Instigator by Nicole Ciacchella

Author:Nicole Ciacchella
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sweenix Rising Books
Published: 2014-06-25T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 28

Several days later, Lagunes and Mal met to finalize the terms of their agreement. There was no hiding the relief everyone felt at achieving the outcome for which they'd so fervently hoped.

"Lagunes said the situation with the Creators is getting worse," Mal had told them at the debrief.

"The irony," Javier had said, his smile suggesting that it was the most delicious thing he'd heard in years. "By trying to dissuade the Roots from opposing them, the Creators have driven them to the opposition."

Dara thought about that as she and her team got ready for the raid. Everyone had a breaking point. Did regimes only topple because they pushed people past the bounds of what they would tolerate? If that was the case, hopefully no regime would ever learn how to push people just far enough.

"You ready?" Raj asked her quietly, turning his back to the others to provide some measure of privacy.

"Ready."

He searched her face, and she could tell something was on his mind. "Dara, I…"

"What is it?" she asked, meeting his gaze.

Shaking his head, regret suffused his face. "Nothing. Just…just be careful, okay?"

"You too. But I'll have your back and you'll have mine. I feel better knowing that."

He flashed her a smile but couldn't conceal its nervous edge. "I do too."

Addressing Tasha and Javier, Raj asked, "Are you two ready?"

"Roger that," Javier said, giving him a mock salute.

"Ready," Tasha said, checking the straps on her tactical vest, looking as uncomfortable in it as Dara felt. What body armor they had was precious, worn only during the most critical and dangerous missions. Dara fought to ignore the acid creeping up her throat. It was just a precaution.

Mal was waiting for them in the common room, as were the three other teams participating in the raid. Two of the other teams were familiar to her, people she'd trained with in both combat simulations and during Norah's crowd management sessions. The other team was comprised of complete strangers.

Catching them noticing, Mal said, "We asked one of the other cell's teams to join us for this mission, since they have superior tactical knowledge. Isadora Flores comes from a long line of Ganbaru Authorities, and Jamie Marsden was a Desai Authority before he joined us."

Jamie and Raj exchanged nods, and Dara wondered if they knew each other from their Desai days. She hadn't known there were Authority defectors within the Free Thinkers, but it made sense. Having those two along would be invaluable, thanks to their intimate knowledge of Creator security protocols and procedures.

"Calling out the big guns," Javier said, whistling.

Mal made a face at him, but the comment made Isadora grin. "And don't you forget it," she said, pointing at him.

"Oh, believe me, I won't," he said, putting his hands up.

"Isadora's Delta team will maintain the western outer perimeter while Karim and the Gamma team hold the eastern. The Roots will strike from the east and west, then Harlow's Beta team and Raj's Alpha team will move in from the north and south.

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