Red Skies | The Prime Archives #1 ✓

thirty-one

If Oscar didn't hate Kismet before, he certainly hated them now.

He currently sat in a truck, sandwiched between two masked mercenaries. They stared forward at nothing, occasionally barging into him when the vehicle hit a bump on the roadless terrain.

Silver restraints dug into his wrists. He winced with every movement, the metal slicing his skin. Somehow, the mercenaries acquired Prime-nullifying tech. He figured that was Victoria's doing.

His lip curled at the thought of her.

But he didn't care, of course.

Once he and the others were pulled from the wrecked jet and cuffed, they were loaded into the Kismet-issued Jeeps. The nine-man squad was split into groups of two, aside from Andre; he was put in a truck by himself. Oscar figured it was to prevent any kind of resistance.

Unfortunately, he'd been paired with a rather irritated Emily. She sat across from him, cursing at the mercenaries and trying to escape her binds. Of course, no one paid her too much attention. The driver did yell at her to shut up a few times, though.

Oscar watched the snow settling onto the tinted windshield and the constant swishing of the wipers. In fact, all the windows were darkened. He felt like the president. Except the president didn't usually have handcuffs on while pissed off guards aimed rifles in their face.

''So,'' Oscar said. ''How's your day so far? Do any killing yet?''

The guards glared at him from behind their masks but didn't say anything. The man to his right tapped his gloved finger against his rifle.

''I know you guys are evil and everything, but you don't have to look so angry all the time,'' Oscar added. ''What? Does Kane not let you guys smile? Was that a clause in the contract?''

Emily stifled a laugh. The guards shifted in their seats. He couldn't see their faces, but he could tell they were annoyed.

He simply grinned. If he was going to cooped up in there with them, he might as well have enjoyed it as much as he could. His fun was quickly put to an end.

''You want your skull cracked open, boy?''

Oscar reeled. ''Uh...not really?''

''Then shut the fuck up.''

He sunk into his seat. ''Point taken. Shutting up now.'' He pressed his lips together and pretended he couldn't open them.

''Hey!'' Emily glared at the man who threatened him. ''Only I get to talk to him like that!''

''Yeah!'' Oscar's lips pursed upon registering what Emily said. He narrowed his gaze at her. ''Wait a minute....''

The guard next to Emily snickered. ''Oh yeah, little girl? What're you gonna do about it?''

Emily's pale skin tinged red. Her irises darkened and Oscar could see the muscles in her jaw working. ''Take me out these cuffs and find out.''

The man driving at the front of the vehicle glanced into the rearview mirror, his skin around his eyes creasing as he grinned maliciously. ''Oh, no! We're so scared.''

Oscar glanced at Emily, who was basically fuming. If she had access to her powers, she would have destroyed all their eardrums and pierced them with her arrows. Alas, she had to settle for giving them her world-renowned death stare.

''You're hardcore, Reverb,'' Oscar whispered, opting to use her codename while in the company of these guards.

She snorted.

''Shut up,'' a guard warned. ''I won't tell you again.''

Huffing, Oscar stared down at his shoes. The laces were untied, and he couldn't tie them because his hands were stuck behind his back. He blew a strand of wet, black hair out his face. So far, this day sucked.