No Man's Land

27- Sunrise.

Parker Magdalen

*****

On the beach, there was an eerie feeling of calm as the passengers sat on the sand and quietly talked. Some huddled around as a fire burned further from the growing tide. Meanwhile, various agents sorted through luggage, pulling out whatever spare gear they had packed. We'd told the passengers that we had to move because we were getting close to contacting mainland, but the tension in the air told a different story.

I turned around as someone came into view, a flashlight beaming in front of them. Maxine.

"We're set to leave in five," She announced. She noticeably now had a pistol holstered at her side although it had been implied that the British agents had been traveling unarmed. If they hadn't, that may have prompted a bit of concern.

I nodded and took one last look at the beach before setting out to find my suitcase. For my sidearm, I selected a Sign Sauer 320, which was standard issue. I didn't have much else with my besides a few extra clips, bulletproof best, and a utility knife. I couldn't help but think that we might have been marching to our rooms, since we really had no idea what we were walking into.

Before I knew it, Maxine was tapping my shoulder. "It's time to go," She announced. I let out a heavy breath before falling into pace behind her. I waved a non-committal goodbye to Chestine, who was the only person from the agency who was staying behind.

"Stay safe," I said to Mia, Dennison, and Scott, who had been assigned beach guard duty.

"Same to you," Mia said with a distant look in her eyes. "Hopefully it'll all be smooth sailing here. We'll radio if the techies make any progress." More nods all around.

Finally, I took my place with Maxine at the front of the mismatched group of agents. "Let's get this show on the road," I said, filling the silence.

Then, in practiced silence, we started North.

_____

Jana O****

_____

My one advantage was that Yavuz was a cocky idiot. I jostled the handle lightly and noticed that it had give- he hadn't even cared to lock it. I tightened my grasp on the knife and rested my other hand on the door handle.

I took in a breath before swinging the door open. As I'd guessed, a man stood guard next to it. At the sound, he flipped around to face me and flew at me. I lunged to the side and wrapped my arm around his neck, holding the knife below his chin.

"Drop the rifle," I hissed into his ear. The man obeyed, the gun falling to the floor with a loud clink.

"You will not be getting out of here," He hissed in halting English. Without a second thought, I slammed his head into the wall and he fell to the floor.

I looked around for a moment and dragged the man into the cell, closing the door behind him. I turned back to the hallway and picked up the gun so that I could examine it. The magazine was still full. Upgrade.

I threw the rifle's strap over my head but kept the knife ready in my hand. My breathing evened after a moment, and I started down the hallway as quietly as I could. And just like that the imaginary timer in my head started ticking away.

I glanced around the next corner to see a woman in the same drab grey clothes as the man had been in, stationed in front of another door. At my side, I noticed that the corridor was being illuminated by a portable work light; it made sense since there was likely no real electrical infrastructure.

I edged closer to the light and planted my foot on it's base, kicking it into the hallway. With my back pressed against the wall, I waited for her to walk past me. As she did, I threw my elbow at her head. I missed slightly, causing both of us to stumble forward. She flipped around, managing to land a clumsy punch to the side of my head. I let the force carry me down and rolled to my feet, head throbbing.

"Stand down!" The woman yelled, angling her gun at me.

"Eat shit," I suggested, but raised my hands, letting the knife slip into my sleeve. As she went to reach for her radio, I slid to her side. The momentum and gravity was enough to send the knife sliding back into my hand so that I could shove it into the bend of her knee, sending her to the floor with a swear.

I planted one foot on the muzzle of her gun, the other a bit lighter on the small of her back.

"Where's the exit?" I asked, although it sounded more like a demand. Although the side of her face was pressed against the ground, I could see her sneer.

"Why should I tell you?" The woman hissed into the ground. She spoke in steady English. Another mercenary.

"I'll keep you from getting charged too heavily for this." I lied. She let out a heartless laugh. I kept checking behind me, anxious to keep moving.

"How do I know that you'll keep your word?" My thoughts raced for a moment.

"If I lied to you, no one would believe me in the future. Trust it." Another lie. By the time she'd realised that I'd duped her, she'd be stuffed somewhere much too secure for her to tell.

"Straight two blocks, one right, left until you see a door."

"Thanks," I noted before slipping the tranquilizer that was strapped to her knee and pressing it into her neck. She muttered a curse before going out like a light.

I broke into a sprint, abandoning subtilty since someone had probably realised I was missing by now. I forced my clumsy gait into a steady rhythm and tried to ignore the burning aches in my muscles.

Two turns from freedom.

One.

As I rounded the last corner, I suddenly stopped dead in my tracks.

"Nice try, Jana," Yavuz growled. But I wasn't focused on him.

I was focused on the familiar figure that stood with her head down, behind him.

Hahahaha I love cliff hangers. What's up? How y'all been? This actually might be a double upload night if everything goes well, which it never does. Also, when I updated like two weeks ago we were at 11k. As of typing this we're at 14.9k, so I'm guessing that it won't take an hour to reach 15k hehe. Yall are great.

Fun fact: I'm in Santa Fe right now and wrote some of these at a rooftop bar. I'm not drinking age so it's only quesadillas for me :/

<3 K