? ? ?
The brigadier general rounded up the Streaker teams in his office. “Get comfortable,” he said, but there weren’t enough seats. They lined up along the wall while Sylph dominated Chase’s leather chair.
The television showed the red flag while the threat looped at them. Chase’s heart banged while she waited for someone to speak. Translate. Make sense of the endless words. She looked to Pippin; he could understand at least one of those languages—but he was paler than he had been when they were falling through the clouds.
She scratched at her shoulder nervously, needing to hold on to something. Tristan’s hand was there within a beat and locked fingers with hers. It grounded her even as she lost herself to imagined flashes of atomic bombs. Mushroom clouds spotting the western seaboard. She stepped back against Tristan’s chest, and his free arm wrapped around her waist.
Kale muted the television. “Ri Xiong Di is showing off,” he said. “They’ve hacked every station, every secure link. Even the Internet is locked red. They’ve been playing this nonstop for half an hour.”
“What does it mean?” Sylph asked. “It’s clearly a warning.”
“A threat,” Pippin said, his voice cracking.
“It’s a reiteration of everything we’ve been warned of in the past. Not to band together with other countries. Not to make a show of military advancements. General Tourn was more than likely correct that they’re now aware that the Streakers are impervious to their advanced hacking abilities and that we were finally able to bring down one of their drones.
“Our older jets are at Alert 15, but they’re too likely to be wirelessly overridden. Ri Xiong Di would delight in turning our own birds against us for the show alone.”
Riot stood forward. “Screw the trials. Let’s launch the Streakers at them now.”
Kale held up a hand. “It’s never that simple. The trials will be two days from now, and they’re more important than ever. I know it doesn’t seem this way, but we’re lucky. They’ve sent us a warning, but they haven’t acted. We have to hope they don’t act before we’re ready.”
Pippin stood up from where he’d sat on the floor. “Of course they’ll act before we’re ready. That’s what they do. Intercept. Prevent. Thwart. They’ve been knocking our knees out every step of the way for decades. That’s how they stay on top.”
Kale nodded as though he was only half-listening. The muted threat continued behind him, the red flag almost vibrating with brightness. “Things are coming to a head. I…there are things the government would like to keep from you, but I don’t agree. Maybe it’ll cost me my job, but we know Ri Xiong Di wants a Streaker more than anything. The spy network is abuzz about it. Every time you go up, you need to worry about that. We’re going to keep you as far from their territory as possible, but still, be aware that you’re—for lack of a better phrase—being hunted.”
The room crashed into silence.
“Those dummy missiles you’ve been flying with…they’re being swapped out for active ones as we speak. You’re flying hot from now on.”
Chase pushed against Tristan a little more. She had imagined flying hot, but now that it was happening, she couldn’t believe it. Active missiles under her wings? Active?
The only sound was Riot breathing too hard while Sylph rubbed his back in tight circles. Kale flipped off the television. The room dimmed without the blaring red.
“Inconsiderate a-holes,” Sylph muttered. “The least they could do is subtitle that shit for us.”
Romeo forced a snicker, but Chase couldn’t feel the humor. Terror was on the horizon, and it was more than losing Dragon or facing Tourn. It was the pursuit of world war. She could feel it like a trailing missile, already fired.
Heat-seeking.
Inevitable.
31
PUCKER FACTOR
What to Be Scared Of
The next morning, the Streaker teams were scheduled for full physicals to clear them for the trials. Chase dragged herself through breakfast, her stomach remaining empty.
She’d also dodged Pippin, not wanting to hash out what was still bothering her when they had supposedly made up. She had to pretend like everything was all right. They had to get through the trials, and then? Find a way to face Ri Xiong Di.
“You all right?” Tristan asked when they met at the door to the infirmary.
“Not looking forward to being poked and prodded,” she said. “And I’m a little…you know?”
“Yeah.” He placed a hand on her shoulder, but his fingers tickled the back of her neck. She grabbed his thumb and flipped it behind his back, but that only brought her chest against him, his other hand reaching behind for her waist.
Pippin turned the corner to witness, and he gave Chase a look that made her feel like she’d done wrong. He was getting too good at judging.
“I need a word with my RIO,” she told Tristan.
“Course.” He cast a quick glance at Pippin and turned into the infirmary.
Pippin leaned against the wall. “Looks like things are going well with Cadet All-Shoulders and Flowing Mane.”
“No,” she said. “I turned him down last night. You’d have been proud.”
Pippin laughed. “You thought I’d be proud that you’ve been making out with people you barely tolerate for years, and the one time you have real feelings, you manage to abandon them? No, Chase. I’m not proud of you.”
“I already know what you think of my love life.” She crossed her arms tight. “But you know what, yours doesn’t shine that much brighter, does it?” She waited, but like his affectionate quirk, his comebacks were MIA. “I want to help you, but first, quit lashing out at me, will you?”
“Help?” One of Pippin’s hands flew to his chest, his fingers drumming an about-to-lose-my-temper beat. “How is it that you’re planning to help again?”