Delayed Response

A phone rang, being picked up on the third ring. "Hello?" Asked the receiver. "Amelia, I just got word from some of my men."

"Bernard, is that you?" Amelia's pitch heightened in excitement.

"It is, long time no see." Bernard spoke, his tone soft and gentle.

"You promised to come over once in a while, yet you've not even called me since last year." She pouted, sounding annoyed. Bernard chuckled, "I'm sorry for that, but Sheridan's in danger. I'd appreciate your assistance." Amelia's eyebrows furrowed, "what is it this time?"

"Not enough info yet, but we've found a lead." Amelia crossed her arms tightly. "Sheridan... Tell the men I'm on my way, it'll provide them some morale." Bernard chuckled again, "it will do more than that, trust me." Bernard hung up abruptly, leaving her to wonder what more would bringing up her name do.

Amelia walked around her apartment collecting her gear. "Been a long time since I've see you my friends." She unlocked a box and held up a pair of revolvers. "Yet it hasn't felt like a day has passed since I last used you."

She stored the revolvers into an ordinary suitcase with the shape of them embedded into it in foam along with ammunition and a grenade in a hidden compartment within the suitcase. "This should do, Bernard usually expects me to bring at least this much, he didn't specifically ask me to bring anything so I'm sure it's fine."

She walked out of her apartment, twisting the keys around and walked downstairs. "Weather's nice today, much better than yesterday." She climbed into a small car, the engine pounded like a racing heart beat and she sped off to where they would gather.

Classical music began playing in Amelia's car, "my favorite."

Meanwhile, Bernard unrolled and laid out a map onto a wide table. A red X was drawn on a small facility, "this red X will be where the enemies supplies are stored, take care not to shoot it too much. We don't want it to explode and cause a commotion, got it?"

"Yes Captain!" A group of 30 soldiers stood around the table when just then, a car stopped outside. Amelia walked in; clad in darkness. She wore a dark robe that drooped down to her knees and a pair of oxfords. "Yo Bernard, what's up. You guys too, long time no see."

"Ms. Amelia!" The soldiers were ecstatic at the return of their 2nd in command. "Took you long enough." Bernard pointed to the map, "the plan is simple, we go in and take them out then extract everything in the target building. The one with the X on it."

"So I just have to shoot up the place but not that one building right?" Bernard stared at Amelia in worry, "just don't get too ahead of yourself out there."

"We raid the place as soon as it turns dark on my signal. Got it?"

"Yes Captain!"

Bernard left the room with Amelia for his men to gear up. "Have you talked to Sebastian recently?" He asked. "We text and call every now and then, can't say I'm fond of him but he takes care of Sheridan so I won't complain." Bernard tilted his head towards Amelia, "you're still thinking of Sheridan?"

Amelia crossed her arms and looked away, "so what if I do." Bernard sighed, placing a hand to his forehead. "Forget about him already, Sebastian told me he took in a pretty girl yesterday."

As soon as Amelia heard the words coming out of Bernard's mouth, she gripped his shoulders tightly and demanded, "yesterday? You're bringing me to see her tonight, ok?" Intimidated by her, he agreed to go meet this girl. 'Yesterday was really a terrible day.' Amelia thought.

"I'll inform him now then, Sebastian doesn't like surprise visits. Remember the last time you tried to surprise him by hiding behind a corner and trying to jump on his back after he passed you?" Amelia lightened her grip on Bernard, "how could I forget? He grabbed my arm, threw me over his shoulder and nearly shot me."

"Your fault for trying to sneak up on a veteran, shouldn't have tried in the first place. Most of us couldn't even lay a finger on him back then." Bernard handed Amelia a copy of the map, "study it all you want, just be ready by the time we head out later." He said whilst walking to his office.

"Gloomy building to study anything, I don't like Bernard's taste in barrack design." Amelia walked around and examined the structure. "A bunker several feet underground, an iron latch weighing approximately a little over 200kg. The worse part is the floor, it's not even proper flooring! It's just dirt! Not to mention the roof is only supported by wooden beams, I don't want to get buried early."

Amelia was about to open the latch when she heard Bernard yelling, "hello?! Sebastian!" Fearing something bad had happened to the mansion she hurried to his office. "What's going on over there?! Sebastian! HELLO!!!" Amelia quickly stuffed the map into her suitcase and plugged her ears.

"Stop yelling you old man! You're hurting my ears!" Bernard turned to Amelia, "we have an emergency, seems someone broke into the mansion and a fight has started." Amelia's face was horrified, Bernard continued, "I got a delayed response from Sebastian and when someone picked up, I heard screaming and gunshots."

Amelia rushed to the latch but was promptly stopped by Bernard, "don't, we have to focus on our mission right now. If you leave then the men will lose motivation and our strength will drastically lower!"

"But Sheridan! I'll never forgive myself if I knew he was in danger and did nothing!" Bernard loosened his grip, "I understand how you feel, but Sebastian and his disciple are in the mansion right now. They will be able to handle things there, so we must focus on our side." Bernard continued.

"Once we get this mission over with, Sheridan will be safer in the future, so for now just focus on the task at hand and you can protect Sheridan. Let Sebastian and Viviane protect him for now." Amelia clenched her fists until they nearly began to bleed and her eyes narrowed, but she took a deep breath and relaxed.

"I'll trust what you say Bernard, but if anything does happen to Sheridan, I won't forgive you for stopping me from going to his aid here." Bernard looked down to cover his face from Amelia, " do you think I would forgive myself either?"

"Just don't shoot yourself before I do again." Bernard chuckled, "fine."

Bernard's men rushed out with their guns held up, "Captain what's wrong?" They lowered their guns as they saw Bernard holding Amelia's hand and they all began whispering amongst themselves. "Hey!" Bernard yelled, "don't get any weird ideas or spread any weird rumors."

Amelia looked back at her hand and yanked it out of his, "I didn't even notice that." She mumbled whilst grabbing a chair and placing it at a corner of the room to study the map in peace. Bernard turned to him men, "you're all already geared?" His eyebrows raised as he looked at them.

"We heard yelling, so we rushed." Bernard smiled, "where did you guys get the idea of worrying about your captain from?" He patted their backs one by one.

Suddenly Bernard's eyes sharpened and his expression fierce, 'someone has already broken into the mansion, we have to hurry and complete this mission then rush there.'