Rage and Ruin | 2

6 | 7

R I L E Y

Doing my best to keep my face clean of shock, I tore my eyes off of the missile and onto the people readying it. They wore the same colors I wore: black and gold. Imperium's colors. However, they weren't dressed like the soldiers and they weren't carrying any visible guns.

I wondered what their stories were. Had they been forced into this, or had they joined the ranks for themselves? Surely a few of Imperium's allies had been threatened or blackmailed into working for them, but the majority of the soldiers here seemed to revel in the darkness that was so present here. Some people in this world were pure evil. Most of them dwelled within this fortress.

Then, so softly that none of the others in the room could hear, I whispered, "They have missiles."

I could hear Delphinium and the rest of the crew's loud reactions on the other end, but the other soldiers beckoned me closer, wanting my help unloading the trolley we'd come in with. I stepped forward as gracefully as I could, picking up the packages and handing them off to the engineers. With every move I made, I felt as if I was somehow doing it wrong, like they'd catch me simply because I wasn't acting like a soldier would. But I was being too anxious, I told myself. There was nothing to worry about if I didn't get caught.

Delphinium must have heard a part of the clipped conversation between the other soldiers and engineers. "They're talking about the fuel for the rockets." I glanced down at the metal package in my hand. Of course, I didn't have a clue what rocket fuel looked like, but this certainly didn't look like it. She then told me to ask a question in Russian that I—yet again—did not understand a single word of. The engineer closest to me gave me a strange look but answered.

"I had you ask what kind of fuel that is—the stuff you're transporting, apparently. He said that it's a new power source they get shipped in from an unknown maker. It powers many of their weapons now, along with fueling the central power source of the entire place." In the middle of her explanation, I nodded my head at the engineer, showing that I understood him.

Relief washed over me when the last round of fuel was handed over. This was what they were here for. Now that the task was done, they'd go back to the surface. At the thought of being back aboveground, I began to panic when I realized that I would need to eventually break away from the group undetected. But I would deal with that when it happened. For now, I would focus on not dying.

I followed them to the elevator and waited behind the group when the doors didn't immediately open. But they never opened. I could sense the other soldiers' agitation and restlessness as the time prolonged, but still the doors did not open.

After a quick discussion, the group peeled away and began walking toward a side exit—the only other exit in the entire room. "They think the elevator is broken or under maintenance," Delphinium translated. "They're going to take the long way up."

      I wasn't sure whether to rejoice or hold back my fear. Yes, we were still going up to the surface, but it would take a trek through the entire fortress to get there. The more time I spent here, the more at risk I was to be found out.

      Having no other choice, I followed behind the soldiers, still holding my gun. I'd only fired one in my entire life, but I wished I could put a bullet in every soldier here. I was dangerously close to simply forgetting all my common sense and opening fire on this wicked place.

For a while, we simply walked through tight corridors full of Imperium soldiers heading off to do dark deeds that I doubted I wanted to know more about. No one in our group spoke. On the other end of the earpiece, Delphinium was silent, though I could hear sparse conversation between my teammates in the background. It was a miracle any of them were even still speaking to each other after what happened.