by Dennis Young
She ordered another round, including one for Tooley. “How old are you?”
“Twenty-eight. I went in late. After the rescue…”
“I know. Your uncle told me.”
“Talice wants to go after Jance,” said Jian.
“I never said that,” Talice replied, a bit more sharply than she meant to.
Tooley sipped his Scotch. “I don’t pretend to understand everything that’s happened between you and this Jance and the team. From the outside, she appears to be some sort of vigilante.”
“You’ve gotta be kidding,” replied Talice.
Tooley shrugged. “What’s she done other than work against the bad guys?”
“Well, for one, she murdered a former teammate of ours. And kidnapped a personal friend of mine, using her as bait. And damn near killed me at least half a dozen times.”
“Why?”
Jian was listening and watching closely. Talice glanced his way, and he gave her a smirk.
“That’s what I’m trying to understand.”
“Is it possible she needs your help, but knows you won’t do anything unless she put pressure on you, forcing you to do what she wants?”
I can’t believe I’m having this conversation with my own team, thought Talice. “If she’d asked for help a couple of years ago, we might have given it to her.”
“But you chose to work with the Marines.”
“Yes. Official sanctioning, if nothing else. Jance is a loner. What the hell are you getting at, Tooley? You’re starting to sound like Gorg Evans.”
Jian laughed.
“Okay, Captain, my apologies if I’m speaking out of line. Because to me, it’s a fascinating relationship. What does she want from you, really? What do you want from her?”
“I want her to leave me the hell alone. Me, and everyone I know.”
“And if she won’t?” Tooley took another sip.
Talice looked into her glass. “That brings us up to date. Damn, I didn’t want to think about this tonight, let alone talk about it. Short version, she wants me to fight her one-on-one.”
Jian and Tooley exchanged glances. Jian nodded.
“You think she’s a bad guy, right?” asked Tooley.
“The worst! Dammit, Tooley, stop trying to analyze me!”
The table was quiet for a few minutes. Talice nearly got up and walked away. Why is he bringing this up? What prompted me to even mention this to Jian? And is Tooley right?
After a minute, and everyone’s glasses being emptied, Tooley said, “You know, my uncle says if someone comes after you, the best thing to do might be to charge right in. Take away their advantage. Meet them head-on. Sometimes, you have to become the bad guy to get the bad guy.”
Talice closed her eyes. Maybe I’ll wake up in a few minutes…
“Sorry if I’m out of line, Captain, but from my perspective, it looks like you’re doing everything you can to avoid her. I’ll go away now.” Tooley rose and strode away.
Talice watched him wave goodnight to the others, then disappear through the door. She looked at Jian. “Where did that come from?”
Jian shrugged. “Like I said. He’s got a pretty good head on his shoulders.”
“He’s lucky I didn’t knock it off.”
Jian nodded. “I’ll see you later. Good night.”
Talice watched him walk out the door as well. What the holy fuck just happened?
* * *
Talice bid Mac and everyone else good night and headed home. She was in no mood to talk, visit, or be in anyone’s company but her own. And barely that. She ended up in the little coffee shop near her apartment, huddled in a corner booth, as her pot of tea cooled, untouched.
Jance wants a grudge match. Jian and Tooley are sniffing around to be part of it. I’m okay with Jian. Tooley, I’m still not sure of. Nice kid, but he’s Scarbach’s nephew, so I have to take that into consideration. And the team… Damn, I’m getting close to forty years old. Briggs and Rory are older. I have no idea how old Ollie is. And Mac…
Talice poured tea and ordered a sandwich. She was eating when three men entered the shop, one carrying a duffle that appeared to be loaded with something heavy. Her instincts immediately hit condition red.
The trio took a table, seemingly relaxed. Talice watched closely, knowing she was unarmed, and thought about calling for backup. Namely, the team, probably still at The Bloody Tavern.
One of the men, dressed in a decent, if rumpled, business suit, stood and approached her booth. He held out a card. “Talice Wyloh? I’m Emil Lucas of TWN. May we talk?”
Talice motioned to the seat across. Lucas was pale-skinned, a bit disheveled, and she imagined his day had been filled with meetings and a four-martini lunch. His pallor was that of a heavy drinker.
“We have a mutual acquaintance who has offered a proposal to my network regarding yourself and that acquaintance. Have you time to discuss it?”
“How do you know my name?” asked Talice, willing herself to relax.
Lucas showed a disarming smile. “I was sent a holo of you some time ago by that very person. And no, we’re not stalking you. My crew and I just stopped in for a late bite and I recognized you.”
“You mean your commset has facial recognition built in. Don’t bullshit me.”
Lucas shrugged. “Well, in my line of business, it’s good to be able to spot people of importance around you.”
“How exactly am I important? And who is this acquaintance you speak of?”
“That’s confidential, at least for now. In the meantime, I’d really like to discuss this proposal with you. I’d just need you to sign an NDA—”
“No thanks.”
Lucas paused as he fumbled in his inner jacket pocket. “You sure? It involves a lot of money. And from what I know about you, it’s something you’d be interested in.”
Talice said nothing. Her stare was all the answer needed.
Lucas sighed. “Okay, but please keep the card. And if you change your mind, send me a commtext and I’ll be happy to set up a meeting.” He rose. “Have a pleasant evening.”
Talice watched him carefully as he sat again at the table with the others. One of them gave her a cursory glance, then went back to his meal. She paid her bill and headed out the door, watching carefully to see if she was followed.
Fuck. Jance is already after me. Damn, she must have been working on this for… who knows how long? I lost almost a year with the bugs, recovery, training again, the mission. That’s why we haven’t heard from her! She’s been setting this circus up!
Talice walked on, oblivious to the night and everything in it. Somehow, some way, she found herself on the waterfront, Harbor Row, Pier Thirteen. She looked around, almost disbelieving.
“Hello, Talice.”
She whirled at the voice. Jance!
“How the fuck—”
Jance laughed as she leaned against the rail, barley two meters away. “You are so predictable! I could almost set my chrono by you! Hell, I’ve seen you three times tonight. I could have bet every creditmark I have you’d end up here.”
Talice swallowed hard, nearly shaking. Bugs, don’t you dare hit me now! Damn, I gotta keep my sanity. I can’t believe this!
“Relax, Talice. I just want to talk.”
Talice had no voice. She swallowed again and gestured Jance to continue.
“You shut my man Emil down pretty quickly. He’s a nice guy. Why didn’t you listen to his offer?”
Talice drew a breath and cleared her throat. “Not interested. In him, in you, in any of this. I know what you want. You told me, remember?”
“Sure, but you don’t know the details. Aren’t you the least bit curious? You could wind up with enough creditmarks to retire in comfort. Or you could die. Pretty serious stuff.” Jance smirked.
“You’re crazy. Still. Just like before.”
Jance shrugged. “And you’re boring as ever. Come on, Talice, work with me. I’ve got it all set up. Just tell me y
our preference.”
“About what?”
“Setting, dummy! We could do jungle, or urban, or in the desert. Wait, you don’t like the desert. Or the cold, right? Okay, that narrows it down a bit.”
Talice shook her head slowly, nearly stunned to disbelief for the second time in the evening. How the fuck… security cameras. She’s tapped into the security systems everywhere I go! And she’s right! I’m predictable as a fucking sunrise!
“So which do you prefer? You know how much trouble this has been? Oh, wait, you’ve been in mourning, haven’t you?”
Talice frowned with Jance’s mocking tone. “Don’t go there, Jance. You might get your wish here and now.”
Jance chuckled. “Yeah, that’d be like you, spoil all the fun. Fine, I’ll change the subject. Did you know your boyfriend has another girl?”
Talice paused a second before answering. “I don’t have a boyfriend.”
“Okay, then your favorite Marine colonel. And she’s quite a looker.”
Talice’s head was pounding with her rising blood pressure. And deep inside was a growing knot of hurt.
“Word on the street says it’s serious. They might even get hitched.”
Talice shook her head, not understanding.
“Contracted! Married! You know, sex and stuff.” Jance made rude gestures with her fingers.
Talice’s face flushed in the darkness. “I’ll congratulate him next time I see him,” she managed to say.
“You didn’t know? You’re really out of the loop, aren’t you? Okay, back to business. Look, I’ll decide when and where, then. How about urban. Fun and games, running around in buildings, shooting stuff up. Oh, wait, we did that, didn’t we?” Jance grinned, like a predator.
The shakes were getting worse. Talice didn’t know if it was the bugs, the cooling air, or the anger that was about to consume her.
“I’ll drop you a commtext in a day or two with details. I’m thinking jungle now.” Jance glanced around. “Peaceful here, isn’t it?” She met Talice’s gaze again. “Better enjoy it, Talice. Might not have another chance.” She backed away, fading in the darkness.
Talice waited, how long she didn’t know. She shivered, drenched in cold sweat. Her teeth chattered.
It came to her only then; she was scared to death. Scared of what Jance really wanted. And what she, herself, was beginning to want as well. She gripped Emil’s card in her pocket. Hard.
How do I fight someone with so much hate inside? Why does it matter so much that she hates me anyway? Was Mac right? Is Jance looking for a way to die, through me?
Talice turned and headed home, nearly running the last kilometer. She entered the lobby, ignored the lift, hitting the stairs, and taking them three at a time. Down the hallway and into her apartment, she slammed the door, activated the lock, and slid down to the floor, her back against the door and knees drawn up against her chest.
She stayed that way until she fell asleep, two hours later.
* * *
Northland Marine Base Infirmary…
Talice sat in the scanner chair. The sensors affixed to her temples and forehead itched. The adhesive smelled like old sweat. Or is that just me? Fuck, I forgot to shower this morning. Almost forgot my patch. My fucking mind is going. Damn you, Jance.
Babs entered, took a seat before her, and looked her in the eye. “Stop it. I can tell by the monitor you’re getting upset. I need alpha waves, girl. Relax. Give me some help here.” She exited.
Talice let herself sag into the cushions. The chair was firm, yet flexible. It slowly began to conform to her shape. She breathed.
She had checked in early, begging Babs to scan her brain. She knew something was wrong, just not exactly what. Bugs, Jance, the team, the mission, the fucking politicians. Yeah, not much in my life to be upset about. Now Fawkes… Damn…
A few minutes later, Babs returned and sat again. “Okay, you can open your eyes.” She began removing the sensor pads. “Go get cleaned up, then we’ll talk. My office.” She was gone again, and Talice rose stiffly, then stretched. She headed for the toilet, then Babs’s office, after stopping for tea at the vendor.
Babs motioned for Talice to close the door as she entered. They sat for a quiet moment, facing each other.
“There’s nothing physically wrong with your brain,” Babs began. “Other than remnants of prior injuries, some evidence of old concussions, that sort of thing. Slight traces of CTE, but that’s to be expected in your line of work. And we saw those years ago when we started the Cemlac-12 treatment, and included medication for it. You’re as healthy physically as you can be, for someone who routinely gets shot at.” She showed a slight grin.
“So I’m just slowly going nuts, right?” Talice looked away.
“Oh, no, nothing slow about it. You’re hurtling toward a precipice, my dear. And if you don’t slow down, you’re going to crash and burn.” Babs leaned forward, elbows on her desk. “So you have two choices.”
Talice couldn’t recall the last time she’d seen Babs so serious. The bright banter was gone. Before her was a doctor, with real concerns. She shrugged. “Let me guess. I can get my act together or you can medicate me to the max, right?”
Babs nodded. “Pretty much. And I know which of the two you’d prefer. So how are we going to do this? But first, I want to know what’s going on in your life that has you balanced on a dagger-point.”
“Oh, nice visualization.” Talice almost grinned. Babs did. Talice emptied her tea cup and sat back. “Where do you want me to start?”
“Start right now. Work backward.”
Talice thought for a minute, then started talking. About Jance. The mission, and the political implications. The crash. Bělinka and Will Thomas. The team. Mac’s legs, although that was a source of joy, seeing Mac stand and walk again. Then about Fawkes, but she didn’t go into much detail. Then, finally, her bugs. She talked nonstop for nearly an hour. Babs listened pretty much without comment. Finally, Talice ran out of words.
“Okay. Now tell me about you and the colonel.”
Talice sagged in the chair. “Come on, Babs. Yes, we were intimate. Yes, we were serious, at least for a while. Then we weren’t. Then it looked like we were going to be again. Now…”
“Still too much of the commanding officer thing in the way, isn’t there?” Babs asked.
Talice nodded. “Yeah, that’s part of it, I’m sure. And that I can’t have kids. Or that I won’t, because of the bugs.”
Babs nodded. “Okay, let’s look at these things, one by one.”
“You got the rest of the day?”
“I have as much time as it’s going to take, Talice. You’re my patient, but you’re also my friend. You saved my life. Whatever I have that you need, I’ll offer.” Babs left her chair and took one beside Talice. “You have a naturally-suspicious personality, and by that, I mean you don’t trust easily. When you do, and someone hurts you, it’s a deeper hurt than a lot of people experience. But you don’t lash out. You grow introspective, taking on the guilt. And it drives you crazy.” Babs chuckled. “As we’re seeing now. So let’s talk a bit more about that, and see what we can uncover.”
Talice was silent for a long moment. “I can save you the trouble. The only issue right now is Jance. She wants to kill me in front of the entire world.”
Babs cocked her head. “Really? Tell me about it. Because you are one fascinating woman, to affect so many people around you.”
“Yeah, that’s me. A fucking bad guy magnet.”
“Good guys, too,” replied Babs after a pause. “Tell me about it. Everything. I want to help you kill your demons, and I mean that literally. Otherwise, they’ll kill you.”
* * *
Talice left the infirmary with her conscience lighter, and a promise to see Babs soon for lunch or dinner. She took the metrolink back into the city, willing herself to relax, and not look for prying eyes or nonexistent assassins. She knew she needed to see Mac, but had no idea where she’d gon
e. Headed back to the training center? Hotel? Friends or family?
It came to her only then: she knew nothing of Mac’s family, or other social contacts. For that matter, she knew little of the team members’ details, either. She’d met Bělinka’s parents through Nikolay, and Will Thomas’s through Abie. She knew Rory had purchased a farm, but had no idea where it was. Briggs? Ollie? Jian? Why the hell didn’t she know the people she’d trusted her life with for years?
I’m a fucking recluse. I’ve got no one but my folks outside the team, unless you count Fawkes, who’s now apparently gone a different direction. And I drove him away. I literally don’t have a friend in the world other than the team. I could disappear, and no one would know for days. Babs was right. I’m the perfect target for a killer.
She exited the station and kept walking once she was back in Anchor Prime. Didn’t head back to her neighborhood until late afternoon. Grabbed an automated ground taxi before she got there and ordered it to drive west, into a part of the city she really wasn’t familiar with. She hopped out in a well-worn section of town and stopped at a little hole-in-the-wall Chinese place. Ordered noodles and tea, as she was starving.
Evening set. Talice scrolled through her messages quietly. The place emptied, and she realized it was nearly 2200. She rang for a taxi and headed back to the inner city, arriving in front of her apartment building before midnight. She was starting to shake, knowing she’d not changed her patch since early morning.
She took the lift, wobbled her way down the hall, and entered her apartment. She headed for the bath in the dark, feeling something trickling down her cheek. Turned on the light. Nearly screamed.
Blood was running from her left ear. She stood, wide-eyed, at the mirror, as a trickle appeared from her nose, ran across her lips, and dripped from her chin. She sat, hands trembling, and punched out a message. Babs, help! Trouble in Paradise! Talice.
Her vision faded, and she barely had the strength to get to the floor without falling. Then blackness.
* * *
Talice woke with no idea where she was or how she’d gotten there. Finally, as her head cleared, “there” seemed to be an infirmary bed. IVs hung above her, and the monitor at the side beeped softly. Her temples and forehead were covered with sensors. Her left ear was patched, and her nose ached like she’d been punched. And she was cold. She found a remote at her bedside and turned up the heat on the thermal blanket. Then laid her head on the pillow again.
