The National Security Advisor shook his head. “We can’t sit here and do nothing. We need to—”
“It won’t work, by the way,” Senator Johnston interrupted. “The bait plan.”
“What? You think it’s immune to nuclear weapons?”
“I don’t know about that, but you’re missing the obvious.” Senator Johnston gestured toward Ambassador Yona. “Our Vax friend is ignoring cities now, but when he appeared, he was in a city, and he destroyed it. Even if we can lure him out to the desert by sticking James Brownstone there, there is still the distinct possibility the Vax will end up in the middle of LA. If he does, he’ll probably spend at least a little time sightseeing in an unpleasant manner before he chases after James Brownstone.”
The National Security Advisor scrubbed a hand over his face. “Then what do we do? If the Oricerans can’t or won’t stop him and he does come over, I don’t think a few Marines will be enough.”
“We need to give him what he wants,” Senator Johnston suggested. “If James Brownstone doesn’t leave LA, that’ll keep the Vax there, and James Brownstone is our best bet for beating this thing without nukes or strategic-level magic.”
Everyone stared at Senator Johnston as if tentacles had popped out of his head.
“And what?” the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs asked. “We let this happen in LA? First of all, we don’t even know if Brownstone can win.”
“No, we don’t,” Senator Johnston replied. “But he’s had a long time and a lot of strange creatures to adapt to. I’d give him good odds. Plus, a man defending his home is always going to fight harder than a man coming from the outside to mess with him. I think we at least give him the chance.”
“And if he fails?” The Chairman stared at him, his eyebrow raised in challenge.
“Then I suggest we use both nuclear weapons and strategic-level spells. We drop everything we have until there’s nothing left.”
Ambassador Yona snorted. “You would kill millions of your own people to destroy one creature? You yourself just mentioned a risk of global war.”
“I’m only offering that as a final suggestion. Maybe we can toss him in a trench or something if we get lucky, but if your people couldn’t send him to the World in Between, I doubt any clever spells or tricks we can come up with would work.” Senator Johnston smiled disarmingly. “And, no, I don’t intend for anyone other than James Brownstone to be at risk if at all possible.”
The National Security Advisor returned to looking confused. “How are you going to manage that? Try to lock them in with shield spells?”
“I suspect the Vax could get through that. No, the easiest way to ensure no one is hurt is to make sure they aren’t there to begin with.”
“Huh?”
Senator Johnston gestured widely. “I suggest we completely evacuate Los Angeles and Orange Counties.”
Stunned silence gripped the table. If they did what he suggested, they would be undertaking one of the greatest mass evacuations in human history, affecting tens of millions of people. It might even be the largest.
“That’s insane,” the National Security Advisor objected. “And if we start to evacuate them because of the Vax, what’s to stop all those other countries you mentioned lobbing their nukes to stop an alien invasion? Make up your mind, Angus.”
“I have no intention of announcing to the world that an invasion is taking place.” Senator Johnston smiled. “I’m here in this room because the President has invested me with unusual authority in many matters related to the non-Oriceran extraterrestrial issue, and it is in this capacity that I recommend we recruit James Brownstone to fight the Vax, and we evacuate the area to ensure minimum collateral damage.”
“And you’re going to do all of that without admitting the reason?”
Senator Johnston nodded. “That is the idea.”
“How?”
Senator Johnston laughed. “By doing what politicians do best: lying.”
Chapter Ten
A couple of hours later, Senator Johnston was going through contingency plans on his computer when there was a knock on his door. He wasn’t expecting anyone, and he didn’t like being surprised.
Plastering on a smile, the senator reached for the desk drawer where he kept a .38 loaded with anti-magic bullets. “Come on in.”
The door opened to reveal a handsome dark-haired man in a suit—Sentry 8224, or as he liked humans to call him, Corey.
“Well, now,” Senator Johnston offered. “This is unexpected. I would have thought you would have made an appointment like you did in the past.” He kept his hand on the gun beneath his desk.
“I apologize for approaching you directly, but the circumstances required it. This one time we can’t sit around playing games and discussing possibilities is during a crisis.” The Shepherd tapped the silver bracelet he wore. He’d admitted it was a technological device in the past when directly asked.
“I’m a US senator, my alien friend. I’m always dealing with a crisis. Would you care to be more specific in this instance?”
Corey sneered and shook his head. “Your flippancy is amusing, considering your planet is on the verge of destruction.”
Senator Johnston chuckled. “Now you sound like a passionate young person. Crisis this. Crisis that. Again, what are you talking about?”
Determining what Corey knew would help ascertain what sort of intelligence the alien could collect when the US government kept information from him.
“There’s a Vax Purifier on Oriceran right now,” Corey declared. “It has already destroyed one town. Don’t try to deny it. I know it. I’ve seen it.”
“I haven’t denied anything.” Senator Johnston tossed his gun back in the drawer and ignored the flick of the alien’s eyes toward the side of the desk. “I just wanted to make sure we were about to discuss the same issue. It doesn’t hurt to be careful. After all, it’s not like I want to accidentally pass on classified information to a…foreign national.”
Corey narrowed his eyes. “This is an unusual situation. The Forerunner didn’t summon the Vanguard, but that doesn’t make this situation any less dangerous regardless of the slight shift in Vax tactics. It’s not too late, though. You can request formal, open assistance from the Alliance. Even if this creates some difficulties with our open-contact protocols, we can help, especially if the Oricerans can generate a portal large enough to allow ships to go to their world.” A forced smile took over his face. “I understand there are political ramifications pertaining to the use of certain types of weapons for both the Oricerans and your Earth governments. We could provide a way out of that conundrum. We could take out the Vax without you using any of your weapons or spells of mass destruction.”
Senator Johnston snorted and narrowed his eyes. The alien was always underestimating him. Advanced technology might have let Corey spy on him somehow, but he needed better info when dealing with a detail-oriented man.
“Ships?” Senator Johnston asked. “Now that’s an interesting word choice, because I’m fairly certain that when we last discussed this, you told us there was only one small ship present in our solar system.”
“A Vax Purifier has appeared, and you’re quibbling over sovereignty?” Corey shook his head. “Pride will lead to nothing but your planet becoming a burned-out husk.”
Senator Johnston leaned forward and folded his hands. “Let me lay it out for you, my alien friend: even if the Oricerans could portal over some Alliance ship from orbit to above Oriceran, which is a big if, considering the limits magic has when you get away from the surface of the planet, I highly doubt they would do it. They’re even more skittish about weapons of mass destruction than we are. So give it up. It’s a dream.” He shrugged. “Besides, neither Oriceran nor Earth needs the Alliance’s help.”
Corey scoffed. “Then how do you intend to stop the Purifier? The Oricerans have already failed, and the fact that we’re even having this discussion proves they can’t. In every battle, an already strong foe
grows stronger.”
“It’s easy to stop an ultimate weapon.”
“How?”
Senator Johnston gestured grandly. “With another ultimate weapon.”
“Brownstone?” Corey shook his head in disbelief. “That’s your big plan? You’re just going to throw Brownstone at the Vax?”
“I intend to ask him politely, but I’m not worried. He’s already made it clear that he’s more than happy to fight any Vax who might arrive. So, you see, your assistance is not needed at this time since we have access to other advanced alien technology.”
Corey took a few steps toward Senator Johnston, his face tight. Senator Johnston reached into the drawer and gripped the gun again.
“You don’t understand.” Corey hissed. “A Forerunner is nothing more than a glorified scout. That’s why it calls the Vanguard, and a Purifier is far worse than the Vanguard. It can also summon Destroyers, which are also far worse. James Brownstone can’t win, and that’s assuming he doesn’t betray your planet the first chance he gets.”
Senator Johnston clucked his tongue. “Now, now, that’s an awful thing to say. I have faith in James Brownstone, far more than I do in the Nine Systems Alliance. Let me make that clear up front.”
Something approaching panic covered Corey’s face. “Even if Brownstone doesn’t join his people, there is still the risk that they can gain access to his adaptation potential. It’s bad enough that we have one Vax exposed to magic, and now we have another. Soon, more will come.” He shook his head. “You’re forcing the Alliance into a dangerous position.”
Senator Johnston frowned. “I’m going to have to ask you to clarify exactly what you mean by that.”
“Even setting aside the threat to the lives on Oriceran and Earth, the Alliance can’t allow the Vax to successfully invade and adapt to both worlds. We’ll do what we have to do, even if you don’t agree.”
“That sounds like a threat to the ears of this old human.”
Corey spun on his heel. “Consider it a warning. We’ll do everything we can to minimize collateral damage, but if you won’t work with us, we’ll have no choice but to solve the problem ourselves.” He stepped outside and slammed the office door closed behind him.
Senator Johnston sighed and shook his head. He pulled out his phone to make a call.
I suspected this would happen, and I’m glad we took precautions.
Chapter Eleven
James pulled out of the gas station onto the street. He often wondered how long it would be before he wasn’t able to fuel up his truck anymore. Every year there were fewer gas stations and more charging stations. When he looked around, more electric vehicles filled the road than gas-powered vehicles.
This truck is from a different era.
It wasn’t like James could blame his choice of vehicles on being old. He might be closing in on forty, but he had a few years yet. He had always preferred the growl of a nice V8, even when he was a teen. The world might be changing, but there were a few things he wanted to hold onto forever. If magic could exist, he didn’t see why a man couldn’t own a classic truck.
I’m asking Shay about kids, but we still don’t even know how long I’m gonna live. Maybe the Vax don’t care about their hosts lasting that long, or am I gonna be pulling that elf shit and live for centuries? It’s not like anyone fucking knows for sure.
James grunted and changed lanes. He pushed the thought out of his mind. Worrying about how long he might live approached the most pointless thing he could do at that moment. Why worry about something he couldn’t control? That was the essence of how someone made their life complicated.
“I had this truck before I met Shay,” James muttered. “And I’m gonna spend the rest of my life with her.”
There had been repairs throughout the years, but it wasn’t like every piece of his truck had been replaced. The soul of the original vehicle remained—the essence of the machine that had helped save his life on countless jobs.
James’ phone rang with a call from Heather. He sent it to speaker.
“You’re supposed to be taking a few extra days off and spending them with your son,” James answered. “Shay’s got Peyton looking into all those addresses. You don’t need to worry about that shit. I thought I made that clear.”
“Where’s Shay right now?” Heather asked, panic tingeing her voice.
James frowned. “At our house. Why?”
Heather took a deep breath. “You know I monitor for anything related to you, right? I’ve got a billion filters, spiders, and algorithms on it so I don’t end up following up on a bunch of horny fangirls’ erotic fiction where you run off to Mexico with them and crap like that, but I’ve got a lot of automated James Brownstone searching going on.”
James grunted as he tried to process the onslaught of information. “Erotic fiction and Mexico? What the fuck?” He shook his head. “What’s going on exactly? You saying you found something other than horny fangirls?”
“Yes, but I’m not sure what it is. There is a lot of weird chatter on the net and certain encrypted radio bands. I dug into it a little more, and as best I can tell, the National Guard is being covertly mobilized all over California and routed toward Los Angeles County and Orange County. There are also some high-level communications with LAPD and a few other major police departments about some mysterious ‘imminent emergency declaration.’”
James frowned. “What the hell? What’s going on?”
Heather sighed. “That’s it—I don’t know. I can’t find any clear explanation, and trust me, I’ve hacked some decently high-level systems to look for them. It’s clear that the government’s about to declare some sort of emergency in those counties, but that’s not what’s got me worried.”
“What has got you worried?” James asked, his hands tightening on the wheel.
“I did find one line in a highly encrypted message to the commander of a National Guard unit being sent to LA. It was a lot of boilerplate about controlling looting and minimizing civilian injuries, but at the bottom…” Heather sucked in a breath. “It read, ‘Per our previous communication, please be advised that personnel and assets assigned to your unit may be tasked to aid in the collection of the bounty hunter. The collection is necessary prior to the beginning of Operation Red Weed.’”
“What the fuck is ‘Operation Red Weed?’” James asked.
“Red weed was a plant in Wells’ War of the Worlds. That can’t be a coincidence.”
Fuck. Am I going to have to blow up a city now?
“They might not be talking about me,” James suggested, but he didn’t believe it even as he said the words. How many other alien bounty hunters were there in LA?
“Bullshit, they aren’t. James, you need to collect Shay and get the hell out of LA. If they’re sending the military after you and talking about alien invasion books, then they’re not messing around. This is going to be worse than Fortis, because they might be sending the entire military after you.”
James scoffed. “Fuck it. Fuck them. I’m not going anywhere.”
“What?” Heather responded. “Are you listening to me? It’s very likely that within the next few hours, the government may use military forces to lock down LA, and they might be doing that to take you down.”
“I’m not running. No one will chase me out of my home. I’ve taken down too many fucking assholes and threats to this country to let any douchebags run me away from my hometown.” James growled. “I’m not gonna beat down some poor National Guard sonofabitch if I don’t have to, but I might have to cut up a few tanks or some shit to make my position clear. I bet you some politician wants to make a point.”
“Probably, but who cares? That politician might be ready to throw some nasty stuff at you.”
“If I run now, I’ll never be able to stop running,” James growled. “Where the fuck am I going to go? Argentina?”
James did a mirror check. There weren’t any drones or suspicious vehicles following him. There certainly we
ren’t any large military trucks. “Keep an eye out. I’m heading back home to get ready. I’ll grab a receiver when I’m there. I’m making my fucking stand.”
Shay slapped a magazine into a .45 pistol in James’ basement. “Don’t you have any 9mms? I prefer 9mms. Just something about them I like.”
“You know I don’t like 9mms.” James shrugged and pulled off the spacer separating his amulet from his body. Pain spiked through his upper chest as the symbiont’s tendrils spread.
Initiation, Whispy sent.
James looked at his emergency ass-kicking supplies. He didn’t have much in the way of non-lethal weapons other than a small number of sonic grenades, and Shay had taken most of those.
Fuck. It’s one thing to take down murderous bastards like Fortis, but I don’t want to hurt some poor bastard who is just doing his duty. Fuck the government bastards starting trouble.
“James,” Heather transmitted through his receiver. “You’ve got three government sedans heading your way.”
“Any soldiers?” James asked.
“I’m seeing some military vehicles loading up elsewhere in the city, but there’s nothing heading your way. Thermals indicate multiple people inside the sedans, but they don’t look like they’re carrying rifles, from what I can tell, and they aren’t even fully loaded.”
“Good. That means it’s probably more Fortis assholes, or even Daniel and his friends. I don’t have to feel bad about this.” James grabbed a few extra magazines and stuck them in the pouches in his tactical vest. “I don’t get this shit,” he rumbled. “Why would they suddenly come at me now?”
“Who the fuck knows?” Shay asked. “But please tell me you’re not planning to roll over and play nice? If the government locks you up, they might never let you out. They know how dangerous you are.”
Engage and kill the enemy, Whispy demanded.
We’ll see.
“I’m not going anywhere, and I’m not going to some CIA prison.” James grabbed a few throwing knives and tucked them into sheaths, then jogged up the stairs with Shay trailing close behind.
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