Force: Book Two of the Zoya Chronicles

by Kate Sander

  Senka strained to hear her. She tried to smile and nod and collected the passport, boarding pass and card and put them into the front pocket of her loose sweater. She shuffled away, looking for the sign to gate C. When she reached security she presented her passport and boarding pass on request. She was so nervous.

  “Going to Quebec City, I see,” the man in the blue uniform commented.

  “Yes, sir,” she said. Her voice hitched a little and her face reddened in embarrassment.

  “Scared of flying?” he asked kindly.

  She nodded, “First time.” She was internally berating herself for not looking at the passport or boarding pass before security. She had been too distracted with how surreal this whole situation was. She was going to get caught and arrested. That wasn’t being discrete. And she highly doubted that Amanda would get her out of that. She would rot in jail and never figure out what the symbol meant or if anything was real. Her mind was racing a mile a minute and she felt her chest constricting.

  The Canadian Border and Security Agency agent smiled as he gave her back her passport and boarding pass, “Flying is the safest way to travel. Have a good trip east, Ms. Bennet.”

  Senka forced a smile and grabbed her documentation. She picked her bag out of the x-ray and limped her way towards Gate C. She was shaking violently and it took all her effort not to show anyone from security. She finally reached her gate, the brightly coloured television showing, “Quebec City, ON TIME,” behind the gate.

  She sat heavily, relishing the lack of pressure on her knees and muscles. She would never take walking for granted again.

  She opened her passport and saw a recent picture of herself, looking stone faced, staring back at her. She didn’t know when this picture had been taken. The name on the passport said, “Senka Bennet. DOB: April 30, 1999.”

  She smiled to herself. Same first name, same birthday. The only thing she had to remember was the last name Bennet. From her favourite book Pride and Prejudice. Amanda set it up so she couldn’t fail.

  She relaxed and her hand went directly to her ring around her neck. She missed her family. Jules, Tory, Ujarak, Eli. She missed them all. She hoped they survived the war.

  She hadn’t realized she had fallen asleep until she heard the boarding call for her flight. She hurriedly limped towards the gate, was through without hassle, and onto the plane quickly. Amanda had given her a window seat and no one ended up sitting beside her. She shoved her bag under her seat, did up her seatbelt and was asleep before the safety briefing began.

  She slept the entire flight. Her body was always so fatigued.

  She awoke confused and drowsy to the Captain’s voice over the intercom, “Hello passengers. We’ve had a smooth flight and due to a tailwind have arrived ahead of schedule. Please put your trays up and your seats in the upright position. Flight attendants prepare for landing.”

  Senka sat upright and frantically dug through her pockets. The card was still there and she relaxed.

  A flight attendant was coming around taking garbage and smiling. Senka hesitantly handed the cream embossed card to the flight attendant. She smiled and threw it in the garbage. Senka’s heart fell. The flight attendant leaned over and said quietly, “I’d like to direct you to the magazine in front of you. The article on page thirty-seven is quite interesting.”

  Senka nodded, unable to find words to say. She had lived a long time alone without a voice. She often couldn’t find the words to say in idle conversation. The flight attendant smiled at her and continued to move throughout the cabin. Senka excitedly flipped through the magazine until she found the proper page. A note was taped inside, reading, “Left through the main doors at the taxi stand. Go to Parkade D.”

  Senka folded the note and placed it in her pocket. With the card gone, it was the only tangible evidence that she had that all of this was real. Well, she thought, real to me.

  The plane landed without incident. She flashed the flight attendant a smile as she left the plane. The flight attendant smiled back. Senka limped her way through the Quebec City terminal. She didn’t understand French, but it was all very exciting. She was noticeably winded by the time she hit the main exit. Her attitude suddenly faltered. She had been wrapped up in the adventure and mystery of this trip. It was all very exciting, almost like a movie. She missed excitement. Physio wasn’t exciting. Her dreams had been. She stopped outside the main entrance.

  To her right were the taxis and the door to go back in the terminal. She had a credit card in her pocket linked to her brother’s account. He had given it to her shortly after she woke up. She should go right back into the terminal, buy a ticket to Winnipeg and go home. Her brother would understand. She would finish physio and just live the life set out for her before the crash. But…

  But.

  The “but” was what drove her. She had a deep-seeded feeling that she was meant for more. She set her shoulders and drew her feeble form up. She turned left and limped her way away from the taxis.

  She didn’t look back.

  It was a long way for her to walk. She followed the signs to Parkade D. It was a long ways away. The farthest parkade. She was hurting and sweating by the time she got there. Her hands shook violently as she tried to take off her backpack and place it at her feet. She didn’t look around. She gasped, hands on her knees.

  Once she recovered she tried to straighten herself up. She was listing dangerously to the left. Her chest was heaving. But her master had taught her to always face the future standing straight, and dammit she was going to try.

  The parking lot was empty. Not a person or a car in sight. Her shoulders fell and her thoughts started racing faster than she could control them. She figured this was someone’s cruel prank. She didn’t know who. A tear fell from her eye and she wiped it away angrily. Who would promise a sick person the world then take it all away?

  Suddenly a black SUV with black tinted windows skidded into the parking lot and sped towards her. Her arms instinctively rose and she sank into a defensive stance. Her muscles burned but she ignored them. She was laser focused.

  The SUV screeched to a halt and four huge men in black suits jumped out. They had clear headphones in their left ears. She heard one say, “Contain the asset.” The men, hearing their cue, bull-rushed her. All four came at her at the same time. Senka struck out at the leader and caught him in the face. She realized at the same time as he that she was fast. She was just as fast as in her dreams. Faster than anyone they’d ever seen.

  Unfortunately for her this body tired quickly. She landed a few punches and a well-placed groin kick but they were too much for her. One managed to pull her arms behind her back and zip tie them together as another put a bag over her head. They quickly picked her up and tossed her into the back of the SUV. She knew not to struggle right now. She barely had any energy left. She had to save it. The SUV sped away. It was silent inside.

  She calmed her breathing and started to devise a plan. Instinct was taking over. She needed to get out of here. Her flight or fight instincts were in full gear. She was so skinny she managed to slowly work her hands out of the zip ties. Happy with her success, she slowly pushed the bag off her head to look around. She was in the back of an SUV with carpet around her. She couldn’t see out the windows or anything but the floor around her. She needed to bide her time.

  The SUV pulled off the main highway. She could tell from the increase in the bumps and lurches in the back. It eventually came to a stop.

  She forgot about being weak.

  She forgot about feeling worthless.

  She forgot about feeling like a liar.

  She was strong. She was fast. She was Senka.

  Her muscles tensed in anticipation and she crouched into a small ball. For the first time since she had awoken from the coma she smiled from ear to ear. The back of the SUV opened and Senka exploded outward, catching the man in the black suit by surprise right around the middle. They fell to the ground, Senka on top. She punched him in the face
with all her might. She smiled when she felt his nose break.

  She reared up to punch him again when she heard a familiar voice yell, “Senka! Stop!”

  She stopped and looked up, frail lungs gasping for air. Amanda, dressed in a tailored suit and heels, was standing in front of her. She was smiling. The man Senka had tackled scrambled out from under her. He was holding his bleeding nose. Senka felt a stab of guilt.

  “Glad you made it,” Amanda said, “Sorry about all the theatrics. We just had to be sure you were ready.”

  Senka looked around. They were at a training ground. She could hear a shot fired in the distance and realized it was a firing range. A man ran by her in a sweater.

  “This is the Zoya Task Force training headquarters,” Amanda said. She gestured and walked away. Senka followed, mouth gaping. “You will be here until you are physically and mentally ready for combat. We work very closely with the Canadian Army and the United Nations, but you will report directly to the Queen.”

  Senka felt a bone crushing fatigue creep over her. Her head was reeling. She wasn’t the only one. This was well established. It was real.

  She was a Zoya. It had all been real.

  “I’ll take you to your room. You’ll be living with your partner. The Zoya Task Force has always run with teams of two, one agent and one handler. You will be assigned a handler. The handler stays in Canada, you go out in the field. However, your physical and psychological profile has lined up perfectly to be paired with another woman who awoke from The Other Place a few months ago. She’s been training alone but welcomes a partner. This is the first time the ZTF will have two agents with one handler.”

  Senka was trying to keep up, both mentally and physically. They were entering what looked like a barrack. The way Amanda said The Other Place made Senka think of it with capitals. It was a noun. They were talking about a real place.

  Amanda stopped in front of a door and stepped aside. Senka took the cue and opened it.

  Inside was a bright room with two beds and two desks. It looked to Senka like a university dorm room. A woman was sitting at a desk, long red hair tied up in a ponytail. She turned and flashed Senka a bright smile.

  “Hello!” she said, rising. She was taller than Senka and was muscular. Senka pegged her as older than her, maybe mid-thirties. Senka saw that she was very beautiful. She moved gracefully through the room, almost gliding.

  The woman held out her hand, “Tomo.”

  Senka shook it, “Umm, my name is Lizzie Brighton. But over there they called me Senka.” She stuttered over her words. It felt so awkward to say.

  Tomo smiled warmly, “It takes some getting used to, this whole double world thing. Over there I was called Tomo. I like to think that The Other Place gives us our real names. But my name here before my accident was Dr. Charlie Penner.”

  Senka came crashing back into reality as Taser probes entered her chest. Fifty thousand volts rocked through her body and she dropped to her knees. She had no senses other than pain. She managed to work her hand up and rip the prongs out of her chest.

  She focused and saw that she was in the middle of an unknown park surrounded by police officers. All of them were pointing guns at her. She stayed on her knees and laced her hands behind her head. Leo’s back was towards her and he was barking and snarling at the officer who was holding the Taser gun. She saw sweat drip into the cop’s eyes but his hand was steady.

  “Leo, come here,” she said hoarsely. Her muscles were twitching but she managed to keep to her knees and keep her hands behind her head. The dew in the grass soaked her knees and the cold cleared her head. Leo turned, startled to hear her voice. He padded towards her and licked her face. His eyes showed deep-seeded concern. Senka realized what must have happened and her face reddened. “I’m good. Sit.” Leo obliged and sat beside her.

  “Sen, you good?” she heard Carter yell from somewhere behind her.

  “Yeah, I’m good,” she yelled hoarsely back. She didn’t turn her head or move.

  “Sergeant Bennet,” one of the officers in plain clothes in front of her said loudly, “my name is Detective Weaver. There has been a disturbance of the peace here today.”

  “I kill anyone?” she asked. She was serious.

  Detective Weaver’s eyes softened, “No ma’am,” he said. His gun stayed pointed at her head, “Your dog there noticed you weren’t really acting right. He went to get your partner there behind you, Sergeant Green. When your partner couldn’t rouse you and you took off, he called for backup. Unfortunately, you may have broken the nose of one of my officers when he tried to calm you down.”

  “I’m sorry about that,” Senka said sincerely. “Carter, that true?”

  “Yeah, Sen, it’s true. Sorry. I haven’t needed help like this for you in a long time.”

  Senka nodded. She didn’t blame any of them.

  “What time is it?” she asked the Detective.

  “Well ma’am it’s half past seven in the morning.”

  Senka twitched. She had been out for almost an hour. She didn’t know where she was. No wonder Carter had called the cops. It was lucky she hadn’t murdered anyone.

  “Now, Sergeant, unfortunately I have to take you in. Just for routine. Your boss, Warrant-Officer Nguyen will meet us there. You’re not getting arrested.”

  Senka nodded. Amanda would smooth everything over, much to Senka’s embarrassment. “Yes, sir, I understand. I have a handgun as a sidearm under my jacket on the left side. I also have a knife in my left boot and one in my right pocket.”

  Detective Weaver nodded and holstered his gun. The officers surrounding her did not. He approached her slowly. Leo watched him closely. He gently removed the gun from her sidearm holster and made sure the safety was on. He left the knives.

  “Ma’am, I’m sorry but I need to cuff you,” he said.

  She nodded. He went around her and gently took both hands from the top of her head and cuffed them behind her back. She let him and they both ignored the twitch in her muscles as he touched her.

  Senka still didn’t like being touched.

  Leo kept a wary eye as Detective Weaver helped haul her to her feet. The officers lowered their guns. The Detective turned them and Senka saw Carter. He looked at her sadly. She kept her head up and gave him a curt nod, one he returned.

  “I’m sorry, sir, but I’m quite out of sorts. I don’t suppose you’d allow me to bring my dog with me?”

  Detective Weaver stayed silent for a while, mulling it over while he walked her to his squad car. Leo padded along on the other side, making sure to watch and protect her.

  “I suppose he can fit in the back of the squad car,” he said finally. He opened the back door of his car and Leo jumped in without being told. Weaver snorted and Senka bent over and sat heavily in the car. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes. She had a ripping headache. Weaver got into the front seat and she smiled when she heard him roll down the back window so Leo had fresh air. Senka hated all of this. It would be so much easier just to go to sleep.

  Weaver started the car and drove them away.

  “I served in Afghanistan,” he said. Senka’s shoulders were hurting because of the cuffs but out of respect she didn’t slip them. “I get what’s going on with you. I saw it happen to my brother too. He served with me. We did two tours. Wasn’t near the same when I got out. I know sometimes it’s going to feel like you should just end it.”

  Senka’s eyes opened and she saw Weaver studying her through the rear-view mirror.

  “Don’t,” he said, “I know people will tell you it’s the coward’s way out but it’s not. It’s more that it sticks with the people you leave behind. My brother couldn’t take it. Ate a bullet a few years out of the army. We pay for it. You may not have much family but that partner of yours, Sergeant Carter Green, he loves you. He’s family. Stay for him. Stay for your pup.”

  Her eyes teared up and she nodded.

  “And slip the cuffs,” Weaver said gruffly, looking ah
ead again. “We both know you can and your dog needs a pet.”

  Senka smiled through the forming tears. She slipped the cuffs and handed them to the man in the front. Leo curled up beside her and put his head in her lap. She put her head back against the back of the seat and buried her hand in his fur.

  She had such a headache. And something was nagging at her, but she couldn’t figure out what it was.

  25

  Dr. Charlie Penner

  October 30, 2023, 12:43

  Location: Dorfen, Germany.

  Charlie refused to sit on her bed. She didn’t deserve it. She had been sitting on the floor since Kelly had died. The lights stayed on and she didn’t have a watch so she had no idea how long she’d been in the cell. Food from hours before was untouched on a tray by the bars by the door. They always removed the old stuff and put out a new tray. She drank water only. It was too easy to die of thirst. She deserved much worse than that.

  The cells in the compound were made of stone, with bars at the door. She couldn’t see the child next to her, but she could hear him.

  When they had dragged her in and tossed her in the cell she had been sobbing. The pain in her shoulder was bearable, but the pain in her heart was not. The boy next to her had been yelling and screaming about Kelly. They had ignored him and left. Charlie stayed on the floor in silence. Shortly after she was tossed in the cell, she had calmed down and she had popped her shoulder back into place. It was sore, but usable.

  There had been silence since. Days of silence and monotony.

  Suddenly, out of nowhere, she heard the kid in the cell beside her say quietly, “Kelly’s not coming back, is she?”

  Charlie almost jumped. She was so lost in her misery and she hadn’t expected anyone to speak. Her ZTF training barely kept her in place.

  “No,” she said in a low voice, “she’s not.”

  The kid sniffed a few times, “Is she dead?”