There were two ways to get to the garage of the base. Either from the corridors that Agent 37-T had used or the west wing's stairs between the Chief's and Assistant Agent X's offices.

She couldn't follow the tall guy, but the west wing was unstable, and she didn't know if the stairs were damaged or not.

Certain death if I go to the Great Room and possible death if I choose the second way. I'd rather take the possible death than the certain one.

Carefully, she got out of her father's office. Parts of the roof and the wall had fallen, and she wondered if the destruction was visible from the ground.

Alba tried not avoid the holes, the big stones and the places where there were pipes, iron tubes or anything that could injure her.

She was full of dust, dirt and sweat, and she wanted to sneeze. However, she knew that she was walking toward the enemy. While she was heading toward the stairs, her enemies were walking toward her. She was counting on her small size to move faster and hoped that their heavy armor would slow them down enough to avoid a meeting.

It must be here. I'm sure it is. I just can't see it, she thought when she reached the place where the stairs were supposed to be.

She didn't want to believe that they were destroyed due to the explosion.

Moving a few rocks and trying to be as quiet as possible, she managed to create an opening and see what seemed to be the first step.

There was dust and dirt, but the stair looked intact.

What's the worst thing that can happen?

Hearing a few grunts from her left, she moved forward, almost keeping her breath.

Thankful that her eyes had adjusted to the darkness of the place and letting her fingers brush against the walls, she made one step at a time.

There aren't many steps left. The lower floor doesn't have that much height difference with the middle floor.

A few minutes away, she reached the last floor. On that side, they kept the vehicles the agents used for missions or prisoners' transportation. This was the place that the tall guy knew by heart since he was the head of the team for the maintenance of all the vehicles.

That was only the easy part. You must take him by surprise, avoid physical contact and therefore, have better chances to beat him. Let's hope I can aim fast enough.

She walked with bent knees, hiding behind the big cars, the gun on her hands.

Noticing a few men to her left. She changed her route, walking around.

Come on, where are you?

"Walk!" a man's voice said, and a couple of curses followed that single word.

Nat?

Raising her head and looking through a car's mirror, she confirmed her thought. The young woman was almost being dragged by the tall man. Her hands were tied, and a bloody bandage covered her left upper arm. The front part of the chest looked oddly dark.

The bastard! He shot her twice at least and keeps torturing her. But why her?

The woman fell to the ground, and the man grabbed her hair.

"I have no intention of killing you yet. You'll either walk or I'll make sure that you'll barely breathe from now on." He released the grip on her hair and walked toward a black car.

That's my chance.

She ran toward the woman, the gun firmly in her hands. Nat spotted her and her head moved fast, her eyes filled with fear. She didn't speak because she knew that would put both of them in danger.

"Axel is fighting to save the base. Don't worry," Alba whispered and tried to untie the woman's hands.

"Leave," she mouthed.

Alba moved her head negatively, her eyes searching for the tall man whom she had lost from her sight.

A car's engine started working, and Alba realized that she was out of time.

He's coming back.

She took the small device from her pocket and tossed it inside Nat's boots.

"Just in case," she said and ran to hide behind a car, unable to release Nat's hands without a knife.

He returned, and Nat tried to stand up. His patience was running out, and both girls knew it.

"They'll find you, traitor," Nat spat.

"Walk." He pushed her, and then, everything happened too fast.

Alba aimed for his torso. She saw the bullet flying, hitting him on the back. He made a sound of pain, but turned fast, faster than Alba expected, his gun already at his hand.

She shot again; the bullet only sliced his skin and hit the wall.

Nat kicked him with all the strength she had, but the strong man hit her at the head with his elbow, she stumbled and fell.

Agent 23 attacked. Shooting, trying to damage her opponent, and finally, managing another hit, she almost fell on him. They started fighting. She was faster, more flexible, but he was taller, stronger, and most importantly, ready to kill.

She heard footsteps running toward them, and seeing Nat's fallen body, she realized that the odds weren't in her favor.

She continued punching, hitting, kicking, doing everything she remembered, anything that could weaken her opponent. He managed to hit her on the face, a river of blood running from her nose, and the vision on her left eye became blurry.

Someone was shooting from behind her, but she didn't know who and why. Only a few hours ago, those people were agents united for a common goal, and now, they were enemies, trying to end the opponent.

More gunshots were heard, and people fell dead. The tall man, seeing her step down as she tried to make her eye see again, grabbed Nat and walked toward the car.

Agent 23 ran after him. She didn't have bullets or a knife or anything to attack. All she had were her punches and her rage. She jumped on his back and put her arms around his neck, trying to suffocate him. Nat fell on the ground as he tried to untangle her hands. She put more pressure and more strength on her legs as he tried to move around in an attempt to get rid of her.

"I can't let you go!" she screamed.

He stopped trying to remove her hands from his neck, and she was sensing him breathe slower and slower.

Just a little more.

However, he changed his tactic. Throwing his body on the wall, they both hit hard. Her left side was screaming in pain, and her hip took the worst blow.

He threw his body again on the wall. They were both shouting, the gunshots behind them increasing their adrenaline.

"You shouldn't fight with what you can't beat," he said before hitting the wall one last time.

Alba screamed in pain, and her hands left his neck while she fell. Limping, he dragged Nat and put her in the car's trunk. He sat on the driver's seat and started driving. She hadn't noticed that while they were fighting, someone had opened the central entry and the tall man, driving fast, escaped.

"Are you okay?" someone asked her.

"No, not at all."

"What you did was very brave."

"What I did was probably stupid, but I had to try."

"Can you walk?"

Alba turned around and looked up, seeing for the first time the owner of the voice.

The red-haired woman she had helped a few hours ago was standing behind her. The woman extended her arm and helped her get up.

"Agent 40-S took the south side of the base. The rest of the agents united with them. He told me to look for you."

"Where is he?"

"Last time I saw him, they were trying to enter the electronics room. We've got the biggest part of the base back."

Alba looked behind them; a few people were still fighting.

"How can I help you?"

The girl was sincere, and if Axel trusted her, so would she. "Give me your gun. Make sure that no one escapes from here." She sent a grateful look and taking the gun, she walked to the stairs.

She thought that if they were still looking for her, they would probably know she had left the Chief's room.

Not that it matters anymore. If Axel gets in the Great Room, or if he takes down Neva, everything is over for now.

The stairs and the wreckage of the west wing were behind her. She spotted a few agents that were with Axel on the ground arresting some people. She didn't stop for more than a few seconds, but she was hesitant.

Should I go to the top floor and check if my friends in the electronics room are safe, or should I head to the Great Room?

She noticed a familiar agent and stopped him.

"Where is Agent 40-S?"

"You don't know?"

She turned pale, and for only a second, her breathing stopped. "Know what?"

"He left most of us to deal with the rest of the base, and he took only a few people with him. He said that he wouldn't waste more people."

"Where is he?" she growled and diminished the distance between them.

"In the Great Room. Neva is still there, I think. I swear, he told us that he could handle it."

Refusing to listen to another word, she ran as much as her leg would allow her. The closer she got to the room, the more bodies and blood she saw. A few meters away from the room, she heard gunshots.

"It's over. Surrender!" a voice shouted, and her lips turned upward.

With the gun still in her hands, she entered the room. Everyone was aiming at everyone, and apart from a few people, she didn't know who was on their side. Axel and Neva weren't very far away.

They were panting, trying to catch their breaths, both aiming at each other with a gun.

"Nothing is over." He smiled.

Making sure that no one was paying attention to her because they all had an opponent to fight with, she moved fast, the gun steady in her hands.

"Put the gun down, or I'll put a hole in your head. I bet you won't look pretty then," she repeated his words.

"Zvezda..."

"Alaric is dead. I made sure of it," she lied but wanted to provoke him.

A few veins popped on his neck, and his upper lip trembled.

"You shouldn't have done that."

"I did it, and I couldn't be happier."

"And I'll make sure of that," he said, and three guns shot at the same time.