The Last Mission of the Living (The Last Bastion Book 2) (10 page)

“In a year, it will all be different, you know. People will be living outside the city. There will be farms. Ranches. Fresh food. Running trains.” Torran grinned at the thought. “A whole new world to experience.”

Lindsey tilted her head to gaze up at him. “Yet, we’ll still be in the valley.”

“Well, it’s a small world.” Torran wasn’t sure if it was the gray weather or the long weeks of constant questions, but he felt very restless. It was a good day for a very long walk with a new friend. “So, Vanguard Rooney, what’s your pleasure today?”

“A long walk, a visit with Maria’s mother, maybe a stop at a pub at some point, and apparently, company and conversation. And you can call me Lindsey.”

“And you can call me Torran.”

“I like MacDonald better,” Lindsey said with complete seriousness.

“Really?”

Laughing, she poked his side. “It’ll be hard adjusting to calling you by your first name. You’re MacDonald in my head. And on my wristlet.” She swiped her screen and pulled up her contacts menu. “See.”

“Well, you could type in Torran. It’s very simple you just...” He took her arm in hand and started typing on her wristlet screen. When he finished changing his name, he put a mark next to it so his messages would get top priority.

“You’re rather bold, don’t you think?” Lindsey stared up at him through her thick, dark lashes with amusement.

“We’re going to be the best of friends. You saved my life. I saved yours.” Torran winked at her.

“I
am
glad you’re okay. I’m also relieved they were wise enough to comprehend that it wasn’t your fault.” Her face sobered. “You couldn’t have known how the mission would turn out. You didn’t have all the facts.”

The heavy weight of guilt wasn’t about to diminish any time soon. Just the mere memory of Goodwin eating Jonas after she shot him in the head was enough to make him want to retch. Torran embraced the pain instead, hoping it would make him wiser and more cautious should he ever face such horrors again.

“Well, it was pretty obvious they hadn’t warned me about the Abscrags that were the result of the failed Inferi Boon missions or about the downed tiltrotor. So when all that was factored in the line of questioning became much less confrontational.”

“Bu they gave you hell at first, didn’t they?” Lindsey frowned.

“Well, it’s the second time I was the sole survivor of a squad.”

“So they were suspicious.”

“Yeah, but the story you asked me to tell them helped me more than you probably realize.”

“I don’t know if it was fair of me to even do that. Asking you to lie.” Guilt weighed down the corners of her lips.

“Well, having a mysterious figure come out of the subway and help me fight off the Abscrags before disappearing into the night would have seemed a bit farfetched if not for Castellan Reichardt’s departure from the city.”

“You put a lot of trust in me when I asked you to do that.”

Torran ducked his head so he could see her expression. “Hey, you saved my life. It creates instant trust, right? Besides, if Commandant Pierce wanted me to relay that information, she had to have a plan.”

“Actually,” Lindsey said with a wince, “I told you to say that without getting it cleared with her.”

Surprised, Torran stopped in his tracks. “Oh my.”

“Well, I knew that they would assume it was the castellan, so that’s why I had you say that. It felt like a much more likely story than you fighting off the Abscrags singlehanded.”

Uncertain if he was miffed or not, Torran stood in silence for a few long beats. Glancing toward the immense city spreading out all around him and the high mountains on the horizon, he considered all the possible ramifications of what she’d asked him to say. At last, he realized, she’d been very clever.

“Are you mad?” Lindsey stared up at him worriedly.

“Nah. You actually gave me the best story other than the actual truth. Plus, it made the castellan that much more heroic, right?” Torran rested his hand on her shoulder, urging her to walk on.

“I guess that’s why I’ve been so worried about you going through the debriefings and reviews.”

“I thought it was because I’m roguishly handsome and charming.”

Lindsey rolled her eyes.

“Nah, I get it, Lindsey. I was worried about you and the others, too. With all the tension between our two forces, the coup, and the basic hell of living in The Bastion, it feels like everything is a potential landmine.” Torran hated the unease that never left his system. Even walking among the citizens of the city made him a bit nervous. He’d seen the old historical vids and knew how fast the Inferi Plague Virus could spread in a populated area. Nowhere ever really felt safe anymore. It was an exercise in mental fortitude to not see everything in the city as a potential threat.

“I’m glad you kept me updated, Torran. I was worried. So many lies have been said to keep people safe that it makes me anxious.”

They finally reached the end of the bridge and turned up a street that cut through a warehouse district where heavily armed guards watched over what few provisions were left. The high fences, cameras, and soldiers in riot gear inspired the crowd to speak in hushed voices. Even Torran felt wary of the guards with their black SWD uniforms and opaque helmets.

Lindsey’s hand brushed against his and he automatically took it. She didn’t flinch, but wrapped her fingers around his. Understanding her misgivings, he squeezed her hand gently.

If the valley wasn’t secure soon, this area of the city would be filled with violence as food riots broke out among the starving masses. The people around them had no idea that the city was on the brink of starvation in a matter of months if there wasn’t a significant change. That change was the valley.

“It’s worth it,” Torran said, leaning over to whisper into Lindsey’s ear. “All the death, the pain, and the lies...if we can save these people. It’s worth it.”

Lindsey turned her head upward and smiled. “Absolutely.”

Chapter 9

The small café was packed with people and it was hard to find a place to sit. Lindsey dispatched Torran to find a battered table while she joined the ordering line. He’d handed over his protein ration for the day and she had fished her own out of her coat pocket. The line moved along rather quickly as a young woman took orders and passed them off to the two cooks behind her. It was hot inside the small area with the ovens in use, but Lindsey didn’t dare shrug off her coat. Thievery was a major crime in the city, especially during bad weather, and coats were one of the most commonly stolen items.

“Order, hon?” the woman behind the counter asked.

“Barbecue with potato salad and greens on the side. Do you have bread right now?”

“We have several loaves left, but that’s extra.”

“Okay, we’ll have four slices with that order. And two herbal teas.” Lindsey handed over the protein and the credits. She never ate at a café that didn’t have the cooks in plain view. It was well-known that some cafés skimmed off bits of protein to sell on the black market.

“It’ll be out in ten minutes.” The server studied the credits Lindsey had handed over for a second, then returned a few. “Military discount.”

“How’d you—”

“Only military people have such clean money,” was the answer.

Spotting a tip jar, Lindsey shoved the returned credits into it. “Thanks.”

A blue plastic tarp was stretched under the ceiling and a bucket in the corner was slowly filling with water running off one corner. Another sign of the decay of the city and the civilian resourcefulness.

Lindsey spotted Torran at a wobbly metal table in one corner. She hurried over and fell into the chair across from him. It was uncomfortable, but after their long morning walk, she was fine with resting for a bit. Shrugging off her coat, she tied one sleeve to the chair leg.

“I know it doesn’t look like much, but they actually make really good food here. The entire roof is an herb garden. The only reason they have bread here is because for two years all they did was grow wheat and store the grain in one of the rooms upstairs. At least, that’s the rumor I heard.” Torran gestured toward a heavily-chained doorway tucked to one side of the kitchen area. “Hence the tight security to the upstairs area.”

“I heard that long ago, bread was the staple food of famine.”

“Now it’s tasteless protein slabs.” Torran grimaced.

Lindsey leaned her elbows on the table and glanced toward the vid screen in a dry corner of the café that was showing the latest news.

“How bad is it inside the SWD right now?”

“Among the security forces, it’s rough. Demoralizing. They busted their asses only to be maligned by what the admiral and his minions did. The glory they anticipated after their great victory has been dimmed a bit. Now they’re sharing duties with the Constabulary, so that natural rivalry is even more pointed.”

Lindsey wasn’t fond of the SWD after what they did to Maria, but she understood how hard it must be for those who had enlisted in the SWD in hopes of building a better life for everyone. “I suppose you don’t know what the deal with the higher ups is?”

“I know absolutely nothing other than what the news says about the admiral being holed up in his residence with his advisors and supporters, and that if he leaves he’ll be arrested instantly by the Constabulary. And I also know, for the moment, Dr. Curran seems to be the face of the SWD.”

“She’s not a very nice woman.”

“No, she’s not.” Torran hesitated, then asked, “Did she really have a cure for them?”

Lindsey hated lying, so instead she shrugged and changed the subject. “Is it rough for you now? Being SWD and not Constabulary?”

Torran regarded her solemnly. Did he notice her dodge? “Not at all. I believe that science will alleviate our suffering and that much good can come out of the SWD. I volunteered to help them create the search and destroy security forces once it became clear that they were going to be putting lives at risk. Better to prepare the search and destroy troops than watch them die because of lack of sufficient training.”

“So you don’t miss the Constabulary?”

“No.” Torran shook his head. “I didn’t agree with a lot that I saw and it was clear I couldn’t be a part of any effective change. I did like the idea of being part of some sort of change in the SWD. Taking a different approach from the Constabulary.”

Lindsey had to admit her devotion to the Constabulary seemed a bit foolish at times in light of all that had occurred. Commandant Pierce was a good person at heart, but she’d compromised herself quite a bit for the better good of The Bastion.

“Lindsey, it’s not that the Constabulary and the SWD are bad organizations, it’s that there is a disease in the upper echelons of power that rob their effectiveness and put lives at risk.”

She lifted her eyes to see he was worried he’d insulted her. “I get that. I just wish there were absolutes, you know?”

“There are absolutes. The Scrags need to die. Humanity needs to work together to survive.”

With a sad sigh, Lindsey said, “Yeah, but we’re not really working together, are we?”

“Well, you and I are.”

It seemed strange to be spending so much time with someone she’d met on the battlefield and had messaged impersonally just a few times over the last few weeks. Yet, she felt like she’d known Torran for a long time.

“Torran, did we ever meet when you were in the Constabulary? We were both part of the final push.”

“I don’t think so. I would have remembered a pretty girl with devastatingly gorgeous eyes.”

Lindsey chuckled. “Charmer.”

“In all seriousness, there were so many of us that the faces of those outside my squad are a blur. That bothers me sometimes when I look at the list of names on the memorial. There are so many I didn’t know that died right alongside my friends and squad members.” His expression was haunted and one she understood well.

“One of my best friends is on the memorial. His name was Ryan. I had an awful crush on him.”

“I hope he was a wise man and crushed back,” Torran said with twinkle in his eye.

“We had our fun times.” Lindsey’s cheeks flushed slightly at the memories. “It just feels odd that we served together and never met.”

“But we’ve met now. It’s all good, right?”

“Absolutely.”

Lindsey fell silent as their food was set before them on the table. The spicy smell of the barbecue sauce made her even hungrier than before. The protein almost looked like meat. The female server set down a basket of bread slices and Lindsey noted a few extra pieces had been added. There was also extra ice in their teas.

“Thanks, Rebecca,” Torran said to the server.

With a smile, the woman hurried away.

“So is the special treatment here because they know you or because we’re military?” Lindsey wondered aloud.

“Probably a bit of both.” Torran made a sandwich of the cooked protein and greens.

“Do you always venture so far out?”

“I’m adventurous. Plus, I get bored staying in just one section of the city for too long. Also, you’d be amazed at how much the cityscape changes. It’s little things, but I enjoy seeing what people are up to.”

“Like what?”

“New vendors. New shops. New pubs. New gardens on buildings.” Torran shrugged slightly, but Lindsey could see the enthusiasm in his eyes.

“An adventurer by heart, huh? Which would explain being in both the Constabulary and SWD.”

“Maybe.” Torran grinned. “Now eat your lunch. We still have a ways to go before we hit Espana Sector.”

Lindsey didn’t want to think about her grim task. Though she hoped Maria was far away and safe with Dwayne, it hurt to accept she’d never see her friend again. How much worse must it be for her mother?

After they finished eating, Lindsey continued her long trek with Torran at her side. Instead of talking about the news, Torran pointed out all his favorite things along the trek. There was a clothes shop that sold vintage military uniforms, a café that specialized in teas, a rooftop orchard of apple trees, and the occasional mural by talented artists that created a colorful landscape in an otherwise dreary world.

Each sector in the city was sectioned off by walls, bridges, and massive gates. The gates remained open unless there was a riot, but Lindsey found the formidable entrances a little disconcerting. Heavily fortified and guarded, the gateways to each sector were a reminder of the world they lived in. Though the gates were used in case of riots, they’d been built in case of an outbreak of the Inferi Scourge Plague Virus.

A clever graffiti artist had painted flags over the entrance of the former countries represented by the population within the district.

“That’s new,” Torran said, pointing at the artwork.

“I hope they don’t cover it up. It adds flavor.”

Walking beneath the entrance, Lindsey felt the slight vibration of her wristlet as it sent a transmission to the monitors at the gate. Another entry into the log of her passage through the city. The only time she didn’t feel like she was under constant surveillance was in her flat, but that was because she was clever enough to get around the monitoring systems.

“Well, this is where we split up,” Torran said with a sigh.

“Thanks for the company.”

“I hope your visit goes well.”

Lindsey pushed her hands into her coat pockets. “I’m not sure what ‘going well’ will mean.”

“It’s never easy dealing with grief.”

Realizing that Torran was the one to notify his squad member’s families of their loss, she reached out and set her hand on his wrist. His skin was warm beneath her fingers. “I’m sorry. I’ve never had to do this before.” Though Lourdes Martinez knew her daughter was missing in action and presumed dead, it was not going to make the task any easier. When Lindsey had lost her own family, she remembered the faces of the officers who’d come to notify her at her school. They’d looked so calm until she’d noticed their hands were shaking. At sixteen, she’d lost her entire family to one of the few train accidents in the history of The Bastion. An orphan for over a decade now, it didn’t diminish the pain or the loneliness. Maybe that’s what she needed to keep in mind. Nothing she said was going to assuage the pain that Maria’s mother felt.

“You’ll do fine,” Torran assured her.

“Thanks.” Lindsey drew away and checked her wristlet for the directions to Maria’s family home. “I’ll message you and let you know how it went.”

“We’ll talk later.” Torran gave her a slight smile, then strode in the opposite direction.

Lindsey walked on alone.

The last leg of her journey was shorter and filled with new sights, scents, and sounds. Spanish, French, and Portuguese mingled in with the common language of English. Music poured out of speakers set up at kiosks and there was a bit more color in the surroundings. Artists had covered many of the bland gray walls with murals and panoramic paintings of the old world.

Maria’s childhood home was a four story building surrounded by brightly colored metal tubs sporting flowers, small trees, and herb gardens. Someone had painted the entire building a light blue color. Walking up the stairs, Lindsey stepped aside as children rushed down. At the entrance, she found the security system still in effect and waved her wristlet over the panel and said Maria’s mother’s name. A second later, the doors opened and she stepped into the small lobby with a stairwell on one side and an operational elevator on the other. Wary of the lift, she took the stairs.

The Martinez residence was on the fourth floor and took up all the units. Maria had said her brothers lived near her mother, but Lindsey didn’t realize she meant the same floor in the same building. She recognized a dark skinned man with lots of curly hair repairing a light panel at the far end of the hallway.

“Hey, Mariano.”

“Lindsey!” Setting aside his tool, he reached out to shake her hand. “What brings you here?”

“Commandant Pierce asked me to bring Maria’s medals.”

Mariano grimaced. “Oh. Wow. I’m not too sure how my mother is going to take that.”

Digging the case of her pocket, Lindsey stared at the embossed velvet lid. “Maria would want her to have these, you know.”