Page 71 of Dark Rebel's Mystery

On the bench behind Jade and Drova, two Kra-ell fighters were checking their weapons and exchanging hand signs that Max didn't recognize. Probably some stealth Kra-ell warrior language.

Asuka laid several gleaming knives across her lap, even as the helicopter bounced and shook, and started sharpening one. The thing probably didn't need it, but it was probably her form of meditation before the battle.

Max regretted not having a sharpening stone so he could do the same.

Ell-rom and Jasmine sat close together. Their faces were mere inches apart, so they could converse without the benefit of the common earpieces' feed. Ell-rom's expression flickered between worry and resolve, as though he couldn't decide whether his presence on this mission was beneficial or detrimental.

"Everything okay?" Max said into the comm, turning his head so they would know he was addressing them.

Ell-rom lifted his eyes. "I don't know," he admitted. "A part of me is afraid that I might freeze when the time comes."

"You won't." Max tried to keep his tone reassuring even though he shared Ell-rom's concern. "We're going to thrall and compel whoever we can, subdue who we must, and get out. If all goes according to plan, you should have no cause to reach for your talent."

If Max could trust Ell-rom's ability, knowing he was their fallback would have been comforting. If they found themselves cornered by a squad of Doomers, Ell-rom could be the difference between victory and defeat.

Hopefully, his special talent wouldn't be needed, and if it were, he wouldn't hesitate to use it.

Jasmine placed a hand on Ell-rom's knee. "I'm just worried about whether Kyra is even there. For all we know, she was there sometime in the past or not yet. Syssi's visions don't come with a time stamp."

Max met her gaze. "The last one did. The television was playing in the background, and current events were being shown. That was not accidental. The Fates wanted her to know that Kyra needed help now."

"But what if she was there recently but has been moved?" Jasmine voiced the same concern all of them shared.

He shrugged. "Worst-case scenario, we confirm that she's not there, get intel from the guards about where she was moved to, and go look for her." He placed a hand over his chest. "I have a feeling that she is there, though. She is waiting for us even though she doesn't know we are coming."

He'd fallen asleep on the plane and dreamt about Kyra, a woman who looked a lot like Jasmine, with the same golden eyes and dark, rich hair but with a harder, fiercer expression. She stood on top of a hill, just like in Syssi's first vision of her, but her face wasn't covered, and she was looking straight at him. She didn't say a word, but the way she regarded him said that she counted on him to come for her.

He didn't put much stock in the dream. It was just a manifestation of the thoughts that had been occupying his mind for the past forty-eight hours or so.

But what if it wasn't?

It didn't matter. He was coming whether Kyra was waiting for him or not.

Jasmine nodded. "I hope you're right, because we can't fail. This is not just about finding my mother. It's about finding Khiann. That's why the Fates showed Syssi where to find my mother when she asked them about Annani's beloved."

The helicopter rattled as they hit a pocket of turbulence, and Max grabbed hold of the seat's edge to steady himself. He glanced forward to where the pilot sat behind the cockpit console, wearing a full Revolutionary Guard uniform like the rest of them. Turner's contact had arranged for these pilots—men who didn't ask too many questions as long as the pay was good and who weren't fond of the regime these uniforms represented. Next to him Yamanu, dressed similarly, kept his eyes closed, lips slightly parted in concentration.

The pilot's voice came through. "We're about ten minutes from our final approach. The other chopper is holding formation. You should get ready."

Jade turned to her Kra-ell team. "Dima, Anton, you go first. Secure the perimeter. Asuka and Mehira, back them up." Her gaze flicked to Drova. "Stay with me until we're certain there are no immediate threats, then do your job. Everyone, keep your comm channel open at all times."

Drova nodded so vigorously her helmet strap slipped across her cheek. Jade squeezed her shoulder and motioned for her to put her sunglasses on while pulling her own out of her pocket.

Ell-rom pressed the earpiece deeper into his ear as if trying to block out the rotor noise that still slipped past the filters.

Jade nodded. "Don't stray from the plan. We secure the landing site, and as soon as everyone is on the ground, we double-time it to the compound. When there, they won't realize we're not who we appear to be until we're already inside. Drova's compulsion will take care of humans and Doomers alike, as long as they are in hearing range."

Drova pulled out a mouthpiece that was only slightly larger than a whistle but was a powerful voice amplifier. It was another technical gizmo from the prolific lab William was running.

Jade clapped her on her back. "I'm glued to you, Drova."

When the girl glared at her, Jade lifted a finger to shush her. "Not because you are my daughter but because you're our number one asset, and I need to protect you."

The helicopter veered left, a tilt that forced everyone to brace. Max felt rather than heard the engine shift as the helicopter began its descent. As if on cue, he felt an adrenaline surge, prepping his body to erupt into motion.

He forced his breathing to slow. This was nothing new. He'd been on many missions before, albeit in different places. But every mission was unique. You never knew when the unexpected would claw its way out of the shadows and tear the plan to shreds.

"Ninety seconds to the landing zone," the pilot announced. "Wind's picking up, but nothing we can't handle."

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