Ghosts of Berlin

         It was already a quarter past nine in the evening and Jack Keffer was fifteen minutes late.  Alec Vassily glanced anxiously at his watch and then at his companion, Matthew Underhill.  The stone-faced Briton stared back at him, his face an expressionless mask.  He too was growing uneasy.  Alec could see it in his eyes.  Streetlamps buzzed overhead, casting an eerie orange glow over the two men and their van. 

         Across the street was the world headquarters of the Rising Sun corporation, a company founded by Japanese entrepreneurs and built in the German capital, Berlin.  Its intent was to conduct top of the line medical research.  There had been rumors, however, that they had recently been funding certain terrorist organizations, namely the IRA.  Naturally, a reason for Britain to be on edge over the prospect.  This was not a threat that the British would take lightly. 

         Alec studied Matthew for a moment, calm in the distant drone of the city.  The man gazed silently across the street at the multi-storied, office building.  The towering structure loomed into the navy sky, its bulk becoming a shadow in the backdrop of the Berlin skyline. 

         Matthew’s sharp, angular features were softened in the shadows and his eyes were shallow pools of ink beneath his furrowed brow.  Suddenly he shifted, turning his head to meet Alec‘s gaze. 

         “They only take an hour for reprogramming each night.”  He said, agitated.  “Now we only have forty-five minutes left before the mainframe is locked down.”

         Alec nodded, saying nothing but deciding he would wait a little longer. 

         Matthew continued.  “I don’t think this is the sort of thing command meant when they said make time for unexpected delays.  Where the bloody hell is Keffer?” 

         Again silence. 

         Alec knew what he said was true but he didn’t like the idea of continuing on a mission without all of their personnel.  Especially this mission.  It was a risky endeavor to say the least.  One that if were discovered, would instantly decommission the entire agency as well as disgrace the crown of England.  These sort of operations always put Alec on edge.  Not that he didn’t work well under stress, but that he would have felt a little more secure in knowing that more than simply one or two individuals knew and approved of what they were doing. 

         This operation was a clandestine masterpiece, or so said Reid at command.  Alec had grown used to this though.  Only half of the members of parliament even knew the rumors of such a group and only half of those knew anything about it.  This operation, however, was being conducted on the lowest end of the chain.  The executives didn’t even know about this one.  If it succeeded, it would make years of over budgeting and dead end leads pay off.  But if it failed, they, the operatives, would be fed to the wolves.  Perhaps their superiors with them.  And they didn’t even know about the operation. 

         Alec nearly smiled as he pondered the irony of his chosen career and the current mission.  His father had been the director of a security firm widely used throughout western Europe.  And now Alec’s job was to find new ways around these efforts, as though the essence of his career was the undoing of his father’s. 

         Alec turned his head when he heard footsteps, his thoughts instantly returning to the situation at hand.  Matthew stood to his full height and peered into the gloom, his hand straying toward his weapon.  Suddenly Jack Keffer materialized out of the gloom. 

         Matthew eased somewhat but the disgruntled frown remained as their comrade reached them. 
         “Sorry chaps.”  Keffer said, out of breath.  “Had to do a bit of extra cleanup at the safe house.  It seems someone’s gone through a terrible effort to track us.” 

         Alec looked at him uncertainly, then at Matthew who was still frowning. 

         “What’s left?”  Alec asked. 

         “Just the hardware.  Computers and such.  Don’t worry.”  Keffer quickly added, seeing the incredulous look he received from both men.  “Everything’s wiped down.  The computers are cleaned out.  Even if they find it--they won’t find anything.”  He smiled, visibly pleased with his own work. 

         “You’re certain nothing’s left?”  Alec pressed.

         “Yes.”  Keffer exclaimed. 

         “It’s nine-twenty.”  Matthew said impatiently.

         “And we’re behind schedule.”  Alec added, completing Matthew’s thought.  “In and out in fifteen minutes.”

         Matthew nodded, glanced at his watch, then walked away without another word.  Alec and Keffer watched as his broad form disappeared into the shadows of a side street that ran parallel to the building.  There was a moment of barely suppressed silence as the two men watched after him, hearts pounding and lungs silent, waiting.  A strange sense of loss met them at his departure.  The point of no return.  Now each one of them depended entirely upon the others to execute their mission to perfection or--Alec chose not to think about the “what ifs.”  They were the best of the best in the whole of England.  They would be fine. 

         Alec nodded to Keffer and they donned their uniforms from the back of the van.  They took an extra minute to double-check all of their equipment.  Time was of the essence but even more vital was that everything was in its proper place and ready.  There was no room for error and hesitation once inside the building so everything had better be ready before entering. 

         The two men left the temporary shelter of their van and walked briskly across the street and up the steps to the main lobby entrance.  Each wore a navy jumpsuit with security across the back in bold white lettering.  This was their passport to entering and exiting unscathed and undisturbed.  The key was to look natural.  Appear as though they belonged to this environment.  No uncertainty.  No hesitation.  And certainly no fear. 

         Alec punched in the code that Keffer had recovered the day before, to gain them access.  The glass doors hissed open with surprising speed and shut once the two men had passed through them.  Another set of glass doors barred their entry into the main lobby, a safeguard against unwanted guests.  The lock mechanisms could be controlled from the front desk of the lobby, turning the small entryway into a temporary glass prison until authorities could arrive.  Whoever entered, even those with clearance, must be cleared by security on the other side before entering the lobby. 

         Alec exchanged a quick, confident glance with Keffer but he could not disguise the swelling feeling of uncertainty he felt within.  If Keffer shared the feeling he masked it well.  They waited patiently, in the agonizing silence, searching the shadowy corners of the lobby from where they stood.  There appeared to be no guard in the lobby--at least not that was in view. 

         Suddenly a blur of motion drew their attention.  A shadow emerged from the stairwell, wraithlike and menacing, and strode across the lobby, leaving the darkness and becoming a creature of the light once again.  It was Matthew, his angular features set in a stony determination that betrayed no emotion as he met them at the doorway and opened it from the other side. 

         Alec and Keffer quickly stepped through to join him, nodding their thanks.  The entry had been executed flawlessly.  Now the mission continued. 

         They walked from the lobby and entered a service elevator that would take them to the eighth floor, the floor that housed access to the main computer system of Rising Sun Inc.  No one spoke a word as they waited, watching the floors pass by on the readout over the door, an unspoken tension building with each level.  Each man silently considered his task, knowing and accepting the responsibilities. 

         Matthew stood at the door, his bulky frame filling the entrance.  His sheer size was a reassuring factor in this operation.  It always was.  Matthew Underhill was the kind of man who made those around him feel safe not only by his physically domineering stature but also by his fearless courage. 

         He was flanked by Alec and Keffer who stood at either side of him.  Their mouths were pressed in thin hard lines of determination and their fists clenched and loosened as they anxiously waited in the tense silence of the service elevator, a momentary sanctuary before the adrenaline rush that awaited. 

         A soft ding and the doors opened.  Matthew stepped into the hallway first and quickly scanned both ways then nodded.  Alec and Keffer joined him, warily looking into the shadows and the corners, seeing no surveillance but sensing its inevitable presence.  They maintained their composure, knowing they were being watched.

         They now had ten minutes to get inside the computer terminal and download all of its data files and get back.  Naturally, there would be security personnel that would need to be dealt with but in a non-lethal fashion.  There shouldn’t be any in the main control room though.  The schedules had been painstakingly reviewed and this was their window of time, their window of opportunity. 

         The goal of this mission was to recover the files and leave without a trace, leaving no collateral damage or evidence of their operation.  Even surveillance would reveal nothing out of the ordinary.  All they would see was three security guards entering and three security guards leaving.  Nothing to trace back to anyone.  And since the security personnel were constantly rotated for fear of them learning too many access procedures to restricted areas, unfamiliar faces would not be reason for alarm. 

         Alec smiled in spite of himself.  Those security measures had been taken to prevent breaches in restricted areas but it was that very measure that made them vulnerable.  On this night, three ghosts would infiltrate the system and leave without a trace, as though their passing had never occurred, but they would bear with them the deepest secrets of Rising Sun.  Their faces would disappear into the world and never be found again.  They would cease to exist. 

         A chill crept up Alec’s spine as they moved purposefully down the hallway.  He wasn’t sure whether it was from an unplaced fear or the sheer audacity of their operation and the looming consequences that awaited if they failed.  They wouldn’t fail though.

         Matthew lead the way, silent and foreboding.  He moved with determined, meticulous strides.  Purposeful and knowing, blending into the nightly security routine as though he had orchestrated it himself. 

         Alec’s mind was a blur.  His full faith lay in Matthew Underhill’s judgment and guidance.  Matthew had been the man who had spent entire nights studying the blueprints and layouts of the numerous levels.  If he didn’t know where they were, they were all lost.  Were this agency anything less than England’s finest, Alec would have questioned the judgment in so severely isolating each task to each member of the squad but he trusted wholeheartedly the skill and courage of his two companions. 

         Matthew lead them to a large steel door, reinforced to prevent forced entry.  Keffer glanced over his shoulder at Alec who silently stared back, giving the command to continue without a word or gesture. 

         Keffer slipped past Matthew and went to work on the keypad.  It was for this sole purpose he had been brought along.  Once he had been a master hacker for an underground money laundering site and now he was working for the government of Great Britain.  Had it been the payroll alone, Alec would have questioned him instantly but he understood Keffer’s devotion to country and shared his pride in that. 

         The keypad beeped twice and the doors slid into the walls.  Matthew stepped through, followed by Alec but Keffer remained at the door.  The two men turned and looked at him quizzically, undisguised urgency bending their brows into scowls of confusion. 

         “I’ll stay here.”  Keffer said softly, not wanting to talk any louder than a whisper.  “I can only open it from this side and this is our only way out.  It’s encrypted differently on the other side.” 

         Matthew and Alec exchanged an incredulous glance. 

         “What do you mean?”  Matthew demanded angrily, anxious to continue so that they could leave.  “I thought you had the access codes figured out.” 

         “I did.”  Keffer said.  “They changed them.  Some of them.  I have to stay here to let you fellows out.”

         Alec and Matthew hesitated, caught off guard by this new twist in their operation.  There was a moment of uncertainty and for a moment, Alec felt it being replaced by the sudden panic of being trapped and not knowing what to do.  He quickly looked at Matthew but the larger man seemed as uncertain as he.  He supposed it made sense though.  They didn’t actually need Keffer from this point.  Once past the initial entry, the access codes for the control room were not as complicated and he or Matthew could break through without their companion’s assistance.

         “You gentlemen best be off right away.”  Keffer urged frantically, his fear and discomfort clearly drawn across his face in numerous lines and wrinkles. 

         Finally Alec nodded and grabbed Matthew’s shoulder.  “Let‘s get moving.”  He whispered. 

         Matthew Underhill didn’t need to be told twice.  With a quick nod to Keffer he turned and proceeded down the hallway, Alec at his side, forcing out whatever doubts still lingered in his mind. 

         The hallways were dark, the reddish glow of the exit signs casting an eerie glow over the walls.  On either side were long windows for conference rooms and sub-control rooms, silent and empty in the late evening hours.  Everything in the rooms was dark, except for a random computer that had not been shut down and now had a bright screensaver dancing around the monitor. 

         Alec glanced over his shoulder, feeling the eyes of cameras bearing down on him, sensing the human eyes watching them through security monitors in a dark control room somewhere.  Matthew continued on, eyes locked straight ahead, transfixed on some invisible destination that only his mind could see.  Alec admired the man and felt a hint of jealousy at his courage.  Perhaps he simply masked it well but Alec didn’t think so.  He had been in this line of work long enough to know the difference between true courage and the transparent facades that so many tried to build to hide their inexperience or insecurities.

         Perhaps what made Matthew Underhill so charismatic was that he simply admitted his weaknesses.  He didn’t overestimate his abilities, nor did he underestimate them.  He was humble yet confident.  And the one thing that made him such a lethal force was that his weaknesses were few and far between. 

         Alec tensed and felt his mouth go dry as they turned the corner and came to the door to the central control room. 

         “Only six minutes.”  Alec said softly, noting his watch. 

         Matthew nodded and went to work on the keypad.  They were already within a restricted area so the security measures were not as extensive as they were at the main entrance, where Keffer waited.  Within moments, Matthew had the door open and they entered. 

         The room was darker than the hallways, dimly lit by several wall lights and it took a moment for their eyes to adjust to the shadow.  Then they saw the three men staring at them, startled and menacing. 

         Two security guards were the nearest to the door and an executive sat at the bank of computers against the far wall, sleeves rolled up to his elbows and tie hanging loosely around an unbuttoned collar.  The two parties stared uncertainly at each other, each entirely caught off guard by the other’s presence and hesitating about what to do.

         Finally, the executive at the computers stood up, pushing his chair aside and pointing at Alec and Matthew authoritatively. 

         “Who are you?”  He barked through a thick German accent. 

         “Security.”  Matthew replied flatly.  He kept a calm demeanor and a level gaze with the German, undeterred. 

         “I wasn’t notified.”  The executive looked quickly from Matthew to Alec distrustfully and then at his two guards.  The men watched silently as the confrontation unfolded, hands straying toward handguns at their waists. 

         “We’re the new rotation.”  Matthew pressed.  “No need for alarm.” 

         “It still should go through me.”  The man in the dress shirt said curtly.  “We are the new rotation.”

         Alec stood at Matthew’s side as they faced the man but he kept his attention on the two guards nearby who had done nothing since they had entered.  He could feel the muscles in his legs weakening as a feeling of dread began to form in the pit of his stomach.  There had been a mistake.  A miscalculation.  There wasn’t supposed to be anyone here.  Not at this precise moment anyway.  He could sense the tension building in Matthew as well and he noticed the large man’s hand slowly, ever-so-slowly, moving to his coat where he kept a Beretta 9mm in a shoulder holster.

         The covertness of this mission was the very key to its success and both Alec and Matthew knew that.  They couldn’t afford a firefight unless their lives depended on it, and even then they were to use discretion.  Alec kept his eyes fixed on the guards, waiting for something more to be said.  Slowly, he realized with sinking feeling that the confrontation would not end peacefully.  They had a mission, as did these three men, and neither side was willing to back down.   

         Matthew nodded slightly, a barely discernible gesture that Alec instantly recognized and knew what it meant.  His heart fluttered and his arm grew tense as he waited for the move to be made. 

         The executive had detected Matthew’s signal at the same time as Alec and instantly grabbed for his weapon.  In one fluid movement, Matthew reached into his coat and drew the Beretta, aiming it at the man’s head before he could reach his weapon. 

         Alec was only a fraction of a second slower, drawing his 9mm and turning on the two guards. 

         “Get down!”  He yelled in German. 

         The two guards exchanged a daring glance and one grabbed for his weapon.  Alec’s gun flashed, the silencer hissed and the guard fell into a crumpled heap.  He turned the weapon on the other and the man quickly sprawled himself on the floor. 

         The executive slowly and reluctantly held his gun out at arm’s length, releasing the grip, letting it swing about his index finger before clattering to the floor.  His face was furrowed into a dark frown and he glared defiantly at the two men. 

         “You move, you die.”  Matthew advised calmly to the man.  He nodded to Alec to continue the mission.  “Our time’s been cut in half.  A minute and thirty and we‘re gone.” 

         Alec holstered his weapon and hurried over to the main computer system that the executive had been on when they entered.  The man hadn’t had the chance to log off, caught off guard by their abrupt entry.  Alec smiled to himself and inserted the datalink.  That mistake would give them at least thirty seconds. 

         The entry had been less than perfect but they were here nevertheless, the core of Rising Sun intelligence at his fingertips.  Alec typed vigorously, quickly finding the main hard drive file and beginning the downloading process. 

         “One minute.”  He said to Matthew. 

         “We don’t have one minute.”  The larger man said. 

         “We’ll make one.”  Alec replied, watching the download bar inch across the monitor screen. 
         The download finally finished and Alec snatched up the datalink and turned to face Matthew.  The larger man had finished loading a tranquilizer and walked over to the executive. 

         “Sorry chap.”  He said, grabbing the man and pressing the gun to the back of his neck and pulling the trigger.  There was a soft hiss and the man jolted and grunted, eyes wide.  In five seconds he fell limp.  Matthew let him drop to the floor and he reloaded the weapon.  The same method of incapacitation was used again on the remaining security guard. 

         Before pocketing the tranquilizer, Matthew looked up at Alec, his face grim and unyielding.  Alec could tell from his friend’s face the mission was already dangerously close to a failure just by this confrontation alone.  But they were already so far in, so deep, that little alternative was available even if they decided they wanted it. 

         No words were spoken as they quickly retraced their steps to the main entrance where Jack Keffer would be waiting for them.  They walked with suppressed anxiety, refusing to catch the unwanted attention of surveillance but fighting the urge to run and escape as quickly as possible before their deadly standoff was discovered.  A man lay dead in the central control room and two more lay tranquilized.  Certainly not the covert operation that had been intended. 

         After what seemed hours, they reached the long corridor where the main entrance was.  The door was open and Keffer stood in the middle of it, anxiously awaiting their return.  Alec saw the look in his eyes first and slowed by half a step.  Then Matthew noticed it too. 

         Fear. Pure, unmistakable fear. 

         Keffer frowned at them, his eyes wide.  He didn’t move an inch but made quick subtle movements with his eyes.  Alec and Matthew slowed and exchanged an uncertain glance.

         “Let’s leave.”  Matthew said quietly when they were near enough that Keffer could hear.  “We have what we came for.” 

         “Go.”  Keffer said inaudibly, mouthing the words more than speaking them. 

         Alec nodded uncertainly.  “We’re going.  Come on.” 

         Keffer cringed and he shook his head slightly.  “Go.” 

         Matthew had had enough.  With an aggravated sigh he started forward when Alec grabbed him by the arm and jerked him back.  Heavy footsteps approached from the hallway, picking up speed as they drew close. 

         Alec suddenly realized what was happening.  A cold rush swept through his midsection, catching his breath in his lungs and making his heart skip a beat.  They were in a trap.  Someone had reached Keffer first and had been waiting for the other two to walk right into their hands. 

         Keffer closed his eyes tight, jaw clenched.  “Go!”  He yelled.  “Run!” 

         Alec and Matthew each drew their weapons and began backing away from the entrance, searching for an alternative escape route.   

         Suddenly Keffer drew his 9mm and whirled to face the unseen footsteps.  Three gunshots ripped through the silence before he could get a shot off, shattering a nearby window and spraying shards of glass everywhere.  Alec looked back and saw Keffer fall to one knee, his free hand clutching his knee as blood oozed through gloved fingers.  Two men in black jumpsuits and Kevlar charged into view, kicking Keffer in the chest, flattening him with a painful thud. 

         Alec fired several shots in desperate retaliation as he stumbled backward over his own feet.  Matthew caught him by the collar and dragged him into a side hallway as the two men opened a barrage of fire with two submachine guns.  Wood and concrete splintered and shattered over their heads as the spray of bullets missed them by inches. 

         The two men scrambled to their feet as the dust cleared and were off.  Matthew lead the way, bolting down the hallway, taking another, then sprinting down it as well.  Alec was on his heels, desperate to keep up.  He fumbled to load a full clip into his 9mm as he ran, feeling the imminent presence of their pursuers, but not knowing where they were. 

         He had no idea where they were going or if there even was an alternative exit from the central command sector and he doubted Matthew had the answer to that question either.  But now survival was the only objective.

         The two men fled into a maintenance stairwell and charged downward as fast as their legs would carry them, leaping entire flights at a time.  Alec’s mind swirled and he felt a numb reality set in.  Escape or be killed.  He continued running, following Matthew, his lungs tightening.  His legs nearly gave out twice but he pressed on, the will to survive defeating the urge to slow down.  He listened and couldn’t hear their pursuers any longer but he wasn’t sure if his own footfalls or his erratic heart rate simply muffled them.  Right now getting out of here alive was his only thought, simply putting one foot in front of the other.  His mind jumped back to their mission that had been so miserably interrupted.  He felt his coat pocket.  The disk was still there. 

         Good, he thought.  If nothing else, at least they had what they came for, though it had not exactly been acquired in the most desirable fashion.  In the midst of his escape, his mind also returned to the sight of Keffer lying sprawled on his back, eyes wide in painful shock as the blood began to form a small pool around his wounded knee. 

         A sickening feeling of guilt and remorse overwhelmed Alec and he felt the urge to turn back and he might have were it not for Matthew’s stolid determination.  They had left Keffer bleeding and perhaps dying several levels above them.  How could they simply leave him there with no further thought? 

         But what could he do about it?  The grim question demanded to be answered and Alec knew what must be done, though he loathed this fact.  Keffer knew the risks involved.  Everyone working in this agency knew the consequences if they were caught.  Missions always took priority to emotions. 

         Alec remembered the warnings of their superiors, advising them not to become close with their comrades in such a way that it could later jeopardize a mission.  He now was experiencing firsthand what they meant.  Part of him screamed to go back, to get Keffer or to die trying, but the pragmatic sense knew that him and Matthew escaping was the only realistic hope any of them had. 

         They were out of breath and desperate when they reached the basement level so they didn’t instantly realize where they were.  Matthew shut the door behind them and wedged a metal chair against it.  He turned and nodded grimly toward Alec.  They were safe--for the moment.  But lost as well, caught up in the heat of their flight that they didn’t know where they were.

         They stood at the edge of a long, dark room, the red glow of exit signs offering the only illumination.  Alec noticed the mirrored light on the walls and realized they were glass.  Huge glass tanks, cylindrical in shape, and they lined each wall up and down the length of the room.  About twelve in all, perhaps ten feet tall.  It took a while for their eyes to adjust to the darkness but they still couldn’t identify the purpose of these tanks. 

         Alec started forward, Matthew close on his heels.  They moved down the center of the room, gazing quizzically at each of the large tanks, uncertain and for a moment, forgetting the sense of urgency that had so gripped them moments earlier.  They were almost lost in a strange surreal state.  Down here the silence felt impenetrable, so absolute that it seemed to take on a dull roar of its own. 

         Alec departed from Matthew and walked up to a tall glass cylinder and peered in.  It was murky and difficult to see anything other than his own reflection.  At first glance he had supposed this was a great aquarium complex but there were no fish, no reefs, no sign of life.  Just murky water.  Perhaps too murky for any aquarium life. 

         Matthew joined him and he jolted, certain he had seen something move, but dismissing it as his companion’s reflection. 

         “What’s wrong?”  Matthew said softly, breaking the eerie silence. 

         “I thought I saw something move.”  Alec said sheepishly.  “It wasn’t anything,” 

         “Or maybe it was.”  Matthew suggested, staring into the tank, brow furrowed. 

         Suddenly Alec saw it and he recoiled in shock.  A human hand and forearm broke through the murkiness to caress the inside of the glass then disappeared again. 

         “What the hell is this?”  Alec reached for his gun, but Matthew’s iron grasp found his wrist before he found his weapon. 

         Alec tried to pull free then he saw the look on Matthew’s face.  Not fear but a subtle fascination, intense and concentrated.  Alec didn’t know what to think.  Reluctantly, he returned his gaze to the murky water and waited. 

         After a few moments the hand and arm returned this time up to the shoulder.  It kept coming and suddenly a head and upper body materialized before them, drifting lifeless in the water.  The body’s skin was ghostly white and it had no hair or genitalia to determine its sex. 

         Alec shook his head and backed away, mortified. 

         “Clones.”  Matthew said quietly, making it a statement of fact rather than a suggestion. 

         “What do you mean?”  Alec asked.  “What is this?” 

         “This,”  Matthew said, turning to face his friend.  “Is perhaps the darkest secret of Rising Sun and we have just uncovered it.”  His tone was nonchalant but Alec could see the hard lines in his face, betraying his fear. 

         Heavy footsteps broke the silence, followed by several loud thuds against the door Matthew had barred. 

         Alec and Matthew exchanged a knowing glance and were off.  Matthew lead the way again.  After a short distance they had reached a service elevator.  Matthew promptly hotwired it and they returned to the main level, leaving their pursuers below.

         In the lobby, security guards milled about nervously, uncertain what the alarm was but knowing it was serious.  The two men slipped through their ranks and out the front doors without the smallest confrontation.  They were still wearing the security uniforms and since no one knew who to look for, the task was an easy one.  In an instant they were gone, two ghosts disappearing into shadows of Berlin. 

         The night air felt cold against Alec’s face as they broke into a jog once they were a safe distance from Rising Sun.  They would return to the safe house for tonight but would leave first thing in the morning.  Keffer’s warning completely passed them by as they moved along.  They were no longer safe in Berlin.  In fact, the extent of their infiltration had been so deep, it wasn’t likely that Rising Sun would soon forget about the breach.  Alec wondered grimly if they would be safe anywhere.

         He continued to think of Keffer, unable to come to terms in his own mind as to why they left him.  The pragmatic side of him knew exactly why they did.  The mission had had calculated risks and unfortunately this had been one of them that had been fulfilled.  But on the other hand, his gut couldn’t feel at ease ever since it had happened. 

         Alec knew if they hadn’t left he and Matthew both would have either been killed or captured as well.  But that didn’t change the sickening feeling that now weighted him down.  He shouldn’t have left Keffer. 

         One time, Matthew had glanced over his shoulder at his friend, his face rigid and expressionless, but still showing an unspoken concern for his friend.  They said nothing, each slowly recovering from the evening’s failures in his own manner.  They continued walking in the silence of nighttime Berlin, becoming one with the shadows, vanishing into alleyways and reemerging further down the street, gliding across empty intersections. 

         Soon they had reached the relative safety of their safe house and Alec could breathe again.