by S T Branton
“I mean, I’m doing okay, but…” I trailed off, reluctant to voice my concerns. She was obviously happy to be at Fort Sigel. Putting her happiness in jeopardy, no matter what the reason, felt a little like a betrayal. Jules had already been through so much at the hands of the gods. She deserved a moment of peace, no matter how brief it might be.
“But?” she prompted.
“I’m waiting for the other boot to drop.” Saying it out loud made it sound stupider than it had been in my head. I wanted to take it back.
My friend laughed. “What do you mean? It’s about time we caught a break, don’t you think? We’ve been through hell these past few weeks, getting out of New York and then coming here. You’ve killed, like, a bunch of gods. I think you’re entitled to relax and take the good things as they come. They’re few and far between these days.”
I fidgeted. “You’re right, and I know you’re right. I’ve earned this as much as anyone else.”
“You don’t sound convinced,” she teased. “Seriously, Vic. Relax. We made it here. This place is real. Everything will be fine.”
I did my best to restrain my nervous energy, and I managed for about twenty seconds. Then I ran my fingers through my hair, wincing as they caught in a few tangles I’d missed with the comb. “Man, it’s not working. I gotta be missing something.”
Jules slid off her side of the bed. “You know what you’re missing? A good night’s sleep. Do that, and we’ll talk in the morning.” She came closer to me and placed her hands on my shoulders. “I know you’re a chronic insomniac, but promise you’ll give it a shot, okay? You’ve got a bed. Don’t waste it.”
I rolled my eyes. “Whatever, Mom.” We giggled. “Love you, Jules. Good night.”
“Love you too. Don’t let the bedbugs bite.” The door closed behind her again, drenching me in heavy silence. The fort, I noticed, was quiet in its solitary spaces, as if the smaller rooms had been soundproofed. The effect was strange and profoundly isolating.
Maybe that was why I couldn’t sleep.
I lay on my back, staring blankly up at the plain eggshell ceiling for almost an hour before I finally gave up. Slipping my feet into my shoes, I put Marcus on. “Guess what?”
What?
“We’re going on a little adventure.” I picked my jacket up from the place where I’d dropped it before my shower and pushed my arms into the sleeves on my way out the door. “The general gave us an official tour already, but I’m a little more interested in what’s going on behind the scenes.”
I distinctly remember you instructing both Deacon and Frank to stay out of trouble, Marcus said, though I could hear his smile.
“Do as I say,” I told him. “Not as I do. And besides, who said anything about trouble? We’ll merely do a little…exploring.”
Chapter Nineteen
Fort Sigel had high, reinforced windows and tons of super bright, artificial light. It was hard to tell what time it was when I reached the halls, but I found the fort’s populace far from bedded down for the night. Clusters of friends and strangers making friends spread throughout the common areas on blankets and chairs as if they were still camping out. The air was full of the pleasant sound of hushed conversation, laughter, and mothers singing their children to sleep. I was gratified to spot more than a few faces I recognized from our hard trek out of New York—faces I’d last seen lined heavily with exhaustion and fear. All seemed blissfully well now, and a surge of the deepest gratitude welled up through my chest.
The journey had been harrowing, but we made it.
I am pleased to see so many of our people at rest, Marcus commented. This intrepid band of pilgrims has endured much hardship.
“These are some of the toughest people I’ve ever seen,” I told him. “I’m proud of them.”
Well, I am very proud of you, Marcus said, and of the great leader you have become. You have truly grown from the ugliest duckling into a swan of valor.
I chuckled. “Uh, thanks, I think.” I passed out of a sprawling main room into the next corridor. A woman with a baby perched on her hip hurried in the opposite direction. She cradled the back of the child’s head against her shoulder, humming the soothing strains of a lullaby. We locked eyes for a second, and I nodded a greeting. Her smile started out polite and timid, then her dark eyes lit up.
“Oh!” she exclaimed. “It’s you.”
I blinked, and her soft oval face suddenly struck a faint chord of memory—she’d been one of the original safehouse refugees. It was nice but almost strange to run into her there, days later, among so many others. “Hi,” I said, offering her a smile. “How are you? Settling in okay?”
“Oh, my gosh, are you kidding?” Now, her grin was radiant. “This is like paradise, even compared to the place we had before.” Her baby fidgeted, and she shifted the weight against her body, bouncing the child lightly. “I can’t believe you found it for us. It is truly a miracle.”
Her praise was both flattering and humbling. I kept the smile on my face as I shuffled my feet, searching for the right words. “Well, I’m glad we’re all taken care of for now.”
“Yes.” She looked at me earnestly and cleared her throat. “Anyway, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything you did to make this happen. You saved our lives.” A dry laugh escaped her lips. “When those…those beings descended on the city, I thought we were all done for.”
“Not yet,” I said, and I laughed too. Realizing the potential awkwardness of my chosen response, I added, “We’ll be perfectly fine here. I promise.” Nice save.
With the hand that wasn’t fastened around her child, she reached out and touched my arm in a simple, heartfelt gesture. “Thank you so much.” Then she moved past me, her footsteps trailing toward the common area.
I stood still for a moment in the wake of the encounter, a little dazed, processing what she had said. The genuine warmth of her words seeped slowly down into my heart. I think it grew a size or two, like the Grinch’s. She helped me put the constant struggle into perspective and refreshed my resolve to do the best I could for whoever crossed my path—as long as they were not Forgotten. Those assholes would all get a swift boot up the ass.
“I should have thanked her back,” I muttered, mentally kicking myself.
That is one thing you have yet to learn, Victoria, Marcus said with some amusement. The art of gracefully accepting a compliment.
“Where’s Dan?” I wondered, changing the subject. “I haven’t seen him since he left with the general. I’ve got some questions I want to ask.”
Perhaps those answers could be provided by another military expert you know, he responded. Someone whose years of experience can be measured in millennia.
“It’s good to diversify opinions,” I told him. “Not that I value yours any less, but Dan’s way more familiar with shit like guns and modern battle tactics. And I’ve never been a soldier, so I need all the input I can get.” I threaded my way toward the entrance to the fort, keeping an eye out for someone who might be able to tell me where the soldier was. A few guards stood near the main door, and I beelined for them.
The nearest guard saluted when he noticed me approaching. “Vic, right? What can I do for you?”
“Hey, can you tell me where I might be able to find my friend, Dan? He’s the officer who came in with me, the one with the soldiers.” I stopped short of divulging my intentions so that I could keep some cards close to the vest.
The guard frowned slightly. “He’s off with the general, as far as I know. I don’t know anything about what they’re doing. Could be top secret.” He shrugged and didn’t volunteer anything else.
“Okay.” I scratched my head. “Can you tell me when he’ll be back?”
“No, ma’am,” the guard replied a little regretfully. “That’s at the general’s discretion. The most I can do is let Dan know you’re looking for him the next time I see him.”
It didn’t really surprise me that the commanding officer might have s
ecret operations going on in his fort, but I was a little taken aback by the fact that I couldn’t get even a vague sense of my friend’s location. As the de facto leader for weeks now, I guess I wasn’t too used to getting stonewalled.
But I was also no longer the highest in the chain of command.
“That’ll have to do,” I said. “Thanks.” I adjusted my trajectory and headed for the opposite end of the fort. “Did that feel weird to you?” I asked Marcus as soon as I judged we were out of earshot. “They didn’t tell me a single thing.”
It can be frustrating to deal with such procedures, but military institutions often have their own complex systems. Since we are guests in their generously provided shelter, it seems prudent to accept their practices. I have no doubt that Dan is faring well.
“Hmm.” The logic behind that advice was sound and typical of Marcus’s by-the-book attitude. Still, I had trouble shaking the conversation off. Once I’d gotten to actually speak to Dan again, I’d be much happier.
Worry not, Victoria. Tell me, where are we off to next? His voice was light and reassuring. Let us focus on the current adventure.
I sighed. “Oh, fine. I want to check out that high-security place we saw. It didn’t look like anyone was around earlier. Maybe we can sneak in while it’s dark.”
It seems foolish to leave such a structure unguarded.
“Sure,” I said, “but that’s a good thing. I can snoop around without getting busted.”
The route I chose essentially retraced the path of the tour we’d taken with the general. I walked with casual purpose, my head up and shoulders back, following the golden rule that got me through countless amateur recon missions back in my days of chasing Rocco—act like you belong there and nobody will say a word. It was half true, anyway. I knew where I was going.
I merely didn’t know if I’d be able to do what I wanted when I got there.
The common rooms were gradually emptying out as people trickled off to bed. A hush settled gently over Fort Sigel, wrapping it in a cover of peace. I drank in the tranquility while I made my way to the back exit that opened out toward the garden. The short corridor preceding it was empty. I crossed my fingers that the bar wouldn’t be padlocked and breathed a little easier when I saw that it wasn’t.
In fact, the latch gave barely any resistance at all. I slipped through into the fresh night air and took a deep, cleansing breath. “Man, this feels good,” I whispered to myself. Now that I wasn’t trapped out in it, the cold was more of a refresher than a threat. The air put a crisp, clean taste in the back of my throat. I looked around.
The garden lay toward the back wall of the fort’s perimeter, its tilled soil darker than the ground around it. I couldn’t see the edge of the property through the darkness from where I stood, but the silhouette of that empty building loomed in the trees. Its windows were blank and undisturbed, like expressionless eyes staring down on Fort Sigel below. I kept my movements casual in case anyone could see me, but I moved carefully and remained watchful for more soldiers.
The closer I got, the more abandoned the building appeared. Its front door had been securely boarded up some time ago, the planks crisscrossed by a chain and a heavy padlock for good measure. On the first floor, the windows were narrow and high off the ground, which made the prospect of breaking and entering kind of a pain. Picking that lock was an option—if I had tools on me and a person to stand lookout.
I filed that information away for later and turned to move around the corner along the western wall. Suddenly, the blinding flash of a searchlight stopped me dead in my tracks. It only lasted a split second, but I stood motionless, momentarily blinded by the brightness, and waited for my eyes to readjust. Adrenaline heated my blood. I tried to figure out what had just happened.
Victoria. Someone approaches.
I heard the sound at the same time as Marcus’s warning, and I turned in time to see a group of guards approaching my position. They had their sights set directly on me through the shadows. There was no sneaking away from this one. I prepared to put on my most innocent face and lie my ass off.
“Excuse me,” the man at the forefront of the squad called out. He signaled his troops, and they came to a standstill fifteen feet from me. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but you’re not allowed to be in this vicinity. Can we help you get back to somewhere?” He took one hand off his gun and motioned for me to move. “Come this way, please. Away from the building.”
I held my hands up to show that I was unarmed. “My bad,” I answered, stepping toward them. “I must’ve gotten lost on my way to the can.”
The men had lights mounted on top of their guns that drenched their surroundings in piercing light. The first thing I noticed was that these soldiers weren’t as well put together as others I’d seen in the fort, at least not in the uniform department. One of them wore a pair of boots clearly designed for hiking instead of war. I thought about mentioning it but decided not to. I knew as well as anyone that times were hard as hell right now, and beggars couldn’t be choosers. At the moment, we were all beggars.
The leader chuckled. “No worries. I know the fort can be pretty confusing for new people.” He smiled. “For future reference, though, all the bathrooms are on the inside.”
I laughed like it was funny. “Right. Thanks for the tip.” His fatigues were faded and a little baggy on his frame. I wondered if the name stitched over the pocket was really his.
“C’mon,” he said. “We’ll escort you back. You can ask any of the guys inside how to get to the john.”
I thanked them and said I appreciated their help. Mostly, I appreciated them not shooting me. We returned to the fort in amicable silence. It was interesting that I had been thwarted by a whole contingent of security, but if the general had told the truth about that building containing government secrets, the extensive presence of guards made some sense. Maybe they had equipment hidden away in there—a satellite feed or some high-tech radio gear.
The troop left me at the front of the fort, and instead of going inside right away, I turned to the gate, intending to make a quick perimeter patrol like I’d gotten in the habit of doing around our shabby forest camp. The gate was flanked by more guards, who stopped me before I even got close.
“No one’s allowed out right now,” they said.
“But—” I began.
The man shook his head. “Fort rules, ma’am. It’s for your own safety.” He was obviously not about to budge, and without my sword, I knew I couldn’t persuade him. I pressed my lips together and slunk back to the door, suppressing a surge of disappointment. The general had made such a big deal out of me when we first met, but he still penned me up with everyone else.
I resolved to ask him about it later. As it turned out, I got the chance much sooner than I anticipated.
Chapter Twenty
I turned down the passageway leading to my room, lost in thought about everything I had experienced during my ill-fated solo foray into the night. The sight of the figure standing ahead of me in the middle of the hall snapped me back to attention. Caught off guard, I froze midstride.
The general smiled. “A good evening to you, Vic. I hope I haven’t startled you.” He was as congenial as ever, standing with his shoulders back and his hands neatly folded in front of him. If it weren’t for the razor-sharp light in his eyes, he might’ve looked like everyone’s favorite uncle.
“General,” I said, nodding. The little voice in the back of my head wanted to ask him directly about Dan, but I bit my tongue, sensing it would not be the greatest idea. I didn’t want it to look like I had suspicions.
“I thought I would ask you to accompany me to my office for a private meeting,” he said, still smiling. “Two leaders merging their groups into a single faction inevitably have much to discuss. I think this meeting could end up mutually beneficial in a myriad of ways.”
I considered the offer, maintaining my poker face. It was late, an odd time for a one-on-one meeting. Then again, he was the
head of an entire base, and he had been busy with Dan for hours. I couldn’t deny the possibility that this was the first free moment he had. And I knew I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to talk to him alone.
I forced a grin. “Sure. It never hurts to build your network.”
“Excellent.” He led me down a corridor accessed only through an electronically locked door. At the end stood another one, intricately carved and wooden instead of cold metal. The general unlocked it with a silver key, which he whisked out of sight the instant he was done using it. Pushing the ornate door open with one hand, he spread the other wide to encompass the grandeur of the room. “My study,” he intoned proudly. “We’ll talk here.”
His study was much, much nicer than any other room in the fort, including the common areas. The walls were paneled and polished to a shine. A large desk stood to one side, its surface neat as a pin. The wall behind it was adorned with a glass case displaying evidence of the General’s prestige—medals, certificates, and a few carefully framed photos.
None of the images featured the man himself. The ones propped up on the desk showed a dark-haired woman smiling as she embraced two cherubic children. This, I assumed, was his family, only he wasn’t included at all. Again, my brain tried to rationalize this away. Some dudes preferred to be behind the camera. Maybe he’d cropped himself out to look humble.
“Have a scotch.” The general stood at a portable bar cart with a bottle in his hand. He had already set out two glasses, and the mouth of the bottle hovered over one. He began to pour, and the amber liquid curled into the bottom of the glass. He gestured for me to take it while he poured another. “I propose a toast, to new beginnings.”
We clinked our glasses. “It’s a nice thought,” I said, “but I’d rather not speak too soon. We’ve only been here less than a day.”
“Ah, yes, but I’ll bet it’s been the safest day in recent memory.” His eyes sparkled “You have nothing to fear from within Fort Sigel, my dear. Our defenses are impenetrable, even to the foul beasts roaming the wild. You’re very lucky to have happened upon us.”