September 6, 2017

9.06 am, Naval Air Station Key West, USA

Her shift ended 6 minutes ago. She should’ve been on her way home. But, she dropped her AirPod while working and now she’s searching for it as she scans around the poorly lit hallway.

“Get AirPods, they said. You won’t regret it, they said.” Alena grumbles to herself.

A 20-year-old all-American small-town girl with big aspirations. Combat was not for her but she still wanted to serve as a civilian in the navy, so she took courses at the community college during the day while working nights. Despite her school friends mocking the class valedictorian for being a janitor, she just couldn’t wait to work in the navy so why not get acquainted with her future workplace even though she is only a few months away from graduating.

“I should’ve taken up their offer to help.” Alena laments, remembering her coworkers.

“There it is!” Alena shouts as she sees a little white L-shaped earphone laying on the ground.

Alena jogs to it, picks it up, cleans it on her shirt then puts the AirPod in her left ear.

“And it works.” Alena says as she tests the sound, “Alright, I can still make it to class on time.”

Alena begins the trek back to the surface. This hallway is two floors beneath the newly recommissioned docks. Alena could hear the sea through two walls of concrete from both sides. The docks are still devoid of boats so when Alena feels a thud she knows something is not right. She removes her AirPods. A moment later, she hears a low-humming, like a machinery, coming from her left side. She places her ear against the wall. She feels the vibrations.

‘Drilling?’ Alena thinks to herself.

BOOM!

The entire hallway jolts. Alena steadies herself against the wall. The explosion came from behind the wall. The lights flicker. Then Alena feels wetness at her feet. She traces the seawater to the source, the slit of a door up ahead to her left. The label on the door reads “Storage”.

‘What is going?’ Alena thinks to herself.

Alena wants to investigate but stops herself. Even though she was only a few months into the job, she had never heard of drilling nor an explosion as standard procedure on any docks. Especially underneath. So this had to be an extraordinary situation. Perhaps, a dangerous one.

‘I have to alert base personnel.’ Alena thinks to herself.

The problem with that idea is twofold. First, her iPhone gets no cellphone signal this far underground. Second, the alert button is close to the hallway exit which is 45 feet away.

‘Maybe if I sprint...’ Alena thinks to herself.

Just then, her worst fear becomes real. A voice echoes from the room with the door that leaks seawater. It’s a language she has heard before it even has an all too familiar accent to her pops.

‘People?! OMG!’ Alena thinks.

‘Must be stealthy…’ Alena thinks as she quietly yet briskly makes her way forward.

Backward would’ve been safer. She could’ve hidden then called for help later…

‘If they are sneaking into this base then they are bad.’ Alena thinks while careful not to splash.

‘If I hide and do nothing, how can I serve?’ Alena asks herself as she keeps walking gingerly.

‘Just 30 feet more.’ Alena thinks as she finally passes the door.

Suddenly, the sound of a turning doorknob reaches Alena’s ears.

All Alena thinks is ‘Run!’

She sprints. Step-by-step, her feet pound the wet concrete floor. The door creaks open behind her but she is at the hallway exit. Right beside the exit is a red button beneath a plastic covering. She lifts up the plastic panel over the red button, placing her hand on the button.

“Stop or die!” A shout erupts from behind her, “Put your hands up, now!”

“If I lift my hands up, you will kill me.” Alena says after swallowing her heart.

“I can kill you so you don’t press that button.” The voice says in a distinct Russian accent.

“That’s a gamble I am willing to take.” Alena replies.

“You don’t have to die today.” The voice responds, “I will tie you up until we are done.”

“So that you can go and kill others?” Alena asks.

“Don’t try to be a hero.” The voice says, “Worry about yourself.”

“Says the terrorist.” Alena responds.

Suddenly, the metal exit door in front of Alena begins to open inwards. Alena pushes the button in panic. Alarms blare. Red lights flash.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Bullets blaze through Alena, ripping through her. Her body falls upon the door which is awash with her blood. The blood of a brave young woman from a small town with big aspirations.

“ебать! Fuck!” Shouts the masked man in full black combat gear who shot Alena in the back.

The door opens to reveal a woman in MP uniform. She is wielding a handgun.

“You said this floor was clear five minutes ago!” The man shouts through the sirens.

“Clearly not.” The woman calmly responds as she examines Alena, “Switch to plan Spoof.”

“Can’t you shut this off?” The man shouts.

“Not from here.” The woman answers, “Security will come to investigate. Especially because I set the cameras on loop and this wasn’t part of it.”

“ебать!” The man shouts again.

5 other heavily armed masked men exit the door from behind the man. They line up behind the man. All the men are in all black gear with ski-masks underneath their tactical helmets.

“Stop shouting and do your jobs.” The woman says as she kicks Alena’s corpse away.

“The General will hear of this.” The man says in a grumble, “метла Squad Zeta, go.”

Broom Squad Zeta files out of the hallway, through the exit door. The woman stays behind. She takes out a black box from her pocket then activates the switch. Tiny booms go off in the distance. She then turns to Alena, raises her gun, stares into Alena’s eyes then shoots her.

“Americans.” The woman curses as she holsters her gun then leaves Alena with a headshot.