I was used to us working hard to hide who we were and what we were doing. We obviously didn’t need to do that on Level 20, because it was the private domain of Law Enforcement, but it was still strange to be openly wearing combat armour and have overhead signs proclaiming we were a Strike team responding to an emergency.
“Crystal units to visual,” ordered Adika. “Hoods up!”
The men around me were adjusting their ear crystals to make the cameras unfold at the side of their faces, and then reaching to pull up the protective hoods of their combat armour. I adjusted my ear crystal, and was struggling to reach my hood when someone pulled it up for me. The fabric felt loose around my head at first, then seemed to shrink and cling tightly to me.
“Visual links green for all Strike team,” said Nicole.
The Strike team started running along the empty express belt at the same steady speed that they ran training laps of the park. People stood at the side of the corridor, watching us go by with expressions of avid curiosity, but I ignored them. I was still worried about the deadly force issue.
“The Therapy Unit wouldn’t have handed Tobias any weapons when they released him,” I said. “Do we really need to use deadly force against a single unarmed man?”
“A Strike team member is never unarmed because their own body is a weapon.” Adika’s voice was barely affected by the effort of running while carrying me. “Tobias is imprinted with dozens of ways to kill someone with his bare hands. We can’t assume that he doesn’t have weapons either, because he could have found a gun by now. Tobias knows the override codes to access any Security Unit or Hive Defence armoury.”
“Agreed,” said Lucas. “We’ve initiated an emergency change of override codes, but that process will take another twenty minutes to complete. Tobias must have been staggered by his release, but Strike team members are chosen for their ability to adjust rapidly to situations. He’s going to have made a plan and be acting on it by now.”
Lucas groaned. “Tobias had three possible courses of action when he was released. Leave the area and find a secure hiding place. Go straight to our unit and kill as many people as he could barehanded. Attempt to steal guns and equipment. Picture yourself in Tobias’s place, Adika. What would you do?”
“I’d go for the guns and equipment,” said Adika. “Tobias must have thought he’d been released by mistake. He’d know that we’d soon discover what had happened and come after him, but he’d have plenty of time to reach an armoury before we arrived.”
“I agree,” said Lucas. “Liaison, we need details of all armouries in the area of the Therapy Unit.”
“The closest armoury is at a Security Unit three cors east of the Therapy Unit,” said Nicole. “It’s possible but unlikely that Tobias has already reached it. He’s in a strange area and doesn’t have a dataview with him to look up directions.”
“Tobias’s parents belong to Law Enforcement,” said Lucas. “That means Tobias will have lived on Level 20 as a child. He won’t have been allowed to enter any working areas, but he’ll have travelled on the belt system, and be familiar with all the standard direction signs as well as symbols for places such as Security Units. We should assume he’s reached the Security Unit already.”
“Should I contact the Security Unit and ask them to check their armoury for missing weapons?” asked Nicole.
“Absolutely not,” said Lucas. “If Tobias is inside that armoury, then he’ll kill anyone who disturbs him. Tell the Security Unit that no one is to approach the armoury until we’ve caught our target. Adika, jump belt at the next interchange and head west.”
“Don’t you mean we should head east to the Security Unit?” asked Adika.
“No, I mean head west,” said Lucas. “My team’s projections of Tobias’s movements are that he’s now leaving the Security Unit armoury. You’re currently travelling northbound on an express belt, heading straight for the Therapy Unit. We believe that Tobias will work out your travel route and head to a position next to your express belt, ready to ambush your team as you approach the Therapy Unit.”
Lucas hesitated before continuing in a harsh voice. “You’d be totally exposed on the express belt, and we predict Tobias would kill at least three of you including Amber before you take him down. I’m diverting you to the west so you can circle around and head for the Therapy Unit from the opposite direction to Tobias, making your final approach through a park. You were moving fast enough that you should have time to make the diversion without Tobias getting suspicious, and will hopefully catch him by surprise.”
“Understood,” said Adika. “Jumping belt at interchange in twenty seconds.”
“Liaison, we need that park evacuated,” said Lucas. “Send people out through the northern exits.”
I frowned. “Even this late in the evening, there’ll be children playing in the park. It’s going to take a long time to evacuate them.”
“There are always prisoners being held, assessed, or treated on Level 20,” said Nicole, “so the schools train children to respond instantly to escaped prisoner alarms. When the older children see the white park suns change to red flashing arrows, they’ll grab the hands of the smaller ones and run in the direction the arrows are pointing. The adults present will do a sweep of the park to round up any stray small children before evacuating too.”
She paused. “We should have everyone out of the park well before the Strike team arrive. What about the express belt? Do we still keep that clear of passengers?”
“Yes,” said Lucas. “If we’re right about Tobias moving to an ambush position next to the belt, then seeing it empty will reassure him that Amber and the Strike team are approaching on that direct route.”
Adika handed me over to Eli, and then led the Strike team through a bewilderingly swift sequence of belt changes, finally ending up with them running through accommodation corridors at top speed. A few people were hurrying down the corridors in the opposite direction, but they moved aside to let us through. A small boy stared in stunned awe at the intimidating grey-armoured warriors running past him, before yelling at the top of his voice.
“Combat Strike team! High up!”
The laughter of the Strike team members was cut short by Adika snapping in forbidding tones. “Focus! Approaching scene now.”
“There’s a storeroom outside the park entrance,” said Lucas. “I want you to stop there and let Amber do a mental check of the area looking for Tobias. We’re still predicting he’ll be at an ambush position next to the express belt, but random factors could have sent him somewhere else. Amber should check in all directions, particularly straight behind you.”
A minute later, my bodyguards and I were inside a storeroom lined with shelves of children’s toys. I perched on the edge of a large crate labelled “Swings age 3-7”, closed my eyes, linked to the mind of Eli to orient myself, and winced. Eli’s thoughts were screaming his emotions at full volume.
I was deeply unhappy about hunting down Tobias, because he was one of my own people and I cared about him. Eli was deeply unhappy about hunting down Tobias too, but for very different reasons. He’d never liked Tobias, and had considered him by far the weakest member of the Alpha Strike team. Weak or not though, hunting down a wild bee who’d trained with you and knew all your tactics was going to be lethally dangerous.
… one of us will be injured or killed on this run. Perhaps several of us. It’s my job to make sure that Amber stays safe, and if I fail …
… can’t fail. Mustn’t fail. If we lose Amber than the consequences for our Hive …
… not going to happen because I’ve got four of Claire’s old Strike team members to help me keep Amber safe. I only came out of the last Lottery, but they’ve got decades of experience. Whatever Tobias tries, they’ll have seen a wild bee try it before, and be ready to …
I hastily left Eli’s head, and made a telepathic sweep around behind us, skimming across the scattered minds of people in apartments. I paused to check a few that had
an unusual colour to them, but they were just people who’d been evacuated from the park. They were naturally worried about having an escaped prisoner in the area, and were busily locking and barricading their apartment doors.
“There’s no sign of Tobias behind us,” I said. “Moving on to check the park.”
I drifted east across the park. Apart from the throbbing beat of the Hive mind, and the thoughts of animals and birds, everything was quiet there. Yet further east, I found the more complex thoughts of people again, and among them was something glaringly discordant.
I pulled back into my own head, and opened my eyes. “There isn’t anyone at all in the park. There’s a lot of people further east from the park, and one of them might be Tobias, but I can’t be sure. It’s not just the distance. It’s that his mind has changed, and looks, sounds, feels so different now. It’s definitely a wild bee though.”
“There’s unlikely to be a second wild bee loose in this area,” said Lucas. “Strike team, continue across the park. Stop at the far side to let Amber do another check.”
My bodyguards and I went out of the room, then Eli picked me up again. A moment later, my Strike team were in formation around us, and running at full speed through the park. They stopped in a grove of apple trees by the eastern park wall, and Eli put me down next to a structural pillar.
I moved to stand facing east, with my back against the pillar. My new bodyguards surrounded me, their bodies a carefully judged hand’s breadth away from mine. I closed my eyes and reached out again.
My telepathic view showed the Strike team all tightly clustered around me, their minds bright with emotion. The scattered minds of strangers were beyond them. One particular set of thoughts was like a broken shell of the old familiar Tobias, being consumed from within by a fiercely burning core of anger.
I linked to Tobias’s mind, saw the view from his eyes as he watched the empty express belt, and was filled with his righteous delight at the vengeance to come.
… should arrive within the next five minutes. Ten minutes if the precious telepath is lazing around in the park. If I can’t get a clear forehead shot, I’ll have to go for the body and …
… expect they’ll be wearing full combat armour. I’ll need to use double shots on kill setting. I go for my two priority kills, then focus on escaping and hiding out until …
… too big a risk to attack the unit directly. I don’t just have to worry about the standard defences. Adika told us he has some extra nasty surprises waiting for intruders. He’s only shared the details of those with his special pets who were imprinted for Strike team leader. One of the many excuses he’s used to exclude me from …
… plenty of chances to get more of them. I can pick off people when they leave the unit to go shopping, visit relatives, or …
Lucas was right. Tobias was waiting by the express belt, trying to ambush us. I knew I had no choice about my actions now. However much I hated hunting down one of my own people, I had to give the directions that led my Strike team to Tobias. My words might lead to Tobias’s death, but my silence would lead to the deaths of other people.
It could be Lucas who died. It could be one of my family. It could be Buzz. It could be some hard-working minor member of my unit going to visit their parents. It could be some random Hive citizen who interrupted Tobias when he was stealing supplies. There might be one death, two, or dozens before another telepath finally succeeded in doing what I’d refused to do.
Chapter Forty-two
I moistened my lips and started reporting Tobias’s position and plan. “Tobias is east of us, at the junction between the major corridor holding the northbound express belt and a side corridor. He has two stolen guns that are set to kill. He’s wearing a hasty uniform, and something that feels like combat armour, but the glimpse I got of it was blue rather than grey. No hood.”
“Tobias is wearing the version of combat armour that’s designed to blend in with the blue uniforms of hasties,” said Lucas. “They have hoods, but Tobias hasn’t pulled his up yet. People will assume he’s a hasty wearing combat armour to go to a special training exercise, but having the hood up would make everyone deeply suspicious.”
“Tobias expects us to come riding along the express belt within the next ten minutes,” I said. “He thinks we’ll leave the express belt at the next interchange and find a defensive position for me to check the area.”
“Which is the plan we’d be following with any ordinary target,” commented Lucas.
Adika rattled out orders that started moving the Chase team east.
“If Tobias can get clear forehead shots, he’ll take them,” I said. “Otherwise he’ll go for the body and use double shots on kill setting. Once he’s taken down two targets, he’ll escape by running down the side corridor and going through a door into a large maintenance area. Tobias thinks the area is part of the air and water circulation system, but he doesn’t care if he’s right or not. The important thing is it connects to multiple maintenance crawl ways and ladders.”
My forehead was itching at the thought of Tobias shooting me there, and I lifted a hand to rub it. I’d been following Megan’s instructions to use a healing ointment on my bruised cheek and eye, but there was still a lingering soreness that reminded me of Tobias punching me. I was no longer sure if that had been an accident, or if he’d intended to hit me after all. We were well past the point where it mattered. Tobias didn’t just want to hit me now but to kill me.
“Tobias is planning to use the last digit of his gun’s serial number to decide which route to take,” I said. “Why would he do that?”
“As a defence against you reading his mind while he’s escaping,” said Lucas. “He’s got a stolen gun, he doesn’t know the serial number, and he won’t look at it until it’s time to make the decision. You won’t be able to tell us Tobias’s planned route if he doesn’t know it himself.”
“There are two possible side corridors, both with doors into that maintenance area,” said Adika. “We need more information, Amber.”
“There’s a flashing sign above the express belt, displaying the message about clearing the belt for Strike team emergency response.”
“Those signs are everywhere,” said Adika in frustration. “We need something else.”
My head was throbbing with Tobias’s hatred of all of us, and of me in particular. “I can only know what Tobias is thinking about,” I snapped at Adika. “I can only see what Tobias is looking at. Right now, he’s thinking about killing me, and his eyes are fixed on the express belt.”
“Liaison, can you use the belt traffic control system to individualize the messages on the overhead signs?” asked Lucas.
“Yes,” said Nicole. “Amber, watch the sign for a small number appearing in the bottom right-hand corner.”
I watched the sign. “407,” I reported.
“It’s the northern one of those two side corridors,” said Nicole. “The one leading from the express belt to a housing warren.”
Adika was giving more orders to his men. I ignored those, focusing on Tobias’s thoughts and the view through his eyes.
“Tobias just glanced sideways,” I said sharply. “There’s a group of about twenty travellers waiting for the express belt to reopen. Tobias is standing beside them, planning to use them as a shield so the Strike team can’t shoot back at him.”
“Waste it!” said Adika. “We need to get those people out of the way.”
“We can’t evacuate them without alarming Tobias,” said Lucas. “If we try to capture him in either his current position, or in the corridor leading to the housing warren, we’ll have bystanders caught in the crossfire. Adika, we’re going to have to send Tobias into the maintenance area. Place the Chase team there ready to catch him.”
Adika rattled off another series of orders.
“Amber, does Tobias have priority kills?” asked Lucas.
“He has two priority kills,” I said. “He’s planning to kill Adika first and then me.”
Rothan groaned. “I’m now acting Strike team leader. Adika, retreat to the park to help defend Amber.”
“You’re taking my command, and ordering me to retreat to the park?” asked Adika incredulously.
“Yes,” said Rothan. “You know the rules. You can’t be on the Chase team if you’re the target’s first priority kill. We need to focus on taking down our target, not bodyguarding you. Besides, Tobias will waste vital seconds looking for you before shooting at someone else.”
“And what if I refuse to retreat to the park?” asked Adika.
“Then I shoot you on stun and get someone to drag you there,” said Rothan.
“Really?” Adika made the single word hold infinite menace.
“Really,” said Rothan.
There was a second of utter silence on the crystal comms, as if everyone was holding their breath, and then Adika spoke in a grudging voice. “Retreating to park, but if you mess this up, Rothan, then you’re going to be scrubbing slime vats for the rest of your life.”
“I’m fully aware that whatever happens from now on, I’m going to be scrubbing slime vats for the rest of my life,” said Rothan. “Kaden, Dhiren, Caleb, I’m adjusting your positions to cover the gap in our net.”
It was a few seconds before Rothan spoke again. “We’re in position, Lucas.”
“Nicole, reopen the express belt,” said Lucas.
Tobias was watching impatiently for figures coming into view on the express belt. He was surprised by the mass movement of people joining the belts, and threw a look at the overhead sign. When he saw it had stopped flashing and now read “belt open”, he turned and ran down the side corridor.
… belt has reopened, so Amber and the Alpha team aren’t coming. Waste it, why aren’t they coming? What would …? They aren’t coming because they’re already here!
“Tobias has worked out we aren’t coming because we’re already here!” I yelled. “He’s guessed we’ll be trying to trap him in the maintenance area, so he’s running for the housing warren. He’s pulled up his combat armour hood. He’s looking at his gun. The serial number ends in eight.”
Borderline (Hive Mind Book 4) Page 41
