Killswitch Chronicles- The Complete Anthology

by G. R. Carter

  “Alright then, so what’s the difference between killing them with a bullet, a bomb, or with Lancer?”

  “Just seems wrong somehow,” Sam mumbled.

  “That’s your wife talking.” Alex stopped cold. He’d meant to think that instead of saying it.

  Sam didn’t waste the energy defending his wife. His loyalty to Alex, and her disdain for Alex, stuck in their marriage like a thorn. Celeste only deferred to the Founder because she had to, not because she believed he was right…ever.

  Alex’s chuckle gave Julia a shiver. “Lancer is on the table for discussion. The Caliphate calls me Alexander the Terrible. I don’t want to let them down, now do I?”

  Chapter Seven

  City of Columbia

  ARK Command Center

  Essie sat in a large open room, surrounded by people who hated her, and she was trying to keep from nodding off. It wasn’t that she lacked interest in the spirited discussion going back and forth, she just hadn’t slept in what felt like days. Her full stomach lulled her to nap, encouraged by the room’s heater apparently possessing only two levels, full blast and off. The dim lights also didn’t help her attention, though the subject matter made her fight to stay awake.

  A bright white map of the middle of the North American continent was projected on a blank wall. Standing near a metal and glass box where the image emanated from, a man used his silhouetted hand to point to places of interest.

  Essie heard Nicole’s voice interrupt the speaker. “How far have they advanced in the last few weeks?”

  Essie tried to remember who “they” were. The speaker reminder her: “The Nuevos have reached Tulsa. We haven’t had any communication from the city for almost three days now.”

  “Evacuations?”

  “All non-combatants were sent to Wichita. We’re organizing a relief column and an airlift, but I’d really like to have more information before committing more resources.”

  There was silence in the room; everyone was waiting for Nicole to continue. “Those are our people, Governor Romano,” she scolded. “They are not just resources. This religion of the Nuevos – this Santa Muerte they follow – you know, it’s not like another government is taking over. We’re talking about human sacrifice, slavery…true evil.”

  The second-generation leader in ARK didn’t back down. “And the extra people we would commit to trying to save a lost cause would be unfair to those making the sacrifice,” he shot back. Pietro Romano’s family loyalty was unquestionable. That’s why he ruled the innermost province of ARK, situated halfway between the White City and Independence. His mother had been one of the first to sign on with Tony Diamante when he seized control of St. Louis – she had been the mayor at the time – and she helped him turn the city into the capital of a far-flung empire. The Romano family’s eldest son perished during the war against Mt. Horab; with that sacrifice and their history, a Romano could question without disrespecting.

  “Acknowledged,” Nicole said. She shifted gears seamlessly. “Give me the situation of the rest of the Empire.”

  Essie shifted in her seat. People raised in the Okaw hated the idea of empires and kings, though the true nature of their own governmental structure caused some to accuse them of hypocrisy. It was the first time she’d heard Nicole use the term so cavalierly.

  Romano didn’t seem at all phased by the description. All ARK leaders accepted their place as nobility. “We’re getting rolled,” he said calmly. “Too spread out with too few trained men. Between Mt. Horab and the fall of the White City…”

  Essie felt eyes boring in on her from around the room. She wasn’t sure if everyone was really looking at her, but it sure felt that way.

  Romano continued. “We’ve had to shift all of our reserves to the east to shield against the Caliphate. That just leaves us too thin in the west against the Nuevos.”

  “Any word from Texarkana?”

  Romano shook his head. “Not recently. Tony handled all that, so whatever info he gave you is all we have right now. Last we knew, they were still holding out. Got a pretty large bubble they’re protecting down there. Figure they’ve got their own problems, so don’t count on much help from them.”

  “Withdraw and consolidate?” Nicole asked.

  “Difficult to do. We promised people protection when they agreed to join ARK. The problem with a feudal system is everyone is still loyal to their local province. Hard to convince them to give up their cities and farms for the greater good of the Empire.”

  “I guess they have the choice to stay behind. Sorry if that sounds heartless, but we lose some or we lose all. Those are our choices right now,” she concluded.

  “I’d suggest we reinforce Wichita. Keep that as our western line of no retreat. Otherwise, Independence is in real trouble.”

  “Agreed. And to the south?”

  “As close to Arkansas as possible. The Nuevos will have trouble in the hill country. We can use superior training there to overcome their numbers.”

  Another voice interjected. “The Nuevos are using aircraft to spot our troops. That takes away a lot of our hit-and-run against them.”

  Nicole turned to look at Romano. “Where are our planes?”

  “Most are sitting at Whitman, the converted crop dusters like we copied from the Red Hawks. We didn’t get the new pilots trained in time. The best went to the skyship fleet, so they’re gone. We had several in Tulsa before we lost contact. We’ve got the few remaining here in reserve, like a just-in-case.”

  “I think our just-in-case is here, Governor,” Nicole said. “I want every able-bodied Peacekeeper and asset either west of here or east of here. Skeleton crews for security here in the interior. Can we agree on that?”

  Romano’s acknowledgement was barely perceptible. He clearly didn’t enjoy the idea of his home being undefended. Nicole stood up and looked at the back of the room, right at Essie. She waved her hand towards her. Essie turned around to look to the side and then behind. Then she pointed at herself. Nicole scowled.

  Uncomfortable – eyes really were following her now – she made her way to where Nicole stood at the front of the room.

  “For those of you who don’t know,” Nicole said in her most confident Premier voice, “this young lady is none other than Essie Hamilton.”

  Essie half-expected gasps and shouts. The silent, icy glare she received was worse.

  “I know we have some hard feelings between us. Essie has made it very clear how she feels about me. I’m sure there are many in this room who even now find it offensive for her to be standing here.” Nicole didn’t acknowledge the death glare Essie gave her.

  “But she also saved my life, and the lives of Tony’s children, in the escape from the White City. Without her, we wouldn’t have made it out. Not alive, and not with the information you’ve all been combing through for the last few hours. I’m not going to claim we’re even. I don’t know if I understand what that means anymore. But what I do know is that we’re fighting a common enemy. Whatever our differences were in the past, I hope that we can work with the Red Hawks to fight the horde. I fear only by cooperating can we stand up to such long odds. Especially as we face a two-front war.”

  She pointed up at the wall. “That’s not a pretty picture, ladies and gentlemen. There’s not a lot of room for error on that map. We don’t have to be friends with the Red Hawks, but I believe it would be wise for us to at least work together to defeat the Caliphate. Those black flags are flying on the Republic’s borders just the same as ours. I understand there are already Red Hawk towns and farms under siege.”

  Romano cut in. “Premier,” he said, sending a powerful message to the assembly by using Tony’s former title, “I understand your concern. But you must understand, that woman killed my brother. Nearly everyone in this room has a colleague or family member gone because of her and the Hamiltons. I’d rather fight outnumbered than join with them.”

  “I’ve been there, Governor. I’ve spent time with the Hamiltons,
met their religious leaders. I see now what Tony liked about them for so long. Frankly, I’m not sure how we our alliance got off track. I don’t want us to be like them, but that doesn’t mean we can’t work together.”

  She took a deep breath. The next part was going to be tricky politics. “In the back of our minds, we all know ARK strayed from its original mission a few years back. I was just as guilty as anyone, I can see that now. Admitting that doesn’t make our losses any easier to take.”

  Memories of Tony fought to come out, thoughts of a happier time when it was the two of them building a new world. Everyone who was still alive this long after the Reset had experienced loss. Heartache and common grief didn’t seem to resonate like vengeance, somehow. Nicole felt relief when words finally came, breaking the ominous silence.

  “My fiancé was killed in Mt. Horab,” Essie said. If she could have killed with the tone, everyone in the room would have perished. “He burned to death after your bombings. I don’t expect any of you to be sorry for that. I killed a good portion of those directly responsible, and if I’d had a chance, I would have killed the rest of you.”

  Nicole struggled for what to say. This wasn’t helping.

  “But what Diamante says has some merit. I guess we all get caught up in our little sandbox, forgot to worry about the bigger picture. My brother – both my brothers – are always trying to get people to see that. To stop thinking about just themselves. Think on those impacted by your decisions, even future generations. Alex is really big on that,” Essie said with a distant smile. She sighed. “Look, people, I just want to go home. I want to hug my big oaf stupid brothers and my know-it-all older sister.”

  The smile on her young face faded, adding years to her appearance. “But I guess that’s not in the cards for me just yet. If you’ll take the help, I’ll train a squadron of those Raptors for you. That’s what us Red Hawks call the crop dusters you got stashed. I’ll lead them for you, clear the sky of those Nuevos that’ve been worryin’ you. Then, when we’ve got them whipped, I’ll get my brothers to help you go against the black flags. Those two like to fight, even if they claim they don’t. They’ll be up for it.”

  The room remained silent. An uncomfortable second seemed to stretch into a minute. “Well then, I guess we have more work ahead of us,” Pietro Romano finally spoke. “Miss Hamilton, I’ll see that you get everything you need to get that squadron in the air.”

  “You have my oath. I’ll help you until we’ve beaten these crazies.”

  “How long do you think it will take to have them combat ready?” Nicole asked her.

  Essie ran her fingers through her thick, curly hair, thinking. What would Sam say in this situation? She’d never led a squadron of her own, let alone built one. “I’d say two months or so to get any kind of unit cohesion.”

  “You’ve got two weeks,” Nicole replied. “If the Nuevos have already overrun Tulsa, Wichita is in big-time danger. Plus, the threat coming through the hill country needs to be dealt with.”

  Essie shrugged. “No promises. Just get me to those planes and I’ll have a couple up and chasing the bad guys right away. We can go quicker in pairs instead of squadron-level.”

  Nicole nodded to her, then to Romano. “Thanks again for the briefing, Governor. If you don’t mind, I’ll see Essie out. Then we can pick up our discussions after. Acceptable?” she asked.

  “Of course, Premier.”

  “Good. Then I’ll get Miss Hamilton settled in her quarters. We’ll resume after supper.” She pointed the way toward a long hallway and together they walked to the exit.

  Just before they reached the door, Essie stopped. She stood for a moment in thought, then looked up at the ceiling and let out a low shout, “You just never stop! Always an angle to be played.”

  Essie wheeled quickly and pushed herself close to Nicole’s face. She was several inches taller than average, usually allowing her to intimidate both men and women. Nicole was unfazed.

  “You manipulative little witch,” Essie growled. “You played that religion card like a pro. You set me up with all this talk of devil worshipers, knowing all along I’d volunteer to fly those planes. Probably even before we got here. You had it all planned out, didn’t you!”

  Her eyes were on fire. “How about I grab that first plane of yours and just fly back home? I don’t want to fight for people like you.”

  “You gave your word, in front of God and everyone. I thought Red Hawks never break their oath, right?” Nicole asked.

  “Not an oath given in front of murderers! Not an oath based on lies!”

  Nicole shrugged. “Not lies. I never misled you about anything. Santa Muerte is the real deal, Essie. The Nuevos are very real, very powerful, and very evil.”

  Nicole put her hands up on Essie’s shoulders. Her smile was somewhere between motherly and school principal. “Maybe I helped you see the best choice for all of us, sure. Sweetheart, you do what’s necessary to protect what you love.”

  She let go and turned to walk out the door into the chill. “Stick with me, young lady,” she said without turning back. “I can teach you a thing or two about getting people to do what you need them to.”

  Chapter Eight

  Downtown Beardstown

  Western Frontier of the Red Hawk Republic

  Levi and Oliver followed Father Steve down a moonlit sidewalk, their night sight aided just enough by weak gas lights interspersed along the street. The night air was cold and thick with the pungent smell of smoke from hundreds of small fires burning for heat and light all over town. Every empty lot and yard had a tent of some type, and each tent seemed to have a half-barrel smoldering right outside the entrance.

  “I think the fires make me as nervous as the ditchers,” Oliver said, mostly to himself. Burning was one of the greatest threats in a world once more largely illuminated by open flame, both to a ship or a densely-packed walled town. There was no 911 to call like there had been in his youth. If Beardstown burned because someone accidentally knocked over a lamp, it wouldn’t be the first post-Reset town to meet such a fate.

  The trio arrived at the front door of the town’s post office, where Lori Hamilton had set up her base of operations. Light leaked out through metal shutters fastened over narrow windows set into the brick two-story building. Lori’s personal residence was in the former auto parts store right next door, though she spent little time away from the endless tasks of running a frontier province.

  Father Steve pounded on the outer door. Immediately the sound of a metal bar sliding through and clanking on the other side told them they had been watched the whole time. As they stepped in, they were greeted by one of a dozen guards always surrounding Lori. She had resisted the fuss, of course – and Alex Hamilton had in turn ignored his sister’s protestations. Anyone who thought twelve Silver Shields couldn’t make a difference against overwhelming odds had never witnessed them in action. Almost as important, their loyalty to the Hamilton family was absolutely without question.

  The gray-clad young woman guarding the door winked at Father Steve, exchanging quick pleasantries as he passed by. She nodded politely at Oliver and Levi, both well respected by the Shield for their accomplishments in the battle of Mt. Horab, but still considered outsiders to be watched closely.

  Every member of the Shield Levi met looked like a loaded weapon, male or female, with a muscular build apparent even through their heavy uniforms. The woman guarding the door was nearly the height of Captain Oliver, who himself was above average in size. Levi guessed the same of her strength. The regimen for qualification was legendary among the provinces. She had a look he’d noticed, difficult to describe but common among members of the Shield. Not quite a smile, or a grin really…just a look. Confidence exuded from every move a Silver Shield made and the few words they spoke.

  Another Silver Shield stood in the opposite corner, watching them intently, looking ready to spring on them at the slightest hint of trouble. Levi knew the others were somewhere close –
the roof, in the upper floor windows, maybe even watching them right now. They were on his side, of that there was no doubt. He truly was glad they were present. Still, the atmosphere left him a little unsettled.

  “I’m back here, Father,” Lori’s voice shouted from the furthest corner room serving as her office, and often her sleeping quarters.

  As they walked in, Lori turned from a large map hanging on the wall. Levi could see it was topographical, a detailed representation of the land between the Illinois River and the larger Mississippi to the west.

  He startled a bit when he realized someone else was in the room. A lean man in buckskin shirt and trousers stood smiling like a wolf. Tattoos of vines spread over toast-colored skin. His eyes were hawk-like, with squint lines from the same sun that gave his skin color.

  “Wasson of Saline!” Father Steve nearly shouted. “It is so great to see you. The Creator keeps you well!”

  The two men embraced with bear hugs and a back slap. “Thank you, Father. The Creator blesses me, it’s true. And you as well,” the Shawnee Tracker replied. His phrasing was as odd as his appearance to strangers.

  “Lori told me there was a message she had for me tonight. I didn’t know you’d be delivering it.”

  “Our Founder put me on a ship to get here as quickly as possible,” Wasson replied.

  Lori noticed Oliver’s confusion. “Landship, Captain. Alex sent one out here just to bring Wasson and some additional Silver Shields.”

  “That had to be quite a journey,” Oliver said to Wasson.

  He nodded in reply. “We are fortunate our Founder brought that entire area under the Republic’s control. But the roads deteriorate a bit more each year, so the ship’s captain said. And the ruins of Springfield are full of spirits. They say those spirits keep the fires smoldering even now after all this time.”