by Julian North
“Let’s get out of here,” he said as he slung the fallen soldier’s force rifle over his shoulder.
“Not yet.”
“But you just—”
“On the second floor there are four fabrication machines. I need you to blast the hell out of them. Set this place on fire if you can.”
He stared hard at me. “They’ll just replace them, and anything else here.”
Kristolan cannot be replaced. Whatever they are using her shattered body for, it must end.
“We can slow them down,” I said. “We need to do as much damage as we can to this place—I need you to do what I ask. I have things that I must do. Is Kristolan on this level?”
Rhett stared at me. “I think she’s above, on the same floor you were held.”
“Her torment must end. Also, I need some time with the surviving soldiers on the next level. One of them must have an idea of where they took Nythan.”
Annoyance flashed in Rhett’s eyes. “How are you going to—”
“I’m not like you.” I tapped my head. “You’ve seen a part of what I am, what I can do. I’m grateful for what you have done, but I need you to do even more. When it is done, meet me back here, and we’ll move Alexander.” Rhett’s face hardened as I barked orders at him. I forced myself to take a deep breath. “Please.”
Rhett dropped his depleted pistol and grabbed a second force rifle as he walked silently out of the room. I spun back to Alexander, placing two fingers on his forehead. “I’m going to get you out of here, I promise. I’ll be back soon.”
I scrambled upstairs in search of soldiers who had survived the explosion outside the upper level’s security door. There were three who had not yet passed into the void where I dared not follow. Only one was conscious; all their minds were fevered. What I did was dangerous, and unpleasant. At death’s door, that which is most primal was unleashed. Fear pervaded most of their thoughts. Images of mothers, children, spouses, and regrets dominated the soldiers’ last moments, but I had neither time nor mercy for those who had gotten what they deserved. I trilled, scavenging ruthlessly through the private, final thoughts of the soldiers until I found what I needed.
None knew where Nythan had been taken, or even who he was. But they knew the markings of the v-copter that shuttled prisoners to the Fishkill detention facility in Bronx City, and that it had arrived back at the platform empty three days ago—the only time that had ever happened. That was the day Rhett thought Nythan had been taken off the platform. I wasn’t certain he was still at Fishkill, but it seemed a likely bet. And I had plenty of other reasons to visit that place—that was where I would start. But this would end only when Virginia Timber-Night was dead. I intended a worse fate than mere death for Havelock. I made my vow of vengeance amid Virginia’s dead soldiers. I intended no pity or mercy for anyone who stood against my hunger for vengeance.
I took a force pistol and searched the rest of the floor till I found Kristolan, or her shell at least. I stared at her, enclosed in a glass cage, her skin tinged a sickly amber. An enormous black device, even bigger than the one on Alexander, was attached to the back of her skull. Transmitters and wires were attached to at least a dozen places on her body. Drool dripped from her mouth. Kristolan reminded me of a Z-pop addict close to the end.
That isn’t Kristolan. End it, pleaded the anguished voice inside me.
I yanked the trigger of my force pistol. I fired until the duraglass shattered. I put three more blasts through Kristolan’s body. Mercy shots, all of them. I couldn’t escape that I had been responsible for putting her in this place. Havelock had known about her, had used her—for something horrible.
Rhett found me standing over what was left of Kristolan. He had Alexander’s inert form slung over one shoulder like a sack of grain. “Daniela!” he barked at me.
Rhett’s call yanked me from my trance. His face was flushed. My eyes flickered over Alexander’s limp body.
“A razorFish has landed with reinforcements. Elite troops in heavy combat armor. I saw battleMech drones too. Force rifles will be useless, and I presume even your… talents won’t work on the machines. This time we really do need to run. I did what I could to their fabricators. Those machines, at least, are gone.”
“I’ve got what I need as well.”
“Then let’s get the hell out of here already.”
“The dead soldiers outside still have unused explosives charges. I saw them. Will the fire you set ignite those?”
“Yes. It might not be enough to take down the whole building, but it will add to the damage. This place will be wrecked.”
“Then let’s go.”
We climbed to the roof as quickly as we dared with Alexander slung over Rhett’s shoulder. A biting wind nearly knocked me off my feet as I opened the access door. I helped Rhett as he struggled up the final stairs. My eyes fixed on a gleaming star in the black curtain of night that was brighter than the rest. It was moving toward us.
“We’re five minutes past the pick-up deadline,” Rhett said.
I had no fear of being left here, although perhaps I should have. “Your uncle isn’t the type to give up on people so easily. They’ll be back.”
“You’re right about my uncle, but I doubt he’s flying the aircraft,” Rhett shot back. He flicked his viser. A confirmation beeped back a moment later. We still had a ride. Rhett glared at me.
The star kept getting closer and brighter. It had to be our escape flight. I dared to let my hopes rise. That was always a mistake. A flare of blood-tinged gold erupted from the black sea surrounding the platform. It hurled into the sky, propelled by the brilliant fire beneath it.
“Jack-A,” Rhett swore. “Surface-to-air missile. The platform’s weapon systems are down, but those patrol frigates are still out there.”
I swallowed hard. I didn’t want anyone else to die for me. The ship that was firing was too far away for me to do anything, and the missile had been launched in any case. We watched it rise, heading right for our rescue aircraft. The approaching light banked right, but the missile adjusted its course. It would hit in seconds. I thought about the men and woman on board that aircraft. More deaths to be avenged.
Yet just when I was certain the aircraft would be destroyed, the projectile inexplicably swerved, doing a strange waggle in the sky before heading off on an altered course. It exploded a moment later in a blazing cascade that momentarily illuminated the sky and the ocean.
“What was that?”
Rhett looked shocked and relieved. “Electronic warfare capabilities of some kind. They must have disrupted its guidance system. But I’m not sure how. Those frigates have state-of-the-art weapons. Nothing my uncle has could’ve penetrated their jamming shields.”
“He appears to have found a way—your uncle would do well in the barrio.”
Rhett nodded. “Mean as an old mutt, but just as loyal.”
The inbound aircraft was a razorFish. It came in fast. Weapon fire from the platform’s surface greeted its arrival. The aircraft swerved and rocketed over the platform without slowing, barely dodging the force blasts aimed in its direction. It swung around to the far side of the platform, putting the research building between it and the newly landed special forces on the opposite side, denying them a firing angle. The razorFish flew directly at us, hugging the ocean waves below, then rose just high enough to glide over a portion of the roof. A ramp dropped from its belly, and Rhett and I ran on board as quickly as we dared. The landing bridge began to retract before we made it inside. The aircraft went into a hard turn toward the sea the moment the hatch closed behind us. Still, it wasn’t fast enough. An explosion rocked the craft before I’d taken my second step. Rhett and Alexander toppled to the ground in front of me. The aircraft lurched, and I stumbled as well.
As the razorFish began to wobble, the pilot shouted, “They’ve clipped the starboard engine! We’re losing speed.”
A calm, almost quiet voice answered. Somehow the words carried over the fray on b
oard despite being little more than a whisper. “Keep her steady, Captain. This aircraft only needs one engine to fly.”
I looked up from the floor as the speaker made his way toward me.
It was Jalen Aris-Putch.
Chapter 3
Jalen offered me his hand.
I reached up, and his long fingers grasped mine. There was strength in his grip, and in the young man. Jalen wore a military-style uniform of deep indigo, an American flag on the shoulder, but no indication of rank. He pulled me to my feet, while Rhett stayed on the ground with Alexander. Four soldiers in olive camouflage sat in cramped seats closer to the cockpit, two on each side of the aircraft, force rifles in their hands.
“It’s good to see you, Ms. Machado.”
“I wish you could’ve gotten here sooner.” It wasn’t a fair statement, but it was what I felt.
I kneeled again, my eyes scouring Alexander for any sign of injury from the fall. There was no blood, but no change in him either. My throat tightened.
“Missile launch,” came a cry from the cockpit.
Jalen barely blinked at the news. “Steady as she goes, pilot. We have nothing to fear from their missiles.” He didn’t even turn around.
Rhett climbed to his feet, leaving Alexander’s head cradled in my arms. “Those are arch-class missiles. How did you scramble their hardened guidance systems?”
Jalen looked at Rhett, his lips in a tight line. “You must be Rudolph’s nephew.”
“Rhett Tyler-Banks, at your service. Did my uncle send you?”
Jalen managed not to look offended, although I knew he must’ve been. “My name is Jalen Aris-Putch.” Rhett’s eyes grew wide. “I was pleased to be able to provide assistance in this situation. You might say that Daniela and I are acquaintances.”
Jalen knelt beside Alexander and me, his eyes probing the chip implanted into the base of Alexander’s skull. “Unfortunate.”
The gratitude I felt for Jalen coming here washed away on the tide of his ridiculous understatement. My voice trembled with rage. “That is what you call it? The bastards chipped him.”
Jalen’s voice was quiet ice. “Do you remember what I told you after my mother died in my arms?”
I remembered. “That someone would answer for it.”
He glanced meaningfully at Alexander. “We cannot change the past, nor can we live in the present without facing it. Honor demands answers to the sins committed upon our own. You understand this too, now. Are you with me?”
Vengeance was indeed tantalizing. I intended to have it. But I wasn’t ready to give up on Alexander. “We need to help him. We need to get him to a doctor. And we need to get Nythan back.”
“I am no scientist, no doctor, Daniela. But I’ve not heard of any person being released with their mind intact once they have been chipped. The process damages the mind irreparably. I chose to let my mother die in peace. Will you not do the same for Alexander?”
I clenched my jaw. “Get me a doctor—a good one.”
Jalen closed his eyes for a moment, then nodded. “As you wish.”
“Rhett, help me strap Alexander into a seat.”
Once we had secured Alexander, I turned again to Jalen. “How is it that you are here?”
Something like a smile crept onto his face. It looked alien there. “Your friend Kortilla contacted me.”
“Kortilla?” My mouth hung open. “How?”
“I was really quite impressed with her ingenuity.” I gritted my teeth at his condescension, as if he was surprised a nope could be clever. “I fled Manhattan—with some difficulty—and disabled the communication function of my viser so Virginia could not track me. It was quite surprising to find it vibrating. Once I realized the pulses were not random, it wasn’t a great leap to realize it was old Morse code. Apparently, the vibration function is transmitted over different data feeds. The device doesn’t recognize it as communication. I arranged to speak to her on a secure line. Kortilla shared with me that you and your friends had been investigating the Bronx City chipping facility and had not returned.”
I remembered my conversation with Kortilla in the hospital. She had suggested contacting Jalen then, but I had been against it. Had I been wrong?
“And how did you know to get in touch with Rudolph Banks?”
Jalen glanced at Rhett. “While you both have been on that platform, the world has changed considerably. Mr. Banks and I were already in close contact. You had communicated your location to your uncle, but that platform was well-guarded. I had the ability to make the rescue succeed.”
“So you decided to get us out for Kortilla’s sake?”
Jalen’s eyes met mine. “No.”
My heart stopped for a moment. “Then why are you here?”
Jalen stepped closer, his voice dropping to a hoarse whisper the soldiers could not overhear. “Because I now know the true story of how you got the controlColonies out of the Ziggurat. I could not allow you to remain a prisoner.”
A thick silence descended. I hoped I kept my fear hidden, but I likely failed. My joints were weak. Jalen possessing this knowledge boded ill for me. He would see only the power I might offer him. I was now a tool to be utilized. How could Kortilla have betrayed me like this?
“You should not blame Kortilla,” Jalen said, as if reading my mind. “It was the only way I would’ve taken these risks. Alexander has some value to our cause, and I will go so far as to say that I have come to respect you, Daniela. But we are at war, and the types of resources necessary to get you off that platform are limited. A request, even from someone to whom I owe a debt, was not enough. Kortilla did what she believed she had to do. I do understand why you kept this secret, Daniela.”
My eyes narrowed on Jalen as I considered the meaning of his words. Now that he knew, what would he do? If I was important enough to utilize what had to be precious Californian technology to rescue me, what did that mean? I noticed the force pistol at Jalen’s side for the first time. I had little doubt the assault team answered to Jalen as well. He must have sensed my unease, but did nothing to dispel it. The silence grew until Rhett finally spoke.
“I contacted my uncle from the platform. He knew we were there. He would’ve gotten us out. We didn’t need you.” His voice was tinged with something hostile.
Jalen stepped back to a more comfortable distance, shaking his head slowly as he did so, the gesture almost sad. “As I said, a lot has changed in a very short period of time. That platform is located in territorial waters controlled by Virginia Timber-Night’s illegitimate government—what we refer to as the Northern States of America, but it’s more commonly just called the North these days. Do not be fooled by the deceptive ease under which we landed and departed the platform. No craft at your uncle’s disposal could have gotten close without my help.”
Rhett looked at the cockpit, then back at Jalen. “What is that device that jams the missiles?”
“It jams far more than missiles. It makes us invisible to orbital and airborne detection systems. We’re only vulnerable to visual spotting—such as during the rescue mission. Without it, you would still be in your ocean prison. Unfortunately, we have just the one device.”
“And how do you possess such technology?”
Jalen did not answer, but he did not have to. I knew it could only have come from California. I remembered the what Anise had said outside of Tuck back when wanted to persuade us that she could be useful—she had mentioned secret meetings between ArgoGood and representatives of the Californian government. It seemed she hadn’t lied about that part. Jalen had gotten something out of that meeting, it seemed.
“You mentioned Virginia’s illegitimate government—the Northern States. I take that to mean you are on the so-called legitimate side—South versus North, good versus evil?” Part of me wanted to goad him, but Jalen’s countenance didn’t change.
“Vander Hoven became the legitimate constitutional President of the United States upon the death of President Ryan-Hayes. That
is not disputable. We are all duty-bound to support him and the nation’s true government.”
I let a sour smirk creep onto my face as he spoke. I couldn’t help it. The hypocrisy of the highborn knew no bounds. I supposedly owed a duty to a man and a country that had offered me and mine nothing for our whole lives, that sent its metal monsters to torture us?
“Duty? Somehow, I doubt everyone agrees, or you wouldn’t need fancy stealth technology to reach an extraction platform in the middle of the ocean.”
Jalen replied with a grim nod. “A portion of the military has declared for Virginia, while we are relying on poorly equipped National Guard forces. Northern forces took Richmond three days ago and are now just outside Raleigh. We’ve held them there—for now. But if Raleigh falls, the Southern capital of Charlotte will be next.”
I shrugged. “I feel sorry for the men and women doing the fighting—on both sides.”
“You think this fight doesn’t concern you—”
“Drone approaching, sir,” called the pilot, his voice agitated. “Flight profile suggests it’s a starArrow.”
This time, Jalen took notice. His head turned sharply toward the cockpit. “Alter course by five degrees,” Jalen answered. “Then report the drone’s movements.”
We waited anxiously. “She’s matched our course change. She’s got our scent.”
“Best possible speed for North Carolina airspace,” Jalen barked as he turned to go.
“I thought your device made us invisible?”
“Not to a heat seeker. You better strap yourselves in.” Then he left. We did as Jalen said, grabbing seats opposite each other next to the grim-faced assault team. If the soldiers were afraid, they had been trained well enough not to show it.
I looked across the aisle at Rhett. “How is it tracking us?”
“We’re running on one engine doing twice the work, and it generates a lot more heat as it strains to keep us aloft. The starArrow is a hunter, scanning every available spectrum, including heat detection. That’s how it locked onto us.”