Reintegration

by Eden S. French

  After scrounging through the box beside her, Amity held up a battered megaphone. “Holy fuck, keep searching,” said Zeke. “With luck like that, maybe there really is a jet back here.”

  Gripping a door handle for support, Kade leaned out of the van while holding the megaphone. “Lachlan.”

  A chuckle boomed above them. “Hello, Kade. You really do go to extreme lengths to get a story. Tell me, is my target with you?”

  “You know damn well she is.”

  “Would she like to surrender? In exchange, I’ll spare the rest of you from detainment. You can all traipse home to plot her rescue.”

  “Of course she won’t surrender. And it seems to me you’ve lost your touch. One of your people is dead, and this pursuit is out of control. The man I knew was significantly more competent.”

  There was a second of silence. When Lachlan’s voice returned, it betrayed a trace of irritation. “I think you’re judging my performance a little prematurely.”

  “It’s hard to judge it at all, given your preference for hiding in the clouds.”

  “Believe it or not, there’s some strategic value to being up here. As you know, they don’t pay me to be an action hero.”

  “More likely you’re scared of Lexi. She has Project Sky, after all. Is that why you’re chasing her? To get that implant for yourself, to use it to carry out your schemes and manipulations?”

  Another pause. “Hardly. I already scheme and manipulate quite well without it.”

  “We have a problem,” said Callie, pointing to the road ahead. A black vehicle was parked across it, and two uniformed figures waited behind a barricade of razor wire. “Left or right?”

  “Left,” said Amity.

  The van darted into a side street filled with refuse. Paper and cardboard scattered beneath the van’s wheels, and Callie swore as she swerved to avoid the angular edge of a steel bin. Everyone in the back was flung off-balance, save for Amity, who remained steady on her feet.

  “Keep goading Reed,” she said. “Test his patience.”

  “No need,” said Kade. “He’s already brooding. He doesn’t like his ability being called into question.”

  “So what’s the plan?” said Zeke. “We can’t keep driving around in circles. C’mon, Callie, you eat trouble for breakfast and wash it down with a glass of danger, right? You must have some ideas. Some wild smuggler scheme.”

  Callie shrugged. “We need to shake the chopper. Simple as that.”

  “Or destroy it.” Amity patted the barrel of the shotgun. “If we can find a place to stand our ground, we’ll be able to strike back. I’ve overcome greater odds than this. We just need the right opportunity.”

  “Fucking hell,” said Callie. Everyone turned to stare at her, as people were prone to do after such outbursts. “He’s forced us back to where we started.” A familiar abandoned hotel flashed by. “He’s going to box us in.”

  “Or maybe we’re in luck,” said Riva. “Callie, slow down. Look over there.”

  Lexi looked in the direction of Riva’s finger. Isaac was on the pavement, staring up and down the street like a lost boy looking for his parents.

  “Now there’s a guy who must know his way around,” said Lexi. “Let’s offer him a lift.”

  * * *

  Isaac buckled himself into the back seat and sat huddled, his head down.

  “Isaac, we need your help,” said Riva, and he gave her a meek look. “You must hear the helicopter chasing us.”

  “Yeah, I hear it.” Isaac picked the skin around his fingernails. “Only the second time in my life I’ve heard that sound.”

  “Was the first time about twenty minutes ago?” said Lexi.

  Riva shot her a stern look. “We have to get out of sight. Any ideas?”

  Isaac wrinkled his face into a thoughtful knot. “Big parking complex on the north side. It could give you cover, maybe.”

  “How would Reed respond to that?” said Amity.

  Kade shook his head. “You never know with him, but he’ll be uneasy having us out of sight. It could spur him into doing something reckless. But we have to avoid driving ourselves into a dead-end.”

  “So how do we get there?” said Callie.

  “Turn right here,” said Isaac. “Keep going five blocks, then right at the big lights. Then left, but skip the first street. Road there’s all fucked up.”

  “My very own GPS.” Callie twirled the wheel and accelerated. “I wonder where that other biker went.”

  Amity paused from stashing shotgun shells into her coat. “We’ll take care of that later. For now, drive.”

  Callie stuck out her tongue, and Riva laughed. The van picked up yet more speed, its wheels rattling over the uneven asphalt.

  “The power still on in this parking place?” said Callie.

  “Power’s on,” said Isaac. “Gangs meet there. It’s neutral ground.”

  Lexi studied the pistol in her hand. She’d never owned a gun—it seemed crude somehow, a concession her smarts weren’t always enough. Right now, the way she was being shaken about in the back of the van, it seemed all too plausible she might fire by accident.

  “Kade, how do I put the safety back on?”

  “Like this.” Kade demonstrated with his own pistol, and Lexi imitated him, pushing back the small metal switch with her thumb. “Good idea, by the way.”

  “I don’t know how Amity does it. We’re all hanging on for life, yet she’s just standing there, effortlessly upright, as if falling over is something that happens to other people.”

  Amity gave a grim smile. “It is.”

  The shadow of the helicopter flowed over the road, and the noise of its rotors intensified. “So you’re going north,” said Lachlan, his amused voice ringing from the heavens like some trickster god’s. “Are you escaping or just circling the block?”

  Isaac muttered another instruction, and Callie took a turn so sharp that Lexi almost lost her grip. “Calandre, be careful!”

  “Hey, I’m trying to make us harder to follow,” said Callie. “Don’t hate the player, hate the game.”

  The road darkened as they sped between a series of high apartment towers. Strips of sunlight flickered across the asphalt, an eerie procession of light and dark, before the vehicle emerged onto a wide street.

  “There it is,” Callie said. A massive parking tower was visible on the horizon several blocks away. “Nice work, Isaac.”

  “Behind us,” said Kade. Two black vehicles were cruising in pursuit, and the lone biker rode at their head. “It seems they’re minus one car.”

  “You see?” said Amity. “We’re making progress.”

  The van rushed through an alley, took another improbable turn, and blazed down a wide street strung with electrical wire. A faded sign had been erected at the next intersection: Parking Next Left.

  “We really going to do this?” said Callie. “We might be driving ourselves into a corner.”

  “Do it,” said Amity. “Good driving, Callie.”

  “Hey, a compliment! And here I was expecting you to snap at me again.”

  An intersection marked with a faded left arrow came into sight, and Callie took the turn without slowing. The van tilted but remained upright, though the same couldn’t be said for Lexi’s stomach.

  “Jesus, Callie,” said Zeke. “I’m gonna puke on Amity if you don’t cut that out. And if that happens, I’m as good as dead.”

  The parking tower loomed ahead of them, layer upon layer of cement. At road level, a low entrance led into a dimly lit cavern. The boom gate had been dismantled, leaving just a sad yellow pole, and the toll booth was tagged with colorful gang signs.

  Callie brought the van down a gear. “Anyone get the hourly rates?”

  “Isaac,” said Amity. Isaac raised his haunted eyes. “Describe the layout.”

  “It goes down three levels, goes up maybe ten. Four stairwells. Lift’s all fucked up, don’t use it.” Isaac scratched his chin. “Overpass on the third floor, goe
s to the old mall. No power over there.”

  Amity tapped her fingers against the shotgun barrel, lost in some deep, murderous contemplation. The others in the back watched her, expectant, while Callie drove the van down a long ramp and into a gloomy corridor lined with empty parking spaces.

  “Standard practice is three agents to a vehicle,” said Amity. “That makes seven in pursuit. Two in the helicopter, Reed and a pilot. That’s a mere nine, and we have the tactical and psychological advantage.”

  “You’re planning to fight,” said Kade.

  “A bloodbath would give Reed no choice but to intervene. And when he comes down here, I’ll finally pay out justice for his treachery. Callie, park us on the bottom floor near a stairwell. Isaac, I’m going to require one final favor. I assure you that you won’t be in any danger, and Open Hand will reward you for your assistance.”

  Isaac blinked. “Reward? What kind of reward?”

  “If you want to be clean, we’ll help you become clean. If you’d rather have your drugs of choice, I’ll arrange that instead. All I need is your cooperation.”

  “Amity!” said Riva, and Amity flushed.

  “Given the circumstances…” Amity cleared her throat. “I’m only trying to get us out of this alive.”

  “I’m not denying that.” Riva touched her bandaged hand to the mesh, and a hint of emotion flickered in Isaac’s bloodshot eyes. “Isaac, please think carefully before you answer.”

  “No more drugs,” he said, his voice thick. “I want to be clean.”

  Kade patted him on the shoulder. “I’ll fight beside you, Amity, but I can’t condone bringing Riva and Zeke into this. They’re non-combatants.”

  “There’s a reason Nikolas allows me to stay as his second-in-command. Have a little faith, and I’ll demonstrate it. However…” Amity averted her gaze. “I will need your help, Lexi.”

  Lexi smirked. “Obviously.”

  CHAPTER 19

  Unsure of the plan, Kade watched as Amity held out the shotgun and a handful of shells. “Callie, have your shotgun back. Lexi, give me my pistol.” The weapons were exchanged, and Callie stashed the shells into a small pouch on her hip. “It’s better if you return to being unarmed, Lexi. Your aim is terrible.”

  “No arguments there.” Lexi shoved her now-empty hands into her pockets. “I’ll just throw myself at them, all rabid and snapping.”

  “Good plan. Callie, do you have alcohol?”

  Zeke winced. “It’s going to be that bad, huh?”

  Callie retrieved a flask from the glovebox. Amity unscrewed it and took a quick sniff. “Is it because you fight better drunk?” said Callie. “Some kind of martial arts thing?”

  “Don’t be absurd.” Amity handed the flask to Isaac. “Drink some and spill the rest over yourself. Kade, give him that old blanket from the back.”

  Now it made sense. Kade passed the woolen bundle to Isaac, who held it while taking frantic gulps from the flask. No doubt Amity could have told him to drink arsenic and he’d have been intimidated enough to oblige.

  “Great plan,” said Lexi. “Can’t go wrong with blankets and booze.”

  “Shut up.” Amity pointed to one of the parking level’s gloomy corners. “Isaac, get comfortable over there. You’re a drunk who’s been sheltering here for days. You saw us get out of the van. We all ran through that door.” She indicated the nearest stairwell. “All of us, do you understand? Too many people for you to count.”

  “I keep drinking this, that’ll be true,” said Isaac. “They won’t hurt me?”

  “They have no cause to. They’re Codists, not cannibals. If they ask more questions, just mumble and feign stupidity.”

  “Feign?” Zeke said, and Callie swatted him.

  “Okay. I’ll do that.” Isaac stumbled to the corner, lay wrapped in the blanket, and splashed alcohol on himself. With the heady aroma of booze added to his seedy appearance, nobody would think he was anything other than one of the city’s many homeless. Which, of course, he was.

  “Happy birthday, Isaac,” said Lexi. “Amity, care to explain?”

  “I want them to believe we’ve all kept together,” said Amity. “In truth, Riva and Zeke will be escorted to safety while we prepare an ambush.”

  Zeke squealed. “You do know my name!”

  “No time for foolishness. Kade, Callie, get them out of here.”

  “Quit ordering me around,” said Callie. “Lexi, are you okay with this? I don’t like your chances.”

  “I’ll give it a shot,” said Lexi. “But first, I need to talk to the media. Alone.”

  Kade followed her away from the group, his apprehension mounting with every step. They stopped and confronted each other. Her face seemed timeless to him, but it was likely Lexi saw him as a stranger—not just because he’d changed, but because her anger being what it was, it would be simpler for her to perceive him that way.

  “Don’t let Riva get hurt.” Lexi spoke low and soft, without a trace of irony. “Look after her just like I used to look after you. Promise me.”

  Kade nodded. His throat and chest hurt, and the unexpected gentleness in her voice only made it worse. “I promise.”

  “Enough of your whispering,” said Amity. “You’ll see each other again shortly. Get moving now and find that overpass Isaac mentioned.”

  “Very well,” said Kade. “Callie, cover me. Zeke, Riva, stay close to her.”

  His companions fell into step behind him, and they set off across the cement floor. Isaac raised his flask as they passed him.

  Kade opened the first door he found. The stairwell beyond was lit, but the aroma of dust and mold suggested it didn’t get a lot of airing.

  They filed inside, Callie entering last with her shotgun at the ready. She’d be fine under pressure, but the strain was already showing on Zeke’s and Riva’s pinched faces.

  “Let’s go up,” said Kade. “Your footsteps will carry, so walk light.”

  He ascended the first step, one hand on the blackened metal rail. “What floor did Isaac say the overpass was on?”

  “Third,” said Callie. “You think this is going to work?”

  “Never underestimate Amity,” said Riva. “I just hope she isn’t going to gamble with Lexi’s life. We can’t let the Codists have her.”

  “You mean you’re worried about her,” said Zeke. “I bet she’s worried sick about you. You ain’t just another girl in her eyes. She don’t watch no fucking sunrise with any random lay.”

  Riva blushed. “Yes, I’m worried.”

  “Lexi’s scrappy when cornered,” Kade said. “She put me on my ass a few times when we were kids, and she did worse to anyone who tried to pick on me. She may be richer now, but I can’t imagine working for gangsters has allowed her to go soft.”

  “Plus she’s got a reflex aug,” said Callie. “I’ve seen cyborgs dodge bullets with those.”

  “Has she ever dodged a bullet?” said Riva.

  “Lexi? I doubt it. Nobody’s dumb enough to shoot at her. She’s been given special protection by both Vassago and Contessa.”

  “Was given protection,” said Zeke. “She can’t rely on those gangland friends no more. They’re all fucking pussies, scared of the shut-ins.” He grinned. “But don’t you worry. She and Amity are gonna kick some ass.”

  The next landing featured a sign: Floor 3. Don’t Forget Your Ticket! Kade nudged the door open. Intervals of sunlight and shadow striped a long stretch of cement in front of him. Perhaps twenty meters distant, a low barrier overlooked a view of crumbled rooftops. The chopping sound of the helicopter remained audible, but the skyline was clear.

  “You three hang back a second,” Kade said.

  “Okay.” Callie hefted her shotgun. “Be careful.”

  Kade sprinted to the cover of a ceiling support. Just around the corner, a pedestrian bridge spanned the expanse between the parking lot’s third level and a multi-story shopping mall.

  He beckoned to the others, who dashed to join him.
“We’re going across.”

  “Okay,” said Callie. “But as soon as I can, I’m going back to help out Lexi.”

  “Sure. I know how you feel.”

  Zeke took the lead, glancing around him as if expecting Codists to crawl over the railings. Kade followed with his pistol ready, and Riva kept close to Callie. When the group had made it halfway across the overpass, the sound of the rotors cut out.

  “He’s gone,” said Zeke, staring upward. “Fucker ran away.”

  “More like he’s landed,” said Callie. “We’d have seen him flying off.”

  “Then a hundred bucks says Amity puts a bullet in his brain. Problem solved. Now can we get off this damn bridge?”

  “I’ve never seen so much of Foundation.” Riva stood by the railing, wondering at the westward view. In its prime, those skyscrapers and spires must have been an imposing sight. Now they were nothing but steel bones. “Does every major city look like this?”

  Callie joined Riva at the railing. “Port Venn is nicer, at least. It has streets with controlled traffic, a proper power grid and everything. And there’s those new townships built by the republics up north. Too many laws there, though. Easier to live here and steal from the shut-ins.”

  “I’d like to explore someday, but I don’t know if I’d be brave enough. How would I survive without Amity and Nikolas?”

  “Don’t underestimate yourself,” said Kade. “You seem capable to me.”

  “You’ll see more of the world.” Callie touched Riva’s hand. “I promise.”

  “Um, friends,” said Zeke. “Comrades. Guys. Can we have this poignant moment later? You know, when nobody is trying to kill us?”

  “Yeah.” Kade gave Riva a pat on the back. “Let’s get inside.”

  * * *

  The mall’s sliding doors had been smashed and the glass swept away. Callie took a cautious step through the frame. “No lights.”

  “Uh-huh,” said Kade. At the other end of the darkened hall, a hint of daylight suggested the presence of windows, but the intervening shadows were far from inviting. “Guess we’ll be careful.”

  “Or prepared.” Callie took a stubby flashlight from her hip pouch and directed its beam down the hall. The light swept across chipped plastic tiles, exposed wiring and white walls smeared with dust.