Epic: Book 03 - Hero (57 page)

It all became clear—why Saretok had been there all along. Not to provide temporary stability to the unit, but to find out if Scott was prepared to take the reins. All other motives had been a facade.

Saretok approached Scott in the troop bay until they were standing face to face. “Where Dostoevsky has failed, you can succeed. You wield fear like a sword. You can be strong.”

Fear and strength—the motivating tools of the Nightmen. Scott was a Nightman
because
of those two factors.

“
That is why you are valuable to General Thoor. You have fire that few others have.”

Scott closed his eyes. Fire that few others had—that was why The Machine cared so much about him, enough to throw the more experienced, and maybe more skilled Dostoevsky in the trash. Scott’s violent propensities were more desirable.

“
Your rule begins here.”

They wanted anger. They wanted force and vehemence and someone who would inflict pain at the drop of a hat. They wanted a lion of their own.

It was time to give them one.

Scott didn’t stifle the urge. In a single, fluid motion, he twisted, thrust forward, and kicked Saretok dead in the chest. The colonel flew backward and rolled all the way out of the ship. Everyone else jumped to their feet.

Scott stood at the edge of the ramp. In the thin layer of snow below, Saretok scrambled to his feet. But it was the American fulcrum—the Golden Fulcrum—who closed the debate. “You just told me my rule begins here. Who am I to disagree?”

“
Remington!”
Saretok yelled.

“
Everyone, prepare for ascent. Travis, send a message to the Fifty-first and Forty-second. Tell them we’re on our way.”

“
Remington!”

Scott turned around. Saretok was still standing in the snow, veins bulging from his forehead. “Do you think you will escape from this? Do you realize what you have done? You have destroyed all you have built up!”

“
Do me a favor and watch the prisoners,” Scott said. “I’m sure they’ll send someone for you eventually.” He turned to walk away, but paused and looked back down the ramp. “Then again—some Nightmen aren’t worth saving.”

Every operative in the troop bay grinned.

At the bottom of the ramp, Auric and Egor turned to Nicolai and Viktor. Together, the slayers strode past Dostoevsky into the ship.

Scott had already moved on.
One Cruiser and one Battleship. There could be a hundred Ceratopians. We have no idea how many Noboats there are.
He addressed the crew. “We’re dropping into a very hot zone. Travis, I want every ounce of info you can get me.”

“
Already on it!”

Svetlana touched Scott’s arm. She said nothing, but gave him a purposeful look. She motioned her head down the ramp.

Dostoevsky was still standing outside. As the icy winds of Verkhoyanskiy swept past him, his weathered black hair tossed about. He watched the unit that was leaving him behind.

Scott observed the Russian.
Is this how you thought it would be, Yuri? Are you getting what you deserve?
Scott angled his head down in consideration.
Or do you deserve another chance, too?
He stared at Dostoevsky for what felt like a full minute. Then he spoke. “We could use a hand, Yuri.”

The other operatives and slayers stared at the abandoned fulcrum. Dostoevsky slipped his helmet back on.

Redeem yourself, Yuri. Make yourself right.

As Dostoevsky stepped into the
Pariah
, Saretok was left in his wake. Behind the colonel, the bound Bakma prisoners looked confused. The
Pariah
‘s rear bay door slowly closed.

Max approached Scott. “What’s the plan?”

The plan? He hadn’t gotten that far yet. “There’s no way we can do this alone. We could be outnumbered twenty to one.”

“
Tanneken,” Max said. “She’ll come if I call.”

Scott thought about it. Tanneken was only a lieutenant; she couldn’t dictate the actions of a squad. Furthermore, if she or anyone from the Thirty-ninth came to help, there was no telling what Thoor would do in revenge. She didn’t deserve that.

Scott needed someone else. He needed a leader who didn’t matter to The Machine. Someone with something to prove. He grabbed Max by the shoulder before he could call anyone. “Wait. Don’t call Tanneken yet.”

Max stopped in mid-comm adjustment.

“
I know someone else.”

35

Friday, November 25
^th
, 0011 NE

0652 hours

EDEN Command

At the same time

Benjamin Archer was brushing his teeth when a knock came at his door. Leaning down, he spit out a mouthful of toothpaste. “Just a moment!”

It was the start of a new day at EDEN Command. With no meetings scheduled with the High Command until mid-afternoon, the morning was open for all the judges. Archer was a punctual 0630 riser.

Walking to the door with a freshly rinsed mouth, the blond Briton pulled it open. Still draped in his dark green bathrobe, he stared at the courier before him. “Is there a problem?”

The courier was struggling for breath. “Sorry, Judge Archer,” he said. He extended a hand that held a small letter. “Message from Kang. He told me to run.”

“
Very well. Thank you,” said Archer, taking the letter. He stepped back inside his room and closed the door. Unfolding the letter, he quietly read.

Moments later, the same door was flung open from inside. The courier, still outside in the hall, flinched and turned around. Archer sped past him up the hall, his robe flapping behind him. Clenched firmly in his hand was the letter.

“
Jason! Malcolm!” Archer yelled into his comm. “I need you both in the War Room
at once
!” Dodging past the sparse crowd in the hallways, he ran full speed ahead.

A minute later, Archer burst through the doors of EDEN Command’s War Room. In the center of the room, a holographic globe of Earth slowly rotated. From various consoles along the walls, staffers turned to the intruding judge.

“
Everyone, out!”
Archer shouted. People jumped out of their chairs and rushed for the doors.

The War Room was the hub of all global operations for EDEN. Every incursion—every incident—appeared on the globe, which could be manipulated at will. It was rare when this special room came into use, but it was always ready. It had most recently been used for the massive attack on Europe.

No sooner had the last staffer exited than Judge Blake burst through the door. He was barefoot in a T-shirt and briefs. “What the bloody hell is going on?”

“
Catastrophe,” Archer said, manipulating the globe so that it displayed Verkhoyanskiy from every angle. “They had him. They bloody
had
him.”

“
Who? They had
who
? And who is
they
?”

Just then Judge Rath entered. He was the only judge in proper garb. “What the hell?”

Archer spoke into the console comm. “Security lockout, priority black, requested by Archer, Benjamin, authorization: Tango Delta Foxtrot.” The doors along the walls slid shut and their locking mechanisms engaged. The security cameras in the room deactivated themselves.

Rath and Malcolm rushed to the globe.

“
They were leaving Earth with him when they got intercepted,” Archer said frantically. His voice was shaking. “Thoor’s already got two units there.”

Blake shook his head confoundedly. “I have no idea what you’re talking—”

“
H`laar!” Archer shouted. “The Golathoch had H`laar!” Both the other judges stared in disbelief.

“
They were intercepted by a squadron of Noboats. Thoor moved in to secure the whole thing.” Archer quickly worked the controls. “If he gets H`laar and he is
alive
…” He thrust Kang’s letter into Blake’s hands. “Read for yourself!”

“
Where was he?” Rath asked. “Was he already on Earth?”

Archer shook his head. “I have no idea.”

“
What time is it there?”

“
Late morning, early afternoon.”

“
Vector,” said Rath.

“
Vector’s too clever. I’m contacting Platis.”

Over Archer’s comm, a Chinese voice spoke aloud. “Tracking fifth Vulture to crash site.”

“
Fifth?”
Rath’s brow arched straight up.

“
The first four were grounded,” Archer growled as he opened a new comm connection. “General Platis, this is Judge Archer from EDEN Command. I need the Agema dispatched at once. Sending your orders now.” He transmitted the coordinates and parameters.

Moments later, a Greek voice replied. “Orders received.”

Archer spoke clearly and firmly. “This is a priority black assignment. You have clearance to engage Thoor’s forces if you must. The objective summary will tell you everything you need to know.”

“
Understood, judge.”

The channel was closed.

For the first time in over a minute, Judge Blake spoke. He was still clutching Kang’s letter low at his side. “Platis will never make it in time. If Thoor’s already got transports en route and on scene…”

Archer ignored him and turned to Rath. “Meet them outside of
Cairo
. You know what for.”

The Canadian judge left the room.

Only then did Archer answer his British counterpart. Turning his eyes back to the orbiting globe, he rested his hands on the railing encircling it. “Never doubt, Malcolm. Never doubt.”

* * *

“
Sir,” shouted Travis from the cockpit, “I’ve got a layout!”

Scott was already in the middle of another task. Adjusting his comm to a frequency he’d used only once before, he placed the call.

Rex Gabriel was in the middle of a cafeteria meal when his comm sounded. The remnants of Pelican Squad—those who remained at
Novosibirsk
—gave the sudden noise their attention as well. The moppy-haired Australian scrutinized his comm display. When he recognized Scott’s name, he furrowed his brow and answered. “Gabriel, mate.”

“
You still want to repay that debt, captain?” Scott asked through the speaker.

In the background of the
Pariah
, Travis was yelling. “Five Noboats on the ground! I’m getting nothing from the EDEN units.”

“
Where are you, Remington?” asked Gabriel.

For the next minute, Scott explained everything, from the initial callout to the trapped units’ ignored pleas for help. With every word he said, the operatives of the Pelican grew more and more anxious. Gabriel motioned to his crew to get ready, and they rose from their seats.

“
Do you have a pilot?” Scott asked.

“
Yes, but no ship.”

In the
Pariah
‘s troop bay,
Max tapped Scott from behind. “Tanneken,” Max said. “Trust me, man.”

Scott had no choice but to give in. “Find Tanneken Brunner,” he said to Gabriel. “She’s a lieutenant with the Thirty-ninth.”

“
She’s a commander,” Max corrected. “She’s a commander now.”

A commander? That changed things considerably. Max motioned for the comm and Scott handed it to him.

“
Gabriel, this is Matthew Axen. I know Tanneken real good…”

Scott didn’t hear whatever else Max said. After a third request for his presence from Travis, he went to the cockpit, leaning in between the pilot and Boris. “What do we have?”

“
Check out the map. The Ceratopian ships are surrounded.”

The wall monitor showed that the two Ceratopian vessels were not far from each other. The Battleship sat in the center of the display, with the smaller Cruiser within walking distance to the southeast.

The four crashed Vultures were split into two pairs. There was a pair to the west of the Battleship belonging to the Fifty-first. The two Forty-second Vultures were west of the Cruiser.

It became immediately apparent why the EDEN units had been overrun. Bakma Noboats surrounded the Ceratopian Battleship in a wide circle, encompassing the Vultures as well. Three Noboats were to the west, and two to the east. Humans were the only barriers between the Bakma and the Ceratopians. They’d been mugged from behind and forced inside the Ceratopian vessels—surrounded by two apparently antagonistic species.