Lilly was freaking out. This is not how it was supposed to go. This was not what the plan entailed! She began to hyperventilate. It was her fault! She knocked over that bottle, it was her fault. Her black hair in a low ponytail was slicking to her face from the rain, and her quick breaths came out in puffs of fogs. It was getting colder from the rain and steam began to rise from the sewers from the sudden change in temperature. Lilly grasped at her hair and leaned against the wall.
Mark was risking his life. Mark was risking his life. Mark was risking his fucking life. Lilly felt helpless. She had no idea what to do.
Brynn was in front of her in an instant. She put her hands on her shoulders and was saying something to her. Lilly's gaze remained unfocused on Brynn's stoic face. Apparently having enough, Brynn slapped her across the face. Lilly came back to the present.
The rain pattering, the warm hands of Brynn's on Lilly's shoulders, and Brynn's deep eyes giving a sense of comfort despite the anger she displayed earlier. Lilly was about to shout an insult, but realized it helped her.
"Thank you." Lilly mumbled, putting a hand on her stinging cheek.
"No problem," Brynn responded while making sure her gun was still in her back pocket. She gave a quick peak out past the building to where Tristan and Nadeen were taking Mark. "We have to be quick, c'mon."
Brynn glanced around the alley at a couple dumpsters. She quickly ran to them and threw her upper body at the edge so she could reach inside. Lilly watched from her spot on the wall as Brynn pulled out a piece of fabric or clothing of some sort and a... brick? Brynn returned to where Lilly was and saw she hadn't moved.
"Hey, c'mon. He'll be okay." Brynn reassured while preparing to perform a B & E. Lilly didn't move. "If he's smart like you, he'll know what to do and how to take care of himself."
The compliment shocked Lilly so much that she turned to face Brynn. She wrapped the doorknob in the fabric and went to pick up the brick.
"God, I feel like fucking Cro Magnon." Brynn remarked, raising the brick above her head.
"Actually, Homo habilis was the first to use stone tools." Lilly shock back, using her intellect to soothe her anxiety about the situation. Suddenly, Brynn stopped what she was doing.
"You know what?" Brynn grabbed Lilly's wrist and ventured to the other side of the building. Lilly wanted to ask what Brynn was doing, but she figured it was pointless. Either way, Brynn knew what she was doing. As much as Lilly disliked Brynn, she trusted her. Lilly's own thoughts startled her. Brynn set down the brick quietly, the same time that commotion was heard on the other side of the building where Nadeen, Tristan, and Mark had to go. "Ready? Follow me."
Lilly watched frustratedly as Brynn took off toward the chain link fence and jumped over. After sparing a glance to the commotion, Brynn motioned Lilly to jump over as well.
Lilly struggled with her inner conflict. She could shake her head, turn, and go back to the others. They would be fine without her, they seemed to be. With only the four of them in there, it would also be much easier to maneuver in the enemy-filled territory. Brynn wouldn't have to look out for Lilly if she just went back to the others.
But Mark. Mark was relying on Lilly being there with him. She couldn't turn back now, it was time to prove herself. She had held herself back enough in her life, focusing on books and sticking with plans and things that required thought. Wasn't it time for her to just do something?
"Fuck it." Lilly cursed, pushing her stray hair behind her ears. She took off toward the chain link fence, one foot in front of the other. The cold rain pounded against her face and stung her eyes. Following Brynn's previous movements, she jumped when she got a meter close to the fence and caught the top of it in her hands. Ignoring the pain she felt in her palms, she threw her left leg over and then her right. Falling over, she landed awkwardly on the pavement with Brynn quickly helping her up. They both ran to the nearest cover, which happened to be the side of a tank. "Holy shit."
Lilly's proclamation caused Brynn to grin animalistically. If it weren't for the stealth mission, Lilly was sure that Brynn would have laughed out loud. Lilly realized how well Brynn functioned and adapted in the face of chaos and she felt jealous. Lilly's nerves were through the roof as Brynn peeked around the tank and toward the radio building. She took the time to look at her hands, which were still in pain due to the scrapes on them. The blinds were drawn and there was dim light shining through. They would need to duck under the gun of the tank, hug the front of it, then sprint to the radio. Brynn told Lilly that if they timed it right, they could just enter the front door. They would have to hope and pray that no one was in there. Regardless, Lilly was tired of thinking. She just wanted to get this done at this point, even though every fiber of her being was telling her to turn back.
They positioned crept along to the front of the tank, crouching low and quietly. There was commotions to the far left of them where Mark, Nadeen, and Tristan had disappeared. On the count of three, Brynn rushed the door to the radio station. She was quick to open it and usher Lilly in behind her before closing it fast. Lilly scanned the room as fast as she could.
Dim, yellow light came from a lantern in the corner. There were rows upon rows of different dials and buttons and contraptions. In the back corner was what looked like a recording booth. There were a couple doors that must've lead into the back or towards bathrooms, even a kitchen. Lilly could only guess. Most of the windows had their blinds pulled shut.
"Lieutenant Harlow?" A voice sounded from the corner. A figure that was slumped over a microphone arose quickly, their arm bent at the elbow and their hand straightened at their brow. Lilly was surprised she didn't see the figure sooner, considering the hazmat suit they wore. Lilly didn't miss the wave of surprise that flashed on Brynn's face. Lilly felt lucky to have Brynn with her, who was quick to catch the atmosphere and adapt again to the situation. Brynn gave a dismissive salute to the man who rose from his chair. A confused expression was on the man's face. "Sorry ma'am, I didn't know you were assigned at this post. Where's your suit?"
A brief hesitation that only Lilly seemed to notice, probably because she spent more time than she'd like with Brynn in the few past weeks. Lilly imagined gears inside Brynn's head turning as she began to make sense of the scenario. She came to realize how good Brynn seemed to be at reading people's body language. Lilly recognized how many time Brynn had saved her ass in that moment. From nearly driving into the soldiers base, to helping them out of the bombed building, to saving them from the soldiers that nearly caught them on their mission.
"No worries Sergeant, I don't need one." Brynn recovered, taking on her authoritarian posture that had left its mark on Lilly. The man inside the hazmat suit's brows furrowed as he stood with his hands behind his back and shoulders squared. Lilly couldn't tell if he was buying it or not.
"I wasn't aware that you took part in the tests." The man recalled, taking a tone in his voice as if he were contesting Brynn. Lilly took a big gulp and edged herself closer to Brynn, feeling the tension rise within the room.
"It seems you're not aware of much these days, Martins," Brynn addressed, folding her arms and stepping closer. The man blinked and opened his mouth like he wanted to stay something but stopped. Lilly could almost see the sweat forming on his forehead through the plastic screen of his hazmat suit. Lilly remembered how she had felt when she was talked down on by Brynn and felt a shiver down her spine. She became aware of how fast her heart was beating at this moment, the pain in her palms easily forgotten. "I assume you're following orders?"
The man turned back to his station. Lilly finally noticed a laptop open, as well as the wires connected to it that ran along the floor in thick strands. As if they were out of place. The man stuttered and was about to speak when the back door smacked open. In came someone in another hazmat suit. Brynn kept her arms crossed and held her posture while Lilly continued to shrink behind her.
"Glad you could make it, Tristan." Brynn commented, still hold her head high. Lilly was about to freak out again if something didn't happen. They needed to get out of here. Or finish the job they initially came to do. Confusing passed over Tristan's face before it relaxed just as quick. It was like watching two aliens communicate without using words.
"It's nice to see you both back in the service. As I was saying--" The man was abrupted cut off by more people stumbling through the back door. Imagine Lilly's surprise when Mark and Nadeen burst in, with Nadeen holding a gun to someone else in a hazmat suit. Nadeen had her helmet in her hand and an angry look was on her face.
Everyone shared a look before chaos broke out. The soldier in the hazmat suit, Martins, went to reach for something on the desk behind him. Brynn was on him in an instant. The soldier that Nadeen had the gun pointed at sensed everyone was distracted and knocked it out of Nadeen's hand. It flew across the floor and near Lilly's feet. Nadeen rushed to grab it but was taken down by the soldier. Lilly stood frozen in the corner, the gun near her feet, Nadeen being put in a chokehold with a knife at her neck, Mark standing with his hands up as the soldier threatened her life, and Tristan nearing the desk where Martins was reaching for. At the sound of a loud punching noise, Lilly looked over toward Brynn. She had punched the soldier in the face and he stumbled slightly. Martins knocked the thing he was reaching for on the floor, a walkie talkie.
Brynn took the time to get out her knife and tore it across his hazmat suit. It was sure something watching Brynn fight with someone who was near her skill level, but it was obvious she had the upper hand.
"No!" Martins screamed, clutching at the tear in his hazmat suit. He fell to his knees quickly and felt around for the walkie talkie.
Lilly snapped back to reality. She bent to grab the gun at her feet then pointed it with shaky hands at Martins. His hand near the walkie talkie stopped. Nadeen was still being threatened with a knife, Brynn still held her own knife in her hand. Brynn had a cut in her eyebrow and a bruise forming on her jaw. She was against the counter where she had been pushed.
"Do it." Brynn demanded, watching Lilly with intense eyes. She flipped the knife in her hand so it was pointing down. Lilly hesitated and tried to steady her hands with a whimper. "Do it!"
Lilly squeezed the trigger, hoping to god this was how you were supposed to do it. Her eyes closed as she anticipated the movement of the gun. But only a small ticking noise came. When she opened her eyes, Martins was laughing with no emotion and no gunshot wounds. She might as well have not pulled the trigger anyways. Martins movements were quick, he reached and grabbed the walkie before pressing a button on it.
Brynn appeared to be done holding back, she pounced on Martins and knocked him out cold with the butt of her knife. Lilly had look away towards Nadeen and Mark, and found that Tristan had kicked the soldier in the head. He lay unconscious on the floor with the knife beside him. Nadeen went to pick it up, a hungry expression on her face.
"Leave him alive" Brynn barked, using the back of the hand she held the knife in to wipe her face. Blood smeared across her cheek, and Lilly wasn't sure who's it was. "We're taking this fucker with us."