After a few moments, she controls her breathing and sets off with hesitant, heavy steps to do as I say. I nod to Daniil, and he shoots me a thumbs-up before heading over to his own suit. By the time Ivennie completes her trip around the room, she’s steadier on her feet and everyone is ready. All lined up in their suits, it’s impossible to tell one member of my team from another. Serious Sverre, clever Magda, cheerful Daniil, and rookie Ivennie are all made equal by the exosuits. Four faceless soldiers awaiting orders. It always makes things easier.

“Let’s move out. Keep a close formation and stay low. We won’t be far from enemy lines.”

“Yes, sir,” Ivennie says with a little too much enthusiasm, while the others murmur quiet affirmations. Magda lets out a cough that I suspect is meant to hide a laugh.

As the hangar door opens, we take off, five gray blurs streaking down the mountain and across the expanse of white. The suits don’t fly so much as they hover, propelled by jets from the hands and feet—but either way, they’re damn fast. The wind whips past as I move, tearing at the metal suit, but inside it’s insulated and warm. Between the armor surrounding me and the Sanita rushing through my veins, I feel invincible as I soar above the icy ground.

It’s too difficult to turn my head and look at the others behind me as we travel, but a hatch in my arm reveals a radar I can use to track them. It shows four blinking dots behind me; three are steady, holding a tight formation, and the last one wobbles along but remains mostly on course.

As Altair warned me, the target doesn’t register on my radar. But the closer we get, the more noticeable the pale, on-and-off glow becomes. I slow as I approach, and the others follow my lead. The site sits at the bottom of a small valley. If anyone shows up, we’ll be completely vulnerable. We won’t see them until they’re on top of us.

“Daniil, dismount at the top of this ridge. You’ll be our eyes while we’re below.”

“Understood.” One of the identical suits hovering behind me sets down. Daniil steps out of the suit and pulls his sniper rifle out of its compartment in one smooth motion. He pulls on the protective goggles and balaclava hanging around his neck. Breath fogging up the air through his cloth mask, he sets up his gun on its stand and fits his portable comm around his ear. Once he’s finished, he shoots me a crisp salute. If he has any qualms about being left cold, alone, and exposed here, he doesn’t show them.

“Everyone else, on me. Eyes peeled. We don’t know exactly what we’re getting into here.”