Cost Of Doing Business(11)

Anthony nodded quickly, tears in his eyes. Melissa letgo of his crotch and gave it a friendly pat. "Nice equipment,though. I am impressed."

***

It wasn't that it was too easy, which it wasn't, itwas just that Heather succeeded at a faster pace than even she couldhave imagined. She wondered if she wasn't being set up, butconsidered what she was after and highly doubted it. Maybe she justgot lucky. Or maybe she was just that good.

All those thoughts ran through her mind as she duckedher head, feeling the bullets getting closer and closer to the backof her skull. What she wouldn't have given for a hunk of biochromeright then, but the LOMSD was too careful, making sure their holdingfacility was built of good old standard wood and plaster, probablybuilt around a dirty steel frame, but no BC except for the weaponsand the armor the guards wore. This insured that the buildingcouldn't be taken down by Ghosts, which the Americans neverconfirmed existed, but the LOMSD knew were a part of their militarystructure.

Of course, the LOMSD had too little intel on the Ghosts'actual abilities, hence the mistake of even allowing the guards onthat level to carry BC.

"Amateurs," she muttered to herself again.

Heather dashed around the corner and came to a fullstop. Seven Shock troops stood before her, their shiny body armorreflecting and warping her image. Behind them were at least two dozenarmed guards, riot guns and batons at the ready should she get pastthe Shock troops.

Well, she had the BC she wished for, all she had to dowas take it. And survive.

***


"I'm running out of patience, Allan!" Mr. Stonebellowed, tossing the boy's sister's right ear onto the floorafter reheating the spoon and burning it from her head. "I need toknow who you gave the data to! Tell me, you fucking Jackabomination!" He leaned in close to the mutilated girl. "Theydon't really love you," he whispered as he reached out andsnapped her neck.

The mother screamed and Stone lunged at her, his lefthand gripping her throat until all that came out of her mouth wereweak choking noises. Her eyes bulged in her head and she tried tostruggle, but it was already too late. Her face turned a deep redthen purple and finally, slowly, she stopped struggling and becamestill.

The two boys glared at Stone as he withdrew his hand andflexed his fingers.

"Don't know my own strength sometimes," Stonemuttered. He looked from the dead woman to the boys and shrugged."Whatcha gonna do?"

Allan and his brother sat there, adolescent fury burningbehind their eyes. Stone flipped open a knife and cut the womanloose, knocking her body to the ground, grabbing her chair andturning it about so he could face both boys while sitting, his armsfolded across the back of the chair.

"Boys, boys, boys, you hate me. I get that. Hell, I'dhate me if I wasn't me, but I am me, so I don't," Stone said,the knife still in his hand. "I know brothers talk, tell each otherthings, so one of you is going to tell me what I want to know or Iwill slice your peach fuzzed scrotums open and let your wet, exposedballs dangle free. Then I'll take my knife and very carefully shavea slice off of each nut until there's nothing left. Who's first?"

"I haven't had a data assignment in months!" Allanyelled. "There's nothing to tell!"


"Oooh, that's disappointing," Mr. Stone grinned."For me and for you."

***

"What was the official date the Brimstone Wars startedand which nation or religion struck first?" Ms. Tinsdale calledout.

"January3rd,2173!" a boy cried out from the left side.

"Israel!" a girl yelled from the right.

The class looked to the board and a hash mark appearedin the right and left sides' columns.

"Tie!" Ms. Tinsdale said. "Next, question? Whatyear did the Indian Hindu Army launch a full scale nuclear offensiveagainst the Pakistani Islamic Brigade?"

"2178!"

"2179!"

"2180!"

"None! The Pakistani Islamic Brigade launched thefirst strike. India was only able to retaliate because they had twiceas many nukes, giving the popular misconception that India was theone that launched the strike simply because they were able to finishit!" Melissa cried, leaping from her seat. A couple of the othergirls snickered, but Melissa ignored them. A hash mark was added tothe right side's tally.

"Well done, Melissa," Ms. Tinsdale praised. "Bonusquestion: when did the Anglican Church officially enter the BrimstoneWars and why?"


"No fair! Why does she get a bonus question?!?" apug faced boy yelled. "Because she's the most annoying?"

"That's enough, Mr. York!" Ms. Tinsdale scolded."Melissa? Do you know the answer?"

"Archbishop Ashton declared war in, um, 2175? Yes,2175. After Pope Alexander decreed that all Christian sects notbeholden to the Catholic Church would be judged as heretical andenemies of God!" Melissa answered.

The class once again watched the board and two more hashmarks were logged into the right side's tally.

"Two points? Booo!" several students hollered.

***

As the bullets came at Heather, time seemed to slow. Sheknew what she had to do, but fuck if it wouldn't hurt. Heatherpositioned her body and braced herself for the impacts.

The bullets, all made of BC, ripped through her flesh,tearing into muscle and sinew. Heather writhed like a dancer,shifting and adjusting her body so the bullets wouldn't hit bone orvital organs. When she knew she had enough, she succumbed to theforce and let her body collapse onto the ground, blood streaming fromthe wounds.

Heather shivered at the amount of blood and cringed. Sheknew it would be a while before she could wash it off. Sheimmediately set to work controlling the BC, hoping she could form itinto what she needed before shock set in or she bled to death.

***

Mr. Stone slammed the mind spike into Allan'sforehead. The boy tried not to scream, tried to be as strong as hisbrother had been while Stone carved him up, but the pain was toointense. Allan just couldn't take it and reared his head back,letting loose with an ear splitting scream.


"Jesus!" Mr. Stone exclaimed. "I haven't eventurned it on." With that said, Mr. Stone tapped at his wristdisplay and the mind spike activated. Allan's scream was cut offand his mouth opened and closed, his lips smacking like a fishgasping for breath. Stone watched the display, but nothing came up."Fuck! He's empty!"

Stone slashed Allan's throat, quickly stepping out ofthe way of the arterial spray, trying not to trip over the body ofthe other boy or slip in the blood pooled about him. "Fuckinghell!" he screamed. "I fucking hate Americans! Goddamn Jacks andtheir mother fucking conditioning! FUCK!"

Stone watched the life leave Allan's eyes and kickedout, knocking the teenager on top of his brother's corpse. "FUCK!"

"Hey, Stone!" Reginald called from the living room.

"Fucking what, Reggie?" Stone yelled.

Reginald, a tall gaunt man, walked into the kitchen witha holo disc in his hands. He glanced casually at the bodies, notreally giving them any thought. "Found this." He tossed the holodisc to Stone. "Think it may be what we are looking for."

Stone tapped the disc and a small holographic image ofAllan talking with a girl came to life. "What is this? Teen chat?"

"No, just watch," Reginald said, his eyes twinklingwith anticipation. "It's this morning. Yanked it from the Jacks'personal security. They had the console hidden behind a painting ofdogs. How stupid do they think we are?"

Stone stared at the two teenagers until he thought hispatience would finally run out. He scrunched up his face, ready tolay into Reginald, when the boy and girl embraced and they both shookviolently, close to seizure. After a minute the two pushed away fromeach other, embarrassed and confused, then the girl dashed from theholo. The image flickered and went away. Stone smiled. "That'sinteresting... Did that look like a data transfer to you, Reginald?"


"Not any data transfer I've ever seen, Mr. Stone,"Reginald answered.

"True, but it does fit the profile for data transferto a Vessel. How fucked up would that be if we actually come across aliving, breathing Vessel?"

"Well, Mr. Stone, considering how hard this assignmenthas been, I'd say that would make sense," Reginald answered. "Howexciting! A mythical Vessel! I wonder if they bleed the same?"

"We may well find out," Mr. Stone smiled. "Hell,Allan may not have even known! Poor kid …  Ahhh, teenage hormones,always a compass for trouble."

***

"Last question," Ms. Tinsdale announced. "It's atie, so this is for the win." She looked around the room, trying tobuild the anticipation. She mostly found bored faces, ready for theschool day to be done. She sighed and continued. "It is widely heldthat the Americans' neutral involvement in the Brimstone Wars iswhat finally brought the worldwide conflict to an end. However, manyeconomists believe that the Americans' introduction of biochromewas even more influential. What made BC so important to bringingpeace and stability?" Half the class was no longer payingattention. Ms. Tinsdale waited for an answer, her face showing hergrowing impatience. "Ms. Laughlin? You haven't participated atall today. Why do you think BC was so influential?"

The class watched Beth Laughlin as she looked up fromthe book she was reading, sunlight from the windows playing acrossher face, the face of the girl in Allan's holo. Her clothes wereout of date and she looked like she could use a good makeover. Someof the others giggled at the puzzled look on her face. "I'msorry, Ms Tinsdale, what was the question?"