Soul Raging

by Ronie Kendig

  As he came to a knee, Leif silently thanked Saito for distracting the Gen2s with a few well-placed shots and took aim at the nearest super soldier.

  A piercing, violent scream roared through the facility, debilitating him. Shoving him back to the deck and making him curl in on himself. Warmth slid from his ears and nose, plopped onto the ground in an eerie way amid the claxon.

  Disoriented, he wasn’t sure if the noise was in his head or if Iskra and the others could hear it, too. He wiped away the blood, and his veins swelled, pulsing hard and threatening to rupture. It felt like something was trying to get out of his head. Somewhere in the din, he heard hollow noises—shots. But his vibrating skull refused to release its agonizing grip.

  The noise stopped.

  Head still throbbing, Leif struggled for his bearings. Peered past tears marring his vision, through that door to the fleeing suits. Someone was aiming a device at him as he fled. The resonance weapon.

  Enraged, Leif shot him. Saw the man stumble around, stagger over a hatch, and collapse.

  Exhausted, Leif sagged for a moment, tried to shake off the thunder that now replaced the scream, then pushed up. But couldn’t.

  An arm hooked his, and he accepted the assist. Stood—and found Iskra at his side. Taissia propped on her hip. Instinct hooked his arm around her shoulders. He saw Saito in a fight with two super soldiers and rotated his girls to the side and fired, nailing a Gen2 in the back of the head. The other one shifted, startled by his buddy’s death. That small break was enough for Saito to take control. Neutralize the enemy.

  On the other side of the room, Andreas was a lethal machine, targeting the remnant suits who had bottlenecked at the hatch. Who was he really working for?

  “We have to stop them.” Leif’s words sounded hollow, garbled—the resonance weapon and Braun’s shot had damaged his hearing.

  The body on the floor shifted.

  Braun hadn’t succeeded in killing herself. She rolled onto her back, weary red-rimmed eyes meeting his. He winced—the shot had sheared off part of her chin and cheek, as well as a chunk of her ear. But it seemed the bullet hadn’t penetrated her skull. Her groan warbled through his aching ear.

  Sad, Leif crouched beside her. “Alene—”

  “Do it.” She touched his weapon. “Kill me,” she pleaded. “Please, kill me. You have to. I don’t deserve to live.”

  Part of him wanted to grant her wish—she had betrayed him, Dru—all of them, the entire world. She was the reason he hadn’t gotten answers. But . . . she’d tried to kill herself instead of him. That said something, didn’t it?

  Boom, boom, boom!

  Leif jerked up straight, listening, feeling. “What was that?” It sounded a lot like a structural breach.

  “Runt,” Canyon commed, “you have a problem.”

  “What’s new?”

  “About a million problems,” Cell chimed in. “A million gallons, that is. One of the charges the contingency operators set accidentally detonated.”

  Leif almost cursed. “Move! That was a detonation!” He imagined water gushing into the hole the charge had created and frantically motioned Iskra and Taissia to the same hatch ArC had exited. “Go go go!”

  Saito and Andreas followed her into the main passage system with hatches banking off every thirty meters. The nearest to the left—Veratti was ducking through it.

  “Stop, or I—” Vibration wormed through Leif’s boots and up into his knees as he hurried toward the opening.

  “Wait,” Andreas shouted. “Hear that?”

  A roaring thunder came from the same route Veratti and his minions had taken. Suddenly, Veratti threw himself back through the hatch—right into their path.

  Andreas swung out a hand to stop Leif and Iskra.

  Leif felt the threat, too. Watched as one of the suits and a hobbling Bogdashka scrambled out of the same tunnel. With Veratti, they fought to close the hatch door. Screams turned to shouts—the other suits trying to get out as well. The trio pushed hard—the strength of the ocean struggling against them. It finally closed with a hard thunk. Face white, the suit spun the hatch’s handle, locking it.

  They stepped back, shin-deep in sea water. Veratti looked at Leif and his team, stricken. Stunned. Yet more focused than ever to live. To beat this. He threw himself to the right. The suit did the same.

  “Stop!” Leif yelled. He fired—as did Andreas, coming up alongside him. The suit pitched forward into the foot of water, Andreas’s bullet in his back.

  Crack! Groaaaan!

  Veratti trudged on, glancing up to find the source of the groan. A large steel pipe leapt from the ceiling like a swing arm and slammed him backward. Pinned him against the hull. His feral scream echoed in the tunnel.

  Leif hesitated, then trudged toward the ArC mastermind.

  The woman behind Netherwood fought in vain against the rapidly rising water. She might have had a chance if her knee hadn’t been shattered.

  “Bogdashka,” Iskra yelled, clearly worried the woman was getting away. With the rushing water and the distance, she had little chance of throwing her knife effectively, especially with Taissia in her arms.

  Andreas marched forward, seemingly unhindered by the rapids. With a cheek weld, he sighted down the darkening tunnel. Fired.

  Screams mingling with Veratti’s, Bogdashka sloshed into the murky water and didn’t rise.

  “The other hatch is flooded.” Iskra eased back from the window in the closed hatch where the suits had been trapped by Veratti. Her expression was wan, telling him the ArC members were dead.

  Leif battled the ever-increasing rage of swelling water—it was waist-high now—to reach the fallen pipe. He peered over its gray-painted hull.

  Veratti, legs and hips pinned, gripped a rung attached to the pipe to keep his face out of the water. Frantic eyes found his. “Help me!”

  “Let’s go!” Andreas barked. “He’s not worth it. Leave him.”

  A venomous howl filled the air around them.

  Startled, Leif looked around. Started toward Iskra.

  “You can’t leave me!” Veratti shouted, his tone panicked yet angry.

  Conscience pricked Leif. Iskra and Taissia were what was important. Braun. She had helped them in the end.

  Part of him wanted to turn his back on Veratti. Walk out. Let him drown. It’d serve him right after all the lives he’d snuffed out, the good soldiers and sailors and Marines from around the world whose lives he’d ruined in the Netherwood project. The countries he’d altered or destroyed. Botswana. Angola. Ghana.

  But . . . maybe this was why Leif had been in the Book of the Wars. In the painting. Not to dictate what happened, but to show that Leif was key. He could alter it. Change it.

  Because he wasn’t the man who left men to drown. Who showed no compassion. He wasn’t a coldblooded killer. Even when they tampered with his brain and activated the implant in Taipei, he’d fought not to be that man.

  No way would Veratti win this one, succeed in turning him into a monster.

  “Saito, get Braun and get them out!” Leif started toward the pipe.

  “Leif, no!” Iskra screamed as Saito and Andreas dragged her back through the hatch.

  “Go.” He met her gaze. “Get Taissia out. Before it’s too late!”

  Her screams pierced his willpower, and his comms piece erupted in shouts and orders to get out of the facility. To leave before it was too late. It was a painful cacophony against his still-aching ears.

  Shouldering past all that, Leif crouched and gripped the pipe.

  “Thank you!” Veratti had water and tears on his face. “I always knew you were—”

  “Shut up and push,” Leif bit out as he heaved. Nothing. Not an inch. The pipe was heavier than expected. The water wasn’t helping, rushing in through the opening and fighting him.

  “Leif!” Andreas barked. “Water’s too high. We have to close the hatch.”

  Straining, Leif tried again. This time he felt it shift marginally.
And it couldn’t have been the force of the water.

  He thought through his mental map. The water was coming from the direction of the first passages they’d used after entering the underground system. He was a SEAL. One with a longer-than-average ability to hold his breath and focus, thanks to the Neiothen enhancements.

  He looked at the others. “Go! I’ll meet you at the cave.” He bent and hugged the pipe, trying to pull it free.

  “No!” Iskra shouted.

  Andreas glowered. “He’s not worth your life.”

  Pretty much know that. “Get Iskra and Taissia to the cave!”

  Common sense said to let Veratti drown, not save him. And wasn’t that the point of salvation? The value placed on life, regardless of a subjective definition of worth?

  When he heard and felt the thud of the hatch slamming shut, Leif’s heart hiccupped. Guess I’m committed now.

  “I’m not a good swimmer,” Veratti said, shivering, head tilted back as the water riffled his hair.

  “You don’t have to be.” With the water having nowhere to escape, the passage was filling fast. Leif tried again. Broke loose a stray piece of rebar from the damaged cabling and used it as a wedge.

  Veratti let out a strangled cry as water covered his face.

  Crap. Though Leif tried again, it was a no-go. Water to his shoulders, he took several quick, deep breaths to expand his lungs, then slipped under. With the added buoyancy of the rising water, he managed to shift the pipe. As he did, Veratti jolted and let out a silent scream. Sucked in water.

  A red cloud plumed around him.

  Leif wanted to curse when he saw that a supporting brace had speared Veratti’s side. The ArC leader went limp.

  Frustrated, Leif banged the pipe. Toed off and catapulted down the passage. He pinned his arms to his side and waved his legs, swimming hard.

  A body rolled toward him—Bogdashka, eyes vacant, unseeing. But then, hadn’t she always been, if she couldn’t see the harm she’d done to so many young women?

  He nudged her aside and continued on until he came to the juncture and vaulted to the left. Lungs burning, he focused on getting to the other side. As he rounded the last corner, he found the hatch closed. He sped toward it and tried to crank the handle, but it wouldn’t budge. Again he tried, but a bubble of air slipped from him. His pulse thumped against his temple, reminding him he needed oxygen.

  He banged hard on the hatch, then worked on destroying the lock mechanism, hoping it would disengage. No way he had enough time to double back. There were no options. There was little chance he’d be heard, but he prayed the others had made it this far. That they’d hear the warbling sound.

  Though the glass cracked, nothing changed on the hatch. Once more, he tried the wheel.

  No go.

  He swam back the dozen feet to the juncture. But it was just more of the same. Something told him to return to the hatch, so he did. He banged again, telling himself not to panic over the building boulder-like pressure in his chest. At least Iskra got out. Saved Taissia. They’d have a good life. Reaper would watch out for them.

  And wasn’t that the beauty of friendship? You couldn’t have betrayal without a sense of trust, without a bond that went beyond the surface.

  A grunt freed itself, releasing air bubbles. Leif tried not to stress. Felt his ability to hold his breath slipping. That first breath would drown him. He kicked and jerked on the handle, refusing to let go. Refusing to lose. To let Veratti get another one over on him.

  Even as the grim possibility rose that he’d drown, that he’d fulfill the depiction of a flayed friend on a battlefield of betrayal from a book written thousands of years ago, Leif knew he’d done his best with what he had. He was okay with it. He’d found the answers. Found the truth. Found Iskra.

  He took a breath.

  Water slipped in. He trapped it in his mouth but knew he couldn’t hold it any longer. He couldn’t—

  He choked a breath.

  Water flooded him. Filled his throat. His lungs. He thrashed. Felt it drown his lungs. He groped for air, tried to find some. But instead he found more water, burning water. His vision ghosted, and he stopped fighting it. Trusted whatever God wanted to do. Even if it meant him dying.

  Like a cannon, he felt himself falling . . . forward. Toward light.

  I’m dying.

  He fell hard. So not Heav—

  His shoulder hit hard. He coughed and gagged. Cold, hard steel pressed against his palms. Blinked as something rushed at him and the warmth and beauty that was Iskra and Taissia enfolded him.

  Oh, thank you, God!

  Saito and Andreas hauled him up. He swiped a hand over his face and hated the burn that radiated through his throat and chest.

  “Veratti?” Andreas asked, helping him down the passage. Braun trailed their group.

  Leif shook his head as they slipped through a door he and Iskra had come through earlier. How had it not flooded? It was a tight, narrow passage, and all he could think about was how quickly it’d fill with water if breached.

  They made it to a small room lined with lockers. “Grab gear and suit up,” Andreas said.

  “Taissia doesn’t know how to dive!” Iskra said as they started removing dive suits from storage.

  “Put a tank and mask on her.” Leif shouldered into a tank, eyeing Andreas, who was gearing up as well. “Strap her to me.” He caught Iskra’s arm and eased in, whispering, “You trust him?”

  Warily, she set Taissia on a bench as she lifted a tank and mask. “I think he does not want to die as much as we do not.” She went to work securing the mask on Taissia, who was fighting her.

  “We have to sedate her,” Andreas said, handing Iskra a vial injector. “Two CCs.”

  Iskra punched to her feet, and they were both rattling in Bulgarian like a rapid-fire combat engagement. Finally, she shoved her hair from her face and knelt, said something to her daughter in Russian, then touched the needle to Taissia’s leg and gave her the shot. She helped a crying Taissia lie down, then put her tank on.

  “What was that?” Leif asked her.

  Her eyes warily came to his. “I warned that if she died, he would, too.”

  That’s my girl. Suited up, Leif checked Braun’s equipment. Two minutes later, after more gear checks, they headed to another door, where they found the large, dark pool.

  “See where the water is slightly lighter?” Andreas pointed to a spot in the distance. “That is the edge of the cave wall with sunlight on the other side. To reach it, we must go down and under a ledge. From there, rise. Follow me.”

  Leif took Taissia into his arms and tied her to his chest, so he could monitor her oxygen as they went.

  I will rise.

  I will rise.

  I will rise.

  It had a different meaning now. For Leif—he would rise. Iskra—she would rise. And Taissia—she would rise.

  They slipped into the water and moved from the darkness into the light.

  Epilogue

  ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY, VIRGINIA

  Each crack of the twenty-one-gun salute felt like a smack in the face as Leif stood stiff in his dress uniform, hands at his sides. He let his gaze stray to the chairs where Dru’s parents were seated, flanked by Mercy on one side and Iskra on the other, Taissia on her lap.

  It should be me in that box.

  That thought, though borne of grief and love for a friend, disrespected what Dru Iliescu had sacrificed for Leif. For Reaper.

  As the minister spoke of grief and a life lived well, Leif took in the team that had changed so much. Altered by losing members and nearly losing Peyton, who was now sandwiched between Iskra and Adam. She wore a thick scarf to ward off the cold, but also to conceal the scarring from the sniper bullet that had chewed up her chest and neck. Culver and Saito stood at his side as pallbearers, their expressions tight.

  Cell stood on the other side, also serving as a pallbearer, his demeanor haunted. Seated among the hundreds gathered, Alisz Vogt
had applied for asylum because other countries sought her for what she’d done on behalf of ArC. Veratti and Bogdashka were still in their watery grave with their creations. It would take months to excavate the collapsed facility. Nobody had seen Andreas since they’d reached topside, and somehow Iskra was at peace with that. Leif understood wanting to slip off the radar.

  Marines went through the sharp, precise ritual of folding the flag, then turning it over to Admiral Manche, who presented it to Dru’s elderly parents with thanks on behalf of a grateful nation.

  As the bugler began “Taps,” Leif let his gaze rest once more on the flag-draped coffin. Moments later, the family departed and the guests walked by, offering Dru one final farewell. When it was his turn, Leif pounded his SEAL trident into the oak, then laid a palm over it. “I will never forget what you did . . . and why you did it.” His throat felt raw. “But we got them. Because of you. Thank you, Dru.”

  * * *

  SIX MONTHS LATER

  VOIDOKILIA BEACH, PELOPONNESE, GREECE

  “In the shark-infested waters of the Caribbean, two prawns called Justin and Christian are discussing the pressures—”

  “H-two-oh no!” Cell let out a loud groan. “Too soon, man. Too soon!”

  “I don’t know,” Baddar said with a grin. “It is nice that he tells jokes again.”

  “No. No, it’s not. His jokes are lame.” Cell stood and took Alisz’s hand. “We’re heading out to do some sightseeing. See you losers later.”

  Leif laughed and gave Cell a salute, then stared down the beach.

  It had to be Greece. The country where they’d officially met—granted, in an armed standoff, both ready to kill the other. But for that vacation Iskra had promised Taissia, Leif insisted they return to Greece. It also wasn’t too far from Istanbul, where he’d encouraged her to flee into the night with him.

  Peyton and Adam were in the water, and this was the first time Leif had seen her without her arm in a sling. She’d never given the ring back, forcing Adam to add a wedding band and make it official. Not that anyone had to twist the big guy’s arm.