Chapter 10: Outpost Assault
483 Words
The Concord outpost loomed in the wasteland’s haze, its steel dome glinting under the red sky. Elias Kane’s claws retracted, his Lycan form fading as he surveyed the battlefield. Dead rogue Lycans lay scattered, their warning—“The Concord sees everything”—echoing in his mind. The synthium was inside, the key to disabling his kill switch, but the trap was closing.
“Nora, status,” Elias said, his voice rough from the fight. She crouched beside the skimmer, her data-pad scanning the outpost’s defenses.
“Heavy encryption,” she said, her green eyes focused. “Auto-turrets, AI drones. I can disable them, but I need to get inside.”
Elias nodded, his chest tight with the kill switch’s pressure. “Lyra, scout the perimeter. Solen, stay with the skimmer.”
Lyra’s amber eyes flashed. “You’re trusting her again? After Jaxon?”
“She’s our best shot,” Elias snapped. “Move.”
Lyra muttered but obeyed, slipping into the shadows. Solen adjusted her gear, her face grim. “Be careful, Elias. The synthium’s unstable. One wrong move, and it could trigger the kill switch.”
Elias’s jaw tightened. “Noted.”
He and Nora approached the outpost, moving low through the ruins. Her hand brushed his, a fleeting touch that steadied him. “You’re pushing yourself too hard,” she said quietly. “Let me take some of the weight.”
He met her gaze, the beast quiet under her concern. “You already are.”
Her cheeks flushed, but she focused on the data-pad, hacking the outpost’s outer gate. The steel door hissed open, revealing a corridor lined with holo-cams. Nora’s fingers flew, disabling them one by one. “We’re clear. For now.”
Inside, the lab was a maze of conduits and glowing vials. Synthium, a shimmering blue liquid, sat in a sealed chamber. Elias’s heart raced—this was his chance to be free. But the kill switch spiked, a searing pain dropping him to his knees.
Nora caught him, her arms strong despite her size. “Elias, stay with me!”
He gasped, fighting the pain, her touch anchoring him. “Get… the synthium.”
She hesitated, then nodded, working the chamber’s controls. The vial released, but alarms blared, and AI drones descended, their optics red. Elias forced himself up, firing his rifle, but the pain was relentless, his vision blurring.
Lyra burst in, her rifle blazing. “We’ve got Enforcers incoming! Kael’s here!”
Elias’s blood ran cold. Kael Drayce stepped into the lab, his plasma blade humming, his optic locked on Nora. “You’ve been busy, Vale,” he said. “But you’re out of time.”
Nora clutched the synthium, her pistol raised. Elias staggered to her side, his claws extending despite the pain. “You want her, you go through me.”
Kael smiled, cold and final. “Gladly.”
*****
- Writer
