Retaliation

by Charles Tillman

  When he was finished, he dropped the body to the floor and turned to the man he had knocked down. He was shaking, a terrified look on his face as he clutched a small knife.

  Miko didn’t hesitate. He rushed his victim, slapping the knife away and drawing him into his strong embrace. He sank his fangs into the soft flesh, puncturing the man’s jugular. The hot blood pulsed into his mouth with each beat of his victim’s heart. He held the body close, savoring the rich metallic taste as he felt his body healing the damage. The man’s heartbeat faded, getting weaker, and when it stopped, he dropped the limp, lifeless body to the floor and took in his surroundings. Although he was healing, he knew he needed to rest and feed again before he would be capable of fighting off another ambush like that.

  The house was a single-room shack with no windows and would not provide the protection he needed. He shook his head, disappointment on his face as he stepped through the doorway.

  He walked out into the night, hoping to find a secure place to rest and another victim to feed from before the sun forced him to ground.

  Sacred Clan Base, Liaoning Province, China

  The speaker on the radio unit crackled with static and then a voice came through. “Team thirty-seven to base.”

  “This is base,” the radio operator replied. “Report.”

  “We have located team twenty-four, and they’re all dead. There are signs of a fight and a blood trail that smelled like a Forsaken leading away. It is over a day old.”

  Cui Yong motioned to the radio operator for the microphone. “Were they arranged like the others?” he demanded.

  “No, they were scattered about,” the reply came. “It looked like he left them where they fell. From the amount of blood we found and the spacing of the tracks leading away, it appears the Forsaken was injured.”

  “But we have lost another team,” Cui growled. “Are there any indications that he knew he was being tracked and ambushed them?”

  There was a moment’s hesitation where the mike was open but the team member did not speak. “No, it looks like Kang’s team set an ambush for him.”

  “What is your location?”

  “We are along the river, about one hundred kilometers west of where we found Han and Wun.”

  Cui consulted a map stuck to the wall before he responded. “Continue tracking the Forsaken and call in with updates every hour. It appears he has gone farther than anticipated. If you find he has changed direction, call in immediately. I will dispatch other teams to the west of your location to box him in. This Forsaken will be ours soon.”

  “Acknowledged.”

  Cui Yong threw the cup he had been holding. It shattered into small pieces when it hit the stones above the fireplace.

  The door of the room burst open as Yi rushed in. “What’s the matter, Cui?”

  Cui took a steadying breath, getting his anger under control. before he replied, “We have lost another team to that fucking vampire.”

  Yi winced. Cui seldom used profanity of any kind, and when he did, someone was in for a beating. “How did that happen? Did they allow him to catch them unaware?”

  “No.” Cui growled. “That fool Kang thought he would be a hero and set an ambush for the Forsaken bastard. They paid with their lives, and their failure to follow orders has cost us more time. They were killed over a day ago, but the bodies were only found today.”

  “Was there anything that can tell us where he is going?”

  Cui shrugged. “The team that found them is the same one that reported the deaths of Han and Wun in Kaiyuan yesterday. He is heading west, it seems.”

  “Should we call in the teams that are east of Kaiyuan?” Yi asked. “Have them come west?”

  “I already ordered the twelve teams that were deployed to Yushu to move. They are to report to Chengde for further instructions. I will have the others deployed between Yushu and Kaiyuan do the same.”

  “We will catch him soon, brother. He can’t evade us forever.”

  “I know, but at what cost?”

  Yi shrugged. “Kang always was a hothead. The only reason he was leading a team was because of his family’s standing. The other leads are solid and will follow orders.”

  Cui nodded. “Yes, that is true. I’m going out for a bit. Please ensure that the radio operator receives an answer from each of the twelve teams. I need to think about how I want to report this latest failure to Master Kun.”

  “I will see it done. I do not envy you making the report to Kun, he is becoming more…” Yi trailed off at a sharp glance from Cui. “Shao and Jen caught fish in the river. They should be ready soon.”

  Cui waved over his shoulder as he stepped out into the midday sun, his mind already composing the report to Kun.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  The Palace, Tokyo, Japan

  “Konichiwa, Seki.”

  “Konichiwa, Chiyo. Do you want to admit defeat now or wait until we trounce you?” Seki chided.

  Chiyo laughed. “Oh, Seki’s got jokes today.”

  The other ten players laughed as the team leaders talked smack. The group had all helped with testing the Palace’s games from the beginning and had been friends for years.

  “You guys are going to love this,” Seki explained as he pulled on a gray jumpsuit with black stripes running up and down at even intervals all around and down each arm and leg. “Eve has upgraded the sim based on the feedback we gave.” He pulled the suit on and modeled it.

  “What’s it supposed to do?” Eiko inquired as she ran her fingers down one arm.

  “That’s right, you were out with Mr. Wonderful the day we came up with this idea.” Seki laughed as he made kissy faces at her.

  “You’re an ass,” she quipped as she punched him on the arm.

  Seki laughed. “Careful, little sister. Eve won’t let you play if you break her favorite tester.”

  “I don’t know about that,” Eve called as she entered the room. “Us girls have to stick together.”

  “Eve!” Eiko squealed as she ran over and wrapped her in a hug. Eiko laid an arm over her shoulder and stuck her tongue out at Seki as she released Eve from her embrace. “See, big brother, she loves me more.”

  Everyone guffawed as Seki feigned a hurt look while placing both hands over his heart.

  “I see that Seki has shown you the latest upgrade.” Eve pointed at the jumpsuit. “I have calibrated the sim to record hits and misses based on the angle you fire from as well as taking any cover used into the equation. What that means to you is you will feel where the hits land and non-lethal injuries won’t put you out of the game.”

  “So, no more three hits and you’re out like we requested?” Chiyo asked.

  “Correct,” Eve supplied. “If you don’t get a fatal injury, you can keep fighting. Your aim and reflexes will be degraded based on the seriousness and location of the injury, just like it would in real life. A hit to your hand could make it where your trigger won’t work unless you switch hands. A knee shot out will definitely affect how you move.”

  Murmurs of approval came from the group. They gathered around as Seki and Eiko handed out the suits to the others.

  “How much does it hurt when you’re hit?” Kita, a waif with long black hair running down her back in a ponytail asked.

  Eve answered, “The program is set to make you feel an impact in the area affected for a non-lethal hit, and will give you the impact and shut down your ability to continue the game for a lethal one. It is all done through the interface, so it is literally in your mind. There are no lasting effects…under normal settings.”

  “What do you mean, normal settings?” Seki asked.

  Eve only smiled at Seki. “Okay, everyone. Close them up and get into position. The mission today is capture the flag. When we drop into the game, each team will be in a different location on a space station. There are non-player characters in the game. If you shoot an NPC, your team loses points.

  “The first team to capture the other’s flag w
ins,” Eve explained. “You have to touch the flag to win. Even if all of the other team is incapacitated, you still have to finish the mission.”

  The players all acknowledged her either with a nod or word.

  “As soon as everyone is in position with their interface activated, the game will begin,” Eve told the players as they pulled their headgear on. “Good luck, and may the best team win.”

  When Eve had a positive indicator from each position, she started the sim. “Takumi, record the session from Seki's point of view. I want full audio and video, as well as overwatch of his location.”

  “Acknowledged,” Takumi replied. “With the increase in enemy accuracy, the player designated Seki has a ninety-two-point six percent chance of receiving a fatal hit within three minutes of gameplay. Do you wish to leave his player settings at this level?”

  Eve laughed. “Good catch, Takumi. Reduce player damage by sixty percent but leave everything else at current settings. Wouldn’t want him taken out too soon. Where’s the fun in that?”

  “Administrator changes recorded,” Takumi announced. “You do realize with the interface settings this high, there is a chance that he will continue to feel this after the game? My calculations show that his mind could be fooled into believing the injury is real.”

  Eve grinned. “I’m counting on it.”

  The white screen in front of Seki’s eyes darkened as the sim started. As the team leader, he was the first in the game, and within a few seconds, he was on the command deck of a space station. The other four members of his team came into the game in short order.

  “Team Red Dragon sync successful. Team Hydra sync successful. Begin mission,” Takumi announced over the earpieces worn by each player.

  Seki raised his pulse rifle and tested his mobility and aim. The short weapon hung from a tactical strap under his right arm and came into firing position with ease. The aiming reticle appeared in his HUD when he squeezed the handgrip and tracked smoothly as he swung the weapon from side to side. The rest of the team performed their weapons check, and when all were satisfied, they lowered their guns and nodded at him.

  Takumi continued giving instructions. “Each of you has a grid map on your HUD of the engagement zone. This is the small team scenario, and it is limited to the top six levels of the station. If you go out of the marked area, you will be disqualified, so pay attention to your surroundings. Your teammates are marked with a blue indicator; your location is marked in green. Enemy players will show up red when they are in range.”

  A cluster of blue dots with a single green one appeared on each player's HUD, showing their location in the simulated space station.

  The lights dimmed and came back to full strength with a pulsing red light added. A loud klaxon reverberated through the station.

  “Attention all personnel,” an electronic voice announced over the station’s public address system. “Condition Red. There has been a breach on level five, sector 4-alpha. All personnel to battle stations. This is not a drill.”

  The system played through the alert message once more before Seki ordered, “Silence alarm,” as it started to play a third time.

  “Here we go.” Eiko smiled. “What are your orders?”

  Seki grinned. “Eiko, Okura, you’re our base team. Hold the command center against the invaders. If we do it right, they won’t get close, but I know Eve has built in some twists that we haven’t seen yet. The rest of you with me. We’re going hunting.”

  Eiko and Okura nodded their agreement and grinned at each other as they moved to defensive positions behind the command consoles, using what cover was available to establish a kill zone that covered the entrance to the command center with a deadly crossfire. They had handled defense together several times in the past and were the best team for the job. If the enemy breached the door, they were in for a hot welcome.

  Seki nodded at both in approval and moved the rest of the team out of the command center into the hallway. The door closed as the last member exited, and the access panel turned red as the lockdown protocol was initiated from inside. With that in place, it would require brute force to open the door, giving Eiko and Okura ample opportunity to take them down.

  “We know where they have breached the station,” Seki explained. “Our objective is to stop them and either capture or destroy their ship. Our options for destroying it are limited to our personal weapons and any we find along the way. The scenario has the station’s defensive weapons offline until we secure or destroy their ship.”

  “That’s brutal,” Ito complained. “Why no station weapons?”

  “Eve felt that station weapons would make it too easy for the defenders. She said that this sim is a first-person combat shooter, not a space fleet battle. Though she did mention that she was working on one where the defenders and attackers could have dogfights. It’s not ready for testing, but we will get a shot at it as soon as it is.”

  “Sign me up for that one!” Ito exclaimed. “I always wanted to fly a space fighter.”

  The others all voiced agreement, their minds imagining how realistic Eve would make that when it was done.

  “Pay attention, people,” Seki admonished. “We need to focus on the mission. There is no way we’re letting Chiyo and his band of misfits beat us.”

  Eve smirked as she watched the action remotely. Seki was being cocky, and she was looking forward to the after-action brief. “Takumi, monitor player Seki Yamagoto’s vital signs throughout the sim. Adjust the levels down if he starts to display readings outside of projected norms and notify me.”

  “Noted,” Takumi replied. “Would you like to be notified when the sim is close to ending as well?”

  “Yes, give me a five-minute notice. I want to be here when they come out of it.”

  “Five-minute notification set.”

  Emperor’s Retreat, Tokyo, Japan

  “Oh, Horst, that was the best meal I’ve ever had,” Koda gushed. “The steak was cooked perfectly! The whole meal was like an explosion on my taste buds. The seasoning was amazing, I don’t think I will ever be able to eat steak anywhere else again.”

  Horst rubbed his stomach appreciatively as they walked hand in hand down the sidewalk. “It was the best I have ever had in my life, and that’s saying something because I ate in many fine restaurants before the world ended.”

  Koda squeezed his hand. “Asai is going to be so upset she missed out on this. I can’t wait to tell her.”

  Horst chuckled. “You may not want to play it up too much. Seki is already in enough trouble for putting his gaming above his plans with her. He might not survive it if she gets any madder.”

  “I assure you that Seki will remember this and think twice before he stands her up again.” Koda smiled evilly.

  Horst’s eyes went wide in surprise at both the tone and the scent Koda emitted. Realizing that she was angrier than he thought when he detected the sharp change in her scent. “Why is that, my tiny beauty?”

  She smiled. “Let’s just say it is not smart to tempt the fates or to annoy the one who controls the game.”

  “What did you do?” Horst asked.

  “Nothing much,” Koda told him. “I might have adjusted the amount of pain that a certain forgetful ass will feel while he runs around shooting things with his friends instead of eating that beautiful meal with my cousin.”

  “That is…” Horst paused, “truly evil. You scare me sometimes.”

  She wrapped her arms around him and looked up at Horst. “You have nothing to worry about, my mountain of man,” she told him sweetly. “As long as you remember who is important.”

  Horst chuckled at the thinly-veiled threat. “Always, my love, always.”

  Koda’s face glowed as she pulled him down to her level and proceeded to reward him for his proper response. Her lips crushed his, and they both forgot about Seki and the rest of the world for a moment.

  Koda pulled back, her body tingling and flushed. “As long as you continue to make me feel li
ke that when we kiss, you have no worries.” She sighed.

  Horst cupped her face gently in his huge palm and pulled her in for another kiss. When he released her, Koda was breathing in short gasps, and her face was flushed even more.

  She smiled up at him dreamily, not believing the good fortune she’d had when she found him. After a few moments of staring goofily at him, she shook herself. “Let’s get back. I want to see how the game went and tell Asai we made reservations for her and Seki three days from now. He might be over the effects by then.”

  “Truly evil,” was all Horst had to say.

  Koda laughed. “You have no idea, but when we are done with Seki and Asai, I will give you the opportunity to find the other side of me. As long as you keep kissing me like that,” she murmured.

  Horst grinned at this. “Well, by all means, let us hurry so that I may begin the exploration posthaste.”

  Koda giggled as she snuggled under his arm, and they continued walking home.

  The Palace, Tokyo, Japan

  “Okay, the ship is down this corridor and to the right,” Seki announced.

  His team had finally made their way down to the breached level. Seki and Mita Nao, the sister of Okura, who was in the Command Center with Eiko, were the last of his team left. Eve had promised some surprises and she had delivered.

  First, Ito had been caught in a sudden gravity shift in the lift tubes and plunged down four levels to his death in the first two minutes of play. Next, Kubo was taken out by a plasma grenade that Machi, from Chiyo’s team, had snuck in while using a group of fleeing NPCs as cover. Seki had taken him down with blaster fire but had suffered a leg wound that was slowing him down.

  Seki grunted as he limped along, favoring his injured leg. “This is something else. I feel the pain every time I take a step.”

  “Quit whining. I got hit too, it’s not that bad. Do you need somebody to kiss it better?” Mita teased, making kissing noises.

  “No, smartass,” Seki grumbled. “Besides, if I did, it sure wouldn’t be your mug doing the kissing. I just didn’t expect the upgrades to be so real. Now pay attention. It’s just around this corner.”