Hour 0
The heavy steel door of the VTOL slammed shut, sealing out the damp, stormy Chittagong night. Inside the dim, crimson-lit cabin of the air transport, the rhythmic hum of the twin tiltrotor engines rapidly escalated into a deafening, high-pitched shriek. With a sudden, vertical surge, the massive transport broke its connection with the tarmac. Through the small, thick-reinforced viewing ports, the sprawling, rain-slicked lights of the Kareem Residence and the coastal border infrastructure shrank into microscopic pinpricks before being swallowed entirely by a wall of black, turbulent storm clouds.
Ray leaned his head back against the cold steel hull, the heavy vibration of the ship rattling through his armor plating. Yuki jumped on his lap, resting her chin on his knee, her golden eyes tracking the steady blink of the cabin's emergency lights. They were officially airborne.
Hour 4
