ALICE

Chapter 61: MACH

 Chapter 61: MACH

 Redd had taken it hard on himself that they couldn’t get ZERO on the mission in the Glacier. He was angry, rather than sad, insane, or simply blank. He had volunteered for every mission he could that had the slimmest chance of intersecting with ZERO, multiple trips to the forest, some follow-up strikes at the Glacier, even a reconnaissance mission on Threader city. He had to get through a total of nine missions and three months before he snapped.

 Some people, when they reach breaking point, they make rash, unintelligent decisions. They become more stupid. Redd, was not one of these people. His snapping point was a good thing. He went from furious and red-hot to cool and calculated. When Redd was broken, he was the most precise. He was his best at sniping. It was when Redd snapped that he finally thought to talk to Alexei.

 Redd woke Alice up at an unreasonable hour, telling her that he needed her. He half lead, half carried her to the Medical tent, finding Alexei stretched out on his cot with Lara next to him. He materialized a heavy revolver from a place that Alice’s tired eyes recognized as Nowhere. He pressed the barrel underneath Alexei’s chin, and loudly pulled back the hammer, enough to wake Alexei. He opened his eyes but quickly relaxed as he felt the cold steel to his skin.

 Redd bent down to Alexei, placing his mouth next to his ear, and whispered quietly,

 “Where, is, ZERO.”

 (BREAK)

 Alexei was sitting in a chair in the Command Tent. He grunted as he changed his position and his leg brushed against the chair. Redd looked to him.

 “Threader City.” Redd said, meaning it as a question, but keeping his tone level.

 “Yes. Three weeks from yesterday.”

 “Why didn’t you tell me before?”

 “You didn’t ask.”

 “You’re not very helpful that way.”

 “I know.”

 Redd walked outside the tent again, taking Alice with him. “We need to get there. Get a team together.”

 Alice nodded. She had a strong feeling that Kendo would let her take this one over as General. Which could mean she might not be on the mission. She went to Kendo’s tent as soon as was decent, at the crack of dawn. She gave a sharp whack to the bell that hung outside his tent. There was a rousing inside and about a minute later Kendo was standing in front of Alice.

 “Sir,” Alice said. “We know where ZERO is going to be.”

 He picked at a bit of sleep out of his eye. “Gimme a minute. I need to get dressed.”

 (BREAK)

 When Kendo was messily dressed he tiredly signed off on a form to approve the mission, an assassination against ZERO.

 “So, who’s on the team?” Alice asked as she crossed her arms and yawned.

 “You are, and…” He looked over the form. “Pick two other soldiers to go with you. I’d choose a sniper for one or both of them.”

 “Redd and Angel.” Alice answered.

 “Yeah. Yeah, okay that works.”