The Royal Resistance

Chapter 15 - I am the Storm

Maria pressed her body back against the bark as the flash of light came closer, scanning the ground, but upon finding nothing lifting higher into her tree. She held her breath as the beam climbed the darkness; the faithful, sheltering darkness. This was it, they were going to find her and all the others and then they would all be dead. Her heart raced as the edge of the light touched her feet. She pushed further back climbing up the bark, ready to be fully exposed when she heard it. Very quiet at first and then louder. She saw the leaves rustle close to the main trunk a few branches beneath her and watched stunned as a little furry animal poked its head out, disturbed by the light. It chittered loudly and the beam lowered, searching for the sound. As it came into contact with the small squirrel, he darted away, back into the safe haven of the hole he had clambered out of.

The soldier lowered the flashlight muttering some incomprehensible words. Maria heard the click and saw as his shoulders sank in sync with hers, his rigid posture gone. The man - or boy Maria realised as his illuminated face came back to her - walked down the path, following the route of the soldier before him.

The royal on the other hand stepped down from the trunk onto the branch exchanging a look with an exasperated 004. She crouched back down on the branch, and waited.They waited for what seemed like hours, crouched amidst the leaves of the trees with their dark clothes camouflaging them. Each time a soldier passed by underneath, Maria's pace would quicken and she would hold her breath counting how long it took until they were gone. 90 seconds. That's all they would have to get on the roof, get rid of any obstructers and into the building. It would be even less for James and the General who were attacking from the ground.

Maria looked down at the ground once again as another guard passed and then the Gestapo. Movement. A flash of white. She heard it before she saw the van, leaving as a sobbing Lucie, who was standing in front of the Gestapo doors, waved goodbye. The woman buried her face into her handkerchief, her body raking with her violent sobs. Her face tilted slightly left towards the park, her gaze landing nowhere in particular and Maria thought she saw a slight wink. Then Lucie faced the car again, her melancholic woes echoing through the cold night air.

They waited until she had gone off in her own car, until the other soldiers who had come to the door were gone. Finally, as the moon rose ahead they heard it, two gun shouts far off in the distance and yet they were loud and clear. A call for her to awaken with a sensation that had long been forgotten. A feeling that had stirred inside her after being silenced for years. A power that she had gained when she joined the MI5: Adrenaline. Pulsing through her whole body, overtaking every other sensation of fear, excitement, worry, anger, happiness. They were all numb compared to the sixth sense that sharpened her eyes, drew her to new places, people, things, a sense that made her invincible. The gun shots rang out through the night, like fire raining over the earth. A white beam blinded her sight and she turned to see Agent 004 nodding. The royal noticed a slight shiver coursing through the girls body before her eyes grew darker, looking with pure hatred at the reinforcement vehicles that drew out of the garage and into the fight. The thunder... or at least that's what the Germans thought. The calm before the storm, Maria thought. They waited until there was little movement around the Gestapo before clambering to the edge of the trees. This was it, her last chance chance to back out. Her gaze landed on the others, climbing down the trees to the ground, running from bush to bush as they rounded the headquarters. She looked at Agent 004. A girl with a license to kill. A girl who had lost everything. A girl filled with the same power - if not more - as Maria. Driven by grit and perseverance.

The shots perforated Maria's ear drum as they rang around her. Became part of her. The Germans thought that was thunder and lightning, but they had no idea what was coming for them.