“Sir, that’s a homeless person.”
“How many times do I need to tell you about the ‘sir’ thing? Look again.”
The homeless man was patting his pockets as if looking for something while getting closer to our position.
“Is he looking for a—?”
“My guess would be a standard issue S&W SD9 with nine millimeter parabellums, probably runed. Or do you want to wait until he shoots you to find out?”
“No,” Jude said his voice grim. “You’d better be right, sir.” He fired twice, hitting the man in the chest. He fell to the ground with a loud groan. “Oh, shit. I killed him.”
“You didn’t kill—”
Jude ran out of the tunnel before I could grab him. Damn rookies. It was clearly a opossum move. I looked around for the other Bloodhounds I was sure were in the park. I noticed movement in the trees beyond the Transverse.
“You may as well surrender, Ronin. Or you can resist so I can shoot you a few times.”
“Pablo,” I called out. “No hard feelings about Haven, right?”
“Stick your head out so I can show you my feelings, cabron.”
“You still sound upset. Where’s Luca?”
“I wouldn’t worry about Luca. She’s going to stop your troll partner, put this shitshow to rest, and your ass in Sheol.”
It was still too dark with the visible light to get a good read on the guy Jude was trying to save.
“Give it up, he’s not dead. Do you see any blood?”
Jude looked around. “Now that you mention it—”
The ‘homeless’ man rolled to one side and drew a gun. I fired before he had a chance to blast the rookie. Jude looked at me with a mixture of surprise and relief.
“Told you he wasn’t dead. Get to the car, now.”
Jude did what I needed him to do. I had a bead on Paul’s location. The problem was he hadn’t come alone this time and I needed to get to the Duster in one piece.
Suppressed gunfire chewed up the dirt as Jude ran to the cover of the trees. I did the one thing I hated doing. Technomancers have the unique ability to connect to machines and technology. In some cases, we’re able to override the function of machines and bend them to our will. It takes a lot of energy, only lasts a short while, works better with complex machinery, and hurts like hell.
I put my hand over the techbrace and focused. After a few seconds, the screen flickered to life and I felt like throwing up from the effort of bypassing the jamming signal.
“Area-wide sonic disruption, Cait. Ten-second delay once I break cover. Widest area possible.”
“That can cause severe auditory damage. Are you certain?”
“It’s either that or end up in Sheol. I’ll take the ringing ears.”
“Level of lethality?”
“Zero. These are Division 13 operatives doing their job.”
“Duration?”
“Short burst just to get them out of the way. No permanent damage, but I want them in Haven afterwards, not chasing us around the city.”
“Understood.”
I waited about thirty seconds, inserted my earplugs, and ran. The sonic disruption capability worked off the principles of ultrasonic weapons. Combat techbraces, being runically enhanced, operated beyond the parameters of normal weaponry.
Cait could emit soundwaves that would disorient, cause severe discomfort, and my favorite, vibrate a target’s eyeballs—distorting vision until they couldn’t see straight, much less shoot.
Ten seconds after I broke cover, the screen on Cait flashed blue. I saw the Bloodhounds fall around me, holding their heads in pain. I avoided them and jumped into the Duster. Jude struggled to climb in a few seconds later.
He inserted the pair of earplugs I gave him. They negated the effects of the sonic disruption and he looked better almost immediately. The engine roared as I crossed the Transverse, sped out of the park, and jumped on Central Park West again.
Once we left the park, I removed the earplugs. Jude did the same and attempted to hand them back to me. I gave him a look suggesting that was a bad idea.
“You want to keep those, grasshopper.”
“A little warning would’ve been helpful.” He put the earplugs in a pocket.
“Consider it part of your training.”
“I don’t understand how making me deaf helps my training, sir.”
“You’ll make sure to always carry your earplugs, won’t you?”
He nodded. “Yes, I will.”
“There you go: training.”
He looked at me for a few seconds and shook his head.
“How long do the effects last?”
“Paul and the Bloodhounds will be out for about thirty minutes. Most of them will end up back at Haven.”
“Is that weapon fatal?”
I didn’t take my eyes off the road.
“It can be,” I said my voice hard. “But I didn’t kill them. They were just doing their jobs.”
“Combat techbraces are dangerous,” he said after a while. “I don’t know if I want that much power.”
“I didn’t hear anyone offering.”
“I just meant—”
“If you think they’re dangerous, that’s good, they are. If you don’t, if you’re ready, I can tell you that no one is ever ready for a combat brace. We wear them because we have to, not because we want to.”
“I understand, sir.”
“No, you don’t, but given enough time you will. What’s our next move, padawan?”
The sun peeked over the horizon and began blazing its light across the city.
“Trinity Memorial Services? That would be where they would administer the Cerberin to the bodies to be smuggled.”
“People.”
“Excuse me?”
“They’re not bodies. The women and children are people. Once you objectify them, it’s a slippery downward slope to acceptable losses and collateral damage. Say it.”
“People. Sorry sir. You’re right, they’re people.”
“Don’t ever forget that. You help and protect people.”
“Not humans?” he asked. “Do we protect the monsters too?”
“Some of the scariest monsters are human.”
THIRTY-ONE
TRINITY MEMORIAL SERVICES was a gray, squat, windowless building done in Roman architecture, complete with columns, sitting on the corner of 116th Street and Amsterdam Avenue, a block away from Morningside Park going east and the enclave that was Columbia University going west.
I parked the Duster in front and waited for a few seconds.
“What’s wrong with this picture, grasshopper?”
“It’s quiet.”
“You have something against silence?” I said, looking behind us in the rear-view mirror. “Being silent is a great practice. One more people should take up.”
“No. It’s just that shouldn’t there be NYTF or Division 13 vehicles around the building or something?”
“We never mix with local law enforcement and only a few people know about Trinity Memorial—”
A muffled explosion rocked the building.
“What was that?”
We jumped out of the Duster, weapons drawn.
“That would be the ‘something’ you expected.”
We climbed the steps, when I heard the approaching rumble. At first I thought it was the subway, but we were too far away for it to sound that close. I grabbed Jude and tossed him to the side as the door blasted outward and sailed across the street, followed by a body.
Luca bounced for several feet before coming to a stop next to a car. She groaned in pain and got unsteadily to her feet.
“Go check her out. I’ll look inside.”
“Is that a good idea?”
“No. Do you want to go inside?”
He looked at Luca leaning against a car as she got her bearings. “Let me know if you need backup,” he said as he crossed the street.
I stepped into the foyer and felt th
e small vibrations under my feet. The smell of cigar smoke filled the air. I recognized the brand—Gurkha Black Dragons. I only knew one stone troll who smoked Black Dragons: Bruce.
Bruce appeared down the hallway, cigar in mouth, brandishing what seemed to be an industrial-sized tenderizer.
“Ronin, perfect timing. I was just conversing with your associate over there and we were having a difference of opinion.”
He dropped the hammer and the floor shuddered as he leaned on the handle.
“She can be quite stubborn. What were you discussing?”
“Quite simple, really,” he said, taking a pull of his cigar and blowing out smoke. “She wanted to know where the latest shipment was and I wanted to end her with my hammer.”
“I know Delilah is working for Tigris.”
Bruce narrowed his eyes at me, grabbed the handle and hefted the hammer to his shoulder. “This conversation is over.”
“Just tell me which way they’re shipping them.” I held my hands up in surrender. “I don’t want to cause you any trouble.”
“You mean besides reducing my club to rubble and endangering my lucrative relationship with Tigris?”
“Well yes, besides that.”
“You’re done.”
He took a step forward and swung. I ducked under the hammer and rolled to the right.
I circled around as Bruce closed on me.
He brought the hammer down in a vertical slam cratering the floor where I’d stood half a second earlier. I jumped past him and rolled back.
I fired Thorn. Bruce blocked the bullets with the head of the massive hammer. He dashed forward and swung horizontally. I moved back and bounced into the wall. I was out of room. I braced against the impact and fired again, hitting him several times in the chest.
The hammer burst into dust as it crashed into my side. I flew across the room and hit the wall chest-first forcing the air out of my lungs. I gasped as I tried to stand and medkits flushed my system.
I heard the footsteps approaching.
“I don’t know how you destroyed my hammer, but your bullets aren’t going to do anything to me.”
He began coughing.
“Where is the shipment?” Luca asked, holding one limp arm. “He hit you with entropy rounds, Bruce.”
“Entropy rounds?” Another fit of coughing. “Entropy rounds can’t…can’t hurt me. I’m a stone troll.”
Luca looked down at the pile of dust that used to be Bruce’s hammer. “Normally, I would agree, but the runes on these were etched with dragon’s blood. I didn’t know if they would work, had no way to test them, but you’re not looking well.”
“Where the hell…where did you get Dragon Killers?” Bruce stumbled back and started coughing again. His pale face broke out in a sweat and I saw real fear in his eyes.
“The shipment—before you become a large pile of dust.”
Bruce gripped his chest and groaned. “Fuck you and your Division.”
“No, Bruce,” Luca growled, stepping close and grabbing him by the shirt. “Here’s what’s going to happen the moment after you become dust. I’m going to find me a mage and use a locator spell to find your clan using your dust.”
“No, you can’t.”
“I can. Then I’m going to stock up on Dragon Killers and hunt them down. Every time I dust one, I’ll explain that it was because of you.”
“Leave them…leave them out of this. They don’t know anything.”
“I can’t be sure of that,” she said, her voice a dagger that she jammed in deeper with every word. “I’m going to erase every stone troll that remains until the only ones left are in the stories told to children at night, or you can tell me where those women and children are being held.”
“JFK. Egyptair cargo flight 731 leaving today at ten a.m., terminal nine, gate six.” He wheezed as he tried to catch his breath. “Leave my clan untouched. Swear it.”
“Ronin, your gun.” She held out her hand to me.
I passed her Thorn butt-first. She pointed it at Bruce’s forehead. “By my blood, may my life be forfeit if I cause harm to your clan. Goodbye, Bruce.”
Bruce nodded and closed his eyes. Luca fired twice and he reverted to dust.
THIRTY-TWO
“TEN A.M. GIVES us about three hours.” Luca handed me Thorn and I holstered it. “You know she’s going to be there.”
“I’m counting on it.” She narrowed her eyes at Jude. “What’s with your rookie?”
Jude was standing back a good distance from Luca.
“Could be that little heart-to-heart you had with Bruce. You know, ‘hunt down and erase your family.’” I looked at Jude. “He may be a little spooked. You do know how to make an impression.”
“Half of Division 13 will be here within the hour.” She looked at her brace. “If you’re here when they arrive, you’re on a one-way to Sheol.”
“I’m gone. Can you shut down JFK?”
She shook her head. “Outside of a bomb threat or major attack, I can’t shut down an international airport. If I call in one the Director will kill me for the paperwork alone. I’ll call JFK and get them to delay the flight, but I don’t expect much cooperation if Tigris is involved.”
“Get me a seat on the plane.”
“That I can do. Let me make a call.”
“The women and children are dosed with Cerberin. Call Roxanne at Haven and tell her to prepare for more patients.”
“Go get them, Ronin. Once I have On-Site Command relieve me, I’ll be right behind you.”
“And if I see Delilah?”
“Put her down this time and make sure she’s down.”
I walked to the Duster with Jude in tow.
“She’s pretty intense,” he said once we were in the car. “Like, on the fringe.”
The engine roared and settled into a throaty rumble. “If by intense you mean scary as hell, then yes. She’s intense. If she hears you call her ‘fringe’ anything, it’ll probably be the last sentence you remember before waking up in Haven.”
“Understood, sir.”
“How many times…Nevermind.”
A call came in through my brace. It was Luca.
“You’re on the flight. Deadheading from New York to Cairo.”
“Name?”
“Yours. Don’t screw this up.” She hung up.
“Will we get there in time?” He put on his seatbelt and I turned on the engine. JFK Airport isn’t exactly close.”
I put the Duster in gear, sped uptown to 125th Street and cut across to the Triboro Bridge—no one called it the RFK. The bridge led to the Grand Central Parkway. We had about an hour’s drive ahead of us. Time for more training.
“Do you know the capabilities of your techbrace?” I swerved around the light traffic. Jude held onto the strap next to his seat.
“I ran the tutorial several times.”
“Run it again. There’s always something to learn, grasshopper.”
He pressed a few buttons and swiped on the screen, following the prompts. If he was going to be with me, he needed a better techbrace. I made a mental note to requisition one from Reese, right after I kicked him in the nuts for telling Paul where we were. The thought of Paul in Haven brought an involuntary smile to my face.
“Are you going to kill her?”
“Kill who?”
“Delilah, are you going to kill her?”
“If Luca doesn’t beat me to it, yes.”
“She sounds worse than Luca.”
“I’m going to give you some advice that will save your life one day, grasshopper.
Don’t ever compare Luca to Delilah within earshot. That’s one topic she’s not rational about.”
“You mean she can be rational?”
“Yes, she showed you how today, when she spoke to Bruce. That’s about as rational as she gets. Just be glad she’s on our side.”
“Was that threat real? Would she have hunted down his whole clan and erased them?”
I didn’t answer for a few seconds. “It wasn’t a threat. It was a promise. Yes, she would have erased them all.”
“You’re right, some of the scariest monsters are humans.”
“I know. Study your techbrace again.”
THIRTY-THREE
TERMINAL 9 WAS clear across the airport from our approach. I left the Duster in airport parking and made my way to the Egyptair cargo area.
We had ninety minutes until takeoff if Luca didn’t delay them. Most cargo flights didn’t allow passengers unless they were employees of the airline. I located the employee entrance, used Cait to open the electronic lock, and slipped into the terminal proper followed by Jude. We split up and searched the area. The planes were still being loaded. That’s when I saw the coffins. They were being prepped for transport and were arranged to be lifted into the cargo hold.
All around the area, stacked boxes waited to be loaded onto the planes, too.
“You just don’t know when to quit.”
It was Delilah. I heard the slide of a gun. Tigris operatives holding rifles surrounded me. Another three escorted Jude to my location. They removed our weapons and stood back.
“It’s a gift.” I raised my hands in surrender. “Are you ready to give up now?”
She laughed. “I know you.”
“You don’t know the first thing about me.”
“Really? Stop me if I’m off base. No friends, no inner circle—hell, no circles at all. You trust one person—yourself. Sound familiar?”
I remained silent.
“Thought so. Join me. Tigris can provide what Division 13 never will…belonging, a family.”
I shook my head. “Thing is, I already have a family. I’ve just been too hard-headed to see it.”
“They will betray you. You are expendable to them.”
“You mean the way you betrayed the Division?”
“It was inevitable. I just did it to them before they did it to me.”
The Operative : A Division 13 Story Page 11