The night was moonless. The clouds had obscured any sight of the bright moon, and this was to our advantage. I looked through my scope. The Academy agents were slowly making their way towards our hideout. Several of them fell into the traps I and the Toma team had set a few days ago. Keeping my voice low, I spoke, "How many are there?"
"Thirty approximately coming from the south and west," Corey's voice spoke back to me. I readjusted my ear monitors, making sure that they would be secure for what we were going to do.
Axel was calm and composed. "Twenty five coming from the north and east."
"Less than I expected," I mused. "Update."
Brandon's voice was hushed and quick. "All ready. I'm in position."
Raven cursed in Russian before he spoke. "In position, Luna. Those bastards will never see us coming."
"You know the plan. We need to capture the leader. If not, that's something that we can't avoid."
At their noises of confirmation, I smirked. Everything was going to plan so far. Lowering my eye to my scope again, I noticed that they were approaching the line. "Get ready."
I regulated my breathing as the time count started. Ten. Breath in. Nine. Breath out. Eight. Readjust my position. Seven. Position myself. Six. Looked through my scope. Five. Targeted a target. Four. Placed my finger on the trigger. Three. Breath in. Two. Breath out. One. Shoot.
As my finger squeezed the trigger, familiar pain spread in my shoulder from the kick back, but I was used to the feeling. I immediately aimed at another person. Bullets started to echo in the forest. I grabbed my comms, yelling, "Brandon, now!"
A boom of explosions shook the forest as the bombs he had created was set off. Screams of our assailants filled the air, but I couldn't let myself feel any remorse for this yet. We had to survive. This is what our lives have become. Full of blood and screams.
"Shit," Corey muttered.
"What," I barked into my comms.
He panted. "They found my position."
I growled. I needed to hurry up with these people before I could try to get to Corey's position. "Hang on. Give me an update!"
"I'm almost done in the East," Brandon barked before another explosion rattled the trees.
Raven spoke. "Done with West. I'm making my way towards Corey's position."
Axel's voice was next. "Cover me, Sang."
I looked through my scope to see Axel rushing towards the agents. People fell to his guns as he shot them one by one. I supported him by taking those who were in his blind spot. As I aimed again, I noticed the leader and a small team moving towards the cabin. Axel had noticed them and was starting to make his way towards them. "Wait, let them go for now." He must have heard me because he continued to fight the remaining Academy agents.
"Corey!" Raven's voice screamed through the comms. "He's injured. I'm pulling him out."
"Get to the Destination 2," I yelled. "Brandon, how is your side?"
"Good," he spoke before another boom of explosives colored the sky red and orange. "Last bomb went off. I'll get started on Phase 2."
As the last person last person fell to the ground, I stood from my position. "How are you, Axel?"
He panted heavily. "Tired. You're still a good shot. 800 meters, right?"
I smiled, packing up my sniper rifle. "I still hold the record for best sniper in Phoenix."
He laughed. "See you at Phase 2."
I swung my rifle on my back before moving towards my ride. Tossing the black cover off, a dirt bike was revealed. I swung my leg over the bike. I was about to start it when my phone beeped. I had a secret alarm for the cabin that would notify me anytime the front door was open. I smiled as I checked the cameras. Those two had just unknowingly walked into my hands now. Kicking the kickstand up, I revved my bike before taking off.
Five minutes later, I pulled up to the safehouse when Axel and Brandon appeared on their bikes. They looked dirty and bloody but had satisfied looks on their faces. I walked towards them. "They're inside."
Axel nodded. "We'll interrogate the leader."
I nodded. We went towards the door when my ear monitors buzzed. Corey's voice was full of pain and worry. "What happened?"
Brandon sighed in relief. "You okay?"
Corey panted. "Yeah. A bullet grazed my arm. Raven is putting some stitches in."
"Okay," I said. I was relieved that he was okay. None of us were seriously injured, so that was a good thing. "You and Raven still need to be careful. We'll be there in a little while."
"Da," Raven said before communication was shut off.
The three of us grabbed our masks and placed them over our faces before Axel opened the door. His gun was in front of him, but I knew that he wouldn't need it. In the kitchen were the unconscious bodies the team leader and his team. The knockout gas that I had rigged had rendered them unconscious when they sought haven here. One of my eyebrows went up in surprise at the silver collar around the Academy agent.
"We'll interrogate them," Brandon said. Axel had grabbed the feet of the Academy team leader and had started to drag him to another room. While they were doing that, I walked over to a cabinet and threw the door open. Moving the things inside the cabinet aside, I pounded on the false back until it fell. Reaching inside, I grabbed the box that only I knew was there.
Standing up, I turned and walked to the living room where Axel was tying the man to a chair. I looked at the Academy agent. He was young, around my age. His hair was a white blonde and his features made him look delicate. Honestly, he was very cute, but why was a Silver-collared man doing in the Academy ranks?
I opened the box and brought out a syringe filled with a gray solution. Handing it out towards Axel, I looked up at him. "Get all the information you can out of him before eliminating him."
Axel's eyes hardened. He knew what to do. That didn't mean he liked doing this but this was our life. He nodded before I walked towards the back of the house. Inside a room was Brandon who was tying the three women to chairs. He looked up, giving me a smile as I placed the needles in his hands.
"I'm going to watch Axel's interrogation. Yell if you need me." I said before walking out where Axel was rousing the Academy agent. Blue eyes squinted at the light before widening at the sight of us and of him bound.
"I'm not going to tell you anything." He spat.
Axel and I looked at each other before Axel looked back at our captive. He shrugged. "You will because of this." He held the syringe with a flourish.
The agent flared at it. "What is that?"
Axel shrugged. "I don't know."
I snorted. Sometimes Axel was so difficult. "It's-" I spoke before I realized I didn't actually know the official name of it. I blinked at Axel. "I don't know it either." I turned towards the agent. "But don't worry. It's just a truth serum."
Before the agent could speak, Axel stabbed the needle into the man's neck and pushed the serum into his body. The serum worked fast, making the agent a little bit woozy. "Okay, what is your name?"
"Manny Hole." He said.
I grimaced. Who in the world would name their son Manny Hole? "How did you find us?"
"Tracking device."
Axel and I glanced at each other in surprise. "Where are the tracking devices?"
The agent smiled. "It's in that snooty guy's violin case."
Axel frowned. "Why did you guys place the device in Owen's violin case?"
"Because if they ever made a move to leave the Academy, Owen would be the one who'd make the first move."
"Are there more people tracking them right now?" I grabbed his chin, making him look at me.
He nodded. "There will be a second unit going after them if we don't succeed."
I bit my lip. The violin case was still on Owen. Marc and Kayli didn't have any communication device because we didn't know if they had tapped into our communications. We need to hurry to get to their destination before the Academy gets to them. "Axel, ask any questions quickly. We need to move."
Footsteps came down the hallway, and Brandon appeared. His eyes looked haunted from what he had to do. Although they were Academy agents, they were still people. I looked at him with searching eyes and walked towards the front door where Brandon was leaning against. "Are you okay?"
He shook his head. "I am tired of this. All of this killing."
I nodded. "I'm tired, too, Brandon. What did you learn from them?"
He looked down. "Nothing useful. They were just following orders."
I laid my head against his shoulder. Although Brandon seemed like the guy who'd didn't care about much, he was quite the opposite. He loved things but what we do now makes him have that sad and haunted look. Brandon sighed. "What about you?"
"There is a tracking device in Owen's violin case," I stated. "When Axel is done, we need to go get Raven and Corey then we go towards them."
"Will we have time?"
Axel spoke. Droplets of blood rolled down his leather sleeve. "We have thirty minutes before they send the second unit. We have time to get the others, get to the Prime, and disappear in time."
I took a deep breath and let it out. Grabbing my keys, I walked towards our dirt bikes. "Let's go."
Update! Sorry it's not as long as the BITA All14 but the other book has something that this one doesn't. Please tell me what you think. Don't like. Like. Thoughts. I hope you all like this chapter.
<3 Azallya