The Last Mission of the Living (The Last Bastion Book 2) (27 page)

It appeared to be welded in the locked position.

Again the tiltrotor moaned as it sank deeper into the river. The water rose several inches and Torran pressed his lips tightly together. The struggling soldiers beneath the waves were weakening.

“Shit!” he swore.

“Torran?”

“Linds!”

Immediately, he started pulling himself toward the sound of her voice. Other soldiers reached for him, realizing he was there to rescue them. Only a few heads were above the water line. Lindsey was in her seat, but it had been dislodged from the floor and listed against the wall.

“You need to help her,” another voice said.

It was Franklin. She was sawing away at her harness with a knife that was definitely not regulation. She was nearly free. Next to her Hobbes was unconscious and sinking into the water.

“Save who you can when you’re free, Franklin,” Torran ordered, then swam past her to Lindsey.

Tangled in wiring and pinned by her seat, Lindsey’s fingers were tugging at the harness release. “Torran, what are you doing here?” Her voice sounded strained and tiny through the exterior speaker of her helmet.

“Came for you,” he answered. Replacing her hands with his own, he attempted to unlock the straps holding her captive.

“Save the others,” she said. “They’re dying. Drowning. I can hear them through the comm.”

“Linds, I can’t save them. The emergency release on the harnesses was tampered with. Franklin will cut them loose as soon as she’s free.”

In the pale illumination of Lindsey’s helmet, Torran saw tears glistening on her cheeks and flecking her eyelashes. The sight broke his already battered heart. It also compelled him to hurry. He needed to save her, then as many of the others as he could. Time was running out for all of them.

A loud splash and a gasp sounded behind him. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Franklin struggling with Hobbes. Only four others now barely had their heads above water. In the darkness he couldn’t make out their faces, which he was somewhat grateful for.

“Why won’t it unlock?” Lindsey’s voice was ragged with fear.

Torran had to push her hands away so he could see the mechanism. It was difficult with the water already climbing over her shoulders. “Hell if I know. I’ll get you lose. Don’t worry.”

“Save the others,” she said again.

Torran stared straight into her eyes and said, “No.” Maybe she didn’t understand, but if she died, he wasn’t too sure how he’d muster the will to fight his way to safety. She was everything good in his life, and though he’d never considered himself to be overly romantic, the thought of her not existing in his world was soul-crushing.

The tiltrotor let out a terrifying sound as it started to slowly topple over. Torran covered Lindsey’s body with his own to protect her from the panels crashing down around them. The air pocket shifted away from the squad as the back end of the tiltrotor settled onto the bottom of the river. Finding himself under water, Torran feverishly attempted to pull the straps free of the chair. Dim lights drifted close to him and he realized it was from Franklin’s helmet. Extending her hand, he saw the outline of her knife and he snatched it from her grip.

“Warning. Oxygen levels—”

“Yeah, yeah,” he grunted at the suit.

Through the murky, oily water, he could see Lindsey’s big eyes watching him slice at the straps. How long she had before her oxygen ran low he wasn’t certain. Her expression was eerily calm and she rested her hand against his shoulder as he worked.

“I got about thirty seconds of oxygen left,” Franklin’s voice said through the exterior speaker of her suit.

“I almost got her free. Grab any weapon you can and head toward the flight deck. The ship is in half. You can get out that way,” Torran ordered.

Franklin’s body disappeared into the darkness.

“Torran,” Lindsey whispered.

“Don’t talk. Save your oxygen.” He was almost out of air.

“Did you really come back for me? Alone?”

“Yes.” His words were clipped. He was almost through another strap. Just one more across her waist and she’d be free. The muscles in his arm were burning, but he didn’t care.

“You’re amazing, you know,” she said, gasping for breath.

“Stop talking,” he commanded.

“Warning. You are now out of oxygen,” his suit informed him.

The last strap was digging into her armor, so Torran adjusted his stance and sawed at the section connecting to the chair. Holding his breath, he fought against the oncoming dizziness and ignored the black flecks in his eyesight.

“Give me the knife. I’ll finish. Get out,” she rasped. “I’ve got thirty seconds.”

Shaking his head, he kept up his assault. There was no way he’d leave her. Even as his vision started to tunnel, he hacked at the strap until it came loose. Lindsey tumbled into his arms, sending them both careening into the silent, swaying bodies still harnessed to their seats. Lungs burning and unconsciousness looming, Torran fought to extricate himself from the tangle of limbs, weapons, and debris.

Lindsey tugged on his arm and jerked him free. Grabbing onto anything that was sturdy, including their dead squad members, she dragged them both through the water to the small air pocket looming above them. The second Torran’s helmet broke the surface, the air filters gobbled up the oxygen.

“Franklin, this is Rooney,” Lindsey said over the open comm. “I’m free. We’re about to come out. What’s the status?”

There was a small pause, then Franklin’s voice said, “You need to get out here fast. They haven’t spotted me yet, but there are several herds of Scrags rushing up and down the banks. They saw us go down.”

“On our way,” Lindsey answered.

It took every ounce of willpower for Torran not to pull off their helmets so he could kiss her. Despite the blue tinge around her eyes and lips, she was beautiful. He’d never regret coming back for her. Never.

“Ready?” she asked.

“No, but let’s go.” Torran took her hand and together they sank beneath the waves.

Chapter 26

The banks of the river were lined with wide, overgrown boulevards filled with crashed ground vehicles covered in vines and rubble. Crumbling shops and multi-storied houses loomed over the hulking wrecks. The architectural style indicated that the buildings were hundreds of years old, maybe even a thousand. At one point, the structures had probably been quite lovely, but the elements and time had taken their toll. Broken windows and crumbling facades stole the last of their elegant beauty.

Lindsey glanced down into the dark waters, unnerved that she couldn’t see what lay beneath. Most likely, the riverbed was home to debris, long dead bodies, and submerged vehicles. Hopefully, nothing moved through the water except fish. She didn’t even want to think about Scrags lurking beneath her feet.

Floating behind the tip of the tiltrotor wing that was poking out of the water, Lindsey had a firm grip on the edge to maintain her position. The screeching of the Scrags hunting nearby continually sent shivers of fear through her body and sliced through her brain like a razor. She was muddled by the crash, her earlier headache flaring into something akin to a low-grade migraine. Already, she’d had her suit administer painkillers to dull the worst of the discomfort.

Torran pressed against her back, his arm about her waist to keep himself close. His presence helped steady her nerves. She could feel his protectiveness in the grip he had about her waist. Even if their superiors had set them against each other, they were now unified in their quest to survive. That he had risked his life to save her was so immeasurably touching, it rocked her to the core of her soul. There was no doubt that he loved her, and she knew she loved him. Yet, neither one of them had said the actual words yet. Maybe the words didn’t need to be said when they were willing to lay down their lives for one another. If not for his bravery, there was a solid possibility she wouldn’t have survived the crash. And if she had made it out of the wreckage, it would’ve been just her and Franklin against a city filled with Scrags. Though she trusted Franklin’s abilities, Torran being at her side was reassuring. They’d already faced death together before and lived. Therefore, Torran’s presence made her feel like the odds of their survival had increased drastically.

Nearby, Franklin was sprawled along the top of a piece of the cockpit floating on the waves. With her stealth suit activated, she was invisible to the Scrags rampaging along the banks while she examined the area with the binoculars she’d managed to rescue from the crashed aircraft. The bulky pack on Franklin’s back was filled with weapons she’d confiscated from the wreck, and it too was invisible. Despite the stealth, Lindsey could make out the somewhat unsteady outline of the soldier if she stared hard enough.

Franklin opened the comm line. “Vanguard, we can’t get out of the water here. We’re surrounded by several large herds of Scrags. Further up the river is a stairwell tube to the upper city. I’m not seeing any activity up there.”

“Then that’s where we’ll head.” Lifting her chin, Lindsey stared up at the platform rising high over their heads. Tall, glittering buildings resided upon it. Other platforms were scattered over the old city, each one connected to the others by bridges. The impressive structures were engineering marvels.

“Franklin, good job. Now get off there before that suit shits out,” Torran added. “Your time is almost up.”

Franklin slid into the water, careful not to make noise or cause a big splash.

It absolutely gutted Lindsey that she and Franklin were the only survivors of the crashed tiltrotor. After Lindsey’s own escape from the aircraft, she’d wanted to swim down and search for survivors, but Torran and Franklin had stopped her. The tiltrotor was sinking into the mire, and there was the possibility that she could be trapped as the wreckage settled. She didn’t want to think about the bodies of the squad in the darkness below her. Hobbes was among them, and it hurt to think of losing yet another friend. They’d never have that drink now, and she’d never see his smile again. Just like Ryan and Maria, yet another friend was lost to the Scrags. It was Scrags that had destroyed the world and forced humanity to hide in The Bastion. If not for them, none of her friends would’ve died or have been infected, and she wouldn’t be trapped in a city filled with the dead.

Lindsey glanced toward the right bank and the dark figures racing through the refuse of the long abandoned world. The undead appeared terrifyingly close. As Franklin swam to the commanding officers, her suit returned to normal.

“Anyone know if Scrags like water?” Franklin asked.

“We’re just lucky the other tiltrotor grabbed their attention and drew them away,” Torran replied.

“So that means they’ll go into the water,” Franklin said with a flinch. “Great.”

“We’ll just need to be cautious,” Lindsey replied. She’d seen vids of Scrags rushing into bodies of water to pursue prey. The undead beings didn’t appear to know how to swim, but that didn’t mean they weren’t a threat. She was uneasy being in the murky river waters. It was not difficult to imagine Scrags beneath her feet reaching up to grab her.

“I say we swim straight up the middle of the river and go as fast as we can with the stealth off,” Torran said, his voice clipped. “Once we hit the stairwell to the street, we need to activate our stealth suits because then we’ll be in plain view.”

“What’s our destination?” Lindsey tilted her head, trying to catch a glimpse of him through her helmet visor.

“The upper city and any place up there that’s safe,” Torran answered somberly.

“They’re as likely to be up there as they are down here,” Lindsey pointed out.

“Not to sound like I’m overriding you, sir,” Franklin said, “but higher ground is always best, right?”

“Yes, yes it is,” Lindsey agreed.

It wasn’t as if she wanted to stay on the ground level of the city, but the climb would be treacherous, since the old technology was no longer operational. Of course, the entire scenario was dangerous.

“Let’s move. We need to find shelter by nightfall.” Torran pushed off, gliding through the water so only the top of his helmet was visible.

Lindsey released her grip on the tiltrotor wing and sank into the water. She was glad that the SWD suit was not as heavy as her old Constabulary one. Though she had to pump her arms a little harder to keep her eyes above the water, she managed to keep up with Torran’s pace as she glided along the surface. The helmet registered her oxygen levels, and she only had to push just a little out of the water to allow the helmet to suck in more air and release the carbon dioxide. Franklin followed behind her, weighted down by the weapons she’d attached to her armor, but she was stronger than Lindsey and easily kept pace.

The screeching of the Scrags continued to echo as she swam, the sound piercing through her already tortured head. The headache was now behind her eyes and nearly unbearable. It had been ages since she’d had a migraine, but this one was determined to manifest. The changing weather was only contributing to her agony. The sky was overcast and the clouds were low and gray. The chief defender had mentioned a snowstorm and Lindsey wondered how much time they had before it reached the city. Hopefully they’d find shelter with access to an emergency generator so she could attempt access to the city grid. Without the constant feed that usually flowed across the sides of her helmet, she was a bit lost.

A footbridge spanned the river ahead. Scrags darted across it, agitated by the aircraft and the crash. The soldiers would have to swim under it to reach the stairwell.

Torran sank beneath the waves. Lindsey warily dove after him and didn’t surface until she was shrouded in the darkness beneath the arch. It was frightening to be engulfed in the gloom while hearing the cries of Scrags rushing over the bridge. Maybe it was the shock of the collision, her impending migraine, or the weight of her armor and weapon, but Lindsey realized she was starting to fall behind. She fumbled with her wristlet and hailed Torran, but he didn’t answer. Kicking harder, she managed to close the gap between them again. Again, she messaged Torran, hoping he’d answer. Silence was the only response.

When she swam out from beneath the bridge, relief flooded her to be in sunlight, but only for a split second.

There was a loud splash and Lindsey spun about in the water in alarm. Immediately, her comm hissed to life.

“They’re jumping into the water from the bridge behind us,” Franklin exclaimed.

Lindsey spotted the ripples emanating from the spot where the Scrag had fallen into the water. There was no sign of it now, but the splash had drawn the attention of several other undead creatures. Confused, they stood on the bridge, searching for the source of the noise. Lindsey urgently swam after Torran.

“We’re almost there.” Torran pointed to the tube housing the stairwell to the platform above. “We need to hurry.”

Lindsey despaired at the thought of the climb, but she dragged her body through the water with tiring arms and legs.

The splash of more bodies striking the water sent tremors of terror through her.

The main comm switched off, then Torran hailed her on a private channel. She swiped her wristlet under the water. “I’m coming.”

“Lindsey, listen. You’re in danger And not just from the Scrags. The tiltrotor was sabotaged. It was meant to crash.”

“What? By who?”

“Not sure yet, but this was all done for one purpose. To isolate you and force you to reach out to Maria.”

“How do you know?”

“Because I was told,” Torran replied.

“Told by who?” Shock and betrayal nearly choked the words in her throat.

Before Torran could answer, Lindsey brushed against something in the water. A second later, a Scrag surged out, screeching as it reached for her.

* * *

Ten Minutes Earlier—

The screeches of the scrags on the banks of the river ripped through Torran’s psyche like rapiers. It just wasn’t possible to ignore the horrific noises. Even Torran’s helmet being partially submerged didn’t help drown out their cries as he pushed off the tiltrotor and started down the river. He paused only briefly to make sure Lindsey was right behind him, then aimed for the stairwell rising to the upper city. Though she hadn’t said anything, he could tell Lindsey was hurting. Though it didn’t appear that she had any serious injuries, he suspected she was badly bruised and probably had a concussion. Franklin appeared to be in better condition. Hopefully, they could all find somewhere safe to hide until a rescue team came for them.

There was a beep inside his helmet. Franklin was directly paging him. A little surprised, he opened the comm. “How are you doing back there, Franklin?”

“Doing well, sir, since everything is going according to plan.”

Torran nearly stopped swimming he was so startled by her words.

Franklin continued: “I have to admit, sir, that I didn’t expect the other member of my cell to be SWD, or on the other tiltrotor. I thought it would be another Constabulary soldier on mine.”

Franklin’s words didn’t make sense, but Torran instantly knew something terrible and important was happening. “I used to be Constabulary.”

“True. I should have considered that. I know we weren’t supposed to know who our other cell member was, but I couldn’t help speculating.”

“Well, it was best to keep things secret,” Torran replied, hoping he wouldn’t trip up and expose himself as a fraud.

“Whoever rigged the tiltrotor to crash was a little overzealous. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to get Rooney out on my own. I was relieved when you arrived.”

“It was a bit messier than expected.” Torran’s blood felt thick in his veins and his head throbbed with anxiety and anger. Someone had deliberately sabotaged the tiltrotor. The welded locks on the harnesses made sense now.

“The aerial drone we commandeered is scanning the area right now. I have the feed, but it’s indicating that you’re not receiving data? That I’m the only one online?”

Swimming through the oily, debris-ridden water, Torran concentrated on all the details of the unsettling conversation with Franklin, a person he realized neither he nor Lindsey could trust. “I had some damage from the jump into the river. I had to reboot. I lost the program.”

Franklin swore. “Damn. I’ll have to send the data packet once we’re topside. I guess I’m our only eyes right now.”