Battle Strong by Elizabeth McCready (have you read this book TXT) 📕

her down, it woke her up. It was war, people died, and while she was damaged she wouldn’t let it take her down. She couldn’t. So she fought. Hard. And this time, instead of letting her anger control her, she let her determination drive her. She was steady, unwavering and lethal. Something inside her crept its way to the surface, and she readied herself to tell the team that the war was to end tonight.

Her hands themselves became the weapons, her skinned felt as if it were on fire but it wasn’t burning, instead it was fueling her more. She launched from Calypso’s back, and it was unlike anything she’d ever felt. Her body moved as if it were being carried by the air around her. Bodies fell in shambles on the hard ground around her until there were none remaining. There she stood, her chest rising and fall in tune with her heavy breathing. Ander, sat upon Achilles back, still as stone, sword lowered and bloody, and stared in awe of the warrior before him. Beth nodded to him. She remounted Calypso who had stayed nearby, and yanked the reins back towards the path to base. 

She glanced at the sun, dulling as night approached, “It’s time.”

Ander’s eyes met hers. He knew what she meant. They were about to change everything, though everything had already changed tenfold. He watched her, the girl he loved, he watched her fight for her life, and the lives of those whom she had lost. But this this time was different, she was different. This time, there would be no mistakes. 

Then Stievan and Quinn approached, but neither spoke a word. Only stared at the empty saddle upon Finnegan’s back. And while no one was thrilled by Noeh’s actions most of the time, everyone was hit by his death. The ride back to base was silent. Ander wasn’t sure it was because of the loss of one of their own, or because of how Beth reacted the last time they lost someone on their team. He was unsure how this would affect everyone. He knew that they were soldiers, they had all faced the death of now over half of their team, but somehow Noeh’s death felt different. The Six was demoted to five, and the weeks had diminished away so quickly. Four. Four weeks remained before they were taken from A1 and replaced by the next year’s A1 team. They had made it further than any team in history, the only other team to last until the final ten weeks, only had three soldiers, and only one made it out alive. It was time for Delahonte to arise victorious, and it finally had the team to do so. Because on that night, Ander and Beth planned to carry out their plan.

Beth had been the one to call the meeting for once. She had never felt so driven to take charge, but now, a personal death made her feel as though she needed to be a leader. The others gathered around her, she looked at Ander who nodded to let her know that it was hers to tell if she wanted. 

“Ander and I are making a move tonight. We are going to level the Dumarian base.”

“You are going to what?” Quinn asked, clear dumbfounded by the statement.

“We are going to turn the Dumarian base to ash, and start ending this war.” Ander chimed in.

“How do you expect to do that?” Stievan asked, no one seemed thrilled by the very vague explanation.

“We have a plan. It won’t be easy but it will be possible. Earlier today, Ander and I gathered suits from fallen Dumarian soldiers that we will wear to infiltrate the base.” Beth said.

“Last night, I stumbled upon a crate filled with high power, long range, explosives. More than enough to send the entire base crumbling to its demise. As you already know, this base is the largest and most densely populated base of their country.” Ander said.

“On top of that, before we gathered this meeting Ander and I reached out to Lewisse with our plan, who got some intel. On top of the thousands of soldiers that are there typically, there will be more than 80% of their countries military and leaders all there gathering for a training and strategizing meeting. That means that we could potentially wipe out nearly their entire army.” Beth said. “We will assume the identities of two prominent military leaders, Abhaya Dhara and Brecken Eliseo, any questions will be countered with the intel we have on them.

 

*~*

Beth opened her eyes, of course she wasn’t actually asleep, but she had to ensure that the others thought she was. Beside her, Ander opened his as well. The two looked from each other to the three sleeping soldiers around them, and with a simple nod they snuck from the loft and set into the woods. Just inside the forest, they had hidden the suits from the Dumarians and two identical backpacks that Ander had stolen while he was gathering intel. They stuffed the backpacks full of explosives and slipped into the suits. Earlier that day, they had discussed the plan in full with Command to substantiate perfect identities that would not be questioned. They were sent by the Dumarian king, Ittawen, to ensure that all of his plans were being carried out to his liking. They were lucky on timing, there was a call for all military groups to meet at their target base for some sort of strategy meeting. Most, if not all, of the country’s armies would be on that base. If the plan worked, they could win the war. If anyone questioned them, they had a Dumarian creed memorized and ready to use. If they were caught, it would become a fight to the death. They both agreed, that if things got messy with only one of them, the other would get out safe to carry the team to the end. Beth made him promise. She couldn’t bare the idea of him dying to save her. They knew the risks, they had back up plans for their back up plans. Yet, Beth was terrified. She was consumed by the thought of losing her love so soon after their love was exposed. Beth looked at Ander, she could feel the sadness escaping her eyes against her will. His hand met her cheek.

“It’s just you and me, Donoway.” Foreheads rested on each other.

“You and me, Rockwell.” She breathed, his hands found a path through her hair and guided her mouth to his. 

Their kiss consumed every last shroud of doubt, every little glimpse of fear. Their lips parted from one another, eyes met once again. Ander’s eyes searched hers for any sign that she had changed her mind. Instead, she lifted her chin, and with a face of pure power, she slipped her helmet over her face and walked into the night. 

The walk to the Dumarian base took hours, but somehow when they arrived, it was still night. Together, they shook off any remain fear and stepped onto the main path into base completely unnoticed. They strode up to the gate where guards stood on either end. 

“Identification.”

“Brecken Eliseo, of the King’s men, KED1025985,” Ander spoke in perfect Dumarian, Beth just hoped they could pull it off.

“Abhaya Dhara, of the Royal Council of War, DED2156,” Beth spoke with dignity and strength, pulling their false identities off as if they were true.

The guards bowed to them, and the gates opened. Cleverly, before they had left, Beth had cut small openings in the backpacks where they rested against their backs. In one swift move, she reached into her backpack and pulled out a small explosive tossing it to the side of the path in the shadows, nodding to Ander. They walked naturally through the base placing small, yet extremely devastating explosives in dark areas where they wouldn’t be seen. Beth was no longer afraid, she was ready. Finally they had walked the entire perimeter of the base and started planting more explosives along buildings, in the linings of tents, in window sills. They had reached the final ten bombs. Considerably larger than the rest, and considerably more lethal. 

“State your business. Who are you?” One man spoke from behind them, the two turned around slowly, shoulders back and heads high. 

“Excuse me?” Beth spoke, her face flushed beneath the helmet, this was not part of the plan. She closer to the highly decorated, high ranking, man standing before her, “I hope, for your sake, you are not making demands of me. I am Lady Dhara, first in command of the Royal Council of War for Dumar. And just who are you?” 

“My mistake, Lady,” The man visibly shuddered, “I just I-I thought you were one of the soldiers trying to-” Beth grabbed the collar of the man’s fancy but exposing suit. 

“Do not think again.” She said harshly. The man bowed and walked hurriedly in the opposite direction of them.

“That was a surprise,” Ander whispered.

“To me, too, but it worked, let’s go.” They got all the way down to the last bombs when the same man from earlier stopped them in their tracks, a few soldiers in tow.

“You know, it’s interesting,” The man said, Beth slowly reached her hand into the whole in her backpack, “The Lady Dhara just reported in that her trip had been delayed, and that we shouldn’t be expecting her until first light. And when I stated my confusion, as I had just spoken to the Lady myself, I realized something,” Ander looked subtly at Beth, she gripped the explosive hard. “The Lady Dhara is not a small woman, she’s really quite tall. So I ask, who the hell are you?” The man demanded drawing a sword, the other soldiers doing the same. 

Beth took a breath, looked at Ander and stood tall. “I am Calline Ellyzibeth Mansford, daughter of Isaac Mansford. But don’t bother introducing yourself,” She said, pulling the pin from the bomb, activating it. “It won’t matter to me once you’re dead.” 

She threw the explosive as hard as she could at the man, and together her and Ander ran for the gates. She heard the bomb explode behind her, felt the heat from the fire radiating on her back, and the push of the reverb sending her flying forward. Her ear rung, she lifted her head from the ground, seeing Ander rushing back to help her. His arms guided her to her feet and as the chaos drummed around them, they kept running, one by one each of the explosives killed and demolished. Each one had been carefully placed so that each set off the next. Sprinting as hard as they could, Ander and Beth managed to make it to the front gate, guards and soldiers shouting behind them. It was shut, Beth and Ander searched the perimeter hoping for a way out, and a deadly idea appeared in her head.

“Ander!” She shouted, pulling her helmet off trying to catch a breath from the smoke trapped inside her helmet. “We have to go back to where they have already set off, the walls have been blown to pieces that’s where we need to go.”

“But, everything is on fire, Beth!” Ander called putting an arm over his head to shield from falling, fiery debris.

“It’s our only choice, we have to or we aren’t going to make it either way.”

Ander tore off his helmet running to Beth, pulling her body close, and kissed her with intense passion, “I love you,” tears filled his eyes as he pulled back and looked at her. 

Without giving her a chance to reply, he grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the flames with him. Hundreds of bodies laid among them covered in fragments of buildings and debris, if there were any survivors, they were not on the base anymore. Ander and Beth sprinted through the flames, smoke burning their lungs. Fire had started to singe her skin through the thick suit, pieces of it had burned away already. They could