The thundering trudge of running feet mixed with the blaring sounds of the sirens. A group of guards stood to one side, watching Madden's teams grabbing weapons, pulling on utility belts dripping with ammo and knives. Although someone usually noticed their inactivity, they had mastered going unnoticed by appearing busy. Running feet drew the group's attention, "She's here," he said, panting as he joined them, "they made land, found Madden's ammo stash. They took out a group of Madden's guards before I took out another group of Madden's guards, and they are moving this way."

"Should we tell Breanna we've changed sides?" one guard asked.

Another shook his head, "Breanna will give us a choice; it is her way. Besides, let the breach be the surprise the Protection Agency wanted. We need to monitor the hostages and ensure no one is killed."

"They are hoping not to engage," the first guard said, "we know there is no chance Madden and his teams will let them walk in here to undo the madness and then leave unharmed with the innocents."

"We have one thing they do not, choice. We have all made our choice," a guard said, "let's get out there and keep those people safe. We can eliminate colours when the moment is right."

"Break into two teams," their leader whispered, pulling weapons from the rack and handing them to each person. "One group makes sure the visitors get through to required areas, with as little resistance as possible, and the other group guards the hostages against harm."

"If we're blatant about our intentions, we'll be killed before we succeed," another said. "Let's be subtle in our intentions until we no longer have any choice but to declare ourselves."

"I agree," two others said before signalling the group into two teams.

"Trust no one else but those on your team," a vigilant guard murmured, taking in the room, "remember to have each other's backs while assisting in the extraction."

"What happens if we're not sure whose side the others are on?" an anxious guard asked.

"Does it matter?" the vigilant guard asked.

"The only way we'll know will be determined by their actions. If they are going to stop those people getting out of here, they are against us," the reporting guard said, "once we have stopped this, we will be free."

"True, we know what to do, where, and how to do it. Let's go," the vigilant guard muttered.

Leaving the area, they split into two teams, one heading for the tunnels while the other headed for the facility.

The soft crunch of sand underfoot filled the tunnel as the Protection Agency followed the winding tunnels upwards. Reilly suddenly stopped, spreading his open hand, palm facing out. Everyone stopped behind him, waiting; soft murmuring came from the connecting tunnel. A group of black-clad guards moved past the T in the tunnel ahead, absently glancing toward them before continuing, the soft chatter fading as they disappeared. Reilly dropped his hand and continued forward, the rest following. Rounding the corner, a sudden shout came as two guards spotted them. Ducking into various hiding spots, they made ready to defend themselves, reverberating against the stone walls echoed around them, peppering them with stone pieces and dust.

Silence followed, easing into formation; they moved forward, wondering where the opposition had gone. Popping sounds were heard ahead, bouncing off the stone walls.

"Gunfire," Jarred pumped his fist into the air above his head, indicating an immediate stop, "that..." he pointed in the direction of the gunfire, "... was not us."

"They definitely saw us. Could it be those others we spoke of?" Taz whispered, "we don't know who they are, right?"

"Keep moving," Breanna called softly, "keep your eyes open and weapons ready."

In unison, they continued moving, taking in everything until they reached scattered fallen bodies. Remaining vigilant, they waited as Clio checked pulse points, finding nothing; her negative headshake had them stepping over the still forms. Following the tunnels as they wound through the earth, becoming steeper, bringing them closer to the earth's surface.

Tania turned in small circles as she covered the rear of the group. Frowning, she whipped around facing the front before turning back again, becoming still. Closing her eyes and inhaling deeply, listening past the ambient noises. Silently Tania began walking backwards, her weapon raised against her shoulder, her eyes darting at anything that moved. A freakily, absolute silence met her sensitive hearing. The kind of silence felt before danger hit hard and fast. Carefully looking over her shoulder, she noted the team had stopped walking, each watching in different directions. Looking forward again, she spotted movement ahead. Bracing her feet, she waited, her hand sinking slowly to her utility belt to unclip her knife. A firefight may be an issue in the cramped space, but she could throw a knife with accuracy.

Success would either be hand-to-hand combat or stars and knives. The brush of linen echoed in the tunnel, indicating several people moving quickly toward them.

"Tania," Cara whispered in her mind, "we need to move. We have incoming from three sides here."

Tania allowed Cara to see and hear activities from her viewpoint. Understanding rippled over her senses before the other woman detached her thoughts. They were cornered and trapped with no cover, hiding places and no way forward.

Up ahead, Tania noticed a group round the kink of a corner before they disappeared, only to reappear engaging in hand-to-hand combat with another black-clad group.

"What the..." she frowned, glancing over her shoulder at the rest of the group, "you seeing this?"

Jarred nodded and pointed in the direction he was covering with his weapon. It seemed to be happening all around them. Tania watched the attackers, who appeared to be fewer in number than those under attack. The skill with which they engaged was high, and their fighting style seemed familiar. Sudden thumps on the sand drew Tania's attention to forms lying on the tunnel floor. Breathing in, Tania waited for the attackers to round the bump in the passageway. Sinking to one knee and levelling her weapon, she waited. No one rounded the corner. They had disappeared.

"Moving," Breanna's soft call came to Tania's ears, "joining us, Tania?"

Giving a single nod, she turned, striding up the passageway toward the others, glancing over her shoulder and checking they were not being followed.

"We're nearly at the tunnel exit," Jasmine whispered, moving quickly around the last bend, "then we can do what is needed to end this."

"Wait," Oran grabbed her shoulder, stopping her as voices filtered to their position.

"Take these bodies and put them with the rest," a gruff male voice said, "we'll dispose of these insanity-driven maniacs later. Make sure they are very secure. We do not need them breaking free and unravelling our work. We need to keep clearing the opposition."

"Are you sure we shouldn't show ourselves," a softer male voice spoke, "they are going to know something is wrong if we keep taking out Madden's retrieval teams?"

"We'll declare our choices and intentions at the right time," the gruff voice said, "start with clearing these bodies. The rest of you, let's move out."

Jasmine frowned, "I know that voice," she hissed, "the gruff one. Where do I know it from?"

"Darcia's facility perhaps," David replied, "it's the only place you could have heard it."

"Not just there," Jasmine shook her head, thinking, "it's somewhere else ..." suddenly, a memory flashed, her eyes widened, and she gasped, "... Mexico. He was part of the retrieval team sent to get me."

"Why would he do this after being part of your retrieval team?" Jesse frowned.

"Perhaps he didn't have a choice," Tania muttered, "remember, their choice is taken away from the start. Maybe what they are doing now is the first choice they are making for themselves in a long time."

Jasmine shrugged in acknowledgement, "You could be right."

"Since we seem to be following bodies, let's keep moving," Breanna murmured. "Keep alert ... they may be trying to make it easier, but Madden's teams could still surprise us."

Nodding in unison, they moved forward, rounding the corner to tunnel clear. Breaking into a run, they rounded another corner, feeling the fresh air brush against their faces.

"The surface is close," Jasmine said, "we're nearly there."

Jasmine broke away from the team, running ahead of them and disappearing around the next corner.

"Damn it," Jesse muttered, looking at Breanna, "if she gives away our presence, we'll be captured before we can achieve anything."

"Go after her," Breanna nodded, "Cara track them; David be ready to extend a protective bubble if necessary."

Jesse ran ahead while Oran and David held her hands, guiding her and keeping her with the rest of the team.

Jasmine made it around two corners before Jesse caught up with her.

"What do you think you're doing?" he muttered, grabbing her arm and pulling her to a sudden halt, "going off like that could get us all killed."

Jasmine stopped struggling, staring blankly at Jesse, "Oh ... what is wrong with me? I just wanted to get out of the tunnels and wasn't thinking."

"Let's wait for the others to catch up," Jesse said, "I want you to breathe, make sure you're present here and now."

"What?" Jasmine frowned, "you think I've lost it, don't you."

"No," Jesse murmured, "but I've seen your current expression. You're thinking of something else, and with the familiarity of the surroundings, you think you're reliving that moment."

"Oh, never thought of it that way," Jasmine said, "well, I'm back to the here and now."

"Good," Jesse nodded, frowning as he looked up the tunnel's passageway, "we have foes."

"You sure?" Jasmine frowned, looking in the same direction, "I don't see anyone."

"I see the signatures, and they have weapons," Jesse said, pulling his weapon around and raising it, "stay behind me."

Following the tunnel, as it wound in a snake-like pattern, Jesse moved forward, Jasmine close behind him. The pair stopped at a winding part wide enough to hide them. Jesse spun out into the open with his weapon raised.

Two fanatics stood in front of them. Armed and frozen like deer in the headlights. Jesse heard the rest of the team coming up behind them.

"Make ready," he heard Breanna murmur; various weapons rose and aimed at the pair.

"Don't shoot," the black-clad fanatic on the left said, raising his hands in surrender, his weapon dropping, hanging from his shoulder. "What did Valencia say we were supposed to say?"

"Find Breanna and tell her we've made a choice," the other said, looking through the group in front of them. "The first is easy ... she looks like Darcia," he nudged his partner, "the second, we may need to convince them all."

"How do we do that?" Jesse heard one ask.

"Follow my lead," the first one whispered, pulling off his red armband, dropping it to the tunnel floor, and stepping to the side. "Follow the tunnel. It leads straight to the room armed with motion sensors, and you have over two dozen highly trained guards waiting. Past that is the containment unit and the prisoners."

"What makes you think we believe you?" Breanna asked, moving through the team toward the two standing against the side of the tunnel.

They stared at her, fear shining out of their widened eyes, "You ... look just .... like her," one stuttered.

"Ah," the other swallowed, "we made a choice ... our own choice. We didn't have anywhere else to go after ... our ..."

"Torture," the other supplied.

"We had to stay with Darica," the first continued, "but what is happening now ... is insanity far ahead of Darcia's madness. We don't want anything to do with it."

"Valencia said she and Birgit were going to disable the energy containment," the other said. "We were to find you and tell you we have made a choice."

Breanna nodded, "Who has been taking out Madden's teams?"

"Oh, that is the others on our side," they grinned at each other. "There are two teams. One is appointed to assist your entry and the other to ensure that Madden's teams don't murder the captives."

"Thank you for that information," Breanna nodded, "what are you supposed to do?"

"Make sure that no other teams come into the tunnels after the initial burst," the first said.

"Then carry on," Breanna said, "and please tell the rest of your team they have our thanks."

The pair nodded as Jesse stepped forward, "You know about Val and Birgit. How?"

"One of my abilities," one fanatic said, "I can sense how many are present in an area or body or how many are moving toward my location."

"Three days ago, he said a big group was coming," the other fanatic sighed. "To answer your question ... we were the last ones put through the machine to stabilise our processes. But there were never any positions available to us outside of this madness, and a man needs to eat."

"How did you know we were in the tunnels?" Breanna asked.

"Once our watch advised on your arrival, it was simple to follow the sense of enhanced presence," one guard said.

"You waited for us," Jasmine said, "then I have a question ... where is Madden?"

"Oh wow, aren't you the Calderone girl?" the one fanatic said, "you escaped."

Jasmine stared at the guard, the gruff voice, "You were part of my retrieval team in Mexico," he paled at her words. "But you were also the one who took my necklace away for repairs," Jasmine launched herself at him, embracing the stunned man.

He froze in place, waiting, unsure of what would happen, looking at the rest of the surprised onlookers over her shoulder. Jasmine stepped away.

"Thank you," she said, "that was the kindest thing you could have done for me."

"Really?" the second guard said, "that was kind?"

"Yes," Jasmine glanced at the second guard, "and he knew that."

Glancing between the two, "Back to my question ... where is Madden?"

"If you go past the extraction room, you'll find the control room," the hugged guard babbled as if he couldn't give the information to her quickly enough.

"If you have truly made a choice," Breanna said, "start with having our backs and ensuring no missed teams come out of the tunnels. Then pick up your weapons and fight with us."

"We would be happy to cover you. If you're going to free us, we'd prefer to be prisoners of war," the one guard said.

"We will be happy to lead you to where the prisoners are being kept," the unhugged guard said, "... and Madden," he said, turning to look down the tunnel, "they know you are here. Madden has sent a number of his men to face you."

"How did they know?" the first guard said.

"Could be that constant nearby humming," Fiona said, walking down the tunnel before stopping and looking up at the wall, "yes, it appears Madden has technology more advanced than before." She reached up, plucking what looked like a bug off the wall, "No pun intended by we've been bugged."

"Let's move," Breanna barked before turning to the two guards, "it would seem you need to earn our trust, but your choice has been made. Madden knows of your defection. What is your decision?"

"What I've wanted to do for a while," the hugged guard said, "fight."

"I didn't want to do this right now," the other guard said, "but now it's clear. We fight."

"Your offer to take us to the prisoners is thoughtful but unnecessary. Cara," Breanna called, "find Valencia."

"Have her already," Cara said, "this way."