“We could assassinate Commander Barnum,” Cassie said simply. “No one to pass judgment on Shaw, then he lives.”
“That’s a bit extreme, if I may say so,” Enoch’s eyes were as wide as my own.
“Even I wasn’t thinking that,” I said with a smile. “Commander Shaw was willing to communicate with us. Maybe she’ll be willing to hear us out. To be honest, I’m tired of fighting all the time.”
“I never thought I’d hear you say that.” Monica leaned back in her bed. “Maybe I hit my heard harder than I thought.”
“You heard me right,” I said. “I thought coming back to Earth to rebuild was going to be less bleeding and more building. So far, I’ve been wrong. I’m not backing down from anything, but our allies are fewer and fewer these days. I already have Aleron out to get us. I’d rather not provoke our neighbors to the south if I can help it.”
“Even if you can talk to this Commander Barnum again, what do we say about Monica?” Cassie asked. “We can’t really tell her that Monica came to warn us about her.”
“Commander Barnum respects me and my father,” Monica said without hesitation. “We’re the ones that created the super seed that will fulfill Phoenix Corp’s primary objective. I can tell her I was surveying the newly planted seeds, that I wanted to go alone without an escort. I can say that I drove off course and that’s when the Reapers gave chase. My radio was shot, so I couldn’t call for help. It’s not that far from the truth.”
“You think she’ll buy it?” Cassie asked with an upturned eyebrow.
“I think she’ll go along with the story if it means having me back and being able to speak with the hero of the Battle of Mars.” Monica looked over at me with a silly grin. “You’re a celebrity now.”
“No,” I said, shaking my head. “I have zero desire to—”
Bapz walked in through the doors to the medical wing at that exact moment.
“Master Hunt—I mean, Daniel,” Bapz said, catching himself. “You’re being requested at the front gate.”
“Grimm Reapers?” I asked, checking the drum of the MK II on my hip.
“Worse,” Bapz answered with a straight face. “Reporters.”
Nine
When I walked out the front doors, I was not prepared to see what waited for me. An army of vehicles ranging from beat-up rusted SUVs to dirt bikes with side cars were parked outside the gates.
Along with the myriad of vehicles were a mob of reporters from the smallest tabloid to the largest televised channel. The sight was almost amusing. These reporters weren’t used to coming to Earth. Hardly anybody did anymore.
The only dropships that made the trip were burdened with either prisoners going to the Hole in New Vegas or scavengers hired by the wealthy on the Moon and Mars to go and bring them back relics from the old world.
Earth was a skeleton no one wanted anything to do with besides a few like Phoenix Corp, who saw the possibility of bringing life back.
These reporters in their finely made suits and dresses had driven here or been driven here from the closest port, New Vegas. I wasn’t sure if they rented, bought vehicles, or hired locals to make the drive, but whatever the case, it was clear they did not belong.
Right now, they clamored at the gate, looking up in awe at Dragon Hold, which still rested on its thruster, not yet buried into the ground.
A pair of Way members stood at the closed gates speaking with them now. I was surprised to realize I knew them both. Sister Monroe and Eli were both members of the Way settlement on Mars that had been overrun by the Voy. I even traded a few blows with Eli when things got tough. He was big man, unsure of himself at the time, but he was one of the good ones.
Cassie whistled under her breath as we approached.
“I’m not sure I want to do this,” I said honestly. “This is the last thing we need. We should be getting Monica back to the Phoenix base and rescuing Commander Shaw.”
“Does something seem off about her?” Cassie asked thoughtfully.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“I mean her story.” Cassie shrugged as if she couldn’t quite put her finger on what she wanted to say. “It’s just too perfect. It fits too well for her being here. I don’t know; does that make sense?”
“It does, but Monica’s a friend,” I answered. “We can trust her. We’ll dive deeper into her story when we have more time.”
I looked over to Bapz, who strode with us. Still in his pristine suit, the robot’s metallic skin shone in the midday sun.
“Bapz, are we sure I have to do this?” I asked.
“It’s better to get this over with or the reporters will camp outside of the gates until you speak with them,” Bapz warned. “I’ve seen it done before on Mars when I served the Cripps family. Reporters are a dedicated and ruthless bunch. Strong-headed and stubborn, I assure you.”
Somewhere deep down, I knew Bapz was right. That didn’t mean I liked it any more.
“When he’s free, Mr. Hunt will come and speak with you, but not until then,” Sister Monroe said to the crowd outside the gates. “We’ve all been through a lot. Please give us time.”
“Is it true that this structure can fly?” a woman wearing way too much makeup asked. A box-like camera hovered over her shoulder, capturing every word.
“Were you there when the aliens attacked?” a man asked, pressing forward through the throng. “Are you a Way settler? I heard that a Way settlement was attacked first during the Voy invasion of Mars.”
“Why is it that no one came forward to the media from your corporation?” another woman shouted to be heard over all of the questions. Her hovering camera clicked a few pictures, sending bright white lights at Sister Monroe and Eli. “Can you confirm that this is the Cripp family estate?”
The closer and closer I walked to the gates, the less and less I really wanted to do this. I thought Butch and her pack were wolves. These people gave the term a whole different meaning.
I stopped short, realizing I didn’t want to do any of this. A few more steps and the reporters standing on the ground just outside the gates would be able to see me.
“You know what? On second thought, I think I have something I left on the stove,” I said, turning back to the manor. “That’s right; I was cooking something. I should go check on it.”
Bapz got in my way.
“Oh really?” Cassie asked with an amused twist of her lips. “What were you cooking?”
“Things,” I said, allowing Bapz to turn me around.
“Better to face the music now and let them leave,” Bapz coached me. “Trust me.”
Like a convict walking to the gallows, I hung my head and trudged forward.
“There he is! There he is!” someone shouted as they caught a glimpse of me at the gates. “Daniel Hunt! The hero from the Battle of Mars!”
The group went wild. So many pictures were snapped, I thought I was going to have permanent retinal scarring from the flashes. Cameras zoomed this way and that in the air to try and get the best angle.
So many questions were asked at once, the words melded into one another.
“You sure you’re up to this?” Eli asked from my right.
“We’ll keep them at bay if you need some time,” Sister Monroe agreed. “You just got back.”
“We’ll take care of this now,” I said to her, shaking my head. “Thank you, though. Both of you.”
Sister Monroe nodded.
“Down, down, you jackals!” Eli boomed. “He can’t answer any of your questions if he can’t hear you. One at a time!”
I found a new respect growing for the man. Prior to this, Eli managed to overcome his fear to fight the Voy but I’d never seen him as a leader.
The play worked not just because Eli was a large, intimidating individual when he wanted to be. His voice carried a distinct power in it.
I looked over to Eli, turning down the corners of my mouth and nodding.
“Not bad,” I whispered to him in the sp
ace of the newfound silence. “I’ll have to promote you to deal with the media from now on.”
“Please don’t,” Eli only half joked.
“You’ve all been to some kind of class where you have to raise your hand to talk, right?” Eli asked, turning back to the crowd. “We’re going to do that here. Be patient and you answers will come.”
Erratic nods returned Eli’s words. Almost every hand was already in the air, eagerly waiting to be called on. There had to be two, maybe three dozen reporters present all with their cube shaped hovering cameras clicking away and no doubt recording the interaction.
“You.” Eli pointed with a knife hand to a young woman near the front. “Go ahead.”
“Stacy Holt with Mars News Daily,” the woman introduced herself. “Were you in fact at the Battle of Mars and led the coalition of corporation and Galactic Government against an alien invasion?”
“I didn’t lead them alone,” I answered. “It was a joint effort.”
“Your name keeps coming up in this story,” Stacy pressed. “What role or position did you play in the battle?”
“I fought the Voy and helped coordinate that effort,” I answered. “I’m not sure what else you want from me. I’m not a part of the Galactic Government nor do I hold any rank.”
“You with the scarf.” Eli pointed to a man wearing a bright yellow scarf around his neck. He sprayed some kind of sun protection or bug spray on his face that had not ben rubbed in. White splotches covered his exposed skin.
“There are so many questions,” the man said in a huff. “Is this the Cripp family estate that was on Mars? How did you come by it? Why are you here on this dead planet?”
“Yes, it was given to me and the business is my own,” I answered.
I had thought about going into detail about what we were doing here on Earth, but who knows how the media would spin it or if that would help or hinder our mission here.
More clamoring broke out as question after question came with Eli doling out the order. It felt like I was there for hours. In all reality, it was probably thirty minutes, but I was reminded how time could stretch when you were doing something you didn’t want to.
More and more questions came about the Voy, what my corporation was now, and my past. I dodged what I could and answered what I had to.
Sister Monroe was the one that finally called an end to all the questions.
“That’s it for now,” Sister Monroe shouted, doing her best to sound polite while being firm. “You can contact us for future interviews. In the meantime, I wouldn’t recommend that you stay here. New Vegas is the only real city for hours around. There are mutated animals and roving gangs, so be careful on your way back.”
With that, Sister Monroe nodded to me and I was allowed to leave the front gates. Bapz and Cassie joined me now that I was finished.
I could hear the cacophony of questions go off again. Thank the Lord of the Way for Sister Monroe and Eli.
“See, that wasn’t so bad.” Bapz patted me on the shoulder. “Give them something to report on now. We’ll schedule another press conference in the future, maybe some one-on-one interviews, and sooner or later, they’ll lose interest and move on to the next story. They always do.”
“So between things like assassinating Commander Barnum and bringing life back to Earth, we can juggle one-on-one interviews with the media,” Cassie said, also patting my back. “I’m kidding. I won’t assassinate Commander Barnum—maybe.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle. I knew Cassie was trying to lighten the mood. It was working.
My stomach grumbled, reminding me that I had missed the noon-day meal. A headache was also coming on. I needed food and fast.
“I’ll have some food sent to your room if you’d like to shower and change,” Bapz suggested. “I know there is a long list of what needs to be done next going through your mind.”
“I’d be lost without you, Bapz,” I said, not for the first time finding myself grateful for his friendship. “We have an ancient commander to deal with next.”
Ten
After a shower and much needed food, it was agreed upon that Monica should make the call to Commander Barnum with me present. Bapz showed us to a room on the ground floor filled with books. Each wall contained hundreds of volumes stacked side by side in cases that started on the ground and reached the ceiling.
In the middle of the room was a desk with a holographic screen that popped up from the smooth surface. Monica took a seat, as did I. We were alone for the first time since we rescued her from the Grimm Reapers.
Monica looked better, maybe a little tired. We each took a seat in front of the screen as Monica made the call.
“I’m sorry to put all of this on you, but I didn’t know who else to go to,” she said, pausing as she entered the numbers for the line but didn’t press the send instruction. “You’ve already done so much for me and my father.”
“You’re a friend and so is Commander Shaw,” I answered. “I understand.”
“I don’t think you do, Daniel.” Monica bit her lower lip, shaking her head. “I’m so sorry.”
“What are you—”
I saw the weapon in her hand at the same time she pulled the trigger. There was no time to react, even for my enhanced reflexes. There was no noise when the small black weapon went off. A small metallic dart with four prongs lodged in my stomach.
I rose from the chair, more pissed than anything else.
“Why?” I asked, feeling the effect of whatever she shot me with start to spread in my body. A cold numbing sensation over took my stomach and torso.
I lunged for her, but my movements were slow and clumsy. She had more than enough time to rise from her own chair and back away. She shot me two more times in the chest.
“It has to be this way and I hope one day you’ll understand,” Monica said, swallowing hard. “Don’t worry; the sedative I’m giving you is a tranquilizer. I’m sure you’ll be up in the next few minutes. Your body will burn through the sedative quickly.”
My tongue felt like lead in my mouth. I reached for her again in slow motion. She was too far away for the act to pose any real threat to her.
I tried calling out for help, but my voice wasn’t working.
Monica shot me three more times in my neck, arm, and left leg. She was a lousy shot.
I sank to my knees then hit the floor, head first.
There were no dreams or nightmares that came with the tranquilizer, just blissful darkness, at least I thought so.
“Man, you are a sucker for a girl with a sob story,” the voice reached me in blackness.
I recognized the voice, although I couldn’t place it just yet.
“I thought I was going to get away with no crazy dreams this time,” I said to the black room.
“And I thought you were going to prepare for other alien visitors once the Voy were defeated,” the female voice answered. “But there are other plans set in place for us.”
A light went on no more than a few meters away. A tall woman dressed in white, the same one who warned me about the Voy, stood staring at me. She looked human enough, but I knew better.
“I thought you weren’t going to visit me anymore,” I answered. “Your order or people don’t want you to interfere or offer any more help.”
“That was then.” The woman smiled. Wrinkles touched the corners of her eyes. “You have defeated the Voy and now I’m able to visit you once more.”
“I really wish you wouldn’t.” I lifted both arms, palms toward her. “I appreciate all your help, but you don’t exactly come with good news. Even right now, I’m guessing you’re about to drop a bomb on me.”
“No offense taken.” The woman chuckled good naturally. “I understand. I do not envy you in this life, Daniel Hunt. Your burden is great.”
A rogue idea struck me. I wasn’t sure if this woman could tell the future, but she had some kind of insight to be able to warn me of the Voy and whatever it was she was here for n
ow.
“Nemesis,” I asked. “X; is she really what he says she is?”
I blurted out the question, expecting the woman to know what I was talking about.
The woman remained quiet. Any sign of merriment in her eyes vanished so completely, I had to wonder if it had ever really been there in the first place.
“I cannot see the future, neither would I if it were made available to me,” Alerna said with a shake of her head. “I do know that you are where you are supposed to be. You should spend more time consolidating your resources and building an army. I told you once before that the Voy invasion has brought many species looking at your Galaxy. Some will come seeking a new home; others, like the Voy, seeking resources.”
“I thought defeating the Voy would have sent a message to the universe not to mess with us,” I answered. “What about that?”
“Oh, you did.” The woman looked at me with respect in her eyes. “I am proud of the man you are turning into, Daniel Hunt. With the defeat of the Voy, you gave anyone else pause when it comes to an outright invasion of your species.”
I caught everything she wasn’t saying with how her words hung in the air when she said “outright invasion.”
“You think aliens would come and try to sneak into our planets like the moon, Earth, Mars,” I said out loud as I worked through the idea. “Not a full-out attack but a cold war?”
“They are already here,” the stranger said. “They already live among you.”
“Where?” I asked, sensing a close to the conversation when I still had so many questions to ask. “No, don’t you dare do this again. Don’t come into my life dropping twenty questions and only giving me ten answers.”
“It is my time to go,” the stranger said with something like pride in her eyes. “You should know we are very pleased with you.”
“Well, that makes one of us.” I crossed my hands over my chest, feeling helpless in the moment. “One of these days, you need to come here and get your hands dirty for once.”
“If that day ever comes, it will be dire indeed.”
“Let’s just call that day today.”
Nemesis: A Near Future Thriller (Forsaken Mercenary Book 6) Page 6