Chains of Freedom

by Selina Rosen

  "Doubtless, you've noticed that one of our rebels is wearing Elite boots," Jessica said to Sacks.

  Actually, he hadn't, but he nodded anyway. He didn't have the breath to talk.

  Jessica looked at Sacks and frowned. She didn't like the implications. Sacks was a strong, healthy man at the peak of physical health and strength. As an Elite General, he couldn't have been anything else. He was damn near done in, but the rebels had continued from here. Had, in fact gone on to wreak devastating havoc. How could they, if Sacks' condition was any indication of what theirs had been . . . Add to this that they probably hadn't slept for twenty-four hours, and that it had been night, and Jessica started to form a picture of her adversaries that she did not like at all.

  They came to the river, and Jessica waded in.

  "You've got to be kidding," Sacks groaned.

  "In," she ordered. Sacks complied.

  Thirty minutes later, Sacks had had it. "I can't believe they walked in the water this long. I'm freezing."

  So should they have been. Jessica had a sinking feeling. Ten minutes later, they came to Sikes' discarded bikes.

  Sacks only had to take one look at the body to know what had happened to the man.

  "Pronuses." He swallowed hard.

  Jessica nodded, and picked up the cup. She sniffed it.

  "She laced the cup with it. This fool must have used it." She put the cup in her pack. "Come on, this is where they crossed over." On the other side, Jessica found where RJ had pulled David out of the water. From the amount of water still on the ground, Jessica deduced that they must have both been drenched from head to toe. She looked fleetingly at Sacks. He was huffing and puffing, trying to catch his breath. He was on the brink of exhaustion. Likewise, one of the rebels had been in worse shape than the other. She scanned the footprints, and puzzled out the prints left by the rebels.

  "One of them had to carry the other one from here. The one with the Elite boots."

  Sacks nodded silently. He didn't find that too hard to believe. Ten minutes later, he collapsed. Jessica left one of the men with him, and took the other two with her.

  She found the body with the spear sticking from its chest, the face twisted and distorted.

  "Very clever. Pronuses-laced spears." She put her foot on the man's chest and pulled the spear out, oblivious to the gore that oozed out of the now-open wound. Both soldiers swallowed hard. Jessica shook her head.

  "A direct hit was unnecessary. You were showing off, RJ." She was talking to herself.

  There were two sets of Elite boot-prints on the ground now, and they were going every which way. It was obvious that RJ had lost the dead weight of her partner at this point. Jessica followed the clearest set of prints. One set of Elite prints followed another. Sikes and RJ were apparently about the same size, because she couldn't distinguish between the two. Still, Jessica had no doubt who was chasing whom.

  Even so, Jessica was not prepared for what she found. She stopped short with a gasp. Sikes was dancing there in the air like a puppet on a string. This explained Sikes' last hysterical outburst. He had cracked. She really couldn't blame him. His troop had been meticulously picked off. One by one, each had fallen. He had been alone, and he knew there was no escape. He hadn't given RJ the satisfaction of killing him.

  "Oh, Sikes," she sighed a deep and heavy sigh. If he had lived, Jessica would have killed him herself, but she still hated to think of him dying like this. Sikes had been a brave man, a strong man. But he couldn't fight RJ. Jessica thought she knew why. She assessed the damage, and her worst fears were only confirmed. There just couldn't be any other explanation for all that she saw.

  At the end of the trail, she talked to a third-class soldier who had been on hand to witness the slaughter in the air.

  "What did they look like?" Jessica asked.

  "What?" The man was in shock. He'd been hit in the arm by a piece of shrapnel. It wasn't a bad wound, but it hadn't been anything but field-dressed, and he was in a great deal of pain.

  Jessica didn't care. She was out of patience with the whole damn lot of them.

  "The rebels, man. What did they look like?" She demanded.

  "I wasn't very close. They were both over average height. The man was very dark, average build. The woman was . . . well, she was blonde . . . as blonde as yourself, Senator, and her skin was about your color."

  "A hybrid," the third-class Captain—the soldier's commander—said.

  Senator Kirk stiffened. She turned icy blue eyes on him, and his blood ran cold.

  He shrugged. It wasn't like it was any secret that Kirk was a hybrid.

  "They were joined by a third man," the soldier said.

  "He had to be one of ours," Jessica said thoughtfully. "He must have sympathized with her, and gone over. God, if she builds an army, there will be no stopping her." Again, the Senator was talking to herself.

  "I don't believe that for a minute," the captain said. "He must have been one of her men."

  Jessica slammed the palm of her hand into her head. Partly because she couldn't believe that a man with so little in the way of brains had made it to third-class captain, and partly because after all that had happened, hitting her head felt good.

  "It's no wonder they got away. There is not a whole brain in the entire Earth-based Reliance army. RJ and her friend were alone, being chased all night and most of the day. You want me to believe that this fellow just happened to stumble upon them here at the exact moment that all this"—she made a flamboyant hand gesture—"happened? Do you have any idea what the odds of that happening are?" She was yelling in rage by the end of her speech.

  The Captain stood there silently. Obviously, he was trying to do the math in his head. "No, Senator. I don't know," he said at length.

  Jessica ripped his captain's patch from his shoulder. "Think about it, private. Think about it long and hard. Save all your money, and maybe someday you'll be able to buy a brain. They are doing wonders with artificial intelligence these days. Wait around and maybe technology will catch up with you."

  Jessica stomped over to the chopper that was waiting for her and boarded. "Take me back to Capitol. Get me the hell away from all these incompetent fools."

  "At once, Senator."

  Chapter Ten

  General Right walked into Jago's Throne Room and bowed as was required.

  "Oh, what is it now?" Jago sighed. He popped a grape into his mouth, and then said around it, "Well?"

  "RJ and the rebels . . ."—Somehow, that sounded better than RJ and one other rebel—". . . have assassinated Governor Bristol. Troops were deployed to exterminate them, but with no success. Senator Kirk is reporting the destruction of numerous pieces of Reliance hardware, as well as the deaths of more than fifty soldiers, including Elite Captain Sikes, who apparently went mad and hanged himself." Right tried to report it in the bland, emotionless tones he had been taught at the academy, but it was difficult. This was the most excitement they had seen on Earth in centuries.

  "Oh, damn! And this started out to be such a nice day." Jago rested his fat chin on his pudgy-fingered hand and looked at the wall with a pout. "I suppose you want me to do something about it." He sighed heavily. "I'm starting to dislike this RJ person immensely. She is interrupting my life. I want her dead."

  "We all want her dead, Excellency. As Governor General of Sector 11-N, I feel it is my duty to go to Capitol 2-A and assist Senator Kirk in putting these rebels down," Right said.

  "Then why are you bothering me? Why don't you just do it?" Jago asked hotly.

  Right cleared his throat and handed a paper to Jago. Jago read it carefully.

  "What is this, Right?" Jago asked suspiciously.

  "Sir?"

  "This states that you will report directly to Senator Kirk—that you would take your orders from her, and not me. That I am to give you and that hybrid absolute control in matters concerning the rebel RJ," Jago paraphrased: He didn't really understand what it all meant, but he was sure that he
shouldn't like it.

  "For your protection, Excellency," Right said.

  "How so?" Jago asked with the lift of an eyebrow.

  "Well, Sire, you couldn't possibly be blamed for any mistakes that we might make since we wouldn't be consulting with you."

  Jago thought about that for a moment. He finally decided that he liked the sound of it.

  "I wouldn't have to hear any more about who this horrid RJ person was killing or maiming?" Jago asked hopefully.

  "Of course not," Right smiled on the inside.

  "Or what she's stealing?" Jago asked, still suspicious of anything that sounded this good.

  "That's right."

  "And I wouldn't have to deal with you until this thing with the rebels was all cleared up?" Jago asked, beginning to get excited.

  "Regrettably, no, Sir. I will be leaving General Zaks in control here," Right said.

  Jago laughed happily. Zaks was known for his meekness. He wasn't likely to be as brash about interrupting him as Right was. Jago signed quickly and handed the paper back to the general.

  "There you go, Right. I wish you luck in your endeavors." He motioned towards the door. "Have a good trip. Give my love to the hybrid bitch of Capitol."

  Right bowed quickly and left. When the door closed, Jago gave vent to his joy.

  "No more RJ! No more Right! No more Right bugging me about RJ, who's always stealing weapons that I have no knowledge of!" He shoved a nectarine in his mouth, and looked like a pig stuffed for baking.

  They'd ditched the chopper and were now hoofing it. RJ spotted an unguarded farm truck. She decided that this meant that the owners wanted her to have it.

  "I think this is where we part company," RJ said to Alexi."You'll have to find your own way from here."

  "Now, wait a minute!" Alexi started in disbelief. "I'm going with you!"

  "I don't think so," RJ said plainly.

  "I saved your wretched neck!" Alexi exclaimed.

  "Maybe," RJ said, shrugging it off.

  "Maybe!" Alexi was incredulous. "Undoubtedly!"

  RJ sighed heavily. "Why do men always assume that they have saved my life? Is it some male thing? Does it make you feel good to think that I am so helpless that I must be saved?"

  "He had a rocket launcher pointed at your head," Alexi reminded her harshly.

  "And from that one little fact, you assume that I was having trouble?" RJ just shook her head in disbelief. "Thank you for maybe saving my life. Now, goodbye."

  "Listen, lady . . ."

  "Ladies don't carry guns," RJ informed him shortly.

  David listened to RJ. He had been watching her. She was having trouble walking straight, and her arm was jerking ferociously. She obviously wasn't thinking straight, or she wouldn't be trying to get rid of such a valuable ally.

  "RJ, this man can help us."

  "What's your name?" David asked Alexi as RJ snorted her disapproval.

  "Alexi. I'm a third-class soldier. I want to join the Rebellion."

  "No," RJ said decisively. She was only too aware that she wasn't thinking clearly. But she didn't think she was wrong about her ill feelings concerning Alexi.

  "RJ, he's a fighter, and he wants to join . . ."

  "Ah, but why does he want to join?" RJ rubbed her Pronuses-dry eyes. She looked at Alexi. Oh, he had no intention of turning them over. He wasn't a plant. He meant what he said. But he wanted to join them for all the wrong reasons.

  "For God's sake, RJ, you recruit a pickpocket and an ax-wielding wife-murderer, but this man makes you uncomfortable. You're strung out, that's all. You're not thinking straight." David was a little aggravated with her.

  "I know what I'm doing," RJ said hotly.

  "Do you? We are fighting the Reliance, and we need every man we can get." David tried to keep the anger out of his voice. After all that had happened, RJ was more than entitled to a little paranoia.

  "David," RJ motioned with her hand, and David followed her out of Alexi's hearing. "He's no good. If he joins us, eventually there will be trouble."

  "RJ, we're supposed to be partners, aren't we?"

  RJ nodded.

  "Then I want Alexi."

  "Then you shall have him, David," RJ hissed. "But know this. If that man stays, he will be trouble. If he stays, eventually I will have to kill him. His blood will be on your hands, not mine."

  David smiled reassuringly. "You're just tired."

  They walked back to Alexi, who was looking at David hopefully.

  "You're in," David told him.

  The smug smile Alexi gave RJ only confirmed what she already knew about him. Alexi was a weasel, but she'd be sure that he was a useful weasel for the time being.

  Jessica met Right as he stepped out of his plane. They embraced, then headed for Jessica's car. It was a short trip from the airstrip to the interior of Capitol.

  They sat in the back together while an Elite drove. They were silent for a long time, then Right ventured condolences.

  "I was sorry to hear about Jack's death. He was a good man, and a good friend."

  Jessica's lip quivered a little, but that was her only sign of emotion. She was still silent.

  "The whole of the Reliance grieves with you."

  "Not that fat bastard." Her mask of calm crumbled to be replaced by rage. "Jack asked for help months ago, and Jago did nothing. You tried, Right. I don't blame you. I know how hard it is to get that slug to do anything except bed some poor unfortunate wretch of a girl, or stuff his face. Jago is as responsible for Jack's death as RJ is." She turned to face him, and the rage he saw there was more than a little frightening. "I tell you, Right, when I am done with RJ, I will deal with Jago in the same fashion. I mean to have their heads."

  "Shh," Right warned, motioning towards the driver.

  "I really don't care who hears. Jago would be a class-B worker if his brother weren't World Commissioner, and even he thinks Jago's an idiot."

  "I realize that you're upset, Jessy. But threatening to kill Jago is dangerous."

  Jessica laughed, then sobered. "Not nearly as dangerous as this RJ we face. I don't mind telling you that I fear her much more than Jago, or anyone else for that matter." She ran down, in detail, all that had happened, excluding only what she was sure RJ was. "There's no body, Right." She choked a little on her words. "Just pieces smeared all over the inside of the car."

  "His box?" Right questioned.

  "It was there." She fought to control her tears. "The only thing keeping me going is the need to have this RJ dead."

  "Where do you suppose she got the Pronuses?" Right asked curiously. Trying to take her mind off her loss.

  "I imagine she could get anything. Do you know that she has the utter gall to wear Elite boots?" She had calmed herself by sheer willpower. "We aren't up against a dissatisfied work unit; she's one of our own. At one time, she was probably a high-ranking Elite with combat experience on the outer worlds. Her army grows daily. Today she gleaned a third-class soldier—a man with an otherwise flawless record. If loyal soldiers will leave the ranks to join her, think what will happen to work units."

  Right's eyes grew huge as the implications hit him.

  "And she could do it, Right. I have no doubt about it. We could have our first real rebellion since the Reliance seized control four hundred and ninety-four years ago."

  While Right was busy getting himself settled in to his new office, Jessica was sitting alone in hers, tapping her fingers on her desk impatiently.

  The man walked into her office.

  "What took you so long?" she demanded.

  "Sorry, Senator," he said, depositing the two small disks on her desk in front of her. "The DNA on the items was sparse and contaminated by other organic material. It took some time to sort it all out and get a true reading."

  "Go away," she said ungraciously.

  He was only too happy to comply. Senator Kirk had never been the best person to work for, but lately she was impossible.

  When she was s
ure he was gone she locked the door. Then she put the first disk into the terminal. This was the man. Not bad looking. David Grant, Class D work unit. Imprisoned for acts of treason against the Reliance. Died in a logging accident. The computer droned out dates and other unimportant data. Jessica removed the disk.

  "Someone was covering their ass." She hissed the words, her jaw tight with rage. It wasn't the first time a prisoner had escaped and been marked dead. It was easier that way—less paperwork. Jessica picked up the second disk carefully. She looked at it for several long minutes. She had a gut feeling that her worst fears were about to be confirmed.