I glance at Gabriel again and don’t like the angry look on his face. At least, we shouldn’t have to hold the prisoner for much longer. Then Gabriel can calm down.
I check the code from the new message to see if I can learn anything from it. My brow furrows as I study it. It’s unlike any of the Xyphotech code I’ve hacked. Strange.
“What’s wrong?” asks Nav.
“Maybe it’s nothing, but it’s not a typical Xyphotech code.”
Americus’ expression darkens. “They must be working with someone. Hacking the Xyphotech drive is our top priority now,” says Americus. “Until we have enough proof, we can’t do anything.”
“Let’s get to that, Fae,” says Nav. “First, let’s get a bite to eat.”
We reach the kitchen, and I open up the fridge. Cool air blows by me as I grab a carrot from the oversized bag we got from the distribution center. It crunches as I bite into it.
“Gabriel, no!” yells Alexander.
I spin around, as do Americus and Nav next to me. Gabriel aims an assault rifle at the evolved man in the cage.
CHAPTER 16
SHOCKING BETRAYAL
“Don’t Gabriel,” warns Americus.
Gabriel fixes his cold eyes on Americus. Americus stares back, shaking his head in warning. The contest of wills lasts only a moment before Gabriel pulls the trigger.
“Nooo!”
Gabriel lowers his gun, but it’s too late. The evolved man’s body is riddled with bullets and bleeding out on the ground.
“I told you no,” Americus growls, his fists balled.
Gabriel rounds on Americus. “I’m on God’s mission. I don’t follow your orders anymore.”
Americus shakes his head. “You gave your word.”
“I’m sorry, old friend, but the promise I made to the All-Mighty far outweighs my duty to you. No one who accepts the mark can be forgiven, and they can’t be trusted. This is very clear in the bible.”
Americus’ eyes bore into Gabriel, his nostrils flaring. Gabriel’s Knights begin to congregate around him, hard looks on their faces.
Alexander stands at Americus’s side, his military shirt and long revolver making him look imposing. Brandon and Weird Tom walk up behind us. Then Asher, Silas, and all of the other Loyalists whose names I can’t remember cluster around us, everyone except Yumi, who sits on the couch.
Oh hell. Suddenly, I want to be anywhere but here.
“Drop the gun, Gabriel,” says Alexander. “You defied a direct order. Surrender yourself.”
Gabriel doesn’t move, but some of his men’s hands inch toward their guns. I slide back behind the fridge and peek out. I’m not dying for this ridiculousness.
Nav growls, her eyebrows dipped. “You’re a murderer.”
Gabriel scoffs. “He was a servant of the beast. He no longer had a soul. Now that the mark has locked itself, we have to kill them all.”
A chill runs through me at the cold edge of his voice. I glance backward, considering leaving. What about Nav, though? “Nav,” I whisper. “Come back here.”
She looks back with a scowl and waves me away, her other hand moving to her gun.
So much for that.
“The Deacon was right to kill him,” says one of his Knights.
“If anyone worships the beast, he will also drink the wine of God’s wrath,” says a pudgy Knight, as his hand creeps toward his gun.
The others nod along.
Alexander steps forward. “That’s beside the point! Americus gave you an order, and when you’re here, you follow orders. What happened to loyalty?”
Gabriel scowls. “Loyalty, Boy? I’ve been friends with Americus for thirty-five years. You’ve known him for two.”
“But I’d never betray him. Now, submit,” says Alexander.
“Don’t do it, Deacon. We have to continue the mission,” says a thin woman to Gabriel’s right.
“We needed more information about the Evo’s weaknesses,” says Asher. “This is war.”
“They nearly killed Astrid,” says Gabriel. “Don’t you care?”
Yumi nods, her usually cheerful face like stone. “I’m glad you killed him.”
“Yumi,” Americus growls.
“But you still should have followed orders,” she adds, then stands to join the rest of the Loyalists.
Alexander’s gun rises a fraction of an inch. Nav’s gun is in her hand. The Knights’ guns slowly rise.
I duck further behind the fridge. Idiots.
“Enough,” yells Americus.
Everyone goes silent.
“Lower your guns. All of you.”
I peek out and see them comply.
Americus eyes Gabriel. “I’ve lost faith in you and our friendship. I’m not going to hold you here, but you have to leave now.”
Gabriel’s hard face melts into something that resembles regret. “Everyone, pack up your gear, and Winston, take Martin and grab the large holo-emitters.”
“We might need the infrared mimic and extra range they provide,” says Americus.
“They’re mine,” says Gabriel. “You’ll have to make do with your q-links. But don’t worry. I’ll use them for the cause.”
His cause now seems much different than Americus’.
Americus balls his hands into fists, his forearms tense. “Thomas, Yumi. Get rid of that corpse.”
They walk over to it. Yumi leans down and spits on the body.
“Sir,” I say.
He turns his dark eyes on me.
Somehow, I don’t wilt back. Maybe because I just went through something much more extreme. “It’s not as good, but I can still study the Evo. You should take it out.” Of his brain, but it felt strange to say that aloud.
He nods to me with a grunt. “Thomas, get the Evo out of his head before you dispose of him.”
Thomas’ lip pulls back in disgust. “I’m sorry, sir,” he says stiffly, “but I don’t want to touch that thing.”
Americus sighs. “Sorry, Thomas. I forgot. Asher, get the Evo.”
Asher nods.
“Now that we consolidated our cause, we’ll redouble our efforts. We’ll still win this,” says Americus with more confidence in his voice than seems appropriate.
“You were tough to back up Americus,” says Alexander to me.
I guess he didn’t see me duck behind the fridge. I shrug. “I’ve been meaning to ask you something. What’s the deal with you and Brandon?” I ask, my curiosity outweighing my usual caution.
Alexander’s face goes rigid. “I told you he’ll say anything to charm a woman. Unfortunately, he did it to my old girlfriend.”
Ohhh. “Where is she now?”
“He was with her for a few weeks, then cheated on her. After that, she joined the army. Last I heard, she was stationed at Fort Briggs near Philly. Thanks for saving our butts at the distribution center, by the way.”
“I thought you were the one that was supposed to be protecting me.”
Alexander frowns for the first time I can remember. “I’m sorry, Sprite.”
His concern warms my heart. “You got hit by a flashbang grenade. I’m just glad I got back to you in time.”
“You were a boss in there. A true hero.”
I look away, the compliments getting to my head.
He looks down and shakes his head, his long hair swaying. “I don’t ever want to be in this situation again. We need to train harder.”
I’m already nodding along with him. “I’m ready for team shooting and martial arts training. As long as I’m involved in this, I need to become a weapon,” I say as I remember Astrid getting beat.
He raises his hands. “Whoa, scary.”
I shake my head with a grin. “I want to be involved in our tactics more too.”
“I knew it,” he says. “You want to be like the great commanders, Caesar, Navin, and Hannibal. I can roll with you there.”
Before I know what I’m doing, I’m bumping fists with Alexander to the two of us beco
ming great commanders. I don’t know what world I’m in right now, but when I’m with Alexander, it feels like a different one.
“Your shooting was excellent. Quick, smooth, accurate. And now you can hack the Evo, like a puppet master.”
I puff up.
“Look at you,” he says. “Shoulders back, head up, that fiery look in your eyes. Almost intimidating. You’re a fire sprite.”
I giggle. “No. I’ve been putting out fires my whole life, and I don’t have much of a temper…. I’m more of an ice sprite.”
His smile grows. “Boss. Now, let’s start training for real. You still need to pass the initiation test.”
CHAPTER 17
∶ GUNS OR WORDS ∶
Over the next few weeks, looting, burglary, assaults, and murders skyrocketed. Gangs took over large sections of major cities and destroyed several police stations. President Falk declared martial law to maintain control. The Loyalists melted down over it, but at least the gangs in Stroudsburg have been contained.
When Americus wasn’t teaching me fighting techniques, I tried to hack Gabriel’s stolen drive with Nav, and although our programs haven’t broken any of the encryption yet, they’re close. In between that, Nav taught me obscure hacking tricks, and I showed her my own innovations.
Most nights, Nav, Yumi, Astrid, and I spent time together, chatting and joking. We quickly became close and opened up to each other. Plus, Yumi seemed to love Sunny and his weird jokes.
When I was going to meet them one day, I heard Americus telling Alexander that he wanted to get closer to Nav. I was happy to hear it because I know Nav wants that too.
The rest of the time, I spent with Alexander. He treated me like a war hero for saving him. It was nice. He promised that he’d be the one saving me next time, though. We mostly talked about military tactics and strategies. Several of his ideas would have helped me win in Silent City if I’d thought of them.
We occasionally talked about more personal things. He told me how his dad taught him to shoot at six, and by seven, he was better than most boys twice his age. At ten, he was punished for shooting an apple off his friend’s hand. He thought it was unfair because he knew he wouldn’t miss. At twelve, he won an adult competition but was disqualified for shooting into the air in celebration.
I’m glad he’s calmed down a bit. I told him that Barbra offered to adopt me before everything went down and how it affected me. For whatever reason, I found it easy to open up to him.
One of the days, he surprised me when he cooked fried plantains, spicy beans, and rice to thank me officially. It was his first time cooking, and it was surprisingly good.
I pull my mind back on my task as I leap over a desk that’s tipped on its side. A laser zips by my leg. My hand and other leg hit the ground, and I roll to avoid injury.
Nav crawls over from the barrier next to mine. Her human arm is rigid at her side, temporarily paralyzed from a laser strike.
“This is cracked,” says Nav. “We haven’t even hit them yet, and three of our team are down. It’s up to us now. What should we do?”
I peek between two barriers, breathing heavily.
“We have them, Americus,” says Alexander. “Let’s move in and end this.”
“Leapfrog,” says Americus. He dashes forward with Alexander as the rest of his team lays down suppressing fire.
When Americus and Alexander are in position, they begin to fire at us. The rest of his team darts forward with military precision.
“We can’t get a shot in,” says Nav. “They’ll overwhelm us soon. Alexander is relentless.”
“We should use his aggressiveness against him,” I whisper. “Voice throw?”
She nods in excitement. “Let’s do it.”
We quickly whisper into Nav’s q-link, drop it behind our barrier, and sneak off to two separate walls on either side of our trap. I access her q-link with mine and play our recording at a normal voice level.
“They clipped my leg,” her q-link says, in her voice. “We’ll have to make a stand here.”
“No, Nav,” it says in my voice. “Come on. We’re sitting ducks here.”
“We’ve got them Americus,” says Alexander. “Let’s end this.” The sounds of his rushing footsteps approach.
“Wait,” says Americus. “Be cautious. It could be a trap.”
Alexander flies around a wall and swings his gun to the q-link lying on the floor. Bob surges up behind him. Nav and I open fire, shooting several laser blasts at both of them. They drop to the ground, paralyzed.
“Retreat, center peel,” shouts Americus. One of his team fires on our location, while the other two escape.
Nav darts around a barrier in pursuit. I let my laser rest on its strap and sprint toward them from the opposite side, determined to try something. The first time I tried it, I managed to trip and fall on my face, giving myself another bloody nose. But I’ve come a long way.
Silas retreats around a plywood wall, then freezes as he sees me. I take two quick steps, then smack his wrist and gun to tear it from his grip. His eyes widen, and he starts to turn away. I fire, and he falls to the ground with a curse.
Racer steps around the corner before he realizes what’s happening. I fire three shots into his chest. He groans and collapses next to Silas, his rifle clattering to the ground.
I sprint around the barrier to end Americus. There’s only empty air. A jolt of panic courses through me. I twist around, trying to locate him.
A clink sounds to my left behind another wall. My attention snaps to the location. I slide by my barricade, sneaking up to him. Right before the edge of the barrier, I can hear him breathing.
I zip around the wall, ready to fire. He’s not there. His q-link lays on the ground, playing breathing sounds. Hell.
A laser discharges behind me. My suit seizes, and I tumble to the ground. As I fall, I twist to see Nav on the floor next to a puffed-up Americus. I can’t believe he got me with the same trick.
“Victory for Team Americus,” says the base computer. “This brings your record to thirty-one and three.”
After a moment, my suit loosens, letting me move again.
Americus reaches down to help me up. “I saw you take Silas’ gun. Your hands are so fast. It’s uncanny. You’ve improved greatly in a short time.”
I smile at the compliment. He’s been very encouraging and motivating through our weeks of training.
Alexander bumps Americus’ fist. “Always a hero, Americus.”
The more reserved man cracks a smile. “Just remember to be more cautious.”
You thrashed us again, Dad,” says Nav.
“You almost won with that ambush. Well done.”
Nav nods, looking proud.
“There’s the boss I trained,” Alexander says to me. “I was completely surprised when you weren’t there. Nice maneuver. Then the way you stole Silas’ gun…” He whistles, shaking his head. “Very nice.”
“Keep up the good work soldiers,” Americus says to the group. “We’re a real army now. We’ll be ready if we need to strike.”
He sounds positive, but his bloodshot eyes diminish the effect. Maybe the loss of the Knights hit him harder than I realized. He’s right that we look good, though. We’re as sharp and deadly as my guild in Silent City was.
“So when is my initiation test?” I ask Alexander.
He looks at me blankly for a moment. “Ohh, I was joking about that. You’re plenty initiated.”
I shake my head with a laugh, then walk over and sit on a bench next to Sunny.
“When I watch you train, it reminds me of how unstoppable you were in Silent City,” he says.
I hope he’s right. I still feel pathetic compared to how I was in the game, but I’m certainly making progress. “Maybe you should start to train. I might need you.”
He nods gravely. “I’ll start immediately.”
“I was joking.”
“So was I,” he says, a hint of humor in his voice.
My q-link beeps with a triggered news alert. ‘Terrorist group known as the Knights of Christ claim responsibility for the heinous attack on Xyphotech’s Law firm, the Rogerson Group.’
Gabriel’s got some guts. First, he breaks into Xyphotech headquarters alone, and now this? I scan the article. It’s an all Evo workplace, and everyone is dead. Gabriel sure is sticking to his religious quest.
My q-link beeps again, and I expect some more news.
“Partial decryption of Xyphotech data drive,” says my q-link.
Finally. I scan through the report and gasp. “Everyone, come here. I have something.”
The Loyalists gather around me.
My nerves spike, but I ignore them. “Xyphotech has been bankrupt for half a year. They’ve been selling the Evo at a loss to increase adoption. The NIA has been bankrolling them this entire time. They’re the ones hacking the Evo, and they’re the masterminds behind the operation.”
☼☼☼
Loyalists gasp, curse, and groan, then the room erupts in angry conversations. I stagger, reeling from the turn of events. The NIA chased away my father, leading to my mom’s death and my torture in foster care. They caused my blimp hack mistake and drove Barbra insane. They’ll answer for all of it!
“My God,” says Nav, fire in her usually kind eyes. “They killed all these people for power. It’s disgusting.”
“Let’s destroy them,” shouts Silas.
Others cheer the idea.
Americus stands and raises his arms to quiet everyone. The bags under his eyes are even darker, making him look like a villain from a cartoon. He pauses for effect, and when he has everyone’s attention, he points to a hologram of a shrewd looking, white-haired man. “Director Tempton and the NIA are responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths during their orchestrated war and coup,” says Americus, passion in his voice. “They have hijacked our government and used it to enslave us. They helped spread the Xyphotech Evo, all with the insidious plan to turn our fellow citizens into mindless puppets at the flip of a switch. We’re going to erase this menace with every weapon we have. We’re going to take back our country.”
The Astral Hacker (Cryptopunk Revolution Book 1) Page 24