Walking in the desert the whole day and the continuous chatter of her team started to make Senna's head hurt.

They found a three-story building to rest at. The thick walls and the depth of the building gave them some relief after the full-day heat, the angry rays of sunshine barely reaching inside. For once, Senna was grateful for the darkness enveloping them, the whole level being half-lit.

Setting herself down on the dusty ground, Senna finally took a break in what seemed like an office before. A window took up almost an entire wall, but the glass had been blown out God knows how long ago, only leaving a hollow hole after itself. Sunlight dared to reach inside the dark building, shadows tenderly touching the harsh rays of sunshine. Dust and particles danced around the room, magically lit by the Sun.

Senna took a deep breath as she looked ahead, appreciating the little things. Sometimes she just needed a minute to remind herself that not everything was bad: there were so many little good things in the world. She was in the middle of learning how to appreciate the little things; but on some days, it was really difficult.

This was one of those days.

She reached over to her heavy backpack, pulling out her water bottle. Mindlessly, she twisted off the cap and raised it to her lips, only to be met with nothing. Shaking the bottle, she acknowledged it with an annoyed grunt that she was out of water. Sure, she had a few bottles left in her bag, but it was in the very bottom and she had no mental or physical energy to hurl out and then pack everything back like it was. It was such a pain in the ass to find something specific in there.

With an annoyed huff of breath, Senna chucked her empty water bottle in the opposite corner, missing the window by mere inches. It bounced off the stone wall, taking a small chunk of it with the momentum before the crippled bottle rolled away. The sad noise of plastic rubbing against concrete and debris filled the air, only making her frown deeper.

Then, a small, barely-chuckle-like noise came from her left.

Senna whipped her head around to look at the person standing in the doorway. Her eyes met with König's, a slight blush tinting her cheeks. She had no idea how she didn't notice him sooner, and the fact that he watched her throw a temper tantrum was twisting her core.

Her gaze slipped down his tall, lean form, only glancing away as he stepped into the room, embarrassment forcing her to smile away the pain.

"You're too quiet for your size," Senna commented, pulling her legs up to her chest, acting like the patterns on her pants were more interesting. She rarely got flustered or embarrassed, and she couldn't explain why it became so hard to maintain eye contact with someone.

His boots only stopped a step away from her, his tall body looming over her. Tilting her head back against the wall, she looked up at him with a raised eyebrow, only to be met with his hand reaching out, holding a bottle of water towards her.

The gesture made her eyes jump to his, the stormy pair flicking away the second they met. Still, she couldn't help but smile at his silent offering, taking the bottle with a gentle hand.

"Thank you," Senna's smile widened, holding the bottle like she was just handed a newborn.

It was the small things like this that made her heart feel warm again. It was so rare that someone would do something small yet totally selfless towards her, just out of their kindness. Yet, he only gave her a small nod of acknowledgment as he stepped back, already turning to leave her be.

She would've let him exit and mind his own business like he usually did in the past few days, but something made her call after him.

"König?"

He almost reached the doorway when he twisted around, his eyes slightly wider with surprise. Like he least expected her to call his name.

"I could use some company," she tried to sound as carefree as she intended to be without any pressure on him. But his hesitation made Senna want to take her words back. "Only if you don't mind, of course. You don't have to."

The woman was totally ready to get turned down. He seemed like the type of man who preferred his own company over everyone else's, and she could respect that. But Senna was one of those people who liked to talk to others whenever she could, making sure that everybody else was doing great and pay attention to them.

She learned to give what she rarely ever received: attention. There was nothing greater than having an active listening partner who paid attention to the little things and made sure you had everything you needed.

"Sure," he eventually replied, his voice a little croaky from not being used that much.

After clearing his throat, he walked back towards her, taking a seat a foot away from her. He stuck to the darker parts of the room while Senna enjoyed the not-too-harsh light inside, the coolness of the shadows licking her left side.

Senna unscrewed the cap from the bottle she got from him, taking a few generous gulps. The water felt cold against her scratchy throat, some of the liquid spilling out the corner of her mouth and dripping down her neck.

While she drank, König sat beside her, his legs pulled up and his knees slightly apart. He was picking on his gloves mindlessly, feeling like the silence around them got heavier and heavier. The pressure to say something and be normal was almost suffocating, but he just couldn't bring words out of himself.

"Do you like to read?"

Senna asked softly, barely wanting to break the peace around them. Sometimes she really enjoyed the quiet. And if it wasn't for him, she probably wouldn't even speak unless she had to today, but she actually wanted to know more about him. Talk to him. Or just take a chance to talk with him.

"Not really," König replied, barely glancing at her. The woman only shrugged her shoulder.

"I didn't like it either in the past," she started, stretching her legs ahead of herself. Instead of putting more pressure on him by watching his every move, Senna just stared ahead, out the window. Watching as a few birds flew by far away. "But then my mother showed me good poetry. Arabic poets are truly amazing."

A small smile appeared on her lips as she thought about her mother. God, she would be mortified if she knew what her daughter had done in the past few years. But maybe she would also be a little impressed by how strong Senna really was. It was a bittersweet feeling, truly: if Senna's past self from five years ago could meet her current self, she would be shitting her pants.

"One of my favorites goes like, Out of my ignorance, I called you a homeland and I forgot that homelands are taken away." Senna's voice wavered over with nostalgia, remembering when she learned how true that quote was.

A bittersweet smile stretched across her lips, her brown eyes shifting towards the person sitting next to her. She needed to ground herself and not let herself drown in her memories. She couldn't afford that.

"It's truly amazing how complex feelings could be explained in such beautiful words," she wondered aloud, getting an approving low hum from König. "Maybe I could show you a few later."

Her offer made him meet her eyes, a part of her soul healing when the stormy eyes from behind the sniper hood glinted with interest. He may be one of the most mysterious people she have ever met, but he had one of those eyes that could tell stories with one look.

What an enigma you are, König.

"I'd like that," his eyes shifted away for a moment before they looked back into hers again. His words made her smile as bright as the Sun shining in on them.

**

Just when Senna thought they could have a few hours of peaceful rest, someone had to ruin things.

More like, three people, sneaking into their building.

Three people patrolled the area, potentially looking for them but got outnumbered. One of the men got jumped by König, and he laid unconsciously ever since. As time passed, Senna started to question whether he was still alive, but she didn't care enough to check up on him. She had more important things to matter about.

Like the two hostages they gathered.

Callum and Cody made sure they were bound so they wouldn't have the chance to harm them anymore (one of them, the one with a huge beard shot Jeremiah in the shoulder), while Senna paced up and down, trying to think of a solution.

Having hostages was never an option in her mind. But they were behind schedule and needed every help they could get; whether that help was voluntarily given or not. The time was ticking and Senna got more desperate by each hour, feeling like the days were just wasted away.

She didn't want to let down Farah. So she was ready to make some drastic changes.

"Min 'anti?" Who are you?, the woman asked the two men sitting next to each other on the floor.

The one with the beard just scowled at her while the other one, who was maybe around twenty just sat there and stared at the ground. Their arms were twisted behind their backs in an uncomfortable position, one that made her feel a little bad. But they shot at her team, she couldn't just converse with them over some tea.

Her eyes shifted toward the still unmoving person in the corner, then up to the person looming over it. König stood in the doorway on the side, leading into a small dark storage. He leaned with his shoulder against the doorframe, arms crossed on his chest as he watched the captives.

"'Urid al'asma' 'ayuha alsaada" I want names, gentlemen, Senna tried again, turning to look at the men before her.

The man with the beard only spat towards her, his scowl deepening. Senna held back a sigh as she looked where he spat, only a few inches away from her feet. She had a feeling that this wouldn't be easy.

"Yumkinuk 'an tadhhab watudajie nafsak -" You can go and fuck yourself you-

He didn't get to finish his sentence when Jerico smacked him in the face with his rifle. A pained yell came from the bearded man, rich curses flying from his busted mouth towards them as Jerico stepped back, leaving room for Senna. She sent a thankful look to him before she squatted in front of the pair.

She watched as sweat, spit, and blood mixed on the man's face before her eyes shifted towards the younger one. He looked scared out of his mind, eyes wide and chest rising fast. Maybe he'll break quicker.

"Asm." Name.

"A-ashar," the young one stuttered out, earning an annoyed huff from the man beside him. Ashar sent an apologetic look to him, but the other man couldn't even look him in the eyes.

"Ashar," the smallest smile appeared on her lips, trying to ease him a little. "'Ahtaj 'iilaa mawaqie wa'asma' 'iidha kunt turid 'ant wa'asdiqawuk aleaysha." I need locations and names if you and your friends want to live.

Ashar's brown eyes widened with fear, his terrified gaze jumping to Jerico and then behind Senna, probably looking at the tall man looming over in the corner.

"La, min fadlika, min fadlika-" No, please, please-

"Shh," Senna's heart squeezed at the genuine terror on his young face, guilt already eating her away. "Al'asma' walmawaqieu. Thuma sawf takun ealaa ma yuram." Names and locations. Then you'll be fine.

His eyes snapped to the older man sitting beside him, his only response being a dissatisfied grunt, clearly not believing her words. Tears started to stream down Ashar's face, constantly repeating please under his breath. Then he started to shake his head violently, making Senna purse her lips.

"We don't have time for this," Callum spoke up somewhere back, earning a sharp look from Jerico.

The woman stood from her spot, walking back to her partner who stood a few feet away, ready to step in at any second. Their eyes met, her look saying it's time. Jerico gave her a single nod as he set his rifle down and pulled his knife out.

The bearded guy only chuckled at the sight of the knife before he looked at Senna, clearly not impressed.

"Eadhabna biqadr ma turidu, falan tahsul ealaa shay'." Torture us as much as you want, you won't get anything.

"Sanaraa bishan dhalika," We'll see about that, her eyes shifted towards Ashar before turning away, continuing her pacing.

Senna started to feel like she was losing control. She didn't like torture and didn't want to do this at all. But she was desperate, a whole mission's weight pressed down on her shoulders, and the ghost of Farah looked down at her with disappointment. They only had three days left to carry this mission to success, and she couldn't present anything valuable.

Jerico cut into the older man's arm, curses flying towards his head while Ashar looked with a horrified look. He knew he would be next, and the only way out of this was to talk. Jerico was good at his job, he knew how to torture someone not only physically but mentally as well.

"Man hu alqayid, Ashar?" Who's the leader, Ashar?, Senna raised her voice above the man's yell, eyes hardening. She had to distance herself from this.

"La 'astatbieu- " I can't- 

"Aietini asma!" Give me a name!

Jerico sliced the other man's chest, cutting up his shirt. Another yell came from him, the pained sound making her skin crawl. Blood oozed from his wounds, painting his tan shirt dark red. The dark liquid dripped from his knife, his blood tinting the floorboards under them as well.

"Sawf yaqtuluna jmyeaan 'iidha aiktashaf dhalika!" He'll kill us all if he finds out!, Ashar cried, turning his head away from his friend. He couldn't watch it.

The answer wasn't good enough for Jerico. With a calculated swing, he jammed the knife into the bearded guy's thigh, an ungodly sound erupting from him. Even Senna's eyes started to fog over, her heart screaming at her to stop. But it was already too late, she couldn't stop.

"Asm wamakan ya Ashar. 'Iidha lam tastaejili, sawf yanzif sadiqaka" A name and a location, Ashar. If you don't hurry, your friend will bleed out.

And if Jerico moves the knife, he'll probably die in a few minutes. The beard guy's head already started to lull around, blood loss taking the color from his skin. Still, he didn't stop cursing them, even under his breath.

"Bilal Nasir!" Ashar threw it at her with a raw voice, instant regret taking over his face.

Senna looked at Jerico, giving him a small nod. They already had a hunch that Bilal was the leader, but they needed confirmation. It was only a stray rumor up until now, but now they had proof.

"Almakhba ealaa bued hawalay 100 mil," The hideout is about 100 miles away, the younger man explained, the tears making him choke on his last word. "Lakinana la naerif 'ayn yahtajizun alnisa'a." But we don't know where they are holding the women.

The woman's eyes jumped to Jerico, the new information shocking him as well. There was no record of any of this. They only managed to gather so much information, the Black Jackals were very secretive over any of their business. But to their knowledge, they were only involved with dealing explosives and weapons illegally. Now, it seemed like they were dealing with human trafficking as well.

"Alnisa," The women, her voice hardened, the faith of so many people dangling above her head like a sword. "Kam eadadu?" How many?

"Bide easharati." Few dozen.

"Askuti!" Shut up!, the other guy hissed at Ashar. Jerico twisted the knife in his thigh, making him shut up and let the interrogation continue.

"Wama niat Bilal maeahum?" What's Bilal's intention with them?

She just really wanted to be wrong about her theory. She hoped they were just there to keep up the base or something, but her mind knew it was stupid.

"Al'iitijar," Trafficking, Ashar said like he was embarrassed about it, tears mixing with snot. But seemingly he didn't care anymore, he just stared ahead at the floor. He was probably going into shock.

"Wamadha ean alsawarikhi?" What about the missiles?, Senna tilted her head a little to try and catch his gaze, but only met with an empty look. He whispered something under his breath but she couldn't catch it.

He was in shock. There was no point in trying to get answers out of him anymore, the poor kid couldn't even speak. One of the Shadows let out a sigh behind her, obviously fed up with this.

"This is useless," George muttered. "They're not giving us anything useful."

"Faqat qatalna bialfiel," Just kill us already, the older guy wheezed between pained groans, the knife in his leg moving at the slightest of movements. With slow blinking, he tried to stay conscious but they all knew he was bleeding out too fast for it. "Bilal sawf yaqtuluna ealaa 'ayat hal bimujarad eawdatina. Mujarad alhusul ealaa 'akthar min dhalik miea." Bilal is going to kill us anyway once we get back. Just get it over with.

He was probably right. Senna would do the same if she was trying to keep up a facility like this. The sad fact was, that the woman knew deep down that they couldn't just let go of the three men. The risks were too high. One of them was on the edge of bleeding out, one was still unconscious and the other was in shock, but there was still a chance that they could get backup. And that would botch their entire mission.

There were a lot more lives now at stake. She had to worry about dozens of women's lives besides her teams now. They couldn't let three lives get in the way of saving dozens. She had to pick the lesser evil, the option with fewer deaths.

God, forgive me.

Senna glanced above her shoulder, catching Callum's gaze. All four Shadows stood in the back, waiting for an order from her. The weight of the world pressed against her chest, tears stinging her eyes as she gave them a nod.

She just sentenced three people to death.

Callum and Cody stepped forward, flicking the safetys off their guns. Ashar flinched at the noise as he closed his eyes, murmuring a short prayer to himself as he rocked back and forth. Callum raised his pistol to the young man's head, hovering only a few inches away from his skull. Cody took the same position in front of the older guy.

That didn't stop him from looking Senna straight in the eyes for one last time, pure hatred and rage burning bright in his eyes. The flames of his anger snapped towards her, but she only felt cold all over her body.

"Allah sawf yadfae lak thaman hadha," Allah will make you pay for this, he seethed, her throat closing up.

The older man then said a quick prayer as well, shutting his eyes as he pressed his head against Cody's gun. The Shadows looked at each other before they pulled the trigger at the same time.

As the bodies dropped to the floor, Senna held back a sob. She valued life, she never wanted to do this. But she risked so much for this mission, she couldn't take any more. And now she had to live with Ashar's terrified look and the other man's eyes filled with hatred in her mind. For some reason, she felt a little guilty for not even knowing their names.

Callum then walked over to the unconscious man and fired another bullet, shooting him in the head. At least he died painlessly, not even knowing what was happening.

The silence was deafening in the room, the smell of death, blood, and gunpowder making her nauseous. With a quick motion, Senna wiped a stray tear from her cheek, avoiding everyone's eyes.

"Search them for papers and anything that could be useful," Senna's voice was level and emotionless as she gave out the order, a nod from the Shadows being the only reply.

Without another word, Senna walked out of the room, the ghost of the three men chasing after her like poltergeists. She only let her emotions free when she was out of the building, a painful sob ripping through her chest.

_______________________________

if any of you caught my last post about depression-episodes and killing off characters... three people died.  i think that sums up my mental state as of right now.

just wait till you see what i have for you in the next chapter lol