Extensis Vitae: City of Sarx Read online

  “You said yourself that those women from the town were impregnated by these mutants, and they could have given birth by now,” Bethany scolded him gently.

  “We must ensure the threat is eliminated,” Serrano added.

  “It’s not knowable who has been infected in that population,” Bogdanovic added. “The simplest and most comprehensive solution is the one that will be authorized. I guarantee Mr. Thorne will see it the same way. A full military strike on that town is the only way to ensure the threat is eliminated without any doubt.” His tone brooked no argument.

  Nevertheless, Marcus opened his mouth to protest further, but Bethany elbowed him sharply in the side, cutting his words off. She shook her head in warning, and he realized that it wouldn’t be wise to piss everyone off at his first, and possibly last, board meeting. He saw Salinger watching him with a look of annoyance, as if daring him to keep arguing.

  Bethany suddenly jerked up straight in her chair and waved everyone to silence so she could take a call on her Datalink. “You are confirming the transponder is active?” She listened to the report for a minute. “Very well, we will be ready to stage a response within a couple hours.” She cut the connection, and a smile spread on her face.

  “I have good news: the rebels took the bait and attacked the shipment like I had planned. We staged some token resistance and planted a fake transponder, which they found and destroyed, of course. After they transferred the supply shipment to their vehicle, my scout on site used his cloaking device to approach and attach a transponder directly to their vehicle. Now, we know they have jamming and spoofing equipment near their base, but we will be able to greatly narrow down the location. I have drones tasked for aerial surveillance, and scouts will be converging on the area, so we should be able to get visual confirmation of the location. I will put my strike team on standby, and we’ll be able to have boots on the ground within two hours although I think a nighttime strike will be most effective.” Her smile was dazzling, and her amber eyes sparkled with good cheer.

  As the executives around the room reacted positively, complimenting Bethany and wishing her luck, Marcus could only think that quite a few innocent people would likely be losing their lives in the next forty-eight hours in the name of “corporate security.” He was starting to think this promotion might be more curse than blessing if he had to take part in getting his hands dirty like the rest of them.

  Chapter 10

  Reznik was just entering a wide square on the other side of the slave markets when a bizarre sight caught his attention. A group of guards surrounded several slaves carrying a plush chair on their shoulders, as servants would carry a queen. Perched on the chair was a stunning woman: her long platinum hair cascaded down her back, and her deep green eyes gazed haughtily at the people around her. She wore a gossamer light-blue outfit that left little to the imagination, revealing nearly all of a toned, voluptuous figure. Jewels glimmered from her rings and earrings and the belt around her slim waist. But it was her back that made Reznik’s eyes widen. The woman had wings. Dark, leathery, bat-like wings were crossed neatly behind her back.

  The woman’s eyes swept over the crowd with a bored expression. Her gaze caught Reznik’s stare and their eyes locked for a moment. Whereas everyone else on the street averted their gaze, Reznik found himself unable to look away. Her expression changed from boredom to something between annoyance and interest.

  A heavy hand clamped down on his shoulder just then, breaking the moment. Reznik shook off the hand instinctively and whirled, prepared to take down the offender.

  “Easy there, pal. Don’t make any dumb moves,” a large, swarthy man growled, smoothly stepping away while pointing a large pistol at Reznik. Three other men stood a short distance away, scowling at Reznik as if he owed them money and they wanted to break his kneecaps to get him to pay up. Each of the men seemed bigger than the last, and they all looked as if they were spoiling for a fight.

  Reznik sighed. What do these clowns want? “Is there something I can help you with, fellas?”

  “You aren’t so bright, are you? Don’t you know there’s a good-sized price on your head?”

  “I do now,” Reznik replied. He glanced back at the winged woman and saw she had been watching the scene over her shoulder. He might have imagined it, but he thought her lips curled up in a slight smile before she looked away. Her procession turned the corner and left the market.

  “Lady Angelis catch your eye, huh?” The leader kept talking while one of the other men frisked Reznik and relieved him of the .45 at his waist. One of the men held Reznik’s hands together out in front of him while another pointed a short metal baton at his wrists. Much like the immobilizer Reznik had in his duffel bag, a cord of liquid metal snaked out and wrapped around his wrists like manacles, giving him about six inches of play. “Well, that bat-winged bitch don’t give a shit about the likes of us. She was probably shocked that a dumb fuck like you would show his face around here.” The men laughed. The leader grabbed a handful of Reznik’s shirt and pushed him in the direction he had been heading. The barrel of the gun poked his back as the man nudged him.

  “Let’s go. We’re going to meet the Overseer, but don’t think I won’t blow your head off right here if you try to fuck with me.”

  Making friends already. Reznik started walking. He’d only been in the city a few hours and had already managed to get rolled up.

  ***

  The plus side of being taken prisoner by the Overseer’s goons meant Reznik didn’t have to figure out a way to sneak inside the inner city. The five of them marched right through a heavily guarded checkpoint and into the domed enclosure. Reznik noted his captors all looked up to a scanner mounted on the top of the gate. The scanner flashed a bright light multiple times in rapid succession. Green projected images flashed near the guard’s posts. Must be an iris scanner. 3-D holograms displayed the men’s faces and some biographic info, with the words Cleared for Admittance above it. As the scanner tried to scan Reznik’s iris, an orange light flashed alongside a blank silhouette with Unknown Visitor displayed.

  “Hey, Kolb,” one of the guards grunted. “Got another distinguished guest I see, huh?” The guard chuckled. He pushed a button on his console, and the orange hologram disappeared.

  “Don’t you recognize this asshole? One million chips says you should,” the swarthy man replied.

  “Holy shit! That’s one of the ones the boss put a bounty out for? What’s he doin’ roaming around the Sprawl?”

  “Hell if I know, but it’s our lucky day.” Kolb smirked at the guard. “What are you lookin’ at?” He scowled at Reznik. “Keep on walking.”

  The group stepped into an airlock, and the dirty air of the Sprawl was sucked out before the inner door swung open. Reznik marveled at the change of atmosphere as he stepped into the domed enclosure. The heat, stink, and noise of the Sprawl was instantly left behind. He could just barely make out the faint sounds of massive air handlers purifying the air inside. The air smelled fresh and clean inside, and the temperature was an ideal seventy-five degrees, according to his HUD.

  They stood in a tree-lined park with a path extending into the city. Grassy lawns spread out on both sides of them. Overhead, a monorail silently cruised on its maglev propulsion system away from its stop near the airlock. From inside the dome, the spires of the skyscrapers seemed to support the curved structure high overhead. An airship covered in neon signs advertising Angelis Fine Vanity Skins and Cosmetic Enhancement Boutique floated over the city.

  “This way,” Kolb growled. At the man’s urging, Reznik walked toward a small open-topped vehicle resembling a wheel-less golf cart parked along the wall of the dome. He noticed that from the inside, the dome had a slightly reflective tint to make it seem airier and to block out the unsightly slums outside.

  One of Kolb’s companions shoved Reznik into the rear seat and fiddled with a control on the dashboard while Kolb held the gun on him. Straps snaked out of the seat and wrapped around R
eznik’s torso, securing him firmly. When the four big men clambered into the vehicle, it rocked on its cushion of air like a boat. The maglev car took off with a quiet whir.

  People strolled along pathways and lounged on the grass in the park. Heads turned and watched in curiosity as the maglev vehicle cruised quietly down the main pathway toward the center of the inner city.

  They left the park and joined the more heavily trafficked street. Shops, cafes, and nightclubs lined the street, which was crowded with people with an affluent look. These must be the “citizens.” Citizens or not, they quickly scattered when the driver laid on the horn of the car.

  The car wended its way through the main street until they entered a wide square with skyscrapers towering overhead. The Angelis airship floated above the square, its holoscreens flashing with gaudy advertisements. The Angelis logo was a stylized letter “A” with wings on it.

  They drove up to one of the slender spires, which had Gomorrah Club emblazoned in flaming neon letters over the grand entryway. The distinctive lights and sounds of a casino could be seen inside. A scantily dressed waitress wearing little more than strategically placed pieces of red silk was passing out drinks just inside the doorway.

  “Around the back, jackass,” Kolb grunted when the driver started toward a valet parking area out front. “You know the boss doesn’t want us disturbing the clientele with our business.” They swung around the building and pulled up to a service entrance in an alleyway.

  Two of the men roughly grabbed Reznik by the upper arms and half dragged him toward a thick metal door. Kolb took out an old-fashioned keycard and jammed it in a slot in the wall. The red LED turned green, and the door slid open. I recognize that keycard… Haze had one of those things on him.

  They marched Reznik down a long corridor for about eighty yards. Kolb hit the call button for an elevator, and they got inside when it arrived. He punched the roof button, and they began ascending.

  A message icon popped up on Reznik’s HUD just as the elevator slowed its ascent. He accessed the message, a brief note from Rin: “Watch your back. Just crossed blades with a bounty hunter. I took care of it, but it seems there’s a price on our heads. Keep your head down, and get back to me when you get this.” Just a bit too late, I’m afraid. But at least you’re okay.

  The elevator door opened, and Reznik was prodded to get out. He walked out onto the roof of the skyscraper. The view was magnificent. The height of the building was rivaled by only a couple other towers in the city. The smooth curve of the dome was close overhead, and it reflected the pink of the sunset outside. From this closer vantage point, he could see what looked to be slender pipes sprouting rows of sprinkler heads at regular intervals. Artificial rain generator. As they crossed the roof, the pale outline of the top of the Angelis zeppelin became visible floating nearby.

  A small group of people sat in lounge chairs beside a large, sparkling swimming pool. A pale-skinned man with blocky eyeglasses and gold necklaces lounged in one of the chairs, shirtless, a large fishbowl margarita perched on his belly. A topless dark-haired beauty was nuzzling the man’s neck. Two other half-naked women were kissing and fondling each other on a lounge chair to the other side. Half a dozen granite-faced bodyguards loitered around within earshot, alert for any sign of trouble as they watched the approach of Reznik and his captors.

  “Kolb,” the man on the lounge called out with a loud sigh. The women watched the new arrivals with interest. “What brings your ugly mug up here to interrupt my siesta time?”

  “Overseer, we caught that fugitive you put a bounty out on,” Kolb replied, bowing his head deferentially. He shoved Reznik forward. “The son of a bitch was wandering around the Sprawl.”

  “Well, I’ll be damned!” The Overseer took a healthy swallow of his margarita before absently holding it out for one of the women to take. He got to his feet and approached with the phony smile of a used car salesman.

  One of the Overseer’s goons pistol-whipped Reznik in the back of the head, and although it didn’t cause any damage, the man’s beefy hand pressed down on his shoulder. Reznik caught the gist and sank to his knees on the smooth tiled floor. He could feel the muzzle of the gun pressed tightly against his scalp. His hands were still manacled in front of him, which he knew was an amateurish move on his captors’ part.

  “He doesn’t look like that much of a badass to have supposedly taken out that many men,” the Overseer commented as he circled Reznik slowly, like a wolf sniffing out its prey’s weaknesses. “What was he doing in the Sprawl?”

  “Dunno, Boss. He was just wandering around gawking at Lady A’s procession going by, like he was fresh out of the country or something. He didn’t seem to know anything about the bounty.”

  The Overseer put his hands on his knees and leaned over in front of Reznik, his gold chains swinging lazily. A smile spread on his hard face, revealing neat white teeth. Like a shark’s grin.

  “What’s your name, trooper?” The Overseer looked over Reznik’s worn clothes, which although clean, were patched up from the battle damage they had taken. “Looks like you’ve seen some action.”

  “The name’s Reznik,” he replied. “What do you want with me?” Reznik met the man’s cold blue eyes, and a flicker of recognition stirred in his memory.

  “Well, Reznik, for someone that nobody’s ever heard of before, you’ve caused a hell of a lot of trouble lately.” The smile again, but there was no hint of amusement at all.

  Reznik was reminded of a ruthless Afghani warlord he had met once. The man had had no scruples whatsoever, and Reznik thought the world would’ve been a better place if they had just put a bullet in the bastard, but the CIA had paid the man off, and Reznik’s unit was ordered to curry the man’s favor and train his thuggish soldiers. The warlord had seized power simply by virtue of having the most hired guns along with his utter ruthlessness. He was greatly feared by the locals as a result.

  He got the same impression from the Overseer. People like that only respected strength and would sniff out any weakness presented.

  “You’re from one of those old underground colonies, is that it?”

  Reznik nodded.

  “So what are you doing out of your hole in the ground?” As Reznik considered a reply, the Overseer waved him off dismissively. “It’s not important, I suppose. I don’t know how the hell you managed to cause such a mess either. What is important though, is the fact that you and that Jap bitch managed to fuck up the smooth running of the slave trade. That causes a loss of profits for the great houses of this city, and that leads to whining and bitching and unrest, all of which ends up on my doorstep. Not only that, but that cocksucker Berenger starts harping on me with his veiled threats as well. All of this is shit that I can do without. You get where I’m coming from?” All trace of amusement had left the man’s face. He paced back and forth several times before stopping to glare at Reznik, hands clasped behind his back.

  “On top of that, you fucking killed my brother!” the Overseer suddenly roared at Reznik, spittle flying from his mouth.

  Recognition finally dawned on Reznik: the cold blue eyes and hard, thin-lipped face bore a resemblance to Haze, the gang leader he had put down in freeing the Extensis Vitae colony. Haze was this man’s brother. Oh shit. This just took a turn for the worse.

  “Now here’s the deal: you can answer my questions, and I’ll let you off easy—say, a bullet to the brain—or you can not answer my questions, and my men will work you over. You will wish for that quick death and then give me the answer eventually anyway. Your choice.”

  Reznik just looked back at the Overseer but held his tongue. Either way, he would be a dead man unless he could think of a way to bluff his way out of the situation or make an escape. Neither option held much chance of success, he feared.

  The Overseer gestured at Kolb, and the big man began rolling up his sleeves. He cracked his knuckles and rolled his shoulders a couple of times, like a boxer getting warmed up. And then the beating bega
n.

  ***

  The sun dipped behind the wooded slope of the Sierra Nevada mountainside, and Rin savored the cool, fresh air. Green masses of pine trees rose around her. This area of the Sierra Nevada mountain range was one of the few areas where the forest had remained fairly intact over the decades of drought and massive wildfires. This was the gateway to the Pac-Rim and the nearest outpost since her brother’s forces had pulled out of Skin City.

  Rin slowed the hoverbike as she reached a clearing brightly lit by spotlights mounted atop a massive fortified wall. She could pick out the shapes of guards in the tower and the muzzles of heavy caliber guns pointed at her as she allowed the bike to creep forward.

  “That’s far enough. Stop right there and state your business,” a voice boomed from a loudspeaker.

  “Have I been gone so long that my face is no longer welcome in these parts?” Rin asked in Japanese. She removed her goggles and squinted against the bright lights, searching for familiar faces in the guard tower. “Who has command here?”

  After a moment of silence, another voice spoke over the speaker. “Lady Takahashi? Forgive my man; he is relatively new, and it has been a while since we were honored with your visit. I, Captain Kimura, have the honor of commanding this fine unit.” There was pride in the man’s voice. Rin could hear him telling his men to open the gate. She remembered Kimura—he was a loyal, honorable officer. “Please proceed through the gate, madam.”

  Rin drove through the gates, and when she pulled through, Kimura was waiting outside the guard tower. He snapped to attention and saluted her. She dismounted and approached the man. “There’s no need to salute, Captain. I’m not military.” The man bowed instead, and she returned it. Her brother had been expanding Shiru’s military arm in the last several years to take over border security and military actions abroad.