Chapter 10;

So, I'm not really sure what I'm doing with Hunter at the moment - I'll try figure her out. I just had a Lord of the Rings marathon yesterday, and am in the mood for fight scenes. *hint* also, sorry for the late update. I - I really have no excuse aside from laziness. Oh, and I started writing a full novel I'd like to publish too, a blog, and a YouTube channel. As you can see, I'm rather busy too.

Thanks to all my loyal readers - you're fabulous!

Points to whoever can spot the Moriarty (Sherlock BBC) quote. :P

- Chase Bond.

Jack slid into his car, followed by Aleksi and Hunter.

"If the others know that Seth, Sara and Jo are missing, things will be a whole lot worse," Aleksi said, doing up his seat belt.

"Yeah, I figured," Jack muttered, driving the car out the driveway as fast as he could. He'd probably get caught and pulled over (meaning, he should have taken one of the Presidents men's cars).

"You think this Burke guy has them?" Aleksi asked.

"Certain,"

"Okay," Aleksi nodded and anxiously stared out the window.

"I thought Burke would be on our side now?" Hunter questioned.

"'Our'?" Jack asked, "I'm not even sure whose side you're on. One minute you hate us and are trying to get away, next minute you're our best friend."

"I just wanted to be safe before," she replied, "then I realised you guys are the only way I'll be any kind of safe here. If anything, you could help me too."

"I help you?" he chuckled, "Why would I help you to conquer my own planet?"

"I help you save this world," she said, "Then you help me get home. Earth will be a nice place to have, but I don't think my people would be able to conquer such a rebellious place. There are far too many people try control. Also, there'll probably be a war which most people on both sides would die."

"Fair enough," he nodded and continued on the road. After a whiles silence, Jack asks, "How much am I able to count on you for?"

"As much as I can muster," she replied, "I can fight, if it comes down to it. I can talk too, but I prefer to fight - by a lot." she smiled sweetly.

Burke watched the screen intently. He knows about Jack coming after the aliens. How could he not? It was only obvious that he would. Burke was connected to the transmitter that Alex was using to communicate with the aliens above, and he'd heard every word of it. If he could, Burke wanted to keep every alien for himself - some to torture, with hopes of finding his daughter, and others he'd just experiment on. He could use some mind controlling ability.

The President still didn't realise that Burke wasn't on his side any longer. He was still send in troops and scientists to help Burke with whatever his needs were. Ignorant fool.

"Herman!" Burke called out, "Set higher security on the aliens. Double the guards. No, wait, triple them! Make sure the perimeter is secured. Any way in - even the oddest ways - make sure they will not get inside!" Burke put extra emphasis on the 'will not' of his orders.

"Yes, sir," Herman replied and hurried out the door.

Jack swerved around a corner. Aleksi had asked him to stop by one of his friends places before they neared Witch Mountain. Jack only complied because Aleksi said it would benefit the situation greatly.

Jack pulled the vehicle to a stop as Aleksi and Hunter jumped out. They were at an apartment building of some kind - obviously Aleksi's friend lived here.

After less than 2 minutes, the two emerged from the building carrying a stuffed duffel bag and a couple briefcase looking boxes. They both took places in the back, and started fussing over whatever Aleksi had. Jack hoped it was weapons.

After another few minutes of driving, they neared Witch Mountain. Not caring about Burke and his men, he drove right up to the entrance of the mountain. He would've driven right into the mountain through the vehicle entrance, except it was blocked with other vehicles.

Aleksi handed Jack a gun and ammo, which he gladly accepted, jumping out the car door. Almost immediately soldiers were upon them. Aleksi, apparently, was a great shot. He proved a great asset for an older guy. Hunter wasn't bad either, sticking with knives and daggers. Jack didn't care about taking lives - he just wanted to save the aliens and prevent a war breaking out. That's all that mattered. A few lives there wouldn't compare to tens of thousands of lives with a war. The aliens safety was top priority.

Jack was surprised. How could they (fairly) easily take out these trained soldiers? He had to admit, he had been working out lately.

Burke was getting annoyed. As he watched the screen, all he saw was a silver haired girl wave some knives around like a circus freak and kill more of his men. Seriously, she could join a circus. (Burke didn't actually want to admit that he was jealous of her skill with the knives). Aleksi, using a car door as a shield, took down man after man with each shot. He was like a maniac, and Burke wished he would never met him face-to-face. Jack had a semi-automatic which he used to shot at people, but also used his fists for punching. Still, he couldn't believe what the circus freak was able to do. No one should have that great of skill.

"HERMAN!" Burke roared, "GET MORE MEN OUT THE FRONT NOW! BRUNO'S MOWING THROUGH THEM LIKE TOUGH GRASS!" wait, tough grass?

"Yes, sir," Herman said, slightly out of breath, and hurried off to do yet another task.

Burke continued to watch as Hunter threw a dagger, striking a man in his throat. Then swiping a knife around on another soldier across his chest, killing him like a sheep.

Jack - fist after fist, pummeling each soldier that got in his path. He elbowed, kneed, and kicked anyone who came near enough for the striking, and occasionally stopped to fire his gun and others within distance.

But Aleksi. Where was he? He'd just vanished. Burke couldn't spot him anywhere in his screen. He switch between camera angles and everything, yet he couldn't find the guy anywhere. He wasn't inside either. Gone.

Burke, starting to panic, ordered a few more soldiers on the look out for the terrorist. He couldn't have gotten far. If anything, he'd have gone away from the fight - fled. Which was a relief to Burke.

Little did Burke know, however, Aleksi was a brilliant sniper. He just needed the closure to hide himself from oncoming soldiers. He wasn't as far as a normal sniper would like to be, but he was far enough to have a widened vision of the playing field for the time being. He was also close enough to join the others if they needed it.

Smiling to himself, Aleksi started to fire upon the soldiers. He wouldn't have long before they would be upon him, so he make good use of his time. Taking out the soldiers with ease. Jack seemed grateful for the extra help this way - the soldiers were now also occupied trying to locate a well hidden Aleksi. Hunter seemed unaffected, but Aleksi was sure she was also grateful.

After removing over thirty from action, it looked like one hundred more men and women came spilling out. They probably knew where Aleksi was too. They were bound to. There were cameras everywhere.

Abandoning the gun he was using, Aleksi prepared to use another which allowed him to shoot more bullets per second. Sliding from his spot upon the bush and scrub, Aleksi opened fire upon the soldiers, joining up with his team. Jack and Hunter took to shooting too.

They cut through more and more men. They spread their angle of fire out so they could attempted to make a dent in the enemies lines. After a few more moments of continuous fire and blood shed, Hunter moved forward, dropping the gun, and started using a pair of machetes ("God only knows where she got them from" - Jack), and started clearing a path through the body of people blocking their way. Jack and Aleksi coving her.

This would have been a nice plan had no one gotten hurt, but someone had to. How could you not get hurt after a stunt like that? Well, Hunter had a few minor cuts from the knives and daggers (someone cunning enough to try use her own weapons against her), and a bullet wound in her upper arm which she'd already tended to. Jack possibly had a broken nose, and badly bruised fists. Aleksi was pretty much fine - he and his old man majesticness.

They'd made it into the Mountains complex and were still fighting their way through. They'd had a moments pause, when they'd escaped the enemies men for a few seconds to sort out which way they were going and make sure injuries were okay.

"How's everyone holding up?" Jack asked.

"Fine," Hunter winced in pain, and gently put her hand to her bullet wound.

"Okay," he paused for a second, "this way? I have no idea where they'll be holding them, but we need to start somewhere."

"Try the most illogical but logical place," Aleksi offered, "they could be near, but a heavily guarded near."

"Or they could be far, and a very far far that's heavily guarded," Hunter offers.

"Do you mind?" Jack asked, "I don't need your put downs."

"Could be true though. They might not even be in Witch Mountain,"

Hunter had a point, both Jack and Aleksi knew that. But, pushing forward with what little of a plan they had, Jack said, "This way then." and led the way in which soldiers had started appearing in.

Burke watched in distaste as his men failed at such a simple task.

"Incompetent," Burke muttered, grabbing a supplied gun and leaving his office's safety.

Everything outside his office was havoc. Aside from the military protocols and formalities, everything seemed like a disaster had hit. Everything was happening at once. The vast area that made up Witch Mountain; corridors, rooms, stair shafts; was crowded as Burke had never seen before. He growled at whomever was there, even those that weren't listening because they were hurrying towards the fight.

Burke knew exactly where Bruno was. And he was grateful (if not annoyed that he'd made it this far inside) that Bruno was headed in the opposite direction of the aliens. He was so predictable sometimes. But then, wasn't everyone?

Burke knew that it wouldn't take long for Bruno to find the aliens. It was like he had a sixth sense and always knew where they were. Burke then headed straight for the aliens cells. Roy and Herman right behind him.

Nearing the cells, he ordered extra guarding on them.

"As many as we can spare!" Burke yelled, "Get everyone here as unsuspiciously as you fools can! I don't want Bruno to know but there needs to be more soldiers here!"

"Sir," a medic rushes over to Burke.

"What?!" He growls impatiently.

"We have a lot of injured men, I don't think it's reasonable to have more people hurt over something so petty and small."

"These aliens aren't petty and small! They are criminals and can help with the advancement of our race!"

"Do you think of them over your own men?" the medic questioned, "People have died."

"That's what people do!" Burke yelled, sending spit everywhere.

"Compared to our own men, the aliens are petty and small," the medic replied in a small voice, trying to show Burke reason in his actions.

"I'll show you petty and small," Burke said in a low and dangerous tone. Before the medic - nor anyone else - can respond, Burke shots the medic and watches him drop to the floor. Then he added, "someone clean up the mess."

The cells weren't in a corridor like the previous time. This time, they're in a large open hall type room, where the cells were separated by thick glass and clear plastic. There is a high raised platform in which Burke and few others were upon, ready for the intruders. The other soldiers were on the ground level of the room, ready to ambush.

The aliens were out cold. They were sitting, tightly bound to stainless steal chairs. Their wrists, ankles, and throat were held from moving by metal restraints. The aliens had been drugged, and shouldn't be out for a while longer. Meaning if Bruno and his friends did manage to get in and somehow unrestrain them, they'd have to be carried because they were unconscious. Burke was highly proud of his little plan. Yes, he thought of it all himself.

Burke had his personal assistant keep him updated on where the intruders were.

"Guns at the ready," Burke ordered his men, "Few more moments, folks."

The soldiers readied themselves in silence. When random bullets came flying towards Burke and his men. Burke ordered his men to kill on sight - except no one could see the enemy. Where were they? Why couldn't they be seen?

"Someone tell me where they are!" Burke growled into his earpiece, "Does anyone know where they are?"

"No, sir," a woman replied through his earpiece, "We believe he's just around the doorway - there's no other place he can be."

"There's more than one of them!" he bellowed, "How can you not have a visual? We have cameras covering every inch of this place!"

"They've disabled some of the cameras - we're trying to get them up and running right away, but they're resisting and we have no idea how," she replied.

"WHAT?! They're civilians! They only have civilian access!"

"Unless they have a hacker,"

"They're terrorists! Of course they'll have a hacker! Terrorists always seem to have everything! I hate terrorists!"

Hunter worked alongside Aleksi, trying to keep the camera off them. Aleksi went to opening fire with Jack when he needed it. Hunter knew there would be soldiers upon them any second - from both sides.

How'd she manage to hack into their system? She had her technological device to hack, and she already had the skill from previous jobs. Why was she working with them? Well, give them the thought that she's working with them and they'll help her when it comes to it - even if they don't know they'll be helping her to invade their own planet.

Jack and Aleksi didn't need to know what she really intended however.

"I can hack into their system for that room there -," Hunter mentioned to the room where the aliens were locked up, "- I may just need a little help. Aleksi - ?"

"Yes, of course," Aleksi replied eagerly, ready to save Jo. How sweet, really.

Together, Aleksi and Hunter worked on getting into their mainframe.

"How are we going to get in there? We can't get past the soldiers, can we?" Hunter asked, "Do you even have a plan?"

"Of course I have a plan! What sort of man do you take me as?" came Jack's reply.

"Not one from the Expendables," Aleksi replied simply, earning a muffled laugh from Hunter.

"I like to try," Jack argued, "I could secretly be one, you know."

"Not likely," Hunter muttered. Then adding, much louder this time, "Almost open Jack. We need a plan."

"Yes, yes, I'm thinking,"

"It's unlocked. Jack, we need to go before they know,"

"Yes - go now,"

"Jack! That's suicide!" Hunter whisper yelled, "We. Need. A. Plan."

Too late, Jack had already left his position and was firing whilst running towards the room. That's when it got bloody. Jack fell to the cold, hard ground with a loud, heavy thud.