Psion Delta (Psion series #3)

by Jacob Gowans

  “Keep looking,” Li ordered. “Look everywhere.”

  After two trips around the first level, they went down to the second. There were less than half as many cars here which made it much easier to search the perimeter. Jeffie also drove around this level twice. She wanted to leave nothing to chance.

  “Bottom level,” Li said, “they’ve gotta be down there. Guns ready.”

  Jeffie pulled her pistol into her lap and heard the sounds of a few others checking their ammo and magazines. The car shot down the ramp to the bottom. Only a few lights were on at the lowest level of the garage. This made it difficult to see anything without the direct aid of the headlights. Only a handful of cars were parked here.

  “Eyes on front,” Li said. “Shields ready.”

  Jeffie sped through the third level once, seeing nothing. “One more time?” she asked Li.

  “One more, then we bail.”

  “Good call,” said Kawai. “I’m getting the creeps down here.”

  Me, too. Jeffie circled again, this time a little slower. She kept her eyes glued to her surroundings, searching for anything, any sign.

  “I see nothing,” Kaden said. “Not even a bloodstain. Didn’t Sammy say a Thirteen shot his mother in the leg?”

  “Yeah, I think so,” Li said.

  Jeffie reached the far back wall a second time and made a U-turn.

  “Is everyone thinking what I’m thinking?” Kobe asked.

  “What?” Brickert muttered. “That Sammy got duped?”

  “Yep.”

  As Jeffie finished the turn facing back toward the ramp, bursts of light appeared far away followed by loud bangs.

  “BLAST SHIELDS!” Li cried.

  The car was hit; one of the tires tore from its wheel. The steering column jerked in Jeffie’s hands, and the SUV heaved to the right. Several people in the car shouted, including Jeffie as she fought to control the vehicle. Finally the SUV tipped over and rolled upside down. Sparks shot like fireworks as the metal frame of the vehicle ground against the cement, sliding several meters before grinding to a halt.

  “Out! Out! Out!” Li ordered. “Everyone on my side get out. Everyone on Jeffie’s side, keep shielding until we’re clear.”

  All twelve Betas scrambled to follow his command. While shielding, Jeffie stared out what was left of her window. She could see the outlines of at least a dozen Aegis, all wearing their muddied green and brown uniforms. Behind her, Brickert and Kaden were also shielding for the rest of the team to evacuate. Gun shots continued to fire into the side of the SUV, slowly eating away at the frame and glass.

  “Jeffie’s side, get out. Hurry!” Li ordered. “Kobe, shoot out the lights.”

  Kobe fired, and the Aegis took cover behind cement pillars and the nearest cars. Jeffie, Kaden, and Brickert slowly backed out of the vehicle. Jeffie tried to ignore the stings of pain from the glass she had to crawl over. By the time she was out of the car, their side of the garage was almost pitch black. The only light was what little filtered down from the upper levels near the ramp.

  Jeffie checked her gun with trembling hands. Time to find out what kind of soldier I really am.

  * * * * *

  Sammy was greeted inside the penthouse by two people. Neither of them were Mr. Nemosio. At the door was a man of about thirty or thirty-five with brown hair, standing a little shorter than Sammy. He was barefoot, but wore a well-cut pair of jeans and a lilac collared shirt un-tucked. His hair was gently parted on the right side, but other than that, he had no real distinguishing features.

  “Hello, Samuel,” he said when they were face to face. “Or you prefer Sammy, I think, yes?” His voice had an American accent. Behind him, sitting on a love seat, was Katie Carpenter. Her nose had been fixed, and she looked as beautiful and haughty as ever. As far as Sammy could tell, she was unarmed. She no longer wore the uniform of a Thirteen, but instead was dressed very casually with a deep red blouse that accentuated her natural color and black pants. She, too, was barefoot. Her petite toenails had been decorated professionally.

  “Where are my parents?” Sammy asked, ignoring the outstretched hand.

  “Come in and we’ll talk about it,” the man insisted.

  “Where’s Stripe? Mr. Nemosio?”

  The man gently chuckled in a non-condescending way. In fact, he sounded polite with his incredibly soft voice. “Please come in and I’ll explain everything. But first take off your shoes and socks. It’s a quirk of mine.”

  24.

  Fox

  Monday September 2, 2086

  The man had a natural presence about him. His tone and demeanor made Sammy feel instantly welcome. Sammy wanted to do as he was asked to please this man.

  “I take it you are unarmed?” was his next question.

  Sammy indicated that he was.

  “Then, by all means, come in.”

  “I don’t want to. I came here to know where my parents are and where Mr. Nemosio is. I don’t want anything to do with you.” Sammy looked past him to where Katie sat. “Unless you’re willing to let me kill her and Stripe.”

  “But Sammy, I am Mr. Nemosio. I think, or at least hope, that you already guessed that. As for your parents and the Aegis which you called ‘Stripe’ . . . come in, sit down, enjoy some of my food and drink, and I will explain many things to you. Though I’m sorry to disappoint you that I won’t tolerate you killing Katie.”

  Sammy backed away. “No, this is a stupid trick. I’m leaving.”

  “All I want is to play a game of chess with you!” the man said as though he was amused by the whole situation. “That’s it. You do that, and I will tell you everything you want to know.”

  “Like what? What do you think I want to know?”

  “Why have people you trust been lying to you for the past eighteen months? I’ll answer that to start. Why did my people try to kill you in Rio de Janeiro last November? I’ll answer that, too. Most of all, I’ll explain to you what your place is in this world.”

  Sammy looked into the man’s eyes and realized he believed him. He took off his shoes and socks and placed them by the door. The man observed him closely as he did this.

  “It’s a tradition. Thank you for honoring it. Now come in. I would introduce you to Katie, but you’ve already met.”

  Sammy glared at her as a hatred so powerful and violent rose up in him that he considered attacking her right there in the man’s living room. Katie watched him without any expression.

  “As for myself, you can call me the fox.”

  “The fox?” Sammy asked.

  “Yes. You said it perfectly.”

  “That’s not your real name.”

  “Naturally.” The fox led Sammy inside. He gestured to the right to a large dining area. The room was dark, but Sammy thought he could see something moving around the table—something large like a dog. “I would show you into my dining room, but since it’s the three of us, I thought we might keep this meeting more informal and eat right here in the living room. Are you hungry?”

  Sammy shook his head, not at all willing to partake of this man’s food, especially in the presence of Katie.

  “Once you see what we’re eating, you’ll probably change your mind.” The fox took three plates from a dining room cabinet to the large coffee table in the living room, set them down, and pulled around two arm chairs until they were facing each other at opposite sides. “Excuse me while I get us plates.”

  Sammy turned to Katie. “You fixed your nose again. I can’t even imagine how much that operation cost you.”

  Katie’s expressionless face soured. “We’re not through, you and I. Right now, I’m here to enjoy the show, but we’ll have our time later.”

  “Isn’t modern medicine miraculous?” Then he squinted at her. “Oh, but look . . . they missed a spot right here.” He touched the bridge of his own nose. “You know what they say? Some wounds never heal.”

  “Did your little friend ever heal after he jumped in front of my gun?�
�� she hissed at him, turning in a second from gorgeous to hideous.

  Sammy ground his teeth together until they squeaked. “I will bleed you.” His voice dropped to a low, gravelly sound. “I will hurt you. I will humiliate you. And then . . . I swear . . . I will finally end you.” He stood up and went back to the doors he’d entered. They were locked. He gave them a gentle push to get a feel for how solid they were. He doubted he could open them with even the strongest of his blasts.

  The fox came back carrying a tray with food, water and utensils. “Please, come sit across from me.”

  “Why are the doors locked?”

  “To prevent you from leaving until our conversation is finished. I usually don’t eat this late, but it’s been a very busy day. Not only trying to get you here, but also finishing up an enormous project that I’ve been working on for a considerable amount of time.”

  Sammy turned back to the doors.

  “You’ve correctly guessed that blasts won’t budge them. Blast proof.” He raised his eyebrows at his little joke.

  It seemed pointless for Sammy to refuse anymore. He took the chair facing the fox and surveyed the offerings. The food smelled exquisite. The fox chewed on a tender piece of lamb and pointed his fork at Sammy’s own piece. Sammy pushed the plate away. “I already ate.”

  Katie helped herself to the offerings. The silence lasted only a half minute or so.

  The fox put down his fork and wiped his lips with a cloth napkin. “You’ll be sixteen in a few months. I’m just over fifty, but for as young as I am, I have accomplished more than I ever thought I could. I built my company—N Corporation—from the ground up. The money I’ve earned from N has allowed me to do things that most people only fantasize about in their sleep. Are you sure you won’t have any water?”

  He held up a bottle of water for Sammy, who again declined. “I believe bottled water has a taste, even if most people disagree. This is the best water I’ve ever had, I think. I visited the bottling plant when I bought the company to see what they were doing to give it that taste. I won’t tell you, though, in case you try to steal my secret.”

  He took a long swig and sighed after swallowing.

  “Do you believe in God, Sammy?”

  “I don’t know,” he answered truthfully, “but I pray sometimes.”

  “That’s a very good answer. I don’t believe in God. I reached that decision after years of genetic research into the Anomaly explosion. The Bible says that man was created in the image of God. Does that mean that God can shoot blasts out of his hands? Does it mean that he’s a sociopath like the Thirteens supposedly are? Or look at the deformities and birth defects people have as a result of the vaccine they used to counter the Scourge. We callously label them Anomalies One through Nine. Does God have those? Now, a theologian would argue that people like you are simply a mutation or a sickness—an aberration from the normal. What happens, though, if anomalies become the new norm over the course of several generations of selective breeding? Is man still created in God’s image? Or does God’s image change? What do you think?”

  “I still don’t know.”

  The fox smiled indulgently. “Fair enough. You’re starting to strike me as a quiet person. That’s okay. Do you know much about genetics?”

  “Only a little.”

  “Too bad. Genetics is the most powerful and important field of study out there. It also happens to be very lucrative.”

  “Unless there is a God,” Sammy added dryly, “then theology would be the most important field of study.”

  The fox laughed with delight. “True. But there’s no God, so let’s go back to genetics. I think you’ll find what I have to say is of great interest.”

  Katie’s com rang. “Excuse me,” She got up and moved into the kitchen. Only a few seconds later, she returned and spoke to the fox, “A word with you.”

  The fox loaded the food tray with all the plates and left after her. Sammy couldn’t hear their conversation, but not from lack of trying. When Katie emerged a second time, she winked at Sammy, put on her shoes, and left the apartment. The fox returned as well, his face unreadable. He carried a towel, which he used to wipe down the table. Then he put a chessboard on it.

  The board was made of black and gray stone with white lines set in to form the grid. Onyx, if Sammy’s guess was correct. One set of pieces was made of silver, the other of gold. Sammy had no idea if they were solid or not, but based on the quality of decorations surrounding him, he’d bet they were. The fox set the gold pieces in front of himself. From somewhere unseen, Sammy heard paws walking on tile floor and again saw an animal roaming in the dark background of the dining area.

  “You have a dog?” he asked the fox.

  “Something like that. You know how to play the game?”

  Sammy nodded as he helped set the board. When they had each finished, the fox took one pawn from each side and placed them behind his back, then offered two closed fists to Sammy.

  “You pick.”

  Sammy chose the left hand. The piece was silver.

  “Will it distract you if we converse while we play?” the fox asked.

  “I don’t play as much as I used to.”

  “I bet,” the fox said, but the way he said it made Sammy think he knew exactly how long it had been. The pawns were placed back on the board. Sammy moved first. The fox moved almost immediately afterward. After they’d each made four moves, the fox spoke again.

  “Like I was saying, genetics is my life’s work. I gathered into my company some of the best minds my money could buy—people far more advanced in the field than myself. I started this company when I was twenty, but I was years too late. By the time I launched N Corporation, the World Constitution had been passed, and part of it was the sanctity of life clause. Do you know that part?”

  “Not verbatim.”

  “It forbids the splicing and cloning of human DNA. It also forbids most cases of abortion. The principle behind it led to the weapons laws that the NWG enacted several years ago. See, it all goes back to the Scourge, Sammy. People were much more liberal back then than they are now. As you’d imagine, the deaths of billions of people can have quite an impact on society. In 2035, almost seventy-five percent of the world’s population believed abortion should be legal in all cases. Several countries in Europe and Asia had laws allowing a newborn to be killed if it had any detectable disease or physical abnormality. Fast forward fifty years. Guess how many people in your nation last year believed abortion should be allowed in all cases?”

  Sammy had no idea. He was too busy staring at the board trying to discern the fox’s next move. “Sixty? Fifty?”

  The fox raised a hand and spread his fingers. “Five. Five percent of people in the NWG think abortion should be allowed in any case. And I’ll bet that five percent whispered their answer when they gave it. So, back to my point. When I was starting up my genetics research business, and I found myself frustrated because I wasn’t allowed to use the technology and power waiting to be explored. For someone like me, it was unacceptable.”

  “What do you mean?” Sammy asked, looking up from the game. The fox was playing a heavily defensive style, which countered Sammy’s offensive style well. He would not be surprised if the game ended in a stalemate. Even Justice had never played as well as the fox.

  “Do you believe one man can change the world?”

  Sammy was about to say no when he remembered his history lessons: Caesar, Alexander the Great, Jesus, Mohammed, Napoleon, Abraham Lincoln. These men had powerful influences on the world. “Yes and no. I believe one man can affect change in many people. But the world is too big and different to be changed by one person.” For a moment, Sammy thought he sounded like his father, and it made him feel grown up.

  “You’re wrong, I think. Let me tell you why. If the conditions are right, one man can do it. For example, it could be something accidental, like Daw Aran, the man who first contracted the Scourge in Thailand that killed billions. Or Robert Oppe
nheimer, the man who led the Manhattan Project. Or Christopher Columbus.” The fox moved his next piece, advancing another pawn. “Other times it is intentional. Like me. I put in motion the machinations that caused the split between the CAG and the NWG.”

  * * * * *

  In the nearly pitch-black bottom level of the garage, Jeffie and the rest of the Betas on Li’s team hunkered down behind the overturned SUV. She tried not to think about the fact that her life was on the line and that even the tiniest of mistakes could mean everything. Because each time she did, it scared her close to tears. She knew that Brickert, Natalia, Kawai, and others were experiencing the same type of fear as her, but that didn’t help. Despite her extensive training for combat, she felt another three or four years would’ve served her well.

  Far down the garage, the gunshots had ceased, and the Aegis communicated to each other with shrieks. The sounds pierced Jeffie’s brain and sent chills through her. Li was determined to keep everyone calm and focused, but someone was sobbing, and the pitiful sounds weren’t soothing anyone.

  “Who is that?” Li asked. “Natalia, is that you crying?”

  It couldn’t have been Natalia because she was crouched next to Jeffie.

  “Whoever that is, shut up!” Kobe hissed.

  The sobbing only got worse. Jeffie heard Brickert crawl over to the source of the sound. The moaning became muffled. “Antonio,” Brickert said much more gently than Jeffie could have done, “you’ve got to get a grip on yourself. You’re going to get us all killed if you don’t stop.”

  As Antonio’s cries lessened, Li spoke to everyone in a whisper. “I counted twenty-two Aegis. There may be more, but we can use the dark to our advantage as long as we move slowly and don’t fire our weapons. I want the guns to go to me, Kobe, Kaden, Jeffie, and Levu. If you don’t have a gun, stay with someone who does. You can shield for them. Don’t shoot unless it’s absolutely necessary. We’re going to move back around the way we came, counterclockwise along the back wall, and then the east wall. No large groups. Two to three people at most. Go silently from cover to cover.”