“Everybody down on the ground. This is a robbery,” one of them yells.
Oh hell no.
Alexander rips his gun from its holster and fires. One of the men jolts backward. The others scatter.
Something small clinks near us.
My eyes widen, and I jump backward. “Grenade,” I yell.
Astrid is further back, but Americus and Alexander don’t have time to react.
A bright burst from the flashbang grenade fills the room, and its loud bang sends me sprawling.
I cough on thick, acrid smoke, trying to locate the Loyalists. My ears ring and throb with pain. The screams of frightened shoppers are muted as if I’m underwater, and the after-image of the bright flash blinds me.
“No,” Alexander yells.
Then there’s a thump, and he’s silent. A gun goes off, and there’s another thump. My vision clears to a hazy view of Americus and Alexander on the ground.
Oh no. Was one of them shot? I react on instinct. The years of foster homes have taught me to run, but Alexander has taught me to shoot. I tug the gun from my pants and twist to face the hazy figures of masked men.
“Watch out,” screams Astrid.
A heavy object smacks into my head, and the world fades away into darkness.
☼☼☼
Something grinds against my back, and I groan in pain. I open my eyes to see a bright sky and some creep dragging me. I push off the ground to free myself.
The man’s grip is like steel as he yanks me forward and tosses me. I roll and hit a wall.
“Leave her alone,” demands Astrid from nearby, venom in her voice.
I sit up, pain pulsing in my head from where they hit me. Astrid sits against the wall. Her hands are zip-tied together, and her eye is black and blue.
An unshaven man with a gut looms over us, pointing a gun at my head. Another short but stout man with a dimpled chin stands next to him. Neither of them has a q-link, so they must have Evos. We’re in an empty alley, nothing but trash and dumpsters.
“You and your friends are coming with us as soon as our ride gets here,” says the man with the gut.
Like hell that’s happening, but what can I do? I don’t have my gun anymore. I’m still dazed too and don’t even know if I could stand.
“Why don’t you dance for me while we wait?” The chubby man asks me.
My stomach crawls. I want to spit or curse at him, but that would only get me beat.
“The boss wouldn’t like that,” says the stout man.
His partner scowls at him. “I’m just kidding. You need to lighten up.”
What could they want us for? Who knows, but I’m sure it’s not good. I need to escape before their ride gets here, but how? The guys were taken out, so they’ll be no help. I look over at Astrid. She’s tied up, so I can’t count on her either.
I stare down at my q-link. I hacked the Evo once. Maybe it’s updated, or maybe it was a fluke, but it’s my only chance. How can I possibly do it, though, while he’s holding a gun on me?
I glance behind our captors, wishing I could run, but I can’t leave the others. Can I take the men down somehow? I almost laugh. Yeah, right. I’m going to knock out two robust men, and then hack the world’s most secure device in seconds.
An autonomous van drives up, and the back opens.
Oh hell. Looks like I’ll have to escape after they take me.
“Time to go,” says the man with the gut. He reaches for me with one of his thick hands. I recoil back.
Astrid jerks her arms apart with a growl and snaps the zip tie, all while leaping up. She roundhouse punches the shorter man. He drops to the ground, his eyes rolling back. She darts to her left and tackles the man with the gut, slamming him down.
This is it! For a split second, I consider charging in to help. I’m much stronger now, but I doubt it’s enough. I have to use my best asset. “Chim, access the nearest Evo. Execute the puppet software.”
Astrid grits her teeth, and her substantial muscles bulge with exertion as she struggles against the larger but less fit man.
Come on, come on. The hologram of my program appears in front of me and attacks the Evo’s code.
Partway through, it stalls.
Xyphotech must have updated its security. Oh hell. I spout code to enhance my program while my hands speed through the motions of selecting and unselecting sections. The changes are complex, but I won’t be stopped.
Astrid wrenches the man’s gun away.
Yesss. We’re going to win.
Before she can turn it on him, he smacks it out of her hands. She moves to punch him, just as the man’s fist crashes into her head. She collapses on her back.
My eyes widen as I keep programming. Oh hell, oh hell…just a little bit more.
The unshaven man goes to kick Astrid in the ribs, but she rolls away, then leaps up again and strikes him with a straight punch to the face. The man grunts and clutches his bleeding nose.
Astrid darts for the gun, but the stout man, now recovered, gets to her first and grabs both her arms. She pulls forward, her muscles bulging.
The other man steps up and punches her in the ribs before she can escape. He pummels her with punch after punch in the face, chest, and stomach. I want to leap up to stop him, but I’m much smaller than he is. I keep hacking as fast as possible. It’s the only way for me to save her so that she can be with Yumi. He punches her several more times, but it gives me the time that I need.
Hell, yes! I’m in. I just need to—
The brute whips around, grabs my shirt, and lifts me like I’m a stuffed seal. “What are you doing over here?”
I gasp but keep focused, a rare rage flaring inside me. “Chim, open his hand.”
I fall to the ground with a grunt and roll backward. “Chim, make him get the gun and target his partner.”
The chunky man reaches out for me, but his hand slows as if moving through tar. His eyes widen. “What? What’s happening to me? What did you do?”
As if a puppet controlled by a child, he twists and lumbers toward the gun, his movements jerky and unnatural.
“What are you doing, Buck?” asks the stout man, still holding up the unconscious Astrid.
Buck slowly lifts the gun and aims toward the shorter man, his face contorted with his effort to resist my control.
“That’s loaded, cut it out,” says the stout man as he drops Astrid. She crumples to the ground, blood streaming from her nose and several cuts.
“Run, man,” says Buck. “I can’t help it.”
I hesitated with the mugger when I held my knife at his back. He almost killed Sunny and me because of it. I didn’t shoot the prison guard, and he called for help. Their drones nearly murdered us all. I never wanted to be a killer, but I’m not hesitating anymore. Anyone that threatens me or my friends dies.
“Chim, make him shoot his partner,” I say, indicating my target.
The stout man turns to run, but Buck fires three times in his back. The man collapses, blood flowing from the wounds.
“Chim, target the controlled man’s head.”
The man’s arm begins to move. He grits his teeth, and his hand shakes as he struggles against my control. The gun slides closer to his head, the whites of his eyes showing. “No, no. Don’t do it. I didn’t have a choice.”
Lies. Go to hell. “Chim, fire.”
The gun bangs. The man drops.
I run over to Astrid. She’s badly beaten and unconscious but still breathing.
From inside, someone says, “Go check out those gunshots.”
My whole life, I would have run at this point to save myself. But maybe I was doing it wrong. In Silent City, I was heroic like Alexander. I’m not going to let him, Astrid, or Americus die…assuming the guys are still alive.
I rip the gun from the dead man’s hand, my lips curling in disgust at his bloody skull. I dive behind a dumpster before his partners come, then check the gun’s magazine to find plenty of ammo. My dizziness is gon
e, leaving just a dull throb in my head. I aim the pistol chest-level at the door.
A masked man appears in the doorway, his gun lowered. I fire two rounds into his unprotected chest, just like I practiced with Alexander. He grunts and falls to the ground. His gun clatters next to him.
I sprint to the edge of the door and hold my pistol ready. I remember the countless times that as StarFeather, I executed these same movements. “Chim, access my sonar program,” I whisper.
A holographic map appears with the people inside represented as gridlines. Most people lie around the edges. Two are lying nearby with two men standing over them, guns pointed.
It must be Americus and Alexander.
“Just grab them, and let’s get out of here,” says one of the attackers. “Drones or police could come soon.”
“We won’t have any problems with them,” says another.
“Still, let’s just leave. These two are enough.”
So they’re alive. Good.
“No, you idiot, we need the girl too,” says the other.
Why me?
Two of the men creep toward my location. I whip around the doorway, aim, and shoot with no hesitation. One bullet in the first man, two in the second, and then two more into the first to be safe. Before they can react, they’re dead on the ground. The remaining two men turn on me, guns ready.
Before I can dive into cover, Americus jumps up and elbows the one attacker’s head. The man’s neck twists, and his eyes roll back. The other whirls on Americus, his gun whipping around.
Americus hits the end of the weapon with one hand and the back of the attacker’s wrist with the other, and suddenly, the gun is in his hands. Americus fires five times into the man’s chest.
Diablo, that was amazing. I’m definitely asking him to teach me.
Alexander recovers his revolver as he rubs his head.
“I don’t know how you managed it, but thanks for the save, Fae,” says Americus. “Where’s Astrid.”
I pick up my nine-millimeter that lies nearby. “She’s hurt bad outside.”
Americus growls, his eyebrows knitting together. Two more men come bursting through the front door. Alexander lifts his gun, his long hair swaying. He fires two smooth shots. Both men lose an eye and their lives.
“Fae, get this food loaded,” says Americus. “Alexander, go get Astrid.”
Americus grabs the man that he knocked out and throws him over his shoulder. “It’s time we study the Evo and see if we can find weaknesses. The drones will be here soon. Get moving.”
I grab our full cart. It’s heavy, so it takes me a second to build up momentum. Other people scream and grab food as they run for the exit. One woman runs by with several bags of nacho chips. I shake my head at the ridiculousness of it. As soon as people exit with unpaid food, the alarm blares.
Americus and I burst outside past two prone guards. I toss their rifles into the cart and keep running. On the way, I scan the clear sky for drones and the promise of death. Come on Alexander. Hurry.
Americus heaves the unconscious man into our military SUV. “Stay here, Fae. I’ll get the other cart.”
Alexander helps Astrid jog over, and moments later, Americus has the second cart. We all throw in the food, then jump into the vehicle. Americus steps on the accelerator, and the smell of burning rubber wafts around me.
“Alexander, stun him and initiate a signal jammer,” says Americus. “I don’t want anyone tracking him.”
Alexander shocks the man, zip ties his arms, puts a hood on him, then activates a small device. He takes out a med-kit and treats Astrid’s wounds, with gentle precision.
I shake my head, trying to erase the images of the men beating Astrid and then of me killing them.
“Fae.”
It doesn’t work. I see the chunky man’s brains leaking on the street, and his partner lying face down, his back a bloody mess.
What am I now?
“Fae,” says Alexander.
I look at him, still in a daze.
“Are you all right?”
It takes me a second to respond. “I’m shaken.”
“That was rough. You saved us, though. Focus on that.”
I nod to him, wishing it never came to this.
“Damn. Astrid didn’t deserve this,” says Americus, then to me, he says, “When Naveha gets back, you’re both going to study the Evo. We need an edge.”
If she even gets back. The thought of that sours my stomach.
☼☼☼
After a short time, we arrive back at the warehouse. Groups of Loyalists and Knights mill about. Sunny sits across from Weird Tom, a chess game set up between them.
Tom moves his bishop and says, “I believe that aliens created the ancient Egyptian religion and others to control humans for some purpose.”
The Eye of Ra symbol Barbra drew pops into my head. I shake it, dismissing the thought.
“I see,” says Sunny. “It would be easier to control people with the idea of ever watching gods rather than trying to police people.”
“We see evidence of alien visitation in the Sumerian tablets. They wrote about the Anunnaki, which means those from heaven to earth came. The ancient Hopi people carved images of sky gods who helped them avoid two massive disasters. They called them the Ant People. Interestingly enough, the Hopi word for ant is anu, and the word naki means friends.”
“Do you think they could still be here?” asks Sunny.
Tom shrugs. “It’s possible. Maybe they’re cloaked or underground. Or maybe they can even shapeshift.”
I leave them to their conversation, but I’m not sure how much I like Sunny talking to this nut.
Americus waves over Brandon and points to the SUV. “Astrid is hurt. Help her out of the car.”
Brandon hustles to the SUV, glances at the zip-tied man, then helps Astrid up.
Sunny jogs to me. “Are you injured, Fae?”
“I’m fine,” I say but rub the lump on my head.
“Why are you rubbing your head and wincing then? Let me scan you.” Sunny runs his eyes over me. “A head contusion but no concussion. You also have some minor cuts.”
“I told you. I’m fine.” At least physically…
Yumi runs over to Astrid’s side and looks at her battered body in horror. “Oh my God.” She wheels on Americus. “How did you let this happen?”
Americus winces. “I’m sorry, Yumi. We were ambushed.”
“It wasn’t his fault,” says Astrid. “Help me to my room.”
Yumi scowls up at Americus for another second, then walks Astrid away.
“Alexander, help me get this man to the cell,” says Americus.
Cell? I follow their gaze and see the cage in the corner. That’s what it’s for.
The man starts to stir and mumble.
“Brandon, get me the sedative,” says Americus. “I want this scum silent.”
Brandon lifts his arm. His small drone unfolds and shoots toward the other side of the room. I shake my head, still impressed by the device.
They drag the man to the cage as if he’s one of the rice sacks we just stole. Americus rips off the man’s hood, then pulls out a knife. He cuts the hood into two strips. One he balls up and stuffs in the man’s mouth. The other he ties around the man’s head to hold in the gag.
Brandon’s drone flies over, and Americus grabs the syringe from it and jabs the man. Other Loyalists and Knights gather around, murmuring about the attack.
“This happened because of technology,” says Weird Tom. “We should rid the world of it.”
Gabriel walks over, shaking his head. “The beast that rises from the bottomless pit will make war on us.”
“We caught someone with the Evo,” says Americus to Gabriel. “We’re going to study it, and we’ll beat this.”
Gabriel’s eyes go wide, and he steps back with a gasp. “You brought an abomination here?” he asks in a growl. “He’s pledged to serve the beast. You know he can’t be redeemed. He ha
s to die.”
“He’s right, Americus,” says Brandon. “We can’t let him live. He nearly beat Astrid to death.”
Americus holds his hands up to calm them. “We need intel. It’s only going to be for a few days. Besides, it wasn’t him that beat her.”
Brandon looks at Americus as if he’ll challenge him, but instead, he nods.
“But he has the Evo,” says Weird Tom. “Let’s just be rid of him.”
“I said no, Thomas,” Americus yells.
Weird Tom slinks off, back to his chess table.
Gabriel signs the cross and scowls. “He could bring the beast to our door. He needs to go now.”
Americus clenches his fists. “We can’t win this fight unless we have knowledge.”
“You must not eat from the tree of knowledge, for when you do, you will surely die,” says Gabriel.
Americus throws his hands up. “This isn’t a bible story. We can’t win unless we know what we’re dealing with.”
Gabriel steps closer, his face red with anger. “Everything is a bible story. We’re living out the end of days, and I’ll be damned if I don’t fight the beast’s influence.”
Loyalists group up behind Americus and Knights behind Gabriel. I back up a few more steps from the argument, worried about it spiraling out of control.
“I’m in charge here, Gabriel. You will follow orders.”
Gabriel shakes his head. “You’re not my commanding officer anymore.”
I wonder what will happen if it comes to blows? Gabriel is a monster with his enormous chest and arms, but Americus isn’t a small man either, and with that beard, he looks dominant.
Americus shakes his head and deflates. “I’m asking you as my friend. Leave him alone until we study the Evo. Will you do that for me?”
Gabriel eyes the caged man and grits his teeth. He looks back and sighs. “Fine, but I don’t like it.”
Hell, that was tense. I feel burned out just watching it.
Gabriel stalks away to a few of his fellow Knights. Americus wanders off, shaking his head. I walk over to Sunny, who’s across from Weird Tom again, finishing his chess game.
“Hello, Fae,” says Sunny. “Did you know that Thomas was a class A chess tournament player and a professional poker player?”
The Astral Hacker (Cryptopunk Revolution Book 1) Page 22
