Page 97 of Stars in Umbra
Still, he’d done it.
He prevailed in resisting the urge to kill his brothers.
He would never have done it, even if it cost him his life, even if his handlers burned his extremities and turned them into ash with him screaming in agony.
Fokk, the Riders had given him more than a purpose; they’d granted him a home and inducted him into their brotherhood.
He owed them his entire allegiance.
He had to stop this shitshow, and there was only one way to accomplish that.
He bolted down the next hallway, breath ragged, his limbs heavy.
He darted toward the mobile Sable armory, located just outside the security hub, and accessed it with a retinal scan.
The door hissed open.
He slipped inside, a neural command sealing it behind him.
The armory had been relocated to the venue to supply his crew with weapons, and he sprinted inside, ignoring the rows of guns and gear.
His movements were fast and urgent as he bypassed boxed drones, grappling hooks, and concussive rounds, his focus fixed on his goal.
He moved with a single-minded purpose, not stopping until he reached the back wall.
There, on a single shelf, he found what he was looking for: a case, magnetically sealed.
Inside it sat an experimental HUD helmet.
One Harlow had been designed for use in ultra-stealth missions.
He broke the seal and studied the headgear.
As waves of agony crashed over him, he made a decision.
First, he sent a delayed delivery message to Mirage and Kainan, scheduling it for at least ten hours in the future to give him enough time to disappear.
He then took a breath and tugged the HUD helmet on, locking it over his head.
The interior flared to life.
:: CALIBRATING, SIGNAL JAMMING ACTIVE, NEURAL INSULATION COMPLETE. ::
The moment the shield engaged, the pain stopped, and the whispers vanished.
The command chain was cut off.
Mo collapsed to one knee, a raw sound leaving his throat, a growl of sheer relief. His lungs drew full air for the first time in minutes.
However, it wouldn’t last.
Whoever activated the node would know it was now dark.
They’d know he was off-mission, a wraith in the ether.
He couldn’t stay, nor would he risk Sable’s systems being used to track him.
Also, he had no intention to let the Riders or, worse, Mirage, find out what he’d been commanded to do.
