Savior Part 2: Son of Eden (The Savior Series) (26 page)

ECHO:
Is there something going on that you’re not telling me about?
Friday 6:29 pm

NINA:
What do you mean?
Friday 6:29 pm

ECHO:
I’m asking because it seems odd that you keep insisting on me tracking her phone when I’ve told you it was a guaranteed dead end
Friday 6:30 pm

NINA:
Well… I just think it wouldn’t hurt to try…
Friday 6:30 pm

ECHO:
…
Friday 6:30 pm

NINA:
Well? Are you going to track the phone?
Friday 6:31 pm

ECHO:
Not until you tell me what’s really going on
Friday 6:31 pm

NINA:
Okay…
Friday 6:31 pm

NINA:
I think I got a text message from Monica’s phone earlier this morning… The message just said “HELP” and the weird thing is it completely disappeared from my phone a few minutes after I opened it. I wanted you to check her phone to see if it was still on but I didn’t want to tell you about the message because I didn’t want you to think that I was crazy…
Friday 6:32 pm

ECHO:
Are you sure it didn’t come from someone else?
Friday 6:32 pm

NINA:
Yes I’m sure! It came from Monica’s number!
Friday 6:32 pm

ECHO:
But the message is no longer on your phone?
Friday 6:33 pm

NINA:
No. I checked the inbox as well as the folder for deleted messages. I also tried texting her back but I haven’t gotten a reply
Friday 6:33 pm

ECHO:
And you’re absolutely sure the message came from Monica’s phone?
Friday 6:33 pm

NINA:
Yes I’m sure! The freaking notification said MONICA and it was definitely her phone number! Now are you going to trace the phone or not?!
Friday 6:34 pm

NINA:
Well…
Friday 6:35 pm

NINA:
…Howie?
Friday 6:37 pm

ECHO:
Unbelievable…
Friday 6:37 pm

NINA:
Did you find her???
Friday 6:37 pm

ECHO:
I’m not sure but it definitely looks like her phone is broadcasting a signal
Friday 6:38 pm

NINA:
But that’s good news right?
Friday 6:38 pm

ECHO:
Maybe. It just seems weird that it would pop on now… all of a sudden…
Friday 6:38 pm

NINA:
Monica is smart. Maybe she hid the phone and she’s just now getting a chance to turn it on.

Friday 6:38 pm

ECHO:
Maybe…
Friday 6:38 pm

NINA:
So where is she??
Friday 6:39 pm

ECHO:
I can’t tell you that and I’ve got to run Nina. I’ve got to get on this right away…
Friday 6:39 pm

NINA:
Okay. Keep me posted please!
Friday 6:39 pm

ECHO:
Will do. BTW I’m going to need to take a look at your phone as well
Friday 6:39 pm

NINA:
How will I get it to you?
Friday 6:39 pm

ECHO:
I’ll send for you
Friday 6:40 pm

NINA:
Okay. I guess I’ll see you in a bit in that case…
Friday 6:41 pm

ECHO:
Goodbye Nina. I’ll keep you posted if we find anything on Monica’s whereabouts
Friday 6:41 pm

NINA:
Okay. Thanks Howie. Good luck out there!
Friday 6:41 pm

ECHO:
Thanks
Friday 6:41 pm

**** END OF CONVERSATION ****

**** GROUP MESSENGER ****

ECHO:
Saddle up boys! I may have a lead on Monica!
Friday 6:42 pm

REAPER:
Are you serious???
Friday 6:42 pm

ACE:
That’s what I’m talking about!!
Friday 6:42 pm

ECHO:
Absolutely, but we’ve got to move quickly. Use the wormhole beacons to jump to 3D and we’ll game plan from there.
Friday 6:42 pm

ACE:
Cool. Otw right now
Friday 6:42 pm

REAPER:
How did you find her???

Friday 6:43 pm

ECHO:
I got a lead from her friend Nina… It actually seems awfully convenient though so I think she may be involved with The Strangers. I’m sending a team to detain her as we speak. I still want to follow up on the lead though and we need to move on this ASAP!
Friday 6:43 pm

REAPER:
Crap! I think I left my beacon at 3D…
Friday 6:43 pm

ECHO:
Are you kidding me??
Friday 6:44 pm

REAPER:
No I’m not. I can’t find it but I’m pretty sure I left it at 3D last week
Friday 6:44 pm

ECHO:
What were you doing at 3D last week?
Friday 6:44 pm

REAPER:
…I was kind of hanging out with Audrey…
Friday 6:44 pm

ECHO:
You were doing what???
Friday 6:44 pm

REAPER:
We were just hanging out bro… It’s not a big deal
Friday 6:45 pm

ECHO:
It IS a big deal! Having a civilian in our command center is a GIGANTIC deal!
Friday 6:45 pm

REAPER:
Howie I’m honestly not interested in discussing this. The only thing I care about right now is finding Monica
Friday 6:45 pm

ECHO:
How close are you to Area 51?
Friday 6:46 pm

REAPER:
Close enough. I can run there in a little under forty minutes
Friday 6:46 pm

ECHO:
Okay, here’s the plan: Ace and I will use our beacons to jump to 51 and you can meet us there later. We should probably clue Wells in on this anyway so that works out perfectly
Friday 6:46 pm

REAPER:
Cool. I’m on my way
Friday 6:47 pm

ACE:
Me too. I’m setting my beacon for 51 right now
Friday 6:47 pm

REAPER:
Where is she?
Friday 6:47 pm

ECHO:
Her phone is broadcasting a signal from Manhattan
Friday 6:48 pm

REAPER:
I should have leveled that entire borough when I had the chance…
Friday 6:49 pm

ECHO:
Let’s get Monica out first. Then I’ll see to it that you get a second chance.
Friday 6:49 pm

REAPER:
Good. I’ll see you in twenty minutes
Friday 6:49 pm

ECHO:
Twenty minutes?? I need you here as soon as possible Reap but make sure you still have something left in the tank for the operation. I’ve got a feeling you’re going to need it
Friday 6:50 pm

REAPER:
I’ll be fine.
Friday 6:50 pm

24. HERE’S TO SUICIDE, BOYS

REAPER:

MY HEARTBEAT ECHOED IN MY EARS AS WE ZIPPED THROUGH the sky in the top-secret, supersonic jets that would carry us from Nevada to Manhattan in under twelve minutes. Ace and I locked gazes as we sat across from each other as the sleek, blade shaped jet cut its way through the skies that separated us from Monica. Ace was dressed in his all-black lightweight ninja armor and he was holding his untied head band in his hands as he focused his eyes on me. I had known Ace long enough to know that once he tied that long piece of black cloth around his head no one that stood between us and Monica would be safe. We were bringing a lot of fire power with us but nothing gave me more confidence in our ability to succeed than the fire that burned in Ace’s eyes as he stared back at me.

Even after the Empire State Building was destroyed, Manhattan remained one of the primary Stranger strongholds. For that reason we had brought out the full court press. As we sat there anxious to dive into battle another squad of tanks and LAVs along with thousands of infantry troops were already moving into the Stranger territory in order to keep them occupied until we arrived.

A sliver of doubt crept into my mind as I grabbed my skull-faced gasmask and looked at myself in the reflection of the black visor. I then glanced to my left and watched as the former Stranger operative, Charlie, tipped his black cowboy hat and switched his toothpick from the left to the right side of his mouth. I wondered if he really cared about saving Monica or if he was simply enjoying the ride. I knew his gunslinging abilities were unparalleled—I had found that out the hard way when, two years ago, he had been able to shoot me in the shoulder even with me moving in overdrive. His aim made him an incredibly valuable asset but how could I know if he really had the same goal as I did? How could I know if we were truly fighting for the same purpose or if he was simply fighting for the thrill of it all or simply to avoid going back to prison. He was sitting across from his mercenary buddy Tango who had still not fully recovered from the fight with The Greater but he had insisted on coming along anyway.

Tango's upper body was wrapped with several layers of bandages that covered the myriad of third degree burns that he had sustained at the hands of The Greater. Instead of his usual bare-chested style, he had chosen to wear a reinforced Kevlar vest as well and he sat quietly across from Charlie and meditated as our supersonic jet sped onward. Like Charlie, Tango also possessed a unique set of abilities that I thought could ultimately prove useful to our efforts to rescue Monica. At that point, he was the only person that I had ever seen beat Ace in hand to hand combat and even though Ace was able to defeat him the second time they fought, he was only able to do so by exploiting the fact that Tango was blind in one eye. To be honest, they were both the two best combatants I had ever seen in action but I could never decide which of them was truly the better fighter. They were polar opposites in terms of style—Tango was a ferociously offensive fighter while Ace relied heavily on defense and precision counter attacks. They had squared off twice and each had won once. Tango now had a cybernetic eye that significantly increased his field of vision but Ace had also gotten a lot stronger since the last time they fought.

For the moment I was simply happy to have them both fighting on my side. I had a feeling that we would need everything we could get once we arrived in Manhattan and Ace, Tango, Charlie and I were quite possibly the most capable combatants on the face of the planet. As much as I hated the idea of fighting alongside former Strangers, I knew that teaming up with them gave us the greatest chance of success. As I glanced from Tango to Charlie, for a second, I reconsidered the idea of fighting alongside them and Ace when I challenged The Greater for the Right Hand of the Anokian Crown. I knew my chances of defeating him were a lot higher if I allowed them all to fight with me, but there was still something about fighting a guy with 4 to 1 odds that didn’t sit well with me. I had told Ace that I would at least allow him to help me but, to be honest, I had just said that so he would stop talking about it. As far as I was concerned I didn’t need any help to defeat one guy.

I don't care how powerful he’s supposed to be
, I grumbled as I firmly pulled my gasmask over my head. My mask whirred softly as the heads-up display inside my visor powered on.

“
You guys are two minutes out,”
Howie’s voice chimed through the earpiece inside of my mask.

“How’s it looking, Echo?”
Ace asked as he pulled his tactical combat mask over his face.

“It’s going well, so far,
” Howie replied. “
A little too well to be honest. The Strangers are getting pummeled by our ground troops so it looks like you guys shouldn’t have much trouble reaching the area where I triangulated Monica’s signal. I am concerned, however, that they might be holding back the bulk of their troops in order to ambush you guys once you get there.”

“That won’t be a problem,”
I said as my heartbeat quickened with anticipation.

“Sixty seconds,”
Howie said as I felt the jet begin to decelerate. Tango, Charlie, Ace and I all unstrapped ourselves from our seats and moved to the rear of the jet as the aircraft slowed even more. A strong gust of wind blew in as the rear doors of the jet opened and revealed the battle that was raging on in Manhattan below us. The thundering booms of tanks and attack helicopters spilling fire and smoke into the sky filled the air as our jet hovered above the chaos. The cool night air engulfed my entire body as I stared down into the fray with the tail of my long trench coat flickering in the wind behind me.

“You’re forgettin’ somethin’ ain’t cha, Hoss?” Charlie asked as he walked over and stood beside me, with his dark brown duster coat fluttering in the wind around him.

“I don’t need a chute,” I answered without taking my eyes off of the battle that was raging on miles below us.

“What about the bats?” Ace asked, as he eyed the black case that sat next to the seat that I had been sitting in. Stored within the case were two incredibly dense, 1000-pound Anokian-Steel baseball bats that Howie had made for me. I was certainly tempted to bring them along but I didn’t really think I’d need them against a bunch of Strangers.

“They’ll just try to overwhelm us with numbers like they always do. I’ll probably need my speed if it comes down to that and lugging around two 1000-pound bats would probably just slow me down,” I answered.

“Alright. In that case—Let’s do it!” Ace exclaimed as he tied his headband around his head. Ace’s long headband flickered wildly in the wind behind him as he darted forward without notice and quickly dove through the opening in the rear of the jet.

“Giddy up, Hoss!” Charlie shouted as he removed his black cowboy hat and clutched it tightly in his right hand as he too dove from the jet. Tango quietly leapt after him, leaving me alone in the rear of the jet watching as they all sailed toward the city below. The other jets that arrived with us whizzed around the night sky firing away at key Stranger targets and devastating countless buildings as I prepared to make my jump.

Please let her be okay,
I thought as I spread my arms and finally leapt out of the hovering jet. The long tail of my coat flapped behind me like a cape as I plummeted into the darkness below with astonishing speed. The heads-up display on my visor highlighted the unassuming building in the distance where Monica’s phone was still broadcasting a signal. My heart raced even faster as I anticipated the possibility of seeing her for the first time in over two years. I was still thinking about how much I missed her when a small vibration on my hip let me know that I had just gotten a text message on my cell phone.

“Open text,”
I said, causing my phone’s interface to wirelessly display in the heads-up display of my mask’s visor.

“
Initiate voice to text input,”
I said as I continued to sail toward the ground below.

**** MOBILE MESSENGER ****

AUDREY:
‘Ello mate!
Friday 7:50 pm

REAPER:
Haha! Are you doing that terrible English accent again?
Friday 7:51 pm

AUDREY:
You’re such a hater!
Friday 7:51 pm

REAPER:
lol I’ve learned from the best in that case!
Friday 7:51 pm

AUDREY:
I’m not a hater, HATER! Lol
Friday 7:51 pm

AUDREY:
What are you doing?
Friday 7:52 pm

REAPER:
Trying to save the world. Same as always
Friday 7:52 pm

AUDREY:
Did I catch you at a bad time??
Friday 7:52 pm

REAPER:
You have no idea! Lol
Friday 7:52 pm

AUDREY:
Seriously??? What are you doing?
Friday 7:53 pm

REAPER:
I actually just jumped out of a jet and I’m probably gonna be hitting the ground in the next couple of minutes
Friday 7:53 pm

AUDREY:
Geez Reaper! Are you really texting and skydiving right now???
Friday 7:54 pm

REAPER:
Yeah. It’s no big deal though
Friday 7:54 pm

AUDREY:
Reaper that’s dangerous!
Friday 7:54 pm

REAPER:
You do remember that part about me being a superhero right? Lol
Friday 7:54 pm

AUDREY:
OMG… You’re gonna give me a heart attack one of these days…
Friday 7:55 pm

REAPER:
So I guess I shouldn’t tell you that I’m not wearing a parachute, huh?

Friday 7:55 pm

AUDREY:
…I wish you could see my face right now…
Friday 7:55 pm

REAPER:
What did I say? Lol
Friday 7:55 pm

AUDREY:
I think I liked it better when I didn’t have to worry about you getting yourself killed every two seconds
Friday 7:56 pm

REAPER:
I’ll be fine babe but I am gonna be out of pocket for a while though. Things are starting to get crazy and I’ve got to make sure I’m focused
Friday 7:56 pm

AUDREY:
I understand. You know I’m always here if you need me
Friday 7:56 pm

REAPER:
Absolutely
Friday 7:56 pm

AUDREY:
Just remember that I’ll kill you if you let yourself die, Mister!
Friday 7:56 pm

REAPER:
I promise you I won’t die, Audrey. Lol
Friday 7:56 pm

AUDREY:
You’d better not!
Friday 7:56 pm

REAPER:
Lol! Ok I’ve gotta run babe. Landing in a few seconds!
Friday 7:57 pm

AUDREY:
Okay I love you!!!
Friday 7:57 pm

**** END OF CONVERSATION ****

I SLAMMED INTO THE GROUND LIKE A METEORITE SECONDS after ending the chat session. Rubble and dust flew into the air as pain shot throughout my shins from the force of the landing but the adrenaline rush that ensued because of it was more than enough to numb the pain.

Ace, Tango and Charlie were already dashing down the decayed street headed toward the small building that Howie had tagged as the location of Monica’s phone. They had a head start of a few hundred feet but I zoomed after them at nearly eighty miles an hour and easily caught up with them as they continued their approach toward the building.

“Nice of you
to join us, Reaper,”
Ace quipped without breaking stride. The sounds of rockets and tank fire tore through the air as our ground forces and air support continued to push back waves of Stranger resistance in the neighboring streets. As the building we were bounding toward finally came into view, I was surprised to see that the streets before it were relatively clear.