Alec flashed back to a week-long SERE exercise he'd joined, part of the Army's inter-disciplinary experience program, with the SAS in the Brecon Beacons. He remembered the grizzled staff sergeant, with his two combination hearing aids/radio earpieces, having damaged his hearing after walking into too many thunderflashes in room clearances. The sussuration of the wind through the trees in the wood block, the bite of the wind.<em>"And here's what to do if someone catches you cold, they've got you at gunpoint and there's no escape..."</em><br/><br/>He shook the image away - this person was dressed just the same as the other ARCTICA military personnel he'd seen. All the same, he didn't appreciate the rifle pointed at his chest. A chill crawled down his spine at the sound of gunshots - gunshots the commando ignored.<br/><br/><em>Taking that lack of reaction to mean the shots are from her side... and that they were expected.</em>The possibilities that raised weren't good.<br/><br/>He was already in most of his cold weather gear - he'd noticed the cabin temperature dropping since they left South Africa - and so only had to gather up the heavy overcoat and gloves. "Will Taylor and Fitzsimmons be joining us in the CIC?" he asked, referring to the two members of his team that had flown with him.<br/><br/>He stepped into the hall, uncomfortably aware of the rifle still aimed squarely at his shoulderblades.