{"id":6095,"date":"2021-01-01T09:00:23","date_gmt":"2021-01-01T01:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.benjamincheah.com\/?p=6095"},"modified":"2021-01-01T09:00:23","modified_gmt":"2021-01-01T01:00:23","slug":"river-of-blood-chapter-9","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kitsuncheah.com\/?p=6095","title":{"rendered":"River of Blood Chapter 8"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

End in Fire<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Even in Riveria, there were still oases of privacy, unobserved by the growing population of surveillance cameras. Among them was Hatfield Park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Running along the banks of the Minato River, it was once a historic battlefield, in the pre-Cataclysm days when the peoples of the region made war on each other before finally agreeing to peace terms. Today it was a verdant stretch of green hills and pavilions, light woods and walking trails. The lamp posts were antiquated, lacking the sensors and transmitters of their modern counterparts. The few cameras here were mounted at the park facilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The parking lot was not among them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At ten in the evening, the parking lot was practically deserted. Past the entrance, there were only a couple of cars and a single motorbike. Bushes lined the perimeter of the park. Trees rooted in little islands further segmented the park into columns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connor pulled up into the nearest empty lot. Dug out a burner phone from his wallet. Dialed a number.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exhaled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hit the call button.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Zen said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m in position. Send it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRoger.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to the Cowan dossier, Steele had given him a phone number. He could be reached day or night there, Steele promised. While he kept the phone off most of the time, he checked his messages and mails frequently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Taylor fled his club, Connor composed a text message for Steele, requesting a call. Zen prepped it, inserting a surprise into the code. Now Zen sent the mail, masquerading the origin as Connor\u2019s burner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Holding the phone in both hands, Connor scanned the lot, now seeing it through the eyes of a killer. An ambush predator. He mentally divided the lot into three sections, near, center and far, and identified areas with good camouflage and low visibility. He thought about the approaches, how he would secure them, how he would eliminate\u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The phone rang.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The caller was a long string of numbers. A virtual phone number. Might be Taylor, might be some rando. He took a chance and answered the call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And said nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s me. You wanted to talk?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSteele?\u201d Connor asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI took out Cowan and his crew a few hours ago.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI read about a gunfight in Uptown. That was you? Congratulations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not over yet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI only eliminated the hitters. The shot caller is still in play. I need help finishing the job.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amusement crept into Steele\u2019s voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cReally? Why?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe shot caller is Tom Taylor. Owner of the Prism nightclub, and a high-ranking member of the Pantheon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow did you identify him?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI found a burner phone, traced the number in its call history, and hacked the device associated with it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re sure<\/em> it\u2019s Taylor?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI listened in to a call. His friend in the PD called him \u2018Mr. Taylor\u2019. In his work emails, he signed off as Thomas Taylor. I tracked the device too, and placed it at the Prism. I\u2019m positive.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAlright. Why do you need help finishing him?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHis protection detail hustled him home. I just did a drive-by. He\u2019s got two guards and a dog patrolling the premises. There\u2019s at least two more bodyguards on his detail. He\u2019s a hard target. I can\u2019t reach him. Not with the resources I have at my disposal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd you want us to help you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connor sighed, the sound of a man swallowing his pride.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re an extremely resourceful man. I\u2019m surprised you can\u2019t figure out a way to finish the job.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTaylor told his bodyguard to take him to his safe room. I\u2019m going to need special tools to breach it. Tools I don\u2019t have at my disposal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou think we have those tools?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re the Liberated, after all. Oh, and I need backup too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He made it sound casual, as if an afterthought. Steele laughed into his ear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have access to the resources you need. But I wonder, why should we help you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou said you wanted justice. To avenge Sharon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCowan and his crew killed her. You killed them. Justice has been done.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo. They were only the trigger pullers. Taylor gave the word.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe was killed by accident<\/em>, Mr. Connor. Taylor didn\u2019t order her death. That meant the crew, and only the crew, was responsible for her death.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re going to cut me loose?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur deal has concluded satisfactorily.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNot until Taylor is dead. And you said you\u2019d protect me from my enemies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhich is why neither the RPD nor the other New Gods are hunting you now, Mr. Connor. We have held up our end of the bargain.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not over. Taylor is still alive.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut Sharon\u2019s killers are not. Thus, we are done. However\u2026 I am open to making another deal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\u201cWork for us, Mr. Connor.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy should I?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Liberated looks after its own, but outsiders\u2026 well, my authority only extends so far. But if you join us, you become one of us. You will enjoy our protection, and complete access to our resources.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI already told you what I thought about praying to Namanah.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t have to if you don\u2019t want to. Namanah is a generous goddess. She wishes only her children to be free. Likewise, you will be free to worship her, or not, whichever you prefer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat do you want from me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNothing more than what I\u2019ve already told you. I am simply offering you the opportunity to make full use of your gifts and abilities, and in exchange be amply rewarded. And, yes, protected as well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou want me to kill for the Liberated.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\u201cMr. Connor, you\u2019re in a difficult position. The New Gods are hunting you, and you no longer have the protection of the state. Without a god or the government on your side, your enemies will find you, and destroy you. Or worse. It\u2019s only a matter of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven if you kill Taylor by yourself, all you have done is made yourself an even bigger threat to your enemies. The Pantheon will bring out the big guns. They won\u2019t rest until you\u2019re dead. And all the other enemies you\u2019ve made along the way will seize the opportunity to fish in troubled waters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou, a mere human, cannot hope to stand up to the fury of the New Gods. You don\u2019t have to. Let us help you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou make it sound like I have no choice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou are always free to walk away, Mr. Connor. But this is the last time I will extend this opportunity to you. If you refuse, I cannot help you anymore. You will be alone in the dark, with gods and monsters chasing you. You don\u2019t want this, do you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connor clicked his tongue and said nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t envy your position, Mr. Connor. Let me ask you this: have you ever wondered why the Pantheon is after you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey see me as a threat.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes, but why?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou should know why. When we roll, the STS doesn\u2019t discriminate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cExactly. You\u2019ve made war on the New Gods. Including, yes, the Liberated, but we are willing to forgive that. The others\u2026 not so much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYour enemy is not merely the Pantheon. It is every one of the New Gods\u2014except us, of course. They fear and hate you, but they also want you on their side precisely because the other <\/em>gods fear and hate you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are willing to give you a choice, Mr. Connor. We are also prepared to compensate you handsomely for your services. The rest of the New Gods will attempt to press you into their service, those that don\u2019t have a kill-on-sight order on you. They won\u2019t give you a choice. They\u2019ll use their biotech and magic to brainwash you into becoming a mindless slave. You\u2019ve seen it yourself with the Void Collective and the Singularity Network. I assure you, the other gods have their own methods of achieving the same results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe despise that. We believe in freedom for all people. But we are the only one among the New Gods who respects freedom. Your <\/em>freedom. We will never ask you to do anything that goes against your principles, only jobs that benefits us both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is the best offer you\u2019re ever going to get. You won\u2019t be able to run and hide forever. The Pantheon found you, we found you, and that means all the other New Gods will find you sooner or later. They will not extend the same courtesy to you as I did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNow is the decision point, Mr. Connor. Work with us, and we will protect you against the wrath of the New Gods.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\u201cJust one question for you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWas this why you reached out to me in the first place? To recruit me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI won\u2019t deny that my superiors are interested in you. Even Namanah herself is interested in you. However, in the wake of the Temple Commission\u2019s activities, we found it prudent to\u2026 shall we say, prioritize critical activities over others. Hunting you was not among them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen we heard of the attempted hit at the bar, we saw an opportunity to reach out to you, and hopefully secure a mutually beneficial agreement. Which is why I\u2019m talking to you now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd if I hadn\u2019t accepted the offer? Would you have killed me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Steele laughed humorlessly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am a Warden of Namanah. My sacred duty is to protect her and her children. Anyone who poses a threat to the Liberated must be eliminated. When we met, you were not a threat. Thus I chose to stay my hand. Should the circumstances change, however, my calculations must change too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Roundabout way of saying \u2018yes\u2019.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you help me, what happens next?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI thought you said you only had one question?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a follow-up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe must strike against a member of the Pantheon. We will shield you from the investigation and possible retaliation, and when the coast is clear, offer you more work. But only if you accept our offer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connor sucked in a deep breath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blew it out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWonderful. Tell me, what do you need?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve got pen and paper?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry. Just tell me what you require.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBreaching explosives. Detcord, shock tube, water bladder, duct tape, a complete explosives method of entry kit. Vehicles, one to get to the site, another to get away. And backup.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBackup?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt least five hostiles on site, all of whom could be Elect. Plus the dog. There\u2019s no way in hell I can take them alone. I need a team of assaulters. Shooters who can be counted on to get the job done. Make sure they\u2019re kitted up for an assault. Body armor, automatic weapons, the whole nine yards. Send Elect, too. Oh, and a crew of cleaners too, for when this is over.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re asking a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou want this done or not?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re far more motivated to do this than us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

\u201cWe do this right, we take out a Pantheon shot-caller. That leaves you free to muscle in on his legit business. But that means we need the right people and the right gear for the job.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll join the assault team too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ll lead it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey\u2019re not going to take well to that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve got more experience fighting the New Gods than any ten of your Wardens put together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFrom any other man, it\u2019s a bold claim. From you\u2026 an understatement.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhich is why I\u2019m in charge.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ll let the team know about our arrangements. And that you\u2019ll be joining the Liberated.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUnderstood. How long do you need to make this happen?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTwenty-four hours.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI thought you represented Namanah?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes, but making the necessary arrangements still takes time. Plus, I cannot guarantee we\u2019ll have the explosives you requested. You may have to improvise.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGet me what you can. We\u2019ll make do with what we can get.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGot it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCall me when you\u2019re set. I\u2019ll send you the details for our rally point.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSee you tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connor clicked off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sighed sharply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was done. There was no turning back now. From here on out, this could only end in fire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He climbed out of his car and popped the trunk. Inside was a collection of bags, recovered from his long-term gear storage. He switched on his flashlight, found the bag he needed, and slung it over his shoulder. Then he reached deep into the trunk and pulled out a folding shovel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Never, ever, trust the New Gods. They trafficked in flesh and corrupted the soul. Sign on with them and you lose everything that made you who you were. The Liberated was no different. They merely made the choice feel like your decision, the only decision you could make. He\u2019d seen it with his own eyes more times than he could count. When dealing with the New Gods, always have an insurance policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This was his.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

In another life, Will Connor would never have cut a deal with the New Gods. Yet here he is now. Check out his story here<\/a>!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

End in Fire Even in Riveria, there were still oases of privacy, unobserved by the growing population of surveillance cameras. Among them was Hatfield Park. Running along the banks of the Minato River, it was once a historic battlefield, in the pre-Cataclysm days when the peoples of the region made war on each other before […]<\/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-6095","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\/6095"}],"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=6095"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kitsuncheah.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6095\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kitsuncheah.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6095"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kitsuncheah.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6095"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kitsuncheah.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6095"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}