Nova Sol - Rebellion (Being Translated)

Some (un)quiet vacations - I

Streetlamps lit up the streets of Rome, there was a nice atmosphere. Leo was looking amazed at the city structures. Even with his Italian ancestors, Leo was born in USA, and this was the first time he was in Italy for vacation. He had travelled before, but just on business, so the only three things he knew were the airport, the Raddison hotel and the conference room from the hotel. He had no time to enjoy the city. Walking down the street, Leo noticed the savory smell of melting cheese on top of a crusty dough, so he decided to enter a pizza place with Jennifer, who he knew ever since they were little. They entered the small place, and ordered the special pizza, which was no more than a thing crusty dough with tomato sauce and muzzarella cheese. They asked for two beers to accompany the meal.

- I'm worried about Dev, Jenny... He's been pretty distant the last few weeks, locking himself up at the labs more than usual, and he seems more distracted, since he hasn't been able to advance in the projects...

- Well Leo, Dev has always been a bit distant when he gets his head into something... Remember that science project in eighth grade? - She smiled and chuckled - He was locked up for three whole weeks building his perpetual motion machine... Imagine his frustration when it didn't work...

- Yeah Jenny, but this time seems different somehow. I've never seen Dev so obsessed with a project... It seems to me there's something else behind it all. I guess we're gonna have to wait until Saturday.

Jennifer Harris had grown up in the same neighborhood as Leo and Dev, and was a part of the group of friends that they formed. She had been thorugh the same as Dev when Leo entered the Military, and thanks to that, she decided to study Nursing. When Leo suffered his combat wound, she was the first person Leo saw when he woke up, and then he saw Dev. Their friendship was very deep, they had grown up together, taken different paths, but remained together. Today, Jennifer worked for the Medical Division of Dryden Corp, Dev's company, in the biotechnomedicine department, the area responsible for the biomechanical implants to replace lost limbs and organs. And on top of that, she was Leo's girlfriend.

- Well Leo, I think Dev is still the same... We just grew up, we have more responsibilities...

- Grow up?' - Said Leo, laughing out lod - Jenny, we haven't grown up, we just got bigger...

- It's possible, Leo - said Jenny, witha  smile on her face.

They finished dinner and went out of the tiny restaurant to head towards the hotel. Jenny and Leo had always been friends, but when Leo was clinging to life, Jenny took care of him until he recovered, and that brought them closer together. They started dating a year afterwards, and Dev gave them his blessing, with the only condition to remain friends as always. And it had been like this until these days.

On the way to the hotel, Leo felt a chill down his spine. He looked to both sides of the street, but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. He had been in enough dangerous situations to know his sixth sense did not fool him, making him alert all the way to the hotel. They arrived to the lobby with no problems, but that funny feeling did not go away. Leo thought it might have been his paranoia, but he also knew that, as Security Chief of Dryden Corp, he was a target for corporate spying and other not-so-legal situations. He decided it didn't matter at this point, and head down to their room. Leo put the key card into the slot and opened the room's door. He let Jenny enter first, as she was talking on the phone with a friend. He looked to both sides if the hallway still with that alert feeling, but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. For some reason, his alert wasn't going away, even if they were in a "safe" place. He entered the room and closed the door. The he headed to the bathroom while Jenny was watching the television.

Across the street on a building rooftop, two figures were observing the room, and its movements. As soon as Leo closed the door, the observer pressed a button in his neck communicator.

- Sir, we're in position. Target's in the room

- Roger that, inform the next movement as soon as it happens.

- Copy

Leo came out of the bathroom, after a warm shower and was getting ready for bed. He left in the night stand his trusted Colt 1911, a gift from his grandfather, and a sonic prototype developed by the non-lethal arms division of Dryden Corp. Jenny was a bit unconfortable.

- What's going on Leo? You seem jumpy...

- Nothing to be worried about, Jenny. This is just a precaution.

- But honey... It's been years since you slept with your weapons on the night stand.... Is something wrong? Are the memories coming back?

- No, dear. Don't you worry, maybe it's just my head playing games on me...

- Fine... We'll leave it at that. Good night.

- Good night hun.

Both laid down on the bed, and turned off the lights in the room. In the rooftop, the observer informed the new status.

- Sir, movement has stopped in the room. I repeat, movement has stopped. They're sleeping.

- Copy, we're moving in fifteen.

- Ok, getting the team ready.

The observer tapped his partner on the shoulder, indicating they were good to go. He opened a second communications channel.

- Attention Bravo 1, we're good to go! D minus fifteen.

- Roger that - said a rough voice in the other side of the line - We're standing by for the candy.

- Copy, Alpha 2 out.

The team was in position, the orders delivered. Only a few more minutes and the operation would start.