Desmoterion, page 12
“Does it matter?”
Trent stared down at his hands. “Probably not. I just have to get Girish through a few more missions, and then maybe he’ll be ready. It won’t be long now.”
Mike touched Trent’s shoulder. “You’re still going through with the plan? Are you sure?”
“I have to.” Trent looked into Mike’s eyes. “If all goes according to plan, you’ll benefit. The last thing I want is to leave both of you in the lurch.”
Mike smiled. “Don’t worry about us. I’m sure Emyr will succeed, even without Kipper’s help.”
“It’s not Emyr’s abilities I’m worried about; it’s more if the plan as a whole will succeed. If it doesn’t, it could cost all our lives.”
* * *
Girish paced the corridor, waiting for the rest of the team. He was too early, but he couldn’t relax. Nervous energy pulsed through him.
He was going to do it — take the life of another person.
Granted, the man was a complete monster and deserved to die. But this mission was completely different from freeing trafficked people forced into slavery. If they were the good guys, surely they should be capturing the criminals to face justice in a law court.
Who sentenced the man to death? A government? Was there a fair process behind the assassination order? Was this assassination sanctioned by any legitimate process? The disturbing questions only unlined how little Girish knew about Desmoterion, but he knew he was a prisoner with no rights.
A snort rang out from the doorway. “Stop overthinking it. Just pull the damn trigger when we give you the signal.”
“Stop reading my damn mind.” Girish rolled his eyes at Trent’s appearance.
“Can’t help it. You make it too easy.”
“Shouldn’t you be sitting on your ass in the control room instead?”
“I kept you alive last time from the control room,” Trent moved over to stand in front of Girish. “And I will do the same this time. There’s no need for me to be there; I’m not your mommy to baby you through everything in life.”
“Don’t talk about my mother.” Girish’s hands clenched.
“You didn’t even meet her; she died when you were born. What does it matter?”
Girish shoved Trent away from him. “It means something to me!”
“Good, then focus on the mission at hand to make her proud.”
“Bullshit. Arden and Emyr told me you’ve fucked up trying to take this guy out multiple times. It sounds like you’re not man enough to do it yourself this time.”
“He found out through a mole who’s since been eliminated.” Trent’s jaw clenched. “I did not fuck up. I did everything according to plan, but now we have the upper hand on him.”
“So you assume. My luck, your arrogance will get me killed just to cover up your shortcomings.”
Trent shoved Girish hard against the vehicle’s door, knocking the wind out of him, and stepped up close. “Shut up! I am your superior, and you will respect me.” Trent stood so close that Girish may have felt him trembling with rage. “I’m trying to keep you alive, man!”
Girish glared at Trent. “Leave it to you to take out your frustration on others.”
“Now that you’ve got Kannan ready for the mission, we can take it from here.”
The anger and frustration drained from Trent’s at the sound of Emyr’s voice as he approached them. Trent stepped back from Girish without a word and walked away, bypassing a stunned Arden and Emyr.
* * *
Trent stumbled into his office and dropped to his knees. He held onto the wall as tears filled his eyes.
He was losing control.
It had been easy for so long to push it all to the side, but now the slightest thing was sending him over the edge.
The last thing he needed was for Girish to have a hold over him and a way to control him with his fluctuating emotions.
He had to keep it together. It would be all over soon. Yet, there were still things that needed to come together first.
A beep sounded in his office, followed by the voice of Kipper, “Trent? The mission will begin shortly.”
Trent rubbed at his face. He took a few deep breaths and coughed to steady his voice before speaking, trying to hide the raw emotion. “I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
Kipper didn’t respond to him. Thetransporterhad only just left and would be at the airport in a few minutes, so it was a matter of waiting for the helicopter to reach the edge of the city.
Kipper’s team was staking out the house that held Stefan Rourke to make sure he didn’t leave, so having Trent there made little sense unless their leader requested it.
Trent used his desk as a brace to get to his feet. He leaned against the wall by the door for support and tried to get his emotions back in check. He rubbed his chest with his hands to stop it from tightening. He just needed a little more time, that was all.
* * *
As he stepped outside, Girish blinked in the bright light over the long, empty strip of land. “Where are we?”
Emyr grabbed Girish by the arm. “Come on, they’re waiting for us.”
“Who is waiting for us? Where?” Girish looked around at the nothing surrounding them.
Arden chuckled, shouldering the rifles and bullets. “Our ride.”
They didn’t have to walk far from the transporter when a small helicopter swooped down to their position.
Girish studied the all-black helicopter with no markings on it. “A helicopter? We’re not going far, then?”
“It’ll be a tight fit, but it must do.” Emyr ducked under the whirling blades above.
With the help of the pilot, Arden rigged the bags to the bottom of the helicopter. He followed Emyr and Girish into the back of it.
Girish winced, smashing into the right side as Arden pushed them both to the side. “Not much room for three people.”
The pilot laughed while maneuvering the helicopter into the air again. “This ain’t some pleasure cruise, rookie.”
“Yes, but won’t the target hear this thing from a distance?”
The pilot turned sharply. “Obviously, which is why I’m dropping you three some distance away. A transporter will be waiting.”
Emyr nudged Girish. “Put your communicator in. Trent might have new intel for us before we get there.”
Girish put the small device behind his right ear like last time. He expected Trent to be chewing him out for whatever reason, but it was silent. “Mine’s not working.”
Emyr chuckled. “They haven’t said anything yet. Patience, Girish. Trust me, it’s better to pass the time in silence than have Trent complaining to you the whole way like last time.”
Girish thought back to what had happened earlier. He’d pushed back at Trent before, but not enough to get Trent so riled up.
* * *
Trent came into the communications area and stood behind Delgado. “Report.”
Kipper glanced and then had to look twice at Trent’s disheveled appearance.
Trent looked around. “Report!”
Delgado swallowed hard. “We’re monitoring the house Stefan Rourke is in. I believe they’re preparing for a party outside.”
“Perfect.” Trent glanced over at Kipper, who was still staring at him. “Something on your mind, Renard?”
Kipper frowned at the use of his last name. “I could ask you the same, Dupont.”
“I’m fine. Just had a few things to clear up before the mission. What’s the status of our helicopter?”
Ward spoke up. “I’m monitoring it now. It’s about halfway to the destination. The transporter is already at the meetup point, waiting for it to arrive.”
Trent let out a trapped breath. “Good; keep your eyes out for anything weird at the meetup location. Be alert for an ambush before the helicopter arrives.”
Ward frowned. “So you think that’s possible?”
Kipper looked over at Trent before answering. “It’s happened before. Rourke learned about our mission ahead of time, and our men were slaughtered before getting a chance to take him down. Trent is right: monitor for anything out of the ordinary, like vehicles parked along the roads. They could contain some of his men staking it out.”
Ward pulled up area maps around the location to scout it out.
* * *
Girish looked down at the open field as the helicopter lowered to the ground. A lone, unmarked box-transporter sat off to the side among the tall grass.
The pilot landed the helicopter and switched off the engine. He turned to face the three men. “Time to go. I’m in contact with the central command, and they’ll let me know if I have to do an emergency pickup. If not, you’ll meet me back here to take you back to the base.”
“An emergency pickup?” Girish blinked.
The pilot laughed. “Yeah, where I pick you three up from the ground in a hurry. It usually involves gunfire, and it wouldn’t be the first time.”
Girish’s eyes widened.
Emyr chuckled like they were off for a day at the beach, and waved at the pilot. “See ya later.”
Arden climbed out to undo the cargo attached to the backside of the helicopter and took it over to the waiting vehicle.
The time to kill someone was getting closer, and the guys around him acted like it was just another day.
* * *
“The helicopter has landed, and the men and gear are being transferred over. I haven’t seen anything suspicious nearby.”
Trent let out the trapped breath in his chest. “Good, maybe we can finish it this time around.” He tapped the console to talk into Arden, Emyr, and Girish’s ears. “Proceed to the next step. Your target location is ten minutes away.”
A snort rang out in Trent’s ear. “It’s about time you showed up, Trent. I thought you were going to let me wing it by myself.”
Trent rolled his eyes at Girish’s comment. “Emyr and Arden know what they’re doing and will help you as needed. I’m only here to provide intel relating to the job, nothing more.”
“I doubt that. I’m sure you’ll find a way to make me feel worse about the whole thing.”
Emyr’s voice cut in. “Trent, anything else before we head out?”
Trent tried to ignore Girish’s slight; it shouldn’t have bothered him, but it did. “Not as yet, Emyr. We haven’t found anything that’ll impede our progress. Proceed.”
“Got it.”
Trent could hear the shuffling of Emyr pushing Girish toward the transporter and cussing him out for saying stuff like that to his superior, with others listening in. The truth is, only Trent could hear it, and he was used to it.
He just hoped Girish wouldn’t screw things up further in the heat of the moment.
* * *
The ride to the suburbs was unremarkable. Arden and Emyr kept telling Girish it would be fine, but it wasn’t fine.
He was about to murder someone in cold blood. It wasn’t even an honorable way to do it, hiding out in some bush to take the shot to end his life.
Girish flashed back to Trent’s office when he begged him to do this mission, which would be important later. He wasn’t sure what it all meant, but the desperation in Trent’s voice was enough for him to agree initially.
Now, he wasn’t so sure that had been a good idea.
Trent wouldn’t be the one pulling the trigger; Girish was. What would happen if Girish missed? What about if he froze and couldn’t shoot?
Would that mean the end of his life?
Arden gripped Girish’s shoulder. “You’re thinking too much. Just aim and pull the trigger, Girish; it’s all you have to do.”
“No, it’s not all. I’m taking someone’s life. Doesn’t that bother you?”
“None of the people we kill have much in the way of redeeming qualities. Half the time, they’re smuggling drugs or kids; even adults should be slaves. Most end up in horrible conditions. Maybe this’ll help.”
Girish stared at the houses in the distance. “I don’t know if I can do it, Arden.”
“You have to. It’s us or them. We don’t have any choice. And you’ll end up getting put on suicide missions later.”
“I didn’t do what I was sent to prison for.” Girish looked down “They said I killed a man while trying to escape from the office explosion. I was framed.”
“You were? Why didn’t you say anything?”
Girish thought back to the trial. “Those assholes. Pretty sure the lawyers were in on it..”
“Still, most of us hadn’t killed anyone before we got here. Emyr and I were thieves, just stupid kids. Trust me, Girish, the first time is always the worst one. After that, it becomes easier.”
“Somehow, that seems fitting for both of you. Emyr the nerdy guy making gadgets, and you as the thief.”
“I stole too.” Emyr nudged Girish’s back with his elbow. “But Arden was great in the art galleries because he was tall enough to lift the expensive paintings off the wall without triggering alarms. I was the one squeezing into tight places to steal stuff from safes. In the end, we were too greedy and landed in prison.”
“That we did, but we only served a little while before Trent came to get us. We were taken luckily. Usually, Trent just takes one per mission.”
“Don’t remind me of those assholes inside.” Emyr shivered. “They’re the reason I slept with a shiv in my hand every night. I almost sliced Trent up when he came for me. Though he was already trained up well enough to anticipate it and swift enough to dodge it.”
Girish stared at Emyr. “Mike was already there before you two? He doesn’t strike me as being older than either of you.”
“He isn’t. We’re all the same age, but he came here as a teen after beating someone to death in an underground fighting ring. Cops busted the place as he was doing it and charged him with assault at first and then murder when the guy died the next morning. Mike was someone you didn’t want to trifle with. From what I heard of his prison days, no one fucked with him at all. They were too scared of him.”
“Did Trent get him from prison as well?”
“Yeah, he’s been with Desmoterion for a long time.” Emyr grinned widely. “Mike handed him his ass by all accounts, in the process. It was Trent’s first mission to break someone out, and he was unprepared for Mike, to say the least. Mike tried to escape after knocking Trent down. He was met with ten men wielding shotguns outside and surrendered under one condition.”
“And what was that?”
“That he’d get to beat the shit out of people still. They made him the weaponless trainer because of his superior fighting skills. At first, he tried to kick the crap out of people for kicks, but Trent was the only one who could match him. Mike figured out that if he trained the recruits, they might actually put up a decent fight, hence how his part of the training program came to be. I’m sure you can guess who his first student was.”
A voice came through their ears. “It was me. I wasn’t going to get humiliated on a mission like that again. That said, enough with the chatting and get to your positions. The party is about to begin.”
Girish blinked. “Party?”
“Yes, a party with the target in attendance on the deck. It’s a perfect place to pick him off.”
Girish swallowed hard.
“Come on, let’s get you set up.” Arden patted Girish’s arm.
Girish glanced over at Emyr, who looked at him with worry.
* * *
Thanks to their conversation earlier, Trent thought back to the mission to retrieve Mike so long ago. Mike had taken Trent down immediately, without warning, and knocked him unconscious before he even hit the ground. He never gave Trent the chance to fight back.
Trent’s jaw clenched at the memories of the senior operatives laughing at his failed attempt on the return journey to headquarters after he’d woken up.
He vowed to never fail like that again. Even though he was far from his tribe in a different part of the galaxy, he still felt the burden of embarrassing them and letting them down. To his shame the Morib warriors would disown him for many reasons if they knew anything about him.
He endured thousands of hours of training, with Mike attempting to beat the crap out of him and became firm friends through it. Though they were both formidable, they both knew there were others out there who’d be fast, strong and ruthless, and eager for a fight. Constant training was the only way to have a chance at beating any and every adversary, and Trent was pleased to have met his match in Mike.
He remembered the moment he first beat Mike, relishing the joy of taking him down after almost a year of training. Mike was also delighted. There’s not so much fun sparring with a partner who can’t possibly beat you. He got up from the ground and smiled at Trent.
Mike warned him then to never stop training, that being on your toes was the difference between life and death in the field. They took that to heart and worked out together.
The future was unknown, but Trent wanted to prepare for everything.
Kipper snapped his fingers in front of Trent’s face. “Trent? Did you hear me?”
Trent straightened his stance. “No, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing, just letting you know Rourke’s been spotted on the patio.”
Trent flicked the switch to call their leader. “Stefan Rourke is in sight.”
The leader’s voice came through his headset. “Good, proceed.”
“You’re not coming down to watch?”
“No, I trust you have everything under control. I can see the feed from my office, and that will suffice. Unless you need me down there?”
Trent’s body relaxed at the idea of his leader not being nearby. “No, just confirming.”
“Remember, Trent, patience is the key for today. We’ll have plenty of opportunities; the trick is to pick one without taking others out at the same time. Make sure Kannan knows this as well.”
Trent’s hands clenched at his sides, hating that their leader had to remind him of such a thing. It harked back to when Trent failed the last few times, and he didn’t need to be reminded of that. His own brain did that when he slept. “Understood.”
