Page 25

Chief Aiken Oakley

Valor

Valor kept the green hood low over his face, the fabric hiding his eyes as he moved with measured steps down the dark corridor.

His footsteps were silent, his breath quiet and measured. He was cataloging every inch of the space he had access to.

Armed guards were stationed at various points, eyes fixed straight ahead. As he approached and passed, they didn’t look left or right.

There were no exit signs, which meant he wouldn’t be allowed access to any door leading outside. The walls were fortified and flawless, impossible to destroy without demolition equipment.

Every entrance required a key card, every floor accessible only by a controlled elevator system. Each level required a different clearance swipe of his key card for him to move semi-freely.

Next on his tour was the gym, a wonder of modern technology. It wasn’t a mere gym. It was a superhuman training ground.

A speed lane surrounded combat rings that awaited duels he saw coming. Heavy bags hung from steel beams while racks of combat tools and firearms were locked inside plexiglass cabinets.

Through another door was an Olympic-sized pool. He knelt and dipped his hand into the warm water, and it felt nice…but he’d pass.

Valor liked the entertainment room. It was an odd contrast to the rest of the facility with its plush recliners, big wall-mounted flat screens, and a vast library of films and books. He spent a couple of hours watching one world news station after another. Each disaster and terrorist attack worse than the last.

What is happening in the world?

It wasn’t until his stomach rumbled that he searched for the aforementioned cafeteria.

It took twenty minutes but he found the dining hall simply labeled Greens Dining Hall .

He used his key card and went through the double doors.

Valor almost laughed at yet another indoor garden. It wasn’t a huge hall, but it was big enough for three tables nestled within live plants and herbs climbing high trellises. He shook his head in disbelief as he walked the cobblestone path that led to the patio.

“Your dinner is almost ready, sir,” a soft-spoken lady said from behind him.

He’d known she was there but had also known she wasn’t a threat.

“Will you be dining outside?”

He sighed. “Yes.”

Valor closed his eyes and took a deep inhale of fresh air. It was nice, but he wasn’t fooled by this over-the-top display of opulence.

They wanted him to believe they’d done him a favor by taking him from whatever life he’d had—he didn’t care if he’d shaken his ass for cash every Friday night if that had been his choice—and gave him all of this.

They could fucking keep it. He wanted out of there.