“He’s a fucking criminal,” Jonah snarled, moving up next to Sam, Billy at his shoulder.
Her composed expression didn’t change. “Since he was willing to be the first to receive the procedure, I assumed he had a… troubled past.”
“Did you even bother to find out what that past consisted of?” Sam asked.
“Some trouble with a woman, I believe.” She raised an eyebrow. “Nothing violent.”
“Nothing violent?” Jonah yelled. “He was hunting down homeless people. For sport.”
For the first time, Serena’s calm demeanor seemed to crack. “That is… unfortunate. But I’m sure he won’t be a problem on Mars.”
“Won’t he?” Billy’s hands gripped the desk so tightly that the wood splintered. “That bastard stole our son.”
The color drained from her already pale complexion.
“He did what?” she whispered.
“You heard him,” he snapped. “He stole our son. He’s only six weeks old. Where would he take him?”
“The new city,” she said immediately. “He has a villa there.”
Reaching into her desk, she pulled out a small black box and handed it to Sam. “Electronic key fob. It will let you through the gate and into any house in the complex. Do you want me to alert security?”
“No. I don’t want to take any chances on him harming the baby. It would be better to surprise him.”
She nodded, her cheeks still white. “I’ll tell them to keep out of your way, but you’d better hurry. Those places aren’t designed for unaltered humans.”
Fear made his blood turn to ice, despite the nanites racing through his system, trying to keep him calm. Billy’s hand gripped his arm.
“We’ll find him, Sarge.”
“I know.”
As Bill raced back down the stairs with the others, a fourth cyborg joined them.
“I heard,” he said briefly. “What’s the plan?”
“This is W-246, my replacement,” Sam said as they reached the lobby.
They found their horses waiting, forming a rough semicircle around the base of the stairs and warding off anyone who approached with outflung hooves. W-246 gave them an amazed glance.
“What are they doing?”
“Anything they can to help.” Sam vaulted into the saddle. “Get your horse and meet us at the south end of town. We’re heading for a secret GenCon complex.”
“You’re gonna have to explain why you didn’t tell me about that one!” W-246 yelled over his shoulder as he took off around the side of the building.
The rest of them were already on the move. Bill had already decided he wasn’t going to wait for the fourth man but to his surprise, W-246 was only a few seconds behind them.
“Always ready.” The new cyborg flashed a quick grin before his face turned serious. “Let’s get this bastard.”
They headed south, skirting the boundary of Morgan and Hattie’s claim.
“Where are we going?” he called as they raced along a towering rocky escarpment.
“One of GenCon’s little secrets,” Sam muttered, skidding to a stop before a smooth wall of stone and pointing the key fob at it.
“Why are we—”
The rockface began to open, revealing a long, twisted tunnel carved out of the natural stone. The only sign of human intervention was the flat, wide floor. As soon as the rock slid aside far enough for them to enter, they urged their horses inside. The pounding hooves echoed through the tunnel until they emerged on a platform overlooking a wide cavern. Below them lay the beginnings of a vast city.
Under other circumstances, he would have been shocked and curious but now all he could do was look at the number of buildings below in despair. There were too many; they would need more men to search them all. Before he could suggest calling for assistance, Galahad threw up his head, his nostrils flaring and charged down the wide road. Without waiting for instructions, the other horses fell in with the young stallion.
“Reckon he knows where he’s going?” Sam asked.
“Daisy said she thought he sensed that bastard’s presence. He was kicking out the stall when she went to get him.”
“Good enough for me.”
The city was laid out on a grid, wide streets edged with an astonishing array of plants separating big white buildings set in their own parklike surroundings.
“What the fuck is this place?” W-246 whistled.
Right now, he didn’t care. All he cared about was getting his son back.
Storm suddenly came to halt, stepping in front of Galahad and blocking the path.
“That one over there,” Jonah said softly before Bill could protest. “The lights are on.”
The villa was set at the farthest edge of the city, perched at the wide cavern opening and looking out over the vast crater below. With one accord, they dismounted and the Sarge flung his medical bag over his shoulder, ignoring Bill’s horrified look.
“Sam, you take the back,” Jonah ordered. “W-246, you and Billy watch the sides. I’ll go in the front.”
“We’ll go in the front,” he corrected. “Together.”
He saw Jonah about to protest, saw his finger brush his scars, but then they all heard the thin, exhausted cry of an unhappy baby and there was no more discussion.
Jonah kicked in the front door, Bill close behind him, while the other two headed around back. The cry sounded again, followed by a man swearing, and they took off at a run, following the weak cries through several large, ornate rooms to an open terrace overlooking the crater. A man was standing next to the wall, staring down at the carrier.
This was Richard? He suddenly understood what Daisy had meant about him looking like a robot. He was unnaturally white, his face rigid and his movements stiff, but at their appearance, he lifted the carrier with cyborg-like speed and held it over the wall.
“Stop right there.”
Bill froze, afraid to even breathe.
“So you’re my replacements,” the man snarled. “Hardly a step up. In fact, I’d definitely say Daisy is moving down the evolutionary ladder. Fucking machines.”
“Don’t exactly look human yourself,” Jonah growled. “Give us our son.”
“Your son? I’m the one who fucked the little bitch. He’s my son.”
Bill’s gaze went red and he made an abortive movement before he caught Jonah’s signal. The bastard was deliberately goading them. Instead of heading towards him, he took a small step to the side just as Jonah did the same thing in the other direction. The further apart they were, the easier it would be for one of them to distract him and the other to attack.
“You can drop those guns,” Richard ordered. When they hesitated, he shook the carrier.
Bill unfastened his holster and let it drop as Jonah did the same. Hopefully, the son of a bitch would now think that they were defenseless. His hand dropped to his leg and, at Jonah’s signal, he took another quick step to the side.
“And quit moving,” Richard snapped.
“Only one way out of this,” Jonah said calmly. “Give us the child and we’ll let you live.”
“I’m not stupid enough to fall for that.”
“I give you my word.”
Bill swallowed his instinctive protest. If Jonah gave his word, he would keep it, and this man needed to die. But Richard only laughed.
“I don’t trust anyone’s word.”
“Because you know your own can’t be trusted.”
“Whatever.” Brian wailed again and Richard gave the carrier an impatient shake. “Does this kid ever shut up?”
“He’s hungry.”
Each time Jonah spoke, Bill took another step to the right. He had a clear shot now, but the man was still dangling the carrier over the precipice below.
“I guess I should have brought the bitch with me after all.”
“I brought some formula for him,” Jonah offered.
“Let me see,” Richard demanded.
Jonah started to open his
duster and Richard leaned forward, bringing the carrier back over the terrace. Jonah signaled with his other hand and Bill drew the weapon out of his leg holster. He didn’t hesitate, aiming right between the man’s eyes. He saw his head explode, saw him topple backwards over the wall, saw the carrier start tumbling to the ground, but then Jonah was there, sliding across the terrace to brace the carrier just as it hit the ground. He heard a small snap just as Jonah seized it. Sam and W-246 came racing out of the villa.
“Where is he?”
“Down there.” Jonah gestured with his head, too busy examining their son to look up. Bill joined him, equally frantic. The baby was still squalling, his face red and wrinkled, but he appeared uninjured.
“He looks okay.”
Brian’s cries were quieting now.
“Do I need to go after him?” W-246 asked. “If he does have cyborg enhancements, he might have lived.”
“It was a kill shot,” he said, too worried about their son to explain. “He didn’t survive.”
The ranger cast a puzzled glance at their guns, still discarded on the ground, but before he could question them, Jonah interrupted, his voice frantic.
“He’s not getting enough air. I didn’t reach the carrier in time. It’s cracked. We have to get him to somewhere that has oxygen.”
Horror spread through Jonah as he remembered their frantic run through the building. There were no airlocks, no enclosed spaces. He’d failed again.
Billy met his eyes, his face equally horrified. “This place isn’t designed for that.”
His hands hovered over the latch to the small dome, fear paralyzing him. “Maybe I can breathe for him, into him.”
“Give him a transfusion,” Sam said urgently.
“He needs oxygen, not blood,” he snapped.
“We don’t have oxygen. Your blood is his only hope. Do it,” Sam ordered, but Jonah was already retrieving an IV line and bending over the small body, searching for a tiny vein.
There was no time for finesse. He jabbed the other end into his wrist and began feeding the blood into their son a drop at a time. For a moment, there was no change, but then the baby’s skin began to lose the blue tint, his chest rose and fell normally, and his eyes fluttered open. A moment later, he started to cry.
Thank God. Billy knelt next to him as he gathered their son close, rocking him soothingly as Brian wailed his protest.
“What the fuck just happened? The transfusion?” he asked.
“Yes,” Sam said grimly. “From a cyborg to a live subject.”
“Kami?” he guessed.
“Yes. I found out that she’d been taking her mask off and almost had a heart attack. But she doesn’t need it.”
“Now, isn’t that interesting?” a cool voice drawled from behind them.
He whirled to find Serena standing there, a pensive expression on her face. Her gaze flicked to the baby and softened slightly. “I’m glad you found him in time.”
“Only just. And your client is dead.”
She shrugged. “Unfortunate, but he had already paid in full.”
“Maybe next time you’ll be more careful in choosing your clients.”
“I have no say in the matter.” Was that a trace of bitterness in her voice? “Headquarters sends them to me. They would be very interested in this development.”
“You can’t tell them.”
An eyebrow went up. “Can’t?”
“You know what they would do,” Sam said grimly. “And Serena, so far, we only know it works on children. Do you want GenCon experimenting on children?”
“No.” Her voice was soft, her face shadowed, but a moment later she assumed her usual composure. Icy blue eyes traveled over the four of them, completely unfazed at being alone with four cyborgs who could break her with one hand. “Perhaps it would be best to keep this confidential. For now.”
He growled at the implied threat and her lips twisted in a smug smile.
“Just remember that one favor deserves another. I may have reason to call in this marker. Good day, gentlemen.”
“Why do I feel like we just made a deal with the devil?” Billy asked.
“I don’t know,” Sam said, staring after the woman. “I hate GenCon and I don’t like her, but I think she has a twisted sense of honor. I believe she’ll keep our secret.”
He looked down at his son, now sleeping peacefully in his arms. “Quite a secret. Did you mean what you said? That it only works for children?”
“I don’t know. I wanted to give Addie my blood, but she refused. She’s afraid of what would happen to us if word got out. And she believes that she’ll be able to solve the issues with the nanites eventually.”
“I want Daisy to have a transfusion,” Billy blurted out. “She should have the choice, at least.”
Sam sighed. “I understand how you feel. We’ve been talking about it and I think all of the women should know that it may be possible. We should get together.”
“Later,” he said firmly. “Right now, we need to get this little one home to his mother.”
As they exited the villa, he heard the thunder of hooves and looked up to see more cyborgs entering the cavern.
“I think Cherry called in the cavalry.”
“I’m not surprised she likes to make an entrance,” W-246 muttered, nodding to where Cherry was seated in front of Morgan. Daisy was riding in front of Clint, and even though he knew and trusted the man, he hated seeing her there. At the sight of them, she kicked her small heels against Big Red’s sides and, to his surprise, the horse jumped forward.
“Put Brian back in the carrier,” he said quickly. “This isn’t the time.”
Billy nodded and had the baby secured just as Daisy raced up, almost falling down from the horse before he caught her.
“Is he all right?” she asked frantically, patting at the carrier with desperate hands.
“He’s fine, baby. Just tired and hungry.”
She burst into relieved tears and Billy put his arm around her. Jonah drew them both close as the other cyborgs surrounded them. Their family. A family much bigger and much better than he had ever hoped for. He looked at his son, his woman, his partner, his friends, and smiled. “Let’s go home.”
Epilogue
A week later…
“And he’s really fine?” Jo asked, studying the baby cradled in Daisy’s arms.
Jonah nodded, looking around the small gathering. Sam, Morgan, Clint, and their wives had assembled in Cherry’s living room, along with W-246, to discuss the events of the previous week. He frowned at the new cyborg, noticing that Cherry stood on the other side of the room, as far away from him as possible, before returning to the subject at hand.
“Yes. Two children, two successes.”
“I don’t think I’d call that a statistically significant sample,” Addie said. She smiled at her husband, then looked at the other men. “I know all of you worry about us and you want us to be safe, but we don’t know what would happen with an older subject.”
Jonah met Billy’s eyes and saw his own conflict reflected there. Mars was dangerous for humans and they both wanted to protect Daisy, but she had already been the first to give birth. They didn’t want her to be the first to be subject to an unknown experiment as well.
“I know what it’s like to be on the surface without a mask,” Hattie said quietly. “But I survived. I have Morgan to protect me. I don’t need nanites in my blood.”
Clint looked torn, but he nodded. “I agree. Unless Addie thinks it’s safe, I don’t think we should try giving our wives our blood.”
“Fine with me,” Jo said, shuddering. “I hate needles anyway.”
“So we’re agreed?” Sam asked. Every head nodded, and he sighed. “Then on to our next topic. What are we going to do about GenCon?”
“Is there anything we can do about them?” Hattie looked unusually grim. She and Morgan had had their own struggle with the company over the land along the edge of their claim. “The really
wealthy families back on Earth can get away with almost anything, but even they went along with GenCon when they were persecuting me. I can’t imagine how much power they must have.”
“On Earth, perhaps, but they don’t have the same foothold up here,” Morgan said, patting her hand.
“Not yet, but only because the government keeps them in check.” Sam rubbed his chin. “And they use us to do it. If GenCon creates their own type of cyborgs—more like Richard—what will happen?”
“And I assure you, that is what they intend.” The cool voice swept across the room like a Martian breeze and they turned to find Serena standing in the doorway. As always, she looked perfectly composed, but Jonah saw her fingers flexing.
“What are you doing here?” Hattie demanded.
Serena moved into the room, her heels clicking lightly against the floor.
“I find myself in a somewhat… unpleasant situation.”
“How unfortunate,” Cherry said dryly.
“I agree.” Her fingers twitched again. “GenCon has promised me something I want. Something I would do almost anything to get.” Her eyes drifted over them, pausing on Brian, asleep in Daisy’s arms. “Almost anything.”
“So why are you here, Serena?” Addie asked softly.
“Because I find that there are lines that even I am not willing to cross. I have a suggestion.”
“What is it?” Billy demanded.
“Declare your independence. Form your own government. Then you will be in a position to monitor GenCon’s activities.” She lifted a shoulder. “They will, of course, attempt to bypass that oversight, but I suspect that you will prove more up to the challenge than they realize.”
Sam studied her face. “What about you?”
“I will be a citizen of Mars. I know I can’t return to Earth. But I will continue to work for GenCon. And unless they cross that line again, I will do whatever they tell me to do,” she said softly.
“Will you keep us informed?”
“Perhaps.” Another betraying flick of her fingers. “But do not rely on me.”
A Few Cyborgs More (Cyborgs On Mars Book 3) Page 15
