The Day Trippers

Chapter 5

The ship eventually landed at a large warehouse that was in bad shape. The rusting metal walls were covered in colorful graffiti. The windows were in pieces and the brick was corroding. In the dusk, it looked like something from a horror movie.
"Sam are you sure this is the right address?" I asked with distress in my voice.
"Yes." He handed the driver money as he climbed out of the cab, and the driver tipped his hat.
"What are we doing here again?"
"We need to get some things, we can't exactly just stroll into the headquarters. My friend used to work there, he can help us." I looked at him skeptically as I climbed out of the ship.
"Why'd he quit?"
Sam paused a moment, "They tortured and killed his brother because he was a day-tripper."
"Oh Lord," I murmured under my breath, Sam only looked at me as he turned away to the warehouse.
I stared at my feet in silence as Sam did a series of knocks on the door.
I heard the sliding of the metal door as Sam gestured me over with his hand. Quickly scurrying to the door, I felt more protected hiding behind him
"Who is that?" I heard a man's voice ask in a British accent. I slowly poked my head out from behind Sam's back as he stepped to the side. The man was younger than I anticipated, around Sam's age. His tall figure leaned against the doorway. Through the dusk, I could see his bright blue eyes and sandy blonde hair. The man's eyes widened as I tried to suppress a squeak.
"Do you have a name, love?"
"Olivia Grey."
"A pretty name for a pretty woman." My cheeks grew red and I looked to Sam for help but he turned his head to the ground.
"Grey, this is Caldin Wylde," Sam spoke at last with stiffness in his voice.
"Call me Cal. A pleasure to meet you, love, come inside," he stepped aside and turned to Sam, "You picked a good one, mate."
As I looked around the large warehouse, it was just as bad as the outside was. The cement floor was in broken pieces, sprouting greens. It smelled of rot and neglect. The only lights that hung down from the deteriorating roof flickered dimly. The chilling draft brushed against my bare face leaving goosebumps on my body.
"Follow me," Cal instructed as our footsteps echoed through the barren building. He stopped in front of a rusting metal door and knocked a few times before it slowly screeched open.
"Stay close," he mumbled under his breath.
On the other side of the metal door was a whole other universe. The large room was full of life, people scurrying around, the walls were covered by holographic screens that cast a blue-ish glow across the smooth concrete.
Cal kept walking past the people, I watched as their eyes followed me and I tried to keep my head down.
He came to a stop in front of a middle-aged woman. She stood tall and potent, her salt and pepper hair stood straight, framing her stern face and sharp cheekbones. Her cold, steel gray eyes shifted to meet mine.
"Captain Wylde," she nodded as he saluted her, "Samuel Evans, what a surprise." Her voice was harsh and cold and it echoed off the concrete walls and floors, "I haven't seen you since you left the Outsiders," she practically taunted, but Sam remained silent and with a straight face.
"And who is this?" She turned to me making my heart jump a little.
I opened my mouth to speak, but Sam beat me to it, which I was grateful for, "Olivia Grey, she came with me. She's a friend of Aris Barlow, Aris was taken by the ATTA." He said clearly in a tough voice. Cal's eyes grew larger and I could see him take a small breath, trying to remain statue like.
"I see," the lady said as she crossed her arms, and glanced around the room.
"Lieutenant Maxwell, we were hoping that you would be able to provide us with the proper equipment to carry out this mission to retrieve Aris," Sam spoke again in the same tough voice, his military voice.
Lieutenant Maxwell knitted her brow, "Very well, whatever you require getting Aris back."
"Thank you, ma'am," Sam relieved with a small sigh.
"Captain, help these guests with whatever they need," she instructed as she turned her face to me. Lieutenant Maxwell's eyes could probably drill a hole into my skull if she looked at me long enough.
"Yes, ma'am," Cal stated as his salute dropped to his side. He nodded, motioning us to follow him, but the Lieutenant kept her eyes on mine. I tried to hide the uneasiness she was causing me because I wouldn't show her that she was intimidating me.
"Major Hollings," Cal called. A woman appeared from behind a corner. She was wearing a black leather jacket and black pants.
"You called, Captain?" The woman asked, brushing a dark curl from her face. She showed a shocked expression as she turned her head to find Sam, "Wow, Sam Evans," she said as she leaned against the edge of the table, "I didn't think I would ever see you back here again," she spoke in a teasing voice that made my heart drop. Were they a couple? I forced down my feelings as Sam spoke.
"Hollings, this is Olivia Grey. Olivia, this is Major Corrina Hollings."
Corrina stretched out her hand as I met it. Her grip was strong and made my hand hurt a little but I kept smiling.
"Please, call me Corrin," she grinned. She was beautiful. Her dark curls framed her flawless brown skin. Long eyelashes surrounded her warm chocolate eyes. She stood straight with a sense of confidence, something that I lacked.
"Nice to meet you," I forced myself to respond with a grin.
"The pleasure is all mine. Now, how can I be of assistance?"
"Aris was taken by the ATTA," Cal answered. The smile fell from Corrin's face as she looked at Sam for a response, but he only looked away.
"We need supplies to enter the headquarters without raising suspicion," Sam spoke in his military voice.
"Are you planning on day tripping?"
Sam nodded, "Could you insert fake I.D. chips for us?"
"It might take a little time, 2 hours at the most with the coding, but it's do-able," she answered turning away to a hologram on the wall. I watched as her hands glided across the screen, opening tools and news feeds.
"Hollings, maybe we should go somewhere more private," Cal stated as he glanced around the room at the other people.
Corrin gave a nod as she closed the tools and walked down the hallway.
We followed her into a large room.
It was the same, cement walls and floors, holographic displays, except for no busy people rushing around. A large round table sat in the middle of everything.
"Captain, would you please request for Lyra Adkins and Liam Choi," Corrin requested as she strolled over to the large glass table.
"Sure thing, love," he responded as he talked into his headpiece.
Rolling her eyes, Corrin pushed a button on a screen which brought the table to life. A 3D holographic image of the earth spun slowly as Corrin's fingers glided across the keyboard.
Corrin didn't pay any attention when Cal returned with two new people. By the looks of their clothes, I guessed they were just assistants.
"I just want you to clean her up," she instructed Lyra. She nodded and motioned for me to follow her. I glanced back at Sam, the only person I trusted, as I disappeared down the hall.
Lyra led me into a small room. The walls were pristine and white, different to the rest of the building.
A chair sat in the middle of the room, accompanied by a table with a tray of various tools.
"When was the last time you got some sleep?" Lyra asked suddenly.
"Excuse me?"
"When was the last time you got some sleep? You look like a wreck," Lyra responded as she fiddled with tools on the cart. I opened my mouth to object, but I cast a glance to the mirror mounted on my side and agreed with her.
"There's a shower and towels through that door," she gestured with her elbow as she was busy adjusting wires.
I didn't say anything as I opened the door to the small bathroom.
I turned on the water, relieved that it was hot and not cold. I hadn't showered in days, not that I had much downtime.
I slicked my wet hair back as the hot water ran down my face. I took the bar of lavender scented soap and slathered that all over my body. I sighed at the warmth, continuing to wash my dirty hair.
After a couple minutes, I reluctantly shut off the water and dried myself with a fluffy towel sitting on the stool along with a black uniform.
I put on the clothes and rubbed my wet hair with the towel.
As I opened the door, Lyra turned her head where she was slouching in the chair.
"Here, sit down." She stood from the seat. I slowly lowered myself into the leather chair. Lyra took a comb from the tray as she began to attempt to brush my hair.
Clenching my teeth from the pulling, Lyra cursed quietly under her breath at every knot and snag.
Eventually, my hair was defeated and the comb glided through the sleek strands with ease.
"That's better," she said with a sigh of relief as she braided it back into one long braid.
"So what's your deal?" She asked bluntly.
"What?"
"Look, I've known Sam since we were kids and trust me, it's not everyday Sam Evans shows back up to the Outsiders with a girl."
"He's just doing this for Aris."
"Is that what you think?" She questioned, turning her face to meet mine. What did that mean?
"Yes, that's exactly what I think," I responded, turning my face away from her to hide the probable blushing across my cheeks. She only lifted her eyebrow and kept concentrating on wires.
"When did he leave?"
"Two years ago."
"Why?"
"You have a lot of questions," she replied, annoyed, "Sam didn't trust Lieutenant Maxwell, but I wouldn't blame him."
"Why's that?"
"She's not exactly the most trustworthy person," she responded as she pushed the cart out of the way, "We shouldn't be talking about this."
"Are Sam...Sam and Corrin? Are they together?" I asked a little unsteadily.
"You like him, don't you?" Lyra asked with a small grin.
"What? No," I denied, heat rushing to my face, but she only smirked.
"Yes you do, and no they aren't a thing, Wylde has been in love with her forever," she assured, I tried to not let out a sigh of relief.
My head snapped at the opening of the door, but it was just Cal.
"Whoa, chill mates." He set a plate of food and a cup on the metal tabled near the door.
"Wow, love, you look even better than before, which I thought was impossible." He winked.
"I'm flattered, Captain," Lyra responded in a sarcastic voice. Cal smirked.
"Corrin told me Olivia's chip is almost ready," he informed as he walked out of the room.
"You should eat," Lyra instructed as she grabbed the plate of food and water.
As I inspected it, I realized how hungry I really was. I hadn't eaten food in two days. I took the cup and inspected the brownish liquid inside.
"What is this?" I asked as I watched the thick liquid roll around in the cup.
"Protein."
I lifted the cup to my lips and tilted some into my mouth. The taste of sour milk and chalky, chocolate flavoring spread across my tongue, making me want to spit it out.
"That's awful," I stated, wiping my mouth.
"Drink it, it's good for you," Lyra replied as she typed away on the holographic screen of a computer next to the chair.
I set the awful drink down and moved to the bland food, but any food would be good enough for me.
I ate the food in silence as Lyra was busy with cords and wires.
My head turned again at the sound of the door as Corrin stood in the doorway.
"Good, you're eating," she acknowledged as she handed a small case to Lyra.
"Thank you, Corrin," I grinned, "For everything."
She smiled back as she walked into the hallway, and closed the door.
Lyra inspected the box and pulled out a small, gleaming chip.
"What is that?" I asked.
"A chip, an I.D.,"
She took a device from the tray. She inserted the chip into a small slot and gestured for my arm. I reluctantly rolled up my sleeve and held my arm out for her.
"This might hurt a little."
The device clicked and a sharp pain shot up my arm as I tried to keep from yelling out.
I looked down at the small mark on my forearm.
Lyra grabbed another device from the tray, "I'm okay, I don't need another one," I stammered quickly.
"It's just a scanner," she assured, grabbing my sore arm. She ran it over my arm, casting a blue light.
She typed in something on the computer, "Welcome to the Outsiders, Abigail Portman."
I looked at the screen to see my picture and new name.
"You're ready," Lyra said as she shut off the computer.
We walked out the hall and to the large room, where Sam, Corrin, and Cal were surrounding the table.
Sam looked so handsome. He had taken a shower and his face was now cleanly shaven. His dark hair was smoothed and he wore the same black uniform only his was decorated with  badges showing high military ranks.
I stood quietly by the wall with my arms crossed until Sam looked up. As soon as our eyes met I glanced at the ground.
"Grey, there you are!" Cal called as I walked over to the table. Sam's face shown a slight annoyance to the nickname that Cal used.
The holograph was a 3D map of a building.
"This is the headquarters," Corrin explained as she typed on the keyboard, "Your best bet of not getting found is to day-trip into the sewers directly beneath the Labs," she explained, showing us the map of the basement. It was a maze of hallways, rooms, and turns.
"Then from there, use this chip to disable the alarms under this lab," she held up a small, shiny, silver chip that she held out to me. I looked at the chip before putting it in the chest pocket of my jacket, "You'll have exactly 15 seconds to disarm the alarms before they sound and alerts security. Sam, push this when you are ready, this will turn off the security cameras near the device," She explained as she handed him a tablet-looking device, "Enter here, under lab 8," Corrin pushed a button on the tablet that opened a mirror holographic map to the one on the table.
"Where are the cells?" I asked as I continued to study the layout.
"Cells are here," Lieutenant Maxwell pointed, "A restricted level below the labs, enter through a secret service elevator using the same chip to disable the lock. You'll have to take out the guards by the elevator."
"Take out? Like, kill them?"
"If they don't cooperate," The Lieutenant replied as if it was nothing. They might have been working for the ATTA, but they are still human.
She was talking as if they were animals in a slaughter house.
"I'm not killing anyone, they are normal people, just like us," I asserted, crossing my arms.
The lieutenant only glared at me before she responded quickly, "Well, you might have to kill them if they are threatening the success of this mission, and if you aren't committed then maybe you shouldn't be carrying out this task."
"No," Sam's echoing voice startled me, "She will do whatever is necessary, Lieutenant," he responded more calmly, shooting me a don't-speak-or-you'll-be-dead look and I listened.
"Good," she replied in her usual cold voice, "Now, once you exit the elevator, there will be guards positioned at every cell. Try and get them distracted while one of you gets Aris."
"What do we do after we get her?"
"Assuming you make it that far, you'll need to day-trip out, but it will be difficult, Aris will be weak so it will be more challenging to channel your energy and hers."
"What if one of us gets captured?" Sam asked as his bright forest green eyes met mine. My heart sped up and I momentarily stopped breathing.
"Press this button on the side of the port screens," she handed me a tablet matching Sam's, "And yell STOP. It will take you back to your time if there is an emergency."
Sam grabbed my arm, gently pulling my ear closer to his mouth, "No matter what happens to me, get out of there with Aris," Sam instructed me quietly, "Do you understand?"
"There is no way I'm leaving without you," I replied with a shaky voice.
"Olivia," Sam's voice was soft as his bright forest green eyes met mine. My heart sped up and I momentarily stopped breathing. "I need to know that you'll be safe, so please." His eyes begged and filled with longing.
"I promise," I replied quietly.
"Are you lovebirds ready?" The lieutenant asked in an annoyed tone. My cheeks blushed.
"We're ready," Sam replied as he broke away from my eyes. The lieutenant nodded as she turned to Corrin, who returned a nod.
"Be safe, love," Cal pulled me into a quick hug and patted Sam on the back.
"Good luck, kid," Lyra spoke, crossing her arms with a grin.
Lieutenant Maxwell rolled her eyes as she slid over a notebook and pen. Corrin gave me a hopeful look before I got distracted when Sam reached out and grabbed my hand. He turned my chin, looking into my eyes. Sam's eyes showed a mix of hope and fear. If he was scared he truly didn't show it other than in his eyes.
"It's okay," Sam soothed softly.
The room fell silent as if everybody was holding their breath, which I was.
I watched as he picked up the pen, took a breath, and scribbled, Meanwhile...
Cal, Lyra, and Corrin's faces faded, replaced with amethyst light. My head throbbed as I squeezed my eyes shut. Taking deep breaths in and out, Sam adjusted his hand, making it tighter around my fingers and bringing me comfort.
I held my breath as his fingers wrote,
Meanwhile...