The Monitor

The Monitor, Part 4

The heat in my suit got very intense. A bead of sweat rolled from my forehead into one of my eyes. I blinked at the stinging sensation.

"No, Sia." Maddix shook his head. "It's not our call."

"Come on, it's George. I've... got to be there."

"You heard central. The other unit's got this."

My voice shook as I spoke. "He's my husband."

Maddix stared at me in response.

My breath hitched. "I have to see him." I looked toward CHEM-870. It was at best eight to ten blocks away. But if I broke rank now, Maddix may have had me stunned and sent for discipline, whatever that meant.

Maddix motioned us forward on our path. My eyes scanned toward CHEM-870.

What could've happened?

He seemed a little on edge. I remember he said they were upping his quotas, but that's what they've been doing with everyone. What could've pushed him over?

I looked at the others; they walked behind Maddix. It's what they did, what we did. BOSAM had no room for Breakers.

My throat tightened. What if I never saw him again, and they did the same to him as they did to that other Rager, Jax? I shuddered with thoughts of George sent for processing somewhere. I squeezed the handle of my rifle and eyed the others.

I darted to the left, between two buildings. If I hightailed it, maybe I could get there before the transport picked him up and have a chance at a conversation with him.

And before they got me as a Breaker.

Maddix's voice crackled in my helmet. "Sia, what're you doing?"

"You know what," I gasped as I ran.

I heard Maddix's huffs over my comm; they mirrored my own. My HUD turned red. An alarm sounded: "Agent breaking patrol, alert, officer breaking patrol, unit SG3230: Sia Garrett."

"Copy Central, investigating," Maddix answered, and the alarm silenced.

I stopped long enough to look at Maddix. I zoomed in closer on him in my viewfinder. His face was in a halfway scowl. He eyed me for a moment, then nodded. I wondered why he hadn't fired on me yet. I spun around and checked for Keith or Wilson or any of the others around. Nobody. I watched Maddix again. He raised his hand very slow and gave a thumbs up. I smiled and returned the gesture before I turned up the street to head to CHEM-870.

I got there as the unit pulled George out to the street. I was in luck; he was conscious. I ducked behind some vehicles parked nearby on the street in case any of them saw and identified me after that Agent alert.

Two BOSAM agents walked George to the transport. His hair was tousled, and his face was red. His eyes looked wild, and sweat poured off his body. He said something, but I was too far away to hear. The agents who handled him began speaking on their comms, and I picked it up from there.

"Ever hear anything like that?" one asked.

"Naah, not from a supervisor. Thought those guys were screened better; this guy's a nut," another replied.

"Damn right he is. Him jabbering about Damon, you'd think he was his brother or something."

"Yeah, and what was that nonsense he was babbling? The count is the frequency... robin, sparrow, indefeasibly?"

I froze.

George heard it too.

But what did it mean?

And what was the link between George and Damon? Was that what had led to his capture?

But they listed it as a Rage Event.

None of this made sense. Maddix was on patrol though, and any BOSAM facility was the last place for me right now.

I clutched my comm in thought.

Frequency.

Comm frequency?

But which? BOSAM used a standard set.

I ducked into an alleyway and adjusted the controls on my comm. The audio in my helmet varied from silence to deafening static.

The count.

Of what, words?

The message had eight words in it. Eight was too low for any band.

A few beads of sweat rolled off my face. If I didn't hide somewhere quick, a roving patrol would spot me. I jogged up one street and ducked into a warehouse.

OK, so the count of something was the frequency. But the last three words meant nothing.

Unless...

Robin... 5

Sparrow... 7

Indefeasibly... 12

I adjusted my comm to frequency 5712 and heard a message in another voice.

"All those hearing this message in New Damai, please proceed to the border at once. If you are approached by any BOSAM agents, utter the word 'Tyrannis'. This will prevent them from apprehending you. This is Damon."

The message repeated from there. If I got to Damon and heard his take on this, I at least had more of a chance at survival than with BOSAM incarceration.

At least, I hoped so.