Olympus: The Agency (Book One)

33. Persuasion and Treason

"Why is this door taking so long?" Zeus said, his eyes scanning the room.

"You want to hack the base and open one door, or do you want me to do it?!" Riley retorted. "You do your job and I'll do mine."

The sounds of gunfire outside were beginning to quieten. Either Gunn and Abigail were ending their opponents, or they were unable to fight back as much now. Either way, Olympus needed to hurry up and kill Renee White before she was able to escape.

"Hurry up, Riley," Zeus said.

Riley grumbled in response. He took a screwdriver from his belt and stabbed the door controls. Electricity sparked and fizzled, then the door opened. Riley pulled the screwdriver from the controls, spun it in his hand, then pushed it back into his toolbelt.

"One open door, fussy britches." Riley said.

Zeus whistled loudly. Tartarus closed the door they had come from, locked it, and hurried over. Epione stood up from behind the entrance desk and walked over calmly. Apollo stayed beside the window, looking outside.

"Apollo, fall in!" Zeus commanded.

"Zeus," Apollo said, pointing outside. "This is more than a trap."

Zeus walked over, placing his hand onto Apollo's shoulder to drag him further into the base, but stopped when he saw who was outside.

Two members of White Squad were standing outside. Agent Rook was holding Gunn by the collar, dragging his unconscious form in one hand while holding her large warhammer over her other shoulder. Agent Queen dropped Abigail onto the ground, locking eyes with Zeus through the glass.

"White Squad is here?"

"Makes you think about Aquarius sending us here, huh?" Apollo mused. "Is Renee even here? Or is this The Agency attempting to get rid of us with a clearly suicidal mission?"

"Lock it down, Apollo," Zeus said. "If Renee isn't here, then we change mission priorities to killing every member of White Squad."

"Wait, really?" Epione said quietly.

"Riley, stay in the system and locate Agent King. Olympus, let's go take care of Queen and Rook."

Epione walked over and pulled Zeus's arm to make him look at her. "I'm with Apollo, this doesn't feel right. We need to figure out a way out of here."

"We will, once the mission is completed." Zeus said bluntly. "If we die, we can be re-cloned."

"Wake up!" Tartarus bellowed from the doorway. "You aren't important to them! You're a tool, and right now, you're proving how much of a tool you are! For all we know, the others are already dead!"

"Lock it down, Tartarus!" Zeus responded.

"No, I refuse to die because you want Daddy to love you more!" Tartarus spat. Zeus was about to speak, but sighed instead.

"I just..." Zeus said quietly. He breathed in and continued. "With these chips in our heads, this is the only life we have. I'm trying to do what I can to keep us all alive. Cerberus died before he could prove himself, and not he's dead for good. I don't want that to happen to any of us. I miss my wife and son... but this is my life now. This is our life now. Right now, trap or no trap, we're here on an assassination, and we can't go back until we do. Refusal means permanent death, for all of us."

Epione looked out the window at Rook and Queen. She wasn't eager to fight those two, but Zeus was right. This was their life now.

"Alright, sir," she said. "I'm with you."