The Cardinal Directive: Mission Log #52

I Want to Trust You

[Start of Season 2]
[Previous]

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>> ...
>> Confirmed.
>> Now playing Mission Log #52...

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The camera’s view appears in the same place it left — Sebastian at the top stair and the flashlight illuminating the wall and bottom landing.

For several seconds, there’s nothing but silence — both parties aware of each other’s existence and waiting for the tension to break. Not even Sebastian’s breathing is audible on the camera.

From within the basement, a woman’s voice called up into the darkness, though the flashlight beam didn’t move.

“…Alison?”

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There was a tinge of familiarity to the voice. Someone he hadn’t known long, or only knew a very long time ago. Maybe both.

Sebastian’s brain scrolled idly through who it could be. Names and faces — most of which he’d be happy to forget. Several that he’d hate to see again, for one reason or another.

In the end, it didn’t matter. They were a Hand operative. He took another step down the stairs, watching the beam of light.

He didn’t hear the Sister move, but the light getting more concentrated on the wall told him she was getting closer as well. She called out again.

“Alison — I know how weird it must be to see me down here, but you have no idea what I’ve been through trying to find you,” she said as a tired, forced chuckle escaped her. “And I have a plan. I can get you out of here. You and Sebastian too.”

Always the add-on. Never the focus. It never changed with these people.

It was a lie anyway. He knew as well as the Sister did that they didn’t want him back. He was dead the moment they got to Alison.

The beam got closer, and he descended a few more stairs down, taking each with deliberate care until he was just shy of the bottom landing. His heart raced, blood pumping in his ears as he adjusted his grip on the bat. He’d have to make the first swing around the corner with his left.

“Alison?”

The beam of the flashlight was incredibly close now, but he didn’t strike until he finally heard what he was waiting for — the distinct slide of a footstep across the concrete.

Sebastian lunged out from behind the wall, immediately locating the bright red and magenta heat signature of the operative and taking a swing.