Siyam unhooked his firearm from the wall and scanned the children as he clipped it to his belt. Remy sneered at him, wondering just what had been arranged.
“Jamie? Leesa? Remy?” Sierra asked.
“Yes?” they said.
“Listen to me very carefully. Siyam and I have been talking. As much as we appreciate your help we can’t take you with us. It’s just too dangerous.”
Remy stomped his foot on the floor, “I knew it. You lied to us.”
“Remy, I can’t have you come with—.”
“—Why you do not let us go with you? We want to rescue Anderson.”
“USARIC is no place for a child, Remy.”
“You are kidding, right?” Remy said. “All three of us, we have been there. We even took our pets with us.”
“That’s not what I mean and you know it, Gagarin.”
Jamie moved forward and grabbed Remy by the arm, “She’s right. We’re safer here.”
“Yeah. We don’t even know how to fire a gun,” Leesa added.
Sierra nodded in agreement, “We won’t be gone long. I don’t expect all of us to make it back. We need you to stay here and help Noyin navigate. You’re no use to us dead.”
“No.”
Remy reached into Sierra’s belt and removed her firearm, quite without notice.
CLICK.
He knocked the hammer back and pointed it at her face. Everyone froze dead still as they watched the young boy threaten to blow her face clean off her head.
“Do not make me shoot you, Sierra.”
Sierra lifted her hands in the air, astonished at the boy’s temerity, “Okay. Whatever you say, Remy.”
Roman and Saad looked over from the wall by the holoscope.
Saad inspected Santara’s face, the Misfit’s female Series Three Androgyne. She stood like a mannequin, allowing Saad’s hands to run over her shoulders.
“My God,” Roman muttered. “That kid’s got balls.”
“My kinda guy,” Saad offered.
Jamie inserted himself between Remy’s gun and Sierra’s face, “Remy?”
“Get out my way. English.”
“No. Don’t pull the trigger.”
“I will shoot you in your English face if you do not move,” Remy said. “I want to go with them.”
“This isn’t the way you go about convincing them, Remy. Put the gun down.”
“I mean it, English. Move.”
“Remy, please,” Leesa squealed. “Put the gun down.”
“No.”
Remy trained his eyes on Sierra’s face. He meant business, and nothing would dissuade him.
“You go to USARIC, now?”
“Yes,” she whispered in the hope he wouldn’t squeeze the trigger.
Remy wasn’t quite convinced, though.
“You go because you want to rescue Jamie’s cat?”
“Yes.”
“And you kill everyone at USARIC when you are there? Answer me.”
“Yes, Remy. That’s right. We’re going to tear the place down with everything we have.”
“Then you take me, also. You let me help you kill them.”
Siyam reached for his firearm, but Remy caught him move in the corner of his eye.
“Do not even think about it,” he barked. “You move and I will shoot Sierra in her pretty blue eyes.”
Siyam held out his arms and offered a plea bargain, “Okay, Remy. Whatever you say.”
Noyin ran his finger across his gold teeth. He seemed to enjoy the standoff.
“Heh, look at Remy. A proper little soldier, eh?”
Jamie and Leesa ignored Noyin’s remark and didn’t dare move a muscle.
Sierra finally absorbed the sheer anger behind Remy’s dilated pupils.
“You really want to come and fight with us?” she asked.
“Yes. This is not up for discussion any longer.”
Sierra nodded, “Okay, then. Remy. You can put the gun down.”
He didn’t lower the gun.
The feeling of complete and utter doom drove through his body. If he relented now, they might take him out of the game completely as punishment for pointing a weapon at one of his own.
R.A.G.E. had already lost two of their members in the war against USARIC.
The general public were convinced the Rebels had murdered three innocent children when their threat to USARIC backfired.
Perhaps they’d make good on their infamy, after all. Remy knew there was no turning back. He had to continue his bravado or lose his reputation - and possibly his life - if he didn’t.
“I can go with you?”
“Yes. I want you to come with us and fight.”
A bead of sweat ran down Remy’s forehead. His hands began to shake, and Sierra had a close-up of the fact.
“Lessense. I don’t believe you,” he said as his finger pulled back on the trigger.
CLICK — SNATCH!
The chamber was empty, much to Remy’s surprise.
Sierra pounced on him and swiped the gun from his hands as the barrel’s click echoed around the silent arena.
She pushed him away and snatched her gun out of the boy’s hands.
“Nice try, Russian.”
Remy picked himself off the floor and prepared to punch her in the face.
“Bitch.”
“What? You gonna hit me?” Sierra snapped. “If my gun was loaded you’d have killed me.”
“That’s right,” Remy yelped. “I wish it had been.”
“See? That’s what I’m talking about,” Sierra roared and pointed at the boy’s face.
She turned to Siyam and Noyin, and then to Roman and Saad.
“See that? That, right there, is what it takes.”
She reached into her belt, retrieved a full magazine and thumped it into the grip of her firearm.
“What what takes?” Roman asked.
Sierra marched up to the boy and offered him her gun, “Take it. It’s loaded, now.”
Remy reached for the gun, much to Jamie and Leesa’s astonishment.
“Jesus, Sierra. What are you doing?”
Remy took the gun in his hands and felt the additional weight now that it was loaded.
“Nice.”
“That’s exactly the right attitude to have, Remy. If you want something you need to fight for it.”
He looked up at Sierra with an apologetic face.
“Oh, God,” Leesa whispered. “She’s given him a loaded gun.”
“Gonna shoot me now?” Sierra grinned. “Russian?”
Remy stared at the gun. He had the opportunity to make good on his previous promise. A bond of trust that could shatter in an instant.
He shook his head and lowered the gun.
“No. I kill them.”
“That’s what I thought.”
Sierra turned to Siyam and opened her palm, “Gimme a strap.”
He unhooked a handgun from the wall and tossed it at her.
WHUMP.
She caught the gun and slipped it into her belt, “I think it’s time we went and rescued our Jelly and whoever else she brought back with her. Whaddya say?”
“I think you are right,” Remy said.
“You might want to slip the safety catch off first, though,” Sierra said.
Roman felt his left forearm tingle.
A wave of static bled through the pinpricks in his arm, followed by Suttle’s voice, “Roman Voycheck, this is Suttle attempting to reconnect—.”
Saad stared at Roman’s arm, “Your Viddy media.”
Roman rolled down his sleeve and thumbed the ink up to the crook of his elbow.
“Do you read me? Transmission change. I repeat, transmission change. Oh-one-seven.”
“Yes, this is Roman Voycheck. I read you.”
“Roman?”
“Yes. Suttle?”
Roman looked at Saad, and then at Sierra as she made her way to the dome’s exit.
“Your location. What is it?”
“About half a click through Manning state. We’re approaching the Texas border.”
“So you commandeered the convoys?”
“Yes, we have three. The package is leading the way on Interstate Ten.”
“Good. Standby for my orders, and keep your course on for Cape Claudius.”
“Oh, and, Roman?”
“Yes?”
“We have Lydia.”
Roman’s face lit up, although he only half-believed what he’d heard, “Say that again?”
“We have Lydia, but she doesn’t know what’s going on.”
“Keep it that way,” Roman breathed a sigh of relief. “Keep her safe.”
“Of course.”
Roman marched over to Noyin and pointed at the geo-scan on the wall.
Three blinking spots traveled towards Manning’s eastern state line.
“Our colleagues.”
“Who are they?” Noyin asked, somewhat nervously. “What colleagues? What are you talking about? Why wasn’t I told about this?”
“Our team has secured all IRI border patrol checkpoints,” Roman explained in the hope that Noyin and the Rebels would be delighted at the news, “They will be joining us in a few hours. Is there a problem?”
Noyin turned to Sierra and Siyam, “Did you know about this?”
“Roman?” Sierra asked.
“Yes?”
“Good work,” she said as she moved through the door and waved Siyam over.
“Why am I always the last to know about these things?” Noyin complained. “In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m hovering over you all and keeping you safe and up to date.”
“Noyin?” Sierra spat.
“What?”
“Our friends, here, changed the game. We know as much as you. No one is keeping you out of the loop.”
Sierra peered at the three flashing lights making their way to the east of Manning.
“Reinforcements, right?” Sierra asked Roman.
“Yes. They’ve left the border and entered North Texas. Shall I have them meet us here?”
“No, don’t do that,” Sierra said. “Have them meet us on Perimeter Zee outside Cape Claudius. Be quick, we have to go.”
Roman and Saad crowded Noyin as he returned to the console, “You heard the lady.”
“Right, right. It’s just a bit unexpected, that’s all,” Noyin huffed.
“My team’s call sign is IRI-Two,” Roman said.
“Call sign? You’re communicating on Viddy Media? Are you mad?” Noyin fumed as he punched in the details on the keyboard.
Roman moved his forearm to his lips, “IRI-Two, this is Roman Voycheck. Be advised. We are not at Laguna Vista.”
“Understood.”
The geo-scan displayed a flashing purple dot beside a green line that read Perimeter Zee.
“There’s your meet point,” Noyin said. “As per Sierra’s request.”
Roman spoke into his forearm, “IRI-Two. You are to meet us at Perimeter Zee, off Interstate 10 in one hour. Please confirm.”
“We will convene with you at Perimeter Zee.”
The glare from the screen washed over Roman’s pupils. The realization of an impending war finally socked him in the gut.
“I hope you brought a lot of firepower with you. They’re going to be plenty pissed.”
Suttle’s voice blasted out of the console speakers.
“Do not worry about that, comrade. We have an army of blood-hungry Misfits ravenous for revenge.”
Saad adjusted the straps around his metal gloves and nodded at Remy, “And the child?”
Roman blinked at Remy and beckoned him over.
“Come here, trooper.”
Remy moved away from Jamie and Leesa and strode over to the two men with confidence.
“Yes, sir?”
“You know what we’re about to do?”
“I think so, sir.”
“And you know how dangerous it is?”
“Yes.”
Roman nodded and accepted his answer. He turned to Jamie and Leesa and drew their attention to the lifeless, six-foot-tall android standing in the corner.
“Children?”
Jamie stepped forward and made eyes at Santara, who remained perfectly still in the corner of the room.
“Yes?” Jamie asked.
“Her name is Santara Iskra,” he said. “She is offline at the moment. Rejuvenating her battery. When she awakes she may not remember who you are. Do not disturb her.”
“Okay?”
“When she is fully charged, she will awake. Do not worry, however. She will not attack you unless provoked.”
Leesa bit the end of her thumb and considered hiding under the table.
“I don’t like her.”
“Ha,” Roman chuckled. “Have you not heard the phrase do not judge a book by its cover?”
“She looks scary,” Leesa said.
“In this case, judge away. She’s a mean bitch when she wants to be.”
Saad walked past the five twelve-foot-high PAWZ forklift units and opened his palm at Santara’s face.
“Jamie Anderson?”
“Yeah?”
“Santara is a Series Three Androgyne,” he said. “She can withstand a lot of damage. But, please, do not anger her if you wake her.”
“Okay, I won’t.”
Roman smiled as he moved through the dome’s entrance, “Good luck, everyone.”
Saad joined him and exited through the opened door.
WHUMP.
The door to the dome closed, leaving Jamie and Leesa alone with Noyin.
The latter rolled his eyes and sniggered, “Pfft. Russians, huh?”
“They’re only trying to help,” Jamie said.
“Yeah, well, we’ll see just how useful they are when this is all over.”
“What do you mean?”
Noyin shrugged his shoulders and returned to the console.
“Meh. Never trust a Russkie, Jamie. They’re nothing but trouble. Anyway, I’m glad you didn’t go with them. You and Leesa are much safer here.”
Jamie felt some truth in Noyin’s statement. At least he and Leesa were out of the firing line. Enough time to escape and hide while the proverbial crap was on course to collide against a USARIC-sized fan.
“Okay, team,” Noyin said into his headgear, “This is the part where you save the day. Standby for updates.”
“Thank you, Noyin,” Rana’s voice emitted from his ear piece.
***
Rana turned the mack truck onto the Interstate Ten slip road and hollered over her shoulder.
“Seem familiar?”
Sierra went to grip the driver’s seat, but slid her hand onto Rana’s shoulder.
“Yeah,” she said as she peered through the windshield. The endless road whizzed across the bottom of the window.
Sierra closed her eyes and saw a brief, ghostly image of Grace and Finbow.
“Uh.”
Her eyes snapped. She cleared her throat and turned to Roman, Saad, and Remy.
“We have less than an hour before we hook up with our friends. I suggest you get ready and do whatever it is you need to do to prepare.”
The men inspected their weapons and tried to allay their excitement.
Sierra leaned against one of two enormous crates. She lifted her foot and pressed it onto a knee-high black box.
“What is that?” Saad asked.
“EMP,” she said. “Could come in handy when we want to shut the place down for a few minutes.”
“What is EMP?” Remy asked.
“Electromagnetic pulse, comrade,” Roman said. “It goes off, and everything nearby loses its electricity.”
“It’s been a while since I’ve worked with one of those,” Saad said.
Sierra sat up straight and rolled her shoulders. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, “Christ, Sierra. Calm down. Just breathe.”
Siyam smiled at her, “Feeling the pinch, huh?”
&
nbsp; “Something like that.”
A tear trickled down her cheek as she opened her eyes.
“Are you crying?” Roman asked.
“No. I’m just tired, that’s all. I just want this to be over.”
The interior of the truck shifted around as it sped up along the freeway.
“If that really was Jelly Anderson who fell out of the sky, there could be a chance that Alex is with her.”
Siyam frowned at her statement.
“Oh, for Heaven’s sake.”
“Who is Alex?” Saad asked.
Sierra snorted at the two Russians and pressed her palms together.
“Alex Hughes. One of ours. He was on Opera Charlie. About a month ago we received a communication from him. Still alive, as was Jelly.”
“Then the chances are good that he is there?” Roman asked.
“A month is a long time in space, Roman,” she said. “Anything could have happened. I don’t know what that thing was that fell out of the sky, but it certainly wasn’t one of USARIC’s Opera vessels, that much I can tell you.”
“No?”
“Did you see the size of it? It was tiny. More like an escape unit.”
Siyam interrupted, “It probably isn’t even them at all.”
“You’re probably right,” Sierra said, convincing herself that the trip was a waste of time. “There’s just no way they could have returned. No oxygen, no food. No hyper-sleep facility.”
“It would take a miracle,” Roman offered.
“And even if they did get back home? You think if it was Jelly that USARIC would broadcast it to the world?” Sierra asked. “Do you think they’re that stupid?”
Siyam shook his head, “Of course I don’t think that.”
“Those Viddy Media vultures would hound them till they’re blue in the face. People want answers.”
“True,” Roman said. “It is in USARIC’s interest to keep quiet and pretend nothing ever happened.”
Sierra half-chuckled with a great deal of venom.
“Yeah, and it’s in the nation’s interest to make sure they can’t keep it quiet. If Jelly Anderson is home then she’ll need our help. I can’t imagine the horrors USARIC would be putting her through if it is her.”
CHAPTER SIX
USARIC Research & Development Institute
Port D’Souza
(South Texas, USA)
Maar Sheck and Brayn stood in the middle of the fifty-foot high metal walkway that overlooked the research lab.
Star Cat Forever: A Science Fiction & Fantasy Adventure (The Star Cat Series - Book 6) Page 6