The Good Life ~ Troyler AU

forty-two - troye

From the outside, the Family's Perth headquarters looked completely calm - but from the van where the operation was being managed, I knew better. Harto and about ten other people were all squeezed into the vehicle with earpieces and laptops, managing the mission, and I was scrunched into the corner with my fingers crossed when suddenly the lights glowing through the windows of the building went out. Harto grinned viciously with triumph, already directing instructions to the men on their way inside, and I swallowed hard. 

The plan was set the fire and cut the lights and spread as much chaos and panic possible while Harto's guys extracted Tyler. It had sounded plausible on the phone and even in person, but now that it was right in front of me, I wasn't so sure. There were so many things that could go wrong.

Harto shushed everyone suddenly and plugged something into a laptop, and a crackling voice sprang to life. "- in. Going down the corridor now." a man said, an alarm blaring behind his words, and I stood quickly, walking over to hear. I should be in there, I thought bitterly. I should be rescuing Tyler, not sitting here. 

"What's it like, Edinger?" Harto asked, and the man on the line whistled lowly.

"Bedlam. It's pitch black in here, the sprinklers are going off, it's -"

"Where's the fire?" 

"South end of the building. Cutforth lit it, he promises it's under control."

"Better be." Harto muttered. "Keep talking. I want to know everything. You do know where you're going, right?"

"The basement. There's - shit -" Edinger cursed suddenly, a low hiss, and there was a scuffle. Harto frowned, waiting patiently, and I wanted to scream.

"Sorry." He was back. "Minor distraction. It's under control. We're almost there. Going down the stairs now - we haven't encountered anyone but the few we met just now and they have been neutralized."

I wondered if they'd killed them, and felt sick. I shut my eyes and hoped against hope that Tyler would be down there where he should be and they could just take him and go and this whole nightmare would be over. The sound of the fire alarm was getting fainter now the further Edinger and his team went down into the bowels of the building.

Maybe, just maybe, everything would be okay.

"We've found the door. We're -" There was an almost inhuman screech, several shouts of surprise. I heard the unmistakable sound of bullets hitting plaster wall and shot forward, leaning over the laptop to speak.

"What was that? Is he okay?" I asked, my voice nearly hysterical, and Harto pushed me away and took control again. "Talk to me, Edinger." she asked, absurdly calm.

"It's the right room, but the target isn't here, it's some fucking kid who knocked my torch out of my hands. Permission to terminate?"

"Granted." Harto replied carelessly, nodding at one of the other people in the van. I was shocked out how cold and callous they were - but then I realised who it was they were talking about. 

I lunged for the laptop again and Harto exclaimed angrily. "Wait! It's my friend, it's Dan, it's my friend," I gabbled desperately into the microphone. "Don't shoot him! For the love of God don't fucking shoot him, save him, get him out of there."

Harto's eyes were glinting with fury as she yanked the computer back. "He is not a part of this."

"Please, Harto, please, he's Connor's friend too, we have to help him." Now that I was listening, I could hear the faintest muffled mumbles that sounded exactly like Dan resonating through the speakers, like someone had their hand over his mouth. I stared at Harto, no idea of how to make her understand. "We have to help him."

She held my gaze for a long moment and finally, without breaking it, said lowly, "Extract him too."

I nearly collapsed with relief and thanks, but then I remembered that Tyler wasn't where we'd thought he'd be; that he could be anywhere in the dark burning building and now we had no way to locate him.

"What now, ma'm?" Edinger asked cautiously.

Harto sighed, short and sharp. "Go back upstairs. If you can't find the target, then get out of there."

"What? No!" The fear was back, and I grabbed her arm. "I've come so far, I can't lose him now. Harto -"

She shook me off and kept talking to Edinger. "Kill anyone you see. If the kid you found endangers the mission in any way, shoot him too."

"Hey, no -"

Slap. The van went deadly silent.

Trembling a little, I raised my fingers to my cheek, already feeling it start to burn red, and Harto looked at her hand like it didn't belong to her. "I - I'm sorry." she muttered softly. "I - I'm doing my best." She turned away quickly as if she couldn't bear to look at me. "I'll give them half an hour. Then they're out of there."

"Shit," Edinger muttered suddenly, breaking the quiet, and all of our heads snapped up. "I - " 

There was a shout and I heard Dan yelp and another man cry out in pain, and the line went dead. 

Harto spread her hands over the laptop like a blessing but didn't touch it, and nobody said anything, and with my face stinging I grabbed a handgun off the laptop stand and left, ready to storm the castle all my own. I didn't have the means to kill the dragon. I didn't even know who I was saving anymore, Tyler or myself.