by Justin Sloan
“None of that here,” he said, waving her off with a broad smile. “We’re all equals here, just following my leadership because it’d be chaos otherwise. I don’t pretend I’m better than a single one of you.”
“Roger that, sir—er…?”
“Just Veles.”
She grinned. “Does that make me a member of Os Dragoes, too? As in the dragons? I’ve always wanted to be a dragon. I mean, can you imagine the—”
“It’s her thing,” Beetle interrupted. “Talking when she’s nervous, I mean.”
Trish covered her mouth, shrugged, and then took another bite of her energy bar.
“No worries there,” Veles said with a wink to her. “And yes, why not? Consider yourself the newest member of not just this team but Os Dragoes.”
She started to say thank you, but her full mouth made it impossible and she gave him a bow of her head instead.
“And the shipment?” Intrepid said, bringing the meeting back to the subject. They had just risked their necks for this crate. It seemed like they should discuss what came next.
Veles glanced around, then paused at footsteps above. More than one person, for sure.
“I’ve been waiting for our friends to join us,” Veles said. “What excellent timing. Still, in case Eyes was telling the truth about more coming…” He drew his blaster, nodding for the others to be ready.
“Oh, that,” Trish said with a grin, “who do you think the captain put in charge of that?”
“So, nobody’s coming?” Intrepid asked.
“None of the PD soldiers,” she said. “At least, none that I’m aware of.”
“You’re a bag of relief today,” Veles said, then turned back to the door, weapon at the ready. “Still, in our line of work you can never be too cautious.”
The door opened and Set stood there, then stepped aside for three others. Among them was a figure Intrepid recognized as the Heel, though she was badly scarred from what looked like burns. Her teeth were purple, and the burns seem to have partially healed; however, it was clear they wouldn’t heal any more than they already had.
A man and woman followed closely behind, and Intrepid recognized them from the old days, his time in the Corps. He’d seen them around the station here and there but hadn’t had reason to interact with either.
“Ah, our friends,” Veles said, stowing the blaster. “Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Heel, my most trusted friend and your best bet at changing the destiny of this station.”
“What’s she doing here?” the Heel asked, coming face to face with Trish.
“Saving us all,” Veles said, placing a hand on her shoulder and gently guiding her back. “And she’s now one of us.”
The Heel’s eyes narrowed, but she nodded and then turned to Veles. “What’ve we got?”
“Three extra suits, in addition to the ones for me and Set. And,” he said, going to the crate on the far wall, cracking it open and grinning as he stepped aside to reveal vials of a glowing blue material, “enough fuel to power a hundred.”
“We shouldn’t have let one of the suits get away,” the Heel replied, not hiding the excitement in her voice.
“Our boy, Marick?” Veles scoffed. “You’ll see. He’ll come through for us.”
“I’ve seen him in action. I’m waiting to be impressed.”
“Then you had your eyes closed,” Intrepid interjected.
“Excuse me?”
“Marick’s the best of the best and the most gung-ho there is. If we’re counting on him to get a job done, job’s gonna get done.”
The Heel ran her tongue over her teeth and part of her lip pulled back from the scars. She shrugged. “You say so, good enough. Can’t wait to see it. For now, suit me up.”
Veles motioned to Beetle, who took out a harness with a folded-up exoskeleton, then extended it and held it for her to strap on. When she was in, Veles took one of the vials and inserted it, then took one of the exoskeletons for himself and did the same.
“You all want to see how this is done?” he asked, eyes moving to Intrepid and then Trish. “Watch and learn. Hell, even if any of you were traitors, all this would do is cause you to piss your pants as you realize that we actually stand a chance here.”
“Show me,” the Heel said, already fidgeting with the device that went on the side of her head. A display shot up and she whistled. It was a blue screen projected about a foot in front of her face, and Intrepid saw several options available as Veles activated his display and scrolled through them.
“Where’d we figure all this out?” Intrepid asked. “I mean, how?”
“Set’s the man,” Veles said. “Let’s just say… plenty of trial and error.”
“You get me burned again, I’m eating your heart for dinner instead of one of those steaks,” the Heel said, suddenly not so certain about the suit she was in.
“Trial and error that led to success,” Veles said. “Problem is, there are two functions we can’t survive on our own, not unless we get those same enhancements Marick had. In the meantime, you can either take the pill about thirty seconds before teleporting or stick to the other functions.”
“And if we try to teleport without the pill?” the Heel asked.
“Burns would be the least of your worries,” Veles replied.
The Heel grunted but patted her side pocket. “Plenty of pills at the ready, boss.”
Veles scanned the room, pointing out first Intrepid and Beetle. “You two, in suits. I want to get every one of us used to these things, for practice. When the time comes, I don’t know who’s going to be at the ready, and if one of you falls I want the next to be able to pick it up and continue the fight. Got it?”
“Ooorah,” Intrepid said, which earned him a return “Oorah” from the two who’d come with the Heel.
“You all knew each other?” Veles asked.
“Not directly,” the man said.
“Well, get to know each other. I say Marines stick together. You all form a team and help the others out with firearm training, though on the down-low. Can’t have shots going off here and alerting PD soldiers on patrol. Deal?”
“Deal,” Intrepid said, introducing himself before suiting up. Soon he, the Heel, and Beetle had gotten the gist of the suits, at least regarding how to levitate and throw up energy shields. Veles talked them through how Marick had used the teleportation function as well but said it used up a lot of energy so they wouldn’t practice it right then.
“Plus, the whole death-worse-than-burns thing,” the Heel growled.
“Not for her, though,” Intrepid pointed out, indicating that Trish hadn’t suited up.
Everyone went silent as Veles considered this. Intrepid realized what he’d just done, calling into question how much this guy really trusted his newest recruit.
“It’s fine,” Trish said, hands up. “I’m here to help, but—”
“No, he’s right,” Veles said. “You’re a valuable asset, in that sense. It’d be a shame to waste that asset.”
The Heel grunted but didn’t say anything.
“Have something to add?” Veles asked.
For a moment, the Heel assessed Trish, then turned back to Veles. “She turns on us, that’s on you. That’s all I gotta say.”
“Suit up,” Veles told Trish. “Beetle probably needs a break anyway.”
The man did look overwhelmed and seemed relieved to step out of the exoskeleton. When Trish was ready, Veles showed her how the teleportation worked. They all stepped back as she scanned the opposite side of the room. The countdown went fast, the bottom half of her body seeming to vanish first, and then she was there, staring back at them from the other side of the room, jaw hanging open.
“Holy Titans,” she said. “We might actually have a shot at this.”
“That’s what I like to hear,” Veles replied with a grin, then had Intrepid switch out so Worm could get some practice. Soon Scorpio and Swinger joined, along with other Os Dragoes who were coming for training or checking in from
other missions.
When they were ready for a break, they all retired to the dining room and dug into the steaks. It was honestly the best meal Intrepid remembered having since he’d arrived on the station, though part of that might have been related to the team he was now part of.
With Alice and the Looking Glass, and her team before that, he’d always believed in the cause but held out little hope for winning. Now, with what they had going on and the hope they had in Marick and her on the ground, he felt real, actual hope—hope built on a foundation of faith.
19
Marick: Italy
The chartered flight from Istanbul to Rome didn’t take long, and they set down just outside of Bologna in hopes that the Benendatti wouldn’t take notice. Riding a commercial train the rest of the way down was a slog, but on the plus side for Alicia and Shrina, they were able to catch up, and Marick learned a lot by listening in. However, his head soon began to swim with it all and he excused himself to find the toilet.
He paused just outside the door to the train car, leaned against the wall, and tried to shake away the gnawing at his insides. A strange feeling had started to rise up in him, similar to the rage he’d felt earlier, only this time he wasn’t mad and he wasn’t trying to defend anyone. He was just tired.
A woman came through the door and it banged on the opposite wall, causing Marick to startle and turn with a growl. He was instantly on alert, hands in fists and muscles taut. He must’ve given the woman quite the fright because she ran off with a yelp.
Marick stepped back, wondering what had come over him. It had to be what Ichida had said about his brain, but that meant they had to act even faster to figure out a solution.
What if the rage started bothering him more often? What if it eventually took over completely? He tried to block those thoughts from his mind and put himself in a calm place, but the only relief he found was when he reflected on his reunion with Alicia, or when he thought about sitting on that rooftop back in Istanbul, listening to the screech of the seagulls and watching the sunlight ripple across the ocean. He closed his eyes, feeling that breeze again and her warm hand in his.
The rage subsided, and he felt almost at ease again. He craved a bloody steak, as it had been several hours since leaving Turkey, but other than that he felt fine—maybe a bit dizzy but fine.
He started to head back in but then remembered his need to use the restroom and turned back just in time to spot someone watching him from the next car over. The man sported a short, clean haircut and had a finger to his ear, and Marick had little doubt that this man was affiliated with either New Origins or the Benendatti. He could’ve been following them for some time now, or maybe there was intel that Marick and company were headed in this direction, though he couldn’t for the life of him figure out how that would’ve happened. If so, there might be others nearby on the lookout. Either way, that man was making a call, which meant more would soon be on their way.
Marick continued on to the bathroom because he still had to take a piss, and that wasn’t likely to resolve just because they were in trouble. He considered his options as he stood there, letting it flow, and decided the best course of action was to question the man. And since a bit of that rage he’d been trying to suppress was resurfacing at the possibility of having been betrayed, he figured the best time to question him was right then. With a couple of extra shakes, he finished, washed his hands, and made for the hall. The man was in his seat, apparently pretending to sleep as if he hadn’t been seen.
Marick smirked, walked up to him, and grabbed him by the shirt collar. A button popped and he adjusted his grip, yanking the man up to his feet and down the walkway to the restroom. The man was shouting in Italian as other passengers stared in shock, but there wasn’t much they could do against a former Taipan with the accompanying enhancements.
No matter how much the man struggled, slamming into Marick repeatedly, it did no good. They were almost to the bathroom before the pistol came out, but Marick saw it in the window’s reflection and knocked it out of the man’s grip before it had a chance to go off. He slammed the man into the bathroom, picked up the pistol, and followed.
Marick’s first move was to pin the guy up against the wall and ask directly, “Who are you?”
When no response came but a grunt, the rage picked up again and Marick didn’t fight it. He tripped the man and threw him down onto the toilet, first hitting the side of his head against the seat and then dunking him into the piss he’d left there, having foreseen this eventuality.
“Again. Who?”
“Dammit, that hurt!” the man shouted, his Italian accent subtle but present. “Who am I? Who are you that you have such a price on your head?”
“Ah, Benendatti then,” Marick said and let him up but threw him against the far wall. “I had the impression you’d be more formidable.”
The man laughed. “You’d be right. They pay me, but I’d be in for trouble if I falsely claimed their name as my own. One day, perhaps. Maybe as a reward for finding you, even?”
“Yes, I’m sure they’ll promote your piss-covered, nasty self when you cause a few of their soldiers to die at my hands,” Marick scoffed, aware of the rage coursing through his arms but fighting it back. It made him want to rip this guy’s throat out, though he knew that would be going overboard.
“And you—or rather the Benendatti—work with New Origins in some way?” he asked. “You report to them?”
The man shook his head. “The bids come to various houses. We’re one of many, but we’re certainly not from any company as prestigious as New Origins. Or, should I say, as much in the spotlight.”
“Show me.”
“What?”
Marick stepped forward, clenching his fists. “Show me the bid, or whatever you have on you that you used to report in. You must’ve seen the bid, and now I want to see it.”
“Why don’t you go fu—”
Not one for wasting time, Marick stepped forward and slammed his fist into the man’s gut, then felt his jacket pocket. Sure enough, he found a screen there, though it wouldn’t turn on. When he turned it to face the man, it recognized him and displayed a list of names and faces, along with prices.
“I’m keeping this,” Marick said.
A look of terror came over the man’s face. “Are you going to kill me?”
Hearing the words certainly reminded him that he’d like to kill the man, that some primal instinct within—or what he knew was actually the affects of PD genetic engineering—was making him crave this man’s life. But he resisted, grinned, and said, “Not my style.”
With that, Marick slammed the man’s head into the wall once more, and when he stepped back, the man crumpled to the floor, unconscious. With a quick heave, he had the man up on the toilet and leaning back so that it looked like he’d simply fallen asleep.
He took the device and slipped it into the waist of his pants, hiding it beneath his shirt. As he made his way back to Alicia and Shrina, he took extra care to keep his eyes open for other suspicious-looking passengers but came up empty.
“Stomach okay?” Alicia asked with a wink.
“Actually, we have trouble. We’re going to have to get off at the next stop,” Marick said and sat between her and the window, across from Shrina. He passed the device to Alicia.
“That’s not a problem,” Shrina said, staring out the window as Rome approached. “Next stop is likely us anyway.”
He nodded. “Good. And this?” he asked, watching as Alicia examined it. “Can you hack it?”
“I don’t think you understand how hacking works,” she replied with a frown, turning it over. “I know some tricks, but that doesn’t mean I can work magic. What is it?”
“A man had it. It shows bids and he called us in. When we get to Rome, we might have a welcoming committee.”
Alicia considered the device with more attention, running her tongue along her teeth. “If I had a computer, one with the right software…” She saw him
glance at her wrist and shook her head. “No, that wouldn’t work. I mean a real one, where I could connect this. Then, maybe.”
He nodded. “Might be worth it, if we can.”
“Reverse the bids?”
“Something like that,” he said, confirming her thought.
“About this company,” Shrina said, frowning. “You two have these special enhancements, right?”
“A bit quieter, maybe?” Marick said with a glance around.
“Right, but when the action goes down, I’m a bit worried I’ll be at a disadvantage.”
“Can you shoot?” Alicia asked.
Shrina nodded, but her cheeks went pale. “In practice rooms.”
“Well, it’s about time you got real-world experience,” Alicia said. She took the bag and set it on her sister’s lap. “Have one ready. You can even be the bag girl.”
“Ha! Very funny,” Shrina said with a frown, then smiled. “Oh, you’re serious?”
“I’d think having that kinda firepower gives you a leg up on a lot of the enemy we’ll be facing,” Marick said. “This is top of the line, even up there.”
Shrina glanced at the bag, eyes wide, and nodded with approval. “While we’re on it,” she said and nodded slightly toward a couple seated behind her, “I’m pretty certain I saw that same couple in Turkey. Following you perhaps?”
Marick frowned. He couldn’t be sure, but they did look sort of familiar. Neither met his eye, but he had the impression they were watching him regardless, so he turned away.
“Why haven’t they made their move yet, if that’s the case?” Alicia asked.
“True, but why would they have been in Turkey and now here?” Marick asked. “Too big of a coincidence.”
“So we have the Benendatti and a Japanese couple after us?” Alicia asked, shaking her head.
“Don’t forget the Taipans,” Marick said.
“How could I?”
“Just keep an eye on those two. And,” Marick said, glancing back to see that Rome wasn’t far off as evidenced by the city quickly approaching, “I’d prefer to get off this train before the man in the bathroom wakes up.”
