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“Join us, we offer free dental and manicures.”

“Can I push you down this cliff just to hear you scream?”

“You know you wanted to laugh.”

I showed him my very human teeth and clacked them twice.“If you’re done with the bullshit, you need to join your men.It’s time for me to stir up trouble.”

Jackson was leading our main group of Shadow Warriors who were purposefully lagging far enough behind the Federation troops that they wouldn’t be seen.They would attack from behind during the battle.Jackson took off with a tip of his non-existent hat.

The line of soldiers and vehicles slowly rolled past our location.The perfect opportunity finally came.I tracked the rhythmic sway of the last semi-truck in the convoy.My hand went up signaling to the small group of Warriors around me to hold their position.Timing my jump with the subtle bounce of the trailer, I coiled my legs and launched from my position.There was a soft, almost imperceptible thud when I landed.The heavily armed soldiers marching on either side of the truck didn’t notice.

I pressed myself flat against the warm, corrugated roof.Sixty seconds passed before I moved.My fingers found purchase on the back edge, clenching the metal until my feet found purchase on the narrow lip of the trailer's rear.The smell of diesel and dust was obnoxious to my sensitive nose.With one hand, I slowly reached for one of the heavy, rusted lockrods.I felt the satisfying click as the first rod disengaged, then the second.The large, double doors of the trailer were now unlatched.

I pushed the right door inward a few inches, just enough to confirm the cargo.Low growls rumbled from within.With a swift, powerful kick of my right foot, I sent the door slamming back against the trailer's side, opening it completely.

A torrent of snarling hellhounds tumbled out.They hit the ground with grunts and became disoriented for a split second before their predatory instincts kicked in.I scrambled back to the roof, my body going flat against the metal again.

The first screams were music to my ears.A grim smile touched my lips.The soldiers, caught completely off guard, stumbled and cried out as the monstrous hounds tore into their ranks.I peered over the side.Blood splattered the asphalt.Simultaneously, my Warriors, still in their human forms, opened fire from the roadside, spitting precise bursts into the pandemonium, aiming for the soldiers who hadn't yet been overwhelmed.One of my men launched a grenade with a practiced flick of his wrist.It landed with a dull clang amidst the struggling mass of men and monsters.

The ensuing explosion was a concussive roar followed by a shower of dirt, debris, and torn flesh.I launched myself from the truck, landing lightly on the ground amidst the swirling dust.

I scrambled up the rocks and melted back into the shadows of the cliffs and joined the Warriors.

Strike one complete.

Chapter Forty-Two

Marinah

“How many units are down?”demanded a general.His voice was deep and carried in the open area.

He was easy to identify since he was nice enough to wear three stars on the lapel of his uniform.

“Too many.Our only way out is on foot,” one of the red stripes answered.

“The fucking president does not go on foot,” the commander yelled.

“I have two vehicles that are operational,” the unfortunate man replied.“You would need to leave the hounds behind.”

We hid twenty feet away.King was on the opposite side of the road.This was too easy, and something told me I wasn’t seeing the entire picture.A man walked up to the two military personnel, and they both saluted.

“President Barnes,” the higher official said.

“Why aren’t we moving?”

Thoughts filled my head.We had a major problem.That man might look like the president, but it wasn’t Barnes.Had Terry betrayed us?I signaled the Warriors to fall back.We made our way deeper into the swamp until King approached me.

“That wasn’t Barnes,” he said before I could.

“No, it wasn’t.”

“Terry?”King asked.

I shook my head.“I don’t think so.It looks similar to Barnes, and if it were Terry, their vehicles wouldn’t be damaged.”

King growled.

“He could be anywhere by now,” I said feeling frustration build inside me.“This was a decoy.They blew up their camp after we attacked it by air.They wanted us inside the camp and we evaded them.”

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