“She had his bike and told us he’d sent her on. He must have had his reasons,” Cain said, defending his friend. I was still highly suspicious. There were too many loose ends still about. “She’s coming in the opposite end of the city.”
“You two should scram,” Argon urgently replied. “With all of the eyes about, you’ll be recognized too soon. And where’s the idiot’s son?”
“He’s out in the hills playing watch tower.”
Argon turned and eyed me oddly. “And how are you? You look stressed out.”
I eyed him, wondering where he was going with this. “Fine. Why?”
He smirked. “It’s my general policy to offer free hugs to those who have breasts and look distressed. I find it immensely rewarding-”
“Cut it out!” Cain exclaimed exasperatedly. “We have better things to be doing!”
“Ooh. I hit a nerve. Was my joke about sleeping together really hitting close to home?” Argon’s expression lifted into disbelief and he started to laugh as Cain started sputtering. “Wow. I guess you meant it when you called dibs.”
“I did not call dibs!”
I shook my head, scanning the area. I could hear the two of them bickering in the back of my mind, but I ignored it as best I could. How Argon could be so juvenile when there was such serious danger was beyond me. I spotted the nearest fire escape and went to it. Once I pushed the button, it came down. Neither party seemed alarmed as I started to climb. It was only when I reached the top that they seemed to realize I had gone at all.
I looked down on the both of them, waved, pulled out my binoculars, turned them to thermal, and scanned the cityscape. I saw nothing and then everything. About ten blocks up, there was a flare-up of energy. It had to be from the nuke. I lowered the vision enhancer and scowled out at it. What was down there? It looked like that was the industrial district.
“What’s out there?” Cain asked, coming to the top. I wordlessly handed the device to him. “Isn't that the feedlot?”
My stomach dropped. The feedlot was where most of Nacin’s food came from. That was where hundreds of thousands of animals were birthed, kept, milked, and then slaughtered for people’s consumption. It was the last place I ever wanted to go. It was place of true horror and murder. It echoed too much of what I had seen already. Animals had no malice. They did not deserve the ends they met there.
“What would they have it down there for?”
“Low security,” Argon muttered. “It’s the last place anyone would look.”
“Why hasn't anyone noticed this?” I asked. “Xorratti’s troops surely have scopes like mine and thermals are a given with nuclear energy. Something is wrong. It’s like they’re not looking very hard. Any trained soldier would know to pull down their thermal goggles.”
“What are you implying?”
“I don't know. Something is just… off. We’re still missing something here and I feel like it should be obvious, but it’s not. I can’t help but feel we’re walking into a trap.”
He grunted in response. Argon shook his head. “She’s right. Troops should have been swarming all over that place already. What’s going on? And why didn’t Emma Gene warn anybody? She had to use the thermals to verify it was here, but she didn't give a location?”
“She never said she used thermals. She never said how she knew it was here at all,” I said.
“Cain, let me give Fenn a call,” Argon said warily. “She has a point. What worries me more is the radiation is right next to the small base here. They should have figured this out… if they haven’t already. They’d have checked to see where the source of the power loss was.”
“You think that there are rats in the maze?”
I recognized the term for infiltrators. It referred to spies and corrupt officials amongst others. If that were the case, we were in a lot more trouble than we thought. It could mean the nuke would slip into the bubble with ease. Nobody checked military personnel as thoroughly as they checked civilians.
“It’s occurred to me. No one said how Xorratti knew to come here so fast. He was working with Tiranshyck… He threw a fit when he heard he was dead. Damn!” Argon swore. He flipped out his radio dialer and called. He got an answering machine and swore again. “I’ll try calling Cindy. Maybe she’d know.”
I froze as I heard the whisper of a pin being pulled from a grenade from behind us. Cain heard it, too.
“Get down!” Cain roared before I had the chance to. He yanked me down before I could react. I watched as the little round explosive rolled toward us. Argon dove toward it as it ticked down. I curled into a ball, shielding my face and torso. I, to my horror, felt Cain shield me with his body, but had no chance to react and stop him.
But to my insane relief, the explosion never came. Ten seconds passed. A minute did, too. Cain sat up and I unfurled in confusion. The little killer was no longer ticking. Argon had jumped on top of it and was now staring down at it, confused.
“Dud?” he said with a shrug.
“Or the nuke shorted the mechanisms inside,” Cain suggested. He looked around. “Where did it come from?”
“I don't know. Someone ran off, but I was a bit busy trying to…” He turned pale as reality hit him. “Ugh, think I’m going to be sick.”
“You’re very brave,” I said, giving him a kiss on the cheek and snatching the device from him. He sat in shock as I inspected it. What I discovered upon inspection disturbed me more.
“This is of military design,” I said, holding it up so they could see. “There’s a mark on the side in red pen-”
“We can see that,” Argon snapped, collapsing backward with a huff. “Thank you.”
“No, I mean as in an infrared mark. When someone in the government orders a kill, the contractor places a mark on either the bullet or whatever is used for the kill. Each is specific to a certain contractor. That way, the payee will know who completed the deed and, if necessary, won't prosecute. This mark is a red rooster. But this is a military grenade, so-”
“So someone in the service is trying to scratch us off,” Cain said looking positively horrified. I tossed the thing at him and he caught it as I nodded.
“Did you say rooster?” Argon queried, turning even paler. “A
red rooster?!”
Cain held it up and Argon cursed loudly enough to make me jump. He lobbed his radio off the roof and its smash echoed off the rooftops. “Red roosters?! Cain, we’re fools! Fennley was a cock dog!”
Cain was just as confused as I was. “Special forces like us. So?”
“So?! They started training an elite force that answered directly to the Confederation council. ‘Peace troops!’ I.e., get away with anything troops! We may have refused, but he went to join them and their calling signal was-”
“A rooster,” Cain finished for him. “You think Fennley was in on this?”
“Maybe. I don't know! But Xorratti is one of the elites they answer to! We need to go right now. They may have followed me. I don’t know, but they now know where we are!”
“What do we do?” I asked, trying to keep up with their panic. I wasn't familiar with the various divisions of the forces, but whatever these Roosters were into, Argon and Cain were scared. Neither answered me immediately. I edged toward the rim of the roof and peered over. I saw plenty of helmets and Berettas below. I backed up faster than you can say ‘uh oh.’
“I don't think going down is an option,” I said quietly. Neither needed to peer over the edge to verify what I had said.
“Why haven't they come up?” Argon muttered. “We’re trapped and they know it.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Cain said quickly. He pointed back at the chimney behind us. “We go down through that. There should be enough room.”
“They’ll still figure out where we went. I propose we play the same game we played with the sand lions,” I said sagely. “You two shimmy down the chimney and I’ll find my own way across the rooftops. Then we meet up elsewhere.”
“That got you real far last time,” Cain growled, reaching for my arm. “Under the lion's claws!”
“I am not down with this. Who says the fireplace won't be lit?!” Argon exclaimed, having climbed up the chimney and looking down the chute. “I’m no Santa!”
“Carbon emissions are forbidden outside the bubble. This is abandoned from a long time ago,” Cain said, prodding him toward the chimney. “I just hope it doesn’t take us to the lobby.”
I lost my patience. I knew my plan was the best. They would get out much easier if I led a chase and I knew how to do that exceedingly well. I walked slowly to the opposite end of the roof like I was exploring my options and asked, “If we should get separated, where do we meet?”
“I suppose the feedlot west end would be best.”
I didn’t waste further time. I ran headlong and tore off toward the opposing end of the roof. I heard Cain’s angry exclamation but ignored it. I sailed over the divide between the rooftops and landed in a roll. I sprung to my feet again and kept on running. I did this for the next three roofs.
When I reached the fourth, I glanced back. Argon was inserting himself into the chimney with some difficulty. Cain was watching me with an unreadable expression. I didn't allow myself to think much about it as I prepared to jump. Okay, I did. He looked worried. That was strangely touching to me considering this was what I was best at.
I saluted him and dove off the edge. It was a few stories down, but that was nothing, especially with the wonderful heap of laundry at the bottom breaking my fall. I rolled to break the impact up and dashed out the side alley. I glanced behind my shoulder as I ran. I had been spotted. I had about ten men following me. But the pursuers were way too far behind. I slowed a bit to let them think they were catching up and then pumped my legs as fast as they would go. There were few people down on this end, so I had a mainly unobstructed path. But that also meant it would make it harder for me to disappear from this wild goose chase and they were catching up.
I made a hairpin turn into one of the alleys and headed for the fire escape. I dragged it down and climbed. On the way up, I saw a clothesline with laundry drying. It had a few hoodies on it. I grabbed the nearest as I went.
And then I disappeared.
Chapter Twenty Three 02:23:54:00 to potential nuclear explosion
Surprisingly, there was little-to-no security at the feedlot. Then again, who would try and sneak in here? This was a death pit. The pitiful moos, quacks, and grunts of the pigs tugged on my heart strings.
After ditching the men tailing me, I had gotten a taxi and been dropped off a few blocks from here. The crowds outside had been difficult to navigate, but now I encountered no one inside as I crept along in the shadows. Weirdly enough, there were no security cameras either. It was the perfect place to hide something.
All was dark in the large hall. I saw lights at the end and heard what I guessed was a generator. No voices, though. I felt oddly alone. That was probably good. I worked best that way with no human distraction. Odds were I could even locate the thing quickly and get this over with. But fate had other ideas.
Red and blue lights flickered along the walls, alerting me that the police were indeed on the scene. I peered out the nearest window and saw only one car pull up. It was a security vehicle. Two police academy flunkies got out of the car and headed for the front door. Perhaps I had triggered a silent alarm, but I didn't think so. I quickened my pace just in case. They were probably just there doing routine patrols.
Another two hallways down, I started to hear voices. I edged along the walls and studied the murkily lit building. I couldn’t see anyone, but they had to be here. And they weren’t employees. Everyone who would normally work here had long gone home.
I stopped my footfalls and ducked into the corner as a door opened in front of me. A short, stocky man came striding through it. From my poor vantage point, I could see a wicked-looking knife at his hip and a Beretta. Both of them were of army make, just like Cain’s. But worst of all, there was a red ink tattoo poking out from the collar of his shirt. The crest possibly matched the mark from the grenade. Could this be Fennley?
I decided to follow him. The others could wait. I needed to know if the military was indeed here. That would dictate how to proceed right there. The man gave no signs of knowing I was behind him. He was whistling a happy tune and reading some papers. Indeed, he was a red rooster. The tattoo I could now see wrapped around his shoulder was a match. On further inspection, I could see the papers had the mark of one of the top generals.
I stopped following, worst fears confirmed, and backtracked a step. Unfortunately the floorboard I stepped on betrayed me. It creaked loudly in protest of my weight. I picked my foot up quickly, hoping it had gone unnoticed. My hopes went unanswered. Rooster’s head quirked up and I knew I had to move. I drew my swords slowly, letting the metal shriek against the sheathes. He tensed, hand twitching toward the dagger.
“A red rooster,” I said in the most menacing voice I could muster. “So troubling considering you are sworn to protect the city you’re ushering a nuclear bomb into. You wouldn't happen to be Fennley, now would you?”
He didn't turn around. “I don't answer to terrorists like you, Sierrenna.”
“Then answer to the millions of lives that will be snuffed out,” I hissed. “Is it Xorratti? Does he have the bomb?”
“It amazes me that you have Cain fooled,” he rumbled, a sneer in his voice as he shifted onto one foot. “But he won’t be for long.”
He whipped around so fast I almost wasn't expecting it. Almost. He went for my neck in order to strangle me. This was an odd move. I parried with my blade and stuck his arm. It hit a metallic clang and bounced off with such force I staggered backward. I glanced down at the blade’s edge and saw it had a chink in it. What was that about? I had hit his bare skin.
He grinned as I stared, his face oddly pale like he had been drained of blood. “That won't work, lady. Admit that you’re dead and let’s be done with it.”
He went to grab me again. I dodged to his left and smote the edge of the blade across the back of his neck. To my horror, I didn't see the flash of red like I normally did. A white spray and then slow ooze came out of the wound. That and sparks as my blades hit metal. Metal? Did he have armor on? That didn't make sense. He was making too much good time and metal armor was very heavy. Plus the skin would not be growing over it.
I did it again across his shoulder, trying to wound him. This time, the blade got caught on something and yanked free of my grip. I fell back off balance and hit the wall, stars erupting in front of my eyes. I shimmied out of the way as he snatched up my blade and flung it at me. It buried itself in the wall next to my head. And as I jumped out of the way, I was horrified to see that it was only half the blade. He was holding the other jagged, broken half. He had snapped it in two with his bare hands.
“What are you?” I breathed, starting to feel the effects of terror as I watched another white globule of blood fall from his neck and fall to ground with a plop. It didn't even behave like blood. It was a watery consistency that splattered onto my shoes.
“Wouldn't you like to know,” he said arrogantly. He tossed the handle piece of my ruined blade to his other hand. “This has all been very fun, but I have better things to do. Orders are I’m not supposed to kill you, but you know what? I think we can do without you from now on. You’ve been a nuisance from day one, and you’ll end the same way.”
I dodged the blade he jabbed at my ribs by a hairsbreadth and slipped to the side. Time to get out of here. There would be no victory here. He was no ordinary human. He was so freakishly strong and fast that I hadn’t a shot of beating him by normal means.
I made it about a foot past him before he swiped his fist into my ribs and was shoved into the opposing wall face first. I felt one hand pinning me there and then the cold, icy edge of metal against the nape of my neck, the blunt edge. It felt wrong to have my own weapon turned against me. I knew his intent was
to kill me by blunt trauma.
“Sweet dreams,” he said, contemptuously amused sounding.
I gave it one last shot and let my knees give out from under me. He was taken by surprise and I slid out of his grip. But I did feel a sharp tug that ended quickly on the roots of my hair. Taking advantage of my vantage point, I did the most dishonorable thing I could think of. I spun around and kicked him in the balls.
Huh. Guess those weren't made of steel like the rest of him. He made a choked, wheezing sound and hunched over, face crumpling in pain. I took my leave and ran for the door I had come in. The man didn’t follow.
As I ran, I noticed my hair swinging in my face, matted with blood. I touched the back of my neck. My skin had been sheared off, my hair cut short with it. It must have caught on my blade as I dropped to the floor.
Another hall down I saw a bunch of men headed my way. They all had the same, awful tattoo peeking out of their collars. I had no urge to test and see if they were inhuman like their counterpart. I didn’t find out if they had seen me or not. They would know once they came across ‘achy balls’.
I saw my opportunity and dashed into an adjacent room. That led to another hallway. Then another one. It was becoming like I was a rat in a trap. And to my disappointment, at the end of the last dimly lit hall, I encountered the two flunky security guards. If they were surprised to see me, they didn’t show it. Then again, weirdly enough they both had on sunglasses although it was night time.
I ducked my head into a nod and tried to brush past them. “Officers.”
They let me pass... or so I thought. I stepped one foot further and then had the back of my pack grabbed. I fought them as I was shoved into an open door. I bit down hard on one of their shoulders and broke free. It was only when I recognized the yelp of pain that I stopped. I fell limp into his grip. “Argon?!”
He dropped me and I landed in a heap on the floor. The other one, who turned out to be Cain, flicked on the lights. “Yow! Don't ever let her near your privates. She has teeth like a piranha!”
War Machine: Book One in the Destiny In the Shadows Series Page 30