The Zodiac Assassins

Chapter 14

7 days till DdM

The plane lands late the next day on a runway shimmering from the heat. Aquarius steps out and nearly steps back inside the plane when it hits her. Libra, despite being from a typically cold country, isn't bothered by it anywhere near as much as Aquarius and Aries are, Aquarius' excuse being 'I come from the British Isles. It's flipping freezing there'. I don't point out that the last week we've spent together has been spent in the British Isles. Capricorn and Pisces are waiting in the airport, his arm wrapped round her waist. Pisces is a lot less hyper than I remember, only smiling and waving as we appear.

"Hey" she says, still smiling. "So you did it? That's fantastic, now we only have this one do deal with. Well done."

Cancer nods, smoothing down her music notes patterned skirt.

"Thanks for coming" Capricorn nods. "We were really struggling."

"Well why wouldn't we?" Aquarius asks. "We're on the same mission right?" We leave the door without causing a riot and wander over towards a parked minivan. Virgo is sitting behind the wheel, head leaning on the handle, asleep. Libra gets in next to her and taps her shoulder slightly. She sits up, opening her large, dark eyes and brushing strands of black hair out of her eyes.

"Tired" she says and leans on Libra's shoulder.

Libra rolls her eyes, moves her out of the drivers seat and starts going. Virgo falls asleep again and by the time we're at where they're staying, her short, red, Chinese style dress is creased.

"We need a plan quick" Aries says the second we get up to the level where the meeting room is. "I suggest that we don't try anything anymore and instead, we just obliterate everything and anything in our path. If we try to be clever again and try to kill the people off one by one again, we're just going to result in a massacre of us, and then later of the population of the world. It's not going to work if we go in easily. Aquarius, we're looking to you again."

Aquarius leaps up and cheers, then drops back down, coughs and pretends to look serious which makes Pisces laugh. Aries rolls her eyes, glares and throws open the door to the 'meeting room'. She walks up to the blackboard at the front, muttering to herself all the while. Every so often, I can make out certain words like 'shut up' and 'death' or 'kill'. "So. The plan is that no one gets left behind. We'll all get out of this alive if we can. We split into two teams of five. One has Aquarius in it and they will guard her whilst she sets up the bomb for half an hour. Contact the other team when it's set. The other team will be breaking Leo and Sagittarius out of prison."

"Instead of creating two new teams" Capricorn says, raising his hand for a second and then dropping it. "Why don't we stay as we are now but Aquarius comes with us?"

Aries shrugs. "Whatever works. Tomorrow first thing. I like getting things done quickly. The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can *sigh* 'save the Earth'."

"So basically" Scorpio stands up. "Aquarius goes with them to set up the bomb and contacts us when it's set for half an hour. Meanwhile, we're breaking them out of prison. It's not the most complicated of plans is it?"

"We're not used to working in groups Scorpio" I say. "None of us are and I'm guessing that not many of us made plans before hand as it was all down to them and them alone."

Scorpio shrugs. "I'm just saying, the more detailed have better outcomes. Don't blame me when you lot fuck this up."

"Yeah?" Aries narrows her eyes and points the piece of chalk she's been writing with at him. "You think you can do better eh? You think that you can do this on your own? Then by all means, get lost, because you've done nothing so far apart from let yourself be caught in the flow of everything."

"This is stupid" Scorpio stands up, hands in pockets and wanders to the door. "Have fun playing 'Risk' guys."

"The teams will stay as they are or were" Taurus says almost as soon as he's left.

"No" Aries turns the chalk to pointing at him. "You're not coming."

"What?" Taurus cries. His hand is resting against the bullet wound almost subconsciously. "Why not? That's not fair."

"You'll die and as I said, everyone's going to try and get out of her in one piece. If you die... if you die then I'm pretty sure that most people would start to blame themselves for letting you come along. You can come along in the van and stay there with the equipment. You'll still have been a part of it then but not at anywhere near as much risk as otherwise."

Taurus looks upset and slouches down a little in his chair. Aries sighs and rubs her eyes. "Okay. I'm pretty sure we're done now." She goes and sits down next to Taurus as we all leave.

"I kind of feel sorry for him" Cancer says, closing the door behind her. "I mean... if I were held back then I'd be upset too. But I do get her point."

Aquarius nods and picks at one of the burns on her arm. It's starting to flake as if it's fairly new which it isn't. "This could be it. This could be the time that we break through and destroy them all and save the Earth as Aries put it. I'd hate to miss it. But then again, it could not be and then I'd want to be as far away from them as possible."

"Why?" Cancer says, looking down at her.

"Because if we're still in that building trying to tie off ends when that bomb goes off, I'm wondering if even he'll be safe. We need to be far, far away because the bomb I'm planning to use will destroy every inch of the base."