Isidore feels dizzy again and leans over the table. "It's never been this bad. I don't know what to tell you. But thank you."
"I'll have the pills delivered to you when they are done." Alexi says. "For now, you are under my direct orders to go back to the motel room and lie down. Try to clear your mind and drink some water. Is that clear?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good. Now go. Take care of yourself, Williams. We need you."
27
As Damien makes his way back to the motel room from the meeting, someone calls out to him.
"Damien Montgomery."
Damien knows that voice. He stops where he is and thanks God that he hasn't taken his pill yet this morning. He's about to need all the power he can. "Well, well, well . . . decide to come meet with me in person finally?"
"I don't want to fight you."
"A little late for that, isn't it?" He turns around and meets eyes with Seth for the first time in over two years. Time hasn't been good to him. Seth is only five years older than Damien, but looks like he's forty. His hair is grey and his eyes are filled with worry. Seth wasn't lying. He is in a wheelchair. Damien bites his lip and any hatred he had for his partner drains from him. He did that to him?
"I came to get you to come back to the Outlanders."
"I told you I'm done. I quit. I can't do this anymore. Seth . . . I don't want to fight either."
Seth sighs and holds out his arms.
Damien goes to him and drops to his knees. He wraps his arms around Seth's waist and everything comes back into his mind. All the memories and the pain and the betrayal. It's been far too long. "Seth. Forgive me."
He holds Damien as well. "Forgiveness is something that will only come in time. But I'm here and I'm willing to talk and discuss this like . . . like friends."
Damien looks up at Seth's steel grey eyes. "Friends?"
"Friends. Don't quit because of me. Everyone is counting on you to finish this mission and then complete the development of W.A.N.D. You want to save Paradise, don't you?"
"I was honestly more concerned about saving the wasteland."
"Let the Inquisition worry about that. Have you heard about the trouble with Great Victoria?"
"No. What's going on?"
"They are sending troops to our shores along with some mercenaries from Common Ground."
"Common Ground? Why are they getting involved? They've been isolationists and pacifists for centuries. What about The Red Republic?"
"No report from them."
"This doesn't sound good, Seth."
"That's why we need to get W.A.N.D. up and activated as soon as we can. Both Great Victoria and The Red Republic have nuclear weapons. We can't survive another war like the first one."
"I know that. Paradise still has their force field, right?"
Seth leans down and whispers to Damien. "There never actually was one. We're completely unprotected. Why do you think President Evans has dedicated so much money to our project? The fate of everyone is in your hands. Don't let them down. If you betray them like you did me, there won't be a world for you to be exiled into."
Damien stands and stares up into the hazy blue sky. "I know, Seth. I still need the one key component to make this all come together. That and getting Isidore upgraded. Have you had any progress with that operating system?"
"No. The agents who were working on it stopped when there were . . . problems."
"What problems?" Damien asks.
"Inquisition problems. What else?"
"God, I will be so happy when this inter-faction fighting stops."
"You and me both. Your little friend Blice McSage finally stepped up and formally declared his position as Master Director of the Inquisition. Now everyone knows."
"Yah? And he can go to hell." Damien says. "Between him and Isidore, my anger is reaching its limit."
"What did Isidore do?"
"He is getting in the way and he won't listen to me."
"Won't listen to you?" Seth asks. "You need to put him in his place. You're a human. He's a computer. He has no rights. Did you remind him of that?"
"Yes, but he starts crying."
"Why?" Seth laughs. "They can cry?"
"You should come with me back to the room." Damien says. "I don't feel safe talking to you out here in the street. I have some new information about the Rubble Rebels plan."
* * *
Damien and Seth enter the room and Byron eyes them curiously. Once he shuts the door, Damien puts his hand on Seth's shoulder. "Byron, this is my partner Agent Seth Thompson."
They shake hands. Someone knocks on the door and they all look around nervously.
Byron goes to the door and opens it.
"I'm under orders from Alexi to stay here with you and Damien." Isidore says.
"Sure. Come on in." Byron says.
Isidore goes to one of the beds, kicks his boots off, and covers his head with a blanket. He doesn't say another word or even seem to notice Seth.
"That's Isidore." Damien says.
Seth looks surprised. "That's Isidore Williams? He seems quite moody for a computer."
"About that . . . don't mention his van. Okay? He thinks he was in love with it." Damien says.
"Well, he probably was. T.I.M.E.s develop feelings for machines. Why? Did something happen to it?"
"I told you to not say anything else." Damien says between his teeth.
"Fine, fine. So, want to tell me about the Rubble Rebel plan?"
Isidore pulls back the blanket. "Why are you telling him the plan? No one who's not a member gets to know."
"It's fine. He's my partner. We work together."
"You did that to him?" Isidore asks. "Are you the reason he's in a wheelchair?"
"Drop it. Don't say another word, computer."
"I have a name." Isidore says.
"And I don't care. Computers don't deserve to have human names. I will call you computer." Damien points at him. "Now be silent and let the people talk."
"I bet you'd want me to talk if you found out what I know about you two."
"You don't know anything. Now go into sleep mode or whatever it is you do." Damien says.
Isidore shouts at them. "Commander Alexi is going to kill you two. You're targets. He knows your name, Seth Thompson. You are on the assassination list."
Damien and Seth look at each other. Damien clenches his fists and storms over to Isidore. "You are a lying fucker." He swings at Isidore and hits him in the face.
Isidore grabs his mouth and his blood trickles between his fingers and down the back of his hand.
Byron pulls Damien away. "What did you do?"
"I put a computer in his place. I will not be talked to like that, especially not by a machine."
"Are you okay, Isidore?" Byron asks.
Isidore wipes the blood from his lips and chin. "I'm fine. Forgive me, Damien."
"I already told you to shut up, computer. Do you want me to hurt you again? I can stop your heart with one pulse of my electricity. So I suggest that you heed my warning or you will be dead in a second. Is that understood, computer?"
"Yes, sir." Isidore hides his face under the blanket again.
"Come on, Seth. We need to get you out of here just in case he's telling the truth. If either of you breathe a word about Seth being here or me being his partner, I will kill both of you."
"I won't say a word." Byron says.
When Damien and Seth leave, Byron goes to Isidore and pulls back the blanket. "Let me see."
He hides his face. "Go away, Byron."
"You can't let him continue to hurt you like this. It's getting worse. I didn't think he'd actually be violent with you."
"I shouldn't have talked to him in that way." Isidore says.
"Are you not angry at him?"
"It's my fault. I should have stopped when he told me to stop."
"You really can't feel hatred for a person, can you?" Byron asks.
"Should I? Is that what I ne
ed to feel right now? Because all I feel is terrible. I'm losing control of my mind, my body is falling apart, and everyone wants to kill me."
"I don't want to kill you." Byron says. "I want to help you."
Isidore sits up and looks at him. "Do you? You don't think I'm worthless like Damien does?"
Byron puts his arms around Isidore. "No. You're not worthless. I don't know what has gotten into him lately. He's never like this when you're not around. I wonder if his partner said something to him. Here's what you need to do. You lie low and don't talk to Damien, don't look at him, and stay away from him. Don't talk when he's in the room. I will speak with him and find out what is making him treat you like this. You are both my friends and I can't have you fighting."
28
Byron stretches out on the bed and opens Leena's pink notebook. He has recovered enough from the first time he read from the book that now he thinks he is ready to face what else can be written in here. If he is going to hunt down Blice and kill him, he needs all the information he can get and if anyone has more information about Blice, it would be Leena.
Dear Diary,
I'm dead. When Blice finds out I'm gone, I'm dead. He will send the Inquisition to hunt me down and kill me. This was supposed to be the best night of my life, but instead it's a nightmare. Everything was beautiful. The wedding was wonderful and so pretty. We went back to his house, our house, and he was kissing me and then things changed. He took my dress off and started examining me. He was taking notes in a notebook and telling me about how he wants me to have a genetically modified baby. I thought he was joking until he told me about the T.I.M.E.s. He wanted to make me give birth to a new computer for him. I tried to talk some sense into him, but Blice pushed me down and he hit me. He hit me. I started crying and he threw a vase across the room where it shattered. Then he left. I saw my chance to get away so I packed some clothes and stole some of his money and a machete. I thought he was better after what happened in Styx. He had been so angry and depressed all the time and wouldn't stop talking about some man named Damien Montgomery and how he needed to kill him. But I guess Blice wasn't better. Anyway, now here I am alone and scared in the middle of nowhere by a campfire with some scary looking men who won't stop watching me. I think I should have stayed at home with Blice. I think they might be slavers. I've already been a slave once and I don't want to do that again. They might hurt me this time. If I survive, I will write again soon.
He prepares himself to read another one and he turns to a random page.
Dear Diary,
Remind me to never trust M.A.G.E.s. If they are all crazy like Blice, then I will steer clear and run as fast as I can. There are inquisitors everywhere posting wanted posters on everything. I followed one of their transports for as long as I could see it and then I walked along the tracks until I came to a settlement out here in the middle of nowhere. It's smaller than Styx was, but I never want to go back to Styx. I'm never going to write about what happened in Styx, either. It is too much for me to deal with right now. And right now, I have to put on a happy face and go serve drinks to customers in a bar. They also want me to sing. I don't feel like singing, but I need money and God knows I don't want to be a hooker. I had to beg the owner to not make me do that job. I don't know where I am going from here. I guess I save up some money and find a place to live. Maybe I'll meet someone around here who is nice and won't try to use me for sick experiments. I'm scared. I don't want to be picked up by slavers again and I definitely don't want Blice to find me. The only bad thing about this place is we are close to one of the prisons. I'm afraid that some escaped M.A.G.E.s will come in here and try to take me with them. Well, I have to get to work. I'll write more later.
Byron looks up when Damien returns to the room.
Damien goes over to the one of the other beds and kicks it. "Get up, computer. This is my bed now. You sleep on the floor."
"Yes, sir." Isidore gets out of bed and sits on the floor in the corner of the room by the window.
Byron looks around. "Damien, there are three beds in here."
"And your point is?"
"Um . . . there's a bed for each of us. There's no need for Isidore to sleep on the floor."
"He's sleeping on the floor. Only people sleep in the beds."
"Byron, it's okay. I'll sleep here." Isidore says.
Damien hits Isidore again. "I told you to not speak. Don't you understand that? Why are you so stupid? Maybe we should scrap you and save everyone here the trouble of dealing with you."
Isidore wipes the tears from eyes. "Forgive me."
"Shut up!" Damien kicks him in the side and pins him against the wall.
"Don't hurt me."
Damien knees Isidore in the groin. Isidore moans and slides to the floor.
"You better be glad that Alexi likes you." Damien says and tightens his hands around Isidore's neck. "If I could, I would slit your throat right here and make sure you can never say another word. You used to be my friend. Then you go and join the Inquisition."
What? When did this happen? "What are you talking about, Damien?" Byron asks.
"When I was busy trying to save his pathetic little life, I tore open his shirt and what did I find there?" He pulls the necklace from Isidore's neck and holds it up. "An Inquisition insignia. Look at it. It's real."
Isidore closes his eyes and trembles. The tears continue to slide down his cheeks.
Byron goes to Damien and takes the necklace. This can't be real. Not Isidore. He wouldn't have anything to do with the Inquisition. They want to kill him. "Isidore, what is this?"
"What do you think it is?"
Damien hits his face again. "You answer questions when asked. You don't ask another question in response. Answer his question."
"It's an Inquisition insignia." Isidore mumbles.
"Where did you get this? Did you find it?" Byron asks.
"I can't tell you. Don't hurt me."
Damien slams Isidore's head against the wall. "I will beat the answers out of you."
"Do it. I don't care. I can't tell you." Isidore says then covers his head when Damien stands and lets him go.
Damien unbuckles his belt and slides it off. "If you scream, I hit you harder. Now answer the question, inquisitor trash."
Isidore continues to cry and he huddles down in the corner. "No."
Damien lashes out at him and hits him over and over.
Byron feels sick and he turns his back to it. He holds up the golden triangle in the light. He refuses to believe that Isidore is working against them. None of this is making sense. Isidore screams and Byron tries to ignore it. How long is this going to go on? Damien is shouting and swearing as he hits Isidore and Byron is getting angrier with every sound of the belt hitting him.
This has gone far enough. If Isidore isn't going to stand up for himself, then Byron is going to do something about this. He throws down the necklace and grabs Damien from behind. He sweeps his legs out from under him and slams him down on the floor. Byron sits on his chest and rips the belt away from him. "You don't touch him again." He turns to Isidore. "And you. You go to the medic right now and have them tend to your wounds. You're bleeding. Go."
Isidore obeys and closes the door behind him.
Byron turns back to Damien. "What happened to your love of this country?"
"What are you talking about? You are speaking nonsense."
"Does innocent until proven guilty not ring a bell?"
Damien glares at him. "I think the evidence speaks for itself. Get off of me. My fight isn't with you. I don't want to hurt you, but I will if you push me."
"If I let you up, you can't leave this room until I'm done with you."
"Get off of me."
Both men hold up their hands as their magic springs to life. Damien's electricity sparks just inches from Byron's chest and Byron's flames are close enough to Damien's throat to make him sweat.
"On the count of three, we both stop our magic and go to opposite sides of
the room." Byron says. "One, two, three." He jumps back and his flames die.
Damien does the same.
"For your sake, I hope that no one asks Isidore why he is covered in bruises. Commander Alexi is his friend." Byron says.
"Isidore was my friend. I trusted him."
"Why do you have to be so brutal?"
"I don't like traitors." Damien says.
Speaking of traitors, Byron has some questions for Damien. "You haven't told me about Seth. What was Isidore talking, Damien? What did you do to him?"
Damien screams at Byron. "I shot him, okay? I shot him and paralyzed him. For no good reason. He trusted me and when he turned his back, I shot him. Now he is going to marry my fiancé to get back at me. I called him out here to duel to the death, but when I saw him, I couldn't fight him. I couldn't do it."
"Don't take that out on Isidore. All Isidore wants is to be happy and make us happy. Why do you have this insatiable need to tear him down and abuse him? We don't even know where he got the insignia. And what about you?"
"What about me?"
"Why did Isidore say that Alexi wants to kill you?" Byron asks. "Why is your name on the list of officials to be assassinated?"
"It has to be a mistake. You trust me, don't you? You believe me."
"Why should I believe you if you are so quick to accuse Isidore?"
Damien takes a deep breath and stares down at the insignia on the floor. "Fine. I don't have anything to say in response to that."
"Do you really think this is the best course of action for handling this situation?" Byron asks. "I will look the other way and not question you about your partner, your past, and your possible inclusion on the assassination list, but only if you swear on your life to not hurt Isidore again. When he gets back in here, you are going to apologize to him and you are going to treat him like the human being he is. You disgust me. I didn't know that you could be so cruel. I once thought that you were one of the kindest and most caring people on this planet. I see now that I was wrong."
"I don't know why it got to me so bad. I don't usually have such a temper. I have been dealing with so much lately. You have no idea the emotional stress I am under."
Paradise of Lead Trilogy Page 19