Ruination

Chapter 18: "We're going to war whether we like it or not"

RYDER POV:

Surrounded by defectors in a musty cave was never where I envisioned myself. But here I sat, gripping a gun as I leaned back against the damp cave wall, a cigarette tucked between my lips as my eyes were drawn to Kane caring for Diyoza. "You do maybe wanna help?" Murphy asked, stopping in front of me, his hands on his hips as I looked up, glancing between him and Echo who watched me, cautious and expectant.

"What useful skills do you have?" Echo coldly asked me, my lips twitched into a smirk as I watched her. From the look on her face, I could tell she liked calling the shots. Too bad I never was one for following orders.

"It's just be easier for you to tell me what you need help with," I lazily drawled out, tapping the ash off of the tip of my cigarette as my eyes drifted down to the ground. I glanced up in time to see a huff of amusement escape Murphy's curved lips.

"We need to set up a radio to the bunker, think you can do that?" Raven quickly asked and I shrugged my shoulders.

"I'm sure I'll figure it out." I commented, standing up and glancing around, my eyes landing on Emori. "You're coming with me." I ordered.

"Hold up, how do we know we can trust you not to run off or whatever?" Murphy quickly asked, stepping in front of me and holding his hands up, I glanced down at his hands and back to his eyes, taking a drag of his cigarette.

"Diyoza, what do you know about him?" Echo quickly asked, turning to Diyoza and I chuckled.

"He's a former Major General in the Marines, he received special consideration when voluntarily retiring and became an Atmospheric scientist for Eligius." Diyoza explained, stroking her stomach as Raven furrowed her eyebrows, looking over to me. My lips twitched as she neglected to mention the reason I was granted special consideration. 

"How do you go from Marine to scientist to prisoner?" Raven asked.

"Does it really matter?" I asked her, taking another drag of my cigarette. "The story is not all too interesting." I commented, my hand hanging down as I tapped it, tapping off the ash.

"Too bad I'm already interested." Murphy said, walking past me, casting me a glance. I chuckled, turning and walking out of the cave with Emori following closely behind. I began to climb on top of the cave and I tucked the cigarette between my lips as I settled, grabbing the bag from Emori and I pulled out all of the contents, the two of us began quietly making a make-shift antenna and satellite.

"Is there a chance they could hack the radio frequency?" Emori asked and I glanced up at her, chuckling and shaking my head.

"Not a chance," I said. "They're idiots that don't know how to man any of the tech they got except for the radio. They'd have to be extremely lucky or have inside help for that to happen." I explained to Emori.

"This is pretty good, where did you learn how to do this?" Emori curiously asked.

"Here and there," I answered. "It was required of my chosen occupation." I shortly added, bringing the cigarette from my lips and putting it out on the rock, I then grabbed the radar device, checking the valley for linked radios, I then continued tweaking it. "Why are you so interested?" I asked her.

"Because you're interesting." Emori shrugged her shoulders. "I've never met a dangerous man interested in being invisible." She shared. I hummed, before standing up and looking towards Emori.

"Then you haven't truly met any dangerous men." I commented, watching as her lips pursed together tightly as she watched me. "It should be good, it not, it's an easy fix." I shrugged my shoulders, making my way down and into the cave with Emori.