Callidus Rising | Complete ✔️ | Book 1

23: Agreed

Outside the archway, the huge line of silent soldiers finally seems to be reaching its ends.

My rapid but quiet breaths slow a little until the last two come to a stop in the center of the hallway... Right in front of our archway.

They turn to each other and give some insane hand signals. Two small, black drones hover into the room silently right after.

Lukas is covering me perfectly so that whatever heat signature I give off is covered, but James is not.

Right before the drone turns, he smacks it onto the floor with the handle of his blaster.

It buzzes like a swatted fly before he kicks it out into the dark hallway.

When the second drone turns at the same time, Lukas shoots out his hand and crushes it with his robotic strength.

Behind him, I try to calm my breathing again so it isn't so rapid and loud.

> Alexi, just calm down.

> They're not going to get past James and I.

I just nod. I look through a small opening between Lukas and the wall and watch the archway.

Darkness is practically everywhere, and I can barely see anything aside from my bright white Nike Floaters.

They're just like lights. Always on-
Oh wait. That's why the lights didn't come on. They must've damaged the main power source.

In front of me, Lukas nods wordlessly. I narrow my eyes as one of the soldiers shift and begins making his way under the archway. I first spot the muzzle of his energy weapon.

Then the gloved hands all except for the middle finger which rests on the trigger.

Bio lock. The soldiers who were assigned the weapons were the only ones who could use them.

I groan inwardly.

Damn.

> Agreed.

The soldier had almost fully made it under the archway when he swings to the left side, which was a mistake.

James catches the muzzle of the weapon with his left hand and rips the trigger hand off with his right.

He yanks the gun and throws it against the far wall.

All of this is happening in near darkness and it was within 30 seconds.

Right as words begin to try to escape the familiar helmet the man is wearing, James rips it off and punches the guy square in the nose.

The soldier throws one back at James which he easily dodges.

He throws a few more which were dodged also until he attempts to kick James in the groin.

He was not having that.

He catches the guys leg and raised his own right above the guys kneecap. He is going to break it.

Bile creeps up my throat as I watch.

He glances up at me from my hiding spot and, still holding the thrashing soldier's leg, throat punches him and smashes him in the head with the butt of the weapon so he is knocked out cold.

Soon after, the second soldier moves in, but it really wasn't as intense as earlier.

Lukas just bashes him against the wall and he is done for.

James goes over and pries the second one's helmet off and put his face in his hands.

"Damnit," he growls out.

I looked at him in confusion and he shakes his head.

"I know them. My cover will be broken."

Lukas picks up both of the unconscious Nation soldiers and tosses one over each shoulder easily.

"Alexi, can you find some sort of-"

Lukas produces a long piece of nearly indestructible Pull Chord into his hands.

It still has the casing on it.

We both stare at Lukas incredulously for a moment before he sets both of them down in the middle of the floor side by side.

James practically jumps on them as he begins binding them.

It is only a few minutes after that he pushes off the ground and admires his work.

"Alright, so what's the first and foremost thing we should do?"

James was thinking and said at the exact same moment as me:

"Turn on the power source."

He nods. Lukas shook his head at us.

"Somewhere in this building there is a boy who can control a whole army of little death machines with his mind and you want to turn the power on? We need to use the darkness to our advantage," Lukas states as if it was the most obvious thing ever.

"True. James is obviously trained to be able to defend himself and he knows how to use the dark as an ally. Lukas, I know you're super skilled, so you don't need the dark, but it would help a million times over. And me, well, I just know how to fix tech. So after we find Carlo, or Monty to you guys, I can find a way to fix the power. When we go, I should take a partner unless I stay here with these two," I said gesturing to the two knocked out soldiers, "Capishe?"

Lukas has a ghostly smile on his face and James gives me an approving nod.

~~~~~~~~~~

Were you guys expecting that? I hope not :) what do you think will happen next? The pic above is a poorly rendered version of the room they're in. It's like it mostly, just minus the columns. Anywho, over 400 reads now!!!! :D I can't even believe it. Thank you guys so much for reading my book. Also, give me some feedback on my new cover! As always:
Thanks for reading!!!!!♥️