Leading onwards from the platform, they entered the main vestibule of D6 – if you could describe it as such. The massive internal bunker loomed over their head with two more levels of differently angled tracks above them. Marco’ craned her neck to see as they walked, and she groped for a strap on Sergio’s rucksack to hold on to so she could continue to look around the enclosure without losing pace.
Sergio was finally home, for now, at least. As he predicted, his thoughts fell into place much better now that he had returned to the safety of the main base; he even looked forward to sitting down in his small room and reading a book. Wait… Book! He just realized that Nikolai and Dmitri had never actually given him any books as was his promised payment for going with them from Venice to Avtozavodskaya. He was just about to turn around and protest to Marco when Maro stopped suddenly and he nearly crashed face-first into his broad shoulders.
In just that short time they had reached the sector in which the main offices and intelligence rooms were. Sergio recognized the painted markings on the walls of the hallway that led onwards to Vera’s personal study and to the main operations center. There was also a radio room set up on the right and a rear stairway that led down to one of the training areas, common rooms, and barracks.
As Maro side-stepped from in front of Sergio, Vera was exiting the frame of the hall that Sergio had just been musing about.
“Colonel Vera, sir!” Sergio sounded loudly, standing tall and holding his head high, arms rigid by his sides.
“You’ve finally made it back, Sergio. And all in one piece? Good.” The old stalker towered in stature over the pair as he closed the distance and stood at ease in front of them. He was attended by another Hunter whom Sergio didn’t recognize. Vera’s eyes wrinkled at the corners as he displayed a welcoming and genuine smile. It was a rare sight to see the man gesture so warmly and Sergio wondered if it was only because of the guest he had brought. “And you must be Sara.”
“Yes, Colonel. Sara Adrianovna Polo.” Marco tensed up noticeably, coming out from behind Sergio’s back and standing firmly in a similar fashion.
“Sacco told me a small about you – a refugee from the Realm?” Vera revealed his knowledge with a sigh, as if he knew her whole story. His smile had faded into one more of pity, and then his expression steeled as was usual.
“Yes, sir.” Marco cleared her throat. Sergio turned only his eyes in her direction without moving his head and saw her grasping at the cartridge around her neck, seemingly not wanting to part with it.
“Let’s talk more in my office. Sergio, go with Maro for now. I’ll send for you in a small while, I still want to hear your report.” Vera gestured to the hallway and to Maro respectively.
Marco looked over at Sergio with an expression of uneasiness but thanked him in short before following Vera into the office and out of sight.
Once again, the next time he would see her was thrown into question. Could that really have been their goodbye? At that moment he would have given anything to be privy to the conversation that was about to transpire in Vera’s office. Somehow he consoled himself by thinking she would still be there when he was summoned and he might be filled in on the details.
Maro had still been nearby watching him stand there dumbfoundedly staring at the corridor that led to the office deep in thought and sauntered over with a knowing grin.
“Come on Sergio, you’ll see her again later.” He confirmed, leading Sergio into the heart of the bunker with an arm around his shoulders. “We’ve got to get your gear cleaned up.”
Sergio worked autonomously as Maro helped him lay out all the things in his rucksack. He seemed to understand that Sergio wasn’t in the mood to chat or joke and then left him to change uniforms while he returned the weapons to the armory. At his behest, Maro agreed to leave Senya’s and Marco’ pistols behind on the condition that they were unloaded. When Sergio asked why, Maro got quiet and solemnly replied that it was a new rule. He was promised the ammunition back when he next checked out for a mission.
Gathering up a clean Brotherhoodn uniform, he shuffled down to the showering facilities silently. It seemed he was alone here, except for one young Hunter shaving his face in front of a large basin and mirror. There was a moderate amount of steam filling the white tiled room, and Sergio chose the stall at the very end of the row so he could be alone in his thoughts again.
Letting the hot water run over his body, he hadn’t noticed until now how tired his muscles were. They pulsed with dull pain as if every step he’d taken on his journey home was reverberating in his feet. His mind however, was once again consumed by what Marco and Vera might be talking about. The old stalker had professed that Sacco had already spoken to him about her existence, but what else had he already known? If Vera had any intel on Roten Spaten or Avtozavodskaya then he would have expected to have seen a symbol on one of the maps or heard about it in at least one briefing. But Sergio also knew to what lengths Marco would go to protect her station, keep it secret, and to quell rumors about her clan. After all, he remembered, she was still being hunted by the Nationalists.
The sound of the other Hunter closing the door as he left derailed Sergio’s thoughts. He knew he had to focus more on how he would explain his experiences since the Church, but it was all rather straightforward. The past few days’ events were all still fresh in his mind; it was more a question of how to edit it down to only the relevant bits. For instance, he knew immediately that he wouldn’t speak about anything Khan had said to him. In fact, he wouldn’t mention seeing the mysterious man to the Colonel at all. Reporting the possibility that their mission at the Gardens had failed, with no solid evidence, would only distract the commander needlessly.
There was already general unrest amongst the Order as it became known around the Subway that D6 had been found. Marco herself had warned him that everyone knew about the discovery. D6 probably had enough preserved food to sustain hundreds more people than the modest number that Brotherhood had in its ranks, supplies and other property in untold amounts, and almost certainly enough weapons to end the world all over again. Vera, while steadfast about defense, was definitely softened by the thought of war with the surrounding territorial powers. The Nationalist’s were their most pressing of adversaries, their stations being the closest and they themselves one of the most volatile organizations in the entire The Subway. Beginning a conflict with them would quickly drain the resources afforded to them in the warehouses beneath their feet.
His mind suddenly made the awful connection for him; what if the Nationalists were to attack, as anyone could at any moment, and find Marco here? Although not very likely, the idea made Sergio panic and he quickly dried himself and slipped on his normal uniform. The faster he finished his duties, the faster he could return to the office and see her again.
Chapter 18: The Colonel
Sergio had organized the remainder of his effects, putting back every thing in their places on the shelves and desk. Letting out a long drawn breath, he had a feeling that he’d be gathering up these very same things again soon. There had been very small downtime now that he had become a part of the Order and external and surface missions were becoming more frequent as they fought to secure their new base. He’d set about trying to write down some of his report in his journal but found himself too distracted by the dire thoughts that had worried him earlier. He had set the grey uniform that Marco had given him aside to bring down to the laundry room, and Maro found him just as he was leaving his room to do so.
“Has the Colonel called for me?” Sergio stopped in the doorway and asked hopefully.