"How is the training going?" Breanna asked Valencia.

"It reminds me of being inside," she muttered. "At least they are only having bouts of forty-five minutes to an hour instead of until someone is dead."

"I'm not inhumane," Breanna sighed, "unfortunately, this is the only way we can train while learning the abilities of each team member. Any one of us may need to use them at a moments notice or enhance another's in a heartbeat."

"Jesse is happy that no one can see them," Valencia said, "my parents knew something when they built the houses around the courtyard."

"It's good to see what the others can do," Breanna said. "Now, we can blend techniques and styles and become a fighting unit."

Breanna shifted her position on the babbling fountain. Glancing around the area to make sure they were still undetected, she continued to watch the sparring.

Two weeks. It had been two weeks since leaving The Madhouse. Breanna knew Darcia's perverse need to control every situation, every moment, every thought and deed of every human in her world.

Breanna followed Jesse and Reilly's movements, her mind wandering as she watched them move. The sudden remembrance of her father, his appearance and character remained a surprise, but what if she couldn't remember anything else. Couldn't remember having a father, a mother or any brothers and sisters apart from Darcia. It appeared Darcia had cleared her memory of any memories of the past. Frowning, Breanna wondered if it would be permanent, even though Jesse had said it wouldn't be. Rising, she moved with the combating pair. Jesse's fighting style felt familiar to her, perhaps trained against it. She frowned, shaking her head. Is she anticipating his moves? How did she know what he was going to do? Was Jesse right about being friends? Working together? Why couldn't she remember him?

Breanna sighed while watching Reilly's style and moving closer to the activity. Absently watching each movement, each thrust, punch, scoop and swipe. Glancing down at her watch, she noticed the allotted forty-five minutes had passed.

"Time," she called, "change out."

Clio stood, stretched, palmed out with Jesse and entered the courtyard.

Breanna watched as Clio sank into a fighting stance, and the training resumed. Reilly met her offence with not so much as a blink or a word. Adjusting his style as she did her own.

"She is excellent," Valencia's voice spoke softly, "she moves rather efficiently."

"Efficiently?" Breanna asked, giving a sidelong glance, "explain."

"Look at her moves. No indecision. They are clean-cut, almost cold, and merciless," Valencia pointed out, "efficient."

"I suppose you are right," Breanna nodded, "Reilly seems to have an adaptive fighting style."

"I think the term for that is a fluid fighting style," Valencia grinned at Breanna, "my cousins did many types of self-defence."

"What type did you do?" Breanna asked.

Valencia shook her head, "I tried. But I broke too many bones, and once I accidentally slipped and hospitalised one of my classmates."

"What did your parents say?" Breanna asked, noting the tormented expression.

"A lot," Valencia chuckled, "let's just say, pushing me into sports stopped," Valencia grinned. "I was supported if I put myself through tryouts. Even if I succeeded in getting placed. Never again was there the pressure to be the person on the team who did it all. Guess they had to try with one of us."

"Seems they realised you weren't that person," Breanna smiled. "Who knows, your strengths may lie in other directions."

"Yeah," Valencia muttered, "just have to find which direction that is. When are you going to be training?"

"That may be the same as you being pushed into doing self-defence," Breanna said, "besides … there is only five of us so far. How many people do I have to hospitalise before I'm not pressured?"

"Point taken," Valencia said, grinning, "you'll train when you are ready."

"Actually," Breanna closed her eyes, took a breath and opened them again, "I've been training on my own. Trying to find out how far my new abilities go. It's difficult to say what I have, and they just appear," Breanna shook her head, "it really challenges me."

"You're worried that you'll be training with one of us, and something will pop out," Valencia nodded.

"Something like that," Breanna said, glancing down at her watch, "Reilly … time," she glanced up, "switch out."

Jesse stood, rolled his shoulders, glanced at the two women on the edge of the courtyard while taking his place. He dropped into a fighting stance, and the training resumed.

"Hmmm, he is so hot," Valencia breathed.

"You like him?" Breanna asked, continuing to watch the pair.

"Oh ... yes," she sighed, "but I know nothing will happen. I'm not stupid."

"Why won't anything happen?" Breanna asked.

"Trust issues," Valencia sighed, "from his side and impatience from mine."

"Do you trust him?" Breanna glanced at Valencia.

"Funnily enough … I do," Valencia nodded.

"Time," Breanna said quietly, "with people like us, time is what is needed."

"Wise words," Valencia nodded, "I'm going to start dinner."

Breanna watched her leave, "Why are you lying to me about Jesse?"

A yell brought her attention back to the combating pair, "Last set, everyone."

"The last batch of soldiers are ready to engage," the voice of the arena trainer droned, "they are being kitted and prepared to pit themselves against Breanna."

"I'm hoping so," Darcia spoke without looking up from the documents she held, "I was told they would be ready two weeks ago. After numerous excuses for not achieving the goal, my patience has worn thin."

"My apologies," he bowed his big head as he spoke, "I wanted everything perfectly ready to achieve your goal."

Nodding, Darcia stood.

"The only way I will appreciate the lengths you took," she stopped next to him, "is if Breanna is fit for re-programming and under my care again."

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"I have trained nearly one hundred agents to achieve any goal you can dream of," he said, keeping his eyes facing forward.

"Let us see that everything is in place for my grand expedition," she moved past him and left the room.

Releasing his breath, Tyler flexed his muscle-bound shoulders. A sly grin of his own crossed his lips.

"Payback time, little sister. You owe me re-programming time, you traitorous sibling," growling his dislike. "You will be joining me, Valencia and this time, you will have no choices as you did before."

Reilly stepped out of the shower. Grabbing a towel wrapping it around his waist. Strolling into his room, checking his email before turning to pick up his phone. A movement on the beach caught his eye, instinctively switching off the bedside lamp. Darkness filled the room. Pulling on dark sweatpants, running shoes and a t-shirt, he returned to the window, checking for the movement again. Narrowing his sharp vision, he focused on the shoreline, more than one dark movement on the beach. Finding Jesse's number, he pressed call and waited.

"Hey," he spoke softly, "I have movement on my shoreline," he paused. "No, a lot of movement. At least fifteen dark-clad, heavily muscled bodies moving in combat formation up the beach. Those are the ones I can see," he paused again, "I'm sure Jesse, check your side."

Reilly frowned as another life-craft-sized vessel grounded on the shoreline, and more shadows poured onto the beach. A glint in the moonlight chilled Reilly to the bone. "Jesse, we have company. We have a lot of company."

Reilly listened a little before cutting the call. Moving to the door, he walked through the house, turning off lights, moving into the lounge, he found a freshly showered Clio reading a book.

"Mark your place," he spoke softly, switching off the lamp, "we have incoming."

Clio marked her place, putting the book aside, "Darcia's?"

"Probably," Reilly said, "I chatted with Jesse. They have the same happening."

"That is a little excessive to either capture or terminate five experiments," Clio whispered into the darkness.

"Really?" Reilly said quietly, "You have five experiments out there that combined have the resources to stop whatever your nefarious plan is, and you wouldn't be excessive?"

"Nefarious?" Clio chuckled while looking out the window onto the shoreline, "I guess I would be a little nervous and more than excessive."

"See anything?" Reilly murmured.

"Ah ..." Clio hesitated, "I do, but they are moving past us."

A gentle buzzing had the pair glancing at the perimeter alarm flickering red in the inky darkness.

"Breanna activated emergency procedures," Clio whispered, "which means this is all for them."

"Jesse and Breanna are going to need help," Reilly hissed, "there is no way that two of them can take on all of this."

"Valencia will do her best, but she is no match for this kind of brutality," Clio agreed, "what do we do?"

"The house is secured, so we cannot go through any of the doors or windows, but ... we have the tunnels."

"It'll take two days to get to them using the tunnels," Clio ground out.

"We won't be going to them," Reilly said, pulling up the trapdoor in the living room, "we're going to diminish the forces before they get to them."

"Okay," Clio followed him, "that I like … a lot."

Reilly stopped at the ammo cabinet, pulling weapons out, filling the empty magazines with ammunition and pushing them into a nearby weapons belt. Adding knives and other random guns. He glanced across at Clio selecting her gear. She stopped and looked at him.

"Coming?" Reilly asked, "want to kick ass or hide?"

"Kickass," Clio grinned, rolling her shoulders, "oh, definitely kick ass."

Grinning, they descended into the tunnels.

Breanna glanced up from the book she held, "What's going on?"

Jesse moved past her, switching off the lights. "We have company. Reilly phoned; we have incoming from his side as well."

"Unfriendly company," Breanna said, "so where is the first wave?"

"Coming towards us from about two hundred metres down the beach," Jesse said, "the second wave will hit when Reilly's lot get here."

"Where is Valencia?" Breanna asked, moving with Jesse through to the makeshift armoury.

"She's upstairs," Jesse said, pulling ammunition and hardware from the storage space clipping it onto his belt.

"Will she be safe there?" Breanna asked, glancing sideways at Jesse.

"The security has been activated," Jesse grunted while clipping more weapons on his belt at his waist and crisscrossing his chest.

"What is going on?" Valencia asked, watching them, "the house just fried a few humans."

"Fried humans?" Breanna raised questioning eyebrows at Jesse.

"Part of the security of each residence," he shrugged, "you'll have to ask Reilly."

"Can you shoot?" Breanna turned to Valencia.

"What?" Valencia paled.

"Can you or can you not point a gun and pull the trigger?" Jesse ground out.

"Ah …" Valencia glared at him, "I guess. I have never been trained to shoot, but if it's something without a safety catch and easy to aim … I can pull it off."

"Good," Breanna said, handing Valencia a gun, "here. Your safety less, easy-shooting defence.

"Okay," Valencia frowned, carefully taking the gun and easing her hand around the barrel, "where are you two going?"

"Out there to get rid of the unfried human's," Jesse said, stopping shoulder to shoulder, looking down at her, "stay safe and fire at anything that isn't Breanna or myself."

Valencia stared wide-eyed at Jesse, "Out there," she swallowed, "there must be about fifty of them."

"Then we have our work cut out for us," Breanna muttered, "ready?"

"Wait," Valencia ground out, "there may be another way to manage this."

"What do you mean?" Jesse narrowed his eyes on her.

"I … was … looking at the equipment in the basement," Valencia said, turning and walking to the basement cupboard, "I was able to connect to the outside camera's."

She descended the stairs quickly, striding to the central console pressing buttons. Breanna and Jesse followed silently, stopping on either side of her.

"See there," she said quietly, pointing to a monitor, "the patio has a net of electrical protection. If you go out there, it's easy to take you out without being seen."

"How then ?" Jesse asked, glancing at Valencia, surprised.

"The tunnels," Valencia said, pointing at another monitor, "Reilly found an old camera in the tunnels and replaced it with a new one. Everything else was in good working order, just the camera itself was not functional."

Breanna and Jesse stared at the indicated monitor. Breanna nodded.

"Where does it come up?"

Valencia pushed a couple of buttons.

"I found a current map of the topside terrain and the tunnel exits and entrances. See here," pointing at the map, "it's about a five-minute walk from here. It comes up about a hundred meters down the beach."

"We'll be seen," Jesse muttered, "and sitting ducks."

"No, you won't," Valencia shook her head, "I checked it from topside this afternoon," she grinned, "you cannot see the exit from the outside world. It's covered with vines, and there's a large tree that has grown a few feet from it."

"Easy to get out?" Breanna asked.

Valencia nodded, "But not easy to get in."

Breanna looked over at Jesse, "If we came up there, it could be right in the middle of everything. We may have the advantage and cover." Breanna grinned at Valencia, "good work Val, I don't get impressed easily, but you have managed very well."

Jesse grinned, "That is the truth," winking at Valencia, "I agree, good work. Can you work the lever from this side?"

"Sure," Valencia grinned, blushing slightly, "Reilly attached the lever in the tunnel to a button on this side," she shrugged, "he camouflaged the lever on the other side."

"Very clever," Breanna said, supplying a communications device for Valencia, "you'll need one of these."

"Welcome to the team," Jesse nodded, "got our backs?"

"Course," Valencia said, placing the device in her ear and securing it, "plus I have a safety less, easy-to-aim gun."

Reaching over, she pressed a black button with a red rim, "Be careful … both of you."

Valencia watched, her heart in her throat, as Jesse and Breanna walked through the tunnel entrance. Closing it behind them, she tracked them on the monitor as they moved toward the exit she had indicated. Pressing a nearby blue button, a panel opened. Closing her eyes, she recalled Reilly talking about the controls, word for word. One of them stood out in her mind. Snapping her eyes opened, Valencia looked down, pulling the switch down. An electrical grid sprang to life a little way past the exit point Jesse and Breanna headed. Reilly really had this security system wired. Valencia frowned. When had she ever had an eidetic memory? Her memory had never been exceptional. Lately, she could remember what and when something was said, who said it, and so much more detail about the event than she ever had been able before.

Movement on a monitor brought her attention to the matter at hand ... logistics for the two going into battle right now. Gripping the gun in her hand, Valencia watched Jesse and Breanna find the exit and disappear into the short tunnel.