Hiraeth {Book 3 in The Emerald of Annihilation trilogy}

(28). Mission: Rescue and Retreat

The Viper guards nodded to the two individuals who dragged the other two down the hall to the dungeon. Jack glanced over at Scott who held Mark in cuffs. Scott adjusted his baseball cap and glanced back at Jack and nodded before turning a corner to an open cell. Jack and Scott guided their 'prisoners' into the cell and Scott checked to see if the corridor was clear before unlocking the cuffs on Mark's wrists.

Jack did the same for Alex and grinned. "That was easy." He tossed the cuffs to the side. "Don't celebrate yet," Scott warned. "We still have to find Lily and Amber." He tossed aside the cuffs as well and glanced outside the door. 

Mark rubbed his wrists and stood with Scott. They waited till a troop of guards walked past to pounce. Jack clamped his hand over the guard's mouth and elbowed him in the throat. Alex kneed her guard in the stomach before slamming her knee into his face, knocking him out. 

Mark wrapped his arm around his guard's neck and tightened until the guard fell unconscious. Scott grabbed the back of the man's neck and slammed his face into the brick wall. The guard fell the to ground with a small thud. 

"Was that really necessary?" Mark asked, eyeing the blood on the wall and ground. Scott shrugged and wiped his hands on his trousers. "Get their weapons and put on their jackets." He said, shaking off his own jacket and grabbing the one of the fallen agent's. 

"Where do you think Lily and Amber are being held?" Alex asked, zipping up the jacket that was a tad big for her. "Lily would be in the maximum prison section. Amber would most likely be in the less security area." Scott swung a rifle over his shoulder. 

Mark buckled a belt he took from a guard and slipped a handgun in the hip holster. "Who do we look for first?" Jack ran a hand through his hair before putting on a cap. "We will look for Amber first since it will be less risky." He donned a weapon's belt under his jacket. It was complete with knives, smoke bombs and an assortment of firearms. 

"Let's go." They left the cell after dragging the agents into it and locking it. The four walked down the hall, nodding to the other guards who left them alone. Scott led the way to a small room. "Mark and Jack stand guard." He commanded. "Who made you boss over me?" Mark retorted. "Shut up and do what I say, Livingston." Scott rolled his eyes and motioned for Alex to follow him into the room. 

Inside was a desk, a chair, and multiple filing cabinets. Drawers and drawers of files and documents. Scott heaved out a sigh. "Start looking. And don't make it look too obvious." He started flipping through the open files on the desk. 

Alex opened a file drawer and flipped through the documents, pulling out and putting back random files that were of no use to their search for Amber. "Oh, no..." Alex turned to Scott who was bent over a file on the desk. His shoulders sagged and he dropped into the swivel chair. 

"What is it?" She pushed closed the drawer and walked over to see what he was reading. "Marcus' big plan..." He slid the document over to Alex who picked it up and skimmed her eyes across the pages. 

"A mist of the Viper Serum?" Scott shook his head. "Over not just Detriot. But the whole country. He's planning to control everyone and those who refuse to join him will be either killed or brainwashed...." Alex rested her hands on the desk, not being able to believe that Marcus would go so far. 

"What are we going to do?" She asked, looking at the distraught young man in front of her. He shook his head. "Now? I don't know if we can do anything." A silence, quieter than a forest at night. 

"We have to find Lily and get out of here. I don't know if we can sabotage the entire planes of Viper Serum in time..." 
The sience was defening. Alex and Scott exchanged glances of worry. Both silently thinking the same thing. "This is it. This is the end." A slight knock sounded at the door, signaling the arrival of an uninvited guest. Scott and Alex hurriedly packed away the files.

As Alex shoved the files into the drawer, one fell to the ground. She stooped to pick it up, freezing at the name on the file. What made her blood run cold as the red words stamped on it. Alex noticed the door opening and quickly lifted the file and threw it into the drawer before slamming it shut.

A viper agent walked into the room, and looked up at them. Scott let out a relieved sigh when he just nodded to them and dropped a file on the desk. "Hey, let mister Spark know I dropped a off the file on Dylan Tanner, eh? Thanks." The two glanced at each other and their eyes widened. "Mister Spark? As in Jayden Spark?" Alex questioned.

The agent laughed and clapped her shoulder. "You're funny. I like you. Too many agents are way too serious. Glad to know some of us are still human." He grinned. "And yes, Jayden Spark. Commander Houston's nephew." He swept his hand across the room. "This is his office."

Cold wasn't even the temperature that could define the ice that floated in both of their veins. "Yeah...." Scott laughed and let out a shaky breath. The young operative chuckled and waved them off carelessly. He turned and strode out of the office.

"What happened? Mark asked, as soon as the two exited the office. "We found what Marcus' plans are." Alex informed them. "He's planning to douse the city with a mist of Viper serum." Scott added gravely. Alex stayed quiet as Scott explained their findings to the others."

She couldn't help notice his face. So hopeful and serious. If only he had seen the file she had discovered. As they walked away, she couldn't get the word in red stamped on Amber's file out of her head. The word shouted the angry truth.

"ELIMINATED"