“This...seems like a lot,” Joy say as we sat in Papa’s living room, gathered around a map. Papa was hanging out in his armchair, but he didn’t mind us planning.

  “It’s got to be,” I said. “One fell swoop. We whittled down the targets, now they’ll be reinforced.” It had been a couple days since our raid, they definitely had time. “If we do this piecemeal, they’ll have the heaviest hitters waiting. This way, it’ll be tough but doable. We’ll be starting earlier, give us more time. Tomorrow night is supposed to be clear too, so Zeke you can drive a bit harder.”

  “Hell yeah,” he said excitedly. “You know, it is kinda a lot, but man we killed it last time.”

  “We can do it,” Jeep agreed.

  “If we have to cut a couple targets, we can,” I added. “Willing to be a little flexible, because it is a lot. Worst case, I give whatever we miss back to Tattletale and tell her to go nuts.”

  “Could probably do with more boys,” J-Dog commented. “Know a couple guys that’d be a good fit, I think.”

  “Reese and Wick?” Zeke asked, getting a nod. “Yeah they’re ballers. Think Reese still got a switch?”

  “Man never left home without it,” J-Dog said with a chuckle.

  “We don’t need more guys,” I countered. “Quality over quantity is our advantage. We’d be stupid to back off on that. Coordinating is tougher too, and importantly I don’t know these guys.”

  “They’re cool,” Zeke said quickly.

  “Zeke, masks,” I snapped, making him grimace.

  “You were alright with us,” Jeep said.

  “I got drunk with you like an idiot then got shot at and bounced bullets,” I retorted. “Now I’m sober and not quite as obvious, so pardon me if I want to keep this shit on the down low.”

  “I’m in the same boat,” Joy added. “It’s not the same thing, and I’m not exactly comfortable either.”

  “Could only bring ‘em in part way,” J-Dog said. “Take them out when we need the muscle, but leave them outta these meetings.”

  “Like an associate,” Jeep chimed in. “Yeah, they don’t have to know your faces or nothing.”

  “Off the table, like I told you the last half a million times,” I said firmly. “If it comes down to it, maybe, and ‘maybe’ is stretching it a mile.” Their shoulders slumped and all three nodded, making me sigh. “Good.”

  Our planning session continued, uninterrupted by the temptation to do everything and more.

  “Everyone bombed up?” I asked.

  “Rolling heavy,” J-Dog confirmed, racking his carbine. The others did as well.

  “Good,” I said with a nod. “Remember, this is going to be tough. We’re going to be tired and sore halfway through, but don’t slack off. Keep sharp, keep watchful, and keep your muzzles off each other. Now lets go ratting.”

  We piled into the car and got moving. As predicted, the night was clear, a half-moon shining down and partly lighting the way. Not ideal for stealth, but there was basically no chance of anything like that once we started, so I wasn’t worried. I let Zeke play some music, low volume of course, just to help settle everyone’s nerves.

  I could already feel my heart starting to pound and sweat pricking at my back. I was glad I didn’t need to wear plates like the others, this gear weighed half a ton as it was. Training had only acclimatized us to carrying weight, we weren’t quite at the point of carrying it well. But that was what the car was for.

  The streetlamps ahead of us flickered, and I felt my hackles rise. We drove through the spot no problem, and looking back I saw it happen again. No one else reacted… Was I seeing things again? I hadn’t the last few days, but there never seemed to be any warning. Fuck, hopefully I could just keep my head tonight, not go nuts seeing shit that wasn’t there and shooting someone by mistake. I shook my head and turned around, a sigh escaping my lips.

  “Original Nightmare Killer on the murder scene, streetbound, juvenile, daddy didn’t give a fuck about me,” I mumbled along to the song playing, one that was on fairly often. Fuck, that seemed...close.

  “You okay Amaranth?” Nadir asked.

  “Fine,” I sighed. “Just singing.”

  “Would you throw on something a little less, heavy Z?” she asked.

  “You don’t have to.”

  “It’s no prob,” Zeke said easily. A more upbeat tune filtered through the speakers. “Better?”

  I just shrugged and went back to staring out the window. Made no difference, I was still insane either way. At least my friends put up with me still, despite everything. Probably the only people in the city who would anymore. Of course they’d move on eventually, everyone did, but I was hopeful we could at least deal with our rat problem first.

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  “Getting close,” Zeke said, turning off the music. I hadn’t even needed to ask.

  “Final checks,” I snapped, grabbing my carbine and checking it was loaded, safe, and chambered. I should look into flashbangs, that’d make breaching a lot easier… “Order is Nadir, Jeep, J-Dog, Z. Check your corners, watch for anything.”

  My team all gave me affirmatives, and the car was filled with the sounds of clicking actions as Zeke slowed and pulled to the curb. We burst from the car and charged the first target, a tired duplex that was apparently a notorious hangout for Werwolf gangsters. The number was right, and it looked like the one Tattletale told us about, so we stacked up and got ready. I lined up my gun, counted on my fingers, and unlocked the door with a lead slug.

  We dashed inside, clearing right, left, then up the central hallway. I caught the skunky scent of weed and heard startled shouting in the room ahead. Then I was inside, shouting at two startled men to get on the ground and drop their guns. One complied, the other raised his weapon a scant inch before I put a bullet through his knee and made him obey.

  Jeep and Zeke got them bound while the rest of us continued sweeping the place. I heard shouting through a doorway that must have led into the other house, and had my team take a position outside. It opened and Nadir dropped the trio of skinheads that attempted to charge in with a flick of her wrist. I clambered over them and swept through the other part of the building while she and J-Dog handled the suspects.

  Clear, besides some drugs and porn magazines. Smelled like weed in here too, guess this was just a safehouse. Once I was sure the place was clear, I slung my carbine and helped my team get the bound Nazis outside. We dumped them on the grass, then I walked up in front of them, drawing my pistol and racking the slide.

  “Leave Werwolf or die,” I said gravely, staring down at them. “Only warning.”

  We left them there and piled back into the car, speeding off to the next place, apparently a meth lab. Everyone was in high spirits. That had barely taken ten minutes, if that. Only one guy got really injured, and that should drive my message home. I took account of the guns we’d seized as we drove along, a couple decent looking Glocks. Man, these things were everywhere.

  “Hey what’s this thingy on the back?” I asked, holding up one of the pistols.

  “That’s a switch, you don’t know?” Jeep chuckled and shook his head. “Makes that little glizzy a machine gun. Hot stuff.”

  “That so,” I mused, looking it over and taking out the looong magazine. “Guess that explains this.” I dumped the gun on the floor as we all chuckled.

  Even though things were picking up, I could feel my tension loosening in a way. I knew what to expect going into these places, I had a good team who was on the same page watching my back, and of course I was heavily armed. Did Purity have a Brute factor along with her Breaker form? I scanned the skies, wondering if I’d get to find out tonight.

  The cars tires squealed as Zeke slammed on the brakes a little too hard, drawing curses from the rest of us. I looked and saw we were here, so led my team up and got ready to breach. Right number, shitty house, it all checked out. I used my short-barreled master key and barged inside, weapon raised and—

  The world went white as a my ears rang loudly, blast buffeting me as heat surged. I felt blisters rise on my back and screamed, not that I could hear it. I couldn’t see, not because of blinding light but now thick black smoke and guttering red flames. I blinked once, twice, then it hit me. A bomb, a big one. Looking around, the first thing I saw besides wreckage was an arm.

  It was still clinging to a battered carbine, but I couldn’t tell whose it was. I took a step towards it, then nearly fell over, a wave of dizziness sweeping over me. There was another flash of light, and I raised my head in time to catch a series of bullets on the jaw.

  I shot back almost automatically, shocked when my carbine actually fired. Rounds slammed into me as I advanced through the smoke towards the flashes beyond. My carbine clicked on empty and I dropped it, lunging towards the two figures I could see left standing. The first I caught by the throat and swiftly crushed his windpipe, leaving him to choke behind me as I charged the last one. Round after round hammered into my projection, to no avail. He blocked my extending arm, earning a crushed hand, delaying me breaking his neck by only seconds.

  I stood in the aftermath of the fight, panting hard. The smoke was clearing, and looking around I could see my friends, strewn over the lawn, dead. Half a dozen gunmen, all with rifles similar to mine, lay closer to the road. One or two were weakly twitching, but they weren’t long for this world. The house was gone, nothing but blackened and twisted wood framing.

  Another flash made me twist my neck to look up. Overhead, a brilliant point of light outshone the moon and stars. I gripped my pistol, staring up as Purity descended slowly. A trap, it had all been a trap to kill us. Anger roared through my chest and I drew my gun, pointing it at the middle-aged Nazi bitch, but paused. My eyes flicked towards my friends, what was left. Maybe I could kill Purity...but it wasn’t worth it.

  So that left me with a single option.

  “See you next time you rotten bitch,” I spat, raising the pistol to my temple and moving my projection back.

  I hoped it would be qui

  I woke up with a shriek, hand flying to my head as an ice-pick of pain drove into my temple. I panted hard, shutting my eyes and pressing my palms hard into them as visions of bodies and blood and bombs and bullets assaulted my head. And at the end of it all, a prideful Nazi bitch lording it over me.

  “Hey, you all good?” Zeke asked frantically as he raced out of his room, eyes wide. “Screaming your lungs out.” I looked up at him, tears in my eyes.

  “I…” I sniffed and shook my head. He came and sat down next to me, and soon I found myself leaning against him. He smelled different than Joy, felt different too, but...it wasn’t bad. I took a deep breath and found my voice. “Remember I said I can come back?” He stiffened.

  “Something happen?” I nodded against him. “Shiiit, you uh...you wanna talk?”

  “Um, yeah.” I took a minute to breathe slowly, gathering my thoughts before I got started.

  I took him through the events of the night, about our successes and eventual loss. Zeke listened patiently, silently, seemingly unbothered by how I was invading his space. Eventually I babbled out enough detail he asked me to stop, and I snapped my mouth shut so fast I nearly bit my tongue. After a few minutes of silent consideration, he finally replied.

  “That’s some shit,” Zeke said bluntly. “Uhh, damn, well I’m glad I don’t remember but...you sure it wasn’t just a dream?”

  “Believe me, I wish it was,” I sighed. “Sorry, I know it’s hard to believe but…” I shook my head.

  “So...what’re you gonna do?” he asked after a moment.

  “I don’t know, it’s…” I chewed my lip. “We can’t stop just because of one setback. Purity was there, we’d have the chance to take out their biggest guns for good. I need…” I took a deep breath and held it until my lungs screamed louder than I had, then slowly let it out. “We can’t let this slip. I’m going to figure it out Zeke. In the mean time...call Reese would you?”

  “You got it boss.”

  I wrung my hands as he got up to call his boys, hoping I could somehow make something out of the horror of watching my team get blown to pieces; and get vengeance for my last life.