End of Knighthood Part II: The King's Move (Reverence Book 3) Read online

  To all those who believed in the Reverence series, with a special thanks to my editors Don Sloan and Carol Thompson. Here’s to more to come.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1: Prey

  Chapter 2: Storm Clouds

  Chapter 3: The Clusterfuck

  Chapter 4: Comfort in Tribulation

  Chapter 5: Wonders of the Blade

  Chapter 6: Evil Warning

  Chapter 7: Dreams in the Dark

  Chapter 8: The Seraph

  Chapter 9: Crossroads

  Chapter 10: Throes of Bedlam

  Chapter 11: To End is to Destroy

  Chapter 12: Pursuit of the Damned

  Chapter 13: Familiar Faces

  Chapter 14: Cooperation

  About the Author

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  The Cast

  William Marconi/ S.S.C. Unit 21: a former member of the UNR’s Super Soldier Forces. The first cyborg to ever defect.

  Captain Joseph Halsey: leader of the resistance group known as the Crimson Angels.

  Sergeant Gabriella Neeson: daughter of the deceased Robert Neeson, former head scientist of the UNR. Co-leader of Crimson Angels.

  Lieutenant Jacob Neeson: brother to Gabriella, and fellow co-leader.

  Alexander Waltz: tech expert for the Crimson Angels

  Airman Patrick Noels: Top pilot for the Crimson Angels.

  Private Noah Wilson: Canadian Special Forces, squad leader.

  Nusaybah Jinnah: daughter of Khalid Jinnah, Iranian freedom fighter

  Private Brielle Tremblay: Canadian Special Forces, protégé of Alex

  Private Saskia Tremblay: Canadian Special Forces, second-in-command.

  Chancellor Carl Venloran: Unrivaled commander of the United Nation Republic.

  Chancellor Aide James Kearney: personal assistant to the Chancellor.

  Aliss Howard/S.S.C. Unit 3-05: Head Commander of the elite cyborg fighting force known as the New Rough Riders, as well as the Super Soldier Psychoanalyst (SSPA).

  Marisol Leone/S.S.C. Unit 37: long term servant of the Crusaders, a UNR cyborg branch dedicated to overseas operations.

  Captain Wesley Howarth: Head Director of the Public Services and Inquires Division (PSID). The government agency is dedicated to investigations and monitoring public broadcasts.

  General Gavin Kane: Founding member of the UNR Party and senior member of the Cabinet. First specimen of WP-IV.

  Steve Oswald: host of the hit UNR show The Essential Globe

  End of Knighthood Part I: The Chess Pieces

  Gabby and Joe have secured intel on the latest UNR weapons tech. Despite their success, they have jeopardized their entire operation. The UNR is also closing in on an AWOL cyborg known as Marisol. Head Commander Aliss Howard has deemed her unfit for duty and now hunts her down with a methodical fever. Amidst it all, Will also struggles to control his old ways…

  END OF KNIGHTHOOD

  PART II:

  THE KING’S MOVE

  Chapter 1 - Prey

  October 19, 2065 - Pinery Provincial Park, Ontario

  “How much farther would you say?” Gabriella asked. She was in the middle of rolling up her sleeping bag. The air had become incredibly cold. Halsey was already packed up and ready to go, huddled by the fire eating a chocolate bar. He got done chewing before he replied.

  “I’d say two-and-a-half-hour stroll. We’ll be back before noon.”

  Gabby finished up and then stood. She turned around and saw Halsey was still seated on the log, munching away. The man looked at her impatient eyes and then dug for something in his breast pocket.

  “Join me in an unhealthy breakfast,” he said. Halsey offered her a candy bar.

  “Joe, let’s eat and walk.”

  “After I warm up a little, sure. Besides, it’s dark chocolate, your favorite.”

  Gabriella gave in, seating herself next to her friend. She inspected the wrapper before opening it, throwing a look Halsey’s way.

  “Okay, okay, it also has bacon bits. There’s something in tere for both of us.”

  Gabby chuckled. “Thank you, Joe.”

  Halsey smiled back. He stuck his empty wrapper in his pocket. The captain allowed Neeson to finish her snack. The fire was mostly dead by now, the black remains of the wood having only orange glowing cracks. Now’s as good a time as any.

  “This new op sounds awfully hairy. I hope your team can handle it.”

  “I know they can. I’ve been training them for months for something like this.”

  “You’ve come a long way, Gabby. From student to teacher. It still shocks me.”

  “Only because you all taught me different lessons. I know you and Jacob could have your own squads if you wanted to. Why not?”

  “Would you look down on me if I said it’s because I don’t want more lives in my hands?”

  Gabby was puzzled at that response.

  “No, I wouldn’t.”

  “Being in charge of a team makes you accountable. It’s your duty to prep them all you can and then see them off. The best commanders strive to ensure as many of their soldiers as possible make it back.”

  “By minimizing risks when able,” Gabby recited.

  “Right. With that acknowledged, Sergeant, I can’t see any reason why Will shouldn’t be on your squad.”

  “Joe, it’s my contact, my team, my op! I don’t need him on this.”

  “Look at the big picture, Gabby. I’m only trying to save your ass from the big brass. You think for one second they’ll take this shit from you? It may be all your design, but they won’t hesitate for a second to replace you.”

  “I’ll take it up with Declan and Ominic.”

  The bitter woman began to shovel the mound of dirt onto the remains of the fire. Halsey stayed where he was. It was then he came at her in a very different way.

  “Let me tell you something. I worked hand-in-hand with both your father and Will’s family long before you or Jacob were even among the ranks. His wife and his daughter were Crimson Angels and they both sacrificed everything for what we believe in. That lie you passed onto Will, that whole plan your dad worked so hard on, was one I never got a single word of. Do you know why? Because Robert knew I never would have gone along with such a travesty. Never.”

  Halsey put on his gloves. He was done talking. Gabby could discern that had been something he’d been holding in for a long time. She couldn’t make out if it was a scorning of her father or an ode to the past.

  ***

  Will walked casually in his muscle shirt and black pants. With a single hand, he held an enormous granite boulder over his head, so large in fact that it seemed to dwarf him. Watching him was Noah’s squad along with Alex and Pat. The super soldier’s destination was a large pit, which at the bottom was filled with a number of rocks of various sizes. The group was not too far away from the construction site Will had visited on his first day back.

  He reached the edge of the hole, looking back at them with a smirk, before tossing the boulder down below. It smashed into the others in a stunning show, breaking chunks off them. Dust followed, but it soon settled. Will walked back toward everyone else only to be rushed by the squad.

  “Holy fuck, that was insane! You didn’t even try,” Noah exclaimed.

  “It’s kind of scary,” Saskia said, Kurt still too much in awe to speak. The others were staring at Will while exchanging comments with one another; Brielle was the most objective of the bunch.

  “That rock had to weigh at least a ton. Maybe two,” she analyzed. “Do you have any idea what your limits are?”

&nb
sp; “I can approximate,” Will said. “Around forty tons is pushing it. I can take it farther, but it would strain my power core.”

  Alex and Patrick watched in awe of their own. Will hadn’t been retreating to train on his own recently. Even though he had nothing to gain from answering their questions all day and almost every day, he seemed to enjoy their company.

  “It’s still odd seeing him like this,” Patrick said.

  “It is. I think it’s good for him,” Alex replied. “At this rate Gabby won’t be able to deny him a spot on the team.”

  “Speaking of which, it’s about time we went over to the shooting range. I promised her I’d keep up on your lessons.”

  “But I think I’m getting close to fixing the pulse rifle.”

  “Hell, no, man. I let you talk me into giving you all day yesterday.”

  “Fine, fine, let’s—”

  A high-pitched alarm went off from Alex’s watch along with a red flashing light. He brought it close to his face to check out the small screen. To Patrick’s unease, his friend’s eyes widened and he only muttered a single word:

  “Fuck.”

  “Alex, what is it?”

  The man still said nothing. Only a few feet away, Will and the others were in mid-conversation. It only added to the peculiarity of the moment.

  “Alex?”

  Though Alex didn’t look any more relaxed, he at least looked at the man addressing him. He spoke with mad urgency.

  “Get Jacob and Nusaybah’s squad and meet us at the armory! We have a code zero! Go, go!”

  Patrick took off toward the mosque, Will and the others now aware something was wrong. Confirming this was Alex now heading toward them, a vigorous sweat on his face. The cyborg saw those beads of sweat as a spreading fire.

  “Where’s Patrick off to?” Noah inquired.

  “We need to go help Gabby and Joe, come on! Bubo Jr. spotted someone tailing them!”

  Oblivious to them all, a man stood watching their interchange. He saw Unit 21 put a hand on the hilt of his saber and knew enough. His observations for the day would have to be cut short, it seemed.

  ***

  Marisol kept a general distance of three hundred feet. While she had no problem locating the pair below with her eyes, it was difficult to hear much. Her sensors could pick up a lot, but a single bird chirping or crunching of a leaf distorted the audio. Crouched on a branch high above, her curiosity was eating away at her. The cyborg could focus in on their voices at the expense of her surroundings. The other branches around her swayed in the wind. You’re tracking Gabriella Neeson and Joseph Halsey, high-level targets. To miss a single detail could be critical.

  Marisol leaped to a lower branch in the tree across. It was nowhere near as thick as the one prior, and it threatened to snap under her weight. Mari panicked, but it held steady. Now let’s check in with our friends. Mari centered the range on the two humans walking away. Every other sound began to fade away. Nothing remained but their voices, which became pristinely clear.

  “…while you’re on Alex about the target practice, what about your flight training?”

  “I barely even need Patrick with me when I fly.”

  “Last I heard, Pat nearly shat himself during your landing.”

  “One scratch and I never hear the end of it.”

  Even with their backs to her and getting farther away, Mari could hear their laughs as if she was right there strolling alongside them. And now…what the hell?

  Marisol’s HUD alerted her about an ‘incoming projectile,’ but the warning did little good now. The missile missed her by only a few inches, connecting with the tree instead. The explosion was more than enough to blow the cyborg off the branch. The next thing Mari knew she landed flat on her ass thirty feet down. The upper section of the tree moaned before it fell as well. The cyborg rolled to avoid being crushed but was still showered by burning wood. Her ghillie suit was ablaze and so she threw it to the side. She felt the bandana around her neck first and foremost, grateful to find it was unharmed. That was embarrassing as shit. Now, let’s assess things.

  Mari’s left arm had been burned badly, but it wouldn’t impair her fighting. As she stood, however, she felt it: damage to the joint area by the knee. Under what little charred flesh remained there she could see the exposed neoartium knee cap. The area behind the knee was where she felt the pain. No plating there. A few wires probably singed. Her HUD told her she’d able to move easily enough, but enough self-inspection. She eyed her surroundings.

  Neeson and Halsey had taken cover, out of sight. In their place, out in the open, were the troops who had fired on her. Mari was astonished to see the two-man team consisted of Patrick Noels as the gunner of the FGM-148 Javelin and Jacob Neeson as his ammo bearer. Seeing those two, and reminding herself two other high-value targets were in the immediate area, she made up her mind.

  “I’m going to assume the whole gang’s here!” she yelled out as she removed her pistol from its holster and aimed at Patrick’s head. At this range, the shot would be effortless. The two men made no move for cover, and it only took another second to understand why. She heard another incoming missile, this time from her left.

  The cyborg dodged just as she heard yet another coming in from the right, and Mari barely ducked in time. The second missile hit the leaf litter as the other hit a tree. Burning pieces of bark hit her face as she stayed low. Mari saw Patrick and Jacob had already finished reloading and would soon fire again. That, however, was the least of her concerns. The cyborg could hear several soldiers approaching from all sides. An encirclement. Mari wanted nothing more than to fight her way out, but it was time to accept this was more than she bargained for. She took off in the direction from which she had come, sprinting at full speed. Behind her another explosion rumbled.

  Only a few seconds into her retreat, Mari was forced to stop. It’s him. Stepping from behind a tree was William Marconi, Unit 21. He was out of uniform but in his hand was his sword. There was a glimmer of recognition in his eyes upon seeing her.

  “So, my hunch was right. You’re a full-fledged Crimson Angel, I see.”

  “How many more are with you?” he asked.

  “For me to know, Unit 21,” Mari said smugly. She drew her sword.

  “You can surrender, 37. It’s really the only option left.”

  Marisol’s smile slacked as dozens of soldiers surrounded her from all sides. All their guns were on her, but her eyes were locked with only The Wolf’s. This can’t be. The plan had fallen disastrously off course. You didn’t really come into this with a sophisticated plan. You paid for your carelessness.

  “We have EMP rounds, dipshit! Drop your weapons or we’ll drop you!”

  The voice of Gabriella Neeson rang out to her back, taunting Marisol from the high ground. The cyborg wondered how many she could possibly kill before she herself was dead. Five, maybe seven. Marisol now looked at her boots. Nowhere near enough. She let her sword hit the ground before raising her hands above her head.

  Chapter 2 - The Storm Clouds

  May 2044 - Iran

  Driving down the tarmac in a beeline were several Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Trucks. They were heading for the three C-5M Super Galaxy airplanes, and beside these planes were platoons of soldiers. With them was Kane and even though he was far above these men and women in rank, his sleeves were up just like theirs. He wore gloves like them, but he wore no bandana or scarf around his nose. The only thing on his face were his aviator sunglasses. Sweat rolled down the side of his face, but the heat was far away in his mind.

  The trucks lined up neatly, two per plane. Before anyone could see them, they certainly smelled them. No one said a word.

  “Alright, let’s get started!” Kane ordered.

  The soldiers began the arduous task of unloading the black body bags. They used no conveyor system but instead a link of men and women stretching from each truck to the cargo bay of each plane. It was grueling, but with Kane there with them, t
hey felt no need to complain. The officer tried to fight it, but the image kept crawling back into his head: the sight of these very soldiers helping him now within those bags. I wish I could do more for you. Please, forgive me.

  His aged back would ache in the morning, and his shoulders and arms would voice their complaints as well. Like that scorching sun, it wasn’t a concern of his.

  “Sir, it’s the Big Man!’ yelled a soldier close to the trucks.

  Son of a bitch. He looked at the soldiers to the right and left of him, “Think you got this while I talk to him?”

  “We got it, major-general” the one to the left said confidently.

  The one on the right was just the same, “It’ll be like you never left, sir.”

  “Thank you. Thank you all,” he said before leaving them to it.

  Walking past the HEMT trucks, Kane saw him now. Them, to be exact. Coming down the tarmac were a group of Humvees. Gunners were atop each one and none of them were at ease despite the fact that this was, for now, friendly territory. Kane even spotted two Dragonflies circling the area. I’m surprised they didn’t bring a tank contingent to boot.

  The vehicles parked and Kane removed his sunglasses. Emerging from the Humvee in the center of them was the man who now ruled over the entire United States with no equal.

  “Chancellor Venloran, how do you do?” said Kane as he saluted him. He put on a half-assed smile.

  “I’m still getting used to that,” he admitted, “but we did it, Kane. The UNR Party has finally done what it set out to do. We won.”

  “It’s only just the start. We gotta whole lot to do before we really win.”

  Damn it. Kane immediately regretted those words. He thought he would be capable of curbing himself. He’d even practiced in front of a mirror for this moment.

  Venloran didn’t take it as a berating of what they’d achieved, “You’re right, we’re far from done. That’s why I need you to come back with me stateside. As a founder of our party, you’ll be getting a seat at the very top.”

  “You expect me to just up and leave, Venloran?”

  “You won’t be gone too long, I promise you. WP-II is up and running again and I want you to be there for its genesis.”