{"id":6093,"date":"2020-12-30T21:26:16","date_gmt":"2020-12-30T13:26:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.benjamincheah.com\/?p=6093"},"modified":"2020-12-30T21:26:16","modified_gmt":"2020-12-30T13:26:16","slug":"river-of-blood-chapter-7","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kitsuncheah.com\/?p=6093","title":{"rendered":"River of Blood Chapter 7"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

To The Mattresses<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

They hadn\u2019t managed to grab Fernando. His burner phone was a decent consolation prize.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They\u2019d escaped and evaded for an hour, winding through Riveria. In an underground parking lot, Connor stripped off his clothes, wiped himself down, changed into a new set. Kayla peeled away the license plate stickers and affixed a new set. The blood-spattered clothes disappeared into a dumpster close to a butcher shop. The expended breach pen went into a sewer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They parked the SUV a block away from the motel, then wiped off the stray bloodstains and fogged the interior with privacy spray. The powerful disinfectant broke down genetic material, leaving nothing behind for the cops to find.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back in his motel room, Connor treated himself to a long, hot shower, scrubbing off the last of the dried blood. Pink and pale red fluid sluiced down the drain like a river feeding a whirlpool. Now and then, he picked out a tiny bone chip or a string of organic matter stuck to his skin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was like being operational again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the sink, he sanitized his tomahawk and the scabbard with copious amounts of alcohol and bleach. By the time he was done, every trace of DNA and fingerprints had been completely destroyed. He stepped out to find Kayla sitting at his desk, the recovered burner phone plugged into his laptop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAny luck hacking the phone?\u201d Connor asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zen\u2019s voice floated from the laptop speakers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes. Cracked the password in no time. Fernando barely used the phone at all. No photos, videos, emails, messages. Totally blank. However<\/em>, he used it to call a single number many times over the past few weeks. And he didn\u2019t scrub the call history.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCareless,\u201d Kayla observed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAmateurs,\u201d Connor snorted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe number doesn\u2019t have a name tagged to it, but I\u2019ll bet it\u2019s the mysterious Mr. Tom,\u201d Zen said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWho is he?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cStand by. Cracking his phone now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow long will it take?\u201d Connor asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs long as it will take.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHave you boys eaten?\u201d Kayla asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo,\u201d both men replied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cY\u2019all should get some food.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connor\u2019s belly rumbled. Now that the fight was over, his parasympathetic nervous system reasserted itself. His belly gnawed. His mouth felt dry as cotton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And Kayla\u2026 So close to her, she smelled good<\/em>. A clean scent of soap and shampoo, with a dose of honey. Suddenly he was aware of the heat radiating from her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Easy, boy<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She was a sister in arms. Sister<\/em>. In the STS, the introduction of female shooters had altered the team dynamics subtly. It had taken him a long<\/em> time to overcome his biology. Kayla was easy on the eye, sure, but you do not ever touch anyone on your team. It would wreak havoc among everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Besides, if he made a move on her, Yuri would never forgive him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So he said, \u201cYou mind getting us something to eat?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat do you want?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a convenience store a couple of blocks north. Get me something from the grill. Hot dogs, wraps, whatever they have available. Actually, make that, two<\/em> somethings.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\u201cThat\u2019s not healthy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFuel up on salad and yoghurt if you want. Me, I need my proteins and carbs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She sniffed. Loudly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBe back later.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connor held his tongue until she left the room. Then he turned to the Zen\u2019s face on the screen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWomen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zen chuckled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan\u2019t live with them, can\u2019t live without them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re living with one, aren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI can neither confirm nor deny that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cC\u2019mon, man, I was guarding her alongside you too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That gig lasted for three months. Three months of relative peace, ending with their relocation to a small town to the east. As soon as they were settled down, Connor left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He had told himself that they were safe. That three strangers in town would attract a lot of attention. Zen and Marcie could pose as siblings, cousins, maybe even husband and wife. Him, though? He was pale as white bread, a stranger in the town, not part of any larger family unit. Better if he made his own way, keep an eye on things in the Riveria region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or so he thought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He wondered if all this would have happened if he\u2019d stayed with Zen and Marcie instead. Or if the New Gods would find another way to strike at their little corner of the world. But it was too late for what-if games. All he could do was follow this thing through to the bitter end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Zen worked, Connor tended to his gear. He cleaned his plate carrier and backpack, topped off his mags, swapped the fuel cartridge of his railgun, checked the loot from the safe house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There wasn\u2019t much else. Two wallets. Two smartglasses. The devices had been switched off, stowed in RFID-blocking bags. The wallets held money and cards and ID, and little else. They could take their time with the pocket litter later. For now, the priority was locating Tom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A firm hand rapped on the door. Twice. Paused. Twice more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connor got up, lifted the peephole cover and glanced out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kayla. She held two large bags in her left hand, keeping her right free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He let her in. The mouthwatering smell of hot food filled his nose. She handed him a bag and set the other down by the desk. Inside his bag, he found a pair of wrapped burritos. He hastily ripped one open, inhaled the aroma of grease, fried eggs, melted cheese and hash browns, and wolfed it down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the table, Kayla set a large bowl of turkey salad next to the computer, opened a container of yoghurt, and delicately took a sip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And raised an eyebrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connor mumbled something, his cheeks stuffed with food. He wasn\u2019t sure what it was. Kayla shook her head anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He forced down his last mouthful of burrito.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She looked away, giggling to herself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNothing,\u201d she sang.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He sighed. Women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He unwrapped the other burrito and chowed down. Beef and beans, with a smattering of onions and celery, drenched in thick barbecue sauce. Good old fashioned comfort food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJackpot,\u201d Zen announced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHit me,\u201d Connor said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe number we recovered from Fernando\u2019s phone is a burner. But the device associated with it is not<\/em> a burner. It\u2019s a pair of smartglasses. My guess is, this person used a burner app to generate a number to communicate solely with Fernando.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou accessed the smartglasses?\u201d Kayla asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOf course,\u201d Zen said smugly. \u201cI own it too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhere is the wearer? Who<\/em> is he?\u201d Connor demanded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGeolocation places him at the Prism nightclub.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s Pantheon turf.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most exclusive Pantheon club in the city, Prism catered only to believers and neutrals. Worshipers of other gods were explicitly forbidden from entry. Elect bouncers stood guard at the entrances, blessed with the power to instantly see the religious affiliation of anyone they saw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFernando was a Pantheon hitter?\u201d Zen asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne of the minor Pantheon powers takes the form of a worm. It\u2019s possible,\u201d Connor mused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe only have circumstantial evidence at this point,\u201d Kayla said. \u201cWe need a solid ID on the user.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m rifling through his emails. He\u2019s got three separate email accounts. One personal, one business, and one for secure mail. His business profile is\u2026 Thomas Taylor. Owner and General Manager of Prism.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kayla whistled. \u201cYou sure this isn\u2019t some random guy using Taylor\u2019s smartglasses?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cStand by. Gonna stream the take from his cameras.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A new window popped up. The glasses stared straight ahead at an elegant wooden door. The lower edges of the lens hinted at a table carved from black wood. The microphone picked up the sound of unseen hands tapping away at an unseen device.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAdding augmented reality overlay,\u201d Zen said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Multiple spreadsheets filled the display. One column listed a long list of expenses: salaries, electricity, water, maintenance, food, alcohol. Another column listed figures in the tens of thousands, all of them prefaced by a dollar sign. Other columns listed names, numbers, items, sales reports. A cursor jumped from one spreadsheet to another, occasionally copying and pasting data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLooks like the manager to me,\u201d Kayla said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy is he after me? I haven\u2019t anything to cross the Pantheon lately, never mind Tom Taylor,\u201d Connor said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey have long memories,\u201d Zen offered. \u201cPerhaps now they think it\u2019s safe to retaliate against us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf so, why did they send amateurs?\u201d Kayla asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That was the biggest question. You never sent disposable muscle to take out heavy hitters. Unless\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow high is Tom Taylor in the Pantheon hierarchy?\u201d Connor asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe need to check it out. Why?\u201d Zen asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe can see he\u2019s a businessman. But the Pantheon values strength above all. I\u2019m thinking he didn\u2019t send heavy hitters because he isn\u2019t senior enough to deploy them, and the higher-ups don\u2019t think this job is worth risking their soldiers for. He has to take a shot using the assets he can recruit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhich means this isn\u2019t a sanctioned hit,\u201d Kayla said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOn the other hand, if he takes me out using his assets and manpower, he proves that he can play with the big boys,\u201d Connor said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re saying he\u2019s trying to climb the church ladder over your body?\u201d Zen asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not sanctioned, it\u2019s not personal, what else can it be? None of the New Gods will want to cross us without good reason.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut the Pantheon is among the most decentralized of the New Gods,\u201d Kayla mused. \u201cThey can\u2019t exercise command and control over every single member.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cExactly. If Taylor worships the worm as well, and if he kills an STS operator, it will elevate the worm god\u2019s status within the Pantheon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zen sighed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is bullshit. But it\u2019s the only explanation I can think of that makes sense.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf he can\u2019t call in the big guns, how is he able to track us?\u201d Kayla asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been pondering that myself. There isn\u2019t a BOLO on the two of you. It\u2019s the first thing I checked when the job kicked off. I\u2019m thinking someone flagged the two of you as persons of interest. If you show up on the cameras, the system notifies that person\u2014and only that person. I need to dig deeper to find out what\u2019s going on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve got a lot on your plate, don\u2019t you,\u201d Kayla said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPart of the job. Wouldn\u2019t mind having more helping hands.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMaybe it\u2019s time to start up that cybersecurity company you\u2019ve been talking about,\u201d Connor said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kayla arched an eyebrow. \u201cHe did?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBoomer and I got to talking about it last year. Now that we\u2019re out of a job, we need to find a new way to make ends meet. I\u2019ve been thinking about setting up a security company, one that combines cyber and physical security. It has to wait until after we\u2019re secure, but\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taylor\u2019s smartglasses buzzed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A phone icon appeared on the window. The caller ID read \u2018Det. Joe Nelson\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cZen,\u201d Connor began.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOn it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connor hit the record button. Taylor picked up the call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes,\u201d Taylor said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMr. Taylor, there\u2019s been a triple murder at one of the addresses you asked me to monitor. Apartment 02-02, 36 Burroughs Street. Dave Fernando\u2019s home,\u201d Nelson said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taylor went quiet for a moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTell me about the deceased.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne of them is Chris Cowan. Shot in the chest by a tiny bullet that exploded out the back of his chest, then decapitated. The other is Earl Floyd, also shot in the chest. The gunshot wounds are characteristic of railgun rounds. The last\u2026 We found the remains of a Husk, chopped up into many pieces by an edged weapon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFernando?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2026 well, there\u2019s nothing human left. We\u2019re going to run DNA tests.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDid the Husk look like a giant worm with arms?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2026 I guess so.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taylor growled under his breath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWho killed them?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWitnesses report two assailants dressed in ski masks, jackets and tactical gear. One male, the other female. Both had long guns and pistols.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cConnor and Fox. Do you know where they went?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nelson hesitated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re working on it. The female shot out the cameras as they made their assault. The streetlight cameras were\u2026 wiped.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat do you mean, \u2018wiped\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJust that. The footage is gone<\/em>. Every street camera for five blocks around was disabled when the suspects left the building. A third suspect, a hacker, must have set them to maintenance mode, then deleted the archives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow is that possible? Someone hacked into the surveillance network?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt must be, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShit\u2026 Let me know if Connor and Wood resurface. No, wait. I need to harden up. I\u2019ll reach out to you when I\u2019m secure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUnderstood. But, ah, there\u2019s one more thing you should know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat is it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe found no wallets, phones or devices on the bodies. And Fernando\u2019s bedroom was searched. The suspects found a hidden drawer in the nightstand.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taylor barked a blasphemous profanity out loud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSir?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have to go. I\u2019ll send a man to contact you later.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taylor clicked off. Swore again. Then composed a text message.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emergency. Get up here now<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve found Detective Nelson on the surveillance system,\u201d Tan said. \u201cHe put in a request three weeks ago to flag you two as persons of interest. It\u2019s not on the official records, but the logs show the system sending him real-time notifications of your movements.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDamn,\u201d Connor muttered. \u201cIs Nelson part of the Pantheon too?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGonna have to dig it up. Along with Taylor\u2019s PSB dossier.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPrioritize keeping us off the net,\u201d Kayla said. \u201cLast thing we need is tangling with RPD too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOn it,\u201d Zen said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A beefy man in a dark suit entered the office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou called, sir?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cConnor and Fox killed Fernando and his crew. I\u2019m next on the hit list. Take me home and harden the fuck up,\u201d Taylor ordered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bodyguard\u2019s face turned grim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUnderstood, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGet the boys to prepare the safe room, move critical assets back home, and stand up to high alert. Until Connor and Fox are eliminated, I\u2019m barricading myself at home. We\u2019re going to the mattresses.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bodyguard escorted Taylor out the room. Three more men waited in a hallway outside. The protectors took up formation around their charge. Together, they headed to an emergency stairwell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDo we know where Taylor lives?\u201d Connor asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNot yet. I asked my buddy in the PSB for his dossier, but by the time he gets back to us, it might be too late to stage an in-extremis assault,\u201d Zen said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s too late to stage an in-transit assault, that\u2019s for damn sure,\u201d Kayla said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll keep tracking him through his glasses and find a window of opportunity,\u201d Connor said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf we wait until he gets home, that window is going to close. There\u2019re five threats, Taylor included, and they might have a Pantheon QRF on standby. We set up at his house, I can take him with one shot,\u201d Kayla said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey know who you are and what you can do. If he has a second security team at home, they\u2019ll be expecting a sniper,\u201d Zen argued. \u201cThere\u2019s too much we don\u2019t know about the situation. It\u2019s too risky.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe need to keep developing the situation,\u201d Connor said. \u201cWe need to find out more before we act. Besides\u2026 we have a trump card.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat trump card?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Liberated.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Intrigue, investigations and desperate combat against demons and cultists. Just another day in the Special Tasks Section. <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

To The Mattresses They hadn\u2019t managed to grab Fernando. His burner phone was a decent consolation prize. They\u2019d escaped and evaded for an hour, winding through Riveria. In an underground parking lot, Connor stripped off his clothes, wiped himself down, changed into a new set. Kayla peeled away the license plate stickers and affixed a […]<\/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-6093","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\/6093"}],"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=6093"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kitsuncheah.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6093\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kitsuncheah.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6093"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kitsuncheah.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6093"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kitsuncheah.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6093"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}