His companion leaned back against a table opposite him. “I gave up doing shake-downs, collection work, and the day to day bullshit that wears you down after a while. I might not be in the gang anymore, but I won’t give up helping another Dead-Eye when something big goes down.”
The ace placed his hand over his Dead-Eye tattoo and gave that some thought. “You can’t really leave it behind, can you?”
Julio tapped his arm where his own tattoo was. “You haven’t been in contact with your old friends since coming here, but if one of them called you and said they needed help, would you go?”
“Of course.” He nodded.
“It seems you can’t give it up either. There’s your answer.”
He straightened and proffered his hand. “Thanks, Julio.”
Their handshake was firm, one of friends and mutual respect. “Of course, Kaiden.” The proprietor turned and placed the shotgun behind him. “Now that all the sentimental stuff is out of the way, what do you think of the goods?”
“I think you did a damn fine job.” Kaiden admired the entire room full of equipment and a thought came to him. “One thing, though.”
“What’s that?”
He looked at him with a befuddled frown. “How will we move all this?”
Julio chuckled and shrugged. “I kind of hoped you could bring some friends to help with that.”
He nodded and retrieved his tablet. “I guess I should give Zena and Desmond another call. They probably won’t be too mad once we tell them what we have.”
Chiyo, Genos, and Cyra looked out over the lake. All three simply took a moment to admire the view, but Genos was eventually the first to break the silence. “Are either of you worried?”
Neither responded immediately. Cyra looked like she was trying to shake her head, but it stopped mid-swing. Chiyo clutched the railing and looked down. “This will be tough, but we are all used to that,” she began and turned to focus on her companions. “We have a plan, forces, and each other. That should make us fight harder than we ever have before.”
“I feel guilty that we cannot tell the others,” the Tsuna admitted and his hand fiddled with his infuser. “Kin Jaxon leaves tomorrow. He believes we are still going on an escort and retrieval mission for the professor.”
“Speaking of which, I already have the item that we are supposed to ‘retrieve’ waiting in my office,” Cyra said before she realized that she had interrupted. “I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s all right. Thank you, friend Cyra.”
“Friend already?” she asked with a giggle. “You are fast to make friends.”
“You are friends with Chiyo, yes?” he asked. “Then you are mine as well if you would like to be.”
“I certainly would.” She nodded and smiled before she turned to look at the lake once again. “I remember the first time… Not to be morose, but the first time I went on a mission where I was sure there would be casualties.”
Chiyo nodded and spoke softly. “I’m sure everyone will give it their all. But we haven’t participated in a battle like this, at least outside the Animus. They have the numbers and technological advantage.”
“Their position is strong as well,” Genos added.
She nodded, silent for a moment before she continued. “Even if we all perform flawlessly, there’s too much we can’t plan for or anticipate, and there will be those who fall. All we can do is look out for each other and make sure that number is as low as can be.”
Cyra straightened and drew a deep breath. “And make sure that number is as large as can be for our adversaries.”
Chiyo nodded. “We’ll both be in charge of the hacker team. I’ll make sure to have your back.”
“And I’ll do the same,” the other woman agreed. “And we’ll make sure the world knows about these creeps.”
Genos, caught in the middle, looked from one to the other before he backed away and placed a hand on his chest and two fingers in the air, his normal salute. “He may not be here currently, but I believe I can speak for friend Kaiden and myself and say that we will make sure to hold the line.”
The women nodded to him and as one, their gazes drifted to the Animus Center. “Only a couple of days until we set out,” Cyra noted. “Do you care to squeeze in a little more training?”
Her companions looked at each other. “Let’s go,” Chiyo agreed and the trio made their way over to the Center with determined strides.
Chapter Twenty-Two
That Friday morning, the second and first years began to take their finals. The fourth years had left for theirs around the same time as the masters had. The Academy felt almost deserted after the initial breakfast rush of students who hastily scarfed their food and departed. Kaiden assumed it was like this every year, but he’d never really paid attention. Now, though, as he strolled through the plaza, the emptiness really struck him. He would win—they would win, he was somehow sure of that—but the feeling of morbid concern hovered over him. None of his friends were there to see him off as all had already left. He checked his messages to find one from Chiyo, Genos, Cyra, and even Magellan, all informing him they were ready and heading to the ships.
He took another look at the Academy buildings and the soldiers’ dorm in the distance, and the feeling wouldn’t leave him.
“Hey, boyo.” Wolfson strode toward him—he must have really been out of it because it wasn’t like the officer was the quietest man—and stopped only a couple of feet in front of him. He wore a shirt with the Nexus Academy logo on it and dark pants. “Your teammates have been training while you were away. Sasha and I have made preparations. It wasn’t until last night that Zena told us you stayed with them.”
Kaiden nodded and held his hands up to show red lines and bruises. “Julio came through damn well but I had a ton of shit to move and prepare myself. Even with the Riders’ help, it took way longer than we thought.”
The man smiled, a little more at ease now that he knew he had been out doing something rather than let the tension get to him. “We’ll leave tonight and be at the stronghold by dawn tomorrow.”
“That quick?” he asked. “What kind of jets do you have on those ships?”
“The kind that takes you a third of the way across the world in twelve hours,” the man retorted. “Zena was already sending teams over, wasn’t she?”
He nodded and slid his hands into his pockets. “Yeah, but they were recon and setup teams. The rest—”
“They’ll be leaving soon, I know,” his companion interrupted, folded his arms, and took a deep breath. “I’m making sure you do.”
The ace frowned and leveled him with a challenging stare. “Do you really think I’m not taking this seriously, Wolfson? I know what’s at stake and what I’m asking everyone to do—to potentially give up if this goes wrong.”
“What you’re asking, eh?” the giant muttered and stroked his beard. “That’s what I was looking for.”
Kaiden blinked and wracked his brain in an effort to determine what he was talking about. “Looking for?”
“I told you we all had skin in the game, didn’t I?” Wolfson returned his glare. “You’re piling all this on yourself now, aren’t you?”
He shrugged and began to walk away. “I’m the one who gathered everybody, aren’t I? Sasha and Laurie have been apprehensive since the start. If anyone is making a move it’s because of me.”
“I guess it’s become a little more real for you now, hasn’t it, Kaiden?” he called and the ace stopped in his tracks. “I know you’re not getting cold feet. But trying to take all that responsibility and put it on you… That won’t be good when the bodies start dropping.”
Kaiden tensed when he saw images of the worst-case scenario playing in his head. He shook them off and looked over his shoulder. “I assume you speak from experience?”
Wolfson closed his eye. It could have been sarcastic, but he’d picked up the tone that indicated a genuine question. He nodded. “Aye, and if you let that feeling eat a
t you long enough, that’s worse than any death I’ve seen.” He opened his eye to look at him again, but this look was more concerned than zealous. “Everyone is here by choice, even if it’s only incentive on the gangs’ part. We all know what’s at stake. It is virtuous that you aren’t simply writing them off as expendable. I’ve known men like that.” His voice turned to a growl with that statement. “But if we are to succeed—if you wanna live to see it—focus on the fighting. It’s what you’re good at. You’ve brought all of us together, sure, now lead by example.”
He turned around, his stance relaxed a little, and he managed a smile. “I’m that easy to read, huh?”
“I’ve seen a lot.” The large man folded his arms again and regarded him steadily. “I’ve told you before that I’m no psychologist, but I know with only a glance when a man needs help to stay on his feet.”
The ace chuckled, nodded, and waved for him to join him. “Let’s go double-check the inventory and make sure we have everything.”
Wolfson nodded and they walked on together. “I was on my way to do that myself.”
“I assumed as much. Always be sure you’re prepared, or you’ll be sure that you’re fucked.”
The officer laughed and it seemed to echo around the island. “So some of my wisdom has rubbed off, eh?”
He merely shrugged as they walked down the steps to the docks. “Yeah, ‘wisdom.’”
Jalloh stood on the roof of the tower, his gazed fixed on the lights below. It was a very pretty sight, albeit somewhat mechanical—which was appropriate, considering where they were. Rows of small buildings, all about twenty-five feet tall, resembled cubes of black metal and glowstrips lined the pathways between so the few humans who were stationed here could find their way. Each building held supplies, parts, and defective models in storage, waiting for repair. All of them were specifically created for the purposes of his employers. He hadn’t been told much, but even a fool could tell they were planning for something big—maybe even to take on the council. Hopefully, his team had been recruited by the winning side.
The door to the roof opened and Lycan stepped out. He yawned before he finished a bottle of beer and seemed ready to throw it carelessly aside before he noticed his leader. Sheepishly, he slid it into his pocket for later disposal.
“Hey, Jalloh, what are you doing up here?”
“Merely observing,” he replied and returned his attention to the scene sprawled below. “It’s rather mystifying, isn’t it?”
His teammate followed his gaze as he took a fresh bottle from a container he held. “Honestly, the layout looks like those motherboards from the early twenty-first century.” He held the container up to offer him a beer, but he declined. The large man shrugged and removed the top before he took a few swallows. “You said you were here observing, Have you seen anything good?”
The merc leader put his hand against the railing. “The night sky and the dancing lights below, but I assume none of that would interest you, huh?”
“I can get in touch with my feelings on occasion,” Lycan retorted. “I’m surprised you’ve kept us on this gig so long, even with as patient as you are. You have to be bored by now, right?”
“This is an occasion where I’ll wait to see things play out,” Jalloh stated. “I believe that things could turn dramatic quite soon.”
“How so?”
“That’s what I’m waiting to find out.” He patted the large man on the shoulder and turned to walk away. “Don’t worry, Lycan. I’m sure we can find you some excitement in the not too distant future.”
His response seemed somewhere between a sigh and hearty chuckle. “I hope so. They don’t get beer shipments that often here and I’m almost out.” He finished the second beer, retrieved the first bottle, and placed both empties into the container before he withdrew a third. With a grimace, he raised it in a mock toast to the night sky and hoped he would have some action. It seemed like something to drink to.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“Get it together, boy. They’ll be here any minute,” Wolfson shouted as he bounded off the ramp to the ship.
Kaiden huffed as he charged up the ramp with one of the last cases and yelled a response. “I’ve moved fifteen more crates than you have. Why are you crying instead of working?”
“Mine were bigger.” The giant wandered over to a long, dark box nearby.
“This is about quantity, not quality, big man,” the ace retorted and his voice echoed inside the ship as he placed his load down and turned to retrieve another. “Don’t you need to get suited up anyway?”
The head officer pressed a button on the side of the case to open it and reveal a suit of red armor. “That’s what I’m doing. Where the hell is your loadout?”
“Julio is bringing it, along with Genos’ and Chiyo’s,” he responded as he picked up another case.
“Your gig dealer?” Wolfson stripped his shirt off and picked up the armor underlay. “I guess he’s also your outfitter too, huh? He’s playing it close, isn’t he?”
“He’s bringing it because he’s going with us,” Kaiden explained. “I can’t bring full armored apparel into the school. You should know that as head of security.”
“Julio is coming?” The man actually looked startled. “As in to fight as well?”
“Yep, it shocked me too.” He placed the last of the crates into the bay and sauntered down the ramp. “Throw me the card to the armory. I need to grab my pistol.”
“I brought Debonair with me. It’s in that bag over there.” The man gestured behind him as he zipped the underlay and began donning the chest and arms of his suit.
“I mean the zapper,” Kaiden replied but checked the bag anyway and removed Debonair.
“The shock pistol? What do you want that for? You know it’s mostly a showpiece. Hell, you barely carry it around now.”
“I’ll take all the advantages I can,” he responded and helped his instructor lock the back of his suit. “Besides, we’re mostly fighting droids, right? A full charge at close range should disrupt their systems.” He watched for a moment as his mentor began putting on the leg plates, noted the individual pieces, and sighed. “I noticed the new armor and hoped it was…you know, actually new.”
“This was the latest set when I left the military,” Wolfson explained. “They don’t make them like this anymore. It has low shielding, but the plating, heat reinforced interior, and disruption lining is something beautiful. It would take a hail of lasers to actually cut through this stuff.”
“That…actually sounds nice,” he admitted. “Why did they stop making it?”
“Convenience and price.” The head officer pulled on one of his gauntlets. “I’ll admit that this armor was already a few years old when I got it. By then, shielding had become more common and practical and batteries became easier to carry and could recharge the shielding faster. This armor can take a beating, but once it’s damaged, you’ll pay a hefty price to repair it. Or the WC will if you were in the military like I was.”
“Ah, that makes sense.” The ace nodded and retrieved his tablet. “I’ll contact Zena to see how the first team is doing. I’ve received no messages so either they are fine and trying to lay low or we should probably expect some shit on the way.”
“Good call. I’ll be ready soon and I’ll check to see what’s taking Sasha so long.” Wolfson locked his left boot in place.
Kaiden opened his contacts, selected Zena, and waited for a connection.
“This is Zena,” the Fire Riders’ leader answered and motioned for two grunts to move out of her way as she walked into the tent. “What do you need, Kaiden?”
“I’m only checking to see how everything is going,” he replied. “We’re about to leave and will be there in the morning, but we’ll go directly into the fight. I wanted to see if everything is going well with you so far.”
“It’s peachy, really.” She sighed. “I’m only being somewhat sarcastic. The Halos got here around the same time I did. K
it and Fritz have patrolled and found several types of sensor and camera equipment. I’m actually quite glad they came along. My kids are good soldiers but not the most cautious kind. They would probably have stumbled right into them.”
“So you haven’t been detected?” he asked.
She shook her head. “No. Kit has made sure we’re safely hidden from normal surveillance while Fritz is still out in the forest looking for more equipment, but we should be good until the push. After that, I guess it won’t matter too much if they see us.”
“They’ll certainly know we’re there when it starts,” he agreed. “Did Kit bring any droids with her?”
“Some—a few dozen—but we’ve kept them deactivated for now. A group of droids suddenly appearing in the forest would be easy to pick up and more than a little suspicious,” she explained. “Janis is bringing the rest on larger ships—modified Zeppelins, from my understanding. Desmond will bring the remainder of our forces alongside you.”
“All right. We’ll start the fight and keep them busy while you get your troops and the droids ready.”
“Understood.” She nodded and glanced back when a noise caught her attention. “Hold on a moment, Kaiden. Kit wants to talk.”
“I guess we never got around to talking about compensation for her jet bike,” he muttered. “Right, put her on.”
The Azure Halo lieutenant took the tablet. “Kaiden, Fritz sent some photos. He’s run into some of the droids.”
“Was there any fighting?”
She frowned. “I wouldn’t be so calm if it came to that. He’s only scouting right now but take a look.”
The photos showed humanoid droids with white faces and slits for eyes and mouths. Kaiden zoomed in on the eyes. No lights were visible, but he could faintly see what looked like cameras. They were well armored and even the exposed sections seemed to be reinforced. “I’ve never seen ones like these before,” he admitted. “They look almost like Havoc droids, but I don’t see any weapons. I assume the arms change into cannons or something, right?”
Raid (Animus Book 9) Page 13