Page 61 of Bound By Valor

Stepping inside, we navigated past a series of diligently working figures before pausing before a pair of imposing double doors. Unlike the technologically fortified entries we had encountered earlier, these doors were starkly unguarded.

Pushing the doors open, we entered what was unmistakably a conference room. The simplicity of its setup contrasted sharply with the high-tech ambiance of the outer corridors. Sebastian and Zane were already there, seated at the far end of a long, sleek table that seemed to stretch endlessly towards them.

“How was the flight?” Sebastian’s voice broke the initial silence, his tone casual yet carrying an underlying measure of formality.

“Comfortable,” I responded, my eyes scanning the room.

“Fancy,” Kabir added with a chuckle, earning himself a quick, sharp glance from me.

Sebastian smiled at the response, then clapped his hands together, a crisp sound that seemed to command attention. “Glad to hear that, Kabir. Right, let’s get to the point. Have a seat, folks.”

As we all settled into our chairs, I noticed tablets embedded directly into the table in front of each seat. As if on cue, they powered on, the Blackthorn logo briefly illuminating the screens before switching to a ‘Connecting…’ message.

“Could you briefly share the agenda?” I asked, directing my gaze towards Sebastian, who gave a slight nod to Zane in response.

“Of course,” Zane began, his voice steady and clear. “The agenda of this meeting is threefold: first, to review what we know about Garret Tyson; second, to shed some light on new information gathered by my team; and third, to outline the mission objectives.”

“Welcome to Operation Icarus, Alpha Squad Six,” Sebastian announced, his voice imbuing the name with a weight that seemed to fill the room.

We all nodded in unison. I returned Sebastian’s gaze with a curt nod as the screen in front of me flashed with the words ‘Operation Icarus’. The one who flew too close to the sun.

“We’rethe sun in this metaphor, I presume?” Leora asked with a smirk.

“That’s right,” Delara said with a steely grin.

Sebastian tapped on his tablet and continued, “All right, let’s dive in.”

Sebastian briefly shared what we already knew about Garret Tyson, his son Jerome, the shipments, and his connection with Gao Ling.

“The new information,” Zane took over, “is that the New York shipment will include four new products apart from Crazon. Blast-resistant body armor, thermal-regulating survival suit, anti-radiation medication kits, and customized armored vehicles.”

As Zane rolled out the specs and schematics on that ominous-looking screen, the mood turned heavy. I caught glimpses of unease dancing across everyone’s faces. Those sketches, too crude for comfort, sketched out more than just vehicles—they hinted at an arsenal on wheels.

Zane’s voice cut sharply through the murmurs, “We have intel that the manufacturers were instructed to equip these vehicles with built-in armories, specifically for RPGs.”

A murmur of curses swept through the room like a gust of wind shaking loose leaves from a tree. I glanced at Leora, saw her leaning forward, eyes narrowed in focus.

I started to lean in, whispering, “It’s an—”

“I know what an RPG is,” she cut in swiftly, her voice a hushed whisper, her smile quick and conspiratorial. It made me smile too, reminded me why I leaned on her so much in these briefings.

Then, Delara, ever the show-stealer, swiped the tablet from Zane and took command. “They’re gearing up for something big. These aren’t just toys for the rich and paranoid; they’re fortresses on wheels being handed over to the elite.”

Kabir, never one to miss a detail, piped up from across the table, his voice threading through the tense air, “What’s odd is the volume of Crazon—just eight to Nova Scotia. It flagged my alerts. Delara, does Blackthorn have a Crazon here?”

The question hung in the air, heavy like a pre-storm silence. All eyes flicked to Sebastian, whose poker face was legendary. Finally, he spoke, “No, we don’t have a Crazon here.”

He paused, letting the silence swell before he reached into his jacket and pulled out something that immediately drew all our attention. It was a dark blue device, bulkier than a Crazon, with a tiny screen.

“This,” he said, holding it up just enough for everyone to catch a glimpse, “is what you really need to see.”

Whatever that thing was, it looked like it packed more than just electronic punch.

“You fuckers, you replicated Crazon?” Logan’s loud voice cut through. Hell, even I was confused now.

“Logan, listen,” Zane pacified, “This device is called Sentrix v5.4. We created it four years ago and upgraded it over the years. This thing is older than Crazon.”

“So, you’ve created another dangerous device?” I asked.

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