Nimrod Squad

by Bard Constantine

  $$

  Cash made it to the elevator doors before pausing. He looked at the stairwell.

  Don't do it. Whatever's going on is none of your concern. No trust anymore, remember? No partners.

  The doors slid open. Cash stared at the beckoning sight of the elevator interior. His reflection stared back from the mirrored surface, guilt clearly visible on his face.

  "Damn it!"

  He turned and raced back up the stairs, cursing himself when he banged out of the rooftop door. The downpour was so heavy it made visibility difficult, but what he saw was enough. Kilgore held Happy's body in his arms and was on the verge of throwing her off the building when Cash spoke.

  "Hey, asshole."

  Kilgore paused, turning around.

  Cash peered down the sights of his rifle. "I just realized you're worth a lot of money. And since you killed my payday, I think I'll take you instead. Now, I'm pretty sure no one cares if I bring you in dead or alive. So set her down and put your hands above your head."

  Kilgore lifted Happy by the neck with one hand, dangling her body over the side of the building. "I have a better idea, friend. Make a choice: me or Maxine here. You put the gun down, and she lives. You shoot me, and I'm afraid your partner will have to pay for it."

  Cash blinked water from his eyelashes. "She's not my partner, so I don't really care what you do with her. You're going down either way."

  "Suit yourself." Kilgore made as if to drop her.

  "No, wait!" Cash half-lowered the gun. "Pull her over."

  Kilgore grinned, lifting her back over the guardrail and holding her in front of him. He peered around her body. "Now, drop the rifle, bounty hunter. In fact, throw it over the edge."

  "How do I know you won't do the same to Happy?"

  "We're at a standoff here. I don't think we have a choice, and personally, I have other things to do."

  Cash hesitated, mind whirling. Finally, he nodded. "Fine. Set her down."

  "Throw the rifle away."

  Cash hurled it over the side of the building. Kilgore dropped Happy and ran across the rooftop, inhumanly fast despite his limp. By the time Cash pulled his sidearm and aimed, Kilgore leaped and cleared the railing, sailing across empty air before dropping into the glittering curtain of rain.

  Cash ran and peered over the railing. Kilgore's body was barely visible, sprawled across the next rooftop, a distance of what looked like fifty feet away and a hundred feet lower than the Maximillian Tower.

  To Cash's shock, Kilgore moved.

  Cash aimed his handgun, trying to get a line of sight in the pouring rain. He was barely able to see Kilgore, who staggered toward the stairwell door. Cash fired multiple times, but with his vision obscured it was pointless. Kilgore entered the stairwell and vanished.

  "Damnit!" Cash clapped a hand on his com. "Jinx. Kilgore is in the building next to the Maximillian Tower."

  "Okay. So what?"

  "So, you have to get him. He's weak and can barely move."

  "Are you loco? I'm not tangling with that fool. We came here for Kirk Hamilton. Don't tell me you let him get away, Cash."

  "Hamilton is dead."

  "What?"

  "Yeah. So Kilgore is the only way to get paid now. You gotta get him."

  "Get him? We gotta get us, Cash. The cavalry is here."

  "What cavalry?"

  "Can't you see? The Army is here like I told you earlier. Tanks, walkers, airships. We gotta go. They're locking everything down, and I don't wanna be around to have them lump us in with the New Legion. Get Happy and get out of there. I'm taking Mateo with me. We'll meet outside Los Nuevos if I can make it out of here. Hasta luego."

  Cash peered into the rain. Lights in the sky were barely visible—airships flying in. Maximillian Tower would be one of the first places they'd secure. He dashed over to Happy and dropped down to help her up. Her eyes blinked open, staring uncomprehendingly before recognition dawned on her bruised and bloodied face.

  "Cash. I thought you left."

  A weak grin crossed his face. "Well, what can I say? I must really like artificial women. Since you're half artificial, that means I halfway like you."

  "Where's…Kilgore?"

  "Not here. We gotta move, Happy. Can you walk?"

  "Yeah." She let him help her up, stopping to scoop up her broken arm and clutch it tightly to her chest. She stumbled, leaning against Cash for support. He threw an arm around her waist, and together they staggered down the stairwell. When they got back to the command center, they were forced to stop.

  Because Jude Maximillian and a highly-armed security team waited for them.

  Maximillian's expression was so cold it might have been carved from ice. "I think it best that you come with me."

  Chapter 15

  "We're in a bit of a predicament," Maximillian said.

  Cash looked around at the dim surroundings. "Yeah, I'd say."

  The room was originally used for storage, but it had been hastily reconditioned into a holding cell for Maximillian's four unique prisoners.

  Jinx and Mateo ran into an aerial blockade trying to escape and were forced to land. She leaned back in her chair, a bored expression on her face. Probably planning her escape, knowing her. Mateo was sound asleep, leaned over the tabletop with his head in his arms, snoring softly. Happy sat beside Cash, examining the stump of her ruined arm with an unreadable expression. Cash sat with his arms folded, itching for a cigarillo.

  Maximillian faced them without concern, most likely because he was backed by a full squad of armed humanoid guards. The entire population of synoids had been reactivated as soon as Maximillian regained control. Outside the building, the UH Army secured the Haven. People began to emerge from their safe rooms, staring at the chaos in shock and wonder. The ordeal was over.

  Maximillian studied them each in turn as if weighing options in his head. "On one hand, you bounty hunters somehow were instrumental in ending Hamilton's little coup. On the other hand, the four of you are a major problem."

  He ticked off the points on his fingers. "Cassian Murdock. Ex-cop turned bounty hunter. You're the only piece of the puzzle that fits. Unfortunately, you chose to team up with an ex-HSSC agent responsible for several unwarranted assassinations, all against former members of her unit. Then there's Jazmin Cole, aka Jinx la Fox. Black-hat hacker wanted by practically every cyber-crime enforcement agency, not to mention some very powerful corporations and criminal organizations. Lastly, there's this one."

  He pointed at Mateo, who still slept on, blissfully unaware of the conversation. "A nobody. No records, no identification, no genetic or digital footprint. That alone is highly illegal, notwithstanding the fact that security footage shows him possessing enhanced combat skills that put him on even ground with the deadliest killer in the world."

  Maximillian scrubbed his hand through his perfectly coifed hair. "So tell me one thing: who in the world are you people?"

  Cash shrugged. "Just another Nimrod squad, pal. Are we under arrest or what?"

  "That depends."

  "On what?"

  "On your silence. No one can know what happened here. The cover stories are already in place online and across vid-screens throughout the Territories. A rogue general and his rebel army, driven to desperation and madness by some mysterious illness they contracted on Mars. Kirk Hamilton's campaign of terror was ended by the heroic efforts of the loyal UH military and HSSC operatives led by Special Agent Ryan Hessler."

  Jinx rolled her eyes. "So Hessler gets his ass kicked, and he gets to be the hero? Eso es pura paja, man."

  "It might be bullshit, but that's what's on the menu. And Hessler vouched for the lot of you, by the way. He didn't have to stick his neck out, but he did. You infiltrated my system, found weaknesses I didn't know existed. I can either be furious or grateful, depending on how this conversation goes. Make no mistake: I'm quite capable of putting all of you deep in a hole you'll never emerge from, no matter what your collective skills are. But in
stead, I'm willing to be generous if you're disposed to being discreet about this whole ordeal."

  Cash raised an eyebrow. "How generous?"

  A small smile touched Maximillian's lips. "Quite."

  $$

  Mateo woke up to the sensation of movement. The buoyant feeling of swiftly gliding over the air. He was back in the Battle-Cat, then. He sat up in his bunk, yawning and stretching until his tendons cracked. Leaping off the top bunk, he exited the tiny sleeping nook and wandered into the narrow hallway. Hearing voices, he followed the sound to the cargo hold, where the crew was gathered around a mobile capsule laid horizontally on the workbench. Jinx looked up as he entered.

  "You finally awake, chulo? You were sleepwalking for hours before we finally got you in the bunk."

  He grinned. "Just needed to recharge. I feel brand-new now. What's going on here?"

  Cash waved him over. "Come on over. I want you to meet Deejay."

  "I already met Deejay."

  "Not in person."

  Mateo walked over and peered into the window of the capsule. Inside the padded chamber was a petite Asian woman, eyes closed as if in a deep sleep. A snug cap covered her head, affixed with sensors that blinked in multiple colors.

  "Oh, wow. A new-gen synoid model. She's beautiful."

  "No kidding. She looks exactly how she looked…before." Cash's eyes shimmered when he stared down at her. He cleared his throat and scrubbed a hand across his face. "Maximillian custom built her for me. As a reward. Deejay didn't want Maximillian to know who she was so we took the synoid and swapped its brain core with Deejay's ourselves. Her program is downloading from the Battle-Cat's system now. Stabilizing will take a few more hours."

  "That's so cool." Mateo looked up excitedly. "Did I get anything?"

  "Matter of fact, you did." Cash handed him a metal box. "Open it."

  Inside was a holoband. Mateo pulled it out and examined it. "This is mine? So awesome!"

  "Yeah, kid. Maximillian programmed an ID file for you that will pass any security inspection. He said it's a prototype model—lots of tools and apps for you to play with."

  Mateo placed in on his wrist, feeling the warmth as the band adjusted for size and the sensors bonded to his skin. "What did the rest of you get?"

  Happy flexed her brand-new bionic arm. It gleamed in the light as she moved it. "Got put back together. With a few additional mods. Good enough for me."

  Jinx looked up from the monitoring display on the capsule. "I got my record expunged. No more worrying about being nabbed by the federales."

  "And we all got paid." Cash handed Mateo a slim bag. "Two million's seriously cheap if you ask me, but Maximillian said it's a year's pay for his security team. Says we did their job, so we get their pay. The richest people are always the stingiest. Anyway, it's split four ways, fair and square. This is your cut."

  Mateo opened the bag, staring at the glimmering stacks of gold bulls. "What am I gonna do with all of this?"

  "Whatever you want, kid. Get a residence in any Haven you want. Buy one of those brand-new floaters. Get you a girlfriend and spoil her. See the world. Start your own business. Whatever you wanna do."

  Mateo zipped up the bag and slipped it in his pocket, dropping his eyes. "And what if I want to stay here for a while?"

  Cash clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Well, you can do that too, kid. We'll be partners."

  "Partners?"

  "Yeah."

  Mateo grinned. "It's a deal." He paused, turning to Jinx. "Hey—does getting your record expunged mean your bounty is canceled?"

  She shook her head. "No. Still got that ax hanging over my head until I figure out a way to get from under it."

  Cash looked her direction with a devilish smile. "I've actually been thinking about that."

  "You been thinking, Cash? Did it hurt?"

  "You're a comedian. Seriously, I think there's a way we can solve your little problem. In fact, the Cat's been on a course to the Everglades ever since we left Los Nuevos."

  "What? You said we were going to Texas." She took a defensive step backward. "What are you trying to pull?"

  "Relax, Jinx. I count you as one of the crew, and you still don't trust me?"

  "Is that a trick question?"

  "Okay, fair enough. But you gotta take a leap of faith sometimes. Now, are you gonna take me at my word or not?"

  She stared at him, eyes narrowed. Finally, she nodded. "Fine. This one time. What do you have in mind?"

  He folded his arms, grinning. "Simple. We turn you in for the bounty."

  "Say what?"

  $$

  The meeting place in the Everglades was the Pinelands section, less swampy than the lower areas. But it was still sweltering, the humidity nearly unbearable. The pinelands were dark and tangled, vines hanging from the trees like webbing. The woods and grasslands were ancient, possessing an arcane atmosphere as if harboring ancient secrets.

  Cash wiped sweat from his brow for the hundredth time, peering into the darkness of the surrounding woods. "Can't think of a more miserable place for an exchange than this. We stick around much longer and we'll be bad breath on a crocodile. Wonder why in the world they'd want to meet here."

  Jinx shifted, uncomfortable with her wrists being cuffed again. "We're not far from the Florida coast."

  "Yeah, so what?"

  "So the way to New Haven is somewhere off the coastline."

  "How would you know that?"

  "Because I've been there, jevo."

  He paused, staring at her. "You've been to New Haven?"

  She sighed. "How do you think I got the bounty on my head? Of course I've been there."

  "But…how? No one knows where it is. And no one who goes there ever comes back."

  "That's just what they say. You can get in and get out—if you know the right people. But the way there is a big secret. I was put to sleep, and when I woke up, I was inside New Haven. No idea how far I traveled or how long the trip took."

  "Damn. That's wild."

  "Yeah, it was wild, all right. Worst mistake I ever made."

  Cash took another look around. "Well, looks like this was a waste of time. We did our part, but Ms. Kelly Crimson decided to pull a no-show. Maybe they revoked the bounty or something and it hasn't hit the system yet."

  "Yeah. Like I'd be so lucky."

  Happy buzzed in over the com. "I'm tracking movement."

  He scanned the foliage. "Where?"

  "Everywhere."

  Figures silently emerged from the woods, covered in hooded camouflage parkas and carrying firearms and bladed weapons. All of them were women. Cash knew them by reputation only. Wildcats, the deadly soldiers of the Gutter Girl organization led by the mysterious Selene. They formed a circle around him, weapons ready.

  Kelly Crimson pulled her hood back, exposing her fiery mane of tousled hair. Her eyes flicked from him to Jinx and back again.

  "You can tell your sniper to stand down. The boy as well. They've been marked and will be killed if they don't comply."

  "You heard the lady," Cash said. He grinned at Kelly as Happy dropped down from a nearby pine tree and Mateo emerged from a thicket a few yards away. "Just a precaution. Have to be careful when you're doing business in the middle of the swamp, after all. Still don't know why we couldn't have done this in a nice restaurant or any other place with air conditioning."

  She answered with a flat stare.

  Cash shrugged. "All right. Business, then. You wanted Jinx la Fox alive. Well, here she is." He shoved her forward.

  Jinx staggered, glaring at Kelly. "I won't let you take me. I'm never going back to New Haven. I can't."

  Kelly raised a wry eyebrow. "You're not in a position to make demands. Selene has been waiting a long time to get a face-to-face with you, Jinx la Fox. So to New Haven you go." She motioned to the other Wildcats. "Take her."

  Jinx span around as they closed in. "No. You'll never take me alive!"

  Cash stepped forward. "What's she doing?
Someone stop her!"

  "From what?"

  Foam bubbled from Jinx's lips. Her eyes rolled back and she collapsed, falling to the swampy ground in a convulsing heap.

  "She had something in her mouth. A poison pill." Cash dropped down, cradling her head in his hands. "Damn it—don't do this. I haven't been paid yet!"

  But it was useless. Jinx went limp in his arms. He gently laid her on the ground, making sure to open her hood so her hair wouldn't get dirty. She'd hate that.

  Kelly looked down, looking surprisingly dismayed. "Check her."

  One of the Wildcats knelt, felt for a pulse and scanned the body with a handheld device. Looking up, she shook her head.

  Kelly sighed. "Pity. Selene was looking forward to making her an offer to join us. This will be hard to explain."

  Cash looked up in surprise. "Wait a minute. Selene put the bounty out to make Jinx an offer? I thought she wanted her dead."

  Kelly pulled her hood over her head. "Originally, the bounty was posted in rage. But once Selene calmed down, she realized someone like Jinx would be a valuable asset to our organization. We have many spies and soldiers, but few with the skills of Jinx la Fox. Since she's impossible to contact, the bounty was the only way to bring her in. I'm sorry things had to end this way. I have to report to Selene and take responsibility for this tragedy."

  She reached into her parka, and pulling out five gold bullion cards, handed them to Cash. "This will cover the cost of a proper burial and the rest for your efforts. Take care of her. Farewell, Nimrod."

  He accepted the payment with a frown. "This is a lot less than the bounty you promised."

  "The bounty was to bring her in alive. You should have searched her better. That's your fault. Be grateful we're paying you anything at all." She turned, making a distinct motion with her hand. Immediately the Wildcats lowered their weapons and strode away, vanishing into the gloom of the woods.

  Happy stepped forward, hand raised. “Wait.”

  Kelly paused at the edge of the tree line. “You have a question, assassin?”

  “Can you take me to New Haven? I can pay. Whatever the cost.”

  Kelly regarded her with an assessing gaze. “I can take you to New Haven. But I’m afraid it would be a waste of time for you.”