Havoc (Dred Chronicles 2)

No surprise in a place like this.

“Let’s do it,” Jael said.

This run was likely to be dangerous. While turrets might cut through the merc armor, the ones who scrambled over the wall like the mongrels had done wouldn’t go down so easy, and they could probably take out the Peacemaker with collective effort. Then the personnel would be defenseless. We need better odds.

And there was only one way to make that happen.

“We set up in the main corridor leading to Queensland. There’s no guarantee the mercs will make their approach this way, but the chances are good.” She spoke as she ran, keeping the RC unit ahead of her.

Since it was quiet, that meant the bot didn’t detect any life signs. Urgency pounded in his blood, an echo of his heartbeat. He’d already crushed a drone cam that the mercs had sent to spy on their territory. Dashing it against the wall had felt pretty fragging good, but it also meant he had to keep a sharp eye out for more. If Vost saw what they were planning, he’d warn his troops.

And then it’s game over.

Jael was conscious that their time was limited, and he had no idea how well Vix and Zediah could perform under pressure. Each of them carried a bundle of parts necessary for the plan to succeed, and he was watching the whole time they moved—for mongrels, assassins, and mercs. At last, Dred stopped, surveyed the hallway, and nodded.

“Here. Zediah, hand me the cord.”

With everyone working in concert, it became clear to him why Zediah and Vix had been included. They might not be on Ike’s level of cleverness, but they both had some engineering aptitude. What had been a rough sketch on a dirty wall came to life with their efforts. Jael did the heavy lifting, hoisting the thing, then he helped Dred hide the tripwire. Triggering would bring the trap down from the ceiling; primitive, but it might disorient the mercs long enough for their primary aim to succeed.

“The ceiling won’t hold indefinitely,” Zediah said, replacing the last panel.

They’d chosen this stretch intentionally, as some parts of the station had solid metal overhead instead of panels, but here, there was maintenance access, a space just wide enough for someone to crawl up to perform repairs. Which meant they’d wedged their trap above and run the line down the wall. If the mercs were paying attention, they’d spot it. Sweat beaded on his brow as he swung down, careful not to touch the wire.

Vix beckoned from the T intersection; they needed to hole up in the bot-charging alcove. If the plan failed, they only needed to retreat and haul ass for Queensland. It would sting to come back empty-handed but better that than injured—at least as far as the others were concerned. He’d noticed after the last battle, however, that his injuries weren’t healing as fast as they used to. They still sealed, but it took twice as long, and the scar lingered before vanishing into seamless skin. He didn’t care to ponder what it meant.

“Mary, I hope it’s not Mungo’s idiots who bring that down,” Vix whispered.

Jael nodded, folding into a crouch. They wouldn’t be able to see the enemy from here, but with his hearing, he’d be able to tell when they were approaching. It was likely smell would give them away, too. Mungo’s mongrels reeked in a particular way, different from the necrotic rot that wafted from Silence’s killers. She never seemed to require them to bathe, and since they lived with dead things, the decomp stench had sunk into their skin. So mercs should smell clean and sharp by contrast, all durasteel and oiled weapons.

In the end, the boots gave them away before he could smell them. The clomp was distinctive, unlike any footwear crafted inside. A guy in Queensland made boots out of rodent skin, but they were light and soft, no noise at all. Dred touched his arm, asking the question with her eyes. It was insanity how well she read him; he hadn’t realized he had shown any sign, but she’d picked up . . . something. In answer, he nodded. The marching cadence came closer, until the others could hear it as well.

He leaned close to Dred, his voice little more than a breath in her ear. “Definitely them. Be ready to move.”

“Quiet so far. No mooks sighted.” As the merc made the report, he must’ve tripped the line. Cursing filled the air, and there was a huge clatter.

“Go, go, go!” Dred shouted.

They charged at top speed into a group of ten mercs entangled in the webbing and pinned down by the junk that had dropped on them. But they were slicing at the cords with utility knives. It wouldn’t be long before they were on their feet. Jael snapped a kick at an armored hand; it was strong enough to bounce the rifle away. Vix grabbed it and sprinted back toward Queensland. Another merc brought up his weapon and opened fire. The rest followed suit, and Zediah ran.

Jael shoved Dred toward the others. “Get out of here.”

Using his preternatural speed, he bounded between them, causing confusion. A couple of mercs actually shot each other while aiming at him, leaving scorch marks on their chest plates. He swiftly calculated the odds of stealing another weapon and decided he’d probably die instead. So he bounded after Dred. He took a hit in the back, and the merc who’d shot him exclaimed a startled curse.

“What the frag? Who runs away from a full shot?”

But he didn’t wait around to hear what the rest of the unit would say. The others were well ahead of him, so he didn’t see them, but halfway to Queensland, he spotted another drone cam. It tried to hover up out of his reach, doubtless in response to Vost’s orders, but Jael used a wall to launch and snagged the thing in the air. He pushed his face up against it with an awful smile, and said, “I’m coming for you.”

Then he dashed it against the wall until it was nothing but pieces on the ground. He pulled the screen and the processor out of the wreckage in case Ike could use them for something else. To his surprise, the burn on his back hurt like a bitch. Normally, it’d be gone by now, but he could feel the seared skin, throbbing with each thump of his heart. He rolled his shoulder blades, but that didn’t help.

Get a move on. The mercs won’t be far behind.

The turrets sat up at his approach, but since he was wearing a magnetic bracelet, they lost interest immediately. It hurt scrambling over the wall, but Dred was waiting on the other side. Vix was parading around the common with the laser rifle. Since it was the first modern weapon they’d seen in turns, Queensland roared with triumph. The men threw Vix up on their shoulders, and she rode the crowd like a pro while Zediah gazed on with flat eyes.