The Program [COMPLETED]

Chapter Eight

Theo was an impressive pilot. He flew the helicopter steadily through the clouds, navigating his way through the darkness with skill that surpassed most other Programmers. Their flight had given Aiden time to think, and there was far too much on his mind. His conversation with Xylem had thrown a crippling weight on his shoulders. It was evident to him that the General wanted something from him. There was more to his plans with Zariah than he let on, and Aiden wasn't ready to fully invest his trust in the man until he'd figured it all out.

Aiden had bumped into Alena on his way to meet up with Zariah, Virgil and Jayda in the training centre. Their conversation had been sparse, like usual.

"Skipping out on my trainees for the big mission, are you?" Alena had barked.

"That's right. I'm Mission Leader," he'd replied.

"Well, obviously," Alena scoffed. "Who else are they supposed to make Mission Leader? Virgil? You're the only real choice they had."

"Thanks Alena," Aiden muttered. "Your support is overwhelming."

"Of course it is," his older trainer had mused. "Don't you dare disappoint me, Aiden Lycroft, or I swear, you'll lose your patrol privileges for a month!"

"Who else will be here to annoy you if I lose my patrol privileges?"

"Don't be a smart ass. Do your job, you. Don't die."

"Not today," Aiden had promised her.

They had left a few minutes after that. It would take a few hours or so to reach Laspil City for the drop at twenty-one hundred hours. They would be under the cover of darkness, which meant they could observe the drop silently, waiting for the right moment to strike. Their whole team was dressed in black stealth suits, complete with body armor and plenty of ammunition. Aiden was determined to make sure that every one of his friends would make it out in one piece tonight, no matter what happened. He'd learned better from the Consignment Day attack than to assume any mission would be easy to complete. Theo would need to land the helicopter just a few miles from the city to avoid being detected by the city's locals. It wouldn't be a long trek for Zariah, Virgil, Jayda and himself to make it to the warehouse, but the hard part would be assuming their positions by the warehouse in order to eliminate the targets. The four of them were left to fend for themselves until communications were up and running. And what better way to reach the drop warehouse than to jump out of a helicopter several hundred feet in the air? It sounded like a solid plan back in the debriefing room, but now Aiden wasn't feeling as confident.

Gradually, the helicopter was reaching the drop point. He, Virgil, Zariah and Jayda were now suited up in their jumping gear, ready for their leap. Rania was set up in her seat in the helicopter, a laptop sitting squarely in her lap. She tapped a few of the keys before speaking.

"Testing, testing." Rania's voice rang clearly in his ear. Aiden gave her a thumbs up.

"Good," Rania nodded, satisfied. "I'll give you the insight on the warehouse once Theo and I land. For now, you guys might as well test out your mics."

"Scarlet Cross Squadron is about to kick some ass, over," Virgil sang. "I repeat, Scarlet Cross is about to kick some serious ass, over."

"Well, at least we know Virgil's mic is working," Jayda grumbled.

"Unfortunately," Zariah added.

"Good. Theo, how're we doing?" Aiden asked.

"So far so good, boss. We'll be reaching the drop point in about two minutes. Get your asses moving, and good luck to all of you," Theo reported.