Eternity's War (Books 1-3) (Eternity's War Boxsets)

by Ruben Stelliswolfe

  The blade handle slowly left Nikolai's hand as though it was being pulled by an invisible force. Using his mind, Skye controlled it as it hovered in the air between them.

  “What are you doing?” Nikolai asked, surprised but impressed at his friend's bold manoeuvre. He glanced around but no one was watching. “You're doing this in public? That's not like you at all.”

  A sharp blade ejected swiftly from the handle toward Nikolai. It happened in the blink of an eye. The blade would have pierced both Nikolai's chest and the chair he sat on, but he was too fast. He put his hand up and stopped it, smiling at the vain attempt on his life.

  “That's not the only thing I'll do in public,” Skye warned, his voice low. “Stop playing games with me and tell me why we're here.” The blade of the sword retracted back into the handle, then lowered itself safely back inside the holster.

  Nikolai laughed loudly, lightly smacking his old friend on the arm. “I've missed this,” he said. “I miss us. We must do this more often!”

  Skye groaned, exasperated. His threats were empty, only appealing all the more to the ego of the madman sitting opposite. He let out another long sigh, knowing that he'd have to play along if he was to get any useful information out of Nikolai.

  “Oh, come now,” Nikolai said. “You needn't keep up appearances with me. I'm sure you love this lifestyle as much as I.”

  Skye masked his feelings carefully and gave no response, staring blankly at his foe.

  “How's Ren?” Nikolai asked, changing the topic. “Is she well?”

  “She's fine. A little stressed though.”

  “Undoubtedly. I can only speculate as to how much of her time she's investing in stopping the new president. And what of the others? How are they all faring?”

  “They're fine too,” Skye admitted. “Training hard.”

  The answer pleased Nikolai. “That's what I like to hear. They'll certainly need the training. They fight like a lawless rabble. Pitiful warriors, in my opinion. They could have spent years training, yet they foolishly waited for a life-threatening impetus to arrive. I would hazard a guess that they've made little progress over the last three months.”

  Skye rolled his eyes, not bothering to respond.

  “Nevertheless,” Nikolai continued, “do send my love to Ren.”

  “I always do.”

  The young waitress returned with a mug of coffee, gently placing it down on the table.

  “Thank you, Ying,” Skye said with a smile, not wanting to pervade his ill-tempered mood on her. She nodded, then turned around and went about her business. The cafe was deserted, as usual. The workers in the district were far too busy to waste time sitting idly by. But Nikolai was fond of the old social custom, frequenting the cafe on a near-daily basis.

  “And how are Charlie and Delta? Still on the hunt?”

  “Yep.”

  “I can't imagine they'd have much luck in their situation. The people they hunt are rather elusive. Still, it does intrigue me that you all have the gall to judge me for my actions, yet your people feel as though it's justified for them to run around like assassins, killing people left, right, and centre. I think you'd best not associate with people like that.”

  Skye cocked his head “What? You think I should avoid them? They haven't killed anyone. And they're not the enemy; you are.”

  “Oh, I'm not suggesting they're the enemy, but rather that they're foolish and hypocritical. And you know I care not for hypocrites. People should act as they themselves are.”

  Skye shook his head, unable to understand the illogical poetry that his former friend spewed out. “Please don't lecture me on hypocrisy, otherwise we'll be here all day.”

  “Change, my friend. People change. You can't compare the man I am now to the man I once was and label me a liar. Based on your views, humanity would completely hinder any chance of growth or atonement, rendering life itself inert. The sooner you accept that, the better.” He took a long sip from his coffee, a pleased murmur escaping from his mouth. “Ah, now that is a fine brew.”

  Skye changed the subject. “And how is everyone in 'Black Dawn' doing?” He emphasised the absurd name that Nikolai had chosen for his group.

  “My subordinates are just fine.”

  Skye laughed, a shocked expression forming on his face. “Subordinates? You're ridiculous.”

  “I don't see how. I'm their leader, and they work for me obediently. Therefore, they're my subordinates.”

  “And you're a leader who orders them to kill.”

  “Justifiably so. No death is without merit or warrant. I'm a hero,” he corrected.

  Skye narrowed his eyes at him. “Hero?”

  “Is ridding the world of evil not the definition of a hero?” Nikolai asked.

  “'Murderer' is a better term for you, I think.”

  “I have murdered no one. But, perceive of me what you will.” He drank the last of his coffee and placed the mug silently on the table. “How is Marion doing?” He turned his head to look up at the woman watching them from the top of the building opposite, knowing she had been there all along.

  “Fine.”

  “Did she insist on coming?”

  “She did.”

  Nikolai smirked. “An act of desperation on her behalf. But it certainly is an interesting tale. I can't help but wonder if she'll be of any benefit to you during the next two days or so. She may decide to be selfish and fixate on her own petty vendetta.”

  Skye took a sip from his hot coffee. “Nikolai, we both know that if she had her vengeance, you wouldn't have any sympathy.”

  “No. No, I would not. They all need to die at some point.”

  Skye looked at the clock on his wrist comm. “Well, since you're wasting my time anyway, we might as well share information. Do you have anything to help us find Archibald?”

  Nikolai put his hands up innocently. “I'm afraid not. I'm almost ashamed to say that I can't locate him.”

  He wasn't the only one. The little information Ren had uncovered suggested that Archibald hadn't spent much time in Government House, the most fortified building in the nation. It would be the obvious place to hide, but, strangely enough, he had rarely checked in there, giving Skye and Ren hope that they might find him somewhere more accessible. Breaking into Government House and escaping unscathed would be an impossible feat.

  Nikolai gave his friend a sly grin. “What are we going to do, Skye? We don't have much time left before the inauguration. If we can't find the old fool before it's too late—”

  “I know. You don't need to remind me. That's why I don't appreciate you sitting here all morning. You should be out there looking for him.”

  “You know I can't do that. I'm resourceful, yes, but I have my doubts that we'll ever find him. Perhaps we should just accept the inevitable and turn our attention to other pressing matters.”

  “No. I can't accept that. We need to kill him. Today.”

  “Today, you say? Well, that would certainly be ideal. But that sounds quite challenging. We haven't seen him for a year. What makes today any different?”

  Skye gritted his teeth. “We're out of time. We need to kill him today,” he said again.

  “And what if we were to fail?”

  Skye glared at him and remained silent.

  When Nikolai saw the look on his face, he couldn't help but laugh again. “Oh, Skye, you truly are my best friend.” He glanced down at his comm, checking the time for himself. “If only it were after midday, then it would be socially acceptable for us to have an ale or two. But alas, it's not.” He held his wrist up to Skye's face.

  “I know what time it is, thank you,” Skye said, not appreciating Nikolai's complacency. “Is there anything else you want to discuss?”

  “No.” Nikolai crossed his legs and relaxed in his chair. “That will be all for now.”

  Skye pushed his unfinished coffee away, wanting nothing more than to return home. He touched a button on the bright screen on the table, then did the s
ame on his comm. He held his wrist over the screen, waiting for the faint beep.

  “Skye, I invited you here,” Nikolai said. “The coffee was my treat.”

  “I don't need your money.” Skye stood up and began to walk away.

  “Of course—you already have a torrent of my money,” Nikolai joked.

  Skye turned to see Nikolai still sitting comfortably. “Aren't you leaving too?”

  Nikolai thought about the question for a brief moment and grinned. “No, I think I'll stay.”

  Skye raised an eyebrow, looking him up and down suspiciously. They usually departed at the same time after their bizarre meetings. He slowly walked away, wondering what he was up to.

  “Skye!” Nikolai called after him.

  He stopped and looked back, his face impatient.

  Nikolai's grin widened. “Good luck killing the president.” He said it loudly, causing several bystanders to stop and stare at the two.

  Skye cringed. He turned around and walked away from the alarmed stare of the Athenians.

  “Ying!” Nikolai called musically, prompting the waitress to reappear from inside. “A splendid coffee, as usual. Would you be so kind as to make me another?”

  She smiled politely. “Of course, doctor.”

  Nikolai sat and smiled to himself, staring up at the pale blue sky. He took in a long breath, filling his lungs with the crisp, clean air, then shifted his focus to a small restaurant across the promenade from him.

  “And now, we wait.”

  Three

  Marion, code-named Sierra, drove through the streets of Nanping Qu. Home to Athenia's low-level industry, it was significantly more quiet than Shangwu. It housed more warehouses than it did apartment complexes, which made it the obvious choice for Skye, Nikolai, and Ren to establish a base there the year before.

  Sierra parked the old van outside the large warehouse. She was shorter than Skye, but a much more adept fighter. She wore an oversized poncho and a tall, broad hat, both of which cloaked her body and face well. Skye exited via the passenger side and held his comm up to the handle, locking the vehicle securely. They opened the front door to the warehouse and walked inside, shutting it tightly behind them.

  The warehouse was much more hospitable during the day. Long skylights brightened its interior and helped to eliminate its dull lifelessness. But the atmosphere inside was one of tension, and had been that way for some time now.

  Skye walked across to Ren, who was working away at her desk once again. She'd managed to squeeze in a few hours sleep but decided to wake up and resume her efforts at finding the president.

  “How did it go?” Ren asked without looking up. “Pointless?”

  “Absolutely.”

  She let out a short laugh. “Did he have any useful information?”

  “No, just the usual. He sends his love again.”

  Ren scoffed and shook her head, not relishing the thought of being the recipient of the obscure man's affection.

  Skye stood behind her and directed his gaze to her computer monitor. “Have you found anything?” he asked cautiously, not wanting to anger her with his persistent hopefulness.

  “No. Although it looks like Archibald is back inside Government House. He checked in earlier this morning.”

  Skye rubbed his eyes, hoping that the president would not stay there for long. The duo looked to each other, each wondering what to do. As long as Archibald was housed in Athenia's primary political stronghold, they were powerless to stop him.

  Sierra stood in front of Skye and stared up at him. “Shall we train?”

  “Already?” Skye groaned. “We've only been back for a few seconds.” He stared into the eerily vengeful eyes of the short woman. He had spent months trying to guess her age, which she never once bothered to disclose. Her face was neither young nor old. He closed his eyes and sighed. “Fine. I'll be right out.”

  She said nothing, walking off silently.

  Ren laughed. “She's just eager.”

  “There was one thing that I thought was a little odd,” Skye said, changing the subject back to Nikolai. “He didn't leave the cafe. I asked him if he was going, and he said that he was going to stay. Usually we part ways at the same time.”

  She thought about his words. “You think maybe he's planning something in Shangwu?”

  “Maybe. I just assumed he'd be too busy this week to be sitting around drinking coffee all day. Plus he was acting a little suspiciously. It's almost as though he wanted me to question why he was still there.”

  “That sounds like Nikolai, but it's probably nothing. Remember, it's always a game with him.”

  “I know. But he doesn't seem too concerned about finding Archibald either. It sounds like he's given up.”

  Ren shook her head. “I doubt that very much.”

  Skye looked down to the ground and tried to push the confusion from his mind. “Maybe I'm thinking about it too much. Maybe I'm just desperate for a lead.”

  “Probably,” she agreed. “But anything is possible with him. I'll ask Juliet to monitor it.”

  “Good idea.” He walked toward the back of the warehouse. “Let me know if she finds anything.”

  The sun was fully risen and shone brightly against the rich blue sky. The clouds were pristinely white and the cool ocean breeze blew gently across the city, a comforting change from the constant tropical humidity.

  Skye sat in the grass. He slowly inhaled, focussing his mind on only his breath. He stared down at the lush green grass, watching it sway softly in the wind. A peaceful sensation enveloped his body, relaxing his muscles.

  “Ready?” Sierra asked. She stood opposite him, several metres away. She held a single blade of grass between her fingers, her arm outstretched to the side.

  Skye stood up. His face was shrouded beneath a black graphene mask, another military acquisition. With the exception of the eye and mouth holes, it protected his entire face and offered suitable protection during their rigorous training regime.

  He took another deep breath, calming himself for a final time. His sword was firmly fastened in its scabbard around his waist. Using his mind, he removed it from the holster and held it out in front. The sharp blade opened suddenly, extending upward. During his recent training, the collapsible katana had proven to be a weapon that was as dangerous as it was easy to conceal.

  He concentrated hard, using his telekinesis to hurl the sword at Sierra's arm with great speed. It flew above her hand, missing the blade of grass by several inches. She didn't flinch, despite how close the deadly weapon came.

  She turned to see the sword lodged in the wooden fence behind her. “You missed again. But you were closer than yesterday.”

  Sierra had no katana, instead opting for a military-grade compact crossbow, which was fastened to her left forearm. Although it was limited to holding only four bolts at any one time, it had immediately become her new weapon of choice. Her incredible speed allowed her to reload the weapon as quickly as it could be fired.

  She held the crossbow up at eye level. “My turn.”

  She fired, sending a steel bolt outward at tremendous speed, piercing the air. Skye moved his arm up and caught it, stopping it in its path. He twitched slightly, his body unable to hide its apprehension at being fired upon from such a close range. He placed the bolt down gently on the ground.

  Sierra retrieved the sword from the fence and threw it back at him. “Let's try again,” she suggested. “This time, aim for my face.”

  The blade hovered in the air in front of Skye as he caught it with his mind. He did his absolute best to never physically hold the weapon with his hands. The more he trained his telekinesis, the more powerful he became. He had slowly improved over the last five years, but not without difficult and intense training sessions.

  He quickly focussed outwards, sending the steel flying with deadly speed. Once again it missed its target and went to the side of Sierra's head. She reached up and grabbed the handle before it flew past.

&nb
sp; “I said to throw it at me,” she said. “Unless your aim was off?”

  “I can't throw it at you. I don't want to take your head off.”

  “You won't kill me. I'm faster than you.” Her voice was flat, as though part of her didn't care whether she stopped the blade or not.

  Skye groaned. “I know, but it's harder to focus when I'm attacking one of my teammates.”

  “You think too much.” She swiftly held the crossbow up again and fired another bolt. Before Skye even had time to gasp, he reached out and grabbed it, narrowly preventing it from ripping through his body. “You need to practise training under pressure more,” she said. “Your movements should be instinctive. You don't have time to think.”

  Skye frowned, trying to read the woman's face. Her words had a profound truth to them, but her voice lacked almost all inflection. He didn't know whether to take her advice seriously or not. Nevertheless, she was a far better fighter than he was, and many lessons could be learned.

  “Sometimes you're too serious,” Tango said. A tall and muscular man with short hair, he sat lazily by on the grass, only barely paying attention to the nearby war of projectiles. His accent was similar to Nikolai's.

  Skye shook his head. “And you're not serious enough,” he said, reluctantly defending his training partner. “Are you going to train today, or just sit there staring up at the sky?”

  Tango waved his hand, dismissing the idea. “I'll train tomorrow. I think it might be too hot today.”

  Sierra frowned. “It's hot every day. If you don't train, you'll be killed like your friend Foxtrot.”

  The remark sparked a sudden rage within Tango. His mind thought back to Foxtrot's brutal murder three months earlier. He stood up, growling at the comment made by the thoughtless Sierra. “Don't ever say that again.”

  He tried to lunge at her, but she saw the attack coming and jumped behind him. She grabbed the back of his head and roughly rammed it into the large tree he was sitting underneath. Tango let out a squeamish sound as he removed his face from the sharp bark.