case, my boots. And reality is cold and windy and dark and—what the heck is that smell? Who ate garlic for dinner before a mission?
Unfortunately, my night vision goggles do not show noxious odors. But otherwise they’re super cool. To my sight, the desert is bathed in a green-tinted twilight despite it being about twenty-two hundred hours. Eight members of the security team, including yours truly, are walking in a single line toward a spot in the desert that my father marked earlier. Elese is close behind me and Beau is right in front. Morgan leads our little parade and Bendix is in the sweeper position—that’s last.
After the missile attack, Radcliff changed his mind about my plan and agreed it was worth the risk. Much to Niall’s frustration, but to my relief, he remained behind with Radcliff, Tora, and Vedann. He'd said he loved me! I’m still giddy over that.
Unable to use the dune buggies due to the heat they generate, which might give away our activities to Jarren via the satellite, we all take turns pulling the cart of supplies. It’s not too heavy, not at first, but it’s awkward, especially when trudging up a dune, then it weighs a million kilos. Okay that’s an exaggeration, but when we started out, I was freezing in my security jumpsuit and now I’m soaked with sweat. I silently thank Dr. Edwards for the extra strength pain meds that I downed before the mission.
Good thing our destination is only a few klicks from base. We reach it without trouble. It’s been less than a day since Jarren’s missile attack so we’re betting that his people aren’t nearby, watching us or ready to ambush us. Of course, we could be wrong. Not a pleasant thought.
We unload the cart in silence. No need to talk when we’ve all been briefed on exactly what we need to do. Morgan positions the robotic digger and turns it on. Its spikes shoot out and then it grinds and scrapes into the sand. The noise shatters the quiet night. We flinch and grab the hilts of our weapons, certain the sounds will trigger an attack. It’s loud enough to reach the other side of the planet, for stars’ sake. Nothing happens.
Morgan hands four of us shovels. While the others stand guard, we clear the sand ejected from the digger. It piles around the hole. When the digger is too deep to spew the material high enough, we deploy a second digger to relay the crushed sandstone. The addition of another noisy machine is going to cause me to go deaf. The combined cacophony dances along my nerves, setting my teeth on edge. Or it could be due to half expecting Jarren’s shuttle to come swooping out of the sky to kill us all.
Diggers weren’t designed to dig straight down that far. They’re made to work in collapsed Warrior pits, clearing dirt and sand away from the buried statues. Which is why we add one more digger.
It seems like forever before the diggers reach an open space underground. They they pop out of the hole like ping pong balls, retract their spikes, and roll to a stop. Like at Pit 21, the urge to praise them on a job well done pushes up my throat.
Morgan and two others set up a rope and pulley system. The tunnel is too narrow to use a ladder. First to go down is a camera and light. Rance is crouched over a portable, watching the feed.
After another eon, he says, “We hit our targeted location.”
Then it’s my turn to peer into the darkness on the portable’s screen. It’s one of the equipment rooms of the factory under the Warriors. There’s no movement or shadow-blobs although it’s hard to be sure without being able to sense the air pressure or temperature. “It appears clear.”
Morgan’s scowl is clearer. I don’t know why since I’m going to be first. It’s my life on the line. I step into the harness and secure it around my waist before clipping onto the rope. Then from the cart I grab one of the six emitters that Jim and his crew were able to build in the five days since the HoLFs attacked. Settling the strap across my body, I heft the weapon in one hand. Its weight steadies me. I can do this.
“Ready,” I say and turn on the communicator in my ear. We’re risking discovery by using them, but they’re vital to the mission.
“Just say up and we’ll