Hyperspeed Dreams by Anna Carven

Chapter Twenty-Seven

They slipped downthe black metal rope and dropped to the ground on silent feet, Lodan and Tarak going first, Tasha coming last, her armor-gloves making her grip fluid or firm, depending on what she chose.

Tarak went ahead, stealing away silently in the darkness.

Lodan waited patiently as she dropped to her feet.

The rope disappeared, swiftly reeled up into the invisible ship, which hovered beneath a thick layer of cloud cover.

“Come on.” Lodan slipped his hand into hers. It felt good. Good but also… weird. This wasn’t like any mission she’d ever been on. She was usually the one stalking into the darkness, her senses on high alert, weapon in hand.

Not holding hands.

Even if it felt so damn good.

“How are you going to get past the outer perimeter?” Tasha glanced up at the stark concrete walls of the Official Praetorian Headquarters. “Everything’s alarmed. They have guard drones. The most sophisticated security and surveillance systems on the planet.”

“On Earth, maybe. But we have been disrupting the tech of other civilizations for a very long time, and human tech isn’t nearly advanced as you would all like to think. They won’t see us until they encounter us in the flesh. Promise. Now let’s go inside. I want to make this quick.”

Tasha peered into the distance, scanning the empty streets of theGrand-Saconnex district. A long time ago, the area had been home to various diplomatic missions and consulates, but most of these had since been sold off to the ultra wealthy, who had converted them into private dwellings. Alongside the old historic buildings rose monolithic structures of glass and steel; the headquarters of various corporate organizations.

There was a lot of money floating around in Geneva, and The Praetorian were one of the biggest sharks in the tank.

The streets might have as well been lined with gold.

Aside from the neon lights, which looked like they were suspended in the darkness, and the occasional surveillance drone drifting past, the place was completely deserted.

There was something eerily beautiful about it. Normally, she wouldn’t notice these kinds of things, but with Lodan by her side, she felt strangely relaxed.

“I can show you the best route inside.” She drew one of her plasma guns and allowed its weight to settle comfortably in the palm of her hand. This one was smaller and better balanced than the guns she’d been given by The Praetorian. “Expect some resistance. Best to take them down as many as you can… quietly, before they have a chance to call for backup.”

“Agreed.” Lodan beckoned toward a dark spot along the outer wall. “But we don’t need to find an entry point. Tarak’s already made one. Come.” He nodded toward a dark patch in the shadows.

Tasha’s eyes widened. There was a… hole in the pavement; a perfectly round, man-shaped hole.

And no sign of Tarak.

“How did he do that?” she hissed.

“Cut it,” Lodan shrugged. “Our swords can cut through mostly anything… well, anything, really.” He looked up sharply, glancing over her shoulder. A glint appeared in his golden eyes as he nodded and said something in Kordolian. It sounded like a greeting of sorts, his jovial tone completely out of sync with the cold, grim surroundings.

It took Tasha a moment to realize that he was speaking to someone else.

Around a dozen black shadows materialized around them. Only they weren’t shadows—they were fully armed and armored Kordolian warriors. A flurry of Kordolian symbols appeared across her viewport as they appeared; presumably identifying tags.

Tasha shook her head wryly. Why am I not surprised? “So this is how you roll, huh? Breaking into one of the most heavily fortified places on Earth as if you’re going for a stroll in the park, huh?” She let out an exasperated sigh and followed him into the gaping black hole. There was nothing funny about the situation, really. Tasha was just trying to find a sliver of light to patch over her frayed nerves; over the twisting sense of unease that roiled around in her gut.

This place… she hated it. Soon the smell of strong antiseptic and metal and cold, slightly damp stone would hit her in the face, bringing back a torrent of terrible memories.

She hadn’t really thought about it until now.

Oh well, too late to worry about any of that now.

Besides, Lodan was here.

And as she slipped through the hole, dropping several meters to land on her feet beside him, he turned and gave her a look that soothed her frantic heart.

A calm; knowing look, as if to say—I know. I’ve been in that place too.

They were in a dark, damp, narrow utility tunnel; one of many that ran beneath Geneva’s streets.

Direct access to The Praetorian’s stronghold was only a few meters away. Who would have thought it would be so easy to break into the headquarters of one of Earth’s most feared corporations?

Only aliens could have done it.

“You’re with us now,” Lodan murmured as a small army of silent, lethal, black-clad Kordolians surrounded them, drawing their swords.

A shudder coursed through her.

Really, the Praetorian that she’d always thought of as all-powerful and invincible; they suddenly didn’t seem as terrifying as before.

“Let’s go.” He gave her a searing look—one that was all molten possessiveness and fierce protectiveness.

This damn alien.

Then he activated his own armor-helm. Like magic, it extended down across his face, hiding his eyes and his elegant silver features, transforming him into a dark, sinister being.

Tasha had never seen anything so reassuring in her life.

Shick.

He drew his long, curved sword.

Holy hell.

This was really happening. And for once, she wasn’t the one that had to draw her weapon and go in first.

She didn’t have to go alone.

She was surrounded by allies.

Aliens.Who would ever have thought?