Prophet: Bridge & Sword

by JC Andrijeski

  I nodded to his words. I could feel that.

  Following Revik onto the elevator car, I only grimaced a little as I stepped around the bodies of the seven seer and human guards who decorated the floor. I had to work a bit to find room to stand with the high heels, even as Revik leaned over the interior panel, punching in the blue button for sub-basement five.

  Once he had, Revik smiled at me.

  “We have guns now,” he observed, motioning to the bodies of the fallen guards with a few flicks of his fingers.

  I snorted, unable to help it.

  Releasing my wrist, he crouched down, flipping open the suit jacket of one of the fallen seers. I watched as he unsnapped a side holster and pulled out a handgun, what looked like a modified M1911, with at least some organic components. He handed it wordlessly to me, barely looking up before he opened the jacket of a second seer, pulling out a gun for himself.

  I hesitated, glancing at one of the automatic rifles.

  After hemming and hawing, I let it go.

  I didn’t want anything that bulky, and those damned things had a hell of a kick. The idea of falling on my ass didn’t thrill me, and I was still doing all of this in six-inch heels. I watched Revik check the magazine and chamber on the Beretta M9 he’d procured for himself.

  “Local, do you think?” Revik inquired, snapping the magazine back in.

  I shrugged. “Looks like they ripped off a military supply station.”

  Revik grunted a laugh, rising gracefully back to his feet.

  We stood shoulder to shoulder, watching the numbers grow smaller.

  8

  FINDING LISTERS

  JON FROWNED, STRUGGLING to find words as he looked at the blank-eyed row of humans in front of him.

  Well, not blank-eyed exactly.

  He saw fear in those eyes. Horror. Panic.

  Truthfully, they looked like they expected to be murdered any minute.

  It didn’t help that Chinja hovered near him, staring at them with her weird gold eyes, or that every seer with them, with the exception of Jon and Maygar, wore full body armor. Or that all of them, with the exception of Jon, carried automatic weapons––menacing black and green rifles loaded up with previously-illegal organics.

  Technically, those organics were probably currently illegal, too.

  Inside the Shadow-run cities, he’d heard gun bans were strictly enforced. As in, no one could have guns outside of military, private security firms hired by rich people, rich people with special permits, and law enforcement.

  Outside the quarantine cities, it was anything goes.

  As a result, the violence was unreal. Jon suspected more humans were now being killed by other humans than they were even by the disease.

  Guns weren’t the reason these people were staring at him, though.

  Jon caught enough stray thoughts to know at least some of the humans standing there recognized his face. Of course, they envisioned him with a giant, neon-yellow “terrorist” stamp under his portrait, presumably from the feeds––but they knew him.

  “Look,” he said, clearing his throat.

  He felt an amused whisper of light from Chinja, and even from Vikram.

  “…I know this is a lot to take in,” he said, motioning vaguely with his mutilated hand. He saw a few of the humans gape at his missing fingers and thumb. “But there are people out there, seers and humans, who want to kill you. Now, I mean. Now that you’ve been ID’d as belonging to this List I just told you about.”

  The group just stood there, blinking under the yellowish casino lights.

  He hesitated when an early-to-mid-twenties black woman frowned at him, folding her arms. She glancing at her companion, an Asian man who looked Chinese, her frown deepening after he returned her look, quirking an eyebrow.

  Jon took another breath. “We didn’t mean to put you in danger––”

  “Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Maygar burst out.

  Before Jon could turn, he felt the construct around him shift.

  In what felt like a single heartbeat, the humans went completely blank-faced. Their pupils retracted to pin-pricks, their jaws loosened, their faces went slack. They swayed lightly on their feet, blinking every few seconds, expressions serene.

  Jon stared at them, one by one, in disbelief.

  Then he whirled on the muscular seer. “What the actual fuck?” he burst out.

  Maygar met his gaze unapologetically, wearing a fitted, dark-gray suit.

  Jon’s face flushed hotter. “Jesus. What is the matter with you? Are you mentally damaged in some way?”

  “Am I mentally damaged?” Maygar gave him an equally incredulous stare, gesturing sharply at the slow-blinking, slack-jawed humans. “Gaos, Jon. That was twenty minutes overdue!”

  Next to him, Damon let out a snort, covering his mouth.

  Clicking in irritation, Maygar pitched his voice upward, imitating Jon’s voice with an exaggerated, mocking lilt.

  “Um, yeah, okay. See, we’re, like, terrorists, you know? And like, this disease? The one that killed everyone you ever loved and destroyed your entire civilization? Yeah. That one. Well, I know you think we used it to kill all the humans. But, you know, we didn’t. Even though all of the human news stations say we did. That’s just them, you know, lying. We’re the good guys. Promise… cross my heart. But we’re going to kidnap you now, see? How are you all feeling about that? Is that good for you? Do you have any questions?”

  Next to him, Chinja burst out in an involuntary laugh.

  Even Yumi cracked a smile, although she covered it with one hand, giving Jon an apologetic look and a hand wave.

  “Fuck you,” Jon said, looking back at Maygar. “They have a right to know something––”

  “Why, in the name of the gods?” Maygar threw up his hands. His arm knocked into the gun he wore, which looked strangely compatible with the suit. “What difference does it make? You’re just going to make their brains explode!”

  “We can’t just kidnap them.”

  “But that’s exactly what we are doing!” Maygar snapped. “No amount of bullshit sugar-coating will change that! We know it will save their lives, but do not expect them to understand that, Jon. Not now, and certainly not here. It is far better to bring them on the ship, explain things there. It will give them other humans to talk to, people they’ll trust far more easily than any of us. People who might just convince them we’re not the ogres they believe.”

  “Says who?” Jon retorted. “Do I answer to you now? Because if so, I didn’t get the memo.”

  “Says my dad,” Maygar growled. “And you know it!”

  There was a silence.

  Mostly because Jon was briefly shocked wordless.

  He couldn’t believe Maygar just called Revik “Dad.” It was only the second time he’d heard that word from the seer’s lips. The first time, they all thought they were about to die.

  When his shock faded, Jon exhaled in irritation.

  He glanced around at the humans gazing stupidly at nothing, then at the small ring of seers who stood to either side of him and Maygar. He caught Jorag’s eye somewhere in that, and saw the questioning look in the tall, blue-eyed seer’s face. Reading the specific request from his light, Jon gestured an affirmative, scowling.

  Immediately, Jorag and four other seers stepped forward.

  Within seconds, they were leading the humans towards the exit nearest to the outside pier. Jon noted they’d already assigned one seer to every human, as per protocol, to ensure they made it safely to the dock and the waiting boats.

  Jon gritted his teeth as he watched them go.

  At a base level, he knew Maygar was right, but he didn’t have to like it.

  “We could treat them like people,” he muttered. “Not like assets. Not all the time.”

  “Oh, grow up!” Maygar snapped. “This is a military operation! Gaos you are a youngster.”

  Jon stared at him. “I’m like… a year younger than you, dickhead. In seer
age, that’s like, I don’t know… a month!”

  Yumi nudged Maygar, giving him a wry smile. “He’s got you there, baby Syrimne.”

  Maygar scowled at Yumi, then deliberately blew past her actual words. Looking at Jon, he rested his hands on his hips, clicking under his breath.

  “How many more are here from this dugra a’kitre List of yours?” he grumbled. When Jon didn’t answer right away, Maygar gave a light shove to his shoulder, motioning the same question with one hand. “Brother? What are we doing here? Are we finished? Or do we go upstairs now?”

  “Oh, I’m brother now?” Jon grumbled. “Not worm-boy?”

  “Just answer the question, dick-brain!”

  The truth was, Jon was already trying to answer Maygar’s question.

  He looked out over the casino, which was mostly empty from the breach alarms. Blackjack tables stood silent, cards spread messily over the green felt. Slot machines sat in rows, dead-looking without anyone standing in front of them to trigger the holograms, or the sounds when buttons got pressed or virtual levers pulled.

  Only a wall-height 3D monitor continued to emit sound in periodic bursts, mostly showing off various tourist attractions in the resort and surrounding city.

  He wondered where all of them had gone. He could only feel the answer in strange pulses through the mobile construct. Allie knocking out the mafia’s main construct made it harder to feel what was going on in the rest of the building. From what little he could tell, a lot of humans had retreated to private rooms inside the resort.

  Some hopped boats for Hong Kong.

  Shadow would feel Revik here before any of those boats reached their destination. Whenever Revik left the tank, they always had a countdown running in the background, waiting for Shadow to find him.

  That countdown seemed to limit his outings to roughly two hours.

  Well, almost three, if he was really pushing it, but the Adhipan and Wreg’s security forces capped his outings at a hard, two-hour limit, just to be safe.

  Which didn’t help Jon at all, in terms of knowing the location of any List humans who might still be somewhere in Macau.

  After feeling for Wreg briefly with his light, he gave up, touching his fingers to the comm. He hit through to the correct frequency in rote, then turned his back on Maygar and the others, walking a few feet away from where they stood.

  He stopped under an overhang between gaming tables, where he could see signs leading to some kind of bar or lounge. A detailed replica of the Taj Mahal formed the entrance. Written in neon script over the double doors was the word: KOLKATA.

  Jon let out a snort.

  He didn’t know geography all that well in this part of the world, but he knew the Taj Mahal for damned sure wasn’t in Kolkata. He supposed gamblers visiting Macau didn’t much care.

  He started to worry when no one picked up right away.

  Then there was a click, and another voice rose in his ear.

  “You should use your light,” Wreg said at once.

  “I know.”

  “You’re supposed to practice. Adhipan has the construct up now.”

  “Hey, bossy guy… I know. You’re Allie’s teacher. Not mine.”

  “Even so. The boss is going to chew me out, if you don’t get better at this shit, ilyo. He’s already grumbled at me, saying I’m letting my dick get in the way of doing my job. He thinks I’m too lax with you––”

  “I know, I know. I’m being… distracted,” Jon said, using the sub-vocal as he glanced at Maygar. At Wreg’s understanding chuckle, Jon bit his lip. “Have the others checked in? We just pulled six more here. 221, 451, 92, 110, 42 and 180, if I’m reading the light signatures correctly. Jorag and the others are bringing them out to the ferry now.”

  “Confirmed. And yes, those are the right signatures,” Wreg assured him. “There are three more, according to Adhipan’s people. They’ve got two ID’d in upper-level rooms. The third is in a cantina or something… some kind of bar. Not far from you, actually.”

  He sent Jon a snapshot with his light.

  Receiving it, Jon nodded grimly, glancing at the torches flickering on either side of the double doors leading into the Kolkata Lounge.

  “Got it,” he said. “I’m right outside.”

  He could feel a few humans in there now. More than just their target.

  It didn’t feel like it would be a problem, though.

  Wreg’s voice turned serious. “Hey, listen. Let Jorag, Yumi and the others get these. We just got word from Adhipan. You’re being pulled. He wants you and Maygar out of there.”

  “What?” Jon frowned, looking away from the doors. “What did we do?”

  “You didn’t do anything, brother. Turns out, these Legion of Fire fucks got Maygar nailed on facial-rec. They know he’s Nenzi’s son. The boss wants you to head back to the ship.”

  “Which ‘boss’ would that be?” Jon muttered, glancing at Maygar.

  Maygar scowled back at him, obviously wondering who he was talking to.

  “I only talked to Adhipan,” Wreg said. “But he’d just talked to Nenz and your sister, so it probably came from one of them.”

  Jon nodded, still frowning in Maygar’s direction. “Okay.” He felt his mouth harden. “What about you? You okay? It took you a while to answer––”

  “I’m fine, brother,” Wreg assured him. “Just coordinating logistics for Adhipan. I swear he gave me this job just to annoy me.”

  Jon felt himself relax. “Oh. Okay.”

  Glancing at Maygar, who scowled at him, Jon rolled his eyes. Switching to regular vocals, he aimed his next words as much at the younger seer.

  “…Understood,” he said. “I’ll bring him back. But can I have the others knock him out, before he gets on the boat?” Jon quirked an eyebrow at Maygar. “Or does he have to openly resist the order, first?”

  Wreg laughed on the other end of the line.

  Maygar gave him a confused but irritated look. “What the fuck are you talking about? Who is that?”

  Ignoring the other’s question, Jon focused back on Wreg.

  “I’ll grab the one down here, then head in.”

  “Be careful, ilyo,” Wreg cautioned. “From what Adhipan says, this Dulgar wants little telekinetic seers of his own. If he thinks he can’t do this through your sister, he really might go after Maygar. So protect the obnoxious fuck. And tell him if he doesn’t behave, I’ll kick his ass myself when you get back here.”

  Jon nodded. Signing off, he exhaled, fighting the part of him that wanted to worry about Wreg. After the barest hesitation, he walked back to stand with the others.

  “We have to go,” he told Maygar.

  “What?” Maygar’s eyes narrowed. “All of us?”

  “No. You and me.” Jon looked at Yumi. “Balidor wants you and Jorag to take over for the remaining Listers upstairs.” Remembering the one still in the bar, Jon looked at Maygar. “There’s one more down here. You and I’ll get them. We’ll escort them to the boat on our way out.”

  Yumi nodded, motioning with her head for Damon to follow her to the elevators.

  Maygar frowned, watching the other two leave.

  Jon didn’t wait. Turning, he aimed his feet for the twin torches guarding the eight-foot-high, garishly ornate, black and gold doors to the Kolkata Lounge.

  After letting out an annoyed-sounding sigh, Maygar adjusted the automatic rifle strap around his shoulder and followed.

  9

  BAD INTEL

  “YEAH, WE’VE GOT him.” I turned my head, frowning at where Revik held Dulgar firmly against the wall by the throat.

  “…Not like it’s done us much good,” I added, irritated.

  I glanced at the clock embedded in the wall, frowning.

  These days, it felt like everything we did revolved around that damned clock.

  I couldn’t feel Shadow anywhere near us, but then, I never could, not until he was here. It was like radio silence––then, bam. Out of nowhere, he’d b
e after Revik’s light. We’d have to turn every infiltrator we had towards protective detail, and it still wasn’t always enough.

  The last time he got through, Revik was down for days.

  Moreover, it wasn’t only Revik’s light we had to worry about.

  Shadow went after us in the physical, too, using Revik’s light to pinpoint our location. In the past he’d sent boats after us, planes, missiles. He even hit us once with one of those satellite laser cannons. Luckily we’d been ashore that time, not on the carrier, and Vikram picked up the cannon powering up in time for us to find shelter.

  With this one, we couldn’t play with the clock at all.

  We were too close to Hong Kong to have any kind of window. That fact was built into every contingency plan we made for this op.

  Balidor hounded us on it for days.

  “Alyson?” The Adhipan leader was still on the other end of the line. “What does that mean? Why has it done you no good?”

  I glanced around the stone tunnel, grimacing a bit at the smell, which more than hinted at sewage, even though the water itself looked clear.

  I did a double-take when I saw a Legion of Fire guard slinking carefully around an outcropping to my left. He balanced on a ledge that rimmed the canal on our side, obviously trying to sneak up on Revik, who had his back to him.

  I refocused my light, briefly forgetting Balidor asked me a question.

  I sent a hard bolt of aleimi, knocking the guard unconscious.

  He toppled unceremoniously, falling the only direction he could––into the water.

  Revik turned at the splash. Frowning, he stared at the canal, then at the body floating by in the rapid stream of water. I saw him quirk an eyebrow, right before he glanced at me.

  Thanks, baby.

  De nada.

  His hand never loosened on Dulgar’s neck.

  Clicking deeper into the Barrier, I did another scan of the area, making sure there weren’t any other surprises lurking nearby.

  “What do you think it means, ‘Dori?” I said belatedly, letting out a sigh.

  “They’re gone?” Balidor said. “The List seers?”

  I watched Dulgar stare up at Revik’s face, eyes glassed.