by Michael Todd
Finally, the other woman hopped down and walked over. “Okay, I have to know. What in God’s name is all this stuff? I don’t think I have seen you this excited before. And I was there when you found out that the Chinese place had fried chocolate ice cream. That was definitely an excited squeal.”
Amanda giggled and looked at her friend with a smug expression. “I’ve worked on this forever. It’s special armor and weapons that I had built. I drew up all the plans for everything and they made the pieces for me.”
Holly peeked at the pile of seemingly incomplete pieces. “How do you wear that?”
“Oh, it’s not the full suit. I have the other parts over here. I only need to put it all together but decided to wait until I had the whole thing. I didn’t want the rest to hang out here in the shop where anyone could see it. That’s a really good way to be robbed.”
She stood aside as the armorer retrieved the other parts. That done, she unrolled a long blueprint of the suit and selected various sections and snapped them together around the mannequin. A knock on the garage door caught Holly’s attention and she looked over her shoulder to see Marcus outside. “Marcus is here.”
Amanda continued her work as she’d expected that he would show up at some point. “You can let him in. I’m sure he will want to check this out.”
Holly walked over and opened the door. “Hey, dude.”
Marcus smiled and stepped inside. “Hey. Billie told me I would find you guys down here. I heard…oh, my God!”
He raced across the room—and almost bowled Holly over in the process—and stood, mesmerized, as Amanda put the suit together. Holly shut the door, chuckled, and meandered back to her coffee. Anyone else from the team would have gone directly to the pastries, but not those two. They both geeked out at the vision on the stand. She had wanted to warn Marcus to use Jean rather than Billie but reminded herself that he was still new at all this. Besides, in his current rapt state, he probably wouldn’t even hear her.
Marcus reached out slowly to touch it. “It’s beautiful. So shiny and special. I didn’t know you had created something like this.”
Amanda looked up and popped him quickly on the hand. “Don’t you goo the works up by coming on my armor!”
They burst into laughter and Holly rolled her eyes. Marcus looked at the blueprints. “So, can I help you put this all together?”
The armorer studied him for a moment. “Sure, why not? You can probably help me design the next set of improvements on it.”
Holly frowned in confusion. “You haven’t even put it together and you’re thinking of modifications?”
Amanda grinned. “Of course. That’s what tech companies do. Before they’re even done testing software, equipment, and anything else they make, they already have a team working on the next version of it. That’s how they constantly release new cell phones every year. It’s really wild. But the better the armor, the more protection we have from the Zoo. In my opinion, that means we will always and forever be modifying our suits.”
Marcus talked with his hands and the energy pulsated from him. “Not to mention the fact that new technological advances come out every day, so you want to keep up with those and use them to your benefit. Many times, an advancement might not even seem applicable but with a little creativity, you can twist it and use it for something on a suit.”
Holly shook her head, her eyes wide. She tried to hold back a giggle at how excited they were. While they worked, she sat in silence and scratched her head and tried to figure exactly what kind of team she’d managed to rustle up for one of the most important inventions in history.
She sat there on the table and sipped her coffee as the armor took shape. At another knock on the door, she opened it and JB slipped in. He turned to watch Amanda and Marcus and grinned. They looked more excited than he had been when he’d taken the serum to save his life.
Holly laughed and patted him on the back. “Welcome to the team.”
JB sighed. “I’m seeing the future right here, right now, aren’t I? I am watching these two robot nerds put together the future of the company. This is the team that will save the world.”
She leaned into him and whispered, “I think we might have a chance.”
Chapter Seven
Billie walked into the garage and stretched her arms lazily. Marcus and Amanda stood by excitedly and waited to help her into her new armor. It was amusing to see them so giddy and excited over something they had both had done a million times, especially Marcus. He had created some of the most technologically advanced armor ever made, yet the one on the mannequin had him all in an uproar.
Amanda clapped her hands. “Now, before we put you in it, we want to show you what we have. I originally had this armor made by Heavy Metal. But when Marcus arrived, I knew we could do so much more.”
He nodded. “So we put our heads together and we put some special touches into it for you.”
Billie stared at them both. “Okay. Tell me what you got.”
The other woman walked over to the armor and knocked on the breast and stomach plates. “It’s completely bulletproof and can take a small launched missile or projectile like a champ. Any beast that attacks would have to have some serious strength to bite through this. Better still, it protects all your major areas.”
Hickock smiled. “I like that. Ain’t no one wants to go out in the Zoo and lose a boob.”
Marcus chuckled. “As far as systems go, the HUD is loaded with the most current software, databases, and armor alignment to help with your aim. Not that you need it. When you flip through your HUD, you can simply talk to the AI and request what you want.”
Billie pursed her lips. “What’s her name this time?”
Amanda looked at Marcus and they chuckled. “His name is Troy.”
“Oh, I like that.” She grinned wickedly. “I’m surprised, though. I thought both of you had a thing for the ladies.” Neither of her two companions seemed to even hear that—or simply weren’t inclined to take the bait—so she shrugged and continued. “What else?”
Marcus picked up his clipboard. “I managed to work out the components for reflective camo but it’s not completely invisible. Still, that should help if you are running from, say, a dino or something. There is also a reload system where your rifle magazines are in this belt. If you say reload, a magazine slides into the load unit here and you simply have to push your gun down on it. It’s set to queue them automatically. If there is a malfunction, you can flip to manual. That way, you will always be able to reload your rifle.”
Amanda put the helmet down. “Of course, it has all the latest maps, heat sensing, and tracking that the other HUDs had. When you get back, we’ll continue to add kickass shit to it. A big issue we still face is the scrambled communications, courtesy of the Zoo. While we’re working on that, we’re still a long way from finding a solution. For now, that’s what we have.”
“And, of course,” Marcus added, “you still have all the standard shit—place to secure your melee weapons, pistols, and explosives, the usual power advantages, that sort of thing. I have a few ideas about acid resistance too, but that’s still a long way away. Think of Troy as the promise of a really good time in the future.”
Billie grinned. “It sounds awesome to me. Let’s get me suited up. My contact at the French base confirmed that some of the organization’s operatives have already arrived. I want to check out various hotel rooms or apartments before I run into the Zoo. They might make it easy for me and still be there.”
Amanda and Marcus went to work, helped her into the suit skin, and pressed and clicked the hard-core armor in place. Finally, the last piece clipped in and they stood back nervously. Hickok jumped up and down and moved her body how she would if she fought something off. “Wow, there is definitely a lot more flexibility in this suit. And it’s a little looser, too—enough to be comfortable but not a hindrance. Very nice.” She tried a few other moves for good measure, a broad grin on her face, before she pulled
herself back to reality. “Okay, it’s time. I will check in on comms.”
Marcus put his headset on. “I’ll be there in your ear.”
She cracked a smile. “Normally, I would cringe at that but God damn, it’s good to have you back in my head.”
The armorer handed Billie her pistols and snapped her M-16 firmly on the holder on the back. She loaded the rest of her gear quickly, grabbed her small pack, and flung it on her back. They watched until her camo kicked in and reflected the ground, walls, and buildings off her suit and helmet to make her practically invisible.
She flipped through the data in her HUD and found good intel in a set of video images Marcus had hacked from the shops further through the town. Her first mission was to head down two blocks to an old set of apartments. It made sense that they would stay there instead of the hotel. It would have been too easy for her to find them in such an obvious place.
Marcus clicked into the comms. “Honey, I’m home.” He chuckled a little sheepishly. “I never thought I’d say this, but I missed being on this end of things.”
Billie laughed. “You know you tried to fight me on this, right?”
He sighed. “I would say more like make an educated decision. I gave in, though.”
“Yeah, but only because they tried to kill you. Okay, coming up on the apartment.”
She switched the screen in her HUD and searched for any heat signatures inside the apartments. If anyone was there, they had a way to block detection. “Troy, scan for security.”
Troy responded instantly. “Your wish is my command.”
Billie burst into laughter and Marcus chuckled. “I told you that you’d like him.”
When the scan was done, it had detected no security obstructions. “Well, either there really aren’t any or I am walking into a shit storm. But hey, there’s only one way to find out. Here I go. What’s the worst that could happen?”
Marcus snorted. “Messy and then barely make it out alive? It’s always a good tactic to go in blind.”
Billie frowned and studied the side of the building. “Hey. We both know we don’t have time to run surveillance or any of that shit. We might have already missed them. I’d like a solid plan as much as you would, but I can handle anything they throw at me. Don’t question the master’s abilities.”
She launched herself up to grab the fire escape ladder and haul it down. With a furtive look over her shoulder, even though she knew the suit’s camo was active, she climbed quietly to the second story and dropped onto the platform. She remained hunched, peeked over the windowsill, and looked inside. There was no one there, and they had removed any evidence too. “It looks like they are already out of here. There’s not even a scrap of paper but I suppose it’s not serious. I can track them.”
Marcus sighed. “All right. A van is waiting two blocks down. The driver will take you and drop you at the Zoo. He has already been paid.”
Billie jumped over the side of the fire escape and landed below. “Roger that.”
She walked quietly and carefully through the shadows. There wasn’t much foot traffic in that particular area so she really didn’t need to worry about anyone seeing her. She probably would have been less suspicious if she had simply walked around in her armor, but it was more advanced than most and that would only draw attention. The last thing she needed at that moment was attention.
When she had gone the two blocks, she turned the corner and located one of the dirty, white, no-window vans waiting for her. The large man in the driver’s seat looked up in surprise as she dropped her camo. She stared knowingly at him for a moment and he hurried out. He stood at least six foot five and each of his arms was as big as her head. His chest spread wide and he said nothing as he walked around and opened the back. Inside was a bench seat with a seatbelt.
Hickok scrambled inside and buckled up, happy to not have to bounce all over creation this time around. He immediately pulled off and cruised down the less traveled streets of the town. She could feel him turn the corner toward a rarely used entrance to the Zoo. She hoped she could pick up the trail from there. It had been the entry point for her every time she was sent to the Zoo on a mission. Most likely, they wouldn’t have changed that. There was an unspoken agreement with several of the higher-ups in charge of the stations to leave that one for agents.
She fiddled with the different settings in her HUD as they drove along, ready to get things over with. Marcus stuttered nervously. “So, are you happy to have me back—or my guidance, at least?”
Billie smirked. “I would have to say both. Although, when all this over, I’ll put you through some rigorous training to get you battle ready. Our whole team needs to be tough and ready for anything. We like to think we all have a place or position but there are moments when we are all out in the Zoo.”
Marcus shivered. “That sounds terrible. Good Lord.”
She dimpled with real amusement. “It’s not so bad. We all have each other’s backs. It’s strange for people like me and you who are used to taking care of themselves. But when you get used to it, you almost rely on that comradery.”
The van slowed through the sand. She could feel the loose brakes pumping until it came to a sudden stop. The driver exited the vehicle and she waited patiently, unsure of where they actually were. The back doors of the van open and he spread his arms wide. “Here you are. I’ll be waiting here for when you’re done.”
Billie shook her head. “I’ll have my handler call you when I’m ready. This could take a while.”
He gave a thumbs-up. “Sounds good. I can get here in twenty if I push it so don’t wait to call me.”
Billie flipped three fingers up to her forehead and sealed her helmet before she walked toward the thick brush leading into the Zoo. She drew her short sword from her thigh and swung rhythmically to cut through the dense vegetation to forge a path into the humid, sticky land of the Zoo. The heat wafted out of the jungle and warmed her suit.
She stepped through carefully and clicked her camo on until she identified her location and fully oriented herself. With her gaze fixed on the ground, she walked a few steps forward and knelt beside a boot print pressed into the leaves. “Troy, what type of boot is this?”
He scanned it. “It looks to be the same as the military grade spec ops boots you’re wearing. Special made, select order, undercover private agents only.”
Hickok ran her tongue across her teeth and her eyes narrowed. “Well, isn’t that perfect? What kind of agents are these? You never leave a boot print behind. You are asking for someone to track you down and slit your throat.”
It didn’t take her long to find the next one, and the next, and she followed them down a man-made trail. “Troy, map out a walking pattern with that same boot print.”
Troy pulled up a map and proceeded to follow her instruction. Billie drew her pistol held it in front of her as she walked carefully along the path now marked in her HUD. It wound through the jungle and to the right and moved dangerously close to where the normal mercs tended to rove in search for Pita patches. These were agents, though. They wouldn’t be seen unless they absolutely wanted to be, at least by normal civilians. Billie wasn’t a regular civilian and she would be able to identify them before they ever saw her.
Luckily for her, the first agent on the list wasn’t too far away and definitely had no thought of remaining hidden. She could tell it was his first time in the Zoo from the way he looked around with furtive glances and the tense, almost jerky movements that betrayed his nervousness. Billie followed from a distance and activated her thermal disseminator. The agent turned, scanned the area, but never saw her. Instead, he stepped over a log and into a small space that had been used as a campsite by the mercs.
He sat on a fallen tree and hydrated. Hickok snuck up behind him, her movements silent and sure, and aimed her gun. Before she could fire, the sound of birds taking flight broke the silence. A strange wind blew, and he looked at the sky. A small swarm of locusts had spotted him and
clearly didn’t intend to simply fly by.
Billie leaned against a tree for a moment and watched as he drew his gun in one hand and a sword in the other. The first wave swooped at him and he emptied a magazine into the massed creatures. Several went down and the rest fell victim to his sword. He slashed it smoothly and decapitated an insect. One after another, he took them down and barely seemed to break a sweat.
She moved closer and remained in the cover of the flora around him. There was a shit-eating grin on his face and she knew right then that he had completely forgotten his real purpose. That was good for her.
The second wave of locusts dipped down but immediately flew up to circle with the rest of the swarm. They had decided the risk was too high for them to attack him like that. The agent smirked as he shoved his short sword into its sheath. He kept his gun out, though, and scanned the vegetation at the edge of the clearing with wary focus.
When he was satisfied that all the beasts had gone, he sat on the log once more, dragged his bag in front of him, and retrieved two granola bars. Billie rolled her eyes and shook her head. Leave it to these lazy fucking agents to stop for lunch. In my day, IF you got lunch, your ass better be eating and moving at the same time. It was little wonder that the organization had sent her on every mission they could. The rest of the group was completely inept.
She hurried silently through the brush and came up behind him. Stealthy and sure, she pushed through the flora, drew her dagger, and lunged forward to wrap her hand over his forehead and yank his head back. Before he could even speak, she ran the dagger across his neck and spilled his blood down the front of his armor.
Billie placed her lips to his ear. “Always know your enemy, motherfucker.”
Chapter Eight
She leaned down, ripped the chip out of the dead agent’s helmet, and scanned the front of it with her camera. A faint hiss announced a curious visitor and she stepped aside as a vine wound itself around the agent’s legs and dragged him into the brush. She smiled. “Bon appetit.”
