“My bet?” He paused, “I’m guessing another base. But this base is top secret. My guess is no one, but upper management knows about this one.”
“What would you guess they’re doing there?” A million possibilities ran through Tessa’s mind.
“That’s what I’m trying to find out.”
“Make sure you notify me as soon as you find out.” Tessa was nervous now.
Tessa tried to put her swirling mind to rest and spend time with Finn. Still, too many unanswered questions about his New Mexico base theory. She wanted to relax and snuggle with Finn listening to music or watch an old television show from the archives, but she found her mind wandered. Even though she didn’t want to, she was responsible for many lives right now and pushed herself to learn every detail about the enemy.
Paranoia bothered her through the night, but she hid it from Finn. Tessa figured he sensed her tension but ignored it. Or he knew she was stressed about the New Mexico base and let her stew in peace. He tried to make sure she relaxed, and eventually, she fell asleep in his arms with her head resting on his shoulder. She always slept the best in his arms.
14
Tessa awoke the next morning to start the day with inspection rounds of the entire facility. She needed to be aware of its growth, and any new needs the influx of new arrivals might bring. She wanted to expect any hiccups they might encounter if the base continued growing at its current rate. Tessa had to keep her fingers on the pulse of the base. She was responsible for the people flocking to this location. They expected protection from her, so she needed to educate herself on who and what she was protecting.
After her rounds, Sam called for the hijack team to assemble in the security hangar to look over equipment and make final preparations for their raid. They were planning to leave once the sun set and swoop in on H.I.V.E under cover of darkness. Finn monitored the progress of the caravan to ensure they hit their target at the correct time and location. Sam sent a small team ahead with the ARV to wait in position. Tessa and her team would arrive later by air.
Sam assigned weapons and equipment while Finn came over the hangar PA, “Tessa, you might want to pull up a feed to the main gate. We have a problem.”
Tessa approached the nearest monitor and tuned it to the front gate frequency. Her blood boiled when she discovered Finn’s reason for alerting her. Stonewell and part of his crew were standing at the front gate. Finn instructed the guards to hold them at the front gate and bar entry. Tessa noticed there was a heated argument between Stonewell and the gate guards which she intended to take care of personally.
Tessa raced toward the front gate on her motorcycle, and when she arrived, it was a brisk walk to the guard gate. She had plenty of time to fume over Stonewell’s appearance. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Finn on approach. She was glad he had her back. They both felt the same toward the rebel leader.
Tessa put an end to the turmoil at the gate, “I’ll take it from here.” Tessa recognized the relieved look on the guard’s face.
Stonewell smiled like he was happy to see her, causing her to want to knock the grin right off his face. “Tessa, I thought that was you on the radio. Melody told me about your new name, Joule. It’s clever.” He was attempting to be charming.
Tessa nodded to Melody, who waited behind Stonewell. She had a worried look on her face. At least she understood the gravity of this confrontation. “What makes you think you are welcome here?” Tessa drove straight to the point. She had no intention of engaging in pleasantries with Stonewell. She recognized the game he played.
“Now Tessa, I came here to offer an olive branch. Why so hostile?”
Tessa wasn’t sure she could get much angrier, but that comment almost sent her over the edge. As she opened her mouth to speak, Finn swept in and neutralized the situation, “Why don’t we take this conversation inside where we can hash all this out like adults?”
Tessa agreed, and Stonewell with his people were led to their board room. That gave her just enough time to calm her nerves and prepare herself for the discussion ahead. Finn walked with her so they could plan, “Let’s try to be rational about this. Stonewell has resources, and we could use that connection.”
Tessa tried to keep her voice down, “How can you trust him?”
“I don’t, but remember who’s in charge here. We are, and he has to play by our rules. We need to draw a firm line in the sand.”
Tessa didn’t want to admit it, but Finn was right. They needed allies, and Stonewell might be a powerful friend if she could keep him on a short leash. She hoped to keep a level head and negotiate this deal, so Stonewell had no power but still wanted to lend aid. At least Finn was at her side to help her through the process. Tessa kept telling herself the enemy of my enemy is my friend, but it didn’t make her feel any better about the current situation. Between the gangs and now Stonewell, it worried her that she might surround herself with more potential enemies than allies. She needed to keep the balance tipped toward people she trusted in her inner circle.
Finn began the conversation as Tessa wasn’t sure where to start, “First off, welcome. For what it’s worth, neither Tessa nor I are pleased you’re here, but you’re here for a reason, and we’re willing to listen.”
Stonewell, Melody,
