Angel Descended (The Awakened Book 6)

by Matthew S. Cox

  “Well, psionics are about eight to ten percent of the population. Of that group, only about seven in ten are even aware they have the gift. Of those people, maybe one in six has criminal inclinations, and that varies from minor life cheats to actual criminality. So, yeah, it’s slow sometimes.”

  Kate chuckled. “Yeah, but when it hits the fan, it really fucking hits the fan.”

  Sgt. Huang saluted with his coffee. “You sound like you’re done with training.”

  “Basic training was a bitch.” She followed him to the car.

  “I thought you weren’t going in for ISCOT until next month?” He went for the passenger side. “You drive, I’m getting old.”

  “Way to miss a joke, Sarge.” She trotted around the nose end of the patrol craft and fell into the driver’s seat. “This isn’t as bad as I was expecting. I might actually get to like this.”

  “Says every rookie, ever.” Sgt. Huang winked.

  “I mean it. I’ve… got a lot of karma to work off.” She pulled the door down. “Where to?”

  He gestured at the Navcon. “Our assigned patrol route is lit up in yellow. Keep driving until something blows up or you’ve gotta find a bathroom. Since you’re training, keep an eye out for Div 1 calls. If we can lend a hand, we will.”

  “Okay. Guess the week won’t be boring after all.”

  A thick haze of fog framed distant snow-covered pine trees, rolling over the top of a brown wooden railing. The fragrance of steam-soaked cedar surrounded her. The week had passed at an agonizing pace despite being shot at seventeen times in five days. Fortunately, any nudity that occurred during that time had happened voluntarily. Unfortunately, none of it had involved David.

  For Friday evening, beyond the northernmost edge of West City, he had found a rustic resort catering to lovers looking to ditch the trappings of high-tech society for a few days. The ambiance felt quiet, calming, and romantic.

  Special.

  A dirt path led toward the woods thirty meters or so from the raised deck. Kate sank up to her neck in bubbling water and smiled at the NetMini balanced on end beside the recessed pool. Thirty-three degrees, 7:08 p.m. She closed her eyes and listened to the sounds of birds on the wind. Her hands slid over her stomach and legs; her nude body quivered with anticipation. If he made her wait another two minutes, she’d go crazy.

  The patio door opened with a squeak. She looked up at David, wearing only a towel. He carried a dark green bottle and two champagne glasses as he scooted to the edge of the pool, teeth chattering as he stepped in water that had splashed up onto the deck planks.

  “I d-didn’t know this m-matchstick cabin had a hot t-tub.”

  “It doesn’t.” She winked. “This is a small pool.”

  David let his towel drop and lowered himself into the water. “Gah! It’s freezing here and this water is too hot.”

  “Isn’t that the point of a hot tub? That it’s hot?”

  It took him a few minutes to ease himself into the water. As soon as he acclimated to the temperature, he scooted close and slid an arm behind her back. “Have you given any thought to what you want to do?”

  Kate reached out of the water to tap her chin. “Well, I figured we could start with a traditional missionary, maybe cowgirl a little later. If you really want to, we can try doggy… but I’d rather be able to see your face. After that, I’ll think about going down on you if you’re willing to reciprocate.”

  He babbled. “Uhh, I meant about your assign—”

  “I know what you meant,” she purred and rubbed his thigh. “I also know what I meant.” She cuddled against him underwater. “This place is special.”

  With all the steam surrounding them, a fantasy of being the only two people left on Earth came easy.

  “A basement slum in the middle of a disavowed sector would be special if you were there with me.” Tension stiffened his muscles.

  “It’s cute how you act shy.” She kissed him on the lips, bit him a little, and climbed on top of him. “You’re making me feel like a slut even though I’ve never done this before.”

  He slid his arms up her thighs and around her back. “I can’t help but worry you might think I’m manipulating you. There’s a stigma about male empaths.”

  She rubbed herself against him; the urge to know what he felt like inside her made her moan. “Are you?”

  “Of course not.”

  “I believe you. I trust you. I want you.” Her eyes half closed as she laced her fingers behind his neck. “I want you, David Ahmed. Forever.”

  His unease faded and his body relaxed. He leaned forward and kissed her chest and the front of her neck. Kate shuddered. His right hand slipped from her back to her breast, tracing circles around her nipple. She moaned.

  “Touch me,” she rasped. “Touch me everywhere.”

  She leaned back and let his hands roam. Time lost meaning as she reveled in the feeling of his skin on hers. After an eternity of touching, kissing bliss, his hands squeezed her ass and lifted. She knew exactly what he was about to do, and shivered with anxiety and ecstasy in equal parts. The sensation she had spent twenty-five years trying to imagine exploded within her body as he entered her; she arched her back and let out a cry of ecstasy mixed with the pain of her first time, chasing birds from the distant treetops.

  All around, snow-covered pines and fog swirled. Icy wind brushed over her back where she sat up out of the water, but she didn’t care. He grunted and moaned as her fingernails dug into his shoulders. Their bodies slid over each other; water splashed. She leaned into him, arms sliding around his back, clinging. David stared into her eyes as he kept up a rhythm. He couldn’t help but radiate love. His emotion added to hers, driving her over the edge. Her legs went numb, her heart pounded, and stars burst in her mind.

  A series of crackling explosions overhead drowned out her cries of passion. After, she collapsed limp on top of him. He gasped for breath, gazing skyward with a dumbfounded grin on his face. They cuddled for a few minutes before he found the strength to move.

  “You know, fireworks are supposed to be a euphemism.” He kissed her again.

  “Mmm.” She cuddled against his chest, both of them neck-deep in the warm water.

  “Are you going to do that every time?”

  She snuggled her head into his shoulder. “Mmm?”

  David brushed her hair off her face. “The fireworks.”

  “I don’t know.” Kate laughed. “Maybe we should live outside.”

  77

  Inquest

  Epilogue: Zero Rogue

  Aaron

  Noisy commuters shuffled back and forth on the platform of a PubTran terminal three blocks away from the grey zone where he’d lived with Darwin. Aaron leaned against the wall, seated on the floor, observing the crowd. A few people stopped to give him strange looks. He chuckled inside his head, finding no end of amusement at what they must think of a man in a Division 0 dress uniform slumped on the floor of a PubTran terminal like a vagrant.

  Aaron sat up and glanced at the empty floor to his right. “Cheers, mate. Wherever you are now, I hope it’s better than you had it ‘ere.”

  He stood, dusted himself off, and wandered down the steps to wait for a PubTran car. It cost a bit more than the tram, but he was already running late. After fishing out his NetMini, he poked the little cartoon taxi icon and kept the device out while he waited. Within two minutes of his summons, a little grey and cyan car squealed to a halt in front of him. On the ride to the Police Administrative Complex, he pawed at the holo-panel until he found the data file Shimmer sent him.

  Aaron had gone back and forth over the file, finding it unbelievable at the same time it presented a perfect explanation for the unexplainable. Reading his mind would not have set off his involuntary detonation. Garber wasn’t trying to see what Aaron remembered. He had been paid off by C-Branch to implant a memory. He wanted to make Aaron give himself to the military intelligence department as a guinea pig. They had gotten wind of the d
evastation he’d wrought at the scene of Allison’s death, and took quite a keen interest in him.

  He thought about Querq and his initial revulsion. How could anyone want to live out there? Now, he had a better idea. No ‘day jobs,’ no shady corporations, no government getting away with everything it could. The occasional mutated prewar horror seemed trivial in comparison. Still, the Badlands wasn’t his cup of tea. As romantic as it sounded, he knew he wouldn’t tolerate it for long. Even his two-day visit left him missing the real world.

  The automated taxi halted outside the PAC. “Thank you for choosing PubTran Corporation for your transportation needs. Please note that a travel fee of one hundred and fourteen credits has been deducted from your account. You may be selected to receive a brief five-question survey based on your experience. Have a nice day.”

  Aaron got out, not bothering to respond to the insincere robotic voice. No one on the grounds or in the main hub paid him much notice. Once he arrived in the Division 0 wing, he got the usual wary looks, angry stares, and curious whispers. He glanced at the NetMini to check the time: 7:58 a.m., and moved up to a jog. Four corridors, an elevator, and one security checkpoint later, he stood at a pair of wide, silver doors with curved lines at the top. It conjured the image of a hole made to accommodate an enormous loaf of French bread.

  He took a deep breath and walked toward them. They opened, sliding to the side to let him enter. The Division 0 command council sat behind a long table at the far end of a hearing chamber: Deputy Director Johannes Burckhardt on the far left. Regional Commander Mikhail Kovalev, responsible for West City, beside him. Division 0 Director Jane Carter next, and at the far right, East City Regional Commander Ravindra Kumar attended via hologram. He stopped in front of a small podium facing the tribunal.

  His shoe squeaked to a halt exactly at 8:00 a.m.

  Aaron rendered a salute, which they all returned.

  “We have reviewed your case, Lieutenant Pryce,” said Carter. “Do you have anything you wish to say before we close the Inquest into the death of Officer Allison Pryce, and of the subsequent deaths of Lieutenant Jonathan Garber, Officers Elaine Rios and Marcus Frost, as well as Dr. Michael Korran?”

  “Aye,” said Aaron.

  His saying something was expected, as evidenced by the unsurprised nods from everyone on the other side of the table.

  “I have some new evidence regarding the incident in the infirmary. With your permission, I would like to share it with you.”

  “Please do,” said Carter.

  Aaron took his NetMini from his pocket, pulled up Shimmer’s file, and made pitching motions with the device at each of the senior officers. Their devices all chirped. He stood at attention once more.

  “Lieutenant Garber was operating under the direction of C-Branch, with financial encouragement, to implant the desire to defect to their employ. His attempt to alter my mind is what resulted in the involuntary telekinetic eruption. A simple read would not have triggered my… issue.”

  “You’re accusing Garber of killing Rios, Frost, and Dr. Korran?” asked Burckhardt.

  “That would imply a degree of intent, sir,” said Aaron. “Garber also killed himself. He was the first one to die as my subconscious tried to protect itself. I believe it was an accident; however, it does explain what triggered the event. A simple read as he was supposed to have been doing would not have. I will always live with the guilt of being unable to stop it.”

  “I’ve already brought the council up to speed on the situation concerning Dr. James Mardling,” said Mikhail. “Excellent work dealing with that. I’m impressed you even managed to recover the Angel.”

  “The ship suffered extensive damage,” said Burckhardt with a frown. “It’ll be out of commission for months.”

  “Thank you, sir, but Mamoru and Officer Solomon had more to do with the starship than me.”

  “Oh?” asked Commander Kumar.

  Aaron tried to breathe away his nerves. He didn’t care if they dismissed him, even a dishonorable discharge. If he could avoid prison time, or worse, he’d be thrilled. He thought of Anna.

  Burckhardt cleared his throat after a minute of silence. “Is it a difficult question, Lieutenant?”

  “No, sir. Mamoru is an advanced technokinetic. He can apparently imbue his consciousness into a machine. That is how he was able to steal the ship on his own.”

  “He was also the one responsible for turning it into a missile headed to wipe out West City, was he not?” asked Carter.

  Oh, boy. Aaron whistled. “In one manner of speaking yes. Just skip right to the mind reading here. You’ll not believe me if I say it was a demon.”

  Telepathic tingles swam over his mind. He thought back to the fight in the hangar, specifically the manifestation of the old gunslinger.

  “That ‘Sentient Badlands’ story has been floating around among the astrals for a while,” said Mikhail.

  “Seems like it’s more than a story.” Carter looked worried. “Unless we’re looking at another mass-hypnosis incident.”

  “How does Officer Solomon factor into the starship equation?” asked Kumar.

  “As it was explained to me, when he ‘embodies’ a piece of technology, he feels sensation, as though the machine were his body. The burn of re-entry had grown too great for him to control the ship, and he was quite about to crash. Kate—pardon the pedestrian explanation—put the fire out so he could think straight.”

  “You’re saying she influenced a pyrotechnic event occurring miles away in the upper atmosphere?” Burckhardt raised an eyebrow.

  “We’re still here, aren’t we?” Aaron smiled. “Sir. I believe her powers experienced a temporary surge related to a high emotional state.”

  “Anything else to add, Lieutenant?” asked Carter.

  “No, Ma’am,” said Aaron, staring over their heads at the large window overlooking the gleaming city. Rows of mirror-faced skyscrapers formed a canyon packed with streams of hovercars and advert bots. “Nothing I can think of.”

  “I have a question,” said Mikhail. “It says here that you requested a two-day delay in these proceedings. You went to the outpost at”—he glanced at a holo panel in front of him—”Querq. What was the nature of that trip?”

  “You are aware of Kate’s… umm, Officer Solomon’s previous unfortunate circumstance?” The command staff nodded. “Althea managed to repair that part of her brain so she would not burn everything she touched. I was curious if she could do the same for me. Since by all figuring, it was an emotional wound, I hoped she could mend it. It came with a good chance I’d lose my amplified power, but I thought it reckless not to try.”

  “And?” asked Burckhardt.

  “I’m honestly not sure, sir.” Aaron smiled. “I can still lift a dozen patrol craft… but I haven’t tested the other bit yet. Can’t say I’m eager to.”

  “Seems a little foolish.” Burckhardt frowned. “That… ‘problem’ was the only reason you were able to handle Mardling.”

  “And that problem,” added Kumar, with a stern look, “would’ve left him unsuitable for field operations where he may encounter hostile individuals with mental capabilities and no forewarning of what would happen were they to use them on him.”

  Carter raised a hand. “Let’s not test anything just yet.” She cleared her throat.

  Aaron stood rigid for a few minutes while the brass exchanged glances, no doubt a telepathic discussion going on.

  Director Carter tapped at a datapad for a few seconds before setting it down and making eye contact with a neutral expression. “Lieutenant Aaron Pryce, it is the finding of this council that you acted under the influence of a psionic compulsion. We declare that you were not responsible for the deaths of the aforementioned police personnel, as well as associated civilian casualties. You are hereby reinstated to active duty, effective immediately.”

  Mikhail smiled past his steepled fingers.

  Aaron felt faint. He blinked at Carter, unsure if he’d heard her righ
t.

  “Jane,” said Mikhail. “I’ve got an idea. I think Lieutenant Pryce would be a good candidate to help establish our ties with the UK office.”

  “Don’t be too hasty, Mikhail,” said Burckhardt. “We still do not understand the full extent of his capabilities. There are tests and evaluations to be done.”

  “Can we not conduct them in London?” asked Carter, flashing a knowing smile at Mikhail. “Lieutenant Pryce has no command experience, but I am sure he would be happy heading up a single patrol group as well as functioning in an advisory capacity.” She offered a sympathetic look. “There are some here who may not be so quick to forgive him for what happened, even though it was not his fault. Better he enjoys some distance until memories blur.”

  Aaron nodded. “Appreciate that, Ma’am. That is more than generous.”

  78

  The Last Domino

  Aurora

  Wind rustled the treetops of the woods surrounding a small cabin in County Gwynedd, Wales. Aurora perched on a submerged rock in a bubbling brook, the water lapping at the underside of her generous breasts. She reclined in the flow, enjoying the crisp caress, laughing as some curious fish nibbled at her toes. To anyone else, the water would—as Anna once said—freeze their bollocks off. Aurora grinned, thinking back to Anna’s declaration the water’s temperature was to the point where if a person didn’t have bollocks to be frozen, it would give them some so it could freeze them off.

  She stretched and took a breath, savoring the scent of wood smoke and forest. After a few more minutes of soaking, she climbed out and padded along the grass to a cut-stone path between an outhouse and the cabin. Birds chirped in the distance and the wind whispered overhead, making it rather difficult for her to imagine the destruction the CSB brought down upon her little sanctuary. Fortunately, the government had agreed to pay for the repairs. She figured it helped that the magistrate who approved her request had been under her possession at the time, and likely still didn’t realize what she’d signed. A few hundred thousand credits tagged as ‘reparations for citizen property damage caused during the course of an illegal raid’ came close enough to the truth to survive scrutiny. No one would notice. Even if they did, it wasn’t like anyone could throw her in jail. The CSB had been trying that since she’d been nine, and walls had never been able to hold her.