Wattys Shortlist 2022 -
When she isn't looking, they call her the Princess of the Ghouls, but they haven't seen the assassination order on her secret identity: viper.
Stuck in Lake Darling, ruled by her father's gang, Vi has one objective... run awa...
"I said I'm gon' run it through Vertigo Designs, only way to get it out of the warehouse without the army noticing." The soldier grates into his phone, keeping his eye peeled for anyone passing his office that could listen in on his conversation. "Trick I understand it'd be quicker to run it through your men but it's not a risk I can take while I'm still inside with commanders breathing down my neck." His blonde, curly hair frames his masculine features well, and his pink lips flatten in irritation as he bickers with the man on the other side of the phone.
His gold shark-tooth earring is about the only visual indication that he was from Lake Darling. Aside from the last of his accent, he appears almost entirely like a sophisticated young man from Newcastle.
A shadow passes his blur tinted window, prompting him to cut the call short, "I'll get it out. Pass it on to Akimitsu that we're three months out." He pockets the phone, checking his watch before returning to the wall screen, which displays a lengthy document about resource distribution.
His Corporal-in-Command opens the door with a cursory knock, "Serg, you got a minute? I'm in a nip."
"Yeah, shoot." The blond Sergeant pretends to be bored with the document, hands in his pockets.
"I've drawn up the Hit listings for the escapes outta Bardon Compound, I need you to green-stamp them before I list it on CITE.K." Corporal Hedger flicks the files at the wall with his pen and the display opens up with several pictures, but the blond Sergeant's blue eyes zeros in on one.
Funny that the army would post warrants on an illegal cite. "What do you need?" He tries to make his voice devoid of recognition but his stomach twists.
Having noticed the change in mood, the Corporal straightens up, "Sir," Corporal Hedger makes a point to be unusually professional. "We need to know what numbers we're talking, and is it a kill order or do we just want them back?" Hedger notices that his boss is uncharacteristically distracted.
Nervous, Hedger keeps yabbering. "That girl was the instigator, it appears she had someone on the inside who helped her. A, Sergeant Leonard Mundi, was found dead... and she shot Sergeant Wilkes, but he was right next to an RTR machine so it looks like he healed himself up." Corporal Hedger's tone is just as bitter as the blond man's face. He lowers his voice, "Got my hands on the labs, Wilkes pulled himself out of the RTR early before he went back to try and apprehend them so he's going to have extensive nerve damage for the rest of his life. Bullet still in his neck. He was bit by a Manic, the cure was administered but it's reported that it was two hours after the bite, so I suspect the compound would've taken grip." He clears his throat, "It was all in hopes of pulling this one out," He points at Reid's piss-head mug-shot. He looks real Dockside in that photo. "He was pulled in for a medical review at two AM. By three AM they were out." He adds, but upon the lack of response Corporal Hedger falls silent.
"Two fifty on her, two fifty on him. Put two fifty on the manic and fifty a piece on the others." He mutters.
Hedger marks it down, "Kill order or does the commander want them back?" Hedger pushes his glasses up his nose as he waits for a reply. Still, his Sergeant gazes at two pictures in particular, and they fall silent for a long gap of time.
"Permission, sir?" The Corporal asks, plucking up some nerve.
"Granted." The young Sergeant's earring glints.
Corporal Hedger looks at him, "If they're from Lake Darling did you know them?"
He clears his throat, angling his head at the mean-looking girl with black hair, "That's my sister. And the commander wants this shīt cleared up, so make it a Kill order."
