Aliss saw him off with a salute. Tonight had been a little taste of hell for all, and tomorrow would be one of the biggest days in their country’s history. The reports told him there had been some success tonight, but he was hesitant to call it victory. Progress is agreeable Aliss thought, the hunt is still on and the prey is wounded. You’ve come out of the woodwork, 37, and there’s no hiding forever.
***
Marisol ran like she’d never run before in her life. She’d always been the hunter, and now again and again she found herself the prey. She wasn’t sure if minutes had gone by or hours. Either way, a cyborg running at full speed could cover quite a bit of ground. Mari had already entered the downtown area, where more stores resided than homes.
As she sprinted, she felt blood dripping from her wound. Mari was in the midst of fleeing, but she had to see it.
Marisol slowed her sprinting down the alley. Now moving at a much slower pace, she took in her surroundings. This was the rear of some small store, the alley just big enough to have a few parking spaces opposite the building. Luckily for her, there was a single car there.
Mari ripped one of the rearview mirrors off the car and smashed the fragile material containing the glass. The material she desired shattered as well, Mari only now realizing her hastiness. Most of the shards were too small to be of use, but she saw a sizeable one. Mari picked it up.
She brought the shard close, inspecting what remained of her eye. The physical pain was constant, but it was a pinprick compared to a different blaze inside of her. She would be horribly scarred, her right eye now useless, and yet it was drifting out of her mind. She let the shard fall at her boots.
All that had just happened began to sink in. I have nothing. Marisol trudged over to the wall of the shop, placing a hand on it to support herself. I am nothing.
Marisol balled her fist and punched the russet brick wall. Chunks of it flew and dust powdered her. One wasn’t enough. Mari punched that brick wall again and again. It wasn’t long before the knuckles on her gloves were worn down. Next came the skin there. If she kept going like this, soon she would be down to the neoartium. The last punch did not land with enough force to do so.
Instead, Marisol went down to her knees. She sobbed as if she were a child again. Only a few feet from her, a door opened and out came an angry store manager.
“What the hell is going on out here?!” the man yelled.
All he saw behind his shop was that his wall had been beaten to shit. The pulverized brick was all over the alley street. The man stepped closer, even though he felt he shouldn’t. Someone take a sledgehammer to my damn wall?
That’s what he went with to comfort himself. Then, he saw something that shook that theory. On many of the pieces of brick that lay everywhere, there were bits of red. There was no mistaking it: Blood. Whoever it belonged to was long gone.
***
The trio of UNR soldiers reached a turnoff in the storm drain tunnel and stopped there. Their ears picked up the sound of someone approaching without caution. Walking through the ankle-level water was Greg Simmons. As promised, behind him was a dragged-along man. Sergeant Wendy Esther remained doubtful and sent over Aaron and Tim. The duo approached Greg casually, but Wendy felt caution clinging to her skin.
Her men looked over Greg’s prize and then gave her a thumbs up.
“It’s really him, Sergeant! Fucking Greg bagged the Joseph Halsey!” exclaimed Tim.
Wendy joined them and looked down at the prisoner. He seemed intact, other than a wound on his side and a terrible graze to his head. If she had to guess, it had probably come from hitting his skull on the concrete.
“And the others?” Wendy asked.
“Sergeant Esther, they didn’t make it.”
Greg wanted to look away, but Wendy put a hand on his shoulder.
“Let’s get regrouped with Flemming. The other teams are en route to the cistern.”
Though not exactly heartwarming, it was more than either Aaron or Tim had offered. Aaron went as far as being dissatisfied.
“Sarge, we’re supposed to go with them!” he protested. “Come on, let’s go kick some ass!”
Wendy despised tonight despite all they’d achieved. They’d finally been allowed to be a part of the “cyborg brotherhood” and had pursued the opportunity without hesitation. She, like the others, had wanted to test their new bodies. Greg’s team had clearly underestimated their mission and this only cemented the cryptic warning given to her earlier by Flemming. Grab what you can and get the hell out of there.
“No, we have enough teams on that. We’re pulling out,” reaffirmed Sgt. Esther.
Greg said nothing, but the pleasure was in his eyes. Aaron and Tim were pissed, but had no more to say.
Wendy and the others turned to begin their trek back. It wasn’t until their backs were turned that they all heard an odd noise. It registered in Wendy’s ears: the sound of flesh being split. They all looked back to see Greg standing there with a lost look in his eyes. The UNR soldier let go of the prisoner’s leg and took a step forward before falling flat on his face. Embedded in the back of his head was a hira-shuriken.
By the time they stopped gawking at the corpse, The Wolf was upon them. Armed with nothing but his saber, he came at them from the darkness with nightmarish speed. Even with their adrenaline and infrared vision, he was a phantom. Fear was a powerful tool in combat, and The Grim Reaper sought to use it as long as he could.
Tim was in front of the other two and before he could fire an EMP grenade, Will got close enough to slice off his left hand at the wrist. It came off easily and amongst the blood, severed wires could be seen. Tim howled and instinctively stepped back, not that Will was done with him.
Will tackled Tim and the unprepared UNR soldier flew backward into Wendy. As the two hit the wet concrete, Will swung at Aaron. In the narrow tunnel it seemed like a guaranteed strike. However, his blade only slashed the concrete wall in an arc, sparks briefly lighting up the area. Will’s advantage had come to an end.
Aaron ducked again to avoid Will’s blade, and now he went on the offensive. With a swift kick to Will’s hand, the saber fell to the super soldier’s feet. Before Will could focus on reclaiming his sword, Aaron aimed his weapon at his target. Will in turn kicked the weapon away and went for a straight jab to Aaron’s face. The blow connected, but it didn’t do much, other than knock him off balance for a moment.
What?!
Will realized then and there that the WP-IIIs were indeed more brittle than himself, but the skull at the very least was neoartium. Aaron elbowed Will in the throat before kicking him in the gut. These hits were strong enough to knock him back, but Will recovered easily enough.
Aaron drew a classic Zero Tolerance combat knife from his belt, his posture assuring Will he was no amateur. By now he also knew better than to assume the blade was made of 14C28N steel.
Aaron saw Will studying the knife he held and laughed.
“Yeah, Grim Reaper, this right here is made of the same shit as that sword of yours,” he said smugly. Still, he didn’t attack just yet, and Will realized why.
Less than two meters away Tim was back up and aiming his gun at Will. He attempted to fire just as an EMP grenade hit him in the chest. The puny weapons covered him like insects and brought him down to his knees before he keeled over.
Everybody turned to see Halsey standing up with Aaron’s weapon in his hands. He looked dazed but more than ready to fight. Will was thankful for the save, but he anticipated the shit would really hit the fan now.
Aaron’s smugness now transformed into seething rage. He lashed out with his knife, wanting nothing more than to gut Halsey. Will stopped him by grabbing hold of his wrist. Aaron’s grip on the knife was unyielding, but Will reacted by hurling him against the tunnel wall. The impact was hard enough to create a series of cracks.
Sgt. Esther fired an EMP grenade at Will, but he was able to dodge. The warheads attached harmlessly to the tunnel wall behind him.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Halsey preparing to take her down. Her cyborg perception gave her a chance to counter. She went for the knife on her belt.
God-fucking damn it! Will had no choice and full on tackled Wendy to the hard ground. Despite all his abilities, he wasn’t fast enough to stop her from throwing her knife.
Will nor Sgt. Esther saw the blade hit its mark, but they both heard Halsey grunt, followed by a splash of water.
No.
Will lost control. His opponent attempted to raise her gun up at him, but he knocked it away. The gun flew so hard from her hands, it was smashed into pieces once it hit the wall.
No!
Will brought his fist down on Wendy’s mouth, drawing blood from her lower lip. The sergeant still struck back, punching him in the nose. The blow didn’t register at all. Will delivered a brutal right cross to her cheek before hammering her mouth directly yet again.
NO!
Will heard boots running up behind him and got ready to face Aaron. At the same time, he’d forgotten that being on top of Wendy opened him up to her legs. She wrapped them around his throat and used them to toss him off.
Will staggered, but he put his arm up to block Aaron’s knife. The neoartium blade cut down to his own neoartium, luckily striking no cables. Will head-butted him and turned around just in time to block a kick from the sergeant. Will knocked her punches aside and then tried to elbow her chest.
Wendy sidestepped him as Will latched onto her head with his hand. With devastating force, he slammed her face into the concrete wall. The blow would’ve reduced a human’s skull to pulp.
Just as Aaron was getting up, Will rushed over and kicked him in the jaw. It clearly hurt, but he was up much faster this time. The knife grazed Will’s chin, forcing him to back up a little. By then, Wendy had thrown herself back into combat.
In the tight confines of the storm drain, Will had no room to maneuver. He could barely knock one of them away before the other hit him high or low. His rage had also made him hopelessly sloppy.
I need to end this.
Will got in close to Aaron and the soldier came at him with the knife. He went for Will’s eyes, but this time Will kneed him in the gut. As he doubled over, Will went for his throat with his elbow. With his strength and neoartium, it would be a killing blow.
Before he could do anything, Wendy got behind him and brought her own elbow down on the back of Will’s neck. His vertebrae held, but still he fell to the floor.
He looked up and saw what little remained of the sergeant’s nose. Regardless of the damage to her face, those same eyes were locked onto him.
Aaron assumed his ribs were dented, painful but allowing him to continue fighting. He saw Wendy strike Will again, just as he was barely getting to his knees. The UNR troop picked up his knife and walked over to finish it. Just keep him down, Sarge.
Sergeant Esther felt an excruciating pain in her back before a blade came through her chest. It was an 1840 Cavalry Saber.
Halsey yanked the sword out of his victim surprisingly easily. The sword itself had a golden glow Will had seen before. That glow allowed everyone to see Wendy’s knife embedded in Halsey’s shoulder. This didn’t stop him from tossing the sword back to its rightful owner. As for Wendy herself, she stumbled forward before her final collapse.
“Sergeant Esther!” Aaron yelled.
He ran at Will feebly and Will clamped his hand down on his collar bone. With just a little effort the metal there was squeezed and twisted out of shape, Aaron’s screaming unimaginable. He fell to his knees and stayed there. Both Will and Halsey could hear it: whimpering.
Aaron even looked up at him with wet eyes.
“They told us we’d be like you,” he sniveled.
Will wasted no time finishing him off. It was Halsey who needed his attention now. The man was slumped down in the water and breathing hard. The super soldier knelt down next to him and studied the latest of his wounds.
“Just leave me here, Will,” he said in a hoarse breath.
“Nonsense. You gotta show everyone the nice little souvenir you got,” the cyborg replied.
“I failed Jacob. I failed him, Will,” Halsey said. “When Julissa and Zaneta came to me wanting in, I should’ve turned them away. I failed them, too. I failed you.”
Will paused. In this place of blood, pain, and death, he fought the demon inside of him.
“You were right, Halsey. I didn’t know the true meaning of what they fought for, but I know now. They died doing what they believed in. Please, help me finish this fight.”
Will put out his hand, and Halsey took it.
***
Washington, D.C.
Chancellor Venloran and Kearney stood in the cold wind. Both wore coats over their suits and were in the center of a large group of UNR soldiers. They were on the front lawn of the once-revered White House. Its grass was wet from the sprinklers not too long ago. The only noise was the far-off whirring of helicopter blades. The sound was growing louder, and by now they could even see its approach.
Kearney looked at his watch. The hands told him it was five after midnight. It’s the twenty-third. Months of planning has culminated tonight, and yet we’re still not really finished. His tie began to flap in the stronger wind. They were here.
The chopper came to rest on the grass. Venloran and Kearney remained where they were as a few of the soldiers approached the aircraft. The door slid open and the first out was the giant, who had to duck his head. Behind him came three men and one woman, all with their hands cuffed. Last out was Flemming and a number of his WP-III soldiers.
Without any order at all, the UNR soldiers began to form an enormous circle with Venloran at one end of it and the chopper at the other. The prisoners were made to stand in a row in the center with only Flemming and Kane beside them. Once the circle was completed, Venloran and Kearney moved to this center. Behind the chopper, men were busy laying out a large tarp over the grass.
Every soldier bowed in their Chancellor’s presence. The chopper blades finally came to a halt, and only then did Venloran speak. “Greetings, all.”
The first prisoner he looked at was the tallest and probably the oldest.
“Adar Hamid,” Venloran said. “You being here was inevitable, I suppose. Still, I have to ask: did you learn nothing after the fate of your brothers?”
Adar’s face twitched, but he did not look at Venloran. The Chancellor moved on to the next.
“Nusaybah Jinnah, I know why you’re here. I see now that maybe I should’ve had you relocated with another family.”
Nusaybah, too, refused to speak.
“And Malik Ebrahim. It saddens me to see you here. You’re a smart kid.”
Venloran peered back at Nusaybah.
“You got caught up in all this listening to her father’s stories, didn’t you? It’s obvious that peace will only be a reality when Khalid himself is brought in. Kearney, make arrangements for that.”
“Yes, sir,” his assistant replied.
Nusaybah displayed distress now, but still said nothing. She wasn’t dense enough to believe begging would change the Chancellor’s decree.
Venloran set his sights on the last prisoner in the lineup. This name he did not say aloud. Jacob was the only one who met eyes with the Chancellor.
“I imagine your sister is awfully worried about you. Not even a last goodbye,” Venloran said coldly.
“I’m sure she killed enough of your men tonight because of that,” Jacob said back. “When are you going to see you can’t stop what’s coming? Nights like tonight are only the start.”
Flemming balled his fists but didn’t do a thing. Kane and Kearney both tried to gauge their Chancellor’s anger. They couldn’t see any.
“There’s some of your father in there after all,” Venloran said, “and I believe you. You all are symptoms of a disease that refuses to submit. Eradication is costly and admittedly not the best route. Thanks to what you’ve done tonight, I finally have wh
at I need to truly end this conflict before it turns into all-out war.”
He’s thanking me? Jacob didn’t have all the pieces, but this one remark struck fear into him. The last thing he wanted was to display this fear in front of the others.
Meanwhile, a pair of Ospreys were drawing closer. They flew slowly because they had cables attached to something underneath them. These cables were towing something very large but none could tell what it was just yet.
“Since when do you shy away from war?” Jacob asked.
“To be blunt, Neeson, when the stakes are too high. We couldn’t get our hands on one of your new weapons, but they’re very impressive. From the reports I read they are much more advanced than what you used last time. Robert would’ve been proud and shared them with the world. I wouldn’t doubt you’ve done that already. Nonetheless, as tonight shows, it only barely levels the playing field.”
The Ospreys were near enough now to cause quite a bit of noise.
“Go ahead, take a look at what they’ve brought,” Venloran invited.
The prisoners looked to the black sky. The two aircraft were hovering close by the chopper they’d arrived in. The large lights all over the White House lawn gave off more than enough illumination to finally see what the Ospreys were carrying. The prisoners and UNR soldiers alike were treated to the sight of a Peregrine, mangled, but for the most part unharmed.
The aircraft was gently laid down on the tarp-covered area.
Who got shot down, Pat or Bri?! Jacob frantically thought. And if this plane’s here, did anyone escape? Are they all dead?
“Kearney, is that what I think it is?” Venloran asked sarcastically.
“Yes, sir, an AEF SR-101 Peregrine.”
“I thought so. Tonight has confirmed what I feared for a long time. The actions of you terrorists have turned what originally would’ve been a civil war into a global one. I think by now we both have a sense of where the lines are drawn, don’t we?”
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