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"What do you mean you don't know?" Nuri's voice is sharp and pinched on my other side. If my teeth weren't clenched so tightly that they felt like they were cracking, I would have asked the same question. It's ludicrous for them to send us out here with no knowledge of our surroundings. If we're separated and the comms fail, how would they expect us to get back?

Marcus audibly clears his throat before answering. In the dim lighting, I can see just the hint of his hands digging into his knees. "They only give us the information we need." His voice is clipped and guarded. Clearly, he isn't any happier with not knowing all of the details than the rest of us are as we sit in this van going who knows where.

"And if I need to go to the bathroom?" Nuri asks softly.

The shape belonging to my brother leans forward and takes her hands in his own, "It's never that long of a trip, spitfire. I promise."

Charged silence encompasses the van for the rest of the uncharted journey. We all feel it when the van rounds a corner and progressively slows down. When the van comes to a complete stop, voices sound outside before it starts to move once again. Marcus flinches then cracks his neck to cover it up while leaning his head to his right shoulder. If someone startled him by talking through his ear piece, then this must be our destination.

My assumption is confirmed when light floods the cabin of the van. I have to squint my eyes after so long in darkness. "They couldn't have given us the light the whole damn time?" Oliver complains. Never thought I'd see myself agreeing with him, but what was the point of all the cloak and dagger stuff? Who was it for?

"You're up." Marcus tells him instead of acknowledging his complaint. As if on cue, our implants light up, projecting the shadow of a blue hue on everyone's faces. Reaching for the handle, Oliver swings the door open and jumps down. He turns and offers a hand for Nuri who doesn't hesitate to take it and clamber outside. I watch as Oliver stretches his arms up over his head, shaking out his muscles from the drive.

Nuri follows suit once her feet hit the ground. Simultaneously, they turn rigid and motionless. Their eyes glaze over as they listen to the guide that will speak only to them. After acknowledging their orders verbally, she gives Michael and I a nod with a signature braid flip before sending a wink my brother's way. He growls at her, "Don't be cute. Be smart and stay safe."

"I can do both of those things and still be cute. See you soon, Mountain." With that she shuts the door on all of us. Archer runs a hand over the back of his neck in aggravation.

There's nothing for the rest of us to do but wait while Oliver and Nuri make their way inside to the control room and take it offline. Ben drums an anxious rhythm on his knee while we wait. I swear we all let out a relieved breath when we collectively hear Oliver's voice in our ears, "We're in. Archer, Ben I've a side door waiting for you."

Oliver's voice cuts out almost before he can finish his sentence. By the looks of Archer and Ben, they are now being prepped by their guide. The pair of them grin maliciously at whatever is being said. Twin looks of gleeful destruction are mirrored back at each other. I couldn't be more happy that Archer isn't paired with me. With my lack of experience, retrieval is definitely where I'm comfortable at this point.

My brother swivels to me and commands me to be smart and safe as well before leaping out of the van with Ben. It's forever and no time at all when another voice crackles into my ear piece. "Time to move. Oliver's patched us in, and Archer and Ben have started to clear the way." The voice doesn't belong to Ryan, but it is a voice I recognize.

"F-Fin?" I spurt, mostly out of shock. My brain feels like it's filled with wool. Ryan is our guide. Michael and I haven't trained with Fin. Ever. Something's wrong. "Is Ryan okay?" I have to know because the only reason he isn't talking to me right now has to be because something terrible has happened. He promised me that he wouldn't let anyone else guide me.

Thinking back to that night where Ryan said someone was fighting to be in my ear, a picture starts to form. My traitorous brother was gunning for Ryan's job, and somehow he got it. Marcus motions for me to get moving, but it feels like I've been glued to this bench. "He's fine. Get moving. Now." Fin's voice hisses his command harshly in my ear.

Eventually, I come to my senses when Michael pulls me to my feet. Hopping down from the van, I try to take stock of my surroundings and stretch, but it's all I can do to focus on keeping my movements calm and slow. Just like Ryan trained me to do. Ryan. Surely, he has to still be in the control room at the Sanctum watching this unfold. I wonder if they had to restrain him to get him off the comms. Whatever they did, I know he didn't agree to this without a fight.

Michael taps one word onto my hand: Later. I give him a curt nod and focus on keeping my speed in check as we follow Fin's directions to a side door that opens for us. My stride is brisk, but Michael matches me, so hopefully we just look like we're in a rush instead of overtly suspicious. On the other side of the threshold, a guard is slumped down in his chair. A passerby might think he's sleeping on the job, but Archer and Ben have clearly knocked the man out cold.

Under Fin's guidance, we walk down the wide hallway like we know what we're doing and where we're going in case anyone happens upon us unannounced. It isn't likely now that Oliver has sabotaged the security cameras, but it's best to look like we belong. Finally, we get to a door at the end of yet another hallway within this labyrinth of a compound, but Oliver hasn't managed to get it open yet.

"I can open it." I murmur and reach for the pen Ani gave me. Fin tells me to wait while he checks something. Rolling my eyes, I let the pen drop back into my tool belt. I won't go against his orders. Not yet anyway. How long do we give him? I've just finished tapping the question onto Michael's hand when Fin gives me the all clear.

Grabbing the pen again, I shift closer to the door while Michael uses his body to block my movements. Within seconds, the door is unlocked, and I'm pocketing the best tool I could have been given today. Someone should have timed me, so I could give Ani a full report. Maybe I'll ask after this is all over.

Before turning the handle on the door I ask Fin, "Are we going to trip an alarm?"

"Oliver can't tell. This room isn't on a grid he can access." Fin continues, "The key should be in the top left drawer of the desk on the far wall. If an alarm sounds, evacuate immediately."

"Without the key?" I reiterate, hardly believing his words. We came all the way out here expressly for the key. There's no way I'm going through all of this without obtaining it. It's the whole point of the mission.

I wait for Fin's answer, but something happens to my connection. It crackles then beeps three times. The reset protocol. Turning, I raise an eyebrow at Michael who looks just as confused. "SS, Michael." Ryan's smug voice pipes through this time. I can't help but grin, and I don't care what he did or how he did it because all that matters is that he's with us now. "Alarm or not, get the key." My grin widens.