Under One Banner: Rise

VIII: Deus Ex Machina

Evan looked toward me. "So what's next, eh?"

Too bad I didn't think that far ahead. The best thing to do was, obviously, continue on the course we were already on. I opened my mouth to say the words when I heard rubber wrestle the friction of asphalt. Seconds later, the van was surrounded by police hovercars and patrolling hoverboarders. All of the traditional pursuit lights were off. The officers didn't want this on the books. They stormed out of their vehicles and drew weapons, ready for action. And out of the closest hovercar came the same C.O. from hours ago. The orange streetlights illuminated his sick grin.

Great, I thought. We're dealing with Captain Trigger-Finger over here.

The windows in the van were all one-way, so he couldn't see us inside. Evan and Jacob visibly tensed, and I practically tore open my duffel bag as the C.O. tapped the voice amplifier on his body armor and began talking.

"Alright, boys, out in single file"
Boys. He knew there was more than just one of us. How? "Don't try anything funny, either," he snorted. Red dots struck the surface of our windows, the random flash of color enough to startle me. "Or else, some of us may not make it out alive tonight, and I don't mean any of my people." The satisfaction in his voice was palpable.

Panic ran side by side with the blood in my veins. Beads of sweat formed on my brow and slipped down my face as I attempted to think of a way out of this. That's when Evan spoke.

"Danté," he breathed. "Give it up. They've got us. If we take too long getting out of the van, they'll probably light us up without a second thought."

My brother's words weighed heavy on me. When we were in service, there was no situation I couldn't Hoodini us out of. And now here we were, pinned like the tail on a damned donkey.

Looking up at my older brother, I could see he was serious. After all, we did just find out government secrets. The force won't just let us go clean, and there's probably even more manpower out there than Captain Trigger-Finger is letting us know about. At the thought of that, I re-zipped my duffel and went to grab my HCD. With his fully-functional hand, Evan seized my own.

"Leave it." He said. "Act like you don't have it. It'll give Jake and I time to think while you goad the C.O." I nodded. So Evan really hadn't given up just yet. Good to know.

I pushed the back door of the van open, slowly. After I climbed out, I raised my hands behind my head. The air was brisk, and the sky dark. The only illumination came from the streetlights, as the officers had long since darkened their lights. This was off the books.

I turned my head and began walking toward the C.O, Evan and Jacob on my tail. His grin was as wide as a trench as all guns trained on us.

"I think you know what I'm here for." He said through his visor. I feigned cluelessness.

"A late night pool game?" I asked. His smirked dropped and his free hand balled into a fist as his grip on his handgun tightened.

"I don't have time for games, boy," he sneered, moving closer to me with each word. "Where's the damned HCD?" growled the man. His facial hair was messy and unkempt; he looked grizzled. Serves him right. He acted like an animal.

Beads of sweat formed on my forehead despite the cold. I couldn't just give the thing up. Whatever Evan was planning, we were going to need the HCD for it. I turned my gaze to him and Jacob and Evan's head shook slightly. Great, I thought. He doesn't even have a plan. We're screwed.

The C.O's foot tapped impatiently. "Alright, fine. Since you won't help out, I'll handle it myself." He motioned to two officers behind him. "Ericson, Rosewood, search the truck," he ordered. "Yes sir, Commander Violet, sir!" They replied in unison. Snapping their rifles up, the two lackies approached our van with caution.

"Wow, I couldn't follow a guy named Violet. They've got some resolve," I chided, snickering. That earned me a quick pistol whip to the skull, which quickly sent me to one knee. Writhing in pain, I still had enough spite in me to spit on Violet's shoes. He gave a slight chuckle.

"Violet's my last name, you rebel peace of shit," he grumbled as I clutched the left side of my head. I shot one last look at Evan and Jacob as the officers pulled the doors of the van open. Just that quickly, any attempt at defiance was qwelled.

Just then, a streak of electricity shot past Violet and I. It separated into two different streams and struck the officers preparing to search the van. Their bodies shook and twitched, and they crashed to the ground, incapacitated.

Violet's head snapped in the direction that the streak had come from, just in time to catch one of his own in the chest. He virtually growled as his body took the electricity in, and then he was falling as well. As all of the other officers began to look in the direction the beams had come in, Evan and Jacob took the opportunity to overpower them. I followed suit. Soon, every officer was on either their back or stomach and stripped of their weapons. Just as we were heading back to the van, a black 2016 Tesla Model S pulled up next to us with its windows down. No driver sat inside it.

"Get the important stuff and get in," spoke a distorted voice from the car's speakers. "You can thank me later."

After looking at both of my brothers for confirmation, I received a couple of shrugs. We rushed into the van, grabbed the HCD, my duffel and a few guns, and soon we were pulling off in the autopiloting Tesla to God knows where.