Strikeforce (4 page)

7

The Rodriguez girl insisted on staying in the cruiser's cockpit, much to Cassius's annoyance. The two of them had always butted heads, ever since he'd nearly shot her in the Fringe Town of Syracuse. Of all of Fisher's friends, she was the only one with the military knowledge to challenge him. In a way, it made them perfect allies in this particular mission. Not a whole lot of shared history between them, no feelings of loyalty or honor beyond those of fellow soldiers.

But as much as she annoyed him, at least it kept him from being alone with Madame. Even though current events were forcing her to think beyond herself, Cassius knew that Madame always had backup plans. She'd double-crossed him before—done anything and everything to suit her needs. Could he really trust her now?

He looked out the window, scanning the horizon. Fisher's cruiser had long since disappeared into the distance, heading west. Cassius spotted a stream of smoke, far off in the distance. It most likely came from a Chosen City. He prayed that the Unified Party had enough resources to fend off the Authority. More than that, he hoped that Fisher would be okay in Portland.

After all, the Chosens had to be one of the invaders' first targets. Beyond the Skyships above, they were the centers of the country's population. Destroy all fifty Chosen Cities and America wouldn't be worth saving.

He glanced forward. They were approaching one of the cities now.

“This would be Boulder,” Madame stated, then scooted forward to peer out the window. “My god.”

Cassius did the same. Before them lay a dark city, half fallen. The Bio-Net surrounding the perimeter harbored noticeable gaps—chinks in the city's armor. The sky began to thicken, choked with smoke from the multiple fires blazing below. Bolts of red energy darted around the city's edge like fireflies. Authority foot soldiers, no doubt. There were no shuttles or cruisers present.

Cassius imagined what it would be like to have been in the city when it was first attacked. The Bio-Nets themselves were outfitted with cannons to shoot down any unauthorized Skyship vessels, but the rate and speed that the red Pearls had fallen would have made them impervious to cannon fire. He'd been in Chosen Cities when normal, green Pearls had dropped. He'd seen the destruction that just one could create. Multiply that by a hundred, and add the relentless enemy invaders who lived inside the crimson Pearls, and you had a real problem.

Cassius kept forward, transfixed at the sight. “Should we stop?”

“No,” Madame said. “We can't get involved with every mess we see. Not now.”

“There are people dying down there.” Eva's choked voice came from behind them. “The government's not equipped to deal with—”

“I'm sure there are, my dear,” Madame interrupted. “People die every day. Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is know when it's not your time to fight.”

Cassius felt the cruiser speed up and gain altitude, bringing them farther from the city. He sat back, teeth grinding.

“Anxious, Cassius?” Madame's voice cut the silence.

“How can I not be?”

“Calm yourself,” she replied. “Think of Skyship Atlas. The Tribunal.” Her voice quieted. “At least that's an enemy we can understand.”

“You know,” Eva started, “if you keep thinking of Skyship as the enemy, we're not going to accomplish anything.”

Madame's brow rose as she glanced at Eva from the rearview mirror. “None of us will be welcome onboard Atlas, even a Shipper like you. Not after all we've done. If I had any concrete destination on the Surface, you can bet that's where I'd be heading.”

Eva met her eyes. “They won't recognize me. I'm not important to them … not in the big scheme of things.”

“You were on Skyship Altair when Matigo's son sunk it. You're friends with Fisher. That makes you important.”

The console beeped. Cassius moved to the radar and instantly spotted activity. He turned to Madame. “Something's following us.”

She cursed. “I thought I brought us far enough above the city … ”

Cassius returned to the radar. “There's three of them. Too small to be cruisers.”

Before he could continue, a flash of red zipped past his windshield, so fast that it was like a slice of light through the sky. Another ripped across the left window, then a third directly above them.

“What the hell?” Madame brought the cruiser in a steep upward incline almost immediately.

Cassius flew back into his seat, gripping the side paneling to keep from falling out. “Don't panic. Want me to drive?”

“I'm fully capable—” She was interrupted as the three crimson lights surged forward on them. And for a split second Cassius could see exactly what they were. Authority foot soldiers.
Flying
Authority foot soldiers.

Cassius reached over to flip the emergency steering, then pulled open a nearby hatch to reveal a second wheel—the co-
pilot's override.

Madame pounded her fist against the console. “Damnit, Cassius. I can do this!”

Instead of arguing, he took control and brought them in a spiraling climb, past clouds up into Skyship territory. He knew he was a better pilot than Madame, despite her bravado. She'd been on the Surface too long, coddled by the Unified Party's amenities.

Still, his breakneck climb wasn't enough. The soldiers matched their speed, clamping onto the cruiser's underbelly. Hitching a ride.

They must have seen the cruiser over Boulder and decided to attack. Madame had been foolish for flying so low in the first place. This was exactly why they were headed to Atlas rather than a Chosen City. Still, the fact that these things could fly made everything more dangerous.

A pounding came from below them as the soldiers climbed up the underbelly of the cruiser, seconds from tearing through the metal and working their way inside.

He had to lose them.

“If you puke,” he started, “don't puke on me.”

With that, he brought the cruiser into a dizzying series of loops, whipping the ship back and forth in violent bursts, hoping to knock the foot soldiers off.

And he did. With a screech, he felt the weight drop from the cruiser. He couldn't tell where the creatures ended up, but he knew they'd come right back, angrier than before.

“I'm using a boost,” he announced, though he didn't expect any argument.

Before the soldiers could come back, he reached up and turned the dial to full power. With a series of flips and clicks, the system's emergency boost kicked in, counting down from five. It would use much of their power up, but they needed to get away if they were to survive. He didn't want to crash land on the Surface, especially with the soldiers nearby.

He straightened out the cruiser before the countdown reached zero, pointing it eastward.

The boost initiated. He slammed back into his seat, hardly able to breathe as the cruiser rocketed forward at speeds twenty times its already quick norm. The sky became a blur of motion. Normally, he'd worry about crashing into something, but they were just under the International Skyline. He doubted—hoped—that no Unified Party vehicles would be airborne at a time like this.

When they finally slowed down, their radar showed them as being over the eastern border of Colorado, a good two hundred miles away from where they'd previously flown.

Madame breathed a sigh of relief. Her hand shook at her side. “Cassius,” she started. “That was—”

“You're welcome,” he replied, folding the override steering back into its compartment and returning the power to her. “Stay at this altitude. I know you like to think you're invincible, but you're not.”

He stood.

Eva glanced up at him. “Where are you going?”

“To the back,” he replied. “I'm gonna take stock of our supplies. Weapons. Rations. First aid. This isn't gonna be easy.”

“Do you want help?”

“No,” he said. “Keep her under control.” He didn't meet Madame's eyes. “Make sure she doesn't do anything stupid. And run a functional inventory … make sure those Authority goons didn't rip anything important from our hull.” He moved to the door, opening it to reveal the cabin beyond. “Let me know when we're closer to Atlas.”

8

Trails of smoke beckon us forward, rising from Portland's Bio-Net like fingers. The city sits on the horizon, right in the center of the cruiser's windshield. Even from a distance, I can see the war raging. Red Pearls continue to fall from the sky, hitting the ground like meteors and instantly transforming into Authority soldiers.

The air is clogged with vehicles around us. People trying to get out, maybe. Unified Party cruisers hoping to fight the battle from above. With every minute we remain airborne, another shuttle comes crashing to the ground. They land in fiery explosions, pelting the earth like broken toys. Most are accompanied by parachutes, thank god, but not all. And the longer we're amongst the fray, the better chance we have of becoming one of the casualties.

The city's cannons, attached on all sides to the Bio-Net connectors, let loose a flurry of blasts aimed at the invaders. But the soldiers are too quick and too small to have much success with something as cumbersome as a cannon.

“Bring us down,” I tell Avery.

She grips the steering, hands shaking. “That's what I'm doing, but we can't do it too fast. Do you wanna crash land like last time we were in Portland?”

“No.” I think back to when I'd first left the Academy with her, when Cassius had been in pursuit. Not only had our Academy shuttle lost power, but it did so right over the city, breaking through the Bio-Net and landing in a crowded plaza. We'd been lucky to survive.

I focus on the trails of smoke, drawing ever closer. “I'm more worried about one of those cannons hitting us.”

“Trust me,” Avery says. “I've got this.”

I wanna trust her. I know what a good pilot she is, but there's so much going on around us. Utter chaos.

I watch as the crimson light of a soldier careens across our windshield, less than a mile away. I don't know where it's going, or if it's even in control of its own course, but I dread the thought of one of them clamping onto our cruiser.

The door to the cockpit opens and Skandar strides in. “Man.” He plops in a seat behind Avery. “It's hell out there.”

Avery's brows rose. “How are the Drifters?”

“Antsy.” He stares out the front window.

Before I can respond, an orange panel illuminates at the top of the console.

Avery glances over to the light. “The emergency hatch.”

“What?”

The back of the cruiser lurches, as if someone had just dropped a sandbag in the cabin.

“The emergency hatch,” she repeats. “It's open.”

“I don't—”

I'm interrupted as a pair of green flashes pull to either side of the cockpit. I look out the window to see Talan flying beside us, matching the pace of the cruiser. On the other side is Sem, his green glow equally as strong.

“The Drifters,” I start.

“They're out,” Avery finishes. “The back hatch is already closing up again. They were waiting for you to leave, Skandar.”

He shrugs. “I guess.”

I stare at Talan and Sem as they continue forward, overtaking us but losing altitude at the same time. “I didn't know they had any Pearl energy left inside of them.”

Avery brings us lower. “Just enough to get to the surface, I'd wager. I guess we weren't moving fast enough for them.”

Within seconds, both Drifters are out of sight. They've joined the fight, sure, but they've also left us alone in the process. Maybe they saw something we didn't. Maybe our cruiser was about to be attacked.

“We can't worry about them now,” Avery says. “I'm speeding up descent. We'll take a wide, low route. I'll set us down in the shadow of the northeast landing pad. Depending on what's happening on the ground, they'll have either amped up security or seen their checkpoints completely breached, in which case I'm betting it'll be pretty easy getting past. Of course, once we're inside the city, it'll be a different story. Either way, it's better to be safe.”

Skandar rests his chin in his hand. “I still say you should let me go with you
.”

I pivot so that I can see him. “It's gonna be hard enough getting two of us in there.”

“Besides,” Avery adds, “if something goes wrong, which … chances are … ” She trails off. “Anyway, we'll need someone manning the cruiser that can get us out of here fast. I'm fairly familiar with the layout of the city. And Jesse … well—”

“He breaks Pearls,” Skandar interrupts. “I know.” He sighs. “And I wait in shuttles. Fantastic.”

––––

Once on the Surface, the Chosen City towers over us, casting an enormous shadow along the entirety of the landing pad. Of course, I can't see much of that now. Avery managed to make a tricky turn underneath the concrete pad, wedging us in between the city and the ground—down with the roaches and spiders, and I'm sure there are many of them out here.

Avery said the northeastern landing pad is the least-frequently used. Passenger parking, basically. And most people
on the Surface rely on the automated Chute system to travel from city to city. Not many own shuttles to park, and those that do would have tried to clear out already.

We exit the cruiser and climb up the rocky terrain, settling on the desert ground after a minute of sweaty, arm-straining work. The hot Fringe air crawls inside my lungs. The scratchiness of the air instantly takes me back to the dream I've been having.

The rooftop. Syracuse.

At least the Nevada bunker had been temperature regulated. After so many days down there, my body struggles to adjust to the blast of heat. With any luck, we won't be outside for long.

From this distance, the battle seems muted. Much of the attack is happening in the air now. I'm sure it will be different once we're inside the city, but barring the occasional explosion, we've found a relatively calm place.

Once at the edge of the landing pad, I glance up at the Bio-Net connectors. As apprehensive as I am about breaching a Unified Party stronghold, my body longs to pass the city's walls and enter into the cool, Net-protected atmosphere.

I'm so eager that I don't even notice the obvious until Avery raises a hand and points.

“Do you see that?”

I trace the line of her finger and realize she's pointing at the closest connector. A red circle, right in the center of the metal cross, flashes in quick repetition. I scan the horizon. Every Bio-Net connector's the same. Red, off and on.

“Security breach,” she says.

I open my mouth to respond, but end up swallowing my words. Something tugs at me, grabs me by the chest, and tries to pull me forward. I plant my feet on the ground and easily stay in place, but the sensation remains. I've felt this before. I've been waiting to feel it again.

“The Pearls,” I say.

Avery stands on her toes to get a look at the city, still far in the distance. “Where?”

“I can feel them already,” I whisper. “They're inside. There are a lot.”

She grabs my hand and pulls me closer. “Maybe you can reach them from here.”

I close my eyes and try to focus on the energy, pinpoint exactly where it's coming from. But each time I grab on, something interrupts my concentration—pushes me away. “No.” I let the sensation pass. “There's too much going on inside. We'll need to get closer.”

“Figures.” She takes a deep breath before releasing her hold on my hand. “Just follow me.”

We approach the city slowly, leaving Skandar behind in the cruiser and making our way to the nearest entrance. A short tunnel, surrounded on all sides by rows of flashing lights, leads past the Bio-Net and into Portland. A guard stands watch, turned sideways. A blue laser searches the area around him, beaming down from the ceiling to catch Unified Party identification codes. Avery used to have one before she came up to Skyship. I never did, which means neither of us will be welcome past the checkpoint, especially during a security breach.

The guard notices us before we've even passed through, and holds out a hand. “We're in lockdown.” There's a tremor in his voice, a hint of fear I'm not used to hearing from a Unified Party
soldier.

Avery moves faster. “Our little brother's still in the city. You have to let us in!”

“You'll be safer outside,” he replies.

“Please.” Avery approaches him. “We got separated on
our way out. We need to—”

“Listen,” he interrupts, though I can see he's just as shaken as Avery's pretending to be. “If I were you, I'd take your—”

Before he can finish, Avery delivers a roundhouse kick, knocking him to his knees. In the same motion, she spins to grab a pistol sitting on the desk behind him. “Go, Jesse.”

Without a hint of hesitation, I sprint through the laser and past the checkpoint. The stupefied guard attempts to react, but Avery's too fast. She follows behind, grabbing my shoulder and forcing me to the left. We barrel down the nearest street as the alarm sounds behind us. He might call backup. But with everything else going on, he's more likely to forget us.

The city is as messy as the skies outside. Troops of soldiers r
ace down the narrow streets, dwarfed on either side by skyscrapers so tall they block out the sun. The dull red flash of the Bio-Net connectors reflects off the silver sides of buildings. Smoke far above us casts the city in a gray ashiness.

And I know they're here. I can't see them, but there are invaders inside Portland. Like Talan and the other Drifters said, you won't notice them until you're close enough to see the red of their eyes. They could be anyone.

Avery and I bolt into an alleyway and take a moment to catch our breath.

“Close your eyes,” she pants. “What way should we be going?”

I nod, and lock onto the Pearl energy. There are still disruptions, but I feel it in the distance. A constant pulse, like an extra heartbeat outside of my body.

I open my eyes and point to the far end of the alley. “In the center of the city. Exactly. Follow me.”

I take a step forward just as an enormous blast ruptures the ground two streets behind us. A bomb? Enemy fire? Unified Party defense? There's no way to tell.

My ears ring as the sound of the explosion fades. A cloud of rubble rains over the street bordering our alley and begins to work its way toward us, like a tidal wave of gray.

Avery shakes her head. “We had to pick Portland.”

She's right. There may be other Chosens that are in better shape. Of course, we had no way of knowing that. And then again, Portland could be one of the safer places. We're completely in the dark. Guesswork. That's all we've got.

“Come on.” It's my turn to lead. We sprint forward as the dark cloud streams in behind us.

All the while, the Pearl energy intensifies. I'm locked on it now. And I'm not stopping until I'm close enough to break them all.