Page 50 of Warrior

King’s council had been clear.Labyrinth wasn’t supposed to roll over for the Federation.He was expected to push back just enough to keep their suspicions at bay.Still, I had to give him credit for not killing Smyth on the spot.The man was pure evil.

The general scratched his chin, his posture seemingly relaxed as he leaned back in his chair.But the hardness in his eyes gave him away.“The Federation is no longer running scared.It took some time for us to recognize the mistakes of the past, but we’re ready to fix what happened.If we’d had standardized communication, we would have reached out much sooner.”

He glanced my way, his gaze lingering just long enough to gauge my reaction.The Federation had no intention of contacting the Warriors until the electromagnetic pulses started up again.I recalled when data fed to us in analytics supposedly came from communications with human survivors who had been attacked by Shadow Warriors.Knowing how much my father respected them, it was one of the few things I’d been skeptical about.I’d brought it up the first time I spoke to President Barnes about my new title.He’d told me that those on the outskirts of society didn’t differentiate between Shadow Warriors and hellhounds, and I shouldn’t worry about it.He should have saidworrymypretty little head about it.

I bit my tongue to keep from calling Smyth out on his lie.I was being a good little Secretary of Defense.Labyrinth and I knew the truth but pointing it out wouldn’t help the cause.I needed the general to believe I was on his side, even if he didn’t like me.

Satisfied, he turned back to Labyrinth.“Ms.Church has her debrief, and I’m here to escort her to the appointment.Please choose ten of your men to join me today and examine our defenses.I’ll return for you after dropping off Ms.Church.”

“If Secretary Church isn’t coming with us, my men and I won’t go,” Labyrinth said flatly.

I widened my eyes at him and placed a hand at my throat, feigning concern.“There are hellhounds out there.If you run into trouble, I’ll just be in the way.Please, take the general up on his offer.You’ll be safe with him.”Liar, liar, pants on fucking fire.

Labyrinth’s jaw tightened, his displeasure evident and he wasn’t putting on a show.He didn’t like the idea of me being interrogated, but I could handle myself.Besides, I hoped that afterward, I’d have the chance to visit my co-workers and gather more intel.

After a long, reluctant pause, Labyrinth conceded.“Thank you, General.My men and I will join you.”

The general stood, and when I didn’t immediately do the same, he tugged my chair back an inch to hurry me.“Ms.Church, please come with me.”

I plastered on my biggest, fakest smile.“I believe it’sSecretary of DefenseChurch,” I said sweetly.“But if you’d prefer, I’ll answer toSecretaryChurch.”

If his eyes could fry me on the spot, they would’ve done it.“Secretary Church, please follow me,” he ground out through clenched teeth.

My smile only grew, and this time it was Labyrinth who kicked me under the table.Yeah, I was pushing the general’s buttons.A girl needed to have some fun.

We left the Warrior quarters, and I followed the general through what felt like miles of underground tunnels before he finally led me into a small room.It looked exactly like a police interview room, complete with a two-way mirror.Interrogation.Just as I suspected.I let Ms.Beast’s eyes rise to the forefront for a few seconds, long enough to see through the glass.The president and Officer Daniels were on the other side, monitoring my every move.

The general left, leaving me alone.Well, alonein the room, at least.Daniels didn’t take his eyes off me from behind the glass.

The man who entered next was a stranger to me.He stood just over six feet, with a wiry build that suggested more endurance than brute strength.His sandy brown hair, peppered with gray, was cut short, making his sharp features appear even more angular.His hazel eyes seemed perpetually narrowed, as though he calculated everything around him.

His military fatigues were crisp, almosttooperfect, suggesting either an obsessive attention to detail or a need to project an air of control.His movements were precise and deliberate.His demeanor radiated authority, but there was an undercurrent of something colder beneath the surface, a sharpness that hinted at a man who preferred manipulation to confrontation.

“Ms.Church,” he greeted, his voice carefully neutral.

He sat across from me, set a folder on the table, and smoothed imaginary wrinkles from the front of his pants.

“I’ve been promoted to Secretary of Defense,” I said, adding a smile to soften the correction, though I didn’t miss the flicker of irritation in his expression.

His return smile was tight.“My first name is Charles.Perhaps it’d be better if we used first names to make this more comfortable.”

I extended my hand.“Charlie, I’m Marinah.Nice to meet you.”

The faint grimace that flashed across his face at the nickname told me he didn’t care for it.He was the first who didn’t linger on my braids.His gaze dropped to the folder on the table between us.My name was printed clearly on the label, and he caught me glancing at it.

“This is your psychological profile and work history,” he said matter-of-factly.“I’m here to ascertain whether you’ve suffered any post-traumatic stress after spending months with those filthy traitors were being forced to work with again.”

His words left no room for doubt about his feelings toward the Shadow Warriors.The name-calling was unnecessary, which was probably why he’d said it.He was zeroed in on my reactions.

Without so much as blinking over his blatant bigotry, I brought my fingers to one of my braids and twirled nervously, slipping fully into acting mode.“I expected it to be worse than it was,” I whispered, leaning in a little closer for effect.“Their beast forms are horrible, and it was hard to keep my revulsion hidden.”I added a dramatic shudder for good measure.

“Your father had no problems with the Shadow Warriors.We didn’t think you would either,” he prodded, his tone laced with calculated curiosity.

I shook my head.“I never understood my father’s regard for those animals.We needed them to battle hellhounds, but that doesn’t mean I don’t hope they go back to their island and leave us alone afterward.”

“Do you think King will do that?Leave us alone?”he clarified, his gaze sharp.

“I don’t see why he wouldn’t,” I replied, adding just a touch of naïveté to the words.“They never mentioned anything about taking over the Federation, and I spoke to many of them at length.They have their own worries.”

---