Knight in Cyber Armor

by Bard Constantine

  "Well, you don't know about the aftermath."

  "Oh, boy."

  Ronnie pulled up a collage of crime scene photos. "We had a spike in murders immediately following that execution. Mini spree that pretty much flew under the radar."

  "Murders following an execution? Not hard to figure that bloodlust is like a fever, Banks. Bound to spread if you get too close. Probably gonna be a spike after this one, too."

  "Oh, I'm certain of it. Specifically, every person who had a hand in the execution."

  Moore paused in the act of yawning. "Say what?"

  "See, the thing about the murders after the Yellow King execution was how clean they were. Pro hits, not random murders. I thought that was odd, so I tried to find a connection. It took some time and several forms of identification, but out of the fifteen murders immediately following the execution, thirteen of them played a role in killing the Yellow King. The other two were just regular murders. Messy. Unprofessional."

  Chief Moore stared at the screens for a long time. "So you're saying HC let the public execute one their own, then put hits out on everyone who participated?"

  "That's what it looks like. All within a twenty-four-hour window."

  "Damn."

  "They're just toying with us, Chief. They're not interested in justice. Just spectacle. And no matter what, they get the last laugh."

  "So we can expect another string of executions tonight?"

  "I'd bet my badge on it."

  Moore drummed his fingers on the tabletop. "Well, nothing we can do about it."

  "You're kidding, right?"

  He turned, face grim. "Do the math, Ronnie. Last time they lost one of theirs, they took thirteen of ours. If you wanna call street punks ours."

  "Not all that participated were murderers, Chief. Five were family members of the Yellow King's victims."

  "They became murderers when they participated."

  "They were looking for retribution."

  "Haven Core would say they got it."

  "You're really taking their side, Chief? Seriously?"

  He frowned. "What are you suggesting, Banks? You want to put uniforms in the line of fire? You think that will make HC back down? You know better."

  "What—I'm supposed to just sit back knowing people are going to be murdered and do nothing about it?"

  "Do you hear yourself? Those masked goons tore a woman to pieces. Right on our front steps. In our faces! And we were powerless to stop it. Just like we're powerless to protect the ones who did it. So yes, Agent Banks—you're going to do nothing about it."

  "Chief, I—"

  He raised a hand. "Pick a fight you can win, Ronnie. This isn't the one."

  She paused, recognizing his expression. It took a lot to get Chief Moore upset, but when he did it was game over.

  "You're right, Chief. No point getting worked up over a few extra bodies. Listen, I gotta go. That Youth Haven project is kicking my ass. Mayor wants it wrapped up quick. I'm going to try to wrap up a few last-minute details."

  Moore leaned back in his chair, staring at the rioters tearing the surrounding district apart. "Understood. I'll be here if you need me. Looks like this is going to go on for a while. Guess I have to get more creative with the peacekeepers. Don't want to send out any warm bodies unless it's absolutely necessary."

  Ronnie headed for the door. "Have fun. Make sure to call me if you're sending out the cavalry."

  "Don't tell me you're going out there with this mess uncontained."

  "I'm taking the spinner. Not like there's a riot in the sky. Plus, I'm headed the opposite direction of this mess."

  "At least take Isaac with you if you're going out there. Looks like this stupidity might be spreading."

  "Isaac's out there now doing what he can to help out. Not like he's worried about getting hurt."

  "Fine. Just check in when you land. Oh, and Ronnie?"

  "Yes, Chief?"

  "Don't think you're fooling me. Not for a second. So make sure to call in if you get in trouble."

  She smiled. "Will do."

  Ⓥ

  The streets burned.

  Tina Zhang ran.

  Her lungs burned, her vision blurred. She wanted to stop and catch her breath, but she didn't dare.

  The wolves were right behind.

  The four of them wore wolf masks, and they hunted as a pack. But there was nothing majestic about their exaggerated gait or their manic giggles and cackling laughter. Nothing graceful about the way they corralled her into a narrow alleyway and ran her down.

  Tina's leg was hampered by a bionic brace from a recent injury. There was no way she could outrun her pursuers, so she turned to fight. Her hands balled into fists, her teeth clenched. She was surprised to see the men stop in their tracks, stances shifting as though they were struck with fear.

  As if the hunters became the hunted.

  A shape leaped over her head, metallic and dark. The figure hummed as if charged with galvanic energy; the hairs lifted on her arms as he passed. He landed in a catlike crouch, bathing the alley crimson with the light beaming from his silvery helmet. She didn't know how large he was until he stood, towering over her.

  His fists glowed electric blue.

  The wolves didn't run. Maybe they were high; maybe they were just desperate. Or maybe they were too scared to think straight. But they charged, howling and swinging makeshift weapons.

  The armored figure took them down quickly. Tina saw blurs of movement, methodic and brutal. The wolves staggered like drunks, grunting and yelling. The armored man danced from one to the next, fluid yet strong; his savage punches and kicks backed up by flashes of energy that left the men stunned and broken. The fight was over in seconds. Four bodies hit the ground simultaneously.

  One of them remained conscious, dragging himself away on all fours as if retreat was the only thing that existed. The armored man bent down and seized him by the scruff of his neck, speaking in a mechanical growl.

  "Tell your friends, if you have any. Tell anyone who will listen. The streets aren't safe for you anymore. Not for anyone that wants to rob, rape, or murder. Your time is up. The streets belong to Vigil now."

  A savage punch smashed the man into the concrete, where he went limp. Vigil straightened and glanced over at Tina. Flakes of dirty snow whirled around him in the faint light.

  "You should go."

  She went. When she summoned enough courage to look behind, there was no sign of Vigil. Nothing was in the alley except four unconscious bodies in ridiculous wolf masks, barely visible in the billowing steam and flickering shadows.

  Ⓥ

  Ronnie took the spinner high above the city. From that vantage point, she was able to see everything. The haphazard scrawl of the districts of Neo York, choked by smoke and steam. The riot area looked tiny down there, insignificant. Just a bloom of fire and fury, a winking firefly in a cavern of shadows.

  Come on, Ronnie. You should be doing what you can to help out down there. Not risking everything for a glimpse of HC deceit.

  But she didn't leave. She kept the spinner hovering in place until she saw it. High on the domed surface of Haven Core, an entranceway slid open, ejecting an armored floater. Its thrusters pulsed, taking it down into the darkness of the city.

  Got you.

  Ronnie waited until the floater was nearly lost to sight before following. She had the spinner in Phantom mode, but didn't kid herself. The HC tech was light years ahead of anything the RCE had, and she didn't want to give away her position. The element of surprise was all she had going for her if she was going to follow through on her insane plan.

  Whatever that is. Doesn't matter. Follow your instincts, Agent. Don't mess yourself up by second-guessing.

  Her monitor screen flicked on, morphing into Sergeant Mack's gruff face. "Got the IDs you wanted, Agent Banks. Used facial, gait and identifying mark identification to get positive hits on everyone that took part in the execution."

  "Anyone not a wanted or
suspected criminal?"

  "Only two. One is Nora Brewers. Mother of one of the kids we pulled from the sleaze den. Get this, though—the other is a just a girl. Mira Jimenez."

  "A girl?"

  "Yeah. She got the last lick in. Electra was already dead at that point, but the girl lit her up with a bottle bomb anyway. Instant barbecue."

  "Can you send pics of both?"

  "Yeah."

  The pics popped up on the screen. Nora Brewers was in her twenties. Heavy makeup on her face, hair styled in the popular cyberpunk dreadlocks and colored green and black. Mira Jimenez was instantly recognizable. She had the same angry stare in her photograph as she did when Ronnie last saw her in the hospital.

  "Damnit. I gotta make a call, Mack. Can you track either one of them?"

  "I'll run a holoband track. Getting a reliable signal is gonna be really hard in all the chaos, Agent."

  "Just try, Mack. Get me a place to start, at least. I'll call you back in a minute."

  She switched off, looking for the transport. It was nowhere in sight, but she knew the direction it was headed. With luck, she would catch up before it landed. She pulled up her contacts on screen and dialed Jett's number.

  His faced popped up on the screen. "Hello, Ronnie. Didn't think I'd hear from you with all this going on."

  She squinted at the screen. "Where are you? Don't tell me you're out in the riots."

  "Yeah, trying to get out. Things are getting out of hand out here. What do you need?"

  "Your young friend is in trouble."

  "Mira?"

  "Yeah. Listen, there's a Haven-approved hit squad out right now with a mark out for anyone that took part in the execution tonight."

  "Seriously? What's that got to do with Mira?"

  "She was there. Threw a firebomb at Electra at the end. Electra was already dead, but I don't think the assassins are going to make the distinction."

  "Damnit."

  "That's what I said. Look, this might be asking for too much but if you could—"

  "I got it. Trying to find her in all this mess will be near impossible, though. Better chance of finding the hit squad."

  "Yeah, I'm on that."

  "Need help?"

  "What? Jett, you're not authorized for this kind of engagement."

  "From what I know, neither are you. If they're sanctioned by HC, then they outrank you."

  Ronnie gritted her teeth. "Nice, smart guy. Just look out for Mira, okay? And stay out of trouble."

  An explosive impact jarred her spinner, sending it careening in a spiral descent. Harsh red warning lights flashed as she fought to control the sputtering vehicle.

  Warning. Rear left thruster damaged. Emergency landing recommended.

  Jett's voice buzzed in her ear. "What was that, Ronnie?"

  She grimaced as she grappled with the steering controls. "Something just fired on me. I'm trying to get this spinner back on track."

  The armored floater rose from the fog, high-beam lights and turret guns focused on her wounded spinner. A voice crackled over her com.

  "I'd follow the advice of your auto-nav, Agent Banks. That was a warning shot. You're interfering with a mission authorized by the Haven Core Ruling Order. Stand down or face the consequences."

  For a second, she wavered. What's the point? This isn't a fight you can win, Ronnie.

  Her jaw tightened. "You're a glorified kill squad with no respect for the law. You can have the criminals. Leave Nora Brewers and Mira Jimenez out of it."

  "Have it your way, Banks. Can't say the Hellrazors didn't give you a chance."

  The turret guns opened fire. Ronnie maneuvered the spinner so the bottom caught the barrage, but the damage was too much. Sparks exploded from the console; the cockpit lights went dark. Tapping her holoband, she activated the emergency transponder.

  Isaac, I hope you're somewhere nearby.

  She felt the ruthless pull of gravity as the spinner plummeted into the smothering shadows of the city ruins.

  Chapter 19

  "Ronnie?"

  There was no answer. Vigil clicked his com off, glancing at the pile of unconscious bodies at his feet. Masked street gang looking to hurt people for kicks. He made sure to make them think better of it. He thought about tying them up but decided to leave them as they lay.

  They'll spread the word. Let the stories get exaggerated. Make Vigil more than a man.

  That was before the call. Before the warning about Mira, before Ronnie was shot down. And then there was the other thing.

  Hellrazors? Could have sworn I heard that on the other end. Has to be a coincidence.

  "Incognito?"

  "I'm here, Vigil. I have a ping on Agent Banks. Looks like she went down somewhere over the Breaks. Get to the top of the buildings; I'll send a zip bike to pick you up."

  "Great. I need to find Mira too. ASAP."

  "I'll run scans from her last location in the square. Can't promise anything, though. She's a raindrop in a thunderstorm out there."

  "I know. Just let me know if you get lucky."

  "Try calling her. It'll be easier to track her holoband if it's active."

  "I'll give it a shot." Vigil activated his boot repulsors, shakily lifting from the ground and soaring toward the top of the nearest building.

  I just hope I'm not too late. For either of them.

  Ⓥ

  Way to go, gas-brain.

  Mira was surrounded by madness. Gas clouds were thick, half-obscuring the rampaging bodies that ran around shouting, fighting, breaking into buildings, setting stuff on fire. Her face was protected by a gas mask, but the visor was smeared with ash and dirt. Wiping it only made it worse.

  A goon in a skull-shaped mask came out of nowhere, giggling like an animal. Mira sidestepped, slashed his leg with the makeshift dagger in her hand, and ran. His maddened howls followed, but he was easy to lose.

  Stupid, stupid. Should have never come.

  Everyone at the hospital talked about it. A Culling. It had been decades since the last one. A chance to bring the Denizens to justice. Take part in their execution. Mira couldn't resist. She took a look at her sister asleep in her bed, broken mentally and emotionally. Mira felt anger burn in her chest and knew she had to be there. It was easy to put the firebomb together. She made those since she was barely able to walk.

  By the time she pushed through the crowd, the Denizens were already dead. Their blood slicked the steps of the RCE precinct; their bodies hacked to pieces by the Magistrates and the crowd. Mira threw her bomb anyway. It exploded against Electra's corpse, the fire gorging on her mutilated remains.

  It didn't make Mira feel any better. She was sickened by the sight, unprepared for the smell of burning flesh and the pounding, deranged screams of the crowds. They erupted in an explosion of bloodlust and rage, taking out their anger on anything nearby. Some fought each other, clubbing and stabbing like ancient warriors. So long as no firearms were used, Haven Core would make no attempt to quell the violence.

  She was trapped.

  She barely recognized the neighborhood. All the streets in the city looked the same after a while, and that was before they were choked by gas clouds and smoke. She jumped onto a pile of old crates to get a better vantage point.

  It was only by chance that she saw the Sentry.

  He wore an all-black ensemble with only his face visible, pale skin and red lips like a movie vampire. A winking visor covered his eyes; scanning everything, recording everyone. His head jerked her direction. She froze under the cold, digital observation. Alarm bells blared in her head when he placed a hand to the implanted receiver in his ear. It didn't make any sense, but she knew he was tracking her.

  Leaping off the crates, she ducked into an alley and ran, weaving between masked goons and violent acts. She should have been able to lose anyone in the chaos, but the Sentry didn't have to follow her physically. He had her marked. Cameras on the buildings, cameras in the air, tiny cameras designed like the clouds of insects that
plagued the city. There were too many ways to track her no matter where she went.

  It was only a matter of time before they caught her.

  Her holoband buzzed. Jett's profile appeared on the screen.

  "Mira, where are you?"

  "Stay away from me, Jett. I got rats on my tail."

  "I know. That's why I'm headed your way."

  "Didn't you just hear me? Too dangerous."

  "Mira." Jett's voice sounded on the verge of severe annoyance. "You're in the crosshairs of some very bad people. This isn't the time to be stubborn. Keep your holoband on. I'll use it to track you."

  "How you gonna do that?"

  "I have my ways. Just do what I tell you for once."

  Ⓥ

  "That has to be a mistake, Incognito."

  Vigil whirred past enormous ruins of formerly majestic skyscrapers, hunched over the controls of the zip bike. It felt like riding a rocket through a junkyard, and it took all of his self-control to squash the panic that tried to paralyze him. The thrum of the motor echoed behind, booming as if between canyon walls. The high-speed travel turned his surroundings into blurred shadows and laser lights. The auto-nav system was the only thing that prevented him from plowing into the nearest building at two hundred miles per hour.

  Incognito's voice buzzed in his ear. "No mistake, Vigil. The Hellrazors are a seven-man kill squad employed by HC for special missions on the outside. And by special, I mean lethal."

  "That doesn't make any sense. The Hellrazors are dead. They've been dead for centuries."

  "How could you know that?"

  Gunfire erupted, turning the chamber into a close-quarter bloodbath. Jett fired at the nearest Deviants, howling as his team took mortal wounds from point-blank range. Bodies jerked in grotesque motion as the room flickered with muzzle flashes, the air filled with screams…

  "Because I was their leader. I was there when they all died."

  "Well, it's just a name. Nostalgia is huge with all the holovisor video libraries. Maybe this team just adopted the name. Or maybe it's just coincidence."

  "I don't know. There were seven of us on that last mission. Something isn’t right."

  "We'll have to solve that mystery when we get to it. I jacked into the surveillance system and have eyes on their floater. Just touched down on a rooftop in Freshkills Island."