Little Phoenix (The Census Book 1)

by Willow Dean

  Hopefully it won’t be a fatal mistake, as it means that no one has noticed the lone assailant making his way down the corridor right outside the cafeteria, with an assault rifle in hand.

  Where he’s come from, I have no idea, but now is not the time to question that. Switching over to the team channel, I try to warn them, but something’s blocking the signal.

  “Shit!”

  Grabbing the pistol from my holster, I check it’s loaded before taking off the safety and sprinting into the building. Fortunately, the other drivers noticed my haste and follow close behind.

  Winding my way through the corridors, I move as quickly and quietly as possible whilst keeping a keen eye out for other intruders that my team may have missed.

  If my team weren’t in such a dire situation right now, I would be mega pissed. I just hope that I make it in time.

  Skidding around the final corner into the middle of a large corridor, I come face to face with him. At opposite ends of the same corridor, we are positioned so that the cafeteria is situated between us both.

  Presently walking carefree, almost as though he’s aware of our locations and doesn’t see us as a worthy threat, there’s a small delay before he snaps his head in my direction. The shock clouding his dark brown eyes quickly morphs into alarm. He’s caught far too off guard for this not to have been pre-planned.

  Question is, how did he know our locations and how did we miss him?!

  Questions for another time, Mila!

  Fortunately, his pause works in my favor. Not expecting any interference, he was lax and left his rifle idle at his hip, resulting in him taking additional time to bring his firearm up. I go to fire just as he starts spraying and praying.

  Even if he only starts shooting at shin level, I don’t have any plans to be shot, thank you very much!

  I manage to duck behind the concrete pillar in the middle of the corridor just in time for him to have fully raised his rifle, opening fire at the column. The sounds of ricocheting bullets doesn’t let up as he empties his clip.

  One of the four guys in the first team who weren’t too happy about my leadership, Odin I think his name is, races down the hallway I just came from. Coming to a stop just before the corner, he waits as the guy continues to spray bullets at my cover.

  Ceasing fire for a second, he attempts to lull us into a false sense of security. I give Odin the hand signal to remain in position, but he doesn’t obey.

  Odin thinks he’s stopped to reload. He would be wrong. If he’d counted every bullet like I did, he would know that he has at least one third of a mag left.

  As he darts around the corner, I know I have to stop him, or else he’s going to get himself or someone else killed. By some miracle, I manage to throw myself in front of him just as the guy opens fire using single shots. Switching from blind firing to efficiency. He’s shooting to kill. Exactly as planned.

  Searing hot pain tears through my right shoulder where Odin’s heart was just a second ago. Falling on top of him, I immediately roll to a knee with my gun in hand, perfectly on point.

  Finding the bullseye, I release my shot, hitting my mark perfectly. A blooming red spot appears straight between his eyes as his body drops to the floor alongside the clang of the metal gun striking the tiled floors.

  The sound echoes for a minute, before finally settling as a tense silence descends.

  “Alpha Phoenix, all clear. Stand down!” I holler as I stand up and offer Odin my good hand.

  Giving me a sample of what I am coming to believe is his form of gratitude, he glares up at me, eyes full of anger and disdain.

  “I didn’t need you to act as the hero. I was perfectly fine handling myself,” he sneers.

  I snort. “If I had left you to your own devices, as you say, you would be dead. That,” I offer a pointed look at the almost perfectly round burn mark that sits just over his heart, “says it all.”

  He must have unbuttoned his jacket at some point thinking the mission was a wrap. Unfortunately for him, his white tee shows glaring evidence in my favor.

  Surrounded by small splatters of blood, I can only deduce that the bullet -or at least a fragment of it- exited my shoulder and landed between us, simply not having enough force or velocity to cause further damage to him.

  Lucky guy. My shoulder hurts like a fucking bitch!

  I scan the floor for the fragment, but come up with nothing. Not a second too soon either as Odin gets up on his own and roughly shoves me back, before getting right up in my face, not even sparing his shirt a look.

  It takes everything in me not to cry out in pain or wince at the harsh movement, but I can’t show weakness in front of him. I certainly can’t back down from his challenge or let him question my leadership. I’m in charge here, not him.

  Powering on, I ignore the agony that rips through my shoulder, even as warm fluid seeps through the threads of my uniform to cover my chest.

  Thank goodness we were given black combat fatigues for this mission.

  “You think you’re it?! In charge at such a young age. A child of the directors,” he grits out patronizingly. Spittle flies from his mouth as he lets the reigns loose on his rage. “You know nothing. You have no experience in the field or this organization. We are experienced agents and we should be treated with respect, not ordered around by daddies little girl!”

  Leaving him to his heaving breaths, I let him seethe for a minute. I understand why he’s angry, I really do. But, no matter what someone’s age is, how much experience they have or what gender or race they may be, we are all of benefit to each other in different ways. No-one is better or more valuable than anyone else.

  His chest starts to settle as he waits expectantly for me to explode in denial of his claims. Instead, I respond in a calm and professional manner, completely disregarding any fury that I may feel at his attack.

  “Are you finished, because I would like to address a few things?” I enquire in an even tone. “In order to have my respect, you must first earn it. I have not belittled you, or anyone else for that matter, in any way during this operation. It was Alpha Race’s op to head up, no-one else’s. You were brought in as a seasoned and capable agent to provide backup for us.”

  I thought his anger would recede at my words. That he may start to see some sense. I was wrong. The furrow in his brows only deepens as his fury rages on.

  “It’s normal for the team who receives the op to be in charge, and seeing as I am in charge of tech support, it is only natural for the role of leader and coordinator to land with me. My place on the team today, is of no consequence to my heritage. In fact, before a couple of days ago, I had never even met my real parents.”

  At my admittance, the furrow in his brow softens, replaced instead with a quizzical and disbelieving expression.

  “I am young, yes. However, I’ve worked hard to be where I am. We all have experiences, no matter our age, and that’s the crucial part of working as a team. Where one lacks in experience, another picks up the slack. Not one single person is better than anyone else. As an acting leader in command, my job is to coordinate an attack that will minimize casualties and maximize success. Not to belittle or disrespect people.

  “I am no better, or worth anything more, than anyone else on this team. My role is to simply make sure that everyone is in the right place, at the right time, heading towards the same objective. If you have a problem with my leadership, I suggest you take it up with Rick Torres. You can discuss your concerns about my position with him. Now, if you’ll excuse me, my priority is to tend to those who are injured and get everyone back home safely.”

  Startled into silence, he simply stands there. His mouth agape, opening and closing like a fish out of water. I guess he didn’t expect me to be so eloquent and diplomatic.

  Well, I guess I can be a surprising kind of person every now and again.

  Give yourself a good ol’ pat on the back. You did good today, Mila! As Dad would say, you really showed him who’s boss.
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  I gesture to him and the three others who followed us down. “Now please, one of you take point outside the cafeteria and the rest guard the perimeter so we have no more unexpected guests. If there is a problem, shoot a single shot, twice. Comms are down locally. If you need assistance, get to the SUV. The signal doesn’t extend past that point so you will be able to reach central and the other team from there. I will send someone from inside to search for the device so we can get comms back up and running.”

  They all nod in affirmation, including a star struck Odin, before heading to their designated points. What they are, I couldn’t care less right now. They can sort that out between themselves, they are experienced enough.

  A cold sweat begins to form on my brow as I look down to find the fabric around my shoulder saturated. The stress from Odin’s display of masculinity probably served to encourage the blood flow.

  Great. At least that explains why I’m feeling as toasty warm as an ice cube right now. This is exactly what I need. Not. The guys are never going to let me out of their sight again.

  Thank goodness the black fatigues have only darkened slightly and it’s only really noticeable if you are aware it’s there. Fingers crossed, Linc and Micah shouldn’t be able to tell unless they are looking purposefully up-close.

  Walking over to the body, I pick up and dismantle his gun. Forgetting it’s use, I chuck the pieces down the corridor in reaction when I accidentally touch the tip of the nozzle, burning my hand in the process. Hissing at the contact, I bring my finger to my mouth whilst checking his pulse with the other. Definitely dead.

  I take a minute to let the shaking in my hands subside as my heart begins to thump rapidly in my chest, the sound of my blood roaring through my ears like Niagara Falls.

  That was my first kill.

  My first time ending a life with my bare hands.

  Never again will he see the light of day.

  Deep breaths, Pumpkin. Deep breaths. It was self-defense. Be proud of yourself for saving the lives of your comrades. All leaders have to make hard choices to ensure the greater good. Breathe in, breathe deep and let go.

  My vision clears as a single tear drops onto the bleak grey floor that’s now smeared in red.

  Thanks, Dad. Even though I know I created your words, thank you.

  A deep inhale and exhale follows my internal monologue as if nothing ever happened. Good. Time to sort out the rest of the team.

  Once everyone is seen too, I can worry about my shoulder. There doesn’t seem to be any new warmth, so hopefully that means that the bleeding has slowed down enough.

  Closing his eyes gently, I turn to walk over to the cafeteria before a flash of light catches my eye. Looking back, I find his phone on the floor by his side. It must have fallen out of his pocket when he collapsed.

  Chunky and all black, it’s obvious it’s a satellite phone. Code scrolls through the screen. No doubt with an encrypted message. I reach for the phone just as the screen blacks and the edges start smoking.

  Damn. They were listening in. Someone knew enough about our intentions to have planned to take us out. Surely though, if they knew about our op prior to infiltration, then they would have already intervened or moved base.

  Unless they were trying to trap us? But that wouldn’t benefit them. Sending a lone assailant wouldn’t achieve anything either. It could have been a suicide mission, but that wouldn’t yield any results.

  Nothing adds up.

  The intensifying aching sensation in my shoulder brings me back to my senses and what I must do.

  Think about the why’s and what if’s later, Mila.

  Walking slowly towards the doors, I know they’ll all have their weapons trained on the enterance after that commotion.

  “Alpha Phoenix, assailant has been terminated. Risk eliminated. I’m entering the room, lower your weapons.” Waiting a couple of seconds before positioning myself in the doorway, I move my hands towards my head, palms out in submission.

  Micah and Linc’s eyes find me first, relief shining in their beautiful hazel depths as they drop their weapons and return to securing some of the prisoners.

  I notice a group in the corner surrounding two of ours that are injured. A girl applies pressure to a bullet wound in one guy’s thigh, as another man applies pressure to the other’s abdominal wound.

  A couple of members have finished securing their targets so I send them to find the hidden device and bring comms back online.

  Making my way over to those who are injured, I ask a very pertinent question to the room. “Why were the doors to the cafeteria not being guarded?”

  No one knew who was meant to be on watch, with each pointing to someone else. I resign myself to ask the guys later.

  Right now though, my team’s safety is priority. What is done, is done. Nothing can change what happened. We just need to move forward and get everyone safely home and secured.

  After sending the girl to guard the door with the other agent that should be stationed out there, I assess the injured. The one with the thigh wound is only a graze, superficial damage at most. The other guy is a bit more problematic. The bullet was through and through and the wound was mostly cauterized, but he’s still at risk of internal damage and hemorrhage.

  “Listen up! The assailant was terminated, however we cannot rule out another attack. Stay vigilant. We have a team surrounding the perimeter and comms should be back on shortly. Sark and Diaz, support these two,” I gesture to the two injured. “Take them out to the vans. Call for an extraction team and medivac. Ensure they are stable and then return. We’ll need your help with the cleanup.”

  Nodding their assent, they waste no time in heading upstairs with the two injured agents. Leaving one guy, Linc, Micah and myself to keep the room secure.

  “When they return, I want four people in the room at all times with at least one on guard at the door. The rest will escort the prisoners up to the vans,” I instruct as I give a meaningful look to my guys. Linc nods his head, picking up on my silent order.

  They are to take point once I have left. No more mistakes.

  Glancing around the room, I take a stock of the twenty-three bodies we apprehended. Due to our smaller team size, as a precaution, each person was cuffed and administered a small dose of sedatives.

  I let myself glance at the farthest corner where three dead bodies are laid. Fortunately, it’s none of our team. Yet, it still leaves a gaping hole in my heart to know that someone somewhere has lost their loved one. Life shouldn’t be so easily expendable.

  Double checking for my own sanity, I confirm they are in fact, deceased. Satisfied for the moment, we sit back and wait less than five minutes for the two who escorted the injured to return. By then, the group I sent to find the jammer had found and destroyed it. Bringing comms back online.

  Barking out orders down the line, I leave the guys to coordinate moving the prisoners to the SUV’s as I return to the van to update the rest of our team.

  Standing just outside the doors, I start to shiver. I swear, it’s nearly the middle of summer, it should not be this cold!

  Wait, wasn’t there a reason I was cold before? Maybe, maybe not. I have a feeling I’m missing something. But what? My shoulder continues to throb something fierce as my vision goes slightly hazy at the edges.

  Ah, that’s why. Just hold on a little longer, Mila. We need to get back to base pronto so that I can update the guys and then get this tended to.

  Thankfully the bleeding has stopped. I think. It’s nothing too severe at least.

  Hopping in the van, I scroll through the feeds to check everything is as it should be. Once I finish my sweep, I switch comm channels just as a lone SUV appears down the road. Its blacked out windows and distorted number plate heading straight towards us.

  My whole-body tenses as my hand automatically retreats towards my holster. “Alpha Juliett, confirm location,” I demand, vulnerability causing my voice to crack. I can’t deal with a whole team on my own righ
t now! Definitely not with my injury and no cover.

  “Alpha Phoenix, relax. We are in the SUV at your twelve o’clock.” Letting out a relieved sigh, I relinquish the grip on my pistol.

  My shoulders sag as I sit myself on the edge of the van, allowing myself a minute to get my erratic heartbeat under control.

  The SUV pulls up alongside me and the rest of my team gets out. Heading over to me for direction, I instruct them on where to go to assist the guys in escorting the prisoners and with the extra help in hand, we are finished in no time.

  Arriving back at base, we’re met with a team of agents who escort the prisoners and cart off our injured, allowing us to get cleaned up before debrief.

  Without a word to my team, I go straight to the bathrooms and strip so I can inspect my shoulder. Only a small trickle of blood remains now and the hole seems a lot smaller than it should be.

  Despite the fact that the damage looks minimal, the pain has doubled. It looks like a through and through, but who knows if there are fragments still in there that need to be removed. I toy with the decision of getting it seen to or debriefing first.

  Eh...the wound really isn’t that bad and it’s practically ceased bleeding now. I should be fine. Debriefing shouldn’t take long and then I can head straight over to medical.

  After cleaning it up the best I can, I tape a wad of sterile gauze across the wound on both sides, applying as much pressure as I can using the tension of the tape. Hopefully that will keep the wound from bleeding through before I can get it seen too.

  Pulling on a long black-sleeved top to hide the blood and a loose zip up black jacket over the top, I wince when I have to rotate my shoulder to get them on.

  Splashing my face with water, I realize just how dreadful and pale I look. My hair sticks up in all different directions and I have big, purple bags under my eyes. Drying my face off, I give it a few pats to try and put a bit of color in my cheeks before I wet my hair and braid it across my shoulder. That’ll have to do for now.

  When I get to command, I pull up short as I realize that the guys are already there, ready and waiting for little ol’ me.