Page 196 of Cerulean Truth
I opened up a portal, ignoring him.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, do you have clearance?" he hurriedly asked, panic etched on his face. I was almost touched by his concern for my well-being. Almost.
"Do I look like I care?" I huffed, moving toward the portal.
"James, you can't! You'll die crossing their borders without clearance!" Julian grabbed my shirt, holding me back.
I narrowed my eyes. "You have exactly one second to let go of me, or I'm portaling you in with me, and we'll die together like Romeo and fucking Juliet."
He let go, and I jumped through my portal without waiting for his response. Don't get me wrong, I was thankful for his assistance, but I wasn't about to tell him how Stephen had secretly shared his Specialist-status with me, providing me with diplomatic clearance in every Collective of the world.
Touching down in the dark streets of Coastal, I ran up to the building, following Julian's directions. Standing before it, my Offensive instincts kicked in, recognizing the high probability of this secure structure being infested with Radicals, ready to eliminate any intruder. I had to make a choice−either sneak in stealthily or blasting my way in.
Portaling in blind was not an option; I'd be dead in an instant without knowing where I’d end up.
My eyes methodically scanned the dark corners and blind spots. A wry smile played on my lips as I observed the abysmal quality of their external security. Stealthy infiltration would beeasy.
Dressed in my usual dark Offensive suit, I relied on the cloak of night and my years of experience of infiltrating and extricating myself from places I had no business of being.
Translating an assessment triangle, I analyzed the entire security-blueprint in a few seconds. They’d installed the usual magi-defense systems and a few human-ones.
The entire building was encapsulated by a barrier, almost like an invisible spider’s web pulled over every aspect of the building. I’d have to deactivate it or somehow evade it when going in. Any touch or vibration would set off alarms throughout the entire compound. If it didn’t outright kill me upon contact.
For a second, I thought about reaching out to Coastal’s Offensives but considering their location, I had no idea who I could trust. Better to go at it alone anyway. Less risk, more control.
Human surveillance cameras monitored the external walls. They got probably triggered by translation, so obscuring them was out. I quickly figured out their patterns and moved out of their sight accordingly.
The barrier around the building was a little trickier. And although it would take me a while to figure it out, I did exhale in relief. A magical web excluded the existence of any bubble. At least I wouldn’t be without my haze or Skindo.
I studied the web on the Nexus. Every web had a weak point, a small almost invisible knot where its threads would come together and hold. Locating it wouldn’t be easy, but I wasn’t just anyone. And I wasextremelymotivated.
Quickly taking in my surroundings, I noticed a building not too far off, practically at the same height as my mark. I leapt up,and while I climbed the second building, I let the drops scan the entire web.
Crouching down on the rooftop, I searched the blueprint for the knot. There was a small, almost imperceptible spot near the left corner of the roof.
Enhancing the image, I shook my head slowly. That was too easy. Probably a trap. But what other choice did I have?
Only one way to find out.
Jumping from the second building to the first, I hovered over its edge with a swift, noiseless leap, my muscles coiled and ready.
Dissolving the knot, while changing my position every so often so the camera's wouldn’t pick up on me, I dismantled the web in record time and let myself roll onto the surface.
Spotting a small and narrow window a few paces to my left, I strode toward it and eased it open without a single sound. Beneath the window stood a guy, engaged in the captivating routine of sucking on a cigarette.
My eyes remained fixed on the distracted guard as I slipped through the hole without catching his attention. Lowering myself slowly, I used the last second to propel my body onto him, and snapped his neck before he could enjoy his last drag.
My feet touched the floor of the small room, completely veiled in darkness.
Although my eyes adapted rather swiftly to the obscurity, I translated my Offensive lenses, providing me with clear night-sight. I blinked a few times, focusing on the closed door ahead, quickly translating it open as I went through.
Finding myself in an abandoned and pitch-black hallway, I noticed the creepy glow that barely cut through the darkness, coming from a flickering exit sign at the far end. The hallway felt cramped, and every step seemed to carry a sense of dread as theweak light battled against the shadows. Thank fuck for my night-vision.
Rushing through the maze of corridors, my senses heightened with urgency and worry. The air was so thick with the scent of disinfectant, it almost made me gag.
We were probably in an old medical factory of some kind.
I pulled out my Nexus and generated the blueprint again. The heat signatures should have indicated her location, but the multitude of Radicals inside made it impossible to pinpoint which one was Emma’s.
