Operation: Marauder

Chapter 8

Rowan held the assault rifle against his shoulder, scanning the corridors and rooms for any stragglers. The rifle was lighter than the photon rifles he was used to, but the recoil was so much worse. It had taken weeks for his team to adjust to the humans' weapons. Now he held the rifle confidently as he slid from room to room.

Sweat beaded along his forehead, slowly dripping down the side of his face. He didn't dare to move his hands to wipe it away. He had been dealing with the tropical heat for days, he could deal with it for a few more hours.

After days of surveillance, hours of planning, and his reluctant focus, they had finally raided the compound holding three reporters hostage. Rowan's part of the plan was to do a sweep through the compound and snuff out anyone trying to stop the extraction. Mave was in the ship, relaying all the movement his sensors picked up. "Two coming up on your left," his voice came through the COMM in his ear.

Rowan snapped to the left, down the hallway, and shot two mercenaries rushing toward him. He was too quick for them to utter a noise. "All clear," Rowan relayed to Mave. "Any more?"

"No. Cas and Maliki got the others."

"Jack?" Rowan called to him over the radio. "Progress?" 

"We have the reporters," Jack confirmed, breathing heavily. "Moving out."

"Coming up on the rear." Rowan turned the corner and found Knox watching Jack's back as he herded the reporters to the extraction point. He glanced to the balcony on the right, catching Cas mid-jump as he leapt from the balcony over the compound walls. Maliki did a final sweep of the courtyard then jogged alongside Rowan.

A truck from another team was waiting for them at the end of the street. All Rowan had to do was make sure the reporters made it to the vehicle alive and then he was done. He could go back to Connaville and finally take Zoey out for that drink--and hopefully take her home for dessert. 

The hostages were hauled into the back of the truck. One of the soldiers bumped his knuckles against Jack's in thanks before the engine turned over and they were on their way down the street in a cloud of dust. Grimacing, Maliki waved the air front of his face to clear the dust. 

Jack grinned at his team. If Rowan thought he was sweaty, it was nothing compared to Jack; his shirt, which was supposed to be green, looked black it was drenched in so much sweat. Poor humans didn't acclimate to temperature change very well. "Great work, guys! Who's ready to head back?"

"What did that human do to you?" Knox asked him, forming a fist and glancing at it curiously. "I thought humans shook hands."

"Some of us bump fists." Jack tapped his knuckles against Knox's. "Handshaking is more formal. Never bump Colonel Shaw's fist."

Cas grimaced at the mention of Colonel Shaw. Rowan didn't know why he cringed, he wasn't the one who had to deal with him once a month for a review. Rowan couldn't stand the human. The colonel topped the list of people he didn't trust in the human's military. If he had things his way, Rowan was sure he and his crew would never leave this planet. Thankfully, Jack was on their side and he appeared to have a lot of friends in high places; he convinced his officer friends if they helped them now, the Arthonians may help them in the future. It was a long shot, but the humans liked to think they had an IOU over their heads, and as long as they did, Rowan and his team got to go home. . . eventually.

They met Mave at the rendezvous point hidden in the jungle. The Marauder was nice and cool; the air made Rowan feel sticky and fresh at the same time. Mave, hopping out of the cockpit, nodded to them in greeting then slapped a piece of paper in Jack's hand. "For the record, I am not your secretary--but it sounded important, so I took a message."