by TR Cameron
She nodded and seemed to marshal her reserves. Finally, she said, “I’ve never dated someone whose life is literally on the line as often as yours seems to be. Have you put me in your will yet?” He froze for several seconds, then burst out laughing. She joined in, then turned to the bartender. “We’ll take one of everything on the appetizer menu, Bryan.”
He nodded with a smile, clearly having overheard the punchline. “You got it, Doc.”
Jax shook his head. “You suck, you know that?”
She lifted her drink in a toast. “Too easy. Gonna let that one pass. So, seriously though, you’re doing your best not to die, right? Because I’d hate to think we have something here, only to see it ruined by your profligate adventurousness.”
Athena popped in. “Those words mean ‘constant danger seeking.’”
I know what they mean. You also suck. He shrugged. “Some of us do lead unreasonably eventful lives. But I promise that I’m fully committed.”
“To our relationship?”
He shook his head. “To survival. Geez, arrogant much?”
Juno laughed. “Touché.” Their initial appetizer arrived, baked Brie with fruit jams, walnuts, and small pieces of toast, and they dug in.
When they’d finished the first course, they followed it up with a platter of egg rolls representing different cuisines and served with a variety of appropriate dipping sauces. The last dish was an oversized bowl of lobster mac and cheese, which after a couple of drinks and given the fantastic company, Jax was ready to swear was the best he’d ever had.
He leaned back and sighed. “So, dessert? This is all on your dime today, right?”
His date laughed. “Yes on me treating, no on dessert. Can’t let you get too filled up. We’re only halfway done.”
He frowned and offered sagely, “Huh?”
“Eloquent.” She threw a stack of bills on the bar and stood. “Follow me.”
Jax had no idea what to expect, which was unfortunately how he seemed to be spending more and more of his time of late. He trailed behind her as she walked to the back of the long space and turned down a staircase that opened to the right and was invisible unless you were in the rear area. It led to a room sized like the one above, but which shared little else in common with it.
The walls and ceiling were painted black, and the floor was tile that clicked under their feet as they advanced. Cabaret-style tables and chairs, some small enough for two and others big enough to seat five or six, were arrayed seemingly at random with no clear walking path among them. Disco balls spun and threw sparkles around the space, which was generally dim except for flashing lights in every color over a central dance floor. A DJ booth rested in the far corner, and a pair of bartenders worked behind a short counter beside it. The music was high energy rock, entirely suitable for dancing, as proven by the throng bouncing in the room’s center.
“Oh, uh, wow.” He again displayed his wisdom.
Juno laughed, clearly delighted at the impact of her surprise. “Come on, soldier boy. There will be slow songs later. If you’re good, you might get to make out with me on the dance floor.”
He grinned and let her pull him forward while working hard to figure out what being “good” entailed so he could fulfill those requirements to the letter.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Jax was in the shower the next morning when his comm let out an ear-splitting alarm tone. He killed the water and grabbed a towel as a synthesized voice announced, “The Academy is under attack. All staff should report to assigned positions. All students should either take cover in their quarters or join in the defense as their skills allow. The armory is open.”
He growled, “What the hell? Athena, do you have any more info?” Still damp, he climbed into one of the Academy’s uniforms and slid his disguised stun pistol into his pocket.
“I’ve been granted access to the first layer of the security network. Drones on the outer perimeter have detected several identical cargo vans converging from the north, south, and west. Thermal readings are blocked, which the system interprets as a significant threat indicator.”
“As well it should.” He opened the door and saw people running in the corridors, some with purpose, and some seemingly panicked. “I assume the armory is proximate to the quartermaster?”
“Affirmative.” She guided him with voice commands as he covered the distance at a fast jog, fearing that any more speed would result in a collision with a student. By and large, the halls were clearing, but several people still milled about looking confused. He shouted at them to get out of the corridors, but they more or less ignored him.
The quartermaster wasn’t present, but the equipment area and the armory behind it were both open. He snatched up a pair of display glasses and an earpiece on his way to the back, then snagged a helmet and strapped it on. Sadly, it only covered the top of his head, but something was better than nothing. Next on was an armored vest that might stop a round, if he was lucky. Wish I had my real gear. He snagged a belt with an integrated holster and slid a laser pistol inside it, then took a rifle and two spare magazines. Getting outfitted took less than a minute, during which time three other people arrived, excitedly talking as they grabbed weapons and armor. He left the area at a jog.
“Okay, first order of business. Is Juno safe?” He would have gone to her first, but doing so unarmed would have been mostly useless.
“The security system has her tagged as moving in and out of a safe room across the hall from the medical lab.” A camera image that showed a parade of white-coated people pushing equipment into the safe room appeared on his display. “It is listed as one of the highest-tier protected locations in the castle.”
“Good. How about Maarsen?”
“The Professor is coordinating the defense from the operations room above the training space. It, too, is highest-tier.”
“All right. Can you patch me into whatever communication system they’re using?” His earpiece crackled, and professional-sounding voices reported in as they reached their positions.
Maarsen instructed, “We can’t intercept the vans because we’re not positive they’re enemies. However, when and if we see an attack begin, the drones should take out the vehicles.”
“Affirmative,” confirmed a voice he recognized as the technician who had been in the booth during his last training session.
Another voice added, “Estimated arrival, thirty seconds.”
The Professor ordered, “Batten the hatches.” Jax jumped as metal sheets descended with loud clangs to cover the windows in the rooms to either side of him.
“Damn. Okay, Athena, patch me in to talk.”
“Go.”
“Reese here. I’m armed and ready to be useful, just need a direction.”
Maarsen gave a small laugh. “Don’t we all, Jackson. For now, the most vulnerable area is probably the main entrance. Automatic turrets cover the rear, so they’re not getting in that way. That leaves several side doors, all with the same airlock system you experienced on your first trip, and the front.”
“On it.” Jax ran along the path Athena projected in his display and stopped at the lobby’s castle-side opening. It was a grand space with high ceilings, a stone floor, and matching stairs that curved up to a balcony above. Wrought-iron lanterns attached to the ceiling with thick chains provided the only illumination, usually meant to supplement the now-barricaded windows.
He was searching for the best vantage point when the thirty-second timer Athena had placed in the bottom corner of his visual field hit zero. Shouts sounded over the comm a few seconds before the front doors blasted off their hinges in a huge explosion. He dove out of the way of the debris that flew into the hallway, then reviewed the cameras that appeared on his display. They were clearly drone footage and showed three matching vans in addition to what looked like it had once been a sedan, but was now only burning wreckage in the doorway. Clever. We focused on the vans and didn’t spot the car. The cameras swooped lower and
lower, showing combat-suited people with rifles piling out of the vans. Their feeds vanished with the echoing crash of a trio of explosions that he heard through his comm and outside the walls.
He crabbed across the walkway and crouched behind the two-foot wall that separated the lobby from the hallway’s left and right edges. He leaned out enough to train his rifle on the entrance. Athena put the lobby cameras into his display, and he tuned back into the conversation on the comm.
Maarsen reported, “Drones show that we have three independent teams outside, six in each. They’re in full military battle armor.” Jax cursed mentally. The heavy gear traded off speed for protection, and his pistols would be useless against it. His rifle would fare better, but he’d still have to ensure that he aimed his shots where they might hit a spot between ballistic plates.
The Professor continued, “All non-combatants should head to the nearest safe space.” His comm lit up with a map that Athena quickly killed. “All staff should coalesce into fire teams of at least three members. Be aware that all interior defenses are now active. Your transponders will keep you from setting them off, but they will activate if you’re in proximity to an intruder.”
Wow, pretty brutal. Maarsen’s not playing games.
Athena replied, “They’re nonlethal, but your point is still valid.”
“Yeah it is,” he muttered. Make sure you highlight those for me if we wind up moving, please.
“Will do.”
An enemy stepped around the flaming wreckage, supported by another who moved up next to the first. Jax knew they’d be using thermal detection in their full helmet displays, on which he’d stand out as an obvious target. He pulled the trigger the instant he had a shot, aiming for the upper chest, neck, and head. He held it down until the magazine clicked empty and had the pleasure of watching his foe stagger backward and fall onto the still-burning car.
The other hosed down his position indiscriminately, but the bullets didn’t make it through the thick stone. The grenade that the armored figure launched from the gun’s second barrel had a much better chance. Jax reacted by reflex as he turned and ran away. The explosion blew out a chunk of the wall, but he’d gained enough distance that the fragment didn’t reach him, only clattered on the floor behind him.
He activated his microphone. “They have grenades, and apparently no compunction about killing.”
Maarsen’s voice came into his ear. “Jackson, we’re on a private channel. We’ve identified the technology. These are UCCA troops. It’s probable the Intelligence Division is behind it, and that you’re the object of this attack. Under no circumstances can you allow yourself to be captured or killed. You should make your way toward the medical lab safe room immediately.”
Jax cursed, turned a corner, and increased his speed again. “Which means that they’re not our enemies and we shouldn’t kill them. Damn it, that’s not cool.”
“The castle has a sufficient number of traps to blunt their assault, I believe. The Academy’s staff will attempt to remain nonlethal, but they’re under orders to protect themselves first, the students second, and only after that to give any thought to the enemy’s well-being.”
“Just how I’d do it, Professor. I’ll try to get to a safe room.” He killed his mic and turned toward a back room he’d noticed during one of his many wanders through the building.
Athena observed, “You’re not planning to go to the safe room, are you?”
Eventually.
“Do you think the Professor believed you were on your way?”
Doubtful. Jax laughed inwardly. Turns out, I tell a lot of lies in my line of work. He pushed open the door into the small museum that celebrated the castle’s past. His rifle went carefully into a corner since he felt safe leaving the empty weapon behind. He found a pair of knives, each about the length of his forearms, and a belt to hold them. Then he grabbed a pistol crossbow, two bracers each containing five short bolts, and finally a wicked spiked mace with a leather thong that also went around his wrist. The armor isn’t as good against edged weapons, since we don’t face them often. These ought to prove effective, though. Now we can head toward the safe room. But if you see any threats along the way, vector me in their direction. We have some smashing to do.
“Why not simply leave it to the castle’s defenses?”
Two reasons. Jax stuck his head out the door, made sure the coast was clear and headed toward the wing that contained the medical area. First, I know how those suits work. Stun won’t be effective against them. Neither will gas. Unless we’re talking about pits and trap doors, whatever defenses they’ve got aren’t likely to be all that useful, assuming the other side has any competence at all. And I think we have to assume they do.
The AI sounded thoughtful. “Makes sense. You might be able to crack helmets with the crossbow. Then the gas would work.”
As long as I’m not where the gas is, it’s an excellent plan. The second reason, though, is the more important one. I’ll hide if that increases everyone else’s safety, but if they’re looking for me, that’s exactly what they’ll expect me to do. Given that they know I’m here, right now, there has to be a mole who’s been present during the last couple of days or was informed of my arrival. They couldn’t have put this together based on spotting me last night. It’s too well-coordinated. So, the likelihood that we’ll have enemies waiting for us along that path is pretty darn good.
Suddenly, the camera feeds in his display winked out all at once. Athena?
“The security system’s down. So are comms. I have no surveillance.”
So be it. He hefted the mace and swung it once for practice. It’s smashing time.
Chapter Twenty-Three
It had been a while since Jax had been so entirely on his own. He realized as he ghosted through the corridors, trying his best to be quiet and listen for any enemy, how much he’d come to rely on various technologies. Especially Athena.
Her droll voice replied, “You’re too kind.”
Unfortunately, it’s true. Now that I don’t have those advantages, I miss them. He heard the scuff of a foot from the right edge of the intersection ahead and put his back to the wall on that side. He let the mace dangle while he primed the crossbow and positioned a bolt. What should I try first, the helmet or the armor?
“Based on the information I stored earlier, we passed a knockout gas trap halfway down this corridor. If you were to crack his helmet and run away, he might follow and fall to the trap.”
He might also shoot me in the back while I go. No, I think I’ll try the armor. Going for a leg. That was his plan in all circumstances, except for trying to compromise a helmet. He could break legs and knees and hopefully immobilize the attackers without killing them. Then the Professor’s people could mop them up and turn them over to the police, who would doubtless be completely unsurprised when a government official stepped in to take charge of them.
The enemy soldier’s rifle barrel appeared first, followed by his lead leg. Jax led his movement and pulled the trigger. The weapon made a loud snapping sound as the taut string sent the bolt flying at his foe. It smacked solidly into the outside of his thigh. The figure grabbed it with a shout muffled by the full helmet and fell to the floor. Jax leapt forward and stomped on the gun barrel, then whipped his mace up at the second enemy who had stepped into view around the corner.
The spiked head of the weapon smashed into his foe’s rifle, knocked it upward, and sent a line of bullets into the stonework of the wall and ceiling. He stepped in with a quick sidekick to the knee, but the enemy soldier protected the joint by dropping so the strike caught the thigh. It also had the added effect of taking away the targets Jax was aiming for, leaving him no choice but to slam the mace into the figure’s upper arm instead. The spikes penetrated, and blood spurted from the wound as he yanked the weapon free. Jax dropped his crossbow, grabbed his opponent’s helmet, and gave it a twist and a yank to pull it off. A pale face covered in sweat looked up at him. He let go of t
he crossbow and punched the man in the center of his forehead, right above his nose. His opponent fell to the floor, dazed.
Jax knelt and fumbled at the man’s equipment belt, and quickly found a familiar med-pack. He slapped a bandage on the wound in his arm and injected him with enough painkiller to keep him happily immobile for at least half an hour. The process was a little slower on the first one he’d knocked down due to needing to tear the bandage to leave the bolt in place in case it had punctured a major blood vessel.
He picked up the crossbow and reloaded. Two down, way too many to go. He continued forward on the route Athena provided to the safe room across from the medical lab. It wasn’t the most direct line, he noted as he painstakingly crept down a spiral staircase to the basement, but he trusted her to run the probabilities and take him along a path where he’d encounter the least opposition.
However, “least” didn’t equate to “none.” Despite his best efforts to scan for thermal emissions, his enemies’ suits were adequate to hide them down here in the chill lower level. A scrape of a boot was all that warned him of their presence, and he leapt to the side an instant ahead of the stun bolt that would have taken him out of the fight. Should have had that on wide beam, given my lack of armor. These people are above average, but they’re not top of the barrel.
He dove and rolled to avoid the blast from the second attacker, and cursed under his breath as the mace scraped on the stone floor and gave a hint to his location. But they have displays too, so their vision is as good or better than mine in this darkness. He fired the crossbow at the nearest enemy, and it struck a glancing blow on his thigh. He kept moving, trying to position himself so that an errant shot would catch one of his foes. They were willing to wait as they maneuvered to keep him between them but didn’t fire. Of course, they’re calling for backup. Damn it to hell.
Athena, what can you do to help? A stun blast cracked past his head, only missing because he’d changed direction suddenly. He feinted at the nearest opponent, which caused him to step back into a defensive stance, then charged at the second. He tossed the mace from his left hand to his right and whipped it down at his foe’s knee. The soldier lifted the joint to his chest and tried to stomp on the weapon. Jax let him, then pistoned a punch into the man’s sternum with his prosthetic arm. Despite the armor there, the blow knocked him backward, and from the way he curled up for an instant, probably took his breath away as well.
