He stepped back into the room and paid Stephen a bit more respect as they sized each other up. Stephen stayed just out of range of the taller man’s reach and seemed in no particular hurry to engage.
After nearly a minute of the two just circling each other, Stephen spoke. “Well, this is fun.”
“Come at me, old man,” Enzo sneered.
“You know, I’m only in my fifties. Early fifties that is. I consider myself middle-aged, thank you.”
“The body is the first…” Enzo stopped as a loud yell from his comm popped into his ear.
“Enemy occupying southeastern corner room. They’re coming in through the windows!”
You need to finish this quickly. Your forces have no leader.
“Send the auxiliary-” Those were the only words Enzo got out before Stephen charged.
The old man’s first step was quicker than Enzo realized. He parried the initial strike, but fell victim to an arm lock as Stephen cranked his elbow, nearly dislocating it. He gritted his teeth and pushed back. On a lesser man, Stephen’s move would have snapped the limb, but Enzo was the product of the Hatchery. He tightened his arm and muscled his way out of danger. He followed with an uppercut cross combination that Stephen just barely ducked.
He clicked on his earpiece. “Auxiliary on eastern stairwell, relocate to the southern-”
Again, Stephen attacked before he could finish his sentence. This time, there was a hint of desperation and wildness to his charge. Enzo easily countered it, picked him up, and slammed him against the wall. Stephen bounced off with a thump, but was on his feet once more, though a bit unsteady.
“Already weakening,” Enzo smiled. “I haven’t even broken a sweat yet.”
Stephen pressed the attack, this time a lengthy exchange that felt half-hearted. Enzo fought him off easily, wondering what this tactic would buy the old man. Surely he must know that he would tire before Enzo. He was just wasting his time and energy. Then he noticed the band around Stephen’s throat, and for the first time, realized that he was using a throat mic. The man had been giving orders the entire time, and Enzo had been oblivious to what was going on.
“It’s not going to be that easy, old man!” he yelled, launching a vicious attack.
“It already has been,” Stephen smirked.
Enzo’s fury was too much for Stephen to handle. Gradually, the superior strength and speed of the Adonis Vessel began to overwhelm the tiring older man. Enzo knocked him down and pounced. He began to rain blows down on Stephen. Whenever Stephen tried to cover up, Enzo knocked his arms aside and continued to pummel him until his fists were red with blood. He took immense satisfaction in each blow, bringing his fists down harder and harder. Eventually, he did tire, but by that time, Stephen’s face was unrecognizable.
Sucking in large gulps of air, Enzo stood up and spit on Stephen’s face. “My will. My strength. Know your betters, betrayer.”
To his surprise, Stephen summoned the last of his energy to pull himself into a sitting position and chuckled. Enzo watched in perplexed amazement as the broken body of his opponent struggled to stand. It was almost comical. Finally, Stephen got on his feet and leaned against the wall for support. His bloody hands palmed the window, leaving a red handprint on the glass.
“Win the fight, lose the battle,” Stephen coughed, blood dripping down the corner of his mouth. “My teams have broken into your central holding room and have freed all the prisoners. The rest of your men are pigeonholed in this wing making sure your fun is undisturbed. It’s all just about over. You lost!”
Enzo suddenly realized he had no idea what was going on with the battle. He had lost his earpiece beating Stephen. He picked it up off the ground and put it back on. “Report!” he screamed.
The news was just as Stephen had predicted. The chain of command had broken and his men were paralyzed without his leadership. Once the Prophus took the entrances and pushed Enzo’s forces to one half of the building, they were able to lay suppression fire on the windows long enough to release all the prisoners. Now, they were fleeing into the forest. They had all escaped. Every single one.
“I still have you, old man,” he snarled, tossing the earpiece onto the floor. “You and your betrayer!”
“You got me, alright,” Stephen grinned, showing bloodstained teeth, “but I’ll be damned if I let a two-bit punk like you get a hold of Camr. Always a step ahead of you.” Stephen swung his hand into the window, shattering the glass. He grabbed one of the shards and jammed it into his neck. Blood gurgled out of his mouth as he slid down to the ground in a heap.
“Goodbye, Camr,” he whispered. Then he looked up at Enzo and stuck out his middle finger as his body went limp. Enzo could only watch in dismay as Camr rose from Stephen’s body, circled over it as if paying final respects, and then flitted out of the window into the Tibetan sky.
FORTY-TWO
COMING OF AGE
I do not blame you, Jill. I hope you understand that. I tell you this because you are my host and because you are my daughter as well. You have come far, and will go much further. The future is uncertain, and the road ahead will be dangerous. Know that I will be with you every step of the way, for the end times of this war are near.
With the recent revelations you and I have caused, we will either save all of humanity, or cause the destruction of the Quasing, or both. I fear that for the first time, I might have earned the title of Prophus, of betrayer, for I might be the first to doom my kind.
Baji
Jill, Marco, Emerson with newly acquired Eymi, and a spry dark-skinned agent named Felipe, left through the hidden tunnel and made their way toward the light on the far end. The tunnel was built similarly to the entrance at the first silo, except it had collapsed long ago. Now, there was barely enough room to squeeze single-file through the fifty-meter passage. It had taken Jill longer than she would have liked to get through to the open air. Every minute counted, and she exhaled in relief when she felt the cool breeze entering her lungs. It wasn’t dawn yet, but she could just make out the faint amber of sun in the distance.
That took five minutes. You do not have much time.
They were on the other side of the hill in one of the tertiary ravines connecting the paths cut from the dry riverbed. They could hear the faint patter of gunfire echoing in the distance. Marco got his bearings and immediately took off running. The rest followed him around the bend and down to the side path. It was another five-minute sprint over rough terrain before they reached the entrance. The sky was getting lighter by the second. If they did not hurry, they would soon lose the cover of darkness.
The group stopped short of the entrance and took cover behind a row of thick bushes. There were two dozen cars and vans parked in the ravine and roughly fifteen people milling around the outside gate. Five of them hovered over the hood of a Range Rover that was being used as a makeshift command table. Jill recognized Simon among the group. Her eyes narrowed.
Put him out of your mind. You have lives to save. Killing him is a bonus, but we have other priorities.
Marco gathered them around as he doodled in the dirt. He and Jill would draw the Genjix away. Emerson would carry the launcher while Felipe brought the RPGs. Hopefully, these old relics still worked. Once the heat was on them – mostly Marco; she was supposed to hide and snipe – it was their job to cave the entrance.
“Should someone else be carrying these?” She tried to hand the grenades off. “They make me nervous.”