“I appreciate the offer, but even if I did want him dead, I’m not sure poison would do it. He’s all hopped up on whatever the Dark Forces have been feeding him for years.” My voice trails off as I say the words. Images of his bloody nose and body spasms flash through my memory. I quickly blink them away before my empathy for him kicks in. I’m still pissed.
“Ah, there’s always something that can get it done.” He smiles as his eyes search the ground. I think he’s going through his mental library and trying to find the best concoctions he can think of.
“Don’t let him hear you say that.” I cover my mouth from Cameron’s view as I say it.
Bryce shrugs just as the trucks come to a stop. Our bodies rock with the abrupt motion, and we file out as ordered once it’s our turn.
My eyes narrow against the dark world. We’re farther into the forest now, and the weather is surprisingly warmer but not by much.
Adams is dressed in white tactical gear that blends in so well I almost don’t see him on the ledge of a steep cliffside. He gazes down on us and waits for everyone to gather.
“Cadets, I welcome you to the second trial: No Squadmate Left Behind. As I explained earlier, all five members of yoursquad must reach the end of this trial in order to move on to the next one. Whether they are dead or alive doesn’t matter, but if you arrive without your whole squad, you will be terminated. There are only twenty spots open, so the last squad to reach the green beacon will be terminated. I recommend you get fierce and ready for bloodshed in there, but you should keep in mind that when it comes to the success of the entire squad, a thoughtful, less balls-to-the-wall approach might serve you well.”
My eyes slide to Arnold and Wraith’s squad. They’re nudging one another like the drill sergeant’s advice is stupid.It’s your funeral.
Soldiers move through the group, passing out rifles as Adams goes on.
“Your trackers have been refigured to new perimeters. You see that green light across the valley?” A bright neon-green light flashes slowly in the distance. It’s so small and far away that I thought it was a lighthouse from a small town or something.No fucking way, it’s impossible. My hands tighten at my sides. How are we supposed to traverse that far in this weatherandevade the other squads? Here’s to hoping the heat enhancers in our gear hold up.
“That light is your lifeline. On a mission, you don’t get second chances. If you miss your only flight home, then that’s it. You have three days to get to that point. Privates, please escort the squads to their release locations,” Adams finishes and hops down from the ledge easily. He pulls a flare gun out and fires it off into the sky. “You will begin when I fire off the next red flare. Good luck, Cadets, I look forward to seeing who makes it out.”
Bree and Damian flash an uncertain look at Cameron and Bryce. I get their concerns, but I feel a lot safer with Mori than with anyone else out there, even if he is batshit crazy.
One soldier guides our squad away while another one takes the rear. The other teams are led away in the same fashion. Wemove quietly. Everyone seems to be feeling the same level of adrenaline that makes the air practically buzz.
Five minutes later, we’re carefully walking down jagged rocks and stopping at the base of a steep hill. The woods are definitely denser here than in the first trial. The terrain is sharp with stones that jut out from the snow, and the underbrush is damn near impossible to walk through without getting snagged on brambles or tripping on pine roots.
The armed men stand behind us with their hands on their rifles, waiting for the flare to go off just as we are. My eyes flicker to Cameron, taking him in all suited up in tactical gear. His broad shoulders heave with a long breath as he studies the woods ahead.
I shouldn’t find him as attractive as I do, but I can’t help it. His gaze meets mine as he fastens his mask over his face, pulling it down until all I see is the skull and those harrowing eyes.
I blink away and pull my mask down too. It’s fucked-up that we have to wear the distinguished ones still, but as long as we keep to the shadows we’ll be okay.
Damian helps Bree with her helmet. They seem calm and ready for this. I need to be on their level. Even Bryce has a serenity to him that speaks to his experience down here. Suddenly, I’m wishing I had spent months down in the Under as the rest of them had. Even though I’m efficient in one-on-one missions or with small groups to terminate, I’m not prepared for the Dark Forces. Not even close.
I swallow and keep my eyes ahead, searching the dark forest and finding nothing. What I would give to have those night vision goggles that Lieutenant Erik lent me that night. My stomach flips. Was he trying to help me out by letting me take them? Now that I think about it, he never requested them back; I just passed them over willingly.
Stop overthinking everything.
The red flare flies into the sky and everything hushes around me. Only the rapid beat of my heart roars as I unzip my jacket in one fluid motion. The others do the same. I unlatch the white silenced pistol from my vest strap before quickly zipping my coat back up to hide the upgraded vest I snagged from the armory.
I holster the pistol to my belt and tightly grip the ACE 32 that was handed out by the soldiers.
Cameron takes one look over his shoulder at us and nods. “Stay close. Em, you’re flanking me,” he orders and crouches low before moving slowly toward the green light in the distance.
My heart dashes a beat at his gruff demeanor, but he seems completely different right now. This is what I imagine he’s like on a mission. He almost seems normal—focused and driven to get everyone at the destination safely.
I stay close to his back and frequently watch the opposite direction that he does. This feels so foreign to me; I thought it’d be easier than this to catch on.
Damian and Bree move as a unit, practically back-to-back with their feet in complete sync with one another. I keep accidentally stepping on the back of Cameron’s boots, and he lets out a short, annoyed breath each time I do. Even Bryce has more grace in his steps.
Cameron freezes and lowers to his haunches. We all follow the motion in unison. He lifts his left hand, signaling for us to stay still. I frantically search the underbrush for what tipped him off. The trees are looming, swaying slowly with a breeze, but the forest below is deadly static.
The metallic scent of blood already permeates the air and raises the hair on the back of my neck. There haven’t been any gunshots, so either the other squads are choosing a quiet approach or some had the forethought as we did to take silencers from the armory.
A branch snaps twenty feet away and alerts us. Cameron lifts his silenced pistol in the next breath, pulling the trigger without any hesitation. The sound of a body hitting the ground. Then nothing.
Cameron turns and looks back at us. “It’s a cougar. Don’t think for a second that the other squads are the only danger to us out here.” He stands and flicks out his Zippo lighter, sparking a cigarette and eyeing me apathetically.
