4
CALLUM
SCOUTING DAY 1 (0 days since last contact with Guild)
“Stars-damn,”Axel bit out from my right as I shook out my wrist, muscles flexing.
I holstered my pistol as I took a step further into the alley, shaking my head. “You’d think they’d at least have a bit of self-preservation.”
We both stared at the two Solis Guards lying on the floor in a heap. The first guard had put up a decent fight, although it was by no means impressive, considering the abilities I would expect from a sergeant. The remaining guardsman with him went down in the blink of an eye. Neither of us had to call on our affinities as we knocked them out cold, their bodies crumpling. I took a moment to scan the alley we stood in, ensuring no cameras were recording or drones were flying by that might catch our ambush on the RSG.
“Did you have to get blood on the uniforms?” Eleana asked from where she leaned against the alley wall, inspecting hernails, the neon light changing across her face as a streetlight in the distance shifted from yellow to red.
“My apologies,” Axel drawled from beside me. “Next time I’m beating up a male, I’ll try to keep it a bit cleaner . . . just for you,” he teased. “Or better yet. How about next time . . . I stand against the wall looking pretty while keeping watch, andyoudo the dirty work.”
Eleana laughed, her tone light as she replied, “We both know if I had done it . . . there wouldn’t be blood on that uniform.”
“Stop bickering like children and let’s just get the stars-damned uniforms already,” I bit out as I began removing the useless Solis Guard’s uniform.
Eleana rolled her eyes as she spoke. “All I’m saying is I’m not the one cleaning those uniforms when we get to the safe house. You drew blood . . . you do the cleaning.”
I ground my teeth as I kicked the guard with the toe of my boot, his unconscious form hardly budging at the movement.Pathetic.
“I fail to see how it bothers you either way,” Axel stated as he cut a glance toward her. “You’re not the one wearing the uniforms to begin with.”
“Just finish getting your uniform, unless you’d prefer to sneak around the Solis Court wearing nothing,” I grunted as I finished stripping the male of his uniform and stashing it in the duffel bag on the ground beside me.
“How come you get the unstained uniform?” Axel griped from beside me, and I whirled my head toward the male, narrowing my eyes at his question.
“You can get the first pick of our clothing when you take out both the guards,” I replied.
He huffed, a muttered complaint under his breath, but I was already moving the body of the first guard toward the end of the alley, disposing of the unconscious male in an unceremoniousheap. I didn’t wait for Axel to finish hiding the other guard before I moved toward the entrance to the alley, ready to get out of the district.
Moments later, I was on my bike, engine roaring to life as I pushed out from the alley, turning onto the deserted street. The low glow of the streetlights flickered, casting red shadows on the street as I watched the light, my fingers tapping against the handlebars in time to the purr of the engine. I heard Axel pull up beside me as I adjusted my helmet, already feeling the desert sands picking up.
Revving the engine once more, I felt the bike roar to life beneath me as I waited impatiently for the light to turn. I grinned, the bike rumbling beneath me as Axel glanced over toward me from my left, a challenge in his eyes as the light changed from red to green. We snapped our visors down, kicking off as we both sped forward, racing down the streets.
It was a reckless decision. Idiotic, really, considering our current mission and the task we’d just completed. Not to mention the speed traps sure to be in place across the city and potential drones that could pick up our tail.
A decision that Eleana would be sure to throttle us both for the moment we made it back to the safe house.
In this moment, though, under the cover of darkness, I couldn’t care less.
My entire body leaned right, knee dropping far closer to the ground than I should have allowed it to on a mission, as I whipped around the corner, finally getting ahead of Axel. I could feel the tires sliding as they gained traction on the sandy streets of Solis Quarter and knew that the latest turn had to have kicked up sand directly in Axel’s path.
I grinned viciously. I had him.
The pavement rushed my line of vision, but I straightened out just in time, urging the bike to go faster. I watched theodometer rise rapidly as I pushed the bike to its limits, weaving through the streets before pulling a sharp U-turn and whipping into a dark alleyway behind the complex where we would be hiding out.
So much for stealth.
Turning into a covered spot, I cut the ignition, feeling the bike turn off as I silently leapt off.
Axel peeled into the space a few seconds later, cursing as he too cut the engine. “I had you back there . . . but that turn . . . You have a death wish.”
I grinned widely, lips curved up. “Consider me flattered, but death’s already coming for me . . . might as well win a few extra bets before it catches up,” I responded as I held out my hand.
Axel removed his helmet, his tousled brown hair flopping with the movement as he shook his head, in both amusement and agreement, while griping as he handed over the money he’d effectively lost.
