Page 63 of Warrior

Non-poetic translation:It’s time.

I allowed myself a small smile at my acrostic code capabilities.It wasn’t Shakespeare, but it would give Landan and the others the heads-up they needed.Change was coming, and soon.

The second cup of black goo disappeared as quickly as the first, and despite its unpleasantness, I forced down the slop in my bowl.On my way out, I made sure to stumble slightly, playing the part of someone too foggy and disoriented to cause trouble.

My next goal: Labyrinth’s barracks, and a third cup of coffee, preferably with him.

I found Labyrinth pacing in the main room, his soldiers practically bouncing off the walls.They were doing push-ups, running in place, using the bunk beds for pull-ups, anything to channel their restless energy and soothe their beasts.The tension in the air was tangible.

“We need to run,” Labyrinth said the moment I walked in.“Our beasts are on edge, and the Federation knows it.They’re setting us up.I can feel it in my bones.We haven’t been allowed out of these quarters for forty-eight hours.”

I shared the same uneasy feeling.The Federation had made it sound urgent that I return to the U.S., yet since I’d arrived, it had been nothing but a waiting game.

“I’ll talk to the president and see what I can do,” I told him.“It doesn’t make sense why they’re keeping you confined.Landan said there have been hellhound attacks inside the walls, and people living outside the tunnels are terrified.You should be out there helping.”

“They don’t actually want our help,” he said, his voice laced with frustration.“When we inspected their defenses, General Smyth refused to answer my questions.He made it clear he was taking us out only on direct orders.That speech he gave before your interrogation?Just a pile of shit.”

Labyrinth gestured toward the far counter, where a few trays sat discarded.“Honestly, I think their plan is to kill us with their food.Whatever they served this morning was unrecognizable.”

He shook his head, his dark eyes glinting with frustration.“I’ve sent repeated requests to speak with you or the president, and every single one has been ignored.”

I threw my hands up in a classicwhat the hellgesture.“I haven’t received any of your requests.”

I glanced around out of habit to make sure we weren’t overheard, even though it wasn’t necessary.

“King came to see me last night.He’s just as concerned as we are.I’ve also talked to my friends in analytics, and it’s worse than we feared.Everything we suspected about the Federation’s intentions is true.They didn’t bring us here to fight hellhounds.Be ready to act,” I said.“This whole situation is about to blow, and we need to make sure we’re the ones holding the detonator when it does.”

∞∞∞

I was left to my own devices for three days and utterly ignored.The Federation prided itself on efficiency and despised inactivity.Everyone was expected to pull their weight, even if it was just menial labor.

As Secretary of Defense, I was technically fourth in line to take over if something happened to the President, Vice President, and Secretary of State.But I knew the title was nothing more than a ruse to pacify the Warriors.My demands to meet with President Barnes had gone unanswered, and the silence only amplified my frustration.

When I visited Labyrinth earlier that morning, the tension in the Warriors’ quarters had risen even higher than it had been three days before.The energy was electric, simmering on the edge of violence.The Warriors needed to run, to release their pent-up frustration, but their guards had been doubled, and I was closely monitored the entire time I was there.I stayed just long enough to reassure Labyrinth that I was doing everything I could.

Now, sitting in the cafeteria, I casually sipped coffee, my eyes scanning the room.Keeping my movements subtle, I reached beneath the table to retrieve Landan’s latest note.With the folded paper in my lap, I read it quickly:

Since your return, the sun is brighter.Kindness follows me.Your light shines through.Lips of velvet await my kiss.And you tremble with need.Regardless of our separation.My thoughts are with you each second.I carry you in my heart.Simply put, I love you.Simply put, you’re mine.I need you.No one can replace you.Gone are my days of loneliness.

Barf.

I stifled a smile, already imagining King’s reaction to such flowery nonsense.Ms.Beast growled in my head, her disdain matching his, and I nearly laughed.But the humor vanished as I deciphered the code hidden in the note.

Skylar Missing.

I nearly lost control when a surge of K-5 hit me, triggered by my sudden wave of fear.The energy threatened to take over, my Warrior instincts roaring to the surface.The only thing stopping me from transforming on the spot was the unwelcome sight of Officer Daniels pulling out the chair across from me.

His face, framed by a haze of red, looked all too tempting, the perfect candidate for the kind of shredding only Warrior teeth could manage.The K-5 pulsed violently inside me, but I wrestled it down, clawing inch by inch back to humanity.By the time the danger subsided, a fine sheen of sweat coated my skin.

I gave a tight-lipped smile and watched Daniels grit his teeth.

He hadn’t liked me from the moment we met, and I couldn’t help but wonder if he thought I stole the defense secretary position from him.Maybe I did.

Deciding to make the most of the moment, I let him see a bit of calculated anger.“I need to speak with the president within the hour,” I said in clipped syllables.I was tired of being ignored.

His jaw clenched tighter, his expression a mix of disdain and barely contained antagonism.

“I’ll pass on your request to the president,” he said.His eyes raked over me, making it clear I disgusted him.

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