“All quiet.”
She gulped down a packet of electrolyte and washed it down with water followed by lumps of stiff bread and hard cheese. “Time for some answers.”
Matos closed the door and walked towards her. “Answers.”
“You know what I mean.”
“All started five years ago,” he said, picking up his own pack and fishing through the contents. “NSA special projects. Don’t play well with others.”
“Roger that,” Avery replied, through a mouthful of food.
His head gave an involuntary twitch. “Went to a holo suite for testing. Find the target in a riot and so on. At the end of the test they ordered me to infiltrate the Ghosts.”
“Did you complete the black cat test?”
Matos took long swallows of his water then nodded. “Yeah. Find the light.”
“The burning eyes.”
Matos rubbed at his jaw, nodding. He hitched himself onto the car hood and sucked a bag of electrolyte. “Quickly realized what we already knew about Ghosts. They weren’t a grouping at the bottom of the social triangle. They were hidden within that group, but far more organized and equipped.”
“The cloak is like nothing I’ve ever seen.”
“It’s ultra high tech. That’s why you never see them.”
“How could they develop it without anyone knowing?”
Matos shrugged as he chewed. “There was no pattern and copycats dressing up in grey cloaks. The real Ghosts were working for a covert organization and supported by powerful people.”
Avery waved him to continue, walking around the car to inspect the contents of the trunk.
“The profile of a Ghost changed from fringe outlaw to covert spy. Figured they would be well trained but susceptible to injury. Ex-military or government.”
The items were laid on the floor in a pile. She pulled out three bottles of water and checked the seals. Matos caught one and downed the contents. There was also a brown holdall, shell jacket and tool kit.
“Concentrated the list on New York then whittled it down. That’s when they grabbed me. Hit me with paintballs.”
The pain of locked muscles was still fresh in her memory. Trying to scream but trapped in a frozen body. “They’re the same tech as Starburst.”
“You got it. Woke up in a cell somewhere. They kept me locked up for a week, pushing food and water through a trap door. One day the door was left open. Tracker was waiting to talk.”
“Did they set off the car bomb in Buffalo?”
Matos shook his head. “They keep the organization tight. Only ever spoke to Tracker and never saw five Ghosts together until yesterday.”
“If they’re on our side, why the attacks?”
“Who knows what side anyone is on, Matos said, springing from the car and landing gracefully on the floor. “Tracker told me Ghosts were trying to prevent an apocalypse. They believe humans should stay human. No AI, nano tech or transhumanist shit. But with everyone plugged into VR to escape the world, they were losing control.”
“Why couldn’t they just get the word out, plaster it over the internet?”
“They tried. Every expose was turned into fantasy. Pulled to pieces by media experts or hidden away on fringe websites. Folks want to be entertained by conspiracy not believe it. They couldn’t see the truth because they didn’t want their illusions destroyed.”
Avery snorted. She unzipped the holdall and pulled out a handful of clothes. She held up a T shirt and jumper but they were double her size. She tossed the bag away and watched Matos stretching.
“Anyone who spoke out was silenced. Know that for fact. Suicide, heart attack, brain hemorrhage, car, train and plane crashes.”
“You’re a real son of a bitch.”
He stopped stretching and turned towards her. Avery ignored him, fishing through the toolkit for anything useful.
“Tracker told me if they couldn’t stop the nano tech then we were all dead. They needed me to feed intelligence into the system about riots and Ghost sightings. He wanted all the known information on Ghosts.
“So are you working for the Ghosts?”
Matos slanted his head. “Still don’t know who they are.”
“I do.”
Matos spun towards her, his body language suddenly shifting up through gears.
“There the original Eximus.”
#
They jogged slowly along the lakeside road. Groups of birds scattered in flocks when they passed, flying up and around in wave patterns. Landing on the thickets of trees where lake water glinted between the leaves.
The landscape became denser with suburban buildings of Syracuse. Houses and stores on either side of the road crumbled with blast damage, fire and neglect. The blackened openings yawned at her, staring with silent screams. Between multicolored ruins covered with paper and clothes, rows of silent birds watched them, their heads bobbing in a complex code.
At the interstate, they slowed to bypass a bottle neck of smashed and broken cars. All covered with brown slime or green moss. Decayed corpses stuffed inside, rubbish littering the vehicles and ground.
Staying out of the city, they wound their way north around the suburbs. In the distance, rows of houses poked up from the ground like rotting teeth. A sweet metallic smell drifted towards them on the breeze.
Avery’s trainers were ruined by the rough terrain, glass and rubble. She lacked the energy to dodge or jump obstacles, slowing to negotiate a route.
Matos pulled up and turned towards her. Brow furrowed, he stomped towards a garden. Lifted up a red mountain bike from a pile of garbage and kicked off paper that hung to its wheels. He wheeled it to her then wandered off to find another.
There was rust on the chain, the seat was bent and tires flat. It gave off a squeak when she turned the pedals. Avery scrambled amongst the debris in the garage until she found a pump and oil. Blowing up tires then tipping the oil can onto the chain.
She climbed into the saddle with a satisfied groan.
Matos emerged from another garage with a black mountain bike. He used the pump and what remained of the oil.
They moved off along the street, winding between cars. Stems of green grass grew like hairs on the mud splattered bodywork.
“The earth will take back the land,” she murmured.
“It’ll take centuries,” Matos replied.
She glanced at her trainers rising and falling on the pedals. Her next priority was a pair of boots.
“Someone’s watching us,” Matos said, slowing to draw level.
There was no movement in any direction. “Do you think there’s anyone alive here?”
Matos tapped her and she turned to see him pointing his pistol towards a blackened two storey house. It sloped at an unfeasible angle like a rhombus. She pulled out her pistol and took up a position to flank the entrance.
There was a gentle scratching and padding sound coming from inside. Avery waited, scanning the area and glancing towards their rear. A shadow gradually formed in the doorway, she eased into a fire position and waited.
A small brown dog trotted out and sniffed.
Avery swung off the bike and squatted down. “What’s your name?”
She held out her hand for the dog to nuzzle. Scraggy dusty fur and tongue hanging out, it bounded about happily in front of her. Accepting a scratch on the ear and repaying her with a lick.
“Cimices,” Matos hissed, the tone of his voice caused her to look up.
A thick metallic leg emerged from the building doorway. The size of a dustbin with three metal toes splayed out for balance. The toes clicked on the floor as the leg moved forward. Above the dustbin shaped lower leg, a thinner leg rose to a shoulder joint. The leg held a cylindrical body with circular face plate. Another leg swung out and Avery could see its full body. It was like a metal bug hanging between bionic legs.
She stepped back and raised her pistol.
The dog ran happily towards it yelping. Running between its legs and ju
mping up, claws scratching on charcoal steel legs.
The cimex moved easily, negotiating the steps with a small jump and landing on the ground in front of them. Its body rose above the dogs head, as if to avoid contact.
There was distant barking behind them and Avery turned.
Her ears popped as Matos opened fire. The cimex dropped as rounds hit its body but rose almost immediately and shot forward. Matos leapt on its body and fired into the face plate. He was thrown back by an electric charge and bounced on the ground.
The cimex swept towards him.
Avery leapt forward and kicked down on the creature’s leg joint, firing three rounds at its body. The leg flicked out and she jumped backwards. Its toe end slashed her calf and she stumbled.
It shot towards her, a weapon raised from its head. She ran towards it then rolled underneath its body, continuing to her feet and running.
Matos rose to his knees, and fired at the cimex. It broke its attack on Avery and stomped towards him. His rounds sparked and deflected from the creature’s legs and body. He struggled to his feet and backed up the steps into the house.
The Cimex followed him into the gloom.
Avery started for the entrance but was over taken by the brown dog. It ran barking into the house and moments later Matos flew out. Hands grasping at the air until he landed by Avery’s feet.
Inside the house, the dog barked again and there was a crashing sound.
“We need to get out of here,” she said, holding back a grimace at a spasm in her leg.
Her tracksuit pant leg flapped open at her calf and blood trickled from the open wound, pooling on her trainer. It throbbed with pain when she placed her weight down.
Matos crawled to his feet. Holding his shoulder and flexing his arm.
“You okay?” she asked.
“Not letting that dog die.”
He staggered forward and began climbing the steps. The house made a grinding sound, frantic dog barking inside. It rocked further on its side and bricks began to rain down.
Avery raced up the steps and grabbed a fist full of jacket. Pivoting her body and launching him backwards.
Tiles slipped from the roof and crashed like breaking plates. They both ran for cover as behind them, the house came crashing down.
Puffs of dust rose into the air as the house materials settled into a heap of debris. Without taking her eyes off the smoking rubble Avery ripped off a strip of T shirt, tying it around her calf wound.
Matos also watched the house in a trance, mouth turned down and fist twitching.
“Move,” she said.
Rising and rubbing his shoulder, he grunted a reply. Black combats and hair splashed with grey dust. He lurched away from the ruins without looking back.
Leg throbbing with pain, Avery climbed onto the bike, bit back a groan and focused on the motion of pedaling. Matos scouted ahead, dropping back and cycling around her at intervals. She kept her eyes focused on the road, counting repeatedly to ten.
Matos pointed at a structure on her left. Set back from the road and partially screened by trees. “There.”
She let the bike fall next to his. Hobbling after him towards a white commercial building marked with a bent sign. She craned her neck to read it.
Animal Ark Veterinary Hospital.
There was a loud crash as Matos threw a chunk of masonry through a window. The sound echoed out across the surrounding land. Avery ducked and spun, pulling out her pistol. Scanning the area as Matos kicked in the remaining glazing. Once he climbed inside, Avery scrambled over to the window and slid to the ground.
Everything for miles would have heard that noise. If there was any movement she would follow him inside. A heroic last stand against whatever came for them. She pushed her back against the wall, arm balanced on her knee, pistol held in a two handed grip.
Matos was an enigma wrapped in a mystery. He was on the inside of Eximus but fought against it. He engineered their bunker escape while working covertly with the Ghosts. Now he was leading her to a secret bunker. He risked his life for a dog, admittedly a cute dog, but one they had met only seconds before.
She was his leverage to meet Kadigan, the Ghost leader. But Tracker either didn’t trust him or wasn’t able to engineer the meeting. Even the Ghosts didn’t know what to do with Matos.
He climbed out of the window holding a black sack. Dropping it to the floor and rifling through the contents. Avery took the cue and rolled up her pant leg. She twisted to get a look at the wound. The bug had cut deep into her skin and left a curved gash.
Matos pulled out bandages and a yellow filled vial. He broke the vial and squeezed the contents across her wound. She winced as he tightly wrapped a bandage.
“That should hold.”
“What else have you got,” Avery said, nodding towards the sack.
“Med supplies.”
Avery searched his face to find the truth of his words. He opened his brown eyes wider and held out his hands.
Another Matos mystery.
On the outskirts of Baldwinsville, they stopped to stare at the road ahead. It was blocked like a dam between two buildings. Telegraph poles bent across the road and lay across immobile vehicles. Dried mud, twigs and leaves filled in the gaps, creating a wall.
Matos wheeled his bike around a building to the right. They were forced to climb over sludge covered cars, to avoid detours that would take them deeper into the building wreckage. Avery doggedly followed him, her pistol held against the bikes handlebar.
They skirted the blockage and returned to the main road at an intersection. Distant barking sounds caused Matos to stop and scan the area.
Avery peered through a broken window of a diner. Food had long since rotted away, tables and chairs lay scattered in heaps.
Matos hopped in through the opening and walked towards the rear left hand corner. He opened a door then immediately closed it with a slam. Avery caught a waft of putrid air and covered her mouth. He opened another door, paused and then entered the room.
There was a scraping sound then he returned with a shake of his head. A hand covered his mouth.
Behind the diner was a large car park and beyond that a discount store. On its roof was a car sized puncture hole, a truck lay smashed against the front wall. The crash opened a gap large enough for Avery and Matos to slip through.
Sunlight through the damaged roof lit an area of the floor space. Racking had fallen in a concertina effect. Empty boxes and packets littered the wet floor.
Half of the racking remained upright. Matos pulled open a brown box then threw it to the ground. Electrical switches spilled out onto the floor. Avery walked past rows of speakers, TVs, remote control cars and computers.
At the rear of the store, they found sealed slabs of canned food. Avery fished through the piles and pulled out beans, chili, chopped tomatoes, peas, carrots, corn, rice pudding, hot dogs, slabs of water bottles and boxes of chocolate bars. They stuffed cans and water bottles into their packs.
She carried her cache into a clothing department. Dumping the bag and searching the racks. There were cheap looking but serviceable boots, socks and underwear.
She climbed into a new pair of black cargo pants, T shirt and black roll neck sweater, laced up her boots and pulled on a black shell jacket. She almost purred at the feel of clean, dry clothes on her body.
Outside, they immediately opened beans and hotdogs, taking turns to swallow from the cans. Lumpy food worked its way down to her empty stomach.
She gulped down a bottle of water then munched on a Snickers bar as they walked back to their bikes. The heavier pack dragged on her shoulders so she rolled them and tightened the straps.
The road through town was choked with slime covered abandoned vehicles. They pushed, pulled and threw their bikes along the cluttered sidewalk. Matos pointed towards a creamy white building and stopped.
Avery followed his aim. “What is it?”
”Baldwinsville PD.”
A car la
y across the front steps. Matos slid over the hood then climbed the steps. He pushed at the door then shouldered it open.
A damp noxious smell battered its way up her nose and throat. She forced herself forward, a sleeve across her nose and mouth.
They squelched through the front entrance area where human remains lay in sludgy pools of black water. An explosion had ripped apart whoever was in there. Bacteria and mould almost visibly multiplied on all the surfaces.
A heavy steel door at the rear was wedged by a body trampled into a lumpy disfigured form. Skeletal bodies lay in a tableau along the corridor, recounting a firefight between two groups. Police and civilians.
Their footsteps made sucking noises on the brown sticky concrete floor. Avery tip toed between desiccated bodies until she reached a weapon store. The room was divided by a steel cell with weapon lockers visible within.
She pulled at the locked entrance “Any ideas?”
”Key or sledgehammer,” Matos replied.
Avery shivered. “I’ll search the bodies.”
Before tackling the bodies, she searched cupboards, opened drawers and emptied boxes in the reception area. An empty key safe was fixed to the right hand wall at knee height.
Taking a deep breath, Avery began searching the first body. She covered her mouth with an arm and squinted. Time and insects had stripped away flesh from the bodies. She breathed in a musty odor, avoiding eye contact with its empty sockets.
Matos joined her search and together they found an abundant stash of keys. They took turns pushing each key into the lock.
Eventually, the lock clicked and Matos pulled open the door. Avery raced in to open the first locker and found Glock twenty twos neatly racked inside. The adjacent cabinet contained ammunition boxes and magazines. Matos nudged her and pointed towards a crate of flash bang grenades.
The remaining cabinets contained Remington Shotguns and M10 general assault weapons. She pulled out an M10, cycling the action and dry firing the empty chamber. They were equipped with day/night optics and integrated laser rangefinder. She extended the folding buttstock to her preferred length and mounted the rifle, looking through the sights.
Eximus Page 24
