Read Online The Athena Operation by Dalton Cortner - Free Book Online Page B

the ground next to Ret. She was barely conscious, and she looked even worse than before.
    “Watch her,” Seraph said.
    Ret nodded and pulled his sniper rifle from the strap.
    Seraph turned to Drever. “Alright. I’m ready.”
    Drever and Seraph took off at a full sprint, going from cover to cover while it was available. They stuck to crates, debris, and larger parts of destructed buildings, managing to avoid most of the sniper fire. One shot grazed Drever’s arm, but he didn’t slow his pace. With the rest of the ground forces distracted by the dwindling Confederate soldiers, they got by more or less unscathed.
    As they closed in on the ship, both men raised their weapons to the door. The scene before them felt oddly out of place: foreboding, despite the fact that the only symbol of hope was within feet of them.
    The door to the ship slid open and the pilot emerged, shoving an assault rifle into Seraph and Drever’s faces. The two turned their weapons on him in return.
    “Easy, easy. We’re with you. Confederate Military,” Seraph said. He was relieved to see another soldier.
    “Drop the guns,” the pilot said. “I’m under strict orders to keep everyone away from Confederate ships until the situation is under control.”
    “I am Confederate Military!” Seraph shouted. ”I’m Commander Seraph Aydrian, and we need an evac. We’re getting massacred here! Look around!”
    Seraph could see that the Confederate Chamber still didn’t understand the severity of the situation. The Chamber had seriously underestimated the damage if they hadn’t prepared for evacuation.
    “I’m giving you one last chance,” the pilot shouted. “Stand down and walk away. I’m just doing my job.”
    “Look, we’ll-”
    A loud blast cut Seraph off and the pilot flew backward into the side of the ship. He collapsed to the ground, blood blooming on the front of his uniform.
    Seraph turned to see Drever holding his smoking shotgun.
    Drever lowered the weapon. “It had to be done.”
    “Goddamn it! That’s the fucking military!” Seraph screamed. “How fucking reckless are you? They’re on our side! They’re our only fucking hope!”
    “He wasn’t going to let us on that ship, jackass. He was getting ready to fire on you.”
    “Bullshit! I was wearing him down! Fuck!” Seraph shook his head. “Let’s fucking go. Move it.”
    Drever followed Seraph onto the ship, confident that Seraph agreed with him, and knew there were no other options.
    **
    Ret set up his rifle, doing his best to steady his hand
    He sighted in an enemy sniper and fired a second too soon, just missing the mark. The sniper returned fire and the bullet missed Ret’s head by mere inches. Ret ducked into cover and fumbled with a spare magazine. The gunfire aimed at him grew louder.
    Ret slammed the magazine back into the rifle and chambered a bullet with the bolt. He turned to take aim again, but instead found himself staring down the barrel of a pistol.
    Ret charged forward, tackling the seythra. The two contended for control of the gun. Ret grasped at the seythra’s fingers, trying to loosen his grip on the gun. The seythra dropped his grip on the gun all together, and blasted a balled fist into Ret’s jaw, following up with a full-force kick to his chest, sending him crashing into twin metal crates.
    The seythra hurriedly got back on his feet, grabbing his gun and aiming it at Ret. Ret slowly put his arms in the air, realizing he had nothing left, no tricks to pull or advantages he could use. No ace up his sleeve, no secret weapon. He was staring death in the face through the barrel of a gun.
    “P-Please,” Ret stammered.
    The seythra didn't hesitate to fire a shot into Ret's chest. Satisfied with the limp body Ret became, the seythra turned to the little girl. She looked up at him with desperate, aching eyes. He studied her for a few moments, then raised his gun and fired a shot into her head.
    “No!” Ret shouted.
    The seythra turned to Ret,