The Radical (Unity Vol.1) (37 page)

Destruction.

Devastation.

Death.

I could feel heat emitting from the building and continued to protect my ears, hoping it hadn’t really happened. I kept my eyes closed but when I felt some chunks of rubble fall on my back, bouncing off the leather of my jacket, I looked up from where I was laid and saw the entire upper half of the building on fire. Debris rained down and I was numb, staring at the scene as though it was unreal. I was in shock.

I
got up to survey the damage and a crashing sound shocked me when large pieces of the building started to collapse. Suddenly, I realized.

Where is Ryken?
He failed to come flying out of the sky, or running round the corner to rescue me and take us both away, finally, to freedom.

I
started to run round to the other side of the building, shielding myself with one arm, while tiny bits of rubble fell around me. I held my other hand against my mouth to prevent myself breathing in the smoke and dust. I could barely see where I was going, only able to make out the outline of the building from where I could see the fire.

I ran around the back
and saw only remnants of destruction. There was no sign of him anywhere.

‘Ryken, Ryken, where are you!? Ryken, Ryken!’
I shouted, coughing on the filthy air.

Nobody responded to my cries and as I
moved further away from the building to get a better look at the top floor, another explosion rang out and the top three floors vanished beneath flames and dust.

In that moment, my heart stopped. I forgot to breathe. My lungs felt like they were collapsing in on themselves, while my legs gave way beneath me. I
fell on the sidewalk, falling flat on my butt. I could feel saliva running from my mouth and snot dripping from my nose.

I lost all control
and nearly died in that moment from grief and despair. My head fell between my knees and I realized,
I need to breathe
. I took one, deep intake of breath, and in the next, I screamed at the top of my lungs until my whole body hurt.

Even
over the whistles and bangs still going on in Genevieve Tower nearby, my shrieks echoed louder. I wanted him back. My anguish was only compounded as the skies opened and down poured battering blobs of icy water. My hair matted and clothes drenched, all I hoped was that the storm would wash me away and obliterate all conscious feeling.

Whatever was left of me felt arms
try to grab my limbs. I looked back wildly to see if it was him, but it was Lucius. I tried to shake myself free of his grasp, refusing to leave until I knew what had happened to Ryken.

H
e was persistent and grabbed my torso roughly, yanking me off the ground and toward safety.

While Lucius pulled me
along the sidewalk around the corner to the Plaza, I couldn’t cry, nor feel even one single part of my body.

Inside, I
was numb, empty and just as dead as Ryken.

T
hree months later…

My bed smelt
unsavory but I refused to leave it. I had hardly moved from there since the day he died. I refused to take off his blood-splattered shirt and I hadn’t changed the sheets he had slept in with me. The one thing I had spent my life trying to achieve was done, and yet the cost had been so high. I had lost the only thing I had ever really wanted. I’d had a fleeting glimpse of life with him, and had only just discovered what real love could be, when he was torn away so cruelly. I was a wreck, hardly ever washing or eating, never answering calls or the door.

Camille arrived at the Pla
za the day of the explosion. I heard her voice but didn’t hear any of the words she tried to soothe me with. I cried into her arms for hours, sobbing and wailing in disbelief. Camille wanted me to go back home with her, but I couldn’t go. I wanted to be alone to deal with my pain. I languished in my bleak apartment, which wasn’t even really my home.

I
didn’t want any help. I accepted I had no hope of ever getting myself back on track. I couldn’t go back to the days of rampaging the streets of New York for stories, yet couldn’t move on either, without Ryken. He had freed me of my responsibilities, but was no longer there to help me go on. I was hiding away, burying my feelings deep down, trying to get over the anger I felt towards all the people outside who had a new lease on life because of him, while I had nothing.

There were no more
emissaries, no more people after me, and no more battles to be won. I slept for hours on end, feeling as though years and years of exhaustive work had finally caught up with me. I dreamt of the way he had made love to me and wailed at the thought that I couldn’t even bury him. Sometimes I wished I had never even known the great love he had bestowed, because thinking of it only agonized me more. I would never be able to love anyone else because of how much he had loved me.

H
owever, today was different. I woke with a ravenous hunger and went to the kitchen, feasting on some bread from the cupboard. I poured myself a glass of juice and drank that down too. I shuffled back to bed but felt nausea wash over me on the way and was unable to control it, rushing off to the bathroom to throw up everything I had just bolted.

I wiped my mouth and felt the urge to eat again, yet told myself I shouldn’t if I
were sick. Once back in bed, I rested my eyes but my head was spinning, my stomach churning. The more I closed my eyes, the more I felt nauseous. I sat up to see if that made me feel better, but there was no change, so I moved back into the apartment.

On the couch, looking out of the windows, I had a thought. But, I
had just reckoned it had been because of the grief…

I hadn’t had a period since Ryken
. Throwing some clean clothes on, I caught sight of my ghoulish face in the mirror as I left the apartment, but I didn’t care.

After going to the store, I came back with a one-use ultrasound kit. If I were actually with child, I knew I would be at least three months pregnant. That meant the kit would work. However, I already knew the truth in my heart, but daren’t believe it.

I landed on the bed with my coat
still on and lifted up my black sweater. I slapped a sticky gel-pad on my lower abdomen and attached two nodes, before plugging the wiring into my xGen. My device instantly found the relevant application and I heard a slight whirring as it downloaded information from the sophisticated scanning pad. I held my breath. The 30-second wait seemed like an age, but when I finally got the result, shock flooded my entire body.

The
xGen revealed: ‘
Gestation is approximately three months. Preparing for video imaging. Do you want to record?
’

I
stared at the device almost in disbelief before hastily realizing I did, shouting, ‘Yes!’

I
couldn’t believe what was happening, but then I saw them. On the screen, two fetuses flickered into focus, and seconds after that, I heard their strong, rapid heartbeats. The cold, robotic voice of the application snapped me from my reverie.
‘
Fetal scan completed. Twin elements detected. Expected due date January third, 2064.
’

I saw
two blobs laid in my womb and felt a connection to Ryken. They were his. I touched the screen and shook with nervousness as realization swept over me. I thought about what it all meant. I would be a mother. I would have
his
children.

I
took a few minutes to absorb the news, but when I finally had, I held my belly and cried with joy. I was going to have his babies, twins even. I felt like I had gotten him back in a way, yet knew I would be facing it all alone. I cried with various emotions running through my head. I just knew I had to be strong for our unborn children. I would love them just as I had loved him.

Ryken

T
hree months previously…

We were somewhere above the
Atlantic, heading back to New York. Mara had returned to the cockpit and Seraph had ordered me to leave her alone. Meanwhile in the cargo hold, I was feeling desperate, with a rouge slap mark across my face. I felt sick to the stomach, scared out of my mind at the thought of losing the one person I had ever loved. I realized it only hours after meeting her and knew I would never stop loving her. I could only hope she would forgive me eventually.

I wondered whether my mind was playing tricks when
I heard rustling behind a pile of boxes. I felt sure there was someone else in there with me.

‘Hello? Anyone there?’ I
asked.

Seconds later,
an elderly lady stood before me. She was elegant, dressed in some sort of African-inspired smock dress and distinctive pieces of jewellery. She had extraordinarily long, platinum grey hair running down her back, and piercing green eyes. I stood to survey the woman, looking her directly in the eye. I noticed the resemblance immediately.

‘Eve? Am I right?’

‘You
are
right, young man. And you are, of course, Ryken.’

I
scratched my head, wondering whether I should say anything else.

‘But you’re dead? And you’re here?’

She sat down and motioned for me to sit next to her on a bench. I wondered whether I was going mad, having seen all these similar-looking women on this one jet. I surveyed her face and saw the same mouth and round cheekbones that Seraph also had. I could have easily been surveying what Seraph would look like in decades to come. The woman had obviously led a full life, yet didn’t look withered or tired. Instead she looked vibrant and healthy.

‘And if you don’t mind me saying, you don’t look as if you’re at death’s door either.’

She eyed me up as if to get the measure of me and gave a slight chuckle. She deigned to speak, ‘Bless you. Indeed, I am not some figment. I am not dead. Though in some ways I am dead, aren’t I? At least in the eyes of the world, the one which believes whatever it is told.’

I agreed with my smile only.

She smiled back and asked casually, ‘Did you get my invitation by the way?’

I started
to piece together everything in my mind and knew this would prove to be a scintillating conversation.

‘She’s devastated you’re dead. There must be a reason for all this.’

She became slightly defensive, shifting in her stance and expression. She drew back as if to reel in her disdain for my “stating the obvious”.

‘
You either live to see yourself become a villain or die a hero… or heroine, in my case. Believe me, I wouldn’t have done this to her unless it was absolutely necessary. I needed to be dead and I’m going to tell you why.’

‘I really hope so, becaus
e right now she despises me.’ I rubbed my cheek, explaining, ‘Your daughter just told her about me being an emissary.’

She chuckled but didn’t seem surprised.
‘That was naughty of Mara wasn’t it, but I needed to get you down here. And yes, I know about your employment my dear. I knew about your job even before you did. I gave you that role because I knew you wouldn’t let me down. I’ve watched people like you for most of my life Doctor Hardy, and believe me, nothing shocks me more than to think of someone who worked for Officium coming within a mile of Seraph. But I had faith that a gentleman like you would do the right thing, and even though deception is sometimes a bitter pill to take, it can lead us to something better.’

I chastised my
self again for lying to Seraph, not telling her the truth from the start, and Eve noticed the torment cross my face.

Bluntly, she asked, ‘You love her, how could you not?’

I faced the floor and muttered, ‘As soon as she showed me she wasn’t all hard faced and tough, I loved her. Wanted to protect her. Wanted to… you know.’

She pursed her lips and shot me an accepting expression. In that small space with her, time stopped. Nothing concerned me. She would not judge me nor what I had been forced to do to make my way here.

‘Believe me, I know all about
that
. In fact, you know, the rigors of love are more what you should prepare yourself for. Falling is easy, I should know, but what you do afterwards is the hard part,’ she warned.

I turned to look at Eve
with a look that gave away my turmoil, but she assured me, ‘Ryken, you’ve proven yourself enough already. Now you need to hear what I have to say. Listen… if you never do anything else ever again… listen to me now.’

She took my
large hands within her own and her skin felt like frail tissue paper, but was so warm and comforting, still so vital. I was mesmerized by her eyes and felt so intimidated, I had to fight the urge to look away in embarrassment as she drew me into her gaze.

‘Ryken, I died because I needed to get her over to
England so that she would cease her investigations temporarily. No other reason would have brought her over so swiftly. I also needed to make my enemies think they had gotten rid of me. The news of the
Operator
’s
death has no doubt reached Crispin Childs, but he doesn’t yet know why I am what I am. In fact, there is another story there I hope to never have to tell.

‘So, I needed to die for so many reasons, and yet I knew it would cause hurt. I foresaw it would turn a lot of people’s worlds upside down. But I have been working for this cause for so long, waiting patiently for the right time, and this was it.

‘Seraph’s recent investigations in New York have unsettled Officium. She recently turned her attention to a debauched senator who we know is high up in Childs’ group, possibly even his prospective successor. It is thought Childs is dying and he’s desperate to secure his legacy. I received word that emissaries have been watching her every move. I got the overwhelming feeling that I could no longer protect her. You see, I had been secretly feeding her information about the city’s officials for years, and she never knew it was me. It was her protection, and I paid several brave men and women to gather this information, some of whom lost their lives in the process. However, I began to fear our enemy would stoop to any level to finally get Seraph off their backs.

‘Therefore, with all these factors in play, I decided it was finally time to take decisive action. I needed someone from the inside, and you proved the perfect choice after Camille pointed you in the right direction all those years ago. They know about your father Ryken, and they suspect you, but they hope you can still be corrupted and that is why you remain alive. They probably put out the story about the storms to ensure you and Seraph would come together, enabling them to keep an eye on you both with greater c
are. However, they didn’t realize that I was also aiming for the same end, and that I could see what they couldn’t. I could see that neither you nor she would be broken by them, and together, you will beat them. I foresee a test Ryken, a test of your mettle, and it is only you who can decide which way you go. But I have faith in you.

‘Now, this is what you are going to do when you get back to
New York. You will be dropped back at your respective apartments and you will stay there. You will stay in your apartment and wait.’

I shook my
head, pleading, ‘I can’t leave her, what if they stake her place?’

She
pulled a small nGen from one of the deep pockets in her dress and handed it to me. ‘Take this. It’s secure. I will contact you if I hear anything. If she needs you, I will let you know.’

I
took the device and looked it over before hiding it in my inside pocket. It was a primitive thing and would possibly prove safer.

‘She has a
letter containing instructions and it has many other revelations that will not be easy for her. She doesn’t know it yet, but she will need you. There are worse things ahead to face. We can never get complacent Ryken, never let yourself believe this is over, until it really is. You can’t breathe a word of our conversation here to her, you understand? I know it will be hard, but it’s for the greater good. You cannot risk her safety. You cannot tell her I’m still alive. In fact, I mean for you to never tell her. I won’t make her grieve for me twice. Promise me?’

Her eyes were clear and sure; she had thought this through for a long, long time. I could see it had taken its toll on her, this decision to
“retire” of her own, free will, and leave everyone behind.

‘I understand. It won’t be easy though, you know she’s like a dog with a bone when she knows something’s not right.’

‘I know her better than anyone, and believe me, you’re going to have to do some expert lying.’ She continued to hold my hands between her own, in a motherly way, squeezing my fingers whenever she thought I needed comfort.

I star
ed at her for a lengthy period, knowing there was more she had yet to say, yet hating the promise of more fighting. More breaking down walls to just be able to live a normal life. I waited and it was like she was willing me to ask the question, so I did.

‘Tel
l me what I have to do, Eve.’ I just wanted to get it over with, so did she, as soon as she knew I was ready for it.

She looked at the floor, trying to breathe away the dread that was cree
ping across her face. She knew I didn’t need to see that. She took a few moments before she looked up, with her eyes shining brightly.

‘You need to die, Ryken.’

I deliberated for a few moments, taking it all in and nodding, before she continued to explain.

‘You need to wait until the time is right. I will let you know. Keep that
nGen with you at all times. They are gathering at their New York headquarters, which I’m sure you have knowledge of. You and Seraph will go to one of their old lab buildings, the one in Brooklyn… you know which I talk of?’

‘Yes, but there won’t be anything there, will there?’

‘No, but we need to convince them that they have beaten you. Seraph doesn’t need to know that this is a ruse, either. We need to throw her off the scent, too. The security won’t be that difficult to break, now that what we need is elsewhere. You won’t find anything in Brooklyn and then you will leave the city. This is their ultimate aim – to get you both out of their way. They will imagine that they have beaten us, but when they are least expecting it, we will strike at the very heart of their organization.

‘
The
Principal
will contact you with instructions and you must follow them to the letter. Over the years, my people were careful to protect my identity. We have worked so quietly. However, my death has given them wings and my forces have become less passive. They have been systemically testing Officium’s firewall defenses with the message, “
we believe in the Operator
”. I hope Crispin fears an uprising in my absence because he should. My forces will continue to strike fear into Officium’s arrogant, cold hearts until the time is right. I’ve no doubt those who are not entirely loyal in their group have already begun disbanding… and the director’s plight will finally unravel. He will be arrogant enough to believe that he still has a chance, but we know better…

‘You will die after completing t
his task. You know even after their demise, there will be survivors of Officium out for revenge… and we can’t risk your relationship with Seraph compromising her.’

I felt a dreadful sense of loss even though I was yet to complete this task. Perhaps I knew it was because I would never be the same again.

I recognized an affinity with the old lady; the way neither of us bent to the will of others or their weaknesses. Our ultimate self-belief was what made us who we were, remaining steadfast amongst the corruption. I absorbed everything she had said and knew what had to be done. Deep down, I was secretly pleased I was going to be part of this. I could finally right a few wrongs. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but I trusted Eve. She was a force to be reckoned with, a watchful purveyor of the human condition.

‘You chose me because of my father, didn’t you?’
I guessed.

She didn’t seem shocked by my
suggestion, maintaining her gaze.

‘Yes, that, and so many other reasons.’

‘I need you to tell me what you know.’

‘People who suffer addiction will do anything to feed it, unless they are strong enough to battle against it. They will also do anything to hide it, and in your father’s case, they bribed him to become an informant, otherwi
se they’d shatter his reputation. Colleagues of his across Manchester who tried to investigate Officium were killed and his inner demons got the better of him.’

I
breathed a sigh of relief at having my suspicions confirmed, before she continued, ‘My own mother was an addict too, and after I finally realized I couldn’t help her any longer, I never saw her again. She died in 2023 and I truly regretted not making peace with her. She never met Tom or Mara, but perhaps we might meet her again in better circumstances… maybe in a realm beyond this world.’