by A. K. DuBoff
“All right, Kira, we’re in transit. I have confirmation from local authorities for a landing site between Tribeca and the MTech lab. It should give us a good position to get into all the places we’ll need to be as quickly as possible. Sending the exact map now. Is there anything else you need?”
“Just my team and my suit,” she confirmed.
“You’ve got it. See you at the landing site at 05:00. Guard Command out.”
Kira opened the map and showed it to Leon.
“I know the place,” he said. “I guess now we wait.”
She nodded and tucked the comm equipment away.
They went out into the living room.
Thinking about the op, Kira found her anger from earlier returning. “It sickens me to see people taken advantage of like this.”
“I feel that way, too. But the best thing we can do for them right now is wait for your friends at the Guard to arrive so we can take care of this properly.”
I hate being helpless! These telepathic abilities don’t count for shite when it comes to a fight. Her heart pounded in her ears. “Those captives might not have all night. Monica could—”
“Yes, they’re in danger, but we can’t single-handedly do anything to save them. We’ll hunker down here for the night, just like you said. Stay together. I can’t in good conscience let you do anything else so reckless that you might get hurt,” Leon said. He placed his hands on her shoulders.
She tried to look away, but he bent his head to catch her gaze. “I’ve already spent too long with regrets about what I should and shouldn’t have done with you. I won’t add another.”
“Leon, this isn’t the time.”
“This is exactly the time. I don’t want to lose you again.”
Her throat constricted. “You deserve so much better than what I gave you.”
“There are a lot of things I could have done differently, too.”
“No, you were perfect. You gave me space when I asked for it, but I stupidly shut you out. I should have included you in the conversation. To join the Guard and only give you a day’s notice…”
He cupped the side of her face. “I’m sure you did what you felt you needed to do at the time.”
“It was unfair.”
“It was. But it didn’t change how I felt about you. Stars know I tried.”
Kira was at a loss for words as Leon gently brushed his hand across her cheek. She still remembered that touch—had been craving it ever since she left home so long ago.
His violet eyes conveyed all his fear and worry for the danger they faced. And, deeper, the love he still felt for her, even after all this time.
Searching within herself, she realized she still felt it, too. It was why she’d never moved on—not truly—with anyone else, and why she’d always been afraid to come back home to this place.
“The Guard…” she managed at last.
“Is there some regulation against you having a relationship?”
“No.”
He searched her face, leaning closer. “Then why fight this?”
She didn’t want to, not anymore. “Leon, I—”
Shouts of fear sounded in the distance.
Kira snapped to attention, pulling back from him. “Did you hear…?” She ran to the window.
“Yeah. What—” Leon followed her.
More shouts sounded, followed by a loud bang of metal on metal.
“Shite, what’s going on?” She peered into the darkness, searching for the disturbance.
“There, those lights.” Leon pointed through the gap between two houses to the left.
Sure enough, lights were bobbing between the houses one street over. Based on the height from the ground and the speed, Kira could hazard a guess for what they were up against. “I think that’s an assault mech!”
Leon’s face drained. “As in armor and guns and—”
“Stop gawking. We need to run!” Kira grabbed her bag containing the comm and dashed to the door.
“I’ll get the car,” Leon called to her.
“No, it’s too conspicuous. We go on foot.” They bolted through the door and took off at full speed away from the cottage.
Behind them, sounds of the mech’s rhythmic steps were accompanied by shouts from people, some barking orders and others crying with fear.
Kira wove between the cottages in the opposite direction from the commotion, trying to stay in the shadows. Leon stayed close while they ran, only slowing occasionally to check over his shoulder for any sign of pursuit.
When they reached the edge of the residential neighborhood, Kira deviated from the main road, into the brush. She had a vague recollection of the area from when they’d driven by in the car, and if she remembered correctly, the brush gave way to thick forest sixty meters from the road.
Her eyes began to adjust to the dim moonlight now that they were away from the inhabited area, and she could see the edge of the forest ahead. Just need to get to somewhere we can regroup. We’ll figure it out, she assured herself.
The brush transitioned into ferns once inside the forest, and vines hung in their path. The thick tree canopy blocked most of the moonlight, so Kira had to rely on feel to move forward. What I wouldn’t give to have night-vision goggles right now…
She slowed, picking her footing carefully. After five minutes of gingerly moving deeper into the forest, she saw the faint silhouette of a felled tree that had all the makings of a good camp bench.
“This should be hidden enough,” she said to Leon, keeping her voice to a whisper.
“What’s your plan?” he whispered back.
“I… don’t have one yet. I figured they’d send their security people—total asshats, by the way—after me, or us. But a midnight mech visit wasn’t something I’d anticipated.”
Leon’s frown was just barely visible in the dappled moonlight. “So why were they going after other residents?”
Kira ran her hand along the log to make sure there wasn’t anything squishy, and then crouched down behind it, using it for cover as she rested her arms on top of it. “That depends on who the ‘they’ are. I’d normally say that it would have to be military to have a mech like that, but I saw one at another MTech facility.”
“You think MTech might be going after civilians?” Leon’s voice was laced with fear and worry. “Our families…”
“They may have just been conducting a search, since there’d been a security breach. Why we weren’t the first stop, I don’t know.”
“Or they’re taking people.”
Kira hadn’t wanted to admit that possibility to herself, but deep down she knew it was the most likely. “As much as I want to go back and see what’s going on, getting ourselves caught won’t help.”
Leon crouched down next to her. “That’s a reversal.”
“Well, you were right earlier. And that’s the one time you’re going to hear those words uttered in that order, so savor it.”
He chuckled and extended one arm around her.
She leaned her head on his shoulder. “We have a little over five hours to make it to the rendezvous point. It’ll be a significant hike on foot, especially since we’ll need to move slowly in the dark.”
“I know some back roads with good brush cover that’ll get us there.”
“Having a local contact does come in handy.”
“I wish we were going to head away from the danger, rather than toward it.”
Kira patted his knee. “A Guard soldier is almost always running toward the conflict.”
“I’m sure I’ll get used to it.”
Kira looked up at him. “We should probably finish that conversation we started, once we’re not in immediate fear for our lives.”
He dropped his arm from around her. “Yeah, of course. I didn’t mean—”
She found his hand and entwined her fingers in his. “Just because I can’t think about it right this second doesn’t mean I don’t want to.”
Leon relaxed.
“Good.”
“I know it will take time to regain your trust.”
He squeezed her hand. “I can be patient.”
“All right, to be continued.” She savored the contact for a moment longer before returning her attention to the present. “For now, our priority is to stay out of MTech’s sight and get to that rendezvous.”
“Running from MTech…” He shook his head. “I can’t believe I ever trusted them.”
“I would have, too, in your position. We grew up with their innovations keeping us safe from the time we were kids. And I doubt the entire organization is corrupt—most of the people working at the local lab here are probably doing good work that will help people across the galaxy.”
“While a handful are hurting hundreds instead. And now they may have gone after our friends and family…”
Kira placed her hand on the side of his face and gazed into his eyes. “We’ll get them back. Don’t worry.”
He nodded and took a steadying breath.
She stood. “We should get closer to the Guard’s landing site. We can find another place to hide once we arrive.”
“Right.” Leon rose to his feet and brushed off some moss from his pants. “We should be able to make it in two or three hours. The path I have in mind is the long way around, but I’d rather not come face-to-face with one of those mechs.”
“I fully endorse this plan. I’ve already been shot at once this week, so my quota is filled.”
Leon sighed and set out into the dark.
CHAPTER 16
Ellen reviewed the latest coded message that had arrived while she slept: >>It is almost time. Soon the Guard will move against Mysar, and you will have your opportunity to take action against the Elusian president. Be ready.<<
She cleared the sleep from her eyes and sat up in bed. The years of preparation had all come down to the coming moments.
Her stomach lurched with the thought she’d soon kill a man who’d been a leader and mentor to her, but she knew it was for the greater good. She needed to protect her home at any cost.
— — —
Leon’s route on the back roads proved to be a more strenuous slog than Kira had anticipated. Three hours passed under the moonlight while they hiked along the side of the road, ready to dive into the bushes and tall grass a pace away if they spotted anyone approaching from across the valley’s flat terrain.
“Are you sure you know where you’re going?” Kira grumbled, swatting at insects that had been circling her for the past kilometer.
“Yes, we’re almost there,” he insisted.
“That’s what you said an hour ago.”
“This time I mean it and I’m not just saying it to placate you.”
Touché. Kira shut her mouth—more to keep bugs from flying in than because she was done grousing.
They tramped along in silence for another half hour before Leon finally halted. “That clearing over there,” he pointed toward a field on a low hill half a kilometer to their right, “is the location indicated on your map.”
“Finally!” Kira checked the time on the comm; it was coming up on 03:30. “And with more than an hour to spare.”
“You should never doubt my punctuality.” Leon smiled, but it was clear he was tired.
“Let’s find a little hollow where we can rest,” Kira suggested. She wasn’t thrilled about the idea of going into a combat scenario on no sleep, but that’s what stims were for. Even a short nap was better than nothing, though.
“That should be a good spot ahead.” Leon indicated a grove of trees one hundred fifty meters from the landing area.
“Perfect.”
They left the side of the road and slipped into the trees. A small interior clearing offered just enough room for them to lie down on the ground.
“You rest, I’ll keep watch,” Leon told her.
“You really don’t have to—”
“I’ll get to kick back and watch everyone else do all the work once the Guard arrives. Rest.” He sat down cross-legged.
Kira dropped her bag next to him, and she reclined with her head propped on top of it. Leon stroked the top of her head while she got settled on the uneven ground, then allowed her to nap undisturbed.
She drifted in and out of consciousness while she struggled to filter out the sounds of nighttime Valtan wildlife, but she bolted awake the moment she heard the rumble of approaching engines.
“That sounds like a Guard landing craft,” Kira said, shaking off her grogginess.
Leon was on his feet, gazing up at the sky. “It’s big.”
She rose and stood next to him, following his sightline to the craft descending through the wispy cloud cover. “A big craft to hold the big guns.”
After checking to make sure no items had dropped out of their pockets while they had been seated on the ground, they left the grove and headed for the vessel coming in for a landing. Output from the ship’s thrusters flattened the surrounding grass, and Kira held Leon back until the engines wound down.
Within a minute, a broad door in the side of the craft dropped open. The first people to emerge—already adorned in powered armor—were Kira’s team.
She beamed at them. “About time you showed up! I’ve had an insufficient dose of minion-bossing in my diet.”
Seeing that the surroundings were safe, Nia removed her helmet. “That would explain why I’ve been feeling so empowered…”
Ari and Kyle slipped off their helmets.
“Sounds like you got yourself in the middle of a right proper mess,” Ari commented, eyeing Kira.
“Yeah, well, things were going too well. Had to ensure our job security.” She grinned at him.
“Who’s your friend?” Nia asked while looking past Kira.
“Right.” Kira waved Leon forward. “This is Leon Calleti, my local contact for the op. We go back a long way.”
“Uh huh…” Nia cast her a knowing look, a smirk playing on her lips. “Well, nice to meet you, Leon. Nia.”
Ari and Kyle introduced themselves in turn.
“Fair warning,” Kira said, “the three of them don’t mess around, so if one of them calls dibs on the last piece of cake, let them have it.”
Leon swallowed. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Nia smiled sweetly. “And it goes without saying that we look after each other. If you mess with Kira, we’ll take it personally.”
“Yay, everyone’s met and we’re all best friends!” Kira held up her hands in a mock cheer before turning serious. “I need to talk with the colonel.” She headed for the landing craft’s door.
Leon cautiously passed between the soldiers as he followed Kira. “Are they always that intense?” he whispered to Kira while they walked up the ramp.
“What, that? That was nothing. They must get a good feeling from you—the last guy they thought was trying to get into my pants ended up cowering in a corner within thirty seconds.”
“Holy shite…” Leon breathed.
Kira shrugged. “Yeah, relationship didn’t work out.”
At the top of the ramp, she spotted Colonel Kaen and Major Sandren going over orders for a group of forty soldiers in powered armor.
“…and remember, there are civilians in there, so be selective with your fire,” Kaen was instructing. “We risk our lives so others may live in peace. Let’s get Valta back into the rightful hands of its people.”
“Sir,” Kira greeted.
“Captain, I’m glad you made it,” Kaen replied with a nod, turning toward her.
“It’s been a crazy night.” Kira sighed. “There was some sort of raid on the town. Not sure if it was MTech or Mysaran military, but we think they took additional civilians—either as hostages because they knew you were coming, or as test subjects.”
Sandren scowled. “They must be desperate, to make that kind of public move.”
Kira nodded. “The captives they have in there—we can’t assume they’ll all be friendlies.”
“Unders
tood,” Kaen said. “The order is non-lethal force wherever possible.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll get my gear on.” Kira awkwardly reached into her bra. “Oh, and this is the sample of the nanites I collected from the lab.” She handed it to Kaen.
“Thank you,” Kaen acknowledged, tucking it into a compartment on his armor.
“What about him?” Sandren asked while examining Leon. “We could use his insights into the facility layout.”
“Oh, I really don’t—” Leon began.
“The facility is very segmented,” Kira cut in. “I’ve probably been to more areas than Leon at this point. I suggest he waits back here, and let the soldiers handle it.”
“Very well, but gear up,” Sandren instructed. “I won’t have a stray blast take anyone out if one of the teams brings any action back this way.”
Leon took an unsteady breath. “Right, of course.”
“Everything’s in here.” Kira passed by the rows of armed soldiers toward the craft’s prep area, and Leon followed her.
Passing by a supply cabinet, Kira grabbed a couple of protein bars, knowing she’d need fuel for the fight ahead. She handed one to Leon.
“I didn’t think I’d be anywhere near the fighting,” Leon said, ripping the package open.
“If we do our job well, you won’t be. Armor is just a precaution.” Kira checked that no one was nearby, then whispered, “I would like to keep you in one piece.” She bit into the bar.
“I’ll do anything that helps me stay that way.” He smiled back.
Kira found her newest set of powered armor propped in a nearly empty rack inside the prep area. There were six other backup suits, and she located one that would be the best fit for Leon. After finishing their snacks, she detached the weapons, since Leon wasn’t rated to fire them, just leaving the armored body shell and helmet.
“You ever been in something like this before?” she asked him.
“No, never.”
“Well, it’s straightforward. It’ll augment anything you do. The pressure sensors for grip are pretty smart, so you don’t have to worry about accidently crushing bones if you go to shake someone’s hand—unless you push it. When you make a movement, if the sensors detect excessive force, they’ll automatically stop. You can override them by continuing the action, but it will stop at each step.”