Brianna Acero and the Second One's Return

59. We get unexpected backup

It doesn't take long for the sound of propellers to pierce the air, and I rush towards the parking lot, which is the only place the helicopter has space to land. I shield my eyes as the sun glints off the white metal bird, dust and pebbles flying up from the ground at the wind that is being caused by its descent. I wave my arms back and forth, hoping they will see me, and before it has fully landed on the ground a figure clad in black jumps out, followed by four others. I squint, trying to make out their faces, and I recognize Daniel almost instantly. He walks up to me, a large gun strapped to his front, and a scowl set firmly on his face. He walks with a purpose, tattooed arms hidden by a bulletproof Kevlar suit that covers him from head to toe. I look to his right, where the four other figures are walking behind him, and find myself staring at none other than—

"Jack?"

He chuckles, black eyes glinting in the sunlight. He and his team are wearing the same suits that Daniel has, minus the gun, each of them opting instead for their own weapons. Jack is carrying something that looks similar to num-chucks, but smaller, with spikes surrounding the large metal ends. He walks up to me, smiling at my stunned expression.

"What's up weirdo, you didn't think we would miss out on this did you?"

Even though he hides it well, I catch the hidden meaning behind his words, the underlying emotion that causes him to tense his shoulders and scan the factory as if something would jump out at him at any minute. I forgot that he had been in this situation before, and it did not end well. Which is how I can tell Jack is vibrating with pent up rage, his teammates looking just as energetic as he does. They are here to avenge their friend, to catch the man that took her away from them, from all of us.

Daniel claps me on the shoulder, and I look up at my mentor, awaiting instructions.

"It's good to see you again Brianna, though I hate for it to be under such circumstances."

He glances behind me, as if he were looking for someone, and he turns his questioning gaze towards me.

"Where are Kalen and Mara, weren't they coming as well?"

I don't miss the underlying concern in his voice, and I nod, trying to reassure him.

"They're here. One of the Kriff trainees was attacked, she was out here alone before we could call for help. She's still alive, but she's hiding somewhere inside the factory. We don't know if her attacker is still inside with her, so Kalen, Mara, and Asher, the boy you met back at the base, went inside to look for her."

Daniel squares his shoulders as he looks past me at the crumbling building, probably thinking about his other two students. He turns around, waving at the pilot and making some weird hand gesture, and the propellers stop moving. Once the wind dies down it's easier to hear him, and so I listen as he tells us what his plan is.

"We need to catch this man before he manages to escape. Hopefully we made it here in time and he is still here, so we need to check the area. Look in every room, search every corner. Team A, you will head inside, split up and search the different levels. Miss Acero and I will stay out here and keep watch. Hopefully he will hear the four of you inside and come out, and we will catch him as he tries to escape."

Jack nods and ushers his team into the old factory. A part of me wants to go with them, to see why Kalen and the others haven't come out yet, hoping it is because they are having more trouble finding Anna than we anticipated and not because they ran into trouble. I press a finger to my earpiece, the whirr of the mechanism telling me it's turned on, as I wait for one of my teammates to answer.

"Guys, how's everything going in there?" I ask, waiting anxiously for a reply. Daniel watches me, keeping an eye on our surroundings at the same time.

Some shuffling on the other side of the earpiece alerts me to movement, and I only have to wait a second longer before Mara's voice comes through the little device.