weapon down the hall. He pressed his hand to a panel outside the room. A scanner read his fingerprints and the grooves in his palm. The door unlocked a second later, freeing his invited guests. The tactical team members stood in front of him staring in confusion.
Roark focused on the team member nearest him. "I need you to take this," he said, shoving the gun forward.
The soldier reached for the rifle. The weight pulled to the right and they nearly dropped the gun.
"Be careful."
"Sorry, sir. It's just heavier than I expected. Nothing like the IPTT-issued laser rifles."
"It's been custom made. I expect it back in the same condition." Roark went immediately into giving instructions. "Wait for it to charge. Look through the sight and squeeze the trigger. Then once that's done, I'd like you to approach the target and slash its throat. Do you think you can handle that?"
He received a curt nod.
"Good," Roark said. "I want you to shoot anyone found around the area of Nuria. They should be considered suspect and in collusion with the enemy. They must be eliminated. That includes any new trainees on the Nurian Tactical Team that stand out. Your first target will be waiting north of Nuria in the valley in two days' time. Is that clear?"
"Yes. sir."
Roark glanced at the second soldier. "I'd like you to gather intel on their numbers. We cannot allow Gina Santiago and Morgan Hunter to succeed in forming a new tactical team. It would be a threat to the security of all the republics if the Others were allowed to survive. Feel free to dispose of them if you get the opportunity. That's an order."
"Understood, sir," the soldier said.
"Remember the code word?" Roark asked.
They both murmured, "Scarlet."
Catherine swayed.
The drug was beginning to wear off on her. That was fast, Roark thought. She must have an unusually high metabolism.
He smiled and reached for her hand to shake it. The movement woke her out of the trance. Roark immediately did the same to Bannon. "I'm sorry it's taken me so long to see you. I had trouble with a package that needed to be sent out. Please come with me and we'll discuss why I called."
Both frowned and looked around in confusion.
"Is there something wrong?" Roark asked.
"No, sir," they said in unison.
"We just—" Catherine stopped. "Sorry, I guess I fell asleep."
Roark hid his smile. "I'm not surprised. I kept you waiting for a while. Sorry about the heat. I'll have Travers fix that air unit the second he returns."
Catherine ran a hand through her wet hair, sending red strands every direction. "Thank you, sir."
"Is that all?" Roark asked.
"Yes, sir," Catherine said.
"Splendid. Please follow me." Roark turned and headed down the hall without looking to see if they'd follow. A moment later they stepped into his office, none the wiser. The space was far bigger than the one they'd just left and the light pouring in through the windows caused both team members to blink rapidly.
The air in here was fresh and lightly scented with lemon. Roark inhaled deeply and watched the two team members follow suit. "Glorious day, isn't it?" he asked.
"Yes. sir." they said.
Catherine and Bannon glanced out the window. Roark looked, too. He gazed at the Republic of Missouri's vast fields and dried-up riverbeds. He looked beyond the biodome at the dead forests and gnarled bushes. Inside the dome everything was green and wondrous, much like the planet used to be before the last war. Only a portion of what they were viewing was real. The rest was artificial.
Outside was a different story. Sand took the place of fertile fields . Dust storms were as common as the radioactive sunshine, which now glowed 360 days of the year thanks to ozone depletion, the last world war, and climate change. Nothing lived for long on the outside without a steady stream of supplies and immunization against radioactive
Roark focused on the team member nearest him. "I need you to take this," he said, shoving the gun forward.
The soldier reached for the rifle. The weight pulled to the right and they nearly dropped the gun.
"Be careful."
"Sorry, sir. It's just heavier than I expected. Nothing like the IPTT-issued laser rifles."
"It's been custom made. I expect it back in the same condition." Roark went immediately into giving instructions. "Wait for it to charge. Look through the sight and squeeze the trigger. Then once that's done, I'd like you to approach the target and slash its throat. Do you think you can handle that?"
He received a curt nod.
"Good," Roark said. "I want you to shoot anyone found around the area of Nuria. They should be considered suspect and in collusion with the enemy. They must be eliminated. That includes any new trainees on the Nurian Tactical Team that stand out. Your first target will be waiting north of Nuria in the valley in two days' time. Is that clear?"
"Yes. sir."
Roark glanced at the second soldier. "I'd like you to gather intel on their numbers. We cannot allow Gina Santiago and Morgan Hunter to succeed in forming a new tactical team. It would be a threat to the security of all the republics if the Others were allowed to survive. Feel free to dispose of them if you get the opportunity. That's an order."
"Understood, sir," the soldier said.
"Remember the code word?" Roark asked.
They both murmured, "Scarlet."
Catherine swayed.
The drug was beginning to wear off on her. That was fast, Roark thought. She must have an unusually high metabolism.
He smiled and reached for her hand to shake it. The movement woke her out of the trance. Roark immediately did the same to Bannon. "I'm sorry it's taken me so long to see you. I had trouble with a package that needed to be sent out. Please come with me and we'll discuss why I called."
Both frowned and looked around in confusion.
"Is there something wrong?" Roark asked.
"No, sir," they said in unison.
"We just—" Catherine stopped. "Sorry, I guess I fell asleep."
Roark hid his smile. "I'm not surprised. I kept you waiting for a while. Sorry about the heat. I'll have Travers fix that air unit the second he returns."
Catherine ran a hand through her wet hair, sending red strands every direction. "Thank you, sir."
"Is that all?" Roark asked.
"Yes, sir," Catherine said.
"Splendid. Please follow me." Roark turned and headed down the hall without looking to see if they'd follow. A moment later they stepped into his office, none the wiser. The space was far bigger than the one they'd just left and the light pouring in through the windows caused both team members to blink rapidly.
The air in here was fresh and lightly scented with lemon. Roark inhaled deeply and watched the two team members follow suit. "Glorious day, isn't it?" he asked.
"Yes. sir." they said.
Catherine and Bannon glanced out the window. Roark looked, too. He gazed at the Republic of Missouri's vast fields and dried-up riverbeds. He looked beyond the biodome at the dead forests and gnarled bushes. Inside the dome everything was green and wondrous, much like the planet used to be before the last war. Only a portion of what they were viewing was real. The rest was artificial.
Outside was a different story. Sand took the place of fertile fields . Dust storms were as common as the radioactive sunshine, which now glowed 360 days of the year thanks to ozone depletion, the last world war, and climate change. Nothing lived for long on the outside without a steady stream of supplies and immunization against radioactive
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