Metal and Ash (Apex Trilogy) (51 page)

“You too,” Dog replied.

“Try not to crash,” Immy giggled. “Rookie.”

“Oh, so now you’ll call me that?” Dog laughed. “You be careful, cuz.”

“Careful doesn’t exist in the waste,” Immy giggled again as her cyces peeled off.

Dog had to laugh to himself over the turn of events. He had one messed up family. It was incredible the lengths Eden went to hide their true nature just to see if he was who his uncle thought he was. He felt bad about killing the two guards at the Maze, but the Mayor had said they were going to be deader food anyway, they just didn’t know it.

“You ready for this, boy?” the Mayor asked. “You don’t have 50 tons of metal wrapped around you.”

“I’m also not stuck in a cage without weapons and a 300 pound deader coming at me,” Dog said. “I call this a draw.”

“Good way to look at it,” the Mayor replied. “You’re coming up on that blip.”

“Any idea of what it is?” Dog asked.

“It’s biochrome,” the Mayor said. “My techs have figured out that signature. Two life forms for sure.”

“For sure?”

“There’s a third that they can’t get a fix on. It keeps coming up as human then biochrome then human. Could be just some sensor interference.”

“Could be, but I’m not taking any chances. You see that blip act aggressive and let me know. We’ll blast it on the run. Won’t even stop to piss on the rubble.”

“Ah, there’s the Boiler talking,” the Mayor chuckled. “Don’t let that take over. Keep your wits about you.”

“I always do,” Dog smiled. That set the Mayor off laughing. Dog couldn’t help but notice that the Mayor’s laugh and Immy’s giggle were a lot alike.

Family.

***

“What are they?” Mr. Gein asked.

“They look like magcycles,” Charlie said. “A lot of them.”

“They are motorcycles, I believe,” Stone answered. “But adapted to the rigors of this wasteland, of course. I believe our ride ends here. Time to talk our way out of execution.”

“You mean talk our way out of mine and the jack’s execution,” Mr. Gein said. “You’ll wiggle out of it like you always do.”

Stone shrugged as he stopped the mag-skiff. “I am a survivor.”

The pack of cyces halted as one and they watched a single rider come towards them.

“You the advance team offering to surrender?” Dog asked as he stopped his cyce and flipped up his visor. “If so then I accept.”

“Wit in the wasteland,” Stone grinned. “Who would have thought? No, we’re not part of the army that is pursuing us.” Stone snapped his fingers. Nothing happened. He snapped his fingers again and looked over his shoulder. “Don’t make me pull you out, jack.” Charlie stepped from the mag-skiff awkwardly in his warped shock suit. “That’s better. I need to speak to someone in charge. I have a deal to make.”

“Not in the deal making business today,” Dog said. “We’re in the ripping off heads and shitting down necks business.”

“Graphic and humorous,” Stone replied. “But hardly productive. As you can see I have one of the Americans here. Maybe one of the last. We need safe passage and he needs to keep his life. You let us pass and proceed to the ‘Stronghold’, I believe you call it, and we’ll make sure he doesn’t have an untimely accident.”

“Um, I’m sorry,” Dog said as he pulled a pistol from his hip. “Did you not hear that I’m not making deals? Kill him. See if I care. I don’t know Americans from shit.”

***

“Looks like that Dog guy is having a pow-wow with someone down there,” Styles 1 said as the BTT hovered over the cyces, waiting to see what move Dog made. “I’m picking up nothing but BC from those folks.” He zoomed in and scanned the three men. “Jesus, is that one of our troopers?”

Melissa leaned forward. “Put it on holo.” A detailed image of the mag-skiff, Stone, Mr. Gein, Dog and Charlie came to life in front of her. “Holy fuck! That’s Charlie Masterson!”

“Damn,” Styles replied. “Then that deal the other guy is trying to make may be worth something.”

“Wait…,” Melissa said as she looked closer. “I know that…no…”

She stood up immediately and stalked from the cockpit. “Land us.”

“Are you insane, girl?” Styles said. “If I land then we have to come out of stealth. That kinda gives away our hand.”

“We’re here to make BC suits as we come across the scraps once this battle starts,” Melissa snapped. “We weren’t going to be hidden forever anyway. Fucking land us!”

“Okay, okay, calm down now,” Styles said as he piloted the BTT away from the cyces and set it down. As soon as he took the aircraft out of stealth all eyes turned towards it. “There ya go. Naked as a jay bird.”

But Melissa didn’t hear him as she was already out of the BTT and running towards Stone.

***

“Damn if this isn’t a surprise,” Stone said as he watched Melissa close on him. “Ms. Bretton, I certainly didn’t expect you to be here.”

“You’re fucking dead, Stone!” Melissa shouted as her BC uniform morphed and she raised her forearm. She fired three shots and all hit Stone square in the forehead.

The man didn’t even stumble. His head quickly repaired and he shook off the affects.

“Those were some well grouped shots,” Stone said as Melissa skidded to a stop, stunned. “If I was real flesh and blood you’d have taken me out with the first one. But, as you can see, I am not flesh and blood.” He lifted his right hand and it shifted faster than Melissa could see. By the time she’d registered what Stone had done with his hand, the bullet had slammed into Melissa’s chest, knocking her onto her back. “I’m really just about the blood now.”

“Motherfucker,” Dog yelled as he aimed his cyce at Stone.

“Calm down, rider,” Stone said. “She’s just winded. I could sense the BC suit before she fired her first shot.” Melissa painfully pushed herself up onto her elbows. “See? Perfectly fine. Just making a point.”

“What’s…he want?” Melissa asked as she got to her feet. “What’s the deal?”

“Safe passage to the Stronghold,” Dog replied. “I’m guessing he wants to meet with Capreze.”

“And I thought all of you wastelanders were mutants and inbred morons,” Stone smiled.

“He rides with us,” Melissa said. “Or he dies here.”

“Well, I’m not so sure about the dying,” Stone said.

“I am,” Melissa replied. “Styles?”

“I have everything locked on the bastard,” Styles replied over the loudspeaker so all could hear. “Just say when.”

“You okay, Charlie?” Melissa asked, looking past Stone.

“Fine, Mel,” Charlie nodded. “Is my dad…?” Melissa shook her head. “Damn.”

“You ride with us and see this shit through,” Melissa said. “Then we take you to Capreze. That’s the deal.”

Stone locked eyes with Melissa for a few moments then nodded. “Fair enough. I have a feeling I could survive a ten thousand foot drop even if you wanted to toss me out of that aircraft.”

“I may put that to the test,” Melissa smiled. “Now get your ass inside.” Stone nodded and slowly walked past to the BTT. Melissa grabbed Mr. Gein by the arm. “Do I know you?”

“The name’s Gein,” Mr. Gein said. “I used to be someone. Now I’m nothing.”

“Let’s keep it that way,” Melissa said. “Being on my radar right now isn’t healthy for anyone.”

“Point taken,” Mr. Gein nodded and continued past.

“Good to see you, Mel,” Charlie said as he hugged her. “Did anyone make it off that beach?”

“Not that I know of,” Melissa said.

“Des?”

Melissa shrugged. “Trying not to think about it.”

“Me too. You coming?”

“Styles will get you settled,” Melissa said. “I have some work to do here.”

Melissa moved to the mag-skiff and started working on suits right away. Dog pulled up next to her.

“Sure we shouldn’t off the fucker now?” Dog asked. “Might be safer.”

“I don’t know what he is,” Melissa said. “So he stays alive until I do. That way I can make sure he stays dead when I kill him.”

Dog smiled and motioned for riders to come get their suits. “Sounds good.”

“Feels bad,” Melissa said as she finished converting the BC from the skiff into suits. “I’ll get more made once you guys start fucking up those HAVs. That’ll be plenty of BC for all.”

“Well then we better get to the fucking up,” Dog said as he lowered his visor and sped off. The rest of the riders quickly followed.

Melissa dashed back to the BTT and climbed aboard. “Cocktails are in the bar,” she said to Stone and Mr. Gein. “Make the best use of them. Could be your last.”

Mr. Gein was up and at the bar before she’d finished speaking.

***

“Do not slow down,” Reginald ordered. “Push through those little bicycles.”

“Sir,” his driver replied. “They are heavily armed.”

“So are we,” Reginald said. “But why waste ammunition and resources. We have size on our side. They will be crushed.”

“Yes, sir,” the driver said, relaying the order to the rest of the HAVs. “ETA is five minutes.”

***

“Here we go, Eden!” Dog shouted over the com. “Let’s take this fight to them!”

The cyces all accelerated towards the HAVs. Dog wondered why they hadn’t started firing, but he really didn’t care. Less shit coming at him the better.

That didn’t stop the cyces from opening up on the HAVs, though. Their mini-guns fired at full speed, sending thousands of rounds at the armored vehicles. The gunfire wasn’t as effective as Dog had hoped as he watched bullets ricochet off and fly around in all directions. Everyone got the picture quickly and stopped firing. They would have to bring out the big guns.

***

Reginald watched the cyces zoom about the HAVs and cursed as the highly maneuverable machines dodged easily out of the HAVs’ way. Not a single cyce went down under massive wheels.

“Now you can open fire,” Reginald ordered. “Spread wide and blast them to fucking hell!”

“Yes, sir!”

***

Dog took the first bullet in the right shoulder and it nearly tore him off his cyce, but Melissa’s suit made sure he wasn’t ripped open by the heavy caliber round and he was grateful for that. The built in anesthetic release also made the impact bearable. He knew that if he lived through the day, though, that he’d be lucky to use the arm ever again.

“Rockets!” Dog ordered. “Clean sweeps then turn and pursue!”

The cyces, almost as one, launched their RPGs at the HAVs as they roared by, leaving explosions in their wake.

“It’s like you were born to do this,” the Mayor said over Dog’s com.

“I was born to kick ass,” Dog said. “Just took me a while to find the right ass.”

“Ha!” the Mayor laughed. “Well said, son, well said.”

Dog smiled as he dodged a swerving HAV and slid his cyce across the path of a second one, ducking under a line of heavy caliber bullets. He brought his cyce back up without missing a beat and powered past two more HAVs, launching RPGs into their wheels. He barely cleared them as the RPGs impacted and exploded, sending BC flying everywhere.

“These don’t reform, do they?” Dog asked the Mayor.

“Doesn’t look like it,” the Mayor replied. “But they do have a hell of a lot of troopers! Watch your ass!”

Dog saw what he meant when the back ramps of several HAVs dropped and the Three’s shock troops unloaded, their guns firing at anything with two wheels.

***

Agnatha held up her hand and the cyces behind her skidded to a stop. She watched the battle closely, waiting for their moment.

“Why are we holding?” a rider asked from her left.

“Just wait, you’ll see,” Agnatha replied, her eyes studying the movements of the HAVs. When she saw what she liked she circled her hand above her head then pointed at the battle. Her rear wheel kicked up sand and grit as she accelerated at full speed into the fray.

The closest line of HAVs had turned towards Dog and his riders, trying to box them in. Agnatha smiled at the idea. It was like an old saying her grandmother had about herding cats. She’d never seen a cat, only hearing about them in tales around the campfire, but she got the feeling they were hard to catch and never did what they were told.

By the time the HAVs had noticed their attack it was too late. The first line of riders sent RPGs into the rear ramps of six HAVs. Not only did the explosions lift the backends of the HAVs right off the ground, they sealed the ramps, trapping the troopers inside. Their shouts and screams echoed from inside as Agnatha and the other riders sped past.

***

The Mayor held his breath, Talaria by his side, as he watched Immy study the battlefield before speeding towards the fight. Talaria took his hand and held it tight.

“She will be fine, Young,” Talaria said. “Relax.”

“That temper of hers could cloud her judgment,” the Mayor said. “I should never have let her talk me into letting her go. Let alone leading an attack group.”

“Do you think you could have stopped her?” Talaria laughed as she kissed him on the cheek. “Have you met your daughter? Have you met yourself?”

The Mayor gave Talaria’s hand one more squeeze then stood up. “Where are we with the Lines?”

“Powered up and ready, Mayor,” a tech nodded. “Should we have the riders deploy?”

“Yes,” the Mayor nodded. “But let me warn Dog first. He doesn’t know we’ve kept this in our back pocket.”

“Was it wise to keep him in the dark?” Talaria asked.

“We didn’t know who to trust,” the Mayor replied. “It’s quite a weapon. It will change the landscape of the wasteland.”

***

“The cyces can do what?” Dog asked, struggling to keep control of his cyce and listen to what the Mayor told him at the same time. He ducked under cannon blast and was thankful for his helmet’s protection or he would have had two burst eardrums. “Lines?”

“In just a minute we will enable the Lines tech,” the Mayor said. “When two cyces get close enough to each other, with a target between them, a line of energy will connect the cyces. Anything that comes in contact with that Line will be sliced clean through.”

“And you’re just telling me this now, why?” Dog asked, pissed.