- A D A R A - K O N S D O T T I R -

     My eyes open, only to close immediately as I'm blinded by light. My hand instinctively rises to my face, trying to shield the glare and grant me a chance to view my surroundings. I'm greeted by stagnant, dusty air clinging to the walls of this abandoned house. Orange light floods in from my side, illuminating the sand-blasted wallpaper and splintered wood of the floorboards.

     Hearing a car in the distance, I try to stand. My body, though, seems not to listen, as I only manage to twitch my legs. I exhale heavily as I try harder to move them, getting a slight bit more motion as I sit up. I raise a hand to my head, cringing as I feel the world quietly ringing. I must've hit my head pretty hard, I guess... wait, where am I?

     My vision clears as I dart my head around. I'm close to an old door, wide open as the breeze picks up briefly. The windows of the building, while allowing light in, are caked in dust, with sand and dirt covering the window frames in a tan blanket. What just...

     I nearly have a heart attack as I watch a door open on the far side of the living room, and I watch a soldier walk in. I rush to draw my pistol, only registering the face as my palm wraps around the handle. I see the telling short blonde hair of Mena turn my way, and a mix of relief and anxiety flashes across her face in an instant. "Adara!" She exclaims, walking closer.

     "Mena," I say, my voice raspy as I breathe a sigh of relief. She checks the corners of the house as she nears me. She adjusts her headband before reaching a gloved hand down to me.

     "You look like shit, boss," she murmurs as I weakly grab her hand. She helps me to my feet, my legs doing their best to come to life. I'm immediately pulled into a hug, and I embrace, slightly confused. Behind her, I see the other operatives enter with caution. They all seem to share the look of relief Mena holds, with Lucas looking especially grateful I'm here.

     "Yeah," I whisper, noticing my sniper rifle on the floor a few feet away. I stumble over, picking it up and slinging it on my back as Lucas nears.

     "Thank god," he smiles, walking up and hugging me. I reciprocate, still confused as to what's happening, but happy to see my friends. I pull away, racking my brain to remember how I ended up here.

     My already foggy mind halts the thought when I see... Raleigh? He steps inside, flanked by Natalia. He pulls off his black shades, sporting an unassuming collared shirt and a basic pair of pants. He spots me quickly, showing less relief and more... I'm not sure, to be honest.

     "You had me worried there for a bit," Raleigh states, letting a little anxiety slip from beneath the seemingly stoic mask. Natalia smiles, looking at me, while Dom nods in relief. "We'll fix this, Adara. I promise."

     "Wha..." I sigh, frustrated that I seemingly can't remember a thing from last night. The fog covers my brain like the dust coats this whole house. "What happened?"

     Raleigh exhales, putting his shades back on. "We need to get out of here first. To the airport. Let's move."

     I nod, following Mena as she flashes a weak smile my way. Something trips in my head as I watch that, perplexed. Mena is the most bubbly person I know; she doesn't do anything weakly. My face scrunches in confusion as I follow her and Lucas out of the building, seeing a large black SUV on the side of the road. Lucas hops in behind Dom, hopping in the third row with Natalia. Dom and I sit in the second, as Raleigh calls shotgun, and Mena gets behind the wheel.

     Leaning my head back on the headrest, I look out the window and back at the house as the SUV begins turning. It looks familiar... I was there last night. I hear Dom's exosuit rubbing against the leather seat as I desperately try to remember what happened. I reach to place my hand on my head when I see a small puncture on my left bicep... wait, the tranquili-

SURI.

     "Where's Suri?" I stammer, immediately turning frantic and panicked as the floodgates of my memory open seemingly out of nowhere. I remember everything... Barr was there. He demanded Suri... "Konsdóttir, hand him over," he echoes in my head, making me recoil in shock. My eyes go wide as I look around the SUV.

     Dom looks at me, puzzled. Mena's eyes look at me with concern in the mirror, while I hear the breathing of the two behind me tense up. I forget about the pain in my body as everything comes surging back.

     "Don't worry," Raleigh says calmly, looking back at me and seemingly being surprised by my reaction. Or is that... worry from him? "He's secure. You've done exceptionally, Adara."

     My head tilts slightly, seemingly more confused than before. Am I remembering wrong? Secure? Delta took him... Barr took him... or did he?

     "I need to see him, Raleigh," I stutter, my voice shaking and catching on my parched throat. My mind zooms at a million kilometers per hour as I glance around the car. Dom's face remains puzzled, but Mena and Lucas seem to be surprised. I even catch a hint of dread in Mena's eyes as I look back at Raleigh.

     "What do you mean?" He asks, anxiety winning the battle against stoicism, as he, too, looks puzzled.

     "I promised I'd protect him, Raleigh," I assert, and I watch his face change to concern quickly. "Delta Force was there, Raleigh! They knew we'd be there, our comms were intercepted! Something is wrong, Ral-"

     "Adara," he interjects, breaking my train of thought and looking at me. His face grows composed as I focus on him.

     "Delta was there because I asked them to be."

     My body stiffens as my vision tunnels onto Raleigh's face. The sheer lack of concern blows me away as I grapple with what I just heard. I have to have misheard that, right?

     "What?" I squeak, looking at him in shock. I catch Mena's eyes looking at me with sadness from the driver's seat.

     "You've seen what's happened in Al Kamara," he begins, looking at me like he's confused at my reaction. "An armed, patriotic populace has no heir. That's a powder keg waiting to blow, Adara. Tens of thousands could get killed if we don't do something."

     "You told Barr to... intercept me and take Suri?" I ask incredulously, my tone rising. His eyes soften, and I look around the SUV once again. Dom looks at me not with confusion, but with concern. Natalia joins in suit. Lucas's head falls, looking at his feet with a look of disgust on his face.

     "I do admit, I didn't want it to be Barr," he mumbles, softening his posture as well. "...given your history. But they're in the area on similar orders. I really am sorry it was him, Adara."

     I shake my head, rage building inside as I look at him, stupefied. He continues. "Adara, you know this already. Do you remember? By any means necessary?"

     The realization hits me as I remember the phone call a day or two ago, after the palace attack:

     "Exactly," he responds quickly, with a pause. "We have to prevent civil war, Adara. By any means necessary."

     "Considering last night," I mumble, looking down at the pistol in my holster. "I agree."

     There's silence for a few moments before he speaks again. "I'm glad we're on the same page."

     I shudder as it all clicks. Raleigh didn't mean 'get him to Al Kamara by any means necessary'; he meant preventing war by any means necessary. I feel like I'm going to puke as I see the city come into view in the distance, not even registering the bumps on the road as I grapple with the true scope of the killing blow.

     I endorsed this.

     My voice shakes as I try to speak. "What's going to happen to Suri, Raleigh?"

     He pauses for a second, seemingly to realize the disconnect between us, as he begins to speak. "The United States will step in to quench the fire. The new government will sign a treaty with the US. It'll give the rebel factions enough concessions to prevent civil war, and enough support to prevent Russia or Iran from invading."

     I look at him, watching his face return to stoicism. "But, that means a coup. Suri will be given a chance to rule, but the royal family will be... removed from power."

     I fall back in my seat, amazed by the horror as the SUV enters the city. Buildings pass by on the outside, packed with street vendors, as the end of a nation is plotted right in front of me. "You've signed their deaths," I breathe, the weight of everything taking over.

     "We've saved countless lives," Raleigh counters immediately.

     "Pardon me, boss," Dom interjects, looking at me like I'm crazy. "Raleigh's right. Would you rather let all those people die?"

     "That's not," I stammer, looking at him incredulously. "You're going to make Suri kill his own family! Do you understand how fucked up that is?"

     "What, the guy that tried to abduct and assault his sister?" Dom states, tilting his head.

     "It doesn't matter what Suri did or didn't do," Natalia chirps in, looking at me. "It's the royal family, or tens of thousands of people who are far more innocent than they are."

     "No, you're right," Dom replies, looking back at her. "If he did anything he was accused of, though... good riddance, honestly."

     "I trusted you!" I stutter, looking at Raleigh with heartbreak plastered on my face. He recoils, seemingly confused. "All of you. You're going to slaughter people just to make the math work!"

     "This is bigger than one punk," Dom mutters under his breath, and I see Mena's face grow even more conflicted in the driver's seat. Lucas sits behind me, completely silent. I can feel the storm brewing inside him from here.

     Raleigh turns away, focusing on the street. "You've trusted me for years. Trust me now."

     I lean back, eyes wide as I look down at the shaking hands in my lap. This is... wrong. I can't fail to save another person. I failed the girl in Baghdad... I can't fail Suri. Maelstrom is supposed to be for making the world a better place; this is anything but. This goes against everything I stand for, and I'm the only one in this car who sees that. Do I even know these people?

     I think back to what Suri told me. "I think there are things you will only discover when you eventually hang up the guns. When it's just you, and you're free." If I go along with this, I'm sacrificing who I am. Everything I've ever stood for gets flushed down the drain. These are supposed to be my friends. I've risked my life for them, and they've done the same for me.

     Who am I?

     My right hand slowly reaches for the end of my rifle, uncomfortably sandwiched between me and the seat. Behind my rather composed face, I realize what I'm about to do. This is the biggest decision of my life.

     I hope I choose right.

     I discreetly pull the loaded concussion charge out of the end of my rifle's underbarrel, finding the manual detonation button on the side with my shaking fingers. Mena had added this in case I needed a concussion grenade in an emergency... this sure does fit the bill, but probably not how she intended.

     I push the button.

     The three-second timer ticks in the back of my head. I consider saying something to the people in this car, to plead with them to see the gravity of what's happened. I know, though, that it's no use. It's easy to trust Raleigh and accept the collateral, but I didn't get where I am with easy trust - I got here through hard decisions.

     That's who I am.

     I brace myself, tossing the charge in the air as the others go wide-eyed from the sight. Immediately, the concussion blasts, and all I can feel is the ringing in my ears and the taste of burning powder. My right hand, already on the door handle, pushes it open, and I roll out of the SUV. Still unable to see, I yelp in pain as my body strikes the tarmac, rolling a few times before coming to a stop.

     My vision comes back slowly, as I see multiple street vendors and bystanders looking at me in shock. Looking back, I see the SUV crashed into another car - not enough to hurt anybody, but enough to stop the vehicle temporarily. The gravity of what I'm doing tries to keep me down as I fly to my feet, rushing behind a building and running into the city as fast as I can manage.

     I faintly hear Lucas call my name, almost making me pause. I can't, though; I need to go. Weaving between buildings, I emerge onto a side street. Ahead of me, I catch sight of a street market, full of people doing their daily shopping and socializing. I run in that direction, trying to find a path through as the adrenaline pumps through my veins.

     Ducking behind a wall, I look at the scar on my forearm. This tracker is how Maelstrom found me this morning. One cut, and they lose me forever. One cut, and... I lose them forever. Pulling out my knife, I can't help but feel conflicted. Maelstrom is what gave me a second chance, a new purpose, one free from Barr.

     For one fleeting second, the blade touches the scar, and I almost can't do it. Then, the blade bites into my skin, and the pain feels... right. I yelp as the blade digs into my muscle, flicking the tracker out of my forearm. The small metal device bounces off the concrete, followed quickly by pooling blood. For half a second, I hear Mena's voice in my head, "Your vitals are on my screen!" I wince from the pain and the thought. I sheath my knife, turning around and-

     A shadow falls over me as Dom's arm slams into my forearm, just barely shielding me from a knockout punch as my body flies through a street vendor's stand. The added force of the exosuit propels me straight through, flaying me on the street behind it in a heap. The ringing in my ears takes over for a moment, pain rushing through my body from the impact.

     Hearing him running forward, I think fast, picking up a glass vase amongst the wooden rubble and swiftly tossing it into his face. He blocks it with his arm, the glass shards lacerating his hand. He grimaces as I stand up and run as fast as I can. The metal aftershocks of his footsteps follow closely behind as I rush through alleys.

     "You're gonna THROW it all away?" Dom screams, a mix of bewilderment and rage in his tone. "For a PUNK? a KIDNAPPER?"

     I pant as I round a corner, a small stucco wall to my right as my knees beg for mercy. I don't even have time to rebuff him as he leaps over the wall, clearing it with his mobility boost as I hear his... his gun deploy? My eyes go wide as I realize Dom is intent on killing me now, not capturing me. I slide behind a dumpster, but not before a round singes my right arm, the whistling of the round following the small spatter of blood.

     My cheeks go white with fear as I crash into the piece of cover. "I'VE BLED FOR YOU!" I hear him assert, recoiling from hearing that. I've known Dom for years, and while I knew he respected Raleigh... I didn't know he could be like this. I glance at my arm, grimacing from the fresh blood. In shock, I fire my pistol into a small banner, dislodging it from the wall as the tapestry falls into the alley. The massive cloth falls on top of Dom, allowing me to face him.

     Pulling out my rifle, I aim straight at his gun. My round immediately shatters the gun to bits, before blowing apart the piece of exosuit on his left arm. He yelps, falling back a bit as small shards of metal blast off of him. I turn on a heel, weaving my way through the alley until Dom is out of sight.

     This cannot be happening, right? A couple of tears roll down my cheek as I race across a street, realizing everything that just happened. These people are my squad. They're my home away from home. They've been my closest friends. I've risked my life countless times for these people, and they've risked theirs in return.

     Still, Raleigh, really? After all the good we'd done, after everything this team has stood for... he's always been calculated, but not like this. He's never willingly sacrificed people for a greater good.

     Or, has he? I struggle to remember a time when he was forced into making a decision like this. Panting and in thought, I turn off the street. Blood rushes from the trackers' old home as I bust through a back door to an old storage building of sorts. Sweat drips down my face as I run down a rickety wooden walkway. Below lay multiple hay bales, with more above me on shelves. My boots slam violently against the wood, gambling that I wouldn't fall through.

     "Adara!" I hear from behind me, as I whip around with my sniper rifle, trained on the pursuer, before I register their voice. Lucas stands on the walkway, small rays of light poking through the seams of the building walls and partially illuminating his face. He freezes, not expecting to be on the other side of my gun.

     "Please," Lucas pleads, eyes wide, seemingly unable to decide whether to aim his guns or raise his hands. "Adara, don't do this. We're family!"

     The weight of his plea hits like a sandbag as I squint my eyes. "You know this is wrong, Collins!"

     "You're throwing away everything!" He exclaims, a clock loudly ticking in my head as I imagine the others catching up. His conflicted expression morphs to desperation as I watch Lucas try to convince himself of Raleigh's plan. "We can save tens of thousands of people, Adara! It's what we've always done!"

     "By sacrificing Suri?" I counter, seeing the frustration creep in on Lucas's face.

     "By preventing a fucking civil war!" He exclaims, inhaling sharply. "There isn't even a choice to be made!"

     "There is always a choice," I levy.

     My words seemingly hit him like a bus. I quickly move my aim to a wooden support beam to my left, firing a shot from the rifle as Lucas's eyes go wide. The round explodes the beam, sending a hay bale crashing down in front of him. I turn quickly, running off the walkway as the hay bale collapses the structure. Lucas yelps as his footing falls out from under him, plunging into hay one floor below.

     I burst out of the building, sprinting across the street and into another alley. If Lucas is even in denial, I won't be able to convince any of the others. Raleigh's grip is too strong; it's suffocating their morals while holding their life out of fire. It dawns on me that I, tears coming back, am running through the fire.

     Hearing the distinct sound of a railroad, I dart between more street vendors and gain countless stares of confusion. In between buildings up ahead, I watch as a train moves by, car after car sliding by as the railroad ties click in rhythm. Exploding out of the alley, I leap to a car, leaping inside and crashing ungracefully into the solid wood floor. Adrenaline carries me to my feet as I hide behind a pallet of boxes, my gear sliding against the plastic wrap.

     I keel over, panting as the adrenaline finally wears off. My body shakes as the train rattles beneath me, and my blood stains the splintered floorboards. The crowd's noise has faded away as the railroad ties groan below.

     I was the commander of the most elite private military company in the world. My friends are all gone. In ten minutes, I've lost almost everything. Everything I've worked for just went flying away like a rocket to the heavens.

     Lying down, I stare at the dust in the air as it swirls between pallets. I've only got one thing left... my choice.

     And I made the right one.