The Last Mission of the Living (The Last Bastion #2)(25)

“His whole squad was wiped out by Curran’s Anomalies. It wasn’t his fault. Those things were... clever.”

“There will be an investigation and the review board will make a decision.”

“Which review board? SWD? Or Constabulary?”

“There will probably be an independent board assigned by President Cabot in the interim. There will be a lot internal reviews and reordering of the duties of both the SWD and Constabulary.”

Lindsey sighed. “It was awful seeing those soldiers transformed like that.”

“The question is: did you get all of them? Another reason I need you up to full strength. The Constabulary will have to be a part of making sure each and every Scrag is destroyed. We can’t risk an outbreak again.”

The thought of a new plague was enough to send a shiver through Lindsey.

“Now, go home, Vanguard. I’ll see you later.”

Lindsey stood, picked up her cane, and reluctantly departed.



*



The streets were still packed with people. Whereas earlier, when word of the final clearing of the valley had sent the citizens into the streets to celebrate, news of the attempted coup had people clustered around portable vid screens while discussing the latest development.

Since the trains weren’t running, Lindsey had to walk home. Usually Vaja gave her a ride on the back of his precious bike, but he was nowhere to be seen when she left the Constabulary headquarters. She had waited for a bit in the spot where he usually picked her up, but after he didn’t show up, she started the trek home.

No one seemed to notice her for a few long blocks, then a young woman with a bright green kerchief wrapped around her head spotted her.

“Hey, you!” the woman said, hurrying to Lindsey’s side. “You need a ride?”

Lindsey tilted her head and stared curiously at the stranger. “I would love one, but I don’t see how—”

“Wait right here!”

The redhead vanished, then returned a minute later with a tall, bald man with large shoulders and enormous arms. The woman now carried colorful oversized pillows that had been patched numerous times. “Boris will take you home, officer.”

“How?” Lindsey asked, eyes widening. “He’s not going to carry me?”

“No, no,” the man guffawed. Popping open a storage unit tucked into the side of a building, he pulled out a wheelbarrow.

The redhead set the pillows in the bottom and Boris motioned for Lindsey to get in.

Not sure if she should feel awkward or relieved, Lindsey just giggled.

“Let me take you back to your home. You’ve done so much for us,” Boris pleaded. “Tina agrees. Tight, Tina?”

The redhead named Tina nodded. “Please?”

“Okay! Why not?” Lindsey awkwardly settled onto the pillows and grimaced as her leg protested. With some discomfort, she managed to get situated in a position that didn’t cause her a lot of pain.

Boris lifted the handles and easily rolled her down the street with Tina rushing along at his side.

“Now, where do you live?” Boris asked.

Lindsey told him, grateful at the kindness. It wasn’t the most comfortable way to travel, but it would have been very difficult for her to make it home alone. Several drones rolled past, flashing vids of the epic battle for the valley while also broadcasting a short, looped speech from President Cabot. Lindsey felt the eyes of many people on her as Boris wheeled her up and down the narrow, congested streets. Many reached out to pat her and a few shouted words of thanks.

“See! You’re a hero!” Boris said with a giant grin on his face.

“I’m just doing my job.”

“We’re going to have a farm,” Tina said to Lindsey excitedly. “We already applied this morning as soon as they put the applications on the net.”

“No more road repair for me,” Boris said happily. “I’m going to grow wheat so I can have good bread again. The kind my mother used to make.”

“Everything is different now. Can’t you feel it?” Tina grinned, the flush of her cheeks blending into her many freckles.

Lindsey tilted her head to watch a tiltrotor fly overhead. “Yeah,” she said. “I feel it.”

When they arrived at her flat, Vaja didn’t meet her at the door. There wasn’t a sign that he’d been home yet. Tina and Boris only left after making sure she was safely inside.

Exhausted, Lindsey took a hot shower before climbing up the stairs to her bed tucked onto the platform over her computers and desk. Her flat was very small and it was stuffy. She turned on a fan and checked the time. There would be at least three hours of circulated air before the rolling blackouts hit her area of the city. Adjusting the pillow under her head, she wondered where Vaja had gone. It felt strange to be alone in her small space after so much had happened. Tina and Boris were right. The world had changed, but she had no one to share the experience with.

Her wristlet chimed and she instantly swiped the screen.

It wasn’t Vaja.

It was a message from Torran.

It said one word: Thanks.





Part 2

COLD WARS AND ALLIANCES





Chapter 8


Lindsey stared at her leg for a long moment, then slowly extended it, pointing her toes. She’d painted her nails bright blue and they were a definite contrast to the gray concrete floor of her flat. Flexing her ankle, she was amazed by the lack of pain. Bending her knee, she did a few sharp kicks. Everything worked perfectly. After almost two years of being disabled, it was wonderful to actually be able to move without the endless gnawing pain. She’d been unconscious for nearly twenty-four hours while they had replaced nearly every part of her leg and stitched her back together. She had only experienced dreams toward the end of her sedation. In those dreams, she’d been running away from Scrags on legs that actually worked properly. It had been a relief to awaken in the safety of the Med Center, free of pain and without a Scrag in sight.