Chrono Inquisitor (Gods Be Damned) (41 page)

A giant lightning strike lit up the night sky, blinding me for a second. The bolt struck a lightning attractor about a quarter kilometer away.

‹“Lightning Strikes,”› I said. And as if they were electrical signals sending me a message, I had an epiphany. Dewhurst had left his Maelstrom in Cook’s suite. It was probably still there. It was a weapon I definitely wanted with me if I was going into a gunfight.

I told Quentin to get it for me. He argued that he would, but he didn’t have access to the room. Sam cut in saying that he’d been granted clearance.

Quentin said it would take a couple of minutes for him to get it and then bring it to us on the roof.

As soon as the link was severed Sam informed me that while I was arguing with Quentin she’d contacted Brandin.

‹“Hey, Kali, can you detect Lillian’s Chrono?”› Sam asked.

‹Yes, she is approximately eight meters due southeast from your current location.›

‹“Good, keep a lock on her. Do you happen to detect any others in the area?”›

‹Yes, there are five other
Chronos. Shall I probe them for their identities and lifesigns?›

‹“Do you really need to ask?”› I said.

A second later Kali said
,
‹Two are blocked. I can’t identify anything about them, I just know they’re there. The others are; Ranger Stevenson, Inquisitor Noble, and Shepard Cook. They are within close proximity to Lillian, with her in the center.›

‹“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,”› I said. ‹“Does anyone else think this is a trap?”›

Kali answered with
,
‹All except Lillian’s and the two unknowns lifesigns are faint. Stevenson, Noble, and Cook have all suffered severe injuries. I detect that if they do not receive assistance soon, they will all die.›

‹“Even if it is a trap, we have to help. Stay close to me, I’ll take the lead,”› Sam said.

‹“You always were the boss.”›

Sam stepped out onto the roof in the pouring rain. I followed.

My vault was waterproof, just as it was fire, chemical, and bulletproof. I was sure the body suit Sam was wearing was made of the same material, because she’d designed the vault. Her’s was probably even better, because it was newer than the vault. I wished I had one of my hats to help keep the rain out of my eyes, or that the vault had a hood. I’d have to talk to Sam about that.

Sam and I continued and approached the dark shape of a figure, which according to Kali, was Lillian. For some reason, all the lights on the roof were out except a few aircraft warning lights. It wasn’t until we got closer and a flash of lightning lit up the sky, that it was confirmed that the shape was indeed Lillian.

On the ground at her feet were two men crumpled together in an unnatural pose. It was obvious from the way they lay that they were either dead, or close to it.

‹Those two men are Inquisitor Noble and Mr. Cook,
›
Kali said.

Sam and I realized at the same time that we’d finally found the ones responsible for everything. Behind Lillian stood Ranger Stevenson. They’d been working together all along.

‹Mr. Cook’s Chrono has just zeroed out. He is dead.›

“What have you done?” Sam said, her voice wavering a little from the shock.

“What was necessary,” Lillian said, with no apparent remorse.

“You killed
Shep,” Sam said, looking at the body of the man. She shook her head and looked back at Lillian. “Why? He was one of us. We were friends.”

“We weren’t friends,” Lillian shouted over the rain and the wind, which seemed to be letting up a little. “Besides, I needed someone to take the fall. Also, I couldn’t stomach any more of his Gandhi, hippy, good will towards our fellow beings bullshit. He was a shell of a once great man. Did you know he could have been a general? For fuck’s sake, he was one of the men who took out
Kremalakin. When you recruited him I thought we were set, that we could finally bring Richards and the Celestials to their knees. But we were fools. He was a plant, a god damn Celestial all along.”

“Do you hear yourself?” Sam said. “That doesn’t make any sense. We tested him. Did a background check.”

“Yeah, we tested him, using technology they gave us. Technology they would know how to fool. He’s been playing us all along. The real Shepard Cook died in the war. His body was given to a Celestial. He’s the fifth Horsemen.”

“How could you possibly know all this?” Sam asked.

“Because I told her,” a robotic male voice said.

Sam and I both turned in the direction of the voice.

War stepped out from the shadows.

“Hello, Inquisitor Yan,” he said.

Death spoke up then. ‹“What she said was true. The real Shepard Cook died decades ago. His body was overtaken by a Celestial, but he wasn’t a Horsemen. His name was Aganju, and he took a stance of neutrality.”›

‹“Is War one of you?”› I asked.

‹“No, he is human.”›

‹“Then I can kill him.”› I drew my Glock and started to point at War, but then realized his armor would protect him. I pointed it at Lillian instead.

She didn’t seem concerned. Instead, she smiled. “Shepard made me realize something,” she said.

“What would that be?” I asked.

“That I was the one for the job. That if I didn’t step up and do what needed to be done, than no one else would. Certainly not you,” she said, indicating Sam.

“You. You’re the one behind the bombings. You created the fracture in the group,” Sam said. I could tell she was on the verge of tears. It was a betrayal she hadn’t seen coming. She’d known Lillian almost as long as she’d known me. They’d been best friends, co-workers, and business partners.

“Yes,” Lillian said. “I orchestrated the attacks, and it’s just the beginning. With War’s help and knowledge we can take down ChronoGen and eliminate the Celestials and their influence. He told me Cassius was a spy. Then we concocted this plan. I gave Cassius the names to turn over. Then I had him killed. You have no idea how happy I was to point the finger at Travis, your dear old husband. The Horsemen were already looking into him for abusing his powers as an Inquisitor. It couldn’t have been more perfect.”

She turned to me. “Of course you should have died getting here, but I think it worked out for the better. Your surviving made you look even guiltier. I think we can still pin all this on you.”

“Why?” Sam said. She was crying. She’d pulled one of her guns but she was holding it limp in her hand. “Did you kill Julius?”

I was surprised Ranger-son wasn’t saying anything. I looked at him. He had his head down. I realized he was cradling his hand, like he hadn’t gotten it fixed.

“You don’t understand anything,” Lillian said, her voice wavering. I was shocked, she was emotional and having a hard time speaking. “Julius and I were lovers. He was supposed to be meeting me last night. I was on my way to meet him when I caught sight of this piece of shit.”

She kicked Noble, and I saw the man move of his own accord, which I took as a good sign, until Kali corrected me.

‹Inquisitor Noble’s life signs are dropping fast. He will die if he does not receive immediate medical care.›

Lillian continued with tears in her eyes, which I found surprising. I couldn’t recall her ever actually crying “It was his stupid bitch of a wife who killed him. If she hadn’t decided to give him the restricted M-mytes and accidentally grabbed one of the gloves I was experimenting with, he’d still be alive.”

She kicked Noble again.

“The plan was to draw Inquisitors to a place where we could eliminate them. I was notified that he and his partner had arrived at the hotel. I planned to kill them, but I didn’t want a record of it, so I rerouted the security systems to Ares. But then Brandin, that piece of shit, he was too much of a pussy to tell you about the security failure, so I had to go myself, otherwise you’d be suspicious. Call him up here Sam, he needs to be punished as well.”

Sam took a step towards Lillian, her tears mixing with raindrops on her cheeks. “You don’t need to do this. I’m sorry Lil, about what happened to Julius, about everything, but this isn’t the answer. You’ve been by my side for as long as I can remember. We can find a way to fix this.”

I hadn’t realized that I’d lowered my weapon. I raised it again and stepped forward. “No, I’m taking her down Sam, she’s gone too far.”

Sam turned to me. “Let me handle this.”

“Sorry, Sam, I’m not going to do that. She’s responsible for too many deaths.”

“You,” Lillian said, looking at me. “Julius’s death is your fault as well. By the time I’d informed Sam about the security breach, you’d followed him to his room. I thought I could dispose of this shithead and still have time to be with Julius. I instructed the manager to have you deliver that package.

“But then
you
,” Lillian said, and pulled out a gun, raising it towards Sam.

I ran forward and got in the way.

Lillian sobbed and lowered the weapon so that if it did go off, I’d probably end up with a leg wound.

“You called me back to the office. I knew I shouldn’t have listened, but I went. The Inquisitors went into Julius’s room and this asshole injected him with
BabbleBru. It just so happened, bitch-ass Nora had injected Julius with unstable thugs which took the drug as a threat. It killed him. I loved him, and I helped kill him.”

Lillian dropped her gun and brought her hands to her face and cried.

Sam and I stepped towards her together, but War came forward and blocked our path.

Lillian removed her hands and said, “Where’s Julius’s bitch of a wife? She needs to die too. It was all her fault. If it hadn’t been for her, the Inquisitors wouldn’t have accidentally killed him.”

War stepped out of the way and Lillian kicked Noble again, this time really hard.

The man convulsed then went limp.

Kali said
,
‹Inquisitor Noble is dead.›

I have to admit, I wasn’t all that heartbroken over the matter.

Sam stepped closer again with her hands stretched out palms turned towards Lillian in a non-threatening manner. “Lil, you’re in shock, you’re grieving. I get that, but killing everyone won’t bring Julius back,” she pleaded.

“You think I don’t know that? Damn it, Sam! You’re as blind as he is.” She pointed to me. “I wouldn’t have let you walk out. I would have done anything for you. You want to know how long I’ve been by your side? Seventy-six years, waiting for the day when you’d notice how I really felt about you.”

Should’ve seen that one coming. Made a lot of sense in retrospect.

“I thought when you kicked his ass to the curb, you’d finally realize that I was the one to make you happy, but no, instead you turned to this asshole.”

She turned and pointed in the vague direction of Ranger-son. On the plus side, she disliked him as well.

Kody raised his head. He looked pissed and rebellious. He reached for his gun with his working hand, which wasn’t his weapons hand.

War shot out an arm and snapped his neck with a little twist.

Ranger-son fell to the ground at their feet. Kali informed Sam and I that he was dead.

“He was instructed to kill you in the basement,” Lillian said, looking at me. “But no, he changed his mind, said he couldn’t do it. Pathetic.”

It seemed she’d run out of tears. I’d hoped there would have been more.

“I’ve done everything to show how much I love you, how you should be with me, but no more.” Lillian said. “I’m sorry Sam, but tonight, I’m taking control.”

I felt an eerie detachment of emotion flow through the link on Sam’s end.

“No you won’t,” Sam shouted. She raised her weapon and aimed it at Lillian.

‹“Shoot,”› I said, and prepared to fire myself.

Just when I was about to discharge my weapon, something hit it out of my hand. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the same thing happen to Sam as well.

Off to our right, cast in shadow with only a faint outline, a giant lumbering shape came towards us.

“Let me introduce you two to my son, Goliath.”

Lightning lit up the sky, illuminating Goliath.

It, looked like a gorilla/orangutan hybrid robot, and stood at least a head taller than War, who stood a head taller than me. It had two shapes thrown over its shoulders like giant sacks. One of them was massive, while the other was fairly thin.

When it got closer it lifted the two objects and dumped them on the ground. I realized they were Victory and Famine.

So that’s how she took out the Horsemen.

“Impressive, isn’t he?” Lillian said.

She looked proud, like a mother gloating over her son’s accomplishments.

“He’s a fucking behemoth.” And then not being one to pass up a snide remark, I added, “Though I’m guessing your twat is now as big as a 747 after giving birth to that monstrosity.”

The beast suddenly jumped in between us and Lillian. It faced me and growled like a dog telling someone to back the fuck up.

“It seems he has some mutt mixed in as well. Maybe, a little bitch, just like his mother,” I said with a smile.