Shadow Soldier (The Shadow Saga)

by J. L. Lyon

  26

  THEY MADE IT TO THE ELEVATOR with no problems. 301’s floor held only Specters, all staying in the palace temporarily until the Specter Spire could be completed. As most of them were still in training at that time, he wasn’t too concerned with running into one. But if he was wrong and any of them saw him—most notably Derek Blaine—he and Grace were finished. He hoped Blaine had decided to go ahead with the debrief, for that would mean both he and Admiral McCall were occupied. Darkness would help them once they reached the courtyard, but in the well-lit hallways of the palace anyone might recognize him—and later remember the unknown soldier in his company.

  “Stay close to me,” he whispered as the elevator neared the ground floor. “Do not make eye contact with anyone. So long as we’re together, I doubt anyone will notice you. If we are challenged, remain calm and do not speak. Sometimes there are ways of escaping even the most hopeless situations.”

  Grace said nothing, but he knew she got the message. The doors opened and they stepped confidently into the corridor, facing nothing but two guards posted by the nearest exit. They barely even acknowledged them, which 301 took as a good sign. With any luck, all they would remember was the Specter uniform, not his face. He pushed open the doors and stepped into the twilight.

  Having spent over six weeks living at the palace, 301 knew what awaited them once they got outside. Still, seeing the countless patrols of soldiers making their rounds across the courtyard was deeply unsettling. So many things could go wrong with his plan, and if they did no amount of skill with the Gladius would prevent the palace guards from subduing them. Now, everything depended on Liz.

  He glanced at his watch and increased their pace, “Come on. It could happen any minute now.”

  Glad she didn’t venture to ask what, 301 continued their confident walk away from the palace and toward the Defense Ring. Most patrols passed them by without a second look. By now they were used to deferring to the men in the navy blue uniforms, and 301 imagined they could care less about the second soldier he had in tow. Specter’s business was theirs alone, and the Great Army preferred not to get mixed up in it.

  Grace played her part surprisingly well, losing her normal feminine poise in favor of the mechanical façade of a Great Army soldier. In truth, she might have had him convinced had he not been in on her disguise.

  Sunset had long passed by the time they drew close enough to see the large 6 emblazoned on the side of the nearest Defense Center, and 301’s nerves flared. He had been counting on Liz’s diversion to arrive before the Tower Guard could see his face. But if they loitered outside the Center, it would arouse even more suspicion.

  Going back was not an option, either.

  Seven guards waited at the entrance to the center, and when 301 and Grace drew within twenty yards the ranking officer barked out proudly, “State your business here…” his voice trailed off as he recognized 301’s royalty badge and uniform, and finished his sentence with much less confidence, “…Specter.”

  “At ease, Sergeant,” 301 replied. “I am on an errand into the city, and I need transport.”

  “Not a problem, Specter,” the sergeant said. “We’ll just need the designations of both you and your escort so we have a log of your departure.”

  And there would be the problem. Grace’s designation was a class Z, and since all soldiers were class A, they would discover the deception immediately.

  “I’m sure you understand, Sergeant,” he said as he and Grace came to a stop in front of the guards. “This is an errand of some urgency, and we don’t really have time to—”

  “No disrespect, sir, but this palace houses the most powerful man on the planet. Even members of the Ruling Council must observe this protocol.”

  301 nodded, “Of course.” Nothing short of a miracle would help them now. 301 stepped toward the entrance to the Defense Center with his hand on the Gladius prototype in his weapons belt—a means of last resort, yes, but they were almost out of options.

  “Wait,” the sergeant extended his arm to stop them, and 301 turned his head to find the man staring suspiciously at Grace. Then he realized that the overhead lights from the Defense Center made it impossible for anyone looking at Grace’s face to mistake her for a man. Just like that, they were blown. The events of the next five seconds happened very fast.

  One.

  301’s hand tightened around the Gladius as he prepared to draw on the sergeant. Purely by reflex his mind assessed the arc patterns necessary to kill all seven men without harming Grace—a maneuver he could complete by the end of the fourth second.

  Two.

  The sergeant’s gaze shifted suddenly from Grace to a spot above 301’s left shoulder, off toward the closest neighboring tower, Defense Center Five. His eyes went wide with such horrible surprise that 301 couldn’t help but look as well.

  Three.

  He heard the sergeant’s voice, “Oh, sh—” just as a bright blue shockwave burst from Defense Center Five and shot toward them at incredible speed. Though the shockwave itself posed them no danger—it was an electromagnetic pulse—301 knew the weapon that discharged it and thus what was coming next. He grabbed Grace and forced her to the ground even as he shouted, “Get down!”

  Four.

  The shockwave passed through them harmlessly, but killed every electronic device around them. And then the night was ripped apart by a shattering explosion from behind them, powerful enough to level Defense Center Five. The guards who had not already fallen were blown off their feet by the blast. Violent wind and heat enveloped them, and 301 used his body to shield Grace from harm.

  Five.

  Chunks of metal and stone fell to the ground all around them, and one very large piece of debris slammed into the side of Defense Center Six and collapsed the outer wall. The wall demolished the perimeter fence, giving them a clear line to the outside, but they would only make it if they went before the guards recovered from the blast.

  Ignoring the ringing in his ears, 301 took hold of Grace’s hand, rose, and pulled her to her feet. She wobbled at first, still in moderate shock from the explosion, but she quickly gained her balance and followed in 301’s wake.

  The guards on the ground began to stir and shouts rang out from within the damaged Defense Center Six. After a moment of panic he realized that none of them cared the slightest bit about him or Grace. All eyes were on the destruction wrought to Defense Center Five. 301 only looked long enough to see a blazing heap some distance away, but it was enough to make him nauseous.

  Had that been Liz’s diversion? During their planning he expected something on the level of an alarm being set off or a number of guards being called away to help with a disturbance. But not this. That had been a Solithium Crippler bomb, designed to completely destroy a target while greatly diminishing the ability of nearby allies to assist. The EMP was powerful enough to have hit the North Wing of the palace, no question—not to mention four or five other Defense Centers and perhaps the Crown Section itself. If Alexander ever found out who was responsible there would be hell to pay.

  The two of them made their way over the fallen Defense Ring and disappeared into the darkness. In all the confusion even the palace’s outer patrols were distracted, undoubtedly eager to know what had happened. Most, 301 thought, would suspect the rebellion. But all he cared about at the moment was that not a single soldier they passed seemed to pay the slightest attention to the two uniformed figures running in the opposite direction, for all they knew on some errand of great importance.

  -X-

  A few minutes later they were in a military Jeep, racing southwest through the deserted streets toward the mysterious Ellis that Collins had told him about. So far everything had gone according to plan—albeit a bit more dramatically than 301 intended. He and Liz had hidden the Jeep not far from where 301 planned to make his exit with Grace. In their haste to reach the Collins estate that afternoon, she and Tyrell had not followed the protocol to c
heck the Jeep out through the Defense Ring. Instead they had taken the MWR’s emergency escape route, approved by Premier Sullivan at Admiral McCall’s request. So the Jeep, when it never got returned, could not be linked back conclusively to either of them. And though 301 had always planned to sneak back into the palace later in the night, if he made it back within the hour the effects of the EMP would make that considerably easier. Anything after that and the palace would have its systems back online.

  “Well, 301,” Grace said quietly. “That was quite an escape. I suppose someone was watching out for us tonight.” She removed the cap and let her dark hair fall back down over her shoulders.

  “You think we were seen?”

  She laughed, “No, that’s not what I meant. I mean…higher powers, you know…”

  “Ah,” he said. “Right. The King and the Kingdom.”

  “I didn’t think you remembered that story.”

  “How could I forget?” 301 looked over at her briefly and smiled, “There are traces of it in every other story you tell.”

  “I guess that’s appropriate,” she said. “Honestly, I’m kind of surprised you haven’t asked about it since that night.”

  “What’s to ask?”

  “Aren’t you the least bit curious if it’s true?”

  “It’s a story that by definition cannot be proven,” 301 replied. “No question I ask will change that.”

  “Well, maybe you’re curious about why I believe it, then.”

  “I already know,” he answered. “The basic design of the story is the ultimate triumph of good over evil. Good, being the set of moral values and principles you believe God set for his kingdom. You try your hardest to maintain these values—honor, courage, compassion, justice, etc—because when it comes right down to it, you are good. So it is only natural you would believe in an order which rewards these attributes.”

  “But it is not the set of values and principles I follow, not really,” Grace countered. “It is a man.”

  “A man no living person has seen, heard, or touched,” 301 said. “Perhaps in reality he is nothing more than a personification of all the best qualities in Mankind.”

  “Why would anyone need to personify good, if they already knew what it was?”

  “For the same reason I wear this crooked X on my arm,” 301 replied, indicating his insignia patch. “Because people understand associations and representations better than they do explanations. Because a single symbol can impart more meaning than a hundred thousand words. Why merely tell people what is good if you can create a symbol that can show them?”

  “And what if you’ve got it backwards? What if he defined good rather than good defining him? What if he is real?”

  “Then I would challenge him to show himself to me.”

  She turned to gaze at him with a knowing grin, “Perhaps he already is.”

  301 shook his head, “I don’t think so, Grace. Even if all you say about this God of yours is true…he wouldn’t be interested in me.”

  “And why is that?”

  “Because,” he said with his eyes set on the road, “I am not good.”

  Grace could tell from 301’s tone that he was finished with the conversation, and she decided not to push him. They rode together in silence for about five minutes, both dreading the imminent goodbye that so quickly approached. The thought of parting forever was difficult to bear.

  “So what’s next for you, 301?”

  “Once I know you’re safe I’ll return to the palace,” he replied. “With any luck I’ll make it back before their systems come back online.”

  “Back to the palace,” she repeated distantly. “Back to life in the World System.”

  “What else would I do?”

  Grace hesitated for a moment, not sure how to broach the subject—or even if she should. But as they passed into the Lower West Quadrant of the city she convinced herself to go on, “Listen to me, 301. There is nothing for you back at the palace but a life of loneliness and despair. The people there don’t care about you. In the short time we’ve been together I can see the change in your heart. Blindly following orders that go against your conscience is wearing you down, and soon the luxury of life in the hierarchy will not be enough to compensate. If you remain with the System, it will destroy you.”

  301 refused to look at her, and brought the Jeep to a stop in a dark alley just off the main road. He had a feeling what was coming, and he wanted to steer as clear of the subject as possible. “We’re at the edge of Sub-quadrant 12. Sir Collins told me there is a man here who can help us, but we should go on foot. Being past curfew, a Jeep will draw too much attention in a residential zone.”

  His attempt at deflection did not slip by Grace, and she took hold of his arm before he could step out of the vehicle, forcing him to meet her gaze. “Come with me, 301.”

  He regarded her sadly, “You know I can’t do that.” 301 pulled his arm away and stepped out into the alley. “Come on. There’s not much time.”

  Grace got out and walked briskly around the Jeep, not slowing until she came up alongside him. She whispered as they walked, “Why can’t you?”

  “Because the World System is who I am, Grace,” he whispered back. “It’s all I have. Without it my life has no purpose.”

  “Men find new avenues of purpose all the time,” she argued. “Maybe your purpose isn’t to work for the World System at all. Maybe you’re supposed to do something else…to be something else.”

  “I am what I am,” he replied. “And what I am is a killer. A murderer. I could never be a part of your world, Grace. The redemption you speak of in your stories is not for people like me.”

  “Then why are you doing this?”

  “Doing what?”

  “Risking everything to free a slave,” she answered. “Why are you doing this if there is no good in you, or if there is nothing in your heart worth redeeming?”

  “I would think that obvious by now.”

  “Enlighten me.”

  301 stopped walking and stared into Grace’s eyes with an intensity that both thrilled and frightened her, “I’m doing it for you…because of the way you make me feel.”

  She waited for more, but 301 didn’t seem eager to go on. Against her better judgment she took a step closer to him, “And how do I make you feel, Shadow Soldier?”

  Like I’ve found a piece of myself I never knew was missing. Like I just emerged into the sun after a lifetime in darkness. Like I am more than the sum of my fears and failures. Like I really, truly belong. The answers swarmed 301’s mind, but he couldn’t find the courage to say them. To do so would be to admit that the feelings were real, and if he did that…he wasn’t sure he would be strong enough to face the goodbye. So instead of opening up to her, he shut down, “It doesn’t matter now. All that matters is getting you to safety.” He started walking again, shifting his attention from side to side in search of some inspiration on how to find Ellis. Secretly, he hoped treating this like any normal mission might kill his emotions.

  But Grace was persistent, “We may not be able to give you the kind of power or prestige that comes with being a Specter Captain, but we can show you depths of life that you have never known. There is so much beyond the hollow promises of the World System. We can show you justice, honor, freedom…love… All you have to do is leave your old life behind and begin anew—to create your own Novus Vita, as I did with you.”

  301 pretended to ignore her, but in truth he seriously weighed the offer in his mind. What would it be like to leave his life as a soldier behind? To go into the Wilderness with Grace and her people—to explore the myriad emotions she ignited in his heart, and seek the elusive satisfaction of his soul? Could he even entertain such a thought?

  He stopped for a moment to study her, and the instant their eyes met he knew he would give up everything—the luxury, the power, the glory, all of it—just for one chance to be with her…to feel every day what she
made him feel in that moment: hopeful, free…loved.

  And then he shook himself back to reality. Such a path would lead to only one ending. “If I were to go with you now,” he whispered sadly. “You would all be hunted that much more on my account. I’m thankful for every minute I was able to spend with you, Grace. But that is where this must end.”

  Though immensely disappointed in 301’s answer, Grace felt she had pushed as far as she could go, “Alright then.” Her eyes shifted briefly to the door at his back, “We’re here, anyway.”

  “How would you—?”

  “Those symbols on the doorpost,” she indicated them with her finger. “I know them.”

  301 turned and studied the markings, but couldn’t see how Grace could possibly read them. To him they just looked like haphazard scribbles, perhaps drawn by a child. At least that’s what he would think had he just been passing them by. But since Grace could understand them he assumed it was some sort of code. “I don’t see any significance in them.”

  “No, you wouldn’t,” Grace replied. “Not since Napoleon Alexander made English the standard language of the world and suppressed all others. This writing in particular is one that few would recognize even in the Old World. It’s called Hebrew script.”

  “What does it say?”

  Grace spoke, but not with words that 301 could understand. Her consonants seemed somewhat harsher than normal—some he had never even heard used in speech before. Once she finished she translated for him, “Come to me all who are weary, and I will give you rest.”

  301 squinted at her through the darkness, “How does that tell you we’re at the right place?”

  “Because of this,” she stepped forward to trace the last few characters from right to left—backward in 301’s mind—and murmured under her breath, “Kaf, resh, nun, shin, vav…not a word, but a name—Cranshov…no, Crenshaw.”

  “The man we seek is named Ellis.”

  “Ellis is his first name,” Grace said with an odd glint in her eye. “Ellis Crenshaw.”