An engine snarled somewhere nearby and the shadows bent down, hands clamping onto him.
He thrashed, a ragged snarl tearing from his throat, but his limbs were weak and beyond his control.
“Easy, brother,” a distorted voice murmured. “We’re taking you home.”
Just kill me! Please…I can’t go back.
A door yawned open, and he was swallowed by the dim interior of a vehicle.
Scar fought until the drugs stole the last of his strength and hope, as he succumbed to the sedation.
White Ravens
Gage
The helicopter barely vibrated Gage’s seat. It was nothing like the rattling aluminum choppers he’d heard and seen before. This one stalked like a ghost in the sky.
Roz sat beside him on a leather-cushioned two-seater with his big hands gripping the armrest as if he expected the aircraft to get shot down at any minute.
Gage couldn’t blame him. The whole situation felt surreal.
People moved around them—at least nine by Gage’s count—speaking in low, respectful tones to Valor and Zorion.
Two sets of footsteps faded behind a sliding door, and Roz leaned into him. “They went into a back room. I wonder what’s back there.”
“It’s their private quarters. It has a bathroom, bed, and a wardrobe,” a woman answered before she asked in a sweet voice, “Would you like any refreshments? Water, tea, wine, or something stronger to help calm your nerves. We have a fully stocked bar.”
“Oh yeah, how ’bout you sip it first, so we know it ain’t poisoned.”
The woman chuckled. “No one here or anywhere in headquarters would dishonor our country by harming a Raven.”
Gage sighed. “Water, please. Thank you.”
A bottle was placed on the small table beside him.
“Fine,” Roz huffed. “I’ll have a beer. In the bottle. Unopened.”
She retreated a moment. When she returned, Gage could hear the humor in her voice. “One unopened beer.”
“Mm-hmm,” Roz grumbled.
“It’s a privilege to serve the last-generation Ravens. We’ve all been hoping you’d be found…and brought home,” she said. “My name is Star. I’m one of the Green Ravens Aerial Services officers. Their aircraft is called The Nest.”
“Is Star your real name?”
“Is Roz yours?” she came back quickly.
Her name was the least of Gage’s concerns.
“Home?” Gage repeated. “And where exactly is that?”
A man with a heavier tread walked back into the area.
Gage was already beginning to recognize Valor’s gait, which was wider and louder than his partner’s.
“Can I get a Wellers, neat, Star. Thank you.”
“Home is our headquarters. It’s hidden in plain sight, in the center of DC. Jo works with several government agencies, so proximity matters.”
