Indomitable (38 page)

“Form up,” Promise barked out as she headed back toward the forward hatch on the starboard side. Kathy was already in the lead position, and Promise was grateful to have her there. Her point woman.

Captain Yates had let Promise keep Prichart as her guardian even though she wasn't the company commander anymore. The decision was unorthodox, and Promise couldn't have been more pleased. Relieved, in fact, because keeping Kathy meant she could keep an eye on her guardian. Funny, that. Kathy would have said that was
her
job. In her deepest-down, Promise couldn't stand the thought of something happening to Kathy. She'd tried dodging the fear for months, and finally had to chain it to the floor of her will. The chains rattled a lot. They'd yet to break free.

Promise said a quick prayer for Kathy and her Marines.
Sir, please keep them covered, keep them safe. If it has to come, save the beam for me.
Then she finished her morning grace.

The operational plan was straightforward. Victor-One would move to cover the north and east sections of the landing zone while Victor-Two under Promise's command covered the south and west quadrants. Maxi, Staff Sergeant Go-Mi, and Sergeant Dvorsky comprised her platoon leads. Go-Mi and Dvorsky were in the back of the dropship with the platforms. Promise opened a link with both women to confirm their toons were green-to-go too. Heard their affirmatives over her mastoid implant.

Her HUD dropped below one mike to go-time.

 

Forty-five

MAY 25
TH
, 92 A.E., STANDARD CALENDAR, 0858 HOURS

THE KORAZIM SYSTEM, PLANET SHEOL

NEXUS CITY, UPPER RIA BURROW

Jordas and Dietrich took
the Number 3 tube from the Mandrake building to the corner of Lutron Boulevard and Third, arriving at the underground substation just across the street from the terrarium. They walked up a flight of stairs to the street level to find that the rain had lessened to a steady drizzle. Jordas keyed her rain shield and held Dietrich close as she stepped into the elements. The terrarium's dome curved upward more than two hundred meters, and it appeared to glow as if it was lit from within. A large crowd had gathered at the base of the dome, near the main gate. A small platform whizzed by, cutting them off. Then it altered course, swung around, and flew into her path.

“Back off,” Jordas said.

The tracker reversed several centimeters. Jordas sighed and raised her glasses. A green light mapped her eyes, and then the tracker beeped and whisked away. A moment later, Mia Strauss stepped out of the crowd.

“Over here.”

Agent Strauss's eyes scanned from three o'clock to nine before settling on Dietrich. She wore a muted pantsuit and working shoes, and an all-business smile. A rain shield cast an iridescent hue about her.

“Agent Tarakov, right on time. Dietrich, are you ready to see the OnWae?”

“Ready, me? Are you kidding, Mia?”

“Never kid a kidder, right, Ditti? All right, you two, stay close.”

Mia escorted Jordas and Dietrich past the admission lines, to a side entrance marked
STAFF ONLY
. Once inside, they snaked through several well-lit corridors and up two flights of stairs to a private viewing booth deep inside the terrarium, which overlooked the main stage below. A crowd of people surrounded the stage on three sides. Peddlers walked through the assembled mass selling hot and cold treats, and nonalcoholic beverages. Jordas figured there were over two thousand in attendance, perhaps even twenty-five hundred.

“Nice, yes? Good,” Agent Strauss said, and slapped her hands together. “You'll have a panoramic view of today's event.” Strauss did a quick sweep of the room. Apparently satisfied, she nodded at Jordas and left without a word.

“Wow, I wanna see.” Dietrich pushed out of Jordas's arms and pulled her toward the plexi window. “Oh, wow, can I have one?” He pointed to a cart laden with trinkets and inflated OnWae. “Please, please, please? I'll love you for days.”

“Not now, Ditti. I'm sorry but there isn't time. Your mom is about to speak and she wants you with her. Agent Strauss will be back to get you soon. Afterward, I'll take you back to the Children's Village.”

“Mia isn't fun. You take me.”

“Afraid not, kiddo. Ah, don't give me that face. You'll survive.” It was the wrong thing to say, and Jordas barely reached the dispenser before she threw up.

“Jordi?”

“Yeah. Just something I ate. Go back to people-watching.”

Jordas wiped her mouth on a napkin and returned to Dietrich's side with a bottle of carbonated water. She looked up at the terrarium's ceiling, which was actually a dome within a dome that served two important purposes. While the OnWae were herbivores and considered quite safe to be around, they were still massive creatures. It wouldn't do for the general public to be in their vicinity. So an outer dome had been created for the public, and a much smaller inner dome was cordoned off for just the OnWae. The wall separating the two was actually more than a dozen meters thick and honeycombed with various businesses.

Jordas looked behind her and caught a glimpse of one of the OnWae launching itself from its perch high above. She looked back and down and saw the stage the mayor would soon occupy, surrounded by the residents of Nexus. Armed guards in gray uniforms and android enforcers stood along the perimeter, forming a solid line at the front of the stage.

A woman's voice sounded in her ear.
“One minute, Agent Tarakov.”

“Copy that.”

Jordas took one last look at the stage. She bent down to Dietrich's level and turned him around. “Now, let's straighten your collar and tame your hair. Hmmm, ah-ha, there. Right as Korazim rain. Now, put on your biggest smile and go get 'em.”

“Who am I gonna get?”

Jordas's smile faltered. She simply nodded as Agent Strauss opened the door.

“Agent Tarakov, the mayor is ready for Dietrich.”

Jordas cleared her throat. “Be right there.” She pulled out the small sphere from her bag and triple-pressed two buttons, which started the device's internal countdown. “Here, I bought you a gift. It will help you learn … and help you remember me.”

Dietrich held out his hand. “Wow, thanks!”

Jordas almost aborted the mission. Just might have if Dietrich hadn't grabbed it out of her hands. “Cool, a starsphere.”

“You don't have one, right?”

“I do now.”

“I … I just want you to know how much I love you, Dietrich. You mean the 'verse to me. Do you understand?”

Agent Strauss cleared her throat. “Jordas, we really need to go. Can it wait? Dietrich will have to leave that here.”

“Can I take it with me? Please, please,
please?
”

Jordas felt something die inside of her. This was all part of the plan. Part of the commander's plan, part of why she'd infiltrated the mayor's security detail more than two years ago. The innocent-looking toy, giving it to Dietrich here, now, just before Mayor Engel's speech, knowing Ditti would want to take it with him, knowing Mia would object over security concerns. Knowing Strauss had zero patience for Ditti's tantrums. She'd carefully scripted every move.

“Mia, would you mind holding Ditti's toy for him when he joins his mom? He won't take it onstage, will you, Dietrich?”

“Nope.”

“See—problem solved.”

“I promise, Mia. Okay?”

Mia hesitated. “Jordas, that's not been cleared by security. You should know better.”

Jordas dipped her head in apology.

“All right—hand it to me.”

“You're right, of course. I'm sorry. I just couldn't…”

Mia pressed several buttons and played with the language setting. “I saw one of these in the window at Tiniford's and thought about buying it for my niece. Does it really project any constellation you ask for?”

“Over four hundred and twenty-five worlds,” Jordas replied without emotion. “Imagine looking up at the sky from Hold or Meridian Prime or Wayland, or even from Earth before, well, you know.”

“You don't sound too excited about it.”

Jordas froze.

“All right, Dietrich. I'll hold
this
until after your mom's speech, okay? Then you may have it back. Do we have a deal?”

“Deal, Mia. Bye, Jordi. Oh, thank you. Love you. See you soon.” He blew a kiss to Jordas as he walked toward the door.

Jordas fought to keep her composure. “Ah, Mia, I'm going to buy Ditti a souvenir. I'll meet you back here after the mayor's speech.”

Mia nodded and held out her hand. “Come, Dietrich. We don't want to keep your mother waiting.”

Jordas waited a few minutes before making her way to the ground level. She needed to leave the building before the event.
You need to leave now.
Instead she found herself in the stairwell and then on the ground floor and midway through the crowd. She stopped six meters from the stage as the mayor appeared.

Mayor Amelia Engel was dressed in a finely tailored silver pantsuit and six-inch cherry heels. Her blond hair was smoothed back into a bun that added severity to her already thin face. “Greetings, citizens. Thank you all for coming. This is a momentous day for our humble planet. I'm so glad you and your families decided to share it with me and my son.” The mayor turned and opened her arms. “Ditti, please come out and say hello to everyone.”

Jordas watched Dietrich bound across the stage, watched his wispy hair bounce with each stride. She saw Mia standing in the wing, holding Dietrich's starsphere. She glanced at the minicomp on her wrist as it ticked below two minutes.
Jordas, what do you think you're doing?
She looked back at young Dietrich, as he waved at the crowd. His eyes found her, freezing her in place. The doubt she'd managed to push down deep slowly worked its way up, until it cracked her resolve. She scanned the sea of parents and children. A teacher and her class stood nearby dressed in matching orange shirts. She saw little Dietrichs all around her, their smiles and joy and innocence.
How can I take that from them?
When she once again looked at Dietrich, her resolve shattered. Without thinking, she began to push her way through the people, and toward the wall of security.

“Excuse me, I need to get
through.
” Jordas pushed with urgency. People started turning toward her, others complaining as she shoved them aside. She inhaled deeply. “Bomb!” The crowd morphed into a panic-stricken sea as people bolted for the exits. Jordas heard a sickening crunch to her left. A young woman lay on the ground nearby, leg badly canted, a small canine whimpering at her feet.

Several armed guards moved to intercept Jordas. As she lunged for the stage, a local enforcer grabbed her arm, his hand knifing her in the throat. Jordas went down, doubled over. Couldn't breathe.

*   *   *

Agent Mia Strauss closed
the distance between her and the mayor, pulse weapon drawn. Strauss crashed into Mayor Engel and Dietrich, taking both down. The sphere in her off hand rolled out of her grasp and crashed into the base of the dais, then rolled backward, within reach of little Dietrich.

“Keep your head down, ma'am, and shield your eyes. Dietrich, we're going to play a little game. Close your eyes and count to twenty, just like hide-and-seek. Okay?” Several agents took up flanking positions to either side of the mayor, pulse weapons tracking their line of sight. Agent Strauss reached back and produced a handful of flat metallic disks from a thigh pocket, slid several into position, and tossed the others over her shoulder. She raised her wrist. “Activate shield wall!” The disks began to glow as a charged current arched from one disk to the next, until an invisible field enveloped the mayor and her security detail.

Strauss tossed a small sphere to Agent Morg Neiliech, who threw it straight up in the air and yelled out, “Cover!,” and a split second later, “Clear.”

When Strauss opened her eyes, a semitranslucent barrier stood between her and the mob. She barked into her comm. “Situation Orange. I repeat, Situation Orange. Position not secure. I need immediate evac on the south lawn and a HIRT team, now! And sniffers, and a med tent for casualties. Move!”

Strauss pushed up to one knee and turned her attention to Jordas.

“Stop! Enforcer—stand down. She's one of mine.” Then to Jordas, “Agent Tarakov, you made the call. Now, explain it!”

*   *   *

Jordas tried to respond
. She grabbed her throat protectively as the guards let her go. All she could do was look at Agent Strauss in horror and guide her to the starsphere by her knee. The toy she'd given Dietrich just minutes before. Her lips formed the word “bomb,” and her eyes were wide with panic.

Recognition and then shock crossed Mia's face. “Agent Neiliech, you're in command. Get them out of here and to the aerodyne. Tell flight control to shut it down and make a hole. Now! Don't wait for clearance. Just go.
Run!
”

For a man built like a warship, Agent Neiliech moved with the grace and speed of a light attack craft. He holstered his weapon, scooped up the mayor and her son, and tucked one under each arm. Turned to his subordinates and said, “Stay on me until the package is secure. What doesn't move aside goes down, clear?” Nods all around. Mayor Engel had turned pale. Dietrich looked nervous, caught between a little boy's excitement and fear. Neiliech sprang forward with his charges hugged tight, ran through the energy barrier, jumped off the stage, and bolted for the rear exit.

Agent Mia Strauss leveled her weapon at Jordas. “Why, I ought to … How much did you sell out for?” Her eyes bounced to the sphere. “What's the blast radius?”

Jordas rasped out words loud enough for Strauss to decipher over the comm. “Quarter klick.”