[Wish there was something real wish there was something true
Wish there was something real in this world full of you
I want to but I can't turn back
...but I want to]
      --- Lyrics to 'Wish' by Nine Inch Nails

A Silver Lining Part 34

Sister Grace ran down the halls, knocking on each door as she passed, yelling, "Everyone, wake up! Children, out of bed!" In her wake, several doors opened as several sleepy-eyed children watched the frantic nun.

The sound of heavy footsteps rounded the corner as a tall man approached with wide eyes, his bald head shining even in the dimly lit hall. "Sister Grace," he cried. "What is going on!" When the slender woman nearly slid into him, he took hold of her shoulders.

Gazing about the many young faces around them, the bald man spoke quietly but firmly, "You are frightening the children." Entering the scene, another nun and a young man looked anxious for an explanation to that caused the stir.

As she panted heavily, gulping air, the nun replied, "Father Bryce, I just received a call from an Agent Fire of the Preventers. Our call was ended off when someone cut the line. We're all in danger and we have to act quickly." The tall priest's face paled as his blue eyes widened.

Those children close enough to hear the quiet warning stiffened, a couple whimpered. One little girl walked towards the kind Sister, clutching her small blanket and a fistful of her shoulder-length blonde hair in her nervous gesture. "Are the bad men coming to take us away again?"

Forcing a smile, Sister Grace knelt before her and ran a hand over her head. "We're not going to let that happen, Megan. I promise that we'll keep them away as best we can until our help arrives. For now, we have to get into the basement. With thirty-six children, it's the only place that we'll be able to keep a watch over all of them."

The youngest of the nuns tied her long, white robe tighter over her nightgown and offered to the elder sister, "Sister Phoebe and I will see that all of the children on this floor are taken downstairs."

"Good, Sister Catherine," Sister Grace replied. Looking to the third sister, she suggested, "Sister Rosa's room is there as well, so I'll have her to help me."

With a firm nod, Father Bryce turned to the young man with a full head of brown hair. "Father Carl and I will barricade the windows doors up here. It won't be much, but it'll hopefully slow them down at least. See that the basement windows are blocked off, as well."

The three sisters nodded firmly in response, their faces calm with resolve to do whatever they had to in order to protect their young charges. With that, the two men ran off about their tasks.

Quickly, Sister Catherine and Sister Phoebe set about gathering the children around them, searching the rooms as they passed along the way. Several children clutched onto each other as a few sobbed quietly in their fear.

Moving as swiftly as she could up the stairs to the second floor, Sister Grace immediately went to the last room at the end of the hall. Not bothering to know, she moved to the bed and shook the sleeping form by the shoulders. "Sister Rosa, you need to wake up now," she all but cried.

The brown eyes of the red-haired woman blinked open wide. "Sister Grace?" was all that she managed before her friend interrupted.

"No time to explain right now," the graying nun stated. "We have to get all of the children into the basement now. I'll explain when we're there." Straightening, she looked back to the bedroom door and asked urgently, "Which room is Rachel in?"

At the graveness in her voice, the younger nun quickly gathered her senses and rose from the bed as she answered, "Last room on the right. I'll start gather the children right away." Without another word between them, the pair made their way out into the hall.

With the sound of doors opening behind her, Sister Grace moved to the end of the hall. Opening the last door on the right, she called to the three little girls sleeping, "Children, you have to go and follow Sister Rosa and I downstairs right away."

The first to stir, Rachel sat up, rubbing her eyes with one hand and holding her beloved teddy bear to her chest with the other. Kneeling at the child's bed, the nun told her, "Rachel, you're going to have to stay with me, little one."

Blinking her brown, widened eyes, the little girl did not have time to respond more than that before she was easily scooped up. Her two friends were already up, and running into the hall to the sounds of the other children stirring about in the hall.

With the last of the closed doors opened, Sister Grace carefully walked among the small ones with Rachel safe in her arms as she looked to her friend. "Is that all of them, then?" she asked as the blonde woman finished counting heads.

"Yes. We have them all," Sister Rosa answered. Tuning on her heels, she announced, "This way, children. Follow us. Quickly, now." With the other nun and Rachel falling to the back to see that no one fell behind, she led the way downstairs. Despite the nervousness on the children's faces, not one voices their concern as they followed direction.

As they descended the long stairs towards the basement, Sister Grace cupped the side of Rachel's face with one hand to lean her ear close to whisper, "You are going to be very brave tonight, my dear. You trust us, right?"

The girl nodded a few times, her bottom lip pulled into her mouth roughly as she fought her tears. 'I will not cry,' Rachel thought to herself, focusing on the phrase that she would repeat to herself when she was in that dark cell to calm herself when she was scared the most. 'I will not cry. I will not cry. I will not cry.'

"Good," the nun smiled warmly. "Then you're going to have to do everything that we ask of you. Can you do that?"

Nodding again, Rachel whispered, "Yea, maam." The arm that was not wrapped around her guardian's neck pulled her bear with the purple, silk bow tighter to her. The voice in her head spoke all the louder, 'I will not cry. I will not cry.'

Gently kissing the child's head of brown hair, Sister Grace said quietly, "God will protect you, little one. And if He can't, we will. I promise you that." Rachel swallowed hard and lowered her head on the nun's shoulder. The decent down the stairs grew darker as they made their way into the damp basement.

*   *   *   *   *   *

Trowa's nails dug into his knees as he growled deeply, "This is taking too damn long." Frowning deeply, he shook his head, "I never should have left Rachel at that orphanage. It's my fault that she and those other children are in danger like this."

Sitting at his left, Duo replied calmly, "Steady, Tro. You did the best that you could. We all thought bringing her to the safe house would put her in danger and we had no idea that she would be a target like this."

Over the radios that they had already turned on, Wufei's voice stated, "Duo's right, Barton. No sense in placing any blame where it's not warranted. We're doing our best to get there in time to help without putting everything that we've been working for at risk."

Looking over her shoulder to make sure that her sincerity was seen as well as heard, Noin frowned, "I will say that I understand your frustration. You're not alone in that with the circumstances, I can assure you."

With a deep sigh, Trowa sunk in his seat and nodded, not trusting his voice at that moment. Placing a hand on his friend's shoulder, Duo squeezed it in quiet reassurance. Looking across from the tall pilot, he found Heero watching him in concern. Raising his right hand, the ex-Wing pilot made subtle sing language. 'How are you holding up?' his signing asked.

That... was a loaded question. His lover being the only one of his friends to know of his past at the Maxwell Church, Duo knew what Heero's question was referring to. The thought of another attack on another orphanage was something that he had tried to force from his mind, but apparently the Japanese pilot knew him better than he thought.

His own hand moving in slight signs, Duo answered honestly, 'I've been better, but I'll be okay.' Seemingly satisfied with that, Heero nodded firmly before turning his head forward, folding his arms and closing his eyes in silent preparation for whatever lay ahead as he would before a mission.

*   *   *   *   *   *

"Oh how cute," Logan chuckled deeply as he placed his hands on his hips with a dark smirk "They've blocked the door." The whole of his team standing behind him laughed loudly. Lifting the strap that fell across his chest, he raised the semi-automatic riffle he wore at his back.

The group moved back several paces as Logan raised the large weapon and took aim. His smirk still I place, he pulled the trigger. The silence that had loomed around the orphanage came to an abrupt halt with the loud rounds of bullets flying, splintering wood and shattering glass.

In the basement, gathered into a tight group at the back of the dark space, the children screamed and covered their ears. Father Bryce looked up to the wooden beams of the ceiling with wide eyes. Muttering a prayer, he made the sign of the cross and brought his cross pendant to his lips.

Terrified that the shouts would give way to their whereabouts too soon, Sister Grace moved to the front of the heard and raised her hands as the gunfire continued. "Quiet, children" she called urgently to her frightened charges. "You must keep still."

At the very back of the group, the nun could see Rachel's brown head of hair peeing through the small crack in the wall where she had been hidden. Her eyes widening, Sister Grace quickly made her way around the scared children. Kneeling before the small girl, she whispered, "Rachel, you have to stay in this crack no matter what happens."

Her bear clutched tightly with both arms, Rachel bit her lip and nodded, "O-okay." With a quick kiss to the pale girl's head, Sister Grace eased her thin and tiny body into the deep crevice until she was no longer in sight. When she moved back, the nun moved the other orphans back to cover the crack all the more with their bodies.

Riddling the entrance with more than a hundred holes, Logan finally lowered his weapon. In the sudden silence, the echoes of the last few shots faded into the distance. With a pleased grin, he took in his handiwork. With very little of the door that remained in tact hanging by the hinges, the barricade that had been bade was all but blown to shreds as well.

Slowly, he stalked to the entrance and with one swift kick, the tall man cleared the way inside. Stepping into the room with the light of the moon spilling in behind him, Logan gazed around the dim and simple surroundings. At the front of the room was a brass cross hanging lopsidedly with bullet holes.

As his team moved in, Logan took in the sight and chuckled deeply and bellowed, "Where is your beloved Almighty now!" Turning on his heels, he gazed to the ten people awaiting his orders. "They'll all be together and most likely downstairs," he stated, the voice of experience in being a master in his craft for many years.

There were several nods among the young men and women as they gazed about the room with weapons ready. Tim remained in the back of the group, gazing nervously over his shoulder as he suggested, "I don't see why we don't just get what we came for and make quick to cover our tracks. I don't like thinking that we won't be alone for long."

Beside him, a blonde woman clad in black chuckled deeply, "And miss the chance to take out a few Preventers? Not a chance in hell. Considering the trouble those agents have caused us over the years, we've been looking forward to a skirmish with them."

The muscular man at Tim's other side smirked, "If you're too scared, you could always wait in the car and wet yourself there while we handle this."

At that taunt, the once appealing notion of being away from the mission was no longer an option. His grey eyes narrowing, Tim took up one of the many guns that was strapped on the man's shoulder and growled deeply, "Just tell me where you want me."

Logan smirked and gestured to the seemingly scrawny man beside him. "You're with Mike, here. The two of you will be in charge of setting up the explosives and detonator."

His eyes spanning over the remainder of his team, the clear leader announced, "I want Alex and Jamie with me. The rest of you station yourselves throughout the first and second floors. That girl will most likely be with the others, but search the rooms closely to be certain. At that, everyone quickly moved into the hallway and split apart in different directions.

Pausing only to grab the tall man's arm before running after his assigned partner, Tim glared heatedly and warned, "Don't forget that the girl remains unharmed. I need her in one piece when I hand her over."

With a dark smirk, Logan shrugged, "Oh, she'll be in one piece. That part I can assure you. I just can't promise how well off she'll be otherwise." Roughly pulling his arm free, he ran off with the blonde young woman and muscular man that had bantered with the fallen agent.

"Let's move," Mike called in frustration. When Tim turned to face him, he was tossed a couple packs that he struggled to catch. "Careful with those," the mercenary said. "If those shells aren't handled gently, you'll be scraped from the trees for days."

His eyes widening with a startled gasp, Tim steadied the bags in his grasp as he paled a sickly shade. Laughing loudly, Mike gestured with a free arm, "This way. I'll show you how to get started and then you're on your own." With that, he turned at the doorway and ran down the dimly lit hallway.

*   *   *   *   *   *

Gripping the steering wheel, Zechs glanced at the time on the dashboard. Already, fifteen minutes had passes since the call that Noin had made was cut. At the rate that they were traveling and with all of the back roads they had to take yet, they were another good twenty minutes off, if not longer than that. "This is not going to cut it," he growled deeply.

Without warning, the blonde man turned the wheel sharply to go down the right path at a fork in the road. The car following behind jerked in its efforts to stay behind at the sudden change in direction. "What the hell are you doing!" Wufei cried. "Could I have a little more of a warning next time! We're heading right for one of the barricades that Lady Une ordered!"

"I know," Zechs answered flatly, his eyes narrowed. "Change in plans." As the red-and-white striped blockades came into view, he slammed his foot onto the gas. The two police officers stationed before the road block turned at the sight of headlight coming from behind.

Their eyes widening, the two young men ran to either side just before the car shot through the barrier, sending shard of wood into the air. The second car followed at great speed as they went onto the open highway.

Shaking his head from the shock, one of the young officers narrowed his eyes as he watched the pair of taillights disappear. "Damn Preventers," he muttered to himself with a deep sigh. "Just another fun night working with them."

"Are you crazy! This is crazy!" Wufei screamed over the radio.

Quatre's voice shouted, "This is dangerous!"

With an elated smile, Duo cheered, "That was fucking awesome!"

*   *   *   *   *   *

When Logan, Jamie and Alex reached the large wooden door that lead to the basement, the blonde young woman moved to push it open. When there was only resistance at her attempt, she smiled in amusement. "Stand back," she ordered the two men as she took several paces back of her own.

Taking up her rocket-launcher, she fired one of her smaller missiles as a large explosion shook the building. With the smaller size of the rocket, only a few small tongues of flame danced on the hinges of where the door used to stand. As she lowered her weapon, Jamie extended a hand towards the large hole and grinned, "Ladies first."

Rolling his eyes, Logan stepped through the large opening and into the billowing smoke. Quickly finding his footing, he made his way down the long stairs with his accomplices close behind. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, the smoke parted enough for them to find the heard of children huddled together in the back of the room.

In the light of the candles that were spread of the room, Logan approached the crying and whimpering bunch as their guardians straightened with wide eyes. Taking in the boarded windows, he commented, "For religious folk, you certainly know how to make someone feel unwelcome when you want."

His eyes narrowing, Father Bryce moved to the front of the group and growled deeply, "This is a place of God. You have no right to come here and threaten the innocent lives here."

Raising a hand, Alex smirked, "Easy, old man. We're only here for a little girl that you won't even miss. Just hand her over so that we can handle this like reasonable adults and we'll be on our way."

Deep when in the crack where she was hiding, Rachel had to bite down on her bear's hand to keep from whimpering too loudly. Her heavy panting echoed in the space around her as she watched and listened to the scary people. The tall one's dark eyes were scanning over the other children, searching.

Suddenly, something ran across her feet. With a stifled cry, she jumped and watched a long-tailed rat run deeper into the crack. Her brown eyes widened in terror, she could feel her sweat rolling from her face and neck down her light blue nightgown.

With a choked laugh, the tall priest shouted, "Reasonable! You fire upon this orphanage and we're suddenly supposed to be civil towards you!"

At that, Logan's eyes paused in their search to fall on the bald man. "That would not have been necessary had you not barricaded the doors in the first place," he said smoothly. "Now, if you continue to be difficult, we'll only be forced to continue to be forceful."

"We have many little girls in our care here," Father Bryce stated as he continued in hopes to spare more time for their aid to arrive. "What in creation would you and your men possibly want with a child?"

His dark smirk returning, Logan kept to himself that he knew the priest's intentions to stall time. Little did he know, however, that the mercenary was looking to do the same. After all, it would take time for the explosions to be prepared and set. "What we want with her is no concern of yours, old man," he smiled.

"The fact that you are going to such extremes to hide her from us, however, does." At the sight of bead of sweat rolling down that shiny head as the older man swallowed roughly at his words, Logan laughed inwardly. Oh how he enjoyed these games.

Rachel swallowed hard as she hugged her legs to her body. She needed to stay strong. She thought about Trowa and Anna and how they had been so brave when they had rescued her and everyone on that she was on.

Tears filled her eyes and she thought of how safe she felt around them, wanting that feeling again more than anything at that moment. Closing her eyes tightly, she thought to herself, 'I will not cry. I will not cry...'

The sounds of the radio snapping to life on Logan's arm broke the brief silence. "All rooms are cleared and no signs of the girl," the female voice announced.

With a tilt of his head and his dark eyes still locked on the priest, Logan took hold of his radio and replied, "Good work, Cassandra. Is everyone in place, then?"

"Affirmative," his teammate answered. "We have clear lookout points on the road into the opening and a couple of our men in the surrounding trees. No one will be entering without coming into a hail of bullets. Mike nearly has everything ready on his end as well."

Logan chuckled deeply, "Excellent. I have a fly to sway down here then I'll be joining you shortly." With that, the call was ended and he replaced his radio onto his right shoulder.

The priest kept his ground, his back straight and his gaze never breaking from the mercenary. His smile spreading, Logan raised his pistol before the man could blink and fired a bullet through his forehead.

As the priest fell back, fragments of his skull flying and blood spraying the air, the children screamed and retreated back as far as they could, nearly trampling over each other in their efforts to get as far away as they could.

Sobs and wails filling the air, Logan and his two friends stepped forward. "Now," he began coolly as he turned to the nun with graying hair. "You look to be a much wiser person than the dearly departed Father, here. Would you be so kind as to assist us in finding the girl that we want?"

Tears rolling down her face, Sister Grace straightened herself and moved to the front of the heard where Father Bryce had been. Stepping over his body, she made her stand. "I will not allow you anywhere near her, or any of these children, so long as I have breath in me."

With a shrug, Logan commented, "A woman who gets right to the point. I like that." With that, he raised his pistol and took aim of her forehead.

"No!" a voice screamed from the back of the crowd of children. The crying young ones parted to reveal a large crack in the wall that they had concealed. Slowly, the girl on the image that Tim had presented emerged from the dark hiding place.

With her bear in one hand, Rachel raised her hands in the air, tears rolling down her tiny face. "Don't hurt anymore!" she cried.

With a wail, Sister Grace whimpered, "Oh, Rachel, no."

Her eyes locked on the scary people, the little girl pleaded, "Promise you'll leave them alone."

A wide smile tugged at Logan's lips as he put his pistol back in its holster. Raising his own arms in the air, he replied smoothly, "No more hurting. I promise." Lowering one arm to stretch it out to the child, he gestured for her to walk towards him.

Biting her lip and swallowing hard, Rachel walked past her friends and towards the tall man. When she was close, Logan chuckled deeply, "My, my, but aren't you a brave little one. And a very smart one at that."

His big hand swooped down to scoop her up, holding her to his chest. With a deep bow, the mercenary smirked at the crying guardians, "You certainly could learn something from this one here."

The moment was broken when the night air exploded with deafening gunfire. "They're here!" Cassandra's voice shouted over the radio. "I repeat they're here!"

Muttering a curse under his breath, Logan growled deeply, "They got here much sooner than I had expected." Looking to the pale girl in his arm, he chuckled, "Not that it makes much of a difference. We have what we came for."

Along with Alex and Jamie, he turned on his heels as they made their way to the stairwell. Looking back over his shoulder, the tall man suggested to the huddled group, "You best stay here were none of you will get caught in the middle of this. I'd hate to think of one of you being hurt in this."

As he climbed the stairs, Logan's laughter carried along with that of his accomplices'. Sinking to the floor, Sister Grace hugged as many weeping children to her as she could. "Dear God," she breathed, "This cannot be happening."

TBC...

 

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