroyed couch and walked up to him. “Avery?” She called out softly, moving into his field of vision so she didn’t startle him. “Are you,” She hesitated before she finished that sentence. ‘Are you okay?’ Of course he wasn’t okay, none of them were okay after what they had just experienced. Ava shut her mouth, cleared her throat to buy herself time before asking, “A-are you hurt?” Avery shook his head without looking at her. It was understandable that everyone would be shaken, but the lack of youthful energy of the man before her was so unlike the Avery who’d greeted them at the door and treated them like friends. No smiles on his lips, “Nuh.” He slowly came to put his eyes on Ava’s, slack-jawed and with eyes quickly starting to glisten, “Jesus fucking Christ.” His lip quivered just as his hands snapped to his face and he collapsed to sit on the floor, heaving sobs from his mouth like a terrified child. “Jesus fucking Christ, Jesus fucking Christ, Jesus fuck…” Ava jumped as Avery broke down, staring at the Army Vet with wide eyes for a heart beat before she sat down next to him. She was smaller than he was, but still, she reached over to put an arm around his shoulders in a half embrace. “I know.” She whispered to him, leaning against him, hoping that the offer of physical comfort would be enough to help pull him back. “I know.” She said again, blinking her own eyes to keep back the tears. Laine walked into the living room and saw the two leaning in together. Her stomach knotted, recalling her first time faced with the deadly supernatural. She set the bags down and went over, listening to the young man sobbing. She looked at Ava, who was hardly much better off after their conversation. Laine sat on the other side of Avery, waiting a moment until he quieted. "Avery," she started to say, then hesitated. Laine watched how easily Ava hugged him and felt a twinge of envy, it was never that easy for her. "Avery, we're safe," Laine murmured, then put her hand on his shoulder. "You did good, we're all alive. We're safe." Avery quieted with a few deep breaths that hitched in his throat. By the time he quieted, he was breathing evenly. Deep, long, but even. He stood, placing his hand on Ava’s shoulder and squeezing it for a moment before he wiped a glistening trail of snot from his upper lip. “Fuck,” he dug the heels of his palms over his eyes to try to dry them and turned for the rooms, “I, uh…” He looked at Laine and then Ava, before he looked away from both, closing his eyes and letting his head hang. He cleared his throat, speaking softly and more defeated than ever, “I’m going to get my things.” Laine held his shoulder, finding herself rubbing in slow circles in an instinctive comforting gesture. "There is no shame in being afraid," she spoke in a quiet, measured tone. "Everyone of us was terrified and we've experienced the...weird shit. I don't even know how one gets used to it. I ran off screaming after my first uh.. encounter." She thought briefly at Donnelley's unconcerned reply to the mention of the creature and the salt. Taking her own deep breath, she said to Avery, "Yeah, let's get out of here. Ava's found us a motel. It'll be alright, dude. Maybe you can drive with me, we can talk about home. I got my eye on that Camaro." Laine stood up, watching him then glanced at Ava. Both of them looked worse for wear and she was keeping herself as composed as she could but the knot of tension and anxiety grew hot in her chest. Avery swallowed, a half-hearted smile flashed across his lips and a single bark of a chuckle that sounded more hollow than anything huffed past his lips, “Yeah,” he said, “Okay.” While they were speaking Dave tottered out of the men's room, bent beneath the weight of his and Ghost's bags. Judging by the rattle and weight, he was pretty sure that Ghost's bag was nothing but guns, ammunition, and wrenches. "Hey, I'm 'bout done in there, 'cept for your shit, Jason's, an' Queen's," he grunted. He paused, hitching the bags higher on his struggling shoulders. The hollow look in his eyes and the concern on the faces of the women spoke volumes, and Dave bit back a curse and pasted on a smile. "Know what, I'll take care of that shit, just get your weapons, alright buddy? I'm gonna need you if bullets start flyin'." Avery seemed to perk up in all the wrong ways at the appearance of Dave. He returned Dave’s smile, but it was a disjointed little thing on his gaunt face. “No, I got it, man.” Avery chuckled, stepping in Dave’s direction to pat him good-naturedly on the shoulder, every muscle in him seemed stiff as his voice croaked, “I’m fine, man.” His eyes glanced Ava and Laine’s direction before he refocused them on Dave, nodding, “I’m fine.” He said, almost more to himself than Dave, sniffling as he stepped past him to retrieve what little he had in the house. Ava looked up at Dave and then glanced at Laine with concern in her eyes. “I don’t think he’s fine.” She whispered to both of them, pushing herself up to stand again. Dave watched him walk away, his jaw working. He was frustrated; God knew he himself wasn't [i]fine[/i]. But he had a responsibility. He had to be [i]fine[/i] because freaking out was a luxury he couldn't afford. "I think you're right," he said quietly. "But… He ain't got a choice. We can panic later, but Christ, he's the only other shooter we got right now." He looked at Laine, some of his own worry showing in his steel blue eyes. "Can you talk to him? On the drive? I don't wanna push, but shit… I can't watch our backs alone, I [i]need[/i] him. I know it's heartless as hell, but…" He trailed off, shook his head. "Just try an' get him centered? Please? We need another serious gun in this fight." Laine met Dave's gaze then stood up, speaking quietly, "That's my plan, I'll do my best. He's had a shock, probably his first time seeing...the weird shit. But you're right, we need him. We gotta keep our collective shit together." She moved to pick up the bags, hefting Donnelley's over her shoulder. "You didn't happen to find the keys to that Camaro in the guys' room?" "Wasn't lookin'," Dave shrugged. "I grabbed my shit and Ghost's cuz he's bunked next to me. I still gotta get Queen's and Jason's bags, and Avery's dependin' on if he does it or not." "Alright, just take any keys you can find," Laine suggested, "I figured you could take Ava and I was going to have Avery ride with Pari but now, I guess I'll take him with me...shit, that leaves her alone. I'll figure it out." She shook her head and went for the door, looking over her shoulder at Ava and the destroyed furniture and dents in the walls beyond her. That unreal thing had been real. [I] Fuck you, Renko, this cousin better be legit.[/I] Laine thought as she left the house. [hr] It had taken Dave three trips to get the men’s bags loaded into the bed of his truck, and by the time he was done he’d worked up a healthy sweat. Between the weight of the bags, his own gear, and the rifle he refused to take off, it was a nice workout hauling clothes, guns, and ammo at maximum speed through a destroyed house and slinging them into an F250. Once everything was loaded up he’d taken Ava’s bag from her. “C’mon, sugar, you’re with me,” he said, giving her a wink and the most reassuring smile he could manage under the circumstances. “You found us a lil’ hideaway yet?” “Yeah, it’s a little Days Inn over in Bridgeport.” She said, frowning as she looked around the eerily quiet neighborhood. She still wore the FBI ballistic vest Laine had given her over her lounge clothes, her arms crossed over her chest to hide the large yellow letters. She let Dave take her duffle bag, but she kept her laptop bag on her shoulder. “I already gave the address to Laine and Pari, so I can give you directions.” Dave nodded along as she spoke. He looked her over, then unzipped his bag and dug around for a moment. “Here,” he said, retrieving a green flannel shirt. “Put that on. Cover up that vest for ya. Might hafta roll the sleeves a bit.” He shook out the shirt and held it up for her. “Oh, thanks.” Ava smiled slightly as she took the flannel shirt and hurriedly put it on. She stopped realizing she still had her laptop bag on her shoulder and sighed. She took it off, set it down and then put on the flannel. “I know I should have taken it off and given it back to Laine.” She said while buttoning the shirt, the sleeves and fit almost comically large on her. “But, well...I didn’t want to.” She admitted with a frown while glancing up at him. “You know?” “Can’t say I blame ya,” Dave said. He tapped the front of his chest rig, the ballistic plate producing a dull thunk. “I’ve got a coat in the back I can put on if I need to get out, but I think I’ll be fine takin’ it off just to get our rooms. You go ahead an’ keep that secret squirrel vest on, though.” He reached into the backseat and, with a crinkle of plastic, produced a water bottle, which he passed to Ava before grabbing one for himself. “So,” he said, taking a large swig and swishing it around to clear the blood from his mouth. He spat it on the ground and grimaced. “So. How far’s this Bridgeport?” “Ten minutes.” She answered as she took the water bottle. She rolled up the sleeves to her elbows before cracking open the water. “Not that far, so Donnelley and the others can find it, but it’s a small city and the inn is on the edge of town so we can at least have some security.” She took a small sip and grimaced as the cool water came in contact with her scratchy throat. “They’d got a breakfast bar with a waffle station.” Dave nodded. “Well...I do like waffles,” he said. He gave her another smile. “Good find, sugar. You ready to mount up?” “Yeah.” She said with a nod, clearing her throat. “I need some tea when we get there.” She said, taking another swig from the water bottle. She glanced over at the safehouse as she started to head for the passenger side. Just last night they were all having a nice, relaxing cookout in the backyard. That time seemed so far away already. Breathing out through her nose, she turned away to open the passenger door and climb inside. Dave climbed into the driver’s side, finally removing his rifle and laying it across the floorboard in front of the bench seat where he could reach it should the need arise. The pistol he kept strapped to his thigh; it was a more practical weapon from a vehicle, anyway. He pulled the door shut and jammed the key in the ignition, the big truck turning over with a rumble. “Alrighty, let’s take us a drive,” he said, forcing some cheer into his voice. “Mm,” Ava mumbled as she leaned against the door, pressing her forehead against the cool glass of the window. She gave him the initial directions to find the highway that would take them to Bridgeport and then fell silent, staring out the window with her arms wrapped around herself. Dave followed her directions, watching the mirrors for signs of pursuit. Once he’d merged them onto the highway he frowned, turning his attention to Ava. He’d seen the scratches on her eyes, heard her screaming when the [i]thing[/i] had been about to make itself known. He felt a dull ache at the thought of the fear she must have felt; he’d had everybody else to focus on. It seemed easier. “You did real good in there, sugar,” he said, his voice rough. He cleared his throat, then reached over and rested a gentle hand on her shoulder. “You kept it together. I heard you readin’ with the rest of us.” Ava jumped slightly at the hand on her shoulder, but quickly relaxed. “Thanks.” She said softly, sitting herself upright and looking to him with a small ghost of a smile. “I’m glad that we all are okay, that was...really scary back there.” She said, letting out a shaky breath and rubbing her hands together. “Getting chased out of another safehouse, by that...thing.” She shuddered, the image of that beast flashing across her mind in vivid detail. She felt her throat tighten and she started to take deep, steady breaths. Dave watched her from the corner of his eye as she spoke. At the change in her demeanor he held his arm out. “C’mere,” he said. “C’mere, it’s alright.” Ava looked over at him, taking in the outstretched arm for a moment before undoing her seatbelt. She slid over the bench to him and tucked her head under his arm and against his chest, curling up against him. “I-I saw it, before it came.” She said, her body trembling as she gripped a hand onto his shirt. “I saw it and I heard it, in my head. It felt like it was right on top of me, looking at me.” He squeezed her tightly to him, despite their mutual body armor rigs preventing the best contact. He could feel her shaking and he drew her in, reaching down to gently take her hand. “It’s gone now,” he rumbled, his voice pitched low, comforting. “It’s gone, an’ now we got a buddy who can get rid of it if it comes back. An’ ain’t nothin’ gonna hurt you when I’m around, okay, sugar?” “He brought it to us.” She said in a whisper, reaching up to take off her glasses so she could press her face against his chest. “What if he does it again and next time, we can’t stop it? What if it comes after us next and he’s not there?” Ava squeezed her eyes shut as she felt the dam of emotions threaten to spill over. “Why didn’t any of you see it like I did?” Dave hit his hazards and allowed the truck to slow, drifting to the side of the road. It rolled to a stop and he dropped it into park, then wrapped both arms tightly around Ava, resting his chin on her soft curls. “Shhh,” he said quietly. He felt his heart kick up at the voicing of his own unspoken fear, but kept his tone steady and soft. “I can’t answer that, sugar. There’s powers at work here we don’t understand, but you got me. You got this whole team, all of us, we’re in this with you. We’re gonna get through all this.” Ava choked on a sob and buried her face against his chest. “It’s happening again.” She said, her voice soft and straining with emotion as she tried to keep some semblance of control. “What’s happening again?” He looked around, eyeing the darkness outside the truck. “I’m seeing things again.” She answered, her body trembling in his arms. “Like when the Program recruited me.” He relaxed and gave her a gentle squeeze. “We’ll...I dunno. Talk to Foster, maybe. He’s got you out here for a reason, I figure a weirdo like him knows plenty of what’s goin’ on. He might know some people.” Like a flip had been switched, the flood Ava had been keeping at bay came rushing forth. She broke down and started crying into his chest. Dave shifted to get better access, holding onto her and letting her cry. He reached up and stroked her hair gently, speaking quiet, comforting words, his cheek on the top of her head. “It’s alright, sugar,” he said, keeping his eyes on the darkness outside the windows. “Everythin’s gonna be okay.” [hr] Dave pulled the truck into the parking lot of the Days Inn about 20 minutes later than intended. After Ava had vented he’d stopped so she could get some tea, and they had driven the rest of the way in comfortable silence, his arm looped around her. He stopped the Ford in an empty space and glanced down at the mass of curly red hair that was leaned against his chest. “Tea helpin’?” “Yeah, I love lavender tea.” She answered quietly, relaxed under the comfortable weight and warmth of Dave’s strong arm over her shoulders. Cradling the warm cup in her hands helped with some of the chills and the liquid soothed the roughness of her throat. “Thank you Dave.” She said, looking up at him. “For everything.” “Hey, of course,” he said, smiling. “You know I’m here for ya, sugar.” He gave her a squeeze. “I know.” She smiled, glancing down as her head rested on his shoulder without much thought. “...How are you doing?” She asked, her eyes turning back up to him. “I don’t think I’ve asked you that yet, I’m sorry.” “I’m…” He trailed off, then sighed. Honesty was probably the best policy. “I’m scared. Real scared. I’m okay in a gunfight, but...Avery, he froze up, an’ I’m kinda...You know. Just doin’ what makes sense. I kinda wound up havin’ to make some decisions back there and now I’m just hopin’ shit goes right.” He gave her a nervous grin. “But I’m managin’ so far.” “I’m sorry.” Ava said again, leaning against him a little more since she couldn’t hug him. “For what it’s worth, I think you made all the right calls and did great.” She said, looking back up at him with a small smile. “Well, thanks,” he said. He laughed a little. “Been a real shit-show of a night. You think you’re gonna be able to get some rest? I ain’t. If you’re not, well...I’ll probably set up to keep watch for a few hours, once we get checked in. You can hang out with me, if ya like.” “Yeah, I don’t think I’ll be sleeping either.” She said with a sigh, hesitating a moment before sitting herself upright. “Especially since Donnelley asked me to keep by my phone and computer all night.” She stared down at her tea and then lifted her head with a small smile. “I’m going to watch the most wholesome thing I can find if that’s alright?” Dave laughed. “You watch whatever you wanna watch. I’m just happy for the company.” “Me too.” She smiled a little wider and easier, happy to hear him laugh. She took a sip of her tea and scooted away from him. “I guess we should go find the others?” “Yeah, guess so,” he said. [hr] Music rumbled at a low volume from the speakers of the Chevy Camaro as it rolled through the dark streets, Laine following the directions she made Avery give her off his phone. She wanted to make him focus on something other than what was in his head, there would be time enough at the motel. Street lights flickered over their faces as they drove and Laine glanced at him, “What’s the next turn?” She already knew it, Laine had looked over the directions before getting into the car. Pari was a few car lengths behind her, somewhere in that bright Prius. Bridgeport was not far but it felt better to be out of the city. Swearing internally she remembered how she had insisted to Donnelley that Clarksburg would be safe. Avery hadn’t blinked until he realized his eyes were burning, clamping his eyelids shut and shaking his head, “What?” He said, before realizing almost too late, “Left, left, turn left.” He sighed, shaking his head, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Laine hung a sharp left, taking it too fast but the low slung Camaro performed admirably. She stepped on the gas and pulled away into the darkness of the stretch of road that lead to Bridgeport. "Avery, there is nothing to be sorry for," she said, her voice slightly husky with the California coming through stronger as she spoke. "My first time wasn't easy either. I could have been killed if not for the team saving me. I wanted to run and never look back. I was terrified and I couldn't comprehend what I saw, what had tried to kill me. But Donnelley told me something that has stuck with me and it keeps me coming back, even when all I want to do is hide and pretend I never knew this war existed." She glanced at the kid, he seemed so damn young even though only about ten years separated them. Laine paused, giving him a chance to absorb before she continued. "He said that this is the only war that matters, that we measure success by seeing another sunrise. That's all. Just another sunrise." Laine smiled sadly, then glanced at him, "I think of those sunrises back home, the golden glow over the city and as it touches the beach and washed warm over the ocean. I think...that's worth it. I want to see that again." “Where are you from?” Avery asked, looking at her from the phone in his lap. “I’m from San Fran. Hunter’s Point.” He swallowed, “Another sunrise…” he shook his head, “That’s enough for him?” "I'm from LA, born in Van Nuys but spent most of my growing up in Torrance," Laine replied. She turned into the parking lot of the Day's Inn, smiling slightly at the appropriate choice Ava had made. Perhaps it had been subconscious but the glowing sun on the sign seemed to reinforce her point. "That's what he said," Laine recalled, "Another sunrise... another day to fight the darkness." Avery nodded, taking a moment of silence to appreciate the words. These people were a class above any he’d met, and beneath all of the shock and terror coursing through him, he found himself admiring them, “Another sunrise.” He said before opening the door and stepping out, “Another sunrise.”