The Last Mission of the Living (The Last Bastion Book 2) (16 page)

Chapter 15

“Of course I was going to add you to the roster once President Cabot agreed that the Constabulary must be involved,” Commandant Pierce said, regarding Lindsey calmly from behind the pristine desk. Legs crossed, arms folded, the higher-ranking officer emanated confidence and power.

Standing before the commandant, Lindsey was silent. She’d fully expected to be called in to speak with Commandant Pierce, so the early morning summons on her wristlet hadn’t been surprising. Even after hours of lying awake with her overloaded brain processing everything she’d learned, it was difficult for Lindsey to unravel her twisted emotions surrounding the imminent mission and deal with them adequately. She was scared, of course, but also devastated by the fact that she and Torran were now set against each other even if he didn’t realize it yet. All night, she’d struggled with the conundrum before her. Would the SWD abandon their plan if the Constabulary was involved? Should she tell Torran about Maria and Dwayne? About what the SWD was planning? There were so many questions, yet she doubted she would be provided with the answers she needed to make wise choices.

As though waiting for her to say something, Commandant Pierce continued to regard Lindsey in silence.

“You’re sending me because of my skills,” Lindsey said at last, her voice unsure.

“Of course. I’ll need you out there thwarting any attempt the SWD may make to find the castellan and vanguard.”

Troubled at the thought of this task, she said, “That may be difficult, since it’s a joint effort.”

“I
know
you’ll find a way. My only concern is whether or not you’ll pass the physical the SWD is demanding each soldier must pass in order to be involved in the mission.”

Lindsey bristled a tad. After more than a year struggling with a disability, she was sensitive about her health. “I’ve maintained my fitness despite the injury, and since the repair, I’ve been working on strengthening my leg.”

“Then hopefully you’ll pass their tests.” The commandant hesitated. “Or make it look like you did.”

Lindsey puffed up just a bit at the reference to her hacking abilities. It was nice to be praised for her skills even though her physical aptitude was in question. “I assume they expressed concerns that I just came off the disabled roster?”

“Oh yes. But they have concerns about
every
soldier I put on the Constabulary roster.”

“By ‘they’ you mean Legatus Martel.”

Commandant Pierce’s gaze turned absolutely cold. It wasn’t directed at Lindsey, but it was unnerving just the same. “Yes, Legatus Martel. She’s an interesting woman. Her dossier makes a lot of claims about her military training within the SWD under Admiral Kirkpatrick’s elite guard, but I’m not certain I see the attributes born of such a career in her demeanor or interactions.”

“A bureaucrat in soldiers’ clothing...”

“…does not make a soldier.” Commandant Pierce smirked, and it was rather terrifying. “What has been agreed upon so far is that each soldier, both SWD and Constabulary, must meet a certain criteria, both physically and mentally. President Cabot wants each participant to be a veteran of an actual conflict. In other words, the survivors of the final push and the recent clearing of the valley are the prime candidates. I suspect this is for multiple purposes. One being that the squad will have some combat experience and, therefore, handle the rigors of the mission better than a green squad. The second is probably for propaganda purposes.”

“The heroes of The Bastion going out to save humanity once again.”

“Exactly. The one major victory I’ve won is that one of our own chief defenders will be in charge of the mission. I have submitted a list of ten names to President Cabot and Legatus Martel.”

“Will the chief defender know about the SWD secret mission to retrieve the castellan and vanguard?”

Exhaling slowly, Commandant Pierce leaned forward to rest her elbows on the desk. “No.”

“Is that President Cabot’s order?’

“President Cabot doesn’t know about the secret mission.”

Lindsey widened her eyes in surprise.

“If President Cabot suspected that immortality was within the veins of Dwayne and Maria, what do you think he’d do?”

“Oh.” Lindsey frowned. “He’d be ready to assume a presidency for life. An eternal life.”

“Exactly. My job is to keep the city and the valley safe for humanity, not the government. President Cabot’s job is to make the people feel he is working for their best interests. Until recently, the Bastion was running smoothly because of how the founders laid out the framework for the powers at the top. Constabulary protects the people. Judiciary Authority enforces the law. The SWD develops new tech to fight the Scrags and keep humanity healthy. And the President and the council speak for the people in all governmental matters. It worked for a long time, but now the power has shifted and created this... mess.”

With a scowl, Lindsey said, “Why are we helping him again?”

“Because the people elected him.” Commandant Pierce sighed. “Woman to woman, Lindsey, I’ve played the game of the upper echelon for the last few years. I’ve compromised myself a few times. I’ve done things I regret. I was silent when I should have spoken up, and spoken up when I should have been silent. In this case I plan to maintain my silence on the matter of Dwayne and Maria to not only protect myself, you and the others, but humanity.”

“And if the SWD says something to the president?”

“I’ll act as though it’s new information, then argue that they should never be recovered because we don’t know what that virus in their veins will do to the general population.”

“Do you think he’ll listen?”

“No. Which is why I need you out there thwarting the SWD at every turn.”

Setting her hands on her hips, Lindsey drew in a deep breath, then slowly exhaled to calm her fraying nerves. “Into the dead world...”

“The SWD has developed new armor they believe can protect the team from attacks.”

“Not a real comfort when you toss in the word ‘believe’ with no real assurances.”

“Every step of this mission will be carefully planned out by you and the master seeker. The safety of the combined squad is of the utmost importance. Let’s be honest here, Vanguard: the city is on the brink. We’re already at Level Three rationing. Most of the city is reliant on food they grow themselves or barter for. With the winter months ahead, we’re going to have to implement Level Four rationing and people are going to start becoming very hungry once their personal stores start to run low. The protein supplements only go so far slaking hunger. The new castellan is already preparing for food riots.”

“We have a new one?”

“Her appointment will be announced later today.”

Lindsey made a mental note to snoop through the Constabulary system more often.

“Castellan Julia Bruner will do an excellent job. Of that I am certain.”

“How much will she
know
?”

With a low chuckle, the commandant sat back in her chair. “You, Vanguard, are a very, very bold woman.”

“I’m aware I’m probably overstepping my bounds, but as you pointed out—”

“We’re strange bedfellows.” Commandant Pierce shrugged. “She’ll know what I feel she needs to know. At this time, Julia needs to concentrate on maintaining peace in the city. Not the SWD. Not the Scrags.”

“And my job is to thwart the SWD at every turn and keep Dwayne and Maria far away from the city.”

“I don’t even want to imagine the chaos that will rain down on us if they’re found. The mere thought of an immortal governing body exalted over the rest of humanity for eternity is too abhorrent to even consider. Of course, those in power would lie to themselves, believing they’re above corruption and ruling for the benefit of all people, but we all know the old saying.”

“Absolute power corrupts absolutely?”

Standing, Commandant Pierce tucked her hands behind her back and strode over to Lindsey. “What little power I have corrupts me. Bit by bit. Bite by bite. I have to be diligent at all times to not let myself fall into the traps it lays before me. I am an imperfect person. I’m not the wisest, the cleverest, or the strongest. I am anchored by the fact I am a mother. I want the best for my daughter. I want her to live in a world where she can have a full stomach, a career of her choice, the chance to love, and the freedom to vote on her future. Trust me: there are times when I want to play the dirty game that surrounds me. To win. To be stronger. Smarter. More powerful. To outwit those I consider weak. I say this to you as Adeleke, the woman, not the commandant. Every day, I fight for my daughter’s future, and it’s a battle I find worth fighting for. The Bastion benefits from my devotion to her. So my question to you, Lindsey, as you go out into the dead world: who are you fighting for?”

Pressing her lips together, Lindsey thought of the little girls she saw playing in the streets, the people clustered in the cafes, the mourners at the memorials, and Torran fixing her tacos. “The chance for life.”

“The SWD will be under pressure to deliver food and resources to The Bastion, but I doubt they’ll give up their quest for the virus. There will be an SWD Sci-Tech team going with you.”

Dread filled Lindsey and she regarded the commandant fearfully. “Who’s on it?”

“Dr. Beverly Curran and ten assistants.”

Lindsey drew in a sharp breath.

“When they make their move, you need to be ready.” Commandant Pierce’s dark eyes narrowed. “This is when it becomes difficult to have power and not fall into its trap.”

“Do you want me to let them die? Kill them?”

“I leave that to
your
discretion.”

The burden set on her soul was heavy and suffocating. Lindsey swallowed.

“I trust you, Vanguard Rooney. Not just because of your stellar record, or your uncanny ability to discover the secrets of The Bastion, but because Castellan Reichardt did. And other than my husband, he’s the noblest man I’ve ever known. You’ll do what you need to do out there. I trust you.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Now make sure you blow them away with excellent results in all your tests.”

“Oh, I can assure you. I will.”

“One way or the other?” The officer raised a sleek eyebrow, an amused smile on her shapely lips.

“One way or the other,” Lindsey answered, already pondering how she could change her test results if she failed any of them.

“You are dismissed,” Commandant Pierce said, and returned to her chair behind the enormous desk.

Lindsey saluted and let herself out of the office and into the smaller area that housed the commandant’s new assistant. Petra sat at her desk, tapping away on a pad.

The woman glanced up at Lindsey and gave her a knowing look. “Always interesting in The Bastion, isn’t it?”

Lindsey wondered how much information Petra’s resources had already fed her. Petra was almost as good as Lindsey with finding out what was going on behind the scenes.

“It wouldn’t be The Bastion if some conspiracy wasn’t brewing in the dark recesses of the halls of power,” Lindsey answered.

“So very true… But at least there are good people doing their best for the city. For our children.” Petra’s voice held a trace of fear.

Lindsey’s gaze shifted to a small family photo on the corner of Petra’s desk, then she noted half a protein bar sitting near it with small bites along the edges.

“Petra, you don’t eat all your rations, do you?”

Swiveling her chair toward Lindsey, Petra crossed her very slender legs. “You’re observant.”

“You give it to your children. The part you don’t eat.”

Nodding, Petra said, “Of course. My husband and I always make sure our children aren’t hungry.”

A tiny bit of guilt seeped into Lindsey’s thoughts. As a single person, she only worried about herself. Though she was aware of the population of the city hurrying about in their lives, she never really thought about all the small sacrifices they might be making daily to ensure their children survived.

“You’re going on that mission, aren’t you, Lindsey? To find more food?”

“Yeah, I am.”