Masters of the Sky

Chapter 1 The Heist (Part 1)

The sea depths were dark, barely illuminated by the distant lights above the surface. The small flashlight in Celia's diving suit was scarcely enough to avoid sturdy metal foundations keeping the city above the water. But thanks to earlier reconnaissance, she knew what to look for. She counted the support beams while slowly threading the water. Her suit was heavy and bulky, but its role was to provide her lungs with oxygen and protect her skin from toxins in the water. She could stand a bit of discomfort.

After passing the fifth column, her hands found narrow railings of the maintenance ladder. It was rusted, and some rails broke off long ago, but it was still enough to climb up. Celia held to the bar with one hand, and with the other, she started covering and uncovering her flashlight, sending signals to her crew. When the first bulky shape appeared in her sight, she made her way up.

Her surroundings didn't get much brighter when she finally broke the surface. It was night, and the metal foundation under the buildings was not illuminated. The only light came from above, slipping through the tiny cracks between loosely-fitted base frames. Celia pulled herself up on the wide lateral beam and removed her helmet. The cold, salty air was like a breath of heaven on her sweaty face. It tasted almost fresh below the surface. She quickly took off her clunky suit while the rest of her crew headed up the ladder to join her.

Once out of their diving gear, they fastened heavy suits to the ladder for the other team to retrieve. The protective garments were precious but too bulky to carry on to the heist. They relied on their speed and agility, so they didn't have too much gear to weigh them down.

"Are you all ready?" Celia asked in a low but commanding tone, looking at her four companions.

They wore dark clothes, high boots, and leathered jackets with metal plates. They were not enough to withstand the bullet aimed precisely at them but could stop a throwing knife and other similar projectiles. Celia and her crew also wore wide leather belts with plenty of gadgets hanging from there, and each of them had a different set for the role they played in the heist.

"As ready as can be, boss!" replied the only other woman in the team. Lyra was taller than Celia, with long legs and beautiful hair that could compete against fire with its colour intensity. But she was not only a beauty but, first and foremost, a great mechanic and inventor. Her belt held all sorts of wrenches and guns, but those did not shoot bullets. Lyra was the team's Disruptor. She ensured that all security technology─from the alarms to guarding mechanical creatures─was quickly and quietly disabled before they could start any racket.

"Walk me through the plan. Abner?"

The man was half a head shorter than Lyra but straightened and puffed out his chest, giving his fancy dark moustache a twirl. "We walk in through the maintenance hatch in the loading bay. Lyra and I scout the area and remove or disable all the guards there. When the area is clear, the rest of you follow."

"So far, so good. Zed?"

The dark-skinned man was the tallest and the bulkiest of them all. He needed to have his diving suit tailored specifically for his size. But he was also one of the strongest people in the cartel, which came in handy when they needed to move the heavy stolen goods quickly. Celia couldn't see his eyes from behind the copper goggles, and his mouth was closed in a thin line. He looked intimidating and never smiled, but Celia knew better than anyone that it was how he was.

"We move to the storage area." His voice was a low rumble. "We must cross the main hall, pass the foundry and designers' and management office. The weapons depot is at the very back of the main level. It will most certainly be heavily guarded."

"Right. So, how do we pass all those guards and not alarm the whole place?" Celia inquired and turned to the last crew member. "Vash?"

The man produced a long sigh. "Do we really have to go through it again?"