The Compromised Mission - Chapter 4, The Mercenary
12 Sep 2021Nathan Crest
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The Compromised Mission
Chapter 4, The Mercenary
I kept to the shadows of back streets and alleyways as much as possible while approaching dock three. Even though Julia's team was kept busy by Commander Pendragon's hired mercenaries, there may be others working toward my demise. I hurried down this familiar route. About a hundred more meters and there would be a maintenance door without a functioning lock; one that I had previously "modified".
My comm-link vibrated. Tara sent me the dossier on the red headed mercenary.
It turned out Julia actually gave her real name - Julia Everly McGowan, a.k.a. Red Valkyrie. Jacob Zennock was a known member of her team, the Diamond Riders. This further confirmed who she was. Typically her team operated out of Bodiae. But it was not surprising that Orionis Vision Systems would commission off-world mercenaries to carry out this clean up work; less connections the better. Red Valkyrie was a formidable combatant and easily out classed my abilities. Her enhancements gave her super-human strength, agility, and reflexes, although having such extreme modifications also meant her life span would be short. She definitely never planned on retiring, and this only made her even more dangerous.
I decided to finish reading her dossier another time. There was a second attachment that was more pertinent - the latest intelligence report from Commander Jericho Rolkein.
Before I could read it, a buzz from my comm-link pulled my attention away.
"Nathan, Julia is heading your way," Tara warned with urgency.
"What? She had a whole team of mercs on her!"
"If you could stay hidden somehow for the next few minutes, the mercs should be able to catch up to her."
I glanced back. In a distance, I could see Red Valkyrie, in a full sprint, speeding toward me. Her perfect body mechanics rivaled the best of professional athletes. The bio-engineered legs propelled her at a pace not possible for humans. She was a hunter; her eyes locked onto the prey.
"Damn, she's already here."
"Oh no, Nathan, run!"
I rushed toward the maintenance door. My movements seemed as if I was trapped in a slow-motion dream compared to Julia's.
Four seconds. I ran as fast as I could. The distance between us was diminishing alarmingly.
Eight seconds. The exertion and fear drove my heart into overdrive. The red headed mercenary was like a machine, steadily closing in.
Eleven seconds. My legs burned. My lungs struggled to take in oxygen. Without slowing down, Red Valkyrie pulled out her pistol and took aim.
I reached the maintenance door just as several rounds flew by, spraying me with fragments of wall-composite. I darted into the building and slammed shut the door. The panel inside was already loose from the last time I tampered with this lock. I ripped out the wires and manually engaged the bolt. Just for good measure I took some scrap debris and jammed the mechanism, making sure the bolt will no longer open.
The door shifted violently in its frame. Julia must have torn off the door handle trying to open it. Several loud bangs, the metal alloy groaned in protest as the door deformed. Not waiting to find out exactly how strong Red Valkyrie was, I turned around and ran, again, with my tail between my legs.
As I made my way through the building, I heard muffled shouts and gun fire. Best of luck to Commander Pendragon's hired mercenaries, whoever they were.
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This is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events, is purely coincidental.