Feb 21st

Striding footsteps echoed in the silence of the early morning as Breanna moved slowly down the ramp to the tech room. She yawned, feeling sleepy from the best sleep had in a long time.

"Morning," Rose called from the far corner of the room, "you're up early."

"Really," Breanna looked up at the clock, "huh … four in the morning. Why aren't you sleeping?"

"Calla snores," Rose blushed, "really loudly."

Chuckling, Breanna sank into the comfortable chair next to Rose.

"No point lying there getting no sleep when you could do something else," her abilities pushed out toward the other woman. "What else is keeping you up?"

"Thinking," Rose sighed, "I'm helping Hana, but I can't help feeling Tina may not stay long. If she goes, we all go."

"Do you want to stay?" Breanna asked.

"We don't really have a choice," Rose said, "we may be individual, but we are part of a whole. We may not be able to live apart from each other."

"You may be part of Tina, but you still have a choice," Breanna said, "besides who says Tina will be leaving."

"Do you know something we don't?" Rose asked, worry showing around her lips and eyes.

"What do you mean?" Breanna frowned, "aren't you all connected?"

"We are, but we discovered we can close off our emotions to the others," Rose sighed, "Tina used to be so open before we got here but now..." Rose stood pacing, "she is distant and closed off."

"That worries you," Breanna said.

Rose nodded, "It scares me."

"Tina can see this is the best place for you all," moving toward Rose, "she is probably trying to find her feet but doesn't want to worry any of you."

"What am I supposed to do while she does that?" Rose swallowed tears.

"Find your own feet," Breanna whispered.

Rose met her gaze. Held it for a few moments before nodding her head.

"Thank you," Rose nodded, "I guess I have something to consider."

"Rose," Breanna called as the other woman turned to leave, "thank you for taking care of me."

"I would say my pleasure," she nodded, "but I have never seen anything like that."

"Welcome to our world," Breanna smiled.

Rose chuckled, moving toward the door, "Cara says breakfast will be ready in an hour."

Breanna heard the doors whoosh closed as she moved toward the table. Sifting through the maps and paperwork, she wondered what her sister's end goal was. Laying the charts on the table, Breanna looked at the shapes of Darcia's facility. According to Calla and Kyle, they were all below ground.

"What is the difference between these?" Breanna muttered, "what has been missed?"

Reaching across the table, she picked up a magnifying glass. Breanna carefully looked for something other than trees in the area. On the fourth map, she blinked, lifted her head a little, frowned and went over the site again.

"There is something," she muttered, "that could be a … structure."

The doors opened; looking up, Breanna found herself staring into the surprised gaze of Kelvin.

"It's Kelvin, right?" Breanna said.

"Yes," Kelvin said, walking further into the room, "I didn't expect anyone to be here."

"You were," Breanna said quietly, "Rose is probably in the kitchen helping with breakfast, but be careful that there may be trouble if Iris gets to hear of it."

"Rose and I are trying to arrange a surprise for Iris," Kelvin smiled, "so I do hope Iris doesn't find out."

"Nice," Breanna grinned, "glad you found someone. Be kind and treat her right."

Kelvin blushed, "Right," he turned to leave.

"Kelvin," Breanna called, "maybe you can help me."

Looking over his shoulder, Kelvin met and held her gaze, "Want me to disconnect the lights down here?"

"No," Breanna grinned, "I'm sure I can see something on the ground level of this one map, but I'm not certain what it could be. You have over enhanced sight, or do I have the wrong person?"

"That is one of my known abilities," Kelvin said, moving to the table, "which map?"

Breanna pushed the large sheet of paper toward him.

"Over here," she pointed.

Kelvin leant on the table, gazing down at the map, "It looks like a structure of some kind."

"Why would that be the only difference in all these maps?" Breanna muttered.

"These are all Darcia's facilities," Kelvin looked at the other maps, "perhaps she has something different at this one. Why not ask Reilly?"

"Why would Reilly know?" Breanna asked.

" A few days ago, he lent on a document and read its origins," Kelvin said, "something like Jarred does with logistics."

"When did that happen?" Breanna asked, leaning on the table.

"Yesterday? Perhaps the day before," Kelvin said, clearing his throat, "I'll chat with Rose."

Nodding, Breanna watched him leave. The two teams seemed to be meshing well. Picking up the sheet of paper, Breanna moved to one of the computers; seating herself, she entered the location reference. Darcia's facility showed on the screen, but nothing could be seen above ground.

"Breanna," Calla called, entering the tech room, "you in here?"

"Over here," Breanna replied.

"I wanted to chat to you about..." her voice trailed off, "did you find something?" Calla asked, looking at the screen.

"A structure on this map," Breanna indicated the map next to her, "I find the location but not the above-ground structure."

"May I?" Calla asked.

Breanna nodded. Calla took her place, looking at the map before placing her hand on the computer screen.

"On the large screen," Calla said distractedly.

Looking up, Breanna watched a small single-storey dwelling come into focus. She knew that structure.

"Isn't that near the hill?" Breanna asked,

" Could be the one Craig and his team run to in the mornings?" Calla said.

"That's the one," Breanna muttered.

"Perhaps," Calla said, "let see this side."

The picture panned out, showing the surrounding area. Breanna felt dread run through her. That was definitely not far from them. In fact, they could be there by dawn tomorrow morning.

"Print it for me, please," Breanna smiled at Calla, "thanks for your help."

Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

"No problem," Calla smiled shyly.

Breanna picked up the picture from the printer. Was this the facility with the information, or did Darcia have another facility? The entry would be challenging if they went in, but it could be worth it.

"What did you want to talk to me about, Calla?" Breanna looked over at her.

"Not important," Calla said, "need me to look for something."

"Can you find a layout for this structure and underground bunker below?"

"I'll see what I can pick up," she said.

Breanna watched the screen flickering away like a lightning show on a stormy night. The sound of the door opening drew her attention.

"What's going on?" Craig asked.

"We are looking for the particulars for that structure and bunker below," Breanna said, "we'll let you know what we find."

Craig crossed the room, looking at the map next to Calla.

"There is a wide, very open space here," Craig pointed to an area on the map, "it is the same as the one Michael had with his coordinates. If it is, it may be something to do with the secondary map with your coordinates on it."

"We'll have a look at that," Breanna said.

"What are the odds that the similarities between these two maps may actually give Darcia up," Craig muttered.

"Calla, can you find similarities?" Breanna asked.

The door opened, bringing Kelvin back into the tech room. Breanna watched him absently sift through paperwork before picking one up. He seemed distracted yet focused.

"What is that, Kelvin?" Breanna asked.

"This?" Kelvin asked, lifting a map in his hand, "it is a rough sketch. Not exactly the same as yours, but there could have been changes made to the structure."

"Nice work," Breanna nodded, "if it is the same place, it's not far from here. We could be there in the morning."

"Darcia didn't want to be far from you," Craig shook his head, "what was she so scared of? It wasn't like you wanted to nag at her or take her stuff."

"Who knows," Breanna shook her head, "let's see what Calla comes up with and then we'll go from there. Good work."

Nodding, Kelvin cleared his throat, "I'm going to find Iris."

Breanna watched him leave as Michael walked in, heading in her direction.

"We have two MIA's who appeared at the scene of their disappearances."

"What do you mean?" Breanna took the folders, opening them and breathing in sharply, "both of these people were on my team the day I wound up in Darcia's facility."

"Both of them have similar stories to yours," Michael said. "Both blacked out, told stories about being injured on duty and were in a medical facility. One of them has a huge grudge against you because Darcia passed herself off as you."

"Are you serious?" Breanna frowned, flipping through the files again, "have their necklaces been disabled?"

"Yes, the colours have been noted," Michael nodded. "Mr Grudge," Michael pointed to a picture in one of the files, "says that apparently, you did some rather unspeakable things to him, including forced intercourse."

"Oh," Breanna grimaced, "I think I'm going to be ill."

"The other one says he knew you well enough to see the difference and is convinced it wasn't you," Michael smiled. "He told me a person cannot hide that level of insanity or be as level headed and protective as you were before the ambush."

"At least someone understands it takes a while to become like Darcia," Breanna shook her head.

"The necklaces came out a fizzy clear for Mr Grudge and a brown for Mr Common Sense," Michael said, indicating the faces.

"Where are they now?" Breanna asked.

"We were able to integrate Mr Common Sense with one of our units," Michael sighed. "We're keeping a very close eye on him. Mr Grudge is currently in therapy."

Nodding, Breanna frowned, "Mr Common Sense sounds a little too calm for having been in Darcia's hands for..." she looked at the file, "just over three years."

"I agree. That's why Mr Common Sense isn't here," he said.

Nodding, Breanna inhaled deeply.

"Where do we start with getting Darcia into custody once more?" Craig said.

"Good question," Michael sighed.

"Are you two trying to butter me up or something?" Breanna said, looking at their too innocent expressions, "really... men."

David, Jarred, and Kyle walked in, grinning and laughing. Calla called David over, handing him a slip of paper, absently greeting the others. David stayed next to Calla, quietly chatting before moving to a nearby computer.

"How are we looking, Calla?" Breanna asked.

"There may be something," Calla frowned, "David has the location Rose found, and he's researching."

"Where are we with getting to that location?" Breanna asked, changing the positions of the maps on the table.

"Found something," he said, "I think Kyle may have found something as well."

Kyle held the map, "There seems to be an entry point. I'm not certain if the entrance is inside or outside her house."

"House?" Breanna frowned in confusion.

"There would probably be two," Jarred said, walking past, "doesn't make logistical sense if there's not a second entrance for escape or clandestine entry."

"Good point," Scott said, "who knows what is going through the mad scientist's head."

Breanna nodded; the bunker looked extensive, but the floor plan of the house showed a simple design.

"Is there anything about a basement?" Breanna asked, "I see stairs, but nothing here shows a basement."

"Nothing about a basement for that structure," Calla called, "only what you see."

"Then it looks like we have our internal entrance," David said, "what about the external one?"

Craig shrugged, looking at Breanna, who shook her head.

"What do you have, Kyle?" Breanna asked

"Still looking," he said from the computer, "it may take a while?"

"Hana, give him a hand," Breanna said, handing the map over, "see what the two of you can come up with."

"What are we going to do with this information?" Hana asked.

"Find a way into that place. Then, if we're fortunate enough to find Darcia and get her back into custody," Breanna said evenly, "once and for all."

"Okay. Let's get to work," Hana said, slipping into a seat next to Kyle.

"Calla," Breanna called, "a word please."

Calla nodded, following Breanna from the room.

"You wanted to talk to me," Breanna said, "go ahead."

"Its not important," Calla said, "you have urgent matters to see to."

"Calla," Breanna whispered, "talk to me."

Calla hesitated, "I'm worried about Tina. I heard her thoughts and felt her emotions."

"Has she been blocking you?" Breanna asked.

"Yes, but I think she was asleep when this happened," Calla said, "Bre, she is looking at places to move to, leaving us behind and going on her own."

"Why would she do that?" Breanna frowned.

"She wants us to have a place where we belong, but she doesn't feel like she fits anywhere. I caught a glimpse of where she has tried. It's a lot of areas, but she isn't finding anything to inspire her to stay."

"Inspire her?" Breanna felt surprise blossom, "she's an artist."

"Yes," Calla nodded, "a good one from what I've seen."

"Let me talk to her," Breanna nodded, "I'll see what I can do to inspire her to stay."

"Thank you," Calla smiled, "I'm going to see where I can help."

Breanna acknowledged the part words as Calla returned to the tech room.

Should Tina leave, would the others be able to survive on their own?

Would Craig continue to allow himself to feel and judge with this heart and not his head?

Would David be able to focus on ... anything?

"A resounding no to all of those questions," Breanna sighed, "where is Tina now?"

Second-floor kitchen, Calla whispered through her mind.

"Thank you," Breanna said, heading in that direction.

Creating a sauce was an art Tina usually enjoyed; fortunately, she had decided on a quick cheese sauce which didn't need much thought and a lot of stirring.

Indecision peppered her thoughts, and exhaustion clung to her mind. Strain from keeping her connection closed was beginning to show. She wouldn't be able to avoid the questioning glances for much longer.

"You are far away," Breanna said, "I've been trying to get your attention."

"Oh, sorry," Tina cleared her throat, "I didn't see you there."

"Nor did you hear me," Breanna smiled, "lots on your mind?"

"A few things," Tina nodded.

"Perhaps where to go when you leave?" Breanna asked, watching Tina intensely.

"How did you know?" the startled looked, finally meeting her own.

"Calla, heard you while you were sleeping," Breanna said, "they are all worried and know something is wrong."

Moving the pot to a cold plate, Tina turned the gas off and sank into a chair. Tears welling in her eyes.

"I've tried to fit, but I'm not like anyone else," she whispered, "I'm trying to find a space I can call my own ... there isn't any."

"Tina," Breanna sat holding the trembling hands, "not everyone is designed for what we do. You are such a big help in so many ways, but you interest me. What kind of space are you trying to make?"

"I paint and draw," Tina said, swiping at tears on her cheeks, "I've been finding and using pieces of paper, but it's not the same."

"Why didn't you say something?" Breanna asked.

"There are more pressing matters needing attention than me requiring art supplies," Tina sobbed.

Wrapping the distraught woman in her arms, Breanna wondered where she could find the required items in this vast house.

"May I ask you to do something for me?" Breanna whispered.

"What?" Tina sniffed, moving from Breanna's hug.

"Don't make any decisions about leaving," Breanna said, "not until I can chat with Mike and Val."

"Why?" Tina frowned.

"That is for me to know," Breanna smiled, "but I'd like you to think about the difference you're making to everyone."

"What difference?" Tina asked, blowing her nose.

"Val has someone to depend on and can get a few hours of sleep a day," Breanna said. "David is relaxed, focused, and smiles ... that never happened before you arrived. Craig is allowing himself to feel and listen to his heart again. Nevermind your sisters who love and depend on you. Breanna hesitated, "I see things differently because you raise awareness of a different viewpoint."

"I make that much of a difference," Tina whispered.

"You do," Breanna said. "Living in our kind of world isn't easy; from the enhanced humans to the regular humans, we all find it hard. Please don't isolate yourself, Tina. You are not alone in feeling overwhelmed or stressed, and believe me, there will come a time when we will need you more than any of us know."

"Are you enhanced to know the future?" Tina quipped.

"Not that I know of, but I know you are brilliant at making others feel comfortable, at home and accepted," Breanna smiled, "perhaps you should start with that."

Tina smiled, "Thank you. I shall not leave or think about leaving before you've chatted with Val and Mike. I'll look how I can help the others comfortable."

"Thank you," Breanna hugged Tina gently, "I'd better get back to the tech room and see where we stand."

Tina watched her leave, staring thoughtfully into space. If Breanna knew she was needed, then perhaps she was missing something.

"Time to rethink, regroup and restrategize," Tina muttered, returning to the hob, grimacing, "time to save the sauce."