Phoenix Fire (Book 2 in the Winter's Series)

Chapter Six: Plan of Action Part One

I crack my eyes open, blinking away the sleepiness I feel. Stretching, I slowly turn around and take in the room. My eyes land on a sleeping figure in the corner of the room. His back is to me, but I can still see the small trimmers in his body as he shivers from the coolness of the damp, cold concrete room. I frown seeing that there is nothing I can do to warm him. So instead of being nice and letting him sleep, I move over to wake him up.

I gingerly place my hand on his shoulder trying to be as gentle as possible. However, as soon as my hand comes in contact with his body his eyes snap open as his reflexes take over as mine had before. Part of me knew it was coming so I was partially prepared for the instinctual reaction. Still, it hurt like hell when my butt slammed into the ground with the added weight of a full grown assassin. I braced myself against him with my hand on his shoulders, to keep him away from me. I stare into his cold emotionless eyes before recognition fills them and he comes to his senses.

"Sorry." He says picking himself up and backing away from me.

"It's okay, I know the feeling. It's not your fault." I say getting up and brushing myself off. "Come on, we have much to discuss. Plus it's warmer outside, I know a place where it's safe to talk as loud as we want to. Follow me." I say leading the way out of the room and down the dark corridor up several flights of stairs and finally into the outside world.

The wind meets my skin like a gentle kiss as I walk out on the top of the dam. The narrow pathway leads on to places I have yet to explore, but the privacy given by the abandoned damn is peaceful in contrast to the hellish few weeks that I've had to experience. I feel like I can finally relax, but I know it's just a matter of time before the next wave of danger comes in. Which is why I need to discuss a plan of action, to hit them first and possible to stop any further attacks.

"What is it you wanted to discuss?" He asks, grabbing onto the cool railing. The sunlight hits his face in a way that only brightens half of it, dividing it into two pieces, a light side and a dark one. A shadow cast by the side of the building, but leaving behind a more significant imprint. "Eden?" he calls my name, snapping me out of my daze.

"Huh?"

"What did you want to discuss?"

"Oh, right. Well I was thinking about what happened recently, and I thought instead of running... why don't we hit them first? We could scrounge up any old contacts we still have and get information about them. Maybe find out who is in control of them. I mean obviously we would have to catch and interrogate one first." I ramble out in a rush.

"It could work." He says pausing to think. "But, the risks are very high for us to do this. I don't think they would send out inexperienced hunters to take down two very high value targets. That being said, if we take them out first we stand a better chance at surviving. But there is also the chance they are the least experienced of the experienced hunters, so if we take them out then there could be more dangerous ones next."

"Right but we find out who all is on the totem pole and take out the head of the organization, then the rest will crumble like HYDRA did."

"Yes, unless there is someone else willing to take the mantle once the head has fallen. Cut off one head, two more take its place."

"Good point, but I think it will be worth being safe again. Not having to run away anymore, having the freedom to stay in one place for longer than a week. I think it will be worth that. No matter how dangerous."

"Do you really think you could ever have that? The world thinks HYDRA agents are the world's worst criminals. Who says that we will never not be hunted for the rest of our lives. Always hated, and for good reason. The things we've done, the people we've killed..."

"You've changed a lot since yesterday, I think this is the most you've talked to me, since well... ever."

"I guess being on the run will do that to someone. Yours and my goals are the same right now. Survive and remember. I guess you could call us allies even if I strongly disagree with working together, I don't suppose I have a choice anymore." he says looking out at the scenery in front of him while I ogle in astonishment that he declared us allies. I turn my gaze to the deserted dirt roads leading to civilization. How long would we be safe here before we were found again? What if we are being scouted at this very moment and an attack could be unleashed at any moment? Where else could I go? I don't know many other places we could go for refuge, even if it were only for a brief time. We're running out of resources fast and the wolves are closing in on us. Thoughts pour into my mind clouding it as I realize just out short of a rope we are holding onto and it's starting to fray.

"When do we make our move? How will we capture one? There's so much to plan out and I have a feeling we don't have much time." I say looking at him again.

"Then we'd better get started."