windows were boarded up, so she couldn't see inside.
Damn.
The entrance was offset from the main road in a narrow service alley. Perhaps she'd have better luck on the other side of the building?
Although she wasn't sure what was happening, Alison knew Jamie was in there somewhere. She could sense his presence nearby.
She hurried around the side of the building, turned the corner, and finally found a breach: the front door had been smashed in, the frame left in splinters.
This was Gareth's work. There was no other possible explanation. Somehow, despite Alison's best efforts to blow him off, he'd discovered the Alliance's location on his own.
Alison didn't know what she would find inside. She was unarmed and terrified. If Gareth didn't already know she'd been bullshitting him, he certainly would if she came face-to-face with him after wandering into the Alliance office, proving the fact she had known its location all along. But at least Jamie was still alive. She would have felt it if he wasn't.
Now what? Call the police?
"Hey, what are you doing here?" a familiar voice made Alison jump.
She turned around and found an equally frazzled looking Aidan looking right at her. "Long story. They've been attacked!"
Alison pointed at the broken door and waited while Aidan inspected the damage and peeked inside for a moment. He seemed different, much less stoic and controlled than usual.
"I know. The silent alarm was triggered a short while ago, when I was already on the way back. That doesn't explain why you're here though." Aidan gave her a suspicious look, then glanced back up at the building.
Aidan had never particularly warmed towards her and always seemed a bit suspicious. Turning up at the scene of an attack wasn't helping. She had to find a sensible explanation... Screw it, she had nothing. Jamie had made it clear that the truth wouldn't be particularly popular with anyone, including his own people, but it was the only chance she had of earning Aidan's trust.
"This is going to sound really crazy, but Jamie and I are mates. I felt he was in danger." Alison's bottom lip was trembling while she spoke. She still felt the risk, and if they didn't hurry up, things could get a whole lot worse.
"Okay." Aidan looked away from her again, fished his phone out of his pocket and read something on its screen.
"Really. I know it's not acceptable, considering I'm not one of you, but-"
"Calm down. I believe you."
Wow, that was easy.
"My mate is inside too," Aidan added, looking up from his phone to make eye contact with her.
Finally his demeanor started to make sense. They were in the same boat together. He'd been brought here not by some silent alarm, but the same feeling of uneasiness that had spurred Alison into action. The alarm had just served to confirm the danger he'd already sensed himself.
"So what do we do now?" Alison wondered aloud.
"We're going in, of course! Backup is arriving shortly." Aidan put the phone away, straightened his back and started marching towards the door.
Shit
. This was it: the moment of truth. She knew she couldn't do anything to betray Jamie, but Gareth was in there. Despite everything, he was still her brother. Her dad was in there too, more than likely.
She had to pick a side and it would no longer be possible to keep her relationship with Jamie a secret from the rest of them either.
"Wait! What do you mean,
shortly
?" Alison rushed into the building behind Aidan. She wasn't going to be much use in a fight, but considering everything was already unraveling around her, perhaps she could use her position to her advantage.
"Ten minutes, tops." Aidan scanned the empty office space. Wherever Gareth and the guys were, it wasn't in here.
Alison felt Jamie more keenly, and her feet wanted to carry her ahead to his position, making it nearly impossible to focus. Every second they wasted discussing what to do increased the risk of escalation inside. She had to be proactive, and get Aidan on her
Damn.
The entrance was offset from the main road in a narrow service alley. Perhaps she'd have better luck on the other side of the building?
Although she wasn't sure what was happening, Alison knew Jamie was in there somewhere. She could sense his presence nearby.
She hurried around the side of the building, turned the corner, and finally found a breach: the front door had been smashed in, the frame left in splinters.
This was Gareth's work. There was no other possible explanation. Somehow, despite Alison's best efforts to blow him off, he'd discovered the Alliance's location on his own.
Alison didn't know what she would find inside. She was unarmed and terrified. If Gareth didn't already know she'd been bullshitting him, he certainly would if she came face-to-face with him after wandering into the Alliance office, proving the fact she had known its location all along. But at least Jamie was still alive. She would have felt it if he wasn't.
Now what? Call the police?
"Hey, what are you doing here?" a familiar voice made Alison jump.
She turned around and found an equally frazzled looking Aidan looking right at her. "Long story. They've been attacked!"
Alison pointed at the broken door and waited while Aidan inspected the damage and peeked inside for a moment. He seemed different, much less stoic and controlled than usual.
"I know. The silent alarm was triggered a short while ago, when I was already on the way back. That doesn't explain why you're here though." Aidan gave her a suspicious look, then glanced back up at the building.
Aidan had never particularly warmed towards her and always seemed a bit suspicious. Turning up at the scene of an attack wasn't helping. She had to find a sensible explanation... Screw it, she had nothing. Jamie had made it clear that the truth wouldn't be particularly popular with anyone, including his own people, but it was the only chance she had of earning Aidan's trust.
"This is going to sound really crazy, but Jamie and I are mates. I felt he was in danger." Alison's bottom lip was trembling while she spoke. She still felt the risk, and if they didn't hurry up, things could get a whole lot worse.
"Okay." Aidan looked away from her again, fished his phone out of his pocket and read something on its screen.
"Really. I know it's not acceptable, considering I'm not one of you, but-"
"Calm down. I believe you."
Wow, that was easy.
"My mate is inside too," Aidan added, looking up from his phone to make eye contact with her.
Finally his demeanor started to make sense. They were in the same boat together. He'd been brought here not by some silent alarm, but the same feeling of uneasiness that had spurred Alison into action. The alarm had just served to confirm the danger he'd already sensed himself.
"So what do we do now?" Alison wondered aloud.
"We're going in, of course! Backup is arriving shortly." Aidan put the phone away, straightened his back and started marching towards the door.
Shit
. This was it: the moment of truth. She knew she couldn't do anything to betray Jamie, but Gareth was in there. Despite everything, he was still her brother. Her dad was in there too, more than likely.
She had to pick a side and it would no longer be possible to keep her relationship with Jamie a secret from the rest of them either.
"Wait! What do you mean,
shortly
?" Alison rushed into the building behind Aidan. She wasn't going to be much use in a fight, but considering everything was already unraveling around her, perhaps she could use her position to her advantage.
"Ten minutes, tops." Aidan scanned the empty office space. Wherever Gareth and the guys were, it wasn't in here.
Alison felt Jamie more keenly, and her feet wanted to carry her ahead to his position, making it nearly impossible to focus. Every second they wasted discussing what to do increased the risk of escalation inside. She had to be proactive, and get Aidan on her
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