{"id":6084,"date":"2020-12-27T21:03:30","date_gmt":"2020-12-27T13:03:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.benjamincheah.com\/?p=6084"},"modified":"2020-12-27T21:03:30","modified_gmt":"2020-12-27T13:03:30","slug":"river-of-blood-chapter-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kitsuncheah.com\/?p=6084","title":{"rendered":"River of Blood Chapter 4"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Brain Trust<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Kayla Fox had always known this day would come. The New Gods never forgave and sure as hell never forgot. Cross the rulers of the world and they will move heaven and earth to find you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You could run. You could hide. But in the end, you had to fight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It didn\u2019t mean she had to make it easy for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After departing Moreno Island, she\u2019d kept herself a moving target. Living out of her car, she wandered the length and breadth of Nova Babylonia, linking up with other STS operators in the wind, hiding out in small towns or suburbs far from the eyes of the New Gods, keeping her guns and gear close to hand. She took odd jobs when they came, worked gigs whenever they came up in her networks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She waited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She wasn\u2019t sure what<\/em> she was waiting for. She couldn\u2019t put it into words. But deep in her soul, she\u2019d sensed something momentous coming. Something huge. Something terrible. With every passing day, it drew closer, realer, edging ever closer towards manifestation. When it came, it would sweep the entire world with the violence of a hurricane. All she could do was be ready for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And wait for it to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When she received Connor\u2019s email, she felt a twitch in her soul. That far-off event was drawing near. It wasn\u2019t here yet, but it had taken a massive stride towards her. Or maybe it was the other way around, the world leaping ahead to that inevitable collision. She still couldn\u2019t see its shape, only sense it vaguely, the way astronomers detected the existence of a black hole by the behavior of the matter being sucked into it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But she did<\/em> know that someone had targeted Will Connor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And only one group dared to stalk the former members of the STS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The New Gods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connor\u2019s mail was characteristically terse. He\u2019d described the attempted hit outside the club, his meeting with Robert Steele, his plans to hunt the killers in Riveria. He\u2019d requested a video conference with the members of Team Black Watch. Kayla knew he\u2019d need more than that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After all, she was already in Riveria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She\u2019d spent the last few months in the central and southern deserts. She\u2019d had all the heat and dryness she could stand for a year, for a lifetime. After a spell as a private security contractor, she\u2019d headed north. Following the highways, she drove with deliberate aimlessness, giving the New Gods nothing they could use to predict her movements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her route had taken her to Riveria. This was just a brief stopover. Charge up her car, take a day or two off the road, plan her next step. Then Connor\u2019s mail came in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Call it fate, the universe, the hand of God\u2014the God Yuri believed in but she had never seen. Whatever it was, it felt as if something had pulled her to Riveria, as irresistible and invisible as gravity, placing her here, in this moment, at a time when her brother operator needed her skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was a call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And she answered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both this call, and Connor\u2019s email.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And now she was inside Connor\u2019s cramped motel room, sitting on the only chair. Connor perched himself on the bed, his face a mix of relief, cheer, and grim resolve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThanks for coming,\u201d Connor said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJust happened to be in the neighborhood,\u201d Kayla replied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI heard you\u2019ve been busy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She shrugged, a small smile playing across her lips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been doing this and that. A girl needs to earn a living, ya know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connor laughed. A genuine one, rumbling from deep in his belly, exploding out his mouth like a gale. She wondered when was the last time he laughed like that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJames told me you helped him out at Moreno.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd there was that business with Karim\u2019s temple in Babylon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe took care of it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat else have you been up to?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShort-time contracts. The only kind of work I could find these days. Takes me all over the country. What about you? Working as a bouncer now?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOnly job on the table.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI heard every STS shooter\u2019s been blacklisted.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGot that right. We\u2019re untouchables now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Independent of political, religious and corporate influence, staffed entirely by seculars or believers in minor gods, subject to stringent personnel security measures, the STS were immune to the New Gods\u2019 influence. They were the untouchables, the incorruptible, the last line of defense between chaos and civilization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And now they were untouchable again\u2014in the other<\/em> sense of the term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connor gestured at the black duffel bag at her feet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou brought toys?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPlenty,\u201d she said. \u201cGot a few for you too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She unzipped the bag, revealing a pair of long guns. The pouches on the side opened to reveal magazines, fuel cells, pistols.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kayla lifted one of the black, boxy weapons from the bag and placed it on her lap. It was all hard lines and sharp angles, the quintessence of a gun, the frame and receiver and grip molded in a single integrated unit. A low power variable optic rode on the top accessory rail, an angled foregrip adorned the lower rail, a flashlight straddled the left-hand rail. A strange device, a short and fat cylinder, extended from the muzzle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a railgun?\u201d Connor asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYup. The very latest iteration, courtesy of the military-industrial complex.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connor grunted, casting a skeptical eye on it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt looks like a toy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019ll blow through a godman\u2019s or a cyborg\u2019s skull just fine. And it won\u2019t leave much in the way of forensics.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connor pursed his lips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat else can it do?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt full power, it will launch a five millimeter flechette at two klicks per second, with a rate of fire of about ten rounds per minute. Half-power gives you one kps, ROF of twenty shots per minute. It\u2019s semiauto only, though I hear a select-fire version is in the works. You can <\/em>shoot it while the capacitors are still charging, but you\u2019d get much lower velocity and power. It\u2019s not worth it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe smuzzle\u2014the muzzle device and suppressor combo\u2014eliminates muzzle flash, diffuses the report, and redirects the blast to reduce recoil. With it on, it\u2019s hearing-safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got twenty rounds in the mag. Fuel cartridge is good for sixty full-power shots, double that for half-power. The cartridge is recharged with hydrogen. Dirt cheap, and we can make our own by using a solar-powered water cracker.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAn electromagnetic battle rifle,\u201d Connor said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne that can be built using a 3D printer and commercial off the shelf parts. It\u2019s the future of warfare. Last I hear, the Guild is pushing them down to their guardians.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey haven\u2019t showed up in Riveria yet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLooks like we\u2019re the first. This one\u2019s yours, by the way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She handed it to him. He accepted the weapon in both hands. Automatically he pointed it up at the ceiling, finger off the trigger, and went hunting for the charging handle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt uses a different manual of arms than what we\u2019re used to,\u201d Kayla said. \u201cNo charging handle, open bolt design. Pop in the mag and the fuel cartridge, wait for a tic for the capacitors to charge, and it\u2019s live.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connor\u2019s eyes widened. He rotated the weapon and saw that the magazine and cartridge wells were empty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m gonna need some time to get used to this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry. It\u2019s a gentle learning curve.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTech like this is ultra-sophisticated. We use this, we\u2019re leaving behind a calling card.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOnly the Guild deploys railguns, far as we know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere isn\u2019t a significant Guild presence in Riveria. No way we can disguise a hit as one of theirs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe can use that to our advantage. Tell the New Gods who bit them back, without out-and-out saying it. Warn them that we have the upper hand now, and they should leave us alone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not going to dissuade them. The Liberated aren\u2019t going to leave me alone if they think they can access advanced tech through me. The Pantheon will be willing to sacrifice their own members if they can capture a railgun. The Shadow Court is just too crazy to care.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She frowned, rubbing her chin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt least we won\u2019t give the cops something they can use against us. Railguns still aren\u2019t considered guns. They can\u2019t arrest us just for owning them, registered or not.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor now. That\u2019s going to change real soon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUntil then, we have the advantage.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kayla laid out the rest of her aid package on the bed. Spare magazines, fuel cartridges, boxes of flechettes, dividing them equally between him and her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhere\u2019d you get all this stuff?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFriend of a friend.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSamurai?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFriend of his.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His eyes glinted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAh. Daniel Lamb?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve met him?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHandful of times, mostly for testing and evaluation of prototype gear. He\u2019s still in the game?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah. He\u2019s my sole source supplier for railguns and ammo. And other off-the-books gear too. Speaking of which\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She unzipped a pouch on the side of the duffel bag and pulled out a pistol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or, at least, it looked<\/em> like a pistol. It had a grip, it had a trigger, it had a handgun-shaped frame, and there all similarities to contemporary guns ended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The grip was canted at a dramatic, almost absurd angle. Just ahead of the trigger guard was the barest hint of an accessory rail, practically undersized. The barrel and the upper receiver were one and the same, a stupendously thick cylinder that extended far forward like an alien snout. A low profile red dot sight sat above the grip, and a sharp post of a front sight stood proud above the muzzle end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat the hell is this? A rail handgun?\u201d Connor asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYup.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDoes it work?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s undergoing preliminary trials in the military. I\u2019ve test-fired it extensively too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut does it work?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell\u2026 It hasn\u2019t been tested in the field.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe get to be the guinea pigs, testing it in live combat.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPart of my deal with Lamb.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connor shook his head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDon\u2019t knock it. This is a silent gun. When you press the trigger, all you\u2019ll hear is a soft click and a softer whoosh. The sound of impact is much louder than the shot. And there\u2019s no muzzle flash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt recharges practically instantly too. It\u2019s a covert close quarters weapon, complementing the full-sized railgun.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s it fire?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCut-down five millimeter flechette at three hundred thirty meters per second.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat the fuck? That\u2019s practically a peashooter.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou can click it up to seven hundred twenty meters per second, but it\u2019ll break the sound barrier, and it needs a second to recharge. It\u2019ll also penetrate body armor out to fifty meters, with penetration of up to fifteen inches in ballistic gel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA five millimeter tunnel isn\u2019t gonna stop anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe flechette uses a spoon-tipped design. It won\u2019t affect ballistics or penetration capability, but it will tumble inside tissue. Causes damage comparable to a larger-caliber pistol round.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHave you done any organic medium testing?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ll stick to my revolver, thanks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow many rounds have you got?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis holds fifteen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhere\u2019s the battery?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIntegrated with the magazine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t have to recharge my mag after I\u2019m done shooting my gun.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDoes yours have AP capacity?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He frowned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not loaded with AP right now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere you go. And I bet it isn\u2019t silent either. You don\u2019t have to give up your gun. Just treat this as a\u2026 a special applications pistol.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He looked skeptically at the rail handgun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t like new and untested tech.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve tested it. It won\u2019t blow up in your hands when you shoot it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWill it go bang every time I press the trigger?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo guarantees, you know that as well as me. Guns are mechanical objects. They\u2019ll break someday. You\u2019re so worried, you can keep your own handgun.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connor grunted. And shrugged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAin\u2019t gonna look a gift horse in the mouth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat wasn\u2019t so bad, was it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf it backfires and I die, I\u2019m gonna haunt you forever. You hear me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She laughed and gave the gun to him butt-first. Then she pulled a matching pistol out of another pouch. Then more mags, more ammo boxes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn a pinch, you can use the handgun flechettes for the long gun. Won\u2019t be as powerful, but you have that capability. Of course, if we get that far, we\u2019ll be in deep trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDo we have resupply?\u201d Connor asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLamb delivers anywhere in Nova Babylonia within seventy-two hours.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connor looked at the weapons and munitions spread across his bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got enough for a fight or two. I think we\u2019re good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connor placed his long gun next to his bed, his pistol on the night stand, and everything else in the drawers. Then he strode to the table and turned on his laptop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cVideo conference is going to start soon,\u201d Connor said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019ll be good to see the others again,\u201d Kayla said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEspecially Yuri, huh.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kayla pouted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat is that<\/em> supposed to mean?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connor sniggered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He booted up the secure video call app, then angled the laptop camera to capture the two of them in the frame. One by one, a set of familiar faces filled the window. Karim Mustafa. Zen Tan. James Wood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yuri Yamamoto.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHey,\u201d Connor said. \u201cIt\u2019s good to see everyone again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yuri\u2019s face lightened. His lips twitched. But his steel-gray eyes lit up like fireworks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGood to see you too. Shame it isn\u2019t under better circumstances.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe try to get by,\u201d James said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow\u2019s everyone doing?\u201d Connor asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m in Moreno, helping the Sheriff kick out the remaining strongholds of the New Gods,\u201d Wood said. \u201cNeed my help?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNaw, not yet. For now we need intel and ideas. Firepower can wait,\u201d Connor replied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFarmer, you should stay where you are. When this is all over, we\u2019ll need a safe haven,\u201d Yuri said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGotcha. Building one will take a while, but\u2026 I\u2019m optimistic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGlad to hear it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDon\u2019t know if I can leave Babylon,\u201d Karim said. \u201cThe temple received a fresh round of threats. Might be nothing, but we have to take them seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou should take care of your own,\u201d Connor said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSorry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all right. Just having you here in the brain trust is good enough.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m still watching Marcie,\u201d Zen said. \u201cWe\u2019ve gone to ground in\u2026 a safe place. We\u2019re still getting established, still shoring up our defenses and tripwires. But I\u2019ve got my machines set up. You need cyber support, just say the word.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAppreciate it, brother,\u201d Connor said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo problem.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m still overseas,\u201d Yuri said. \u201cLast I hear, the New Gods still have watchers at every port of entry in Nova Babylonia. I can\u2019t come home. Not yet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He kept his voice neutral, but Kayla felt the pain and sorrow in his voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s fine,\u201d Connor said. \u201cJust hang in there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDoing that every day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kayla leaned in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve lost weight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been working out every day. Walking a lot every day too. Stripped out the last of the fat.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve never had any fat.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHad to put some on. The winters here are brutal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And that was all Yuri would ever give away. Nobody knew where he was now, and that was for the best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnyway, what are you doing in Riveria?\u201d Yuri asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kayla shrugged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHappened to be in the neighborhood. That\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou sure get around, seeing the rest of the guys.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey needed help, I came running, that\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry, Yuri, we\u2019re not going to touch her,\u201d Connor said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yuri chuckled and looked away. Kayla crossed her arms and glowered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s that <\/em>supposed to mean?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNothin\u2019,\u201d Connor said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The men laughed. She sighed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLet\u2019s get down to business,\u201d Yuri said. \u201cWhat\u2019s your situation?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just like that, everyone sobered up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re secure in a motel at the outskirts of Riveria,\u201d Connor reported. \u201cWe\u2019ve kitted up, we\u2019ve got our gear, we\u2019re ready to roll.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur target is Chris Cowan. Young Buck, the kid with the fake ID and the getaway driver. According to Robert Steele, he lives at Fitzgerald Apartments, a housing project in Uptown, deep in Shadow Court territory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFirst we need to verify if Cowan\u2019s one of the hitters, or just some poor schmuck Steele wants whacked. Assuming the former, we work our way across his network and up the chain. When we identify everyone responsible for the hit, we roll heavy and take them out at once.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFrom what you\u2019ve told us of the hit, the hitters are small fry. They aren\u2019t even trained soldiers. Pros wouldn\u2019t make the mistakes they made. They\u2019re just disposable trigger pullers,\u201d James said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cName makers or expendables, or both,\u201d Yuri said. \u201cWe need to find their handler.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd we need to know why he sent them after Connor,\u201d Kayla said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe know why. After what we did to them, they\u2019re not going to forgive us,\u201d Connor said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe also need to know if this is just one mid-level manager working on his own, targeting you specifically, or if it\u2019s a campaign,\u201d Yuri pointed out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd if the other<\/em> New Gods are gunning for the rest of the STS,\u201d Zen added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTimes like this, they can\u2019t risk scrutiny from the Temple Commission. They won\u2019t carry out hits unless they\u2019re sanctioned at the highest level. Maybe even by the New Gods themselves,\u201d Yuri mused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMaybe they\u2019re shifting strategies,\u201d Connor said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOr it could be a personal grudge,\u201d James said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI haven\u2019t done anything lately to piss off any of the New Gods. Most offensive thing I\u2019ve done is to eighty-six a couple of assholes from the club, and that\u2019s not worth killing over. At least, not worth arranging a hit as sophisticated at this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yuri rubbed his chin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHave any of you guys heard anything about the New Gods hunting former STS members?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNot me,\u201d Karim said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMe neither,\u201d Zen replied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Sinners and the Guild have it out for me, but that\u2019s because I\u2019m helping the Sheriff, not because I\u2019m former STS,\u201d James said. \u201cWell, that, and I slagged a few of their guys while protecting the Sheriff.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCould be both,\u201d Kayla said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He shrugged. \u201cCould be. On the other hand, they haven\u2019t touched my folks, and in my recent interactions with them, they haven\u2019t gone to guns. They hate me, but they don\u2019t want to kill me. Or can\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYet,\u201d James agreed, \u201cbut we don\u2019t see any signs of a hit in the works.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSame here,\u201d Karim said. \u201cThe Court and the Pantheon have been sniffing around, but they\u2019re not actively casing the area or sending in killers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNone of the guys on the other teams told me anything about death threats or attempted hits,\u201d Kayla said. \u201cHave you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yuri shook his head. \u201cNothing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMaybe only one<\/em> of the New Gods are after you,\u201d Kayla said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah, but which? Steele wants to imply that it\u2019s the Shadow Court, but I\u2019m not going to act without evidence,\u201d Connor said. \u201cShit, there\u2019s no hard proof that the New Gods are involved in the hit in the first place. We need to find it or explore other possibilities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA wise choice,\u201d James said. \u201cWe have to consider the possibility that Steele wants to use you as an expendable shooter, the same way the handler is using Cowan and his crew.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot we don\u2019t know about the situation. We have to know what\u2019s going ton before we act. When<\/em> we do, it\u2019s going to shake things up with the New Gods. Permanently,\u201d Yuri said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve already tangled with them twice in the past year and a half,\u201d Kayla said. \u201cThe first time, nothing could be attributed directly to us. The second time, they know<\/em> James and I were protecting the Sheriff. Now\u2026 We pull the trigger again, we can\u2019t pin the violence on internecine warfare, and the Liberated will know we\u2019re responsible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou can bet Steele was recording your conversation,\u201d Karim said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was recording him too,\u201d Connor said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSend me a copy. I\u2019ll back it up on the Swarm decentralized storage blockchain. They won\u2019t be able to make it disappear,\u201d Zen said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRoger that,\u201d Connor replied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo matter what we do, we have to act carefully, but decisively. If this is going to bring down heat on us, on every STS operator, we need to protect ourselves,\u201d Yuri said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd make it worth it,\u201d Connor added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOf course.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s our next step?\u201d Kayla asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connor smiled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve got a few ideas.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In their glory days, Team Black Watch was a force to be reckoned with. Check out their stories in BABYLON BLUES<\/a>!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Brain Trust Kayla Fox had always known this day would come. The New Gods never forgave and sure as hell never forgot. Cross the rulers of the world and they will move heaven and earth to find you. You could run. You could hide. But in the end, you had to fight. It didn\u2019t mean […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[68,106,143,168,216,253,269,289],"class_list":["post-6084","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fiction","tag-babylon-red","tag-cyberpunk","tag-free-story","tag-horror","tag-military-science-fiction","tag-pulprev","tag-river-of-blood","tag-singlit"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kitsuncheah.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6084"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kitsuncheah.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kitsuncheah.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kitsuncheah.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kitsuncheah.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6084"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kitsuncheah.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6084\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kitsuncheah.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6084"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kitsuncheah.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6084"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kitsuncheah.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6084"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}