All right. I've had a very busy week. It's been quite annoying actually in some respects and very satisfying in others but that's neither here nor there.
Here is the final chapter of The Trouble with Jondy. What follows is a twisting little landscape of sheer madness. The next part of the Future History is laid out with this chapter. The shape of things to come is presented here for your perusal. It's a different ending than I've used before, but it's all good, right?
You keep saying you want more. Well more is coming. Enjoy this story because it's only going to more intense from here on out. They don't make no seatbelts for the mind so you can't buckle up for what's coming.
Read. Please review and enjoy the final chap of Jondy…
Without Thought
Three more Phalanx warriors stepped into view from the far side of the second chopper. Max and Jondy reset their footing and prepared for the assault. They looked at each other. Set and determined to stop the Phalanx assault team in their tracks.
"You don't have a chance." White said. "My warriors are highly trained specialists. They only know combat."
"Don't you ever shut up?" Jondy asked.
White stepped forward and began to speak. It was a move he would soon regret. "Listen you little bitch…" He started, but he had moved in range and Jondy was fast, too fast for him to avoid.
She jumped forward bringing her heel up and into his jaw. She smiled as she felt the jawbone cracking under the force of her kick. White's body went backwards landing hard on the ground a short distance away from the chopper. The Phalanx hadn't been expecting it. They all looked toward White which was enough of a distraction for Max.
She moved. Fast. Three warriors went sprawling to the ground as she launched into them. The first one landed hard and hadn't had control of his weapon. The second stumbled backwards, losing his footing on White's prone body. The third got his neck snapped, collapsing to the ground where he stood. Max grabbed his rifle as he fell. She used it, spinning and smacking another warrior with the butt of the rifle. He went down hard, his head swimming from the blow. She continued her spin and tossed the weapon to Jace.
White was struggling to lift himself up from the ground as Max ran past him throwing a stiff angled kick to his head, bouncing his skull off the pavement and sending him into a daze.
A burst of automatic weapons fire sounded and bullets trailed a path behind Max as she ran. The bullets ripped into the pavement and the chopper before stopping. Max glanced to see that Jondy had got to him.
The redhead was spinning like mad, a hurricane of legs and fists, almost ricocheting from one soldier to the next. The warriors weren't taking much damage in their body armor. She was keeping the three members of the Phalanx busy.
In the distance, a low rumbling grew louder, drawing closer.
Another burst of weapons fire broke through the scene. It was Jace. She had used the weapon to halt the advance of Dexter's biker gang. Three were clutching at their legs and an arm. One was dead on the ground in a puddle of his own blood.
She had swung the baby onto her back and moved for the line of trees along the highway. Max had been right. Get the child out of here no matter what. Jace didn't like the choice, but she understood it. She was moving in a short wavy pattern, taking shots in short bursts at the crowd of bikers. She was hitting everything she aimed for. Dexter's gang was dwindling fast.
Just as Jace was about to step into the tree line, she stopped and glanced back at the choppers. A bullet ripped into the tree just a few inches from her head. She fired without looking and a man screamed in pain. Checking her clip, she noticed she only had two rounds left. She frowned, noticing Max and Jondy weren't doing so well.
Max took a hit across the cheek from one of the Phalanx warriors. He sent her hard to the ground with a punch she hadn't seen coming. Stepping back two steps he lowered his weapon and took aim for her head.
Jace watched in horror as he prepared to fire. Instinct took over. She dropped to one knee as more bullets ripped into the tree, where her upper body had been. She lined up a quick shot and fired.
Max rolled over to see the barrel pointing at her head. The warrior grinned madly at her. The look in his eyes was one of complete hate. There was a bloodlust there she recognized. He wrapped his finger around the trigger.
Two shots rang out from somewhere.
The warrior with the insane smile squeezed the trigger. Max only had one thought. She braced herself, thinking only of Logan.
Two bullets screamed into his head from the tree line, sending his limp body into the glass on the front of the chopper. His weapon fired blindly as he died. Max caught a glimpse of Jace disappearing from view into the woods. She rolled up, kicking the weapon out of the dead warrior's hands sending a flurry of bullets into the second chopper and killing the pilot. A quick glance down the road toward the rumbling, guttural grinding revealed more bikers riding toward them at a fast pace. With a growl of her own, she turned to locate Jondy.
The rumbling was very loud now. It drew the attention of a few of the bikers. They recognized the sound. It was a sound they all lusted after in their own hogs.
Jondy heard it as well. She swept the legs out from under two warriors just as the third hit her hard in the face with his rifle. She sprawled backwards on top of the two she had just knocked down. They immediately grabbed a hold of her. Lifting her to her feet, they held her as the third one stepped forward and hit her again. She slumped in their arms from the two consecutive head shots.
Max screamed her name as two warriors stepped in front of her with their weapons leveled at her chest. White stepped between them, holding half of his jaw up where Jondy had broken it. Max watched Jondy as the warrior in front of her pulled a large, ugly, curved blade and smiled down at Jondy.
White's fist hit Max in the face. He laughed as he punched her again. She looked at him. He could see the anger in her eyes. She searched for an opening, but the rifles on her stopped her from defending herself. She growled. He laughed.
The warrior with the curved blade lifted his arm as if to strike Jondy. Max tried to shout her name, but White hit her again. She looked back at White. "You'll never get the child." She said, spitting blood on him.
White nodded his head. He couldn't speak. He turned to look at the men holding Jondy just as the rumbling stopped. Behind her, there came the slightest sound.
Metal scraping metal…
White noticed the noise as well. He followed two swords spinning end over end past his head. He followed the paths as the weapons flew toward the intended targets. The aim was true. The two swords sunk into the upper backs of both of the warriors holding Jondy. The warriors died instantly.
Joe had arrived.
The two on Max redirected their weapons from her. It was the diversion she needed. She grabbed the barrels of both weapons and pointed them straight up. The weapons fired, searing her leather gloves. She used the warrior's strength against them. She kicked White hard in the center of his back, sending him forward and to the ground gasping for a breath.
Spinning in the air, she released the weapons just as Joe stepped up to her. He held one of the ugly, curved Kukri blades in his hand. Max backed up beside him prepared to fight, but he blocked her from combat. The soldiers in front fell hard and fast before they could get their weapons centered on Joe.
"Get Jondy." He shouted. Max didn't hesitate. She went for her sister to pull her to safety. She looked up in time to see Joe's Kukri sink deep into the body armor of the Phalanx warrior that had been prepared to kill Jondy. She also noticed the remnants of Dexter's gang moving toward her position.
Jondy was still unconscious. Joe stepped up beside her and reached for his swords, pulling them from the dead warriors, slicing them open a little more in the process.
"This is my fight now." Joe said. "I won't be long." He stepped past the motorcycles as five of Joe's men took up positions guarding Jondy and Max. The rest stood guard on Whites prone form.
He stepped around the bikes and stopped in front of Max's baby. Some of the bikers fired. Two bullets bounced, deflected off Joe's armor. One big biker rushed in hard and fast from the side with a baseball bat. Joe slashed, drawing one of his blades across and through the attackers arm at the elbow, leaving the man screaming. Joe stepped around him and sunk both swords into a second biker before pulling the blades. He spun in a complete circle letting the swords follow an arc that decapitated three more bikers including the first one that had lost his arm.
He dropped and rolled bringing a blade up between the legs of Dexter's stupid buddy and gutting him. He stepped around the dying man and deflected two bullets with the other Katana. The second bullet ricocheted into the neck of another biker and he fell instantly.
Max watched as Joe walked through three more bikers, his swords dancing wildly, never missing their mark. A loud, roaring growl erupted from deep in his throat as he decapitated two men that pulled up their guns toward him. He jumped up and over their slumping bodies absorbing two more shots in his body armor as he came down hard, on target, dropping two of the three remaining attackers.
Joe held their dead, slumping carcasses on either side of the last biker. His swords were the only things keeping them standing. Dexter stood in between them. His head twisted from side to side looking at his dead comrades. His hands were shaking so hard, he couldn't hold his rifle. It clattered to the ground.
He was terrified.
He peed in his pants. The puddle collected at his feet.
Joe laughed. Max laughed.
Dexter died on his knees, begging, crying.
Joe turned and walked back over to White. He used his foot to roll White over. White was conscious but broken. He couldn't move without wincing. His jaw hung slack. Blood trickled from his mouth.
Joe squatted beside him and grabbed his jacket in his hand. He drew one of his long Katana across the expensive Italian suit, wiping the blade clean. He snapped his fingers and two of his men moved toward the choppers. They had them running and airborne a few minutes later. Joe wiped his other blade clean.
"I give you this warning." Joe said. "I have now chosen a side. It will be the winning side. That much I can guarantee. You will fail. All of you will fail." He said. He stood and sheathed one of his swords.
"eeee… ulll… unh." White tried to speak. His grunts didn't make much sense.
"Are you just going to leave him like that?" Max asked.
Joe turned around and looked down at White where he laid on the ground. He was broken, but he was definitely not out. Joe looked back at Max.
"What should I do?" He asked. He noticed Jace coming along the highway. "Is the little one okay?" He shouted. Jace nodded her head as she walked up to Max and Jondy.
Max, still holding onto Jondy, smiled and reached out a hand to Jace. "Thanks for saving my life back there."
"Least I could do when you save ours, twice now." Jace said. Little Maxie was just beginning to calm down. The girls laughed. Max turned back to Joe.
"Shouldn't you take him somewhere?" She asked. "Isn't someone going to want to talk to him?"
Joe laughed. "And tell them what? That a cult leader is lying in a mass of bodies on the highway?
"I don't know." Max said. "I just feel like we should do something." She said. Joe smiled. He stabbed White in the stomach, forcing a loud moan from the short man. Then he wiped the blade again and sheathed it.
"Best I can do on short notice." Joe said. "Don't ever let anyone tell you I'm a nice guy." He smiled. "If he lives… whatever. If he dies, better for us. This is the desert. It's better for the scavengers if we leave him here." He walked over to Jondy. She let go of Max and grabbed a hold of him.
"I didn't know…" She started to say.
"Of course you did." He smiled. "You didn't think I'd hang around with a bunch of highly trained warriors when I saw White peel off with two choppers to chase you down, did you?"
"No." Jondy said. "She pushed up toward his face as Max and Jace walked toward the bikes.
Max wandered over grabbed her phone from the satchel. She pressed Logan's speed dial number and waited for him to answer.
"Hello." He said.
"It's me." She said.
"Thank God." He said. "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, fine. A little worse for the wear but we'll be home soon. I'll tell you all about it." She said. "Are you okay?"
"Well, I'm glad you're fine. Is Jace and the baby okay? Do you need anything?" He asked. "I can send whatever you need…"
"I'm fine Logan. We're all fine. What's wrong?" She asked. "And don't lie to me. Something's up. You know I can tell. Is it Lydecker? Brin? What happened with the sector 6 thingy?"
"It's pretty quiet here right now. Sector 6 is a non-event. Lydecker took care of Brin and she's recovering at the safehouse. Suede took out the Manticore officer and Eyes Only is no longer in any danger." He explained.
"You're not going to tell me what's going on, fine. You'll tell me when I get home or I'll figure it out on my own." Max said.
"It's not like that Max." Logan said. "It's just really quiet around here right now. Everything is as it should be. When are you going to get back?"
"We'll be back tomorrow afternoon if we don't stop somewhere. I don't know if we'll drive straight through or not. Logan, I learned something very disturbing about the cult." She said. "I can't talk about it over the phone, but I'm bringing some information that you need to hear."
"What kind of information?" Logan asked.
"I can't talk over the phone. We'll tell you when we get back." Max said. "White isn't a threat right now." She said.
"Good. I'm glad it all worked out." He said. "Be careful on your way back." He didn't say he would see her when she got home.
"K…" She said. "Logan. Don't do anything dumb. I'll see you when I get back, K?" She asked.
"Sure, Angel." He said. "When I get back." He disconnected the call without realizing what he had just said.
Logan replaced the phone and turned to face the greasy doctor from Lydecker's camp. He didn't like the man. No one in the apartment really liked him except maybe Lydecker. "Let's get this over with." Logan said.
"My pleasure." The doctor smiled. Logan walked out of the office and noticed the steel table that had been set up for his benefit. He wasn't looking forward to what was coming. Injecting the nanocytes would hurt, causing him pain he couldn't even begin to control.
He walked over and took off his shirt. The Colonel was standing on the opposite side of the table watching closely. No matter how much Logan hated Lydecker, he had given back the legs Logan had lost. The plan to infiltrate the conclave and bring down the committee was an important one.
"Are you ready?" Deck asked.
"Who ever said saving the world would be easy?" Logan asked. He stretched out on the table while the doctor prepped the injection gun. "What's this last batch supposed to do again?" He asked.
"There are several billion nanocytes in your system right now. They are working within you to rewire your internal systems and help your body operate at peak efficiency at all times." Deck explained again. "This last batch of nanocytes will operate in an administrative capacity. They will make sure the other nanocytes do their job more efficiently without going to any extreme and unforeseen outcome."
"Tell me again what extreme and unforeseen is." Logan ordered.
"The nanocytes are self-replicating. That is they continue to remake themselves from supplies found within your system. If they are not controlled properly, you will die." Deck said.
"And how long have you been working with this technology?"
"We had a project in Manticore for some time now. We've been developing and testing this tech over the years since the project was created. The prototype was created about nine years ago. It was a remarkable failure but we learned a lot about what we were doing wrong and moved on to phase two of the program. One year ago, we put phase three into effect and four months ago, we found the perfect specimen. Unfortunately, I was no longer involved with Manticore so I don't know how phase three went." Deck explained.
"So this is essentially untested." Logan concluded.
"No. The tech is sound. The theory is valid and the program works. You really don't have anything to worry about." The Colonel said.
Sam Carr looked into Logan's eyes. "I can't begin to explain to you what any of this is going to do to you. I've rushed the tests on the DNA workup and your spinal injury. I don't know how this happened." He said. "I've analyzed the nanocytes and I even had a tech look at them. He used to work for Nasa before the pulse. He has no concept of the technology. It's years beyond anything he's ever seen and nanotech was a hobby of his."
Logan remembered the conversation well. It was late in the evening three days after the first round of treatments from Lydecker's greasy doctor. He had gone directly to Sam Carr with Max when he was able to move around again.
The following day, Sam returned the news to him. "I don't know anything about this and I can't tell you what any of it means." He had said.
"I don't know what any of it means." The words played over and over in his head.
"I don't know what it means."
"I don't know." Logan's head hurt. He looked out the window of his penthouse. The doctor and Lydecker were there with him. So was Alec. Logan glanced at him. Alec nodded.
"This is going to hurt." The doctor said. He leaned down in front of Logan's face with a weird smile. "It's definitely going to hurt you more than me."
"Shut up and do it." Logan said.
The Doctor laughed. He lifted the heavy instrument with the round flat surface and pressed it into the small of Logan's back. Logan felt the tip of several small needles just barely scraping the surface of his skin. He knew what was coming. The needles would sink into his skin and inject a large amount of fluid comprised mostly of nanocytes into his back in a short amount of time.
Lydecker walked around in front of him. He looked directly into Logan's eyes. "I'm not going to lie to you, son. This is going to get out of control if we don't do something about it. You know as much as I do. Simply put, I can't do this without you." Deck explained.
"And you can't do it with me." Logan said.
"Alec is right. The transgenics are marked with a barcode. I've been to the conclave before. I know some of the committee members. They know me. I wouldn't last five minutes inside there."
"And I know their language." Logan said. "Tell me again why I'm doing this?"
"Max." Lydecker said. Logan knew he was right.
"Yeah…" Logan said. "Max is going to kick my ass for this. Let's get the sonuvabitch over with."
"Are you ready?" Deck asked.
"Blah blah, woof woof." Logan mumbled.
"What?" Deck heard the words but had no idea what they meant. "What was that?" He asked. The doctor had already pressed the button. Logan grunted heavily with the pain and closed his eyes waiting for the convulsions to come.
They came hard and fast and Logan moaned with each new wave as they washed over his body. Twenty minutes later, they began to subside. The tense muscles began to relax and within seconds of the last convulsion, he passed out.
"I hope you know what you're doing." Alec said stepping up beside Deck. "I really do, because if you fuck this up, I'll kill you myself." He said. "None of us will be able to control Max when she finds out about this. I can only imagine what she'll do to you if it goes sideways." He turned and walked out of the room heading for the front door. "I'm going to hook up with Biggs. Brin should be coming around and we're going to need you there when she does. I'll send Original Cindy over to keep an eye on him." He said as he walked out the door.
"I'm almost done here." Deck said.
Lydecker waited until Alec had been gone for a while. He knew that Cindy may or may not have been on her way over at the time, knowing what she would find when she arrived. It had to be done. He nodded to the doctor. The man smiled. He reached into his bag pulling a small vial and syringe. He prepared 50cc and looked at Deck.
"Double it." Deck said. "Then wake him up."
"A double dose might be too much. He's not transgenic."
"He's not human anymore either." Deck said. "Double it. Then give him the timed stimulant."
Fifteen minutes later, Lydecker was leaving. Original Cindy had called and said she was on her way over. Logan was just coming around. The doctor had finished his job and left. Deck headed out with a last look at Logan. He was slowly pushing himself up from the table.
"I'm sorry, Son." Deck mumbled. "But I have no other alternative." He let the door slam behind him. "Now, if I can only figure out how to get Max captured by the Conclave…" He mumbled as the elevator doors closed.
Over at the Oak Street safe house, Brin rolled over and looked around her room. It was bland but comfortable. There was a table with a chair. She had a mirror and a side room with her own bathroom. She swung her feet over the edge of the bed and sat up.
Biggs was sitting along the wall. Suede stood in the doorway.
"Where am I?" She asked. "This isn't Manticore."
"She's quick." Suede said.
"Where am I?"
"You're in my safe house." Biggs answered.
"You're safe house?" Brin asked. "What's going on here?"
"What do you remember?" Biggs asked.
Brin was thinking. She was running over memories in her mind, recalling the things that had happened. Biggs knew she was remembering. She was remembering everything.
"I remember everything." Brin said. "Where is The Colonel?" She demanded.
"He's on his way." Alec said stepping into the room. He nodded to Biggs and clapped Suede hard on the shoulder. "He's up to something though."
"What do you mean?" Suede asked. "Did he do something to Cale?"
"I think so, but I can't be sure." Alec said.
"When is he not up to something?" Biggs asked. "You know, Max is going to kill him one of these days."
"Maybe sooner than later." Alec said. "You okay?" He walked over to Brin.
"I'm fine 494." She said. "What's going on here? What are you guys talking about? What's a Cale and where is Max?" She dropped a flurry of questions as her head dropped into her hands. "My head hurts."
"The headaches are the worst part of it." Alec said. "I remember the first time it happened to me. They brought me out of Psy-ops and dropped me in a cell. I listened to that propaganda bullshit for three days straight without a moment of silence. Duty… Honor… Mission… Loyalty…" He laughed.
"You're going to be stuck with it for a few days. Whiskey helps but Scotch is better." Biggs said.
"I prefer tequila." Suede said. "It burns more on the way down."
"WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU ALL SHOUTING ABOUT?" Brin demanded.
"We should probably let her get centered." Biggs said. "You're safe here. No cult loonies trying to kill you. There are no Manticore black ops ordering you around. You can come and go as you please. I'll send CeCe to check on you and get you fitted for some street clothes." He continued. "When Cale comes around, I'll have him get your papers in order."
"Right." Suede said. "Let's move out."
"Who is CeCe?" Brin asked. "Where am I?" She repeated the question from earlier.
"Look, Brin." Alec said. "I know your story. We all do. The Rogues are infamous around here. You're a legend around these parts. Deal with it." He laughed. She gave him a puzzled look and a strange, confused nod. "Max will be home tomorrow with Jondy and Jace. Deck is on his way over. Relax. Have a shower and hit the mess hall. This isn't Manticore. You're in the real world now."
"I'm a soldier." She mumbled.
"We all are." Suede said. "We get to choose our missions now. It's the only difference."
"There is a war on Brin. The enemy is trying to exterminate all of us, ordinary and human alike. Until a few months ago, Max and Logan were fighting them alone. Now they have some of us on their side. It will all be clear in a little while. I swear."
She stared at them as they left the room. Her room. She sat there on the edge of the bed staring at the floor. Her head was spinning with the information.
She remembered everything.
She remembered all of it as if it happened yesterday. She had been growing more ill with each passing day. The freezers had been her way of life for a month until she heard that Zack was in Seattle. She truly believed The Blue Lady gave that refrigeration truck a flat tire along the road. Getting to Seattle had been easy.
The illness had gotten worse when she arrived, but somehow in the end, Max and Zack had found her. They took her to a location that allowed Lydecker to get her back to Manticore. She couldn't help it, but she remembered Manticore as well.
The first few days with Deck had been fine if not a little strange. He was always leaning over her and whispering things to her as if she had been a long lost daughter. It was all part of the trigger, and had she known then what she knew now… she would have been more receptive to his suggestions. Instead she blocked him out and then the Director took over her treatment.
Director Renfro was a very strict woman. She had a logical, straightforward mind. She was military to the core. Brin recognized it in her. She accepted it and after a while, she sought it out in the woman. It had become something she could cling to with Deck's disappearance. It had been something Brin needed.
And it had all been one big mind game that she walked right into.
Now Tinga was dead. Zack was gone and Max had a boyfriend that destroyed Manticore and set the kids free. It was a strange word to her. Free. She had known a sort of freedom once. A paranoid freedom complete with day after day of running and looking over her shoulder, but… she was free.
When she came back to Manticore Renfro told her that she was free again. She was free to be a soldier and follow orders to her hearts content. It was also a sort of freedom. Twisted and psychotic, but it was the only freedom she knew.
Colonel Lydecker had promised her freedom. He had said that when the time was right, she would be free. Turns out he was telling the truth and all she had to do was go through the depths of hell to get it. Freedom. It was a harsh concept to her.
"What exactly is freedom?" She asked. Her head was still in her hands. Her eyes still stared at the floor.
"It is the right to make our own choices, decisions." A tall, lanky blonde said from the doorway. "We don't have to listen to orders being shouted at us. We don't have to scream affirmations back or be punished when we haven't finished assignments on time." She rolled a large laundry bin loaded with folded clothes into the room. "Not having to deal with Psy-ops when we screw up shoelaces is the best part. We can do whatever we want whenever we want short of breaking the law here in town." She laughed. "Of course, if the cops can catch us then we deserve to be caught. I'm CeCe."
"X5-734..." Brin said. "Well, maybe not. Guess I'm just Brin now."
"Glad to meet you Brin. It suits you." She smiled. "I know you probably want to take a long hot shower, but I'd like to get you some street clothes for the everyday things."
"Like what?" Brin asked. "What everyday things?"
"Well, Suede hauls crates over on the docks. Penny is a secretary over at Cale Industries. Skywalker runs security over there as well." She said.
"Skywalker?" Brin asked. "What kind of a name is that?"
"He got it from a movie he saw while out on a mission once." CeCe laughed. "He's obsessed with something called Jedi. He wants to use Cale Industries lab to make something called a light saber." She laughed. "He actually thinks he can do it."
"What do you do?" Brin asked.
"I work at Jam Pony as a bike messenger with Alec, Biggs and Max. It's a great place if you can stand Normal?"
"What's normal?"
"Not much these days." CeCe noticed the joke was lost on Brin. "He's our boss. Yells at us a lot and throws packages in our face. Reminds me of Manticore actually but in a good way. If that's possible?" CeCe laughed.
"You're a bike messenger?" Brin asked.
"During the day." CeCe said.
"The day… what about at night?"
"That's a whole different can of worms."
"What do you mean?" Brin asked.
"I don't know if I should say anything." CeCe said. "It's kind of classified."
"I thought this wasn't Manticore." Brin said. She stood up and walked over to the bin of clothes CeCe had rolled into the room. It was packed for all fit sizes. There were shirts, jeans, blouses, t-shirts, underwear, skirts and simple dresses. It was a rolling store.
"It isn't, but some things are still classified." CeCe said. "I'll tell you this much. Some of us do some covert recon and stuff for someone high up on the food chain. I can't say more than that, but I'm sure Biggs and the Colonel will fill you in later."
"So Biggs is in charge here?" Brin asked.
"No one is in charge here." CeCe said. "This is our apartment building. Our home."
"Biggs called it a safe house."
"It is. At least, it used to be." CeCe sighed.
It was all part of the plan.
Biggs and his people had been through this before. It was all part of the plan. "You see, there's this guy."
"What guy?" Brin asked.
"He's a cyber journalist." CeCe said. "He does things. He's points out things to those that need to know. He's probably the only real good guy left in the world today… or at least the only one doing the right thing."
"You sound like you're talking about Eyes Only." Brin said. She believed it couldn't be true. She looked over at CeCe when there was no response. "You are talking about Eyes Only."
"I am." CeCe said.
"You work for Eyes Only?"
"We don't work FOR EO. We work with EO. Only his informants work FOR him." CeCe said. "We just facilitate the removal of undesirable elements within the power structure throughout our nation. He offers the job and anyone who wants it takes it."
"You all work for the man that destroyed Manticore."
"Yes." CeCe said.
"But he destroyed Manticore."
"Yes. He set us free." CeCe said. "He gave us a choice that we weren't allowed to have before. Some of us have chosen to help him in his quest to restore order to this broken world. There are those that seek to harm us and the ordinaries. He is trying to stop them."
"Who is he? Have you met him?" Brin asked.
CeCe shook her head. "No one has. No one knows who he is. No one has ever seen him."
"Max has." Brin said. "Director Renfro…"
"She lied to you. She lied to all of us." CeCe said. "The cult is our enemy and Eyes Only is the only one that has information on this group."
"Who are they?" Brin asked. "Is this the cult Biggs was talking about?"
"It is." CeCe said. "Did you find something to wear?"
"I did. Thanks." Brin said. "Tell me more about this cult."
"Not right now." CeCe said. "There are eight others that came in today. They were part of Cowers team, but since he's dead…"
"Dead?" Brin asked. "How'd that happen?"
"He was a member of the cult." CeCe said. "He was collecting Manticore soldiers. He was going to use them to take out Eyes Only and then turn them over to the conclave to be killed or experimented on. You're lucky Biggs got to you before you went over there."
"Yeah, lucky." Brin said.
"Listen. I'll be in the mess in about an hour. Meet me there and we can talk some more." CeCe said as she pushed the bin out of the door. Brin just stood there holding a small stack of jeans and a couple of shirts that caught her eye. "See you then."
"Sure…" Brin muttered. She stared after the tall blonde. A few others passed in the hall. One even hollered a welcome through her door as she stood there. Brin recognized her as an X-6 she had worked with once.
She nodded and pushed her door closed when the girl had moved on. She really did need a shower. Her uniform needed to be cleaned anyway. She reached up and pulled the knot out of her hair letting it fall about her shoulders. Looking at herself in the mirror, she realized that things had indeed changed.
North of Arizona
A crossroads…
Four motorcycles were parked in the center of a deserted crossroads. A dozen other bikes sat back on the south lane waiting. A dozen armored and armed men were laughing and joking. Their boss was busy.
"Well." Joe said. "Here we are."
"What now?" Jondy asked. She was looking at him.
"My daughter is back there. She's waiting for me." Joe said.
"Where's her mother?" Max asked. She knew it wasn't Jondy. The child was too old to be Jondy's daughter.
"She was killed by the priestess of the cult in the ritual sacrifice at Grace's birth. I wasn't supposed to witness it but Ames called me in to the ritual." He said through gritted teeth. "It was supposed to make me understand the whole thing better. She was ordinary. She wasn't one of us. I met Jondy a few years later and we had this… thing." He said.
"Yeah. It was a thing." Jondy said. "I never thought I would see you again, but when Max and I found out we had a few days to kill…"
"You came looking for him and that package." Max said. "What's in it?" She let her curiosity get the better of her."
"Memories." Jondy said. "Pics and things. Memories of things we did together. An item or two that should be lost and will remain lost if I can help it. I never expected to find everyone still here when I came back. I never expected to find you, Joe."
"Did you think the cult was going to get me?" He laughed. "Did you think that ignorant little…" He was cut off in mid sentence.
"Not at all." Jondy said. "I just thought you would be out somewhere, on the run. Besides, I always knew you were on his hit list."
There was a very uncomfortable silence. Jondy and Joe just looked at each other. Finally she broke the silence.
"You could come with us. We'll go back and get you're daughter. Seattle's really a great city. There's plenty of room." She said, but she already knew the answer.
"You know I can't leave them. They count on me."
"They can come too. They can all come." Jondy insisted.
"That's not sound tactics, soldier." Joe laughed. He wasn't really smiling. "And you know it."
"I know." Jondy said. "I could stay here. Act as liaison between your forces and the transgenics."
"No." Joe said. "As much as I want you to be here, it's not our time yet." He swung his leg over the front of his bike and walked over to her. She met him in the middle pulling him closer.
"This whole domination thing is going to come to an end soon." Joe said. "They know about you. They know about us. They don't believe they can be defeated but if we stand together when the time comes…"
"They'll never know what hit them." Jondy said. She was crying openly now. "I just don't want to leave you again."
"You haven't left me yet, little one." Joe smiled. "You keep showing up and getting me into fights no less." They both laughed. Max and Jace were laughing. "You know how to get in touch with me." He said.
"I do, now." Jondy said.
"I've got to go back and wrap things up at the mall. I'll get everyone settled somewhere and I'll contact you."
"Where are you headed?" Max asked.
"Don't know yet." Joe answered. "Why?"
"My boyfriend has safe houses scattered around here and there." She said. "If you give me a call in about two days I can arrange something for you even if it's just a short term gig." She said. "Logan won't mind."
"Thanks. We'll make it on our own." Joe was still smiling. "You should be going now. They'll be finished cleaning up the site by now and sending out scouts. We'll get to as many of them as we can."
"Thanks." Max said. "Call us if you need anything. My man and I will be there if you need us." She said. A quick rev of the motorcycle sent her off onto the west road across Nevada into California with Jace following.
"I'm going to miss you." Jondy said. "This war is coming sooner than anyone knows, isn't it?"
"It is little one." Joe answered. "My people will do everything in our power to stop it, but I fear we may not be able to do it alone. It's going to come down to finding a common battlefield and forcing the battle there."
"If we can't set the battlefield then we are already lost." Jondy said.
"You remember your lessons well." Joe said.
"I had it beat into me at a very young age." She said. The words came out ugly and full of hate. Pushing into his chest, she wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him tight. He pulled her closer with his big arms, tilting his head to kiss her.
"I love you." He said. "Don't ever forget that."
"I never have. I never will."
"Go."
She watched him walk away. "See ya soon!" She hollered.
"I promise little one!" He hollered. She watched him until he got to his group along the south lane into Phoenix. He waved.
She waved and kicked it into a high gear to catch up with Max and Jace.
A roadside rest
North of Phoenix…
"We've got a live one." A soldier said. "It's Mr. White, Sir."
A man in a suit walked over and looked down on the broken body, unconscious but alive. Night had fallen. "Is he the only one?"
"Yes." The soldier said. "He was tracking three transgenics and the baby."
"Three transgenics did this?" The man asked. "Are you sure?"
"There are no indications that he was tracking any more than the three female transgenics. From all indications, it appears that they overpowered Mr. White's Phalanx and used their weapons against them. We'll have to do further research."
"Don't." The suit said. "It's my responsibility and I'll take the report to the committee." He turned and walked away dialing a number on his cell phone.
"Fe'nos tol." A voice said.
"Fe'nos tol." The suit said. "This is Whittaker. I have some bad news."
"Tell me."
"We've found White. He's broken and badly beaten. His troops are dead and their bodies have been left on the highway north of Phoenix."
"How did this happen?" The voice asked.
"I don't know." The suit answered. "We're going to investigate. We will get to the bottom of this. With this development and the current situation in Seattle with Eyes Only… I can only conclude that we have underestimated Brother Sandemann's little program considerably. We should move the program to the fast track and expedite our plans on the original schedule."
"Is there no other choice?"
"No." The suit answered the voice. "I warned the committee against this course. The Transgenics have had time to prepare. It is as I have foreseen. We should go back to the original schedule. Make the preparations."
"What about the committee?" The voice asked.
"I'll convince them." The suit said. "In the meantime, I'll be sending White to you. Take him underground and keep him there until my return. I'll head to Seattle and make preparations with our teams there. I'll call you after I report to the committee in three days."
"Understood, Sir." The voice said. "I await your call."
Biggs safe house
Seattle…
"Yeah." Alec said answering his phone.
"Hey." OC said. "You've got Original Cindy here."
"Hey Cindy." Alec said. "How's Logan doing?"
"I wouldn't know." OC said. "He ain't here."
"WHAT!" Alec yelled. "What do you mean he's not there?" He asked. Biggs and Suede both heard him and immediately listened in on the conversation. "Where's the Colonel?"
"He ain't here either." OC said. "There's no one here. The place is deserted. Logan didn't take a thing with him that I can tell. I think Lydecker took him."
"Thanks Cindy. I'll get back to you as soon as we figure this out." Alec said. "Dammit. That sonuvabitch!" He shouted.
"What happened?" Suede demanded.
"The Colonel left before OC got to the penthouse and apparently took Logan with him." Alec said.
Biggs immediately started to spout orders. "ALL RIGHT PEOPLE, LISTEN UP!" He shouted. "WE'VE GOT A SITUATION. I WANT TEAMS OF TWO OUT IN THE STREETS! FIND COLONEL LYDECKER AND BRING HIM IN! BRING HIM IN ALIVE! HE MAY OR MAY NOT BE TRAVELLING WITH A MAN NAMED LOGAN CALE AND THAT GREASEBALL DOCTOR FROM MANTICORE! LET'S GO PEOPLE. FIND HIM AND BRING HIM IN! NOW!!!"
"Where do you think he went?" Alec asked.
"Do you think he went to the committee?" Suede asked. "You don't think he's turning Logan over?"
"I don't know what to think." Biggs said.
"Neither do I." Alec added. "I do know one thing though."
"What's that?" Suede asked.
"It's not going to be easy keeping the Colonel alive when Max finds out." Alec said. "If we need the Colonel alive for this war with the cult, then we have about a day to find him before Max gets back and pulls The Informant Net in on the search."
"How will that help?" Biggs asked.
"It won't help us, but if they locate him before we do, Max will kill him, real slow. Take maybe a week." Alec said. "Lydecker won't have a chance."
Space Needle
Sunset in Seattle…
The rain poured on the city in heavy, drenching waves. He looked out over the dark city catching glimpses of this or that in the flashes of lightning.
He could feel a presence here. It was as if something had drawn him to this place. This high place. He thought of it that way. It had nothing to do with being the space needle. He just knew it as the high place.
He sat down and rubbed his temples. His head hurt. Every time the thunder boomed somewhere, his head throbbed. The rain pelted him soaking his clothes.
He pulled his knees up into his chest and put his head down. In a few minutes he was as close to sleep as he would get in a long time to come.
His dreams, nightmares, that night were insane at best and marginally disjointed at times, but there was one recurrent theme throughout. Every time the nightmares would get to their most insane and bizarre point, he would find himself being rescued by a dark, beautiful gypsy woman with the deepest, darkest eyes he'd ever seen. She seemed to know him and just when she was about to speak, it would all get freakishly twisted again.
He woke with a start. The rain still poured. It was still dark. He still didn't know who he was. He didn't know where he was.
He knew where he was going though. It was on the card in his pocket. He was headed to the address on the card. It was someplace called the conclave.
There he would find answers to his questions…
Or he would die trying.