by Stone, Piper
I studied the screen again, realizing that Casey’s father had obviously done everything in his power to protect what he held dear, even lying to his own daughter in order to do so. There were no such things as coincidences. My level of respect increased significantly, but we had to know for certain that the findings were correct. There was only one way of doing that.
“What are we talking about?” Greson took long strides until he was able to look at the screen. “Wait a minute...” He muttered under his breath, darting a glance in my direction before staring at the monitor once again. “May I take a look?”
“By all means.” Casey moved away from the screen, her entire body shaking.
I watched as Greson shifted through several of the files, absorbing every detail. One of his greatest skills was a perfect recollection of anything he read. He’d also worked with several of our engineers over the years, had the ability to navigate almost every mechanical aspect of our ships, the various communications systems and even understood...
Minerals and other compounds. I’d almost forgotten that aspect. King Lorowerd had definitely forced us to work together for several reasons. He’d been planning this since the New World Order took over and President Marchant had betrayed their friendship.
When he pulled up a lone file, my entire body began to shake. As Casey leaned over my shoulder, I heard her exclamation of horror.
“They rebuilt them. All the nuclear weapons,” she whispered. “They’ve been working underground, using the very materials the Malzeons provided in order to build more weapons. How could they do this?”
“That’s the real reason your father was killed,” I huffed. This finalized my decision, one that would forever haunt me. What the king had provided was only partially true. Finding this made it so much worse.
“They were biding their time, obtaining as many of our valuable resources as possible, overthrowing the good people who did believe in the treaty.”
The fact the king had trusted President Marchant meant a certain plan had been in motion for some time. Then there’d been a change. A betrayal. Something didn’t smell right.
Greson gazed into my eyes and I nodded as he pointed to the screen, moving from one slide to another. I didn’t need words to know what I was looking at. The king had been correct. We had at least one traitor in our midst, someone providing detailed information about our planet, our issues, and our weaknesses. I was sick, ready to tear apart that Malzeon with my bare hands.
“Commander, do you want me to reprogram the Vipers?” Tragon stood still, his face expressionless.
“Yes.” I knew exactly where we needed to go from here. “And Greson, contact King Lorowerd.”
“With what information?” Greson asked.
“Tell him that his presence may be required.” Our king would know this meant we would be required to attack. Everything I’d believed in was gone, the truth and trust something that might never be regained. However, I couldn’t risk sharing the news over our communication lines for fear that whoever was working with the group of humans revamping the nuclear technology would be able to listen in. That would set into motion an announcement of our intentions. The humans would have the opportunity to fire their weapons. I couldn’t allow that to happen.
Greson inched away from the desk. “Yes, Commander, but we need to proceed with caution.”
I could tell he was holding back from saying anything, but his eyes reflected that whatever else he’d gleaned from the files was important. “I agree.”
“Then what are your orders, Commander?” he asked.
There was one last opportunity to find out if I was wrong and I would take the chance. God help me but I refused to destroy the woman I loved without absolute proof. “We find President Marchant.” I turned my head in Casey’s direction.
“Then what?” she asked quietly.
“Then we end this war before it begins.”
She nodded, glanced from Greson back to my face, her eyes holding onto something.
“What is it?” I asked.
“A gut instinct,” she whispered. “I need to check something but if I do, this location will be compromised.”
“We aren’t staying here long. If what the women told us is the truth, we are almost completely out of time. The president is prepared to make his move as early as tomorrow.” I snarled, still thinking about the damning evidence. And to think that the betrayal had been going on for some time.
She shook her head. “There’s something off, Draze. I’m certain of it.”
I watched as her fingers flew on the keyboard, finally connecting with one of the Movietron sites. “What are you looking for?”
“Inaccuracies. In my profession, I have to be observant in order to solve cases. Everything about the last few presidential transmissions had been... different.” Casey pulled up what appeared to be the last transmission from President Marchant. “Take a look at his face and listen to him.”
The replay was the same blasphemous crap from before. “What am I looking for?”
“Watch. Hold on.” Casey rolled her finger across the screen, stopping it the second the other figure popped on the screen, enlarging the image several times. “Right here. Look.”
I leaned closer, trying to decipher what the hell she was talking about. “I don’t understand.”
“You were right, Draze,” Greson huffed. “Fuck.”
Only when he pointed to the soldier’s face did I understand, a sense of relief flooding me. There was something else I realized at the same time. I leaned back, trying to keep from reacting. Everything about the New World Order was a lie. Thank God Casey had intervened. I found it difficult to breathe, realizing that maybe I could avoid a battle the humans might not survive. Only if I found a way of disarming the nuclear-style weapons.
The single rumble of the terrain was far too close. Soldiers were closing in. Battlegrounds had been selected. The New World Order had secured the outlying areas of the city. I could only imagine the next course of action.
“We leave in five minutes,” I instructed.
“You’re going after President Marchant?” Tragon asked, surprised at my decision.
I turned my head, studying him. Thinking. I had to be very careful. “Absolutely.”
“Do you even know where to find him?” he continued.
“I do,” Casey stated, yanking out the disc and shutting down the computer. “He has a very secure facility not far from here.”
“Then we hunt with the help of the Vipers.” I slammed my hands on the desk, furious that we’d been placed in this position. There were more lies than truths and one way or the other, the decision would be one I was forced to live with for the entire rest of my life.
Chapter Fourteen
Casey
The bloodshed had already started, the streets of Washington, DC filled with thousands of dissidents as well as officers from every zone and unit. The day had dawned ugly and gray, matching the mood of the response to the roundup of the Dark Resistance. We were lucky that the transportation units hadn’t already been shut down. The moment we stepped off the tram and onto the platform, we were astounded by the horrific level of violence. How had everything escalated in such a short period of time?
“Come on. We need to keep going,” Draze hissed, taking my arm and leaded me away from a particular gruesome scene of carnage.
I had difficulty breathing as he led the group away from the tram station altogether. I’d seen some wretched and very savage crimes in my life, but the intensity of rage was overwhelming. It was as if all humanity had finally been broken, only primal beasts remaining. Earth was at war once again.
What Greson had found was incredible, heartbreaking. My father had obviously given an oath to someone he trusted, pretending he hated the Malzeons. When all the time he feared his own people. His work as a scientist would have allowed him access to confidential records, the ability to see exactly what was being planned.
And the hor
rible weapons being designed.
He knew he was likely to be killed and merely took steps in order to try to save the planet. He’d also realized that I would know the right time to gather his evidence. I felt like I’d lost him all over again.
I gathered the distinct impression that Draze had decided to keep what we’d learned from everyone else. He had no way of knowing who he could trust. We were all terrified.
But I knew in my gut Draze was hiding something significant. He was pensive, angry. And worried.
We were only five blocks from where President Marchant held court, but they seemed the longest of my life.
“You’re one of them!” The scream from a frazzled man came from behind a building. He raced forward, what appeared to be a homemade bomb in his hand, following closely by a mob of people.
Draze yanked me into the shadows of an alley, shielding my body as the group rushed toward us. “Shoot to kill!” he instructed, lifting his weapon.
Just seconds before any of the soldiers fired their weapon, the mob raced past, attacking a group of Federation officers.
“We need to get out of here,” Greson barked.
“Is there a back way to this facility?” Draze demanded after turning toward me.
“We can go through the alley until we get a block away, but trust me, the entire place will be heavily guarded. I don’t know a way in.”
“Leave that to us.” Draze motioned to Lieutenant Tragon who nodded, pulling the control unit I’d seen him with from his pocket. Within a matter of seconds, he ran his fingers over the screen then gave Draze another nod.
“Done. They will be here within five minutes,” Lieutenant Tragon stated. “The gates will be unlocked when we arrive, Commander.”
“Excellent work. We go in carefully.” Draze exhaled, fully facing me. I was surprised when he brushed the tips of his fingers down the side of my face. “Be careful, little human. You have become very important to us.”
I leaned into his hand almost on instinct, the desire the same as always even though the comfort and care was more important than I could express. As we ventured on, I thought about my father once again. If only I’d taken the time to read everything he’d left for me. Would that have changed anything? Perhaps not, but maybe I could have found a way to warn King Lorowerd. A repenting king. The notion was far removed from what I’d thought.
Perhaps the alien was trying to pay his dues for his forefathers.
President Marchant had taken up residence where the previous president had lived before he was captured and likely murdered. Although I had no proof this had occurred, I’d always had strong suspicions. The fact the New World Order had come on the scene in collective force then one month later had overthrown every election in a landslide had never been accepted. By anyone. I would never forget that day.
I’d been taught in my history classes there had once been a beautiful White House with expansive lawns and gardens housing the president. While the massive structure had been heavily guarded, it had also been accessible, staff members providing tours for the common folk. The building housing the past few presidents seemed more like a prison, the ugly gray construction devoid of any landscaping, the massive steel grid surrounding the property impenetrable.
When we were only a few hundred feet away, I had to stop and gaze onto the facility. I’d never been this close. Sadly, I didn’t stand in awe as many still did. I could only feel disgust. The soldiers had surrounded us, maintaining solid protection and still, I knew at any moment we could become targets.
It seemed the Federation officers had been instructed to shoot to kill indiscriminately.
“Are we ready?” Draze asked, scanning the perimeter.
I followed his gaze, noticing hundreds of Vipers. Hundreds of the bastards. The sight of them was terrifying.
“The Vipers should have unlocked the rear gate and door, a perfect location to enter,” Lieutenant Tragon stated.
“Then we go. Our mission is to find President Marchant.” Draze moved in front of the other soldiers.
“Then what? He’s not going to talk,” I told him. If I was right about President Marchant, he would continue the act as long as possible. If I was wrong, we’d been executed on the spot.
Draze lifted a single eyebrow when he glanced in my direction. “Not on his own turf. You are correct.”
He was being sent to the Malzeon planet for either protection or persecution.
“And yes, he will talk, Casey. He will tell us exactly what he and his cabinet have planned and he will stop all activity or every one of his men will be annihilated.” Draze was choosing his words even more carefully.
“We don’t have that kind of time,” Greson added.
“Without their president, the humans will have little recourse.”
Draze’s words filled me with fear and sadness, yet respect and honor. He was taking a significant risk, the very reason I’d come to...
To love.
The words flashed in my mind, unsettling in every manner. While the two little words might be the truth, I was uncertain they would matter under any circumstance. I had to trust him and in truth, I did.
Even with the presence of the Vipers, we kept low to the ground as we moved to the rear of the building. The four Viper guards simply moved aside when we approached, and the lieutenant had been right. Both the gate and door were unlocked.
We slipped inside without any issue, the Vipers remaining outside. I watched as Tragon maneuvered the console, his fingers flying over the screen. Once inside, everything felt oppressive, suffocating in every manner. Draze had been right. I could feel the end was near.
If what my father had indicated had remained true, there were six locations where the new weapons technology was being developed. They were outside the scope of the larger cities, locations where Malzeons had been positioned. All underground. All without anyone knowing.
The plan had been brilliant. Use the very technology designed to rebuild our world, taking only small amounts of the various resources sent from the Malzeon planet so there wouldn’t be any discrepancies. In the meantime, provide human workers to do the dirty work. If they attempted to talk, have them killed. And the women? Merely meant to keep the Malzeons from paying as close attention.
The damn area seemed to be a maze of passages, the corridors dimly lit. Draze led the way until Tragon pointed out a location of Vipers that were dead ahead.
“I’m ready to make the switch. As soon as we find President Marchant, everything will be ready,” Lieutenant Tragon stated, keeping his voice low.
Draze nodded, tipping his head to gaze into Greson’s eyes. I could tell their long relationship, however tumultuous, had allowed them a strong connection. Greson took my arm, his grip firm, the entire group moving to the location Tragon had mentioned. Their silent communication meant they were prepared for an attack.
I’d also taken down far too many powerful people in my career not to know when a sabotage was about to occur. The eerie quiet of the main hall, the lack of personnel of any kind was a clear indication. From the few pictures that had been shown of the facility, I knew the president’s quarters were located at the far end of the building; however, the sickening sense pooling in my stomach refusing to be denied.
“Where are we going?” Draze asked, cautiously scanning the perimeter.
I pointed then followed his gaze.
Draze motioned to fan out and for the first time, I questioned why there were no reinforcements, unless they were certain the Vipers could be turned.
Then the hair on my neck stood up on end. I had almost no time to react as a brawny man stepped out of the shadows, his weapon aimed at Draze’s head. Then everything seemed to fall into slow motion as the stench of the man wafted into my nostrils.
The punisher.
I reacted, my training kicking in as I pushed in front of Draze, getting off two clean shots. At least I had the joy and satisfaction watching as the bastard fell, the bullets hitting him
right between the eyes. At that very moment, I knew in my gut the betrayal had been close to home.
As a series of gunshots and lasers began to roll through the massive hall, I could hear Draze calling over the din of bullets, “Get to the president. Now! Have the Vipers attack.”
“Yes, sir,” Lieutenant Tragon shouted, moving directly behind Draze.
We raced down the hall but only four soldiers followed. Four. No way. No. Fucking. Way.
“We’ve moving into a trap. There’s no way out!” I called, only my gut told me I was already too late.
The moment Draze burst into the room, a swarm of human soldiers moved into position, surrounding us, all prepared to fire. The president was seated on a gilded chair, like he was a king himself, only I knew I’d been right about the man all along.
He was being held prisoner, merely a pawn in the wretched game. He’d never betrayed King Lorowerd. Instead, he’d done everything in his power to beg the king to question what was going on.
Several rounds were popped off, only the soldiers falling were the humans, the Malzeons easily picking them off.
“Stop!” President Marchant called.
Draze hissed, moving in front of the others as the human soldiers suddenly raised their weapons, but President Marchant’s command wasn’t the reason. The man walking from behind the great gilded chair was.
“Well, well,” a deep male voice yelled. “Our illustrious president is right. Do not fire. For now.”
I’d know the voice anywhere, the very sergeant who’d arrested me. He pushed his way through the dozens of soldiers, grinning. After studying our group, he took a deep whiff before moving closer finally gazing up and down the length of Draze’s body. “I’d been told you were a true warrior, but I can see I was wrong. Others were also incorrect.” He shot the president a harsh glance before shifting even closer. Within a split second, he used the butt end of his weapon, pummeling it into Draze’s stomach.
