Chapter Sixteen: Picking Up The Pieces
(Author's Note: Sorry it took me so long to update, you guys!! I've been busy, what with Christmas, as well as other fics, and my site that kept me occupied. But now that I'm back, everything's okay again!! And for those of you who think I killed Zack off, all I can say to you guys is, y'all got another thing coming!!)
Risika hissed angrily, as she stared at the grotesque corpse of Lydecker, which lay where it had fallen, after she had blown a hole between his eyes. She kicked at it, fully aware of her siblings' shocked gazes on her, but she paid no attention to them, her attention still lingered on the corpse of the man who had once, in a twisted sense, been their father. "I'm sorry, Dad, but if the outcome would've been you or one of us, and I couldn't take that risk." The words came out of Risa's mouth in a snarl, bitterness seeping into her voice like blood from a wound. Her siblings moved to the side, as Risa moved to calm Logan, who in his shock and disbelief, at losing Max, was slowly becoming hysterical. "Logan, stop this. Stop this right now. You should know by now, that in the way that we were raised, weakness wasn't something that was tolerated. So I need you to stop this!! Max wouldn't have wanted this for you, she wouldn't want for you to grieve for her like this!! Right now, you need to be strong, and move on." Satisfied that she seemed to be getting through to Logan, Risika turned to face her siblings, sweeping them all with a fierce gaze that would've liquidized a normal human's bones.
"701, 711, I want the two of you to take Logan back to his penthouse. Make sure he doesn't take any drastic measures, and keep him safe. After that, I want the two of you to travel to South Dakota, and split up from there. Krit, you go to Denver, and Syl, to Maryland. Is that understood??" Krit and Syl stared at their older sister in shock, not sure what they had felt the most shock and disbelief over; that fact that Max and Zack might really gone, the fact that Risika had shot and killed Lydecker the way she did, or the fact that Risa had so readily and willingly taken over the role of commanding officer from Zack, yet her demeanor in the position was so much like Zack's, that it was eerie. Krit and Syl were rendered speechless for a few minutes, before vocally protesting to their sister's orders. "Risa, we can't split up, not after all of this that's happened!!" Both Krit and Syl shouted this in unison, in hopes of persuading their sister to change her mind. However, their sister's venomous tone, made them reconsider.
"Are you deliberately disobeying my orders, now soldiers??!! X5-599 is gone, I am your C.O. now! Don't you dare disobey my orders, or I will personally make you regret it. You WILL split up in South Dakota, and from there make your ways to Maryland and Denver! Even if I have to take you there myself, is that clear soldiers??" Surprised by their sister's vehemence, Krit and Syl just nodded, drained by the shock and disbelief of the day's events. "Is that clear soldiers!!" Risika barked harshly in her siblings' faces. "Yes ma'am!!" Krit and Syl shouted in unison. Risa nodded curtly, satisfied that they had gotten the message. "Ty you're with me." Ty simply nodded, knowing that although Risika had absolutely refused to even comprehend what would happen if Zack were compromised, she had rightfully assumed the position of C.O. in Zack's place, just as their big brother had always told them that she would. Ty knew what had his sister so riled up. They had a score they needed to settle with that bitch Tess. It was because of Tess that Zack was compromised, because of Tess and her so-called fucking "investigating" that killed their older sister, and it was because of that slutty bitch that Alex was dead. Ty vowed revenge on Alex's behalf, as well as the behalf of their siblings, that they would nail that bitch as soon as they got home. Risika's eyes glinted dangerously as she looked at the fading forms of their younger brother and sister, as they carefully loaded the shell-shocked Logan into the van, and drove off, her anger coming off her in waves of fury.
Risika whipped out her phone, and dialed a number. "Lieutenant," she barked, "we're coming home, Zack was compromised, as was X5-452, our baby sister. That bitch killed our brother, and Alex. I'll explain when we get back. But, I can tell you I ain't going to rest until the bitch is six feet under, and preferably the ass hole you used to call your brother too." With that Risika hung up the phone, and motioned for her brother to follow her into the van.
"You're going to pay, bitch; you're going to pay, with your life. This is for Zack."