The Puppet Assassin [TTR sequel]

The Puppet Assassin - Ch 34 [sleep can wait]

** **

The uniform that Luke had given me was stiff but, I had to admit, it made Garth, Luke and his men look suave. I was practically jittery with excitement. I was going to get Larkin out. I’d be saving him for once.

His dead body flashed before my eyes.

That was not going to happen.

I tugged on the collar that chafed, much too close to my neck, and looked out the tinted window. We were close, I knew the route in my head, and my stomach began to bubble nervously, just as it did when I worked for Scythe. Was I more prepared to kill now? No. Never, it wasn’t something I felt I could do. But if it meant saving Larkin’s life, I would do it. Did that make me a monster?  Wouldn’t that be the same as killing for the sake of my father’s wishes? When is it okay to take a human life?

I sucked in a breath and looked at Luke. He was staring down at the floor, deeply concentrated. For some uncertain reason, even though this was the first time we’d ever done anything like fighting together, I’d put him as the role of my guide, my mentor. He looked so coolly confident, like he could knock anyone out the way without a single flinch, no hesitation in his bright eyes. And yet, I could still read peace on his face. I knew if the opposition chose to lay down their arms, no harm would come to them and it would be his order. The fact that I could read all this from his expressionless face made me respect him all the more. Only a great leader was able to send messages without gestures or words.

He looked up and caught my eye, nodding in acknowledgment. I smiled and shifted my gaze out the window. We were going to make it out okay. We would get through this night without significant loss. My nerves eased, only slightly. I shouldn’t let superstition faze me. Just focus on the plan. It was a good one. What happens will happen. I shouldn’t let a good feeling now influence my mental state going into a fight.

We stopped two blocks away. My nerves quadrupled.

All Luke and his men would see, however, was a cool faced sixteen year old. Six years of training had all been for this.

** **

Luke tugged the fitted helmet down onto my head and checked to make sure that it was clasped securely.

“Keep your head down until we split from the big group. If you get caught by Liam, I am not going to help you out. If he sights you, you’re out.”

I nodded grimly. I knew the deal. He wasn’t even going to suspect it was me.

“Okay, Gum’s group, head to the entrance for first breach,” Liam ordered calmly. “Remington, set up your team at the back wall. Everyone else, with me.”

Our cue. Luke stood and the rest of his group, the shape-changers, with him. I stood somewhat in the middle of the group, keeping my head down as Liam wandered over.  Luke’s group was the strongest, consisting of humans with heightened awareness and the ability to change into some sort of wild cat. We would go in the back entrance after the first two breaches and head straight to where Liam’s team said the prisoners were being held. The team who came in behind us would be manoeuvring the hostages out while we kept things safe.

Luke had planned our entrance in groups of three. Garth and his team entering first in human form, then a group of cats followed by humans again. Luke, a young changer and myself would be entering as fifth and second to last group as humans. I checked my knives, making sure they were still securely strapped. I had two ready to unsheathe as soon as we were out of Liam’s sight. I could hardly produce knives in front of him when he expected Luke’s entire group to be capable of carrying weapons beneath their skin.