Dark Fall

Chapter 58 - Storm

Multiple precise shots rang out in rapid succession, then five guards standing outside the wall slumped to the ground in unison. With eyes drawn narrow in determination, Terra emerged from the warehouse and pushed fully into the aura, her skin tingling as the power surged within. She directed a pressure pulse to the back door, blowing it in along with much of the wall that surrounded it with an echoing boom.

They know I'm here now.

The dust swirled as the insertion team rushed forward across the narrow green-belt that separated the warehouse from the palace wall — including Will, Terra, Neige, Thorne, and four other mercenaries. Thorne threw in an explosive charge ahead of them to clear the way, but they encountered no initial resistance.

Five more mercenaries, designated as the perimeter team, remained outside to secure the area. One of these, a slim woman named Angel, a medic, positioned herself at the blown-in entrance, standing ready.

As planned once inside, Will cast his Darkness through the dusty air to disable any nearby Dynasty Talent. As a dizzying vertigo swept through Terra, she gasped and faltered. Will caught her and helped her along.

She said with a raspy breath, "Your Darkness... It is stronger than usual."

"Anna's doing, I think." Will said with a sly grin. "She was on my mind as I cast it. I think our daughter is still helping us."

The insertion team paced through mostly empty hallways past dark storage rooms and offices, rifles held at ready. What little resistance they encountered went down with well-placed shots as the team advanced. The protest distraction and Hex's ruse seemed to work, but they still had a long way to go.

The route they chose took them by the Finders Hall, a well lit and ornate room with partitioned cubicles from where the Finders conducted their remote searches. Those within still reeled from Will's initial Darkness cast, slumped and wavering at their stations. One finder staggered to her feet near the Hall entrance, putting fingers to her forehead to reenter the aura.

Standing at the arched doorway, Terra sensed the Finder's aural signature. "Looking for me?" Terra said with a sly smile.

The Finder snapped her eyes open, gasping as she stumbled backward until bumping into a table. She trembled while supporting herself with both hands.

Terra moved away and Will took her place. With narrowed eyes, he cast the Darkness through the Hall, not once, but twice. The Finder cried out and collapsed to the floor, curling up in a shuddering ball.

Terra stood back from the Hall, still doubled over from the effects of the Darkness. She staggered to a wall and leaned against it until Will came to support her. "The Finders will never function again," he assured her in an even voice.

"That was intense, Will." After a few deep breaths, Terra straightened up, but continued to lean against her husband. "Okay, now for the Emperor."

"Move out!" Neige ordered.

Terra directed the team down another hallway. With the Emperor such a powerful Talent, his aura was easy for her to locate.

The group entered an open commons area filled with tables and chairs. But as they rounded the corner, concentrated gunfire rang out. A shower of deadly darts hissed, piercing the air and pelting the walls, coming from a line of guards behind overturned tables. Will yanked Terra back behind the corner while Neige and his men dove for cover, returning fire as they retreated. Two of Neige's men in the lead fell from the onslaught — one painfully injured in the leg and the other shot dead with a bloody head wound. Terra used her Talent to telekinetically pull the injured man out of the fire zone around the corner.