Chapter Nine

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 By the end of her first week in training, Adlai had found that her favorite time of day was in the evening, when the Aquamarine training group faced holographic enemies in the Sim Room, or when, like on their first day of training, they mocked up battle scenarios against other teams.

After the strength training and the run of the first day, they spent less time on basic fitness training, and endurance training consisted of marathon-length runs carrying either weapons or weights that hung from their shoulders meant to simulate the strain of carrying a gear pack. Strength training became pauses during their runs to use tree branches for pullups and grass for sit-ups, pushups and planks.

Then came actual combat training, which they alternated between the outdoor shooting range and the indoor arenas for hand-to-hand practice. Though Adlai was by no means bad at hand-to-hand, she excelled with anything that went bang or boom, and found herself outshining every other trainee and some soldiers with her accuracy, both up close and as a sniper.

And, at night, they played their netball games. An unspoken agreement had been implemented among the Aquamarine cadets, and they never played recreationally, winning against other training groups nine times out of ten. After the first night, there was only ever one team fielded from their group, giving anyone who wanted it a respite or a chance to fit in more training or catch up on classwork.

At the end of their first week, Aquamarine had dropped a little in the rankings, and the cadets' personal rankings had shifted, too, but their group was in the top five, and the cadets all ranked within the top fifty.

In the group itself, Adlai was ranked third, Walker second and Solberg had climbed to first, proving himself the best unarmed fighter in the group and the second best overall, and his grasp of strategy and tactics was impressive, even though Adlai always outshot him and excelled in history and geography. To everyone's surprise, Ilse proved the best at survival skills, despite having lived on one of the wealthiest planets, and Adlai and Jeremiah were right behind her.

On the first day of their second week, Adlai awoke seconds before the alarm went off and followed the routine they'd established. All around her, the other cadets did the same, without the grumbles that had accompanied the first few mornings. Even Darcy didn't need water dumped over her, for once.

The cadets slowly trickled into the mess hall, bleary-eyed, and grabbed their breakfast trays, and, by ten to seven, they were all clustered around their assigned table. Conversation was, as usual, limited, as everyone started to wake up, but Adlai thought it was nice to have some company, all the same.

After breakfast, the cadets reported to the training arenas, as usual, but, to their surprise, Major Kramer wasn't already there. In the other rings, two training groups were already at work, and the remaining space was being used by soldiers brushing up their technique.

Adlai found herself huddling closer to the others, and realized that they were all clustered rather closer together than necessary. A change in their routine couldn't mean anything good.

They waited for another ten minutes or so, and then, finally, Major Kramer strolled out from the direction of the outdoor shooting range, hands in pockets and all but whistling with good-naturedness.

"Okay, everyone," he called when he was halfway across the arena. "Today, we're going to do something different, so head to the excursion room, gear up and meet in front of the shooting range in fifteen." He clapped his hands together. "Dismissed!"

The cadets rushed for the excursion room, each palming open their lockers, almost in sinc. Adlai stared into her locker, wondering just what to take. Major Kramer hadn't told them what to expect, so she didn't know just what kind of op they were embarking on. She decided to err on the side of caution, and put on the lightweight, bulletproof armor issued to every cadet–not just the vest, but the whole suit, a less dense version of kevlar that protected her body from ankle to neck from being shot or stabbed. Of course, it wasn't impenetrable, but it could withstand almost anything. She armed herself with a standard issue laser pistol and a stun gun, and then, at the last minute, she decided to grab the plasma rifle she'd developed an affinity for in the last few days, and slung it over her shoulder.

Then, she set about filling a pack with the less lethal necessities, like a basic first aid kit, a canteen full of water, an extra jacket, a tracker, a mapping device, a combat knife, a rope and carabiner, a pair of climbing gloves and a packet of flares.

When she was pretty sure she'd accounted for every eventuality, she shouldered her pack, holstered her pistol at her side and reported to the front of the shooting range outside, where Major Kramer had told them to muster.

Her trainer was already there, and so were a handful of other cadets. Adlai joined Jeremiah and Walker, both of whom looked similarly equipped to her. Solberg was already there, with one of his friends, Wilder, and he, like Adlai, had also chosen an extra weapon, a portable plasma cannon called a Sledgehammer that decimated anything in its path. Effective, true, but Adlai thought it lacked finesse.

Finally, they were all assembled, each cadet having chosen a different array of gear, but all of them wearing armor and carrying at least one weapon. Major Kramer surveyed them emotionlessly, then, after what felt like ages, nodded once.

"Okay," he said, folding his arms. "Time for the briefing. Four months ago, the navy apprehended a spy who was linked to an anti-government terrorist group based in the Fringe. The spy, Karn Vail, escaped navy custody in Bogotà, in South America, and yesterday, he was spotted hiding out in Anchorage, not too far from here. Last night, we believe he came here, to Juneau. Since he's here, it falls under our jurisdiction to bring him in.

"Since he doesn't have a history of violence–even went peacefully when the navy arrested him–my superiors think this will be a good opportunity for all of you to get a feel for military police work and investigation. True, most of you will choose to go into combat or command, but some of you might be recruited by the Rangers or choose to join the army's investigative branch, so this should give you a feel for whether or not you have an affinity for the work."

Major Kramer walked over to a nearby bench, where he picked up a plastic container that had been sitting there and pulled off the lid. "We know Vail's holed up in a particular sector, but not his exact location. We will be splitting up and canvassing everything, so you'll each need to pick up a comms device, and, if you haven't already packed them, a mapper and a tracker.

Each cadet stepped forward, and Kramer handed them what they needed out of the box. Adlai took only the comms device, since she had everything else, and slid the little, metal bead into her ear. It was surprisingly soft and malleable, and, in a few minutes, it had moulded to the shape of her ear. The trackers contained the mouthpieces that would actually transmit her words, so she placed it around her wrist and turned it on.

When everyone was outfitted, Major Kramer spoke into his comms device. "Testing, testing. Aquamarine cadets, do you hear me?"

In turn, each cadet replied in the affirmative. When it was Adlai's turn, she spoke into the speaker on her tracker, "Major, this is Cadet Fletcher, reading you loud and clear. Over."

Eventually, they had all confirmed that their tech worked, and it was finally time to move out. They climbed into five airships, which, unlike starships, were designed to stay within a planet's atmosphere, four cadets to a ship, and were off.

The journey itself was a matter of minutes, and soon they were disembarking into one of Juneau's poorest sectors. They gathered in the shadows of a crumbling apartment building, and Major Kramer gave them their instructions.

"Five man teams," he said. "Each team will be assigned a segment of the sector to canvas. Clear each building like we practiced in the Sim Room and the kill house. Got it?" When all the cadets had nodded, Major Kramer went on. "First team, you'll be taking the westernmost segment. Darcy, Wilder, Sutter, Luke and Harper. Harper's in operational command. Get to it." The people he'd indicated melted off into the shadows, and Kramer continued. "Fletcher, Solberg, Walker, Moreau, Jeremiah, you have the northernmost segment. Fletcher has command."

Adlai had been shocked that he'd put her on the same team as Solberg, but the news that she was to be in command was even worse. Despite their cooperation during capture the flag, there had been nothing but animosity between the two of them ever since. And now, Adlai knew, Solberg would just have more cause to dislike her.

And she was right. Solberg exploded, "What? Why does she get to be in command? I'm the better fighter, not her! You've been favoring her ever since we got here!"

Major Kramer glared. "Because she doesn't say things like that," he said icily, his voice so soft it was more frightening than when he yelled. "And Fletcher has deserved everything she got. If you worked half as hard as she did, you might be the one I quote-unquote 'favored.' Now shut up and get to work, Solberg."

Adlai grimaced. Now Kramer had just made it worse. "Come on," she said halfheartedly. "Let's just go."

She traipsed off, further into the depths of the sector, finding it hard to care if the others followed her. Of course, Kramer had to go and put her and Solberg in one group, and, compounding it, put her in command. Because, yeah, that would totally work.

When they peeled off into their quadrant, Adlai drew to a halt, for the first time taking in their surroundings. On Lares everyone lived in identical concrete and cinder block complexes, each housing hundreds–sometimes thousands–of people. Whole cities were built of long, thick, low, bunker-like buildings that could withstand an earthquake or a volcanic eruption and keep out the heat of the desert planet.

In Juneau, little clapboard houses, hundreds of years old, huddled together in the shadows of the mountains, side by side with teetering apartment blocks, wooden shanties and additions stuck precariously against glass and steel walls, the roads solid pavement, rather than dusty, cinder block cobbles. Some of the apartment buildings were just larger version of the clapboard houses, just as old, and only housing around ten families, at most. Even the newer buildings, which nestled into their surroundings, only housed, at most, a few dozen families.

Adlai gaped. On Lares, everyone lived in cities several million people full, but, judging from this neighborhood, one of the poorest in Juneau, this particular city didn't seem any larger than fifty thousand inhabitants.

Behind her, Solberg snorted derisively. Can you imagine living in this squalor," he scoffed.

Walker rounded on him. "You think this is bad, you entitled prick?" he demanded. "Try living a week in the Fringe, I dare you!"

And then, suddenly, Solberg's fist was flying through the air, and Walker sidestepped, then drew his own arm back to retaliate.

"Enough!" Adlai roared, her voice cracking like a whip, more forcefully than she'd believed herself capable of. "Solberg, Walker's right," she said, trying to force patience into her voice. "There are worse places than this out there. And a lot of us here enlisted to get out of those places. And, Walker, Solberg didn't choose where he was born. No one does. So check your gear, and let's get going. We have a fugitive to capture, and I'm pretty sure we all want to be the ones to bring him in."

Walker ducked his head, but Adlai could still see that his cheeks burned with embarrassment. Solberg folded his arms and glared at her, his defiance plain, but Adlai waited him out, and, finally, he bowed his head and began checking his Sledgehammer. Adlai busied herself, too, with one last once-over of her gear, and, when everyone had confirmed that they were ready, she radioed in.

"Major, this is Fletcher. We're about to begin our search. Do you copy?" she said into the transmitter on her tracker.

"Roger that, Fletcher," came Major Kramer's voice. "You're clear to begin. Keep in touch, and don't take any unnecessary risks. Got it?"

"Yes, sir," Adlai confirmed. "Over and out." She turned to her team members, looking each one in the eye. "Let's go. We'll start with the nearest house and work our way down, zig-zagging across the street. Walker, you're with me, in front. Ilse, you and Jeremiah in the middle. Solberg, are you comfortable with that thing?" she asked, nodding to his Sledgehammer.

He nodded. "Oh, yeah," he said, his grudge temporarily forgotten with the chance to test out his new toy.

"Then you cover us, for now, and don't be afraid to use it, if the need arises," Adlai said decisively. Major Kramer had said Vail wasn't dangerous, but, for some reason, she still felt apprehensive. Better safe than sorry, she thought.

Solberg nodded, hoisting his weapon and grinning maniacally. With Walker by her side, Adlai approached the door of the nearest house, tried the knob, and, finding it locked, beckoned Walker forward silently. He tested it with his shoulder, then shook his head, and, taking a few steps back to get a running start, kicked it open with all his might, the way they'd been taught.

Covering the door, Adlai waved Ilse and Jeremiah forward, into the room, watching as they split, each hugging the wall and going off on different sides of the door, then Solberg and Walker went forward, Walker peeling off after Ilse and Solberg taking the same side as Jeremiah. Adlai followed Walker along the wall, gun drawn and aiming into the center of the room. They circled the room's contents in a way designed to force their targets into the middle and keep them neutralized without accidentally shooting each other.

The front room, a narrow hallway, was empty, and they followed it down, throwing open every door they came to, revealing a living room and a dining room, both empty. The next door they opened finally revealed signs of life, a family, just sitting down to a late breakfast.

The older woman shrieked when the flung open the door, and the younger woman–about Adlai's age–threw her hands up, while the toddler, still in his highchair, wailed.

"Don't move," Adlai ordered. "All of you. "Walker, you stay with them. Shoot them if they try anything. The rest of you, on me. There's more house to search."

There was one more door downstairs, and beyond it, in a small, sparse bedroom was a single man, older, pulling his boots off. They put him in the kitchen with the others, then took the stairs two at a time, and clearing the upstairs hallway.

Two bedrooms and a nursery were empty, evidently belonging to the women downstairs, and, although one had two beds, its other inhabitant was nowhere to be seen. In the last bedroom, they found a young man washing his face.

Adlai sent Ilse downstairs with him so they could get everyone in the kitchen, while she, Jeremiah and Solberg checked the house for any hidden doors, attics or basements. There were none.

When they regrouped in the kitchen, Walker and Ilse filled them in on the identities of the inhabitants. The older woman owned the house, and the girl was her daughter, a widow with a child, the toddler. The men were both tenants, and the house was a boarding house. The older woman had another daughter, who was currently working a shift at a nearby bakery.

Neither of the men was Vail.

So they moved on, repeating the process at every building, reporting each cleared house to Kramer. They moved deeper into their sector, the streets growing darker and narrower the further they went.

Adlai realized, after a while, that they were moving in tighter formation than necessary, each of them keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings. Even Solberg was silent and wary, his arm muscles bulging as he gripped his weapon more tightly than necessary.

But they found nothing, at least until they reached a teetering apartment building, almost at the direct center of their quadrant. It looked mostly abandoned, with broken windows and holes where boards had fallen from the shanties that had been built onto its sides as additions onto its flats.

They slipped inside, noting that, unlike most of the buildings they'd searched, this one didn't have security cameras or alarm systems. Unlike its counterparts, too, it was completely silent, denouncing its lack of inhabitants.

So, instead of searching all the flats, they paused at the doors, listening for signs of life and moving on when they found none. Only one in four apartments was inhabited, and they cleared them quickly, starting upstairs and working down.

Another odd feature of this particular building was that it was built onto the side of a narrow warehouse, but had no entrance into the building at its side. The warehouse was on a row of others, all abandoned, but something prompted Adlai to search this particular one.

She led her team out of the building and around to the warehouse door. Solberg grumbled–surprise, surprise–but the others just followed her, even though she could see that they all wondered why she bothered. The warehouse were empty; everyone knew that.

She didn't bother to correct them on that front. The other warehouses were just that, but this on was part of an apartment complex, which, somehow, made it seem different to her, and not just that, but she was certain, without knowing why, that they would find something there.

At the front of the warehouse, Walker pressed his ear to the door, listening intently. Then, the look on his face changed from bemusement to wonder. He straightened slowly. "You were right," he whispered, his voice awed. "There's people in there."

Adlai smiled a little, allowing herself a moment of satisfaction–but just a moment. Then she tilted her head to the side, studying the thick, metal door. There was no way Walker could bash through it.

"Solberg," she whispered, and, no matter what his feelings on the matter were, he came forward without complaint. Maybe he, too, sensed that they were about to stumble onto something big. "Care to give that toy of yours a try?" she asked.

Solberg's face lit up and he bounded forward, as excited as a kid in a candy store. "Always," he said, his eyes sparking maniacally. "Okay, everyone. Stand back." They obeyed, pressing back against the walls

Solberg aimed the Sledgehammer at the lock on the door, braced it on his shoulder, and fired a single shot that resounded with a low growl, the kickback rocking him back on his feet. The shot had quite literally melted the door, and the lock glowed and smouldered.

Adlai scooted over to give him room along the wall. They all knew the shot would have alerted the people inside, whoever they were.

After a moment, where they all waited with bated breath for the metal to cool. When it had, Solberg reached out and tried the door. It opened the tiniest inch.

Adlai brought the transmitter on her tracker up to mouth level and radioed Major Kramer. "We're about to try a warehouse attached to an apartment. There's definitely something going down in there. Standby."

She didn't wait for Major Kramer's reply, and nodded to Solberg, who kicked

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