Fall Like Lightning

Chapter 3 - To Betray Them

Colony R-77

Katja Reznik pressed her body against the wall, slipping into the shadows as two armed guards approached the ally. Ever since her colony had fallen into the hands of the Global Earth Alliance, more and more guards patrolled the streets, especially around their headquarters. Her heart fluttered in her chest as they passed, a reminder that although she'd been doing this for years, she never truly forgot the risk involved. After all, she'd had a front-row seat to her parents' public execution fourteen years ago, curtesy of a young officer named Theo Alexandrov.

Their crime? The same thing she was doing now.

The artificial lights that illuminated the inside of the colony had dimmed, a halfhearted attempt to re-create the night back on Earth and stimulate the normal circadian rhythms of humans. Most of the populace were sleeping. The only signs of life were the GEA military patrols and her.

Once they disappeared from sight, Katja readjusted her mask and scaled the fire escapes along the outer wall of the building next to the one she was about to break into. She was dressed head to toe in black so she could blend in the shadows, her face concealed so that no one could recognize her. This wasn't her first robbery. But instead of stealing cash, jewels, or anything of material value, these jobs involved something worth more than its weight in gold—information. And since the GEA invasion ten months ago, demands for her services had risen.

When she reached the roof, she ran to the side closest to the GEA headquarters, slowing her steps into silence as she approached the lone figure waiting there. As far as she knew, this was a solo job. "Ya tebe pokazhu gde raki zimuyut."

Despite her telling him to get lost, the figure turned and grinned, his teeth flashing white in the dim light. "Are you the zhydivka?"

The inside her of right forearm tingled at his crude mention of her faith. She rubbed it against her side to make it stop. Even though the Star of David tattoo there had been erased years ago, a faint scar still remained. For the last century, Jews like her had been marked from birth for their faith and banished to colonies like this one.

But the fact he knew who she was raised every trigger of warning along her body. She tensed, ready to abort her mission to avoid being compromised. "Who are you?"

He drew closer, his features becoming more pronounced with each step. He stood over two meters tall with bulging muscles barely concealed by the all black ensemble he wore. A holster crisscrossed his chest, holding a gun on each side. But the telltale scar snaking along the right side of his face from his eye to the corner of his mouth identified him far better than any words could.

Piotr Vorontsov, a member of the richest family in the R colonies and a rising leader in the rebellion against the GEA.

A chill rippled down her spine. His presence meant one of three things: he was either here to supervise her work, snatch the info as soon as she obtained it, or keep her from snatching the info in the first place. But until she knew why, she'd keep her mouth closed.

His grin widened as he approached her. "Don't act so scared, little zhydivka. I'm the one who specifically asked for you." He stopped inches from her face. "Your skills are almost as legendary as your parents'."

"Should I be thanking you for that?"

"Yes, you should. You and your handler. It's my father who's been financing your work." He turned and beckoned her to follow. When he reached the edge, he pointed to the thick metal cable stretched between the two buildings. "I've kept my end of the deal. I'll even personally act as your lookout."