Chapter 5: The Plan

Creeping through the gaping holes in the walls of the disused structure, the sun's rays began to leak in with the first hints of sunrise, and darkness turned into light. In this quiet calm, one could only hear the normal chirp of occasional birds or the din of traffic from miles away. A long table was set up in front of Alexis, a laptop in her hands, which was turned on and showing the vast card—coordinates and other satellites and streams of codes. She knew it all, but her psyche was relaxed, while feelings were a whirlwind within her still.

Towards the back of the room was Kayden, still leaning against the wall and still arms crossed with a firm face. There was a thick, oppressive silence which still lay between the two, the repercussions of their last conversation which remained unresolved. For quite a while neither had said much, more so after the drifting embers of their fight on the rooftop but now with the account and the mission strategy ahead of them, there was no time for what’s how ever thoughts. Not when the next step for both their world and him depends on this one.

“I don’t think we have any leeway,” Alexis said, hoping that she made her point clear with her voice and interlocutors. “If we make just one mistake, we might send a signal which will radiate towards them and further on warn them of us.”

Kayden advanced, his brilliant, almost perverse blue stare really holding the screen. Alexis had noted it before in him – the quiet, stealthy and straight purposeful movements of a person like a predator on the attack. That impressed her and terrified her at the same time in a way that was hard for her to explain.

“We cannot afford to mess this up a second time,” he stated more with a sigh than a statement. “The technology is in some old structure which is under lock and key. However, it is also secure. Once we get it, you know they will know.”

“They?” Alexis said while looking at him. “You mean the ones who are looking for you?”

Kayden snorted and set his jaw. “They are bones. Contracts with the foreign who has been going after my kind for ages. They do not worry about any dead or damage. They will do all it takes just to beat us to the technology.”

She felt things shiver her. Thinking of that made her feel anxious. This mission would turn out to be much more perilous than she thought, and there was every tick of the clock that was a step closer to being discovered. But they had no new options. If this period was not taken, then the enemy would locate the lost technology and things would turn nasty.

She was still trying to restrain her worry as she countered, ‘What specifically is the purpose of this technology?’

‘You did say that it transforms reality but how?’

His picture twisted and distorted mid-sentence. The dread in his gaze was mixed with hesitance and something darker… regret, perhaps? ‘It’s cannot. The technology alters energy, but not as you would imagine it. It harnesses the very matrix of the universe and the threads of reality where all matter is intertwined with time, so who ever wields it can manipulate those branches.’

“Change reality,” Alexis spoke, uncharacteristically for him than to himself.

“Right,” Kayden said, “It is an incomplete tween…It is…” Neither creation nor destruction, but birth and annihilation could refer to a part of known rules that could, paradoxically, be erased. It seemed to formulate and brought insane discomfort to Alexis’s being. The manipulation of the reality was not the only danger. No, it was deep frightening and scary on its own level. And just like that, they were now on the verge of doing just that.

“That’s all well and good, but we will need a distraction,” Alexis said, trying to stick to what was practical. “Something to ensure that they do not pay attention as we go into the facility.”

Kayden nodded, moving to the screen with the map. As he did so, she felt that throbbing sensation move through her again; it was a result of his closeness, but she remained on track. There was no time for such things now.

“Leave the distraction to me,” Kayden replied. “I understand how they work. I would be able to draw them out of the facility to give you time to go inside and take the device.”

Alexis didn’t like it, she winced immediately at the suggestion. “You want to go in on your own? That is very risky. What if they—“

“I have dealt with them in the past,” Kayden cut in and that was clearly the decisive shot of the deal which will kill their debate. ”I manage fine.”

“Doesn’t change the fact that it is risky,” Alexis retorted, feeling the heat on her throat of resignation telling her why-she-is-wasting-her-time arguing- with-people- who- are- too-stupid- to-follow. “We should remain together. Should anything happen—”

“Nothing will happen,” Kayden said, and now there was bite in his tone. “I need you to believe me this time, Alexis.”

Belief. The two of them stood close, and for a moment, there was no one that spoke the word. Alexis grasped the as well as the desire, up until then placed somewhere at the back of her mind – she wanted to trust him. Only this, it seemed, was a very big risk. A big enough risk to be quite sure that the two of them were being led on into a trap – like a hunter would lay in ambush down a deer path, and anxiety of something going terribly wrong was hard to wash off.

She closed her eyes and let out a breath, pressing her fingers to her temples as though it would help to ease the confusion inside her. “But it’s not only you who has to deal with the consequences, Kayden. I’m in it now, whether I want to or not. So we should think deeper about this.”

Kayden held her gaze for what seemed an eternity, his brows forming frown lines around his temples. “I know why. But this is how it is. If we don’t hurry up, they’ll recover the device and then everything we’ve done will have been meaningless.”

Alexis made a fist, knowing it has to be as it is and contemplating the cold calculations of his plan against the imperceptibly increasing realisation that they are on the brink of a collapse. But then, she couldn’t help agreeing with him; he was right. They were short on time and there were no other choices in front of them.

"Okay," she answered at the last, her throat stained with the tension on her voice. “But you be careful. If anything happens…”

“You sit tight,” Kayden stated, extremely soft in his tone now. He extended himself and caressed her face where hair was out of place, that quickening her in the process. “I promise.”

It made no difference to Alexis that his actions were kind when she saw him at first reinforcing his comments with light touch on her arm, in fact her heart registered alarming skip that made this impulsive young woman against the wood. No, that wasn't an option - not today, when they had all been working in an operation whose successful outcome held the balance of all they had come to know.

“How about we go through the details of the apparatus once more,” she stated almost apologetically even though her stomach felt there was a greater storm brewing inside her.

Kayden obliged to this, suppressing the feelings of discomfort that had been creeping in as they changed their attention to what needed to be accomplished. They planned every detail - his acting as a diversion, her going into the lion's den to get the device out. Every situation that could possibly arise was planned for; every unexpected turn catered for. Perhaps that is because with the gravity of the situation aproaching their and all calculations being done, increasing pressure naive to both, hung over them and their looks were relaxed till now.

In abject calmness, the controversial matters came to an end. Bodies shifted and low discussions could be heard. Alexis attempted to ignore the hostility that had been accumulating for over a week and only focused on the possible consequences of their actions. This is now, as the target constantly hangs over her head. They had no time to soften.

However, as she was putting together her things ready to head out into what was likely to be the most dangerous mission of her life, which at the same time caused a presentiment of dread, Alexis could not help but feel the longing for Kayden that went only deeper and deeper with each second. As she looked at him, passing her gaze over him, she noticed him adjusting his equipment with a firm determination on his face.

“Kayden,” she said in a low voice and it was clear to him, she did not want to yell anymore.

He turned his attention to her, and again she felt her heart skip – there was not hostility in his gaze but interest, palpable and growing – tangible and hungry. Pause after pause, minute after minute they located each other’s eyes in silence.

“Iss… I was just hoping…” Alexis’s words faltered and her brows frowned deeper. “Take care of yourself. I don’t know what I would do if something were to happen to you.” Kayden’s facial features relaxed even slightly for a fraction of a second he dropped his defense. He moved forward and at the same time his hand went up to her face cradling her. Her heart leaped when his warm fingers made contact with her cheeks and she automatically leaned against his fingers enjoying the moment. “I’ll be cautious,” he said in a very low voice filled with enough omission of all things being said and done. “And you”, he added with emotion. “You take care as well.” Alexis only nodded after straining so as not to let her heart escape through her mouth at the sight of him. Showing how strongly they felt towards each other yet without being so forth coming with each other, the tension that existed between them, sad to say, a thread that bound them together even in the mess. However brief the moment it was there. Kayden broke the contact between them and the expression on his face became cold again as he looked towards the door. “We are late,” the tone of his voice was once again calm. Alexis inhaled and took a deep breath and prepared for the worst. The strategy was there, but the action, the hard part, was about to commence.

After that, everything else would be different.