The Roadhouse Chronicles Box Set [Books 1-3]

by Cox, Matthew S.

  Tris grumbled, gave Kevin an apologetic look, and stormed for the door.

  “Wait!” yelled Aura, chasing her. “You’re not gonna really leave me here?”

  “No… come on.” Tris didn’t slow.

  “Need a hand?” asked Jordan.

  Tris looked at Kevin. “You trust him?”

  The guy looks sincere. “You know me. I don’t trust anyone, especially strange women who need rides…”

  She grumbled and continued for the elevator.

  Kevin looked at Jordan. “Come on. Grab a rifle.”

  He ran after Tris and Aura to the elevator, where they waited six more seconds for Jordan to catch up. Tris pounded the button as soon as the man ducked inside.

  “What happened to those two from upstairs?” asked Kevin.

  “Sent them to the infirmary.” Jordan cringed. “Stunners do a number on a person. Usually takes a few hours for everything to work right again.”

  Aura stared guilt into the floor.

  “It isn’t permanent.” Jordan patted her shoulder. “I’d rather that than be shot in the face.”

  The elevator opened behind them, allowing the brain-mushing alarm to triple in volume. Tris sprinted across the empty single-room surface building and out the front door, the girl trailing behind her. Kevin kept his .45 in hand, hoping no one would notice its ‘antique’ status in the confusion.

  Outside, screaming people ran in all directions. A few ISF personnel stood like cops attempting to direct traffic for hundreds of rabbits that had been lit on fire. A few men in thicker armor that reminded Kevin of the Hoplite pilot he’d waved at before covering the skirt of his hovercraft with incendiary gel, clubbed and shoved at a pack of civilians in jumpsuits who appeared to be trying to approach a distant five-story building.

  The place has gone completely nuts.

  Three black boxes sat outside, a vague suggestion of ‘vehicle’ in their design. All had ISF logos, and large hatches opened like awnings on their left side.

  “You can go home now.” Tris offered an apologetic smile to Aura. “I’m sorry for scaring you.”

  Aura shook her head. “No way. I’m not going anywhere alone. I don’t want to be shot… again. Everyone’s gone crazy.”

  “Fine.” Tris ran to the nearest vehicle, which looked about the size of a pre-war van, and headed in the open side. The roof had enough room to where she didn’t have to duck. She hooked a left to the driver’s seat and flopped, attacking the controls before her ass hit the cushion. Aura sprinted after her. Kevin jumped in a second before Jordan. The hatch closed as the console lit up blue. Neutral beige covered everything inside except for the controls and the plain metal floor.

  Aura scurried into the passenger seat, so Kevin headed for the bench in the back, flush against the right wall opposite the door he’d entered from. The rear quarter of the cargo area looked like a cage made for people, fortunately empty. Jordan opened a locker-style door on the left side. He pulled out a handgun, which he tossed to Kevin, as well as two boxy magazines full of little orange blocks.

  “That old-ass gun of yours won’t work on anyone in armor.” He grinned and sat on the bench right behind the driver seat, facing Kevin.

  “Neither will this… but I guess it will blend in more.” He pocketed the .45.

  “True, but those rounds have more energy than that old thing. One or two to the chest will still knock the shit outta someone.”

  Tris backed into a K turn and jammed the control lever forward. Acceleration knocked Kevin over sideways.

  “You know where you’re going?” yelled Kevin.

  “Yes. Waypoint,” shouted Tris.

  Aura curled up in a ball on the seat, staring over her knees at people outside losing their collective minds. She picked at the rip in her pant leg where a thin strip of snow-white skin showed.

  A man’s voice announcing, “Please stay calm and return to your homes,” over a loudspeaker repeatedly passed on the left.

  “When in the history of human beings has ‘please stay calm’ ever actually succeeded in calming anyone down?” asked Tris.

  “No idea,” muttered Kevin.

  “That was a rhetorical question,” said Aura. “She wasn’t expecting anyone to answer her.”

  Kevin glared at the partition behind the girl’s head. Smartass.

  Doctor Jameson’s face appeared on a six-inch square display screen in the dashboard. “Found you.”

  “Dad… can you shut off that damn alarm? It’s making my brain pulse.” Tris let out a sudden ‘eep’ noise before jerking the control stick left, swerving the van hard.

  Kevin grabbed the pole to stay in his seat. Aura tumbled into a heap on the floor between the front seats. A woman’s scream shot by outside. She swerved back the other way, tossing Jordan out of the bench seat to stand. The child climbed back into her seat and buckled in.

  “Yes, I believe so. The Eden Protocol is running perfectly. People are waking up and the Enclave will be forced to open its doors to the outside world. The software has already successfully purged all records of the Agent-X program. I’ve also deleted the initial work-ups regarding the beneficial virus. As much a boon as it might have provided if completed, it would’ve been too much of a foundation for someone to rebuild Agent-94.”

  “Good call,” yelled Kevin.

  “Watch out!” yelled Aura, pointing at the windscreen. She cringed, and looked down. “Don’t crash.”

  “Not trying to. This thing isn’t exactly nimble.” Tris grunted as she swerved around another vehicle coming the other way.

  Jordan laughed. “These weren’t designed to go past forty miles an hour. You’re doing eighty-five. If you turn while we’re going over thirty, we’ll roll. They’re a little top-heavy.”

  “Right…” Tris eased back to sixty and glanced at Dad-AI on the little screen. “So what’s this problem?”

  “I am unable to physically purge the existing stockpile of Agent-94. There are control mechanisms in place, which rely on a person opening valves. Fortunately, they did have the foresight to install an emergency flush system to an incinerator, but it requires manual operation.”

  Kevin broke out in a sweat. “Whoa… wait you mean we’re going to have to go in there where this shit is sitting around in its pure form? Not little capsules like they drop, but giant fucking vats of it?”

  “Yes, that sounds about accurate,” said Doctor Jameson. “There shouldn’t be a risk of exposure. The valve controls are not in an area requiring a clean suit.” He bowed his head. “There is something I must tell you.”

  “Oh, wonderful.” Tris squirmed. “Is it something that’s going to make me want to kill someone, or curl up and die where I am?”

  “The former I hope.” The old man offered a wan smile. “Nathan has sent a weaponized drone to your settlement. Nederland I believe. Eight capsules of Agent-94.”

  “No!” Tris yanked back on the lever, which had the effect of slamming on the brakes.

  “Gah!” Kevin slid to his right, crashing shoulder first into the partition behind the kid.

  Aura rocked forward into the seatbelt while making a noise like a kicked chicken.

  “Whoa!” Jordan caught himself on a padded pole between the benches. “Easy.”

  “Ow,” whined Aura.

  “Open the fucking gate,” yelled Tris.

  Doctor Jameson shook his virtual head. “The drone did not drop its payload. I have control of its flight systems. It is currently en route back here for disposal.”

  Amid all the chaos raging outside, Tris sat for a moment in what appeared to be meditative calm. When she spoke, a hoarse whisper came from her lips. “How close was it?”

  “I overrode its flight controls at 848 yards from the first drop location. The drone suffered a handful of bullet strikes, but no critical systems appear to be damaged.”

  She shivered.

  Kevin closed his eyes. Please don’t let Abby have seen it.

  “The flight
program was not official,” said Doctor Jameson.

  “Nathan,” growled Tris. She snapped her head around, fixing Kevin with a stare. “I’m not leaving here until I find that son of a bitch.”

  The van picked up speed again and swerved to avoid a frightened little boy standing disoriented in the middle of the road. Tris yelled and spun around to grab the stick, but the van ignored her.

  “It’s me,” said Doctor Jameson. “You have no time to spare. The remaining quantities of Agent-94 must be routed to the incinerator before military forces loyal to the Council secure the facility. I have disabled all vehicles and drones, including armed military craft. You, and only you, can re-enable them individually or all at once from the central command system.”

  “Well, that’s good,” said Kevin. “We won’t have to dodge Hoplites lobbing grenades at us on the way out.”

  “It also means they won’t try to kill her if they know that,” said Jordan.

  With the van driving itself, Tris faced the back and massaged her sinuses. “So why’d you trust this guy?”

  Kevin smiled. “Mostly because he dropped his weapon. From what I’ve seen of these psychos so far, he would’ve gambled on reflex boosters and nanites to beat you if he didn’t believe us.”

  Jordan chuckled. “I always did kinda wonder about that waste treatment building. Never made sense to me why it needed ISF on site. Shit doesn’t need a guard.”

  “Maybe it’s top secret shit,” said Kevin.

  Aura giggled.

  “The Protocol is nearing completion. The deep-stasis pods have started release processing.” Doctor Jameson smiled. “All you need to do from here is switch the manual valves to reroute the fluid to the incinerator vessel instead of the encapsulation path. The ordinance already loaded into capsules in the drone facility, I was able to redirect via software into a burner.”

  “How much are we talking about?” asked Kevin. “Uhh, left to burn I mean.”

  “Four tanks. About 160 gallons.”

  Tris blinked. “Damn…”

  The van swerved through a hard right turn, throwing Kevin onto his feet. He got his arms up in time to catch himself against the wall next to Jordan. Once it straightened out, he returned to his bench, but grabbed on to the padded bar.

  Gunfire snapped and popped in the distance, making Aura shiver. “Why are they shooting?”

  “People hate change,” said Tris. “Change is scary.”

  “We’re here,” said Doctor Jameson, as the van halted by the front doors of a one-story warehouse-style building. Unlike much of the Quar, it had black walls. “I’m sending you a waypoint now over the Exa.”

  “You can drive this thing, right?” Tris gave the display screen the side-eye. “Can you find Aura’s family and take her to them?”

  “I’m showing them all at their assigned residence. Cats included,” said Doctor Jameson. “Yes. I can drive her home.”

  Tris stood and bowed over the girl. “I’m sorry for getting you hurt. I put you in danger and that’s inexcusable.”

  “I, umm… You didn’t lie. You’re letting me go and you’re trying to stop them from freezing me, so I guess I might forgive you even if you did scare me to death.” She looked at Kevin. “Thanks for saving me from that bullet. Sorry you got shot.”

  “Not your fault.” Kevin winked. “You didn’t kick the gun.”

  Doctor Jameson cleared his throat.

  Tris put a hand on Aura’s cheek. “Help me make the world better. Keep your head down.”

  “Okay.”

  The side door whirred open. Kevin jumped out. A short asphalt walkway connected the street to a set of glass double doors. Four figures in the thicker military-style armor stood behind a silver metal barricade close to the building, with a gap for the walkway. Jordan hopped out behind him, followed by Tris.

  “Wanna try and play this cool?” asked Jordan. “None of these guys know you from the next guy. Act like ISF.”

  “Worth a shot.” Kevin nodded.

  The van hatch closed and it drove off, e-motors whining.

  Jordan led the way, with Kevin and Tris abreast behind him. The soldiers’ smooth black facemasks glinted in the sun.

  “Halt,” said a man’s voice past the crackle of an electric amplifier. “This is a restricted area under military jurisdiction. You boys don’t need to be here.”

  “Guess you missed that last comm,” said Jordan. “We’re supposed to relieve you. All military forces are being recalled to the council chambers.”

  “I never heard that,” replied the soldier.

  The four armored figures all tilted their heads in unison as if listening to something.

  “Uhh, yes sir,” said the soldier who’d been speaking. His helmet turned toward Jordan. “Sorry. Looks like you were right.”

  Jordan walked around the barricade and took a stance as if about to stand guard duty. Why not? Kevin did the same on the other side. He couldn’t look at Tris overacting ‘serious face’ without bursting into laughter, so he thought about Abby, and how bad he felt leaving her behind. That kept his expression grim.

  The soldiers hustled off to the right and vanished around the corner of the warehouse.

  “You got some serious skills, girl,” said Jordan.

  “What do you mean?” Tris blinked at him.

  He chuckled. “I don’t know you got Director Kuroyama to come over the comm right at that second and order those four guys in particular to the Council Chamber.”

  Tris peeked at the ammo counter on her rifle. “That had to be Dad. He’s probably listening to and watching us through your communicator.”

  Jordan patted a small bulge in the left shoulder of his armor. “Well, Pops. Thanks.”

  Kevin leaned forward over the barrier to stare at the corner where the soldiers went. “Think we’re clear by now?”

  “We’re in a hurry.” Tris headed for the door.

  “Guess that means yes.” Jordan chuckled.

  Kevin jogged after Tris. Two more soldiers in a small lobby rose from behind a desk and started to raise rifles.

  “Don’t,” yelled Tris, aiming at them. “Stand down.”

  “ISF personnel aren’t authorized to be in here,” said a thirtyish woman on the left.

  “This building contains a biological weapon that’s in violation of every scrap of human decency imaginable. I’m going to give you five seconds to decide if you want to throw your lot in with the Council and be responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent people, or if you’re still a goddamned human being.” She moved her finger onto the trigger. “Don’t think I won’t kill you. I have no patience for the kind of monsters that could set the Infected loose on the world.”

  Kevin raised his handgun at the woman and nodded toward Tris. “Yeah. What she said.”

  “You saw the video feed.” Jordan advanced, his rifle held sideways across his chest. “I saw the pods in person. They really do have all those people frozen. It isn’t much of a stretch to wonder what the hell else they’ve lied about.”

  “Get out of our way or go for that gun. Either way, do it now.” Tris edged closer.

  “Before you worry about treason,” said Jordan. “I got this feeling that the Council ain’t long for this world. Couple thousand frozen people are gonna be pretty pissed off, and unless they turn you lot against our own people…”

  “You know how touchy they are about murder.” Tris advanced right up to the counter. “It took them generations to build up that many people. I hope they don’t covet their power so much that they waste it all and start over.”

  “And I really don’t want to have to shoot a lady.” Kevin smiled.

  “What now, then?” asked the man.

  Tris moved around the side of the desk, keeping her rifle trained on him. Sweat gleamed on her forehead as she neared an overhead light. “Leave your weapons behind and go outside. My only objective here is to disable the bio weapon. There is no reason for its existence
other than mass murder.”

  “Okay, fine.” The man leaned to the side, putting his rifle down on the desk. His arm blurred into a sideswipe that swatted Tris’ weapon away.

  Two gunshots went off at the same instant Kevin fired at the woman. Hoping for a peaceful resolution, he’d had the Enclave pistol pointed at her armored chest rather than her open face. He fired four shots faster than expected, not used to an electric trigger. The handgun kicked like a magnum despite its somewhat unimpressive sound.

  Tris screamed. Muzzle flare bloomed from Jordan’s rifle. Tris, and both soldiers, hit the ground. The female soldier writhed like a landed fish, gawping for breath. Tris rolled on her side clutching her breast. The male soldier remained flat on his chest, not moving.

  Kevin fast walked over to the woman, keeping the gun pointed at her. All traces of hardened soldier left her expression; she stared up at him pleading. Four slugs stuck in her chestplate like darts, the 4mm penetrators not the least bit deformed. If the ache in his hand meant anything, she probably felt like she’d been hit with a sledgehammer by a 400-pound gorilla four times.

  “Tris you okay?” yelled Kevin.

  “No, ass!” she yelled. “He shot me through the tit. I’ll… it’s closing.”

  Jordan leaned up and over the counter. “Sorry man.” He shot the soldier in the back once more. “Well I guess I’m officially in the Resistance now.”

  “Is that why you just stood there during that little brawl before?” asked Kevin.

  “Sort of. Been thinking about things, ya know? Some stuff didn’t make sense. Not enough doubt to do much but doubt.” Jordan looked at the woman. “She go for a weapon?”

  “Uhh, no.” Kevin flashed a sheepish smile. “All that blurry, too-fast-to-see shit. Didn’t wanna take the chance.” He pocketed the pistol and took the rifle from the desk. “Guess these can penetrate armor.”

  “Yeah. Need a dead-on angle though. More than eight degrees of deflection, and they’ll glance.”

  Kevin rushed to Tris and helped her sit up. The bloody hand she pulled away from her chest filled him with panic.

  Metal slammed against concrete to the left. Jordan sprang in a blur, body-checking Kevin over the counter. Gunfire rippled from the direction of the door. Kevin flipped over in midair and landed on his back between the wheezing woman and the dead man. Three more soldiers fired into the room from a set of double doors in the middle of the wall.