Page 68 of Rage

As if I know any other way.

Chapter Eight

The briefing was fast-paced and it took some time for Batya to get her bearings. It was hard enough keeping track of the names she’d just learnt. Still, she made notes on the tablet she’d been given.

If they were going out to take on a rebel faction tomorrow, she was not going to be the reason things didn’t go well.

Her orientation ‘manager’, Khyron, was currently talking about the infiltration plans. Even with everything going on, Batya kept sneaking glances at Castille. He was giving Khyron his full attention, which gave her the opportunity to openly appraise him.

His black, curly hair hung in tight rings to his shoulders. Muscles bulged beneath his loose shirt and veins ran along the parts of his dark skin she could see.

How strong was he?

“I trust our recruits are keeping up to speed.”

Batya joined in the “Yes sir” chorus. Just because she was admiring her boss, it didn’t mean she wasn’t listening. Once she reviewed her notes, she’d be more than ready for the upcoming mission. Seemingly satisfied, Khyron dismissed them.

As she gathered her things to leave, she met Castille’s gaze. This time his eyes held a fire she recognized. She’d seen it in her own. He was excited for battle.

Chapter Nine

Her new uniform fit her curves perfectly. The tech running through its seams was miles above what she’d used in military school. At the centre of the uniform, a transportation sphere glowed.

When she added her knives to the scimitar and guns, Jimena smiled. Khyron communicated the coordinates to the rebel compound and all seven of them synched their spheres. On his mark, they fizzled away from the premises to the back door of a tall, white building.

The structure almost glowed under the light of a full moon. Not the ideal lighting under regular circumstances, but they had stealth tech. Surveillance cameras panned from one end of the lot to the other.

Jimena took advantage of a blind spot and quickly attached another tech device to the wall. The wall shimmered and became transparent. The device communicated the exact coordinates to their spheres and in a flash, they were inside the building.

As planned, they fanned out in groups to destroy the rebel’s information and broadcast centres. The primary mission didn’t involve killing anyone but they weren’t opposed to a little bloodshed.

Batya and Christopher found the information centre and he set to work on collecting the files. The transfer didn’t take long but each ticking second made Batya itch. When his device beeped, her lips curled in a tight smile.

“Now can we destroy it?”

“Absolutely.”

They quietly but definitively tore the room to shreds. When they were done, electrical cords were strewn across the floor. The acrid smell of fizzling wires filled the cool air.

“Sir?” Batya called to Khyron across their communication channel, “We’re done here.”

Khyron patched in and Batya heard the tell-tale blasts of gunfire before he spoke.

“We got to the broadcast centre, but we’ve had to engage. Meet us on the outside.”

Batya was not the kind to run from a fight but orders were orders. She and Christopher programmed their spheres for the coordinates just outside the compound. It should be quiet out there. Still, she held her gun at the ready.

It was a good thing she did. The minute they appeared, bullets kicked up dust at their feet.

Chapter Ten

“Camouflage!” Batya yelled before activating her own.

She and Christopher took advantage of the rebels’ confusion and slipped to the side of the building. There were ten of them and their hesitation didn’t last long. Batya cursed when they opened fire exactly where she’d been standing moments before.

“Sir, there are ten hostiles on the outside!”

“Noted. We’re on our way.”

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