“Wolfson!” Kaiden turned but froze at a frenzied bark behind him. The new mutant seemed stronger and better fed than the others. The ace fired a blast from the rifle, but the beast managed to avoid it and continued its attack as the blast exploded behind it. Kaiden rolled as it leapt at him, flipped a switch on his rifle, and fired at its stomach as it sailed overhead. The rifle shot a wave of energy that catapulted the Likan forward to impact another creature that Wolfson had thrown. The instructor jumped back and crushed the other attacker on his back into the cave wall. He grabbed the dazed mutant by its tail and hurled it into the ground before he threw it aside.
“You know, with your name, I would have thought you’d show more kinship with these things. You are kind of a mutant yourself,” Kaiden jested.
“Hilarious,” Wolfson muttered, dusted himself off, and retrieved his shotgun. “All right, deeper into the cave we go. That alpha has to be here somewhere.”
“How far in do you think we gotta go?”
The large man shrugged, stepped over the corpses, and proceeded. “This is a pretty big place, and he could be in deep. Alphas usually only go on big hunts and let everyone else take care of the small stuff. It’s probably lounging somewhere… Aye?” A cracking sound echoed as Wolfson walked to one side of the cave followed by a rumble and rush of rock and dirt as he disappeared.
“Wolfson!” Kaiden shouted and ran forward. He readied his rifle, but when he looked down, he didn’t know whether he should be worry or laugh.
The Security head had fallen down a hole.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Kaiden peered down into the hole to locate his companion, but it was too dark. “Wolfson?” he called. “Wolfson, are you alive?”
“Aye, though the embarrassment makes me wish I wasn’t.” His low, gravelly response sounded unamused.
“How far down are you? I can’t see you.”
“Do I look like a damn geologist?”
“I’m not sure what that has to do with anything. I think you confused your jobs. Do you need me to come down?”
“Well, I would think… Actually, no, this could work out,” Wolfson said thoughtfully.
“What are you yackin’ on about?” Kaiden asked. “Did you hit your head on the way down?”
“Maybe, but that ain’t a problem.” A small light appeared below. Wolfson had fallen a significant distance.
Kaiden snickered. “Maybe not.”
“I didn’t know there was another level down here. You can run through the top level, and I’ll run down here. The first one to find the alpha will radio the other—” He was cut off by the sounds of snarls and barks.
“Are you sure you’re gonna be all right?”
“Might I remind you which one of us hasn’t lost during our little skirmishes? These little beasties won’t do anything but give me a little more grief than a warm-up,” Wolfson bragged. “I’ll be fine. Get your ass in gear and find that big bastard.” Shotgun fire and more rabid barks issued from the lower level.
“Stay alive, Wolfson,” the ace muttered. “I’ll keep my end of the bargain if you do that.” He stood and ran through the cave in search of his mutated monster of a prey.
“Did you find anything yet, Chief?” Kaiden asked as he examined the dark dens of rock and dust.
“Nada. I would usually complain about you not getting upgrades, but I’m gonna say this once that I’m glad you haven’t gotten the scanner upgrade for scents,” Chief mused. “It would probably be a big fog of musk and scat.”
“That’s why I watch my footing even though we’re on flat ground.” He occasionally heard rocks fall, drips from stalactites, and paws running along the floor, but they hadn’t encountered even one more Likan on their journey through the cave.
“I wonder how Wolfson is doing.”
“I don’t think we need to worry about him. I felt sorrier for the mutants when he batted them around like that,” the EI said before he rolled his eye. “Although that wasn’t a great plan, telling us to call him when we found the alpha. He doesn’t have a comm on that old junk armor of his. Not one I can link to, anyway. Does he not update his equipment?”
“I’m sure he at least has a tracker.” Kaiden looked up, and in the enhanced vision on his visor he saw a new path in the distance. “It might be old, but it’s still military equipment and was top-of-the-line when he got it. It’ll have that as standard.”
“Yeah, top-of-the-line two decades ago. Even if he got your gear off the discount rack, it still smokes his.”
The ace glanced at his armor through his HUD. “This stuff is almost as good as the suit I use in the Animus. He probably spent a hefty cred or two on it.”
“Nice of him, for sure. But he also can’t beat you up if you’re already crippled when you get back from missions,” Chief pointed out. “I have to say that it is nice to see you getting your groove back. I was a little worried that all this had put that idea out of your head for good.”
Kaiden stopped for a moment and rested his rifle against his chest. “I’m not gonna lie, I thought that for a little while too. But I’m starting to understand what Magellan meant when he said to not let Gin haunt me.” His teeth clenched and his heart raced a little faster. “I won’t let him get to me. I won’t let him beat me when he isn’t even here.”
“Or he could be right behind you right now,” Chief quipped and earned a glare that was more annoyed than angry. “Sorry, stupid joke.”
The ace sighed but quickly followed it with a chuckle. “It’s good to see you back to your old self, even if the sense of humor still needs work.”
“I guess I’ll also admit to being a little shook up for a few days there.”
“It felt pretty close to death, huh?”
The EI looked away as he responded. “That wasn’t my primary concern.”
Kaiden scoffed, but his grin remained. “Thanks, partner.” He continued down the path. “Now, let’s see if we can find that big beastie, as Wolfson would put it.”
“Sure thing, but my guess is that if it’s hiding out, then there’s a better chance that Wolfson will— Kaiden, to your left. I’m picking up a heartbeat.”
He moved to the cave wall, flattened himself against it, and slid toward a hole in the rock. Cautiously, he leaned into the cavern. A large shape rested atop a pile of some kind at the far end.
“That is big,” he whispered. “Ten gets you twenty that’s the alpha.”
“I ain’t taking no fool’s bet,” Chief retorted. “Besides, you haven’t given me my allowance for the month.”
Kaiden rolled his eyes as he crept inside. He inched closer to the beast, alert for any other Likan, but it seemed this one liked its solitude. At only about ten yards away, he paused and studied his target. It was massive and even in it’s curled, sleeping state it seemed bigger than the soldier. He zoomed in his vision to study the gray fur with black and white patches. Deep claw marks scarred its face, snout, and front legs. This thing had seen some fierce fights.
“Most mutants have accelerated healing, but even then, it has scars,” Kaiden said quietly. “You think we should wait for Wolfson?”
“It looks like you got a good chance to take it down without a fight.”
“I kind of feel bad taking it out while it’s sleeping but—”
“You’ll feel worse when those fangs and claws dig into you, trust me,” Chief warned. “Take it out, and if you need more reason, look at what it’s sleeping on.”
Kaiden raised his rifle and peered through the scope. A pile of corpses constituted the alpha Likan’s bed—different animals and other, smaller wolves, potentially previous challengers for its rank. But then he saw human body parts strewn among them as well.
His sympathy evaporated as he flipped the switch on his rifle to return it to firing shots. The mutant’s ears twitched for a moment, but it was too late. The ace depressed the trigger and fired. Instantly, the alpha scrambled to its feet, snatched one of the bodies from the pile, a
nd threw it up. The shot collided with the corpse and scattered the remains.
“This thing is smart.”
“And quick, dammit!” Kaiden cursed, jumped back, and prepared for the attack. The Likan slid off its bed and stared at the intruder with red eyes as if it to figure out if he was worth its time.
There was something familiar about that look like it mentally tossed a coin on whether this was a threat or a plaything.
The soldier growled and fired two more shots at the beast, which evaded them easily and dashed toward him with its bloodstained fangs visible. Kaiden prepared to fire another shot, but the wolf was on him faster than he’d thought possible. It lashed at him and forced him back. He lifted his rifle and moved his arms back. His finger hit the trigger and sent a blast at the ceiling.
The roof of the cavern erupted, and rocks and stalactites fell from above. Both he and the wolf scrambled back to avoid getting crushed. Kaiden recovered quickly and scanned the cavern for the alpha. The mutant was difficult to see in the low light and dust, but a skitter of rock to his left alerted him and he turned quickly. The Likan stood on top of the debris and stared balefully at him. It was no longer curious but furious and crouched and snarled as it prepared to attack.
“Don’t let it get you,” Chief shouted. Kaiden wanted to snark at what was an obvious order, but the wolf barreled down too quickly. He flipped the switch back rapidly to the force shot and aimed to his left. As he fired, he jumped, and the force knocked him away as the mutant snapped at the air where he’d stood a second before. He had to manage his shots carefully, he realized, or the gun would overheat soon and he couldn’t risk venting with this thing on the offensive.
He landed hard and slid back. The wolf bucked and twisted and found its feet with a deafening howl. If he shot directly, it would simply juke the shots. Instead, he should aim for the ground in its path once it charged. Perhaps that could knock it back or down to give him a better shot. The beast growled and hurtled forward once again. Kaiden toggled the switch and fired only a few feet ahead.
The wolf attempted to evade and almost succeeded, but the force of the blast pushed it farther and bowled Kaiden over. He landed with a thud and ignored the jarring pain in his chest from the impact. He flipped as the wolf clambered to its feet—a good opportunity. He fired and a warning signal lit up on the back of the rifle to warn that it had begun to overheat. The shot blazed toward the alpha. The Likan turned at the last second and tried to twist aside, but the blast connected and struck the beast’s back.
“Yes!” he shouted as the alpha was driven back. It didn’t disintegrate but fur smoldered and its flesh charred. It howled in anger and pain as it skidded along the cave floor. He glanced back to check for reinforcements, but nothing appeared.
Kaiden vented the rifle. “What is this thing made of?” he wondered aloud as he drew Debonair and approached the mutant wolf slowly. The blast seemed to have shattered most of its left leg, which would significantly hinder its ability and speed.
Or so he thought.
The Likan’s eyes shot open and it used its good legs to launch itself at him. The ace fired and a shot penetrated its eye, but it remained determined. He threw himself aside, but the mutant snatched his leg. The armor cracked and the teeth ground into his leg, barely short of biting through it.
Despite the threat of losing a limb, Kaiden remained calm. He wouldn’t lose, not again and not to a beast. He dropped his rifle, placed Debonair along the gumline of the wolf’s mouth, and fired. The Likan yelped and released him. He snatched his rifle, slammed the vent shut, and took a cue from the wolf to use his good leg to thrust forward. Without hesitation, he pressed the barrel to its stomach and fired.
The ace was instantly coated in blood and the alpha’s final howl faded into a quiet growl as it slumped over. It raised a claw to swipe feebly at him, but the gesture was futile and short-lived.
Kaiden swayed on his feet. The wound on his leg was deep, but he could support himself. “Activating wraps,” Chief said as the bandages snaked down his leg. “Congrats, partner. You took him out.”
“Yeah, I did.” He let that sink in for a moment, rested his rifle against his shoulder, and rolled his free hand around in a dismissive gesture. “That wasn’t such a chore.”
“You know it.”
Loud clapping startled him, and he turned to see a bright light at the entrance of the cavern. He held up a hand to block the glare and dimmed his visor. “Wolfson? Is that you?”
“Indeed, boy! Look at you. You took that thing down all by your lonesome. How do you feel now?” the giant bellowed. He turned the light on the shoulders of his armor off, and moved toward his student.
“I could use a drink and a meal. I’m suddenly famished,” Kaiden admitted and rested a hand on his stomach. “What do you think?”
“I think it’s a fine catch,” Wolfson said and turned his attention to the alpha. “It’s a big one too. You’ll probably get a bonus for this one.” He knelt and opened the wolf’s jaw. “Ah, yeah, see the curvature of the fangs? That will slice through steel.” He looked at Kaiden’s leg and the crushed armor. “By God, boy. I just gave you that.”
“I guess I was lucky it only got me with its back teeth. Otherwise, I would have a sliced leg instead of crushed armor.” The ace sighed with relief. “So do we gotta carry this thing back?”
“Nah, we take the head. It’s not like you can eat mutant meat—at least, you aren’t supposed to,” Wolfson said as he drew a large knife.
“Wait. The head? I thought it was usually pelts or something.” Kaiden thought back and cursed. “Man, either way, I vaporized a few of the Likan at the entrance to the cave. Those aren’t worth jack now, are they?”
“Don’t worry yourself about the small fry.” The instructor focused on his gory task. “We’ll grab the ones we can and turn them in. You deserve a feast, and I happen to know a great steakhouse in Hamilton.”
“I’ll take you up on that.” He took a few steps on his leg and winced. “Do you have some rejuv back on the ship?”
“I’ll patch you up, but you gotta get yourself back there. I ain’t carrying your ass,” Wolfson stated as he slid the blade back into its sheath and lifted the alpha’s head. He walked to Kaiden and placed an arm around his shoulder. “Do you feel that fire again. Kaiden?”
He draped an arm around the giant’s back to steady himself as he limped along. “Yeah, burning bright.” He nodded as they left the cavern and turned toward the exit. “Like I said, I had to knock off a bit of dust.”
Wolfson laughed. The boy had done well, very well. Taking down an alpha like that was no easy feat. He felt that he didn’t have to worry that Kaiden would be lost.
He even felt good enough that he wouldn’t tell him that he took care of the dominus Likan below which was probably twice the size of the alpha. He might bring it up when he graduated, though.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chiyo sat at a table in the library with multiple tablets, holoscreens, scrolls, and even a few very old books strewn about. She hated moments like this when she felt she was looking for something too vague to condense and create a proper path to follow. She shifted her focus from screen to screen. Each held various snippets of information and topics on several different people, places, and events. She issued commands to a holoscreen and attempted to look for anything in the Academy’s files and database—tracers, fraudulent checks, and suspicious or odd activity. Once again, she found nothing.
The infiltrator leaned back. A few of the screens turned off and darkened the area around her. She clasped her hands together, folded them in, and took some time to breathe and focus herself.
“Pardon me, madame,” Kaitō interjected. “I’ve done as you asked, but I could find nothing in the student profiles or identification center. There seems to have been no one looking through those areas besides academy students, faculty, or the family members of certain students.”
“Still nothing.” She sighed. “
I suppose it was too much to hope that I could stumble upon something obvious like a virus or spy in the systems.”
“Forgive me, but might I ask why we are looking at this once more?” Kaitō asked. “I feel the need to remind you that this is rather unscrupulous and against Academy protocol. I know we’ve done this before, but that was for an end goal. Doing this for rather tangential reasons is a huge risk, especially as you exhaust yourself which could lead to mistakes.”
“I know, Kaitō,” Chiyo said and straightened. “I’m doing this for personal reasons. I haven’t explained myself simply because I don’t yet know what I’ll do once I find what I’m looking for. But…” She looked out the window in the direction of the soldier’s dorm. “I don’t want to sit back and do nothing.”
“Do nothing? Is this a mission or a personal request?” the EI asked.
Chiyo shook her head. “Never mind, Kaitō. Please scan through the net pages on the World Council and anything you might find on the gray net about the Revenant List. I want more information.”
“It is rather late, madame.”
“I know. This is my last order for the night. Once you’re done, I’ll turn in. Until then, I’ll keep going.”
“As you wish, madame.” The wire-frame fox bowed his head. “I shall finish my orders as quickly as possible.” With that, he disappeared from her lenses.
Chiyo swiped one of the holoscreens and read an article that was translated from Portuguese about a ‘horror in the jungle’ and how three bodies were found in an Axiom dome lab in the Amazon along with various eaten remains. It said that most of the bodies were attacked and eaten by the mutants in the area, but two of them had wounds inflicted by blades and spikes. One was partially destroyed in a blast. The police had nothing to report, but they were contacting different hunter guilds and gig ports to find out more information.
Animus series Boxed Set Page 112