One Last Job

14:00

Orphanage, Vinton

John Hunt brings Luna and throws her at a chair before Marcus Stone. Mr. Stone says, "Good job on completing all the jobs I've given you till now. Thanks to you, now I've got everything I was supposed to procure."

Luna looks at Stone, her eyes looking like she will cry at any moment. She says, "Please, stop it. I don't want to kill anyone else. Please, let us go."

John slaps Luna so hard that she falls on the floor from the chair. He yells, "Who said you could talk? You should be grateful that the commander picked you up and fed you. Now that your time has come to repay the favor, this is how you act?"

Hunt is going to slap Luna again but Stone stops him. He says, "John, stop."

Hunt calms down and backs off saying, "Yes, commander."

Stone says to Luna, "Luna, I know we've made you do many things that you didn't want to do. No more of that ok? If you do one last job for me, I promise I'll let you and your friends go. I promise to remove those things from your heads too."

Luna gets happy. She gets up and asks, "What is it? What do I have to do?"

"Good. That's the spirit. Some people will come to take you in a few hours or so. Your job is to kill their leader. If you can successfully kill him, I'll release all of you. Oh, their leader is the boy who came to talk to you this morning."

Luna gets horrified learning that she has to kill someone again. She thinks, "I....I have to kill someone again. I...….I don't want to. But... If it means we can be free, I'll do it one last time. I'll kill for one last time."

Luna says out loud, "If I kill him, you'll let us go, right?"

"Of course. I'll free you and your friends the moment you kill him."

"Then I'll do it. If killing one more time means I can be free, I'll do it."

"That's the spirit. You can go to your friends now. Oh, remember, we will learn everything you even think of. So, don't try anything funny."

John takes Luna and leaves the room. Five minutes later John comes back alone. He asks, "Commander, we've already gotten what we were asked to collect. Is there any reason to go out of our way to kill that kid?"

"There is. That kid has already started doubting us. I noticed a strong doubt in that kid's eyes this morning. If we don't stop him now, I'm sure he'll prove to be a big hindrance to the General's plans. I'd like to nip that kid in the bud. "

"But wouldn't that prove difficult? Wouldn't SNA be wary of that kid? Even if Luna succeeds in killing that kid, what if Luna blurts out everything?"

"Don't worry about that. No one is going to suspect a 13-year-old little girl. As for the case of Luna blurting out everything, I wouldn't worry about that too. As soon as I learn She has succeeded I'm gonna push the kill switch."

"You'll kill her?"

"What? Did you really think I'd release her? Do you want to go to jail that badly? We'll be clean once she dies. Other kids don't even know the trouble they're in. Now go get me some coffee."

"Yes, commander."

16:24

Artemis Briefing Room, Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport

All of the members were sitting in the briefing room. Sohel gets up and says, "OK, everyone. I've got permission to conduct an active arms raid at both orphanages. Medusa, you'll lead one of the strike teams. Your strike team would contain you, Mitali, and Agent Flynn. Princess will accompany you to provide overwatch. Your job is to search the whole place and capture the head of that orphanage. Go in your combat gear as I'm told to expect hostility there. Understood?"

"Yes, captain."

"Good. Blast, you and I will head to the orphanage in Vinton. Our only job is to take the kid, Luna, in our custody. So put down that pistol."

Jacob was holding a Beretta M92. He puts that down with a sad look on his face and says, "No fighting?"

"No fighting. Does anyone have any questions?"

Jacob raises his hand, "I have a request."

"Shoot."

"I'd like to switch places with someone in Lt's strike team."

"Request denied. I can't take anyone other than you. Medusa needs to be there to lead the strike team, Mitali and Flynn can't be seen with me as we might need their disguise again and Princess is a non-combatant."

Jacob totally numbs down.

"Any other questions?"

No one raises their hand.

"OK then. Jacob, get ready, we are leaving. Once we do, Medusa, fly to Washington at once."

Sohel and Jacob get out of the briefing room. After they're gone Aiden asks, "Blast didn't seem much excited to accompany the captain."

Annabelle answers, "That's natural. Blast is a musclehead with only three things in his mind: Food, sleep, and fighting. So, when you tell someone like him to go on a mission but he can't fight, it's natural he'd feel depressed."

"That's...….something."

"Don't fret. He'll be alright."

A few moments later they hear Sohel's Subaru leaving the aircraft and Medusa says, "We should get ready too. Princess, get us in the air."

"Will do."

21:28

Artemis Control room, Approx 45000 feet over Washington

Naomi and Mitali get out of the female sleeping quarters wearing their combat suits. Naomi asks Aiden, "Aiden, do you have a firearm with you?"

Flynn says, "I've got a standard issue Glock-19."

He takes the Glock out from a holster inside his coat and shows it to Naomi. It was a raw Glock-19 without any attachments. Naomi sighs. She says, "ARIA, release the arsenal."

"Yes, Lieutenant."

Suddenly the metal on the left wall slides over to one side exposing a door. Naomi orders Flynn, "Come with me."

Naomi, Mitali, and Flynn go through the door and Flynn finds himself in a small square-shaped room. The room had 5 lockers on the right side with each of the Bravo squad member's call signs showing on a small screen on the locker door. And a whole lot of weapons were hung to the left wall. In front was a half cabinet with a table-top.

Naomi goes to the locker with her name and puts her hand on the handle. The handle scans her hand and opens with a click. Naomi takes a plate carrier, a helmet, and a thigh pistol holster and wears it. Mitali does the same. Their combat suit was the same as the one from their exam. The only difference was the SNA logo and their rank was attached to their left arm with a velcro and Their call sign was attached to the plate carrier with a velcro. After wearing their gear Naomi pressed a button on the helmet that made the front glass of the helmet transparent, showing her face. She gets to the half cabinet and opens it. She takes out a plate carrier, a pair of headphones and a pistol suppressor and hands it to Flynn. She says, "Wear them. And attach the suppressor to your pistol." Flynn who was watching their gear with awe all this time gets back to his senses and takes them awkwardly. Mitali asks, "What happened?"

"Nothing. It's just...….your gear, it's...…..a little intimidating."

Mitali chuckles, "Is it so? Our gear was made according to the 1st law of SNA officials. 'You're not allowed to die.' And the helmet gives us important info to help us in battles."

Saying this Mitali takes a backpack from his locker and wears it.

"What's in that?"

"Spare armor plates. Just in case."

Naomi says, "Don't get shot. We don't have spares for you."

Flynn turns to her and awkwardly nods.

Princess yells from the control room, "We're on top of the orphanage."

"Let's move," says Naomi while putting her Berreta 93R in her thigh holster.