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

     I grimace as the strike connects, throwing me back. I duck, sending my right arm into a man's face in a nasty uppercut. It stunts him off his balance, knocking him down in one fell swoop. I hear rushing behind me, and so I raise my arm to block a strike from another man. He grunts, getting a good strike in on my leg as I wrap around behind him. Suri looks at me, stunned, as I get the man in a headlock and press my pistol against his skull.

     "Not a warm welcome for your guest," I comment, looking at a flustered and taken aback Suri.

     "Don't hurt him!" He exclaims, looking at me incredulously. "Who even are you?"

     "I'm Adara, with Maelstrom," I say, and I watch his face go cold with fear. "And you're Suri Ali."

     He looks at me in shock, stealing a glance at the man sprawled out on the floor. "Gan, get Haker out of the office. And, check up on Ryder, he's been having a rough week. Miss Adara, I'll talk to you, but you need to let my guy go."

     "Sounds fair," I concede, pushing him off of me and keeping my pistol in my hand, down at my side. The man grabs the unconscious one, pulling him out of the office and closing the door. Suri sits on the top of his desk, looking at me. "Are you a gang leader, Suri?"

     He scoffs, looking at me with frustration. "We're a brotherhood, not a gang. This is a place for orphans to find family, and I'm its leader. We're the Port Boys."

     I nod, holstering my pistol, and Suri slightly relaxes. That may have been rude. "Sorry. It's hard to get any information on you."

     "That's by design," he answers quickly, hanging his head a bit. "You're Maelstrom, huh?"

     "That's right," I say, sitting down in a chair near the wall. "I'm sure you have some idea why I'm here."

     He shifts uncomfortably, frowning. "Didn't take long, huh?" He lets a smirk onto his face, looking at me a bit dejected. "I knew this was coming. Someone wants me to swoop in and save the day?"

     "Your father sent for you," I clarify, and he grips the table tighter.

     "My father?" He asks incredulously. "The same father who stood idly by as my mother accused me of kidnapping my sister?"

     "I know this is a difficult situation, Suri," I sigh, his head still bowed. "But I've been assigned as your ticket back and your shield. I'm to take you to Al Kamara."

     "They threw me out like trash," he mutters, a sad chuckle escaping as he ponders the injustice. "And now they want me to save their asses. Because of course."

     "Suri," I say, getting him to look my way. "I'm not going to pretend I know how complex this is for you-"

     "Good," he interjects, folding his arms. "Don't jump into a pitch, Adara. Are you here to get me back?"

     "Yes," I confirm, seeing him nod his head. "Nothing else. When you're back, I'm gone."

     He seemingly mulls it over in his head for a few seconds before looking back at me. "I'll go. But only because I need to set the story straight. Kali needs to know the truth."

- ~ -

     I follow Suri out of the office, getting a better look at the building this time. The Port Boys kept it clean inside, an improvement over some of the buildings on this street. These guys probably didn't get a lot of downtime. If Suri is telling the truth, which I don't have a huge reason to doubt, these guys are probably very busy around the city working hard jobs to just get by.

     If I weren't on this mission, this would be a neat place to get to know better. These sorts of places are all over the Middle East, particularly in the more stable nations. I'd seen my fair share of gangs during my missions, not just in Maelstrom, but in Delta Force, and this wasn't like that.

     They save people - I'm always down for that.

     "I'm going to appoint a new leader while I'm away," Suri states simply. "I need you to wait outside. I don't want anyone thinking I'm being taken. They need to know I'm going willingly."

     "I see," I respond, mulling it over. That would cause quite the stir, I'm sure. "No funny business, though. I'm here to help you."

     His eyes narrow. "I'll be the judge of that, Miss Adara."

     Without more protest, I open the door and take a seat on the concrete steps. The blazing sun was flirting between sunset and midday, and I knew it'd be only a few hours before nightfall. Given my precious cargo, it'd be much better to keep travel to the daytime. Al Kamara, just east of Armenia, is a dangerous trip from here if one isn't careful, even with my capabilities.

     My focus is broken when I feel a buzzing in my pocket. Pulling out my phone, I see a call from Lucas coming in. I smile as I hold it to my ear. "Ciao, Lucas," I say, looking down the street towards the sea.

     "How's your little field trip?" He asks, probably chilling in his room back in the HQ.

     "I've still got all my limbs," I joke, running my hands through my hair. "So, I'd say pretty good."

     "All you can ask for, right?" Lucas laughs. "You know, I've heard Tripoli's beautiful this time of year."

     "It's ni-" I stop. "Wait, how do you know I'm in Tripoli?"

     I hear more laughing on the other end. "Relax. All of us back here were wondering what you were up to, so we bullied Raleigh into telling us."

     I let a chuckle out at that, noticing myself scanning the street for trouble. "Nosy, huh?"

     "Not every day the commander is sent on a solo mission," Lucas counters, earning a nod from me. Very true. "And damn, it's a cool one, I'll say."

     "No pressure, right?" I kid, lightly tapping my feet on the step as people walk by. With my shawl and nondescript gear underneath, not many notice me here. I'd hope to keep it that way, for Suri and my sake.

     "I remember hearing about someone getting expelled from the family a long time ago," Lucas ponders momentarily. "Was a big deal for a little bit, if I'm remembering correctly."

     "Yeah," I confirm, quieting my voice. "Accused of kidnapping his sister."

     Lucas waits a bit before responding. "Felt like it should've been a bigger story, yeah?"

     "Probably," I mutter, dipping my head to escape the harsh sun. "Major story swept under the rug. Never seen that before."

     "Ha!" Lucas exclaims, probably spitting out his coffee at that. "Nope. Never."

     "Maybe I can get the real story to share when I get back." I propose, leaning back on the steps.

     "I think I'd like that," he responds, a hint of eagerness in his voice.

     "You guys will still be there when I get back, right?" I ask.

     "Short of a mission coming up," Lucas says. "You know how it is."

     I chuckle. "That I do, that I do."

     "I just don't know why we don't do your mission as a squad," Lucas mentions simply. "Would be easier for everyone, right?"

     "Need to be covert," I say, before sighing. "And, I can think of another reason."

     "Oh," Lucas exhales. "...Yeah. That makes sense."

     I grit my teeth, fighting back the inevitable memories. "YOU ARE FUCKING DISMISSED," roars through my mind, and I begin to remember the shattering of the coffee cup. "Sorry, I didn't mean to make this depressing," I mutter quietly.

     "No, it's okay," Lucas responds quickly. "It explains a lot. It means Raleigh thinks you'd do anything to keep him safe."

     I open my mouth to respond, but nothing comes out. The calculating, soldier side of me agrees. I stand up, feeling my legs starting to go to sleep.

     "Hey," I say, changing the subject. "Tell Mena to finish her drone before I get back, please? I wanna see what she's been working so hard on for the last few weeks."

     I hear a slight chuckle from the other end. "Yes, Ma'am, miss boss lady."

     I laugh, standing up. "Gotta go. See you, Lucas."

     "Yup," he responds quickly. "See ya."

     The call ends, and I shimmy my phone back in my pocket. Wind gusts through the street, blowing off the Mediterranean Sea and finding its way under my shawl. I'm thankful for it, relishing in the wind as it cools off my warm tactical gear. Growing up in the US, I'd gotten used to the heat, but I certainly hadn't been born with that tolerance.

     Just then, I hear the door to the building creak open. Twisting around, I see Suri standing in the doorway. He had a simple, rugged shirt on with a basic pair of jeans. Combined with his basic hairstyle and common facial hair, he looked prepared to be incognito. He hoists a backpack onto his shoulders, looking back at a man inside - the same one I'd held at gunpoint.

     "You earned it, Gan," he nods. "Make the boys proud."

     "I will," Gan says, a mix of excitement and sadness on his face. Happy for the opportunity, but sad for the reasons. I can relate. "This won't be the last we see you, right?"

     Suri chuckles lightly. "It better not be."

     Gan nods, and Suri closes the door behind him. Suri stretches, sitting down on the steps next to me. He adjusts his pack, taking out a water bottle and taking a lengthy sip. "Let's clear some things up first. What do you know about me?"

     "Hmm?" I say, thinking. "Like, your backstory?"

     "Everything," he answers decisively. "My time in Al Kamara. My time here."

     I study his face, trying to read his emotion, but failing. He can put on a great poker face, I guess. "Well, let's see. You were the heir to Al Kamara. You were exiled at... what, twelve years old?"

     "Thirteen," he corrects sharply. "Why was I exiled?"

     "You attempted to kidnap your sister, Kali Ali, and were caught before you could get far," I recount, trying my best to remember what I had experienced and what I'd been briefed on. "You somehow made it to Lebanon... with where you had to cross through, I have no idea how you did it."

     I watch Suri as he interlocks his hands, resting his arms on his knees, and bowing his head slightly. The poker face is gone. It's not anger on his face, it's disappointment.

     "I have a hunch," I begin, softening my posture and pivoting toward him. "That you didn't kidnap her."

     "Does it matter?" He sighs, catching me off guard as he stands up and leans against the rail. "If the entire world thinks you're a monster, can you even be a good person?"

     "Of course you can," I counter, standing as well and looking down the street at some faces in the crowd. "You are what you choose to be."

     He huffs, nods slightly, and points to a building down the street. "That's a refugee center. I work there every week in the kitchen. Do you think they'd let me help people if they knew me as Suri?"

     The detail intrigues me as I look down the street. I try to counter, but I have nothing. My momentary pause gives Suri the chance to look my way. "No chance, that's the answer. But Saleh can. If my sister could've worn the Kamar... I'd stay as Saleh forever."

     I nod, understanding even if I disagree slightly. "The truth has a way of coming out," I assert.

     He chuckles, nodding in agreement with a mix of sadness and satisfaction plastered on his face. "It started breaking free a few days ago."