Flight

by Lindsay Leggett

  Shelley thinks it’s a woman, but I know Tor better than that. There’s something different in his eyes, like he’s got a secret. Even Myra has been eyeing him in her inconspicuous way. But then again, who doesn’t have secrets? I haven’t even told Shelley about Asher, I don’t really know why. My thoughts are interrupted as Grier stands up violently from her seat, the screech of her sliding chair echoing through the room.

  “It’s time for us to take a stand. We can’t just sit idly by while Gabriel builds an army that will destroy us. Can somebody tell me why we aren’t doing anything?” she exclaims. A few team members widen their eyes at her explosion, but my lips curl into a smile. Myra pauses for a minute, looking at Grier with what could be complete contempt or subtle consideration; one can never know what’s going through that woman’s mind. Finally Tor pipes up.

  “They’re on Harpy turf, Lan. We don’t want to spark something if we don’t have to,” he says. I roll my eyes, but Myra catches it and her eyes brighten just a little.

  “No, I think Miss Lan is right,” she says. Tor whips his face to her, eyebrows raised.

  “What?” he sputters. Myra nods and walks slowly through the room as she ponders. “We need more information. The recon we’ve been doing has been helpful, but it’s only giving us an outline for what might be happening. We need a field mission, nothing big, just enough to stir the pot and figure out what they might be up to,” she says. The silence is so palpable you could slice it.

  “I’ll lead it,” Tor says, volunteering, but Myra shakes her head.

  “No. Miss Madden will lead it, with one other member. This needs to be quiet. You’re a good leader, Mr. Nelson, but we need an Ace for this mission,” she says. I bite my lip as Tor’s face tightens. I look attentively at Myra, waiting for Tor to object, but he drops his head, nodding. Myra turns in my direction.

  “Piper, you will choose one teammate to go with you,” she says. I don’t even look about the room. I know who the best choice will be.

  “Grier,” I respond. Grier nods and tries to hide the smile budding on her lips, while the rest of the team looks slightly relieved. Myra nods and switches off the slideshow.

  “All of you but Miss Madden and Miss Lan may be excused,” she says. The team starts packing up their notebooks as Tor intervenes.

  “Shouldn’t we all be present for this?” he asks. There’s something strange in her eyes as Myra stares at Tor—is it suspicion? Annoyance, maybe?

  “I don’t think that’s necessary. I need reports from you based on the most recent documents, Mr. Nelson, so you’d best be off to work,” she snips. He glares at her defiantly for only a second before nodding and packing up. He looks at me as he leaves, looking for some kind of recognition, but I keep my eyes forward. I don’t need him clouding my thoughts right now, not while I’ve got a real mission on my hands.

  Myra waits until everyone has left and the door is shut tight to continue. It’s strange to be in the meeting room with only myself and Grier, but it feels right somehow.

  “That Nelson is a bit too eager for my taste, I must admit, but Rupert insisted on his being here. I guess I have him to thank for bringing you to me, Piper,” Myra says. I nod only, trying not to betray my thoughts at the knowledge that Tor is here on Rupert’s behalf.

  “What are the mission details?” I ask. Grier has moved beside me, her palm-pilot out and ready to take notes.

  “You cannot tell anyone the details of this mission. It’s classified level three, so any information is to come straight to me only,” she states, eyeing me closely.

  I make a mental note to keep this from Shelley, even though it could help her cause. I almost want to laugh at it, my newfound loyalty to the Corp, but Myra continues, “There’s a small Temple village at the edge of the Ichton boundaries. The Chief has informed me of Harpy activity near there. Your mission is very simple. Go to the town and stake out for the night. Do not attack any Harpies unless they are directly about to harm civilians. Is this understood?” she asks. We both nod silently.

  “Now, I will give you your weapons, maps, and some anti-radiation tablets just in case you need them. What I want is the pack. What I want to know is what Gabriel is planning and how far he is willing to take it. Do you understand what I’m asking of you?”

  Grier replies before I can. “Infiltration. You want us to get close enough to the pack to get hands-on information,” she says, nodding. Myra smiles and places her liver-spotted hands together.

  “Precisely. It won’t be an easy task, but I believe the both of you to be the most capable. Meet at the VR room at sundown. Be quiet, stealthy, and above all, tell no one,” she states again. We both nod and pile our things together, but as I’m about to leave, Myra calls out to me,

  “Forgetting something?” she asks.

  I sigh, and realizing that she’s brought the blood-kit with her, I look at her begrudgingly. “Just stick me already,” I mutter. I’m not even sure if the needle penetrates my skin before I black out.

  We’re in the clearing again, the one place that has always been ours. David is pacing back and forth, his hands nearly tearing out his hair in distress.

  “Have you even thought about what this could do to everyone around you?” he snaps at me, the glare from his eyes breaking my heart. I’ve been here before, I know, but it suddenly seems so much clearer.

  “You don’t understand, David. I love him!” I protest, feeling the tears spilling over my eyelids.

  “You can’t love him! He’s… … …” he shouts, the static filling my ears, even though his lips are moving.

  “You’re still not making sense. Please, just tell me what you’re trying to say. I need to know!” I scream back at him. He advances on me, and for the first time ever, I’m afraid of him. The rage in his eyes seems so palpable; I feel I might crumble just from his gaze.

  “I can’t believe how selfish you are! He is my enemy, our enemy!” he shouts, grabbing my wrists and squeezing as hard as he can. I feel my skin bruising at his contact, and let out a squeal of pain.

  “David, stop it! You’re hurting me!” I scream. He doesn’t let up, instead grips harder and tries to drag me away with him.

  “I’m not going to stand by and let this happen. I’m not going to let you kill everyone we love!” he says. I rock back and kick him hard in the chest, cringing as he stumbles backwards and grips his hand to his heart. His eyes widen and he coughs up blood.

  “Shit! David, are you okay?” I ask, rushing toward him. He doesn’t answer me, only looks toward the sky, his body trembling as blood streams from his lips.

  “Don’t trust them,” he whispers, his voice barely audible. He collapses to the ground, and his body starts to crumble away like every Harpy I’ve ever killed.

  It’s nearing nightfall when I awaken, still dripping with sweat. I’m lying on a stiff couch in the VR room, Grier flipping through a magazine beside me.

  “Hey,” I whisper. She nearly jumps when she hears me, and then places her magazine on the table beside her.

  “You okay?” she asks. I nod, sitting up, grimacing as my sweaty shirt sticks to my back.

  “Yeah, I just had a nightmare. How long have I been out?” I ask.

  Grier glances at her watch. “About two hours now. Myra said we can postpone the mission if you’re not well enough to complete it.”

  I shake my head, no. “I’m good. I’ve been waiting for this since I came here,” I say. I jump up from the couch and frown at the clothes I’m wearing. I don’t have time to go home and change. I also notice there’s a plate of dinner on one of the side tables.

  “Tor brought that for you,” Grier says when she catches me eyeing it.

  “Oh, that was nice of him,” I say, leaving it untouched. As a rule, I never eat when I’m about to go on a hunt. I’ve seen way too many seasoned hunters vomiting after battle to chance it.

  “Yeah, he seemed really worried about you,” she muses. I ignore her, completely focused as I stride to
the bathroom and splash my face with cold water.

  “I don’t have my gear on me,” I state, relishing the fresh water on my face as it rinses the grimy sweat. Grier peeks in through the open door.

  “I’ve got you covered, don’t worry,” she says, and tosses me a bundle of black clothing. She grins before leaving me alone. I strip quickly and pull on the skin-tight black full bodysuit she’s given me. I stretch and flex, loving the freedom of movement I have in it. Stuffed in the sleeves are the spiked gloves Sandy designed, and a stream-lined utility belt.

  “Where’d you get this?” I ask when I emerge from the bathroom. I notice Grier is wearing a similar suit, though hers is a deep navy.

  “Your friend designed it, Shelley? She’s the talk of the Rad-gear department,” she says.

  I smile inwardly, making a note to congratulate her when I get home. Like clockwork Sandy pops into the room, his arms filled awkwardly with a plethora of weapons. He lays them out on a table and motions for us to choose. Right away I grab my crossbow, crimson-tinted with etched swirls on the handle, and my throwing knives. Grier grabs her pistol and a machine-gun with a string of ammo.

  “You ready?” I ask. She smiles and nods, loading her pistol with a twirl of the barrel. Sandy looks at her, stares at her, really, and when she turns to him he mutters in a half-whisper,

  “Be careful out there.”

  The mark is a few miles from the city, and once we’ve got our slim Rad-masks on and our boots laced, we set out for the long hike through the real sunset. I stop when we first see it, marvelled by the blended hues of fuchsia and orange painted across the sky. There really is nothing like the wonders of the real world.

  “So, what was that whole thing about with Sandy?” I ask when we’ve tramped far enough away from the city. Grier tries to remain tough-seeming, but her face flushes a red to match the sky.

  “What are you talking about?” she asks.

  “The way he looked at you. Is there something going on that you haven’t told me about?” I tease.

  “Honestly, Madden. Sandy Atwood? Don’t sell me so short,” she mutters, but I can tell by the pitch of her voice, the change in her stance, that she’s lying.

  “There’s nothing to be ashamed about. He’s a great guy,” I say. We trudge along in silence, and I chuckle inwardly, wondering what really is going on.

  “What about you and Tor, then? You can’t tell me there’s nothing going on there,” she says finally.

  I spit in response. “There isn’t. Not anymore, at least. He’s different, changed somehow from how he used to be,” I say, not really minding that we’ve changed the subject.

  “Which was?” she goads. A deep sigh escapes me as I push dead tree branches out of my way.

  “Honest, charming, caring. Now he’s always fooling around on his phone or making up all of these excuses for why we can’t do our jobs properly. It’s like he’s been brainwashed,” I reply.

  “Do you think he’s having a fling?” she asks.

  I shake my head, no. “That’s what Shelley said too, but I don’t think so. I think there’s something else going on around here, but I can’t quite put my finger on it. I was happy away from the Corp, not that I’m devastated now or anything, but the rules here are so different than in Central. It’s like everyone has their own little secret agenda,” I say.

  “Things have changed around here. Myra used to train us according to the principles of the Temple, about life and meditation and control, but since this whole Harpy threat thing has happened, it isn’t the same. Tor got shipped here, everything became classified, then you, no offense, but you threw everyone for a loop. Ace Hunter Piper Madden, I mean you’re like a legend around here,” she says.

  This time I laugh openly.

  “There can never be enough inter-office gossip, I guess,” I say. But even though I try to play it off, the subject of my reputation unnerves me. Ace Hunter. It’s just another name for mass murderer. If I were part of the Temple my body would be covered with glory tattoos.

  The sun goes down and we hike the rest of the way in an easy silence, both of us with too much on our minds. The stars guide our way, and even though I should be planning this mission and coming up with exit strategies, all that sticks in my mind are images of all the bodies I’ve killed piled up around me.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Just past the small Temple town, on the borderline between Corp and Harpy territory there lies a densely wooded forest cut up by large rock structures. There are caves and peaks and clear skies above, the perfect hideout for a Harpy band. We scout the location from a distance, noticing a single Harpy sentry at the top of one of the peaks. We’ll have to be practically invisible to get any closer. Even with our dark clothing, Harpy eyesight is far too advanced to bypass with simple machinery. We need a decoy.

  I’m brainstorming ideas to distract the sentry without splitting up, when a loud call sounds, and the Harpy dips into the rocks through a slim crack. We wait a moment to ensure it isn’t just a position change.

  “This is our chance, let’s go,” I say. Grier nods and we strife through the wooded area with practiced silence. All of the work I’ve been doing on the Temple principles pays off as we flow through the area like water. We reach the rock structure, searching for small crevices or side paths until we find a burrow of some sort, just large enough for us to crawl through. I hitch my crossbow onto my back and we slowly make our way through until we see a faint glint of light. Sure enough, at a corner of the burrow there’s a crack in the rock, providing us view of a larger cave lit up with torches and filled with Harpies.

  Silence is absolutely necessary as we peek through the crack. If we’re discovered we have only one exit, and it’s not the easiest route out if we need to move fast. Grier slows her breathing until it’s barely audible, and I try the same, though as the scene beneath us unfolds, the clamour grows louder and louder. Gabriel is standing on top of some sort of pedestal while his cronies cheer him on. His wings are outstretched, and his eyes glow red with his madness.

  “Brothers and Sisters, we have a special visitor tonight!” he exclaims with a cackle. The Harpies laugh and crow, some with wings folded neatly behind them, others fading into their human-looking form. The crowd cheers as a dark figure slowly emerges from the cave entrance, moving its way up onto the stage-like pedestal. My breath catches in my chest as the light illuminates the Harpy’s features. Majestic ebony wings span from his shoulders, his skin pale but luminescent and his dark hair hanging over his face, sullen and angry. It’s Asher.

  “What the fuck?” I whisper.

  Grier nudges me hard with her elbow, and I bite my lip to keep myself quiet. My heart is beating as my head swirls. Asher is a Harpy. Asher is a Harpy.

  It lingers in my mind like a broken record, playing again and again. He stands tall with his wings outstretched, but holds none of the dark bravado of Gabriel. He looks like he doesn’t want to be here.

  “Yes, my friends. Finally here, the lost Prince of us all. My brother has deemed us high enough to grace us with his presence,” Gabriel shouts. The Harpies boo and cackle until Asher holds up a hand to make them stop. He breathes deeply, silent as he surveys the room. Finally the crowd becomes restless and his brother nudges him to speak.

  “I am not your prince,” he says.

  The room is suddenly silent, and I gasp too loudly. Grier doesn’t notice, nor does anyone else; everyone’s eyes are focused on Asher.

  Gabriel is glaring at his brother, his wings quivering in anger. “What are you talking about?” he whispers angrily.

  Asher just shakes his head, letting his wings shrink into his back, cringing with the pain of it, and turning into the lanky Asher I’ve come to know.

  “You have all betrayed your Empire. You follow a false God after impossible ideas. Your battle is not with the humans or the Hunters. Your battle is with yourselves, and yet you follow a madman in the pursuit of more destruction. I am not your prince. As long
as you continue in this charade, you are no longer Harpies of Ehvelar!” he exclaims. The room remains silent, with only the occasional murmur travelling throughout the room.

  Gabriel’s eyebrows furrow and he stands in front of Asher. “Do you not hear this? You’re not the ones betraying your Empire, he is! As Harpies, we must stand together and become what is destined of us! We are the superior race of this world. We can withstand the radiation that kills the weak humans and Hunters. We will not allow the Corporation to push us into oblivion! We will stand up and take the world that belongs to us!” he shouts. This time the crowd cheers; at first in patches, and then in an enormous roar. Asher slinks to the background, watching his people with what appears as horror. I’ve seen enough. I gesture to Grier to go back.

  We crawl through the tunnel, the wail of the Harpies following us through to the small exit. We stand and breathe deeply once we’ve exited the tunnel, but we are not alone.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” A familiar voice sounds. I whip around to see Darcy, my long-time runner, with tawny wings outstretched behind her, her green eyes glowing in the dark. I grip the handle on one of my knives while Grier keeps a ready hand on her pistol.

  “Leaving. If you’re smart, you’ll keep your mouth shut and let us go,” I whisper violently.

  Darcy just grins, flexing her hands, her slender fingers growing into long, sharp talons. “I think not. It’s because of you that this is happening. The Ten was the only thing keeping Asher strong, and now that he no longer has it, he’s turned into a meagre weakling. Our Empire needs its rightful heir to survive, and you’ve stripped that away.”