Chapter 3

  After a rather rowdy breakfast we were ready to receive orders. Cassi stayed behind, as she was new; and was being tested for placement on a team. I had spoken to the Commander and requested her, after all us ladies had to stick together right? He had said he would consider my request, especially since I made several good points about the fact my team was already used to having a woman with them; which meant she wouldn't be in danger. I just hoped he would take me seriously, I had no doubt she could hold her own; but did not want her to have to.

     We loaded up into the truck, it was an older beat up thing; but it had wheels and moved. Gas was in short supply so we only used the vehicles if we were sent out further, which we had been. Todd was driving, with Devon riding shotgun and the rest of us were piled in the back. Jason was keeping an eye out behind us, guns ready should he spot anything; and Devon was doing the same in the front. I was sandwiched in between Liam and Jason, all of our eyes scanning the horizon. We were one of the few teams who got sent a bit further out, trying to track the Nephilim and see where they were keeping the women, and draw out any of the Watcher angels. The Watcher angels were the original fallen, and it was rare they were encountered by any team who would stand a chance. It seemed they had a sixth sense, and would only attack weaker teams, slowly picking us off. As a result only the strongest teams were sent out, and Watchers quit being sighted as much, waiting until only the weakest teams were present to attack. 

        The roads were bumpy and cracked, with weeds peeking up in between. Many times we had an off-roading experience, Todd was great at keeping us undetected usually. Today however, we were sent to find a Nephilim nest with what was suspected to be a Watcher angel in residence as well. The air crackled with nervous energy, everyone on high alert as we saw the base get smaller and smaller in the distance. Liam's arm was wrapped tightly around my waist, pulling me slightly closer and Jason positioned himself in front of me, essentially blocking me. They had always been like this, always protecting me; when in fact I saved their asses more times than anyone could count. The boys, always so protective. It was endearing, but also sometimes a pain in my ass. I squinted my eyes, trying to see further than any human should be able to, I could have sworn I saw movement but then it vanished. I rapped twice on the window, the signal for caution, Todd nodded and slowly exited the road; looking for a place to take cover. He slowed down and parked underneath an overhang of rock, and got out of the truck, he and Devon walking around back to us.

    "What'd ya see Ver?" He drawled. 

    "I'm not sure, but I swear I saw something move far off. When I tried to see it better it was gone." I sighed, annoyed. My gut told me something was definitely out there, I saw Liam's lips draw into a thin line.

    "You've never been wrong before" he ran his hand through his knotted hair. Devon nodded in agreement, his slight frame almost dwarfed next to Todd's larger one. It was hard not to laugh at these two opposites who had ended up almost like brothers. Oil and water, yet they worked seamlessly together. 

    "Trust me, I would rather not be right" I breathed out, as I squinted again. "There!" I pointed, a speck in the distance.

    "Fuck" Jason and Devon both swung around, guns at the ready. Liam stood, his hand on his katana ready to draw. The speck wasn't getting any closer but it wasn't getting further either. Was it watching us?

    "That HAS to be one of them" Todd ground out. His normally gritty voice even harder in the presence of an enemy. Devon already had his sights trained on the unidentifiable speck, his body thrumming with the readiness to shoot. Jason reached into his pocket and took out a small silver tin, taking out one of his hand rolled cigarettes he lit it; his eyes never moving from the speck for an instance.

    "I really wish you'd quit that shit, it smells fucking terrible" Devon said, not a muscle moving on his body. I rolled my eyes. Jason had been a smoker, and of course when everything went to hell in a handbasket, cigarettes were the least of anyone's concern. Except his. Probably because he smoked like a damn chimney he may as well have been a walking cigarette ad. He had taken to attempting to grow his own tobacco plant and rolling them, it was obviously a terrible failure but it hadn't stopped him from trying. So we were always subjected to the stench, no one liked it but we liked him so we dealt with it. I heard Jason snort behind me, his pistols at the ready.

    "Just because you aren't man enough" he said with a smile in his voice. I looked up to see him grinning around his cigarette, his brown hair fluffing up in the breeze, eyes like sapphires. He always had a joking way about him, even in the most dire of situations. Liam cleared his throat.

    "If you jackasses are quite done, we should probably figure out if we want to do anything other than stand here."

    Todd jangled the keys in his hand "it's not coming toward us, do we really want to engage? We don't know if it's anything or if it could be the nest we are looking for. If it is it will alert the rest and we are fucked regardless." 

    That was a thought. We couldn't go further and risk engaging if it was indeed part of what we were looking for, a possible sentry. It could just be a lone Nephilim though, those were common enough. Either way it didn't seem to want anything to do with us. 

    "Maybe we should just wait it out?" I picked at a fingernail. "After all we don't know if it even is one of them."

    "You've never been wrong with your senses, Ver" Devon said softly, "if it put you on alert it's a Nephilim." I hated to admit it but Devon was most definitely correct, I had not been wrong before and there was no reason to think I would be now. Something felt weird though, it was giving me pause about moving forward and I couldn't tell why, 

    "Something doesn't feel right guys, I don't know what but I don't like this" Liam cocked an eyebrow in question. "I can't explain it, I just feel like something bad will happen." Todd made a noise under his breath, and Devon shifted. Jason blew out a puff of smoke in my face causing me to hack and cough. 

    "We have to do our mission though, or at least try. We can't come back without even attempting" he said. "You know we will get skinned alive if we don't."

    "Whatever it is, we need to proceed with caution. I don't want to go on foot because it's so far, but at the same time the truck may draw its attention if it hasn't noticed us already." Todd scuffed his foot on the dry earth. He had a valid point, it’s too far to walk but we needed to stay under the radar. Unfortunately it looked like we may have to risk it. 

    "Can we stay for a while before we go forward? See if it leaves?" I asked. This seriously felt off, and I was not happy. 

    "We can take turns watching. Dev and Jason you each need to be on separate shifts since you are long range. Let's split up and all try to rest while we can and regroup at around lunchtime?" Liam said, the rest nodding.

    "Dev and I will take the first watch" Todd said, "you guys just rest in the back for a bit then we can swap out." I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep, but resting sounded nice. I laid down in-between Liam and Jason, my head in the crook of Liam's arm with Jason's warmth at my back. I hadn't thought I would sleep but soon found myself drifting into a half awake half asleep state.