Heart of Annihilation

by C. R. Asay

  “Get down! Get down! Weapons down!”

  Cops swarmed toward the café. Sergeant Wichman set his pistol on the table. Sanderford held his weapon another second before tucking it into his belt. Lieutenant Justet threw his 9mm onto the opposite bench. The commander tugged with one hand to straighten her shirt, her eyes locked on Xavier.

  “Ah,” she exhaled.

  “Officers.” Xavier raised his hands and flashed them one of his bleached smiles. He exited the café, turning the star power to overload. “What’s this all about? We have a permit to film here today.”

  For a moment I forgot all about the threat to my life as the police officers lowered their weapons and started chatting up a storm with the movie star. I got to my feet and set my gun on the table next to Wichman’s. My fingers shook. I rubbed my hands together to still them.

  Angie pushed her way into the café, looking impeccably svelte in a butter-yellow pantsuit and white patent heels. She murmured quiet “excuse me’s,” while pushing past the commander, Sanderford, and Justet like they weren’t volatile members of a renegade secret ops team. She helped Linda to her feet and sat her with the older couple one booth over. Her voice was quiet as she spoke to them, flashing a bright, comforting smile. She removed several fat envelopes from her purse and placed them before each person. The older gentleman partially pulled out a wad of cash before shoving it back into the envelope and reaching over his terrified wife to shake Angie’s hand.

  I dropped onto the edge of the bench behind me, pressing my hand to my shoulder. My eyes locked on the commander. She spoke with Wichman and Sanderford in whispers. Justet made his way up behind the commander’s little grouping and gave me a thin, almost apologetic smile. It was quite sweet, from the man who’d thrown a grenade at me.

  “Ma’am, we’ve got to go.” Justet gestured toward the kitchen.

  The commander turned to leave, her eyes on me. She’d just reached the kitchen’s swinging door when I was possessed with sudden inspiration.

  “I know where the Heart is,” I said. The commander whirled around, her eyes wide. I continued, “I’ll tell you where it is in exchange for Marshal Rannen.”

  Two police officers made their way toward the door.

  “Ma’am, we have to go now.” Justet pushed the kitchen door open.

  “You already have the key.” Blood pounded in my ears. “I think my information would at least be worth that much to you.”

  “I’ll be in touch.” The commander took one last look at the officers meeting Angie’s interference and tossed a small flip phone toward me. I fumbled to catch it, and when I looked up she’d disappeared into the kitchen with her men.

  I placed a hand over my eyes. Inhale, exhale.

  “Are you all right, ma’am?”

  I drew my hand to my mouth. A young police officer with soft brown eyes stood before me.

  “Yeah, I’m . . .”

  I wanted to say fine, but was I? I was tired of fighting, tired of the fear, and sick to death of Caz. But mostly I was tired of chasing answers and falling short. And when it came down to it, I’d rather hunker down in a foxhole than get caught unawares again. I stared at the swinging kitchen door, where the commander had disappeared moments ago. Yes, I was fine. I was going to bring the fight to me, and I was going to be ready this time.

  Brave motives were one thing, but it didn’t make my body any happier. Every muscle, bone, and sinew wanted to crumble into a heap on the floor and not move for a month.

  You won’t give it to her though, right? Caz asked. You wouldn’t really.

  “You’re bleeding. Are you sure you’re okay?” The officer asked.

  “Yeah.” I glanced at my blood-soaked shirt. My mouth twitched, the pain wanting to translate to my face. “It’s fake movie blood and, uh, stuff.”

  Stuff like silvering hair and eyes. I looked past the officer out the café’s front window. Where was Thurmond? I pressed my lips together. I hadn’t had even a moment to consider him, but now I couldn’t understand why he wasn’t here. He should have come in with guns blazing the second the commander showed up. At least, that’s what he said he was going to do. I searched every face of the growing masses of humanity outside the window.

  “You sure you’re all right, ma’am?” The officer touched my shoulder. I jerked my arm away. He pulled back, showing me a friendly hand. I took a breath and forced my lips into a calm smile. I shoved the phone the commander gave me into my pocket.

  “Actually,” I said, “could you tell me where I can find Mr. Coy?”

  He pointed with a pen to a group of police officers outside the door. He shrugged and turned his attention to the guns on the table.

  Xavier’s clothes were so loud it was a wonder I hadn’t seen him on my own. I made my way toward the door but paused for a moment near the booth. I rapped my knuckles lightly on the top of the bench.

  “Linda? Are you okay?” I whispered to the waitress sitting by the older couple.

  Her eyes were wide and frightened. I didn’t really expect an answer and turned away.

  “I’ll be fine,” she said in her scratchy voice. I looked back. Linda patted the white envelope on the table and gave me an encouraging smile. “Take care of yourself, sweetie.”

  I tried to return the smile but only ended up nodding, and joined Xavier outside. I interrupted his conversation with another officer.

  “Xavier, have you seen Thurmond?”

  “No. Boderick’s over there. Why don’t you ask him?” His voice was distant, impersonal.

  I followed his finger and was barely able to pick out the Rethan sitting on a shadowed stoop out of everyone’s way. Conversations quieted. People parted, and I traversed the cleared path right to Boderick’s feet. He hugged his arms around his knees, his fearful eyes wide.

  “Bodie?”

  He answered before I was able to formulate the question.

  “They took him.” Boderick gave me a rapid nod. “J-just before the rest of the group went inside.”

  My stomach clenched around a blistering shard of guilt and rage. My ears rang, drowning out the crowds. I kneaded a thumb against the ache in the side of my head.

  Well, Caz said, We can’t be having that now, can we?

  A scorching, high-voltage wave powered through my nervous system. Painful tremors collected in every nerve ending, turning my entire body into a giant mass of energy I couldn’t contain. With a silent scream of release, electricity surged from me in a pulsing wave.

  Cell phones flickered and died or burst into flames in their owner’s astonished hands. Lights in the lampposts and the flashing lights of the police cars exploded in a shower of sparks. Glass burst from windows of cars and buildings, and screams filled the air as people ran for cover, shielding their heads with their arms.

  The pulsing power diminished and died, aside from miniscule, blue streaks of electricity coursing across my skin.

  I held my face in my hands, my mind a thousand miles away from the chaos I created.

  CHAPTER 28

  I tapped my cell phone against the passenger door of Xavier’s stretch limousine, surrounded by the mess I’d made. Only two squad cars remained. The others had been towed away for repairs hours ago. The police had finished taking statements, and the officers were now working crowd control on the masses of fans and news teams here, respectively, to see their favorite actor and report on the disaster they dramatically entitled “The War on Technology in Monterey.”

  Xavier stood on the inside of the police tape, shaking spectator’s hands and signing autographs.

  I hated him. I hated his pretentious smile, his exotic accent, and his fake enthusiasm toward the throngs of adoring fans. I hated that he had helped to save my life not once but twice, making me indebted to him. But I especially loathed the way he was pointedly ignoring me when I’d made it very clear I needed to talk to him now.

  I flipped my phone open and snapped it shut again. It was actually Angie’s pink, bedazzled spare,
which she had loaned to me for this mission. The other phone the commander had given me lay quietly in my pocket, refusing to ring.

  I flipped the pink phone open and shut several more times before shoving it in my pocket and examining my shirt.

  Angie was going to kill me—the shirt was completely ruined. I couldn’t have destroyed it more thoroughly if I’d tried. Perhaps Thurmond’s clothes had been damaged during the abduction, and I could sic Angie on him instead.

  Caz broke through my thoughts, Nice, Kris. Humor at a time like this. Real classy.

  I rubbed the ache above my ear. Out of all the phones that exploded, mine was lucky enough to stay intact. Lucky, or well protected inside the blast radius. They both needed a quick charge, easy enough thanks to my magic hands, and I had already tried calling Thurmond several times. I didn’t expect an answer but was still bitterly disappointed with every unanswered ring. The voicemails I’d left were, for the most part, embarrassing tirades of concern. Then I’d called every number on the black flip phone, not that there were many, heaping violent threats toward the commander on the two people unfortunate enough to answer. All I got were quick hang-ups. I hoped my intent was at least being passed on.

  I pulled the pink phone out of my pocket and flipped it open again. This time I scrolled quickly through the message information and found the one I’d already listened to over a dozen times. I put the phone to my ear. Thurmond’s voice spoke from the other end.

  “Dammit, Rose! Why aren’t you picking up? Get out of there! It’s Justet! I’m almost there, don’t—get the hell off me!” A grunt of pain accompanied a crashing sound before the message went silent.

  I snapped the phone shut again. My lips mashed into a tight line of anger. Angie strode from the café with a tall cup of coffee and click-clacked her stilettos across the road to Xavier. She whispered something in his ear. He glanced at me and gave Angie a tiny nod. Xavier offered an enthusiastic wave to the crowd and a sparkly grin. They groaned their disappointment.

  I scowled at Xavier when he looked in my direction. His step faltered. He retrieved the coffee from Angie and took a sip.

  “What has your panties in a bunch, Miss Rose?” Xavier smacked his lips and sipped the coffee again. “I got you out of your predicament, didn’t I?”

  Xavier’s limo driver, a squatty man with a ridiculous hat, jumped from the driver’s seat. He saw me leaning against the door and made a motion to push me out of the way. I allowed a sliver of electricity to crawl up my arms and folded them across my chest. He tripped back, treading on Angie’s toe and knocking her cell phone out of her hands.

  “Good grief, Alex.” Angie bent over to pick up her phone.

  Xavier waved the man off and put one hand in his pocket.

  “What has my panties in a bunch, Xavier,” I stabbed at him with my phone, trying not to yell, “is that you’ve been having lunch and signing autographs all day when Thurmond has been abducted.”

  “What do you want me to do about it?”

  “What do I—?”

  “I don’t know exactly who you think I am, Miss Rose, but our interests do not necessarily go hand in hand.” Xavier’s eyes narrowed. “I helped you out last week for my own reasons, and today because I happened to be in the area and owed a friend a favor.”

  “So?”

  “So this means that I have my own life, and I can’t be following you around all the time cleaning up your messes because you’re too stubborn—and confrontational—to try other solutions.”

  “But they took Thurmond!”

  “Two hostages aren’t much different than one.”

  “You’re unbelievable!” I threw my hands in the air, vaguely aware of a change in pitch from the crowds. “Well, here’s something that might interest you. I told them I knew where that Heart thingy is.”

  “You did what?” He grabbed my arm, his nails digging into my skin. His coffee sloshed through the narrow opening.

  “Yeah.” I yanked my arm away. “So now you can stop dancing away from the topic and tell me everything I need to know!”

  “I already told you, I don’t—”

  “Don’t give me that!” I bunched his shirt collar and shoved him.

  The quiet from the previously noisy crowd made me look over to see a sea of accusing faces targeting me for assaulting their idol. Two police officers moved our way. I breathed in and out of my nose. The last thing I needed was to send out another electromagnetic pulse wave and give a face to the warlord against Monterey’s technology.

  “Get in the car, Miss Rose.” Xavier motioned for his driver to open the door.

  I wrenched it open before he could move and threw myself onto the seat opposite the door. Xavier sat across from me. A large gentleman in sunglasses, who followed Xavier around, worked himself through the door and plunked down next to me. Angie’s voice outside the limo rose as she fended off the cop’s questions. A moment later she slid in next to Xavier and crossed her long legs. The door slammed behind her, darkening the interior.

  The door opened, and Boderick poked his head in. I glowered at him and he disappeared, shutting the door quietly. The front passenger door opened, and Boderick took the seat next to the driver.

  We drove in silence, the air between us thick in accusation. Xavier gave no indication that he had any desire to continue the conversation. We stopped at a red light and turned left onto Cannery Row. I broke the silence.

  “Now will you tell me?”

  He stared out the window. “I hardly think this is the time for—”

  “It’s the time and the place! That psychotic Rethan has Thurmond and thinks I have a world-ending device I’m only sort of convinced even exists!”

  “This Heart of Annihilation—” Xavier turned his eyes on me.

  “Aha!” I jabbed a finger at him. “I knew you knew what it was!”

  “I don’t—”

  This final denial obliterated the last of my fragile restraint. I lunged across the tiny space between us, fingers clawed. I suppose I was aiming for his throat, although I wasn’t entirely sure what I planned once I had him in my grasp.

  The bodyguard caught me by my shoulders and threw me back against the seat. Pain rocked my shoulder. I gasped. Tears blurred my vision. From hurt, from frustration, from my world falling apart.

  Electricity shivered across my hands. The blue shimmering glow in the dim interior cast light on everyone’s expressions. The bodyguard held my arms against the seat, a twitch of his eye the only indication he was concerned over holding a live wire. Angie pulled out her phone and brushed a lazy finger across the screen.

  “Now settle down, Miss Rose. If you electrocute this car, you’re going to cause an accident.” Xavier sighed with an exasperated roll of his eyes and waved his hand for his bodyguard to release me. I jerked my arms away. “And don’t think the police department won’t be able to connect it to the last temper tantrum you threw.”

  He pulled a glass from a compartment behind him and filled it with a small amount of amber liquid from a crystal decanter. He drained the cup in one swift swig, refilled it, and tossed that one back as well.

  “Tell me where the Heart is,” I said.

  “I don’t—”

  “Tell me.”

  “I can’t do—”

  “Tell me!”

  “I won’t tell you anything about a device you were willing to murder two hundred and thirty-six Rethans over!”

  I shivered, my teeth clacking together. I was so cold, and my head hurt. A dark cackle filled my mind.

  Tell me. Tell me. Keep yelling it and you may get it through his thick skull. Like as not he’ll just turn you over to the authorities. He’s good at that.

  “Shut up!” I yelled at Caz.

  Angie looked up. The glow of her phone illuminated an unperturbed expression, as if my outburst was nothing more than weather related small talk. She reached under her seat and handed me a white hand towel. A new flow of blood was saturating the chest and sle
eve of my shirt. I snatched it out of her hand and pressed it against my shoulder.

  “I don’t kill people,” I said. “That wasn’t me.”

  “I know, I know,” Xavier said. “You’re a different person now.” He poured himself a third glass but only swirled his beverage around and around. He waved a hand at me. “This peachy little thing you’ve become, without the slightest ambition beyond your next paycheck.” His leaned forward in his seat. “But that doesn’t change what you did twenty years ago. People change, and I’ve seen you do it more than most.” He sat back. His eyes shifted away. “I wouldn’t take that as a compliment either.”

  “How do we know each other?” I narrowed my eyes, searching the familiarity of his face for evidence to help me pin down the relationship that created such mutual dislike between two nearly complete strangers.

  “I was the one left to clean up your mess after you were sentenced to RAGE.”

  “That’s not an answer.”

  “You cost me my Rethan life!”

  “Why won’t you answer the question?”

  “Because I don’t like the answer any more than you will!” He stabbed a finger at me.

  “Were we friends? Lovers? Siblings?”

  I stopped. My hand went to my mouth. I sat back against the seat, really seeing Xavier for the first time. That furrow between the eyebrows was suddenly very familiar. The way he used one side of his mouth to express emotion was also like someone else I knew, and his nose was nearly identical to the one I saw every day in the mirror.

  The commander’s words came to me. Tell me where I can find your fluxing brother.

  I dropped my hand. “The commander is looking for you.”

  What else was I supposed to say? How do you greet a sibling you haven’t seen in twenty years, especially an estranged brother you don’t remember? Funny how I didn’t feel any more affection for him than thirty seconds ago.

  “Who?” Xavier refilled his glass.

  “The commander—”

  “Who is that?”