part0026

Rylan instantly reacted to Laz’s order, shifting to his wolf form and going in for the kill. His first victim suffered a ripped-out throat. Not to be outdone, Raikidan shifted into a wolf as well and took out another soldier in the same bloody fashion. I also wanted to jump in, but I needed the right target. My brute strength wouldn’t be good against another Brute if we wanted this done quickly.

Laz ran in, targeting a cowardly soldier attempting to run. That left me with two choices, but as I locked onto them, one stuck out to me. Him. I rushed in and tackled him, pulling him into a tight headlock. He struggled but wasn’t a match for me. His comrade aimed a gun at me, but Rylan and Raikidan teamed up and took him out.

“Ryoko,” Laz called out. I looked at her to find her taken care of. “I want that one alive.”

Knowing why, I grinned down at him. “You’re going to wish she had me kill you.”

Fear flashed in the man’s eyes, and he struggled more as I began dragging him to our interrogation room, but my hold on him was too good.

“Are things always this exciting here?” Raikidan asked. I looked back to see him back in human form.

Laz held up her hands. “It’s just another day in paradise.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. She had a strange but amusing sense of humor. I’d missed it so much and was glad she’d returned. She hadn’t told me yet what convinced her to come back, not after the reason she’d ran in the first place, but I was sure the truth would come out soon enough.

“Raynn, quit daydreaming and move your ass! We have work to do,” Laz called out.

“Don’t tell me what to do, wench.” Him calling her that raised the hairs on the back of my neck. I hated him so much.

“Fine, I guess I’ll have all the fun.”

“The hell you will!”

He ran after her, and I didn’t understand. How could she put aside everything and work with him like that? After everything he’d done, and after everything he’d just said to her before all this went down?

The soldier struggled in my arms, bringing me back to my task at hand. I smiled at him. “I like things a little rough. I hope you do, too.”

His facial reaction told me he wasn’t sure if he should be intrigued or afraid. I loved doing that. It made things… exciting.

I dragged him into a room with a single light and a chair. A rebel stood waiting with rope in his hands. I looked down at the soldier again, a grin on my lips. “I get excited when rope is involved. Do try to make this fun for me and beg.”

I shoved him down in the chair and the other rebel tied him up.

My compatriot and I opened the door to the interrogation room and exited, leaving our half-conscious victim tied up and alone. Laz leaned against a wall nearby and Raynn did the same to an adjacent wall.

She looked at me and I shook my head. “Not a word.”

Raynn grinned. “Well that’s good. Means we still get our fun.”

Laz tapped her fingers on her arm. “We’ll see. He may be close to cracking, based on the blood on Ryoko’s hands.”

I looked at them and nodded. I’d been pretty rough with him, but nothing that would cause him death. But there was only so much a person could take before they broke. “We’ll wait in the observation room, just in case you need us.”

She nodded and the four of us split. The other rebel shut the door behind us and took a seat on one of the chairs in the observation room. I chose to stand, watching Laz take in the scene before her. Raynn circled the man, commenting about his state. Unsure if the soldier was alive, he leaned in for a closer look. I chuckled when the soldier spat in his face and muttered a few curses. He had spirit.

Raynn punched the man and Laz shook her head. She walked behind him, asking for his name. She received no response. Same for me, Laz. Try something else. She asked again, and he still kept his mouth shut. Raynn punched him again, but that didn’t work either. Dingbat, I tried that!

Laz rested her folded arms on the soldier’s shoulders and leaned close. Her expression changed to a rather alluring one and she murmured in his ear, low enough the microphones weren’t able to pick it up. The man glanced at her, his eyes wide. What did she say to him? I wanted to know so bad.

A smirk spread across her lips and she continued to speak to him in her low tone.

“A–Aiden,” the man said. “My… my n–name… is Aiden.”

My posture straightened. She’d done it. She got him to talk.

Laz’s smirk remained as she pulled away, making sure her arms dragged across his form. “See, wasn’t that easy, Aiden?”

She circled him, each step slow and deliberate, and her hands always coming in contact with his shoulders or back. Oh damn, Laz, you’re really laying it on. She always tried to claim she sucked at this tactic—that she didn’t understand seduction. But she used it so well. I didn’t understand how she couldn’t see that. She probably thinks she looks stupid or something. She had always been hyper critical of herself.

Laz went to asking him more questions, but Aiden’s lips remained shut. Raynn came up and hit him again, demanding Laz’s questions be answered. Laz shook her head and kept up her tactic. Looked like this was going to be a case of “good rebel, bad rebel” with a sexy twist.

“You ladies don’t play fair sometimes,” the rebel in the room said.

I glanced back at him. He still sat in his chair, but looked my way instead of the interrogation. He’d quite enjoyed watching me beat the snot out of the soldier, as well as some of the comments I made when he wouldn’t talk.

I winked at him. “Sometimes you just gotta do whatcha gotta do.”

He chuckled and then went back to watching Laz and Raynn work. Neither were getting anywhere with this guy, though I doubt Raynn’s tactic was helping her much. He’s such an idiot.

I could see Laz growing bored of this, and it wasn’t long before she drew a dagger and angled the sharp blade toward his groin. Oh, Laz, that is really dirty! I loved it.

Aiden swallowed hard and bared his teeth at her. “Fuck you, Eira. Don’t you dare start making those kinds of threats to me. I’ve proven I’m no talker!”

Laz smiled and pulled away her weapon. “You’re the one who chose to be a mole. You know those risks.”

I relaxed, pulling away from the one-way window. The jig was up, and that meant our fun was over. Dang. I liked picking on our moles. Every now and then, we had to take such desperate measures with them to ensure they weren’t leaking information under pressure, and that meant I could use my fists. If I was picked for the job, of course.

“That doesn’t mean you have to force them on me!” Aiden struggled against his restraints. “Shit, that’s stupid to deal with. Ryoko hits hard, but you… shit, you play dirty.”

Her brow rose and she went about untying him. “If you thought I was playing dirty, you don’t want to meet those who are better at that tactic than me.”

Right, that’s what I’m saying! The other rebel and I left the observation room. He chose to go on his way as he wasn’t needed anymore to keep up appearances, though he did look back at me for a moment when he got down the hall. I wonder what that was about…

Raynn left the interrogation room first and just left, not even passing me a glance. Good, I didn’t want to deal with you either. I stuck my tongue out at his back.

Laz and Aiden came out next, Laz supporting him. I guess I overdid it.

Aiden smirked when he spotted me. “Hey, Ryoko.”

“Hey, Aiden. I’d say sorry for being so rough”—I winked at him—“But I’m pretty sure you’re okay with it.”

His cheeks reddened while he tried to laugh it off. “Well, it could have been a little less painful.”

I gave Laz a hand with holding him up and smirked. “I’ll have to keep that in mind for the next time we play.”

His face reddened more, and Laz rolled her eyes. Conversation ended, and the three of us made it back to the main congregating area of the Underground. We made it to the others, Rylan taking Aiden from Laz. Raikidan watched the exchange from where he sat. His eyes narrowed as they focused on Aiden.

“Did no one tell Raikidan what’s up?” I asked.

“No, we did,” Rylan said. “He just doesn’t believe us.”

Aiden looked at Raikidan. “So, you’re the newbie. Should have guessed since you’re a shifter.”

“Yes, I put the word out of Raikidan’s arrival, as well as his abilities.” Eyes fell on Genesis when she approached, two bottles of water in her small hand. “It’s protocol.”

She handed one to Aiden and the other to me. Aiden didn’t hesitate to chug down his drink before looking at Raikidan again. “Look, I get you’re suspicious, but you have nothing to worry about. I’m one hundred percent loyal to the cause.” He threw his thumb in the direction of the door leading to the sewers. “Those guys I was with, I’m okay with them dead. They were assholes, but they also had no desire to disobey Zarda, and most of them were pretty old experiments, so nothing was going to change with them.”

Raikidan’s posture didn’t change. Words weren’t going to work with him, and I could understand. Moles were risky, both in the sense of the line of work and loyalty. But this showed how committed Raikidan was to helping us—at least to me.

Laz sat down next to Aiden. “So, anything to report since you’re here?”

He shook his head and took another gulp of water. “Not really. More and more experiments coming out these days, each being stronger and stranger than the last, but that’s per the usual these days. Zarda himself has been quiet lately. We don’t get orders from him directly anymore, and he never brings any of the commanding officers into his quarters for status reports.”

Laz’s brow furrowed. “Strange. Have the others keep an eye out for that. I don’t like the sound of it.”

“It sounds like the times when he gets ready for an execution,” Rylan said.

I nodded in agreement. “I agree.”

Laz stroked her chin. “Maybe.”

What is she so suspicious about? Rylan’s conclusion was solid and logical. She was always over analyzing what Zarda did. I didn’t get it.

Aurora leaned on Rylan. “Hey, how about you guys go play something for everyone? The soldiers’ appearance killed the mood, and I’d like to see it liven up a bit more.”

Rylan, Argus, and Blaze looked at each other and shrugged. “Why not.”

Argus looked to Laz. “You in? It’d be nice to have you play with us again.”

Her lip twisted to one side. “I haven’t touched a guitar in years. I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“It’s like riding a bike,” Rylan said. “You’ll be fine.”

I pressed my lips together, so I wouldn’t make a comment. Laz didn’t know how to ride a bicycle.

Laz shook her head and stood up. “Fine.”

That surprised me. I didn’t expect her to give in like that. She didn’t like being the center of attention. I guess maybe it’s because—

Blaze, cocky as he was, leaned to one side with his arms bent over his shoulders. “I think she should sing a few songs.”

Rylan’s eyes lit up. Oh boy, here it comes. “That’s a great idea.”

Laz’s eyes darkened and she sat back down. “No.”

Yep, knew it. No one could get her to sing in front of others. Not even in private around those she trusted.

“C’mon, Laz, just one or two songs,” Rylan said.

Laz crossed her arms. “No. I don’t sing.”

Raikidan leaned back, a smirk on his lips. “You sang for me.”

Laz nailed him in the arm with her fist. “I did not, you lying, eavesdropping jackass.”

I sputtered out a laugh. “Someone’s touchy about that.”

“Shut up,” she muttered.

Argus waved her to go with them. “Sing, don’t sing, its fine. I just need someone with actual guitar skills to play with me. Even years out of practice, it’s better than what I’ve had to work with.”

Rylan glared at him. “Hey!”

Laz chuckled. “Well, with that reasoning, how can I refuse?”

The four of them walked off and I swooped in to where Laz had originally sat. Aiden limped off, following Genesis somewhere. Probably to talk business.

The boys set up while Laz re-familiarized herself with the guitar. Even though with her not hooked up to the amp she sat on, and with the loud chatter in the room deafening the sounds as she strummed the strings, I could see by her expression that Rylan had been right. She had to remember a few things, but as she played, it all came back to her.

I glanced at Raikidan to find him watching the setup, his eyes focused and unwavering. The intensity was a bit unsettling. He’s so… odd. Handsome, but odd.

Raikidan leaned on his knees when Laz and the boys started playing. Just an instrumental warm-up, but it caught the attention of everyone in the room, if their setup hadn’t. People gathered as the warm-up quickened and then turned into an aggressive heart-racing song. Rylan and Argus belted out the lyrics and I nodded my head along with the beat. Even though my sensitive ears weren’t keen on the volume, the experiments down here sure loved it. They added to the energy of the song.

The longer the group played, the more visibly relaxed I noticed Laz became. She lost herself in the music, lowering her guard. Music had always soothed her. I wished it wasn’t required for her to let loose more often, but her life experiences had left her rougher than she deserved. I doubt her time on the run helped in the least, either.

I glanced over to Raikidan to find him still as focused as before. It wasn’t like he was even trying to feel the music like the rest of us would. Has he never heard music before? Maybe it was because this music wasn’t something you’d find often outside a city. Or maybe… His relentless focus had to have something to with it. Nothing would distract him.

Following his gaze, I triangulated his point of interest at Laz. That might explain it. Did her actions fascinate him? Maybe just her standoffish nature made him want to understand her, crack the impenetrable shield around her to be one of the few to see the real her within. Or maybe he was infatuated with her. I didn’t know how long the two had known each other. He did like to push her personal space, from what I could tell. I saw it while they were in the simulation, and she didn’t freak out on him like she would someone else. It irritated her, sure, but she tolerated it, when she would have chewed out someone else, or beaten them.

Raikidan also seemed to be on rather friendly terms with her, able to make jokes, with her being somewhat okay with it. It took a long time to build up that kind of relationship with Laz, otherwise you had to deal with her aggressive, standoffish, and downright antisocial nature. Laz said there was nothing between them, but that didn’t exactly mean she told the truth.

Maybe I should talk to him. See if I can get anything out of him. He wasn’t the talkative type from what I could tell, unless he was pestering Laz, but maybe I could get him to open up. Worth a shot.

I leaned over to him. “What do you think of the music? Looks like you’ve never heard this style before.”

“You’re right, I haven’t.” He didn’t take his focus off Laz. “It’s interesting. Not sure what I think of it yet.”

“What kind of music do you have where you come from?” I asked.

“I didn’t. I lived alone.”

“Oh…” Not what I was expecting for an answer. Maybe that explained a bit how the two met. Explained why he didn’t talk much at least.

“How come you weren’t asked to join them, Ryoko?”

The fact he specifically used my name got me to look at him, only to find him focused on me now. The intensity overpowered me. Geeze, why so intense? “I’m not all that musically inclined. I’m not terrible at singing, mind you, but I couldn’t play an instrument to save my life, so I wouldn’t be caught dead up there.”

“Is it a preference to not be… musically inclined?”

“Well, sorta…” How to explain it so a non-experiment would understand… I suddenly realized this was what Laz had to deal with since she met him. Gods, that must have sucked for her. “Everyone, born or made, has talents they can cultivate as a hobby or lifestyle, like music or art. But where those born usually have the choice to do so or not, we experiments don’t. We’re told if we are allowed to work on those talents or not, and that order comes into play on whether or not it’ll assist us on our assignments.”

I thought about how to word this next part. “Footsoldiers have the most lenience on these skills, and music is highly encouraged, so the boys cultivated that skill. Rylan is the only one of them who would love to make it his life-time commitment, but the other two enjoy it. Argus, when he’s not playing music, is always using that smart brain of his to invent things.

“People like Laz, those who have to blend into different situations, were forced to learn multiple skills. So, in her case, she can play a few instruments, she could sing if she wanted to, and she’s also a skilled craftsman, though it’s rare she shows those talents off.”

I wrung my hands together. “Me on the other hand, I was only allowed to focus on being a Brute, so any possible skill I could have had really wasn’t worked on early enough. I did find a passion in fixing cars after meeting Zane, so there’s that, I guess.”

“I may not know much about your technologies, but from what I do understand, that’s a handy skill to have.” He looked back up at the group playing, their song changing to another one. “Can I ask you something about Eira?”

A smile tilted my lips. This might get interesting. “Sure.”

“Why doesn’t she want to sing?” Raikidan looked at me again. “I made my joke because it was a good time to do so, but I didn’t realize there was a reason I’d caught her singing alone.”

“Let me guess, you also think she’s got a beautiful singing voice.”

“I’m not really sure how to answer your question, because it’s not really clear to me either. She just tells everyone she doesn’t like singing in front of others. I don’t know if it’s because she doesn’t think she’s all that good, or if it’s a private thing for her.”

He nodded and went back to listening.

When the song changed, my heart sank a little. I knew this song very well and had hoped they wouldn’t play it. It was so sad.

“Is this about Eira?” Raikidan asked.

“No, but you’re not the first to think it might be.” I frowned. “Argus wrote this song, not Rylan. It’s one of the only songs Argus has written.”

Raikidan glanced at me. “Someone hurt him?”

I nodded. “After being let out of the military, he settled into a normal life and in the process gave his heart to some woman who returned the favor by crushing it. He’s only recently started to really get over it and move on in these past few years.”

Raikidan looked down at the ground and stayed quiet.

“Good riddance, I say.” I jumped as Genesis popped up between us.

“Don’t do that!” I hissed.

“Sorry.” Genesis leaned against the bench Raikidan and I sat on. “But I am glad she’s gone.”

“Of course you are. You hated her from the start.”

Genesis gave a curt nod. “And it’s a good thing I did. She was a witch! She didn’t deserve him, and he could have done so much better. If he had listened to Blaze and me, it could have all been avoided.”

Raikidan shook his head.

Genesis crossed her arms. “What?”

He looked at me. “I still can’t believe you listen to a child.”

Genesis’ face reddened. “I am not a child!”

“You look like one,” Raikidan said. “And you act it enough.”

I half smiled. “He’s got a point.”

Genesis huffed and then stuck her bottom lip out into a pout. She’s so cute when she’s mad.

After her pouting, she looked at Raikidan. “What are your intentions toward Eira?”

His brow furrowed. “What do you mean? I’m not here to hurt her, if that’s what you think.”

Her lips twisted, as did her brow. “No… um… how should I put this… Where do your feelings stand with her?”

“Genesis,” I hissed. “Don’t be asking those kinds of questions here.”

She placed her hands on her hips. “I could have been less tactful and asked if he was sleeping with her.”

I smacked my forehead and groaned. This was embarrassing. “Just leave.”

“Fine. I just wanted to know, since he’s been the only one to be chosen as her battle partner, and he seemed to know when she needed help—more so than everyone else. I didn’t want him hurting her if that was the case.” Grudgingly, she walked back over to Aiden and Seda.

My face flushed hot. “Sorry about that.”

He chuckled. “To be honest, I figured it would be you to ask me about that.”

I looked at the ground. “Laz told me you heard what we talked about in my room. Sorry about that. I kinda went overboard a little. When I saw you with her and her actions toward you, I thought maybe she had finally let someone in and was able to be happy again. Sorry if that upset you.”

“Sorry to disappoint you, but I don’t even know her enough to call her a friend, let alone something more than that. A comrade is the closest thing I could call her, just as she calls me.”

I pursed my lips. “If she really calls you that, then you should rethink that friend part.” His brow twisted and waited for me to continue. “I don’t know what’s so special about you, but she treats you differently. I really do mean that. The way she acts around you doesn’t go unnoticed, especially by me. She trusts you in a way she doesn’t trust anyone else.

“You said she called you a comrade. That usually takes her some time to do. To her, a comrade is better than a friend. They’re more trustworthy in her eyes.”

I held his gaze. “Just don’t take it all for granted. I’ve also seen how you like to push her boundaries, and I can’t bear to see her get hurt more than she already has been.”

Raikidan smiled at me. “You’re loyal to her.”

“She’s my best friend, and I’ll kill anyone who tries to take her from me.” I frowned and looked down at the ground. “We’re the reason you two met. When Rylan, Laz, and I escaped, Zarda put a lot of effort into finding us. He was mostly after Laz, but he wanted us all if he could.”

I drummed my fingers on my knee. “This put too much pressure on the rebellion, so Laz made a plan to draw Zarda’s attention away, knowing it meant she’d never see us again. We didn’t want her to go through with it, but we couldn’t find another way. She set out on her plan without a moment of hesitation.”

“She’s loyal to all of you,” Raikidan said. “Nothing would have stopped her from doing what she thought would be for the betterment of you. And I can’t blame her. The reason I live alone is because I could never find such loyalties in others. You’re all very lucky.”

I smiled. “We’re all we have. We stick together no matter what.”

Raikidan’s lips spread into a thin line. “You should know, when I found her, she was almost dead.”

I licked my lips, my heart stopping for a moment. “That explains why she avoided my question when I asked how the two of you met.” I hid my face in my hands for a moment. “Her dying out there alone was my biggest fear all this time.” I looked at him, making sure our eyes met. “Thank you for saving her.”

He reached out and held my hand. “You’re welcome.” He let go and went back to watching Laz. “Tell me, what was up with Eira during that simulation? When she killed Raynn and went after Nioush?”

I bit my lip. “Well, it has to do with her experiment design.”

“She told me she was designed to be without emotions, but that failed.”

I nodded. “Yes, that’s true, but there’s more to it. Along with the lack of emotions, she was to take orders without question, like the rest of us. She was also supposed to want to obey these orders—to kill without mercy or regret and revel in it.” My hands clutched. “Extended fighting or exposure to blood causes the programming to surface. She does her best to keep it at bay, but sometimes that doesn’t work. Or in the case of the simulation, she let go of that control to gain the upper hand.”

“I don’t see why she couldn’t just tell me that,” Raikidan said.

“It’s a sensitive subject…” I shook my head. “It’s best to be careful when talking to experiments about their creation. We… don’t handle those conversations well sometimes.”

“I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to upset you.”

I smiled. “You’re fine, don’t worry.”

He didn’t need to apologize. He wouldn’t have known.

Laz and the boys finished their song and packed up. This confused me. I would have thought they’d play a few more songs. When Laz ran off before they’d finished, I realized something must be up.

Following her with my gaze, Laz ran over to Genesis and Seda, speaking with them. Maybe an assignment came up? The three spoke, and Laz nodded before looking Raikidan’s and my way, waving us over. The two of us stood up and approached just as Aiden joined them as well.

“Bodies are all taken care of,” he said.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

Aiden rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, I have to head out. My little search party now has a search party of its own.”

“And I have an assignment for Eira and Raikidan,” Genesis said. “Something simple to ease him in, but an important one to be handled before the night is over.”

The boys approached, and Rylan spoke. “Aiden, do you need help? I’m sure we could come up with something.”

Blaze held his hands out to me and Genesis. “Yeah, I mean, we have Ryoko and Genesis to play mom and child when we need it.”

I crossed my arms. “Yeah, how about no. I’d prefer to play single mom as little as possible, thanks.”

Laz grinned at me. “I can think of a few nice men to play daddy for a hot single mom. All you have to do is ask nicely .”

My face scrunched, and I swiped at her, knowing exactly what she was implying. She laughed as she jumped out of the way.

“I’ll be fine, really,” Aiden insisted. “I had the bodies of the fallen moved to a new place and I’ve got a good alibi worked up. I’ll limp back to my post of the closest patrol and say we were ambushed and only I made it out. Not too hard to get them to believe that.”

Rylan crossed his arms. “If that’s what you want.”

Aiden said goodbye, promising Genesis an updated report in a week or two, and headed off. Laz and Raikidan weren’t too far behind. Seda advised we head home in pairs, as there were soldiers wandering the sewers looking for suspicious signs.

Genesis paired me with Rylan and sent us out first. The two of us didn’t speak until halfway home, when Rylan broke the silence. “So, what were you and Raikidan talking about?”

I tilted my head to find him not looking at me. “I noticed he grabbed your hand while the two of you were talking.”

He noticed that? Why? “Jealous or something?”

He snorted. “No, of course not.” See, Laz, nothing for me here with him. “I just thought it would be strange for him to do so unless it was a rather personal conversation.”

“So, I’m not allowed to have personal conversations with people?”

He sighed. “I’m not saying that.”

I noticed the tightness in his shoulders. I’m irritating him. I focused my eyes forward, not wanting to cause the two of us issues. “I was just talking to him about how he and Laz met, that’s all.”

I didn’t let myself physically react to the question. I wasn’t sure why, but it sounded off to me. “Yeah. From what he said, he saved her life.”

“Hearing that upset you, didn’t it?”

I nodded. “We’re the reason she was on the run all these years…”

He reached out and grabbed my hand, surprising me. I looked at him to find him staring right at me. “Don’t go there, please. No one but Zarda is to blame for this.”

I tried to smile, to reassure him and myself that he was right, but ended up looking away from him. I still felt a bit responsible.

Rylan let go of my hand, and a part of me didn’t like that. I wanted that close connection with him. But he doesn’t want me… He would have said something to me by now if he did.

“What do you think of him?” he asked. “Blaze, Argus, and I weren’t able to get much out of him.”

“He’s a loner, like Laz, so not much for talking,” I said. “He only engaged in certain topics. What I got from my conversation wasn’t bad. Laz seems to trust him more than I thought she did, and he seems to like her, to some unknown extent.”

“What makes you say that?”

I grinned. “The topics that engaged him the most were about her.”

Rylan’s eyes narrowed. “You’re going to try and push those two together, aren’t you?”

I held my hands behind my back, a thin smile spreading across my lips. “Maybe. Not sure yet. Depends on how they continue to act around each other.”

“Meaning you are.” He shook his head. “You need to leave her alone about those things. Let her make connections on her own.”

I gave him a sidelong glance. “This is Laz. She doesn’t know a good thing when it smacks her across the face. Or in this case, swoops in and saves her. The two of them have chemistry, and I’d be damned if I allowed her to let it slip away.”

He shook his head again but didn’t argue anymore. Either he wasn’t happy I was trying to pair Laz with Raikidan, or he didn’t like my meddling. Either way, I wasn’t going to let him get between me and what I wanted. Laz’s happiness was paramount, especially after everything she’d gone through for us.