“What’s a matter, Noah? I would’ve expected you of all people to say something during the meeting.”
The unexpected focus on him shook him, and he was surprisingly honest.
“The big day is almost here, Sergeant. Just a little antsy.”
“A little? I don’t know if I’ll sleep much till the day is here,” Kurt agreed.
Noah felt Saskia’s hand grip his. First came a spike of shock, followed by a calm sensation. It felt absolutely soothing to feel her touch. He may have been squad leader, but he knew she was the one more pumped than anyone in their platoon. She can’t hide it at all. I don’t think she’s even trying to.
“It’s all right to get that feeling,” Gabby said. “I still feel it myself before every op. I don’t think it ever goes away. At least for me.”
The troops before her all nodded.
“And give yourselves some credit. You’re not as green as you think. You’ve all seen some combat before, and now you’ve even bested a cyborg. There are very few soldiers who can say that. By the way, how did you guys come up with that sweet maneuver?”
She was puzzled to see them all hesitate to answer. Saskia was the one to do it.
“Will helped us sort it out, ma’am.”
***
Jacob finished adding the sugar and creamer to Nusaybah’s coffee. After handing it to her, he poured his own. Nusaybah saw that he added nothing at all to it.
“After two cups, I thought you’d add something to at least one of them,” she joked.
“Nah, why dilute it?”
“Don’t let Jacob fool you. When I first got him on the stuff he needed it to be half sweeteners. Half the time, he still ended up wasting it.”
Jacob and Nusaybah turned to see Halsey coming their way by the serving table.
“So, you lost the hair dye but kept the beard. Classy, I guess.”
“Oh, fuck off. You love it.”
Halsey picked out a donut from the leftovers. Come on…yes! There was still one with sprinkles, and it was the only one he was interested in.
“I like your style. You ever start a bar fight for the hell of it?” Halsey asked Nusaybah. Jacob was a tad embarrassed while the woman only laughed.
“Only when the beer was terrible. I don’t mean to bother you, but I do have one more question.”
Joe was wiping away the crumbs from his donut, but he nodded for her to go ahead.
“Cyclops usually piloted the Blackbird, right?”
Halsey’s napkin missed the trashcan, but he didn’t notice.
“Yeah, him or Storm.”
Will stood away from it all. He wanted to converse with Gabby’s platoon over more strategy or maybe talk to Halsey. With him it was either bullshit or nostalgia, and he didn’t mind either. However, before any of that, he had an important meeting to deal with.
***
Alex lay in his hammock, his laptop on his stomach. On the screen were layouts for the circuitry of his secret project. This particular section was holding up the rest of his day, admittedly, but he told himself a few more minutes couldn’t hurt. A pop-up alert told him he had company coming down the stairs. I told you to take a damn break, Bri. But it wasn’t her, causing Alex to shut his laptop.
Marisol reached the bottom, walking with a limp. It appeared her condition had worsened in the short span of time.
“You busy?” she asked.
“I was actually on my break. I’m not ashamed to say it may have gone on a little longer than I intended.”
Mari nodded. “I’ll come back another time.”
“No, I can fit you in, don’t sweat it. How can I help?”
“Well, I changed my mind.”
Alex displayed a confident smile. “I had a feeling you’d come around.”
First, Alex treated the burns on her arm, giving the wounds proper bandaging. He did this with minimal teasing at her ‘shitjob’ as he called it. After, she was led to an operating room down the hall. It was small but well-kept.
Alex began to wash his hands thoroughly. Marisol stood there lost.
“I know how much you love those pants, but I’m gonna need you to lose ’em. And, please put them on the counter.”
“I’ll even fold them so you don’t throw a hissy fit.”
“You read my mind.”
Alex put on his gloves as Mari removed her worn boots. Next came the pants, which tore more as they were removed, getting a giggle out of the man. Marisol ignored him and folded them as promised. Red socks covered her small feet, and her legs were long for a relatively short woman. Her underwear was light purple.
“Don’t punch me for this, but I was betting on you going with them being black and having a big UNR emblem on them. That or Venloran’s face.”
Mari cracked a grin, rolling her eyes.
“Let’s get this over with”
“I’m good to go, so let’s do it. I won’t offer any anesthetic. Cyborgs usually pride themselves on how much they can take.”
Marisol lay down on the operating table and looked to her side. The headrest was comfortable but cold. On the wall across from her was a collage of photos. Her eyes zoomed in on them. It was a series of pictures depicting Will at various points in his surgery. Near the top was one of Will asleep, his chest covered in bandages. The bottom of this one had something written in marker: “SUCCESS!” Probably his initial recovery. Another had him sitting up on the same table she was now on, glaring at the camera with an annoyed look on his face.
“You saved his life, didn’t you?”
Alex had begun to inspect the wound, but the question brought his eyes to the photos.
“Will was pretty banged up when we got here. They were trying to fix me while I was trying to help him. We both pulled through.”
Mari had never been conscious for an operation before. She felt Alex cut a bit of the flesh out of the way with a scalpel and then felt fingers touch the exposed wires.
“It’s not too bad, actually. You have a few cables that are damaged. One of them is the power supply line. To fix it I’ll have to temporarily shut you down, okay?”
Something came to Marisol’s mind, something much more important than the pain she was enduring.
“Right now I’m at your mercy, aren’t I? If you decided to slash something vital you could very well kill me. What a way to die at the hands of the enemy.”
Alex continued to focus on his work. He almost seemed to ignore the question. It was a blunt reminder of their circumstances.
“Does mortality anger you?”
“It frightens me.”
Her visibility began to go as her pupils disappeared. It was as if they were now enveloped in a fog. Things then went completely dark for her.
***
All around Mari was the overpowering ocean. With every footstep she took, she was pulled back several feet by the water. The parachute was the primary handicap. The only way to move forward would be to rid herself of it. Working as fast as she could before the next wave hit, she unbuckled the straps on her shoulders. The mighty cyborg found herself struggling to hold her footing. It’s here. She got the last of them just as the surge of water flung her like a leaf.
Now came a different sensation: air. Salt was in her nostrils and mouth, even some sand. Just as Mari was preparing to stand, she froze. Farther up the beach was a family, four in total. Marisol felt water splash on her, but she still couldn’t move.
The family playing was her own, all four of them. Her mother played in the sand with her two youngest, while Carla sat in her chair under the umbrella. She was texting away without a care in the world. That was until she spotted the woman splayed out in the surf. Oh, God, no.
The entire family was approaching now, Maurizo dying to get a closer look. Carla kept him back while Mari’s mother and her other daughter came the closest. By now, Marisol wanted to run away or at least stand, but only her neck seemed to function, allowing her to look them in the eyes as they now surrounded her.
It was the young Marisol who got down on her knees first, followed by her mother. The old woman was crying. She was also smiling. She put her rough hands on the cyborg’s cheeks. Maurizo was telling her to get up. Mari’s muscles tightened, and she began to get to her knees.
***
There was a stab of light in Mari’s eyes. The first thing she saw was that collection of photos. The cyborg collected herself and finally sat up. Her leg was bandaged now, although still very sore. Alex was disposing of his gloves. Once tossed, he gave her a welcoming smile.
“Go on, try to walk now.”
Marisol slowly brought her feet to the cold tiled floor. She began to walk over to the counter and felt no pain. The limp was gone entirely. Knowing that alone made her feel stronger.
“Is there anything you can’t do?” she boasted.
“I get the feeling I can’t make you stay, so there’s that.”
Alex waited for her to speak. Marisol put a hand on her bandaged arm.
“I can’t.”
“I know you’re only here because you had a mission. I’m not saying you have to help us fight. Just trust us. We’ll help you find your family.”
“I have to do it alone. I want my old life back.”
“You still think that’s possible?”
“It’s all I know. I have to try.”
Alex was severely let down, and he was having a hard time hiding it. Marisol wanted to comfort him but didn’t. This is our reality. Still, it gave her joy to see the man pick himself up.
“At least let me stitch those rags up best I can.”
“Sure.”
Marisol saw the conclusion of her stay was almost here. On the way toward that end, she allowed herself to enjoy this borrowed time. Time with someone she had planned to kill, or worse, deliver to her master.
***
Will was back at the Dining Hall. This time he had come undirected. It was Mr. Thani who was there to meet him.
“Hello. No secretary general?”
The man looked Will up and down.
“No, William, it’s just me. Disappointed?”
“There a change in plans?”
He saw the cyborg had no intention of amusing his banter, so he let up.
“Not at all. Mr. Vanzetti is back at his hotel before the International Summit. He left me in charge of giving you this.”
He handed him a simple sealed envelope. Will took it and opened it. Thani stood ready for any questions.
Will saw a short list of eight names. They were politicians and social activists spanning from South America, the AEF, and even parts of Asia. Even the Pope had earned himself a spot. Now, that’s interesting. Will finally asked a question, though it wasn’t the one Thani was expecting.
“So where are you from?”
“Born in Doha.”
“Qatar. The UNR never touched those lands. What’s your interest in all this?”
“Before Saudi Arabia fell to your Chancellor, the Saudis seized so much land that Qatar is barely half of its former self.”
“And you want those lands returned.”
“Venloran wasn’t the first tyrant to claim the world was his. I stand against anyone who does not respect the sovereignty of borders.”
“Will you be at the Summit to babysit me?”
“I’ve made enough observations for now. Any more questions and I’d be telling you more than I’m cleared to. The same goes for you. The details of your assignment are known only to you and the secretary general. It needs to stay that way.”
Will nodded, putting the letter away.
“And one more thing, Wolf.”
“Yes?”
“To be frank, Vanzetti finds tomorrow’s mission miniscule in comparison to this one. If for any reason Rock City falls apart, you must give us assurance you will carry out your task no matter what. Everything else is secondary. Understood?”
“Yes, sir.”
Chapter 8- The Seraph
October 22, 2065 - Fort Hosbon, Ontario, Canada
Marisol and Alex walked side by side toward the entrance of Fort Hosbon. She now had her sword again, along with a new jacket. Behind her was Will and a few other soldiers. As far as Alex was concerned, it was still night, but the sun would be rising in less than an hour. At the gate was a motorcycle just as she’d requested. I’ve lagged long enough. All the same, she knew she had to do this properly. Otherwise, she’d never forgive herself. They all stopped, as Mari did.
Will didn’t bring it up, but he was very concerned at how close Alex was standing next to the super soldier. It was apparent she’d undergone repairs as well, surely all at Alex’s courtesy. Halsey was there, too, and he didn’t say much, either.
“I’ll hold to my end of the deal,” she said, looking at Will. Unit 21 could only nod.
“If you ever need a place to crash, well, you know where to find us,” Halsey offered. Will was at first frustrated to hear such a farewell, but he realized Joe was looking closer than he was. Mari’s tone had softened. The smug smile and blunt remarks were nowhere to be seen.
She faced Alex now.
“Thank you for all you’ve done.”
“Don’t mention it, Mari. I hope everything goes well for you. Like Joe said, the door will always will be open if you need help.”
“All this even though I turned down your offer?”
“You may have upped the ante a little, but Will wasn’t always this pleasant to be around himself.”
Alex saw that lovely smile. A small one, but he treasured it. Mari moved closer to Alex and Will grabbed the hilt of his sword. He was even more stunned to see her plant a kiss on his cheek.
Alex himself was speechless. Mari got on the bike, revving the engine.
“Goodbye.”
“Bye,” Alex said quietly.
Mari rode off at full speed. Alex watched until the gate was closed and then turned around to head back. Oh great. Will and Halsey were staring at him. Every soldier there was. The super soldier looked at Joe, who nodded and then got ready to speak.
“Before you even ask: No,” Alex said ingenuously.
The wind in her face, Marisol focused on her destination and that alone. Every time her mind drifted back to what she’d left behind, she continuously severed it. The road ahead is all that matters. It was a consistent chime. It’s all that matters.
***
Patrick had already finished getting ready. He still had an hour before everyone met up and so now he sat on his bunk. Every other soldier in his barrack was out, for which he was thankful. He hadn’t been on a mission since Clincho, unless he counted UNR HQ. In either case, both had been near- death experiences. He was feeling an untold amount of anxiety, but he knew what would cure him of that. Under his bed was a bag he’d had a long time. Since his teens if he was right.
He zipped it open and dug around inside. Even though there was no reason for the folder inside to ever go missing, he always worried one day he’d find it gone. Today was not that day. He settled the folder on his lap and began to sift through the many laminated papers inside. Each one was an email from Tyler, spanning all throughout The Expansion. After his death, Patrick had taken the time to print them all out. The process took all night, but when it was done he began to feel as if his brother’s voice had not been silenced.
He decided to read one from early in the war. Before the bomb that, in Tyler’s words, should’ve ended his life.
Hey you little shit.
Wanted to check in with you, dude. I feel bad that I haven’t in a while. I just wanna let you know I wasn’t avoiding your questions. I’m going to be straight up with you: everything you hear is true. We do our best to save some people and when you do it’s a feeling I can’t even do justice. You feel like a hero. But we’re not heroes. We’re soldiers. We can only save those who want to be saved. The ones who fight make a choice and they die for it.
Mom tells me you want to join the Air Force. I laugh my ass off imagining
your short ass behind the wheel of a plane, but I know if you put your mind to it you’ll do it. I won’t try to stop you from joining up. Serving your country is an honor, Pat. Never stop believing that. What I want you to do is be a better man than me. I point my gun at people because I’m told to, but deep down I know I’ve done some awful things. Doing that in a fight like this is unavoidable, but do it for the right reasons. You’ll know it when you’re fighting for something worth dying for.
Stay out of trouble, Pat. And stay out of my room.
Best, Ty
***
Gabby heard the shot of the gun, a single shot. Her pupil widened, her heart throbbing so hard she felt as if she’d lost control of it. Gabriella brought her hand to her chest, trying to settle herself; she wasn’t sure she could. She turned the knob of the shower to the right sharply, the heat increasing quickly. She allowed the steam to dizzy herself, leaning against the wall of the small shower space. She closed her eyes, knowing she had to enjoy the remaining two minutes of the rationed four-minute showers.
She went into the locker room, taking a pair of clothes from the fresh bin load located right outside the shower area. The pair she grabbed were still fairly warm, probably fresh deliveries. Neeson quickly slipped on the muscle shirt and undergarment. Her escape from hell had engrained in her mind a strive to reach her physical perfection. She reviled any sense of vulnerability and her toned body was a testament to this. There was no escaping that day, though. No amount of running and training exercises could erase her father’s death out of her head.
The man who at one time used to read to her. The man who used to take her to the zoo and the park. She’d watched this gentle man’s last dying breath. She’d seen the blood spilling from the wound. He was gone, and she had been a bystander during it all.
The sergeant finished getting dressed. She needed to get back to her quarters to meet with her brother.
***
Gabby closed the door to her barrack, heading toward the Humvee with Jacob at the wheel. Even with her outside, he honked repeatedly.
“You didn’t even do your eyeliner, so what’s the hold up?” he said to her. As Gabby opened the door and hopped in, she noticed something peculiar about Jacob. It was what he was wearing over his matching uniform.
The King's Move Page 6