It relieved Tessa to see Finn again, and he had new intel for her to review. He revealed the spoils of his latest H.I.V.E hack. Finn accomplished what she asked and pinpointed some vulnerable H.I.V.E supply chains. He identified three potential targets with ideal ambush points. His results were music to her ears, but she wasn’t just interested in the information.
It pleased Tessa to be back with Finn since she was falling for him. She wasn’t sure if it was an infatuation or something more. Tessa had never been in love. The idea of raising a family in this hellhole was nauseating. Finn made Tessa feel at home. He was safe and understood her. It was an exhilarating sensation she wanted to hang onto.
Tessa gave Finn a soft kiss in secret and then called a council meeting which had also grown its members. Tessa met the leader of the Wildling gang whom she welcomed with open arms. More soldiers for their cause boosting their numbers. More people who hated H.I.V.E, and that list seemed to grow by the minute. They made several enemies over the years so rebellious recruits weren’t in short supply.
Finn projected a holographic image of a map on the tabletop for the group to review and detailed each potential target for a raid. The first being a truck convoy from Nebraska to the Cheyenne Mountain Complex, and the secondary target a cargo train from Ohio to Denver Airport. Both options Finn determined were transports carrying food, medicine, and weapons. The third target was a train from Texas to New Mexico, but it carried passengers and cargo.
The council discussed the targets and analyzed the pros and cons of organizing a successful strike. Tessa attempted to steer them from the two train targets. She considered those more advanced missions and wanted to try a more straightforward target for their first attempt. The group agreed with her suggestion. They wanted to play it safe at first so they could develop a reliable raid team and perfect a strategy.
Tessa requested to outfit the ARV with weapons so it might take point on the ground. Sam would pilot the chopper and provide coverage from above. Shadow recommended staging a roadblock to bring the caravan to a stop or deviate to their advantage and use the ARV to take the heavy fire while the team eliminated the agents. If they managed not to damage any convoy vehicles, they could drive the H.I.V.E vehicles away with their haul. It seemed like a solid plan. Now they needed the details of who, where, and when to work out.
After the meeting, the council scattered to prepare for the raid and determine the finer details of the strike, and Tessa retired to her new rooms. Finn found her a lounge on the second floor close to his communications room. A convenient location to foster their budding relationship, proximity to the base eyes and ear, and privacy. Finn understood her better than most and recognized that deep down, she didn’t care much for being surrounded by large groups of people. Tessa was a humble soul and not a hero for the spotlight. He recognized that she required a sanctuary to escape to, and so he provided one for her.
Finn prepared a candlelight dinner of old canned spam and a can of green beans. Not the most romantic meal, but the best the base had to offer for the time being. Tessa appreciated the gesture as sweet and endearing.
They were still in the honeymoon phase of their relationship, and things were still a little awkward. Tessa had little practice in sharing feelings. She was inexperienced. Kids weren’t kids anymore, and there wasn’t time for adolescent crushes. Childhood comprised of learning how to stay alive and not managing emotions or relationships. This budding romance was all new territory for her.
“I missed you,” Finn confessed.
“I missed you too,” Tessa answered. She was surprised to speak her own truth. She did miss him. More than she wanted to admit.
“I think things are shaping up here. It’s good to see people coming together. You realize we have almost as many humans here as Evos.” Finn conversed as he ate.
“That’s the goal. Do you think this will work?”
“I don’t see why not,” Finn shrugged. He leaned back in his chair and sighed. “I found something else while tooling through the H.I.V.E mainframe. I haven’t been able to verify yet, and I don’t think we should tell the council, so I waited until we were alone.”
Tessa stopped eating, “What did you find?”
“When I was tracking all these H.I.V.E supply chains, I noticed several routes to Cheyenne Mountain and Denver. There were some other random ones here or there. But the ones headed to New Mexico were cryptic in terms of final destination. The manifests never disclosed a destination, and I haven’t been able to figure it out.”
“Maybe it’s just nowhere particular. Unimportant.” Tessa wasn’t sure where he was going with this revelation.
“I did some digging, and it seems like New Mexico is a dark spot.” He leaned in to whisper as if someone else might hear them in the quiet room.
Tessa wasn’t following, “What do you mean, dark?”
“I mean it’s a dark zone. No communication frequencies and no satellite images.”
Tessa leaned in, “They’re hiding something.”
Finn nodded his head, “That’s my guess.”
“What
