Thick as Thieves 2: Under Your Command

Chapter 24

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"So let me get this straight," Mags, one of Wash's rebel allies, began with bewilderment as they walked through the corridors, searching room by room. "You had a kid together, but neither of you have met him? This Nichol woman has had him all along?"

Wash and Michael exchanged a look.

"I'm still getting used to the idea of it," admitted Alicia. "I only just found out he existed...I was so confused when I woke up." She looked down, ashamed. "I can't believe I just left him."

"Hey," Michael put a hand on her back comfortingly. "You didn't know. You'd been out for so long. Lucas said it was surprising you were walking around at all. I just wish I had done more to take care of you both..."

"Yeah, yeah. We've all got guilt," said Mira, rolling her eyes. "Can we just concentrate on finding them?"

Michael kept typing in the code, peering into rooms, but most were empty.

Eventually, they came across another group of rebels. There were five Phoenix Group soldiers in the middle of them who had been taken as prisoners. They looked up at Michael as they approached..

"Captain Taylor?"

They all looked at him, confused.

"Captain Taylor, huh?" a short rebel man repeated distastefully. "You the Commander's son? The military one?"

Michael nodded uneasily.

"The one who helped fight against us? That one?" the man continued angrily, raising his rifle.

"Easy, Tony!" Mags promptly put his gun down and called for calm. "He's Alicia's babydaddy. He's on our side now. We promised Alicia we'd help her."

Tony groaned and lowered his gun. He looked at Wash. "Fine, but the only reason he's not joining these low-life Nazis is because you've been a great ally to us. We wouldn't have got this far if it wasn't for you."

Wash smiled appreciatively at him. "Thanks, Tony."

"Is that true, Captain?" one of the soldiers asked despondently from his pitiful place on the floor. "You changed sides?"

"I was only ever on one side," Michael said after a brief pause, looking at Alicia. She smiled at him.

The soldiers appeared betrayed, muttering under their breaths. Michael was probably the only one who felt sorry for them. Ironically, they all probably wanted the same thing - to keep their families safe.

Their attention turned to the explosions outside. They ran over to the window, seeing the flames down below.

"What's happening?" asked Mags.

More of the rebels started coming over to the window, scrutinising the activity outside. Michael noticed the Phoenix Group soldiers start to get down low. He took a step back, his attention returning to the window where a drone had flown towards them. The rebels looked at it, perplexed.

"GET DOWN!" Michael screamed. He grabbed Wash and bowled her over as gunfire exploded from the drone, smashing through the windows and shooting several of the rebels. Michael shielded Wash from the shattered glass and gunfire as a dead Tony dropped next to them.

Once the drone stopped firing, the soldiers grabbed their discarded weapons and started shooting at them. The remaining rebels returned fire. Mark and Mira had already backed up to cover whilst Wash pulled Michael up from the floor.

Noticing one of the soldiers aiming for his former captain, Wash quickly fired her pistol, killing the attacker. She pulled Michael back down the corridor, the both of them shooting their weapons defensively.