Ultima Ratio

Chapter 40: Exfiltration

The groups parted ways a few minutes later, their farewells rushed when time was of the essence. Jivan initially and eagerly took the wheel of their truck, but Navin easily lifted them out of the seat to take their place, much to Jivan's annoyance.

Navin drove them at record speeds while the rest of them flailed around helplessly in the cargo hold, and it was a surprise to everyone when he abruptly stopped only a few minutes later.

"We're here," he muttered before shouldering his rifle and jumping out of the truck.

"He's never driving again," Quyen grumbled as she pushed herself off the floor.

They had stopped in front of a small, open-roof hovercraft, probably capable of fitting no more than six people. Inside was a dark pool of blood which led out of the vehicle and trailed over the floor of the tunnel until it seemingly disappeared into a wall.

Jivan didn't need to be asked to step forward, and they already had charges set up on the wall where the blood led before the rest of them could even think about taking cover. A couple "minor" explosions and a cloud of dust later, the Aegis Squad was climbing up a dim, narrow stone staircase, Quyen at point and Akira close behind.

At the top of the staircase was a completely different world than the dingy tunnel. They were surrounded by shimmering elegance with architecture and decor reminiscent of the lavish wealth of ancient royalty. Intricately carved pillars interspersed the wide hallway, alternating with extravagant oil paintings adorning the walls. Multiple chandeliers hung from the tall ceiling, and the light bounced off their crystals and onto the artistic trim. Even the floor was made of some expensive stone covered in an eccentric gold and dark green pattern.

The only outlier was the clear trail of blood that led down the hall. And that's where they went.

They used stealth this time, especially now that they were way too deep in unknown enemy territory. But every time they had to hide and wait for a group of patrols to meander by, Akira grew increasingly impatient, almost tempted to shoot her way through them just to surge ahead faster.

Her worries grew when the blood began to fade away, and they eventually had to scour the floors for Danya's next clue. Thankfully, Akira's earpiece picked up a ping soon after; Danya's wristband was close enough for her proximity sensors to detect, and hopefully Danya was still attached to it.

Eventually, they reached the building's personal aircraft hangar with the roof retracting to reveal the early morning sky. Various types of planes were scattered along the sides of the building, but in the center was a small, sleek triangular craft. On each of its wings was a golden caduceus with two olive branches on either side—the symbol of Concordia.

Just as Akira was about to fire at the plane's engines, the door opened, revealing a waving Danya. While her attire was in disarray with blood covering her face and clothes, she beamed proudly as she beckoned them over.

"Better hurry!" she called out over the starting engines. "I just took the crew out, and I don't know how to fly this thing."

The others didn't need to be told twice, and they scrambled onboard after her. Only once the door was securely shut behind them and Quyen was settled in the cockpit did Akira finally let out the sigh of relief she'd been holding back for ages.

"Rough night?" Danya asked with a sly grin, lightly bumping her right elbow against Akira's left.

Before Akira knew what she was doing, she wrapped her arms around Danya and pulled her close, as if the tighter she held her, the less likely she would be to escape again.

"Um...Akira?" Danya asked after several silent seconds. "You okay?"

At Danya's first question, Akira felt a wave of self-consciousness warm her face. But at her second, Akira was suddenly annoyed. When Akira finally released Danya and took a step back, Danya's confused expression only solidified Akira's irritation.