by S T Branton
“And I would change that in a heartbeat if I could,” Veronica replied. Her eyes grew bright and piercing. “Don’t talk to me like I’m an ignorant know-nothing, even if you think I am. You’re lucky we—”
“Veronica.” Jules stepped in and placed a hand on Big Red’s arm. A stony silence settled among us.
Veronica bit her lip. “Sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean that.”
“Mean what?” Brax responded. “You never got to finish. I’d love to hear what you have to say.” His tone was dry, barbed, and amused but also dangerous.
“Guys,” Maya interjected. “This isn’t what we need right now. Can we—”
“What about her?” he asked, nodding in Maya’s direction. “If you come after me, you’re coming for her, too.”
“Hey, pal.” Dan put a hand on Brax’s shoulder, but the demon shrugged him off.
“Well?” The sunglasses focused on Veronica’s face.
She glared. “Listen, Morpheus. I fucking apologized. I’d ask you to do the same, but I have the feeling no one ever taught you common courtesy.”
“It’s a human convention,” he said. “Like a lot of other idiotic things.”
I found myself taking a step back, away from the time bomb my team meeting had become. Maybe it would have been better to speak to everyone individually.
May I ask for a moment of your time? Marcus cut in. Not long. A conference between friends instead of colleagues.
Once again, the old Roman had saved my ass.
Chapter Three
“I’ll be right back.” Turning quickly, I picked a direction and walked toward the edge of the clearing, determined not to look back. The voice of the river beckoned me toward the bank where the silvery-blue glint of the current caught my eye. I moved closer until the sound filled my ears entirely and sat there to mull things over.
I curled my fingers around a twig in the leaves. Soon, it had been thrown downstream. Two rocks and a pinecone followed in rapid succession. There was something cathartic about watching the river swallow my offerings, spiriting them away in a tidy whirl.
Little by little, my overactive mind settled as a vibrant dawn splashed across the early morning clouds. I could still see my breath puffing out in front of me, but fingers of sun warmed my back and shoulders.
Victoria. Let us converse. Tell me what burdens you.
“It’s not much. Just stupid shit.”
To the best of my knowledge, this has never stopped you before.
I chuckled. “Touché.” Leave it to Marcus to be real when I needed it the most. Despite his gentle prodding, I hemmed and hawed for a while longer before I hit on anything of substance. When I got the words out at last, they sounded weak and unconvincing, even to my own ears. “I just…I don’t know what I’m doing, and I’m terrified of losing the coin-toss here. When it was you and me and everyone else who could actually fight, the stakes were high, but not this high. I knew that no matter how badly we screwed up, we’d be able to take care of ourselves. That’s not the case anymore.” I hadn’t expected things to go south on an interpersonal level. The real possibility of an insurmountable rift now gnawed at me. If our group fell apart, our entire little colony would be caught in the crossfire.
I was afraid to say it out loud, but on some level, I resented the extra moral burden, too. Hacking and slashing my way through a whole damn pantheon I could do, no problem. Our world needed a hero, and I’d stepped up. Did I really need to be a leader, too?
You have commandeered the ship, Victoria. Now, you must plot its course. There is no way around the duties of a captain.
“Isn’t that what first mates are for?” I grumbled.
In a perfect world, perhaps. But alas, I am not there for you in body, Maya has other, equally pressing duties, and Abraxzael? You know my feelings on that one. The helm is yours, my friend, as it must be.
“I feel like this thing’s about to go Titanic on my ass.” I closed my eyes for a moment, seeing myself clinging onto a plank of wood adrift on the ocean.
There may well be other Titans, yes, Marcus mused. We will have to keep our eyes and ears open.
“No, I was talking about—never mind. It doesn’t matter. You’re right.” I dropped my hands behind me and leaned back on my arms, squinting up at the pale sky. “What the hell do you know about boating, anyway? You’ve never mentioned naval experience.”
A centurion prides himself in well-roundedness and adaptability. Marcus puffed his chest audibly.
I smirked. “Got it. You’ve never been on a boat in your life.”
What? This is slander—
“There you are.” Jules’ voice cut Marcus’ protest, much to my amusement and relief. She settled beside me, looking out over the expanse of water. “I think things are starting to cool down back there. I thought they would start brawling for a second.”
“My money’s on Veronica,” I said. “At least, it is when she’s that mad.” I palmed another rock and tossed it into the choppy current. “You holding up okay? We haven’t really had a chance to check in.”
“I mean, it’s been a little busy.” Jules shrugged. “I think I’m fine, as crazy as that sounds. There’s so much else I need to do that I don’t have time to be traumatized. Maybe that will be different once things aren’t constantly in crisis mode, but right now, I feel pretty good.”
“Damn. I don’t know if I’d be handling my shit half as well as you in that situation.” Jules might have been sweet, soft-spoken, and not very practiced in the violence department, but she was as tough as nails in a different way. A pang of shame for underestimating her cut through my stomach. I should’ve known better.
“No, you’d be doing even better. I know it.” She picked a big yellow leaf up and shredded it slowly in her fingers as she talked. “Besides, none of this is half as bad as public defense court. Talk about a hot mess.”
I grinned “Or, you know…college.”
She grinned. “No kidding. If I made it through three dates and a year of awkward stalking from Vince Espinoza, I can make it through anything.”
That cracked me up. “Holy shit, I forgot about Vinny. Remember when he kept leaving you presents outside your apartment?”
“Like a stray cat.” Jules shook her head. “You’d think after five dead bouquets, he would’ve learned not to leave fresh flowers on a doorstep without water, but nope. I can’t even tell you how many roses must have given up the ghost on that stoop.”
“That’s why he moved on to poetry.” I could still see the envelopes taped to the outside of her letterbox, usually containing a page of lined paper torn from the back of one of Vinny’s notebooks. His efforts at verse always read like a high schooler's plaintive love songs, even though we were all in our twenties by then.
“Then there was the mixtape.” Jules sighed deeply. “I mostly felt sorry for him by the end. Thank goodness he eventually had the sense to move or transfer or whatever.”
“Yeah. He, uh, definitely did that on his own, with no help from outside forces. Absolutely. What a smart guy.”
She turned to me, aghast. “Vic, don’t tell me you—”
“I’m not telling you,” I said. “I’m letting you infer that I cornered him outside Into Psych and told him that if I ever caught him holding a boombox up outside your window, I’d come down and shove it up his ass.”
Jules would’ve admonished me if she hadn’t laughed. “I guess I’m not surprised,” she admitted. “You’ve always had a way with words.”
It was my turn to sigh and with more than a little frustration. “I wish these problems would resolve that easily. Seems like my old methods don’t work so well anymore.”
“Brute force can only get you so far. I really don’t envy your position,” Jules responded, her face full of sympathy. “It’s like having a client whom I know is guilty. All I can do is find a way to mitigate some of the punishment. And sometimes, I don’t want to do that because I think they deserve what’s coming to
them, but it’s my job.”
“That’s the thing, though.” I frowned. “This isn’t my job, or it wasn’t when I started. I should be out there hunting these pieces of shit. New York City felt like the whole universe for most of my life, but it’s only a fraction of the country, let alone the world. I have no clue what’s going on in Paris or Hong Kong, if those places even still exist. They could be burning to cinders right now, and I’d never know until it was too late.” The tension flooded back into my body. I threw another rock, harder than I had the others. It splashed heavily into the river. “Marcus said I have to captain the ship myself because everyone else has other shit to do. That’s true, but so do I, and I’m here watching over a flock of sitting ducks. Of course, I want to keep them safe, but I think it’s outside my skill set.”
Jules dismantled a second leaf, this one wide and apple-red. “I understand where you’re coming from, but don’t forget that these people were following you when they left New York. They don’t know what they’re doing any more than you do. I’ve said this already, and it bears repeating. You absolutely cannot leave them out here by themselves.” Her eyes bored into me, bright and intense.
Jules is correct. Though part of you may regret the path you have chosen, regret does not absolve you from your duty. You are too sound of heart and mind to walk away from the choices you have made.
“For what it’s worth,” she continued, “I think you might be wrong about the whole job description thing. You’re not simply out here killing gods, Vic. You’re out here saving the world, one little piece at a time. There’s more to that than looking cool while you swing a sword around.”
“But I’m so good at that part.”
“Yeah, yeah. We’ve all seen ample evidence.” Jules scrambled to her feet and offered me her hand. “Come on, lady. You said it first—we’ve got work to do.”
I took her hand. “It’s not that I think you’re wrong. I know you’re right. I had all those thoughts myself before you joined me. I just…” The words slipped out of my grasp.
“Hey.” She put her hands on my shoulders. “It’s okay to be scared. You’d be insane if you weren’t. This is some gigantic, heavy stuff we’re up against. But we’re better off with you leading the charge than we would be in any other circumstance, and that’s a fact.” She smiled. “You can’t argue with me. I’m a lawyer. I’ll win.” With that, she pulled me toward the clearing. “It’ll be fine, as long as we stay undivided.”
There is no shame in shared strength, Marcus agreed. Use it to your advantage.
The group in front of the canvas teepee had broken up a little in our absence. Dan and a few of his soldiers were off to the side, likely discussing the state of the patrols. Maya examined a cut on a young mother’s forearm, while Steph cradled a baby stiffly in her arms. The child had one tiny hand entwined in the agent’s blonde hair, and she stared down at its sleepy face, looking both entranced and confused.
Deacon sat on a log nearby, his gun on the wood beside him. He had magazines and bullets arranged in his lap as he took a quick inventory of what was left. “Hey, Vic,” he said without glancing up. “You get things sorted out?”
“I think so. Get a load of Mama Steph over there.”
He pulled a face. “That’s a new one. New and weird.” He fell silent when he turned toward his partner, studying her with a mix of humor and surprise. “I’ll be damned. She hasn’t eaten it yet.”
Jules swatted him. “Deacon!”
“You don’t know Steph,” he countered, still eyeing her. “That woman’s more like a dragon than anything else. I guess this brings out the best and the worst in everyone at the same time.” He finished counting his ammunition and loaded it rapidly back into the mags. “I’m running lower than I’d like. All this fighting is really making a dent.”
I nodded. “I’ll add ‘supply run’ to our to-do list. I’m sure Maya needs it too.”
“Take the truck.” Veronica emerged from the tent, corralling her hair back into a thick ponytail. “There’s still some gas in it. If you can find more while you’re at it, all the better.”
I’d almost forgotten about the black SUV we had managed to bring with us after the showdown in Lincoln Tunnel. In the past few days, it had felt like more of a hindrance than a help as we navigated the thing through the woods, but that pain in the ass would finally pay off.
“You have to be careful,” a voice said over my shoulder. Brax stepped up behind me. “Car’s gonna be a moving target on an empty road.”
“It can’t be helped,” Veronica replied. “We need to replenish our provisions. Maya said she’s already starting to see some early signs of malnutrition in the kids.” Veronica caught Dan’s attention and waved him over.
The Were woman finished bandaging the baby’s mom, and Steph handed the child over. They rejoined us too, completing our seven-person council.
“Are we ready to rock and roll?” Dan asked. “Whatever you’ve got, lay it on me. I guarantee it’s better than nothing.” His aura of general conviviality provided a surprisingly strong support against the pressure rapidly closing in on me again.
“All right.” I glanced around at my motley crew. “Listen up.”
Chapter Four
“It’s pretty clear we can’t keep doing what we’re doing. The group isn’t in the greatest shape, and that won’t improve over time. Our best bet is to find a place to fortify as a stronghold. That way, we’ll be able to withstand these random attacks without endangering anyone unnecessarily. Plus, it will provide space to care for whoever needs it, maybe set up an infirmary. The sooner we can heal people, the better.”
“Want me to send some men out?” Dan was already reaching for his radio. “I have a few I can spare. I got a report that all fronts are quiet for the time being.”
I shook my head. “Maya, this one’s yours. I’d rather have troops securing our current perimeter at all times, just in case, and I know you can take care of business if need be.”
“Okay.” She rolled her sleeves up. “Where should I start? Keep going west until I find something?”
I thought about it briefly. “Don’t go too far. We don’t want to haul everyone on an expedition, and I’m a little concerned about getting too close to civilization again, such as it is. The last thing we need is to get caught in the crossfire of some messed-up turf war.”
“A ghost town could be useful, though,” Deacon interjected. “We’ve got too many people to assume they’ll all fit in one building. If we found a place with multiple shelters, I think we’d do a lot better.”
“That complicates defense a bit,” said Dan, “but you’re not wrong.” He rubbed his stubble. “It probably wouldn’t be too hard to work something out. Maybe we’d need a constant moving patrol.”
“It would be a total disaster if there wasn’t enough room for everyone.” Veronica frowned. “Nerves are frayed down to nothing already. I’m afraid riots would break out, or people will take off on their own.”
“Do we have a head count?” Maya asked.
“At least a hundred,” Veronica said. “I’ve slowly compiled a list of names, but it’s nowhere near complete. And this is after we lost so many in the tunnel.”
“A hundred’s a lot of bodies,” Dan commented. “We ought to be looking for a hotel or something like that. Could use some of the upper-floor windows as sniper nests in a pinch.”
“Hm. Not bad. I like that.” Steph nodded her approval thoughtfully. “It would also allow us to compartmentalize potential damage or casualties if there were a breach. Station someone in every wing, and we’d at least have eyes on the whole place.”
“And we wouldn’t have to drive the truck off-road and hide it under a tarp,” Jules added. “There are a lot of little townships scattered around here. I bet one of them is abandoned.”
“I’ll go in a big circle,” Maya decided. “The radius will have to be pretty large. It might take me a day or two to get back here.”
“That’s fine,” I told her. “We’re not doctors, but we can hold down the fort. I’d rather wait a little longer if it means we know where we’re going. Good luck.”
She gave me an encouraging smile and went off into the trees. I noticed Steph watching her go until she was completely out of sight. She looked like she wanted to say something but thought better of it at the last minute.
“Big Red—Veronica, I mean.” I chewed my lip. “Sorry. Can you figure out a system for rations? I don’t want to do this, but I don’t think there’s any other option until we find more food. I think people will respond best if you handle it. They really seem to respect you.”
Veronica laughed. “I told you, call me whatever you want. I’m happy to be in charge of managing supplies. I’ll even take stock of our med stuff, free of charge.”
I nodded. “You’re the best. Keep your finger on the pulse of the herd, would you? It’ll be useful to know what kind of headspace people are in. If you feel like there’s trouble brewing, give me a heads-up. We’ll do our best to nip possible conflicts in the bud.”
“Will do, Chief.” Thus assigned, she disappeared into the teepee to start her work. Boxes and bags shuffled around, out of sight.
I turned my attention to Dan and Brax. “Now that’s taken care of, I want to address a slightly more complicated problem.”
“Shoot,” the soldier said, leaning forward. “I’m all ears.”
“The issue is this… We can clothe all these refugees, we can feed them, we can shelter them, but it won’t mean much if they’re completely helpless to defend themselves. Our front line could always break or be neutralized. I’d like to make sure there’s a second line of defense in place. How hard do you think it would be to drum up a citizen’s militia?”
The two looked at me, at each other, and back at me. “Like, working together? I don’t know…” Dan cleared his throat.
Brax said nothing
“What?” I glanced from one to the other. “You’re a military man, Dan. This is easy, right? People will want to defend what’s theirs.”