Time Siege (18 page)

James should have figured the man was 881 by the way his men treated him so deferentially. Still, he didn't have time for this.

“We need to talk.”

“There's nothing to talk about.”

“Yes there is, Cole,” Levin said, stepping up next to him. “It's time we address our differences, nephew.”

Chatter swept through the Apexes at this revelation. James looked at Levin in surprise, his unusual request now finally making sense. He remembered Cole, an unimpressive Tier-4 who had fled to the past. It was quite a large scandal among the tiers at the time for the blood relative of an auditor to desert. Levin himself had to go back and bring his nephew to justice.

At the sound of his actual name being used, Cole flew into a rage and charged his uncle. By now, James had had enough. He powered on his exo and lifted the man by the front of his shirt, yanking him upward off his feet. The other Apexes around him scattered backward.

“You got someone with bands to kill me?” Cole snarled as he dangled in the air.

“Why does every criminal here think I'm trying to kill them?” James said, exasperated.

“What else do you think happens in a penal colony?” Levin said. He walked up to his nephew, narrowly dodging a kick, and looked up. “If I wanted to kill you, Cole, I would have done it months ago. Are you ready to talk?”

Realizing how outgunned he was with James there, Cole nodded. James dropped him unceremoniously on the ground and kept his face stony when the inmate popped back up to his feet and glared at him.

“Who are you?” he asked.

James dropped his paint job.

Cole gave him a sidelong glance and then focused his attention back on Levin. “You were less ugly as Raets. What do you assholes want?”

Levin looked at the crowd of Apexes standing around and turned his back to them. “Let's talk outside in the hall.”

“Step out so you two can get me alone?” Cole sputtered. “I don't—.”

“He's got an exo on, Cole,” Levin said. “Do you really think it matters?”

The Apex leader's eyes panned back and forth between them until he finally, reluctantly agreed. He followed them out to the top of the stairs, close enough for the Apexes to still keep sight of their leader, but far enough away that they couldn't hear what they were talking about.

“You got two minutes,” Cole said, keeping as far away from James as possible. As if that would make a difference.

“I'm breaking Levin out of Nereid,” James said.

“And I want you to come with me,” Levin finished.

It took a few seconds for those words to sink in. Cole's expression morphed from anger to shock to realization and finally to hope. Then he turned back into his angry, suspicious self. “Why? What's in it for him if I come with you?”

James threw up his arms. “You, too? What is wrong with your entire family?”

“I get nothing for your release, except peace of mind,” Levin said. “I'm making amends to your mother, and to you.”

“I wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for you,” Cole spat.

James placed himself between the two men. “I couldn't care less about your stupid family feud. The offer is there. Are you coming or would you rather rot on Nereid for the rest of your life?”

Levin was strangely silent, pensive, failing to make eye contact with either of them. James could see the pain on his face as he waited for Cole to answer. There was a quiet desperation to him that seemed foreign on that face. James realized then just how painful sending his nephew to prison must have been for Levin.

Cole, on the other hand, looked conflicted. He knew this was probably his only opportunity to leave Nereid. However, it would make him beholden to the man who had put him there. He had held on to his pride and anger for so long that it was difficult for him to give Levin an inch, even if it was freedom being offered.

In the end though, his better judgment won out. “Fine, I'm in. When do we leave?”

Levin and James exchanged glances. “Day after tomorrow when the supply ship comes,” James said. “We'll need a distraction.”

 

SEVENTEEN

T
HE
A
LL
G
ALAXY

The larger tribe descended upon the smaller, unsuspecting tribe just as it was crossing the fifth level over the triple-wide Allen and Canal Street crossing. A thunderous crash echoed between the buildings as the rear of the smaller tribe was smashed by the larger group. As those on the bridge tried to flee across it, more from the larger tribe appeared on the other end, cutting off their escape.

Many of those trapped were not warriors, and the few who fought back were easily overwhelmed. The ensuing battle couldn't even be called that as the tribe on the bridge, caught in the crossfire, was cut down indiscriminately, even as many threw their weapons down and raised their hands. Surrender wasn't much of an option in the Mist Isle. A series of explosions—low-grade incendiaries—erupted at the center of the bridge, sending men, women, and children flying through the air. Many were swept off the bridge and plummeted to their deaths five stories down.

Within seconds, the attack was over. Dozens of bodies littered the bridge as the victors picked through the corpses for spoils. Anything valuable remaining—technology, food, survivors—was distributed among the larger tribe. Arguments and scuffles broke out between the victors fighting over the spoils. Some got into heated arguments over gear and new slaves and had to be forcibly separated. Two men from each side fought over a high-tech rifle. Two women argued over a young man.

“Oldest, we must leave. They are too close.” Eriao pulled Elise back from the window. The massacre that had unfolded below had frozen her in place. She would have thrown up the contents of her stomach if there had been anything in it.

Elise's heart pounded in her chest as she looked back at the long line of Elfreth huddled close to the floor. This particular attack had hit too close to the main body of the tribe. It was the same tribe that had been stalking them the past few days. The Gazzys, as they called themselves, were nothing more than pillaging marauders who wouldn't even speak to them. They were vicious cannibals who preyed upon the weak.

These small-scale melees were nonstop down at the lower levels of the Isle. The fighting over spoils and floors was intense, and the hundreds of small tribes fed upon each other as they strived to grow large and strong enough to take over the higher floors, where there was enough light to farm and where there were fewer bridges and passageways connecting the buildings to defend.

Everyone was exhausted, having been on the run for days, not staying in place for more than a few hours at a time. Her decision to avoid conflict with the other tribes had proven costly. They had not been able to find a suitable space and were now transient outcasts. There were few promising floors on the lower levels and the ones that were dry and defensible were already occupied and heavily entrenched. No one was in the mood to share.

Several of the elders openly questioned her decision not to physically take the floors they needed, though none dared defy Franwil and Eriao. For now, those two still supported Elise, but the war chief's patience was running thin. Elise pulled out an old map of Manhattan and looked at their position. Many of the buildings had changed since the time of the map's printing in 2233, but it was the best they had. She peered out the window at one of the largest buildings farther down the block, taking note of the dozen sky bridges running from it.

“We go two floors up and cross the street west.” She traced her finger along the map. “Then down four floors heading north until we hit that series of high-rises.”

She handed the map to Eriao, who studied the route she had laid out. “West is a triple-wide, at least a hundred fifty meters. With our numbers, we risk being exposed for too long. You saw what happened to those poor bastards back there. What were they thinking, trying to cross at street level at this time? We should continue north first and then cut across under the cover of night once the street narrows.”

Elise frowned. “I was hoping to hit the business district. The buildings there are tall and thick. We have a better chance of finding quality shelter there.”

Eriao looked doubtful. “Larger buildings are more coveted. We'll find stronger and better-armed tribes in those spaces. The towers further north are more modest with smaller tribes who might be willing to negotiate, or at least allow us to pass unmolested.” He handed the map back to her. “In either case, it will be better if we force our way through weaker tribes than the stronger ones.”

“Fine, we head north,” she said reluctantly.

The rest of the Elfreth packed up and moved, the guardians taking position at the front and back of the long caravan. She watched as the herd of kowru passed, especially noting the foal that clung to Moma at all times. The poor thing had to be carried up the stairs and had never seen grass before. It saddened her to think that these ruins and this constant struggle were all it knew.

The Elfreth continued north, going up and down several floors until they reached a bridge that crossed over to the next building. They usually had to wade through jungle-like wilderness or encountered other tribes protecting their territories. The majority of those tribes preferred to just let them pass rather than fight, but some would try to extract tolls from the Elfreth.

This was where Elise drew the line. In most cases, she was able to talk them out of this blackmail. In two, she had resorted to intimidating them with the Elfreths' cache of advanced weapons. One or two blasts of her wrist beam or powered rifle, and insinuating that they had plenty more where that came from, was enough to get their way.

By dusk, they had reached the All Galaxy Tower on Broadway and Nineteenth Street. Elise remembered hearing about this place in 2097. Back in her time, most countries competed with each other either through sports or building exotic buildings. The All Galaxy was the Democratic Union's hat into that arena. She had seen mock-ups and holographs of the proposed tower, but they had just laid the foundation when James had whisked her away to the present.

Now, as she stood at the bridge connecting to it, she had to admit; even abandoned and run-down, the thing looked impressive. This building was huge, massive. It wasn't so much that the All Galaxy Tower was tall; it wasn't. It was just really wide, taking up several square city blocks. According to the map, the building's edges touched Fifth to Park avenues wide and Nineteenth to Twenty-second streets long.

She stared open-mouthed as the skyscraper stretched up and disappeared into the fog. The building wasn't exactly short either—a hundred floors or so, though definitely not the tallest in Manhattan. Also to her surprise, most of the outer-wall window panels seemed intact, which meant those living inside were not only receiving the sun for crops, but also were sheltered from the elements. Elise felt a jab of envy at the inhabitants of the giant tower. After weeks of slogging through rain and being constantly battered by wind that swept through porous buildings, just the thought of having walls was amazing.

Elise's eyes lingered on the building until she realized that the Elfreth procession had stopped three-quarters across the long sky bridge connecting to the All Galaxy. She broke into a trot and saw Eriao organizing the guardians in the front. “What's going on?” she asked when she got to him.

Eriao pointed at the entrance to the tower at what initially looked like a mound of junk blocking their way. On closer inspection, she realized it was a purposely-made barricade spanning the width of the bridge. On top of a makeshift parapet, rows of armed people stood ready to repel them. From what she could tell, most of their defense seemed low-tech, but they were entrenched enough that it could cause a problem, especially since the Elfreth would have to charge the length of the bridge.

Eriao gestured at parts of the barricade. “Oldest, most of the barricade is made from concrete and metal. We will not be able to tear it down easily.”

“It looks like it's been there awhile,” she added, pointing at a set of rusty metal double doors built directly in its center.

“Should we turn back?”

Elise studied the people standing on top of it waiting for them. They were an assortment of men and women, some young, some elderly. Many were fit and well-armed, others injured and holding spears; all looked determined to not let the Elfreth pass. Perhaps they should just turn back.

She looked back down the bridge toward the building from where they had come. Turning around wouldn't solve their problems. There was nothing for them back there. This place, this All Galaxy Tower, looked like the best chance for the Elfreth to find a place to settle. Her people were exhausted, some half-dead on their feet. They had to stop running. Elise gritted her teeth. She had gotten them into this situation. She would get them out.

Elise walked toward the barricade, shrugging off Eriao when he tried to hold her back. Her heart hammered in her chest as she saw the dozens of weapons, all pointed at her. “We come in peace. I wish to speak with your leader, your chief,” she said in a loud, slow, clear voice. She inhaled and exhaled with each step, half expecting to hear a bang and something rip through her guts at any moment.

She waited as the people standing on the parapet above her chattered among themselves. Her gaze fell upon a young man who holstered his rifle and locked in on her. She noticed a small red light moving up her chest to her face. These people had some advanced weapons after all. She continued forward, one slow step after another.

“This is Flatirons land,” a woman's voice called out. “None enters. Go around.”

“Please.” Elise no longer cared about keeping the desperation out of her voice. “We are willing to offer a trade for sanctuary in your building.”