HALO jumps are extremely dangerous and require extensive practice. The elevation of the plane is higher than normal in order to avoid detection, and then we basically free-fall until we’re lowerthan three thousand feet for the same reason. For an inexperienced team to perform that sort of jump, in the dark I presume, and with unknown terrain, is suicide.
Cameron leans forward against the table beside me and presses his threaded fingers to his lips in an effort to hide his troubled expression.
“Sir—” Thomas says sharply before being interrupted.
“There’s no other way in. If any of you have a problem with it you can take it up with me, and I’ll have you replaced by tomorrow,” Erik snaps and it puts a sour look on Thomas’s face.
As much as I hate to admit it, Erik is right on that one. There’s no other way to get inside the abandoned city.
Erik turns his attention to Wraith. “Herc, you’re heavier with muscle and brawn, so I’m having you going in with a machine gun. I want you to mow down anything that moves that isn’t your squad mates. We’ve received clearance from Bridger that anyone there will be hostile, and until Mavestelli is dead, we aren’t keeping anyone alive.” The lieutenant walks around the table as he speaks to us. I keep my gaze on the whiteboard, studying the roofs.
“You got it, lieutenant,” Wraith mutters, keeping his arms firmly crossed. I roll my eyes at his codename. Herc. Short forHercules. He’sanythingbut a hero. He is freakishly strong, though I’ll give him that.
“Red Turtle, you’re carrying the MK-17 and you’ll be backing up Volt. He has a knack for finding people rather quickly so you two are going to be silent for as long as you can while in search of Mavestelli. Only shoot if you’re confronted.”
Gage pats Damian on the shoulder. “We’ll find him quickly so that maybe we’ll have some survivors to bring back to base,” Gage says earnestly. I try to keep the frown from pulling at my lips. He doesn’t know we aren’t going back. Although, I doubt any of the guards will be spared. On the off chance they are, they’ll just be putthrough the Under Trials. The only people Erik is likely interested in keeping around are going to be higher-level execs of the family like Reed.
Damian grumbles, “I’m still protesting the name assigned to me.”
Gage leans back in his chair and cackles. I glance at Damian’s crimson-dyed hair, the roots dark brown, finding the name very fitting.
“Power is the signaler and will remain on a roof to keep us informed of motion beyond the buildings or in the streets. Mori and Morphine are our kill team, you two are going to go in and move quickly and without pause. I want as many of those fuckers out of the way for Volt and Red Turtle to find Mavestelli.”
Erik levels Cameron and me a haunting stare. It makes my stomach sink.
“That means no matter what, you keep moving. If you get shot, keep pushing forward. If you get stabbed, leave it and keep going. I don’t care what it costs. His empirewillfall. The Dark Forces will claim all assets. Do you understand?” Erik’s voice is low and heavy with command.
Eyes from the rest of our squad mates fall to us.
I flatten my lips with disdain. Of course,we’resacrificed likes pigs.
“Yes, lieutenant,” we say in unison.
But we won’t die for him like he wants us to. We’re going to fuck everything up and take our lives back for ourselves.
29
EMERY
Gage passes out halved sandwiches.It’s all we’re going to get for the rest of the day until dinner because today we’re practicing HALO jumping.
The consensus is that everyone except me has come to terms with it and are now stoked for it.
I’m sorry, but falling from twenty thousand feet and deploying our parachutes at a lower altitude is not exactly exciting. It’s a dangerous form of infiltration and typically only highly trained special ops teams can perform them successfully. Essentially, we’re fucked.
Which leads me to asking flatly, “Does anyone even have experience in skydiving? How am I the only one concerned?” I glower, feeling that I’m raising a very good point.
Damian shoulders me as he takes a bite from his breakfast sandwich. “What does it matter if we die from hitting the ground or getting a bullet between our eyes?” He chuckles. Wraith slaps his knee, laughing and pointing at Damian with his half-eaten apple as he tries not to choke on the mouthful of food.
“No one is going to die from jumping. You’ll pull your parachutes at exactly three thousand feet. No sooner, no less,” Thomas grumbles as he brushes through the ratted end of his mullet.
“You’re just sour about the sap we stuck in your hair last night,” Gage says with a wide grin. I have to admit, I was shocked when he said he wanted to join in on the prank. It felt nice to have a little fun for once. Life is way too fucking short. Cameron chuckles at Thomas’s lack of amusement with us.
“No shit,” Thomas growls back, finally breaking through the last of the tangles. It still doesn’t look the same as the rest of his hair though.
“I do,” Wraith says after finishing his apple.
We collectively look at him. Cameron looks at Wraith differently than he did in the trials. Like he doesn’t have a grudge against Wraith anymore. I still have heavy reservations about him, but even I have to admit that he’s shown his humanity more in these past several days than he has in our entire time in the Under.
