by P. T. Hylton
As sincere as the apology sounded, she wasn’t about to start handing out forgiveness just yet. “If that’s really you in there, why the hell did you shoot Robert?”
“You don’t understand the control that my masters have over me. I want to help you kill Mark and Aaron, I swear to God, but if you freed me I would kill Jaden’s entire team and drag Jaden back to my masters the first chance I got. Those are my orders.”
Alex felt the anger rising in her chest. It made her sick to hear him give up like that. “You have to fight, Firefly. You’re strong. You need to resist them.”
He shook his head weakly. “It doesn’t work like that. My body has no choice but to obey. Their will overrides my own. I don’t know why you saved me, but it would be best for all of us if you just finished me off right now.”
Alex glanced down at the Resettlement patch he still wore on his jacket. She thought of the dinner she’d had with him at the fancy restaurant in the Hub. The way he’d been so smug and refused to see the truth. Three hundred people had paid the price for his arrogance, and plenty more still might before this was over.
Fleming was an asshole, but at least he was a naive asshole. Firefly had been to the surface and seen the Ferals up close. He should have known better, yet he’d still gone ahead with Resettlement.
And yet, there were plenty of times Firefly had come through for her. He’d saved her ass half a dozen times on missions. She’d fought back-to-back with him in the NSA facility only a couple months ago, both trusting each other completely, nothing but their faith in each other keeping them alive.
She reached down and put a hand on his shoulder. “I’m not giving up on you yet, Firefly. You have a lot to make up for, and I want to make sure you have the chance to do it. We just need to find your master and take him out. Jaden says that should free you from their control. Can you tell me where they are?”
Firefly opened his mouth but no words came out. He squeezed his eyes shut in frustration. “No, I can’t tell you that. I just tried, and my body would not let me say the words.”
“You always make it hard for me to be on your side. I was hoping for a little help. Is there anything you can tell us?”
He thought a moment. “I think so. I can give you details that don’t directly put my masters in danger.”
She nodded slowly. “I’ll take what I can get.”
“Okay.” He drew a deep breath, even though he didn’t need it. Force of habit, Alex supposed. “There were three hundred people turned at Fort Stearns. Aaron and Mark had burrowed under the main building days before, waiting for us to come back. Fleming sent us all down the day you went to Denver.”
“What a coward,” Alex muttered. “Had to get us out of the way before he made his move.”
“Yeah,” Firefly agreed. “Look, you were right about everything. Fleming is a fool. I am a fool. We retreated to the main building to protect ourselves from the Ferals, but we just ended up cornering ourselves. Mark and Aaron turned us all in a matter of minutes.”
Alex grimaced. She was glad she hadn’t been there to see that bloodbath. “How many of you are left?”
“About two hundred, I think. They were still gathering when I went out looking for Jaden.”
Alex patted him on the shoulder again. “Thanks, Firefly. That does help. I am going to find a way to take those bastards out and free you.”
Firefly didn’t look any less forlorn to hear that. “What then? Do we wander the earth until we turn Feral? I would rather die.” He looked up at her, his eyes pleading. “I deserve to die. I betrayed you, I betrayed the council, I failed our people. And now Sharon…”
She thought back to the female vampire whose head had been ripped off. Alex had thought she’d looked familiar, but she hadn’t been able to place her. Now she got it. It had been Sharon, Firefly’s second-in-command on the Resettlement project.
“I’m sorry, Firefly.”
“I’m going to ask one more time, Alex. Kill me. Please. It’s the only way to make sure I don’t hurt anyone else.”
Alex forced a tiny smile. “Those metal bars through your arms and legs are doing a pretty good job of that. I’m not going to kill you. You’ve screwed up a lot of lives. You’re not wrong about that. But you’re a damn vampire now, so you’re going to outlive me. You’ll have plenty of time to make up for the things you’ve done. Besides, I happen to think you’re worth saving. You gave us the radio that helped us make it to Agartha. You wanted humans to take back the Earth. You just went about it in an idiotic way.”
“You’ll get no argument from me there.”
“I’m sort of the poster child for being an idiot,” she said. “Remember when I stole the daylights for Fleming? If I don’t forgive you, how’s that going to look?” She paused, her face growing more serious. “As far as what happens after we free you, I don’t know. There are a lot of smart people on our side. We’ll think of something.”
Firefly looked up at Alex. “You know, when you first joined the team, I thought you were an egotistical asshole. I told Drew you wouldn’t last three missions. But you proved me wrong. You’d never leave a man behind, would you? Even when it’s the sensible thing to do.” A single tear slid down his cheek.
Alex swallowed hard, pushing down a lump in her throat. There was no time for sentimentality. Not today. “Pull yourself together, soldier. You just got recruited back into the GMT, and we have a hell of a lot of work to do.”
With that, she stood up and walked away. There was another conversation she needed to have, and this one would be just as difficult.
She approached Jaden slowly, not sure how to begin. What did you say to an immortal vampire who just lost his best friend? She didn’t know, and she had an idea saying the wrong thing might earn her a broken bone or two. It was partly her fault that Robert was dead. If she had let Firefly die and concentrated on helping Robert, this tragedy wouldn’t have happened.
If there was anything she knew about Jaden, it was that he was pragmatic. She hoped he’d be able to move past this and continue with the mission. Still, she couldn’t help resting a hand on the hilt of her sword as she approached him.
Jaden stood over Robert’s body, and he kept his eyes fixed on his dead friend’s face as he spoke. “I’m not going to hurt you. You can let go of your sword.”
“Oh, I didn’t—”
“It’s all right,” he said. “I understand. You think I blame you for Robert’s death. If you would have helped him instead of Firefly, my friend would be alive.”
“The thought had crossed my mind,” she admitted.
“Battle is battle. There are hundreds, maybe thousands of moments I would change if I could fight them over again. You didn’t fire the bullet that killed Robert, and I don’t blame you for his death.”
Alex relaxed slightly. “I’m sorry, Jaden, I know that he meant a lot to you.”
“You have no idea what he meant to me.” His voice was cold. “Robert and I have been like brothers for seven centuries. We have seen civilizations rise and fall. He’s been by my side for so long that I’m finding it hard to imagine what a world without him in it even looks like. It is like losing the mountains or the ocean. It’s impossible to think of them suddenly being gone.”
Alex stared down at Robert’s body. Her gaze kept drifting to his ruined head, and then she’d quickly look away.
Jaden was right. There was no way she could understand the bond he had with Robert. She’d only been teammates with Chuck, Ed, and Patrick for a couple months now, and they already felt like family. Still, she needed to find a way to get Jaden’s head back in the game. The clock was ticking, and nightfall was getting closer every minute.
She suddenly realized Jaden was looking at her.
“It is understandable that you can’t find the words,” he said. “How do you ask me to put my loss aside so we can get back to work? After all, there are things to do and time matters.” He chuckled, but the laugh was joyless. “I know everyone
around me hates the extreme patience I present when dealing with problems. And maybe it is a fault. This is a reminder that time does matter. Robert was not immortal. Nothing truly is.”
Alex figured that was about as good an opening as she was likely to get. “What do you say we get started, then? And I have an idea how we can pull this off.”
She dug around in her backpack as she explained her plan. When she found the small item she was looking for, she handed it to Jaden.
When she'd finished speaking, he stared down at the small object resting on his palm for a long moment. Then he closed his hand around it. “Follow me.”
Jaden stalked over to Firefly, who recoiled when he saw who was approaching.
Jaden crouched down beside him. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to hurt you. Well, no more than I have to.”
First, he twisted the metal behind Firefly's back, tightening the way the younger vampire's limbs were bound. Then he reached inside Firefly’s jacket and yanked off the shirt underneath.
“At the same time,” he continued, “I can’t have you ruining our element of surprise when we get close to your masters, which is exactly what your body would force you to do. Open up.”
Firefly looked up at him, confused.
“Open your mouth, dummy,” Alex explained.
Firefly did so, and Jaden jammed the shirt into his mouth. Then Jaden stood up and brushed off his hands. “There. The prisoner is gagged and ready. Shall we get started?”
Fleming gazed out the window in his office, frozen and staring exactly as he’d been doing for the last ten minutes. Outside, a crowd was gathering.
Sarah stole a quick glance out the window, hoping Fleming wouldn’t notice. She winced at what she saw. Every time she thought the crowd of discontents was at its peak, more showed up. The crowd was slipping out of the small square in the front of the council building where they’d initially gathered and into the street. There simply wasn’t room for all of them in the square.
These were the people loyal to Colonel Brickman and the GMT, she knew. Their signs made their loyalty clear. “CB was framed!” read one. “The council was an inside job!” said another. And then there was Sarah’s least favorite, the one that made her stomach turn. The one that felt like a time bomb waiting to go off. “Where are the Resettlers?”
Fleming hadn’t publicly said anything about Resettlement, which in and of itself was a pretty clear indication to those people paying attention that there was a major problem. How long would it be before the truth was revealed and even those loyal to Fleming turned on him?
But that wasn’t the sign that bothered Fleming most. The one he was fixating on read: “Fleming lies!” A vein stood out on his head as he stared at that one.
“Can you believe that?” Fleming asked them for the third time. By this point, Sarah and Colonel Kurtz knew better than to answer. “Have I stretched the truth from time to time? Of course. Lying is part of politics. Why is this news that needs to be scrawled on a sign and paraded through the Hub?”
Kurtz cleared his throat. “Sir, maybe you should step back from the window. Just in case.”
Fleming didn’t seem to hear. “What these ungrateful bastards don’t understand is that every time I lied, every single time, it was to make their lives easier. The truth is a heavy burden, and the average person shouldn’t have to bear it. That’s what they elect us for.”
Sarah had spent the last few minutes considering why that sign bothered him so much, and she thought she finally understood the answer. Politicians often lied, it was true. But when the people refused to believe the lies, that was the beginning of the end for any politician. That was when they lost their power. And power was the one thing Fleming most cherished.
“Sir,” Kurtz said again. “The window. Would you please step back?”
This time Fleming turned toward him and blinked hard as he took in the man’s words. “I’m sorry, are you implying that my people, the people I have given so much to serve, would take a shot at me, Colonel?”
“It’s just a precaution, sir.”
Fleming turned back to the window. “We are in a crisis, and this type of protest isn’t acceptable at a time like this. I want you and the badges to go down there and tell those people to go home, Colonel Kurtz. Anyone who disobeys is to be considered a traitor and must be shot.”
Kurtz and Sarah exchanged a glance. Sarah saw the same panic she felt reflected in Kurtz’s eyes. Fleming was really losing it, and they both knew it. Killing citizens for protesting would be his last move. If that happened, the city would revolt. It would be civil war.
“They still love you,” Sarah said quickly, “they’ve just forgotten it. If you use too much stick right now, you could lose them forever. You need to remind them you are their best hope for the future.”
Fleming turned toward her, and she saw his eyes were bloodshot. He hadn’t slept since the attempt on CB’s life two days ago, she realized. He wasn’t taking care of himself. Maybe that was why he was losing control.
“When was the last time that you ate, sir?” she asked.
Fleming tilted his head in surprise. He hadn’t expected that question. “Why does that matter?”
“I know that every moment counts right now, but if you aren’t at the top of your game, everything could fall apart. I’m going to get you some food and Kurtz and his badges will get rid of the crowd. Peacefully. You need to get some sleep, or you will start making mistakes.”
Fleming stepped close and glared at her. But she couldn’t back down now.
“Sir, you are a great man, but you are still a man. Your body has needs. Don’t push yourself over the edge.”
Fleming said nothing for a long moment. Then he turned back to the window.
Sarah gritted her teeth. She’d tried, but she’d failed. If she couldn’t get through to Fleming, no one could. As much as she hated to think about it, she needed to start planning an exit strategy that would allow her to survive when the people took Fleming down once and for all.
Then Fleming spoke. “Fine. I’ll eat. Kurtz, I don’t care about this crowd. Let them wear themselves out shouting and protesting. They’re just another distraction from the real goal. We need to keep our focus on getting rid of CB.”
Kurtz nodded briskly, and the relief was clear in his voice when he answered, “Of course, sir. I think that’s a good call.”
“I’m going to eat and then rest like Sarah suggested. I’ll sleep for an hour, and when I wake up, I expect to you to tell me that CB is dead.”
Sarah hurried out of the room to get Fleming his food. She felt a twinge of guilt that the thought of turning on Fleming had even entered her mind, but she was relieved that he had come to his senses. Things were back on track. Soon CB would be dead and they could start deciding what to do about Resettlement.
Brian stared down at his echolocation device.
“How we looking?” CB asking impatiently.
“Hard to say.”
CB frowned. “You have a device that can see around corners and down every passageway on this level, and it’s still hard to say?”
“Yep.”
Ever since their rest, the three of them had been making much better time. After turning off the defense turrets and hacking the necessary systems in the control tower, they were making their way to the GMT hangar. It was a desperate move, since Fleming’s men would almost certainly be looking for them there, but they needed a few more people on their side to pull this off. CB figured if anyone remained loyal to him, it had to be the support staff he’d worked hand-in-hand with for twenty years.
Besides, the road to Frank the vampire started at the GMT hangar.
Brian was still struggling to keep up, but he made up for his lack of speed with the fact that his invention had saved their asses multiple times already.
CB didn’t know what was going on in the rest of the city, but whatever it was must have had Fleming spooked. The tunnels were crawling with badges and fac
eless GMT soldiers. They’d had some close calls, but so far, they’d managed to stay out of any more entanglements.
Brian made an adjustment on his device. “There we go. I got it now. The tunnel’s clear ahead. Let’s move.”
The three hurried down an empty passageway. CB knew that going to the GMT hangar was potentially dangerous. If Fleming didn’t have troops stationed there, he surely had someone watching the place. If they were spotted, they could end up cornered in the hangar. CB just hoped there were enough staff people loyal to him that they could fight their way out if need be. Besides, no one knew the GMT headquarters better than him, and he knew of a few passages that weren’t common knowledge. They just need to get there.
A clanging noise coming from behind them caused CB to turn. An access hatch in the ceiling hung open above the spot they’d just passed.
“Oh, shit,” CB muttered.
A pair of legs dropped through the access panel, and a moment later the rest of the man became visible and he dropped to the ground.
“Run!” CB shouted. He turned and took off, hoping his two companions would be able to keep up. If he set a fast pace, they’d have no choice but to do their best to match him.
He heard the loud thumps of three more bodies dropping from the access hatch to the ground, but he didn’t bother looking back. It would only slow him down.
How had the badges found them? The only explanation CB could think of was that they’d been waiting up there watching for anyone to pass below. That must have been why the echolocation device hadn’t spotted them.
Was Fleming really so desperate that he was stationing groups of badges to peek through random access panels in the off chance the fugitives might wander by? Sadly, CB believed the answer to that question was yes.
From behind him, he heard the crackle of a radio, and one of the badges said, “We got them! Sector Twelve!”
That meant reinforcements would be on the way. Not good.
