The Law and the Codas

Chapter Eight

Della pats Keran on the back. "We ready?"

Keran snaps to attention, her body going rigid as she put two gloved hands on her chest. "Yes, Commander. Alpha-Nine's on its way."

"Where's our men?"

"wait for orders behind the Facility emergency vehicles, one klick south. The Trainees," she looks at me, "are there alongside the Chemist."

Della nods and Keran relaxes. She stretches her head from side to side. "You, Nose and Dieter, Join up."

Keran nods and whistles. The two other Codas strut up to her, offering that same strange salute. "Time to move." One foot outside the hole, she looks back at me, as if just remembering I existed. "And what of one-zero?"

Della wraps her arm around my shoulder. "You ready to fly, little dove?"

I move forward and her arm slides off me. She cracks a smile. "Follow Keran. Stay low. We've got eyes in the sky, but you already know that the Birds of Prey aren't elite guards in name only."

I nod and stuff myself through the opening. My foot sways over the asphalt as I'm reminded of the explosives traveling through my veins. I'd drunk that liquid she'd given David, but had it been enough? Keran said the others were in safety, with the majority of the Collective awaiting extraction, but what if--

"You dally and I'll leave your ass behind!" Keran and the others serpentine through a fleet of black vans, keeping themselves low to the ground.

I smile. What is it with these Codas and their old-fashioned lingo? Someone needs to get them a new dictionary so they can modernize their repertoire. When I see Sam again, I'll mention it to him. Hopefully, it'll make him chuckle. I take a deep breath, set my foot on the asphalt. No kabooms.

Keran's waving an arm at me to hurry. I imitate their movements, hunching low to the ground, and make my steps erratic in case the Codas aren't the only ones who fancy air attacks. By the time I reach Keran, I'm out of breath and my thighs are on fire.

Keran smiles. "They don't get a gym in there for the country's best and brightest?"

"No," I say between huffs. "But they do have baths. Let me guess, Codas provides you with a hose and a few tattered rags?" I wrinkle my nose and wave my hand back and forth in front of my face. anger shows in Keran's face.

She hisses and snaps at me. "Watch your back."

Something clips the backside of Keran's head. She winces, and whirls, gun trained. A blur of flesh pushes her arm upward and loosens the gun from Keran's grasp. She frowns, reaches for it. A combat boot lands on her wrist. She yelps. "Maybe you should watch your back," Della says. She steps off Keran, I'd vastly underestimated her ability. She murmurs as she grabs her pistol, wipes it with the sleeve of her shirt and shoves it into the waistband of her pants. "Sorry, Commander."

"Ten," Della calls. She's alongside me, peering out from behind the van. soft lights move toward us in the distance.

"A vehicle?" I say.

"You didn't think we'd be so idiots as to take the Tram?" She makes to move. Keran and the others fall in line. I'm last to go

Finally, the line of Facility medical vehicles come in view. It's a short fleet of pristine white vans.

There's a huge berth between us and the fleet of medical vehicles. Della turns and gives the order. "Nose and Leeds, first. Keran, next. Ten, then myself."

"Why are you last?" I say. "Why'd it take you so long to follow us?" Della and Keran exchange a knowing glance. It's only now I realize she's not carrying her duffle bag. "Where'd you--"