The Lives of Tao (2 page)

The security file probably just alerted a platoon of guards. Get what we have and go.
 

His earpiece crackled, “Edward, we’ve just confirmed the data stream. On our way to pick you up now.”

“Confirmed. Over and out.” Edward unplugged the cord and scrambled toward the exit. Hearing heavy footsteps, he stopped and retreated back to the rows of servers just as a group of guards entered the room.

No armor. 1911s by the looks of it. Laser scopes. Three, no, four guards. None appear to be Genjix.
 

“Must be the hired help.”

Take them out fast.
 

One of the guards turned on the lights and the rest fanned out, each moving from aisle to aisle. Shouts of “Clear!” could be heard as they made their way toward him. Edward pulled out his Glock pistol and crept toward the edge of an aisle. As an arm came into view, he trapped it with one hand and threw his elbow into the guard’s face, dropping him to the floor. The scuffle alerted the others and they converged on his position.

Another guard appeared at the other end of the aisle and opened fire. Bullets ricocheted off the metal frames of the shelves. A searing pain erupted in Edward’s left arm and his hand went numb. Falling flat to the floor, he took quick aim and finished his target with three quick shots to the chest.

Grazing shot. Shake it off.
Get to the extraction point!
 

Edward reloaded the Glock and ran out to the hallway. Sirens blared all around him. He sprinted back toward the stairwell, hearing sounds of approaching footsteps close behind. He burst through the door and ran up the stairs. A group of guards soon followed close behind. Bullets flying past his head, Edward craned his neck over the railing, grabbed a grenade from his side, pushed the timer for one second, and tossed it over the railing. The resulting explosion knocked him off his feet and everything went dark for a split second. Water sprinklers activated and began to spray the room. Shaking his head to clear the cobwebs, Edward pulled himself up and continued up the stairs.

“I’m getting too old for this.”

What happened to “durability counts”? We can worry about putting you out to pasture after this mission.
 

Another group of guards appeared two flights above him and opened fire. Edward threw himself against the wall just as gunfire rained down upon him. “Get me another way up to the top.”

Through the door. Get to the roof from the other stairwell.
 

Marc’s voice came through the earpiece so loud Edward winced. “We’ve landed on the roof. Resistance heavier than anticipated. Hurry!”

“I’m working on it!” Edward yelled as he burst through the door out of the stairwell and came face to face with an attractive young woman. She wore an expensive tan suit and had her hair tied in a high ponytail. If it was any other time, he would stop and try to chat her up. But it wasn’t any other time. He grabbed her and jammed the Glock into her side. “Sorry, darling, this probably isn’t the best way to make a first impression.”

It is Yrrika.
 

Edward sighed. “Really? Yrrika always picks the pretty ones.” Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger. She had only a moment to gasp before falling to the floor. Her body shimmered as the Genjix emerged and floated into the air.

Let us hope Yrrika does not find a new host in time. Down to the end of the hallway, make a right, third door on the left.
 

“Do you remember the time I tried to pick up Yrrika’s previous host?”

In Istanbul? I warned you not to. You were a fresh twenty-five year-old agent and she was sixty. How did that work out for you?
 

“You could have told me she was a judo champion.”

She was not. You just were not that good back then. Some of the hardest lessons are the best.
 

Edward took off running. The alarm was getting on his nerves and he heard footsteps all around him. There was no telling how many other Genjix hosts were here. He sprinted down the hall to the other stairwell and scrambled up to the roof. With the amount of heat behind him, Marc better be ready to take off any second. Edward slammed his body into the exterior door and barreled onto the rooftop. Losing his balance, he tumbled forward and rolled into a kneeling position, pistol trained forward.

The roof of the John Hancock Center in Chicago was a mess of black shadows and cluttered metal structures bathed in ghostly red by lights from its two towering antennas. To his left was a row of large fans; in front a set of stairs that led up to another platform; and to his right the helicopter. Cold winds howled overhead. Edward stayed low and made his way toward his ride home, slipping from shadow to shadow.

Where are the other agents and why is the helicopter not prepped to leave? Something is wrong.
 

Edward ran to the cockpit and found two of his agents slumped over the controls. One more was dead outside. The windshield was shattered, the cockpit smashed, and a small fire raged in the holding area.

Is it operable?
 

“Of course not, there’s no cockpit anymore! Let’s see if the emergency chute’s still there.”

Fortunately, the compartment in the rear housing the parachutes was intact. He strapped on a chute, tied it around his waist, and checked the release.

Are any of the bodies Marc? If so, we need to see if Jeo survived. We cannot leave him here.
 

Edward turned the bodies over and tore off their helmets. Then he went back outside and checked the lone agent there. “They’re all standards. Where’s Marc, damn it!”

Edward, all three died of headshots.
 

A chill shot down Edward’s spine. He didn’t care if he was up against James friggin’ Bond. No one was good enough to tap three headshots in rapid succession... unless he was at close range. The only body missing was Marc. Was it possible? Faction changing was a time-honored tradition in the war, but Tao and Jeo had been comrades since Rome was nothing more than a bunch of huts on a muddy hill. However, as much as Edward hated to admit it, he couldn’t come up with an explanation other than betrayal, and he didn’t have the luxury at this moment to unravel the mystery. If this was true, he was in immediate danger.

Edward ducked behind the wreckage and blended into the darkness. Staying low, he made his way to the eastern side of the roof, using the assorted structures, ventilation generators, and air ducts as cover until he reached the edge of the building. He looked out at the black void that was Lake Michigan. The John Hancock Center was not tall enough for a safe paradrop, so his only chance would be a water landing. It would be frigid this time of year. “Base jumping is not my idea of a solid escape plan,” he muttered, looking over the edge at the streets below.

There has been worse. Remember Budapest and the sewage tunnels?
 

Edward shuddered. “Don’t remind me.” He stepped up to the ledge and prepared to jump. Suddenly, sharp jabs of pain exploded in his back, nearly knocking him over the side. He collapsed onto the roof. Only the parachute and his body armor saved his life. Edward groaned as he tried to lift his head.

“Don’t move, Edward,” a familiar voice said from behind him. “I can’t let you escape.”

Snap out of it. Voice coming from behind you to the left.
An image of a generator Edward passed moments before flashed in his head.

Edward rolled over and looked at his partner of the past two years. “Isolated rooftop; nice trap. What’s going on, Marc? We’re not paying you enough?”

With a stony expression, Marc shook his head and motioned with his rifle. “It’s not that I don’t believe in the Prophus cause anymore, it’s just that I don’t care. I’m tired of this stupid war.”

“We’re all tired of this war,” Edward yelled over the howl of the wind. “It doesn’t mean we just throw in the towel and change teams, you dumb bastard.” He inched himself up to a sitting position.

Marc’s face contorted in anger. “And you know what? You’re right; I’m not getting paid enough. At least the Genjix know how to treat their people right. We don’t get paid crap! No one bothered to tell me that I’d be working for nothing, so a bunch of aliens can return to some mud-ball planet! There’s nothing in it for any of us. Not you, not me. Hell, I didn’t even have a choice. I just got drafted by Jeo when he decided I was his type! Why are we even up here doing this crap if we’ll be long dead before anything happens?”

“It’s not just about you, Marc. You know what happens if we lose. Does Jeo feel the same way?”

Marc chuckled nervously. “Jeo? Hell, he’s the one that convinced me that it’s all a bloody waste.” His face softened, showing a small semblance of remorse. “Look, man, it’s not personal. I’m sure you and Tao know that. But if I have to be involved, I want to be on the winning side, and since no one trusts anyone anymore, you’re my ticket in. I have to deliver you to Sean. He asked for you specifically.”

Edward’s body throbbed from the pain and his left arm felt useless. However, he wasn’t about to surrender to this junior varsity agent. He watched Marc’s breathing, pacing his nervous quick breaths and the slight up and down motions of the rifle. Then just as Marc inhaled, Edward lurched to the side and fired. Bullets sprayed the spot where he’d been moments before and he heard a satisfying cry of pain as Marc dropped his rifle and fell to one knee.

Edward crept behind a generator, grimacing. He had a couple of cracked ribs for sure. Peering over the top, he saw an injured Marc retreat back into the shadows, holding onto his bleeding shoulder. Edward took off the backpack and inspected the contents. The parachute was riddled with bullets.

“We’re in trouble, Tao. We just lost our escape route.”

I am working on a backup plan now.
 

“Work faster, Tao! We got more peons coming.” Indeed, the door opened and several guards poured onto the roof. He would be discovered in moments. Marc limped out of his hiding spot and joined the guards as they fanned out to search for Edward.

We seem to be out of options. Surrender.
 

“That’s your backup plan? You know I can’t do that. If I surrender, they’ll kill me anyway just to get to you. You’ll die.”

Then we go down fighting.
 

“No, that’s not an option either. If I die here, you’ll be trapped on the roof and be lost. They’ll know if you take one of the guards and just kill him as well.”

Edward...
 

“Edward,” Marc shouted. “You’ve got one way out. Let’s not waste your life. Come on, we can discuss terms. You don’t need to die up here.”

“Think they’ll spare our lives as part of the terms?”

Jeo would. Chiyva or Zoras will stab you with whatever utensil they are eating with the instant you are in arm’s reach.
 

“Price of fame, I guess.” Edward peered over the side of the generator at the floating beams from the flashlights dancing over the roof’s surface. It was just a matter of time. “There’s one other choice then.”

No, Edward. We will find another way.
 

Edward sighed and looked at the sky. The clouds had passed and a single star came out of hiding, sparkling in the otherwise black night. The harsh wind had died down as well and he felt a calmness come over him. “Tao, it’s the only way. At least one of us will make it out of here. You’ll have a much better chance of surviving if there are potential hosts around.”

There has to be another way.
 

“We don’t have time for another way. You know this is the right thing to do. Just promise me you’ll get that son of a bitch Marc someday.”

There was a brief silence.

I swear it by the Eternal Sea.
 

“Say goodbye to Kathy for me. Tell her I love her.”

I will, my friend.
 

Without another word, Edward stood up and sprinted toward the edge. His heart was beating out of his chest as he reached the edge of the roof and leaped out as far as he could. The city opened beneath him to an explosion of lights.

CHAPTER TWO

REBIRTH

Tao cherished his last precious moments with his host as Edward plummeted down the side of the John Hancock Center, a bittersweet luxury as they said their goodbyes. His friend was characteristically stoic about the inevitable, having made peace with this eventuality years ago.

Goodbye, my friend. Return to the Eternal Sea in peace. Your soul will live on through me, and your death will not be in vain. I will always remember you.
 

“Take care of yourself, Tao. Win the war for me, buddy.”

Then darkness.

And piercing bitter cold.

The expulsion hurt. It always did. No matter how many times he left a host, Tao was never prepared for the crushing shock of the thick atmosphere. He ebbed in and out of consciousness, and then found himself looking down at the body of his fallen friend.