“I doubt it. We expect the whole place to be drone bombed. They’ll declare the humans too injured or too much of a risk to bring back.” Leonie’s mouth curled downwards as her eyes flashed dark. “It wouldn’t be the first time.”
“Hold up,” said Habib. “What’s this?”
Leonie glanced his way before turning back to Noah. “Will you do it?”
“Look, there’s no way Squad E will be placed on this mission. We’re not exactly in Murphy’s favour right now.”
Leonie waved her hand. “Don’t worry about that part. I just need to know if you’ll do it.”
“You just want me to take some videos? Don’t you want me to rescue your friends?”
Leonie scoffed. “Your uncle wasn’t joking when he described you as an idealist. You’ll be under strict instructions not to engage with any humans. Sworn to secrecy. If you think you can persuade every officer to directly disobey Command, as well as transport dozens of starving, weakened, critically ill people back to the compound, be my guest.”
“And where is my uncle?” He didn’t bother to hide his irritation.
“Alive.” Leonie stood to leave.
“I’m not committing to doing this for you without talking to my uncle first.”
Leonie only nodded. Then, without looking back, she disappeared into the dark of the night.
“What the absolutefuckwas that all about?” Habib said. He stared at Noah, arms crossed. “Wasn’t that Leonie Voigt? The famous Black Ranger? And what’s going on with General Forrest? What’s happened?”
Noah ground his teeth. “I don’t have all the answers. She was even more cryptic the last time we met.”
“I hope you’re not seriously considering helping her.”
He shrugged. “I’m not sure.”
Habib let out a low hiss. “Noah. You’ll be sent to the Hole. Permanently. We all could be.”
Noah considered Habib. He wasn’t one for secrets or breaking rules, but he was also Noah’s best friend, who’d fought with him side by side for years now.
“I need to tell you something,” Noah started, then fumbled for words. Since his uncle’s visit, he’d been busy burying what he’d said deeper and deeper into his brain. He wished it could stay there forever. “My uncle told me that London is screwed. Months or weeks away from collapse.”
“Bullshit.”
“Just listen,” Noah snapped. “Take it from someone who’s already lived through it once. If London is about to collapse, we need to make an exit plan.”
Habib stood, stepping closer to him and hissing in a low voice, “And what about our families? We just leave them to die? This isn’t what Squad E needs to be hearing right now,Lieutenant. This is the sort of shit that incites mass panic.”
He stared at Habib’s feet and clamped his lips together. Was Habib right? Was he fucking up yet again? But Noah refused to sit idly by if London really was about to fall. He needed to think ahead, for the sake of his squad.
“Have you guys seen this?” said Vitt, coming to join them. She flashed a tablet displaying a news website at them. “Ten people have just died in a riot stampede outside the Palace of Westminster. At least four of them directly from police push back.”
“A few other squads have been called into the city for backup,” added Luo.
“Thank God it wasn’t us,” said Meredith. “Beating up angry civilians is the last thing I want to do right now.”
Noah stared meaningfully at Habib, who met his gaze without blinking.
Noah hovered by the gate where Zeke was due to arrive back. His transit van, which was supposed to arrive at nine p.m., was over half an hour late. When it finally came in, Zeke shuffled out of the underground parking lot amongst a small crowd of soldiers. He walked straight past Noah, who reached out to grab him, his stomach a knotted ball of nerves.
Three days felt like a long time. More than enough time for Zeke to come to his senses, and call time on whatever the hell it was they were doing. But Zeke’s genuine, beaming smile when he saw Noah was waiting for him catapulted those thoughts out of his head.
“How was it?” he asked, as if Zeke hadn’t messaged him updates five times a day.
“It was good! I would have made Splat proud with my timer configurations,” Zeke replied, with a sad smile which squeezed Noah’s heart.
