by Ben Brown
“Here we go; I can see them up ahead.” He pulled his head back in from the open door on the side of the chopper.
Jacobson stuck his head out and shouted over the roar of engines and the wind. “I can’t see anything, but I’ll take your word for it. How do you want to play this?”
Zac considered the question for a few seconds as Jacobson pulled back into the chopper.
“I think we need to overtake the convoy, then bring the chopper about and drop down in front of the first car. I’ll jump out as the chopper hovers well out of harm’s way, then we’ll see how they react. If they try to run me down, we’ll know we’ve made the right decision. All we need to do then is get aboard the truck and bring it to a stop.
“You have the call on how you and your men get aboard. I’ll take care of myself.”
“What if they stop?” Martinez asked.
“If they stop, we have the wrong vehicles.” Zac tried a wry grin.
Jacobson looked at Zac and shrugged. “It sounds like you’re putting yourself at unnecessary risk, but it’s your call.
“We have your weapons.” Jacobson gestured to one of his men. The soldier started digging through a duffle bag; he produced Doc’s gun, and the sword. “My men retrieved them from the battlefield.”
Zac looked at the sword, the memory of it protruding from his chest shot painfully through his mind. He wasn’t sure how useful it would be, but he decided to keep it anyway. He slung it over his shoulder, across his back.
Zac grabbed a roof strap that hung beside the chopper door. He dangled his body as far out of the door as possible. The wind whipped his face, clearing his mind of all the doubts that still troubled him.
A second later the chopper shot over the three vehicles, passing them by a quarter of a mile. It banked sharply, and then dropped to about five feet from the road.
Zac looked over his shoulder; Jacobson gave him the thumbs up. He nodded and jumped.
Zac ran towards the lead vehicle as the chopper hovered behind him. He came to a stop and waited for it to reach him. It was at least forty feet in front of the truck and made no signs of slowing.
Zac held his ground, deciding not to make any aggressive moves — unless he needed to. The four-wheel drive was only seconds away as time began to slow in the way that had become strangely familiar.
The passenger’s window opened and a man started shooting.
Zac headed for the car, leaping into the air, he could hear the chopper’s engine's roar as it began to rise to avoid a collision.
His right foot hit the hood of the speeding vehicle, sending him cart-wheeling through the air. As he commenced his acrobatics, he pulled the sword from his back. The shooter’s arm was directly below him, still firing, trying to keep up with its target. Zac hacked it off with one fluid sweep of his blade.
He landed at the rear of the car in a kneeling position, pulled his gun from inside his jacket, and aimed at the car, which was now speeding away from him.
Suddenly, the sound of the truck filled his ears; he rolled to one side just as it thundered passed him.
Zac looked down the road at the Hummer, which was now charging straight for him. A man hung from the window, his body almost completely out of the car. He was shooting in his direction.
Placing the sword back in its sheath, he dodged the bullets with ease.
The car was almost on top of him as he sidestepped, aligning himself with the gunman hanging from the window. As the vehicle drew level he grabbed the shooter’s arm. Using the car’s momentum, he swung himself up and onto its roof; the force of the maneuver wrenched the gunmen from the car. He landed heavily on the road.
Zac was now on the roof of the Hummer, which was traveling at least 100 mph. The car began to swerve violently in an attempt to throw him off. Once more, he grabbed the sword from his back; bullets began to fly up and through the roof, peppering holes all around him. Zac drove the sword down in an attempt to halt the flow of bullets. As the shooting stopped, he gripped the sword handle. He needed to use it for support as he clambered into the car through the open window. He was inside the car within two seconds of hitting the roof.
There were three men inside. The driver, plus two men in the rear seats; one of the men in the rear was dead, impaled through the side of the neck by the sword.
With shocking speed the remaining passenger threw himself at the intruder. He had one hand around Zac’s throat as he pulled a knife. Zac struggled, one-handed, to hold the knife at bay. His other hand held his gun, but it was wedged between the seat and the door. The knife was only an inch from his eye; he was struggling for air as his attacker's grip tightened.
The driver screamed, “Just fucking kill him! Stop screwing around you fu …” Zac kicked him in the teeth with his left foot causing him to swerve, spitting broken teeth all over the dashboard.
The knife-man’s grip released as he flew backwards into his dead companion. Zac’s gun arm came free; the deafening sound of his gun filled the car. The high caliber bullet tore into the knife wielding maniac at point-blank range, bathing the interior of the car in blood.
Zac turned the gun on the driver. “Get out!”
With a curse, he jumped from the speeding car.
Zac moved quickly to the driver’s seat and took control of the vehicle. He kicked the driver’s door from its hinges, and then accelerated hard to catch up with the truck.
He could see the Black Hawk up ahead. It was hovering just above the semi as men abseiled down and onto the roof; he noticed smoke bellowing from its engine. It was taking heavy fire from the four-wheel drive, which was now alongside the truck on its right.
The Hummer was moving at well over 100 mph, but he needed more speed. Zac stomped on the throttle; he set the cruise control when the Hummer reached 120. Zac fumbled for his attacker’s knife; which was lying just behind the driver’s seat. He groped for it with his right hand as he struggled with the wheel. His fingers found the dead man’s boots — then the knife. He quickly cut the driver’s seatbelt and secured it around the steering wheel; he tied the other end to the gearshift.
The Hummer was gaining fast on the vehicles in front. He waited for a few more seconds before climbing back onto the roof. As he rode the Hummer like a speeding surfboard, he reclaimed the sword and stashed it on his back.
The four-wheel drive was now near the rear of the truck, but still on its right. Zac moved himself to the rear of the Hummer, and prepared himself for the impact.
A few seconds later, the Hummer bulldozed into the rear of the 4x4; it bucked violently, catapulting him up and towards the front of the truck. Zac landed on the roof of the trailer section. He was moving so fast he almost rolled over the edge.
The Hummer and the 4x4 slammed into the trailer, and then both vehicles veered off the road, exploding in a ball of flames.
The truck began to swerve violently. Two of the trailer’s tires had been ripped to shreds by the impact. Zac was already on his feet; he turned to face the rear of the trailer, his team steadied themselves as the truck regained control. Jacobson and four of his men were in hand-to-hand combat with two men and a woman. They seemed to have things under control. Zac looked up at the chopper, which was now pulling back and attempting to land. Martinez stood at the open door with an M16 in his hands; he'd returned fire on the 4x4.
He turned his attention to the tractor unit; he looked down and saw a ladder which led to the coupling section. He headed down the ladder and climbed across to the rear of the tractor unit.
The usual stainless steel fuel tanks and side steps adorned the truck; the steps led to a large bull bar at the front of the rig. Zac began to climb around the unit, staying low, so he wouldn’t be seen from the mirrors. He headed for the bull bar. It took at least thirty seconds to get to the front of the truck. He clambered onto the bull bar, and held on for dear life. Zac’s back was to the road, and his face was about a foot below the front of the shiny stainless steel radiator.
The semi
let out a blast on its air horns. Zac looked over his shoulder to see what the truck was sounding off at; two police cars blocked the road. Zac felt like some un-lucky hood ornament, which was about to get flattened! He had to move and fast. He lifted himself up above the radiator and into the plain view of whoever was in the cab.
There were two men. The passenger grabbed for his gun as Zac pulled his and fired. He was dead before his hand reached his weapon. Half the windscreen was gone.
Zac flew through the broken window, landing on top of the dead man, his feet sticking out of the window.
He pointed his gun at the driver’s head and said, “Stop the truck! Steady though, if you lose just one man off the roof, I’ll kill you.”
With only inches to spare, the truck came to a stop in front of the police cars. A state trooper opened the driver’s door and quickly pulled the man from behind the wheel. The officer slammed him into the ground as he wrenched the man’s arms behind his back.
The second trooper opened Zac’s door.
“Are you all right, sir? Do you need assistance?” the trooper asked as Zac wiggled his legs into the cab.
Zac jumped from the truck as he holstered his gun. “No, I’m fine. Thank you,” he replied.
Jacobson came down the ladder between the tractor unit and the trailer. He jumped to the ground and ran over to the small group at the front of the cab; he removed his helmet, revealing a perfectly bald head with a large scar over his right ear. Zac hadn’t seen him without his helmet before, and he looked even more imposing without it.
“That was absolutely A-grade man! I’ve never seen anything like that — damn! I want you on my team from here on in. Whoever you go up against don’t have a God damn chance!” He grabbed Zac’s hand and shook it vigorously.
“How did it go up there?” Zac started to head for the rear of the truck as they spoke.
Jacobson nodded as he followed. “It went well; the woman was like you and Chinwendu. Luckily Martinez managed to get a few rounds into her before the chopper pulled back. It still took a while to bring her down but when we did the other two surrendered. Mercenaries give up when it gets too tough; they’re pussies that just chase a pay check. I guess the driver was one of the mercenaries, am I right?”
Zac looked at him and nodded. They had reached the rear doors of the truck. Martinez was waiting for them and nodded a curt greeting.
Zac placed a hand on the handle of the rear door; he held his gun in the other. “Stand by; if there are enhanced people in there, things will happen fast. Move back, give yourselves a fighting chance.”
As Zac spoke Martinez, Jacobson and the two soldiers, who had joined them, took a couple of paces back and raised their weapons.
Zac turned his attention to the door and took a deep breath. He prepared himself for what he might find inside. He pulled the handle.
12
As Lea woke, she tried to reach for her neck, which hurt like hell. However, her arm wouldn’t move. She lifted her head and looked down at her body. She was strapped to what seemed to be some kind of a surgical bed. Suddenly, she sensed someone she hadn’t sensed in years; she struggled to control her fear.
“Dominic, it’s been a long time,” Lea said through gritted teeth. Dominic approached the bed slowly, allowing Lea to see him. He looked older than she remembered; his skin had a grey, unnatural tinge. She guessed it was caused by the vast number of nanites that coursed through his veins.
Dominic smiled in that unsettling way, which Lea knew only too well. That hadn’t changed — her skin crawled.
“Lea, it has indeed been a long time. However, now I plan on getting to know you intimately.” As Dominic spoke, he drew closer to her. She could see every pore on his face. There was something very odd about his skin, but she couldn’t figure out what.
He pulled back. Lea could feel that her stare made him feel uncomfortable.
“How is your neck? Not too sore I hope? After all I can’t have you talking to daddy.”
He said the word ‘daddy’ with so much venom it made Lea grimace.
Dominic pulled something from his pocket and began to throw it up and down in his hand. He’d removed her implant, which explained her sore neck. Her eyes followed the device, up and down; Dominic allowed it to drop to the floor and stamped on it.
“Oop’s, how clumsy of me. I hope you have insurance.” Dominic laughed. It was a dry, raspy laugh. It chilled her.
Lea heard a child laugh. Her eyes darted towards her feet. She saw the boy who’d shot her.
“What are you laughing at, you little brat? You don’t even understand the joke, you fool!” Dominic spat at the boy with unexpected rage, which he quickly mastered.
The boy’s head dropped, his eyes fixed firmly on the floor. All laughter had been driven from him.
“Go and sit on the chair, Peter, you can have a sweet if you like,” Dominic now crooned.
The change was both unsettling and intimidating. The boy headed for the chair, giving Dominic a wide birth.
Dominic’s cold eyes followed him.
Lea watched Dominic without a word. She knew not to show any fear, but it was difficult to stay calm.
Peter jumped onto the chair and took a boiled sweet out of a glass jar, which sat on a desk next to him. He popped the bright red treat in his mouth.
Dominic was now looking at Lea as he said, “Good boy, now sit there while I deal with Lea here.”
Lea’s eyes flicked over to the boy, who now wore a wide beaming smile on his face. His legs swung back and forth as they dangled from the large chair. Her eyes returned to Dominic.
He stared into her eyes with an intensity that made her squirm. It was as if he was trying to read her mind.
He held her gaze for a long ten seconds. “Have you not noticed the I.V. in your arm? Aren’t you wondering what it is?”
Lea hadn’t noticed the I.V. She had been so transfixed by Dominic and the boy she really hadn’t noticed much else.
“Peter over there is quite remarkable you know.”
Lea was confused. Why had he started talking about the child again? The room vibrated slightly; Lea looked around. She now realized that the room was, in fact, a mobile unit of some kind, most likely a large truck. Still she said nothing.
“Good, we must have arrived at the meeting point. I must get a move on.
“Yes, Peter, he is a very special boy. Do you know why, Lea?”
Lea shook her head.
“Peter is what we might evolve into. You see, he needed no modifications to activate his dormant code. His code has been active since the moment of his conception.”
Lea looked at the boy. He returned her gaze, sticking out his chest and smiling intensely.
Dominic looked at the boy. “Now, as you may know my subjects are implanted with nanites, to make them more — compliant. The nanites keep them in line, shall we say. I implanted these nanites in Peter, but his body destroyed them. So I made a more virulent strain. His body destroyed those too, and so on, and so on. This continued until I had a strain of nanites that are virtually indestructible. You have them streaming into your arm through that I.V.” Dominic’s eyes fixed on Lea again. He stared intensely at her eyes.
Lea started to struggle against her restraints.
Dominic smiled as he looked back at the boy. “Peter’s life has been quite tragic, you know. You see he is a very powerful little boy and his parents didn’t understand him. In fact, they were frightened of him.”
The boy once again began to stare at him. His smile was gone, and he seemed to become agitated. Dominic continued. “One day Peter’s parents told him that he was going to be taken somewhere to have some tests and that he wouldn’t see them again. Peter went into a rage and killed them both with his bare hands. He didn’t mean to, but he just couldn’t stop himself. Could you, Peter?”
The boy’s head hung, his chest heaving. Lea could see tears dripping from his nose.
The boy shook his head and whimpere
d, “It was an accident. I didn’t want to hurt them. I loved them but … but it just spilt out of me. I hurt them. I’m … sorry.” Peter was sobbing uncontrollably, his head still hung in shame.
Dominic continued evenly, without emotion. “Yes, I know you’re sorry, Peter.
“I found him in a mental asylum, Lea. He was scared and misunderstood, although I understand him. He is a god in comparison to other humans, and indeed in comparison to you or me. Nevertheless, that makes him dangerous to us, because without the nanites to keep him in check, one day he will eclipse us all. Sure, he does as he is told now because he loves me.
“You do love me don’t you, Peter?”
The boy looked up to answer Dominic’s question. “Of course I love you, Dominic, you saved me. You’re my new father,” Peter implored.
“I am like his father, Lea — but one day the son must outshine the father. We know that’s true, don’t we?”
Lea could feel Dominic building to an attack, and she knew Peter would be the target. Except, she wanted the attack to happen, she desired it. She grew excited by the prospect! She wondered why? She struggled against the sensation, but she was losing the internal fight.
“Soon Peter’s love for me will die and he will no longer do as I ask. Then he will try to destroy me.”
“No, Dominic! No, I would never hurt you,” sobbed the boy.
“Of course you wouldn’t hurt me, but you did kill your parents. Did you tell them that, did you love them, Peter?”
“Please stop, I love you, please stop,” Peter pleaded.
“I’m sorry, Peter — I don’t know what came over me. Here give me a hug.” Dominic held out his arms beckoning the boy to him; the boy ran into the man’s arms. He wrapped himself around Dominic’s waist and squeezed hard. He was still sobbing as he buried his face into Dominic’s stomach.
Dominic had one hand on the boy’s shoulder; the other stroked the boy’s head softly. Dominic’s eyes found Lea’s. He could feel her need to see the boy in pain. Dominic focused his gaze deep into Lea’s eyes, and finally he saw what he had been waiting for. He saw a cloudy haze over her iris. The nanites had taken hold of her, the cloudiness the result of nanites streaming through her body in a race to her brain. The visual proof needed to assure him — Lea was his.
