Secret War: Warhammer 40,000, Ben Agar [list of ebook readers .txt] 📗

Torris, his usually deep voice high-pitched with anger and disbelief. "She and that Thing that's now masquerading as Olinthre?"

I nodded and clenched my jaw, seeing I had allies that wanted vengeance on Glaitis as much as me.

In all honesty, I wasn't sure that was a good thing or not.

"Did you know anything about this?" Garrakson demanded, glaring at Castella under a hooded brow.

Castella raised her hands in deference. "No! I swear I knew nothing, besides what Attelus mentioned me in!" she stammered. "I had already said I didn't."

"You'd better be telling the truth," he growled. "If I find out otherwise, I will..."

"You'll what, Jeurat?" I interrupted. "If you try to do anything to her, you'll have to go through me first."

Garrakson grimaced with an ugly expression. "Typical bloody Attelus. You'd do anything for a pretty face."

I shrugged. "Perhaps so," I admitted. "But my threat still stands."

He hissed air through gritted teeth then spat on the floor, I expected Vex to protest, but the boy didn't move or say anything. Seemingly too shocked for words.

"Calm down, Garrakson," I said. "Don't make me regret telling you this."

"I'll kill that bitch!" he snarled, and I truly hoped he meant Glaitis. "I'll frigging kill her, I swear!"

"You're angry, and I understand!" I snapped. "But she was also responsible for the death of the one I loved as well. We're both in the same boat here! You lectured me earlier on how I can't control my emotions, don't make yourself a damned hypocrite!"

Garrakson said nothing, just spat again and began to brood.

"You'll get your vengeance," I said with a smile, despite myself. "Now isn't the time, though."

I caught Torris' look then; he regarded me with suspicion. I ignored him.

"So, what do we do now?" stammered Vex, and now more than ever, I was reminded just how young he was.

"We do what we were always going to do," I said. "Stop Edracian and the Exterminatus."

"Will that be enough, though?" said Torris. "What the traitor Feuilt had said hinted there was someone else out there."

I shrugged. "Don't know. We will worry about that later; right now, I suggest we get ready for the fight ahead."

"You think it's another trap?" asked Garrakson, looking like he was calming down now. My words were harsh, I knew, but for a tough ex-guard vet like him, it needed to be.

I smiled. "Of course, it is."

"This time, we'll be ready, though," said Torris. "Jeu, you got any more ammo for your autocannon?"

"I do, I do," said Garrakson. "Got some more from the armoury a while back; you think we'll encounter more daemons, kid?"

"Don't know," I said with a shrug. "Hopefully not."

"I will pray there aren't," said Garrakson with a heavy sigh.

I frowned, not like it'll make any difference; I thought but said nothing.

"As will I," said Castella, looking to me, and she frowned grimly.

"So, what now?" Garrakson said. "This changes everything, Attelus. Now I have to take orders from a fake Olinthre? Not just that but a Xenos? Also, while knowing it is responsible for the deaths of not just Taryst and Olinthre but Colonel Barhurst as well?"

I clenched my teeth and glanced at Torris, seeing his expression was of cold anger. Then to Vex, who looked more terrified than anything, they all had one thing in common, everyone was looking at me for guidance, for reassurance.

For leadership, and in all honesty, I didn't mind. I felt clear-headed and confident. It felt right; perhaps I was a leader.

I sighed and shook my head. "Yeah," I said softly. "Yeah, you will, Garrakson. It's hard, I know. But now, my friend isn't the time. We need to stop Edracian, and we need 'Olinthre' to do that. We must put aside our personal vendettas for now. We will get the opportunity after all this. Okay?"

Torris smiled. "Attelus Kaltos, ever pragmatic, aren't we?"

"Always," I said with a grin.

Before anyone else could make a response, Garrakson's commlink suddenly shrilled.

"Garrakson here," he said, and his disgusted grimace immediately afterwards made it obvious the Olinthre-thing was on the other end.

"Yeah, yeah, got you. We'll be right there," Garrakson said before cutting the link, and he turned to us. "Me and Torris have to go meet 'Olinthre' in the vehicle depot. Looks we'll be moving soon."

I nodded and placed my hands behind my back, "well, let's go then, shall we?" I said.

 

 

We left Vex at his office with his guards and followed Garrakson through the building, moving among the constant hustle and bustle of activity throughout; many were Merc squads like ours, running to and fro with full combat gear. Some were carrying bits of flak board and other siege equipment. Smart, we never know what might happen; we could be attacked here easily. I wondered whose idea it was, most likely Brutis Bones' or Wesley's. I doubted it was the Olinthre-thing or Arlathan.

Along the way, we stopped briefly at the armoury so Garrakson could retrieve his Autocannon. Torris and I grabbed a combat shotgun each, knowing it'll be useful in what was sure to be yet another fight in a closed, confined space. I also took three frag grenades, three Krak grenades, as well as five clips of manstopper rounds for my auto pistol and three dumm dumm clips, just in case.

Garrakson and Torris never stopped and talked this time with the many other mercs walking the corridors, just exchanged respectful nods or salutes. Thank the Emperor; it reminded me of the old days. When we'd have to walk through that alleyway and Garrakson, with the rest, would stop to talk with seemingly everyone along the way.

Much to mine and Elandria's choler.

I frowned at the thought of Elandria, and I wondered for the hundredth time why Edracian wanted her body off-world.

I shook away the thought.

It took us a good ten minutes to reach our destination.

The vehicle depot was huge, at least thirty metres in length and fifteen in width. It took up three stories of the northern side of the tower. Housing what must've been dozens of vehicles. Everything from limousines to light military trucks.

Like the rest of the building, it was a complete hive of activity as dozens and dozens of mercs filed into their transports.

Waiting for us at a balcony overlooking the brightly lit depot was Brutis, Wesley, Olinthre and Arlathan. They turned to face us as we approached.

"Well, well," said the Shapeshifter with a smug smile that didn't suit Olinthre's face. "I didn't expect you'd come with so much company! Castella, Torris, Attelus."

It said 'Castella' and 'Torris' with a welcoming tone; when It came to me, its eyes narrowed, and it growled my name through gritted teeth.

I just smiled and nodded.

Garrakson eyed Olinthre with barely concealed contempt, and I only just fought back the urge to cringe. He was a soldier, one with a good head on him. But he lacked the extensive training in acting and subterfuge that Castella and I went through, that it'd went through.

It eyed Garrakson up and down, then gave me a knowing grin.

Perhaps in hindsight, it was a bad idea for all of us to come here. I just wanted to keep an eye on Garrakson, see if he gave anything away. Which he did, of course, but at least I knew that It knew. I guessed that was something.

Arlathan approached and handed Garrakson a data slate.

"That contains the schematics of Edracian's mansion," he said. "Got it from the arbites."

I frowned, doubting they'd still be applicable, but you never know.

As Garrakson scrolled through them, it was a vast, ten-story, sixty by thirty building. It was full of wide corridors that twisted and turned to an almost labyrinthine extent. It looked like it'd been built for the specific intent of being extraordinarily defensible.

"Hmm," I said. "Any idea why the place was abandoned?"

Arlathan smiled. "Fifty years ago, it was occupied by a very wealthy, well-known family. The Dalinetates, it'd been in their name since the place was first built. Over two hundred years ago-"

"And let me guess," I interrupted. "Someone, either the patron at the time or one of his closest kin, dabbled in forbidden knowledge and thus got the Inquisition on their arses. The family were declared as heretics and executed to a man. Am I right?"

Arlathan grinned and nodded, looking genuinely impressed. "Yeah, pretty much. The place has been said to be accursed and abandoned ever since. Many local legends surround the place like a bad smell."

Torris furrowed his brow in bemusement. "Why wasn't it destroyed, then?"

Arlathan pursed his lips and shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine, my friend. Who knows, only the Inquisitor who ordered the purge, I'd say. Who that wasn't recorded in the database, of course."

I sniffed.

"The place looks seriously built to be defended," said Garrakson. "What's the plan to crack this nut?"

Brutis Bones grinned and stepped forward. "The good old-fashioned way, surround the bastard, break it open, then storm it."

I looked at the schemata again and the ten-metre tall adamantium walls that stood a good six metres out from the building itself.

"What about the wall?" I asked.

Brutis looked at Castella and me. "That's where you creepy stealthy types come into play. We'll provide a distraction with the bulk of the force while you slip in and plant the explosives on the wall. One of you for each side."

I furrowed my brow, instantly seeing a problem with the ploy. "It's already been established he has a psyker on his side; surely it'd detect our approach?"

That is where I will come in, came Karmen's voice through my mind. I will distract the psyker as our soldiers will distract theirs.

"Karmen," I said. "Do you think the psyker knew you followed them?"

I am under the impression it didn't, and I am pretty sure.

"Anyway," said Brutis as he opened one of the pouches on his belt and pulled out a small device, no larger than the palm of my hand. "If you're so worried about psychic detection, you can borrow one of these babies, psy-jammers- Throne Agent issue. I've got five of them, one on me, the other four for you, kid, Castella and the other two. Where are they now anyway?"

Castella and I shared a glance.

"Taking care of business," she said, which made the Mimic give her an intrigued look. "But they'll be here soon."

"We're here now," said Darrance as he and Hayden approached us.

Brutis frowned and handed us a psy-jammer each.

I suspected I wouldn't need one but took it nonetheless. I didn't want to look even more suspicious.

"I'm placing a fething lot of trust on you," Brutis said. "Once we're through with this siege. I expect them back and in one fething piece. They're damn expensive pieces of equipment. If you even scratch it, I'll hunt you down and feed you to my pet wolf. Especially you, Attelus."

I furrowed my brow; why me, 'especially?'

In response, Castella grinned then nodded understanding; Hayden made no expression at all, and Darrance just smiled smugly.

"I've already sent some men to scout out the area," said the Mimic. "We should be hearing back from them soon."

I sucked air through clenched teeth. "That's if they're not dead already."

Castella rolled her eyes. "Attelus, ever the optimist."

I shrugged.

"You two, do you know the plan?" said Brutis to Hayden and Darrance.

Darrance nodded and tapped the microbead in his ear. "Yeah, we heard. Castella had us connected over her vox. So we could hear the entire thing."

I stiffened, despite myself and glared at Castella. Did she do that while I told them what's happened?

She met my look and shook her head slightly.

Clenching my jaw and I looked back at the Mimic, seeing it watching us still. Its expression was now unreadable.

Brutis frowned, looking like he disapproved, but nodded nonetheless.

"Alright," he said. "We've got one and only one shot at this. So we can't mess this up! And time isn't on our side! We'll begin the attack in two hours. I need you four there first, so you'd better be moving soon. You've got ten minutes to get ready, so hurry it up."

"We are ready," said Darrance. "We