LINES OF TRUST

Lena's POV The suspense in the room seemed like smothering. While Mara's trembling breath echoed next to me, I stood across from Beckett, his smile disturbing. In person, he seemed colder, more deliberate, as though he enjoyed the anarchy all around him. "I've been waiting for this moment," Beckett murmured, his voice low but piercing enough to chill my spine. His eyes flicked between me and Mara, as though he were already engaged in some twisted game only he knew. My fingers bent over the knife's grip at my side. Beckett, standing there with that haughtiness, or the gnawing thought one of us had brought him directly to us—which terrified me more? "Why do these?" I pushed myself to say, staring at him. You possessed all. Why do you come after us? The smile of Beckett became wider. "Had everything?" Misunderstand me, Lena. This is not about either having or losing. This is about control. And you simply exist in the way. My heartbeat became faster. Order. That is what this has ever been for him—a power play. That suggested, though, he considered us more of a threat than he was allowing. Apart from wanting to convey a message, he wouldn't be standing here. I murmured, moving slightly to be more in front of Mara: "Let Mara go." She is not part of this. "NOT part of this?" Beckett laughed and then stepped forward a little. "Oh, but she is. You are all exactly what I need. Beside me, Mara let out a faltering breath. She was motionless, but I could sense her shaking. Her voice little above a whisper, she replied, "I don't know why you think we're threats." "We are not looking to take anything from you." Beckett's smile dimmed and was replaced by a menacing glitter in his eye. You are mistaken in that regard. I stiffened, ready for whatever could follow. I had to make quick decisions. Finn and Jacob were somewhere in the structure, but we had not expected to be personally seeing Beckett so quickly. This was meant to be our moment to seize control and launch the first attack, but right now it felt as though the tables had reversed. I looked at Mara; her eyes were wide with terror but behind the surface resolve was flickering. Earlier, she had been so vague, questioning her own part in all of this. She was clearly not going to let Beckett break her, not readily, now. Trying to maintain Beckett's focus on me, I moved slowly forward. My voice steadying, "You think controlling us will make you stronger," I said. All you have done, nevertheless, has made us more dangerous. Now we are not afraid of you. I momentarily felt as though I saw a flutter of uncertainty across his face. It disappeared almost as rapidly afterwards. "I believe I have already won this game," he said fluidly. "Your little revolt finishes tonight." His comments seemed to be a menace hanging there. But as he talked, I heard something—a faint sound in the distance, like footsteps sprinting across the corridor. Jack and Finn. They had to get near. Should we be able to hold out a tiny bit longer? Mara suddenly moved forward, her hand shaking as she lifted a revolver I had not even known she owned. "Back off," she advised, her voice stronger than I had ever heard. I stared in surprise, not only at the weapon but also at the will in her voice. That instant seemed to clear the ambiguity that had dogged her for days. She was not the same Mara that had questioned her confidence and self-worth. She had discovered something ferocious and relentless inside of her. Beckett flicked his eyes to the gun, but he did not flinch. Do you even know how to use that? Mara tightened her hold, yet her voice remained constant. "I am not interested in knowing how. I just need your belief that I will spark something. The room seemed to stop for a split second. Beckett stayed absolutely still, his gaze fixed on Mara, computing. And then he lunged without notice. Everything took place in a haze. Mara fired, the sound filling the space. Though he swayed grasping his shoulder, Beckett did not fall. With my knife in hand, I hurried forward cutting at him before he could recover his equilibrium. He staggered back, pain twisted on his face, yet his eyes blazed with hatred. His voice poisonous, he screamed, "You'll regret that." The door behind us erupted open before I could reply, and Finn and Jacob surged in. The pandemonium that followed was a whirl of motion— Beckett withdrawing, yelling commands to soldiers we had not even noticed were there. Gunfire broke out, and I grabbed Mara and pulled her behind cover as Finn and Jacob traded rounds with Beckett's men. Finn yelled, "We have to leave here," his eyes darting the space for a path of escape. My heart racing, I shot back, "I'm not leaving until Beckett's down." Though it was fading away, this was our chance. Finn closed his jaw. "We are not suited for this. We have to reaggregate. I couldn't, however, just walk away. Not while we were so near. The sound of gunshots started to fade as the minutes passed, then the terrible calm that usually followed a battle took front stage. Though Beckett had vanished into the darkness, I knew this was not ending. He would shortly be gathering once more. I glanced at Mara, still gripping the rifle, her face pallid but resolved. "You good?" My voice was gentle as I begged. She nodded gently, yet I could see the weight of everything starting to rest on her. "I didn't think I could do it," she said softly. But I really had to. I lay a hand on her shoulder. "You did what you had to. And you came to save us. She smiled weakly, but the doubt stayed in her eyes. Tonight Mara had discovered her strength, but I knew the fight inside her was far from finished. Still, it was just the beginning. Finn said, coming up next, "We can't stay here." His attitude was austere, but his eyes were piercing with intent. " Beckett's reorganization." We have to back off and settle into a safer posture. I nodded knowing he was correct. But we cannot let him believe we are withdrawing. We have to make sure he is aware that we remain a hazard. Finn gave me his word: "We will." "We first get out alive, though." My mind flew as we negotiated the darkly lit hallways. This struggle transcended Beckett now to reflect more broadly. It was about the fragile alliances strained to the brink and the faith among all of us. Though Mara had shown herself tonight, there were still a lot of unresolved issues hovering like a storm cloud. I turned to look at Finn, marching slightly ahead with a grim determined expression. He had been the one imploring us to hit before it was too late, pushing for action. But now that we had, I couldn't get rid of the sense that we were deeper than we had ever known. Following that was Mara. Tonight I had seen a side of her that surprised me—a strength I had not realized she possessed. But I also noticed the rifts developing and the toll this battle was having on every one of us. My mind returned to the question that had tormented me from the start as we traveled from Beckett's facility. To whom could I really trust? Everyone in our group seemed committed, and I had wanted to think that we were all fighting for the same cause. But following all that had transpired, I was unsure now. Beckett was always one step ahead; our ranks still included a mole. The gloom all about us appeared to be closing in, and for the first time in a very long time I felt really alone. The adrenaline had started to fade by the time we discovered a safe spot for regrouping. Mentally as much as physically, we were tired. But I understood this was far from done. Finn murmured softly, "We'll strike again," as we nestled into our temporary hiding place. " This isn't the end." I nodded, although my heart felt weighty. Not one. Just the beginning is what it is. Mara sat next to me, her hands barely still. "Do you really believe we can win this?" My will hardened, I turned to her. "We must. There is no choice available to us. Deep down, though, I doubted whether I really believed what I had written.