Fallout || Stranger Things [2]

twenty-five || showers and safe houses

"Nina."

     Ben tipped his head to the side as the cramped SUV rolled to a stop in the late evening hours, nudging his sister in the side gently. "Nina," he whispered again.

     The small brunette stirred, bleary eyes opening. She hummed, scanning the vehicle until she landed on Ben. "Did we stop?"

     "We're here," the stiff driver announced from the front as he killed the engine.

     Nina ran a hand down her face, groggy in every sense of the word. "And where might that be?" She'd lost track after two planes and a never ending car journey.

     The two suited men at the front of the SUV exited without a word, quick to come around the doors and let the early spring chill spill inside. They waited patiently as the family departed the inconspicuous black vehicle, one of them retrieving the small bags they had been ordered to pack.

     Nina craned her head around as she stepped onto the curb, dozens of trees surrounding the property like a cloak. "You're still not going to tell us?" she questioned as she leaned into the road.

     Another property sat halfway down the large street, marked only by a large boulder beside a craning driveway that disappeared into the woods. It hardly appeared a friendly or lived in neighborhood and instead screamed seclusion and security.

     Elena slipped her arm through Nina's as the bodyguards lingered in silence and began to lead her down the stone path that disappeared into the trees. "We're just outside of Washington D.C.," she murmured, covering the action with a light kiss to her temple.

     Nina let the information pass quietly, walking arm and arm with Elena while Ben hovered close behind. The Rivers, better known as the Coopers these days, were sandwiched between their escorting officials along the path, nothing but trees to see.

     The bodyguard leading the charge removed a flashlight from his trousers and brought it to life. He fired of a succinct pattern of flashes forward, each burst of light disappearing into the darkness.

     Nina glanced over her shoulder, shooting the guard at the back a look. "Does this count as kidnapping?"

     Ben prodded her ear gently, blocking her view of the other guard as he kept his eyes forward. "Jordan said we'd be safe."

     "Jordan just said to go," she countered despite letting her gaze return forward. "He didn't say anything about safety."

     "We'll be-"

     Several yards ahead, a single light strobed in pattern, revealing glimpses of a structure hidden in the trees.

     "What kind of G.I. Joe shit is this?" Nina questioned, glancing back to Ben as they were shuffled along the path.

     Ben's brows furrowed. "How do you know what G.I. Joe is?"

     Elena murmured a warning before Nina could reach back to swat Ben, squeezing Nina's arm to keep her at bay. She tipped her chin forward, nodding to the house rising through the trees. "Look."

     "Woah," she mumbled, nearly missing a step as she took in the two-story cabin cloaked in dark wood and deep green details.

     It was nice, but there was no question it was meant to be hidden.

     A porch light clicked on as the five passed an invisible threshold, revealing four more men in black suits with blank expressions lingering around the front of the house.

     "Are you sure we're safe?" Nina whispered, sending a desperate glance back to her brother as the guard ahead of them stepped up onto the porch.