On Boundaries
July 8, 2008 Outside of Galice, Oregon 0100 hours "Shit." Paige's dark green eyes flicked over to Bella. That was unexpected. Bella then stood up from the crating she'd been sitting on and started to pace. That also was unexpected. As agents, and former operatives, pacing was not one of the things they did. Not because they couldn't…they just didn't. They didn't fidget either though Paige herself had been caught fidgeting on more than one occasion. But she hadn't been herself then… "B?" Declan questioned her. B? Why wouldn't he call her by her signature? Or did he do this for the benefit of the prisoners. Kids - she reminded herself…young boys… and a girl…not prisoners…not technically anyway. Bella stopped to look at them and they all returned the gaze. Something had been forgotten, Paige saw it in her eyes. "I'm fine, it's nothing," she said as if reading Paige's mind. "Sorry." Then as abruptly as she had gotten up she sat back down and leaned against the wall. Some things were left behind in the van…or was this forgotten something somewhere else? "She's a strange bird sometimes," Declan said softly to Paige with a nudge. "Took you this long to figure that out?" she nudged him back. They grinned at each other and started talking about sports. He had wanted to first inquire about her pornography tastes from her comment earlier, but she quickly steered the conversation to sports. Something had changed during their conversation, both of them had noticed. Paige couldn't pinpoint it though. Bella had moved, both her and Declan had noticed it but said nothing nor made any gesture that they had noticed it. Whatever it was, Bella was more honed in on it then they were. "Found something," Bella announced shoving yet another kid forward towards them. Well that was that then, the explanation for the change of atmosphere. Oh, and a link to the outside. Simon and Jordy walked slowly to where Bella directed them, they both looked exhausted. "I have to go to the bathroom," UltraLaser stood up. "Didn't you just go?" Declan said to him. "Just walked through lots of rain and the dripping…I gotta go," he said sarcastically. "I'll take him," Paige said, "I know the way and I gotta stretch." Declan nodded his head and she gestured for him. He walked past her as she fell in line behind him. "So, you guys from Ireland," he said looking back at her. "Shut up and walk," she said half meaning it. It was a good assumption she thought, on his part. "I mean, those two are Irish, especially B," he turned around with a grin. She grinned back at him, "you're very observant." "You have no idea," he challenged her, stopping to turn around and face her. She stopped and stared at him. "Were you very observant when you were hacking into government files?" He tilted his head at her but still held his grin. "Because if you were, you may have noticed the little box that said something like 'authorized personnel only'." "I observed that," he said still grinning at her. "But chose to ignore it." "Yep." "Why would you do that?" she shook her head at him. "Because we can." "Did you even consider the consequences?" "We're under 18, what are they gonna do? Throw us in juvy? Big fucking deal." Paige shook her head, "you won't be going to juvy, or jail, or even to trial for that matter." "Then where are we going? With you Alpha 2?" Paige clenched her jaw, it was her turn to tilt her head at him. "You should have never gone into those files," she said flatly, softly. He took a step towards her, "what's going to happen?" "I don't know," she answered. "Yes, you do…you're like us." "I'm not like you," Paige shook her head advancing towards him making him step back. "How'd you find it back here without a computer, GPS, not even a map?" "Start walking," she threatened him. "How bad can it be Alpha 2?" he said as he walked in front of her. "You get to carry guns, got great computer equipment…and don't forget the hot girls…though I'm sure you're more into guys." Paige sighed no longer amused with babysitting or dealing with these kids. She wished the rain would just stop. ~~~~~~~~~~~' 0630 hours They were all sitting or standing around the small section of the cafeteria they had holed up in. The sun had come up though it was hardly noticeable through the dark clouds that still poured out rain. How it could rain so much in so many hours Paige had no idea. She just wanted it to stop. "So, that's it," Jordan said in disgust throwing down a headset. They had moved the line closer to where the teenagers were sitting in a corner. They had rotated watching them so everyone could get an hour of sleep, though Paige didn't believe any of them actually slept. "What's it?" Paige asked. "Chopper can't come out until the wind lets up, and radar shows it ain't letting up anytime soon." "Like how long anytime soon?" Declan asked. "Probably a few more hours," Simon answered. "That's not good Jordy, the sun's already up…it's a weekday." "I know, but there's nothing I can do?" "You could sprout wings and fly all of us out of here," Cereal Killer offered and all of them snickered. Jordy ignored the comment. "We could hike to the airfield." "In this weather? With five of them?" Declan shook his head. Paige thought about it for a moment. She had been looking for an opportunity to test the fences, to see where lines and boundaries would and could be drawn. That opportunity was now. "What if…we did hike to the airfield…and they got away from us?" They all turned to stare at her. "What?" she said, "it wouldn't be outside the realm of possibility considering our limitations." She stressed the word limitations knowing that only the agents would get her meaning and the kids would not know about them not being able to use force. "You're kidding me, right?" Jordan said staring at Paige. "No, I mean…" "I like that idea," Crash Override stood up nodding his head. "Shut up," Paige and Jordan said to him together. "What have they really seen, huh?" Paige said. "A few government files, it's nothing…secure…you know?" She meant something like their own files. "Ah, but that's only a matter of time," Jordan countered. "By then the prom's over, they'll be going to college, hell we could be dead by then," Paige countered back. "I am so not going to college," Acid Burn stood up now. "Are you listening to yourself?" Jordan shook her head at Paige. "I hope you aren't dead anytime soon," Crash said grinning at them both. "Shut…up!" Paige and Jordan said together again. "It wasn't too long ago you were in a similar situation…what if someone had stood up for you," Paige sought out Bella, "or you?" "That's not a valid argument," Jordan said. "The fuck it's not," Paige said agitated. "They," she pointed to the kids, "are going to end up in a big bad place underground without a voice…you know that." "You don't know that, we have a job to do," Bella said walking towards them. "And that's bringing them in," Jordan continued nodding at Bella. "I can't believe you two, everything you've been through, what you've seen, what they've done to us…we have a chance to really make a difference here…to save them from being like us." "Listen to her," Crash said, "she knows what she's talking about." All three women turned and glared at him. He took a small breath then sat down with the rest of them. "We have a mission, we have our objectives, things could get rough if we don't follow them." Jordan said flatly. Paige glared at Jordan and attempted to renew the argument. "It's not our decision to make," Declan cut her off obviously joining their side, "we don't get to make these calls." "C'mon Paige, we can't predict what will happen in the future or where this is gonna go," Jordan said quietly. "And you want to take that chance?" Paige said flatly. "These are the mission objectives, why are we arguing this?" Bella interjected. Paige glanced between the three of them mentally taking notes for future use. How was it they could be so loyal to the SIA? And if they had gone with her suggestion, had she been able to convince them… would she have let the kids go? "Fine," she said softly, "we should wait for the chopper then." Jordan nodded her head, "Bella, go to the front of the building and watch for any cars or trucks…whatever. Declan, watch them. You," she turned to Paige, "come with me." Paige clenched her jaw and followed Jordy further back into the cafeteria. Return