Page 94 of Green Ravens

Lion and Omega exchanged fierce glances as they looked over the incriminating documents, still images, and video feed of the Raven’s illegal activities.

“Omega and I went after Woyashi and his Kenjuka Clan ten years ago and took down his entire operation,” Lion growled. “But we spared his life with a stern warning to stop his terrorist acts.”

“I guess he figures we’ve forgotten about him,” Omega said.

“What kind of bad guys are the Kenjuka Clan?” Valor asked.

“The worst kind,” Jo answered. “The kind that’s done everything from weapons and human trafficking, extortion and ransom, assassinations, smuggling, coup attempts—”

“I got it,” Valor scoffed. “Sounds like a guy I wouldn’t mind taking down…permanently.”

“It appears he’s rebuilt a bigger and stronger army,” Jo said as she rolled out a map intel on a convoy moving a targeted high-ranking official Woyashi’s clan was intercepting. It’d been confirmed that the bombs expert would be with them.

“The director has now called on the Ravens to do a double elimination, spinning the story to the Browns’ and the Blacks’ handlers that Woyashi and Zelmir are planning an attack on the US.”

“And his Ravens will kill without question.” Lion sneered.

Jo shook her head. “No, they won’t. But Woyashi is a known terrorist on the FBI’s, DHS’s, and TSA’s lists. They’ll believe the threat is real and the elimination order is a righteous kill.”

The elders were silent, listening and observing, but Valor knew they were creating a plan as Jo spoke.

“Zelmir is only twenty-four years old, and his crime is being too ignorant to know not to create a weapon so vast and powerful that it would be targeted by every superpower in the world. It was so dangerous that the Chinese Academy of Science and Physics destroyed it. Though not fast enough. The director wanted Zelmir to recreate the same portable thermonuclear weapon for him, but Woyashi never delivered Zelmir.

“Now he’s furious and has given orders to take out both Zelmir and Woyashi. The mercenaries in his pocket will probably kill Zelmir’s young wife and son to tie up loose ends.”

Valor flexed his hands, needing the director’s throat in his grasp more than he needed the air flowing into his lungs.

“As I’ve reported, he has been unsuccessful in creating more Ravens. The seven men who have volunteered under false pretenses these last two years”—Jo ducked her head—“unfortunately didn’t survive the transformations.”

“Why are we still letting this man breathe?” Zorion snapped, searching the wise faces of the elders. “We should’ve gone back and killed him a long time ago before he could destroy anyone else.”

Master Rho—his and Omega’s grandmaster—stood and paced around them with his hands tucked behind his back, his head lowered.

“Because, Zorion, you needed training and discipline. If you attack before you are ready, you will be fighting two battles, one with your enemy and one with yourself. You can only be victorious in war when the mind and body are one.”

Zorion nodded.

“We know of the Black and the Brown Ravens,” Master Rho continued. “We have studied them from afar. Omega and Lion have trained you both to combat them.”

“Meridian and Ex walk the path of emptiness. They know not of compassion nor the burden of remorse. Warriors devoid of the soul’s fire. They feel nothing, save for the tether that binds them to one another.”

Valor put his hand on Zorion’s shoulder to calm him.

Master Rho stared directly at him. “The Blacks way of combat is to deceive, mislead, and then erase.”

Valor felt no fear of this Ex and Meridian. They were Ravens, and therefore, they were dangerous, but their training had limits.

He and Zorion had far surpassed those limits under the guidance of the Order.

“Grace has the strength of a bull if he doesn’t take you from afar,” Grandmaster Heng Ju added, his warning directed at Valor and Lion. “Grace is never alone, though it will appear so. But from his shadow, death will appear. Mirage is, as his name implies, an optical phenomenon. A master of phantom blades.”

“Grace will have a 308 Daniel Delta to make a kill shot from four point nine kilometers away.” Jo allowed that distance to sink into their minds before she finished. “It’s the longest in history if he doesn’t miss…and believe me…he won’t miss.”

The elders directed Lion and Omega to intercept the Brown Ravens before Grace could make the shot and to take ten of their disciples to assist Zorion and Valor with overtaking Woyashi’s convoy.

“The Blacks owe the Browns a debt,” Jo informed. “Lion, Omega, if you can make Grace and Mirage’s situation dire, theywillcall on Ex and Meridian for backup. Grace would swallow his pride to save Mirage.”

“And then, Valor and Zorion, you can move in and extract Zelmir Benton and take him to safety.”

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