“Have they accepted me as your mate?” she asked pointedly, knowing that he would miss any innuendo or word play. She knew that he was a literal creature.
“I believe they have. If one of them attacks you, you’ll have to fight it off and then bite its ear,” he said.
“What? Are you kidding? You don’t sound like you’re kidding,” Felicity stuttered.
Ted looked up and smiled. “I’ve already done that for you. You’ll be fine.”
She sighed in resignation. “I have work to do. The mayor’s office is open for business!” she declared, before slapping Ted’s butt and strutting away.
“Yes. There is lots of work to do,” he agreed. “We have to refuel the Mini Cooper, but I need Gene’s help. Do you know when they’ll return?”
“Nope,” Felicity said, turning to face Mayor’s Park when she reached the top step. “I expect they’ll return when they are ready. How long can you wait?”
“If we reduce power to the grid, even taking some zones offline, I should be able to get another couple weeks out of it. We’ll provide power from the backup generator for all the freezers on the compound,” he advised.
“Sounds good,” Felicity replied, waving nonchalantly as she turned to go inside. Then she realized that it was the middle of the night and that she and Ted had been under the single lamp before the mayor’s building.
Her world was turned upside-down.
What did he just say? she wondered after sitting at her desk, knowing that she would neither sleep nor do any work the remainder of the night.
San Francisco
“They came from in there,” Char said, pointing at a newer building in good condition. Terry looked at the structure critically. It looked to have been built after the fall using earthquake-resistant techniques. Someone from the before time had designed that building.
Terry realized that the Forsaken had been here all along.
While Terry had struggled on the edge of the Wasteland, the Forsaken were rebuilding San Francisco as their personal modern buffet. How had Akio missed it?
Because they hid deep underground until the light from Terry’s war shone into the cockroaches’ holes.
“Flush them out, one at a time, until there are no more,” Terry said to himself.
He hesitated before going in.
“We didn’t sanction it,” Terry told Char as he wrestled with his morals.
She was leaning forward, ready to go inside. She pulled back. “What are you talking about?”
“Nazi experiments on people during World War Two. It was horrendous, but that knowledge advanced medicine. The Forsaken controlled this city and jumped it well ahead of the rest of the country. We didn’t sanction it or approve. We didn’t turn the other cheek and let them build their human ranch. The technology and modern society benefitted them, but it can benefit us, too, as soon as we can root them out.”
“Moral dilemma, TH?” Char asked, taking half-steps toward the building and waving Terry to hurry up.
“Just a little. Just because they did some good things for humanity, it doesn’t mean that they haven’t erred. We’ll figure it out later. We got us some Forsaken to kill!”
A massive explosion shook the bedrock, throwing Terry and Char to the ground. The rumble echoed into the distance. The street lights went out, plunging the city into darkness.
“What the fuck?” Terry growled, standing and brushing himself off while looking at the buildings around them to make sure nothing was coming down on top of them. He and Char moved to the middle of the street. A manhole cover had been blown off. They peered into the hole. The orange glow within told them that the sewers were on fire.
“I guess if they can’t have it, no one can,” Char said.
“Son of a bitch!” Terry screamed in rage, shaking his fist at the sky in frustration. “At least tell me some Forsaken died down there.”
Charumati shrugged, her purple eyes sparkling under the stars. She ran her hand gently down Terry’s arm. “Time to put the sword away, TH. I think this one is over,” Char said, smiling. She blinked once and walked away.
Terry took one last look into the manhole. “I hate Forsaken,” he whispered while wiping his blade on his pants for the second time that night.
Heading into North Chicago
Andrew sat quietly while the warriors glared at him. He wasn’t a mind reader, but he didn’t need to be to know what they were thinking.
Akio sat with his eyes closed, but he wasn’t asleep. Yuko and Eve watched Andrew closely without looking directly at him. Aaron and Yanmei didn’t bother with the subtleties. Yanmei had dealt with Mr. Smith from New Schwabenland for a long time before he pawned her off on Kirkus.
Then the world ended, and she had been trapped for what she thought would be all eternity. She gripped Aaron’s hand tightly, saying a short prayer for her delivery from the evil that had been the Forsaken.
She was proud to be part of Terry Henry’s effort to eliminate the Forsaken, yet here was one, getting a ride back to the comfort of North Chicago. What would they do with him when they were there?
She pursed her lips in thought. They didn’t have a jail or anything like that in North Chicago, but she was sure they could come up with something: chains and shackles like the ones that held Terry.
The pods descended into North Chicago, slowing and landing without a bump. The rear of the pod opened and the warriors started to file off. Lacy ordered them to form up for final instructions.
Akio, Yuko, Aaron, Yanmei, and Eve stood with Andrew. He looked curiously at the glimmering metal construct that was Eve. Seamless corners flowed smoothly, flexed as easily as human skin. “You are fascinating,” Andrew told Eve.
“Thank you,” Eve replied politely.
“All right, you maggots,” Lacy said, walking back and forth in front of the platoon. “Clean those weapons! Inspection in one hour. Squad leaders, I want ammo counts—expended, remaining, and brass on hand. Do you get me?”
“Yes, Company Gunnery Sergeant,” the platoon shouted in unison. Other warriors filtered from the barracks to listen in and congratulate their fellows. The platoon sergeants were already angling to make sure they were next in the queue whenever the call came. No one wanted to miss their chance to fight.
Lacy wasn’t a fan of the long title, but the colonel was hard over on before-time Marine Corps ranks. He continued to instill the precepts from his time in the service of honor, integrity, and courage.
The warriors wanted to believe that they were every bit as good as those who had gone before. They wanted the colonel to be proud of them.
“What was the tally, you ask?” Lacy continued to pace, looking down at the ground. “Zero of our people injured. Mission accomplishment? We went after three of those bastards and got two of them. We protected the pod and brought all our people home. You have set the Forsaken back years, maybe decades!”
The growing group in front of the barracks started to cheer and those in formation joined them.
“Dismissed!” Lacy ordered.
Mark worked his way through the crowd to congratulate the squad leaders and give each of them a word of encouragement. He found Boris and Lacy talking.
“Nicely done, you two,” he told them, shaking their hands. He looked to the pod. “You brought home a guest?”
“Akio captured him. I have no idea what we’re going to do with him, but I need a shower. If you’ll excuse me, Lieutenant, I’ll do the tallies and as soon as the weapons inspection is complete, I’m going home.”
“Go home now, Gunny. I’ll take care of everything. Go see your family.” Boris slapped her on the shoulder and turned with Mark to head for the pod before Lacy had a chance to salute.
She knew how quickly things could change, so she made a beeline for the road home. Aaron and Yanmei watched her go. Deciding that she had the right idea, they excused themselves and followed her out.
Mark and Boris walked with a purpose. There was an enemy Forsaken
in North Chicago, and they wanted to know what that meant.
“Congratulations, Akio-sama,” Mark said, echoing the title and deep bow that he’d seen the colonel use.
“Thank you, Mark-san,” Akio replied, bowing in return. Mark had never spoken to Yuko or Eve before and since Akio made no effort to introduce them, Mark did not intrude.
“What do you want us to do with this?” Mark asked pointedly, looking at the Forsaken.
“His name is Andrew and I believe he will join Terry Henry Walton’s efforts on behalf of our humble planet,” Akio replied softly.
Mark was thrown for a loop for only a second. Joseph was a key member of the tactical team and the colonel and major both trusted him with their lives. If Akio was going to trust Andrew, then who was Mark to disagree? He always carried a silvered knife, in any case. Trust but verify, he’d heard the colonel say, and thought it applied in this situation.
Always carrying a knife was another thing he’d learned from the colonel, who had attributed it to an organization called the Boy Scouts. Mark had no idea what that was, but thought it a good policy to live by.
Mark thrust out a hand. “Welcome aboard!” he said good-naturedly.
Andrew turned slightly to show his bindings.
A knife appeared in Akio’s hand. Neither Mark nor Boris saw where it came from.
He sliced the bonds, and Andrew immediately massaged his arms.
“Thank you,” the Forsaken said, nodding slightly. “Where do we go from here?”
Akio looked deeply into Andrew’s eyes. The Forsaken rocked backward, knowing that Akio was in his head. He tried to control his thoughts, but his life had been turned upside-down since the Forsaken had taken him, converted him, and turned him into one of them. He hadn’t been strong enough to fight them. And once converted, even though he didn’t want to live that way, he had been powerless to fight it.
The hunger for human blood was there, but his mind was repulsed at the thought. It made him nauseous to think about the battle that he would fight within for the rest of his life. Would he get so hungry that he’d become a cannibal?
That was his greatest fear. That he would not be strong enough to resist it. He couldn’t fathom dying by starvation, and he couldn’t fathom feeding on humans as a way to live. He expected that he would go insane.
Akio stepped back. “Go with Boris-san. He will provide a room for you until Terry Henry returns. I expect that Joseph will help you adjust.”
Boris looked at Akio, unsure of what to do. Was Andrew a friend or an enemy? Ten seconds prior, he’d been tied up and a prisoner.
“It will be okay, Boris-san,” Akio said. “We will remain here until Terry-san returns. Have no worries.”
Akio, Yuko, and Eve entered one of the two pods and closed the ramp behind them.
Andrew, Mark, and Boris stood there in uncomfortable silence.
“I have no idea,” Andrew said with a smile, trying to be pleasant.
“Me neither,” Mark replied. “But I know that my wife and I have spent too much time apart since the platoon has been gone. I’ll bid you both a good day.”
Mark winked at Boris, before walking away.
“I’ll be damned,” Boris started. “I hope you don’t mind paperwork and some of that kind of bullshit, because that’s what my future holds.”
Andrew started to laugh. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, but it sounds like I’m going to learn.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
San Francisco
Terry’s communication device buzzed. He looked at those around him before answering. The group was tired and hungry. It had been a long night.
Without the Forsaken, the power was out. Terry didn’t know to what extent, but he needed an engineer to figure it out. Timmons was talking with people who were starting to emerge from their homes since morning had arrived, but they hadn’t found anyone who knew about how power was generated or distributed.
Terry pulled the device from his pocket. “Akio-sama, ohayo-gozaimasu.”
“Ohayo-gozaimasu, Terry-san,” Akio replied automatically. “Do you have a couple minutes to exchange information?”
“I do, Akio-sama,” Terry answered, waving Char close so she could listen.
“We did not find the New Schwabenland stronghold in Germany, but we found two Forsaken. We eliminated one and captured one. He is now with us. I believe he will be a good addition to your team. The FDG also managed to shoot down a blimp and then defend the pod from the locals while we retrograded, as your people called it.”
Terry looked at the device.
Akio captured a Forsaken? he mouthed to Char. Her eyebrows shot up, and she shook her head. Cory leaned over her mother’s shoulder.
“Sounds good,” Terry finally replied.
What the hell? Char mouthed back, rolling her eyes. Cory watched her parents, completely at a loss as to what was going on. Terry held his hands up and shrugged.
“From our side, we found out that the Forsaken had been running San Francisco since the WWDE. Thanks to trade with Japan, they’ve rebuilt it into a modern city, complete with power, running water, and everything civilization needs. They used to have power, I should say.” Terry stopped to swallow as he prepared to continue.
“The city was walled off with paramilitary guarding it. Inside, a Forsaken council was calling the shots, but there are a lot of people and regular trade. They even have nightclubs!” Terry emphasized. Char punched him in the chest. Terry turned away to continue.
“We eliminated five Forsaken, captured one ourselves, but Mister Smith blew the underground when we were getting close. I’m sure he escaped along with any others from his inner circle. We’ve got Timmons looking into what it’ll take to get the power turned back on. After that, we’ll meet with the human leaders of the city and see what we can do to get them onto a path of self-determination,” Terry finished explaining. He always gave far more detail than needed, but Akio never complained.
“Mister Smith escaped, but you’ve wrested control of San Francisco from the Forsaken,” Akio said while thinking. “We could not tell that they were in charge there. They hid it well, but clearly, they also expected that they’d be found out, assuming the underground detonation was planned.”
“I think you’re right, Akio-sama. We’re going to wrap up here, hopefully today, and then we’ll head home.”
Cory smiled and nodded. Deploying with her boyfriend had not been what she hoped. He was fully occupied with his squad and Force business. There was no alone time.
San Francisco looked to be an incredible recreation spot.
She’d bring it up later that people needed to take vacations. Cory knew the right people in high places. She smiled to herself while looking around for Ramses, spotting him with the platoon. He was looking at her. A lover’s getaway, she thought.
Terry signed off and put the communication device back into his pocket.
“Sue and Timmons. You two figure out how to bring the power back up. Take Gene with you. Joseph and Cory will come with us and we’ll deploy the squads. We need to find where the manpower for the walls is coming from and convince them that there’s a new sheriff in town.”
North Chicago
“Cory’s not back yet?” Auburn asked the mayor. Felicity had William propped on one hip while Mary Ellen ran after Clovis. As long as they stayed in Mayor’s Park, no one would yell, but the chance of Clovis doing as he was told was minimal.
“Cory? Not Kimber?” Felicity wondered.
“Yes, Cory, because of her dog! Of course the children want to see their mother, but I want peace!” Auburn emphasized. “I don’t even remember what it’s like to eat a meal where I’m not standing and holding my plate over my head.”
Felicity understood. Clovis had attacked her dinner table one time. That was all it took to get him banned for life from the mayor’s quarters.
“It’s been three days, Auburn,” Felicity replied.
“It’s b
een months since Kim has been home more than a couple days at a time.” He scowled. He was a supportive husband, just until he learned what her role in the Force de Guerre meant. He didn’t want to be a single parent.
“You ever think of moving closer?”
Auburn looked at the mayor. “Then what would I do? I’m a rancher. Cattle are my life,” Auburn declared and then looked at his kids. “Maybe only part of my life.”
“And the FDG is Kim’s life. Everything was great when she did what you wanted, but now…” Felicity let the thought trail off. By the look on his face, she figured that she had made her point.
San Francisco
Terry sent Marcie and her squad two blocks to the right and Kae two blocks to the left. The colonel kept Ramses and his squad with him. Marcie scowled until Terry decided that he’d had enough.
He delayed their departure for a few moments so he could pull her aside and ream her a new asshole.
“Listen up. I know you think you’re good enough to join the tac team. I don’t fucking care! I need my most capable squads operating on their own, that’s yours and Kae’s. In the interim, you are going to show a little fucking self fucking discipline!” Their noses were almost touching as he glared at her, so she could see the anger boiling behind his eyes.
Marcie’s eyes were crystal blue like her mother’s, her hair a golden blond. She looked young. In the before time, she would have been a model. And Terry didn’t care about any of that. Now wasn’t then. They were in the middle of a war, and the prize was civilization itself.
“We’re fighting for all mankind. You need to understand that if you join the tac team, your life is no longer yours. We go to the hottest of the hot spots and do the dirtiest jobs. You’ve been there when we carried our injured home. It’s not a pretty sight. Don’t be in a hurry to make your husband a widower.”
Marcie looked defiant, but only for a moment. “I’m sorry,” she stammered. She could find no other words.
“Get out there and keep your team alive. There’s no one in your squad who is faster or stronger than you, and together, with the combined brainpower of your people, there’s no one here who’s smarter. Carry out your orders,” Terry finished.
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