“You were stabbed with a Heavies’ blade and lived. Why? Has anyone else ever lived after such an attack? I’ve never heard of survivors."
“How should I know? The knife lodged in me. It wasn’t deep enough to kill me, I guess.”
"The alien metal exists in your body. It’s changed you. The blade inside you has lain dormant.” He resumes his pacing. “And now you’ve emerged from a long coma and get back on your feet in a few days. Suddenly, your Tyren has taken a keen interest in you again.”
“So what? He and I are friends.”
“Right.” He spins, and his dark gray trench coat flairs behind him. “The military’s favorite lab rat has shown remarkable powers again. Tell me, who was behind the experiments and surgeries you had to endure?”
“It was a rogue operation. Scientists committing crimes. Tyren’s team stormed in and rescued me.”
“Is that so? Have you ever asked him for the details of what went down? For instance, how did he discover the lab?”
“I don’t need to. That’s history. What’s your point, Vance?”
“Humor me. What if the military was behind your ‘rogue lab’ the whole time?”
I shake my head. "This is what I risked everything for? Conjecture from a known psychopath? Screw you, Vance."
He raises his chin and laughs. "Don't count me out yet, Ida."
I cringe and cover my ears at the sound of his piercing, maniacal cackling. Closing my eyes to shut him out, his voice disappears.
Wincing, I open my eyes inside Alkina's apartment. No daylight seeps in from the corners of the curtains yet. My cuff reads 0230.
She’s gone. Only her yellow dress and blanket lie on the floor in a heap. I scramble up and spin, searching for her. I check the bedroom, then the bathroom.
Vanished. My people always know, she had said.
I fold her clothes and lay them on the couch before blowing out two flickering candles. From the doorway, I take one last glance at the small apartment.
"Rest in peace."
Eleven
Morning light streams through my windows as I wake to the sound of my vidcomm sounding an incoming message. Sitting up, I rub my temples and unleash a yawn. After last night, I couldn't sleep and might have squeezed in an hour.
My mind spins. I can't believe Alkina's dead, but I know she's in a peaceful place. I can find her if I need to.
At least, I think I can.
She taught me how to enter the dream state. To confront Vance. My encounter with him was frustrating because he lied and tricked me. He doesn't have any real intelligence about my past or how to prevent the destruction of Section H. Worst of all, now I'm stuck with him. Bound to him.
My discarded biocuff rests on the floor next to the boots and jeans I kicked off in the early morning darkness. I roll over, hang my legs over the side of the bed, and place my bare feet on the chilly tile floor, then recoil. Vintage buildings retain the night’s cold deep in their bones.
Groggy and bleary-eyed, I lift the device. Tyren’s face appears. I look like hell, but I don't care; he's seen me at my worst. Pulling on my jeans, I tap the screen, and a holographic display lights up revealing him behind a desk.
“About time you answered,” he says, one eyebrow arched. “Guess your time as a civilian has made you soft. Think you can sleep in?”
I wipe sleep remnants from my eyes. “Rough night, Major.”
“Out partying already?” He smiles. “How you feeling today? Health-wise?”
“Better. I guess. Just tired.” After sleeping for two years, you’d think I could skip a night. “Not entirely myself yet.”
“You'll be at full strength soon, I'm positive.”
“Thanks.”
“In fact, we want you to report to headquarters at once for medical observation.” He leans closer into the camera.
“Today? I thought I had a few more days. Who is we?”
Tyren cocks his head. “You know damn well it's Colonel Hunter. He's becoming impatient.”
I tuck my feet underneath me on the bed. “He can sure as shit wait, for all I care. Doesn't he know I just woke up from a coma?”
“Ida.” His voice softens. “I know you're not happy about what's going on in the city with the hybrids. They’re your friends, I get it. This must be incredibly disappointing. But the truth is, Hunter and the rest of us are here for a reason. We're trying to keep the peace. I'm trying to keep peace with Hunter, and you're starting to make me look bad.”
I lower my head. How can I give into Hunter? The very thought of him makes my blood boil after what he’s done to Gatz and the hybrids. And yet, hurting Tyren is the last thing I want to do.
“So, I'm asking you as a friend first, and as your superior officer second. We need you. Your military family needs you. Come back. We never should have let you go in the first place.”
He's right. Vance’s words were all theories, conjecture. Lies.
Tyren and my troop were the only family I've ever known. Catching his gaze, I relax my shoulders. “I'll report later today, Major.”
He nods, and I switch off the comms. Exhaling, I hug my knees to my chest. What have I done? How will Lucy react when she finds out I'm leaving today?
And Gatz. I feel like I’ll never see him again. Maybe it’s just as well, because I can’t imagine telling him I’m returning to the military—that I’m choosing the side against him and the hybrids.
After all he's done for me.
But the military is home. It’s all I’ve known other than my childhood on the streets and my short time as a civilian in Spark City. Left on my own, I managed to attract all the wrong attention.
I can serve as a medic again and convince Hunter that the hybrids deserve better treatment.
Twelve
I can't put my finger on it, but talking to Tyren felt different this time. I know him so well, and he’s never pressured me before. He’s following orders, obeying his superior—he has to. I just wish the Colonel wasn’t such a prick.
Leaning against the bedroom wall, I lower myself to the ground and cross my legs. Time to see if I can put Alkina’s training to use. I need answers.
Closing my eyes, I picture the yellow flower. Blackness consumes my vision and the yellow rose revolves slowly like the carousel in my dream state. My eyes capture the details of every petal, each a perfect creation of nature.
Then I'm on the roof. Vance's penthouse, as it was years ago. Wind sweeps across my body, my hair whips my eyes, and I shove strands behind both ears as I take in the view. A dull gray sky looms overhead, obscured by massive clouds.
He's here, somewhere. Scanning the perimeter of the rooftop deck, I spot a shadow. I start toward it, then glimpse Vance's figure behind a pillar. “Come out,” I order.
Emerging from his hiding spot, he treads slowly toward me. “Well, well. A lovely day for a visit. How is the land of the living in Spark City these days?” He grins as the metallic side of his face reflects the roiling clouds above.
I shake my head. “No. I ask the questions today.”
He shrugs and pauses two feet away. “Have at it. Not like I have anything better to do.”
“Tell me what you know.”
He tilts his head, smirks. “Well, I do have a fondness for eighteenth-century British literature—”
“About the military labs. Tell me what you know.”
“Has Sleeping Beauty finally woken?”
“Out with it. What do you know?”
“I wondered when the little orphan girl might get curious about what the hell happened to her.” He rocks back on his heels.
I lock my gaze on his cold, blue eyes. His red pupils shine eerily.
“Shouldn't we have a drink? I'm awfully thirsty.”
“Answer me.” I clench my fists, hating how he toys with me.
“Okay, okay.” He rolls his eyes. “I've met Colonel Hunter before. A likable fellow, although rough around the edges.” He pauses. “Is this what you want to hear?”
“Go on.”
“Several years ago, before you murdered me, mind you, I was invited by the military to a classified meeting along with several prominent scientists and wealthy businessman across the continent.”
“What kind of meeting?”
“Patience my dear, I'll get to the point. But first, I'd like a little treat.”
I raise my eyebrows. Now what?
“Ever since you killed me, I can't get the stuff I want. My treats.” He smiles. “I want wine, champagne, some scotch would be nice, too. You have no idea how boring it is here.”
I roll my eyes. “Vance, I don't know how to get you booze. I barely even know how to get here.”
“Hmm.” He taps the side of his head. “Try and wish for it.”
“No, that's ridiculous. Finish your story.”
“Fine. I agreed to go on this military trip and was flown to a secret location. I don't know where it was because they blindfolded me for part of the trip. I felt hot, dry air when we landed, so I believe it was a desert.”
“How long did you fly?”
“They served stiff drinks. I got woozy; I suspect they sedated me and the other passengers. I’ve no idea. Could’ve been four hours or sixteen. We get to a secret location, and we're inside a building. Maybe it was underground, but I'm not sure. It felt secure, like a bunker.” He pauses. “I’d kill for a mimosa. My favorite.”
I grit my teeth, wondering how much time is passing in the real world. “Come on, finish the story.”
“They talked to each of us, alone. For hours on end they asked me questions about my androids. How did they work? How did I design them? What could they do? And so on.”
“And you told them?”
“They made me reveal all my secrets. A matter of national security. If I lied, they’d find me guilty of treason and throw me in jail.” He grins. “So, of course I lied through my teeth. I didn’t want the military getting their grubby hands on my intellectual property.”
“Who were these people? All military?”
“Colonel Hunter stands out in my memory the most. He was definitely in charge. Others in the room were scientists, I assumed. They took notes, asked the technical questions. Oh, and your friend was there. Major Tyren.”
How long had Tyren known Hunter? Is Vance lying and trying to get me to doubt Tyren’s honesty? The man rescued me from the lab, and I served by his side for years. He’s a good man.
I pace, trying hard to slow my racing thoughts. “So far, you haven't told me anything earth-shattering. The military was trying to find out about your droids. That's no secret. They've been searching for ways to defeat the Heavies for years now—ever since the invasion in the Middle East. It makes sense they would meet with scientists and seek out the help of a businessman who happened to be building a small army of robot warriors. You don't run across that every day.”
“Yes, well. Suit yourself. You wanted to know what I knew.” He shoves his hands in his pockets, whistles a tune.
“What gives? What are you holding back?”
“First, a treat.”
“Vance, I don't know how to get you booze. I told you.”
“I think you do. We’re in your mind, right? Think, and it becomes so.”
I swallow hard, feeling silly. Staring down, I imagine a bottle of champagne. Am I going completely nuts? I curse myself for listening to him.
“Yes!” He squeals, then hops from one foot to the other. At his feet rests an ice bucket with a bottle of champagne inside. “You did it. Bravo.”
How on earth? Someday, I'll try to figure this out—with lots of therapy—but right now, I'm running out of time.
“You got your present. Now tell me what else you know.”
Vance pops the cork and takes a long swig. “Ah, that feels so right.” He wipes his mouth with his jacket sleeve. “They revealed some of the experiments they were working on. Of course, I was sworn to secrecy under penalty of death.”
“Why would they expose anything classified to you?”
“Damned if I know.” He throws back the champagne bottle and drinks. “They showed me several soldiers in training. Young. Maybe sixteen, seventeen years old. Boys and girls. Most were hooked up to machines, unconscious.”
A hollow feeling grips my insides. Could it be the same place I was held?
“They were creating little monster soldiers. They showed me one of the boys. I witnessed a demo. The boy could knock down a brick wall with his mind. Imagine that kind of power. It seems there were side effects however. After the display, the young man started to ram his forehead with a brick over and over.”
I want to vomit at the thought of what those scientists did to the boy. To others.
To me.
“The truth is,” he says, downing the rest of the bottle, “you came from a lab. And your beloved Tyren was part of it.”
In a rage, I punch him in the chest. He staggers back, dropping the bottle, which shatters. Grabbing his coat, I haul him across the four feet separating us from the tower’s edge. I lean over him, his body weight teetering over the edge.
Underneath me, he grimaces, his body tense. “Face it. You need me.”
My trembling hands let go, and I clap to wake myself.
Back in my room. Alone and rattled.
Tyren’s words echo in my head.
We never should have let you go in the first place.
Thirteen
Lucy hovers above me, grinning when I snap out of my dream state.
“Ugh.” My mouth is dry.
She hops from side to side in her purple tennis shoes. “I have a surprise for you.”
Gatz bursts into the room, out of breath.
I smile at his familiar wolfish face, unable to help myself. “I guess hybrids don't knock.”
"Ida.” He practically leaps across the room. "I'm so glad you're awake." He takes my gloved hand, and I notice his sleek black hair has grown past his shoulders. He wears it swept into a ponytail at the nape of his neck.
"Hey, long time, no see."
"I'll say.” He leans in for a hug, wraps his hairy arms around my middle, and squeezes tight, hoisting me off the floor.
Under my hands, the muscles of his back feel tight, solid. His beard, surprisingly soft, tickles my neck. He holds me a few seconds before letting me go.
I gaze into his golden eyes, then force myself to turn away before he can see me blush.
“If you were trying to get your beauty sleep, it worked.”
“Times sure have changed,” I say, ignoring his compliment.
He shakes his head. “Yeah, no kidding.”
Lucy fidgets. “You two have catching up to do. I’m gonna check on my mom.”
“Thanks, Lucy,” I say as she leaves.
Gatz pulls up a chair, and I take a seat on the bed. “How did you get here? I thought hybrids were sequestered.”
“Some of us have passes to travel in and out on business. Even so, it’s dangerous. Several hybrids have been attacked, gotten caught up in riots.”
“And you have a pass?”
He shakes his head and stares at me with his intense eyes. “I had to see you in person.”
I flush, not knowing how to respond.
“After Hunter rose to power, things got so bad, all the hybrids either left the city or relocated to Section H, abandoning their homes and businesses.” He lowers his head. “Dox is gone—had to ditch the bar, but I’m the guy in charge in H these days."
"What? Wow. That’s good, I guess…About being in charge, I mean.”
“Now that Hunter set up a military checkpoint outside H, I’m just trying to keep the peace as best I can.”
My stomach churns. “Hunter sounds like a real piece of shit.”
He rises and begins to pace. “My people are getting restless.”
“I can imagine.”
“We’re over capacity. Food supplies low. The military’s being a pain in the ass, as you can imagine.”
Your military, Ida. Look at what your family is doing to your hybrid friends.
"Are you okay, Ida?"
I dig my nails into my palm. "Yes, just get tired easily. Did you take something from DremCorp…before the military came? Some weapon?”
He flinches. “How did you know?”
“Tyren visited. Sounds like it’s important enough they want it back.”
“He told you what it is?”
“He said it’s a prototype Vance had been working on. A mech suit with AI.”
“Yeah.” Gatz scratches his head with a claw. “It’s a helmet that we believe wraps around a person to create body armor. We knew it was powerful based on the schematics we found. Only trouble is we haven’t discovered how to activate it.”
And they won’t. They’re missing the igniter.
I shake my head. “You won’t because you’re missing part of it.”
“What? How can you possibly know that?”
I avert my eyes. “Never mind. Hunter’s searching for the mech helmet. Is it worth fighting for?”
“I don’t want him getting his hands on it.”
I don’t blame Gatz. The helmet could be a bargaining chip for the hybrids, or if they could figure out how to use it, a weapon. “I have to report to HQ today…If Hunter asks me about the helmet—”
“Tell him I have it. Don’t lie and get yourself in trouble.” He sighs. “We have a knack for getting ourselves into complicated situations, don’t we?”
“How long can you stay?”
“Actually, I can’t,” he says. “I need to get back to H very soon.”
“It’s dangerous for you. I’ll ride with you.”
“What? No way. I’ll be fast. I wear a baseball cap, a high collar, and I flatten my ears.” He grins.
“You took a huge risk coming here.”
He grabs my hands. “Ida, there’s something I need you to know.”
I redden and glance away.
“I never gave up on you. Neither did Lucy. She deserves all the credit for bringing you back. She loves you like a sister, you know that, right?”
I nod, and I can hear my heart thumping in my ears.
The Rogue Spark series Box Set Page 31