The Dark Edge Chronicles - Clan War

Chapter 7: Secrets in Shadows

Lash felt both nestari snap their weapons to the ready when his hand went up. Then his last finger was down to form a fist and he was throwing himself forward.

With their weapons ready and their aiming oculi ready to tag anything that moved, the three moved in a tight cluster, knees bent and bodies coiled in readiness to react to anything perceived as a threat. The tactical advance was quick enough that they crossed the square in a matter of seconds. Then a taut knife hand was sending them down the left hand side of the building.

With the worn wall on his right, Lash quickly made his way to the back corner. That's where he snapped up a fist to hold them there. Then he was pulling a small mirror on an extendable wand from a utility pouch. Sticking the butt end of the wand into his mouth, he quickly pulled the mirror out ten or fifteen centimeters. Then it was being carefully eased around the corner to take a look at the back door itself.

A muscle tightened in Lash's jaw when he saw no less than four White Flames in full combat armor, their bodies festooned with weapons of all kinds, standing in easy, long-term vigilance stances. Two each bracketed the door, making taking them all out at the same time difficult.

Yet, that was exactly what they needed to do. And quickly, before any sort of roaming patrol or embedded security camera caught them standing there, at the back corner.

Twisting the mirror slightly to get a good idea of how the enhanced humans were standing, he then drew it back. Then a hand came up with four fingers before two dropped and he signaled two on each side of the door. He tapped his left thigh twice to indicate he would take those two, then reached back to tap Truk's right arm twice to indicate he was responsible for the other two. Then he was carefully drawing a long-bladed combat knife from a sheath on his right hip and gathered himself.

In truth, Lash could probably use the Shanzi's power and speed to cut down all four regardless of their advanced armor. But then his secret weapon would be out in the open for everybody to see. If there were cameras watching them, it would be impossible for them to miss seeing the powerful weapon from the future in action.

So, they were going to go old school. Knives and bullets, and spilt blood on the ground.

Putting the knife into his left hand, Lash gave it a light flip to take hold of the blade tip. Then he was stepping sharply around the corner, his arm already moving toward a whipping release point.

The knife snapped through the air with a hiss before planting deep into the side of the nearest human's neck. Then, as that soldier stiffened and began falling, his right was up with his sidearm and he squeezed off a single shot at the exact same spot. The human, who was starting to turn his head to see what had transpired with his guard partner, jerked as the bullet penetrated the softer armor around the neck and just under the face-shielded tactical helmet. Then he too was falling forward.

Which was exactly the time Truk, while no Vos Qiran operator, was a veteran soldier with decades of service to the Van Tallert family, chose to step around the corner, rifle high. One shot took the next nearest human in the same spot Lash had picked, instantly stiffening the man up. But it took a quick burst of three to cut down the final guard who, last to fall, had managed to swing his own rifle into place to get off a quick burst before his throat was ripped out by Truk's precision shot.

Even before the last body was one the ground, Lash was at the door. Holding his rifle out of the way, he tapped the panel that hid the two access points. It instantly slid to the side to reveal a retinal scanner, a palm print plate and a recessed numerical pad. Lash leaned in, unconsciously holding his breath as he put his eye close enough for the retinal scanner to pick up.