Chapter 88

Chapter 88

Even as I prepared to leave the rooftop, a million warring thoughts about Ellison battled for attention in my mind. They dulled to a distant siren as I replaced the mask, and felt the chaos in my mind dissolve to almost nothing.

Later. Focus on what matters.

I flicked on the and stepped off the roof, using the nearby storm gutter to slow my descent. Even with the weight reduction, I landed hard enough to rattle my teeth, took a stunned half-step forward before my gait normalized, and I ran towards the Humvee. The vehicle had pulled up next to the curb adjacent to the crackhouse.

Among others, Roderick and Bob stood on the grass as two armored Users unloaded several injured men from the back of the Humvee, passing them off to people waiting to help. One of the casualties was gray faced, his chest unmoving.

Roderick took the survivor in better shape aside, moving out of the way for Kinsley as she jogged up to join the cloister.

What happened? Roderick growled. He seemed less put together than before, confidence shaken now that the other half of his group had been called into question.

They came out of nowhere. The man had a bandage wrapped around his head, slowly staining more and more red. That, the fact that his pupils were blown to hell and the sluggish manner of his voice belied a concussion at the slightest.

Take a potion, if you havent already, I said, taking a position next to Kinsley.

M fine.

Do what the Merchants Guild Lieutenant says, Max. Roderick prompted him. I glanced over, blithely wondering if Kinsley had arbitrarily given me a rank or if Roderick was just creative with his introductions.

Max appraised me once more, looking me up and down. Then took his potion. His pupils shrunk almost immediately. Not quite a normal size, but a definite improvement.

Now what happened? Roderick said, the desperation in his voice clearer than it was before.

Users. Dont know em, but theyre organized. We were trying to do the motorcade bullshit, so the trucks were all in a line. Didnt know what was happening until the spike strip blew the wheels. His voice sounded clearer, better defined. Then, they swarmed us. More than a dozen. Decked out and armed to the nines.

They let you go? I asked.

Max shook his head. I have a tacticalCan we trust these guys, Guild Leader?

As much as we can trust anyone, Roderick said, his mouth tight.

Im an Estranged Officer. Thats my class. No clue what that means in the greater scheme of things, but in practice, Im a complicated melee class with tactical analysis, Max said. Ive taken a few feats to round out the tactical side of things. Short version, I can grade the likelihood of success from 1 to 12. Twelve being a sure thing, one being impossible.

On anything? I interjected, unable to stop myself. Depending on his answer and the limits of his power, no one seemed to realize that Max might be the most valuable person in the city. Definitely not the person you send out into the field. nove(l)bi(n.)com

Anything within five hundred yards. Outside that range, I can still give estimates, but it's based purely on the information I have. Cant account for unknown variables. Max told me, a suspicious look on his face, as if self-conscious about the limits.

It took everything in my self-control not to turn to Roderick and scream at him for risking such a valuable asset.

Maxs eyes widened until they appeared ready to bug out of his head. Youre going back in there?

No. Were going back in there. I said, turning to Rodrick. I need your second, Max, and at least four others well enough to fight.

Hold on, Maxs drawling accent became more pronounced.

Roderick ignored him. Certainly. Im happy to provide anything that helps smooth our recent turbulence, doubly so if it means I get more of my men back.

I couldnt help but smirk. Roderick was trying to double-dip, simultaneously working to win back some of our favor while using us to salvage his guild. It was a politically savvy move, and raised my opinion of him slightly. Luckily for him, both goals aligned with ours.

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I studied the people lined up next to the APC. It wasnt a group I had a huge amount of confidence in. We had the recently concussed Max, who kept trying to wipe something dark and viscous off his boots to the point it looked like a nervous tick. Bob, the soft-spoken bruiser. Now that I looked at him, I would have put money on him being in the legal fieldnot a lawyer, but paralegal or analogue, albeit one that spent far too long in the company gym. Two nearly identical agendered spell-casters who were standing near enough to each other that their hips touched. The last occupant was a Samoan melee fighter that was low level, but apparently held a high-level proficiency in crafting explosives, and referred to herself as Chastity. She giggled when she said it, like there was an in-joke.

I didnt ask.

We were at least two people shy of the number I wanted. Rodrick was making an effort to scrounge up volunteers. He wasnt having much luck.

Grayscale floated to the surface of my mind. The User that had tried to bar my way when I first arrived in the region. When Id probed his mind, Id gotten the impression that he was likely going mad waiting for something to do. Might be a waste of time, but one more person could do a lot to make our assault look legitimate.

I looped back around, looking for him, finding him leaning against a dying tree a few feet away from the receptacle. Whats up with the lodge people? They look like theyre trying to put out fires with gasoline.

Trouble, I said immediately, keeping my voice down. It wasnt in my nature to be this direct, but we were running out of time, and he wasnt the type of person that responded well to coyness. Theres a fortified region hoarding lux, and ambushing Users that pass through it.

Bastards, Grayscale spat.

Were doing something about it.

Oh? He raised a quizzical eyebrow. Youre with them now?

This problem affects our entire region, regardless of what you think of Roderick.

So, what, youre going to kill them? Grayscale asked. There was something there, some fragment of trauma I had no idea how to interpret.

No. I shook my head, though we had to be prepared for the possibility it would come to that. Smash and grab. Get the lux, free the Users, get the hell out. As little bloodshed as possible. Want in?

He did. I could see it in his eyes. But before Grayscale could respond, a rich tenor voice spoke from behind me.

I volunteer.