"Is she asleep?"

I looked up from my book to see Roland standing at the bottom of the stairs. "Yes, how's Tobin?"

Roland waved his hand and Tobin appeared at the bottom of the stairs with a plate. "I made biscuits for Tia. She's asleep..."

"It's OK they can wait for her to wake up." I said at Tobin's disappointment.

She stirred on my shoulder. "I'm awake." She said lifting her head from my shoulder.

Tobin ran over to us with the plate. Tia sat up properly and she took a biscuit. She ate it smiling Tobin ate one too, then fed one to Burt. I took one and bite into it. It was Roland's secret recipe. They were ginger nuts with raisins with Roland's secret ingredients.

"These are very good." Tia patted Tobin's head.

"Uncle Rolly gave me his recipe."

"Well, they are very tasty."

Roland smiled. "Is it alright if I stay in your fort Tia?"

"Of course Where would you like to sleep?"

Roland sat on the floor on top of my sleeping bag. "Right here."

I moved and Tia watched me as I stood. "I'm going to lock up and set the alarm."

Tia stood. "I'll come with you."

I nodded and she walked past me to the stairs. There was something in the way she moved that spoke of desperation to leave this space.

I met her at the front door. "I remembered the code, you didn't need to come with me."

She entered the code and turned eyeing me. She walked upstairs without a word. I followed her and when I got to the top she stood at the window. "I didn't think we would survive that siege. I thought that we might be able to hold on until the police were close enough to save Tobin. If they hadn't withdrawn at that moment my fit would have cost him, his life."

"Tia.."

She turned to me and I could see the anger I heard on the edge of her voice, reflected on her face. "I'm being deadly serious. I left him to look after me twice out there. If they had found us in that outcrop we would have been done for."

"You're not alone now." I said softly.

She sighed looking back out the window at the police officers milling about out there now the shutters were up. "I know... but I bring danger everywhere I go. If it's not this group it will be another. I can't do that to you."

A wave of shock hit me. "You worried about me?"

"I'm used to this and so is Tobin. You... you're a policeman and aren't allowed to defend yourself in the same way I am."

I walked up to her and hugged her tightly. "You don't need to worry about me. I've been trained to do this."

She didn't try to push away from me or flinch. "I don't want you hurt."

"I don't want to see you hurt either, so why not work together to outsmart these bastards."

She chuckled. "You think we can?"

"I do. Between you and the rest of us, we can outwit them."

I let her go and she stepped back. She looked up at me her eyes met mine. I could see her worry for me.

I smiled at her and she dropped her eyes. I need to change the subject. "Tia tell me what you think they are doing now?"

She shifted her feet and her face went blank. "Watching. They will have scouts watching us. Next time they will hit us with everything they have. They have access to illegal weapons, so their forces are better armed. They will try to kill Burt again and even to whittle down the police here."

"OK, so how would you deal with this?"

She sat on the bed and sighed. "I'd send everyone away and resort to guerilla tactics. They wouldn't see me but would stumble into my traps until they stopped coming for me."

"And if you had a force like the police at your back?"

I sat on the bed and she took my hand. "We need to do what they would expect. We would have to assume they have people in the force who will know the policy and are even here now. So we need to test them all to see if they will react in a normal way."

"Like what you did with me and the chief?" She nodded. "How do we do that without letting them know?"

She smiled. "We wait for the shutter to be replaced, then we have the vans brought up the drive. While your men and kit are being loaded we force any member of a cult to expose themselves. We act according to policy on the matter, then the police withdraw."

"How do we draw them out?"

She shrugged. "I tell them who I am."

She would get herself lynched if there were any cultists in the officers. "That's very dangerous."

"It wouldn't mean anything to anyone who isn't a cultist. Once we know we can trust them we use them to wait. We let them attack, we let them fight their way in here. We make a last stand in here and wait for the police to creep in from all sides."

I looked down at her hand in mine. She is opening up to me! "You want to be the bait again?"

"I want these people done with. There will always be cultists in the world and they will hurt people, but when they become violent they need to be taken out."

I nodded. "Then while we take care of these people I will watch your back."

She kissed my cheek. "Now there are some details we need to iron out before this happens. So let's go and do it."

She stood and pulled gently on my hand. I followed the pull and she led me back to the basement.

"So we all know what we are doing?"

Roland nodded and Tobin shook his head. "Not leaving you."

"Tobin I need you to protect my brother in case they go after him." Tobin looked at me and I smiled. "You are the only one I trust to protect Roland Tobin." I said to him.

"I'm not stupid!"

Roland tapped him on the shoulder and he looked up at him. "I'm not trained or violent Tobin, I do need protection."

"Please, Tobin. I need you and Roland safe. Like your mum wanted you safe." I know that will hurt him but it must be done, he must be safe. I thought watching his face contort.

He started to tear up. "She thought she would keep me safe but she's dead because I couldn't save her!"

He screamed the words at me. His words broke me so I held my arms open to him and he ran to me. Maverick frowned down at me and I shook my head. I'm not unpacking that can of worms. He will want answers from me and Tobin... now is not the time for answers.

"It's what mothers do Tobin. We sacrifice ourselves to protect the ones we love. If she died.."

"She IS dead! I saw!" He screamed.

Maverick's eyes widened and he met my eyes. Oh yes, he will want answers. "Then she died bringing you to me. I don't want to disrespect her by putting you in danger further. This isn't your fight Tobin, it's mine. One I started many years before you were born. Please let me do my job as your mum."

He turned his head into my chest and continued to cry. "I don't want you to go either, but will you do this for me please?" I rubbed his back as I asked.

"I don't want to lose you too!" His words were muffled by my chest, as well as being mangled by his tears.

"There's a difference between me and your mother. I've avoided people like this for nearly 10 years. I've infiltrated many cults and come out of them to be where we are now. These particular people have been after me for 5 years. They haven't got me yet. If they got hold of you I'd hand myself to them for your freedom, so will you go to safety? This is the best way to keep me safe."

He nodded against me still sniffing and crying. I rocked him slowly as I looked at the men. Roland was watching me with a look mixed with horror and fear, whereas Maverick looked sad. Tobin cried himself to sleep in the silence that followed my words. His tears of agony are the only sound from any of us.

"Tia.." Roland tailed off as I looked at him. "You sure you will come back to him?"

"As sure as anyone going into a fight. which is to say I'm not sure at all, but I'm hopeful and confident in my abilities."

He shook his head. "Would you hand yourself over to free him?" Maverick's voice was full of the sadness he felt.

"Yes."

"What would they do to you?" I gave Maverick a long look. "I told you that doesn't work on me any more" If I tell him... I'm sure he would stop me, try to at least. "Speak Tia."

I smiled despite the situation. "I don't want to tell you."

"I got that much, but I need to know."

I looked down at Tobin. His face is still red from crying. I stroked his head. "I would accept anything they would do to me, to keep him safe. That's all you need to know."

He lifted my chin to make me look at him in the eye. "What would they do Tia?" His tone made me flinch with the anger I heard in it.

He saw and his eyes widened. "I wasn't going to hurt you."

"I know... they would torture me to death. That's all I'm saying."

Roland looked pale and Maverick sighed looking more angry. "That is not happening!" He stroked my cheek gently to show me I was not where his anger was directed.

He's being so gentle with me, tip-toeing around my fear. "I'm sorry to ask but... what's next?"

I sighed. "Maverick passes the note to the chief we dress you up in riot gear like the police officers out there and we hide Tobin in a bag to smuggle him out."

Roland nodded and looked down at the floor. "Then we go to the station with the others and lock ourselves in a cell. This seems extreme."

I shook my head at him. "I know it looks that way, but it is the best place for you. I'm sure they would capture you if they could."

The door to the basement opened and heavy footsteps came down as the chief arrived. "Your builder is on his way with his men. He says they have everything they need to start this, he said he got it from several different places." He dropped a bag at the bottom of the stairs. "The extra equipment you asked for."

"Thanks, chief" Maverick stood and offered him the note. He looked at it then handed it back and walked back out of the basement.

Maverick opened the bag and started looking through it. I stood with Tobin. Maverick turned at the sound, seeing me standing. "Where are you going?"

"I'm putting Tobin to bed. He'll be sad to miss building things but he needs to sleep."

Maverick nodded. "So do you."

"And you, so come with us. Roland can keep an eye on things and come to get us at the right time." Maverick picked the bag up and walked up the stairs. "You alright with that Roland?"

Roland nodded watching Maverick's retreating back. "He's not going to sleep, Tia."

"We will see."

He looked back at me a small smile on his face. "You going to knock him out?"

"No, I'm going to point out he hasn't slept properly yet. Then if he doesn't listen I will send him to sleep like Tobin."

Roland laughed and I went upstairs. In the bedroom, Maverick had emptied the bag into the wardrobe and was busy checking the kit. I laid Tobin in his bed and covered him. Burt brought Ted to Tobin's bed and I tucked Ted into Tobin's arms. "I'm sure the chief checked that stuff out before he brought it to you." Maverick grunted. I looked around at him.

He closed the door to the wardrobe and walked to the window. All you could see through the shutter was a small amount of light. I assume the builder rolled them down again to test them before he left.

"What are you angry about Maverick?"

He spun and stalked up to me. I fought with my instincts to stand my ground. He pulled me to him and hugged me. After a moment I hugged him back. "I'm angry that I might not be able to keep you safe. I'm angry that people would use a child to get what they want. I'm angry that you are afraid of my anger even though I've given you no reason to fear me."

I let him go and he did the same for me. Taking his hand I led him to the bed and sat on its edge. "Without people like that in the world, there wouldn't be people like you and me to bring justice to them."

I let go of his hand and lay down picking up a book. Burt jumped onto the bed and I put my arms around him, resting the book on his shoulder.

Maverick sat there on the edge of the bed staring at Tobin. "Lay down Maverick. You won't sleep like that."

He looked over his shoulder at me and I smiled patting the bed beside me. "You want me to sleep there?"

"Burt will make sure nothing happens, and it's more comfortable than the floor."

Maverick tried not to smile but when Burt looked over at him his tongue lulling out his mouth, he laughed. He stood and walked around the bed to the other side. He laid down and Burt jumped on him licking his face. "Hey cut it out."

I laughed and Burt laid down between us. "He gets over-excited."

"I can see that. I usually have a bath after I've slept, Burt." Burt put his head on my leg and yawned.

Maverick looked over at me. "What are you reading?"

"A story I wrote a long time ago."

He reached across and turned the book so he could read a section. "What is this?"

"A story about a very broken creature. They walk through the world fighting against their kind until they get help from the humans. Then they can fight back."

Maverick smiled. "That sounds a little like this situation."

"Not at all. Here." I handed him the book and closed my eyes.

"You want me to read it?"

"I'm a writer Maverick. I write to have the words read."

I listened to him open the book. I started to drift, as he turned each page the sound dragging me deeper into sleep.