Epic: Book 03 - Hero (8 page)

Max and the others watched as the women walked off.

Svetlana quickened her pace as she approached the hall door. As she turned the corner to make her escape, her footsteps grew faster. Then her exit came to a halt. She ran straight into Dostoevsky’s chest, just as he was about to enter from the hall. Their collision forced both of them to stop.

As soon as Dostoevsky saw her, he started back. He stared open-mouthed at her face, his eyes wide with surprise. “Sveta!”

Slap!

He was silenced by the force of her palm.

Slap!

Then she slapped him a third time. Then a fourth and fifth. They came one after the other so fast that the Nightman was unable to react.

When she finally paused, he tried to plead, his face flushed with red welts. “Svetlana—”

“
You do not speak to me,” she spat, cutting him off. “You do not touch me. You do not say my name.”

His mouth hung open.

“
For what you have done, you will never be forgiven. You are dead to me, Yuri. You are dead.” She pushed past him without saying another word.

The commander watched as the two women walked off and rounded a corner, out of view. His eyes fell despondently.

He never made it into Room 14. He didn’t so much as glance inside. He walked right past the door, retreating down the hall.

Svetlana hardly made it around the corner. The instant she was out of Dostoevsky’s view, she slumped against the wall, covering her face with her hands. “What am I doing?” Tears cascaded down. “What have I done?”

Varvara knelt by her side and patted her gently. “Sveta…”

“
I cannot make a difference here. This is not me. No one liked me before Tolya died, what good am I now?”

“
Be quiet. Do not say such things. Why do you say that?”

Svetlana lifted her head. Her eyes were red and puffy. “This unit does not need another medic, it needs a
therapist
!”

“
Sveta, you are here because I asked you to come. You are here because I knew if anyone could bring this unit together, it would be you.”

“
But this is more than I can do! This is not a little problem. This is worse than a nightmare. How was I so stupid to come back?”

“
You just had a very emotional conversation,” said Varvara. “This is your first day back, and so far it has not been good. But you are here for a good purpose. You are here to get our lieutenant back. You are here for us all.”

“
But Varya, I am not a comforter.”

“
Did you not comfort him once already? Or did you make up what happened that night?”

Svetlana said nothing.

“
You see? You
can
do this. You have done it already, just in a different way.” Her hand slid from Svetlana’s knee. “You had a warm welcome in the room, before David ruined it by being a jerk. Do not let one bitter man crush your spirits.”

“
David is a father,” Svetlana said, looking away. For the first time, her tone was controlled. “He sees this in a way the rest of us do not. Maybe he’s right. Maybe he’s not. I don’t know anymore.”

“
Do
you
believe he is right?”

Svetlana stared at the younger medic. “I believe Scott is a good man. I have told myself that so many times. I have to believe it—I must.”

Varvara affirmed. “The rest of us believe that as well. You shared something with Scott that none of us did. You can touch him—reach him. That is why you are here.” She tried to smile. “It is not up to you to comfort the rest of us. You worry about
him
. Believe me, if you can do that, it will bring us comfort enough.”

“
He told me I should have stayed away.” Svetlana pressed her hands to her forehead, where her fingers disappeared in her hair. “I did not expect him to say that.”

“
This will not be easy. I never said it would be. But ask yourself if you want to help him. Do you have that desire?”

Svetlana didn’t answer right away. She only stared back, deep in thought.

“
Do you?”

Finally, she sighed. “Yes, I do.”

“
Good. Because if you would have said no, I would have felt very guilty for sending you that letter.”

“
You should feel guilty.” Svetlana offered her a forced grin. “You know I am joking.”

A moment of quiet passed before Varvara went on. “You should go see the captain. He will be wondering where you are. You have had too much emotion since you’ve been here. You need someone to talk about business.”

“
I will go see him now,” Svetlana said, wiping her eyes and nodding.

“
Do you want me to go with you?”

“
No. I’m okay.”

“
He will be happy to see you. He might hug you.”

“
Might he really?”

“
He has been desperate for any good news. You’re the best news he’s had in three months. But most likely, he will just give you a briefing. There is much for him to tell you about.”

Svetlana rose to continue her trek. “That’s fine with me. At least this will give me something else to think about.”

“
I will leave you to that, then,” Varvara said. “Jayden and I are going into Novosibirsk today, but will I see you again later?”

“
Of course.”

“
I look forward to it.” Varvara watched Svetlana for several moments, then the younger medic offered another hug. She whispered, “This was not a mistake. Just keep saying it to yourself, and you will believe it.”

Svetlana nodded in silence.

“
Now go see the captain.”

“
I will.”

With no further words, the medics parted ways.

When Svetlana arrived at Clarke’s quarters, she found Varvara’s prediction partially correct. She received a friendly welcome back, minus a hug, followed by a recapping of the past months’ events. The meeting was strictly professional, and Svetlana took it well.

She asked for and received full medical records, then left to go to the infirmary. Though she had not seen it since its reconstruction after the
Assault on Novosibirsk
, she assumed it was the best place for a medic to study. She wasn’t wrong.

She examined health records, scheduled examinations, and memorized new names. She familiarized herself with her role. She did her job.

It was the first thing that felt real all day.

6

Sunday, November 6
^th
, 0011 NE

1959 hours

That night

The call to action couldn’t have come fast enough. Scott stormed into the hangar, assault rifle firmly gripped in both hands, the horns of his fulcrum armor streaking back past his shoulders. Barely a moment after he’d entered, he was caught from behind by slayers Nicolai and Egor.

“
What is the mission, lieutenant?”

“
A Bakma Carrier and multiple Coneships have landed in Krasno-yarsk.”

Nicolai grinned crookedly. “Beautiful!”

Beautiful
wasn’t the word that Scott would have used. Overdue, maybe. Welcomed, absolutely. The whole day had been a test of his willpower. After avoiding Svetlana and the rest of the unit, and spending the middle of the day grudgingly getting sleep, he looked forward to firing a weapon.

Several others were already waiting by the
Pariah
. Max was the first to approach Scott. “We got somethin’ heavy, man. Command says three city blocks are completely engulfed. It’s an all-out attack.”

It was a frigid night; winter was at its worst. “Where’s Clarke?”

“
Right there.”

Scott turned to the hangar’s entrance. The captain was indeed coming in. But he was not alone. Svetlana was walking in step with him. Scott looked away.

“
What other units are coming?” Nicolai asked Max.

“
We’re in the initial callout. But the Eighth, the Thirty-fifth, and the Thirty-ninth are going as well. Thoor’s not pulling any punches.”

“
He never does.”

The Eighth. Scott drew a heavy breath. That was William and Derrick’s unit, led by Captain Ulrich. William and Derrick still ate with their friends from the Fourteenth, in spite of what happened in Khatanga. But Scott wasn’t a part of that group. “Travis, I want a full layout of the target area, down to the cracks in the road.”

“
Already coming, sir.”

Dostoevsky approached from behind. Viktor and Auric were at his heels. “Lieutenant Remington.”

Scott didn’t grace the commander with a response.

“
What are we going into?” the slick-haired Viktor asked.

Nicolai thrust his hand in the air. “Dead bodies! Much fire and blood.”

“
Sounds like your idea of a date.”

“
We are going to Krasnoyarsk,” Dostoevsky said. “At least one Carrier and several Coneships. They have apparently launched an assault against the city.”

Scott had never been to Krasnoyarsk, but he’d heard of it. It was the third-largest city in Siberia—right along the Yenisei River. Forests, hills, and giant rock cliffs to the south surrounded it. The city was heavily built. It used to serve as a military city in the Old Era, though the bases there had been renovated for industrial use. Nonetheless, it had a formidable police force. It was supposedly a breeding ground for Nightman recruits.

When Clarke and Svetlana drew near, Scott deliberately looked away.

“
I take it you’re aware of our situation,” Clarke said.

“
Yes, captain,” said Dostoevsky. He looked at Svetlana; she glared back without blinking.

“
Very well.” Clarke walked past Scott into the
Pariah
. Svetlana followed him inside.

As soon as they were gone, Nicolai grinned. “She is very attractive. I am glad she has decided to join us.”

Scott tensed. Those words made his veins burn. He looked Nicolai straight in the eyes. “If you touch her—listen carefully—I will kill you.”

His words struck the Nightmen like a blow. They all stopped and stared.

Nicolai said nothing for several moments, before finally nodding. “Yes, lieutenant. I hear what you say.”

The moment Svetlana stepped inside the
Pariah
, her arms broke out in goose bumps. For several seconds she stood in the bay door. Then she stared at the wall-mounted speaker. The last place she’d heard her boyfriend Anatoly’s voice.

Becan was right beside her. “Hey…yeh all righ’?”

She swallowed. “Yes.” The words were barely above whispers. “It has been a long time.”

Becan squeezed her shoulder and made his way in.

Most of the operatives had already taken their seats by the time Svetlana claimed one of her own. She held her helmet in her hands as the Nightmen filtered in and sat down. Though she occasionally glanced Scott’s direction, his eyes never met hers.

Esther watched Svetlana silently from her own seat, until her stare caught the medic’s attention.

Svetlana smiled as warmly as she could. “You must be Molly.”

Esther froze. Her eyes widened.

“
Molly?”
said Becan.

Svetlana hesitated. “You are Molly, right? Molly Brooking, from Cambridge?”

“
Molly
Brooking?” The Irishman looked puzzled.

“
That is the name on your medical records,” Svetlana frowned apprehensively. “Is it not correct?”

Esther’s face flushed cherry red. She looked down at her boots, furiously tightening her straps. Her voice trembled with irritation. “Yes, it’s correct. I’m Molly Brooking.”

“
Your name is
Molly
?” Becan asked, his voice rising.

“
Yes, Becan! I don’t think everyone heard you—would you please try again?” Her sarcasm was thinly veiled.

Svetlana covered her mouth. “I am so sorry—do you not go by Molly?”

“
I go by my middle name,” Esther quietly answered.

Becan slowly put it together. “Molly…Esther.”

“
Yes,” the Briton murmured. “Molly Esther.”

“
Hey! D’yeh know wha’ tha’ sounds like?”

“
Let me guess! Molly Esther? Polyester? ‘Molly Polyester!’ Becan, that’s bloody wonderful! You’re so brilliant. Because believe me, I never heard that for the first
seventeen years
of my life!”

The cabin fell awkwardly quiet.

Scott sat in the back of the troop bay, surrounded by his Nightman comrades. He contemplated the situation in silence, his eyes focused in the distance and his elbows propped on his knees.

According to the log of the mission so far, the city’s EDEN stations were occupied with the Bakma Carrier, leaving few forces to defend other areas. Local police were effective but outmanned, leaving several hotspots almost defenseless. That was where the Fourteenth came in. They would hit what the stations couldn’t.

He’d seen the map he’d requested from Travis. He knew what his Nightmen would face. They’d be among the first to drop down, on the western end of the city. A strike team of Bakma had captured a multiple-story building. Hostages were involved, but he didn’t know how many.