by M. R. Forbes
“Oh. No, my apologies. I didn’t mean to imply… Why don’t we go inside? I’ll introduce you to Chief Deputy Nance. He’ll fill your requisitions.”
“That sounds good to me,” Grace said.
She followed Deputy Rumi across the sidewalk and into the building. The interior was dimly lit but clean, the original tiles scrubbed free of most of their scuffs and soiling, the cracked ceiling painted recently enough the smell of it lingered in the air. A table sat off to the side, a deputy behind it. An archway led into the rest of the station, marked by a few rows of mismatched desks, one of which had a computer on it. Holding cells were visible through a doorway on the right. An older man was in one of them, sleeping.
A Deputy emerged from a door at the back of the station while she was taking in the layout, making his way directly toward them. Grace shifted her attention to him, nerves hitting a new level of alertness as they recognized one another.
“You’re back,” the deputy said, smiling. “And you’re here to see me?”
Grace returned the smile, hoping the deputy couldn’t see the tension in her face.
“Back?” Deputy Rumi asked.
“We crossed paths a few days ago,” Chief Deputy Nance said. “At Digger’s Pub. I never did get your name.”
“Grace.”
He put out his hand. “Chief Deputy Steven Nance,” he said. “You can call me Steve.”
Grace took it. “Good to meet you, Steve. Officially.”
“You were here in Haven a few days ago?” Rumi said, a little too suspiciously.
“With my brother,” Grace said. “We were on our way to Sanisco to meet with the Governor. He’s still there.”
“I see.”
“It’s the bow, right Deputy?” Steve said.
“Chief?”
“The reason you seem to be insinuating Grace here was involved with the attack a few days back. It’s the bow, isn’t it?”
“Well, sir. I…”
“I’m here on behalf of Governor Duke,” Grace said, forcing herself to stay calm. She had been in tricky situations before. This wasn’t any different. “I have her badge.”
“She does have a badge,” Rumi admitted, backing down.
“Just because a woman carries a bow doesn’t make them the only possible suspect,” Steve said. “Especially when you told me she’s headed past the border. Did you forget what that’s like already, Jain?”
“No, Chief,” Rumi replied. “I’m sorry. It’s all very raw.”
“No need to apologize,” Grace said. “I understand.”
“That’s very kind, Grace,” Steve said. “Now, what can Haven Law do for you?”
Chapter 17
Steve had all of Grace’s requests filled within the hour, including a change of clothes that made her feel much more like her pre-khoron infected self. Old jeans that had been patched and restitched multiple times, sometimes with more denim, other times with leather. A newly fabricated long-sleeve maroon shirt beneath a short-sleeved hooded sweatshirt. A pair of leather fingerless gloves, calf-high boots, and a deep red bandana. A small satchel filled with magazines for an MK-10 rifle and shells for her shotgun, and a secondary pack for the bike with all of the equipment she would need to spend her nights outdoors in trife-heavy wilderness.
The speed at which the Chief Deputy had organized everything was impressive, but it also left Grace with the feeling he had an ulterior motive. She had just finished getting everything packed and arranged in the back room of the station when he knocked on the door.
“You have everything you need?” he asked, standing outside the room.
Grace looked up. “I do. Thanks for getting it to me so quickly. Thanks for handling Deputy Rumi too. I know he’s upset about what happened. I’m sure you are too. But…”
“It’s not a big deal. We’ve all been on edge the last few days.”
Grace nodded. She didn’t know why she had brought up Rumi again. To toss another layer of dirt over her lies? She felt guilty being dishonest. But she wasn’t being completely dishonest, was she? Her body had done the deed, but her mind hadn’t been her own.
“Listen,” Steve said. “I don’t know what your timetable looks like, but I’m pretty sure I still owe you a tour of the city. As one of the largest population centers in the UWT, I think there’s a lot of facets to Haven most people never get to see.”
Grace smiled. She was right. He did have an ulterior motive. “I appreciate the offer, Steve. And under any other circumstances, I’d be happy to oblige.”
“But you don’t have time.”
“I’m afraid not.”
“Do you think you’ll be through here again? Maybe we can do it when you aren’t in such a rush?”
“I hope I get back to Haven.”
“Maybe we can plan on that?”
“It’s a date,” Grace agreed.
Steve grinned widely. “Fantastic.”
Grace put the satchel over her shoulder, letting it rest against the small of her back. She grabbed the quiver next, slipping it over her upper back. Then the bow, and then the MK-10. She also had a revolver on each hip and the shotgun in her hand.
“You look like you’re ready to go to war, not do science,” Steve said.
“I never said anything about science,” Grace replied, lowering her voice. “I’m scouting a potential threat to the territories.”
“Oh?” Steve said. “Is it related to what happened here?”
“It might be.”
All of the lightness drained from the atmosphere. Steve’s face grew serious. “You should have said so when you came in. I would have gotten you ready to go in half the time.”
“I didn’t want to cause a scene,” Grace said. “But it’s important you know the danger isn’t over yet.”
“Did you tell Rumi?”
“I didn’t tell anyone else, and neither should you. But stay alert and be ready to contact the governor at the first sign of more trouble.”
“What kind of trouble are we talking about?”
Grace opened her mouth to answer. She froze when she felt the ground shudder beneath her feet. “What was that?”
Steve picked up his head slightly, putting his finger to his lips. “Shhhh.”
They waited, motionless. The ground shuddered again.
“That’s strange,” Steve said.
“What is?” Grace asked.
Steve didn’t answer. He left the room. Grace followed him out. The other officers were making similar faces to his, standing still and silent. Her eyes landed on a cup of water on one of the desks. She noticed how the liquid rippled as the ground shook again.
“Goliath?” Deputy Rumi said.
“That doesn’t make sense,” Steve said. “Maybe it’s just passing through.”
Grace suddenly remembered the goliath that had chased Cain, she and the trife they had gathered. Steve was probably right. The monstrous humanoid was probably headed back to wherever it normally roamed.
The ground shook again, a little harder this time.
“Chief.” The voice came through the badge on his chest. “We’ve got eyes on a goliath coming up from the south.”
Steve tapped his badge. “From the south?”
“Shit,” Grace whispered. The one that had followed the tanker north wouldn’t be coming from the south.
“That’s right, Chief. It looks like it’s headed our way.”
“Is it chasing any trife?”
“Negative, Chief. Not that we can see.”
“Weird.”
“Chief, call an alarm,” Grace said, her entire body turning cold. “Whatever you have to do, get the people underground, now!”
Steve’s head whipped over, his suddenly panicked eyes meeting hers. “Is this the trouble you were just talking about?”
She nodded. “Not what I was thinking, but yeah, it looks like part of it.”
“Fuck,” Steve said. “Sound the alarm!” he shouted to the people in the office.
“Get everyone underground!” He tapped his badge. “All hands. I repeat, all hands. This is a grade five emergency. Get the people underground ASAP. Do you copy? I want all hands directing civilians to the nearest shelters right fucking now!”
The ground shook again. The water was rippling more violently in the glass, which shifted slightly on the table.
The officers began to scramble, most of them filing out of the station and into the streets. An air raid siren sounded in the distance, the noise echoing into the building.
“Can you contact Sanisco?” Grace asked.
“On it,” Steve said, rushing away from her toward his office. She followed, standing in the doorway while he tapped on a terminal sitting on his desk. “We don’t have voice comms,” he explained. “But the military created subterranean network links during the war. A lot of them are broken, but thankfully not between here and Sanisco.”
Grace crossed the small office to stand behind him. The ground shook again, a little more violently.
Steve started typing, leaving a trail of green characters across a black background on the display.
> SANISCO HQ. GRADE FIVE EMERGENCY ISSUED. GOLIATH APPROACHING.
He glanced back at Grace.
> GRACE ADVISES GOLIATH IS POTENTIAL THREAT. NO TRIFE PRESENT.
He hit enter, sending the messages. The cursor blinked.
The shaking grew more intense. A loud bang sounded in the distance.
“It’s reached the outer perimeter of the old city,” Steve said. “Still a ways from the population.” He tapped his badge. “Someone give me an update!”
“This is Deputy Chance at the north quarter, Chief. We’re moving for the garages at speed.”
“This is Deputy Hoi in the textile district. Evacuations have begun.”
“What about in the south?” Steve asked.
“This is Deputy Rumi. We’re doing the best we can, Chief. The people aren’t prepared.”
“Aren’t prepared?” Steve replied. He looked at Grace. “What the fuck?”
A message appeared from Sanisco.
> HAVEN. MESSAGE RECEIVED. GET ALL CITIZENS TO SHELTER. WE WILL ATTEMPT TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE GOLIATH.
“Communicate?” Grace asked.
“They have a machine that lets them talk directly to one of them,” Steve said. “It’s half the reason the UWT stays safe. If there are any trife found massing too close, the Governor points the goliath in the right direction and it takes care of them.”
Grace didn’t know that was possible. “How does it work?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Best guess?”
“They call it a neural interlink,” he replied, clearly without any understanding of what the words meant.
“Shit. Write them back,” she said. “Tell them not to attempt to communicate.”
“What? Why?”
“Damn it, if Shurrath has direct control over the goliath he’ll use the link to kill whoever’s on the other end.”
“Most likely the governor.”
“Tell them to stop, damn it!”
Steve started typing, his fingers awkward on the keys.
> SANNISCOHQ. GRACE ADVISES DON NOT CMMUNICATE. DANGEROUS.
He sent the message.
They both waited anxiously for the reply. The shaking was getting stronger now. So was the noise outside. Echoing thuds and crashes made it sound as if the world was crumbling around them.
> MSG RCVD. WILL CONSIDER. GET TO SAFETY.
“What?” Grace said. “Will fucking consider? Damn it, Natalia.”
“There’s nothing else we can do,” Steve said, standing up. “We have to get to the shelters.”
The ground vibrated hard enough the display shifted to the edge of the desk and toppled off.
Then the power went out.
“We have to go!” Steve said.
He grabbed Grace’s shoulder, pushing her toward the doorway. They ran out into the station, rushing across the floor. A loud whining howl sounded from somewhere outside, making the hairs on Grace’s arms stand straight up.
The ground shook again, violently enough to knock the glass of water from the desk. As it shattered on the floor behind them, the shaking knocked them around so hard Grace had to grab the edge of a desk for balance.
People started screaming.
“Rumi, status!” Steve shouted into his badge.
There was no reply. The LED flashed red.
Rumi was gone.
Someone started shooting, firing six quick rounds before falling silent. It was taken up a moment later by a quick burst of machine gun fire.
“That won’t hurt it,” Steve said.
“Do you have anything heavier?” Grace asked.
“A few RPG rounds. Just enough to piss it off.”
“It’s already pissed off.”
They reached the door to the station, running outside. The streets were nearly empty, but Grace could see the people fleeing a few blocks to the south. She looked up, finding the goliath amidst the damaged buildings, lifting its hand toward its grinding mouth and dumping a handful of people in.
Her stomach twisted in response. It was one thing to see trife thrown into the creature’s horrible maw, another to see humans.
“Help the civilians get underground,” Grace said. “I’ll try to distract it.”
“How?”
She wasn’t going to tell him how. “Just go!”
She raced to her motorcycle, dropping the shotgun into the sidecar and jumping on. She stared at the sidecar for a moment, finding the pin holding it to the bike. Then she started the engine and accelerated east.
She went two blocks before turning south, keeping her head up and her eyes on the goliath. It swung a massive hand into the side of a building, smashing it through the stone. People screamed as the debris came tumbling down toward them, no doubt hitting at least a few.
“Shurrath!” Grace screamed at the top of her lungs, riding toward the creature. She pegged the throttle, rocketing south, trying to get into its path. She had nothing that could kill it, but if she bought enough time she could at least help some of the civilians reach the garages.
“Shurrath!” Grace cried again. She reached the street it was standing in and came to a stop, looking three blocks toward it. People were running past her, eyes wide in terror. Some of them were already bloodied after being hit with falling rubble. Others were scraped and dirty from being trampled.
The goliath scooped up three more people, not even bothering to eat them this time. It crushed them in its hand and dropped them.
Grace took her bow from her back and nocked an arrow. Standing over the saddle of the motorcycle,she had to pull it back left-handed, but her goal wasn’t to hurt the goliath.
She just wanted to get its attention.
Its next step brought it a block closer, its body obscuring the sun. Grace raised the bow, pulled and fired.
The arrow rose toward the goliath, hitting it on the nose and sticking. The creature roared in pain as the microspear tip stretched out inside the flesh, trying to reach something vital. Its extending tip wasn’t long enough, but it would still hurt like hell.
The goliath stopped moving, reached up, grabbed the arrow between two fingers and yanked it out. Two massive, distorted eyes dropped toward her.
“Grraaaa,” the goliath vocalized, unable to say her name.
Grace returned the bow to her back and flipped her middle finger at the monster. “I’m not dead yet, asshole.”
She dropped onto the bike and hit the throttle, back wheel spinning for a moment before shooting her forward. She nearly lost control, the sidecar putting the bike off-balance but she managed to streak toward the goliath.
“Graaaaaaa!” it roared, lifting a foot to stomp her.
She went toward it, closing the distance in a hurry. The smell of the creature was unbelievably bad, causing her eyes to water as she passed underneath it.
She leaned over, grabbing the pi
n keeping the sidecar in place and pulling it out. It separated from the bike, rolling out of control and them tumbling end over end, the contents spilling out.
The loss of the extra weight allowed the bike to scoot ahead, beating the goliath’s foot as it came down behind her, the force shaking the ground and nearly sending her toppling. She slammed on the brakes, stopping the motorcycle and grabbing a revolver from her hip. She pivoted back, aiming it at one of the spilled gas canisters. She fired, the round hitting the tank and causing it to spin.
Nothing else happened.
Wasn’t it supposed to explode?
She holstered the gun. It didn’t matter. The goliath was turning around to find her. The people ahead of it were gaining ground.
“Come on!” she shouted.
She leaned on the bike, punching the throttle and launching forward again as the goliath swung a massive hand back at her. The huge palm swung past her back, hitting the building beside her and crashing through, sending a shower of dust and debris up around it.
Grace didn’t slow down. She rode south ahead of the goliath, trying to lead Shurrath away.
“Graaaa!” the goliath howled again.
Grace looked back. It was looking at her, but it wasn’t following. She stopped the bike again. “Come on!” she shouted. “Come and get me!”
The goliath lifted its hand, turning it over. It only had three fingers, but it folded the two outer ones and aimed the center one at her, a rumble like a laugh escaping from it.
Then it continued north, resuming the chase.
Grace watched it take a couple of steps, shaking her head. She hoped the people of Haven would be okay, while at the same time certain Shurrath was going to raze the city above ground. She couldn’t stop the goliath here, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t stop it.
“Fine. If that’s the way you want to do it.”
She hit the throttle again, trying to ignore the sounds of destruction behind her as she headed south.
Chapter 18
“Governor,” Lutz said, approaching Natalia from behind. “Are you going to take a break?”
Natalia tore her eyes from the display to look at the engineer. “A break?”
“Pozz. You know, get up, have something to eat. Use the bathroom. That sort of thing.”