Shadow Fall (The Shadow Saga) (36 page)

She flashed a brief smile, “Making it into stories means nothing to me. The lives of those people—they mean something. What else would you have me do?”

He stepped forward and started to reach for her, but stopped, fearing she might shrink from him again, “Leave the city with me. There’s nothing left for either of us here but death and ruin.”

For a moment her eyes alighted with joy, but then they became hard again, betraying her internal conflict, “Where would we go?”

“The Wilderness,” he said. “You lived there your entire life, and despite its dangers it sounds like a far better life than the one I’ve known. A place where we can be free of the World System, free of Silent Thunder…free to make our own futures!”

“And what about the people who will burn on the grand admiral’s pyres after I abandon the city?”

“You can’t save them,” 301 shook his head. “I know Donalson. He will not stop just because you’ve been captured. Your death will mean nothing.”

“You’re asking me to abandon everything I believe in,” she said, shaking her head. “All for an illusion. There is great wonder and beauty in the Wilderness, Eli, but freedom there only lasts as long as it takes the Great Army to find you. In the cities we are slaves to order, and in the Wilderness we are slaves to fear. There is nothing for us there, either, and there will be no true peace as long as Napoleon Alexander rules. Silent Thunder is the last thing standing between him and total victory, and I will not abandon them to flee selfishly into the Wilderness.”

“Yet you will sacrifice your life on the hope that Donalson will stop his purge,” 301 challenged. “Is that not abandoning them?”

She paused, “You know it is not the same.”

“What I know, Grace, is that Silent Thunder has already lost. From the moment your father announced the rebellion’s return there has been no doubt that the System’s superior force would eventually overwhelm you. You destroyed the Fourteenth Army, yes, but there are a hundred more armies lined up behind them—not to mention that up to this point you have only had to face ten Specters. In a month’s time there will be fifty, in another month two hundred, a thousand, until every soldier in the whole of the Great Army can wield a Gladius. You can’t save Silent Thunder any more than you can save the people in Donalson’s purge. The only person you can save is yourself. So please, come with me.”

Silence stretched between them for what seemed like an age. Grace set her gaze on the ground between them, clearly working out all the details in her head. He wanted to say more to sway her decision, but knew enough about her to stay quiet and let her figure it out on her own. It had to be her decision to stay or go, and it was enough that she was considering it.

Finally, she met his pleading stare with tears forming in her eyes, “Like I said, I wish we had been born in a different time. But we weren’t. This is our time. This is our moment. And there is more going on here than just me and you.” She moved into him and slid her arms around his waist, pulling him into a tight embrace. “I love you, Eli. But I can’t go with you now, not even if I wanted to.” Her body grew tense against him and she whispered in his ear, “I’m sorry.”

“Step away from her, Captain.”

At the sound of the gruff voice 301 pulled away from Grace and turned back around to face the tunnel. There in the wide doorway of the train, lit by the very edge of 301’s light rod, stood Admiral McCall. Grace had been facing that direction and no doubt saw him approach. He turned his head to look at her and saw no surprise or shock—only determination. She had known he was being followed. This had been her plan all along.

That’s when he saw the others—shadows at first, but as McCall emerged from the train they came right behind him: all seven of the remaining Specters, including Derek Blaine. The most dangerous men in all the World System, and he had led them straight to the woman he loved.

How could he have been so careless? What if Grace hadn’t met him here, and he had led them all the way back to the base? All those people…his mistake might have killed them all. Perhaps that was the reason Grace had come in the first place: to stop him from exposing them to the World System. He cursed himself silently, seeking some way to salvage this colossal blunder. He couldn’t let them have her.

“Well done, gentlemen,” McCall announced as Specter fanned out and formed a wide ring around Grace and 301. “Let it never be said that the Specter Captain and Derek Blaine cannot accomplish the impossible.”

At first 301 was confused. Was the admiral actually
congratulating
him? But then he saw Derek’s face—a veritable portrait of apprehension and guilt—and knew: he had been played. Derek’s every action since the Communications Tower had been carefully orchestrated to lead to this moment. He had forgiven 301 for the events of that night, remaining in his trust, all in the hope that he would inadvertently lead them to Grace on his own. And so he had.

He surveyed the pool of light where his comrades stood at rigid attention awaiting their orders, until his gaze came to rest on McCall. “Your assistance here is not needed, Admiral. I have everything well in hand.”

“Your judgment is impaired, Specter Captain,” McCall replied. “You have been affected by the young lady’s deceptions, I’m afraid.”

301 winced. The admiral made it sound like Grace had manipulated him into this position. But he was not here because she had tricked him; he was here because there was no other person in the world he would rather be with.

But that does not change the fact that I was a fool to lead them to her.

“Admiral,” he said. “I’m asking you, please don’t get involved.”

“I’m sorry, Captain. I cannot grant that request.”

301’s eyes narrowed, desperation rising within him like a storm, “
Fine
.” The light rod hit the ground as his Spectral Gladius flashed to life, increasing the tension on the platform tenfold. The sight of
Calumnior
’s fiery white presence poised against them put a spark of fear in every man that formed the circle, even the admiral himself. But it was not fear of death that the admiral felt, 301 knew that. It was fear that he might have to kill his prized trainee.

“Arm!” McCall yelled, and as his voice echoed back from the darkness the seven blades of his comrades came alight. Then McCall drew
Amicus
, surveying 301 with a cool gaze, “I see the battle plan forming in your eyes, Specter Captain. Even you must see there can be no victory.”

“Don’t do it, 301,” Derek pleaded. “You
know
this has to be done!”

“Listen to your partner, Specter Captain,” McCall urged. “You are not yourself.”

So that was it, was it? Derek had convinced them all that he had been tricked—fooled by the Elect the same way they had fooled Derek’s mother. In their eyes he was victim that needed to be saved, a friend whose mind had been overthrown. But that was not the truth of it, and he was willing to fight them all if only to prove that the choice was his own. “Men, I will only say it once. Deactivate your weapons, now!”

“I am superseding your order, Captain,” McCall said. “Specter is not yours…not yet.”

“Will you send the entire unit against me, Admiral? You know I will take most of them with me.”

“We are here to take our priority one target into custody. If we must use force, we will.”

For several heartbeats the room hung in delicate balance between order and chaos. Each second that passed brought 301 closer and closer to engaging his own men in brutal combat. But then he felt the soft touch of Grace’s hand on his own, and her tenderness forced his rage into submission.

“That won’t be necessary, Admiral,” she said, stepping forward. “I’m perfectly capable of surrendering to you on my own.” She looked into 301’s eyes and gently pushed the hand holding his Gladius back down to his side. “And I don’t need anyone to fight for me.”

“You understand, Miss Sawyer,” McCall began in a tone of warning, “that no mercy of any form will be accorded to you. You will be taken in, processed, likely interrogated, and put to death.”

Her eyes did not leave 301’s as she replied, “I know. My only request is that Specter Captain 301-14-A be credited with my capture. In return I promise my full cooperation.”

After a moment’s hesitation McCall nodded, “Done. I don’t know whether to consider your actions noble or foolish, but I admire your courage just the same.”

301 shook his head slightly in a desperate plea. “Don’t do this,” he whispered. “I can get you out.”

“No,” she whispered back. “I knew when I left that this was how things would end. You gave me hope for a moment that they didn’t have to…but the world does not stop just for two fools in love. I won’t have you die here for me.” She gave him a sad smile, and then backed away from him toward the circle of Specters. Seeing her resolve, 301 sighed with a feeling of defeat, and his blade retreated back into its sheathe.

The tension evaporated from the platform, and McCall broke the silence, “Marcus, Dodson…take her.”

The two Specters deactivated their weapons and grabbed Grace roughly by the shoulders. McCall held up a hand, “Gently, men. She has consented to be taken, and will receive no ill treatment from us.” Marcus and Dodson led Grace back toward the train, where they would take her back down the tunnel and up to the surface. She cast one last glance at 301 as she stepped off the platform, and then she was gone.

All but Derek and McCall followed, leaving the three men alone. The admiral returned
Amicus
to his side and shifted his feet uncomfortably. There was something in his expression that seemed almost disappointed. “You are not the first man to be ensnared by the Elect, Captain, and certainly not the first to be led astray by a beautiful woman. We are a unit…a team. And I swear to you upon my honor, the MWR will hear nothing of this. Again, well done, gentlemen.” He turned to walk toward the train, and followed the others back into the tunnel.

As 301 stood alone on the platform with his partner, he felt anger boiling inside of him. He didn’t want to say anything to the man, but as silence stretched between them he could hold it in no longer. “Was this your plan all along, Derek?”

His partner frowned at him apologetically, “It didn’t have to be this way, Captain. You left me no choice.”

“You betrayed me.”

“For her, you would have betrayed us all. I did what I had to do to save this city.”

“You did it for yourself,” he spat bitterly. “For whatever obsessive need you have for revenge against the Elect. This was
my
choice, Derek, and you stole it from me.”

“No,” Derek said. “I captured an enemy of the state and likely put an end to a rebellion in the capital. I did my duty. I did what you
should
have done on the roof of the Communications Tower. But I knew then that she had gotten to you—that no matter what happened, you would never bring her in.”

“You were supposed to be my friend. I trusted you.”

“I am your friend, Captain. This is about saving you just as much as it is about saving the people of the city. Do you think I want to see the Elect use you as they did my mother? Sacrifice you on the altar of their sacred cause? Because that’s where you are headed, if you continue on this path. If Napoleon Alexander ever finds out the lengths you have gone to on this woman’s behalf, you’re finished. I can’t let that happen. Once she’s gone, perhaps you will be able to see things clearly again.”

Once she’s gone…
The very thought nearly shattered him at his very core. Not so long ago the World System was all he cared about, but the government he believed himself born to serve did not turn out to be what he thought—or perhaps
he
did not turn out to be what he thought. Whatever glories or accolades he might attain in the World System, they all paled in comparison to Grace, and to the way she had made him feel at the merest chance that they could leave it all behind. That chance was gone now, evaporated in an instant, but he couldn’t live in a world without her. He refused to.

“Wait,” Derek said as 301 made for the tunnel. “Where are you going?”

“To take a walk.” 301 shoved past his partner and stepped off the platform, plunging into the darkness of the underground without his light rod. He wanted to see nothing…to feel nothing.

“The MWR will be wanting our report, Captain!” Derek called after him. “It will take you hours to reach the palace on foot!”

“Then don’t hold your breath for my return,” 301 whispered, and continued on into the unending black where it seemed the world and everything in it no longer existed.

30

A
MONG THE THICKENING MASS
of movement in the command center lobby, Crenshaw caught sight of a young operative struggling to carry a bag almost as big as he was and shook his head in exasperation. He reached out to take hold of the man’s arm, “This is an evacuation, Soldier, not a vacation. You can’t take every single thing you own.” He raised his voice so all in the vicinity could hear. “I say again, people: take only what you can carry! Wherever we end up outside the city it is unlikely we will remain there long. I warn you to pack lightly. Whatever you bring you are stuck with, for we can’t leave behind a trail for our enemies to follow.”