Happy's bionic eye glowed, emanating a green light when she scanned the body. "That's because it's not human."
"No way."
"Yes way. It's a synoid." She gazed around, where other bodies littered the floor or toppled at their posts. "Someone shut them all down."
"Must have been Hamilton's plan," Hessler said. "Makes sense. There are way more synoids than humans in Los Nuevos. If you want to capture the Haven, you'd want to shut them down."
"Yeah, especially since that takes out most of the security," Cash said. "But wouldn't Hamilton have some of his men guarding the place for intruders like us?"
Happy peered into the guardhouse. "Looks like they did." She pointed to a rack where spare New Legion uniforms hung from.
"So, where are they—on their lunch break or something?"
Happy snatched a uniform off the hangar. "Doesn't matter. These will get us in. If we're lucky we'll get to Hamilton and no one will be the wiser."
$$
A few minutes later they walked into the abandoned streets of Los Nuevos in their borrowed uniforms. Mateo looked at the colossal, glittering buildings with wonder even the oversized helmet on his head couldn't mask.
"Whoa…"
"Something else, ain't it?" Cash grinned. "If there was ever a city made outta money, this would be the place."
"Yeah, look at all the money lying on the ground," Happy said, voice slightly muffled through the helmet's com line. "Looks like the apocalypse."
Synoids were scattered across the cityscape, frozen in stride or lying stiffly on the ground. Cars were stalled, randomly abandoned in the streets. Though the city lights flashed and lit up the night, it was eerily silent.
"Where are the people?"
"Following protocol," Hessler said. "In emergency situations, civilians retreat to their safe rooms until they're given the go-ahead to come out. Keeps the streets clear and civilian injuries to a minimum."
Cash checked his weapon. "Okay, these pulse blasters have a stun setting. Make sure it's on. We're not here to kill soldiers if we can help it. Not even rebel ones."
"Speak for yourself," Happy said.
"C'mon, Happy. Try to rein in that killer instinct for once. Or we'll be the ones with bounties on our heads."
"This isn't going to work," Hessler said.
"Don't be a wet blanket. We haven't run into any trouble so far."
"So far? We just got out here. First patrol and we're dead. Look at your boy."
Cash tried not to snigger. Mateo was the shortest of them, and it showed in his borrowed uniform. The sleeves were too long, the pants loose and baggy, haphazardly stuffed in in his boots. The helmet gave him the appearance of a bobble-head toy.
"So we avoid the patrols. Deejay, can you guess where the General would be?"
Her voice buzzed in his ear. "I ran the algorithms. The highest probability indicates Hamilton will be occupying the Maximillian tower, where he has direct access to the command center."
"Gotcha." He looked at Hessler. "See? Not so hard; was it?"
"You're not looking at reality, Cash. The four of us against multiple squadrons of Blood Legion veterans? We won't live long enough to see Hamilton, much less capture him. We need to find a way to open the entrance in the shield barrier and get my men inside or this will be over before it's begun."
"It already has begun," Mateo said.
Cashed waved Mateo back. "Look, Hessler. I appreciate your concerns. But we're following my plan, and my plan is to find Hamilton."
"And try not to get killed," Mateo said.
"Damn straight. You got a problem with that, Hessler?"
Happy scanned the empty street a few yards away. "Maybe we should split up."
"What?"
"Yeah. I'll come with you to look for Hamilton. Hessler and Mateo search for a way to shut down the shield. We'll stay in touch on the com."
Hessler nodded. "She has a point."
"Yeah. A point that makes no sense. Split up? Haven't either of you heard of strength in numbers?"
They paused, shifting stances when the sound of running footsteps approached. A squad of New Legion soldiers rounded the corner, scanning the area with their weapons out. They noticed Cash and his crew and ran over, forming a threatening semicircle. The squad leader pointed.
"What are you doing here? Who's your squadron leader?"
Cash stepped forward, using his most authoritative voice. "I'm in charge here. Lieutenant Dick Fingerman. Is this your post? I'm checking to see why it's been abandoned."
The squad leader half-lowered his weapon, taking a hesitant look around. "Abandoned? We've been fighting traitors. They're all over the place."
"Traitors, is it? Well, how do I know you're not in league with them?"
"Me? I've been with Hamilton since the beginning. And I sure don't know any Lieutenant Fingerman." He leaned forward, looking at Mateo. "And you. Why aren't you wearing a uniform that fits, soldier?"
Happy raised her rifle. "Screw this." She shot the man in the chest with a stun blast, knocking him into his startled soldiers.
Gunfire erupted. Cash and Happy ran down the avenue, ducking in between cars and firing over their shoulders. Cash yelled orders over the helmet mic.
"Okay, I got an idea. Let's slit up. Hessler, you take Mateo and shut down the shield. I'll take Happy with me to find Hamilton. We'll stay in touch on the com."
Happy slid over the hood off a car, firing backward at the pursuing soldiers. "Nice plan, fearless leader. Glad you can think under pressure."
He covered her retreat with a volley of scattered shots. "Much appreciated."
"That was sarcasm."
He grinned, crouching while running as she fired a protective burst over his head. "I know."
They were barely ahead of their pursuers, but Cash knew it was hopeless. There were bound to be reinforcements coming and when that happened—
Another squadron ran into the area, directly in the path of the pursuing soldiers. Cash and Happy ducked down, hiding behind a haphazardly parked car while the two squadrons engaged in angry shouts and accusations.
"You're in the way. We were pursuing a group of traitors that—"
"Identify yourselves, or we will consider you a threat. Do it now!"
"You identify yourselves. How do we know you're not with them?"
"With who?"
"Don't play games. They ran right past you."
"We didn't see anyone else. Only you."
"Liar!"
"What are you doing? Take your hands off your weapons!"
"Stop trying to threaten us."
"I'm warning you; put your weapons down!"
"Traitors. I knew it!"
"Stop. Stop it now!"
It was too late. One panicked soldier fired, followed immediately by the thunder of both squadrons shooting almost simultaneously. Screams echoed, and the surviving soldiers scattered, shooting nonstop as they sought defensive cover. Ricochets pinged off buildings, windows shattered, and the air filled with the electric scent of energy rounds.
Looking up, Cash caught sight of the gleaming surface of the Maximillian Tower. Almost there. Just gotta live long enough to make it.
He tapped Happy on the shoulder. "Let's go while the getting's good."
She nodded, following as they ducked into the nearby alley, trailed by the sounds of gunfire and death.
$$
Jinx drained the last of her Red Fool energy drink and tossed the can, scoring when it landed neatly in the wastebasket. The sounds of gunfire and shouting blared over the com, fading in and out in sporadic intervals. It didn't sound like things were working out well at all. She stared at the security monitors, where feed of various stations in the city was displayed. Soldiers stormed the streets, but most of them seemed to be fighting one another. She only saw a flash of her crew once. Agent Hessler ducked low in the shadows of one of the buildings, followed by Mateo, who had removed his oversized helmet and loped about as if enjoying h
imself. They rounded a corner and disappeared.
She pressed a button on the desktop microphone. "Hey, everything okay? What's going on over there?"
Cash's voice crackled over the line. "Still alive, Jinx. Just in case you're thinking about making a run for it."
"In your dreams, azaroso. Where are you?"
"Getting close to Maximillian Tower. We're gonna need a way in. I’m pretty sure knocking on the front door won't work."
"I'll find you an in." Her fingers paused on the keyboard when the room rumbled. Checking the security cam, she stared at a military airship landing in the parking lot above her head. "Qué vaina!"
"What?"
She slapped a remote transmitter on the bottom of the main console and snatched her stun blaster off the desktop. "I got company. Get back with you as soon as I dump them."
"Make it snappy, Jinx. We're sitting ducks out here."
"What do you think I am?"
She ended the transmission and crept up the stairs into the convenience store. A red-masked soldier crept past the window. She'd been the subject of enough manhunts to guess what he'd do next.
Racing across the store, she leaped out the exit and shot him just as he raised his arm to throw the flash grenade. The stun round knocked him backward, the grenade flew out of his hand and rolled toward his approaching comrades. The detonation sent them flying through the air.
Another squad stormed around the corner, shouting and aiming their ion blasters. She unstrapped her Kick-Ass blade. As the weapon clicked into shape, she whirled it in a circular motion, casting a disruptor wave that shut down electronics in a ten-yard vicinity. The soldiers stopped, staring at their rifles when the power cores went dead.
Jinx stormed them before they could recover, KA-blade striking left and right. The stun setting discharged electric volts with every touch, leaving the soldiers convulsing on the ground as she cleared through the six-man team. One of them managed to leap away and draw his sidearm. She switched her KA-blade to gun mode, blasting him with an electric ray before he pulled the trigger.
Leaping into the Cayenne, she hit the thrusters, shifting to air mode in a plume of heated dust and propelling in the direction of Los Nuevos.
Her threat detector alarm flashed. The rearview cam flicked onscreen, displaying the military gunner craft that quickly gained on her. The twin plasma cannons equipped on both sides of the small airship opened fire, narrowly missing her vehicle.
"Hey! Watch the paint job!"
She dropped low, zigzagging and barely skimming over the desert floor, kicking up enough dust to cloud their vision and possibly screw with their sensors. Scorching blasts rocked the ground around her, kicking up clouds of earth and wreathing the Cayenne in flames.
She looked up. The Haven was much closer; only seconds until she struck the protective shielding like a fly against the windshield of a bullet train. She tapped her com.
"Deejay. I need a window in the shielding. Open and shut right behind me."
"Now?"
Jinx winced as the Cayenne shuddered from a close miss. "Yes, now. Either I get in or get shot down. I can't shake these pendejos."
"I don't think I can—"
The threat detector blared, indicating a missile lock. Jinx gritted her teeth and slapped her palm on the boosters. "You can, Deejay. Do it. Do it now!"
The shielding shimmered directly in front of her. She threw up her hands, squeezing her eyes shut as the Cayenne hurtled into it full throttle. The sound of an explosion followed, rocking her in the seat as heat flared around her.
She opened her eyes, staring at the detonation behind her from the missile striking the energy shield. Unable to pull up, the pursuing gunner ship slammed into the forcefield as well, creating an even bigger explosion. The Cayenne continued forward, trailing smoke as it shot toward the glittering city of Los Nuevos.
Jinx threw back her head and whooped. "You did it, Deejay! I don’t know how you did it, but you saved my ass big time."
Deejay's smiling face flashed on the dash monitor. "De nada, Jinx. But let's do each other a favor and never try that again."
"I think I can agree with that."
"I was only able to operate so quickly because Sergeant Chen was assigned an entirely different task, leaving me in control of the system."
"What's she working on?"
"A massive tracking search. I've never seen anything like it."
"Can you clone the search without her knowledge?"
"Already done. We'll know whatever she does when she's done. For now, I'm sending you our coordinates. I think the crew is going to need all the help they can get."
"Yeah, someone has to come to their rescue. I'm on my way."
$$
Kilgore limped into the Reservatory. His right leg was severely sprained in the fight with the attacking synoids, his arms suffered contusions, and his face was badly bruised. The body armor protected his vitals; the only reason he didn't suffer further damage. He needed time to recover, for his accelerated healing system to operate unhampered. He shoved the discomfort to the back of his mind. Pain meant nothing. What mattered was in front of him.
Sergeant Chen's head snapped up at his entrance, unease clearly visible on her face.
"Are you okay? What happened?"
He glanced down. Blue synoid blood covered him as if he bathed in it. "Nothing special. Did you track the name?"
She eyed him nervously when he walked closer. "You were right. Without access to Maximillian's tech, I'd never have been able to locate him."
"But you did."
"Yeah." She pointed to a position on the screen. "He's in Oakland, California. I've pinpointed his location to an area of five square kilometers. Do you need me to send the file to you?"
"No. I need you to erase the location. Erase the search. Any trail possibly leading to that location. No back doors, Sergeant. I mean that sincerely."
"No problem." Chen's fingers flew across the keyboard. "All traces erased. No one else will be able to perform the search. No one will know about what we found."
Kilgore extended a hand. Blue light flickered, and a Five-Seven pistol appeared in his hand, aimed at Chen's head. "You're right. No one will know."
She froze, gazing up with terror swimming in her eyes. "Please. I did what you asked. I swear I won't tell anyone."
"I know you won't." He grinned and pulled the trigger.
$$
Mateo and Hessler entered the Reservatory just in time to see Kilgore calmly shoot a soldier in the head. Hessler didn't pause or hesitate. He opened fire immediately, shots booming in the cavernous chamber. Somehow Kilgore was quicker, leaping over equipment and while firing back with his own pistol. Every one of Hessler's shots missed the mark.
Kilgore's didn't.
Hessler's body jerked when struck by multiple rounds. He slumped to the floor, gun falling from his hands. Mateo scooped it up, running forward. His adrenaline exploded, tinting his vision red. Time slowed down, allowing him to avoid Kilgore's gunfire easily. He returned fire, practically floating across the floor. When the gun clicked empty, he kept running. Leaping off the wall and flying through the air, he ignited his arcsaber and attacked.
Kilgore whirled and weaved, dancing in between Mateo's blurring strikes. He dropped the gun, hands flashing. A long, gunmetal staff appeared from thin air, whirring in his hands as he switched from defense to offense. Mateo parried the whiplash attacks, surprised that his arcsaber didn't cut the staff in two.
Must be made from graphenite. Cool. Mateo smiled as he fought, picking up his speed. The arcsaber hummed, sizzling with every clash against Kilgore's staff. Sparks reflected from Kilgore's mirrored glasses. His teeth were bared in a fixed grin as if he enjoyed the sheer dynamism of the battle as much as Mateo did. They flowed across the room, feinting and striking, parrying and counterattacking.
Kilgore drove Mateo back, then reversed and somersaulted backward, landing in a crouch. "You've been trained by the Wraths o
f Ebonhall, boy. You can summon the Rush, increasing your speed and reflexes. But you haven't been marked, and you don't wear their colors. Who are you?"
"A free spirit," Mateo said. "The Sister raised me as her own, then kicked me from the nest to teach me how to fly."
"So, you were fostered by the Renegade. Normally I'd be interested in that story, but not today. And you won't be able to fly with your wings clipped." Kilgore raised his hand. The arcsaber vanished from Mateo's fingers, reappearing in Kilgore's fist. The laser blade immediately deactivated.
Kilgore gave it an approving glance. "Programmed to shut down if it leaves your hand. Impressive." He tossed it aside, sending it clattering across the floor. Approaching Mateo, his hands curled into fists. "I can kill you so many ways, but for once I'd rather do it with my hands. It's been a long time since I killed a Wrath, but I'll settle for an apprentice. Let's see how long you can maintain that Rush, boy."
Mateo grinned. "Long enough to put you down, old man."
They ran toward each other.
Chapter 14
Hessler knew he was dying. Dragging himself across the floor, leaving streaks of blood behind. Every move agonizing, every breath possibly his last. The armored vest was the only reason he hadn't been instantly killed, but the armor-piercing rounds still penetrated. He felt his strength draining with every effort. But he had to finish the mission. All he had to do was get to the com center and shut the shielding down.
Sergeant Chen was slumped over the armrest, dangling hair shrouding her face. Her death was quick, painless. One pull of a trigger and everything she was and could be…gone. In the swell of his current torment, Hessler almost envied her.
But the pain let him know he was still alive. He heard noises around him—the squeak of shoes against the slick surface of the floor, grunts and whirring noises as two men engaged in a ballet of death; delivering punches and kicks so fast that their limbs blurred. Hessler didn't understand how Mateo was still standing, much less going toe-to-toe with Kilgore. But the boy held his own, somehow managing to move just as fast as the enhanced soldier.
Hessler made it to the communications centers, pushing Chen to the side. His hands shook as he removed the disabling tab from his holoband. Director Lynch's withered face immediately appeared on the screen, cold eyes glimmering.
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