by M. R. Forbes
The two officers were watching her, but being unarmed they were also staying out of her way.
“Sorry,” Grace said. “I’m not the bad guy, I swear.” She ran back to the elevators, furiously tapping the controls.
The cab arrived, the doors sliding open.
“Grace?” Natalia said, meeting her there.
Grace stepped into the cab, pointing the revolver at Natalia.
“I’m sorry, Governor. I want to help you, but I have unfinished business to the south. If I find Sheriff Duke, I’ll explain the situation.”
“Grace, I told you I’ll send people after Hayden.”
“I know. I can’t risk it. It’s too important.”
“Why didn’t you just tell me you wanted to leave?”
“Would you let me go?” Natalia’s hesitation was her answer. Grace hit the button to go up a floor. “If you don’t get to Sheriff Duke in time, he’ll either kill Shurrath or be killed. I don’t want either of those things to happen. I know where he’s headed. I’ll head him off and we can solve the problem together.”
Natalia nodded. “If that’s the way you want it. Put your gun down. You don’t need to threaten me.”
“How can I trust you’ll let me go?”
“You have my word. You aren’t a prisoner here.”
“You bound my hands and feet.”
“For your protection and ours. We didn’t know how the loss of the khoron was going to affect you. I wanted you to stay to make sure you’re safe.”
“It’s a chance I have to take. I’ve devoted the last ten years of my life to this. I have to see it through.” She could hear the desperation in her own voice. She needed this.
“Okay. Lower the gun. I’ll take care of things. I promise.”
Grace locked eyes with Natalia. There was no hint of deceit in them. She lowered the revolver.
“Let me go first,” Natalia said, moving forward.
It took all of Grace’s restraint to keep herself from pointing the gun at Natalia again. She let the Governor get in front of her as the doors opened.
A pair of law officers were waiting, guns already drawn.
“Stand down,” Natalia said.
They didn’t hesitate, lowering their guns.
“Ms. Salk has decided not to stay, as is her right.”
The two officers moved aside, giving them space. Natalia started forward with Grace beside her.
“Which vehicle do you want?” Natalia asked.
“Where’s my horse?” Grace replied.
“In the stables. You won’t catch up to Hayden on horseback. I can guarantee that.”
Grace considered. “You have a motorcycle?”
Natalia pointed. There were a number of cars, trucks, and motorcycles arranged on the floor. “Take your pick. They’re all fueled and ready. That one has a sidecar with extra fuel.”
“Okay, I’ll take that one.”
“Take this too,” Natalia said, reaching into her pocket. She withdrew a small silver badge. “It’s already linked to Hayden’s badge. If you get close enough, you’ll be able to contact him through it. Don’t do anything stupid, Grace. And don’t let him do anything stupid either.”
Grace took the offered badge. “I won’t,” she replied, smiling. “Thank you for understanding.”
“I don’t really understand. But I have faith in you.”
The comment surprised Grace. “I’ll do my best.”
Then she ran across the floor to the motorcycle. Swinging her leg over the seat, she started it up. The machine rumbled loudly in the underground garage. She turned the throttle, accelerating around another parked modbox and heading for the ramp.
She looked back to see Natalia waving to her before she climbed the ramp and exited out of the garage onto the street.
Maybe Governor Duke shouldn’t trust her, but she did.
To Grace, that was something worth fighting for.
Chapter 13
The metal stagecoach rattled whenever it moved, the screws holding it together threatening to succumb to the constant vibrations from the rough terrain they were crossing.
In the beginning, Isaac thought they would stick to the roads. As littered as they were in places with old cars and other debris, it still seemed like a much smoother and faster ride than crossing wild countryside.
Camila clearly didn’t agree. They had spent the first twelve hours or so sticking to the asphalt when she suddenly decided to put them on a different course, ordering Dutch to take a hard left out across the mostly brown and rocky landscape.
It was a path a regular car might have trouble navigating, and even if the coach’s tires, engine and suspension were capable it seemed strange to go so far astray from roads or from the sparsely populated towns that dotted the area.
So why had Camila taken them off road and out of their way east before cutting south again? Why were they purposefully avoiding roads and towns? The more Isaac thought about it, the more confident he became that not only was Hayden still alive, he was somewhere to the north, hot on their trail.
If anyone could get him out of this mess, Isaac knew it was the Sheriff. And even better, Shurrath was afraid of him.
Isaac stopped himself. He didn’t want to go quite that far. As they travelled deeper and deeper into the Relyeh ancient’s territory, where more and more of his followers were surely lying in wait, why would he fear Sheriff Duke? Hayden was a crack shot with a high pain tolerance, and his augmented arms made him a severe brawler. But he was still only one man. Determination and true grit would only get him so far.
But would it get him far enough?
“Dutch!” Camila shouted. “Potty break. I gotta piss.”
The driver directed the horses to a stop. Isaac glanced over at the woman. “I need to go too,” he said, rattling his hand in its chains.
“Figured you would,” Camila replied. “Alexander, keep him covered.”
The big man had been across from Isaac the entire time. He hadn’t spoken a single word the whole day. He hadn’t moved much either, but he hadn’t fallen asleep. His eyes had stayed on Isaac, barely blinking, like a dog watching a piece of meat and waiting for permission to devour it.
Now, he shifted his weight forward, reaching across the carriage and deftly unlocking the handcuffs from the bar on the coach. Then he shoved open the door and motioned for Isaac to get out.
Isaac slid from the seat and down to the ground, his legs burning from the effort. He took a couple of steps away from the coach, noticing Dutch on his left and the other man, Matthias, on his right, aiming their rifles at him.
“Just stretching my legs,” Isaac said. “It’s been a long ride.”
“We still have a long way to go,” Camila said, coming around the transport. She pointed to a large rock a dozen meters away. “There.” She put her hand on Isaac’s shoulder and started leading him to it.
“How long have you had the khoron inside you?” Isaac asked as they walked.
“Why does it matter?”
“I’m curious.”
They had barely spoken inside the carriage. Camila seemed almost as unnerved by Alexander as he was. She relaxed slightly now.
“Four years,” she said.
“Did you want it, in the beginning?”
“Sort of. I fell in love with a follower.”
“Alexander?”
“Please. Alexander is a rabid dog Ushke keeps on a tight leash.”
“His khoron?”
“Yes. We all have to be careful around him. He overpowers Ushke sometimes, even after all these years. At least, that’s what he would have us believe.”
They reached the rock. Isaac glanced back toward the coach. Alexander was still watching him as he passed behind it with Camila.
“Don’t be shy, Ike,” she said, unbuckling her pants.
“How do you know I won’t knock you down and run while you’re peeing?”
She remained unfazed. “Run where? As soon as you com
e out from behind this rock without me, Alexander’s leash will come off.” She pulled her pants down and squatted. Isaac turned away, grabbing at his pants.
“Aww. Are you shy, Sergeant?”
“It’s called respect,” he replied.
“For me? We aren’t friends.”
“We aren’t enemies either,” Isaac said. “I’ve had a lot of time to think. I want to be on the right side. Shurrath’s side.”
“Really?” She didn’t sound convinced.
Isaac didn’t answer right away, relieving himself and fixing his pants before turning around. Camila had already done the same. “Yes.”
“Even though Shurrath killed your son?”
Isaac had to fight to stay convincing. “It was a long time ago.”
“Not to you.”
“Things are different now. The whole world is different.”
“I can’t argue with that.”
“I joined Sheriff Duke because he was there when I thought I was in trouble. Because Junk never bothered to explain what all of this was about before he tried to stick a khoron in me. But like I said, I’ve had some time to think about it. I don’t see the value in resisting. Even if Sheriff Duke is coming after me.”
“I thought you might catch on when we diverted east.”
“I’m just surprised you’re afraid of him.”
“I’m not afraid of him.”
Isaac heard footsteps approaching the rock. Probably Alexander. They had lingered too long.
“Then why did we divert?”
Camila’s smile sent a chill running down his spine.
“We aren’t trying to escape him,” she replied, glancing past him to Alexander.
Isaac’s eyes flicked to Alexander, and he understood. The quiet man wasn’t coming with them from here.
“Does that bother you?” Camila asked.
“No,” Isaac replied, maintaining his composure. “Why would it? I want to prove myself to Shurrath. The past is the past. Jason is dust. Do you have another khoron? I’ll accept it gladly.”
Camila smiled. “Not here, but it can be arranged. I’ll inform Shurrath of your change of heart once we’re back underway.” She smiled at Alexander. “You know what to do.”
He nodded. “We have a deal,” he said, his voice like gravel.
“Kill the sheriff. Then we’ll see about that.”
He grunted, his eyes still locked on Isaac. Camila didn’t lead him this time, walking out ahead of him and expecting him to follow. They returned to the carriage while Alexander remained behind the rock.
“How do you know Sheriff Duke will come past this way?”
“We left clues for him to follow.”
“And he won’t smell this ambush from a mile away?”
“It doesn’t matter. He’ll walk right into it because he wants to get to you.”
Isaac knew that much was true. “He killed the brute. You don’t think he can handle Alexander?”
“Cain was strong. Very strong. Alexander is a different animal altogether. He was one of Shurrath’s first devotees. He accepted Ushke without resistance. From what I’ve heard, he was a Space Force Marine, like you. He wanted to be on one of the ships off the planet, but he wasn’t selected. His people left him here to die.” She smiled. “Now he’ll never die. Not as long as he has Ushke. He’s over two hundred years old. He’s killed an entire ship’s worth of people during that time. Even so, I bet Alexander that Sheriff Duke will kill him.”
“Why?”
“For the thrill, I suppose.”
“What if you win?”
“Then Alexander will be dead. That’s good enough for me.”
“What if you lose?”
“He can have what he tried to take at the house.”
“You must be hoping the sheriff wins.”
She laughed. “I’m not sure. I made the wager as an incentive.”
They reached the coach. Camila climbed in first, returning to her seat. Isaac entered behind her.
“Aren’t you going to lock me up?” he asked, taking a seat across from her.
She responded by retrieving the key from her pocket and handing it to him. “Alliances begin with an act of trust.”
Isaac took the key, meeting Camila’s eyes. He nodded and unlocked the cuff from his wrist. He wasn’t sure if she believed him or was making a game of his change of heart. Testing him.
He had wanted to earn her trust so he could break it. But now? He wondered if he should give his position more serious thought. Hayden was one thing. But what about the world beyond the sheriff and his United Western Territories? What about Proxima? What about the Axon?
Did he need to forgive Shurrath to join him?
Chapter 14
You cannot avoid me. You cannot sneak up on me. My eyes are everywhere. My hands are everywhere. Earth is already mine, Sheriff.
Hayden reached up, shifting his hat to scratch his head. The sun was hanging low on his right, the second full day of his journey coming to a close. Shurrath’s words had been repeating in his mind the entire time, a mantra of truth that try as he might, he couldn’t deny.
Was his mission already doomed to failure? He was heading directly into the territory of an enemy who could almost literally be anyone, anywhere. At any time.
And he was alone.
He still didn’t regret the decision. If he were doomed to fail, then it was better he were the only one to suffer the consequences. And it was better Nat was in Sanisco, where she had a chance to react to Shurrath’s next move. Rico would be coming soon too. Maybe she could convince their Centurion liaison to get them some actual damn help for once.
Who was he kidding? Proxima was more likely to send an envoy to try to negotiate peace with the Hunger than they were to help the survivors on Earth.
It didn’t matter if the odds were stacked against him. He had to find a way to even them out.
He had an idea.
It was a long shot, and it was going to cost him time he might not have, but Shurrath had made the futility of his original plan crystal clear. He couldn’t go south past UWT territory as Sheriff Hayden Duke. Even wearing the clothes he had taken to disguise himself wouldn’t be enough. The number of people with a single augment was already low. One percent or less. The number of people with two? He was a rare breed. Only Rain, with her three augments, had been more rare, though he couldn’t rule out that there was someone, somewhere who had replaced all of their limbs. He had heard about entire communities of modders who worked tirelessly to integrate the mechanical with the organic. They turned themselves into cyborgs of varying degrees.
Which meant he would stand out no matter what clothes he wore. No, he needed more than that. He needed to change his entire appearance. He needed to be someone else.
He had a vague idea of how to accomplish the feat. And if his hunch was right, the one thing he needed most was going to fall into his lap.
Well, not exactly fall.
He had remained on the same road the entire time, following the evidence of the fleeing car. It had stayed the course, so he had stayed the course. But the further he traveled, the more convinced he became that the evidence was too apparent. The movement of obstacles blocking the road and the presence of tracks through dirt patches and even over thicker vegetation had been intentionally placed to lead him on. Into a trap. Shurrath knew he wasn’t going to give up. So why not help him keep pace with Isaac? Why not lead him in? It was foolish of him to follow blindly, and at the same time, it was better to keep doing what the Relyeh ancient expected, at least for now.
You cannot avoid me. You cannot sneak up on me. My eyes are everywhere. My hands are everywhere. Earth is already mine, Sheriff.
Hayden could practically feel the eyes on him as he finally strayed from the road, tracking the car away from the interstate and down a crumbling ramp back into an abandoned town. A single main drag of stores was surrounded by three and four-story apartment buildings and neatly organized develo
pments of once-quaint single-family houses. The car had stopped at the front end of the strip, leaving a fresh slick of leaking oil in the middle of the road. Then it continued onward to one of the housing developments.
A single large stone rested at the edge of the street, the name of the property etched into its face. The rock was covered in moss and algae, but the name was still visible. Eastwind Estates.
Hayden stopped Zorro ahead of it, peering down the street. There were houses on either side, all of them nearly identical, equally spaced down to the centimeter. They were all filthy, some more ramshackle than others, mainly depending on the condition of their roofs. A few had broken windows and were sprayed with graffiti. Old, dead cars rested in most of the driveways.
One car stood out—a modbox surrounded in armor plating and spines. A car renovated for today’s landscape. It was parked in the street in front of one of the more intact houses.
Hayden slid off Zorro, leaving the horse at the head of the street. There was no light coming from any of the houses, but that didn’t mean they were unoccupied. There was still enough light to see, though it was fading fast.
He made his way down the street by moving to the houses on the left and skirting through the high grass and weeds overgrowing their yards. Most of the lots once had fences, but they were rotted and mostly collapsed now, the decayed wood in pieces on the ground. Here and there he ran across reminders of past civilization in the form of stained and faded toys and chairs that would never decompose.
He reached the house across from the car, approaching the back door slowly and cautiously, drawing one of his revolvers as he neared. It would be easy for Shurrath’s followers to set up an ambush here, to put the car in one place and wait for him in another. But would they linger in this spot with Ike instead of moving on? Was he following two vehicles? Or was this something else?
He entered the house. It had a musty smell, and mold was visibly growing on too damp walls. If anyone had been in the house recently, they hadn’t left any sign of their presence. Nothing appeared disturbed or out of place. There was no lingering smell of body odor or sweat, and Hayden didn’t have a natural gut instinct that the site was unsafe. He didn’t let that cause him to rush through. He took each corner slowly, keeping to his training as a law officer until he was wholly convinced the building was clear.
