Chapter 429

THORNE Nightwalkers poured from the shadows—not from inside the warehouse, but from the surrounding buildings we'd thought were clear. They'd been waiting, watching us breach the empty structure, timing their assault for maximum effectiveness. "Contact!" I shouted, opening fire. "Multiple hostiles, ambush pattern!" My team responded instantly, forming defensive positions and returning fire. But we were caught in the open, halfway between the compromised warehouse and actual cover, exactly where any competent tactical planner would want their enemies. Jerome was proving to be a very competent tactical planner. "Alpha Command, Delta Team under heavy assault!" I reported between bursts of gunfire. "Ambush force, estimated twenty plus combatants, requesting immediate support!" "All teams reporting similar attacks," Xenois responded, his voice tight. "This is a coordinated counteroffensive. We walked into a trap. All teams fall back to rally points, regroup and—" Static cut off his transmis