CHAPTER THREE
the derelict factory mission
　

Berlin, Germany　
March 2006　

WHEN THEY LANDED IN BERLIN, THEY GOT A RENTAL CAR AND MADE THEIR WAY TOWARD THE SECURE LOCATION that the IMF had arranged for them. Once there, they went over the plan thoroughly to ensure everyone understood their assignments and then gathered all the necessary supplies they would need for the mission, loading them into the truck before heading toward the factory. Agent Gormley, however, traveled by helicopter so they could make a quick getaway once they managed to secure Agent Farris.

Upon arriving at the factory, Luther found somewhere to park far enough away so they wouldn't get noticed, and he cut the engine. As he left the driver's seat and took his place in front of the monitors in the back, making sure that everything was online and ready to go, Agent Lei exited the vehicle, making her way into position underground.

"This is a comms check. Groundhog, come in," Luther said, using Agent Lei's codename to ensure she could hear him on the other end.

"Groundhog reads you loud and clear," Zhen responded immediately. "I'm almost in position."

"Raiders, do you copy?" Luther asked, referring to both Anita and Ethan by their codenames.

From just a few feet away from him, Anita and Ethan responded immediately, confirming that they could hear him.

Luther then spoke directly to Agent Gormley, calling him by his codename as well. "Phoenix, what's your location?"

"Phoenix is waiting on standby," Declan replied from the helicopter located not that far from the factory.

When Anita and Ethan had finished loading their weapons and grabbing extra magazines to secure on their vests, they opened up the side door and began unloading the four guns out from the vehicle. Their job was to set them up along the perimeter of the factory so Luther could control them remotely from the van while they went inside and retrieved Agent Farris.

Anita and Ethan worked quickly, running through the shadowed yard and setting up the guns along the perimeter with ease. Despite having not worked together in three years, they were in perfect synchronization with each other.

While Anita would set up the base of the weapon on the ground and kick out the legs to make sure it was on stable ground, Ethan assembled the gun and placed it on the stand, and then once he had done that, Anita would secure the magazine in place. They would then gather their gear, run some yards away, and repeat the process all over again when they reached the next location.

Once they had gotten all four guns set up along the perimeter of the building, they turned and ran away, meeting up with Luther as they ducked behind a vehicle in the yard. He was crouched down, holding a tablet as he made sure the guns were operational.

"Is our truck in place?" Ethan asked while checking to make sure his magazine was fully-loaded. Luther responded with an mm-hmm. "Weapons good to go?"

"Yeah," Luther replied. He briefly beside him at Ethan and Anita. "Are you both good? You know I got your six," he added reassuringly.

"Always good to hear," Anita replied as she made sure her weapon was locked and loaded. Ready for action.

"Hey, man. That's your job," Ethan said back as he checked to make sure his magazine was fully loaded. He then glanced beside him, meeting Anita's gaze. "You ready?"

She nodded. "Let's move."

And just like that, they were off. While Luther headed for the truck, Anita and Ethan ran through the yard, weaving through cars and barriers as they made their way toward the access point of the factory where they were going to slip through unseen.

Once Luther reached the van, he settled down in a chair in front of a series of monitors and devices that he was going to use to guide the team inside, as well as operate the guns set up along the perimeter. He reached out, pressing a series of buttons to activate the weapons. "All four guns are operational," he informed the team. Looking at the inferred images, he began counting the amount of people he saw within the factory. "They've got men on the second, third, fourth floors. I count fourteen of them."

As Ethan and Anita reached their position, they threw their backs against the side of two pillars and took a moment to catch their breath. There was a slight ache in Anita's gut from the amount of running she had done, but with a few calming breaths, the ache soon faded. She glanced across at Ethan as he stood positioned behind the pillar to her left, informing Luther of their position.

"Observer, we're in approach position," Ethan said, a finger pressed to his ear as he adjusted the comms device.

"Roger that, Raider One," Luther replied. "Stand by."

"Any eyes on Agent Farris yet?" Anita asked as she adjusted her vest so the velcro strap on her shoulder wasn't awkward against the side of her neck.

"Running the match now." A few seconds went by before Luther gave them a proper response. "Target match. The prize is on the sixth floor. Two Tangos with her."

"Roger that, Observer," Anita acknowledged.

"Moving in," Ethan informed as he ducked out from behind the pillar and took off in a run towards the door, Anita hot on his heels.

When they reached the door, Ethan turned and met Anita's gaze. He watched as she lifted her gun, giving him a silent nod that indicated she was ready. He then opened the door, motioning her inside, and she ran over the threshold, checking her corners as Ethan closed the door and moved in behind her, his own weapon up and ready. They remained alert, completely aware of their surroundings while making their way further inside.

As they made their way through the factory together, both Anita and Ethan would set up charges along the pillars of the building which would not only cause a distraction so they could get to Agent Farris, but would effectively take out anyone within a few meters of the explosion.

While Anita grabbed another charge that was secured in a compartment on her thigh, she heard Luther speak to Ethan over their comms.

"So, Raider One, at some point, we got to go over this whole 'getting married' thing."

Anita's body tensed at Luther's words, and she felt her heart drop into the pit of her stomach. She knew that Ethan had been with the same woman for three years now, but she didn't want to believe it would ever become something more. For a part of her had hoped Ethan would come back to work in the field again and things would go back to the way they used to be. Boy was she wrong.

Ethan glanced across the room, having noticed the way that Anita tensed up as she set another charge on a pillar some ways away from him. He frowned, knowing she had heard what Luther said. But just as quickly as she had tensed up, he noticed that she regained her composure and got back to work, a stoic expression upon her face.

"Negative, Observer," Ethan said as he looked away from her and finished setting up another charge. "I don't respect you nearly enough to have that conversation."

"You may not respect me, but for now you're stuck with my voice in your head."

With the last charge set in the room, Anita and Ethan moved forward through the shadowed building, their guns up as they weaved through desks, chairs, wires, run-down machines, chains that suspended from the ceiling, and more pillars of which they set more charges upon.

"So, this girl, what the hell do you see in her anyway?"

"Who, Julia?" Ethan asked as both he and Anita entered another new room and immediately began checking their corners and everywhere around them to make sure the area was clear. "You've never met her."

There it was. After three years of wondering who Ethan had chosen over herself, Anita finally got a name. Julia.

"Yeah, and the way things are, I probably never will," Luther replied as both Ethan and Anita spotted some light up ahead. They paused, peering through a broken window at two men with what appeared to be communications tech. "Lucky for her, right? That's what you're thinking."

"They've got communications gear," Anita announced, hoping that by changing the subject and getting them back on track, Luther would stop asking about Ethan's personal life. Something which she really didn't want to hear about right now.

"Where?" asked Luther.

"Two Tangos, second floor, northwest corridor," Ethan informed.

Anita turned to look at her former partner after a moment, nodding her head towards the right where a set of stairs were located. Silently, Ethan nodded in confirmation, and they ducked down so they wouldn't be seen, quickly making their way toward the stairs and taking them to the next floor.

"Groundhog, that's you," Luther said. "You need to grab that gear on the second floor as soon as we go hot."

"Copy that," Zhen responded from her position underground. She was working in the tunnels, setting up her own charges that would cause an electrical disturbance once detonated. "I'll need two minutes. Which means you'll need me in one, right?"

"Yeah, just about," Luther told her. He then spoke directly to Anita and Ethan. "Raiders, make a left at the top of the stairs. The prize should be at the end of the hall."

They quickly and quietly set some charges on pillars around the room before heading down the dimly lit hallway where Luther had informed them Agent Lindsey Farris was being held hostage. The two of them split up, hiding behind separate pillars in the room that were right across from each other.

With her back pressed against the solid structure, Anita slid down until she was in a crouched position and she slowly peered out from behind the pillar. In a room just up ahead, she could see Agent Farris bound to a broken wheelchair, three men standing around her and talking amongst themselves. Anita couldn't hear what they were saying, but due to the fact one of the men was hovering over Lindsey and caressing her forehead as the woman's head was leaned all the way back, she could only assume they were discussing what methods they were going to use on the IMF Agent next.

"Phoenix, I have eyes on the prize," Ethan said to Agent Gormley, who was waiting nearby with a helicopter for evac. "We need touchdown in less than three. Do you copy?

"Roger that, I copy," Declan responded immediately. He then lowered his voice, muttering to himself even though they could hear him loud and clear over the comms, "Please, when do I not copy? All I do is copy."

Ethan glanced across the room at Anita, and as their eyes met, they exchanged a silent nod with each other before pulling on their pair of red-tinted goggles that would keep their eyes safe when they detonated the charges.

"Stand by to go live," Ethan informed the team. He pulled out his detonator, and Anita did the same, keeping her eyes on him as she waited for him to begin the countdown. "On my mark. Three. Two. One. Execute."

Immediately, Anita, Ethan and Zhen detonated their charges in unison, causing several explosions to go off within the building along with an electrical discharge from Zhen's explosives, which caused an interference with the hostiles tech, as well as the electricity throughout the building. Meanwhile, Luther remotely controlled the guns both Anita and Ethan had set up earlier, using them to fire on the enemy and take out as many of them as he could. Glass shattered everywhere as bullets penetrated the windows, and there were distant screams, but Anita and Ethan kept their eyes on each other the entire time as they waited for Luther to tell them the area was clear.

"Raiders, you're clear. Move!"

With their tinted goggles still on their faces, Anita and Ethan shot up and advanced inside the room Lindsey was located in. They fired on the two men that were in there, killing them instantly, and then made sure the area was secure before they tore off their goggles and got to work.

While Ethan crouched down in front of Lindsey, gently taking the woman's bloodied and bruised face in his hands, Anita watched their backs, circling the room with her gun firm in her hands as she kept a close eye out for more hostiles.

"Lindsey," Ethan said worriedly.

Anita spared the woman a quick glance, noticing how Lindsey could barely keep her head up without Ethan's support, let alone keep her eyes open, one of which was so bruised and swollen that it was almost completely shut. She couldn't imagine what the poor woman had gone through.

"Ethan?" Lindsey barely managed to get out through the pain and exhaustion that was taking an obvious tool on her body.

"I'm going to get you home," Ethan promised.

"Observer, we've got the prize," Anita informed as Ethan began cutting away at Lindey's bindings. "We'll need evac in three."

"Roger that, Raider Two."

"Anita," Ethan said urgently, holding his hand out towards her. She glanced at him, immediately knowing what he was asking for. She quickly grabbed the adrenaline shot located in one of the inner pockets of her vest and handed it off to him. He took it, and then helped Lindsey into the proper position, holding her close as he ripped the cap off with his teeth, exposing the rather large needle that made even Anita's skin crawl at the sight of it. "This is adrenaline," he told her with an apologetic expression. "Lindsey, you're going to feel this."

Lindsey barely had time to acknowledge what he said before Ethan jabbed the needle directly into her upper torso near her heart. She gasped out loud, her bloodshot eyes widening tremendously as the effects of the shot began to rapidly spread through her body, providing a newfound adrenaline that would allow for them to move quickly through the building.

"Groundhog, second floor is clear."

"On the move!"

Once they knew Lindsey was okay to move, Ethan helped her up. The battered woman swayed for a moment before quickly regaining her bearings.

"We have to move fast, Lindsey," Ethan told her hurriedly. "You stay close to either me or Agent Levine. Don't leave our side. Is that understood?"

Lindsey glanced at Anita before looking back at the man who had trained her. "Trust me, I don't intend on going anywhere else but back home."

"Ready to move?" Anita asked as she lingered by the door frame.

Ethan nodded. "Let's go."

They moved quickly, Ethan's arm wrapped around Lindsey's waist as he helped her run while Anita led the way, her gun firmly in her hands. She was ready for anything.

"Observer, we're on the move," Ethan informed. "Wrap out. Evac in ninety seconds."

"Roger that. Phoenix, get to the LZ now."

"Roger, Observer. On my way."

Anita burst through a closed door at the end of the room, and only after checking to make sure the area was clear, she signaled towards Ethan and Lindsey, who quickly followed behind. She led the way through the room, checking every corner, door and window to make sure nobody was there. But she stopped and turned around when she noticed that Lindsey had pulled Ethan to a stop.

"Ethan," Lindsey said urgently, fighting against him as he tried to keep moving. "I have to talk to you."

"Lindsey, come on," Ethan urged, attempting to pull her into a run again, but she desperately grabbed onto the front of his vest, keeping him in place.

"We don't have time for this!" Anita shouted, crossing the room to stand with them.

"I have to talk to you right now!" Lindsey insisted. The tone of her voice and the urgent look in her eyes was enough to get Ethan to finally stop and listen to her.

"Farris, we need to keep moving!" Anita snapped. She understood the woman had gone through a lot, but they didn't have time for a conversation. They needed to keep moving immediately if they wanted to make it out alive.

"Then go without us!" Lindsey shouted back at her. "We'll catch up."

Anita scoffed. "Not a chance."

"Look, I don't know you and you don't know me, but you gotta trust me on this," Lindsey said. She then turned to look at Ethan again, meeting his confused gaze. "Do you trust her? Ethan! Do you trust Agent Levine?"

Ethan furrowed his brows in confusion. He wasn't sure why Lindsey was asking such a question, but it was obviously important to her that he answer. So, he glanced at Anita, his eyes softening as he said, "With my life."

Anita felt something stir within her heart. She stared back into those green eyes until the moment Lindsey captured his attention again, causing him to turn and face his former protégé as she started speaking.

"If you trust her, then I trust her," Lindsey said as Ethan continued to stare at her in confusion. "There's something I need to tell you both. Now. But you both need to turn off your transmitters first."

"Farris, what—" Anita went to say more, but she was cut off as the woman began shouting again.

"Just do it!" Lindsey pleaded.

Before either of them could even make a move to turn off their transmitter, there was rapid gunfire that caused them to quickly duck out of the way and take cover.

Anita quickly made sure that Lindsey hadn't been hit before she turned and peaked around the part of the wall she was hidden behind. Lindsey was glued to her side, Ethan right across from them. She turned to peer out again, this time raising her gun and firing off some rounds. She managed to hit at least two guys when she heard Ethan's voice.

"Anita! Lindsey! Moving! Moving!" he shouted over the gunfire as he advanced forward.

"With you!" Anita shouted back, rising to her feet. She could feel Lindsey holding onto the back of her vest as she led the way through the room, firing off more rounds to give them both some cover.

They eventually regrouped with Ethan at the other end of the room, and although Lindsey kept her hand firmly on the back of Anita's vest so the woman knew that she was still with her, she lingered near Ethan as well, watching as the former field partners stood back to back, taking out the final few men firing at them before they ducked between a row of desks to reload their weapons.

"Ready to move," Anita said once she had reloaded a new magazine into her weapon.

Ethan acknowledged her with a nod and then rose to his feet as they continued moving again, Lindsey sticking close to Anita throughout the gunfire that continued as they moved.

Once they had arrived at the north-east side of the building where Luther would be waiting for them with the truck, Ethan let Lindsey know that this was where they'd be stopping. "We evac from here."

More gunfire went off, causing Ethan to shout at them to get down. They quickly threw themselves to the ground, Ethan and Anita ending up with their backs against the same pillar, their shoulders squishing together, while Lindsey took cover behind a desk directly in front of them.

"I'm out," Anita informed him. "How many rounds you got left?"

Ethan pulled out the magazine, taking a look before quickly sliding it back into place. "Enough," he replied. "Stay where you are." She nodded, quietly instructing Lindsey to stay down with a motioning of her hand.

A moment passed before Ethan leapt out from behind the pillar. He fired a single bullet, hitting the last man firing at them, and then he pulled out the empty mag and tossed it to the floor. "Now I'm out."

"I swear, you live for those moments," Anita smirked, rising to her feet.

Ethan glanced back at her with an amused look in his eyes before he quickly grabbed Lindsey, pulling the battered woman up from the ground.

"T-minus five, baby," Luther informed.

Anita quickly grabbed a chair and threw it through the window, causing glass to shatter everywhere. Both she and Ethan then moved quickly, grabbing their respective wires and attaching them to a solid metal rod above the window outside. Once they had the wires secured around the rod and attached to their belts, Anita set the last charge and then they got in position on the edge of the window.

"Lindsey, hold on to me," Ethan instructed, and the woman immediately wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his thighs. He held her tight before nodding towards Anita, silently letting her know he was ready whenever she was. She gave him a nod before the both of them lowered themselves out the window and down onto the top of the truck which Luther had just arrived in as quickly as they possibly could. They landed on their backs, Lindsey still holding onto Ethan for dear life as they laid there for a moment.

Anita quickly flipped over onto her stomach, holding onto the edge of the truck as she pulled out the detonator from her vest once more. Ethan turned his head to look at her, and when he saw that she was prepared to detonate the last charge, he instructed Lindsey to lay down in-between him and Anita.

With the three of them on their stomachs and their heads down, Anita detonated the last charge while Ethan leaned over the top of the truck and shouted for Luther to move.

"Rolling!" Luther said in response. He pressed down on the gas pedal just as there was an explosion overhead that caused shards of glass and chunks of wood to rain down over them.

Anita squeezed her eyes shut so that none of the debris would get inside her eyes. Thankfully, none did. But she did feel shards of glass cut into the side of her face, leaving behind a stinging sensation. She ignored the dull pain though, having suffered far worse than a few cuts, and held on tightly to the truck as Luther made a sharp turn toward the landing zone where Agent Gormley was waiting with the helicopter.

When they arrived, Anita and Ethan got up and slid down the front of the truck before turning and holding their arms out for Lindsey. The woman slid down and they caught her with ease, proceeding to help her onto the ground before they quickly made their way toward the helicopter.

And then Lindsey started crying out in pain.

The woman's face was contorted in pain as she held her head in her hands, stopping Ethan from moving any further. "God! My head! What is that?"

"Is she okay?" Zhen asked.

"Lindsey!" Ethan shouted worriedly over the sound of the helicopter. He urged her to keep moving despite the immense pain she was in. "Let's get to the chopper."

Only halfway to the helicopter, Anita quickly turned around, rushing back and helping Ethan carry Lindsey as the woman continued crying out in pain while holding her head. She wasn't sure what happened to Lindsey, but it obviously wasn't good.

"Zhen, get rid of the truck," Luther ordered.

With a nod, Agent Lei turned back around and rushed off to set an explosive on the truck.

Anita climbed inside the helicopter first, turning around and holding her arms out to take Lindsey as Ethan helped the woman inside. She helped Lindsey sit down and Ethan soon joined them, Luther climbing up front with Declan. When Zhen had rejoined them, she got into the back of the helicopter with Anita, Ethan and Lindsey.

"God! What is that? You can't hear that?" Lindsey cried out, reaching up to hold her head once more. "Oh! God!"

"What's wrong with her?" Declan asked, glancing over his shoulder to see what was wrong.

Noticing that Zhen had made it safely on board, Luther turned to their pilot and shouted, "Let's go!"

"We loaded?" Declan asked, waiting for confirmation that the entire team had made it safely on board.

"Yeah," Anita confirmed.

"Let's do it! Move out!" Ethan shouted.

"Son of a bitch," Declan muttered.

Anita looked up, following his gaze and finding a hostile helicopter making its way toward them. Fucking hell.

Ethan had noticed this as well and quickly turned to face their pilot, shouting, "Go, go, go, go, go!"

Once they were wheels up, Anita helped Ethan gently lower Lindsey down onto her back, and they both made sure she wouldn't fall out of the helicopter. Her cries were frequent and she didn't stop clutching at her head either, causing Anita and Ethan to share a concerned look with each other.

When they were far enough away, Zhen activated the explosive and Ethan leaned out the side of the helicopter, watching as there was a large explosion as the truck and any trace of IMF tech was destroyed. He then turned back around and motioned for Anita to help him examine Lindsey

While Anita held the woman's head firmly in-between her hands so she wasn't moving all around, Ethan leaned down and forced her tightly squeezed eyes open so he could shine a light over them to see if there were any visible signs that would tell him what was wrong with her.

"It hurts so much," Lindsey cried.

"Guys, we got company!" Delcan shouted. Anita glanced behind them, noticing the same helicopter as before had made it out of the explosion and followed them. "I'm going to try and lose them."

Ethan quickly grabbed the medical kit and grabbed one of the devices from inside. He moved a wand around on the side of Lindsey's head while both he and Anita stared down at the screen, trying to see if they could find anything that would explain how much pain Lindsey was suddenly in.

A moment passed before Ethan's hand paused over a small device within the woman's head. As he kept his hand steady, the tech scanned the unknown device and identified traces of magnesium. Which could only mean one thing: a small explosive charge had most likely been inserted through Lindsey's nasal cavity.

How didn't she remember that? Why wouldn't she tell them they had done that to her?

Now that they knew what it was causing Lindsey so much pain, Anita and Ethan shared another concerned look with each other. They knew that if they didn't work together to fry the charge before it had the chance to go off, it would surely kill Lindsey, and possibly all of them with her.

"Turn it off. Please. Please, Ethan," Lindsey pleaded, a tear slipping down her cheek.

"Guys, their missiles are hot!" Declan shouted as their radar system suddenly began beeping in warning.

Ethan leaned out the side of the helicopter, a panicked look crossing his features.

"Incoming!" Declan warned once there was confirmed missile lock. "Hold on."

While Zhen made sure that her seat belt was secure, Anita immediately grabbed hold of something, and Ethan threw himself on top of Lindsey so she wouldn't go flying out of the helicopter. Everyone braced themselves in case of impact.

Anita felt a little queasy as Declan made sharp turns in every direction to try and avoid the missile that was coming straight for them. Fortunately, Declan was able to cause the missile to make an impact with a windmill instead of them.

Agent Gormley was relieved. "Okay. That was lucky. We only get one of those."

Anita loosened up her grip and got back to helping Ethan with Lindsey. They both set off in a frantic search for a defibrillator, knowing that was the only way they could fry the charge before it went off. But when they were unable to find it, they turned to Zhen, asking if she knew where it was.

"Do we have a defibrillator?" Ethan asked.

Zhen nodded and quickly retrieved the defibrillators for them, setting it down and switching it on.

When Lindsey saw the defibrillators, she immediately started to panic. "Ethan! What is it? Did they put something in my head?"

"They injected you with a time-release charge," Ethan replied. "Do you remember that?"

Her brows furrowed as she tried to recall when such a thing had happened to her. "No. Time-release . . .?"

"It's an explosive," Anita told her, causing Lindsey's eyes to meet with her own. As she stared down at the woman, she could see just how terrified Lindsey was, and it made her frown. "They've activated it. That's why you're in so much pain, Lindsey."

"It's gonna detonate unless we fry the charge," Ethan quickly explained, "which is what we're gonna do."

"No, Ethan," Luther said, shaking his head. "Zap her like that, you'll stop her heart."

"Then I'll zap her again and bring her back," Ethan said determinedly, briefly glancing at Luther over his shoulder before looking down at Lindsey again. She seemed to understand the risk he was about to take by using the defibrillators to fry the charge. It was one she was willing to take as well.

Lindsey gave him a nod. "Do it!"

"Guys! They're firing another one!" Declan warned them over the beeping of their radar system.

"Goddamn it," Anita muttered in frustration, quickly grabbing hold of something and holding on tight as Declan started making sharp turns yet again. Meanwhile Luthor leaned out the side of the helicopter, a flare gun in hand. He was ready, keeping a sharp eye open for the missile.

When Declan made another harsh turn to avoid crashing into a windmill that had been in his blindspot, that's when Anita felt her grip loosen up.

Everything happened so fast.

One moment she was sitting near the edge of the helicopter, holding onto something for dear life. And then the next moment she was falling out the side of the helicopter, screaming the name of the man she loved as she did.

Fortunately, Agent Lei had been close enough that she was able to reach out and latch her fingers around Anita's before the woman could plummet to her death.

Anita felt a sharp pain in her wrist due to the awkward angle Zhen managed to grab hold of her. She cried out, hearing Ethan shouting her name over the growing sound of her heartbeat of which thundered loudly in her ears. She dangled there, holding onto Zhen for dear life as the woman struggled to pull her back up.

Ethan quickly came to the edge, peering down at her. "Anita, hold on! Hold on, hold on!" He quickly repositioned himself and reached out for her. "Take my hand!" Ethan shouted, and with what little strength she could muster as Declan continued making harsh movements as he avoided yet another missile — which made impact with a windmill and caused one of the large blades to go flying — Anita pulled herself up and grabbed hold of Ethan's hand, squeezing tightly.

Their eyes stayed locked on each other as Ethan and Zhen hauled her upwards. And once she was safely back inside the helicopter, Ethan immediately took her face in his hands and looked into her eyes, his breathing shaky. He had been so scared that he was going to lose her forever this time.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Fine," Anita said breathlessly. Her hands were shaking a little as she tried to calm her racing heart with a few breaths.

Ethan nodded after she had reassured him that she was okay, and then he immediately went back to focusing on Lindsey before the time-release charge implanted in her head would go off. Only this time, Zhen was assisting him, as Anita continued to steady her breathing nearby.

"I want you to set it for one-fifty," Ethan instructed.

"One-fifty," Zhen nodded, quickly moving to charge the defibrillators.

"Lindsey, I'm gonna short out the explosive in your head," Ethan explained as he leaned down over the frightened woman, attempting to reassure her in some way. He didn't want her to be scared. "You're gonna be okay."

"It'll need thirty seconds," Zhen told him.

Ethan was frustrated. "Damn it."

"Twenty-five seconds," Zhen said, her eyes glued to the screen as she continued updating Ethan on how much longer it would be until they were fully charged.

"Come on," Ethan muttered impatiently, staring at the screen. "We're almost there."

"They have us locked," Declan grimly informed the team as the radar system began going haywire again.

"Twenty seconds," Zhen informed.

"Hold on," Declan warned as he pulled upwards on the stick.

Anita did as instructed and quickly held onto something as Declan made a dangerous maneuver through the moving blades of a windmill. She held her breath, waiting for the inevitable pain that would come with her death. But it never happened. They made it through the windmill without getting clipped by one of the blades, and Declan cheered, a relieved grin spreading across his face.

Turning to look over her shoulder, Anita watched as the enemy helicopter attempted the same dangerous move as Agent Gormley. However, they weren't as fortunate. Their helicopter made impact with the moving blades of the windmill, all but tearing it in half and causing a massive explosion as it was immediately thrown to the ground.

"I got 'em!" Declan shouted victoriously.

Anita exhaled a breath of relief.

"Ten seconds," said Zhen.

"Almost there. Almost there," Ethan muttered under his breath. Then he reached his hands out towards Agent Lei. "Give me the paddles."

Zhen did as he asked, quickly handing him the paddles before watching the screen again.

Eight . . . seven . . . six . . .

"Ethan," Lindsey said, staring up at him with fresh tears in her eyes as she prepared herself for the inevitable pain she was about to face. "Thank you."

And then, just like that, she was gone.

They stared down at Lindsey, watching as the time-release charge detonated within her head, causing a startled cry to burst from her lips, her eyes to shoot in different directions, her neck to crane sideways, and her skin to become discoloured in a matter of seconds.

As they looked down at her unmoving body, the defibrillators began beeping, indicating they were fully charged. But it was too late. Agent Lindsey Farris was already dead.

Anita leaned back and closed her eyes. She suddenly felt sick to her stomach, unable to believe that she had failed this mission. That she had failed Lindsey and the family the woman had waiting for her back home.

When Anita opened her eyes again, she found Ethan embracing Lindsey in his arms, his green eyes glistening with unshed tears. She knew that he felt responsible for her death. And she couldn't help but feel the same way. For if she only held on tighter, she wouldn't have fallen out of the helicopter, and the time that was wasted saving her life could have been used to save Lindsey's.

a/n: i normally despise writing action scenes but i have to admit, it's soooo easy to write them for this fic. maybe it's bc the movies have always been such a comfort?? idk, i'm not questioning the reasons why lol. i'm just so happy to finally be writing this fic after sitting on it for so long 🥺

i hoped all of you enjoyed this action-packed chapter as much as i did. every moment between anita and ethan just did things to my heart. like when he said he trusted her with his life?? when he thought she had died when she fell out of the helicopter?? 😩 these two really are just EVERYTHING

also, literally screw musgrave for putting anita on this mission when he knew damn well lindsey wasn't gonna make it home! my poor baby feels like such a failure right now bc this was her first unsuccessful rescue mission, and to make it even worse, she blames herself for lindsey's death (as mentioned in the last paragraph of the chapter) 😭 but don't worry, MAYHAPs anita will get revenge on musgrave later on 👀