Eastern Expedition(Concluded)

[Page]

"If you wanted me to be disgusted you could always try to flirt with me" Nirai told Max, her tone at least half-serious.

[Haktiva]

"Same to you", Max replied.

[Page]

"Esmerelda is eccentric as any rich woman I've ever known and Josef, before he left us anyway, Goddess guard over his journey, was always rambling and ingesting some sort of drug. Even if I had no redeeming qualities, I'm at least the least difficult of your group, you could appreciate that."

[Haktiva]

"True. Although you did freak out the beginning", Max replied. "It's funny. If you'd given up then, you wouldn't be here with us. You know, held hostage by mercenaries in a lost city in the badlands".

[Page]

"I told you, no one briefed me on the details of this trip. I'm sure the Department of Defense doesn't have such a communication problem or Page would have lost every war we ever fought" Nirai said back to Max.
"Anyway, it's stupid to think about what could have been. What's to say a plane bound for home didn't crash in the middle of the ocean? That could have happened instead. Or a serial killer may have sliced me up at the hotel. I'm here and this is now. Call it fate, call it karma, the work of the spirits, doesn't matter. All that matters now is surviving this."

[Haktiva]

"God, you're depressing", Max quipped, his tone unapologetic. "But then again I spend most of my time in isolation, reading books or sifting through dust in ruins, so my social skills are nearly nonexistent. As you can clearly tell".

[Page]

"Most foreigners describe Pagians as a depressing people. Maybe it's the lack of sunlight most of the year" Nirai mused.
She placed a hand on Max's and said "you're not a jerk, not all the time anyway."

Nirai could see he was looking at her in bewilderment.
"I'm not flirting with you. I just want to feel someone's touch that isn't their demented leader caressing me like I'm some kind of prize. If that's okay."

[Haktiva]

"If you jinx us again, I'll feed you to a sand worm. You know, once I find it", Max replied.

[Page]

In a quick and unanticipated motion, Nirai hugged Max tightly. She stayed clinging on to him and whispered "Max, I'm really scared. I've never been in a situation like this before."

She had wished he'd reciprocate the embrace, but it didn't matter so much, as long as he didn't shove her off.
"You know, during the Civil War, my family left Cordenzia where they were fighting on the streets, block to block, and we went with a group of a few thousand down the highway, bound for Talyn. And there we saw things like dogfights in the sky above, and tank battles down in the ravines just a few kilometers away.

But that wasn't so bad, because at least it felt like there was always somewhere else to run to, always a way out. Being trapped is a lot different. I know I'm not dealing with it well but - I don't know."

[Haktiva]

"It could be worse", Max said, shrugging, even though Nirai was hugging him.

[Page]

"Don't jinx us" Nirai whispered, tears forming again in her eyes as she realized Max was probably right. The thought was haunting her. "It definitely will get worse" echoed in her mind.

[Haktiva]

"What do you want me to do?", Max asked, his tone actually sounding sensitive, for Max anyways. "I mean, I avoid people, emotions are alien to me. I have enough to worry about with the mercs ready to shoot me at the drop of a hat, I don't think I need you wanting to kill me too".

[Page]

"I don't want anything from you" Nirai said. That wasn't quite the truth or a lie. If she wanted something from Max, she didn't know what.

[Haktiva]

"Aside from human contact", Max said, rolling his eyes.

[Page]

Nirai pulled off of him and shuffled back a few inches, her face turning red.
"I'm sorry. It probably doesn't mean anything to you if they take you outside and shoot you, but if they shoot me then it's something I thought was worthwhile."

[Haktiva]

"Beats being tied to a bed", Max said with shrug. He removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "One thing's for sure. When this is over, I'm staying here. Took me months to find this place, sure as hell ain't leaving because of a little trauma".

[Page]

"I'll always be known as the one who saw it first" Nirai joked, trying to force a smile.
"Objectively, this place is worth more than our lives... you know, to civilization. I hope they don't blow it up. Though if they do, we're definitely dead anyway. So how's that for optimism? As long as you still are alive, this place will be here."

[Haktiva]

"Not a bad start for optimism", Max said, lying back down on the bed.
--
Spectre Team Noveria
"Alright boys, this one is straight out of a movie", Sohara said aboard the VTOL. "Three HVPs are trapped inside some ancient ruins. Two we know very well, especially newbie".
"Will you stop calling me that", Alex protested.
"Stop being new and we will", Zen joked.
"Army teams will form a perimeter around the ruins to make sure nobody gets out unless we want them to. Our job is to extract our marks", Sohara said.
"And just who are they?", Spitter asked.
"Max Ferenz, best archeologist in the country. Nirai Kanan, Pagain national in the same field. And Governor Esmerelda Hanassah", Sohara replied.

Great, we're saving my best friend and the damn succubus mother of Ashley, Alex thought bitterly in his head. Zen caught the look on his face.
"Whats the matter, not as excited about this one?", he asked, elbowing him in the shoulder.
"Not in the slightest", Alex replied as he rubbed his arm.

[Page]

After a long moment of silence, Nirai told Max "you know, when they were interrogating me, I really thought I was going to be executed on camera or something, that was my first fear because I'm probably the least consequential out of any of us. And then it seemed like they wanted ransom. I asked why they were doing this to me and not Esmerelda, because she was the one with power and money and people who gave a shit about her.

I wish I didn't, I must have seemed cowardly, like I didn't care what happened to anyone as long as it wasn't me. But I really hope she's alright now. I wish she were here with us."

[Haktiva]

"I've actually been listening in this whole time", Esmerelda said. Max and Nirai turned to see Esmerelda's eye looking at them through a small hole in the wall.
"Yeah that figures. The walls are pretty fucking old, could use a spoon to get through", Max said, half sighing.

[Page]

"If only we could tunnel to freedom" Nirai quipped. She closed her eyes and tried to imagine she was someone else.
"I'm glad they haven't tortured you are anything, at least, you sound okay."

[Haktiva]

"They haven't touched me, which is a little disappointing. You'd think after seeing me they'd lose all control", Esmerelda said. Max immediately banged his head against the wall.

[Page]

"I think you are lovely, and would happy to be as pretty as you when I get to be your age" Nirai said, the compliment seeming to come out slightly wrong.

[Haktiva]

"You know, I think the Send Devils ate me, and this is my eternal punishment", Max said, agitated.
"Oh quite complaining. "I'll make it all better for you when we leave", Esmerelda said sweetly.
"I'm staying here", Max retorted.

[Page]

"Your version of hell is being locked in a room with a beautiful Pagian woman? With eternal punishments like that I can't imagine Haktivans have much motivation to be good" Nirai joked, still trying to stay positive.