Dom’s head snapped up. “Doesn’t mean I wanted him dead. But even still. I’d prefer to stay off anyone’s radar. Why don’t you ask the others to help?”
“Because you’re off the radar. Erin and Koji are being watched pretty closely by Cerberus and I don’t want to risk endangering their families. And Lee and Zenith have been MIA ever since Thorne’s death. You were reachable, off-the-radar, and you can get in places you’re not supposed to be.”
“What about Anita?”
Jim’s face was dour.
“What?” asked Dom.
“They’ve got her.”
Dom scoffed. “So it’s just the two of us against an army?”
“Cerberus has a ship in the Atlantic. Based on what I’ve heard from my informant, that’s where they’re keeping their prisoners. If we can get in there, free them and disable the inhibitors, we’ll have more than enough back-up.”
“Okay, I’m in. But how do you expect us to get out there?”
Jim smiled. “That’s something else I’ll need your help with.”
CHAPTER 8
When Anita awoke, she felt a strain on her neck. She reached her hand to her throat, looking down as best she could to see a collar around there. The same type of inhibitor collars the Red Fist used on her teammates when they were captured in Tora Bora.
She sat up, realizing she was on a cot. Looking around, she saw bars on all sides. It was a small cell with almost no privacy.
“Look who’s finally awake.”
Anita recognized the voice and she turned in anger to find Chloe Grant leaning against the bars of the cell beside her. With her aerokinesis, Chloe had taken the name Zephyr. A would-be revolutionary who willingly joined the Red Fist, and had clashed with Anita on more than one occasion.
“See what being a lapdog of the system gets you?” asked Chloe. “Eventually they turn on you. If you hadn’t betrayed the Khagan—”
Anita lunged at her enemy, her hands gripping the bars that separated them. “The Khagan forced me into serving him! Me and others, too! What does your little revolutionary handbook say about slavery?”
Chloe narrowed her eyes and folded her arms over her chest. “The ends justify the means.”
“Easy for you to say.” The voice belonged to another prisoner. Chloe and Anita turned to it and saw Nina Murillo—Fuerte—in another cell across from them. Clarence Black lay on the cot in his cell beside hers. Like Anita, these two specials had also been manipulated by the Analyst into working for the Red Fist.
“The Analyst just opened your mind, helped you overcome the brainwashing of modern society,” said Chloe.
“Bull,” said Nina.
“The Khagan’s a madman and thankfully, he’s no longer a threat to anyone,” said Anita.
“He would have liberated this world if not for your team!” spat Chloe.
“Just shut up already,” said Clarence, covering his face with his pillow and turning on his side.
Chloe grunted and sat on her cot, not saying anything more. Anita sighed and sat as well. She observed the room and saw in the cell beside her was a young woman with brown skin, her knees held close to her chest as she sat on her cot.
“Who are you?” asked Anita.
“Tuwa,” said the girl, glancing up at her cellmate. “I was on an island of specials. Most of us here were. Until Cerberus came.”
“Island?” asked Anita.
Tuwa nodded and focused on Anita, studying her features. “You’re one of them, aren’t you? Vanguard?”
“Yeah, why?”
“I met your friends. Sharkskin and Shift.”
Anita perked up. “Where are they? Are they okay?”
Tuwa shrugged. “I haven’t seen them here. They were only in Arcadia for a short time. By the time Cerberus’ Hellhounds arrived, they’d already left.”
“What does Cerberus want with us?” asked Anita.
“You wanna know what they want?” Clarence sat up on his cot and stood, walking over to the bars and leaning against them. “I’ll tell you what they want—they want to do the same thing that Zephyr’s precious Khagan wanted. They want to use us to do their dirty work for them.”
“The Khagan is nothing like these—”
“Yeah, yeah, Dear Leader only enslaves us because he loves us,” said Clarence, cutting off Chloe. He looked at Anita. “But you, you’re the first Vanguardian they’ve nabbed. I’ve got a feeling they’ll have more than a few questions for you.”
“Why?” asked Anita.
“Because you’re the first. And they’ll want to know where to find the rest,” said Clarence. “Maybe even force you to do it for them.”
“And why would I do that?”
Clarence shrugged and returned to his cot. “They may not have an Analyst, but they’ve still got their ways. I’ve already killed for them once. Imagine I’ll be forced to do it again, soon.”
A door opened on a catwalk above the prisoner bay. Blindside entered, stepping up to the railing. On the ground, Anita could hear the sound of heavy footsteps. Then she heard Blindside’s commanding voice.
“Take the new one. She’s got a special visitor.”
***
Bruiser and Zero escorted Anita from her cell and into a small interrogation room. The manacles around her wrists and ankles normally wouldn’t pose a problem for her. But with the inhibitor collar in place, her powers were useless to her.
A chair waited in front of a metal interrogation table. Bruiser forced her to sit in the chair and Zero went about hooking her manacles to chains attached to the floor. The two Hellhounds left her alone, closing the door behind her and not giving another word.
Anita sighed and stared at the blank wall in front of her. She looked around the room and saw a small dome hanging from the ceiling, which must contain a surveillance camera. She tugged on the chains in futility and after a few tries, allowed her wrists to rest on her thighs.
The door opened and a man in a black uniform with the Cerberus logo entered. He sat across the table from Anita, folding his hands on its surface. He looked up at her with his blue eyes.
“Anita Jordan,” he said. “My name is Nathan Callus, Director of Cerberus.”
“I don’t know what you think you’re doing here, but you’re in violation of my Fourth Amendment rights.”
Callus gave a snicker. “Your rights. That’s funny.”
“I’m an American citizen, and—”
Callus cut her off, speaking while holding up his index and middle finger. “Two things, Ms. Jordan. First off, Cerberus is an international organization with broad, global reach. And second, we have intelligence suggesting that you worked for the Red Fist for a brief period. That makes you an enemy combatant.”
“What are you talking about?” asked Anita.
Callus reached inside the jacket of his uniform and pulled out a photograph. He tossed it on the table in front of Anita. She looked down at it and saw it was taken from the press conference Vanguard held in Central Park some time ago.
“The cape seems like a bit much, but otherwise the look suits you,” he said. “We know who you really are, Paragon.”
Anita looked up, incredulity remaining on her face. “Fine, you want the truth? The truth is that the Khagan was using a telepath to keep me and several other specials under his thumb. Ones you’re holding prisoner in that little gulag of yours.”
Callus leaned back in his chair, folding his arms over his chest. “And I’m supposed to take you at your word?”
“We’ve all got the same story. Why don’t you try doing some research?”
“You know, you and I’ve met before,” said Callus. “Do you remember when you came back from Afghanistan? The review panel?”
Anita gave a nod.
“I was there. I saw what you could do. And on that day, I realized that the world had changed. Now, it no longer mattered how strong a nation’s army was, or how much money they had or how many nukes they’d managed to stockpile. Because now, any spe
cial with just the right mix of power and gumption could bend entire countries to their will.” Callus leaned forward. “I knew that there would come a day when these specials had to be put in their place and shown who’s really in charge.”
“So is this what Cerberus is really about? Rounding us up to be put in cages?”
“You’re not here to ask questions, Paragon—you’re here to answer them.” Callus’ voice dropped lower. “Tell me where Leonard Thorne is.”
Anita blinked in response. “Excuse me?”
“Colonel Leonard Thorne, he was your superior in Vanguard. Don’t tell me that fantasy about mind control erased your memory, too?”
“If you know about Thorne’s connection to my team, then you also know he died,” said Anita. “Killed in an explosion. Just before he was going to accept the offer to lead Cerberus. Funny coincidence, huh?”
Callus’ face remained as steeled as ever. “You and I both know that’s bull.”
“Which part?”
He slammed his fist on the table. “Stop playing games with me, Jordan!” He pointed at her. “Thorne’s alive. You know it and I know it.”
“Where’d you hear that?” asked Anita. “They found a body!”
Callus took a calming breath to recover his resolve. His silence spoke volumes. Anita raised her eyebrow.
“Or was a body provided?” she asked.
“Tell me where he is and I’ll go easy on you.”
Anita sighed. “One of us clearly knows more than the other, Callus.” She locked eyes with him. “But it’s not me.”
Callus hesitated for a moment, matching her gaze. Finally he stood and opened the door. Bruiser and Zero still waited outside and they entered the room. Callus gave her one final look.
“Take her back to her cell."
CHAPTER 9
In the time since Cerberus was created, they wasted no time in setting up numerous bases across the world. One of those bases was in upstate New York and it was this facility that Gunsmith told Wraith they needed to hit before going out to the ship that held their teammate.
Two guards flanked the road in front of the gate and others patrolled the grounds. In the shadow of one of the buildings, Gunsmith and Wraith appeared, emerging from one of Wraith’s portals.
“Couldn’t get us inside?” asked Gunsmith in a whisper.
“You wanna risk ending up in a wall?” asked Wraith. “Then shut up.”
Gunsmith drew his blasters and pushed up against the wall. The guard had his back to him and Gunsmith stepped out, firing a non-lethal charge. The Cerberus operative collapsed instantly.
Another guard turned the corner and once he saw his compatriot on the ground, he readied his weapon. Wraith silenced him by firing a blast of ebon energy. The man collapsed, his body quivering and thoughts of dread dominating his mind to the point where he could barely concentrate.
Gunsmith went to the door on the hangar. He entered a code into the console and the door beeped, sliding open. Wraith followed him inside. “Good thing they haven’t changed your codes yet. So what is it we’re here for any way?”
“Have a look for yourself,” said Gunsmith, stopping in front of the aircraft.
Wraith looked up at the plane and a smile spread on his face, hidden by his mask. “Oh, never thought I’d see this old girl again.”
“Atlas was sealed up after we were disbanded, but Cerberus thought it best to keep their hands on this. Just in case.”
Sitting in front of the two was one of the most sophisticated planes ever created. Designed and built by their former teammate, Zenith, the Icarus served as the mode of transportation for Vanguard before they were disbanded.
“She still works?” asked Wraith.
Gunsmith took a deep breath. “I sure as hell hope so.”
They heard noises coming from outside and the sound of the door beeping. The door slid open and Gunsmith turned on his heel. He fired at the incoming guards, taking out two of them. More came through, though.
Wraith created a shadow portal in front of him that absorbed the gunfire from the Cerberus weapons. “Go, start it up!”
Gunsmith ran to the rear hatch, praying that his suit’s frequency still worked when he opened the compartment on his forearm. The Icarus responded and the hatch lowered to the ground. “Wraith!”
Wraith concentrated, using his powers to teleport a good portion of the guards back outside the hangar. He turned to the Icarus, running towards the hatch and teleporting inside. Once inside, he closed the hatch just as the Icarus began to rise.
The guards fired on the ship and Gunsmith sat at the controls, directing the guns on the Icarus’ underside to return the attack. He’d only begun to learn to fly the ship shortly before the team was disbanded and even that was months ago. But he hoped he still remembered enough to get them where they needed to go.
***
The Icarus came upon the carrier ship in the Atlantic Ocean. It was the same ship Gunsmith took Pyre to and fortunately, he was able to track its movements thanks to information from Zukov on the ship’s position.
As soon as it came upon the deck, Gunsmith activated the Icarus’ weapons. The teleforce guns beneath the hull and the wings opened fire, unleashing powerful bursts of energy on the soldiers atop the deck. Gunsmith took out several of the Cerberus planes immediately, leaving them with only ground forces.
Wraith teleported from the Icarus to the deck and worked to take out many of the soldiers on the surface. His shadow portals enabled him to jump from target to target, appearing behind them and taking them down, then vanishing before another soldier could fire on him.
“The specials are likely being held down below,” said Gunsmith, his voice transmitting to the comm-link in Wraith’s ear. “The inhibitor technology works from a central generator broadcasting a frequency to the collars. Disable that and they should be able to use their powers.”
Wraith delivered a swift kick to one guard who tried to ambush him from behind then turned and fired a shadow blast at another ready to fire on him. “Any idea where I could find that generator?”
“I’m trying to patch into their systems, but it’s a little difficult while avoiding gunfire and covering your ass,” said Gunsmith. “So how about you go the traditional route and try looking?”
Wraith groaned. “Back to being the leader for ten minutes and already you’re a prick.”
“Just go!”
Wraith jumped into a shadow portal to begin the search. Gunsmith pulled on the Icarus’ stick, evading the gunfire coming at him. But then something else happened and the plane was engulfed in electricity. The power surge was causing feedback with the system and the controls weren’t responding properly.
Gunsmith tried to aim the Icarus as best he could, diving towards the carrier deck. Just before impact, he hit the emergency eject and the canopy blew open. His seat shot into the air and released a parachute almost immediately. Gunsmith quickly unhooked his harness and dropped from the sky, just as shots from the teleforce blasters wielded by the Cerberus guards tore into his parachute.
He drew his guns and opened fire on the soldiers below. Gunsmith landed in a crouch and sprung to his feet. But just as he did, he was slammed into by what felt like a brick wall and he was thrown far across the deck.
The former Vanguardian struck the deck’s surface with his shoulder and skidded across, stopping just before going over the edge. Gunsmith shook his head and pulled himself to his feet. He gasped when he saw Bruiser charging at him.
Gunsmith unleashed several blasts on the high setting, but they barely slowed down the juggernaut. He jumped over his opponent’s head, hurling a small, explosive disc that stuck to the operative’s back.
Bruiser skidded to a stop after missing his target. Before he could turn, the lights on the disc flashed rapidly and blew. The force of the explosion threw him over the edge of the deck and into the water.
Zero jumped into the fray, bringing down a forcefield-generated blade on Guns
mith’s head. The suit’s eyepiece warned him of the danger and he crossed his arms over his head to protect him. The blade scraped against his armor and Zero pulled his arm back, moving into a fighting stance.
Gunsmith fired his weapons, but Zero was uncannily quick. He was able to easily dodge and weave the blasts, deflecting some with his forcefield blades. Zero cleared the distance between them and pounced. He flipped in the air and his feet connected with Gunsmith’s face. The assassin stood over him with his claws ready to tear into Gunsmith’s head.
CHAPTER 10
Below deck, Wraith stuck to the shadows. Their arrival had brought most of the guards up to the main deck, allowing him to move about in relative ease. But there was still the problem of finding what he searched for.
Wraith moved quickly through the decks, the sounds of the battle still reaching down below. He had to find the generator fast; Gunsmith wouldn’t be able to last long up there alone.
On one of the lowest decks, Wraith came to a door and opened it. It led to a series of catwalks above a bunch of cages. Cages that contained people. Looking down but staying out of sight, he could see Anita held prisoner in one of the cells. Wraith teleported to the ground much to the shock of the prisoners who rose from their cots when he saw them.
“Wraith!” said Anita, calling out to him.
“What are you waiting for?” asked Zephyr. “Get us out of here!”
Wraith narrowed his eyes at his former enemy. “Maybe I should leave you in here to rot.”
“Not the time,” said Anita. “How’d you know where we were? How’d you get here?”
“Long story. Gunsmith’s up top, but he won’t last long. Now how do I open these cells and turn of the inhibitors?”
Pyre stood at the bars of his cell, holding them tightly. “There’s a room next to this one. When they brought me in, the door was open and I saw some kind of equipment before they locked me up in here.”
Wraith nodded and left the pen area. The next door did have some kind of generator. He wasn’t sure if it was correct or not, but he figured it was better than nothing. There was a chair at the console and Wraith grunted as he raised it up, smashing it against the console.
Vanguard: The Complete Second Season: A Superhero Serial (Vanguard: The Collected Seasons Book 2) Page 13
