The Last Mission of the Living (The Last Bastion Book 2) (31 page)

Directly outside the hub was a young male Scrag. He’d be the first to revive fully and the most dangerous. Lindsey rushed him, piecing her plan together as she ran. Once close enough, she swung her weapon, clipping his jaw, and sent him falling against the smooth, white exterior of the hub. Before he could fully awaken, she punched the butt of her rifle into his throat, destroying his larynx and stifling his screech. As he slid off the surface of the hub, one hand lashed toward her. She dodged it and struck again. The blow smashed in his skull, killing the Scrag.

A second later, Torran skidded to a halt beside her just as their armor shimmered and returned to normal. Whipping the pack off his back, he yanked out the remote generator and turned it on as Lindsey pressed her tablet against the wall next to the controls.

“They’re definitely awake now,” Franklin muttered.

Glancing over her shoulder, Lindsey saw the Scrags sluggishly starting to move. They’d be slow at first, which would give her a little time. “Cover me, but conserve as much ammo as you can.”

As the Scrags nearest to the hub started in their direction, Torran and Franklin rapidly dispatched them, Torran using his weapon as a club and Franklin brandishing her knife. Lindsey tucked her firearm across her knees while working diligently on breaking the encryption on the lock.

“Rooney, you need to hurry. They’re waking up faster,” Torran said sharply.

“Working on it,” Lindsey responded, concentrating on her task.

A second later, Franklin opened fire on the awakening Scrags.

“Franklin!” Torran shouted. “Don’t!”

“They’re already awake!”

The rising screech of the Scrags sent shivers down Lindsey’s spine. The gunfire definitely was pulling the Scrags out of the blackout state even faster. Running footsteps sounded behind her, but Lindsey focused her attention on the panel in front of her. It was hard to concentrate as the weapons fired and the Scrags howled. Lindsey’s fingers quivered while she worked. Finally, she was able to skirt around the security locks and uncover the manifest of the people who had bought passes into the hubs. Lifting the code of one of the approved clients, she entered in the string of numbers and letters and the hub door slid open.

Pushing the remote generator in, Lindsey ducked inside. The lights flicked on, illuminating the interior as Franklin jumped through the doorway and Torran retreated while still firing at the Scrags surging toward their position. Trusting Torran to keep the Scrags out, Lindsey rushed into the oval-shaped inner room and to the console. Activating the hub’s internal generator with the flip of a switch, she quickly called up the main screen. The racket caused by the weapons firing abruptly ceased as Torran hit the door switch and it slammed shut.

“That could kill a person,” he gasped, shocked at how swiftly the door had snapped close.

“It was meant to keep Scrags out,” Franklin answered.

The surveillance camera feed clicked on, and Lindsey winced at the sight of the horde shoving their way into the area surrounding the hub.

“We need to go up!” Franklin snapped at Lindsey, slapping her hand against the wall near the panel.

“Back off,” Lindsey retorted. “I’m working on it.” The older programs were a little confusing to navigate, but she found what she needed and entered the directions.

A loud clacking noise was followed by a hum that vibrated through the shelter. A second later, Lindsey’s stomach dropped as the pod shot upward. She steadied herself by grabbing the edge of the console, while Torran braced himself in the doorway. Franklin stumbled backward, then landed on her ass, much to Lindsey’s amusement. A second later, the hub came to a jolting stop and there were several sharp clicking sounds as it locked into place.

“Your hub has been secured. Automatic notification of the activation of this hub is being sent to our security offices. Please remain calm. As soon as we can secure safe passage, you will be contacted with the details of your evacuation. Please sit tight and wait for rescue,” a soothing female voice said over the loudspeakers.

“Betcha they won’t show up,” Torran said with a wink at Lindsey.

Now that they were safely away from the Scrags, Lindsey could afford a giggle. “Would be surprising if they did.”

“Don’t count on it,” Franklin said grumpily.

Pulling out a chair from beneath the console, Lindsey waited for the back to flip up, then collapsed onto it. She stared at the readout on the screen as a preprogrammed diagnostic started on the hub. With still trembling hands, she popped the clasps on her helmet and tugged it off. The stale air inside the hub made her sneeze, but it was better than the helmet. Her blond braid flopped out, and she tossed it over her shoulder.

Torran leaned over and turned off the remote generator as Franklin climbed to her feet. Both removed their helmets and also sneezed a few times.

“The air isn’t too pleasant,” Torran noted.

“The air scrubbers are working. It’ll be better soon,” Lindsey answered. She was relieved to see all the internal systems in the hub were working.

Franklin tugged at the tabs on her armor and started to discard it. “We’re safe. That’s all that matters.”

Lindsey bit her tongue. How safe were they really if Franklin was working against them and with an unknown group with an agenda to recover Maria? With a sigh, she started shimmying out of her own suit. Soon all three soldiers were down to the sleek black body suits they wore beneath the armor. Lindsey instantly felt incredibly lighter and stretched out her body while sweeping her eyes over their temporary haven. It was about seven meters in diameter, including the thick pole that took up the center of it. The hub featured a small kitchen area, bunk beds, and a sanitation station.

A weapons locker drew Torran’s immediate attention, and he walked over to explore it. Meanwhile, Franklin started scrounging through the stores of food and water in the kitchen area. Lindsey remained at the console, too tired to move, and pressed her fingers to her throbbing temples. When Franklin handed her water, it took all her willpower to accept it with a smile.

“We made it,” Franklin said, leaning against the wall.

“But the others are dead,” Lindsey responded, then gulped some of the water. It tasted fresh. She was impressed.

Tilting her chin so she was looking away, Franklin was silent.

“Hobbes is gone,” Lindsey added sorrowfully, watching Franklin out of the corner of her eye.

“I know.” Franklin shoved off from the wall. “But I don’t want to think about that.”

“I thought you two were…” Lindsey watched the other woman’s retreat. Maybe Franklin did feel remorse. Or was she just agitated?

“There will be time to mourn later. Right now I’m going to visit the sanitary station.”

Brushing past Torran as he continued to take inventory of the small weapons locker, Franklin vanished inside the sanitation center and a small panel over the door read OCCUPIED.

Lindsey pivoted about on her seat as Torran took three sharp steps toward her and bent over her. Taking her face in his hands, his lips met hers in a tender kiss.

“What’s happening?” Lindsey whispered, her eyes on the sign over the doorway.

“She’s part of a group trying to find Maria. Solomon is part of it, too.”

“Constabulary?” Lindsey’s eyes widened at the thought. “Commandant Pierce?”

“I don’t know. Just try to dial down the anger, and I’ll try to get as much information out of her as possible. She has control of an aerial drone. I need the program she’s using for it. When she comes out, make an excuse to go inside.”

“I don’t need an excuse. I need to piss a waterfall,” Lindsey answered.

“Anyway, take some time so I can see what I can find out.”

“Why did she tell you, Torran?” Lindsey took her eyes off the door panel and stared into his face.

“She thinks I’m a part of it. The cell must be a sleeper with the members not knowing each other except their primary contact,” Torran replied.

“Solomon?”

“I think so.”

“But why does she think you’re part of it?” Lindsey stared into his dark eyes, fear nibbling at her nerves.

With a sardonic grin, Torran said, “Because I came to rescue you. She thinks it was part of the plan.”

Checking the panel over the door again, Lindsey stood and kissed him lovingly. “Thank you for that.”

“I’ll always come back for you,” Torran vowed, his Scottish brogue thickening.

“Same here.”

The panel over the door went dark, and Lindsey flopped back into the chair as Torran pretended to study the screen in front of them.

Exiting, Franklin pulled several packs of ammo from the locker and walked over to the pile of her equipment. In silence, she started to reload her weapon.

Chapter 29

When Lindsey excused herself to use the sanitation facilities, Torran made a show of pulling a retracting chair out of the wall and collapsing into it. When the OCCUPIED sign flashed on over the door, Franklin sprang into motion.

“We need to hurry,” she said, grabbing her helmet.

Torran sat up straight as Franklin picked up his helmet and set them side-by-side on the console. Accessing the side panels on both, she tugged out a connector and hooked them together. Using her wristlet to access her helmet computer remotely, Franklin started the program transfer.

“I checked the aerial drone while in the sanitary station,” she said in a low voice. “The Scrags around the base are still riled up, but they’re not a danger to us. They’re the only active ones in the area. The drone also checked the stairwell. The mob following us up the escalators is gone. They all fell to their deaths.” She smirked slightly. “Idiot creatures.”

“You accessed your helmet through your wristlet I take it,” Torran said, trying to sound casual.

Franklin stilled for a second, then said, “Yeah. So once the program is uploaded again on your helmet, you’ll be up and running. It’ll sync automatically with the ghost program in your wristlet.”

“Right.” Torran tried to look casual as he swept his hair back from his face and yawned. “Bloody exhausted.”

“I’m going to go ahead and call in while she’s in there. That way they’ll know we’re both on the job.” Franklin activated her wristlet and started to swipe her way through the multiple layers of programs.

Tensing, Torran weighed his options. The second Franklin reported in, he’d be exposed. “Don’t,” he said before he could reconsider.

“Why not?”

“She might come out at any second.”

“Or you might be afraid of what I might discover when I report in.”

“And that, too,” Torran confessed, not seeing the point in lying further. Franklin was on to him.

“So, you’re
not
with us,” Franklin said, continuing to work on her wristlet.

“Maybe I can be,” Torran suggested.

Franklin smirked. “Right.”

“Tell me what’s going on.”

“Why did you save Lindsey?” Franklin paused in her task.

“I love her,” Torran answered simply.

The woman’s full lips parted in an “O,” then she laughed. “Of course. How did I miss that?” She resumed tapping on the screen of her wristlet.

“Seriously, stop.” Torran stood up sharply. “I want to know why you want Maria Martinez.”

Franklin paused again and raised her dangerously glinting eyes to regard him. “The virus in her veins, of course.”

“Are you doing this for the president?”

“That idiot?” Her laugh was mocking.

“The Constabulary?”

“This is beyond mere politics and military branches,” Franklin retorted, her expression turning sour. “This is about humanity.”

“You want to save it?” Torran lifted his eyebrows. “Because if you do, you have a strange way of showing it by killing off your own squad.”

“We want to save a
portion
of humanity. The part dedicated to the restoration of the planet and preservation of its ecosystem.”

“You’re Gaia Cult,” Torran said, anger flaring to life. “I see.”

“Gaia Liberation, not cult. Look at this monstrous city. It’s arrogance. It’s avarice! This is what happens when humanity only seeks to preserve itself.” Franklin stared at him in defiance.

“So you find Maria and what? Give the virus she has to only those in the Gaia Cult?”

“There has to be a new Garden of Eden.”

“I thought you wanted everyone
dead
.”

“We were purging the planet before. Removing the wasted mass of flesh that was choking the very life out of the earth. Now we’ll start to rebuild outside of the walls. I can see from your expression that you’re not impressed.”

“Oh, no. I’m very, very impressed with your total lack of basic human empathy and kindness. Also, your arrogance is completely mind-blowing.” Torran bestowed upon her his most intense Scottish glower.

Franklin dropped her hands as her body tensed. Her eyes flicked to her weapon and dagger just a short distance away.

“I’m expendable I take it?” Torran tilted his head as he watched her every move.

“You’ve blown our plans to get the information out of Lindsey without resorting to persuasive interrogation.”

“Torture, you mean.”

Franklin shrugged.

“Let’s talk this out—”

The tall woman dove for her weapons, her sleek muscled body moving with predatory agility. Torran scrambled around the console. Just as Franklin lifted her weapon, Torran tackled her. They slid across the slick floor and into the far wall with a hard thump. With a hiss, Franklin attempted to punch Torran’s face, but he struck her chin with a sharp blow of his elbow, stunning her briefly. Gritting his teeth, he concentrated on prying the firearm from her grip. Struggling ferociously, Franklin punched him in the ear and beat her feet against the floor. Torran managed to rip the weapon free from her grip just as Franklin wedged one leg between their bodies and shoved him off her. Lashing out, she struck him in the side of the head, then crawled toward her dagger.

Torran flipped onto his back, aiming for Franklin when he saw Lindsey dart around the column in the center of the hub and kick the dagger away from Franklin’s grasp. The blade spun across the floor and smacked into the wall. Seizing Lindsey’s wrist, Franklin pivoted on her hip and dragged Lindsey down to the floor. Lindsey landed on her back with a loud thump, air whooshing out of her lungs. With startling speed, Franklin grabbed Lindsey’s long braid and jerked her upright in front of her to use as a shield. Carefully, Franklin slid into a crouching position behind the stunned blond woman.

“Shoot,” Franklin dared him.

“You can’t win this,” Torran replied, still lying on his side and aiming at the two women.

“We already have. You’re cut off from The Bastion. There will be no rescue team except for the one we send. Someone
will
come in my place, and then you’ll have much more to deal with than just me.” Franklin grinned, her eyes gleaming with the fanaticism of a true believer. “I’m willing to die for what I believe in.”

“Then you won’t let her die,” Torran replied. “And you won’t kill her. You need Lindsey to get to Maria.”

Fingers still gripping Lindsey’s hair, Franklin clearly weighed her options.

Lindsey finally managed to drag a full breath. “Let go of me. We won’t hurt you if you let me go.”

“There’s two of us and one of you,” Torran said calmly, but his heart was beating so hard in his chest, he thought it would break his ribs. “We’ll let you make the call to your people so they can come get us. We won’t stop you.” His only hope was that Franklin would see the sense of surrendering her hostage, so that Lindsey could lead the Gaia Cult to Maria.

“Give me the weapon then,” Franklin ordered.

“Let go of her,” Torran replied.

“Weapon first.”

With a grunt, Torran slid the firearm across the floor. Franklin lunged for it as it whizzed past her, but missed. While she was looking away from him, Torran grabbed the dagger Lindsey had earlier kicked his way and tucked it into his waistband at the small of his back.

“Let go of her,” Torran repeated.

With disgust, Franklin let go of Lindsey and moved to retrieve her weapon. “I’m calling for retrieval right now. I hope you’ll cooperate, Lindsey. I would really hate to see you suffer, because in the end, you will help us one way or the other.”

Torran cautiously climbed to his feet as Lindsey followed his lead, both with their hands raised.

“I don’t care much for torture,” Lindsey retorted.

“Then you’ll help us right away, won’t you?” Bending over, Franklin retrieved her weapon. “As for you, Torran, you’re really not necessary.” She swung the weapon around to fire.

Torran grabbed the dagger from his belt and flung it at Franklin. “I figured you say that.”

Seeing the blade slashing through the air toward her, Franklin dodged. Lindsey pivoted about and administered a roundhouse kick that met Franklin’s head with a meaty thwack. Stunned, Franklin dropped her firearm and it clattered to the floor. Lindsey hit her again with a knee to the stomach, doubling Franklin over.

Torran wasn’t sure if they were going to be able to restrain the other woman. When Franklin lunged at Lindsey and managed to get her fingers around her throat, he recognized they were locked in a battle to the death. There was no way the cultist was going to capitulate.

The two women grappled with one another, Franklin intent on reaching one of her two weapons, while Lindsey fought to stop her. Torran rushed to help Lindsey, but Franklin saw him coming and managed to shove her opponent into him. Torran caught Lindsey as Franklin lunged for her firearm. Again, Lindsey rolled forward and kicked out, striking Franklin’s knee and knocking the other woman aside.

Torran spurted forward and grabbed the firearm. Meanwhile, Franklin picked up her dagger and slashed at Torran. Pain streaked through him as she caught his bicep.

“No!” Lindsey tackled the other woman and they wrestled for control of the bloodied knife.

Unable to shoot, Torran attempted to get close enough to strike Franklin. The taller, stronger woman saw him coming and thwarted him by using Lindsey to block him again. Dragging Lindsey about, Franklin used her former friend as a shield. Ignoring the pain in his arm, Torran stalked after them with the weapon raised, waiting for a chance to shoot.

Lindsey planted her feet on the floor and drove Franklin backward. Propelling them both across the hub and into the entrance, Lindsey scrabbled at the hand clutching the dagger. Franklin seized Lindsey’s long braided hair with her other hand and wrenched her head to one side.

Torran finally had a shot, and fired. The bullet ripped through Franklin’s shoulder, stunning her. A second later, Lindsey hit the controls and the door Franklin was sagging against snapped open. Her own weight carried her out of the entrance, but the fingers wrapped around Lindsey’s hair dragged the blond woman after her. Torran shouted in terror.

Lindsey’s fingers hit the controls, and the door banged shut as rapidly as it had opened. With a painful sounding thud, Lindsey smacked into it. Caught by her braid, Lindsey slumped against the doorjamb.

“Ouch,” she said in a very deadpan voice.

Torran almost laughed, but the seriousness of the situation stole the inclination away. Setting the weapon aside, he hurried over to help her. The golden braid was partially severed by the door and unfurling down along her neck.

“Your hair is still caught,” he said.

“Well, don’t open the door. Just find something to cut it off with.” Lindsey sighed and wiped a tear away. “Fuck.”

Torran searched the kitchen area first and found a pair of scissors in a utility drawer. Rushing back, he saw the agony in Lindsey’s eyes.

“I’m sorry about Franklin,” he said, then carefully snipped through her braid.

“Fuck her. Fuck all of them. I won’t lead them to Maria.”

The thick blond braid unraveled in a ragged wave across her shoulders, leaving the rest in the door. As she straightened, Lindsey raised her hands to her hair. Huge tears formed in her eyes, but she obviously tried to fight them. Feeling awkward, Torran handed her the scissors.

“I swore I would never cut it,” she said with a break in her voice. “I promised my father when he died I wouldn’t cut it. I know it was dumb, but...”

“He’d understand, Lindsey.” Torran rested his hand on her slumped shoulder and squeezed.

“Is she dead?” Lindsey looked toward the console and the security feed. She obviously wanted to change the subject.

Torran reluctantly left her side to check the external security cameras. The outside entrance was empty. Only the tip of Lindsey’s braid was sticking out of the door.

“She fell. That’s a long fall. If she didn’t die on impact...”

“She’s a Scrag.”

“Yeah.”