Ruined in Retribution (Titanium Book 3)

by Valia Lind

  I will make a deal with the devil himself if it means getting her back.

  * * *

  "This sure doesn't feel right, mate." Calen comments as we pull up into a parking spot in a barely lit lot. The neighborhood has seen better days, there are more abandoned buildings than there are occupied. Still working street lamps cast shadows on the street, creating an atmosphere of danger, rather than providing any light. I check my phone for messages, waiting for a location update, but still nothing.

  "Nothing involving the general ever feels right," I mumble. It's the truth I've had to live with for years and it's never been more evident, until this assignment.

  I can't really think of this as an assignment anymore. This is my life now. Whatever it takes, I can't fail.

  Calen pulls out his tablet, typing away on the small keyboard. I watch the colors on the screen change as he moves windows around and I wonder, not for the first time, what will happen after all of this is over. There is no way to go back to any kind of a regular life. Not after you've killed a human being. So while Calen may have been spared from that, his sister is certainly a mess now. Do they go back to England and try to pretend nothing had happened?

  I fear that pretending may be my fate in the end. If I survive the fight.

  After all, Tasia won't stick around. That's not her style.

  My phone beeps with an incoming message and I glance down to read a set of coordinates. Without a word, Calen pulls the map up, getting the directions.

  "But of course it's an abandoned warehouse district. Where else would we go?" I say, pulling back out into the street. The general is very cliche about his operations and it would be helpful in the predictability department if he wasn't also deadly, even without a weapon. He uses the predictability to his advantage and that's something I have to do as well.

  "We'll park on the side of the arranged spot. He'll be expecting us to come from the back. It's how he taught me."

  "But if he knows that," Calen says, glancing up from his tablet, "Then he will probably know you won't follow his instructions."

  "True, but it's the best I got. We can't exactly drop from the sky."

  "We could've if we had more time." Calen flashes me a quick smile, before turning back to his screen. I don't doubt his words. Between him and Freddie, they can basically do anything.

  It takes us about an hour to get to the meeting spot and in that time, all I do is worry. I know the general won't be alone, I know he'll have a back-up plan because he doesn't trust me. But beyond that, I have no idea what to expect.

  When I was a little kid, he used to pretend to play games with me. But his games were nothing but training scenarios and even to this day, I can't forget the three days I spent locked in a box under the porch, "playing" hide and seek. I've tried so hard to become a different person, especially since meeting Tasia. But memories are monsters, locked inside the cages of the mind. They sneak up on you, when you least expect it.

  "What now?" Calen asks, as I park behind a building. I hate that I brought him with me. Tasia would never forgive me if something happened to him. But he's just as stubborn as she is and refuses to be left behind. Not that I can truly blame him. I would do the exact same in his shoes.

  "We'll check out the building. See if it's a good enough place for you to wait it out."

  "I can wait in the car."

  "No, you definitely can't." I say, getting out before he can argue. He knows better than to do so once we're out in the open, but I can feel his glare on the back of my neck.

  I check my guns and pull one out on the ready, before heading toward the building, with Calen close behind. He's got his techie backpack with him and a gun I made sure to give him after what happened with Tasia. He doesn't ask questions, but follows close behind as we head inside.

  The place is dark and quiet. It looks as if it hasn't been used in years, but that just means that it may be occupied by homeless people and creatures. Thankfully, it's late enough that everyone should be asleep, but I'm not taking any chances.

  The stairs are thankfully empty, as we head to the fourth floor. It'll provide a good vantage point for Calen and give the signal a boost in the open air. I walk to the corner of the building, keeping my steps light. After the crash course Calen received in self defense, he's keeping quiet as well. We pass a door that is halfway open and I can hear snoring coming from the inside. Calen and I exchange a look, but neither one of us speaks.

  When we reach the far side of the building, the door is ajar and I can see there's no one inside. What used to be a table lays overturned by one wall and papers are scattered across the floor. All I need are the windows. There are four in the office, two on each side of the corner facing the warehouse.

  "Make sure to stay away from the windows or the very corner." I motion Calen to one side of the room, at the back of one of the windows. "This is probably your best bet. You won't be as visible from the street, if anything should happen."

  Calen crouches down, pulling out his tablet and laptop, before moving to look out the window. He's been trained to be careful and I'm thankful for small things.

  "I'll be fine. I can see the yard from here, but if you're inside any of the buildings, I won't have a visual."

  "You're here for backup if the worst was to happen. Keep Freddie in the loop."

  With that, I turn around and walk away. It's time to meet the general.

  3.

  LOGAN

  As I make my way toward the meeting spot, I feel the doom settling over the yard. Something bad is about to happen and there is nothing I can do about it. It's not like I possess any special powers to know this for sure, but the uneasy feeling at the back of my neck just grows stronger the closer I get.

  I'm at least an hour early, but I know I won't have to wait long. The general makes sure to never arrive at the appointed time and this is just another tidbit I've learned from watching him. He strives to do things his own way and pushes people way past their limits. While there are aspects of his personality I do possess, I would never sacrifice others for my ambition. That's exactly what he's done, since the very beginning. I scan my surroundings, as I wait for Calen to finish his infrared sweep of the adjacent buildings.

  "There are at least five people in the building to your right and the same number in the building in front of you," his voice comes over the intercom and honestly, I expected nothing less.

  "There's probably more that you don't see," I reply, taking note of a few vantage points that would be perfect for a sniper. If the general wants me dead, I'm as good as gone right now. However, his curiosity won't let him pull the trigger until he hears me out and I'm counting on that. It'll probably come back to bite me.

  "Look out, Logan," Calen's voice rings out once again. "You've got incoming."

  I turn in time to see a truck pulling up from the opposite direction in which I came. The windows are tinted, but I know the general is in there. The truck stops ten feet in front of me, high beams shining on me, but I don't flinch. It's the tactic I've seen used in intimidation more times than I can count and I'm not about to lose my ground.

  The truck sits parked and running in front of me for good five minutes, before the back door finally opens. I manage to stand still, arms in pockets, waiting it out. The general steps out, looking as intimidating as I remember. He's a big man, just about six-three and he never passes up the opportunity to show his dominance. Even now, he stands just on the other side of the light, sizing me up. The psychological aspect of the general's games have always made me unsettled. If I wasn't so used to this, I would be running for the hills.

  "Hello, Logan."

  "Dad."

  The word tastes foreign on my tongue, for it has been much too long since I've called him that. Using it now is nothing but a tactic on my part, but he doesn't flinch. At least, not that I can see through the shadows that are cast upon him by the light. I want him to squirm, but I'm not sure that human emotion is possible. He steps to the
other side of the truck, as the lights dim to manageable. I dare not take my eyes off him, because I know he expects nothing less. He raised me a soldier and now, more than ever, I have to use that training to my advantage.

  "Report."

  Oh, the warm and fuzzies. How I've missed this. Keeping myself from grunting at the predictability of the situation takes more willpower than I thought.

  "The drug is no longer reacting to the previous treatments," I say, watching him closely for a reaction. He's stoic, but for that split second, I see a slight twitch right above his left eyebrow, giving me the courage to go on. "Now, tell me why."

  "I don't know why," he replies, after a tense moment of silence.

  It's as if his words put a film over my mind, as I take a step back from the situation. There's something that always bothered me about this whole thing. About my whole life.

  How did I get pulled into a world straight out of a bad movie? It feels like someone is manipulating my every move. As I look at my father, I think - no, I know - that's been true since the day I was born. It's not just a feeling that I have, it's a fact that I live with, from the very beginning.

  "I don't believe you," I say, bringing my focus back to the task at hand. I don't have time to wonder about possibilities, I have a job to do. I have to outsmart the man who taught me everything I know. A man who is always playing games by his own rules - the only one who knows all the rules.

  "That's your choice."

  "No, that's the truth. Let's try a different one. Is there an antidote?"

  His face hardens even more, if that's possible. There's a look in his eyes that I remember from my childhood. He could look menacing, calculating, and almost kind, all at the same time. He always got that look when he was ready to ruin my life.

  "Not exactly."

  The way he says that, I know that there is more to the story. Maybe there isn't an antidote, but he knows something that would help. What he says next proves it, even if it's not an outright admission.

  "It won't save her."

  The words shatter the pieces of hope in my heart, but I won't break. Nothing he says is believable. I can't trust for him to have my best interest at heart. Pulling on years of training, I push forward.

  "The drug is evolving and being used as a weapon. Why wouldn't you tell me?" My voice sounds much calmer than I expected.

  We stare at each other, and I wonder which one of us will break first. This is a constant impasse, a never ending circle of life for us. I'm not sure that it could ever be anything else.

  "You weren't supposed to know, yet," the general finally says, knowing he's defeated, at least on this front. Telling me something I already know is one of the first tactics in his book. It'll throw me off balance, make it seem like I'm beating him. But I know his tricks and that's where I will find the upper hand.

  "Why?" I ask the question out loud, watching him for a response. But I don't have to hear him saying the words, I do it for him. "Because I was never supposed to go this deep." His silence is the answer I need, but it doesn't take the sting out of the truth. That twitch over his eyebrow moves again and that's all that it takes.

  "You were supposed to be out," he begins.

  "I was supposed to be dead!" I interrupt, losing some of that well controlled temper. "You were hoping I'd die in the blast."

  "No!" he takes a couple of steps towards me, a flicker of emotion passing over his face. "You were supposed to be out when she shot you. But you went back in. For her."

  There is so much hate in that one word, it's as if he physically shoved me. My self control slips farther, and now I'm the one taking a step toward him.

  "And I would do it all over again!" I snap, my hands curling into fists at my sides. "You have no right using her for your own agenda."

  "I do what it takes to protect this country."

  "You do what it takes to put money in your pocket!" I shout. Before I see them, I feel the movement of his men around me. They spread out around me, shadows right at the edge of my vision. But, they won't attack yet. This is between me and the general.

  "Don't you dare talk to me like that, boy," the general yells, getting right in my face. Years of practice keep me from flinching, because I am not about to back down. "I am not the one who would ruin everything for a skirt."

  "No, you're right. You wouldn't." I reply, keeping my voice low and firm. "You would never put the needs of others above your own gain. Mom is the perfect example of that."

  Even though I anticipate it, the slap still rings my ears. I stand firm, refusing to move, to give in to him, as his hand leaves an imprint on my skin.

  "You know nothing of her," his words are hard, final, and then, that perfect mask falls back into place. I know better than to waver, better than to protect myself from his rage. I was raised to 'take it like a man' and he's not about to see me weak.

  "Find me the next shipment. You have 72 hours before the next dosage and we need to know where it's arriving."

  He doesn't wait for a response, walking back to his truck as the lights flash on to blind me once more. I stand my ground as the vehicle backs out of the lot and the shadows around me disappear. I stand still as I wait for the sound to fade away.

  "Calen?"

  "All clear." He replies and I hate that he witnessed all that. But there's no getting around that now. If I was him, I would have a million questions. However, I'm not sure if I'll have the strength to answer any.

  "I'll head back to get you in a--" I begin, but don't get to finish.

  I can feel her behind me even before I hear her voice.

  "Logan."

  That one word undoes me in a way I didn't know was truly possible until this very moment.

  "Logan! Is that her? Logan!" Calen's voice rings in my ears, but I don't answer. Slowly, I turn around and come face to face to the girl who's been haunting my dreams for months.

  "Hello, Tasia."

  4.

  LOGAN

  "Fancy meeting you here," I say, trying to keep my heart from leaping from my chest. Just the sight of her makes my whole body hum in awareness. Calen is shouting questions in my ear, but I tune him out. "Stay where you are." I say to her, but Calen understands.

  "Logan, this is our chance." He says and I know he wants to come down here and get her himself, but it's not that easy. She wouldn't take us as prisoners. She made that promise the last time we met.

  "Don't tell me you're nervous around me," Tasia comments on my words, a small smile curling up her pretty mouth. I look at her and I see the same girl I fell in love with. Still strong, still beautiful, still on a path to destruction. However, the passion in her eyes has dimmed because now, someone else is pulling the strings and that breaks my heart most of all.

  "How did you find me?" I ask, keeping my eyes trained on her at all times. I'm hoping Calen listens to me and keeps to the building. There's no knowing what she will do.

  "I wasn't really looking for you. But I've been monitoring the activity on various Kallos locations and this one popped up. I was in the neighborhood."

  There's that smile again, that cold front that used to be a shield and now is everything she has become.

  "Do you always let people just slap you around?" she asks, taking a small step forward.

  So she saw the exchange between me and the general. How did no one see or hear her coming? She's a lot more skilled than anyone gives her credit for and that scares me, because in the end, I won't have to outsmart just the drug, I'll have to outsmart her. And I'm not sure I can do that.

  "What happens to me shouldn't be of any concern to you," I state, trying to keep myself as cold as she is. There's something in her eyes at my words, but it's gone before I can pinpoint what I see.

  "It's of my concern when you are discussing such important matters." She takes another step toward me, but this time to the side. I can tell what she's doing, circling me like a cat. She's always been skilled at intimidation, but now, with the coldness of the dru
g running through her veins, she's terrifying.

  "Tasia," I begin, and her eyes flash at my use of her name. The small reaction gives me hope and I push onward. "Tasia, you don't have to do this. You don't have to be used like this. You told me once that you will fight no matter what. This is the time and place to cash in on that promise."

  For a moment, I think something I said had gotten through to her. But then, she throws back her head and laughs.

  "Oh, poor naive, Logan. Still such a dreamer." She continues her prowl around me, one of her hands on her side and I know she's holding a knife, even before she pulls it out. "Do you remember the other promise I made to you the last time I saw you?"

  "Yes." It's not something that I will ever forget.

  "Say it."

  I swallow the words I actually want to say and stare her down. She's always been this fierce warrior, yet with a kind heart. A walking contradiction. It's what made me fall for her, it's what made her the only girl I've ever seen a future with. I know what's coming next. I know where this meeting will end at and I don't want to go there.

  "Say it, Logan."

  "You said that you're not allowed to kill me yet, but next time we meet, you might just disobey those orders."

  "Good boy." She says, right before she attacks.

  There is total control in her movements, as she runs at me, a knife gleaming in her hand. Blocking the first blow, I cringe as our arms connect. The drug hasn't just made her mind impenetrable, it has made her stronger. She's a solid wall of rage now. She won't stop until she hurts me and she knows hurting her breaks my heart with every blow.

  I duck just as her arm swings above my head. She kicks out with her right foot, connecting with my stomach and I fly back in the same motion. My bones rattle as I bite down hard, trying to keep the pain at bay. She doesn't waste a second as she advances on me. I roll out of the way just as her boot comes down where my head was. I'm on my feet in a flash, my stance defensive.

  "You know your affection for this body makes you weak," Tasia says the words, but her voice no longer sounds like her own. It's so cold and calculating, it's robotic.