Chapter 71: Hand Played

Rachel’s ears twitched as she heard the helicopters and a string of information passing to Saint Barbara on their descent to the hospital’s ground level.

She’d rerouted their transport by coordinating with SOUTHCOM and NAVAIR from the nearby city of Doral. Satellite information and on-site personnel from the Miami Beach Coast Guard base were flooding in as they got on the same page.

Military hardware, soldiers, and naval assets were being pulled in from nearby reserves to provide medical and backup support as Special Forces units cleared areas. Astra was even supplying them with private user data he’d hacked into to identify key threats.

Terrell’s cartel branch had poked the drowsy giant and drew its eye. By murdering a large department of local police, stealing their armaments, and taking hundreds hostage, the might of the US military was closing around his neck.

Although after everything Relica hinted at, Rachel assumed this was all a part of something bigger that the Scarlet Hand had anticipated. What they hadn’t counted on was her involvement and pulling Scarlet back from becoming a murder hobo. Now, everything was falling apart.

Three helicopters were just touching down in the parking lot to pick them up, loaded with equipment for the Green Berets and items to restock the SEALs they’d be coordinating with during the operation.

Tingles ran down her arms as she heard a few civilians watching the military transport vehicles touch down. They excitedly talked about the Black Hawks escorting them. The attack helicopters were fully equipped with chain guns, Hydra rocket pods, Hellfire missiles, Stinger missiles, gun pods, and even minigun pods for door guns.

It was apparent that after the Seattle vampire tragedy and over a hundred people already confirmed murdered by the coalition of gangs in Miami Beach, with hundreds more held as hostages, the US government wasn’t going to play around.

Rachel had to wonder how the local gangs thought they’d come out on top. Maria’s gang certainly didn’t want any part in what was going on, and a few other neighboring city gangs were all on the low in order to not get pulled in.

Then again, they did have unusual ability users on their side, and Conner seemed to be invincible, according to the reports. Still, something about the escalation didn’t sit right with Rachel as they exited the elevator on ground level.

Scarlet gave her a nervous smile as all of the soldiers with them jogged toward their transport. The people in the hallway flattened against the wall at the sudden surge of swift-moving military men.

Rachel posted up by the staircase, waiting for Selvaria. She watched the next group that lapped the poor, exhausted leviathan. Selvaria really didn’t appear built for land-based activities. Barbara had a plan in motion for the girl, though, and was organizing things with command.

"Are you okay, Rachel?" Scarlet asked, forcing a laugh while plucking at her skirt. "I guess it doesn’t really matter what I wear, but it makes me think I’m in an anime."

Knowing she was nervous beyond words, Rachel nudged her with her elbow. "If being some protagonist helps you, then I’m all for it. I’ll be listening, Scarlet, okay? You’re not alone."

"Thanks..." She puffed out her pent-up air, chuckling a little and shivering. "I used to think what it would be like to be in some combat anime with special powers, but..."

"A lot different in real life?" Rachel mused.

She nudged her head to the side as the last string of Green Berets exited the emergency staircase before Selvaria made it out; even if the leviathan had started before them, being the first one into the stairwell, she couldn’t keep up with the military men.

Scarlet’s chest shook with silent laughter. "Yeah. Poor Selv. Do you think that unicorn gangster is okay? Why did they take her?"

Rachel shrugged. "No clue right now, but the reason doesn’t concern me that much. I just feel like she’s critical for us to go against Relica."

"No pressure. Geez."

Giving her an encouraging smile and hearing the dying leviathan finally reach ground level, dragging her tail toward the door, Rachel opened it to clear her way.

"No need to overthink it. Maria can probably help you work through any trouble that pops up; she’s an assertive woman."

"W-Water..." Selvaria gagged. Rachel lifted an eyebrow as she opened the door to give her a clear path forward. Steam was rising off the girl’s flushed skin, eyes spinning.

"Selv?!"

"Over here," Rachel said, guiding her to a nearby fountain.

Scarlet followed close beside them. "What’s wrong?"

Selvaria only shook her head, unable to speak. The crowds of people in the hallway watched with uncertainty as she chugged down the liquid for a good two minutes.

She’d shrunk in size and age again, now a young teenager. Her spike-punctured shirt was baggy, her shorts long lost and showing her black-plated scale garments.

"Agh! Haa-haa-haa. I need—ocean... Too much—too much exercise..."

"Well, it’s a good thing they’re waiting on us," Rachel chuckled, pulling her toward the nearest exit. "They’re going to drop you out of the helicopter on the way."

Selvaria held up a thumb. "Nice..."

Scarlet gave her a look that asked if she was going to be okay, and Rachel returned it with a smile that said, ’Probably.’

Exiting into the night, Rachel breathed a sigh of relief as the moonlight touched her skin. The phases were on the path to a full moon, which was good for her because a new moon would have been a disaster.

Rachel helped the dehydrated leviathan into the large transport helicopters with a few of the men. They used straps to anchor her down in preparation to shove her out whenever they passed over the ocean. Mateo handed her a waterproof backpack with power bars and an earpiece inside for her to use to receive directions and orders.

Scarlet was buckled onto the bench with Rachel as the helicopter took off, most of the soldiers not bothering with straps, clearly accustomed to the ride. All of the Green Berets were making signals to one another to communicate private jokes that made them laugh.

It was all rather quick, and she heard Astra complaining on their private feed about Barbara forcing him to stick with at least one avatar every 24 hours. He chose a rather scholarly-sounding Brit for the role and played into it as if born in the 1920s.

Rachel held her braid against her chest, feeling the cool metal of the captain’s shiny armor against her shoulder. She had positioned herself to be seated beside the saint because there was one thing she wanted to change in the woman’s plans.

Motioning for one of the men to toss her a headset, she spoke through it to Barbara, causing her to glance over at her and the chatter on the line to cut.

"Drop me off in the open, where Relica can see me coming. I’ll buy you time and keep her busy; as for a sniper taking her out, let me confirm some stuff. You have something to listen in on our conversation?"

Barbara gave Mateo a tight-lipped look, pondering the change of course as the helicopter tilted to the side. They’d planned on her going in from a far more covered position and taking her out with a Hellfire missile if needed, since she claimed she was going to be in the open.

Still, it didn’t sit right with many of the officers in military command, along with Barbara and Mateo, that she’d leave herself so exposed. Mateo was the one to pose the question, and Scarlet looked petrified again.

"It’s reckless to put yourself in that position, Rachel. Your parents are probably going to hear about what you’re planning to do from Astra since they’re listening to a lot of the feeds with the people Anthony’s guarding. Is this one of those misfortune gut feeling things?"

Rachel looked up at the fluttering American flag secured to the ceiling and all the veteran Special Forces men looking at her. A tightness in her gut told her she was on the back foot.

Relica didn’t care about hostages, the cartel interests, or Terrell. Her entire visit was to provoke her into this very action, so it was entirely understandable why this seemed like a stupid idea. That being said, she couldn’t get the answers or shift things in a better way by skulking in the shadows. Playing the defensive wasn’t an option when it was the opponent’s strategy; she had to disrupt it.