Chapter Twenty Four - Love and War

[Engine of Chaos]

We'll meet again,
Don't know where,
Don't know when
But I know we'll meet again some sunny day
Keep smiling through,
Just like you always do
Till the blue skies drive the dark clouds far away

It was late – 1 am on Wednesday 23rd September, 1942. Inside The Grenadier pub in Belgravia, London, sat twenty four members of an elite unit who were about to embark upon one of the most dangerous operations that any of them had ever fought in. On the outside, the focus of the mission was the capture of several of the German commanders in the small provincial town Dieppe, France. Just months earlier, a British and Canadian raid had ended in almost total devastation – this time, the plan was different. Stealth and diversion. The expectation, however, was that twenty four would not return.

Whilst this seemingly selfish action shone our potential heroes into a favourable light, the truth was much darker – rumour had abound since the failed raid of Operation Jubilee. Rumour has it, that the Nazi’s had used the town to stockpile a huge amount of gold which would be used to fund their war efforts. These rumours had brought forth 23 individuals who seemingly saw opportunity to share, or own in it’s entirety, the gold of which the rumours had started.

British Intelligence was clear – the Operation must go ahead, with or without knowledge of the real reason so many had volunteered. And so they chose a Captain to lead the charge – a Captain who would seek to protect the Gold with everything he had. Operation Outlast, it had been named – an inside joke by those at command. Who would Outlast the rest and actually manage to put hands on the Gold.

Guns and rucksacks all stacked one on top of the other against the wall nearest the door. Tables had been pushed aside to make space, the walls were covered in pictures of pre-war music hall singers and First World War veterans who had visited the pub. The tables were sticky where the drinks had fallen and the carpet was black where the pattern used to be. A small bell hung unmolested above the door as the locks had been turned hours before.

The sound of chatter cut above the music that played in the background from the gramophone in the far corner of the room, and the outside was eerily quiet. That was the custom now. No-one out after dark, save for being caught away from home by an air raid. Most homes had a shelter, and pubs used the cellar to protect themselves when the bombs had started to fall. Yet spirits had never faltered, and even with all the of age men off at war, pubs were still filled up every night.

This was no different.

As Vera Lynn’s beautiful tones played out on the gramophone in the corner, Captain Gabriel Baal sat in the corner of the bar, away from the rest of the teams involved in the Operation. In front of him lay a notebook – an ever-growing list of names burdening it’s pages. He looked around at those he’d been chosen to command, and knew deep down there were only a handful he could truly trust. He was one of only three Brit’s in this campaign, yet it was being ran by the British Army – this, it was mused, was the reason for his selection as the leader of this campaign. And that was enough for almost everyone. Even now, he felt the eyes burning into him from a distance.

"Nearly done?" Came the voice from his side. Gabriel turned his head slightly to find one of his few actual friends standing nearby. They’d known each other for almost two years, now. No-one knew his real name – he was a Merc, but he was good. He went by a self-selected codename – Ichabod.

"There’s a lot of pages to go." Said Gabriel with a smile as he etched in the words Hallum. Ducklings. "And there’s plenty of time."

The truth was, Gabriel could have filled this book within the first twenty four hours of owning it, but he’d wanted to savour it. Slowly adding names as they came to him and to the best of his knowledge, in the order that they’d felt his touch upon their life.

"Let me know, when we meet in the middle." Said Ichabod "I want to be there."

"Of course." Said Gabriel, his eyes finally lifting from the book. "We just have to make it through this first."

Ichabod let out a chuckle and pulled out a Cigarette. He smiled and looked down upon it.

"It’s not true you know." He said, his eyes scanning the room. "Not everyone is here for the gold."

"I’m aware." Said Gabriel, looking across to the table where the rest of Ichabod’s team was sat. Their Captain, Eden, looked up at him and smiled. It was a knowing smile – they had grown close over the last few months.

"I’m not talking about her." Said Ichabod One by one he pointed and spoke.

"Revenge." He said pointing at Killian.

"Acceptance." He said pointing at Barnes.

"Glory." He said pointing at Jet.

"Fear." He said pointing at Deimos.

"Chaos." He said. This time, Gabriel had to check. Ichabod was pointing at Ingalls – and then pointed his thumb back to himself.

"And what about me? What am I here for?" Gabriel asked looking down at the notebook in front of him.

"As many names as you can fit into that book, I’d expect." He said billowing out smoke.

Gabriel looked across to the far end of the bar where his most loyal Lieutenant stood making eyes at the barmaid, who just happened to be Gabriel’s aunt. He shook his head and smiled. When he’d told Solomon about this battle, his first reaction had been to volunteer – but Gabriel had said no. He wasn’t supposed to be in the field – not at first. His role was to arrive late, and secure the package. Lucy had put an end to that hope.

It wasn’t just Solomon and Jenny who added to their unique lock-in, but the man stood over Eden’s table. Cal had been hired by Solomon, originally, but his employ had seemed to pass itself over to Eden – she glanced up at him every now and again, and Gabriel settled himself with the fact that she was still weary. He didn’t trust the man – but she insisted he be allowed to stay. It was a moment before he realised the smoke had cleared, and looked to see Ichabod had moved toward his team, Quentin – Gabriel’s brother – eyeing him with suspicion.

"You know, you and I have never really be introduced – not properly." Said Sarah, extending her hand out to Gabriel who looked down at it, and then up at her.

"You and I have had no need to be introduced." He said, smiling mawkishly. "In fact, had it not been for my unfortunate drafting, I doubt we’d ever really had any reason to meet."

Her smile faltered for a second, before she collected herself. Her body language, though, that changed. She became a little stiffer, a little more guarded.

"And here I was thinking we were all fighting on the same side." She said, her eyes flitting towards the rest of her team. "All fighting for the same thing."

"I’m sure we are, my dear." Gabriel added "But you see, I see what you are – deep down behind all of the flirtatious bravado and benign bullshit, I can see what you are. You’re an honest to god agent of destruction. Chaos? That’s too vanilla for someone like you – you’re desperate to see everyone else fail, flail and fall. That’s fine by me – I’ve spent a good portion of my time here waiting for everyone else to prove me right. That this entire world is a pit – filled with six billion tortured souls willing to crawl over one another’s corpses in order to pull themselves out of the mundane dreariness of everyday life. But do you know what I found?"

Sarah crosses her arms and takes half a step backwards.

"What’s that?" She said, her eyes filled with a strange mix of fire and mocking scorn.

"That reality never was quite as bleak as reality. That these six billion tortured souls actually loved the pit. They never really wanted to climb out – because if they did, they’d actually have to make something of themselves. It’s so much easier to flounder around in the pool of filth that is humanity. There are those of us who are willing to climb over others to finally pull themselves onto a greater plane. But you? You don’t just want to climb free… You want to turn back and put a torch to what is left behind. That’s the fire within you."

She smiled – perhaps he did understand her, just a little.

"I know there are some who are important to you – her, for example." He nodded his head to woman who sat next to Sarah’s empty chair. She looked over at Baal, who smiled. "I see the love in the looks that you give one another. You’re the epitome of what this is all about – you selected a team that would get you close to the prize. But you don’t care whether Jet or Jase fall by the wayside."

Gabriel looked across and flexed his fingers in a mocking wave at Jase and Jet. Jase moved to stand, but Jet intelligently placed his hand on Jase’s shoulder. Somers mouth curled into a smile.

"I’d hazard a guess that if I offered you and Kenzi the chance to walk into the final melee unscathed you’d stand by and watch as the rest of us tore Jet and Jase apart. It’s fine, don’t feel bad – I could say the same to almost every captain here. Because they’re all here for same thing. But you… You made a mistake, Sarah."

"Is that right?" She asked, rolling her eyes. "And what’s that?"

"You brought Kenzi." He smiled.

"I fail to see how that’s a mistake." She said defensively, her temper rising. "I trust her with everything that I am, with everything that I have."

"And that’s the point…" Gabriel said smiling. "She’d do anything for you wouldn’t she? She’d fight for you. She’d hurt for you. And the same for you – you’d drag your naked body over hot coals to prevent her from feeling the same pain."

"Yes." Said Sarah. "And all you’re doing is strengthening my point – I chose someone I could trust, who I would do absolutely anything f…"

Gabriel smiled as reality seemingly dawned on her.

"You see it now, am I right? The problem. If you make it to the end, within touching distance of the gold. You and Kenzi had dragged one another all the way until the end. You can feel the cool glow of the metal. And then you have to choose who actually takes it – and while you’re both trying to decide what’s more important, one another or taking what you’ve come all this way for, someone else will step forward and take what you worked so hard to reach."

She snapped her head back into his direction.

"What about you? You’re the same – Eden, Ichabod, Barnes… You could make it all the way with one of them and have to stand in their way…"

"Please, love – I’m a Serpent. They expect me to do what’s best for me."

She seemed to swell with defiance .

"If you even make it that far – I’ve filled my team with…"

"What?" Said Gabriel. "Jet? Oh please. You made another mistake right there. Jet has been everything there is to be… He’s been good, he’s been bad, he’s been a friend, he’s been an enemy. Everything that there is to be, Jet Somers has been there before. There’s nothing original left in him. Even now, his veiled threats towards Eden are nothing more than a simple rehashing of that which he’s done before. Jet Somers is the last man anyone should fear – because we’ve all seen absolutely everything that he has to offer."

Gabriel tapped the bar and Jenny looked up, rolling her eyes. He held up two fingers. She nodded and reached out to touch Solomon’s hand.

"I know Jet Somers worth – I know he’s a wonderful soldier for any leader. That’s what he’s spent his life being – always following, never truly leading. In that sense, he’s good for your team. Cannon-fodder. It’s a necessary evil in situations like this. Sometimes you have to choose men to die for you – and Jet Somers is the perfect body to fall upon a sword."

Sarah seemed to be listening to him now.

"And Jason?" She asked.

"A wise choice – Jason Ingalls is the kind of man who will throw himself on a grenade. Not because he wants to save anyone else, but because he doesn’t care if it kills him. He’ll take bullets for you, because he doesn’t fear them. You may be an agent of destruction but he is the epitome of Chaos. He’ll take everything this battle will throw at him – the more the merrier. I genuinely believe that pain is all that he feels these days, and he craves it just to prove that he still exists." Gabriel said as Jenny walks towards him and places two glasses down on the bar to his side.

"He’ll stand in front of the prize and choose to walk away, because he knows no gold can truly fulfil him. He’ll walk away because the pain is all he really wants. Once he’s had his fill, he’ll step aside because he knows… Pain will come again, he doesn’t need the gold for that."

Gabriel lifted one of the glasses.

"Do me a favour – try not to get too badly hurt during this. I’d hate to see you burn out before you’ve truly had a chance to shine. To us, Mrs. Lacklan-Grey." He said with a smile , looking down at the second glass. She looked weary, and in the distance Jet stiffened as she reached for the glass. He spoke quickly as the other members of her team climbed to their feet. Sarah waved them down, though, as she picked up the glass.

"To the oncoming battle – may we all survive unscathed." She said with a mischevious smile.

"Somehow I doubt that." Gabriel added as they drank together.

Sarah turned the glass over and slammed it onto the bar and walked back to her team who hurriedly began to talk to one another. Gabriel grinned as he picked up the note book and tucked it into his inside pocket. He looked across to the three members of his team who had sat as far away from him as possible. He hopped off his stool and made his way across the small bar.
"Evening all." Said Gabriel pulling a chair around, sitting on it backwards and leaning on the back of the chair with his elbows. The tension at the small table was palpable as Lucy, Maggie and JC exchanged looks.

"What? Am I not invited to this little soiree." Gabriel asked, his fingers flexing.

"I wasn’t sure you’d want to attend." Said Lucy with a sneering smile. She was still sore from his reaction to being drafted. Gabriel didn’t look at her – he looked at JC and Maggie.

"Maggie, it’s good to finally meet you. Good to see you again JC." Gabriel said, extending his hand to each of them in turn. Both made eyes at Lucy as they returned they returned the shake.

"Allow me to summerize." Said Gabriel with a smile. "Maggie doesn’t trust me, JC doesn’t trust me, Lucy trusts me but I don’t trust her, sound about right?"

Lucy clicked her tongue with annoyance.

"I don’t need to listen to this shit." Said JC "Come on, let’s go find somewhere else to drink."

"I don’t think so." Said Gabriel, pointing to the sky. "Three, two, one…"

He clicks his fingers as the air raid sirens begin to blare. Everyone in the pub exchange moans and groans as they reach out and pull the blackout curtains shut. The electric lights were quickly doused, and replaced by candlelight.

"How did you know?" Asked Maggie.

"I analysed the pattern of the bombings over the last few months, the location and the frequency. It’s quite an easy pattern to pick up – which meant that it was easy for me to find out where the next bombing would be and when it would be. Given the speed of the German Planes and the time of sunset, it made sense that they’d hit around about now."

"Oh my god, really?" She asked, her eyes wide.

"No, HQ planned the sirens so that when we leave in a few hours no-one will be able to see." Said Gabriel with a smile. "But it was a pretty good, story, right?"

A smile flickered across Maggie’s face, but faltered as she looked to JC and Lucy. JC still looked stony, but Lucy looked amused.

"I was sceptical of Lucy’s first draft pick." Said Gabriel, looking at Lucy for the first time. He looked back at Maggie who seemed to look a little hurt. "But then I watched you drag Rydell to a victory."

Gabriel flicked his head in Dave Rydell’s direction. He lifted his head, looking across, trying to hear what Baal was saying. Lucy and Maggie exchanged a smile.

"Honestly, I owe you an apology – I called you out on Twitter last month. It was uncalled for – and I apologise." He said. "I’d had a bad day. I just started hurling abuse at anyone I could see and you were right there. I want you to know, I didn’t mean a single thing that I said. You belong here just as much, if not more than some of the people say in this pub right now. Maggie Lockheart – you are the future of this business. Don’t let anyone tell you anything else."

Gabriel turned his head slightly.

"I don’t expect you to like me, Joe." Said Gabriel.

"My friends call me Joe – you can call me JC." He said, defensively.

"Fine. JC." Said Gabriel with a smile out of the corner of his mouth. "But here’s some common ground for the two of us. Neither of us want to see Jet Somers get anywhere near the gold. You don’t want to see him get any success, and I don’t want him anywhere near Eden."

Lucy stiffened at Gabriel’s words. In the distance, Dave Rydell climbs to his feet and slowly walks past their table trying to hear what they’re saying.

"Yes. Eden." He said just a little forcefully, ignoring Rydell’s intrusion. "As much as I have every intention of stopping every single one of you getting your hands on that gold, I’d also much prefer the three of you to get closer than some of the other teams. Especially any team with Jet Somers in it."

He turned and looked across to find Somers and Lacklan looking in his direction.

"We have to work together – whatever that means. And if the time comes that we have to step in and stop them, before I have to stop you then we have to be ready to do it. And that means all of us, JC." Gabriel added.

JC looks from Baal to Lucy, and back again.

"Fine." He says. "But you still can’t call me Joe."

"Fair enough." Gabriel added with a grin.

"Gabriel… I need to explain…" Said Lucy, with an air of someone readying themselves for something unpleasant.

"No. You don’t Lucy." Said Gabriel dismissively.

"Gabriel will you listen to…" She started again.

"No, I won’t. I don’t have to listen to a fucking thing. Because if what you’re going to say is the truth, then it doesn’t need to be said, and if it’s not I’d rather you didn’t lie to me." He snapped. The air was uncomfortable again. "Look, either you’ve got something planned with CJ or you haven’t. If not, then you’re a pair of fools. You’re sat in the same bar, on the verge of something that could see one or neither of you ever come back – and you’re wasting time playing at being mad at one another."

"I’m not playing this is real!" Lucy said defiantly.

"I don’t care! He’s your husband. And if you come back from this unscathed then you can go down whatever dark rabbit hole either of you plan on going down, but for now, for tonight I suggest you bury your fucking differences."

She looked up at him in shock and anger. She didn’t appreciate his dressing down. And it was going to make no difference.

"Or don’t – I don’t care." He said, as he climbed to his feet. Immediately, Jenny was there, with four glasses. She placed one down in front of each of them.

"Ladies, gentlemen. Under any other circumstances I’d be stood here telling you that it is my pleasure to stand by your sides for this Operation. Those circumstances deny me that right. But I can say without hope or agenda – had I had cause to choose a team, I’d have been happy for it to be this one." He picked up the glass and shot to down. "Now, I need a piss."

---

Battles were always loud – bullets, grenades, blood curdling screams. But this wasn’t a battle – this was a mission of stealth. Or at least, that’s how it had started. Lucy’s team had reached within half a mile of the town before meeting enemy forces. They’d managed to subdue several of them before an alarm was raised. Gabriel had managed to fire his gun only three or four times, but they’d found their mark. Killing, it seemed, came naturally to him.

On the outskirts of the town, Gabriel and Lucy had separated from Maggie and JC – they could hear the shouts of German fear as they picked their way into the town, one by one, taking out guards without any attempt to remain quiet. The numbers in the stronghold had reduced staggeringly compared to Operation Jubilee. The Germans had assumed the battle was won there.

And then Gabriel and Lucy were separated by sniper fire – the single gun man had almost picked Gabriel off and when he called out, she didn’t reply. He forced his way through buildings where he could, before running in between buildings with no cover. Finally, he reached the ground floor of the building in which the sniper was stationed.

He made his way up the staircase and cleared the rooms silently one by one. One by one, he felt the crimson trickle over his fingers as he slit their throats. They fell, and he smiled – every victim becoming another name for his book. He didn’t know their names, so he’d pick something to remember them by. Chin. Nose. Dimples.

He stepped up onto the final landing, his hands already drenched with blood. At the window, the sniper looked down at the street. He was lining up a shot, but Gabriel was on him in a moment. He felt the knife split sinew and flesh – he felt the arteries pop and the blood sprayed against the window. For a moment that felt like forever, Gabriel stood in the spot where the Sniper had lay. He pressed his eye to the scope and saw the shape of the leader of his team.

There she was – Captain Wylde. Her head just visible over a half demolished wall. And then the thought hit him. Squeeze the trigger. She would fall and he could claim he was too late – she would be out of the picture, and he’d have his revenge for her treachery. Just one squeeze and that would be all she wrote.

And then he stepped away – the blood already becoming sticky on his hands. He looked down at the street and saw Maggie and JC hiding too – unaware that the threat from the Sniper had been neutralised. Now was his time, he thought, he could get a head start. And so he made his way back through the building, stepping over the dead as he went, never to be sure if he’d see any of his team again.

---

He stood up and spun the chair around, tucking it back under the table before walking away. Without looking, he knew their heads were together – talking and scheming. It didn’t matter – he’d be there in the end. He’d be the one in the way of them all from trying to take what didn’t belong to them. He just had to concern himself with his condition once he was there.

He pushed open the door to the toilet and stepped towards the porcelain in the muted darkness. As the door shut, the room was plunged into black.

"Fuck sake." He said as he fumbled with his zip. Eventually he started the process of relieving himself.

"Are you afraid of the dark, Gabriel Baal?" Came a voice from behind him.

"Bathroom etiquette, mate, don’t talk to another man while he’s got his cock in his hand." Said Gabriel as he started to tuck himself away. "Is that you Dave?"

"How did you know it was me? It could have been Phrixus." Came the voice from the darkness.
"He’d have done well to get in here before me. Plus I seen you walk in here about five minutes ago."

"Very clever, Baal – always so very clever aren’t you." Said Rydell, finally moving towards him. "You and your jibes and your snide remarks. I’ll take you down a peg or two when I take that gold."

"Well that would be all very interesting, if that’s actually what was going to happen, Dave." Gabriel said with a smirk in his voice. "But it’s not, is it? Let’s be honest."

"And why is that, exactly?" Said Rydell.

"Because it’s you – and as always, you’ve picked a team that is almost entirely in your image. Dull, laboured and only just relevant enough for people to know who you are. I mean, Phrixus? Really? How many times have we been on this particular issue, Dave? How many times have we seen someone drag him out of his comfy hiding hole in an attempt to find meaning behind his past battles won? He’s failed almost every. Single. Time since. I honestly, can’t for the life of me understand why people keep persevering with him."

"He’s an icon. A war hero." Said Rydell, defending his choice.

"He’s old. And he’s slow. And he’s done." Said Gabriel with glee in his voice. "And to compound your mistakes you choose Jessica Mathis and Hayleigh Fear. Two women who, whilst talented in their own right, have done nothing. Nothing to deserve a place in this Operation other than tell the world they want to be a part of it. Your team is one built to fail, Dave. And why should I be surprised… I say it again. It’s built in your image."

"You have no idea what you’re talking about. My team is strong. My team is good. My tea is…"

"Going to die on the battlefield. Cold, hard deaths. And do you know what’s worse? Noone will care – no-one will care that you led these men and women to their deaths because no-one cares about you. And when no-one cares about you, no-one cares about them. Your failings are their failings. When the time comes to write tribute about those who’ve fallen, their names will not be mentioned. Because they will be tarnished with the stain of your inadequacy."

"How dare you – I gave you a voice…" Rydell began.

"Oh jesus Christ – that fucking radio show." Said Gabriel, raising his eyes. "Yes… Thank you for allowing me to speak, I’d have been quite helpless without it."

He reached up and slapped Rydell’s face lightly.

"But that’s not going to help you, now is it?"

"Did… You wash… Your hands yet?" Asked Rydell.

"Not yet." Gabriel said with a smile, turning to the sink. He heard the door swing open and then closed again. Signalling Rydell’s departure.

Gabriel washed his hands in the cold water – the heating was never on at this time of night, before turning to face the door. He pushed it open and stepped outside, to find Donovan stood waiting patiently.

"Come on then." He said with shrug. "Out with it."

"What’s that, chum?" Said Gabriel with a smile, slapping him on the shoulder and leading him to the bar.

"I know you have something to say to me. I’ve watched you talking to Lacklan and Lucy. And then you’ve just spent ten minutes in the restroom with Chuck." Said Donovan. "At least… I hope you were talking to him in there."

Donovan looks over Gabriel’s shoulder with a look of revulsion on his face.

"Chuck?" Said Gabriel. "You mean Dave."

"I don’t care, dammit. It’s a Rydell and you were talking to it." Hastings added.

"Him."

"Given how long you spent in there with him, I assume you’d know.." Hastings once againt looked Baal up and down with matching revulsion.

Gabriel took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

"Fine. Yes. I do want to talk to you, Mr. Lord of Pain." Said Gabriel, extending his hand to offer him a seat at the bar.

"Ohhh, that’s how you got Chuck… You offered him “a seat”." Donovan said with matching air quotes. "Sneaky."

"It wasn’t Chuck, it was Dave and I did NOT offer him a seat in the bathroom." Said Gabriel trying not to allow his frustration to show.

"Well then how did you get him to sit on your…" Donovan said pointing at Gabriel’s crotch.

"What? No! Donovan, for the love of all things sacred. Nothing happened between me and Chuck."

"Dave." Corrected Hastings.

Gabriel pressed his fingers against the bridge of his nose.

"Anyway." He said, doing his best to move on. "I wanted to tell you that you’ve amassed a hell of a team. From top to bottom, it’s strong – filled with former World Champions. Zane Scott is a man I will always respect given our recent battles. And Alan Wallace has had my attention since the moment I arrived in the unit. And lest we not forget, the enigmatic Travis Pierce. He is the second greatest Travis that has ever been in a team with you. I can’t help but respect a man who chose a team like that."

"Well… Thank you." Said Hastings, seemingly not expecting the compliment.

"Which makes sense, given that you didn’t actually choose it." Gabriel added. Hasting’s brow switched from suspicion to outrage.

"How dare you! I said all of the names. They may have been subconscious choices, but I chose them none the less." Added Donovan.

"Perhaps." Said Gabriel, shifting his weight. "And whislt I can applaud your subconscious for making decisions your conscious would never have thought of, I just want you to understand that this will not be like last time you and I were fighting for the same prize."

Donovan opened his mouth to speak, but he didn’t have time to answer.

"This time, you won’t have the element of surprise. You won’t have an outlandish rule to take advantage of. You won’t have a bag of money to throw at the situation – no, if you want this prize you’re going to have to come at me head on. And I can’t wait for you to look back defeated and see me holding the gold."

"How very dare you?!" Said Donovan. "What an outlandish accusation. I paid by cheque. I would never carry around a bag of money. Who do you think I am? Killian?"

"My point, dear boy, is that you’re sure to fall short yet again – as you have done every time you’ve had a chance to make a name for yourself." Gabriel said with aplomb. "But should you wish to open the path to my victory just one more time, I will not object."

Donovan opened his mouth again, but Gabriel slapped him on the back and handed him a shot.

"Donovan! To fate, subconscious, and your assistance in my total dominance and victory."

"I’m not sure I want to drink to…" Donovan started.

"Drink!" Said Gabriel, and Donovan responded, by drinking it in one, before staggering back to his table.

"I didn’t get a drink." Said Rydell.

"That’s because you accosted me in a toilet." Replied Gabriel with an appraising waggle of the finger. "Bad Chuck."

"Dave!" Rydell replied. "I’m Dave fucking Rydell."

"No-one cares." Shouts Donovan, and for a moment everyone is laughing. Except “a” Rydell. Gabriel walks back towards his corner, but before he can sit down he feels a hand slap on his shoulder.

---

He could see the warehouse where the gold was kept – it was within walking distance, if he wasn’t pinned down by enemy fire. He’d lost his gun and his rucksack, and he was nursing a bullet hole in his left calf. There was but one path to the gold that he could see, a trench used to divert rain water to the often coarse and brittle soil in the surrounding fields. Yet now, they ran red with the blood of the fallen.

He’d not been the first to arrive – he had been one of the last. But as each new arrival had made their presence known, they’d been driven backwards by the volley that came their way. He made his choice – he couldn’t lay here forever. He began to drag himself into the crimson ditch, and pulled himself through the thinned out blood. Water had thinned it, but it was still more substantial than he would have liked.

The blood stained his uniform, and splashed up into his mouth. Every now and again, he’d reach the source of the blood stream, but he’d refuse to look at their face. It was easier not to know who was coming for him. It was easier for him just to clamber over the corpse and push on. This happened more than once, and he fought his instincts to check – especially when he climbed over the body of a female.

He pushed it to the back of his mind and when he reached the storage shelter, he cast around for a diversion. Alas there were guards – two of them and unmoving. He burst forth from his hiding spot with all the gusto a one legged man could muster, but he had an advantage. They weren’t ready. Gabriel sunk the knife into the neck of the first guard and aimed the gun at the second. As he fired, he felt a sense of urgency.

He stood for a moment, looking at the storage gate. He reached out and pushed open the door and the sight was epic to behold. Rows and rows of gold bullion which had been stockpiled. He looked down at the already manipulated gold bars and smiled. The words“United Global Wealth Council.” Sprung out at him almost immediately, with the words “Heavy Weight” being etched into the mental.

He sat down for a second, dreary and sticky and drenched. He looked into the distance and saw more fighters, but he couldn’t tell who was friend or foe. He turned on the spot and rubbed a lick of spit into his eyebrows. He spun two knives in his hand and turned to face those who were oncoming. They would have to go through him to get to that Gold. And he would make it burn before he gave it up without a fight.

He faced them down as they came for him and what he was selling. And he smiled a knowing smile. He was the last line of defen
. And here he was, top of the tree yet again, with challenges coming from all sides. But Gabriel smiled and twirled his knives in his hand.

"Please allow me to introduce myself."

---

"Not forgotten about me, have you?" Came the only other British male voice in the room.

"How could I forget about you, Killian?" Asked Gabriel as he turned around and sat down in his seat.

"I don’t remember telling you to sit." Said Killian, with a smirk.

"I don’t remember having to wait for your instruction. You, on the other hand, have to do whatever I say – otherwise it’s insubordination and desertion. Would you like to see how much the ladies enjoy a deserter?"

Killian’s smile is unfazed.

"You’re so very funny, these days, Gabriel. She has that effect doesn’t she… Giddy happiness and feeling of total safety. Tell me, has she told you she loves you yet? That she’ll never leave your side. I’ve heard that one before – and I can tell you this for free. It’s shite." Said Killian , unconsciously taking the seat to Gabriel’s side.

"A gentleman never kisses and tells…" Says Gabriel, just loud enough for Killian to hear. The smile falters and for a moment he looked ready to attack, but the sound of scraping chairs stopped him in his tracks. They both turned to look, to find members of all teams stood looking in their direction – it was unclear whose side they were on, but a fight was not going to help anything.

Gabriel waved them down, and Killian did likewise.

"Looks like we both have some that are loyal to us." Said Gabriel. "And some who are not."

"I can wager I’ve got more loyal to me than you have – because the truth is, if they’re not loyal to you, that means they hate you. You’re an acquired taste." Said Killian.

"Yes, well – I’ve acquired that reputation over time. You may be right, those who are not loyal to me may well be loyal to you through sheer force of feeling, but the truth is – they’d cut and run the very moment that they didn’t need you anymore. That’s not loyalty for you… That’s hatred for me. And that’s why I’m here, and you’re there."

Killian turned a coin over in his hand.

"It should be me you know – sat there, giving everyone a pep talk. It should be me they’re all looking to. But she distracted me. " He tilts his head back towards Eden. "And now she’s doing the same to you."

"Funny thing – I’m still sat here despite her distractions." He said with a half smile.

"Look, I don’t like you, Baal. Never have, never will. Less so since all this has happened, but I’ll give you a warning anyway. When she turns her back on you, it’s going to fucking hurt. And when she does I’ll be waiting, ready to laugh in your face. You’re a filler until she finds the real thing, and judging by the way she’s looking at that man servant over there, you might be replaced more quickly than you’d think."

"Friends are never really replaced, Killian. You’d know that if you’d ever actually had any. Everyone you’ve ever come into contact with has been a means to an end and the sad fact of the matter is that despite your sorry attempts, the end has almost always been your total and absolute failure. It’s good that you’ve finally decided to strike out on your own, because when you fail again you’ll have no-one to blame but yourself."

Killian swelled with fury, but remembered the scene from earlier.

"I can’t wait to see you fucking fall, Baal. And when you do, my face will be the last one you’ll see." He snarled.

"Maybe so – and maybe you’ve picked the right team to finally get to me. Maybe you will be the one to take the Gold, but remember this – they’re no more loyal to you than my team are to me. You may think you’ve built that which will destroy me but you have no idea."

"You? Destroy you?" Killian began to laugh. "No, Gabriel, this team wasn’t built for you. It was built for the Ice Queen herself."

Gabriel’s eyes widened for a moment, but it was too late. Killian saw it.

"You see, CJ wants to see her fall for almost costing him everything – Klaus has never liked her. And Rogan would see her fall just to see you get hurt. I’ve built a team that is targeted on ripping her fucking heart out. And when it’s done, I’ll show you the pieces. And when you drop to your knees, to mourn the woman that you say is just your friend, I’ll step past you and take everything else you have left."

Gabriel looked across the room to the table where Klaus, CJ and Rogan sat. Klaus and CJ were watching Eden’s table with interest, but Rogan, he was looking straight back at him. There was a moment… Just a moment… Where Gabriel thought he saw Rogan wink – but the movement was so tiny he wasn’t able to tell. And then it was gone, and Rogan was watching Eden’s table once more.

"Alright Killian." He said, reaching back for the drinks that Jenny had brought while they’d spoken. He extended his hand to Killian who looked down at it with suspicion. "To your masterplan, Killian King. And it’s abject failure."

Killian grabbed the glass and poured the liquid down his throat. He dropped the glass to the floor where it smashed.

"There’s your abject failure. Silly cunt." He said as he turns away.

He smiled as he watched Killian walk away.

"Absolutely." He said, drinking his own. "Abso-fucking-lutely."

As he placed his drink on the table, he called to Jenny for two more. She gave him the middle finger.

"You’ll have to fucking wait – I’m talkin’, ‘ere." She said as Solomon beamed with pride.

He shook his head and reached into his pocket for the notebook, but a light tap on his shoulder caused him to spin.

"What did he want?" Asked Eden, pulling up the barstool which Killian had previously vacated.
"Can’t wait for you to turn on me, blah, blah. Looking forward to seeing me fall, blah, blah. Can’t wait to see his team rip out your heart and show it to me, blah, blah. Take everything I ever held dear, blah, blah. Honest to god, I’m not sure who writes this shit." Gabriel said.

"Fucking hell." She said with a glance over to his table. "I thought, maybe, that enough would have been enough by now. And then, this. Why did they put our teams together Gabriel?"

"Because they don’t care about heartbreak and hurt. All they care about is the mission, and the belief is that your team and his team would be the strongest therefore you’d be more likely to face the hardest challenge and make it to the town. It’s strategy, Eden. Nothing more." He spoke like his training had told him to – belay the fears of those who look to you for strength. Even if you had to lie.

"I know but… The way his team are watching mine. I’m worried that this isn’t about the mission or the gold. I’m worried he’s not lying and they’re going to come for me." She said.

"You’ve got Quentin and Ichabod… And Olivia is…"

"You miss my point – I’m saying if they come for me, I’m going to do something stupid and I don’t think the powers that be will be very happy with what I do. See, I plan on making it to that town and I plan on making you stop me, if you have to. And I’ll do just about anything to make sure that happens." She said, a glint in her eye.

"I don’t doubt it, love." He said with a smile. "But you can’t ever forget that this isn’t just about you and Killian. There are four other teams. If you spend too much time fighting it out between each other, neither of you will make it in any condition to fight." Gabriel said.

"And you’d really be worried about that." She said with an upturn of her eyebrows.

"Yes. Because believe it or not, I would rather face those I trust than those I don’t. You, Quentin, Ichabod – I trust you." He said with a smile.

"Well then wise the fuck up." She said, with no hint of sarcasm or humour. "You’re in charge of this entire fucking mission and you’re hanging your hopes on trust? You think Ichabod isn’t coming after that gold – you think I’m not? You think Quentin, whose never had so much as a sniff at glory isn’t going to take that chance if someone hasn’t felled you first."

Gabriel’s eyes opened wide as he heard Killian’s words pounding through her head.

" When she turns her back on you, it’s going to fucking hurt. And when she does I’ll be waiting, ready to laugh in your face."

"I see your point, love." Gabriel said, forcing a smile upon his face. "Looks like I’m going soft as I get older."

"I hear that’s a problem." She teased as she did so often about his age. "Gabriel, smile, it was a joke you old bastard. Relax – tonight we can all have fun and we can worry about this in a few hours when we fly out. I’m just trying to make you see that you can’t assume that just because we’re friends we’re all going to go easy on you."

"You’re right." He said with a deep breath. "Defending the gold is my job. And I’ll need to work damn hard to do it."

"It’ll be a little more difficult now that Lucy dragged you into her world." Said Eden looking across at the rest of Gabriel’s team.

"It’s fine." Gabriel said with a roll of his eyes. "We’ve talked it out."

"Well, that’s good. The last thing you need is to be at each other’s throats." She added.

"Quite." He said, looking at Lucy. "Could you do me a favour? Ask Quentin to take special care of CJ. I don’t want him getting to the town with Lucy… No matter what happens."

Eden looks to Quentin and back to Gabriel.

"He’s going to be pissed. He’s got Killian in his sights."

Gabriel shakes his head.

"It’s fucked up that we’re part of the same unit and talking about taking each other out." He said. "All this for fortune."
"And glory… Don’t forget glory." She said reaching out to take the glass from Jenny who smiled.

"Promise me this changes nothing." Gabriel said, almost pleading. Eden’s smile faltered.

"Never say never, Gabriel." She said as she shot down her drink. She pressed her hand over his, allowing it to linger for a moment before sliding it over his wrist as she slowly walked back to her table.

And so it was – he’d spoken to his Captains – but he wasn’t finished. He felt something in his gut as he reached out and took the needle off the record. He climbed to his feet and pulled a penknife out of his pocket – he tapped the side of his glass and called everyone to his attention. Clearing his throat, the chatter begins to die down.

"In just two short days we’re being sent into enemy territory in order to defeat a foe that many of us have never faced. Two months ago, six thousand and fifty men walked into Dieppe and over two thirds of them were injured or killed. It was ferocious and it was devastating. And now we, a group of just twenty-four, are expected to do what six thousand never could. Turn the very tide of this war." Gabriel said looking towards the blacked-out windows.

"We maybe few, but we are the best that our Generals had to offer. We may be few but we had the courage and determination to stand up and be counted. While others cower beneath their bedsheets."

He looked down at his glass.

"But the truth behind why you’re all here is well known – by those who sent us. By those who command us. By those who chose me to lead this mission. They knew about the prize at the end of all of this. They banked upon it being enough to force volunteers and it worked. So they chose a man to defend it who would do so by any means necessary." Gabriel smiled.

"You see, I didn’t get where I am today by following the rules and fighting fair. I can and I will do whatever it takes to defend this gold – to stop it falling into the hands of any one of you. There are those here that I love, that I care about, that I call friend. There are those I despise, that I loathe and that I call enemy. But in this moment, it means nothing to me. Nothing."

He lifted his glass to his lips and took a small sip.

"Look around you and I know what you’ll believe that you see – love, friendship and comradery. I’m here to tell each and every one of you – this isn’t about love. This is about war. And in the end, when we’re over and done with – those who survive this battle will live on to re-forge that which they may have lost trying to chase down that which wasn’t theirs. Yet I will stand above you all as the man who did everything he was asked to do and more."

"I ask forgiveness of those who love me. For what I do now, may haunt us for the rest of our lives. If you’re lucky enough to make it the distance please know that you had best be ready to kill me – because I defend with my life."

"We walk into this with our eyes wide open, knowing what may be the cost, what may be the outcome. We walk into this knowing fully well that friend will turn on friend, brother upon brother. Enemies will be made and trusts broken. I ask you that you raise your glass to the twenty-four of us going down in history as part of one of the greatest Campaigns in history."

They share a look, between their own teams and one another.

"It is my honour to fight with and against you all – and it will be my honour to stand tall in the bitter end. Friends… Enemies. One and all…"

He raises his glass with a smile.

"To Outlast…" He says. Reluctantly, those in attendance raise theirs.

"To Outlast." They reply.

Gabriel sits back in his seat as the drinks start to flow again, and Solomon approaches him.

"Awful lot of drinking you’re doing there mate." He said. "Might want to think of backing off."

"Please, Solomon…" Gabriel said with a grin. "I’ve not touched a drop. Mine have all been water. I want to have my wits about me while these drunken fools stumble across the battle field."

"But it was brown…" Said Solomon in confusion.

"Yes… Apparently it wasn’t clean water." Gabriel added picking something from his tongue. And he and Solomon shared a laugh, potentially their last, as the sounds of explosions can be heard in the distance as the German bombs began to fall upon London.

We'll meet again,
Don't know where,
Don't know when
But I know we'll meet again some sunny day
Keep smiling through,
Just like you always do
Till the blue skies drive the dark clouds far away

[Lucy Wylde]

Words don't really describe how much I enjoyed this piece. I loved the metaphor and I loved the interactions between Gabriel and all the captains.

They each had their own special significance that worked really well together to put piece together a picture of how Gabriel feels going into this show.

The part that really caught my attention was when he told Eden to get Quentin to take special care of CJ.. that he wasnt to make it to town with Lucy. That part got me really thinking and in my opinion that's when you know you've written something great... when you make others think.

Great job my friend and good luck! Oh and thank you for being a part of team 'everyone likes me except Gabriel'

[Zane]

I had a total nerdgasm for this. I thoroughly enjoyed how you wrapped the war story together with Baal's current situation to create a very deep and involved tale. Baal finds himself in a very peculiar and unenviable spot right now. It'll be fun to see if he survives all of this with his championship and his team (EoC) intact. You showed all of the juxtaposed conflicts brilliantly and never lost track of the story, which could be very easy to do with so many names and personalities involved. You've hit a fantastic stride with Gabriel and win or lose, he's going to be at the top for a very long time, one way or another.