The Omega Device (The Ha-Shan Chronicles Book 1) (28 page)

Maggie shot a mournful laugh at Reese.

“And here you
stand, dumb as a fucking beast,
believing their bullshit!
I'm using you? Look in the mirror. Whose strings are on your back?
They're
responsible for this.
All of it.
All those people you've killed, the Protectorate, the bystanders, they're just like me—caught in the middle, trying to survive. Do you even know what Omega
wants
?”

Reese's eyes were fierce but eerily calm, “A weapon.”

“You don't even know! Has West really kept you out of the loop? Does
he
even know?” Reese's face was blank, save a slight twitch at a corner of her left eye. “Answer me, Reese!”

“No!” She spat, eyes on the ground.

Maggie shook her head in disbelief. “You're half-right, it
is
a weapon. But it's not just any weapon. It's meant to wipe-out
Humanity. All
of Humanity. That
includes
you. No matter how different you think you are, how twisted your mind is, you're
still
human. Your blood's red. The weapon doesn't care about your allegiance. It doesn't give a
fuck
about your damage. It just
is.
It exists with a singular intent: to exterminate us. If Omega gets that weapon, whatever they're promising you—”

She sighed and her shoulders slumped.

“It's not worth it, Reese. If you're fucked up, fine. Whatever. Deal with it. If you need danger to feel alive, go rob a bank or jump from a plane. Otherwise, keep your damage where it belongs; in
your
head.”

Maggie stared at the contemplation in Reese's face. She took a long drag, exhaled with more spite than enmity, “I don't need life advice from you.”

Maggie snorted, turned away for a moment, then rounded critically, “One day Reese, you'll have to choose between what's right and what's wrong—If only because what's wrong's going to get you killed. In that moment, you'll realize the choice is if you want to live the rest of your life as a shadow's puppet. You say
I'm
using you but they aren't my strings attached to you.”

Reese seemed more calm than Maggie thought possible. She flicked her cigarette away, turned for the door. Maggie stopped her with a final remark, “Just remember
this;
it isn't
my
fight. It's Humanity's. You want to die a slave, remain content.”

Reese huffed, headed inside. Maggie followed, her mind racing.

She'd hoped allowing West to leave would keep the situation more manageable, but she'd never imagined having any actual control. She-La had said that Reese was the least invested in Omega, while Thorne seemed to acknowledge their own, collective fear of defying Omega. Despite it, Maggie had never expected to reach either on a human level. Then again, she'd never had a real plan to begin with, only a need.

West was out of control, certain to never see logic or reason, but the others might. Reese, however unpredictable, was most concerned with self-preservation. As per his reaction to West's abuse, Thorne needed only an obvious benefit or guarantee of safety to defy Omega.

An epiphany emerged in Maggie's mind. Her most-recent outburst had revealed more than a new perspective, it had also drastically revised her view of her place in things. Her mind had often wandered to the warriors on her arm. Now she saw a warrior within her awakening. It was the thing incubated by the fire.

The realization shined light along a road paved by what she'd survived. Her only hope of reaching it end lay in pitting her natural skills against Omega. Of one she was certain; her ability to understand people. It had helped start her business, envisioned on paper what others had seen in their heads. Now, that singly useful skill would help them get out alive.

24.

Decryption

October 7
th
 

1:45 AM

Lhasa Warehouse

Maggie and Russell spent their time scanning each page of the books with hand-held infrared scanners. Thorne had explained that the powerful beams recorded the images, allowing his software to  assign alike-characters definitions based on possible relevance from dictionaries. Then, it compiled them into several example passages. Thorne picked the most coherent, then ensured the program properly interpreted the rest of the text.

Presently, Maggie scanned a new-Chinese volume beside Russell on a cot. Her vision bounced between the book and Reese across the room, her back to them. Both she and Thorne wore headphones stuffed in and on their ears, the room quiet otherwise. Russell glanced up every few seconds, his tension palpable.

 He pivoted sideways, whispered, “What the hell'd you say to her?”

“I told her the truth,” Maggie replied in a hush.

“That's helpful.”

She carefully turned a page. Her hand hovered along it at a sluggish pace, eyes on the beam. She shifted to the next, “It's what I told her.”

“I can't tell if she's ready to snap or if her mind's just running.”

“What makes you think it's either?”

His spine quivered, “She's too damn quiet.”

“I wouldn't let my guard down, if that's what you're getting at.” She took a deep breath, turned the page, “She only cares about herself. Whatever she does is for her own benefit. Telling her the weapon's purpose could only open her up to us.”

“What?”

“Russell, she had no idea. Every
Human
has an interest in what we're doing. Inasmuch as she'd like to deny it, she
is
H
uman. She
wants
to survive. More importantly, she has pride and she's being led around on a leash. We
both
know she doesn't like that.”

“Is telling her really smart? What if
Omega
doesn't
know?”

Maggie sighed, “I told her the truth, Russell. That's it. Everyone involved needs to know the stakes, regardless of sides. Neither one of them
trusts
West. They don't care about
Omega.
They're just scared of fighting them. You saw that.”

He tilted his head in agreement, “So what, you want to turn them?”

She gave an earnest look, “This isn't about mind games. It's not even about right and wrong. All I wanted was to show her she
is
part of the world, no matter what she thinks. If she doesn't want to be a pawn, she'll have to recognize the real fight. Thorne too.”

Russell mused, “It's not a stretch to think Omega will want to test the weapon, and if it's as dangerous as it's said to be, they'd be the first group to go.”

A momentary silence ensued before Maggie agreed.

“The strike-force
are
an expendable asset,” Russell said. Maggie flipped a page of her book and he mused further. “Accidental or otherwise, they'd be the first casualties. Their loyalty's more convenient than they'd like to admit. So whatever's forced them to commit to Omega's the hurdle. West likes drugs. Thorne had legal trouble, but Reese…”

Maggie caught on, “Whatever's brought her here isn't enough given proper incentive. You can see it if you look hard enough. We just need to show her.”

“What about West? He'll come back eventually.”

She was silent. West was a valid threat, his return inevitable. He would either try to kill them or take them prisoner. Without Reese, any escape might be impossible. Moreover, Thorne couldn't fully decrypt the data if they left without him.

She looked to Russell at a loss, “Our only advantage is that he's completely out of control. That was clear enough when he left us here alone—and nearly beat Reese to death.”

“It's still a risk. We're relying on logic with someone that's not entirely mentally stable.”

“Russell,
please
just trust that I'm right. We need to
try
.”

He saw the sincerity in her, exhaled a long, heavy breath. Despair clutched at his chest. “Alright. I don't really like it, but we're not going to end up any more dead otherwise.” Maggie gave a pained look. “Be honest, but don't let your guard down. Don't push it and…” He trailed off. “Just be careful.”

She agreed, playing over how to approach Reese. Another hour of silence passed before Reese rose again to smoke. She sneered at Maggie to follow. They headed out in-step, the mountain's night air chilling Maggie through her long sleeve shirt.

She stepped out behind Reese, the glow of the city to her left. Reese rounded with her arms crossed. Cool wind whispered through the warehouse-district, abandoned in the late hour. Reese lit a cigarette, began to pace a short distance with swift, frustrated movements. Maggie sensed a deeper inner-conflict than she'd given Reese credit for.

She pursed her lips, blew smoke from her nose, “I heard you…
talking
.”

“Yeah, and?”

“You think I'm a mental case? That this is some fucking game?”

Maggie's face was blank. “If you'd really heard me, you'd know I think the opposite.”

Reese took a harsh drag, “I don't fucking like you, Doherty. I really don't. I'd be happier if you were dead.”

“Yeah, well, I'm not,” she replied idly.

Reese's fury grew. “Yeah, well, you should be.”

“Something I say get under you skin?”

“You know damn well I'm nobody's pawn!” Reese roared.

“Looks different from here,” Maggie replied, sickly satisfied by Reese's squirming.

Reese rushed Maggie. She grappled her, spun sideways. Maggie's back  slammed the metal warehouse. Reese clasped her throat, held her there. Maggie refused to struggle, knew Reese's hope lay in terrifying her.

Reese leaned to whisper, her tone bordering on seduction, “I could kill you right now. Snap your neck. Leave you where you fall.”

Maggie fought not to gasp, retained her cool. She pressed a cheek to Reese's, whispered back, “You won't. Because then they win.”

Reese grit her teeth, growled to a crescendo, and slammed Maggie back against the warehouse. She released her to step away and turned in a huff with a long drag of her cigarette. Maggie choked for breath, doubled over with her hands on her knees.

Reese whirled to loom over her, “I'm no pawn. For you or anyone else.
If
I help you, I'm yours; if I stay, I'm theirs. So what? Just leave? Run away?”

“You'd be hunted down,” she replied in a rasping inhale.

Reese internalized her anger, spit a snide question, “So tell me,
Miss Molly,
what are my options, really? No bullshit. Say I agree with you. What do
I
gain by helping the English tart?”

She took a deep breath, straightening, “Stop thinking the world wants to control you. Fuck, Reese, you're
not
that special.”

“Sorry,
sweetheart
, things aren't that simple.”

“What happened to you, Reese?”

“Why don't you just shut the fuck up,
Molly.
” She flicked her cigarette away, stepped for the door.

“No, I want to know.”

Maggie shoved her sideways. Reese stumbled, caught herself on a wall, too stunned to respond with violence. “I'm just not miss-priss, hell-bent on saving the world.”

“No, you're miss hard-ass, hell-bent on destroying it.”

Reese shoved her back, “Maybe, but maybe I'm alright with that.”

“Even if it kills you!?”

“Fuck if I care,” Reese said, shoving her to the ground. She grasped the doorknob.

“I
do!
”

Maggie lunged. She tackled Reese's knees, knocked her into the sheet-metal. Reese's fury burst. A fist slammed Maggie's face, knocked her onto her back. She knelt over Maggie, landing blows into her sides and abdomen. She blocked out the crippling pain and gripped the wound in Reese's arm, squeezed with all of her might. Reese howled, jerked back, pulled Maggie to her feet. She struggled to shake Maggie's grip as she screamed spittle.

Maggie taunted with a torrential out-pour, “Go ahead! Beat me like West did! I'm sure daddy's proud to see you in his shoes.”

Reese gave a blood-curdling rasp, unleashed a barrage on Maggie's face with her free hand. Her head ricocheted like a rag-doll. An arm made futile attempts to block. Maggie took a blow, jabbed Reese's throat. They fell together, Reese struggled to breathe.

Maggie centered her weight on Reese's chest, laid into her knees, “Is this what you want?”

She jabbed a fist into Reese's jaw. Blood ran from fresh wounds. She ignored the pain and growing heat in her body, unleashed a flurry of blows.

“Is this what you're missing? No control. Being tousled like a slut?”

“Fuck you!”

“Yeah, I bet you would!” Maggie spit flecks of blood, gripped Reese's wound with one hand. The other slugged her abdomen. “That's it isn't it? That's why you're here. You like it, don't you?” Maggie's eyes widened above a sadistic smile. “It's not like you know much else, you fucking tramp!”

Maggie pummeled Reese with uncontrolled rage. Blood soaked the hand clenching the wound. Part of her wanted to stop, knew it was wrong. The rest felt it was only a matter of time before Reese gave in and her emotional barriers collapsed. Only then could she reach the woman beneath.

She was tired of Reese's attitude. Tired of wasting time fighting. She needed her help. The whole damned world might depend on it. She wanted to beat Reese senseless. Break her down. Make her stop fighting whatever was inside. Maggie's fists ached. Her strength waned with her adrenaline.

Finally, with each blow came a word, “This. Isn't. About. You. It's. Bigger. Than. Your.
Bullshit!
”

Maggie mustered the last of her might and pelted Reese's cheek. Her head knocked against the pavement. Maggie stumbled back, hyperventilating. She fell against the warehouse, body splayed in exhaustion.

Reese was silent, dazed. Maggie's breathed in ragged gasps. It took a full-minute for Reese to roll toward her with a long groan. It was an awkward sound—almost pleasure-filled.

Reese spit a wad of blood sideways, wiped her mouth. She pulled Maggie forward by her collar, grabbed the back of her head and tongued her. It took a moment before Maggie's mind caught up. She pushed away. Reese rolled sideways, let out a heavy breath and licked her lips.