Virtue of War

by L O Addison

  Beck and Kaylin stood on either side of the entrance, their rifles ready to fire on anyone who dared to step into the room. There was no door to block them off from the hallway, so Beck merely lowered his voice as he spoke to Matteo.

  "Any idea who would be guarding this section?"

  Matteo shook his head. "None. I never interacted with the tunnel guards."

  Adrien cleared his throat. "Two men, one woman. All around thirty, highly trained, and trigger happy. Mercenary troops."

  Beck raised his eyebrows at the boy and asked exactly what Lio was thinking. "How the hell do you know?"

  Adrien gave him an exasperated stare. "I know every nook and cranny of these tunnels. You really think I don't know the people, too?"

  Beck gave an appreciative nod. "Point taken." He nudged his rifle toward the exit. "But you're going to have to give us some insight on how to get around them."

  Adrien pursed his lips for a moment, considering this. Then he nodded and stepped toward the hallway. Kaylin sidestepped, blocking his path. Even though Adrien was taller than her, he eyed Kaylin's rifle nervously and didn't dare barge past the tiny thief.

  "I’m not just going to let you waltz outside," she said sharply. "We're a team. We protect each other, and that means sharing plans before you run off and do something stupid."

  “I don’t think he’s doing anything stupid,” Matteo said, his voice quiet but firm. "He won't get in trouble for being found down here."

  Adrien nodded, his gaze defiant as he met Kaylin’s stare. “Most of us street kids use the tunnels as our highways through the city. And the Wardens like us down here. We help keep the tunnels clear and the traps marked." He nodded toward where the voices had come from. "The guards in this section know me. I scavenge in this area all the time, and I make sure I share some profits with them so they leave me alone. As long as I stay away from the base's entrance, they don't bother me."

  Kaylin shook her head. "I don't want you getting near the guards. Not when they're all on high alert."

  Adrien scowled at her. "Look, you're going to have to trust me. I swear I'm not going to rat you out. I just want to distract them."

  "I trust you not to screw us over," Kaylin said. "I just don't trust you to keep your own skin safe."

  Lio raised his eyebrows in surprise. He hadn't expected that sort of concern from Kaylin, and apparently Adrien hadn't, either, because he went silent for a long moment. But he quickly composed himself, and that small, dark smirk returned to his lips.

  "The only way I can keep my siblings alive is by keeping myself alive.” He nodded toward the exit of the room. "So that's exactly what I'm going to go do. I’m not going to take any dumb risks. I’m just going to talk to the guards, get them distracted, and get us safely around them. That’s it."

  Kaylin hesitated, glancing at Beck. The lieutenant looked toward the doorway, his brow furrowed uncertainly. The voices of the guards seemed to be growing louder, their bootsteps coming nearer. Beck shook his head in resignation and gestured sharply to Adrien.

  "Fine," he said. "Go. Just be careful."

  Adrien nodded and slipped out of the room, turning toward the voices.

  Silence descended on the room. The only noise was the sound of their combined breathing and the soft swish of Red's tail as it lashed anxiously through the air. Then a loud, baritone voice with an American accent called out, "Stop right there."

  Lio's breath caught in his throat. The guard sounded close, hardly more than a few yards away.

  Adrien's voice was steady and bored as he replied, "It's just me, Garett. No need to waste a bullet."

  "What are you doing here?" a woman with a French accent called out. "The rules have changed. This section is now off limits to anyone who’s not a Warden."

  "I'm doing you both a favor," Adrien said, sounding annoyed. "Didn't you hear the ruckus coming from the north?"

  "We got the reports over our radios," Garret said. "Just a tunnel collapse."

  Adrien barked a laugh. "No. Not just a collapse. Some sort of aliens broke into the tunnels. I only got a glimpse of them before I ran, but there was an entire pack of them, and they were setting things on fire and exploding rooms."

  Lio frowned, unsure what the boy was trying to do. Telling the guards about the creatures would only make them increase their security, which was the last thing they wanted.

  The guards were quiet for a long, skeptical moment. Then the woman said, “Aliens?”

  "Dozens of them," Adrien said. "Some sort of weird creatures that looked like scorpions, but way worse. I think they were headed for the east entrance."

  "You better not be spinning tales, boy,” Garret growled.

  "As charming as you are, Garret, I wouldn’t bother speaking with you if I didn’t have something real to report.”

  Garret muttered a curse at the boy. There was a pause, and Lio held his breath, waiting for the guard to chase Adrien off. But Garret’s voice took on an official sounding tone as he said, "Base 12, this is Officer Garret Spurns checking in. One of the scavenger kids just reported that a pack of alien creatures is headed toward the eastern gate."

  Almost immediately, a man’s voice replied over the radio system. "Copy, we just received a similar report of a pack of creatures on the loose. They’re northeast of your position. Pack up and move there, we might need your assistance."

  "Copy that, be there in five minutes," Garret said.

  "You need to get out of here," the woman's voice said sternly. "This isn't a good time for kids to be wandering around the tunnels."

  "Don't I get payment for reporting an intruder?" Adrien asked, his voice wheedling.

  "No," Garret barked. "Now scram."

  The guards didn't bother saying anything else to Adrien before taking off at a jog, their heavy steps echoing through the tunnel. They faded quickly into the distance, and a moment later, Adrien ducked his head back into the room. Lio jumped in surprise, but his momentary panic faded as he took in the smug smirk on the boy’s face.

  "Nice job," Beck said, nodding his approval.

  "Very clever," Lio agreed.

  Adrien shrugged off the praise and waved for them to keep following him. "Let's move. It won't be long until they replace those guards."

  They lapsed into silence as they followed after the boy. He led them down a long tunnel, past the small, armored guard station that Garret and the woman had occupied, and around a corner.

  "Don't touch the walls for the next half mile or so," Adrien whispered. "A lot of them are electrified."

  Lio took a step closer to the middle of the tunnel, eying the walls. As far as he could tell, they were just packed dirt.

  “How can we tell which are electrified and which aren’t?” Kaylin whispered.

  “By touching them and seeing which ones kill you,” Adrien said impatiently. “The wiring isn’t visible.”

  Lio shifted his gaze to the ground, watching for anything that might make him trip. The ground changed under his feet, shifting from packed dirt to ancient cobbles, and the ceiling lowered until he had to stoop over to avoid hitting his head. Mold stained dark patches on the walls, and he pressed a hand against his respirator, making sure it was firmly in place.

  The tunnel grew slimmer, until there was only room for them to walk in single file. Lio slowed, struggling to keep from brushing up against the walls, but Adrien pushed forward swiftly. A gap grew between the boy and the others, and he shot an impatient glance behind his shoulder.

  “Hurry,” Adrien hissed in a whisper. “There are never any guards in this tunnel, but there’s usually at least four at the guard post around the corner. We have to get past while they’re distracted by the creatures. They probably only left one or two guards to man the post.”

  Lio did his best to push forward faster. They neared a doorway that was cut into the side of the tunnel, and he eyed it suspiciously as he realized it was made of gleaming metal and had a lock pad beside the handle. It certainly wasn’t some
thing that belonged in these ancient tunnels. He peered forward, spotting two more of the doors ahead.

  “What are the rooms for?” Beck asked, voicing the question before Lio got the chance.

  “Storage rooms,” Adrien said.

  “For what?” Marin asked.

  “Don’t know. They keep them locked up tight.” Adrien glanced behind his shoulder to give them another impatient glance. “Would you quit asking questions and hurry the hell up?”

  They obeyed the boy, keeping quiet as they rushed as quickly as they could past the doors and down the tunnel. The humidity in the air began to lessen, and far ahead of them, Lio could spot a bright patch of light. Probably a main tunnel that had actual lighting.

  “Stop!”

  The baritone voice rang out from behind them, sending a chill through Lio’s veins. A second later, searing adrenaline filled him, and he whirled toward the voice, his pistol raised. He’d been at the end of their single-file line, but as they all turned around, he became the first in the line.

  Two guards stood there, a man and a woman, both of them holding rifles that pointed straight at Lio's chest. They stood in the open doorway of one of the storage rooms. Three boxes lay at their feet, as if they’d dropped them the second they stepped out of the room.

  "Lower your weapons, and don't move!" the male guard snapped. He towered above his companion, and his muscular body looked fairly young, but his wrinkled and scarred face looked like it belonged to someone middle-aged.

  The female guard took a threatening step forward. Despite being slender and short, she handled the rifle as if it were another limb, her movements perfectly balanced and natural. "Put your hands above your heads,” she said. “One wrong move and we’ll blow you all to pieces."

  Her tone left no room for argument. They were trapped, plain and simple. Lio glanced toward Beck, but the lieutenant was obediently raising his hands, his eyes wide with shock and indignation. Lio followed his lead, putting his hands above his head.

  Behind him, Adrien said in a quiet, stunned voice, "There shouldn't be guards. Not here."

  "Shut up," the man snapped, pointing his weapon toward Adrien. His eyebrows raised as he took in the sight of the boy. "Scavenger kid. What the hell are you doing in this sector? And who the hell did you bring with you?"

  Adrien widened his eyes, immediately putting on a helpless look of fear. "They said they'd kill me," Adrien said, his voice shaking just slightly. He nodded toward Beck. "I ran into him and his soldiers at one of the subway entrances. They ambushed me and said they’d shoot me if I didn’t help them break into your base."

  For a single moment, a look of angry betrayal flashed across Beck's face. But just as quickly, he smoothed away the expression. Lio knew the lieutenant was thinking the same thing he was: if Adrien could convince the Wardens he wasn't a willing participant in their mission, they'd probably let him live. They might even let him free. And if that happened, then at least one of them would survive this suicide mission.

  “Is that true?” the female guard asked Beck.

  “That’s none of your business,” Beck snapped in reply.

  The guards narrowed their eyes as they took in the group. The man’s dark eyes settled on Lio and Marin, and shock flickered across his expression, followed by rage.

  "You're not human," he said, the words sharp and accusing. His hand began to squeeze the trigger on his rifle, and Lio's heart leaped up to his throat. But then the other guard snapped, "Arjun, wait! Shepherd is going to want to talk with them."

  Arjun hesitated, and then he lowered his gun just slightly. Lio's heart beat frantically in his chest, filling his ears with the sound of rushing blood. He took a shuddering breath and glanced behind him, desperately hoping to find Beck or Kaylin or Matteo moving into action.

  They were all frozen, their hands held obediently above their heads and their weapons hanging uselessly in their holsters. Lio wanted to scream at them to do something, to do anything. But he didn't dare speak, not when the guards were obviously so eager for an excuse to kill him.

  Matteo was trembling just slightly, although as the young soldier glared fiercely at the guards, Lio couldn't tell if it was fear or rage shaking him. But Beck and Kaylin were strangely calm as they faced the guards, their muscles tensed, as if they were waiting to spring into action any second.

  Then Lio realized something: Red was gone. Lio glanced around discreetly, searching for the dragon, but it was as if Red had simply vanished.

  No. Not vanished. The dragon was just camouflaged, perfectly matching the dull grey cobbles on the shadowy floor. He crept slowly toward the two guards, pressing his body close to the ground.

  "You two," Arjun barked, shaking his rifle at Lio and Marin. "Step closer.”

  Marin was the first to move, trying to squeeze past Lio. He sidestepped to block her, keeping her trapped behind him.

  “I am your bodyguard,” Marin hissed in Rhuramenti, trying to shove past him.

  “You are my friend,” he replied, shifting to keep as much of her shielded as possible. There was no way she could defend him in this situation, aside from taking a bullet for him, and he wasn’t going to allow her to sacrifice herself like that. Not when he’d already come so close to losing her only minutes before.

  “Quit talking and move,” the female guard snapped. She reached for her belt, and Lio saw a gleaming pair of handcuffs clipped there. Then her hand drifted past the cuffs and closed on a black stick, the sort of electrified rod he’d seen some of the guards carrying at the Resistance base.

  Fear raced through him, and Lio wanted nothing more than to pick up his pistol and shoot a round straight at the woman’s chest. The violent urge sent a surge of shock through him, but he couldn’t shake the desire.

  “Keep moving,” Arjun barked.

  It was only then that Lio realized he’d frozen in place. The female guard drew her stun rod and pointed it at Lio. Sparks crackled along the tip as she fired up the weapon.

  “He told you to move,” she said, narrowing her eyes on Lio. “And if you try anything funny, I’ll—”

  She didn't get to finish the threat before Red sprung. He slammed into the woman, roaring in fury as he raked his claws over her chest. She stumbled back with a scream of pain and brought the electrified rod crashing down toward Red. The dragon nimbly ducked the blow and snaked his head up, clamping his jaws on the guard's hand. His scales turned a deep, furious black color as he shook the guard like a rag doll.

  The guard shrieked in pain, and the rod flew from her grasp, still sparking. It hurtled through the air, missing Lio’s shoulder by a hair’s breadth. He felt a single moment of relief as it missed him. Then he heard a pained cry from behind him and turned to see Marin crumbling to the ground, clutching at her neck. Lio leaped forward and caught her, pulling her away from the electrified wall.

  The rod rolled away from Marin and struck the bottom of the wall. An electric field flared to life, sparking and glowing an eerie blue as it hummed with energy. The hair on Lio’s neck stood on end, and he blinked frantically, trying to clear his eyes of the dots of light that clung to his vision.

  Marin groaned and slumped against him, her expression dazed. Lio desperately wanted to stop and check if she was all right, but he didn’t have time. He drew his pistol. He didn't even realize he was doing it, but the weapon was suddenly in his hand, and then it was pointing straight at Arjun. He pulled the trigger, and a laser bolt exploded from the blaster’s barrel. It missed, streaking past Arjun’s ear, but it forced the guard to stumble back.

  The echo of the gunfire seemed to multiply, and Lio realized he wasn't the only one shooting. Beck and Kaylin and Matteo had all joined in on the fight, picking up their weapons and opening fire.

  But the guards weren’t going down easily. Both wore thick, armored vests that absorbed most of the shots, and Arjun ducked into the doorway of the storage room, shielding himself from the onslaught. The woman guard managed to use her left hand to get h
er pistol out of her holster and fire a shot at Red, striking him in the shoulder. The dragon shrieked in pain and shook her right hand harder, nearly tearing it from her arm.

  The crack of a rifle filled the tunnel, and the female guard jolted back as something struck her neck. A tranquilizer dart. Lio glanced over his shoulder and saw Kaylin holding her rifle to her shoulder, a murderous look in her eyes. The guard slumped to the ground, and Red leaped forward, his jaws crunching down on her throat. Blood spurted from the wound, sizzling as it struck the electrified walls.

  The guard was dead. Lio waited to feel horror, but all he felt was an overwhelming sense of victory.

  But there was no time to celebrate. Arjun leaned around the corner, letting off a rapid volley of blaster fire. Searing heat exploded in Lio’s shoulder. The pain followed a moment later, and his pistol fell from his hand, clattering to the ground. He tried to pick it back up, but the pain made him double over.

  Marin screamed something, although his panicked mind couldn’t process the words. He looked at her, and she still seemed dazed from the electric shock she’d gotten, but panic filled her expression. Her eyes grew wider as more blaster bolts streaked toward him.

  Marin grabbed his uninjured shoulder and yanked him to the ground. Most of the bolts streaked harmlessly over his head, but one struck Red, who was still crouched near the corpse of the other guard. The little dragon stumbled back and let out a high-pitched roar of agony. Kaylin screamed something, and the dragon skittered backwards, limping heavily as he retreated towards her.

  The others concentrated their fire on the doorway, forcing Arjun to duck back into the storage room. Lio let out a small breath of relief as the firestorm paused. Then something slumped against Lio's back. He jumped in surprise and glanced behind him, wincing as he moved the muscles in his injured shoulder.

  His heart stopped. The world stopped. Everything froze, and all that was left was the sight of Marin slumped lifelessly against him, two large holes blasted in her chest.