Redamancy ✷ Simon Riley

Chap 24)

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𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫
𝐓𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲-𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐫
╰──────────╯

Simon lifted his gloved hands to his chest and slipped his thumbs under his bulletproof vest, gripping the material tightly. His brown eyes were trained wholly on his Poppy. The sergeant herself was ambling alongside him with steady confident steps while fixing her hair.

Her brown hair flowed down her spine, while thin threads of strands stuck up. Her slender manicured fingers ran through her tousled hair—her attempt at quickly brushing it to make it appear neat—before she tied her hair up in a tight bun.

Usually, it would take her time and patience in the early morning to tie her hair up when she knew she was leaving to go out on the field. But as of right now, her hair wasn't a concern, so she rushed it.

Poppy knew she wouldn't be viciously rebuked for it if her hair was messy, hopefully.

Before vacating the briefing room, she had replaced empty magazines with new ones filled with needed ammunition. She had run scarcely low when they were retaliating against the cartel in town across the fuel station. The magazines currently resided in the velcro pockets on her durable vest.

The sky had been brushed with bold orange, soft yellow and dark blue as the flaming sun had commenced lowering to the horizon to allow the shining moon and the twinkling stars to grace the Earth with its glorious towering presence.

A soft breeze whooshed invisibly past as the duo walked soundlessly across the sweltering concrete and tar. They sauntered by large planes, helicopters and Los Vaqueros soldiers who were chatting animatedly amongst themselves.

Lurking carnivorous animals with glowing ravenous eyes and slavering mouths hide in the thickets and vegetation outside Alejandro's base. Their paws padded over blades of soft grass and twigs that snapped under their weight. Sharp claws skimmed pebbles as they traipsed.

A range of curious insects chirped like birds within the woods surrounding the base as the night began to blanket the atmosphere.

It was still relatively balmy despite the sun heading off for the day to give the neighbouring moon time to illuminate the earth. It wasn't sultry to the point where the duo were clammy with glistening preparation coating their skin. But it was warm enough to chase off the cold.

Lowering her hands back to her sides, Poppy let her arms loosely swing by her hips as she strolled with Simon over to the grey plane that the Shadow soldiers and Graves were coming off.

The American Shadow commander wielded no visible weapon on him.

The only gun Dargie held on her body was her pistol, which was sheathed in her thigh holster on her clad leg. Her semi-automatic had been placed somewhere secure and close by when she had visited the medical building to have her jaw examined.