Page 28 of Dark Rebel's Fortune

It had betrayed her, had sent her on the wrong path, and hadn't warned her that she was making a mistake. Max had tried to convince her to go for Parisa and her children first, but she'd insisted that her gut was telling her to start with Soraya.

Then the Doomers had moved against Yasmin.

But the truth was that even if she had listened to Max instead of the stupid pendant, they might not have gotten there in time to prevent Javad's senseless death.

As she swept her binoculars across the compound once more, the pendant's warmth intensified when she focused on one particular building that she'd originally thought was barracks, but upon closer inspection, the bunker-like structure looked more like a holding facility than housing for soldiers.

Was the pendant trying to compensate for its previous failure? Or maybe it was good for some things and not others. Or maybe she should stop relying on it altogether.

"The northeastern building," she said into the comm. "I think that's where they're holding them."

"Why do you think that?" Jade asked through the comms.

Kyra hesitated, unsure how to explain her gut feeling. "It's the same size as the one on the other side of the administrative building, but it's built like a bunker and has more guards than all the others. Tome, it looks like a classic prisoner containment setup."

"That's our target," Max said.

"Agreed," Yamanu confirmed. "Jade, Rishba, and Asuka. You create a diversion. When security responds, Kyra, Max, Dima, Anton, and I will infiltrate from the south and make our way to the building. We secure the family and extract them via the route we discussed. Is everyone clear on the plan?"

After a chorus of acknowledgments came through the comms, Kyra slid backward from her position until she was safely below the ridge line, then rose to a crouch and moved toward where Max and Yamanu waited with the rest of the team.

The sun had nearly set now, the mountains to the west silhouetted against a sky painted in violent shades of orange and crimson. Appropriate, given what was about to happen.

"We are in position," Jade reported through the comms. "Ready on your mark."

Yamanu checked his watch. "Five minutes. Final equipment check, everyone."

Max reached out to briefly squeeze her shoulder—a small gesture of support that carried more weight than words could have. "Just remember, we do this together. No lone wolf heroics."

He sounded like her teammates back in the rebel camp, but the situation was a lot different now. Back then, she was the strongest warrior in their organization, and she had taken on more risks because sheknew she was immortal while her teammates were human and fragile in comparison. Now, every member of her team was stronger and better trained than she was. For best results, she should let them take the lead and follow their commands.

"Don't worry." She squeezed his hand. "For a change, I'm the weakest link in the operation, and I'm going to do my best not to do anything that might impede our superhero team. That being said, this is my family, and I will do whatever is necessary to save them, including risking my life."

Max nodded. "Thanks for the honest reply. Just don't die on me because I don't think I could ever recover from that."

His words touched her more than he could have imagined, and she leaned over to plant a quick kiss on his cheek. "You're not getting rid of me that easily. I don't plan on dying today."

He grinned. "That's the right answer."

"Time," Yamanu announced. "Jade, you're on."

The plan was for Jade's team to approach the main gate in one of the vans, with Jade driving and Rishba and Asuka crouching, hidden from view in the back. As the van neared the checkpoint, explosives set in a fuel depot, which was some fifty meters away, would provide a calculated distraction that would draw attention and resources without arousing suspicion of a coordinated attack.

Right on time, there was a sudden flash, followed by a rolling boom that shook the earth beneath Kyra'sfeet. Immediately, alarms blared across the compound, and guards began rushing toward the site of the explosion, exactly as planned.

"Move now," Yamanu ordered, and their team sprinted from cover, using the lengthening shadows to approach the southern perimeter where security would be the thinnest.

Kyra's body remembered the countless missions she'd led with the resistance, and she settled into the familiar rhythm, entering the zone. The weight of her weapons was reassuring—the primary firearm strapped across her chest, the blades secured at her thigh and ankle, and the backup pistol holstered at the small of her back.

She'd fought her way out of situations worse than this.

She would get her family out.

They reached the perimeter wall without incident, taking advantage of the chaos unfolding on the other side of the compound. Yamanu produced grappling hooks, and within moments, they had scaled the wall and dropped into the compound proper.

"Two guards approaching from the west," Yamanu whispered, detecting them before the rest of them did. "Don't engage unless necessary."

As the five of them pressed themselves into the shadows between two storage containers, Kyra controlled her breathing, making herself as still and silent as the night itself. If these guards were Doomers, they would be able to hear her and hercompanions' heartbeats, so she prayed that they were human.

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