Chapter 10: 09: EXPENSIVE

Willem Grimley lived in a strange home for a Union admin. Elias found that out within minutes of breaching Grimley’s residence in North-Northwest. He entered through the backyard with Commander Jamal Noor, the vice president of Silatem, acting as mission navigator. Using UIA override keys, the men gained entry to the property without triggering Grimley’s installed security measures. Once inside, Elias decided it was one of the weirdest places he’d ever encountered, which meant something considering the oddities he’d passed before.

What stood out to Elias were Grimley’s fine items, some of which he’d seen in Altirian Elite and priced far beyond what an A3 employee could afford. Bubbling jets frothed luminescent water in Grimley’s spacious in-ground pool reflecting the climate shield’s ambient light display. As he and Noor hurried past, he couldn’t recall the last time he’d seen such an impressive arrangement.

Automatic lights inside the home activated when they entered, and bright flashes flickered as they navigated. Grimley noticed right away that someone had intruded into his home, running from the triggering lights. The admin’s footsteps pattered in rapid success as Elias followed the sound, hearing Noor close behind.

They split to cover more ground, and sprinted through linked rooms until they cornered Grimley in a dim study. Elias stifled reaction, glimpsing a room full of animal carcasses. Hundreds of petrified beasts stared from every angle with glassy, dead eyes. A massive stag disfigured by a vicious attack took center stage and imposed over the room from an elevated pedestal.

Grimley wore the regulation blue and white of Civil Defense and shook with visible fear. He raised his arms in surrender as a wet stain spread across his trousers. Elias grimaced behind the tactical mask shielding his face. Piss, like puke and worse, were why Elias hated Stage One assignments.

Noor prepped the portable NAV unit for a blood sample, and pricked Grimley with a pick needle. He bowed his head as his gloved fingers fluttered over the NAV’s mechanical keys. “Willem Grimley, A3 Executive Administrator, age 52 and employed by Civil Defense. Harvest Eve is his birthday.” Noor looked at Grimley. “Happy birthday, sir, and Happy Harvest.” He waited for a response, but none came. “Ready to close, Six.” He tapped a sensor on the NAV to open a compartment, storing the pick inside.

Grimley’s eyes darted from left to right, peering at Elias and Noor. “You can’t just shoot me. I did bad things, yeah, but I don’t deserve to die. What are your bosses paying you? I’ll double it!”

“How insulting.” Elias kept his aim fixed on Grimley’s skull. “We came for data, so save the bribe.”

“Oh. You’re black shields.” Grimley snorted, contempt lacing his tone. “Union sent you.”

Elias continued without confirming. “Let’s talk. I recommend answering my questions.”

“If you’re from Union, you can’t torture me on home soil. We have standards here. I’m owed a trial!”

“Correct.” Elias nodded at Grimley’s outburst. “Trafficking weapons to Monkshood Militia doesn’t have to be a capital offense. Surrender now, and provide all your contacts.”

Grimley's frowned at Elias’ words. “Monkshood?” His stout body shook with sudden laughter. A smile touched his face as he scanned the men holding him hostage. “Not much intelligence in your intel. Why would hippies want to steal military equipment? They plant flowers over battle cruisers and would probably shoot themselves first.”

Elias and Noor exchanged glances. Noor’s masked head tilted as he prodded for more detail. “We want the truth, and you seem to know it. If not Monkshood, then who?”

“Fucking amateurs. If not Monkshood, then who?” Grimley mocked them. “Who, indeed? Who-who-who, you fucking cotton-head owl.”

Elias frowned. Grimley’s attitude stirred his irritation, though the bravado hinted exactly what Noor stated—the admin had information they needed. He spoke with flat affect.

“Tell us what happened to those warehouses.”

Grimley scoffed. “You’ll kill me after I talk, and say I attacked.”

“Not true. I’m gathering evidence, since I have to account for my time here. You know, to get paid.” Elias touched the frame of his goggles, zooming closer to the beads of sweat scattered over Grimley’s brow. “However, I’ve got limited patience. Ask this man why my engagement to his daughter failed. It’s the patience thing.” He nudged head toward Noor.

Noor turned toward Elias, adjusting his aim on Grimley. “It’s true. I’ve never seen something so promising derail into such an embarrassing disaster.”

Elias scowled. “You never—? Well, everyone’s got a view, and apparently so do you.” He wicked away bitterness over Noor’s daughter. “I don’t have many loves in my life, Mr. Grimley, but one of them is this pistol. No ether tanks or cartridges for this model, just a magazine loaded with nine jacketed gold core rounds. What I lose in carrying capacity I win in old-world nostalgia.” His words boomed in the stillness of the study. The steady tick of a hologram clock somewhere punctuated the passing seconds. “If you run, I’ll hit you.”

Grimley sneered. “I’m happy for you and your fucking gun.”

“Thank you.”

“Do I get a deal if I answer?”

Elias paused, considering. “I’ll think about it.”

“Think about it?” spluttered Grimley. “You scumbag—”

“Slow down.” Elias held up a palm to halt Grimley’s curses. “I’ll let you redeem yourself, but remember—I said all your contacts. Not one or a few.”

Grimley’s glare steeled. “I want a guarantee.”

“I guarantee you’ll go through the process. That includes the option of existing past tonight.” Elias shifted to a friendlier tone. “You’re glad we found you. I can tell. Huge weight on your shoulders, but we can help you resolve this.”

“I want a deal.” Silhouetted by the stag, Grimley appeared small.

“That’s possible.” Elias waved the pistol, though his watch stayed unblinking. “That’s up to MOJ and whatever other lines you crossed. You committed serious crimes, but that doesn’t mean I won’t be fair.”

“I don’t trust you.”

“You’ll have to, if you want to save yourself.” He repeated Noor’s question. “If not Monkshood, then who?”

“Monkshood.” An abrupt guffaw erupted. Grimley’s hands remained up, but the terror he’d displayed dampened into haughtiness. “You keep saying that name, but the idea doesn’t get less stupid.”

“Tell us why. We might be as stupid as you say.”

“Society activists aren’t the problem.” Grimley’s words tumbled forth. “Extreme groups splintered from Sinum after the Time, and Akil’s termination didn’t slow his global network. They still hate humanity, rejecting unity and Union’s push of Unifaith. Know who they are?”

“Maybe.” Elias shrugged. “How’s that relevant to you?”

Grimley’s attention darted between the men. “Big money’s moving for a reason.”

Noor’s mask shifted to peer at Elias. “Coup? A Sinum offshoot may be targeting us using high ranking recruits like Mr. Grimley. Who knows how his tasks might have escalated without this intervention.”

Elias scoffed at the reality of humanity’s oldest enemy slinking around ministry offices, bribing people entrusted to protect their population with a bag of gilar. Despite advancing past their bloody history from the past thousand years, idiots like Grimley yanked them back to their worst days. “You helped terrorists steal weapons, placing every resident in danger. Didn’t take you for a revolutionary, sir. Opportunist and traitor, yes, but nothing requiring unholy dedication.”

“I’m not dedicated. I made a few deals—”

“Huge deals.”

“I’m not in their cult. Couldn’t care less about this shit of a planet. I audit security feeds all day until my eyes bleed and lately, I’ve scraped from the winner’s plate.” Grimley smiled despite his precarious position. “The arms are insurance for their master plan. They’ve got another weapon coming that’s supposed to hit hard.”

Elias flickered with unease, though remained stoic. “What is it?”

“I don’t know.”

“Goddamn, Grimley, you're useless.”

“I told you, I’m not a member.” Grimley flinched as Elias took a step closer. “I heard my contact use the word sahluktu. That’s wildspeak. Means—”

“Annihilation.” Elias finished the translation as a chill pierced him. “Who’s the contact?”

“Don’t know. He masked his face and voice; approached me via COM with advanced security clearance, and paid fast. Took a year to get amounts that made me risk funneling weapons. Twenty to fifty-k, several times a week.” Grimley’s gaze darted around the items in his study. “Paid for all of this with plenty left.”

Elias nudged the pistol in Grimley’s direction. “So there’s an insider above you. S-tier to reach your COM, likely using an emergency frequency.”

“You’d know more about that.”

“Did you hold onto your communications?”

“Data had a timed wipe feature, and corrupted in seconds. I was paid with disposable Oasis Bank credits, and had to run my ass across sectors to get my cards at random locations. Always worried some bum would find it and haul ass with my money.”

“Can you reestablish contact?”

“He cut me off, but might be back.”

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

“Ha.” Elias chuckled. “Might.”

“What else do you want?” Grimley grunted. “I gave you the biggest story of your life—Union insiders assisting newly armed rebels while Sinum upstarts exist worldwide. Revealed a secret weapon and their plan for goddamned sahluktu. Connect the dots!”

“They’re already connected, and it’s always the same with those types. We look for them every minute, every day, everywhere. You gave no identifying details of your patrons, and revealed you’re a disposable asset. You’re worth as much as jack and shit.”

Grimley darkened. “So you’ll kill me.”

“I said surrender. If your information prevents a future attack, we’ll remember that. There’s another reason I’m here, though—something unrelated to your crime, but I figured I’d do double duty.” Elias sobered further, moving from bad news to worse. “A parasite’s lacing its way through your brain as we speak, and you’ll deteriorate in a slow, painful way unless you start sedation.”

“Sedation?” Grimley’s panic returned at the word. “I’m infected?”

“Yes,” said Noor. “You’re infected.”

“You’re lying.”

“No.” Elias wagged a finger. “It’s growing inside you. Have you been enjoying off-the-record bites at Moon Honey, or snorting anything new?”

“Haven’t been to Oasis in a while, and I always stay under tox levels.” Grimley touched his head like if he could feel the parasite. “There must be a way back.”

“Your best chance is continued cooperation.”

“Fine.”

Elias signaled to Noor that he’d look around the area, and Noor adjusted aim as Elias prowled, inspecting the morbid artifacts up close.

Grimley proved to be an equal-opportunity collector by the looks of it, and kept everything from expired felines to torn birds and swine fetuses. Some of Grimley’s specimens were labeled ‘EARTH’, indicating extreme value in the black markets. Elias never thought of himself a wildlife lover, but considered being nicer to vermin after Grimley’s display.

Behind the admin, he surveyed the massive statue of the mutated stag towering over Grimley’s height. The beast’s face was half there, with the other half scraped off in a gruesome manner. Bone-crushing antlers jutted from its skull into the air; it stared at Elias with frozen hatred out of one glassy eye.

“Grims.” Elias leaned closer. “You collect ugly shit.”

“Expensive tastes,” Grimley spat as he watched Elias wander. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“You’re right. I don’t.”

Elias halted in front of a canvas hanging between figures of two snarling dogs. It was a painting depicting a dark-skinned girl lying nude on a chaise. A silk scarf draped over her stiff body, and a deformed arm hung over her bare chest. A dead expression lay hidden within the shadows of her face.

“Who’s the girl?” He gestured at the image with his pistol. “She looks about eight or nine. Shows the void in her eyes. Someone activated her immortality before maturity, and it’s clear she’s suffering.” He peered back at Grimley. “Moon Honey got raided for dirty shit like this. Doesn’t matter if they do it to their own kind. You’ll get your ass handed to you for indulging, and rightfully so.”

Grimley sneered. “You’re fishing for more charges.”

“I won’t conceal evidence for you.”

“Fuck you.”

“Fuck me?” Elias heightened with feigned surprise. “Why? I’m being cordial.”

“Eat shit.”

“Eat shit. Ugh.” He made a face. “No thanks.”

Grimley’s hunched figure heaved, the tension bottling inside the admin until Grimley’s head shined with perspiration. “Fuck off.”

“Be wise, Grimley, or I’ll kill you. All deals are off the table.”

“Maybe I’ll do it myself, since it’s over for me anyway.”

Noor glanced at the two men facing off. “We've had targets kill themselves before, and it’s not pleasant. If you attack, that won’t end well, either.”

Elias huffed at the shaking Grimley. “How far do you think you’ll get? I told you how to save yourself.”

“Union’s for rats.” Grimley’s face colored. “Fuck all of you.”

“Great. So the interview’s over.”

“There’s a place in hell for you, nice and hot.”

“I’ll see you there.”

Grimley whipped out a pistol from his sleeve. At the flash of unauthorized movement, Elias fired, striking Grimley. Grimley loosed back three wild shots as Noor fired from the opposite side, striking Grimley too. Grimley grunted, streaking behind the stag, and concealed himself behind the statue’s height.

The men approached, but dove out of the away when Grimley barreled into the stag to shove it to the ground. A boom resounded as the statue hit polished tile and shook the room, setting off a chain reaction of falling items. The stag’s antlers shattered on impact; chunks of sharp bone pelted Elias as he rolled aside. He jumped back up and shook off debris, spotting Noor recovering nearby.

Flickers of lights flashed as Grimley ran again. Elias leaped over the fallen obstacles to follow, kicking aside a broken jar. Gelatinous masses of red scattered across the floor as he passed.

Grimley’s shadow hopped through the rooms, doubling back to fire, and Elias evaded the shots to fire back. He heard his bullet sear through the jaws of a dog carcass Grimley hid behind. Darting out from cover, Grimley stumbled, his shaky form bowing from his injuries. The shot was fatal, without doubt—and Elias bolted after him, expecting the admin to fall in a few steps. Surprise struck when Grimley fled through a side door.

Elias hurried, and the automatic doors opened as he neared. He stepped outside, scanning the readings on his goggles. The temperature had dropped further for Harvest.

Grimley’s pool reflected the gold-red of the sky, and the color struck Elias through his peripheral. No sound emanated from the landscape, so he raised his arm, summoning a 3D radar on his COM. A rotating compass followed as he turned, and subtle static hissed as the arrow found Grimley off-screen. Even with a head wound, Grimley stayed active.

Elias moved toward the pointer, and the crackling over his COM intensified. He paused to study the numbers, jolting when the readings skyrocketed. Before his eyes, Grimley advanced from Stage One to Two, Three—

“What?” he spat.

The arrow turned, charging at him instead. It morphed into a point when Grimley came into range, and Elias chilled as a howl pierced the sun-washed sky. He raised his pistol, and movement caught his attention when Noor arrived into view. The navigator spoke through their link.

“These readings, Captain.”

“I see them.”

A figure leaped into view from the hedges. The shadow streaked at them on all fours, and Elias spun around as a crushing force rammed into him from the side. He hit the ground with the heavy form tumbling over him, and he rolled over at once to get the mass beneath him instead. Noor charged closer as Elias snatched the creature by the throat, heaving it to the ground.

He crushed Grimley’s bloated and now-mutated larynx tight as the admin bared newly-formed fangs. Elias burrowed his muzzle between Grimley’s eyes and fired a high caliber round, bracing as blood and skull splattered against his fingers and gear. Whipping out a blade from his side, he plunged the length into the wound, his breath escaping in short puffs as he studied the creature below. Grimley, who’d been a man minutes ago, became something else.

“Spontaneous mutation.” Elias felt a strain in his voice from his bubbling surprise. “Sclera flooded with the void. Target’s extremities are cyanotic. Teeth—” He moved Grimley’s split face aside. “Mature for siphoning hemoglobin. Ready to feed.”

Noor’s masked face swerved aside as he examined Grimley’s altered appearance. “How fast would you estimate the change?”

“He was Stage One before he toppled the stag. I tagged him with a headshot through a dog monument. Fatal wound. He had to be already changing to manage running.” Elias moved aside as Noor knelt beside Grimley’s body. “I marked fifty-eight seconds before he reappeared.”

“Fastest progression from One to Seven on record. Even if it’s an error, that’s not good.”

“No.” Elias settled his nerves. “It’s not.”

“The weapon Grimley mentioned—” Noor concealed strain in his voice. “Biological? Chemical?”

“They’d need access to sophisticated research, and serious money, to tamper with the infection.” Elias scanned the quiet patio. “I’m sending Mr. Grimley’s remains to our labs. Preserve him with cryo-fluid and summon the pilot.”

“Yes, sir.”

Elias watched the navigator retrieve new picks. Grimley’s information resonated in his mind—another weapon bigger than guns.

Sahluktu.

“Willem Grimley, Stage Seven, neutralized and in custody.” Noor glanced at Elias. “Proceeding with close.”

He opened communication with Home Base. Union’s falcon crest filled the display as a cheerful female voice addressed them, her voice filtering through a hidden speaker into their COM buds.

“Thank you for contacting Home Base. Operator Dotty responding. How may I assist your hunt?”

“Good evening, Dotty. S1 Navigator Jamal Noor with S1 Captain Elias J. Pendergast reporting.”

“Thank you, Navigator. Captain Pendergast, provide your Command JVC.”

Elias rattled off his Job Verification Code, logging his update for the contract. Dotty returned for Noor’s, and once registered, she spoke again.

“Provide your status.”

Elias confirmed the code. “18.” 18. Completion. “Red flag our notes for review. I want to speak with Heywood ASAP on these details.”

“Yes, sir. Red flag submitted to the admiral.”

“Thank you.”

They waited for dismissal. The wait extended longer than usual, and Noor turned toward Elias with unspoken understanding.

“Captain Pendergast.” Dotty returned. “There’s another ping in the vicinity, and the travel distance is compatible for auto-assign. You have a consecutive hunt, mandatory in the interest of Union security.”

“You’re fucking kidding.”

Elias let the foul language slip, and Noor shook his head with disappointment. Elias stifled a groan.

“Um, no, sir.” Dotty cleared her throat. Elias imagined the formal operator’s face turning bright red, though he’d never seen her. “Auto-assign ensures our most vulnerable moments are protected, and since you’re acting as a UIA agent—”

“I know, Dotty.”

“I’m reminding you of Section Fifteen in the UIA Handbook—”

“Dotty.” Elias remained calm. “You’re right, and I’m a fool, like always. Disregard.” He clenched his teeth. “Sorry for cussing. Please continue.”

“Okay, sir. I won’t flag the language this time, but please conduct yourself in a professional manner. We’re being monitored for quality purposes.”

“Acknowledged.”

Dotty continued. “The ping’s located approximately 350 kilometers southeast in North Asylum Zone 1. It’s a yellow transition coordinate within the mining town of Silver Rock. Looks like multiple heads.”

“Stages?”

“Three. Maybe a Four. Movements aren’t erratic. You might be able to speak with them, so offer them blood rations and see if they’ll submit to sedation. Let’s save some lives this time.”

“Threes and Fours.” Elias frowned. “Now?”

“I’m sorry. The readings are high for short notice, and I’m not sure how we missed this.”

“You guys made a mistake on Grimley, too.” Elias stared at the Home Base visualizations on the Nav. “Target advanced to Stage Seven in minutes. That’s a critical escalation from the accepted progression of ninety days. I’m taking him back, per treaty.”

“We know. The rapid decay triggered an emergency warning. R&D requested the body, but you’ve claimed the corpse. You’ll work that out with the agencies.”

“Of course.” Elias scanned the details over his goggles. “Changes in the infection endanger us all, so it’s not a competition. Together, we’ll shape a better future for the generations that follow.”

“Wow.” Dotty sighed as he’d finished. “You’re right. Well said. You have a way with words, like your—”

“Thanks, Dotty.”

“…ahem.” She coughed. “Your equipment should be fine to continue action. Take note of further anomalies as you act on these hot leads.”

“Send me updates as they’re available, and I’ll take care of your cleanup.”

“Affirmative. Civil Defense appreciates her partnership with Silatem. Based on the size of your next hunt, two additional agents were assigned under your command to create a suitable squad. You’ll meet with S1 Commander Hud Hudson and S1 Lieutenant Maxwell Davies, selected randomly from your on-call list.”

Elias grimaced at Union moving his men. “Anything else?”

“That’s it from Home Base. We’ll send a cleanup crew to Grimley’s residence. Is there anything you need from us?”

“No.” Elias rubbed his eyelids. “That’s all.”

“All right, sir. Operator Dotty, out. Happy Harvest!”

The display returned to an empty screen, and Noor closed the NAV kit as he removed his mask. He ran a gloved hand through his silver hair, his lined eyes studying Elias.

“You’re lucky Dotty likes you. If an operator wanted to cause trouble during your suspension, they could.”

“I know.”

“Don’t fuck things up with stupid errors.”

“Subject’s closed, Mr. Noor.”

Noor chuckled, backing off. “Your father had a big mouth, too. I had to remind him to be patient with the operators. They’re just doing their jobs.”

“So am I.”

“Yes.” Noor’s smile remained. “John said the same.”

“Well, I'm glad I have a lot in common with Pa.” Elias glanced at Grimley’s slack body. From his distance, he spotted a light frost forming from on Grimley’s exposed flesh the cryo-lock injections. “Let’s wrap up. The faster we finish, the better our chances of actually celebrating Harvest.”

“Don’t think we’ll make it to the fundraiser, though. What a shame. I looked forward to seeing Miss Kalum perform; she’d give John an appropriate tribute.”

“Yeah. I bet it’ll be something to remember.” Elias maneuvered functions on his COM. “Any plans for Harvest, Navigator?”

Noor shrugged as he sealed restraints around Grimley’s arms. “Family’s stopping by for a big reunion, and we don’t have them often.”

“Ah. Your family. Your wife, and the rest. Good for…all of you.” Elias slipped off his mask, gulping in the fresh mountain air. “Send them my best.”

“Thank you.”

Elias looked back at Grimley’s stylish home hiding an interior filled with animal death. The monstrous stag, now laying shattered on Grimley's floor, joined other bizarre memories from his past.

“I hope Home Base buries Grimley’s ugly shit. Wouldn’t want it scaring staff every time they enter the depot.”

“Agreed.”

Elias accepted the pilot’s updates over COM. “All right, Mr. Noor—let’s go.”