Figment of Dreams - The Skylar Rains Series I

The White Hood POV

After entering the password solemnly—it changed every goddamn day, for crying out loud—I was finally let into our secret lair. The location also changed every month, rotating between various safe houses. The room was already filled with Caros’s darkest individuals. Anyone who enjoyed dabbling on the wrong side of the fence had joined forces here. We all tolerated each other's company if it meant keeping the goal intact. A democratic mobster convention—that’s what this was.

Only a few identities were clear to me. Others remained a mystery. The seven of us all wore different colored hoods; mine was white. The red hood, our unspoken leader, was female and the only one whose identity I knew. She was also the only one who held leverage over me and mine.

The red hood raised her arms and motioned for all of us to join her at the round table. Eerie candlelight cast dark shadows, deepening the mystery of each hooded figure. We all wore voice-distortion masks in case a hood slipped. Any identity revealed meant that your head would slip too.

The red hood spoke, her voice sending chills down my spine.

"Congratulations," she said in that eerie robotic voice. "The first part of our mission was carried out successfully."

Everyone around the table clapped slowly, both for her and for each other. I joined in, not wanting to be the only one not celebrating the death of billions.

"Is the asset secure?" asked the man in the green hood.

The red hood turned her head slowly toward him, her voice lashing out like a viper. "If it was, we wouldn’t still be here."

It was always clear that we were a union of convenience. Once the mission was complete, we would never see each other again. I already had my own plans in place, understanding the implication. Only one hood would live and leave this place with all the secrets we had discussed over the years. And it would be me.

"When?" asked the black hood.

"Soon," was all the red hood answered while subtly glancing my way.

A chill ran through me. If this succeeded, I would need to get everyone I cared about—which I could count on one hand—out of Caros. Out of the planet. We needed to go interstellar. It was the only reason I was still here, and the red hood knew it. I was here for information. But she needed me for a major part of the mission, and that need was keeping me alive—for now. It was keeping my family alive.

Elia Welkin knew she needed me to finish the job.