[h3][i]Through the Darkness of Futures Past…[/i][/h3]
[b]Part III[/b]

[i]You see me now a veteran
Of a thousand psychic wars
My energy's spent at last
And my armor is destroyed
I have used up all my weapons
And I'm helpless and bereaved
Wounds are all I'm made of

Did I hear you say that this is victory?[/i]

>NOATAK, AK
>2200...///

Donnelley’s pants were still mud-stained, though he wasn’t too inclined to change them. Not many people he had to impress here in Noatak. It was his turn to keep an eye on Ipiktok, the two of them sitting at the kitchen table. Ipiktok hadn’t said much, and Donnelley wasn’t quite in the mood to kick up any conversation. Their coffee mugs were still steaming beside them, the two of them looking in different directions that weren’t at each other.

“There’s one like me among you.” Ipiktok said, his voice cutting through the silence though it was barely above a whisper, “I can feel them. I’m sure it’s the red head, the one who is quiet.”

“Ghost? The big guy?” Donnelley snorted.

Ipiktok looked at Donnelley, his face still serious, “The girl. She is like me.”

Poker came around the corner and looked at Ipiktok like he looked at most wizards. Or anyone really, like someone he was wondering if it’d be worth killing. He frowned and shook his head, Donnelley had learned after a few years with THUNDER that Poker had no love for wizards. Donnelley and Poker caught eyes, “CORAL NOMAD is prepping a transport from Eielson Air Force Base, most likely. Said it’ll be some time before they can come up here,” Poker licked his teeth and looked at Ipiktok, “You’ll be somewhere safe after, get debriefed and three hots and a cot for a bit.”

Ipiktok did not answer, not even looking at Poker. The other man left, turning on his heel and walking out of the kitchen to go check on the others. “So, what.” Donnelley said, Ipiktok looking back up at him, “What’s your point? Because as I understand it, there’s been plenty people with plenty chances to help her with her… her dreams, and none of them did [i]shit.[/i]”

“I can tell you care about her. I wouldn’t offer anything if it wasn’t in my power to fulfill it.” Ipiktok said, shrugging.

Donnelley held his eye, his own gaze boring into it. Ipiktok might have spun a tragic tale to Laine, but just like Poker, Donnelley had no love for wizards. He searched Ipiktok’s eyes for lies or treachery. He couldn’t find any in the slightest. “Okay.” Donnelley nodded, keying on his mic, “UMBRA 1-1, come in, UMBRA 1-4. Report to the kitchen, out.”

A few long moments ticked by before Ava carefully peaked into the kitchen, looking to Donnelley quizzically and then at Ipiktok with a bit more caution. She had been given a brief explanation of what happened, along with the rest of TRIDENT. She was more confused than anything, but glad that her friends and boyfriend had made it out the other side intact. 

“Hi, um,” She said, stepping carefully into the kitchen and focusing on Donnelley. “Did you need me for something?”

“Why don’t you tell her?” Donnelley said, fishing his pack of smokes out and lighting it, his eyes on Ipiktok the entire duration.

“What was your name, Miss?” Ipiktok asked, turning in his chair to look at her.

Ava glanced nervously to Donnelley for a second then back to Ipiktok. “Rosalin Bishop.” She answered.

Ipiktok looked back at Donnelley. Donnelley shrugged, “Ask her.”

Ipiktok turned back around, coughing into his fist and looking at Ava with some trepidation, “I, um- your colleagues, Miss Heather Laine and Mister Donnelley here have told me their names.” Ipiktok frowned and looked away for a moment, “You don’t have to, of course.”

“Oh,” Ava frowned, giving Donnelley an expression of uncertainty mingled with concern. She cleared her throat, “Um, you can just call me Ava. Everyone does.” She said with a small, polite smile.

“Okay, Ava. I…” Ipiktok hesitated, trying to find the right words. How could you tell someone what Ipiktok needed to, “Well, could you sit with me, with us?”

When she did, he continued, “I’ve been told you have peculiar dreams. So do I. At times, they are more… intense, than I would like them to be.” Ipiktok looked at Ava with some sympathy, “Donnelley’s told me that some have promised things they did not deliver on. I can.”

Ava’s expression shifted from one of weary confusion to one of intense focus. Her back straightened as she slowly tensed, her hands clenching to fists beneath the table.

She didn’t even hesitate, “Tell me. Please.”

Ipiktok retrieved a pouch from his pocket, made of simple sack cloth and looking very rustic. It was held closed with a drawstring. He handed it over to Ava, reaching and leaving it next to her on the table. “Go ahead, open it.” What Ava saw inside was surprisingly mundane. It looked like a dried berry, a raisin of some sort, and the smell even wafted Donnelley’s way, “These I traded for in a place far from here.”

“They smell… good.” Donnelley sniffed at the air before taking another drag. It smelled almost fungal, an earthy kind of aroma.

“They do, but I wouldn’t eat more than one or you could die.” Ipiktok said to a suddenly suspicious Donnelley giving him a look that could kill from the other side of the table, “What I’m saying you should do, Ava, is tear away the dried meat of the fruit. Inside is a pit, crush it to a fine powder. It doesn’t matter how you ingest it. If you do that, no dreams at all will come to you next time you sleep, good or bad.”

“If you eat the whole meat of the fruit, a dream will come to you waking or not. Whether it is good or bad is not your choice. It is useful to me as a shaman to sometimes do this. You must focus on a person or place and there is a greater chance that the vision will be relevant.” Ipiktok shrugged, moving the small sack closer to Ava, “Take the whole thing. I don’t need them anymore.” He smiled, though something was weighing it down.

Ava frowned as she looked at the berry inside the bag, carefully taking it out to look it over. After a pause she put it back and tightly shut the bag. “Thank you, I appreciate the gift.” She said, looking up and giving Ipiktok a slight smile. “So, if I use this fruit, it will help me understand...What’s happening to me?” She asked. 

“Ava…” Ipiktok smiled somewhat sadly, “Those fruits in that bag will help you sleep restfully. That’s all they’ll do. That’s all they’ve done for me.”

He shook his head, “In my time, we are called seers, with an iron will and an ironclad ability to bend the world to our mind’s every fancy if we are practiced enough.” Ipiktok said, “But, in my time, people like us- born with a mind more attuned to the [i]other side[/i]- rule with iron fists under the cruel Emperors’ reigns.”

“I can’t tell you why we were born how we were. I can tell you that we can live with it, and we can achieve so much if we use our gifts for the right things.” Ipiktok gave Ava a reassuring smile. “Perhaps you could help Donnelley here do what he’d said to me, make sure my future never comes to fruition.”

Ava looked at him with a mixture of confusion and no small amount of disquiet at what she could piece together from the context. “How do I use them?” She asked him. “If I can help with what’s happening, I want to know how.”

“That isn’t mine to teach. I was a simple slave in my time, not one of the great sorcerers. You’ll have to find someone who knows more than just the simple tricks and Seeing that I can do.” Ipiktok said, a consoling smile on his lips.

“I know someone.” Donnelley interjected, though the way he grated it out under his breath told just how eager he was to bring this someone up, “You’ve met him.”

Ava turned to Donnelley, quizzical for a moment before the realization clicked. “Oh yeah! He said he would be in touch with me after I met him.” She said, her eyes brightening for a moment before she grew sober at Donnelley’s reaction. “Do...Do you think it’s a bad idea? To learn from him?”

Donnelley sighed, a stream of smoke escaping his lips and then his nostrils as he frowned, “He taught me some things. They weren’t nice things.” Donnelley looked to Ava, noticing how her excitement had guttered out some, making him clear his throat and force himself to perk up just a tad, “But that’s between me and him. He’s good at what he does, I’d trust him to teach you what he knows about… [i]that stuff.[/i]”

“He lives closer to where I do than you do to him. Call me up sometime, I… I can take you there, be there for, uh,” Donnelley chuckled lightly, “Moral support, or… somethin’.”

Ava smiled at him. “I think that would be a good idea too.” She shifted her attention back to Ipiktok, nodding her head to him. “Thank you for helping me.” She gave him a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry, about what happened to your family.”

Ipiktok nodded, looking back down at his coffee before taking a small sip of it, “Thank you.”

Donnelley rose from his seat and took a large gulp of his coffee before dropping his lit cigarette into it. He put it back down and lightly touched Ava’s shoulder, “Let’s go get Pup. Come on, we hash out this trip we’re apparently going on, huh?”

Ava nodded, tucking the small pouch into one of her pockets. She got up from the table, putting a tentative hand on Ipiktok’s arm. A gesture mingled with her gratefulness and compassion for the man’s situation.

She pulled her hand back and nodded up to Donnelley.

>...///

Queen emerged from the bathroom, tugging down his plate carrier then rubbed his nose with a quick pinching motion. He passed the kitchen where Donnelley and the old shaman sat with Ava, he gave her a brief look over before through the living room to the front door. He slung his rifle over and rested his hand against it, spotting Dave and Ghost with their pile of goodies laid out on the carpet and couch. 

Once outside, his bright gaze fell on Avery, alone as usual and with the same lost puppy dog expression that he recalled from the first time he had met him. It was getting better but the boy was still in a sort of limbo, not on either team yet caught up in their mess. 

Queen reached into one of the many pockets and took out a pack of Kools, tapping one out as he strolled over to Avery. “Smoke?” he offered as he pulled one out between his still numb and tingling lips. 

Avery had been staring at a corner, thinking about the last two firefights they’d been in within a short span of time. Thinking about Ipiktok’s family gunned down. Thinking about how they’d killed someone and were squatting in his house. Thinking about- he perked up noticing someone say something to him, looked over at the pack of cigarettes in Queen’s outstretched hand and then up to his eyes. All of THUNDER made him nervous, but Queen was alright. Donnelley was the easiest going around him, and so that helped him form his own opinion of the man, “Uh,” Avery looked at the pack again, “Sure, yeah.”

Avery pulled a cigarette out of Queen’s pack and placed it between his lips, then mimicked a lighter, “Fuego?”

Queen took out the cheap Bic lighter, some tacky Ed Hardy tiger printed on it. “Si, Papi,” he replied, lighting his own cigarette before tossing Avery the lighter. 

He took a drag and watched the kid, flashing an easy smile that touched his glassy eyes. “How you holding up? It’s been a day.” 

Avery took a long drag and held it for a second, letting it out with a chuckle, “Yeah, ain’t that the fucking truth.” His smile faded somewhat, “You know, when those guys in suits told me to pack my shit and head CONUS for a, uh… what did they say…”

He snorted, “A higher form of patriotism,” he chuckled, “I was kinda pissed that they had me patriotically holding a Mossberg inside a foreclosed property waiting for you guys to show up.”

“Can’t lie, I kinda miss sitting on my ass. What about you?” Avery asked, taking another drag.

Queen gazed around the small town, the people wisely staying indoors after the gunfight. Charles still lay there, covered by a flower print sheet from the house, blood blossoms drying to brown staining it. “You know, shit can get tough but I wouldn’t trade it for sitting on my ass,” he replied, blowing out smoke as he spoke. “You can’t get this sorta thing anywhere else, what could you do more than [i]this[/i] to make your career mean something? You just gotta get past the killing, the unsettling weird shit you come across, the cover stories, and not ever being able to be honest with anyone outside your teammates.”

He met the younger man’s gaze, then put his cigarette to his lips, “I mean, shit ain’t too much different when I ran undercover with the DEA. Just more risk and higher stakes. But I get it, it’s not so much sitting on your ass as it is having a normal life. Being able to clock out.”

Queen raised his eyebrows as he took a deep drag on the menthol cigarette, the only way to slow his rambling chatter that always happened after he took a bump. “But trust me,” he said, “After awhile...you won’t be able to walk away. You might try but it won’t last. It pulls you back in, you’re privy to things no one else knows about and you can pretty much do what you want, ya dig?” 

“Whatever I want except quit.” Avery smirked, nodded his head and took another long drag, “That sounds like a lot of things to get past. Even when I was envisioning myself being a super secret squirrel I was imagining us dusting terrorists.”

Avery nodded to the body next to Charles’, “Not veterans. Americans.” Avery looked away and shook his head, “I don’t know. I’m not trying to be a fucking killjoy. This is just different.”

Avery cleared his throat, looked around a bit nervously and then spoke in more hushed tones, “You have anything a little… stronger than cigarettes?”

“That is the hardest part,” he agreed, “But hell it happens with any federal agency. Americans, veterans, good people doing unlawful things. It ain’t pretty but…”

He had no real excuse, shit they had to do was tamatamount to straight murder. Like Jay, the piece of shit that he was, still died at his own hands because he knew too much.

Queen looked at Avery for a long moment, a slow smile crossing his face despite the cigarette between his teeth. “I might,” he said, glancing over the broad back of Ghost as he supervised the inventory. “Come on, let’s take a little walk around back, keep an eye out on things.”

He led Avery around to the back of the house, the yard behind it was overgrown and the skeleton of a swing set stood, long stripped of the chains and seats. Queen met Avery’s eyes and held it, his own dilated even in the shade of the wall. “This is between you and me,”  he started, “Not everyone is cool with this shit, got it?” 

“You smoke weed, I’ll bet,” Queen said, watching him close. “Yeah, California kid like yourself. I ain’t got it here. Need something for the nerves, for the bad feels?” 

Queen slipped a hand in his pocket, feeling the plastic bag knotted at the top to hold his illicit pharmacopeia. 

Avery eyed the swing set for a long moment, and then nodded. He looked back at Queen, his own smirk growing, albeit a very nervous one. He felt like a teenager sneaking out with his friends to go skateboarding and hey-mister some folks to buy them 40oz’s of whatever was cheapest, “Downers. Definitely downers.” Avery smiled, “Percs, oxy’s? Or Xanax, maybe?”

Queen grinned, denting the filter of the cigarette, “I gotchu.” 

He removed the bag and opened it, taking out a smaller ziploc style bag and held it closer, making sure it was the lower dose. “Here, some Xanax.Take those the nerves right down, not too much because we’re still on to see if our date shows up. How much you usually dose?”

“I’d usually take 60 milligrams a pop when I was a kid. Figure my tolerance is lower now, though.” Avery snorted, he reached back to his wallet, and counted out how many bills he had, “How much, man? Dollar per milligram, or?”

Queen raised an eyebrow, “Well, goddamn. Guessing that wasn’t prescribed by the pediatrician. Here I am thinking I was popping your cherry.” 

He chuckled and tapped out several peach colored pills and offered them. Queen glanced at him reaching for his wallet, then shook his head. “Nah, this is on me. You’re close enough to a team member, just keep it between us and start slow. You need something to get up, I got that too. Come see Uncle Queen for your candy, you’ll be alright.”

Despite the coke still in his system, Queen could feel the same desire to drown the anxiety in the pastel pills. He held off though and put the rest back into the bag and in the deep well of one of the pockets on his tactical pants. “I got connections back home, shit don’t cost me much.”

He met Avery’s eyes, an impish gleam in his own and brought the cigarette back to his lips, “The worm has definitely turned for you, my friend.”

An obscure movie quote but it tickled him to use it as he watched Avery take the xanax. He chewed one up and grimaced at the taste a bit, stashing the rest for later. He sighed, nodding his head like he was reassuring himself the nightmare wouldn’t have to be all bad. He brought the cigarette to his lips again, puffed at it a couple times, “You think I am though?” He asked, looking at the swing set, “Part of the team?”

Avery looked at Queen, “I was told to follow them, you. I mean, I been in like, what, three fucking fights already with you guys. Figure I earned it by now.” He muttered a small, “I hope.”

“Fuckin’ A you should be on the UMBRA roster,” Queen agreed, then gave him a sly look, “You’re not quite ready to dance with the big dicks of THUNDER yet but keep training with Ghost while you can. If he doesn’t kill you, he’ll make you stronger.” 

He rapped Avery on the shoulder, giving him a friendly squeeze and motioned towards him with his other hand, embers of the cigarette still glowing, “Looky, you earned your call sign dude. That means a lot, you know how it be.” 

Queen released him and took a deep drag, his cheeks hollowing as he filled his lungs with menthol smoke then blew it out in twin streams through his nostrils. He felt the giddiness, the need to move, to fight or fuck or do something but they were still sitting around this fucking shack with two bodies cooling. He should have taken a xanax rather than more coke, fucking cocaine. It was too easy sometimes to just cruise in it. 

“Yeah, I did.” He chuckled and nodded confidently as Queen squeezed his shoulder, “Pup. I kinda like it. I think Ghost’s warming up to me, he gave me that… compliment.”

“You know, ‘[i]you didn’t suck as much as I thought you would,[/i]” Avery mimicked Ghost’s gravelly voice, “I gotta agree with him. All this gunfighting shit is getting a little easier. Especially since my toy is kinda just, point in this direction and squeeze the trigger.”

He pursed his lips, “Is it true? THUNDER being… [i]known[/i]. You know, a reputation for doing…” Avery racked his brain for the right words, wondering how to say what he wanted without offending Queen, “You know. Things the other Wetwork Teams might not handle so easily? Like that one thing in New York. There were people at the BLACKBOX and Langley saying ‘we’ did that.”

Queen grinned at the impression, glancing over his shoulder out of habit as Ghost hated being mocked even if it was some sort of flattery. He turned his attention back to Avery and for once took a moment before answering.  It would be easy to bluster and chest thump, hell even expected but despite the chemicals and cynicism he found himself wanting to be sincere. 

“THUNDER is the best, not bragging but it’s just fact,” Queen said, the pride bittersweet. “We been together a long time, most of us. Tex...Donnelley was one of us. It’s a hard task, I ain’t gonna sweeten it up, it’s ugly and dangerous but we get it done. Sometimes, folks gotta die. It ain’t their fault, but they seen or heard something we can’t let get out. This here…”

He gestured to the house behind him, “It ain’t nothing. The man went native on us, we did what we had to do and the poor cop got in the crossfire. Now there’s times where it ain’t a crossfire, it ain’t a pissed off bastard with nothing left to lose. Sometimes, it’s just loose ends.”

His sea colored eyes met Avery’s gaze as he smoked down the last of his cigarette. “We tie those up and less people on our teams die and we protect the world just a little bit more. It’s a sacrifice.” 

Queen tossed the butt on the ground and rubbed his nose, squeezing the bridge of it. “But look you got me getting all heavy and shit. Just do your job, man. Keep your team alive so they can do their job and we get another sunrise. I know you heard that before.”

He grinned at the Donnelley hominy that had become something to grasp onto, simple and accurate. “When you gotta deal with your head or your heart, come see me. I know.” 

Avery nodded, suddenly guilty for what he said, but regained his smile when Queen did. “Yeah, for sure, man.” Avery nodded, taking the last drag of his cigarette and flicking it out towards the swing set. “Thanks again, for the stuff.”

“Anytime,” Queen replied, “Just maintain, don’t get too heavy on it if you’re in the field.”

He smiled his sly dimpled smile and said, “You’ll be alright, I didn’t even serve, I’m just some Fed boi and here I am. We better get on back, before your Daddy comes looking for you.” 

Queen hefted his rifle to his shoulder and about faced, then strolled with a lazy saunter back towards the house. 

>...///

Laine stood in Yutu’s bedroom, holding the photo of his daughter still in the cheap brass frame, some of the finish worn off where hands had held it over the years. A dark skinned, dark haired teenage girl with high cheekbones and a bright smile. She sighed inwardly, recalling the photos of so many missing girls and women and how many crime scene photos of what had been left of them she had seen. There would be none for her, but the mental image Ipiktok had provided was enough. 

She set it down and checked the nightstand then got on her knees and bent low to look under the bed. It was there, a metal box with a lock. 

“There it is. I don’t think he’d wire something under the bed he slept in. Even ex Green Berets aren’t that paranoid are they?” Laine said as she glanced over at Donnelley standing at the entrance of the room, a hint of a teasing smile on her face. 

“Can’t say I’ve ever done it.” Donnelley’s smile grew at Laine’s teasing as he stood in the doorway watching Laine go through Yutu’s things. He couldn’t say he didn’t have the same idea. Whoever had as much preparedness to at least try as he did to go up against a Black Ops kill team had to have had some interesting skeletons in the closet. “What’re you lookin’ for?”

"Whatever I can find," she replied, then bent low again, reaching for the box. Laine gave it a slight tug but felt no resistance then slowly dragged it out. 

It was a footlocker style box, not dissimilar from the one that they found in Clyde Baughman's cabin which still sat in her spare bedroom office back home. 

"Yutu said he was looking for his daughter, I expect we'll find his file on that. Poor girl, never had a chance," she said, examining the lock. "Find any keys on him?"

Donnelley rummaged around in his pocket and let a key dangle on its leather cord like a pendant, “Just so happens I did.”

He balled up the key necklace again and tossed it Laine’s direction, walking to the bed as she caught it and sitting on the edge next to her and the box, “Sad.” Donnelley spoke, “Yutu not knowin’ whether to believe or not believe Ipiktok’s lie. I don’t know, but maybe I’d like to hang onto a comfortable lie if it was that important to me.”

Laine unlocked the padlock and slipped it open, forcing it as it had rusted slightly. She glanced at him, then sighed, "I don't know what I'd want to believe but false hope is the worst hope. It's painful but in the end I think I'd rather know the truth, however much it might hurt. I've seen enough people that lost loved ones to some murderer and while everyone is different most people that find some closure in the locating of a body rather than never finding anything and always wondering what happened."

She pushed the lid open as she added, "But then again, I'm not a parent."

“You’re right.” Donnelley nodded, placing a cigarette behind his ear for later, “I’d want to know the truth. Find whoever did it and put ‘em in the ground.”

Donnelley watched Laine open the box and he eyed the initial contents that were laid bare for them. Papers. Lots of papers. “I admire Yutu.” Donnelley said, scanning the papers, “Ask Dave and he’ll probably have done the same thing if we walked up to his front door. I would too. Especially because I know all these evil bastards on THUNDER.”

He chuckled, “I see any of them at my front door and I’m either going out like Yutu or going out the backdoor.” He smiled at Laine, “Find anything? Or is it just old taxes?”

"I feel sympathy for Yutu because of his loss and how he felt he had to end things but I don't admire him," she said, looking up at Donnelley. "He knew Charles. But he was the first to get gunned down."

She shook her head slightly, it was of course different between their experiences but killing the tribal cop ended Yutu's heroic last stand status. "And it was lucky no one else was hit."

Laine thumbed through papers, scanning them to find anything relevant. A leather bound document holder caught her eye, the seal on the front of it was certainly nothing local or even American. It looked like some sort of sigil or coat of arms and when she opened it there was a yellowed parchment with a hand drawn map. 

She flipped it over and saw the columns of writing, four in total and only two she really recognized. One had Russian cyllric and another column looked like Latin. Laine turned it back over and closed the leather binding. 

Beneath it was a pistol that looked like an AK-47 had been shrunk in the dryer and an old cheap flip phone. She turned to Donnelley where he sat above her on the bed. "Oh yeah, I found some stuff," she handed him the leather folder. "Careful handling that document inside it's brittle."

She set the hardware aside and continued digging.There were a number of folders, plain manilla and dates written on the tabs. "What were you getting up to Yutu, how close did you get?" Laine asked under her breath as she opened the oldest dated manila folder.

Donnelley grabbed the old looking leather and gingerly placed it on the bed. He eyed the AK pistol and a grin broke out on his face like that of a child with a new toy. He kind of was. He picked up the AK by the grip and checked the chamber, flipping the safety on and putting it next to him, “I’m keepin’ this.” Donnelley picked up another of the manilla folders and opened it up, already whistling with appreciation, “This looks familiar.”

Laine smiled a bit at his enthusiasm over the gun but it was his whistle that made her look up. She turned though stayed kneeling, putting her hand on his thigh to lean over to see what he was looking at. "What is it?" Laine asked.

“It’s…” Donnelley shook his head and continued reading, “It’s a fuckin’ case file. Not official for any evidence room or locker, but… he really fuckin’ was lookin’ for his daughter. Says here this was in Seattle, in the 90s. He’d spend every day he had on leave going out and lookin’ for his wife and daughter. Trail went cold. Says he talked to some people who were…”

“Well, like us. They pointed him to Alaska like a fire-and-forget weapon. Linked up with some people… searched all the cities.” Donnelley read on, flipping through page after page until he got to the end, “He was doin’ the real shit. I think we just flatlined one of ours from way back.”

He slapped the folder shut and put it on the bed, rubbing his face, “God [i]fuckin’[/i] damnit, Yutu, you stubborn...” He mumbled, recovering himself with a sigh, “These are all case files. This house is a green box, a storage place. We should take these fuckin’ files in. Read another, see if it has anythin’ on Ipiktok or this Ithaqua.”

Her lips parted slightly as Donnelley explained what he found, the surge of regret over a wasted life and resource hit her.

“Shit,” she muttered, then turned to settle on the floor, her back against the bed. Laine opened the file in hand and began reading. Yutu had been doing the damn thing in Alaska, grinding the leg work to knock on doors of those New Age gurus and commune cults that cropped up in rural places where they would be left to do as they pleased. She read his first impressions of finding out about Ipitok and the rumors of his miracles among the indigenous community. What he heard among miners sitting around in the bars that catered to them in Noatak made her sit up.

“Listen to this,” Laine said, “Yutu spoke with miners from a place called Red Dog Mine, they spoke of something they called ‘The One who Sleeps in the Earth’ as it’s translated.” 

She met his blue eyes, not doubting he was thinking of Dulane as she was. “Another mine, another Sleeper who someone wants to waken. Russians.  Female sacrifices. It’s West Virginia all over again. They might be related otherwise there’s a very disturbing trend happening.” 

>...///

When Queen had entered the house after his talk with Avery, he could see THUNDER clustered upstairs going through the loot. He found he did not care to participate, the gun fight against one determined native had caught him off guard, even more so Donnelley’s reaction when he tried to give him his rifle. Maybe THUNDER’s whispers about Tex going soft working with UMBRA had some truth to it, though he always defended his friend. Investigation groups were different and had a different breed of people from Wet work groups. 

His thoughts rambled and he found himself at the basement door which he opened and went a few steps into before reaching to turn the light on, taking a look at the makeshift bedroom they had found the shaman in. 

Ava looked down at the little pouch in her hand, contemplating what Ipiktok had told her as she wandered the house, trying to stay out of the way of the two tactical teams while looking for some place to think. She looked up as she passed a doorway, finding a set of stairs leading down and Queen on them. “Oh, hey Queen.” She said with a smile, tucking the pouch away and poking her head into the basement stairwell. “What are you looking for?”

The small voice snapped him out of the dark train of thought that the interview had brought up and he turned, smiling at Ava, “I am not sure, but glad I found you. I get tired of looking at beef in tactical gear. How you holding up?” 

He stepped down the stairs to let her pass if she wanted to, taking one of the upturned crates as a seat to perch on, his boot heels resting against the side. 

“Uh, okay, I guess.” She said, walking down the stairs and looking around the basement curiously. She hadn’t been down here yet. “Not feeling...great about...squatting in a deadman’s house.” She said slowly with a grimace. “Or the dead police officer. All the neighbors are probably scared to death right now.” She sat down on the bottom of the stairs. “But, no one on THUNDER or UMBRA was hurt so, that’s a good thing.”

Queen leaned forward, resting his arm on the rifle he still carried. “It was unfortunate about Charles, seemed like an ok dude. I wish Yutu’d just given us a chance but there you have it. And if those locals smart, they’ll stay scared until we leave.”

He gave her a meaningful look then studied her cute features and smiled slightly, “Always a good thing to walk away with no casualties. Considering what’s been done out here, we’ve been lucky.”
Queen waited a moment then asked, “You been talking to that Shaman?” 

Ava sat up a little straighter then glanced down at her hands, rubbing them gently together. “Yeah, Donnelley called me in because Ipiktok had some stuff to say to me.” She gnawed at her lip. “He said...I was like him.”

Queen tilted his head, blinking memeishly and chuckled, “What? What does that mean, like [i[him[/i]? That’s crazy. You know what he is?”

He laughed in disbelief and looked at her again, this time with a shade of nervous energy. “What did he tell you?”

She looked up at him with a frown as he laughed. She was used to talking to her team about her dreams, to hear someone laugh about them surprised her. “I shouldn’t have said anything.” She said with a shake of her head, rubbing her hands over her face. “You don’t know, I shouldn’t have said anything.” She pushed herself up to stand. “Just, forget what I said, it’s nothing.”

Queen stood up, realizing his mistake. “Ava, I wasn’t laughing at you. It’s just that...well, I heard part of the interview and I’ve met some of those shaman types before. This guy...Ava he’s not even from here. Like this time or place.”

His face sobered despite the pull from the drugs in his system to chatter and laugh at the horrifying notion that this pretty girl could be anything like the witches he had helped kill. Queen shrugged, “I’m sorry, you’re right. I don’t know anything about you. Not unless you tell me.”

The dimpled grin faltered on his face and he reached up to rub his nose briefly.  “Which you don’t have to, I’m just a pipe hitter. Point and shoot.” 

Ava stopped as she was turning to go back up the stairs, her stomach turning with newfound anxiety at revealing what had been a truth only UMBRA had known. She looked at him, expression hesitant with just a hint of that confusion and fear in her eyes. 

“I have dreams.” She blurted out as she turned to face him. “I have dreams of things that are happening or have yet to happen, I don’t know what it is. And Ipiktok upstairs told me he has the same kind of dreams I’ve had, that I’ve been having since I was a little girl. I’ve dreamt of this Hell Hound attacking and killing people and I dreamt about Donnelley being shot in the desert.” She blinked her eyes, feeling tears sting at the back of them at the vivid memories but she kept them held back. “He said I was like him and based off of everything I’ve seen and been through, I think it’s safe to believe him.”

Queen stayed quiet as she spoke, his thoughts immediately flying to witches he had helped kill, those that were like her, like the shaman. Only they were on the other side, drawing their power from the darkest forces. True evil. Slowly, he nodded understanding, “A hell of a thing to have to go through I imagine. You uh...you alright?”
He gestured to her, the anxiety and nervousness radiating off of her. “I won’t say anything, not around THUNDER or whoever. Must be a burden, having to see those things. Like...hell hounds and friends getting hurt.” 

Queen shifted his weight, then looked back at her, “Sounds pretty damn stressful.” 

“I’m...Managing.” She said with a heavy sigh, running her hands over her red curls; which bounced back to their previous position after her hands passed over them. “Laine and Donelley and Dave have been amazing through everything that’s been happening to me. I don’t think I would be doing as well as I am if it wasn’t for them.” She sniffed and rubbed at her eye. “I’m sorry to unload all of that on you, it’s not something you should have to worry about. I’m not on your team.” She said with a self deprecating chuckle. 

“Must be convenient to have a psychologist on the team,” he said, his smirk growing to a warm smile,, “And Donnelley, he’s good for that. Man has a heart of gold under all that prickly. He’s good to talk to, I’m glad you got him there.”

He turned his head, examining the cracks in the walls, “Me and him, we had good times but he seems to be doing well as a leader.”

Shaking off the self pity, Queen flashed a sly grin at Ava, “Did Dave tell you how much TRIDENT liked your beret?” 

Ava blinked and tilted her head to the side, both at the beret question and the wistful expression that had crossed Queen’s face at the mention of Donnelley. “No? TRIDENT liked my beret? They didn’t even talk to me while you guys were gone.” She frowned. “I tried to make conversation with She Ra, ask for tips on exercise and I think she growled at me. I don’t remember exactly, I just know she was not happy I was talking to her so I left her alone.”

Queen laughed then stifled it, but his seawater eyes still sparked with amusement. “Oh darlin’, They [i]loved[/i] it, of course because it was modeled by [i]moi[/i]. In fact, they liked it so much they could not keep their hands to themselves.”

He glanced at her, the confusion still there and he chuckled, “Ask Dave, he knows how to make hay.”

A little pause, then he added as he looked her in the eye, “He’s a good dude, I like him. It’s good UMBRA has someone who can throw down and still be...you know, good.”

At her comment on She-Ra he waved it away, “Don’t even bother, she’s not for us mortals. Look, truth is a lot of us on wet work teams are all defensive assholes. I mean, except me. I’m amazing.” 

Queen sighed as if pleased with himself, but could not keep looking at Ava while he put on his act. 

Ava smiled at him, eyes brightening however briefly. “You are definitely one of a kind.” She chuckled, her expression warming as her thoughts turned to Dave. “And yeah, Dave is...a good man. Smarter than he thinks, but as kind as can be. He’s just...great.” 

She shook her head and flushed, realizing she was fawning over Dave and he wasn’t even there. “But I will definitely ask him about the, um, hay? I guess?” 

Ava looked up at Queen and stepped forward, her arms held out to give him a hug. “Thanks for listening to me Queen, you’re a good friend.”

Queen smiled slightly at her blushing, it was a poorly kept secret what was going on with Lucky and Ava and at some point Queen had conceded to the mountain man. “Yeah, he’s that. You chose wisely.” 

The hug was a welcome surprise, even if he cursed the bulk of plate carriers between them, the physical contact was much needed. He squeezed her back, patting her hair briefly, “Thanks, Ava. I mean it, you’re one of a kind, too. Don’t feel bad if hardened cranky bastards don’t respond to softness well.” 

Queen released her and gave her a friendly pat on the shoulder. He started to say something but paused when he heard Maui shout about an incoming unknown. His cheer drained as he smiled tightly, and made his way up the stairs, “Duty calls. Might be nothing but stay away from windows, yeah?” 

Ava’s own good mood was dosed with the chill of reality and she looked around the basement. “I think this is probably the best place for me.” She said with a nervous shifting of her feet. “I’m out of the way and less likely to get shot. Again.” She looked up at him with concerned eyes. “Be careful up there, Queen.”

>...///

The upstairs living room reminded Ghost of a Pakistani weapons market. The eclectic mix of firearms and explosives, the bullet-and-shrapnel pocked walls, the stink of gunpowder and burned Comp-B… If not for the fact that his knees felt a decade-and-change older, he could have been back on an op in Peshawar or Nok Kundi. Most of the guns even looked the part. 

He reached out with a toe and nudged one of the battered AK’s. It looked like it had last seen action against the Soviets, though the Eastern Bloc lettering and their Yugoslavian provenance meant it was more likely that they’d been stacking Serbs or Croats.

While Ghost looked on, Dave was inventorying their find. He’d chicken-scratched what they’d taken on a notepad, separating the weapons by type and placing their ammunition with them. He’d set the canvas bag containing the sword off to one side after a quick peek confirmed that it wasn’t a gun, but was weird enough to show to Donnelley. Dave was excited. They’d found two Claymores and a block of C4 that he might get to play with, and several of the guns were in excellent condition. 

“So what’re we gonna do with all this stuff?” Dave asked, directing the question into the open rather than at any of the nearby operators in particular. 

“Figure we just,” Maui was picking at his teeth with a toothpick he’d gotten out of a box of them in his pack, “You know, have CORAL NOMAD get it. Why, you want one? What did you call dibs on?”

"Well, I'm happy with my AK, but we got them .300 Blackout rounds an' mags your guys like, so I figure we can snag some of those an' squirrel 'em away somewhere. Maybe one of the rifles, too." Dave pointed at the explosives. "I just want those. Never know when you'll need to blow somethin' up, right? I mean I can rig a bomb outta whatever's in the janitor's closet, but I like claymores." 

“Cut out the middleman, yeah.” Poker was looking out the window, his Honey Badger laying in his lap while he watched their surroundings. “Hey, Lucky, you ever wanna live the easy life? With THUNDER. You don’t exactly strike me as a, uh… you know, [i]investigative personality.[/i]”

Dave paused, looking over at Poker, noting the gaze of Maui. Ghost loomed over him, drilling him with those Oakleys. 

“I uh...Dunno honestly, man,” Dave said. He frowned and looked down at the pile of weapons. “I ain’t much of a...Well, a thinker, I guess. But I dunno…” He shook his head. “I’d hafta think about it, man.” 

He looked around, making sure Ava was out of earshot. “I do enjoy some of this shit, though. Probably ain’t right, but...Beats my old hobbies all to hell.” 

It was true, too. Since he’d started running as security for UMBRA, he’d found that nothing seemed to satisfy him so much as actually doing his job. They’d finish a gig, he’d go home, see his boy. He’d go hang with Ava. And all of those things were great. But he always found himself looking at his AK, and looking forward to strapping it on again. 

“There’s always a spot open for you. Foster poaches one of ours, I can poach one right back.” Poker chuckled that evil sounding little thing of his, not quite villainous, but like he’d heard a joke that nobody else did. “Not that I’d wanna fuck anything up for good ol’ Tex. It’s just a little lonely without some hopped up country boy to make things exciting.”

“Queen doesn’t count. He dresses too nice.” Maui chuckled as he stashed the toothpick in his jacket’s breast pocket, presumably to dispose of it later. THUNDER was exceedingly careful about how much evidence they left anywhere they went, a leftover habit that Donnelley had that anyone who’d known him for a while would notice.

“You should think about it. Not much thinking and investigating needed when the only objective is ‘kill these assholes real good.’” Poker smiled at Dave, a show of teeth more than anything friendly. “Ain’t that right, Ghost?”

Ghost nodded, still watching Lucky. 

“That’s what we do,” he rumbled. “Still have to get you trained up. Work on team shit.” His mind was already planning training evolutions, thinking about the weaknesses he’d seen in Lucky’s technique and what it would take to fix them. 

Dave sat back on his haunches and dug out his dip, snapping the can a few times. 

“I’ll give it some thought,” he said. He packed a lip and stowed the can, looking for a distraction. It was a heavy topic; THUNDER were killers, and as much as Dave enjoyed the fight he wasn’t sure if he thought of himself as a killer. “So do we hafta tag this stuff for CORAL NOMAD, or just take what we want an’ leave the rest layin’ here?”

“NOMAD guys don’t really care about shit unless there’s a chance whatever they’re gonna be sharing their transport with is gonna eat them.” Poker shrugged, throwing a hand out at the barely sorted piles of weapons, “Take whatever you can carry, man. No telling when you need to pop someone’s grape and not have it come back to you.”

Dave looked up at Poker, processing his words. Then he sighed and picked up one of the Yugoslavian AK’s. 

“I can make this thing run with a good cleanin’,” he said. Ghost kicked one of the others. 

“We’ll take two AK’s,” he said. “Might need a drop-gun. Maui, do you want the VEPR?” 

“Been eyeing that one.” Maui smiled.

“VEPR and some Blackout for us, AKs for you guys. I know I’m not the only one thinking it, so I’ll say this now.” Poker looked at everyone in the room, “NOMAD gets the sword.”

Maui grunted, but he knew Poker was right. Something that out of place and old was bound to have something [i]up[/i] with it. The last time he saw some guy on a Working Group touch something old and then vomit light as he dissolved into thin air really hammered it home that CORAL NOMAD were the only ones touching anything on an Op. “You guys want anything else?” Maui asked.

“Think I’m good,” Dave said. He picked up his AK and one of the mag slings, setting them aside. “I’ll get packin’ up the explosives so they’re ready when we leave.” 

Poker looked at Ghost, then Maui. The both of them knew how Poker could get with newbies and prospects. Almost a sadist with the way he poked and prodded them until he could see what they were really made of. Donnelley’s first day had ended snarling in Poker’s smirking face and having to be pulled away by Ghost and Maui. Not that he was in danger, Poker always had a knife nearby. “So, tell me about Ava. You two seem like you’re pretty close.” Poker said, picking at his nails like he wasn’t being a prying asshole, “What happens if she catches a stray, man? You think you’ll keep it together if she’s bleeding?”

Poker looked Dave in the eye, shrugging, “I’m just saying. I know Tex and that little Fed bitch are up to something whenever they’re together. In the [i]eyes.[/i] Maybe I should start calling [i]him[/i] Lucky,” Poker had a grin, a chuckle that seemed altogether proud and damn annoyed, with thinly veiled predatory thoughts about Laine, “I don’t want to have to worry about you two risking all of us for…”

Poker acted like he was searching for just the right way to put it, “[i]Pussy.[/i]”

Dave paused in his work, caught off guard by the sudden turn in Poker's demeanor. His jaw clenched as his old temper flared and his blue eyes narrowed. 

"Ava an' me are pretty close," he said calmly. "I'll do my job. Best help for her will be to kill the motherfuckers shootin' at us, right? Me an' her have already had that talk."  

He closed the bag containing the claymores and the C4. 

"But don't talk about her like she's just a piece of [i]pussy[/i]," Dave said. His drawl was more pronounced now. "Or me an' [i]you[/i] are gonna have a talk." 

“Oh, good.” Poker said, his grin widening at the flare in Lucky’s temper as he stood. He took the few paces to get across the room and stand front and center with Lucky, holding his eye the whole time, “That’s [i]real[/i] nice that you two got together and had that little pillow talk after the fucking was done. Let’s just hope it’s not all [i]bullshit.[/i] You punched some idiot at a shooting range and shot at a fucking drunk Indian.”

Poker thought about clapping Lucky on the shoulder, but decided against it. He got away with it when Queen came on, but after the incident with Tex he was more conservative with things like this. “Good for you. But it takes a lot more to hang when the shit gets really real.” Poker smiled, real friendly, or as friendly as his smiles ever got, “I’ll be keeping my eye on you, Lucky, always like fresh meat.”

Dave stood as Poker approached. He saw Ghost uncross his arms and take a step closer but ignored him in favor of glaring down at the THUNDER team lead.

"Watch all you want, you'll see how I hang," he growled. "Just do it with your mouth shut. We done? Cuz I got shit to do, unless you wanna keep measurin' dicks." 

“We got an unknown.” Maui’s voice cut the tension, and he was already holding his DMR at low ready, “What are we doing?”

“THUNDER 1-Actual to all stations, unknown male spotted 12 o’oclock, front of house, 300 hundred meters and closing.” Poker turned away from Dave as if they weren’t having a moment between each other a second ago, “Maui, keep your eyes on the unknown. Ghost, go find that fucking asshole Queen and tell him to stop fucking off.”

Poker looked at Dave, nodding at the stairs, “The fuck you standing there for, go get your Team Lead.”

“I’m already down here, fucker.” Donnelley rounded the corner onto the first landing, stepping down the last few steps and joining them all in the living room downstairs, “He’s just walkin’ up to the door or what?”

As Ghost left to find Queen, Dave joined the others, slapping on his helmet and snatching up his AK. He forced his recent conversation with Poker to the back of his mind, putting on his game face as he stepped up next to Donnelley. 

“Maybe he wants to complain about the noise,” he murmured. 

Laine followed not too far behind Donnelley, carrying her vest as she descended the stairs taking on a precursory glance at the weapons half put away. She strapped the plate carrier over the gray thermal shirt and found her small rifle where she had left it leaning against the wall. Instead of joining the men, she went to the kitchen where Avery and Ipiktok sat at the table. 

“I’ll stay join you two, if you don’t mind,” she said, mostly looking at the old man. 

“Oh, hey, Laine.” Avery smiled at the FBI woman as he leaned back in his chair, “Should I go to the living room with the guys?”

“Avery, where the [i]fuck[/i] are you at?” Donnelley’s voice from the living room.

“Okay.” Avery rose and jogged into the living room, buckling his helmet and knocking his fist against it.

She smiled at Avery as he jumped up to respond to Donnelley, he really was a pup but he would grow, he was already learning the bad habit of self medicating. Maybe his time in the BLACKBOX without booze would help, being around the men of TRIDENT and THUNDER. Laine’s smile faded with that thought, teams dedicated to just the killing business made her uneasy. She sank into a kitchen chair, trying not to think about the three shots that had finished Yutu, turning her focus instead on the person approaching. It was probably another tribal cop and hoped it was not a certain stranger that liked to pop up.

>...///

Donnelley looked at Avery standing to the side of the door, the FN machinegun in his hands. Donnelley nodded, Avery nodded back and then opened the door. Donnelley stepped through the threshold and raised his hand at the stranger approaching, who walked on heedless. The stranger was still about a hundred meters away when they stumbled and collapsed on their side. Donnelley’s brow quirked in confusion, “UMBRA 1-5, on me. THUNDER 1-3, keep us in your sights, over.”

“Roger, Wilco.” Maui’s voice came back over the comms.

Avery joined Donnelley at the door and they began walking cautiously towards the stranger who’d collapsed in the road. The both of them had their weapons trained on the still form, not knowing what would greet them once they’d gotten close to this person. As they closed in on him, Avery stayed covering the man they could see now was violently shivering as Donnelley stepped over to kneel next to the person, wrapped in the tattered remains of a sleeping bag. With a glance toward Avery, Donnelley tucked his SIG to his side, adjusting the sling to let it hang at his side. He reached out and turned whoever it was over, “Star…” she murmured weakly, and Donnelley could now see it was one of SIREN, “Star…”

Donnelley recognized the challenge word and answered back, “Texas, [i]Texas.[/i]” He wrapped an arm under the SIREN member and then his other, hefting her up and keying on his mic, “UMBRA 1-Actual, all stations. I have retrieved a member of SIREN and am inbound!”

Donnelley and Avery came careening back into the living room, Donnelley with the member of SIREN in his arms. He brought her to one of the couches in the living room and laid her down on the cushions. He unzipped and shrugged his jacket off, draping that over her legs so she was covered by more than the ragged sleeping bag she was using to wrap herself in. She looked pale, her lips drained of color and that leant her an almost cadaverous look to her otherwise attractive features. Her lips were cracked and dried blood had flaked away from them, a bruise around her left eye told of a struggle.

Donnelley knelt beside her and put a finger to her neck, feeling a soft pulse struggling to keep going, and her skin cold to the touch, “We need more covers,” Donnelley called out, “Blankets, jackets, bring them here!”

Laine was up when Donnelley returned bringing in the woman, rushing over to help. She looked pale, in shock, and shaking violently. Hypothermia or blood loss could cause it and she knelt beside Donnelley, "Any injuries, bleeding or anything?"

She pulled off her plate carrier as she spoke, touching the woman's hand. It was ice, and she glanced up at his call for blankets. If only they had a medic but Jason was off somewhere doing spook things but they did have a mountain man. Laine rose and turned, moving through THIUNDER still standing around. 

“Dave, come here,” she called him over, “You know what to do for hypothermia, right?” 

Laine looked sharply at him, trusting his survival skills which was the closest thing UMBRA had to a medical professional. 

Dave set his rifle aside, kneeling beside the downed agent. Her skin was cold, and he clucked his tongue and looked over at Laine. 

“Grab that gallon of milk outta the fridge for me. Dump it, fill it with hot water, okay? [i]Hot[/i]. Then wrap it in a towel an’ bring it in here. Donnelley, we are gonna need them blankets, but wrap ‘em loose. Gotta have air flow,” he said. He scooted a little closer, leaning over her to look into her eyes as best he could. The best way to handle shock was to keep the person calm, focused, and preferably speaking. 

“You’re gon’ be alright now,” he said gently. “Gonna get you warmed up, an’ we got three teams in this house. You’re safe. Can you tell me your name?” 

The Agent’s eyes didn’t seem to focus on Dave, not answering his question. Instead she just shivered where she was, her eyes not even moving from whatever place they were staring at. Donnelley gently reached and made sure the blankets and jackets were loose around her. Donnelley’s hand brushed against her shoulder and she whimpered, making him recoil at once and he glanced at Dave. Making the woman make a sound like that put a bad feeling on him, he stood and went to see how Laine was doing in the kitchen in lieu of traumatizing the woman more.

>...///

Laine moved quickly to do what he asked, pushing through the gathered men to get to the kitchen. “Give them space,” she said while walking away. 

In the kitchen, Ipitok sat alone at the table. She glanced at the old shaman and said, “A survivor came in, from one of our other groups. She’s very cold but seems unhurt.”

She spoke as she took a pot and filled it with water, setting it on the blue flame of the stove cranked up. Another smaller pot took a burner and she moved to make more coffee. After poking around the cabinets, she found a thermos and poured the remaining milk into it and began washing out the jug. She looked up as she filled the jug in the sink, catching the sight of Donnelley coming around the corner. 

“How is she doing?” Laine asked as she shook the jug vigorously. 

Donnelley folded his arms and leaned against the wall, shaking his head, “About the same as she came in.” Donnelley muttered, “I think you and Ava should handle her. I touched her shoulder by accident and she made out like it was a knife or somethin’.”

Donnelley shrugged, “She’s in shock, obviously. I don’t want to know what she had to do to get back here.”

“He’s out there.” Ipiktok said ominously, narrowing his eyes as he looked out the window as if who he was talking about was just outside. Donnelley hoped not. “She’s lucky she got back.”

Laine stopped shaking the milk jug, leaving the milky water where it was when she set in the sink. “Sounds like a response to trauma inflicted by another.”

She glanced at Ipiktok as he spoke, then back up at Donnelley. She studied his face, familiar and dear to her as it was but through the eyes of a stranger the large burn scar would stand out and perhaps startle. She moved a little closer to him, giving his arm a quick squeeze, “I’ve had enough experience with this, unfortunately. Hopefully she will talk. I need THUNDER out of there, even Dave might be too much. Can you finish this? Dave needs a hot water jug. Water is just starting to simmer.”

Laine wiped her wet hands on the back of her pants and marched into the living room.

>...///

Queen left the room to go down to the cellar, there was a bed down there and extra blankets for an old man living in an Alaksan basement. As he swung the door open, “Ava, you still down here? All clear.” 

Ava peaked her head into view and up the stairs. “Everything’s okay? What happened?” She asked with a concerned furrow of her brow.

“Looks like a survivor from SIREN, they had a lady on their team. She’s not in great shape, exposure and cold will do that. They want blankets, figured I could strip this bed,” he said as he walked past her. 

“Oh,” Ava stepped to the side to let him pass, her eyes widening. “Is there anything I can do to help?” She asked, following after him to help strip down the bed.

Queen yanked off the comforter and the top sheet, leaving the bottom with the difficult elastic corners. Bundling them against his chest, he glanced at her. “Uh, well. Probably make something warm and mild to drink, coffee is probably too strong. Maybe old boy had some tea in the cupboards.” 

Ava’s eyes brightened. “I brought tea!” She said, pointing up the stairs before making for them. “I grabbed some when we got told we were coming to Alaska and I brought it in case we got stuck out in the wilderness!” 

Queen grinned at her enthusiasm, “Well, there’s water put to boil.What kinda tea is it? If you have something soothing, it’ll help. What’s that one with the little daisies on the box?” 

He started back up the stairs, waiting for her to come along. 

She nodded energetically as she followed up after him, eager to help in whatever way she could. “Chamomile! I have that and I have honey lavender and a fruity citrusy one.” 

Queen jerked his head back in recognition, “That's the one! Chamomile. My mom used to drink that all the time, she had anxiety but hated pills. She’s really into that natural healing stuff.” 

He quirked a grin at the irony, then glanced over his shoulder, “A lot of weed too but when she didn’t have that it was good ol’ chamomile.” 

>...///

Laine turned the corner into the living room, Dave was near the couch with the woman covered in coats and staring past the men of THUNDER that still occupied the room. She felt a surge of protectiveness and irritation that they were still there. There was no reason, other than their lack of consideration for the victim. 

“Alright, everyone not Dave, get out,” Laine said, looking at Ghost and Poker, “She doesn’t need an audience. Please.” 

Ghost crossed his arms and looked to Poker for direction. Dave ignored both of them. He was still talking quietly to the woman, sitting beside her, just making noise so she had something to listen to. 

Poker was still leaned next to his window, making out like he hadn’t heard Laine. When it was clear that Poker didn’t give a shit about any kind of order from Laine, he pushed away from the wall and nodded upstairs for Ghost to follow, the two of them walking slow up the stairs.

Laine watched out of the corner of her eye until THUNDER moved on as she crouched next to the sofa. She looked closer at the woman, noting her condition from exposure. There was not much to see under the pile of coats but what was clear was the trauma in her eyes. 

She resisted the urge to comfort, it did more harm than good to touch someone that had been physically violated, even with the best intentions. 

“I’m Dr. Laine, from UMBRA. You’re safe now,” she said, kneeling down so she was not hovering over the woman. “Dave here is an expert, he’ll get you warmed back up and feeling better. No one here will hurt you.”

She smiled a little, trying to meet the woman’s gaze. 

Queen left Ava at the kitchen, walking in quietly with the bedding. He placed it at the end of the sofa and glanced at Dave then Laine. “How’s she doing?”

Laine shot a look at him, piercing green eyes pinning him. “She needs quiet if you don’t mind.” 

He held up his hands, slowly backing out without asking another word. Laine almost felt bad but her concern was for the SIREN ‘well being. 

“You got that water heatin’ up?” Dave asked, looking up at Laine. “Ain’t really much else we can do, just try an’ keep her calm.” 

“I have two burners going, Donnelley’s going to bring it,” she said, then addressed the SIREN survivor, not really expecting a reply but hating to talk around her like she was not present.  “A nice hot water bottle sounds good?” 

>...///  Back to the Kitchen: 

Queen returned to the kitchen, whistling under his breath. “Don’t go in there.” 

Ava looked away from her scavenging for mugs, finding one slightly chipped ceramic one that seemed like it would do. “I have to wait for some water to boil first.” She said with a small shrug, glancing at the stove and the multiple pots on it. “I should probably wait though.”

She looked over to Ipiktok sitting at the table and cleared her throat. “Um, Mr. Ipiktok, would you like some tea? I have a few different kinds.”

“I think the microwave works, it looks old as hell but the lights are on,” Queen suggested. 

Ava blinked and looked at the microwave. “Oh...Right...I guess it doesn’t matter.” She laughed sheepishly and moved over to the sink to fill up the mug.

“I don’t think old boy was a tea kettle type,” he quipped, grinning at her reaction. 

“I’m fine,” Ipiktok said, “No tea for me, thank you.”

“Do you fucking know what THUN-“ Avery walked into the kitchen, his MG still cradled in his arms, but cut his sentence short seeing Queen, “-Their… problem is?”

“Don’t worry about ‘em.” Donnelley growled and shook his head. He wasn’t there to see whatever Avery was talking about, but if it concerned THUNDER it wasn’t worth pursuing. But Donnelley didn’t see it that way, “Why?” He turned from the water and looked at Avery, then to Queen.

Queen shrugged, then glanced away, “I don’t know, I was in the basement getting blankets. I came back and they’d left the room.” 

He reached up and rubbed the back of his neck through his longish hair, reluctant  to bring up Laine.Though Donnelley had said nothing about her, even brought him down to the basement Queen had noticed how they looked at each other and the many times they slipped off to do some work somewhere in the Blackbox. Hell, he had given Donnelley the map after all. He had never asked about it, it was Tex’s business but he knew the look in the man’s eye when he was attracted to someone. Tattling on Laine would do him no good but Donnelley had a stare that demanded answers. 

Finally he added, “I think Agent Laine doesn’t want a buncha people in there.” 

The microwave beeped and Ava retrieved the mug, looking to the mug and then the tea packets she had gotten from her bag. “Should probably just give her regular water before tea.” She said to herself.

She looked up to Queen at his words and cleared her throat. “I’ll, uh, just be quick with this.” She said and made her way out of the kitchen to deliver the mug of hot water.

Donnelley watched Ava shuffle out of the kitchen, her barely concealed discomfort with the topic of conversation apparent in her face. Avery sensed the change in mood and followed her out. Donnelley looked back at Queen, “I think we both know how Poker can be.” The memory of what Poker had said about his last team that had died in Chechnya and picking Poker up off his feet to slam him against a wall was still fresh after all the years, “I don’t need him playin’ his [i]fuckin’ games[/i] right now. Mark my goddamn words, he puts this Op in jeopardy and gets someone killed that ain’t himself, I’ll get to him ‘fore any of y’all can do a [i]damn[/i] thing.”

The water behind him was on the edge of boiling, he turned around and transferred the water into the milk jug he’d finished cleaning out just earlier. He capped off the jug and drew in a breath, letting his shoulders drop as he exhaled. When he turned back around he made for the door, but stopped just short, looking again at Queen. Studying the man’s features, he knew those handsome cheekbones well enough to notice when Billy had something on his mind. Donnelley softened just a hair as he looked into Queen’s eyes. The history between them in their shared gazes seemed to calm Donnelley, “I just want all of us to get out of here alive, Billy.”

Queen did know how Poker could be, not just an asshole but one who could find the soft spots and sliced into them with sadistic pleasure. He was also good at his job and handled a team like THUNDER with mostly professional grace. At least for professional killers. 

He let Donnelley talk, he knew their history as much as anyone and Tex’s absence from the team now had unbalanced it, at least for Queen. He nodded, “I know, same here.”

Queen glanced at the silent shaman and then back at Donnelley, the coke was still in his system but right now he wanted nothing more than to curl up and pop a few Xannies. He shook his head at the unvoiced thought and then smiled a little, “You’re running this OP, we’ll be alright.”

He paused then snapped his fingers, “Hey, Dave wanted a towel, for the jug I think.” 

Queen moved with a sinewy grace, snatching a hanging dish towel from the pantry door handle and slung it over Donnelley’s arms. He met his gaze and held it, “Call me if you need anything. I’ll be doing my rounds.” 


...///

Ava stopped just short of entering into the living room, looking in carefully and seeing Laine and Dave speaking in low tones to the SIREN survivor, bundled up as much as possible on the couch. “Dave?” She called out, keeping her voice low.

Dave looked over at Ava and gave her a small smile. He still wore his gear, though he’d set his helmet aside. “Hey sugar,” he said, standing up and walking over to her. He looked around, saw that they were alone except for Laine and the SIREN agent, and put a hand on her shoulder.

“How you holdin’ up?” He asked. 

“I’m fine.” She said with a smile and held up the mug of hot water. “I brought this, it’s just plain water, but I thought it would help?” She looked around him to the couch. “How is she?”

“Cold,” he said. He took the mug with a smile. “But I’ll see if she feels like drinkin’. Right now we’re still tryin’a get her to talk. I think she’s in shock, but part of that’s probably the hypothermia.” 

Ava nodded slowly, eyebrows creased with worry. “Well, I think the water in the kitchen is almost ready.” She said, folding her arms over her chest. “And I brought tea so I can make her some if you guys think that might help.”

“If we get her talkin’ and drinkin’ tea will definitely help,” Dave said. “Til then, if you could get that hot water into a jug or a bottle, an’ then wrap it in a towel? We can put that on her chest an’ help warm her blood.” 

Laine glanced up as Ava spoke but said nothing to chase her off. Unlike the aggressively masculine THUNDER, the young woman’s gentle presence might actually help with the woman from SIREN. She trusted Dave to sort out when the woman could get water, which she likely desperately needed but warming seemed the priority.  

Donnelley entered from the kitchen, his blood still hit as the water in his jug as the thought of THUNDER stoking the fire with his team flared in his mind again. He took another deep breath and shook his head, looking to the SIREN agent. Bringing retribution upstairs to Poker was far, far lower on his list of priorities than making sure they made it back home, the last member of SIREN included. He raised the jug a bit, looking from the SIREN agent who’d looked at his face like a nightmare and yelped at his touch to Dave, “I, uh,” he cleared his throat a bit, staying a respectable distance from the woman, “I got that water here.”

“Perfect,” Dave said. “Thanks, man. I’ll take it.” 

He grabbed the bundle containing the hot water, feeling the warmth through the towel. As he approached the couch he held it out to Laine.

“Here, you should, uh...You should do it. Needs t’go on her chest. If ya can convince her to put it under her shirt, that’d be best, but…” He shrugged. “She’ll probably take it better from you. On her chest, or her neck if we hafta. Don’t put it on an extremity, that’ll fuck things up.” 

Taking the wrapped jug from Dave, she gave him a tight appreciative smile, then glanced at Donnelley past him. “Did you want to call it in? Maybe get her name, that could help to talk to her using it.”

She looked at Dave and Donnelley, a flicker of uncertainty then she said,”Maybe step out while we get her set up? Just for now.” 

Turning away, she knelt by the couch and spoke to the woman, “This will help warm you up, I want to put it against your chest but it should go against your skin, are you alright with me lifting your shirt to do this?”

She set the wrapped jug on the edge of the couch, so she could feel the warmth and might allow Laine to continue. The woman did not respond, only stared through Laine to someplace far away and blinked once. 

Laine made the decision for her, lifting the comforter and the jackets up enough to slide the jug against her chest, using the towel to tug up her shirt as she did, gingerly lifting just enough without exposing her breast. It would have to do, it was close to her heart. She gently touched the woman’s hand, speaking the whole time in a soft husky tone, “It’s alright, you’re safe, we’re going to help you. No one will hurt you here. I am with the FBI, you’re safe. I’m just placing this against your chest so you can get warm.”

She repeated it in a mantra, making a comfortable noise as Dave had earlier. Laine replaced the jackets, then the blanket. She sat back, to give her room after the invasiveness. Glancing up at Ava, “Let’s see about the water, I don’t know if she can swallow it. I’d rather her be able to do it herself rather than risk her choking.” 

Ava nodded, taking the mug from Dave and giving him one last smile before walking over to join Laine’s side and help where she could.


>...///

The assault packs were huddled in the corner of the living room, and finding his own among the packs that looked just as bland and camouflaged as the next was a task that took a few seconds. It came down to finding the one with his specific brand of cigarettes in one of the pockets, a good find seeing as he’d left the open one in his jacket he’d so heroically forgotten. He hefted it up, walking towards the door and patting Dave’s shoulder for him to follow. Ipiktok seemed fine on his lonesome, and going upstairs with THUNDER didn’t seem a smart choice for either Dave or Donnelley. He twisted the knob of the front door and stepped outside, shrugging his pack and kneeling down over it, revealing the long range radio inside tuned to the frequency that Chris Greedy, PALADIN Main, would be on.

He put a cigarette between his lips and lit it, puffing on it a couple times while he readied to radio in their SITREP so far. He paused, glancing at Dave. He still had his back turned to him, but stood and then faced him, “Out of curiosity…” Donnelley dragged off his cigarette and clucked his tongue, “How are you and Poker and his boys gettin’ along?”

As if to make drill in his interest in Dave’s opinion, he spoke further, “Just you and me and the wind here, Dave.”

Dave shrugged a shoulder, reaching into his pocket to freshen up his dip. Poker had pissed him off, that much was for sure. For a moment he’d wanted nothing more than to take one of the loaded AK mags to the man’s teeth. But Dave wasn’t about to tell Donnelley that. Much as he liked the man, he wasn’t going to play mommy-daddy games.

“Poker’s kind of a dick,” he said after he’d packed a little more into his lip. “But I ain’t stressin’. Been around worse growin’ up. We got them weapons all sorted out, he explained how we should keep some of the ammo an’ a couple rifles in case shit gets hot. But he’s givin’ that sword to CORAL NOMAD, said it’s too fuckin’ weird for us to be messin’ with.” 

Dave shook his head. “Can’t say I blame him. Weird thing t’have in a seabag, ya know?” 

Donnelley nodded, feeling a cold wind brush past and the cherry of his cigarette grew brighter for a moment. Donnelley blew out the smoke, “I spent years with that guy and I don’t think the urge to crack him in the back of his head really went away.” Donnelley shook his head, “You’ll get used to findin’ weird shit. A sword’s kinda tame, you’ll find.”

Somewhat satisfied with Dave’s answer, somewhat not, he turned away again and knelt down over his pack and the radio inside of it. He keyed it on and spoke into the mouthpiece, “UMBRA 1-Actual to PALADIN Main, come in, over.” Donnelley listened for signs of life on the other end, but nothing came, “UMBRA 1-Actual, come in, PALADIN Main.”

Static, for just a few seconds, before a voice came over the weak signal. It was barely legible, but Donnelley focused on making out the words, “PAL-...-ain…-Actual…”

“Say again last, PALADIN Main, you’re comin’ in weak on the comms, over.”

“PAL-...Ahead, UMBRA 1-Ac-...”

“PALADIN Main, say again last, over.”

And then nothing but static. Donnelley rubbed at his eyes and adjusted his hat on his head, toying with the brim. He shook his head, “Interference on the comms, I’m goin’ to see if I can-“

Donnelley looked at the radio quizzically as the fuzzy static took on some sort of rhythm. One long tone, one short, one long. He listened to it repeat, and again, and again. The same rhythm over and over. It wasn’t anything he recognized in Morse code. Not an SOS, but weird nonetheless. It grew steadily louder, to the point that Donnelley could still hear it with the set a few inches from his ear. The same rhythm, over and over, long-short-long. Both of the men could hear it now, until it sounded almost like speech. “You hearin’ this?”

Dave ignored him, or never heard him at all. His eyes were fixed on the middle distance, staring not at the radio but through it, as the mellow white noise of the static lulled him. His vision doubled, Donnelley and the radio he was staring at fading beneath a rising image of the outskirts of Noatak, lit by the moon. Dave’s hand twitched and he swayed as he felt himself pulled along, the view of Noatak suddenly racing away like one of Ava’s drones. He saw the harsh Alaskan landscape passing by too rapidly to -

[i]Come and see…[/i]

The desiccated, frozen corpse they’d found with Ava’s drone, the detail as clear as if it were lying in before him. 

[i]Come and see…[/i]

More flying snow, the landscape blurring by as though he’s got a rocket strapped to his back. The shaman’s compound looms in front of him, the corpses still floating in the air.

[i]Come and see…[/i]

The compound vanished, replaced by the distant tundra, snow gently falling and creating a white haze in the distance. 

[i]Come and see…[/i]

[i]Come and see…[/i]

[i]Come and see…[/i]

Dave’s hand curled into a fist, and then suddenly he was free, the vision or whatever it was vanishing. He blinked, confused, looking around, his hand going to his pistol. 

“What the fuck was that, man?”

Donnelley seemed to burst into a raucous excitement, throwing a rabid and haphazard elbow behind him as he whirled around to face Dave. There was violence in his eyes, a madness there and a sort of desperation, “Get the [i]fuck[/i] away from me!” He was reaching out with one hand to grab at Dave’s collar and cocking back a fist. His words came out in a scream, but there was more fear than anger, “Not her!”

The hand at his collar and the cocked fist sent Dave back to countless nights spent in dingey Boone County bars. He hadn't had a proper martial arts class since the unarmed combat drills of his childhood, but he was a country boy, born and bred, and barroom tussles and nights in the drunk tank had marked many a weekend during his formative years. Dave reacted, grabbing Donnelley's collar and stepping in fast, sending the hard ridge of his forehead against Donnelley's face. He stepped in again as Donnelley reeled and stuck a leg behind his knees, grabbed him around the waist, and then took him down in a heavy bodyslam. 

“Dude, what the fuck?” Dave shouted, throwing his weight atop the other man. He shoved his forearm into the back of Donnelley’s neck, pushing his face into the snow and sticking his knee into the back of his thigh. “Calm down, goddammit! It’s me!” 

“Fuck you! Fuck you!” Donnelley was wriggling against Dave’s weight atop him and screaming for murder. A couple people had since come out to watch, staring out at the two men having a roll in the street, “I’ll fuckin’ kill you, motherfucker! Get away from me!”

His wriggling and thrashing continued until he lay still, breathing heavy and quick. Shallow, panicked breaths escaped his lips as he looked around, suddenly cold against his face. He was somewhere else, somewhere colder than this. Laine was there in that place, and the others, but… Donnelley’s breath hitched in his throat as his face screwed up in pain. He held his breath and let it out quivering, “Let me go, man.” Donnelley tried to get his one eye not in the dirt to look at Dave to no avail, just straining his neck, “Please, man, come on.”

He could see Ipiktok and Avery on the porch, both of them curious about the ruckus outside. Avery was looking at Donnelley with that same worried gaze that Tilly had when he’d threatened to make the school security guard eat the curb. He averted his eyes right quick, “I’m fine…”

Dave held Donnelley for another couple seconds, then rolled off of him, coming quickly to his feet. He was breathing hard from the struggle of holding the man down, and while he stood nearby he stopped short of immediately offering a hand to pick him up. Instead he watched him with a wary eye for a few moments. 

“You alright, man?” He finally asked, slowly extending his hand. 

“[i]Fuck…[/i] Y-yeah.” Donnelley lay on the ground and tentatively took hold of Dave’s hand, wincing and holding his ribs as he was hauled up, “I was there. I was right fuckin’ there…”

“Right where?” Dave asked. His anger at having been swung on faded quickly; he knew he’d seen some unsettling shit, so it only stood to reason that Donnelley had, too. “What’d you see?” 

From inside the house, Laine could hear a sudden flurry of cursing, the distinct country drawls made her bolt up and turned to Ava. “Watch her.” 

She hurried outside, her hand checking for her Glock as she did. 

Back outside, Donnelley looked past Dave and over his shoulder. Recalling, and not wanting to, “I was back in Iraq, down a hallway, and the BLACKBOX… then it was almost like here, but… colder… and Laine was…” Donnelley fell quiet, his eyes widening just a hair, “Ava…”

Donnelley sunk down to his haunches and pressed his palms in his eyes, rubbing out the sights and the memory of it, “Jesus fuck… It ain’t fuckin’ real, it’s just tryin’ to fuck with me.”

Laine caught sight of Dave getting off of Donnelley and helping him up, she shot a look at Avery who had done nothing and rushed past him. She looked at both men, their faces held no anger but wariness and fear. She slowed down and walked up to them, her eyes on Dave, “What happened? We could hear you in the house.”

She turned to Donnelley, where he crouched and her hands slipped from her hips. Laine wanted to reach out and hold him, she could feel the distress coming off of him but Dave stood there and others were watching. Instead, she dropped to one knee so she would not hover over him and put a hand on his shoulder, “Are you alright?”

Donnelley nodded, laying a hand on Laine’s and squeezing reassuredly. He rose to his feet and asked Dave, “Did you see the same thing?” He looked at the ground and then to the hazy distances so thick with it he couldn’t see the end of the block, “When did it snow?”

Dave shook his head, reaching up to run a hand through his shaggy hair. 

“I dunno man. I wasn’t in Iraq, I was...Here. I saw the frozen guy, the mummified one...An’ then the shaman’s compound, an’...” He trailed off, following Donnelley’s gaze. “Then I saw that. The tundra. Out there.” 

Laine looked between them, “You saw something? What like hallucinations, both of you?” 

She glanced at the radio that sat silent and back at Donnelley, waiting for some sort of explanation. Laine followed their line of sight, had it been so hazy before? She did not think so but was not sure. Then she thought about the woman on the couch, she had been so cold. Freezing.

A shiver ran up her neck and she crossed her arms, holding herself.

“Let’s…” Donnelley looked around, a fog had fallen over Noatak and there was snow on the ground that none of them had seen coming in. None of them had seen it an hour ago either, “Let’s get back inside.”

“An’ maybe get our guns,” Dave muttered. He headed for the house, giving Donnelley a light thump on his vest to show that all was forgiven. “We probably oughta tell the rest of ‘em what happened, anyway.” 

“Mm.” Was all Donnelley said. The sudden appearance of snow and the haziness of the already dark night made his hair stand on edge. It didn’t help that Noatak didn’t seem to be too keen on streetlights. May as well just strap their NVGs on and leave them there.

Donnelley followed Dave and Laine to the front porch. He was the first to the door, placing his hand on the knob and stopping there. He looked to Dave, about to sheepishly mutter an embarrassed apology when he heard something weighty drop to the ground inside. He threw the door open, hand on his sidearm and disengaging the lock. What he saw made him rush forward without a word, Ava lay on the wood plank floor, eyes rolling back and twitching, “Jesus, no! No, no, no, Ava!”

>...///

The wind cut through the air like a butcher’s knife, tugging and whipping her hair around her bare shoulders and across her naked body. 

All around her stretched to the horizon was gray earth, shriveled and blackened shrub and jagged mounds of hills of unforgiving rocks. In contrast to this static landscape of lifeless monotone, up above the sky was a writhing mass of storm clouds. Like a turbulent black sea they swelled and twisted, ripping and tearing themselves apart only to form back together.

Yet through the storm and the barren slate of the land, there was a light. The pale light of the moon shone down upon her and the landscape; highlighting the only structure on the land.

Off in the distance, yet still looming in its size, was a ziggurat made of deep, black stone that was darker than the deepest shadow.

The wind howled, like a long wailing moan as she looked up to the moon.

It shined impassively down at her...Until a large black pupil rolled forth from behind it and looked back at her.

>...///

Ava took in a sharp breath, her eyes fluttering as they rolled back forward; looking up at the faces hovering over her. “...What happened?” She asked, her voice not pitched with fear or panic. Just, confusion.

“You fell down, sugar,” Dave’s voice was calm, though his clenched jaw showed the tension and worry he felt. He’d bulled his way past the rest of the team to scoop Ava into his arms, and he held her gently. “Looked like a seizure. You’re okay now, I’ve got you.”

He looked down at her, putting his hand on her cheek to comfort both Ava and himself. “Just relax, everythin’ is okay.” 

“What the fuck was that, what’re you yelling about?” Poker descended the stairs with his rifle at low ready, Avery at his back, “Hello?”

Laine bent at the waist, her hands on her knees to look over Dave’s shoulder. “Do you have any history of seizures, Ava? Do you remember anything, a smell or taste before you blacked out?” 

With concern in her eyes at the small figure cradled in Dave’s arms, “How do you feel?”

“Okay? I think?” Ava answered, her expression growing more confused as she took stock of herself. “I don’t know what happened, I was talking to the agent to keep her company and then... I felt this really strong rush of anxiety and fear and things went muddy after that. I saw shapes and colors then…” She trailed off as her eyes widened. “I think I had another vision, like the one I had when I was really sick when we were escorting Dulane, but a different one.”

Dave gave Donnelley a worried look, ignoring Poker. 

“Yeah, you ain’t the only one seein’ stuff, sugar,” he said. He was reluctant to let her go, but he shifted his grip on her a little bit. “Can you sit up? You want some water? Some tea?” 

Laine cleared her throat when she noticed Poker and Avery, worried that they would over hear the talk about Ava’s visions. She stood up and put herself between Ava and the staircase but let Donnelley handle his old teammate and Avery. 

“Is anybody gonna answer my fucking question?” Poker asked to the room, shaking his head incredulously.

“Don’t worry about it, everythin’s taken care of. Just get back-“

The SIREN Agent sat up stock straight on the couch, heaving in a raspy breath as if she’d been holding her head under the water until she couldn’t take it anymore. At the end of the breath, she let out a shrill scream that almost bent Donnelley double and threatened to blow out his eardrums. He looked from the equally startled Poker to Laine and the others. The strangeness that seemed to be happening in quick succession like a fucked up Rube Goldberg machine was making Donnelley feel like at any second the finale of it would blow through the door and kill them all.

Instead, nothing happened. Silence, the only sound the SIREN Agent’s haggard breathing, “Where am I!?” She asked, rising to her feet but her legs gave out and she instead flailed back onto the couch, “What the fuck? What the fuck, what the [i]fuck?[/i]”

The screaming also caught Laine by surprise, the woman reviving out of nowhere and it took her a moment to register the sudden change. She stepped past Ava and Dave and went over to the panicked woman and held her hands outward slightly, showing her she held nothing in that age old sign. 

“You’re with Team UMBRA,” she said in a slow firm voice, “You’re in the village of Noatak. You’re safe.”

Slowly, Laine approached so she could be close enough to touch but kept her hands to herself. She could see fear and disorientation and the trigger for her snapping out of her catatonic state did not seem to be the moment the hallucinations had hit the men or that Ava had her vision. It was after. She glanced at the window and saw the snow falling, another shiver ran up her neck but she kept her voice even. 

“Can you tell me your name? You’re part of SIREN?” Laine asked, looking at the agent, no doubt she was but maybe the name might focus her or trigger her memory.  

The SIREN Agent swallowed, looking at Laine with her mouth ajar. She focused her gaze on each of them in the room like she didn’t believe any of it. She probably didn’t. Donnelley looked from Laine to the SIREN Agent, hoping she was finally lucid and wasn’t completely out of her mind. The SIREN Agent closed her mouth, then spoke to Laine, “I… I’m Sarah. I’m Sarah Jung, from Homeland Security.” She looked around, “You’re… UMBRA, and THUNDER. Where’s ARTEMIS? Where’s Greedy?”

Laine tried to hold her gaze, speaking to her in the same calm, professional tone, trying to keep the concern about the snowstorm out of mind. "Sarah, Greedy is back at the BLACKBOX," she said, not sure she wanted to drop the bomb about the Wetwork team but this was a critical moment of trust establishing with the agent. 

"I'm sorry but ARTEMIS is gone," Laine did not add how they floated. "They died, they were shot at the stronghold."

“[i]They died…[/i]” Sarah whispered to herself, looking away from Laine, she looked at her hands, then ran them over her stomach under her shirt, still trying to convince herself she was alive.

Dave stood and gently helped Ava to her feet before walking over to join Laine and Sarah. 

“I’m Dave,” he said, looking down at her. “I uh, I helped with the medical side of things. I ain’t a doctor or nothin’, but survival is kinda my thing. Can you feel your fingers and toes? I need to make sure you don’t have frostbite.” 

Her gaze fixed on Dave for a long while, saying nothing. She flexed her fingers and toes like Dave had asked and then shook her head, “No. No, I’m okay.” Sarah said, “Is there… no one else?”

“You came in alone,” Laine said, then glanced out the window. “The snow came again though. Do you remember anything before you woke up here?”

“We were on the outskirts of town, going farther into the countryside. There was a fog rolling in quick and then…” Sarah’s face fell into her hands, she shook her head, “Don’t make me remember… don’t make me remember…”

Laine felt that knot of anxiety, looking out the window again. The eye witness reports she’d read and the information Ipiktok gave her about this thing. It all showed signs of not just being true but that it had come, following it’s lost prey. A shiver ran through her, her scalp crawling. 

“I’m sorry, I know it’s painful and frightening but we need to know,” Laine looked at Sarah then gestured at the window, “Is what came for you and SIREN, coming for us? Is that what you saw before, the haze and snow?”

Her heart pounded and she suddenly thought of Renko, his sad dark eyes and desperation. Laine felt empathy for Sarah but time was of the essence. “We have to protect ourselves.”

Sarah looked outside, getting up to stand well away from the windows out of fear, and instead leaning forward to peer through them. She held her arms around her and looked back to the others, nodding. Donnelley took that as a yes to Laine’s question.

>...///

While the others spoke and took care of the shaken SIREN agent, Ava backed away so she wasn’t adding to the crowd. She joined Ipiktok’s side and cleared her throat, looking up to the older native man. “Mr. Ipiktok, could you please help me brew up some tea?” She asked, tilting her head to the kitchen, her eyes betraying her intent to speak with him alone. “I think we might be needing some soon.”

“I can help.” Ipiktok nodded, turning and entering the kitchen while the others talked. It was apparent that something was troubling him from the furrow of his brow and his distant demeanor, though if there was, he spoke nothing of it.

Ava followed him into the kitchen, glancing over her shoulder to those not in UMBRA as she went, judging how close they were to the kitchen. Once they were alone, she took in a deep breath and picked up one of the empty pots to fill with water.

“Did you...feel what happened out there?” Ava asked Ipiktok with a disconcerted frown. “Do you know what that was?”

“I did.” Ipiktok nodded once, solemn, “I know what I dreamed of is coming to fruition. Your arrival here, Yutu’s death. The rest, I can not say.”

He closed his eyes and took a breath, “As much as I wish I could.”

Ava’s eyes snapped to him, widening in shock. “You knew I was coming?” She asked quietly. She glanced worriedly to the window before focusing back on Ipiktok, taking a step toward him. “I had a vision, when I was passed out on the floor.” 

“Of?” He asked, turning to look at her.

She looked to the kitchen entrance to make sure they were still alone, then turned back to him and quickly explained as best she could, the details of the vision she remembered. “And, the strangest thing is, it was like I passed out from the fear, like a severe panic attack, but when I woke up…” She shook her head in confusion. “I was completely calm. Like, nothing happened.”

Ipiktok nodded as if Ava had told him it was very cold outside, “Dreams and visions are unpredictable. There are times where I wake up not knowing where I am, other times I have to concentrate to make sure the dream or vision does not fade from my mind’s eye.”

He folded his arms, “I can not say I’ve ever seen a place like you described. Maybe it’s an omen of some kind.”

“Maybe,” She said, her shoulders slumping slightly. She ddn’t know what answer she expected to get from the Shaman, but she had hoped it would have been more...revealing. But this was just par for the course for her.

Realizing the water filled pot was just sitting on the counter, she moved it over to the stove and flipped it on. “You said that what you dreamed of is coming to fruition,” She said, turning back to him. “I know you said you can’t speak more of it, but can you tell me why you can’t tell us more?”

“It will not turn out the way I dreamed it would.” Ipiktok said.

>...///

“All Stations, this is TRIDENT 1-Actual.” Came the voice of Bear in Donnelley’s headset. “CORAL NOMAD is set to arrive in ETA 15 minutes. We are inbound to escort and assist with asset recovery, over.”

“UMBRA 1-Actual, roger, TRIDENT. Out.” Donnelley closed his mic and looked around at them all, “Well, you heard the team comms, let’s get packed up and ready to move. We’ve got ground out there to cover between here and the airfield.”

Laine moved to grab her bag by the door, then looked into the kitchen. She muttered to no one in particular, “Do you think salt still works without the magic words?” 

She went to the pantry and reached for the cardboard cylinder of Mortons and glanced around sheepishly before taking it to put in her bag. Slipping it over her shoulders, she then put the small rifle to hang over her chest. 

“Agent Jung...Sarah, stay with me, if you would?” Laine said, walking back out to the living room. She wanted to keep her close not just to watch out for her but to watch her, whatever was out there had followed and Laine wanted to know more. Had to know more to piece the puzzles together. 

Ava straightened as Laine brushed through the kitchen. “Wait, what’s happening?” She asked, turning off the burner and following Laine out of the kitchen, looking to Donnelley. “Are we leaving?”

Donnelley was busy checking over his weapons, putting his pack back on and buckling his helmet under his chin. He switched out his old mag for a fresh one with thirty rounds. Ava’s voice came from the kitchen and he turned to her, “Yes,” Donnelley quirked his brow at her, “Why?”

Ava glanced back into the kitchen at Ipiktok, her mind flashing over what he had said so cryptically. A vision he had that was being fulfilled and for it to go how he wanted it, he couldn’t say what it was. 

Her stomach curled with uncertainty, but she turned back to Donnelley and shrugged stiffly. “Just...wanted to be sure I understood right. I’ll, uh, go get my stuff.” She said, pointing in a vague direction before heading over to the pile of gear to collect her own belongings.

Ghost was ready to leave, his pack on and gear ready. He'd filled a duffel bag with the equipment they had chosen to snag from Yutu's private armory and was supervising the other members of THUNDER as they got ready to go. 

Dave meanwhile had slipped the C4 and its accouterments into his own pack, and stood downstairs near the kitchen. He caught sight of Ava and joined her as she began collecting her gear.

"Hey, sugar," he said, his voice low. "You holdin' up okay?" 

Ava looked up at Dave with a small start, startled from her thoughts by his approach. “Uh, yeah, I’m hanging in there.” She said, glancing toward the kitchen where she left Ipiktok. “Just gotta get going right? Get in the trucks, go get picked up and get out of here.”

"That's the plan," Dave said. He gave her a comforting smile, suppressing his own nerves for her sake. "We got a lot of guns around us. Two shooter teams, an' one of 'em is THUNDER. An' I'm here. Everything's gonna be okay." 

Ava gave him the best smile she could muster. “Yeah, it will.”

Queen arrived in the living room where people were gathering, giving the once near frozen agent now up and awake the once over before hooking his rifle over his chest. “Well, are all the scouts ready?”

He watched Laine move to gather Agent Jung and turned to Donnelley, stepping over to him, “We taking the old man with us?”

Or leaving him for Coral Nomad, he almost said but kept his grim joke to himself. If anything got the shaman it had better be them and not whoever else was chasing him. 

“Yeah, we’re takin’ him.” Donnelley nodded, “Some people wanna talk to him about what he knows.”

Donnelley left it at that if Queen hadn’t been told the old man was a fucking time-traveling sorceror slave from the dark future. He looked at the man himself for a few long moments, watching him stand in the kitchen, his hands folded in front of him as he looked out the window. He’d lost his home, his family. His world. If UMBRA and the Program were his only hope, well, they’d make sure he saw another sunrise just like everyone else, “Ipiktok.” The man looked at Donnelley as he called his name, “You’re up front with me.”

Ipiktok nodded, siding up with him as he opened the door to the outside and felt the rush of cold move past him to swallow whatever warmth was in Yutu’s house. TRIDENT was a little ways down the road, walking with another four person contingent all dressed in Multicam uniforms, masked and faceless. “The buggies!” He heard Bear call out, “Check your buggy!”

Donnelley looked back and nodded to the buggy, watching Avery walk past him to check the vehicle out. “Oh, fuck.” He heard Avery, “Fuck. Fuck!”

“Avery, what?” Donnelley looked at Avery with confusion as he watched the younger man hold his helmeted head in his hands.

Avery stood back up and threw a hand towards the vehicle, “Tires are slashed.” He said, walking back towards Donnelley, “I wouldn’t be surprised if it won’t even start. We were sabotaged.”

“Russians.” Donnelley growled. He rolled his shoulders and walked on towards TRIDENT and the CORAL NOMAD operators. “Your buggy?”

“Fucking slashed, no battery.” Bear spat, “We’re walking to the runway. NOMAD’s got a chopper. Keep your heads on a swivel, whoever did it is still here.”

“Yeah, they’re still here because they fucking live here.” Avery said, looking around at the houses. No one was on their porches, but that didn’t mean they didn’t have their faces pressed against their windows waiting for the show. Waiting to catch them on either side like a Taliban ambush on either side of a valley road.

At least, that’s how Donnelley felt. But his team didn’t need that. They couldn’t stay here, they had to move, ambush from the townsfolk or not. “Form up, columns. Maintain your spacing and keep your eyes and feet moving.” He turned to his team and THUNDER, “Let’s go.”

He placed a hand on Ipiktok’s shoulder and pushed him along gently as they began to walk and form up in their columns. CORAL NOMAD was on one side with TRIDENT, UMBRA and THUNDER on the other. They walked in silence, every one of them eyeing the mist and hoping to either see nothing in it, or see what was in it before it was too late. Their boots crunched into the snow and the frozen dirt of the road, the sound insulated by the thick fog around them.

Laine kept her Magpul in hand, her finger resting on the trigger guard as she walked behind Donnelley, Sarah beside her. She kept watching the fog then would check on the woman beside her. She was still in rough shape, the cold not helping her condition or the level of exhaustion she must still be at.

“We’ll get there, just keep moving. One foot in front of the other,” Laine encouraged. “And tell me if you see anything that might be familiar...to what you saw.” 

The feeling that this thing had followed Sarah Jung was still strong, whether it was right or wrong. Everything had swept in fast once the SIREN agent showed up in the front yard. Now sabotage on top of everything, but they had given them the excuse they needed. They had killed two of their own and left them laying out while taking their time inside Yutu’s house, they had certainly won no hearts and minds with the locals. They owed them nothing, not even against the Russians.

Ghost followed at the rear of the column, his eyes combing the landscape and his rifle ready. He was mildly annoyed at having been denied point, but he could deal. The possibility of another gunfight with GRU had him as close to giddy as he ever got, and he wasn't going to let a mild insult like being stuck at the back ruin his anticipation of a good time. 

Up front with Donnelley Dave was in a different state of mind. He was stressed; a long walk through thick fog in a potentially hostile neighborhood wasn't his idea of a good time, particularly with Ava and Laine in tow. 

The latter was what clenched it. He felt the same nervous excitement he had been feeling lately, but it was subdued by his worry for his friends. They weren't combatants, competent though they may be, and knowing that their safety hinged on his own abilities had him feeling the pressure. He kept his eyes on the landscape, resisting the urge to check on Ava as they moved. 

Ava held her Magpul like Dave had shown her, her eyes sweeping the icy, fog covered neighborhood as they walked in tense silence. Only the faint rush or wind and the crunch of boots on snow broke the oppressive quiet. 

She tried to keep her hands still, unsure if it was the cold or the fear gripping her that made them want to shake. Her mind flashed back to the cabin, her second day with UMBRA. The shoot out at the cabin, being shot in the gut; the pain, the fear all came rushing back as she became keenly aware of the scar on her stomach.

She could remember the sharp coppery smell of the blood all too well.

Donnelley walked on, eyes scanning, mind screaming at him as he tried to quiet it. Who knew how this place felt about Yutu. Who knew how this place felt about them. Matter of fact, it probably didn’t fucking matter since they’d gotten a coo killed and the White Men Waco’d one of them. If Donnelley was in their shoes, what’s slashing some tires and sabotaging some vehicles in the face of the Federal Government grinding their faces in the dirt once again. Ipiktok cleared his throat and Donnelley looked at him, “Joseph.”

“Ipiktok.”

“I had a dream about how this would go.” Ipiktok said, some sadness to his voice. Before Donnelley could say anything, Ipiktok spoke first, “It does not go well, but… this was part of it. I told Ava, but I did not tell you until now, because that is not how the dream went.”

“Okay?” Donnelley was getting nervous, his eyes more erratic as they flitted about. He could feel his heartbeat quicken, his hands start to sweat under his gloves.

Ipiktok leaned close, nodding to the CORAL NOMAD Operator walking alongside them, “Shoot him.” 

“What?”

“Shoot-“

“I heard you, you crazy fuck.”

“What’s he saying?” The NOMAD operator asked. Donnelley could see the other man’s blue eyes show pale in the hole his balaclava had. Donnelley looked at the man’s trigger finger, seeing it was squarely ready to fire, his rifle at low ready.

Donnelley didn’t answer. Just stared at him and stopped walking. The NOMAD operator narrowed his eyes, “We’re not at the helicopters.”

“What’s the hold up!?” Bear asked from farther down the line. Still, Donnelley didn’t answer.

“I didn’t hear you guys come in.” Donnelley muttered, knowing damn well he knew what a fucking Blackhawk sounded like. “I didn’t hear rotors.”

Everything was quiet then. Nothing but Donnelley’s heart in his ears. Ipiktok was right. The NOMAD operator made a flinch of movement but Donnelley already was reaching down to his sidearm and praying to fucking God he still had a sub-one-second draw time. Everything seemed to move slow, like he was underwater or in a dream, and as soon as he had his shot, he squeezed two rounds at those fucking blue eyes and watched the Operator drop with his left eye a gaping, leaking hole. It was quiet.

And then so very loud.

The world grew deadly quiet for what felt like an eternity, but could have been no longer than the space between heartbeats. Ava watched Donnelley whip up his firearm as fast as a viper and shoot the NOMAD agent at point blank range.

Before she could react, before she could even fully process what she just saw, her world exploded with white hot pain. It stabbed through her chest, beneath her collarbone like a dagger. She staggered and then another explosion of pain in her neck sent her diving to the ground out of some instinctive survival mechanism to get down and find safety.

Then, she couldn’t breathe. The taste of metal and copper started to fill her mouth as she tried to desperately suck in some are, staring up at the sky above with wide eyes, everything blurred by tears brought on by the pain. 

Everything was muffled around her, sounds were happening, something was happening but she couldn’t hear it over her own wet gasping breaths and the blood rushing in her ears. 

Someone. She pleaded, trying to form the words but all that came out was a sputtering gasp of blood. Help.

The scent of copper was heavy in the air.

Dave heard the shots, saw the NOMAD suck lead. More gunfire erupted and he turned in time to see Ava go down in a spray of crimson. Shots from another NOMAD cracked past his head and he roared, a wordless expression of rage, and opened fire on full auto. Three shots went wide, the next four slammed into the NOMAD operator's face and pulped his head like a dropped pumpkin. Then he turned on Bear, his grey-blue eyes murderous. 

The cold air was suddenly alive with the hiss and zip of shots fired and Laine was raising her Magpul as she saw Sarah crumple, the blood and brains spattering her with a hot spray. Laine screamed something wordless terror and anger, her shots towards the CORAL NOMAD going wide as he dodged aside and shot back. The impact on her upper thigh as the bullet entered and cracked her femur made her fall and the next shots struck her plate carrier and her neck, high near her jaw. 

She gasped, reaching to grab the wound as she rolled on the cold hard ground but the exit blew a hole out the opposite side of her throat and she felt the heaviness settle on her, a great pressing. Laine tried a few gasps but it failed, her green eyes wide as she searched for Donnelley and grew dull as the life leaked out of her, her hand slipping from her neck to her chest.

Queen had no time to react or realize when it came, She-Ra had waited until he turned to say something and she fired, striking him between the eyes. He dropped like a puppet with his strings cut and the last fractured image his mangled brain processed was sunlight winking off crystal windchimes before the darkness took him.
 
Ghost watched it happen, saw She-Ra put Queen down with a single shot to the T-box. Quick, professional. He allowed himself a moment of grudging respect even as he felt the fury of betrayal well up in him. His rifle snapped up and he put a single shot through her right eye, leaving a bloody crater in her face as the heavy bullet crashed through the back of her head in a blooming flower of brains and blood.

Poker himself didn’t know exactly why the shooting had started, just that Tex had started it. In all matters of life and death, Poker did what he always did and sided with the men he knew and respected. Without question, as soon as bullets were flying, he turned on his heel and ducked down to one knee, wasting no time in sighting up and simply putting a three quick rounds punching through that insufferable fucking Ranger’s face. What was left of it was a gaping crater that’d collapsed his entire nose and left cheekbone, his eye flopping as he fell.

Ipiktok was running. Tex couldn’t blame him, he would too if given the chance. Before coming back with more friends and more guns. But he didn’t seem to have many friends out here. He barely had time to process everything going on, but the smell of copper and gunpowder brought a sick thrill, sobered by watching Laine drop just before Queen. If he was a weaker man, he might’ve frozen and screamed to the heavens, asking why.

The only sound from him though, came from him turning at the waist and raising his SIG in the same split second. He watched one of the other NOMADs sight up on Dave, but a squeeze of his trigger put the man to rest, pink mist shooting from his neck first and then pulping half his face. He turned again to the Operator next to his dead friend, but he pitched back, punched hard once in his plate and another stole his breath, useless gasps as he sucked blood. His throat burned, and he could feel hot blood filling his mouth as his eyelids, his body, everything grew heavier and heavier despite the panic and the rage.

Dave missed Donnelley saving his ass. He missed Queen falling, and Donnelley going down right after. All he saw was Bear.

His AK rattled, five rounds stitching their way up the bearded man's body. Two struck armor, one his throat, and the next two slammed through his face, tearing his jaw away in a cloud of blood, Dave's roars of anguish and hate still sounding. 

Poker pivoted again at the hip, his rifle still up and catching Moon slipping as he watched Rooster die. A small twitch of the lips, something akin to a sick grin flashed over his face as Moon looked at him just before two of Poker’s round crunched through his skull, bits of teeth flying from mangled lips and the other leaving his forehead leaking dark blood.

As Bear collapsed, sucking blood through the shredded horror of his ruined mouth, Ghost tracked to the right and settled his sights on the next NOMAD in line. A crisp double-pop burst from the fat suppressor at the end of his rifle and two rounds sank into the man's temple, bursting from the other side of his skull. 

He scanned, spotting no other threats, but kept his rifle up. 

"I'm green," he said after a moment. 

As the last two bodies dropped Dave dropped with them, hitting his knees beside Ava. He felt his heart lurch as he looked down into her open eyes, and he scooped her up and clutched her to him. He held her tight, silent, his eyes closed as he crushed her body against his, ignoring the warm blood that ran onto his arms and chest.