Suddenly, an idea came to him. Their signals were being disrupted because of the shields. Conner realized that the shield system was tapped into an ultra-wideband radio technology with spread-spectrum telecommunications in order to decrease potential interference with conventional narrowband and carrier wave radio technologies. The HIA-GCA communications worked on its own system of ultra-wideband radio technology, and when the spread-spectrum of the shields employed frequency hopping, their communications were lost.
Conner sat up quickly, narrowing his eyes and glancing at the controls system around him. The only way he could think to circuit communications with the team was to use a carrier signal to transmit to the team, but that could only be accomplished if the other team was tuned in to the same frequency. If not, he would run the risk of transmitting the information to an outside source tapped into that frequency. Conner knew he would have to start by using the beat frequency oscillator in hopes that anyone other than the team that was listening wouldn’t detect it. But in order to contact the team, they would not only have to be tapped into the same frequency, but they would also have to detect and be able to read the Morse code.
Conner knew that Armaan was smart, and since they had both worked at the GCA, they should both know about the systems. He hoped that Armaan was with the team. There was much at stake, and it all rested on the abilities and intelligence of Armaan.
*****************
Rian was on his way to Fiji. He detested how Lawler always acted superior to him, but he wasn’t going to let that show. He wasn’t going to let him down, either. Sometimes Rian wondered at how Lawler kept track of all the different organizations and everything else that went on all over the world. In fact, Lawler was probably already in St. Mary’s Quay, going about his business of sticking his nose in other people’s businesses. I kind of scared Rian how many organizations Lawler now held in the palm of his hand, how much they relied on him. It was a good thing Lawler was working against the Brotherhood. At least for now. Rian shuddered. What would the world be like if Lawler wasn’t?
******************
“Ashlynn, catch,” Jude said, tossing a crossbow to her. Ashlynn tried catching it in her left hand, but it was too heavy and she dropped it.
“Why do we have to have her on the team?” Mors asked, rolling her eyes.
Ashlynn picked up the crossbow in her left hand and hoisted it up to her hip. “What’s this for?”
“What do you think it’s for?” Galath answered, annoyed. She took a compound bow from the weapon supply station and tested the tension of the string.
Ashlynn moved away from the station and walked towards Jude, who was testing the weight of twin swords. “What are we doing?” Ashlynn questioned.
“Supply station. Up ahead. It’s a sector of the Norway Air Force Executive Association, and sources say there’s a compound on the premises that holds supplies and weapons,” Jude answered.
“What’s with the new weapons?”
“It was F’s orders,” Cyan said from behind them. “Whatever ‘F’ means. Anyways, it’s probably something about stretching ourselves and trying new things,” she added as she stretched her arms up over her head, then bent down to touch her toes.
“Jack of all trades and the master of none,” Ashlynn mumbled thoughtfully.
“In any case, we better hurry up. We want to get there before Jorgia’s group,” Jude commanded.
“Why’s that?” Cyan asked, lifting herself up to look at Jude.
There was a pause in which Jude stiffened. Usually, Jude was quick to answer, and all the girls stopped to stare at her. Jude seemed to realize she wasn’t saying anything, glanced at Galath, then turned away and said, “Let’s get going.”
Ashlynn looked back at Galath, who hoisted a quiver of arrows over her head onto her shoulder. When Galath looked up, her gaze met Ashlynn’s stare. “What?” she asked, then walked forward, bumping into Ashlynn on the way. Ashlynn looked down at the crossbow that hung from her hand at her side. She lifted it onto her shoulder and turned to follow the others.
******************
Wesley was ready. Everyone always thought of him as the pyromaniac, the one who loved explosions and fire and specialized in bombs. Pyrotechnics wasn’t the only thing he knew. He was a fighter, born and bred. He had always hated the SSAWPS, because they were the ones that encouraged her betrayal. She never really loved him, or else she would never have left. Yes, his mother had been an agent of the SSAWPS. She left when he was three, old enough to love and old enough to know who she was and what she had done to him, but too young to truly understand the reasons why. In fact, he still didn’t understand it. All his life until this last year, Wesley’s father had been teaching him, coaching him in everything he knew. Wesley could hack any system, build any bomb, reinvent any electronic he could get his hands on. He could fight, too, but that he didn’t get from his father. That he learned on his own, self-teaching himself so that one day he could find the people who had taken his mother away from him and get his revenge. A year ago, that’s what his father had done. At least, that was what he was trying to do before he disappeared. Wesley knew he would never see him again. The SSAWPS didn’t take any prisoners.
Wesley had joined the DANES to try to take down the SSAWPS, but the SSAWPS had always had the upper hand. He had nothing left but to fight, and to take down the agency that had destroyed his life and turned him into what he was. He didn’t care if he had to do it alone. Laura, Armaan, and the others, they would follow after him. There would always be people there to fight, and he knew some of them would never give up until they were dead. If he could count on anyone, it would be Laura.
He just wished Kalyia had never been drawn into this. Wesley didn’t know much about her past, but he loved her. It was silly, unexplainable, and unconventional, but it was true. Thinking about her made him happy and he cared about her more than he cared about himself. He would protect her, or die trying. And he was ready.
The bombs were set in a ring around the largest clump of SSAWPS agents he could see, and recruitments were coming. He had to be quick. He just hoped that the DANES were far enough behind that they wouldn't get caught in friendly fire. The power was in his hands. A few buttons and he would have his revenge. There was no one there to tell him no, no one there to make him stop what he was about to do. No one could control him any longer. He typed in the code, and his finger hovered over the last button. He waited until the maximum number of agents joined the circle, then he pressed enter.
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Laura was flung to the ground. When she sat up, she could see debris all around her. The soft part of her upper left arm was bleeding from a piece of wood that had been flung in her direction. She looked around, afraid that some of the DANES had been caught in the explosion. No more agents came running at them. Laura picked herself up and made her way through the broken trees to check up on everyone in the front line. One of the DANES had been crushed by a falling tree and another hit by a piece of shrapnel in the neck. Laura spotted Imraan standing amidst the wreckage staring off into the distance. She grabbed him by the arm. “Come on,” she commanded, pulling him back towards the camp. “Everyone retreat!” she yelled. “Head back to camp and pack up as fast as you can!”
“Laura,” came a voice. Laura looked to see Kalyia next to her. The look in Laura’s eyes was the only thing Kalyia needed to be able to understand everything.
“Wesley,” Imraan said plainly, his voice sounding weird. It was all that needed to be said as the DANES headed back to camp. Imraan stopped and looked back once in the direction of the explosion, then continued onward.
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