The aftermath drifted to the forest floor and even coated the giant. The cleaners on his visor wiped it quickly off his screen, and he scanned the area before his attention focused on a moving, human-shaped dust cloud.
“Neat trick,” a mocking voice said. Gin decloaked, the left side of his body greyed with dust. “For a second there, I thought you were a lousy shot.”
“Even with that, you’d still have an advantage staying cloaked,” the head officer observed and turned his whole body to face the killer, his rifle at the ready. “Why come out?”
“I simply want a little fun, Officer,” the man confessed and folded his arms. “These last few weeks have been equal parts dull and stressful. My plan was to head back to Seattle after the virus was released and have a grand old time, but you, the commander, and your little guards had to make a big deal of everything.”
“You attacked our school,” Wolfson challenged. “Took down our systems, murdered Raynor and Hancock—and Egon as well, I assume.”
“That would be a safe bet,” he admitted. “Although, to be fair, Egon was the only one who needed to die. To keep him as a hostage would have been inconvenient, and he didn’t seem like the type to take a payoff.” The killer circled the large man as he counted off on his fingers. “As for Raynor, that was simply a classic case of being at the wrong place at the wrong time. And…Hancock, you said? I assume that was the guard who fired at me in the flyer? It speaks for itself, doesn’t it?”
“What about Kaiden? Was that some petty revenge on the one who got away?”
“Ah, yes, Kaiden. It’s funny how things line up like that, isn’t it?” Gin returned thoughtfully. “To be honest, he’s the whole reason I came back to this planet at first. Some people want him dead.”
“What? Old gang rivals or something?”
The killer laughed in surprise. “He has that many people after him? It wouldn’t surprise me. He seems the cocky sort, and it’s easy to cross the wrong people with an attitude like that. Trust me, I would know.” He shook his head. “No, sir. Do you honestly think any gang would have the creds or ability to interest me? This was some sort of shadow collective. They have big plans from what I assume and have a particular interest in the Academy as a whole. Also Kaiden, interestingly enough, although I think he might merely be a booby prize in the grand scheme of things.”
Wolfson was quiet and simply stared at his adversary from behind his helmet. “You don’t have any reason to make up such a long-winded story. You prefer to let your actions—your killing—build your story.”
“We all have our own technique when it comes to legacy, don’t we?”
“Why tell me all this? You don’t think they would come after you if they wanted to keep this ‘collective’ a secret?”
“They can certainly try. My tally has been rather low since I returned, and I could use the numbers.” Gin spoke casually and stopped in his tracks. “I don’t owe them anything anymore, and I no longer work for them. As for why I bother, would you believe I don’t have the chance to have any real conversations? Most people I meet simply try to kill me.”
The head officer raised his rifle meaningfully. “You don’t think I won’t?”
“Despite the fact that you keep calling me a fool, I’m not so stupid that I would believe that.” He moved his hand to Macha’s hilt. “I don’t see therapists that much, but even I have stuff to get off my chest.”
“I’ll help you with that. I can blow that chest open, and it should relieve a hell of a lot of stress.”
“Cute. I can’t say I’ve heard that threat before,” Gin lowered his stance and drew his blade out slightly. “I wonder if you can back that up.”
They stood motionless, both cold and determined as they stared wordlessly at one another. The killer was the first to move, and he activated his cloak again and dashed at the giant. Wolfson simply aimed his rifle downward and fired, and the force of the blast shoved his attacker into an awkward stumbling lurch. The large man ran forward and crunched the killer aside with the butt of his weapon. He made to follow through with a vicious kick, but his opponent spun and side-stepped the attack. His grin wide, he skimmed the edge of his blade along Wolfson’s leg and slashed it across his chest. It dug deep and sliced through the armor.
Rather than back away, Wolfson leaned into the assault. He allowed the tip of the blade to cut across his chest as he moved close enough to grab the man’s neck. With a low grunt of effort, he thrust his head into Gin’s and rattled him briefly before the killer swung the blade toward his throat. The giant ducked, forced to let go as his adversary brandished his Omni-blade with a plasma cutter and aimed for his hand.
The head officer charged another shot and released it as soon as it was ready. Gin created a quick barrier to stop the attack, but the large man closed again and drove himself through the force of the blast. He pressed a switch on his gauntlet that created a reinforced knuckleduster over his fingers and swung at the other man’s head. The killer responded by a violent attempt to grab his arm and flip him. Thankfully, his weight gave Wolfson the strength he needed to stand fast and instead, he whipped his arm back. The force launched the smaller man overhead, and the head officer raised his rifle and fired into the killer’s chest as he careened into a nearby tree.
Gin’s cloak deactivated as he managed to flip himself and strike the massive trunk with both feet to thrust himself away. He rolled on the ground and stopped on his feet, grimaced, and twisted his neck to the side. “You’re fairly quick for a big guy.”
“And you’re much more durable than I would have thought for an underfed-looking freak,” Wolfson snarled.
“Your insults sting.” The killer traced a hand across his chest and the gesture revealed cracks in his armor. “But you’ve landed some good blows. That last shot pierced my armor’s shielding. Not bad. It makes you the sixth person to do that.” Gin sheathed both his blades. The giant made no effort to respond and simply ensured that his rifle remained trained on him. “You are definitely a warrior and won’t let me get away—like Magellan, but unlike Kaiden.”
“Kaiden’s as much a warrior as I was,” the head officer stated. “He has a natural talent and his skills are some of the best I’ve seen. It wasn’t his responsibility to take you down.”
“Perhaps, but if I was one of the first people to put an edge of fear into him, is it not cowardly to leave me on the loose?” Gin questioned. “If we go by codes of honor or morals or whatnot, frankly, I gave up on those a while ago. There isn’t much use for them in space.”
Wolfson grimaced and fired, and the other man leapt up to land on a branch as his opponent vented his gun. “He’s not seen the likes of you, even in his old life.”
“I suppose not. It’s good to see the Academy finally dealt with that problem within their own ranks,” Gin hissed.
“I know your little tragedy—read your profile, actually.” Wolfson selected a thermal. “Every soldier has to deal with their first monster. It’s what you do afterward that shows your character, and Kaiden kept training and fighting. He would have come after you one day.” He activated the grenade and lobbed it at his adversary, who created a shield that blocked the blast but knocked him back to the ground. The killer took a knife from each gauntlet and threw them at Wolfson, who turned his head to the side to dodge one and snatched the other in flight and hurled it away.
“So I’m the one in the wrong? Avenging a fallen comrade? That’s evil?” Gin asked. His voice tried to remain neutral, but wrath crept in despite his determination to control it.
“I’m not one to judge the act of revenge. I made plenty of decisions in my career based on that. Sometimes, I’ll admit it felt good, and at other times, it cost me even more than before.” He closed the vent on his rifle. “But you decided to keep your petty vendetta going and took it out on those who simply tried to do good in the world—in the universe.”
“I don’t pick and choose, fool,” Gin retorted. “You claim to stand for s
omething—soldier, merc, gang member, officer, terrorist—and you wanna test that? I’m happy to oblige.” He straightened. “Even the good ones have some gray.”
“Is that right?” Wolfson sneered. “You ran away after killing those who killed your friend—the one you took your name from, Gin. You felt remorse then, but you don’t anymore, do you? You’re merely chasing a thrill, not some nihilistic philosophy.”
The killer was silent and stared at the other man, his head angled to the side and his hands clasped behind his back. “This isn’t fun anymore.”
The giant smiled. “I feel fine.”
Gin opened his hands and a flashbang fell. It erupted as Wolfson’s visor darkened in response, and when his vision cleared, several Gins sprinted deeper into the forest. Holograms.
But his pursuer knew which one was the original, and he wouldn’t let him get away.
Chapter Nineteen
Kaiden fired two shots from Sire, and both struck the Guardian droid. One ripped its gunnery arm away and the other separated its right thigh from the body. It chunked heavily into a pile of scrap, effectively neutralized.
He vented his weapon and drew Debonair to fire several shots into the droid’s chest. With things the way they were, it was better to be sure than have some half-mangled monster creep up and end his options.
“That makes fifteen for me, but who’s counting?” He chuckled as he caught up to Sasha and the droid parts and pieces that had piled behind the commander. His eyes narrowed as he frowned and tried to count them in his head. “How many of them?”
“Twenty, including the seven I took out earlier,” Sasha advised him and motioned for him to follow. “But who’s counting?”
“Mine were bigger,” the ace muttered as he fell in behind the commander after one last look at the pile. “You’re using a sniper rifle, right? Why are they in a pile like that instead of simply shot through.”
“I’m thorough,” Sasha stated cryptically. He paused in front of a tree and tapped on it three times. “We’re here.”
“At a tree?” Kaiden asked, the damage count vanishing as confusion set in. “Is this some sort of secret bomb or something?”
“Secret, yes. Bomb, no.” A panel appeared on the tree. “It’s good to see that this is still here. This will make survival a little easier.” He pressed a few keys and the panel disappeared. “It’s open. Only a few more yards.”
“What’s open?” he asked as he looked back. “The next wave should be on the way soon.” He’d barely spoken the words when what sounded like rapid laser fire erupted into the silence. “What the hell?”
“That’s likely the turrets I just activated. They should keep them at bay for a few waves,” Sasha explained. “But using that terminal also opened a bunker deeper in the forest.”
“There’s a bunker on this map? It seems out of the way and unnecessary for a retrieval mission.”
“This wasn’t always for a retrieval mission. The map was used for a survival op back when I was a student.” Sasha pointed beyond the trees. “There—that hill. Get over there.”
Kaiden nodded and ran forward as the older man brought up the rear to cover him. The ace sprinted to the hill and frowned when he couldn’t make out a door or entrance. When he was within several feet of the dune, a shimmer caught his attention a few seconds before a metal door appeared. He grabbed the large latch and pulled, and the door opened slowly. The commander pushed in on his heels and closed the door behind them.
It was pitch black for a moment before several lights illuminated their path down the stairs. They walked down several floors to a holding area with several seats and a table, but more importantly, ammo cases and gun racks.
“I can make do with this,” the ace said as he inspected the weapons.
“There seems to be less here than I remember,” Sasha noted as he looked around. “I wonder if that is because the map was changed or because you never came here, so Chief had some information missing when he recreated the map.”
He froze at the mention of the EI’s name. “I wonder what he did, or if the virus was the reason he disappeared,” he ventured reluctantly and glanced at his companion. “Do you think he’s all right?”
The older man placed his rifle on the table. “I couldn’t say, Kaiden. My knowledge of EIs is somewhat limited, even with all my experience and the years I’ve had with Isaac. All I can offer is that if Laurie doesn’t know, I couldn’t hazard a guess.”
Kaiden sighed as he walked over to the table, placed his pistol on the surface, and sat to kick his legs up beside the weapon. “It’s kind of ironic how much I care about the little glow-y bastard now. For most of my first year, I thought I would rip my implant out myself. Now, he’s grown on me so much I’m worried I’ll lose him because of a mistake.”
“It’s not your fault, Kaiden. Gin caught us all off-guard,” Sasha reminded him. “If the truth be told, I think it was as much Gin’s machinations as it was all of us getting too comfortable in this Academy. We thought ourselves safe from intrusion or attack, even though we already had signs of attempts.”
“Seriously? When? By who?” he asked curiously. He had honestly thought the Academy nearly impenetrable from anything other than an army. “That shield could probably break diamonds.”
“It wasn’t only the shield. Our cyber security was better than almost anything, besides a few conglomerates running their own experimental systems and, of course, the WC.” Sasha tapped his fingers on the table and sighed. “I should be honest, since we have this time, and I have to confess that I’ve kept much from you, Kaiden.”
“I should let you know that I’m not the best when it comes to touchy-feely stuff. So unless this specifically has to do with me, it’s all right if you don’t—”
“Those breaches targeted you, as far as we can tell,” Sasha revealed. “Do you remember those odd tests you had during your first year? Where you were confronted by Asiton droids?”
“Yeah. I was told those were random simulations that occasionally cropped up as bonuses or to test students.” That had made sense at the time and he hadn’t questioned them further, although the implications now rapidly became clearer.
“Did you really think we would send Asiton droids after initiates? The droids that caused a two-year long war and took advanced weapons and entire teams of trained soldiers to defeat?” Sasha balked. “No, not at all, but I suppose I should thank you for taking us at our word.”
“I guess I’ll be more mindful of that from now on,” Kaiden replied sarcastically, a little annoyed. “So what’s the deal, then? You said someone was targeting me? Why?”
“It’s speculation at this point. When you made your first reports, Laurie and I looked into the disturbances and found code in the system that would load those droids at certain intervals. At first, we believed they were put there by a spy or infiltrator, removed them, and locked the system, but it was much deeper than that. We were finally able to purge them before the start of the second year—secretly, of course—with the update.”
The ace nodded as his thoughts worked to process what he’d heard. “Do you have any idea who is after me or why?”
“We have speculation, but nothing concrete,” the commander admitted. “We believe it to be something called the Arbiter Organization, a rogue sector of the WC. We don’t know what their main goal is and aren’t sure if they are a real organization or merely a handful of desperate people working toward their own ends. But either way, they seem to have the ability and resources to achieve their goals, at least thus far, and they’ve taken an interest in our Academy and you.”
“It’s always the doom clouds that follow me,” he grumbled. “I probably shouldn’t try my hand at gambling anytime soon.”
“Maybe not fiscal gambling, no, but you do seem to do well with the occasional desperate ploy,” Sasha sounded upbeat, an attempt to appease the ace.
“That’s more skill than anything else. You guys really should have more faith i
n me, you know,” he pointed out. “You were the one who brought me here after only seeing me fight once.”
Sasha closed his eyes for a moment. “I’ve never told you much about me, have I?”
“No, but you don’t seem to tell most people from what I know,” Kaiden said. “I thought it was merely the mysterious military commander profile.”
The older man undid the locks on his chest plate. “I wasn’t always a military man and certainly didn’t come from it.” He removed the piece of armor and placed it on the floor. “My father was actually a drug runner for a gang in Los Angeles. He cared for us as best he could, but my older brother and I despised what he did. In our youth and stupidity, we ran away to Texas to stay with family and start a gang of our own—one that wouldn’t deal with such dark professions. In fact, we would deal with them ourselves, and we would never miss our mark.”
Kaiden, who had intended to ask why he was giving him his life story, had his words dry in his throat at the last remark. “Wait, a Texas gang…never miss… You created the Dead-Eyes?”
Sasha slipped two fingers around the neck of his underlay and slid it down to reveal the skull and horns tattoo on his chest. “To be fair, my older brother and a few of his friends have that distinction, but we never really bickered about that too much.” He lowered his fingers and leaned back. “I knew about you, even before you came to Seattle. Even when I joined the Academy, I always kept an eye and ear on the gang.”
“What made you leave?”
“While we believed our cause was noble, the law is still always suspicious when it comes to vigilantism—among other things we did to survive.” The commander shrugged and gestured vaguely with his hands. “It eventually caught up to me after a bad gig. I wasn’t an official merc and we were working on a tip-off. I was caught while the others got away, but my reputation as a gunman was already well known in the area. I was offered two choices—either to come to the Academy with an inflated debt once I finished, or spend around a decade, maybe two, in jail.”
Animus Boxed Set 2 (Books 5-8): Revenant, Glitch, Master, Infiltration Page 35
