“Why I should believe you?”

  “I already know you do.” Drake said. “Dathan hasn’t paid you since he took my blood has he?”

  “Get to your point, Drake.” 169 said coldly.

  “Meet me at the research station on Vastus in six hours.” Drake said. “We’ll negotiate my terms for giving you my euphodine.”

  “Is this the part where you tell me to come alone and unarmed?” 169 asked, the sarcasm in his voice obvious.

  “I’ll be armed.” Drake said. “So I don’t care if you are too. Just make sure you’re there.”

  Drake hung up the phone without another word to 169.

  “You’d better know what you’re doing.” Ryker said.

  “Evacuate the research station on Vastus.” Drake said. “And don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.”

  Chapter 31: Al

  Al stepped on to the command bridge. Most of the crew was already there.

  Even most of the medical staff had come to watch Drake’s negotiation.

  They had come to Vastus immediately after Drake’s conversation with 169, and set up cameras all around the station where Drake would meet for the negotiation.

  They had also fitted Drake with a microphone and an earpiece so they could hear what was said and communicate with him when they needed to.

  Drake would be going in alone in hopes of minimizing losses in case 169 became agitated and decided to just destroy Vastus.

  Al was questioning Drake’s plan, he hadn’t explained it to anybody, not even Al. But it did have elements of good planning.

  Vastus was just a moon to an uninhabited planet, although it had an atmosphere, nobody lived there, aside from researchers. If another planet had to be destroyed this wouldn’t be a bad one. But that was the only part of the plan Al understood.

  Al focused on the large screen at the front of the bridge. The screen was constantly through cameras trying to find the best angle.

  “Is Al there yet?” Drake’s voice came in over the speakers.

  “Yes, I’m here.” Al said. The room had microphones everywhere, so Drake heard if any of them said anything.

  “How’s Vahn doing?” Drake asked.

  “The doctors say he’ll live.” Al replied. “I fixed his wound as best as I could with Vhy’ Rai, but it will still be a few days before he’s able to do much.”

  “That’s ok.” Drake said, “At least he’ll recover. What about Angela?”

  “Still asleep.” Al said. “But her vitals are stable.”

  “Good.” Drake replied. “By the time she’s up, this will all be over.”

  “We all hope so.” Al replied.

  The camera angle changed to show an old, Human landing craft coming down about twenty yards away from where Drake stood.

  169 stepped out and strode toward Drake. He still had a sword at his waist, and his machine attached to his arm.

  “I’m glad you showed up.” Drake said.

  “You’re lucky I did.” 169 replied. “Now tell me your terms.”

  The jaws of everybody on the command bridge dropped as Drake drew out his revolver and fired an icicle into 169’s chest.

  “What are you doing, Drake!?” Ryker roared.

  Drake didn’t reply. He sprinted forward, drawing out his sword, and decapitated 169’s stunned body with one swift slash.

  Bringing the sword back around, Drake cut off 169’s arm, and then kicked over his limp body.

  He snatched the severed arm with the machine attached to it and sprinted from the Anti-Luck’s swiftly regenerating body.

  “I demand an explanation!” Ryker bellowed.

  “Just watch!” Drake yelled into his microphone as he opened 169’s machine, removing the bullets.

  He fumbled through them for a while until he found the one he was looking for and loaded it into his revolver, dropping the rest into his pocket.

  169 sprang back to his feet and drew out his sword the moment his body regenerated enough to move.

  He charged at Drake with a look of absolute rage on his face.

  Drake fired another icicle at 169, but he sidestepped it and continued his furious sprint.

  “You can’t win Drake!” 169 yelled as he ran. “You can’t kill me!”

  “Killing is no fun.” Drake said as he launched a fireball from his revolver. “I’m just trying to piss you off. Is it working?”

  Drake holstered his revolver and drew out his sword as 169 came closer, raising it up to block his attack, and then kicked him square in the chest sending him stepping backwards.

  “You know,” Drake said, “I think being immortal has made you worse at fighting. This’ll be easier than I expected.”

  169 swung his sword angrily, only to have it blocked again.

  Al wasn’t sure what to think as the fight unfolded on the screens.

  Drake had better know what he’s doing.

  If he lost this fight, then billions of people would lose their lives.

  *****************************

  Light flooded into Angela’s eyes as she awoke from her deep sleep.

  She looked around the room and recognized it as the infirmary wing of the Basileus.

  She paused for a moment and tried to remember how she’d arrived there.

  The memories came rushing back to her all at once. All the pain she’d felt while she was inside Drake’s memories, but worse than the pain itself, was her knowledge of what had caused it.

  Drake had torn his own soul in half to get past the Nightmares and get off Rabbit’s Foot.

  She needed to talk to him, but where was he?

  She stood up and started walking. It was a little shaky at first, but soon her steps normalized.

  The hallways of the ship were empty.

  Where had everybody gone?

  She continued to walk.

  Olivia would be on the command bridge, and she would probably know where to find Drake.

  She walked until she arrived at the command bridge.

  The room was packed. Crew from all parts of the ship sat in silence staring at a large screen.

  Angela pushed through the crowd until she was close enough to see what was on the screen.

  They were all watching Drake fighting against 169.

  “Drake!” She exclaimed.

  She saw on the screen as Drake paused in his fight.

  “Angela?” His voice came in through the speakers. “You’re awake?”

  169 capitalized on Drake’s momentary pause and rammed the tip of his sword through Drake’s stomach.

  Angela screamed.

  With 169’s sword still stabbed through his abdomen, Drake brought his own sword around and sliced off 169’s head, then stumbled backwards while 169’s body healed itself.

  “Angela.” Drake said, as he tore the sword free from his stomach. “I’m glad you’re ok. But I’m sorry I might not be able to keep my promise to help you find your family. I’m sure Al will help you out.”

  “No!” Angela yelled. “You can’t die!”

  “Calm down Angela.” Drake said. “I said I might not keep my promise. I could still win, you know.”

  “That’s wishful thinking Drake.” 169 said as he stood back up, his head fully regrown. “You can’t win against an immortal.”

  “I know of one way.” Drake said as he drew out his revolver and pointed it at the ground. “I took your taboo bullet. It’s in my revolver right now.”

  169 burst into laughter.

  “That’s your plan?” He asked, “I have a blood oath with the hemoignisium in that bullet. It won’t work for you.”

  “No offense 169.” Drake said. “But you’re an idiot. You used my blood in this bullet too. Let’s find out if it’ll work for me.”

  He pulled the trigger.

  A small ball of red light shot out of the barrel and dug into the ground.

  169 leapt forward onto Drake, knocking him down to the ground and pummeling him with his firsts.

  Within seconds the ground began to shake and tear apart.

  The screens went black.

  Angela burst into tears and fell to her knees.

  Through the massive viewing screen of the Basileus, she saw the moon of Vastus crush down to a fourth of its normal size and then release a massive shockwave as it exploded out into space.

  It was over.

  169 was dead.

  And so was the man she loved.

  Epilogue: 169

  169 gasped in pain as he tried to lift himself from the floor.

  His whole body hurt from the teleportation.

  What had Drake been thinking? He made the whole show of destroying Vastus just to give 169 his teleportation bullet back before the explosion could kill them.

  Did Drake fear death so much that in his final moments he’d abandoned his plan?

  If that was true then Drake was truly a coward.

  169 had done terrible things to get the euphodine he needed to live. But that was only because he had something he needed to live for.

  It was shameful to pretend to be willing to die for a cause only to lose conviction at the last moment.

  169 rose to his feet only to have the barrel of Drake’s revolver shoved into his face.

  “I’m glad you’re up 169.” Drake said. “It’s time for us to negotiate.”

 

 

  Quilter, Daniel M., A Soul Divided (The Blood Fire Trilogy Book 1)

 

 

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