Shattered Innocence

Infiltration Tactics

I switch out with Yuri and watch the base for most of the night. The moon is shining down on it, and no matter how much I try, I see no weakness. It's impregnable, but if anyone can do it, it's us. We just have to get in. I'm almost frothing at the mouth too. When Ivan comes to relieve me, I head back down to hear the plan, eating the canned food we pass around as Zack stares down at a map Mikhail made from the pictures. His eyebrows are deep slashes, and there are bags under his eyes. He clearly hasn't slept, and I have no doubt that the same thing we are all thinking is keeping him up.

How are we going to get out of there after? And if we do, will we all be in one piece? It's Zack's job to keep us safe, or so he thinks, but it's time I showed him he doesn't have to.

"Talk through it out loud," I call. Zack's head jerks up, and he looks around at us and then back at the map. Scrunching his face, he sits back heavily, his shoulders rounded with his responsibilities. I need him to smile, so I head over and sit on the ground between his thighs, feeling him soften. When his voice comes, though, it's hard.

"We could disarm the alarms, if possible, and cut a hole in the fence, but it might be too noisy. We could try to talk our way in, or we could bust our way in. They all have cons and are too risky. I don't like the odds."

"You never do," Mikhail says softly. Looking up at him, I mull over his words.

"There's one more option."

"What's that?" he asks, looking down at me hopefully, almost begging for another way to do this.

"I think we can draw the soldiers out, set a fire or something and trigger the alarm system that lines the mountainside. When they come, we can knock them out, steal their uniforms and vehicles, and drive ourselves back in, Trojan horse style." For a moment, he just stares at me, calculating the odds, and then his mouth drops open.

"Fucking hell, that just might work." He yanks me up and slams his lips onto mine. Blinking, I meet his smoldering gaze.

"You are too fucking clever, baby. When we finish this, I'll remind you of that with my tongue in your cunt."

"Erm, can I join?" Mikhail asks, making us laugh and break apart breathlessly.

"So that's what we'll do," he murmurs.

"It just might work. Okay, Mikhail—" And so the plan forms. There are still downsides and things that could go wrong, but we have to try. None of us can live without succeeding. We wait for nightfall to make our move. Everything is set, and everyone knows their positions.

I wave up at Mikhail, who's watching our backs with a sniper rifle. Nikolay and Yuri are on branches above the position we chose, waiting to pounce, and I'm crouched behind a rock. Ivan is farther down to alert us of their approach, and Zack is ready to light it up. We all know what's at stake. Nothing can go wrong, and when Zack's call comes, I tense, ready for this. I'm dressed casually, so it will be easy to strip off and get into their uniforms. My gun lies across my lap, and I have a knife at my hip.

I don't need much more since I am a weapon. The fire is small and contained, but it will draw their gazes since this area is abandoned, and ten minutes later, Ivan's signal comes. Two minutes after that, I feel the thrum of their engines, and the next minute, I hear the rumbling of a truck. They have to stop at the edge of the trees just beyond like we planned. We didn't want them running or ramming us, after all. A few minutes of silence pass, and I remain motionless. I am like a statue, and unless you were looking for us with our exact location, you would never see any of us. I see them creeping through the trees in formation—ten of them, and they aren't messing around at all. Their guns are up, the torches on top sweeping the area.

We wait. And wait. Five of them step towards the fire to investigate, while the others break off and head into the trees just like we wanted. I turn away, letting Nikolay and Yuri handle those near the fire, and then I pick through the bush and sneak up on a male. Pressing my back to a tree, I barely breathe, and when he passes, I step out behind him and break his neck before he can turn. Catching his body, I lower it gently to the ground, switch off the light, and move back into the darkness as another approaches.

"Simons," the person hisses, straining to see right until they stumble over the body and fall. I pull my knife, and I'm on them in an instant, slashing his throat then covering his mouth. I watch his eyes drain of life before clicking off his light too. I don't see any others, but I do look over in time to see Yuri and Nikolay drop down from the trees, right on their prey. Yuri simply rips through his two, blood going everywhere.

Nikolay knocks one out, and he snaps the other's neck. I let out a whistle to let them know I'm clear, and the others respond, so I stand and drag the bodies into the clearing. Zack comes out with two more, and Mikhail strolls in with his sniper rifle slung over his shoulder and puts out the fire as Ivan emerges from the dark. We silently strip the men and finish off the ones that are still alive, tossing them into a ditch we found and covering them so they aren't discovered right away.

We check their weapons and then we change, having to pick the uniforms without any blood. The trousers are too big for me, so I have to roll them up, but the shirt is loose enough not to show my breasts, and with the jacket I slip on, I look like a slim man. I tie my hair up and stuff it under a cap, then I pull the cap down, shielding my face. I stand to see the others are also ready in their fatigues. Zack has a radio, and he checks the scene before grinning at us.

"Good job, team. Now let's waltz into the enemy's lair." The truck is easy to find, with the doors open and lights on. There's one man still in there, shifting nervously, and Mikhail slips in behind him and slides a rope around his neck. Within moments, he's dead, his body tossed aside as we climb in. I huddle in the middle seat, concealing myself, while Nikolay drives, grumbling at how tight the pants are. Zack sits in the front seat next to him. Yuri leans into me.

"You look great in cargo," he compliments.

"Thank you." I smile, playfully grasping his arm.

"But let's not draw attention with the bulge. It might raise some eyebrows."

"Well then, don't look at me, touch me, or even breathe near me... or just cease to exist," I tease. He chuckles, and the others join in as I feign annoyance. Mikhail snickers beside me.

"I couldn't agree more," he chimes in.

"Count me in," Ivan adds.

"Fourth," Nikolay winks back at me.

"Fifth," Zack says, joining the banter. I cross my arms and slump down.

"So, I dress like a guy, and that does it for you?"

"Even if you were wearing a garbage bag covered in filth, I'd still be attracted to you," Nikolay replies, leaving me momentarily stunned.

"True," Yuri chuckles.

"You are all insane. Madmen, I tell you."

"I guess that makes you our madwoman," Mikhail purrs in my ear, sliding his hand up my inner thigh as we drive through the trees.

"Behave, all of you." I smack his hand away, but he just puts it back, and a smacking contest begins when Yuri joins in. "Children." Zack laughs.

"The gate is coming up, behave."

"Yeah, behave." I stick out my tongue, and Mikhail leans forward and bites it, making me moan. When he releases it, he licks my lips.

"I will when you do." They settle as we approach the gate, the lights shining into the forest.

"Showtime, boys."

"If it all goes wrong, we'll just shoot them," Yuri adds helpfully. "God, I hope it goes wrong." Yep, insane, the lot of them, and I might just be the worst because I agree as I tug my gun out.