The base buzzed with a tension that could not be contained. Soon, they would move to a bigger, more intense place, where the real training would start. Sylvester’s boots struck the concrete with deliberate weight as he marched into the operations hall. His face was unreadable like it was carved from rock itself. But his eyes burned. Several soldiers straightened as he entered, some saluting instinctively. Sylvester didn’t acknowledge the gestures. He went straight to the front, where a digital map hovered over a curved table. "Everyone, listen up," he said, his voice carrying without needing to be raised. In seconds, Geral, Otto and Verity were at attention, pooling to the front of the group without resistance, because everyone recognized their ranks. "Emily was attacked last night," he began flatly. "Katherine showed up and saved her." Geral blinked, taken aback. "Katherine? As in our Katherine?" Otto grunted. "She’s supposed to be…I dunno…missing." Sylvester looked from

The interrogation stretched deep into the early hours of the morning. The man started strong at first – Silence. Silence is golden, but it only works when you have some clasp of power, or when you’re dealing with irrational people. Sylvester was patient. He wasn’t going to kill him. In fact, save for a few beatings, Sylvester didn’t do so much physical damage. After all, he needed the man in good enough condition to talk. And so, he treated him. Nice and good. After silence, came the screaming. Sylvester was methodical in his craft, and made sure every pore felt pain. The poor guy begged for death, but it didn’t come. The only keys that were to be handed to him, was release, in however form he liked. As long as he talked. “They’ll kill me!” he screeched as Sylvester let up from an electrocution episode. “You don’t understand. If I talk, I’m dead.” “If you don’t talk, we’ll still find the information we want, and when you leave here, you’ll be dead either ways. Why play the

Emily’s head throbbed as she drifted back into consciousness Her limbs were dead weight, and her eyes refused to focus, unless she tried really hard. The air around her reeked of damp wood and old leather, with a tinge of sweat and something metallic. Blood? Was she bleeding? She groaned softly, trying to move her hands, only to find them tightly bound behind her. A cold, biting rope scraped against her skin. Her mouth was dry and her head was a cloud of confusion. But her heart was intact, and so was the rage behind it. Katherine. The name kept thrumming in her mind, threatening to split her head open with all the wrath she felt. Emily felt sick from the betrayal. She had looked into Katherine's eyes and believed her. She had swallowed that sob story, allowed a sliver of sympathy to wedge itself in her chest. And now, here she was, kidnapped, alone, and who knew how far from Sylvester. Stupid. She was so stupid. She blinked through the haze and glanced around. She wa

The next morning dawned soft and quiet, the kind of peace that followed a long, exhausting war. And even though there was even greater conflict to come, Sylvester could, at least for now, breathe a little easier.The compound was still, except for the occasional murmur of soldiers returning to routine – cleaning weapons, checking patrol points, and tending to injuries. "You all did well. Last night could’ve gone horribly wrong, but we came out strong. Together. That’s what matters," he said as he tapped the shoulders of one of the men who was trudging along, doing his task with a little more difficulty, perhaps due to his exhaustion.Around the room heads nodded, shoulders relaxed. Verity leaned against the wall near Geral, arms folded. Otto perched on the edge of a table, quietly smirking at something only he understood. Katherine stood alone to the side, not willing to test the others’ acceptance of her.She was sure of rejection, at least initially, and she didn’t try to fight i

The government building looked just as cold as Sylvester remembered it. Grey walls stretched skyward, fortified with history and secrets they kept deliberately from just about anyone they absolutely did not have to tell.A lot of them, he remembered…some, he didn’t. All, he didn’t care for.The stone steps beneath his boots echoed his reluctance, but no one could see it. They all had their snubbish faces stuck out, looking for whatever the next big thing was, that could get them a promotion.Dog eats dog hierarchy in this place. It irritated him.Two suited men greeted him at the door. Their suits were black, and there were no name tags. Not unusual for top secret meetings like the one he was sure he was going to.They didn’t introduce themselves either, and Sylvester was fine with it. They gestured for him to follow, and he did without hesitation, even though his mind screamed at him to turn back.He was led down a long corridor lined with portraits of dead men who had shaped the co