"Are you sure you got it right?" Valencia muttered, "we've been walking for hours."

"Do you want to take point on the GPS tunnel recon?" Jesse hissed.

"I don't want to point anything. I just want to get there," Valencia hissed back.

Reilly and Breanna glanced at each other, trying to smother grins but failing hopelessly.

"What?" Valencia snarled, turning on them, "What is so funny?"

"Nothing," Reilly said quickly, trying to pull his face as straight as possible, "nothing at all."

"And you?" Valencia glared at Breanna.

"Sorry, I'm going to enjoy this moment," Breanna chuckled, "I'm usually the one doing the questioning."

Jesse stopped walking, glaring at her just as Valencia gave an almost identical glare.

"I understand your pain," Breanna said quietly, "but I just cannot find it in me to stop laughing."

The pair snorted in unison as she bent at the waist, hands on her knees and gave into her mirth. Valencia and Jesse turned their backs, stalking off.

"Do they know how similar they are?" Reilly whispered.

"I don't think they do," Breanna grinned back, biting back chuckles.

A little more than an hour later, Jesse stopped in a small cave where various tunnels converged, "We're close."

"Really?" Valencia said, heavy sarcasm riding her words.

"How far?" Breanna said, quickly cutting off Valencia tirade.

"According to my GPS," Jesse glared at Valencia before turning to Breanna, "we have a choice to make here."

"What are the options?" Reilly said quickly, interrupting Valencia's before she spoke. He received a singeing glare.

"According to this," Jesse raised the GPS device slightly, "Valencia's basement does have tunnel access."

"Okay," Valencia said, "how do we get to that access?"

"Waiting for the info to come up. Looks like it's established," Jesse said, "seems to have been so for several years."

"What!!" the three said in unison.

Reilly took the GPS and read the information coming from it, "Huh, he's telling the truth."

"What made you think he wasn't?" Breanna narrowed her gaze on Reilly.

"I'm always cautious," he said, staring at the GPS, "if Valencia's homes already have established tunnel access. Where do we find it?"

"According to this," Jesse said, taking the GPS back at the sound of a tiny beep, "it's this way."

The small group followed him down a narrow tunnel, barely two people wide. Suddenly the tunnel became a cave.

"What is that?" Valencia said quietly, pointing into the soft haze of the flashlight Jesse had flicked on.

"Looks like a lever," Reilly murmured, "let's see what happens when it's pulled."

Handing Valencia the tablet, Jesse looked the lever over before applying his muscular arms to the metal lever jutting from the stone wall. A grinding sound echoed around them before a rumbling sound replaced it. A film of dust made Reilly, Valencia, and Breanna back away.

"Oh. My. Heavens," Valencia whispered, as the dust settled, revealing a gaping hole, "that is the basement of the one house."

"The one you live in?" Jesse asked.

"I … don't know. It could be," Valencia whispered, "I've never seen it from this side of the door."

"Well," Breanna whispered back, stepping into the basement area, "the only way we're going to know anything is to look around."

Stepping into the area, Breannatook in the impressive size of the general area. Noting the high ceiling being identical to that of the tunnels and caves. It smelt dusty and damp, but it was usable. She discovered the floor was made of pebbles before noticing a small kitchen off to one side. A full bathroom was next to the kitchen, and a long room that seemed like a sleeping area could be seen through the last doorway. This could work. A creak of an overhead board caught her attention. The sound was followed to stairs on the opposite wall.

"What was that?" Valencia hissed.

"I think we have company," Jesse murmured, following the direction of Breanna's gaze.

"Is that five sets of feet?" Reilly whispered.

Breanna shook her head, "We're probably going to face about ten or fifteen people in a few moments."

"Well, that is four against fifteen to twenty," Jesse said quietly, "right?"

"Three," Valencia whispered.

Jesse glanced at her, questioningly, "You can't fight?"

"I'm a civilian," Valencia ground out, "Darcia doesn't care who she experiments on."

"Clearly," Jesse's forehead creased into a frown, "so it's three against fifteen to twenty."

"Guess that evens the odds," Reilly grinned, indicating a thick wooden door opening at the top of the stairs.

"Here we go," Breanna murmured, easing gently into a fighting stance, her weight moving to the balls of her feet, "what's going on? Why are they still scanning?"

"I'm not letting them see or hear us," Reilly said quietly, holding his hands out at his side, fingers widespread, palms stretched and facing forward. "If we can take them out without using too much energy, we can do hand to hand on the last few."

"See what I can do," Breanna nodded, concentrating her energy on the men coming into the basement area in front of them.

"Valencia, move with us," Reilly said, as the small group moved to the one side, "stay with Breanna."

Breanna could feel Valencia behind her, hear her fear on her trembling breath. Seventeen black, fatigue-clad, heavily armed men filled the space.

Breanna scanned the faces, "Some of these are finders."

"Damn," Jesse muttered, "they work for Darcia."

A tall, blonde-haired finder lowered his gun and strode forward to the opening into the tunnel, "You three," he pointed at three of the group, "look in the tunnel and see what you can find."

"If they get away," Reilly whispered, "we are in trouble."

"Keep the others covered," Breanna muttered, stepping past Reilly's barrier making eye contact with the men. Catching everyone's attention while guns aimed in her direction.

"Who are you?" the blonde-haired man shouted, "where did you come from?"

Breanna smiled as she felt her energy gathering fast.

"Let Clio take care of her," one of the men said.

Breanna glanced up the stairs taking in a woman with shoulder-length ebony hair; she stood a few stairs from the bottom. Booted feet braced, gloved hands clenched, a tormented look in her eyes and an obedience necklace around her neck.

Breanna's nod acknowledged another experiment, centring her gathered energy and releasing it on the group of armed men. They crumpled to the floor.

"Clio," shouted the tall, blonde leader, "take her out."

"I'm…trying," the woman said, panting a little.

Breanna quickly took in the remainder of the armed men coming down the stairs and released another surge of mental energy. When the last body crumpled to the floor, Breanna looked at the woman on the stairs.

"I'm not Darcia," Breanna said, "my name is Breanna. Please let me help you. I'm sure you really don't want to do what is demanded of you."

"If I don't... I get reprogrammed," she panted, "but I know that I will be anyway."

Suddenly Clio gasped, her hand grasping her chest where the necklace lay, "I did my best."

Breanna moved quickly up the stairs, grabbing the necklace which every experiment received and yanked.

"Jesse," Breanna yelled, pulling the necklace free from Clio's neck and chest, "catch her."

Breanna watched from a few stairs above as Jesse arrived at the bottom of the stairs in time for Clio's body to collide with his.

"Help me," Clio gasped, her eyes sagged closed, her body limp in Jesse's arms.

"Here," Reilly said, coming forward with a glass of water.

Breanna descended the stairs, dropping the necklace into the liquid.

"Black to olive green," she said, looking between Reilly and Jesse, "anyone else you know who has that?"

"Um … me," Reilly said, looking at the glass from all angles.

"Is there somewhere we can put her?" Jesse muttered, hefting Clio into his arms, "she's not exactly light."

"I think there is a mattress in here," Valencia said, indicating for Jesse to follow her into the long room.

"We need to close this," Breanna said, walking toward the hole in the wall, "is there a lever on this side?"

Reilly walked the wall in one direction while Breanna covered the opposite direction. They met at a central spot.

"I don't see an additional point, even to put the lever in from that side to this side," Reilly muttered.

Breanna watched as his forehead creased; she couldn't help wondering how come his brows didn't knit in the middle. Shaking her head at the random thought, she returned to the problem at hand. How to close the hole.

"I think we need to get these bodies out of here first," Reilly muttered, "I'll move them into the tunnel."

"If we cannot close this doorway into the tunnel," Breanna sighed, "start closing it from that side and move through before it closes completely."

"I can do that," Reilly nodded, turning; he started pulling unconscious bodies through the entrance into the tunnel.

Breanna did another scan of the general area, finding nothing. Moving into the room where Valencia and Jesse stood watching Clio, Breanna noticed that the pair seemed drawn to each other despite the arguing.

"How is she?" Breanna asked.

"Her breathing is not so erratic as before," Jesse muttered, "she is a little volatile in her sleep, but otherwise nothing."

"I checked her chest," Valencia said, "the area she was clutching, there are tiny pinpricks as though she was injected... repeatedly."

"I found this," Reilly said, striding into the room, "at the bottom of the stairs where she collapsed."

Breanna stared at the almond-shaped metal device resting on Jesse's palm.

"Drop it immediately," Breanna hissed, "now … Reilly … quickly."

Reilly flexed his hand, dropping the metal device onto the floor. Metal legs folded from inside as it floated to the floor; it changed direction midair, facing Reilly.

"Move," Breanna shouted, pushing Reilly out of the target range, "don't let it near you."

Scooping up sand from the basement floor, Breanna sprayed it over the gadget. It hesitated as it hit the basement floor, giving Breanna enough time to land a nearby cement building block on it.

"What the hell was that?" Reilly frowned, "I've never seen anything like that."

"It's a device which is attached to some necklaces of experiments Dracia classes as troublesome," Breanna said, "in other words, they won't toe the line."

"It came out of her ear?" Valencia pointed to the thin line of blood on the side of the woman's face, who now stirred.

"Maybe," Breanna nodded, "do not pick up that brick. I don't know if the device is destroyed yet."

"How do you know so much about it but don't know about its destruction?" Jesse asked.

"I was in the procedure room a few times Darcia planted those," Breanna said, "they home in on anything human and will burrow into any exposed part."

"Burrow?" Valencia said, swallowing on a shudder.

"Yes," Breanna said, "not pretty. Into arms, hands, ears … even noses."

Three faces grimaced at her words, "I've seen people die from having this device in them."

"Oh, your twin is simply … wonderful," Valencia ground out sarcastically.

A groan from the mattress drew all eyes to the woman.

"Where am I?" she mumbled, her hand moving to her head as though it ached, "my head … my ear."

Breanna moved to the side of the mattress, squatting, "You are safe here."

Two brilliant blue eyes snapped open, staring at her. They blinked twice in quick succession, "You're not Darcia."

"No," Breanna said quietly, "I'm Breanna."

"You broke out," she pushed herself into a sitting position, "you escaped. You're famous. But you shouldn't be here."

"Well, I am here," Breanna said, staring at the woman, "is your name really Clio?"

"Yes," she nodded, groaning a little, "what is wrong with me?"

"Probably missing a bug in your ear," Breanna indicated the building block with her head, "don't know if it burrows into everything, but it's not moving."

"Ah, it can only burrow into human flesh," Clio said, groggily, "too much sand is like liquid on a laptop."

"Then it's not moving anywhere," Breanna nodded, "who else is upstairs?"

"Upstairs?" Clio frowned in thought, "oh yes, apart from the guys I came down with, there is Dr Maden, roughly a dozen more fanatics and two super soldiers."

"Super Solders?" Breanna frowned.

"Yeah," Clio nodded, "Darcia has a few experiments she is taking past level five."

Breanna stared at her, swallowed hard, breathed in deeply and asked the terrifying question whispering through her mind, "Do you know the levels of these super soldiers?"

"Ah … oh... um," Clio rubbed at her head again, "I think one is nearly a six, and the other is just past level six. Does that make a difference?"

"It does," Breanna let her breath go, "has Darcia gotten past level 6 to 7?"

"Only on one person," Clio sighed, "you."

"What do you mean?" Jesse said, "what do you know of Breanna's procedures?"

"I heard the doc speaking just before I came down here," Clio sighed, "there was one other whom Darcia thought maybe a success, but he died today."

"Seems there are problems with the merchandise," Reilly said sarcastically. "What are we going to do about the others upstairs?"

"I'm supposed to incapacitate you and retrieve you," Clio said, "what if we go up there and I look like I've done what I was supposed, but we take them by surprise?"

"Not going to happen," Jesse said immediately, "you can hardly keep your eyes open. If they want us, they will need to come and find us."

"Company," Valencia whispered in a sing-song voice as a slight creak of a stair was heard.

Reilly stepped in front of the group, raising both hands to his sides.

"What is he doing?" Clio whispered.

"Shielding us," Jesse murmured.

"Help me up," Clio said, extending her hand for Jesse to pull her to her feet.

"Why?" Jesse asked, frowning as he helped her to her feet.

"I'm not letting them take any of us," Clio murmured, "Reilly, move four steps to your left."

Reilly glanced over his shoulder at Clio, "What are you doing?"

"You want to live?" she stared at him, "move."

Breanna felt something shake loose inside, "Clio, are you with us?"

"Absolutely. I'm finally out of there, and I'm not going back," Clio glanced at Breanna, smiling slightly, "I'm not going to let that level five to six take any of us."

"Reilly, keep the shield up as long as possible," Breanna said quietly, "Clio, I'm not sure what you're capable of, but here is your chance to choose. Valencia, be careful. If you can safely find what kind of experiments we're facing, then go ahead."

"What are you going to do?" Jesse asked as footsteps came closer.

"See how far my abilities can go," Breanna muttered, allowing the tension in her chest to build.

"They have to be here somewhere," the voice of Dr Chemical filtered to them as he descended the stairs, "apparently they're in the tunnels."

"What will you require when we find them?" a slow-talking voice spoke.

"They will all require reprogramming," Dr Chemical said happily, "we have to have fun sometime."

"We need to move out of here," Reilly muttered, "we're sitting ducks."

"Everyone," Breanna said, motioning for everyone to gather in behind Reilly, "we move as one, forward, up the stairs, and no confrontation if possible."

"What happens if that experiment out there feels us and follows us?" Clio asked.

"That would be classed as a forced confrontation," Breanna ground out, "logistics 101. Miss that particular class?"

"Just checking if you did," Clio muttered, moving with the group.

Entering the main room, they found four experiments and the detested face of the man who supplied the chemicals and other requirements for Darcia to do her work. Dr Maden.

"They are close by," one of the fanatics said coldly, his eyes darting back and forth over the area they stood, "there are a few of them."

"Find them," Maden said, his tone emotionless, "they will all need retraining."

Reilly grunted, his face twitching as if something was in his head, "Telepath. In. My. Head."

Breanna scanned the people. Gathered her energy while making unknown eye contact and released the build-up.

The fanatics dropped where they stood. Maden looked around at the fallen bodies unperturbed.

"Ah, Breanna," he spoke conversationally, "did you find a talent to keep yourself invisible or do you have help with that?"

The oily sound of his words made everyone shudder as they stayed hidden behind the screen Reilly kept in place.

"How many have you gathered to you? Who have you convinced to die for you? Darcia, will only want you," he seemed to think his words sounded reassuring; they glanced at each other unconvinced.

Breanna motioned for them to take the stairs. The process of climbing stairs silently while remaining hidden was challenging. Finally, reaching the top of the stairs as the door opened, bringing them face to face with another black fatigue-clad figure. How many were crawling in this place?

Breanna didn't wait for the man to open his mouth to betray them. Forming her hands in a V, she thrust them against his throat before delivering a front thrust kick. He flew back, crashing through the wall into another kitchen, meeting the floor with a thud and the sound of exhaling breath whooshing from his lungs.

"That's my other kitchen," Valencia muttered, " I think the noise gave us away."

Moving quickly into the kitchen Clio, Breanna and Jesse engaged with the cluster of experiments left behind to supposedly contain them. Reilly grabbed Valencia's arm, pulling her out of reach of the black-clad arm as he delivered a roundhouse kick. Pushing advancing figures into each other and through the glass door onto the patio, the glass exploded, spraying the floor as the body's crashed to the ground.

"Move," he yelled, pushing her toward the internal door of the kitchen, he assumed led to the lounge, "hide somewhere."

"Are you kidding me?" Valencia frowned at him, "the whole place is open plan. Not even the bedrooms upstairs have hiding places."

"Who builds a house without hiding places?" Reilly asked, punching over Valencia's shoulder into the face of an oncoming attacker.

"People who have trust issues," Valencia yelled, ducking under Reilly's arm, quickly pulling off the belt of a nearby attacker and holding it up to Reilly, "guns."

Reilly grinned, "Thanks."

He pulled a gun from a holster and opened fire on the black-clad figures attacking the outnumbered defendants. The retort of the gun was loud, unexpected and brought a slight hesitation to the attackers. A critical moment for advantage.

"Everyone down," Clio called.

Reilly hit the ground, pulling Valencia with him, covering her body with his.

Breanna watched in an eerie slow motion as the refugees slammed into the ground. The air above them rippling with an ear-splitting pressure. Cries could be heard as standing bodies convulsed. Dropping to the floor. Clamping her hands over her sensitive ears, Breanna looked up through slitted eyes to see Clio standing in the centre of the kitchen. Her hands spread wide, arms slightly raised and bent at the elbows. Her body rippling with energy, something resembling a sonic wave, hitting the fanatics, shattering the glass of the cupboards, crumbling the porcelain plates, cups and cookware.

Silence fell. Clio closed her eyes and exhaled. The sound of heavy breathing from Clio whispered to their ears.

"Everyone okay?" Breanna called.

"Here," Jesse croaked.

"Fine," Valencia grunted.

"Yeah," Reilly muttered, pulling himself to his knees.

Standing slowly, Breanna moved next to Clio, "Did that feel good?"

Unnaturally glittering eyes turned toward Breanna, "That was the best I have felt for a while."

"Yeah?" Valencia stood to her slightly unsteady feet, "well, you went right off the charts there, girl."

All eyes turned to Valencia.

"How do you know that?" Breanna asked quietly.

"I … don't know," Valencia frowned, "I just did. She started at a six and was nearly fourteen when she finished. That is off the chart."

"We'll need to talk," Breanna breathed heavily, looking pointedly at Valencia, "let's get this mess cleaned up. Is anyone alive?"

"No," Clio said evenly, "when I'm like that, no one standing survives."

"What about the doc?" Reilly asked, "he was still downstairs."

Moving to the door, Breanna looked into the basement, "Either dead or out cold."

"I have a large cart on wheels here somewhere," Valencia muttered, "we can remove them quicker that way."

"But where are we going to dump all these bodies?" Clio asked. "No one is going to believe something like war games or a military practice went wrong with so many bodies on the beach.

"Not on the beach," Jesse grinned, "the forest."

"That would be believable," Reilly nodded.

"We need to move it," Breanna said, " cleanup needs to happen before sunset. We still need to clean up Valencia's kitchen. If everyone is ready ... let's get this done."