Moon Angel

Chapter 20: Explosions

Chapter 20: Explosions

Three weeks later, Em and I walked down the familiar corridor that led to the debriefing room. Lately our team had been sent out on various solo missions. The group missions were usually left to the younger teams to complete. Solo missions required a more advanced skill set as we no longer had someone there for backup and sometimes there was no extraction plan in place if things turned sour. As our team had been at Omega for five years, we were also a lot older than the others. Our age let us go places where the younger ones couldn't. This time, though, Em and I had both been selected to go on the same mission. It was exciting. I couldn't wait to be side by side with my best friend again. Once we were inside, Mr Carter brought up an image on the projector screen of different faces.

"These are members of a terrorist group known as Barbosa. We have reason to believe that they have recently received a shipment of illegal weapons. Our sources tell us that they plan to use these weapons to terrorise millions of innocent civilians." Another picture flicked up on the screen. "This is the warehouse where they are housing these weapons. Your mission is to infiltrate the warehouse." Floor plans flicked past as Mr Carter continued the instructions. "The weapons are being hidden in this back room. The rest of the warehouse holds cans of food and bags of grain, a front for their organisation. You need to plant an explosive device in that room. It will be a timed detonation, giving you enough time to escape before it blows. The rest of the warehouse is insignificant to your operation. Emelia will be in charge of setting up and placing the explosive device. Selene will be in charge of gaining access to the warehouse and the back room. The warehouse should be empty but just in case I want both of you to be there. We only have a limited entry and exit window which is why I have chosen the two of you. I know that you're capable of performing to an exceptional level." He paused. "You leave tonight."

***

Em and I sat in the back of the team van. The van parked down the road from the warehouse leaving Em and I to walk the rest of the distance. The chain-link fence didn't have any barbed wire making it much easier to scale. Barbed wire was always such an extra hassle. The people who owned the building obviously didn't expect anyone to break in. I pulled my gun out from where it had been tucked in my belt as we approached the building. Em did the same. We couldn't take any chances. One of the terrorists could have stayed in the building. Em kept watch as I punched in the alarm code. I don't know how Mr Carter's sources gained so much information about the place but it wasn't my position to ask. We just did as we were told. We were going to save lives in the end. All our missions were for the betterment of others.

The light on the alarm panel flicked from red to green as the code was verified. We were in.

"Just like the old days, huh?" Em said, smiling.

I smiled back. "Yeah. I missed this. Solo just isn't the same."

Em nodded, agreeing. "We make a good team." She paused. "You ready?"

"Aren't I always?" I teased. She smiled, her eyes lighting up.

We eased the door open and walked into the building. It was dark inside without the street lamps to help us but it didn't bother me. We had both memorised the floor plan before we left Omega so making our way through the building was easy. There were a few sections where I had to help Em navigate but Em was one of the best of us for a reason.

The back room was locked but it didn't take me long to pick it. I'd have thought they would put more security within the warehouse. We entered the room. Crates lined the walls and took up most of the floor space. Em slung the shoulder bag she had been carrying on top of a stack of them in the middle of the room. She removed the explosive device and began setting up.

"All done," she said a few minutes later. She smiled at me. "We can get out of here now."

I started to walk out of the room. The device had a twenty-minute countdown giving us plenty of time to get clear of the building.

Em stopped and turned around as we reached the doorway. "Wait a minute, that doesn't sound right."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Em ran over to the device and began to examine the settings. She looked up, an expression of horror on her face.

"Get out, Ellie! Get out now!"

Before I had time to respond, a massive explosion rocked the room. The sudden force threw me across the warehouse. Pain seared through my body. Blackness closing in on my vision. I could just see the wreckage out of the corner of my eye, flames roaring, smoke filling the room. I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. As I lost consciousness, my last thoughts were that Em had been in that room...