Brigends (The Final War Series Book 1) (13 page)

She had only known him for a few hours, but that was enough time to get an idea of who he was as a man. She got closer and kissed him as if it was her last. The act caught him by surprise, but he didn’t resist. The taste of his tongue in her mouth electrified her body. If it wasn’t for the drama inside the chamber, Adi would’ve given herself to him. Yet, what she desired could never be. In the end, she settled for one fleeting instant of infatuation in this cruel and unfair existence.

Max swam in the thrall, unaware of her hand on her pistol. She jabbed the muzzle in his lower abdomen.

“Get inside,” she ordered with a nudge.

He did not argue.

“Step aside,” Emil demanded.

Marta hid behind Markus. “Why are they here? Tell them to go away.”

“Be calm,
ma chérie
,” he comforted her. “Emil, you are frightening her.”

“Stop,” Zoe pleaded with the General.

“Nerees, I won’t let you stand in my way.” He charged at Markus.

“Haiduc!” Adi’s sudden howl stopped Emil from making good on his threat. Raising the gun, she held Max in front of her. “Drop your weapons on the floor and kick them to me.”

They did as she commanded.

“The crystal. Hand it over.”

Emil removed the wrapped ora and tossed it to her. Stuffing the wad in her cleavage, she reached down and claimed the weapons.

“I’m sorry, sir,” she said in Romanian.

“Why, Adi?”

“I don’t know why. I can’t stop myself. I tried to resist, but I’m not strong like you.”

She pushed Max over with the rest of the group and backed out of the vault. Once outside, she sealed the door closed.

“What just happened?” the boy asked.

Zoe sat on the bed. “We’ve been had.”

“No. It’s not her fault. She’s been tranced.”

“What?” Max asked.

“Tranced,” she clarified. “Someone is controlling her mind.”

“By who?”

“A Zolarian agent.”

“Zolarian? You mean Zolaris? The tech company?” The theory sounded too silly for Max to accept as the truth.

Markus held Marta. “We are doomed.”

Emil reeled from the betrayal.

“How do we get out of here?” Zoe asked the Frenchman.

“We don’t. The door is locked from the outside. It is impenetrable.”

“Like a prison,” Emil accused.

“No, not a prison — a sanctuary.”

She didn’t buy the pessimism. Kneeling on the floor, she felt for anything to aid in their escape. “Max, look around. See if you can find a seam or a crevice, something we can jimmy.”

“Why? He said it’s impenetrable.”

“But, he didn’t say anything about it being escape proof did he?”

Markus mocked her optimism, “It will not do you any good. It was designed as a perfect barrier. There are no seams or crevices to jimmy.”

After a lengthy search, she found a seam in the shape of a squared meter panel. The Frenchman didn’t react well to her discovery, proving he had lied.

“No seams, huh?”

She used a knife to pry the panel loose and uncovered a tight crawlspace underneath. She lowered down into it. A few seconds later, she called, “Max, get down here.”

“No.”

“Get your ass down here!”

He chewed on the inside of his mouth as he dropped into the cramped space of pipes and cobwebs. With no conduit larger than a few centimeters wide, it was definitely not a workable escape route.

“You know you sound just like Patti,” he said, remarking on her attitude.
“Watch your mouth.” Pointing at a comm-bus junction, she asked, “Can you do something with this?”

“Maybe. If the lines lead to the outside, I can do a hot-wire and get a signal out.”

He popped the cover, exposing a jumbled mess of shiny circuits. Pulling apart several chip-sets, he wired the data-plate to a circuit. He put the tel-link back in his ear and swiped several commands on the device’s screen. It wasn’t getting a connection. “Crap.”

“I don’t want to rush you —“

“Then don’t.”

After a few more failed attempts, and a bout of uncontrollable swearing, he connected to an outside comm-line. “Dinx! Dinx!”

“What?” the kid answered.

“We’re trapped in a vault. Can you get us out?”

“You’re joking right?” He was enjoying Max’s predicament. “Same old — same old.”

“Cut the crap and help us.”

“Alright. Hold on.” After a delay, he returned. “The code for where you’re at is like nothing I’ve seen before. I’ll try to override it. Oh, muck! The system rebooted and it’s reporting a security breach in your area. K9Es are on their way.”

“Swell.” Max relayed the information.

“Goddamn it. Tell him to hurry. A place this big will have dozens of those things on site.”

“Don’t worry. Give him a sec to do it.”

“I got the door open,” Dinx reported.

“Buddy, you’re the best around. Okay, let’s move.”

Zoe and Max sprung from the hole.

“We got the door open,” she said. “Let’s go. Drones are on their way.”

Emil reached for Marta, but she latched on to Markus.

“Please, don’t do this. She must stay here. It was Nadiya’s dying wish.”

He gave the small man a death stare. “Listen to me. Trouble is heading this way. Staying here is not an option. If you want to protect her, then she needs to go with me.”

“The drones are of no threat to us. I can deactivate them.”

“That’s not the trouble I’m talking about.”

For better or worse, Markus understood the dangers he and Marta now faced. If the General found her, then who else could?

He kissed her on the forehead. “Come along, Marta. We will go with these people.” With gentle urging, he got her to go without argument.

As they rushed to the entrance, the alarm’s wailing intensified. When they exited the vault, they found Adi’s mutilated body in a blood-pool on the floor. Emil flew to her side. The hope of her being alive was dashed after seeing the savage wounds.

“
Drum bun
.
La revedere
,” he whispered in her ear as he tenderly lowered her eyelids.

“K9Es. They are here.” Markus held his child close.

Zoe picked up the guns Adi had taken from them. A check proved the girl died without getting off a single shot. She handed Emil his pistol. “Keep it together. We’re going to need you.”

She walked away. He removed the crystal from Adi’s remains. He wiped off the warm blood and stuffed it in his coat.

Four robotic wolves appeared from opposing angles; their metallic jaws created razor pings each time their fangs snapped shut.

“No one panic.” Markus confronted the lead drone. “I am Markus Nerees. Identification
neuf
huit
six
neuf
—”

Something was wrong. Maybe it was the shake in his speech, or a glitch in the automaton’s programming, but whatever the reason, the metal beast didn’t receive the shutdown code. It reared on its hind legs and attacked, snaring the elderly man’s arm in its jaw. Marta reached for him, but Max moved in to protect her. He struggled to keep her from going to the old man’s aid.

The second K9E lurched and slashed Zoe’s side with its claw. Despite the wound, she fought it off with the butt end of her gun.

The third drone pounced on Emil. He fired, expending an entire magazine before the beast thumped to the floor. One of the bullets ricocheted and pierced the nearby window, creating a hairline crack.

Nerees kicked the machine loose and tried to run, but it rammed him into the cracked window. The glass shattered and both he and the drone tumbled from the building.

“Papa!” She squirmed to break free of Max’s restraint.

The fourth drone prowled in their direction. As it reared to pounce, Marta screamed. Sparks erupted from the robot’s head. With its motor functions disrupted, it flopped about.

The last K9E attacked Zoe again, but this time she blasted its head apart, putting it down for good. The smoking hot pistol’s slide locked in place.

Max let Marta go and went to Zoe. “You okay?”

She nodded yes and covered the seeping wound with her jacket as he helped her up.

He tapped his earpiece, “Dinx, cut the security system.”

The alarms stopped, leaving only the howling wind outside for them to talk over.

“The grid knows there’s a hack and will reboot faster next time,” Dinx warned. There was a pause. “Look out! You got company heading your way. It’s people this time.”

Max ran to the lift, but it had already been recalled to the lobby. He yelled to the others, “We got company.”

While the adults searched for another exit, Max returned to the inconsolable girl.

Zoe found a stairwell ascending to another level. Left with few choices, they used it. Max scooped Marta up in his arms and carried her.

A minute later, the lift opened. Faso and a squad of five hunters fanned outward with guns shouldered for action. Kroll emerged but stayed back, allowing the humans to flush out the quarry. He acknowledged Adi’s corpse in passing; he was more interested in the vault. He went inside holding his crystal blade, anticipating an ambush.

Faso looked out the busted window just as an aero-car streaked above him. “Contact!”

The hunters ran to the shattered gap and opened fire on the fleeing vehicle.

Kroll came out of the vault. “Hold your fire! Hold your fire!”

In a flash, he was at the window. Stretching out his hand, he summoned an energy wave and seized the small craft in a clutch of psionic energy. He instructed it to come to him. The car shuddered violently, and then surged, breaking free of the hold. The blowback knocked him down. Deprived of his prey, all he could do was let the vehicle disappear below the clouds.

How did it break free
?

He had felt something unfamiliar, an anomalous neural-kinetic pitch right before it broke away. The signature was faint and erratic, but it was there nevertheless. He knew the neural signature of every Zolarian in the world. This one was not a transhuman.

It must be an aberration
.

Whatever the explanation, the mystery would have to wait.

Faso and his men stood to the side, not knowing what terrible reaction the dark agent would unleash. Kroll didn’t display anger as he went to Adi’s body. Dropping to a knee, he placed his free hand on her bloodied scalp. With the other one, he inserted the tip of the ora knife through the apex of her neck.

The body convulsed and a swirl of spectral images appeared, replaying the events leading up to her death. He saw her intimacy with the boy — the forced betrayal of her mentor — waiting by the lift — the horror of drones ravaging her flesh — and again the kiss she shared with the boy.

The last particle of life departed the body. He removed the ora and studied the memories. Her dying thoughts centered on the kiss. That fixation intrigued him.

“A data-plate, if you please.”

Faso gave him one. Kroll downloaded the images from his mind directly into the electronic device, displaying them across its screen. Once the load completed, he searched for and paused on an image of Max. He showed it to the hunters.

“Our target has an accomplice. If we find this boy, we will find Pavel.”

Faso laughed when he saw Max’s face. “Oh, we know where to look.”

“Good. Come. We must leave before security arrives.” He wiped the blood from the crystal.

Half an hour later, a security detachment arrived. What they found was the spoiled body of an unknown woman and shattered glass strewn about on a scuffed deck. It wasn’t until the officers examined the surveillance recordings that they learned of Nerees’s murder. His killers were two irrefutable criminals and one unidentified accessory, all with counterfeit credentials. With them was an unwilling victim, indicating a kidnapping.

For the first time in years, an all-alert was transmitted to every outlet and receiver citywide. Given the current jubilant atmosphere in the Hi-8, it was doubtful the elitists would pause long enough to show respect for a single life lost. For the Lo-enders, their lives would go on as usual.

The Six

The bulky air-transporter sailed over the revelry on an approach to the Spire’s base. A squadron of Kogot Class gunships provided vigilant security as the carrier entered the landing bay. The craft’s skids touched down on the hard deck.

A regiment of Vityaz marched forth in tight formation and assumed positions on opposite sides. Malus held rank at the forefront of the delegation to receive the ship. Isoles was behind her master, as were their devout acolytes, all dressed in ceremonial robes. Third in line were the cadres of Russian Imperium officers. Orock was on the outside looking in.

The ship’s loading ramp lowered and the hatch bellowed. General Serov descended first. His personal garrison disembarked next. Several dozen shrouded technicians trailed behind, conveying six hovering stasis pods.

The Alliance supreme commander halted, saluting with a snap of his heels and a flex of his arm. He spoke in perfect English, “Your eminence, the Six as you requested.”

The phalanx divided, allowing the techs to bring the pods forth for review. Malus inspected the coffin shaped containers. Inside each were clones of the same young hairless male, dormant and incognizant.

“Perfect and flawless,” Serov boasted. “Manufactured and grown to your specifications.”

The Zolarian leader caressed each pod with veneration. “Even under isolation, I can sense their powers.” He gestured to the techs. “Move the Six to the ascension chamber at once.”

The techs bowed and proceeded with the cargo into the facility.

Emotionally swayed, he looked to Isoles. “Soon they will forge a new world.” He offered his hand and together they proudly paraded past the assembled onlookers.

In the rear of the delegation, a woman pushed through the attendees to get to Orock. Once she got his attention, she shoved a plate at him. Embarrassed by her disruption, he snatched it and read what she pointed out to him.

“Oh, no,” he couldn’t help but gasp.

The assembly turned in unison.

Even Malus stopped. “Is there a problem, Mr. President?”

The human squeaked, “Uh, eminence, there’s a situation. Markus Nerees has been murdered. A person matching Pavel’s description is linked to the crime.”

Serov’s scowl tightened. “Pavel is alive and here in the city? I will hunt him down myself.”

“No,” the elder ordered. “Your responsibilities reside elsewhere.”

“But, your eminence, this brigend must be dealt with.”

”And he shall. Have your Vityaz secure the city and double the guard here at the Spire. When this facility is operational, he will not pose a threat to us.”

“Yes, eminence.” Serov gritted his teeth.

“Go!”

The Russian waved his troopers double-time back aboard the carrier. Malus and Isoles continued on.

The old witch whispered, “Neeres’s death could unnerve many.”

“His murder is inconsequential. News of Pavel’s existence is what vexes me.”

“Kroll is to blame. His incompetence brought this man to our gates. We anticipated as much. Perhaps now is the time for us to rid ourselves of his inferiority.”

It saddened him to consider ordering the end of his once valued disciple. “Yes, we will purge ourselves of Kroll’s failures. Summon him here to the Spire and rectify him straight away.”

“Yes, your eminence.”

In the background, Serov’s carrier lifted from the deck and floated out of the bay. Malus accompanied the technicians as they entered the Spire’s central hub. Not waiting for her security entourage, Isoles boarded a hovering platform and hurried off to execute her master’s order.

While the rest of the crowd dispersed, Orock turned on the unfortunate woman who had dared to humiliate him, striking her with the flat part of the data-plate. The force knocked her to the floor. Callous witnesses laughed as he pushed through the lingering crowd, leaving the bleeding woman to nurse the gash on her scalp.