Their work began again as soon as they reached the cloaked jumpship. While the others secured the area, Scout deactivated the holo-field surrounding the ship. He was pulling out his radarpack and nightscopes when Pilot stopped at his side.
"What's your gut telling you?" She took the binocular-like scopes from him and raised them to her eyes, scanning the path they'd just come from.
"Locke might be jamming us electronically, but unless he's completely covered himself, we should be able to get a thermal reading on him if he's still anywhere near." He adjusted a couple of settings on the radarpack, then went back to the eye-in-the-sky controller. "I'm linking the heat sensor on the radar to the eye to amplify the signal. It needs a fraction of a second to get a reading on someone or something. If I can get the eye far enough out of range of any jammer he's using, it can send out any thermal signals being picked up. Not sure it'll work, but it's worth a shot."
"You didn't answer my question." Though she kept her focus on her search, her observation was most certainly directed at him.
"I've never trusted the guy. And especially not where you're concerned."
His blunt response made her pause and turn, her blue eyes piercing into him. "What exactly does THAT mean?"
He knew how much she hated his overprotective nature, but he really didn't care at this point. "Jenn, you're supposed to take that disk back to base. On a skybike. I said at the briefing that I didn't like the idea and that you should at the very least take the XT-7 instead of a bike." He stopped and met her piercing stare. "I don't care if the disk checks out and we need to get the data to Mentor. You're not going alone. I'm going with you."
Her brow furrowed, and she had a hard time keeping the annoyance out of her voice. "It's a hop, skip and a jump back to base using the gate. If the disk checks out, we're going to need you –"
"You asked me what my gut was telling me!" he hissed at her, trying to avoid drawing the others to them.
Her expression softened considerably, and she nodded. "Okay. But it's not like I haven't gone on solo missions before."
"Shall I bring up the close call at the medlab?" His brown eyes turned from angered to troubled. "And what happened the last time you went on one? Blastarr found you and dropped a wall on you."
"I wasn't technically alone. I had Polarksi with me." Jennifer put the nightscopes back to her eyes, trying her best to avoid the look he was giving her. She didn't need to be reminded how that mission had turned out. They had all survived, but it hadn't been pretty. She'd been aching for nearly two weeks following that mess.
He thumped the side of her head with a bent finger to get her attention again. "Doesn't count. No suit on Polarski, no real backup. You could have been killed and there's no way I'm going to let that happen again. Do you understand me?"
She stared at him for a long moment before nodding. "Yes. I do understand."
"Good. Because I am NOT going to lose you." He drew her against his side, hugging her quickly before resuming his work on the eye.
She surprised him with a light kiss on his cheek and a whispered 'love you too' as she raised the nightscopes again.
Rob grinned at her as he shook his head, his mood lifting. The first time she'd told him she loved him had been unintentional, and she'd been embarrassed by it, even if it had been how she'd felt. It had been a normal thing for her to say when she'd lived at Alpha Base, but once she'd moved out of the safety that had been her home, she'd withdrawn somewhat. Had become less free with her emotions. He'd had to reassure her that there was nothing wrong with her telling him; they had worked so closely together since she'd joined the team that they'd become almost like siblings. She'd been relieved when he'd told her he loved her also.
Now, it came out in moments like this, just a simple reminder of what they meant to each other.
"Why is your gut so against this? I mean, besides you not being able to live without me." She was teasingly bringing him back to it, whether he liked it or not. "Maybe it's time for us to finally get a leg up on Dread."
"We have never been given information like this, Jenn. What did Locke get in return? NOTHING." He answered his own question, not even waiting for her to give an answer. "There are so many red flags about this whole mission, I'm surprised we haven't blasted this place to ashes." Rob's attention was drawn back to the radarpack when it emitted a soft beep. "Thermal tracking engaged. Eye has something and it's on the move."
Jennifer looked over his arm, watching the sensor readings on his handheld. "Just a heat signal. The eye can't transmit anything more?"
"Not at this point. I'm happy we have even that right now." Baker continued to add commands to the eye. Coordinates popped up on the screen as he opened a comm line to the rest of the team. "Heat signal located. Target heading our way. ETA six minutes."
He turned his attention back to the blonde at his side. "Have you checked that disk yet?"
"I was going to, but Jon told me to hold until we secured the area." She patted the pouch on her weapons belt. She'd been only slightly surprised by the order he'd given her; his concern had been evident in the way he'd talked on their way back to the ship.
"I'm glad it's not just my gut that's twisted over it," he muttered.
"Cloak the ship, Scout." Power's voice came through their comms. "We're on our way to your position."
Chase took the eye controller and radar pack from Baker while he re-set the holocam to disguise the jumpship. Less than a minute later, the rest of the team had gathered with them. Scout continued monitoring the signal, noting the searching pattern the figure seemed to be taking.
"Tracking us," Tank offered.
Masterson nodded. "We didn't exactly hide our path out of there."
Power agreed grimly.
"Do we bug out of here or wait?" Chase looked at her commanding officer. Her eyebrow raised a moment later. "Or maybe do a little hunting of our own?"
All four men turned to her with surprise, but Power pointed a finger at her. "Yes. It's about the only thing that's making sense right now."
With a plan in place, they moved out in the direction of the heat signal. Rob fed the coordinates to all the suits as they went, continuously updating them until Power held his hand up to bring them to a stop. They fanned out and took up intercept positions, weapons ready.
Locke found himself surrounded as soon as he stepped into a small clearing within the building debris. He stood stiffly, hands in his pockets, glasses halfway down his nose. And he regarded them grimly.
"That disk is blank." Locke looked over his shoulder as he spoke, scanning the horizon in all directions.
"Explain." Jon stared at him in confusion at the point-blank statement.
"Dread wants you to go back to your base. He's got the biobeasts ready to tag along. Has the means to jump through your spacegates." He removed his glasses long enough to drag the back of his hand across both eyes, blinking fiercely before putting them back on.
Hawk and Tank watched him warily. His actions were strange, even for him. And the news he'd just delivered was extremely unsettling, though they did their best to hide it.
Jon saw the flash of concern from his two senior officers. That ANYONE, let alone the springer, even made mention of the gates was alarming. The jumpgates' existence couldn't be kept hidden forever, but they'd at least gone with the assumption that the coding sequence would have prevented anyone else from accessing them, even if they were discovered. If what Locke was suggesting was true, they were screwed. "Locke, what the hell is going on?" He took a step forward but stopped when Jennifer put a hand on his arm.
"This could be a setup." Her blue eyes held his, her voice low.
The data springer made a move toward Power but stopped when blasters were leveled at his heart. "That disk is the setup," he hissed, again looking in all directions. "If you return to your base, the Dreadheads are set to follow and blow it to hell."
Power looked at him, his face now unreadable.
"He's tracking your ship. Has a frequency modulator that will get him in." Locke lit a cigarette, his hands shaking as he took a long drag off it.
Jennifer frowned. There was something else he wasn't telling them, and she spoke directly to him. "Are they tracking you also?"
Behind Locke, Rob shook his head, answering her question with a full sweep of the thermal scanner.
"They don't need to." He shook his head, confirming what Baker had just conveyed. "The Dreadheads have my kids."
The haunted look on Locke's face hit Jon as if he'd been physically punched in the gut. They had worked with the data springer for well over a year and he'd never so much as hinted at having kids. But there was no denying the torture the man was going through as he stood before them.
All the emotions that knotted Jon's gut were on display in Baker's face and mirrored on Tank and Hawk. Beside him, Jennifer had gone quiet and took a step closer to him. He wanted to reach out, wanted to pull her into his arms and hold her until his nerves calmed and he could think clearly again.
Instead, he took a deep breath and focused on Locke. "Tell us what you know."
That was all the man needed to hear. "Data springers form leagues. No one in or out without full league green light. Bad chips are booted to league holds with sanctions so there's no system corruption. One bad chip broke the hold and leaked privy data to the Dreadheads to boomerang the sanctions. Two springers were flatlined when their hidey holes were blown." He paused for only a moment. "When the cascade kept on, little chips were moved to encrypted hidey holes. Mine were snatched en route. Their source code…my right hand…they flatlined her." At this, he pulled off his glasses again and had to swipe his eyes several times to be able to see clearly.
The team stared at him, barely understanding what he was insinuating. Jon chanced a look at Baker, then shook his head slightly, silently asking his sergeant for help.
"Rogue springer gave private intel on the springers in his group to some overunits in retaliation for putting him in lockup. They located their homes and killed two. Many of them have kids, so they were moving them to safe houses. Locke's were taken before they could get there." He hesitated, seeing the grief on Locke's face as he translated for his team, but continued, choosing his words carefully. "Their mother didn't make it."
Jon's nerves had steeled as the story progressed. He'd never anticipated this from Locke. Never would have thought the man had a family hidden somewhere in the recesses of this god-forsaken world. But he did, and they had been ripped from him. Just like nearly every other person he'd encountered. "How long ago did this happen?"
With a look at his watch, Locke bit off the words. "Three days, seven hours, forty-six minutes." Now that he'd divulged the information, the wound on his soul became a gaping hole. "The Dreadheads hunted me down. Told me what to do if I wanted them back."
"So, you agreed to it." Matt's statement wasn't an accusation. "Any father would." His face carried the grief of a man who would have done anything to get his own children back, no matter the cost.
"I agreed to their plan because you're my only chance at getting them back." His language had changed, realizing he had to speak in terms they understood if he was going to get their help, and he turned begging eyes on them. "Captain, that disk is blank. I swear to you. Please help me get my kids back. They're all I have left."
"Scout, Tank, check the disk. Report back after analysis. All safeguards in place." Power gave the orders firmly, though his mouth was dry, and his heart was racing. Dread had set them up for an ambush.
He had to separate the team, but he felt confident that Tank's firepower would protect Scout while he and Hawk would keep Pilot safe. Out of all the suits, theirs had the least weaponry to accommodate their need to remain nimble for their jobs; he hadn't had reason to doubt the programming until now. He'd do a thorough overhaul of their suits once they returned to the base. Peace of mind was well worth some down time.
Once the two were on their way back to the ship, he folded his arms over his chest. "Why should we trust you?"
"Cap, I have never lied to you. I could have gone along with their plan, but I know they won't give them back to me even if they get you. You're my best chance at seeing them again." His breathing had steadied, and he looked relieved to finally unload the burden he'd been carrying. His plea remained the same though. "Please. I've already lost their mother. I can't lose them too."
"What about Cypher?" Jennifer asked.
Jon heard the wariness in her voice and watched as she studied him. She'd observed several interrogations during her time in the Dread Youth and he knew she was now looking for any signs of deception. The fact that they'd already been duped by him meant she was going to tear apart every word he said, every intonation, every muscle movement.
God, there were so many times he wondered how they'd gotten by without her. And he never wanted to go back to those days.
"They don't have him. It was meant to get you moving so they could follow you."
The location was far enough away that they would have had to use a gate to get to the rendezvous in time. It had been a perfect plan.
Except that Dread hadn't anticipated the trust the data springer had in the team he now faced.
Without waiting for any more prompting, Locke continued. "Miranda is twelve. Peter is ten. They both have tracking implants –"
Hawk, Pilot and Power couldn't stop their mouths from dropping open.
"I needed to know I could keep my eyes on them even when I wasn't with them." He took another drag from the cigarette and looked around nervously. Smoke came out of his mouth when he spoke, but it was almost to himself. "They were supposed to be safe."
Jon couldn't keep the bitterness out of his voice. "No one is safe, Locke." He knew that all too well and Dread was upping the ante every time they turned around.
The springer ignored the comment. "My amplifiers were destroyed when they raided. My league's base was blown apart. I have nowhere to go to track them and the only equipment I have is in this pack."
Hawk smirked. "You were still able to mess with us for a few."
"It's not enough," he snapped, then turned pleading eyes on Power. "PLEASE help me."
"Turn off whatever dampener you're using to block our trackers." Jennifer looked at him pointedly and when he growled his refusal, she leveled her blaster at him.
"There's Dreadheads crawling all around here. Why not just send them an invitation to this party?" Locke snapped.
Hawk's eyes narrowed, and his own blaster came down. "So, you're not denying using a jammer."
With that, Locke rolled his eyes. "I'm desperate, not stupid. I'll use whatever will help me get my kids back."
"Including us?" Jennifer snapped back.
Power shot her a warning look and was not shocked when she returned it. Behind Locke, Masterson couldn't contain a smirk. She had good reason to question him, given the pack of lies they'd just been fed.
Power clenched his teeth together. If Locke was telling the truth, there was no way he would turn him down. But if he was lying? If he was leading them down an even worse path? He'd wouldn't think twice about giving Locke the same fate as the overunit that took on his persona and took the lives of so many people.
"Captain?"
Their comms chirped, and Jon responded immediately to his sergeant, grateful for the shift in attention. "Go ahead, Scout." His eyes flicked between the three, who were still in a tenuous standoff.
"The disk is completely blank. No data, no hidden signals being sent, no homing beacons, no viruses, nothing." They could hear Scout typing on his console even as he spoke. "And Cypher himself just tagged in. He has NOT been captured and he is happy to give Dread a headache for his efforts, if we'd like."
"Copy that. Tell Cypher to hold. We might need a diversion. Secure the ship and continue monitoring all frequencies and a five-kilometer radius of the ship." Jon looked past Locke to where Masterson stood behind him. He knew Matt's decision without even asking the question. There was no denying the vengeance in his eyes. He'd lost his own children and he'd be damned if anyone else would lose theirs if he still had a breath in him.
Beside him, Jennifer gave a simple nod of acknowledgement; she was deferring to his judgement. He knew from experience that if her gut was telling her something was wrong, she would speak up. At the moment, she was just annoyed that Locke had the upper hand with the jamming device. In a short while, she'd confiscate it from him, figure out the technology, and add it to her own arsenal.
He would deal with that later. There was no more time to waste. "Locke, you're with us." He motioned for his team to stand down and prayed he was making the right decision.
With Pilot leading, they quickly picked their way through the debris strewn region again. Locke said nothing as they ran and Jon was more than a little surprised the man kept pace with them, given his smoking habit. There were worse things in the world that could kill him, he concluded. No point in passing judgement on him.
Not yet, anyway.
Tank was patrolling the ground outside the jumpship when they broke into the small clearing and lifted his face shield as they drew closer. Scout, no longer in armor, appeared at the jumpship's hatch and took the stairs down two at a time.
Once again surrounded by Power's entire team, Locke removed his glasses and again swiped the back of his hand across his eyes. "Thank you."
"We haven't done anything yet and we don't know if we can." Jon's expression was grim.
Locke shrugged. "You believe me. That's more than I had hoped."
"Tell us everything about the trackers and the last known location of your children." Power nodded to both Baker and Chase, silently ordering them to note anything that could be used in the search.
After the two peppered him with dozens of questions and finally fell silent, Jon nodded to Locke. "We have rations, water and a bedroll. You are welcome to all of it while we go over the intel."
They could all see the gratitude in his eyes even before he said it out loud.
With another nod, Power ordered Tank to set up the springer's camp near the front of the ship while he and Scout quickly moved inside to get the supplies.
As the rest of the team moved out of earshot, Pilot stared after Locke. Hawk paused beside her, following her gaze. Without taking her eyes off him, she said softly, "He mated with someone?"
Hawk understood the disbelief. They'd found themselves relying on informants more frequently as the years had passed and Locke was certainly one of the more eccentric ones. Pilot had commented more than once about his mannerisms and speech, struggling to understand the offbeat nature of the data springer. "Mated? Kid, we call that 'having a family'. Don't be so shocked that people fall in love and have kids. Even the people you don't understand." Matt smiled gently at her.
Pilot shrugged. "You guys are my family. I didn't have to mate to get you."
Had she not been so serious, he might have let a slightly crass comment slip. Instead, he simply shook his head. "No. But you might decide someday you'd like to have some children."
She was already shaking her head. "Highly unlikely, Matt. I wouldn't even know where to start." A sad smile crossed her face and she set out to the jumpship.
"Jennifer," Masterson called after her. She stopped, waited for him to catch up with her. "Just keep an open mind about it. You never know."
She shook her head again, this time more emphatically. "Matt, I'm former Dread Youth. I was raised by machines to bring down mankind. Who's going to want someone with that background?" Her voice had dropped to almost a whisper by the time she finished speaking.
"We know your background and we want you," he teased, nudging her shoulder with his.
This time, she looked at him, an eyebrow raised, arms crossed over her chest. "You also try to get rid of a fanatic hell bent on destroying the world with me. We don't have the most normal of relationships."
He couldn't help but chuckle at that. "You are correct."
"You two planning on joining us anytime soon?" They both turned to find Power leaning against the jumpship's doorframe. Scout and Tank were at the far end of the ship, setting up a small camp for Locke.
"Deep thoughts?" Jon asked as they drew closer.
Hawk couldn't help himself. "Just trying to find someone for Jennifer to mate with."
"Matt!" She punched his arm and stomped up the steps, her cheeks reddening. "I'm never mating," she muttered in Jon's direction as she tried to squeeze past him into the ship.
"Never?" he asked, casually blocking her entry.
The blush spread across her whole face and she averted her eyes. "Can we not discuss this anymore?"
"Hey…" Jon waited for her to look at him again and when she didn't, he continued anyway. "Don't say 'never'. Someday, you might find someone you not only love, but want to have a family of your own with. Be willing to take that chance. It's one of the biggest reasons I'm still fighting this war."
There was surprise in her eyes when she finally looked at him. "You want to mate?"
The continued use of 'mate' brought a smile he couldn't hold in and he nodded. Maybe talking to her like this would make their conversation later a little easier to have. "Yes, I want a family, Jennifer. It probably sounds ridiculous to you, but when this war is finally done, I want a bunch of kids running amok, getting in trouble, arguing with each other and making me crazy. I want to hold their mother in my arms every night. I want her face to be the last thing I see before I fall asleep and the first thing I see when I wake up. I want to grow old with her and watch our grandchildren make our own kids as crazy as they made us."
She regarded him for a moment, then asked softly, "How will you know when you've found the right person?" She looked like she wanted to believe him but was still struggling with self-doubt.
He shrugged, wanting so desperately to tell her how he really felt. But he couldn't. Not with Matt there. So instead, he chose his words carefully. "I'm going to trust my gut. That's all I'm asking you to do. None of us know for certain, right Matt?"
Hawk nodded his agreement and for a moment, Jon hesitated. He wanted to say more, but from the look on Jennifer's face, he knew it wasn't the right time. Later. When this mission was done.
"Can I get to work now?" As soon as he moved, she went into the ship without looking back.
Matt climbed the stairs and stood beside Jon. The turmoil showed on the captain's face as he continued to stare after her. "She'll trust her gut. She's good at that." He patted the younger man's shoulder, then went inside to give whatever help he could.
For a long moment, Jon stood on the ramp, his eyes scanning the horizon as he fought the acid rising in his esophagus. Had Locke not said anything to them, had he not trusted his own gut and scrapped their original plan, Jennifer would have gone to the base alone and been captured or digitized. Or killed.
He couldn't focus on that. She was safe inside the jumpship, working with Scout to ensure the safety of the entire team and the security of their base.
She was still alive.