Running into the Fire (on haitus)

Chapter 6: Stars

They arrived at a wooden log cabin soon and they all immediately went to the fireplace. Turner managed to get it going and the cabin warmed up almost immediately. Turner disappeared into one of the rooms and emerged again carrying large black cases. He set them down with a thud and clicked it open. Inside was an assortment of weapons including: knives, various guns and even a bow and arrow.

Ayden just stood in shock, "so does everyone just have guns and stuff hidden all over the world or is it just you two?"

Sloane remained silent and chose a gun from the pile, loaded it, cocked it, aimed, and shot a bullet perfectly in the center of a log of wood.

"Jesus Christ!" Ayden yelled, covering his ears while Turner just blinked.

Sloane ignored him, something she seemed to be doing a lot, and placed the gun gently back down. She and Turner went about their business, exploring, looking for supplies while Ayden was still standing in the center of the room in a state of shock and once again, in need of a paper bag. Meanwhile Turner and Sloane met back in the kitchen.

"Does he always do that?" Turner asked Sloane.

"Yep." She answered simply and turned away to find something to make dinner out of.

Turner stood still for a moment before he approached Ayden, who had resorted to sitting down and sifting through the suitcases. He took a seat on the other end of the couch and awkwardly shuffled.

"What are you looking for?" Turner asked in an attempt to break the ice.

"Nothing in particular." He replied without looking up.

Turner nodded, unsure of what else to say.

After a few minutes, Ayden sighed, "why are you helping us?"

Turner sat thoughtfully for a few seconds. "We have more chance of survival this way."

"Well having a chance for survival wouldn't be needed if someone hadn't opened the door of a moving airplane!" Ayden said as his voice gradually grew louder.

"Ayden, it's over, repeating it won't change a thing." Sloane shouted from the kitchen.

"Listen, I'm sorry but like I said, I'm just doing my job."

"And what is that exactly?" Sloane said as she suddenly materialized on the armchair.

"Yeah." Ayden agreed suddenly curious.

Turner groaned but answered "I work for an organization..."

"Yes that part we got, but what type of organization exactly?" Sloane interrupted.

"I really don't know and I know you don't believe me but I was hired from the outside, I have nothing to do with what happens over there, I just get a list every now and then."

"A list? Of what people to assassinate." Ayden joked while Sloane leant over and elbowed him.

"Yes." Turner confirmed.

This caught both of them by surprise but Sloane was quick to hide it whereas Ayden leapt up from the couch like he was on fire. No one said anything for a solid minute with Ayden slowly backing away, Sloane sitting upright in a stiff position and Turner squirming uncomfortably.

"I better check on the soup." Sloane got up abruptly.

"N-n-no! Don't leave me here by myself with an assassin!" Ayden said, snapping out of his trance.

"Ayden! He is sitting right there!" Sloane scolded.

"It's alright, I'll go to the kitchen." Turner said shrugging, obviously expecting their reactions.

They both watched him go to the other room before they both sat back down on the couch. Ayden's leg was bouncing nervously, a bad habit Sloane had detected earlier. She shuffled closer but remained silent. Ayden looked at her and opened his mouth but shut it again as he wasn't actually sure what he wanted to say or ask. And so, they sat in the thick silence until Turner called them for dinner. Sloane stood abruptly and briskly exited while Ayden reluctantly arose and shuffled through the door. They both joined Turner at the dark wood table which had three place settings and three bowls of steaming soup laid out neatly. In a thick silence, they ate their respective bowls.

"Ok, so." Sloane finally said, breaking the silence.

"So..." Turner added.

"What the hell do we do now?" Ayden yelled suddenly, startling the other two.

"I say we head to Moscow." Turner said, composing himself.

"Yeah but how?" Sloane asked.

Sloane and Ayden looked at him waiting for an answer.

"Ok, I may or may not have used this," he held up a satellite phone, "to call my associate."

Sensing an argument about to begin, Sloane quickly intervened before Ayden could say anything.

"Alright, you shouldn't have done that without our knowledge," Ayden nodded his agreement, but Sloane continued, "but what's your plan?"

"Are you kidding me?" Ayden yelled as he stood abruptly, "this dude is probebly a psycho killer assassin just like you!" he pointed at Turner dramatically.

"Ok, he may have done a few," Turner paused, "jobs, back in the day but he's fine now and he says he can pick us up tomorrow by sunrise to take us into Moscow. From there, we never have to see each other again if that makes you happy."

"Alright, then it's settled, that's our plan." Sloane nodded as she stood. "It's been a long day, goodnight." She retreated into the bedroom.

Ayden was still glaring daggers at Turner well after Sloane had left which left both of them in an awkward position. Ayden eventually and silently exited too, leaving Turner grumbling angrily as he was left alone to clean the dishes. Soon, he too grew tired and decided to take one for the team and made a bed on the couch. It wasn't too bad, the warmth from the fireplace kept him incredibly warm and he had slept in much worse environments. However, at around 2am, by his estimations, a rustling woke him but he remained still, with one eye half-open. Ayden, it seemed had decided the best way to cure his insomnia was to go out into the snow. No wanting anyone to get eaten by wolves or freeze to death, Turner begrudgingly threw his coat on and followed Ayden out the door. To his surprise, Ayden was laying down in the snow, his breath escaping like smoke through his mouth the only proof that he was in fact alive and not a corpse in the snow. The crunching from Turner's boots caught his attention and he inwardly groaned once he saw who it was.

"Are you not freezing out here?" Turner asked, looking over his face.

Ayden shrugged but stayed quiet, prompting Turner to lay down next to him looking up. His breath hitched in his throat. The bewitching black canvas above was adorned with multitudes of green and slivers of blue, swirling together in a mesmerizing whirl.

"Wow." He managed to breath out.

"Yeah." Was all Ayden replied with.

So there they stayed, two grown men, laying down in the middle of Siberia in the freezing night air, stargazing.