Wayward Son (26 page)

“Did I miss a joke?”

“Not at all my dear boy. We were just discussing our upcoming tactics.” Sheridan pushed Apollo’s favorite stool toward him with his foot. “Have a seat.”

“You decided what we’re going to use to lure the squads out here?” Apollo tried to appear nonchalant.

“We have a few ideas.” Bigby leaned against the counter. “But we haven’t decided for sure yet.”

Apollo leaned against the workbench and nodded. “You could just call them and let them trace the call.” He glanced to Sheridan and shrugged. “That would definitely get their attention.”

“A little obvious, don’t you think?”

Apollo smiled. “They got their asses handed to them. You really think they’d care? They’d
have
to respond.” He glanced to Bigby. “Wouldn’t you?”

Bigby considered the situation and nodded. “Actually, yeah. I think I would. Even if I suspected a trap, I’d still go.” He glanced to Sheridan.

Sheridan looked between the two men and nodded. “Very well then. When the time comes, we may well do that.”

“It’s safer than sending some of our able bodied boys out there to lead them in.” Apollo shrugged.

“True enough.” Sheridan clicked off the computer and turned to Apollo. “So have you given my offer any more thought since we last discussed it?”

Apollo detected something in his voice that he couldn’t quite identify. He almost felt like he was about to walk into a trap. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his meaty arms over his chest. “Actually, I have.” He glanced at Bigby then back to Sheridan. “In fact, I made up my mind last night and came out here to find you but you was laughing it up with Big here, so I did an about face and went back to bed.”

Sheridan raised a brow and glanced at Bigby who visibly stiffened. “Really? Why didn’t you join us?”

Apollo cocked his head to the side and gave Sheridan a knowing look. “What I had to say was between you and me.” He hooked a thumb toward Bigby. “I didn’t want to interrupt you two and tell him to beat feet.”

Sheridan nodded then turned to Bigby. “Excuse us for a moment, would you old boy?”

Bigby huffed and pushed off the counter. “Yeah, yeah. You two have your little tea party. I’ll go do some real work.”

After he was far enough away Apollo turned back to Sheridan. “I’ll do it.”

“Just like that?”

“You said it. You ain’t in physical shape to run missions like what needs done and Bigby? If brains were dynamite, the boy couldn’t blow his own nose.”

Sheridan smiled then extended his hand. “Welcome aboard. Partner.”

*****

“This is the satellite imagery for the area. According to Apollo they have silver lined cargo containers, so I’m assuming that’s what these are here.” Mitchell pointed to the long rows of shipping containers set in rows along the abandoned truck parking area between the two warehouses. He looked up at Jericho Jones and shook his head. “I honestly don’t know how much faith to put into what Apollo says after what he’s pulled.”

“No worries, Colonel. I’ll have a drone in the air and as long as we don’t have two ops going at the same time, I’ll pull a second team to act as security.” He pointed to the high points. “If I put men here, here, here and here, we’ll have a bird’s eye view of the entire compound. Nothing will be able to move in there without our knowing it.”

“Make sure your primary and secondary teams have IR beacons. I don’t want anybody getting pinged by friendly fire because they saw a shadowy fast mover.”

“Copy that.” Jericho stood tall and stretched his back. “What of Apollo himself? Will he be in a container, or…”

“He thinks he’ll probably be standing security.” Mitchell turned away and shook his head. “To be honest Captain, I don’t know what to do with him.”

“Shall we consider him a hostile, sir?”

Mitchell sighed and practically fell into his chair, his eyes focusing on a photo of Second Squad when Apollo first made Team Leader. “I’m not prepared to give that order, Captain.” His eyes crept up and read the young man’s face. Jericho would make an excellent poker player. He gave away nothing.

“Very well, sir.” He bent and scooped up the satellite photos. “If you change your mind, let me know.”

“Jericho.”

He turned and faced the Colonel, his face still stoic. “Sir?”

“When you address the squads and go over the mission?” Mitchell felt like he was listening to somebody else say the words that came out of his mouth next, “Leave Apollo’s fate in their hands. He was their peer. He was their Team Leader. He turned against them as much as he did me.” He turned in his chair and gave Jericho his back. “I don’t want to know their decision.”

“Yes, sir.”

*****

Foster clicked off the satellite phone and reclined in his seat. “Transportation has been taken care of. There was an issue with the number of vehicles. Apparently they thought we were a small party. They didn’t take into account our enforcers.”

“Had Monsieur Thompson came with us, it would have been a small party.” Thorn cracked open an eye and fought a smile. He knew how much Paul hated Jack, and he still found humor in his brother’s bristling at the mention of his name.

“We don’t need the likes of him.” Foster spat. “Anyone who swears allegiance to you and then turns the first time you don’t inform him of one of your little pet projects doesn’t deserve to be your Second.”

Thorn nodded slightly, his eye closing. “Monsieur Thompson never swore allegiance to me. Only to his beloved.”

“All the more reason to kick his hairy ass to the curb.” Foster crossed his arms over his chest and fumed. “He should know that the master of the castle has affairs that he couldn’t possibly understand.”

“Perhaps.” Thorn sat up and turned to his brother. “But if we are to be honest, we both know that he is simply a man of honor. He couldn’t work for someone who both stole from his former employers but also attempted to build a Doomsday weapon.”

“Pish-posh. He is weak minded. Anybody who can’t understand your
need
for such a weapon…”

“
Non
. We both know that is not the case. Jack is many things, but he is not weak minded. He is perhaps one of the best tactical minds I have met.” Thorn sat back and allowed his words to soak in. “Just one of the many reasons I enjoyed having him around.”

Foster turned slowly to face his brother. “You miss him?”

“At times. Like I miss Viktor.” Thorn sighed and shook his head. “Sometimes an unorthodox point of view is refreshing.”

“He was a heathen. Unorthodox? He was uncouth!”

Thorn laughed and nodded. “
Oui
. That he was. Very much so. But he was very good at what he did.”

“Keeping you safe.”

“Among other things.” Thorn turned to his brother again. “Do you know how many times the Council made attempts on me while Jack was in my employ?” Foster shook his head. “Seven. In the few short months that I knew him, he thwarted their efforts seven times. The first was a dear friend of his. A man he had known for decades. A man that should have been unreachable, yet, the Council found a way to get to him. And Jack stopped him. Because he believed in me. He believed in what I stood for.” Rufus Thorn paused and stared out the window, realizing perhaps for the first time just how deeply he had let down the man he called ‘friend’. “I assured him that I, too, was a man of honor.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “I assured him that I would sooner die than harm another human. And yet…”

“You needed to regain your strength, brother.” Foster sat up and leaned toward him. “You were dying. Your work is important and it…”

“
Non
. If I could go back and do it over again, I would rather have died than take a human life.” He slowly shook his head. “But beside that, I lied to him. I had a weapon built that had the potential to destroy all ‘others’.”

“A minimal risk. You said so yourself.”

Thorn shook his head. “Perhaps it was divine intervention that the device didn’t work.” He turned his troubled face back to Foster. “Tell me brother, do you still believe in God?”

“I believe that there is one. But not for the likes of us.”

Rufus turned back to the window and the night sky. “I pray that you’re wrong.” He stared out into the inky blackness. “And I pray that both He and Jack will one day forgive me my trespass.”

*****

“What do you mean, ‘our discretion’?” Gus Tracy asked his face puzzled.

Jericho closed the file folder he held and pressed it to his chest. “That’s exactly what I said. Rather, what I was told. Apollo didn’t just turn against the Colonel or the Squads in general; he turned against each and every one of you.” He shook his head as he looked at each of the operators. “I don’t envy your decision either way. Bring him back to face eternity behind bars and in silver shackles or drop him. Not an easy choice.”

Donovan shook his head. “That’s not justice. That’s murder. He’s not a monster.”

Wallace turned and gave him a cockeyed look. “I think Carbone might disagree with you on that.”

“Along with all of the techs and security forces that bit it that night.” Lamb’s mouth was a tight line as he leaned against the back wall of the briefing room.

“Are we really considering this?” Spalding stepped forward and turned to face the crowd. “Apollo was one of us. He was a team player. He trained with us, bled with us…”

“He turned against us.” Wallace crossed his arms over his chest. “Look, I know you worked with him a lot longer than most of us, but the fact is, he’s a wolf, he turned against the squads and he got good men killed. Not just here, but at the island where Phoenix and Mueller live.”

“And if it weren’t for him, we wouldn’t have the Intel that we have now.” Spalding stepped back and spread his arms wide. “Tell me that none of you have ever made a mistake in your life? In your entire life you’ve never screwed up?”

“I never opened fire on my buddies.” Wallace refused to back down. “I never led a team of assassins to where my brothers lived and trained and let them loose on them. That’s FUBAR man, and you know it.”

“The guy was messed up in the head.” Spalding tried to plead with the men. “He was torn up over Maria and this jack-off Sheridan got to him. Twisted him all up and…messed with his head.”

“Tell me something, Spank.” Jacobs stepped forward, his eyes red. “Could anybody mess with your head enough to make you go rogue on us?”

Spanky opened his mouth to reply but held his tongue. He lowered his eyes and shook his head. “No.”

Jacobs laid a gentle hand on his shoulder and squeezed. “Look, I’m not saying we need to mow Apollo down. I’m not. I’m not saying we need to bring him back in chains either.” He turned and looked at the rest of the group. “But maybe…just maybe, there is another choice here. I say banishment is the best option here. Just, cut him loose. Have nothing more to do with him. Forget he was ever one of us and leave him to his own devices. If he resurfaces later and he’s a threat to humanity, then we do what we do best. But if he doesn’t? If he fades into the darkness and disappears…maybe finds a pack or something and just stays away, then we let him.”

Spalding looked up at Jacobs then scanned the room seeing the other operators’ heads bobbing in agreement. “I like that idea, Ing.” Spalding looked from man to man. “It’s all or nothing. Either we’re all in this together or we’re not. It has to be unanimous.”

“Banishment.” Lamb nodded then looked to the man next to him. Each repeated the vote until it was unanimous throughout the room.

Jacobs smiled and squeezed Spalding’s shoulder tighter. “Then banishment it is. You fought hardest for him, Spanky. I think you should explain it to him.”

Spalding lowered his eyes, grateful that a solution was found that allowed his friend to live. “Gladly.”

*****

Gaius stepped out of Lilith’s room covered in sweat, bloody scratches and bite marks. He made no effort to cover his nakedness as he strode toward Damien. “You!” He pointed to Damien cowering in the shadows. “Water and wine. Now.”

He turned back toward the room as Damien came to his feet, his anger rising as he did. “I’m not a slave.”

Gaius stopped in midstep and turned to face the trembling vampire. “Did you dare speak back to me?”

“You heard me. If you want something to drink, get it yourself.” Damien caught his breath and stuck his chest out.

Gaius tilted his head as he considered the little vampire. He suddenly tilted his head back and laughed. A deep, dark, throaty laugh that made Damien’s anger rise even further. When he stopped laughing, he wiped at his eyes then crossed his arms over his chest. “You
will
do as I say, little ghoul, or meet the true death.”

“The true death would be preferable to being a slave to a demon.”