Page 241 of Seasons of War
The Territories
Archai, Caspador
833 P.C. [Post-Collapse]
Dark bricks blurred as they ran.
“We’re halfway there,” Miya said.
Sounds Miya had never heard before drowned out her own voice, closing in on the rest of Archai from downtown and the outskirts of the city. The chorus of shrieks and gunfire never ceased.
They took a hard right that Miya nearly missed and didn’t slow down when they hit the cars clogging the street. She squeezed between two taxis in standstill traffic. Lance clambered over the hood, denting the metal in. A man reached for them through an open window, screaming and cursing, but they didn't slow down.
Continuing forward, they sprinted until a door in the alley ahead swung open, forcing them to slide to a stop on loose gravel.
Miya's heart dropped when Aiden walked out.
How did he find her?
Sweat covered his face. “Lookingfor me, baby?”
“You always show up at the right time.” Miya managed to smile and yanked her hand away from Lance. The captain must have been tracking them with facial recognition, which meant he'd directed Aiden to them. This was way worse than her handler finding them.
The unseen hand of the captain wrung her neck. Whatever had happened, he either knew Miya betrayed him or no longer needed her and would take the excuse to end her. It didn't get worse than this. She should have left Lance behind. Now he'd die with her.
Aiden worked closer, the area around his nose and eyes still black and blue from the captain. “I heard you've been talking.”
His men flanked them. Two placed a hand on Lance’s shoulders.
Miya made sure not to look back at Lance as she sauntered to Aiden. “You poor thing. Look at your face.” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “You didn’t think I’d let that old man, Hakym, outmaneuver us, did you?” Running her fingers through the base of his hair, she winked and motioned at Lance. “I brought you him.”
“What would I want with some worthless idiot?”
Keep it together.Miya always found a way to play him. “The old man was going to the United. I’ve given you all the collateral you need. Hakym will do anything for Lance.”
Aiden's expression softened. “That’s what you were doing?”
“What did you think I was doing?”
“It looked like you were ditching us and the captain for the United.” Aiden lowered his voice. “It's too late. The captain doesn't need us anymore. The United has the king on lockdown with Ciondo's attack.”
“What's happening, baby?”
“Ciondo struck tons of cities in Caspador. I don't know for sure, but I think the captain got spooked, abandoned his plan, and the Phaedra moved on with whatever this is.”
How had it never occurred to Miya that if the covert operation didn't work, they'd wage all-out war? The Phaedra struck first. Struck hard.
Miya wanted to help Caspador, not get the people slaughtered. What should she have done differently?
“We always find a way to survive,” Miya said. She had to try to get Lance out of here. “We can do this.”
“I’ll get you away from the captain,” he said. “It’ll be just us again.”
“He’ll think I betrayed him.” She couldn’t show Lance this wasn’t real. Had to hope he knew. Miya wanted to look at him so badly to see if he still trusted her. “You have to make him understand.”
Aiden nodded.
“And then…” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “We'll run away. Caspador’s going up in flames.”
