Page 26 of Inceptive (Ingenious #3)
26
WILL
O kay, you fuckers. Show time.
Will walked slowly and stopped at the entrance. With his body highlighted from behind, he presented an easy target for archers. He heard distant nickers. The gate hadn’t opened, and the wagons were stuck inside. He looked over his shoulder and nodded that a shield was there. The soldiers gave him a thumbs-up.
Will spoke his name and shivered as if something scanned him. He acted as if pushing a shoulder against a gelatinous barrier, then squishing his body through. He turned around, signaling for the soldiers to stay back.
So far, so good. He walked deeper inside, his eyes adjusting to the abrupt darkness.
“Will, Will, Will!”
Belle called to him from outside the tunnel, her voice loud and clear. He turned and saw her flying through the invisible shield that should’ve splatted her on contact like a bird on a window. She hovered in front of his horrified face. “What, Will?” Her crest flattened as she realized she’d done wrong.
The curses outside were as clear as her words. The sonic cannon aimed. His Fuckity-fuck-fuck-fuck! echoed clearly.
Belle squawked, hovering where the shield should have been. “No shoot! No shoot!” Plumes of smoke warned the cannon was revving to fire.
Will yelled and drew his gun, firing at the cannon’s gunner, hoping to deflect the aim. His firepower was too weak to deflect the cannon or its tripod. An arm grabbed his neck in a chokehold. A gun barrel pressed against his head, and his body was slammed against the wall. From the corner of his eye, he saw what looked like a compact tank with three long-range barrels rolling from the rear of the tunnel. A low hum revved higher, as if it was preparing to fire at the invaders.
The brute pinned him with ease, abruptly spun him to face the entrance, and shouted, “Soldiers, drop your weapons.”
The soldiers hesitated.
A precise blast from the tank lifted the sonic cannon off its mount. Two more blasts disintegrated the cannon before it touched the ground.
The soldiers flung down their weapons and raised their empty hands.
The tank’s side door opened. A pair of long legs in black boots stepped out, followed by a tall muscular form in a helmet and black uniform with a yellow triangle on the left side of the chest. More uniformed strangers with the triangle insignia marched out of the tunnel and spread out, holding long-range rifles with laser sighting.
The tall stranger lifted his helmet, and a deep drawling voice identified himself. “Commander Max Bronn speaking. Who’s in charge of this attack?”
“Viceroy William van Diehn,” the soldiers answered with squeaky voices
“Step forward, Viceroy.”
“Over here, sir,” Will croaked out. The brute released the chokehold and shoved him toward the commander.
Will stumbled to his knees and rubbed his throat.
Crest waving high, Belle flew at the commander. “Love my Will. No hurt him.”
Gray eyes flashed at Belle. The man’s black hair lifted and crackled when Belle circled his head with curved claws. “I don’t want to hurt Will. Dante messaged my sanctuary for help.”
Help? “We’re still under quarantine,” Will rasped.
Outside, dust rose, and a shadow covered the gap between the tunnel and the militia.
Belle darted outside. “Flying ship!” She ooohed and aahhhhed , fascinated. “Come see, Will!”
The commander spoke into a communicator. “Quiggs, identify the weapons.”
A voice as precise as a bot replied, “Crude sonic cannons obsolete since the sirens blared. Ancient guns. Ineffective body armor. Pitiful.”
From the back of the tunnel, big feet pounded toward Will. His eyes furious, Zach lifted him by the front of his overalls and dangled him nose to nose. “How could you lead an army to capture blood slaves?”
“Not what you think. I was trying to stall for time to warn you. I told them there was a shield and I had a code to lift it.”
“Liar. I was a fool to trust you.” Zach shook him until Will’s teeth clacked, then flung him away.
Will quickly got up and stormed back to Zach. “It’s so stupid, it worked! I didn’t know what else to do, and I think Dante planted tricks in my head.”
The commander’s mouth quirked. “Beau, what do you think?”
Evidently, Beau was the brute who’d put the chokehold on him. He gripped Will’s chin, bent low, and sniffed. His face was unusual, from the slanted green eyes and angular cheekbones to the short blond hair sprinkled with crackling strands that lengthened to stroke Will’s face. The static hurt. What kind of humans had evolved in that sanctuary?
“He speaks the truth, my commander.” Beau stepped back, folded his arms, and flashed fangs. His eyes danced with merriment at Will’s fright. “Tell your soldiers to surrender.”
“Yes, Viceroy.” Zach spat out the hated title. “Tell your soldiers to surrender.”
Will almost kicked Zach’s shin before he spread his hands wide and called to the militia to surrender.
Realizing the shield never existed, several soldiers cried out Traitor! They dived for their stunners and fired them at Will.
Simultaneous hits to his chest stopped his heart. The breath whooshed from his lungs, his arms tingled, and his mouth gaped in a silent scream. Zach caught him and yelled for help. Belle squalled, more shots were fired, and then he blacked out.
“Stand back!”
Will gasped, his body arching from an excruciating slam to his bare chest.
“He has a pulse.”
A mask fitted over his nose and mouth. Something tickled his chest. Those odd shiny hairs had delivered a shock. His head lolled to the side. Belle lay on her back, feet up.
“She didn’t stand back from the shock.” Beau felt for a tiny heartbeat, then gently picked her up. “She lives. I think we cage her before she wakes up. She’s feisty. I like her.”
“Will? Can you hear me, Will?” Zach bent over him.
The soldiers who’d stunned him knelt on the floor with hands cuffed behind their backs. They were teens, sporting bleeding noses. Weeping for mercy, each had a gun barrel pressed to the side of their head.
“Bah, baby cadets who act first, think later.” Beau pulled one to his feet by the front of the vest, then released as if scalded. “Breasts! They sent a female to fight?”
She peered up with challenge in her dark eyes. “Women are as good as men,” she spat out.
“Oh, I know this. I’ve killed many women in battle. So has Max.”
She swallowed, then said, “Will’s betrayal has doomed my people.”
“Nah. My Jagger will fix.” He thrust her at his soldiers, barking, “No sex.”
“Sir! We aren’t savages.” The order seemed to scandalize them.
“My words were for her. She fears rape. Ah, here’s a med bot and gurney.”
Will’s face contorted in pain when Zach lifted him up on the gurney. “Your ribs are bruised, maybe cracked. I’m sorry. I’m sorry… You’d never… Oh fuck… I’m sorry…”
The commander bumped fists with Beau. “You’re a walking defibrillator, Colonel. The young viceroy will live.”
Will must have passed out again. When he opened his eyes, the pain had eased, and bands of blue light wrapped around his chest, pulsing in rhythm with the oxygen mask. He panicked at the tube in his throat.
“Your chest muscles and heart are recovering. You need help breathing.” Zach sat beside the exam table. “I’ll tell you what’s happening, and you just listen. Okay?”
Will managed a slight nod.
“The rescue team is from the midland sanctuary called the Triangle Alliance. They know we’re under quarantine and what the protein is. Their arrival rebooted Dante. They will inject nanobots—kind of like invisible ants—into the bloodstream to remove the protein, then dispose of the waste by burning or placing it in a tank of ammoniated something that dissolves protein. They’re real smart, Will, and excited to find another sanctuary that survived. The gate opened this morning, and the commander and his men had arrived last night and were clearing a path for the wagons to turn around when you showed up. I think… I think… the sonic cannon would’ve permanently deafened everyone in the tunnel had you not shot the gunner.” His lips tipped up. “The ones who shot you will be on clean-up duty for the next four months. Diarrhea from the nanos flushing out the protein is bad for a couple of days. Patients have to wear diapers. Wastes must be collected.”
Will gave him a thumbs-up and a weak smile.
“You’ll be fine, and Belle’s sleeping. My people are anxious to get home. They’re angry that Elliston set up headquarters outside of town, and Islanders have raided our homes. They’re squabbling about getting back what was stolen.” He glanced around, then brushed a kiss on Will’s forehead. “I have to leave. The town needs their mayor. Don’t be afraid of the weird bots treating you. They’re from the Triangle.”