Shadows of Ash (The Nameless Book 2)

by Adrian J. Smith

  “Hi Lisa. This is going to sound bizarre, but you were right. Those were nanites we found in the dead sucker. His bloodstream and tissue were flooded with them. None were present in his cerebrospinal fluid though, or in his bone marrow. I found a half-formed cluster around his cerebellum and brain stem. The best way to explain it is that it looked like half a spider. Legs were pierced deep into his temporal and occipital lobes. I’m going to dissect the brain fully in the morning to see how far the strands go.”

  “Does that explain their… their non-human behavior?”

  “I would hazard a guess at yes. The temporal lobe controls speech, behavior, memory, your vision and hearing. The cerebellum and brain stem together control balance and coordination, your fine muscle controls, breathing, blood pressure. It makes sense. My hypothesis is yes. This half-formed cluster is causing these survivors to attack unaffected humans. But don’t ask me how the nanites caused the combusting. We need a nanotechnology expert or similar for that.”

  “Huh.” Lisa didn’t know what else to say. She was used to dealing with enemies using conventional methods to cause harm. Weapons – both ordnance and chemical. During the Cold War, other methods were explored, such as psychology and manipulation, but this was a whole new level – hell, several levels above. She suspected ReinCorp. Had they developed nanotechnology, kept it secret, and used it to wipe out most of humanity?

  “I think you’re right, Monica,” Lisa said. “It’s the most logical explanation. What did you find in Harriet’s blood?”

  “Ah, yes. Now that is interesting. I found nanites too. Different. Older models. Primitive, even. But I can see the progression.”

  “That makes sense. The poor girl was their guinea pig. Keep investigating. If you need more subjects, get them.”

  “Okay. Stay safe out there.”

  Munroe came back on. “You really think this is the cause?”

  “I do, sir. I’ve seen some weird shit in the field. I can’t help but think that we’ve been played for fools. For a long time. I suspect ReinCorp is behind it all.”

  “The tech company?”

  “Not only a tech company, but yes, them.”

  “Do you have any proof?”

  “No, but I intend to get it.”

  “Where are their headquarters?”

  “Berlin is their HQ, but they have offices all around the world. Denver is the American HQ.”

  “Damn. All right. Keep tracking those Black Skulls. Find their Forward Operating Base.”

  “Wilco, General. I think it’s time you talked to my special operations officer. His name is Avondale. I’ll get him to contact you.”

  “He has intel?”

  “Yes, and he’ll assist you with anything else. In return, I need your help bringing home one of my teams, from Japan. If we’re going to get through this unscathed, we need each other’s backs.”

  “Make it happen, Omstead. I’ll see what I can do.” The radio went silent.

  Lisa hesitated before turning the detent dial back and calling up Avondale once more.

  “Director.”

  “It’s nanites. Nanites caused it all.”

  She was met with a whistle at the other end, followed by the sound of fingers tapping on the desk. “Clever. It’s the most logical explanation.”

  “You thought of this?”

  “I suspected, but thought we were years away from that kind of tech. Remember those streams of numbers Sofia and I found?”

  “Yeah.”

  “IP addresses, like I thought. Now that you have confirmed it was nanotechnology, it makes perfect sense.”

  “How could they pull something like this off?” Lisa said. “I mean, it would’ve been a huge undertaking to keep it quiet.”

  “I’ll leave those theories up to you, Director. That’s more your field.”

  “How could they execute the combusting event? That’s your mission. Figure it out for me.”

  “Gotcha.”

  “I also want you to contact Munroe. Assist him with anything he needs and see if you can track down The Nameless. I want to know if they are alive and what they’re up to. We’ve been in the dark for too long. Get in contact with them. Munroe’s going to assist in bringing them home.”

  “As you wish,” Avondale said, his voice fading away to be replaced with static.

  Lisa signed off before making her way back to her team. She handed Torres a GoPro.

  “Film the Rabids. Anything we see now, we film. General wants evidence.”

  Torres grunted and turned the high-definition camera toward the Rabids clustered around the cell tower.

  Reid was fast asleep, breathing deeply.

  As Lisa settled in for another night camping out under the stars, like she had done a thousand times before, her head spun with the same doubts and questions. Was it just ReinCorp behind it all, or was it bigger, more widespread? Avondale had been right; theories were more her field. Misdirection and lies. Smoke and mirrors. She smiled, thinking of her father’s stories of the planning of D-Day. The Allies had even gone as far as to load a satchel with false information, place it on a dead soldier and float it to shore in Nazi-occupied Europe. They had constructed inflatable airplanes and tanks, massing them on the east coast of England to make the Germans think they were attacking at Calais.

  It was all about misdirection. Occupy the enemy in one place while the real trick took place elsewhere.

  ***

  The first two captives, cowering in one corner of the cage, had been quickly overrun by the Rabids. They’d screamed when the suckers tore into their flesh and fallen silent when their spines were snapped and the fluid sucked out. Thick pools of blood now coated the floor of the cage. The Asian man who’d pleaded for his life, and another younger man, maybe twenty years of age, clung to the roof, watching the gory feast below.

  To Zanzi, this was the wrong move. It would have been smarter to attack the Rabids while they were preoccupied with their meal. The bikers had set down an assortment of weapons just outside the bars. A couple of hammers, a hatchet, a mechanic’s wrench. A couple of savage blows to the backs of their heads and they would have won.

  “Give them a jolt,” Grub demanded.

  Axl jeered and zapped the two captives clinging to the roof with a cattle prod. The Asian guy howled as he fell and crawled toward a hammer, using his elbows to pull himself over the blood-soaked canvas. As he reached for the hammer, the younger man let go and crashed down on top of him, knocking the wind from his lungs. The bikers cheered and threw beer bottles and glasses at the cage, showering the battling occupants. Two of the Rabids looked up and spied the fresh meal. They shrieked, ear-splitting howls so shrill Zanzi wouldn’t have thought it possible. The Rabids scrambled up and leapt toward the two men. The gang members cheered at this turn of events.

  Zanzi pulled her eyes away from the carnage to observe the bikers. Their eyes were wide in a bloodlust she’d never seen before. These men and women liked what they saw. Wanted more, demanded more. She glanced at Tilly and Josie. Both had their eyes squeezed shut, refusing to watch.

  Grub tugged Zanzi closer and groped her breast. “You better watch. It’s your turn in a few days.” He licked the side of her face and exhaled cigar smoke into her eyes.

  In the cage, the Rabids were tearing into the young man who had landed on the Asian. To Zanzi’s relief, the Asian had managed to grab the hammer and pull himself up to stand. Tears streamed down his face as his chest heaved with sobs. He raised the hammer above his shoulder and brought it down onto the skull of the nearest Rabid in a frenzied attack. Pieces of skull bone and tissue flew into the air. The first Rabid down, he moved on to the next.

  The two remaining Rabids finished their meal, leapt across the cage, and barreled into the Asian man. Within seconds he was buried beneath flailing arms and kicking feet.

  Zanzi blanched as his screams for help were drowned out by the whooping bikers who were incited by their bloodlust and gladiatorial display. Th
eir world had changed forever, and these men and women had chosen to embrace their most primitive desires.

  “Keep watching, girly,” Grub said. There was an audible crunch when the Asian man’s spine broke. The Outcast Mongrels threw more bottles of beer and glasses at the cage. Some high-fived while others kicked barstools at the result of the fight. The biker who had taken bets and written them up on a whiteboard was writing up the results for all to see.

  Grub stood and cheered. “Pay up, worthless assholes!”

  The bikers began handing him wads of money.

  Once the frenzy had died down. Grub and Mutton led Zanzi, Tilly, and Josie deeper into their headquarters. Zanzi could see the gang had certainly been busy, collecting motorcycles, looting gun stores, and acquiring electronic goods. The goods were piled up on tables and stacked against walls in a haphazard manner.

  The three women were shoved into a bedroom at the back of one of the houses. The room had a musty stench, mixed with the sour aromas of sweat and beer. The windows had plywood screwed over them like they were preparing for a hurricane, making the bedroom dingy.

  “Get some rest,” Grub said. “As a favor from me, I’ll keep the boys off you tonight. From tomorrow onward, you’re fair game.” He chuckled, blew each of them a kiss, and shut the door.

  Josie clutched her broken collar bone. “Why would they do something like that? And enjoy it?”

  “People have always enjoyed watching others’ misery,” Zanzi said. “Look at reality TV.”

  She sat on one of the two beds against the far wall. A small bathroom was the only other exit. From the darkness inside, she could tell that window was blocked as well. Tilly sat next to her and hugged her.

  “What are they going to do to us?” Tilly whispered. “What did he mean by fair game?”

  “Don’t worry about that. We’re going to get out of here before we find out.”

  Josie sat on the other bed and drew her legs up to her chest. “Can you help me reset this collarbone?”

  “Sure. Let me find something for you to bite down on.” She left Tilly and scanned the room, her mind whirring with thoughts of escape.

  The door banged back open. Grub took two steps into the room and yanked Tilly off the bed. “I changed my mind, bitches.”

  Tilly slammed her hands into the biker, but this only made him laugh more. “Oh, a fighter? Even better.”

  Zanzi launched herself at Grub. All the frustration at their seemingly hopeless situation came out in a rage-filled explosion and she landed a couple of blows to the side of Grub’s head. He wheeled back but kept hold of Tilly. He shoved a Glock against Zanzi’s temple.

  “Calm down, bitch. You’ll get your turn.”

  Zanzi could do nothing more. Without a weapon, the biker could do as he pleased. But she did have a weapon. The crossbow bolt tucked into the back of her bra. She took a step back. Grub followed her, his handgun still trained at her head. She weighed up the options. There was no way she could reach the bolt and stab Grub before he pulled that trigger. Then Tilly would be at their mercy forever. Zanzi took another step back and held her hands up. Grub smirked and kicked the door shut.

  Stay strong, Tilly. I’ll come for you.

  The thought felt empty, even though she meant it. Her parents had never told her and Liam exactly what they did, but Zanzi was smart. She’d worked it out. She saw the cuts. The bruises. The faraway looks in their eyes, even if just for a fleeting second. In unguarded moments, she would see it in her father’s eyes as he sipped his favorite lemon green tea. Or as her mom brushed her hair, getting ready for work. It was the look of someone who had seen true horror. Like they were putting on a brave face, determined that they were fighting the good fight. That their side was right.

  Zanzi had chosen to pursue science, to better people’s lives through medicine and technology. Despite her survival training, she had stayed on target until this nightmare had begun.

  She sighed and looked around the shabby room. No, she hadn’t trained to kill, but after what she’d witnessed these last few days, it was time to put her parents’ training to the test. She didn’t know if she could defeat the bikers, let alone ReinCorp and the Black Skulls, but as Ryan and Cal had often said. “A slim chance is better than no chance at all.”

  Twenty-Three

  Tomari Nuclear Power Plant

  Hokkaido, Japan

  Ryan clutched his hands behind his back and stared at the bank of monitors showing a plethora of camera views. The Nameless had found the control room within a few minutes of searching. He frowned, scanning the screens again. Allie had been gone too long. Hundreds of thoughts and doubts chipped away at his mind.

  Had she made it?

  Did I choose the right option?

  Should I have insisted on going?

  “She’ll be okay,” Booth said, voicing his concerns.

  “We can only hope.”

  “Got her,” Sofia said. She jabbed her finger at one of the screens. Allie strode down the wide corridor, followed by Ebony and Sam – the dog they’d rescued in the lab.

  “Yes!” Ryan pumped his fist. Finally, something was going right.

  The Nameless ran from the room and waved as Allie came around the corner.

  Sam, whimpering with excitement, his plumy tail wagging, bounded up to Ryan, bringing a smile as he hugged the dog.

  “How did you get out?” Allie asked.

  “Found some alligator clips under a can of beans. Sofia used them to hotwire the door open,” Ryan said.

  “They wanted us to get out after all?”

  “I believe so. I think this OPIS organization is fractured; the four families are fighting for power. Yamada wants us alive to finish Offenheim.”

  “So I got wet for nothing. Nearly eaten…” Allie said. She smirked.

  “Sorry about that. I should have found the clips earlier. We thought you hadn’t made it.”

  “I nearly didn’t. If it hadn’t been for these two… Those Hounds are everywhere, and Siphons.” Allie handed Ryan the sniper rifle. “Found this. I’m out of ammo, though.”

  Ryan focused on Ebony. “I thought the explosion killed you.”

  “It’ll take more than a few fires and explosions to kill me now,” Ebony said.

  “Ando?”

  “In hell, where he belongs. They wanted the perfect killing machine. They got one.” She shook Ryan’s hand. “Thank you. For years, I dreamed of giving Ando his comeuppance.” She tied her hair into a ponytail. “How did you guys end up in here?”

  “Takeshi died during our escape. Yamada wasn’t happy and used the nanites to knock us out. We woke up in here. Gaz?”

  “Ran off, saying something about going home.”

  Behind Ryan, Allie and Booth embraced.

  “Booth, Sofia, Keiko. This is Ebony and Sam. We found them down in the lab.”

  “Sam. That’s a better name than Dog,” Allie said.

  Ebony shrugged. “Dog. Sam. Whatever suits.”

  “How did you survive that explosion?” Cal asked Ebony.

  “I wasn’t where they thought I was.”

  “You didn’t set it off?”

  “That was Ando’s doing.”

  The Nameless gathered up their backpacks and filled them with food and water before rejoining Ebony and Sam in the corridor. The warning lights still flashed, and the alarm hummed in the background. Before they left the power plant, Ryan wanted to raid the medical clinic. He was certain it held at least Potassium iodide, used for treating mild cases of radiation sickness. But first they needed to decontaminate in a washroom.

  It didn’t take him long to find what he was looking for. Ebony kept an eye out for hostiles as The Nameless threw away their clothes and scrubbed themselves clean in the showers. Finding clothing proved trickier. On the whole, Japanese people were shorter than Westerners. And Ryan, at six foot two, grumbled as he squeezed into the ill-fitting overalls.

  “You look like a Dutchman trying to find clothes in t
he Philippines.” Booth laughed.

  “Yeah, yeah.”

  They located the medical clinic a few doors down. Ryan scanned everyone with the Geiger counter and was happy to find it only read forty counts per second now.

  Cal handed out the Potassium iodide tablets and poured the remainder into her backpack.

  “Something’s been bothering me about the nanites,” she said.

  “What’s that?” Ryan said.

  “Well, they heal bullet wounds, cuts, and bruises. Repair tissue damage. Wouldn’t they repair damage from radiation sickness too?”

  “Maybe, but I’d rather cover all the bases. Just in case.”

  “What’s the plan now?” Cal said. “Are we still going through with taking out their satellites?”

  “It’s the best idea we have, unless someone can think of something better?”

  Ryan was met with shaking heads. It was a crazy plan, open to disaster, but if they could pull it off, it would save countless lives.

  “Sofia, how much time do we have?”

  “A little under two days. I need at least half of that to work with Avondale. Figure out their trajectories and maneuver them onto a collision course. Plus, we must be sneaky so that OPIS doesn’t see us doing it.”

  “Is that possible?”

  “Yes. We can turn off the LK3 transponders. I’m hoping they won’t notice. It’s a risk, but what isn’t.”

  Ryan rubbed his hand over the stubble on his chin. “Allie, where’s the nearest airport?”

  “Chitose. Near Sapporo.”

  “Private jets?”

  “Definitely. I’ve flown in and out of there plenty.”

  “Good. It’s settled then.” Ryan looked at Ebony. “What about you?”

  “I’m coming with you.”

  Sofia chuckled at something she was watching on her tablet, then handed it to Ryan. “You’ll want to see this. All of you.”

  The screen showed another video from Touma Yamada. “If you are watching this, you figured the way out of the power plant. I apologize for any stress or trouble that I have caused. I had to make Goro believe that you were going to die. As much as he struggled with his father, he still loved and respected him. To that end, I had to initiate this ruse. Yes, I’m upset at losing my son and Ando, but I need you for something bigger than all of us. Something that will make their sacrifice worthwhile. Contained on the USB is most of the information I have on Offenheim and some of the other members of OPIS. Take it and finish this.”