Army of One

Epona's phone rang. She checked her screen and answered the call, turning on her speakers.

"Was that a gunshot?" Bevan spoke, his quick breathing audible.

"That wis an explosion," said Epona and looked at Maitho, her eyes softening. "Someone, 'n' we probably know who, attacked Maitho's apartment. "

There was the sound of footsteps coming to a halt. "Wait, what? But why? We were going to meet him."

The two women began looking around. They weren't focused on any one thing. Rather, they checked anything that they set their sights on—passersby, cars, or even nearby buildings. "Ah don't think it's a coincidence that th' explosion took place juist whin we wur aboot tae meet." said Epona, holding a phone a few inches from her face.

"I can't believe he would do this. Maitho just lost his home. Where is he going to go now?"

"We can worry about that later," said Brigid, adding her voice to the conversation. "Right now, we need to figure out our next move."

"There's something else you guys should know," said Bevan, his voice dropping a few octaves. "There are snipers on the roofs of several buildings. I would like to think that they are not here for us, but in my humble opinion, they are definitely here for us."

As if they were in sync, all three turned their attention to the roofs of buildings. Maitho was familiar with a lot of the features of nearby structures. While he may not know specific details, he was hoping that he could make out any visual oddities, such as the barrel of a rifle. He couldn't spot anything. "Where are most of the snipers located Bevan?" he asked.

"They are clustered around your building. They—" Bevan stopped studdenly. "Oh no. Oh no, no, no. You guys need to run."

The alarm in Bevan's voice was enough to sent a burst of adrenaline coursing through Maitho's body. He was ready for action. His body's fight-or-flight mechanisms had been activated and at that moment, he was leaning heavily towards the flight option.

"What the hell is happening?" said Brigid, a hint of panic tinging her voice.

"Get out of there," said Bevan, his voice nearly hissing with urgency. "Every single sniper has trained their weapons on you guys."

It was at that point that Maitho came to two realizations. The first was that they were facing an enemy who were ready for them. The second was that they were fortunate that the snipers weren't spread out. "Get inside," said Maitho, trepidation creeping into his voice. When the two women turned to look at him, he jerked his head towards the hypermarket and started walking. "We need to take cover right now. We're way too exposed out here. We can use the hypermarket."

Brigid looked at him, her eyebrows creased in focus. "I can't. I'm carrying a weapon."

Maitho wanted to slap his head for missing that crucial information. He looked around, hoping to find some inspiration on where to go next. There was no time to ponder, but he really did not want to put them in more danger than they were already facing because of a poor decision. He tried to think of all the public spaces in his area. But he never got to evaluate their safety before Brigid spoke.

"Get out of there Bevan," said Brigid. "Let's regroup for now."

"Wait," said Maitho quickly, causing both women to look up at him in alarm. He took a step towards the phone in Epona's hand. "Bevan, have the snipers spotted you?"

There was the sound of feet shuffling on the other end of the phone. "The ones I can see are all focused on the streets. On you guys."

"Good," said Maitho, "You can follow us on the rooftops."

"How is that going to work?"

"Stay right there. We're coming back to where we first dropped you," said Maitho.

He nodded to Epona, who returned the gesture. Without waiting for any more response, he began to cross the street. He noticed Epona by his side as he deftly avoided vehicles to reach to the other side of the street. Just when he thought that Brigid might still be standing where he left her, she appeared beside him. "Where do you think you're going?" she asked, her voice sounding like she was holding back a scathing remark.

"Away from them."

"You don't give my team directions."

Matiho wheeled around so quickly that Brigid nearly stepped back. Nearly. The woman had an exemplary level of self control. "What are you talking about? I just watched my apartment blow up and I don't even know what to think of that. Right now, I just want us in a safe spot, preferably away from explosions and potential bullets through our brains." Saying that, he continued on his journey. He noticed that Epona gave Brigid a look of concern, but he paid no attention. There was not a single moment to have lengthy conversations about who's in charge. If his actions meant that he would not be able to be part of the Celtic team, then so be it. He had never held any assumptions that they would welcome him into their group.

He heard hurried footsteps behind him. "Don't ever talk to me like that. Ever." Brigid's voice reached him. He wanted to respond, but felt that it would only push her defenses up. At that moment, he needed her to focus on her team. Despite everything, he believed that she was a terrific leader.

"Where are you guys?" Bevan's voice came through the speakers.

"We're still oan oor wey tae ye. Shuid—" Epona's voice came to a halt. Maitho turned around to catch her looking at her smartphone. Her jaws clenched. She must have noticed him watching her, as she turned her phone around and held it out for him to see. On the screen, a small notification bar had appeared on top, indicating that Epona was receiving another call.

It was from Raiden.

"Answer it," said Brigid, before anyone could talk about the call.

"Keep moving as well," said Maitho without hesitation, imposing the urgency of the action.

As they returned to their journey, Epona spoke into the phone. "Hang tight Bevan. We're almost there. Stay on the line." Saying that, she accepted the call. Doing so would place the previous call on hold.

"I think you're going the wrong way." Raiden's jubilant voice was in stark contrast to the situation Maitho found himself in.

"We're definitely not going towards the burning apartment." Maitho could not help hold back the venom that poured into his voice. Epona handed the phone to him. He looked up in surprise, but showed her that he was grateful for her action before liberating the device from her hand.

"Well, if you're going to break a rule, I can do the same."

"What rule are you talking about?" Maitho felt the frustration cloud his reactions. He didn't want to allow his emotions to take over, but at that moment, he could feel the realization that he had just lost everything that held any meaning to him. He had a home. He had a life that he was comfortable with. Now he didn't have any of those anymore.

"Actually, I have an even more important question. Where is Bevan?" Raiden continued. "Also, an important observation. Why is, what was his name again? Quinn?"

Maitho didn't answer. He simply shared a look with Epona. It surprised him that he was comfortable enough with her to check her reactions, and for some reason, he knew that she must be doing the same with him.

"It doesn't matter," said Raiden. There was the sound of sipping, followed by a contented sigh. "It's interesting that he is now a city cab and passed by me twice already. Except that you are all headed in the opposite direction. Makes me wonder what Quinn is up to. Or if that cab really is Quinn."

Maitho tapped on the screen and muted the microphone. He turned to face the women. "We stand out too much. Do you have cash on you?"

"That's an odd question but to answer it plainly, it's strictly the team's budget," said Brigid. She was constantly glazing at people, offering someone a quick check before moving on to another. Her eyes landed on Maitho for a brief moment before she resumed her observation. "Why do you need it?"

"We need to change into something else. Raiden has seen us as we are right now."

"Something you don't want me to hear Maitho?" Raiden's voice was jovial.

Maitho unmuted the microphone. "We're planning something. Not for you I'm afraid. But I do have a question. Why did you do it Raiden? That was my home you took away."

"Your home is with us, my friend. I just have to convince you of that."

"After what you did, there is no conversation." Maitho pointed at a clothing store a dozen feet away and looked at the women. Epona nodded while Brigid simply began walking towards the establishment.

"Let me tell you this." Raiden's voice still retained its cheerful sound, but there was a change in its tone. It was subtle, but it was enough to make Maitho feel more cautious than before. "You will request for a meeting with Jonathan Cray of your own willingness, of that I have no doubt. You can do that now or I will make you do it. So last chance. What do you say?"

Maitho cut the call in response.

"How th' hell does he hae snipers working for him?" Epona said, the frustration seeping through every word she spoke.

"He did mention yesterday about Jonathan Cray having a small army. Let's not forget that Cray owns a defense contracting firm. To him, getting snipers is like picking up bread at the local store." Maitho handed the phone to Epona. "Can you call Quinn using this?" She nodded. "Then let him know that two blocks down this road, there is a park. Wait for us outside. Tint his windows and change the model of his car. Something not too fancy."

Epona made the call as the trio entered the clothing store, whose interior was lit in an ambient golden light. However, much of that light was overpowered by the natural light flooding inside through the display windows that fronted the store. Looking around, Maitho noticed that the store dealt mainly for women, but there was a small section for men on one wall. The clothes were casual wear, but the prices were anything but casual.

"You guys need to cover your hair. Hoodies. Caps. Whatever you think works." Maitho's eyes were already fixed on the store attendant walking towards them. The man had a smile plastered on his face that said that he was eager to sell them the most expensive option in the store, even if they didn't want it.

"You do realize the number printed on the price tags right?" said Brigid.

"You do realize the number of people who are after us right?" said Maitho. "Think of it as safety expense."

"We don't have safety expenses."

"Well, you do now."

"Good morning ladies." The attendant introduced himself. He hovered his gaze over Brigid longer as he gave her a once-over. He offered Maitho a brief, but polite smile. "And gentleman. Tell me the style you are going for and I'll guide you to the attire."

"We have already made up our minds actually," said Maitho. "Tell me, do you have an exit at the back of the store?"

The man's smiled faltered for a split second. "I don't think anyone other than the staff is allowed to use that."

"Then there is one. Good." said Maitho. "Where do you keep your headwear?"

At that moment, Epona's phone rang. She picked up the call. "Where are you now?" She listened to a moment before her eyes widened and she clenched her teeth. After listening to a bit more, she hung up the call. "That was Quinn. He just spotted three unmarked vans and Raiden entered one of them."

"It looks like he brought an army," said Maitho, his mind racing to find solutions. "If we don't do something, we're going to end up in a small war."