by Jim Roberts
A woman stepped out, tall and stunning. Her alabaster white skin was streaked with dirt. Saladin recognized her instantly from data files he’d read upon receiving his admission to the Brotherhood, not to mention the stories he’d heard the Centurions tell about her in hushed tones.
Agrippina.
From the corner of his eye, Saladin saw Falco’s single eye grow wide at the sight of the woman. The Centurions trained their weapons on the assassin.
Agrippina stood tall and arrogant.
A man of good manners, the Sand Scorpion said, “Greetings. My name is Tribune Saladin.”
The woman didn’t answer.
A wisp of a smile crossed Saladin’s lips. “Would you mind explaining why you are here before my men shoot you?”
“I wish to see Tiberius,” she said simply.
“And why the hell would we ever allow that?” Falco barked. The man clearly had a bone to pick with the beautiful assassin.
“I have something he wants. Something he and the Imperator will want to see personally.”
Saladin remarked, “From what I understand, you’re a fugitive from Olympus. I think Tiberius would much prefer I deliver your head.” He raised an eyebrow, putting the ball in her court.
The cold woman smiled, unfazed by the threat. “Trust me,” she said, “he’ll want to see this.”
Agrippina turned and reached into the passenger compartment of the craft. Saladin watched curiously. His men remained at the ready, just in case.
With some degree of difficulty, Agrippina pulled out the body of a man, trussed up hands and feet, and dumped him down on the landing pad.
Saladin’s cool attitude turned to disbelief at the sight of the man lying before him.
“Braddock! The fox himself.” The memory of their meeting that day several months ago in Syria was still fresh in Saladin’s mind. He’d spared Braddock’s life that day, having foreseen a greater fate lying before the Peacemaker. Life’s little miracles never ceased to amaze the Sand Scorpion.
Groggily, Joe pulled himself onto his knees. The man looked like he’d gone through hell. Joe’s eyes widened in recognition at the sight of the Sand Scorpion.
“Saladin…”
“You remember me, Fox. It is a small world, isn’t it?”
Joe’s eyes caught sight of the traitor Rourke, standing behind Falco.
“Rourke! You sonova—”
Agrippina kicked Joe hard in the back, sending him forward, gasping for air.
“Enough of this!” she said impatiently, “Will you take me to Tiberius or not?”
Saladin’s eyes narrowed. “Help me understand, madam. You have been missing from our ranks for, what, almost a year? And now you return in a stolen Hyperion, amidst reports that you have been working with the Peacemakers—”
Agrippina scowled, “I have always been loyal to Olympus.”
Saladin laughed, “A moot point. This man is of interest to the Imperator, yes, but why should his life be worth yours?”
Agrippina sneered, “Because this man is the son of Leo Lennox.”
The Sand Scorpion’s smile vanished, “Impossible.” He looked at Falco, his eyes questioning. The veteran Tribune was every bit as shocked as Saladin.
“Not at all,” Agrippina said, “The Imperator knows it too—that’s why he backed off the kill order after Braddock returned from Syria back in August. He is the rightful heir of the Olympia Brotherhood.”
The man named Rourke didn’t seem to comprehend what was being spoken. He made the wise decision to stay silent.
Saladin glanced at Joe, his eyes skeptical. “Is what she says true?”
“Sergeant Joseph Braddock,” came the response, “Peacemakers, serial number seven-nine-zero-one dash six.”
“Droll, Sergeant, very droll,” Saladin locked eyes with the woman as he made up his mind, “Alright, perhaps this night wasn’t a total loss after all. I’m certain both Legate Tiberius and the Imperator will wish to speak to you—sans weapons, of course”
“Of course,” Agrippina replied.
One of the Centurions stepped forth to relieve her of her pistols and swords.
Saladin said to the remaining Centurions, “Bind them both up. Put them aboard the Felix.” Saladin turned to Falco, “I trust I can leave these two in your hands, Tribune?”
Falco, still stunned at what he’d just learned, nodded.
The Centurions did as they were told, binding the two captives before moving them to the Felix cargo aircraft. Saladin watched as Falco and Rourke followed Agrippina and Joe across the courtyard toward the tiltrotor aircraft.
Saladin, still the devout Muslim, shook his head—praising Allah quietly for dropping such a marvelous bounty into Olympus’s lap.
* * *
FROM HER perch atop the Catholic church, Orchid had a clear line of sight into the courtyard of Corvo Tower. Past the lined Bremer wall, she watched as the Centurions rushed here and there, attempting to evacuate the Tower. It was a picture of absolute chaos.
If Orchid’s heart wasn’t so heavy from the loss of General Walsh, she would have been ecstatic at the sight.
Using the magnified vision inside the Whisper armor, she scanned the courtyard, looking for anything noteworthy. When the lone Hyperion landed near the collection of other Olympus aircraft, her curiosity was piqued.
Curiosity turned to hatred when she witnessed the black-clad female assassin exit the craft.
Agrippina.
Orchid gritted her teeth as she watched what transpired. She saw a man wearing a Muslim headdress speak with the harpy for a few minutes. It was only when Agrippina pulled out the prisoner held in the passenger area of the aircraft, did Orchid truly realize the extent of her betrayal.
Joe!
She immediately activated her comlink, saying, “Brick, this is Orchid, come in, over.”
There was a brief delay as the message was relayed to her commander’s comm.
“This is Brick, go ahead Orchid.”
She quickly explained what was happening. When Brick’s voice returned over the comm, it was thick with anger.
“Bloody hell, I knew we couldn’t trust her! What are they doing with Joe?”
Orchid watched the courtyard. She was puzzled to see Agrippina hand her weapons over to the exotic man in the headdress. She was even more puzzled when the Centurions clapped restraints on her hands. What the hell was going on?
She keyed her mic, “It looks like they’re taking Joe onboard one of the large cargo jets...damn, they’re out of my sight! Permission to infiltrate and get Sergeant Braddock out of there, over.”
“Negative, Specialist.”
“Sir, it’s still night—my shroud should allow me to get in unde—”
“I said negative, Orchid! I just received a communiqué from the Cottage. Olympus attacked the CIA convoy on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge.”
“My god! What happened?”
“They have it. Olympus has the Code of War. We have multiple KIAs and I’ve just been told Jade Masters is missing, we’re presuming dead.”
Orchid shut her eyes. It all felt like a bad dream.
Brick continued, “We need you back at the Harbinger, ASAP. I’m sending a Blitzer to pick you up at—”
“Negative, Lieutenant.”
“That’s an order, Kim. We need the Whisper suit back here now, over.” Brick’s voice had an edge on finality to it.
“Sir, wherever they're taking Joe, he’s dead unless I do something. Trust me, Lieutenant—I have a plan.”
“Yuanza, do not—”
Orchid ended the call. This was a time for action, not argument. She knew disobeying her superior would no doubt merit her a court-martial, but the Lieutenant did not have all the details. She knew Olympus was keeping Joe alive for a reason. Once his usefulness to them was over, he was dead for sure.
There was no way in hell Orchid was going to let that happen.
Activating the Whisper Shroud, Orchid melted into the night.
She leapt off the steeple and landed like a cat in front of the church. The main street running parallel to Corvo Tower was empty, with the entire block barricaded from civilian traffic. On the makeshift guard towers along the Bremer wall were small searchlights, pointed toward the street. Keeping an eye on the pattern they followed, Orchid dodged and weaved her way across the road. Reaching the outer wall, she scampered up the side like a squirrel and peered over top.
While the main courtyard was full of Centurions and Legionnaires, the landing area was populated by techs and laborers. Much of the area was dimly lit by shop lights. It’d be tricky, but Orchid judged the shroud would protect her enough to avoid all but the sternest scrutiny from onlookers. She climbed up and over the thick pre-fab barrier and leapt down into a patch of shadows. In front of her were two Hyperions, parked side by side. Beyond them was the tiltrotor craft—a good forty feet away.
Her gaze went to the landing gear of the aircraft. An idea sprang into her head. When she was certain the coast was clear, she jogged forward and ducked underneath the belly of the aircraft. She glanced up inside the wheel well. It was anything but roomy, but she judged that if she crammed herself in, she could tag along for the ride—hopefully without getting crushed.
The sound of the gangway being raised made Orchid’s mind up for her. She reached up and climbed into the wheel well, just as she felt the aircraft engines begin to roar. Wedging herself into the corner of the landing gear recess, she saw the ground below disappear as the aircraft ascended into the sky. The landing gear raised up, making the space inside a tight pinch for its stowaway. As the landing gear locked into place, the hatch closed, plunging Orchid into darkness. She was locked in like a sardine in a can, barely able to move in the tight compartment.
Well, it was a plan…
Deactivating the shroud to conserve energy, Orchid settled in, putting her mind into a meditative state. She focused her breathing, allowed her body to settle in for the trip to her unknown destination, wherever that may be.
Chapter 30
Return to Life
Somewhere over the Caribbean Sea, October 7th
POWERED BY its massive tiltrotor engines, the Felix aircraft soared over the ocean. Sitting in the passenger seat, flanked by three fully armed Centurions, Joe Braddock waited to see what his fate had in store for him. His STF suit had been stripped off and he was now in his black undershirt and pants—his hands manacled behind him.
The windows along the side of the Felix aircraft showed nothing but ocean for the past half hour, though by the direction of the sun, Braddock judged they were heading northeast. Wherever their final destination lay, it mattered little to Joe. Being the son of Leo Lennox, a man whose bloodline made him the true successor to the Olympia Brotherhood, he knew he was too dangerous to be allowed to live. After they’d got what they wanted from him, whatever that was, he’d be killed, of that much he was certain.
Still, he wasn’t ready to give up yet.
Something in the back of his mind told him to continue to survive, no matter the cost. He’d come too far to simply give in and accept death now.
Across from him, sitting with both legs crossed, was the traitorous assassin, Agrippina. Looking as if she were on her way to a dinner with friends, the woman gently bounced a foot to the rhythmic cycling of the engine. In her hands, she played with a small object that had heretofore been around Joe’s neck.
Danny’s caribou antler necklace.
The sight of the assassin holding the last symbol of the memory of his friend sent a wave of bitter anger through Joe’s body. He couldn’t believe how wrong he’d been about the Olympus harpy. Even though he’d saved her life multiple times these past few days and her likewise, Agrippina had still betrayed him to Olympus without a second thought.
Well if you can’t trust a sociopathic Olympus assassin, who can you trust?
Agrippina noticed his eyes on her. “What are you thinking, Braddock?” she asked.
“Just thinking how I’m going to gouge that red eye out of your head.”
The woman smiled, coolly. “You can hate me for this all you want, Joe. I’ve only done what I had to. I don’t expect you to understand.”
A few seats down from the harpy, Rourke was sitting quietly, his eyes far away. To his right was the white-haired, one-eyed vet, Falco.
“Why did you do it, Clive?” Joe asked the SEAL, “Why did you betray us?”
Rourke came out of his trance. Glancing up, he said, “Shut up, Braddock.”
Joe would not. “In a million years, I’d never have guessed you of all people would be the one to screw us over.”
Falco spoke, annoyed by the prisoner’s words, “Listen to your SEAL friend, Braddock. The flight will go a lot faster.”
Rourke decided to answer anyway. “I did what I had to do, Joe.”
“You betrayed your country and everyone that trusted you—”
“I had nothing left,” Rourke snapped, “This was my only option!”
“What would those men who died that day in Burma say about what you’re doing?”
Rourke was getting angry now. “You could never understand what I lost that day, Braddock. My honor was gone. Now, I have a chance to earn it back.”
“By serving Olympus?” Joe retorted.
“By serving myself. When you become part of Olympus, your failures in your past life are forgiven. I’ll join with my new brothers in the Stream. My honor will be restored.”
Joe shook his head, “You’re insane. I’m going to kill you—both of you,” his eyes glanced back to Agrippina.
The female assassin shrugged, “Sadly, I don’t think you’ll get the chance, Braddock.”
“What’s going to happen to me?”
“I don’t know. Whatever it is the Imperator needs you for, I can’t imagine it’ll be pleasant.” She continued to fidget with the caribou charm.
Joe asked, “Did you have this planned all along—capturing me and all that?”
Agrippina smirked, “More or less. You were by far the best ticket for my return to Olympus. An opportunity presented itself and I took it.”
“What about Lennox?”
Agrippina frowned, “What about him?”
“He trusted you and you betrayed him.”
“Lennox never trusted me. It was in his best interest to take me in when I was cast aside by Olympus. I’m the best fighter he could have asked for in his little merc army. As far as I’m concerned, I don’t owe him anything.”
Joe scoffed, “You’re a piece of work, lady.”
“You think you know me, Braddock,” she said, her face twisting with annoyance, “What you should understand is that very soon your life is going to end. You would do well to make certain to delay that moment as long as possible.”
There was something in her voice that made Joe pause his next angry reply. He couldn’t be sure, as the woman had a hell of a poker face, but she was trying to tell him something.
What is she up to?
He didn’t buy her story about simply wanting to get back into Olympus’s good graces. Something about her character told Joe her arrogant vindictiveness would hold her to vengeance against Olympus until she was old and gray. No, there had to be another reason why she wanted back with them.
Maybe to get close to somebody.
Danny.
Agrippina held up the caribou charm and said, “I hope you don’t mind if I hold on to this for a while. It really is quite pretty. I think Callbeck would have wanted me to have it.”
“Don’t talk about Danny like you knew him,” Joe growled.
The armored Praetorian sitting beside him cuffed Braddock hard in the head.
Agrippina ignored the outburst. “Oh, I think I know him better than you ever did, Joe. He and I fought hand-to-hand, in the hardest battle of my life. There is a purity in that form of combat. You feel your opponent’s soul burning within them. It’s almost like making love. A part of him will always be with me.”
&
nbsp; The Felix intercom blared a quick message from the pilot, “Contact with Titan has been made. Descending in twenty seconds.”
Agrippina’s gestured to the window behind Joe. “Look out there, Braddock. You’ll want to see this.”
Joe turned his head to look through the plexiglass. Just then, the Felix banked to the left, giving Joe a better view of the ocean surface. The waters of the Caribbean were empty for miles. The grey overcast gave the ocean a foreboding texture.
“I don’t see any—”
And then there it was.
Bursting out from the waves like some leviathan of the sea depths was an enormous submersible vessel. Joe felt his jaw drop at the sheer enormity of the ship. Its overall shape reminded him more of a floating ark than a submarine. The top of the ship split open, revealing an interior hanger bay.
“My God…” The voice of Rourke murmured quietly as the Felix descended toward the vessel.
“Welcome to the Titan,” Falco said, quietly. “The source of the Stream—and Olympus’s true power.”
Joe’s stomach lurched in apprehension. The size of the monstrosity below them was unbelievable. A thought dawned on him as the aircraft lowered itself into the gaping maw of the Titan.
We’re gonna need a bigger army to take these guys down…
* * *
STEPPING OFF the rear ramp of the Felix, Joe was mesmerized at the sight of the colossal ship. The size of a football field, it housed multiple Hyperion aircraft. Milling about like ants in a colony, were dozens of technicians, Centurions, and pilots, running what looked like readiness drills.
Rourke and Falco led the way, followed by Agrippina and Joe—a motley crew indeed.
Falco turned to speak to the Centurion guards. “Take him to the Imperator, immediately.”
The Centurions nodded and took Joe into their charge, pushing him forward. He stopped for a moment in front of Rourke.
“Hope you get everything that’s coming to you, old buddy,” Joe said to the traitorous Peacemaker.