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Disclaimer: Characters in this work (GI Joe/ Cobra) are the property of Marvel Comics, Hasbro and Devil's Due Publishing, Inc., and are being used without permission. No profit is gained from the use of these characters.




Haven
By Nickelina

Rebirth

Callum was lifting weights for his morning workout in the small gym that was in the home when he saw Alison out of the corner of his eye. She had her hair pulled back and was wearing her workout clothes. She quietly sat on the bench next to him. She took a minute to admire his bare chest.
"Your therapists won't be in today." He said between his repetitions, knowing she was staring at him.
"I don't need them." She told him. "I was hoping your could just help me."
Callum put down his weights and looked at her. "Are you serious?"
"If I wasn't would I be in here?"
He thought quickly then pointed to the treadmill. "Stretch out then walk on the treadmill for ten minutes."
"I was thinking of something else."
A sly smile crossed Callum's face. Alison caught it and playfully kicked him in the leg. "Men!" She paused. "I went through boot camp once. I want to do it again."
"No. No way"
"Why not?"
"You just can't. You're not ready."
Alison stood up and lifted one of Callum's weights. "Then you are just going to have to make me ready." She pulled the weight up to her chin and held it there, smiling at Callum.
"Why the change?" He asked her.
"I'm ready to help myself. That's all. There are things I need to do. Besides, British television is getting on my nerves." She looked over at him and smiled.
Callum shook his head at her. She was up to something. There was no way she could have changed her entire outlook on life overnight. He put his own weights down and walked over to her. "I'll leave this to your therapists."
She put her hands on her hips. "Then help me with something else."
Callum wiped the sweat from his brow with a towel.
"I'm rusty with firearms."
"Alison..."
She looked up at him. "I want to be who I was. I want to find out the truth."
Callum reached for his shirt and pulled it over his head. "Good."
"Is there anything else you need?" He asked.
Alison put the weight she was playing with back on the rack and pulled a note out of her pocket.
"I need a few supplies. A laptop computer and access to at least semi-confidential files concerning the CIA and FBI as well as GI Joe."
"I don't know about that. I'll have to ask the Laird." He took the paper out of her hands.
"Make it happen. I also need a satellite hookup and a cell phone with a private number."
Callum laughed. "Anything else?"
Alison did not skip a beat. "A passport, complete US citizenship documents including birth certificate, and driver's license and a credit card..."
"Just what the hell are you planning?"
"I'm not planning anything! I just want to have them."
Callum folded the paper. He stepped even closer to her. "I find you are planning anything that will endanger your life..."
"I'll keep you informed." She blew him a kiss and walked out of the gym.


The day Callum gave Alison her computer she was like a little girl on Christmas Day. She took it out of the box and walked to her room. Her cell phone was already there as well as her paperwork. Both items were put into a small backpack and placed in the closet. She connected to the internet via her satellite link and began to look up pages on the news in Washington, as well as information on each one of the Senators from each state. She was frustrated, seeing as she already had most of this information tucked away in her personal laptop. Alison wasn't sure of its location, but she hoped that it was in storage in Washington. The next thing she needed was a way into the computers at Joe Headquarters. She knew that the computer system there was designed by Mainframe. He also designed a complete operating system. He let her beta test it before it was released on the market. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary, but it did have a few surprises for those who crack the codes. And she knew that if she was going to hijack the computers at Joe Headquarters it should be on Mainframe's system.
Alison now had the full cooperation with the Iron Grenadiers and any information she needed was at her disposal. She had to be careful. As much as she was thankful to Destro for helping her, she knew he was not above turning around and using any information she would uncover for his own self serving purpose. She had Destro's people get her access to Duke's personal cell phone records. There were numbers on it that she couldn't recognize. One of them was linked to the phone system at the CIA. She took a chance and tried the number. On the fifth ring, someone picked up. She chickened out and hung up with out saying a word. She tried again and did the same thing.
"You want things to change and this is how we are going to start." She thought to herself.
She dialed the number again and waited for a pick up.
"Zach Allen, can I help you?" His voice was somewhat agitated.
Alison's heart was beating fast and she didn't say anything.
"Is there someone there?" Zach asked.
She slipped into a British accent and answered. "Am I speaking to Mr. Allen?"
"Yes, you are."
"You may not know me, but I'm a friend of your..." She paused. "Sister."
"Ohmigod. Don't hang up!" Zach got up from his chair and shut the door to his office. He knew he was talking to Alison. "Is there another number I can reach you at?"
"No. I can't stay on long."
"How is she? It's been a long time since I have talked to her."
"She is doing...well." Alison paused again, not knowing what to say.
"I need to talk to her."
"I'll find a way. Please do not inform the rest of her family that I called."
Zach knew what she was trying to tell her, but how could he not tell Conrad that he had made contact?
"Take care." And with that, she hung up.

*


Three months of no contact or word of Alison had led Conrad to think the worst had happened. Shortly after Rey returned to headquarters after his injuries in Paris, Conrad inquired about what happened. Rey simply brushed him off. Conrad had other things to worry about now. The team was scaled down and was making the final preparations to move their headquarters to a location simply known as "The Rock".
Conrad was packing up his office before he left for lunch. Afterwards he was going to stop in at the CIA to talk with Zach. Apparently, there was an 'operation' in the works that Zach needed him for. And he had run across some information about terrorist activity that Conrad may want to know about. Before Conrad left headquarters, he stopped past Dash's office. He knocked on the door frame and Dash looked up from the newspaper he was reading.
"Come in."
"Hey Dash."
"Do you need something Conrad?"
"No, I was just stopping in to say hello. You look good."
"Well a few weeks off will do that for you."
Conrad kept the conversation short. "I'm leaving for lunch right now, care to join me?"
"No. I have a date at the shooting range."
Conrad sighed; Dash still hadn't given up all of his vices.

*

Conrad met up with Zach at his office in Langley. Every agency in the world was keeping an eye on the recent bombings and coups taking place in world. The CIA had figured out a few of the connections, but they knew that COBRA had been dismantled in the past year and most likely it was a copycat terrorist group. In the past three months the number of Senators and Congressmen who had resigned was astonishing. The command structure of the government was changing almost daily. Zach had been keeping a close eye on the activities of the Red Shadows in recent months and he believed that they were somehow responsible for what was happening. Zach had for all this time kept the fact that he had been in contact with Alison a secret from Conrad. There hasn't been much to tell him anyway. She mostly called to ask questions about who was in what office, and had he heard of anything that the news wasn't reporting. Zach had tried to get a number where she could be reached, but she bounced her calls off of a satellite.
Conrad cut to the chase and asked Zach about the operation he was putting together. He assumed it was a Black Operation.
"We have an operative in the field. That person is looking for extraction." Zach told Conrad.
"What's the real reason?"
Zach leaned in closer to Conrad and lowered his voice. "This person is the sole holder of pertinent information that a small unit such as yours would consider useful."
"The only pertinent information we need is what is inside of Alison's head. And I don't think she is going to be extracted from anywhere, anytime soon." Conrad told him.
"She may have her ways. Maybe she's just waiting for the right time."
"I see you're still hopeful."
"Aren't you, Conrad?"
"There's been no word from her in over three months."
Zach tried to hold back a sly smile. "Have you been able to get anything from Rey?"
"No. He has completely shut me down on that end. He doesn't even taunt Dash anymore."
"It sounds to me like he is keeping quiet for a reason. Maybe he is up to something big."
"You've heard form her haven't you, Allen?"
Before Zach could answer an intern opened his office door. "There's been a bombing in downtown Los Angeles and in Miami..."
Conrad looked at Zach. "I think now would be the right time for Ali to give us that info, don't you?"

*

Alison and Callum arrived at Dulles International and once they were through customs she went directly to rent a vehicle. She used her new assumed identity as not to raise any suspicions if somehow her real name was flagged. Callum put their bags in the back and Alison sat in the driver's seat. It was almost ten PM. Alison drove to office building where MARS' US affiliate was located. Callum went inside and returned with two large cases. He put them in the trunk with their luggage. When they finally got on the expressway, Callum read aloud to her the directions she received from Zach to the storage unit where Dash had put all of their things. Alison slowed the SUV as they passed the exit that would lead to Arlington National Cemetery. Callum noticed the change in her and placed his hand on her arm.
"It's okay. You're doing the right thing." He told her.
She sighed and accelerated. She got off the freeway at the next exit and it was only a matter of minutes until they reached the storage center. Dash had picked a store-it- yourself unit, one with no security guard on duty. She drove slowly through the grounds until they found the unit they needed. They used the headlights of the SUV for light and she walked up to the door. She grabbed onto the master lock and pulled on it.
"It isn't going to open that way." Callum said with a laugh.
"Oh, you think?" She answered back as she rolled her eyes.
"Do you want me to pick it?" he asked.
"No." Alison walked to the back of the SUV.
"Alison, don't."
Alison opened the back and opened one of the cases and took out a handgun. She checked the clip to make sure it was loaded. She took the safety off and walked back to the door.
"The police will find out if you shoot that lock off." Callum warned her.
"Do you think I care about that?" She didn't wait for Callum to stop her. She aimed and shot the lock apart. "Damn, Dash. You didn't even bother to get a good lock."
Callum laughed and raised the door. Inside were boxes, most of which were not labeled, stacked along the sides of the unit. Alison walked in and reached for the light. When the room lit up, she looked around and sighed. She tucked the gun into her waistband and reached for one of the boxes.
"What are we looking for?"
"Pictures. Framed pictures. We also need my laptop, and a box of floppy disks, if we can find them."
Callum opened another box of clothing. He dug through it, and put it aside. He found her laptop in the next box, along with a few other electronics.
"I found all of this. Do you want me to go through it?" He asked.
Alison did not look up from the box she was looking through. "I just want the laptop and the disks. Put them in the truck."
As Callum walked back to the SUV, Alison opened another box. She picked up a vase she had received for a wedding present. Her mind flashed back to the day that Dash had dropped it and chipped a piece off of it. He tried desperately to hide it from her. She ran her finger over the chipped edge.
"Callum!" She yelled.
He ran back into the unit. "What is it?"
"Go and get me a lock."
"Where?" He laughed. "I told you to let me pick it."
"Anywhere. Just get me one." She tried to suppress how upset she was becoming. "My life is in here."
He knelt in front of her. "I know it is. Are you sure?"
"Just go and get back here."
He shook his head at her and closed the door to the unit behind him.
Alison put the vase back in its box and reached for another one. She opened it and sitting on top of a pile of her Army uniforms, and awards were her dog tags, and her Joe com. She set the com aside and slipped the dog tags over her head. She dug through the box and found that not only here her uniforms in it, but Dash's were as well. Her heart sank. Perhaps Rey was right and whoever packed her things had also packed Dash's as well. She wiped a tear out of her eye and continued to search for her pictures. She was in the unit for a half an hour going through everything she had ever owned, when she pulled a bag up off the floor near the door. It was a bag of papers and recent mail. Not much caught her eye, until she noticed a yellow carbon copy receipt for the storage unit. Alison looked at it and saw it was dated a month ago and sighed by Dash. The signature wasn't a forgery, it was Dash's handwriting. She felt a wave of anger flow into her. Her breath caught in her throat and her chest became tight. She felt sick. All of a sudden her tears were gone. She dropped the bag on the ground and began to go through the boxes with a renewed energy. She didn't care if anything was put back. Clothes became strewn all over, papers ripped, and trinkets were tossed to the cement and broken. She heard the door begin to open and she reached for her gun. When she saw it was Callum she put it back.
"It took you long enough." She snapped.
"I don't know D.C. I got a bit lost." He handed her the new lock and she tossed it aside.
"Help me find my fucking pictures."
Callum took a step back. "Ali, what is the matter?"
"This." She handed him the receipt. "I guess my husband isn't dead. I need those pictures!"
"Love, I don't understand what good a picture is going to do." Callum helped her search. He opened a box near the back and carried it to where she was frantically tossing things out of another. "I think I found them." He said quietly and sat the box next to her.
Alison took a framed picture out, looked at it and tossed it on a pile. She reached in and took out a picture from her wedding. She sighed and threw it to the ground. The glass frame broke. She picked up another of Dash, and threw that to the ground as well.
She reached down and took the pictures out of the frames. She turned to Callum.
"Take everything from that pile and put it in the car."
Callum did as he was instructed and Alison quickly looked through the unit to see if there was anything else that she needed. When she decided she took everything she wanted she turned off the light and Callum shut the door. Alison placed the new lock on it and they got back in the car.
"Where to now?"
"A hotel."
"Anything in particular?" Callum asked as he pulled the car out of the parking lot.
"The fucking Ritz Carlton." She said sarcastically. "Anywhere, just drive."
He looked over at her. "I really like this new side of you."
Alison ignored him and looked down at the two pictures she had in her hand.


The next evening, the only news that was being reported was about the bombings in Los Angeles and Miami. Ali knew they were just a distraction to the main even that should be shaping up soon. She strapped her final holster to her waist and as she was tightening it Callum walked in on her. He didn't say anything to her. He walked over to her and began to undo the belt on it. She tried to slap his hands away from her, but he managed to get it off. It fell to the floor. He let his hands linger on her waist. She didn't pull away from him right away.
"What are you doing?" She said as she took a step back.
"You can't go into Washington looking like the Terminator, Ali. I doubt you would even make it out of the hotel."
She opened her mouth to speak but Callum cut her off.
"Don't tell me you don't care. You have to be careful! I know that you are upset, but walking out in public with that many firearms in plain view is just stupid and you know it. I don't know if getting caught is part of your plan, but it certainly isn't mine. We haven't even told the Laird what is going on yet..."
"And we're not going to."
"I'm the..."
"I know what you are. Things are going to be hard enough without Destro interfering."
Callum walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He looked at her with his dark brown eyes. "Then tell me, just what is our plan of action."
Ali put her hands on his arms and pulled them away from her. "Callum, don't." She shook her head at him, trying to think of a way to tell him to cool out. "It's not like that with us. It can't be. I owe you so much, but please..."
"I understand." He turned away, embarrassed that he had made such a move.
"We need to go to Joe headquarters."
"Then I am defiantly not letting you go like that. Do me a favor, let me carry the guns."
"Fat chance."


Ali and Callum parked their car in the parking structure that was on the opposite side of the block from Joe Headquarters. She was able to get them to the back entrance without being noticed. Her pulse began to race, because normally there would be guards securing the doors. She looked at Callum and shook her head.
"This isn't good." She told him.
She walked up the doors and tried to pull it open. It was locked. She peeked in and saw a lone guard walk towards them from his post inside the building. She pulled her dog tags out from under her shirt so they were visible and pulled the small bag she was carrying over she shoulder.
"Can I help you Ma'am?" he asked her as he stepped in front of her, blocking her way.
"Yes, I need to get to the office of Conrad Hauser."
The guard walked back to his desk and flipped through a clip board. "There are no appointments for Mr. Hauser."
"Well," Ali began, she was not about to give in with a simple no. "I don't have an appointment. I just need to pick up some things that he left for me."
"I'm sorry, Ma'am. The GI Joe offices are under high security clearance and I don't have any verification that you need to be here."
"I'm Sergeant Faireborn, and he sent me here to pick up some things that were left for me. Special Ops things, if you know what I mean."
The guard thought for a moment then stood firm. "I'm sorry Ma'am."
"Understand this, Private." Her tone was rich with authority. "It is a matter of national security. I need access to that office, and I need it right now! Would you like to speak directly to Mr. Hauser?" She reached across the desk and picked up the phone. "Because I can call him if you would like."
Callum took a step closer to Alison. He knew he was going to have to step in ti intervene any second now.
"No Ma'am that will not be necessary. You are not going any further than this point."
Ali turned her head to make eye contact with Callum. He understood her gesture, and knocked the guard to the ground, holding him in a sleeper hold until the man passed out.
"Well, that took you long enough. Is that what I pay you for?" She snapped.
"Alison," Callum laughed. "You don't pay me."
She turned to him and smiled. "Oh that's right. I don't. Come on." She walked down the main hallway to the elevators. She looked above the bank of elevators and noticed a camera.
"Fuck!" She spat.
Callum took a silencer out of his vest pocket and screwed it on to his gun. He pointed it at the camera and shot it out.
"What the hell, Callum!"
"Just like in the movies."
"When the rest of the guards in the building come rushing in and kill you, I'm leaving your body here." She sighed and shook her head.
"How are we getting in?" he asked.
"Punch codes? This is still here?" She said out loud. "Mine obviously doesn't work anymore...but Dash's will..."
She entered the last four of Dash's social security number and waited for the small lights to turn green. They didn't. She then tried the master override number and that was blocked as well.
She reached in her jacket pocket and pulled out the pictures she had taken from the storage unit. She unfolded them and began to punch in the numbers that were written on the back.
"What is that?" Callum asked.
"Access numbers. I hacked the operating system on the computers when we moved headquarters here and took everyone's number." She tried number after number and none of them would open the door. "One of these has to work!"
"Rey probably knew you would do something like this, so he changed them."
She stopped what she was doing and turned to him. "He's not that smart."
Alison got to the fifth number on her list and the light blinked green and the doors opened.
The two entered the elevator and she hit the second floor button. They were quiet until the doors opened again and they walked into GI Joe Headquarters, or what was left of it. She walked from room to room and saw that things had been taken out, and rooms were empty or boxed up.
"Their moving." She said to Callum.
"To where?" He asked. She didn't answer him.
"Check the other rooms." She told him.
She walked down the hall to where she knew the command staff offices used to be. She walked past a closed door that read "Agent Faireborn." She paused in front of it, but didn't open the door. The next door was Conrad's office and finally General Rey's. The door was partially open and she kicked it all the way. When she made sure it was cleared, she walked in and went over to his desk and began to look through his papers. She flipped open the laptop that was on his desk. She pulled a disk out of her bag and put it in the drive. The disk automatically began to copy all of the computers files. While that was working, she moved to the filing cabinets, but they were mostly empty.
"Callum!" She called from down the hall. "Get in here."
Callum cautiously walked down the hall and went to the office. She pulled another disk out of her bag and handed it to him. "Take this to the next room and put it in one of the main terminals."
He did as instructed. As soon as he put the disk in, the security alarms began to go off. Alison yelled for him to abort the transfer and to return to the back office.
He handed the disk back to Alison and she slipped it back into her bag. She quickly looked around the office for anything else that would be useful and found nothing. They needed to get out of headquarters before they were seen, and being the back office left them no way to sneak out. They heard troops enter the main room. Callum lead her down the hall to one of the empty offices that had a window. She couldn't see just how many troops had come up but she spotted one familiar face. Callum pushed her into the room and she pulled away from him. She signaled him to stop and she put her gun back in her holster and stood in the doorway.
"What are you doing?" He whispered to her.
"Just trust me." She took a step into the hallway.
"No. I can't let you do this." Callum pulled her back into the room. "I'll distract them, you make a break for the door."
"You don't have to. Please trust me."
Callum started down the hall to the main room. He was stopped short by the one of the troops.
"Halt or I'll shoot!" He yelled at Callum.
Callum put his hands in the air. Alison sidestepped him and continued walking into the main room. A second troop yelled for her to stop while he aimed his weapon at her. She raised her hands in surrender.
"Hi, Duke." She said. "Long time no see."
"Hold your fire." Duke told the troops. "Clear the alarm." He put his weapon back in its holster. He walked up to her and grabbed her by the arm and pulled her across the room to emergency exit. When the troops cleared out of the room, he pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her. "My God, Ali. You're alive."
She hugged him back tighter. "I know."
"What are you doing here? Who is that with you?" Conrad asked her as his com went off. He held up his finger in a gesture of telling her to hold on so he could answer.
"Duke here."
"Where the fuck is she?" She heard Rey say over the com.
"Where is who?" Duke tried to play stupid. "Don't play stupid with me, Hauser. I'm on my way in. If I find her there, I'll kill you both."
Conrad turned off his transmission with Rey. "Do you still have that com I gave you?" He asked.
"Yes." She answered.
Conrad walked to the nearest computer terminal and opened the surveillance camera programs. He shut the cameras down then walked back to the emergency exit door. He opened it and motioned for Alison to go down the stairs.
"Sunflower."
Alison was puzzled for a moment, then knew what Conrad meant.
When they were well on their way down, Conrad shut the door. He went back to the computer terminal and began to wipe out the surveillance videos.