by Lee Stephen
Scott’s jaw dropped. “What?”
“In the year I’ve spent with the Fourteenth, I have never been attracted to Jay. Now I can’t stop thinking about him. I was wearing his hat, Scott. I actually want a cowboy hat, now.” She pressed her hand to her forehead. “I sound ridiculous.”
All at once, Scott was understanding what she’d meant about following mistakes and being led to something better. He was the mistake. Was Jayden the something better? Esther and Jayden? Really? Scott was putting the cart way before the horse—he had no idea how Jayden felt about Esther—but the prospect was just too fascinating to not get excited about. “Esther, I have to ask,” he said, pointing to himself and her, “are we okay right now?”
Smiling and knowing what he was asking, she looked at him tiredly. “Scott, right now, I’m not attracted to you in the least. Don’t take it the wrong way.”
“I don’t.”
Esther leaned back and sighed. “It just happened so fast. Just out of the blue. And it’s not like I’m just lusting for him. I’m genuinely attracted to...him. The person he is. The comfort he radiates, the...” she motioned with her hands to find the right words. “He makes me want to be better.”
That, more than anything, hit home. Scott’s heart grew warm. “Ess, that’s exactly what Sveta does to me.”
The scout smiled sadly. “I never did that for you, did I?” Scott shook his head. “Ugh. Scott, I’m so sorry.”
“No, it’s okay, don’t apologize. I want to apologize to you for how I treated you. Probably how I always have.”
Raising an impish brow, she asked, “Probably?”
He laughed goodheartedly. “Okay. How I always have.”
Esther sighed and resumed playing with her hands. “I just really want to approach him right. I want to be,” biting her lips, she huffed an ironic chuckle. The smirk she gave Scott was self-depreciatingly demure. “I want to be for him what Sveta is for you. And if you ever tell Sveta that, I will kill you.”
“I won’t tell her, I promise.”
“She is still the ultimate bore. She just happens to be a bore that’s good for you.”
He smiled coyly. “You ought to give her a little more credit than that. You know what she did the morning I left?”
“Packed you mustard, I’m sure.”
Hands on his hips, he confessed. “Okay, yeah. She did. By the way, I gave that mustard to Rockwell, and she loved it.”
“Oh God,” Esther said, “there are two of them. You gave Rockwell mustard?”
“Yeah, she gave me champagne, I had nothing else to give her, long story—but anyway. The day before we left, after I talked to you in the gym, me and Sveta kind of got into it. About you, and how the two of you always keep score about everything. Kills, pranks, pies—”
Esther’s lips curved. “I totally owe her a pie.”
“Actually,” Scott said as he raised a finger, “not anymore.” Esther lifted an eyebrow. “She showed up at my door Tuesday morning with a pie in her hand. She made me hit her with it, so that the two of you could be even in something.”
The scout’s jaw fell amusedly. “Sveta did that? Are you serious?” When Scott nodded, she leaned her head back and laughed. Snapping her finger and gritting her teeth, she said, “And I missed that? Bloody hell! I hope you got her good.”
“Oh yeah. I got her good.”
“That’s absolutely hysterical. I would have never dreamed she’d be capable of that. Good for her.” She winked. “And obviously, good for you.”
“Yeah, well, I’m probably gonna have to watch my back for the next decade.”
“Oh, yes,” said Esther determinedly. “I will coordinate with her to ensure that you get yours. You have dodged humiliation long enough.”
“Ha. Thanks for that.”
“My pleasure, commander.”
Crossing his feet as he stood, Scott hesitated before asking, “So...do you know if Jayden feels anything?”
The moment he asked it, Esther’s mocha skin tinged red. “I think we might be kind of dating.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yeah, I think we might be.”
Scott couldn’t believe it. “You kids work fast.”
“I know, I know.” She looked down. “It’s been crazy. But that’s how it is, right?”
“Absolutely. Nicole and I went from zero to sixty in the span of a soccer game. She was practicing on the field, and me and my football buddies were making fun of them. Then she kicked that ball smack dab in the middle of my face.” Esther cackled. “I chased her down, tackled her, and refused to let her up unless she promised to buy me dinner.”
Esther crossed her arms disapprovingly. “That may be the most chauvinistic, meat-headed thing I’ve ever heard.”
“I did pay for dinner, FYI. But yeah. That was our first date.”
“And to think, you grew up to become a violent, murdering felon.”
Zing. “Yeah, yeah.”
Silence fell between them. Staring across the room at Esther, Scott took her in. She looked so different now, not just physically, but in the aura she emanated. Her edge, and most certainly her sarcasm, weren’t gone—just the same, she had a glow about her. A glow the size of Texas. Warmly, Scott asked, “Can I tell you something?”
Very slowly, the corners of her lips lifted.
“You deserve him.”
The grin that escaped from Esther was as broad as her face. Every one of her teeth showed. It was as becoming as the girl it was attached to.
Bumping up from the wall, Scott motioned her to him. “C’mere.” Rising happily, Esther met him at the center of his room. Wrapping his arms around her, Scott held her head against his chest. “I’m so happy for you. You know I pull for you.”
“I know,” she whispered, squeezing her arms around his back. “Thank you for putting up with me.”
“You’re worth it.”
Closing her eyes for a moment, Esther let herself be held. Leaning her head back just enough to look him in the eyes, she smiled and said, “Now let’s go save a blonde.”
“Yes ma’am,” Scott said. “Let’s.”
Beep! Beep! Beep!
Scott flinched and leapt back. Esther did the same. The sound of their comms pierced through the room. “Wait,” the scout said, “that can’t be the...”
Grabbing his comm, Scott looked at the display. The moment he saw its origin, his stomach contorted in a knot. It was from Cairo Command.
It was a mission.
Eyes widening in horror, Scott threw his comm aside and scrambled for his closet. “Go to your room and get your uniform on!”
“We can’t have a mission! This must be a mistake!”
Auric’s voice emerged through Scott’s comm. “Commander, my comm is showing a mission callout! Is yours?”
“Yes, Auric!”
“That cannot be right—”
Before Scott could answer, Natalie’s voice cut through the Caracal’s channel. “Attention all Caracals, this is your captain! Report to the hangar at once.”
Grunting as he threw his uniform on, Scott dove forward to grab his comm. He queued up the captain. “Nat, this has got to be wrong!”
“It’s not wrong, commander. We have a mission.”
“Ma’am, we’re nowhere near mission shape!”
Her tone was stern. “This is our chance, Scott. I didn’t expect it this soon, either, but now it’s here.”
How could he explain it to her? How could he express how not missionready this unit was? They were sub-Academy! “Captain, I vehemently protest.”
“Scott.”
The tone of her voice told him everything. This mission was happening. Biting his lip, he replied. “Yes, ma’am.” Grabbing his assault rifle, he flung its strap over his shoulder. He slid his sidearm into its holster.
Esther’s comm crackled—Jayden. “Hey! Where are you?”
Answering quickly, she said, “I’m with Scott, I was giving him a report. Go
ahead, I’ll catch up.”
Outside, footsteps could be heard taking to the halls. The rest of the Caracals were heading for the hangar. Scott looked at Esther. “Wait for the hallways to clear, then get to your room and transform.” The last thing anyone needed to see was a Calliope-clad Esther leaving his room in the middle of the night. Esther agreed.
He bolted for the door and then took to the halls.
It took all of two seconds for Scott to know they were in trouble—just enough time for him to look at the Caracals’ faces. They were panicked. As soon as they saw him, the collection of nameless Africans flocked to his side. They were like scared children clinging to a parent. He had never seen anything like it before.
As Scott moved down the hall, Auric, Jayden, and Boris took to his side, as well. His entire crew from Novosibirsk wore their weapons—a result of not even being officially assigned to specific transports yet. If there was a symbol for how unprepared they and the Caracals were, that fact alone was it. Logan Marshall, ahead of them, slowed for them to catch up. Logan said not a word—he seemed in total battle mode.
“Commander!” Natalie called from behind him. Waving the others onward, Scott slowed for the captain to catch up to him. Her emerald eyes were narrowed as her ponytail danced wildly behind her. “I must confess, I never pegged you for the ‘vehemently protesting’ type.”
Scott’s voice lowered warningly. “Captain, this squad is in zero shape to pull off a mission—look at them.”
“A Bakma Noboat just landed on the outskirts of Luxor. Command thinks this is a good opportunity for us. I happen to agree.” She was as irritable as he’d ever seen her. “It’s a single Noboat, Scott,” she snapped as she turned away from him.
He stared at her as she stormed on down the hall. “It’s never a single Noboat!”
The air outside was surprisingly chilly. Though it didn’t compare to the frigidity of Russia, it was nonetheless a stark contrast to the hot daylight hours. In the hangar, the Caracals’ two Vultures were prepping for flight.
He and his crew had to survive—and by crew, he meant Auric, Jayden, Boris, and Esther. Everyone else, even Natalie, was secondary. It was a heartless mindset, but one he had to assume. A single Noboat? Natalie had to know better than that. Switching to a private line, Scott addressed his covert comrades. “We’re not getting out of this one. Your only priority tonight is survival. Do what you can until you’re at risk. Then pull back. Do you understand?”
His cohorts affirmed.
“Everybody in!” Natalie was shouting above the frenzy. Making eye contact with Scott, she pointed to the second Vulture. His. Throwing up his hands, Scott waited for some kind of additional direction. He had no idea who to take. The Caracals were the Caracals—that was it. There were no designated squads or teams. They had no organizational structure. All Scott could do was address the soldiers nearest him. “Get on board! Come on, let’s go, let’s go!” Auric, Jayden, and Boris were in the forefront of those that went in his ship. Esther, who had been trailing up until that point, caught up and joined them. The now-ponytailed scout was back in EDEN attire.
It was the most disarraying launch Scott had ever partaken in. It was the starkest of contrasts to the machinelike execution of Novosibirsk. As soon as the Vulture began its liftoff, he rallied his troops.
“Listen up, people!” Scott said. “A Bakma Noboat has landed outside of Luxor. We’re going to be tested today—we will pass if we work together!” They were wide-eyed and terrified. Were they even hearing him? “I’m going to break you up into two teams.” He didn’t even know their names. “This half of the room, with Lieutenant Broll. The rest of you, with me.”
Running her hand through her hair, Esther stared at Scott as if to emphasize the point of how bad this looked.
“Raise your hand if this is your first actual mission,” Scott said. Ninety percent of the cabin raised their hands. Scott almost fell back. “Oh, God.” The words just fell out. All he could do was blow a disquieted breath.
Minutes ticked like seconds as the Vultures rapidly approached Luxor. Between trying to determine who from his team was competent enough to partake in a mission and whether Natalie was actually stupid enough to believe a single Noboat was attacking a city, time ticked away with frightening velocity.
His private comm crackled as Natalie spoke to him. Her voice was forcefully collected. “I know you’re upset. And I respect that. You want to be prepared, as do I.”
Looking through the cockpit glass, Scott watched for any signs of Luxor in the distance.
“But Scott, sometimes you just have to act. As a leader, you’re going to learn that. This isn’t an ideal scenario, but we don’t live in an ideal world. You know this.”
He did.
“This is about trust. Trust in each other, trust in this unit. Trust that we can make a difference if we just work together.” She paused. “I need you, commander. I can’t do this without you, nor do I want to. But I need to know that I can trust you.”
Trust him. She had no idea.
“Are you in?”
Gritting his teeth, Scott answered, “I’m in.”
“That’s my Lion. Now here’s what I’m thinking...”
He dreaded even hearing it.
“Your scout, Brooking—can she swim?”
Scott was momentarily taken aback. “Can she swim?”
“Can who swim?” Esther asked suddenly. Jayden perked up beside her.
“That Noboat’s not far from Luxor Temple, on the east bank of the Nile. Brooking is going to set an explosive charge on the ship’s hull. Make an initial pass over the river and drop her in the water. Don’t let them see you do it.”
Scott raised an eyebrow.
“You and I are going to land in the residential zone just east of the temple. We’re going to cluster in the streets—make ourselves an appealing target. We’re going to give them every reason in the world to focus wholly on us.”
He was putting her thoughts together. It would make sense for the EDEN vessels to land between the Noboat and Luxor’s citizens. The Bakma would expect nothing else. With Esther working solo from the opposite direction, she could easily reach the Noboat from the river—and not a Bakma would expect it. Scott suddenly caught himself in the midst of a realization.
This was a plan.
Natalie went on. “The best way to make them miss that we’re flanking is to make them think that they’ve caught us flanking. So while the rest of us are clustering, you’re going to lead a small team behind the streets to the south. When you start to move up on them, make sure they see you.”
This was a plan of pure nerve. It sounded like a plan he’d have come up with.
“We’ll have them checkmated,” Natalie said. “If they uncover her and shift their focus, we’ll take that as an opportunity to press forward. It’s a lose-lose for them. All of this, of course, is contingent on my initial question. Can Brooking swim?”
Scott laughed aloud. He couldn’t help it. “Yes ma’am, she can swim.”
Eyes narrowing, Esther said, “I have an extremely bad feeling you’ve been talking about me.”
“I’m dropping Logan with her,” Natalie said. “If the Bakma do turn on her, I don’t want her alone.” Scott was fine with that. “Have your pilot follow me to make the drop. Tell Brooking your plan.”
“Aye aye, ma’am.” The comm channel closed; Scott turned to Esther.
She protested before he opened his mouth. “Now you wait one bloody minute.”
“We’re going to drop you in the river.”
“I said wait!” she said.
“You and Lieutenant Marshall are going to swim to the shore while we divert the Bakmas’ attention,” Scott said to her.
Jayden’s face fell.
“Of course,” she said sarcastically, “that makes perfect sense. It’s not as if our only priority tonight is survival, right?”
Work with me, Ess. “The brunt of the fighting force is going t
o cluster in the streets, draw their attention away from you. You’re going to sneak up on the ship and set an explosive charge on its hull.” He explained the rest of the plan’s specifics.
“Listen,” Esther argued discreetly. “Have you already forgotten why we’re here? Have you forgotten your very words when we boarded this transport?”
Looking at the pilot, Scott said, “Follow the other Vulture. Stay low over the river, lower the rear door.” His focus returned to Esther.
“If we die,” she said, “this whole operation will fail. Listen to me!” She grabbed his collar and lowered her tone. “Earth. Svetlana. Everything.
You’re going to risk all of that to satisfy a woman who’s not even one of us?”
He didn’t want to hear it. “We have a job to do.”
She shook him. “Stop thinking like a fulcrum! Scott, a stray plasma bolt, a pistol jam, a sodding Nile crocodile. Any one of those could get me killed. I do it with the Fourteenth because with them, I must. But this is not the Fourteenth.
“Understand what I’m telling you. We are too important to risk ourselves on this mission. No one else can talk to Giro Holmes. No one else can infiltrate Confinement. No one else can do what Boris does, or Jayden, or Auric.”
“Yes, but...” Scott’s words suddenly trailed away. Not because he’d lost his train of thought, but because he had no argument at all.
Veck. Esther is right.
The scout’s voice softened. Her urgency remained. “Scott, you need to hold back. You need to deny that instinct that tells you that you can do anything. There’s a time to be fearless, and there’s a time to be smart.”
Scott’s heart ached. Everything she was saying, everything she was asking him to do...he couldn’t counter any of it. But he couldn’t abandon this mission. He couldn’t. Natalie needed him. The Caracals needed him. Every citizen who was depending on EDEN for rescue on the streets of Luxor needed him. What Esther asked of him was impossible.
“Listen to me, please,” she said. “We have to turn around.”
Turning his head to the cockpit window, Scott watched as Natalie’s Vulture began its descent. The captain’s plan, her mentality, it was all perfect. It was right for this mission. Scott’s face reddened.