Chapter 8 - The Price of Loyalty
A burst of automatic gunfire tore through the alley.
Jackson screamed as the bullets riddled his body.
Victoria felt the impact shudder through her as she used his falling body to break the line of sight.
She fired three rapid shots beneath Jackson’s falling shoulder.
The first shot hit Marcus in the right thigh.
The second shattered his rifle’s receiver.
Marcus cried out and collapsed onto the wet concrete, his weapon rendered useless.
Victoria stepped out from behind Jackson's lifeless body, her face smeared with mud and rain.
She walked slowly toward Marcus, her weapon trained on his head.
Marcus clutched his bleeding leg, backing away in sheer terror.
"Victoria... wait! We can talk about this!" he pleaded, his bravado instantly evaporating.
"You traded your team's honor for blood money," Victoria said, stepping on his wounded leg.
Marcus howled in agony.
"Where is the master keycard for Sub-Level 3?" she asked, her voice eerily calm.
"In my inner jacket pocket!" Marcus screamed. "Take it! Just don't kill me!"
Victoria leaned down and ripped the black biometric keycard from his pocket.
She also took his secondary weapon and his tactical comms earpiece.
She slipped the earpiece into her ear and listened.
General Vance’s voice came through the encrypted channel: "Marcus, report. Is the Phantom eliminated?"
Victoria looked down at Marcus, then pressed the broadcast button on the comms unit.
"This is Commander Victoria," she said into the mic.
"Your cleanup crew failed, General."
The radio went silent for two long seconds.
Then Vance spoke, his tone dripping with malice: "You're a dead woman walking, Victoria."
"I died three days ago according to your report," Victoria replied.
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"Now I'm coming to collect."
She struck Marcus across the jaw with the butt of her pistol, knocking him unconscious, and turned toward the city spire.
