Actions

Gaea - Chapter 16

From Betamountain.org


Gaea

Chapter 16

by Baybelletrist



7th and Peel Streets

8/4/2098, 1829 

 

"Any questions?"

The six NCCPD officers who'd arrived as backup shook their heads. Crowley caught the youngest staring wide-eyed at the men behind her. "What, McLaughlan?" she asked impatiently. "Why don't you go keep the—"

McLaughlan's partner Yun pointed past Crowley.

Crowley turned to look. By the motions their leader was making, Crowley could tell they were preparing to go in. She took a step forward, raising her hand in protest. One of the men started to raise his rifle in her direction, and she stopped. She heard angry muttering among the other officers.

Staring at the black-clad team of men, Crowley ran down her entire repertoire of invective. When that didn't make her feel any better, she started improvising.

Merrin took his finger off the Send button of his radio for a moment. "Hey, Edra, do you mind? I'm still trying to convince the duty officer at the local PDC station we got a situation here."

She pointed mutely and grabbed for her radio. He turned, stiffened in shock and depressed the Call button on his radio again.

"Mister," he said coolly but with a trace of real anger now, "I say again, we've got some military force or other here who won't identify themselves."

Crowley watched four of the men peel off from the rest of the group and take off at a trot, two down Peel Street and two down 7th.

"They're tryin' to flank," she muttered as she opened a line to Dispatch.

"In my estimation," Merrin continued—and now Crowley clearly heard the sarcasm—"they're about to commence an assault on whoever their objective is. Did I mention we're at 7th and Peel and they're carrying heavy laser assault rifles and it's rush hour?" There was a pause. "Thank you."

"Dispatch," Crowley snapped. "Ten-39 Captain Shapiro. Now."

 

 

On board Ranger One

1830

 

Doc's face blinked onto Zach's screen again. "Captain, new feed from the police channel." He touched a switch on his control pad, and suddenly radio chatter filled the cockpit. Zach listened, his jaw clenching.

Planetary Defense Corps... more police backup. This may just be about as big a mess as any we've ever landed in.

And, surprising himself a little: Hang on, Gaea. We're coming to help you.

 

  

TelCorp 2

1830 

 

Gaea tensed. What? Who's there?

The kill squad had been quiet for a good ten minutes, ever since the copter's strafing run had failed to flush her out. More sirens wailed, some closer, some distant. Mental senses out, she felt again that someone was hunting her, but—

Goose? No, how could he be here? That's the police. Where are they? Why can't I find them?

She cast about, fighting the panic that rose like bile into her throat. Stop it. Use your ears instead, fool. You've got two of them. She strained to listen. Cars passed; a horn honked; from the street she heard shouted questions and the sound of radios cutting in and out. Closer, closer, descending into calm and quiet: The soft click of a gun barrel against something metal, the scuff of a bootsole on rough permacrete—

She tensed, brought up a ragged shield—and so the first laser blast failed to take her down. And then they were on her and there was no more time to think, only react.

 

 

7th and Peel Streets

1830

 

Crowley spun as the sound of laser fire in the walkway between TelCorp 1 and 2 resounded off the buildings. "Shit! Captain, they—shots fired!"

"I hear it, Crowley," Shapiro said with her usual imperturbability. "We're responding. Just keep them from actually killing anyone. You're doing fine."

From the walkway Crowley clearly heard the sound of a physical blow. "What the he—"

She cut herself off as a man's limp body was flung out of the walkway, flew through the air, and hit the pavement, leaving a trail of blood as it skidded to a stop against a squad car. Yun sprang forward to the figure's side.

Oh my... God... Crowley watched Yun tug the man's helmet loose and stagger back in shock. The helmet clattered to the pavement and rolled into the gutter as Yun pressed one hand to her mouth.

"Captain, stakes are up," Crowley croaked. "I think we got a 187. One of the guys in black."

There was a silence. "Ten-four. Keep the civilians clear and try not to let them blow up any buildings. Shapiro out."

 

 

TelCorp 2

1830

  

Concealed on his fire-escape perch, Goose clenched his jaw as the lasers spoke again. He couldn't see Gaea in her little alcove, but from the amount of heavy laser fire raining down on her from all sides, she wasn't going to be able to fight much longer. He flexed his fists, longing to smash someone.

Keep it together, Gooseman, he told himself firmly. You're not gonna help if you just go busting in there. You've got to wait for the others. Remember, you're not really here.

A dumpster rattled momentarily below and then slammed into two of the men. Goose distinctly heard the crunch of bones breaking and bared his teeth in a predatory smile.

Kick some OPS ass, kid.

 

 

 

On board Ranger One

1831

  

Zachary pointed. "There. See that little green patch? That's the place. Set us down there."

"Right, Zach," Niko answered and guided Ranger One into an approach.

Zach took a deep breath and opened a link. "New Corpus Christi PD, this is Galaxy Ranger Captain Zachary Foxx. Looks like you've got a mess down there. Can we lend a hand?"

 

 

7th and Peel Streets

1832

  

The Series Fives sprinted across the park. The sound of laser fire reached them over the hubbub of voices and traffic. One voice rose above the others as Zachary leaped off the curb, followed closely by his team.

"No, I'm not going to help you get your fuckin' camera back, you buttwipe! I'm a little busy here! You're lucky those bozos didn't ventilate you on live Tri-D! McLaughlan, since he now lacks a camera and therefore a reason to be here, would you kindly get this moron back into his car and outof here. Thank you."

The Rangers stopped behind the woman as she finished, and Zach stepped forward into her line of sight. "Officer Crowley?" he said quietly. "I'm Captain Zachary Foxx of the Galaxy Rangers."

She turned and stared up at Zach, blue eyes flinty. "Yeah?" she responded. She glanced past Zach as Niko and Doc flanked him.

"We're here to assist the New Corpus Christi PD," explained Doc from where he stood at Zach's right. "Sounds like you need it."

Crowley put hands on hips and looked the three of them over. "I don't—" she started.

None of them ever learned what Officer Crowley didn't, for at that moment a shrill, wordless yell echoed from the breezeway.

To Zachary's dismay, Niko launched herself past Crowley and pelted toward the gap between the two office buildings, shouldering aside reporters and police. Zach muttered a curse and shot after her. Shouting behind him told him Doc was close on his heels.

The walkway was empty. Niko stood next to an upended trash dumpster. Looking around himself, Zach saw scorch marks on the walls. "Well, she didn't go down without a struggle," Doc noted quietly, indicating the dumpster.

A muffled shout sounded from the back of the passageway. Niko took off running again.

"Hey! Niko, wait!" Zach overtook her in a few long strides, and together they raced down the walkway.

They burst from between the buildings to see the Mongoose, engines at idle, its bulk taking up the back quarter of the parking lot. Its flat black paint seemed to draw in light and not let it out again. The members of the squad stood by it, some at guard, some helping the injured to climb up. Two were lifting a man onto a stretcher as the three teammates watched.

Laser rifles turned their way as Doc and Niko spread out to either side of Zach. He saw Gaea, struggling weakly, draped over one man's shoulder in a fireman's carry. He could see even from several yards away that her hands were cuffed.

As a second member of the squad moved to drag Gaea down, the apparent leader stepped forward. "You don't have clearance to be here," he said coldly. His eyes bored into Zachary's. "I suggest you leave now."

"Like hell!"

Zach turned his head sharply at the sound of Goose's voice to see his youngest team member poised on the fire escape of TelCorp 1.

 

 

Goose snarled, cold rage suffusing him, and leaped down from the fire escape. One of the men cursed, and a few of the rifle barrels turned toward him.

"One chance," he said coldly. "Put her down. Now. And leave."

As the men set her on her feet, Gaea shook her head, expression dazed. Her head sagged as if its weight were too much for her to support. One of the soldiers grabbed the back of her tunic and twisted to force her upright. Faintly Goose heard it tear.

Gaea! Goose shouted in his mind. Fight them, girl! We can't help you if you can't help yourself!

He saw her head twitch, and then her eyes rose to meet his across the distance. Gaea looked around at the men, the copter, the guns; looked down at her cuffed hands, and her face twisted in terror.

"No!" One of the men reached to silence her. Her eyes swung to him and he dropped in his tracks, but she shook her head again as if in weariness. Goose felt her panic spiraling up their link, felt it battering at his defenses. A medic appeared in the open hatch of the Mongoose, late-summer light glancing off something in her hand.

An injection gun.

From some great distance Goose heard Niko say urgently, "Touch your badge, Shane. Help me. Help me now!"

Niko's hand gripped his shoulder. Eyes fixed on Gaea, he touched his badge. The silver-gold bubble of Niko's shield began forming up around the team.

Gaea's forehead creased in pain. She struggled in the grasp of the soldier who held her. Another stepped forward, and together the two began to drag her into the Mongoose. The engines began to cycle up. She saw the medic and what the medic held.

"No..." Gaea whispered. And then, "NO!"

The Mongoose blew up.

 

 

 

7th and Peel Streets

1833 

 

The blast rolled over the buildings, rattling windows across the street and sending reporters and cops alike diving for cover. TelCorp 1 shuddered. The sounds of breaking glass nearly drowned out the screams of terror from bystanders and news crews. Once the glass stopped flying, Crowley raised her head to meet Merrin's eyes.

"I told you we shoulda followed them!" she yelled furiously. "They went and fuckin' blew up a building!"

Even in this situation he had the temerity to laugh, though it didn't seem to hold much amusement. "That wasn't a building that blew and you know it, Edra," he retorted, scrambling to his feet. "Although," he said ruefully, looking up at TelCorp 1, "a building caught the blast—and good thing, too, or we'd all be in bad shape. What a mess. Come on. We better start damage control." He helped her to her feet and then paused to look past her. "Looks like the PDC finally got their butts over here. Primo. Just in time to start sweepin'." Crowley turned to watch the blue-clad Planetary Defense Corps squad as they dogtrotted down the 7th Street sidewalk and crossed Peel without breaking stride. Yun and McLaughlan began to circulate in the crowd, checking on bystanders and reporters. Espinoza shook off his paralysis and knelt beside a hysterically sobbing man, speaking calmly to him. Walkowiak and her partner Farber sprinted by, heading for a woman whose right hand, clenched tight around her left wrist, was beginning to drip red onto the 'crete. Quesada trotted toward Sterling in answer to her shout for assistance.

Distantly Crowley heard the sound of fire trucks. She blew out a breath and raised her radio to check in.

Suddenly a clamor of voices rose from beyond the police barriers. "The Rangers!" "Sir! Sir—uh, Ranger... Hartford! Can you tell us what happened back there!"

Crowley whirled. From the breezeway two of the Rangers emerged—the black man and the auburn-haired woman, who seemed to stagger a bit even with the support of her teammate's arm. The man looked around, his attention finally settling on Crowley, and he and the woman made their way over to where she stood with Merrin.

"Excuse me, Officer," the man said quietly. The woman just leaned on his arm, looking exhausted. "I'm Ranger Hartford. This is Ranger Niko. We're gonna need a forensics squad back there in a bit... and a coroner's car, I'm afraid. I'm no doctor, but looks to me like those folks in black were all killed. We need medical techs, too, of course, just in case we've got any survivors. But most of them were in that Mongoose when it went up, and there's not much left of them." 

Crowley groaned.

"Shit." Merrin sighed. "What happened?"

Hartford's friendly expression darkened. "Somebody got hold of a parahuman kid, looks like somebody's illegal experiment, but we can't say for sure... and abused her," he answered. "And that—" he indicated the TelCorp complex with a tilt of his head— "is the result. Our captain is getting started back there on recording the scene, but he ordered me to get Niko back to our ship." He patted her shoulder gently. "If it hadn't been for her, we'd probably all be dead, too."

Crowley stared at him.

"Psychic shield," Hartford said cheerfully, waggling his fingers in the air. Crowley stared at the motion before jerking her eyes back to his face. "Fantastic in battles, let me tell you."

Niko sighed. "Doc?" she said mildly. "I'd really like to sit down."

"Wait a minute," Merrin said. "You three are part of the Series Five team."

Hartford and Niko exchanged a resigned look. "Yeah," he admitted with a grin that Crowley, even in her current grouchy state, had to admit was charming. "I guess our reputation precedes us. Again. Anyway, I need to help Niko to the ship and then get back... there. Would you mind calling in the med squad for us? We don't wanna clutter up your airwaves. Bad for public relations."

He tossed the last over his shoulder as he and Niko stepped through the barrier and were immediately thronged by reporters and camera operators. As the two Series Fives made their laborious way across the street, news hounds trailing after them like the tail of some anthropomorphic comet, Crowley heard Hartford's voice above the buzz: "Hey, man! What part of 'No comment' do you not understand?"

Crowley looked at Merrin.

"Yeah," he agreed.

"I didn't say anything."

"And?" He opened a link. "Dispatch, 80225 here requesting 11-41, 10-55—"

Crowley turned again, slowly surveying the scene, and so she was the only one who saw the tall blond man in black striding across the grass of Renner Park, cradling in his arms a young woman half-clad in the rags of some kind of hospital uniform.

Crowley froze, staring. He had slipped along Bailey, she realized—the little alley that served as a back entrance from Alder Street to the TelCorp parking lot, though the gate was supposed to be kept locked. From Alder he'd obviously wound his way among the buildings on the other side of the street, knowing that no one would be looking in his direction. And Hartford and Niko were doing a Class-A job of keeping the press occupied.

Crowley clenched her jaw in anger and drew breath to call Merrin's name.

The Ranger—who else could he be?—turned his head and looked at her... and she let her breath out again.

Edra Crowley watched as the tall man made his way to a nondescript aircar sitting in the Renner Park lot, sighed, and turned back to her partner.

"Yo, Judah! We got the med squad on the way or what?"

 

 

On board Ranger One

2049

 

Under Doc's hands Ranger One lifted gently off the grass of Renner Park and began climbing. Zach watched the lights of the high rises recede and ran a hand over his face, closing his eyes in exhaustion.

"Long day, huh, Captain?"

Zach glanced at Doc. The hacker looked tired, only a hint of his usual humor gleaming in his dark eyes.

"Yeah. Long day. Long week." Zach turned his head to glance back at Niko, drooping and asleep in the auxiliary seat at the back of the cockpit. He snorted softly. "That's one way to get out of the paperwork."

Doc's teeth flashed in a grin. "I'll take the paperwork, thanks anyway." He sobered and gave Zach a sidelong glance. "Captain... I hope you feel like you did the right thing."

Zach felt his jaw clench at the memory: Goose emerging from the wreckage of the Mongoose, Gaea sobbing weakly in his arms; her hoarse scream as Zach touched her to check her pulse; her eyes maddened with terror...

He shook his head to push away the image and caught a worried look from Doc. He forced a smile.

"Yeah, Doc," he answered quietly. "We did the right thing. Now let's go home and falsify some case reports. I want to see my kids."

Doc laughed. "Aye, aye, Captain. GV, best speed for BETA Mountain."

The white ship arced across the sky to carry them home.