Near Aghajari Oil Refinery
June 16, 5:54 a.m.
Violin tapped her earpiece. “Oracle.”
“Oracle welcomes you, Violin.”
“Patch me through to my mother.”
Lilith came on the line in a few seconds. “Where are you?”
“I’m a mile from the Aghajari refinery.”
“Good. The rest of the team is ten minutes out. Leave a trail of bread crumbs for them.”
Violin patted her pockets to make sure that she had plenty of transponders. They were small and designed to look like discarded cigarette butts. All she had to do was crush the filter to activate the battery. All Arklight field teams had trackers.
“And, daughter?” said Lilith.
“Yes?”
“Be smart.”
“You trained me well, Mother.”
“I’m not talking about the mission. I trust you in combat. But you know nothing at all about men.”
Violin hesitated. “What do you mean?”
“You’re not a good liar, my love. I saw how you looked at Captain Ledger, and how he looked at you. I did not live my entire life in a cell. Don’t let infatuation or any other feeling affect you. Not now, not tonight. Be the warrior you are.”
“Yes, Mother.”
“‘Yes, Mother.’ I wonder if you heard a word I said.”
“I hear you, Mother. I’ll be careful and I’ll be smart.”
“Good,” said Lilith. “And there’s one more thing…”
“Yes?”
“When you face the Upierczi… I know some of them are your brothers.”
“Yes.”
“They are not family to us, girl. They are monsters. Show them mercy and they will consume you.”
In the darkness, Violin smiled. It was as cold as knife steel. “Mother-‘mercy’ was a lesson you never taught me.”
She disconnected the call and melted into the shadows.