The King's Move

by Joshua Landeros

  “Trust me, you’re not going to want to miss a second of this.” Venloran put a heavy hand on Kane’s shoulder. The major-general saw his Chancellor’s eyes glimmer for a second. “And take it from a man who’s put his own wife through hell time and time again: It will mean the world to Glenda for you to come back. Even it is only for a little while.”

  “We haven’t seen each other since this all started,” Kane said with fresh realization. “I do owe it to her.”

  Kane wanted to ask how Carl and Janet were doing since Warren had died. The man felt that he was obligated to. He’d asked his soldiers to go through with operations with only the slightest chances of success many times before. Many of those young men and women never came back alive. Recounting all those sins, he couldn’t figure out why he lacked the courage to ask a father how he felt. Perhaps another day…

  To his amazement, he saw Venloran smile. This time, he knew it was no sham. The pride in his voice told him that.

  “We owe the whole country, Kane, especially our soldiers who were stabbed in the back by Howard’s administration. I also guarantee you this: when you return with your ‘supermen’, you won’t lose a single soldier ever again.”

  ***

  October 18, 2065 - Chancellor’s Office, UNR Headquarters

  “I still can’t believe it,” General Berenger said. He sat in front of Venloran’s desk, who now was halfway through a cigarette. Kane stood off in the corner, although Kearney was not present. The Chancellor kept a straight face, quite convincingly unfazed.

  “No one seemed to see it. After all, his father was a skeptic who served to the end honorably. But Howarth saw. He pursued on crumbs, but with Dylan’s confession, it’s now undeniable.”

  “No nostalgia can change what we all heard.”

  Venloran looked at Kane, that sleek and silent guardian. He was a victim all the same, and he pondered if the commander was trying to escape that. It led to this transformation. That too is undeniable.

  “Is it possible to still doubt Howarth, sir? He gave us this hit. Now we’re closer than ever.”

  The Chancellor knew the pause was Berenger taking everything into account. Before he ever spoke, he made sure he had a concrete position to stand behind.

  “He’s good, Carl. I won’t challenge that. He’s even a bit obsessive, but that’s something I admire. What I am concerned about is his inability to get his hands dirty.”

  “Sir, he just brought down one of his oldest friends.”

  “Yes, yes he did. He gave us what we needed, and we got our rat. But where was he for the interrogation? Montalbán, Lawson, Redford, hell, even Kearney was there. I don’t care about the other pending investigations. He had the time, Carl. I don’t want to single him out, believe me. He’s done wonders and I’m proud of him for all the cases he’s cracked, but I’m also afraid.”

  “Afraid of what?”

  “Afraid of the alternative; the alternative that he’s become so detached maybe he felt McGinley wasn’t worth his time after reeling him in. He’s drawing away.”

  Venloran hadn’t considered that at all. Berenger knew it from the look on his face.

  “I’ll talk to him about it.”

  The general studied the Chancellor, one of the few people in his life that could read him so easily.

  “There’s something else, isn’t there?”

  “Yes,” Venloran said. “There’s the matter of the files McGinley distributed. All of them were obtained from your server.”

  “I granted him access. As my choice for my replacement, of course, I did.”

  “As such, as a possible suspect, I regret to inform you that you must be detained and interrogated.”

  UNR soldiers entered the room, among them Aliss Howard. Not one among them said a thing. Venloran didn’t flinch or look away. Even Berenger found himself impressed. He stood with his arms behind his back as 3-05 cuffed him.

  “You uphold the protocol for suspects of treason no matter how high the rank, just as I taught you. My Chancellor, in these dark times this is a showing of endless strength.”

  Venloran chose not to reply, not that he was sure what to say if he had. Berenger left the room with that same old expression of his. He was neither scared nor bitter. The white walls of the hallway just outside his office doors were lined with guards. Those doors automatically shut after a few seconds, but Venloran was still thinking about that hallway. He recalled when that same corridor was doused in blood and covered in bodies. It’s why we go on.

  “What’s the next step, Chancellor?”

  Kane had now moved away from the window and toward the desk. Seated in his chair, Venloran looked up at the general as if he were a tower.

  “What’s the status of the car?”

  “The tracker is telling us it’s still in Detroit. They’ve probably dumped the vehicle and headed across already. Closest military installation from there is Fort Hosbon. We can assume they’d take shelter there.”

  “Possibly, though you’re probably right,” Venloran said in a relaxed manner.

  “So, when do we move on them?”

  “We don’t. We let them come to us.”

  Kane no longer had the face of a man, but he still had the eyes of one. Venloran saw his pupils quiver and the cyborg-giant tilted his head slightly.

  “But, sir, the likelihood of Unit 21 being there as well is extremely high.”

  “And that’s exactly why we will do this differently than we usually would. It’s clear to me the less people we have on this the better. That’s why I wanted nothing but the tracker keeping tabs on them. McGinley took the bait and fed the info to them, and in turn they will do the same to everyone back at home. They will go to that facility, and it is there that this will end.”

  “In the past with fugitives, we never ran it like this.”

  “And times have changed. One of our targets is a cyborg. Worse still, we’ve learned they now have weapons that give any soldier the chance to take down a S.S.C. Unit. We cannot rush into the enemy’s den not knowing what to expect.”

  “We’ve got surprises for them too, Chancellor. This is about the damn publicity and nothing less!”

  The sight of that tall monstrosity growing angry would have caused any other man to stumble over his words. Perhaps even piss themselves. Not Chancellor Carl Venloran.

  “Of course, it is. We are hosting the International Summit and yet you propose we trespass on foreign soil? Building a new image and future would be ruined.”

  Kane lowered his head.

  “I apologize, sir. I…I need to see this through.”

  “You are eager to face him. We all are, Kane. I’m not going to pretend to know how you feel. Still, a lot is riding on the next few days. When it comes down to it, I want nothing less than for you to put The Wolf in his place.”

  “I only have one last question, Chancellor. Do you still want him for the Project Spartan?”

  All emotion dropped out of Venloran’s voice.

  “Yes, General. You can break his body, but I will break his mind.”

  Chapter 3 - The Clusterfuck

  October 18, 2065 - Fort Hosbon, Ontario, Canada

  Things had taken a sudden chaotic turn with the arrival of the new prisoner. There was not a single soldier who wasn’t talking about it and what it meant for the future. Even though it seemed they had claimed a victory, the air was full of dread. Everyone had a similar thought on their mind from grunt to general: when was the attack coming?

  Outside of the cyborg’s holding cell, the men and women who captured the would-be assailant discussed their options.

  “And you’re sure it came alone?” Gabby demanded.

  “Yes,” Will answered. “My scanners would’ve picked up other cyborgs approaching. She’s removed her tracker, which says a lot.”

  “But it still leaves a whole lot unanswered,” Jacob replied, Nusaybah by his side.

  “What I want to know is, do you know her?” Patrick asked. />
  “Marisol Leone, Unit 37. I was informed about her by my former commanding officer, Kane, but I never met her in person.”

  Halsey remembered what McGinley had said about the general and almost brought it up.

  “What can you tell us, Will?”

  “She is dangerous, of that I’m sure. She was there at the San Pedro Massacre.”

  “Christ,” Halsey whispered. The rest of the group had never heard of the event and looked over to Will. None had to ask.

  “In 2052, there was a hostage situation in the Buenos Aires Province in Argentina. UNR students had been kidnapped by a local militia. 37 was nearest on another assignment and was redirected to the city. The militia commander was fond of using child soldiers and so she was instructed to retrieve the hostages with minimal force. She got all the hostages out, but in the process killed every last soldier in a bloodbath. For years now, the case was being looked into by the PSID and the SSPA consultant.”

  “What the hell is that?” Patrick inquired.

  “The Super Soldier Psychoanalyst. A cyborg who judges if other cyborgs are fit for active duty. Headed by Aliss Howard, who’s held the position ever since it was created,” Halsey answered.

  “I didn’t k now there was a cyborg with that much power. Who gave him that position?” Patrick inquired.

  Halsey didn’t look comfortable answering. “That’s not really important right now.”

  “Joe’s right. What is important is the fact that that monster is now here with us,” Gabby said. “Our choice is pretty clear.”

  Everyone took a look at Marisol through the one-sided mirror. In the room right over, she was seated on a chair with over twenty soldiers pointing Alex’s older EMP weapons at her. Inside, along with himself, was Gabby’s platoon as well as Nusaybah’s. The latter spoke now.

  “I agree. Why debate this?”

  “Because we still don’t why she’s here,” Will replied firmly.

  “He’s got a point. She surrendered, so we might as well at least talk,” Pat suggested. Will looked at the man with a newfound respect. Thank you.

  Halsey was mulling it over. The cyborg behind that gore is now here with us. Her intentions were clear, but are they really? No tracker, so removed presumably by herself. Why would that be?

  ***

  Mari drove the stolen dirt bike up the lonely forest road, dawn just having started. This is it. Please, please, let him be there. Even if he is, though…she pushed any negative thoughts out of her head. You came all this way, so you have to try to talk to him. All around was the forest, quiet as it was beautiful. Mari tried to enjoy it before her big gamble, but the sound of a car approaching came to her ears.

  The cyborg panicked and pulled off the road. She drove up behind a large bush and killed the engine. Even with a helmet, she did not want to risk being seen. Best case scenario, it was McGinley driving down the road and she’d just go after him to talk. If he’s alone, I hope. Worst case scenario, it would be a UNR patrol or local police. Either way, it would mean they were on to her game. Every muscle tensed as a car appeared from around the turnoff, a cobalt Tesla Model X. It was driving at a moderate speed, giving her time to eyeball the driver and their passenger.

  As they passed in those few seconds, Mari stared them down and then watched them go. Even with them gone, her eyes had captured their chattering faces. Not McGinley, for sure. In fact, they looked like civilians. Probably friends leaving some party. He’s bound to be there at Miriam’s then.

  It was then her HUD alerted her. Her facial recognition software was giving her new data, and when the two faces finally were linked to their true ones Mari’s body went numb. In those few seconds, she fought with herself adamantly. This could be providence of some kind, but Mari refused to think of it that way. She could go to McGinley and beg, or go after this new quarry that promised much more. Much more. All kinds of questions were running around in her mind, and it was then she decided to pursue the answers. Over the next few days, Marisol was never far behind the two and constantly resisting the urge to dice them to bits.

  ***

  Alex watched the cyborg sit there like a statue gawking at the floor. The table had been put off to the corner of the room at his suggestion. No one was in her immediate reaching distance, about as safe as this got. He kept comparing this to the day Gabby and Jacob brought Will back to the compound. This is different. That was planned. This—

  The cell door opened, and in stepped the debaters. Will walked out in front and was the only one who stood close to the prisoner. And now we start.

  “37, let’s talk,” he said. Unbeknownst to anyone, Nusaybah threw Adar a sly look. He was her toughest soldier, a favorite of her father’s. With that one look, he understood all he needed to from the silent order: One move and she dies.

  “Just make my life simpler and kill me,” she laughed. “All my fuckups lately, I deserve nothing less.”

  Will knelt on one knee to attempt being face to face with her, to little point, with her looking downward.

  “That’s not what we want. I can tell you definitely don’t want that either. Still, there’s a lot we need to know. I can guess one thing—with your tracker removed you’re on the run.”

  “And now we play the question game, Unit 21. It’s a mess, really, but it all goes back to you. Did you guess that?”

  Will had expected that much.

  “I’m sorry for that.”

  “Stop right there, you selfish son of a bitch. The trickledown effect is something, isn’t it? You go rogue, and it leads to me getting shit-canned.”

  Will could sense her anger. Anybody could, but he had to prove something to everybody else. He went on.

  “You were recalled from the field for a velocide treatment.”

  “There are rumors about the fate of cyborgs who can’t hack it. I was on a watch list for some jobs that weren’t done as cleanly as they could. I could see it was the end.”

  “You think decommission?”

  “Aliss Howard gunned for it before. Why not again? I ran because I thought I could go to the Head of the S.S.C.-Unit Control to ask for a hearing. For that to work, I’d need my family to vouch for me alongside him. Dylan was a friend of mine before I got shipped out. I was sure he would help me find my family, but it appears there was a lot I didn’t know about him.”

  Mari looked at Will. He saw in her eyes genuine disdain at her position. Guilt began to weigh down on him. Gabriella stared at the wounds on the cyborg. Severe burns on its body, and it doesn’t even seem to notice. Her stomach turned.

  “That could very well be why you sought out Dylan,” she interrupted, “but you ended up tailing us. Care to explain?”

  Marisol met Gabby’s glare with a grin.

  “Let’s be honest with each other. I haven’t talked to my family in decades. To come to them on my knees for help was all I had at the time. Then, I spotted you and Halsey leaving Miriam’s place. I thought to myself, surely if I brought back the heads of the most wanted people of the UNR no way in hell I’d be discarded.”

  Gabby observed in disgust as the machine’s eyes drifted to her brother, Halsey, Patrick, Alex, too. She used all her restraint to not pull the trigger.

  Will’s voice beckoned Mari back to the conversation.

  “Well, that didn’t work, so now what?”

  “If you’re attempting to offer me a home, you can go fuck yourself. I live for my Chancellor.”

  “You’re already on the run. I was faced with the same choice you have now. I chose to fight for myself.”

  “For ghosts, you mean.”

  Will got off his knees. Halsey could see all the sympathy had drained out of his face.

  “Looks like you chose imprisonment, then.”

  “Not really.”

  Will was lost on that one as was everybody else in the room.

  “What the hell are you talking about?” Halsey said.

  Marisol had an exuberant smile on her face.


  “Do you really think I had no backup plan at all?”

  She outright laughed before continuing. Will saw her dilated eyes. Her adrenaline is running now. When she spoke again it was to everyone in the room.

  “You all assumed my tracker was destroyed I bet, and why not? Unit 21 here couldn’t pick up my signal. But it is perfectly intact. I planted it on my bike back where you ditched your car.”

  Alex felt goosebumps cover his body at that possibility.

  “You lie,” he said. Mari met this accusation with amusement.

  “What difference does it make?” Jacob questioned.

  “Well, Lieutenant Neeson, let me inform you, my tracker is currently off. However, within a fraction of a second I can reactivate it and even have it send a message to the UNR Network. Want to ask what that message would say?”

  That’s it. Gabriella raised her grenadier, red hot and plain done. Without warning, she pulled the trigger only to feel a hand grip her gun and point it up at the ceiling. The EMP rounds attached and went to work on a few lamps overhead. The result was a show of flickering lights before a spectacle of sparks and shattering glass. Along with it came a burning smell from the shorted-out equipment.

  Less than half the room kept their aim on Mari, the majority of the focus going to Gabriella. It was none other than Will who had redirected her aim. They were locked onto each other, sheer fury on each of their faces. Marisol, meanwhile, had been watching the EMP display.

  “When I say a fraction of a second you don’t seem to believe me, Gabriella. That’s fine, but I’ve done my research. Your little toy will take at the minimum a few seconds to put me down. Even if 21 cut my face in two you couldn’t stop me from sending it. I haven’t only because I’m not keen on being killed by you people.”

  “That’s true,” Will confirmed, making sure he glared at Gabby to get the message across.

  “You want to barter, so let’s barter,” Halsey said, desperate to defuse the situation. He had noticed everyone in the room had begun to sweat.