Mended and Marked

Chapter Two - Cahress

White-hot agony shoots into my knuckles and up through my wrist. I ignore the pain and grab the barrel with my other hand, using my attacker's own momentum to propel him closer to me. With pins and needles pricking up and down my arm, I lift my forearm and bring it crashing down on the black clad limb so hard bones crack.

The puny ISC guard dies screaming as I pull my blade from my chest harness and bury it in his throat. Crimson sprays in a wide arc as I yank my knife free of him, letting him free fall to the ground with a wet thump.

Adrenaline floods my veins, urging me to fall into instinct, but I use my years of training and stay firmly in control of my motions. Wiping the filthy blade on my water-resistant suit, I slide it back into its holster and stalk forward.

"Well, if they didn't already know we're here, they do now," Thret rumbles, stepping around me and sending me an angry glance. I roll my shoulders and force my dense fur to settle, knowing Thret thinks of nothing beyond the mission. His thick, bony plates reflect the soft yellow light from the floorboards, causing his silhouette to shift through the shadows.

"I don't hear an alarm, and it's not like he had enough time to sound one."

At my retort, Commander Ru'en snarls and stalks forward. His white pupils narrow in his black irises, relaying his annoyance.

"We can't take chances, Cahress. These ISC bastards are too conniving. Take the rear."

His shoulder grazes mine as he passes, chilling my skin despite our temperature regulated suits. A rare Frigent, Commander Ru'en's blood runs like liquid ice in his veins—even through both of our suits he sucks the heat right out of my flesh.

Usually he doesn't run so cold, but a few weeks ago another Warrior Elite pummeled him into the ground, turning the normally grim alpha into a cruel beast. With the added adrenaline of our mission, he pulls all traces of warmth from the air, creating an almost visible cloud of icicles around him.

Commander Ru'en strides past Thret and leads the way down the darkened hall, his footsteps eerily silent on the backlit floor panels.

Thret follows him on equally quiet feet.

Jokur taps my shoulder. The dark markings around his eyes camouflages well in the dim lighting, but my keen eyesight sees him point at himself then motion toward the rear, letting me know he wants me to go in front. I nod and follow Thret.

We haven't heard anything from Choku, which is a blessing. His special skills make him the perfect candidate for sneaking to the other side of the mountain and securing any potential exits. If he hasn't contacted us via our suits' communication units, then we don't have to worry about ISC reinforcements showing up out of nowhere, like they did when Warrior Elite Team 1 began the first invasion of an ISC facility on this planet, Mai'CuS.

I dart across the first doorway and keep my attention trained further down the hall, waiting for Commander Ru'en and Thret to clear the room. They exit empty-handed with the scent of death clinging to their suits.

The moment they exit the room, I continue to the nearest doorway and check the surrounding wall for hidden cameras or traps and swipe the hacked chip hidden in my wristband across the card reader. I surge forward, entering the room before the door fully opens, and lunge across the space. My knife pierces the beta's temple before he finishes sitting up. He falls back onto the bed and jerks as I slice his throat. Several seconds later, he lies as still as death. A quick perusal of the room shows no other beings within, so I wave Jokur out and follow him into the hall.

Only three other doors remain—one on the left, one on the right, and the reinforced door at the end of the hall.

Commander Ru'en glares at me, relaying his unhappiness over my disobedience—because how dare I not be last in formation—before he unlocks the last door on the right and disappears into the darker room. Thret follows him in, an unnecessary precaution, but we don't take chances.