Chapter Twenty-Four
Recon
Nandi woke Valentina in the morning with a brisk shake of her shoulder. Valentina got up and quietly followed her out of the camp to the edge of the platform, where the warrior-poets were waiting.
“You’re not bringing the Alis?” Valentina asked.
“Not for recon,” Nandi said. “They can rest up today; our mission is a night op.”
“Recon means we’re just looking around?” Valentina asked.
“Looking around, gathering intel,” Kavi said. “We already have maps of the city but we’re looking for some specific details.”
“We won’t be going into the city,” Hero said. “Just peeking through vents in the ductwork. We’ll be in the environmental systems. Here.” He handed Valentina a paper surgical mask. “Some of the places we’ll be crawling through get dusty but sneezing might
