Page 2 of Specter Bred

Sure, Command was corrupt. Morality wasn't even part of the equation at that level. They manipulated the public with impunity, covering their tracks and influencing the media at every turn. They buried scandals, erased history, and rewrote the narrative whenever it suited them.

Nobody batted an eye at the corruption. Plus, they were all filthy rich, which made the missing millions almost laughable. So the stolen money wasn't what doomed Voss.

Command could overlook greed. They all practiced it themselves. What they couldn't tolerate was secrets. Especially secrets from one of their own. Deception within their ranks; that's what bought Voss a one-way ticket to the colonies.

He would have spent the rest of his life there, shoveling radioactive helionite sludge until his organs failed one by one and his body finally gave out from the exposure. But before the ink was dry on his arrest warrant, someone tipped him off.

Voss disappeared and resurfaced in Helix territory less than a week later, trading one prison for another.

Their deal was simple. Helix offered protection, and Voss offered information. Considering he'd spent decades operating at the highest levels of government, he had plenty to give. Which was why we were here.

Command wanted their councilor back. Or they wanted him silenced. Either was an approved outcome of our mission.

RAM Protocol. Recovery by any means.

I studied the feed for a few more seconds, committing every position to memory.

Seven outside.

Easy.

"Razor, take the east approach. Reaper, you're with him."

Both men nodded.

"Hawk, circle west and cover the rear exit."

"Copy."

"Mason, you're on me."

The compound sat in the center of a shallow desert basin. If any hostiles made it inside the compound's building and raised the alarm, the entire operation would become significantly more complicated.

"Directive is simple," I said. "Seven targets outside. I want them dropped before a single warning gets inside those walls."

The team nodded. Specters didn't need lengthy briefings. We had worked together long enough to anticipate each other. Our unit was a well-oiled machine.

"Move silent. Move fast."

I looked around the circle of my men one last time.

"No hostile survivors. On my mark."

Four shadows melted away from the ridge, disappearing into the desert night and within seconds, I was alone.

Then I moved too.

Chapter 1: Maeve Archer

2 Years Later

The room echoed as I dropped my duffel onto the tile floor.

Empty.

Except for me.

Command assigned the rest of the specter recruits to the squad bay, sleeping nearly on top of one another while they built rapport and camaraderie. However, they insisted that female recruits should have separate housing. And in the last seven years, there had only been one female alpha tapped for Specter training.