The Bloodlust: (Volume Three of the Virion Series)

by R. L. M. Sanchez

  “They're right on top of us, Master! Fight!” Humphries shouted. McKenna stumbled up and saw that the mercenaries were only meters away. A squad of three mercs ran around the VTOL, provoking McKenna to raise his pistol and expend his entire magazine into the group one by one.

  “Alan, behind you!” Dill shouted. McKenna quickly turned around to see another merc rounding the corner of the wreckage, his gun barrel protruding around. McKenna dashed and kicked the rifle out of his hands. The merc’s face was emotionless as it was covered by his full-face mask. He struck McKenna’s shoulder with a straight punch. McKenna immediately went on the offensive and knocked the punch away, drove his boot into his knee, and followed by striking each shoulder, throwing the merc horribly off balance. McKenna locked his leg behind his and slammed his body to the ground. The merc groaned as his body fell to the ground. McKenna quickly flicked the empty magazine out of his handgun, slapped a fresh one in, and chambered a new round. He ended the close encounter with two shots to the chest and one to the head.

  Dill got up and began to shoot a full auto burst to keep the mercs back as McKenna took another defensive shooting position. They didn't have much time left but, just as things looked grim, a VTOL above swooped in at high speed.

  “VTOL, at our twelve!” Dill said.

  “Who?!” Kimmy shouted. McKenna saw the mounted guns on the VTOL firing, causing massive damage to the mercenaries, causing them all to scatter for cover.

  “It's Rose!” McKenna shouted.

  “I'm at your LZ!” Rose shouted over the radio. The VTOL came to a hover above their heads and landed just behind them with Speirs standing in the doorway firing his rifle at the enemies on the ground.

  “Inspector, get on!” Speirs shouted. McKenna smiled, stood up, and moved backward, shooting at the mercenaries as he did.

  “Everybody on, now! You first, Doctor!” McKenna yelled. Veena moved quickly to the VTOL, jumping into the passenger cabin and motioning for the rest to join her. “Dill, go!” Dill peeled backwards to the VTOL, reloading his revolver frantically. He quickly made it to the VTOL, pushing Veena behind the doors to protect her from gunfire. He grabbed a rifle from a weapon rack in the cabin and fired from the VTOL. “Go, Humphries, now!” Humphries made his dash next, clanking onto the VTOL. “Kimmy, you're next!” As McKenna began to make his way back towards Kimmy, another VTOL appeared from above in front of them. It had a unique paint scheme matching the uniforms of the mercenaries.

  “McKenna, hostile gunship! Get down!” Dill shouted. The enemy VTOL fired a salvo of unguided rockets, several detonating in the area around McKenna, throwing him further back from Rose.

  “Alan!” Kimmy screamed. She immediately started typing commands into her OPIaA and, shortly after, one of the enemy VTOL's engines began to fail. Enemy gunfire was now focused on Kimmy, the techmage now an immediate threat. Dill looked to McKenna and saw blood flowing from his face. He was having trouble getting up even as Ripper tried to tug on his coat. The world began to spin as he could barely feel his body.

  “Humphries, let's get him!” Dill said. The two jumped off and ran to him. As McKenna trembled in pain, he looked at the converging mercenaries before he saw a hooded man walking slowly towards them, undaunted by the gunfire, before he disappeared into thin air. Ripper looked to where the hooded man was and barked, frantically trying to find him again while protecting McKenna. He felt Dill and Humphries lift him up and help him to the VTOL as he tried to walk on his own strength. Ripper quickly followed shortly behind and hopped aboard. They all climbed aboard the VTOL with McKenna struggling to come to full consciousness.

  “Where's Kim?!” McKenna groaned. The team frantically scanned the area to see her still under fire from behind some crashed wreckage.

  “Kimmy, let's go!” Dill shouted. “Cover her, now!” The team took to their weapons and fired everything they had left, leaving a brief gap for Kimmy to retreat from her pile of debris. She darted towards the VTOL, weaving through debris and wreckage in the street, commandos running in pursuit closely behind. McKenna reached his hand out for hers, ready to pull her aboard. The VTOL violently shuddered as one of the engines took severe damage.

  “Port engine, negative burn! Inspector, we have to go!” Rose shouted from the cockpit. All gunfire was focused on the VTOL now, which could only take so much damage. McKenna looked back to Kimmy, still running to the VTOL.

  “Come on, Kim…” McKenna mumbled. Kimmy lunged forward, grabbing a hold of McKenna's hand. She smiled as she caught it, McKenna as well. The VTOL began to ascend and, as McKenna pulled her aboard, he felt a sharp tug as he quickly tightened his grip.

  “Alan!” she screamed.

  “Kim, hold on!” he shouted. McKenna held on with all his strength but couldn't tell what was pulling her. Her hand began to slip and soon her hand passed through his completely. Another small explosion ruptured another engine, forcing Rose to gain altitude. McKenna watched Kimmy fall from the VTOL, still outstretching his hand as he was carried upwards, frozen. He looked below to see the hooded man reappear out of his camouflage with a firm grasp on Kimmy’s shoulder to subdue her, his camouflage disappearing completely so McKenna could see his face.

  “Kim!” McKenna roared. The VTOL flew upwards at full speed, departing the undercity and Kimmy along with it.

  The team looked at McKenna with Dill finally pulling him in while Speirs closed the cabin door. Speirs removed McKenna's breather to look at the cut on his forehead.

  “Doc Roane!” Speirs motioned to Roane who was checking on the survivors. Roane quickly pulled some bandages, medical gel, and suture foam. McKenna remained motionless and his face blank as Roane cleaned the wound and applied suture foam. Dill couldn't find any words to say and, as he looked to the cabin at the rest of the team, they couldn't either. Even Humphries’ eyes were frowning. Dill reluctantly moved to the front of the VTOL to check in with Rose. McKenna looked to Veena to see her looking with worry.

  “Are you okay, Doctor?” McKenna said with monotone. Veena didn't respond. In the dark area of McKenna’s mind, he had hoped that the doctor was worth it all. Ripper could see McKenna was distraught and whined as he put his paw on his leg, hoping to get a reaction.

  “Sir, we're good on COMMs again,” Dill said. McKenna was still staring at Veena until he was gently nudged by him. “McKenna!” Dill said again, finally catching McKenna's attention. “We've been hailed by the Council. They want to see you immediately, no delays. They want you in for questioning, didn't say why.” McKenna's eyes wandered the cabin, his mind filling with hate, revenge, terror, remorse. A selective two words kept trying to overcome the emotional struggle in his mind. Be more.

  “Let's not keep them waiting, sergeant.” The VTOL ascended to the sky, passing Orange Sector, then Yellow, and shortly to Green and Blue. Soon the Tower was in sight.

  18

  FALSE SYMBOL

  Patricia held her breath as McKenna and his team walked past. She was hoping she wouldn't have to say anything.

  “I'm sorry, Marshal, but the Council only requested you and your partner,” she said.

  McKenna halted at the edge of the desk and turned to Veena. She gave a nod. Humphries gave a short bow to McKenna as he walked through the doors. The Council chambers were quiet, the clicking of Dill’s and McKenna's heels making each step awkward. He knew something was wrong as the guards beside the door began following them further into the room and just ahead was Chief Alistair in person, waiting with another two enforcers. Dill was just as confused. Markal was even present besides Windsor, officially making every authority present.

  “That's far enough, McKenna,” Alistair said. She stood just beside the Council's high desk; she look worried for McKenna.

  “I surrender,” McKenna forcefully smiled, holding his palms up briefly.

  “You've been busy, McKenna,” Krieg said. “A lack of progress reports leaves us gasping for information.”

  “I've been operating in the undercity, t
racking the Golden Bough, just as requested. Councilors, this group was indeed the one that attacked High Science—”

  “We've heard you've begun to suspect numerous other parties to be involved with this investigation.” Krieg was happy to be taking the lead in the conversation.

  “Yes, as I told Councilor Windsor. I haven't any evidence but at the time I was investigating all leads and points of interests.”

  “We've heavily discussed your points of interests. Even as a Marshal, they are very uncommon practices for a newly instated CMS agent and have us suspecting.” McKenna chuckled as he looked to Dill who smiled lightly.

  “The Seventh Mandate, councilors. A law you described in detail to me. It was the only way to find these mercenaries, which I've done as well as uncover their intentions, which to say the least is of pressing concern.”

  “Recruiting criminal individuals in aid of a Council-appointed investigation,” Glazov said as he began reading off his terminal. “Seeking information from a known Broker syndicate, engaging in illegally-sanctioned game events in Red Sector, and in your time you haven't procured one suspect, not one man for questioning.”

  “You can't chase leads or interview suspects when you kill all of them, Martian,” Krieg said.

  McKenna was steaming, clenching his fist. He didn't know how the Council knew so much but now was the time for him to reveal what he had uncovered. “I've found the Golden Bough, their leader as well!” McKenna yelled. “I suggest you tell me what this is all about—”

  “McKenna, this meeting is to discuss your findings, of course,” Windsor said calmly. “But recent news of your time in The Games has us disturbed.”

  “Marshal Armand Kazan, killed in action by Marshal Alan M. McKenna,” Krieg said. McKenna froze. Of the information he had uncovered, Kazan's death was the one piece he hadn't prepared an explanation for. “McKenna, the murder of a Marshal is treason and punishable—”

  “By death,” McKenna said.

  “Now that you know the consequences, do you care to share how these events transpired?” Glazov said.

  “I've been following Kazan's footsteps for days,” McKenna said. “Tracking where he'd been, who he'd spoken with. His whereabouts were lost in the undercity and you all presumed him dead.” The Council was listening attentively, desperately seeking the truth of one of their star Marshals. “I’d presumed it as well. My investigation led me to the undercity games. I fought him and killed him in The Red Fields.” The guards in the rooms all readied their weapons at McKenna and Alistair reluctantly put her hand on her sidearm, ready to draw, once they all heard the confession. Dill looked at them all, angered by their presumptions.

  “Let him finish, for Christ's sake's!” Dill shouted. “Melodrama runs deep here, eh, sir?” Alistair nodded to the guards and they lowered their rifles.

  “Kazan confessed he was working with the Golden Bough.” Alistair looked to the councilors, they themselves troubled. “He turned his back on the law and began following their plan, knowing full well what they had done. Kazan was under orders to kill me and now he's dead. A Marshal betraying the Council and their instruction? The law is clear. Kazan committed treason, punishable by death.” The councilors began muttering between themselves, shocked by McKenna's words and not ready to believe him. “A rogue Marshal is something that's never happened before, is it? The Incorruptible, the just, the Sword of the Council broken. I was well within my duties as a Marshal to kill him.” Alistair looked at McKenna and then to the councilors, worried at the implications McKenna was making.

  “He's right, councilors,” Alistair said. “He was well within his boundaries, on all counts. Kazan was missing since shortly after the attack. You can't deny what McKenna is saying. The whole stadium saw it.” McKenna nodded in gratitude at Alistair, pleased that at least one person in the room was listening.

  “Nor can we confirm it,” Krieg said. “With Kazan dead, we can't question him or determine why he went rogue.”

  “He told me exactly why he did, Councilor Krieg,” McKenna said. “And he had no shame in doing so. He was following The Commander, the leader of the Golden Bough—”

  “Yes, yes, this Commander, we've looked into our own archives trying to uncover who he is. Cross-referenced with all accounts and reporting from Infiltrators and Marshals alike. There is no record of such a man by the alias.”

  “He's a ghost, councilors, trained by the Federation in espionage and deception.”

  “Can you even be sure he exists?! Have you seen him in person?! Met anyone who has?” McKenna chuckled at Krieg. If they wouldn't believe the man they hired to do the task, perhaps they would believe someone else.

  “Yes, councilor, I have met such a person.” McKenna tapped his earpiece. “Doctor, please let yourself in.” The doors to the chambers opened and the guards pointed at them to see the Auroran doctor walk in, the receptionist trying to stop her unscheduled visit.

  “My God…” Alistair muttered. The councilors’ jaws opened. McKenna had done exactly as they requested and something they believed impossible. Veena kept walking, staring at the guards.

  “Lower your weapons,” McKenna said to the guards. The guards looked to Alistair for confirmation, which they received in form of a subtle nod. “There, the sole survivor of the attack, held in captivity by the man you don't think exists. It begs the question councilors, just where exactly are you getting your information from?” Windsor looked to Markal who was only smirking.

  “What did I tell you, old friend?” Markal whispered to Windsor. Veena stopped just beside McKenna and then looked to the Council.

  She bowed. “Good day, councilors.”

  “Doctor, are you all right?” Mahto said in distress.

  “Yes, Nina, I'm fine thanks to Marshal McKenna. If he and his team hadn't arrived in the undercity, I…”

  “Doctor, we're glad to see you in fine health,” Windsor said. “But McKenna has told us about some matters that are of heavy weight. Can you confirm what you went through down there?” She looked at McKenna with worry.

  “Tell them everything,” he said.

  “The Golden Bough is a group of radicals who believe in human equality through controlled evolution. They attacked High Science to halt any progression into the cure. Any possibility of it was a threat to their cause. The man leading them, The Commander, wants to unite the populace of humans through his own virus, Renatus, he called it. What he's created is a genetic restructuring agent, capable of transforming a human beyond their natural capabilities, perhaps even greater than that of a Revente.”

  “It sounds like we should be paying him. Why not come forward with this medical revolution?” Krieg said.

  “Renatus is genetically selective and, at the time I escaped, the virus had a ninety-five percent mortality rate. Turned to feral mutations.”

  “The Taken?” Mahto gasped. The councilors looked at each other in shock after realizing the Taken were a bleed off some experiment.

  “Correct. Failed experiments of his research. Those that survived only did so for a limited time, with the virus behaving so violently in their restructuring that it killed them.”

  “My god…” Glazov gasped.

  “He doesn't believe in any such God or deity but rather the strength of human will alone. He thinks he will be the first person in history to truly unite humans through genetic ascension.”

  “What did he want with you, Doctor?” Markal said. “Given your background, I'm concluding only now it had something to do with helping him with his virus, this Renatus. Why capture you and not Hinsin?” She took a moment before speaking. She thought of her dreaded time in the undercity, her time in captivity while tortured, beaten and forced to butcher her own people. Her reasons for bending the truth were only known to her, but as she looked to Markal she held her words of emotion back.

  “I don't know. He must have seen some value in me.” McKenna glanced at her subtly as he was curious why Veena was omitting that Aurorans were bei
ng tested as well. Even he knew she was needed solely to splice the two species’ genes together.

  “How can he hope to unite a people?” Markal said. “Surely not by killing half of his population with a failed bio-weapon.”

  “He’s starting by eliminating the seat of authority of human government.”

  “A hostile takeover?” Krieg chuckled. “You must be joking, Doctor. How can he manage?”

  “Security Overseer Casey often stated that High Science was one of the most secure facilities on Earth, unbreachable. I don't know how he plans to do it but you can't doubt he has the capability to do so already.”

  “The Commander has been in contact with the Tianlong Group, Valiant Corp, and Wargame of the lower city gangs,” McKenna said. “He's building an army, councilors.”

  Krieg scoffed as McKenna spoke. “Valiant has taken over cure research and Tianlong Group is our biggest defense contractor, and Wargame? A psychotic gang leader? On what basis do you have this information, Marshal?”

  “He's been in touch with the brokers of the undercity,” Mahto said, looking at Krieg.

  “Then it's hardly credible,” Krieg said. “All we have to go on is the words of Kazan's ghost and a traumatized Auroran—”

  “Excuse me, councilor,” Markal said, leaning forward to eyeball Krieg. “To accuse that a Revente’s mind can be rattled by some human soldier is ignorance at its worst.”

  “And to think you have authority over our opinions is wishful thinking, Auroran. This is a human chamber. You're here merely as an observer.”

  “That is a Revente before you, Krieg, not some morsel of a human! Because she is involved, the Auroran Empire is involved, so I suggest you take her words with content. Regardless if The Commander is bluffing about some insurrection against your government, he must be apprehended!”