Warriors

TWENTY-TWO

X held Michael’s limp body in his arms on the boat ride back to the capitol tower.

“Hurry!” he shouted.

Victor pushed the throttle down as far as it would go, resulting in a whining motor and plumes of smoke. Dripping wet and chest heaving, X laid Michael down on the deck with Ton’s help.

They had pulled him from the water not long after Michael crash-landed in the ocean. X had watched him go in while he was returning to the capitol tower on his hang glider.

He had known something was wrong when Michael’s altitude plummeted on his HUD. When that happened, X had let most of the helium out of his balloon and glided over toward Michael at full speed, only to brake at the last instant and drop out of his harness into the water.

Several boats had already arrived at the scene, but by the time they pulled Michael out, he wasn’t breathing.

Now X and Ton stripped off his chest armor, and X started pumping his chest and breathing into his mouth.

“Come on, kid,” X growled. “Don’t leave me like this.”

Miles whined and licked Michael’s face.

X pumped, but with his right arm gone, it wasn’t easy. It had almost gotten him killed on the hang glider, but once again he had survived, and others had not.

Immortality seemed more a curse than a blessing.

He kept pumping, trying to bring Michael back before it was too late. Every passing second brought him closer to forever losing the young man who seemed like a son.

My life for yours, kid.

Ton crouched down, making a clicking sound with what remained of his tongue.

“What?” X said.

Ton gently pushed X out of the way and took over.

Miles nudged Michael’s limp body, and X used his left arm to pull the dog back, holding him tight. Instead of feeling comfort from the dog, he felt an overwhelming flood of dread.

As the boat bumped and skidded over the waves, X gripped the commander’s limp hand.

“Come on, kid,” X muttered. He glanced at the orange glow of the sun.

They had lost Alberto and Cricket, and now they were losing Michael. And for what? The skinwalkers were still out there, and so were the defectors.

It was supposed to be safe here. The islands were supposed to be the vanguard for humanity, but X had failed to bring peace to the rigs and failed to protect his people. He wanted to scream at the top of his lungs, but grief sucked the anger out of him. Ton kept pumping Michael’s chest, but X knew that the chances of his coming back now were slim to none.

He closed his eyes, squeezing out a trickle of tears. He opened them again just as something jumped alongside the boat. A flash of gray hit the water with a splash.

X’s first thought was of submarines, but then he heard dolphins calling. Several more arced up from the water.

Miles barked excitedly as the magnificent creatures followed all the way to the piers, jumping and gamboling in the water.

On the docks, a group of people waited for the boat. One was a woman with a swollen belly.

Layla…

X was in such a trance, he hardly heard the vocal clicking sounds. Turning, he saw Ton grinning as he helped Michael sit up.

Miles nudged up against him, tail whipping.

Michael blinked, then leaned forward and vomited a bellyful of water. He wiped his mouth and then mumbled, “Layla.”

“Kid!” X yelled. He bent down and grabbed Michael, pulling him tight.

Miles brushed up against them, licking the salt off them.

“It’s okay, Tin,” X said. “We’re almost back home.”

“Layla,” he mumbled.

“She’s waiting for us on the docks.” X let go of Michael and gave him some space so he could throw up the rest of the water.

“Good job, man,” X said, clapping Ton on the back.

Ton nodded proudly.

Victor coasted up to the docks, where several hands pulled the boat in.

“Tin!” Layla cried.

X helped Michael up and out of the boat. He broke free and ran to meet Layla. When they were ten feet apart, Michael went down on one knee.

But he hadn’t fallen.

Panting to catch his breath, he reached into his vest and pulled out the ring that Rodger had made for him several days earlier.

X hurried over with Ton and Victor while others moored the boat and started unloading the gliders.

Miles barked happily as he trotted over with X to stand behind Michael. Michael held the ring in a shaky hand.

“When I was out there in the darkness, all I could think about was you and Bray,” he said. “I want to be with you two forever.”

He held up the ring. “Will you marry me, Layla?”

She cupped her hands over her face and nodded.

“Of course I will,” she said.

They embraced while applause broke out all around.

X almost burst into tears. As the sun rose over the Vanguard Islands, he wanted to collapse in his bed with Miles and sleep for a day. But the skinwalkers were still out there, and he had to plan more defenses and arrange for several more funerals.

The elevator across the dock clanked down with the Hell Divers who had landed on the rooftop earlier. Hector, Edgar, Ted, Lena, Arlo, Rodger, and Magnolia ran over to see what the commotion was about.

The chugging of motors drew X’s eye to the docks, where several boats had just arrived. Sergeant Wynn hopped out of one with a radio in his hand and ran over. He clearly wasn’t here to celebrate.

“Sir, a boat’s been spotted on the eastern border,” Wynn said, panting. “Should I sound the alarms?”

“What kind of boat?”

“It’s small, sir, definitely not a warship,” Wynn replied. “I’ve dispatched several of our vessels to intercept.”

“Don’t sound the damned alarms,” X said. “I don’t want to frighten people over one boat. Just make sure everyone’s ready for another attack.”

“Got it, sir.” Wynn relayed the orders over the radio.

X bent down to Miles. “Sorry, boy, but this time you really have to stay here.”

Miles went down on his haunches, but he didn’t whine when X took off for his armored speedboat. Mac and Felipe fired up another boat, pulling away a moment later.

Ton and Victor jumped with Wynn into the war boat that once belonged to el Pulpo. It would be a fitting end to his son, X thought, to kill the bastard with the mounted machine guns. He would proudly hang the skinwalker’s bullet-riddled corpse on the prow if that happened.

But he had a feeling it wasn’t Horn who had breached the border in a small craft.

X climbed aboard, standing next to Wynn.

“Wait!” Magnolia yelled from the docks. She ran over with Rodger, Edgar, and Arlo. Michael and Layla also joined them but stopped shy of getting on the boat.

X caught Michael’s gaze and saw the reluctance this time. He turned to the other divers to make sure Michael didn’t try to follow.

“Stay here with Michael and Layla!” X yelled. “I’m not losing any more Hell Divers today.”

He nodded to Wynn, and the sergeant turned the wheel and pushed the throttle down, blowing a wave of water against the pier.

Several clouds rolled across the morning sky, threatening to block out the sunshine. Lately, nothing good seemed to last long. All the losses came crashing over X.

A small armada of vessels joined the speedboat on the journey to the barrier between worlds. X looked out over the waves. The warriors’ faces seemed stoical, each man and woman ready to face whatever awaited them.

Ton and Victor, holding rifles instead of spears, gazed at the horizon. Sergeant Wynn stared ahead, too, gripping the wheel with one hand and holding the radio up to his ear with the other.

“It’s one of our boats,” he called out. “Probably why the divers missed it earlier.”

“So it’s just drifting out there all this time?” X asked. “How’s that possible?”

“I don’t know, sir.”

“Because it’s not possible,” X said.

There was no way they had missed it on their scans, and boats didn’t just show up out of nowhere.

“Keep everyone back,” X said to Wynn.

“We’re already forming a perimeter, sir.”

X pulled out his pistol. Something felt wrong about this boat. His gut told him this was another trap.

“Make sure Colonel Forge keeps Shadow positioned between the Hive and the capitol tower,” he said. “We need all the firepower there we can get.”

Wynn relayed the order to their liaison working with Forge.

In calmer waters, the boat picked up speed. Ton and Victor shouldered their rifles as they approached the loose ring of boats surrounding the mystery boat.

X saw the red Vanguard logo on the side. Bullet holes perforated the militia boat’s hull and enclosed cabin above the waterline.

“Everyone, keep sharp,” X said. “Wynn, you’re with me.”

“Sir, leave this to us,” Wynn said. “It’s too dangerous for you to go.”

Victor pointed at the deck. “You stay here, King.” He said something to Ton in their native language, and Ton moved over to grab the wheel.

“Fuck that,” X said. “I’m going.”

“Sir, all due respect, but this could be another trap,” Wynn said. “What if the boat is loaded with explosives?”

The sergeant was right, which meant anyone who set foot on the deck was at risk of being blown into fish chum.

But what choice did they have? With Cricket gone, they had no way to board without risking lives.

The speedboat cruised to a stop, and X stared at the shot-up militia boat.

“We need volunteers,” he said. “Make sure they know the risk.”

Wynn raised the handset to his mouth and put out the request.

“I go,” Victor said, pounding his chest.

“No,” X said. “You stay with me.”

Wynn listened to a transmission and then looked to X. “Mac has volunteered to go with Felipe,” he said. “They’re waiting for your permission, sir.”

“Send them in,” X replied. “Then pull everyone else back a good distance.”

The cordon of boats pushed back, except one. A fishing boat with nets draped over the side cruised forward with Mac at the helm.

X grabbed a pair of binoculars to watch their advance, alternating between their boat and the militia vessel. When they were close, Felipe leaped from the bow to the mystery boat’s hull, grabbed the rail, and swung over.

He quickly tethered the two boats together. Once they were connected, he helped Mac aboard. The old Barracuda leader drew his sword. Felipe unslung a shotgun, training it on the hatch to the enclosed cabin.

It swung open without resistance, and both men disappeared inside.

X braced himself, but the only explosion was pain where his right arm no longer was. He lowered the binos in a shaky hand.

“King,” Victor said.

“I’m fine,” X replied through clenched teeth, trying to ignore the pain. It wasn’t until he saw motion on the boat again that it dissipated.

X pushed the binos back up and centered them on the young Cazador warrior, who was waving in the air.

“He’s signaling us,” X said. “Take us in, Sergeant.”

“They haven’t searched the entire boat yet,” Wynn replied. “I still think we should stay back, sir.”

“And I think you should remember who is in charge here.”

Wynn moved his jaw, but X didn’t give him a chance to protest. Nudging Wynn aside, he took the wheel and gunned it toward the militia boat.

Mac also reemerged on the deck. He sheathed his sword—another sign that there were no apparent threats on board.

X eased off the gas and coasted cautiously forward.

Felipe threw Victor a rope, and they came up alongside the shot-up hull.

The two Barracudas’ sour looks told X they had found something after all.

“King Xavier,” Mac said, “there’s something you need to see below.”

He led X down into the cabin while Victor and Felipe remained on deck. The stench wafting out of the open hatch hit X so hard, halfway down the ladder he covered his face with his arm.

Mac went first, ducking low into the living quarters. In the small space, three skinned corpses lay on the deck. The bodies had been here since the battle, and with the heat and little air flow, the place was ripe with rot.

Mac held a handkerchief up to his nose as he bent down and grabbed something that was stuffed into the flayed hand of the middle body.

Mac unfolded the note he had plucked from one of the hands. X crouched down beside the bodies. They were skinned to the muscle and bone, but he already knew who they were.

X almost gagged, as much from the sight as from the smell. The bodies were so badly mutilated that he identified the one in the middle as Lieutenant Sloan only by the rank insignia someone had pinned through the flesh on her back.

He covered his mouth and rose to his feet, feeling as if he were about to puke. Mac was reading the note written in Spanish.

“What does it say?” X asked.

“Nothing good, sir,” Mac replied.

After being summoned, Les had taken a boat back to the capitol tower straight from the Shark’s Cage. But with communications down, he had no idea what to expect—only that something had been discovered on the eastern barrier.

From the marina he went straight to the council chamber, not even stopping to say hello to his wife and daughter. He carried an important message of his own for the king.

The double doors were shut, guarded by a militia soldier and a Cazador soldier.

They opened the door, and he walked into the room.

Dozens of faces turned in the dim torchlight. A group of Hell Divers, soldiers, and advisors had gathered around the council table.

X stood at the throne, Miles at his feet. “Captain,” he said in a gruff, defeated voice, “I hope you brought me some good news about Discovery.”

Les halted between Ton and Victor and ran a hand through his red frizz.

“She’s in bad shape, King Xavier,” he said. “Samson still isn’t sure he can get some of the systems back online without a trip to the wastes.”

X cursed under his breath. He looked much older this afternoon. The salt-and-pepper hair seemed mostly salt. The years of diving and fighting were taking their toll.

“There’s something you need to hear,” X said. “Have a seat.”

Les went to the council table. Every chair was occupied, but Edgar got up and offered his chair.

“That’s okay,” Les said. “I’ll stand.”

He took a second to scan the faces.

Rodger sat next to Magnolia, his head bowed in grief. Imulah, Colonel Forge, Mac, Felipe, and every living Hell Diver were sitting or standing around the table. Pedro was also here.

Everyone had the same solemn expression: frowns, wrinkled brows, sunken eyes.

“We have a decision to make,” X said. “And this time, it’s something that I can’t, and won’t, make on my own. It will affect everyone’s future, sky people and Cazadores alike.”

Imulah translated to Colonel Forge in a slow, almost slurred speech due to the medicine he took for his burns. When he finished, X stepped to the top landing of the platform.

“The mission this morning to find Raven’s Claw failed, resulting in the death of Alberto and the destruction of Cricket,” he said. “We know now that the mission never had a chance from the beginning—Raven’s Claw and the submarines retreated long ago.”

He rubbed the back of his neck and winced.

“The militia boat that Lieutenant Sloan pursued the submarines with during the attack was recovered, along with her skinned, mutilated body and the bodies of two of her soldiers,” he said. “I don’t know how we missed it, but we did.”

“What!” Les said. “How…”

“We don’t know,” said Sergeant Wynn in a quivering voice.

The discovery of her body, especially the brutality of her death, rocked Les to his core.

X bowed his head, clearly shaken. He gestured to Imulah. “Go ahead and read the note Mac found.”

Imulah stood up from his chair and held the note in his bandaged hand.

“If the occupying hostile force from the sky does not leave, and the false prophet Xavier Rodriguez vacate the throne, the Metal Islands will be destroyed,” Imulah said. “The recent attack was just a taste of our strength.”

“Let them come,” Arlo interrupted. “With the underwater sensors deployed and our fleet reorganized, they won’t stand a chance.”

“Quiet,” X snapped. He nodded at Imulah again.

“We have taken the face of your lieutenant and will return to skin the rest of you if you do not heed our orders. But it won’t be just us coming to take your flesh,” read the scribe. “We will send the metal gods to finish you off.”

Imulah paused to look at X, who nodded for him to continue.

“In the time Lord Horn has been away from the Metal Islands, we have searched for the machines, and we have joined them.”

“No,” Les whispered.

“If you do not leave the islands, you will experience the beautiful wrath of the machines in all their violent glory,” Imulah continued. He lowered the note. “It is signed by a scribe I knew long ago, a man who now serves Horn.”

“He’s bluffing,” Magnolia said. “The defectors wouldn’t join with humans. Their sole mission is to kill us.”

“Maybe, but we have no way of knowing that,” Michael replied. “We can’t ignore the threat and hope it’s a lie.”

“I agree,” Edgar said through his clenched and wired broken jaw.

“We have to go after Horn,” Rodger said. “That’s the only answer.”

“Rodge, I know you’re upset, but how are we going to do that?” Magnolia said calmly. “Finding Raven’s Claw and those submarines will be like finding a needle inside a haystack in a farm field full of haystacks.”

“I don’t care,” Rodger said. “I was a coward after el Pulpo tried to kill me, and now his son has killed my parents. I’ll do whatever it takes to find them. Even if it means fixing up the Hive and taking her into the air to search for these animals.”

“I disagree,” Wynn said. He looked to X and then to Colonel Forge. “I say the militia and the Cazador forces do everything we can to tighten the defenses, and then we wait for Horn or the machines to come.”

Arlo muttered something under his breath about their being screwed.

Les walked over to Pedro. Without an interpreter, it would be hard to communicate, but he had to try. The survivor from Rio de Janeiro was key to humanity’s future, maybe even more than X.

Everyone looked at Les as he moved around the table.

“There is another option,” he said. “One that will solve the problem of the machines forever.”

The room went silent, all eyes on Les. He thought of his wife and daughter, but his heart told him this was the only way to save them.

“King Xavier, once Discovery is fixed, I’m requesting permission to fly it to Africa, where I will destroy the ITC mainframe controlling the DEF-Nine units. From my conversations with Pedro here and Timothy, that’s what humans tried to do two hundred and fifty years ago.”

“And how’d that work out for ’em?” Sofia asked. “The machines have been hunting down people outside our little slice of loco heaven for centuries.”

From the platform, X said, “I thought you said the airship is in bad shape.”

“It is,” Lex replied, “but the parts we need are pretty generic. If we can find them here on the rig, we can get our repairs done in a week max. Flying at full speed with our upgraded boosters, it will take less than two days to get to the target in Africa. I’ve already checked.”

X seemed to be considering it, then shook his head. “Captain Mitchells, if allied forces failed to do this during the war, what makes you think you can succeed with one airship?”

“Because they didn’t have Hell Divers,” Les replied.

“Shit’s crazy,” Sofia said. “You won’t even get close to their base before they blow you out of the sky.”

“Going to have to agree with her,” Arlo replied. “No offense, Cap.”

Michael sat silently, avoiding the gaze of Les and everyone else but Layla. She, too, was silent. The new engagement ring on her finger told Les why.

“Can we just try and nuke the base from a distance?” Magnolia asked.

Michael’s wrist monitor beeped, and he looked down to shut it off.

“I want all options on the table,” X said. “That’s why I called you all here. What else do—”

“Holy shit!” Michael said, nearly shooting out of his chair. “It’s Cricket! The bot is online again.”

X walked down the stairs and over to the table, and Les made his way over for a look at the screen.

“I think I know what happened now,” Michael said. “I think Cricket found Raven’s Claw and followed it, and the storms blocked its signal. It must be somewhere that the storms aren’t interfering.”

“That must be how they launched the yacht with Sloan’s body,” Magnolia said.

“Do you know where Cricket is now?” X asked.

Michael tapped his screen. “A place that was called Aruba.”

Les leaned in for a better look.

“I’m not familiar with this island,” Michael said, “but maybe Colonel Forge would know.”

Imulah interpreted, and the colonel took a look.

“La Escolta,” he said after a quick look at the map.

“The Outrider,” Imulah explained. “The former colony that we abandoned many years ago.”

X stroked his chin. “That’s where General Santiago believed Horn took Raven’s Claw after killing half his crew on a mission to North America.”

“How do you know that?” Les asked.

“Rhino and I found out through a former crew member serving time at the Shark’s Cage,” X said.

Rodger stood. “So we go to the Outrider and kill them all,” he said. “Simple answer to all this.”

“We have no idea what’s there, Rodge,” Michael said.

“I don’t care what’s there,” Rodger snarled, “as long as Horn and Moreto are. I’m going to find them, skin them, and burn them alive.”

Magnolia put a hand on his arm, but he pulled away.

“What are we waiting for?” he said, glancing around with wild eyes. “Cricket just gave us a map to the place where we can end all this.”

Everyone remained quiet, even X.

“We have to go and kill Horn,” Rodger said. “I’ll go by myself if I have to.”

“Rodge, it’s not that simple,” X said. “We need a plan before we set off. We need to do recon.”

“Recon?” Rodger said. “What the hell for? We know what’s there.”

Magnolia tried to soothe him, but again he pulled away. He looked to Michael, X, and finally Les. Then he stormed off.

Magnolia called out after him. “Rodger, wait up.”

The doors opened, and Rodger slipped between them, his footsteps echoing with Magnolia’s as she gave chase.

X sat down on his throne, putting his hand on his head.

“Everyone but Michael and Les, leave me,” he said.

Michael kissed Layla on the cheek. She whispered something to him, and he nodded.

“Actually, Layla, please stay,” X said. “I want your advice, too.”

Les walked with Michael up to the base of the steps while the room emptied. Ton and Victor, last out, closed the doors.

They creaked open a moment later, and Magnolia returned. X waved her forward.

She joined Michael, Les, and Layla at the steps in front of the throne.

“You four are my most trusted confidants,” X said. “I’ve known you all for a very long time, during which we’ve suffered and fought together enough for several lifetimes.”

He pulled his hand away from his head and leaned down to stroke Miles.

“What we do next could very well determine the fate of our people and the rest of our species,” he said. “And I want your opinions.”

He looked first to Les.

“I say we send Colonel Forge and some of our boats to the Outrider to destroy the skinwalkers,” Les said. “While simultaneously launching Discovery with a team of Hell Divers to Africa, to eliminate the defectors.”

“I disagree with the second part,” Layla said. “Send our firepower to the Outrider and destroy the skinwalkers and keep the rest of our defenses back here just in case they aren’t bluffing about the machines.”

“I don’t like the idea of going to Africa, either,” Magnolia said, glancing over at Les. “But I do think we should go to the Outrider. Strike before they can.”

X looked to Michael last. So far, it was two against one.

The young commander grabbed Layla’s hand, facing her. “I know you’re scared, but we can’t wait for them to attack. Rodger was right. Cricket gave us a map to destroy the skinwalkers, and Pedro has a map to the defectors.”

Layla pulled her hand away from his.

“We will never be safe if we don’t destroy both threats,” Michael said, turning back to X. “I say we take this fight to both enemies and surprise them before they come for us.”