by Kyle Noe
“Those are what’s left of the boys and girls from Fort Carson in Colorado,” Hawkins said, pointing. “The last thing standing between us and Shiloh.”
Eli’s face went wooden, the lights from the flames dancing in his eyes. “They look like they’re getting their asses kicked.”
The trucks motored down the road and, even from several miles off, Samantha could feel the heat from the fires. She could sense the blast waves from the explosions and touch the embers from the fires that filled the air like black snow flurries.
The wind was strong, snarling and whipping across the broad plain, driving the fires higher. Soon, visibility was down to twenty or thirty yards, and the asphalt ahead choked with black smoke and the detritus of the conflagration.
“We gonna turn around?” asked Eli, fidgeting.
Hawkins shook his head. “Don’t have enough fuel for a detour. Shiloh’s close, maybe fifty miles away.”
Samantha looked up, squinting, the smoky wind burning her eyes. She could smell the odor of burning rubber and charred flesh. “So, what’s the plan?”
Hawkins swallowed hard. “We keep low and out of sight and hope like hell they don’t spot us.”
The trucks picked up speed. Samantha and Eli positioned themselves at the back of the truck as Hawkins and another resistance fighter sat near the front. Hawkins flipped on a pair of night-vision goggles. Perched like a crow, he observed the road ahead. From Samantha’s vantage point, the area beyond the truck was full of swirling flames and banners of coal-black smoke, it looked like they were driving into the mouth of hell.
She could see that the trucks were zipping forward, trying to outrun the wall of flames that had yet to fully overtake the road ahead.
BOOM!
A bomb exploded off to the left, rattling the truck. Samantha rolled over and looked out, taking in the aftermath of a Syndicate bombing run. There was a vast collection of machines—some military and some civilian—and everything was torched, pummeled into unrecognizable heaps of metal.
She saw the bodies of resistance fighters lying where they fell, scores of them, dead or dying. Others were still alive, barely visible because of the smoke, still manning rocket launchers and heavy anti-aircraft guns. The fighters didn’t notice the trucks, they were too busy laying down a wall of lead and flinging sabot rounds that tore through the Syndicate gliders.
There was an explosion overhead, and the trucks accelerated.
“GET DOWN!” Hawkins shouted.
Samantha did while staring up, catching sight of the underbelly of a Syndicate glider as it pitched and broke apart, blasted by the resistance fighters. The machine slammed into the ground just beyond the last truck, sending up a fireball that swallowed up the road.
In seconds, the trucks were accelerating, moving so fast that Samantha could barely move. She reached up for Eli and took his hand. She shot a look to the left, the wall of flames from the approaching fire was so close she was terrified that it would overwhelm them.
Still, the fighting didn’t ebb. More gliders slashed over the battlefield, bombing and firing at anything that moved. Explosions rocked the ground, and tracer fire ripped the minatory blackness of the sky to the left and right of the trucks.
“Can they see us?!” Samantha shouted to Eli.
He shook his head vigorously. “There’s too much smoke!”
The trucks came to a jarring stop, and Samantha and Eli tossed about in the bed. Samantha heard a whining sound and then an eerie green light filled the sky. She peeped over the edge of the truck and saw something, some metallic construct, a Syndicate drone that had descended from a glider and slammed into the earth.
She watched multiple legs extend from the round belly of the drone like a spider. The legs popped on hidden pistons and distended, the drone rising to its full height, some fifteen or twenty feet tall. A red laser beam erupted from a sensor on the exterior of the drone and began sweeping the shrouded land.
“It’s looking for us,” Samantha whispered to Eli.
The beam angled toward the trucks which drove forward, zigzagging into the darkest sections of smoke even as the wall of flames drew closer, driven by the wind. Samantha could see the laser beam tracking them from the right as the flames closed in on the left. She saw the drone awkwardly move forward a final time before getting hit by a rocket from the resistance. The spider drone returned fire and then vanished in the smoke that veiled the battlefield.
Soon, the smoke had covered everything, and the trucks were blindly driving forward, trying to out race the flames. Eli grabbed Samantha and covered her as the flame licked the side of the truck. Samantha spotted a few embers sizzling in the back of the truck, birthing small fires. She rolled over and smothered them and then looked forward as—
WHOMPH!
The trucks shot out the other side of the smoke and into the clear air that lay on the other side of the battlefield. They didn’t slow, accelerating, the engines redlining as Hawkins and his men moved to put as much distance as they could between the trucks and the Syndicate.
They’d somewhat gotten away, but someone was hunting them. And that was the first moment Samantha truly let her wall crack a little. She hid in the corner of the back of the truck, curling up and wrapping her arms around her legs.
Eli saw her, distressed for the first time since they’d crossed paths. He knelt next to her and tried to comfort her, but she pushed his hand away.
“What is it?” he asked.
“I’m not telling you,” Samantha said.
Eli waited a moment, pretending to look away. “Got to trust someone. If you don’t, you’ll wind up dead. No matter how tough anyone is, there’s no one-person army here.”
Samantha wiped away a tear. Glanced at him for a brief second. “You open up, you make yourself vulnerable,” she said.
“You’re right about that,” Eli said. “But that’s kind of the point. It’s worth it. Even if it is fleeting.”
“Thanks, Buddha,” Samantha joked.
Eli smiled. “That’s the tough soldier I know. Now, come on. Open up. What got you back there? Did you see something? You’ve been through worse than that battle.”
“It wasn’t that at all,” she said. “It was that drone. It wasn’t there to just be part of the fight. It was hunting. Looking for someone specific. And I could tell…” She stopped short, unable to get it out.
“It’s fine,” Eli said. “You can trust me.”
“It sounds stupid, but I’m sure of it.”
“Then get it out.”
“I could feel what it wanted. It was almost like … it was hunting me.”
Eli leaned back. “Not sure what to say here.”
Samantha finally unfurled and looked around. “Shouldn’t have told you. Now, you’re freaked out, too.”
“Nah,” Eli said. “I’m just worried about you.” He hugged her. “Sorry, kid. That’s a lot to put on anyone, let alone a kid. But I promise you, we’re gonna do whatever we can to protect you.”
“I know,” Samantha said. “That’s what worries me most.”
16
QUINN’S DEATH
Q uinn tore off down through the halls of the command ship. Her hair was still wet as she shimmied down several stairwells and traipsed across less-traveled pathways that she hoped would be free of Syndicate soldiers and Marines. Whether that had been Marin back there—some figment of her imagination, or something else completely—no longer mattered. It had been a sign that it was time to see if there was a way to circumvent the Syndicate’s technology.
She slipped quietly up through the main floors of the command ship, ducking into alcoves when necessary, making herself look as small and insignificant as possible. In ten minutes, she was outside of the lab and pounding on the door. Cody opened the door and did a double-take, surprised to see her. She brushed past him as he closed and bolted the door.
“Okay, so I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, and I’m ready to do it, Cody.”
> He tensed, then blushed, brushing back his hair awkwardly. He took two steps toward her. “Seriously?”
“Yes, it’s time to do it.”
“Whoa. Okay. I mean, I’ve been thinking about this moment for a while, but I gotta admit I’d always envisioned it happening differently.”
A moment passed between them. He reached for her, and she swatted his hands.
“Not that, you idiot. I meant it’s time to test out your theory.”
He gulped and pulled back. “Oh, that. Right. Sure, yeah, that’s totally what I meant, too.”
She held up her hands.
“Go ahead and do it, Cody. I’m ready to test out your theory. Gimme some death.”
“It’s not that easy,” Cody said, dropping his head and moving past her.
“What? But you said before—”
“I know what I said, and it was just a theory,” he replied, waving his hand.
“Since when is coming up with a way around a problem a theory?” she asked, her voice revealing her irritation.
“I’m pretty sure that’s the very definition of a theory,” he countered.
“But you were so certain.”
“And I still am—”
“Okay, so what changed?” she interrupted.
He took this in. “Well, there’s a difference between hypothesizing about killing someone and actually doing it.”
“Look, Cody, if you can’t do the job, just tell me.”
“I can do the job. Just hang on a sec.”
He held up a small silver injection device. Then he uncapped what looked like a dart and fitted a small cylindrical device onto it. He then threaded the dart into the device before holding the device up to Quinn.
“This is something I’ve been working on. Completely wireless. It’s an implant the size of a grain of rice that powers itself using magnetic induction.”
“For the umpteenth time, I have no idea what that means.”
“It’s really just a ball of nano-wire. Once inserted, it secures itself to the vagus nerve, which runs from the neck to the brain. One coil of the wire transmits energy to another coil using magnetic fields. Bottom line is this can interrupt the chemical transmitters that carry messages between various nerve cells.”
“Nope. Still no comprendo.”
“I believe this can block the Syndicate signal indefinitely once the implant has been disrupted.”
Recognition washed over Quinn. “So, you shoot that sucker into me after I’ve died.”
Cody slowly nodded.
“So, what are we waiting for?”
“Don’t laugh, but I’m scared,” he admitted.
“Jesus, Cody.”
“I’m being serious here.”
A ghost of a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. “I know you are, and I appreciate it. That’s one of the things I like about you.”
“You mean it?”
She nodded, but then he turned from her, hanging his head. “I’m not like you guys, okay? I mean, I always wanted to be when I was kid. I guess lots of people do, but I didn’t have what it took.”
“That’s not true.”
He summoned a smile and turned. “No, it’s true, Quinn, and I’m fine with that. I didn’t have the guts, the balls, whatever you want to call it. I never was good at confrontation, and I’m not much of a leader. I’m the guy that sits at the back of the class figuring out things while everyone else is having fun.”
She placed a hand on his shoulder. “You’re the most important person right now, okay? You hold the keys to the kingdom.”
“That’s a lot of pressure.”
“Think of it as a riddle or puzzle you need to solve.,” she said. “I need you to give me your best.”
“Which is why you have to know that I just can’t do it.”
Quinn steamed. She felt anger welling up inside her. “Milo was right. You’re such a pussy.”
He turned away and hid his face.
Quinn began to back up to leave the lab. She’d gone too far.
But then Cody reached out. “Okay, but what happens if we do this, and I’m wrong?!”
Quinn glanced back. “I’m a big girl. You’ve explained everything. I know the risks. If something happens, it’s all on me.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. If something happens, I’m the one that’s left to clean everything up. I’m the one with blood on my hands. You think I could live with that? The guy that fucked up and took the life of a woman who’s got a daughter and who I care—”
“Spare me the bullshit, okay. We are in a life and death struggle here, and hard decisions have to be made. I appreciate that you’re worried, but you need to tell me right now. Are you gonna do what needs to be done, or not?”
Cody froze. Quinn eyed him and then nodded.
“Fine, Cody. If you won’t do it, I’ll do it myself.”
“Wait! What?! What the hell are you—”
But Quinn had already left, throwing open the door to run outside. Cody paused, then grabbed a syringe of the Lazarus drug and sprinted after her. Cody was barely able to keep pace with Quinn who streaked down the halls of the command ship. She turned right, then left, hurtling down staircases headed for a place she’d been before.
Cody fought for breath, struggling to keep up. He breezed past startled Syndicate techs and then spotted a familiar face up ahead. It was Milo. Milo startled, catching the tail end of Quinn as she disappeared into a stairwell. Wheezing, Cody stumbled into Milo.
“What the hell is going on?” Milo asked.
Cody pointed to the stairwell. “It’s Quinn! She’s going to kill herself!”
CODY AND MILO rocketed down the stairwell, following Quinn who was making for the training room. Quinn knew exactly where she was headed, and she could hear the shouts of Cody and Milo coming from behind. If they didn’t have the guts to test out Cody’s theory, she’d force them to.
She ducked into the Syndicate training room, happy to see that a simulated battle was underway. Crouching, she watched a dozen Syndicate soldiers caught in a cross-fire between two oversized drones. She watched the Syndicate squad engage in some half-assed bottom-up attack, where they endeavored to disperse and attack the drones from different angles. The oversized machines anticipated the moves, thundering laterally while pouring fire at the bewildered soldiers.
In a flash, the soldiers’ positions had been overrun, and the squad had taken flight. Quinn rushed forward and grabbed a rifle from a fallen Syndicate soldier. She pivoted and caught sight of Milo and Cody who were gesticulating at her. Hearing the hiss and whine of hydraulics, Quinn turned back to see one of the Syndicate killing machines. The metal beast had spotted her.
The shriek of grinding gears echoed as the drone’s mighty foot planted on the faux battlefield. One giant foot crashed to the ground, then another. The drone’s chain guns arced up and then came around, fixing on Quinn. The shouts of Cody and Milo grew in intensity. She knew they were close, but she wouldn’t turn around. She couldn’t. It was time to see if Cody was right. If there was a way to cheat death and defeat the aliens.
Quinn brought her rifle up and then there was a flash of light and—
WHAM!
A round from the drone’s chain gun hit her in the upper chest, and there was a quick spray of red. The impact was like being struck by a car. She dropped her rifle and felt herself go airborne, propelled fifteen feet back through the air. The ground flew by underneath her as it did Cody and Milo who looked up as she flapped past them and then—
WHUNK!
She landed hard on the ground and felt a warm liquid running down the entirety of her body. Her legs felt as if they’d gone to sleep, and her chest was full of liquid. She felt like she was drowning. She knew it. Drowning in her own fluids. She fought to raise her head, and then Cody and Milo were straddling her, mouthing words she couldn’t hear. Quinn coughed up a ball of blood and then a blackness—deeper than anything in outer space—began descending li
ke a veil.
Quinn was soon on the outside of her body looking down. She was shocked at the amount of blood that had pooled under her corpse and surprised at the severity of the wound, the hole with the blackened, puckered edges that lay just under her collar bone. She watched Cody and Milo shouting at each other and then the darkness—which was surprisingly warm and seemed to be emitting a low electrical current—wrapped itself around her like a constricting snake.
Her body spasmed a final time and then stopped moving. A bluish hue formed on the surface of her flesh.
She knew at that moment that she’d crossed over.
She was dead.
That’s when Cody plunged the syringe down into her leg and a second into her chest, just beside the hole.
She screamed on the inside, feeling the needle tear a hole in her flesh. Her tongue throbbed, and it tasted like she’d gargled a handful of copper pennies. Then, something began bubbling up inside of her, something acidic that flooded every inch in her body. Her extremities began involuntarily twitching, and her eyes rolled back, but not before she saw Cody jam his injection gun into her chest and pull the trigger—
WHAM!
Quinn rocketed forward, upchucking a mouthful of blood and some salty, viscous liquid. Some of it splashed Cody who looked at her as if she was an object of unparalleled beauty. Then she saw why—looking down, she watched as chest tissue pulled itself together, the wound in her chest healing, miraculously.
No not miraculously, she remembered, staring at the second syringe in Cody’s hand. Shit, if they could get enough of that for the whole army, she couldn’t imagine what wouldn’t be possible. An army of immortals with alien technology. The thought creeped her out, which was saying a lot considering she had just come back from the dead.
