When All Else Fails

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Invading the queen of the east was no easy task. Not only was she a dangerous individual to mess with. Her encampment was known for all types of booby traps, and worse of all land mines. It took forever to track it down and to locate its spot. However, once they did Maria decided to give Ville a chance to come along with her men, Zeke, Noe, and their men. Tanny and Adda had stayed behind to keep order in the camp. In the beginning, all of her advisors had gone against the idea of letting a new recruit enter such a dangerous and important mission, but to Maria, each recruit had to be thrown out into the frontlines, especially if they had survived all on their own before joining a unit.
"Remember we go in with the banner of peace, offering an alliance, but under this guise, we all try to find out where they keep the prisoners and free them stealthily," Maria said. "And what if it goes wrong mid-plan, like what if I find one of the prisoners and everything goes haywire," he said. "Then we come out guns blazing and do our best to hold back the opposition, while we find the other one, after all, we made plans for back home," Zeke said.
Maria nodded they had already set into place a zone where they could flee too if they were in danger from another group, it had been set up at the beginning and until now they had only fled from regulators, but now as per the circumstances, it would be their new home if they did not succeed in taking down the queen and her empire if they had to run.
"Do you think they will stop looking for us....they will search out for us for some time" Ville added. Maria grimaced he was right but she hoped that with the rations that were sent by Angel they could survive, she had arranged to meet alone with the blood queen to do the exchange if all went well, then go into hiding with her tribe, if the queen of the east and her clan yet lived.
"Then we hide out like rats for a while, that is all we can do" Maria replied, as they headed out. The small car they had picked was an armored convoy, Noe knew this would not pose a threat as all cars from the survivors had to be bulletproof and have some way of tracking anyone following them. "So according to Tanny the queen is waiting for us to debate our supposed deal, we drive in carefully, and keep ourselves sharp and alert," Maria said. Maria did not worry about bringing some men from the troops with them, like the car this was a common form of defense and travel in the world.
After some hours they approached a large plain of forests surrounded by lakes, the trees were tall, looming, and ominous, but most of them dead or burnt the lakes once beautiful gave an eerie vibe to the zone, filled now with acid, and poisonous substances. A small group of armed guards approached them armed in the fashion of guerrilla warfare until Maria showed her token, a small tattoo carved with a knife into her back, it was in the resemblance of anima and animus, it had been chosen as a symbol only worn by the leaders of the world today.
"You are here to meet our leader yes," The older man said he was wearing a gas mask so his face and voice were hard to discern, yet the banner and weapons bore their logo a small stick with legs protruding down and two upwards to be shaped like a tree, which lay encircled, a symbol of the deep wood survivors.
"Indeed," Maria said as her team warily followed the paths the guides walked, for any wrong step could be a land mine or worse. It seemed that the forest went on forever and mosquitoes and other larval insects threatened to sting and bite at each turn. Frustration and thirst grew within the group as the tropical climate created here was testing everyone's patience. Finally and after what seemed like hours they arrived at the entrance of what was massive underground grove surrounded and covered by poison ivy and carnivorous plants.
As Maria had planned after the greetings and search, the other members were allowed to roam around the main corridors as long as a guard followed in suit, she hoped they would find something. As she wanted to keep an eye on Ville and only one was allowed into the main room she took him with her.
The grove itself was amazingly alive and thriving, insects crawled on the edges of what was a huge hollow cavern leading to an underground forest. Maria and Ville had to watch their step as they almost angered a slithering boa constrictor which was thankfully chasing a rabbit as his next meal, Maria had never been all the way inside this place, and seeing how life was growing beneath the chaos, brought hope if only a little.
More hours seemed to pass before they arrived at the center of the grove where tree trunks acted as part of a council table and at the center sat Kim, the queen of the east, stroking a blonde man who looked subdued and had a look of emptiness in his eyes, that Maria would have recognized as a yearning for freedom, even if she had not known him, it was Olli, he had a chain around his neck and was kneeling at the feet of Kim's feet washing them, two spears threatened to skewer him if he moved.
This is going to be harder than I thought Maria pondered, how the hell are we supposed to get him out and have time for the others to find the other one if he is even alive, she thought panicking a bit. But she had to remain cool-headed they needed to do this to find a way out, get the POW's and return them for supplies at camp.
"Greetings Maria, leader of the clan in the industrial zone," Kim said stroking Ollis's hair " Greetings Kim, leader of the clan in the forested zone" Maria replied courteously bowing as they all did, although Ville just wanted to run up and free Olli, this was a woman was more insane than he had heard of, yet he knew he would kill Jyrki and everyone else if he got out of line.
"To what do I owe this pleasure, the meeting of the clans is not for some time now," Kim said repeating the thoughts Maria had mentioned to Angel. "I am here hoping to form an alliance, I know that you are careful in making treaties, but we are in desperate need of support, and who knows what will happen before the next meet" Maria said. "I thought you had an alliance with Axele the mountain clan leader? Has he proven untrustworthy?" Kim said.
"No, but, he is otherwise compromised, so we seek you, you know the clan of the northern queen is unapproachable and the south has decided to hide out for now, as for the northwest, northeast, southwest, and southeast, well two of them are down and the others have been...AWOL" Maria said.
"I see that is unfortunate, however, I cannot offer you an alliance at this time unless your resources prove to be of some worth to me" Kim added. "We are willing to prove our worth, if we must sit and talk as clan leaders I can show you what we bring to the table," Maria said hoping this would not turn bloody soon.
"Perhaps, but if you are asking for an alliance maybe your resources are so depleted that you will prove of little worth to me" Kim replied, "If I may speak We have been attacked by the regulators often, but we have freed many, and now we can join and strengthen the movement against the machines," Ville said, Maria looked at him with reproach an interruption could mean death.
"You allow your subordinates to interrupt? Are you lacking leadership, and yet you come to offer me an alliance?" Kim said scoffing, Maria almost screamed bloody hell at Ville but had to control herself though he was trying to help, it had just made her look foolish. "I do not lack leadership, your highness, yet this man is a potential new advisor, so...I have given him the chance to speak" Maria said, she was not sure about that but if it saved their neck for now.
"Interesting a handsome one at that" Kim said eyeing Ville up and down which for some reason made Maria's blood boil. Kim leaned forward looking Maria straight in the eyes, "Let's say this...If we form an alliance, and I chose to bargain with you, what can you offer right now, and what are your demands?" Kim said, "I have little to offer at the moment but we can offer more once we get back home, we are frontline survivors, as you know," Maria said. She hoped the others would either find a way to knock a guard out and get the other one out before they had to shoot up the place.
"Yet there is surely something you can give me, for that is and might be the only condition upon which I can trust you are here with honest intentions," Kim said eyeing Ville even more deeply, making Maria feel strangely angry "What can I offer?" Maria said choking she knew now what Kim wanted and though it might prove dangerous it might be the only way to free Olli and try to take down the queen and her guards, but it was a risky move.
"How about you give up your new advisor in exchange for hmmm....let say another one of my men," Kim said. Ville looked at Maria hoping she would not hesitate, he was not a fool this was going to be a decision that would require a split-second reaction as soon as Ollie was freed, or if the queen grew furious.
"I would if it is applying to the rules of fair trade ask for...that man at your feet," Maria said holding her breath. "Oh, Olli dear.....well," Kim said "I do not think I can do that.....yet hmm maybe I could use a new playmate," Kim said licking her lips as she eyed Ville who was growing disgusted at her looks. Olli looked around desperate as if life was entering his eyes "I suppose I could part with him, but first disarm that man and we will hand him over, as soon as he is properly secured" Kim said, Maria's heart fell, if Ville was tied up she was going to have to fight on her own against the guard and Kim if she died here along with Olli and Ville how would the others get out, and would the red queen forgive her?
The earth blew open and a roar filled the underground grove....the sound of an engine grew close and Maria had a split second to shove Olli to the floor and tackle Ville to the ground dragging him to her, taking the guards gun as a fight began while a white car, the legendary white car drove in a furious Angel and Alexi on board... "If you found out it was her who took them and were planning a freaking rescue why the hell did you not include me, I swear to god Tanny loves you she was so worried that she thought I was not going to make it here in time!" Angel said as she jumped off to face a shocked and furious Kim.
Explosions could be heard all around the fighting had begun and yet Maria could not believe her luck as she rushed to Ville's side, for she could not hide her shame either, the man had been willing to sacrifice himself for the mission, she could almost kiss him."You did well....but now, get ahold of yourself, this is not going to be pretty," Maria said. Ville nodded at her while he held a gun which he had knocked off another guard as Kim launched at them and Angel stood beside Maria "It's my score to settle stay back!" she said preparing to take down the one who had done this to her brothers.