BENEATH DE SURFACES

Lena's POV Now the voices are so near, my heart hammering in my chest like a drum. I mutter to Marcus, "They're coming for me," terror starting inside me. Beside me, firm and comforting, I can feel the heat of his body. "Stay calm," he says back, his breath warm in my ear. "We'll work this out." The men's laughter fills the warehouse menacingly, echoing off the metal walls. You believe Beckett will let her get away with this? One person yells, "He wants her gone," and I stiffen, panic pinching my throat. "Let's start!" Marcus pulls me even further behind the goods and says desperately. My head runs with ideas—plans I never wanted to follow. I cannot let them locate us should they be chasing me. Our eyes adapting to the low light, we slide farther into the darkness. My ideas are a whirlpool of questions. What happens should we be discovered? Suppose I lose everyone I love? Marcus has a determined expression, and I know he feels it too. We are here with each other. "Where are we headed?" I inquire, using a voice almost above a whisper. "The back exit should be around here somewhere," he says, looking about. "We can walk out before they know we're here." "Okay," I inhale and grab the edge of my jacket as we slink along the wall. With every sound, every crack of the floor under our feet, my pulse speeds. A sudden loud crash comes from across the warehouse. The men leap; their laughing becomes an alert yell. One of them cries, "What was that?" and scumbles back toward the sound. "Now!," said Marcus cries, and we dash toward the rear exit as hearts hammer. Just ahead lies the door, a glimpse of optimism amid the shadows. The weight of footfall on the other side—a wall of approaching peril—comes as we reach for the door handle. "We have to hurry," I say, worrying, into my voice. Marcus opens the door quickly, sending us tumbling into the chilly night air and filling our lungs with the aroma of new grass and dirt. I stop momentarily, my pulse racing with the exhilaration of independence. But that is a fleeting moment. "Leave!" Marcus pushes me ahead, and we dash into the night, excitement pumping through our systems. Though the threat looms just behind, the evening seems alive all around us. Which direction? I gasp and look around. Tall shadows from the trees reach out toward us like fingers warning. "Across there!" Marcus gestures toward a little road headed more into the forest. Our breath mixing in the frigid air, we run toward it. I can sense a developing link between us as we sprint. The anxiety, the turmoil—all of which we travel with each other. I glance at Marcus and our eyes lock in a quiet agreement. We are a team not simply surviving. "Do you suppose they might follow us?" My voice quivering as we approach the brink of the forest line, I ask "I'm not sure, but we have to keep on," he says, resolving clearly on his features. We cannot permit them to capture us. We press on, the branches of the trees snatching at our garments as we weave among them. The sounds of the warehouse fade behind us, but the beating of my heart just gets louder. "What if they know where we are headed?" I said, stress starting to sneak in. Marcus tells me not to worry. "We will be good as long as we follow the strategy. We have to get to the hideaway and reconfigure with Daniel and Jacob. "What if they are already in trouble?" I'm out, terror grabbing me. He responds sharply, "We cannot think like that," yet I can see the anxiety in his eyes. "We have to believe in them." The jungle gets thicker, the trees squeezing in all around. Every twig snap underfoot seems like a warning, a reminder that peril is always there just beyond our view. A little solace against the cold of the evening, I draw my jacket closer. I see moonlight slinking through the leaves as we go more into the forest, casting Marcus's focused face in front of me. His voice firm, he continues, "We cannot let Beckett win." "We have to fight back and we can do it together." I nod, resolved to feel washed over me. You are really correct. We have gone too far to abandon just now. We run what feels like hours before finally arriving at a clearing. The moonlight streams over the wide area, and ahead I see a familiar man. "Daniel!," I yelled, relief pouring over my chest. Lena!Marcus! Daniel's voice floats across the evening as his form approaches us. His eyes darting the trees behind us, he seems both relieved and cautious. "Where's Jacob??" My heart is hammering at the idea of him being left behind, I ask. "He's securing the perimeter," Daniel says, looking across his shoulder. We must relocate. Men from Beckett might be following us. We swiftly forward our scheme to Daniel, who pays close attention. "We have to come up with a plan to permanently discredit Beckett," he says "We cannot let him terrorize us any more." Marcus advises, "We should compile information about his activities. "We can strike him where it hurts knowing where he gets his supplies." I nod; ideas fly through my head. "What if we divert attention? Something large enough to grab his notice as we slip in? "Good idea," Daniel says. Still, we have to exercise caution. We cannot afford to find ourselves ensnared. I sense the electricity in the air changing as we create our schedule. The anxiety that had been so consuming starts to shape into will. We are fighting back rather than merely running these days. Daniel advises, "Let's set up a watch," and we assign duties. Watching the nearby woods for any activity, I start the first shift. I sense as though something is going to change as I become settled here. Tension permeates the air, and I know the next three days will be vital. A few hours later, Marcus is watching me from across the clearing. He moves over, the moonlight capturing the will in his eyes. "Are you doing okay?," he says gently. I said, inhaling deeply and just wondering what's next. "We seem to be on the verge of something significant." Leaning behind a tree, he asks, "You mean, like a last confrontation? Sure, I agree. "I just hope we're ready for it." He nods, a deliberate look on his face. "We have shared a lot, Lena. It is us if anybody can bring him down. My voice a little above a whisper, I admit, "I just wish I could shake this feeling of anxiety." "What if we are insufficiently strong?" "then we'll find a way to be," he adds with much conviction. "Together," said. His comments set off a spark of hope inside of me. We have gone this far, and I know we cannot let anxiety control our path forward. You're correct, I answer, looking back at him. We cannot turn back now. I have clarity when the light starts to rise and gives the clearing a pleasant glow. Though we are unsure, what counts is that we have one other. As the light breaks, we assemble prepared to meet whatever lies ahead. Daniel tells us, his voice firm, "We keep to the plan. "We will down Beckett; we are stronger together." I inhale deeply and feel the weight of the occasion settle around us. We are about to embark on something transforming, and I know we will fight right up to the very last stride ahead. Before us sits the horizon, a canvas of risk and possibility. But I sense the resolution developing inside me with every stride. I refuse to let anxiety rule me any more, whatever it takes. We'll recover our life together. We will struggle together for our future. I sense the pulse of optimism driving us ahead as we head toward the unknown. We are fighters, prepared to shape our fate in the face of evil, not only survivors. Driven with a fresh goal, we march toward the warehouse, our history shadowing us. We shall ascend together and we won't stumble.