Metal and Ash (Apex Trilogy) (57 page)

“What the fuck have you done?” Campbell shouted. “You fucking monster!”

She rushed him and he waited patiently. Just as she was about to collide with him, the Great Maker stepped to the side and struck Campbell in the temple. She flew to the side and slumped against the wall. The Great Maker set Stan down and looked at the still form of Campbell.

“If I had known the Stronghold would be this easy to penetrate,” he said aloud. “I would have come earlier. This place is a veritable buffet.”

He stepped towards Campbell and the dogs’ growls turned to ferocious barks and they attacked. The Great Maker was able to punch Kook in the throat as the dog leapt at him, crushing the animal’s windpipe. The dog hit the floor, its legs flailing as it struggled to breathe. Coal and Lesh went for his legs, but found nothing but metal when they clamped down.

“There is a reason, other than the need for food, that dogs did not survive the wasteland,” the Great Maker said as he kicked out, sending Coal flying in the air. The dog slammed into the far wall and the sound of his spine snapping echoed off the concrete walls. “You do not have the reasoning to survive. You act first and cannot think.”

He tried to kick Lesh off, but the female let go and backed up, her eyes locking onto the Great Maker’s. Her body was tense with violence and the dog looked from Campbell to Stan and then back at the Great Maker.

“Did I speak too soon?” the Great Maker said. “Do I see intelligence in those eyes?”

Lesh made a lunge for Campbell, but the Great Maker blocked her path. She then turned and ran to Stan, grabbing the boy’s shirt and pulling as hard as she could. The Great Maker rushed her and she had to let go and retreat. The cyborg watched her closely and then knelt by Stan. With a hard shove he pushed the boy over by Campbell and away from Lesh’s reach.

“I do not have time to do this all day,” the Great Maker said as he reached back and grabbed Brand’s back leg. “So I am going to have to ask you to leave.”

He swung the dead dog at Lesh and caught her across the snout. She yelped in pain and scrambled away. The Great Maker stood and threw Brand’s corpse at Lesh as hard as he could. The body hit the spot Lesh had just been and blood sprayed everywhere.

Lesh stood far down the corridor, her fur bristled with primal rage. She watched the Great Maker for a moment then her eyes fell on Brand, Coal and Kook’s corpses. She slowly backed up then turned and fled, her tail hung low as she sped around a turn and was lost from sight.

“Not so stupid,” the Great Maker said. “Admirable.” He looked at the corpses about him. “And delicious. But I have to eat the best first.”

He knelt by Campbell and tore into her throat. The unconscious engineer came awake instantly and struggled to fight the cyborg off, but her life poured out of her throat and her strikes and punches grew weaker and weaker until her eyes glazed and her life faded away.

The Great Maker stood up and wiped his mouth, his teeth red-black in the gloom of the corridor.

***

“TRAIN INBOUND!” a Railer shouted.

The Stronghold hangar emptied and everyone ran to the platform that was a hundred yards away. Capreze was right on their heels, having been alerted by Jethro of the train’s arrival.

The crowd stood with their mouths covered and eyes wide as they saw the BTT secured to the top of the front engine. The look of the train and the BTT told a story of what had happened, but when the Railers started to step off the train that’s when everyone knew that they had been through real hell.

“Where are we at?” Capreze asked as he walked up to Jay. “Bisby? Jespers?”

“Not sure,” Jay shrugged. “The EMP took out all com. If they’re alive they’re out in the waste somewhere.”

“Fuck,” Capreze swore. “Harlow? Masters?”

Jay shook his head. “Didn’t make it.”

“Are you sure?” Capreze asked. “You have confirmation?”

“We all do,” Marin said as she walked up. “Harlow had been infected and turned. Masters stayed with her. He sacrificed himself to give us the head start we needed.”

“Motherfucker,” Capreze snarled. “The mechs?”

“EMP,” Jay said. “They’re all down. If any have hardened CPUs then we may be able to salvage them later. I don’t know about the thinkers, but I know Stomper wasn’t hardened.” He rubbed his face and Capreze thought the Chief Mechanic had aged a hundred years since he last saw them. “I didn’t see Lt. Murphy and her team either. Have no idea on their status.”

“They should have made it clear of the EMP,” Capreze said. “They had different orders.”

“That would have been nice to know,” Jay said. “Do I even want to know?”

“Later,” Capreze said. “So we’re looking at no mechs, a handful of BTTs, a hundred riders of Eden, and anyone who can fire a rifle.” Capreze looked out at the far perimeter and the line of the Ranchers’ Disciples. “Never thought I’d be so glad to have that many deaders that close.”

“What about the Three’s forces?” Jay asked. “How’d the Rookie do?”

“Dog?” Capreze laughed. “He did well. But we owe most of that to something else entirely.”

“I’ll let you tell me later too,” Jay said. “Right now I’m going to get some chow before we go to war. Looks like I’m back in a mech.”

“Me too,” Capreze said.

“Me too,” Rachel announced behind them.

“Holy fucking ghosts!” Jay yipped. “What the hell?”

Capreze whirred around and Rachel slammed her palm against his chest before he could say or do anything. “Now you fucking listen to me, Papa Bear. Whether you believe I’m your daughter or not doesn’t fucking matter right now. You need mech pilots. I’m a fucking mech pilot. In fact, with this snazzy new body of mine, I’m the fastest, most skilled mech pilot you’ve ever fucking seen. I won’t need cerebral integration. I won’t need the mech AI. I’llbe that fucking mech and wipe out everything coming at us. So shut the fuck up and let me fight.”

Capreze watched her for a second. “No.”

“Fuck you,” Rachel said and looked at Jay. “Get me a mech.”

“The commander said-.”

“Jay Rind, you remember when your fucking shine still exploded and took out most of the east wall at the mech base?” Rachel asked. “You remember how I covered for your ass and said it was a misfire from my mech while I was circling the base, bored?”

“Oh…right,” Jay said, avoiding Capreze’s glare. “I think I remember that.”

“Get me a mech, Jay,” Rachel said. “Or I’ll take a mech. And I’ll rip out the cerebral integration unit and the AI and make do with what I can.”

“You have any idea what that’ll do to the controls if you don’t properly disengage and remove those systems?” Jay nearly shouted. “You’ll ruin a perfectly good mech!”

“Then you better do it for me,” Rachel smiled.

“Jay,” Capreze warned. “Don’t you dare.”

“You know what, James?” Jay said. “It’s been a fucking shitty day and is about to be a fucking shitty night.” He looked over his shoulder at the Railer train and the sun setting beyond it. “We need all the help we can get. We’ve lost everyone, man. EVERYONE!”

Heads turned and voices quieted at Jay’s outburst. Even Capreze took a step back.

“I’m giving the girl a mech,” Jay said. “She may be Rachel, she may not, but no one gets that fired up and has plans to turn on us. I don’t give two fucks if you are onboard with this or not. I just want to kill some deaders and hope we don’t die in the process.” He looked at Rachel and nodded. “Come on. I have the perfect mech for you. I’ll have the systems removed while I get something to eat. We have two hours before the deaders get here, that’s the headstart we had. You’ll want to use that time to make sure you know what you’re doing and don’t blow yourself or anyone else up. Got it?”

“Got it,” Rachel nodded. She shot a hard glance at Capreze then followed Jay into the Stronghold.

“That’s your daughter,” Marin said as she patted Capreze’s shoulder. “I don’t have a doubt in my mind.”

Capreze watched Marin follow Jay and Rachel. He took a deep breath and avoided the stares as he turned and took in the situation.

Three mechs, two piloted by old men, and one piloted by who knew what. Capreze didn’t like it, but he didn’t have a choice. He just hoped they all lived so that Rachel could have a chance to truly prove him wrong. He had never wanted something so bad in his life.

Sixty

“There’s movement,” an Eden tech said, instantly rousing the Mayor from a doze. “Looks like the first guy won.”

The Mayor rubbed his eyes and watched the grainy vid as Stone emerged from a massive pile of BC. They had all watched the battle between Stone and Reginald escalate until every ounce of BC on the battlefield had been used. They had battered each other repeatedly in a relentless show of unforgiving violence. By the time they had finished they were each covered in tons upon tons of BC that the other had struck them with, creating a mound of metal that was taller than the tallest mech.

“How can he survive that?” another tech asked.

“Easy when you are no longer a man,” the Mayor said.

Stone looked about himself and seemed to ripple for a moment. Then he was fresh and clean as if he hadn’t spent hours in mortal combat. He glanced over his shoulder towards the direction of the Stronghold then looked back towards the west. The Mayor could barely make out the strange grin on Stone’s face then he was gone.

“What just happened?” the Mayor asked. “Play that back, slow it down.”

The vid was reversed and played in slow motion. The entire Eden control room watched as Stone took off running, moving so fast that their eyes couldn’t even catch it.

“Interesting,” the Mayor nodded. “See if you can keep tabs on him. He’s heading to Monterey.”

“How do you know?” a tech asked.

“Because I know the look of revenge when I see it,” the Mayor said.

***

Stone didn’t even glance back at the carnage he’d wrought while battling Reginald. He really didn’t care. He also didn’t care if Reginald survived or not. That was Reginald’s deal, not his.

All Stone cared about was ending it all. If he lived, fine. If he died, fine.

As long as three men and one woman died too.

***

“A little more distance,” Bisby said to One Arm. “Don’t follow too close.”

“We are a half mile away from the back of the undead pack,” One Arm replied. “I am keeping us at the optimum safe distance.”

“Well, it’s still too close for me,” Bisby said. “Especially since it’s dark. I didn’t survive that last fight so we can be swarmed and overtaken.”

“Chill out, Biz,” Mathew said as he hunched down under one of the control panels, a tangle of wiring in his hands. “I think One Arm knows how to stay alive in the wasteland. We’re cool.”

“Fucking move your legs,” Bisby snapped as he kicked Mathew’s foot in the cramped cockpit. “And stop wiggling all over the place!”

“Will you shut the fuck up, please?” Mathew asked. “I’m trying to get the com and the scanners online. There’s quite a bit of damage.”

“Yes,” One Arm agreed. “I sustained the damage while keeping Pilot Bisby alive. He thanked me by leaving me to rust in the wasteland.”

“Oh, cry me a fucking river, you two,” Bisby said.

“Fuck!” Mathew shouted as sparks flew about his head and he tossed the wires away. “Stupid fucking system!”

“We’ll be in the thick of it soon,” Bisby said. “My guess is maybe an hour before the deaders hit the Stronghold.”

“Yeah, well I’d like to know what we’re walking into before hand,” Mathew responded. “So I’m going to keep working on this.”

“Suit yourself, Jespers,” Bisby shrugged. “But I can tell you what we’re walking into. Another fucking epic battle where more than likely one of us will die.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, Biz,” Mathew said, shaking his head. “I really would love to know who fucked you up so much. Did your parents do this to you or were you born a cranky mother fucker?”

“I wasn’t born,” Bisby said. “I just showed up one day ready to break heads. I’m the Immaculate Bad Ass.”

Mathew couldn’t help but laugh.

***

“Ready the Disciples!” the Pope yelled as massive floodlights lit up the wasteland for a mile in front of them. “Here come the usurpers!”

“Usurpers?” Capreze asked over the com. “That’s a bit thick.”

“They are not part of God’s plan, Commander,” the Pope replied as Ranchers hurried about, each with a command whistle in their mouths. “They usurp the divine right of the Disciples to ascend to glory and heavenly power.”

“Whatever you have to tell yourself to get fired up is fine with me,” Capreze said. “But hold that line. We have limited resources back here. If they break through then we may have to fall back into the Stronghold. And that means a siege that could last longer than we have resources to handle.”

“Commander,” the Pope said, his voice full of condescension. “Did you not prepare for a rainy day? I would think you would have known something like this may happen.”

“Yeah, well, I’ve been busy,” Capreze said.

“This would have been good information to have before we made our accord,” the Pope laughed. “I may not have been so generous with my alliance.”

“Yet here we are,” Capreze said. “Don’t get second thoughts, Pope. You need us as much as we need you. Those deaders coming don’t care who they go after. They break your Disciples and you and your people will be glad for the protection of the Stronghold.”

“Oh, I am well aware of that, Commander,” the Pope said. “Now, if you don’t mind, I am going to bring God’s war to the wasteland and show his supremacy for all time!”

“You do that,” Capreze said.

***

“Ready?” Capreze asked from the cockpit of his mech.

“Ready,” Jay replied.

“Ready,” Rachel agreed.

Capreze bristled at her voice, but held his tongue.

“Ready,” Dog and Immy said at the same time.

“All set,” Melissa announced as she helped outfit all available Railers with her combat suits. From tip to toe they were protected, even including face masks. They could hop into the middle of the deaders and not worry about suffering a single infected bite. Being crushed to death was another matter.