To Be A Warrior

Chapter 29: Paradise By The Dashboard Light

"Okay, guys, if Kytan's information is right, you should be on top of the Riders pretty soon." Sam pauses, and the silence in the air is heavy. "Now, are you sure you want to go through with this, Nadia?"

"Not really," She replies, obviously uncomfortable. "But who better to infiltrate a biker gang, right? This was never going to be safe, but this is the safest time. The Riders are weaker than they've ever been with infighting and accusing each other of losing their ecstasy refinery. It's the perfect time to plant someone on the inside so we can take them down forever. So that when Veronica does come up with a solution for the V-Type situation, they won't get in our way."

"Now, Nadia," Amelia tsks over the headset, "I've told you about saying 'we'. Abel and Fort Canton are not one and the same."

"Once again, Amelia, not sure you're fully grasping the spirit of a joint operation."

I giggle at the exasperation in Sam's voice, and Nadia simply rolls her eyes.

"I'll be okay. Just as long as Kytan can get me into the gang safely."

The man in question smiles assuringly, happily. "Don't worry. Since the Ministry fell, I've been all over the country trying to help people with Moonchild Syndrome. It's mostly faded now, but for some people, it's worse than ever. A couple of Rider sufferers came to me for herbal medicine a few weeks ago. They owe me a favor."

Him saying that does little to put me at ease. I probably shouldn't feel this way, since I'm not the one putting my life out on the line. I knew this idea was up in the air, but yesterday when Janine came into the coms shack and told us this was what we were doing, I was shocked.

Milo was furious when he heard that Nadia was the one being sent off. He tried to argue, but Janine shut him down faster than I'd ever seen. He found it's a lot harder to argue with Janine that it is to argue with me, but I understand his fear. Nadia is his friend. It's pretty obvious she's not told him about the Rofflenet messages Veronica's sent her, probably to save his feelings and also because it's none of his business anyway. I still feel like it's mostly because of the former.

Milo's lost a lot of people he cared about-Caleb, Willis, Penelope, Veronica, me a few times, and he even looked up to Simon as runner before he betrayed us to Van Ark.

He's afraid of losing another friend.

"Yeah," Nadia, says, breaking me out of my thoughts. "We've heard rumors there is actually some kind of leader inside the Riders, even though they claim to be anarchists. We need someone to get close enough to find out what's going on in there. But yeah. I am scared."

"Just remember," Amelia butts in, "I'm only risking Nadia on this little escapade because I expect full disclosure on intelligence. If anything can help me win over other settlements, it's insight on the Riders."

I can hear the eyeroll in Sam's voice when he speaks. "Still treating the country like a giant game of Risk with your ex?"

"I keep telling you people, Brent's vulnerable. Now is the time to make alliances against him before everybody's on his side. Janine's blind if she can't see that."

"Maybe she thinks you're incredibly untrustworthy, because you are, in fact, incredibly untrustworthy."

"And what have I done recently that makes you so skeptical?"

"Besides the fact that like, two months ago you tried to convince my wife to move to Fort Canton and abandon Abel?"

Before Amelia can answer, the rumble of motorcycles reach my ears. I glance over to Nadia and Kytan, waiting for instruction.