The Vagabonds (The Code of War Book 4)

by Jim Roberts

  Grasping the man by the collar, Joe hoisted him up and into the super-heated steam.

  Screaming in pain, Rourke tried to escape, but Joe held him tight. Boiling hot steam scalded his arm, but he refused to let his opponent go.

  Rourke’s screaming became unbearable. After another few seconds, the steam began to lose its pressure before abating completely. Joe dropped the severely injured man to the ground. Rourke clutched his face, rocking back and forth like a crying child.

  Looking at his hand, Joe saw it was badly blistered. Ignoring the pain, he bent down and picked up the dropped rail gun. He walked back to where the traitor lay writhing on the ground. Opening a swollen eye, Rourke saw his former teammate standing over him. He slid himself away from Joe; propping his body against the corridor bulkhead. His face was a scarlet mass, his eyes barely able to stay open.

  “So…I guess this is my destiny, huh Braddock?”

  Joe held the gun up against Rourke’s chest.

  Rourke laughed, but it came out as a painful chortle, “See you in hell, Joe.”

  The Peacemaker pulled the trigger. A bolt of kinetic energy soldered straight through Rourke’s chest. Dead in an instant, the traitor’s head leaned against the bulkhead, wafts of smoke escaping from his open mouth.

  Joe lowered the weapon.

  “I ain’t there yet.”

  * * *

  AGRIPPINA SLAMMED hard against the bulkhead of the Proving ground. She had a mere second to duck before a metal fist smashed into the wall above her. She was too late to stop Orion’s other hand from grasping her throat and lifting her up.

  The powerful grip would have torn her throat clean out had it not been for Orchid.

  The Asian Peacemaker grasped Orion’s raised arm, forcing him to drop Agrippina into a heap on the ground. Using his weight against him, Orchid arched her body down and pulled Danny over her shoulder with all her might. Callbeck was tossed through the air like a shot-put, to land with a thud in the center of the room.

  Choking from Orion’s attack, Agrippina watched as Orchid leapt off the ground, eight feet in the air from a standing position. Arching her silver body into a knee-drop, she fell toward Orion. Connecting hard, she smashed the cyborg into the floor of the Proving.

  But if their Stream-controlled enemy felt pain, he didn’t show it.

  Instead, Callbeck scissor-kicked Orchid with enough force to send the armored Peacemaker careening backwards to crash into Agrippina.

  Pushing Orchid off her, Agrippina managed to gasp, “Nothing can stop him!”

  The Silver Lady got to her feet, helping the assassin up as well. “I’m open to suggestions if you have any.”

  Agrippina had to admit she had none. Wiping away the blood pouring from her nose, she watched as Orion returned to his feet, shaking off the last attack like it was nothing.

  Standing side by side, joined together in a desperate fight to save the soul of Danny Callbeck, the two women prepared for one last hurrah.

  * * *

  CURTIS WALKER led the dozen members of the strike force into the port superstructure of the Titan. The fighting was intermittent, as much of the sub’s forces were either manning the weapon emplacements or battling it out in the hanger bay. Following Lennox’s directions, the shaggy-haired mercenary reached the main port propulsion room. Much of the personnel in this section of the Titan had been relegated to helping repair the damaged ballast tanks in the deck below. Walker’s team met little resistance as the secured the room, cutting down any Centurions and technicians that attempted to halt their advance.

  When the cavernous propulsion room was clear of hostiles, Walker, and his team began the process of placing the semtex explosives.

  Once they’d finished, the merc keyed his microphone, “Walker to Lennox, come in, over.”

  “This is Lennox, go ahead.”

  “Semtex placed and ready, sir.”

  “Good. Prepare to detonate it as soon as you’re clear. The Fenrirs will be down to pick you and your crew up ASAP.”

  Walker was glad to hear it.

  Charging back the way they’d came, the team was forced to deal with a few straggling Centurions before exiting the bowels of the sub. Stepping out onto the hanger bay tarmac, Walker saw three Fenrirs dip low and begin a landing vector to pick him and his team up.

  Reaching into his pocket, Walker removed the semtex radio detonator.

  Alright, Alexei, you’d better find Braddock and damn quick!

  * * *

  JOE BRADDOCK rushed through the corridor toward the Stream Core, adrenaline charging through his veins.

  He was close now, closer than ever before.

  As he charged around a tight corner, he was met by two Centurions.

  Joe cut them down like stalks of corn with two bolts from the railgun.

  Reaching the starboard side entrance to the Core, Joe slid the fob against the keypad and opened the hatch…

  …into an empty room.

  Sweeping the railgun across the Stream Core, Joe found no sign of life.

  Where did the technicians go?

  The Titan shook violently.

  They must have abandoned their posts. This whole thing must be going down.

  Joe’s eye was naturally drawn to the massive viewscreen, which displayed an ominous readout:

  01:30

  01:29

  01:28

  Above the countdown were the simple words STREAM A.I. ACTIVATION.

  In front of the viewscreen were the two Code ports, standing up from their nest of wires and cables like two obsidian phalluses.

  This was it.

  This was where the Fog of War would be lifted.

  Aiming the rail gun at the twin consoles, Joe prepared to end the dream.

  “Braddock!”

  Joe’s head snapped over to the other side of the Core, swinging the railgun to meet his new visitors.

  Standing thirty feet away at the starboard hatch was the man in the mask, Titus.

  Held taught in his arm, with a chrome .50 Desert Eagle handgun pushed against her cheek, was the woman Braddock loved more than life itself.

  “I’m sorry, Joe…” Jade said as she tried to speak through the iron grip of the powerful new Imperator of Olympus.

  “Quiet, sweetheart,” Titus hissed, as he glared at Joe. “Fire that weapon, Braddock, and your pretty woman dies.”

  Joe’s finger tightened on the trigger.

  Behind Titus, the old man, Cicero, sat down at one of the empty terminals monitoring the Stream. The blonde Siren, Vorena, stood behind Titus, careful not to get in range of Joe’s railgun.

  “What’s the status?” Titus asked Cicero, never taking his eyes off Joe.

  “Everything is prepared,” the old man replied, making some adjustments to the terminal, “The satellites are online and ready to transmit the Viral A.I. Once activated, it can’t be stopped.”

  Titus set his gaze on Joe. “You hear that, Braddock? In exactly…one minute, the Viral A.I. will inject itself into the world’s defense networks. It’s almost…orgasmic, don’t you think?”

  “Let her go!” Joe demanded, ignoring the bad joke. He couldn’t get a decent bead on Titus—the man smartly hid the bulk of his frame behind Jade, making a clear shot impossible.

  “Just take the shot, Joe!” Jade shouted to him.

  Titus wrenched her head sharply, forcing Jade to cry out in pain.

  “That’s a railgun he’s holding, sweetie. If he shoots me, he’ll vaporize you.”

  00:50

  00:49

  Sweat beaded across Joe’s forehead.

  Titus’s filtered voice rang through the empty Core, “You might have cost us the Titan, Braddock, but when that countdown is complete, Olympus becomes the only force on earth capable of moving war into a new age—one of total and complete privatization—where we make the decisions.”

  00:44

  00:43

  An explosion from outside the Titan rocked the vessel. Joe k
ept the gun centered on his enemy.

  From the chair at the terminal, Cicero said, “Satellites have fully retasked. The Code is uploading now.”

  Joe’s finger grazed the trigger of the railgun. Just give me a goddamn clear shot!

  00:30

  00:29

  The eyes behind the mask glared with hate as Titus spoke, “I’ve waited a year to pay you back Braddock. For all you’ve cost us, I can think of no greater punishment than to watch the world you’ve pathetically tried to save burn around you.”

  00:15

  00:14

  00:13

  “Welcome to a new age, Braddock,” Titus said, mockingly.

  What do I do?

  He glanced across at the woman he loved. Jade’s haunting green eyes met his.

  DO IT! She said without speaking.

  00:05

  00:04

  He aimed the gun…

  00:02

  00:01

  No…

  Despite everything, he couldn’t.

  00:00

  A voice came from the speakers along the viewscreen, saying, “STREAM VIRAL ACTIVATION COMPLETE.”

  “The new world begins right now,” Titus announced as he watched the viewscreen.

  The image on the screen showed an upload bar.

  It began climbing.

  Joe could do nothing. He was held in place, forced to watch the inevitable.

  And then…everything stopped.

  The upload bar froze on the screen.

  “What the—” Titus stuttered. He looked at Cicero and barked, “What’s happening?”

  “I…I…don’t know—” the Elder replied, pounding the terminal, “I have no control—there’s something inside the Stream, breaking it down!”

  “Well stop it!” Titus shouted.

  “I can’t!”

  The viewscreen began to turn a bizarre range of colors, before becoming pixilated, then deactivating altogether.

  “The Stream is collapsing!” Cicero called out, “There’s nothing I can do!”

  “What about the Viral A.I.?” Titus shouted back, his voice desperate.

  “The entire Code of War is offline!” Cicero was practically screaming now, “I can’t get anything to work!”

  * * *

  AGRIPPINA LANDED against the ground with a loud grunt. She was certain her left wrist was broken and her guts were churning from the vicious kicks her opponent had given her.

  Beside her lay Orchid. Kim Yuanza’s Whisper suit was damaged in multiple places. Half of the faceplate had broken apart, leaving her eye and mouth exposed.

  Things weren’t looking too good.

  Panting, Agrippina looked to her partner and said, “If you have any bright ideas, now’s the time.”

  Orion, like some chrome angel of war, stood over the women. Leaning down he clutched both by the back of their heads. They tried to struggle, but he was too powerful. He held them apart from each other—preparing to slam their heads together like ripe melons.

  Agrippina shut her eyes, waiting for the end.

  It never came.

  She felt the grip ease on her neck, then let go entirely.

  Looking up, she saw Orion stagger backwards, his body spasming as if from a seizure.

  Whatever was happening, this was their best chance.

  Both women threw everything into a final assault. They rushed Orion, pounding his armored center with renewed fury. Agrippina swept the legs from the cyborg while Orchid drove Orion into the floor like the world’s meanest pro wrestler. The force knocked the optic glasses from Danny’s face, revealing the cloudy orbs beneath.

  The body of their enemy twitched uncontrollably but made no movement to stand.

  Orion was down for the count.

  Leaning over, gasping for breath, Orchid remarked to her companion, “Not bad, Aggy.”

  “—for a Peacemaker,” Agrippina replied, coughing.

  A voice came from below them, sounding like the croak of a frog, “A…Agrippina?”

  It was Orion…

  …No, it was Danny.

  Danny Callbeck.

  As if waking from some long begotten nightmare, Danny muttered, “Where…the hell am I?”

  At first, neither woman knew what to say. The only explanation for this was that the Stream had loosened its grip on him. For the moment, Danny’s consciousness was his own.

  Finally, Orchid said, “You’re alive. That’s all that matters.”

  There was another explosion, bigger this time, in the distance. Suddenly, from the balcony above, a torrent of water sprayed into the Proving ground.

  The ship was sinking!

  Agrippina helped Danny to his feet, pulling his arm over her shoulder, “We need to get out of here!”

  Just as Orchid took Danny’s other arm, the hatchway leading outside of the Proving began to open. Neither of the women were armed. Whatever was coming through was going to have a perfect shot at all three of them.

  Opening the hatchway wide, a man stepped into the Proving ground.

  “B’ylad! What in the hell are you guys doing here?”

  Krieger.

  Orchid and Agrippina both let out sighs of relief.

  Krieger’s eyes widened as he recognized the armored man between the two women.

  “Danny! My little Canadian friend, you’re alive!”

  The reunion was cut short by the sound of the ship’s emergency klaxon sounding.

  Clutching his auto shotgun, Krieger shouted, “No time for hugs and kisses, it’s time to leave!”

  Hauling Danny between them, the women entered the hallway, as the water flooded past.

  “What’s happened out here?” Orchid asked the Russian.

  “Lennox and his Vagabonds are blasting this big bastard with everything they have. Soon, they will detonate semtex bomb on propulsion unit,” Krieger had to gasp for air, he was so excited, “Then, just a minute ago, all the Centurions fell over doing that—”

  Krieger paused as he pointed across the flooding corridor at an Olympus Centurion—crumpled up on the ground. The trooper was writhing in pain, holding his head.

  Agrippina looked at Orchid, saying, “The Stream—Joe must have disabled it!”

  Orchid glanced at Agrippina. “I don’t understand…”

  The assassin explained, “Unhooking someone directly from the Stream would be like disconnecting a brain from life-support. Most can’t survive without the uplink.”

  “Then why is Danny okay?”

  Aggy shook her head, “I don’t know.”

  Krieger asked Orchid, “Where is Joe now?”

  “Last we saw him, he was on his way to the Stream Core—straight down the corridor that way.”

  Danny weakly held his head up. “Joe…Joe is here?”

  Krieger hefted the AA-12, mindful of the water rising fast around their feet, “Get Danny back to hanger bay. This thing is going down any minute. Lennox will take off all survivors he can. Otherwise, we will be swimming for sure.”

  “Be…be careful, Krieger,” Danny managed to garble.

  Krieger grinned. “Don’t worry, I’ll find Joe, count on it, little man.”

  As Orchid and Agrippina carried their wounded comrade in the direction of the hanger bay, Krieger headed the opposite way—toward the Stream Core.

  …It was then that he felt the semtex bomb go off.

  * * *

  JOE SAW Titus clutch Jade tight against him. The man was clearly at his wit’s end, not knowing what to do next. The new Imperator’s plans were crumbling before his eyes—and he could do nothing.

  Then, a colossal explosion rocked everyone in the Core. Immediately parts of the paneling around the room ruptured, venting unknown gases from burst pipes.

  Joe held the railgun square on Titus, preparing to shoot the second the bastard dropped his guard.

  A voice came over the intercom, “My Lord, this is Falco, are you there?”

  Vorena answered the call, “Lord F
alco what’s happened?”

  “The Titan’s been hulled. A semtex bomb placed on the propulsion drive. We’re taking on water!”

  Joe watched as the new Imperator stammered out a response, “No! This can’t happen! I’m so close—”

  The voice of Falco continued, “Cicero, Vorena, get the Imperator to the emergency hanger bay, now!”

  The ship listed to the side, throwing everyone off balance. The lighting began to behave erratically—flickering on and off like a strobe.

  Cicero stood up from the terminal and went to Titus’s side, “My Lord, we must abandon ship!”

  Behind the mask, Joe could make out the Imperator’s eyes, searching for a way past his failures. In front of him, Jade too was looking for a way out. But with her arms held tight in Titus’s grip, there were no options.

  Vorena ran to the new Imperator’s side. “Titus, we have to go, now!” When she got no response, Vorena looked at Cicero. Both Olympus bigwigs hightailed it toward the exit.

  Joe locked eyes with Titus.

  “This is my failure, Braddock.” The Imperator’s voice was eerily calm.

  Joe’s finger twitched.

  Titus lowered the gun away from Jade’s head.

  Joe locked eyes with his woman. He could see the love for him burning deeply.

  “Still—” Titus said, “Why should I be the only one who loses something this day?”

  A gunshot rang across the Core. A red splotch burst across Jade’s chest. Her expression changed to utter shock.

  Madness…

  Everything good in the world fell to earth like so much spent flesh.

  Jade dropped face down like a rag doll.

  “You motherfucker!” Joe roared as he unloaded blast after blast from the railgun at the Olympus Imperator. Blind rage clouded his vision as the first three shots of high-powered kinetic energy went wide, missing Titus. The Imperator laughed as he dove for the hatch leading into the hallway. Joe kept firing after him, sending multiple rounds into the bulkhead; hoping one of the projectiles would hit the bastard that shot his love.

  The railgun clicked on an empty magazine. In a rage, Joe threw the weapon to the ground and rushed over to Jade’s side. Kneeling down, he clutched the back of her head—pulling her up into his arms.