by Dante Doom
“Think about it,” Van said. “We have a chance to do some real good here. We can save the world.”
“Yeah, but the world isn’t very enjoyable when you’re in a prison cell,” Neil said as he shook his head.
O’Hara sighed. “Sang, if you’re still in, I’m in.”
“You can’t be serious,” Neil said. “You’re going to risk everything? And for what? Aliens?”
“Neil, the things we’ve seen, we are never going to forget,” O’Hara said. “I figured these two would be relieved to know the job was over, especially with how close they came to death, but screw it. I’m not gonna be the one to let humanity die horribly because of aliens. I mean, if I can put saving the world on my resume, I’m not going to have to worry about finding work after this is all over.”
“Well, I’m not going,” Neil said, shaking his head.
“Come on,” Sang said. “We need you!”
Van had a flash of inspiration hit him in that moment. He knew exactly how to convince Neil to join them. “Feh, no we don’t,” Van said before Neil could open his mouth to speak. “We don’t need him one bit.”
“Excuse me?” Sang asked.
“Let’s stop wasting our time,” Van replied. “If we’ve got O’Hara on our team, we don’t need Neil. He obviously doesn’t want to help and, frankly, what’s his use at this point anyway?”
“The hell you don’t need me,” Neil said. “Who’s gonna hijack the moving truck when it shows up? O’Hara?”
“Why are you pressing a point when you don’t want to be a part of this?” Van asked.
Neil growled. “Fine, I’m in. If the three of you are really dead-set on getting arrested, then count me in, too. I’m the only one here who can pick a lock anyway.”
“Great,” Sang said. “We need to get moving right away. We were on the cusp of something important.”
“Wait…” Van said. “What about Dolly and Bidane? Draco’s going to hold them hostage for certain.”
“We’ll worry about that when we’re ready for the game. Neil, what’s the plan?” Sang asked. Neil grinned and began to explain how they would steal the moving truck that was inbound.
Chapter Thirteen
Sang, Neil, O’Hara, and Van were all hiding behind a dumpster, watching the technicians move the pods into the back of the cargo van.
“Alright, last chance to back out of this,” Neil said. “The moment we grab that thing, we’re committed felons who are going to be in a world of pain.”
“Stop whining,” O’Hara said. “We’ll be fine.”
“All we need is another day,” Sang said. “One more day and we’ll be good to go.”
“Why the pods?” Neil asked. “Why can’t we just get haptic gear from the store?”
“All of our login information is in those pods,” Van said. “The characters were keyed specifically into those pods, meaning that unless we access them, we can’t get back into our characters without going through a long process that I doubt Draco will be interested in helping us with.”
“Fine, fine,” Neil said. “I just wanted to be extra sure before I commit to this.”
“There’s the last one,” O’Hara said as the technicians carefully loaded the third pod into the van. There were four technicians, and they were all heading to separate vehicles now. Only one would be driving the van, from the looks of it.
“Alright, let’s do this!” Neil said as he pointed to the back of the van. “Move!”
The four quickly rushed from behind the dumpster and made their way to the van right before it was able to take off. The rest of the cars were heading out in separate directions, making it clear that they wouldn’t all be part of the unloading team.
Van and Sang crept to the passenger side of the van and waited. Their instructions were to make sure there were no other people hiding in the vehicle. O’Hara was behind the van, looking out for any signs of the CIA or guards, but no one was around. It was as if, the moment that the program had ended, everyone had been evacuated from the building.
“Hey!” Neil said as he trotted up to the car; he had put on a ski mask—something that he had been carrying with him earlier. This fact was a little unnerving to Van, but he chose to ignore the implications.
“Whoa!” the driver said, holding his hands up when he realized Neil had a gun. “Take it easy!’
“Really sorry about this,” Neil said. “But I cannot seem to catch a cab at this time of night. You don’t mind if I borrow your ride, do you?”
“Please don’t kill me!” the driver shouted.
Van could hear some movement in the back of the vehicle. “Incoming,” he hissed to O’Hara. He heard the opening of a door, and then some shouting and the sounds of a struggle. The side of the van slid open and O’Hara waved at them.
“Come on, let’s go!” she said. Van and Sang piled into the back of the van, climbing over the pods.
“You kids comfortable?” Neil asked as he climbed into the driver’s seat. Van could see the driver of the van was running away as fast as he could.
“Let’s go!” O’Hara said. “They had a guy in the back with a shotgun. Caught him really good, but he’ll probably be up soon.”
“Oh, I hope no one ID’d you,” Neil said.
“Yeah, because the pods being reported as missing and us not showing up to work tomorrow will definitely not be linked,” O’Hara said.
“Hey, plausible deniability is our friend here,” Neil said.
The van sped out onto the empty streets. It was too late for there to be any kind of traffic to slow them down. Half an hour passed with everyone sitting in silence. Sang had climbed into the passenger’s seat of the van and was looking at the rearview mirror.
“Correct me if I’m wrong,” Sang said, “but I do believe we are being followed.”
“Damn it,” Neil said. “I really, really don’t want to get shot at.”
“Make that two of us,” Van groaned as he laid down on his back next to a pod. His exhaustion was setting in and he felt himself drifting off to sleep. He didn’t want to pass out, though—especially when there was a chance for danger—but on some level, he realized that he just didn’t care, he was so tired.
“Holy crap!” Neil said. “It’s that Kenneth weasel!”
That was enough to open Van’s eyes. “What?” Van mumbled.
“He’s following us! Haha, what an idiot.”
“Actually, it’s not a bad idea,” O’Hara said. “All he has to do is follow us to our hiding place and report us to the CIA. Then we’re really in trouble.”
“Yeah, I can definitely imagine that following a group of trained CIA operatives is a good idea,” Neil said. “Now then, watch this.”
Van felt the vehicle shift as Neil moved them into the right-hand lane.
“What are you doing?” Van asked as he leaned up to see that they were heading for the highway.
“Just watch,” Neil said as he stared at the rearview mirror. “Three… two… one!” The van’s brakes screeched as Neil slammed his foot down on the pedal. A loud whump emanated from behind the van and the vehicle lurched forward hard.
“Now we’re cooking!” Neil said as he leapt out of the van. Sang slid into the driver’s seat and shook her head.
“That guy is nuts,” Sang said.
“You think he’s bad now, you should see him when he’s fully rested,” O’Hara said. “He just gets worse.”
Van slid open the side door and poked his head out to watch what was happening. Kenneth had crashed the front of his car into the back of the van. The impact hadn’t been too bad and the airbags hadn’t even gone off, but it had brought him to a stop. Kenneth was trying to get out of the vehicle now.
“What a crazy coincidence!” Neil said as he grabbed Kenneth by the arm.
“Ah!” Kenneth shouted. “Stop, let me go! Police!”
“Hey, hey,” Neil said as he jammed a pistol into Kenneth’s ribs. “I feel like no one is going to hear yo
u die if you keep that up!”
“Please, let me go!”
“What’s that? You’re going the same way we are, too?” Neil asked. “That’s an even crazier coincidence. Let’s go together!” Neil wrenched Kenneth to the passenger’s side of the van and chucked the man in.
“Long time no see,” Van said to the groaning Kenneth.
“Are you kidding me?” Kenneth asked. “How did you guys see me?”
“Your problem is,” Van said, “you’re too confident in your abilities. Did you really think you could follow highly trained agents?”
“Neil!” O’Hara shouted. “We do not have time to set his car on fire! Get back in the car!”
“Fine, whatever,” Neil grumbled as he walked back to the driver’s seat. “See? This is the thanks I get for being thorough. It would have taken less than five minutes to set it on fire.”
“Five minutes if you had the proper amount of gasoline,” O’Hara said.
“Man, I can destroy vehicles with nothing more than two quarters and a piece of cheese wire,” Neil shot back.
“What do you want from me?” Kenneth asked. He tried to sit up, but O’Hara grabbed him and shoved him onto his back. She was sitting atop one of the pods and had put her foot down onto his chest.
“Why were you following us?” O’Hara asked.
“I don’t have to answer you. Frederick said I was free to go; we were just taking the same exit at the same time. As far as I know, that’s not a crime!” Kenneth replied.
“Oooooh, I have got some bad, bad news for you,” Neil said.
“The program was cut,” O’Hara said.
“And that means we get to reschedule that trip to Arizona! You’re gonna love the bottom of the Grand Canyon!” Neil cheerfully replied.
“We’re rogue now,” Sang said. “And that means, if you don’t play nicely, this psychopath is going to make your life way harder.”
“Or shorter,” Van said.
“Probably both,” O’Hara added.
“I wasn’t doing anything,” Kenneth said. “I was just under instructions to follow you, Van. That’s it.”
“Why me?” Van asked.
“Draco wanted to make sure that you understood you’re done snooping around. They have some hostages now. They won’t hesitate to execute them if you get back in the game.”
Van gasped. “Crap!”
“Yeah,” Kenneth said. “So please, do everyone a favor and just go home.”
“No can do,” Neil said. “This jerk’s in just as deep as you. If he bails, that means you’re gonna have a buddy digging a six-foot hole alongside of you.”
Van didn’t appreciate the veiled threat from Neil, but knew it was necessary to put pressure on Kenneth. He wasn’t sure why the jerk was trying to dissuade him from going back into the game, but he suspected something was up.
“Come on, guys. What is it to you? You think that you can really stop Draco? They’ve got their hooks in too deep,” Kenneth pleaded. “Just give up and go home.”
“Why are you even still here?” Van asked. “You were released from the CIA. Why not just leave town?”
“Draco will find me. I tried, believe me. Two hours ago, Frederick told me I was free to go and I made a beeline right for the airport. Thought I’d buy a ticket to somewhere like the Bahamas and never be seen again. Someone’s waiting for me at the terminal, though. A cop. Tells me he has something for me and hands me a bullet. Says it’s from Draco. Then tells me to find you,” Kenneth said, his eyes darting left and right as he relived the memory. Van could see that the man was on the brink of tears.
“Oh, boo hoo,” Neil said. “So they threatened you with a bullet. Unless he shoved the gun in your mouth, he definitely wasn’t serious. You’ll be fine.”’
“I promise, if you guys let me go, you’ll never see me again,” Kenneth said.
“Sorry, man,” Van said. “But until this all blows over, you’re hanging out with us.”
“Van, you can’t be serious about going back in there! They will kill you! The only reason they haven’t killed you yet is because they still think they can turn you to their cause!” Kenneth said. “The moment you log on, those two friends of yours are dead.”
Van frowned. He had no idea what to do now.
“I’ve got an idea,” Sang said. “But it’s… it’s a bit crazy.”
“Everything from this point on is crazy,” Van said. “What’s the plan?”
“We bring Kenwar back into the game with us. He communicates to Draco that he’s managed to flip you, Van, and that you’ll betray me once we get back on the ship,” Sang explained as she looked back at them from the passenger’s seat. “Then we break the girls out, get them to a safe place, and log them out. After that, we rally up the army and send them against Lemuel.”
“Draco thinks that we’re attacking the king directly, but in reality…” Van said. “We’re going back to the ship to get information.”
“Exactly,” Sang said with a grin. “It’s the perfect plan.”
“Perfect except for one problem,” Van said. “What if this guy doesn’t cooperate?”
“I’ll do whatever it takes to walk out of this alive,” Kenneth begged.
“Of course you will,” Neil said. “But in my years of violence and coercion, and believe me, there had been many, I have learned that intimidation only works to a point. The moment that you can screw them over in that game, you will.”
“I won’t, I promise!” Kenneth insisted.
“I’m not buying it,” O’Hara said. “This guy is trying to play every side of the fence. He’s not going into the game with you guys.”
Van shook his head. “Sorry, but we’ll need him to make sure those two aren’t killed. There are innocent people involved here. They didn’t deserve any of this.”
“You’d pit two people’s lives against millions or even billions of people?” Neil asked. “Let’s be really honest here: in an ideal world, we would love for your friends to live, but the truth is, it’s not worth the trouble.”
“How can you say that?” Van shouted. “They’re human beings!”
“So? What are two lives against the entirety of mankind?” O’Hara asked. “Look, it’s not ideal, but I say we call Draco’s bluff. A hostage is only good for controlling someone. If it’s clear the hostages can’t be used against us, then they’ll find another strategy.”
“But will that strategy include sparing their lives?” Van asked.
O’Hara shrugged. “It’s a risk we’re going to have to take.”
“Sang, can you please tag in here?” Van asked.
Sang didn’t say anything; she just stared forward. “I don’t know. I don’t know if it’s worth it.”
“What if we compromise?” Van asked. “Instead of rushing back to save the girls, we send the army to attack Lemuel’s fortress and Kenwar provides false intel that we’re there. Then we can catch them off guard?”
“Not a bad idea,” Sang said. “But it hinges on Kenwar not betraying us.”
“Yeah,” Van said as he looked at the man. “You have some choices here. You can work with us, save this planet and your own skin, or you can try to betray us. It’s up to you.”
Kenneth shrugged. “I don’t know what I can say to convince you that I’ll stay loyal.”
Van sighed. It was a terrible idea to have their strategy hinging on the word of a guy who had made it very clear to Van that he would do anything to survive. As soon as he had the chance, Kenwar would betray them. Yet, at the same time, without Kenwar’s help, Draco would quickly murder Dolly and Bidane. Yes, Bidane had followed after Van without asking, but she’d had no idea what she was getting into. She was just a gamer who’d been a little too sharp for her own good. Now she was going to die if they didn’t do something, and the worst part was that she wouldn’t even know she was in real-world danger. There was no time for her to make peace with her end; she would just die and wouldn’t have the dignity of knowing i
t was the end at all.
“What if I—” Kenneth started, but he stopped talking when O’Hara pressed her foot down hard on him.
“Don’t even try to suggest anything,” O’Hara said.
They rode the rest of the trip in absolute silence.
Sang let out a sigh of relief as they dropped the last pod into place. She had neglected to mention to the team that her apartment was on the third floor, and she’d seen the pissed off looks in her team members’ eyes as they’d grunted and wheezed, carrying the heavy pods up the stairs. It had been an exhausting affair, and she’d already been running on empty. Neil had some Cwake left, but refused to let Sang have any until it was time to plug in. She had gotten a brief hour of sleep at this point, but it hadn’t been very restful. She couldn’t stop thinking about the game.
“Alright, are we ready?” O’Hara asked as she began to plug in her monitoring system, which had been stolen right along with the pods.
“Just about,” Van said. “I feel like I’m going to puke.”
“Yeah—me, too,” Sang replied. “I’ve never been more tired in my life.”
“Nice place,” Neil said as he looked around. The apartment was pretty empty except for a couch sitting in the corner. Nothing adorned the walls, and nor did she even have a TV.
“Well, I don’t really hang out at home,” Sang replied. “Too much work to do these days.”
“The good news is that we’ll all be unemployed after this,” Neil replied. “Well, at least the four of us will. Poor Mr. Kenwar here will have a short and exciting career as a professional digger. It’ll last him the rest of his life!”
“Please, stop threatening me,” Kenneth said. “I promised I’d help. What more do you want from me?”
Neil grinned as he dug into his pocket. He produced a pill bottle. “You know, one of the handy things about working in the CIA is the fact that we have access to all sorts of terrible things. For example...” he paused to pull out a small round pill. It was red. “This here? This is none other than one of our most effective poisons. Designed for use on foreign dignitaries when they’re on diplomatic missions. Takes a few days to kick in. Not only is it untraceable, but the death looks natural.”