They say that time is a strange creature. It always seems to want to do the very thing that we don't want it to do. When we have nothing to do, when we are under extreme stress, when we need time to pass by quickly, it chooses to meander slowly on, dragging itself, and us along. On the other hand, when we want time to go slowly, during those fun times or when we are in a hurry, time always seems too short, flying by at the speed of light. Right at this moment, Leo was feeling a paradox of sorts. Riding with Jordan, following the other rental that Jim and Vanessa were in, time seemed to be going by far too slowly for Leo's comfort, especially since Zenya's life was in danger. Yet, it also seemed to be flying by, just knowing that they needed to get there as quickly as possible. Leo just hoped that they would be in time.
> Ted had loosened his grip on her just a bit. It with the two of them > arguing, it seemed the best chance Zenya was going to get. Zenya pushed > against Ted with all her strength, knocking him into Rebecca and sending > both startled individuals sprawling on the floor. Ducking away from their > grasps as they tried to grab her ankles, Zenya ran up the stairs, throwing > the door closed. She took a second to look for a latch, but there was > none. Her head was still throbbing and she was having a hard time just > staying on her feet, but she didn't allow herself to think about that. > Reaching to her side, she discovered that her gun was gone now. Not really > a surprise. Not paying any attention to her surroundings, she searched > blindly for a door. Finally finding one, she discovered to her dismay that > it was locked. Recalling last night and the fire, she looked for something > to break a window. Spotting a lamp she turned to reach for it, but before > she could pick it up Ted and Rebecca appeared in the doorway.
> "Don't move," Ted said, waving something in her direction. So, that's what > happened to her gun.
Zenya turned back to where Ted and Rebecca were standing, steadying herself a bit as she did so. The drugs were still running rampant through her system and the world around her was still unsteady.
"Step away from that vase slowly, over there by the window." Ted motioned with her gun. "We wouldn't want you to be hurling any dangerous objects toward us, now would we?"
"Of course not." Zenya replied, with a slight slur. As she stepped in front of the bay window, she saw a smile cross over Rebecca's face. "You know that sacrificing me won't help you in whatever ritual you're carrying out. I believe that your victims are supposed to be willing participants."
At this, Ted's smile grew wider. "You've been doing your research, Ms. Gorky. But on that count, you're very wrong. After all, I was born." Ted chuckled to himself. "And I know for a fact that father's victims weren't all willing."
"Just out of curiousity, what is needed for this ritual of yours?" Zenya asked as she was surveying what was around her.
"You really should quit stalling. It would make things go by much easier for you." Ted said. "The specifics of the ritual are unimportant, especially for the victim. Now, if you don't mind, we have very little time."
"What's the rush?" Zenya asked. "After all, nobody knows about this place, right?"
Rebecca looked over to her husband and studied his face. "Right???"
"Right." Ted replied, a look of uncertainty crossing his face. "No one knows of this place. Besides, Ms. Gorky, what do plan to do there in front of the window? Soak up the sun? C'mon... it's time."
Zenya sighed to herself. The window looked to be too tough for her to crash through on her own, and Ted had her gun leveled at her. She was ready to step towards the couple when the world came crashing down around her!
As Zenya and Ted were conversing, Rebecca's thoughts were focused on the baby that she was soon to be carrying. Despite the fact that these meddling agents were getting in their way, they had another victim and everything will be going as planned. She rubbed her stomach in anticipation of what would soon be growing there.
"Oh momma. I'm gonna have a child of my very own. I wish that you didn't have to die, momma. You would've loved your grandchild, I know you would."
As Ted motioned for Zenya to come to them, Rebecca reveled in the look of utter hopelessness that she saw on Zenya's face.
"Where are your fellow agent's now, Ms. Gorky. They can't save you now."
Suddenly, a chill ran down Rebecca's spine. She sensed that trouble was near, but frow where, she didn't know. A bad feeling came over her and she didn't like it one bit. All of a sudden, she saw a series of flashes outside of the window, followed by the window blowing itself inward around Zenya. Diving to the floor, Rebecca let out a cry of rage. How? How could they have found out about this place?
"Nooooooooo!!!!!" Rebecca howled as she saw Zenya leap backwards through what was left of their bay window. Not now! Not when they were so close!
Jim and Leo were positioned in a stand of trees located in the front of the house, guns drawn. Vanessa and Jordan were covering the back, covering all of the exits of the house. As they watched Zenya step in front of the bay window, Leo gave off a small sigh of relief, knowing that they weren't too late. With Jim's and Jordan's driving, they managed to get to the house in little over 40 minutes instead of the hour that was supposed to have been their time.
"You have a shot?" Jim asked, trying to get a fix on the guy holding the gun on Zenya.
"Nope. you?" Leo answered back, also maneuvering for a shot.
"No. I got nothing." Jim replied, a little frustrated.
"Nevermind. We might not need a kill shot. Just shoot the window around Zenya." Leo said, remembering how she launched herself through another window that night of the fire. "If we collapse the window, she may be able to jump through."
"I was just thinking the same thing." Jim said with a smile. "Great minds think alike."
Leo smiled at that. "Ok, on my mark, you shoot high, I'll shoot low."
Jim nodded, waiting for Leo's mark. His gun raised to shoot above Zenya's head.
Leo looked over to Jim and said, "Now!"
They both let loose a flurry of bullets as they saw the window blow itself inwards. A moment later, they saw Zenya jump backwards through the window, landing hard on the ground. Jim and Leo ran across the lawn to see how their partner was.
***
The smile that was on Ted's face disappeared quickly as he also saw the muzzle flashes of Jim and Leo's guns going off. Hitting the floor a fraction of a second before his wife, he heard the window shatter to the ground. Hearing his wife's cry of despair, he turned to see Zenya jump out.
"Damn it!" He said to himself. "Becca, come on. To the garage."
"She was our last chance. It's over now." Rebecca cried out as she was half- stumbling, half-dragged to the garage.
"No! There's still a chance." Ted replied as they went through the kitchen, into the garage.
"What chance is there? And how did they get this address, Ted? How?"
Ted got into the driver's seat and strapped himself in. "It was probably Jasmine, I told her to meet us here. They must've gotten to her, but she may be our chance to move on with the ritual. Call her up, tell her to meet us at the landing field."
As soon as the truck started, Ted shifted it into gear and crashed through their newly installed garage door. Debris scattered in front of them as they took off down the road in their truck. Ted looked in the rear-view mirror to see a male and female come running from behind the house, firing at the wheels of the truck. He rounded the turn and the agents were gone, just like they soon would be.
Leo got to Zenya's fallen body first, taking off his jacket along the way to prop up her head. He checked for her vital signs, brushing bits of glass from her hair and face. Jim got there and assisted as they heard the great boom of the garage door being rammed open.
"Go after them, Jim. I'll call 911 and stay with her." Leo said, seeing the truck round the bend.
"you're sure?" Jim asked, then seeing the cold deadliness in Leo's eyes, nodded then ran for the car. He saw Jordan and Vanessa get into the other car and take off after the Crosses.
Leo looked back at the calm serenity on Zenya's face and took out his cellular phone to call 911. Then he waited....
Respectfully Submitted,
Jeff Uribe
SA-1 Jeff Calderon, Team Bravo
SA-2 Leo Jones, Team Zulu