With everyone working together, the back of the truck had a stack of boats laying about the bed in no time.
"That's it guys, no more problems, today." Sammy commented, slipping back into the driver's seat with a trail of bloody left foot-prints illustrating where he'd been nervously pacing over the course of the time spent loading the boats.
"It'll be nice t-to get into bed tonight after all this hard work and fighting and stuff!"
-----
"Galina..." Minerva leaned in closer to Chrys without taking her arms from around Nika and muttered, "You sound like you've taken a lot of showers. You must be super-experienced at being clean."
-----
Alex threw a dart lazily into the bullseye of a dartboard hanging on the wall in the officer's lounge. He didn't seem to notice Lucas looking so conflicted next to him, as he finished a small cup of tea and continued whatever he'd been saying before.
"So, you see, Lucas. It is going to be either you or me tomorrow morning." Alex said into his teacup. "They do not know how we are coming, but they are aware of my plan to take this island from them."
"Why don't we just abort, Alex? It's just a rock!" Lucas begged, "We can't go into something knowing one of us will get captured!"
Alex ignored this. "The orders I intercepted are to take whomever is leading the attack and allow the others to escape if they don't try anything. We can use this to our advantage. I am only uncertain as to which attack they will try to capture the leader of, considering you will be leading a feint."
Lucas pounded his fist on the table and stood to bring his face close to Alex's.
"Let them take me, then. I know what you're planning, Lexi, and you know we can't--"
"Ignore the emotional response and analyze the situation up close, Lucas. Crysanthe will not tolerate your capture. She would lead the others on a suicide run. I will leave instructions for you in my desk. If I am taken, you will be able to recover me."
-----
"Hey, do you guys like steak and eggs?" Minerva was still dragging Nika and Chrys through the corridor, "I'm in the mood to cook somethin' special for Alex, but it'd be totally weird if I didn't make something for everyone! Maybe I'll just make something special when he gets back..."
-----
"I sure am glad you fellas joined up this morning!" Sammy told the newcomers as the truck came up on the submarine. "I think some of the other guys would've left Archie, Rennik, and Ally high and dry out there. I'll be sure to t-t-tell Alex how great you guys were."
-----
"I want you to remember one thing, Lucas, if anything happens tomorrow." Alex warned back in the officer's lounge.
"There are four yellow pills in the sick-bay under the diagnostic station for Alexis' arm."
"What!?"
-----
Late that night, after all the boats had been loaded snugly into the sub's landing bay, and everyone had been shown their rooms and a decent place to store their equipment; while Nika and Jack were being given enough materials to make a bomb the size of Roger Wilco, the noise of the ocean rocked silently against the hull to sing those who could sleep into a deep slumber and prepare them for the morning ahead.
