War Machine: Book One in the Destiny In the Shadows Series

by Maggie Lynn Heron-Heidel

  “I want to talk to her!”

  “No, me first!”

  I smiled as he instructed Lily and Max to be patient and wait their turns. There was a near squabble over me. I spoke to them briefly. They both said they missed me and excitedly told me about all the things they were learning. Lily was interested in becoming an herbalist and Max had chosen the warrior path just like I had predicted he would. He spoke so quickly that I frequently lost track of what he was saying. It was the most I had ever heard him speak.

  Dantenn got on the line again amidst protests that I get off the phone. “You can tell these two are happy. The tyke here has a black eye from practice the other day and is wearing it like a badge of honor.”

  “He must look like you did when I gave you one in our youth.”

  He laughed. “You gave me two. The babe is fine, too. I’m not. Evangeline is still a wailer. She hasn’t shut up since you left. She misses you. We all do. Master will vouch for that.”

  I chuckled. “Look, I’ll come home when I can. Just don’t expect me to be alone.”

  “I’ll take what I can get.”

  I bit my tongue before continuing. “And thank you for what you did. I’ll never forget it-”

  “Even though you still think it was stupid and reckless to save your life,” he snorted humorlessly. “I know you hate debts to people. And you should, considering I intend to guilt trip you all I can. That kiss left a lingering taste in my mouth and gave me a craving for more. And you know me. When I set my eyes on a prize, I make it mine.”

  I heard the outer door to the room opening and praised the Lord for the timing. “I’ll have to talk to you later, Dan. I think the nurse is here with my meds.”

  “Whatever, Sierr. We’ll talk about things when you get back... if you don’t forget about us with all of your new ‘friends’.”

  “Goodbye,” I snapped and hung up. I then instantly regretted it. He was a good friend even if he was pushing me too far.

  I opened the door to speak to the nurse, and discovered it wasn't the nurse at all. It was the entire squad. Rig had an inflatable cot in hand. I waved at them and then held my finger to my lips, pointing over at Cain. But Argon ignored me, instead clasping his hands together theatrically, gleefully leaning over him. “How sweet. Our little general has finally gotten himself a girlfriend. Oops, maybe it’s a boyfriend. One can never tell with teddy bears, but let’s hope it doesn’t mind drool. Oh, I’ve got to get a picture of this. This is going on the central bulletin board!”

  “How’d he get on the bed?” Ray asked quietly as Argon avidly dug his phone out.

  “I’m guessing ‘Supersize Rain’ had something to do with it,” Rig snorted, his arm around her. I spotted a small but noticeable band on her ring finger and one on his. She followed my gaze and blushed shyly. He winked. ”Good to see you up and at ‘em, Rain.”

  Fennley shook his head as he came in and smirked knowingly at me. I shrugged. I started to object as Argon stuck his face in front of Cain’s and said, ”Aww. Little Cain is so adorable like this… wake up!”

  Cain nearly fell out of the bed as he catapulted backward in response to the roar. Further adding to the effect was his dragging the teddy bear with him. Argon howled laughing and we all chuckled a bit, even me. Cain stared around in shock at all of us, me in particular, and then down at the teddy bear. “Aww, no. Thanks, Rain.”

  “You were going to fall off the chair,” I said with a shrug. “But Argon took a picture, so-”

  “If that goes anywhere outside of this room,” Cain threatened.

  “You’ll what? Drool on me like you did the bear? Come on, why would I? The only one I sent it to was your mother...”

  With that, he was up and out of the bed and Argon was waving the phone around out of his reach gleefully. I shook my head. Yeah, I was going to be in big trouble when Cain got a hold of me. But for once, that didn’t seem daunting at all.

  * * *

  Cain spent the majority of the week with me until I was released from the hospital. I carefully skirted the issue of his dying declaration to me and otherwise enjoyed his company. I spent a lot of the time being coached on my new bionics, practicing basic motor skills. Picking up a cup of coffee was difficult for me now. I kept breaking them in my grip.

  He found this highly amusing of course and kept bringing me bags of potato chips, knowing I’d keet crushing them in my fingers before I could get them into my mouth. He had offered to feed them to me a few times but I was too proud for that.

  Argon and the others dropped by frequently, too. I was hardly ever alone. They brought movies and hung out with me whenever they could. Human company was a lot nicer than I remembered. Ray brought me feminine toiletries that the men never would have thought of and Fennley seemed to have decided to make me his new best buddy; probably out of guilt, but I didn’t care.

  But then things changed. Much to his irritation, Cain was called on a mission with the others. He hadn’t even had time to pack a bag after he got the phone call. He only had time to hug me and whisper he would return in a mock-threatening voice before dashing out the door. Everyone I knew was dispatched, leaving me alone.

  Physically I was better than ever. Other than a small lump under my left ear that the doctors couldn't figure out, not much was different. Sure my hair had been cut super short to match where Fennley had sheared my skin off but, other than that, I could see no physical difference in myself. My mechanical eyes were the same violet color to the extent I would never have guessed they weren't mine. That is, until I’d poked myself in the eye a week ago and felt the plastic-like edge they had taken on.

  A few days after Cain and his crew were dispatched, a driver had taken me to Cain’s bungalow. The door had been opened by his housekeeper Mrs. Begay, a Native American lady who had proclaimed me too thin and dragged me to the kitchen for a meal.

  It was a nice place. There was nothing showy or expensive except for the gate keeping the paparazzi out. Exploring his home had been fun. Pictures of his family dotted the walls of his sparsely decorated house. None of the furniture matched. In its disarray, the place had a homey quality. But I wasn’t happy when I discovered that there were no spare bedrooms and I was set up in his room. He had conveniently forgotten to mention that’s where I would be staying, but he also hadn't had much time since he had been called away.

  Today I decided to go swimming. Cain had been correct. It was soothing like the cool desert oasis. I stripped off my robe without guilt and dove in.

  As I swam out into the reservoir, I passed a small rowboat that Cain kept at a dock. There were fishing rods in it. Odd to think Cain was the fishing type, but judging by the array of tackles, he must have been.

  I floated along and stared at the sky. I would have loved to have kept on swimming, but there was more of a chance I’d be caught. I should have kept on going.

  I spotted a man standing on the dock. For a split second I thought Cain had returned, but then I saw a few distinct differences and a look of severe disapproval. He glared at me. “I suppose you can't read?”

  I stared for a second, trying to place this familiar face. I could have sworn I had met him once before as I looked over to where he was pointing. In blatant letters was a ‘no swimming’ sign. “I didn't see it and Cain told me that it was permitted.”

  “Good to know I’ve been drinking the water he and his dates have been screwing in,” he snorted.

  I jerked back at the judgment in this guy's tone even though I had had similar thoughts. “I’m only here while I recover from surgery.”

  “You look right fine to me,” he sneered. “I’m a doctor, so don't try to play with me.”

  I cocked my head, recalling things Cain had told me. He was training to be a surgeon. “So you must be John, Cain’s brother.”

  He stared at me strangely. “If you’re one of his dates, I’m surprised you’re here past daylight. Don’t mind me; I’m just taking my boat out for a quick spin before I’m de
ployed again.”

  “Would you mind throwing me my clothes, please? They’re folded up with my shoes.”

  “Where is Cain anyway?” he said grouchily, looking around for what I asked for.

  “He’s been sent out on a joint sting operation with some of Mercaine’s troops.”

  That seemed to catch his attention for some odd reason. “So you’re staying here alone? That doesn't much sound like him. He hates people poking around on their own. Who are you anyway?”

  “Rain Sierr,” I said, casting a glance at the shore.

  He stopped dead at the edge of the boat. “Oh. You must be the serial killer I’ve heard Cain’s taken up with...”

  That hit me in the gut with a sharp pang. Tears that seemed to well up a lot more frequently now stung my eyes. I turned away to hide them. “You know what? Keep the clothes. I can see where you two are alike. You’re both woefully pigheaded, but at least he’s not a stuck up moron, too!”

  And with that and whatever was left of my dignity, I turned and swam for the opposite shore. I didn't care what he saw as I strode into the house. I showered, trying to shake off the feeling of drowning in my not-so-distant past. I was having enough trouble reconciling myself with my new robotic reality and didn’t need this.

  After a long while, I gave up, pulled on a robe and went to the kitchen to steal another one of Mrs. Begay’s cookies. They were becoming an addiction of mine, but I didn’t care.

  To my displeasure, I saw that the uninvited guest was sitting at the counter munching on the cookies in question. I sank back into the shadows and tried to disappear. But he had already heard me.

  He didn’t turn to look at me. “You don't have to hide, you know. I’ll be out of here soon. I just thought I’d catch ‘brother dearest’ before I went back out. I thought his deployment was up, but I guess I was wrong. Either that or he signed up again. Mother will be so proud,” he snapped scornfully.

  I still kept to the shadows. “He’ll be back any day. Wait around. I don't think he’d mind seeing you.”

  “Yeah, right. So long as he’s alive, we’re good. Cain likes his distance. Ever since Dad croaked, I don't know where his head has been other than hunting after the bastard who killed him.”

  I had nothing to say to that. I looked over to the counter where he’d left my clothes. The locket sat hidden in them. I had been keeping it there after I had had it mended. He regarded me curiously. “You know, you look familiar. Have we met before?”

  I laughed humorlessly. “My identity may be easier to solve than you think. Look at page one of the paper.”

  He did and instantly did a double take. There was a photo of me, one of Michael, and then a shot of Cain holding me from the night the disaster happened. It tore open a hole in my composure; it was so heartbreaking. All around me were my friends. Argon and Fennley were keeping people back, both with solemn expressions. Ray was sobbing into Rig’s arms. But the expression on Cain’s face said it all. I must have been dead at that moment. Michael was on his other side looking equally devastated. I looked away before I lost it completely.

  I grabbed my clothes off the counter and headed for the loft. John called after me. “Sorry. I assumed… Well, Cain doesn’t usually keep women past dawn, so I have reason to be skeptical and - Holy cow, it says here you died five times!”

  “Yes… and?”

  “How is that medically possible?” he asked as I turned to him. “By all normal means you should be dead!”

  “If you’re in the military service, you really should consider keeping an eye on their advanced medical achievements,” I snapped coolly.

  He looked at me, surfacing from the article. His gaze focused in with more interest. “Don’t tell me you’re one of those robot Frankensteins they’ve created.”

  That slammed into my gut even worse than his first sneering jab had. It hit right at the heartline of all of my insecurities and shredded through them, laying them open for him to see. I cringed away. “Nice to meet you, John.”

  I darted into the loft before he could say one word more. I wanted to escape everything including myself. I threw off the robe, dragged my clothes on, and went out to stand on the balcony overlooking the lake. Even the soothing sounds of the waves did nothing for me. That is, until I realized I could now hear everything from below.

  The door slammed. “Ah, the prodigal brother returns. Your blow-up doll just hightailed it upstairs, probably preparing for your return. I wonder if she made it into your bed in that short time.”

  Cain was home. “Nice, John. Please tell me you did not say anything particularly offensive. And no, this one’s a good girl. If I made a move too fast she’d probably slug me.”

  “Ooh. Frankenstein's monster is a good girl? That’s unusual. Not your typical taste at all.”

  There was a crash and a grunt like someone had just been shoved against a wall.

  “You will not talk about her like that,” Cain’s voice snarled out. “Ever. And you had better not tell me that you said any of that to her!”

  “Whoa, easy! How was I to know she wasn't one of your normal squeezes?! And as for her status medically, I didn’t mean any harm by it. You know the tinkering they’ve been doing with the prototypes.”

  “Oh, no,” Cain groaned. “You’ve gone and triggered her PTS off, I’ll bet. I’m really hoping that her new condition does not amp it up any more. She wasn’t happy with me about having them do that to her, but she won't admit it directly to me.”

  “I wouldn't be happy either. Being turned into a government killing machine? Why the hell did you let them do that to her? You know the statistics better than I do.”

  “Statistics? What statistics? I didn't even know about this program until two hours before she… Fennley helped me get her to the right people.”

  There was a pause before he started talking in an authoritative, snotty tone. He was clearly enjoying the fact he knew more than his brother did. “I don't know much about it, but they said they’ve been trying to upgrade the new generation they’ve created. From what I’ve heard, no one has survived the installation of the new models. There’s talk of scrapping the project. They’re untraceable, one hundred times stronger than any human, and don't bleed like normal people because of all the metal inside them.

  “The government research papers even indicate that once applied to a human host, there’s no telling what they’d be capable of. More talk has suggested they’ve been designing chips to put in their brains to make them more pliable to commands. Their computer systems are highly advanced past the point of insanity if you ask me. When we start bordering artificial intelligence…”

  He trailed off. “They’re too dangerous. They’re the ultimate killing machines with human minds... for now. The government wants to make sure they’re controllable because they’re so lethal, so they’ve started adding mechanical kill switches. With one click of a button, they’re terminated.”

  I sat unnaturally still with that revelation. A kill switch? What was that?

  “I couldn't lose her, John,” Cain said quietly. “She may be angry with me if she learns all that, but I couldn't let her go. I just couldn’t.”

  “This sounds serious,” John speculated.

  “It is. I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. On a technicality, we’re married now. And for once in my life, I’m not afraid of it. I’m going to try and convince her not to annul it. I want to give us some time to figure this out first.”

  That was all very sweet, but I needed to know what this kill switch was. I couldn't go around wondering if at any moment I could drop dead. I jumped down off the balcony and hit the ground with an enormous thud. It didn't even vibrate though my knees I was so solid. John dropped his coffee cup and it smashed on the floor. Cain turned around slowly, probably guessing I had been privy to the whole conversation. I opened the sliding glass door and stepped through. “Hi, Cain. What kind of kill switch, John? What do you mean?”

  He cringed aw
ay from me as I had from him only ten minutes earlier. “I’m not sure. A remote controlled electrical charge near the cerebral cortex would do it though.”

  My worst fear was confirmed as I lifted the new hair growth from my skull and pointed to the lump I had wondered about previously. “Like here?”

  He pushed his chair back warily, dropping a few napkins on the floor to sop up the mess. “Ah. I was wrong. I guess they have gotten the new prototype to mesh with a human subject.”

  I felt fingers probing the lump on the back of my head. I turned to see Cain looking down at me with a concerned expression. I blushed with the affectionate way he was treating me in front of his brother and ducked my head coyly. “Sorry to drop in like that, but I had to know what he was talking about.”

  “Don’t worry,” he said, drawing me into a hug. “We’ll figure out what the lump is.”

  I smiled as he held me tight. He was staking a claim in front of his brother. How interesting.

  John rolled his eyes disgustedly. “Right. I’m going to take off before you two start screwing on the counter. Nice to meet you, Sierrenna. Cain.”

  The expression that John shot me as he stood triggered a memory from a few years ago. Of course he was familiar. I had met him. I was at an underground cage fighting match scouting a kill. He had been mercilessly beating someone twice as small as his size in the ring. We had even quickly spoken. I hadn’t liked him then and I certainly didn’t now.

  “You, too, Green Dragon,” I said narrowing my eyes.

  He stopped for a second, glanced at his brother, and then at me, obviously reassessing his opinion. He now realized that I knew him. The question was whether he remembered me. I doubted it. He jerked his head in a nod and then was gone.

  “Green dragon?” Cain asked after we heard the car start. “Care to elaborate?”

  “I don't think so. You two don't seem to be on good terms as it is,” I said, reaching for the paper. He preempted my movement by placing his hands on my waist and drawing me to him again. I relaxed into his arms. “I don't like him. He ate all the cookies on me.”