Reapers: The Shadow Soldiers by Josh Collins

offline. Brosi can handle the technical specifics as long as he’s delivered safely. If we can indeed get that cannon shut down, we’ll be able to land a fleet and take back the world.” She paused a few moments for emphasis and then continued. “However, we haven’t yet been cleared for departure. So, for the time being, we’ll stay aboard this station and prepare. That means diet, exercise, and combat training. Any more questions?” she asked, looking directly at Burns. He had a few but remained silent.
    “Right,” she confirmed, “let’s head topside.” Following her lead, the group left the armor in its darkened hole.  
    Burns now saw a lot of things in a different light, especially Rhett. He was no longer a Special Forces cowboy, but a man who’d undergone a great struggle and survived. Burns could tell it was eating him up. If only he knew how much Burns understood. Survivor’s guilt could destroy you, and he would have to make sure that didn’t happen to Rhett.  
    On that point, he’d also have to make sure the armor didn’t destroy them either. He let out a deep breath—all these responsibilities were really starting to make him feel like a true colonel. He just hoped Control had known what he was doing when he picked him for the job.  

COMPLICATIONS

    During the days after the mission had been revealed, the only thing to do was train. Burns had weights moved into his quarters, and he used them heavily. If he wasn’t exercising, he was in the mess hall trying to find the healthiest options he could. He had a lot of bad choices to work off, so much so that sometimes it seemed an impossible task.  
    Still, he had to admit that he was feeling a lot better. Those few days of training, he didn’t have to deal with hunger or hangovers. He just wished he could say the same positive things about the operation. Intelligence still hadn’t told him where the Syncopate was, and that made him leery. What could they be hiding?  
    He supposed it shouldn’t have come as a surprise when their promised week of training was cut off after three days.  
    “An urgent development has occurred on Silverset,” Rhett informed him as he stood in Burns’ door.  
    Development, Burns scoffed to himself. It was never details. Nevertheless, he headed out and followed the man.  
    They were soon joined by Brosi, who was given the same notification. Rhett lead them both down a series of white-plated corridors to what Burns figured was going to be some sort of operations room. They walked in a group, and for once Burns felt comfortable around the men. They had become some of the only people in the facility he could feel he trusted. That said, he couldn’t quite bring himself to ask just what this development was. If even Rhett knew, he doubted he could tell him.  
    Turning and entering another corridor, Burns noticed this one was far less empty than those before it. One of the Syncopate workers seemed to be off schedule. She leaned on the white walls with her arms crossed. Her dark hair was tied into a ponytail behind her head, and she seemed to have somewhat of a gruff expression. She was also a little bit taller than the average woman, despite her being average in every other sense.  
    The worker remained in her place as they approached, which Burns thought was weird. The station crews didn’t socialize much, and when they did, it was with a purpose. So what was her purpose? He did get an interesting feeling about her, and it wasn’t because she was wearing civvies instead of the usual white jumpsuit attire of the crew. She seemed...dangerous.  
    As the group walked by, Burns kept aware in case she made a move. To his surprise, she actually did. Just as he thought they were cleared, she shifted off the wall and grabbed Brosi by the shoulder. Burns was ahead of the man, but he’d heard the whole thing. He swiftly turned and pushed Brosi out of her grasp, then grabbed her shoulder and threw her against the wall.