Collapse Series (Book 6): State of Vengeance

by Summer Lane

  I say nothing for a long time, because I have thought of what we will have to do to survive. There is nothing for us in the high mountains – no shelter, no food, no friendly forces. We are weak – all of us. We need backup. We need a way to communicate with Monterey, to warn Chris and the Pacific Northwest Alliance that Sky City is poisonous – that they are using their base to collect information from the militias.

  Such a lie, I think, bitter. Omega will pay for this.

  “We only have one option,” I say.

  I look at Colonel Rivera.

  “We have to take out the insurgency base.”

  There is a long pause.

  “What do we really know about this insurgency camp, anyway?” Vera points out. “Technically, we’re insurgents. Insurgents fight against an established regime. That would be us now.”

  “They’re insurgents because they’ve been training spies to infiltrate and destroy the structure of rebellion in the states for years,” Rivera explains. “They still do the same thing. The rest of their forces have just finally invaded.”

  I look into the darkness.

  I guess we know what we need to do.

  Chapter Ten

  “Is this really about doing the right thing, Cassidy?” Chris asks me.

  We are in Monterey. The streets are smoking, littered with rubble. Andrew is in the hospital. Harry is in our custody. I am bloody, battered and bruised.

  Sophia is dead. My friend. The girl who was like my sister.

  I stand just outside the medical building in downtown Monterey.

  “Of course,” I say. “All of this – fighting and negotiating and losing people we love. It’s all because we’re doing the right thing. People who do the right thing have to sacrifice everything.”

  “You’re angry with Omega,” Chris replies.

  “Of course I am,” I say. “Aren’t you?”

  “Yes. Just remember. Don’t let blind hatred take over. Ever.”

  I shake my head.

  “All I’m asking for you to do is call for a military execution of Harry Lydell,” I say. “He’s earned that, don’t you think?”

  “Of course he has. But I also remember a girl who stopped me from killing Harry in the middle of the forest,” he replies. “She wanted me to exercise humanity. To be fair.”

  “Harry is a killer,” I say. “He doesn’t deserve mercy anymore. He’s earned a death sentence.”

  I am burning with anger. I am hurt, horrified. My best friend is dead – turned to betrayal by a man who we both once considered a good friend. I want him dead. I want Omega wiped off the face of the earth.

  “I know that,” Chris replies. He touches my cheek. “Harry will be executed. But he has to be interrogated first. He’s valuable. He knows things about Omega that we don’t.”

  I look at the smoldering remains of Monterey.

  The dead bodies in the streets. The distant howl of sirens.

  “Harry will be executed,” he goes on. “But I don’t want you to ever kill out of hatred. Killing in self-defense is one thing – killing for vengeance is entirely another.”

  “You kill people all the time,” I shoot back, angry. “You’ve killed people for a decade. You’re a SEAL. That’s what you’re trained for.”

  “I’m trained to protect,” Chris answers, never wavering. “I’m trained to eliminate those people who would hurt my family, and my country. Anything beyond that is wrong.” He shakes his head. “I just don’t want you to get used to killing, Cassidy. You’re better than that.”

  I rest my hands on my hips.

  “I hate killing,” I say. “But I hate Omega more.”

  A cool gust of wind blows Chris’s hair into his face.

  “We do what we have to so that we can survive,” Chris tells me. “We don’t do it for any other reason than to protect and serve.”

  I turn away from him, angry, unshed tears spilling onto my cheeks.

  “This isn’t just about survival anymore,” I say. “This is about revenge.”

  *

  It is all darkness. We eat what little rations Elle scavenged from the cellblock guards and pray that it will be enough to get us out of the tunnel. It stretches on for an eternity. We move as quickly as we can, knowing that Sky City and Unite will pursue us relentlessly – because with us is their dirty little secret. The secret that they are nothing more than another vitriolic head of Omega.

  Another strain of the infection.

  Harry was right, I think. Omega is everywhere.

  The thought is terrifying – especially in a dark tunnel – so I push it away. I keep a firm grip on Uriah’s arm as we navigate through the passage, only a single beam of light between us.

  I am tired, underfed. I am afraid.

  But I keep going. I tell myself that I am tougher than anything Omega can throw at me, and I repeat that over and over again until I believe it. Thankfully, we are moving fast enough that I don’t have time to dwell on negative thoughts or pain. Arlene is doing well. She seems to have regained a little strength with the rush of adrenaline she utilized to escape the prison block.

  “So, the insurgency camp,” Vera says at last. “You want to take it over?”

  “Yes,” I reply.

  “Just us.”

  “Just us and a dog,” Elle corrects. “Don’t forget Bravo.”

  “Right. Us and a dog,” Vera huffs. “Cassidy, I know what you’re thinking – and it’s a good plan, really – but we can’t. We don’t have enough weapons or manpower. We’ve got nothing.”

  “What else are we supposed to do, then?” I ask. “Hide out in the woods and freeze to death? There’s nothing out here, Vera. These are the high mountains, and it’s November. It’s cold. We’ll die.”

  There is a long silence.

  “Do you remember when I asked you to take out the insurgency camp in exchange for recruits, Hart?” Colonel Rivera suddenly asks.

  “Yeah,” I say. “What about it?”

  “I asked you because Sky City wouldn’t do it.” He heaves a sigh. “We know why now. Sky City has been protecting the camp this whole time. When you came in for recruits, and when I asked you to complete that mission and trade recruits for it – it would have disrupted their operation. Blown their cover. Suddenly too many people would know what was really going on.”

  “So they tried to kill us all,” Manny replies. “In all honesty, that’s not very original. I could have seen that coming a mile away.”

  Arlene says nothing.

  I imagine it must be quite a blow, knowing that the organization that you’ve devoted most of your life to is completely corrupt.

  Talk about having a bad day.

  “So what now?” Vera says. “We know their secret. We’ve got to tell someone.”

  I press my lips together.

  “Exactly,” I say. “Which is why we’ve got to get to the insurgency camp.”

  “Because they’ll welcome us with open arms,” Vera remarks.

  “Because they’ll have radios,” I reply. “And weapons.”

  “Um, hello,” Elle interjects. “It’s an insurgency training camp. Everyone there is going to be very dangerous.”

  “We’re more dangerous,” I state. “Because we’re desperate.”

  No one argues with that, and we drop the subject for a moment.

  It seems to take forever, but eventually we reach the end of the passage. I see a light. Faint, far away. But it is there, and is enough.

  “Is that sunshine?” Elle asks.

  We all hesitate.

  Is it?

  Uriah flicks off the flashlight. Raw, natural sunlight fills the end of the black passage, like water spilling across a pool of ink. We move toward it. As we get closer, my eyes water. I shield them with my arm, coming up on what looks like a narrow slit. I squeeze through the space and step onto rock. I smell mountain dirt, I taste fresh air. I look up, and I see blue sky. I feel the frigid temperatures of the November weather.


  “We’re out,” I say.

  And then I grab the wall, because I’m standing on the edge of a very tall cliff.

  “Whoa,” I warn. “Be careful.”

  The tunnel literally empties onto the side of a granite cliff. A three-hundred-foot drop spins between the forest floor and me. I see miles of high, snow-dusted peaks surrounding us in every direction. Where we are, it is all rock and open plains. The defined line of a forest lies ahead, about two miles away.

  “What are we supposed to do then?” Vera asks. “Climb down?”

  There’s no footpath, no trail. Just a sheer cliff.

  “I’m assuming this is the emergency exit,” Uriah says. “This access tunnel looks a little unfinished.”

  I look at him, and he grins.

  “Anybody here good at rock climbing?” I ask.

  “I am,” Elle volunteers. “But Bravo might need some help.”

  The dog waits in the shadow of the tunnel, as if sensing the fact that whatever is about to happen isn’t going to be a fun experience for him.

  Sorry, dog. Not all things in life are fun.

  About fifteen feet away, the cliff slopes at a slight angle.

  “If we can get to that slope,” I say, “we can slip down the rest of the cliff. Like a glissade.”

  “A rocky, sharp glissade,” Vera mutters.

  “It’s better than being stuck up here until Omega finds us,” I reply. I remove my jacket. “Let’s make a rope, come on.”

  I am suddenly struck by the fear that Sky City, Unite – and all of Omega – will arrive at any moment. I mean – if we made it here this quickly, who’s to say that they’re not sending a search party into the woods right now. A kill squad?

  I shiver.

  Uriah, Elle, Arlene and Vera take off their nylon belts. We fasten them together, forming a long rope. It’s not enough, though. We pool our jackets and cut them into long strips, elongating the length of the rope. I look at Manny and Colonel Rivera. Of the two, Manny is the tallest, but Rivera is the strongest.

  I hold up the end of the makeshift, pathetic escape rope.

  Colonel Rivera says nothing. He just takes it. Any snide remark that he’s thinking of making dies on his lips. Because he can’t see any way out of this situation, either.

  “Okay, Uriah,” I say. “You go first. Then Arlene.”

  He nods.

  Rivera drops the coat rope down the side of the cliff. It stops at the small ledge just before the slope. “Thirty years of military experience,” he mumbles, “and I end up holding a rope made of jackets for a bunch of kids and a mutt.”

  Bravo growls softly.

  “His name is Bravo,” Elle retorts. “And he’s a member of this team.”

  I smile, proud of Elle. Proud that she sticks up for her friend, proud that she’s not afraid of Colonel Rivera. After everything, I have come to realize that despite all of his faults, he’s just a man.

  He puts one boot on the side of the tunnel wall as Uriah takes hold of the rope and slowly lowers himself over the edge, rappelling as gently as possible.

  Rivera’s arm muscles strain – but only a little. He is a big man. He can handle it. I hold my breath as Uriah slowly moves down, reaching the ledge. He looks up, then signals for Elle to move.

  “Go on,” I say.

  She shows no fear as she grips the rope and rappels down the side of the cliff, as nimble as a cat. She lands near Uriah. “Okay, Arlene,” I say. “You up for this?”

  She whispers, “I don’t have much of a choice, do I?”

  Arlene closes her fingers around the rope and Colonel Rivera braces himself against the wall. It takes a long time for Arlene to get down the wall, but she makes it in one piece. “Manny,” I say. “Take Bravo.”

  He doesn’t argue.

  “Okay, bomb dog,” he announces. “You and me are taking the long way down. The long drop and the sudden stop.” He tucks his arm around the dog and ties the rope around his furry waist. Malnutrition has worn Bravo thin.

  He is the calmest dog I’ve ever seen. We slowly lower him over the side of the cliff. He stays still, as if sensing that his life depends on his cooperation.

  Now that I think about it, he probably knows exactly what’s going on.

  When he reaches the ledge, Elle throws her arms around his neck. The bond between them makes me smile, and Bravo buries his nose into her chest.

  After Vera makes it to the bottom, it’s my turn.

  “How will you get down?” I ask.

  Rivera shrugs.

  “Guess we’ll figure that out.”

  I look at him, realizing that I am trusting my life to this man. This man, who I have seemed to hate for so long. And now we’re on the same level, surviving, and he’s helping me as much as I’m helping him.

  I meet his gaze.

  “Okay,” I say.

  I grip the long string of coats and slip down the side of the cliff. Uriah’s strong arms close around my waist as I reach the bottom, and he lowers me down.

  “Thanks,” I say.

  He opens his mouth to answer, but whatever he says is cut off by the sound of gunshot. It’s funny – gunshots are such a familiar sound to me. I never expect myself to be startled by them anymore.

  But today I am. Because the shot breaks the incredible stillness of the quiet mountain cliff. It comes from above us – from within the tunnel. Rivera stumbles to the side, wounded. He holds a hand to his chest, peering at the blood on his hand. He looks at me. I look at him.

  He takes a grenade off his belt and throws it into the passageway. The grenade explodes, the blast ripping through Rivera.

  And he falls.

  Vera screams, horrified. His body flies past us, hitting the ground three hundred feet below with a heavy thud. I look away. Elle gasps. Arlene covers her mouth.

  “MOVE!” Uriah yells. “They’ll keep coming!”

  I am numbed, shocked. I can’t look away from the limp body on the forest floor, blood splattered out in every direction, limbs spread at odd, broken angles. I feel sick, like I’m stuck in some kind of nightmare.

  Colonel Rivera…dead.

  Uriah shakes me.

  “Cassidy, come on!”

  I don’t know how I move, but I do. Uriah’s voice is the only thing that draws me out of my horror. Everything seems to beat in slow motion as Elle, Vera, Manny and Arlene slide down the slope, skidding to the bottom of the cliff, landing in the dirt. I shove Bravo down the cliff. He growls and nips at me, but his resistance is only halfhearted. He gracefully guides his limber body down the slope, landing near Elle on all fours.

  I cast a final glance behind me.

  Sky City troopers – Omega – burst out of the tunnel. The first two don’t realize that there is no path – just a cliff. They stumble. The first one slaps his head against the rock and falls in a twisted heap to the ground below, screaming. The second does the same.

  The troopers behind them get smart.

  They stand at the mouth of the tunnel and fire their weapons at us. Bullets ricochet off the rocks, echoing across the open landscape. But like most shooters, they don’t realize that shooting downward is making their aim high, allowing us an escape.

  Uriah slides his arm around my waist and I grab onto him, holding on for dear life. We slide down the rocky slope together. It’s a painful ride, one that cuts up my legs and bruises my hips, but we land at the bottom without breaking any bones.

  I roll over and over, cutting my face on sharp rock and shrubs. Bullets rain around me, hitting the dirt, missing me by inches. I scramble to my feet and rush to the two dead troopers on the ground.

  “Cover me!” I yell to Uriah.

  He knows exactly what I am doing. He fires at the troopers up above, standing in the mouth of the tunnel. I take the rifle from the first trooper. Vera is right behind me, collecting the weapons and ammo from the second, following my lead.

  Once we’ve got everything, I cry, “RUN FOR IT! Peel back!”

&
nbsp; We roll over each other’s lines of defenses, like playing leapfrog in reverse, using the cover of gullies and rocks until we reach the cover of the tree line.

  As we run, I pass the body of Colonel Rivera. I can’t see his face – it’s turned away from me, and I am grateful for that. I wouldn’t want to see it, not after a fall like that. I see the blood of a bullet wound seeping through the back of his uniform, and despite everything that has happened between this man and me, I feel sadness. A great, gaping hole opens up in my heart.

  The faster I run, the larger the hole becomes.

  I do not feel sadness.

  There is only anger.

  There is only a desire for revenge.

  Chapter Eleven

  I understand what it is to be human. To be human is to make mistakes. To be human is to feel pain and loss. To be human is to be jealous, to be insecure. To be human is to be either supremely overconfident or to second guess every decision you make.

  To be human is to feel, on an incredible level, the full agony of what it means to live. Of what it means to sacrifice the things that you want – and to lose the people you love the most.

  As we walk through the forest, I think of Chris.

  For ten years, all he did was fight and kill and lose people he loved. It was such a painful experience that his humanity was removed. He no longer felt anything. He was numb and tired. He existed – but that was all. And then came the EMP, the militias, and me.

  And now, he says he is human again.

  Me? I feel like I’m getting farther and farther away from my humanity.

  Colonel Rivera’s death has left me hollow inside. I don’t feel sadness or betrayal. I don’t even feel trauma. I am purely angry. I walk with my head tucked down, watching my steps as we trod through the woods, oblivious to the bitter cold. Frosty flakes of snow land on my face, sticking to my hair.

  No one says a word.

  We are all freezing, left with only thick wool shirts and pants, the remains of our coats left somewhere at the bottom of the cliff where Colonel Rivera had fallen to his death.

  We follow Arlene’s directions. According to her, we should be getting close to the insurgency camp. It’s not too far away.