#Chapter 129 – Last Stand

The battle is drawing close, now.

Seeing that they had a slight advantage, only two men down as opposed to Rafe’s five, Victor had pressed into the offensive. Even if Rafe had set a trap ahead, his superior numbers should work in his favor.

Victor and his Betas had moved swiftly through the forest, spaced well within the trees, their rifles held at shoulder height, their eyes pressed to their scopes, searching.

They found Rafe’s troops all gathered together like rabbits in a warren.

Rafe’s troops were entrenched. They had found a well-protected area of forest with a stone wall rising behind them and several boulders on either side, perfect for hiding and sniping. Victor did a swift count as he approached – six. Good.

Rafe had collected his entire Beta team together for one final showdown, one last stand. There would be no more scouting and retreating after this; instead, Rafe had put all his eggs in one basket.

This was his alamo.

Victor’s face lights in a feral grin. Good.

Still hidden yards away out of sight from Rafe’s troupes, Victor quickly checks in with his two remaining captains. Swiftly, they confirm their positions, and agree to their route. They nod to each other from across the forest and then, as one, they charge.

They have the element of surprise, but not for long. Rafe’s troupes hesitate only for a minute before they begin to fire.

Two of Victor’s fastest Betas sprint forward, their guns strapped to their backs, knives in their hands, running for the protected area behind the boulders where their enemies are ensconced. If they can get in, they’ll do swift damage to Rafe’s troupes.

The other five members of Victor’s party move steadily behind, their fingers on their triggers, pumping wolfbane-coated rubber bullets into the encampment whenever they have the opportunity.

Victor grits his teeth as he moves forward, taking the furthest position in the line, the most protected spot. He grimaces as he sees one of his runners fall, shrieking, to the ground – felled by an enemy bullet before he can get behind the enemy line. The other takes a final leap and disappears behind the boulder.

Victor listens above the sound of gunshots and hears yells and shrieks from the enemy encampment – good, the scout has done his work. Still, enemy guns are being fired. Victor hadn’t been lucky enough to take them all out with one forward runner, and that man, he knows, was surely taken down.

Hopefully he took out enough of the enemy to make his sacrifice worth it.

Victor steadily stalks forward, wishing he had an updated count. How many men does Rafe have left? He sees shots from at least three guns, one of which must belong to Rafe. If his forward man had taken Rafe out, the others would have stopped shooting.

still not at an

the side when he sees two of his own men fall, one after the other. They scream in pain, their cries echoing through the forest, but, quickly, they press their mouths shut, doing their very best to suffer

Almost ready to switch

hand appears above the boulders, lobbing something in the

years of military training prevent him from panicking. “MOVE!” He yells and, on command,

to move backward – a grenade – how

lands on the ground, it doesn’t explode into shards of metal and

eyes, which had long been adjusted

of the weaponry arsenal, or else Victor would have used one as part of his own assault. He grits his teeth, blinking as the light

for his eyes to adjust again to the darkness. For a moment, though, he is blind, and he knows his men are too. Rafe, surely, is taking advantage of

two of his Betas scream as they’re hit by some kind of wolfbane weapon. Victor moves into a tactical retreat, scanning the shadows of the forest that are

plus me. Against how many? Three? Four

knives flash. Victor raises his own rifle to his shoulder, stepping out into the open air, pressing his finger to the trigger again and again – sending his own bullets judiciously into the

their places, one after

another of Rafe’s

From the

Another of Rafe’s takes two bullets in the shoulder. He falls, screaming in

left, Victor knows, according to his count, in addition

as the man raises his gun in his direction, but the man falls

But where the hell

his attention to the boulders to see if Rafe is hiding there. Victor’s final remaining Beta is already there, sweeping the

head jerks back as he screams, his body jolting, a rubber bullet hitting him directly in the chest. Victor’s body launches into a sprint, his instincts on over-drive, as a figure in black leaps

thinks, picking up speed as he gives himself over to

the two of them now, brother

give it the careful aim that it needs. He picks up speed, reaching down to his thigh to where

being. He must have been training. But Victor is still faster. Steadily gaining on him, Victor raises his pistol, ready to take a shot. As he aims, his quarry trips

Actually trips –

The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

Comments ()

0/255