Chapter 3: First Mission
For a while, the rest of the trip to our drop-off location was a little tense. Even though I still had no idea what had happened at the mall, they all did. They had seen the security footage. Apparently, the military had also recovered a phone that had been recording it as well. The owner was dead of course.
Interestingly, despite the fact that I was clearly dangerous, the reminder of that fact seemed to have the same effect on Trinity as it had on me the more I realized how dangerous she was. For the rest of the trip, she ended up not only with her legs in my lap, but also with her body pressed against mine. She also had my arm wrapped in her embrace, pressed against her body, as if she couldn’t get close enough. I wasn’t sure why the danger was such a powerful lure, but we were both feeling it. My life was literally in her hands, and the truth was, hers was in mine too. Killing each other would be so easy, and yet that only seemed to strengthen our desire for each other.
However, the atmosphere was still tense for everyone else for a different reason. I tried to lighten the mood by getting to know everyone a little better. I had already discovered that Trinity was sixteen, so I asked everyone else for their ages too. I had been pretty close overall, although I definitely overestimated Zane’s age, who was only twenty-six instead of almost thirty. His years of forced service must have really taken a toll on him, aging him prematurely. Ava was twenty and Zayden was nineteen. That left me as the second to last youngest at seventeen.
I still hadn’t gotten a clear answer as to what my ability was, which was frustrating. However, I didn’t want to provoke everyone when they were already on edge about it. I knew I needed to know soon, but I figured I could just ask Trinity in private to give me a straight answer.
The drop-off location ended up being at the edge of an abandoned road surrounded by trees. I had thought that all ten soldiers were on the other team, but it turned out the drivers weren’t staying. Leaving only eight soldiers coming with us. We were to walk six miles through the forest and then wait for nightfall to make our attack on the mansion, which was yet another mile and a half away. We would be traveling the last of that distance in the dark.
Overall, the trek through the trees was quiet. Now that we had officially started the mission, speaking was reserved for only when it was absolutely necessary. Which meant I kept silent most of the time. Trinity finally had her black hat on, with her hair twisted up underneath it, covering up the majority of the vibrant blue. I found myself distracted a lot by the sight of the back of her neck, so pale and thin, feeling the urge to touch her soft skin. As I noticed the blue peach fuzz at the base of her hairline, I realized that, other than her eyebrows and eyelashes, she had no other visible hair on her body – none on her arms or legs. Granted, her arms and legs were covered now, but I very distinctly remembered no blue arm-hair. I wasn’t sure if that was natural for her, or if she just shaved regularly.
It felt weird not having a weapon. The eight soldiers with us all had high caliber machine guns, although they were not planning on using them unless absolutely necessary since stealth was the goal. Zane had a handgun strapped to his waist, and Ava had a couple of large knives, but other than that our team was weaponless. Granted, I knew I was supposed to be the weapon…if only I knew what kind of weapon I was.
I had asked Trinity about it, towards the beginning of the hike, feeling that it was important. She confirmed that they wouldn’t be necessary for our team for this mission. If anything, they’d be a hindrance. Trinity was apparently an excellent shot, in part due to her perfect muscle control, but those skills were unnecessary right now.
My sixth sense turned out to come in handy several times on the six-mile hike. The first time, as we were quietly walking, I suddenly sensed that I was within an enemy’s range of attack.
“Wait,” I whispered urgently, dropping onto my heels. Everyone immediately followed suit, including the eight soldiers, getting down on their knees and scanning the area. Trinity was watching me intently for some sign of what I was sensing. Focusing my eyes on the ground, I slowly stepped forward in a crouched position, passing her as I tried to pinpoint the location of the threat. Just as I got to Zane and Ava, who were in front, I found it.
I pointed at my two-o’clock and whispered. “That direction, about two and a half the length of a football field away.” I wasn’t sure how many feet away it was, so I just used a comparison I thought they might understand.
Ava immediately pulled out her daggers, her entire body turning into a thick black shadow, including her clothes and weapons, and she slipped into the ground…just like a ghost. It was silent for what felt like a really long time as we all waited, until suddenly we heard a body fall from a tree far off in the distance. Ava returned in record time, popping out of the ground and nodding at Trinity. She then gave me a grin too. We all stood up and continued onward more cautiously.
“Good job,” Trinity whispered as she passed me. I just nodded in response.
I noticed that she seemed to maintain a position just in front of me, whereas the other three of them took turns shifting their location around me. Initially, Ava and Zane were in front on opposite sides, with Zayden behind. However, it became clear that they were in an ever-shifting formation, with me clearly at the epicenter. Even though they had never talked to me about it, I realized it made sense. After all, the entire success of the operation depended on making sure I made it to our target, because supposedly I was the only one who could take down the big bad guy. Granted, I didn’t fully understand the need for them to change positions around me.
I thought about our main target’s ability to manipulate liquids, including other people’s blood, and wondered why I would be immune to such a power. Was it because I could heal quickly? I doubted I could recover from having my blood torn out of me. Yet still, Major General Armstrong had been completely confident in their computer’s prediction that I was the key to ending this monster’s empire of horrors.
I had the group stop three more times, whenever I would sense danger, on our way to our first stopping point. I got better at pinpointing the location too, and Ava dispatched our potential assailants long before they ever saw us coming. It seemed everyone began to feel more confident about having me there, since that one ability alone was paying off huge. No one else could sense danger like I could.
At one point, a mountain lion came running up to the group to share some information with Zane. Apparently, he didn’t just control predators. He could also communicate with them, although not like we talked to each other. It was more like he could understand what they had seen, felt, and heard. Sort of like reading its mind, except not. Trinity had told me back in the gymnasium that he was basically a werewolf, so I was curious to know if he would actually transform into one on this mission.
When we arrived at our first stop, the sun was already really low on the horizon. Six miles was a long ways to go, especially when walking at a cautious pace. The location was an outcropping of rocks that had been scoped out a long time ago as an ideal waiting point.
While I sat on a stone slab sticking out of the ground, waiting for Trinity to return, the leader of the soldier’s group discussed with her potential changes in the plan. From the sound of it, the fact that they had been required to kill four henchmen already hadn’t been expected, even if they had mostly been normal people. The forest wasn’t part of Weaver’s property, and also it was far out from his actual compound. It made them wonder if they were lacking intelligence.
Another soldier was handing out small pouches of some kind of thick syrup for a small meal before the mission. Apparently, it was loaded with energy but had almost no residue, so as to not cause anyone to need to empty their bowels. None of them had eaten yet today to avoid that problem.
“Last thing you want is to have to take a dump in the middle of a mission,” Zane was saying quietly, holding up his pouch and gulping it down. He was sitting about four feet away on another rock. Finished with it,
he continued. “This little sucker has more than a full day’s worth of calories stuffed in. Not very satisfying, but you certainly won’t feel low on energy.”
I looked down at the small pouch in my hand. I wasn’t hungry, especially considering all I’d had to deal with so far that day. Really, when I thought about it, I felt ‘full’ even though I hadn’t eaten since earlier that morning. At the mall, I had been planning on having lunch, but that never happened. The ice cream would have been a great surprise, since my girlfriend wouldn’t have expected…
I sighed heavily and tried to clear my mind. It wouldn’t do me any good to get worked up at a time like this. Trying to distract myself, I glanced up at Trinity still talking to the other team’s leader. I remembered his name had been Reynolds. She was actively taking small gulps of her own pouch while she listened, her lips forced into a small circle around the straw-like nozzle. She looked so small and innocent compared to the guy. He was easily a foot taller than her, much wider too, and yet from his body language it was obvious he didn’t perceive her as being beneath him in any way. I had no idea what the official ranking was between them, but at the very least the guy had a healthy respect for the danger she represented.
After a few minutes, she glanced over at me and gave me a small smirk when she saw me staring. She then said something quietly to the guy, who nodded, before sauntering over towards me. Trinity then plopped down at my side with a grin.
“Not hungry?” She whispered, leaning in close and lightly pressing her shoulder against mine. I shook my head, and she continued. “This really isn’t for hunger though. It’s to make sure you don’t pass out from a lack of energy in the middle of the fight.”
I just shrugged in response. “I feel fine.” Then I moved my hand with the pouch and placed it gently on her knee. “Want it?”
She looked up at me, her eyes narrowing. “Trying to groom me? You must really want me to put out.”
“What?” I asked in surprise, quickly lowering my voice. “Can’t I just be nice without expecting anything in return?”
She scoffed quietly. “Yeah right.”
“I’m serious,” I retorted, suddenly annoyed. It was weird that she was suddenly acting so unapproachable now. She was the one who kept suggesting that she might ‘put out’ in the first place. And while I did like her, despite my better judgment, I wasn’t thinking about that when we were about to go into battle with other lethal ability users like us. Not to mention that everyone was counting on me. Really, I was trying not to think about a lot of things.
“You really mean that, don’t you?” Trinity asked in disbelief.
I shrugged again. “Well, yeah.”
“So you’re saying that even if there was no hope of you getting laid, you’d still give it to me?”
I eyed her suspiciously, before responding. “Yeah.”
“Prove it.” She said quickly. “Give it to Zayden.”
“Are you sure?” I asked in surprise. I wasn’t about to ask for it back if she changed her mind. She quickly nodded in response, causing me to raise my eyebrows. I then sighed and looked over to get his attention. “Devil,” I whispered, remembering to use his codename. He immediately looked up at me with a murderous gaze, which quickly turned to confusion when I tossed him my pouch. His eyes narrowed after he caught it, glancing at Trinity instead me. She gave him a quick nod, and he gulped it down without hesitation. It again made me wonder if they had any kind of history together beyond being teammates. She at least seemed to have some level of concern for him. Annoyed, I looked away. “Didn’t realize you were so nice,” I commented.
She looked up to study my suddenly irritated expression, before replying. “Not really. His ability can use a lot of energy. The more he has available, the more valuable he is to the team.” She then shrugged. “Besides, it would be a waste if I took it. Once I start killing people I’ll be just fine – unlimited energy basically.”
I quickly looked at her to see if she was serious…she was dead serious. Not even a hint of a smirk to indicate it was a joke. I tried to lighten the mood with a semi-playful question. “You don’t have a conscience, do you?” I kept my tone light, but then quickly realized my question might not be the best thing to ask someone like her, especially if it were true.
Her expression was still serious. “Are you asking me if I’m a sociopath, Jake?”
I stared at her briefly, trying to evaluate how much trouble I was in. I tentatively responded honestly. “I’m not trying to call you names. I’m just trying to understand you. You obviously have no problem killing people, and seem to even enjoy it, but at the same time you care about your teammates.” I then quickly clarified. “I mean, you seem to care at least.”
Trinity considered my answer for a moment before responding. “I don’t like being lied to,” she whispered, but then she put up her hand when I tried to protest. “Which is why I appreciate your honesty.” I took a deep breath, glad I appeared to be out of the shark tank. She then sighed, lowering her voice even more, as if she didn’t want anyone to overhear. “I do care some, I guess – it’s hard not to when you’re placed in situations like this where your survival depends on your comrades. However, you would do well to leave your conscience at home from now on. You’ll go crazy if you dwell too much on what happens here.”
I sighed too. “Right.” Really, I had already been doing just that – choosing not to dwell on what had happened earlier that day – choosing not to think about the reason why I was here in the first place…And choosing not to think about what my future held for me. Right now, all I had time to worry about was the imminent threat I had to deal with. There wasn’t room for anything else.
Trinity patted me on the knee in reassurance. I appreciated the gesture but was again confused that she seemed to be acting friendly again. I couldn’t get a clear read on her. One minute it was like she was interested in me, and then the next she was acting like I was a heathen who just wanted to sleep with her. I did, honestly, but that wasn’t my top priority with this new girl who I had just been so recently introduced to. Oddly enough, I felt like I would have been fine just sitting close to her for the rest of my life. Sex would be a great perk, but not necessary to make me happy with her.
Which…made me feel…really screwed up…especially considering…I had a…
I quickly took a deep breath and pushed my thoughts away. It was getting dark now, and I noticed Zane and Zayden both had night vision goggles on their foreheads. Looking around, I realized all the men had them on now. They were small enough that they could have fit in a pocket when compacted, but I hadn’t considered that was something we would need. I hadn’t been given any gear at all, other than the bulletproof vest.
The only three people lacking them were Ava, Trinity, and me. I looked at Trinity questioningly, and she seemed to know what I was thinking, using our codenames to explain. “Shadow doesn’t ‘see’ with her eyes like we do. I mean, she can, but she can also see without them – sort of like with her mind I guess, even when she’s not in her shadow form. Although, her second-sight is a lot stronger in her shadow form. She is like a ghost after all.” She then stuck her thumb back towards herself. “And as far as I go…well, let’s just say that my eyes are special. I barely even notice when it gets dark. Even when everyone else sees pitch black, I can still see. They think my eyes emitted a light frequency that only I can detect – they certainly haven’t been able to confirm that though.” She then glanced at Zane. “Alpha can only see in the dark when he’s transformed.”
My eyes were wide as I listened, waiting for her to continue. When she didn’t, I asked, “Then what about me? I’m pretty sure I can’t see in the dark.”
Trinity frowned then as she considered it. “Well, that’s a computer thing actually. Their AI seemed confident that you would be able to ‘see’ without your eyes too, sort of like what Shadow does.” She then paused, seeming pensive. “And really, I think it was right.”
“You do? Ba
sed on what?”
She abruptly tapped me on the forehead. “Think about it silly. In the last few hours, you’ve noticed every threat way before any of the rest of us. Did you use your eyes for that?”
“Oh…no, I guess not.”
“Exactly.” She then got a grin on her face again. “Close your eyes.”
I was about to ask her what she was up to, but then remembered I was supposed to obey her in the field, no questions asked. I sighed, and then did as she requested.
“Good boy,” she said cheerfully after seeing my brief turmoil. “Now, I want you to clear your mind and just focus on your surroundings. Think about the threats you feel right now coming from us and focus on exploring that sensation. Plug your ears too, so you aren’t distracted by the sounds.”
I quickly nodded and stuck my fingers tightly in my ears to block out the quiet noises made by the soldier’s shuffling around and whispering. The first thing I noticed was my own heartbeat, so I quickly tried to ignore that too. However, the rhythmic pounding actually seemed to help me focus, and I explored the sensation of the threat Trinity presented to me.
I then reached out and explored how each person’s presence felt. I could feel all of them, even though I couldn’t see or hear them. The soldiers weren’t really a threat, but I could still sense them – just barely. And before long, I realized I could detect when they moved as one soldier got up to stretch. I peeked my eyes open to confirm with my vision that I wasn’t just imagining it, before closing them again tightly. I almost felt like there was large spatial map in my mind of my immediate surroundings. It was empty at first, but as I reached out further and further with my sixth sense it began to fill in with the details. I even got a sense of the general objects in the area, including trees, shrubs, and rocks, but my mind couldn’t hold onto all those details at once. If I reached out far enough, while I could still sense Trinity at my side, I could no longer sense the details of my immediate surroundings.
Omega Squad Page 4
