Sometimes when you do something that is right, you still do something bad. When it comes to the fight between good and evil, you can't get caught up in the shades of gray. Even the purest good has traces of darkness. And the darkest of all evil has a shred of truth. So no matter what happens, stick to your guns and don't let the thinness of the line shake you.
-Peacemaker
Peacemaker marched into the briefing room. Panic wasn't the word for the scene he observed. There were cries of dismay, rushing Pawns, hectic conversations, but black and white Bishop guided the frenzy away from chaos. Tasks were prioritized and dealt with accordingly. Focus on high risk prisoners. Set up checkpoints to barricade escape attempts. Get the wounded to the infirmary. And so on.
On the screens, escaped prisoners were tracked, orders issued to black operatives to contain and recapture. Peacemaker paced the room, searching for a screen that showed the Texan boy. He found something else.
"You," Peacemaker pointed a finger at a Pawn. The girl turned to him. "Aren't you that idiot who said the Texan couldn't escape?"
Nadia beamed up at him. "Hey, dude! Good to see you on your feet." She now wore the regulation white uniform though Peacemaker spotted the purple hat stuffed in her pocket.
"I should snap your neck right here."
"You're the one who ignored my alerts."
Peacemaker huffed out a breath. "Got anything on the Texan?"
Nadia swiveled back to her station. "Tracking him now."
Peacemaker's own attention went to the center screen. A satellite view followed a red box that indicated a moving target. "So he escaped?"
"Unless there's some other weirdo in black super suit shouting Mexican slang."
Peacemaker shook his head. This kid ... he was only making it worse for himself. "Where is he now?"
"Flying West."
"Flying? He steal a plane?"
"His suit apparently has built in thrusters."
Apparently. Just like he apparently could break invincible handcuffs and apparently escape an inescapable prison. "Get birds on his tail."
"Dude, he's too small. Too fast. Out danced those Ospreys like they were a couple of blind, one-legged hippos."
The crosshairs targeting the Texan flickered then went gray. The landscape stopped rolling and an error message appeared. Nadia manipulated the signal, navigated screens, and entered commands. The signal returned, then went dark again. "We lost him," she said.
"Get him back."
"Our radar's no use on a target that small and his energy signal's being cloaked. It's not like the mountains are helping either."
"Then fire up an Osprey. I'll track him myself."
"Don't count on it," a voice said.
Peacemaker turned to face Bordeaux. She looked as collected as ever—beside her frazzled hair, singed uniform, and fresh blood splatter across her boots. Her weapons were holstered but Peacemaker could smell the prick of sulfur from their hot barrels. Peacemaker knew he couldn't look much better. After being electrocuted, having a tumble with a Khund, and getting a ceiling dropped on him, he felt about as attractive as ground beef.
"Texan escaped on your watch," she said.
Peacemaker's shoulders drew back and he dwarfed Bordeaux in his shadow. "As I recall, you were standin' right behind me."
"It was your assignment. The responsibility's on you. You're out," she said.
"Out? What's that supposed to mean?" Heads briefly turned. But he didn't care if he was yelling. He was trying to do his job and some bureaucratic pile of shit was being shoved in his face.
Bishop Midnight beared down on them. "I ordered all Knights to spearhead containment squads. What are you two doing up here? Get your asses back to shooting things!"
"I merely came to inform Agent Peacemaker about his pending review."
"Review for what?" he shot back.
Midnight swore and her temper flared. She leaned forward, arms waving as she spoke, eyes ablaze with a will to thrash her protegee. "We're in the middle of an all out breach and you bring this to my house," Midnight spoke. "Don't you have the decency to wait until this is over? Not my people. You hear me, Sasha? We'll see about this so called review. Not any of my people!" She barreled through a swarm of Pawns, scattering them like bowling pins. She attacked the intercom, yelling over the line to get Peacemaker out of this mess.
Bordeaux ignored her. "This is the first prison break since Checkmate commandeered this facility."
Peacemaker shook his head. "And that's on me, is that what you're saying?"
"It doesn't have to be," Bordeaux said. "With help from certain people of influence, I'm sure nothing would come of these charges."
"Now I'm facing charges? For what, doing my job?"
"I'm not here to attack you," she calmed. "I have no control over this. I'm here to warn you what's coming."
"Really? Because you sure seem ta be enjoying this."
"From one soldier to another, I'd seriously rethink my loyalties. Change is coming for Checkmate. That's why all the officers have a brick up their rear. Everyone's scrambling to find enough backing, collect loyalty. When this change comes, you want to have the right people behind you."
"And what people are those?" he growled.
She didn't answer. And she didn't have to. Peacemaker gave Bordeaux a stare that would have had most men peeing their pants. She gave a nondescript blink.
A glance at Midnight across the room and he knew that whoever she was talking to, it didn't look good for him. Her face was bright red and a ferocious scowl slashed across her face. Midnight was powerless to help him.
Midnight, Queen, King, white side, blackside. It really was a scramble. Like digging through couch cushions looking for loose change. He'd walked right into the middle of it. And he'd been played a fool. Politics. He was better off in the field. Away from Castle. Away from all the backstabbing, shit eating powerplay. But here he was.
He knew who he was loyal to. Who he'd prefer to be loyal to. But this much was clear, unless Peacemaker switched and became black King's Knight, he was sunk.
Peacemaker faced Bordeaux. "You tell King-"
"Peacemaker," Midnight broke in. "Got you one last chance." A frown flickered across Bordeaux's face briefly. "Get that Texan back here in under 72 hours and you're golden. Don't say I never did nothing for you." Midnight whirled away just as quickly, focused on overseeing the lockdown.
Peacemaker didn't give Bordeaux a second glance. He grabbed the nearest Pawn by the throat and shot out a string of demands.
A jet. A four man team. And really big guns. And so help him if he got up to the helipad and there was one thing missing, you pale, malformed leech.
It didn't matter that the Texan was too small a target, that he was cloaking his energy signal, or that he couldn't be tracked. Peacemaker knew where the Texan was going. If he'd discovered anything in the interrogation, it was that the kid was inexperienced and scared.
72 hours. It wasn't much. But it was a lifeline. And he would hang on to it until the very last second.
Below, snowcapped mountains dove into a valley. Silver veins of rivers traced the craggy landscape. Life braved the valleys in sharp emerald, huddling beneath the snowline. The wind's icy tongue rasped against Jaime's body as he slid through the air.
"We ain't in Texas, Toto," he said.
Clearly this wasn't Texas. How Jaime could even confuse this landscape with-
"It's a movie," he began to explain, then realized he wasn't actually talking to anyone. "Nevermind. Where am I?"
According to Earth's global satellite positioning system: approximate latitude 46, longitude-
"English, hermano."
Request unecissary. Idioms of 40 million sectors resided in the database allowing Jaime to understand each.
"I know you're not speaking English. I mean what state are we in?"
Power: 12 percent. Main systems: functional. Life readings: normal. Operating system: under repair.
Was the suit trying to get smart with him? "What state are we located in? United States!" He rolled his eyes.
The premise of the question was faulty—
Jaime wondered how he could hit the stupid thing without hurting himself.
—since he was not located in the geographic area known as the United States of America.
He cocked his head. "What's that mean?"
He was located above the country of Italy along the mountain range called the Swiss Alps.
"Say what!" Jaime yelped. He took in the jagged landscape with wide eyes. The Franklin mountains in El Paso got a dusting of snow every now and then, so that wasn't new to him. But this ... this was the malditas Swiss Alps!
So cool.
And so far away from home.
"Fly me home, traje. You can do that, right? Like, across the Atlantic? Santo cielo! I have to fly across the Atlantic freaking ocean!"
This mode of action was irrational. Jaime's identity was compromised. He should not return to his residence.
"I'm going home."
In that case, elimination of those who would endanger his safety was advised. Recommendation: high intensity blast-
"We're not blowing up Italy," he said.
Incineration unnecessary. To wipe out the enemy's castle he need only cause an avalanche of sufficient magnitude.
"Forget these Checkmate freaks. I'm the one wearing the pants in this relationship. Literally. And I said, vete a casa!"
This mode of action would not be allowed. Priority: repair, recharge, and complete synchronization.
"I'm not doing anything until I see my family."
Query: Once this family was viewed, then Jaime would comply with directive?
"Sure. We'll talk all about that. After I get home."
Priority: home. Plotting course.
Sun at his back, Jaime split through the sky. Land gave way to ocean, and eventually, sun turned to dawn, and dawn turned to night. That was his life now; everything out of place. One big confusing mess.
Jaime watched the faceless water scroll beneath him. He flew low to avoid radar, so low the salty savor of el mar filled his body. Occasionally, he caught flashes of his reflection on the water's surface. He stared down at the ebony figure. Glowing eyes stared back up.
"Why is this happening to me?" he asked the figure. But his voice was eaten up by the wind along with any answer it had to offer.
Loose Spanish translation as taken in context:
el mar - the sea
hermano - dude
malditas - freaking
santo cielo - holy crap / good heavens
traje - suit
vete a casa - go home