Read Absolute Zero (The Shadow Wars Book 4) for Free Online

you killed.
    The exterior door of the airlock opened and immediately the bay filled with freezing winds and fat snowflakes. Trent and Drake were at the front of the crowd and it seemed decided that there they would remain, pulling point duty.
    The pair moved down a cargo ramp and stepped into the snow. Their boots disappeared up to their ankles. They began walking, using a holographic compass on the head's up display shown over the inside of their visors to keep on point. They were just under a half-mile away from where the display said the entrance to the compound was.
    Several minutes were consumed by the shrieking winds. The speakers in their helmets automatically cut down on loud sounds, but Trent turned his down to almost zero, unwilling to fully cut himself off from the outside world. Everyone communicated via radio at the moment, anyway. The group made it a little over half their journey without anyone uttering a word. Finally, Stephen broke the silence.
    “How big is this place?” he asked, his voice thin and tinny over the radio.
    “That's none of your concern. We'll act as your guide once we get inside,” Sergio replied.
    “And if we get separated? Lost?” Drake asked.
    “Make sure that doesn't happen. God, I thought mercenaries, of all people, would understand the need for secrecy,” Sergio replied.
    “We don't like secrets that are tied to our well-being. I thought a corporate dog, of all people, would understand that,” Trent said.
    “Fair enough, but I can't tell you anything. Just get us inside, follow my instructions, keep us safe and you'll all come out of this a lot richer and happier.”
    Silence fell again, broken only by the winds. Trent looked around, but he could see nothing, save for the eternally shifting snow and ice. The sun was out, but it had been reduced to a thin gray light. Visibility only extended to perhaps ten feet. Was this bad, he wondered, or was this just an average day on Arctica?
    Trent sighed and pressed on through the shifting snow.
     
    * * * * *
     
    “I see it!” Trent called.
    Appearing like an illusion from the thick blanket of snowfall, a perimeter fence of frosted steel silver appeared.
    “Don't touch it,” Trevor replied immediately. “It's electrified, enough to kill you even through your suit.”
    “Yeah, thanks for mentioning that ahead of time,” Trent muttered.
    “We need to find the entrance,” Sergio said. “Then we can get inside.”
    They all approached the fence until they were two meters away and began walking parallel to it. Trent glanced up. The fence stretched away from him, out of sight. It had to be over three stories tall, he decided.
    What the fuck were they trying to keep out?
    Or in?
    They followed the fence, trudging through the snow, until Trent finally found the gate. It was massive, big enough to drive a cargo truck through with room to spare. Trevor directed their attention to a smaller, man-sized gate next to it. He cautiously approached the keypad set into it and punched a button.
    Nothing happened. Trevor made a small, unhappy noise and punched more buttons. Still nothing happened.
    “It's not accepting my code,” he murmured. “Hold on.”
    He crouched, pulled out a narrow case and cracked it open. Trent could see slender silver tools within. Trevor selected one and set to work on the key pad. Turning his attention away, Trent shivered. Maybe it was psychological, all the wind and snow, but he could feel the chill seeping in front the outside. He turned his suit's internal heaters up another notch and stared down the length of the fence. It disappeared after a few meters.
    For just a split second, something seemed to brush his senses, his combat instincts. He began glancing around. It was something ugly, something that intended harm, something with mental teeth. He noticed some of the others doing the same.
    “What was that?” Gideon murmured.
    “I felt it, too,” Drake said.
    “What? What are you guys talking about?”