Red Skies | The Prime Archives #1 ✓

twenty-five

Once the three boys got suited up, they made their way to the hangar to go after Kismet. Archie made sure the jet they'd be using was loaded with the coordinates of the terrorist's last known location. They'd just passed through the Oregon border and were headed southbound. Though, it was unknown if they were still moving in that direction. The tracker had been shut off, presumably destroyed, seconds after the boy genius reactivated it.

Oscar's stomach felt like an Amish person was churning butter inside it. Beads of sweat formed on his brow, which he had to wipe away every couple seconds. He didn't know if he had what it took to pull this off. It was just him, Theo, and Andre on this mission. None of them were experienced fighters. Theo usually just ran around punching people and Andre didn't have the most sophisticated of approaches when it came to taking on bad guys.

As for himself, he barely scraped by during combat training. He had the lowest marks out of everyone in the team. Chase, Emily, and Stella were the leading members of their squad. But none of them were available.

It was time for the B-team to step up.

He clicked the top off his silver lighter while staring out the window of the jet. Fluffy clouds passed over the hull of the aircraft, obscuring the sky as they sliced through it. The sun was beginning to set. Slashes of orange, gold, and purple painted the atmosphere. They were running out of time. If they didn't get to Kismet soon, they would vanish like they always did.

He couldn't let that happen.

The jet ride was going by faster than he expected, which did nothing to ease his growing anxiety. His heart skipped a beat when P.A.I announced they were just ten minutes outside of San Francisco. A mountainous peninsula stretched into a glimmering strait of water. Oscar's eyes lit up upon spotting the Golden Gate Bridge stretching out from the edge of the peninsula.

The famous structure was truly a sight to behold. It reminded him of a giant, wingless dragon. The thing went on for what seemed like miles. Tall spires of orange-painted steel reached for the sky. Thick suspension cords extended from the metal pillars, supporting the entire structure. Hundreds of vehicles passed over the bridge, blissfully unaware of what was about to happen.

''I think I see them,'' Andre said from the cockpit. Theo zipped over to him while Oscar jogged. They gazed out the front window to see two black blobs speeding towards the bridge. Squinting, he realized they were trucks. Armored trucks.

Andre was right. It was Kismet.

They seemed to have ditched the helicopter for Jeeps, most likely to help them blend in with the regular traffic. Though, their driving technique made them stick out like a sore thumb. It made Oscar wonder how any of them got their licenses. He then realized they probably didn't. They were criminals after all.

A silly image of the mercenaries waiting in line at the DMV to take their picture crossed his distressed mind. He let out a breath through his nose.

''You guys ready for this?''

Theo nodded while taking a puff from his inhaler. ''As ready as I'll ever be.''

The pilot of the jet informed them that they'd be taking the jet to the other side of the bridge and dropping them off there. That way, they could intercept the trucks before they managed to enter the city.

Oscar's eyes bulged when the aircraft shifted to the side. His back crashed into a nearby wall and reached up for a handhold on the city for balance. Rubbing his back, he scowled at the pilot. ''A heads-up next time would be nice.''

''Sorry 'bout that, Fuego.''

''Yeah, yeah.''

In a matter of seconds, they arrived on the other end of the suspension bridge. Drivers and passengers alike looked up at the jet hovering above them, their mouths agape and their eyes wide. If they didn't start paying attention to the road, they'd start crashing into each other.