by TR Cameron
Bottom line, after a long chat, I discovered that mindfulness could be applied here as well and exercise can be fun, tailored to me, and not have some giant goal in mind. To me, this is revolutionary.
It’s like, bit by bit, I’m returning to some much younger version of myself stripped of all the stories I was told that never served me very well in the first place. Life is becoming full of more wonder and curiosity. More adventures to follow.
Truth
Azophi Academy™ Book Four
Chapter One
Special Forces Captain Jackson Reese stepped off the moon shuttle at the spaceport in Edinburgh, Scotland, Earth. He’d been off-planet chasing down a lead that had failed to pan out to anything useful. It was the fourth or fifth such strand he’d plucked that had led exactly nowhere. He was looking forward to getting back to the Academy, and hopefully convincing Juno that a third date would be something she’d enjoy. It wouldn’t overcome his frustration at the lack of progress on his main mission, but it would be far more fun than the endless searching had proven to be. Somewhere out there, I’m going to find the clue that brings down Arlox. But I have to admit, the key to that particular lock is pretty damn well hidden.
Athena, the artificial intelligence that resided inside his brain and was steadily spreading her tendrils throughout his body, replied, “Seems unlikely. Maybe you should ask someone smarter than you for help.”
He scowled as he grabbed his bag from the conveyor belt that connected the tarmac with the terminal. Shut up, you. No comments from the peanut gallery.
“What does that mean? I can find no record of it in my memory.”
He snorted. I guess the all-knowing AI isn’t actually all-knowing, huh?
Athena made a sound like a growl. “Accessing network. Searching.” An instant later, she continued, “A reference to theater, and also used in baseball. I imagine that’s another thing you would be terrible at.”
He chuckled, then smiled innocently at the people who stared at him strangely for doing so. As her personality had become more developed, restraining his external reactions to her had become more difficult. I was pretty good if you want to know the truth. Why, one time…
Athena interrupted, “Move diagonally to your left, same pace, now.” Jax had learned not to argue when she gave him a direct command and shifted position in the indicated direction without altering his stride. “At least three people in our vicinity decisively reacted to your movement. I believe we are being watched.”
Send out an alert to everybody, now.
“On it.”
They’d all known it was a matter of time before Arlox and his Intelligence Division flunkies came after one or more of them. They’d created a preset communication routine that would warn Professor Maarsen, Major Anika Stephenson on board the Cronus, plus Juno, the members of his Special Forces team, and the people he teamed with on Academy missions. What are they doing?
“Two of them are trailing, maintaining a steady distance from us. Ahead and to the right, one is in position to block our exit or follow if we leave that way.”
Dammit. Guess the fastest path to the maglev is out. Let’s try the other exit, and see if we can lead them away and circle back.
“Down.” Athena’s voice was almost a screech, and Jax threw himself forward into a roll. The soft thwack of bullets striking the bag slung over his shoulder eliminated all doubt about the intent of those following them. Hunter team. Has to be. That means there’s at least one more, and maybe two to four in reserve. He surged to his feet and ran, dodging and weaving toward the far doors. After a few steps, his bag fell to the floor as its damaged strap snapped. He ignored it and kept moving.
As he approached the exit, the fourth member of the opposition came into view. He wore a tan suit with a black tie over a white shirt, and an innocuous expression graced his face. Dark sunglasses hid his eyes, and the man’s brown hair and average build would have ensured his anonymity almost anywhere. However, the large pistol coming up in his right hand was an unmistakable sign of his difference from those around him. His neutral visage didn’t change as he lined up the weapon and pulled the trigger. Jax dropped and rolled, and the bullets that would’ve smashed into his head passed over it instead.
This is insane. It’s a public place, with civilian authorities. They’ve always tried to operate in secret. Why would they choose to do it differently here? But figuring out the answer to that contradiction wasn’t nearly as important right now as finding a way out of the trap he’d walked into. Athena warned, “They’re closing in from all directions. You need to get out of here.”
Tell me something I don’t know. Give me a jolt. Jax scrambled to his right and accelerated into a run toward the obviously guarded exit closest to the maglev station. Energy flooded through his body as Athena pumped him with adrenaline and endorphins to make him faster and stronger than normal. It seemed like the world took on a sharpness when it hit, everything suddenly rendered in substantially greater clarity. He ran a serpentine path through the crowd, lacking any other options to avoid getting shot, and was pleased when the enemy agent didn’t simply mow down the innocents filling the terminal. He’d counted on at least that much discretion from them. Now if only a little help would arrive, I’d be set.
No sooner had he acknowledged the thought than a pair of security officers showed up, shouting and pointing their guns at the agent who had last fired at him, off to his left. That man shifted his aim and dropped both guards before they could fire a shot. Dammit. They’re serious about taking me out regardless of the consequences to anyone above the level of an innocent bystander. Maybe not even them.
Weapons weren’t permitted on the shuttle he’d taken down, so he wasn’t carrying a pistol. He was far from defenseless, however. He poured on all his enhanced speed and charged the man between him and the exit in a flurry of swaying, ducking, and dodging. His opponent sighted carefully and squeezed the trigger several times. A round caught Jax in his right arm and triggered an immediate burning that became an angry throbbing, which washed through the limb like a wave of fire extending to his fingertips. He growled under his breath, “Hell and damnation, why do they always shoot the real arm?”
Jax closed the distance before the agent could get off another shot and channeled his momentum into a punch. He used his unwounded left arm: the one that had been shredded beyond repair by an explosion on a distant planet, and had been replaced by a prosthetic that was faster, stronger, and far more deadly. It jabbed out in a simple, direct strike at his foe’s sternum, delivering the entire power of his velocity and the adrenaline-boosted speed that his passenger had given him. It crushed the bones in the man’s chest and knocked him flying backward. He fell, gasping and retching, and Jax paused for a moment to snag his dropped pistol before barreling out through the doors.
Athena shouted, “Right.” Jax dodged, and a bullet slammed into the wall beside his head. Didn’t hear the shot. Must be a sniper. He ran in a bobbing crouch that traded speed for avoiding offering a clear target to the gunman. Gonna need you to step up, Athena.
“I’ve got you,” she replied. From off to his left came the sound of a distant scream, like it might’ve come from the roof of one of the low buildings nearby. No further shots hounded him as he pounded toward the maglev station.
What did you do?
“Hacked a traffic drone. Knocked him off the building with it.”
He laughed. “Nice.” He only realized he’d spoken aloud when he got even stranger looks from the people he was running past. “Fine, whatever, who cares if everyone thinks I’m crazy. What’s the status of the others?”
Athena replied, “I received the expected acknowledgments, but nothing more. As the protocol requires,” she reminded him.
“Yeah, yeah,” he grumbled.
“I’m sure Juno is safe.”
A bullet slammed into his shoulder, and Jax cursed as it threw him off balance. He stumbled and fell, and scraped his hands on the sidew
alk, but pushed himself into a roll and came up weaving. “What the hell?”
“Long-distance shot. Pistol from a block away. Quit whining.”
“You suck.” If he needed to, he could ask the AI to turn off his pain receptors, but prior experience had shown that choice tended to lead only to greater injury. It was very much a last resort. Fortunately, the moving staircase that led up to the maglev station was directly ahead. Once I get on board, I’ll be safe. The trains were frequent enough that he figured he’d be able to snag one before they could catch up to him. Check the cameras in the maglev station. Anything I need to worry about?
“Accessing.” He stepped onto the moving stairs and did his best to blend in while the crowded escalator conveyed them up the multiple stories to the platform and tracks. Athena reported, “No apparent enemies in the station, or at least none resembling those who were at the spaceport.”
Good. What about the ones behind us?
“Half a block away and closing.”
Jax pushed his way forward, figuring he would cross the last quarter of the ascent faster to gain some distance on those pursuing him. It came as a shock when one of the people he’d taken for a college student or something similar, dressed in a concert T-shirt and carrying a backpack festooned with band name patches on it, suddenly smashed an elbow back at his face. If the attack had come from the left side, his quickened limb might’ve been able to catch it despite his complete surprise. But it came from his right, and the elbow drove into his nose and broke it with a crunch that echoed in his ears.
Tears flowed immediately and obscured his vision as he ducked and twisted and punched at his opponent’s spine. His fist connected, and the man screamed. Another person right in front of Jax had turned and put his hands on the banisters to launch himself in a flying kick at Jax’s throat. There was nowhere to run and no time to fully dodge the blow. Instead, he hurled himself forward, caught the kick on crossed forearms, and narrowly avoided getting knocked off balance and back down the escalator.
The man in front of him fell onto his back, and Jax vaulted over him to land on the maglev station’s main floor. He slipped on the well-polished tile, then righted himself and pelted toward the trains, slowing only to swipe his wrist comm over the ticket sensor to pay for his ride. The crack of a gun from behind him caused him to crouch reflexively. He slid to a stop and yanked the agent’s pistol from the pocket he’d shoved it into. He aimed and pulled the trigger, but nothing happened. He spun and ran again. Dammit, Athena, why didn’t you override the biometrics?
“I did. It must be another transponder backup.” They’d faced intelligence agents before who had physical transponders that acted as a second level of security on their weapons. His arm twitched to throw the useless gun away, but he thought better of it and shoved the pistol into his belt instead. Maybe we’ll be able to use it to figure this transponder thing out later. The maglev went in three directions from Edinburgh, and two of the platforms held trains. He angled toward the one alerting passengers to its imminent departure and noted only in passing that it was the one he wanted, headed to Inverness, and one step closer to the safety of Azophi Academy.
He dashed through the doors right before they shut and fell into a window seat in an empty row, watching through the glass as his pursuers bounded onto the platform. One raised a pistol to shoot at the train, but he and his allies were already blurring into the background. Jax closed his eyes as adrenaline faded and a wave of pain from his right arm swept over him. I’ll get back to the Academy, Juno can fix me up, and I can ask her out. Perfect plan.
Athena said, “Jax, most people in the car are staring at you like you’re insane. Three are not looking in your direction. Increasing tension in their body language suggests they’re about to take action.”
Chapter Two
Jax didn’t give any indication he’d heard the warning, or that he was aware anything at all was amiss. He kept his eyes closed and slumped against the window as if exhausted. I guess I am exhausted when it comes right down to it. Athena, check the other cars.
Unlike those he’d ridden previously, this train had three articulated carriages in a row, apparently to accommodate the large number of shuttles that landed in the morning. In any case, it increased the danger but also gave him options, and he definitely needed them. The AI replied, “I have full camera access. I’ve identified another four people who could be enemy agents based upon their similarity to the others we’ve seen today.”
Don’t forget the ones dressed like college students. Neither of us saw those coming.
“Already taken into account.”
Okay, let me know when they make their move. Jax had no weapons other than the useless gun, which he could probably throw with some speed in a pinch if he were really desperate. I’ll have to improvise. Fortunately, improvisation was one of the things he excelled at, one of the things that made him an excellent candidate for the Special Forces position he held. He forced his muscles to relax further, taking as a gift the tiny bit of respite the peaceful interval afforded him. When things get moving, boost me at need. Like, if I’m injured and can’t request it for some reason.
There was a hint of laughter in the AI’s response. “Rest assured that I will do whatever is required to maintain our existence. Whether you expressly give me permission to or not.”
A smile quirked the edges of his mouth. You’re one-of-a-kind, Athena.
“Literally.”
Except for the backups. The time for conversation ended as he sensed the enemy agents moving, their actions heralded by the shocked sounds of the other passengers who saw them lurch into motion. Athena’s warning came at the same moment, and he snapped his eyes open to find only one between him and the front of the car, meaning that two were coming up from behind. He hoped they wouldn’t try shooting in the confined space, but couldn’t count on it. Jax ducked below the seatbacks of the row ahead of him, scuttled toward the aisle, then exploded out into it as he ran for the enemies near the rear of the car. Better one enemy at my back than two. They all wore identical suits but with differing ties, maybe to demonstrate they were people rather than simply cogs in the Intelligence Division machine. It didn’t make Jax feel any better about them.
He crouched slightly, then slammed upward into the nearest with a forearm block that connected with the other man’s crossed arms. It plowed him backward at his partner, the first female agent Jax had seen that day. She stepped nimbly aside into a row of seats as her companion landed on his back, and Jax continued his rush. He put his hands on the high top of the aisle seat in the row in front of the woman, then used his arms as a pivot point to launch himself into a roundhouse kick that took him over and past the prone agent.
She got her fists up to block, but his speed and torque blasted through the defense and pushed her arms back into her head with enough force to bash her skull against the window. It didn’t yield since the transparent pane was doubtless made of something tougher than standard glass to endure the train’s high velocity, and she sank onto a seat in a daze, her long dark hair half-covering her face. He landed with his feet on the seat beside her and would have paid good money for a moment to lever a punch into her temple and ensure she was out of the fight. Unfortunately, the other members of her team offered him no such opportunity.
The one at the front of the car drew a gun and started shooting. Jax threw himself over the back of the seat and across three rows, then landed hard on the armrests of the fourth. His ribs complained, and his right leg went numb at the impact, but he shrugged off both injuries. Gotta move, Jax. Go. He pushed himself into the center aisle in time to take a punch from the man he’d knocked down square on his cheek. Only a last-second swivel saved him from another shot to his broken nose, which would doubtless have compromised his vision again.
He staggered back, and his opponent hesitated for an instant. Jax attributed it to deciding whether to continue hand-to-hand or go for his gun, and the agent dipped a hand under his
coat. Jax put his palms on the seatbacks to either side of him and launched himself forward into a leaping kick with a loud shout that distracted the man for a vital beat and knocked him flying again. The weapon dropped to the floor. The agent fell at the feet of the third member of the enemy team, who smirked as he pulled the trigger of the pistol he held at arm’s length.
Jax twisted awkwardly to his left, cursing the lack of feeling in his right leg, and couldn’t suppress a scream as bullets drilled into his right arm. After the first two, he lost count and any sensation other than agony. Athena, can you open the door at the back? The AI didn’t reply, but the panel at the rear of the compartment slid aside. Beyond it lay the closed door of the next car back, separated by a jump of at least four feet. He lurched toward it and heard the clatter of a magazine as the man behind him reloaded. He’d lost track of the number of rounds that had struck him.
“Open the other one,” he gasped, and the barrier slid aside. It revealed an agent in a dark suit standing beside another imitation college student. Both of them moved toward the front of the car. The only blessing was that they didn’t have weapons drawn, but doubtless they would in short order. He felt the cold energy of adrenaline rush through him and ran, leaping easily from one car to the next. A civilian stepped into the aisle directly in his path and forced Jax to slide to a stop. Athena, close the doors and lock them. Don’t let anyone through.
He shouted in his military command voice, “Everyone get to the back of the car, now!” and pushed the man in his way to get him moving. He resisted and threw a wide punch at Jax’s head. Jax snapped his artificial arm across his body to block since his right wasn’t responding to any attempts to convince it to be useful, then gave the man a backhanded slap to the face, just hard enough to convey his seriousness. He growled, “Get your ass moving right now. This is not the moment for misplaced heroism.” This time, the other man moved when he pushed.
