The Safe Zone - Reckoning (Book 2)

Chapter 6: War Machines

Lena:

The air was thick with tension as we crouched behind the crumbling remains of an old overpass, the once-bustling highway now reduced to a pile of twisted steel and cracked asphalt. Dust swirled in the faint breeze, carrying the scent of rust and decay. My fingers twitched against the cold metal of my rifle as I scanned the horizon, searching for any sign of movement. We were too close, and the only thing standing between us and the Enforcer patrols was a stretch of open ground littered with debris.

I glanced over at Ethan, crouched beside me, his face set in that determined, unreadable expression he always wore before a mission. His eyes flicked over the landscape, calculating every possible outcome, every risk. I could see the tension in his shoulders and his jaw clenched as he gripped his rifle, ready for whatever came next.

We had two hours before nightfall, maybe less. Callum had been clear: we had to hit the comms relay tonight while the Enforcers were in a vulnerable position, their patrol schedules aligned just right for us to slip through unnoticed. But that window was closing fast.

"Anything?" Ethan asked, his voice barely more than a whisper.

I shook my head, keeping my gaze fixed on the distance. "Not yet. But they're out there. I can feel it."

Ethan didn't respond, but I saw the slight nod of his head, his eyes narrowed as he focused on the task ahead. We didn't have time for doubts or hesitation. The comms relay was one of the critical targets Callum had identified. Taking it out would impede the Enforcers' ability to coordinate patrols and send reinforcements. It was a crucial piece of their infrastructure—and destroying it would be a huge blow.

The problem was that the Enforcers knew it was critical, too. That meant heavy security: drones, foot patrols, automated defenses. We had been briefed on it before leaving the base, but knowing what we were up against didn't make the task any easier. If anything, it made the weight of the mission feel heavier, like a noose tightening around my throat.

Zara was crouched on the other side of Ethan, her eyes scanning the area with the same focused intensity. She had been quiet since we left the base, her usual sharp wit and dry humor replaced by a steely determination. I didn't know her well enough to trust her completely, but I could see why Callum valued her in such moments. She was precise, efficient, and ruthless when she needed to be.

"We'll wait for nightfall," Zara whispered, her voice low but firm. "They change the patrol routes at dusk. That's our window."

I nodded, my heart pounding in my chest. Waiting always made me anxious. It gave me too much time to think and imagine everything that could go wrong.

And right now, a lot could go wrong.

Ethan:

The world felt like it was holding its breath. Every shadow, every gust of wind, felt like a harbinger of something lurking just out of sight. We were too exposed out here, crouching in the open like this, but there was no other option. The comms relay was our target, and this was the only approach that gave us even a sliver of a chance to get close without alerting the Enforcers.

I hated waiting. I wouldn't say I liked the stillness, the moments between actions when your mind filled in the gaps with all the ways things could fall apart. But Callum had been clear: if we hit the relay too soon, we'd run headlong into a fully armed patrol. Too late, and we'd lose our chance to damage their communication network.

The timing was everything.

I glanced over at Lena. She was crouched low, her rifle balanced carefully against the rubble's edge. Her face was set in that focused, intense look she always had when preparing for a mission. I knew she felt the same tension I did. We had been through so much already, and every new challenge felt heavier than the last. But this—taking down the Enforcers' comms relay—this was a different kind of pressure. This wasn't just survival anymore. This was war.