by Wesley Chu
He turned to Marco. “Did we secure the package?”
Marco nodded, pulled out a pistol and handed it to Roen. Roen took it and pointed it at Kallis. “How’s Chase?”
Marco shook his head and Roen swore. “Get ready for transport then,” he said, his eyes never moving away from Kallis.
The death was on Roen; he knew that. He was the one who had pleaded with the team to try to avoid casualties. It still hurt every time Roen lost a guy. It felt personal this time, because he had tried to accomplish Prophus goals without injuring good people. Now, Chase had paid the price. Tao would have called him an idiot for being so soft.
You should have focused on your people and your objective first.
That’s what Tao would have said, and he would have been one hundred percent correct.
It seemed his noble efforts weren’t lost on Kallis either. “Rayban Ghost, you held back there. Why?”
“You noticed?”
“Been in enough fights to recognize when a man is pulling his punches.”
Roen knelt over her and tapped the ground with the pistol. “By the way, you owe the Eureka Animal Shelter another ten grand for the lives of your men.”
He looked over at the ambulance and saw his guys wheel Prie around the corner. Then Marco and Sheck came back to retrieve Chase. He grimaced as they picked up his limp body and took him away.
“We’re all saddled up,” Marco said through the comm. “On our way back to base.”
“Giving you guys a five-minute head start,” Roen replied. “Use it wisely.” He checked the time. Pretty soon, someone was going to notice this mess on the airfield. He needed to make sure his guys were as far away from here as possible. He looked over at Kallis squirming her way to her side. With a grunt, she bent her knees forward and wormed her way so she faced him lying down sideways.
“So, Rayban,” she said. “Are any of my guys hurt?”
“Not my concern.” He checked the time again. In the distance, he heard the faint howling of sirens. He had to get moving.
“You’re a bastard, you know that, Rayban Ghost,” Kallis called. “I’m going to hunt you for the rest of your God damned life.”
“Oh no, not that.” He shrugged, scanning the perimeter. “Guess it’s a burden I’ll have to live with.”
Her eyes widened. “A heavy burden?”
Roen gave a start and realized his mistake too late. He took off at a sprint, heading the opposite direction of the sirens.
“Hey, come back here, Rayban!” he heard her scream. “Rutherford!”
Roen stumbled, cursing himself for making such an idiotic mistake. In his self-loathing for losing Chase, he had turned one mistake into two. This one could have serious consequences as well, not just for this mission, but for a long time.
Well, no matter, it had happened. Roen had to move on. Even if he had accidentally given himself away, what’s the worst she could do? They had Prie now. The attack on the catalyst facility would happen in a couple of days, and by week’s end, he’d be out of her reach forever.
34
Reunited
As honorable as the Prophus’s intentions seem, the truth about the Quasing is much less so. The reality is that the Genjix really are the real Quasing. You see, if I was to equate our species to any on Earth, I would say we are locusts. We are a swarm of trillions of creatures moving as a giant organism from solar system to solar system, consuming resources and mutating planets to our will.
Tao
* * *
What should barely have been a three-hour drive from Eureka to Fort Bragg took Cameron and Alex over a day. It seems there had been a reason that Mustang was in a garage. After they got through the stop-and-go traffic out of Eureka, which sorely tested Cameron’s ability to shift manually and the poor car’s transmission, they discovered a painful high-pitched grinding any time they went over thirty miles per hour, no matter what gear Cameron tried for. Five hours later, they were still forty miles away from Fort Bragg when their next misfortune hit: the frail muscle car ran out of gas. The two teens decided to camp one last night under the stars and finish the trek the next day.
Dusk was approaching by the time they finally reached Fort Bragg. Both of them were exhausted. Alex in particular was in a bad mood. She looked preoccupied and even nervous as they crossed the bridge over the Noyo River. Cameron, on the other hand, was getting excited. He could see the RV park on the cliff overlooking the bay to his right.
His eyes automatically wandered over to the steep drop down to the bay, and he reflexively touched the scar on his left arm. He shuddered. The first time he ever got stitches was because he was an idiot and thought it’d be fun to roll down that cliff. Mom had had to stitch him up herself without anesthesia. He still had nightmares about that pain every once in a while. He wasn’t afraid of heights before he pulled that stunt, but he was a little now. That’s what he got for trying to show off to his parents.
I told you that was a bad idea.
“Remind me to always listen to you when I act dumb.”
You should listen to me all the time then.
“Pfft. Whatever.”
Cameron looked away from the cliff and searched for the trailer. He had come here with Roen on resupply runs often, so he knew exactly where the trailer was parked. In fact, if he looked closely, he could see someone sitting on top of the silver bullet-shaped housing at the far back. Could that be Mom? It was getting dark, so he couldn’t quite make out the figures. Half of the sun was already submerged below the western edge of the ocean. He figured they might have about fifteen minutes before night fell.
“Come on,” he said, picking up the pace. “We’re almost there.”
“Wait,” Alex said, pulling back. “Enjoy the last few moments we have together.”
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“Once we’re back with our parents, it won’t be just us anymore. Maybe never again. After all, you’re staying here, and I’m leaving for South America.”
Those words cut through Cameron’s heart like a dagger. He held her hand and slowed his pace to a crawl as they walked the final couple of hundred meters to the trailer. He didn’t know how, but somehow, she had turned this moment of joy into a death walk.
Cameron, Alex will be under the protection of the Prophus. You will see her again. Sooner than you think.
“I can always visit,” he said.
She moved in close and wrapped an arm around his waist. Not sure what he was supposed to do next, Cameron hesitantly put his arm around her shoulder. Alex squeezed herself closer. They reached the end of the bridge and turned right into the lot, walking even slower. Every step toward his mother and Vladimir was one closer to them being torn apart. For a split second, he entertained the idea of running off.
Do not be stupid. No, too late. You are being stupid. Cut it out.
Alex stepped in front of him, forcing him to stop. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him on the mouth. At first, Cameron had no idea what to do. He froze as she moved herself close to him, her lips locked onto his in quiet, nervous desperation. He put his hands on her waist and squeezed. This was his first real kiss, and as far as he cared, the only thing in the world right now that mattered.
Be careful, Cameron. You are setting yourself up for a bad Greek tragedy.
The two of them seemed to have become one for what felt like an eternity. There he was, a hundred meters from reuniting with his family, and all he wanted to do was stay standing here for the rest of his life. For the rest of their lives. Now that he thought about it, he didn’t know if he could live without her. Panic set in.
Good grief. I do not suppose you would listen to any advice right now?
“Shut up and leave me alone, Tao.”
I kind of figured.
By the time they broke their embrace, the sun had fully set, and their lips were chapped. The only reason they even broke it at all was because a grimy, fuzz-ridden old man in suspenders was leani
ng against a trailer leering at them.
“Come on, we should go,” Cameron said reluctantly, moving toward the trailer again.
“There’s a way we can be together,” she said, planting her feet. “If I go with my father and you stay here, we might never see each other again, or it could be years before we’re together. Let’s go to the loyalty haven instead. We can be together right away. I can talk to them. We can work things out. Stay apart from this stupid war between the Holy Ones and the Prophus.”
Wait a minute. This sounds dangerous. I think we need to have a talk right now and reconsider a few things, Cameron.
“Can we talk about this later, Tao?”
The girl just told you to defect to the Genjix. Besides the fact that it is completely out of the question because they will kill you to get to me before you step foot into their base, do you think this is someone you really want to be with?
“Yes. Well. No. Well, I don’t know. I think she’s just confused. I know I sure the hell am. Oh forget it, let’s just go find Mom.”
That is another thing. I am no longer sure taking her to the safe house is a good idea. Maybe we should lead her to a safe hiding spot first. Something is really wrong here.
“Stop right there.” It was too late. The teens froze in place as two armed figures appeared out of the darkness. Cameron pulled Alex behind him.
“Let me see your hands,” the other figure said. Reluctantly, Cameron put his hands up as several lights from all around shone directly upon them.
* * *
“The Patels aren’t happy with the accommodations. What a surprise. I don’t care if he needs to turn sideways to enter his quarters. It’s a research vessel, not a cruise ship. You tell that pampered son of a bitch that if he isn’t happy with his quarters, he can jump off the ship.” Jill clicked over to the next channel. “Sorry about that. It’s my favorite hotel guests. Look, it’s all gone bad. Suspend transactions with all supply lines…”
The door to the trailer swung open, and Freeni popped her head in. “Perimeter breach. Two figures.”
Find Rin and make sure she is safe.
“I’ll have to get back to you, Hite.” She tore the comm piece off her ear and drew her pistol. She jumped out of silver bullet and, crouching, trailed after Freeni.
A second later, she heard Ohr shout out “stop right there” and saw the light he was shining at the clearing on the other side of the field. She huddled against the wall of the trailer and squinted at the two figures further up the gravel road. Her hopes flared when she saw them from afar, though she kept her excitement in check. Ever since the Keeper had told her that her son was alive and on his way, she had seen him everywhere she looked.
He is the right height for Cameron. The smaller figure matches Alexandra Mengsk.
They were the right size and didn’t look armored, but so did those other kids who were cutting across the grounds heading to the beach the other day, and that couple who wanted privacy the night before. Every time it hadn’t been Cameron, it had eaten Jill up a little more. It was all she could do to not head north looking for him.
This time, though, after Ohr shone the light and she saw Cameron’s face, a huge weight lifted off her. She took off running toward him, the flashlight in her hand dancing all over as she pumped her arms. Her patience had paid off. There was her boy, alive, standing right there. Hell, he looked better than they did. Thank God for Roen spending all those hours training him. Thank God for Tao guiding him. Thank God!
She barreled into him and wrapped her arms around her son. She cried from the sheer pain of her happiness. God, she could barely see right now. All her fears and anxieties washed away. The past few days had been tense. Tao had called in, and then nothing. Hite had reported the farmhouse was no longer there. Roen was alive and up against the IXTF. The Keeper had ordered a massive attack on a Genjix. The local news had a blurb about an assault at Cameron’s high school. All these grim things were happening all around her. She had despaired. However, her son was now here, and she had faith that everything was going to be all right.
He has grown and proven himself. You have raised a fine son.
“Let me look at you,” she said, pulling back and looking him over. She immediately noticed his forehead. The infection was wider than the bandage on the cut, and she could see the angry purple and red bruises under the skin. She pulled the bandage back and made a tsk sound. It was ugly, but he’d had much worse before.
Cameron winced and pulled back. “I’m fine, Mom. Both of us are.” He looked behind him at Alex standing there, waiting quietly. Jill knew right away something had happened between them. That girl was looking at her the same way Roen used to look at Jill’s dad. Well, it was bound to happen. They were already getting close before the attack. The two traipsing all this distance could only have brought them closer.
Tao must be fuming that his host has fallen for a Genjix girl.
“She’s an ex-Genjix now.”
That remains to be seen. Tabs falls closer to the fanatical end of the spectrum.
“Come,” Jill said, reaching for the girl. “Your father has been worried sick.”
“Is he here?” Alex said in a small voice.
Jill nodded and gave the girl a hug.
“Is Papa all right?” the girl asked. “And the others? Rin? Mr Ohr?”
“Come,” Jill said, putting her arms around the two children. “Let’s go surprise them.”
Freeni beamed at Cameron, and he enthusiastically waved back. She disappeared and returned a few seconds later with the rest of the people inside the trailer.
Vladimir burst into tears as he fell to his knees and opened his arms. “My little girl.”
Alex left Jill’s side and ran into his embrace. If anything, the Russian’s reaction was even more extreme than her own. He sobbed big, shoulder-wracking sobs and began to talk so fast in Russian Jill couldn’t make out what he was saying. Jill sympathized with the pain he must have felt over the past week. It wasn’t that Alex meant more to Vladimir than Cameron to Jill, but Alex was all he had left in his life.
She gave Cameron one more squeeze and leaned in. “I’m proud of you, son. You did it. I’m sure Tao helped, but it was you who took responsibility and got both of you here safely.”
His face fell a little. “I’m sorry, Mom, but we might not be able to go back to Eureka anymore. There was an incident at the school. Alex and I had to beat up a few kids.”
“That’s so Tao,” Jill laughed, not really caring about anything else right now. “It’s all right. Our house isn’t there anymore anyway. Don’t worry. We’ll find a new place to call home. You’re going to have to tell me all about your grand adventure over dinner.”
“What about South America?” he asked. “Maybe it’s time we leave the country. Go someplace more friendly to us.”
Jill followed his gaze to Alex. That girl must have really gotten to him if he was talking about leaving the country. Jill worried. Cameron seemed to have caught the bug hard.
It is probably better he gets his heart broken now than later in life. Teenage love, while annoying and dramatic, is rarely as fatal and permanent as it can be with adults.
“That’s because you’re not a mother, Baji.”
Technically, I am more qualified than you. I have been a mother thousands of times.
Alex was whispering something to her father, who glanced over at Cameron and Jill first with concern, then with shock. He stood up abruptly.
Oh there they go. Daddy is now going to get a shotgun to protect his little girl.
“He’ll have to get through me first. I wonder how many times I have to beat him up before he stops threatening my son.”
The blood had drained from Vladimir’s face. He said something Jill couldn’t quite make out. He looked like he was about to faint.
“Are you all right?” Jill asked.
“We need to leave here right now,” he said. “Now, before it’s too late.”
&nb
sp; “Unfortunately, it already is too late,” a new voice said from off to the side.
Before Jill knew what was happening, five figures emerged from the darkness. Each were armed, hooded, and in armor. She recognized the silhouette of their guns and immediately drew her pistol. Freeni did the same. However, they were outnumbered, outgunned, and her son was right in the middle of it.
“Put the gun down, Jill Tan,” the lead voice said. It was male, deep, and exact. In fact, his cadence was so neutral, he was either a television anchor or an Adonis Vessel. He also knew who she was. Her heart sank as the man walked up to her.
The hooded and masked figure looked at her and then at Cameron. She tried to pull her son behind her, but he shook his head. “Let go of the boy.” She reluctantly did, and watched in terror as he took off his gloves and cupped Cameron’s jaws with his hand. “Tao.” The name came out of his mouth in a growl. Then he reached over and touched Jill’s face.
Chiyva! How is this possible?
The man threw his hood back and pulled off his mask. “My name is Jacob Diamont, and tonight I pay back a long-overdue debt.”
35
Jacob Hunting
As has happened many times in the past, humanity required course adjustments. That was what The Great War was; just another reset and correction. As they had in the lead-up to the Black Plague before it, the humans themselves had created a false safety net with a network of ill-advised treaties in an attempt to maintain prolonged peace. The Genjix merely snapped that peace and pushed the dominoes forward by murdering a petty Archduke of Prussia, one Franz Ferdinand, who happened to be host to the Prophus Baji.