Page 29 of Beast

∞∞∞

“We leave in fifteen,” King said, standing over me.

I didn’t grumble or make any snide comments.I just wanted to get this over with.K-5 sparked through me, and I let Ms.Beast send a little more into my system.We were going to need it.

The streets were dark and eerily quiet as we made our way toward the Federation camp.When we reached the building King and I had scoped out earlier, the men left me to set up.I hadn’t told King, but I was shifting to human the moment I got into position.I couldn’t afford to miss a shot because of my claws.

I found my spot and set up the rifle.It wasn’t technically a sniper rifle, but this baby would do the trick.

My shift was seamless.In the early days, Ms.Beast and I fought for control, but now we’d reached an understanding and we worked as one unit most of the time.Her forte was killing, and especially when we were on the same page, she didn’t mind my human side taking the lead.

As the last prickle of the shift rippled through my skin, I stretched my shoulders and got to work.I grabbed a hair tie and wrapped it around my braids.Then came the boots.

Lovingly, I lifted them from my pack and slid them on, savoring the feel of the leather hugging my feet.After a small caress, I set my sights back on the task at hand.I picked up the AK, brought my leg up for stability, and rested my elbow on my knee.

Yeah, I couldn’t help admiring my sexy booted feet for a second before I focused.Through the scope, I scanned the Federation camp below.Using the marks on the reticle, I calculated the linear distance.At 330 yards, the AK was well within its effective range.

I exhaled slowly, steadying my aim.Showtime.

I brought the scope to my eye and swept the area near where I knew King and the men were heading in.A few seconds later, I spotted them, their figures moving swiftly toward the camp.King’s powerful muscles devoured the distance, his frame imposing even in the shadows.He and Labyrinth carried one beam, while Beck and Axel hefted the other.I looked back at King, unable to tear my eyes away.Watching him move sent a surge of excitement through me.I whispered a quick prayer for his safety, for the men’s safety, and for my ability to keep them covered.

Movement flickered in the corner of my eye.I adjusted the scope slightly and found a sentry, his figure barely visible in the low light as he moved closer to King and the others.Another shadow caught my attention.It was Garret.He appeared silently behind the guard, and with a single, lethal strike he took him down.The fluidity and speed of his action gave me reassurance.Garret could handle himself, and that knowledge settled some of my earlier doubts.

I shifted the scope, scanning the camp for the remaining guards.I located one, standing near a railcar, but the other eluded me.My breathing remained steady.

I reminded myself of the reality we were facing.Many of the Federation soldiers had been conscripted against their will, forced into this horror.But there was no threat the Federation could have made to compel me to kill children.These men had made their choice, and I wouldn’t carry guilt for their deaths.

If they’d captured the outpost survivors and taken them away, we would have followed.We would have fought to free them.But the soldiers had chosen annihilation instead.They’d left us no alternative, and they deserved what was coming.

I steadied my hands, my eye locked on the scene below.This was war, and there was no room for hesitation.

Another flash to the left caught my attention.I spotted Garret closing in on the second guard.His quick, methodical kill ensured the man was down.For a brief moment, I thought we were in the clear.A gunshot cracked through the darkness, aimed at King and the men as they reached the metal shipping containers.My pulse spiked as I scanned the area, spotting the shooter as another muzzle flash gave him away.I inhaled sharply, steadying my aim.I pulled the trigger, and the man dropped.

“King and Labyrinth slammed the beam into place and sprinted toward the makeshift barracks.Gunfire erupted again, and I caught sight of two soldiers bolting from a nearby building.I took them both out with quick, precise shots.My heart clenched when King reached the thin aluminum siding of the barracks.The material wouldn’t stop a bullet, and every instinct in me wanted to yell at him to move.

A set of doors on the far-right building burst open, and a hail of gunfire erupted.Soldiers streamed out, firing blindly at the Warriors’ positions.I didn’t hesitate.My scope found two more targets, and I took them out before King and the Warriors surged into action.

My stomach twisted, but I forced myself to turn my attention to the rest of the camp.Movement to the left drew my focus.Two men dragged Garret between them, his body limp, his head lolling as though unconscious.Rage flared hot, and I lined up my shot.My first bullet dropped one man with a clean headshot, sending Garret tumbling to the ground.The second tried to run, but my next shot buried itself in the center of his back.He fell, lifeless.

Garret wasn’t moving.Panic clawed at me, and I knew he could still be alive.If I didn’t get to him, it wouldn’t be for long.I slung the rifle over my shoulder, adjusted the sword at my hip, and headed to the stairs.

I hit the debris-strewn street at a full sprint, angling north to approach from a direction that avoided King’s position.Garret had been about halfway between the north entrance and the metal barracks.If King handled the soldiers where he was, I could get to Garret and take him to safety.

It wasn’t the plan, but sometimes plans were about improvising and surviving.

I crept into the camp, sticking close to the shadows of half-demolished buildings.My eyes locked onto Garret where he lay sprawled and motionless.Keeping low, I circled wide, scanning for any lingering soldiers.Gunfire cracked in the distance, coming from King’s direction.Frustration gripped me because I didn’t know what was happening.

Spotting no immediate threat, I darted forward, heading straight for Garret.A bullet whizzed past my head, close enough to make my ears ring.I dove behind a crumpled vehicle, heart pounding.From the leather strap across my chest, I pulled a handgun and gripped it tightly, preparing to peek around the edge.

That’s when I heard the voice.

“Well, well, what do we have here, boys?”

Crap.That voice was burned into my memory.General Smythe.

Fury exploded in my chest.Ms.Beast raged in my head.Kill, kill, kill, her voice nearly drowned out rational thought.It took everything I had not to shift.My vision blurred with red as the haze of rage threatened to consume me.

Smythe might not know I was a Shadow Warrior, which gave me the upper hand, or at least, that’s what I told myself.It was four against one, and even if I wanted to shift and rip their faces off, it wasn’t the smart play.King was right, a bullet would stop me.

---