***
Thirty Minutes Earlier
Jake crouched behind a crumbling wall, the yellow light above, a reflection of the outside world, only now beginning to illuminate the decaying structures around him.
He was lying prone, a railgun before his face, which appeared to be stressed, waiting on something.
And it wasn't much longer for that something to arrive.
[The students are on the move.]
Emir's voice echoed in his mind, and he slowly smiled, his hand gripping the railgun.
[Roger.]
He was sure that others—the Shadow Squad and Elite Cohort—had replied as well, but he didn't hear them since this was a private channel between the two of them.
Jake leaned forward, pressing his eyes on the scope.
[Everyone, we got the signal. The rats will be on the move in under a minute.]
[Roger!]
