CHAPTER 48

"Okay now let's get ready to make plan A, to inflirate our enemy" Hazel said, Ash, Leo, Day and her dad were gathered around a round table with the map of the enemy's compound. They were now hatching a plan to inflirate the enemie's compound . Hazel knew that it would be a hard journey and a cruel one too , she had already lost a lot of people and she didn't want to lose any so secretly she had decided that only Leo, day, ash and she will go .The others will be left here she hoped the the others would listen to her because this was practically suicide if it went wrong.

Her eyes roamed the table and worry grew inside her chest, if something happened to any of them, she would be the one to blame, they were all a part of her, her whole squad, the one in yhis room ,and the one outside.

She shock her head and muttered "Focus, focus Hazel for gods sake"

The guys were looking at her as if she was mad, Ash questioned "uh, you are talking to yourself, is that good?"

Hazel rolled her eyes and continued.

"I think we should enter the sane way as we did before" Leo cut through her.

The others nodded but Hazel looked unsettled.

"It was off, how the security was so lax, considering what happened the thier first department they would have been more careful, it was almost as if they wanted us to enter their department, I don't think we should enter the same way, let's try another route and maybe try to be more careful and quiet and also try to plan everything beforehand about where we should team up and dividing our team, it could be dangerous"

Day spoke up "hey, it was okay ,we will divide like we did last time it was pretty good and it definitely had no flaws. Why are you so worried?"

The others murmured in agreement ,hazel sighed, still unsettled and nodded " okay".

Leo clapped his hands and said "okay now we just need to get ready and polish the weapons and whatever"

Hazel nodded and went outside, to the roof, and ran her hands through her hair in frustration.

The others were telling her that the plan was good but then why was she feeling so troubled?

She tried to find a hole in the plan but there wasn't any.

Leo was right that that their expedition went okay the last time, what could go wrong, right?.

She showed her head better go and get stuff ready.

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They were again gathered around the table, Hazel looked at each of them one by one.

She had summoned them.

"Only me Ash, day and Leo will go. Dad you will stay here. We will send you a signal. If there is any problem and if everything goes according to plan the enemies department will fall till tomorrow night or sooner. Dad I'm asking you to stay here because only you can control the other children you are an adult and only you control them. We need you here I know you want to come with us but you have a greater need here, We are trained, they are not and they need you." She cut across her dad, who showed every sign of interrupting.

Leo cut through her.

"We will talk about this later. first I want to know what did you see in the basement that made you so scared and yesterday you told us to not go in there. this question has been prying in my mind since yesterday. what happened, what did you see?"

"I-nothing happened what do you mean?" She stuttered.

"When I said I want to have another look around the basement you panicked and said no, why ? it wouldn't hurt we're going back there anyways, Hazel I know you, you never act like this, what did you see there and if you don't want to tell us okay. We're going to find tomorrow anyways." Ash interceded

Hazel sighed and looked at each of them for a moment and muttered.

"I saw pictures of me, Mom, Dad with the masked guy they were portraits of us like 9 to 10 or like 13 or something I don't know it was really confusing, We had great matters on our mind so I put it on the back seat for a while but apparently you guys needed to know this. But dad, do you know anything about this". She looked at him and to her surprise he had turned pale.

"I- I don't know anything, maybe you just imagined it"

None of them were convinced, but a sign from Hazel and they shut their mouths.

"K" Hazel said.

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They were gathered outside the building.

Their whole squad was watching ash, day, Leo and Hazel strap guns on their waist.

Most of them sulked knowing that they cannot go with them.

Her dad looked at Hazel and Day with eyes clouded with worry.

At last Hazel nodded to the guys and addressed the crowd.

"We are going to be off now.

Remember Dad you are responsible to divide the troops if we need help and remember the code number is 3846.

We have five walkie talkies which have been divided between me ,ash, day, Leo and my dad, Andrew Marshall, should the need arise we will send you the signal, until then all of you have to be stationed near the building. We have marked the point, and my dad will lead you there" she paused before addressing them again.

"So if everything goes right we will be back before 3 hours, if we don't... You can attack"

The crowd roared their approval.

She looked around one last time before getting on her bike.

As they zoomed away, she could hear the crowd roaring, her heart fell heavy with a weight, she knew it was worry and guilt if something would happen to them, she would be the one to blame, in a way she was still worried about the pictures she saw in the basement, she hadn't slept all night thinking about them, her dad was obviously hiding something, but what was it?

She shook her head, better get rid of all these thoughts, she told herself.

They drove one in silence for a while before they reached the forest again, they talked the bikes away and without saying a word set off on foot.

The squad will come on foot to the forest and wait there for their signal.

They divided like last time, Leo and day went to the gate on the behind, while Hazel and Ash went to the vent.

Ash pushed her up and into the vent.

Off to shuffling to the vents they dropped down into the same room after checking to see if they were any people there.

"Okay, now a little change of plans you will go to open the door for them and I am going out to check the basement, k?" Hazel whispered.

"What?" Ash demanded as this was not what they planned.

Hazel sighed "I need to check out the pictures without anyone hovering around me, please"

Ash sighed and nodded, he exited the room before her.

She took the usual route to the basement and after checking the corridors to see if someone was down or above, she dipped out inside.

Her eyes rolls the basement for signs of someone but there was no one. She saw the paintings were again covered by the dark clothes she uncovered them and her eyes searched the paintings for something, any clue.

There was her mom with little hazel in her arms, she was not much to look at just a lampless baby wrapped in clothes but her mom was beautiful, dark eyes, hair that fell to her waist, and fair skin.

Hazel focused on the background it was nothing but plain white canvas of nothingness. She moved on to the next picture.

There was her dad and the masked guy, her dad looked carefree with an arm slung around the masked guy.

The new each other and they had also been great friends.

She frowned, this was not making sense.