Four in Shadows

Chapter 5

"Marina won't join us." His voice was firm.
"But if she-"
"Even if you gave her a million dollars." Landry poked his finger in Oliver's face. Eliza watched from the back seat of the car as they argued. They had been at it for at least thirty minutes. She had been silent the whole time, trying to bare the pain in her head. But she'd had enough of this.
"Why don't we ask her?" They both glanced back suddenly as if they forgot she was there.
"Exactly! If Marina says no then we'll move on. But if she says yes-"
"She won't." Landry raised his voice and Eliza saw his face steel through the rear view mirror. There was something about the way he acted that was familiar to her. Mainly, Eliza recognized the way he wanted to protect marina. It was the same way she felt about Oliver.
"She won't?" Their eyes met through the mirror. "Or you won't let her?" There it was. His defiance didn't waver but she could tell she was right.
"If you don't tell us where she is we will find her." She said steadily. "I mean we found you pretty easily." His eyes narrowed and she smirked in return.
"If she does agree to join-which she probably won't-" he gripped the handle on the door and veins popped up across his arm. "No harm comes to her or I'll kill you both. Slowly. And painfully." Oliver chuckled with a tinge of fear in his voice.
"Oh I'm terrified." Eliza deadpanned. Oliver, noticing the tension building between them decided to pipe in,
"I'm sure she can handle herself. I mean she didn't earn the respect she has for nothing right?" He laughed awkwardly. No one else returned the laugh. "So... how do we contact her?" Landry pulled out his phone and dialed a number staring out the window.
"Rin? I've got a job for you."
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"So Marina, how did you end up working for Larry?"
A petite girl of about 17 years old scoffed at him.
"I work with Landry, not for him." Her words were sharp but she didn't seem cruel or cold like Landry.  In fact she was surprisingly a warm and bubbly person. Definitely not what Eliza pictured.
The well meaning Oliver was taken aback by her tone. But continued questioning her, "Then, how did you end up working with him? Were you an assassin before?" Her dark brown curls bobbed as she shrugged her shoulders.
"It's really none of your business." She said sweetly. Oliver cocked his head like a confused puppy. Marina turned to join Eliza and Landry who were studying the layout of the grounds. Things started coming together in Eliza's head. She had wondered why Marina and the Wraith would be any help. Then she discovered that Marina used to work for the family as a maid. That gave them an in. Landry had the knowledge of the family and Marina knew the layout of the estate. It was a huge lavish estate that made Eliza sick. All that money and their district was dying of starvation.
"If we enter separately through different entrances it will be easy to disguise everyone and slip through unnoticed." Landry pressed his hands against the table. "But we need a team to go in first and disable the camera system. We cannot have this attack traced back to us."
Eliza scrutinized the blueprints noting the security room. "How will we get to the security room then?"
Marina piped in, "The vents. In that area of the house the vents are an industrial size. Big enough for even you to climb through." She poked Landry's arm and he traced a line on the chart with his finger.
"But the vents don't let out in the security room." "We need to know where the cameras are in this area so we can sneak from the vent access, take out the guards and access the cameras and lights." For being so young Marina seemed to know her shit.
"I can find that out!" Oliver pulled out his laptop and began typing.
"Great!" Marina exclaimed. "Then, once the cameras are disabled and the lights are off, team two can dismantle the back door security and get into the left wing." She looked up at the rest of them. "Then we locate the targets."
"It sounds like it just might work." Eliza added. Marina smiled proudly. "I guess me and Oliver will be team two and you two can take the vents into the security room."
Marina shifted uncomfortably. "Why can't you two go through the vents?" She asked defensively.
Oliver glanced at her over his shoulder. "You're not claustrophobic are you? You're like the smallest person here. You'll be fine." He pointed out. She crossed her arms and ignored him.
"Besides Oliver needs to be the one at the door because breaking into the bolt electronically is a lot more difficult than flipping the lights off." Eliza pointed out.
Landry leaned back in his chair and broke his silence, "No. We need to separate the teams. You can't be with you're brother and I can't be with Marina."
"And why not?" Eliza huffed.
"Because it gives each the opportunity to take matters into their own hands. If we each have a person we trust on the other side then we don't have to worry about one team turning on us." He glared back at Eliza.
She rolled her eyes, "No way." And shook her head. "I'm staying with Oliver."
"He's got a point." Oliver volunteered. Eliza glared at her brother.
"It's fine. I can go with Oliver to the door and you two get the pleasure of climbing through the vents." Marina stated.
"No... I'm not going with him," Eliza gestured to Landry by waving her hand. "the last time I was alone with him he nearly killed me!" Eliza exclaimed.
"Wouldn't you do the same to an intruder?" His coolness and inability to get excited just agitated her more.
"I'll go with Marina." Eliza said looking to Marina who only shook her head.
"I can't go through the vents. I-" she blew out a breath. "I just can't."
"Just get over it sis. You don't really have a choice." Now she was starting to feel ganged up on.
Eliza gritted her teeth before giving in, "fine." She said against her will. Her body still ached from their first encounter.
"Then tomorrow night, we finish the job and go our separate ways." At least that part of Marina's words appealed to Eliza. Then she could go on with her life. Though, she didn't know what that would look like at this point. One thing she did know, it would never be the same.