"You're alive."
"Sure am." Damien says, almost not believing it himself. "I guess news travels fast in the wasteland."
"You should know that I cried."
"Why?" Damien asks. "Why did you cry?"
"I thought I had lost you, buddy." Seth says.
It has been years since Seth has called him buddy. Damien smiles. Maybe they can repair this and move on. "I'm fine. Thanks for saving me and helping me out back there. I know it was you who left the note and took care of me."
"I'm flattered that you believe I value you so highly, but it wasn't me."
"You're joking, right? Who else could have done all of that?"
"I don't know what to tell you." Seth says. "I didn't even find out until last night. I really and truly thought you were dead."
So it wasn't Seth? Someone must be following them around. There's no one else who could have known all of the stuff in that note. Maybe it was just an overly curious Rubble Rebel. He'll ask around later. Back to the report. "That's strange. So, do you remember Blice McSage?"
Seth groans. "Not him again. He's still in the clear."
"Oh really? Since when is the Master Director of the Inquisition considered in the clear?"
Seth gasps. "No way."
"He's the one who set the trap and literally stabbed me in the back."
"Well, it seems it might be time for me to apologize to you. This one is my fault, Damien. I should have listened to you. The scan I ran confused me, though."
"What exactly did it say?" Damien asks.
"That he has level 10 clearance in all government agencies."
Oh really? Something big is definitely going on. "Only President Evans has that. I don't understand. You and I have what? Level 9?"
"Level 8. It got lowered when the previous Master Director of the Inquisition threw a tantrum."
"Why would the Master Director of the Inquisition have higher clearance than we do if it is supposed to be equal?" Damien asks.
"Good question."
It's time for Damien to come clean about the incident that tore them apart. Almost dying made him realize that some things he can't take to the grave and if there is ever a time to lay everything out on the table and deal with it, it is now. He takes a deep breath. Here goes nothing. "So, when I was bleeding out and thought I was dying, I thought about my life and realized some stuff about what happened between you and me in Styx. I know that no matter what I tell you and no matter how many times I attempt to explain my actions, we will never be like we used to be. I understand why you feel I betrayed you. I was so eager to do something great that I made the worst mistake of my life. You're right. It wasn't worth it."
"Will you answer me the one question you have always avoided?"
Not that again. Damien grits his teeth. He has to tell him this time. If there is any chance of getting his friend back, he has to tell him the complete and ugly truth.
"Why did you shoot me?" Seth asks.
"Do you want the completely shameful and terrible truth that I wish with every part of my being that I could change?"
"Tell me."
"You were holding me back." Damien says. "I wanted the glory for myself. I wanted to be the greatest agent and you were competition."
Seth is silent for a few minutes. Only the hum of the computers in the background lets Damien know that he's still there. Then with a voice clouded in undeniable pain, Seth finally speaks. "So you shot your partner who had vowed to protect you so that you could look like the hero."
"Yes." Damien says.
"I see."
"Forgive me."
"I was in the hospital for seven months." Seth says.
"I know."
"They told me I would never be able to walk again. You haven't seen me since the accident. I'm not like I used to be."
"You could have told them what really happened." Damien says.
"They would have tortured you to death. I couldn't let them do that."
"I deserved it. Maybe I still deserve it."
"It's over. It's done." Seth says. "Now I'm the one who has to live with the consequences."
The medics told him he may never walk again? "Please tell me you can walk."
"I'm not a liar." Seth says.
"Oh God."
"That's part of the reason I am trying to transfer to mechanics. I can't do this job much longer in the state I am. You should have a partner with you and I can't be that partner. I can't do anything out on assignment. I can't even walk from here to my desk without someone to help me or in my wheelchair."
Damien holds his head in his hands. "Why didn't you tell me this sooner?"
"It made me feel better to know that you had no idea what you truly took from me that day." Seth says. "For the first year, I thought the medics were lying. I tried so hard to walk, but I'm paralyzed from the waist down. You landed that bullet in the exact right spot."
"Is there anything I can do to make this up to you, even in the slightest way?" Damien asks.
"The time for mercy and compassion is well over, Damien. I don't need your sympathy. I've done well for two years on my own. If you had cared enough to come visit me in the hospital before you had to leave Paradise again, you would have known all of this. You didn't even say goodbye. You left without a word and after that, the next time I talked to you was when you were infiltrating the prison to get close to Byron and Isidore. I still don't understand why you had to stay there for four months before you got that plan going to get them out of there."
"You want the truth for that one too?"
"Preferably." Seth says.
"I felt like I needed to stay there. My guilt got the better of me and I realized that somehow or another, I would pay for what I did to you. I thought for sure that when you couldn't reach me for four months, you would have gotten another partner to take my place."
"You need a new partner and I'm sure there are plenty of agents who can fill that role for you. But me? You're the only partner I can ever work with. We had something good. We were unstoppable. I never imagined that our one downfall would be you."
"Neither did I." Damien says.
"Well, you need to get back to work."
"I guess."
"What do you have planned?" Seth asks.
"Whatever crazy shit Byron gets into."
"You're enjoying this mission. Byron is genuinely your friend now, isn't he?"
"Yah. He is." Damien isn't lying.
"Don't let me keep you. Who knows? Maybe if he comes around and realizes the truth about everything, we can get him to join us and with some training, you two will be compatible enough to be partners."
"But I want you as my partner again." Damien says.
"I'm never going to be your partner again. If I tried to be out there on assignment with you, I would only hold you back and you would end up shooting me again."
"Seth . . ."
Seth's voice changes and he sounds a bit angry again. "Anyway, there's another reason I can't be your partner anymore. I am about to have a lot more to deal with. Check your sensor. I am sending you something right now."
Damien looks at the screen and a document shows up. "What's this?"
"A wedding announcement."
"Really? Congratulations. Who is she? There's no name listed."
"Well, see this is the beauty of revenge." Seth says. "I can do it however I want to. Nothing is too much because you shot me in the back and paralyzed me. So, I have to make it sweet. Her name is Maria."
No. He wouldn't go that far.
"She thinks you're dead. After your sons were taken away, she came looking to me for comfort. She told me that I reminded her of you. Don't worry. Maria will be in good hands. You betray me, I'll betray you as well. How does it feel, Montgomery?"
Damien tightens his fists. "You traitorous bastard."
"Really, Damien? Really? I'm doing her a favor. You might never be welcome back into Paradise. She isn't getting younger. What is she going
to do without a husband?"
"This is betrayal on an entire new level."
"And shooting me from behind without a warning and crippling me isn't? You will learn to not fuck with me, Damien Montgomery. I have waited two years to find something I could do to get my revenge. You're welcome. Now, I have a wedding to plan."
"Don't do this." Damien says.
"I can do whatever I want. You're not in Paradise. You have no say in this whatsoever. Damn, this feels so good. I care enough about you to save you from the public execution the Inquisition would have put you through, but now I get the sweet pleasure of knowing you are squirming with hatred. Welcome to the world of being betrayed by those you care about most. How does it feel, hero?"
"Seth, I thought we were doing better."
"You can find another woman, Damien. I can never walk again." Seth says. "Think about that the next time you feel like being a hero."
The transmission dies.
Damien sits in the dark and screams as he tears at his hair. Why? Why is this happening? "Maria!" He shouts out above the canyon. Her name echoes against the mountains in the distance. Maybe she will hear him in Paradise and know that he's still here and continues to love her with all of his heart. He never stopped loving her. He may have slept with other random women out here in the wasteland, but his heart has always belonged to her. Now his best friend is taking her away from him and there's nothing he can do to stop it or even let her know that he is still alive and loving her.
Damien watches the twinkling lights above the lead walls of Paradise and wonders which one is lighting the room where Maria is. At least he knows she will be cared for and protected. With someone as high up in the government as Seth being her husband, Maria won't have to worry about the Inquisition trying to hurt her anymore. And maybe, just maybe, Seth will be able to track down Zach and Xavier. Seth may be a more suitable husband for her anyway. If Damien had married her before he had to leave Paradise the second time, she would have been exiled out here with him. She deserves a much better life than what he can provide for her out here.
Damien dials the number on his sensor again.
"This is Agent Seth Thompson. Who is this?"
"You win, Seth. You win." Damien says.
"Montgomery?"
"I'm resigning my position."
"You can't do that." Seth says. "You're out on assignment. You'll be deserting."
"So be it."
"Don't do this. I'm warning you. I will send your name in to the Inquisition and they will hunt you down."
Damien scoffs. "Like they aren't already doing that? You can have the position to yourself. I'm done. You made your point and I get it. So tell President Evans that I quit and if he wants to come find me, I will be out here in the wasteland like I have been for years."
"Don't do this because of Maria."
"I'm doing this because of you." Damien says. "It's your turn to be the hero. If you want the glory and the fame, then come hunt me down and bring me in yourself. You'll be the favorite one then and I'll be publicly executed. You'll have your full and just revenge. Enjoy watching me be tortured to death in the courtyard. If you want to take me up on my offer, just follow the tracking device in this sensor. But don't think for one second that I'll go down without a fight. I'm not above fighting you in your current state. We will settle this once and for all like they did back in history. I'm calling a duel. I'll be waiting for you, Agent Seth."
23
Byron orders some Alezi Blue and thinks about the best place around here to get information. He'll probably head over to the Rubble Rebel headquarters and talk to Alexi about the reports and figure out a plan of action after he's done in this bar. Every day, there are more and more Inquisition helicopters nearby and two days ago, three inquisitors were caught and killed in the city. A more recent report said that Styx was bombed, but there hasn't been any word on casualties yet. Paradise's sister city up north, Eden, was overrun with members of a different rebel group and every single rebel was killed. Tensions are growing higher and Byron has the suspicion that the Rubble Rebels will want to make a move on Paradise and not be outdone by their brothers to the north.
Someone approaches the table. "Can I get you anything?"
"Know where I can get some sort of news about what's going on around here? I've been hearing reports about . . ." When he looks up, he loses his train of thought. "Oh, hello."
The woman leans over the table and Bryon can't keep his eyes on her face. "You're Byron Erikson, right? The Rubble Rebel?"
She should really wear a bigger shirt. Or none. "Um . . . what did you say? Sorry. I didn't hear any of that."
The woman laughs and pulls up a chair beside him at the table. "I said your name is Byron Erikson, right?"
"Yah. That's me."
The woman puts her arms around him and embraces him.
She smells so nice. He buries his face in her curly red hair. Maybe joining the Rubble Rebels has its perks. Byron wonders if he should hold her back. As much as he is enjoying this, he can't help but feel that something is going on. He would ask, but he doesn't want to make her stop.
"Please tell me you loved her."
Byron pushes the woman off of him. "Excuse me?"
"Leena. Did you tell her you loved her before she died?"
This must be Leena's friend. "I did. I asked her to marry me and I told her I wanted to be the father for our baby."
The woman's eyes brim with tears. "Baby? She was pregnant? She never said anything about that. Oh my God. Really?"
"I didn't catch your name."
"Eliza. Can you tell me how she died?"
Byron focuses again on his tequila. "I'm sorry, but I'd rather not talk about it."
"You really did love her, didn't you? She talked to me for hours about you and how you wouldn't admit it. I hope she didn't suffer."
Why now? Why is this woman here now asking these questions that Byron isn't prepared to face? Maybe if he ignores her, she will take the hint and go away.
"You don't have to talk to me. Is this making you uncomfortable? I didn't mean to make you sad. Don't cry." Eliza puts her thin hand on his shoulder.
"I don't cry."
"That's what Leena said. I thought she might have been making it up." Eliza traces some carvings on the table with her fingers. "Was it her husband? Did her husband kill her?"
Her husband? Blice? "You knew she was married?"
"Of course. Didn't you?"
"No. I didn't know that until after she died." Byron says.
"She ran away on their wedding night because he wanted to experiment on her."
Why does that not surprise him? That sounds just like something a crazy demon like Blice would do. "What kind of experiments?"
"Something about fertility and using her regeneration magic to impregnate her with a superior life form."
"What did you say?" Byron asks.
"He wanted to artificially impregnate her with some sort of genetically mutated baby."
"That's what I thought you said. Do you know anything else about that?"
"Apparently her husband told her that he needed to have a son who could be turned into some sort of half machine, half human thing to replace a computer he lost in the wasteland. He called it a T.I.M.E. Ever heard of those?" Eliza asks.
Isidore. "I have. What do you know about them?"
"They live on a space station in space." Eliza says. "They have microchips in their brains or something. They aren't really people. My father said they can't feel emotions and don't have souls. That's why they were sent away so they wouldn't hurt anybody. Isn't that sad? My father was a low level inquisitor and his father worked on the original T.I.M.E. project."
"Interesting. No emotions, huh?"
"That's right. That's why they were supposed to be traded and bought for slave labor and serving their administrator. That's their sole purpose. They don't mind being slaves, though. They wouldn't even know the difference because they are stupid
and can't think for themselves."
"Do they not have any rights?" Byron asks.
"Of course not, silly. They are just computers. Their owners can do whatever they want with them. No matter how lifelike they seem, they aren't people. Back when they were still down here on Earth, the owners would get tired of them and just shoot them when they wanted a new computer."
Byron swallows hard and he pushes his drink away. "They would murder them?"
"You can't murder something that's not alive. Anyway, they were just getting to the point where they could replace more of their brains with computer parts and therefore be able to manipulate them more. There was only one that was able to survive the process when they replaced seventy-five percent of his brain with computer parts. But he went missing a long time ago. I hope he doesn't come anywhere near this city. They are awful things who only want to kill humans because they are jealous of us. I wish the Inquisition would just get rid of them. They could make them fight against each other like my father told me about."
Byron suddenly feels very ill. None of this sounds right. Isidore isn't like that at all. "Does everyone feel that way?"
"Everyone except for a few of the Rubble Rebels who still think that T.I.M.E.s deserve to have rights. Where have you been for the past five years?"
"In prison."
"Oh. That explains it." Eliza says. "All of this information came to light right around the time that military fueling station was blown up and all those soldiers died. They blamed it on the missing T.I.M.E."
They blamed what Byron did on Isidore? No wonder the bounty on Isidore's head is so high. Byron's thoughts are racing in his head and he is trying to form a complete picture of everything. How could anyone view Isidore like that? Not human? No emotions? That can't be right. Isidore might be a little crazy, but he can definitely feel things.
"But this isn't why I'm here. I have something for you. It's Leena's diary. She left it at my house one night. I figured you should have it." Eliza hands him the small pink notebook. "I have to get back to work. If you need anything else, let me know. It was nice to meet you and talk to you."
Once Eliza leaves, Byron flips through the perfumed pages until one catches his eye.
Paradise of Lead Trilogy Page 16
