Collapse Series (Book 9): State of Allegiance

by Summer Lane

  “Because I can help you. I can take you wherever you need to go in Hilo.” She drops her shoulders. “I know this island better than Hanale does. I’ve spent more time than he has exploring these forests and hills.”

  “As tempting as your offer is,” I say, “I don’t think we’d play well together.”

  “Look, you need to know something.” she sighs. “Hanale is ready to break down to the Ku. He wants to form an alliance with them. Co-exist. He thinks that will stop the killing. I’ll bet he didn’t tell you about that.”

  “Sympathetic?” I ask. “I just watched him and his men kill almost thirty Ku this morning.”

  “Actually, you killed most of them.”

  “Hanale doesn’t strike me as somebody who would make a truce with the Ku.”

  “Hanale is at the end of his rope. He means well. But he’s wrong.”

  I cross my arms.

  “And you know Hanale so well, right?” I answer.

  “I should,” she replies. “He’s my husband.”

  “Are you serious?” I exclaim.

  “Why wouldn’t I be?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. Most people make it a little bit more obvious when they’re married to someone.” I point at her hand. “No ring, no introduction.”

  “Hanale and I like to keep things professional and efficient.”

  “So, you want to go behind your husband’s back so you can get off this island?” I ask. “And you expect me to help you with this? Hmm … how about no?”

  I am done here. I will not play a part in a petty husband-versus-wife drama here in the middle of military camp. I have better things to do with my time.

  “I cannot be on this island any longer,” Lani says quietly.

  “California’s infrastructure is destroyed,” I reply. “Trust me, it’s no better than here.”

  “But it’s not here. And on the mainland, I can make a difference—I can actually fight the real enemy, not just local anarchists.” Her expression softens. “Hanale is immovable. I cannot convince him to leave. He thinks we’re safer on Hawaii than anywhere else.”

  “He might be right.” I shrug.

  “Perhaps. But safe does not mean smart.” Lani lifts her chin.“You’re looking for a weapon,” she continues. “I’m right, aren’t I? Something to use against Omega—otherwise, you wouldn’t be wasting your time here. And you think it’s hidden in Hilo somewhere. Let me help you find it.”

  I say nothing, afraid to reveal even the slightest bit of classified information to her.

  “You need a guide,” she says.

  “You told me you wouldn’t go past Ku territory,” I point out.

  “I lied. I don’t want Hanale to know what I’m willing to do.”

  “Sounds like you have a great marriage.”

  “What marriage?” Lani laughs sadly. “Commander Hart. I don’t really like you that much, and you don’t like me. That’s fine. But I’m sure Commander Young would agree: you could benefit from a guide.”

  “Maybe,” I say.

  I turn to leave, heading toward the barracks. I can sense the defeat in Lani, and I know that she will not try to corner me again. For the most part, I am right. She doesn’t corner me, but she does fall into step with me.

  “Please, Commander,” she says. “I’m begging you. Let me do this.”

  There is something beyond desperation in her voice this time. It is sadness. It is exhaustion. Perhaps she, too, is tired of the current state of affairs this world has come to. And I guess it’s really no skin off my nose what she decides to do with or without her husband’s knowledge.

  “We’ll talk to Commander Young,” I tell her. “Come on.”

  Lani smiles.

  She knows she’s already won.

  ***

  “I don’t think she should come,” Vera says flatly.

  She stares at Lani with a cold expression on her face. We are all locked in our barracks, just our immediate team from California. Chris and I stand on one side of the room, while the rest of our group is spread out. We’ve taped maps to the walls and studied them until our eyes burn. Weapons and ammunition are stacked everywhere.

  I tap my foot on the floor.

  “We need a guide,” I say.

  “No, we don’t,” Vera replies. “We know the maps. This island is small—it’s not hard to navigate.”

  “But you don’t know the Ku like I do,” Lani presses.

  Vera considers this – it makes sense, after all.

  “She can come,” Chris says at last, his voice strong and final. “This discussion is over.”

  Manny tries to say something to calm her down, but she shoulders away from him.

  “The plan is the same,” Devin offers, attempting to lighten the mood with a broad grin. “At 0700 tomorrow, we will depart in the convoy provided to us by General Hanale, and we will proceed on Saddle Road until we reach the edge of Ku territory. It will be on the west side of Hilo. There’s not a lot of cover there, so we’ll have to go on foot and keep low. We only have a few more days to find Mike Randall.”

  “I can help you from there,” Lani continues. “You have your maps, but I know where the Ku scouts make their rounds. I can help you avoid them.”

  “Good,” Chris replies. “That works for us.”

  I watch Lani carefully as we continue to discuss our mission, codenamed Operation Pele—a bit of a jab at the Ku, who worship the goddess of fire and volcanoes. She remains stony and pensive throughout our conversation, showing emotion only when she offers information regarding the Ku.

  I can’t help but wonder what her real motive is.

  Sure, the whole story about wanting to leave this island and get away from her husband sounds really authentic … but a woman like Lani doesn’t seem like the desperate type. I’m betting there’s some other reason she wants to get away from here, and it probably has nothing to do with her so-called husband and her crumbling marriage.

  “The most important thing to remember is that we avoid the city at all costs,” Chris says. “Downtown Hilo is where the highest concentration of Ku are. We don’t want to be anywhere near there.”

  “And what is our objective, then?” Manny asks, raising a finger. “Run around Hilo until we find our target? What’s his name again? Mike Randall?”

  “Yes,” Devin confirms. “We find Mike, we locate the weapons, and we notify the California militias immediately. They show up, and then we take them back home.”

  “Easy.” Manny shrugs. “I like it. Any other possible hiccups we might encounter, other than human-sacrificing maniacs or the Zika virus?”

  “No,” Lani replies. “Just remember, Hanale won’t send a rescue mission in for you. And he can’t know I’m coming with you. I’ll meet up with you at the RV point just before Ku territory.”

  I have a feeling good old General Hanale is going to be royally ticked off when he finds out his Hawaiian bride decided to join us on our mission. But again: not my problem.

  “Any more questions?” Chris asks.

  No one responds. This is, after all, a relatively simple mission. No fancy transportation, no jumping out of airplanes at twenty thousand feet in the air, no glorious arrival on a ballistic submarine.

  “All right, you’re dismissed,” Chris says. “See you at the front gate at 0700 tomorrow.”

  Lani looks at me and whispers, “I have to go. See you at the RV point.”

  I nod. I wouldn’t be surprised if she doesn’t show up or if General Hanale gets wise to what she’s planning. Still, I wait until the rest of the team has left the barracks, leaving only Devin, Manny, and Uriah behind. I close the door and say, “There’s something you should know. Lani told me that she believes Hanale is sympathetic to the Ku.”

  “Sympathetic to the Ku?” Manny exclaims. “Didn’t he just shoot thirty of them this morning?”

  “Well, technically, I shot twenty-two and Uriah shot—”

  “Eight. I shot eight. You’re getting faster
with every mission, Cassie.”

  There is a smile on his lips and pride in his voice when he says this. I hold his gaze until Chris says, “Do you believe Lani?”

  “No,” I say. “But I do think she genuinely wants to get off this island, and she’s willing to be our guide. So, I’m not worried about her.”

  “Neither am I,” Uriah agrees. “She poses no real threat to us.”

  “Unless she decides to slit our pretty throats in our sleep,” Manny remarks, dragging a finger across his neck. “That would be a strong deterrent, don’t you think?”

  “Manny, don’t be a drama queen,” I say, waving off his comment.

  But the fear of the mission looms before me—fear of the unknown, fear of death, fear of failure. Yes, more than anything else, the fear of failure weighs heavy on my chest.

  “I’ll keep an eye on her,” Uriah tells us. “I’ll make sure she doesn’t bother anyone.”

  This gives me peace of mind. Uriah will not let Lani get away with trying anything—to cross Uriah is to dig your own grave and crawl in. Lani will be well-observed.

  “Anything else you’d like to share with the group about Hanale or some other nefarious details you may have discovered here in paradise?” Manny asks.

  “Yeah,” I say. “Hanale and Lani are married. Or so she says.”

  “Married?” Uriah snorts. “I don’t believe it.”

  “That could complicate our relationship with the general,” Chris states.

  “Maybe. But he doesn’t know that we know they’re married.”

  There is truth in this. And maybe that will get us out of hot water later.

  “Anything else?” Chris asks this time, obviously concerned that I am leaving some detail out that may be important to the mission.

  “Nothing,” I promise. “This should be an easy operation. Relatively speaking.”

  “It’s all about relativity, my girl,” Manny chuckles. “Everything is only as easy as you think it’s going to be.”

  I yawn. If we are going to be ready for our mission tomorrow, we should all really be in bed. But, like with any mission, we are all too wired thinking about the day ahead to sleep. The anticipation of a mission is often worse than the mission itself, unless you find yourself in a firefight—which we usually do.

  Basically, we’re just stressed out all the time.

  “So,” Manny says, pulling his flask out of his pocket. “Anybody care for a drink?”

  Chris grins and shakes his head.

  “Nah, old man,” he says. “You keep that to yourself.”

  So, he does.

  Chapter Ten

  Operation Pele—0700—Fort Pohokuloa

  I sit in the front seat of the lead vehicle, nervously twisting the ring on my finger. It doesn’t matter how many times I go on a mission—I still get anxious about it. I’m just better about controlling the fear these days.

  In our Humvee we have Devin, Vera, Uriah, and Em. In the vehicle behind us Elle is riding with Manny and of course, Bravo. At this point, leaving Bravo behind on any mission feels wrong. The dog is a part of our team, now. Tried and true.

  Chris is standing at the gate, talking to General Hanale. He is using sweeping hand gestures, talking animatedly. At one point, Hanale even laughs, and I see Lieutenant Haku smile and wave at me from across the yard.

  I smile back and look behind me.

  “You guys good?” I ask.

  “Fine,” Em replies.

  “I’m surprised you still ask that question,” Devin remarks.

  Uriah, naturally, says nothing.

  At last, Chris finishes his conversation with Hanale. The two men shake hands, and Chris gets back into the driver’s seat.

  “So, what were you talking about?” I ask as the guards open the gate for us.

  “The mission, mostly,” Chris replies. “And he wanted to impress on us again that if something happens to us, he won’t be bringing a rescue team in.”

  “Ah,” I mumble. “How kind of him.”

  “I asked him about his position on the Ku and a possible treaty with them.”

  “You did?” Em exclaims. “I’ll bet he didn’t like that very much.”

  Chris laughs slightly.

  “No,” he admits. “He didn’t. But I wanted him to know that I was aware that he was thinking of making a truce, and that I thought it was a stupid idea.” He looks at me. “He got the message.”

  We roll out of camp, leaving the Hawaiian militia behind us. We head farther up the road, past the Hualalai Volcanic Mountains again, making our way around the base of the volcano. It is a dark, rainy morning. The black clouds have settled on top of the Hualalai hills, hovering just above our heads. Raindrops sprinkle across the windshield. The gloominess of the weather brings out the rich black of the volcanic soil and its contrast with the deep green of the grass and bushes.

  “Any word from Lieutenant Lani?” Chris asks.

  “No. She said she’ll meet us at the RV point. That’s all I know.”

  After all of her drama, she’d better show up.

  We keep moving until we reach the edge of what looks like an endless expanse of volcanic rock. It is raw and exposed, as black as coffee. Green ferns and flowering bushes are emerging from the cracks in the rock, the beginning of new tropical growth after a river of fire laid the foundation for life after destruction.

  “We’re almost there,” Em points out. “Our RV should be in approximately one mile.”

  When we hit the RV point, Chris eases the Humvee to the side of the road, turning onto a small dirt path that winds straight into the lava rock. We drive the vehicle into a canyon and leave it there, hidden from the road and from the air. Manny parks his truck behind us, and we get out. I grab my backpack and my weapons. We have all brought our own water and food, plus medical supplies. The hike into Hilo shouldn’t take more than half the day if we can keep moving at a steady pace. Once we’re in enemy territory, all we have to do is find Mike Randall. He’ll be able to take us where we need to go from there.

  I strap my pack on, check my rifle. I make sure I have plenty of magazines and knives to back me up in case we get into a tight spot. I’ve got rope, carabineers, climbing gloves, flashlights, and even antibiotics. In the event that we find ourselves in a bad situation, I’ve got it covered—and so does everybody else.

  Hopefully.

  I check my watch, then watch as Lieutenant Lani emerges from a hiding spot in the lava rock. She is dressed in black—as we all are—and blends perfectly with the landscape. I have tied my hair back with a black bandana, painfully aware that my bright red hair is incredibly obvious against the dark background.

  Behind Lani, another figure is following her closely. I cross my arms.

  Who is this?

  I share a sideways glance with Chris, and all of us wait for Lani to reach us. She gives an obligatory nod, and I realize that the man shadowing her is Lieutenant Haku.

  “What are you doing here?” I ask. “No offense, Lieutenant, but you weren’t part of this mission plan.” I throw a pointed, irritated look at Lani.

  “I can be a big help to you, I promise,” Haku replies. “I know Hilo almost as well as Lani does, and if something should happen to her, I can take her place.”

  Chris scratches his chin, clearly frustrated with this turn of events.

  “Okay,” he says. “Fine. But I don’t want any more surprises—got that, Lani?”

  “Yes, sir,” Lani mutters.

  I just roll my eyes and make sure everybody is here. Elle is kneeling beside Bravo, talking to him in a hushed voice, while Manny bemoans the fact that he was ordered to leave his leather jacket behind. It wouldn’t have camouflaged well with the black and green tones of this landscape, and I told him to keep it in the barracks until we returned.

  Now he stands in a black uniform, a sour expression on his face.

  “Okay, we keep team formation,” Chris says. “Just because we can’t see the enemy doesn’t me
an they’re not out there. Keep low, stay tight, and keep your voices down. Lieutenant Lani and Haku, I want you with me. Now.”

  Lani and Haku move toward the front of our team, and we begin climbing out of the canyon. We cross the road quickly and enter the plane of lava rock stretching toward Hilo. In the distance I can see the city, nestled snugly against blue water, crawling into the island in a splash of swirling green tones.

  It’s beautiful, and despite the fact that we are here on a mission, I lose myself a little in the new, exotic landscape.

  At one point, a mongoose scurries across the rocks, diving in a crevice to escape the intruders on his turf. I laugh aloud. The mongoose looks like an elongated squirrel, with a small face and two beady, twinkling eyes.

  Bravo’s ears perk up when he senses the mongoose, but he does not bark at it or try to chase it. He merely gives it a long, hard look and then continues following Elle’s lead.

  Birds occasionally flutter out of the bushes, small chickadees with bright red and green feathers. Myna birds swoop above our heads, their beaks a vibrant yellow, contrasting with their sleek black and brown feathers.

  “I love the wildlife here.” I sigh. “It’s so beautiful.”

  Em adjusts her pack, replying, “Yeah, makes you think about what life was like before technology—before people could be tripped up by pulling the plug on their computers.”

  I consider this, imagining what it would be like to grow up on a secluded tropical island in the Pacific, living in relative peace until a foreign country with foreign people showed up and started destroying your way of life. It would be terrifying and saddening—just like Omega’s invasion of our homeland.

  In this moment, I feel a sort of kinship with the ancient people of this island—like us, they were jarringly invaded and overruled by a steely, foreign enemy that brought death and devastation upon their people. How must they have felt?

  Like me. Like all of us, now.

  We’re fighting to preserve our way of life, to preserve freedom.

  Of course, throughout history, the greater power always wins, and the “old ways” are lost.

  We can only hope that won’t happen this time.