"Athena. She has been watching over me this entire time." He spots a silver ring around one of Paris's fingers. "What is that ring?"
"Oh." He quickly takes it off and slips it into his pocket. "Nothing. It's nothing. I didn't expect you to wake up."
"Why are you hiding it from me?"
"It's . . . it's just really special." Paris lies down next to Troy and cuddles up against his side. "I missed you."
Troy can't keep from smiling. "I missed you too."
* * *
"Stop right there, Orion Lifestone!" A man in all white on a black horse blocks off the path in front of him and raises a rifle in the air. Nine more men on horses ride up and surround Orion with their pistols drawn.
Orion stops his horse. He's only seen these mysterious people one time before. The Elimination Squad: highly trained, highly deadly, and highly paid. He can't see their faces, covered by white masks, but their eyes reflect malice and danger. So Mistress wasn't joking. She really believes he killed Troy.
The head man continues issuing his orders. "Dismount and get down on your knees."
Checking to make sure all of his things are where they should be on the saddle, he slides off of his horse then kneels in the hot sand. The blazing sun beats down on him and the wind rustles his clothes. Stay calm.
Two of the men dismount and walk up to him. One of them pulls off Orion's keffiyeh then throws it to the ground. "You are being put to death for unlawfully terminating your marked slave." The man places the barrel of the pistol against Orion's forehead.
Orion growls as the man behind him twists his hand in his hundreds of black braids to keep him still. As soon as the pistol is cocked, Orion screams out. "Now, Silver!"
A shot rings out as the man with the pistol crumples to the ground. Head butting the man behind him, Orion jumps up and draws his scimitar from the saddle. He pulls his 10mm pistol from his boot and fires twice, each shot sending another man to the sand. Orion spins around and slashes at the men who rush him. The far off sound of a rifle fills the air again, leaving one of the men with a bullet hole directly between his eyes.
"Nice shot!" Orion calls out as the remaining men in white climb onto their horses and ride out of sight, leaving the corpses of their comrades in the hot bloody sand. "We did it. They're gone."
Silver runs up to him from behind a tall sand dune and puts his sniper rifle on his back. "Think Mistress will be angry?"
Orion wipes the sweat and blood splatter from his face. "Nah. She has no ties to those bastards. She hires them when she doesn't want to get her own hands dirty."
"So how did you know I was there waiting to take the shot?"
"I had a feeling. You wouldn't let me die, Silver. Now, you have to tell me. Have you heard anything from Troy? I don't know what I'll do if I lost him already. We were finally becoming friends."
"Troy is with Paris at the guild hall." Silver says. He whistles and a white horse runs up to him.
"How bad off is he?"
"We'll discuss it more in private."
"What is it? Is it that bad?" Orion asks as he gets back on his horse.
"In Paris's hands, even the most grievous wounds have the habit of healing. Plus, our dear friend Daedalus used his medical nanobots on him. Let's head back in case Paris needs our help."
"I've been out here for two weeks."
"I know. Don't worry so much." Silver mounts his horse and starts back towards the guild hall. "That boy has some kind of hidden talent for healing people. Even I don't know what it is. He once brought a man back to life."
"Back from the dead? Are you joking?"
"I wish I was. Paris has certain . . . skills."
* * *
Nova holds the thin silk shawl tightly around her shoulders as she walks down the empty hallways overlooking the snow-covered mountainsides and the golden wheat fields far below them on the outskirts of Athens. The rusty yellow light from Proxima Centauri has just begun to illuminate the evergreen forests, glistening rivers, and apple orchards. Far off on the horizon where night still holds firm to the land, is the expansive Eremos Desert. She had heard so many stories of that place from Troy's brother Sparta. Those legends spoke of many hidden secrets that even time has forgotten. Then there are the mysterious nomadic Nymphs and their strange magic. Is Troy somewhere out there, among those ever-rolling dunes of brown sand? A prince beaten down, humiliated, and banished to a life of slavery . . . Nova's heart truly aches for him.
As she watches the oranges and pinks spread across the landscape, Nova is thankful to be thinking clearly after having her mind clouded by the nanobots for their own selfish purposes. What was that purpose? Maybe she'll never know.
The icy halls are lonely. Her only interactions are with the oracle guards who offer little entertainment or compassion. The one person who seems to genuinely care about her is sitting on the front steps watching the sunrise. Nova almost turns around and heads back to her room, but something draws her forward. Dion is sitting with his back against a white marble pillar as he smokes a pipe in the nude. Why is he naked? It appears that not all of his hair is bright blue. Nova blushes as she waves at him.
"Hey, there." Dion blows smoke into the cold clean air.
"Why are you naked? Aren't you cold?"
"You get used to it up here. Come sit with me. I got your test results back."
Nova joins him on the white steps. "And?"
"You are not pregnant."
"Oh."
"What's wrong?" He turns to look at her and takes her hand. "Did you want to be?"
How can she explain this? "I guess I wanted a part of Troy to hold onto."
"But now you have me. And we can start being physically intimate like I want."
Speaking of being physically intimate . . . "Why are you naked? You didn't answer that question."
"I do this every morning. This is just the first time you haven't been asleep."
"What are you smoking?"
"Just some tobacco and vanilla."
"That's why it smells so good. I love vanilla."
Dion holds out his pipe to her. "Wanna try?"
"No. You go ahead."
"What do you think about me?" Dion asks.
"Um . . . what do you mean?"
"You know, are you attracted to me, afraid of me, feel secure around me? We've known each other for two weeks now. I'll come out and say it. I want you. I want you in every way possible. Your turn."
"The only man I've ever been with is Troy. I don't want to lose that memory."
"Troy, Troy, Troy. That's all you ever talk about. It's my right to have you, but I will enjoy it a lot more if you want me too. I feel like we've had a chance to relax and grow accustomed to each other between my work and your appointments with clients. They really listen to the advice you give them. You know why? Because you're so in tune with your emotions and spirituality. It's raw and unchained. I love that about you." Dion sets his pipe down and takes Nova's face in his hands. "I believe that together, you and I can take our spirituality to an elevated level. My father always told me that the ultimate awakening can only come through absolute intimacy and passion with another person."
"Give me time, Dion. I'm trying. You have to understand. I had so much with Troy-"
Dion's smile vanishes as he grabs her wrist and twists it roughly. "I never want to hear his name again. Is that clear? He's not here. He's not coming to get you. You have to learn. I don't want to be your enemy, but if I have to be rough, I will be. Now, come inside with me for breakfast. A tailor will be here this afternoon to take your measurements."
Nova pulls her hand away from him. "Measurements for what?"
"Your wedding dress, of course."
* * *
Zodiac nocks the arrow and slows his breathing as he draws the bow back. Aiming for the tethered chicken's breast, he lets the arrow fly. The arrow enters the bird and penetrates the body, pinning it to the oak tree.
"One more, Zodiac." Chancellor Samuels
says over the speaker of the communication sensor on Zodiac's forearm. "Kill this one with those cubes beside you."
He looks over at the crate where his arrows are bundled together in a leather quiver. Six metal cubes the size of his thumbnail are scattered there as well. "What are these?"
"Pick one up and press the button. Make sure you only touch the metal part, especially after you program your bow. Set it to level nine."
Is he joking? "Nine? I can't pull that back. That's 90lbs. It's more than seventy-five percent of my body weight."
"Trust me. Only use that setting for those cubes."
He runs his hand over his short crew cut and already misses his long hair. "If you say so. When I break my arm, you get to take me to the hospital." Zodiac takes one of the metal cubes and holds it up in the sunlight that comes down through the canopy of leaves and branches. What is this thing? How is he supposed to shoot this? When he presses the tiny button, a beam of glowing purple dark matter extends from the end until it is the same size as an arrow. "Whoa."
"Like them? The nanobots will make pulling that bow back easier. They're compact, easy to carry and conceal for undercover missions, and deadly enough to be used as projectiles as well as emergency daggers."
"I take it I'll be doing quite a bit of undercover work."
"That's your job, Agent Z." Samuels says.
"Agent Z? I like that."
"Good. That's how you'll be called when on assignment. Now, use that special arrow to kill the last target."
"Last target? I don't see another one."
"In a three mile radius from your location, there is a bomb rigged to go off in eleven minutes. It's somewhere in the middle of the city. Find it and destroy it with your nanoarrow before it goes off and kills hundreds of people."
Zodiac scoops up the cubes. "What the hell? Are you insane? You planted a bomb in the city?"
"It's nothing my top agent can't handle. You'd better get moving if you don't want their blood on your hands, Agent Z. Oh, one more thing. You can't use the nanobots around the purple dark matter crystals spread out around the planet. They neutralize the nanobots if you're within ten feet of them. So plan your shots wisely. Oh, look at that. You're down to ten minutes."
Zodiac secures the bow on his back in the black leather harness and takes off running through the forest and into the bustling city streets. He looks around frantically at the metal and glass buildings shining in the bright artificial sunlight that stretch far to the horizon. This bomb could be anywhere. How is he supposed to search this entire area for a single small bomb?
"Nine minutes, Agent Z." Samuels says mockingly over the speaker.
"Shut up and let me concentrate!"
"Don't speak to me like that. One more outburst and you'll scrub down the dungeon tonight."
Zodiac growls quietly as he darts through the crowds of people. It has to be here somewhere.
5
The chokingly sweet fog of incense hangs in the air as Nova closes her eyes and prays to her current client's deity of choice. Today, most of her clients ask for her to speak with Ares, the god of war and violence. These pure Nymphs all have the same requests: to be blessed in battle and to be able to defeat all IGR forces they come up against. No matter how many times she tries to dissuade them from doing anything violent, they seem to be angry and plotting. Will there be riots in the cities tonight? Haven't enough people been hurt over this conflict? However, it is her duty to do what these people ask of her, not just give advice on the current situation. Her prayer is cut short when the pure Nymph woman in a full skirt and petticoat, evidently a member of the nobility, touches her hand.
"Madame Oracle?"
Nova opens her eyes. "Yes?"
"Forgive me, but I'd like to change my request if it's not too late."
She's not technically supposed to, but this could give her some greater insight into how these people are thinking. "Go ahead. Tell me what you want to know."
"Oh, thank you. Will you please pray to Hera and ask her if she knows where my lover is?"
What an odd request compared to all the others. "Tell me a little about your lover."
"I . . . he's . . . it's complicated."
"I have to know details before I can help you."
"If I tell anyone, I could be in serious trouble." The woman says.
"Whatever you say to me in this sacred cloister is strictly confidential. No one will ever know what you say besides me and the gods."
"My lover was taken onto one of the space transports by King Evans's men."
"Ah. I see." Nova says. "So your lover is an impure Nymph."
"More specifically, he was my slave. We were in love and we tried to keep it a secret as long as we could. Well, I gave birth to his baby a week ago. I wanted to ask for revenge on the people who took my love away from me and for protection of my precious baby. If the guards find out about my son, they will kill him and send me to the arena. Please don't let them kill an innocent infant."
"Tell me the truth. How many others are in your situation?"
"I know of at least four other pure Nymph women carrying impure children just in my social circle. I can't raise my son without a father. I've been hiding him in the closet whenever people have come over, but I'm afraid he's being hurt by the drugs I have to give him to keep him quiet. If I can't get in touch with Riel, I don't know what I'll do."
"Riel?" Nova asks.
"My lover's name. Riel Narcissus."
"I see. I will speak with Hera and Aphrodite on your behalf."
* * *
Sliding down the side of a metal roof, Zodiac pulls his bow from his back then leaps off the rain gutter. He barely makes it across the side street and lands on the adjacent fire escape. He dives through an open window to an apartment. Children scream as he darts to the front door. The screen on his bow isn't showing anything out of the ordinary. It has to be here somewhere!
"Four minutes, Agent Z."
Zodiac jumps from the fourth story balcony onto the pole of a streetlight. "For the last time, stop reminding me, Samuels! I can't find any radiation signatures around here."
"Who said it was radioactive?"
Oh, hell. He balances on the wire stretching across the busy street where vehicles honk their horns at him. He takes a deep breath then scurries across, never losing his balance on his light feet. When he hits the ground and rolls, Zodiac keeps sprinting past the cars until he hears a slight beeping coming from the bow. He holds it up to see a blinking dot on the radar. Could that be the bomb? Even if it is, there are still three blocks between him and the location. He taps on the screen and details flash on the over the map. A Mexican restaurant? Why would Samuels plant a bomb in a restaurant? There's no time to figure that out. He rushes down the sidewalk, pushing past pedestrians until he pulls open the door.
The waitress welcomes him with a menu under her arm. "Bienvenido, señor. ¿Cuántos son en su grupo?"
What? No. "Esto es una emergencia. Hay una bomba aquí. Todos tienen que evacuar el edificio." Whoa. How did he do that? Since when does he know Spanish? It probably has to do with that surgery Samuels performed on his brain last week. Ugh, it doesn't matter right now. Why aren't these people running? Did he say something wrong? The beeping on his radar is rapid as he runs through the restaurant, leaping from table to table until he throws open the doors to the kitchen. The chefs look up from their work, obviously startled.
Zodiac ignores their scolding as he clambers over the counter and the beeping grows even louder, so loud it's almost deafening. He kneels down and pulls open the cabinet next to the oven. What the hell is this?
The entire restaurant erupts in laughter as someone puts an overly elaborate sombrero on Zodiac's head. "¡Feliz cumpleaños! Happy birthday!"
He sinks to the floor, exhausted and catching his breath as the sweat rolls down his face and soaks through his black t-shirt. Really? Is this really happening? Someone takes his hands and pulls him to his feet. Samuels. What's
so funny about this?
Chancellor Samuels puts his arm around Zodiac's shoulders. "Twelve minutes. Not too shabby, Agent Z."
Zodiac glares at him. "There never was a bomb, was there?"
"Nope. I had to get you here somehow and I knew you'd never come willingly. Now, pick up that package in the cabinet. It's a little birthday present for you. Follow me."
He picks up the cardboard box and follows Samuels into the main room where they sit at a booth in the back corner. "What is this?"
"Open it."
Zodiac takes off the hat then tears off the masking tape from the box. He opens it and picks up an envelope from inside. "What is this?"
"You don't know the extensive lengths I had to go through to find that envelope. It's a bit tattered and the ink is faded from being in the rubble down on Earth for so long, but it's addressed to you, so I didn't spare any expense in digging it out. We had been doing some excavation work, trying to recover some data from the old computers in the ruins of Paradise when one of the workers found it where the science laboratory used to be. Well, go ahead and open it. It's still sealed."
"Who is it from?" Zodiac asks.
"Don't know, but I can guess."
Zodiac opens the stained and wrinkled envelope then slides the fragile folded notebook paper from inside. As he unfolds the pages, he studies the curly cursive writing and a dark feeling fills his chest. He doesn't want to read it. If it's from who he's afraid it's from, he can't read it.
"What's wrong? Aren't you going to read it?"
"I have a bad feeling about this."
"You shouldn't need me to help you translate anymore now that you have that program in your brain." Chancellor Samuels says as he eats chips and salsa.
"Why would I need a translation?"
"You don't know French fluently without it, do you?"
"French?" Zodiac asks.
"Undoubtedly, parts of that letter are probably in French."
Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Zodiac reads the letter.
To My Dearest Son,
I don't know what to write to you, but I want to write something so you never think that I abandoned you. As I have my friend, Gabriel, write what I say because I am blind, I find myself at a sudden loss for words. You'll have to forgive me if I accidentally relapse into my first language. I only have a short window of time to do this, so I will try to say everything as this very well may be my last chance.
Paradise Forgotten Trilogy Page 24
