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Chapter 434: Wednesday. Hotel, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
Aegis Group Chapter 435: Wednesday. Park, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
SILAS WAS GOING TO strangle this girl. At least in his mind. He'd never lay a hand on her, asset or no. She was on his last goddamn nerve though.What the hell was she doing sneaking out like this?At first he'd hung back, baffled by her coat theft and curious enough to see where this went. Now he was starting to hear alarm bells in his head the farther west she went.Fewer people.Some dead guy near the fountain.That kneeling routine she'd done at the café.What the hell was she up to?He peered around the hedges, cursing the lack of people. He'd had to drop back farther to avoid being seen. So far she hadn't noticed him. Turning his jacket inside out and grabbing a baseball cap had been enough change for her to not realize it was him. But now there wasn't a way for him to stay close to her.Silas didn't like this one bit. He should have marched up to her as soon as she left the hotel and demanded answers.A man stepped out from between the hedges halfway between them.Ekko
Aegis Group Chapter 436: Wednesday. Park, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
IGNEY WATCHED THE RETREATING backs of the target. His head swam and he was seeing two sets of figures in the shadows when he knew there was only one.Days of recon. Hours spent in this damn fucking park. And all for nothing.He slid the knife into the sheath concealed by his boot. It wouldn't do for the cops to find the murder weapon in his hand.Well, the night wasn't a complete waste.They had eliminated a known dissenter on this side of the border. Igney knew the man had provided documents for people fleeing Dauria. Taking that person out of the equation meant that the DSS would recover more of their errant people.Footsteps swished in the grass.Pasley groaned and Igney caught sight of the man moving his arm.They'd been taken down by a single man.Igney grit his teeth.Whoever that man was, he wanted him dead."We need to go," Pasley said, his voice pitched low. Though Dauria wasn't that far away, speaking their native language would draw unwanted attention."Yeah." Ign
Aegis Group Chapter 437: Wednesday. Hotel, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
EKKO BARELY MADE IT to the armchair in her room before her legs gave out on her. She caught herself and lowered herself onto the cushion. She drew her legs up tight against her chest and turned her head toward the window. This far up she couldn't see directly down, but the flashing lights of emergency responders created a colorful display across her ceiling.A man was dead.She didn't know for certain if the person who'd left the envelope for her was the one who'd died, but she also didn't believe in coincidence.Who was that person? Did they know what they'd died for?She'd always known this plan was dangerous. Her parents and others had warned her that the things she said on camera could make her a target. It was widely known that DSS executioners sometimes killed people who spoke out. Part of the reason she'd made sure to plant her in front of any camera willing to film her was to protect herself.Knowing it was dangerous and experiencing it were two very different things.Ekk
Aegis Group Chapter 438: Thursday. Dauria-Mongolia Border.
SILAS HAD OFTEN WISHED for silence and peace during this job. Too bad he had to get his wish this morning. Nearly seven hours of nothing since getting out of bed in the early morning hours and driving toward the border.There were no flights in or out of Dauria that weren't military. The exception was the presidential plane that hadn't taken flight for five years that anyone knew of. Which meant the only way in or out of Dauria was to drive. So drive they did.Of all the stupid shit that had come out of his mouth over the years, why did he have to tell Ekko he didn't like her? How juvenile was that?The immediate problem had been that he'd enjoyed kissing her far too much. And in that moment he'd liked her quite a lot. But those words had popped out as a way to stop himself from giving into the chemistry bubbling between them.He'd had a job to do. She was possibly still in danger from a threat she wouldn't tell him about. And that didn't include getting involved with Ekko. But he
Aegis Group Chapter 439: Thursday. Dauria-Mongolia Border.
PASLEY STARED AT THE bridge and the drama unfolding there. In truth, there was nothing abnormal about what was going on. Any vehicle that crossed into Dauria had to be gone over and all the occupant's passports and documents checked. Typically visitors also had their luggage examined, but the United Nations team wouldn't have to go through that until they'd reached the military check-point, and even then Pasley figured the check would be done without the UN team's knowledge.Pasley had been listening to everything their superiors had said about this process for the last year. He wasn't sure how it had begun or why, but it was a hotly contested matter among their hierarchy.Truth be told, Pasley wasn't entirely sure what the United Nations even was. According to the news, the UN was a governing body slowly corrupting the rest of the world by enforcing immoral laws on other, less morally sound nations. If Pasley wasn't DSS, if he didn't spend time outside Dauria, he might believe that
Aegis Group Chapter 440: Thursday. Dauria-Mongolia Border.
EKKO SAID A BRIEF prayer to whatever god was listening that the United Nations team saw through the bullshit. No doubt whoever was escorting the team around the country would have chosen areas and people for this purpose, to make the citizens look as happy as possible. She wouldn't be surprised to learn if there'd been casting calls. Nothing shocked her when it came to Dauria anymore.They had an agenda to push. If she believed the dreck on their national news, Dauria was one of the last bastions of morality in the world.Yeah fucking right.She tightened her hands into fists, eyes tracking the UN team she'd come to know personally over the last few days. Two were chatting with one of the guards while the others took pictures, likely a selfie and said goodbye to their last unfettered access to the outside world. From here on out they were on the Daurian networks, and those were all monitored and locked down.The crowd seemed to breathe a collective breath as the UN people were load
Aegis Group Chapter 441: Thursday. Dauria-Mongolia Border.
WHAT THE FUCK?Silas kept close to Ekko's back watching over his shoulder. He had a hand on his weapon ready to draw it if need be.In the span of five minutes everything had gone to hell. That sick feeling in the pit of his stomach that another shoe was going to drop hadn't expected this.This wasn't a shoe dropping. It was a hundred pound weight, crushing everything under it."We need to move faster," he said. "Those border guards aren't carrying anything more than a nine mil and the Daurians are packing real fire power."More yelling had Silas glancing back.All of the Mongolian guards were now out of sight, likely on the bridge.Then there was everyone else.The camera crews had reacted first. Now, cameras were aimed at them, catching whatever this was on film. A few were keeping pace with Silas' group. For the first time since he'd seen Ekko, she wasn't paying the cameras any attention. She stared straight ahead and walked as fast as the man at her side could.The protest
Aegis Group Chapter 442: Thursday. Supermarket, Sukhbaatar, Mongolia.
IGNEY TRIED THE DRIVER'S side door.It opened. No resistance. No lock. Nothing.He stepped aside as he swung the door open revealing an empty seat.No traps. No one waiting for them.He reached out and placed his hand on the seat.The material was cool to the touch just like the hood of the van. If their targets were smart, they'd have stopped and gotten out immediately. It's what Igney would have done were their roles reversed.He and Pasley had circled the town on their bikes, but after finding no sight of the van they'd doubled back. They'd wasted forty-five minutes finding the van. In forty-five minutes a trained person could make it quite a ways.He didn't think Ekko had that kind of training, but they still didn't know much about the man shadowing her everywhere. The one who'd given Igney a concussion last night.Someday he'd find this man and peel the skin from his body.Pasley opened the other doors, going through the odds and ends left in the van."Anything?" Igney a
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Aegis Group Chapter 490: Epilogue.
Two months later. Ekko's Apartment, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.EKKO STARED AT THE table with the spread of food laid out.Was there enough? Did she need more? Would Coco and Paxton like it?She reached out and adjusted the tray of cheese so it was at more of an angle instead of perfectly aligned to everything else.It looked too neat."Stop." Silas took her hand and spun her toward him, capturing her against his chest with strong arms around her waist."It looks like I'm trying too hard." She smoothed her hands up and over his shoulders."Stop. It's just Paxton and Coco.""Your best friend and his fiancé, who I haven't met yet.""What?" Silas' face scrunched up. "You've talked to her dozens of times.""In the background of you and Paxton talking. That doesn't count." She pulled away from him and proceeded to turn dishes a little this way and that."You do realize Coco spends most days digging in elephant shit and stuff, right?""Silas." She scowled at him."What?" He gr
Aegis Group Chapter 489: Thursday. New York Hospital, New York.
IT FELT LIKE THE weight Silas had been carrying around in his gut had now attached itself to his eyelids. He floated in darkness, no longer asleep but not yet awake. Someone had called this twilight once, though he couldn't recall who. Something wouldn't let him go back to sleep. There was something he needed to do. It was urgent.What the hell was it?That nagging question hounded him as he ever so slowly gathered his strength.He wasn't aware of time or how long it took to wrestle one eyelid open, but at long last he peered out of his darkness into...more darkness.Well that was just dandy. What the fuck?He blinked that one eye again, letting his vision adjust. He was in a room and there was a light on, it just didn't do much.Machines beeped and whirled around him.That was a sound he could never mistake and it told him the first piece of his puzzle. From there the others fell into place, one after another.He was still in the hospital.He'd been hurt.There was a fight.
Aegis Group Chapter 488: Wednesday. Unknown, New York City, New York.
EKKO CLUNG TO THE stretcher bearing Silas out to the parking lot.She hadn't realized how bad his injuries were. He was barely keeping his eyes open. Tears leaked out of her eyes as she kept pace with the two paramedics. Silas covered her hand with his as they came to a stop at the bumper of an ambulance.Paxton, Brett and Vito were sitting inside. They were worse for wear and grim, but seemed okay.All around them police were marching uninjured people they'd arrested to sit in a line next to a chain-link fence blocking the sidewalk. The night was lit up with swirling lights that made her head spin."Where's Chayan?" she asked. Her heart was tearing in two, aching for both men.A little distance away an ambulance took off, sirens blaring. She hoped it was the one with Pasley in it."Ma'am, I need to look at that wound," a paramedic said to her.She held tight to Silas' hand. "What about Chayan? Older man, little taller than me? Salt and pepper hair?"Silas had said he was fine.
Aegis Group Chapter 487: Wednesday. New York City, New York.
IGNEY PACED IN A circle, looking down each hall in turn.Where were they? Had he miscalculated? Were they willing to lose the woman so long as they got the man?His orders were clear. Get both the man and the woman.The woman was a symbol. Too many young people had taken to the streets because they listened to others like her.The man though, he knew things.Killing the woman was personal. Chasing her had cast him in a bad light. But the man was more important in the grand scheme of things."Fuck," Igney muttered. He glanced at a pair of men striding for the doors. "You. Come here."The men never glanced at him. Because they didn't understand him?He whirled to face Alban. "Where are the others?""I don't know where Delem and Michil are." He grimaced. "I haven't heard from them since we split up to search the building."That wasn't good.Igney had heard a lot of gunfire. Was it possible the other men he'd brought with him were dead?If both Chayan and Pasley escaped, leavin
Aegis Group Chapter 486: Wednesday. Unknown, New York City, New York.
EKKO'S ONE OFFENSIVE ATTEMPT was an utter failure. Her head spun and she was going to be sick.This wasn't good.She felt like a ragdoll being drug around, first by Igney then another man she didn't recognize. He spoke Daurian though which could only mean one thing.He was London DSS.Her body chilled. Was that from fear or the blows to the head? She didn't know anymore."Come find me, Pasley, or your little bird dies," Igney cackled into the radio.She tasted bile.Pasley had called her little bird back in the park.Igney cackled like a bad movie villain. The man was enjoying this. He was getting off on torturing them all.What about Silas?Pasley was with him.If Pasley told Silas, if he knew, they would come for her. Silas was determined to bring them all home and to keep her safe. But if he did, if he came to her rescue, Igney would kill them. Igney needed her and Chayan. Which meant he couldn't kill her here and now. It was an empty threat. Wasn't it? Did she dare belie
Aegis Group Chapter 485: Wednesday. Unknown, New York City, New York.
SILAS PUSHED HIS GROUP hard as they traversed the second floor. The sun had fully set, plunging them into complete darkness where there weren't windows or other lights.This building was a damn maze, and every turn they needed was blocked by too many people to fight their way through.There had to be more than the fifteen or so they'd estimated. More like thirty.This wasn't good.What about Ekko? Where had the others gone to?He'd hoped getting down here meant they would find her and Paxton, but so far all they'd found were a few bodies. At least they knew Paxton and Brett were eliminating the other side. But no one had taken the ammo or guns. Why? When resources were this precious, why not take them?Could they have gotten free? Did he dare hope?Something thumped in the darkness. Like a heavy footfall.Silas cursed himself as he skidded to a stop. He didn't see anything, but his gut screamed at him. He pivoted and threw himself at Chayan, shoving the other man aside. Silas w
Aegis Group Chapter 484: Wednesday. Unknown, New York City, New York.
THE DARKNESS FELT AS if it were swallowing her.Ekko clung to the back of Paxton's shirt like he'd directed. She couldn't shake the sensation that there were hands out there reaching for her. That Igney or one of the others were biding their time and waiting for the chance to kill her.Where was Silas? What about Chayan and the others?They'd been separated before she realized what was going on.Behind them a burst of gunfire spurred her on, shattering the silence.She knew it was Brett. Was he trading gunfire with someone? Those shots all sounded the same to her. She hoped he was safe. He was only one man and they had no idea how many were behind them."Stay close." Paxton reached back and pressed her hand to his back.Her head pounded with each and every step. It hurt so bad, but she didn't want to say anything. Her pain was minimal compared to what could happen."Will you cut that out?" Paxton yelled behind them.He side stepped and sort of skipped through a narrow gap betw
Aegis Group Chapter 483: Wednesday. Unknown, New York City, New York.
SILAS GRIT HIS TEETH to keep from telling Paxton to hurry the fuck up. It wasn't like Paxton was slow. The knife on his belt tool was small and no doubt dulled after cutting through several sets of thick, plastic restraints.Sitting like this it felt as though there was a ten pound weight sitting on his guts. He didn't know what the knife had cut, but Silas knew from the woozy feeling and blood making his jeans sticky it wasn't good. He had to get the others out of here before his clock ran out."Which way did they bring you up?" Silas asked Brett instead of chafing at how long getting free was taking.Brett stood by the door, a discarded piece of wood held as a weapon. "We came in some doors, up a stair to our right then a long walk down here. You?""Different way." Silas grimaced. "Do we retrace our path, or avoid it? How many people were with you?"Brett grimaced. They'd been hooded when they arrived. "Hard to say.""Let's assume at least the three that came in here plus one o
Aegis Group Chapter 482: Wednesday. Unknown, New York City, New York.
EKKO STARED IN SHOCK, her head spinning as the men left the room again."S-Silas?" she whispered so softly she barely heard herself.He slumped sideways groaning.Had that man-that monster-just stabbed Silas?"Man, Silas, dude, talk to us." Paxton had scooted forward, his arms extended behind him, attention on Silas."I'm fine." Silas' voice was strained. "Brett, Vito, how are you two?""Alive," Brett groaned."Vito? Man?" Silas shook his head and sat up straighter."Fine."This was it.Ekko swallowed.They'd done everything and in the end, they were outplayed.The DSS would kill them. She wasn't sure why they hadn't already, but she didn't doubt that death was the final move. All of these people, they were going to die because she'd been arrogant. She'd thought she knew what she was doing, when in fact she hadn't a clue.A sob tore out of Ekko making her already aching head pound harder."Ekko?" Silas called out. "Ekko, listen to me, this is going to be okay. Pax?"A ch
