Mason dived in the middle, throwing Seekers away. He turned to the children. Eight or nine years old. Both bald as a baby moles. At a guess, one boy, one girl. “Are you hurt?” They stared, silent, eyes yellow in thermal. Mason turned, shooting a Seeker in the leg, another in the shoulder, before letting go the weapon. He grabbed a kid under each arm and ran for the pyramid.

  The robots at the pyramid’s base patrolled, firing gas at any who came too close. Mason passed them, entering the yawning entrance of the structure, slowing his route. He put the children down, his arm shaking in complaint. Mason pulled out a flashlight, turning it on, switching optics to normal vision. He crouched before them. “Are you okay?”

  They nodded, speaking as one. “Yes.”

  They had none of the haughtiness of Masters. Just two kids, out for a stroll in a swamp infested with Seekers? “Where did you come from, and why are you here?” The direct approach often worked best.

  “We came from the east. We’re here for you.” They spoke at the same time, smiles on their faces. Their expressions were so similar Mason did a double-take. “We are the oracle.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Building a gate on short notice was hard. Delilah had another not-entirely-simple mission: get a gate from the place there might still be one: Apsel Federate.

  Reed Interactive probably had a prototype too, but Sadie shook her head when Delilah suggested it. While Reed was empty, all cares gone, they needed a gate sooner rather than later. That meant getting a functioning product, complete with control systems. Sadie said, Dee, that fucker Gairovald had one in his office. He doesn’t need it anymore.

  Delilah nodded, picked her team, and headed out. She left Lace at Afterlife. She might be the best hacker next to Carter, but her chair was a dealbreaker. Mike had too much attitude, so Delilah benched him too. Which left Sam and Harry. Harry seemed dependable, although she’d have liked to see his face and measure the man. Sam’s need to be better than Delilah meant she was perfect.

  She’d commandeered a dropship from Metatech after giving Omar just the right amount of side-eye. Palmed the door controls, nodded Harry inside, and hopped up front. The aircraft was newer than the last she’d flown, but the controls were in the right place. Sam joined her, sliding her rifle into the rack by the copilot’s chair. Delilah put her hands on the sticks, hard link bringing the machine to life.

  The machine howled as she gunned the turbines, pushing it into the rainy night. The aircraft was as heavy as expected with Harry’s chassis in the back. She linked the three of them together and got a comm request from him straight away. “I love road trips.”

  “I love road trips with certain death at the end.” Sam’s face looked like she’d spent the past ten minutes eating lemons.

  “We’ll be fine.” Delilah kept the dropship low, taking her through the streets. Fires below tried their best to shine in the rain, but only the most enthusiastic rioters with accelerant to spare could get cars alight. Her overlay, linked with the aircraft’s cams, tracked thrown bottles. No one down there had the kind of pitch needed to tag her, and it wasn’t like a Molotov would bother a Metatech vehicle anyway.

  “You’re not the one heading in the sharp end.” Harry didn’t sound unhappy about it. “It doesn’t feel quite right going against the old team, though.”

  “If we do this right, we won’t be going against anyone. You’re for moral support.” Delilah tagged the Federate’s tower on her overlay, sharing telemetry with Sam and Harry. “We’re going in through the roof.”

  “Via the roof.” Sam gave her a glance.

  “No, I mean through.” Delilah kept her face bland. “Like I said, we’ll be fine.”

  “I feel like I need more operational details.” Audio gave her a clank as Harry shifted in the hold.

  “Okay. We’re going to blow the roof. You drop inside and provide the usual fear-for-your-life histrionics all total conversions are known for. Sam and I will rappel in after, grab the gate, and get out.”

  “I don’t want to rain on your parade, but I think there’s a wrinkle.” Sam leaned back on her chair, trying for a little forced calm. “We’re not getting in through the air defense grid. We’re sure as shit not getting out after we take the prize.”

  “Sure we are. Leave that to me.” Delilah pushed the aircraft harder, engines whining. “Carter, you there?”

  “Yes. I’ve got you on approach to certain death in ten seconds.”

  “Do your thing.” Delilah opened a comm channel to the Federate. “This is Apsel Federate transport whisky tango foxtrot sixty-niner, requesting approach vector for executive drop-off.”

  The link hummed as Apsel’s comm officers checked their dispatch board. Sam goggled. “WTF sixty-nine?”

  “Felt right at the time.” Delilah waited. Her link hissed as Carter reached out, slicing through Apsel’s systems like only someone born there could.

  “We have your approach confirmed, transport. Easy flying.” The link from the Federate dropped, the tower looming large in the storm. Delilah brought the machine higher, turbines beating the air. The sticks vibrated in her hands as she made the machine work for it.

  The top of the Federate’s tower was smooth and white, landing lights guiding them in. Delilah ignored them, the overlay highlighting the area above Gairovald’s office. Not there. Too close. Delilah ordered a targeting solution for the roof in the executive waiting room outside, then selected a BUNKER BUSTER from the ordnance list. The aircraft spat a rocket, a white-hot contrail sizzling through the rain.

  It hit the top of the Federate tower, concrete and metal exploding into the sky. Delilah keyed the link comm. “And it’s on.”

  “I’m going,” said Harry. The lifter’s side groaned open. Harry jumped out. His chassis wore a lifter harness, plumes of flame slowing his descent as he dropped into the building.

  “We’re up.” Delilah told the dropship to hover, unsnapped her harness, and headed aft. Sam was hot on her heels. They reached the yawning side door, rain lashing the inside of the aircraft. Delilah kicked a metal loader out, watching as it fell into the night, then attached a motorized grapple to a line, Sam following suit. They jumped, line hissing as they dropped. The lifter held above, the engines’ roar urging them on.

  Glowing metal. Smoking concrete. Rain and milky water. Delilah landed amid it, unclipping her line. Harry faced the elevator, chain cannons ready to rock. Delilah went the other way into Gairovald’s office. The door hung at a crazy angle, concrete chips and metal rebar scattered inside.

  She took point, sidearm held low. Her laminar armor felt close and comfortable. The aircraft’s roar muted as they got under cover. Sam followed, hauling the metal loader, wheels crunching stone chips. The office reeked of wealth. The black desk was overturned near a wall. Bingo. Delilah headed for the wall, link questing ahead. She found the access panel where Sadie said it would be and opened it.

  Inside, crystals sat in the floor, a console waiting for command. Lights bloomed as they entered, a woman’s voice asking, “Destination?”

  “Shut that shit down.” Delilah yanked her tool bag open. She went to work on the gate’s parts, severing the power line in a hiss of sparks as her plasma torch sheared through. Her optics muted the glare. Sam worked by her side as they stripped the gate tech from Gairovald’s secret sconce.

  “Guys, I’m getting static out here.” Harry’s link-voice was joined by the roar of chain gun fire, the floor vibrating under Delilah. She kicked overtime in, sparks slowing their journey as time calmed itself.

  They worked, fast and ruthless, throwing components into the loader. They could fix things later. “Almost there, Harry.”

  “No, take your time. I’m fine.” The link popped as Apsel guards fired an EMP. “Fuckers!” The room shook, plaster silting from the roof as Harry launched a rocket.

  “He loves his job, doesn’t he?” Sam stood, sweat pouring down her face.

  “He’s got a work ethic.” Delilah checked the room. Holes marred the once-beautiful surfaces. The metal loader crested with gate tech. “Time to go.”

  The floor in the middle of Gairovald’s office erupted, concrete blowing upward. It was about what Delilah expected. She unslung her belt, tossing it forward. Delilah had six grenades on the belt, and as it slipped from view, she remote-detonated them. Fire roiled from the pit.

  She grabbed the loader, hauling as Sam pushed. They navigated around the pit, making the lobby. Delilah attached the loader to a line, sending it skyward. She nodded to Sam. “After you.”

  Sam fired her assault rifle into Gairovald’s office, then snapped to a line, soaring above. Delilah watched her go, rain falling in a deluge.

  “You next.” Harry crunched in the rubble, his voice gleeful.

  “Let’s go together.” Delilah clambered on his chassis like a monkey, holding on with her free hand, sidearm ready. Harry crouched, chassis bunching. He jumped, the rush almost yanking Delilah’s arm from her socket, bionics be damned. Mid-air, he ignited the lifter harness, fire blasting expensive Apsel carpet. Flames raged below as they climbed for the lifter above.

  Smooth like he’d practiced it a hundred times, Harry brought them inside. She jumped clear, the lifter harness pinking with heat. Sam secured the loader in the hold, offering Delilah a crazed smile. “I had no idea that would work.”

  “It hasn’t yet.” Delilah ran to the front. They needed to get clear. Slinging herself onto the pilot’s chair, she waited the precious heartbeats for Sam to strap in.

  Bullets ricocheted from the canopy, the panels in front of Delilah screaming TARGET LOCK. She grabbed the sticks, yawing the aircraft through the sky, rain and wind squalling from the turbines. Rockets flared. Time to go. She nosed the lifter down, taking it over the side of the Federate’s tower.

  Floors raced by as they went straight toward the road below. Sam keened, hands like claws on her harness. Harry whooped. Delilah held the sticks through overtime, marking their decent velocity and altitude.

  Fifty floors from the deck, she hauled the lifter’s nose up, the engines screaming like wounded horses. The airship groaned, parts creaking as the frame took the load. Delilah asked more from the engines as the ground approached. Rockets blasted past from above, hammering the street.

  The aircraft pulled up, howling in defiance as it skimmed the ground, racing away from the Federate tower. Delilah grinned. Alive!

  Afterlife was a balm to the soul. Delilah had only been here a couple days, but even the way it smelled felt right. Sadie walked like she was uncomfortable with command and wished people would just work it out, but also did what was necessary. Made the hard calls other people wouldn’t. Sadie might be a little like Samson, although Delilah didn’t think she was the falling-on-your-sword type.

  More likely to run you through with it.

  The whine of the leaving dropship faded as Metatech took it away. They had other designs on the aircraft. Delilah strode toward Sadie, leaving Afterlife’s doors open behind her as Mike helped Sam bring the gate components inside. Harry worked his way to a charging station. A few loaned Metatech techs waited inside to reload his ordnance. Delilah didn’t miss how Lace’s face loosened a notch as Harry entered. Nor did she miss how Harry’s optics looked for her first, ignoring everything else.

  “Rough day at the office?” Sadie smoked a silver-foiled cigarette, leaning back on a chair, its front legs in the air. A console rested in front of her, screen glowing a soft light. A forgotten glass caught the glint and played it across the table.

  “Nothing unexpected.” Delilah sagged on a chair. She eyed the whisky but ignored it. It was more habit than anything else, and something told her she’d need her wits about her. Things were going far too smoothly for her liking. “There will be consequences.”

  “Maybe.” Sadie’s eyes reflected the glowing ember of her cigarette. “That’s why we’ve got all the BSDs heading out.”

  “BSDs?”

  “Big swinging dicks.” Sadie flicked ash to the floor. “We’ll be fine.”

  The console brightened as Carter joined the conversation. “I wouldn’t count on it. We’ve got inbound.”

  “From where?” Delilah straightened.

  “Metatech. But not. There’s a newsreel here,” the console showed the murmur of a newscast, scrolling text reading METATECH ORGAN FACILITY ATTACKED IN TERROR STRIKE, “which suggests we have a problem.”

  Delilah stood. “We have a big problem.”

  “I feel like I’m missing something.” Sadie didn’t look ready to fight, her face thin and tired. Delilah had seen that look before on people who took too many of the wrong drugs.

  “Metatech organ facilities replace people’s meat with tech.” Delilah checked her sidearm, sliding it back into her holster. “They use the meat for people with organ transplant issues. Big PR wheel of life. Lottery system, whole works. Problem is, people coming out the back of the system get a Metatech link, on top of Metatech bionics.”

  “Fuck.” Sadie sat like standing was too hard even if her chair was on fire. “They’re coming here?”

  “You tossed HumanE’s last guards like a salad. They’ll want bigger guns for reclaiming me.” Carter hummed. “I’ve got ten aircraft coming toward us.”

  Delilah grabbed a Metatech assault rifle by the door, checking the action. She paused as she was about to leave. “You better pray they don’t make it.”

  HumanE could make soldiers from ordinary people, so troops weren’t the issue. When you had no weapons, make ‘em. It’s what they’d taught Delilah in basic training before they turned her loose on the world. HumanE were sending aircraft toward them, full of people. Those aircraft would be laden with jet fuel. They would explode just fine if they crashed.

  It wouldn’t matter how many Decided and Complied links Carter could free when those people came in range. Those aircraft come in like missiles, the promised cozy glow of fuel enough to start a raging furnace, turning Afterlife into a funeral pyre.

  Delilah keyed the link, asking Harry to join her outside. Mike came, and Sam too, this time hefting a sniper rifle almost as long as she was tall. Delilah raised an eyebrow but was thankful for the help. They’d need it.

  Harry clanked down the street, taking point. “What’s with the broom?”

  Mike snapped the head from his broom. “It feels like a non-lethal response.”

  “It’s a stupid response.” Harry continued on, not looking back.

  Sam trotted to the other side of the street where the damaged building slumped. She ducked inside, lost from view. No doubt heading for a vantage point to use the rifle without getting killed. Sensible.

  Delilah would prefer to join her. Her bionics were for stealth, not head to head action. You don’t always get to pick the way the fight goes.

  The hunger of the first aircraft’s engines broke over the constant drum of the rain. Delilah squinted, optics trying to find it, but Harry saw it first. The big railgun on his shoulders thundered, a bloom of fire filling the sky klicks out. Mike scrambled for cover beside a damaged car. Delilah ran across the street then up, using a cargo van for shelter. Looters stripped it bare, nothing left but the frame, but that would serve her fine.

  Another bloom of flame marked Harry finding a target, then he dropped off their link. Delilah peered into the rain. “Harry?”

  Her link hissed as Carter joined in. “They’ve got a half-way decent hacker. She’s running interference on our front line.” Delilah’s overlay highlighted an inbound aircraft. “They’ve also got a motherfucker named Goliath. I’ve got to go.” With a pop of static, she dropped comm.

  An aircraft screamed overhead, ejecting pods. Delilah raised her rifle, firing. She may as well have fired a pop-gun, the rounds bouncing from the armored capsules. They impacted the street, asphalt rising to meet the rain. The pod canopies blew, people diving out.

  Ruby Page. Delilah saw the unmistakable outline of HumanE’s chief enforcer, shouldered her rifle, and fired. Ruby danced away. Delilah swore the other woman wore a smirk.

  Mike stood with his back to Afterlife’s main doors, fighting two men. He used his broom handle like a bo staff. Mike spun and ducked, untouchable, the hardwood tapping elbows, knees, and finally heads, leaving his opponents on the ground, out for the count.

  Ruby fired at Delilah, forcing her head down. Delilah raised her rifle over the cargo truck’s side, the cam on the front showing her the way, squeezing the trigger. She got five rounds off, all missing Ruby, before the other woman put a single round through the rifle’s optics. The weapon fragmented, Delilah yanking her hand back. Splinters of metal embedded in her hand, milky fluid leaking out. Her hand spasmed and shook, the feeling gone.

  Get to Harry. He’s got weapons. Delilah hunkered low, roadie-running up the street. She drew her camouflage cloak tight about her. Bullets chased her, but nothing hit, the night crazy with rain, smoke, and screaming.

  The crack of Sam’s sniper rifle was unmistakable, the big fifty promising death. Delilah risked a glance back, seeing Ruby had taken a hit in her body armor. The red-haired bitch still wore her ugly smile, savage now, as she fired on Sam’s position.

  Mike made for Ruby, but he now faced ten people, a swarm holding him back. Delilah raised her sidearm, firing, the muzzle flash giving away her position. Ruby shot her twice, armor piercing rounds going through her other arm and leg. She fell, crawling toward Harry’s position.

  Yelling, Mike threw his bo like a javelin. Ruby caught it, throwing it through one of her own team. She leapt to Sam’s position, crunching through the side of the building.

  Delilah made it to Harry, his big chassis quiet, rain drumming on it. She opened her link. She found hostile code everywhere. The source of the signal was an aircraft close by, the same one Carter tagged. The hacker. She beamed its location across the link. Help me. Can someone help me?

  Another crack from Sam’s rifle. An impossible shot, but it worked. The round hit the drive cowl of the aircraft five hundred meters away, rain roaring and swirling as the aircraft leaned. It slid from the sky trailing fire. Lost from view, the ground shook as it impacted.