Chapter 6

  There is loud marching up the stairs, the three of them enter the communication room, Paris slams the door but the latch doesn't catch, it bounces back, he slams the door a few more times with the same results before he turns around.

  “I think it's broken boss.” Stinger says.

  Paris turns to us, he's at a loss for words. He looks at Jodi, looking at her neck, then starts pacing, muttering.

  “How? How did you three live and the other soldiers die? We have a Royal that spent all her family's money to buy her way in because she has a terminal illness; zero value to the program, a palace guard who was fired and a half decent Extract Agent that got his whole squad killed, this, you three, how did you live and the others die? And you, is that a hickey? They've not even been here a day, they can't even take off the suit.”

  “Actually, it kind of worked pretty well.” I say.

  “It sure did.” Jodi says.

  “I don't care! The King and half his court were watching and listening to that simple extract run, you were supposed to fight those twelve Others.”

  “Wait a fricken minute, explain that to us? Jodi saw them so I went dark and got the target out.” I say.

  “The real mission was you were supposed to fight them.”

  “So the real mission was to test our combat readiness at the possible expense of the Extract Team and the extract target? I thought Underwood was the one doing ratty crap for the King.” Stinger says.

  Paris takes a deep breath, “You're right, I shouldn't have pushed for the assault. It was part of the deal I made with Underwood, he's poison, I had to get him out of here. But it turns out we won't have to deal with him again, the Kings furious Underwood embarrassed him in front of the court. Look, we'll sort it out, I need to go back across the river to supervise the demolition of the centre. I'm, sorry, I blurted out everyone's personal business just now, it wasn't professional. If they don't force me to retire I'll see you tomorrow.” Paris says.

  We all salute him and he leaves.

  “Ok, this isn't awkward. Well, they're going to blow the building across the river tonight, how about we make a bonfire on the roof, drag the crate of vodka that went 'missing' last month up to the roof and have a bit of a building blowing up party.” Jodi says.

  “Arrack, party hardy baby.” Edgar says.

  “Who am I to deny Edgar a fun time?” Maria says.

  “Fuck it, what else are we going to do?” Stinger says.

  “Yeah, I could use a drink.” I say.

  “Sounds good, Goliath and I will gather wood, if you guys can get the booze from under the tarp on the first floor stair well. Oh, there's an old door at the end of the hallway laying around we can use for wood, it no longer has a use.” She shoots me an impish smile.

  Jodi and I go down to the end of the hallway, the door between our rooms is indeed taken off the hinges. I pick it up.

  “Are we sure we want to burn this?” I ask.

  “I am. Oh, and my bed is bigger, just, anyways, I don't want to scare you. I did mention I spent the better part of two years socializing with just a bird, right?” she says as she picks up some ancient broken spindles scattered around.

  “No, your fine, I'm good with direct.”

  There is a surprising amount of very dry wood laying around, we probably don't want to breath in too much of the smoke. I manage to lug the door up stairs, using my combat machete to chop it up. The combat machete is standard issue; the weight of the blade makes it effective against plastic and metal joints of the exoskeletons, and the fleshy parts, when needed. We all end up gathering wood, mostly from the garden in the courtyard below that's been growing and left on it's own for years.

  We gather up top when it starts to get dark and start the fire.

  “I have a surprise guys; one of my hobbies.” She puts a small audio player down. “Ta-da.”

  “I would love to be impressed, but it's just a player.” I say.

  “Ah, but not just any player. Over the last couple of years while doing surveillance and with not much else to do other then talk with Edgar, I have recorded and cleaned up the music played on the Inside. I present to you all, the only known music player with the most popular music of 1986.” We all clap, still kind of down about Paris. “Ok, this booze needs to be drunk and you all need to open up about all this half said crap Paris said.” She grabs a bottle, uncorks it and takes a big swig before passing it to me.

  I take a swig like Jodi did and start to cough.

  “What proof is this?” I ask.

  “No idea, but I've seen Lenny use it to degrease metal. Oh, this was their 'lost' shipment, so don't tell Lenny or Frankie.”

  I pass it to Maria.

  “Normally I would ask for a glass, but, fuck it.” She says as she takes a swig before handing it to Stinger.

  “Cheers.” Stinger says before taking a swig.

  “Ok boys and girls, seeing as you all know nothing about me and I know a bit about you I'll start.” Jodi says, she takes another big gulp before starting. “I'm here because I'm hiding. Oh, I suppose I should have mentioned I'm married, big guy.” She looks at me, I don't really know what to say. “It's Ok, there isn't much to say. I was pressured to get married by my family, my dad is a well known surgeon, he said marrying a Baron was a 'smart' choice. So the day I turned 18 we got married, I told him I wanted to go to medical school and be a surgeon like my dad. He said the only school I was to attend was finishing school. I told him that I would not consummate the marriage until I attended and finished medical school, we argued, I ran away to join the service. I had connections so I got this post everyone hates. Oh, and Jodi isn't my born name, it's the name I switched to when I joined the service. But I kind of like it.”

  Stinger goes to the crate and hands us all a bottle. “This saves the passing around. A toast; to Jodi's shitty life.”

  “Aarrack, party hardy.” Edgar says.

  “To Jodi's shitty life!” We toast.

  “Ok, I'll go next, here's my shitty life.” Stinger takes another swig. “Truth is I loved the Palace Guard. It was an easy job; show up, be respectful, be around all the pretty, well dressed nobles all day. It was boring as hell, but an easy life. Then it got ruined by Countess Lisa Dunlop.”

  “Did you two, get personal?” I ask.

  “Ha, no, that would have almost made it worth it. The window to her bedroom was right beside a well used path between the guardhouse and the court yard. I was very much a man of routine, she noticed my routine. It started off innocent enough, she would smile and wave at me as she closed the drapes when I started my shift each day. I started nodding back. Over the course of 3 months it evolved into her standing there in some very fancy lingerie and waving. Then one day she was standing there stark naked. Looking directly at her I walked into someone. Guess who.”

  The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  “Haha, no way, the Earl?” Maria says.

  “Yup. She said nothing of the previous three months, just said I always tried to get a look in her room every morning.” He says.

  “Aww, you poor pervy man.” Maria says with a laugh.

  “Come on, she used me for thrills. I couldn't get any job in the city after that, I heard about this work through a friend.” He says.

  “To Stingers shitty life!” We toast.

  I look at Maria.

  “Don't look at me, I'm not near drunk enough yest, you go next.” She says to me.

  “Ok. This needs to stay in the team though.” I sigh and take a drink. “Paris said I got my team killed, I said I got my team killed. I lied, Colonel Doyle got the rest of my team killed.”

  “Why did you take the blame?” Jodi asks.

  “Because he has a family with four kids, he begged me to, he said he would lose everything, he would be disgraced. He said I was young, it would just be a blip in my career. He was a terrible commander. He agreed to take a desk job if I took the blame. Him not being in command was better for everyone. A short time later I came across him running his mouth in a bar, telling all who would listen I was responsible for getting him demoted to a desk job. That was the only time in my life I have ever struck a man out of anger. They let me go, I'm pretty sure high up the Officers all knew the real story, they just wanted it to all go away.”

  “Aww, my poor, noble, darling. To Goliath's shitty life.” Jodi says, we toast.

  “Shoo, my turn?” Maria says.

  “Are you ok there?” Her bottle is far closer to being empty then the rest of ours.

  “Ayup. Hey, ishint the building over there shupposed to blow up?” She says. As she points at the river a huge explosion goes off from the other side. “Shit, look what I made happen.”

  We all oooo and ahhh over the explosion.

  “Holy fuck I need a minute to recover.” Edgar screams.

  We all laugh, the others don't laugh quite as long as Jodi and I do, the two of us are well aware of how Edgar learned that phrase.

  “Lets have a toast; to that fucking place being levelled.” Stinger says.

  “To that fucking place being levelled!” We all toast.

  “Ok, ok. I have a story.” Maria says, she turns back to us stumbles, falling on her rear end. “I'm good, I'm good, I wanted to sit down anyways. So, my mother was a Countess, sho noble and such. One day she got sick, they told her they needed gene therapy or she would waste away. They said they could get her therapy from a donor source, but no donors were found. She found out if she had a child they could be a donor, so poof, I was born. Father died soon after I was born, I never knew him. They did a spinal tap on me six times a year until I was 14, I started questioning it, turns out doing that without consent is pretty fucking illegal. I was tired of the pain, by then mother was dying anyways, even with the treatment. She was breathing her last breath when she called me in. Her last words were 'With me dying there is no purpose for you now.'”

  We're all silent, what can we do to make it better?

  “The best part is I inherited the same illness from her. So I end up here, liquidating all my inheritance to bribe people to get the fusion, I have no life, and all you fucking people can do is say how fucking useless I am, how a soldier should have lived and I died! Fuck you all!” She throws her bottle into the fire, sparks rise in the air.

  “No. No, that's what Underwood and Paris said, that is NOT how we feel Maria.” I say.

  “Yeah, Goliath's right, I don't think that of you at all.” Stinger says.

  “I barely know you Maria, but I'm happy you're part of the team.” Jodi says.

  “I'm afraid to touch you guys, I don't like what the suits do.” She says as she starts sobbing. Jodi stands and gives her a hug.

  “I like you Jodi, you're not ash boney ash you look.” Maria says.

  “Thanks, I think. To Maria's shitty life!” She says.

  “To Maria's shitty life!” We all toast.

  “Hey, I was told there was music, my new best not so boney friend!” Maria says.

  “Oh, right.” Jodi says, she starts the music.

  It's an up beat tune, Maria starts dancing, clumsily but she seems to be relaxed. We all end up awkwardly dancing by ourselves or with Jodi, who is going around dancing with each of us at some point, we all don't want to deal with the suits touching.

  “Hey, up here!” Maria says as she climbs on the roof of a 10 foot high maintenance room on the roof. She starts dancing up there.

  I head over to her, “Maria we're all having fun but we are all still 4 stories up here, how about you come down from there?”

  “Nah, I'm fiiiiiine, it's safe.” The fascia on the edge of the roof gives way and she falls on me.

  I have a vision like I did the other night with the woman, the woman who is dating the mans brother. We're very intimate.

  The bedroom door opens, my brother, her boyfriend is there. He's holding a knife, I stand to try and explain things, he stabs me in the stomach.

  “no-no-no-no...” Edgar is screaming as we wake.

  Maria and I look at each other, a shocked look on both our faces. Our suits are still touching; our shared story seems to be over.

  “We can never touch Stinger.” I say.

  “Are you Ok guys?” Stinger says as he's walking over.

  “Stay back!” Maria screams. “Both of you.” Staggering some she heads downstairs.

  “Jodi, can you make sure she's Ok? We'll explain later.” I say.

  “Of course.” She follows Maria.

  “What was it?” Stinger says. “Goliath, why are you holding that splintered piece of wood?”

  In my hand I have a death grip on the splinter of wood, my arm stretch out towards Stinger as if to defend myself.

  My head, my fricken head. It has to be the suit, I still feel a buzz the next day, I've never felt this drunk. Thinking back they said all bodily fluids slowly seep out of the bottom of our feet at appropriate times, maybe the alcohol is still in my system. I stand, stagger up to the roof. I think my feet just peed on the ground, it just seems like water though. It's nice to know my feet won't pee in bed. What an odd thing to think.

  I start to feel less of a buzz immediately, and feel very dehydrated. Jodi is behind me when I turn around.

  “You guys can not hold your booze.” She says, she looks hungover but not near as bad as I feel. “All three of you, it's like you're all still drunk.”

  “The suit seems to hold fluids and let them out only at appropriate times, look.” I point down at the small puddle by my feet. “It looks like my feet won't be peeing in bed.”

  “I'm pleased to hear that.” She says with a smile, then laughs, “So I need to take those two out to pee, like a dog? Why does it feel like you guys are going to be a lot of work? Are you going to explain what is happening when the suits touch?”

  “In time, I'm already getting less of a buzz, help the others outside so we can start to recover before Paris ends up here at... whatever time it is.” I say.

  “11:16.” She says.

  “Oh frick. I need a bunch of water.” I say.

  “Kitchen is beside the comm room.”

  I stumble down to the kitchen, sit with my head on the table. I'm still drunk, fricken hell, need to remember to feet pee the next time I drink. I can hear Jodi help Maria sit down, I glance, she's at the table like me. A few minutes latter Stinger joins us.

  “Oh guys, you all are pretty sad looking. I checked with Paris, he'll be here any minute. I guess I'll make some breakfast. Lets see, its combat rations oooorrrr combat rations.”

  “I'll take an empty stomach.” Stinger says in a husky, raspy voice.

  “It's nice to see we all still have a sense of humour.” Jodi says.

  We hear the door open downstairs, foot steps coming up.

  “Sounds like Paris is here. Hey, you all need to get some food in you.” She breaks open a combat ration bar for each of us. “Go on, just one bite.”

  We all look at each other and take a bite. We swallow. We all immediately cover our mouths, Maria goes to the sink, we can't touch, Stinger and I just throw up on the floor.

  “There she blows.” Edgar screams.

  “Oh for fuck sakes, am I going to have to clean that up because if you guys try you'll be sick?” Jodi says.

  “Well I sure as hell aren't doing it.” Paris says, standing in the door way. “Oh fuck me. I should have just quit instead of pleading to keep my job. Can we at least crack a window before I'm sick?”

  Jodi opens the windows.

  “Sorry Paris, we found out excess drinking stays in your system a very long time with the suit.” I say.

  He sighs and sits down. “Ok, now that your stomachs are empty we can talk. So, Underwood is out of the chain of command for this group, I'm still your Sargent, so my career is fucked. I am to organize you all to be solo support operatives; at any given time one of you will be working doing solo extractions, the other two will be available to assist Extract Agents. And no drinking.”

  “You mean today?” Stinger says, with the hint of a smile.

  “No drinking!” Paris slams the door a few times, it feels like I took a few bullets to the head.

  “Ok, ok.” Stinger says.

  “When do we start?” I ask.

  “In the field? Tomorrow. Today I want everyone to clean up the whole building, top to bottom. Also make sure the bonfire isn't smoldering. I could see the bonfire from the other side, next time I'll show you how to make a fire so it doesn't shine halfway across the city. Jodi, you don't seem quite as hung over, organize the kitchen and let me know what food to order. Did you guys at least have fun?”

  “Mostly.” I say.

  “Good. Maybe if things go smooth we can have a fun night once a month, with a bit of drinking. Rehydrate and once you can keep food down get to the cleaning.”

  With my head on the table I turn to the side, Marie and I are looking at each other. I ponder how the hell we're going to work together not touching Stinger, how will he behave once his suit knows?? Maria and I seem to be able to be separate from the suit, but I think back to last night, when I came to with a sharp piece of wood, ready to defend myself from Stinger. I don't remember picking it up.