Page 46 of The ARC Unit: Breach

“Don’t start.”

“I didn’t.”

Before I could threaten him, Wolf’s voice came across comms.

“Positions.”

Everything changed.

Jackal emerged from the far side of the building wearing the MP7 across his chest, whatever laziness he had carried through breakfast gone from his posture. Viper joined Wolf at the main entrance with a suppressed SIG MCX held close, his face blank and focused in a way that made the man eating yogurt an hour earlier feel like somebody else entirely. Bear reset near the reinforced practice door. Raven looked down at the tablet in his hands.

“Scenario is a two-level structure, four hostile markers, one possible civilian and an unknown exit route. Hawk has overwatch on north and west.”

“You’re not going in?”

“I’m already in.”

He turned the tablet toward me. Camera feeds from inside the training building filled the screen, along with a diagram showing positions and comms data. Raven touched one feed and enlarged it.

“Signals, surveillance, cameras, communications. I keep them connected to what they can’t see.”

I looked at the Glock at his hip.

“And the pistol?”

“For when technology disappoints me.”

A sharp pop came from the building and I flinched despite the hearing protection.

“Flashbang,” Raven said.

Viper disappeared through the doorway first.

His movement was fast without looking frantic, the MCX staying close to his body as he cleared the first angle. Wolf followed half a step behind, then Jackal moved through the opening while Bear held the entry long enough to control the door and rear. Raven spoke quietly into comms.

“Movement upper west. One heat source crossing.”

Wolf answered immediately. “Hawk?”

A calm voice came through the channel.

“Have the west window.”

“Hold it.”

Viper appeared briefly through an interior camera, crossed a narrow hallway and vanished into another room.

“Why Viper first?” I whispered.

“Point man. Close-quarters specialist. He reads rooms quickly and doesn’t waste movement.”

“Wolf is behind him.”

“Wolf can run point. Viper is better in this layout, so Viper runs point. You’ll notice Wolf lets him make calls he wouldn’t hand to anyone else.”

“Because he trusts him?”

“Because he’s teaching him.”