Inferno (Talon #5)(39)
“Yeah,” I agreed. And that was the problem; we couldn’t fully trust half our team in a mission where trust was vital. For Riley’s sake, and for the sake of the breeders he’d fought so hard to find, I hoped this mission would not end in tragedy.
A rumble went through the ship, the shudder of engines as the vessel slowed. Not stopping, but cutting through the waves at about half our former speed.
Garret raised his head, a flash of steely determination crossing his face as he gazed over the ocean. “There it is,” he whispered, making my stomach do a couple backflips before settling. I followed his gaze and saw a distant silhouette against the blue-black of the sky.
“Yup.” Riley pushed himself off the railing, that defiant smirk mirroring the gleam in his eyes. “It’s showtime.”
RILEY
I sat at the front of the Zodiac raft, the wind and salt spray in my face, watching the looming silhouette of the island get larger and larger. Mist sat beside me, her long hair stuffed under a ski cap, her body hidden under her Viper suit. Not for the first time, I glanced down to make sure the sleek black outfit was still under my clothes; no one had told me how the Viper suit, after a few minutes of sucking at your skin, seemed to mold to your body, until it felt like you were wearing nothing at all. When I first put it on, it was creepy as hell, and I’d wondered if I’d be able to stand the clinging sensation, which had amused Ember and Mist to no end. Now, I repeatedly forgot I was wearing it.
Six soldiers of St. George were crouched at our backs, heavily armed and dressed for battle. All of them were of the Western Chapterhouse, and Lieutenant Martin was here, as well. We, apparently, had gotten the good raft. Ember and St. George had to ride in the raft with Lieutenant Windbag and his thugs. I had no love for the Order, but I would admit that Martin, at least, could see the bigger picture.
Still, that both lieutenants of the Order were accompanying us on the mission was frustrating. This was my operation. I had planned it for years. The soldiers of St. George cared nothing for these dragons. In fact, under normal circumstances, this wouldn’t be a rescue mission at all; it would be a strike to slaughter each and every one of them.
But I couldn’t do this alone. And I understood why the lieutenants had to be here. None of these soldiers would take orders from a dragon, at least not willingly. We were barely allies. For a mission this large and volatile, where one wrong move could spell disaster for everyone, dragon and soldier alike, we couldn’t take any chances.
The island loomed closer, a massive black giant against the stars. I gazed up at the huge shadow, felt excitement, anticipation and fear rip through my stomach, and took a deep breath. This was it. The location of Talon’s breeding facilities. After all these years, decades of rumors, dead ends, frustration and disappointment, I had found it. The lives of countless captive dragons hung in the balance tonight. I sure as hell wasn’t going to fail them.
Martin’s voice cackled through my earpiece, low and commanding: “This it is. From here, we split up. See you on the other side, gentlemen.”
I glanced at the lead raft and caught Ember’s gaze. She sat next to St. George, the wind tossing the red curls that had escaped her cap. Her eyes were bright with determination as she gave me a nod and a faint smile, which I returned. See you soon, Firebrand.
The rafts veered apart. Three of them swerved sharply to the left, heading for the northwest side of the island. My raft turned east and began following the cliffs, alone.
After several silent minutes, a small beach appeared between the foreboding cliff faces, a tiny strip of sand that was the only break in the seemingly endless wall of rock. We drove the raft onto the shore, hopping out to pull it onto the sand. After we’d dragged it out of reach of the waves, I straightened and looked around. About a hundred yards up the beach, dense jungle formed an ominous barrier between us and our targets. If anyone shipwrecked on this tiny beach, they’d have no clue that a huge, multi-million-dollar facility lay beyond that menacing tangle of vines and trees. Though I had no doubt the jungle was the least of our obstacles. The real security would be farther in.
“Wes,” I said quietly into my throat mic. The hacker was back with the ship, huddled over the map on his computer, tracking our movements. “We’ve landed.”
“Hang on,” Wes muttered in my ear. “Just trying to pick up your location. Okay, I’ve got you. Can you hear me, Lieutenant?”
“Loud and clear,” Martin replied.
“Looks like you’re about two and a half miles from the first fence line,” Wes continued. “Head northwest and you should reach it.”
“Roger that.” I nodded once and turned to Mist. “Okay, Mist. You’re up.”
She gave me a tight smile, took a few steps away from the soldiers and began to change. Her black Viper suit seemed to melt into her skin as the girl’s body stretched and shimmered, unfurling into the sleek, silver-white dragon that was her true self. I kept a careful eye on the soldiers as she changed, hoping none of them would forget themselves and start shooting. Their eyes were wide as they stared at her, and I realized none of them had likely ever seen an actual Shift before. A couple, I saw, gripped their weapons tightly, as if fighting their instinctive response to kill any dragon they saw.
Mist ignored the soldiers, nodded at me and glided up the beach toward the jungle. Without so much as a rustle, she vanished into the shadows and undergrowth, where she would scout ahead, silent and deadly, to warn us of any potential guards, patrols or ambushes.