Heart Pangs

Chapter 22 - The Mission

Benji tries not to let his nerves show as he climbs into the back of the van. Besides him, there are seven other people boarding the vehicle, five with him and the other two up front. He feels like he's the only one present who isn't completely confident in what he's about to do. While he clenches his hands to keep them from shaking, others fidget with their fingers, eager to get to work.

Across from Benji sits Oscar, the leader of the mission and the prey man Benji met his first day at Epomis. He's the one who won't hesitate to describe in gory detail all the times he's carved a pred up from the inside before cutting his way back out. Oscar is stony faced. His hands rest on his knees and his eyes are distant, as if deep in thought. Benji thinks a kidnapping mission must be child's play to him.

Next to Benji sits Camille. Benji can practically feel the excitement radiating off her. She wants this to go well. She wants this to go well so badly. All she's wanted is to prove herself. She's never said as much to Benji, but he knows. He sees the way she looks up to McMullen. He sees how eager she is to earn his respect. He knows, in fact, how eager she is to earn the respect of all the senior members of Epomis. Which is why, despite how excited she is, she keeps herself serious and composed.

Benji wishes he could keep himself together as well as Camille. Every few minutes he feels Oscar's scrutinizing eye on him. He is certain Oscar doesn't think Benji is ready for this mission. Benji had been to enough of Oscar's "lessons" in cutting oneself out of a pred. The lessons always make Benji nauseous, so much so that he has yet to build up the nerve to carry a knife on him like Oscar encourages. He's not sure if he could use it even if the situation called for it. This is not something that has gone unnoticed by Oscar, Benji is sure. It makes Benji look weak and unreliable in his eyes. Neither are attributes someone would want in a team member for such a risky mission.

But thankfully, Oscar hadn't raised any objections to Benji coming along (or at least, none that Benji is aware of). Camille and Benji have been an inseparable team so far.  Perhaps either Oscar or McMullen is loathe to separate them now. Or perhaps Oscar's faith in Camille's ability is simply enough to outweigh any lack of faith he has in Benji's. Either way, Benji is a part of this mission now, and he's not backing down.

Their target is Jeremy Stone, a pred state representative whose influence and policies have been negatively effecting preykind for years. He is the worst kind of politician. The kind who convinces prey he's on their side even as he uses their suffering to better his career. Benji admits he's never liked the guy, but McMullen absolutely despises him. Thankfully, Stone's secretary is a prey. A very pretty prey woman who's very good at acting dumb and stumbling into meetings she's not supposed to see. Stone thinks she's harmless, which is probably why he's never suspected she leaks information to Epomis on the regular.

Supposedly, Stone has a party tonight. One where he's sure to drink plenty and stumble back home, unaware of who waits in the shadows. The van Benji, Camille, Oscar, and the others are crammed into is made for preds, modified so a prey can safely control it. Not only is the vehicle less conspicuous parked in a pred neighborhood, but there's also far more room inside, both for the Epomis members and the pred politician they'll hopefully soon have.

Benji feels a bead of sweat roll down his forehead when the van finally comes to a stop. There are no windows where he's sitting. His only awareness of their surroundings comes from the maps he'd been made to study before the mission. That is, assuming they've parked where they'd planned to.

"We're in position," a voice announces from the driver's seat.

Benji supposes that means they're at least in the right place.

They wait, the only sound being their breath and occasional shifting. And then they wait. And wait.

Benji rolls his shoulders impatiently. Oscar gives him an annoyed look. If it didn't feel so sacrilegious to break the silence, Benji would ask what's taking so long or, at least, ask how much longer it's going to be.