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: Mission Overload

It was hot. I felt a bead of sweat rolling down the side of my temple, down the curvature of my cheek, before I wiped it away with the back of my hand. I exhaled slowly through my lips, keeping my back firmly pressed against the wall. Time was ticking.

“Psst!”

I turned my head and saw Wes, clothed in the same gear I was—a black, skintight jumpsuit that covered every inch of my body from my collarbone to my ankles. And just like the first time I wore it, I felt more naked than ever. We both had black tactical vests, loaded with stunner charges, a flashlight, climbing gear, emergency medical supplies, and the latest edition to our mission gear—one black capsule filled with a rapid acting poison. If they caught you, all you had to do was pop that sucker in your mouth, crack open the capsule, and the poison would take care of the rest. It was never a part of mission protocolbefore, but ever since Chelsea…well, Dissenter leadership had a change of heart.

I tilted my head at Wes, letting him know he had my attention. We were crouched next to one another as our backs rested against the wall of a Telvian alley. It was dark, but even in the middle of the night, the summer heat had us baking despite the supposedly “breathable” nature of our skinsuits. Wes leaned in towards me, and the familiar smell of his natural scent—eucalyptus and spring rain—caused a chill to run down my spine.

“You okay?” His voice was a whisper, but I could still hear the gruffness—histell. Wes was hiding something. The rougher, tougher, and meaner he was, the more vulnerable, scared, and secretive he was being.

I nodded my head and then faced away from him, refusing to look him in the eye. I couldn’t…not right now. Right now, I had to stay focused. I couldn’t afford to screw this up. And looking into Wes’s eyes woulddefinitelyscrew things up.

Bzzzz…

I glanced down at my mini-tab just as Wes did. Lifting my left wrist, I tapped the screen and read the message.

Edith:Cameras down. Patrol passing in 5. Be ready to hightail it in.

I rested my head against the wall, eyes closed as I took a deep breath, readying myself for the run. I reached to my hip and pulled out my stunner—which looked a lot like the 9mm pistol I also carried—but it was a non-lethal weapon. The rebellion didn’t believe in lethal weapons unless absolutely necessary. Wes reached for his stunner too, flipping a switch, causing the weapon to power up, ready to take out a target if needed.

“Ready?”

This time, out of habit, I glanced at him, and our eyes locked. His hazel eyes captivated me, and every time I felt like a prisoner when I stared into them. They were hauntingly beautiful. Whenever he was amped up, they shimmered like molten gold with flecks of green and brown. My breath hitched as everything froze within me.

“Mara?”

I blinked, averting my gaze to the ground, reminding myself to breathe. “Yeah, I’m ready.” He was silent for a second, and I didn’t dare look at him again. I had to get my head in the game. This mission was too important for me to screw it up.

I heard the crunch of boots, drawing my attention back to the street. I crouched lower, drawing as much of myself as I could into the shadows of the alley. The sound got louder, closer. I inhaled deeply and held my breath as my heart pounded aggressively in my chest. Across the street from us were two skyrise buildings with another alley between them. A wall blocked off the space, keeping Telvian citizens out.

My eyes shifted, catching sight of two Telvian guards plated in white and black armor. They held their assault rifles in both hands as they marched down the street. It was a night patrol making sure no one was out past curfew. They were oblivious to us hiding in the shadows, and it wasn’t long before they rounded a corner, disappearing from sight.

“Let’s do this…three, two,one,” Wes whispered. Pushing off the wall, he came up beside me, poking his head around the corner. He glanced up and down the street before lunging out into the open, motioning for me to follow him. Staying crouched, I slipped out onto the road, focusing on Wes in front of me. He was like a graceful mountain lion, quiet and deadly. I had had my fair share of encounters with the beasts to know, and last time I checked, Wes won that fight. So,yeah.

Running to the other side of the street, Wes stopped in front of a brick wall. Without a second of hesitation, he dipped low, interlocking his hands while holding them out. I knew exactly what to do. I sped up, and as I came up to him, I leaped, my right foot landing on his interlocked fingers. I felt the weight of my body push down on his hands, and before I knew it, he launched me up toward the sky. I reached up, my hands grabbing the top edge of the wall, and then I hung there for a moment. The weight of my body stretched my muscles, creating a delicious burn I had grown used to over the past few months.

Breathe in, breathe out…go.

I pulled, feeling the strain in my arms as I hauled myself up. My legs fought for purchase until I felt the rubber grip of my boots catch on the rough, textured wall. Then I was climbing, hoisting my upper body up and over the wall, and dropping down on the other side. I landed silently, glancing around to make sure I was safe. I was…for the moment.

Quickly, I unattached my length of rope. Holding one side, I threw the other end over the wall and quickly tied the rope to the loops and carabiner I had attached to my tactical belt, preparing for the tug. A moment passed as my heart thundered, the adrenaline and exertion giving me one hell of a cardio workout. The rope in my hand wiggled, and my fingers clasped down around it, tightening my grip. Then there was a gentle pull, so gentle I almost missed it if it weren’t for my heightened senses. Another pull, firmer, harder this time.

Come on, Wes, you’re taking too long.As if on cue, the rope went taught, and I leaned back in response, using the weight of my body as an anchor.There we go.

The rope pulled on me, but I squared my feet and leaned back further. In a few moments, I saw Wes’s long blond hair, pulled back tight in a low, neat man bun, as he popped up on the top of the wall before hoisting himself over the edge. Grabbingthe length of rope, he tossed it back down to me. I sprang into action, detaching it from my belt and coiling it up as Wes jumped from the wall, landing on his feet with a mutedthud.

Lifting his wrist, he swiped the screen of his mini-tab—the sleek, black smartwatch that replaced phones and most personal devices years ago. It was the most advanced Telvian technology to come out during Raúl’s reign of power, and everyone had one, even the Dissenters.

“We’ve got to move it. Our window is closing.” His voice was low, deep, and on edge. I quickly finished coiling the rope and slipped it back into my bag. Looking up at him, our eyes met for a fraction of a second before my heart squeezed in my chest. God, he looked so much like Chase. It made sense, of course. Theywereidentical twins. And Chase and I…we had history.

But Chase wasn’t around anymore. He was dead.

Wes kicked into high gear, crouching low and zipping past me as he motioned me to follow. Taking my stunner back into my hands, I followed him through the darkened alley, the two skyrises reaching the stars above.

He halted, looking to the left and then to the right. “Which one is it?”

“How should I know?” I rolled my eyes. Wes lifted his wrist again, typed into his tab, and then waited, brows pinched forward. After what felt like a century, though it was only a minute, both of our tabs buzzed. I already knew it was Edith responding. I didn’t even bother glancing at my device. “Left. Twentieth floor.”