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.
11
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 weren’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 s
uddenly 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.
They emerged from the basement to find Thomas wagging his tail and staring at them from right in front of the basement stairs. He barked and ran around in a circle.
“It’s not playtime, boy.” James pointed to the dog. “Take him downstairs, Shay. Get him some food and water and lock him in there. If they blow the rest of the house, the basement should survive. I made sure of that shit after the last time. If they take my ass out, you run. You can get your revenge later.”
Shay frowned. “I should be out there with you.”
James shook his head. “If they can take me out with Whispy on, your ring and pendant aren’t gonna be enough.” He took a deep breath. “Promise me.”
Shay rolled her eyes. “I’ll wait inside, but if they don’t kill you right away, I’m joining in the fun. Okay?”
“Fair enough.” James shrugged.
Shay grinned. “And be careful.”
“Nope.”
“Nope?” Shay raised an eyebrow.
James gave her a feral grin. “They’re the ones who need to be careful.”
Shay grinned back. “That’s more like it. Remind those fuckers who you are.”
Thomas barked again, and Shay shooed him downstairs.
James waited a few more seconds before marching over to his front door. He threw it open and stepped onto his porch. He stood and waited for the government vehicles to arrive, ignoring Whispy’s increasingly strident calls for mayhem and death. A thousand years might pass, but the amulet would continue to offer the same advice: kill and grow stronger.
Three black dots down the street morphed into sedans with tinted windows. The vehicles didn’t scream down the street, instead obeying the speed limit. No one fired a weapon or an artifact.
Two of the sedans pulled into the driveway, while the third parked along the curb. The back door to one driveway vehicles opened, and a familiar politician stepped out with a practiced smile on his face.
“Hello, son,” Senator Johnston offered. “I’m sorry to show up unannounced and suddenly, but we’ve got a bit of a situation. I’m going to need you to come with me.” His gaze focused on the various implements of death James carried. “I probably should have called ahead, but we knew you were here, and we didn’t want to take the risk of tipping certain…people off.”
James grunted. “You arresting me?”
“Arresting you?” Senator Johnston looked bemused. “Now why would I do that, son?”
No one else had stepped out of the vehicles.
“Any tactical drones coming, Heather?” James asked, keeping his voice low.
“Nothing nearby but a few traffic drones,” Heather replied.
“Got someone else listening in, son?” Senator Johnston asked. “Miss Carson, perhaps? Or one of your little hacker friends?”
James glared at the other man. “Are you here to fucking arrest me or not?”
The confusion on the senator’s face deepened. “Even if I wanted to arrest you, I don’t even think that’s possible, not without your cooperation. We both know that. I had my opportunity to get rid of you, and I chose to save you for reasons I definitely don’t regret.” He gestured to the vest. “You thought I was coming to arrest you?”
“Why is the National Guard mobilizing?” James barked.
Senator Johnston smiled but didn’t answer.
James frowned and realized something important. “Heather, is it just the Guard mobilizing?” he murmured. “What about the rest of the military?”
“There’s been a little unusual Air Force activity, but nothing local. Wait. Huh. That’s weird.” A flurry of intense typing sounded over the line.
“What’s weird?” James murmured.
“Oh, one of my little spiders flagged something strange. If I understand what I’m reading correctly, the military is directly tasking a bunch of radio and optical telescopes all of a sudden,” Heather explained. “I’m not quite sure what that’s about. Meteor, maybe?”
James had a few ideas about what they might be looking for, but the old man standing in front of him held all the answers. “What’s Operation Red Weed?”
“You know, even the average soldier about to carry it out doesn’t truly understand what it is. The name’s a bit blatant, but sometimes the best way to hide something is right in the open. Everyone expects a lie, not the truth.” Senator Johnston heaved a heavy sigh and closed his eyes for a moment. “I’m always telling everyone else to not underestimate you, but then here I go doing just that. You’re not just a man with extraordinary physical gifts, you have extraordinary resources and loyal personnel.”
“Get to the fucking point,” James growled, flexing his fingers.
Senator Johnston lifted his hands in a calming gesture. “I’m asking you, son, on behalf of your country and planet, to lend us a helping hand.”
“What, this is just some job shit?” James snorted. “Some assholes like the Council or something? If you’ve already sent guys at them and they’ve lost, I’ll consider it, but I’m getting ready to semi-retire. I don’t know if I want to face off against someone like the Council and cause trouble for myself down the line. I’ve got a wedding coming up.”
“If only it were so simple.” Senator Johnston shook his head. “This isn’t about bounties, son, or even dangerous magical criminal groups.”
“Then what the fuck is it about?”
Senator Johnston locked eyes with James. “One of your relatives is on the way, son, and he’s already been disagreeable. We think it’s best if you had a little talk with him.”
ENGAGE AND KILL THE ENEMY, Whispy screamed in James’ mind. Achieve primary directive: destroy all Vax symbionts.
Shut up. I need to concentrate.
James didn’t realize he’d been growling for several seconds. “They’re here? Where?” Rage and anger flowed through him, the frustration of an entire life bubbling out.
Sufficient power for advanced transformation, Whispy reported.
Not yet.
“Not here,” Senator Johnston replied. “Not yet. Oriceran. Lots of people have already died, son. I can’t talk about it right now in detail, but we have good reason to believe that your relative is coming to Los Angeles, and we need your help.”
James lowered his head and shook it. “Fine. Let me get Shay.”
12
Tyler crossed his arms. He and Maria walked down the hallway from his office in the back of the Black Sun on their way to the main bar. The conversation they had shared both surprised and irritated the information broker.
I can’t believe Brownstone would stab me in the back like this. It’s one thing that he chose someone else, but he had to choose that smug drunken asshole Smite-Williams?
“Fine, I’ll do it, but I’m a little pissed,” Tyler muttered. “I still can’t believe it, though.”
Maria frowned. “Why are you pissed about Brownstone asking you to be a groomsman? It’s not like I thought you would fall down delirious with happiness over being asked, but you seem like you’re genuinely annoyed that he asked you. What gives?”
Tyler shook his head. “I’m not annoyed he asked me. I thought he was going to offer me something else, is all.”
“What did you think he was going to offer you? A big pile of money?” Maria rolled her eyes. “I know you’re greedy as hell, but that’s not how this works. I mean, you’ve been to a wedding before. You know how this shit is supposed to go down.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know.” Tyler shook his head a
nd stopped before they entered the crowded main bar room. “I just thought…” He would sound like an idiot if he said it aloud, but he’d backed himself into a corner.
Shit. I should have just kept my mouth shut and not acted so surprised.
“You thought what?” Maria asked, her face showing by bewilderment.
Tyler sighed and averted his eyes. “When you started talking, I thought you were going to say that Brownstone wanted me to be his best man. Understand my irritation now?”
Maria burst out laughing. She bent over, slapped her knee, and pointed at Tyler. “Seriously? You, Brownstone’s best man? That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard this month.”
The info broker crossed his arms and frowned. “It’s not that stupid or funny. You’re Shay’s maid of honor.”
“Shay and I actually get along. Half the time you hate his ass and publicly rant about him.” Maria shrugged. “I wasn’t sure you would even agree to be a groomsman.”
“Sure, I’ve got my complaints, but I’ve also worked with him. I provide him info, and I’ve shown my respect. You don’t understand because you’re a woman. Men are different.” Tyler nodded with smug certitude in an attempt to cover his embarrassment.
“This ought to be good.” Maria rolled her eyes. “Do enlighten me, oh King of Men. Why should you be his best man?”
Tyler slapped his chest. “You have to understand. Brownstone and me, we have a special relationship. It’s built on mutual respect and challenge. We bring out the best in each other by pushing each other to our limits. It’s why I’m rich now, and it’s why Brownstone recognized I could help him with things like the pay-per-view.”
Maria rolled her eyes. “Because that went so well.” She waved a hand. “Sure, whatever you have to tell yourself to get to sleep at night. Anyways, Brownstone was rich before he met you, and, Tyler, what you’re describing is being frenemies, which is more a chick thing than a guy thing in most situations.”
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