ALICE

Chapter 50: DIVERGE

 As it turned out, this was a warm day in The Glacier. Guards were everywhere, still in heavy coats but high-spirited. By the looks they had not found the two dead bodies that they had hidden in a snow drift. They were narrowly avoiding being seen almost every two minutes. They had abstained from killing anyone else, but they had come close too many times, and they weren't even halfway to the car shed yet.

 Alice looked at the black base not three feet away from her. This particular area was covered by a thick black tarp. Alice tapped Angel on the shoulder.

 "With so many guards outside, I bet there would be less inside the base."

 The team stopped  and Redd began to eye the tarp, running his fingerless glove over the frosted plastic material.

 "She's right." He said. "Nine, watch our six."

 Nine aimed his MP5 at the expanse of snow behind them as Redd drew a smooth combat knife from a sheath on his vest. He jammed the blad through the tarp and began to drag it down, making a pleasing (Italics)Shiiiiik(Italics) sound.

 When the tarp was fully cut through Redd walked in, with the rest of the team behind him, Nine coming last.

 The first thing Alice noticed was the wood plank floor that she was standing on, the second being that they were indoors, a black tent lit by a naptha lamp, and the third being that an LSF was sleeping with his head on his desk.

 Alice drew her pistol, placed the silencer to the back of his head, and squeezed the trigger.

 When they were sure that they were not detected from the muffled shot, they peered out the flap of the tent. There was a guard down the main, plank road that was sleeping in front of a fire in an oil barrel, and a lazing dog beside him. It much reminded Alice of the position she was in before the LSF assassin attacked the base. Taco aimed his AK-47 with a silencer on it, presumably to prevent avalanches, at the man. He shot him in the back and then killed the tired dog. Satisfied they were dead, he prepared to move out again.

 Only now did Alice see the extent of his frostbite. He had fingerless gloves on, but what she could see was bad. The fingers were black, with cracked nails and blue flesh underneath them. His nose was blue as well, along with his lips and parts of his cheeks. His ears were presumably screwed up too, but he had his hood pulled up.

 They began to walk outside the tent. It was bizzare, as this part was covered by more black fabric. The base was quiet, eerily quiet. The only sounds were the crackling of the fire, and a hum. A quiet buzz. Alice knew what it was though. As they moved further up the wood road, words formed.

"One pill... Pill... You Small... Mother... Anything at all..."

 "You guys hear that?" Alice stopped dead.

 "Is there a patrol coming?" Redd hissed.

Alice's heart sunk, no one else could hear it. "Never mind, just my head, playing tricks."

 Redd nodded and moved on.

 It was not just her mind though. It was really there. Alice felt adrenaline flow through her body as she rounded the corner and saw the back-lit tent with the wooden puppets inside. Krew, who had been very quiet so far, noticed her obvious discomfort with that particular tent, although he couldn't see what she saw, hear the blasting music. Alice watched him poke his machine gun into the canvas flap, but it was empty, obviously, for him. Alice drew her knife and shoved the blade through the tent, dragging it down until the music stopped and the light faded. The team gave her strange looks, everyone but Nine, actually.

 Alice brushed past the team and they began to move again. Alice needed to hear what Ecila and Tibbar had to say.