Benji legged it across to the warehouse where Jenkins's office was. He really hoped he was right about the Nectar being there. Benji was pretty sure he had seen that distinctive orange behind Jenkins's large head last time he was getting a lecture on maintaining a clean aircraft or something.

(The candy wrappers had actually been Bay's from when had sat in the Tegu but hey, Benji was a good friend.)

Benji flashed his Team Pass at the guard as he was let through into the compound. He had known this wasn't a damn Listening Station since day one, way too many guards, way too many weapons deliveries.

Also did Bay seem like the kind of guy who would be on a team that listened professionally?

Benji caught his breath as he burst into the warehouse. Shit, the place was crawling with engineers. Benji had forgotten works were taking place on the aircraft that day. He tried to look as nonchalant as he possibly could whilst hurrying past them.

Benji almost started whistling and avoiding eye contact but that might have suggested 'Why yes I am about to break into my superior's office to steal experimental drugs!'

Benji slipped past some guys in overalls giving him the stink eye and entered the long dimly lit corridor that looked like it wouldn't be out of place in one of the horror movies Bay made them watch every Friday night.

He crept up to Jenkins's office with baited breath, half expecting the Major to come charging out of it any moment demanding a full crew personnel check.

The dark panel of glass above the door suggested that the lights were off and so no one was in there, unless Jenkins was sat in the dark, which was not really something Benji wanted to think about.

Benji knocked tentatively - no answer. He tried the door handle, it was locked but he had expected that. He knelt down and took out the paperclip he had grabbed from Bay's desk.

So yes, Benji had gone through a troubled teenaged kid phase after his dad had left. Put his mom through hell that's for sure. But he had straightened his act out, not quite enough to get the best grades, but he went into the service at eighteen and had worked his ass off through flight school and the years since then.

Benji pushed the paper clip into the lock and started to wiggle it around, sticking his tongue out. He hadn't done it for years but it was one of those skills you never forgot, like riding a bike....all the way to juvie.

The door clicked open. A smug smile passed across Benji's face before he remembered why he was there.

Benji tiptoed into the room, pushing the door to behind him, he didn't want to switch the light on because there was a strip of frosted window running along the top of the wall on the other side of the room that looked out onto the warehouse. Benji didn’t want one of the engineers seeing it and coming to investigate.

Instead, Benji held up the keychain flashlight he had brought from home as a good luck charm. Benji stubbed his toe on something on the floor, he shone the light down, it was an office-golf putting strip, of course Jenkins would have one of those.

Benji manoeuvred his way around the desk, trying not to upset the mountain of paperwork and glided the flashlight over the shelves there, looking for the telltale bright, orange liquid.

He spotted it nestled between two Egyptian cat figurines making it look like the Elixir of Life or something, maybe Bay hadn't been all that wrong about a mythical quest. Benji tucked the vial in his combats' pocket along with two unopened disposable syringes, he would try and replace them before Jenkins noticed.

Benji froze as he heard a loud clunking sound coming from the warehouse, relaxing as he remembered the engineers, good to hear they were being gentle with the multi-million dollar equipment.

He slid out of the door, closing it firmly behind him and turned to walk down the corridor.

"Smith! What the hell are you doing here?"

Jenkins was thundering up the corridor towards him.

Shit!

Benji quickly put his hands behind his back in a potentially very obvious 'I'm hiding something' way.

"Umm...hi Sir! I was coming to check on Tegu."

"It's maintenance tonight Smith," Jenkins eyed him suspiciously. "The hell you got behind your back kid?"

Oh shit.

Benji jumped as he felt soft hands from behind him slip over his and tug on the vial of Nectar. He let go and waved his palms at Jenkins, "Nothing, Sir!"

Jenkins narrowed his eyes but nodded, "And Cooper - what the hell are you doing here as well?"

Benji took a sharp intake of breath as Merit stepped out to the side of him, pushing the top of something in her pocket that Benji was pretty sure was the vial. He could barely contain his grin.

"I asked Benji to help me tidy the weapons cage Sir. I figured seeing as the aircraft were undergoing maintenance I'd make use of the spare time to reorganise the GMG grenades and P2000 clips."

Oh she's good. Where was she when Benji was being blamed for Mrs Hutchinson's broken window when he was sixteen?

"What are you doing back here then?" Jenkins still wasn't 100% convinced.

"Water, Sir," Merit held up a polystyrene cup and smiled innocently.

"Fine, well, it's good to see some of my crew taking this gig seriously and doing overtime. Good on you Cooper, Smith." Jenkins nodded and walked past them.

Benji let out the breath he had been holding. He tripped quickly after Merit as she strode across the warehouse and past the guards when she stopped, turning round to him and beaming.

"Oh my god Merit you're a life-saver!"

"You looked like you needed some help," Merit shrugged.

"What were you doing there?" Benji asked.

"Cleaning out the weapons cage, like I told Jenkins, what were you doing there and why are you stealing Nectar from Jenkins's office because if you tell me I just aided your recreational drug habit I might just have to take this back right now."

"No! Oh my god no! It's for Luca!" Benji exclaimed.

Merit gave him a weird look.

"As in Luca's sick, he needs a shot, but it's definitely not recreational. He's like really sick, Bay wanted to take him to Medical but I said if we did that he'd be dropped from the squad."

Benji shifted nervously, he wasn’t sure how Merit was going to react to this turn of events.

To his surprise she reached out and grabbed his hand. "Let's go then," Merit announced and turned to walk towards Dorm Block C.