Force: Book Two of the Zoya Chronicles

by Kate Sander

  It was the same as every night. She dreamed terrible things.

  9

  Carter

  October 23, 2023, 12:03

  Location: Toronto, Canada.

  Carter was bundled up. It was chilly for October. He was taking a much needed break from the server problem that had him working overtime at the ZTF headquarters. It wasn’t going very fast and there was an algorithm that he couldn’t break for the server’s password manufacture. Senka was due back that afternoon and Carter really needed a breakthrough. He realized that sometimes you needed to take a step back to take a step forward, so he was headed to meet an old friend at a pub for lunch.

  He stepped inside and relished the warmth. He looked around him and saw his old buddy, Chris Hayes, sitting at a booth. Carter took his jacket off and walked up to the table.

  “Hey, Chris.”

  “Hey! Carter,” Chris stood and shook his hand. His hands were as big as Carter’s were. Carter took a good long look at him and could tell that this lunch would be for business.

  They sat across from each other, sizing each other up. The waiter came and Carter ordered a water and a burger. Chris stuck with his beer and some French fries.

  Carter hadn’t called for this meeting so he was waiting for Chris to speak first. When he didn’t and looked around himself nervously, Carter decided to take initiative.

  “I was surprised to hear from you,” Carter said. “It’s been almost sixteen years. How have you been?”

  Chris looked a bit surprised that Carter was talking. He was most definitely distracted. “Good. I’ve been good. Moved to Canada with family more than ten years ago. Sorry I’ve never been in touch.”

  “Not a problem. Just nice to hear from you,” he paused for a minute. “Chris, you seem distracted. Is everything alright?”

  “You always were good at reading people,” Chris said. They waited as the waiter set their food down.

  Chris sighed, “I heard you were a cop.”

  “Something like that,” Carter said. “I work for the Canadian Military in a role much like a cop,” Carter always kept his lies as close to the truth as he could. Easier to remember that way.

  “You have any kids?” Chris asked. The sudden change in topic caught Carter off guard.

  “No,” he said, “me and an old girlfriend were talking about it once. Never got the chance.” Carter’s honesty shocked himself. He usually didn’t talk about Melanie like that. Chris’ behavior had put him on edge.

  “I have a son,” Chris’ eyes welled up. “He’s missing Carter. We can’t find him.”

  The sentence hung in the air.

  “Why did you come to me with this? Go to the cops.”

  “I have. They aren’t doing enough.”

  Carter sighed, “How long has he been missing?”

  “Five days,” Chris answered.

  “Listen, Chris. I know this must be excruciating, having a child go missing. But five days hasn’t even given the police enough time to investigate properly.”

  “No!” Chris said fervently. “I need to do something. I need to do more. There’s been no sign of him. He vanished without a trace.”

  “Tell me what happened.”

  “We fought,” Chris said, tearing up, “he ran off. I can’t even remember what we fought about. It seems so stupid now. He went to a friend’s house down the street. His friend was grounded too and his mother told him to go home.”

  “Is that the last time he was seen?” Carter asked.

  “No, he hopped on the train to downtown Toronto. He tried to get a hotel there. I guess he didn’t have his wallet, the cops talked to the guy who was working the front desk. He left the hotel. That’s the last time anyone saw him.”

  “Chris, if they’ve gotten that far already that’s not bad. At least they are looking for him.”

  Chris dug around in his pocket and took out a family photo. It showed him, his wife and their son, all hugging in the grass. The boy was about fifteen years old. Carter was drawn to his eyes. They were brown with copper flecks running throughout. Carter sat back, shocked. He knew those eyes. He looked at Chris, surprised.

  Chris misread Carter’s surprise, “Shelly was already pregnant when we met. Like only six weeks along. She wouldn’t tell me who the father was. I never cared. He’s mine, Carter. I raised him. I was in the birthing room. I don’t care that he looks different than us. That’s my son.”

  Carter nodded. He couldn’t say anything. He was choked up. He looked at the kid’s eyes. He couldn’t look away.

  “What’s his name?” Carter asked, finally finding his voice.

  “Isaac. Isaac Hayes. He’s fifteen. He just had his birthday,” Chris started tearing up again. “Find him. Find my son.”

  Carter looked at the boy’s eyes for a long time.

  “I’ll try.”

  10

  Senka

  October 23, 2023, 03:02

  Location: Toronto, Canada.

  Senka’s eyes fired open, fully awake. She always woke like this. It was a mix of ZTF training and Master Appollyon. She waited a moment, eyes adjusting to the dark, and tried to figure out what had awoken her at this hour. She figured it was around 03:00 AM and was confused why she could hear Carter on the stairs approaching the loft. He should be in bed by now.

  She rolled over and saw the lump next to her and sighed.

  “Get up,” she said gruffly, slapping the man on the shoulder. He was naked and tangled in her sheets. She sat up and got out of bed and found a tank top and sweats on the ground. The lump of a man still hadn’t moved.

  Senka gathered his jeans and collared shirt, pulled off in a hurry when they got home from the bar last night. Not the only thing that was fast, Senka thought to herself gloomily. She made her way to the wall and flicked on the light. The lump in her bed finally groaned and covered his head with his arm. Leo was curled up on the floor. The dog groaned and flipped on his back, paws waving lazily in the air. Lazy shit, Senka thought.

  “Get up!” Senka said louder, throwing the man’s clothes at him. He was pretty, blond hair with a well-kept and gym-honed body. She remembered through the drunken haze that he was a doctor or something. The perfect specimen for anyone but her. The clothes hit him in his face and she saw that the alcohol was starting to wear off of him too. The lump, or Surfer Doc as she dubbed him, looked at her hurt and confused.

  “Don’t give me that shit,” she snapped. “I told you to get your ass out after we were done. You’re the one who decided to make yourself comfortable.”

  Surfer Doc didn’t say anything, he clutched his clothes to his chest and stared.

  “Five minutes and you’re out of my house.”

  Senka pulled the door open and left her room, the man wide-eyed and confused behind her, her lazy dog asleep on the floor. Being no help, she thought as she walked through the kitchen and grabbed her half empty bottle of Jack Daniels off the dirty counter, flipping on the lights in the loft on her way. She realized it was her turn to do the dishes and frowned. She grabbed the last clean shot glass from the cupboard and was sitting at the kitchen table by the door by the time Carter walked in.

  “You’re home late,” Senka said, filling the shot glass with a clink and drinking the burning liquor. It did its job, chasing the dregs of the copious amounts of alcohol of the evening before and focusing her. She looked at her watch, Surfer Doc had three minutes before shit started to hit the fan.

  Carter sighed, “You’re home early.”

  “Went as well with my family as you’d expect. And I was always supposed to come back this afternoon. You’re never home late,” Senka said and poured herself another shot. When Carter turned from her to put his keys and wallet down on the table by the door she knew there was trouble. Carter had never turned away from her before.

  “I was out,” he offered, a short reply.

  “You haven’t been out in damn near a year.”

  Surfer Doc had a minute and Senka couldn�
�t hear him moving in her room.

  “Over a year, actually,” Carter said, “and what? Your newest conquest won’t leave?”

  “Nope,” she said, “can’t remember what I told him I did for a living, but I’m almost entirely sure that it wasn’t the truth.”

  “You’re not that dumb, even when you drink.”

  Senka flashed him a smile, healing wound glinting in the light. It was almost the exact injury she had suffered in the dungeons of Solias, but with modern medicine it was healing already. She had also noticed that it matched Leo’s white fur running down his face.

  “Car salesman?” Carter offered, pulling up a chair.

  “I don’t think so,” Senka said shrugging, pouring another shot, “used that one on the guy a couple nights ago. Oh and here we are, only thirty-five seconds late.”

  The door to her room opened and a sleepy Surfer Doc shuffled his way through rubbing his eyes.

  “Hey,” Surfer Doc said as he made his way to the kitchen. Carter passed him his wallet that he grabbed off the side table by the door. He glanced at Carter and looked troubled by his presence.

  “Roommate,” Carter offered.

  Surfer Doc nodded and looked at Senka, blue eyes glinting under his flowing blond hair, “I had a really great time last night. I was hoping to take you to dinner or something. I left my card on the nightstand. Call me, my conference runs all week.” He waited awkwardly, and when Senka didn’t offer him any reply, turned to the door.

  Carter gave Senka a pointed stare. She rolled her eyes.

  “Wait,” she said. Surfer Doc turned with a half-smile on his face, looking at her expectantly. “You have enough money for a cab?”

  His face fell and he nodded. “Call me,” he said and slipped out the door.

  Senka shook her head and poured herself another shot.

  “You could be nicer to them,” Carter offered, watching her throw back the shot.

  “I told him last night that it was a one night thing, no strings. Not my fault men don’t listen.”

  Carter left it.

  “So,” Senka said, looking at him pointedly, “you gonna tell me what’s going on or are you gonna make me guess? ‘Cause I don’t like to guess.”

  Carter sighed and rubbed his face. He felt old, older than his thirty-six years. He was so tired.

  “A friend of mine texted me today, asked me to go for lunch. I haven’t heard from him in years so I agreed.” Carter paused, collecting his thoughts. Senka let him. She knew not to push him and she had plenty of whiskey left.

  “We used to play football together at MIT, back in the day. Better university than football team, but we had fun. He was on the defense with me. Anyways, we were close. He moved up here a few years back. I didn’t know he was in town, let alone in Canada. I’m off topic. I’m rambling.”

  Senka sat and stared, fiddling with the glass in front of her. She had gone years without a voice and she appreciated having one. She knew when to use it. Now was not the time. She took another shot of burning liquor. It would take a lot more to get her near drunk.

  “Well, back in the day I was quite the wild man. Had one night stands with any girl who would let me. My buddy, Chris, was more the stay at home fatherly type, even when we were twenty.” Carter looked around. He looked lost. Senka was disconcerted. This was going to be a big deal. Emotional trials weren’t her forte.

  “Chris settled with a woman and quit the team around the same time. He said it was so he could focus and he cut himself off from the party life which included me. I just assumed it was his woman taking control, and I was pretty jealous. Always wanted to have a woman care about me that much.” It was distant. Senka didn’t need to say you did. They both knew it.

  “Chris had a son shortly after, raised him as his own.” Carter pulled a photograph out of his inner pocket and slid it across the table towards her.

  Senka looked. She saw a smiling man and a pretty woman, around thirty-five, arms draped around her son. He looked to be around fifteen, laughing and smiling at the person holding the camera. He was clutching her arm around him, bright gold flecked brown eyes crinkled at the sides.

  Senka looked up at Carter, shocked. She recognized the eyes in the man sitting across from her.

  “Chris said he didn’t know who the sperm donor was. She was already pregnant when they met and he raised the kid like his own. I didn’t tell him.”

  “Did you know?” Senka asked. She stared at the broken man in front of her. Her Carter was a good man, but everyone had a past. She hoped he didn’t know.

  “I didn’t. I was partying and having fun. She never told me, she never approached me. I don’t know why.” Tears formed in his eyes.

  “You didn’t know. She didn’t tell you. You’re not a bad guy, Carter.”

  He shook his head, “It’s not that. I always wanted kids. We wanted kids so bad.”

  Senka heard the slip. This was going to be bad. She knew it in her heart. It was the same feeling she got the day Tom died.

  “Anyway. Chris didn’t see the resemblance. He was more just reaching out to a buddy. He thinks I’m a police officer and was coming to me as a last ditch effort. The boy’s name is Isaac and he’s missing.”

  Senka nodded, somewhat relieved. This was a mission. This was good for both of them. Gave them a focus. She felt guilty for her relief but she would get over that.

  “How long?” Senka asked, returning the picture to Carter.

  “Five days. No one has seen him. Chris said they had a fight and Isaac stormed off. He’s fifteen so he left it, thinking the kid went to a friend’s. When Isaac didn’t show up for breakfast he was worried. No leads.”

  Senka could tell by the tone of Carter’s voice that the mission wouldn’t be enough. This was going to be bad.

  “We’ll find him. Five day’s isn’t a huge head start,” she said, rising. She reached for the bottle.

  “Leave it,” Carter’s voice was gruff with fatigue. Senka looked at him for a long time. She finally nodded and started back to her room.

  “Sen?” Carter said behind her, barely audible.

  She knew it was coming. The question. The one that hadn’t been asked.

  “Why did you get to come back? Why didn’t she?”

  Senka didn’t turn. “She was dead. She didn’t have the chance. We went to the funeral together. It was right before Tom’s funeral. Tom was there with us.” Not the question, but one so close. New

  grief so often dredged up old grief. One of the worst parts of remembering the past. She almost missed only having three years of memories to live with. She started for her door again.

  “Do you ever stop seeing them?”

  She didn’t turn. She waited.

  “Sen, when you’ve killed someone, do you ever stop seeing their eyes? All I see is her eyes.”

  “No.” She replied. “You’ll see Mel’s eyes forever, Carter.”

  She heard the sob and escaped to her room. She lay down and heard the sounds from the kitchen. The one-year Alcohol Anonymous coin heavily hit the table. The unmistakable sound of the glass neck of a bottle of Jack hitting the side of a shot glass.

  Leo jumped on to the bed with her and snuggled in. She sighed and closed her eyes burying a hand in his fur. This is going to be bad, she thought and drifted into an uneasy, nightmare-fueled sleep.

  11

  Dr. Charlie Penner

  October 24, 2023, 18:30

  Location: Dorfen, Germany.

  Charlie had a plan.

  She had been locked in the living quarters, her key card only allowing access to her room, the gym and the mess hall. They had blocked her key card from accessing all other areas of the compound, including her lab. No one had spoken to her in five days, even at meal times. She ate alone. She was a ghost in the compound.

  That was all fine by her. She didn’t want to speak to anyone anyway and usually didn’t. She was busy watching people, something that she didn’t generally do. She’d been w
rapped up in her research for over a year. Time to change that. They had given her a challenge, one she had been reluctant to accept but accept she had. Now that she had completed the challenge and taken a step back, she realized she had made a terrible mistake. She needed to eliminate her research, every single shred.

  She knew that she had to act soon, or she wouldn’t be able to act at all.

  She was at supper, sitting alone in the corner, like she always did. The research team came in at the end of the day, Luc leading the way. The woman who was the lab assistant followed behind. Alejandra brought up the rear, heels clicking away on the tiles. They didn’t even look at her. She was forgotten.

  They walked up to the line-up for food. There were a few security guards there as well as others from the compound. Charlie didn’t talk to anyone, she never did. Hers was a lonely existence. She had been so absorbed in her research that she hadn’t noticed.

  Charlie waited and watched. Luc got to the front of the line. She knew that he kept his key card clipped to the front of his pants. She needed to steal it. A long time ago she’d had quick fingers. Now was the ultimate test.

  Charlie rose and took her tray full of garbage and a half empty drink. The garbage can was conveniently located near the condiments. The pasta dish had been bland today and she was hoping Luc would go for the hot sauce like she had. She wasn’t disappointed.

  She put her head down and walked straight into Luc with her tray. The result was as chaotic as she was hoping. Luc ended up with half her drink on his clothes. His meal was all over the place. He swore at her loudly in French, hate and resentment all over his face.

  “Oh my God,” Charlie said, blushing. “I’m so sorry!” she grabbed some napkins and tried to wipe him off. The entire kitchen staff and everyone in the mess hall was looking at the scene.