CHAPTER SIX

DIANA HAD JUST about reached the limit of her tolerance. Although she hadn't spoken a word since she was led into the strategic planning room, she had better things to do than introduce herself.

Diana worked on marking spots on the map while the soldiers stared at her in disgust. Some made snarky comments even while knowing she heard every word. 

Normally, she would have just ignored it but when a General snapped at Rudolph for correcting his map reading, Diana lost her calm. 

"Gentleman, do we have a problem here?" She asked calmly, but she was anything but calm. 

"Of course, we do, mutt!" A commander sneered. "You waltz in here like you own the place and don't even bother introducing yourself. What do we look like to you? Kids?" 

She put down the marker and walked to the front of the room.

"First off, the name's Diana and not mutt or anything else. You don't see me calling you a bloodsucker for being a vampire. Secondly, respect goes both ways, you respect me and I respect you."

She faced the General who had snapped at Rudolph, her eyes turning a darker shade of green. "Thirdly, talk to my companion that way again and my fist will find your face. Do not test me!" 

Diana could feel the King's eyes on her but she ignored it. His soldiers needed to learn respect and if she had to put one or two on their asses for that to happen then so be it. 

A buff General hissed, "How dare you-" 

He was cut off by Diana walking back to the map and ignoring him. She picked up thumbtacks and attached the huge map to the wall then picked up a pointer. 

"I have circled the locations for the government labs I discovered over the years. As you can see, they are placed in a triangle."

She drew a line joining those circles, forming a perfect triangle. Right above the top of the triangle, in an unnamed land, she drew another circle. 

"And this island right here houses a high-security facility with more security than all the other facilities. This is where 'project XPX' lies. Our job is to find out what that project is and shut it down before it destroys us." 

She put down the marker and moved back to the front with Rudolph closely behind her. 

"How do you suppose we get into a high-security lab that might possibly be swarming with Zombies and get out alive?" A female General asked while looking at her like she had lost her marbles. 

Diana gave the floor over to Rudolph to explain that part, which he did with a shaky voice. Rudolph was better than her at entering into a place undetected.

He tool the pointer off her hands and went on to tell them about the guards' positions around the lab and the loopholes from where they can go in and get out if ever the lockdown sequence is initiated.

She continued when she felt it got too much for him, and he gave her a thankful smile which she almost returned. Almost. 

"Once we go in through this area, I will locate the powerhouse and shut down the alarm and security system, initiating stealth mode. That way, we can go in undetected and do a lot of damage before the security can get to the lab.

"After getting what we want, we will use the front exit because by then, security would have been alerted and would have zombies flocking into the place, leaving the exits vacant.

"While all this is happening, another team would have already placed explosives all over the lab, and that gentlemen is how we make our exit." Diana raised an amused brow at their expressions which ranged from amazement to confusion. 

"Any questions?" She asked and was immediately swarmed by a lot of questions which she carefully listened to. 

"Quiet!" The King's voice rang throughout the room and instantly, silence filled the room. Then he gestured for Diana to go on. 

"I will answer only two questions as the rest falls under the explanation I just made and I do not repeat myself. Will I be coming with you on this operation? Yes.

"When will all this take place? Reaching the island will take five days on foot if we travel at a steady pace. That is, of course, except you have another means of travel," she responded while staring at the King for a reply. 

"You will be provided with some military vehicles and weapons to aid your operation. General Colton here will see to that." He pointed to the General who had snapped at Rudolph. 

She nodded the moved to leave but paused. "Do you agree with the plan, your Highness?" 

Not that she doubted her almost perfect plan but it was his people she would be taking to the raid so she needed his opinion. 

"It is a great plan indeed, Lady Diana, my Generals will provide whatever you need." 

"Thank you, your Highness," she said then turned to General Colton. "Can you lead me to the vehicles and weapons?" 

The General looked to the King for confirmation and King Aiden gave a positive response. Diana could see the soldiers staring at the King in shock that he was granting a stranger, a werewolf at that, access to the kingdom's weaponry.

But Diana knew why. She knew all along that the King knew about 'project XPX' so she had to put it down as her first card; the trick card. 

The first card was a cover. It was one of the many covers she needed to derail him from the real secret. Aiden was smart and calculating.

He wouldn't be the well-known King he was if he didn't possess those traits. But Kings could be controlled too, it was just a matter of presenting the right bargaining card. 

And Diana had a full deck of cards.